The Horse With No Name
Princess Luna's worse fears were confirmed as she rushed down to land at the crash site.
"REPORT!" she demanded; her use of the Canterlot Voice being solely instinctive given the horrific nature of the scene.
One of the half dozen or so Solar Guard on station instantly turned to address her.
"Princess Luna!" Lieutenant High Flyer exclaimed, snapping off a salute. "We're still searching for the Princess! It's as bad as Swift Wing reported. The team appears to have been hit by lightning, but it was impact with the ground that killed them all."
Luna glared with a fury at the clouds above the heavily forested mountains that separated the Crystal Empire from the rest of Equestria. The weather here was as wild and untamed as it was over the Everfree Forest.
"We've found the portal, but still no sign of the Princess or the others!" a nearly exhausted Private Swift Wing shouted as he flew by before darting off in a different direction from where he came.
He had been the one to deliver the news, having been the patrol pony that happened upon the crash site. After checking the team, there had been one survivor, who told of them being hit by lightning, but he soon expired. Unable to locate the missing Princess, he immediately flew to Canterlot to deliver the news and flew back with the rescue team and was even now assisting in the Search and Rescue.
"FIND! MY! SISTER! NOW!!" Luna roared.
********************
Many months later, a lone four legged figure slowly and tiredly trudged on over a parched and barren landscape. Her unsteady pace seemed to make no progress to her mind. Only when she occasionally looked behind her did she see the trail she had left. Except—it never seemed to change either.
The sun rising somewhere off behind her left flank momentarily grabbed her attention.
She watched curiously as the glowing orb shakily rose up several diameters in a moment and then suddenly stop to hang there in the now azure and cloudless sky.
She slowly blinked at the sight, thinking there should be something odd about it, something to jog a memory. But for some reason, nothing came to her. The feeling was the same as it was yesterday. And the day before. And the day before that. She long ago lost count of how many times it was….
The light helped with seeing. Part of her welcomed the light. But the heat of the day sapped at her strength. No food. No water. Just miles and miles of endless scrub and broken terrain. And dirt. Everywhere—just dirt.
So much dirt.
Where did it all come from?
She pawed at the ground with a hoof to see if there was anything underneath, but all she could tell was there was just more dirt.
After a few minutes, she stopped digging.
Numbly, she turned her head back to her path. Exhaustion made her head hang low. She resumed her walking, taking a step first with her front right leg, and using it to pull her body forward. Then her rear left leg moved forward, pushing her entire frame a few more inches. Then her front right—no—left leg, she remembered. Pull. Now her right rear leg, this time. Push. Another few inches. And on either side of her, her wings dragged in the dirt, making her painful progress that much slower.
Dirt.
So much dirt.
It covered everything.
The ground.
The air.
Her white wings.
Her white coat.
Well, she thought they were supposed to be white.
They just looked the same color as the dirt now.
As did those formerly yellow marks on either of her flanks.
And her ridiculously long mane.
And equally ridiculously long tail.
She could never figure out just what color they were supposed to be.
They just looked like dirt now.
Dirt.
So much dirt.
It covered everything.
The ground.
The air.
Her white wings.
Her white coat.
Well, she thought they were supposed to be white.
They just looked the same color as the dirt now.
As did those formerly yellow marks on either of her flanks.
And her ridiculously long mane.
And equally ridiculously long tail.
She could never figure out just what color they were supposed to be.
They just looked like dirt now.
Dirt.
So much dirt.
It covered everything.
What was supposed to be next? she wondered pausing.
Oh, yeah. Left rear leg blue.
She giggled at the rebellious idea.
Sadly, there was no blue.
Just dirt.
So much dirt.
She would like to see some blue.
Dirt.
So much dirt.
It covered everything.
She suddenly stopped and lifted her head, blinking.
Something was missing!
"BLUE!" she happily shouted, seeing the sky for the first time today.
"Huh?" she questioned. Was it today?
Her mind went blank, once more. She was trying to figure out the puzzle that popped into her thoughts for a moment. But, sadly, it was gone now.
Numbly, her head lowered again.
Dirt. (Right front leg. Pull.)
So much dirt. (Left rear leg. Push.)
It covered everything. (Left front leg. Pull.)
The ground. (Right rear leg. Push.)
The air. (Right front leg. Pull.)
Her white wings. (Left rear leg. Push.)
Her white coat. (Left front leg. Pull.)
Well, she thought they were supposed to be white. (Right rear leg. Push.)
"♪In a desert♫"
"♪You can't remember your name♫"
"♪Because no—something—to give you no shame♫"
"♪When there is no rain♫"
"♪I'm just a horse♫"
"♪With a really big mane♫"
"♪It's a terrible thing♫"
"♪To go insane♫"
"♪When everything♫"
"♪Just looks the same♫"
"♪Sun's so hot♫"
"♪But nothing's to blame♫"
"♪Cause a desert♫"
"♪Can't have a name♫"
"♪When everything♫"
"♪Goes up in flame♫"
Dirt.
So much dirt.
It covered everything.
The ground.
The air.
Her white wings.
Her white coat.
Well, she thought they were supposed to be white.
….
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Shit...this sounds rather grim, don't it?
Trust me, it's a comedy. Would this face lie?-->♫♪
(yes. yes she would. Rainbow Dash might be the Element of Loyalty, but she would lie her rainbow colored plot off. she AIN'T Applejack, you know!)
Kind of sounds like Clint Eastwood is at it again. Good chapter.
7077311 Thanks!
BTW, a slight amendment to the scoring: 2 points for spotting various western themed references that show up in the story (aside from the town this will be taking place in--because that one's still too easy. sorry)
So, 2pts for Renamon
The sky is dirty! Who cleans the sky in Equestria?
7220139 when it said the sky was dirty I was thinking pollution
7077439 this opening was so good I thought Clint Eastwood was going to pop out as a pony to greet celestrial
Okay, the entire desert sequence was somehow both grim and hilarious.
Great start.