Fly Away
By Game-BeatX14
The cool breeze blasted between her feathers as she sailed through the open air. Rays of sunlight crested over the far away mountaintops, glinting off her goggles as she slowly approached the enormous peaks in the distance. Down below, it was nothing but a mixture of rolling hills, patches of trees and remote farmland. Small ponds dotted the landscape, and rivers spread through the wilderness like capillaries, pumping much-needed water to every corner of the world. Equestria was such a vast and beautiful place, much of it being sparsely populated and some areas unexplored entirely. Up in the clouds, a lone pegasus gazed across it all, surveying the calm and undisturbed back country with hawk-like interest.
Rainbow Dash didn’t know if she could live without flying. It freed her from the hum-drum of everyday life in a way nothing else could. She thought back to what had triggered the urge to spread her wings so early in the morning... It had begun at five o’clock, after a night of anxious tossing and turning. Weeks of stressful weather duty and friendship problems had consumed all of her time, leaving the pegasus feeling tired and empty. A feeling of being trapped in her own home had overcome her restless mind. After hours of sleepless distress, Rainbow Dash had decided to get up and take off into the sky, just to break away from the suffocating familiarity of her surroundings for an hour or two. It was a solution that had worked on numerous other occasions so far.
Her mind drifted back to the scenery in front of her. As she glided through the air, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness at the vast, quiet world. Equestria was such a beautiful place full of wondrous landforms, yet most of it was completely uninhabited. Nearly everypony was confined to living in cities and towns, caught up with their daily routines while endless miles of unexplored landscape sat empty, just waiting for somepony to lay eyes on it. She began to wonder how many pegasi actually ventured out this far... Rarely did she ever encounter another pegasus more than a few miles out from Ponyville. While it took quite a bit of endurance to travel this distance, it was not very difficult for an experienced flyer like herself.
Rainbow Dash felt her stomach rumble. She was getting hungry. Luckily, she had packed some food in her saddlebag. She slowed down and landed on a small outcropping on the side of a mountain, which gave her a nice view of the surrounding area. Wearily, she sat down on her haunches, leaned against a tree and opened her saddlebag.
Her bag contained only a hayseed sandwich, some sunflower seeds and a canteen of water. But despite being a very bare-bones meal, it was all she needed for the short trip. Rainbow Dash rested against the lone tree and ate contently, listening to the ambient noise of the river and breeze down below. It was a very melancholy feeling, being out here all alone once again. Nopony ever came to this spot. Every leaf on the tree was untouched, every pebble unmoved from the last time she was here. It was her private haven, and she savored every minute of it.
The weather was beautiful today. Only a few white clouds graced the sky, filtering the rising sun rays just enough to keep it out of her eyes. A light breeze rolled over the top of the mountain, kneading her feathers with the cool breath of mother nature. She took off her goggles and stared off into the distance, still nibbling on her sandwich and seeds as she enjoyed the peace and quiet.
After a few minutes, she started to get bored. It was relaxing, but there was so much more to explore right in front of her. Rainbow Dash packed up her canteen and zipped her saddlebag shut. Feeling full and nourished, she had a bit more ambition to travel left inside her. She dove off the ledge, twisting into a speedy nosedive before cornering back around to a nearby canyon. She swept through the deep crevice, taking notice of all the interesting details in the rocks formations. Thousands of years of natural erosion from the river had carved out nearly two hundred feet of rock, showcasing the layers upon layers of different types of stone. The river flowed far beneath her, creating a misty haze that shot several dozen feet into the air.
After following the canyon for about half a mile, it ended, forcing her to pull up. She lifted over the edge, now entering a swath of forest at the base of a small mountain range. She began her ascent, rising several hundred feet over the course of the next minute. It was not the biggest or most impressive land formation in the world, but it was enough to give her a slight feeling of vertigo. Large pine trees covered a significant portion of the slope, so keeping a safe height above the ground was necessary to avoid crashing into any rogue branches poking from the canopy. As she flew over the ridge of the tallest peak, the small town of Ponyville appeared in the distance, nestled into a large valley. It looked so tiny from so far away... Even nearby Cloudsdale was a tiny white dot in the sky compared to the vast realm of Equestria surrounding it.
Rainbow Dash looked onward at the approaching town with a bittersweet feeling. Her short journey was approaching its last leg, and the peacefully silent hours of early morning were coming to an end. Everypony would be waking up soon, and she would need to be around for them, lest they start worrying of her whereabouts. Nopony knew she took these trips, and she intended to keep it that way.
After just a few minutes of travel, she approached the outskirts of town, gliding over Sweet Apple Acres and the nearby schoolhouse. As she descended back down towards the ground, she was overcome with an empty feeling. Everypony in the town square was already active and opening their businesses for the day, continuing on with their lives while Rainbow Dash just wished she could stay out in the wilderness for a little while longer. Being home was a relief in some regards, but returning to the rigid structure of life made her wish for something different.
She looked at the ground despondently. Underneath her tired demeanor, her mind kicked into a frantically high gear, parsing through all her duties for the day. Weather patrol started at noon. Twilight still needed her help collecting parts for a science experiment. Pinkie still needed assistance cleaning up Sugarcube Corner after a particularly crazy party. Scootaloo had been asking Rainbow Dash to teach her how to fly for days. Big Mac was sick, leaving Applejack without much help on the farm and begging her to lend a hoof... The responsibilities were overwhelming, flooding her mind in a shroud of gray fog. She loved her friends to death, but sometimes it was too much for a single pony to handle.
It was once again going to be a busy day, but in the back of her mind, she knew that tomorrow, in the wee hours of morning, would be another chance to break away. Even though she had just gotten back, she was already starting to mentally plan her next trip. Maybe she could wake up earlier, pack extra supplies and head out even farther... There were a few notable lakes she had seen in the distance, which would make for interesting new destinations.
Despite life’s unforgiving pace, flying and exploring always gave her something to look forward to. It kept her spirit bright during her lowest points. She only hoped that one day, things would settle down, and she would be free to traverse the world beyond the boundaries of Ponyville without distraction. The mountains she had visited were still visible in the distance, their peaks glinting in the hazy fog. Her gaze was drawn towards the majestic formations like a magnet to iron, enticing her to venture out and discover the unknown.
Rainbow Dash sighed. The calmness and beauty of Equestria was always just beyond reach, and yet so close...
She just wanted to be free to experience it.