The enhanced Stallion

by Shenzy

> A long time ago... inside an abandoned mine

The stallion's struggled to move through the storm, taking slow steps to sink into the snow, all the way up to the chest.

All they could see was a wall of white, pushing against their body's – sticking to cloth; getting it wet, cold and even heavier than it already was.

“Keep moving, the storm is getting worse!”

“Hadn't noticed!” the unicorn barfed, but his words got lost between the mask and noise of cutting wind.

The earthpony wiped over his goggles, to raise his sight and make out what seems to be the hillside, before he kept going, since the snow was about to blind him again.

“Already see the hillside!” it came hoarse to add a silent “...almost home” to himself.

This time the sarcastic comment stood out, which made him quickly go back, searching through the white, abyss.

“Swift-Move, where are you!?” it shouted, just before almost tripped over the unicorn, which laid flat on his stomach, covered by a thin layer of snow. “Let's go, the others are waiting for us!” the unicorn rose his head, but struggled to get on its hooves.

A protection spell would have been the answer since unicorns weren't physical as strong, but the trip was even to long for that and had cost even more energy. Either way, the strain had been too much and he felt exhausted and sleepy, as well annoyed, listening towards those ridiculous cheering attempts.

Tenet saw how the unicorn put his head down again, before giving another look over his back. Even if he got the others, they would never find him in time... if at all.

“Ace!” let his ears twitch “Ace, how is your mother!?” the unicorn's head rose again, while his friend got distance between them “- whats the matter, Ace!? Tell me, how's she doing!?” the earth pony gave another look behind “I heard she eats to much hay, is that true!?” and then ran for it, chased by a blue unicorn.

The earthpony flew through the air, slid about two meters and bumped “-ugh!” painfully against the jagged walls. The unicorn followed right after, but walking on its own – the horn still charged, while the storm kept blowing into the room. Tenet sat up, while feeling numb pain on his frozen flank “-you... a-are you out of y-our mind!?” it shouted towards Swift-Move, which slammed the door shut, to then turn at him “Mind your own business and keep your hooves out of mine!”

“What!? You s-stubborn mule wouldn't have moved otherwise! - you would be buried!”

The magicians hoof got up to his face, clenching his eyes in order to focus “Listen: I didn't ask you for your help...” his head was buzzing like a swarm of bees “... just get warmed up and... forget about it”. Wet cloth was quickly removed and thrown near the oven, which he light up with a spark of magic “Just forget about it...” he mourned one more time, getting further into the mountain, but not without a “I sure will – next time!” thrown after.

Meanwhile, a welcome guessed arrived next to the pegasus, finding comfort under his wing, letting eyes wandering over their creation. A cold snout. Lose wires as tail... down to clunky hooves and one more time up to rigid ears.

Chitchat had turned into a dream, which would become a thought and at first: nothing more than an odd hobby to pass the bedtime hours. Sketches were made on napkins and a kid's toy became space-holder, till they would figure out the first measurements. Tenet was used as a template for the first blueprint since Jack wouldn't hold still. He was ticklish. A blurred blueprint was drawn. Too many numbers had been swapped around, so Muse had to draw it again... and ran out of space. Initial she split it into five pieces. Soon it would be over forty. A hoof-sized pewter figure was presented. Scale and proportions were right, making the four realize, what ridiculous task they had taken on. The day after Sledge presented a headpiece, causing utterly silence. Concerns rose, while bits and space became an issue. The forge was sold, to find someplace safe. A unicorn was hired. Progress stagnated, it wouldn't move. About three forty in the morning, Muse shook it out of his sleep, talking nonsense. Jack and Tenet moved in. They now were a group of five.

“... he is so much bigger” it whispered upwards.

A thoughtful nod was given “... we should re-scale it then, to fit your blueprints”.

The white hoof nudged his side, a gentle smile, leaning at his side, as the smile got bright when the others came in.

They looked rough. Traces of snow stuck in their fur, the manes covered with ice-crystals and the tails almost stiff. Every step left a puddle behind, while their body's still shook in order to get warm again. Their soaked cloth had been left behind in the entrance and replaced with dry towels hanging around their necks.

“We are glad you arrived. I hope the travel wasn't too strenuous?” they were greeted, while Jack provided some self distilled coffee. Hot, without any of that bitter aftertaste.

Swift-Move sat down on his flanks, taking zips from the levitating cup at his side, while ignoring the hopping chemist. He wasn't in the mood to exchange empty phrases with any of them.

Tenet took the cup with a thankful nod, feeling the brew running down it's sides, but didn't bother. Sticky hooves were the least of his problems. “... we are alright” rushing down half the cup, but clenching eyes and jaw right after “C-crap...” he caught, since boiling coffee didn't mix to well with cold insides.

Muse couldn't else to pull a frown, whispering something to her husband, which - to her surprise - shook his head slightly, before turning to the rest of the group and speaking up “... since we are all re-united, I would like to start, by thanking all of you... for your hard work” as he turned from one pony to the next, starting with the brown “Thank you...” to the green “Thank you” which shyly turned red “Thank you” this one kept its frown, but the last one made up for it “... and thank you” it whispered the last time.

The group had plenty reason to be proud; smiling and congratulate each other, one of which joyfully hopping in place, while others took it with more dignity.

Creating something from thin air... spending years to make it real... - this meant a lot of sacrifice and sleepless nights. Anger been thrown around, whenever something wasn't going to work, letting the project become ubiquitous. Be it during a common lunch, while trotting through the ever same hallway's... or even, when they tried to get away for a while, taking a visit to the valley. It always was already there. It might never be different.

“The sum of our talent's has become more, than any of us...” the pegasus announced one more time ”... and that's why I have one more thing to say: If everything is going according to plan – and I have no doubt it will... I will take this project...” as his wing made a complimentary gesture “... and entrust it to the Royal-Administrative.”

“You... what!?” was just one of many comments and questions going through the room.

“We were working our hooves off and that's what you come up with!? First thing: slapping a ribbon on it and giving it away!?”

“That's what its made for and that's what's going to happened.”

“I kinda thought we keep him, don't we? – he's a good listener! A bit taciturn, but I don't mind!”

“Alright with me.”

“Oh shut up -nopony asked you...” the hoof pointed at shoulder-shrugging “... what made you think that's okay excluding us like that!?”

“The question is, what you think would happen?” his wife threw in “... I thought we all knew what this is all ab-” Sledge interrupted her “Our work here is done. This project has eventually become too big for us to handle. It isn't just a question of bits or nerves at this point; but time. Even if we cut the process in half, we still would take another decade to get the necessary numbers” Sledge got up in order to face Tenet, which eyes were wandering through the room. It seemed that the others were quite accepting about the situation and then, there was this gray hoof offered to him “I'm not asking you as a leader, but i'm asking you, as your friend.”

Author's Note:

Shesh... i couldn't imagine climbing a hill in the deepest winter... brrrrr!
I barely manage to leave my bed in the morning and its near summer >.<
There is nothing cozier than your own bed! *crawls back under the blanket... gahh...*