#ffaf 2

Commentary from Donny's Boy

I question whether this was actually written within thirty minutes. We're happy to allow submitters a bit of leeway in order to finish up a story, but this is really close to our word count limit of two thousand words. Please keep the time and word limits in mind for future submissions.

She turned to the filly, who had stopped and was now jumping in place, calling out to her, "Makini! Kuwa makini! Ni kuja kwa ajili yako!" and pointing fervidly at the beast all the while.

"Hey kid," she waved back, "Yeah, I know I'm pretty good, but that's nothing I-Whoa!" By pure reflex she dodged the snapping jaws of the jumping feline that had almost reached her dangling hind legs. "Seriously? Why don't you guys ever know when to quit?"

Sand was still flowing to the lion's muzzle, recomposing it, which didn't prevent it though from growling loudly in displeasure.

"I guess you'll need a bigger lesson then. Let's see if you can handle this!"

Rainbow dash bolted down and started spiraling around the beast, enveloping it in a furious rainbow-coloured twister. The creature snarled and tried to swipe at the blurring pegasus, but was gradually coming undone, claws and limbs and muzzle and tail reverting to sand and being thrown up into the vortex...

When Dash was done, all that remained was a drifting cloud of dust high in the air, carried away by a rogue wind. She landed, only to be immediately tackled by the filly, her tears already wetting the pegasus's barrel.

"Heh, all in a day's work, kid," she said as she patted her with a wing, trying to console her sobs and to ease her crushing hug, but only time made the filly relax, clinging as she still was to the pegasus.

"It's okay, squirt... it's okay... Say, do you have a family nearby? They're probably worried sick about you."

The zebra just stared at her, eyes wide. It felt like she'd never let go of her.

The pegasus sighed. "Okay, let's look for your parents now," She forcibly released the embrace and stood up on all fours, nodding forward to the zebra to go ahead.

Sniffing, the filly wiped her eyes and started walking north, if the stars and Dash's pegasus senses were of any indication. The filly talked to her a couple of times during the trip in her zebra language, but the pegasus to her side thought little of answering besides a headshake and a "Sorry, kid."

Half an hour later, they arrived to a zebra village, their straw huts illuminated and their inhabitants rushing to greet the two as many hugs and relieved words mere exchanged between them and the lost daughter.

Rainbow Dash sighed. "Yeah, I guess this is my cue to leave. Be more careful next time, squirt!"

She was about to take off when an adult zebra called out to her; she turned to see all of them staring at her, the filly in particular with the most pleading eyes she had ever seen. She figured out they didn't want her to leave.

"...Alright then, I guess I'll stay, but-" she was interrupted by a yawn, "It better be about a place to crash, cause I was already exhausted before I made that sand lion thing bite the dust, hehe."

She was grabbed by a hoof from the filly, and escorted to a hut, where a leaves-and-hay bed seemed to be waiting for her in a corner. RD had thought of haggling down the hospitality, but she figured she could be doing better things right now than trying to gesticulate her way out of another culture's sense of neighborliness.

Specifically, snoozing her way to the next sunlight.

She barely noticed the little zebra scooping next to her as she drifted into unconsciousness.

(Just wanted to ask, is it allowed to also post the Fimfiction link to this story here? 'Cause in that case, http://www.fimfiction.net/chapter/464048

Otherwise, disregard this aside.)

Commentary from Donny's Boy