Dust and Fruit

by BenedictHooves

2: Solus

Silver helped Ben put his saddlebag on, using his nose to push it. It was heavier now, as it held Ben’s newly filled water skin and the glowing white orb, which he had taken from the cellar wall. Silver was wearing his own tattered bag, but it only held his canteen. It was just as well that Ben carried the heavier pack; Silver was still weak from dehydration and although he had regained some of his strength, his eyes were still dull and glazed.

They slept one last night in the empty shell of a house then set off before dawn. They were following the directions of the tattered map left by the Unicorns who had once lived in the village. It told them, according to the position of the sun, to go east.

So it was east they went, leaving the cluster of buildings behind them, travelling the same direction they had been when they arrived. The buildings gradually became smaller and smaller, until they were but a speck on the horizon. And then they were gone, and it was just sand and rocks and the sun beating down, like it had been.

They had drunk from the fountain, and it had rejuvenated them, perhaps more so than it should have, but they hadn’t found any food in all the time they had stayed there, despite searching every house they were able to enter. They were all the same bare walls, packed earth floor, and windows with wooden cross frames casting shadows onto the dirt. But they had drunk from the fountain, and they had felt better than they had in what must have been months, Ben thought. How long had it been since they had entered the desert? It felt like months, but could it possibly have actually been so long?

Before the sun was highest in the sky, they were tired and slick with sweat. Ben’s hair fell in his eyes and he blew it away. Silver’s cloak was shielding him from the majority of the sunlight, although it must have been nearly too warm to bear inside it. Silver simply marched on, determined and encouraged by his new found strength.

When they stopped for the night, the ache had returned to Ben’s bones, but it was low and lesser than before. Almost submissive, he thought. It was simply making a point by being there, reminding him that he was still mortal.

And it was true; with the heat and the endless sand working on his mind, Ben could have begun to believe things. Aside from run of the mill tiredness and fatigue, he felt good. Not just I can go on, but good.

They drank from their water skins before sleeping, and they slept deep, dreamless sleep. They drank from their water skins before setting off at dawn the next day, and they were energetic and made better time than any of the days before.

Ben felt the pangs of hunger in his gut, but they didn’t bother him. Somehow he knew he could keep going, at least for another day. But they stopped for the second night since they left the town and he drank from his water skin, and when he woke up the next morning his stomach was screaming at him to eat something, anything. He drank, and they pressed on.

On the fourth night, while they were sitting in the sand at the base of a dune, Silver looked up and said “How are we still going, Ben?”

Ben was alarmed. He heard real concern in Silver’s voice, and more importantly, he felt concern in his. “I don’t know.”

Silver looked down at the canteen. Each night and each morning they took one sip, no more. Through the day they did not get hungry or thirsty, they just walked.

“In the morning, my guts feel like they’re destroying themselves from the inside.” Silver said. “But I drink this and it goes away.”

“Yes.” Ben replied, looking up at the orange sky.

Silence, but for the wind.

“It’s not just water.” Silver said matter-of-factly.

“Nope.”

“What happens when we run out?”

Silence. Eventually, they fell asleep, and when they woke they drank from their water skins. Then they carried on.

According to the sun, it was just past noon when they heard the motor. Although, Ben mused, the sun was hardly reliable anymore. It seemed some days were longer, and some went by in just a few hours. He recalled a summer day back home that had lasted a full thirty eight hours, or maybe he was remembering wrong. Perhaps it had been an exceptionally boring day.

They heard the faint drone of the motor over the wind before they saw anything. Ben looked back at Silver with wide eyes, and Silver nodded. They scanned the horizon, and saw a small black smudge coming over a far off dune, heading in their direction. It was approaching fast, so they stopped walking and watched it come.

When it was coming over the closest dune to them, they could make out the shape of a motorbike. The roar of the engine grew ever louder. The bike kicked a plume of sand and exhaust behind it as it rolled through the fine sand.

They shielded their eyes as the bike skidded to a stop in front of them, sending sand into both of their faces. When it cleared they rubbed their eyes and looked up at the pony on the bike. He was white, with a red and black mane. He wore a black vest. Sitting atop the massive shuddering bike he stared at the two ponies. They stared back. Slowly he opened his mouth, and shut it again.

Silver looked at the newcomer, then at Ben, then back at the newcomer.

“You stallions know you're the only living ponies I've seen in weeks?” The biker stallion said in a gruff voice.

“I...” Ben said, lost for words.

“Likewise.” said Silver.

They stared at each other for a moment, unsure of how to proceed.

The white pony broke the silence. “Name's Solus, I suppose.” he extended a hoof.

Silver shook it. “Silver. This is Ben.”

“Ben.” Solus said, amused.

“What about it?” Ben snapped.

“Just... no, nothing. Sorry” Solus scratched behind an ear.

“So,” said Silver, “A bike.” They were dumbfounded by this new pony's sudden appearance.

“Unicorn-Built motorbike.” Solus beamed, stroking the side of the vehicle. “One of the last ever made. My brother gave it to me.”

“It's nice.”

Solus snorted. “Hm, yeah it is! I restored it myself before I left home.”

“How does it run? Magic?” Ben asked.

“Hah! I don't need magic to run a machine like this.” Solus laughed. “Good ol' fashioned gas is all it takes. The Unicorns did good work, this baby can run for up to a week on one tank.” He looked down, his smile disappearing. “But that reminds me,” he said, “How much farther does this desert go?”

Silver and Ben exchanged glances. They told Solus about the town, nearly a week behind them now, and the fountain, and they told him about the weeks or even months of desert beyond that. While they were talking he shut off his bike and dismounted, stretching his muscular legs and neck. He was big, a full head taller than Ben or Silver.

When they were done, Solus sighed. “I'm almost empty. You say this town up ahead has nothing in it?”

“Nothing except the fountain.” Ben said.

“Right,” Solus replied, “With this crazy magic Unicorn water you guys have been drinking.”

“That's right.”

“Well, I'll tell you what.” Solus climbed back onto the bike. “I bet I've got enough juice in the tank to make it there and back, if it took you what, four, five days to walk from there?” He looked into the distance and squinted. “I can go there, fill up these bad boys,” he turned and gestured at two large water skins hanging from the back of the bike, attached to a large grey saddlebag, “And be back in a day or so.”

Silver looked at Ben happily, “That would be fantastic. We were worrying that our water was going to run out soon.” Both their skins were still about half full, but it had been a concern.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” Solus said. He started the bike with a roar, looked back at the two friends and nodded. He kicked the bike into gear and sped off, flinging sand into their faces.

When the bike was again just a speck on the horizon, speeding toward the village, Ben looked at Silver. Silver looked at Ben. Silver started to laugh, and Ben joined in. They laughed under the scorching sun and for a minute the world didn't seem quite so empty.

“No ponies for miles and miles, weeks and weeks, and then one comes rolling right to our feet on a motorcycle!” Silver shouted between guffaws.

They fell into the sand and laughed at everything, knowing that they would probably die hot and starving in this endless expanse of sand.

*

Solus rode, fast and confident, toward the village. He saw the low buildings on the horizon after just five hours of riding by his internal clock, but he saw something beyond them that caused him to stop and briefly consider turning back without the water.

Advancing on the cluster of buildings from the opposite side was a massive dark cloud of swirling sand, barrelling toward Solus at an alarming rate. He struggled for a moment, then decided that it wouldn't be fair to return to the only living ponies in the entire desert, for all he knew, empty handed. He had to try.

He revved the bike's engine and hurdled down the side of the dune toward the town, and the storm.

Comments

[The sad mare]

short but worth it

[Lonewolf554]

Hooray!!! another chapter!

[Deus]

ooo excitement :D what shall happen is what we will see! (yes that made no sense -.-) Nice story and looking forward to the next chapter