//------------------------------// // Alone // Story: Beyond the Veil // by Twi-Fi //------------------------------// The first thing Rainbow Dash felt was the hot, hot sun. It wasn’t her worst crash. In fact, if she ranked all of her crashes, this one was mild. However, she couldn’t think of a time she had crashed head-first into the ground, flank sticking straight up and back bent over the wrong way. She was thankful for her athletic abilities and being flexible or her back may have broken. She groaned as she unfolded herself. Her hind-end crashed into the ground, and her whole body flopped against the hot ground, sighing with relief. “What the hay happened, Apple Bloom?” she asked, still face-down. “Nothing to worry about, kid. I’ve had far worse. Just ask your friend… Apple Bloom?” There was only silence: no rustling leaves or hustle and bustle of Ponyville, nor a single birdsong. Things didn’t add up: The stifling heat, the lack of a chill breeze—a breeze she had ensured for that day—and sand? Dash sprung to her feet, her back giving a jolt of pain which faded as intense light assaulted her eyes. She shielded her face. Squinting her eyes open, she reflexively snapped them shut again when the light seeped through and burned at her retinas. Her heart began to hammer in her chest as her breathing picked up. It was impossible—the sand—the heat—the light, and where was everyone and everything? She cracked her eyes open again; they watered as she forced them to stay open, and her jaw dropped. Her heart sunk as her fears were confirmed. Closing her eyes, Dash shook her head vigorously. “There’s just no way...” she gasped. She kept her eyes shut, waiting for a twangy reply, ‘There’s just no what?’ But only the sun, with its relentless rays, answered, and Dash felt her back burning with each pain-throbbing second she tried to ignore it. As if not accepting what she deep down knew was the truth, however impossible, she’d somehow be back in Ponyville. But when she opened her eyes, she found herself in a place that didn’t resemble Ponville in the slightest. Instead of lush green grass, trees, and mountains, a mirage shimmered on the vague horizon of endless flat desert. In every direction she spun, it was exactly the same: wind-rippled sand. And quite unremarkable sand too, as there wasn’t any sort of cactus, dry grass, or sage brush around. It was barren. She ran a hoof through her mane as she tried to rack her brains on what happened. “I was in the air… Why didn’t I just get Twilight to check it out?” She could’ve kicked herself for her own stupidity. “Nothing’s what it seems... What would Twilight do in this situation?” “Probably not fly right up to it,” she answered herself. She scanned the sky when a tidal wave or realization dumped over her. She wasn’t in trouble, she wasn’t stranded; getting back would be easy. She had assumed there was some sort of portal in the sky where she fell from. All she had to do was fly up there and find it, and she’d be home before losing any more training time, and this whole encounter could be put behind her. She gave her wings a flap… and then another and another. Nothing. “No—no—no! I have to—” She pushed off with her hind legs; her wings stirred up a cloud of dust as she leapt. “Ow!” Dash lifted her snout out of the ground, spitting out bits of sand. What the hay? She gave her wings some experimental flaps, changing the speed and angles. But every angle and speed she tried only fanned the ever-growing dust cloud. As determined to fly as she was, Dash had to stop. Her wings were heavy, her back was sweaty, and her head was pounding. Flying, it seemed, wasn’t possible, and she knew if she kept at it much longer she’d pass out from heat exhaustion. Panting, she cast a forlorn look at the sky. “I guess I have to walk…”