Unknown
Rainbow Dash flew east. After half a day, it had become an easy feat. A favorable wind blew at the back of the pegasus' feathers. The air before her gave very little resistance, and the atmosphere was tranquil and cool. She even took her goggles off for a while, allowing the upper currents to coast her gently towards the ever-stretching horizon.
With the departure of the mountains, the landscape gave way to gently rolling hills. Wintergate was a largely unpopulated place. Rainbow Dash wondered if Equestria was an anomaly to have had so many densely packed areas of equine living. She pondered if the ponies of Windthrow actually had any other villages to make contact with now that their time of isolationism was coming to an end.
Rainbow Dash winced. Her wings lost control for a moment, and she dipped briefly before climbing back into a controlled flight. A sigh escaped her lips. She didn't want to think about Windthrow. Not yet.
Below her, the land grew shinier. She put her goggles on and squinted down at the passing world. She realized that several small lakes and tiny rivers were starting to form beneath her. It was the first sight of its kind since she flew over the Undermarshes just beyond Everfree weeks before. As the day wore on, several flocks of birds lifted off of the glittering waters, momentarily accompanying her exodus. She skimmed by cranes, egrets, and herons. When a seagull cry or two touched her ears, Rainbow Dash grew curious. The air was starting to have a saline smell to it, and she scanned the north, east, and south horizons for the source of such a sensation.
Gradually, to the southeast, a bright blue line formed. Rainbow Dash couldn't help herself. She banked southward ever so slightly, careful not to lose her east momentum. Soon, that bright blue line was becoming thicker. However, with the dimness of the dying day, she decided not to take the plunge—as it were. She found a single sharp hill in the great plain of marshes and settled down for a brief snooze.
When she woke, it was just before dawn. She stretched her wings, adjusted the pendant around her neck, and flew at a close glide over the soggy landscape. Soon, she came upon a patch of sandy soil. Looking down, she was surprised to already see the water. The coast was placid. There were no crashing waves. This was how she came to suspect that she was at the edge of a very large lake.
Sure enough, as the sun broke out, she gazed south and saw a large body of water. She couldn't see the southern end of it, but she determined that there was a milky-whiteness to the liquid itself. She imagined that sediment had collected in the basin over the centuries. The place had a pristine quality to it, as if it had remained untouched by equines for countless eons.
Rainbow Dash decided to follow the northern edge of the lake. The banks curved north, much to her surprise, and she discovered a large river flowing into the basin. She wasn't aware of many rivers that flowed south. Curiosity got the best of her, and so she decided to swerve north slightly as she continued her eastward journey. What she discovered was a gently rising series of hills jutting up out of the earth like domed mounds. These weren't the jagged, pronounced mountains of west Wintergate, but something that very closely resembled a word that she had heard Red Turnip say days ago: “Slopelands.”
It was then that a startling thought came to her. Rainbow Dash came to a stop, sitting herself on a polished bit of stone in the center of a rapid stream of riverwater. In the midday sun, she dug into her saddlebag and produced a very familiar object. It was the map, and she slowly unrolled it in steady hooves before squinting at the old parchment.
Once more, she saw the names of regions, landscapes, and provinces. All of them were familiar to her. The last thing was a pair of sharp mountains on the very right side of the map. Beyond that, there was nothing. Rainbow Dash realized she had seen that nothing, and had surpassed it.
Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. Without a second thought, she crumpled up the map, stood on her hind legs, and tossed the thing deep into the swiftly flowing river. The map disappeared, soaking away into nothingness.
It was then that Rainbow Dash smiled for the first time in nearly thirty-six hours. She stood up, adjusted her goggles, and took a running leap into the unknown.
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Ah, another tranquil and beautifully described chapter, harkening back to the earliest chapters, keep up the awesome!
And so the mood from the earlier chapters returns! Excellent! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Rainbow_dealwithit.png
I love the way the chapter so easily conveys what it wants to. I'm feeling excited to figure out what happens next, and got a sense of wonder from the thought of Rainbow plunging into the unknown. The only other piece of fanfiction that wasn't a tear jerker that ever got any emotions out of me like this was Fallout : Equestria!
And once again, beautiful scenery is described in such a way that I can see it in my mind. These are some of my favorite chapters, even if they don't have much action.
-THEpandaman007
Its so good to be on the road again. Don't ever stop. Don't ever wait. Don't ever look back. Just move
I passed the halfway mark of the current length two chapters ago and didn't even notice. I'm absolutely loving this.
IIIIIt's Dashie's Third Marathon Evaluation Time!
So in this chapter, Dash finally heads off of the map she's been following. This chapter contains beautiful scenery and descriptions, harkening back to the first chapters of this fanfic. Ahh...now I'm getting nostalgic...But there isn't much plot in this chapter, although I really don't mind. These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
P.S. I'm already tired...n-no...lucky number seven left...
89 chapters down! Only 100 to go...
Still better the iOS Maps.
So close to the halfway point, I can do this! <Remembers Eljunbyro> Aaaaand then there's still that one to go...
111 chapters to go!
$9001 FINE FOR LITTERING!!!
2316206 $9001?!?!? THAT'S OVER...
jk not gonna say it.
Well, 89 chapters in and very late to the party.
But the writing's good and the plot is intriguing, if mysterious.
And apparently this author sometimes uses the names of commentors in the story, or used to before it was completed. If this were still ongoing, good luck with mine.
It's just like the first chapters of this story, where all Rainbow Dash does is fly on wards, lonely as can be. And now she's doing it again, still completely alone. You could have taken Gold Petals, you could've been happy! But I can't change what has already been done, no matter how much I yearn for the shipping. Maybe there will be more somechapter, I don't know. All I can do is look... to the future!
Of the edge of the map.
3863575
Mate; here, there be monsters.
3975043 my thoughts exactly barbosa lol.
So that's it, Windthrow is behind us now. It was such a sudden end, almost felt like a punch to the gut
That was...
Wow.
Just...
Poweful
On another note, this story and this image has inspired me to go on a journey of my own one day
lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/IlLLcgmSBrK8WBvX-F6jqfvCGJjKSzFuWhQhDj90AcjcJXiafFKnSGzRUNn_odgYfZyP9YxgKPd45gtKSQrgaJrZEqLnHsBxsLF0SR-WWuIIYwBBAZ-d9KjmghD0SvcWfjT8auCI2ySWxnvT=w406-h363-nc
Well, I would've kept the map, but I suppose she doesn't intend to make a return trip. What she's left behind is staying behind...or very, very far ahead, if she ever circumnavigates the world
does anyone have a picture of the map and the distance travelled? i would like to see this worlds geography
6559867
Depending on how far removed from show cannon this is.
vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/c/cb/Map_of_Equestria_April_2013.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130403195243
That's the official Equestrian's continental map.
6559867 Here is your map (warning, spoilers). As for distance I have done a few back of the napkin calculations, The distance traveled can be measured in light seconds (1 light second equals approximately 300000 kilometers, or about 186000 miles).
This chapter reminded me so strongly of exploring a newly-generated, randomly-generated Minecraft world where everything is new and you're just following the setting sun.
That same sense of the new, practically infinite and... that.
Well done.
7268535 Wow, a recentish comment! Colour me surprised.
Poor decision there, she could have sold the map for quite a decent bit!
7507964 Lol I had the same thought, as an explorer even if a map is no longer useful to you. other cultures would love to have it. There would surely be an egg head willing to pay a princely sum for it.
7268535
This is exactly the image I had in my head as well.
7268535
I agree.
7507964
7268535
I agree with you both!
Aaaaaaaaand that'll be a $500 fine and up to 60 days I'm jail.
Remember kids: Think before you litter!
Baad idea. Even if you don't come back to Canterlot, Ponyville or Cloudsdale, you MIGHT go back to Equestria. Might have needed that map for easier navigation...