The clambering of the feet and hands slamming down on the roof of tow truck added a panic to the air.
“Silence!” a firm voice echoed out from the driver’s cabin.
The monkey’s frenzy was cut off by the authoritative tone. The monkeys comprised of several larger species of primates, each with their own little piece of personality stood impatiently. Some wore necklaces and Some wore scars. The one who led held his finger over his painted mouth for silence.
The clack of the truck’s door opening directed Rarity’s fearful gaze. Stepping out, the metal face of a demon appeared. It in the sunlight shifted forwards to be revealed as a steel headdress. The armor clad figure planted its feet into the sand. Between the cracks of its red ornate armor, a few clumps of hair stuck out. Rarity stared at the tall figure.
“Little lady,” the hard slightly accented voice said crouching down to meet eye to the pony “what is this?” Gesturing out towards the toppled semi.
She did not respond as she looked nervously back and forth between him and the truck.
He shifted his head upwards and pointing to himself “Do you fear me?”
“I do not fear for myself.” Rarity said mustering as much calm as she could.
“Little one, braver than most who have stood before me” giving a small chuckle, patting the hilt of the blade on his hip.
“What do you want from us?” Rarity growing impatient with the warrior.
“I don’t want anymore, little lady,” the warrior paused placing a hand under his steel chin “but I am eternally curious.”
“He is not the only one,” the small leather bound howler monkey sauntered over talking throughout “what brings you here to this oasis?” gesturing outwards to the red sand and rocks that lined the horizon.
The landscape made her feel lost. The tall standing red rock formations a few hundred feet off. The formation casted it's shadow right over her. She felt cold and distant. No words could describe what she felt. She sat back on her haunches. A deep gulping sound came from Rarity. A few tears fell from Rarity’s hidden eyes. She lurched forward with every surge of despondency allowing her tears to flow freely.
“Move!” The Warrior shoved his distant companion out of his way. He leaned forward bringing his metal mug close. “I apologize for my partner’s rude disposition.” He leaned even closer to the fallen Rarity almost touching his cold face against her mane. “I am The Shogun of the Red Wastes. Now stand up and let us talk.” The Shogun said in a soft assuring whisper.
She looked up past his mask into his hard brown eyes without timidness. She rubbed a few tears out of her eyes as she stood up. She looked around at the various monkeys. They looked on in an alien curiosity. She shifted her sad look to The Shogun.
“I-We need help. We just crashed this vehicle here,” she hit the toppled truck. “and my friend's hurt,” she gestured back with her muzzle to the collapsed form of her friend.
The howler monkey shifted his angry gaze to the orange mare. He saw her partially open mouth and gazed upon the crooked lengthy teeth. He carried himself with unknown haste over to the mare. He snapped his finger softly as to not jar the mare from her sleep.
She let out a quiet breath as she woke. The creature in front of her frowned in concentration. She tried struggle to her hooves, but the animal placed his hand on her tired body.
“Be still horse.” the monkey softly commanded
AJ slowly found her way to the comfort of the red sand. Coarse breathing accompanied any attempt at moving.
The monkey picked up her head inspecting the teeth “Open your mouth.” He said as gingerly as he could will himself to be.
Applejack did as commanded.
Her tongue had been pierced by one of the misgrown teeth. The tongue still bled lightly. He looked at the rough long teeth that lined her mouth with a knowing gaze.
“She’s mutated.” The monkey said flatly back to The Shogun.
“What does that mean for the girl?” The warrior questioned
“Well, not much, but I’ll have to file down these teeth of hers if she wants to speak” The armored creature hollered back in his pseudo-Spanish accent giving a little.
The Shogun looked back unto Rarity softly “She should be fine, but we need to move. It won’t be safe here for very long.” He pointed around to the red mounds that made up the horizon “Evil lies in these hills.”
Rarity followed his finger as he pointed to a few rock heaps and the sands that surrounded her.
“We have at least twenty ponies in need of transport.” she said with a worry in her tone.
“We don’t have room for all those ‘ponies’ in our rusty steed,” pointing back over his shoulder with his thumb.
“Our home is about twenty miles away,” he paused “We would have to make a few trips back forth a few times, but” another pause, “I think we can do it by tomorrow.”
“Thank you, so much!” Rarity lightly embraced the armor-clad ape.
He removed her from his armor “It is only what is right,” he asked, “Little lady, If you don’t mind me asking; what happened here?”
She looked down to the ground “Something awful.” she worked out in sadness not giving any more to the warrior.
“Get the saw, little ones!” The Shogun called over to the monkeys. A few brown monkeys ran and climbed into the driver's cabin of the rusted truck. They cranked a seat forward reaching behind to get a grip on the machine. All of them struggled together to lift the cement saw and move all the while
“How long will this business take?” Rarity examined the ape’s eyes closer. One of them a slightly different shade of brown.
“With skill, Only a minute,” he walked back to the simians snatching the saw from their grasp.They reacted with the customary “OOO”s and “AH-AH”s. The demon faced shogun made his way to a silvery side of the eighteen wheeler.
He peeked around into the semi’s trailer. A few ponies shifted around in the sand that had flooded the trailer. “Funny creatures stand back from this side.” He pounded the wall of the trailer. Sparks flew in a fury as he sawed the wall of the trailer.
Applejack had been placed upon the furry hide of the seat cover. The soft fur had almost put her to sleep. She was poked and her eyes opened with hesitation.
He looked into her eye, a green orb surrounded with red. He marveled at the girl’s strength. She had a long cut pressed up against her jaw. Bruises swelled on her side, but her teeth were the most interesting part.
He spoke up “Are you fine with me filing these?” tapping the tooth.
She looked him up and down. His face covered in a worn white paint. His leather chest plate bearing words in an alien language. He wore ragged brown trousers. She nodded and opened her mouth hanging it over the seat slightly.
The simian turned around and dug through the glove compartment for a second. Withdrawing the grating piece of metal. The tired old file was quickly pressed against the tooth that pierced the young mare’s tongue. Every movement of the file slid her head back and forth rhythmically. She closed her weary eyes and slept.
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“Dear,” Applejack opened her eyes with only a bit of resistance looking up and out the passenger's side window. She saw Rarity’s upper body outlined against a dark sky. “We are almost ready to leave.”
“Where are we going?” AJ barely choked out her throat burning with every word uttered.
“These monkey’s have a home to the west.” she gestured with her muzzle to the west “They have been nice enough to help us transport those lost souls.” she fixed her eyes on a unicorn filly who played with a younger monkey.
A few ragged unicorn stallions and The Shogun were attaching a small roof on the sawed side of the trailer. A bolt tightened in the blue glow of the stallions magic. The Shogun let out a heavy breath and picked up the saw that had been cast aside. He made his way back to the tow truck.
AJ just noticed the presence of a certain dark brown haired monkey. He sat on floor of the vehicle staring into Applejack’s eyes. He held a fist under his chin.
“Thank you.” the broke orange mare whispered out in pain.
“You can thank me once all is said and done,” he said softly feeling her front hoof which hung half off the seat. “Step so hard but so soft inside,” he said gazing into her hoof.
The Shogun stepped up to the vehicle. “We must depart,” he said looking at Rarity, he added, “Tell them we’ll back very early tomorrow.”
Rarity stepped out of the way of the armored ape to allow him to climb into the truck.
“We’ll?” Rarity questioned as the ape turned the ignition as the vehicle stuttering awake.
“We will need someone to speak to the chief, I understand you probably have reservations, but the I am sure the sleep of your 'lost ones' will not be disturbed.” he said trying to calm the disheveled mare.
She sighed “We’re talking about lives, and I don’t want to leave it to chance.”
“Trust me this rain above will keep any raider in his vehicle,” he pointed to the dark gray clouds that had just turned the land into a depressed gray darkness. “Tell them fast and then climb in,” he gestured towards the refugees.
Rarity ran up to the tallest stallion, exchanged a few words, and returned to the truck, climbing in, pushing over Applejack. Attempting to not disturb the mare. The monkeys climbed onto the roof and the back of the vehicle. The truck beeped as it shifted into reverse.
The vehicle rode through the wasteland on a west heading, cresting the red hills with little trouble. A gray tint oppressed the red landscape. The vehicle handled better than it looked, and that maybe could be attributed to the almost expert handling of The Shogun. He knew this land like the back of his hand.
About twenty minutes in the drive a flare rocketed over the crest of a huge, familiar hill. The flare burst red light, threatening to blind the armored driver, but he passed under it, reaching the ridge of the great hill. Rarity stuck her head out of the passengers side window and followed the flare with her eyes till it rounded the horizon behind the truck. The Shogun, AJ, and Hoon watched eyes forward. Chaos ensued below them.
At least, ten vehicles rode around a single muscle car with a man chained to a post The cars had various thrown together defenses. Barbed wire and steel fencing with out facing spikes. The vehicles had several savage apes flinging chains and firing guns in an angry madness that consumed everything around them and replaced it with their primal painting.
But above them, all of an amalgamation of car, truck, and the likes stood 20 feet tall just about opposite the top of the great hill. It screamed in a similar squelch as the vehicle below. It had lights pointed inwards on itself, shining through the windshield bluntly on the face of the white alicorn that drove the Frankenstein of automobile. It's face stricken with fury as it practically smashed the dashboard with a single hoof. It's muzzle covered by a sort of metal one that blew large wafts of steam.
This all assaulted a single compound
And all of this madness could be seen from the monkey's tow truck, and slowly, rain began to fall.