Spirit FanFiction: Fighting Spirit, Running Courage, Flying Freedom

This FanFiction is a different approach on the scene in Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron where Spirit is fleeing from the falling train. My version is close to the original, but I've added two OC's; a brown stallion named Courage and a young white mare named Freedom. Enjoy!

ME: It's time for a new story!

SPIRIT: Well what's the story behind this one?

FREEDOM: I bet it's something that she just came up with on the spot.
COURAGE: Yeah, that sounds like her, eh?

ME: …..

Disclaimer: I don't own the movie Spirit or its characters. I'm just using them for the sake of this story. Courage and Freedom are mine and won't be used by others. RIGHT? *death glare*

Spirit groaned as the door to the train car was opened, letting in a blast of the cold winter air. He blinked as the bright light hit his eyes and turned his big head away for a second. He barely heard the man as he ushered with his hand for Spirit to move closer. He reluctantly did so, and the man tied a rope around his make-shift bridal.

Spirit muttered his goodbyes to the other horses in the car with him. He was lead out into the railroad construction camp. Spirit's eyes scanned the area. 'No sign of a way out,' he thought. 'Looks like I'll be here for a while.

"Hook them all up!" a man's voiced called. Spirit found himself being dragged away and hocked up to some heavy chains. He tried to struggle against them, but to no avail. He heard large cluncking noises behind him. He turned his head and to his dismay, saw that he and about another 40 or so horses had been chained up to a metal train on two large slabs of wood.

The horse next to him growled. "Damn it all!" he grunted. Spirit turned his attention to him. The horse was about his height with a brown coat and black mane. His eyes were filled with anger and frustration. "I just want to go back home!"

"We all do," Spirit said calmly. "What are you called?"

"Courage-of-the-Rising-Storm," he replied. "Just call me Courage. And you?"

"I am Spirit-who-Cannot-be-Broken (1). You can call me Spirit."

"It's nice to meet you." Courage grinned and shook his large head. "Any idea what they're making us do? I've never been good at guessing."

Spirit craned his neck to look at the train again. "If I had to venture a guess I'd say that we're being forced into hauling this train up the hill and over. I heard the two-legged man yelling something about hitting bedrock when trying to blast through the mountain."

Courage snorted. "Makes about as much sense as anything else right now."

The two of them stood there waiting for a minute or two until a voiced called out and a man cracked a whip. The horses pulled with all their might. Grunts and moans could be heard as the group struggled to haul the heavy train up the mountain.

Spirit grumbled as he almost lost his footing on the rocky hill. Next to him, Courage cursed as the whip struck his shoulder. He whinnied at the man, causing him to back off a bit. The two of them tried to converse to pass the time, but each conversation was broken off at the crack of the whip.

But what really got Spirit's blood boiling was the treatment of the horse in front of him. He could tell that it was a mare, and a very young one at that. She had a bright white coat with a silver mane, and one of her shoulders was terribly mauled by large scars. Every few seconds, her steps would falter and she nearly tripped on numerous occasions. The man with the whip was obviously losing his patience, as he finally yelled out something and struck the whip against her scared shoulder. She whinnied in pain, causing Spirit to fly off the handle. He whinnied as loudly as he could and glared at the whip man. He yelled out something and immediately backed off.

The mare turned her head around. "Thank you," she said. Her eyes were glazed over in pain, but she still smiled.

"This is getting out of hand!" Spirit whispered to Courage.

"Well what do you expect to do about it? We're trapped here by these chains! I know for a fact that we can't bite through them."

Spirit thought about it for a second. "I'll let you know once I have something." he finally said.

Eventually they began to reach the top of the mountain. Spirit blinked against the sudden rush of bright light. He took his time to look at the sunset. He recognized the hills and valleys in the distance as his homeland. But then he looked down. Two-legged men were hitting pieces of railroad track with something hard, causing it to clang loudly.

'What is this?' Spirit's thoughts raced. 'The track… my homeland…' And then it stuck him. 'No! They're heading to my homeland! Think Spirit, you have to stop them!' Digging his hoofs into the ground, he stopped the whole group. The train started to slip, but he ignored it.

"Everybody stop!" he yelled.

"Spirit, what are you doing?" Courage whispered.

"I have a plan," he whispered back as the man with the whip came back and slashed at him a few times. "Stop, all of you! We can't go on!" The whip smacked his shoulder but Spirit ignored the pain. Instead, his eyes darted to each side before rolling up into his head. His legs 'gave out' from under him and he collapsed onto his side.

"Hold it!" a man shouted. Sprit wasn't out, of course. He was only pretending, so when the man peeled back his eyelid, he pretended to be out cold. "Get the mules up here!" the man shouted.

Seconds later, Spirit felt the heavy chains that hooked him up the train leave his body. They were, however, replaced with a small chain around his two hind legs. He suppressed a grunt as he was dragged along the dirt path. His eyes snapped open to make sure the two-leggeds weren't watching. With the greatest of ease, he slipped his hooves out of the chain and stood up.

He was a bit surprised to hear the other horses around him cheering. He could make out Courage's voice among them, as well as the voice of the mare he had saved earlier. He turned and jumped in between the two of the larger chains, while avoiding the ones thrown at him by the men. He kicked one of the locks with his back hooves. It came off after three kicks and the horses ran off, yelling back their thanks as they disappeared over the hill. He then turned his attention to the other one, which came off after two kicks of his front hooves.

"You go Spirit!" Courage yelled as his chains came loose. He stayed behind to run with his friend, but recoiled for a second as a looped chain was thrown around Spirit's neck. Thinking quick, he grabbed onto it with his teeth and yanked it out of the man's grip. He darted around the side of the slipping train, barely dodging the bullet that was shot at him.

Courage caught up in seconds, and to their surprise, the silver mare followed them too. "Why come with us?" Courage yelled over his broad shoulders.

"I have no home to go to!" she called back. "But you seem trustworthy, so I'll follow you."

"What's your name?" Courage asked.

"Freedom-of-the-Soaring-Mockingbird!"

"Freedom! Courage! Move it!" Spirit shouted. The train started to slip and roll on its side. The three horses bolted down the hill, the train getting closer and closer to them every second. There were a few loud "thuds" and then it was silent. Spirit cocked his head to the side, but the crash behind him made all three of the horses whinny in shock.

Shouts and cries for help could be heard from the men as the horses and the train cascaded through their camp. Jumping swiftly out of the way, Spirit, Courage, and Freedom rounded a quick corner. The train smashed into another one, causing them to explode and set the nearby buildings and trees on fire.

Spirit ran up the side of a hill, waiting for Courage who was helping Freedom stand. "It's her shoulder!" Courage yelled back.

"I'll be fine." she said.

"We're safe now." Spirit said, watching as another building burst into flame.

"Yeah…" Courage said while Freedom nodded. "We're safe.

"And free." Freedom put in.

"And alive." Spirit said.

END

Authors note: I couldn't resist! Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron is my all-time favorite movie and I've been dying to do an FF on it. Finished it while listening to the soundtrack.

For those who have been waiting for something new, here it is! Enjoy, R&R, you know the drill. Also go to my page and vote in my poll! I need to know by January.