When night fell, Rainbow Dash was actually ready for it. She set up camp beneath a pair of dead trees on the east face of a low mountain. With the aid of flint and steel, she started a humble fire and laid herself besides the flames to dry her body.
Thankfully, her saddlebag was made of stern stuff. The royal fabric had little to no risk of allowing any moisture to leak through. That didn't stop her—however—from habitually opening the pouches and examining the contents within. The bread was ever crumbling, but still edible. She chewed on a few morsels with boring precision before moving on to the rest of the pack. The map was untouched. The hatchet hadn't rusted. The green book...
Rainbow Dash lingered. She slowly blinked and icily moved the tome beyond sight.
Reaching into the saddlebag once again, she produced the red apple. It was as shiny and beautiful as the bright afternoon when she plucked it. Squinting through the flickering firelight, she polished the surface once more and smiled proudly at the fruit's glistening skin. Her stomach—barely aided by the stale bread—gurgled deliciously for the sweet object in her grasp. She did not give into it, and instead placed the fruit back into the deepest recesses of the saddlebag.
Minutes later, Rainbow Dash was lying on her back, her ears enchanted by the percussion of the campfire's crackling embers. She gazed at the stars, not with amazement and wonder but rather with a placid solemnity. It seemed as though no matter how far she flew or how many miles she traveled, the constellations looked the same, so that the lone pegasus wondered if she had crossed any distance at all.
At least the stars had texture to them. Drawing in and out of the streaming band of the Milky Way, she could have sworn she saw color—blues and reds pushing and pulling at her eyes. However, she danced with them like a stone golem would patrol a cemetery. There were too many stars to grow attached to. Rainbow Dash wondered if there was another pony like her a galaxy away, staring back and seeing her as just one more insignificant speck of light amidst the canvas of eternity. In the end—as her squinting eyes took her into the unforgiving realm of sleep—all of the light bled into a heartless gray, and it felt to Rainbow Dash as if she had never taken to the air to begin with.
She tried to shatter these thoughts. She remembered the quarry eels. She remembered countless other dangers that she had recently encountered, each of them wild and spectacular. She had flown fearlessly into the angry faces of anything and everything she had come across, and still the night's sky looked gray as she fell into slumber.
So she embraced blackness instead. Clenching her eyes tightly shut, she rolled herself into her blankets until they enshrouded her like a cocoon. Somewhere in the midst of that lonesome dark, she felt her head filling with her own heartbeat. It was something worth dancing to, and it made herself feel like she had the ability to show off once more.
And as if to grant her most secret wish, she had no dreams that night. When the stars passed over Rainbow Dash, they shone over a smile.
The royal fabric, eh? Is she on a mission? Hmmm...
Man, this was a bit heartbreaking. The sad, lonely music I'm listening helps to bolster that.
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time!
The only big plot thing I can find in this chapter is that Dash mentioned that her saddlebags are of a royal fabric, which heightens my suspicions that something is going on with the royal sisters. Hopefully there will be more plot soon, although the writing Is still amazing. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
The Royal Fabric from this chapter and calling herself an explorer in the previous chapter makes me wonder about why she's traveling this far. She can't just be exploring, but she must be on some mission or something. Once again, the plot thickens...
-THEpandaman007
She misses applejack, thats why she wont eat the apple...so sweet...
1147601
I know that feel.
1221046 I've been listening to that as well, along with the story.
Man... This is so... Wow.
1184183 Ugh... NO.
Don't bring idiotic shipping such as THAT into this story.
>>I Brained My Damage - thanks for the link! I was looking for music to go with this, and Skyrim stuff is perfect!
Anywho author, amazing story so far. I've been putting off reading it because of its length (wanted to set aside a good chunk of time to read it) and its vagueness. Which was my loss, apparently, because now that I'm reading it I love the hints and mystery. Its a nice, calming, emotional read. Its sorrowful and subdued one moment, and action packed and jubilant the next, but underneath everything is a current of mystery and foreboding. And your descriptions! I now really want to go camping, and take a long secluded hike in a lush green forest in a faint drizzle. Unfortunetely I'm stuck in my dorm room at the moment, with fall approaching. And now, back to this behemoth of a story. Avanti!
I feels ya, Dashie. I always wonder if somepony else on another planet is staring at mine.
Royal fabric could also be referring to a shade of purple, but it was already mentioned in an earlier chapter that it had a crescent on it... Maybe it's both and Rainbow is on a mission for Luna?
Rainbow has nightmares? Okay, but, why are they secret?
1231395 It's not necessarily shipping. Similar sentiments could be expressed by very good friends, after all. Applejack and Rainbow Dash are very good friends.
<_> i want to know the background of this story SOOOOOOOOOOOOO BAD
Austraeohaiku
Campfire dry off
Book, apple, infinite sky
Deep thoughts fade to sleep
That green book... what is it? I can't figure out anything. Oh well. I love the way you write her loneliness, not shoving it in our face, but just having it always subtly there. The descriptions really bring life to this story, it's just so beautiful.
So the music I'm listening to is actually the same one from last chapters post, but I'm goons put it up here again anyway. You can bet I'll pull more from this channel. Also... not exactly sure what chapter I'll draw next. Maybe eels or stalactite, but spring is good to, I just don't think I'm good enough for the imagery in it. So here's the link again, and I wish I could put it in a more convenient form but oh well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL0eMG14cR4
This is really good for this chapter and is worth the inconvenience I think.
also, 1/20 done already! wooooh. this is actually kind of difficult but I feel the paced experience is better than ten chapters a night like when I first read it.
The stars lay witness to the colourful streak as she flies east. The true question is what is her quest.
My favorite chapter so far. I adore the imagery associated with the night sky.
Does flint and steel actually work like that, or are people just too obsessed with minecraft?
4894565 flint and steel creates sparks enough to light the grass, paper, or whatever other fuel is under your kindling.
Royal fabric? Seems to support the mission from Luna idea. Also, that green book must've cost her dearly to acquire.
How many mountains are there?! Is Equestria the only habitable country or something?
Back to chapter 1.... the initials 'S.L' is that supposed to be Scoota Loo?(I know that's not how her name goes) or perhaps Soarin/Spitfire? or S. Luna. A lot of possibilities...
Wow.... Rainbow Dash facing danger just to feel alive? Huh... Still wondering what put her in that place. So far, the pieces of the puzzle include the Element of Loyalty, her feelings towards the sun and Solar Crest (and most likely Celestia), the unnamed green tome, Rainbow's lonely feelings, and the fact her saddle bags have moon clasps with royal fabric.... And yet, you still have not given the keystone. -___- Oh well, I guess the puzzle will be complete when you let it be. Onwards and Upwards to more chapters!
Wow, I had forgotten just how beautiful some of the scenes in this story were. The feeling of solitude is almost palpable in the moments like this one
2838181 I hope you're right because I'm sorry, but if they ship those two I'll stop reading the story, and I don't want to stop, IT IS AMAZING.
Reading through series again. Rainbow's musing reminded me of this:
'Rainbow Dash wondered if there was another pony like her a galaxy away, staring back and seeing her as just one more insignificant speck of light amidst the canvas of eternity.'
Foreshadowed Andromeda?
Never go on an adventure without your trusty hatchet.
I would say something profound, but a far more qualified individual beat me to it
I have no doubt that Rainbow would feel the same
02/14/2017 00:30 GMT
Okay... I've just spent the last hour or so reading the start to this story, and I have one question... HOW HAVE I NOT HEARD OF THIS STORY BEFORE?!
This story so far is awesome. The way it's written is fantastic. You say everything, yet nothing which leaves the readers in a suspense. You reveal just enough to highten the suspense, and for it to not go stale (Like Rainbow's bread), but not too much to releave it, great tactic and perfectly executed. I'm already hooked, and can garuntee as soon as I finish this story, I'll be moving straight onto the next one.
Reading about smaller groups of characters, like duos, and characters going on adventures solo instead of whole large groups like most stories produced on this site is such a nice treat. The personal experience of the characters really becomes part of the story, and the journey becomes so much more meaningful when taken alone.
7946238
and 50 years ago to the day, the man from the quote set foot on the moon and did the thing from the quote. And just as the travels to the moon may have ceased for now, so to has this series ceased for now. But hopefully both great journeys, be they to the stars and beyond or just across a massive artificial world, may continue one day, if not one day soon.
07/20/2019
20:17 UTC (Apollo 11 lander Eagle touched down safely 50 years ago exactly)
I like this chapter too. It's short and sweet.
I like this line, with the way it describes the ongoing sounds of the moment.
Good to know that Rainbow has done stuff like this multiple times already. Someone clearly doesn't care much if she lives or dies...