Laments of the Dimension-Stranded ⁽ᴿᵉᵐᵃᵏᵉ⁾

Rainbow's bleary eyes cracked open, and she peered into the azure sky above. Despite seeing nothing but an indistinct shimmer, she could sense the sun's comforting presence. While waiting for her eyesight to adapt to the blinding brightness, she twisted, stretching her limbs and torso, and her lips curled into a smile of pleasure. The soothing warmth of the morning rays lulled her into a state of tranquility. Balmy. Hot. Too hot! Too hot!

"Ow ow ow!" Rainbow yelped, hopping like ballerina with two broken fetlocks across the roof in an attempt to escape the hot surface as quickly as physically possible. The morning sunbeams had been beating down relentlessly, heating the thin tin sheet roof to the point where the curvature of the corrugated metal had practically branded itself onto her fur.

“Ahh!” She dove off of the roof and landed on the black pavement below, bending her knees to absorb the force of the impact. Relief briefly washed over her as she thought she had escaped, before, with a start, she realized the pavement had absorbed heat from the sun as well.

She dashed towards the auto shop’s emergency exit, but was horrified to discover it was sealed securely. She shoved the metal door, then tried tugging, but the locking mechanism remained intact.

"Vincent!" She wailed and pranced in place, hiking her legs up and stomped against the ground in a rhythmic tempo to ensure none of her hooves contacted the hot pavement for long. "It's so hot out here! Let me in!"

Inside, his trail boots tapped against the concrete floor as Vincent jogged towards the emergency exit. When he disengaged the locking mechanism, Rainbow immediately burst inside and flopped onto the floor, releasing a satisfied moan as the excessive heat accumulated in her body soaked into the cold concrete. For a brief moment, she considered kissing the floor, but she ultimately resisted the urge.

She glanced upwards to investigate a questionable noise, and, indeed, her suspicions were correct: her new acquaintance laughed at her. Much to her irritation, he mocked her predicament. "H–Hey! Shut up." She scrambled onto her hooves and assumed a sitting position. Despite not gazing at him, she could practically visualize the dopey expression he sported.

“Good morning, sunshine," he greeted sarcastically.

“I'm feeling fine. Thanks for asking." She fluttered her wings. Her left wing felt partially recovered, but, predictably, the joints in her right wing continued to ache, perhaps more so than the night prior. She could barely move the limb without eliciting a painful response.

"Ow!" she hissed. "Great, I think I managed to burn myself, too, on top of this."

"Cat on a hot tin roof," he sniggered.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow. "Whatever. I guess now that I'm up and about, you can give me a tour around this place if you're feeling up to it."

He waved, beckoning invitingly, in an offer to lead. She trailed behind his long legs and nursed her injured wing as they walked together.

Bright morning light spilled through narrow awning windows near the ceiling, illuminating the vast workshop without the need for firefly lighting. Situated in the center of the room was the gigantic silver machine Vincent had been tinkering with the night prior. She observed as he casually passed beneath it as if the concept of a gigantic machine suspended in midair and prone to falling and crushing anypony beneath weren’t completely insane. She approached with trepidation, cautiously slipped beneath the metal monster, then backpedaled once beyond it, locking her eyes onto it warily.

Countertops were littered with junk and tools. Some of the concrete walls bore hooks where cables and lengths of wire were draped. Posters and signs hung from the walls displaying text that, surprisingly, was legible. They sported gaudy, colorful depictions of machines and machine parts in a cartoonish style.

New Italian Liscio tires! Buy two, get up to 10% off of your order! Buy now and our skilled auto technicians will diagnosis your vehicle for free!

Despite not understanding the definition of some of the foreign words, she could deduce the posters were all useless advertisements. Her attention no longer captured, she decided to move on.

“This place is chaos. How do you find anything?"

"It's organized chaos. I know exactly where everything is, so don't touch anything." Vincent bent at the waist and unzipped a backpack on one of the countertops. Midway through his search, he paused to investigate the raucous tapping of her hooves against the worn, pockmarked concrete. "Do you mind?"

In a sudden and uncomfortable bout of awareness, Rainbow glanced downwards to investigate her hooves. With a concerted effort, she attempted to mitigate the sound of her hoofsteps, but when she was inevitably unsuccessful, she abandoned her efforts and returned to normal movement. "Hey, I can't help it! It's not my fault you're so quiet when you walk."

Vincent extracted a roll of paper from the bag, unfurled it, and spread it across the counter. A small white rectangle tumbled from the roll as it loosened, and when he noticed, he placed his index finger on it and stowed it surreptitiously beneath the paper. When it was prepared, he motioned and urged her to approach.

Rainbow reared onto her rear legs to raise her chin above the countertop and placed her forelegs onto the counter to balance. “Oh!” When she realized the paper was a map, she greedily scoured it for information. “Is this a map of where we are?”

“No. This is a map of my home.” He traced the coasts of the large country and underlined the title of the map with a finger. Distinct black lines divided individual states.

With new context, she curiously read the numerous names which dotted the landmass. “Wow, that sure is a lotta territories."

“I lived there." He tapped Arizona. “Near there is the Mojave, home of Death Valley, the hottest place on Earth.” His finger drifted north. “There’s the Great Basin near Sierra Nevada.” Finally, he pointed south. “And that’s the Chihuahuan, the largest desert in North America, some 200,000 miles."

“You live in a desert? I've walked through one of those. With no water. I can't imagine calling a place like that home."

Vincent rubbed Arizona with his thumb, gazing at the map longingly.

When she realized her acquaintance had zoned out and she would receive no immediate response, Rainbow unfocused. She curiously swept her gaze across the counter until she found something that piqued her interest. A corner of the small rectangle protruding from beneath the map was curious enough to attract her attention. "What's that?"

"This? Oh, it's nothing." Using two fingers, he plucked the rectangle, then, after drawing his wallet, he delicately inserted it into one of the slots. He folded his wallet and returned it to his pocket.

Momentarily, Rainbow glimpsed the profile of a human face on the opposite side of the rectangle, though she paid it no mind. “So, you don't have a map of this place?"

“I don’t need a map. I haven’t done much exploring; I never had a reason to. I just remember everything important. That's why I do this—if I don't remind myself, I'll eventually forget the basic stuff. I can't have that happen." He paused. "Something brought me here. And it brought you too, didn't it? I mean, you're here, with me, right now. I know I'm not explaining this very well... I'm not good at describing stuff." He chuckled in a self-deprecating manner.

Rainbow firmly nodded. "No, you have a point. Something definitely brought me here. Magical,” she estimated. “Maybe that could be our ticket out of here."

“'Magic'? Come on." He scoffed. "I'm trying to talk seriously, here. You're telling me you honestly believe in that crap?”

“Okay, well, fine, if my idea is so stupid to you, then you’re welcome to figure something out for yourself!” She scowled and rolled her eyes. “I’m gonna at least try to find a way out of here."

“I didn’t mean it like that! I just…” He trailed off and waved his hand dismissively.

As he hand extended and briefly encroached into her personal space, Rainbow flinched and withdrew. Her tail lashed back and forth. “I…” She inhaled deeply and exhaled gently to quell the anxiety within her. There was tension in the air. Vincent withdrew and inserted his hands into his pockets to show he was amiable.

“Look, I'm gonna head out and take a lap. I need to think. I’ll be back in a few." She departed from the workshop and entered the hallway. The distinct tapping sound of his trail boots against the concrete floor followed her.

“Didn’t you hear me? I said I’d be back.” She reared onto her rear legs, then placed her forehooves onto the metal bar of the emergency exit door and shoved it open.

“There’s a ramp on the north side of the parking lot that leads to the ground.” Vincent passed her and stepped into the threshold. "When you want to come back inside, just knock. I'll open it up for you.” He propped the door open with his body and stood, leaning, in the doorframe.

Rainbow glanced upwards to initiate eye contact momentarily. Her facial expression softened as she expressed her gratitude. “Thanks.” She sidestepped him and passed the threshold.

She adjusted her course, bearing in mind the directions that had been provided, and trotted across the hot black pavement. She neared the northern side of the parking lot and peered over the edge. Indeed, a ramp connected flush with the edge of the pavement, sloping downwards towards a tall hill. Vincent had made an intelligent decision by selecting a hill as the starting point to construct the ramp; the length from the apex of the hill to the parking lot was shorter than from the ground.

Though wider than six broad-shouldered stallions stood side-by-side, the wood ramp appeared flimsy, held together by rope and an extensive supply of nails. It looked solid enough to bear her weight, being supported by a multitude of weight-bearing pillars from beneath, but, still, she didn't consider it trustworthy. It was unlikely for the entire thing to crumble to dust as soon as she laid a hoof on it, but it wasn't impossible. When she finally stepped atop it, she did so hesitantly, eventually accelerating to a cautious trot.

When she reached her destination, she glanced over a shoulder. The parking lot suddenly appeared so distant. The chunk of earth the auto shop was constructed upon was, in fact, not floating in midair. It hadn't ripped from the ground and proceeded to float randomly, it appeared to have been willed into existence in Nowhere arbitrarily and then descended due to gravity, colliding with and burying itself into the ground, appearing to bulge awkwardly from the earth like a splinter penetrating skin.

The world stretched before her. Its flat plains and gently sloping hills were reminiscent of home. The tall mint-green grass was wild and untamed, and the fields were adorned with patches of vibrant wildflowers standing erect as they faced the sunlight.

“Phew.” Rainbow brushed a lock of her mane away from her eyes. She had already started sweating. She squinted her eyes to protect her vision and gazed upward towards the blue sky. Distantly, silhouettes of large flying creatures soared, almost resembling dragons or giant birds. What she saw beyond them, however, made her pupils dilate with fascination: two suns. Nowhere was a planet in a binary star system. Two stars orbited it as opposed to one! Momentarily, she considered how excited Twilight would be to behold such a system with her own eyes, then she felt a twinge of sadness as she remembered the friends in Equestria she had left behind. She sighed sadly and massaged her eyes with her hooves. They were burning from gazing at the suns, and she was seeing splotches, afterimages.

South of the auto repair shop, a copse grew. The ochre-colored trucks of the trees spiraled as they grew diagonally, grasping for the sky like curly hair, sporting mint-colored leaves which provided sufficient shade. Rainbow hopped over a stump as she passed by.

Beyond the sparse copse, the land dipped downwards dramatically. A lake had formed in a large caldera, a depression in the earth that had likely resulted from volcanic activity in the ancient past. Rock formations ringed the northern edge of the lake, jutting away from the ground and forming a tall bluff. Soil transitioned into sandy gravel before meeting the water.

Rainbow cautiously analyzed her surroundings before proceeding. The lake was completely deserted. Vincent had implied hostile creatures were everywhere and being attacked was imminent if she left the safety of the auto shop, but that didn't appear to be the case. Maybe the hostile creatures of Nowhere were primarily contained in an exclusion zone, like how most dangerous flora and fauna near Ponyville resided in the Everfree Forest.

The crater lake's water was a gorgeous teal, though murky. The rock formations weren’t tall enough to cast shadows to envelop the water, so it was warm to the touch from exposure to sunlight. She bowed her head and drank eagerly to replenish the water in her body that had been lost in sweat. She considered wading into the lake to wash herself, but paused, hesitating. Cautiously, she swept her gaze across the crest of the rocky bluff. “Hello?”

A few pebbles were loosened from the rock formation and descended, clattering against the cliff wall as they fell. Her keen instincts alerted her that something wasn't right, though she was unable to pinpoint exactly what.

A tall wave caught her by surprise. She was swept, kicking and sputtering, underwater.

Rainbow paddled to the surface, coughing as she struggled to catch her breath. Her soaked mane draped over her eyes, partially obscuring her vision. “Agh!" She hissed, her torso tensing in response to a sharp, piercing sensation of pain in her injured wing. It protested loud and clear: it wasn't to be moved the slightest bit until it healed.

From the depths of the crater lake emerged a monstrous crustacean, armored with thick plates of chitin. It resembled a lobster, with a tiny head and shiny black eyes. Its primary pincers were wide enough to cleave a pony in half with a single powerful snap. Its numerous thin crustacean legs heaved, churning the water into a froth.

The monster reared, revealing a mouth packed with jagged mandibles that quivered hungrily. Briefly, she witnessed the monster's black pit of a mouth. There were rows of tiny, razor-sharp teeth all of the way down its throat.

It uttered a series of watery gurgling sounds and rushed forward. It was almost as large as a train car, and it scuttled towards her rapidly using its many crab legs.

With energy provided by copious amounts of terror-induced adrenaline, Rainbow cried fearfully and backpedaled in an attempt to escape. She tumbled and somersaulted underwater before washing onto the damp gravely shore in a soaked heap. In her peripheral vision, she noticed another crustacean emerge from the depths before she scrambled onto her hooves and darted away.

She galloped uphill towards the line of trees and weaved between them. Unfortunately, probably due to Vincent felling many of its tree, the copse was insufficient in impeding the creatures pursuing her. The closest had enough mass and momentum to demolish one of the trees with a huge crash and snapping of wood. It stumbled, a victim of its own persistence and stupidity, but, committed to its pursuit nonetheless, it persevered.

Rainbow reached the giant chunk of earth below the auto repair shop and attempted to circle around to head for the ramp, but one of the monsters moved to physically obstruct her path. Trapped between a flat rock wall and two huge armored monsters, she abandoned her dignity. The situation felt desperate.

"VINCENT! HELP!"

She tilted her head back and screamed as loudly as she could into the sky. Having delivered her distress call, she focused on the beasts before her. Without the ability to fly, her options were severely limited. She had no choice but to fight to escape. She widened the placement of her hooves and assumed a tactical combat stance.

Rainbow bounced nimbly and leapt backwards, expertly dodging a primary claw that sailed toward her. It snapped mere inches from her muzzle. Panting gently from exertion, she glanced at the other monster to analyze how it would approach. It tilted one of its primary claws in preparation to snap at her, and she tensed her rear legs, planning to evade and promptly counterattack. Though, she saw nowhere vulnerable to buck or bite with her teeth, as their armor plating looked thick and tough.

Suddenly, a deafening sound like the cracking of a whip erupted dramatically. She winced and cried out as her sensitive ears rang. One of the tiny heads of the crustaceans burst in a dramatic explosion of gore. Its body slumped onto the ground with a cacophony of joints snapping and armor plating squelching under their own weight as the creature went limp. Rainbow's mane and torso were splattered with blue blood.

The other crustacean hesitated, scuttling and shifting its weight. Rainbow claimed the opportunity to escape. She sidestepped the first monster's corpse and galloped towards the ramp. Acting almost entirely on instinct, she barely registered that Vincent was waiting for her at the top.

"Get behind me!"

She obeyed his order unquestionably. She decelerated to a canter when she reached the relative safety of the parking lot, then to a trot. Finally, she collapsed onto her haunches, and her head drooped limply. She groaned as her body tensed from pain as her wing repeatedly protested its unwarranted movement. Her ears folded stressfully.

Vincent lifted a hunting rifle and firmly braced its buttstock against his shoulder. The crustacean was scuttling up the ramp, determined to pursue its target. He patiently held his fire until the creature grew nearer, then nearer still. He aligned the rifle's iron sights with the creature's head, positioned his finger over the trigger and squeezed.

Another explosion of sound boomed as a bullet sailed through the air and connected squarely with the monster's head. No longer balancing itself, its lifeless corpse toppled over the edge of the ramp. It fell for four seconds before colliding with the earth below with a ghastly CRUNCH as all of its joints snapped simultaneously.

"Haha!" He cackled triumphantly, pumping his fist.

She didn't participate in the celebration. Partially deafened by an incessant ringing, she hyperventilated and massaged her ears.

The jubilant grin on Vincent's face vanished as he noticed her sitting dejectedly on the pavement, her eyes downcast. Concern flooded his face. He set the rifle onto the ground carefully and jogged over.

"You okay?” He squatted and touched one of her hooves as she rubbed her ears.

She avoided eye contact and turned aside. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words surfaced. She sniffled, tears forming in her eyes. Emotion welled within her, threatening to burst.

"I–I'm sorry, I..." She wanted to apologize, but she wasn't sure how to, or even why she wanted to in the first place.

He rested a hand on her shoulder. Blue monster blood seeped between his fingers, but if he objected, he didn't visibly react. “Don't mention it." He dabbed her cheeks with his sleeve, cleaning some of the blood.

Hearing a voice which had previously been so nonchalant, blunt, and flippant transform into one soft and caring for her sake was too much to bear. She clenched her eyes shut, trembling as she cried softly. Fat tears leaked from her eyes and streaked through the azure fur on her face, mixing with the horrendous monster blood.

“I can splint your wing whenever you’re ready.” Receiving a tiny nod from her, he continued. "How about I show you a great spot to get cleaned up? It's not too far."

"O–Okay... Okay." Rainbow blinked. Her eyes stung from irritation from crying. She stood and brushed a lock of wet and filthy hair away from her eyes. A glob of blood clung stubbornly to her hoof, which she scraped off onto the pavement. "What's... happening here?" The effort expended from speaking elicited her to cough, and she spat trace amounts of lake water that she had unintentionally swallowed.

His eyebrows furrowed as he frowned. "Look, that's the thing... I have no clue."