Chapter 15: Dinner isn't served
Rainbow Dash
Rainbow was sure of it.
Ever since she got zapped into this world, she had only experienced pain, anxiety, fear and anger. If anything, it was a good test for her, to truly bring herself to the edge of her endurance levels, to bring her to the furthest possible point of what she could both physically and mentally withstand.
In any other instance, mainly in any possible situation back in Equestria, she would welcome such an almighty test. Sure, it would be impossibly difficult, it may make her want to give up and beg for a quick tap out, but it would be telling of her strength and determination as well as giving her another reason to be awesome ,of course.
Such a thought and desire would otherwise make Rainbow smile, even should she know her body would collapse under the strain.
Today however, in this exact moment, no smiling was to be had, and there was no glee or anticipation for these challenges.Right now, Rainbow knew her time here had already proved to be challenging enough, too much so. She knew she was ready to admit she had enough of all this, now only wanting out by any means necessary.
She was sure of it.
For a moment there Rainbow feared she was giving up too easily, showing actual weakness, but forcibly being led to a small and reclusive patch of land, behind a Skera tent, its ground literally covered in blood, a near pool of the red stuff right in front of her, that quickly ensured she could admit this wasn’t some failure on her part, neither was it an embarrassment to her character that she now felt such a desire to get out of here.
A few wooden tables, equally soaked in blood were dotted around this area and on those tables were crude yet horrifically painful looking weapons and butchering tools.This was not the sight any pony or Human should ever see in their lives, for when you personally looked upon this hell hole, you were looking upon your grave, the place in which only death reigned.
“Get the ropes from the tent Skrat, I wana hurry this up. The blue ones legs look tasty”
Oh Celestia this is it!
Panic wasn’t a long lost friend recently, on the contrary, it was her bff. Rainbow was sure she had her fair share of the horrible feeling for her entire life, but this sight seriously wasn’t helping, nor was the fact Navnløs was not only still here, but seemingly doing nothing about the mortal situation, making no signs of a plan of escape, if he even had one. Not that it mattered to Rainbow really though. Navnløs was just as bad if not worse than these Skera. At least these freaks were honest and open about killing you, and at least they stayed loyal to their own. Navnløs was none of these things. He caused death and misery under the promise that everything would be ok. It was the cruellest of things to make others believe they had a chance, before ripping it from them. That was a cruel joke, a trick even Discord wouldn’t stoop so low to achieve. So for all Rainbow was concerned, his fate wasn’t any of her business, and it was up to her to escape her rapidly approaching death.
Yet even with all her current hatred for her traveling Human, she had to admit, it was he who had lived his life here, he knew the lay of the land, and he had proved himself quite capable of at least staying alive thus far. Just perhaps until now.
Maybe he was as panicked as Rainbow was. Maybe he was desperately trying to formulate a plan of escape, and maybe he was failing at thinking of one just as Rainbow was.
It was a failure which only produced more and more fear for Rainbow. Seeing one of the Skera collecting rope to tie she and Navnløs with while they butcher them for meat, her mind began to rush and race for an answer that would mean her living. This fast paced, undetailed method of thinking gave up nothing of great use, only ideas that would likely get her killed quicker. Trying to fight back, trying to fly off, all not helpful in the slightest.
It honestly pained her to admit it, but Rainbow knew she would need Navnløs’s help to get out of here, at least temporarily.What came after with that deceitful and evil Human, that was a problem for future Rainbow, for only alive Rainbow could teach that Human the error of his way.
Rainbow wished she could continue to think about how she could ensure Navnløs’s crimes wouldn’t go unpunished, but now the Skera with the rope was approaching them, and only then did Rainbow lose all sense of herself, and only then did her most basic instincts kick in. the need to live, the need to avoid death. They were her only driving forces right now. She was as simple as even the smallest of lifeforms were, her body and mind focused only on living.
“Do you think Kyrl will let us get the first bite?” asked the Skera with the rope, his face masked by what seemed like a Human skull.
“Oh I do hope so” replied the only other Skera, his body wrapped in furs and bone, but letting his bald and thin face be on display.
And as the Skera with the rope began to do his work and tie up both Rainbow and Navnløs, the other Skera’s face lit up.
“He knows how to get as much from them without killing.I’m sure this blue one doesn’t need her legs” This Skera then gave the most terrifying and animalistic face to Rainbow. His eyes were hungry, and his smile was sadistic. This Human had never known the concept of kindness, only torture and death.He saw Rainbow was a thing he could torment and cause the most evil and horrific things to.
Rainbow never knew such horrors existed.
“Oooh, they look tasty, maybe Kyrl won’t mind if I just taste the meat, to see if it’s edible”.
Without much warning, this Skera began to rapidly approach Rainbow, licking his lips in anticipation. In his hand was but a simple blade, but one so simple enough to cause the worst pain there was, slow and agonising.
Rainbow’s already existing panic was real now. More than it had ever been. Seeing the Human move towards her, a deathly intent following him, she knew this was the moment, live or die, fight or fly.
But the ropes were now tight around her, and movement was too severely restricted now. She couldn’t move anywhere beyond walking pace and she had no movement to even fight back. She was a fish in a barrel, a meal on a plate, quite literally right now.
“NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!” Desperately cried out Rainbow, unable to do much else. She had never felt so powerless, so weak in a situation. Though unlike other situations where she had little options, they did not mean she would then perish, like now. She could see death, and it was but a single foot away.
“Come here you little creature! Let’s have a nibble!” slurped out the Skera, read to strike his first mortal blow.
The Skera’s hand grabbed onto her and held her still, ready to carve off his food.
This really was it for Rainbow.
There was no time to cry, only think. Think of her life, her friends, something truly happy before only pain and darkness overcame her.
It was all too sudden. Not enough time to escape, and not enough time to blissfully prepare for the end. Her weakness was forced upon her rapidly and indiscriminately. She was there, ready to do whatever it took to live, to now, just trying to remember her perfect life back in Ponyville.
Yet no pain was felt, and it was instantly proven why.
“Go on, carve her right up! Let’s see what her kind are like!”
It was Navnløs who interrupted the Skera, but his words were obviously not meant to save her, only to further torment her. To rip her from her actual happy thoughts.
This was cruelty Rainbow had never felt. This was only more proof to show Navnløs was just as monstrous if not more so than these Skera. He was evil for saying such a thing.
His evil qualities ensured Rainbow was left speechless. She was, albeit unwishfully, preparing for death, but he just had to be him and cut in, his tormenting personality having to make itself known.
“Oh don’t you worry, there’ll be carving, and you’ll get to feel what it’s like in fact!” Replied the Skera, a large grin on his face.
“Fine. Whatever, just let me tell her that her supposed ‘loyalty’ would only get her into a situation just like this. Just look at the loyalty of the extinct tribe I helped disappear. Their loyalty to each other, and that they refused to do what it took to survive by any means, it only got them killed.”
Rainbow couldn’t believe what she was hearing. All she could ask was a simple question. Why was he doing this?
She felt like an innocent filly. Totally intimidated and unsure of the world, desperately thinking why things were they were. She had no power over these feelings and questions, and thus she just stood there, in total shock at what had just happened.
“Oh and if you didn’t get us caught and killed like you did today, you can be damn sure id continue doing that. Who knows, maybe it’ll only take a few more families to sacrifice themselves so I get to live a little bit more”.
Celestia…save me.
That did it. Too much had happened to Rainbow in too short a time.
She had been tortured mentally, suffered physically, endured torment after torment from all Humans here. Navnløs had not been kind to her. He did not care for her, and it was clear now he did not care for anything or anyone. He cared only for himself, and treated everything else in a, at best cruel, and at worst evil way.
He needed to be stopped, and Rainbow was never a pony to let injustice continue.
“NOOOO, ILL DESTOY YOU! YOU EVIL TATORUS SPAWN!” Rainbow was still tied up, but she hardly felt the ropes around her as she clumsily stumbled towards Navnløs, the rage of Nightmare Moon within her. She didn’t care if the Skera tried to stop her, she just needed to get to Navnløs this time, and she had to, for good Humans everywhere.
“I heard anger helps the blood taste good” chirped in the Skera who had tied Rainbow up. Rainbow ignored this, even as the other Skera agreed. All she cared about was the fact they were actually letting Rainbow stumble over to Navnløs, probably finding such a clumsy sight amusing.
“Oooo, come on pony, you’re nearly there. Come tell me what a bad boy I’ve been” teased Navnløs.
“DO YOU EVER SHUT UP? DOES YOUR CRUELTY EVER STOP?!” Rainbow raged in reply, nearly in reach of the Human.
“Who knows, but continue coming over here, let’s hug it out”
Rainbow was in no mood for jokes, even from Pinkie. She would never say it, nor would she even think it, but her anger was so great, her judgement so high and ready to fall upon Navnløs, that Rainbow wasn’t prepared to relinquish whatever her attacks may be, and she wouldn’t care if she actually went too far this time.
It was unheard of in Equestria. The worst thing imaginable, but Rainbow didn’t think that now, only the most extreme and final method of punishment was left.
And then she reached him. Still tied up however, she quite simply fell and crashed into him like a wrecking ball. She was strong though, and Navnløs‘s legs collapsed under the force. Falling to the ground, Rainbow set upon him like a rapid dog, flailing around as much as she could to achieve as much damage as possible.
It looked ridiculous of course, but it was necessarily, and a cease wasn’t close for her. She wouldn’t stop.
Insults and curses were flung around, mostly from Rainbow but occasionally from Navnløs as he now become a part of this chaotic mess. Rainbow become unsure of what was truly happening. Her anger and adrenaline was just too high, but her insane rage continued, just as it had earlier, but this time actually being able to transfer it onto Navnløs himself.
She was sure she was hurting him. Grunts and exhales of air emitted from the Human and this process continued for Celestia knows how long.
“ARGHHHH” cried out Rainbow, then feeling a strong grasp on her body as she realised the Skera had decided to break up the fight.
“NOOOO, LET ME AT HIM! HE DESERVES IT, LET ME GOOO!!”.
Rainbow struggled to no avail, as she and Navnløs both had a Skera retraining them.
Navnløs showed a little blood on his face. His nose bled and a red shine showed upon his teeth, implying bleeding gums. Additionally, obvious bruises, quite large in fact, were defiantly going to appear.
“Not bad” grunted Navnløs, wiping blood from his nose. “But you can actually try now, we all love play but let’s move on to something a bit more now”.
The Skera laughed at this, clearly amused at their prey fighting amongst themselves. Such a beautiful sight it must be for them. An entertaining fight first, then an easy kill and meal, Rainbow guessed they were very happy right now.
“COME ON THEN! IM READY FOR YOU, JERK! SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT, YOU BUCKING HAIRLESS MONKEY!”.
Navnløs grinned, and quite surprisingly, the Skera gently let their grip go, but still stood close by, ready to intervene should their entrainment become boring.
Rainbow then began to ready to charge, as much as a tied up version of her could. She built up some speed however, even if her legs had little room to move. All eyes then fell upon her. Navnløs was ready to intercept this time, hit back if he could, something Rainbow was equally ready for, her anger would prevent any feeling right now, and the Skera gleefully prepared themselves for this epic clash.
“Go on! Hit him!” one of them cried out happily.
They were ready and their attention was on Rainbow who nearly was on Navnløs yet again.
Though she never got her chance.
Her thunder was taken from her, and her momentum ruined.
In a blinding instant, Navnløs swirled around, now positioned along the Skera, and with a loose piece of rope, he delivered a sharp blow with his now loose elbow, right into the face of said Skera. Then proceeding speed only Rainbow was familiar with, Navnløs wrapped his loose rope around the neck of the Skera, and began tightening the noose.
How Navnløs managed to get his rope loose enough not only to free his arms but also to have enough rope to commit the constriction, Rainbow wasn’t sure. Perhaps it had become undone in the fight, or perhaps he had somehow managed to cut himself loose, whatever the answer was, it now meant the odds were now in their favour, and the other remaining Skera, totally taken by this sudden development, struggled and desperately rushed to withdraw his bladed weapon.
It couldn’t come soon enough however, stunned in a still silence, Rainbow witnessed Navnløs tighten his constriction, and the immobilised Skera chocked and gasped at his now rapidly approaching death. His arms flailing in panicked desperation, it was nothing that could stop Navnløs onslaught now, and yet still, the Skera would not find his death at this unmerciful method of Navnløs’s making.
The other Skera, charging with blade in hand, was fast approaching. Navnløs immediately discarded of his Skera with kick that surely shattered the leg bone of the cannibal, before meeting the charging Skera with a vice like grip that halted and froze the swinging arm of his attacker. An equally fast twist then followed, providing the land with a loud snap and an accompanying scream.
Navnløs of course wouldn’t let this stand, less more Skera set upon him without fear of losing. Navnløs ripped the blade from the Skera, whose arm was now is a shape and position that could never be reversed, and then silenced his practical play thing. Rainbow immediately turned from this gory sight, her eyes closing as soon as she saw Navnløs plunge the blade into the general face area of the Skera. Then all was silent, and she heard a body collapse hard on the ground.
This left the strangled Skera with Navnløs’s full attention. Opening her eyes to witness the beaten Human struggle to get to his feet, almost blindly withdrawing his own short blade. It was a futile action of course, nothing the Skera could do would now result in anything but his death, Rainbow already knew that, for Navnløs , in her short time knowing him, was an obvious danger in combat, and he was again about to prove why.
The foolish Skera clearly hadn’t learned anything. Charging just like his dead friend had, Navnløsonce more had the luxury of meeting his attacker with an easy defence.
What’s more, the Skera still seemed dazed from his neck constriction, and thus seemed to run with a dizzy like quality to him. It was because of such a disadvantage that all Navnløs had to do to finalise his victory was to jab the side of the Skera’s head with the handle of his blade once the distance had closed between them. This sent the Skera moving essentially sideways, pushed by the strength of Navnløs‘s hit. Colliding with a wooden post, the Skera was left a sad and pitiful sight. One unable to save his own life, and one who’s fate would now not be changed. The Skera was now an easy target, and Navnløs didn’t even need to look as he extended his forearm from his chest, blade pointed outwards. Only rainbow saw the blade enter the back of the Skera’s head, killing him instantly.
Hearing the second body fall, never to move again, provoked something in Rainbow.
Instantly she knew it wasn’t pity nor was it sadness for the Skera, they were barbarians and monsters and deserved no sympathy in the slightest, but this was the second instance of death she had bore witness to, in such a small amount of time. The worst thing however, was not the gore, not the pain and not the fear. It was nothing, and that was preciously the problem. Yes, she didn’t wish to see the bloody details of the fights, after all she hadn’t yet experienced a great deal of it all, but it felt like every passing minute in this harsh world was affecting her, as if it slowly consuming her.
It was a black pit she imagined falling down, every moment that went by she fell deeper and deeper into that bit, darkness dragging her down further. In that moment Rainbow caught a glimpse into why Humans were possibly the way they were here, why Navnløs was the way he was. There was no way of escaping the dreadful pull of this world, and evidently Rainbow had shown to have been joined it in some ways. Fights to the death and an increasing nonchalant attitude to death itself, that wasn’t her, that had never been her.
And yet, right now, it was.
The only thing that distracted her from this increasingly toxic attitude was the reminder that it was just she and Navnløs remaining, and but a minute ago she wanted him dead. Such thoughts do not so easily disperse, regardless of the sudden shocking development.
They might be free of the Skera for now, but Rainbow was not free of her previous mind-set towards the remaining Human.
“You….You-“ Rainbow began, feeling her anger return to her, but Navnløs suspended that temporarily, cutting into her sentence.
Wiping the blood from his blade on the furs of the dead Skera, Navnløs‘s face turned to a very surprising look of relief and almost happiness.
“Glad that’s over, thought they would never take us to get it over with” he said, kneeling to clean the blade and loot the Skera for anything useful.
Rainbow again was silenced. She waited a few moments for anything, yet Navnløs said nothing else. Was he not angry at her? Did he not want to restart trying to kill each other?
It was as if he had totally forgotten anything beyond a single minute ago. He just searched the body of the Skera, with not a word for Rainbow, whose own thoughts of anger and madness conflicted with her own confusion.
Then, Navnløs raised his head, his face now somewhat serious, but not too much so.
Rainbow concluded this was it. The small reprieve before the fight restarted. But no punches were thrown, and Navnløs never made good on his advantage of movement and having a weapon. He had truly ignored the fight.
Then he spoke.
“I don’t say this often, but still, don’t get full of yourself, you aint special and never will be… that was a nice bit of anger you made there. You’re either clever enough to actually make a plan or a good enough actor to get those Skera relaxed around us”.
His tone was actually….appreciative?
Rainbow was totally confused now, anger taking the back seat for now. What was going on?
“I doubt they would have ever taken us for chopping up if they thought we were allies or something. Probably would have separated us and killed us one by one, so only this once, that was a nice idea of yours to get the tension and fire nice and high.”
Rainbow had to think on this.
Did he mean what she actually thought he meant? That he presumed all this anger, here and back at the other part of the camp, was an act? Fake? To entice the Skera into seeing them only as entertainment or something?
“Are-are you kidding me?” Rainbow replied, completely dumbstruck, unsure on how to feel.
Shocked? Angry at how he actually thought this was the case? Heck, Rainbow almost wanted to laugh at loud, such was the ridiculousness of this all.
“Kidding you about what? That you get real praise?” asked Navnløs, insulted that Rainbow would question him.
“You don’t think I know a good plan when I see one? Dumb blue thing. You may be a walking regret of mine, but I realise you may actually have kept us alive, for now at least, so my advice in return is to shut up and accept my compliment”.
Yep. He was being serious. Celestia help me.
All that anger, all that horrible desire. Misinterpreted as a joke practically.
Frustration initially followed.That she would feel all that just so Navnløs could treat it as seriously as a game. Then the darker thoughts made themselves known.
Rainbow felt the pull of the land on her very soul. She had changed in some regards. She felt darkness nestle within her, and there Navnløs now stood, thinking this all an act. A show for the Skera and their ticket out of here.
Blood rushed from her face, and a horrible gagging sensation began to appear. She could have been killed, murdered in cold blood. She could have become like the evils she had helped to stop back home. If she had been successful, she wouldn’t be an element, she wouldn’t be a hero, and she wouldn’t be one of Equestria finest. She would have been a monster, just like every other Human here.
She would belong in this world, and she wouldn’t deserve her friends ever again.
Ironically, she could have easily let her anger return, albeit for different reasons, but it didn’t. Shock and greatest disbelief she had ever felt before, they remained, and she almost couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but now, in perhaps a cynical reversal of fortunes, at least in her time in this world thus far, she let a part of this world remain in her.
So much was different here, mostly for the worse. It was a truly hellish and horrible place to be in, full of death and misery, and it would turn you against your better qualities and mould you into a warped shadow of yourself, but Rainbow let herself feel comfort in the fact that here, in this land, anything could happen. The worst of circumstances may occur, and her emotions may be tossed around like drift wood in the waves, but it allowed her to turn this disbelief and sickening feeling to one of acceptance and perhaps even humour in the familiar face of death here.
That was the only way of remaining sane and somewhat hole in this land.
“Well duh, you think I’d let these uglies take a bite out of me? “ Rainbow spoke up, cockiness finally back in her voice. “Pfff, I had it all under control”
With that, Rainbow felt a great rush of relief and near peace flow through her. Anger left her, and for better or for worse, she had accepted, to a small degree, what this world was, and what it meant to her while she was in it.
“Yeah, sure you did” replied Navnløs, rolling her eyes.
Rainbow looked at the Human. Tell any pony else that she now longer felt the urge to kill him, a fight previously present or not,they would have called her crazy. Right now though, while his personality was bitter and toxic, Rainbow felt her opinion of this Human begin to shift, if only a little bit at this early stage.
This meant he was in turn playing an act. Sure, he said horribly hurtful things, but Rainbow believed the fact he did not mean them, mostly of course, he was still a jerk after all. Additionally, her new understanding of this world gave her in turn a small understanding of Navnløs himself. She hardly knew him, but she finally received an awareness of why he was the way he was. He had ventured down a dark path and never returned, but as Rainbow knew there was hope for her, regardless of how this world affected her, she hung on to the faint hope that there a chance for Navnløs . Redemption, in whatever form, and perhaps in whatever amount.
She already knew she needed him to survive in this world she was new to, but know she knew she was, in an extremely generous use of the word, liberally accepting of his personality, and their continued partnership.
It was a weight off her shoulders. She wasn’t excited for the fact that for now, and foreseeable future, Navnløs wasn’t going to be really different, but she now had the strength to battle through that. She would never ever forgive him for what he had done, and just thinking about it brought great sadness to her. He disrespected and spat on loyalty. There had never been a being so contrary to it, but as Rainbow felt this world become a slight bit more bearable, she would not try and kill Navnløs, instead try and withstand it all.
She would never forgive him, never forget what he did, but as much as every Pony back home would be screaming at her not to, she would endure this terrible being, and she would win, like she always did.
Perhaps this way, playing along with Navnløs‘s belief, she may even get on his good side.
“We cannot delay much longer, I’m sure the other Skera and that inbred fuck of a Chieftain will be coming to finish us off soon, ready to boil us in a stew.”
This was all Rainbow needed to regain real hope of escape, no more acceptance of upcoming death for her anymore.
“And how did you say we get out of here? If you hadn’t noticed, we are in the camp of these ugly jerks….and I’m still tied up!”
The feeling around the duo, the way the conversations felt, they still felt tense, as if they were only just managing to stick together and in a way. That was what they were essentially doing, at least to Rainbow that’s what was happening. Conversations would never seem serious, taunting and rude in nature, with no respect given to each other, but Rainbow had never been one for the real sappiness, apart from with her friends, but she wouldn’t be telling Navnløs that. For now she was ok with the rough attitude of both individuals around each other.
“Ugh, I should leave you. You have never been a help until now, only a hindrance. I wish you were never here” Navnløs said, as he also cut Rainbows restraints.
Rainbow smiled at this entire exchange.
“So what’s the plan?” Rainbow asked, pumped and confident again. “Surprise attack? Kick the butts of these Skera?”
Navnløs gritted his teeth and looked back at her in anger as he looked around the still grotesque bloody area of the camp.
“Even with that little plan of yours, you’re still a fucking moron. Who do you think I even am? I aint some unstop-“Navnløs suddenly shut up, prompting Rainbow to do the same.
“What is it?” Rainbow whispered, probably a little too confident considering the circumstances.
“Shut the fuck up!” Hissed Navnløs, as the two rushed into the nearby tent.
Rainbow then glanced three approaching Skera, none other than the Chieftain Kyrl leading the pack.
“Now it’s time for my own plan” Navnløs said, a small smile emerging.
“What you gonna do?” asked Rainbow nervously, but determined to beat the big guy, the leader of these monsters.
“Do what I always do, live”.
Rainbow scoffed at this ‘plan’, ready to protest it for being just hot air with no substance at all. She never got her chance however.
Navnløs had two weapons now, blades of cruel looking malice, reading to saw and rip flesh. Duel wielding his killing machines, his plan simply took the form of an ambush, jumping out just as Kyrl saw the mess of his dead people.
“What the-“said the Skera, probably expecting an easy gutting session.
The first escorting Skera went down easily. Navnløs thrust one blade throw his neck, dropping him instantly. The second escorting Skera didn’t go down quite as fast, instead having to withstand Navnløs‘s warrior brutality. That Skera suffered a great downwards blow, from face to bowls. The finishing blow was a twin strike from Navnløs, each blade slicing sideways in two different spots. The first sliced the throat, Navnløs’s left blade swiping sideways. His right blade was positioned lowed, but cut in the same fashion. This time the deep cut allowed blood and entrails to fall to the ground, shortly followed by the body as a whole.
It was all too gross for Rainbow, regardless of her previous thoughts, but this time, she egged Navnløs on.
Her Human didn’t get a chance to be cheer leader on, as he immediately shifted his attacks to Kyrl himself. The Chieftain however, was semi prepared.
In the Skera’s hand was the large cleaver like blade from earlier, and he used to block an attack from at least one of Navnløs’s blades.
“You dirty fucking wanderer! Ill feast on your bones and-“Kyrl roared, unprepared for this defeat.
“Yeah yeah, enough of the monologue!” Navnløs dismissed, using his free blade to plunge it into Skera flesh before then using to damage and attack Kyrl’s weapon arms. One particular slash cut clean off a hand, and the Chieftain cried out in pain, pulling back from the clash.
“ARGHHH, MY HAND!” the Skera cried out, so loudly in fact, there was now no chance that the whole camp hadn’t heard.
This worried Rainbow. So Navnløs would kill the leader, but then what? There was still Skera out there, and a lot of them.
Speaking of which…
In the distance Rainbow saw masses of angry Skera rapidly approach, weapons in hand and cries of demonic chanting in tow. Navnløs also apparently saw this, as his face turned to frustration at his lack of time.
“Um…time to go dude!” Rainbow cried out, deciding that this plan maybe wasn’t as useful to them as she had hoped, regardless of Navnløs’s skill in battle.
“Not without this!” huffed Navnløs, swiping something Kyrl before the fuming Skera could slash back with his massive weapon.
With that quick steal, Rainbow saw Navnløs had retrieved the same hatchet he had collected earlier from the Forgotten, apparently having in confiscated upon capture.
“Oh, and maybe this!”
Navnløs dodged a fury of angry attacks from Kyrl’s who in a fit of pain and rage, simply swung his weapon around.
This was a grave mistake and Navnløs used this simplicity to predict his next attack. Successfully dodging blows, his thrust the blunt end of handle of his right blade into Kyrl’s face. The impact so hard, so severe, that the handle cracked and split into pieces upon impact. It had its intended affect though. Kyrl was knocked backwards, collapsing over the strong attack, but not before Navnløs swiped a small metal piece from Kyrl.
“Now it’s time to go, and fast!”
Rainbow didn’t need further more convincing when she heard the haste and urgency in Navnløs‘s voice. When even he didn’t want to be around here any longer, she was quite positive that her position on the matter wouldn’t be different.
No time was wasted, not that such a thing was a commodity to she and Navnløs, a horde was approaching and nothing could be done to stop them. Her wings were still not functional, but her legs, with today’s wild ride flowing throw them, they were more than ready to get moving, and move they did, overtaking Navnløs numerous times but then realising she was following him.
“You know the way out, right?!” shouted Rainbow between her heaving breathing, quickly checking behind to see Kyrl cry murder and demand their heads.
Rainbows mind was cast back to her experience at Appleloossa, and with the Buffalo, with their unstoppable stampede. It was an adrenaline producing experience, only this time she was on the receiving end of one. Humans were nowhere near as large as Buffalo, but the sheer amount of angry Skera chasing them could have fooled her. Rainbow felt the ground shake, the intensity of it increasing as the horde got closer, a fact that did nothing but unnerved Rainbow.
“Hey, I asked you if-“
“You think I’d come here for the laughs, do you?!” shouted back Navnløs.
His meaning was clear, they were screwed. An unnerved Rainbow now became a fearful Rainbow.
“WHAT?! THE WHE-”
The sprint suddenly and abruptly came to an end, a painful and blunt end.
Rainbow never got a chance to restart her panic and reply to Navnløs, who promptly picked her up and threw her through the air.
She was no pet, especially his. Not to mention her experience actually being picked up was limited to say the least, and feeling Human hands lift her up as if she was something to toss around, that was something deserving of any a hoof slap. Just perhaps when they weren’t trying to be cut and eaten…
For now however, Rainbow felt herself collide and fall a hard cold surface, was not unlike the type she found herself on when she had been captured, in the moving metal box.
“I’d hold on if I were you!” cried out Navnløs , and Rainbow, unsure into what was now happening, only complied with too much acceptance.
Rainbow suddenly felt the surface rumble with a roaring noise, followed immediately with a sudden take off, and the thing moving.
Now realising she was in a similar creation, Rainbow saw that was had been tossed into an area that wasn’t too different to the back of a taxi cart, like in Manehattan.
Whatever Navnløs had stolen from Kyrl, the small metal piece and enabled this machine to start running, and its wheels ensuring a great distance being placed between them and the savage horde. But all was not yet perfect, for they were still in the camp.
Not that Navnløs would have known. He took no care into the structures and scattered Skera he ploughed into, Rainbow sure felt the spray of blood cover her mane. She had no time to check however, her eyes were fixed forward on where Navnløs was driving this thing.
“You better know what you’re doing!” cautioned Rainbow. They were going a great speed, something Rainbow had no issue with in theory, but when she was going fast, it was usually her doing. Taking the power of speed from her and into the responsibility of another, Rainbow couldn’t help but feel a little vulnerable.
Navnløs didn’t reply though, he seemed to be having too much fin in this thing, and far more morbidly, how easily he could crush and bash slow Skera. The grim sadistic grin on his face was a little concerning however, Rainbow never knowing somepony who actively enjoy pain and death, but judging from their experiences here, the fact that these savages would have tortured and feasted upon them if they could, because of this, Rainbow let Navnløs’s sadistic joy slide, it was somewhat satisfying get revenge, she had to admit.
“So long, you six fingered freaks!” shouted Navnløs, as their metal contraption left the horde in the dust, and as they finally escaped the confounds of the camp.
Curiously, Navnløs outreached his hand outwards, so that the horde may just see, before he extended just one of his fingers, the centre one. Laughing while he did it, Rainbow could only wonder if this was some sort of Human insult. Whatever it was, she could have done the same.
She was finally safe. They had escaped.
“Ha ha! Yeahhhhh!” cheered Rainbow, a smile finally returning to her face. It was better than any race she had won, better than the best party. She was so close to death, so close to giving up, but now she was alive and she was getting out of here.
“DUDE, WE ACTUALLY DID IT!” her joy was uncontainable, and she didn’t care for the intensity of it all.
“Yeah, no shit. Just keep your eyes open, I don’t want any surprises” Navnløs had to just kill the mood here. Sure, he was right, none of them wanted their celebration ruined by some ambush or whatever. Still, Rainbow guessed that Navnløs was the type on individual to dislike any other joy but his own, especially among those who annoyed him.
Rainbow checked still, and all was clear. No Skera had followed. No Skera could keep up. Maybe because there were no other similar vehicles. Rainbow decided to enquire.
“Hey” she said, raising to stand on her back legs exclusively, and resting her front on the seat in front of her. “Why aren’t they chasing us? Don’t they have more of these things?” Rainbow was referring to the thing that had brought them to the camp.
“Don’t be stupid, that’s a vehicle could for cargo, not speed like this. I stole the key the Chieftain’s ride. It’s much quicker. Besides, we are only a two person party. We don’t have enough meat on our bones for them to waste their fuel on. Fuel is rare, and a lot of deaths have been caused because of the stuff”
Rainbow didn’t risk questioning further, for fear of ruining earlier approval, but he seemed to be referring to some Human creation these machines ran on. That was a topic for another time, the hot topic for now was a simple question.
“So now what?”
Navnløs paused, only the roar of the vehicle and wheels riding over the rough terrain making a sound.
“Who cares, I told you id live, and that’s what I did”
He was back to his usual self, the self-loyalty Rainbow had come into conflict with before their capture. This time, this wouldn’t stand.
“So you’re just gonna do nothing huh? Go to the next place you can exploit?” her tone was serious and accusing, a fact not lost upon Navnløs.
“Yep” That was all Rainbow got.
She snorted out of snout, letting the Human know her displeasure with this answer. She was about to allow herself argue with this stubbornness, before Navnløs counter attacked.
“I don’t care what you say, today was a little sideshow in my life, and now I’m still alive, it’s back to the usual”
“Usual as in starving to death? Do you even know where we are?” Rainbows answer was not pre meditated. No thought or planning had gone into it. It was one birthed of frustration and pettiness to his person, Rainbow simply annoyed at him again, and choosing to just retort like a filly instead.
Ultimately, it proved to be the answer she should have asked all along.
It shut Navnløs right up. His answer did not come immediately, and when it did, it was a thoughtful one, and one he had to address seriously.
“Fuck, I hate it when you’re right. I know we aren’t in the Wasteland anymore, not even the Skera could set a camp there. We got taken west, towards the more fertile plains near Salutis, but I don’t come here often”.
There was that place again, Salutis. The one in which both Kyrl and Navnløs had referred to when the topic of the Militia was brought up. It was the same Militia whom once owned the jacket Navnløs was now wearing, so the boy who Navnløs had killed for this clothing, his home was close.
“So we are going there then?”
Supplies would be needed, even for a survivor like Navnløs. This was a demand of Rainbows he would have to obey.
“Perhaps”
His simply answers irritated Rainbow, and this led to rainbow asking a question that would probably annoy him in turn.
“And what about me?”
She studied his face intently. It wasn’t a secret that in their short time together, conflict had taken up the majority of the time, but today’s experience with the Skera had been one of cooperation, unintentionally or not. Rainbow hoped that meant something to him at least.
True enough, it wasn’t an answer he easily dismissed or discarded, He was obviously thinking, perhaps not liking the answer he was about to give.
“I’ll drop you off someplace.Finally be rid of you”.
This wasn’t the answer Rainbow wanted or expected. Was he so cold and callous that today had meant nothing? She had practically saved his life. Did that mean nothing?
Furthermore, she wasn’t a piece of trash to throw out and forget, but deep down, something told Rainbow to counter in a different way, not just deny his words.
She would him out on his bluff. Because she had hope for him.
“Do it then” Rainbow said simply and sternly.
Just like how Rainbow had been stunned by his answer, now he was stunned by hers, and this, Rainbow knew, was for just one reason.
He didn’t reply, a mere groan only emitting from his throat. He never looked at her, never acknowledged her after her remark. He remained cold and rude, but this was the best reaction Rainbow could ever hope for.
Usually he would flat out deny her, cruelly fight back with taunts and insults. Should he have done so, he would have mixed that with a future action, one of kicking Rainbow out the vehicle and leaving her for dead. Instead, there was silence.
Rainbow sat back down. She had her answer, and it was finally the one she wanted.
Stats
Page generated in 0.032 seconds
Total duration
902 users online
1,349,322 hits today, 2,280,440 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
I do have a feeling that Salutis faction will share some similarity like the New California Republic or Caesar's Legion. But I do hope that they will meet the enclave or the ranger version faction in this story.
I guess time will only tell... :\
8646758
There will indeed be multiple Human survivor nations. They will all be original of course, dont want to be directly copying, but as the the factions you stated all arose from certain situations in their world (the Enclave originating from the US government) so will the nations in my story. It'll basically be a mix, with Saltuis for example having aspects from factions from other mediums. Of course, it'll also be influenced by who exactly will be leading it, but more on that soon.
1. The humans win. Guns > 2/3 of Equestria
2. Why are the humans evil? “Oh no, our society is dead! To solve this problem let’s take over this new land and instead of finding our own land, we take over the land of sapient ponies because fuck it”
3. Rule 76
8650930
yeah, tbh we all know if a force armed similarly to our world fights the ponies, it wont really be fairfor the furry little things, but the point is not all Humans are evil, if any in fact. The worst ones just see their actions as doing the right thing, but even they dont just want to take over the wolrd just like that. The Human world is in a mess, and various apposing factions makes life difficult for them, so as of right now in the story, a diplomatic mission has been sent, even if they are being deceitful about certain things, so that they can flesh out what the next course of action is. Sure, they could invade and conquer, but that would be costly. An alternative is to eventually ensure Equestria submits in the face of a potential war so no lives are lost. Should this happen, resources a plenty could be gained from Equestria. Or, Pony magic may be of great interest to some Humans, causing them to want to involve themselves more in Pony life.
You'll have to remind me which rule 76 is so i can answer the last point ;)
8651000
Rule 76: No sex or romance between humans and non-humans that look drastically different from humans
8651003
I have no plans to make this a clopfic, both out my inability to write such things and my hesitation to do so. For now, friendship is barely a thing between my characters, let alone romance. But i see your point, for the Humans, romance with Ponies would be crazy, and i agree with that. Within the story itself, im planning to make this a part of it so no Human blindly enter a romance with a pony without them even questioning it. Hopefully i can make it rather realistic and not just a ship for the sake of it
8651020
“Human blindly enter a romance with a pony without them even questioning it. Hopefully i can make it rather realistic and not just a ship for the sake of it“
So there WILL be human-pony romance?!?!
8651025
Who knows, I haven't planned any so far. If i feel it can contribute the the quality of the Story, i hope i can make it so that i do it justice and ensure it retains realism. I dont believe any romance in my world can be like ours today. A romance for my Humans will be one on necessity almost, comfort in such a dark place, and among Humans only, one of furthering the species. If i do decide to make a cross species romance, i know i would want to make it a strong friendship essentially, not one of all loving kisses and stuff. It will be for a partnership each character can trust when things go south and allies are needed. Think of it as the strongest type of alliance.
8651036
Humans would want to keep the species going. Humans cannot cross breed. No
8651038
Yes? Every Human ive mentioned so far in my story I know doesn't think they can crossbreed, nor do they want to? If we are talking about Navnlos, his opinion of Rainbow is still rather low, only now just accepting the fact she is journeying with him. And lets say, hypothetically, and rather unrealistically, he falls for rainbow, in his mind he will be questioning what he's doing, this is going to be not a romance only story after all. Even if he doesnt want kids I know he wont want to try with a Pony, so my point is this. Yes, in time, he could form a strong friendship with a pony, but he wouldn't ever want to treat it like a Human romance. This is basically a story like if aliens visited earth and what people would do
Very good story my countryman.
8651277
Ah thank you very much, my rooty brother . Very much appreciated 😊
Loving this so far !