//------------------------------// // In the Desert, Something Deep Lingers // Story: Yaerfaerda // by Imploding Colon //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash wasted no time exploring. As soon as she fitted her packs back on her flank, she took off and soared directly for the edge of the canyon. She stared earthward, squinting as she passed over the edge of the ravine. With startling magnificence, the stone surface of the Grand Choke cut straight down at an unimaginably steep level. Because it was so early in the day, there was no way the sun's rays could reach the inner chasms below. As a result, Rainbow Dash couldn't guess their actual depth. Curious, she nevertheless flew eastward in a lazy glide, ascending with flapping wings in order to get a finer survey of the natural phenomenon. And yet, the more she observed, the less natural it all seemed. The world below had been sliced thoroughly into sharp swaths, bending and twisting every which way. It was almost as if a gigantic, continental razor had etched serpentine grooves into the world's stone skin at random. Rainbow flew, bending north slightly as she climbed to an even higher altitude. Gazing northeast, she saw the canyons rivering off, disappearing beyond the vanishing point. She couldn't tell where the canyons ended, although—from what she observed—it was as though they all started suddenly at that very specific longitudinal line. Her eyes grazed the winding the canyons as the next two hours passed. The very edges of the ravines—the top lips, so to speak—were jutting at near-perfect right angles. Rainbow Dash had never seen anything like it—not in Equestria nor in any of the lands looming east. As the third and fourth hour limped by, she grew increasingly eager to see what loomed below in those dark, dark chasms. At last, it approached the noonday hour. The sun passed slowly overhead, and Rainbow watched as the light bled deeply into each crevices. Lips pursed, she descended, coasting the mouths of the ravines. She hovered in place above one particular narrow trench, watching as the light spread down... and deeper and deeper. Noon came, and Rainbow still couldn't spot the canyon floor. To her estimation, light traveled down a visible two hundred meters before her eyes could discern no more. What struck her as strange was that the canyon walls were almost perfectly vertical, with immaculately smooth surfaces. The mare chewed on her lip. She glanced east at the sea of canyons, then up at the bright sun. Within another hour, the light would had shifted west so that she'd have next to no visibility within the ravine. So, taking a deep breath, she fearlessly dove earthward, plunging into the ravine altogether. As soon as she passed the top edge of the canyon walls, she felt encumbered by a wave of bitterly cold air. It was soothing for the first thirty seconds, but soon turned deathly and chilling as she was surrounded in ominous shadow. She passed the light's edge, spreading her wings in order to slow her descent. Here, she drifted downward slowly, eyes narrow. As her vision adjusted to the depths, she found that there was—indeed—a bottom to the canyon. Rather anticlimactically, however, it was filled with rising and falling dunes of sand. Nevertheless, Rainbow Dash touched down on pensive hooves. The sediment was remarkably compact to the touch. Only a few gritty bits crumbled off. Otherwise, it almost felt like perching on the stone skin of the Grand Choke itself. Rainbow rubbed a hoof across her pendant. A ruby glow illuminated the smooth, shiny walls claustrophobically stretching above her. Within the crimson halo, Rainbow Dash knelt low and brushed her hoof across the beds of sand. She collected some of the material in the crook of her forelimb and lifted it to her eyes, studying the shiny specks within. She exhaled, tilting her head to look straight up. The world appeared before her like a worming slit of narrow light. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, reveling briefly in the dead silence of where she stood. That far deep, away from the light and the wind and the heat, it almost felt like the last week had been nothing but an absurd dream. If there was a way to slap a lid over the ravine's top and seal her there, she might almost be game. Nevertheless, a lavender pulse dragged her out of the moment. With a dull sigh, she fluttered her eyes back open, glancing up. The slit of light was a lot darker. Rainbow knew it wasn't just her imagination. Several thick clouds had formed overhead. Curious, Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and began the grueling ascent back to the canyon's surface. The faster she climbed, the dim light remained the same, instead of blinding her. With a worrisome breath, she reached the chasm's lip and peered out into the surface world. Her heart nearly stopped, and she had to struggle to squint into the bitter winds. Another sand storm was rushing in—and fast. What's more, it was powered by at least two howling cyclones that shredded at the stone earth with violent abandon. Rainbow watched as the cyclones rolled westward—until they crossed over one or more canyons. They then made erratic turns, nearly breaking up, but ultimately coalescing and becoming stronger. Rainbow bit her lip. She figured that flying back into the depths of the canyon would be her best bet, but she didn't want to risk anything. So, with a swift breath, she kicked off the earth, barreled north, and flew rapidly in hopes of circumventing the westward blowing cyclones. The air grew more and more turbulent, and soon Rainbow Dash realized the deathly swiftness of the storm she was attempting to outrun. However, just as she contemplated ascending above the dust clouds, a wall of brown sediment consumed the horizon in front of her. Rainbow gasped, hovering to a swift stop as her wings fought against the winds to keep her steady. Her expert weather senses hadn't anticipated this, but she could now tell that a concave wind formation was sweeping her way, and if she wasn't careful she'd be caught up in the storm by three sides. Rainbow's experience with dust clouds told her that there was no sense in outrunning them. So, with literally no more options available, she gnashed her teeth and flew straight down, descending rapidly into the dim, dark chasms right as the howl of murderous gales whistled into her ears.