Rainbow Dash soared west, the early morning sun at her tail. She observed the terrain far beneath her, tree-covered hills that stretched to all horizons. Taller mountains in the distance cast long shadows across the earth in the low sun. Rivers wound between the hills, cutting dark paths through the endless swaths of green.
Every once in awhile, Rainbow would spot a dirt road far below, and if she tried hard enough, she might catch sight of movement along it, only to lose it as she carried on westward. From altitude, everything blurred together into the same dark green trees. Rolling hills coated in trees. Followed by more trees, and the some more after that, ever consistent as Rainbow flew.
As the morning grew on Rainbow Dash grew bored of the monotony and angled her wings downward, dropping towards the terrain. Her descent took her past the peak of a mountain, and she matched her rate of descent to that of the terrain as she followed its curving slopes down.
Rainbow steered her dive to intersect with a stream that ran down the mountainside. She dropped down below the treeline and traced the flow just above its surface as it meandered down the slope. Back and forth, she followed the stream, snaking between the surrounding conifers and rocky cliffs. As the flow sped up, so did Rainbow, keeping low and matching every twist and turn of the stream with quick and controlled wing movements. Rainbow Dash grinned as the twists grew tighter and the flow more rapid, cutting swiftly through the rocky landscape.
Suddenly the surrounding trees disappeared, dropping away as the the water spilled over a short cliff into a lake. As Rainbow shot out over the water, she pulled up, trading speed for altitude. Her momentum took her into a half-loop, and at the apex of her ascent she rolled over and hovered in place, looking out over the lake.
The water extended out to the west, glittering in the sunlight. The shore was an unbroken line of trees all around the lake, though to the far end she spotted what looked like a small dock sticking out over the water.
Rainbow Dash dove back towards the lake at a shallow angle, but still building up considerable speed as she neared the water. She cruised swifty above the surface, occasionally dipping low so her hooves came in contact with it, causing twin sprays of water to shoot up behind her. The mist hung in the air, refracting the sun and leaving a rainbow trail in her wake.
Nearing the other end of the lake, Rainbow Dash could better the dock, and also noticed a cabin nestled in the woods near it. With the slightest of adjustments, she steered her flight to a spot just to the side of the dock. Rainbow flared her wings, bleeding off speed on the approach, then with a final flap, came to a stop just over the shore.
Gravel crunched under her hooves where she landed and she trotted up to the cabin, looking around the exterior. There was no sign of any occupants, no lights visible, nor any sign that the place has been used for months at the least.
Her search did, however, turn up a patch of tasty looking wildflowers near the cabin that were completely untouched. Rainbow grabbed a double-hoofful of the treats and flew over to the dock where she sat down to enjoy her snack. She rested there, nibbling on the flowers, and enjoying the feeling of warm afternoon sun on her coat.
A nearby sound caught her attention, her ears rotated and homed in on the source, head quickly following. A large bull moose had emerged from the woods and walked casually down to the water.
“Oh hey. Is this your place?” Rainbow asked.
The moose flicked an ear at the question but otherwise didn't say a word.
“So uh, I hope you don’t mind me chilling here for a bit. I was just taking a quick break from my flight, then I’m off.”
The moose looked at her and stared for a moment, then made a grunting sound and lowered its muzzle down to the water.
“So…” Rainbow said, “You know any good places around here to grab some grub? Maybe some supplies too?”
The moose just stared blankly at her with its beady black eyes. Dash fidgeted uncomfortably under its gaze. She coughed into her hoof. Her conversation partner remained vigorously silent.
Dash got to her hooves, and started to approach him. “Uhh, you alright there dude, or do you just not talk much?” The moose let out a low bellow in response, shaking its massive head and antlers at the petite pegasus. She stopped, wings flaring. The moose pivoted, hooves kicking up earth as it bounded off, disappearing into the brush.
Rainbow stood motionless on the dock, wings raised, ruby eyes fixed on treeline. “Jee, hope all the locals aren’t like that.” She shrugged, then galloped down the dock, leaping off the end, wings catching the air.
She flew in wide circles over the water, using the sun-warmed air rising from it to carry her higher. Up and up she she climbed, until she reached a suitable altitude where she straightened out. The lake under her narrowed out into a river that continued westward. Rainbow soared high above it as it wove between the many trees, and she followed the sun in its journey across the sky.