-Dusty-

Being human wasn't easy, I didn't think it was when I had met the people I was now staying with..But it was a lot harder then being a plane or a car.

I wished I could fly, I wished I could even dust crops again. But I wasn't a plane anymore.

I stayed with the Hayes, helping out, I may not have been a plane anymore but I was still a hard worker. I wasn't going to take advantage of someone and not earn my keep.

Which was how I was playing guard while the neighborhood boys were trying to knock over the racing check point that was covering up the soil. "Guys...This is REALLY a bad idea!" I hissed looking over my shoulder.

One boy named Alex was hanging onto part of over the arch trying to weigh it down, while Andy and a couple of other boys were trying to take tools to it, hammers, screwdrivers...Pretty sure I saw a chainsaw being whipped out.

I cringed turning away deciding the less I knew the better. I didn't really know much about tools anyway. That was always Dottie's thing.

Dottie… I sighed thinking about her and Chug. We had been best friends since we were young, they were like my family. I missed them.
"Hey guys come on stop clowning around! We got deliveries coming in soon!" Andy yelled at the other guys as they laughed.

It had been decided after the crops were torn down, that while they were going to try again they were going to be receiving deliveries from other territories for various things.

They still had them come in before all of this but usually only a few times a year.

"You just want to see the shoemaker's daughter!" One boy named Kyle mocked him as the other boys joined in. I turned my head raising an eyebrow.

"You got a crush?"

"I DO NOT!" Andy yelled denying it turning a little red and hit at the check point harder with his hammer leaving a dent in the metal.

So the big bad farmer has a crush. I chuckled a bit. "Turning pretty red for it not being a crush."

The other boys laughed.

"SHUT UP!"

"You should've seen him!" Alex grinned dropping down landing in a crouch. "He was stammering like crazy!"

Apparently this was something that happened every so often as the boys all chorused at once:

"Oh me oh my OH MAYA!"

"SHUT UP!" Andy screamed while the others teased him.

"Alright fella's joke's over. He can accept it later." I turned back to the horizon hearing Andy yell that the day he fell in love was the day he became a plane.

I hope that doesn't happen..

Something in the distance caught my eye as I saw it was getting closer. Squinting I gulped realizing what it was. A truck...And possibly a pitty crew to make more adjustments to the check point and start at the last one.

"Guys...We got company." I called as the boys started packing up their tools.

"We gotta get goin' then they'll run us over!" Kyle said hopping onto his horse pulling Alex up beside him before they rode off kicking up dust.

"Ugh…" Andy stood up stretching wincing as popping sounds followed. I grimaced oh that had to hurt. "We should go."

"No…" I had an idea, it was risky but it might help. "We should confront 'em head on! I'm a plane they might listen to me-"

"Were a plane...I'm sorry but I don't think they'd take two humans one a 'dumb kid' seriously."

I narrowed my eyes.

"You never know until you try."

"Ugh..You get us killed I am going to strangle you in ghost form." He said rubbing his neck as he took to leaning on the structure watching until the stuck slowed to a stop as several forklifts came out tools at the ready.

I moved to the center of the checkpoint. "Hey you! Get outta here-" They stopped short seeing the boy's handy work.

There was more dents and scratches then the thing should have had...But unfortunately it was still standing. "I'm not leaving." I said keeping my voice even. "You leave."

"Excuse me? One of them got closer, I didn't move back. "You, squishy, leave. We got work to do!"

"Excuse me?" I growled a little. "You tore DOWN our crops! We can't feed our families!"

These guys were real pieces of work. "That's your problem not ours." The forklift shoved me hard into to knock me to the ground.

"Ow..!"

"Hey!" Andy yelled running over to me and helping me up. "You idiots get away from our territory! This is HUMAN territory not MACHINE!"

"Oh who cares? Racing property is racing property."

I would later give Andy props, given that he was dirty from all he was doing that day and therefor looked more of the "wild crazy human" stories other machines exchanged sometimes of feral children.

He stormed over as they moved back a little.

"Alright brat back off!" The one that shoved me tried to shove Andy out of the way.

He ducked, and gave a broad grin…

Before spitting on the forklift's paintjob before taking off running. "AUGH! WHY YOU LITTLE-"

We didn't hear the rest of it, but I'm pretty sure it involved four letter words as we booked it.

"Are you NUTS!?" I yelled once we got out of view.

Andy smirked. "You never know til you try...And seems that guy doesn't like us squishy folk so.." He shrugged. "I remember my grandpa telling me how when faced with the grossness us humans were capable of we were usually left alone...Grandpa wasn't afraid to tell 'em like it was."

I grimaced the mental image of Andy's trigger happy, card carrying Grandpa doing what Andy did. "Bleck...Please promise you would NEVER do that to me."

"Long as you keep being you and nice...Then I won't."

I sighed in relief.

"Thanks."

He grinned clapping me on the shoulder. "Hey not bad for a scrawny little human right?"

We wound up laughing at that.

"Not bad for a lovesick kid."

"Not in love!"

I chuckled. "Ahuh...Sure.."

Little did we know what was happening on the other side of things.

-Maya-

The wind whistled in my ear, the ground thundered under my horse's hooves.
The feeling of the wind blowing my hair back and the warm sun on my face.

I couldn't imagine a better feeling, a better joy than this.

The day was a perfect one, not too hot, not too cold, and I could ride my horse as much as I wanted. Usually I went with my dad when he went to the other territories but today I was off the hook.

"YEEHAW!" I laughed, urging my horse Star to keep cantering. I wasn't riding around my own territory though.

I had been wanting to ride around Willie's Butte since I was a little kid, that big open space, the big curve in the cliff side. Oh I could only imagine how much fun that would be!

So now I was finding my way to it, perfectly content to mind my own business and practice a bit with my horse. "Good girl!" I praised her as it came into view.

I was seen as a weird one by my neighbors, most of them weren't exactly happy about some of the machines, but then again anyone who's under forty seems to know better than to be bitter about something we can't control.

Well some at least. It was mostly just irritation that tractors tended to go through our crops and get set loose from the nearby Machine town Radiator Springs.

I sighed as Star came to a stop just short of the cliff as a breeze picked up blowing my hair around. It was midday and the skies were a clear bright blue, there wasn't much plant life around this particular area besides cacti and honestly… Most machines seem to hate them.

They're missing out. Grilled cactus is yummy. My mouth watered a little thinking about my mom's cooking and decided if I could I'd take some off their wheels and bring it back home. But now...It was time to ride.

Clicking my tongue, my faithful friend broke into a trot. Rising up and down with her, I held on tight feeling the wind blowing my hair back again, my heart racing. This was everything to me, this feeling of freedom. Forgetting for a moment, that the days of horse races were over for the most part. Too much worries going on and no one really knew where they could set it up...But I did, I would do it right here if I could. No automatic starting points, or check points. Just straight on through around here.

But for now I was trotting on through this incredible formation, letting my thoughts fly as free as the wind. I couldn't help it, I started laughing and cheering.

This was going to be my favorite part.

Star had issues sometimes with certain kinds of terrain, she slid and used to panic as a filly but we worked with her until she was able to handle it.

She slid like always but I threw my weight in to the side, as she moved her body sideways gliding as the red dust kicked up around us making a cloud.

As soon as she caught her footing again she was back into a steady trot.

Sure most kids back at home were busy with wheat, and corn and all that good stuff but me?

THIS was what meant the most to me. Nothing else.

Well….Except maybe that cute boy down South… I grinned thinking of him, he was some professor's son, and was always being followed by a dog. Had messy hair and fair skin with green eyes. He was a looker but I don't have time for boys right now.

Making a sound like I was blowing her a kiss Star shifted from trotting to a full on canter.

"WAHOO!" Rising and lowering with her movements, posting as it's called we were one.

One day there'll be a race of horse folk like me...And we'll win it, even if we're not supposed'ta have the prize cause it wouldn't be polite. We'd still win, one winner who knows how many losers!

Just the thought made me giddy, a horse race, a true race for all to see. Sure horses can't outrun race cars but horses got their own strength and speed.

They didn't get 'Horse power' from corn!

Pulling on her reins to get her to halt as we came barreling out of the Butte, we rode along until well..

Until something truly bizarre happened. There were Tractors.

Tractors everywhere.

Driving around mooing like crazy. And Cars were chasing them trying to call them back.

"MATER! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT TRACTOR TIPPING!?"

"WASN'T ME!"

Oh this I had to hear. I climbed down and whispered to Star telling her to stay. Now I know most folk would think a horse isn't that smart. But I raised her and I know her. With a sugar cube and a pet on the nose she'll do anything.

Getting on my hands and knee's I crept closer keeping in the sparse brush. There was a police car, a Tow truck I think, and...OH MY GOSH.

There was a red race car, a red race car with a distinct 95 and a lightning bolt on his doors.

I could've died right there.

LIGHTNING MCQUEEN! I watched all the races despite my folks thinking it was nonsense, I knew the Piston Cup winner when I saw him!

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! LIGHTNING! MCQUEEN!

I think my mouth dropped open because I just...I couldn't believe it. I was cheering the whole way when this car had given up the Piston Cup! THE PISTON CUP! In favor to help Strip Weathers AKA The King make it across the finish line.

"This is so amazing." I whispered...Then gulped realizing a Tractor was blocking my view of McQueen...And heading right for me.

Fast.

"Oh...CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!" Silence be damned, I screamed and ran for my horse as it caught up.

They were fast when they wanted to be, this I knew, they had a lot of behavior similar to cattle and if they were anything like what we got at home…

There had to be a bull somewhere. "HEY BACK OFF!" Someone, I think it was McQueen yelled driving after it but I was already climbing on my horse and kicking her into a full gallop.

Because lo and behold, there came a huge Harvester, snarling angry as all heck. "OH GREAT...FRANK!"

And with that...Both I and McQueen were running for it.

Gottagetaway, gottagetaway! There had been a rare time when a harvester effectively caught a human, and when that happened blood flew everywhere and I did NOT want to be that blood!

"This thing's nuts!" McQueen exclaimed slamming a turn one way as I went another.

The Harvester seemed to decide going after me was more fun. Because before I knew it it had me and Star backed up over a cliff side.

A cliff side with cactus. A lot of cactus.

I may like to eat it but landing on it is pain!

I had to think fast and I had to make a choice. If no one came to help, I was going to be in a lot of pain and out a horse for awhile. "I love you." I kissed my horse before carefully climbing down then slapping her hard on her flank while feeling bad as she took off.

The harvester didn't even take an interest in her. It just pressed forward as I backed up feeling my footing starting to slip.

There was a loud roaring of an engine and voices...Then before I could register what was happening...The rest of the ground crumbled under me as I went falling.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Right...Onto...Cactus.

I think I'm going to stop eating cactus forever. I was seeing stars, everything now hurt like heck.

I could barely register something hooking onto my poncho before I closed my eyes.

I am not a fainter, but having that much searing pain and probably hitting your head hard on something will knock a person out.

And that person…

Was me.