//------------------------------// // 6 - Possessed by Fire // Story: Shift in Spectrum // by Superdale33 //------------------------------// The wind was a near whisper in the small shaded area of the road tunnel. Occasionally, a gust would rise, sending waves of sand flowing through. Metal flaps not nailed down properly would flap uncontrollably, making a constant rattling noise. However, the gust would suddenly die off in seconds, and the sand would settle. A thin layer covered the Interceptor and most of the pavement. The stillness shattered when the the door burst open, swinging to the side as Rainbow backed out of Greenhorn’s dwelling. Clamped between her teeth was the handle of a suitcase, the contents rattling within as she dragged it towards the Interceptor. It left a trail through the sand, but still scraped against on the pavement underneath. Upon reaching the Interceptor, she swung the suitcase around and threw it through the window. The suitcase clattered around before settling in the driver’s seat. With a nod of satisfaction, Rainbow headed for the door, pushing her wings to give herself a quick boost to her trot, but stopped just before ramming into Max. He stared her down, and Rainbow blinked at his rather aggressive stance. She stepped to the side and allowed him to pass, but glared harshly at his back. Greenhorn stepped through the doorway, looking between her and Max. “Still not getting along, it would seem,” Greenhorn observed, holding his waist like he wore a belt. Rainbow sighed, her ears dipping slightly as she eyed him, “I might have to stick with him, but that doesn’t mean I gotta like it.” “Time will tell,” Greenhorn said quietly, watching as Max swung open the car door. He grunted, lifting the suitcase and tossed it onto the passenger seat before slipping inside. Rainbow kicked a hoof against the pavement, glancing up to Greenhorn with a mixture of frustration and appreciation. “Thanks for the food and water,” she said just before the Interceptor’s engine blared its motors when it started up. The enclosed space made it echo loudly, and both Rainbow and Greenhorn clutched their ears tightly, the former sitting on her haunches to do so. “Car’s set,” Max called from his seat, focused on the dashboard. “Get in, before I leave you here.” Rainbow spoke silently, mocking Max before stepping forward with a few insults under her breath. She didn’t get far before Max threw a gun over her head. She ducked, watching it sail over her head before Greenhorn caught it. A quick check showed that it was his single barrel shotgun, Pip. A smile faintly emerged on his lips as he faced Rainbow, who rose back to full height. Max didn’t even bother looking over to them. “You may not want to have him around,” Greenhorn said humbly, “but he is someone worth having around.” Her eyes were unsure as she glanced to Max, still uncaring of their conversation as he leaned back into the Interceptor. Her gaze wandered downward, where Max’s legs were if she could see through the car, where his leg-brace resided. Sighing, Rainbow stretched her wings out before tucking them back in, walking over to the passenger side. “We’ll see,” she grumbled, but it was enough for Greenhorn to give a satisfied grunt. As she climbed through the window, she scrunched up her nose, wiping it quickly before sitting in place. Greenhorn shuffled over to Max, bending down to face him properly. “You’ll want to head for Pillar’s Rock,” Greenhorn explained, pointing in a direction that would have indicated left of the tunnel’s entrance. “That was where the Black Clouds were headed. If you find yourself at the base of a mountain, you’ve gone too far.” Staring at the tunnel wall didn’t help Max, but he nodded regardless, giving a half hearted wave as he shifted the gears. Looking behind him, Max backed up the Interceptor, revving it up just before heading up the slope of sand. The extra momentum put the Interceptor back into the sunny wasteland, and Max kept reversing until they were facing the direction they needed to head. Shifting again, Max floored the gas, kicking up loads of sand before setting off. Greenhorn hiked up the incline as well, struggling a great deal before finally leaving the confines of the tunnel. Releasing a sigh, he watched the Interceptor head out with one hand on his head, the other on his hip. In the back of the Interceptor, Rainbow waved reluctantly, setting her hoof down after a while and just looked out to Greenhorn. He didn’t wave back. “Didn’t the story say the Road Warrior’s car was destroyed?” he muttered to himself. Another gust of wind - a particularly strong one - pushed him back, sweeping the thought out of him. Even by firmly planting his feet to prevent himself from slipping, the wind nearly toppled him over. Sand beat against his face as he raised his arms to protect himself. “Something is brewing. Hope it’s just a…” A glance to the sky showed no sign of clouds, and Greenhorn’s eyes widened. “Oh dear.” The Interceptor was a good distance away, too far for any sound to reach it from where Greenhorn stood. Instead, he just let his arms hang by his side, swallowing nervously. “There!” Rainbow announced, jumping up to the dashboard. With one hoof supporting her, she pointed to the cluster of huge, rock pillars, rising several stories above the ground ahead of them, Pillar’s Rock. The way they were organized put them at odds with the elements; even though they were weathered down and barren, they remained sturdy and practically undisturbed without any protection in their isolation. Rainbow hummed, setting her hoof down, “They need a new name for this place. I’m pretty sure there’s more than one big rock.” Max glanced around as they entered the shadows, sunlight unable to break through the pillars. His eyes swept over the tops of the pillars they neared. There was no sign of movement. They were as lifeless as the wasteland that surrounded them. The closer they got, the more forsaken the place became. Just before they were swallowed up inside the pillar labyrinth, Max tapped on the brakes as the Interceptor eased to a stop. Rainbow tilted her head as she looked to Max. He simply narrowed his eyes before turning around. Nothing could be seen through the dust kicked up by the Interceptor. Even beyond that, there wasn’t anything out of place in the wasteland they had come through. Rainbow glanced behind as well, raising a brow. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her tone even and clear. Max gave her a sideways glance, but remained unmoving. “Thought I spotted something,” he muttered, shifting back into his seat. Rainbow settled back in her own seat, bracing herself as Max sped up again, driving between two pillars. The temperature cooled instantaneously, and Rainbow rubbed her foreleg. Before long, she hopped around, looking every which way anxiously. Max simply rested his hand on his shotgun. “I don’t like this,” Rainbow drawled, finally resting on the window sill, her hooves dangling. The Interceptor weaved through the pillars, bits of rock tinkling down occasionally. It was natural in the way it moved, rarely needing to steer too hard to wind around a pillar. Rainbow squinted her eyes through the shroud encompassing them before glancing behind her. There was little difference of where they came from and where they were going. It was like a never ending flow of pillars. “Are we lost?” Rainbow asked, turning to Max, who grunted in thought. Sticking his head out the window, he stared straight above while keeping an eye on the road ahead. The blue sky was still there, without anything tarnishing its rich color. However, there was the occasional wisp of dark smoke. It would slink into view briefly before dissipating; it was hard to catch. Max slipped his head back in, tightening his grip on the wheel, “It’s a trap.” “What?” Rainbow blurted, pulling her hooves back in as she stood up, facing him fully. “What makes you say that?” “There’s smoke above us,” Max said, pointing a finger directly above them. Rainbow looked up and grunted at seeing the roof of the Instructor. “Well,” Rainbow said, her tone uneasy as she looked to the front. “How do you know it isn’t the smoke from your carriage? Doesn’t it come from that pipe in the back?” “That’s exhaust fumes,” Max stressed, glaring at her. “Smoke lasts longer in open air. And it doesn’t come from cars.” “Cars,” Rainbow repeated, tilting her head down. “Carriages… cars. Huh.” “Quiet,” Max said lowly, holding up a hand to her muzzle. Rainbow grunted as she crossed her forelegs, but obliged. Max retracted his arm slowly as they drove, the air only disturbed by their V8 engine. Another sound slowly mixed with it. As faintly as it started, there was no denying that it grew as time went on. One of Rainbow’s ears twitched as she looked every which way, growing tense and frustrated. Upon facing the back of the Interceptor again, three cars came around a pillar, their engines blaring louder than before as nitro shot out of their exhaust pipes. The holes covering the car bodies, though less noticeable, were still prominent. Rainbow groaned as she threw a foreleg over her muzzle. “Not these guys again,” she stated, her heart dropping. “Why can’t they just leave us alone?” Cheering and hollering emanated from the three cars in pursuit. It wasn’t something to be ignored, no matter how much Max furrowed his brow, his muscles straining as he focused on the trail ahead. He slammed on the gas pedal, and sped forward while steering a hard right. A pillar was inches away from the Interceptor, the wheels nearly gliding along the sand. Rainbow pressed herself against the door, getting as far away from the pillar wall as possible. Max eventually pulled out of his drift, just in time to pass the cars. Getting a better look, the Leopards were more rowdy than before, jumping around in their seats in a near chaos. Max didn’t waste the opportunity as he drew his shotgun and fired both shots at one car. Small metallic rings were heard, but there was no visible damage to the cars. However, blood gushed from the shoulder of a man, and he screamed, throwing his head back. The Interceptor sped off before anything else could be done. The Leopards’ cars spun around, nearly throwing themselves against the pillars before accelerating back into the chase. Rainbow kept a watchful eye on them, her face conflicted as her eyes wandered between each car before settling on Max. “I really wish we could work this out without shooting anypony,” Rainbow admitted, tapping her hooves together, “but if it’s possible, could you maybe lose them instead?” Max grunted harshly, the sound either being acknowledgement or dismissal. Whichever it was, he glanced behind him before tossing his shotgun to Rainbow. She flinched upon it hitting her side, falling to her haunches. Staring at it, she nudged it away like it would go off at at any second. “Reload it with these,” Max ordered, grabbing the bag full of shotgun shells and tossing them to Rainbow. It landed just beside the shotgun, the contents miraculously remaining inside. Another sharp turn almost tipped the bag to the side, but Rainbow grabbed it with her hooves. She stared at it like she did with the shotgun, shaking its contents around as Max took another sharp turn. “I-I don’t know how to use these!” Rainbow announced, dropping the bag before grabbing the shotgun with the crook of her foreleg. A growl from Max, and Rainbow could only groan as she tossed the shotgun beside her, leaning out the window. On Max’s side, one of the Leopards’ cars pulled up beside the Interceptor, and the passenger reached his arm out, swinging his wrist-knife. His attacks weren’t near Max at all, but that didn’t slow the man down. “You will pay in blood for the death of Pedant, Gazelle!” he yelled, followed by several cheers from the other occupants of the car. Max didn’t say a word as he rammed the Interceptor against the other car, the man’s arm being crushed between the two doors. He screamed as they steered away, the Interceptor pulling ahead. Rainbow was stunned by his actions, and flinched when Max snatched his shotgun back, along with the bag of shells. He darted his attention between reloading his shotgun and driving, even though the path was fairly linear at the moment. Rainbow watched his haste and stamped a hoof down, baring her teeth. The three cars were still behind them when she checked through the window again. Glaring, she jumped out the passenger window without a hitch and put some distance between her and the Interceptor, her wings beating to keep up instantly and effortlessly. Clouds of dust and sand didn’t deter her as it rushed alongside the Interceptor. She did a barrell roll over the Interceptor to appear on the other side. Max glanced at her briefly before closing his shotgun, two new shells inside. Rainbow responded by sticking her tongue at him. She was unable to suppress a grin, spreading her wings wide as her speed quickly diminished. It was enough for the Interceptor to shoot forward, the other three cars passing her as well before she flapped her wings again. With a powerful push, she rocketed after them, keeping pace easily as she flew from side to side. Her eyes were narrowed intently on the three cars, but she blinked when a person climbed out of one. His hands grabbed hold of the bars running along the side, much like the truck from the other day, but instead of standing on the roof, the person was crouched. He kept one hand clutching the bar while the other held up his wrist-knife. His hair was long and lanky, but was only shoulder length. The dots on his back numbered eleven, but other than that, he was the same as any other Leopard. “So you are the true Gazelle Pedant saw on that fateful day,” the man said. His tone was low, but his voice was loud enough to break through the rushing wind. “The sacrifice for the Voice. Unlike him, I shall not fail. The Voice will be appeased! For we are Leopards!” “Lep-!” the other men chanted, right before a semi truck struck the side of the leftmost car. Rainbow had to pull up to avoid hitting it as the semi truck pushed the car straight into a pillar. It crushed it like tissue paper, the occupants squashed as the car caught fire. Rainbow flew by with her jaw dropped as the semi truck reversed, allowing the car to explode. The flames lit the area up, metal bits shooting in several directions as parts of the car body arced away. Rainbow covered her eyes as a wave of heat encompassed her. It lasted half a second, but it was very intense, making her falter in her flight. Upon opening her eyes, she caught sight of another semi truck weaving through the rock pillars. It would disappear occasionally as it passed each pillar, a huge tank - as high and wide as the cabin itself - glowed a faint orange. Rainbow hunched her head as she faced the Interceptor and remaining two cars. “I gotta get back to Jerk,” she muttered, launching higher up and diving afterword. She spiraled in the air, gaining speed as she closed in on the Interceptor before landing on the roof. Max steared a hard right, causing Rainbow to clutch the roof as her body swayed to the left. “You idiot! It’s me!” The shout locked Max’s muscles, his hold on the steering wheel tightening, as words whispered through his mind. I’d rather stay with you. You win a lot. “Jerk!” Rainbow bellowed, clamoring through the passenger window as Max shook out the voice. His eyes lingered on Rainbow, her expression frantic and angry, before turning to the two cars still chasing them. He caught sight of the semi truck approaching one of the cars’ side, showing the entirety of the vehicle. The semi truck itself was plain. The paint was orange, along with some rust, and there wasn’t any distinct decals or decorations that made it stand out. However, what rested on its bed was especially noteworthy. A huge tank sat behind the cabin, a wooden platform wrapping around it to allow two men to run along it. They occasionally threw something into the tank, and though nothing really changed, the faint orange glow and wisps of fire proved that it was a giant burning pot. The men themselves were adorned in leather padding, with tanks strapped to their backs. A tube connected their tanks to a handheld nozzle hung at their side. Rainbow watched too, staring out the back with both hooves propping her up. As the semi truck grew closer to the Leopards car, the man on top jumped to the next car to get as close as possible. Again, he waved his wrist-knife around as he shouted, “You dare defy the followers of the almighty Voice from fulfilling-!” The semi truck rammed into the car's side, and though it wasn’t enough to knock the car - nor the person - off course, one of the men on the wooden platform pulled out their handheld nozzle and a wave of fire surged from the tip. It engulfed the man on top of the Leopard car, liquid fire spreading relentlessly, and he screamed his head off. His arms flailed around as he stood up, fire dancing along his body as he stumbled around until finally tripping onto the hood of the car, rolling off, and promptly getting run over. The car was no better as the torrent of fire streamed inside as well, sending the entire car alight as it wavered back and forth before exploding, the body flipping over. The last Leopard car veered away, but it was too much as it turned completely on its side and flipped off off its wheels. It rolled over several times before crashing into pillar. One person inside lifted a shaky hand, grasping for something, before the other semi truck smashed into the side, easily pushing the car away and continuing through without pause. The engine roared as it drove alongside the other. These were the Black Clouds’ vehicles: Bond-fire and Fül. “They have fire!” Rainbow bellowed. “They can breath fire like dragons!” “Flamethrowers,” Max said, more as a note than a correction. He glanced along the many pillars they passed, seeing no end to them anywhere. “You need to fly ahead, see if you can find a way outta here.” “No way, Jerk!” Rainbow exclaimed, already clamoring out the back window. “I’m going to see if they’re tossing books into that tank-thingy. My book could be there!” “We have to get out of this first!” Max shouted, making Rainbow flinch. His voice was authoritative and to the point. However, Rainbow swallowed before giving a forced glare. “Well, for once, Jerk, I’m doing things my way!” she said before jumping out the back window. Max reached a hand to grab her, but missed her tail by centimeters as she climbed on top of the gas barrels in the back. “Dash!” Max yelled angrily before slamming a hand against the wheel. “Fuck!” Huffing at his yells, Rainbow narrowed her eyes at the two semi trucks. Since they were side by side, and closer than before, she could get a better look at Fül - the one with the container in the back. She couldn’t make out what the shabby plywood held, but a glance between it and the burning giant pot on Bond-fire made her hope build. “So if that’s where the fire is,” she muttered, rubbing her chin before pointing to Fül, “then that must be where the books are. Don’t know why they separated them.” Shaking her thoughts out, she gave a dainty hop with a smirk before flaring her wings and gliding between the two semi trucks rushing by. The wind kicked up and pushed Rainbow Dash but she used it to her advantage by letting it flow through her wings. It gave her enough momentum to send her soaring upwards, followed by a small flip before diving for the container on Fül. Upon landing, she nearly slipped on one of the books, but caught herself as her eyes zipped around. There was so many books piled around that it could count as its own library. Not just books but broken pieces of wood and gas containers also cluttered the container, leaving a messy heap. It didn’t help that with every bump everything shifted on top of each other. “Come on, come on,” she grumbled, furrowing her brow as she sifted through the books. Her pace picked up with each book she moved aside, and eventually she just upturned them in her search. “It’s gotta be here! I want to go home!” Her eyes caught sight of someone sidling along the edge of the container, a pistol in his grip. Growling, she lunged at him before he could even raise his weapon. Her hooves connected with his chest, sending him off Fül and tumbling onto the sand. The semi trucks left him behind as Rainbow watched him, easing her breathing with a hoof on her chest. “He’s fine, don’t worry about him,” she said with a deep breath staring at the darkened form stand back up, albeit shakily. Suddenly, sunlight appeared, illuminating the area greatly as the pillars were distanced like the man. Rainbow blinked several times, the heat already making her dizzy. Rubbing a hoof against her forehead, she turned around to continue searching before her eyes caught sight of the Interceptor heading for a cliff. The ledge lead off into a huge valley, so flat that the roads the Interceptor had traveled on were bumpy in comparison. The Interceptor swiveled slightly and kicked up tons of dust, sliding on the sand in an attempt to stop. The semi trucks already slowing down considerably. By the time the Interceptor was close to stopping, the front half slide was already handing off the edge, front tires dangling as the car tilted down. The semi trucks came to a full halt before falling over, just as Max pushed open the door and jumped out. His hands reached for the ledge, but they were just shy, sliding along the side of the cliff and running his skin ragged. His face tensed as he plummeted down the side. Rainbow’s jaw dropped in horror, her wings beating rapidly as her hooves slipped and slid on the bundles of books. “Jerk!” she yelled in panic, her voice hoarse as her wings finally caught and she flew, albeit haphazardly and disjointed. She hovered in place upon passing the lip of the cliff, gazing down the half-a-mile long drop. It was nothing compared to the canyon, but it was still high up. At the very bottom, the Interceptor laid on its side, fairly beat up with a huge dent on the front corner and several metal components scattered around. However, Rainbow fixated on Max, lying spread out on his stomach beside the Interceptor. Before she could get down there, a gust of wind pushed her to the side. She had to fly against it to stay in place. The driver of Bond-fire peered out the window - a leather helm on - staring out into the valley below as bits of dust and rocks tinkled against the metallic sides. “Sandstorm!” she bellowed, pointing to the side. “Head back to the pump!” Both semi trucks backed up and made a U-turn to head back for Pillar’s Rock. Rainbow just glanced at them before flying straight down, never letting Max out of her sight. Upon getting closer, the actual wreck was a cluster of broken pieces. Metal bars and bits dotted the rocky sand, and Max lay amongst them, unmoving. “No, no, no, no, no,” Rainbow muttered quickly, landing unprofessionally and nearly tripping over her hooves. Upon reaching Max, she found him unconscious, with no visible injuries. She pressed a hoof to his shoulder, shaking it roughly as she gazed at his face for something, anything, to indicate he wasn’t critically wounded. “Come on, wake up. Wake up, Jerk! You can walk it off, right? You’re tough, you can handle it!” Max didn’t move. Rainbow used both her hooves to shake him harder. “Just do something!” she yelled, her breathing frantic as the wind picked up. “Tell me you’re alive!” Another brush of the wind stung her eyes, and she pulled a hoof away to rub them. A rumbling built up just to the side, growing louder by the second. Glancing to the source, a humongous wave of dust and sand towered over her, higher than the rock pillars. It rolled and overlapped itself with no way to see through it, like a tidal wave of the wasteland. And it was getting closer.