//------------------------------// // Shingles // Story: Austraeoh // by Imploding Colon //------------------------------// “Wow-wee, if we had more flying ponies around here like you, we could get a lot more done!” Brisk Run exclaimed as he raised another bucket of red paint up. “I don't think I've ever seen a roof get touched up this quickly!” Rainbow Dash dropped an empty bucket, grabbed his, and lifted it in the morning sunrise. Half a rooftop's shingles were glistening in wet crimson colors while the other half of them lingered in a dismal gray. “Hey, to be honest, this is the first time I painted a roof.” “Well, you're doing a mighty fine job, Miss Dash!” “I'll let you be the judge later.” “I'm afraid I can't see all the roof from here. I'd have to fetch the ladder.” “Ladder, shmadder. I'll give you a lift, dude.” “Uhm...” “Don't tell me you're allergic to altitude.” “Perhaps I'm a bit too scared to find out?” “Heh...” Rainbow Dash smirked. “And if I was too afraid to paint stuff, would this roof get anywhere near done? Hey, check this out.” She gripped the handle of the brush in her teeth, dipped it into the bucket, and practically blurred over the rooftop in blazing loopty-loops. Brisk Run and a few other ponies watched in amazement as Rainbow Dash covered a quarter of the remaining rooftop in wet paint within mere seconds. “By the Goddess! That's incredible!” Rainbow Dash finished her treatment, spat the brush into the bucket again, and gasped for breath. “I'm starting to think it's beyond incredible, but I think the fumes are starting to get to me.” “Do you need a break?” “Screw breaks!” Rainbow Dash hovered down to his side and grasped another bucket and brush. “I'll get two more roofs done in the process!” “That would be making phenomenal time!” “That's time you can spend telling me more about what's east of Darkstine.” “Uhm...” Brisk Run ran a hoof through his mane, shuddering. “I'm pretty sure we were all sober last night when we told you that we didn't know what lay beyond it, Miss Dash.” “Oh come on. Seriously you've gotta have an idea,” Rainbow Dash blurred once more over the rooftop, covering the last bit of shingles in red before going back over to touch-up. “Some myths? Some old mare's tails?” “Uhhhh...” “The thing about myths is that they can't exist without an ounce of truth. An egghead once told me something like that.” “Well, Queen Whitemane of Verdestone has once spoken about a canyon—” “Wait... your capital city has a queen?” “Yeah...?” “Heh. That's interesting.” Rainbow Dash looked over the rooftop as she hovered. “I thought everything was all princesses and goddesses.” “What ever gave you that idea?” She sighed. “Never mind. So what's this canal that your Queen has spoken of?” “She came back from a visit to the east several years ago and said that there was a steep canyon somewhere to the east. It was so deep and vast that nopony has ever crossed it for years, maybe even centuries.” “So you're telling me that all travel east of this canyon is blocked?” “Well, only in the north, I suppose. I'm sure the Darkstinians have been capable of traversing it with their unicorn magic and all, but none of them have bothered to speak of such a journey. I'm thinking that many of them just don't care.” “Do any of you Emeraldine guys ever think about traveling the world?” Rainbow Dash touched down with the latest empty bucket. “Like, this village is a bunch of smiles and laughs...” “I'd say,” Brisk Run replied with a smirk. His companions chuckled. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “But, seriously.” She smiled. “Do Ridgeside ponies ever dream of going on long adventures or something?” He shrugged. “I never really thought of it that much. I guess, so long as I'm content with being here, so long as I have all of my friends, I'd never want to move an inch, you know?” Rainbow Dash slowly nodded. “Friends, right...” She shifted the weight of her saddlebag and smiled. “So. What chore's next?”