Heat of the Desertby SirdubyaChaptersCall of the OutbackG'night!G'day!Culture ShockLightning StruckCall of the OutbackPonyville’s weather was as serene and tranquil as it ever was when a storm of some form was not on the horizon. Lush green grass carpeted the land in and around the ponies’ humble embrace with flowers dancing amongst the verdant blades in the mellow zephyr that caressed the land. The song of the wind that whistled as it blew throughout its unmapped odyssey across the realm of Equestria was sung by a choir that could only be orchestrated by Mother Nature and conducted by Father Time. But even amongst the slow, calm melody played something of a faster tempo… Rainbow Dash soared like a hawk above her hometown with every ounce the athletic strength she’d accumulated over her long years of hard work fueled by her desire to join the Wonderbolts, and her boundless loyalty that motivated her to help those dear to her in even the direst situations. “Come on, Thunderlane! I’m barely having to catch my breath!” Not far behind was her former colleague amongst the weather ponies, Thunderlane. His prowess as a flyer was comparable to Rainbow Dash, and the grey stallion’s game face demonstrated his determination. “You will once I finally squash you!” he declared as he managed to catch up to her, putting them neck and neck. Dash wiped her nose and let out a little chuckle before she and her opponent blasted through the air at the same time, leaving only the roar in the air to accommodate the peaceful clouds. The opposing athletes shred through the sky like scalpels being guided by veteran surgeons. Every twist and turn through the clear skies and occasional clouds was executed with a ferocious balance of grace and strength. They had set their course and were determined to be the last one standing. Their entire bodies, both physically and mentally endured the grueling test of power, and the final stretch came into sight. The goal was marked at a cloud positioned a good distance above Town Hall, and neither Rainbow Dash nor Thunderlane were backing down. No amount of air resistance could even begin to deter them from giving it their all, but there could only be one victor. With Celestia’s sun as their witness, even its warm light seemed to lean on the edge of its seat as the two competitors made their mad dash to the finish line. It was getting so close that they could reach out and touch……which one of them did milliseconds before the other. “YEAH!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, knowing that she had just barely claimed victory. She and Thunderlane took a moment to catch their breathes. “Phew! Sorry, big guy, but it looks like you’re the one that got squashed again!” Thunderlane brushed himself off as he faced his brash opponent. “Yep…” he said. “Shoulda known better than to challenge the town’s Wonderbolt…..again….” Rainbow Dash lowered her enthusiasm when she saw that her opponent wasn’t in the mood for expressing his own. “Hey. It’s not like you’re a bad flyer, dude. Far from it! Of course I was gonna win, but I love having a challenge to boot, and you’re the only one around here who actually wants to beat me one day. If I’m gonna be honest, I think you will if you work hard enough! I don’t wanna see that spirit of yours crash and burn, buddy.” Thunderlane let out a little chuckle as he cracked a small smile. “I’ll have to if I want to put that ego in its place.” He said. Rainbow Dash chuckled as she playfully punched his shoulder. “That’s one thing you won’t be doing, bro.” she joked. She then felt a tingle on her flank. “Huh?” When she looked at it, her Cutie Mark was emitting a series of pulses, indicating that the Cutie Map was beckoning her. “It’s for you~!” Thunderlane joked. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. See ya around, smart aleck!” she said as she flew off, leaving Thunderlane smiling in amusement. ***** Rainbow Dash simply flew through the window to the Map Room, choosing not to waste time going through all of the convoluted hallways of Twilight’s castle. They were friends, so she likely wouldn’t mind. The same couldn’t exactly be said for a particular apprentice though… “Rainbow Dash, this isn’t your house! Don’t just go breaking in!” Starlight Glimmer reprimanded. “It’s not breaking in! The window was open!” Rainbow argued. Starlight shook her head. “Ugh… I swear this mare is gonna get herself arrested.” “It’s ok, Starlight. Rainbow Dash is too loyal to mean any harm.” Twilight said. “See?” Rainbow scoffed. Rarity then walked through the doors. “Hello? Twilight?” She said as she looked around. “Oh! Of course you’re here, darling.” They could all see that her Cutie Mark was glowing just as Rainbow Dash’s was. “Hi, Rarity!” Twilight said. “Looks like the map is send you and Rainbow Dash on another mission!” “Yes, darling, but where? Perhaps another trip to Canterlot? Los Pegasus? Oh! Or even better! Northern Trottingham! They have a simply ravishing unique sense of fashion that I could incorporate in my next lineup.” “Nope. You two are headed for….” Starlight closely examined the map to discern the exact location. “Austallion!” Every bit of color already painting Rarity’s expression erupted upon hearing that. “AUSTALLION!?” she exclaimed. “Oh! I’ll be able to capture the desolate beauty of the desert that can only be found in the embrace of Austallion! And the culture…wild yet civil! Much like Zecora, really. Heehee! OH, what an experience this will be!” She jumped all around the room in excitement as she ranted. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Tch. Now who’s the bad guest?” she muttered. “I’m so glad you’re excited, Rarity!” Twilight said. She then looked at Rainbow Dash. “How about you, Rainbow Dash? Ready to go on an adventure?” “Huh!? Oh! Yeah, of course! Doesn’t really matter where we’re going though. Friendship problems are friendships problems all the same. We go, we solve, we conquer!.....well, maybe not ‘conquer’, but you know what I mean.” Rainbow replied Twilight giggled while Starlight just shook her head. “Well, you two better go and pack up! I’ll go ahead and reserve some train seat for you. Good luck!” “And bring some extra water bottles- it’s hot out there!” Starlight warned. “Thanks, you guys!” Rainbow said as she soared her way out the window she came through whilst loudly cheering, causing Starlight to facehoof. “Rarity, makes sure she really does leave the whole ‘conquer’ part out.” Starlight said. “Oh, not to worry, Starlight. Rainbow Dash might be a rather bold mare, but even she is no beast.” Rarity said. Starlight pondered for a second and then cracked a little smile. “Hmm….Yeah, maybe I’m just too worried.” With that, Rarity politely excused herself from Twilight’s castle and eagerly awaited whatever adventures awaited her and Rainbow Dash in Equestria’s Outback. Author's Note Hello, readers! First of all, let me thank you for coming to check this story out! Second, as you've no doubt guessed by the description, Austallion is Equestria's Australia, and I plan to have the locals of that place speak with Aussie slang, which I took some time look up. However, I'm not an Aussie myself, so for those of you who are, or are at least well-versed in the vernacular, I would kindly ask that you let me know if there was an instance where I could have used a term or phrase that I might not have thought of, or if I misused one altogether. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy this as I create it! G'night!Not long after their call to arms, Rainbow Dash and Rarity had arrived at the train station with their travel luggage in tow. Rainbow Dash had of course packed very little, only a duffle bag containing a few water canteens and desert-dweller clothes she had received as a gift from A. K. Yearling, both for her and Rarity. By contrast, Rarity had packed considerably more, but far less than her reputation would tell you. She only had three small suitcases containing a few changes of clothes, her hair care, makeup, shower soap and the like. Rainbow Dash spotted her one hundred pounds of beauty products whilst she was rearranging them. “Umm…..Rarity? Are you sure none of that stuff is flammable? We’re going into a desert, you know.” Rarity waved her hoof impatiently at her friend. “Oh, pish-posh, darling! Even if it was, they won’t combust simply from baking in intense heat. They’d have to be exposed to an open flame in order to catch fire.” She explained. “Well, then you better hope your hair doesn’t catch on fire…” Rainbow mumbled to herself. Moments later, their train finally arrived, and Twilight and Starlight came just in the nick of time to see them off. They happily parted ways before the train made its departure. ***** Rainbow and Rarity were given a private room in their coach and stored their luggage in the room’s closet before relaxing in their respective beds. Considering the harsh environment they were about to enter, they’d be remiss not to mentally prepare themselves with some good rest. Rainbow Dash plopped her head right into her pillow, finally able to relieve her exhaustion from her earlier race with Thunderlane, but before she could drift off to sleep, Rarity spoke up. “Darling, do you happen to know Austallion’s exact location?” she asked. Rainbow Dash lifted her head from her pillow and looked at her in surprise. “Huh? Aren’t you the one who always knows every little detail imaginable?” Rarity rolled her eyes. “Of course, Rainbow Dash. I was only asking if you knew already. I’d be happy to tell you.” Dash suddenly realized that she actually didn’t know where Austallion was on the map. “Eh….please do.” “Very well.” Rarity pulled out her map and pointed to their destination as she showed it to her friend. “It’s located on the western coast of the San Palomino Desert on the South Luna Sea. I should also note that this peninsula just to the north of it is a nature preserve that’s under their jurisdiction.” She explained. Rainbow Dash examined the part of the map Rarity showed her. “What all’s being preserved there?” Rarity put away her map. “I’m afraid I don’t actually know. Fluttershy probably would have known. Perhaps I should have inquired before we departed.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Meh. Not like we really had time.” “I suppose not.” Rarity said as she laid down for a nap, as did her friend. ***** “Fillies and gentlecolts, we will be arriving at Austallion Station in roughly five minutes. Passengers are advised to exit their rooms and head for the nearest loading cars. Thank you for traveling with us!” The train ride wasn’t quite as long as the two expected, and they arrived at Austallion’s train station at about eight o’clock at night. They were pretty awake considering they slept for most of the trip apart from grabbing a little lunch, so they weren’t gonna fall asleep on the way to town. Rainbow Dash stretched out before getting out of bed and grabbing her luggage and joining Rarity. They were the only ones getting off at their destination, so the boarding platform they got off on was about as desolate as the desert that surrounded them. Beneath Luna’s moon was a vast landscape of red sand with native gum trees and cacti sparsely placed around the desert as though somepony had randomly placed them around like a badly-made garden. Despite the desolation, it was beautiful in its own right. Even Rainbow Dash was awestruck by the red shimmer of an Austallion night, and she could see Rarity’s familiar expression of being simultaneously inspired and mesmerized as the cool night breeze caressed their coats. “Whoa…” Dash muttered. “Simply gorgeous…” Rarity said. It took her a minute to notice the actual city itself off in the distance, and a following second to realize that an earth pony mare was approaching them. “Ain’t it, love? It’s a bloody treat crashin’ every night with this scenery to kiss us g’night!” she said. She had a coat that matched the red sand around here, a mane and tail that matched the dry green of the gum tree leaves, and ocean blue eyes. Her Cutie Mark depicted a kangaroo. “Just got in, did ya? Name’s Safari Bush.” Her Austallionite accent was strong. “Good evening darling! My name is Rarity, and this is my colleague and dear friend, Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow Dash boisterously presented herself. “S’up?” “G’night! Shame ya couldn’t arrive when the town was still alive. It’s a rip snorter of a party in the arvo!” Safari Brush said. Rarity and Rainbow Dash looked at her confused. “Ehh…. ‘arvo’?” Dash inquired. Safari Brush rolled her eyes. “Bloody bogan tourists…” she mumebled to herself. “That’s afternoon, mate.” She explained. “Anyway, I’m s’posed to hand you these since you came.” She handed the two of them travel brochures complete with a map of the town, some restaurant and hotel guides, and general information about the area. “Thanks! We’ll need these.” Dash said. “No drama! Ya want a nice place to crash, I’d head to the Billabong if Ah were you two. Fine li’l B&B, that one. Brekkie n’ Tucker’ll take right good care o’ ya. That’s a promise.” Safari Bush said. Rarity looked at her brochure’s map. “Oh! It’s just on the edge of town right as we arrive there! It’ll be perfect. Thank you, Ms. Bush!” she said as she and Rainbow made their way towards town. Safari waved goodbye as she saw them off. “Take it easy, loves!” She then yawned. “Time fo’ me to hit the hay too.” ***** The walk to town proved to be nothing short of a little safari in of itself. The sounds of night creatures hidden away in the brush and scampering through the sand welcomed the mares to this foreign part of Equestria. Whatever friendship problem was here certainly wasn’t to be found within this wild serenity. The mellow hum of the dusty wind played a haunting nocturne, as if the wilderness itself was celebrating the arrival of two of Equestria’s Elements of Harmony. When they hit the edge of town, they were met with a town that was much like Ponyville in terms of building size, layout and overall architecture, but it was clear that the Austallionites valued their surroundings more than simple aesthetic beauty, but not a huge margin; they were professionally constructed like the houses of Ponyville rather than crudely built as if somepony decided to camp out in the woods, but made a shelter out of nature rather pitching their own. “Ah! There it is.” Rarity said as she pointed to a small but tall house that looked like it was big enough to house four or five families. Beside the walkway leading up to the door was a hanging sign that read ‘Billabong Inn: Best Tucker in town when you’re all tuckered out!’. “Huh?” Rainbow Dash cocked her head. “Isn’t ‘Tucker’ supposed to be somepony working here?” Rarity shrugged. “Must be more of their endearing vernacular. Oh well. Shall We?” Rainbow Dash nodded, and the two entered the B&B. Upon crossing the threshold into the lobby, they were met with an interior that reminded them of the late Golden Oaks library, but far more furnished and with the walls and furnishing and the like actually looked as though they weren’t simply part of the tree. At the counter was an elderly that seemed quite lively for her age if her smile upon seeing her guests was of any indication. “Ow ya goin’? Have a reservation?” Rarity and Rainbow approached the counter. “I’m afraid not, madam. Perhaps you still have one vacant room?” Rarity asked. The old mare got on her computer. “Well, let’s have a look see. Fairly certain we do……Erm….. That we do!” “Sweet! Thanks, lady!” Rainbow said. “Just ‘Brekky’, mate.” The mare said. “My hunband’ll cook ya some breakfast come the morrow. Sleep tight!” The two thanked Brekky as they paid for their room and received their key. Rarity took the time to appreciate the décor as they walked upstairs to their room, and along the way, she noticed a portrait of a family of four from a good number of years ago. It was husband and wife with two small foals that looked about the CMC’s age, a colt and a filly. When they entered their room, they wasted no time hitting the hay for the night after a somewhat long trip, and so as to get ready to explore Austallion and solve what friendship problem was staining its beautiful sands. G'day!Morning’s radiant light shined what it could through the closed curtains covering the window to Rarity and Rainbow Dash’s room. The mares themselves awoke rather easily, being as rested as they were from their trip. Rarity decided to open the curtains and let in some light, and she was firmly reminded that she was in Equestria’s outback. “ My word!” Rarity was bombarded with a massive slab of sunlight unlike anything she’d experienced elsewhere. The blinding amount of light blasting her nearly made her swear that Celestia’s sun was mere inches in front of her, and she fell back out of shock. Rainbow Dash snapped out of her groggy state when she heard the impact of her friend hitting the floor. “Whoa! You okay, Rare’s?” It was then that she too was greeted by the Austallion sunlight. “Ack! Jeez!” She covered her face as Rarity picked herself up and closed the curtains with her magic. “Well then! I suppose it’s a good thing we brought those clothes.” Rarity said. “Yeah. But let’s worry about that later. I think I smell something cooking downstairs!” Dash said excitedly. Without hesitation, the two went downstairs to find Brekky and an elderly earth pony stallion in the kitchen. Brekky was washing some dishes while the stallion was cooking the breakfast they’d smelled from their room. “Oh! Mo’nin’, you two! Sleep well?” Brekky said. “Good morning, Brekky! Oh, we slept babies last night.” Rarity said. “Although the sun gave us…..quite the rude awakening. The stallion wheezily chuckled as he was cooking. “That’s Austallion weather fo’ ya, love. Good ol’ sun is always the first one to jump out n’ tell ya ‘G’day!’.” “I guess you’re Tucker?” Dash inquired. Tucker nodded as he plated the breakfast he’d just cooked. “Ow ya goin’?” he greeted. He placed his food on the bar separating his kitchen from the dining room. “Better grab a feed! It’s gonna be another hot one.” He wheezily chuckled. Rarity and Rainbow Dash sat down at the bar after grabbing some paper plates. While Rarity was more reserved with her proportions and placement of her food, the athletic Rainbow Dash didn’t hesitate to fill her plate with a nice, hearty meal. Brekky then used her horn to pass them some small tea cups and a plastic jar. “Here’s some eucalyptus tea and some vegemite fo’ ya toast, loves.” “Oh! Thank you, Brekky.” Rarity said. She and Dash took a sip of their tea. It tasted….oddly familiar. They were expecting a more exotic flavor given that they in an exotic place, but it was quite reminiscent of mint with a hint of licorice. “Huh….I like it.” Rainbow Dash said. “Oh, yes! What a heavenly yet simple brew.” Rarity. Brekky giggled. “Good to hear. Give the vegemite a whirl too.” Rainbow Dash and Rarity took turns spreading the foreign ingredient onto their toast. It’s odd appearance compared to other spreads made it seem a little unappetizing at first, but the tea was just fine, so maybe this was too. Rainbow Dash was the first to take a bite, and was shocked by just how unprepared her palette was. What her taste buds were treated to was a strange mixture of dried vegetables that had been salted with an odd flavor that for some reason reminded her of the cows that lived near Sweet Apple Acres. She cringed a little, but managed to swallow. “Whoa! That’s uh…..that’s new.” “Oh, darling. Don’t be so rude. I’m sure it tastes just fine.” Rarity said just before taking a bite of her own toast, and she instantly saw what she meant. Shocked by the odd taste, Rarity desperately resisted the urge to spit it out purely out of courtesy to her hosts. However reluctantly, she too swallowed the exotic mixture. “G-Goodness! It um…. Oh dear….” Tucker wheezily chuckled again. “No drama, loves. If ya not an Aussie, it’s an acquired taste.” “You’re telling me.” Dash muttered. She nevertheless cleaned her plate, powering through the slice of toast smothered with vegemite while Rarity avoided hers altogether. “Wonder what Pinkie would think of this stuff?” Dash thought to herself. Just as they were finishing their meal, their heard somepony walk into the kitchen. “ G’day, mum! G’day, dad!” When the two looked over, they were surprised to see that is was Safari Bush! “Well, blimey! If it ain’t the two o’ you! How was ya first night in Austallion?” “Safari Bush!? What’re you doing here?” Dash inquired. “Ain’t it obvious? Ah live here too! Brekky n’ Tucker are me folks.” Safari answered. “You loves met our daughter?” Tucker asked. “Yes, darling. She directed us when we got off our train.” Rarity explained. Brekky sighed. “Safari, ya know we don’t like when ya force ponies to come here.” “Ah didn’t force ‘em, mum! Ah just recommended the place. Besides, I’m just doin’ me job as a tour guide.” Safari Bush argued. “Don’t give us that piffle, love. Ya gonna overwork us what with all the guests that’ll be coming from every which way but where.” Brekky said. “Ya let us worry ‘bout the inn, Safari. You’ve the rest of ya life ahead o’ ya, fair dinkum?” Tucker said. “Ah know, dad, but Ah live here too. We’ve all got some responsibility towards this ol’ place.” Safari said. “And you’ve responsibility towards Austallion. Mayor Straya wouldn’t have given you the job if ya didn’t love it here and know it like the back o’ ya hoof.” Brekky said. “Well…. Ah s’pose that’s fair.” Safari said. Rarity and Rainbow Dash looked at each other, eagerly suspecting that they had found their problem. “How is business here anyway?” Rainbow asked. “Right n’ dandy, Ah’d say.” Tucker said. “Can’t recall a time we weren’t stable in all the years we’ve had the place open, n’ Safari Bush has been workin’ hard as she could to help us.” “Sometimes a li’l too hard as ya might guess.” Brekky said with a wry smile. Safari blushed. “Well, it’s certainly not unwarranted, darling. This is a lovely little establishment you have. We slept just fine and woke up to a scrumptious breakfast. You’re husband’s quite the chef.” Rarity said. “Ya too kind, love.” Tucker said. “Say, what brought you two down under anyway?” Rarity and Rainbow Dash explained how they had been sent by the Cutie Map at Twilight’s castle to solve a friendship problem that had apparently brewed in the outback. Explaining just how the map was supposed to work, at least according to their experiences with was a bit awkward. “Err…..not sure Ah rightly follow, but Ah s’pose we’ll play along.” Safari Bush said. “Does anything in particular come to mind? If you know this place as well as you claim, then surely you’d be the pony to ask.” Rarity inquired. “Well, it’s not my parents and I. I can promise ya that.” Safari answered. Rainbow then thought of something. “Say….there was a big picture of a family upstairs that looked like it was taken a long time ago. Is that you guys in it?” Brekky nodded. “That it is, love. Myself, me husband, Safari Bush, and her brother, Lightnin’ Strike.” This caught the mares’ attention. “You have a brother? Well, where is he?” Rarity inquired. “He doesn’t live here.” Safari answered. “He…….lives with his marefriend…” her tone turned slightly sorrowful, and her parents seemed to follow suit with their expressions. Rainbow Dash grimaced. “Miss him?” Tucker sighed. “We do. He comes to see us every so often, and we’ve never had any problems with him.” “He’s just the sweetest boy.” Brekky said gloomily. “But holdin’ ya sprogs back is about as cruel as kickin’ ‘em out into the blisterin’ desert altogether.” “We all wants best fer him, and he wants the best fer us.” Safari said. “What does he do?” Rainbow Dash asked. “He err….. Well, it’d be bloody difficult explainin’ it to a couple o’ yanks who haven’t been here before.” Safari said. “Tell ya what, let me tour ya through town so can spot ya little ‘friendship problem’. Once ya get a better feel for Austallion, Ah think Ah’d be able to explain it better. Who knows? We might bump into the ol’ bastard anyway.” Rarity and Rainbow winced at what Safari had just called her brother despite speaking no ill of him. “Darling! I thought you held your brother dear!” Safari cocked her head. “Err…..Ah do, love.” “But you just called him a bastard.” Dash pointed out. Safari facehooved. “Bloody yobbo travellers…” she muttered under her breath. “That’s a nice thing to say ‘bout somepony ‘round here, love.” She explained. “Oooooooh!” Rainbow and Rarity said simultaneously. “R-Right then. Let’s get on with the tour. Fair dinkum?” Safari said. Once again, Rarity and Rainbow weren’t sure what to make of her phraseology. “Ugh! Just follow me, will ya?” She said as she led the two out of the kitchen. As they exited the kitchen, Brekky creased an amused smile and shook her head. “Bless that mare’s heart…” Culture ShockBefore Safari Bush could drag her guests out of the hotel, Rainbow Dash and Rarity went back to their room to get the desert clothes they had packed. Rarity was reluctant to put on something she described as bland and unsavory, but Dash practically forced it on her, telling her that she’ll survive in more ways than one, which the fashionista decided to take on the chin. When they got dressed for the weather, they finally ventured out into a day in Austallion. “OOOHHH!! WHAT MISERABLE HEAT!! OH, WHY DID THE MAP HAVE TO SEND US HERE IN THIS DREADFUL PLACE TO BAKE!? I think I might perish where I stand. Oh, Celestia! Have mercy on my waning soul!” “Uh…Rarity?” Rainbow Dash said. “We just walked out the door.” Indeed, they had taken mere steps out of the Billabong’s front doors, and the posh pony was already feeling the heat. Safari Bush shook her head. “Ya gonna last about as long as a joey in a dingo’s jaws if ya keep that up, love. Pull ya’self together!” Rarity Smiled sheepishly before taking a swig of her water and pulling herself back to her hooves. She cleared her throat. “Er…yes, of course. Shall we?” Rainbow Dash and Safari Bush rolled their eyes. “Please.” Dash said. “Right then.” Safari said. The sandy roads lining the town around its structures felt like the soil the two were used to feeling under their hooves in Ponyville, but much looser and intensely heated by the blazing sun. If they didn’t know any better, they would have sworn that they were walking through destroyed, desolated version of their dear home, and yet everypony around them crowding the streets went about their business as happily as though Pinkie Pie had thrown a party out there. Everywhere Rainbow Dash and Rarity looked, they saw ponies doing all sorts of things that were pretty new to them. They noticed right away that everypony’s laundry was hung outside to dry. Safari Bush explained that they did that as opposed to using a dryer so as to save power, and it was a quick process given how hot it always was there. The clotheslines spanned between the wooden houses that the mares noticed also had some bricked parts of their structure. Looking closely at them, Rarity could tell that they were locally made. However, there a strange material constructing that she didn’t recognize. It was….shined and very smooth, and it reminded her almost of a changeling’s carapace. “Darling, what might this-” “Oi! Get off o’ that!” They suddenly heard a stallion call out to them, and then turned to see said stallion trotting up them carrying various carpentry tools. “That’s some delicate stuff, love.” Rarity backed away from the house that she realized was being constructed. “Oh! So sorry darling.” “What’s goin’ out here, mate?” They then heard a mare call out, and she came out with another stallion. “Sorry, mates. Just some touries.” Safari Bush said. She then faced Rainbow Dash and Rarity. “These are Brikkie, Sparkie and Chippie, some o’ the finest builders in the outback!” “Ow ya goin’?” The first stallion said, who was identified as Chippie. “G’day, loves!” The mare said, who was Sparkie. She carried the tools of an electrician. The other stallion, who must have been Brikkie just smiled and nodded at them. Rainbow Dash looked at him. “Not a talker, huh?” Chippie shook his head. “Not unless yer a brick. When he’s layin’ the bastards down, he’s more of a galah than ya pomie friend here.” He said as he looked at Rarity. “Eh… Beg pardon?” Rainbow Dash snickered at his comment. “What are you guys building here anyway?” Chippie eyed towards Sparkie. “Her gravestone.” He joked. “Oi!” Sparkie forcefully shoved him as he laughed at himself. “Bloody bastard!” She too found herself laughing, but Rarity found the whole gesture to be rather barbaric. “No. This is gonna be a milk bar. Nothing special.” “Ooh!” Rarity squeaked. “I do wonder what the milk of Austallion is like! You’ll have to let me know when it’s complete so I can sample some.” The carpentry team held their mouths so as to hold back laughter. “Crikey! They are really are touries, huh?” Sparkie said. Safari Bush gave them an authoritative look. “Oi! Go easy on ‘em. This is they’re time here.” She faced her guests. “She meant a convenience store, loves. Just what we call ‘em.” Rainbow Dash and Rarity just eyed each other and their hosts in confusion. “Umm…..okay. We’ll….keep that in mind.” Dash said. “Right then! We better be off. Don’t want to keep these three distracted now.” Safari said. “Oh! Before we leave, might ask what this material is?” Rarity asked, and then rolled her eyes. “If I may be so bold.” She sassed in annoyance. “Huh? Oh, that?” Chippie said. “It’s uhh…..Brikkie, you got a clue, mate?” he asked. The silent stallion inspected it for a moment, but shook his head when he couldn’t come to a conclusion. “We’d have to ask Lightnin’ Strike again.” Sparkie said. “Oh! How’s the bastard doin’, love?” she asked Safari. “Oh, he’s….right n’ fine.” She said. “Ah don’t see him as often anymore with how busy he is, but he keeps his smile.” “Good to hear!” Chippie said. “Alright then. Hooroo, you lot!” Rainbow Dash and Rarity were thrown for a loop by the completely unfamiliar language. “Okay, what?” Dash asked. Safari facehooved, but took a deep breath so as to maintain her patience. “Just how we say goodbye ‘round here.” She explained. “Oh! W-Well then…. H-Hooroo….” Rarity felt silly saying that, but didn’t want to upset them. The parties said their goodbyes and parted ways. At some point, the mares decided that they wanted a quick snack, so Safari directed them to the next conv- err….‘milk bar’. Rainbow Dash found a protein bar while Rarity picked out an ice cream sandwich. However, they noticed that the prices were a little higher than expected, about Canterlot prices. While they could certainly afford their commodities, Safari had to explain to them that their many money-saving tricks made their economy rather move rather slowly, resulting in some slight inflation, but the natives were perfectly fine with having snacks be a little on the pricey side. Not long afterwards, the three were walking down a street when Rarity had the misfortune of having somepony’s working trousers fly off its clothesline and land on her face. The trousers’ apparent owner was a pegasus stallion that fluttered down and removed his clothing from a very sullen Rarity, but he just smiled as if nothing was wrong. “Whoa! Hahahaha! Sorry ‘bout that, love! Guess me trousers were tryin’ to find themselves a hobby!” Despite his laughter, Rarity was not in the mood, and she just let the stallion fly off with his clothing. Rarity sighed. “What brutes…” she mumbled under her breath. She then noticed that something else was on her face, and was horrified when she saw that it was a grasshopper that almost as big as her face! “AAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!” She practically punched herself in the face just to get the gargantuan bug of off it. Neither she nor Rainbow Dash had seen a normal insect so big. Safari Bush burst out laughing. “That’s an Austallion sandhopper fo’ ya! And pretty much every bug in the desert.” “Whoa…..That’s pretty cool! Right, Rarity?” Rainbow Dash said, but Rarity was curled up in a fetal position and shaking like a leaf, rendering her somewhat impotent until they could calm her down. A short while later, Safari Bush brought them to what Rainbow Dash recognized as a public soccer field, only that the foals playing on it certainly weren’t playing soccer, but rather some sport that involved an odd ball that was shaped like and almond. A hardcore athlete herself, she decided to satisfy her curiosity. As they approached, the two noticed that the foals, colts and fillies alike were tackling and trying to drag each other down very roughly. “Hey, sprogs! Come over here a minute!” Safari called out. The foals smiled upon seeing her and stopped their game so they could give her a moment of their times. They seemed to be led by a butterscotch-colored colt with a brown mane who had one of those strange balls for a Cutie Mark, and he was carrying the one they were playing with. “G’day, Safari!” he greeted. The other foals followed suit. “’Nother round o’ rugby, eh, Brumby?” Safari asked. The colt, apparently named ‘Brumby’ nodded. “Bloody oath! The big tourney’s just ‘round the corner, ya know!” He then noticed the two mares. “Who’re these lot?” “Just a couple o’ visitors is all. Showin’ ‘em around.” Safari answered. Rainbow Dash eyed them as though they were the foals back in Ponyville when she about to coach them. She could tell from experience that they were pretty fit for their age. “So what’s rugby?” “Well, it’s kinda like basketball n’ football, ya see. Ya try to run it to ya goal while the other tries to run ya over an’ into the ground. You can toss the ball to ya team any way ‘cept in front o’ ya.” Brumby explained. “It’s our favorite sport out here!” One of the fillies cheered. Looking at them more closely, Rarity could tell that they were noticeably bruised from how rough they were getting with each other. “Goodness! Aren’t you worried you’ll get hurt? Your parents will surely notice those scars.” “Pfft!” one of the other colts said. “Happens all the time! Kinda comes with the territory.” “Come play with us some time on if ya ever get a moment. We’d be happy to show ya the ropes!” Brumby said. Rainbow Dash smirked. “You sure you wanna tussle with a grownup, kid? I’m a known athlete where I’m from.” “I wouldn’t mock him, love. Brumby’s a strong li’l bunyip. He’ll tackle ya to the floor ‘fore you can say ‘pass it here’!” Safari warned. Ranbow Dash lowered herself to the ground. “Wanna bet?” she taunted before facing Brumby. “C’mon, kid. Give me your best shot.” Brumby smirked and reared himself back. “Don’t say she didn’t warn ya!” He leapt towards her with all of his strength. “OOF!!!” Rainbow Dash was struck with force of a barrel of bricks being swung into her from a high point, and even her fit body couldn’t save her from being thrown to the ground like a ragdoll, landing on her back. She looked up in shock to see the little rougher standing on her belly. “You alright, madam?” Rainbow Dash tried to process what just happened. She’d never seen such physical strength in somepony so young, even in Scootaloo with how fit she’d been becoming with all the training the two had done. “Jeez, kid!” she said as Brumby hopped off of her. “Darling! Are you alright?” Rarity asked. Rainbow Dash got back to her hooves. “Yeah. Kid’s just super strong is all….” She felt pretty embarrassed that she was taken down so easily by somepony so much smaller than her. “Ehh….why don’t we leave ‘em to their game? You said there was a tournament, right? Better uh….g-get to training!” “Suit ya’self, love!” Brumby said as he rejoined he friends. “Enjoy the rest o’ ya holiday!” They ran back to the field and resumed playing while the mares returned to town. Afterwards, Safari Bush showed her guests every other business and building in Austallion including town hall, but they sadly didn’t get to meet the mayor. The last place she took them was the beach right on the South Luna sea where she treated the two too a small diner situated on its coastal sands, and the outdoor table they sat at thankfully had an umbrella shielding it from the hellish sunlight. “So, whaddya gather? Like it so far? How that ‘friendship problem o’ yo’s?” Rainbow Dash and Rarity looked at each other as they tried to put up a façade. “It’s er….quite the place, darling. Certainly nothing like I’ve experienced.” “Yeah. It’s uh….new.” Rainbow Dash said. Safari thought nothing of their tones and laughed before getting out of her seat. “Well, I’m gonna use the dunny real fast. Our food should be her in a jif.” She got funny looks from her guests. “Er…..the toilets.” “Ooooooh.” They both said simultaneously. Safari walked off, leaving the two mares to discuss their situation. “Rarity, I didn’t catch anything. Whatever problem is going on here, it’s sure subtle. Everypony here seems so lax even though their living on a hot pan.” “Well, I beg to differ!” Rarity declared. “Who do these ponies think they are? Enduring this heat is admirable, but complimenting each other with insults, letting their foals play a brute’s game, making up the silliest words imaginable for such simple things, and living with enormous sand grasshoppers? Oh, this barbarism, I tell you! Barbarism!” In her rant, something suddenly clicked in her head. “ That’s it!” “That’s what?” Dash asked. “That’s the friendship problem!” Rarity said. “Perhaps the Austallion ponies are so…..the way they are that nopony else would want to visit their town. The rest of Equestria is nothing like this, so them being odd balls makes them isolated!” Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but feel appalled by her friend’s statement. “Rarity! We can’t just ask everypony here to change their culture! That’s outlandishly insensitive!” “Oh, no! That’s not what I meant. What I meant was that nopony else wants to give these ponies the time of day because of their odd culture, and thus they’re never truly appreciated for who they are apart the rest of Equestria. It would explain why Safari Bush and her family are having a tough time.” Rarity explained. “Oh…” Rainbow Dash said. “Still though, the map sent us here, so the problem must be here. Plus, going around Equestria and telling everypony to visit someplace would be kinda ridiculous.” “Well….I suppose you have a point, darling. Perhaps we’re just not looking in the right place.” Rarity said Their waiter suddenly came up to them and served them their food. “Here ya go, loves! Fresh from the barbie! Enjoy!” he said before leaving. Their food consisted of barbequed strips of wheat glazed with a sauce that no doubt had local spices in its recipe as the main course. There was also various biscuits, macadamia nuts, something called a ‘chiko roll’ that was basically a cooked salad wrapped in fried dough, pea soup with curry spices, and…..cooked grubs? “ELCH! Since when do ponies eat that!?” Rarity said. Rainbow Dash would normally complain about her complaining, but this time, she was willing to excuse it, and she sighed. “Yeah…..Let’s make it quick. I kinda don’t like it here.” Lightning StruckSafari Bush ate through her meal without any issue whatsoever while her two guests took their time with the foreign cuisine, namely the grubs, which tasted like pesto sauce mixed with sharp cheddar cheese encased in rubbery-crunchy shells. Rainbow Dash seemed to be braving them, so Rarity discreetly passed hers to her, not even opting to take a nibble. The two silently wondered how these ponies could live this kind of life with the harsh climate and strange food they had to deal with, but this was their culture, and they had no place to object. Once the bill was paid, Safari Bush led her guests back into town. Along the way, they couldn’t but to notice another group of builders working on a foundation that only had its wooden frame erected. One of the workers carrying a long plank of wood held sideways along his body turned around and accidently hit another worker square in the eye. Despite the obvious pain, even the one that got hit laughed it off as though nothing happened. Having sustained any number of injuries herself, Rainbow Dash knew that laughter wouldn’t last very long. Otherwise, they were crazy. “Somethin’ the matter, loves?” Safari asked. “Huh? Oh….n-no. We’re good.” Rainbow Dash said. Safari cocked her eyebrow. “Ya sure? Neither o’ you two said a word when we ate.” “W-Well….” Rarity stammered. “We really don’t mean to be rude, darling, but…” Safari chuckled. “Still not quite used to the place, eh? No drama. Say, did ya figure out what ya li’l friendship problem is?” “If we’re gonna be honest, Safari, if there’s a problem, you guys seem pretty okay with it.” Rainbow Dash said. “You’re quite a lax set of ponies all things considered.” Rarity said. “Bloody oath were are, but we’ve resolved issues before, an’ not always the prettier kind.” Safari said. It was then that Rarity remembered something. “Oh! Darling, I don’t believe you explained anything about that nature reserve up north, or your brother.” Safari Bush perked up when she realized that. “Blimey, I clean forgot, ain’t I? Sorry.” She had Rarity pull out her map so she could show them. “Ok. So what would ya say if I told ya that the preserve is a habitat for a desert’s sand worth o’ monsters?” “WHOA! Seriously?” Rainbow exclaimed. “Darling, so is the Everfree Forest.” Rarity reminded her. “Oh…..right….” Dash replied. “Anyway, sometimes they like to stop by town n’ say hello with their gnashin’ fangs n’ claws n’ all, so we either have to drive ‘em back to their pad or into the ground.” Safari explained. Rarity and Rainbow Dash were shocked yet not all that surprised at the drastic action taken by the native Austallionites. “G-Goodness! That sounds rather dangerous!” Rarity said. “Not if you’re my brother!” Safari boasted. “You see-” She was cut off when an alarm suddenly resounded throughout town. “GUESS YOU’LL SEE FOR YA’SELVES!” Safari led them to the northern edge of town where everypony was taking cover behind sandbag walls with various ranged weapons such as slingshots and catapults at the ready. What they were ready for was rampaging not too far in the distance amongst the desert brush. It was a gigantic scorpion-like creature that stood up on its hind body and had a crab-like head. Its huge claws tore through the brush and scattered the sand as it screeched and roared and made its way to the city. “ARTHROLID!” somepony shouted. Safari Bush suddenly pulled Rarity and Rainbow Dash behind one of the sandbag walls where other ponies were firing slingshots loaded with ammunition that resembled cherry bombs, but varying in sizes from that of a baseball to a basketball. Their appearance didn’t hide their purpose, as they violently detonated upon striking the titanic insect, which momentarily deterred its progress with each successful hit. “What the hay is that thing!?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. Safari loaded a cherry bomb into a catapult that a stallion beside her readily fired. “Just one our ‘neighbors’. Not the worst thing that’s happened.” She ducked when the cherry exploded out in the distance. “Just stay low and ya should be golden.” Rarity observed some other unicorns firing magic at the creature and decided to follow suit if it helped, but Rainbow Dash had other ideas. That arthrolid was getting closer and closer by the minute despite the barrage of explosives and magic blasts it was enduring, so she decided to take matters into her own hooves. She brazenly soared out towards the monster. “ARE YOU MAD, LOVE!? WHAT DO YA THINK YA DOIN’!?” Safari exclaimed. The cavalry had to cease their fire on the beast so as to not risk hitting Rainbow Dash “Distracting it so it doesn’t think to get any closer!” Dash shouted back. She got to the arthrolid and started flying around like a buzzing bee, reminding her of the time she had to distract the bugbear that once came into Ponyville. Her world-class aerial agility allowed her to skillfully bob and weave around the gigantic bug as it tried to grab her out of the air. A couple times it nearly toppled over from reaching too far to the side. “Nyah- nyah- nyah nyah- nyah!!” Rainbow Dash was doing a good job of keeping its attention occupied, but when she tried to lure it away from town, it wouldn’t budge an inch back. “Come on, big guy! I’m right over here!” The arthrolid decided that Rainbow Dash wasn’t worth the trouble and focused on the Austallionites again. “HE’S COMIN’ BACK, MATES!!” a stallion shouted. He fired his loaded slingshot as the beast. “Hey! I’m talking to you, bub!” Rainbow Dash flew towards the arthrolid to get its attention again, oblivious to the bomb flying towards them both. “DARLING, LOOK OUT!!” Rarity called out. “Huh!?” Rainbow Dash was too late to realize that an explosive was about to strike the ground at the beast’s feet, and when it did, the shock of the blast threw her off balance. “Whoa!” The arthrolid noticed this and seized the opportunity…..by seizing Rainbow Dash in its claw. “RAINBOW DASH!!!!” Rarity exclaimed. “GYAAAHHHH!!!!!” Rainbow Dash was about as terrified as one would expect even her to be from being in the clutches of a massive predator. She desperately tried to wriggle and beat her way out of its grasp, but it was no use. Its claw had firmly clamped down onto her body, and she wasn’t getting away. “H-H-HEEELP!! SOMEPONY!!!!” The arthrolid hissed as it opened its mouth and pulled his prey towards him. “AIIIIEEEEE!!!!!!!” Suddenly, a bolt of lightning violently cracked onto the titan, and the shock was enough to force it to let go of Rainbow Dash, who took the immediate opportunity to make a break for it back to safety. As she did, she noticed a ball of electricity soaring towards the beast, and then it struck with meteoritic force, causing it to topple over. “Darling!” Rarity ran over and hugged her friend, thankful she was okay, but everypony else’s attention was now on that ball lightning that had now landed in front of its opponent. The electricity dissipated to reveal something the two weren’t expecting. There stood a yellow pegasus stallion with leaf-green eyes and a mane and tail the color of a storm cloud. His Cutie Mark was similar to Rainbow Dash’s but the symbol was reversed and depicted a regular storm cloud firing down a normal bolt of lightning. He was clad in leather armor that had been reinforced with iron studs, and he held a huge lance with a scythe-like serrated blade jutting outward parallel to the snow white shaft; it was lined with golden rings that crackled with electricity as he poised it towards the monster. “GO GET ‘EM, BRO!!” Safari Bush cheered. The stallion turned to her just as the arthrolid was starting to get back on its feet and confidently nodded at her. It was then that Rarity and Rainbow Dash noticed that a curious trinket was centered in his chest piece. It was a golden yellow medallion with a lightning bolt symbol on it, and it seemed to be the source of his electricity as it was sparking like a broken high voltage cable. He faced his foe as it reared its claws at him, but he didn’t even flinch. “Ya mum never taught you any right manners, eh?” He rose into the air, and his spear began to surge electricity like a savage thunderstorm. “Well, I reckon it’s about time somepony whipped you into shape!” Rarity and Rainbow Dash watch in awe as the stormbringer confronted the hideous titan. “Safari Bush…. Is that….?” Rainbow Dash asked. Safari nodded. “Aye! That good ol’ bastard’s me brother! That’s Lightning Strike!” Her two guests looked back out as everypony around them began cheering him on, jubilantly chanting his name. Lightning Strike unleashed a violent stream of electricity from his lance upon the arthrolid that caused it to screech in agony, although it managed to shield itself with its huge claws. He followed by blasting off towards the beast and used his sonic momentum to whack the claws away, exposing the beast’s body. Just before Lightning Strike could land a lethal blow, the titanic insect swiped its claw at him, but he managed to parry it despite being hit with enough force to be knocked to the ground. He landed on his hooves and surged some lightning along the ground that cracked along his foes feet, but the beast was merely angered to the point that it began a back and forth parry fest with Lightning Strike. Rainbow Dash and Rarity couldn’t believe that a lone stallion armed with naught but a lance and inexplicable lightning powers could so fiercely and readily clash with such a powerful creature. Every blow he dealt to the monster was dealt with a hunter’s ferocity whether he soared in the air or remained on the ground. Rainbow Dash especially found herself gawking at the heroic lancer; the way he sliced through the air, the fire in his eyes that mimicked the blazing sun that witnessed his bout with the demon, the way he commanded the electricity he somehow summoned…… “Dude…” Moments after their hack n’ slash, the arthrolid managed to grab ahold of Lightning Strike’s lance, but the scion of storms channeled a bolt of lightning through it and stunned the beast for just enough seconds to use his leverage to judo throw it over his head. It hit the ground with a resounding thud, flabbergasting the two newcomers and inciting everypony to cheer him on further. “MY WORD!!” Rarity exclaimed. He soared into the air poised his lance down towards his toppled adversary before letting himself fall towards it, ready to land a fatal hit. However, the beast managed to quickly regain its balance, and it let Lightning Strike’s momentum be his downfall as he fell into its opened mouth, letting it swallow him whole! “LIGHTNING STRIIIIIKE!!!!!” Safari Bush shouted. Everyone gasped in horror as their hero seemed to meet his end just like that. Rainbow Dash and Rarity found themselves wanting to leave Austallion as soon as possible if this was a daily occurrence. But not even a minute after the arthrolid had its meal, it began to act sick, as if it was trying to hold back vomiting. Its mouth then suddenly began sparking, and a familiar ball lightning violently burst out of its mouth and landed on the ground before the sandbag walls. Lightning Strike had indeed freed himself from its maws and seemed completely unfazed at what he’d just endured as he faced his foe with the same ferocity as before. “Sorry, mate! Wasn’t rightly cozy in there!” he taunted. “THAT’S MY BRO!!” Safari shouted. Lightning Strike soared into the air while the arthrolid staggered from a shocking case of indigestion and began charging what must have been gigawatts of electricity. “WEATHER’S TAKEN QUITE A TURN, I’M AFRAID!!” He unleashed his built-up lightning into the sky, causing a swirling storm cloud to brew over the battlefield, and he soared towards it as bolts of lightning lit the covered sky. When he reached a sufficient height, he raised his lance towards the storm. “INTO THE GROUND WITH YA, BLOODY BLIGHTER!!!!” A powerful bolt of lightning struck his lance, and it practically swung the lance down for him at sonic speeds, cleaving the sky and the arthrolid. As the storm cloud dissipated and let the sun shine once more, its light revealed the horrible monstrosity cut clean in half! Lightning Strike proudly sheathed his lance. “And the world’s a better place.” Everypony, especially Safari Bush loudly cheered for their hero and ran out to check on him. A few ponies actually ran over to the carcass and looked like they started to harvest from it, which puzzled Rarity but Rainbow Dash could care less as she went out to greet Lightning Strike with all the rest. “You okay, mate?” asked a random stallion. Lightning Strike smiled and nodded as though nothing special had happened. “Right as rain, I’d say. Hope I didn’t overdo it this time.” “Well, you only cut it in half again.” A mare said. “Not gonna get much parts from two individual halves. Oh, who am I kiddin’? Ya bottle ya blood’s worth n’ saved Austallion again. I can’t be mad as a cut snake.” “Oh! Look at you, bro!” Safari Bush said as she approached with her guests. “Ya gone n’ gotten ya’self all filthy in bug juice. Gonna take ya about a week to get that outta ya coat.” “Oh, come on, sis. It’s only about the seventh time it’s happened. No drama.” Lightning Strike said. “SEVENTH TIME!?” Rarity exclaimed. “Are you a madpony!?” Lightning Strike looked curiously at Rarity and Rainbow Dash. “Who’re these sheilas?” “Just some tourists from Ponyville. I was about to mention you when this kerfuffle broke out.” Safari said. “Rarity n’ Rainbow Dash r’ their names.” “H-Hello, darling!” Rarity stammered, worrying about the lancer's sanity. “About this being the…..seventh time…” Safari Bush and Lightning Strike shared a chuckle. “Me bro’s a monster hunter.” She explained. “Whenever a beastie decides to try n’ find a quick snack over here, he lets his lance there make a meal o’ them.” “And when they’ve kicked the bucket, we skin ‘em, pull out their teeth n’ the like n’ use ‘em for all sorts o’ things.” Lightning Strike added. “In the case of that li’l bugger there, we’ll take off their super hard shells and use ‘em as a buildin’ material.” “Oh! Just like what we saw before with those carpenters. Do you remember, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity said, but her friend wouldn’t respond. “Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow Dash found herself having difficulty keeping her composure. Now that she got a better look at him, Lightning Strike was borderline handsome. His wild mane and athletic build coupled with the mettle she’d just seen from him forced her heart miles out of its comfort zone. She was completely love struck. “Ehh…..You alright there, love?” Lightning asked. Rainbow Dash turned to Rarity and whispered. “Rarity, I love it here!”
Call of the OutbackPonyville’s weather was as serene and tranquil as it ever was when a storm of some form was not on the horizon. Lush green grass carpeted the land in and around the ponies’ humble embrace with flowers dancing amongst the verdant blades in the mellow zephyr that caressed the land. The song of the wind that whistled as it blew throughout its unmapped odyssey across the realm of Equestria was sung by a choir that could only be orchestrated by Mother Nature and conducted by Father Time. But even amongst the slow, calm melody played something of a faster tempo… Rainbow Dash soared like a hawk above her hometown with every ounce the athletic strength she’d accumulated over her long years of hard work fueled by her desire to join the Wonderbolts, and her boundless loyalty that motivated her to help those dear to her in even the direst situations. “Come on, Thunderlane! I’m barely having to catch my breath!” Not far behind was her former colleague amongst the weather ponies, Thunderlane. His prowess as a flyer was comparable to Rainbow Dash, and the grey stallion’s game face demonstrated his determination. “You will once I finally squash you!” he declared as he managed to catch up to her, putting them neck and neck. Dash wiped her nose and let out a little chuckle before she and her opponent blasted through the air at the same time, leaving only the roar in the air to accommodate the peaceful clouds. The opposing athletes shred through the sky like scalpels being guided by veteran surgeons. Every twist and turn through the clear skies and occasional clouds was executed with a ferocious balance of grace and strength. They had set their course and were determined to be the last one standing. Their entire bodies, both physically and mentally endured the grueling test of power, and the final stretch came into sight. The goal was marked at a cloud positioned a good distance above Town Hall, and neither Rainbow Dash nor Thunderlane were backing down. No amount of air resistance could even begin to deter them from giving it their all, but there could only be one victor. With Celestia’s sun as their witness, even its warm light seemed to lean on the edge of its seat as the two competitors made their mad dash to the finish line. It was getting so close that they could reach out and touch……which one of them did milliseconds before the other. “YEAH!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, knowing that she had just barely claimed victory. She and Thunderlane took a moment to catch their breathes. “Phew! Sorry, big guy, but it looks like you’re the one that got squashed again!” Thunderlane brushed himself off as he faced his brash opponent. “Yep…” he said. “Shoulda known better than to challenge the town’s Wonderbolt…..again….” Rainbow Dash lowered her enthusiasm when she saw that her opponent wasn’t in the mood for expressing his own. “Hey. It’s not like you’re a bad flyer, dude. Far from it! Of course I was gonna win, but I love having a challenge to boot, and you’re the only one around here who actually wants to beat me one day. If I’m gonna be honest, I think you will if you work hard enough! I don’t wanna see that spirit of yours crash and burn, buddy.” Thunderlane let out a little chuckle as he cracked a small smile. “I’ll have to if I want to put that ego in its place.” He said. Rainbow Dash chuckled as she playfully punched his shoulder. “That’s one thing you won’t be doing, bro.” she joked. She then felt a tingle on her flank. “Huh?” When she looked at it, her Cutie Mark was emitting a series of pulses, indicating that the Cutie Map was beckoning her. “It’s for you~!” Thunderlane joked. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. See ya around, smart aleck!” she said as she flew off, leaving Thunderlane smiling in amusement. ***** Rainbow Dash simply flew through the window to the Map Room, choosing not to waste time going through all of the convoluted hallways of Twilight’s castle. They were friends, so she likely wouldn’t mind. The same couldn’t exactly be said for a particular apprentice though… “Rainbow Dash, this isn’t your house! Don’t just go breaking in!” Starlight Glimmer reprimanded. “It’s not breaking in! The window was open!” Rainbow argued. Starlight shook her head. “Ugh… I swear this mare is gonna get herself arrested.” “It’s ok, Starlight. Rainbow Dash is too loyal to mean any harm.” Twilight said. “See?” Rainbow scoffed. Rarity then walked through the doors. “Hello? Twilight?” She said as she looked around. “Oh! Of course you’re here, darling.” They could all see that her Cutie Mark was glowing just as Rainbow Dash’s was. “Hi, Rarity!” Twilight said. “Looks like the map is send you and Rainbow Dash on another mission!” “Yes, darling, but where? Perhaps another trip to Canterlot? Los Pegasus? Oh! Or even better! Northern Trottingham! They have a simply ravishing unique sense of fashion that I could incorporate in my next lineup.” “Nope. You two are headed for….” Starlight closely examined the map to discern the exact location. “Austallion!” Every bit of color already painting Rarity’s expression erupted upon hearing that. “AUSTALLION!?” she exclaimed. “Oh! I’ll be able to capture the desolate beauty of the desert that can only be found in the embrace of Austallion! And the culture…wild yet civil! Much like Zecora, really. Heehee! OH, what an experience this will be!” She jumped all around the room in excitement as she ranted. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Tch. Now who’s the bad guest?” she muttered. “I’m so glad you’re excited, Rarity!” Twilight said. She then looked at Rainbow Dash. “How about you, Rainbow Dash? Ready to go on an adventure?” “Huh!? Oh! Yeah, of course! Doesn’t really matter where we’re going though. Friendship problems are friendships problems all the same. We go, we solve, we conquer!.....well, maybe not ‘conquer’, but you know what I mean.” Rainbow replied Twilight giggled while Starlight just shook her head. “Well, you two better go and pack up! I’ll go ahead and reserve some train seat for you. Good luck!” “And bring some extra water bottles- it’s hot out there!” Starlight warned. “Thanks, you guys!” Rainbow said as she soared her way out the window she came through whilst loudly cheering, causing Starlight to facehoof. “Rarity, makes sure she really does leave the whole ‘conquer’ part out.” Starlight said. “Oh, not to worry, Starlight. Rainbow Dash might be a rather bold mare, but even she is no beast.” Rarity said. Starlight pondered for a second and then cracked a little smile. “Hmm….Yeah, maybe I’m just too worried.” With that, Rarity politely excused herself from Twilight’s castle and eagerly awaited whatever adventures awaited her and Rainbow Dash in Equestria’s Outback. Author's Note Hello, readers! First of all, let me thank you for coming to check this story out! Second, as you've no doubt guessed by the description, Austallion is Equestria's Australia, and I plan to have the locals of that place speak with Aussie slang, which I took some time look up. However, I'm not an Aussie myself, so for those of you who are, or are at least well-versed in the vernacular, I would kindly ask that you let me know if there was an instance where I could have used a term or phrase that I might not have thought of, or if I misused one altogether. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy this as I create it!
G'night!Not long after their call to arms, Rainbow Dash and Rarity had arrived at the train station with their travel luggage in tow. Rainbow Dash had of course packed very little, only a duffle bag containing a few water canteens and desert-dweller clothes she had received as a gift from A. K. Yearling, both for her and Rarity. By contrast, Rarity had packed considerably more, but far less than her reputation would tell you. She only had three small suitcases containing a few changes of clothes, her hair care, makeup, shower soap and the like. Rainbow Dash spotted her one hundred pounds of beauty products whilst she was rearranging them. “Umm…..Rarity? Are you sure none of that stuff is flammable? We’re going into a desert, you know.” Rarity waved her hoof impatiently at her friend. “Oh, pish-posh, darling! Even if it was, they won’t combust simply from baking in intense heat. They’d have to be exposed to an open flame in order to catch fire.” She explained. “Well, then you better hope your hair doesn’t catch on fire…” Rainbow mumbled to herself. Moments later, their train finally arrived, and Twilight and Starlight came just in the nick of time to see them off. They happily parted ways before the train made its departure. ***** Rainbow and Rarity were given a private room in their coach and stored their luggage in the room’s closet before relaxing in their respective beds. Considering the harsh environment they were about to enter, they’d be remiss not to mentally prepare themselves with some good rest. Rainbow Dash plopped her head right into her pillow, finally able to relieve her exhaustion from her earlier race with Thunderlane, but before she could drift off to sleep, Rarity spoke up. “Darling, do you happen to know Austallion’s exact location?” she asked. Rainbow Dash lifted her head from her pillow and looked at her in surprise. “Huh? Aren’t you the one who always knows every little detail imaginable?” Rarity rolled her eyes. “Of course, Rainbow Dash. I was only asking if you knew already. I’d be happy to tell you.” Dash suddenly realized that she actually didn’t know where Austallion was on the map. “Eh….please do.” “Very well.” Rarity pulled out her map and pointed to their destination as she showed it to her friend. “It’s located on the western coast of the San Palomino Desert on the South Luna Sea. I should also note that this peninsula just to the north of it is a nature preserve that’s under their jurisdiction.” She explained. Rainbow Dash examined the part of the map Rarity showed her. “What all’s being preserved there?” Rarity put away her map. “I’m afraid I don’t actually know. Fluttershy probably would have known. Perhaps I should have inquired before we departed.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Meh. Not like we really had time.” “I suppose not.” Rarity said as she laid down for a nap, as did her friend. ***** “Fillies and gentlecolts, we will be arriving at Austallion Station in roughly five minutes. Passengers are advised to exit their rooms and head for the nearest loading cars. Thank you for traveling with us!” The train ride wasn’t quite as long as the two expected, and they arrived at Austallion’s train station at about eight o’clock at night. They were pretty awake considering they slept for most of the trip apart from grabbing a little lunch, so they weren’t gonna fall asleep on the way to town. Rainbow Dash stretched out before getting out of bed and grabbing her luggage and joining Rarity. They were the only ones getting off at their destination, so the boarding platform they got off on was about as desolate as the desert that surrounded them. Beneath Luna’s moon was a vast landscape of red sand with native gum trees and cacti sparsely placed around the desert as though somepony had randomly placed them around like a badly-made garden. Despite the desolation, it was beautiful in its own right. Even Rainbow Dash was awestruck by the red shimmer of an Austallion night, and she could see Rarity’s familiar expression of being simultaneously inspired and mesmerized as the cool night breeze caressed their coats. “Whoa…” Dash muttered. “Simply gorgeous…” Rarity said. It took her a minute to notice the actual city itself off in the distance, and a following second to realize that an earth pony mare was approaching them. “Ain’t it, love? It’s a bloody treat crashin’ every night with this scenery to kiss us g’night!” she said. She had a coat that matched the red sand around here, a mane and tail that matched the dry green of the gum tree leaves, and ocean blue eyes. Her Cutie Mark depicted a kangaroo. “Just got in, did ya? Name’s Safari Bush.” Her Austallionite accent was strong. “Good evening darling! My name is Rarity, and this is my colleague and dear friend, Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow Dash boisterously presented herself. “S’up?” “G’night! Shame ya couldn’t arrive when the town was still alive. It’s a rip snorter of a party in the arvo!” Safari Brush said. Rarity and Rainbow Dash looked at her confused. “Ehh…. ‘arvo’?” Dash inquired. Safari Brush rolled her eyes. “Bloody bogan tourists…” she mumebled to herself. “That’s afternoon, mate.” She explained. “Anyway, I’m s’posed to hand you these since you came.” She handed the two of them travel brochures complete with a map of the town, some restaurant and hotel guides, and general information about the area. “Thanks! We’ll need these.” Dash said. “No drama! Ya want a nice place to crash, I’d head to the Billabong if Ah were you two. Fine li’l B&B, that one. Brekkie n’ Tucker’ll take right good care o’ ya. That’s a promise.” Safari Bush said. Rarity looked at her brochure’s map. “Oh! It’s just on the edge of town right as we arrive there! It’ll be perfect. Thank you, Ms. Bush!” she said as she and Rainbow made their way towards town. Safari waved goodbye as she saw them off. “Take it easy, loves!” She then yawned. “Time fo’ me to hit the hay too.” ***** The walk to town proved to be nothing short of a little safari in of itself. The sounds of night creatures hidden away in the brush and scampering through the sand welcomed the mares to this foreign part of Equestria. Whatever friendship problem was here certainly wasn’t to be found within this wild serenity. The mellow hum of the dusty wind played a haunting nocturne, as if the wilderness itself was celebrating the arrival of two of Equestria’s Elements of Harmony. When they hit the edge of town, they were met with a town that was much like Ponyville in terms of building size, layout and overall architecture, but it was clear that the Austallionites valued their surroundings more than simple aesthetic beauty, but not a huge margin; they were professionally constructed like the houses of Ponyville rather than crudely built as if somepony decided to camp out in the woods, but made a shelter out of nature rather pitching their own. “Ah! There it is.” Rarity said as she pointed to a small but tall house that looked like it was big enough to house four or five families. Beside the walkway leading up to the door was a hanging sign that read ‘Billabong Inn: Best Tucker in town when you’re all tuckered out!’. “Huh?” Rainbow Dash cocked her head. “Isn’t ‘Tucker’ supposed to be somepony working here?” Rarity shrugged. “Must be more of their endearing vernacular. Oh well. Shall We?” Rainbow Dash nodded, and the two entered the B&B. Upon crossing the threshold into the lobby, they were met with an interior that reminded them of the late Golden Oaks library, but far more furnished and with the walls and furnishing and the like actually looked as though they weren’t simply part of the tree. At the counter was an elderly that seemed quite lively for her age if her smile upon seeing her guests was of any indication. “Ow ya goin’? Have a reservation?” Rarity and Rainbow approached the counter. “I’m afraid not, madam. Perhaps you still have one vacant room?” Rarity asked. The old mare got on her computer. “Well, let’s have a look see. Fairly certain we do……Erm….. That we do!” “Sweet! Thanks, lady!” Rainbow said. “Just ‘Brekky’, mate.” The mare said. “My hunband’ll cook ya some breakfast come the morrow. Sleep tight!” The two thanked Brekky as they paid for their room and received their key. Rarity took the time to appreciate the décor as they walked upstairs to their room, and along the way, she noticed a portrait of a family of four from a good number of years ago. It was husband and wife with two small foals that looked about the CMC’s age, a colt and a filly. When they entered their room, they wasted no time hitting the hay for the night after a somewhat long trip, and so as to get ready to explore Austallion and solve what friendship problem was staining its beautiful sands.
G'day!Morning’s radiant light shined what it could through the closed curtains covering the window to Rarity and Rainbow Dash’s room. The mares themselves awoke rather easily, being as rested as they were from their trip. Rarity decided to open the curtains and let in some light, and she was firmly reminded that she was in Equestria’s outback. “ My word!” Rarity was bombarded with a massive slab of sunlight unlike anything she’d experienced elsewhere. The blinding amount of light blasting her nearly made her swear that Celestia’s sun was mere inches in front of her, and she fell back out of shock. Rainbow Dash snapped out of her groggy state when she heard the impact of her friend hitting the floor. “Whoa! You okay, Rare’s?” It was then that she too was greeted by the Austallion sunlight. “Ack! Jeez!” She covered her face as Rarity picked herself up and closed the curtains with her magic. “Well then! I suppose it’s a good thing we brought those clothes.” Rarity said. “Yeah. But let’s worry about that later. I think I smell something cooking downstairs!” Dash said excitedly. Without hesitation, the two went downstairs to find Brekky and an elderly earth pony stallion in the kitchen. Brekky was washing some dishes while the stallion was cooking the breakfast they’d smelled from their room. “Oh! Mo’nin’, you two! Sleep well?” Brekky said. “Good morning, Brekky! Oh, we slept babies last night.” Rarity said. “Although the sun gave us…..quite the rude awakening. The stallion wheezily chuckled as he was cooking. “That’s Austallion weather fo’ ya, love. Good ol’ sun is always the first one to jump out n’ tell ya ‘G’day!’.” “I guess you’re Tucker?” Dash inquired. Tucker nodded as he plated the breakfast he’d just cooked. “Ow ya goin’?” he greeted. He placed his food on the bar separating his kitchen from the dining room. “Better grab a feed! It’s gonna be another hot one.” He wheezily chuckled. Rarity and Rainbow Dash sat down at the bar after grabbing some paper plates. While Rarity was more reserved with her proportions and placement of her food, the athletic Rainbow Dash didn’t hesitate to fill her plate with a nice, hearty meal. Brekky then used her horn to pass them some small tea cups and a plastic jar. “Here’s some eucalyptus tea and some vegemite fo’ ya toast, loves.” “Oh! Thank you, Brekky.” Rarity said. She and Dash took a sip of their tea. It tasted….oddly familiar. They were expecting a more exotic flavor given that they in an exotic place, but it was quite reminiscent of mint with a hint of licorice. “Huh….I like it.” Rainbow Dash said. “Oh, yes! What a heavenly yet simple brew.” Rarity. Brekky giggled. “Good to hear. Give the vegemite a whirl too.” Rainbow Dash and Rarity took turns spreading the foreign ingredient onto their toast. It’s odd appearance compared to other spreads made it seem a little unappetizing at first, but the tea was just fine, so maybe this was too. Rainbow Dash was the first to take a bite, and was shocked by just how unprepared her palette was. What her taste buds were treated to was a strange mixture of dried vegetables that had been salted with an odd flavor that for some reason reminded her of the cows that lived near Sweet Apple Acres. She cringed a little, but managed to swallow. “Whoa! That’s uh…..that’s new.” “Oh, darling. Don’t be so rude. I’m sure it tastes just fine.” Rarity said just before taking a bite of her own toast, and she instantly saw what she meant. Shocked by the odd taste, Rarity desperately resisted the urge to spit it out purely out of courtesy to her hosts. However reluctantly, she too swallowed the exotic mixture. “G-Goodness! It um…. Oh dear….” Tucker wheezily chuckled again. “No drama, loves. If ya not an Aussie, it’s an acquired taste.” “You’re telling me.” Dash muttered. She nevertheless cleaned her plate, powering through the slice of toast smothered with vegemite while Rarity avoided hers altogether. “Wonder what Pinkie would think of this stuff?” Dash thought to herself. Just as they were finishing their meal, their heard somepony walk into the kitchen. “ G’day, mum! G’day, dad!” When the two looked over, they were surprised to see that is was Safari Bush! “Well, blimey! If it ain’t the two o’ you! How was ya first night in Austallion?” “Safari Bush!? What’re you doing here?” Dash inquired. “Ain’t it obvious? Ah live here too! Brekky n’ Tucker are me folks.” Safari answered. “You loves met our daughter?” Tucker asked. “Yes, darling. She directed us when we got off our train.” Rarity explained. Brekky sighed. “Safari, ya know we don’t like when ya force ponies to come here.” “Ah didn’t force ‘em, mum! Ah just recommended the place. Besides, I’m just doin’ me job as a tour guide.” Safari Bush argued. “Don’t give us that piffle, love. Ya gonna overwork us what with all the guests that’ll be coming from every which way but where.” Brekky said. “Ya let us worry ‘bout the inn, Safari. You’ve the rest of ya life ahead o’ ya, fair dinkum?” Tucker said. “Ah know, dad, but Ah live here too. We’ve all got some responsibility towards this ol’ place.” Safari said. “And you’ve responsibility towards Austallion. Mayor Straya wouldn’t have given you the job if ya didn’t love it here and know it like the back o’ ya hoof.” Brekky said. “Well…. Ah s’pose that’s fair.” Safari said. Rarity and Rainbow Dash looked at each other, eagerly suspecting that they had found their problem. “How is business here anyway?” Rainbow asked. “Right n’ dandy, Ah’d say.” Tucker said. “Can’t recall a time we weren’t stable in all the years we’ve had the place open, n’ Safari Bush has been workin’ hard as she could to help us.” “Sometimes a li’l too hard as ya might guess.” Brekky said with a wry smile. Safari blushed. “Well, it’s certainly not unwarranted, darling. This is a lovely little establishment you have. We slept just fine and woke up to a scrumptious breakfast. You’re husband’s quite the chef.” Rarity said. “Ya too kind, love.” Tucker said. “Say, what brought you two down under anyway?” Rarity and Rainbow Dash explained how they had been sent by the Cutie Map at Twilight’s castle to solve a friendship problem that had apparently brewed in the outback. Explaining just how the map was supposed to work, at least according to their experiences with was a bit awkward. “Err…..not sure Ah rightly follow, but Ah s’pose we’ll play along.” Safari Bush said. “Does anything in particular come to mind? If you know this place as well as you claim, then surely you’d be the pony to ask.” Rarity inquired. “Well, it’s not my parents and I. I can promise ya that.” Safari answered. Rainbow then thought of something. “Say….there was a big picture of a family upstairs that looked like it was taken a long time ago. Is that you guys in it?” Brekky nodded. “That it is, love. Myself, me husband, Safari Bush, and her brother, Lightnin’ Strike.” This caught the mares’ attention. “You have a brother? Well, where is he?” Rarity inquired. “He doesn’t live here.” Safari answered. “He…….lives with his marefriend…” her tone turned slightly sorrowful, and her parents seemed to follow suit with their expressions. Rainbow Dash grimaced. “Miss him?” Tucker sighed. “We do. He comes to see us every so often, and we’ve never had any problems with him.” “He’s just the sweetest boy.” Brekky said gloomily. “But holdin’ ya sprogs back is about as cruel as kickin’ ‘em out into the blisterin’ desert altogether.” “We all wants best fer him, and he wants the best fer us.” Safari said. “What does he do?” Rainbow Dash asked. “He err….. Well, it’d be bloody difficult explainin’ it to a couple o’ yanks who haven’t been here before.” Safari said. “Tell ya what, let me tour ya through town so can spot ya little ‘friendship problem’. Once ya get a better feel for Austallion, Ah think Ah’d be able to explain it better. Who knows? We might bump into the ol’ bastard anyway.” Rarity and Rainbow winced at what Safari had just called her brother despite speaking no ill of him. “Darling! I thought you held your brother dear!” Safari cocked her head. “Err…..Ah do, love.” “But you just called him a bastard.” Dash pointed out. Safari facehooved. “Bloody yobbo travellers…” she muttered under her breath. “That’s a nice thing to say ‘bout somepony ‘round here, love.” She explained. “Oooooooh!” Rainbow and Rarity said simultaneously. “R-Right then. Let’s get on with the tour. Fair dinkum?” Safari said. Once again, Rarity and Rainbow weren’t sure what to make of her phraseology. “Ugh! Just follow me, will ya?” She said as she led the two out of the kitchen. As they exited the kitchen, Brekky creased an amused smile and shook her head. “Bless that mare’s heart…”
Culture ShockBefore Safari Bush could drag her guests out of the hotel, Rainbow Dash and Rarity went back to their room to get the desert clothes they had packed. Rarity was reluctant to put on something she described as bland and unsavory, but Dash practically forced it on her, telling her that she’ll survive in more ways than one, which the fashionista decided to take on the chin. When they got dressed for the weather, they finally ventured out into a day in Austallion. “OOOHHH!! WHAT MISERABLE HEAT!! OH, WHY DID THE MAP HAVE TO SEND US HERE IN THIS DREADFUL PLACE TO BAKE!? I think I might perish where I stand. Oh, Celestia! Have mercy on my waning soul!” “Uh…Rarity?” Rainbow Dash said. “We just walked out the door.” Indeed, they had taken mere steps out of the Billabong’s front doors, and the posh pony was already feeling the heat. Safari Bush shook her head. “Ya gonna last about as long as a joey in a dingo’s jaws if ya keep that up, love. Pull ya’self together!” Rarity Smiled sheepishly before taking a swig of her water and pulling herself back to her hooves. She cleared her throat. “Er…yes, of course. Shall we?” Rainbow Dash and Safari Bush rolled their eyes. “Please.” Dash said. “Right then.” Safari said. The sandy roads lining the town around its structures felt like the soil the two were used to feeling under their hooves in Ponyville, but much looser and intensely heated by the blazing sun. If they didn’t know any better, they would have sworn that they were walking through destroyed, desolated version of their dear home, and yet everypony around them crowding the streets went about their business as happily as though Pinkie Pie had thrown a party out there. Everywhere Rainbow Dash and Rarity looked, they saw ponies doing all sorts of things that were pretty new to them. They noticed right away that everypony’s laundry was hung outside to dry. Safari Bush explained that they did that as opposed to using a dryer so as to save power, and it was a quick process given how hot it always was there. The clotheslines spanned between the wooden houses that the mares noticed also had some bricked parts of their structure. Looking closely at them, Rarity could tell that they were locally made. However, there a strange material constructing that she didn’t recognize. It was….shined and very smooth, and it reminded her almost of a changeling’s carapace. “Darling, what might this-” “Oi! Get off o’ that!” They suddenly heard a stallion call out to them, and then turned to see said stallion trotting up them carrying various carpentry tools. “That’s some delicate stuff, love.” Rarity backed away from the house that she realized was being constructed. “Oh! So sorry darling.” “What’s goin’ out here, mate?” They then heard a mare call out, and she came out with another stallion. “Sorry, mates. Just some touries.” Safari Bush said. She then faced Rainbow Dash and Rarity. “These are Brikkie, Sparkie and Chippie, some o’ the finest builders in the outback!” “Ow ya goin’?” The first stallion said, who was identified as Chippie. “G’day, loves!” The mare said, who was Sparkie. She carried the tools of an electrician. The other stallion, who must have been Brikkie just smiled and nodded at them. Rainbow Dash looked at him. “Not a talker, huh?” Chippie shook his head. “Not unless yer a brick. When he’s layin’ the bastards down, he’s more of a galah than ya pomie friend here.” He said as he looked at Rarity. “Eh… Beg pardon?” Rainbow Dash snickered at his comment. “What are you guys building here anyway?” Chippie eyed towards Sparkie. “Her gravestone.” He joked. “Oi!” Sparkie forcefully shoved him as he laughed at himself. “Bloody bastard!” She too found herself laughing, but Rarity found the whole gesture to be rather barbaric. “No. This is gonna be a milk bar. Nothing special.” “Ooh!” Rarity squeaked. “I do wonder what the milk of Austallion is like! You’ll have to let me know when it’s complete so I can sample some.” The carpentry team held their mouths so as to hold back laughter. “Crikey! They are really are touries, huh?” Sparkie said. Safari Bush gave them an authoritative look. “Oi! Go easy on ‘em. This is they’re time here.” She faced her guests. “She meant a convenience store, loves. Just what we call ‘em.” Rainbow Dash and Rarity just eyed each other and their hosts in confusion. “Umm…..okay. We’ll….keep that in mind.” Dash said. “Right then! We better be off. Don’t want to keep these three distracted now.” Safari said. “Oh! Before we leave, might ask what this material is?” Rarity asked, and then rolled her eyes. “If I may be so bold.” She sassed in annoyance. “Huh? Oh, that?” Chippie said. “It’s uhh…..Brikkie, you got a clue, mate?” he asked. The silent stallion inspected it for a moment, but shook his head when he couldn’t come to a conclusion. “We’d have to ask Lightnin’ Strike again.” Sparkie said. “Oh! How’s the bastard doin’, love?” she asked Safari. “Oh, he’s….right n’ fine.” She said. “Ah don’t see him as often anymore with how busy he is, but he keeps his smile.” “Good to hear!” Chippie said. “Alright then. Hooroo, you lot!” Rainbow Dash and Rarity were thrown for a loop by the completely unfamiliar language. “Okay, what?” Dash asked. Safari facehooved, but took a deep breath so as to maintain her patience. “Just how we say goodbye ‘round here.” She explained. “Oh! W-Well then…. H-Hooroo….” Rarity felt silly saying that, but didn’t want to upset them. The parties said their goodbyes and parted ways. At some point, the mares decided that they wanted a quick snack, so Safari directed them to the next conv- err….‘milk bar’. Rainbow Dash found a protein bar while Rarity picked out an ice cream sandwich. However, they noticed that the prices were a little higher than expected, about Canterlot prices. While they could certainly afford their commodities, Safari had to explain to them that their many money-saving tricks made their economy rather move rather slowly, resulting in some slight inflation, but the natives were perfectly fine with having snacks be a little on the pricey side. Not long afterwards, the three were walking down a street when Rarity had the misfortune of having somepony’s working trousers fly off its clothesline and land on her face. The trousers’ apparent owner was a pegasus stallion that fluttered down and removed his clothing from a very sullen Rarity, but he just smiled as if nothing was wrong. “Whoa! Hahahaha! Sorry ‘bout that, love! Guess me trousers were tryin’ to find themselves a hobby!” Despite his laughter, Rarity was not in the mood, and she just let the stallion fly off with his clothing. Rarity sighed. “What brutes…” she mumbled under her breath. She then noticed that something else was on her face, and was horrified when she saw that it was a grasshopper that almost as big as her face! “AAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!” She practically punched herself in the face just to get the gargantuan bug of off it. Neither she nor Rainbow Dash had seen a normal insect so big. Safari Bush burst out laughing. “That’s an Austallion sandhopper fo’ ya! And pretty much every bug in the desert.” “Whoa…..That’s pretty cool! Right, Rarity?” Rainbow Dash said, but Rarity was curled up in a fetal position and shaking like a leaf, rendering her somewhat impotent until they could calm her down. A short while later, Safari Bush brought them to what Rainbow Dash recognized as a public soccer field, only that the foals playing on it certainly weren’t playing soccer, but rather some sport that involved an odd ball that was shaped like and almond. A hardcore athlete herself, she decided to satisfy her curiosity. As they approached, the two noticed that the foals, colts and fillies alike were tackling and trying to drag each other down very roughly. “Hey, sprogs! Come over here a minute!” Safari called out. The foals smiled upon seeing her and stopped their game so they could give her a moment of their times. They seemed to be led by a butterscotch-colored colt with a brown mane who had one of those strange balls for a Cutie Mark, and he was carrying the one they were playing with. “G’day, Safari!” he greeted. The other foals followed suit. “’Nother round o’ rugby, eh, Brumby?” Safari asked. The colt, apparently named ‘Brumby’ nodded. “Bloody oath! The big tourney’s just ‘round the corner, ya know!” He then noticed the two mares. “Who’re these lot?” “Just a couple o’ visitors is all. Showin’ ‘em around.” Safari answered. Rainbow Dash eyed them as though they were the foals back in Ponyville when she about to coach them. She could tell from experience that they were pretty fit for their age. “So what’s rugby?” “Well, it’s kinda like basketball n’ football, ya see. Ya try to run it to ya goal while the other tries to run ya over an’ into the ground. You can toss the ball to ya team any way ‘cept in front o’ ya.” Brumby explained. “It’s our favorite sport out here!” One of the fillies cheered. Looking at them more closely, Rarity could tell that they were noticeably bruised from how rough they were getting with each other. “Goodness! Aren’t you worried you’ll get hurt? Your parents will surely notice those scars.” “Pfft!” one of the other colts said. “Happens all the time! Kinda comes with the territory.” “Come play with us some time on if ya ever get a moment. We’d be happy to show ya the ropes!” Brumby said. Rainbow Dash smirked. “You sure you wanna tussle with a grownup, kid? I’m a known athlete where I’m from.” “I wouldn’t mock him, love. Brumby’s a strong li’l bunyip. He’ll tackle ya to the floor ‘fore you can say ‘pass it here’!” Safari warned. Ranbow Dash lowered herself to the ground. “Wanna bet?” she taunted before facing Brumby. “C’mon, kid. Give me your best shot.” Brumby smirked and reared himself back. “Don’t say she didn’t warn ya!” He leapt towards her with all of his strength. “OOF!!!” Rainbow Dash was struck with force of a barrel of bricks being swung into her from a high point, and even her fit body couldn’t save her from being thrown to the ground like a ragdoll, landing on her back. She looked up in shock to see the little rougher standing on her belly. “You alright, madam?” Rainbow Dash tried to process what just happened. She’d never seen such physical strength in somepony so young, even in Scootaloo with how fit she’d been becoming with all the training the two had done. “Jeez, kid!” she said as Brumby hopped off of her. “Darling! Are you alright?” Rarity asked. Rainbow Dash got back to her hooves. “Yeah. Kid’s just super strong is all….” She felt pretty embarrassed that she was taken down so easily by somepony so much smaller than her. “Ehh….why don’t we leave ‘em to their game? You said there was a tournament, right? Better uh….g-get to training!” “Suit ya’self, love!” Brumby said as he rejoined he friends. “Enjoy the rest o’ ya holiday!” They ran back to the field and resumed playing while the mares returned to town. Afterwards, Safari Bush showed her guests every other business and building in Austallion including town hall, but they sadly didn’t get to meet the mayor. The last place she took them was the beach right on the South Luna sea where she treated the two too a small diner situated on its coastal sands, and the outdoor table they sat at thankfully had an umbrella shielding it from the hellish sunlight. “So, whaddya gather? Like it so far? How that ‘friendship problem o’ yo’s?” Rainbow Dash and Rarity looked at each other as they tried to put up a façade. “It’s er….quite the place, darling. Certainly nothing like I’ve experienced.” “Yeah. It’s uh….new.” Rainbow Dash said. Safari thought nothing of their tones and laughed before getting out of her seat. “Well, I’m gonna use the dunny real fast. Our food should be her in a jif.” She got funny looks from her guests. “Er…..the toilets.” “Ooooooh.” They both said simultaneously. Safari walked off, leaving the two mares to discuss their situation. “Rarity, I didn’t catch anything. Whatever problem is going on here, it’s sure subtle. Everypony here seems so lax even though their living on a hot pan.” “Well, I beg to differ!” Rarity declared. “Who do these ponies think they are? Enduring this heat is admirable, but complimenting each other with insults, letting their foals play a brute’s game, making up the silliest words imaginable for such simple things, and living with enormous sand grasshoppers? Oh, this barbarism, I tell you! Barbarism!” In her rant, something suddenly clicked in her head. “ That’s it!” “That’s what?” Dash asked. “That’s the friendship problem!” Rarity said. “Perhaps the Austallion ponies are so…..the way they are that nopony else would want to visit their town. The rest of Equestria is nothing like this, so them being odd balls makes them isolated!” Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but feel appalled by her friend’s statement. “Rarity! We can’t just ask everypony here to change their culture! That’s outlandishly insensitive!” “Oh, no! That’s not what I meant. What I meant was that nopony else wants to give these ponies the time of day because of their odd culture, and thus they’re never truly appreciated for who they are apart the rest of Equestria. It would explain why Safari Bush and her family are having a tough time.” Rarity explained. “Oh…” Rainbow Dash said. “Still though, the map sent us here, so the problem must be here. Plus, going around Equestria and telling everypony to visit someplace would be kinda ridiculous.” “Well….I suppose you have a point, darling. Perhaps we’re just not looking in the right place.” Rarity said Their waiter suddenly came up to them and served them their food. “Here ya go, loves! Fresh from the barbie! Enjoy!” he said before leaving. Their food consisted of barbequed strips of wheat glazed with a sauce that no doubt had local spices in its recipe as the main course. There was also various biscuits, macadamia nuts, something called a ‘chiko roll’ that was basically a cooked salad wrapped in fried dough, pea soup with curry spices, and…..cooked grubs? “ELCH! Since when do ponies eat that!?” Rarity said. Rainbow Dash would normally complain about her complaining, but this time, she was willing to excuse it, and she sighed. “Yeah…..Let’s make it quick. I kinda don’t like it here.”
Lightning StruckSafari Bush ate through her meal without any issue whatsoever while her two guests took their time with the foreign cuisine, namely the grubs, which tasted like pesto sauce mixed with sharp cheddar cheese encased in rubbery-crunchy shells. Rainbow Dash seemed to be braving them, so Rarity discreetly passed hers to her, not even opting to take a nibble. The two silently wondered how these ponies could live this kind of life with the harsh climate and strange food they had to deal with, but this was their culture, and they had no place to object. Once the bill was paid, Safari Bush led her guests back into town. Along the way, they couldn’t but to notice another group of builders working on a foundation that only had its wooden frame erected. One of the workers carrying a long plank of wood held sideways along his body turned around and accidently hit another worker square in the eye. Despite the obvious pain, even the one that got hit laughed it off as though nothing happened. Having sustained any number of injuries herself, Rainbow Dash knew that laughter wouldn’t last very long. Otherwise, they were crazy. “Somethin’ the matter, loves?” Safari asked. “Huh? Oh….n-no. We’re good.” Rainbow Dash said. Safari cocked her eyebrow. “Ya sure? Neither o’ you two said a word when we ate.” “W-Well….” Rarity stammered. “We really don’t mean to be rude, darling, but…” Safari chuckled. “Still not quite used to the place, eh? No drama. Say, did ya figure out what ya li’l friendship problem is?” “If we’re gonna be honest, Safari, if there’s a problem, you guys seem pretty okay with it.” Rainbow Dash said. “You’re quite a lax set of ponies all things considered.” Rarity said. “Bloody oath were are, but we’ve resolved issues before, an’ not always the prettier kind.” Safari said. It was then that Rarity remembered something. “Oh! Darling, I don’t believe you explained anything about that nature reserve up north, or your brother.” Safari Bush perked up when she realized that. “Blimey, I clean forgot, ain’t I? Sorry.” She had Rarity pull out her map so she could show them. “Ok. So what would ya say if I told ya that the preserve is a habitat for a desert’s sand worth o’ monsters?” “WHOA! Seriously?” Rainbow exclaimed. “Darling, so is the Everfree Forest.” Rarity reminded her. “Oh…..right….” Dash replied. “Anyway, sometimes they like to stop by town n’ say hello with their gnashin’ fangs n’ claws n’ all, so we either have to drive ‘em back to their pad or into the ground.” Safari explained. Rarity and Rainbow Dash were shocked yet not all that surprised at the drastic action taken by the native Austallionites. “G-Goodness! That sounds rather dangerous!” Rarity said. “Not if you’re my brother!” Safari boasted. “You see-” She was cut off when an alarm suddenly resounded throughout town. “GUESS YOU’LL SEE FOR YA’SELVES!” Safari led them to the northern edge of town where everypony was taking cover behind sandbag walls with various ranged weapons such as slingshots and catapults at the ready. What they were ready for was rampaging not too far in the distance amongst the desert brush. It was a gigantic scorpion-like creature that stood up on its hind body and had a crab-like head. Its huge claws tore through the brush and scattered the sand as it screeched and roared and made its way to the city. “ARTHROLID!” somepony shouted. Safari Bush suddenly pulled Rarity and Rainbow Dash behind one of the sandbag walls where other ponies were firing slingshots loaded with ammunition that resembled cherry bombs, but varying in sizes from that of a baseball to a basketball. Their appearance didn’t hide their purpose, as they violently detonated upon striking the titanic insect, which momentarily deterred its progress with each successful hit. “What the hay is that thing!?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. Safari loaded a cherry bomb into a catapult that a stallion beside her readily fired. “Just one our ‘neighbors’. Not the worst thing that’s happened.” She ducked when the cherry exploded out in the distance. “Just stay low and ya should be golden.” Rarity observed some other unicorns firing magic at the creature and decided to follow suit if it helped, but Rainbow Dash had other ideas. That arthrolid was getting closer and closer by the minute despite the barrage of explosives and magic blasts it was enduring, so she decided to take matters into her own hooves. She brazenly soared out towards the monster. “ARE YOU MAD, LOVE!? WHAT DO YA THINK YA DOIN’!?” Safari exclaimed. The cavalry had to cease their fire on the beast so as to not risk hitting Rainbow Dash “Distracting it so it doesn’t think to get any closer!” Dash shouted back. She got to the arthrolid and started flying around like a buzzing bee, reminding her of the time she had to distract the bugbear that once came into Ponyville. Her world-class aerial agility allowed her to skillfully bob and weave around the gigantic bug as it tried to grab her out of the air. A couple times it nearly toppled over from reaching too far to the side. “Nyah- nyah- nyah nyah- nyah!!” Rainbow Dash was doing a good job of keeping its attention occupied, but when she tried to lure it away from town, it wouldn’t budge an inch back. “Come on, big guy! I’m right over here!” The arthrolid decided that Rainbow Dash wasn’t worth the trouble and focused on the Austallionites again. “HE’S COMIN’ BACK, MATES!!” a stallion shouted. He fired his loaded slingshot as the beast. “Hey! I’m talking to you, bub!” Rainbow Dash flew towards the arthrolid to get its attention again, oblivious to the bomb flying towards them both. “DARLING, LOOK OUT!!” Rarity called out. “Huh!?” Rainbow Dash was too late to realize that an explosive was about to strike the ground at the beast’s feet, and when it did, the shock of the blast threw her off balance. “Whoa!” The arthrolid noticed this and seized the opportunity…..by seizing Rainbow Dash in its claw. “RAINBOW DASH!!!!” Rarity exclaimed. “GYAAAHHHH!!!!!” Rainbow Dash was about as terrified as one would expect even her to be from being in the clutches of a massive predator. She desperately tried to wriggle and beat her way out of its grasp, but it was no use. Its claw had firmly clamped down onto her body, and she wasn’t getting away. “H-H-HEEELP!! SOMEPONY!!!!” The arthrolid hissed as it opened its mouth and pulled his prey towards him. “AIIIIEEEEE!!!!!!!” Suddenly, a bolt of lightning violently cracked onto the titan, and the shock was enough to force it to let go of Rainbow Dash, who took the immediate opportunity to make a break for it back to safety. As she did, she noticed a ball of electricity soaring towards the beast, and then it struck with meteoritic force, causing it to topple over. “Darling!” Rarity ran over and hugged her friend, thankful she was okay, but everypony else’s attention was now on that ball lightning that had now landed in front of its opponent. The electricity dissipated to reveal something the two weren’t expecting. There stood a yellow pegasus stallion with leaf-green eyes and a mane and tail the color of a storm cloud. His Cutie Mark was similar to Rainbow Dash’s but the symbol was reversed and depicted a regular storm cloud firing down a normal bolt of lightning. He was clad in leather armor that had been reinforced with iron studs, and he held a huge lance with a scythe-like serrated blade jutting outward parallel to the snow white shaft; it was lined with golden rings that crackled with electricity as he poised it towards the monster. “GO GET ‘EM, BRO!!” Safari Bush cheered. The stallion turned to her just as the arthrolid was starting to get back on its feet and confidently nodded at her. It was then that Rarity and Rainbow Dash noticed that a curious trinket was centered in his chest piece. It was a golden yellow medallion with a lightning bolt symbol on it, and it seemed to be the source of his electricity as it was sparking like a broken high voltage cable. He faced his foe as it reared its claws at him, but he didn’t even flinch. “Ya mum never taught you any right manners, eh?” He rose into the air, and his spear began to surge electricity like a savage thunderstorm. “Well, I reckon it’s about time somepony whipped you into shape!” Rarity and Rainbow Dash watch in awe as the stormbringer confronted the hideous titan. “Safari Bush…. Is that….?” Rainbow Dash asked. Safari nodded. “Aye! That good ol’ bastard’s me brother! That’s Lightning Strike!” Her two guests looked back out as everypony around them began cheering him on, jubilantly chanting his name. Lightning Strike unleashed a violent stream of electricity from his lance upon the arthrolid that caused it to screech in agony, although it managed to shield itself with its huge claws. He followed by blasting off towards the beast and used his sonic momentum to whack the claws away, exposing the beast’s body. Just before Lightning Strike could land a lethal blow, the titanic insect swiped its claw at him, but he managed to parry it despite being hit with enough force to be knocked to the ground. He landed on his hooves and surged some lightning along the ground that cracked along his foes feet, but the beast was merely angered to the point that it began a back and forth parry fest with Lightning Strike. Rainbow Dash and Rarity couldn’t believe that a lone stallion armed with naught but a lance and inexplicable lightning powers could so fiercely and readily clash with such a powerful creature. Every blow he dealt to the monster was dealt with a hunter’s ferocity whether he soared in the air or remained on the ground. Rainbow Dash especially found herself gawking at the heroic lancer; the way he sliced through the air, the fire in his eyes that mimicked the blazing sun that witnessed his bout with the demon, the way he commanded the electricity he somehow summoned…… “Dude…” Moments after their hack n’ slash, the arthrolid managed to grab ahold of Lightning Strike’s lance, but the scion of storms channeled a bolt of lightning through it and stunned the beast for just enough seconds to use his leverage to judo throw it over his head. It hit the ground with a resounding thud, flabbergasting the two newcomers and inciting everypony to cheer him on further. “MY WORD!!” Rarity exclaimed. He soared into the air poised his lance down towards his toppled adversary before letting himself fall towards it, ready to land a fatal hit. However, the beast managed to quickly regain its balance, and it let Lightning Strike’s momentum be his downfall as he fell into its opened mouth, letting it swallow him whole! “LIGHTNING STRIIIIIKE!!!!!” Safari Bush shouted. Everyone gasped in horror as their hero seemed to meet his end just like that. Rainbow Dash and Rarity found themselves wanting to leave Austallion as soon as possible if this was a daily occurrence. But not even a minute after the arthrolid had its meal, it began to act sick, as if it was trying to hold back vomiting. Its mouth then suddenly began sparking, and a familiar ball lightning violently burst out of its mouth and landed on the ground before the sandbag walls. Lightning Strike had indeed freed himself from its maws and seemed completely unfazed at what he’d just endured as he faced his foe with the same ferocity as before. “Sorry, mate! Wasn’t rightly cozy in there!” he taunted. “THAT’S MY BRO!!” Safari shouted. Lightning Strike soared into the air while the arthrolid staggered from a shocking case of indigestion and began charging what must have been gigawatts of electricity. “WEATHER’S TAKEN QUITE A TURN, I’M AFRAID!!” He unleashed his built-up lightning into the sky, causing a swirling storm cloud to brew over the battlefield, and he soared towards it as bolts of lightning lit the covered sky. When he reached a sufficient height, he raised his lance towards the storm. “INTO THE GROUND WITH YA, BLOODY BLIGHTER!!!!” A powerful bolt of lightning struck his lance, and it practically swung the lance down for him at sonic speeds, cleaving the sky and the arthrolid. As the storm cloud dissipated and let the sun shine once more, its light revealed the horrible monstrosity cut clean in half! Lightning Strike proudly sheathed his lance. “And the world’s a better place.” Everypony, especially Safari Bush loudly cheered for their hero and ran out to check on him. A few ponies actually ran over to the carcass and looked like they started to harvest from it, which puzzled Rarity but Rainbow Dash could care less as she went out to greet Lightning Strike with all the rest. “You okay, mate?” asked a random stallion. Lightning Strike smiled and nodded as though nothing special had happened. “Right as rain, I’d say. Hope I didn’t overdo it this time.” “Well, you only cut it in half again.” A mare said. “Not gonna get much parts from two individual halves. Oh, who am I kiddin’? Ya bottle ya blood’s worth n’ saved Austallion again. I can’t be mad as a cut snake.” “Oh! Look at you, bro!” Safari Bush said as she approached with her guests. “Ya gone n’ gotten ya’self all filthy in bug juice. Gonna take ya about a week to get that outta ya coat.” “Oh, come on, sis. It’s only about the seventh time it’s happened. No drama.” Lightning Strike said. “SEVENTH TIME!?” Rarity exclaimed. “Are you a madpony!?” Lightning Strike looked curiously at Rarity and Rainbow Dash. “Who’re these sheilas?” “Just some tourists from Ponyville. I was about to mention you when this kerfuffle broke out.” Safari said. “Rarity n’ Rainbow Dash r’ their names.” “H-Hello, darling!” Rarity stammered, worrying about the lancer's sanity. “About this being the…..seventh time…” Safari Bush and Lightning Strike shared a chuckle. “Me bro’s a monster hunter.” She explained. “Whenever a beastie decides to try n’ find a quick snack over here, he lets his lance there make a meal o’ them.” “And when they’ve kicked the bucket, we skin ‘em, pull out their teeth n’ the like n’ use ‘em for all sorts o’ things.” Lightning Strike added. “In the case of that li’l bugger there, we’ll take off their super hard shells and use ‘em as a buildin’ material.” “Oh! Just like what we saw before with those carpenters. Do you remember, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity said, but her friend wouldn’t respond. “Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow Dash found herself having difficulty keeping her composure. Now that she got a better look at him, Lightning Strike was borderline handsome. His wild mane and athletic build coupled with the mettle she’d just seen from him forced her heart miles out of its comfort zone. She was completely love struck. “Ehh…..You alright there, love?” Lightning asked. Rainbow Dash turned to Rarity and whispered. “Rarity, I love it here!”
