//------------------------------// // Ascent // Story: Not So Far Away // by Cold Bolt //------------------------------// Pinkie awoke to the sound of her tent fabric flapping in the wind. Though many layers protected her from the elements, she shivered; it was nearly impossible to stay warm at this elevation as far as she was concerned. She was chipper in spite of this, however, and how could she not be? It was finally time for the exciting part of the journey, and she couldn't be more ready for it. With a stretch, she crawled out of her sleeping bag and quickly slipped on her wooly coat, warm hat, and fuzzy socks. Unzipping her tent and stepping out, she was greeted by the same wind as before, now howling in her ears as she glanced around. The high altitude camp was fairly impressive in Pinkie's eyes; while a dozen tents were strewn about to house the exploration team themselves, the advance team had managed to set up a prefabricated building here a week prior to the expedition proper. It now sheltered not only the food and medical supplies, but the more delicate of the weather monitoring equipment as well. An anemometer sat atop one corner, spinning furiously. Her gaze traveled away from the camp and skimmed the horizon. Even from this high up, the mountains seemed to stretch on indefinitely where they weren't obscured by low clouds. The pass they had taken to get up here stretched below them, ending in a cool, damp valley of evergreens. It had been a three-day hike getting here from the closest semblance of civilization, but even then, the idea that they were a stone's throw from the highest piece of land on the continent was enough to make her hooves tingle. "Hey, you're up." A voice snapped Pinkie out of her reverie and caused her to spin around, putting her face to face with a face she knew all too well. Its owner carried a steaming mug and a small bundle in her telekinetic grip, holding them out to Pinkie as she approached. "You'll want to stop by the shelter too since the eggs are almost done, but I figured you'd be ready for breakfast right away, so..." "You bet!" Pinkie grinned, digging into the bundle with her snout and plucking one of the crackers. They weren't particularly flavorful - she would have much preferred pancakes or a big old muffin - but she wasn't one to turn down food in any case. With a wicked crunch, she wasted no time chowing down. "Fankf, Moomdamfer!" Moondancer flinched slightly as cracker crumbs deflected off her glasses. "Don't mention it." Pinkie snatched the mug from midair and tilted it back, savoring the warmth of the coffee as it spread throughout her body. She didn't much need its help to wake up, but the extra energy would keep her going on the journey ahead. "We've got all your stuff ready by the Path," Moondancer added. "Come find me once you're done eating and we'll get you saddled up." With a grin, Pinkie nodded and headed off to help herself to something a bit more substantial than crackers and coffee. A few minutes later, she stood amid a circle of ponies all pitching in to load her up with supplies. Her saddlebags bulged a bit, but weren't unmanageably heavy. She grinned as they finished their task and shifted to permit Moondancer, who carried a necklace set with an ornate jewel. "Remember, you've only got three days before the enchantment wears off even if you haven't used it up yet," she explained as she clasped it around Pinkie's neck. "One for the trip up, one to mingle, and one for the trip back. It shouldn't take nearly that long, so you've got some leeway in case things go south. You remember your lines, right?" Pinkie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Come on, Moony! We've been over this, like, a bajillion times. I totally know what to do!" "I know you do." Moondancer smiled, patting Pinkie's shoulder. "I just want to tell you... good luck. We're all counting on you." Pinkie's eyes watered briefly, and she gave Moondancer a quick hug. After a round of goodbyes and well wishes, the assembled ponies backed up, giving Pinkie a clear view of the Cloudy Path. In defiance of the rest of the cloud layer around it, it stretched, slithered, and spiraled its way into the sky, connecting the various islands of the Floating Atoll like a cottony rope. She spent a moment staring at it, taking in the majesty of the sight before her; her hooves tingled again as she realized she'd be the first known pony in centuries to get a different view of it. Gingerly, she set hoof on the very end of the cloud. It gave under her weight but ultimately held up as the jewel of her necklace began glowing softly. A quick hop put the rest of her hooves on the spongy surface of the Path; her journey had officially begun. With a wave and a grin over her shoulder, Pinkie took off at a trot. For the first hour, she felt as though her energy was boundless; the chill and the climb were no match for her spirit. Every few minutes, she would glance back down the way she came, the colorful dots of the tents far below not yet obscured by distance. She did this for more than just her own benefit, of course. Though they wouldn't be able to keep it up for the entirety of her trek, she knew her fellow explorers would be tracking her with a telescope, and so made sure to give them every opportunity to see her alive and well. That aside, the view was everything she could have imagined and more. She had climbed so high by this point that the mountains lining the horizon had begun to give way to the seas beyond, all lit by the gradual rise of the sun. As she paused once more for the crew below, she dug around in one side of her saddlebag and fished out a small rectangular object made of wood and carefully cut crystals. The magic camera held only enough film for six shots, small as it was, and she didn't want to waste them... but to come back down with unused film would be the biggest waste of all. click A satisfied grin spread across her face as she turned back to the Path ahead. The next hour or so was relatively uneventful until she came upon the first major feature of the Atoll: a floating island. It was the smallest of the bunch as far as she knew, a vague circle barely fifteen meters across. From below, all she could see of it was the dry soil of the underside. Pinkie stared at it as she trotted the rest of the way up and finally got a look at the surface. The top side of the island was nearly perfectly flat and covered in dry grass, varying here and there in length and thickness. No sign of its means of levitation was visible anywhere. She scratched her head. "That's super weird!" The Path stopped at the edge, picking up again at the far end; she would have to cross it to continue. Not difficult, right? Her weight shouldn't mean much to it given its size, even if this was the smallest one. Still, she clenched her eyes shut as she lifted one hoof from the cloud to press it down on the edge of the island - and gave a quiet sigh of relief as it held fast. With an eager hop, she stood on the first solid ground she'd found in over two hours. Did this warrant a picture? It really wasn't that interesting, aside from the obvious. She was sort of hoping there would be a giant fan, or a cloud of balloons tied to it, or something - but no, it was just a boring old chunk of dirt with some grass on it. Bland grass, no less, she decided as it crunched between her teeth. How did it grow up here, anyway? This was higher than normal rainclouds could reach... Pinkie glanced down at her necklace, which had stopped glowing. Now that she was on proper ground, it didn't need to expend energy on its enchantment to keep her from falling through the clouds, making this the perfect place to rest. The grass rustled as she plopped down on top of it and began rummaging in her pack for a snack. She frowned as she peered into one bag, the smell of various confections wafting from it - cookies, cupcakes, even a pie made from famous Apple family apples. They looked super scrumptious, but she knew better than to dig in; those were an important bargaining chip for later. With a sigh, she nudged them aside and pulled out a packet like the one Moondancer had offered her earlier, the dry nutrient wafers inside looking no more appetizing now than when she had first been introduced to them. The sacrifices she made for this mission, seriously! She chomped a wafer in one bite before reaching for her canteen to wash it down. She wasn't terribly hungry by any stretch, so that was probably more than good for now. Hopping back up on all fours, Pinkie trotted to the edge and crouched, looking down. The expedition camp below was just barely visible from this height, but she waved all the same, lingering for about a quarter of a minute in case they hadn't spotted her yet. There really wasn't much left to do here. Her eyes traced the Path spiraling ever higher above as she approached the other end of the island, taking careful steps onto the cloud to give her necklace's magic time to kick in before she fell through. The first island gradually shrank beneath her as she continued her skyward journey.