2500 miles to Manehattan

by Air Heart

A Lug wrench works too.

Although I had noted it before, it still hit me how destroyed the hotel room was. It looked like nothing short of a bomb went off in the room. I only shudder to think of the amount of alcohol we had ingested over the past 4 days, and I was even more worried at the state of our bank accounts. I was hoping beyond hope I didn't decide to shout people drinks. The last time that happened I had to live with Lyra and Bonbon for a while. Octavia was fussing about attempting to clean to room to a somewhat decent state while I pondered the amount of problems we possibly caused.

"Vinyl, are you just going to stand there attracting flies? Or are you going to help me clean," Octavia said in a slightly annoyed tone, whilst she threw cans and wrappers into a garbage bag that she pulled out of Luna knows where.

"Oh sorry Tavi," I said, jerking out of my musings. We spent the next few hours cleaning the rooms and packing up the things we had, which was a difficult task as we didn't know what we brought.

Despite the note’s dire warnings, it was afternoon when Lyra practically knocked down the doors of the hotel room, her head and chest covered in bandages.
"Afternoon fillies!" She shouted, "What’s the happs?" the door banging loudly against the wall. She was followed by a disgruntled Carrot Top.
"Finally, come on we gotta get outta here, also not much," I said, heading towards them, picking up several bags and Octavia in my now useable magic.

"Wahh, Celestia damn it- Vinyl! Put me down," came from behind me as Octavia voiced her protest, tripping on her own words in indignation. I assume flailing was involved but I did not see.

"Oh great-what is it this time?" said Carrot Top behind me.

---------

"Huh."

"Huh?" I repeated taking the note back off Carrot Top. "That's your response?"
"What do you want me to say?" responded Carrot Top irritatingly.
"I don't know, 'well shit', 'that's a problem' 'oh Celestia, the horror, the horror', any of those would work," I replied sarcastically.
"I'm not one of the flower mares," Carrot top said dismissively.

We were waiting outside the hotel for the valet to return with whatever car we drove here in. In all truth it was miraculous that we found the valet ticket when it fluttered to the ground as we walked out of the elevator otherwise someone would lose a car.

"Why are ponies staring at us?" said Octavia with apprehension.
Glancing around I now noticed that there were a few ponies staring at us as the valet helped them unload their luggage or waiting for their ride.
A twinge of pain in my side reminded me of our numerous injuries.

"We look like we've gone 10 rounds with a Minotaur, Tavi," I replied "and its only Wednesday."
"Mostly Lyra though," interjected Carrot Top, looking away from us. Following her gaze I soon focused upon a Lyra who was intently attempting to shove her head into Octavia's bag in search for something, I would hazard a guess, but I would fear for my brain.

"What's with Lyra?" I asked "she's acting... More Lyra."

"They gave her meds for the pain," Carrot Top said pulling out a small pill bottle from her saddlebags "made her loopy."
Our conversation was interrupted by a white Pontiac GTO pulling up in front of us with a few dents in it and a smashed headlight. Someone had made a big mistake.

"Ahhh what happened to you" I said, running my hooves down the body work. My sweet precious baby was damaged. Not only that but some of the interior was torn.
"Overall, your car is in better condition than I thought the car would be," said Octavia.
"She's been all roughed up."
"Get over it vinyl, it'll buff out."
"That's not the point," I cried, feeling the dents.

I admit I got emotional about my car. She's my baby, my pride and joy. Me and my pa worked on this car. It has a special place in my heart.

I stayed that way for a few minutes before opening the door, while the others loaded the bags in the boot. Well I say the others but really it was Carrot Top and Octavia spent the whole the attempting to get her bag back off Lyra who 'still needed to explore.'
It took half an hour to get everything sorted and packed in the car. It was about midday now and if the note was to be believed we had to get out.

Starting the engine, I drove the car out of the car drop off... thingy, whatever it’s called, and began to make our way towards the highway. Fortunately due to the time and day, there was little traffic.

"So any idea what the hell’s going on," said Carrot Top from the back.
"I thought we had established that," I said, pulling up behind a black van at a red light. "You asked that before and I answered what makes you think I know now?"

Carrot Top opened her mouth to respond but never got the chance as a sedan ploughed into the back of the car, throwing us all backwards and then rapidly forwards as we further collided with the van in front, making our heads whiplash badly, blood sprouted out of my nose as I had the misfortune to it the steering wheel muzzle first, eliciting a short honk from the horn.
"What in Equestria?" Octavia asked no one in particular.

Two stallions got out of the van in front of us. One of them, a short brown stallion was pointing a pistol at us through the front windscreen.

"We gave you time to pay and failed, now you’re skipping town, gives the impression that you don't have what you owe. Doesn't it" he asked in a cocky, put on accent, someone clearly had seen too many heist movies.
"What the hay are you talking about?" I asked.
"Oh you very well know what."

What I did next was probably the stupidest thing I had ever done; see there's normally reason why people freeze when a gun is pointed at them. I didn't, I had a tonne of car that was about 2 yards away from this yobbo, as there van had also rolled forward. So I figured I could just gun it and take off, I didn’t want to die today, I didn’t even have a marefriend.

It’s a good thing stupid me is really lucky.

Flooring the engine, I hit the stallion before he realized what was going on and took him by surprise, a shot rang out as he fired his gun in surprise or desperation, but at that point it was tilted up and missed the car completely.
Wrenching the wheel left I drove around the van and took off through the red light, barely missing a taxi that was crossing the intersection.

"They're chasing us," said Carrot Top from the back seat.
I looked in the rear view mirror to see two black vans following several car lengths behind us and gaining.
Changing gear, I sped up away from them, swerving around the car ahead while ignoring the sign warning me of speed cameras.

"They're chasing us," Carrot Top repeated, louder this time.
"I heard you the first time," I yelled back at her over the roar of the engine. I glanced at the mirror a second time only to watch it get torn off as a bullet soared through the back window and out through the front, spraying glass onto us. We all wriggled down, taking cover behind the seats and the boot thus reducing the chance of getting a hole in the head.
"They're shooting at us!" Carrot Top once again yelled.
"Yes, I am aware of the situation C Top!" I snapped.
"Well you aren't responding! For all I know you could be brain dead," Carrot Top replied.

"Lyra!" I yelled. Glancing back as the mint haired mare popped her head up, looking oddly calm. I wondered if the painkillers made her unaware of the situation.

Lyra looked at me questioningly, her head dangerously exposed, it was lucky that whatever asshole was shooting had to reload.
"Carrot Top wants a cuddle," I said to her, taking a gamble that she was still high enough to do what I wanted her to do.

Lyra turned to Carrot Top as what I had said began to make sense to the normally cuddly and now unpredictable mare.
"Don't even think about it Lyr---" she started, but was unable to finish as Lyra dove across the car and began to cuddle Carrot Top with such enthusiasm that it rendered Carrot Top unable to speak, along with tilting the car somewhat.

"You are probably the first mare to weaponise lawyer cuddles," Octavia chimed in from the foot well of the passenger seat, peeking over the back seat at the car following.
"If only I could use it against them,” I replied, motioning backwards towards the ponies chasing us.
“I don’t think it would be effective”

Looking in the wing mirror, it too shared a similar fate as a bullet collided with it.
"Oh fucking come on!" I yelled in frustration "stop shooting my car you cockbites."
The car closest was closing the gap fast and pulled up on Octavia's side of the car, spraying the side of the car in bullets.

It was at this moment I was for once glad that my baby was made of steel. While it meant that it was heavy and used a lot of fuel as a result. It also meant that it was fairly bullet proof. If it hadn't, Octavia would be riddled with holes with the first volley of bullets.

Odd it was that I was more concerned about Octavia's safety than my own. But at the time I didn't realise it. Octavia at that moment however was rummaging around under the seat looking for something.

Another spray of bullets hit the side of the car, the few that got in colliding with the centre console and giving my radio a firm and final death. I needed to get rid of these guys and fast. It would not be long before the bullets began to pierce the car and find flesh to collide with. Admittedly there were limited things that I could do. So I did the only I could do.

Wrenching the steering wheel to the right I swerved the car into the side of his. Shifting it a few meters to the left. However this also jostled Octavia who, not expecting the sudden change of direction, bashed her head against the centre console of the car.

"Damn it Scratch! This isn't a fucking movie," Octavia yelled, rubbing her head.
"Well what do you expect me to do?" I asked.
"This," she responded.
And with that she swiftly picked up the object she was looking for and hurled it at the stallion driving the car next to us.

The lug wrench flew as true as day, spiralling like a gigantic shuriken towards the open window of the car next to us, colliding with the stallion's head, causing him to swerve wildly, the momentum however, was far too much for the car, causing it to flip onto its side and roll several times.

"Close the window next time, you classless twat!" Octavia yelled out the window to whoever would hear. Fortunately the rest didn't play out like a movie would. Usually, seemingly endless streams of cars continue to relentlessly chase after the main characters car with paramilitary weapons. upon seeing the other car demolished by a wrench, the second car backed off, stopping at the rolled car, allowing us to put them and the town firmly in the rear view mirror that I no longer had.

"I think you just killed some pony Tavi," I said after a few moments.
"They started shooting at us, it was hardly my fault that they can't handle a wrench," Octavia replied, hoisting her back up on the seat.
"I'm not blaming you, I just hope we don’t have to change a tire” I said dropping our speed somewhat. It wouldn't do well to be pulled up on speeding with bullet holes in the car. "Still, first mare to finish a gun fight and a car chase with a maintenance tool.”
"I ran out of fruit," Octavia deadpanned, referencing to the last time she threw something in anger.

We sat there for a few moments in silence before bursting out in laughter that filled the small car. We weren't laughing because of the joke. We were laughing out of relief. Octavia was bent double, her forehead resting on the dashboard we laughed so hard I cried, so hard that I didn't even care that my car was shot up and would most likely require thousands of bits worth of repairs, or a total write off. I laughed so hard I had trouble steering the car as a result.

After a while we quietened down to giggles, having sufficiently calmed down.

"Can someone get her off me, please? Carrot Top all but yelled, unseen from the back seat as Lyra continued to hug her and attempt to bury her head into Carrot Top's fur.

"AHAHAHA"

We started laughing again. It would be half an hour before we finally calmed down again. We drove for a while longer, putting a few miles between us and the chase. “So who were those guys?” asked Octavia after a while.

“Hell if I know, but I get the feeling they aren’t after us about the room,” I replied.
“What gave you that idea,” responded Carrot Top in a snarky tone of voice.
“C Top, is it actually possible for you to be nice?” I asked, annoyance seeping into my voice “Or are you just one big gargantuan cunt that gained sentience, because I don’t think I’ve seen you ever be anything except a cunt.”

“Fuck you,” was the only response I got.
It was a bit harsh I know but the mornings events made me a touch annoyed so that I was unable to deal with Carrot Top’s constant asshole attitude for much longer.
“No seriously C Top could you just not be an ass? For once”
“I agree with Vinyl to a degree Carrot Top, you have been rather unbearable this morning,” Octavia added, turning around to look at Carrot Top.

Carrot Top said nothing.
Silence reigned in the car for a few moments longer.
“So what were they after us for?” Carrot Top asked with no trace of malice or sarcasm in her voice this time.

I feel as if I should clarify here, see she’s not always like this. Today’s just a bad day, if she was we would not be friends.
“I would guess it’s the massive case of drugs I found in the hotel room,” I responded.
“There were drugs in there?” asked Octavia.
“Yeah they were next to Lyra in the hotel room” I clarified “had a serious amount of drugs in there, must have been at least over twenty thousand bits worth.”
“Well then, at least we can return it,” Octavia mused.

Silence once again came over the car as I assume we all considered this new fact, given the fact that they were willing to shoot us and confront us in broad daylight meant that they had little fear of the law and probably weren’t interested in being pleasant, yet… they seemed kinda amateurish, leaning a wide space for us to escape and not getting us out of the car first.

A familiar melodic tune rang through the car, interrupting my thoughts. It sounded a bit like a lyre.
"Who's got my fucking instrument?" came a shout and a flail of light green hooves from the back seat.
"Isn't that bonbons ring tone," Octavia asked looking in the backseat.
"Gimme my lyre back!" shouted Lyra.

Now I think the appropriate word for this situation is called chaos. Utter chaos. As two mares fumbled around looking for a phone in the back seat while a half crazed half high, and half stupid lawyer flailed around demanding a harp and connecting her hooves with as many ponies as possible. All while in a car traveling at 60mph down a freeway. All I could do was keep it on the road.

To think this is the only time today I wanted to thank Carrot Top.

"SIT THE FUCK DOWN LYRA, OCTY, GET OUT OF THE FUCKING BACK SEAT BEFORE I MAKE YOU!" Yelled carrot top with a voice that would make Princess Luna proud as she simultaneously shoved Lyra back down and Octavia back into the front seat with a hoof each.

The volume hurt my ears, however it did have the desired effect as Lyra cowered into the back corner in fear and Octavia was tossed backwards, head first into the foot well of the front seat, resulting in her hind legs being splayed upwards.
Makes me wish I wasn't driving.
"Okay I found it," said Carrot Top after a moment. “It’s an unknown number."
"Answer it" I replied
Carrot Top hit the accept button and answered with a "Who's this?"

“...”

"Where the fuck have you been?"

“...”

"Why vinyl, she's driving?"

“...”

"Fine fine, don't get snappy, It’s Bonnie" said Carrot Top, handing me the phone.

Grabbing the phone with one hoof and putting the phone to my ear, I began to wonder how Bonbon knew we would have her phone.

"Yo," I answered.
"Hey V, how's Lyra?" Bonbons voice came through the phone sounding a bit rougher than normal.

"Pretty high, she’s on pain killers from the doctors."
“Is she okay?” Bonbon asked a hint of worry in her voice.
“Yeah, she just had a few broken bones” I said, looking back at Lyra to confirm she was still fine. “It’s all good now

"that’s good,” she breathed “anyway, listen, did you get my note?"
"Yeah what the hell was that about" I asked as Octavia retrieved herself from the foot well and rightened herself.
"Well we may have pissed off a lot of ponies, we kinda owe money."
"Yeah I noticed, we just got shot at from another car," I snapped, "How much do we owe?"

"500,000 bits."

"Five hundred fucking thousand!?" I shouted, incredulous at her short answer.
"Yeah we may have bet a bit too much, but don't worry I have a plan."
"And what would that be?" I asked “Oh we’re fine by the way thanks for asking,” I added.
"First off how much can your car carry in kilograms?" Bonbon asked.
"I dunno about 400, why?" I responded, confused at the odd question.
"You remember about how I told you about a few guard ponies stole a metric ton of gold way back when, and hid it in the desert?"

I vaguely remembered the story, she was referring to an old mares tale that’s been in the guard for decades, it’s about tonne of gold that was stolen from a Saddle Arabian prince while he visited Canterlot that was never recovered and the Royal Guards chasing it found it briefly but they never showed up and the gold was gone or some such thing.

"Yeah I remember, what's your point?"
"Well I think I know where it is.”
“Bullshit. Where?” I asked sceptical yet excited, a tonne of gold was not a thing to simply pass on.
“I’ll tell you face to face, the question is Vinyl,” Bonbon paused, “do you feel like becoming a millionaire?"

I grinned.

"Just tell me where."

Comments

[Muzzle_luvr]

wat lol.

"I don't know, 'well shit', 'that's a problem' 'oh Celestia, the horror, the horror', any of those would work," I replied sarcastically.
"I'm not one of the flower mares," Carrot top said dismissively.

lol

Also thats not an emotional response to ones baby being damaged. There where far too few curses and swears. Not to mention you forgot the howling sobs of pain and sorrow. And the tears that could flood. And the boiling, snarling rage of a pissed off owner.

Also also great chapter. I think there was something else but I forgot.
Ow yeah!!

Makes me wish I wasn't driving.

LOL