The sea glistened with an awesome sparkle thanks to the reflection of the sun against their ripples. It was a sight Rainbow Dash could easily get used to. As much as she didn’t care about fashion, she had to admit that this was a beauty that she wish filled Equestria. It was so wide and so open, nothing but the heat of the sun and the cooling breeze in the air.
Of course, this didn’t distract Rainbow Dash from scanning everything while she flew. As much as she could just lose herself in this high sky flying, her eyes and ears were always staying in full alert. She listened to all of the wave patterns in the sea and even the sounds from the winds, listening for any changes. She could hear a larger wave coming from the left compared to every other direction, but it wasn’t a concern.
It was an essential part of flying to multitask like this. You never know when something unexpected will come up. Like that cloud right in front of Rainbow Dash. She swerved right around it while scanning the skies, not breaking her flight path.
Just as important as listening was, her eyes had to keep watch of both the skies and the ground. Rainbow Dash took out her sunglasses from her bag and placed them over her goggles. She took a look high in the skies, making notice of the position of the sun. Based on its position, it had been a few hours since they had took flight, and the temperature had risen considerably to Summer levels.
Thankfully many small clouds now filled the skies around them. So if they ever needed a break, they could use those clouds, provided they behaved. But Rainbow Dash would make sure they behaved. Even if they were like the Everfree Forest clouds and moved on their own, they could still be manipulated.
Rainbow Dash put away her sunglasses and looked down towards the sea. Down near sea level, she could see Fluttershy flying just inches above water. She could see a few fish popping their little heads out, some of them jumping out of the water and reaching just under Fluttershy.
Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves, chuckling and shaking her head. It was very typical of Fluttershy to be more interested in the critters living in the sea, rather than seeing the beauty of everything above. To Fluttershy's credit though, she seemed to be holding well with flying. But she still had a lot to learn. She was most likely closing her eyes and smiling while she was greeting the fish, even holding a hoof out to them. At least she was enjoying herself.
...Except Fluttershy had her eyes closed! Rainbow Dash gasped and immediately went to a dive when she noticed the sea area around Fluttershy darken. It just continued to grow darker, and Fluttershy was just greeting the fish.
“FLUTTERSHY!”
It was then that Fluttershy opened her eyes. “...Huh?” She almost went to look at Rainbow Dash, but noticed that the fish she had been greeting… were gone. Her eyes shot wide seeing that water grow so much darker. Her voice slowly tried to scream. It looked like something was coming out of that sea.
Rainbow Dash latched onto Fluttershy just as soon as something giant sprung above water, tossing large waves in its surroundings. Fluttershy screamed as soon as she saw that giant fish jump at her while Rainbow Dash dragged her away. She let out a yelp and pulled her tail away when that fish snapped at her, narrowly avoiding its jaws. Right after that miss, gravity took effect and pulled that giant fish back down into the ocean, creating a loud and large splash, bouncing water particles just below reach of the two pegasi.
Still flying forwards, Rainbow Dash watched the water carefully while keeping her hooves wrapped under Flutterhy’s forelegs despite her shivering. Rainbow Dash sighed in relief when the darkness in the water disappeared. She looked down at Fluttershy.
“Fluttershy! Never close your eyes when flying. That’s like, the most important rule!” Despite the lecture, Fluttershy was more worried about what she just saw.
“R-rainbow Dash, what… was that?” Fluttershy asked.
“Why are you asking me? You’re the animal expert.”
Maybe if Fluttershy had kept her eyes open, she could’ve recognized what it was, but she missed her chance. Rainbow Dash proceeded to let go of Fluttershy. But before her grip was released, Fluttershy had turned around to face Rainbow Dash, grasping her hooves on Rainbow.
“W-what if that thing comes back?”
“Fluttershy, you need to focus more on flying. That fish is long gone.” Rainbow Dash nudged her head towards the spot of the sea that fish came up from to exhilarate her point. “And as long as we’re up here, it can’t get you. But your safety depends entirely on your flying. You keep your eyes closed and you’ll never know when danger(“Lightnin’!”) will strike next...”
Rainbow Dash bobbed her head back when that voice registered in her mind.
“U-um… lightning will strike?” Fluttershy asked as her fear disappeared.
“What the… that wasn’t me.” Rainbow Dash stopped flying forwards while she pushed Fluttershy apart from her, allowing Fluttershy to work her own wings again. At the same time Rainbow Dash said ‘danger’, another voice said ‘lightnin’. She looked towards the direction that she heard that voice.
Rainbow Dash heard the lightning strike just when she saw it, and she found it hard to believe even. In the distance, there was a garden floating in the skies. There was a single tree in the garden with a house right next to it. And just on the edge of the garden, was a pony, holding what looked like a broom and waving it above, not even coming close to the clouds.
“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy put her hooves over her mouth when she saw the clouds above that garden piling up, blowing wind around the area. “Rainbow Dash?”
“Looks like that pony’s in trouble! Come on, Fluttershy!” Without waiting, Rainbow Dash flew ahead. Fluttershy had to follow behind.
While Rainbow Dash flew, she could hear some of the words coming from the pony. “Storms the whole lot of ya! Calm yerselves before my crops git blown away!”
Rainbow Dash noticed that more clouds were getting spurred on by wind and coming together. She didn’t have time to question why a pony was living out here or how one was even able to. She immediately dashed straight through the middle cloud that was attempting to pull the others together. She then turned around for another strike, busting another cloud right next to the previous.
“Wow…” Fluttershy watched in awe as the rainbow streak blurred around the sky, clearing the clouds with each pass and with ease. There was a reason why Rainbow Dash was captain of the weather team, and this was just one of them.
She saw Rainbow Dash make one more pass, only to stop as soon as she struck the last cloud, dissipating it into thin air.
“Woohoo,” Fluttershy proceeded to cheer in her usual soft way. “Rainbow Dash, that was amazing,” she said as she flew over to her.
“Aw yeah! Doesn’t matter where they’re from. Clouds are clouds and I can handle them as easy as ever!”
“You sure can!”
The two pegasi each thrusted a hoof forward and collided with each others, hoof bumping with a spark in all their passion.
“Whooo doggy!” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy turned their attention to the pony on the floating ground that spoke. “Ah ain’t naver seen a fancier light show in all ma years!”
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy descended their altitude to land on the ground and greet this pony. “Actually, that wasn’t a light show, that was-” Rainbow Dash was interrupted by a face shoving very close to her own.
“Oh nature’s glory, it’s been ages since Ah had any company!” She proceeded to shake Rainbow’s hoof quickly before suddenly moving to Fluttershy and doing the same. “Where y’all from? Oh ya must be travelers. I can just imagine how hard it must be!”
“Well… um…” Before Fluttershy could respond, the pony zipped away and turned towards what was probably her garden.
“Oh, Ah’d have to check if ma crops managed. Harvesting will come and go in a flash, just like that storm.”
If Rainbow Dash wasn’t confused enough by this pony’s ranting, it was when she got a good look at this pony that did her in. She was a yellow pony with pink eyes and green hair. She was wearing a white sun hat and what appeared to be a saddle with cloth that stretched like a dress, just past the base of her hind legs and hiding where her cutie mark would be.
But the most distinguishing feature that Rainbow Dash noticed was the lack of wings. No horn, but the wing part was what confused her. This pony was an Earth Pony, living in the skies. She couldn’t figure out why or how this pony was living here. But then she remembered. This was where some ponies were banished to.
“R-rainbow Dash… where are we?” Fluttershy stuttered, snapping Rainbow Dash out of her trance.
“Where? Mmm…” Rainbow Dash reached into her bag and pulled out her map.
“Ooh, y’all have a map!” The other pony suddenly zipped very close to Rainbow’s map. Rainbow instinctively moved her map away and flared her wings while stepping away from, whoever this pony was. It also didn't help that this pony kept trying to close her distance between her and the map. “So ya are travelers! What a pleasan’ surprise! Ah must say, ya stopped inta the righ’ place!”
“Cool it lady! We’re not-”
“Oh, ya can jus’ call me Anch!” the pony interrupted. “But Ah insist! A couple of travelers like yerselves are more than welcome in my parts.” Anch then jumped over the two pegasi, landing towards the house. “Well come on. The harvest may grow but time sure don’t. That storm could come back and ruin the feast.”
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy gave each other a confused look. “Feast?” they asked simultaneously.
“Well do Ah have ta spell it out for ya? Young travelers have ta eat too ya know.” Anch proceeded to open the door to the house and walk inside. “They all need ta remember ta eat once in a while.”
As the door closed off, the air filled with silence, leaving Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy standing still and unsure of themselves. They looked at each other again.
“...Did she just offer us lunch?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“I… think so,” Fluttershy responded, looking back at the house with a smile. “She seemed nice.”
“She was nutty in the head,” Rainbow conked herself on the head as she said that. She proceeded to unfold her map and lay it on the ground to figure out where they were.
“We should accept her offer,” Fluttershy said as she walked next to Rainbow Dash and sat down. “It would be rude if we don’t, especially if she hasn’t had any guests in a while.”
Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Maybe there’s a reason she hasn’t had many guests.” She tried to focus her eyes on the map. She expected Fluttershy to do what she does best and be nice to everypony. But as nice as she was, there were ponies who could take advantage of that. And in a place where banished ponies roamed in, that would be very likely to happen. But that was just one more reason why Fluttershy was so shy with ponies she didn’t know.
Rainbow’s thoughts were interrupted when a yellow hoof was placed on the map. “Maybe she knows about an island with a type of forest that we’re looking for.” When Fluttershy said that, Rainbow stopped trying to scan the map and brought her attention to Fluttershy.
“G-oood enough point,” Rainbow said as she rolled the map back up. “Hey, maybe she can tell you all about that fish you know nothing about,” she finished with a smug grin.
Fluttershy’s ears dropped while her face flushed. “...Raaiiinboow!”
______________________________________________________________________________
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy removed their goggles as they entered the house, dropping their bags near the front door. It looked like a pretty small place. The living room and the kitchen didn’t have any walls separating them, making it pretty easy to find Anch, who seemed to already be cooking up... whatever it was she was cooking. But she, wasn’t currently on their mind right now.
“Ugh… what is that smell?” Rainbow snarled.
“Oh! Y’all decided to come!” Anch looked over her shoulder and pointed to a table at a center corner in the room. “Git yerselves comfortable right on over there and Ah’ll be with ya in a flam.”
Just as the two pegasi were taking their seats right next to each other, a loud clang of metal colliding with each other sounded. Rainbow and Fluttershy winced and covered their ears while the sound waves rustled their coats. They didn’t release until they were sure the sound went away.
“Nngh… Ah!” they yelped simultaneously, seeing Anch already on the opposite side of the table as soon as they brought their heads up.
“So, what brings you gals by this neck of the seas? It must’ve been tough getting through that storm,” Anch started up.
“Mmm… well, getting here has been the toughest thing on our journey so far,” Rainbow responded, rubbing her ears.
“Is that so? Where’re you from then?”
“Oh, we’re from Equ-oof!” Rainbow hit Fluttershy on her side, interrupting her speech.
“We don’t have a home,” Rainbow replied, then brought her head close to Fluttershy, who was rubbing her side. She whispered in Fluttershy’s ear. “Remember, if ponies banished from Equestria are sent here, we don’t want them knowing where we’re from.”
“Orphans? Well shoot me an egg cloud. Two sisters workin’ together and traveling the land, hopin’ to find a new home.”
“Well actually, we’re not looking for a… wait, huh?” Rainbow suddenly stopped herself when one word registered to her. She looked at Fluttershy, who looked back with the same confused expression.
“Sisters?” they asked simultaneously.
“Oh, you don’t have to hide nothin’ from me,” Anch continued. “Those colors of yers work too well together to be differen’. Not ta mention y’all must have a lot of trust in each other to be travelin’ alone.”
Rainbow and Fluttershy looked at each other again, not sure how to respond. Rainbow would ask what in Equestria was Anch talking about, if they were still in Equestria.
“Look, we’re trying to find an island with a forest. You know anything about it?” Rainbow asked.
“A forest ya say? Why would ya be lookin’ fer one a those?” Anch replied.
There was a pause before Fluttershy replied. “...So that… we could… live in it?” As weird as that answer may have sounded, it was probably better than anything else, without saying the real reason anyway.
“Are y’all serious? Y’all come across a nice covered shack in a tin can like this and ya prefer livin’ in a flashy forest?” Rainbow and Fluttershy exchanged ‘uh’s before Anch continued. “Ah well, the land’s as blue as the skies. Makes me wonder what other crazy clouds can be lived in.”
Rainbow Dash could only bob her head back at the response. There were so many things wrong with these sentences, yet this pony managed to guess Rainbow’s home by coincidence.
"If I may ask, how did you end up here?" Fluttershy decided to ask. Anch seemed to go into a deep thought though.
"Ya know, Ah'm not quite sure maself. One mornin' I was harvestin' food like Ah always did. Next mornin', here Ah am." Rainbow and Fluttershy's eyes shrunk when hearing this.
"D-did you see anypony when you were sent here?" Fluttershy asked carefully.
"I'm not sure. I remember yellin' goin' on, that's fer sure."
A bad omen filled the air. Was what they were thinking true?
"But ever since that fateful day, life has been as peachy as a tree’s bark!" Anch continued.
"Huh?" Another simultaneous response.
"With no more mouths ta feed, Ah've been as free as a fish out of water, feeling the nice sunshine and air all to maself."
Rainbow Dash had to press her hooves on her head to prevent herself from getting a migraine. How did any of these statements make any sense at all?
"Sure it gets lonely when it's nice and quiet, but every once in a while, Ah git visits from travelers just beggin' fer ma crops. They're all little dogs, and after they've had their fill, they leave with their bags of em, thanking me for cooperating." A bell sounded. "Ooh! That must be the soup. Don't y'all go anywhere none!"
Besides the work being done in the kitchen, there was silence across the table. Rainbow Dash's nerves caused her to scratch herself around her neck. Something didn't feel right. It sounded like this pony, Anch, was banished, but for what reason? The only thing she found Anch guilty of so far was defying all logic in her sentences. But why would that be it? Celestia would never banish somepony for being an idiot. Maybe she was dangerously stupid?
No. There had to be a real reason for this. But Anch just wasn't making much sense at all. Maybe she remembered things wrong. She could've meant anything.
Rainbow’s thoughts were interrupted when a new smell came into the air. The smell was too conflicting though. Something smelled good, but at the same time, it made her want to gag. It looked like Fluttershy was thinking the same thing. Her face twitched like she was smelling something good, but at the same time, she wasn’t. Suddenly, the source of the smell clanged right in front of them.
“Soup’s up gals,” Anch said, referring to the bowls of soup she had apparently thrown onto the table. She had one held on hoof as well, which she was sniffing into. “Ahh, that there smell never gits old. Feels like only yesterday when Ah blew a carcass first time Ah made this. But then Ah took that first taste, it was like nature’s golden egg.”
Anch started sipping into her soup, unbothered by that strange smell it was giving off. Rainbow Dash stared at the contents of the orange soup in front of her, not sure what to make of it. Small chunks seemed to be floating on its surface, but she couldn’t tell what it was. There was a bubble that bloated around it. When it popped, it released a fog that she was sure filled the air with more of that smell.
Fluttershy seemed to be just as nervous about the smell, but then she took a glance at Anch. Rainbow did so as well. If she was happily enjoying it, then it couldn’t be that bad. They both brought their bowls up to their faces. Slowly and steadily, Rainbow Dash let the liquid pour into her mouth. The taste was delightful at first. Nothing too special, but satisfying. And then, the taste of the chunks filling the soup became apparent.
Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide. Just when she thought she was liking it, an utter foul taste mixed in with the sweet one. The taste was so foul, she blew a hard spit take, gagging and nearly dropping her bowl.
She glanced at Fluttershy who seemed to be showing similar results after her sip, but instead of spitting it out, she was, for some reason chewing, along with trying to swallow. Rainbow saw a small lump go down her throat as her gagging went worse. Rainbow decided to bring her hoof out and smack the back of Fluttershy's head, causing Fluttershy to yelp and spit out her soup, ending her suffering gag.
"Ack! What is this soup?!" Rainbow asked with disgust.
Anch brought her head up from the soup and responded. "Why, it's ma favorite recipe, Caranch Soup!"
"Nnngh... Care… Anch?" Fluttershy asked while rubbing the back of her head. But then she gasped as if a realization struck her.
"Yeah, you know, Carrots and Anchovies? Caranch?"
As soon as Rainbow Dash heard that, she gasped as well. She had heard from Fluttershy that an anchovy was a type of fish! And Fluttershy just swallowed some of it!
Anch dug her hoof into the soup, pulling out a large chunk of the fish decorated with smaller chunks of a carrot that stuck to it. “There ain’t nothin’ tastier than a fried anchovy on a carrot.” She then sank her teeth into it. The sight of that greasy meat sinking within the teeth of that pony’s mouth made Rainbow Dash want to hurl.
That was when Anch’s attention went back to her soup, completely oblivious to Fluttershy's cheeks bloating while her face turned green. Rainbow Dash noticed this and immediately grabbed the trash can that was within reach from the table. She covered the open side over Fluttershy’s face, who instantly started vomiting in it while thrusting her body when it happened.
“Oh, that reminds me!” Anch suddenly said. But just before she brought her attention back at the pegasi, Rainbow Dash moved the trash can away and wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy’s stomach, squeezing her to prevent more chunks from flying out of her mouth. Rainbow smiled sheepishly at Anch while Fluttershy tried her best to resist from vomiting more. Rainbow’s grip helped with that, despite her bloating.
“If y’all need to rest up, the guest’s room’s over there.” Anch pointed to the hallway, leading up stairs. “Feel free ta use anything ya need.”
At the sound of that offer, Rainbow Dash rushed Fluttershy up those stairs, taking the trash can with her.
Anch chuckled and shook her head. “Fillies these days forget when they’re hungry,” she said before continuing with her soup.
______________________________________________________________________________
Fluttershy was lying flat on a red and white checkerboard bed, being pressed against it with Rainbow Dash on top. Squeaks and whimpers left her wide open mouth as Rainbow Dash brushed the insides of it with a toothbrush, not caring whether she was brushing against the teeth or the walls. She scrubbed hard and fast, filling Fluttershy’s mouth with foam thick enough that it barely allowed her to even breathe.
Rainbow Dash removed the toothbrush suddenly and splashed a large cup of water over Fluttershy’s mouth and face, not caring that some water spilled on the bed. “I can’t believe you swallowed that! What were you thinking?!” Rainbow shouted, allowing Fluttershy a moment to swirl the water in her mouth before spitting it inside the trash can right next to them.
“*Pant*, I was only trying to be polite, ungh!” Fluttershy yelped and her limbs flinched when that toothbrush was shoved back in her mouth.
“Whll a loth of gooth thath didth to youth!” Rainbow Dash yelled through her muffles while brushing. She had to get out as much meaty content in Fluttershy’s mouth as she could. “Why wouth you swhllhw shmthing you ovihoushally dhn’t lhke?!”
Fluttershy could only respond with little squeaks that were garbled up by the rapid toothbrush. She thought that if Anch was enjoying it, then it wouldn’t be so bad. She didn’t expect something like this to happen. She would say that, but if it wasn’t the brushing that prevented her from saying anything, she wasn’t even sure if that was a good reason anymore.
“Brhce yohrshlf!” Rainbow Dash reached passed the uvula, causing Fluttershy to hiccup. Rainbow Dash yelped when she lost grip of the toothbrush due to Fluttershy accidentally swallowing the whole thing.
Fluttershy clutched her throat and expressed intense stuttered gasps when that toothbrush got lodged in her throat. Rainbow Dash panicked even more. She reacted quickly by punching both of her hooves against Fluttershy’s stomach, causing her body to thrust. Rainbow struck again, making Fluttershy produce a weak yelp at the strength of air being forcibly pressed out of her body. Another strike Rainbow Dash did and Fluttershy could feel the brush coming up her throat, her pupils shrinking more with each hit.
One final strike, and Fluttershy successfully coughed out the toothbrush, launching it straight in the air and coming to a stop as it stuck right through the ceiling.
Fluttershy gasped for air as her stomach started rumbling aggressively, something obviously coming up. She covered her mouth as her cheeks bloated to the point of nearly exploding. Rainbow Dash grabbed the trash can and dunked Fluttershy’s head inside of it. Fluttershy vomited loudly inside of it while her body thrusted aggressively.
Rainbow Dash beat against Fluttershy’s back, forcing as much content out of her stomach as she could. Fluttershy kept her eyes squeezed tightly. Neither she, nor Rainbow Dash wanted to see the mess she was making.
When the vomiting stopped, Fluttershy’s head was released from the can, lying back on the bed as she gasped for air again, but this time more calmly. She pressed her hooves against her throbbing neck, trying to ease her pain.
“...D-did I… get it out…?” Fluttershy said through her heavy panting. In the middle of one of her pants though, her cheeks bloated once again without warning. Rainbow Dash turned Fluttershy’s head over and covered the can around Fluttershy’s face again. The vomiting this time was more gentle and didn’t last as long. When the can was released, Fluttershy swallowed painfully and lied her head back on the bed.
“I think so,” Rainbow Dash said. “I hope so.” She grabbed a second large cup of water and let it pour into Fluttershy’s mouth, this time gently. “Gack! The taste is still in my mouth!” Rainbow shouted after filling Fluttershy’s mouth. When Fluttershy got her fill, Rainbow Dash poured that same cup into her own mouth, completely forgetting the other three of the five cups of water she prepared and stacked on the backboard of the bed. After her fill, she tossed the cup aside, water splashing across the room as a result. They both swirled it around their mouth before spitting it into the trash can.
“O-oohhh…” Fluttershy moaned in her pain, letting one hoof rest on her neck while her other was on the side of her rumbling stomach, too weak to move. Rainbow Dash decided to help out and rub Fluttershy’s belly, settling the pain down.
“Rainbow Dash, I don’t like this place. I want to get out of here.” If Fluttershy’s words didn’t express her fear, the agony in her voice did.
“Don’t worry, Fluttershy, as soon as you get better that is the first thing we’re doing,” Rainbow said as she brought her attention to the washroom, noticing what she ended up doing to it in her rush.
The sink had a faucet that looked broken off, but covered up with a rag. Except for the slight droplets that slipped past, the rag sealed most of the water from rushing out. The cabinet was open, but the items were knocked over or spilled on the floor, where large puddles of water were decorated.
“How is a pony like that even alive?” Rainbow Dash had to ask.
“I-I don’t know,” Fluttershy responded. “Ponies can’t eat meat. They aren’t…” She trailed off, but then her eyes widened when a realization struck her. “W-why was she banished?”
Rainbow Dash gasped when she remembered the story that… thing... told. “It happened one day when she was harvesting food.” A lump caught her throat when a thought came at the implication.
“Y-you don’t thi-i-ink…” Fluttershy could barely understand her own jittery voice. She was too scared to even say what she was thinking, but she knew Rainbow Dash was thinking the same thing. One thing was for sure though. Rainbow Dash spoke for her.
“We have to get out of here…”