//------------------------------//
// Bridge - PropMaster 
// Story: Operation Westhorse 
// by PropMaster 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash flew west.

She had left the lush mountains behind, many miles ago. The start of her journey lay back east, across days and days of flying. Below her, now, were green valleys, almost reminiscent of Equestria in some ways. Towns and cities dotted the landscape below her, and buildings stretched towards the sky. She chose to stay up high, out of sight of prying eyes, but below some of the strange vehicles that she'd seen flying in the upper atmosphere above the clouds. There was a happy altitude where her only companions were birds, who chirped and wheeled around her, curious. She thought, briefly, of Fluttershy. Experimentally, she reached down and tapped on her pendant, but the Element of Loyalty did not react. She sighed and pushed herself through a fluffy cloud, darting through the mass of cloud stuff to survey the ground below.

Below her was an urban sprawl, the likes of which she'd only seen on this world. It was grey and a little depressing, with dots of green and blue where homeowners maintained lawns or pools. She flew over a winding river that was widening out, the grey water impenetrable to even her excellent vision. To her west was another big city, with masses of the giant glass buildings that glittered in the sun. They were beautiful, in their own way, these behemoths, but nothing like the artistry of Canterlot, or the soaring spires of Cloudsdale.

She missed home.

Her eyes roamed over the landscape ahead, following the line of the river towards... bridges. Two of them. They were both very large, but one... one stood out. This bridge was a russet-red color that shone in the setting sun, with massive cables that ran along the length of it, supporting the structure on great towers that sat at either end of the span. It was majestic, with these swooping supports and lines spaced evenly in a masterpiece of engineering and artistry. It would have been comfortable in Equestria, where the architects cared for form as well as function.

Beyond this bridge was a glittering expanse of blue that stretched out beyond the horizon. An ocean. Rainbow Dash gasped, glancing over her shoulder, taking in for a brief moment the fact that she'd crossed a continent. It wasn't a new feeling, exactly, but it was new to her in this place. She'd crossed a lot of continents in her time. The excitement of the moment faded a bit, until she realized that she was likely the first pegasus pony to fly across this continent, ever. That was a little bit cooler.

There was a problem ahead of her, though. An ocean. She scowled and muttered under her breath, "Stupid oceans. I hate crossing oceans."

They were just so big, and it took such a long time to cross them. She sighed and did a wing-over maneuver, bleeding away airspeed and dropping in a swift arc downward, to land on the roof of a larger building. She'd been able to read the words easily enough. "Community Center."

She perched atop the roof as the sun set, and the lights inside turned on, bathing the area around the building in a warm glow. She flew a quick circuit around the building, before dropping down to the front entrance and trotting in through the glass doors. The foyer of the place was small, with a table set off to one side, and a branching hallway that went deeper into the community center. Rainbow Dash looked over the contents of the table. She saw advertisements, job postings, self-help pamphlets, before spotting what she wanted: travel guides and maps. She hopped up on the table and grabbed the maps with her mouth, her nose scrunching at the taste. She fluttered back out of the front door and back onto the roof. 

There was enough light to read by, and she examined the maps carefully, noting distances and orienting herself to the nearby landmarks. She plotted a route over the ocean, noting that there were a multitude of small islands between her position in "San Francisco" and "Japan", the next major landmass across the ocean. She nodded to herself and stretched her wings, before hopping into the air once more. She needed to find a place to sleep for the night, and she had an idea as to where she wanted to perch.

Across river she went, and over the city, to a wharf area that was lined with small shops. There were restaurants here, and she could smell food in the air... food, and one very distinct scent: bread. Good bread.

She landed on the roof of a warehouse-like building that sat along the wharf. A huge white tower sat nearby, with a nearly heraldic crest stamped on its side. The words "Boudin Sourdough" flanked wheat stalks and a stylized 'B'. The smell of the bread was incredible, and mouth-watering. Rainbow Dash watched as people came and went through the front doors of this place. She snuck around the back, to perch over a rear entrance. It wasn't long before an employee wearing an apron and a white hat stepped outside, their eyes glued to a little glowing device in their hands. They didn't even notice that the door took a few extra seconds to close behind them. Rainbow Dash found herself in a back room, surrounded by bread. Bread on racks and racks, cooling, setting, being prepared for sale. She eyed a few loaves with uncertainty, before her eyes settled on something unique. 

A loaf of bread shaped like a tortoise.

Rainbow Dash grinned and, with a flap of her wings, grabbed the tortoise and absconded out the rear exit. She reached the roof of the building and smirked, holding up her prize. The carbohydrate tortoise stared back unblinkingly. Without hesitation, Rainbow Dash bit into the bread, savoring the complex, yeasty flavor. It was very, very good. Maybe not Sugarcube Corner good, but it was perhaps the best bread she'd had in this world. The food filled her up quickly, left her satisfied, and she flew to a perch next to a chimney spout atop the bakery, where the warmth of the ovens heated the metal chimney. The chill off the ocean wasn't as bad, here. 

Rainbow Dash slept soundly.

In the morning, she woke up before the dawn as the sound of bakers arriving early to work roused her. She grumbled a bit, but she used the same trick she had the previous evening, snagging a second loaf of bread and having breakfast. She felt great. Ready to tackle an ocean. She closed her eyes, thinking back to the map she'd memorized the previous night, and then nodded to herself. She glanced down at the pendant. "So... are we going west?"

Rainbow Dash reached out a hoof and tapped the element of harmony, and it finally sparked. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Seriously? Now? After all these miles, now's the time you decide to work?" 

A red flicker of light, very dim, was her only answer. She turned in a slow circle, and the light grew brighter as she faced West. With a final wink, the light went out again. Rainbow Dash faced west, and nodded. "Island hopping, then. Let's see what kind of strange stuff happens on this ocean crossing."

Rainbow Dash flew west, over the ocean, towards parts unknown.