//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 - Overhaul // Story: Heart of Steel // by That One Bastard //------------------------------// Chapter 3 - Overhaul --- Oh god, I fucked up, I fucked up big time, oh god! Sebastian narrowly dodged another projectile, kicking up sawdust behind him as he pumped his legs and turned around a large pipe. More nails, fired from an angry construction horse armed with a nail gun, pelted his cover as he hopped on his feet anxiously, whipping left and right for an escape route. Oh god, they're gonna stomp my shit so hard, I'll fall apart like wet cement, oh fuck! "Get over here, ya' sunuva-!" OH FUCK! A massive pickaxe lodged itself in the dirt where Sebastian had just been, showering soil over the area as he booked it across the ground. A small group of the very aggravated construction workers were attempting to apprehend or incapacitate Sebastian as the others returned to working. They had picked up a few tools and were belting out curses and pieces of dried cement, trying to scare him off. Sebastian would have happily left, though, only he couldn't actually remember how he had woken up in a construction zone. He still wasn't sure why the workers were chasing him, either. He had, though, came to in front of the workers all glaring and yelling at him. It seemed safe to say that Sebastian was at fault. Trying to find a way to not get impaled or dismembered by pissed off horses was proving exceptionally difficult. Sebastian never really was a runner, or one for endurance, his massive skeletal structure from when he was normal had made sure of that, and here it didn't seem to be any different. He was already straining for breath, sweat running over his domed head and stinging his eyes. Still, getting horribly maimed didn't sound very fun, so he stuck to running and dodging, dipping and diving, ducking and dodging to keep away from the massive horses, still throwing what they could as they tried to catch up. Ah crap, where the hell is that apple pony when you need her!? The experience with Applejack was just now starting to sink in. Befriending an alien so quickly was... strange, to say the least. Especially with one that was so, well, familiar. The species looked a whole lot like horses from back home, with some differing features, but still jarringly similar. And then there's the whole thing with language... And culture... And the building structure... A hammer swung an inch above Sebastian's head, forcing a yelp from his throat. A quick turn, and he was sprinting into another pipe, his feet clanging along the bottom. The new body was probably one of the most disturbing things he had experienced as of yet. Sebastian sure as hell hadn't seen anything like it before, even though he could only really look at his feet, or at least the cones that served as feet. Sebastian paused inside the pipe, looking toward the opening opposite him as the noise outside increased. The horses were waiting for him, that much he could tell, but it still scared him senseless as they banged on the pipe and shook it around. He flinched harshly as the whole structure shook, threatening to throw him off his feet. His ears rang from the constant barrage of metal sounds hitting him. A rocking sensation overcame Sebastian. His head began to swim as his eyesight grew blurry, and he lost his footing, sliding into the wall as the pipe started rolling to one side. The urge to vomit crept up, bile threatening to escape Sebastian's mouth. The whole pipe rolled to the right, sending him tumbling head-over-heels inside, smashing against the sides. The motions continued like that, with Sebastian struggling to find a foothold. From the opening in the opposite side of the pipe, he could make out the colors changing rapidly, from the yellow and brown of sawdust and dirt to lush green grass. With another crash, the ride came to a stop, and Sebastian began to slide as the the pipe was tipped over. He hadn't the strength or time to react as he fell out of the pipe, unmoving as his eyes rolled in their sockets. He could faintly hear the angry murmurs of construction horses as they left with the pipe. The suppressed bile in the man's throat broke through, escaping in one long heave in front of him. Darkness seeped into his vision, and before he could stop himself, he was out like a rock. --- "Now where'd that li'l fella get off to?" Applejack murmured to herself, peeking under the red couch Winona lay next to. The hound glanced over to her owner, then shut her eyes to nap once again. "Bah! How could I lose him already?" Applejack whistled shrilly. Winona immediately jumped up. "Hey girl! You think you can sniff out our little friend?" Winona simply barked in response. "Alright!" AJ cocked her stetson back. "Let's get to it, he couldn't have gotten too far." Opening the front door and stepping out, Winona behind her, the mare took a quick look around. Winona stuck her snout in the dirt, sniffing strongly and moving toward the back of the house, to the outskirts of Ponyville. Applejack trailed right behind her loyal companion, looking around for anything that shone in the midday sun. Other than the many trees, none of them of the Apple family, that cluttered near the Everfree Forest, there was no sure sign of the small creature. Winona kept searching, though, keeping her pace in a straight path, only turning to dodge an obstacle. Applejack trusted her girl well enough to know that Winona had a definite trail. Sure enough, Applejack could start making out the smell of copper and sulfur, the wretched mix burning her nostrils. Winona sneezed and hacked, trying to tough out the stench, quickening her pace as she sniffed even more strongly in her fervor. Eventually, she set off at full tilt, AJ galloping right behind her. They passed by a construction site and some workers headed for it, while the smell became even more potent, sting the mare's eyes and leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. Winona turned sharply and suddenly, kicking up dirt as AJ followed. The canine slowed to a halt before a pool of metallic grey fluid. It flowed like a river from a small puddle down a divot into a pond of thick wretched ooze next to a log. Winona barely took any time to sniff the pool before taking off again, barking hurriedly as her owner followed. They crossed over another hill before they came upon a small mound of soil next to a crater. Another pool of the foul metallic grey liquid sat next to the crater. "Oh mah..." Applejack gasped, staring at the small crater with a familiar black spike jutting out in the center. Applejack couldn't stand the stench anymore, and held her stetson over her muzzle as made over to the little creature. "Hey, you there?" AJ's muffled voice came out. She nudged the him a little, trying to rouse the little one from whatever it was doing. The soil just barely shifted as the smaller one picked up his head and looked at AJ with bloodshot eyes. "You okay there?" AJ nudged him. "Here, lemme take you back to my place, buddy. You look terrible." After digging him out and setting the terribly heavy thing onto her back, AJ made good time to her home. Back in the kitchen, she set him down on the couch with a complementary pillow. Applejack sat with her friend and laid next to him, removing her hat and setting it on the backrest. "You okay? Ya' look pretty out of it." she asked. She received a painfully slow shake of the head. "Well, if you need anything else, I'm gonna be over in the kitchen, so just holler, alright?" No response. AJ patted his head and left to the next room over. --- HOW THE FUCK DO YOU EXPECT ME TO "HOLLER"? Sebastian's stomach churned and bile threatened to escape his throat. The shit had hit the fan too quickly for him, and with all the insanity afterwards, he really wasn't in a good mood. Why am I even here? I should just leave and get myself outta here before more asshole horses show up. He stayed there anyway, not wanting to cause any more trouble. For everyone, really. Considering how he was attacked on sight by construction workers, going in public probably wasn't the best idea. This is bullshit...