2) (edit)

The sun was slowly dipping as I made my way across the flats. I had been following the trail the wagon made to find her. I just hope she wasn’t in trouble. If the wagon died on her, she’d be stuck out here or worse.

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I stepped harder on the pedal and drove onwards. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that I spotted something in the distance ahead of me. As I got closer, I finally recognized the two shapes and one was moving.

The wagon had died on her and now it looked like she was pushing to get it going again. She was digging in with her back hooves and was too focused to not notice me.

I pulled to a stop close by and put on the break. I got out and slowly walked towards her. When I was close enough, I called out to her.

“Are you alright?” Her ears shot up when she heard me. That was my only warning before she dropped to all fours and took off running to the left.

“Hey, wait?!” I shouted, chasing after her. She must have been feeling better, she was a couple steps faster than me. She did a sharp turn that nearly made me trip before I corrected myself.

“Stop please, I’m trying want to help you!” My words fell on death ears as she just kept running. At some point, she tripped over something and stumbled, which let me catch up. I was close enough to tackle her to the ground.

“Get off me!” She screeched, struggling to get out from under me.

“Not until you calm down and listen!” I stated. I tried to keep her front legs pinned but her hind ones were more difficult from my position on her back.

“Would you please stop struggling and listen?” I asked her. “I just want to help.”

“I’m not listening to a word that comes out your fucking mouth!” She snarled as she turned her head to look at me with anger. “Now, get off me you striped hellspawn!”

Oh, …she did NOT just say that!

“Alright listen you! I know you did not jus-!”

‘THWACK’

PAIN!!! Pure agonizing pain! At some point, she managed to tuck in a hind leg and kicked up. This earned her a lucky yet painful shot at my private ‘bits’.

Rolling off, I laid on the ground, eyes and mouth clenched shut, with legs crossed to protect them from further harm. I heard her get up and had to force myself not to yell. Slowly getting up, I opened my eyes to see her make a beeline for Sky Runner.

Muttering some curses, I got back on my hooves and tore off after her. Pain aside, she had a head start on me but I wasn’t about to let her leave in my ride. That added thought got me moving and gave me an idea to veer off. She was a good couple of hoofs away from it before I collided into her from the side.

Cursing, she struggled a bit before glaring up at me. “You got a death-!”

“Will you shut up and listen for a damn second?!” I shouted, muzzles pressed against each other. “I’ve been trying to give you time and space but even my patience has limits!”

“I figured you had trust issues, hell I don’t blame you for everything but I’ve tried to give you the courtesy and sympathy you deserve, and what do I get!” My angered rant continued. “Hits and bruises aside, no one and I mean NO ONE insults my family without even knowing them!”

Breathing heavily after finishing my rant, I looked in her wide eyes waiting for a retort. What I got was something entirely different.

I didn’t notice but she was shivering, almost trembling under me and her eyes. The rage had been completely replaced, I had never seen so much fear in anypony or anyone.

She was outright terrified of me.

Realizing this, I got up and moved back. She scootched back further, drew her hind legs into her chest, all while keeping her eyes on me. Sighing, I closed my eyes and sat down hard on my flank.

“Look,” I began to say, my voice low and calm as possible. “I’m sorry I snapped at you and I understand why you have trust issues, especially with me. But you have to understand, I’m not like the one that hurt you.”

Her body stiffed up and she wrapped her front legs around herself in a protective hug, all while keeping her eyes on me. Waiting a minute, I continued.

“I know you want to get as far away from it as possible, but going off on your own in a random direction isn’t safe, especially in your condition.” I stood up and slowly walked towards her. “My home is the safest place out here. You can rest, get better, and then you can work on starting a new life.”

I stopped right in front of her, her eyes still on me but she didn’t move. Slowly, I raised my right foreleg and held my hoof out.

“I promise, I won’t let anything happen to you. So why don’t we head …back…home?”

I stopped talking when I looked left to see a dust cloud in the distance. I turned to get a better look it wasn’t big but I swear it was moving. It wasn’t windy enough for those, so what is it?

………… ‘VROOM’

My ears perked up when I heard something. It was faint but, it sounded like it came from the direction of the dust cloud.

……… ‘VRRROOOOM’

“What is it?” The mare asked me. She wondered what I was looking at. Problem was, I didn’t know either.

…… ‘VRRRRROOOOOM’

I pushed my goggles up and narrowed my eyes. The dust cloud was getting closer and I was getting nervous but I could almost make out that noise.

I swear it almost sounded like a…

‘VRRRRRROOOOOOOM’

My eyes went wide when I finally recognized that sound.

And we were in BIG trouble!

“GET UP!” I spun around and grabbed her shoulders. “Get up now, we’ve got to move!”

“Wh-what is it?!” She spoke, surprised and shocked by my action.

“No time, just come on!” I shouted. I grabbed her left hoof and started dragging her to Sky Runner.

“What the hell are you doing?!” She shouted.

“Getting us out of here!”

“Not until you explain what’s happening?!” She started struggling.

I looked back at her. “LOOK, we’re about to have company and it’s the kind we don’t want to know we’re here!”

‘BANG’

Something whizzed past between us and struck the ground. We slowly turned our heads to look down at the hole the bullet made. The engines were getting closer.

“COME ON!!!” I basically dragged her the rest of the way to Sky Runner. I threw the door open and pushed her in before climbing into the driver seat. Shutting the door and shifting gear, I slammed down on the gas and we sped off, tires squealing in the process.

My eyes were focused in front of me but I chanced a glance behind. I don’t know where they came from but there was still a big gap between us and them. Doesn’t mean it can’t change real quickly. And my passenger was not making any less stressful.

“We have to get out of here.” She squeaked out before looking at me. “Get us out of here!”

“What do you think I’m doing?!” I shouted. I heard the gunshots from the raiders behind us, only a few were hitting us. One shot actually made it through the opening in back and went past my ear and out the front.

‘I swear I’m putting in paneling if I live through this!’ I had to swerve right hard to avoid a boulder, nearly tipping over. Another round of bullets hitting the back brought out another scream from my companion.

“We need to find a safe place, take us back to town!” She said.

“I can’t!”

“Why not?!”

“I do that and they’ll just follow us. I’m not putting my home in this kind of danger!” I protested.

“Well, we need to do something!”

I glanced behind us and to my shock counted three motor carriages with raiders following us. I couldn’t tell but on the size and shape, I think they were the ‘Beetle’ model of the carriage.

‘Where the hell did raiders find those things?!’ They were catching up and we won’t last long out here. There wasn’t much time lef-

...Wait a minute.

“There’s a shotgun underneath the dashboard, grab it!” I said.

She paused for a second before ducking under and pulling out the weapon.

“How’s this going to help?”

“It might not be much but, I got a plan.” I turn to look at her. “Hold on, this going to get rough!”

The raiders were whooping and cackling as they closed in. They were out on a scouting mission when, by chance, they spotted a lone wagon slowing down. They kept track and followed at a distance, when it finally stopped and they were about to pounce, the shiny chariot showed up.

Now they had three prizes all in one package.

“Yeah, kill them!” The driver of a nearby black car yelled.

“Ravagers! Lord BrokenHorn will be pleased!” The passenger from the right one yelled.

“I shall become victorious! You wait and see!!!” The driver from the left one declared.

The chase had taken them farther north into where hills and ridges were becoming more present and objects from the past jutted from the ground. They had just past the remains of what might have been an airship’s bow when things got interesting.

The chariot took a sharp turn to the right before disappearing out of view behind a hill.

“Where’d they go?”

“They disappeared!” The lead raider shouted. “Fan out! Fan out and search!!!”

“No, no stick together. This one’s not stupid!” The right driver shouted. The three cars neared the hill to search for their missing prey.

What happened next went so fast, they didn’t see it coming. When the cars went past the hill, the chariot surged straight ahead and rammed the rear of the right one. The impact caused it to spin out as the chariot kept going. For the few seconds when the vehicles were parallel with each other, Aero’s passenger had the shotgun in her hooves and fired out the window, the shot had enough distance to hit and blast the driver in the face.

The carriage they had crashed caused the side to buckle inward from the impact. The hit caused it to clip the front of the middle one, which in turn caused the driver to lose control before driving into a small ditch, causing it to crash and flip over it and crashing hard onto its roof.

The last raider carriage still functioning was still being pushed by the chariot. The passenger was hurt while the driver recovered enough to grab a pistol and was about to shoot when their rear tire blew, causing the wagon to be pushed away and spin out of control. One more shot from the chariot’s passenger struck the exposed gas tank, igniting it and resulting in it exploding upward and landing hard onto the ground below.

Once the last raider vehicle was dealt with the chariot turned around and stopped, looking at the destruction.

I stared at the destroyed and burning wrecks before, pieces and parts of metal and raiders were thrown all over the place. My whole body was shaking, the adrenaline from it all leaving me, while my hooves had an iron grip on the steering wheel. I glanced over at my passenger and she was in the same state, breathing hard and clutching the shotgun close to her.

“…It worked.” She said, barely above a whisper. “I can’t believe it actually worked.”

I could only nod as I continued stared at the three destroyed raider vehicles, still shocked to see actual real cars. I drove slowly around the wrecks as I surveyed the damage.

“That was…the craziest and most reckless thing I’ve been a part of, in my whole life.” She announced.

“Yeah, not one of my better plans.” I finally spoke.

“Can we go back now? Please??” She asked, pleading.

I was about to say yes when I spotted something. One of the pieces from the wreck looked like something was on it. Curiosity topping better judgment, I applied Sky Runner’s brakes and got out.

“What are you doing? We need to get out of here!” My passenger said.

“There’s something on that part, I need to see what it is.”

“We don’t have time for this! More could be coming!”

“I just need a second!” I called back. Getting close, I pushed my goggles up and looked at the part. It looked like the door to one of the carriage but there was a design on it. It was painted white and looked like a jagged bull’s skull in the middle of half gear.

‘Weird design. I swear I’ve seen it before but, where?’ It’s truly weird because I swear I’ve seen something like this befo-

“AERO!!!” She shouted my name. I looked back at her and she pointed to something with her hoof. I followed the direction and my eyes went wide at the sight.

Multiple raider wagons were coming and closing in on us.

‘Oh no.’ I spun around and sprinted towards Sky Runner when they were on us. Wagons were circling around us as I got in and slammed the door shut.

“Get us out of here!!!” She shrieked. I took the brake off and was about to floor it when we heard something climb on top of the roof. Growling, I grabbed the shotgun, pumped it and leaned out the window.

“Get off!” I bit down and blasted the raider off the roof. Ignoring the splatter, I pulled back in and we both barely avoided a unicorn raider, who got close, shoving a sharpened pipe through the window. Grabbing the pipe, I punched the raider square in the muzzle, canceling his magic and throwing the pipe out.

Cursing that this can’t get worse, my passenger gave a shriek. My head snapped to the right to witness her being pulled out through the window by her mane.

“Let her go!!!” I shouted, reaching over to pull her back in. Before I could even touch her, another raider snuck up and grabbed me through my window. I struggled as another helped pull me out the door and throw me to the ground.

As soon as I hit it, they assaulted with stomps and kicks, one getting a lucky hit cracked my goggles. The pain was just piling on now, but I clenched my teeth to hold back any cries. I glanced up to see the unicorn I punched earlier, with a sadistic grin, levitate the sharp pipe with every intention on impaling me only to stop halfway through the act.

“Brokenhorn is here!” One raider shouted.

The other raider stopped and I could feel the ground shaking. Whatever or whoever was coming, it was big. I heard the sound of an engine and looked up to see where it was coming from.

It was the biggest and most intimidating thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life as it rolled to a stop, exhaust pouring from giant pipes on its front side. It looked like it was made from the parts of numerous vehicles. A modified giant gem engine with an actual intact car body welded on top of it and pulling what looked like a massive trailer on giant-sized wheels. The sight only would scare anyone, but that’s not what raiders were looking at.

They were looking at the figure atop of the massive object.

‘What the hell…’

Suspended above the trailer, metal braces extending from the car’s back, was a small, round, open platform. Sitting on an intimidating metal throne, flanked on both sides by snarling black dogs, was a massive figure. The glare from the sun cast the figure’s shadow that stretched over us. Getting up from his seat, the hulking figure placed a foot on the railing, glaring down, before jumping down and landing with a thud. Now, I could get a better look at the figure.

I remember my mother telling me about Minotaurs once, this one though might be an exception to what she described. He towered over all of us, scars decorated his body as large muscles tensed under his dark brown fur. A large brand of the symbol I saw was burned onto his chest as a black ring hanged from his nose. His right horn was cracked in half leaving serrated edges, but most disturbing part was that he had the heads of ponies impaled on pikes on his back as well as hanging from his belt with what might be the remains of his horn centered over his…‘personal effects’.

“Listen, my Hounds of Horror! You’ve hunted well!” He shouted, gesturing to the gathered raiders with arms open.

I was roughly pulled up by two of the raiders that took turns kicking me and held me in place between them. I glanced left and right trying to find her until I did. She was being held with a knife to her throat to keep her still.

Our eyes met and they showed pure terror and pleading for help. My heart wrenched at the tears going down her face. Damnit, this is my fault. Why didn’t we leave when we had the chance!

“You’ve have captured our prizes and what glorious ones they are!” He announced. He pointed at Sky Runner as he walked towards my captured companion. “You’ve seized a worthy chariot befitting to join the ranks of the Ravagers. Also-”

He stood in front of her now, I could barely see her trembling in fear at just looking at him. “You’ve recaptured our wayward dove who flew from our nest.” He grinned down at her as he placed a hand under her chin to lift her to look her in eyes. “My dear Scarlet, you’ve caused quite the hassle when you escaped, but all will be forgiven. Once we return, I know someone who would love to have his little bird back, after we have a discussion.”

“LEAVE HER ALONE!” I shouted at him, earning a hard jab to my ribs.

BrokenHorn heard the shout and turned around, finally recognizing my presence. Eyes narrowed, he let go of Scarlet and began walking towards me. As he got closer, I could see how truly big he was. Wasn’t long before he stood in front of me, I had to strain my neck to look him in the eyes.

“And what is this?” He spoke.

“The driver, he drove the chariot.” The raider on my right said.

The minotaur snorted and smirked. “So, this is the fox who thought it wise to attack my hounds.”

He raised his hand, gripped my throat lightly and with no effort, lift me up from the ground until we were eye level. It was hard to breathe and I couldn’t get him to let go even with all my strength. He watched my attempts of getting free and his smirk grew when he got a better look at me.

“Hmph, I know those eyes and stripes anywhere. Tell me, half-breed,” He sneered that last part. “What gives you the right to steal my property?”

The raiders cackled all around us as I glared at him. “Last I checked, no one’s property.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. She belongs to me, the Ravagers belong to me, these lands will belong to me! So tell me, why did you take her?” His sneer grew a little, showing his yellowed teeth. “Perhaps you wanted a taste of her nectar?”

A snarl escaped my throat. “I’m nothing like you, you udhuru mbaya kwa brahmin shit.”

The raiders laughing stopped as the smirk left his face and his eyes narrowed at me. He released his grip and I fell back to the ground where I was re-restrained by the two raiders. Breathing again, I looked up to see the unicorn raider, levitating my shotgun in his magic, walk over.

BrokenHorn grabbed the gun in his right hand and examined it. “It seems I must enlighten this fox of one important fact.”

He grabbed my mane and yanked it back to snap my head up to look at him.

“NO ONE PLUNDERS FROM BRACKUS BROKENHORN!” He announced. He spun the gun in his hand and grabbed the barrel. What happened next was fast, hard, and painful.

My head snapped to the right from the hit he gave with the stock of the gun after releasing my mane. The second hit came from the right, snapping my head back in place. I could already taste the copper substance and I was fading. Heading drooping, the last strike caught me under the chin, with enough force to lift me inches off the ground and flinging my head back, blood spittle coming from my mouth. After that, the raiders let go as I crumpled to the ground.

I was fading in and out of consciousness, I could hear the raiders began to move, beginning to move out. I felt hooves on me but I was too weak to struggle as they stripped off what I had. I heard Brokenhorn shout out an order as I heard engines start up and I couldn’t even move.

I think I had a concussion, my vision was real blurry at this point. Eyelids heavy, I just felt like closing them for a minute.

Just…for a minute...

…………

“AEROOOO!!!”

My eyes shot open as I coughed violently, blood spewing from my mouth as I rolled to my side. Still coughing, I looked up to see the raiders pulling out and leaving. To my right, the massive machine was driving away, with Sky Runner hitched up to the back.

Pushing up onto my legs, pain jolting all over my body, I half-staggered half-chased after it. The behemoth vehicle was starting to speed up and getting further away from me. Using what strength I still had, I pushed off the ground and made a desperate jump. Through sheer luck, I grabbed onto the back.

I had to grit my teeth as I felt my back hooves scrape against the ground. Growling in frustration, I pulled myself up and through the uncovered back, into Sky Runner. Any other day, I be mad this wasn’t covered, but not today. Moving forward, I got into the driver’s seat and tried to start her up with no luck.

“Damn it!” I shouted. They must have messed with the engine. Looking left and right, I could see the other raider vehicles as they moved beside or past us.

“Damn, which one is she in?!” The last look she gave, fearful eyes begging for help. I need to find her and we need to get out of here! Looking forward, I saw a big chain and it looked like it’s connected to the front bumper. Looking back, I saw one of my spare shovels and grabbed it.

Climbing onto the roof through the windowless windshield, trying to keep my balance as I moved to the edge. Looking down, I saw the hitch connecting the two vehicles. I yelped as we ran over a large bump and I had to reaffirm my footing.

Easing down gently to the beam, I balanced precariously on my back hooves as I gripped the shovel in my front ones. Eyeing the hitch and angled downwards, I struck it with the hope of detaching it. I struck a few more times, each hit more forceful until I missed and slipped.

I reached out and grabbed the chain, the ground rushing past my eyes. Breathing quickly, I pulled myself up and saw I did little damage to the thing. Growling loudly, my only choice now was to release the chain to this thing. Taking in deep breaths, I placed the shovel in my mouth, steeled my nerves and started climbing.

Feeling it rattle sent shakes straight to my bones as I kept my grip and climbed. Soon, I made it to the top and swung up onto the roof of the trailer. Looking at winch the chain was attached to, I only had a minute to think before I heard a growl.

“Prove your use, rip his throat out!” I only had seconds to put the shovel in front of me and turn around as one of the black dogs tackled me. Landing on my back and hissing, the shovel was my only barrier as the dog snarled inches from my face while the other, bigger one stayed back and waited for the command.

Adrenaline rushing, I pushed the dog back a bit to smack the side of its head with the handle of the shovel. The dog staggered back as I got up on my back hooves. It lunged at me, teeth bared, only to meet the flat side of my shovel. The dog growled lowly but quickly yelped as Brokenhorn grabbed it by the scruff of its neck.

“Worthless mutt.” He shouted as he latterly threw over the side, the poor thing crying as it disappeared in the dust cloud below. He then looked at me. “Be honored, you fall to the might of Brokenhorn!”

Instead of sending the other dog at me, he grabbed a cord at the top of his staff and pulled it. An engine sound revved up as the edges began moving. The top of the staff was a chainsaw.

“Oh, come on…” I muttered, staring at this monstrous minotaur with a shovel! The revving sound brought me back as I moved back to dodge a strike. I ducked as the thing went over my head, a few hairs sawed off, and then again on the return swing.

The sound of metal hitting metal made me look up to see half my shovel gone, leaving me only a sharp, metal stick. Looking up, I see Brokenhorn grin as he raised his staff to cut me in two.

Time slows down as I see the bladed weapon looming over. Was this it, was this how I was gonna die? I won’t be able to see my home, my friends and I won’t-

“AEROOOO!!!”

No, No Not yet. Not Yet!

NOT UNTIL I SAVE HER!!!

Yelling a battle cry, I lunged forward and pierced Brokenhoof through the shoulder. Surprised and stunned by the attack, I gave a hoof strike to his gut and jumped to nail his jaw. He staggered back and lost his grip on his weapon which allowed me to move quick enough to catch it.

Straining to keep it up, I heard a growl and saw the large dog come at me. Struggling, I moved the chainsaw to strike the dog as it jumped at me, lopping off the top part of its head. The canine landing beside me in a pool of its blood.

Looking up, I saw Brokenhoof refocus on me and growl. He reached behind him and I saw a gun. Moving fast, I rushed forward and knocked it out of his hand as it went off. Having lost his gun, he roared as he charged and before I could act tackled me, with the force of hitting a brick wall, to the ground, the pole snapping off and…

“AAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!” He bellowed, in pain or anger I don’t know. All I saw was red as the chainsaw dug into his head, blood, and gore splattering on us. I felt his hands on my throat as he picked me up, the blade still going up.

He brought my face close to his as I stared into his bloodshot eyes as he growled and glared into mine. How could anyone have so much hate and evil inside of them?! He gave an enraged shout as he threw me away backward.

Last thing I remembered was hitting something hard and then nothing.

Author's Note:

LONGEST. AND MOST FRUSTRATING CHAPTER. I HAVE EVER MADE.
Edit: 8/13/19
<poor excuse for brahmin shit > = udhuru mbaya kwa brahmin shit

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kris664

kris664 #1 · Jan 7th, 2017 · · ·

This is a really good story and I hope for it to continue

But there was minor grammatical errors and misspellings, but otherwise a good and engaging story, I also see you took inspiration from Mad Max the game

Starlight Nova