The center island of Kihutaja was vastly larger than the one that house the K.M.C.A., but that wasn't saying much. Despite its lush trees and hilly center, it was still far smaller than any land Rainbow Dash had visited before.
Something dawned on her about halfway through piercing the heart of the landscape. In all of her travels, Rainbow had always been exposed to large continents, vast deserts, and sprawling forests. Here, she felt noticeably cramped, and with every other trotting step she was almost afraid she might plunge off the face of the earth and land in the ocean.
Sinrar and Nick evidently didn't share this same sensation. For the most part, they seemed quite labored by the relatively short trip it took to get them as far as they had come, as if they too had traveled halfway across the plane and not just the sparse distance of three miles. Rainbow Dash glanced around at the various villagers and merchants they passed as they galloped through the center island's central township. It was then that she realized that—for better or for worse—this tiny-tiny place was their world. They were used to living on tiny archipelagos lost within a vast sea. She couldn't even pretend to surmise what sort of an effect such a perception might have on ponies' psychological being.
But as she saw more of the ponies' smiling faces, heard their casual conversations, and watched them milling about as they worked at their various jobs, she realized that it didn't matter if there was a far more gigantic world out there or not. The Kihutajans were a happy culture, sufficiently pleased to populate their abbreviated realm. Even if they didn't have everything, it was apparent to Rainbow Dash that they had enough. Their outlook may have been shortsighted, but it kept their ambitions in check. Everypony was at peace, and Rainbow couldn't decide whether that was awesome or not.
“Bah! Look at those mud huffers! Getting older by the piss break!” Sinrar grumbled as they passed by a blacksmith and two trading posts “Sooner than later I'll have competition with the whole island! Mrmmff!”
Nick said something in retort, but Rainbow wasn't listening. She gazed aside as they passed by a thicket of obviously-planted pine trees in the middle of the island. She saw a suburb of rustic cottages, sturdy storehouses, and even a log cabin or two. While adults worked on their crafts and carpentry, several fillies and colts chased each other around on the woolly lawns. It was frightfully idyllic, and the first thing it reminded Rainbow of was Blue Shelf. Only—this time—she felt assured of a truly happy society.
She weathered a delightful shudder. It gave her a second wind, and she pulled the cart faster down the winding pathway. They entered an even larger township built near the east end of the central island. Here, the landscape had risen to a higher elevation. The only reason Rainbow Dash had noticed is that Nick was near-fainting with exhaustion from the uphill climb. Even though she felt perfectly fine, Rainbow nevertheless insisted on a break—for Nick's sake. Sinrar protested, of course, but the old stallion wasn't going anywhere without the other two to pull him.
While Nick sat down to catch a breather, Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and flew straight up. From a high vantage point, she saw that there wasn't much land left to cover on the central island. A series of four-story tall buildings hugged a series of bluffs situated along the east end. Seagulls congregated over a bustling open market built to hug the curved ends of a cobblestone roundabout. It was there that the next bridge met the landscape, leading over the rippling waters from the eastmost island. This spot was the busiest Rainbow Dash had seen yet, with ponies of all walks of life congregating thickly together. Judging from the types of dress and outfits she could see, she imagined that many of the equines running the market were from distant archipelagos and colonies. No doubt they had sailed in from various parts of the ocean, having landed at the east island to carry their goods to this one location—a hub of both society and trade.
“Curious,” Twilight cooed in the tropical winds. She floated alongside Rainbow Dash, staring down at the scenery. “I wonder if there's a market like this on every island, or if Kihutaja is truly that important.”
“It's just one archipelago, Twilight,” Rainbow said. “For all we know, every body of land in this part of the world has a market like this, no matter how tiny the island.”
“Still, it's rather cute to imagine,” Twilight remarked with a smile. “That of all the places you could have stumbled upon, you landed here... on the most important one... to find the likes of Nick and Sinrar of all ponies.”
“What the buck are you even getting at?”
Twilight giggled. “I've been going over my head how lucky you were to stumble upon Bellesmith and Pilate.... you know... the ponies you said would become 'Eljunbyro.'”
“Uh huh...”
“It's rather funny how simple destiny can be.”
“I try not to think about it too much,” Rainbow muttered.
“What? Destiny?” Twilight squinted at her. “Imagining your place, I figured you'd have no choice but to put a lot of stock in it.”
Rainbow Dash bit her lip and was quiet. Twilight could have pressed the subject even further, but—judging from Rainbow's expression—she chose not to, and pensively allowed silence to reign.
Not long after, Rainbow Dash flew back down and rejoined her two “traveling companions.” Together, the group descended the narrow streets that led down from the bluffs and promptly crossed the next bridge. It was a lot more daunting a task this time, considering how densely the bridge was populated with tradeponies coming and going—but mostly coming. Every minute, the various caravans paused to gawk and stare at the threesome—most eyes settled on Rainbow Dash and Rainbow Dash alone.
“Okay. I give up.” Rainbow's brow furrowed as she and Nick had to veer left and right to pass the umpteenth group of stalled onlookers. “What's their big friggin' deal?”
“Maybe they're not used to your artistic vomit of a head,” Sinrar grunted.
Nick explained as if he was reading from a thesis: “There has been a great deal of conversation and rumor ever since the Blight fell. You might not have noticed, Rainbow, since you've been... uhm... doing whatever it is you do. But, no doubt, the talk of the town has reached the east island's port by now.”
“What's that gotta do with me?”
“Well, quite simply, the Blight ended right as you appeared.” Nick flung his mane back and gave her a smiling side-glance in mid-gallop. “Everypony here in Kihutaja pretty much knows that a sky blue pegasus with a rainbow-colored mane had something to do with it!”
“Yes, well, for all these peasants know, it's an argument of correlation,” Sinrar said. “Not causation!”
“Heh, you've been an old stallion for too long, old stallion,” Nick replied, chuckling. “Give an island enough youth and gossip, and they'll get hype about anything!”
“Is that so?” Rainbow squinted aside. “And just where did this gossiping start? And with who, might I add?”
“Erm...” Nick's features flushed, but it wasn't from the exercise this time. “Uhhhhhm...”
Twilight giggled. “Oh give him a break, Rainbow. He was excited to see you.” She winked, ears perked. “I know I would be!”
“Relax, mademoiselle,” Sinrar said. “Despite the little larva's doing, it's not like you'll have to suffer the intrigue for long. You are leaving this island soon, are you not?”
“Well, yes but still...” Rainbow sighed as they reached the end of the bridge, passing by another thick group of staring onlookers. She shuddered through a cold chill and said, “I could really have done without all of the crazy attention.”
“If I may be so bold, Rainbow, you only have yourself to blame there,” Nick said. “After all... you weren't exactly... subtle upon your arrival.”
“He has a point there,” Twilight said.
“Awwww shuddup,” Rainbow grunted.
Nick's ears folded back and he looked down at the blurring floor. “Sorry.”
“No, not you... I mean... grnnfghhh...” Rainbow rolled her eyes and sighed. “Look, from now on, let's all try to keep a low profile, alright? I'm... s-sorry about all the crud that's happened before. But if it's possible, I'd like to attract as little attention as I can.”
“Oui oui!” Sinrar nodded. He adjusted his beret and leaned back in the wagon's seat with a smile. “I like your style, harpy!”
“I don't get it. You're a worldwide traveler!” Nick exclaimed. “If I were you, I'd brag about my exploits to everypony!”
“Yeah, and if I was me too—and I am—I'd want to do the same.” Rainbow gulped. “But I really can't...”
“Honestly, girl!” Nick huffed and puffed as the group approached dry land and the buildings beyond. “What are you so afraid of?! It's not like you gotta avoid anyone watching you!”
Rainbow Dash merely bit her lip. She glanced aside at Twilight.
Twilight said nothing and floated along, and soon the group was piercing the east island of Kihutaja.
This strip of land was considerably smaller than the central one—and perhaps even smaller than the body that housed the K.M.C.A., but Rainbow Dash was hard-pressed to notice. There were more buildings packed together on this island than on the two western strips combined. The last time Rainbow had seen this much urbanity was in the capital of Val Roa, and even still this place felt remarkably more cramped, with cobblestone streets so narrow that at times two wagons couldn't pass each other without delicate patience and coordination.
Things became a bit easier when the group passed the capital of Kihutaja—or at least Rainbow Dash assumed it was the capital. Buildings here were large, ancient, and built out of intricate stonework. A domed structure stood at the far end of a round courtyard, flanked by marble pillars and equine statues that were jaded by the passage of time. Here, ponies gathered in droves, sharing song and fish tales. Rainbow saw artists drawing portraits of their loved ones, and along the shops she heard musicians filling the roads and alleyways with melodic strings. Everything was a great deal more alive and cultured—and yet it was still perpetuated by an innate Kihutajan mirth, a sort of lazy style of living that feared nothing and regretted even more of nothing.
The only serious faces Rainbow Dash saw were gathered around one of the stone-built buildings situated perpendicular to the stone structure. As she and her two companions passed by, she heard the tell-tale buzz of politics, with terms such as “continentals,” “colonialists,” and “Rohbredden” dropped every other sentence.
“Don't mind them,” Nick said. “They're simply anxious about the next voting period.”
“Voting period?” Rainbow stammered.
“Yes. For the Colonial Senate. You see, centuries ago, we all answered to the three Equine Tribes of the Continent.”
“Rohbredden.”
“Right. But time and distance—not to mention the Tribal Wars—separated us. Colonial concerns stopped being Continental concerns, and we drew independent in order to sustain our own resources and economy.”
“So how come you still call yourselves 'Colonialists?'”
“Because there's more than salt in the air that sticks to one's coat out here.” Nick smiled as the three exited the east edge of the courtyard. “For all of our talk and academics, we really don't have much of a central culture here in Kihutaja. The smaller archipelagos, maybe, but we'll always have the stigma of being Rohbredden's grandfoals.”
“Something tells me they regret it,” Twilight stated.
Rainbow glanced away from her. “Something tells me you guys regret it.”
“Yes, well, if it weren't for Verlaxion...”
Twilight shuddered.
Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “The less said about her, the better.” Her ears twitched to the sound of shrieking gulls. She fought her way past a Durandanan flashback to say, “Sounds like we're getting close to a harbor or something.”
“Not a harbor...” Nick smiled. “The harbor. Kihutaja only has the biggest port in the Western Fringes.”
“It's about damn time we got here too!” Sinrar spat. The air above was starting to broil into a proper orange as the late afternoon bloomed. “From the look of things, like we'll be casting off tomorrow!”
“Uhm...” Nick fidgeted in mid-step. “That's being rather generous.”
Sinrar gave the young stallion a double-take. “The Hell do you mean?”
“I thought you said your boat was moored out here,” Rainbow added.
“It is... but... well...” Nick sighed. “That was a long time ago, and I... d-didn't exactly have all of my things together when I first arrived here.”
“What is he saying?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah.” Rainbow blinked. “What are you saying?”
“Erm... you'll see...” Nick gestured down a sloped path leading through several fish markets. “Just look out for the seagull poop.”
“Huh?” Rainbow suddenly slipped in something. “Luna's nipple! You gotta be friggin' kidding me!”
“Rainbow...” Twilight sighed.
“Well he's gotta be!” Rainbow's voice cracked.