Dash trudged through the smoldering sand one dust-covered hoof at a time. She had no idea where she was going. Unwilling to remain in the same spot, and convinced nothing good would happen if she did, she picked a direction to aimlessly trek the desert.
Hours could’ve passed and she wouldn’t have known it. The flat desert broke to towering sand dunes, each cresting to reveal an endless range of more dunes. One thing became apparent to Dash as she battled her way to the top of yet another dune: she needed to find water.
She was better at navigating from the air, but she wasn’t totally hopeless. To avoid wandering in circles, she picked the only thing she could to orient herself with a direction: the sun.
She had long given up cursing herself for flying toward an unknown flying object; mostly to to save energy, and because her desire to quench her thirst had never been so dire. All she could think about was how even the nastiest stale-water pond would have made her happy.
The other thing that occupied the back of her mind, when she could push water out, was her location. Equestria had deserts per se, but she had never heard of one like this. The deserts she knew about had desert foliage and critters and ponies. She didn’t know how, but she suspected she wasn’t in Equestria anymore.
It was near sunset, and her body was aching, begging for water. Her sweat-covered body had long since dried up; she no longer had any fluids to secrete, leaving her fur matted and dusty. Her mouth was chalk-dry and her eyes burned from irritation. Yet, she continued to walk.
A chilling wind picked up. At first Dash found it refreshing. But as the cold air blew against her face, it dried her ever-dry cotton mouth further.
She had been walking since she had arrived and still found nothing. A dull pain throbbed in her chest. She figured she wouldn’t last much longer. Her mind teetered between conscious and fantasies; she could feel it wander and drift away. Illusions of lakes presented themselves to her, each more believable than the last. One took shape of a vast ocean, transforming the towering dunes into massive swells.
She had half a mind to let go. But the other half was still holding on... still had hope. Come on, Dash! She shook the illusions away, never faltering from her path.
As she crested another dune, she spotted something different… Ahead, silhouetted in the sunset stood a tall pony-like creature. Its mane and tail flowed majestically in the wind.
Not really trusting her eyes, Dash approached the creature. But as she got closer, it became more real to her.
The creature was significantly taller than Dash, her head barely came to its back. Very pony-esque in body-shape: the face and neck were longer, the eyes were smaller, and there were lean muscles of raw power.
“Hello,” Dash croaked.
The tall pony looked at Dash with a soft expression. It—no he. The strong musk told Dash it was a stallion. He blinked his eyes slowly, lowering his head.
His eyes stayed fixed on Dash as she reluctantly approached.
The stallion’s eyes drilled into Rainbow’s dry-red-eyes. A feeling of peace resonated with her, and she felt him speak. He spoke through emotion; he spoke in her heart.
Friend.
He pushed his muzzle to hers, exchanging breath.
Friend.
“Friends,” Dash replied. “Water… water. Can you show me where water is?”
The stallion turned on the spot and walked away. He cast a look over his shoulder.
Follow.
She found it difficult to match his long stride. He was a creature that moved with intent, with purpose, and with grace. His legs worked in diagonal tandem as he shifted his gait to a trot. Each hoof kicked up little sand as he pranced. His long forelegs rose to his chest and his hooves curled at the fetlock, and then they seamlessly unfolded and returned to the ground. He held his head tall and proud and his tail elevated and arched.
Even on her best day, Dash’s form couldn’t compare. She knew even Rarity would fawn over his elegance. She continued to wonder what her other friends would think if they saw him as she followed him into the setting sun.
Ahead, a small gathering of palm trees stood in the day’s last light.
The stallion gave her a knowing glance; with a soft blink of his eyes, Dash felt it—no, she knew it inside herself.
Water. Safe.