//------------------------------// // Mile Moss Crannog // Story: Rainbow Dash Around the World // by MagicS //------------------------------// “And so south of here is what again?” Rainbow Dash asked the married… trio… the following morning as she prepared to leave their small home. “Mile Moss Crannog,” Giacomo replied. “It’s the closest thing to a town here in this swamp,” Mary Anne said. “Lots of platforms and homes like this on stilts or on pontoons just a little deeper into the swamp. Some of them permanent but some float along across the water. They’re all connected together, some just by rope so they can unmoor at any time and go elsewhere. A lot of families have their own little place that they can travel through the swamp on or stop at a place like Mile Moss Crannog and hitch themselves up for however long they want,” Giacomo said. “There are a couple of bigger communities, but Mile Moss Crannog is the biggest,” Peggy Sue said. “Some families even just stay in big groups of canoes that they tie together and navigate through the waters on. You’ll probably see some of those at Mile Moss Crannog too.” Mary Anne said. Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Alright, by the sound of it it’s not a place I can miss if I just go straight south?” “That’s right, you can travel mighty fast so I doubt it’ll take you long to reach it. Just watch out for gators and wasps on your way there,” Giacomo said. “Ponies from there are who told us about the monster, so if you wanna just go there for some food and to meet some ponies before you start flying again, that’s really the last place you should stop.” “From what they said, the waters the monster dwells in are only a little deeper into the swamp,” Mary Anne said. “Good to know,” Rainbow Dash smiled, still no intent of telling them her plans. “You three have been great, but I guess it’s time to say goodbye now.” “It was nice meeting you too, hope you have a fun trip,” Peggy Sue said. “You were interesting to talk to, be careful out there,” Mary Anne said. “You three were interesting to talk to too… for a few reasons,” Rainbow Dash’s eyes wandered off to the side. “Just remember what we told you about the monster and stay out of trouble. Not much to see in this swamp anyways, no reason to get eaten by a giant alligator because of it. And don’t worry about the food either, you’ll find plenty of fruits and vegetables at Mile Moss Crannog,” Giacomo said. “That’s a relief,” Rainbow grinned. “Alright, I’m heading out then, bye you three!” She waved and jetted off from the porch, heading deeper into the swamp. “Bye!” The happy trio waved back. Rainbow Dash shook her head. “That is never not going to seem weird.” It was light out now, early in the morning, as she flew through the swamp again and it did give the wet locale a bit of a different appearance. It didn’t look so spooky and uninviting anymore—just ugly. She had been to a few bogs and swamps in Equestria and when it came down to it, this one wasn’t really any worse than those. Aside from the croaking. Cause the frogs were still constantly croaking. “Can’t the alligators eat you?” Rainbow Dash grumbled. At least according to the ponies she had just left behind it shouldn’t take her long to fly through here and reach Mile Moss Crannog. Though the densely packed trees and fog still kept it from being brightly lit in the swamp it was still much easier for her to make her way around than it had been at night. And as well-rested and fed as she was she didn’t have to touch down anywhere and risk a gator trying to have her for breakfast. She actually saw some decently nice looking flowers out now and once or twice a fish jumped out from the water. Yeah, monster or not this place wasn’t wrong the same way Hoofica had been when she first entered it. “But there’s still a monster here, huh? Not just some wild animal but a genuine monster?” Rainbow thought to herself. “I mean, these ponies totally would have to know a normal alligator from whatever the hay it is that’s been attacking them. Monsters don’t just come from nowhere though...” She shrugged as she flew. “Not like I can figure this out just by thinking. I’ll see that giant alligator for myself. Especially if it’s causing trouble for the ponies here.” A frown wormed its way onto her face. “That should be the first reason… tch, I know by now, I know. I shouldn’t be so selfish. I’ve been better about that...” It was a little tough though. With how emotionally and spiritually draining Hoofica and what came after was on her, Rainbow Dash really craved another fun adventure where she could just be awesome again. Taking out a monster sounded like the perfect opportunity for that. If only things could always stay simple. She hated it when stuff was complicated. Fly, punch bad pony, make friends, what was better than that? There had been so much lately that put a strain on her heart and mind and she needed a carefree adventure again to put herself at ease. Her time back in the True North had been so straightforward compared. It was easier when she was just back in the mammoth city and she didn’t really need to think hard about anything. It was always easy back home in Equestria too. Well, not always easy in that sense, but she always knew the right thing to do and she never had to question herself. She had never let anyone down either. But she had made up for those mistakes. And she would keep making up for them and the ponies she had let down by never forgetting them either. Giving Wish a happy life was only the beginning, saving these ponies from whatever monster was terrorizing them could be part two. And taking on any villains she found on the rest of her journey could be part three. After all, she still had a long ways to go before she got back to Equestria. While she flew a little further, Rainbow Dash’s ears shifted a little as the sounds of the swamp around her changed a little bit. The croaking… it hadn’t gone away completely but it had lessened. Was something coming up or had she entered some waters where there were a ton of hidden alligators below her instead? It seemed the first option was correct as the gnarled trees started to thin out a bit and some more light came from overhead and into the swamp. Fog was still rolling in from the distance but even it was clearing up a bit. Shapes then emerged from the fog as Rainbow Dash flew into it. Thatch covered wooden buildings standing on stilts in the water, wooden platforms floating between them connected by ropes and rope bridges, huts of reeds and mud built next to trees, dozens of canoes and other boats floating alongside or underneath the platforms. All of it stretching in every direction, filling up the open spot of the swamp completely. With how natural and swamp-colored everything was it probably would’ve looked like an ordinary part of the swamp if Rainbow Dash was flying above it. When she got closer to the platforms she started seeing the ponies moving across them too. Everything was still a bit foggy but she could see decently enough, and some of them had noticed the colorful pegasus coming in as well. Rainbow Dash’s hooves touched down on the first platform and she felt it shift in the water ever so slightly. She then looked up with an easygoing smile on her face and waved to the nearest ponies. “Hey, is this Mile Moss Crannog?” “That it be,” a mare said as she walked up to Rainbow Dash. She was probably Rainbow’s age, with a light-red, almost pink, coat and a pumpkin orange mane and tail. She strangely had a streak of mud under both of her blue eyes, and as Rainbow Dash looked around she saw that every pony had mud on their face like that. “Who are you?” “Name’s Rainbow Dash, I’m traveling south and I met some other ponies in the swamp who told me this place and thought I’d drop by. That alright?” “We don’t have any problems with visitors,” the mare said, offering a small smile. “Though we normally don’t get any from outside the swamp. My name is Belle by the way, how do you do?” “I’m doing pretty good now that I’ve found this place. The croaking is a lot quieter here. How about you folks?” Rainbow asked. “About as good as any other day around here,” another stallion said. “If you hadn’t heard we’ve got a bit of a problem in this swamp.” Belle frowned. “You don’t need to get right into that, she’s a visitor, why bother her with something so negative right off the dock?” Rainbow nodded. “I had heard actually. Something about a monster alligator?” “Let’s not talk about that right now!” Belle said. “You just came here to our home, please, have some breakfast and get to know the place. We care a lot about being kind to strangers and visitors.” “Uhh, if breakfast means “fish” then I dunno...” Rainbow awkwardly grimaced. “You a vegetarian like the Vissidians? Are you a Vissidian?” The stallion asked. “I don’t eat meat yeah but I’m not a Vissidian. I’m from further away,” Rainbow said. “All the more reason to sit down and have a talk. I can introduce you to the elder of Mile Moss Crannog, I wasn’t really doing anything else today,” Belle said. “Because the monster made it unsafe to travel the waters you usually go to...” the stallion snorted. “Hush, William!” Belle said, and now Rainbow Dash at least finally had a name for the stallion. “Hey look, I’m not in a huge hurry to just up and leave and fly right into that monster’s territory or anything. I wouldn’t mind meeting your elder and sticking around for a meal or two and talk. Depending on how far I have to go in this swamp I might even stay the whole day. I kind of enjoy telling other ponies about myself too anyways. And I’ve got a friend or two back home who wouldn’t mind learning about you guys too,” Rainbow said. William raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you saying you don’t care to learn about us?” “Uhh… no?” Rainbow Dash looked away. At this point most of the other ponies around were getting back to their own business, some random pony from outside the swamp not really holding their interest. They probably had plenty of things on their mind right now anyways. “Well here, come with me across the platforms and I’ll take you to our elder. She lives on one of the permanent platforms in the middle of Mile Moss Crannog,” Belle said. “You two go do that, meanwhile I actually have some work to do around here,” William rolled his eyes and walked off. “Just don’t go south into the waters of the swamp alone, or that monster will get you.” “Sorry about him, he’s not very social but he means well,” Belle apologized. Rainbow Dash shrugged. “A warning about not getting eaten is better than just telling me to buzz off at least.” “Normally even he would be more inviting… but ponies are stressed lately because of the monster,” Belle said. “I get it, it’s okay,” Rainbow Dash said. She glanced to her guide. “So about that monster though...” “Why are you so interested in it?” Belle asked, confusion evident on her face. Normally she would expect most ponies to be afraid of a monster when hearing about it. Or at the very least avoid talking about it and wanting to stay focused on more normal topics. Or just turning back and leaving Mile Moss Crannog. Rainbow Dash rubbed her head. “Just curious… I’ve been to a lot of places and seen a lot of things, it wouldn’t be my first monster.” “Well if you want we can talk about it with the elder, she and some of the other crannog leaders can tell you more,” Belle seemed a little dismayed at the prospect. “Sorry...” Rainbow said. Belle shook her head. “If you are going to keep traveling through the swamp you will need to learn all you can. I was just hoping we could have some time to talk about more positive things first.” “Well then...” Rainbow Dash looked at the mud on her face. “I’m kind of curious about the mud under your eyes. Is that an art thing?” “It is our way,” Belle smiled. “The mud is a symbol of our connection to Mile Moss Crannog and our appreciation for the swamp that gives us our livelihood. All mares and stallions here wear mud on their face like this, we keep special mud that has been blessed by our elder in sacred jars in our homes. Every morning a new streak is applied.” “Is that just a Mile Moss Crannog thing? Cause the other ponies I met didn’t have any mud on their faces,” Rainbow said. “We have a deeper attachment to this place than ponies who live independently or in the smaller crannogs elsewhere in the swamp. Mile Moss Crannog is the first and oldest community in this swamp where multiple swamp families came together to make this their home. It is a sacred and beautiful place. Only a few other groups wear the mud besides us,” Belle said. Rainbow Dash looked around. Well, she wasn’t exactly one to care much about beauty in the first place. So if that’s what Belle thought then why say anything else? As they walked across several rope bridges and from platform to platform, Rainbow Dash waved and said hello to every other pony living here that they came across. Sure enough they all had the same mud on their faces, even the foals. Most seemed decently happy too, or at least not upset, but there were some with hard frowns on their faces and others who seemed stressed. These weren’t ponies in danger or ones who had their livelihoods ruined, but they were still dealing with the looming threat of something they hadn’t managed to stop yet and it might have been causing a squeeze on their home. Rainbow had already just heard how Belle wasn’t able to go into the place she usually went to in the swamp. There were likely many others in her situation. “Come on, it’s just right this way,” Belle directed her as they walked across another rope bridge to the largest platform so far. It was made with what looked to be far sturdier construction and several other small wooden buildings and shacks sat on top of it. Their roofs were still made mostly of reeds and twigs though. “The elder will be happy to see a visitor, and she can bless your trip through the swamp with good luck!” Belle said. “Thanks,” Rainbow grinned. Kind of in the business of making my own luck though… “Our shaman can create charms for you too.” “Shaman?” Rainbow asked, the word unfamiliar to her. “The shaman are our spiritualists and healers, they keep us connected to our friends and family that have passed on and joined the mud below but watch and protect us still. They gather and perform the rituals for our sacred mud—and then get it blessed by our elder,” Belle explained. “Uh huh,” Rainbow nodded along. She then paused. “Wait, hold on one second. So your belief and all is that the ponies who pass on go down to the mud below the swamp?” Belle nodded. “When a pony here dies, they are wrapped with reeds and rocks are placed inside the wrappings, and we let them sink into the swamp below us. There they become one with the swamp and with the sacred mud. Our ancestors are always with us you see.” She smiled. Rainbow Dash again looked at the mud on Belle’s face. “You’re wearing your ancestors?” “I understand if you think it’s gross or strange… many Vissidians have said the same. But it’s really all a spiritual thing. It’s symbolic. The sacred mud is dragged up from everywhere around, places where bodies may have been laid to rest, and places where they haven’t been. In the end we’re all part of the swamp, it’s the meaning that’s the important part.” “It’s… definitely a little unusual to me. But I at least get that you aren’t creepy about it or anything,” she said as she looked at the wooden platform below her hooves. “Still though… right under here are…?” “Generations and generations that have been laid to rest in these waters,” Belle nodded. It was a rather macabre thing but in the end there wasn’t really anything else they could do with the bodies of their dead, was there? It was their own way of treating their loved ones with respect and admiration, even if the whole mud wearing thing did seem a little gross to her now. But then again from what Belle had said most of the “sacred” mud probably was just ordinary mud. And most of the ponies laid to rest would be skeletons long before anything else too. They clearly loved their ancestors, Rainbow didn’t need to think too negatively about it. “How long exactly have you been living here? And I don’t just mean Mile Moss Crannog—how long have ponies been living in this swamp?” Rainbow asked. “Hundreds and hundreds of years. Longer than ponies have been living in Vissidia,” Belle said. “We all came from the mud, that was our beginning.” Rainbow Dash remembered that Vito wasn’t sure about that fact, but apparently the ponies of Mile Moss Crannog were. Or it was just their preferred version of history. The library in Verbansk might have had its own tale to tell. Rainbow had no intentions of questioning their history though, let Twilight sort it all out later when she got back home. “You all came from the mud but other ponies don’t take it as seriously as the ones who live here, do they?” Rainbow asked. Belle sadly smiled at her as they walked. “Yes, it’s unfortunate but I feel more and more have been losing their way over the years. The larger communities still follow the guidelines of the shamans but we’ve had many breakaways and ponies going their own ways—the ones you met must have been the same.” “They were still nice ponies though...” “I’m not saying they aren’t!” Belle said with some alarm in her voice. “I just wish they and everyone else still had the same respect for our ancestors and where we came from that I and the others living in Mile Moss Crannog do.” Rainbow Dash chuckled as they approached the central building on the large platform, it was a fairly big hut with a domed roof of reeds. “It’s alright, I get it.” Belle laughed a bit too. “Heh, sorry, I get a little enthusiastic about things. Let me show you inside to our elder.” “Lead the way,” Rainbow shrugged, stopping right in front of a set of double doors that led into the hut. Belle smiled to her and opened the doors.