//------------------------------//
// ...Then Comes the Breeze 
// Story: Appledashery 
// by Just Essay 
//------------------------------//

	Rainbow Dash flew east.

She huffed and puffed, squinting her eyes to the dusty winds of the desert.

Craggy mountains and arid valleys stretched north and south of her.

Barely two minutes of flying, and her muzzle already felt horribly parched.

She ignored it.  She ignored everything:  the pain, the lethargy, the thirst...

...the anger.

In the distance, Las Pegasus peeked over a ridge of dull orange stone.  Rainbow saw the glistening tower connecting the Lower and Upper halves of the gambling town.  Then, all of a sudden, the city stopped growing closer.

Because Rainbow had stopped flying.

She descended onto a plateau, panting for breath.  The mare clenched her eyes shut.  She shook in place.  She gnashed her teeth.

"... ... ..."

Fuming, the mare reopened her eyes, glaring.

Slowly, like melting ice, her ears drooped.  Her tail hung limp.

At last, Rainbow Dash clenched her jaw tight.  She pivoted... she turned around...

She sighed.





Listing Breeze finished the last of her water bottle.  Leaning against the side of her carriage, the mare stifled a burp, then crushed the plastic thing to her forehead.  With a grunt, she spun and tossed the bottle into the sea of junk.

Clap!  A blue hoof caught the plastic wad in midair.

Listing blinked.  "... ... ...that's quite a catch."

"You have no idea," Rainbow muttered.

"So your legs aren't so useless after all."

"It's not my legs that brought me here," Rainbow said, touching down.

Listing smiled.  "Then what did?"

"I don't know."  Rainbow tossed the bottle overher head and bucked it into the rusted debris with a rear hoof.  "Guess I'm just a glutton for punishment."

"Same booger as ever."

"Shut it."  Rainbow squinted.  "Tell me what the problem is so we can get this crud over with."

"You sure?"

"No."  Rainbow snorted.  "Now start talking."