Rainbow Dash Around the World

by MagicS

It Was Pretty Awesome

“OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH—VIVA!”

The dancing mare wore a grass skirt and a bowl of fruit on her head as she gyrated her flank around on the middle of the beach. Beside her several other mares danced in unison with her while behind them a group of stallions banged sticks on coconuts for music. It was a bright and sunny day on Palm Floats and the ponies visiting here were being treated to one of the many daily shows put on by the locals.

Naturally the visitors—eating tasty fruit and drinking alcohol—were enjoying it immensely.

And that included Rainbow Dash and her group of friends, who had now been here for three days. The pegasus herself was free of bandages and on her third pina colada of the day. She sat at a palm-leaf covered table with the others, watching the energetic ponies dancing around the sand.

She really had no idea how that bowl of fruit stayed on that pony’s head.

The main dancer jiggled her way across the beach, dancing hoof-in-hoof with some of the other ponies enjoying their time here. She had a tropical, light-blue, coat and a sandy blonde mane that was tied up high behind her head. Rainbow Dash had seen her a few times before now, and even danced with her once pretty much right after the bandages had come off. Midway through the dance, some stallions came out onto the beach and set up a limbo pole while the other dances lit up flaming batons and began tossing and twirling them through the air. It probably looked eve cooler at night but even in the middle of the day it was impressive.

When the dancing and fire-spinning was done, all the performers got in a long line (with Miss Fruit Bowl in front) and proceeded to the limbo pole. They made a conga line while going under it and invited other ponies around to join in the fun. Rainbow didn’t know how the lead mare was flexible enough to go under the pole with that fruit bowl on her head and not fall or spill anything.

While that was going on a mare came to their table and dropped off a new round of drinks for everyone.

Yep, Rainbow Dash could get used to this hospitality. They had seen so much more of Palm Floats since coming back. With the money they had they rented a private bungalow on a just as private beach away from the more touristy areas. It was nice to rest at, and the food they could order was divine. But of course when it came to the parties and spending their day nothing beat coming to the big public beaches like this one—right by the docks and only major town on the island. They had enjoyed a lot of parties and shows here.

It was the last day. Tomorrow they were all going off on their own.

Rainbow Dash’s smile almost faltered but she managed to keep it up. Today was still a day for kicking back, relaxing, and having fun with her friends.

Gilbert whistled to the conga line of dancers as they finished limboing. “Bravo! As lovely a performance as always!”

The main performance was over with and now the local mares and stallions were going around the beach, visiting with vacationers and dancing with a few to spread the fun around. Later in the evening they’d have another big party and show while cooking up grilled pineapple and all sorts of other food. Rainbow planned to at least be on her tenth drink by then.

“Anything you all want to do now before the next show?” Daylight asked.

“I wouldn’t mind getting another massage,” Senax said. “Or going back to that exclusive lagoon behind our bungalow. Rainbow, you still haven’t gotten the chance to swim in it, the water’s beautiful.”

“If I was doing anything in the water I’d want it to be surfing to be honest. Too bad they don’t have anything like that here,” Rainbow shrugged.

“You’d have to go back to the Sea Lion Reefs,” Gilbert said.

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Yeah—that was a lot of fun. Surfing wasn’t perfect but I bet I could super get the hang of it next time I tried.” She leaned back and thought for a second. “You know, if I could go back anywhere though I’d kind of want it to be the Three Spears. That was supposed to be the very first island I visited on the ocean, my first stop. But it got kind of ruined and we didn’t really get to enjoy it or anything.”

“Hm, if I could go back anywhere we visited I’d like to check out the Wandering Island again,” Daylight said. “I feel like we didn’t see a tenth of what it had to offer. There must have been so many interesting items and ponies floating along with it.”

“Despite the truth of it—I’d like to visit the Sarrarocco Archipelago again. I made some friends there and I’d certainly enjoy sampling more of their entertainment,” Gilbert nodded.

Senax pondered for a moment before smiling. “I’d have to go back to the Lost Isle of the Lizard People if we had a choice. I’m going to be going back there at some point in the future eventually, but I’d really like to just go there to say hi and revisit all of them again. Princess Fairscale, Smooth Tongue, Firescale, everyone… I think a visit where I wasn’t there for any important reason would be nice. Instead next time I show up there again I might have my whole tribe with me so we can reconnect.”

“Well unlike the rest of you, aside from the Lost Isle I’ve already been to all of these places more than a few times. I think I’d just like to get back to Malkonrik and hope none of the other Kingdoms are going through a civil war or something again,” Breakwater said.

“Don’t worry—without the rest of us with you, I doubt your luck will be that bad anymore,” Rainbow said.

Breakwater snorted. “I can only hope.”

Rainbow Dash laughed and glanced around the table at the others, memories, good and bad, of the long trip they had taken all over the ocean were flooding back to her. She let out a deep, content, sigh. “You know, there were definitely some bad times, but in the end? I think this was a pretty awesome adventure.”

“A slightly better ending would’ve been nice but overall I’m not complaining either,” Daylight said, a small grin tugging up her lips.

“We’ll all certainly have a lot of tales to tell to anyone willing to listen,” Gilbert nodded.

Senax lifted up a hollowed out coconut filled with a fruity beverage and took a big sip from it. “Regardless of everything else—that’s certainly true. And I had the best friends anyone could wish for during this adventure. Ponies, and griffons, who I’ll treasure in my heart for the rest of my life. I’ll never forget any of you. How could I?”

“Before things can get anymore mushy, what do you say we just join the partiers on the beach and dance? Save the mushy stuff for tomorrow,” Rainbow Dash said, pointing at both the locals and visitors having fun on the white sandy beach.

Senax giggled. “Well I’m completely fine with that too.”

“I’m not exactly interested in dancing...” Daylight said.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Of course you’re not.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Daylight frowned.

“You know exactly what it means.”

“Oh I see—more of how I hate fun and how Daylight Gleam is a big killjoy.”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“Well you know what? Since this is our last hurrah, I’m going to prove you wrong. Right to your face!” Daylight huffed and stood up from the table, grouchily stomping her way through the sand.

“Does she know she looks like she’s having the exact opposite of fun?” Gilbert asked.

“Just give her a minute,” Breakwater said.

They all watched as the grumpy looking Daylight made her way through the crowd on the beach until she found the tropical dancing mare—who was still wearing her big fruit bowl. While the others couldn’t hear what they were talking about, the dancer was smiling along to whatever Daylight was saying and grew more and more animated throughout the conversation. After a couple of minutes the dancer followed Daylight to a more open spot on the beach and the two began to tango.

“Wait, what?” Rainbow Dash blinked.

The entire group watched as Daylight and the dancer elegantly tangoed across the white sand in the middle of a large crowd of beachgoers. Daylight actually took the lead, holding hooves with the dancer and twirling her around, dipping her (in a way that kept fruit from falling), and sashaying in perfect step together.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at the others. “Did any of you know she could do that? She just said she didn’t like to dance.”

The others all shook their heads as they watched, just as perplexed as Rainbow Dash.

“No idea,” Senax said.

Daylight used her magic to pick a flower off the arrangement on another table and gave it to the dancer to hold in her mouth. They continued tangoing around for awhile longer until Daylight pulled the fruit bowl of the dancers head with her magic and rested it on her own—before dipping the mare down low to the ground and letting her arch her neck back. They stuck that pose while the dancer’s normal partners and entourage along with the vacationers cheered and applauded them. Finally, they let each other go and stood up straight, the dancer smiled and waved goodbye to Daylight while Daylight did the same and walked back to her table.

The unicorn had her nose turned up as she sat down and calmly grabbed her new drink, taking a sip before tossing a hoof through her mane.

“Hmph.”

Gilbert scratched his head. “Well—so that just happened.”

---

The night sky was even clearer than it was during the day. A cloudless sky allowed you to see up at the countless twinkling stars and the bright moon as they all shown down upon you. It was so dark, but that made them all stick out even more. So pretty, so peaceful, it was much later than any partying that went on at the island—or at least any that was loud enough to reach the six of them at their bungalow.

Breakwater and Ballast were already asleep while Rainbow Dash laid back in a hammock strung up between two palm trees. It was perfectly warm even at night, something she was very grateful for.

Daylight sat next to one of the palm trees, her head resting against it and her eyes slowly opening and closing. Tired, but not asleep just yet.

Gilbert lied on his back on the grass with his talons clasped behind his head. Like Rainbow Dash he was looking up at the starry sky—quieter and deeper in thought than he practically ever was.

Senax was sitting on the sand in front of Rainbow’s hammock, but was staring out at the small ocean waves as they broke upon the shore. The water was dark and nearly invisible in the night, but she could still see the white seafoam whenever the waves broke. The quiet sound of the waves rolled across the beach all the way to their bungalow, producing a calming music.

“First thing in the morning, isn’t it?” Rainbow Dash said, grabbing their attention.

Daylight rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Yes… which means we really should be getting some sleep right now.”

“You’re not going to regret on missing more time to spend together?” Rainbow grinned.

“Not when I’m this tired,” Daylight frowned. “It’s not missing out on much.”

“Breakwater already has everything taken care of, I’m sure we can waste a little time having breakfast tomorrow before we all leave,” Gilbert said.

“We do have a schedule but I’m sure a little extra money can loosen that up,” Senax smiled. “Long enough to say our goodbyes.”

“Especially since some of us might get a little sentimental and drag things out,” Gilbert said, looking at Daylight and Rainbow Dash.

They both frowned back at him. “Why are you looking at me?”

Senax giggled. “Well—I think Daylight is right that we probably should get to sleep. As nice as it is tonight.”

“Thank you,” Daylight said as she stood up, stretching. “I think I’m going to do what I should have done hours ago and hop into my bed.” She paused before she left. “And… I’ll see all of you in the morning.”

Gilbert and Senax went to follow her soon after, the griffon raising an eyebrow at Rainbow Dash while she was still reclining in her hammock.

“Staying up?”

Rainbow nodded. “For a bit longer. I’ve got some stuff to think about.”

They gave her her solitude and soon Rainbow heard the door to the bungalow open and close. She swayed back and forth in her hammock a bit, continuing to stare up at the sky. Though she was proud of what she had accomplished here, and the friends she had made, a frown still tugged down her face.

“Am I forgetting about something?”

---

Further down on the beach, as the waves slowly lapped up on the shore, something crawled out from the briney depths. Like a drunk struggling to stand, it pulled itself out of the water, stomach dragging through the sand.

A pony. A drowned mare who had decayed and rotted ten years in the span of a few days. Her insides pulsed, her white bones visible, her organs black and liquidy. Her former colors were dampened and replaced by an ugly blue and green.

She had a question mark on her flank where her old Cutie Mark used to be.

And a trident embedded through her back.

She managed to stand up, though her legs in the state they were should never have been able to function or support her weight. Her dead eyes turned to the bungalow in the distance, barely visible in the darkness. The Trident of Ponyseidon and her horn both pulsed together with magic and behind her, the water of the ocean receded, and continued to recede. Further and further… further…

It started to come back. A tidal wave.

Comments

[RoboRed]

So...Grey's not letting them go without one last jab, I see.

[redmar]

That ending is ominous and it's clear that Harlequin Grey is responsible. The last time a pony's Cutie Mark was replaced with a question mark they didn't las long though so hopefully it's the same this time.