//------------------------------//
// 5 - New Face 
// Story: Out of Body 
// by zaponator 
//------------------------------//

	Even after she'd spotted the light in the distance, it took Rainbow nearly another hour to actually reach it. The unrelenting rain reduced her visibility to the point that Rainbow was forced to progress in an agonizingly slow shuffle else run the risk of trotting face first into a tree.

A flash of bright blue light turned night into day for less than a blink. Thunder blasted apart the sky and rolled through the woods with enough force to shake needles from the trees. The harsh wind sent fat drops of rain slicing sideways through the air with enough force to sting Rainbow's cheek where they struck.

Rainbow Dash trudged on. Her improvised cloak clung wetly to her form and constricted her wings against her sides. The hood pinned her ears down and sagged until it half covered her eyes, leaving the upper quarter of her vision obscured by a persistent brown blur.

Lightning flashed, thunder boomed, and the distant orange light grew ever closer. By the time Rainbow Dash finally reached it, her hooves were practically dragging across the drenched ground. The trees didn't quite thin out, but they didn't exactly stop either. Instead, Rainbow found herself stumbling into a field of stumps.

She didn't bother to stop and look around. Rainbow Dash dragged herself forward without hesitation past dozens of evenly cut tree stumps towards the ever-nearing golden light. Lightning flashed, and a massive shape loomed in the momentary light just to Rainbow's left. She veered towards it almost reflexively, desperate for anything that could shelter her from the pelting downpour and incessantly biting wind.

Rainbow nearly stumbled face first into the broad side of a barn. It was only another brief flash of lightning that caused her to skid to a halt inches from the tall wooden wall. Much more tentatively, Rainbow Dash felt her way along the side of the wall through the swirling maelstrom of water and wind and darkness.

She followed the wall around one corner before finally feeling the barn door she was searching for. Rainbow Dash grinned tiredly beneath her soggy brown hood and felt around for a lock or latch of some kind. Her hooves brushed against a large deadbolt, and she gripped it tightly. With a grunt of effort that was lost in booming thunder, Rainbow Dash managed to yank it into the unlocked position.

The barn door swung open easily, and Rainbow Dash stumbled inside with desperate haste. She quickly spun around and heaved the door shut with the last of her energy, pausing only to secure the interior latch before collapsing into a sopping panting heap upon the hay-covered dirt floor.

"As nice as it is to be out of the rain, this place could use some redecorating." Daring Do sauntered casually over to Rainbow's side and shot her a smirk. "Not exactly five stars, eh kid?"

Rainbow Dash merely grunted and continued trying to catch her breath. In truth, the barn did seem in rather poor repair. A single guttering lantern provided barely enough light to see. Tools lay about in rusted piles, and a few of the crossbeams were warped or cracked. Where there should have been neatly stacked bales of hay, there were heaps of musty old hay that should've been thrown out weeks ago. Bits of shredded rope were scattered across the floor haphazardly, and the entire place was covered in a thin layer of dust.

"Yeesh…" Rainbow Dash tilted her head. "You're not wrong." She cautiously poked a collection of rust slightly resembling a shovel that happened to be sitting next to her. "Applejack would have a fit if she saw this place."

Daring Do squinted towards the dim lantern where it sat atop an old crate. "Hey, who do you suppose lit that thing?" She pointed.

"Dunno." Rainbow Dash half-shrugged from where she lay. "Whoever they are, they aren't here now, so I'm not worried about it."

Daring swung a lopsided grin Rainbow's way. "I like the way you think, kid!"

Rainbow Dash grunted and shakily rose to her hooves. She stood, shivering and dripping, in the center of the dimly lit barn. The pathetic light of the failing lantern cast her features in harsh shadow, making her look worse off than she was, but even Rainbow herself knew she was close to spent. She was exhausted, physically and mentally, and wanted nothing more than to collapse onto the ground and pass out for a few hours.

Daring raised an eyebrow in Rainbow's direction. "You gonna be alright?"

Thunder rumbled outside, shaking the barn enough to send dust trickling down from the ceiling.

"Don't worry about it," Rainbow Dash muttered. She cast her gaze about the room, squinting into the shadows of each nook and cranny. "Just gotta… find a hiding place."

"Yeah, that answer is concerning on a few levels." Daring Do squinted at Rainbow Dash. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head again while running through the storm?"

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Look, I just wanna rest up and meet the townsfolk tomorrow. Getting caught sneaking around somepony's barn wouldn't make a super great first impression, but I'm not super jazzed about going out there to find the farmhouse in…" Rainbow paused as another peal of thunder rattled entire barn in a creaking cacophony of old wood "…that."

Daring stared for a moment, then simply shrugged. "Alright, fair point. Carry on I guess."

As Rainbow continued her slow search of the dilapidated barn, the soggy brown cloak wrapped around her figure dragged wetly across the floor. The waterlogged fabric pressed her wings against her sides, and the hood was still dripping down her face.

"Wait…" Rainbow stood up straight, blinking. "Why am I wearing this?"

"Hm?" Daring glanced over. She saw Rainbow, glaring and gesturing at her improvised attire, and immediately winced. "Ah, yeah, that."

Rainbow Dash merely raised an eyebrow.

"Listen, kid, that's kinda… not fun to explain." Daring Do rubbed at the back of her neck with a forehoof. "Okay, so you know how Ponyville has lots of earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns all living together? Not every town is exactly like that. Some places just… never really developed that sort of diversity."

"So… there are no pegasi or unicorns here?" Rainbow blinked. "Okay, I'll admit that's kinda weird. Doesn't really explain anything, but it's weird."

Daring Do sucked a breath in through her teeth. "Yeah, it's not just that this town is full of earth ponies. You probably already know that earth ponies are generally very traditional, yeah?"

Rainbow Dash thought of Winter Wrap Up a few years ago, when Applejack had gotten bent out of shape by Twilight Sparkle's use of non-traditional magic.

"I guess so, but it's usually not that big a deal."

"Well, around these parts, tradition is a very big deal. Ponies' entire lives are based around tradition. They sing songs about it and stuff! It's a whole thing." Daring Do cleared her throat, then went on, "Anyway, I already explained the history of this place so you know that we're basically sitting within the ancient earth pony center of power. It's… traditionally, an earth pony land, if you catch my drift."

Rainbow Dash reared back. "Are you saying these ponies aren't friends with pegasi and unicorns!? No way! That kinda stuff doesn't fly nowadays!" Her voice rose to a shout by the end of her outburst.

Daring Do raised her forehooves in a placating gesture. "No, no, it's not like that. The ponies of Hoofington aren't gonna chase you out of town or anything. They just might not be quite as open or accommodating. Trust me, your wings would bog us down and cause plenty of unnecessary headache."

"So I wear a cloak to hide them." Rainbow frowned.

"Think of it less like hiding and more like a disguise." Daring Do grinned. "It sounds cooler that way!" She waved a hoof dismissively. "Besides, it's only so that our visit here goes as smoothly as possible. You can visit the general store and buy the supplies we need without any hassle, and we can leave this backwater dirt heap in the dust." She glanced towards a crack in the wall where the water-soaked world was visible. "Er, so to speak."

Rainbow Dash nodded slowly. "I… guess that makes sense. So they're not really bad ponies, just a little set in their ways?"

"You got it, kid!" Daring winked. "I found that out myself—the hard way—when I passed through here." The adventurer blinked. "That reminds me, we should start deciding exactly what we need to buy right now. Just how much scratch did you bring anyway?"

Rainbow Dash merely stared with wide open eyes. Her mouth opened slowly, then closed again.

Daring Do blinked. "You know, 'scratch'? Cash? Moolah? Ca-ching?" She rolled her eyes, muttered something about kids these days, and said, "Bits. How many bits did you bring?"

Still, Rainbow struggled to come up with a response. Her mouth opened and closed again before she ever so slowly shook her head.

Daring's grin cracked. "Kid, I'm gonna ask real nice. Please, please, please tell me that you brought some form of currency with which to purchase much-needed traveling items and provisions."

Finally, Rainbow Dash burst. "I knew I forgot something!"

"Are you friggin' kidding me!?"

While the question was rhetorical, Rainbow's opportunity to respond was cut off by a loud crack and a bang. The door to the barn swung inwards with such force that splinters flew where it smashed against the wall. The interior lock had been shattered, and twin hoof marks were imprinted on the door that hadn't been there before.

Standing in the doorway was an earth pony with hooves that perfectly matched those indents, just lowering their hind legs to stand on all fours. The dull green stallion spun about and snorted as he charged into the barn. His coat and mane were utterly drenched, and dripped rainwater into puddles on the floor.

"I know I heard somepony talking! Who's in there!?"

Rainbow and Daring Do both blinked, struck silent as they stared at the angry stallion. It wasn't his sudden appearance that surprised them most, but rather the fact that he was staring directly at Rainbow Dash with a stern glare.

"Don't think you can hide from me! Come on out before I get real mad!" the stallion snarled as he stomped one forehoof.

Rainbow Dash glanced down at her own chest, then back up at the stallion. He was still looking directly at her in the dim flickering lanternlight. Lightning flashed behind him, illuminating the curtain of water and casting his imposing form in dark silhouette. 

Daring Do threw Rainbow Dash a crooked smirk. "I like this dude already."

Before Rainbow could respond, the stallion shouted, "All right then! Just try and hide; I'll smell you out!"

Rainbow hadn't thought the situation could get any stranger, but then it went ahead and did. The stallion began slowly advancing into the barn, sniffing the air with every shuffling step. It was at moments like that when Rainbow Dash truly began to question her life and the choices that had led her to be in that position.

A few more pauses to sniff, a few more steps, and the stallion was inching ever closer. Rainbow Dash could do nothing but stand in silent awe as he wove a zig-zagging path in her direction. The thought of fleeing, hiding, or even confronting him never crossed her mind. In fact, almost all thought had ceased as she tried to comprehend what was even going on.

After an agonizingly slow trip across the room, the stallion was finally within a few feet of Rainbow Dash. He grinned triumphantly and took one last bound to land directly in front of her. The strange stallion took one long inhale through his nose and then stood tall and proud.

"Aha! Found you!" He paused and his muzzle wrinkled. "You smell terrible."

Rainbow leaned back, finally broken from her reverie. "Hey!" She leaned her head down and sniffed herself, only to wrench her neck back swiftly. "Eh, okay, fair enough…"

"And you talk!" The stallion smirked. "Interesting. Very interesting…"

The stranger paused, tapping his chin as if trying to remember something. In that moment Rainbow Dash finally got a good look at his eyes in the dim light, and what she saw caused her to let out a tiny gasp. Both the stallion's eyes were dull and grey, dim and without spark.

Daring Do seemed to notice too. "Ah, that explains a lot." She nodded. "Still like him. He's got spunk!"

The stallion suddenly jolted as if finally remembering something, then glared directly at Rainbow. "Oh yeah! What the hay are you doing in my dang barn!?"

"I'm… uh, I'm just hiding from the storm," Rainbow explained, only hoping that he wouldn't ask why she was out in the storm to begin with.

The stallion squinted at her, for all the good it did. "And just where is your friend, eh? I know I heard ya talking to somepony in here."

Rainbow Dash winced. "Ah, nope! Nopony in here but me… and you, I guess."

"Hmm…" The stallion tapped his chin a few more times. "Well, you're a strange colt, I'll give ya that."

"Pffft-bwahahaha!" Daring Do collapsed to the floor and clutched at her stomach as she rolled about in unrestrained laughter.

"B-Buh!?" Rainbow Dash sputtered. "Dude! I'm not a dude!"

"Oh yeah?" The stallion sniffed again, then smirked. "Coulda fooled me."

"Snnkt." Daring barely managed to stifle another laughing fit. "Did I mention that I like this guy?"

On shuffling limbs, the stallion turned about and made his way towards the battered barn door. "Well, come along then."

Rainbow blinked. "Say wha?"

"You just gonna stand there?" he called over his shoulder. "Or are you gonna come inside where it's warm and dry."

Without giving her a chance to respond, the strange stallion marched out into the downpour and disappeared from sight. Rainbow stared for a split-second, but hurriedly scampered after him. The storm immediately enveloped her once again, and her entire world became rushing rain and blasting thunder. Fortunately, she managed to catch the stranger's silhouette in the darkness, and followed behind him as best she could.

Just outside, Rainbow was quickly able to see a large dark shape coming up in front of them. The house wasn't far from the barn, but she still wasn't sure she'd have been able to find it in the torrential rain if she hadn't had somepony to follow.

The stallion approached the front of the house and quickly opened the front door. The house was dark inside, and Rainbow wouldn't have even been able to tell the door was open if the stallion hadn't disappeared within in the next moment.

Rainbow hurried after him into the unlit home, kicking the door shut behind her as soon as she was inside. It was too dark to make out much inside the house, but it was warm and dry. Rainbow stood in the foyer, dripping onto a hardwood floor. Directly ahead of her was a hallway shrouded in darkness. 

The only light leaked out between the closed door of a burning woodstove against the left wall of the hallway. Though calling it 'light' would be generous. Only the fact that Rainbow's eyes were adjusting to the darkness allowed her to see anything at all, and even then all she could make out was a pair of doorframes on opposite sides of the hallway and a yawning expanse of darkness swallowing anything further down. 

Still, the home was warm, dry, and smelled pleasantly of burning pine. Rainbow ruffled her wings beneath her heavy cloak and closed her eyes as she let the dry heat soak into her and sooth her bones.

"Yeesh," Daring Do shivered. "This dude managed to mix 'comfy and cozy' with 'creepy and disturbing', so y'know, gotta give him props for that." She squinted at a flat rectangular object hanging on the wall, unable to make out the picture it displayed. "As weird as it is."

Rainbow rolled her eyes and smirked up at Daring with a raised eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark now."

Daring continued to glare down the hallway, speaking out the side of her muzzle, "Firstly, I'm not afraid of anything—"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

"—and secondly, it's not the darkness that scares me, creepy as it is. Nah, it's the guy who chooses to live here." A beat. "Also snakes."

Rainbow blinked. "Wait, wha—"

"Coffee or tea?"

The sudden question wasn't entirely what startled Rainbow Dash, but coupled with the fact that it came from about a foot left of her head it certainly elicited a reaction.

"Gah!" Rainbow leapt aside like a cat and ended up halfway through the doorway to her right with her back arched and eyes wide. "The buck!?" She panted and stared at the calmly smiling stallion poking his head out of the kitchen.

"Sorry about that, girl. Didn't mean to scare ya." He chuckled quietly.

Daring Do poked her head out from behind Rainbow Dash. "I don't think I like this guy anymore."

Rainbow shook herself off and glared at the stallion. "I wasn't scared," she protested. "I was just… on guard."

"And what's a mare like yourself got to be on guard from, eh?"

Rainbow Dash winced, glad that the stallion couldn't see it. "Uh, n-never mind. You just scared me."

The stallion stared in silence for several seconds before simply shrugging. "Suit yourself. Now back to my original question…?"

"Oh, uh, tea."

Daring Do snickered.

"Shaddup."

"What was that?" The stallion tilted his head.

Rainbow waved a hoof. "Not you."

He smirked dryly before turning around. "You really are a strange thing, eh?" the stallion called out as he returned to the kitchen.

"I'm beginning to think so…" Rainbow Dash muttered under her breath.

Minutes later, the two were seated across from one another at a small table in a small kitchen. The house shook every so often from deep reverberating thunder, but the stallion paid it no mind. He calmly sipped from a large tin mug of coffee while the sound of constant rain pounding against the roof and windows provided a noisy backdrop.

Rainbow Dash took a few sips from her tea, served in an identical tin mug. Her ears flicked to each bass vibration that rocked through the house and each preceding bright flash of blue light. She idly glanced at Daring Do, who flitted about the room attempting to examine each and every detail in the limited light. Every so often Daring would hum or haw at something or other, but moments later her interest would wane and she'd be examining something else.

Every sip of tea warmed Dash to her core and chased away a bit of the storm's lingering chill that persisted in her bones. After a few minutes of silently enjoying her beverage, the silence was broken by the stallion across from her clearing his throat.

"I'm sorry for… confronting you, back in the barn." He sighed. "I suppose you could say my guard has been up as of late."

"Don't worry about it." Rainbow Dash shrugged and lifted her teacup up to to muzzle.

"So what's a petite thing like you doing wandering the Shadewood all on your lonesome?"

"Pffft!" Rainbow sputtered and choked on a sip of tea, but finally managed to blurt out, "I am not 'petite'!"

Daring Do turned towards the conversation with a massive grin.

The stallion smirked. "These ears don't lie, missy."

"I'm not 'missy' either." Rainbow Dash frowned. "The name's Rainbow Dash."

Both the stallions eyebrows went up. "Now there's a strange name. Not from around these parts, eh?" He chuckled. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you nonetheless. My name's Emerald, but most ponies call me Ed.

Emerald leaned forward in his seat. "You never did answer my question though."

Daring Do looked on. Rainbow Dash fidgeted. "I… uh… I'm just passing through, actually."

"I figured as much." Emerald nodded. "We don't get many visitors here."

Rainbow's ears perked up. "Hey, speaking of that, have you seen—"

Daring Do coughed loudly. Rainbow Dash winced.

"—er, have you heard of any… griffons passing through here?"

Emerald leaned back, mouth open. It took several long seconds for him to form a reply. "…Griffons, eh? That's a concerning line of questioning, Miss Dash." His face suddenly shifted into a glare and his voice took on an unexpectedly steely tone. "If you came here looking for trouble, you're not going to find it. So you'd better not go making it yourself."

Rainbow Dash gaped. She was too stunned to speak for several seconds. Her tea sat forgotten on the table in front of her, releasing curls of steam that wafted past her shocked expression.

Daring Do raised a hoof in Dash's peripheral. "I'm not sure if that's encouraging or not, but it's definitely something."

Rainbow shook her head. "Look, uh, Ed. I don't know what you're thinking, but trust me when I say I really am just passing through. I'm not 'looking for' anything here. Just curious, I swear."

Emerald's glare didn't falter. "Well I might suggest you get to 'passing through' as quickly as possible, eh?"

"I just need some supplies and I'll be on my way." Rainbow crossed a hoof over her chest. "Promise."

After a few more seconds, Emerald's glare finally softened. He slumped back into his seat looking almost drained, and offered Rainbow a tired smile. "I'll be straight with you, Miss Dash; I smell a lie on you."

Rainbow paled.

"But, I can tell when you're speaking the truth. Whatever skeletons you're carrying, you clearly don't mean any harm to this town." He frowned slightly. "A word of advice, though: Don't go around asking questions about griffons."

"Uh…" Rainbow squinted. "Duly noted."

Daring Do tilted her head and gave Emerald a strange look.

The stallion smiled kindly. "My grandson is coming by tomorrow. I'll get him to show you around Hoofington in the morning. Storm should be passed by then. In the meantime, why don't you go to ground in the guest bed." He paused and sniffed the air, then smirked. "And hang up those clothes of yours to dry, eh?"

"Uh, sure." Rainbow Dash smiled. "Thanks."

The stallion stood up and gathered both their mugs with surprising expertise. Rainbow blinked. She hadn't even realized that she'd sat there and drank the whole thing. She glanced out the window, and for a moment she wasn't sure if it was darker than it had been. Rainbow rubbed at her head with a forehoof as she slowly stood up.

"Uh…" Daring Do shot her a concerned look. "Feelin' alright there, kid?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head, only to wince as it throbbed. "Ugh, I think I'm gonna hit the hay, actually. I'm bit out of it."

"Sure thing!" Emerald called out from the kitchen, unaware that she hadn't been talking to him. "Just go back to the foyer, down the hall, and it's the second door on the right. Oh, shower's right across the hall, by the way. You smell like a wet pillow."

Rainbow shuffled her saturated wingfeathers self-consciously. She frowned and ambled back down the hall towards the guest room. Daring Do trotted silently behind her. The room was sized for one pony, but it wasn't cramped. Rainbow quickly felt her way to the bed, followed it up to locate an end table at the top, and from there…

"Yesss!" She pumped a hoof after feeling the presence of an oil lamp atop the small table.

Rainbow Dash gratefully lit the lamp using the same firestarting kit she'd used when camped out at the edge of the Shadewood. The room was cast immediately into flickering orange light, and Rainbow had to blink several times to readjust to the brightness after so long in the dark. 

When the spots cleared from her vision, Rainbow took the time to examine her warmly lit quarters.The guest room was spartan, its main features being a small end table with a lamp on it, and a single bed. 

The lamplight revealed more of the room, but there wasn't much more to reveal. A simple painting of a pine tree was hung, crooked, above the head of the bed. Other than that, the unpainted wooden walls were bare. There was no furniture other than the bed and table. Rainbow Dash shrugged off her improvised robe into a soggy heap on the floor, then tossed her saddlebags down next to it.

She left the room to take a shower, during which Daring kindly waited on outside the washroom door. The shower felt awesome after spending the last few days outdoors, not to mention running through mud and rain. Rainbow Dash spent several minutes standing motionless beneath the hot spray of water. She let the soothing warmth flow over her wings and her back and down to her hooves. Once she was fully clean and satisfied, she stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel from a basket in the corner.

After drying herself off, Rainbow stopped in front of the mirror and tossed her hooves through her mane to give it that carefully disheveled look she always pretended came naturally. She gave herself a smirk in the mirror, even tossing in a wink or two, before remembering that she wasn't traveling alone and quickly blushing. After a speedy shoulder check to make sure Daring hadn't seen her, Rainbow Dash cleared her throat, schooled her features, and returned to the guest room to find her traveling companion shooting her a serious look.

Daring Do was sitting in the center of the room, and Dash was frozen in place with one hoof still out in the hallway. They stared each other down for several moments, Daring's brows knit in deep concern and Rainbow's raised in confusion.

"Kid, we need to make a plan."

Rainbow Dash squinted and stepped the rest of the way into the room. "About… what, exactly?" She paused to kick the door shut behind her.

"We need supplies, and you don't have any bits. We need those supplies," Daring emphasized. "We're both as good as dead if you set out to rescue me without the necessary provisions to make the trip."

"Pfft," Rainbow waved a hoof. "I've made it this far, haven't I?"

Daring shook her head. "The trip's only gonna get harder, kid. From here on out we're no longer talking about a nice walk in the woods. There're mountains you can't fly over, even if you could fly, and that's just the start of things."

Rainbow blinked, then shook her head. "Okay, but what do you want me to do about it? Time is a factor, remember? We don't exactly have time for me to play fetch-quest and earn bits here in town."

Daring sighed. "I know that, kid. Look, maybe the answer's right here in front of us." She leaned forward, brows tight. "And by 'right here', I mean right here in this house."

"You mean Ed?"

"I mean Ed's bit-bank."

Rainbow Dash choked on air. After several gasping seconds, she managed to choke out, "You want me to steal from the dude!?"

"Come on!" Daring rolled her eyes. "The guy's blind! It'll be easy!"

"That's not even slightly the reason I have a problem with this."

"This journey is a matter of life and death, kid!" Daring stood up and took a step towards Rainbow Dash. "This is bigger than some old stallion!"

Rainbow Dash took a step back, shaking her head. "There has to be another way. I'm not becoming a thief, no matter how you justify it."

Daring Do sighed. "Listen, kid, sometimes you've gotta make hard calls to get the job done. I honestly thought you would've had some experience with this, but maybe you've just been more lucky on your adventures th-than I… than I have…"

When Daring trailed off, Rainbow stared. Daring's wings drooped and she sat back down on her haunches. Her head hung towards the floor despondently. Rainbow Dash inched forward.

"Hey, Daring…" She smiled kindly when Daring looked up. "I'll find a way, alright? I'll get us the supplies we need without doing anything sketchy, somehow." She gulped dryly. "Promise."

"Heh," Daring's smirk was small, but it was there. "Don't make a girl a promise if you know you can't keep it."

Rainbow smirked right back. "Wouldn't dream of it."

At that moment, her head suddenly split with throbbing pain. Rainbow Dash grunted and collapsed to her haunches, clutching her skull between her hooves.

"Whoa!" Daring jumped up. "You alright, kid!?"

"Yeah, yeah." Rainbow waved her off. "I did just get out of the hospital for a stupid serious head injury, remember. Heh, guess I haven't been getting all the bed-rest I should've been." She rolled her eyes. "I was always terrible at following doctor's orders."

Daring chuckled, though it sounded forced. She offered a sad smile and gestured towards the bed. "Why don't you just get some rest, kid? We'll see what's what in the morning."

Rainbow nodded slowly. "Yeah, sleep sounds about right." She trotted towards the bed. "I'll come up with something tomorrow, alright? Who knows, maybe this guy's grandkid really wants to buy a soggy brown blanket."

Daring Do snickered, but said nothing else. Rainbow Dash crawled atop the bed, spun around three times, and then curled up in the center of the quilt. She hummed in quiet satisfaction and allowed her eyelids to flutter closed.

A squeaking yawn issued forth from her mouth before she mumbled into the darkness, "Just… just what kind of a name is 'Ed' anyway?"

Seconds later, before she could even register that the room was too empty for a response, Rainbow Dash was fast asleep.





Rainbow Dash dreamed of great snowy mountains piercing the very sky.