The Thirty Minute Dash

by Esle Ynopemos

24: Asleep at the Wing [Adventure]

((Prompt: Falling asleep at really odd moments.))

Gotta stay awake. Gotta keep my eyes open.

Rainbow Dash slapped herself with a hoof. The last thing she needed was to fall asleep and crash. It was bad enough that one of them was missing in these Sun-forsaken woods, but if she broke a wing and lost her way out here as well...

She couldn't think about that. All Rainbow could do was keep her wings beating, keep one eye on the ground and the other eye on landmarks so she didn't get lost herself.

Celestia, there just wasn't an end to these woods. They just went on forever. It wasn't half so surprising that one of them was lost as that the rest of them weren't. Endless stretches of green, with twisted rivers and paths that led nowhere. Why would there even be a forest like this? Why did they have to come out here? Why couldn't they—

Why was she losing altitude? Rainbow Dash grimaced as she strained against the wind, only narrowly avoiding a collision with a gnarled old oak tree.

With a gasp, Rainbow perched on a branch to rest. She leaned against the sturdy wood and looked back the way she had come. Could Pinkie really have strayed this far out? Dash had been out flying through this forest for... Celestia, she couldn't even remember how long. Days, at least. And she hadn't spotted any sign of her.

Maybe she had found her way back to the others. Maybe they were all gathered around a campfire right now, listening to Pinkie tell them all stories of her wacky misadventures when she had taken that accidental detour.

No. Rainbow Dash shook her head. If Pinkie had rejoined the others, Twilight would have sent up a signal. There had been no purple starburst over the forest; Pinkie was still missing.

Rainbow let her eyes wander over the twisted vines and creeping bushes. She hated this forest. Maybe she had viewed it with a little curiosity and wonder before, but all that was replaced with bitter spite and contempt now. This was a stupid forest, it was too big, and too green, and too easy for a pony to get lost in. And the trees weren't comfortable for naps at all.

She pushed herself away from the tree with a start as she realized that her eyelids had drooped nearly shut. She couldn't be napping! Pinkie was out there, alone and lost! Who knew what terrible creatures were out there stalking her?

Rainbow shot back into the air. Her wings felt like they were full of wet sand, but she had to keep moving. There was no time to waste on breaks. Pinkie was out there somewhere. Maybe behind this next little bluff, or maybe on the other side of that ridge on the horizon. It didn't matter where, Rainbow Dash was going to find her, and bring her back safe and sound to the others, and then they were all going to get the hay out of this stupid forest and never come back, ever.

Wait, what was that? Rainbow stopped. She could have sworn she heard something. Maybe it was just sleep-deprivation playing tricks on her ears. Or maybe it was a hungry something-or-other looking to make a meal out of a tasty pegasus. But there was a chance it had been Pinkie, so Rainbow called out regardless.

“Pinkie?” she called.

A little bit of time passed, and Rainbow heard nothing besides the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves. She frowned, and shook her head. She couldn't let phantom noises draw her off of her search. Rainbow pressed forward.

“D-Dashie?”

Rainbow wheeled around. She had definitely not imagined that. She made a low pass over where she had heard the voice. “Pinkie!” she shouted. “It's me!”

A muddy tuft of pink mane poked out of the underbrush. Scraped, dirty hooves dragged across the ground in a funny limp. Dash would have hardly recognized the creature that emerged from the foliage, if not for the grin that slowly stretched across her face. “Dashie” Pinkie rasped. “Am I ever super-happy to see you!”

Comments

[Loeden]

Is she.. A zombie?! Well, or maybe she's just a bit bashed up. Iiiii think I'll hope for the latter.

[Esle Ynopemos]

2695095 She's just a little roughed up from being lost in the woods.

Although... I was a bit disappointed with how anticlimactic this one was, and a zombie Pinkie would really help punch up that ending.

"brains..."

"...meh. Where's Twilight?"
"Hey!"