//------------------------------//
// Packing Things 
// Story: Eljunbyro 
// by Imploding Colon 
//------------------------------//

	"Thou shalt need flint and steel," Princess Luna said, pacing slowly around me.  "For the cold nights that arrive, when thou shalt need to build a fire to warm thyself."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that," I remarked.  I stood before a temple in the Midnight Wing, hoofing the items in question into a dark blue saddlebag.  "Yeesh, Princess.  Did you lend me enough blankets?"

Luna's graceful limbs fidgeted slightly.  "It helpeth to be prepared, Rainbow Dash."

I smirked at her with a rattle of her golden pendant.  "In so many tens of thousands of years, you're bound to start acting like a mother, huh?"

"We beg thy pardon?"

"Ahem.  Right... Moving right along..."  I swept more items into the satchel.  "Cantene of water: check.  First aid kit: check."

"Before thou beginneth thy journey, thou shouldst endeavor to acquire some fresh bread for the initial flight.  Not all civilizations of pondyom are as densely populated as Equestria.  It is quite likely thou wilt find large expanses without many townships to provide thee nourishment."

"Hey, don't ruin the surprise," I said with a smirking expression.  "Uhhh..."  With a ringing of metal, I held a thick blade at the end of a wooden stick.  "What the hay is this?"

"A hatchet."

"Gazunteight."

"It is quite the versatile tool, Rainbow Dash."

"I'm not so comfy with carrying around a weapon, Your Highness."

"Its primary use is that of survivalism," Luna explained.  "Thou might find it priceless when the day cometh that you need to build thyself a shelter."

"Well, yeah, okay.  I'll buy that."  I dropped it carefully into the satchel.

"We would be lying, however, if we declared that thou wouldst have no need of a weapon in thy travels," Luna added.  "There are many adversaries to Harmony in the world beyond Equestria, Rainbow Dash, and many of them cannot be simply negotiated with."

"Well, here's hoping they can't fly faster than the swiftest pegasus on record," I said with a wink.  I made to zip up the bag—"

"One moment, Rainbow Dash, if thou wouldst please."

"Hmmm?"

She leaned in and deposited a scroll into my forelimbs.

I opened it up, squinting at what appeared to be a large map of Equestria and its surrounding kingdoms.  I made a face, glaring up from the parchment, tarnished with age.  "What have I said about ruining the surprise?"

"The map will only aid thee so far," she said.  "The illustrated lengths barely reach halfway across this continent, which is less than a tenth of the world's diameter."

"Huh, not that I'm complaining, but how come you've got so little drawn out?" I asked.  "I thought you've been to the ends of the world."

"The last time we visted the eastern horizon, Rainbow Dash, was eleven thousand years ago."  Luna took a deep breath.  "We trust that much has changed in the landscape since then."

"Huh..."  I glanced at the map, slowly nodding.  "I don't suppose you've had many explorers since that time to do the dirty work for Equestrian map makers."  I smiled wryly.  "Maybe I could take up a part time job for you..."

"Perhaps thou can do something similar."

"Huh?"

"I wouldst desire to bestow thy pendant with a special type of enchantment."

I raised a hoof to the ruby lightning bolt and blinked curiously.  "But—like—I thought you already zapped this thing enough, y'know?  To keep the chaos away even more?"

"A different kind of enchantment, Rainbow Dash," Luna explained.  "It's been many centuries since we've last done it, but we have a spell that can allow us to talk over long distances."

I leaned forward with wagging eyebrows.  "You mean 'us' as in you and me or you and you?"

"As thou flieth over long distances, thou wilt have the ability to communicate with us, so long as you art located on the light side of the world."

"Hey!  No kidding!" I smiled.  "How's that work?"

"Thou wilt be limited to conversing with us when the moon is full," Luna explained.  "Essentially once a month."

Rainbow Dash nodded.  "Yeah.  I figured there would be a catch."

"We fear, Rainbow Dash, that most of thy journey shall be performed in solitude."

I stared off into space.

She leaned forward.  "Are thou prepared for that?"

I looked at her.  I chuckled breathily.  "Hey..."  I shrugged.  "It's a living... at least all the living I have left to do..."

"Rainbow Dash..."

I slipped the map into the bag and slapped it shut, snapping the lunar seals into place.  "Gotta thank you for this wicked sick saddlebag, Princess."  I slipped it over my spine and sagged slightly from the weight.  "Whoah!  Whew... tight fit," my voice cracked as I ran a hoof through my mane.  "Nothing I can't manage.  So... uh... you gonna give me the moon zap or what?  Cuz then I'll be on my way.  No reason to beat around the bush."

"Surely thou wouldst to wait at least one more day, Rainbow Dash."

"Why?" I asked, delirious.  "What happens in the next twenty-four hours?"

"What doth thou think?"  Luna asks.  "Thou art not the only pony being given a send-off."

"Oh?"  I looked at her.  After a few seconds, my ears drooped, and a heavy breath escaped my lips.  "Oh..."