The Journey of a Lifetime

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 3

Chapter 1

Wind Surfer squinted into the rain, straining to continue on through the raging storm. The thunderstorm had arrived quite suddenly, and being from the Everfree Forest, was not tamed. Ahead and around her, in a “V” formation, were the Wonderbolts, clearing a path through the storm. They had been joined by several other teams of weather ponies to help punch a pathway through the storm, both to break it up, and help Wind Surfer through what would likely be the hardest part of her journey.

All around her, the storm raged, buffeting the thirty or so pegasus ponies that dared to breach its depths. At times, they threatened to be blown into one another; Wind Surfer thought she saw a pegasus almost get swept away in the storm. She was barely able to recover. The raw power of the storm was unimaginable, and as lightning arced across the sky blinding the pegasus ponies, they raced through to the heart of the storm

Wind Surfer was scared, to be sure, but one glance at her idol dispelled any doubts that she held. The rainbow-maned pegasus’ face was obscured by her iconic flight suit, but her mouth was set in grim determination and her multihued mane whipped about, exposed by the flight suit. Matching her stance, a renewed determination filled her being, and Wind Surfer put on a new burst of strength.

After what seemed like hours, the group finally reached the heart of the storm. There were few things that could impress a pegasus who had flown from one end of Equestria to the other, but the heart of a storm never failed to do so. Upon breaching the inner wall of the heart, the teams were met with a serious updraft that immediately threw the less experienced ponies off-course. The other ponies could barely keep the straight path that was originally planned.

A towering hollow chamber, surrounded by clouds formed the heart of the storm. It beat with the reverberations thunder from all sides. Stretching several miles high, and more than a thousand feet across, it was a sight to behold. All around the walls were threads of lightning flashing in every direction, the accompanying thunder magnified a thousand times by the sheer acoustic effect of the massive chamber. Wind Surfer was reasonably sure that the uppermost edges of the storm brushed the edges of space, for sheer size of the column. She glanced down. The base of the titanic hollow was made up of a roiling mass of grey storm clouds that was too unstable for even the most hardened of pegasus ponies to fly into.

A shout from below: a young mare had gotten caught in a bad wind shear, and, from the looks of it, was about to be torn in half. Without hesitation, Rainbow Dash, and her counterpart in formation, Soarin, entered a steep dive to save her. She disappeared into the raging wall of the storm in the blink of an eye.

They wouldn’t have been able to save her, even if they did see where she was blown to... Wind Surfer thought, morbidly. Her thoughts were interrupted as a huge, rare phenomenon entered her vision: the largest sphere of ball lightning that had ever been seen by a pony. Easily hundreds of feet across, it occupied the majority of the space the chamber enclosed. Several more pegasus ponies dropped out of formation as their wings locked in sheer fright of the spectral appearance.

Oh, no... Not now! This can’t be happening...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is happening.

It was all she could do to not simply explode with excitement, standing at the top of the highest tower accessible to ordinary citizens of Equestria. Wind Surfer inhaled, taking in the sights and sounds around her. Below, a massive crowd of literally thousands of ponies, cheering for her; chanting her name. The crowds filled every street of Canterlot, each pony straining to see the mare who was attempting the amazing feat. Balloons floated aimlessly around the tower, adding to the carnival atmosphere. Behind her, on the balcony, were her heroes, the Wonderbolts. Specifically, her idols, Lieutenant Rainbow Dash, and Captain Spitfire, both with encouraging smiles on their faces. Closer to the castle, on a private balcony and overlooking the festivities, were the two Princesses themselves, Celestia and Luna.

The Wonderbolts had been incredibly kind to her, even after failing the tryouts. They had supported her, even as she had quite literally nothing to give in return. So, when Wind Surfer told them about the feat, they supported her wholeheartedly. And here she was, about to embark on a journey never attempted by any other pony in the history of Equestria. Through the generous donation from somepony that Rainbow Dash knew, Wind Surfer had been supplied with a flight suit of comparable quality to those worn by the Wonderbolts themselves. She had also been supplied with special goggles that had been infused with magic, causing them to tint accordingly with the ambient light.

Incredulous, Wind Surfer had asked Rainbow Dash earlier where she had gotten the equipment.

“I know ponies. Being a Wonderbolt kind of helps, you know?” Rainbow merely smirked, and added in a more serious tone, “Besides, you might not be Wonderbolt material, but it's the least we could do for you.”

Taking another deep breath, she exhaled slowly, and focused on the giant clock tower in Canterlot's main square. Liftoff was scheduled for ten o'clock sharp, and she wasn't going to miss it.

Five minutes to go... She tensed in anticipation, ready to leap from the tower.

“Keep it loose, kid.” Spitfire spoke up from behind her. “You don’t wanna stress yourself out now.”

“Yes, ma’m!” Wind surfer turned to regard her idols, and swallowed hard.

“Nervous much?” Asked Rainbow Dash, jokingly. “Its only all of Equestria judging your every move... Oh, wait--”

Before she could get another word in, Rainbow was ribbed by Spitfire, who shot her a warning glance, that clearly stated: play nice!

“Ha! Nervous doesn’t even begin to describe it!” Wind Surfer laughed, trying to ease the tension.

“Don’t worry. I’d say you deserve your namesake after those tryouts. If anypony can do this, it’s you,” said Spitfire, encouragingly.

“Of, course, I could do it, too. If I found the time...” Rainbow Dash struck a pose, which only garnered an annoyed rumble from the rest of the team. Spitfire rolled her eyes at the display.

“I’m not forgetting anything, right?”

“Just to be sure, lets run through that checklist again: Packs?” Soarin stepped up.

“Check.” Wind Surfer rummaged through her supplies. They were to be housed in a pair of weatherproof saddlebags.

“Goggles?”

“Yep!”

“That mask?”

“Uh... Yea.” The mask, another gift from Rainbow’s mysterious benefactors was intended to clear any unnecessary debris from her face, in case of a sudden storm.

“Food?”

“Yep.”

“Both maps?”

“Check.” They were both maps of the world. The first was a large foldable map, that fit into her saddlebags. Though not very detailed outside of Equestria, it would suffice. The other was a simpler version encased in a band wrapped around her right forehoof.

“Watch and Compass?”

“Yea.” The watch/compass combination was a gift from a watchmaker in Cloudsdale. Secured around her left forehoof, it would save her time.

“Your water pack?”

Wind Surfer wriggled. It was indeed secured firmly to her back. “Yep.”

“Let me check the straps on your bag.” Spitfire stepped closer, and began tightening the straps on her saddlebag and water pack. “Pay attention now. Thirty seconds left.”

“Thanks.” Wind Surfer turned back to the crowds. They had begun counting down.

Three...

Two...

One...

On cue, Wind Surfer closed her eyes, and leaned forward. To the astonishment of the thousands of ponies watching her, she fell right off the edge of the balcony.

One... She could feel herself begin to accelerate.

Two... Her mane and tail whipped around her, and soon found a suitable, streamlined position behind her.

Three... A faint bronze vapor trail, the color of the leaf that adorned her flank, began to form behind her.

Four... Inhale, exhale.

Five... Now.

With tiny adjustments from her wings, she streamlined herself into a proper dive, and fully unfurled her wings. The air filled them, and they whipped open to their fullest potential, causing the crowds to gasp with astonishment. She opened her eyes, and sailed high above the crowds, climbing an updraft she found. By instinct, she knew the Wonderbolts were behind her. The wind caressed her mane, more lovingly than she had ever experienced by merely flying. She gained altitude and flew once around the tower, then turned to give the princesses a honorary flyby.

Then, with the sun on her back, she set course into the west, and the vast reaches the Everfree Forest.

~The Present~

She realized Spitfire was calling back to her.

“What?!” Wind Surfer screamed above the terrific noise the ball lightning was throwing.

“Get your flank outta here! We’ll worry about this! You fly up and over!” Spitfire repeated, gesturing wildly.

“Got it!” Wind Surfer shouted. She broke formation, just as Spitfire began calling orders to the other Wonderbolts to begin breaking up the massive storm. The remaining weather teams took heed from Spitfire, and began mobilizing their own teams.

Wind Surfer quickly found an updraft that seemed to climb the walls of the gigantic column. Glancing down, she could see that the unreal lightning had begun to dissipate with the efforts of the weather teams. Wind Surfer squinted through her goggles, thankful that they greatly reduced the intensity of the flashing lightning, and pressed on, further up the column.

Suddenly, she hit a powerful updraft, stronger than the last, and rocketed up into the mysterious heights of the storm. Wind Surfer struggled to keep her wings straight, trying to use the updraft to its fullest potential. Thousands of feet below her, Spitfire risked a glance upwards, to check the safety of the Wonderbolts’ charge. She paused in awe.

A bronze column of clouds trailed behind the rapidly receding figure of Wind Surfer. Threaded with lightning of an impossible shade of a darker, richer bronze, the column grew, drawing its strength from the clouds around it. Beyond all reasoning, the cloud remained a streamlined cone of bronze, as it rose up to the unfathomable heights of the storm. Trails of smaller clouds wrapped themselves around the enormous vapor cone, spiraling upwards with it. It suddenly occurred to Spitfire that perhaps Wind Surfer was Wonderbolt material after all. Tearing her eyes from the incredible scene before her, she returned to the task at hand.

Oblivious to the spectacle below her, Wind Surfer felt herself accelerating beyond all belief. By now, the walls of the chamber were a single blur of grey, streaked with the occasional yellow flash. She quickly realized that the updraft she was riding was not going to take her up and over the storm, but to the lower limits of the Stratosphere. Twisting carefully, as to not interrupt her forward momentum, she retrieved the specialized debris mask from her saddlebags and put it on.The incessant pattering of water eased, letting her concentrate on the task at hand.

First things first. I need a crosswind. Or something, just to get me off of this updraft. Surfer glanced around at first, then realized the fruitlessness of her actions. Scolding herself, she closed her eyes and felt with her wings, probing the air currents.

There! Seizing her chance, a deft twist of her wings brought her up off of the central upwelling, and sent her sailing towards the sides of the chamber. Bracing herself, Wind Surfer tucked her wings in, and punched through the wall. For several tense seconds, she wondered if she had miscalculated her altitude. Buffeted around, it would be almost impossible to find the central chamber, and try again.

Oh, no... She felt herself begin to fall, buffeted by the furious winds of the storm wall. Abruptly, the winds stopped. Wind Surfer spread her wings instinctively, opened her eyes and looked around.

“Woo! Yea!” Triumphant, she performed a quick flip, and surveyed her surroundings. All around her stretched a white mass of clouds, completely still in the glaring sun. If not for her goggles, she would have been blinded. She glanced at her compass to get her bearings, and continued gliding west. It was not an easy task.

The air around her seemed dead, completely devoid of motion. Above her, the sky was a sharp blue mass that stretched for miles, fading into the seemingly endless sea of clouds. Looking straight up, the sky darkened, showing the very edge of space. Very likely, she had flown higher than any pegasus had ever done. She also became acutely aware of the biting cold surrounding her. Again thankful for Rainbow Dash’s mysterious friends, the flight suit saw to it that she did not freeze.

She risked a glance backwards, and paused in shock at the sheer size of the column she had climbed. Looking up, it remained strong for what seemed a good two miles, before being whisked away by the mysterious upper atmosphere. Rising for another few thousand feet, however, was a rapidly disintegrating bronze cone, laced with lightning.

Did I do that? She wondered. It looks amazing! In truth, it was something otherworldly. Taking a deep breath, and continuing west, she became aware of the mask on her face, and the effect it must have on her voice. Grinning, Surfer began talking to herself in what she thought was a very good impression of the villain from a recent hit movie: Alien Ponies from Outer Space.

“Fear not small, primitive ponies!” Surfer declared, in as deep a tone she could muster. “We come in piece! We need only to see your leader.”

“Lies!” She cried, imitating the story’s main protagonist; a high-pitched squeal, which was difficult to manage through the mask. “You’ve come to kill us ALL!”

Wind Surfer was about to respond when a sharp crackle of thunder rattled her thoughts. She froze, and landed on the clouds below. Throwing caution into the wind, she glanced around, trying to locate the origin of the thunder.

Inexplicably, a spot of cloud a mere few feet in front of her exploded in a flash of lightning. The goggles and mask, while keeping her vision clear, did nothing for the deafening crash of thunder. On pure adrenaline, Surfer bolted up and away from the source, realized she was flying north, and quickly course-corrected. Surfer cursed, realizing that she had forgotten one of the basic rules of storm flying.

The top of the storm is just as dangerous as the storm itself, in that lightning can and will jump from the top, and into the air. You can never predict were the next strike will be, so keep moving, and NOT in a straight line. Double back if you must.

How could I have been that stupid?! Wind Surfer mentally kicked herself for her momentary lapse. Come on!

Her frantic pace betrayed her fear, as she zigzagged all around the top of the storm. Several rumbles pealed out from behind her, but she paid them no heed. Desperate, she put on an extra burst of speed. Had anypony seen her, they would’ve sworn to Celestia she was flying faster than Rainbow Dash.

After several tense minutes of flying, the sounds of thunder began to fade into the distance. Wind Surfer looked below her. Thankfully, the clouds seemed to thin, if only a little. Anything was better than the hellish storm she left behind. She decided against flying into the mass below her. She again began gliding over the clouds, supplementing herself with a downstroke every so often. The downstrokes served a dual purpose: to keep her aloft, and as a natural de-icing precaution.

A few hours later, Wind Surfer’s stomach reminded her of the time. She looked around for a suitable patch cloud upon which to rest. Alighting on the cloud, she pulled out a frugal lunch from her pack, and glanced up at the sun, which was now well into its decent in the sky.

She finished her lunch, and decided it was high time to begin her decent back within sight of land. Standing up and stretching, she took one last look at the bleak, alien world, and took off. Wind Surfer angled her wings to make a slow flight back below the clouds.

It was turbulent, to say the least, as she was tossed by the winds. Though uncomfortable, it wasn’t nearly the same intensity as the storm winds, and she didn’t have to deal with a driving rain. Eventually, the wind petered out, giving way to a gloomy sky. It was almost impossible to see anything through the mass of clouds, so she kept up her slow but steady decent. Thankfully, the grey mass gave way abruptly, showing a slightly less grey Equestria below.

Wind Surfer checked her map on her wrist, and saw that she was a few hours outside of Stalliongrad. She kept up her pace, but dropped a few thousand feet, coming in view of the land below. Thankfully, she had left the Everfree Forest behind, and was moving at a swift pace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few mindless hours later, the sun was now touching the horizon, and the friendly lights of Stalliongrad came into view. Her spirits lifting, Wind Surfer put on an extra burst of speed, and flew towards the city’s central park. Strangely, it was not green, or even grey. Instead, it was a multitude of different colors, standing out from the rest of the city’s bleak grey buildings. Squinting in the fading light, Wind Surfer realized that the park was filled to capacity with ponies, each straining to catch a glimpse of the pegasus in the making of history. Upon seeing her, a single shout went up and the crowd erupted. The cheering was incredible, to say the least.

She alighted on a patch of grass that had been cleared for landing. Wind Surfer glanced around, smiling at the multitude of ponies that were now cheering her name.

“Hello, and welcome to Stalliongrad!” A large earth pony with a scroll for a cutie mark trotted up. He had to holler over the noise of the crowd. “You can only be Wind Surfer!”

Amazed, Wind Surfer looked around. “Indeed I am! Is this all for me?” She asked, incredulously.

“Yes, ma’am! I’m Mayor Scroll! I’ll show you around!”

He turned and trotted away, glancing back expectantly.

“Oh! R-right!” Wind Surfer fell into step behind him. She was immediately mobbed by the old and young alike.

“See here! Will you sign this?”

“Wait! Sign my son’s picture of you!”

“Sign my daughter’s flank!” Wind Surfer balked. Before she could act though, she was shoved into a veritable firing squad of cameras.

“Smile!”

“What was it like, flying through that storm?”

“Aren’t you tired at all?”

Suddenly, the Mayor of Stalliongrad shoved her past the reporters, and to a (somewhat) less busy part of the park.

“We’ve arranged for you to visit the local orphanage here in Stalliongrad, just as you requested,” he turned, facing Wind Surfer. “Are you sure you wish to do this? There are plenty of hotels around here who are more than willing to house a celebrity.”

“I’m sure,” she said firmly. “Where are they meeting me?”

“Right over there.” The Mayor gestured to a group of ponies standing off to the side. Their leader, and likely caregiver, was an older colt whose special talent, it seemed, was creating a home. By now, however, the major reporters had caught up with the pair, firing question after question.

“What’s your favorite color?” A single voice stood out from the rest. Wind Surfer searched for its source; it came from a tiny pegasus filly, who stood with the assortment of ponies.

“My favorite color? Why bronze, of course!” She responded. Ignoring the other reporters, she strode up to the colt, and introduced herself to the caregiver. The mass of reporters caught onto the cue and fell silent.

“I’m Redtail. I run the local orphanage.” He extended a hoof, which Wind Surfer took. “I help these little colts and fillies get ready to face the world!” It was obvious that Redtail was quite proud of what he did. Wind Surfer immediately decided that she liked him very much.

“Would you care to show me about the city?”

“Why, of course! Follow us!” He turned, and the small group of foals followed him. The filly who addressed her earlier spoke up again.

“Aren’t you comin’?” She asked. Wind Surfer nodded, and looked at the Mayor.

“I’ll come along as well,” he said.

The pair trotted after the group. They were followed everywhere throughout the city. The reporters hung on to every word she said, every comment she made, and every reaction she had. Catching on to this, Wind Surfer decided to use this to her advantage, pointing out various problems in the city’s infrastructure (much to the mayor’s disdain).

With a little bit of luck, I could change the whole system of the city...

They finally arrived at the orphanage where Redtail and his charges stayed. It was really a beautiful place, complete with a large front yard, an even bigger backyard, and a large house. However, one would’ve never been able to tell it was an orphanage. The fillies and colts bolted into the house, excited to have an esteemed guest visiting. A slightly older filly walked up.

“You’ll have to excuse our messes. We weren’t able to clean up the place before you arrived...” She trailed off, embarrassed.

“That’s alright.”

The filly immediately brightened, and took off for the house as well. A cough from behind interrupted the pegasus’ thoughts. Wind Surfer turned to face the Mayor.

“I will be meeting with you tomorrow, right?” he asked.

“Yes, in the park. I’ll be leaving at eight’o’clock.” The Mayor turned and left. Wind Surfer finally relaxed, and entered the home.

This is what they call a mess?

The inside was spotless, even before the fillies and colts had finished cleaning it. She placed her belongings near the door. Glancing around, she could already smell the aromas of a promising meal wafting from the kitchen.

Wait- If Redtail’s out here, then-

“Some of the teenagers that live here prepare the dinner for everypony else.” Redtail answered her thoughts. Before he could continue, Wind Surfer was seized by the gaggle of foals who immediately began parading her around the house, showing her everything there was to see.

“Look at this! Its the drawing room!” A filly pointed into a large room whose walls were covered with drawings, each signed and dated. Apparently, they missed the point of a 'drawing room', and Redtail didn’t have the heart to correct them.

“This is where we all sleep! Isn’t it cool?” The group turned her down a hallway, that was clearly designated for bedrooms.

“And here’s my room! Do you like Space Ponies? I think they’re cool!” A colt pointed into a room

“That’s where I got art cutie mark!” Another filly pointed to a wall, elaborately decorated in crayon. Impressive, thought Wind Surfer.

“Here’s where I puked last week! It’s still stained!” A rather proud-looking colt proclaimed.

“Oh! Do you like my doll collection?” A filly gestured into a room filled with various dolls in a wide range of repair, from dilapidated, to near pristine conditions.

Wow!

An slightly older colt had another collection, this one of newspaper clippings. His selection included everything from the local firefighters to the Ponyville Six.

“What do you think?” He flipped to the last page, and pointed to the latest addition: Pegasus To Fly Around The World. It was an article from today’s paper. “I added this just before they saw you land.”

They reached the end of the dormitory hall. Framed up on the wall was a signed poster of The Wonderbolts. The foals looked at her expectantly, gauging her reaction. Wind Surfer leaned in and began reading the names. Huh?!

“I-I don’t recognize any of these names!” She was taken aback. “Well, except one: Spitfire.”

“That’s because those Wonderbolts all retired when we were little.” Redtail trotted up behind her. “Remember: Spitfire was the youngest recruit ever. And only because her father lead the squad back then.”

“That makes sense now. How did you get that?”

“I looked up to them, and waited for my chance. Though I can’t fly, they’re an inspiration to everypony. Come on! Dinner’s ready!”

Wind Surfer followed Redtail back down the hallway, into another, larger room that was clearly designated as a dining room. It was filled with a random assortment of chairs and tables each filled with a young pony. They looked at her expectantly.

“Um...”

“Well? Let’s eat!” Redtail covered her awkward moment. With a flourish, the teens who had been preparing the meal used their magic to deliver it onto the tables, where it was evenly divvied up into portions by the oldest pony there.

“Here’s a seat!” Redtail indicated a chair next to his at a makeshift head table. “Dig in!”

The meal passed in a blur. Her fatigue had finally caught up with her, and coupled with the constant stream of questions, she was worn out. At the end of the meal, the crowd bade her goodnight, and moved to their rooms. Redtail lead her to the guest room, carrying her belongings with her.

“We’ll wake you up, bright an early! Trust me.” He winked. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight. Oh! And Redtail?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for everything.”

“No problem.”

Before settling in for the night, Wind Surfer pulled a small journal she had bought for the journey. Pulling off her flight suit, she settled into her bed, and began to write.

Day 1: Stalliongrad

Kindness appears anywhere, if one knows where to look. Today I was taken in by an orphanage, was fed and given a bed without a second thought. I hope I can be an inspiration to these fillies and colts. They have quite an opportunity here. I do hope they take advantage of it. They may never hear my story, but I hope they know that I was no different than them.

Today was quite the adventure, from some well-spent time with my idols, to the storm of the century. I do believe that I was the first pegasus to ever touch the edges of space itself. To be that close to Princess Luna’s own domain was, electrifying, to say the least. Her very own creation was close enough to touch... And this is just the start of my journey.

Tomorrow will be a new day, filled with new adventures. Tomorrow, I will cross the Westernmost border of our fair land of Equestria. I am ready to face whatever may await me across the border.

Chapter 2

Wind Surfer was roused from sleep at daybreak, as the sounds of little fillies and colts getting ready for school filled the house. Stretching, she glanced at the desk clock, which read: 6:45.

Perfect! I’ll be in the air by eight, which means... She paused, thinking hard. By noon-ish..? I should be at the border. Wow. That fast? Wind Surfer pulled herself out of bed, taking in the sounds around her. Shaking her mane for a quick fix, she left the room. She backtracked to avoid a platoon of foals looking for homework, and continued to the dining room.

“Good morning! How was the night?” Redtail was in the middle of cleaning the remnants of breakfast when Wind Surfer walked in.

“Fine, thanks. What about you?” She rubbed her eyes.

“Well, a little rocky at the start, but we got over it. Give me a moment; let me get this bunch to school.” He indicated a seat at a nearby table that was clean, for the most part. Then, Redtail turned and herded his charges outside. A few minutes later, he returned.

“How about some breakfast, yes?”

Wind Surfer nodded enthusiastically, and followed Redtail into the kitchen, where he began pulling together a meal for the two of them. She sat in silence, out of the way of the bustling stallion. After a short wait, he had a few pancakes ready to go, and several more on the way.

“So,” he said, as he began to dig in. “What made you stay here? I’m sure there were plenty of inns that would've loved to have a celebrity visit.”

“Yea, but... I knew what it was like to grow up alone.” At this, Redtail looked up, inquiringly. Wind Surfer sighed. It was not a tale she liked repeating. “When you’re on the streets of Manehattan, its easy to believe that you’ve fallen through the cracks of society. I had caretakers, but eventually it just turned out to be me.” She fell silent. “I just wanted to show them they were not forgotten.”

Redtail nodded knowingly, but did not press the subject.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wind Surfer had finished eating and was dressed when a large group of reporters appeared on the lawn. She and Redtail marched out to the front lawn to greet the mass of reporters.They were promptly assaulted with questions as they marched to the park.

“Where will you be flying to tomorrow?”

“Are you able to fly to Manehattan for tomorrow night?”

“Will you sit for an interview with the Canterlot Gazette?”

“Are you going to be able to clear the mountain ranges to the west? They’re supposed to be impassible,” one particularly snooty-looking reporter asked.

Wind Surfer met her gaze, and ruffled her wings in response. The reporter immediately backed down, embarrassed. She was replaced by several ponies who appeared to be from local papers. The pair pressed through the mass, making their way to the central park of Stalliongrad. They stopped in the marketplace where many of Wind Surfer’s provisions, free of charge. They also donated to Redtail, though with somewhat less enthusiasm. The gaggle of reporters followed them unhesitatingly, despite the strange looks the crowd drew. Soon, however, the crowd had grown into a large parade heading into the park. Wind Surfer glanced at the large clock in the center of the park. It was now 7:49.

Well on track! If I could just get rid of these reporters without seeming rude... Her gaze settled on a conveniently located stage that wasn’t there the evening before. Perfect! Turning to Redtail, who was answering questions about the orphanage he ran, she gestured the stage. He nodded, and they made their way over to it. He boosted her up onstage, where she began rapping her hooves for attention. The area quieted down as the ponies in the vicinity realized their hero was going to speak.

“Um... Hey there!” Silence. “So, uh, thanks for the support! It really means a lot to me.” The ponies looked at Wind Surfer expectantly. What do they want, a magic show? That’s what Trixie’s for! “So! Today, as you all know, I’m going to cross the westernmost border of Equestria! I have no idea how long this journey will take, but know this: I will return! Whatever challenges await me across that border, I will be ready, for everypony in Equestria!” Her gaze fell on the Mayor, who gestured for her to continue.

*Ahem*

“I suppose you are all wondering why I chose to stay at the orphanage last night. I did it because I know what it’s like. Ponies like Redtail touched my life almost every day, inspiring me to be the best I could be. But even that wasn’t enough. I remember feeling like nothing while fending for myself on the streets. It was hard, and nopony deserves to feel like that. All my life, I was looked down upon. Nopony expected anything from me." She paused, gathering herself.

"I’ll never forget the first time I ever saw the Wonderbolts. It wasn't at a show, or even outside of a stadium where they were performing. It was during the most unglamorous part of being a Wonderbolt: training day. Through the grueling routine I began to realize something. My heros weren't that much different from me. They all started out learning not to crash, too. I realized that I wanted to wear that suit, to crash into the mud after another failed routine, to work from dawn to dusk for perfection. Most of all I wanted to fly high, up with my heros and be somepony!"

"I realized that there was only one pony stopping me from being like them: me. That is why I fly today, for the little fillies and colts that might think that they have been forgotten. I want them to know that they are not forgotten. Even though it might feel like that sometimes, like the world is against you... That's why I chose to stay at the orphanage.”

She was met with a thunderous applause, everypony suddenly bursting out in emotion. Wind Surfer smiled as the ponies swarmed the stage, trying to get a word with the pair. She was nudged by Redtail, who gestured the clock.

“And, with that my friends, I must go! Forward unto the mountains, and onwards to the West!” Wind Surfer took off, powered by an even louder round of applause from the now massive crowd. She soared high above the rooftops of the city, and caught and updraft propelling her even higher. From her perspective, the city was now a blotch on the landscape, surrounded by multihued patches of farmland. Circling the sprawling city again, Wind Surfer course-checked herself, and set off towards the mountains.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hours of weaving in and out of mountaintops found her at the westernmost edge of Equestria. The flight itself was uneventful, punctured by a few birds following her path. Around noon, just as her stomach reminded her that lunch was due, she arrived at the border.

The border itself was marked by a tiny hut on the edge of a small dirt road overgrown with disuse. Upon the hut was the flag of the Domain, depicting the two Alicorn Sisters in harmony with the sun and moon. Outside was a pegasus guard, staring blankly West.

Wind Surfer alighted a few feet from the post, shaking the pony from her mind-numbing job.

“Hello there!” Wind Surfer cried cheerfully.

“Greetings from Equestrian Army Post 113,” the pegasus replied, turning to greet the newcomer. “I’m Sergeant Ryder. Nice to see somepony not in an Equestrian Military uniform.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Wi-”

“-nd Surfer. We know. Just about everypony in Equestria does.” Ryder smiled, then turned to the hut. “Private Plume! Get out here! And bring something to eat! We’ve got a visitor!”

The hut was suddenly filled with various noises of another pony in various stages of getting out of bed. The noises crescendoed until the pony burst out of the cabin door, gripping several brown pouches in her mouth, and several others tucked beneath her wing. Plume skittered up to her superior, and saluted.

“Pvt. Plmm rmmprtin fff’dty!”

“At ease, Private.”

Plume immediately relaxed and regarded their guest, dropping the pouches as she did so.

“You’re Wind Surfer! This is so great! Ever since your first record I’ve been following you! YES!!” She began bouncing around Wind Surfer peppering her with questions. “So, whats it like? Oh, wait! What was the storm like? I heard the REAF was called in! Was it awesome? What about Stalliongrad? What was that li--”

“Can it, private! It’s chow time.” The sergeant shoved a hoof into the irrepressible pony’s mouth and indicated the packets that Plume had dropped. “Standard-Issue Meals-Ready-to-Eat! Packed with calories for anypony’s long haul. Besides, these will help save your rations for when you really need them.”

“Thank you! I-I mean, you don’t have to... Really!”

“Don’t worry about it. These don’t expire for the next three years, and they’re delivered monthly. There’s plenty more where those came from, the shack's bursting with them!” The sergeant invited Wind Surfer inside the hut to enjoy their MRE’s.

“Unicorns have it easy, I tell you...” Ryder grumbled. After some trouble opening the bags, they began eating. Seeing the look on Wind Surfer’s face, Plume laughed.

“Look, I know they don’t taste the greatest, but they’re really good for you. And with the amount of flying you’ll be doing, you’ll need the calories.” Wind Surfer smiled uncertainly, and continued eating. As she finished, Plume walked over to a cupboard, and opened it. Out burst several more MRE’s, some bent after being forced into the cupboard. She grabbed several, and handed them to Wind Surfer.

“Here, have a couple more for the road. They’ll keep you going.”

“Thanks again, Plume. I really should get going now though.” Wind Surfer glanced at the clock as she stuffed the pouches into her bag. It now read 1:40. More than an hour out... Not completely wasted though... They walked out of the hut, and turned to the Sergeant.

“We’ll see you again someday, right?” The Sergeant looked her hard in the eye.

“Of course! Why would I do something like this without the intention of returning?” Wind Surfer smiled, and faced West. She was interrupted by a tap on her shoulder.

“Um, one last thing,” said Plume timidly. “Could- could you sign this?” It was a copy of a popular flight magazine that Wind Surfer had appeared in. Wind Surfer obliged. The private was then shooed away by Ryder, who again turned to Wind Surfer.

“Now, get moving! You’ve dilly-dallied long enough!”

Wind Surfer mock-saluted, and took off with a shout.

“Thank you!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow. This is a lot of sand...

Several hours later had Wind Surfer standing at the edge of the largest expanse of sand she had ever seen. The sand stretched for miles on end, seeming to touch the horizon itself.

That is a lot of sand... She thought again. How am I supposed to cross this? Though she had spent weeks studying it, her training had still not prepared her for the vast openness of the desert. Wind Surfer inhaled, and then exhaled, prepping herself for the crossing.

Alright. Here goes! With a mental shout, she jumped into the air, and began soaring above the desert. Almost immediately, she was hit with a veritable wall of heat, that immediately forced her down.

Wind Surfer cried aloud at the sheer intensity. She veered off toward a scraggly copse of trees on the edge of the desert, and crashed among them.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” Furious with herself for crashing, Wind Surfer shook herself off, and turned to face the desert. She was completely unprepared to deal with the heat. Even so, she still steeled herself for another try.

“Ah wouldn't do that, if Ah were ye...” A voice cut across her thoughts startling Wind Surfer.

“Huh?! Who’s there?” She twirled around, and shifted her weight in preparation to jump should danger arise.

“Wheel now, a touch blind, aren’t ye? Ah’m right a’fore ye!” The voice seemed to emanate from a small dune from the other side of the copse. “Keep lookin’!”

Curiosity overcame her shock, and Wind Surfer prowled toward the dune.

“Closer now, Ah ‘aint aboot tae hurt ye.” The voice was rough, as if its owner had little to drink as of late.

“Um, I can’t see you.”

“O’ course ye can’t! Ah’m invisible!” The -whatever it was- chuckled. “Wha’, I dinnae expect ye tae find me so easily!”

“... Right. Well, I’ve got places to be, soo...”

“If ye want me opinion, Ah kin think o’ many a kinder way tae end ye’self.”

What?! Wind Surfer rounded upon the voice.

“Excuse me?! I’m going to cross this desert, thank you!”

“Ah! Tha’ makes everythin’ clearer! Wheel, yer gon’ tae have tae wait till the sun’s gone. Then Ah’ll help ye across meself!”

“Um, I have no idea what you are. So, why should I trust you? Besides, I’m a perfectly fine navigator myself, thank you.”

“Ooch, tha’s a problem... Wheel, stan’ still, Ah’ll show meself.” The small dune suddenly shifted, and began growing. Staring in disbelief, where there was once a dune, was a sand-colored dragon, whose scales gleamed as sand shimmered off of his scales like water. “Wha’cha think? Pretty neat, if Ah do say so meself!”

“Huh??” It was all Wind Surfer could do to not turn and bolt then an there. “What? H-how?”

“Hehehe! It takes years tae learn me craft as Ah’ve.” The dragon smiled, displaying two sets of razor-sharp teeth. He stretched, displaying a leathery wingspan several times larger than Wind Surfer’s. Now fully extended, the mysterious dragon appeared to be only a few times larger than her though. “So, who do Ah ‘ave the pleasure o’ address’n?”

“U-um, Wind Surfer. My name’s Wind Surfer.” She stumbled as she began backing away.

“Ay, missie! Wha’d tell ye? Ye can’t fly till the sun’s gone! Ye’ll bake!” Wind Surfer froze.

“Alright, fine, just don’t eat me!” She squeaked, trying to make herself as small a target as possible, while simultaneously looking for an escape route. The dragon paused.

“Ahahahaa! Tha’s what's got yer feathers inn’ae twist, eh? Relax, Ah ain’t here tae eat ye.” Wind Surfer scowled. “No, seriously! Ponies don’t taste as good as, say a good head o’ livestock. Asides, Ah would’a done it already. There ain’t nothin’ to be afeard o’.”

Swallowing, Wind Surfer began taking tentative steps toward the strange dragon.

“So,” she began slowly, “Who are you?”

“Ooch! Where be me manners? Ah’m Dune Crest. Ah’s ye can probably guess, Ah earned me name, fair an’ square! This here patch o’ trees be the edge of me hard-earned territory. Come! Ah’m sure ye’ll find me cave a might more comfortable than the heat here.”

Dune Crest crawled to a outcropping that obscured the entrance to a cave. Wind Surfer noticed that he seemed ungainly as he walked, as if it was something he disliked.

Wind Surfer hesitated, but soon followed the dragon. At first glance, the cave seemed small, even for Wind Surfer. However, as she climbed in after the dragon, she found that it was quite large, and also surprisingly comfortable.

“A’right, what kin Ah get ye?” The dragon settled on a sort of pedestal carved out of the rock in the center of the cave. “Wheel? Don’ just stan’ there! Find a place, an’ sit!”

Wind Surfer sat where she stood, near the entrance. She still had a hard time grappling with the concept that a non-Equestrian dragon had, not only refrained from eating her, but had invited her into its cave, and offered to help her cross the desert. She managed to stutter out a question under the dragon’s inquisitive stare.

“Um... I-I really don’t... Why are you doing this?” Dune Smiled again.

“Wheel, an ole dragon such as meself ain’t got much to do wi’ ‘imself nowadays, and it’s been years since one o’ yer kind came out this way.”

“Oh. What did the last pony do? I’ve never heard of somepony coming out this way.”

“That’s cause he’d gone an’ kill hisself! Ah’d tried tae talk ‘im out o’ it, but ‘is mind was set. Flew straight out tae the desert. Found the poor sod a few days later, all withered an’ such. Dried as me scales. Ah buried ‘im right o’er there,” he gestured to a small hollow on the far side of the cave.

Upon closer inspection, the hollow revealed the pony’s name and date of death. Wind Surfer, thanks to the natural abilities of a Pegasus, was able to read it fine from where she sat.

Here lies Silver Thread,
A pony of strong mind, and soul,
Forever entombed in the desert’s warm embrace.

Below the inscription, was the pony’s date of death, nearly four hundred years prior.

Wow... Four hundred years of solitude. Enough to drive a pony crazy! She glanced at Dune Crest, who eyed the hollow with a deep sorrow.

“...‘e was me only companion in a long time. Taught me much aboot yer Equestria, though Ah imagine it’s changed some, eh? Eventually, ‘e suck out one day, an’ few into the desert. Anyway, tha’s a story fer another time though, no? Time fer a nap! Ye’ll wan tae save yer energy fer the flight tonight.”

With that, the dragon shuffled into a more comfortable position, his scales rasping the stone beneath him.

“Wheel, go on!” He pointed a wing towards another small hollow, this one more suited for a living pony.

Silently, she moved toward it, and began disposing of her equipment. Chambering onto the stone, she found that it was surprisingly comfortable. Dune, satisfied that his guest had settled in, shifted again, and fell asleep. Glancing around the cave once more, Wind Surfer made herself comfortable, and soon followed suit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ay, missie! Rouse y’self! Gone an’ overslept, we ‘ave!” A rasping voice shook Wind Surfer from her nap. She groaned, and stood up.

“What’s going on?” She asked, drowsily.

“Di’nt ye say ye wanted tae cross the desert? Wheel, now’s yer chance!” Dune was a bundle of activity, trundling around the cave doing whatever it was dragons did in preparation for such a trip. “Is yer water pouch filled? ‘ow aboot food? ‘ave ye got enough?”

Wind Surfer rubbed her eyes, and began pulling on her gear, taking stock of her provisions as she did so.

“Water and food are taken care of. What about you?”

“Ach! Don’ worry aboot me, missie. Ah’ve crossed the desert many a time. Ah’ll be fine.” Satisfied, Dune stalked out of the cave, soon followed by Wind Surfer. She glanced at her watch, and saw it was about an hour past sundown. Pink rays of light emanated from the horizon, slowly giving way to the inky blackness of night.

“Um... How are we going to see? The lights almost gone.”

The old dragon turned to her. “Ah thought ye said ye were a fine navigator, if’n Ah remember correctly, yes?”

“During the day! Nopony with sense flies at night!”

“Aye, and around ‘ere, no dragon wit’ sense flies during the day. It looks like Ah’m gonna ‘ave tae teach ye ‘ow tae navigate wit’ the stars. That’ll help ye when all else fails.” Dune trundled towards the edge of the copse.

“A’right!” He had reached the edge of the tree line, where the desert began reclaiming its land. Without warning, Dune unfurled his wings, and burst into the sky. Wind Surfer’s jaw dropped. Where he was ungainly on the ground, Dune soared easily around, performing loops and rolls that would put Wonderbolt recruits to shame. He roared with excitement, and yelled to her.

“An’ what do ye think yer doin’ down there, mopin’ aboot? Come!”

Wind Surfer needed no second urging, as she soon found herself right alongside him. She whooped as she felt the cool night air against her face. It was invigorating, renewing her strength where rest could not. Dune then veered towards the fading sunset, and Wind Surfer followed suit.

“Good!” The old dragon was clearly delighted in the prospect of having a flying companion. “Ah kin see ye’ve already got the proper trainin’ needed tae fly in formation! Let’s see what else ye know, shall we?”

With that, Dune proceeded to test her knowledge of flying in formation. He tested the basics, such as turning in formation, to more complex maneuvers, such as changing point flier while maintaing a constant speed. Eventually the test became a contest of arial acrobatics, in which Dune and Wind Surfer attempted to outdo each other. After a particularly difficult stunt on Wind Surfer’s part, Dune gave in, clearly impressed.

“The Wonderbolts taught me that,” Wind Surfer replied, panting. “The demonstration team?”

“Ooch, Ah don’ think Ah’ve heard of them. Mus’ be new! When that other pony stayed wi’ me, he said that the Royal Air Force had a demonstration team... Ah’ve gone an’ forgotten their name, though.”

“They used to be 1st Squadron, Canterlot Station, also known as the Weather Raiders. They became known as the Wonderbolts when one of the wing commanders realized the Squadron could become a showcase of Pegasus’ talents from all around Equestria, not just for military recruiting.”

“Ah. Ah see.” The next few hours were passed as Wind Surfer educated Dune on current Equestrian events (mostly rehashing contemporary history), ranging from the expansions of Equestrian borders to the Lunar Princess’s return. He was shocked, to say the least, as no dragon he knew of had recognized the signs leading up to her escape.

“Ah, dinnae aboot ye, but Ah’m willing tae say that yer princess was a might bit pleased tae ‘ave her sister back.”

“She was, as was much of the Nobility. The common ponies... Not so much.”

“An’ why be that?”

“Well, we kind of have a holiday centered around her being Nightmare Moon; we weren't exactly sure how she would react to that. But that wasn't the real reason. The commoners, myself included, feared that, upon her arrival, the old rules of the realm would be reinstated."

"An' that meant..?"

"The nobility would have actual power, instead of being ceremonial positions.”

“That sounds a might outdated, don’t it?”

“It is, but the current system keeps everypony happy. Whenever we get a noble who actually does something useful for the commoners, they’re able to do it. But the laws also keep us safe from a noble’s exploitations, too.”

“Good, good." Silence reigned for a time, before being broken by Dune.

"Ah heard there was a weddin' of some sort?”

"... What?"

"A weddin'! You know, two ponies becomin' one, all that 'appy nonsense?"

"A wedding...? Um... oh, right! That was months ago! It was between Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and the Captain of the Royal Guard, um... Shining Armor; that was his name!" The event of the century, and I can barely remember the stallion's name... "Wait, you heard of that, all the way out here?"

"Ye'd be surprised to fin' 'ow fast news travels around 'ere. It was of particular intres' tae the Queen of the Changelings."

"Well, yeah, but all anypony really knows is that she invited herself and her army to the wedding, and she got banished from Canterlot or something... Either way she's gone... You know what? I don't think anypony knows what actually happened."

"That sounds like yer princess, alright... Tell me: what do you know aboot 'er?" Wind Surfer hesitated.

"Well, she's... Nice..." she said, foolishly.

"... 'Nice'?" Dune glanced toward her.

"Yes...?"

"Hmm... She 'asn't changed. When Silver stayed wi' me, 'e never 'ad much tae say aboot 'er either."

"You mean she's always been like that; just like, 'nice'... Never really connecting?"

"Accordin' tae Silver."

They fell into a comfortable silence as the waves of sand rushed beneath them. By now, the light had completely faded, giving way to the night. Wind Surfer soon realized that the pairs’ shadows raced with them along the ground.

Wait... What?

“Dune, tonight’s a new moon. Why do we have shadows?”

“Look up! Ah’m surprised ye didn’t yet!”

Wind Surfer obliged, and gasped. Above her was a massive, deep blue canvas, dotted with huge swaths of stars of all colors. On one side, the south, a deep black shadow hid other stars from view, creating a mysterious void covering a portion of the stars. Within it, a single star shone, bright as the moon.

“Wow...” She whispered.

“Indeed. Part o’ the reason dragons like tae fly at night.”

“They say that inspiration comes from the stars. I can see why.”

“Aye,” said Dune.

"The stars seem much brighter out here," she observed. "Must be because there's nothing out here."

"Aye. The stars 'ave nothin' tae compete wit'. Tha's why they seem brighter."

So began Wind Surfer’s navigation lessons. Dune taught her all there was to know, from a dragon’s perspective (“Ah don’ know much aboot pony star names, but it’ll serve ye just the same,” he noted). Wind Surfer learned that the single star in the inkblot to the south was called the ‘Everfire’ by the dragons, for an ancient hero of their myths.

“When’er ye get lost, Everfire’ll guide ye. Even through the blackest, nastiest storms, she’ll be there fer ye.” Wind Surfer remembered seeing the star during many of her trips, and was slightly ashamed to admit that she never thought of using it as a navigation tool.

As the night went on, Wind Surfer grew hungry. She made no mention of this to Dune, as he was delighted in having a student with whom he could share his knowledge. She wasn’t subtle enough though, as her stomach gave her away.

“Got ye! Ah guess it’s high time fer a lil’ snack, don’t ye think?”

“Yes, indeed!”

Dune chuckled, and angled for the ground. Wind Surfer followed, but angled slightly away from the dragon. She was right to do so because, as he landed, Dune sent up huge billows of sand from his downstrokes. Wind Surfer mimicked him, alighting at the top of the nearest dune.

“A’right,” Dune said, “ye stay put and eat, an’ I’ll find something fer the likes of me, okay?”

“Sounds good.” Wind Surfer had already began unpacking, looking for the produce she had gathered in Stalliongrad.

Dune moved up to her. “Stay put,” he said firmly. He then quickly padded away to the north.

What was that about? Wind Surfer wondered, curious as to why he had done that. She finished eating quickly, eager to be off. However, it was some minutes before she heard the crunch of sand heralding his return. She turned to look at the next dune, and froze.

There, crouched among the dunes, was a small slate-grey dragon. It eyed her hungrily, and began approaching. Wind Surfer swallowed, and began backing into the depression between the dunes.

He lead me into a trap! A growl resounded from behind her, and she turned to face yet another slate-colored dragon crouched at the top of the rise. Wind Surfer swallowed.

I can’t believe this! I trusted him! A boiling rage welled up inside her as she faced her attackers. Perhaps I can scare them; he’s not that much bigger than me...

The dragon looked up to his companion, causing Wind Surfer to follow his gaze. At the distraction, he pounced. Wind Surfer’s stomach dropped.

Chapter 4

Wind Surfer breached the surface of the pool, panting for air. She floated there for a moment, taking in the scene before her. Her companion, despite his spikes, had positioned himself face-up on a large boulder, and was fast asleep in the afternoon sun. As she watched, Dune grumbled something in his sleep and twisted into a more comfortable position.

The pair had flown to Dune’s last checkpoint at the edge of the desert, flying faster and harder than before. They arrived close to midnight, and spent the rest of the night sleeping. After a small argument, they decided to use the day as one to relax.

Wind Surfer smiled at the scene, and paddled over to the dragon. After some debate, she began flicking water at him. Fortunately for her, several minutes passed before Dune stirred.

“Oy, missie. Ye bes’ quit w’it yer nonsense, afore Ah rouse meself properly…” Dune grumbled.

“Well, you’re no fun at all…” Wind Surfer pouted, and resumed splashing. In a flash, Dune righted himself, and roared at her. She yelped, and fled beneath the surface of the pool. Though playful, the shout was still intimidating. Wind Surfer surfaced on the other side of the pool.

“What was that for?!” She shouted. “You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“What’d ye expect? Tha’s what ‘appens when ye wake a sleepin’ dragon!” Dune returned to his rock and settled down, exposing his back to the sun. “Pourin’ water on me like some blasted plant… ‘sides, what’d ye go an’ hop intae yonder pool fer?”

“To wash this grime off of me. I feel like I’d lived my entire life in that suit. I haven’t taken the thing off since I left Stalliongrad,” replied Wind Surfer, as she stepped out of the pool. She sighed, feeling refreshed. “That feels much better.”

The pool they had arrived at was gigantic. It was long enough to fit Dune into but narrow enough so that Wind Surfer could span it in a single breath. Its ancient systems, though hidden from view, kept the water refreshed, with a weak current flowing through the pool. Wind Surfer began examining the pool yet again. She had already noted it, and the surrounding ruins as part of the day’s journal, but wanted to be sure that she hadn’t forgotten anything.

Let’s see: the plumbing’s probably protected by unicorn magic, which would explain the fact that it’s been running for at least a millennia. Moving on, the pool looked like a reflection pond, except for the fact that it has a current, again generated by the plumbing. Probably more along the lines of a large bath. Looking up, she noted the size and placement of several pillars, reinforcing the bath theory.

Most likely enclosed in a very large room, which must have been part of a larger building. She paced around the edge until she reached the spot where her friend lay. She frowned, realizing that he had fallen asleep again.

“Ugh, come on. I’m not gonna keep waking you up!”

The dragon made no mention that he heard her.

“Fine. Be that way. I didn’t wanna talk to you anyway.” She turned to her packs and flight suit, which lay nearby. Thankfully, they hadn’t been crushed underfoot during Dune’s earlier mock-rampage. Wind Surfer glared at the suit, which was plastered in sand. She wasn’t even sure of its original color anymore. Shrugging, she flipped the suit into the pool. Oh well, let’s try and get it cleaned.

After several minutes of fighting, the suit was finally returned to its original color. She draped the suit on a nearby fallen pillar, and stepped back. Whoever made it would have my tail if they saw that…

Dune shifted again, and mumbled something about dinner. At the mention of food, Wind Surfer’s stomach growled. She rolled her eyes, and grabbed the last of the produce from Stalliongrad. On a whim, she also removed her map and her journal. Settling down, Wind Surfer began eating and started marking her progress on the map. She got as far as the mountain range outside of Stalliongrad before she realized that she had no idea where she’d flown from there. She frowned, unwilling to generalize her route from there.

“We started ‘ere, at the edge o’ the desert.” A large sand-colored claw entered her vision, causing Wind Surfer to yelp and backpedal into the now unoccupied boulder.

“Me apologies, missie.” Dune chuckled. Wind Surfer glowered at him.

“How do you do that?” She asked, irritatedly.

“If’n ye really wan’ tae know, Ah’m a predator. Ah’d never eat if ye could hear me comin’. That, added wi’ the fact tha’ and ye weren’t payin’ attention, makes it easy tae do.”

Wind Surfer shot the dragon another annoyed glance before returning to her spot next to him.

“How accurate is my map?” She asked, settling down.

Dune leaned in for a closer look. “Pretty well done, fer a pony map. I’s missn’ a few details, but it’ll serve its purpose all the same.”

The sun set as the pair continued to mark their progress. Eventually, the last of the day slipped beyond the horizon, and the stars began reigning supreme in the night sky. Though bright, Everfire’s light was too weak to see the map properly by. So, Wind Surfer found a few dead branches that Dune then lit, and the pair continued working until the map was caught up.

“So it’s pretty much a straight flight west from here, huh?” Wind Surfer said after a time.

“Wheel, not really, no. Y’see, these here wastes belong tae the Changeling Queen.” Dune gestured a general area of the map a few miles west of where they were now. “It narrows a bit a little north o’ here. Tae make it through, ye’d have tae fly nonstop fer four days tae reach the other side. Think yer up tae the task?”

Wind Surfer swallowed, thinking hard. “Why can’t we land?”

“The changelings could catch us. If we keep moving, they’ll ‘ave a harder time findin’ us. Ah’ve heard tales of what she does tae ponies, but Ah’ve no idea what she does tae dragons and Ah don’t want tae find out.” Dune looked at her. “You don’t think ye could do it?”

“See, the thing is, I’ve only flown for three days straight, not four. That, and I was able to eat more in preparation; to stock up energy. I really don’t think I can force myself to go four days straight. Are you sure we can’t just go around? It doesn’t seem that big.”

“Wheel, we could, if ye wanted yer princesses tae grow beards an’ turn grey waitin’ fer ye.” Wind Surfer smiled softly at his joke, and looked back at the map. “But in all seriousness, it’d take far too long tae make it aroun’.”

She thought for a moment. “… How long until we reach the pass?”

“At this pace, we’ll be there ‘afore nightfall tomorrow.”

Wind Surfer swallowed again, hardly believing her own decision. “Let’s do that, then.”

“Think ye could do it?” Dune asked, concerned.

“There’s only one way to find out…”

Dune watched with unease as she returned her belongings to her pack. She put the fire out, and curled up near him.

“Goodnight, Dune.” Wind Surfer said, her voice already thick with sleep.

Dune sighed. “Aye, goodnight missie.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day’s journey had been uneventful, to say the least. The pair had been woken by the first rays of light from Celestia’s sun, allowing for an early start. Wind Surfer had eaten a quiet breakfast, and they were soon airborne. They had flown north, angling for the narrow region in the Changeling Queen’s domain. The temperature had become more reasonable since they left the desert, so Wind Surfer had little need of her flight suit. She had stuffed it into one of her packs, replacing the food that had been consumed. The sun was setting by the time the pair made their final approach for land that day.

Upon touchdown, the dragon disappeared, presumably looking for something to eat. Vegetation was sparse in the area, due to the dry, rocky terrain. Shelter was easy to come by however, as there was no shortage of rocky overhangs under which to spend the night. Dune returned even as Wind Surfer finished her meal.

“Dune? May I ask you something?”

“Anythin’ at all, missie. What bothers ye?”

“You’re more than free to go home now. I can-”

Dune cut her off with a wave of his claw. “No, Ah’m not. ‘twas me suggestion tae fly through the Changeling’s land, and Am gonna see ye through.” He said with an air of finality.

“Oh. Um, ok…?” Wind Surfer fell silent, occupied by her own thoughts. Suddenly, she perked up. “That’s not it, is it?” She said, slyly.

“Wha’s not what?”

“The reason you’re coming with me.” She said simply.

“Wheel, then missie. If’n yer so smart, what be it?”

“Your territory. There’s no dragon to challenge you for it and it’s in the desert so there’s nothing there. There isn’t any real reason for you to keep it. There’s nothing for you there.” Wind Surfer looked at him, smiling at her revelation.

The dragon looked at his claws, disturbed by her revelation. “Ah’m Ah that easy tae read, missie?”

Wind Surfer’s voice grew soft. Her smile fell, and she looked at her hooves. “Well, yes, actually. Our conversation about younger dragons kind of tipped me off.”

Dune sighed. “What’s an old dragon like me supposed tae do? Wait fer another mate? Ah can’t do that. Dragons are supposed tae be loyal tae one mate, and since she died, and all me sons are dead, Ah’m nothin’. Nothin’ at all.”

Wind Surfer felt sorry for the old dragon, and moved closer. “That’s not true, and you know it. You’re my guide, and more importantly, my one real friend in a long time.”

Dune looked at her, incredulous. “Are ye sure aboot that, missie?”

“Yes, actually. I grew up in an orphanage. A home for ponies who didn't have parents to take care of them,” she explained. “I did have friends, but it was a rough neighborhood… Some didn’t make it. Others moved, got adopted; I never heard from them again. I found out the hard way that the media isn’t exactly what you’d call friendly, especially to a pony like me. So, yea. My first real friend in a very long time.” She finished firmly.

Dune looked thoughtful for a moment. “Wheel, Ah suppose Ah’m glad that Ah met ye on the edge o’ the desert. Thank ye.” They looked at each other a moment longer.

“Alright, missie, enough wi’ the sappy! Ye need sleep! Go get some!” Dune laughed, breaking the emotional spell.

“Hahaha! Ok, fine. I never thought I’d see a dragon get all sappy on me anyway…” Wind Surfer moved to a more comfortable spot, and stretched out. She began filling out the day’s journal. A short entry at that. Her thoughts turned to the perils that lay ahead, both known and unknown. Hopefully I’m still around in a few days to finish it.

She turned to Dune, and found that he had already fallen asleep. What a sappy old dragon…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Um… Dune?” A voice cut across his dreams. The dragon stirred at his name.

“Dune? Hello?” The voice became more insistent. “Wake up!” Dune stirred again, and was about to roll over when something began poking his ribcage rather urgently.

“Whoa, Dune! Wake up! Wake up; you’re gonna squish me!” The voice squeaked. With a yelp, Dune bolted upright onto his hind legs, subsequently measuring the hight of the overhang by smashing into it. He dropped something that had taken up residence under his wing.

“Ugh, Dune! What was that?” Wind Surfer lay in front of him, dazed.

“Oy, missie! What ‘appened?” Dune asked urgently, rubbing his head.

“You happened! One moment I was sleeping peacefully, an the next moment, you grabbed me and started snuggling me like some oversized stuffed toy!” She shouted, indignantly.

“What? Ah’d never do something so foolish tae the likes o’ that!” Dune retorted.

“Yea, well you just did! That’s the last time I ever sleep on the same level as you…” Wind Surfer grumbled as she crawled over to her packs, and began fishing for something to eat. She would need a large meal to help her through the constant flying ahead of the pair. “Don’t bother going back to sleep. It’s too late.”

It was true. The sun’s first rays had already begun peeking over the horizon. Dune glared at it for a moment before returning his attention to his charge.

“All set fer today, missie?” The dragon asked, returning back to all fours.

“Not really. But its one of those things that we kinda have to do, you know?”

“No, it isn’t. I’s not every day tha’ a pony ‘as tae fly through territory like this. But ye’ll be fine. Trust me. Betwixt the two of us, we’ll make it.”

Wind Surfer finished, and returned to her pack. “Should I wear the suit and stuff?”

“What’d ye got?” Dune arced his head over to her.

“Goggles and a mask to go with the suit. They’re for debris and the like. The suit’s supposed to repel minor cuts and bruises; a weak version of the palace guard armor, really…” She held out each piece of her suit for inspection.

“Put them on. Ye might need ‘em in a pinch.” Dune gestured to the packs. “Do ye think ye could secure the pair o’ them tae me? Ah could carry them fer you; lighten things up.”

“I’d appreciate that, thanks!” Wind Surfer moved the packs around to the base of Dune’s neck, whereupon she fastened the buckles around him. “There. How’s that?”

“Jus’ fine,” the dragon grunted. “Ah thought they’d be enchanted tae lessen the weight?”

“They are. I’m carrying a bunch of those MRE’s.”

“Blasted things mus’ be solid as rocks…” Dune muttered. He straightened up, and moved out from under the rock. “Ready when ye are.”

“Awesome,” said Wind Surfer. She put on her gear, followed by her water pouch. She soon joined him in the growing light. “Let’s fly!”

With that, the pair shot off into the sky, with Dune at the lead. They veered west, and began their journey into the Changeling’s domain. As they entered, Dune and Wind Surfer stayed as close to the ground as possible, away from any prying eyes of the Kingdom. Numerous canyons made this possible, each formed by rivers long gone.

The canyons themselves were a sight to see. Each of them that they few into presented a view into the very veins of the Earth. After several hours Wind Surfer came to a sudden realization. The canyons are divided into layers… These are the layers ponies talked about in school! She had never even dreamt of seeing the formations herself.

She glanced at Dune, and pointed out her discovery.

“Oy, missie, Ah suppose yer right! Layers upon layers o’ sediment. Ah wonder ‘ow long these took tae form?” Dune flew as close as he dared to one of the walls, and examined it.

“I learned about these in school. Each layer took thousands of years to form. They’re different because of what’s in them. Some are made up of volcanic ash, where others are just sand.” Wind Surfer explained, her memory of the subject returning.

“Ah see…” The dragon had returned to the center of the canyon. “And how old did yer pony scientists think the Earth was?”

“A few billion years,” she replied. “I forgot the real estimate.”

“Now, a’int that a thought. A window tae the past o’ the earth, and ‘ere we are, staring intae it’s very bones.” Dune said thoughtfully.

A chilling thought indeed, thought Wind Surfer. They flew on, undisturbed. Eventually, the canyons gave way to vast stone valleys. Though water was somewhat more plentiful, vegetation was still sparse. Dune reasoned that it was something in the water, and advised his companion to drink sparingly from her pouch.

“There’s no tellin’ what kind o’ toxins be in that there water,” Dune said, as they flew directly over one such pool. Wind Surfer looked down, catching a glimpse of it. It was fetid. Rainbows swirled across its blackened surface as bubbles slowly formed on top from an unknown source. One popped, releasing a foul stench into the air. It hit Wind Surfer like a brick. She veered away, holding her nose. Unfortunately for her, the mask had done nothing to stop the smell.

“Oy! Where ye be flyin tae?” The dragon shouted after her.

“Ugh! The smell from those pools! It’s rancid!” Spat Wind Surfer as she flew back into position. It wasn’t long before Dune caught a whiff of the pools.

“Ack! Ah see where yer comin’ from, missie… Wheel ‘ave tae fly aroun’ them.” They began weaving in and out, flying between the pools of waste. Though they were alone, Dune kept a sharp eye out for any unwelcome visitors. By the time they were through, night had fallen. A soft tailwind supplemented the pair as the left the fetid pools behind.

Dune gestured to the south. “Keep an eye out, missie. We be cuttin’ it close tae ‘ome.”

Wind Surfer followed his gaze towards a huge spiraling tower that thrust high into the night. It was alight with an eerie green glow that emanated from several large openings around the tower. Wind Surfer’s jaw dropped.

“Is that… Her castle?” She hissed, incredulous.

“Ah do believe so. Ah don’t think any being’s ever seen the thing, and lived tae tell aboot it.” Dune whispered back. “Ah think ye could stretch me from me nose tae me tail, and still not span those ‘oles…”

“… Must be the size of -- of Canterlot!” Wind Surfer stared in awe. It was a truly impressive sight. It was large enough to block out the light of Everfire.

“Everfire can’ light the way fer us any longer, but yer princess seems mighty ‘appy tae try.” Dune noted. The moon, though waxing, was indeed bright. The pair settled into an uncomfortable silence under the watchful eyes of the Changeling Queen’s twisted spire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Celestia’s sun rose into the sky to find the pair still pushing deeper into Changeling territory. Wind Surfer yawned, but pressed on. The tailwind that aided them continued, making the pair’s job somewhat easier. She glanced to her companion, whose jaw was set as he continued forward. The pegasus shook herself awake as the sun rose into the sky.

Midday had come and gone, and still the pair pushed forward. There was little to talk about, save for directions for the immediate future. Dune stole a glance at the spire. Where it was eerie, almost beautiful at night, it was now an ugly black spike, forcing its way into the sky. The holes, from which light was emanating from the night before, were now dark, almost blending in with the spike. As far away as they were, they could still pick out the individual openings into the spire.

Occasionally, a patrol of changelings would fly overhead, forcing Wind Surfer to seek refuge under her companion. Dune’s natural sand coloration provided adequate camouflage to remain hidden from their prying eyes. This occurred several times, before Wind Surfer began to question it.

“How in Equestria do they keep missing us? I mean, you’re not exactly a featherweight for a dragon; you’re gigantic!”

Dune chuckled. “I’s quite simple, really. One, Ah’m still a predator, all nice an’ quiet-like. Two, me scales help me blend in wit’ the surroundin’ rock. Three, they a’int lookin’ fer us.”

“Wait- they can’t see you because they aren’t looking for you?” Wind Surfer asked, incredulous.

“Yep. Same applies tae huntin’. If’n yer prey a’int lookin fer ye, they won’t see ye.” Dune winked at her.

“Well, I suppose that makes sense…” She looked ahead, blinking away fatigue. “I guess that’s how you keep managing to sneak up on me.”

He smiled, but said nothing. They flew on in silence. The land below had long faded into a dull, sand-colored waste. Unlike the desert however, there were no flowing sand dunes. Here, the land was just a single flowing rock, baked and barren. Before long, the sun set on the pair’s second day of flying. Wind Surfer could feel the beginnings of fatigue pulling at her, but she fought them off easily. A larger problem was developing. She needed to eat. Wind Surfer shook the feeling away.

Come on, now. I can do this. I can’t let him down. Determined, she surged forward, closing the small gap between her and Dune. He glanced over to her, and nodded. I’m halfway through. I can do this.

The night did little to ease the scenery, for it was basked in the cold light of the moon. The harsh like made the terrain look otherworldly, but was also a blessing. Changeling patrols were even easier to spot, due to the apparent reflective abilities of their wings. After several hours of dodging patrols, Wind Surfer turned to Dune.

“How are you holding up?” She asked.

“Jus’ fine o’er here, missie. Jus’ fine,” Dune said. “An’ yerself?”

“Pretty well, surprisingly.” She lied. Hopefully Dune won’t catch on, she thought.

In truth, it wasn’t the lack of sleep that was catching up with her. It was lack of food. Unlike her record-setting flight, she had been unable to stock up calories for her journey. Her breakfast two days ago, while large, was insufficient to keep her going. Still, she pressed on, keeping pace with the old dragon. Before long, the moon had set, and the light in the east began to grow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The third day of their journey passed uneventfully, as they flew past the midpoint of the Changeling’s territory. Dune took heart that the Changeling Queen’s spire was now receding behind them, if slowly. Consequently, the patrols became less and less frequent. However, the change was lost upon Wind Surfer, who was now totally focused on remaining in flight, patrols or not.

Wind Surfer was doing an admirable job keeping her fatigue hidden from her companion. She merely set her jaw and kept pressing forward. Flying was the easy part. Her training from the Wonderbolts, though incomplete, was adequate enough for her to take advantage of the air Dune disturbed.

Ugh… I can’t believe I forgot something as simple as that. Might’ve saved me some trouble if I’d remembered a few days ago. The difficult part lay in the fact that she couldn’t stop veering off course. It was slight, at first, but it soon became more and more hazardous. Due to her positioning, Dune couldn’t rightly see her, and so remained oblivious. This behavior continued for some miles, until Dune called to her.

“Oy, missie. Fly under me, now,” he said. Though it wasn’t particularly urgent, it was still a precaution he took. “Oy! Git o’er ‘ere, now!”

“Huh? O-oh, right…” Wind Surfer replied, drowsily. She slipped into his shadow, as the patrol passed. Their buzzing wings faded into the distance, and Wind Surfer returned to her position behind him.

“Wha’s wrong wit’ ye?” The dragon craned his neck to see her.

“Nothing, I’m just a little sleepy, is all.” Wind Surfer said. It did little to convince the dragon.

“Should Ah pinch ye?” Dune smiled, but was very serious.

The pegasus shuddered. “That won’t be necessary…”

They continued on in the early afternoon light. Dune basked in the sun’s radiant glow, it’s warmth giving him strength. Suddenly, he heard a gasp, followed by a sharp thump. Curious, he began hovering, and looked about for the source.

“Surfer, old girl, did ye-” He was cut off. To his alarm, he spied the pegasus lying on rock below. He quickly dropped down to her. “Are ye alright? Missie, what ‘appened?”

She did not respond. Dune shuffled over and began examining her, carefully handling her with his claws.

“No blood. Good, good.” Though he was no pony doctor, Dune was able to tell that nothing was broken, to his reassurance. “Poor thing must’ve passed out fer want o’ food.”

There was no way he was going to reach the packs secured at his shoulders. Dune quickly considered his options.

“Oh, wheel,” he said, reaching for her water pouch. “‘ere goes nothin’.” He began to squeeze the pouch, careful not to puncture it. The straw was already pointed at Wind Surfer’s face, so the result was immediate and desired. She awoke with a start, sputtering. Dune sighed with relief.

“Wh- what happened…?” She said, weakly. She began trying to stand up. Dune forced her to lie down, instead.

“Oh, no ye don’t, missie. Gon’ an’ given me quite a turn, ye have. Ye passed out, mos’ likely ‘cause ye ain’t eaten in three days. Git somethin’ outta yer pack, an’ eat.” Dune commanded.

“Alright,” Wind Surfer grabbed the first MRE out of the pack and began eating it, just like that.

It still tastes the same… She noted, in a rather detached sort of way. The dry substance stuck to the inside of her mouth, and she choked.

“Easy, there missie! Take a swig o’ water; that’ll ‘elp.” The dragon said, alarmed.

Wind Surfer finished her meal without another incident. After several minutes, she slowly returned to her feet. Feeling her strength returning, she looked at Dune. His eyes were fixated on a point somewhere behind her.

“Missie,” he said, in a low, dangerous whisper. “Don’ move a muscle.” He shifted, even as Wind Surfer froze. Whatever was behind her had clearly taken notice of the pair.

Dune tensed, and leaped over her. She followed his movement until he landed - crushing a Changeling beneath his hind claws. Its companions darted into the air, shouting something in their harsh tongue. In response, Dune roared, and shot a column of fire at them. Two were roasted in their carapaces, and fell to the ground, shattering upon impact. The last darted too close to the dragon, and was snatched out of the air in a flash of fangs. It squealed, fear gripping the Changeling’s voice. Dune bit down harder, causing the thing to scream in pain. He grabbed the creature’s upper half in his claw, and pulled. The scene quieted as half fell to the ground. Dune snapped his jaws several times, and the other half of the changeling disappeared down his throat.

He turned to face Wind Surfer, concerned.

"Alright there, missie-" Dune stopped. Wind Surfer was no where to be found. Shocked, he looked into the sky, and spotted her receding form in the afternoon light.

Aw, shoot... The dragon quickly rose into flight. Not now; what's she think she's doin'?!

Chapter 5

The pegasus collapsed, her exhaustion finally taking its toll. Her form shuddered as she forced air into her lungs. As she slowly recovered, the pegasus took in her surroundings. Wind Surfer was under the shade of a large tree, standing alone in the grasslands. The harsh country of the Changeling’s land had finally given way to the much greener pastures of grasslands. There had been plenty of food, now that she was away from the barren land the Changelings and their Queen called home.

It had been nearly one full day since the attack. Wind Surfer sighed, thinking back. It was terrifying… I didn’t know he could do that.

She stopped, thinking about the dragon. She’d flown nonstop since that afternoon, her wings fueled by an universal emotion: fear. Everything else had become a blur. It was only when she almost passed out from hunger did she notice her surroundings had changed. Wind Surfer swallowed, worried about her companion.

Knowing him, he’s probably out looking for me… Another voice popped up, unbidden.

To what, finish what he started? How would he know when to stop?

Because Dune knows his limits, She responded, frowning at the voice.

Perhaps. He never said dragons were truthful. Wind Surfer frowned.

What’s that supposed to mean? I’m sure he’s trustworthy!

The dissenting voice perked up. Yes, but what will happen when he does break?

Nothing. He won’t. The voice quieted for now. Wind Surfer, though reassured, was uneasy. Thinking back again, she remembered feeling totally helpless as he destroyed the Changeling patrol. The power, the raw fury of it, stuck with her.

“Greetings, fellow traveller!” A voice cut across her thoughts. Stumbling, she looked about for the source. To her surprise, a large, heavyset, bearded earth pony was trotting her way.

What?!

The pony repeated his greeting, finally joining her under the shade of the tree.

“Um… Hi?” Wind Surfer replied, uncertainly.

“Might I ask what you’re doing out here by yourself?” The stranger looked at her curiously.

“Um… Just, ah, taking a break for the night. What about you?” She eyed him back suspiciously.

“Hm, perhaps you should come with me,” said the pony, ignoring the question. “There’s a village not far from here. You can spend the night there.”

“If it’s all the same to you, I’m gonna stay here.” She looked at the strange pony suspiciously. There’s no telling where he’d lead me…

“Well, unfortunately, it isn’t the same to me.” Surprised at her hostility, the stranger stepped back.

“U- unless, of course, you’re capable of handling yourself with the various predators here. In that case, goodnight.”

The pony turned to leave. Wind Surfer hesitated, then called out to him.

“Where are you going?”

“To a village,” said the pony, turning around. “A village quite unlike the likes of anything you’ve seen, I assure you.”

“Alright, fine. I’ll come with you.” Wind Surfer darted into the sky even as the pony turned back around.

“Thank you. You’ll be better for it, trust me. Might I bother you with a favor?”

“Um, sure. What is it?”

“Keep an eye out for lions and the sort. It wouldn’t do to have one of them sneak up on us, now would it?” The pony smiled, and turned to lead the way.

Before long, the pony found a well-traveled path, and began to follow it. Wind Surfer flew above, and just behind the strange pony, keeping an eye out for predators, as asked. They followed the path for several more minutes, until Wind Surfer caught view of a rather decent sized village, surrounded by a high wooden wall. In the fading light, the village began lighting lanterns, to fend off the darkness. The path they followed lead straight up to a wooden gate, guarded by the strangest ponies Wind Surfer had ever laid eyes on. They were covered in alternating black and white stripes, and lacked any recognizable cutie mark. Before she could say anything the stranger beckoned to her.

“Those are the gate guards,” said the pony, as she touched down to meet him. “It’s best if you let me do the talking.”

“O-ok, but wha-” Wind Surfer was cut off by a wave of the pony’s hoof.

The pair trotted the remaining distance to the gate. The guards beat the earth with the butts of their spears. Once they had the pair’s attention, the one on the right addressed the earth pony, in a language that Wind Surfer did not know.

The pony responded, but the guard was not satisfied. The other guard pointed a hoof to Wind Surfer, and inquired about her. Again, the earth pony responded. This time, the guards visibly relaxed, and turned to open the gate. They spoke something that carried an apologetic sound to it, as well as a greeting.

“Uh, thanks… I guess…?” Wind Surfer said uncertainly, as the pair passed into the village. The strange ponies nodded.

Curiously enough, the striped ponies spoke in what appeared to be rhymes. Between her earth pony companion and the striped ponies, the entire conversation sounded like a short song, full of rhythm.

They walked through the village, surrounded by the strangely colored ponies. Wind Surfer was about to question it when her guide silenced her again.

“I shall explain everything when we get to my house,” he said, simply. They approached a small cottage just as the last of the light slipped below the horizon. He gestured inside, while speaking to several other strange ponies who appeared to be his neighbors. They shared a laugh, and he followed Wind Surfer inside.

“Well! That was interesting, wasn’t it?” The pony smiled at Wind Surfer. “Come! Make yourself at home, and I’ll get something to eat.” He moved into the kitchen.

She removed her flight gear, and followed him.

“What was interesting?” She asked. Though friendly, Wind Surfer was becoming irritated at being left in the dark about the village.

“Well, the whole- Oh!” The pony stopped suddenly. “Where are my manners? I am Doctor Forrest Green of the University of Equestria, Trottingham, Biology Department. And you are?”

“Wind Surfer, from, uh… Manehattan,” she said lamely.

Man, I wish I had a title like that.

“Very good!” The Doctor turned back to his work in the kitchen. “It’s not often we get visitors like yourself.”

“What’s up with those ponies outside? Why are they like that?” She gestured a hoof to the outside.

“They aren’t ponies such as the likes of you or me. They’re actually zebras,” he said, without turning around.

“Oh. So, um… They’re born with the stripes?”

“Precisely. As for their ‘cutie marks’ as it were, they’re actually symbols from their language: Zebraic. You see, the language is essentially a part of them! So it really is difficult to determine what came first: the language or the marks?”

Wind Surfer was given the impression that the Doctor was lonely, even if he could communicate with the locals. She then was struck with an idea.

“You’re here studying them?” That’s what he’s doing out here!

“Oh, Celestia, no!” Doctor Green looked shocked. “Make no mistake. Just because they are different does not imply they are primitive! They’ve already made massive contributions to the institutions of Equestria! Though ponies don’t seem particularly inclined to teach it, let alone learn it.”

Apparently not. “So why are you here?”

“I’m a botanist, see. I was invited to study the plants out here. While their studies are good, they still need somepony to contribute to their gatherings. Their records aren’t exactly compete, thanks to their location.”

He stepped back, and gestured to another room.

“Here we are,” he said. “Grab that plate and follow me.”

Wind Surfer obliged and the pair found themselves seated at a dining table.

“Enough about me, though! You must tire, hearing an old colt like myself talk.” He smiled. “What are you doing here?”

Wind Surfer smiled. “Well, I don’t know if you’ve heard or not, but I’m gonna be the first pegasus to fly around the world.”

“Are you?” The Doctor looked intrigued. “Do tell!”

With that, she began recounting her tale.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“… A- and then what?” The Doctor was at the edge of his seat.

“… I flew away.” Ashamed, Wind Surfer looked down at her long empty plate. An uneasy silence settled in the room. Doctor Green broke the silence first.

“Just like that?”

“Yeah. I bolted. Didn’t even wait ‘till he turned around.”

The Doctor sat back, and observed Wind Surfer thoughtfully.

“Back in my days as a graduate student, I attended a seminar hosted by one of my professors, who was a very influential pony at the time. He and a select few ponies were able to study dragons, thanks to favors pulled from Canterlot. They didn’t get much, but what they were able to study was extremely valuable information. One of the central aspects of the lecture was the territorial nature of dragons, regardless of what it was they were fighting about.”

Wind Surfer looked up. “Territorial? I could’ve told you that.”

“Ah, yes. But they are also protective of animals on their lands as well, including ponies.”

“Protective of ponies?!” Wind Surfer asked, incredulously.

“Curiously enough, yes! One such incident occurred when his team was attacked by one dragon while studying another. The one they were studying, though completely ignoring the team, protected them. He defeated the attacking dragon, and went back to ignoring the team.”

“So, I flew away for no good reason…” She looked down at her plate again, and began playing with the leftovers.

Sensing her unease, he let the matter rest. The Doctor cleared his throat.

“Well, ah… Let’s clean this up, and we’ll be off to bed, yes?” She nodded and began to clear the table. “No, none of that! I’d imagine you’re tired.”

Instead, he showed her to the bathroom, and insisted that she clean up. After a hot shower, Wind Surfer returned to find her host in a small sitting area, in front of a fire.

“Ah, yes, there you are!” He put away a small booklet, and mentioned the seat next to him. “There’s still the matter of your departure, correct?”

“Well, yeah. I’m planning to leave tomorrow morning. Why?”

“Perhaps you would like some company going out west?”

“What, are you coming along?” Wind Surfer asked, unsure of where the conversation was going.

“No, no no… I’ve got too much work ahead of me and too many years behind me to go galavanting across the countryside like that.” He chuckled. “No, see, there is a caravan of goods leaving in about a week… Ah, in ten days to be exact. Perhaps you would like to accompany them?”

Wind Surfer paused.

Hmm… On one hoof, I won’t have to travel alone. Supplies won’t be a problem, and I’m sure the predators he mentioned earlier won’t attack a large group of us. They’d also know the land pretty well.

She frowned, another argument coming to her. On the other hoof, I’ll be slowed down to their pace, and… well, that’s about it, really.

She looked up at the Doctor, who was patiently waiting for an answer.

“I think I’ll wait for the caravan then,” she said. The Doctor nodded in response.

“A wise choice, if I do say so!” He heaved himself up off the chair and squeezed past Wind Surfer down a hallway. “Now, I’ve kept you awake for far too long, my dear. I do say we’re long overdue for some rest, no?”

She peered into the room he indicated. It was packed with various books, scrolls and other academic clutter. In its center, stood an ancient four-poster bed that (fortunately) housed a relatively new mattress.

“Um… This looks like your room.”

“That’s because it is! I’ll turn in on the couch. Go on, now! We’ve much to discuss in the morning.”

Wind Surfer began to protest, but the Doctor would not hear it. The matter was settled when she found herself essentially barricaded into the room, while the Doctor made do with several pillows and blankets on the couch.

“… Might as well,” she said to the empty room. Wind Surfer carefully made her way to the bed, stepping in between the stacks of clutter. She paused, reading the title of a book lying in her path.

“Green’s Essential Guide to Plants of Equestria and Neighboring Countries: Third Edition”. Well, that certainly looks helpful.

She continued into the bed and crawled in. Wind Surfer barely had time to register just how tired she was as sleep washed over her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sunrise did not wait five minutes for anyone, and Wind Surfer was no exception, much to her irritation. She grumbled in protest, and was about to do something about the curtains (or apparent lack thereof) when the door burst open.

“Ah! You’re awake.” The Doctor trotted into the room, taking care not to disturb his stacks of paper. “I was beginning to worry that I’d have to wake you.”

“Ugh… What time is it?” She groaned, and finally got up.

“Quarter-past six!” He replied cheerily. He left the room, followed by Wind Surfer.

“Come on… It’s too early!” She complained.

“Well, it’s all for the best,” said Doctor Green. “The council meeting begins at seven, and they host ‘open-house’ from eight to twelve. It’s first come, first serve, and I’d strongly advise that we arrive early.”

“Why?” Wind Surfer asked. She was still irritated at the sun, and had no intentions of going outside until at least noon.

“Why?” He echoed. “To secure you a place on the westward caravan that leaves in a week!” He had finished laying out breakfast, and the pair began eating.

“… Oh. That makes sense, I suppose.”

After breakfast, they made their way down to a large square building near what Wind Surfer assumed was the center of the village. It stood out not only because of its size, but its construction. While other buildings in the area were wooden, stone, or some combination of the two, this was constructed of what appeared to be mud and logs.

“Is that… Mud?” Wind Surfer stared in awe of the structure.

“Ah, yes! Some of the older residents will also inform you that this particular structure has been here since the founding of the original city.” The colt walked right up to the side of the building, and pointed out the hoofmarks. “See these? They were made the last time the building was refurbished.”

“And when was that?” Wind Surfer asked, doubtfully.

“Just a few months ago. Even with advances in building materials, the residents still insist on piling more mud onto the structure. In the centuries past, it has become quite the gathering, though quickly descends into a veritable mud fight for the ages. It’s exceedingly exciting, though it is a terrible pain to clean up afterwards…”

“So, every year, for the past several hundred, they’ve done this?”

“Indeed. Now, come along, we’ve got to join the line for open house.”

The pair stepped into a rapidly growing line in front of an opening in the structure. They were lucky, as the pair only had two very large groups of zebras ahead of them. Before long, the groups were led into the structure, and back out again, and it was time for Wind Surfer’s word with the council. As they walked in, the Doctor leaned in close to her.

“They will ask you your purpose for coming to the council, and you must answer truthfully- granted, this won’t be a problem with you- and I’ve no idea how they can tell. Also, they will be able to understand you. The problem arises when Zebras try to speak Pony. I’ll explain later.”

It was too late for Wind Surfer to respond, as they had entered a large chamber. Shafts of light streamed down from narrow windows at the peak of the room, illuminating several Zebras sitting behind a large podium. The effect was rather imposing, seeing as several of the council members appeared dressed for war. However, the oppressive atmosphere was dispelled as the center Zebra spoke.

Her voice carried a friendly melody of ‘welcome’ down to Wind Surfer. The other Zebras present greeted her similarly, furthering the warm tone of the room.

“She says: ‘Well met, pegasus - or rather ‘one gifted in flight’. What can the fair city of - I still can’t pronounce the name, but it literally translates to Unity - do for one such as yourself?” Doctor Green translated for her.

Wind Surfer spoke up for herself, addressing each of the members of the council.

“I have learned that there is a caravan that is westward-bound leaving here at the end of the week. I’ve come to offer my services as a lookout for this caravan, as I also seek to fly West.”

The council sat back, and shared a melodious murmur amongst themselves. The center Zebra spoke up. Her voice carried a clear question to it, and Wind Surfer waved away the Doctor before he could answer.

She wants to know why I’m going west.

Wind Surfer took note of a very old-looking male at the far right of the podium. He was examining something before him very closely, and occasionally glanced towards the pegasus.

Better tell them the truth.

“I’m not seeking a better fortune. I fly west, to… Um… Be the first to fly around the world!” She cringed inwardly as several Zebras looked to each other for explanation. The male she had taken note of earlier addressed the others. His voice was deep and strong, carrying the wisdom of many years of his service to the city. The others quieted, and the center Zebra once again took the stand. This time, her voice carried an affirmative tone to it, and even as Doctor Green began translating, she knew her request had been granted.

“She says now that you are allowed to accompany the caravan, so long as you agree to train with the city’s guards. Nothing intensive, of course, just some minor training. And she also stated that if there is anything you require, simply inform the council in writing, and they will provide for you.”

As they walked out, Wind Surfer turned to the Doctor. “Was all of that really necessary? It seemed like an awful waste to me…”

“Well, the council really just likes to be in the know. And besides, you wouldn’t have been granted the same freedom if you simply came and went. Come! Let’s fetch something for lunch, and I’ll show you the city.”

The pair wandered down to one of several markets in the city. There, she was surrounded by Zebras of all shapes and sizes, all hawking their wares. The bustle of the city was quite relaxing, and Wind Surfer realized that she missed the noises. She closed her eyes, and took in the exotic sounds and smells around her. After her momentary lapse, she caught up with Dr. Green, who was standing at the edge of the city, near the tall wooden fence.

“As you can most likely tell, this is a wall,” he said, proudly. Dr. Green gestured the large wooden structure.

“I can tell…” Answered Wind Surfer, dryly. “Any particular reason we’re here?”

“Yes, actually. The barracks can be found this this way. No doubt they’ve been informed of the Council’s instructions. Perhaps we can get you outfitted.” He led her around a path towards a nearby gatehouse in the wall. The Zebras outside greeted the pair, and they were shown into the structure.

“Word of outsiders spreads quickly, no doubt…” Muttered Green under his breath. He smiled at a Zebra who now entered the room.

“My greetings to you, and your companion. I am Walinzi.” The Zebra’s voice was rich, and heavily accented. He spoke slowly, as if he needed to put his words together before speaking. He nodded to the Doctor. “I have been informed of our Council’s decision.”

“Indeed you have! I’m just showing our lovely companion here the city. She’ll be staying for a while, as you know.”

“Excellent! Now, before the Doctor takes you away, allow us to gain some measurements of you…”

Before Wind Surfer could reply, several other Zebras began measuring her features, such as her height, the length of her legs, and several measurements of her wingspan. When they were finished, they nodded to the bewildered pegasus, and departed.

“Um… What just happened?” Walinzi chuckled.

“We need to make somethings to protect yourself with, correct? That is why we need the measurements. Come back tomorrow, and we shall fit you properly.”

The Doctor and the Guard shared another word, and the pair soon departed.

“What was that?! Are they preparing for war or something?” Asked Wind Surfer, worried about what she had gotten herself into.

“No, it is a sign of welcome. A rather rapid response, however…” He trailed off in thought. Bored, Wind Surfer spoke up.

“So, what’s our next stop?” She asked, as they made their way down through the marketplace. They drew less stares this time, but it was no less busy. He led her down to what appeared to be some sort of restaurant, off the middle of the square.

“Lunch!” He said, simply. The Doctor opened the door, and they went in. The pair ate in silence, occasionally answering questions from curious patrons.

The day went on, with the Doctor leading her throughout the city, showing her the various sights. In all, Wind Surfer realized that it was very much alike to the cities she was used to growing up in, save for the apparent lack of ponies. The Zebras were friendly enough, and those who weren’t, gave the pair space. By sundown, they returned home whereupon the Doctor prepared another meal for the Pegasus.

“So, what’s up with their language?” Wind Surfer asked, chewing through the vegetables he’d made. Green cleared his throat.

“I have no idea; I’m not a linguist. However, I was able to gather that Zebras as a whole speak in this manner. It’s almost like a song, as you’ve no doubt noticed. They’ve spoken like that since… Forever, I suppose.” He paused, thinking hard. “Perhaps when I return to Equestria, I’ll ask for a linguist to accompany me back here.”

“Do any of them speak Pony normally, like us? Besides the guard, I mean.”

“Walinzi is the only Zebra I know who actually speaks Pony like you or I. Any other Zebra I’ve met speaks in rhymes when they speak Pony, which is why its so difficult for them to learn.”

“So you learned their language?”

“Yes. The grammar is surprisingly easy to figure out. The rhyming, however, is a different story. It takes some time to get used to…” Green nodded to her. “Come now, you’ve got a big day ahead of you, and you’ll need your rest.”

They rose, cleaned up their dishes and went to their respective rooms. As Wind Surfer settled down in the room, she realized that when she had bolted, she left everything behind, on the back of her dragon companion. She sighed, missing her journal, and more importantly, missing Dune. Wind Surfer looked out of the nearby window, and into the night, hoping, beyond all odds, that he’d appear.

I wish I hadn’t done that… I hope he’s ok. She shook herself. Of course he is… He’s a dragon for Pony’s sake!

Slightly comforted, she bed down for the night, and quickly fell asleep.

Chapter 6

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dune was furious with himself. One, he’d scared his companion away. Two, basically everything she needed to survive was in two inaccessible saddlebags strapped to the base of his neck. Three, he’d lost her. Completely.

Thirteen-hundred bloody years, and Ah can’t track a single blasted pony… The dragon thought. This wasn’t an ordinary hunt, however. He needed to find Wind Surfer as quickly as possible, because neither he nor she knew what lay ahead as far as food and shelter went.

He had taken off after her, but Wind Surfer was faster, and Dune had soon lost her on the horizon. To his dismay, she had disappeared without a trace. However, Dune continued flying West, undeterred. Night soon fell as he passed over a vast grassland plain, but he pressed on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wind Surfer awoke in the Doctor’s room at the break of dawn. Right on cue, the door burst open, and Doctor Green entered, smiling. Wind Surfer groaned, and promptly tried to go back to sleep.

“No, no. None of that!” He said, standing at the foot of the bed. “You’ve got quite a day ahead of you, and Walinzi is looking forward to meeting you again.”

Wind Surfer considered the day’s plans, and finally got up. Within minutes, the pair had cleaned up, eaten breakfast, and were on their way to the Barracks.

“So, why am I doing this?” She asked, as the pair trotted through the streets of the enclosed city.

“To provide additional protection against predators for the caravan. Since you’ll be going with them, it stands to reason that you’re going to be spotting the attackers first.”

“And then we will take care of them!” Walinzi’s voice cut across Wind Surfer’s reply, as the pair approached the barracks. He greeted them, and began leading Wind Surfer into the building. Doctor Green turned to leave.

“Don’t worry, there," said the Doctor. "Walinzi and his company will take care of you for the day. I’ve just got some things to see to. I’ll see you back at my house tonight, alright?”

Wind Surfer nodded as he left, and the pair disappeared into the barracks. She turned to Walinzi, curious.

“So what exactly do you want me to learn?” She asked, eyeing the various warriors practicing drills around them.

“Nothing intensive,” replied the Zebra. “Just some basic styles to get yourself out of trouble.”

He led the pegasus to the armory, where she was promptly fitted with various bits and pieces of cloth armor. Eventually, Wind Surfer was covered from mane to tail in the armor. Though light, it was extremely stiff, making movement nearly impossible.

“Um…” She said, uncertain of the armor. She shuffled around to face Walinzi, who could barely contain his laughter. “I think you might have overdone it…”

He grinned at the stiff pegasus, and nodded. “Indeed we have, Wind Surfer!” He nodded to the Zebras standing by, and they began adjusting it, removing some pieces, and replacing others with lighter segments. The process took several hours, but the Zebras were determined to get the fit right. As Wind Surfer removed the armor for the umpteenth time, Walinzi tapped her shoulder.

“It is time for a meal, don’t you think?” She was about to respond when her stomach did so for her. Wind Surfer grinned in embarrassment.

“What’s for lunch?” She asked, as the pair left the armorers to their task.

“The normal meals served in our barracks,” the Zebra responded, as he led her to a large room that could only be described as a dining hall. There were several long, low tables, each lined with Zebra guards. In the rear of the room sat another table, this one perpendicular to the rows in front of it. Behind this table, were several Zebras serving out the day’s meal.

The pair joined the line, and picked up their share of the dish. Wind Surfer sniffed it, curiously. She recoiled as the foul stench hit her nose. Walinzi chuckled at her reaction, leading her to an empty spot at a table.

“Yes, I know it does not smell appealing, but it is good.” He began eating the food. Wind Surfer looked down at her plate covered in slop. Tentatively, she scooped up a bit in her hoof, mimicking Walinzi’s motion, and nibbled at it. She gagged, dropping the hoof-full back into her plate. It was a far cry from the restaurant that Doctor Green had taken her to the day before.

Walinzi looked at Wind Surfer, and chuckled again. “At least it is good for you!” Wind Surfer nodded weakly, and tried to eat.

As the pair sat, they were joined by several other Zebraican guards. Some wished her well in her training, while others asked her about Equestria. When the last of these Zebras had moved away, Wind Surfer turned to Walinzi.

“How do you know Equestrian, like me and Doctor Green?”

“I had traveled to Equestria when I was younger, to learn about the land. I was able to pick up the language thanks to several kind ponies I met along my journey.”

The pair began walking back to the armory, whereupon Wind Surfer was immediately assaulted by the Zebras who had done their best to refit the armor. He continued as she struggled into the armor.

“However, I left after several years, as my home was calling me,” continued Walinzi, somewhat distantly. “I wanted to return home, to share what I had learned. Since then, several more Zebras had gone to Equestria, just as I had. Though most come home, others choose to stay,” he finished, smiling at Wind Surfer.

“Did you like it?” She asked, as the armorers shuffled her around the room.

“Indeed! Equestria is a wonderful place, with a just Princess, and an honorable mission.”

“So why did you come back?” She winced, as two armorers grabbed her wings, and began flapping them for her. She shooed them away by flapping her wings harder. Undeterred, the pair of armorers smiled as they realized their task was over.

“I… Needed to come home.” Walinzi’s tone dropped, and Wind Surfer decided to change the subject.

“So, now that I’m fitted,” she said, parading around in the new cloth armor, “what are we going to do?”

“We will teach you some basic techniques for defending yourself and others.” Walinzi lead her out to an open courtyard, where several Zebras were sparring and practicing. Beyond the courtyard, Wind Surfer could see several more Zebras balancing themselves on various objects. Walinzi nudged her, and training began.

Wind Surfer had never trained so intensively on the ground before. She ran, sparred, jumped, and fought with all of the other Zebras in her team. However, her wings had been fastened to her with a cord to prevent her from using them. This resulted in several ungainly falls throughout the day. Though she kept up with the other Zebras, it was obvious that she was out of place.

Several hours later, Wind Surfer was finally allowed to rest. She collapsed at the hooves of Walinzi, who had also participated in the run outside of the city walls. Though panting heavily, he still managed a chuckle at Wind Surfer’s plight.

“Too much for a pegasus?” He asked, helping her up.

“I didn’t think you were gonna train that hard!” She dusted herself off, and the pair began making their way back to Doctor Green’s house. By the time they returned, it was dark, and the city’s lanterns had been lit. They stopped just outside of the Doctor’s house.

“Are you going to come in?” Wind Surfer asked, heading for the door. Walinzi shook his head.

“I must see to the preparations for the caravan West.” He nodded to her and began making his way back to the barracks. "Farewell, Wind Surfer."

Wind Surfer stared after him, but soon turned back to the door. Before she could knock, it opened without warning, and she found herself face-to-face with Doctor Green.

“Oh, hello!” He said cheerily. “I was just on my way to find you!” He stepped back, and allowed Wind Surfer into his home. “How was it?”

“Awful,” she said, collapsing into a sofa. She thought for a moment, and corrected herself. “Well, it wasn’t awful, but it was hard. They wouldn’t let me fly…”

“It should get better over time.” Doctor Green sat in his armchair across from her. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving!”

“Well, how about you wash up, and we’ll have dinner.”

Several minutes later, the pair was seated across from each other, eating a more familiar meal: a basic Equestrian Salad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next several days progressed in a similar manner, with Wind Surfer training from dawn to dusk with the Zebras in the barracks. She eventually learned to spar with a quarterstaff, swinging it about with the untrained precision of an amateur. At the very least, she’d be able to hold her attackers at bay.

The last day of training arrived as Wind Surfer rose out of bed, eager to rejoin the Walinzi in the barracks. After cleaning up, she made her way to the kitchen, finding her companion well underway with breakfast.

“You’re up early,” noted Doctor Green, as he shuffled about his kitchen.

“It’s kind of a routine now, isn’t it?” Wind Surfer answered, moving to help the doctor with his morning chores. In short order, the pair sat down to breakfast.

“Are you nervous?” Asked Doctor Green, as the pair ate.

“No, why?”

“You’re leaving tomorrow,” he replied, almost sadly. Wind Surfer looked up at his tone, and smiled.

“Well, yeah… You’re welcome to come,” she said. “I don’t think they’ll mind the extra pony.” Doctor Green shook his head in response.

“I’m sorry, my dear. Like I said: I’ve got too much work ahead of me, and too many years behind me. Don’t worry about me, though. I’ll be fine.”

The rest of breakfast passed in silence, with each pony absorbed in their own thoughts. When they were finished, Wind Surfer bid the doctor farewell, and made her way to the barracks again.

Upon her arrival, Walinzi led her to a different training field, one that had a ring outlined in its center. Outside the ring, stood various Zebra guards, all carrying quarterstaffs, much like the one Wind Surfer now carried.

“Today is your final day here. Therefore, we shall test how far you have come!” Walinzi said, as he lead Wind Surfer to a large upright board. It was a leader board, with each Zebra’s mark denoting their place in the system. In Wind Surfer’s case, her cutie mark had been carved into a slat of wood.

“You didn’t tell me about this!” Wind Surfer exclaimed, staring at the board, then at the crowd.

Walinzi paused. “No, I had forgotten…” Wind Surfer looked at him, doubtfully. He grinned sheepishly in response, rubbing a hoof through his mane. “However, that is in the past, and this is now!” He waved a hoof at the board.

“So, it’s like a championship?” She asked examining her bracket. Walinzi looked at her thoughtfully, and nodded.

“Yes, yes. You see here, you have been placed with those who are of a similar size to you.” He waved a hoof towards the crowd that made up Wind Surfer’s bracket. The Zebras were all slightly bigger than her, but she nodded confidently. The group was made up of Zebras she had met during her short time in the barracks. “You will be sparring against them, to work your way higher. Hopefully, you will be successful!” He continued, smiling at her.

“Let’s get to it!” Wind Surfer said enthusiastically. Walinzi laughed as they moved off to join their respective brackets.

After a ceremonial address, and a reading of the rules, the tournament began. Walinzi’s match was the first on, to the glee of the crowd. However, Wind Surfer barely had time to cheer him on when the match ended. The opposing Zebra had been sent sailing out of the ring by way of his own quarterstaff. The crowd cheered, as the next match began.

This match was between two new guards. One was the guard Wind Surfer had seen at the gate, but the other was one she did not know. Several minutes of sparring passed before the gate guard gained his advantage over the other Zebra, causing him to yield. The crowd cheered again, and was now riled up for the most anticipated match of the day: the newest recruits, starring Wind Surfer.

She swallowed as she made her way to the center of the dueling circle. Wind Surfer glanced at Walinzi, who winked in encouragement, before taking in her opponent. The Zebra was a rough-looking female whose name Wind Surfer could not pronounce. Therefore, Wind Surfer had resigned to calling her ‘Sue’ which, to her, sounded more or less like her actual name.

It didn’t seem to bother the Zebra much, as they had gotten along just fine while training in the barracks. Now, however, they were opponents, trying to prove their worth to their fellow guards.

With the announcer’s signal, the match began, and the pair rushed into each other, flailing wildly. It was hardly the skilled precision of the previous matches, but the methods served Wind Surfer just fine. After several seconds of combat, her opponent fell to the ground with a thud. Victory for Wind Surfer was declared, and she grinned, helping ‘Sue’ out of the dust.

“Hey, good match, right?” She asked, panting. They leaned on each other, as they made their way off of the ring. Her companion replied with something that sounded congratulatory, and then encouraging. Wind Surfer merely nodded, as Walinzi approached them.

“She says: ‘It was indeed an excellent match, and I hope you advance further’.” He nodded to the Zebra, and said something to her. The pair exchanged a laugh, and ‘Sue’ made her way to the back of the crowd.

“I just wish you had not been so rushed though,” he said, turning back to Wind Surfer.

“What do you mean?” She asked over the roar of the crowd. The top-tier match was on, but Wind Surfer had little desire to rejoin the crowd, opting for a breather instead.

“You insist on rushing headlong into your opponent,” Walinzi explained. “Patience is essential to victory.”

Wind Surfer frowned. “But it worked!”

“Yes, this time…” He replied, chuckling. “Come! We are missing the matches.”

The sparring matches progressed throughout the day, as Walinzi climbed his way up the board in his bracket of experienced guards. Wind Surfer did likewise, but was having a harder time defeating her opponents, who now consisted of Zebras who had been training for several months to be city guards. She had won three matches so far, but her biggest challenge lay ahead of her.

Her opponent was a stocky male Zebra who had come from another city to train here. He already had beaten his previous opponents with the same ease as Walinzi, and now had his sights set on Wind Surfer.

She swallowed as he paced around her, waiting for their signal for the start of the match. It came, and the crowed suddenly hushed.

He’s gonna follow me… Thought Wind Surfer, nervously. She had hoped that the Zebra’s victories had gone to his head. Obviously, this wasn’t the case, as he mirrored her steps around the ring. Several minutes passed in this manner, before Wind Surfer internally shrugged.

Here goes nothing. With a shout, she raised her quarterstaff with her forehooves, and made an awkward but rapid charge towards her opponent. He jumped, but was ready. Swiping away her quarterstaff, he brought his own staff down on Wind Surfer’s skull with a resounding crack. To the horror of the crowd, she crumpled into the dirt, and lay still.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wind Surfer came to slowly, to the rhythmical shouting of several Zebras. She groaned slightly, and opened her eyes. A Zebra nurse noticed, and went to her bed. She began murmuring something reassuring, then something else that sounded like a command. The shouting immediately quieted, and the nurse stated another command.

Still groggy, Wind Surfer decided that the command was to go back to sleep. Apparently it wasn’t, as the bed she was lying in was suddenly forced upright. She groaned, and attempted to shift into a more comfortable spot, but was stopped by two strong forehooves.

“Ow! Leave me alone!” She groaned, struggling weakly against the hooves. They persisted, until she opened her eyes. She found herself face to face with the Zebra shaman from the city council. He smiled gently, and said something that sounded reassuring. Unsure, Wind Surfer nodded, and was given something to drink.

The revolting smell immediately cleared away the grogginess in her head as she recoiled from it. Nonetheless, the shaman insisted that she drink the solution. It tasted revolting, with a dash of mint added in a pathetic attempt to mask its true flavor. Wind Surfer gagged, but forced it down her throat. Only then did the pair of Zebras back off from her bed.

The shaman then directed her attention to a chalk board with several symbols written on it. Wind Surfer nodded blankly as he explained each one. When he reached the end, he turned to face her, and said something expectantly. Wind Surfer reddened, realizing that she’d been caught.

“O— oh… Right. I, um…” She fished for an explanation, but was cut short by the old shaman’s laughter. He then quipped something to the nurses, who both stepped out. Embarrassed, Wind Surfer looked at the shaman.

“Wait a minute; you knew?” She blurted out, shocked.

The shaman nodded, and smiled. As he did so, the door reopened, and Doctor Green rushed in.

“Oh, my dear girl! What have they done to you?!” He scrambled to her bedside, and took up her hoof. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine! I just don’t know what happened…”

“Oh, I’ll tell you what happened: that awful maniac Mfisha beat you!” Said the doctor, who was now almost comically furious.

“What? Oh, the tournament… Right...” Wind Surfer rubbed her bandaged head reflexively. It didn’t hurt, but she still felt the blow. “I guess he won, huh?”

“No. Walinzi is furious. It was an illegal move in the tournament, and against guests of the city.” Doctor Green explained. He moved around the room, and slumped into a rickety chair that sat in the corner.

“I didn’t know that I was a ‘guest of the city’…” Said Wind Surfer thoughtfully. “So what’s gonna happen to that Zebra?”

“I’ve no idea. At any rate, I’m here to take you home,” replied Green. Wind Surfer nodded enthusiastically. Whatever the shaman had administered had taken effect almost immediately.

“Alright!” She cheered. He stood up and, with the help of the shaman, helped Wind Surfer to her hooves. “Wait a minute… How long has it been?”

“Only an hour or so,” said Green. He held up a hoof before Wind Surfer got a chance to continue. “I know— You’re worried that the caravan left without you. Judging by the crowd outside, I wouldn’t be surprised to find that they’d waited all week for you.”

“Really?” Wind Surfer looked at him incredulously. “Why?”

“They seem to have really started to like you.” They began making their way out of the infirmary, and to the barracks. Upon exiting the room, they were set upon by several Zebras, all clamoring to hear from Wind Surfer.

“I— I’m fine, I really am!” She shouted over the noise of the crowd. Upon hearing her words, they erupted in cheers. The crowd led her out into the courtyard, where an even larger crowd welcomed her.

Green led Wind Surfer out of the barracks, and into the streets. The shaman lead the way, shoving past the spectators that had gathered outside of the barracks. Eventually, they made it back to the Doctor’s house.

She managed to get a passing glance at herself in a hallway mirror. There was a large white bandage wrapped around her head, matting down her mane. Other than that, however, Wind Surfer reasoned that she looked better than she thought. Before she could examine herself further, the shaman ushered her into a chair.

Green stepped into the kitchen, while the shaman bustled around her, muttering things under his breath.

“Um… What are you saying?” She asked, curiously. He paused, then pointed outside, speaking angrily. “They… They were bothering you?”

He nodded, and continued his examination of Wind Surfer. Green returned from the kitchen with hot soup balanced on his back.

“Here,” he said. “Eat this. You haven’t had anything to eat since breakfast.”

Wind Surfer gleefully slurped the soup down, taking little heed of the heat. As she ate, the shaman began reciting what sounded like instructions to care for herself. Green translated.

“Make sure your bandages are replaced regularly, make sure you wear the helmet Walinzi has provided, and… Remember your steps in combat.” Wind Surfer cringed at the last statement. Green continued once the Shaman was done. “I may not be a combat expert, but I don’t think merely charging into battle is the most assured victory…”

“I know… But it worked for everyone else,” she said, shrugging. “So, what happened to the Zebra?”

“Well, I’m supposed to take you to see him at some point. Do you feel up to it?”

Wind Surfer nodded. “I made it here, didn’t I?”

“Perhaps. Let’s go see him.”

Wind Surfer rose again, and the trio left the Doctor’s house. The shaman bid the pair farewell, and made his way to the city center, while Wind Surfer and the Doctor moved out to the barracks again. This time, however, they were taken to the city’s holding cells.

Walinzi was the first to greet them, a frown etched into his features. He immediately brightened up upon seeing Wind Surfer back on her hooves.

“How are you feeling?” He asked, trotting up to great the pair.

“Fine. The doctor gave me this thing to drink when I woke up, and I’ve felt fine ever since.”

Walinzi smiled. “Our Shaman, you mean?”

“Uh, I suppose so…” Wind Surfer shrugged, scratching at her bandages. Her hoof was swatted away by Green, who frowned at her. Walinzi chuckled again, but his expression quickly darkened.

“You are here to see your opponent, no doubt,” he said gravely. Wind Surfer nodded.

“What are you gonna do to him?”

“It depends on the council’s judgement, and your decision as well.”

She shuffled uncomfortably. “What usually happens to them?”

“The council decides. Come.” Walinzi beckoned for the pair to follow him. They passed several empty cells, before finally reaching the one that held Wind Surfer’s opponent.

He sat on a bench mounted on the far end of the cell. Upon hearing their arrival, he huffed in annoyance, and turned away.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you too— ” Wind Surfer was cut off by Green, who motioned to Walinzi. The Zebra guard unlocked the cell, and stepped inside. He handed the key to Green, and then proceeded to shut the door behind him. He barked a command at the younger Zebra, who slowly got to his hooves.

In the short time Wind Surfer had known him, Walinzi remained a calm, level-headed commander of the city’s guards. Now, however, a completely new Zebra tore into the dissenting recruit. Whatever the Zebra had done brought out a side of Walinzi she hoped never to see again.

Whatever he’s saying to that Zebra just sounds awful…

Wind Surfer decided to remain quiet, until Walinzi had finished. The onslaught lasted several minutes, with each new phrase cutting into the recruit. When he was finished, Walinzi stepped back, and nodded to Wind Surfer.

“Your turn,” he said, simply. Wind Surfer swallowed, and nodded.

“What was that about?” She asked through the bars. Despite his reprimand, the Zebra snorted. It was cut short by a sharp word from Walinzi. Ducking his head, the recruit responded in a measured tone.

“‘I saw an opportunity, and took it’, he says.” Green leaned close to Wind Surfer, who nodded.

“Yeah, well, it cost you the tournament, now,” she said cooly. The Zebra looked at her angrily, and waved a hoof, shouting. Beside her, Green cringed, and shook his head.

The Zebra was once again silenced by Walinzi. This time, however, he fell back, as the guard leader’s words shook him. The cells quickly fell silent, and Walinzi mentioned for Green to let him out. The Zebra slunk down into his bench, shocked. Without another word, the trio left the cells.

They made their way back to the barracks, where Wind Surfer finally worked up the nerve to speak.

“What did you say to him?”

“I’m sending him home. He is unfit for a guard of this city,” Walinzi replied darkly, as he led them into the barracks. “Mfisha will do well to know the difference between a warrior, and a protecter.”

Wind Surfer paused thoughtfully. “So, what did he say to me?”

“Things unfit for a decent pony such as yourself,” said Green, his expression dark.

“That is why his training has ended,” continued Walinzi. “He cannot control his temper. He aims to kill, rather than capture, or frighten. Most importantly, he has little understanding of any other creature.”

Wind Surfer looked at the Zebra in confusion. “But, I thought you said that the council makes these decisions…”

“I will be making a suggestion,” Walinzi said, darkly. The trio fell silent as they made their way to the barracks. Walinzi bid them goodnight, and disappeared into the structure.

“Come along, Wind Surfer. We need to get ready for tomorrow.” Green began leading the way back to his home. Wind Surfer spoke up as the house came into view.

“So, what happened to the tournament?”

“Well, your bracket didn’t finish,” Green said, shrugging.

“You mean I lost too?!”

“You weren’t in any fit condition to compete, really.”

“But, what do you mean the bracket didn’t finish?!” Wind Surfer protested. Green shook his head, as he let her into the house.

“They were missing two competitors, so they discontinued the competition,” he explained. The pair made their way into the kitchen, where Wind Surfer immediately found a seat. Green bustled about in the kitchen, preparing a pot for some tea.

“So, he messed up the whole thing? Why not just continue?” She asked, confused.

“Those are the rules of the city: ‘if one competitor cannot follow the rules, then that bracket is not allowed to continue’,” he recited. “The actions of a few determine the rules for all.”

Green nodded at his pot of water, and joined Wind Surfer at the table. She nodded at him, and sighed, reflecting back on Walinzi’s words. Something in them stood out to her.

‘Mfisha will do well to know the difference between a warrior, and a protector…’ That sounds a lot like... Dune. Oh... She cringed, earning a glance from Green.

“What is it?”

“Dune. I— I haven’t thought about him since… Since I got here, really.” Green nodded, motioning for her to go on. “He’s a protector, not a warrior.”

Ashamed, Wind Surfer slunk down into her seat. Dune had not crossed her mind since her first night in the Zebra city. Green nodded, as he rose to prepare the tea. They finished it in silence, as Wind Surfer pondered Dune’s fate. The doctor caught her stare, and smiled.

“Dune will find you, don’t worry about that,” he said, quietly.

“But what am I gonna say if— when he does?”

“The truth. Dragons value truth, even more than a hoard of jewels.”

Wind Surfer eyed him doubtfully, until Green chuckled.

“Ok, perhaps not that much… But it is important to them nonetheless.” With that, he nodded, and cleared the table. He then shooed Wind Surfer off to the bathroom, where she changed her bandages. The pair turned in for the night, as Dune drifted through Wind Surfer’s thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The patience of a predator served Dune well, as he had remained invisible to the city’s eyes even in direct sunlight. He had arrived at the city several nights before, and had resolved to search for Wind Surfer there. Hearing the chatter of the of the strange, striped ponies passing by confirmed his suspicions, and filled him with relief.

He stilled himself as one such group passed. What little of the language Dune knew was enough to supply him with what he needed.

‘E said somethin’ aboot a caravan headin’ West. No doubt Wind Surfer’ll be the first one on it. Ah’ll meet ‘er there. He reasoned. It’ll be much easier tae deal wit’ a few o’ them, instead o’ a whole city’s worth…

Chapter 3

Wind Surfer watched in horror as the slate dragon arced toward her, as if in slow motion. His fangs were bared, and his eyes gleamed with the success of the hunt. Determined as he was, he missed the rustle of scales to his right. A sand colored missile burst through the dune and barreled into the dragon, smashing him off course. The sound of shattering bones and a simultaneous roar from the missile snapped Wind Surfer out of her stupor.

“Fly, missie! Fly! Ah’ll deal wit’ this lot!” Dune recovered from his charge in time to send a raging inferno towards the other dragon. It was too slow to avoid the blast, and caught the full force of the flames. Enraged, it dove behind the nearest dune.

Wind Surfer did not need to be told twice as she rocketed into the sky, veering south, towards Everfire. The larger of the two dragons tried to follow, but its tail was seized by Dune.

“No, ye don’t, ye bloody cross-tooth!” Dune growled between clenched teeth. He dragged him back, and smashed him into the smaller dragon, compounding injuries.

He didn’t leave me! Hope swelled within her, even as the roars of the fight faded as Wind Surfer put on a new surge of speed away from them. She landed several miles away, and waited. As far away as she was, Wind Surfer could still hear the fight; several roars, punctuated by the sounds fire racing through the air. Every now and again, the dunes came alight with huge columns of flames, rising high into the night. Still, she waited, flinching at the sounds of battle.

A final roar punctuated the night, and Wind Surfer instinctively knew the fight was over. She saw a single form rise up from the battle-zone, and fly towards her. She kept her eyes on the form, and readied herself to fly. It soon became apparent that she would not need to. Dune alighted on the sand a few yards from her. His snout was bathed in blood, and he was covered in scratches. His form shuddered with the heat of battle.

“A - are you alright?” She asked tentatively. Wind Surfer was taken aback by his fearsome appearance.

“Aye. Nothin’ a few days can’ heal.” With each breath, he calmed down, began cleaning his snout and soon began looking like himself. “Those blasted tricksters. Can’t find their own bloody meal, so they went after ye.”

“But I’m alright, thanks to you.” As he calmed down, the pegasus realized that she had little to fear from him. Dune was in control of himself, regardless of how scary he became.

The old dragon nodded. “We’ve tarried long enough. Let us be off!” With that he reentered the air, with Wind Surfer close behind.

They flew in silence, each caught up in their own thoughts of the fight. Finally, Wind Surfer worked up the courage to ask something that had been bothering her since they began flying again.

“Dune?”

“Yes, missie?”

“Back there- for a second- I thought you had led me into a trap. I mean, it’s obvious that you didn’t, but, uh… Would you? Would a dragon do something like that?”

Dune remained silent for a time, before he answered. The gleam in his eye caught her attention, and she glanced over to him.

“No. Ah would ne’er do such a thing. Those dragons be of a newer generation. No respect, no rules. Only one thing fills their minds: a lust fer blood. It dinnae matter where that blood comes from, so long as they tas’ it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ah mean that they dinnae follow the same rules tha’ govern us older dragons. We used to be a proud race, strong an’ true. Now, though… them blasted dragons jus’ be in the fight for blood. They’ve nothing to fight fer. They jus’ fight. An’ that be why I sent those two to the Black Dragon o’ the Beyond a might bit early.”

“The ‘Black Dragon of the Beyond’?”

“Aye. Death ‘erself. The las’ judge o’ a dragon’s life. One o’ her foremos’ rules it tae alway’s remain at yer companion’s side. ‘tis not jus’ because the Black Dragon rules it. ‘e rules it because it is our nature. It goes against a good dragon’s very nature to abandon ‘is companions.”

“A ‘good dragon’?” Wind Surfer repeated.

“Aye. As Ah’ve said afore: those dragons a’int a part o’ the old race.”

“But… How? Shouldn’t one generation be following the steps of the last?”

“Aye, yes, they would. But these young dragons, these… Impostors decided tha’ they woul’ follow their own blasted rules. Where I fought for honor, territory, recognition, they go for blood.”

“And now there is a rift between dragons, young and old?”

“Ah, missie, ye’ seem tae become a wee expert in this kind o’ thing no?” Wind Surfer eyed him dubiously at the compliment. “Fine: when I was but a young’un, I always dreamt of taking me father’s territory from him. ‘e trained me to become a better warrior than he was. So, when the day finally came to, he was proud as Ah marched ‘im tae meet the Black Dragon.”

She nodded, until sudden realization struck.“You killed your father?!” Shocked, she almost veered into Dune.

“Ooch, missie! Whatch where ye be flyin’!” Dune growled. “Aye, Ah did. Tha’s ‘ow the rules were: ye ‘ad tae be the strongest tae fight yer father. If’n ye weren’t, ye didn’t deserve ‘is territory. ‘tis a great honor, tae die by yer son’s claw. It shows tha’, even though they know the old ways, they still be sharp enough tae outwit their ol’ dragon. Tha’s the true mark o’ a dragon’s honor. Imagine me disappointment when Ah realized that none o’ me sons were comin’ tae face me fer me territory.”

The old dragon looked away, his eyes betraying his feelings. He sighed. Wind Surfer broke the silence.

“So… Why didn’t they?” She asked, tentatively.

“They’d gone an’ gotten caught up in all this ‘bloodlust’ nonsense tha’s got the young’uns acting like a bunch o’ fools,” Dune growled. “One got eaten by a bigger dragon; serves the fool right, if ye ask me... Another died o’ his wounds from a fight over bloody meal o’ all things! The las’ two… Wheel, ye met them already.”

“Those two dragons were your sons?!?” It was all the pegasus could do to keep from flying into Dune again. “Why didn’t they stop? Didn’t they at least recognize you?”

“Ah- Ah don’ know… Perhaps, they don’ care anymore?” Dune then met her gaze, a hard glint in his eyes. “But make no mistake: Ah’ve no regrets, sendin’ the pair o’ them off like that. They were weak, yes, but so was I once. Most importantly, they dinnae hold the same values as me. Ye saw ‘ow quick they were tae try an’ eat ye, even if ye were in me company.” He shuddered, taking a moment to calm himself, and continued. “Look, missie: Ah dinnae wan’ tae talk aboot this anymore…”

Wind Surfer nodded respectfully. The pair fell silent, as the dunes sailed on beneath them. Wind Surfer’s eyes grew heavy, and soon she began drifting off course.

“Oy, missie!” Dune shouted, jolting Wind Surfer out of her daze. “Ye nearly done me in tha’ time!”

“I’m sorry! I’m just tired, is all. How much longer are we going to keep this up?”

“A few more miles, is all. Then we’ll be near the middle o’ me territory. Ah’ve got a cave there that we’ll stay the day in. These parts o’ the desert can boil a dragon such as meself in ‘is own ‘ide.”

Before long, they arrived at Dune’s destination: a small, rocky outcrop with a few sparse trees. They alighted at the edge of the outcropping, just as the sun’s rays began peeking over the horizon behind them. Dune crawled towards one of the larger trees, and disappeared into a unusually large hollow in its roots. Wind Surfer followed suit, stumbling down into the cavern.

“Careful, missie. It’s quite a fall if ye-” Dune addressed his guest, only to find her lying facedown on the stone, fast asleep. “Oh, wheel, Ah suppose Ah’ll jus’ move ye a tad…”

With deft movements, he removed her packs and set them to the side. Then Dune lifted Wind Surfer up onto a natural shelf in the cavern. He stepped back to admire his handiwork.

“Wheel, if’n she don’t roll while she sleeps, Ah think she should be jus’ fine up there,” he muttered to himself. With that, he curled up in the opposite corner of the cavern and fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Day 3: The Desert Crossing

Loyalty is a most revered characteristic in many different walks of life. Today, I met a dragon, Dune Crest, who put his own life on the line to protect a complete stranger -me- from harm. Though he barely knew me, he did not hesitate to do this, just as he refused to let me traverse the desert alone. This bond of loyalty is powerful among older dragons, though it dies as newer generations pass. Their system of honor, while crude, and in some ways, sickening, is undoubtedly stronger than any in Equestria. It is an old tradition, though, and is giving way to a new trend.

Dune’s very sons became a part of this new trend, forgoing the old ways, in favor of more barbaric, self-destructive methods of sustenance and honor. He was not happy, to say the least. They all have perished, some by his own claw, in pursuit of nothing more than a bloodlust.

He met a pony, named Silver Thread, some four hundred years ago. This pony, though he had only spent a few days in Dune Crest’s care, earned a place in Dune’s own hollow, where he will rest forever more. Yet another demonstration of the powerful bond that loyalty plays among older dragons.

As a note: Until further notice, I will be writing in the evenings, before my flights. Dune was strongly against traveling by day, for obvious reasons. I never once thought that the same life-giving force that graces Equestria’s skies could also bring a desolate scape such as this one.

Wind Surfer looked up from her journal in thought. It now was an hour before sunset, and Dune had still not returned. Whether he was gone out of need for food, or was scouting ahead remained a mystery. Wind Surfer took the opportunity to examine the cave in detail, as there was little else to do.

The evening light filtered through the narrow opening to the surface, basking the cave in a warm glow. She looked around, and back up at the shelf upon which she had woken. There isn’t much to this cave, is there?

She glanced back at the cavern floor and noticed a strange shape in the dust. Curious, Wind Surfer trotted over and began examining it.

It’s some kind of carving… There must be more to this cavern than I thought. She took a deep breath and spread her wings. Flapping a few times, Wind Surfer was able to clear most of the dust away from the carving. Her jaw dropped.

Before her was a carving of an alicorn. Though the details had long since faded, it was clear that this alicorn was neither the Solar nor the Lunar princess. The alicorn depicted was decidedly male, judging from the shape of his snout and the relative size of his wings. He stood upon what appeared to be a field strewn with debris, stretching across the cavern floor. It was impossible to tell what kind of debris, though, largely due to the amount of scratches sustained by the carving.

His cutie mark had been scratched away too, as if the artist had tried erasing it from history. She flapped her wings again, revealing more of the carving. The more she revealed, the more confused she became. The alicorn, it seemed, was part of a larger depiction. Though the carving could have easily depicted multiple ponies, she found that only three survived the artist’s purge: the male alicorn and two females, both of whom she recognized. The rest of the carving had been scratched out, to remain lost to the ages.

“Ah see ye’ve found the carvings, alright.” Dune’s dry voice cut across her wanderings. Wind Surfer jumped, and turned to face the old dragon.

“What is this place? Who made these? Why-?” Dune silenced her with a wave of his claw.

“Those be questions fer yer Princess when ye get back. Ah canno’ answer them. All Ah kin tell ye is that they were there long afore meself, an’ will remain long after Ah’m gone.”

“But, this goes against everything that ponies believe!” Wind Surfer gestured at the carving.

“Then it looks like ye’ll have tae change yer views.” The dragon settled in a corner of the cave, away from the carving. “Is that a journal? Write it down there. Ye wouldn’t want tae forget such a thing. Is me belief that ye be the firs’ pony tae lay eyes upon it since ‘twas buried.”

“How long ago was that?” Wind Surfer asked, quizzically.

“Come, now. D'ye really think Ah’d know that?” Dune frowned. “But, it must’ve been there fer a very long time, ‘cause tha’s the same way it looked when Ah found it.”

“When did you find it?”

“Almos’ seven hundred years now. But Ah’ve been around longer than that. Come on. Ye’ve got tae fill that journal, and we best be off soon.”

He remained silent as Wind Surfer described the drawings in her journal (she also discovered a knack for drawing). When she was finished, Dune stood up, and stretched.

“Come. Ye’ve got tae fill yer pack up, afore we leave.”

Wind Surfer followed him deeper into the cavern, and arrived at a small underground pool. The pool itself was clear and deep, filled with cool, still water. Surrounding it were stones, each hewn to the same size, and carved with a different rune. It was obvious that the pool had been a well sometime in the distant past. Wind Surfer filled her water pouch and drank gratefully from the pool. When she was finished, she looked up to find that Dune had already gone aboveground. She added the detail of the well to her journal, and soon joined him.

“All set missie?” She found him at the westernmost edge of the outcrop.

She smiled up at him. “Yes, sir!”

“Good. Let us be off.” With that, he trotted some distance away, and took off into the sunset. Wind Surfer followed suit. Presently, the sun dipped below the horizon, and Everfire soon shone clear and uncontested across the land. They flew in silence for a time, until Dune finally sighed.

“Missie. Ah’ve been meanin’ tae ask ye: what brings ye out here? No pony in their right mind comes out this way, much less takes up companions wit’ a dragon.”

“I’m going to fly around the world,” she replied simply.

“That’s all there be tae it? Wheel, I think ye must be out mus’ be out o’ yer bloomin’ mind.”

“No, I’m not.” Insulted, Wind Surfer glanced over at him.

“Ye’ve got something tae prove? That’s what it be, innit?"

“Yea. To everypony who told me I was no better than the dirt on their hooves.”

“Ah. To shove it intae everypony else’s face,” Dune grinned wickedly. “A sound reason tae me. For the glory of bein’ the best o’ the best.”

“That sounds about right.”

They flew on for several miles more. The endless sea of sand shifted, even as waves moved to crash on a distant shore. Before long though, Wind Surfer broke the silence.

“Where were you earlier?”

Dune smiled, his teeth glinting in the glow of Everfire. “Eatin'. Predators ‘ave eatin' habits that’ll make ponies like ye’self sick. So, Ah decided tae spare ye, and eat a ways away from the cave.”

“Oh,” she said, rather foolishly. “Wait! I thought dragons ate gemstones!”

“We do. When we can. Y’see, us dragons be omnivores, meanin’ we eat anything and everything, whenever we can. ‘specially ‘ere in the desert, ye’ll need all the sustenance ye can get.”

“So, basically whatever fits down your throat?”

“Tha’s the size o’ it, yes.”

“Isn’t that dangerous? I mean, if you just eat, like, anything, how do you know it won’t kill you?”

“In me case, Ah’d gobble it down, an’ ‘hope fer the best! But, when yer as old as me, ye’ve got some buddies tha’ demonstrated whats safe tae eat, an’ what’s not,” Dune chuckled.

The landscape sailed past them as the miles wore on. It changed little, as one sand dune sailed past the last. Eventually, Dune signaled to a larger hill, its crest larger, and flatter than the rest.

“Le’s settle ‘ere. Ye can eat yer snack and wheel be off soon enough.” Wind Surfer alighted on the dune, and the old dragon followed suit, landing in the trough between her dune and the next. He crawled up just as she finished unpacking.

“‘ow are ye fer supplies?” He asked.

“Fine, for the next several days. The border patrol was more than happy to donate some of these MRE’s.”

“Is tha' so?” WInd Surfer nodded, and they looked towards the horizon, sharing Everfire’s glow.

Before long, Wind Surfer had finished and they were both aloft in due time. This time, Dune filled the flight with various dragon legends, starting with Everfire. It was an epic that every old dragon knew by heart, and Dune was more than happy to share it. From there, he moved on to the tales of the Black Dragon, and how she became the final judge of all dragons. They fell silent after a time, and flew on.

Before long, Wind Surfer was yawning again. “How much longer are we going to fly tonight?”

“Not much longer, now. We’re making fas’ work o’ the desert, and we'll soon be through. In fact, Ah do believe that the nex’ stop ‘ll be the last one we’ve got tae fly tae by night.”

“Finally! I can’t take much more of this desert! It just keeps going on and on!” Wind Surfer said, filled with relief.

Dune looked hurt. “Easy does it, missie! Tha’s me home yer insultin’ there!”

“Sorry, but… Still…”

Dune threw a mock-threatening glance at her, and put on an extra burst of speed.

“Hey! What gives!? You know I’m tired!” Wind Surfer yelled.

“Ah thought ye wanted tae get out o’ the desert!” He yelled back, mockingly.

“Fine!” Wind Surfer rose to the challenge, and began closing the distance. Just as she began catching up, Dune arced towards the ground, angling towards a ring of rocks. Wind Surfer saw him, noted his destination, and pushed forward into a dive. The wind whistled past her ears as the ground raced closer towards her. At the last possible second, Wind Surfer unfurled her wings and strained against the air, slowing herself down. She landed hard among the stones, sending up a cloud of sand. Coughing Sind Surfer looked around for her challenger.

“Wheel, Ah’ll be. In all me years o’ flyin’ that ‘as tae be the most impressive dive an’ landing Ah’ve ever seen!” Dune circled overhead, and perched on top of one of the stones.

“Yea, well, I was trained by the best! The Wonderbolts, no less!” She proclaimed loudly.

“Is tha’ so? Wheel tha’ don’ mean nothin’ if ye can’t put it tae use!”

“Says the dragon who lost to a pony…” Wind Surfer shot back, smugly. She turned to take stock of her surroundings. It was a circle of massive stone pillars, each worn down from countless centuries of abuse from the desert. Upon closer examination, Wind Surfer found that the pillars used to carry incredible detail, though long gone. She paced around, and discovered that she was standing in a shallow basin, long devoid of any liquid. Wind Surfer wandered around, each observation leading to one fact: at some point in time, it was a building. What purpose it served, however, was best left to the ponies at The University of Equestria’s Archeological Department. Dune watched with great interest as the pegasus examined the ruins. She turned to regard him.

“What is this place?”

“No idea. Been ‘ere afore me, and ‘ll probably remain long after Ah’m gone.” He had not moved from his perch atop the pillar.

“What do you think this place was?”

“Again, Ah’ve got no clue. A dragon don’ build things tae the likes o’ this. We like caves and things o’ that nature.”

“So you think this was built by ponies?”

“Aye. Mos’ likely explanation ye can find. Come! Ah’ll show ye tae the cave, an’ we can look aboot some more.” He leaped off of his perch and glided to another hollow, hidden among the rocks. Wind Surfer followed suit.

Once inside, the pair dusted themselves off. Wind Surfer was about to go back outside, but Dune mentioned otherwise.

“Ah want tae talk tae ye, afore we go back out there.” He said, seriously.

“Alright, what do you want to talk about?” Asked Wind Surfer, surprised at the sudden change in his voice.

“Yer Princesses. ‘specially the older one.” Wind Surfer eyed the dragon suspiciously.

“Why the sudden interest?” She said, cautiously.

“Things like this; yer goin’ tae write ‘em down in that there journal, right?”

“...Yes.” Wind Surfer was hesitant now, unsure where the conversation was going. “Why do you ask?”

“She mightn’t like the fact that a pony ‘as gone an’ taken an interest in a subject that’s a might bit touchy wi’ her. Yer Princess is… wary… Ah suppose that’d be the word… ‘bout the past. Ye’ve ne’er ‘eard aboot where she and ‘er sister came from, Ah’m Ah correct?”

Wind Surfer shook her head. Theories ranged from biological mutations to them simply appearing in Equestria. Wind Surfer’s personal favorite was that they had always, simply been. But nopony ever really knew where they were from.

“Ah thought so. Now, Ah can imagine, after all this time’s passed, the pas’ is a tricky subject when ‘tis brought up wi’ the Princesses. Per’aps now, she’d shed a little light, if somepony brought back evidence tae make ‘er speak.”

“B-but documenting this is a good thing, right?” Wind Surfer was disturbed at the idea of forcing the princesses to reveal anything about themselves. There was no telling how they would react.

“Absolutely,” Dune said, firmly. “Now les’ ‘ave a closer look at these ‘ere stones, shall we?”

The pair wandered back outside to further investigate the ruins. All told, there was little more to the structure that what could be seen at a first glance. Everything else had long since eroded away. Wind Surfer took the opportunity of the growing light of dawn to make a proper sketch of the stone ring and basin. She was about to start looking elsewhere for more ruins when she was interrupted.

“Alright, missie. Ye’ve ‘ad yer fun. Now ye need tae eat, and rest up for the las’ part o’ the desert crossin’.” Dune ushered her inside, despite her protests. “Ah know, but the light’s comin’ up fast, and ye don’ wan’ tae be caught out ‘ere wit’ the heat and all, do ye?”

“No, I don’t. Since when were you my mother?” Wind Surfer glared at him as he settled into an alcove.

“Since Ah became a dragon, and saved yer ungrateful ‘ide, tha’s when! Now take a res’! Ah wan’ tae reach the nex’ cave afore midnight tomorrow, so ye can start flying by day.” Dune curled away, and promptly went to sleep.

Hmph. Wind Surfer shot him another annoyed glance, and settled down with her journal.

Day 4: The Desert Crossing

Dragon lore is most interesting, considering most of it is passed by word of mouth. Their chants tell of epic battles between good and evil, life and death, and most of all: light and dark. I cannot help but find the many similarities between these tales, and the ones that I was taught in school.

To see the stars by the darkness of the desert is a sight unlike any other. Here, the sky is a canvas, with great brushstrokes of color everywhere. I believe that when our Princess, Luna, brought forth the night for the first time, this is how she intended it to be. It truly is a sight to behold.

Tomorrow, I shall resume flying by day, and finally be rid of this desert. Dune Crest can finally go home, and I’ll be on my way, far into the west. What lies ahead, not even he might know.