Everywhere they looked, the landscape was blanketed with white. The crooked trees on the cragged slopes up to the cave all looked the same. Bare. Cold. Dead. The flurry of snow continued, and gusts blew up clouds of white that blinded Rarity. Snow flew into Rarity’s eyes whenever she tried to see ahead of her, and into her mouth whenever she tried to speak.
Ahead of her trudged Rainbow. The bright colors of her tail made a great flag for Rarity to focus on in the unforgiving white. Rainbow herself, however, didn’t have such a luxury as she stayed nose-to-tail with the clear ice pony ahead of her. Any further than a few yards in this storm, and the two of them could lose him, and then themselves. Forever.
How was it that Astral knew where he was going? There weren’t any noticeable landmarks that Rarity could find. Could it be that being made of ice made him immune to the blindness that the snow and wind brought about? From what she could tell, he never lowered his head and walked unhindered through the storm. If he got his horn back, what then? Would he be able to reattach it? Would he turn back to a normal pony? How would he know? Was he beyond saving?
And Sweetie Belle and her friends. Were they really captured by that beast? Rarity felt her chest tighten with each thought of her sister, to the point that it pained her just as much physically as a knife to the heart. If the beast did capture her, then there was still a chance she’d be okay. Astral said he had a plan, after all. But what was his plan?
What if this was all a gambit by a crazy pony? Just like all the romance books she’d read, and even from personal experience with a certain prince who shan’t be named, Rarity was aware that love could make ponies do crazy things. She had hardly considered the implications of following Astral into the den of the beast. She would feel horrible leaving a pony like him stuck in this white purgatory. If only she had thought earlier going down back to the lodge and then bringing back help in larger numbers before they went on this trek, things could have gone better. Even if she did go back down, would she be able to find Astral again? Would every pony believe her when she said that she had found the ice pony and the banshee mentioned in the local legends? Either way, it was too late now.
She wanted desperately to help Astral reunite with his lost love; but above all, she wanted her sister safe. The sooner they got to the cave, freed the fillies, and gave Astral and Lily the happy ending they deserved, the better.
“The cave is around this bend,” said Astral.
The three pushed through the storm and up the slopes until they came to a ledge that wrapped around the side of the mountain. As she turned the corner, Rarity stopped in her tracks. The rocky, uneven ledge went ever higher towards the peak, but that wasn't what scared her; it was the precipice that the ledge was on top of.
Despite the poor visibility, she could tell that it was a long, sharp drop if she should slip. The grey sky showed the contour of the mountain ahead of her, and she could make out the graveyard of trees below. If she were to fall, there wasn’t a chance that Rainbow would be able to catch her in time with this strong wind. And what if there was an avalanche? Oh, why did she have to think of such things now?
But she was already this far, and Astral had promised that he wouldn’t put either mare in harm’s way. All she had to do was follow Astral’s instructions, and he’d lead her back down to the lodge. She had come too far now to give up. Astral needed her to be vigilant. So did Sweetie Belle and Winter Lily.
Please be safe, Sweetie Belle. I’ll be there soon.
She pushed on.
After a grueling uphill struggle, they made it to the cave. The home of the banshee. The former chemist. Rarity shivered at the sight of it. Long, crooked icicles jutted from the top of the opening, like fangs. A wind blew in and out of the cave with a low growl. It was as if the mountain were alive, a predator sitting poised ready to snatch its poor, helpless prey into its maw and bring about the cold embrace of death.
Two blue eyes flashed into her vision, and she jumped. While she had been distracted with the cave, Astral had walked right up into Rarity’s face. He spoke low as if whispering, but kept his voice loud enough to endure the wind.
“Rarity. You and Rainbow will climb up on top of the opening. I will call the beast out. When I give the signal, use your magic to loosen the rocks under that boulder--” he pointed to a boulder perched on top of the cavernous mouth “--and Rainbow, wedge yourself between the mountain and the largest boulder. Push as hard as you can. Both of you should be able to cause the boulder to fall and crush the beast. Be ready.”
“What!? Why not just go in there and thrash him!? He can’t take on all three of us,” huffed Rainbow as she stomped her hooves. She looked ready to charge into the cave herself. “I’m not letting anything happen to Scootaloo!”
Astral shook his head. “No. You don’t know what this creature is. It will tear off your wings before you even can get a buck in.”
“But Scootaloo needs me!”
“And so do the others, so do as I say and they’ll be safe.”
Rainbow chewed on her lips, took a deep breath and nodded.
Rarity bit her lips. “Are you sure this will work? What if we fail?”
Astral looked at the cave, then back to the mares. “If this fails, then I fail. I will distract the beast. Go back around the bend, then once you reach the end of the ledge, turn right and head straight. Use your tracks as a guide. You’ll go down the mountain very quickly, but you will be far from any civilization.”
A chill unlike the others before ran down Rarity’s spine. Was it really that simple? Could they have gotten back down so easily? But Astral said he needed his horn and that with it he’d be able to save Lily, and that they had to kill this beast to save the fillies. There was no other way, right?
“Now, you two, get into position. Flash your horn when ready.” Astral turned and walked toward the mouth of the cave.
Rarity’s mind continued to race as she slowly climbed up the side of the mountain wall toward the boulder. One hoof in front of the other on each snowy edge, she inched her way up with Rainbow right behind her. Her hoof slipped on a ledge; she hit her stomach on the hard rock below and would have slid off into oblivion if Rainbow weren’t there to stop her. She thanked her guardian pegasus and focused more on her current situation.
Up above the cave, Rarity checked her footing. The snow-covered rocks underneath her boots were smooth and slanted. She adjusted herself and stuck her boots into little crevices to secure her footing. Once settled, she focused on the boulder beside her. Slightly bigger than she was, it was held up by a few rocks wedged underneath it. It wouldn’t seal up the cave below, but it was heavy enough to crush the life out of a large, growling beast.
Oh, goodness. Was Rarity going to kill something? She hadn't thought about it like that before. She’d do anything to ensure Sweetie Belle’s safety, but was she willing to go this far? To take the life of another? And this wasn’t just a creature, but a former pony. Was this the right thing to do? This wasn’t an evil pony like Sombra. The chemist hadn't enslaved a race of ponies and used them to make war. This wasn’t the Changeling Queen who kidnapped Princess Cadance to turn Canterlot and all of Equestria into a buffet for her army of emotional succubi. This was a stallion whose greatest crimes were being jealous, lying, and assault. Sure, he had attacked Astral, but had he intended to kill him? For all she knew, he could have been a decent fellow if not for his jealousy. Her romance novels were full of love triangles that included jealous, manipulative stallions, and they always got their comeuppance, but it never involved them getting murdered.
Rarity looked back up at the boulder she’d unleash in a few moments. Rainbow had already wedged herself between it and the mountain, with her front hooves on the boulder and her hind legs sprung up tight against the wall. Her wings were wide open, ready to push herself up into the air when her support was gone. The feathers in her wings ruffled in the air. “All set, Rarity,” she said. “Signal Astral!”
She wanted to stop. Turn around. Go back. But she wanted her sister safe. She wanted to save Astral and Lily. Wasn’t there a better solution than this?
She swallowed and lit her horn.
Astral started screaming into the cave. Profanities echoed within, and Astral’s hatred for the creature inside bounced off the walls, deeper into the mountain’s esophagus until they sank into the bottom of its belly.
“Come on out, you coward! You cur. You lying, serpent-tongued, unequine abomination! Your ugly, rotten exterior reflects your true inner essence. Come out here and face me like a stallion. I shall end you, Cure!”
The winds died down, and the snow lightened up to a flurry, as if the storm itself was invested in what would unfold. Rarity could feel her heart beating in her ears. She forgot all about the cold, Sweetie Belle, and the world as she watched Astral shout into the mountain.
Rarity didn’t want to watch, but she knew that she had to remain vigilant for the signal.
Rarity’s breaths became shallow. Please don’t be home. Oh, PLEASE don’t be home.
Silence rang through the white and grey and chilled Rarity to the bone.
A roar boomed from the mouth of the mountain like rolling thunder. Rarity’s insides trembled and twisted. Rainbow jerked and gave the boulder a preliminary push. A few pebbles shifted and rolled down the cliff.
The clacking and scraping of claws on stone ripped the silence and tore into Rarity’s heart. Snarling, grunting, and guttural hacks resounded from the darkness below. With each moment, the sounds became louder, and Rarity felt her knees grow weary.
Astral didn’t move, as though he was unaffected by the world. The icy barrier that was his body severed him from everything around him.
The scratches and grunting grew louder.
Rarity closed her eyes and grabbed as many of the small rocks as she could with her magic. Even the darkness of her own mind couldn’t comfort her from the disturbing sounds below. She couldn’t take it. She opened her eyes and was flash-banged by the white.
Back down at the end of the ledge, Astral had poised himself, ready to jump at any moment. His shoulders raised with every slow breath he took.
“Now!” he screamed.
Rarity tugged at the rocks, and Rainbow pushed. Several of the smaller rocks slid out with ease, but one rock remained. She pulled, but it remained stuck. Rainbow grunted as she pushed; her tight skin bulged under the stress she was putting on her muscles.
Out of the corner of her eye, Rarity saw something white and green swipe at Astral. He rolled to one side, and another limb swung from the maw of the mountain. A claw caught Astral in the shoulder, and Rarity heard the sound of cracking ice.
Astral limped away. His front left shoulder had a huge gash. The beast lunged at its prey from the darkness.
Two long, spidery legs bent in two places reached out to ensnare; its long, green mouth was opened wide, with yellow, distorted fangs ready to tear Astral to shreds. The creature flew through the snow as if it were the wind itself.
Astral clumsily charged under the beast and smashed it in its short hind legs. It fell on its stomach, and Astral dragged himself out from under the thrashing creature and out of its reach.
Rarity turned to Rainbow. “Rainbow, it’s too late!” she shouted.
With a loud grunt, Rainbow pushed even harder. “Is it still down there?”
It was. The gangly creature with the grotesque limbs struggled to get up on the narrow ledge, and its inner thigh was bleeding. Astral’s jagged horn had cut it; his forehead too was painted red. The creature lashed out with one long arm at Astral but missed. After that, it tried to push itself up on the knuckles of its long, spindly fingers, but Astral threw himself into one of its elbows. He looked up at the mares as he hastily limped away. “Do it!”
No longer thinking, Rarity jumped from her spot alongside Rainbow and pushed with her hooves against the rock and pulled the stone beneath it with her magic.
The stone shifted, and the sound of cracking filled the air. The boulder broke free of its icy perch and fell towards the beast. The beast rolled over on its side, pushed off the mountain wall and sailed over the edge. The boulder landed where the beast had just been and tumbled over the side. Shortly afterward, there was a loud thump and the sound of cracking trees.
Rainbow had grabbed Rarity at the last second and flew over to the ledge where she had just been. They both looked on, panting and sweating as if they had just come out of a sauna.
Did they get it? Was the creature gone?
Peering into the white below her, she saw the spindly fingers of one of the creature’s hands grasping the edge. Its long, black, pin-shaped nails dug into the rock. Another clenched hand reached up and grabbed an uneven surface before the creature brought its flat, earless head into view.
Its sunken, yellow eyes gazed up from its long, crooked nose. It stopped for a moment and looked at Astral and snarled. Then it looked up at the two mares. The creature growled at Rainbow, but when it brought its gaze onto Rarity, it stopped moving. The creature studied Rarity, from head to hoof, eating her with its tiny, miserable, sunken eyes. Rarity shuddered.
“Winter Lily!” shouted Astral as he charged toward the beast.
The creature grunted, redoubled its efforts and scrambled to get back onto solid ground, this time keeping its eyes on Rarity; Astral stomped on one of its hands, but the creature smacked him away, and he tumbled back towards the mouth of the cave.
The creature pulled itself up and had one back leg on the ledge when Rainbow slammed herself into its chest. Knocked off balance, the creature snatched the wall in front of it, and the nails scratched into the frozen rock and left long trails in the stone until it caught hold. Rainbow turned around for another blow, but she was snatched out of the air with the creature’s free hand and slammed into the wall. She shrieked in pain and collapsed on her side.
“Rainbow!”
Rarity jumped down and blasted a magical light into the creature’s eyes. With its free hand, it covered its wrinkly, hairless face. With the beast distracted, she hurled stones at it; the barrage pushed it back more. For the coup de grace, she picked up a large rock and smashed the creature's fingers that latched onto the mountain.
The beast howled and fell back. Blood trickled from its fingers and blotted the snow under it, but before it disappeared into the white below, it grabbed Rarity’s fetlock. Rarity fell onto her stomach and slid across the ledge. She grabbed an uneven part of the ledge, but her hold wouldn’t last for long.
“Rainbow!” she cried. “Help!”
Rainbow groaned and shifted about on the ground, but she didn’t get up. She stayed down with her back to Rarity.
The creature reached up with its other hand, still clenched in a fist, and rested its wrist on the edge to pull itself up, but Astral kicked the fist away. Without the support, the creature flailed about and tightened its grip on Rarity, and the sudden jerk yanked her from the edge.
Hanging on to dear life with a single hoof, Rarity screamed. Her cries echoed in the sky as the creature below snorted and growled. The weight of the creature stretched her limbs, and a sharp pain ripped through her body. She closed her eyes and cried out again for Rainbow.
Tears ran down her cheeks. Was this how it was going to end? Was she to die here, now? Her friends, how they would mourn her. Her family, how they would cry for her. Her sister… Sweetie Belle. How would she go on without her?
No, she thought, I’m not going to die. Not today. I’m going to get out of this. Sweetie Belle, I’ll be there for you.
She opened her eyes, and there was Astral, looking into hers. She was saved.
Astral limped up and grabbed Rarity’s hoof. He looked over her shoulder at the beast flailing about to get a grip on the icy stone wall. He looked back at Rarity in the eyes.
And he shoved her.
Rarity fell with the beast. The ledge soared high above her as she dropped from the heavens. The grey sky was the last thing she saw before she hit the ground and her vision went white.