Rainbow Dash's Unstoppable Ego

by MagicS

By the Campfire

While the yak children on their pilgrimage finished up with their tents the other adult of the party, a quiet yak by the name of Harrison, started to get a large pot of stew warmed up. Harrison had been pulling a sled behind him that Rainbow Dash had been unable to see in the darkness that was carrying all of the yaks other supplies. The younger yaks were currently lining up and eagerly waiting for their meal. According to William they lived on a subsistence diet while making the march to the eastern coastline, every yak was quite hungry on the way back thanks to this. Rainbow Dash had had a generous meal just earlier in the day but she was hardly going to say no to whatever kind of stew yaks liked.

William had so far not elaborated on anything having to do with the north or why Rainbow Dash’s desire to go there caused him such trepidation, instead telling her that they might as well wait for the food to be ready so they could eat first. Since they weren’t going anywhere tonight. While Rainbow Dash sat around he gathered up some rocks and twigs from around the forest floor, cleared away any snow so they had some dry ground, and used his torch to start a small campfire the two of them could sit by. The flame quickly grew greater and warmer than just the simple torch and Rainbow Dash basked in its heat. With the shaggy fur and large blanket things the yaks were wearing she didn’t think they needed this kind of fire to keep warm, so William was probably doing it for her benefit.

“Thanks for the fire by the way.”

“It is no problem. Yaks best at making campfires too.”

Well at least that was something that wouldn’t change no matter the mood.

And instead of them waiting in line for their stew, the first two of the yak children actually brought them their own bowls. William thanked them and they got back in line while Rainbow Dash grabbed her wooden spoon and started chowing down almost immediately. The hearty stew was earthy and filling and would quickly fill her up if she didn’t pace herself a little bit. Not to mention that the bowl itself was way over-sized for a pony like her.

“Hey, this is some really good stew, thanks,” she told William, briefly glancing up at him from her bowl.

The yak was eating much slower than she was, doing a far better job of savoring the stew. “Traditional yak stew.”

“Cool,” she took another big gulp.

The other yaks didn’t bother the two of them anymore after that. William and Rainbow Dash sat on their own away from the others as they got settled in, the big yak apparently fine with the kids being self-reliant and turning in for the night whenever they wanted. Harrison was supposed to get an extra tent ready for Rainbow Dash too, another thing she was grateful to the yaks for since being stuck out in the cold forest wasn’t very appealing.

This was kind of nice all in all though. She got to explore a new place right at the start of her adventure and learned some new things about the yaks too. Things certainly hadn’t been action-packed so far but she was willing to bet she’d at least find something up here to fight. Come on, there has to be some kind of evil villain or monster north of Equestria, right?

In fact, William’s change in behavior when she mentioned where she was going was a pretty good indication that she was correct. What got him so worried for her?

Well no one could call Rainbow Dash the most patient of ponies so with still about half her stew left she asked the big question. “So William, what’s up with the north and everything?”

The yak paused in his eating and looked down at her as if surprised that she started talking in the middle of her meal. Obviously he didn’t know Rainbow Dash. William’s big eyes went back to his bowl, also still mostly full, before darting back up to Rainbow Dash as if he was debating whether to answer her question or entirely finish his food first. Politeness shortly won out, with the yak sighing and placing his bowl and spoon on the ground next to his yovidophone. “In short, north is big place.”

“Well I kind of figured that,” Rainbow Dash raised a confused eyebrow at him. “So is Equestria, what’s the big deal?”

William shook his head. “True North big but not connected. Not friendly.”

“True North?”

“Where yaks come from,” William nodded.

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth again to speak but was cut off by a swift slicing gesture from William.

“Allow yak to tell you about yaks.”

“Yeah okay,” Dash shrugged, letting William take control of the conversation.

“What you call north, places like Crystal Empire, Yakyakistan, Frozen North, isn’t really the north. That’s just north of where you live. Real north, True North, lies beyond the mountains you see here that border Yaketian Valley and Yakyakistan,” William pointed out at that big line of snowy mountains for emphasis. “World different there.”

William got quiet for a second as he looked north towards those mountains, Rainbow Dash following his line of sight and staring at them through the darkness as well.

“Yakyakistan home of yaks. But only for last thousand years. Before that, yaks lived further north. Migrated south in a great migration that lasted a dozen years, many yaks lost on journey,” William shook his head and turned back to Dash. “Driven out of True North by yak’s enemies.”

“Uh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Rainbow Dash awkwardly scratched her mane. “So, like, who were your enemies that did that?”

Even in the low light of the flame she could see William tense up and his eyes narrow while a frosty steeliness overcame his face. “Mammoths.”

“What’s a mammoth?” Rainbow Dash tilted her head.

“Large creature. Much large than yaks even. Strong, hairy, big long trunks and tusks. The True North is their home. Part of it that yaks once shared with them at least,” William let out a heavy snort. “Yaks had warred with Mammoths, Sabertooths, Frost Wolves, and scattered tribes of ponies and griffons for ages and ages. Finally mammoths beat Yaks. Sack and burn ancestral home to the ground and force Yaks to leave north.”

“I’m just surprised you guys lost. I thought yaks were the best at war and stuff too?” Rainbow Dash said, being as tactful as ever.

“Yaks also best at letting opponents win,” William huffed. “Not important. For thousand years now mammoths rule over the north. We have no contact with them since that time, can only assume their empire has grown and they’ve been warring with others this whole time.”

“They never came south or anything? Figured they’d want to conquer Equestria too or something. Or fight you again.”

William shrugged. “Who knows? Others maybe kept them busy. Maybe forgot about yaks over the ages.” He sneezed suddenly, a great blast that Rainbow Dash was afraid would’ve doused their campfire if he was too close to it. “And second reason, True North doesn’t know about Equestria. Probably. And getting from there to here difficult.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t know how anybody couldn’t know about Equestria of all places but she wasn’t going to push it. “What do you mean by difficult?”

The yak grunted and shifted about as he sat. “Other reason why going to the True North may be a bad idea for you. What separates these last mountains from the True North is a wasteland. Inhospitable. Nothing grows in it, nothing lives. Just empty and dry dirt that snow does not even fall on. Yet tornadoes, lightning storms, and other catastrophes happen throughout it with no rhyme nor reason.” William spread his hooves wide. “Stretches all around the world as far as yaks know. Our storytellers say that we searched and searched for a break in it on our journey out of the north but never found one.”

“So what did you do? How’d the yaks make it across to Yakyakistan?” Rainbow Dash asked and then swallowed down some more stew like it was popcorn while she was being entertained.

William’s eyes darted around for a second before he leaned in closer to Rainbow Dash and whispered into her ear. “Blue pony not tell anyone, but yaks found secret safe path. Very small and just as desolate a path through the wasteland, but staying on it keeps you safe from the weather. Long time it took yaks to make it through. Hungry many went. But eventually yaks made it and founded Yakyakistan. Best country ever!”

“Heh,” Rainbow Dash giggled. “More power to ya.”

“Yes!” William proudly thumped his chest. “Show those mammoths!”

“Yeah...” Rainbow Dash trailed off, looking north again. “I mean, thanks for the warning and filling me in and everything but I still plan to go north. No weather or wasteland or evil empire full of gigantic uh, mammoths, is going to change my mind. In fact, that just makes me wanna go there more.”

“Not just issue of being afraid or not. Impossible to make it through the wasteland without knowing secret yak route,” William shook her.

“Okay, then what is the route?”

“I don’t know,” William plainly shrugged.

Rainbow Dash sputtered for a bit, floating up slightly so she was actually eye level with him and leveling her hooves at him in exasperation. “Oh come on! You can’t tell me all about that stuff and then just say you don’t know the secret path or whatever! I wanna go on an adventure!”

“Yaks generally try to keep others from going to True North,” William calmly responded to her.

“Well I’m not like others, I’m awesome!” She clasped a hoof over her own chest.

William studied her for a second. Perhaps it was her attitude or her acquaintanceship with Pinkie Pie, but he didn’t think just telling her to turn around was going to get him anywhere. “If so set on an adventure into the True North then there is a way to get there.”

Her face lit up and she buzzed right up to him. “Yeah?!”

“Yes,” he nodded. “Two checkpoints made by the yaks exist. One is at southern border of the wasteland, the other is a lonely outpost manned by single yak at the northern border, right at the end of secret path through the wastes. Every generation or so a yak takes up the task of watching over that northern outpost. Lonely job but must be done. And the only other yak that knows the secret path to get out there in the first place is the head of the southern checkpoint.”

“Alright so I go to this checkpoint and get that dude to tell me the path. Easy enough,” Dash smugly said.

William though shook his head. “Not so easy. Head yak not likely to just tell you, even if you mention you already know about the secret’s existence. He will attempt to turn you away. Pony will have a difficult time of convincing yak to let her go to True North.”

“Great, one more obstacle,” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Well whatever, I can deal with that when I get there. Where is the checkpoint in the first place?”

The large yak pointed north at the mountains for her. “Fly beyond those mountains and you will eventually reach the inlet from the eastern ocean. That inlet turns into river that flows from Yakyakistan. As long as you follow that river upstream it is impossible to miss checkpoint.”

“Cool, thanks pal,” Rainbow Dash clapped him on the shoulder.

William was not exactly proud to receive her thanks, however. “Do not thank me for telling you how to get into so much trouble. Far too much danger in the True North.” A heavy sigh escaped the yak and he managed a small smile for her. “But good luck, pony. And beware the mammoths.”

They finished their meal after that. William’s words and warnings hanging in the air between them for the rest of the night, no further conversation was had or needed by the pony and the yak and shortly after their bowls were empty, William snuffed out the campfire and the both of them retreated to their tents to sleep. Officially her first night of her new adventure. It was a quiet and cold one but Rainbow Dash didn’t mind because on the inside she was still burning with excitement, knowing so much more was coming. This day alone had already been packed compared to a normal day and she hoped that was a sign of things to come. And that it could be surpassed again and again.

Comments

[THERDSTORYWHISPERER]

Great chapter!

[silvadel]

The key to a successful or at least remembered expedition is to have some method of getting your information back to your homelands. An expedition that figures out all kinds of new things but eventually fails, failed. It would have been nice, useful, and an improvement to the story if Dash had a book like Sunset Shimmer has with her that she could write her findings in each night that would be transmitted to an identical book back in Ponyville. They have the magitech for it.

[Switch Swap]

Like this story so far

[redmar]

It seems that the True North has everything rainbow wanted. Wheter she can deal with is to be seen.