XIV: One Wild Ride
(Here's Chapter XIV. Enjoy.)
It took nearly half an hour to get to the nearest hospital, and even with your sister bleeding to death on your back it took almost another fifteen minutes before she was admitted. Throughout the entire process you were silent, only saying what was absolutely necessary, and nothing more. The last thing you remembered was being ushered out of a room as several doctors began sticking Sunburst with needles, and putting a mask over her muzzle.
Now you find yourself in a waiting room alone. Your entire body is sore, and covered in a pattern of bruises that speaks volumes about the punishment you endured. You stand on shaky hooves, and you begin exploring the waiting room, hoping to find something distracting. Just as you reach the magazine rack you hear the sound of a door open, and you turn in place, hoping that it was a doctor with good news. Or any news.
The doctor closed the door behind himself as he entered, and you felt your heart beat faster. The doctor continued his approach, and the doctor noticed your piercing stare, and a small smile flashed across his face. “She’s alive. We managed to get the bullet out, and we managed to get her patched up as best we could, but she’s unresponsive to all external stimuli. I’m sorry, but she’s in a coma.”
The doctor continued his explanation for several more minutes, and you just tuned him out, unwilling to hear his words. “Can I see her?” Based on the doctor’s reaction you must have interrupted him, but he didn’t seem to mind too much, and he motioned for you to follow. It took several minutes to reach Sunburst’s room, and when you did you drew in a sharp breath as you saw her hooked up to almost a dozen different machines.
You slowly entered the room, and you moved to Sunburst’s side. You placed a hoof on her forearm, and you just held it there. The doctor eventually pulled you out of the room, and then he pulled out a clipboard, and he thrust it towards you. You looked down to see a bill, and you gasped when you saw the total. “I could buy a house for how much this costs!”
“Yes, well, medical care isn’t cheap. Now, how do you plan to pay for this?”
“Um… I’ll have to go and collect the bits. Can I come back in a few days to pay?”
“I’ll have to speak with my superiors, but I don’t see why not. We’ll just have to keep your sister here until you, she, or someone pays for her bills.” You nod, and glance back at Sunburst’s unresponsive body. Without a second thought you rush down the hallway, simply following the signs marked ‘Exit’ until you found yourself outside the hospital. You glanced at the sky, and you could see the sun at its zenith far overhead.
Half a day gone, and you had no clue where to start your search for Applejack. In the time that’s passed they could’ve gotten her as far as Ponyville, and even a bit further. However, you doubted that they’d take her out of the city, since Manehattan was one of the largest hubs of ponytrafficking in all of Equestria. You wracked your mind, desperate for any kind of inkling as to where they might’ve taken Applejack. The pony in the suit offered the clue you were looking for, and you realized just where you’d have to look.
The underground of Manehattan had hundreds of little hideouts throughout the island, and some of them catered to the higher levels of society, offering the most attractive mares, and the swankiest settings. Downtown, near the financial district, was a club called The Conductor’s Dirty Secret. It was built in the remains of one of the cities old rail stations, and it had the best reputation for mares in the whole underground. You would be willing to bet any number of bits that that’s where they’ve taken Applejack.
It’d take quite a bit of time to get there, and you knew that you’d have to go now, to get there in time. You broke into a run, relying on your stamina to get you where you needed to go. Your sore muscles protested every step of the way, but soon enough you got to your destination and you ran up the nine flights of stairs till you made it to your apartment. You passed right by it, unwilling to face the mess again. Instead you went down to Mrs. Field’s room, and you knocked several times.
The kindly old mare opened the door, and as she saw you, her mouth dropped open. “Come in, dear. Please.” You didn’t hesitate to do as she bid, and soon you were seated in her kitchen once again. Rather than offer you cookies, she gave you a large bag of ice, and a willing ear.
“Mrs. Field, I need help, and I hope that you can offer me that help.”
“Name it, dear. I may not have much, but what I can offer I’ll gladly give.”
“I need money, Mrs. Field. More than you could ever hope to give me. Last night I was stupid, and now Sunburst is paying the price for it. I went to the docks looking for my marefriend, and Sunburst ended up getting shot. Now she’s in the hospital, in a coma, and I can’t afford her medical bills. And, to make matters worse, I think I know where my marefriend is, but I’ll never be able to get to her.”
“Well, for your marefriend, where is she?”
“I think they’ve taken her to The Conductor’s Dirty Secret… But I don’t know for certain. It’s my best guess.” You rest your head in your hooves, and you hear Mrs. Field get up, and head into her bedroom. She comes back several minutes later with a suitcase on her back.
“You’ll need some fancier attire to get into The Conductor’s Dirty Secret. From what I’ve heard it’s a fairly upper class place.”
“What? Mrs. Field, what are you doing?”
“Dear, I’m not blind. This mare means so much to you, and I’d hate to see you lose it all. Now, go put on that suit, and don’t come back till you look nice and spiffy. A Stallion needs to looks his best when he rescues his damsel.”
You grab the case, and you quickly put on the outfit, marveling at just how well it fit. You’d never say it out loud, but you thought you looked quite good in the suit. And, if it wasn’t ruined by the end of the day, you’d ask to keep it. You looked back at Mrs. Field, and she had a new suitcase up on the table. You hadn’t even seen her move it to the table, and she had a sparkle in her eyes.
“Now, dear, how much did you say those medical bills were?” A faint click preceded the opening of the case, and a smile to match Mrs. Field’s came to your face.
You strode up to the entrance to The Conductor’s Dirty Secret, all fear wiped from your face. The bouncer barely glanced at you as you strode in, and you heaved a mental sigh of relief, glad that you had made it in so easily. However, getting in was going to be the easiest part of the whole mission. You knew the seedier parts of the underground, but here, where everything was rich, posh, and upperclass, you were out of your element. Luckily you looked the part, so little attention was paid to you.
As you entered the main room for the club you marveled at the ancient, and massive, steam engine in the middle of the room. It was resting on the same tracks that once served as the main rail line for Manehattan, and you just gazed at the engine. However, you quickly lost focus on that, as several mares waltzed out along the sides of the engine, their attire provocative enough to draw your eye. You felt a blush surge to your face, so you quickly looked away, desperate for a distraction.
You found one, in the form of the bar, and so you approached casually, hoping to Celestia that your blush had faded. The bartender made his way over, and he put a napkin down on the bar, and he nodded at you. “What would you like to have, sir?”
“Martini, shaken, not stirred.” The bartender bows gracefully, and turns to prepare the drink. You, meanwhile, scan the audience for any ponies that you may recognize. Nopony sticks out, and so you turn back to the bartender as he returns with your drink. You place a small stack of bits on the bar, and the barkeep tilts his head at you.
“Sir, didn’t you know? Drinks are free today, in honor of our esteemed hosts latest successes.”
“Ah, yes. I’d forgotten. Still,” you push several bits across the table, towards the bartender, “consider this a tip, then.”
“Thank you, sir.” He grabs the small pile, and you put the rest back in your pocket. You glance at the watch Mrs. Field had given you, and you see that it is just a few minutes until the first ‘show.’ You didn’t ask Mrs. Field how she knew so much, but you decided that some questions were better left unasked. As the crowd began to settle down, you made your way along the back of the crowd, towards the train cars that served as private lounges, party rooms, and miniature casinos.
You passed almost a dozen train cars before you reached the caboose of the train. The caboose had no patrons nearby, and you weren’t surprised, given the fact that it was used mainly for storage. You approached it carefully, acting far more confident then you felt. You grabbed the latch for the caboose’s door, and you opened it, and climbed in, making sure to close it behind you.
Several frantic minutes of searching yielded the prize you sought, and with a small smile you pulled the briefcase out. Inside the case was the only weapon that Mrs. Field’s agent would be able to get in, but it was more than enough for you to do what needed to be done. You labored against several crates, moving them out of the way, until you found the manual brake box for the caboose.
“Thank Celestia these trains aren’t used anymore. A single manual override for the brakes in the caboose? Piss poor planning.” You opened up the box, and with a sharp jab you wedged the crowbar into the lockbox. Several jiggles proved that the crowbar was solidly in place, and that the brakes for the train were now disengaged. The trap is primed.
You then returned to the briefcase, and you pulled out the scroll within. You were incredibly careful with it, since you knew what it would do when it was activated. Gingerly, you put it inside your suit, making sure not to be too hasty about it.
You exited the caboose with the same feigned confidence with which you exited. You made your way back towards the front of the train, and as you arrived the show came to an end.
You stiffened as you saw Red, and the suited stallion talking in hushed tones near the front of the train. You watched as the duo made their way along the train, until they arrived at the cabin, and then they climbed in. The trap is about to be sprung You let out a small sigh, and then you went back to the bar, the bartender making his way back over to you once again.
“Ah, you’re back. Another Martini, then?”
“No, actually. I just wanted to know if you knew anything about that red unicorn, and the suited stallion that just entered the cabin of the train.”
“That would be Red, and Mr. Bits. Red is a… collector, if you will. And Mr. Bits is a stallion who enjoys the mares that Red collects. They’re not the nicest stallions around, but they both bring plenty of business, so the owner allows them to stay.”
“Thank you.” You push away from the bar, and while you were making your way across the bar you ran through the steps that Mrs. Field had told you. Never be rough with the levers, they’re like friends. Just the right amount and they’ll love you forever. Too rough, and they’d never do what you wanted. As you got closer you watched as Red and the suited stallion moved from the cabin to the third train car down the train. You quickly climbed up the train, to the cabin, and then you looked at what you had to work with.
“The things I do for love…” You quickly took care of all the steps required to start the engine, and then you placed the scroll inside the furnace. “Right, here’s hoping that Mrs. Field didn’t waste her time with this.”
Several Hours Ago…
You let the smile on your face widen as you look at the mountain of bits within the case Mrs. Field had opened. It was more than you could ever hope to have in one place. Words failed you, and you just reached a hoof towards it, expecting it to be snatched away, but it wasn’t, and you just laid a hoof upon the pile.
“You see, dear, quite some time ago, before you, or even your parents, were born I was an immensely successful baker. I made the best cookies and treats in all of Equestria. I’d get orders from every corner of the globe and tons of them. Over the course of several years my little bakery grew and grew until I couldn’t manage it on my own anymore.” She lets out a wistful sigh, and she continues. “I’d become something of a celebrity in the baking business. Rival bakers were so desperate to know my secret recipes that they’d send all manner of thugs to try to coerce me into revealing what I knew. Luckily, I managed to buy myself a set of guardponies to protect me, and we grew very close. Now those two have a business of their own, and they do jobs for me as favors for helping them start their own business.”
“But, Mrs. Field, I can’t expect you to pay for all this. And I still need to get back Applejack!”
“I’ll send off a letter, and you just head on down to the club. I promise you it’ll be taken care of. Oh, and the caboose will be the place where I’ll have my men put all you’ll need.”
The Present
You opened the scroll and immediately it burst into flames. You shut the furnace door just in time, and the scroll turned into a blazing inferno. You carefully monitored the pressure inside the boiler, waiting for it to hit the sweet spot. I still can’t believe that Mrs. Field knew all this… The needle steadily rose till it was in the green, and you grabbed the lever that would engage the drive pistons. Hold… The needle continued its rise, slowly accelerating. You raised a hoof to the whistle chain, and with a solid yank you pulled it down, releasing a piercing wail.
You held it for several seconds, and then you pulled the lever back. The trap is sprung. With a lurch the train came to life. Now, the wall that was used to seal the train tunnel wasn’t flimsy. But, a train weighing what this one does smashed through it with ease, and with barely a jolt to be felt. You worked quickly to keep the train accelerating, and before long you had managed to get it up to its optimal cruising speed. A bright flash blinded you as you exited the tunnel, and emerged onto the bridge leading out of Manehattan.
“YOU!” You turned just in time to see Red lunge at you. He managed to tackle you to the ground and he stared daggers at you as he held you down. “Why won’t you take a fucking hint? You’re not getting that stupid mare back! And now you’ve demolished my favorite club! I wasn’t going to kill you before, but now? Now you’re done for!” His horn glowed a sickly red color, and you felt your limbs stretching out against your will. “These horns of ours have more uses than just being the focal point for our magic, you know? In the older days of our race they were used to stab enemies, to keep them away. I’ve heard that due to certain changes in our minds, the sensation of stabbing is positively orgasmic. I aim to find out!”
You watched, wide eyed, as the unicorn pointed his horn down at your chest. You strained against the magical bonds holding you, and you felt some give in one of your arms. You threw all of your strength into your arm, and with a strange tingling sensation you broke free of the magical shackle, and your hoof connected squarely with the jaw of the unicorn. He rolled with the blow, and you struggled to your feet as quickly as you could.
“I’m not going to let you win this, Red. I’ve been through too much.”
The unicorn glared at you, and then his horn glowed once more, and you felt yourself being thrown. The world tumbled several times around you, and then you crashed into the door of the first train car. You crawled along the ground for a moment, until you found a chair. You used that to climb to your hooves, and then you looked back to the door you had crashed through. Red climbed through a wicked smile on his face. His horn began glowing again, and you braced yourself, desperate not to be thrown, or pinned, again. You weren’t his target, though, as several pieces of furniture began floating.
You dodged the chair that was thrown, but the table managed to clip you, and send you spinning. Luckily, you managed to use the momentum to dodge the next few pieces of furniture, but by the time you finished your impressive display of grace you were off balance. A single chair collided with you, and it sent you spinning, and crashing through the door of the train. You climbed to your hooves once more, and this time you made sure you were ready when Red marched through the door. Rather than attack him, though, you turned tail, and sprinted down the train.
You kept running till you made it to the second to last car, and then you stopped, as the door was locked. You heard a laugh, and you looked back the way you came to see Red approaching once more, this time with the suited stallion beside him. “Nowhere left to run to. Now just give up, and end this little game. You can’t beat me, you stupid stallion. Unicorns have always been better than earth ponies. This little confrontation just proves it.” You looked around, desperate for some way to gain an advantage. Instead, you spotted the ladder to the roof of the train, and you quickly dashed up it, hoping to accomplish… something. This may not be the best move I’ve ever made…
You ran back along the train, towards the front. You had progressed several cars before you were engulfed in a massive cloud of thick black smoke. You remembered what Mrs. Field had said just before you left, and you realized that you had been given the advantage you needed. If he can’t see me, he can’t use his magic on me.
You could make out the sound of hooves on the roof, and then you began homing in on the sound, hoping to catch Red unaware. You caught a glimpse of him through the smoke, and so you lunged at him, landing a solid punch before he recovered his wits, and he cast you off with a simple spell. You retreated into the smoke once again, and you listened carefully to the sound of Red’s hooves as he began advancing once again.
With another powerful lunge you tackled Red once again, and you managed to punch him several times in rapid succession before he managed to fling you off.
“Enough of this childish game!” A wave of force knocked you over as it passed by, and then you saw that a magical field had moved up the length of the train, diverting the smoke around the train, and creating a tunnel of smoke around the top of the train. You looked back to Red, and he had a horrible scowl on his face. “We end this now. Like the earth ponies of old, hoof versus hoof.”
You began running towards him, and he did the same, and you met with curses, punches, and groans of pain. The battle was fairly even, despite his lack of magic. Your battle raged along the length of several train cars, the gaps offering small challenges. You were losing, though. Soon enough, you were beaten back to the second to last car once again, your back hooves barely on top of the roof still. Red charged you, knocking you off the third car, and through the door of the second car. You both tumbled amidst the shattered remains of the door, and you recovered enough to look around the car.
Your gaze locked onto the object of your desire, and her eyes locked on yours. “Hey, AJ. I, uh… I came to rescue you. But some help would be appreciated.” You grabbed the lock that was holding AJ in the cage, and you pulled on it mightily, but to no avail. “Unsurprising, I can’t break the lock.”
“No, but I can break you!” You felt an otherworldly pain race along your arms as your entire body was pulled, but your grip on the lock remained strong, and with a painful jolt the lock breaks free from both your grasp, and the door it was holding shut. “Uh oh…”
You look up to see Applejack kick open the door, and stand between you and Red. With speed you had seen just once before Applejack closed the distance between herself and Red faster than you thought possible. Before Red could recover his wits, Applejack turned and bucked the unicorn, sending him sprawling back into the train car ahead of yours. You slowly advance to stand next to Applejack, and you watch as the suited Stallion approaches.
“Well, it seems that some things weren’t meant to be. And your past will remain a mystery, my silly little stallion. I could’ve told you so much, and helped you even more, but you tossed aside my offer for this mare. I hope she was worth it. Now, I-”
A sharp explosion cut off anything further that the stallion could’ve hoped to say, and you watched, wide eyed, as the train cars entered the massive fireball left by the exploding engine. You wrapped a hoof around Applejack, and you dove backwards, hoping to shield her from the blaze. The last thing you saw before everything went black was a wall of fire approaching rapidly.
You came to some time later, your head pounding. The wreckage of the train was all around you, a good portion of it still on fire. You raised your head to get a better view of what was going on, and you looked down at your body, and you grimaced, as much from pain as from what you saw. Most of your fur had been burned off, and there was also a good amount of damage to the skin itself. Each breath you drew sent ripples of pain down your throat, and you slowly climbed to your hooves.
You glanced around, looking for any sign of Applejack, and you soon find her sprawled on her side. You nuzzle her neck, and she opens an eye to look at you.
“Howdy.” You smile at her, and you lie down next to her, the exhaustion you felt finally catching up with you. “I’m glad you found me. I was starting to think you weren’t a gentlestallion after all.”
“Nah, I just thought I’d let you sweat a bit, before I’d swoop in and save the day.” You drape a hoof across Applejack, and she closes her eye, and she pulls herself towards you. You let her do so, despite the lances of pain running along your back. You look around at the destruction you created, and you felt a smile tug at the corners of your mouth.
Your hoarse voice sounds out, informing the wild life within earshot of your thoughts on the past few minutes.
“That was one wild ride.”
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YES!! Now get Applejack out of Town so she dont get taken away again!
Action.
Yay applejack is saved!
Get 'er the FUCK out! They're gonna come for you! Run! RUN YOU FOOLS!
wow that was hot
get it hot .. like on fire
Um ok bad pun
Yes! No cliffhangers! Thank you!
Finally, I can sleep well!
"THAT was one wild ride!"
Our reader character seems to be channeling Dante or Sonic or something. Not that I particularly mind.
Equestrian railway tech, bloody pitiful i tell you ¬__¬
anyway, grumbling aside, a awsome chapter sir!!
And then there was FIRE.
Ok, from Taken to a bit of James Bond,
I like it.
So, I was listening to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0kGAz6HYM8 at the time the fighting had started, and it went along fantastically, I reccomend all of you re-read it with that, but start at the "Present" part with the music going.
i need more of this fantastic story
548549 Try writing about someone who's writing a story, and they're having writer's block. It throws some droids into that fight :V.
As for this...welp, I guess I'll have to give it a read, considering all the happy readers.
Action, overused quotes, get the girl, now just run.
971426
agreed.
DUDE is there going to be another chapter?
SO after mashing the A button for what felt like an hour this cliff hanger is finally over..
Listening to 'Mombasa' from the Inception OST set the mood for me while reading this chapter.
My head will no longer explode!! Hooray!!!
Hmmm I though this chapter was gonna be the chapter were I throw myself out a window but nope I survive a day longer
no one can handle my infinite love for applejack
Awesome! =D Can't wait for more! I hope that everypony makes it out ok! =3
That was just...SCOOTASTIC!!
It's not often a story needs an epilogue, but this one. It just needs it, it's so good.
975562 Epilogue? I haven't even finished the actual chapters yet.
975817 This comment you make. It is very good news.
I actually have to be an honest Applejack here and say that I dislike how the story has gone in the last few chapters
It initially started as a small town romantic tale of the OC with Applejack but with the twisted past thrown in that made the story unique. Scootaloo discovering their connection and Applejack being kidnapped was when the story peeked for me.
Since then, it seems to have gone downhill. The story has somehow changed into an all-out adventure espionage crusade of righteousness, where our protagonist has somehow miraculously changed from troubled soul into complete action hero virtually over night.
Also, the writing seems to have deteriorated drastically to a rather bland and boring style that lacks in any real detail.
It's a shame really as I initially loved the story, but now I find it becoming less and less outstanding.
So yeah red using furniture reminds me of old boss fights the suited stallion I barely knew him and he was already annoying the hell out of me I'm glad he's dead....... I hope.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS FINILLY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAH AWW THIS MADE MY DAY AND TO THAT RED UNICORN
SUCK ON THEM APPLES!!
" It was built in the remains of one of the cities old rail stations, and it had the best reputation for mares in the whole underground. You would be willing to bet any number of bits that that’s where they’ve taken Applejack. "
should say "city's"
Mr. Chair! Why did you betray me?! You know what?! FUCK YOU CHAIR!!!!
970851 Thanks for the spoiler... Jackass
... and then they fucked.
975817
I have to admit this was my first thought as AJ was taken, did you take any inspiration for this part at all from this movie though?
So your landlord is Huggy Bear or something?
Did... did you make a james bond reference? I think I'm In love with you.
1.bp.blogspot.com/-pC1PYet3TWc/Tf1xitAhRkI/AAAAAAAAEfY/wJ5malR8tJE/s1600/bond.jpg
So was she sexed up, sent through the training, or whatever?
James Bond refs, train fights, and explosions
Sounds good to me
I'm 90% Sure this Plot is For a James Bond Movie
Eh, good enough.