Relentless Boundaries

Granny Smith just lay there, motionless. Applejack looked over to her body and screamed out in anguish and attempted to rush to her side but I held her tightly “stay down and away from the windows” I ordered and she looked into my eyes with saddened eyes. I rolled off from over top of her and kept low to the ground, I had left my gun by the door and trying to get to it would give Ricardo a clean shot at me. Big Macintosh came down the stairs quickly to see what the commotion was about, I lept up and tackled him to the ground just as a trio of rounds erupted and tore up the staircase where he had recently been standing.

I held him tight and rolled our bodies behind a wall, “stay low, out of sight… where’s Applebloom?” I asked feverishly and he looked at me with frightened eyes. I shook him “where’s Applebloom god dammit” I yelled and he looked up at the roof of the room, “up there” he whispered and I looked up at the roof, “fuck” I scowled as I rolled across the hallway, more rounds tore up the flooring behind me and I got up and lept for my rifle.

Snatching the SKS in my hands I grabbed the elephant rifle and slung it across my back and charged up the stairs as Ricardo fired off more rounds towards me but failed to strike me with even a single round. I was lucky he wasn’t a very good shot. Charging up into the second story of the house I looked around, there were 3 rooms but I heard crying coming from one of the rooms and darted into the room and lept onto the floor as another .308 smashed into the house and grazed past me, he was getting better. I looked side to side for the little filly and spotted Applebloom under her bed.

Letting out a sigh of relief I motioned to her to come over to me. She crawled out from under the bed and towards me ever so slowly. I grabbed her and held her tight and whispered in her ear “shh don’t worry I’ll make sure your safe I promise”. And she buried her face into my chest as an eerie silence began, I began to crawl out of the room, holding Applebloom close to my body and when I finally got out of the room let her go. I was breathing heavily, “are you okay?” she asked and I nodded and began to creep back down the stairs.

I spotted Applejack and her brother behind a wall and one of them had retrieved Granny Smith’s body, Applebloom immediately saw her elder Grandmother and cried out as she began to run towards her body but I grabbed her and yanked her body just as a rifle shot rang out and a .308 round exploded through the wall in front of her. I held her close to my body “don’t worry I’ll keep you safe, just don’t run in front of any windows and stay low” I ordered her and she nodded. I broke the railing on the staircase and hopped down then lowered Applebloom down onto the ground floor of the house. I leaned up against the wall and looked to Applejack. “Is there any place you can go that is relatively safe?” I asked and Applebloom piped up “the clubhouse” she told me and I looked to Applejack and she nodded. “Okay leave out that side of the house, he’s shooting from the west so if you stay out of sight and head east until the forest you should be able to avoid him” I told Applejack and pulled out the medical kit Fluttershy had given me and handed it to Applejack. She refused to take it “yah’ll need this more than ah do” she refused but I persisted “no, trust me I don’t… I know now what has to be done” I said with a wink. She took the medical kit and placed it in her saddle bags and looked to me with saddened eyes.

I let out a sad sigh “sorry it didn’t end very well” I apologized but she leaned forward and kissed me, I closed my eyes and wrapped my hands around her neck and embraced her closely, wishing the moment would never end. She broke away from the kiss and I nodded, she turned to Applebloom and Big Mac and motioned for them to follow her. As she left my sight I gave a wave and whispered “goodbye AJ”. I put my hand into the overcoat and felt alongside the left side of my ribs, it was wet. As I pulled my hand out of the over coat I saw that my hand was covered in blood. I chuckled and got back up and gave myself a nod.

I charged out the front door as more rifle shots boomed in the distance but Ricardo couldn’t lead me and the rounds always hit behind me. I slid up behind the barn and walked cautiously alongside the wall until I reached the far end of the barn. I peeked out and looked off towards the field, there would be no scope glare since he had the sun to his back, but I was hoping to see maybe a silhouette of his body, or maybe Trixie’s bright colours would give him away. A shot rang out and I ducked behind the barn but the shot didn’t hit the barn, I looked back towards where the shot had come from. Another shot rang out, he was shooting at the side of the barn I had slid to, I lined up my rifle. I had never added modifications to the rifle so it still had the classic notch sight and was kind of difficult to do long range shooting. I did a quick mental check, he was about 250-300 yards away, I readjusted the notch sight for 300 yards and lined up the rifle’s sights with his body outline. I breathed slowly and lowered my heart rate, I took a half of a breath and held it in and steadied my rifle, I waited and listened for my heart beat, I pulled the trigger just as my heart took a beat and the SKS thundered. I ducked behind the barn again, I didn’t dare try to spot my handy work, not with proper cover.

.308 rounds burst through the barn wall and I scampered to the other side and looked to my truck and smiled. I rolled along the ground until I was behind the truck, it obstructed Ricardo’s shot and he wouldn’t be able to get a clean shot on me if he tried. I popped the passenger side door open and hoped into the truck and slide into the driver side and started the truck. Rounds slammed into the trucks body but didn’t hit by me. Slamming the Ford Bronco into first gear I drove right through the barn door and through the barn. More rounds ripped through the walls on the barn but didn’t even come close to hitting the truck. I drove the truck through the back wall of the barn and cranked the steering wheel so the truck slid towards Ricardo’s shooting position and I slammed on the accelerator so the truck was flying full throttle towards Ricardo.

I dropped the Truck into 3rd gear and raced towards him, the truck letting out a low pitched rumble as the trucks massive 460 big block roared. I saw Ricardo stand up and begin to take pot shots on the truck, rounds winced off the hood and smashed through the windshield. Holding the steering wheel steady with my legs I grabbed my SKS and smashed the remainder of the windshield out with the butt stock of my rifle.

More rounds slammed into the truck but he was aiming high, he should’ve been aiming for the engine but instead continued to fire directly at my semi exposed body. When I was about 150 yards from his location he turned and started to run, no it was hunter becomes the hunted.

Suddenly a large blast sounded and I looked to my left to see the Apple family’s house go up in flames as a dragon flew overhead. “A DRAGON” I roared and turned my attention back to Ricardo, had Applejack not taken the family out of the house the results would have been catastrophic. “TRIXIE RETURNS” screamed a voice and I looked to see the dragon swoop down and a magical aurora surrounded Ricardo as he was lifted onto the back of the dragon and they flew off into the sky. I stopped the truck and got out “MOTHER FUCKER” I roared out, hoping that Ricardo could hear me.

I watched as the dragon flew off into the mountains past Ponyville. I got back into the truck and slammed the accelerator to the floor and raced towards the mountains with an angered snarl. Suddenly a group of ponies got in my way and I slammed the brakes on the truck. I got out of the truck to see the rest of the group, “Ron we” Celestia began but I cut her off “get to the clubhouse I got an old friend to see” I yelled out and Celestia looked at me curiously “which clubhouse?” she asked, “uhh Applebloom’s” I informed her and Twilight nodded “I know the place, Celestia follow me I can show you” Twilight informed the princess and the all got off to the side of the road.

I hoped back into the truck and raced off towards the mountains again. Blood began to slide down the truck’s leather seat and I looked to the blood “figures” I muttered. A loud THUD sounded as something landed on the roof of the truck, suddenly princess Luna swooped through the passenger window and landed on the passenger seat. “I” I began then chuckled “I guess you’d have me arrested eh?” I asked jokingly and she let out a small laugh but stopped and looked to my seat and saw the blood. “You’re hurt, we should stop and heal you” Luna suggested. I shook my head “no time” I told her but she leaned over to me and pressed her horn against my body and I felt a surge of magic pulse through my body and I felt my body’s wounds heal. “Thanks” I said to her and she nodded “sometimes it’s good to accept help from others” she said with a smile. I slammed the accelerator to the floor and put the Ford Bronco into its final gear as we raced towards the mountain