• Published 1st Jul 2018
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Daring Do and the Hand of Doom - Unwhole Hole



Daring Do quests for a legendary artifact of unusual provenance...and unusual danger.

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Chapter 29: The Commander’s Legacy

The trip to the summit was not as easy as Rainbow Dash had anticipated, but far from impossible for a Wonderbolt. There were sudden, unpredictable downdrafts, incredibly sideways sheer force, and of course the frigid weather and increasingly thin atmosphere. Rainbow Dash, of course, being Rainbow Dash, relished the challenge. When she finally reached the top, she decided almost immediately that the trip had been worth the trouble.

The top of the mountain glittered with fresh, high altitude snow. Not the synthetic kind that Pegasi precision manufactured, but the genuine, naturally formed article. Rainbow Dash had seen it too few times in her life, and gasped involuntarily at how brightly it reflected the light of a sun quickly preparing to descend across a seemingly endless sky.

Lyskymm had two high peaks. Each summit held the ruins of a massive tower, built from the same dark gray stone of the mountain. The architecture was strange, though, and was unlike anything Rainbow Dash had seen. At once it gave the impression of being sturdy and fortified, and the towers radiated a sense of imposing strength. At the same time, their design was bizarrely light and airy. Both of them, though ruins, were surprisingly tall, standing like sharp spires into the cold and thin air overhead; their design was such that they seemed as though they would collapse at any moment- -and yet they did not, and they had not for nearly one thousand years.

Rainbow Dash chose to land between the two peaks. Her hooves crunched in the fresh snow, leaving the first set of prints that this part of the mountain had likely seen in some time. Perhaps even since Daring Do herself had ascended it so long ago.

The space between the two peaks was not empty. Although it held no tall, impressive towers, it was filled with extensive stone ruins, the remnants of the fortress-city that had once stood here. The buildings that now consisted of half-buried, eroded walls had once been barracks, armories, commissaries, but also shops and homes. Nothing but collapsing rocks remained, but walking slowly through it, Rainbow Dash could almost feel the bustle of the ancient city it had once been.

After a few seconds of aimless wandering, Rainbow Dash found herself in the center of a wide street. She paused, considering it for a moment. Having grown up in Cloudsdale, she was familiar with Pegasus city design, at least in a modern sense. Streets were uncommon, as there was no need for them. Especially wide ones. There was no need for them when everypony could fly. At the same time, it occurred to her that she had never really seen ground-based Pegasus architecture or city design. The tradition had died with the very city she found herself standing in.

So, she proceeded down the road. It probably consisted of cobblestone, or maybe had been cut straight from the rock below. Now, though, it was covered in many feet of snow and ice. Much of the ruins were, which made them look all the more impressive- -and all the more somber. On one side a vast cornice was visible, looking like a wave of snow rising up from the edge of the northern cliff. Rainbow Dash paused to look at it and wondered how in Equestria Bon Bon was expecting to climb a mountain like that.

As she stood in the quiet, her position protected by the crest of the cornice, Rainbow Dash suddenly became aware of a strange sound. It was difficult to place exactly what it was, but it was certainly not the noise that a mountain was supposed to make. To Rainbow Dash, it was almost like an unusually high wind chime, or a distant voice.

She stared out into the distance over the white plateau, looking at the snow between the ruined stone buildings. Something in one of the fields glinted, and Rainbow Dash tried to focus, only to find that the glare from the snow was nearly blinding. What she did see- -or thought she saw- -was something coming toward her.

Then she was pushed to the side.

“HEY!” she cried out, nearly falling to the snow. She turned just in time to see a strange wisp of material pass her, a long thin chain-like thing that was almost completely transparent. It whirled and vanished like smoke or a cloud of snow, ducking into the solar glare and escaping, leaving only a thin trail through the snow. It was also then that Rainbow Dash saw the deep gash torn in the side of her jacket. A gash that came dangerously close to her right wing.

“Celestia’s tail!” she cried, suddenly rolling and dodging again as another chime sounded and a longer, more vicious looking chain of ice rose from the snow to strike at her. They were both silent and nearly invisible, but this time Rainbow Dash was able to discern an icy skull that looked like that of a pony- -and a number of vicious ice-blades on the side of the creature’s body.

She rolled and ducked again, dodging an attack by another creature and carrying the impetus into a flip. She flashed into the air, jumping onto the top of one of the ancient brick buildings. As she landed, one of the stones gave way and she fell, slamming hard into a large drift of snow.

More chimes sounded. There were so many that it nearly sounded like a symphony. It would have been beautiful if it was not so terrifying. Rainbow Dash stood to see the snow parting in many thin lines in front of her- -and behind her.

“So! You want to taste the rainbow, eh!?” she spread her legs and took a defensive stance. “WELL THEN COME AND TASTE ME!”

The creatures materialized and lunged. So many of them came out at once that Rainbow Dash froze. Before she could react, something shot downward from above, glimmering in the air before sticking into the snow. Rainbow Dash finally jumped back, and as she did she realized that the objet was a sword. It had a large hoof-ring at the base of the blade, but no crossguard. The shape was strange, as one side was bladed while the other was serrated viciously. The whole of it was made of a peculiar mottled reddish metal.

The blade had impaled one of the creatures. It struggled for a moment against the red metal, but rather than escaping, it suddenly burst apart into a plume of ice. The plume- -or what Rainbow Dash had mistaken for a plume- -was actually a number of much smaller creatures identical to the first. Rainbow Dash cried out as she saw them wriggling and writhing in the air, knowing that if a swarm like that attacked her there would be nothing she could do as a matter of defense. Instead of attacking, though, the chimes suddenly stopped. The new, smaller creatures vanished, as did the remainder of the group. They did not even leave tracks.

A Pegasus descended from above. She was wearing heavy cold-weather gear that was not all that much different from Rainbow Dash’s, although instead of a hat she wore an extended hood. Her hooves crunched quietly on the snow and she slowly slipped her hoof through the handle-ring of her sword before sheathing it with one quick flip.

“No, don’t do that!” cried Rainbow Dash. “Don’t put it away! They’re going to be back any second!”

“No they won’t.” The mare had a strangely accented voice, as though she was not accustomed to speaking Equestrian. “They are ice specters. They tend to inhabit cold, abandoned places like this. Places ponies once did. They are quite deadly but scare easily. They will not be back for some time.”

She turned toward Rainbow Dash. Her eyes were deep red and her face and wings as white as the snow that surrounded her. Somehow, she seemed strikingly familiar, but Rainbow Dash could not place her.

“It’s not safe to be on this mountain alone,” continued the red-eyed Pegasus. “Not this close to sunset. You were lucky. Don’t tempt fate.”

“So you’re telling me to leave.”

“If that is how you wish to interpret it.”

“But then you’d be alone. And you’d be one of those…what is the word? Hippo something…”

“Hypocrite,” sighed the Pegasus. “Yes. I suppose I would. I, however, have a sword.”

“A really cool sword.” Rainbow Dash leaned to the side to get a look at the surprisingly simple scabbard that the sword had been stored in. “I mean, that was pretty awesome, swooping down and throwing the sword and all…but…”

“But what?”

“If I had done it? I’d have made the entrance different. You know, land on one knee and punch the ground or something. Superhero landing.”

“That would be horribly uncomfortable.”

“More like horribly awesome!” Rainbow Dash laughed, and extended a hoof. The white mare took a step back, staring at the hoof. “But fair’s fair. Thank you for saving me. My name’s Rainbow Dash. What’s yours?”

The mare stared at Rainbow Dash for a long moment. A moment that quickly grew more and more awkward.

“Don’t leave me hanging. I mean, you have to have a name, right? Everypony has a name.”

“Of course.” The mare pressed her booted hoof against Rainbow Dash’s. “My name is Absence.”

“Absence? That’s a weird name.”

“Well, I certainly didn’t make it up just now.”

“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, in the town I’m from, we have a guy named Filthy Rich. And do you know who he married?”

“No.”

“Spoiled Milk.”

Absence smiled slightly. “Those are some unusual choices, I suppose.”

“And that’s not even the half of it! My best friend is named Fluttershy. And my sister is named Scootaloo.”

Absence winced. “I see. Your naming conventions are...unfortunate.”

“I know, right?” Rainbow Dash looked around. “So, Absence. I’m guessing you’re here for the same reason I am.”

“And what reason would that be?”

“To see the ruins! I mean, have you ever been to a place this cool?! I mean, it’s kind of spooky, and a little run down… but come on! That over there?” She pointed at one of the twin castles. “That’s Commander Hurricane’s keep! Commander HURRICANE!” She paused, and then looked at the other castle. “…or it might be that one.”

“Most likely the west,” suggested Absence, pointing at the second tower.

Rainbow Dash gasped. “You know ancient Pegasus history?!”

“No. That is the taller of the two.”

“Oh.”

“To be honest, I know very little about my race’s history. I was not taught it. I was here on Lyskymm for business, so I thought I would come here. To learn some, if I can.”

“That’s great! Come on!”

Rainbow Dash started walking quickly through the snow. Absence appeared confused. “Where are you going?”

“To the west one! Come on! You can come with me! I mean, it’s probably poetic and all to be all alone, but I’m not exactly good at poeming.”

“Poetry.”

“That too. And besides. I don’t really want to be eaten by ice specters.”

“They do not eat you. They weaken you, then freeze your solid to feed on your fundamental essence.”

Rainbow Dash shivered. “Yeah. Not a good way to go. So we should probably hurry before the sun sets!”

Rainbow Dash continued. Absence looked around the icy fields and ruins. She had no fear of the ice specters, but decided to go with the blue mare anyway. It seemed like the tour would be more amusing with another than it would be alone.

The pair of Pegasi ascended the mountain easily, as a set of stone stairs had been cut into the side of the peak. They had crumbled in a few places, and many more were covered by wide drifts of snow, but this did not slow them down. Rainbow Dash was nimble, and Absence was light on her hooves. It was not long before they had reached the courtyard outside the crumbling fortress.

“Oh wow,” whispered Rainbow Dash. “It’s even bigger up close!”

“These structures are very old, but the foundations are firm.” Absence kicked at a large stone brick about four times as tall as she was. “I would say that it was built by earth-ponies, but at this attitude even goats would have trouble performing all but the simplest tasks.”

“Pegasi can build things too. I mean, you should see my house. It’s massive. I should know, I built it.”

“You did?” Absence seemed somewhat surprised.

“Well, it is made out of clouds…that I sort of ‘borrowed’. But it still looks awesome!”

Rainbow Dash trotted into the courtyard. Trees probably did not grow this high, so as a substitute various columns had been assembled. They were substantially aged, but did not seem to support anything that might have collapsed. Confused, Rainbow Dash approached one. Absence followed, her red eyes scanning the ancient field for threats.

“It’s a column,” said Rainbow Dash. “Weird.”

“An Iomudic column to be exact,” said Absence. She then pointed at the next nearest. “And that one is Comtoirinthian. All of the columns are different.” She paused. “Perhaps they are meant to represent the vassals of the Pegasus empire.”

“The states of the Imperium,” said Rainbow Dash. “Yeah. That makes sense.” She turned around. “But look at them all! Oh mane, I didn’t know it was this HUGE!”

“I suppose our kind excels at military conquest. I suppose being at the nexus of the Jetstream is also beneficial.”

“The what?”

Absence pointed upward. “The nexus. It’s abandoned now, but it connects several of the largest streams. I always wondered why it was here.”

“Wow,” said Rainbow Dash, looking up. The sky was mottled with pale clouds, but the Jetstream itself was impossible to see. “With that they could get from here to anywhere else in Equestria in a matter of hours. No wonder they were so angry about having to give it up.”

“Give it up?”

“Yeah. During the windigo invasion.”

“Windigoes are nearly extinct.”

“Well, they are now, but they weren’t a thousand years ago!”

Absence looked confused.

“Wait,” said Rainbow Dash. “You know, the Hearthswarming Tale?”

“I do not know what ‘Hearthswarming’ is.”

Rainbow Dash gasped. “How can you not know?! I mean, EVERYPONY celebrates Hearthswarming!”

“Apparently not.”

Rainbow Dash blushed. “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean…well…” She looked around the courtyard, and spied the perfect visual aid. She spread her wings and soared toward it, noting just how difficult flying was at this attitude. Absence followed, appearing to have no difficulty at all with her flight even with a heavy sword at her side.

“This!” said Rainbow Dash, pointing at an enormous bronze statue. It had faded and corroded in some places, but the lack of liquid water at this elevation had kept it in excellent condition. The subject of it was a beautiful but stern pony dressed in full classical armor, her striped mane drifting backward gracefully. She held a spear pointed toward the east in a salute to Celestia; Rainbow Dash noticed that the spear, although it was a part of the sculpture, looked virtually identical to the one that had broken three of Daring Do’s ribs less than two days before. Its strange structure and remarkable design were unmistakable.

“This is Commander Hurricane! Well, actually it’s a statue, but close enough! She was the leader of the Pegasi when it happened.” Rainbow Dash paused. She knew it for the Wonderbolts, she was not well-versed in history. Commander Hurricane, though, was so important that she at least knew a few things. “According to the stories? They say she was a descendant of Pegasus himself, but still started out as private just to prove to everypony that she could make her way all on her own. She made Commander in five years. No pony has EVER done that, before or since.”

“Mostly because the hierarchy she chose to climb ceased to exist centuries ago.”

“Well…yeah…but even in the Wonderbolts, you can’t even get to be captain with any less than ten years experience!”

“I did not mean to imply that it was not impressive. After all, she ruled all of this.” Absence gestured to the ruins. “Even if it has long been forgotten.”

“It isn’t forgotten. That’s what I’m getting to. A thousand years ago, there was some sort of…what did Twilight call it? ‘Climatologicall disturbance’ or something like that. The windigoes came. This mountain got too cold, and Commander Hurricane had to lead the Pegasi somewhere warmer.” She paused and looked around. “See, this place used to be much, MUCH bigger.”

“Larger than the mountaintop?”

“Yeah. This was just the ground-based portion. All around it they had a cloud-city, Cloudstantinople. It must have gone on for hundreds of miles.” Rainbow Dash sighed, thinking that for a moment she could almost visualize it. “But it dispersed. Broke up and drifted out. They do that sometimes. I mean, they ARE made of clouds. And after that, nopony bothered building on mountaintops like this. There was no point.”

“I see,” said Absence, stepping past the statue. Rainbow Dash followed her as they climbed a small set of stairs to a large, flat stone platform over which the sky could be seen through the unskinned arches of a wide dome. “And I take it they never returned.”

“No. Because after that, they unified with the earth-ponies and unicorns and made Equestria. New land, and no enemies to defend against. ”

Absence’s expression darkened. “Of course. The unification.”

“I know. It’s a really cool story. Better when you see it as a play. You know, I was actually in it once. I got to play Hurricane in the Canterlot version of the play. I don’t mean to brag, but that’s a pretty big deal.”

“I’m sure it is. I’ve never been to Canterlot myself, but I hear they have high standards. Most unicorns do.”

“Eh. I mean, it’s a pretty place, but nothing compared to Cloudsdale.”

“Is that where you’re from?”

“Yeah. Well, I grew up there, but now I’m ground-based in Ponyville.”

“I do not know that locating.”

“It’s a little town. It’s nice. A good adventure-home balance.”

They ascended into the fortress. There were no stairs leading to it; entering required ascending a vertical cliff hewn from the rock of the mountain. Doing so was not hard for Pegasi. At the top was an opening to the tower proper. Some of the fragments of an ancient door were still clinging to the bent, rusted hinges that had once supported it.

“What about you?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Me?”

“No. The ice specters.”

“Ha. No. You could say I’m married to my work. I don’t get home much.”

“Dang. That’s no good. But at least you get plenty of adventure.”

Absence sighed. “I do. But sometimes I find myself wishing things were simpler. Do you ever get that feeling?”

Rainbow Dash paused. She actually had to think for a moment. Then she realized where she was standing, in the center of the lower floor of Commander Hurricane’s ancient fortress. At either side stood vast windows overlooking the seemingly endless mountain range around them, and the walls were lined with strange but colorful mosaics showing the exploits of Pegasi for hundreds of generations past.

“No,” she said. “I’ll never get tired of adventure. I can’t see myself living a boring life. There’s nothing awesome about that.”

Absence did not seem to judge her, but just nodded. “Be glad that you have the right to choose such a path.”

Rainbow Dash was confused. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Absence did not answer. She walked toward one of the windows and stared out. Rainbow Dash crossed the floor as well, her hooves clicking on the ancient stone. Both of them stared out at the vastness, and Rainbow Dash could not help but feel profoundly lonely. All of those mountains and all of that land, all of it that might once have held many redoubts and forts of ancient Pegasi, and it was now all empty. Had she been alone, she might have cried, or at the very least felt horribly saddened by it.

“It’s so empty,” she sighed.

“Because the unification made them forget,” replied Absence. She sighed as well. “But I suppose it was necessary. The hierarchy cannot exist with Pegasi alone.”

“I think they did a pretty good job. Even before unification. If Pegasi had wanted to, we could have taken over the whole world.”

“No. That would be impossible.”

Rainbow Dash turned toward the white mare. “Why?”

Absence paused. “Rainbow Dash. Have you ever read Neighdo?”

“Like the putty stuff that foals play with?”

“No. I mean the unicorn philosopher.”

“Oh. Philosophy. Yeah.” Rainbow Dash frowned. “Look, I do read books. But I’m not THAT big of an egghead.”

“Of course. Then let me summarize my point. Neighdo proposed that an ideal society exists in a three-part hierarchy. At the top are intelligent rulers who understand what is best for their subjects. In the middle are those ruled by heart, meaning the military who executes the will of the rulers unerringly. And at the bottom are the peasantry, the farmers and laborers who provide the food and work necessary to keep the upper two classes functional.”

“I guess that makes…sense?”

“Ponies exist in the same way. Unicorns are born superior to us, and they exist to rule. Pegasi exist to serve them and carry out their will. Earth-ponies exist only to farm and build our cities. Only in this hierarchy can there be peace and order.”

“Well that’s stupid.”

Absence’s red eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

“Ponies aren’t better than other ponies just because of what KIND of pony they are. Unicorn’s aren’t better than us, and earth-ponies aren’t any worse. I have friends who are both kinds, and I don’t see why they have to do those things. Like, Applejack…um, bad example. Pinkie Pie…no, she was born on a rock farm…oh! Fluttershy! She’s a Pegasus, but she just plays with animals all day.”

“That’s anecdotal. Yes, personal talents may vary. But the hierarchy must persist. And it does. Who among you is wealthy? Unicorns, generally, who have lifespans in the centuries. Princes. The elite. Those in Canterlot. And who is our military, the Wonderbolts, for example? Have you ever heard of an earth-pony Wonderbolt?”

“No, that would be stupid!”

“Then my point stands. True, it may not be so harsh as I have described it. But it is fundamentally how the world works.”
“Kind of, I guess.”

“What do you mean ‘kind of’?”

“Well, it’s just that…unicorns don’t rule us. Alicorns do.”

Absence’s expression suddenly became incredibly harsh, to the point where Rainbow Dash recoiled.

“Yes,” she said, icily. “What you have said is true. Although it should not be. Alicorns disturb the hierarchy. They take power from those meant to rule and consolidate it in a class that will never die and never bear heirs. For standing outside the hierarchy, they are abominations against nature.”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down! That’s super harsh! And totally untrue! One of my best friends is an alicorn.”

This seemed to surprise Absence greatly. “Which one?”

“Twilight Sparkle.”

“Ah. The least alicorn.”

“She’s not least!”

“My apologies, I phrased it wrong. What I mean to say is that she has only been an alicorn for a few years. She is still a beautiful unicorn at heart.” Absence’s dark red eyes turned to Rainbow Dash and stared into her violet ones unblinkingly. “Wait a hundred years. Or a thousand. Or ten thousand. Or five hundred thousand. Watch what she becomes then.”

Rainbow Dash had no response. She had never considered that before, the fact that as an alicorn, Twilight had the potential to live for thousands of years, if not forever. The implications of it were horrifying.

Absence sighed again and gestured to the castle. “Have you heard the legend of this place?”

“Which one? There’s a lot.”

“One that my mother told me. The one that is the reason I cannot ever admire Hurricane, even though I recognize she was a beautiful ruler and critical pony to our race. It is said that in this place, using the Spear of Extinction, she slew the very last of an ancient race of ponies.”

“The last Exmoor pony,” gasped Rainbow Dash.

“Ah,” said Absence, not seeming surprised at all. “So you know the legend.”

“My mom told me the same legend. Sort of. She never said it was a pony, though.”

“Then what did she say?”

“That it was a horrible demon that climbed straight up the mountain to challenge Commander Hurricane. That it wanted to take control of the kingdom and order all the foals to be brought to him so he could eat them up. That he was forty feet tall and breathed fire and spit acid, but Commander Hurricane fought him anyway even though she knew it was impossible! And after thirty days and thirty nights, the battle was finally over, and she won!”

Rainbow Dash had grown so animated that her wings were flapping in the cold, thin air. Absence seemed mildly amused.

“That is not how it was told to me,” she said. “But then again, my mother was a unicorn. So the legend might have been different.”

“How did it go for you?”

“Closer to the truth, I think.” Absence walked across the great floor, over the abstract designs inlaid into the rock below. “In our legend, her opponent was a pony. An Exmoor pony. One who came to an impossible impasse, a break in ideology. Specifically, the unification you just described to me.”

“Wait. So you knew?”

“I like hearing you talk. And you seemed to be having fun. But yes. I know about the unification. Of course I do. And that was what brought them to battle.”

“But Hurricane opposed the unification. At least at first.”

“True. But she was swayed. She returned here and met the challenger, when all others had departed. She told him of her plan, and he refused. He could not accept the unification. Do you know the reason? Because you’ve already stated it.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Celestia. And Luna, to a lesser extent. Alicorns.” Absence turned. “You see, the Exmoori were a proud race of warriors. Not unlike Pegasi. But where they differed was in how greatly they valued their freedom, their honor, and their independence.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed. “I think you’re insulting me.”

“I’m insulting both of us. Because we deserve it. Our ancestors bent down and bowed to their ‘beautiful Princesses’, but the Exmoori refused. And they paid dearly. Why do you think the one here was the very last? Because Celestia had already burned away their race. Purged it from Equestria for not submitting.”

“That isn’t true.”

“Do you have evidence of that?” Absence walked around the circular floor again. “Because I do not. Only this legend. But it has stayed with me for my entire life. That that one Exmoor pony, the last of his kind, refused to submit. He chose his freedom and his honor over a life of servitude under the gold-clad hooves of a false god.” She paused, and lowered her head. “Yes. Hurricane was important. Glorious I’m sure. But it’s always the Exmoor pony that I will respect more.”

“I don’t agree with you. With anything you’re saying.”

“And I’m not asking you to. There’s no reason why you need to, or why I should need to convince you. You can believe as you choose.”

Rainbow Dash had prepared a tirade of arguments, but all of them were instantly stymied by Absence’s sudden acquiescence. She found it annoying, but only for a moment. This place was quiet and cold, and in a way sacred to the Pegasi. Rainbow Dash realized she did not want to argue anyway.

So she shrugged. “Yeah. I guess friends can have different opinions on things. I mean, if you’ve seen what happens when me and AJ talk politics? HA! Now those are fights that would make Commander Hurricane proud.”

Absence looked surprised. “Firstly, it would be ‘AJ and I’.”

“Don’t be a grammar-Sombra, Absence.”

“Second. Friends?”

Rainbow Dash was somewhat taken aback. She turned her head to one side. “I mean, yeah. Sure. You seem pretty cool. A little wordy, I guess, but you’re cool. And have an awesome sword. So, yeah. We can be friends.”

“Huh.” Absence walked to the window and sat down. If there had been glass in it, it had long-since departed. “I’ve never had a friend before.”

Rainbow Dash sat beside her. “Really?”

“My work tends to preclude it.” She sighed and looked out at the distance. Rainbow Dash did to, and she suddenly understood the phrase ‘having one’s breath taken away’. The sun was setting. The high-atmosphere clouds were lit with every color, from red to orange and even purple and dark blue. From the top of the mountain, it was massive, and from the altitude, it was new and different from any that Rainbow Dash had ever seen before. It was beautiful.
“Oh wow,” she said. “Look at that!”
Absence smiled. “I detest Celestia,” she said, “but even I have to admit, she does good work.”

Staying on the mountain at night was dangerous. Monsters would arrive from their crevices and dens as soon as the sun finished setting and the day ended in twilight, and navigating the slippery and rocky slopes would be dangerous in the dark. Yet, despite this, the pair remained, sitting in silence, choosing to take the risk and watch the sun set, knowing that the risk would be much less if they descended the mountain together.

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