//------------------------------//
// Cloud Talk 
// Story: Appledashery 
// by Just Essay 
//------------------------------//

	Rainbow Dash's flight over the wasteland was a considerably slower venture without the aid of the griffon ruby.  Nevertheless, she persisted in her westward glide, keeping lofty enough to avoid the occasional monstrosity below.

And there were more than a few of them.  Large reptilian beasts lurched about, some simply grazing for food, others locked in casual combat.  There were canyons and ravines where all manner of hideous insectoid abominations mingled—all of which gave Rainbow disturbing flashbacks of her struggle inside Spindel's Narrow.

Every now and then—amidst the curious bestiary—Rainbow would spot a tiny orange figure, standing in obscure places while all the creatures around seemingly ignored the freckled mare.

With a shudder, Rainbow faced ahead, her ears tickled by the wind.

And more:  "So I made a game of it!" Lancie said, lying casually in the pouch of her saddlebags.  "I'd rearrange the trophies from tallest to smallest, then from roundest to squarest, and then a little bit of both!"  He smirked.  "Then—if I got really bored—I'd arrange them by greater or less number of words on the plaques!"

"I can't believe you played games with my trophy collection," Rainbow Dash murmured.

"Well, could you blame me?"  Lancie shrugged.  "While going on adventures with you is nice and fluffy and all, I swear—most of the last few months has been me twiddling my talons back in your sky home.  And the only interesting thing about your place—aside from it being a floating cloud house in the sky—is the shiny trophy collection.  I promise I didn't spit on any of them... much."

"Mrmmmfff..." Rainbow muttered.  "I suppose I should be sorry for leaving you alone to collect dust so much."

"Eh..." Lancie shrugged.  "It's no big deal.  I mean, I was only a granite statue frozen in place for thousands and thousands of years."  He smiled.  "Crashing at a bachelorette pegasus' pad for a few months is totally manageable."

"Well, that's good to know."  Rainbow drifted left to avoid a jutting monolith of stone.  "I guess."

"Though I do have one question," Lancie siad, leaning forward.  "Why do you keep half of your trophies locked away in a cabinet?"

"Huh?"

"You've got at least three or four brass cups just hiding in the shadows."

"Oh.  Eh..." Rainbow shrugged.  "I got most of those at junior flight camp.  I was on a hoofball team.  Most of them are just consolation prizes."

"I dunno.  They looked pretty snazzy to me."

"Look, I'm awesome.  I've earned a lot of trophies, okay?"  Rainbow's voice cracked.  "It's super hard to keep track of all of them."

"Or maybe there's some you'd rather not keep track of?"

"Huh?"

"Cuz I noticed a common trait about the trophies you have hidden."  Lancie smirked.  "They don't say 'Rainbow Dash' on them."

Rainbow's ears twitched.  "Uhhhhh..."

"There's a middle name.  A very curious one."  Lancie cleared his throat.  "Rainbow J—"

"Do not say it!" Rainbow suddenly snarled.  "I'm serious!  Nobody... and I mean nopony says my middle name!"

"Hahahaha—why not?"  Lancie grinned.  "I think it's rather colorful."

"It's boring," Rainbow grumbled.  "Stuffy."

"Then why haven't you thrown those trophies out completely if you hate it so much?"

"Because..." Rainbow sighed, tail flicking in the wind.  "...the fact that it exists means my dad probably gave it to me."

"Your father or your mother?"

"Mmmmfff..." Rainbow shrugged.  "Either way, it's one of the few things I still have from them."  A few seconds later, she frowned, glaring back at the statue.  "But it's only for me to know!  Not for other ponies!"

"Alright!  Alright!"  Lancie nodded.  "I promise not to tell other ponies about your hidden name!"  He shrugged.  "Not like I've inclined to open up conversation with them anyways."

"Yeah..."  Rainbow nodded, brow furrowed.  "What's up with that?"

"Just figured it would complicate things further."

"Mmmm... you're right."

"Say, how are we doing in Creepy Beastland?"

"You tell me."

Lancie pointed north a bit on the horizon.  "Aim yourself to the right.  I feel the landscape dipping."

"Me too," Rainbow said.  "And I think those far ahead are... forests?"

"Only one way to find out."

"Right."  Rainbow flapped her wings harder and glided northwest.  "Let's just hope this freaky place doesn't have sentient tree sap."