The Rainbow Stallion

The air started to feel hotter and drier, the landscape was changing to a crisp like texture, I looked up to the sun, it was closer than before, I tried to ignore the heat but it was simply too much of it to take, I decided that trotting would be better.

I set my front hooves on the dry land, my hind legs followed, I folded my wings neatly by my sides and opened the fake leather saddlebag, there was a worn out black compass, a simple plastic bottle of water and something round wrapped in cooking foil. I took out the bottle with my mouth out of the back and brought it forwards, I then uncorked the cap while holding the bottle with a hoof. After drinking a third of the water I put it back in the saddlebag, then I started trotting towards my direction instead of flying.

The quiet rustle of air was around my ears, I looked forward, there was not a single building in sight, in fact, there was nothing at all, I started doubting myself, I sure didn't get lost, I was flying in the right direction all this time, I think.

I was getting frustrated with this, I can't find anything, at all! I flew up as high as I can, but still, nothing! I thought about running, but that would only waste my energy, and I don't have enough water. Oh great, now I have to worry about resources. I didn't come here to learn how to survive in the desert! This isn't even a desert. It is some Celestia forsaken land.

I sat down to rest my legs for a bit, I lied down after a few seconds of sitting, to be honest, I was thinking of going back into the shack, and make my way to Ponyville from there, stock up and get some means of transportation throughout this dry land.

No, no I had to press on, going back would be a waste of time, and who knows how long Dash's temper can last. I didn't want to test that.

I opened the saddle bag and took out the worn compass, the direction which I was facing right now was east, and Jericho never told me which way to go. Hooray for that, if I end up in some... canyon or a weird place like that, I'm going to have the old stallion's head.

Not... really. I would never.

I shoved the old thing back in its place as I stood up, gazing at the burning land, the heat attacked my eyes for too long and I squeezed them shut, I felt them watering at the same time, too. I reopened them, blinking away the tears as I started my trot towards the unknown, trying to take my mind off of this wasteland.

Hmm... Ponyville was a nice enough town to settle down, have a life... but I'm not the one for settling down, oh no. My thoughts drifted over to Jericho, the old buck, currently lonely in his shack, doing Celestia knows what. How old was he exactly? Why hasn't he moved to somewhere else? Did he have a family, daughter, son, wife. Eh, probably not a part of my bussiness. But what about Octavia? The grey cello player. She has the charm to attract any stallion or mare. And a proffesion that earns you honest money...

My thinking had ignored the black incoming train a few miles away, I didn't turn around until I smelled fumes, oil, wet wood and burning coal. The coal-powered train was shoveling the sand away with its tracks, revealing the old concealed rail line. It was the same train I rode on a few hours back... so I escaped and... went all this way for nothing when I could have taken the train again? Goddesess... I felt stupid.

The train continued to ride on the tracks without stopping, I saw the last cabin, with that common ladder just sticking out like a flare in the dark. I took my chances by running up to the last cabin as the rest of the cabins passed me, the train wasn't fast, but faster than me. So I made a small jump, desperetely grabbing onto the obsidian-like ladder, slowly pulling myself up as I put my hindlegs on the ladder, hopping to the left and onto the tiny platform where the door was.

Whew, good thing there was a metal fence of some kind else I'd fallen off right then and there.

I slowly popped my head up and looked through the window, numerous crates of various sizes were all lined up against the walls, blocking out the windows on the sides and causing it to be dark. I pulled the door open anyway, it was unlocked, good. I closed it shut behind me as I entered the dark cabin, wiping off some sweat from my brow. I slumped down to the floor, taking in deep breaths as the small amount of adrenalin from chasing a damn train wore off. I stood up, shaking my head.

"Come on, Pick... calm down." I said to myself, inhaled deep a few more times before resuming to breathing normally.

The blocked out windows gave the crates an unnatural orange outline, filled with an eerie silence that was outright creepy. I began trotting past the crates, my eyes locked on to the next door, I saw it, it was a passanger cabin, two mares sitting on green seats, one brown with a light yellow mane and the other light yellow coat, with a brown mane. Sisters, I presumed. The yellow one was leaning on her sister's shoulder, sleeping. I looked the other way, and saw a seat occupied by a large blue stallion, quietly laying and napping on the seat. I didn't see anypony past that, so I slowly pushed the door open, the awake sister looked at me the moment I stepped in, but quickly looked away. I picked a seat behind the napping buck, carefully setting the saddlebag next to me as I lifted my hindlegs up and rested them, folding my forehooves in front of me.

Surprisingly, I wasn't tired. Just... exhausted from the heat and running. So I lay my head down... thinking of nothing, just listening to the buck's audible breathing, and the train. I was so out of it that I didn't notice or had time to react as I slowly dozed off.