“The Grand Choke, they call it,” said Red Turnip as his face gazed over the crackling embers of the campfire. “All ponies living west of it know that it was once the home to an ancient race of equines. What ponies east of the Grand Choke name the place, nopony knows, because no single living thing has been known to cross it. It is a grand dessert, full of indescribably large creatures and beasts that could swallow a grown stallion whole.”
Rainbow Dash and the many members of the caravan sat, listening as the full spread of night descended above. Ironhoof and several others had already given into slumber. Fulltrot had donned a pair of spectacles and was writing something in a tiny journal about the day's progress. Across the way, Gold Plate was examining several packs of supplies.
“There's a village just lying to the west of the Grand Choke, and the ponies who live there are said to not surpass forty winters. It's as if a pestilence is carried westward on the sandy winds,” Red Turnip uttered, his eyes flaring as he related these unsavory details. “Why they stay there is anypony's guess. Traders describe them as a somber clan of equines. Quite possibly, they're the descendants of the ancient civilization that once called the Grand Choke home, and they stay in such a nasty place as part of some time-honored duty. But what could be worth guarding in that arid wasteland? Could it be treasure? A magical tome with the key to immortal life? Every adventurer who's attempted piercing that landscape has not come back alive. Those who are wiser and wish to keep their lives intact know to travel far south and skirt the edges of the Grand Choke to get to the Great Sea beyond. But with each passing day, the borders of the Grand Choke stretch wider and wider. If somepony doesn't go into the heart of that dessert and steal what dark essence empowers it, then maybe—in the far distant future—even these lands will be covered in arid blight.”
Several ponies murmured after the end of Red's utterance.
Ironhoof suddenly revealed that he wasn't as asleep as the others had assumed. “That is the most epic sample of balderdash I've had the poor fortune of being exposed to.”
Several chuckles.
Red Turnip munched on a last piece of meat and smirked at him. “That's because you don't know how to stretch your ears to something worth being awestruck about. I've been to the edge of the Grand Choke. It is not a pleasant place. I'm thankful to return home to the Slopelands on a yearly basis. There are things far east of here—at a grand distance from the Sun Goddess—that only wishes to consume the souls of a mortal wanderer.”
“You speak as if there's nothing here worth being frightened about.” Ironhoof turned over where he was lying and squinted through the fire's aura. “Grand plumes of smoke coming from the inside of a forbidden mountain. Rumbling noises of living things in the deep. There is more lying in weight beneath the surface of our homelands than we would please ourselves to know.”
“Then how is it you sleep at night, Ironhoof?”
“You don't shut up long enough for me to find out, Red.”
Several more chuckles.
Rainbow Dash's lips curved slightly. She heard a voice from behind.
“They dramatize about travel because they've only done so little of it.”
Rainbow Dash turned and blinked at Fulltrot. “Huh?”
The elder paused in scribbling in his journal. “None of them have seen much of the world. Not really. I've traveled far more than all of these brazen colts combined, and even I don't find much worth sharing. The way I see it, you can't convey the glory of this vast world through words anymore than you can through gestures. Ponies have to truly see the diversity of the realms beyond the Slopelands for themselves. Those who've only barely pierced such immensity must make up for it with stories.”
Rainbow Dash smiled. “But stories can be fun.”
“To give into imagination has an undeniable touch of foalish excitement.” Fulltrot nodded. “But once you've been everywhere—I mean truly been everywhere—exhaustion encompasses any and all enthusiasm.”
“Wanna tell them that?” Rainbow Dash motioned towards the group. “I think it'd burst their bubble.”
“So long as they expect this world to surprise them, it makes them do their job better. Otherwise, they'd be exactly where I would wish to be.”
“Where's that?”
“Home, child.” Fulltrot gazed at her. “Some of us are sane, you know.”
She didn't directly respond to that.
Fulltrot didn't expect her to. He next said, “I imagine you need a secure place to retire for the evening.”
“Not a bad idea.”
“You're welcome to stay by our fire. You helped build it, after all.”
“What about your caravan?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Where will you be headed in the morning?”
“Oh, you needn't concern yourself with our journey,” Fulltrot said. “Our proceedings would seem rather dull to your standards.”
“You don't know who you're talking to.” Rainbow Dash smiled. “I live to improve dull things.”
He squinted at her. His aged lips curved slightly. “Very well. If you're so inclined, we'll be picking up an hour before sunrise. If it doesn't interrupt your journey, we'll be heading due east towards Windthrow.”
“Heading east, huh?” Rainbow Dash looked across the fire-lit camp.
She saw Iron Plate yawning, his body stretching in a less-than-graceful manner. He glanced aside at Rainbow Dash, furrowed his brow, and immediately turned towards the wagons.
Rainbow Dash took a breath and glanced at Fulltrot again. She spoke above the murmuring ponies in the background. “I can totally do 'east.'”
You deliberately skipped the explanation. I am sad.
I found a couple of errors. Bold indicates a correction:
There are things far east of here—at a grand distance from the Sun Goddess—that only wish to consume the soul of a mortal wanderer.
There is more lying in wait beneath the surface of our homelands than we would please ourselves to know.
And, also, you refer to Sun Plate as 'Iron Plate' again towards the end of this chapter. You also call him 'Gold Plate' more towards the start.
I'mma bet she's gonna pay a visit to this Grand Choke.
Is there a pony names Iron Plate, and one named Sun Plate? I'm pretty sure there was a mix up in the last chapter, but now I'm not so sure.
Switched up "desert" and "dessert" near the end of the first paragraph. Should be "desert".
Loving the story so far!
IIIIIt's Dashie's evaluation time! (I forgot to do it for this chapter...sorry.)
I thought this was a nice chapter. The description, as always, is splendid and I thought that the scene with Dash and the elder could have been some foreshadowing...other than that, I, as always can't wait for the next chapter! These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
Okay.
WHY THE BUCK IS SHE HEADING EAST ALREADYYYYYYYY
"It is a grand dessert..."
She is not crossing a giant Ice-cream bowl. It's "Desert"
1231639CHAPTER 1256: THE GREAT DESSERT WAR.
I bet she goes to the Grand Choke. Such a Dashie thing to do.
A grand dessert?
Dear God... one sixty-freaking-six.
Hm, wonder what's with Sun Plate...
Sounds yummy!
1327480 Beat me to it
EDIT: Found something else
*giggle*
What is with all these names changing around?
1544790 Iron Plate now
Okay, so I am still loving the story and the chapter, but I have one big problem. It's probably on purpose, for some reason, but what's with all of the golden-maned stallion's name changes? One minute he's Sun Plate, the next he's Gold Plate, and the next he's Iron Plate. It's confusing.
IT'S GOLD PLATE, ICC, GOD. This stories great, but the whole name thing is just a continuous disaster. Oh well. Good quotes from FullTrot. Very wise. I like those old wise characters. Just wait until we get to CC..... hahahahahha, best character in the series, hold RD. The Grand Choke eh? I wonder if that is what I think that is, and I think it is. Can she do east? Here have a link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLTvMHQJLdo
yeah, i'd say she can do that
Back on the trail to nowhere and everywhere.
I think Dash is either just that bad with names that she can't remember the first part of Sun Plates name. Or she just really doesn't like the word Sun, (or a picture of a sun either) so she just changes it.
1043891 I bet you're right
Austraeohaiku
18. Vast
Grand Choke: a dessert
North of the Great Sea it grows
Beyond? No one knows
Finally. The actual (sort of) name.
I'm sure you can, Sparky, I'm sure you can.
1251202 Oops I responded already. :P
1043891 I bet you're right.
1233455
The great desert war actually began in chapter 1121. Honestly you were pretty dang close.
The dessert war on the other hand... Who knows? Maybe it will be chapter 1256? I don't recall much dessert fighting yet. Just regular food fighting.
Again, the changing names. I can only hope you've improved in consistency over the years.
East....why east and not north, south, or west? If what I mistakenly saw in the comment section of the newest addition to this series is correct, then why would east be important?
I'm just going to pretend that I am actually really naive and think those first few paragraphs don't mean anything to this story whatsoever.
Even though I might've skimmed some future chapters before and know waaay better.
Gold Plate.... he is acting mighty suspicious! Perhaps the next piece of the puzzle?
FORESHADOWING HO. Also get the feeling that the words being said affect Rainbow far more than she is letting on.
I hadn't remembered Sun Plate's naming woes to have been nearly this egregious. Maybe the whole 'naming the OCs and locations after commentators' thing this story is known for later isn't done as a means of honoring the readers, but so Imploding Colon could keep the names straight?
1233455 5616678 Cht.1256:
It's night and she's sitting around a bonfire, so I'd say that counts as dessert. She's also planning an attack on something.
So... yes. For a prediction made over six books in advance, that was really good.
Yum!
Aw, that's like my least favorite kind of dessert. Even below fruit salad.
I have no idea, why I missed this the first time I read this. This must be the most hilarious typo ever... Or maybe.. who knows?
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/373170/austryeoh
I’ll take one with extra sprinkles
I love all of this world building. When I look at the Equestrian map, I get the feeling that there's not much beyond that. That it takes up most of their world. But when I'm reading this, I get the feeling that it's just a small piece of a huge world just waiting to be explored.
No idea why, but for some reason, I gave the caravan ponies scandinavian accents in my head...
8221465
reminds me of that old "Letterman" cartoon...
What lies eastward?
8521403
Same, though mine pretty much come straight outta ”Vikings”. Red Turnip, in particular, no sounds exactly like Floki, in my head. XD
Well, alright. I suppose it's worth my time to join the many that have gone before me and start leaving a trail of comments behind on my long quest Eastward.
I don't really know why it took me this long, as I have been enjoying the story so far, but it feels right now that there is more than just the thoughts of one Rainbow Day to consider, and they seem an interesting bunch at the very least.
Though I must say, I spotted a few times where Golden Plate seems to have been mistakenly referred to as "Iron Plate" I thought this could just be a typo, but I think it happened more than once. Maybe there's a reason for this? Or maybe I'm looking too deep into what is obviously just IC messing up his name.
Still, can't wait to see where this all goes.
With you, we all can, for however long it takes.
07/06/2019
03:03 UTC
5843471
That's the spirit!
9617986
Heck yeah! But you didn't get neatly as late a start as I did with the whole trail of comments thing.
Oh the first mention of the grand choke
:)
>:)
Sincerely,
a knowing reader.
Rainbow Dash hears about the Grand Choke, which sounds ominous and interesting. She also decides to stick with the new group a little longer.
Iron Plate = Gold Plate.
This one is for fellow re-readers and the author.
“...What ponies east of the Grand Choke name the place, nopony knows, because no single living thing has been known to cross it. It is a grand dessert,..”
If somepony doesn't go into the heart of that dessert and steal what dark essence empowers it, then maybe—in the far distant future—even these lands will be covered in arid blight.”
Ha, I see what you did there!
East is her middle name. Rainbow Danger Easthorse Professionalism Dash.
It's interesting that these ponies know about the Choke - but not, seemingly, about Emerald Valley, Dark Stine, Silvadel, Ledomare, Xona, the Frozen Sea, Val Roa... there are worlds, entire empires, between here and the Choke, which do not even know about each other. Gives a very "the world has moved on" sort of feel.
Starting over from the beginning, it is really incredible how much foreshadowing, I suppose, is in these earliest chapters. Especially impressive considering how Colon wrote it.
It took me to the fourth read to actually register how brazenly Ironhoof lies about his visit to the edge of the choke. Plus, that foreshadowing If any of them had actually been that far, the stories of what lies ahead would be far more grand, and not just the very far reaching “myth” of sorts of the choke. I love it all to bits! ^w^