Prologue
"Hang in there Herbie, we're almost there", Maggie Peyton said, as the finish line came into view.
I focus my view on the finish line, watching it get closer and closer, until finally,
"Maggie Peyton and Herbie win another one", shouts the announcer, "This makes 6 consecutive championships for Maggie Peyton and Herbie. These 2 are making Nascar history today at Talladega, breaking the record for most championships in a row. They should be proud."
I was proud, me and Maggie were the perfect team.
My name is Herbie, a white 1963 Volkswagen Beetle with a red and blue tripe running over my roof, and with the number 53 on my hoods and doors. You probably know me as the most successful racer in Nascar, or as the car who beat the legend Trip Murphy back in 2005. But my story is much longer than you think.
I first started racing with my good friend Jim Douglas back in 1968. I won many races in the past, including the famous El Dorado, the Monte Carlo Rally, and the Grand Prix in Rio de Janeiro. In 2005, I met Maggie, who I convinced to get back into racing, and we've been winning many Nascar races ever since.
After celebrating our latest victory, me, Maggie, and the rest of team Peyton went back home to California to relax, eager for next year's racing season. I don't mind though, it gives me more time to spend with my girlfriend, Hera.
Hera is a 2004 Volkswagen New Beetle I met back in 2005, she is yellow with 2 black stripes running along her side. I first met Hera back in 2005, shortly after I was first bought by Maggie. She belongs to one of Team Peyton's sponsors, Sally. During my first Nascar race, Trip Murphy slammed into me, poking a hole through one of my cylinder heads. That would have been the end of the race for me, had Hera not been in the parking lot. She generously allowed one of her cylinder heads to be used to fix me, which allowed me to continue, and later win the race. We've been together ever since.
"You really are the greatest racer to ever live Herbie", said Hera, as we were taking a nice scenic drive.
"I know Hera", I responded, "You tell me every day."
"That doesn't make it any less true, I'm lucky to have such a famous boyfriend."
"And I'm lucky to have a girlfriend like you."
Their nice drive was suddenly interrupted by a low growling noise, which made Hera curious, but slightly afraid as to what it was. However, Herbie had a completely different reaction. Once he heard that growl, he stopped, freezing up, cause he knew who that growl belonged to.
In the distance, he could see a black figure heading towards them, one that He knew too well. When it got closer, he could make out the details of what was approaching them. It was another 1963 Volkswagen Beetle, this one was pure black, with a black soft top and a custom front bumper, which was currently showing a menacing frown.
This was Horace, Herbie's evil twin. How was he here? He was destroyed when he ran off the top of the dam and fell to his death. Somehow, he has survived.
And he looked furious.
Horace then began charging at the 2 beetles, so they turned around and began to drive away as fast as they could. He then proceeded to chase them all around the city, determined to end his rival. After chasing them for 2 hours, Horace finally cornered them in an alley.
"What do we do?" asked Hera in a panicking tone.
"I don't know".
"I'll tell you what you can do", said Horace, hatred filling his voice, "you can stay there, and let me destroy you."
"Why? How are you back? What do you want?"
"I want to destroy you. I destroyed you before, but you came back and destroyed me."
"I didn't destroy you, you tried to destroy me again after I won that race, but I got out of the way and you fell to your death."
"I don't care, you will be destroyed, and this time you will stay dead."
Horace then charged at us, ready to destroy me. But then, something weird happened. It felt like time suddenly stopped, Horace freezing just inches from my bumper. Me and Hera were worried about what was happening, but then we heard a voice.
"Enough!", I heard someone say, but I couldn't see who said it.
"You two are brothers, you shouldn't be fighting"
I could tell Horace wanted to argue with whoever was talking, but he was frozen, so he couldn't respond.
"I'm sending you to another world where you can work out your differences. Only when enemies become brothers shall you return home."
After hearing that, a portal opened beneath us and pulled us in. As we fell through the portal, I could feel myself changing, but I couldn't see what was changing. Eventually, we could see a light at the other end of the portal, and I could tell that we were about to end up on whatever was on the other side.
As I landed on the other side, I passed out, knowing whatever was on the other side was going to be different.
I had no idea how different it would really be.
"Uhhh, what happened? Where are we?" I asked, groaning in pain.
As I woke up, I immediately noticed I was in some kind of cave looking environment. It had holes in the walls and plants covering everything. I also noticed that I had a lot of trouble moving, I couldn't feel my wheels or where my engine was supposed to be.
As I tried my best to move, I saw something enter my field of view. It looked like some kind of horse combined with a beetle, but this one had a horn, looking closer, I noticed that It was green, with a dark green lower half, a purple top half, indigo tail, and orange antlers.
"Hey there, are you ok?", it said, having noticeable curiosity in its voice.
"I think so", I responded, "who are you?"
"Oh, my name is Thorax. Here, let me help you up."
"Thanks."
As he got closer, his hoof reached out and grabbed something. It looked like another hoof, but this one was white.
And I could feel it.
I immediately freaking out about the hoof I could feel, before noticing another one. I held them up in front of me and thought about moving them, they moved.
"Do you have a mirror?"
"Sure, there's one right here." he said, bringing it over to me.
When he moved the mirror in front of me, what stared back at me was another horse bug hybrid. So I did the only thing I could think about doing at that moment, I screamed.