Author's Note

Sorry I'm late, I'm afraid I got lost on the path of life.

Randall's Requiem

Early in the morning, way before dawn, the small group continued their journey.

As it turns out, it was actually Randall who offered to keep watch during the night. To which Rainbow was really grateful since she really didn’t want to stay up another minute – also she thought that the feline needed some time to themself, you know, to think and whatnot –. Which gave her a chance to snooze a little.

Before dozing off, Rainbow thought about how long she had been engaged in this journey, four, maybe five days? She needed to keep track… Anyways, she thought about her brief time here in the Sahida Desert, and it all seemed so fleeting yet so vivid. Every encounter, every creature she met along the way, they all were so different from the ponies she knew back home. There was an unspoken awareness amongst every creature that she still couldn’t figure out, which only served to remind her that she truly was an outsider and it showed.

Rainbow Dash isn't your typical analytical pony at all, leave that to the boring eggheads. On the contrary, Rainbow was more like the brawn of the group, bold, fast, daring, act first; ask questions later. That’s what the Dash is all about... Or was.

Either way, the point was that as new and as curious as she was to know more about this place, she was tired. And so she slept.

Until Randall woke them up hours before dawn to 'keep moving, bitches!'.

Their shadows followed them as the night made way for the day. Nabia, opposite to the distance between Hellburn and Tayne, was relatively far, so they wasted no time in laying around sleeping all night – much to Rainbow's annoyance–. After that they spent the entire day walking, talking most of it to pass the time, and avoiding altogether the important subjects such as 'Watch it, dipshit' or 'Go fuck yourself, puss'. Go figure.

For her part, the pegasus tried to keep things breezy and light hearted. Whenever she sensed an incoming fight she made sure to change the subject promptly, like right now, for example.

"So you're tellin' me that there's a game where you come from where you buck balls into laundry baskets?".

“No, no, no. They’re not laundry baskets, they’re Basket-line nets” Rainbow corrected Randall as they both walked ahead, although Randall was doing most if not all of the 'walking' and Rainbow chose to fly with Clingy instead. “You can kick the ball, throw it or even hold it with magic but the only way to actually score is to buck it from ground-level to the opponent team’s net”.

After breaking up yet another fight between the stallion and the feline, Rainbow tried to change the subject to something more foreign to occupy their minds by explaining Buck-ball to both of them, fortunately it worked, even if only Randall seemed to be interested in it. But hey, a win is a win.

“The fuck kinda game is that?”.

More or less.

“Uh--The awesome kind?” Rainbow said, as if it was obvious. "two teams of eleven ponies; five attackers, four defenders and two interceptors, all of them competing for the first prize!".

"Which is...?" Randall questioned, already regretting it.

"Well it depends" Rainbow said, putting a hoof under her chin as she recalled her past Buck-ball competitions back in High School. "But most of the time it would be a trophy, money and/or bragging rights just for the fun of it".

"Bah!" The feline exclaimed. "That's bullshit! Give me blood or Qol, but a trophy? Bragging rights? What would ya even do with it? That's just lame".

Rainbow was about to respond, but she heard a light pff coming from a few hoofsteps behind them. As she turned her head around she saw the stallion avoiding her indignant face. "You wanna say something?" She asked, landing on the sand.

Indar caught up to them and passed by her side, taking the lead. "Not to your face" He said, not even looking at them.

"Prick" The pegasus murmured.

That’s another thing worth mentioning. Since last night, Indar resumed his drinking habits, turning into an even more dislikeable and infuriating version of himself. He always seemed to have something to add into the conversation, no matter how ill-natured or bitter it was. Rainbow didn’t know if that flask of his was bottomless or if he bought alcohol on the Marketplace back in Hellburn (not likely, she found nothing in the saddlebags), but she hoped he’d eventually run out of booze.

"Anyways, I've never heard of Buck-ball" Randall pondered, and as they turned their eyes towards Rainbow, they asked. "Where did ya say you're from?".

"I'm from E--" Rainbow tried to answer, but she was soon interrupted.

"Edenburg. She's from Edenburg" Indar said, glaring at her. "You said you wanted to keep it a secret, didn’t you?".

As Rainbow was about to protest because no, she wasn't from bloody Edenburg, and no, she didn't want to keep her roots a secret, she was interrupted once more. "Yikes, my dude" Randall grimaced in sympathy.

Rainbow glared at the stallion as he turned around, not interested in the topic at hoof anymore, and decided to play his game if only to satiate her curiosity. "Why? What's so wrong with Edenburg?".

"Uh-- The raids, for one?" Randall rolled their eyes. "Don’t ya hate them? I thought all of your kind were trying to flee Edenburg! I’m surprised ya haven’t been caught… Or less you were, and you escaped. In which case; damn, girl!".

"I... " Rainbow stuttered. Should she play along? Indar didn't believe her when she said where she was from. Would anypony else? She wouldn't be sure until she tried, but then again, if she did try and Randall does not believe her, what would happen then? Her eyes darted briefly to the handsaw strapped to their belt, and the severed horn next to it. "Yeah! I-- uh-- I managed to escape! And-- you know-- I'm just wandering around! Heh heh". Rainbow was too preoccupied to make herself believable to notice Indar covering his face with one of his hooves, cringing at her pitiful excuse of an alibi. "But I'd appreciate it if you kept it a secret". She asked.

Randall looked at her, their green eyes calculating and boring into her own as if they were not just seeing her, but seeing through her. Normally, they were very loud and talkative, chipper even, but whenever they went into these silent moments, it was a stillness that could be cut with scissors on the spot. It was awkward, and deeply sombre. “Okay”

Until it was not.

Randall continued walking, taking the lead. And as Rainbow let a breath she didn’t quite know she was holding go, she followed suit.

And so they went; walking, talking most of the day to pass the time, and avoiding altogether the important subjects such as ‘What is it like in Edenburg’ and whatnot.

At night, this time around, Rainbow offered her night guard services for the benefit of the group, and since no creature else wanted to take her place, there were no protests.

The steady rise and fall on Randall’s chest indicated they were soundly asleep, thus Rainbow decided to use her time to study the map once again, maybe she could trace how far they actually were from the coastal city if she did her numbers correctly. As the pegasus took the very object from the saddlebag, laying it out on the sand, a voice drew her attention from it. “If they ask, you’re from Edenburg from now on, even if it ain’t true”.

The rainbow-maned mare looked to her left, watching the quiescent silhouette of Indar with his back turned towards her. The blanket he had around him, despite protecting his body from the sand, let only his head be seen from the neck and up. Clingy rested on top of him as if the blanket were a nest. “It is one thing for you to not believe me, but I won’t lie to everypony else”.

“It’s not like that--”.

“Then stop being so taciturn!” She yelled-whispered, trying not to wake up the feline-like creature. Rainbow silently congratulated herself, that was a 25 bit word she didn’t even know she knew, Twilight must’ve been rubbing off on her more than she was aware of. “Come on! What’s with the secrecy?”.

“It’s just… ” Indar stopped talking for a moment or two, and even if Rainbow couldn’t tell, he was having an internal debate. “It’s just easier to believe if you say you’re from Edenburg. They won't question it” he spat.

Rainbow waited for him to continue, but when he showed no further signs of talking – or even being awake –, she urged him to explain himself for once. “Okay, humor me. Why is it so unbelievable?”. Whilst laying down and being completely still, Rainbow saw faintly how Indar tensed up.

“Equestria isn’t real”. He whispered, almost too quiet for her to hear, but she did. “It’s a myth. I get it that your kind are ostracised and excluded, but even you must know that”.

Rainbow rolled her eyes in annoyance. “What do you mean 'a myth’?”.

“Just that; it doesn’t exist. An old story every creature tells themselves so they don’t go stupid and depressed and die”. Indar’s head rotated the slightest so he could see her over his shoulder. “I get it, okay? Every creature does what they have to do to cope. I don’t know and I don’t give a flying fuck where you’re from, but this world is bad enough as it is for you to pretend you’re from some fantasy utopia. Wake up, birdie”.

Rainbow thought about it for a solid second. If Equestria wasn’t real then how come she was born? Of course it was real! She was born and raised there! Her parents were born and raised there! Her friends were born and raised there! heck she even met Princess Celestia – like – trice! She saw how the sun was raised several times in her lifetime and she saw a great deal of other magical stuff happen! She was even friend’s with a (baby) dragon, for Pete's Sake! “Yeah, right” She chuckled, returning her gaze to her map. “If Equestria is not real then how come you explain the sun and moon rising every day, hmm?”.

“Heliocentric orbit around the sun, duh”.

“Helio-- Heliocen-- whatever, egghead. They rise because the Princesses raise them”. The pegasus frowned. “Can your ‘heliosynthetic orbit’ explain why last summer the moon stayed put for hours after dawn until the sun came forth? Remember? That night was the longest night in the history of ponykind''.

“It’s heliocentric and yes, it can. It was just an eclipse”.

“For an eclipse to occur either the moon or the sun need to be in front of the other. This was neither”.

“It’s the only explanation”.

“it's not. Look at the moon” Rainbow pointed to the big star on the firmament, which in turn made Indar glance up at the sky’s full moon. “Do you see 'the Mare on the moon'? No, she’s gone! Nightmare Moon came to cast eternal night after her thousand-year-imprisonment until m-- she was defeated, thus bringing Princess Luna back”.

“It doesn't mean anything” Indar turned his head back to its place in the sand and closed his eyes. “The point is you can’t go saying you’re from Equestria or they’ll call bullshit on you and you’ll end up dead”.

“It won’t happen and it does mean something. You’re just saying that because you can’t explain it and to piss me off” Rainbow countered. “And besides, what do you even care? It’s not like I need you to believe me. I don’t care what you say, Equestria is real”.

“Bullshit”.

“Grr!” Rainbow’s eye twitched a little. At the time that she stood up and walked over to him with every intention of hitting him in the face just like Randall had done the night before (because truly, he deserved it), the faint blinking of a particular crimson light shone on the corner of her eyes.

The pegasus turned her gaze towards the little specks of light she had, in all honesty, forgotten about, deeming them just illusions from the exhaustion she felt back then. But alas, there they were again.

The lights were far away, too far for her to just wind up and leave Clingy and Randall behind (Indar… she wasn’t so sure yet), but something pungent in her knew they were calling to be followed. They were calling for her to follow. And still, she… she didn’t know if she wanted to.

Rainbow sat down where she had been before in front of the map. She couldn’t leave them to follow some random light, after all. She chose to stay.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, the pegasus began with her self imposed task and tried to determine how far they had to go to reach Nabia.

Her hoof backed up a bit to gain momentum, and then Rainbow let it drop against Indar’s nape with enough strength to wake him up without giving him another concussion. “Rise and shine” She said, as the stallion grunted in pain. “We’re moving on”.

Randall laughed at him. Being the first one that Rainbow woke up gave them a lot of time to get ready – well, because of that and because everything they brought with them was packed on their backpack, ready to go.

Indar wrapped his blanket closer to his body. “‘Rise and shine’? More like ‘Rise and swelter’”.

Rainbow Dash smirked, leaning closer to the stallion. “Fine, have it your way. But remember that I’m carrying your saddlebags, and I can just fly away with them and leave you stranded in the desert”.

“You wouldn’t dare” Indar said, closing his eyes and accommodating himself to snooze a little. “You’re too much of a goody-two-shoes”.

“Watch me” Rainbow took off into the air, the saddlebags strapped tightly to her barrel, and with her teeth she grabbed one end of the blanket and pulled it in order to get it off of Indar.

“Hey! Give it back!” He yelled, rolling over in order to gain as much of the blanket as possible and to make the pegasus let go of it. Even if he was still wrapped in it like a burrito, he would never relent a single inch of the fabric to the rainbow-maned mare.

“Come and get it if you can!”.

“Ugh, fine!” He yielded. “Just let go of it, you crazy flying clown!”.

“A cl--?!” Rainbow exclaimed, but the corners of her mouth quivered upwards. “A flying clown? Is that the best you could come up with?”.

“Shut up. It’s early, okay?”.

The pegasus huffed, letting go of the blanket. “Come on, Mr. Grumpy Pants, let’s get out of here” She landed in the sand, raising a small cloud of dust in the process. Clingy waited patiently, perched atop the pegasus’ shoulder, always the obedient one, that bird.

Nighttime passed extremely slowly for Rainbow Dash’s liking, with her having to find something to do by herself that was quiet enough so as to not disturb anypony else, yet entertaining enough to not bore herself to sleep.

The little specks of light, however, disappeared just as fast as they came into view.

In her mind, the pegasus came to the conclusion that she was just seeing things. Maybe her brain was just making stuff up to explain the silhouette of sand and dunes and the occasional lone scorpion in the dead of night. Maybe she was just trying to see something else from the sand and dunes and the occasional lone scorpion she had been seeing nonstop day and night, over and over again. Maybe she was just sick of the sand and… all of that.

No matter, soon it was early enough to wake everypony up and move on from this damned desert, which stretched before her, bathed in the pale glow of the waning moon. The early morning air was chilling, and despite it all, a sense of unease hung heavily in her heart.

“Let’s go, fuckers!” Randall yelled, already moving on from their campsite and pointing to the horizon with stars in their eyes. “We ain’t got all day!”. Rainbow smiled, stepping over Indar’s body as she followed the feline, getting a huffed grunt and a deadly glare in return. Despite it being still early in the morning and the sun hadn’t yet fully risen, Randall’s energy was one to match a particularly pink friend of hers. “Nabia is just ahead!”.

“A day ahead” The stallion groaned, catching up to them both at his own pace. Since Rainbow was in charge of holding the saddlebags, from under his cloak Indar grabbed his flask, and in one swing motion cheered to nothing in particular, drinking its contents. “You’d know that if you had more than two brain cells working”.

“Ahead is still closer than anything” Rainbow jabbed at him before they could hammer away at each other. “Come on, dude, lighten up!” She said while pointing at the sky, receiving support from Clingy in her shoulder who flapped his wings eagerly. “It’s way too early for your bad mood”.

Indar rolled his eyes. “Traitor… ” He murmured towards the bird.

“... I tell ya, sea food is the best!” Randall exclaimed, apparently they were still talking whilst Rainbow berated Indar, whether they were aware that none of the ponies were listening or not, it didn’t stop them. “I can’t wait to get to Nabia! Sure it’s a little pricey and the folk there suck ass, but, you know, where doesn’t?. I don’t know about ya, but Imma get myself some tuna sandwich”. The feline then started rambling about all the kinds of food they looked forward to. “Tuna, Salmon, Sardines. I love me some fish, you know, sunshine? Although I kinda want some shrimp now, like for a snack. Now that’s yummy!” Randall threw their arms up in the air, as if imagining all the dishes they mentioned in front of them. “Oh, I can’t wait! I can already smell it--”.

Abruptly, and almost unnoticed by all, Randall’s voice was cut off by the sound of metal flying so close to them with deadly precision, and oh so injurious.

From one moment to another, everything took a drastic – and somewhat dramatic – turn for the worse. The coat on the back of her neck arose in the form of goosebumps that she had felt once before, not alike to those she would get whenever she performed a dangerous stunt, but the all too familiar goosebumps that made her flight of fight instincts wake up at a moment's notice. And all Rainbow could see was how that pick fell to the ground in front of them alongside Randall’s left arm.

In all of her life, Rainbow Dash had never seen that much blood come out of another being.

It dripped from Randall’s left shoulder, or what was left of it. Really, it was hard to watch as pain exploded through Randall’s body – of course, how could it not? –. Their breath hitched, jaw clenched and teeth gnashing, their grip on their shoulder tightening in a desperate attempt to suppress the scream that threatened to escape. Tears welled in their eyes, blurring their vision, But they did not shed a single tear. Not one.

Rainbow sprung into action faster than she realised, using their belt and the severed horn, she tied it around the remainder of their arm to try and come up with a tourniquet – Just how Applejack had told that her one time, she didn’t remember when exactly, but she remembered, and that was all it mattered at the moment – all the while reassuring the feline that ‘it would be okay’ (Even if she was saying it to herself more than to Randall). The Pegasus glanced briefly towards the torn limb, laying still on the sand a metre or two away. So much blood had accumulated beneath it that most of it had been absorbed by the sand, and what was still coming out of their blood vessels formed a neat puddle underneath it.

And then she saw again the pick, his pick, which was splattered by Randall’s warm blood.

Rainbow felt the world spun in a haze of shock and adrenaline, the desert sands seemed to swirl around her – a cruel reminder of the relentless danger they now faced –, but she snapped herself out of it when the weapon’s metal reflected the image of one lone maroon Minotaur, where once there had been three. His horns curled menacingly, ready to charge at any moment. She turned around abruptly, almost giving herself whiplash.

Unbeknownst to them, lurking amidst the dunes, Nohrrus had observed their every move for who knows how long. He stood blending seamlessly within the shadows that brought the night. His cold, unfeeling eyes fixated on one thing and one thing only.

Indar seemed to catch up with her train of thought, and got ready on four hooves to face the uncharacteristically quiet Minotaur. “Shit” He huffed under his breath, bright orange eyes focused solely on their opponent. “Why doesn’t he just fucking give up already?!”.

Rainbow nodded in agreement. There was something amiss with him – Nohrrus, that is. She didn’t know much of the Minotaur, and there was no part of her that wanted to know more about him, but something was off, yet she didn’t quite know what exactly it was. All of them knew just how dangerous Nohrrus was and understood the extent of his might, some more than others (enter the rainbow-maned mare). He was unhinged, to say the least, and now that he was alone… who knows what else.

“Fuck it” His dark hoof quickly grabbed the flask from under his cloak, and Indar drank the rest of its contents to gain another surge of inner confidence. He glanced towards Nohrrus, who hadn’t moved an inch since he threw the pick before, which was odd. The Minotaur was the methodic, calculating type, sure, but he also took action as soon as he got too bored, and given his tiny amount of patience, that was often. Now, however, time seemed to have stopped for him. Like he wasn’t even breathing.

“Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?!” The pegasus called to Indar, seeing as he was getting ready to run.

“Winin’ us some time!” Indar took off without looking back, throwing the empty flask somewhere behind him.

Given his upbringing and life experiences, running in the desert sand was an easy feat for the stallion. Whereas other creatures would be slowed down by the difficult, uneven path that the dunes provided, Indar thrived in it; he was used to it, he had crossed this very desert many times before, and he was sure he would have to do it again many more times gain in the future. And so, he ran the distance that separated them from Nohrrus in no time.

When the stallion reached the Minotaur, he jumped into the air in order to throw the first punch. Nohrrus hardly flinched, having never taken his eyes from the pony, he blocked the overhead attack with his forearm and jabbed Indar’s abdomen in a fast yet firm motion. Still, Indar didn’t relent his attack, he wound back his hind leg and kicked Nohrrus’ jaw, sensing the all too familiar feeling of bones beneath skin bending in an unnatural position. The Minotaur stumbled off to the side, dropping his defences long enough for him to let go of Indar, and as the aforementioned landed on the sand.

He heard the loud crack of Nohrrus’ jaw relocating.

The dark pony wasted no time in seeing what had come out of his last attack and took advantage of the height difference between them both, sliding under the Minotaur to swipe Nohrrus’ hoofs from beneath him. Nohrrus’ back collided with the sand and, due to his taller frame and bigger size, his spine reverberated from the impact.

Indar, displaying incredible resilience, skilfully jumped onto his opponent's back and hit the backside of his head with all the strength he could muster in a rushed frenzy, momentarily staggering the colossal creature. Even so, Nohrrus quickly recovered, rolled over, and swung his arm using the sheer force of his momentum to throw Indar out of him and into the ground.

Nohrrus jumped to his hoofs, Indar mimicked him in haste and took a step back, his glare dared him to get close.

And so he did.

With a thunderous swipe of his massive arm, Nohrrus attempted to knock Indar out. Sensing the danger, the stallion dodged it almost a second too late from having his face disfigured, narrowly escaping the bone-crushing impact, but the moment he did, Nohrrus’ hands grabbed Indar’s shoulders as he brought his knee up, smashing it against his opponent’s abdomen. One thing was for certain; Nohrrus was bigger, stronger and more deadly than Indar would ever be. Indar knew enough hoof-to-hoof combat to survive, and even if he wasn’t beyond taking drastic measures – The stallion briefly remembered Veonu –, he tried to avoid it where he could, or make it as painless as possible.

On the contrary, Nohrrus always went for the kill.

Undeterred, Nohrrus roared in defiance, his eyes fixated on the stallion as he retreated his leg and was about to throw yet another punch. Indar grabbed the inner side of the Minoraur’s knee, linking it to his chest and twisting his body, sending the bigger creature to the ground once again. Still, he didn’t have much time to rejoice on his little victory.

Nohrrus flexed his trapped limb, and with his other leg he kicked Indar in the chest with a burst of untamed strength, launching and propelling him several feet away. The stallion crashed onto the sandy ground, momentarily dazed from the forceful impact. He landed nearly in the middle between Rainbow Dash and Randall on one side, and Nohrrus on the other. His stomach was aching from the blows and he could feel a bruise already forming.

As the dust settled, both combatants stood on opposite ends of the terrain. Indar panted heavily but unyielding, rising to his hooves despite stumbling a little, determination – or sheer stupidity, really. Why was he doing this again? – etched on his face. Meanwhile, Nohrrus snorted and readied himself for the next round, his primal instincts urging him to continue to fight… Yeah, right. Like it was an option.

And he barely had to break a sweat.

The Minotaur began a slow march towards Indar, his eyes never leaving the figure of the stallion. Although he wasn’t dead yet, Nohrrus would make sure to end that miserable pony’s life once and for all with his bare hands if he needed to. Whatever his motivations were at this point, be it revenge or pure spite, Nohrrus would stop at nothing and no creature.

A hoof kicked Nohrrus’ cheek from above and the Minotaur felt the skin tearing, the warm and slow trickle of his own blood going down the side of his face. It was so sudden and fast and he didn’t get a chance to recover from the surprise.

In a display of agile prowess, the rainbow-maned pegasus darted towards Nohrrus, her movements resembling a dance in mid-air. With swift and calculated precision, she unleashed a flurry of strikes, targeting the Minotaur's vulnerable areas. Her blows were infused with both physical strength and the grace of her flight, creating a harmonious blend of power, colour, and, in her words, ‘awesomeness’.

Nohrrus was repetitive and predictable, Rainbow Dash noticed. Undeterred, she adapted her strategy, utilising her aerial advantage to keep the Minotaur off balance. As the battle intensified, Rainbow Dash employed her ability to soar high above, adopting hit-and-run tactics. She swooped down from the sky, delivering precise and powerful attacks, and then swiftly ascended again, leaving the Minotaur disoriented and frustrated.

As the winged pony executed a daring manoeuvre, diving from above with unmatched speed. She harnessed the full force of her flight, delivering a decisive blow to the Minotaur, sending him crashing to the ground.

Once he laid on the sand, Rainbow used her back hooves to stomp hard on his stomach to take away his breath in one solid move. Although it worked, she made the mistake of staying put on his abdomen for more than two seconds, for Nohrrus took advantage of it and grabbed both her hindlegs, raising her in the air and throwing her against the ground next to him. Rainbow fell sideways, hitting her right shoulder in the process. Hard.

Still, the Rainbow Dash was not a pony to fall and never get back up.

Shaking her head, the pegasus rolled over swiftly, making Nohrrus let go of her so as to not twist his own arms. The Minotaur rushed to her and threw a right hook with brute force, swinging his mighty fist and horns in a relentless onslaught, trying to hit her temple, but Dash blocked it with her elbow and jumped into the air, kicking him one more time in the nose and hearing the sonorous crack before putting as much distance between them as possible. The impulse of her kick made Nohrrus back away, he had heard word of her speed but he never expected her to be quick witted, he thought she was just another dumb runaway pegasus trying to go overseas.

Nohrrus barely felt the pain of his broken nose, his focus solely on getting the job done. But it was an accurate move, he would give her that, and if it weren’t for the dripping blood that fell on his tongue he would have never become aware of the injury. Nonetheless, that did little to nothing to stop him.

Rainbow landed next to Indar, instinctually her wings extended and her muzzle lowered to the ground to show that she wasn’t afraid of Nohrrus (even if she was kinda unnerved by his presence), ignoring the ache on her shoulder. She was sure it was dislocated, and because of that she tried to not rest so much of her weight on it as possible, but she could only do so much right now.

“He keeps gaining on us, we can’t outrun him forever” Rainbow frowned and turned to the dark pony. “What in Celestia’s name did you do to make him so angry?”.

“Yeah… long story short, I borrowed some Qol from him a while ago. Turns out Minotaurs aren’t too forgiving when it comes to debts” Indar sighed.

Rainbow let out a puff of air and shook her head. “Well, that explains why he’s been tailing us all this way from Tayne. I thought he had a crush on you or something”.

Indar grimaced, shocked at her statement. “A crush? Really? Trust me, it’s all about money” The stallion darted his eyes between Nohrrus and the pegasus. “Apparently I’m on his ‘hit list’ until the debt is settled”.

“Well, lucky me” She exclaimed. “You could have told me before letting me stick with a debt-ridden partner attracting dangerous creatures and old enemies left and right” Rainbow remembered briefly the Bandits, and what Indar had told her that night by the fire.

“Hey, if anything you insisted on me coming with you”.

“Whatever, Mr. Debtor” Rainbow frowned, not too eager on changing the subject from their very present and very dangerous foe. “So, how do we deal with him? Can’t you just… I don’t know, pay him?!”.

“Ehh…” Indar stuttered. “It ain’t too easy, you see… I- uh-- I killed one of his partners” He mumbled under his breath.

“What?”

“I killed one of his partners”.

“Boy, you gotta speak louder than that, don’t go shy on me”.

“I killed one of his partners, okay?!” The stallion raised his voice, enough for Rainbow, Nohrrus and any creature around to hear. “They-- I-- Look, they threatened me, what was I supposed to do?”.

“Wow, geez, I don’t know. How about ‘run’?!” the rainbow-maned mare chastised him, stating the obvious.

“It doesn’t matter now” Indar shook his hoof in the air, ignoring her answer and locking his eyes on Nohrrus’ figure. “We have to face him head-on. There’s no running away from a Minotaur with an outstanding debt. We fight, we win, and maybe we live enough to get away from here”. The stallion felt a drop of sweat roll down from his brow, and flipped. “Hopefully without losing any limbs”.

“Agreed” Rainbow nodded. “But remind me, why did you think asking a Minotaur for money was a good idea in the first place? And you say I’m the insane one…”.

Indar said nothing, opting to keep some things to himself, and Rainbow had already started to catch up on some of his quirks, like his secrecy, for example. He would throw little details here and there to offer her just enough clarity on certain things. She didn’t know why, though, maybe he wanted her to figure it out on her own, or maybe he liked being dramatic, who knows.

Despite it all, she was getting used to it.

“Let's be smart about it” The stallion caught her attention once more. “We can't afford to underestimate his strength. Our best chance might be a quick, decisive strike”.

This time around, Rainbow chose to stay silent. Her innermost consciousness knew that there was no other way, and she understood it, but a part of her still couldn’t help but ask if it was really their only option.

Easy as it may be to grasp her head around it, she had been raised to, and she firmly believed that every life mattered, and that no creature was beyond redemption.

Indar seemed to figure out her train of thought. “For fuck’s sake…” He sighed. “Look, I know it may be a nasty, big pill to swallow, but swallow it” He stated in the best way he knew how. “Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do. If we don’t face him now, he’ll hunt us down eventually, and we may doubt whether to kill him or not, but take my word on this; he won’t hesitate. Ever. It’s a risk we have to take”.

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, opting to not share her thoughts on the matter, but ultimately said nothing.

Understanding that survival was paramount, the stallion and the pegasus prepared themselves for round two against the Minotaur, steeling their hearts and minds. Rainbow knew the risk they were taking, the balance between fighting and fleeing. In a pivotal moment of silence, both ponies found themselves standing side by side, the air crackled with anticipation as they faced the looming beast that was Nohrrus, and yet, the only thing that one would see was the shining resolve in both Rainbow’s and Indar’s eyes.

With a graceful landing, Clingy landed on the stallion’s back, his feathers ruffled softly as he gazed upon the impending battle, and his eyes filled with unwavering loyalty. Besides him stood Rainbow Dash. Her wings spread wide in a display of aerial prowess and years of experience, each feather aligned perfectly amongst the appendage without interfering with another. Her magenta eyes shined with fierce determination and hope for another outcome.

In perfect synchronicity, they exchange a nod of silent understanding. Their minds merged, strategizing with unspoken communication. Their breaths steadied, their hearts beaten in harmony, the anticipation building with each passing moment of inactivity.

The ground trembled beneath their hooves as the Minotaur loomed before them, his monstrous form a testament to primal power and rage. And still, Nohrrus did not move a single inch.

Was he waiting for something? Was he giving them the green light to go away? None of them knew, but what both Rainbow and Indar did know was that they shared an unspoken understanding of what was to come, and that they needed to act before Nohrrus did, whenever that may be.

As they were about to sprint forward, both ponies were suddenly stopped by a hoarse voice.

“Fuck off” Randall spat, not at them particularly, but given their current circumstance they understood what Randall wanted to say (to some extent).

Randall’s posture changed the closer they got to both ponies, forcing themself upright with violent shudders here and there, and dragging the blood-splattered pick behind them. By the time they had regained their strength, they grinned, looking at their companions as if they hadn’t been just severely wounded. “Nabia is just ahead, get the hell outta here” Indar quieted his nerves in the face of their uncanny nature, he pitied whoever dared to challenge Randall in the past, and he wondered if Nohrrus was aware of what he was getting himself into.

Randall’s reputation preceded them, after all.

Erratic, unstable, psychotic: a sanguinary beast whenever it came down to a fight. There was an air of unpredictability that surrounded them, making it difficult to anticipate their actions in a fight. Word was they were often seen as a mad-dog (ironically), displaying a distorted sense of reality and willingness to embrace violence as a solution.

In essence, when engaged in combat Randall’s demeanour shifted dramatically. Their movements turned sporadic and frenzied, fueled by a surge of adrenaline and an unsettling disregard for personal safety. However, their volatile nature could also be a double-edged sword. Granted, Randall’s unpredictable behaviour could make it difficult for any creature to rely on them completely, since no creature was too certain on when they might take things a little too far or become a liability. Despite this, there was an undeniable charisma that accompanied their mental instability.

Overall, Randall basked on the heat of battle, especially if they had a good reason to not be stopped. And now that they were face to face with the executioner of their cousin’s death… Indar just knew it was about to go down.

“Randall, we can’t just leave you here” Rainbow tried to reason with the feline-like creature, her gaze briefly diverting to their bleeding shoulder where a tourniquet prevented ungodly amounts of blood to come out – although it didn’t manage to stop all of the red liquid, it made a solid job at salvaging most of it.

“Dammit, you don't understand, do you?!” The feline screamed. “He wanted to keep you both safe, even if it meant sacrificin’ himself” Randall turned to her, showing the pegasus a face that not every creature got to see and live to tell the tale. Their eyes became intense, reflecting a mix of excitement and menace, and they were breathing heavily as if there was not enough air in the world. “That asshole over there killed my only family. ‘Cuz Jack…I have to do this. I told you not to get in my way”.

Rainbow Dash frowned, casting her gaze towards the sand, there was no amount of convincing to change the feline’s mind, was there?. And even if there was, in some odd way it would be hypocritical of her to try to do so, since Rainbow herself was determined to set things right on her own.

So, in part, she understood, but it still felt wrong to leave Randall to their luck, especially now that they were missing an arm and clearly struggling to stay awake--.

“Trust me, there ain’t no way in hell I’ll let that ugly son of a bitch get outta here alive”. They said, cutting her train of thought before it got off the rails. Although their message was meant to reaffirm Randall’s resolve to Rainbow Dash, the true meaning of their words were left unsaid. The pegasus returned her eyes to the feline-like creature. Trying to believe them. Hoping to believe them. In what world would they be ‘fine’? She thought. What would give her the certainty that they would survive?. Her face must’ve shown it since Randall laughed out loud one last time for her to hear. “C’mon, don’t give me that sappy pony shit your kind seems to like so much”.

What would her friends do?

“Let’s go” Indar called to her, already marching away. but the pegasus wouldn’t budge.

“No, we can’t just abandon them!” She stood her ground.

“I already told you, swallow the pill” Indar firmly recalled. “Even if we don’t want to leave them here, they’re too stupid to be reasoned with”.

“The little smartass is right, weirdly enough” Randall nodded. “I admire your loyalty, but this ain’t your fight”.

Defeated, the pegasus let her head hang to avoid seeing either Randall or Indar in the face, she didn’t want to admit it, but she felt it unjust to just wound up and leave the feline behind, as capable as they may be. She thought then of Ponyville, of her friends. Whenever there was a problem that any of them had to face, the rest of her friends would stand by each other no matter the circumstance. So why couldn’t she? Why did she have to leave them?

Randall, that is--.

“I’m stronger than I seem, sunshine” Randall said again, swinging Nohrrus’ pick over their shoulder as if it were nothing. “I won’t go down without a fight”.

Reluctantly, the winged pony acknowledged the gravity of the situation and the determination burning within Randall. She understood that sometimes, true strength meant letting go and trusting in the capabilities of her friend. With a heavy heart, she made her decision, deciding to trust Randall’s judgement, and she prepared herself to say farewell. “Fine” Rainbow raised her head one more time to lock her eyes with Randall’s green orbs. “You better win, or I’ll have to come back and kick your ass!”.

“Atta girl” The feline-like creature cracked a smile, a genuine one for the first time ever since they met. And as they watched both ponies turn around they said one more thing as their own farewell. “Aye, sunshine!”. The pegasus turned around to acknowledge them. “Edenburg folk have more of a ‘wee’ accent, if you know what I mean. Yours is too… fancy shmancy".

Rainbow laughed at that, knowing they weren’t fooled by her act, but she appreciated their silence. “I’ll work on it”. She said, flapping her wings and taking off alongside Indar’s running form.

Randall watched her soaring for a while before dropping their smile entirely, their eyes darkened.

As the wind whispered through the dunes, they focused on her silhouette high above; her wings outstretched against the azure of the early morning, almost blending seamlessly. Her graceful flight seemed to taunt the feline, a reminder of the freedom they never had, and most likely never will. The same freedom that had been ripped away from their cousin.

Randall’s eyes followed the pegasus’ path when a pang of melancholy washed over them. They watched as she danced with the currents, effortlessly defying gravity, a symbol that mocked their own broken spirit.

Then, a flicker of something akin to madness graced Randall’s eyes as they watched the pegasus, a silent conversation passing between them that only one party was aware of. In that fleeting conversation, they saw a little speck of hope amidst the darkness that consumed them; a spark ignited within their soul, mingling with the rage that fueled their desire for revenge.

With a heavy sigh, Randall tore their eyes away from the pegasus and the stallion, returning to the cruel reality that awaited them, Nohrrus, loomed in the distance, a beast stained with the blood of many whose names were long forgotten, amongst them; their cousin Jack.

There would be no mercy, no remorse in the battle that awaited them. And they would be victorious.

Randall’s charismatic charm seemed to fade as they embraced the confrontation. The unhinged madness that laid dormant within them resurfaced, their shadowed eyes glimmering at the promise of chaos and violence.

With a bittersweet longing, the feline-like creature casted one final glance at Rainbow Dash, soaring freely above the desolate desert as she got farther alongside Indar and Clingy with each passing second. In that moment, they vowed to fight with all their might, to honour their cousin’s memory and unleash their fury upon the Minotaur that had stolen a life so dear.

Unbeknownst to them, Rainbow looked back one last time to see the feline swinging the pick back and forth with their remaining arm, stepping forward to face their nemesis. The weight of her consciousness urged her to go back, to help them, to save them. But alas, this also was something Randall needed the most. And they needed to do it alone.

“You think they’ll be alright?” She asked aloud, not particularly expecting a response, but she still received one.

“They better be” The stallion said, running to keep up with her.

The terrain trembled under the weight of anticipation as the one-armed feline, consumed by the raw anger of revenge, and the hulking, unfeeling Nohrrus locked eyes. Randall’s heart pounded heavily on their chest, fueled by the memory of their cousin’s headless body hanging on the southern gate of Tayne. Nohrrus, devoid of any remorse, snarled with a bloodlust that matched Randall’s own.

Without hesitation, Randall charged forward, unleashing a primal scream that pierced the air. Nohrrus responded with an earth-shaking bellow, and the clash of their titanic forms reverberated across the battleground. Despite the disadvantage of losing an arm, Randall's relentless fury propelled them forward, weaving through the Minotaur's thunderous strikes.

The feline swinged the blood-stained pick with unwavering focus, and sprung ahead.

Nohrrus charged, meeting them half-way. His massive hooves pounding against the desert floor, the ground trembling beneath his rage. Randall dodged with a manic agility, their movements unpredictable and erratic. Swinging the deadly pick and aiming to strike him down, Randall danced away, either to toy with their opponent or to confuse him, no creature would know.

The feline’s voice echoed across the sandy terrain, a chilling mixture of laughter and torment. “This is the best ya can do, Nohrrus?!” They taunted. Blood spilled upon the bloodstained sand, a visceral testament to the brutality of their fight.

“Y’know, I ain’t even started!”. With a primal roar, Nohrrus lunged at Randall once more, his most savage instincts fueled by the thrill of the hunt. But Randall’s charisma had always been their greatest weapon. They mocked the beast, daring him to get closer with every provocation.

“Ya wanna know how I killed Tegur?!” They asked, Randall’s green eyes following the Minotaur’s every movement as he tried to no avail to reach the feline, and a smiled formed in their mouth showing all their teeth. “I shredded him to pieces! He’s probably a hamburger by now!”.

But Nohrrus was not one to be easily bested, Roaring with primal fury, he shrugged off the verbal rocks as if they were mere annoyances. He didn’t care for Veonu, or Tegur, they were just liabilities easily removed by one tiny drunk pony and one overgrown cat, which only made them weak, and therefore mediocre in his book. Instead, the Minotaur retaliated with an earth-shaking force, massive fists crashing into Randall’s upper body with devastating strength. Bones fractured, for sure, and blood sprayed through the air as the feline coughed.

With each clash, the fight between Nohrrus and Randall became a twisted dance of madness and brutality. Nohrrus’ every move was calculated precisely to inflict maximum damage, his blows unrelenting and merciless. The Minotaur was solely fueled by his insatiable bloodlust, showing no signs of relenting. Nohrrus took pride in his characterised fighting style; a deadly blend of brute force and calculated precision, he aimed to deliver bone-crushing blows and shatter the spirits of those unfortunate enough to cross his path.

Unhinged and fearsome, Nohrrus had earned his reputation as a living nightmare on the battlefield. His opponents trembled in fear as they witnessed his insatiable thirst for carnage and the crimson-stained hands that bore proof to countless lives taken before.

Still, opposite to him, Randall’s fighting style was, to say the least, unorthodox and unconventional; it lacked any clear strategy or structure. They relied heavily on their instincts and sheer ferocity, attacking with a reckless abandon that surprised both friends and foes alike. There was a certain awareness of their approach, as if they channelled a deep, untamed aggression that bubbled beneath the surface.

Their fighting methods may seem chaotic, but there was no denying the eerie efficiency to them. Randall’s instincts enabled them to adapt quickly to changing situations, often characterised by unexpected manoeuvres or sudden bursts of violence.

That being said, with unwavering focus Randall exploited Nohrrus' blind spots provided by his massive form and incredible height, manoeuvring swiftly and fluidly. They utilised their remaining arm with deadly precision to swing the pick towards him, parrying the Minotaur's deadly strikes and countering with quick, erratic blows of his own weapon against him. Each strike carried the weight of vengeance and grief, with the objective of avenging their fallen cousin.

“He screamed and begged for me to help him!” Randall recalled. “Like a fucking baby!”. The clash of metal and primal fury echoed through the air as the two combatants engaged in battle. Randall, fueled by a deep-rooted resolve, used their remaining arm and their agile footwork to dodge the Minotaur's thunderous charges. With each evasive manoeuvre, they searched for a strategic opening to exploit.

But Nohrrus, though devoid of emotions, was as formidable an opponent as there would ever be. With a surge of relentless strength, the Minotaur retaliated by unleashing a barrage of savage attacks upon Randall.

Nohrrus swinged his massive horns, and Randall deftly ducked and rolled over, narrowly escaping the deadly onslaught. Sadly for them, they had to let go of the pick in order to stand upright, and didn’t get a chance to retrieve it since Nohrrus caught it before the feline and retaliated with swift and precise strikes of his own, looking for vulnerable spots on the feline’s slim body.

Blood mingled with sweat as the clash intensified, the battle becoming a gruesome symphony of brutality. Nohrrus’ relentless onslaught was matched only by Randall’s unwavering defiance, their damaged body a vessel for unbridled rage.

With every bone-shattering impact, both Randall and Nohrrus teetered on the brink of oblivion where the line between hunter and hunted blurred. Their battle remained, however, as a visceral testament to their mutual raw drive to survive no matter the cost. Each blow, each strike and each manoeuvre was a testament to their unyielding desire to be the last one standing amidst the carnage.

Randall’s resilience shined through, as they used their agility and street-fight-honed instincts to anticipate the Minotaur’s every move. They leveraged their knowledge of combat to outmanoeuvre and outwit their formidable foe. With a deft twist, the feline-like creature sidestepped a charging attack and delivered a devastating scratch with their claws to the Minotaur’s exposed flank, drawing blood.

However, Nohrrus, driven by bloodlust and brutality, refused to yield. He roared with a primal fury that shook the very ground beneath him. Ignoring the searing pain coursing through his body, he launched a relentless assault on Randall.

In a desperate gambit, as the feline’s battle-psychotic instincts pushed them to the brink, Randall used the sand beneath them to their advantage. The feline lured Nohrrus closer and with a swift motion they grabbed a handful of sand, throwing it to the Minotaur’s eyes, successfully – yet temporarily – blinding him.

Nohrrus stumbled backwards, his unfeeling facade momentarily shaken. But true to his relentless nature, the Minotaur retaliated with a bone-shattering charge. He lunged forward, his massive fists hammering down upon Randall, testing their resilience to the limit. Every strike was met with unwavering defiance, as Randall refused to succumb to the overwhelming force that loomed above them.

As Nohrrus closed the distance, Randall's eyes glinted with a newfound determination. They sidestepped the Minotaur's strike, their remaining arm moving with unnatural speed. Grasping the pick embedded in the sand, a dark grin played upon Randall's lips.

They couldn’t--.

Randall unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes. The pick whirled through the air, guided by their unyielding ire. Blow after blow rained down upon Nohrrus, carving deep wounds into the beast's arms, legs, chest, back, hide, everywhere they could reach. Nohrrus, with eyes freshly wiped from any remaining sand, fought back with a ferocity matched only by Randall's unhinged rage. Horns clashed against the pick, each collision sending sparks flying. The terrain became a swirling vortex of violence, their battle echoing the turmoil within Randall's fractured mind.

They wouldn’t--.

With a final surge of fight-psychotic energy, Randall summoned every ounce of strength remaining within their battered, amputated body. “Nighty-night, bitch!” They announced. In a final act of defiance, Randall sidestepped Nohrrus' charge, their eyes burning with a maniacal fire. With one swift, precise movement, they raised the pick high above their head, and in a brutal stroke, brought it down with all their might. The pick sank into Nohrrus' neck, severing the Minotaur's head from its hulking body.

They did it.

They did it?.

They did it?!.

A fucking overgrown cat?! No! They weren’t supposed to win! They were supposed to lose! To die! They were supposed to suffer under Nohrrus’ might and strength! They were supposed to be the prey, just like that pussy of a cousin they had! They were just a cat! A fucking overgrown cat!

Why?

How?!

WHY?!

FUCK THEM! FUCK THAT FUCKING PONY! FUCK THAT FUCKING BITCH OF A PEGASUS! FUCK THAT OVERGROWN CAT!

THEY CAN’T KILL HIM! THEY JUST CAN’T!

NOHRRUS WAS FEARED! CREATURES TREMBLED UPON HEARING HIS NAME! HE WAS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH, SHOWING ABSOLUTELY NO MERCY OR REGARD FOR ANY CREATURE’S LIFE!

Nohrrus’ head rolled from his neck, and it fell down, down, down to the sand. If the rumours were to be true, then the Minotaur would still be conscious long enough to memorise the face of their killer; a drunken green haze that transcended sanity itself was burned down on his memory, and that creepy grin that showed both teeth and rage would be forever engraved on his eyes until his next life.

‘Fuck you, Randall’.

The battlefield fell silent, the dust settling around Randall as they stood victorious, a mix of triumph and madness dancing in their eyes.

Breathing heavily, Randall casted their gaze upon the lifeless head of their nemesis. Their charismatic facade had been stripped away, revealing the raw and unhinged soul beneath. The weight of vengeance and loss hung heavy in the air, their victory, although bitter, was all the much sweeter.

But still…

Randall's mouth quivered with its grimace, their whiskers twitching as they trembled from the overwhelming notions running through their mind. A sudden memory flashed before Randall's eyes, when they were a kid all those years ago.

They had been kicked out of their home, their parents had said they 'didn't recognize' them anymore. They were disgusted by Randall's 'sick nature' when they came home confessing their true identity and pleading for understandment. They had turned their backs on them just for being true to themself, and left them on the streets at the ripe age of nine years old.

But, even after all their family disowned them, it was 'cuz Jack who stayed by their side, taking them in and moving to Tayne together, even if the rest of their close-knitted so-called family turned their backs on him as well. He had left it all behind to give Randall a place to stay, a home to go to.

And he did it time and time again whenever Randall got in trouble. Whenever they came home bruised and bleeding from getting in yet another fight, Jack did everything so nobody came looking for the feline-like creature. Whenever Randall made the occasional mistake of greeting their neighbours a bit too ‘kindly’, Jack would take the blame and amend it however he could.

Whenever any of his patrons was in trouble, Jack would give them a place to stay as well.

He chose to do that, all of that, time and time again.

Why?

Tears started rolling down Randall's cheeks as they watched Nohrrus’ surprised, angry, mad, cold, dead eyes, a gaze the Minotaur would never be able to return.

Why?

Randall would never understand him. But they knew that Jack was selfless like that, he just… As the sun peeked over the horizon, casting its golden rays upon the desolate sandy terrain, Randall let out a guttural scream of raw fury and impotence, they cried out to no creature in particular. However, the memory of their ‘cuz Jack, tortured and beheaded by this son of a bitch, fueled them to absolutely destroy their own vocal chords.

The feline let the tears fall with every second that passed. Why couldn't Jack still be alive? He deserved to live much more than anyone else!

Why couldn’t Randall take their cousin’s place?

With a mix of relief and sorrow, Randall’s scream slowly died down as they released a final breath, their battle psychosis dissipating. They had honoured the memory of their ‘cuz Jack, knowing that his death had been avenged.

Randall stood there, breathing heavily, their single arm hanging limply at their side. Their eyes, filled with a mixture of pain and vindication, surveyed the aftermath of the fierce battle. The weight of their cousin's memory was suddenly lifted from their shoulders, replaced by a sense of grim satisfaction. With the severed head of Nohrrus at their feet, Randall let out a chilling laugh, the sound echoing through the desolate desert.

As the dawn gave way to a new day, Randall let go of the weapon and instead grabbed Nohrrus’ head by one of his horns, limping away and going back home. The battle was won, but the scars, both physical and emotional, would forever be engraved in them.