> 366 Hours
>  by Dandereshy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Train Wreck
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"The past is an old armchair in the attic, the present an ominous ticking sound, and the future is anybody's guess."
-James Thurber



0 Hours


The constant rattle of metal on metal and the wobbling of the cars on the tracks began to pester Blue Seas. He wasn't used to taking the train; this trip would wreak havoc on him if it continued to annoy him as such. It was unfortunate that he forgot to pack something to do.

He sat alone in the right rear corner of the fifth car from the engine, staring out at the empty, endless expanses of the Frozen North. Forests layered the valleys, where streams snaked through off to the coast hundreds of miles away. In the background, the mountains soared like jagged teeth above the tundra, snow-capped and magnificent. A fresh layer of powdery snow covered the land as far as the eye could see. It was overcast, but there was no precipitation.

Blue sighed heavily and folded his forelegs across his chest, laying back to relax a little. Perhaps he could catch some sleep instead of watching the world flash by outside the window. Besides, the windows were fogging up, as it was fairly cold outside.

He closed his eyes and imagined working on the largest luxury cruise ship to ever grace the waves: the Unicorn of the Seas.

The job offer came after he graduated from a school of higher learning in Vanhoover. After he finished school, he landed a job as a gem miner up in the Crystal Mountains. It was hard work and long days, sometimes even dangerous, but the pay was good. He lived in a temporary residence in the beautiful Crystal Empire.

A few days ago, he received a letter in the mail that informed him he qualified to work aboard the glorious new cruise ship that would be making its maiden voyage from Horseshoe Bay. Similar letters had apparently been sent all over Equestria, as the need for almost 700 crew members was urgent. The ship was a mere week from setting sail, and they still needed more than 300 crew members. Obviously, pay was much better there, so Blue made the wise choice and accepted the offer, which led him to where he was now.

Except, he wished it wasn't a two-and-a-half day train ride.

Off to his left, an old mare coughed and sputtered, wrapped up in several layers of coats and scarves. It was clear she had a cold, but apparently had not a clue about how not to spread it. Blue was glad he wasn't in the crosshairs.

Other than her, the rest of the car was hardly occupied. There was a mother unicorn with her two fillies, a bulky stallion earth pony with glasses, and a mare pegasus. The 30-pony capacity was definitely not reached in this car. Even the rest of the cars were sparsely populated. This part of Equestria just didn't see that much traffic.

Blue looked back out the window and saw his reflection. He was an ordinary pegasus with a steel-blue coat and a midnight-blue and dark grey mane. His cobalt eyes appeared tired, and rightfully so. The excitement had caused him a couple nights of sleeplessness; tossing and turning for hours before dozing off for a mere hour or two.

Beyond his reflection, he noticed the  change in elevation. They were heading up the side of a mountain, a glorious valley with an endless forest gracing every inch all the way to the horizon, a carpet of deep green and pure white. Never had he seen such beauty, even after having worked up in the Crystal Mountains. This land was awe-inspiring.

The train rocked back and forth, bringing back the knot in Blue's stomach. He didn't like the motion of the train, which he'd have to get used to. The cruise ship would certainly be worse.

He laid back, closing his eyes. That nap seemed welcoming, so that's what he would do.





Fluttershy sat near the front of the car, enjoying a steaming cup of tea and admiring the gorgeous landscape outside as they passed through, on the way to Ponyville. She made this trip once a year to see the polar bears and various other far northern animals she couldn't observe in nature down in Ponyville. This was her fifth trip, and it had gone better than any before.

This year, she'd had the pleasure of meeting a pack of grey wolves. They were by far the most adorable, friendly wolves she'd ever had the pleasure of spending a whole day with.

Besides that, the trip was worth it from the experience alone. Even if she hadn't met the wolves, being out in nature warmed her heart nonetheless and kept her coming back every year.

As the train lurched up a steep mountain, Fluttershy thought about her plans for when she got home. Discord would likely be waiting, as she employed him to watch over her cottage in her absence. He agreed, only if she'd watch over his place while he visited a friend for a couple days. She hesitantly agreed.

Twilight also needed to talk with her about a potential problem. Just before she left, Twilight stopped by Fluttershy's cottage and informed her that they'd need to talk whenever she returned. She spared the details, so Fluttershy had no clue what this problem might be.

The return home would be busy, but the trip was worthwhile. Memories were made, and she succeeded in finally spending time with some wolves in their natural habitat.

Fluttershy set her tea on the little table before her, up against the wall of the front of the train. The steep angle of the train ascending the mountain caused the cup to slowly slide towards her. She snatched it up before it fell over the side and onto the floor, and decided to just hold it in her lap. She took another sip and returned her attention to the scenic views outside.





The feeling of weightlessness jolted Blue Seas from his slumber. At first, he thought is was just part of his dream, but as he awoke and scanned the car, he realized they were falling.

Everything was happening so fast... 
The sounds of crunching metal and glass, ear-piercing screams, and deafening thumps from the car rolling down the mountain at an insane rate of speed convinced Blue that this might be the end.

He tried to stay airborne, avoiding the barrage of debris being tossed around the cabin. He could see other ponies getting thrown around like ragdolls, with one of them suddenly appearing to be sucked through a window. Blue cried out in horror, but was cut off by a large suitcase bashing him in the back of his head.

The last thing he remembered, the last thing he saw before losing consciousness, was the inside of the car looking like a tornado. He felt his mind slip away as his eyes closed,  the sounds and feelings of terror fading away to blackness and quiescence.






2 Hours


Blue's eyes sprang open. He felt a heavy weight on his leg, and a burning heat off to his left.

Although dizzy, he sat up and tried to make out his surroundings. It was definitely the inside of the train car, but dented up, and on fire. The front side was engulfed in flames, which roared closer and closer, consuming the seats. One of those seats had come loose and now lay across his leg, which was pinned between it and the side of the cabin he lay on. It was on fire, nearly halfway ablaze.

Blue gasped and whimpered, his back, right wing, and leg causing him excruciating pain. He had to get the seat off him and escape the train before he too was engulfed in a fiery tomb.

With a grunt, Blue pushed the seat off his leg, inch by inch. His side screamed with searing pain, but he ignored it. There would be more pain if he didn't get out of there fast.

The train groaned and shifted, sending burning debris falling around and on him like a hellish rain. With the seat out of his way, he grit his teeth and slid to the nearest window, which faced directly up into the darkening sky.

Blue felt shards of glass from the edges of the window cutting into his skin and tearing at his flesh, but once again, the wounds weren't going to slow him down. If he let them get to him, he'd burn to death, and that was not a fun way to die.

Once he got out onto the side of the train car, he scanned the area. He was at the foot of the mountain, the entire train crumpled up and resting on its side. Several cars were destroyed beyond recognition, and others, like his, were up in flames. Debris littered the snow, along with what he hoped weren't the bodies of fellow passengers.

Blue took a deep breath, gagging at the scent of burning flesh wafting through the air with the smoke that billowed from the burning cars. He crawled to the bottom edge of the car and fell over, hitting the snowy ground and yelling several expletives as he felt the bones in his already injured wing crunch under his weight.

He lay there, gasping for breath and fighting the urge to pass out from the pain that surged through his body. His vision had returned, but was now burning from the smoke and blurred by the tears that now welled up in them.

He began pulling himself from the wreckage, using his forelegs to drag himself towards a group of trees nearby. Getting away from the burning cars was his goal now.

As he slowly crept away from the remains of the train, he had to avoid the debris scattered about. Twisted metal, burning plastic and wood, and sprinkles of razor-sharp glass made his escape from the train feel more like a journey through a maze. He was unable to avoid the damaging pieces entirely, and ended up with several new wounds.

Once he made it to the tree line, he spun around on his back and laid against the trunk of a large aspen. He lay there, catching his breath and  staring blankly at the train cars. His mind was unable to process this. It seemed unreal. There was no way he was here, lying in the snow, watching his ride to Baltimare burn.

But this was all too real, as the pain in every part of his body reminded him. And now, he was stranded in the middle of the Frozen North.

A cry for help startled him. It came from the next car up from his; the sound of muffled crying made him question whether he should try to get further away, or check the wreckage for survivors. After another plea for help, he decided his conscience wouldn't allow him to sit there and let ponies die while he fled to safety.

It took every ounce of effort he had to get to his hooves. His body practically begged him to lay back down, to rest, but not now he couldn't. The last thing he wanted was the haunting screams of ponies burning alive on his mind while he fought for survival until rescued.

He finally stood, but he was weak. His body shook as he felt the cold air blowing around him, wafting the flames and blowing snow around. The wind had picked up, and it was clear that a storm was moving in, as the sky darkened not from time of day, but from threatening, low clouds invading the sky above him. Nighttime was not far, either.

He took a step in the direction of the cries for help. They were growing quieter, which only meant one thing: he had to hurry. Every step made him clench his teeth, but he couldn't give up.

He made it to the fourth car from the engine, which was mostly in flames, but somehow intact. It had disconnected from the fifth car, allowing Blue space to enter the car from the door. Much to his surprise, it opened without any problems.

Smoke billowed from the open door, sending Blue backwards as he tried to steer clear of the burning it would cause his eyes and lungs. He waited until the smoke eased up, if even a little, before peeking into the sideways car to find the source of the voice.

The car was trashed on the inside. Most of the seats had come loose and been thrown around. They lay scattered about randomly, along with bags and other things passengers had brought on. Near the left corner of the room was what appeared to be a pony curled up in a fetal position, with their face covered by their forelegs in an attempt to keep smoke out of their eyes and lungs.

Blue hesitated, unsure what to do. "Hello? Are you okay?" he called out to them, his voice cracking.

Whoever they were didn't respond, but they did move a little. Blue took a deep breath. He'd have to go in and get them before they succumbed to smoke inhalation. He took another gulp of clean air before surging into the car, going straight to the pony in the corner.

They were barely clinging to consciousness, but when they became aware of Blue attempting to drag them towards the exit, they clung to his waist, wrapping their forelegs around him and holding him painfully tight.

He ignored that pain and delivered them to safety, just outside the door to the car. He propped them up against the side and stood there, uncertain of what to say or do. He watched them, sitting on his haunches and breathing heavily.

The pony he'd just rescued was a gray stallion earth pony. His body was almost obscured by black soot from the fire, so Blue was unsure if they had injuries. The pony also hadn't spoken a word or even looked at him, which concerned him even more. If he was injured, Blue would have to get him further from the train and tend to his wounds. But if there was this pony, there were more.

"Stay here. I'm going to the next car up to look for survivors," Blue said, holding back just a few seconds, waiting for a response. But the pony just sat there, his chest heaving with each breath. At least Blue knew he was alive.

Limping around the flames and debris, Blue approached the next car up with caution. This car was completely engulfed in flames, which shot out of every window up into the sky like curtains of glowing orange. Whoever was trapped inside was probably dead, and there wasn't much use in endangering himself trying to remove the lost.

Up to the next car, which lay propped on one end up against the mountain, Blue saw the bodies of two ponies lying in the snow. He felt his heart sink and trudged towards them. He had to make sure they were dead. If they weren't, he'd drag them over to the area of trees and figure out what to do from there.

The first pony lay sprawled out, facedown. They had scorch marks on their back and hind legs, and what appeared to be shrapnel embedded on one side of their abdomen and back. Blue winced upon seeing the wounds. After checking their pulse, he concluded they were DOA.

Moving to the next victim, Blue almost didn't need to check their pulse. They were missing part of their skull, with tufts of hair and chunks of brain matter drooling out of the wound. Blue fought the urge to vomit and quickly fled the area to the next car.

The final car before the engine, this one had the most passengers it seemed. There were four ponies within eyesight, lying around the train in various places, while the mangled car was split open wide enough to see three more ponies.

The engine was completely ablaze, so he decided not to bother looking in it. His priority was to check the passengers in and around the first car.

Each of the ponies outside the train had severe trauma and injuries, and so he declared them deceased. Once he crawled through the opening in the car, he discovered the bodies of two mares, a stallion, and a foal. He left the train, eyes watery and heart aching.

The wreckage was mostly cleared, except the back three cars, but the caboose was full of bags and luggage, so there was no need to check there for survivors. 

On the way back towards the rear cars, Blue noticed a yellow ball lying up against a tree off near the forest. His curiosity piqued, he went over to investigate. As he got closer, he realized it was a pony. He rushed over as fast as he could, as the pony was on fire. If they were alive, they wouldn't be long if he didn't put the flames out. 

He immediately began tossing snow on the body, kicking and shoving it upon them in hopes it would snuff out the fire. To his relief, it succeeded after a couple seconds. He rolled the body over, checking it out for wounds and a pulse.

The yellow pegasus mare was alive, but her pulse was weak. She had a couple visible injuries, but none that looked life-threatening. Blue grunted in discomfort as he knelt down, sliding her onto his back and carrying her over where the other pony still sat, clutching his head and crying.

Blue set the mare down gently in the snow, up against the train. "Hey," he croaked at the stallion, "we need to move away from the train. Can you move by yourself, or do you need help?"

To his surprise, the stallion spoke up. His voice was barely understandable, but he got the gist of it: he could move himself.

Blue took a deep breath and let it out, preparing for the pain that would accompany carrying the mare over to the edge of the woods where they'd recuperate and figure out what to do next. He got down low and pulled the mare up onto his back, her legs dangling off the sides of his body.

It took him everything he had to shuffle through the snow over to the trees. It felt as though his body were a balloon and his energy was draining through a pinhole. At this rate, he'd be too exhausted to even stand.

The stallion he'd pulled from the wreckage staggered behind him all the way to safety, mumbling incoherently. Blue couldn't make out anything he was saying, and so he gave up on trying. He couldn't blame them, though. He felt like doing the same.

The deeper woods further away would likely be their next destination, but they couldn't stray too far from the wreckage; first rule of survival is never leave the wreck. It would be the first place rescuers checked for survivors. If they left, trying to find their way to help, their chances of getting lost, injured, or dying went drastically up.

Blue set the mare up against a tree, her head propped up with her own saddlebags, which Blue used to keep her upright. Her pink mane was tangled and burned in places, but it was better that than her body, which luckily hadn't been burning.

Finally drained, Blue collapsed with a groan, feeling the pain begin to worsen. The adrenaline was wearing off quickly; soon, the pain would be unbearable.

Off to his right, the stallion had fallen face-first in the snow, unmoving. Fearing he'd just given up the ghost, Blue began to slide over to him, but the stallion suddenly jumped up, screaming bloody murder and scaring the daylights out of Blue, who scrambled back over to the tree, his heart racing.

"What the fuck," Blue breathed, panting heavily. "Are you okay?"

The stallion wobbled, falling again. He lay there and gasped, twitching and moaning. He was clearly not okay. He finally turned onto his back and covered his eyes. "M-my head... uhhh..."

Great, head trauma, Blue thought to himself, shaking his head. He had basic medical emergency knowledge, but he was no brain surgeon. If this stallion had injuries to his brain, there was nothing he could do for him. "Your head? What's wrong with it? Does it hurt?"

"It's gonna explode!" the stallion cried, flailing around and nearly burying himself in the snow. He stopped and began panting loudly, his breaths sounding labored and wheezy.

Blue sighed and crawled over to the stallion with caution, hoping another outburst wouldn't send him back over to the tree. He came to his side and examined his injuries.

With his body mostly covered in soot, it was hard to tell. But it couldn't mask the massive gash on the left side of his face and head, just below the ear. Blue couldn't tell how deep it was, but he knew it was deep enough to need medical attention.

"Hey, I'm gonna go to the train and get some supplies. Don't go anywhere. Stay over here with her," Blue said patting his arm and motioning to the unconscious mare just a few feet away. He stood with effort and went back to the train, walking along the side back towards the caboose.

Inside, all the luggage had been tossed around, some having busted open and spilled their contents. He'd be hard pressed to find what he needed, but he didn't have much choice.

Blue began looking for basic necessities: toilet paper or paper towels, regular towels, sowing kit, alcohol, blankets, coats, and any kind of analgesics. Since he was also aware of the possibility of broken bones, he also searched for anything that could be used as a tourniquet, splint, and bandages. His own wing would need a splint to help it heal properly or he'd never fly again.

Miraculously, Blue found everything he needed, including a whole medi-kit. It had enough supplies to use on three of four ponies. He packed everything into a large dufflebag and limped back over to the trees where the other two ponies were.

"Where the hell did you go?" Blue growled like an animal, dropping the bag and searching the area with his eyes. He didn't see the stallion, but he did notice the tracks leading out into the woods. "For fuck's sake."

Rather than risk getting lost, Blue decided not to follow him in hopes that he'd come back. In the meantime, he went to the mare to tend to her injuries.

He flipped her on her back and pulled her hind legs straight, resting her forelegs on either side of her body. Her head lay propped up against her saddlebags still, so he started checking for wounds there.

He brushed her mane aside and scanned her face, looking for abrasions, cuts, or burns. Her face and head escaped unscathed, it seemed. Blue also couldn't help but notice how familiar she looked, like he'd seen her before. That was irrelevant for the matter and hand, so he moved down and began checking her forelegs, chest and abdomen, and her wings.

Just as he'd expected, she had a few minor cuts, which he used a bottle of vodka to help disinfect and clean out dirt and debris. Normally, using alcohol of any kind on wounds was frowned upon, since it can actually harm tissues and delay healing, but there wasn't sufficient wound care in the medi-kit, so he resorted to the old trick of using liquor as an antiseptic. It was better than not cleaning the wound at all.

Her wings both seemed to be in working order, but her left had a bit of a crook in it. It didn't feel broken, which meant it might have fractures of some kind. To be on the safe side, Blue placed a splint and bandages on the wing. Better safe than sorry.

He checked her lower body and legs, but avoided anywhere he might not be welcome; if she had injuries there, she would have to tend to them herself. Besides that, she was in the clear.

Exhausted yet again, Blue collapsed in the snow beside the mare, resting up against the tree. Something was stealing his energy, it felt like. Or perhaps it was just because he was overworking himself. At least it was in good faith.

Glancing up to the sky, he noticed small flakes beginning to fall around, fluttering as they descended to form a new layer of snow. The sky was getting darker, the clouds rolling in looking like a menacing, boiling cauldron.

They couldn't stay out in the snow. They had to get inside and stay warm. Frostbite and hypothermia would happen quicker than they could stop it if they stayed out in the weather.

Blue staggered to his hooves and gathered all the supplies, running them to the caboose and setting them just inside the dented up entry. He rushed back and swept up the mare, carrying her on his back to the car and setting her down on some blankets he'd laid out. Hopefully soon she'd come to. It'd be easier to determine if she had internal injuries, since she could describe to him any pain she felt.

As for the stallion who fled into the woods - well, Blue just hoped that they came back soon. If they didn't, Celestia have mercy on them.

The caboose was mildly damaged, with most of the windows except two near the entry intact, and had hardly any holes from the fall. In fact, it appeared as though the caboose hadn't fallen at all -- from the deep gouges on the mountainside, the caboose miraculously slid upright the whole way down. Even more surprisingly, the door still shut. Blue closed it and sat beside the mare, leaning back on some luggage. It wasn't the most comfortable way to sleep, but he desperately needed it. It would have to do for now.

With the winter storm winds picking up outside, whistling around the train cars and trees, Blue closed his eyes and fell asleep.






14 Hours


Blue jerked awake, feeling pressure on his chest. He came face to face with a curious and concerned mare, staring down at him as she applied something to his chest. Realizing it was the mare he'd rescued, he relaxed and sat back with a deep, drawn-out breath.

"It's okay. I'm sorry I disturbed your sleep," she said softly, cleaning the small cuts on his chest and belly from when he escaped the train through the window. "I just figured I'd return the favor, assuming you were the one who'd gotten me out and tended to my injuries..."

"You don't owe me anything," Blue told her, wincing as she placed an alcohol-soaked rag on the gash on his thigh. "Gah... but yeah, I found and cleaned you up the best I could."

She sighed. "Thank you... But it's not about owing you, it's about helping you because... you saved me..." Her disheveled mane fell over her face, concealing it.

Blue swallowed hard, trying not to cry out from the burning sensation on his leg. His body was going rigid involuntarily. "I... just did what I thought was right. There were others I couldn't get out..."

"Don't blame yourself for that. You did what you could," the mare chastised him, wrapping his leg wound with the roll of gauze from the medi-kit. Maybe Blue was imagining it, but she had this very motherly aura to her.

He tried to sit up, but the mare planted a hoof on his chest and gently shoved him back. "I've gotta get that other guy. He ran into the woods."

The mare shook her head. "You can't. There's a terrible storm ongoing. It wouldn't be a good idea to go out there..." She set the roll of gauze aside and checked her work, making sure it was all dressed properly. "And you're in no shape to be chasing anypony down, either."

"Thanks, but I'm not worried about me."

"Well I am," she replied sternly, putting the supplies away. "I'll help you find him when the storm lets up. We should stay in here for now and try to stay warm."

She had a fair point. Blue decided it was better not to argue with her and changed the subject. "I didn't catch your name. I'm Blue Seas." He stuck out his hoof to her.

She hesitantly took it, barely touching and shaking it. "I'm Fluttershy."

Fluttershy... "I know you. You're one of the Element Bearers."

She nodded and sat on her haunches, looking almost sadly out the nearest window. "Yeah..."

Blue knew he'd seen her somewhere before. She was an Element Bearer,  which made her a priority to keep alive and well. "In that case, I can't let anything happen to you. You're far too important."

"I'm not anymore important than anypony else," she disagreed, furrowing her eyebrows at him.

"But you are. If something happens to you, there'll be one less Element of Harmony. And if I recall correctly, there needs to be all six for the Elements to work. So, as I said, you're my top priority," Blue explained, hoping to close the case.

Fluttershy said nothing more, returning her attention to the snow falling almost horizontally outside. Blue followed her gaze and marveled at the intensity of the storm. He hoped it let up soon, or they'd never make it out of here. Not only that, but the caboose was growing colder, and the blankets would soon be unhelpful. There were only three, so they'd have to most likely share, which didn't seem like it would settle well with this mare he hardly knew.

Fluttershy went back over and curled up against the wall, pulling the blanket over herself and shivering. Her teeth began to chatter audibly. Blue felt bad for her, but he was in the same boat.

Outside, the storm howled and went on, never letting up. The snow fell so hard, it was impossible to see anything but white.

Blue also had no idea how long he'd been asleep, as it was daylight. When he'd fallen asleep, it was just beginning to get dark. "Fluttershy... how long have you been awake?"

She looked up at him, thinking. "Hmm... Maybe a few hours? I was scared and confused when I first woke up. I don't really have a good judge of time for then..."

"That's fine," Blue said. "I'm just worried about what day it is."

"I'm not sure," she admitted, averting her eyes.

"Also fine. It doesn't matter, anyways. We just need to stay alive until help arrives." Blue pulled his blanket higher, giving a shiver. "Whenever that is..."

Fluttershy turned onto her side and curled up, trying to stay warm. It was all either of them could do until the storm ended or let up enough to gather some firewood.

Sensing that she might want some sleep, Blue fell silent, listening to the storm and thinking deeply. If he didn't have his hooves full before he knew who she was, he did now.

She was an Element. This complicated things, and quite badly. She may downplay her importance, but Blue knew otherwise. He could not, under any circumstances, let harm come to her. Without her, there was no harmony. That was his understanding of how the Elements of Harmony worked, anyways.

He looked over at her. She was already fast asleep, the blanket rising and falling with each of her slow breaths. But she didn't appear comfortable. She was frowning, gritting her teeth and shaking every now and then. He guessed she was cold or in pain. Or both.

Blue sighed and stood, taking his blanket off. He quietly walked up to her and laid the blanket over her body, pulling it up to her neck. "Sleep well," he whispered. He turned and went back over to the window, peering out into the snow, keeping an eye out for the lost passenger.





Fluttershy felt a sudden warmth - a warmth so good, it felt as though she'd been teleported to a tropical getaway. It was enough to wake her from her somehow peaceful slumber. She sat up and realized she had an extra blanket... Blue's blanket.

Blue was standing off by the window, seemingly entranced by something outside. He was facing away from her, so she couldn't see his face.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to protest the giving up of his blanket, but thought better of it. It was a kind gesture that was only meant to help her. While he would likely suffer, it was still above freezing in the car, so he wouldn't succumb to hypothermia or anything else dangerous. She wouldn't let him.

She sat back and pulled the blankets back up to her chin, cozying up. She had no idea what time is was, as they'd discussed earlier, but it didn't matter. She was cold, tired, and sore. She just wanted to forget about everything and rest.

She let her eyes flutter shut and imagined herself at home, drinking a nice, hot cup of tea, relaxing with not a care in the world. With that, she didn't have to wait long for sleep to come.






20 Hours


Blue awoke with a start, rubbing his eyes groggily and feeling the stiff pain through his body. "Ugh... what a shitty way to wake up..."

He heard a little gasp from nearby and looked over, seeing Fluttershy eating something from a paper plate. She had a look of bewilderment and was staring directly at him.

"Did... I do something wrong?" Blue asked, feeling a bit confused as to why he was getting that look from her. He tried to sit up more but his back and sides weren't having it.

"I don't like that language..." she replied, letting her gaze fall back down to her food, which she hungrily took a bite of.

Blue rolled onto his side and grunted, a tearing pain erupting from his ribs and back. "Ahhhhh... Then make this pain go away... Dammit..."

Fluttershy quickly set her plate aside and rushed to him, wrapping a foreleg around him and helping him to his hooves. Blue graciously thanked her as she went back to her food.

"What's that you're eating?" Blue asked, limping stiffly over to her and eyeing her plate. He felt his stomach growl.

Fluttershy smiled meekly up at him. "I, uh, found some halved pears in a can lying around so I opened it..."

Blue nodded. "Okay. Did you happen to see any more? Or perhaps, food in general?"

"Now that you mention it, I believe there's a loaf of bread back there. It's kinda squished though," she warned him, nibbling on a pear slice and pointing a hoof down towards the other end of the caboose.

Blue stared down at the other side, feeling his heart sink. There was a mountain of luggage lying around. In his current state, he'd never be able to get over there, get food, and come back. "Hey, um, would you mind going back there and getting it for me when you're done? I don't think I'll make it. I need to sit down..." he said, his legs nearly giving out as he found a piece of luggage to sit on. He cringed and rubbed his sides tenderly.

"Not a problem at all," she replied, setting her plate on the floor, standing, and crawling over the luggage to the back.

Blue watched curiously, admiring the mare for her kindness. He could've waited until after she was done eating, and so could she, but she still went and did it the moment he asked. No wonder she was the Element of Kindness.

Once she came back over the mountain of luggage, she handed him a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread. "I found some peanut butter, too. You won't have to eat plain old bread now."

Blue smiled gratefully and took the foods from her. "Hey, thanks. I really appreciate it."

"No need to thank me. We're helping each other now, so everything we do is expected. It's going to be hard to... survive... without doing stuff for each other when we need it." She sat back down where she was before and resumed eating.

She made a good point. Blue sat with effort and unscrewed the lid to the peanut butter. He tore open the bread and got himself a few slices, scooping out a little peanut butter on each. The protein would certainly be helpful given the circumstances.

"So, um, where are you coming from?" Fluttershy asked, breaking the momentary silence.

Blue looked up at her, shoving a piece of bread in his mouth. "Frum Crishtal Empar."

Fluttershy gave a little chuckle. "I understand, but you shouldn't talk with your mouth full." Then she took another nibble of the pear on her plate.

Blue swallowed hard and smiled with embarrassment, feeling his face grow hot. Wouldn't be the first time a mare didn't agree with his methods. It probably explained why he was still single. "Yeah, sorry. I just didn't want to disrespect you by not answering."

She shook her head. "It's not disrespectful to wait until you're done chewing, silly." Finished with her food finally, she set the plate aside and smiled over at him, waiting for a reply.

How could she be so happy in a time like this? But again, she had a point. 2-Fluttershy, 0-Blue. "Uh, yeah. I guess. Sorry about that," he apologized, scratching the back of his head. "I'm not used to the company of a mare. I'm a bit uncivilized."

"Oh, I don't think you are. It's okay, let's just talk about something else," she suggested, glancing around the train car for something.

"Alright. I don't think the storm will be over any time soon," Blue began, taking the moment to stuff his face again while she replied. The growl and pangs of hunger in his stomach slowly went away.

"Yeah, I think you're right. What do we do?"

"There's nothing we can do," Blue replied factually after he finished chewing. "We're sitting ducks."

"Yeah..." Fluttershy stared at the floor, her expression revealing a bit of discomfort with that reality. Blue didn't blame her.

Not wanting his company to feel depressed and hopeless, Blue decided to mention the good news. "On the bright side, we're probably being looked for as we speak. A lost train that never showed up to its destination is quite the oddity. I'm sure we'll be found in the next day or so."

"But... trains only leave from the Crystal Empire once a week during the winter months. And during severe winter storms, they don't leave at all..." Her gaze fell upon the endless white outside the window.

If she kept this up, Blue couldn't keep up score. "Have faith. A missing train is more than enough reason to go out looking, regardless of the weather conditions." Blue polished off a fourth slice of bread and wrapped the remaining bread up, screwing the lid back on the peanut butter. "In any case, I think we'll be fine. Don't worry too much."

"That's the thing, though. You think we'll be fine..." she said quietly, closing her eyes and sighing. Her whole body seemed to slouch suddenly.

Blue didn't know what else to do. He'd already explained how things would be. There was nothing else he could say to make her feel better. It was times like these that he felt useless. "We'll see how things turn out. In the meantime, let's focus on here and now. It's easier to manage emotions that way."

She gave a little nod, but said nothing. She sat there, staring at the floor, seemingly in grief. Blue half expected a tear to come rolling down her cheeks any moment now.

With nothing else to say or do, Blue set his food aside and clambered over to the window, peering out and seeking any signs of the stallion that had taken off after being rescued. It was impossible to tell. With the snow falling horizontally, he couldn't see more than a couple feet. The world was a mass of white.

Wherever that stallion was, Blue hoped death came quickly and painlessly.
> "What now?"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


66 Hours


Morning rolled around quickly. It was at least the third day since the accident, and only now was the weather clearing up. All at once, the snow stopped falling, and the wind stopped blowing. This was their opportunity to make a move.

Blue was the first to leave the caboose. The snow piled up against the door in a massive, rump-high drift. He could hardly get the door open, but managed to succeed after a few moments of struggling. He stumbled outside and glanced around, squinting.

Behind him, Fluttershy peeked out, slowly stepping outside to join him.

The sky was solid grey, the sun obscured but occasionally shining through for a couple glorious seconds. But it would quickly be overcome by the low stratus clouds rolling through, remnants of the powerful winter storm.

With well over a foot of fresh snow on the ground, their progress would be seriously inhibited. The act of merely walking was now going to be a struggle. Take into account their injuries, fatigue, and hopelessness, and you had a recipe for giving up.

Blue sighed heavily, glancing around at the frozen, bitterly cold landscape. A cloud of vapor obsured his view every time he exhaled.

He couldn't honestly see them going anywhere. Where was there to go, anyways? It was pure nature out here; they were all alone.

"Blue?"

He looked back at Fluttershy, who wore an expression of deep concern. She probably knew they were in a bad situation. She probably had the exact same thoughts that he'd just had.

"Yeah? What's wrong?" he asked gently, trying not to let his worry show.

Fluttershy glanced off into the woods. "That other pony never came back... and he's been out in the storm for days..."

Blue swallowed hard. "I know." He turned to face the woods with her. "He's gone."

She shook her head. "We don't know that. We can't just give up. We should go out and-"

"Fluttershy, nopony can survive three days in a winter storm like that. He's dead."

Fluttershy gasped. "How could you say such a thing?" She glared at him. "We need to go find him. He's out there somewhere. Scared and lonely. And definitely cold."

Blue sighed and turned to her. "Fluttershy, be realistic. He's been out in a winter storm without a jacket or blankets for three days, and he was injured Celestia knows how bad. He's gone. We can't risk our own well-being on somepony who's more than likely dead and gone. I'm sorry, but that's the truth and another fact of survival: recognize when somepony is lost and don't expend precious energy on them."

Fluttershy's eyes welled with tears and she burst into crying, spinning away from him and running back to the caboose, disappearing inside.

Blue sighed again, feeling like a piece of work. How could he be so insensitive about something so terrible? Of course he was right; the pony was most definitely lying dead somewhere. But he didn't have to he so brash towards Fluttershy about it. She was just being kind and hopeful. This is what he got for spending time with a bunch of rowdy stallions and never with mares; he had become insensitive.

He turned from the woods and trudged through the icy cold snow back to the caboose and slipped in, shutting the door with a clang behind him. Once inside, he found Fluttershy curled up on her blankets, sobbing softly into her forelegs. Blue felt a twinge of guilt; it was his fault she was crying. He went over and sat on his haunches beside her, unsure what to do. Console her? Apologize? Do nothing?

After a moment's hesitation, Blue placed a hoof gently on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy..."

She sat up, sniffling. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, her forelegs soaked. Blue felt like a complete jerk.

She wiped her eyes and sniffled again. "It's... it's okay. You were right. He's... gone..." She immediately fell back down, returning to her sobbing.

Blue's heart broke. This wasn't the situation for her. She didn't deserve it. "Hey. No crying. It's not your fault. If you want, when we go collect firewood, we can look for him. Okay?" he said softly, rubbing her shoulder consolingly. "And honestly, I completely understand your feelings on this. I..." Blue paused for a moment, trying not to picture the scene he was about to speak of. "I saw a mother and two foals dead after the crash. It... hurt to see. But we can't let grief control us. We're in a fight for survival now, and even though it's very sad that ponies were lost, there's nothing we can do for them now. But we can make sure we don't join them. Okay?"

Fluttershy glanced dolefully back up at him, breaking his heart again. "O-okay..." she stammered, sniffling loudly and wiping her nose. She stood up slowly and shakily. "When are we going to get firewood?"

Blue looked out the window. "I... guess sometime before dark. It would be better that way. Perhaps we should start after a bite to eat."

Fluttershy gingerly rubbed her stomach. "Good idea..."

Blue nodded and retrieved his food rations. Over the past couple days, they'd both managed to find more food, including fruits, vegetables, grains, snacks, and some bottled waters. None of it would last more than a week, but there was enough for them to survive until rescued, Blue hoped.

Fluttershy snacked on some crackers and cheese while Blue had himself a few pieces of fruit. They were careful not to consume too much; they'd need to save as much as they could, since they didn't know if they'd be rescued. Or when.

Blue packed his food and supplies into his saddlebags and waited for Fluttershy to finish packing hers. She didn't carry as much as he did, but she did have a few important things, including the medical kit. Blue decided to let her carry it along, as she seemed to know more about wound care. After they both finished getting ready, Blue lead the way out into the snow.

It was cold, but they could tell the temperature was going up. It probably wouldn't get above freezing, but with the fact that they'd be obtaining firewood, that wouldn't matter much. They'd be warm soon enough.

"This powdery snow is really annoying..." Fluttershy said, barely keeping up with Blue as they trudged into the trees. The snow was indeed powdery and dry, blowing around in the quiet, gentle breeze that occasionally blew through, sending glittering white dust from the trees down. It was a beautiful sight to behold, except they were both too busy trying to survive.

"I know," Blue called back to her, not slowing his pace. Time was of the essence. "We'll get our wood and be done for the day. It shouldn't take long."

"I hope not. I'm getting cold."

I know, Blue thought. I'll do what I can to warm us up. He continued on, finding a large brush pile amongst some dead-standing evergreens in a clearing. Their bark was peeling and hanging in jagged patches, their tops knocked out by the storm. The perfect wood for a fire.

"Is this it?" Fluttershy asked, glancing up and down the trees, looking uncertain.

Blue removed his saddlebags and set them in the snow beside her. "These are about as good as it gets. The wood in these trees is dry and brittle. It'll burn like kerosene."

"Oh, um. Okay. Can I help?"

"It's okay. I'll carry it in my saddlebags. I'll be able to carry more than you, anyways. Plus, you have the medical supplies. I don't want those damaged." Blue turned to the trees and approached them, the snow crunching loudly underhoof with each shuffling step he took. He immediately began breaking branches off and started a pile, stacking the wood up neatly until he achieved a decent little supply that would easily last them the night.

Fluttershy staggered closer, peering down at the pile. "Shouldn't we get more? That doesn't look like very much..." She furrowed her eyebrows and brought a hoof to her chin.

Blue snapped a small branch off the nearest tree and presented it to her. She took it hesitantly, holding it up and looking confused. "It's spruce. Um, is there something I'm missing?"

"Spruce is a good low heat wood," Blue began, breaking himself off a piece and examining it. "It will burn fairly quickly, but the heat it puts off will be lower, so we won't bake alive in that stuffy caboose." Then he turned and broke off another branch for a different tree nearby. He held it out to her.

"Alder?" she said, eyeing it then him.

He nodded. "Alder is a hardwood. What that means for us is that it will burn longer and hotter. The idea is to get a mix of hard and soft woods. You throw in the wood that burns quick to get the fire going. Then you toss in the hard woods to keep it going and retain the heat."

"Oh. Hmm," she hummed, studying the stick she held. "I suppose that makes sense."

"Basic survival," Blue said with a shrug.

"But do we have enough wood?"

Blue nodded again. "This will be enough for one night. We can always come back here tomorrow." He began packing the wood into his saddlebags.

Fluttershy gave a little sigh, catching Blue's attention. He stopped packing and looked up at her, seeing her looking off into the woods. Her eyes were darting around, as if searching for something.

"Are you okay?" Blue asked, following her gaze and seeing nothing.

She looked back at him. "What about... the other pony?"

"Oh, right..." Blue glanced down at his saddlebags. He'd almost forgotten about his promise to her. "Let me finish this and we'll go looking a little, okay?"

"Okay..."

Blue frowned. "You don't sound too enthusiastic for a mare that really wanted to look for this guy."

She sighed heavily. "I'm just... afraid..."

"Of?"

She remained silent for a few moments. "Of... of what we might find."

Blue finished packing and tossed his saddlebags on. "What do you mean?"

She glanced wearily at him, bags under her eyes. He probably had the same. "What if you're right? What if he's..."

Blue placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder and gave a single squeeze, gazing into her eyes. "Relax, okay? We'll search for him. We probably won't find anything at all, to be honest. He may have been... buried. By snow."

Fluttershy turned away, looking sick.

Blue decided not to delve further into that topic and instead motioned for her to follow him as he started the search, heading deeper into the woods.

The Engelmann Spruce trees, Red Cedar, Sitka Spruce, Alder, White Pine and Juniper trees surrounded them, towering overhead and soaring to heights of over 200 feet in some places. This was the land right before the stunted-growth tundra, so all the trees achieved their full height. However, some were missing tops from the frequent winter storms that blew through the area.

The snow amongst the trees was shallower, allowing for easier movement. Fluttershy and Blue attained a steady pace, scouring the woods in search for the missing stallion - or any traces left of him.

Overhead, the sky began to clear, much to their delight. The sun, low on the horizon, shone brilliantly against an azure blue sky, and the temperature started an upwards trend. Unfortunately, it still wasn't above freezing, making it dangerous to continue their search for more than an hour or two.

After an hour, Blue called it quits. The sun was beating a hasty retreat back towards the horizon, meaning dark would fall soon. At this time of the year this far north, the sun lasted merely a few hours before descending back out of view and allowing night to return.

They found nothing of the stallion. Any traces of him would likely have been buried by the storm. And if he'd expired, the snow may very well have buried him, as well. It wasn't worth the time and effort to continue searching; the guy was long gone, wherever he was.

The return to the caboose was quiet and uneventful. Fluttershy didn't want to talk, and Blue was feeling guilty. It began to dawn on him that it was his fault the stallion was gone. Had he stayed with him and Fluttershy, he wouldn't have strayed off into the woods. It was his own negligence that caused the stallion's demise.

Once they reached camp, Blue pushed aside his internal reflection and began the process of finding a place inside the caboose to safely burn the firewood.

Near the back of the car was a small space large enough for the wood to fit indented into the wall. It was made of steel or iron, but the side had a seam running all the way around, as if it could separate from the rest of the space.

Blue went outside and found where the space was, and indeed, it was able to be opened. A latch allowed him to prop it open to vent the gases and smoke burning the wood would put off, so they could safely remain inside the car and get warm.

After he got their new fireplace set up, he stacked some spruce wood up in it and poured some vodka all over it. Unfortunately, they didn't have access to starters, and all dried grasses were buried under snow, so the highest proof alcoholic beverage they had would have to work as one.

It went up in flames fairly easily, and not a second too soon. The sun had sunken below the treeline, casting them in darkness that only grew darker.

As the fire crackled to life, the cabin began to warm up significantly.

Blue sat on a large duffle bag near the fire, and Fluttershy curled up with a blanket beside him, sipping some tea she'd made using the fireplace and a teapot.

Blue started reading a book he found, trying hard to get his mind of the guilty thoughts plaguing him. He hadn't stopped thinking about how it was his fault the stallion was dead, neither had he told Fluttershy this for fear that she'd talk him out of it. Of course she'd tell him it wasn't his fault. But he knew the truth. The guy was dead, and Blue was to blame.

"Blue, I'm sorry to interrupt your book, but, um... you look distressed. Is something bothering you?" Fluttershy cocked her head up at him, knitting her eyebrows. The only light in the room came from the fire, which illuminated her face, highlighting her features.

Fluttershy is certainly a pretty mare, Blue found himself thinking suddenly as he met eyes with her. Then again, I think every mare is pretty just because I don't have one.

Blue let out a long breath and set the book aside. "Yeah, something's been bothering me all day now. I really didn't want to tell you, though."

"Forgive me for being nosy, but, why?" she asked, turning her body towatds him to give her full attention. She set her tea down on the floor beside her and returned her attention to him.

Blue rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well, I've been blaming myself for what happened to that stallion. I feel like it's my fault he ended up out there." He turned his head to the fire, gazing at it's licking, reaching flames.

"I... don't understand. Why would you think that was your fault?"

"I left him unattended," Blue replied, sighing. "He left because I wasn't there to stop him. He was injured, in need of attention, and I didn't stay and help him."

"Well, what were you doing then?"

"Looking for supplies to help you and him. Your injuries needed things I myself couldn't provide alone. So I went back to the wreckage seeking the materials to tend to your wounds."

"Blue," Fluttershy said in a soft, pleasant voice. "It's not your fault. You weren't off doing your own thing. You were still trying to help him, and me. You can't accuse yourself of being liable for his..." Her voice trailed off. "The point is, you're not responsible for whatever happened to him. You were trying to help him, even if you weren't there. He wandered off on his own. That wasn't your fault. Okay?"

Blue didn't really believe her. But at this point, there wasn't much use arguing. "Yeah, I guess so. I tried my best. Which, as it seems, is never good enough."

"That's not true either. You saved him and me, even if he went off somewhere. You did a great job." She placed a reassuring hoof on his foreleg, inciting him to meet her gaze.

He wondered how she retained equanimity despite all that's happened. Then again, somepony needed to. "Do you really believe that, or are you saying it to make me feel better?"

"I truly believe it, Blue. I wouldn't lie to you or anypony else."

A few moments of silence passed, with nothing but the crackle of the fire filling the car with its sounds.

Blue eventually took a deep breath and released it, turning away from her and snatching his book back up. "Well, I think I'll get back to this book. It was getting rather interesting. Thanks for the kind words, Fluttershy."

"No problem at all," she said with a smile, picking her tea back up and taking a quick sip, turning back to the fire. "If you don't mind me asking, what's your book about?"

Blue shifted a little. "It's about this stallion and this mare falling in love after they meet at a ball. So far it's pretty... romantic."

Fluttershy looked a bit uncomfortable. "Oh... well, I hope you continue to enjoy it. It sounds lovely." She didn't make eye contact with him, and instead gave her tea another ginger sip, staring at the fire.

Blue cleared his throat, sensing the discomfort, and directed his attention back to the book.





Blue found himself barely clinging to conciousness, the book he was reading on the floor in front of him, having fallen from his lap when he dozed off. 

A quick glance to his right showed him that Fluttershy was curled up under her blankets, fast asleep, her covers rising and falling slowly with her slow, heavy breaths. Her teacup lay on its side nearby, empty, thankfully.

Blue yawned and stretched, standing up. If he was going to join her in slumber, he'd need his own blankets. He went back over to his spot in the caboose and gathered his few blankets, returning to the fireplace. He pushed his duffle bag aside and laid out a blanket to sleep on, then curled up on it, pulling his blankets over himself and yawning again.

Today had been moderately successful. They'd gotten themselves a fire. Being cold was no longer a threat inside their makeshift shelter. But that was only one step in the right direction. They were still stranded in the wilderness, and their food situation wasn't in good shape. It was only a matter of time before they ran out...

No. He couldn't think so negatively. It wasn't healthy, especially in these circumstances. Help would arrive soon, and he believed that.

It was now just a matter of how soon.

With a final yawn, Blue evicted the thoughts from his mind and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him over a few moments later.






86 Hours


The next morning, Blue and Fluttershy ate a breakfast consisting of oats and honey, then set out to gather more firewood.

The weather was cloudy again. The temperature had gone down, as well. Blue feared this meant an impending storm, but Fluttershy expressed that she doubted it. It was really just a waiting game, since neither pony new for certain.

Instead of hitting the patch of dead trees they'd done yesterday, Blue suggested that they do a little exploring of the area, perhaps scope out some resources. After all, their own supplies wouldn't last forever, and they had no way of knowing when help would arrive.

Out in the woods, Blue and Fluttershy stumbled through, looking for anything from berries to water sources, besides more dry, dead timber.

"Blue, are we heading back soon? My legs are beginning to hurt," Fluttershy whined, stopping and lifting her left hind leg and right foreleg, groaning.

Blue stopped and turned back to her. He felt a bit of sympathy for her, as his own hooves were beginning to bother him. "We're almost done, I promise. There's just a patch of woods over here we haven't checked and I wanted to see what it might have to offer us. Is that okay?"

Fluttershy didn't look too happy, but she nodded stiffly. "I'll make it..."

"Alright. We have what we need already. I just wanted us to be sure of what we had access to." He turned and pushed through the deepening snow as the trees began to clear again. He had no idea where they were, but the good thing was all they had to do to get home was follow their trail back. Snow could be a blessing.

The trees suddenly started growing close together, with barely enough room to maneuver between them.

"Blue... this is getting hard to go through," Fluttershy noted unhappily, barely keeping up.

Blue squeezed between two trees. "It's okay. We're about to turn back. Just a little further."

Blue kept going, slipping between smaller and more closely growing alder and pine trees. He thought it odd that they were suddenly so close together and so small, but he was also curious as to why.

As he pushed through a small cluster of saplings, he felt air under his hoof and cried out. He fell forward and scrambled to grab something to hold on to, finding a sapling and clinging to it as he plummeted over the edge of...

...a ravine!

It had to be at least 100 feet deep. Falling from this height would be fatal, although the cliff side was slanted at a 130° angle.

"Blue!" Fluttershy shouted down at him as he fell and was yanked to a stop by the sapling, smacking against the side of the cliff. His vision swam for a moment as he recovered.

"Blue!" Fluttershy called out again, peering down over the edge.

"Y-yeah... I'm here. Get me up please. Please." He clung to the sapling for dear life. He dared not look down, either. What was at the bottom was something he hoped not to find out.

Fluttershy hung around near the edge, unsure of what to do. She'd never been in a situation where she had to rescue somepony hanging over a cliff. Looking around her, she noted the vast number of long, ropey saplings.

"Hmm..." she hummed, going to a good 10-foot one and snapping it down at the ground. It wouldn't come loose, so she had to start twisting it. She grew frustrated quickly, especially when Blue began calling out to her, warning her that he couldn't hold on forever.

Finally, after struggling to twist the thing around a few times, it snapped loose and she fell back, holding it tight.

"I'm coming, Blue!" She raced to the edge and lowered the thicker end of the sapling. "Take this, and I'll pull you up!"

Blue gawked at it in disbelief. "Fluttershy - you can't pull my weight all the way up and over that edge. I promise you that."

"What did I do then?" She began to cry, worried that she might soon be alone out here. That was a scary thought.

Blue grunted, growing tired of holding his weight. "Tie the end to a tree, then I'll slowly climb up. You can help me over when I get close."

"On it," Fluttershy said and quickly went to complete the task. The nearest tree big enough to support his weight was a small alder, just barely over 20 feet in height. But it was big enough.

Fluttershy wrapped the end of the sapling around the tree twice and tied it the best she could. She returned to the edge of the cliff where Blue was with the thicker end and slowly lowered it to him.

"Did you tie it tight?" Blue asked hesitantly before taking the sapling end. He didn't want to fall to his death over a mistake.

"I wrapped it two times and tied it, yes. Please, just grab the end and get up here. I'm getting scared," she said, exhasperated. She was still crying too, which only made Blue feel even worse about his situation.

"Alright. My life is in your hooves..." he acceded, not letting go of the current sapling he was hanging from. He'd hold it too once he got ahold of the one Fluttershy had lowered. The more support, the better.

The muscles in his forelegs began to burn in protest, and Blue knew it was time to make it or break it. He took a deep breath and released the sapling with one hoof and snatched up the other that Fluttershy provided.

"Oh, dear Celestia I'm going to die," he muttered, squeezing his eyes shut painfully hard, his breathing heavy and gasping.

Fluttershy whined. "No, no you're not! Climb up here, Blue, please... I can't do this without you..." She began to sob, sitting on her haunches and burying her face in her forehooves.

"Dammit. Fluttershy, please not now. I don't need to die feeling like I failed you. Just... give me a sec to gather my composure and I'll start climbing up."

Fluttershy sniffled and stopped crying, peering down at him between her forehooves. "O-okay..." She leaned forward and offered a hoof. "Take it when you get close please..."

Blue gave a quick nod. "Yeah." He took a deep breath and slowly slid his right hoof further up the sapling she'd given him, then did the same to his sapling, planting both his hind legs to the cliff face and pushing up with all his might. Slowly but surely, he inched up the side, closer and closer to Fluttershy's awaiting hoof. It took every bit of strength he had, but he managed to reach her a few moments later. He immediately let go of his sapling and took hold of her hoof with his, grasping it tightly.

"I've got you! I'm not letting go!" Fluttershy told him, her eyes telling a story of sincerity.

Blue nodded. "Okay... I'm coming up. Pull with all you've got."

As Fluttershy began to tug, Blue pulled down on the sapling and pushed with his hind legs. He was nearly to the edge when a loud, crisp snap sent a stab of fear through his heart.

For a split second, he and Fluttershy stared in terror into each other's eyes, then all hell broke loose.

The sapling broke free from the tree, and the sudden weight yanked Fluttershy from the edge. The two, helpless and unable to find anything to grab on to, tumbled down the cliff face towards the bottom, screaming and crying out in pain.

"Lay flat!" Blue howled, trying to right himself. "Lay flat and slide!"

Fluttershy complied the best she could, and eventually, they reached the bottom. The two hit the ground where dozens of rocks of all shapes and sizes awaited. Fluttershy yelped as she struck a large boulder and rolled, and Blue cried out when he hit the solid ground made of rock, hearing a sickening snap as his left hind leg broke somewhere. He collapsed and rolled away from the cliff face, the searing pain shooting up his leg as he clutched wildly at it.

The two lay there for a long time, panting and whimpering from their fresh new wounds and injuries.

Finally, Blue sat up and gasped in pain. He glanced over at Fluttershy, who was climbing shakily to her hooves.

"Fluttershy... my leg broke..." he sighed, clenching his teeth. This was a terrible setback. Now he was totally incapacitated. What would they do if he couldn't go gather firewood or fight off predators?

Fluttershy clambered over to him, falling to her knees and examining his outstretched hind leg. She gently prodded the now swollen area just above his hoof.

"You've broken your pastern," she said gravely. "You're not walking on this leg..."

"Shit..." he breathed, minorly surprised Fluttershy didn't chastise him for his bad language. Maybe she felt like it was necessary this time. "What now?"

Fluttershy pulled her saddlebags off and extracted the medical kit. "I'm gonna splint that. We need to try and get back up there. We need to get back to the caboose before nightfall..."

The two glanced up at the sky, unable to see the sun. The ravine was too deep, but they could tell what time of day it was. Dusk was approaching.

"Fluttershy, we're not getting out of here," Blue broke it too her, staring up at the cliff top high above them. "That's too far up for us to climb. And much too steep."

"There's got to be another way," she said, shaking her head adamantly. "There's got to be a way out of here." She placed a metal splint on either side of his lower hind leg and began wrapping it in gauze.

Blue winced. "I don't see any way out, but we can try."

"Of course we don't see a way out. But there is one. There has to be!" She finished his splint, taping off the end. "Now, try and stand up."

Blue planted his forelegs on either side of himself, feeling Fluttershy wrap hers around his upper body in an attempt to help him up. He was able to stand, but only on his three uninjured legs. The broken one simply wouldn't hold any weight.

"We're fucking done for," Blue said angrily. "This damn cliff just ruined everything."

"Blue! Stop using that language. And we're not done for. We have a lot going for us," Fluttershy said sharply, reprimanding him. For some reason, he fell silent as she commanded. He didn't know why.

Glancing around them and sighing, Blue searched for a clue as to what she meant. He saw a whole lot of nothing and snorted. "Fluttershy, please don't tell me you're going mad. Either that or that you bumped your head on the way down. There's absolutely nothing for us down here. In fact," He glanced back at his hindquarters, feeling something missing. His saddlebags. "We seem to be missing our water bottles and firewood."

"I still have my pack, Blue. And some food and water. We'll be fine. We just need to get out of this ravine." She stared down the ravine, hoping to see something useful. There was nothing. "Can you walk at all?"

Blue grunted and took a few steps. He stumbled a bit, but walking was manageable.

"We need to get going if we're gonna try and get back home before dark," he said, pointing a hoof at the darkening sky.

Fluttershy visibly shivered. "Yeah... Let's pick a direction and move as fast as we can."

The two of them stared down either direction, but saw nothing intriguing or indicative of a way up and out.

"I say we go this way," Blue said, pointing to the left. The ravine almost seemed to slope upwards, but it very well may have been an illusion.

"Why that way?" Fluttershy asked, coming up beside him.

"Because," Blue said. "It looks promising. As promising as it gets, being in this hellhole. Let's go before we run out of daylight." He started with a heavy limp, Fluttershy walking beside him, her body against his to hold him steady.

The ravine curved around, leading to another long section of emptiness. There was still no sign of a way up the sides, and darkness was descending rapidly upon them.

"Blue..." Fluttershy whispered fearfully, walking closer to him still.

"Yes, I know. We're out of time. We'll have to try and set up camp somewhere." He stopped and scanned the area.

A cool breeze blew through, and Blue perked up.

Fluttershy shivered violently. "Blue, without a jacket or blankets, we won't make it one night out here. It's too cold..." She rubbed her upper forelegs, trying to warm up as her teeth began to chatter audibly.

Blue shook his head. "We'll make it. I'm looking for a depression or cave in the cliff side. That's our best bet. And by the way," he said, casually pointing in the direction of the wind funneling through the ravine, "that wind is from above. Which means somewhere down there, there's a way up and out. Tonight, we'll camp. Tomorrow, we'll get out of here."

Fluttershy nodded, still shivering. "I hope you're right..."

I do too, Blue thought bitterly. Otherwise we'll both end up dead by morning.

They continued on through the rock-littered ravine into the wind. Around the next curve, they discovered what they silently plead for: a small cave in the side of the cliff face.

"Perfect!" Blue exclaimed. They both hurried over to it, eager to escape the cold.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Fluttershy asked, concerned. She peered uncertainly into the mouth of the pitch-black cave.

With another bone-chilling breeze, Blue didn't even have to answer. Fluttershy hurried into the cave entrance with him in tow.

Although they could see nothing, they knew it was safe enough. There wouldn't be any creatures of danger living down in the bottom of a ravine in the icy cold Frozen North.

At least, they hoped not.

The cave was shallow, but they were out of the bitterly cold winds, and that's what they needed. It only took them a few moments to get things set up, as limited as they were.

"I'll sleep closer to the entrance to protect you," Blue said, limping over towards the mouth of the cave as Fluttershy dug around in her saddlebags.

She glanced up at him and jumped up. "Oh, no you don't. You're injured. I'm protecting you." She moved in front of him before he could protest and shoved him back towards their stuff.

"Hey, I'm the stallion around here. I'll be the protector," Blue growled, struggling to turn around. Fluttershy somehow overpowered him, likely due to his injury.

"You need rest and to heal up. You're not going to play hero, Blue. Now lay down," Fluttershy said sternly, pointing beside her saddlebags.

Blue grumbled inaudibly and complied, though he still didn't know why he let her tell him what to do. Then again, it's not like he had much choice. He laid there and watched her go through her bags until she came out with a three small blankets. She unfolded two, laying one down for him and the other over him. The third was clearly for her.

"This should keep you a little warm," she said, tucking the edges under his body.

Blue felt a bit uncomfortable. "You're not going to go without a blanket, Fluttershy. You need warmth or you'll die."

She shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. You just rest up and stay warm."

"Fluttershy, I mean it. I'm not going to keep this blanket on if it's the only one. Period."

She sighed resignedly. "Then what do you suppose we do, since this is the only blanket we have to lay on?"

Blue hesitated. "I don't know. But I'm not going to be the only one warm tonight."

Neither of them spoke for a few moments as they tried to think of something.

Blue suddenly had an idea. "Fluttershy... I know this is going to be a bit unorthodox, but it's the only thing I can think of, and we're kind of in survival mode. I don't know how you're going to feel about it though," he admitted, catching her curious gaze.

"Um, well, what is it?" she asked, sitting on her haunches beside him.

Blue scratched the back of his head. "Well, to conserve body heat, we could always... you know, share the blanket."

Fluttershy blinked, looking sheepish. "Oh... um... well, I suppose... if that's the only way..."

"To survive, I think it is."

Fluttershy nodded slowly. "Of... of course. To survive..." She looked away.

Nopony moved.

"Do you want to share it?" Blue asked, sitting up from a laying position. He was beginning to feel the throbbing pain from the break in his hind leg and wanted nothing more than to pass out for the night.

Fluttershy sighed. "I suppose..." She set her saddlebags nearby and curled up beside him, her body flush with his, and rested her head on her forehooves, glancing meekly over at him.

Blue immediately felt the warmth from her body and relished in it. His plan would work; they'd stay warm all night this way. He used his good wing to drape the small blanket over their backs and rested his head on his own forehooves, trying to ignore the pain in his leg.

"Goodnight, Fluttershy," he whispered softly. This was the end of a long day, including one where they'd survived the impossible. Saying goodnight made him feel at the least a little normal.

"Goodnight," she returned just as softly. "Sleep well..."

And sleep well, he would; sleep embraced him, and her soon after.
> Lessons of Survival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


105 hours


It was a long, bitterly cold night. Blue couldn't sleep very well; his leg bothered him all night, not to mention the fact that he was sharing a blanket. He had to hold a very uncomfortable position all night just to stay even remotely warm.

As for Fluttershy, she found it hard to sleep for some of the very same reasons, except she also felt discomfort from sleeping up against somepony she hardly knew. It was for survival, yes - but that didn't make it any less awkward. However awkward, she lived with it, for her own personal reasons.

All in all, they both barely managed four hours of sleep.

Early the next morning, they got up and prepared for a long day of walking as they tried to figure their way up and out of the ravine.

Blue waited patiently while Fluttershy stepped outside the cave to relieve herself, and when she gave the all clear, he stepped out into the daylight.

The sky was clear, and the sunlight lay in bands of gold along the upper ravine walls. As it rose higher into the sky, the sun would beam down on them for a very short period of time. That would mean a brief warm up, but that was hours away.

They began their walk down the rock-littered and snowy ravine floor, yawning periodically and stumbling over obstacles along the way.

"You know," Blue grumbled, nearly tripping over a large rock. "This would be loads easier if my damn leg wasn't broke."

"I'm sorry..." is all Fluttershy knew to say. She already set his leg with a splint; there was not much else she could do for him.

Blue grunted in response. He had nothing else to say.

The walk went slowly and uneventfully for a long couple hours. The sun eventually reached its zenith, and the whole ravine was bathed in its warm light. It even appeared as though the snow piled up against the ravine walls in drifts was beginning to melt.

"This could be the break we needed," Blue pointed out, receiving a nod from Fluttershy.

After they traveled what felt like miles - and probably was - the sun had already begun its descent towards the horizon, casting deep shadows from the ravine walls down on the two ponies as they made their way towards an exit they hoped was there.

There was no relief in sight; the ravine was as bare and deep as ever. Even worse, the debris littering the ground was bigger and more troublesome to maneuver around, especially for Blue.

They eventually stopped near a depression in the side of the ravine and took a breath.

The air was growing chillier, already far below freezing. The only plus for them was that the breeze had gone away. No more danger from the wind chill - for now.

Blue collapsed on his hindquarters propped up against the wall in the depression. "This is ridiculous..." he said wearily. "We made almost no progress. We may as well have done nothing."

Fluttershy sat beside him on her haunches and removed her saddlebags. "Blue, that's no way to think," she chided him, pulling out the blankets. "We went a long way today. That's progress. We could be close to a way out. There's no reason to start losing hope."

"Losing? I haven't had any since we fell in this deathtrap," Blue said derisively, looking away and scowling.

"Blue..." Fluttershy sighed. "Please. I know things are rough but we can't give up now. We can do this. Neither of us can give up reasonably now. We've come too far."

"Fluttershy - we're stuck in a pit. We're worse off than we were when this all began," he stated with surety.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to reply, but closed it after a few seconds of thought. He was right, and the truth stung.

Darkness began to deepen, and they both knew they needed to set up for the night now before the temperature dropped any further.

Fluttershy laid out a blanket and used the thicker one to stay warm. The only problem was, the very same problem from the previous night: one blanket, two ponies.

"Um, do we have to share a blanket again...?" Fluttershy asked sheepishly, peering up at Blue as he returned from relieving himself.

"Unless one of us wants to freeze to death tonight, I'd highly advise it."

Fluttershy took a deep breath and let it out as Blue joined her under the covers, their bodies flush to hold and generate warmth. They turned and made eye contact briefly before both blushing lightly and turning their heads away, going off into their own thoughts.

Sleep came for both of them soon after.






126 hours


The next morning, they rose up early and began their search once more.

It was clear again, but colder than the day before. This wasn't a good thing, but at least the weather was decent. It would be a whole new game if it were snowing and windy.

After a few hours of stumbling through the ravine, they reached a point where they could hear rushing water. Fluttershy was the first to hear it; she mentioned it to Blue, who only began to hear the telltale signs of moving water a few moments later.

It was coming from far above their heads, outside the ravine.

"There's a way out of here somewhere," Blue gasped.

They began to hustle, weaving in between boulders and small shrubs poking up from the ground.

Moving water meant a bunch of things for them, all positive: there was now access to water; moving water usually meant it was going down, and if it was that close to the ravine, maybe the ravine went up; and running water sometimes lead to some form of civilization. If this river or stream was accessable, many of their problems were now solved.

As they traversed the winding canyon, they noticed a trend: it was growing shallower. At first, it wasn't immediately evident. But when they glanced up to see clouds moving in, the top of the ravine was much closer to them then it had been the whole time since they fell in.

"We're closing in on a way out!" Fluttershy exclaimed, and the two of them cajoled around, shouting in relief and joy. They gave each other a quick, almost congratulatory hug, pulling away seconds later in embarrassment.

"Sorry, Fluttershy. I got a bit carried away," Blue admitted with a half-hearted grin.

"It's fine..." Fluttershy replied shyly, rubbing the back of her foreleg and smiling faintly. "We're just excited to almost be out of this mess."

"Not quite. We've still got to get back to the train. We need to be there for whenever the rescue team comes looking for us."

Fluttershy gawked up at the top of the cliff sides, not looking very hopeful. "But we've wandered so far from it... How will we ever get back?"

Blue motioned towards the expanse of the ravine. "Follow this all the way  to where we fell in."

"Oh... I suppose that makes sense," she said.

Blue turned to the direction they were traveling. "Let's get a move on. I have a feeling those clouds don't mean to be our friend."

Deep in his mind he hoped that they weren't somehow making a mistake by starting further and further from the train.






127 hours


They did it.

Within the next hour, the ravine tapered off and sloped upwards, allowing for a tricky but doable escape.

The ravine now behind them, soon to be a dark memory, they took a brief break before they returned to walking.

Up under a large, crooked alder, they sat on a blanket and talked for the break, keeping the atmosphere light-hearted.

"You never did tell me why you were up here in the first place, Fluttershy," Blue said, eyeing her as she sifted through her saddlebags for something.

"Well," she replied, stopping and looking over at him. "If you really want to know, I was observing the animals up in the Crystal Mountains. I come here every year around this time because there are some animals I can't see in Ponyville, so I take the train out here for a week or two, then go home after I've had my fill."

Blue nodded in understanding. She wasn't the first pony he'd ever heard of traveling long distances to observe nature. While he was out in the mountains himself, him and his fellow workers ran into tourists and hikers all the time.

"So, did you see anything this year? How often does coming out here pay off?"

"Every time, actually." She smiled. "Though, this year, I had the pleasure of meeting a pack of grey wolves. They were so lovely!" She clasped her hooves together gleefully.

The joy was contagious. Blue broke into a smile involuntarily and tried to fight it, unsuccessfully. "Well, I'm certainly glad it was worth it for you. Aren't wolves like, predators though? How did you not get attacked?"

Fluttershy set her bag aside in the snow, having pulled out their flask of water. It was empty, so Blue had no idea what she planned to do with it.

"I'm quite good with animals, actually. They'd never hurt me, and I'd never hurt them."

"Good with animals? How do you mean?"

Fluttershy stood suddenly, scanning the trees around them, her eyes searching the branches as she squinted hard.

"Um, are you okay?" Blue asked, concerned. "Did you hear something? Are we in danger?"

"Oh, no," Fluttershy said, smiling back down at him. "I'm looking for a little bird or something I can call to me. I'm sure there's some around..." She returned her gaze to the trees, stepping away from the blanket and Blue.

"But why?" Blue asked, unsure of her intentions. Then it dawned on him. "Ohhhhh, I get it. You're going to show me what you mean, huh?"

She turned and beamed briefly before making her way over to a tall, gangly fir, where she stopped and peered straight up into its branches.

"Hello there, little birdie. Won't you come down?" she said in the most soothing, angelic voice Blue had ever heard. She could convince a crocodile to do backflips with that voice.

Blue found himself absent-mindedly admiring her lissome body, his eyes trailing up and down her form as she stood at the tree, calling for the bird to come down to her. He quickly averted them, feeling his face grow hot. What in Equestria was he thinking? This wasn't the time, nor the place, to be checking a mare out. Completely inappropriate behavior on his part. The only good thing was that she hadn't noticed, saving him that embarrassment.

Fluttershy seemed to have won the bird over, and it soon came soaring down and fluttering to a stop over her outstretched foreleg, landing and chirping cheerfully.

Fluttershy hummed a tune with it, and the bird chirped back. Blue sat with his mouth agape, in complete disbelief.

"No way..." he said under his breath. He'd never seen anypony do anything like that. It was as though the bird had no fear of her at all. Then again, why fear Fluttershy? She was kind, gentle, and beautiful...

Blue shook his head to clear the thoughts away. "Fluttershy... how did you learn how to do that?"

Fluttershy turned to him, the bird nuzzling up into her frizzled mane.

"It's a rather long story. I don't think we have time to sit and talk about it, unfortunately." She looked off at the sun, quickly setting behind the mountains and trees, trickles of golden light shining through the branches of the forest around them.

"I suppose you're right... Let's go. We can't be out after dark. Let's try and find a cave or something. We have to stay out of the weather and wind at all costs." Blue struggled to his hooves as Fluttershy released the bird, watching it disappear into the trees. She came over and helped Blue, as the pain in his leg still made getting up on his own nearly impossible. Walking was doable, but nonetheless painful.

Once stood up, Blue and Fluttershy were face to face. He found her curious eyes searching his, a look of interest in them.

"Uh..." Blue began, uncertain how to continue.

"Oh, sorry, Blue." Fluttershy blushed and turned away, smiling sheepishly. "I thought you were going to say something. I'm sorry..."

"Like what?" he asked. "I just needed help standing. It's embarrassing though. Never had to get help standing."

Fluttershy snickered. "Blue, it's okay. I have no problem helping you. If I did, I wouldn't be a very good pony."

Blue shrugged. "If you didn't want to help, I wouldn't blame you. I'm a pompous windbag sometimes. It's a wonder you've put up with me this long."

Fluttershy gasped, taken aback. "You're not pompous or a windbag." She knit her eyebrows at him. "Why do you put yourself down? That's not healthy..."

Blue turned away, closing his eyes. I have my reasons. "Let's go. Losing daylight here." He limped off before Fluttershy could reply.





Dusk closed in rapidly, with night descending upon them before they were able to find shelter. Now in complete darkness, they wandered aimlessly through the woods, staying close together. It was so dark, they nearly ran into trees before they even saw them. With the sky overcast, there was no moon or stars to offer precious light and aid their travels.

It didn't take them long to come to the unanimous conclusion that if they kept wandering without having a clue where they were going, they'd end up in another ravine situation fast.

The mountains did seem to offer the possibility of shelter, as the two ponies' approach to the rocky bluffs and outcrops proved fruitful: various caves and depressions in the rocks gave them ample opportunity to find shelter for the night. Travel by day was safest and most effective, so they needed to stop for the night and get rested for the long daytime traveling.

They scoped out a few locations that seemed promising, but it wasn't until they found their way around a huge rock jutting from the hillside that they came across a deep, labyrinthine cave - perfect for their needs.

They immediately bivouacked, with Blue checking out the first hundred feet or so inside the cave. He found nothing - no evidence of anything having used the cave recently. They'd found themselves the perfect shelter.

Blue stayed just inside the cave entrance as Fluttershy left to relieve herself before bed. Blue began setting up where they'd sleep when Fluttershy returned with a decent stack of sticks and branches, dropping them just inside the cave entrance.

Blue glanced up as he laid the blankets down for them to sleep on. "Um, starting a fire?"

"I figured we'd light a campfire in here and it would keep us warm," Fluttershy said just above a whisper, as if she was trying to be heard only by Blue and nothing else that might be nearby.

Blue shook his head and struggled to his hooves. "Bad idea. Very bad idea."

Fluttershy was heartbroken. Her efforts to help out seemed all but useless. "What do you mean? We need a fire to stay warm, I thought..."

Blue plodded over to her, placing a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. "You had good intentions, Fluttershy. I recognize that. But we cannot, under any circumstances, start a fire inside this cave." He bent over and shuffled the pile of wood out of the cave with his forehooves.

Fluttershy followed closely. "But why? I'm so confused..."

Blue stopped and turned to to her. "Fluttershy, fire is hot. Rock expands when it gets hot. Expanding rock breaks apart in caves. Bad idea."

It finally registered to her what he meant. "Oh... I'm so sorry... I didn't even think..."

Blue came closer and placed a hoof under her chin, moving her head to face him. Her tousled mane framed her despair-stricken face, peering back at him.

"It wasn't your fault. You didn't know about that. Not many ponies think of expanding rock in caves when in situations like this. But with the fact that I work in caves for a living, I know how rock works. Don't beat yourself up over this, okay?" he said gently, giving a little smile to cheer her up.

It took her a few moments, but eventually she smiled back. "Okay..."

"Good," Blue said, givng her shoulder a pat. "Let's try and start a fire directly in front of the entrance to deter predators and provide some warmth."

They returned to the cave, moving their stuff a little deeper, then Blue left to scour the surroundings for something. Fluttershy joined him a couple minutes after he left.

"What are you looking for?" she asked curiously as he shuffled through some rocks, picking them up and studying them before tossing them aside.

"Iron pyrite. Or a quartzite family rock," he said, picking up another hoof-sized rock and tapping it against the rocks that made up the cave.

Fluttershy was confused. "Why rocks? To line the fire pit?"

Blue grunted. "To start the fire."

Fluttershy was lost. "I don't understand," she admitted defeatedly. "Rocks to start a fire? How?"

"Aha!" Blue shouted, snatching up a couple grey and black stones, dusting the snow off them and holding them up in triumph.

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Blue turned and smiled. "Iron ore. Magnetite." He held the stones out for her to see. They didn't look like anything that would start a fire, to her.

"I'm sorry, I don't get it, Blue. How are these going to make fire?" she asked, thoroughly confused.

Blue slipped past her and trotted back to the pile of wood. "Easily. We just need some kind of tinder..." He glanced at the cave entrance. "Do you have anything cloth or paper in your saddlebags?"

She came up to him and nodded. "Um, I have a handkerchief. Will that work?"

"Perfect," Blue said. "Tear it up. Into as small of pieces as you can get. Try and loosen some threads and make a ball of them for me."

"Alright, whatever you say..." She trotted off into the cave, retrieving her handkerchief and returning to Blue. She knelt by the pile of sticks and began tearing the handkerchief to bits, yanking out threads and balling them up until she had a wad the size of an apple.

"Excellent! Now, stand back," Blue said, motioning her to back away, which she did.

On his knees, Blue began violently slapping the rocks together at an angle, sending sparks flying in all directions. Fluttershy watched in awe as eventually, the sparks caused the ball of threads to go up in flames.

"Oh, my..." she breathed, covering her mouth and watching Blue fume the flames. In moments, they had a full-fledged campfire going, its sudden warmth blasting away the cold.

"I have made fire!" Blue exclaimed, tossing the rocks down and standing on his hind legs, throwing his forelegs up. He nearly collapsed, having forgotten about his leg injury.

Fluttershy rushed to his side as he began to fall over, catching and setting him down gently. "Easy, Blue. Don't get too excited."

Blue grinned widely with embarrassment. "Heh. Got a little carried away. Sorry."

She smiled brightly. "No worries. I'm glad we have a fire. I had no idea rocks could do that."

The two sat on their haunches before the fire, watching the orange-yellow flames lick at the air.

"Only rocks with metals such as iron, or rocks in the quartzite family can do that," Blue said matter-of-factly. "Again, my job helped me here."

"Fascinating," Fluttershy noted, staring down at the fire, enthralled by its heat and light. Somehow, this fire felt like more of an accomplishment than it really was. Then again, creating in a dire situation such as theirs was an accomplishment.

"Now that we have a fire, we can stay warm without having to share a blanket," Blue said, sounding relieved. It was kind of awkward, so he was a bit relieved.

Fluttershy deflated a little. "Yeah, that's good." She hoped Blue hadn't seen her disappointment. She couldn't possibly tell him how much the "cuddling" had helped her feel safe and secure.

Blue smiled over at her. "Bed?" He noted how the flicker of the fire made her pretty turquoise eyes twinkle.

"Yeah," she said with a nod. "I'm exhausted."

"Let's go then. I don't know what our plans are for tomorrow, but we definitely need to rest if we want to come up with a reasonable plan." Blue stood and stretched. "Tomorrow will be a good day. I can feel it."

"What about the fire?" Fluttershy asked, staring at it and standing to join him.

Blue waved a hoof dismissively. "It'll burn for awhile. You gathered fir sticks - they burn longer than other woods. They'll burn until way after we've already fallen asleep."

Fluttershy took his word for it.

They returned to the cave, setting up their own blankets and preparing for sleep.

Fluttershy curled up in her blankets, wrapping them around her and yawning. "I can't believe how fast this day went by," she said as Blue threw his own blankets over himself, resting his head on his hooves. His leg throbbed in protest, forcing him to reposition.

"Yeah, a good thing. Slow days are my least favorite." Blue winced. "Hopefully tomorrow we can figure out something productive. Maybe we should follow the ravine back to the train. We need to be there for whenever the rescue team shows."

"Most definitely," Fluttershy agreed, noticing his discomfort and wishing she could do something for him. She hated seeing anypony suffer.

At last, they wound down past idle talk to their own thoughts, falling silent as they delved into their reverie. Both wished tomorrow would bring better luck than they'd been having. Both hoped help would come soon. Both wished for a break, a chance to relax.

As they drifted off to sleep, their fire faded to embers. Nearby, a creature stood amongst the trees, watching, waiting, stalking, wanting an opportunity to taste the ponies in the cave.

It would have them soon.






151 hours


"This... this is good," Blue said, munching on some roots Fluttershy had gathered for them to feast on for breakfast. They were both starving, so a plentiful bounty of the edible chicory roots, found growing along the mountainside where snow hadn't been able to bury them, provided nourishment. Although the ground was mostly frozen, a little water loosened the soil enough to pull the plants up.

The water was easier to obtain, though Blue wasn't the one to come up with the way to get it - Fluttershy surprised him with the idea.

"Now, to make some tea from these fir needles, I'll place them in the canister with the snow and put it over the fire," Fluttershy said, showing him step-by-step.

"I'm glad you know what you're doing, because I have no idea what's food out here and what's not," Blue said admittedly. He bit off and chewed another chunk of fibrous yet juicy chicory root. It had a distinct coffee-like taste to it, dark and bitter. It was food, however, so Blue made no complaints.

Several minutes later, the tea was brewed, and they took turns sipping it from the canister. The fir tea was surprisingly pleasant. Fluttershy expressed that it was also full of essential vitamins.

Today, the sky was clear again, but it was still cold, definitely below freezing, a bite in the air. They'd have to get back to the caboose as soon as possible.

Their first plan for the morning was to find the river or stream they'd heard while down in the ravine. They could gather a bunch of water and be well off until they returned to the train.

They gathered up their stuff after finishing the tea and chicory roots, packed up what was left, and got to moving.

They slogged along, the cold weather making travel rough, but with their newfound hope, they trudged on, knowing their efforts would pay off eventually.

They first went back to the ravine, which was oodles easier in the daylight, and listened for the water they'd heard before. Once they located the direction of the noise, they set out, keeping careful note of how to return to their cave, just in case. It was more than likely they'd have to return to it for one more night.

The forest grew dense, and the trees grew bigger, hiding the sun from them for the most part. But the trees had also blocked snow from falling around them, making the journey easier in that fashion, as well. It was much less exhausting to simply walk than to push through foot-deep snow constantly.

For a couple hours they walked on, the sound of the water growing louder. Blue expressed concern, noting that they'd traveled a long distance for the water to be so loud from so far away. It didn't mean anything bad, but he had an idea of why it might be running water in the dead of winter, as well as what the source of the noise was. And unfortunately, they soon discovered he was right in his assumption.

It was a raging waterfall.

"Oh, no..." Fluttershy groaned in disappointment.

Blue growled in frustration. "Not the end of the world. This doesn't help us much, but it's still water."

The waterfall was a decent-sized river - likely snowmelt from the surrounding mountains - falling over a precipice of at least 200 feet. All around the edge of the falls at the top and bottom were massive boulders, strewn about by the forces of nature and littering the shore. A cloud of vapor rose from the bottom of the falls, concealing whether there were rocks directly at the bottom, or just more water.

Better to not find out.

All around the river roaring over the cliff, the land was clear, besides the rocks. Glittering snow covered most of everything, but a few precarious plants jutted up, reaching for the sun. The fields abruptly ended and turned to thick, evergreen forest where they were, standing and gazing out over the landscape.

"So what do we do?" Fluttershy asked, staring at the waterfall in awe. It was the most gorgeous thing she'd ever seen. The mist it threw up froze in the air created a dazzling, twinkling cloud of ice crystals that settled on the rocks, making them look like giant, precious gemstones.

"We get water, that's what," Blue said, walking ahead and towards a large, flat rock that lay at the shore of the river, a good distance from the raging waterfall to be safe - enough.

"Wait up!" Fluttershy called after him, prancing through the snow as he climbed up the huge rock, careful not to slip on the thin layer of ice crystals on its surface. He still didn't, all the way up the side until he reached the top, staying low and spreading his legs out for better grip. "Don't come up here," he warned Fluttershy as she attempted to join him. "Much too dangerous."

Blue scanned their surroundings. There didn't seem to be anything of great use to them besides the river. As far as the eye could see upriver, there was nothing but water and trees, eventually giving way to a massive mountain - the mountain the train tracks skirt along.

"That's the way we need to go," Blue said, pointing towards the mountain. "The train will be over there. We might even just be able to follow the river to it. I think it starts atop that mountain."

Fluttershy glanced warily in the direction of the mountain and furrowed her brows. "Um, I didn't know... Should we play it safe and still follow the ravine?" She looked up at him, shielding her eyes from the midday sun with a forehoof.

Blue weighed their options. She was right - no point in taking chances when they could play it safe, as she said.

"Yeah... yeah, you're right. Let's gather some H2O and get back to camp." He slid down the rock and grunted in pain, landing on his two hind legs, the injured one giving out as he hit. He crumpled to the ground and Fluttershy rushed to his aid.

"You need to be more careful, Blue," Fluttershy said, sounding motherly. "You're going to make it worse, and it'll never heal, or heal wrong. You don't want that, do you?"

"Obviously not," Blue retorted, rolling his eyes as she helped him to his hooves. "But that needed to be done. We found our way back, didn't we?"

"Or so we think." She glanced back towards the towering mountain in the distance. "How do you know that's the same one where we came from?"

"The shape, for one," Blue said pointedly. "The other ways just kinda... fall into place after that. In any case, let's get stuff done. We're burning daylight like madponies here."

Fluttershy filled the canister with water. They'd have to boil it, as she suggested, but at least they had it if they needed it. Which they would.

Once they gathered that, and a few more plants Fluttershy identified as edible, they headed back to the cave.

As they approached it, Blue stopped, noticing tracks in the snow along their path from today and the day before.

He balked immediately. "Fluttershy..."

She stopped, a few feet ahead of him. She turned back, concerned. "Hmm? What's wrong, Blue?" She walked over, following his gaze and gasping. "Oh... that."

"What in Equestria left these," he asked fearfully, kneeling to check them out. The huge paw prints nearly a foot in diameter showed whatever it was was big, and the several-inch-long nails spoke a story that said whatever it was that bared them meant business.

Fluttershy knelt beside him, staring in confusion at the tracks. "They're... much too big, but they appear to be... wolf tracks."

Blue's ears pricked. "Wolf? And they're too big? Then what the hell is this?" He paused. "Timber wolf?"

Fluttershy swallowed hard - hard enough that Blue heard it. "Still too big..." Her voice trailed off.

"Oh, Dear Celestia."

"Now, Blue, it could be anything," Fluttershy started, placing a hoof in one of the paw tracks for size comparison. It dwarfed her hoof, at least four times bigger. "A bear, a dragon..."

Blue shook his head. "I've seen those animal's tracks before. You and I both know this is neither."

Fluttershy closed her eyes, looking away. "I know..."

Blue stood abruptly. "Cave. Now. We need to prepare for nightfall and whatever this is. With claws like that, it can't be stopping by for tea."

Fluttershy stood up, joining him as he strode hurriedly with a limp towards camp.

"Blue... what if it's in our cave?" she asked, feeling a stab of fear.

"I'll take care of it."

Somehow, she didn't think he was capable of fighting off whatever creature left the tracks, but she knew she couldn't, either.

If it attacked, they wouldn't be able to do a thing.
> The Unknown
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


160 hours


As the evening hours rolled by, Fluttershy and Blue settled down, returning to the cave and gathering ample firewood to hang out outside for awhile before bed. It was important that they tried to relax and talk here and there to hold onto their civility.

Around the fire, they snacked on some berries and leaves Fluttershy found for them and talked now about Blue and his profession in the Crystal Mountain as a miner.

The frigid, breezeless night air was warmed comfortably around them by the fire, allowing them to remain outside the cave as long as the fire was going. Blue fed it with fir and alder logs every so often.

"So," Fluttershy began, nibbling on a leaf. "What exactly did you mine for with this company?"

Blue sat beside her on a log they managed to roll to their campsite. It was heavy and took loads of effort, especially with Blue being injured.

After he'd explained he worked for a company that collected precious gems for the Crystal Empire and surrounding areas, Fluttershy began prying for other things, out of curiosity. Like, for example, what specifically he mined for.

"Large, precious gemstones, like rubies, diamonds and sapphires. They're greatly sought after. High demand." Blue rested his forehooves in his lap, staring down at the scintillating fire. It was a comforting thing, having this fire. Blue felt like, without it, they'd be far worse off. With it, they'd been able to purify water, cook food, and make tea. Well, Fluttershy had, using young, tender fir and spruce shoots.

"So did you find a lot? I mean, was there a great supply?" she inquired with genuine interest, sipping tea and peering over at him. The light of the fire danced on her face and body, making her appear to be glowing golden-orange. Blue wouldn't have been surprised if she actually was. To him, she was essentially angelic - gentle, kind, and intelligent.

"Of course," he replied casually. He rubbed his injured leg carefully, noting how it didn't hurt nearly as much now as it had hours ago. Even the persistent throb had lessened. "The amount of gems I gathered the entire time I was employed there probably totalled tens of millions of bits in value."

Fluttershy looked surprised. "Wow... that's a lot of gems. Rarity would've been in heaven." Fluttershy suddenly sulked, looking down and away. "Rarity..." she whispered sullenly.

Blue noticed her sudden change in emotions and leaned forward, trying to see her face. "What's wrong? Who's Rarity?"

Fluttershy turned and smiled sadly at him. "Just a friend I can't see right now. It's okay. Let's keep talking about you."

Blue leaned back. "Well... if you insist. What else do you want to know?"

Fluttershy didn't speak for a few moments, the only sound available being the constant crackling of the fire. She eventually spoke up, setting the metal canister wrapped in cloth aside, which was apparently empty. She had been drinking her tea from it, and finished it off just now before continuing with her questions.

"What did you do in your free time? I mean, when you're not working? Do you have friends? Family?" Under her breath, she added, "A marefriend...?" But she hoped he hadn't heard.

Blue had though. He flushed and replied, "No, none of those. Family is too far away, and I don't have any friends, really. Especially not the romantic kind." He sighed, his shoulders sagging. "I've already tried my hoof in that department. Didn't exactly end well."

"I think I understand how you feel. I've never really been without friends, not for a very long time. But it doesn't mean I don't know what you're feeling." She nudged his side with her elbow and gave him a big, nanciful smile. "Is it alright if I be your friend?"

He couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah... I'd like that, Fluttershy. After all, you've been great to me out here. You've saved my life."

"Blue, please. You saved my life first." She stared off into the trees, deep in thought. Blue wished he knew what they were. "I consider myself still in your debt."

"Don't," he told her firmly. " I saved yours, you saved mine. We're even. Okay?" He winked playfully at her, and she smiled widely, nodding once in confirmation.

They held each other's eyes for a long few moments, both having a dozen thoughts zooming around in their minds of what they could or should say next.

Finally, Blue stood and stretched, his joints crackling. "Whew. It's been a long day. What do you say about bed time?"

Fluttershy cocked her head at the fire, the flames reflecting off her enlarged pupils - deep pools of blackness, full of hidden thoughts. "I... don't think I'm ready, actually. I was hoping we could sit and talk a bit more." She looked up at him, seemingly disappointed.

Blue took a deep breath and let it out. "I uh, well... okay." He sat back down, smiling pleasantly over at her. "Talk about what?" Although he couldn't admit it, he greatly enjoyed talking to this mare. Their conversations were like a hot cup of tea at a cafe - tasteful and somehow satisfying. Something he could partake in daily and never get tired of it.

Fluttershy shrugged, staring back down at the flickering fire. "I don't know... I just like talking to you. It's nice to be able to act like nothing's wrong and just socialize, even if it is only for a little bit. I'm grateful for every second of it."

"You think just because of our situation we aren't normal?"

She shook her head. "I meant, what we're facing isn't normal, and for us to have the chance to act like things are okay and just... talk... makes me feel better." She sighed, closing her eyes. "I know, it's a silly idea."

Blue scooted over on the log, closer to her, placing a foreleg around her shoulders to comfort her. He understood he might be crossing some sort of line, but he gave it a shot anyways.

"I think it's a great idea," he said softly, his voice hovering above a whisper. "I never had anypony to talk to anyways. This is wonderful."

She turned to face him, their muzzles only inches apart. She gave him a faint smile, her eyes searching his for something.

"Thanks, Blue..." she said demurely.

"So," Blue began, letting go of her and scooting away to give her space. "What's up? What do you want to talk about?"

Fluttershy rubbed her chin and hummed thoughtfully. "I suppose we can talk about what we'll do when we get out of this mess."

Blue thought for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "I'm heading off to get to work. I've wanted to work at sea my whole life. I absolutely love the ocean, and I think it's where I belong."

Fluttershy nodded. "The ocean is indeed a beautiful thing. But why do you feel you belong there? I know you love it, but I love animals and I'd rather not live out in the woods with them, like them." She gave a little chuckle.

Blue shrugged. "It's a powerful force, endless and intimidating." He leaned forward and slapped a couple more sticks into the fire, sending red-hot embers soaring into the night, riding on the hot air rising from the flames. "I find solace in the sea. Even at its worst, I embrace it like family. Like a partner. I've been drawn to it since I was a foal."

"I suppose I can understand that," Fluttershy said quietly. "Where are you going to go to work at sea?"

"The Serendipity sets sail on its maiden voyage soon," Blue said, eyes glued to the fire. "I was called to work as crew aboard it. A dream come true." He closed his eyes. "I just hope I can make it. Otherwise it's just another one of my hopes and dreams crushed underhoof."

"'Another one'?" Fluttershy asked, repeating him. "Have other dreams of yours been meddled with?"

Blue gave a nod. "Of course. Most of them, to be precise." He peered over at her, smiling hesitantly. "But enough of my whining; let's hear about your plans. What will you do?"

"Me?" Fluttershy asked in surprise. "Well, um, probably... just... return to my normal, everyday life." Upon second thought, she added, "I wouldn't trade it for the world."

"If it's so ordinary, why do you love it so much?"

"I prefer things simple. I don't like a whole lot of drama or intricacies in my everyday living. It gets to be annoying."

Blue rubbed his chin. "I suppose you're right. But sometimes a little spice in your life can make things interesting. You know what I mean?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "I don't think I do."

"Well, maybe go do things you wouldn't normally do. For example, take a trip to a far away place. Maybe somewhere you don't have much knowledge of. That way, while you're there, you can gain that knowledge. That will add to the experience."

"Well..." Fluttershy rubbed the back of her foreleg. "I kinda already do that."

"You do?"

"Yes..."

"Then what haven't you done that you can do to make your life more exciting?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "There's a couple things I'd rather not discuss."

Blue drew back. "What?" What in Equestria did that mean? he asked himself. That was a vague response she gave.

She smiled over at him. "Mmm... nothing. I think we should gather a little more water. We're lacking for tonight," she said, holding up the near-empty canister and giving it a little shake. "Perhaps more from the river?"

Blue cringed. "That's a heck of a walk." His mind was still on her strange response to his question earlier, though. Why didn't she want to talk about the things she hadn't done but wanted to? Why?

Fluttershy stood, shivering. "It's cold. We should go get this done and head to bed. I think I'm about ready."

Now she was acting weird, Blue noticed. He really didn't want to openly question her and start an argument or another conversation. Truthfully, he was tired. And although they had an hour total walk ahead of them, it was for something they needed. Technically, they could get water from the snow everywhere, but snow is mostly air, and therefore it would take them longer to get enough to fill the canister, since they'd have to melt it and boil it. In fact, it'd take about just as long to walk to the river and back.

Blue stood, shaking his leg to return feeling to it. For some reason, it had fallen asleep. He hated the pins and needles that accompanied it. "Alright. Let's go then. I'll take a torch with us."

"Good idea," Fluttershy said. "We don't need to get lost."

"Not only that," Blue said, "but fire wards off predators. They don't much like fire."

"Oh... I knew that."

Blue nodded. "Yep! It's true." He grabbed a stick, wrapping it in some moss they'd torn from the log they sat on. It was dead and dry, making it good tinder. He secured it to the stick and shoved the moss end into the flames until it caught.

"Alright, let's go do this as quickly as possible. It's cold and dark, and I'm tired. Plus, we'll be getting up early tomorrow to make our way towards that mountain."

"Right. Let's go."





From the caliginous forest around them, their stalker watched curiously as its prey wandered away from the protection of their fire and into the dense woods...

Its territory.





In the dark, travel was hard, even with the torch lighting their way. And unfortunately, the torch wasn't going to last the whole trip. They found that out when it died as they approached the clearing for the river and the falls.

They clambered out of the woods with the barely alight torch, and gasped in awe at the sky above them.

Curtains of green, gold, scarlet and violet light waved and shimmered in the star-studded black sky. This light phenomenon wasn't visible in other parts of Equestria; these were a creature of the north. And not only that, but light pollution in the Crystal Empire made them unviewable even on the clearest nights.

But they weren't in the Crystal Empire.

The bands of light hung high over the mountains cast a glow over the surrounding landscape, creating a serene, luminous visual that stole Fluttershy and Blue's breaths.

They stepped out further into the clearing, near the water as it continued its never-ending cycle, flowing over the cliff to the pool below. The lights in the sky made the water appear almost iridescent, the mist thrown up appearing as millions of glittering, multi-colored diamonds floating around. Like a glowing, heavenly dust.

"Dear Celestia..." Blue murmured under his breath, his eyes trained on the sky. Even though he'd worked in the mountains to the north, he'd still never been out at night. He'd never witnessed the spectacle before them now. It was the most incredible thing of beauty he'd ever laid eyes on.

Fluttershy also had no words. She'd seen the beauty of nature in many other places, but not this. Had she not been in this situation, she never would've been able to see what the curtains of light - The Northern Lights - looked like on a clear winter's night.

"I've never seen anything like this..." Fluttershy managed to utter finally, staring up at the sky. "This is..."

"The most beautiful thing in Equestria," Blue finished for her, and she nodded.

"I almost wish..." Fluttershy began, sitting on her haunches beside Blue, still gazing up, her mouth agape. "I almost wish we could camp out here... you know? Just... lay out under the stars and the sky and..."

Blue sat and put an foreleg around her, pulling her close. He didn't know why he wanted to, or if he should, but once he started, it was too late to stop. Fluttershy didn't seem to mind. She laid her head on his shoulder as they both gawked up at the heavens, soaking up the scenery.

"You know..." Blue started, taking his eyes away from the sky finally. He felt so content for some reason. Like things were, and would be, okay. "I'm grateful for this accident in one way."

Fluttershy tore her eyes from the sky and peered up at him. "You are?" she asked incredulously. "Why?"

"Because I'd have never met you," he said with a grin.

She flushed and smiled, looking away to hide her face. "I suppose that's true..."

"And I'm glad I met you, " he continued. "You're a good mare with a big heart. I don't think I'd have made it this far if I'd have been stuck in this mess with anypony else."

"Wow, Blue... That's really sweet of you..." She gave him a dulcet smile. "I think you're a nice guy and all..."

"Heh. I'm glad you think so. Honestly I'm not, though." He shrugged sadly.

Fluttershy knitted her eyebrows, confused. "What do you mean?"

Blue shook his head. "Eh, it's unimportant. Let's just get what we came for and head back. I'm sure it's getting way too late for us to be out and I'm getting cold." He flashed a smile and headed downstream a bit, looking for a safe place to collect water. Fluttershy ripped her gaze from the sky and followed closely.

"Why isn't it important if you brought it up...?" she tried again, trotting up beside him as he stopped, knelt, and began scooping water into their container.

Blue sighed, pausing for a moment to look up at her. "Because I don't want your opinion of me to change. Therefore I'm keeping what I was originally going to say to myself. Sorry Shy." He went back to the task of filling their container.

Fluttershy sat on her haunches. "But... you think something you'd say would change my opinion of you? Why would you think something like that?"

"Because it will."

Fluttershy shook her head. "No it won't. You've piqued my interest now and I'd really like to know what you were going to say."

"Jeez you're persistent," Blue said, finishing up with the container and turning to face her. "Why does it interest you so much?"

Fluttershy smiled kindly. "Because I want to know more about you, if that isn't a problem..."

"I uh..." Blue scratched the back of his head and thought about it. She sure seemed interested in him for some reason. He couldn't assume it was anything more than curiosity, though. Because that's what it was, he told himself. "I guess there's nothing wrong with that."

She nodded. "You don't socialize much, do you?"

Blue closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "Well... no, not exactly..."





From just within the dark, dense forest nearby, it stood with its eyes feasting hungrily on the two helpless, weak prey before it by the river... dinner and a drink.

Baring its massive canine teeth and licking them in anticipation, running its tongue over each and every jagged tooth, the beast reared its head back and let out a haunting howl that reverberated through the woods and into the night, silencing every creature within earshot.

It was time to eat.





In the midst of the momentary silence between them, a bellowing, hoarse, animalistic howl rose from somewhere not far from them. It made them both freeze, their hearts skipping a beat.

"Fl-Fluttershy... that's a wolf, right?" Blue stuttered, slowly turning to the woods behind them with her.

Fluttershy shook her head, quivering in fear. "Um... I'm afraid I've never heard that sound before in my life..."

Blue swallowed the lump in his throat, realizing what this howl meant. "So... it's not a wolf...?"

"No..."

Another heart-stopping howl.

"Than what is it?"

Fluttershy couldn't answer. Before she even opened her mouth, the trees at the edge of the woods began to tremble as a massive, hairy beast emerged quickly on all fours. Its body was heavily muscled, with long, dark grey hair. It had a shape oddly reminiscent of a wolf, but much more terrifying - it was built to murder. Its piercing yellow eyes stared at the two ponies as it rushed towards them in a bounding, loping run, its enormous yellowish teeth bared as it snarled viciously.

Just about immobilized by the horrifying sight, neither pony could move. It was as though the gaze of this creature held them in a trance. But Blue quickly came to his senses. "Fluttershy, run!" he screamed, tugging her hard, nearly off balance.

Fluttershy tore her eyes from the sight and stumbled. "Oh, Dear Celestia, what is that?!" she hollered, sprinting with Blue away from the monster that now chased them.

Blue gasped and heaved with each breath as he quickly grew tired. The pain from his leg combined with malnutrition meant this game of tag wouldn't last long.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling it doesn't mean to cuddle. We need to get away from it and now!"

They raced along the riverbank with the strange beast hot on their tail and gaining fast. It would catch them soon.

They stumbled to a stop and gasped in horror, realizing they'd gone the wrong way in the midst of their fright. They stood at the edge of the waterfall, staring down into the abyss, the bottom seemingly miles away.

"Blue! What do we do?" Fluttershy cried, spinning back to the creature as it lumbered towards them, audibly gnashing its teeth.

Blue watched it get closer. He peered down over the cliff and waterfall at the bottom. There was a decent-sized pond at the foot of the waterfall. If they landed there, they might make it...

It was their only chance.

"We have to jump, Fluttershy," he said calmly, betraying his feelings. Inside, his heart raced. A million thoughts bounced around in his head, including what their demise might be if they decided to stay and face this beast.

"Blue, are you insane?! We'll die!"

"We have to jump!" Blue shouted angrily, his fear growing as the creature began to slow, closing in. It knew it had them cornered. There was nowhere to go, it thought.

Fluttershy edged towards the waterfall and glanced down the precipice to the pool below. "Into that?" she asked, pointing hesitantly.

Blue didn't answer. Instead, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and shoved Fluttershy over, jumping after her.

They both screamed in terror as they plummeted towards the water below, just out of reach of the jagged rocks that jutted above the waterline. With the wind whipping past them, the freezing air bringing tears to their eyes, they closed in on the bottom of the falls rapidly.

It was then Blue realized his terrible mistake.

He loved water. The ocean was his greatest interest. His hobby. But Blue had a flaw; something he never told anypony out of embarrassment. There was too much irony involved for him to admit.

Blue never learned to swim.





The beast approached the waterfall with caution and stood where its prey just was. It glanced with little interest at their receding bodies falling away towards the bottom.

It knew nothing could survive such a fall. Especially not with how cold it was. If the fall didn't kill them, hypothermia would.

The creature snarled and spun away, lumbering off into the woods.

It would come back for their bodies later.





It was too late now. Both of them had a broken wing. They were falling and nothing would stop that - except hitting something.

They plunged into the water, still screaming bloody murder. The bitterly cold water swirled around them, tossing them around from the eddies formed by the falls.

The freezing water stole their breaths, but only one of them struggled to the surface. The other bucked and squirmed, trying his hardest to stop sinking. But it was futile.

Already out of breath from running, Blue gave in to his urge to suck in the icy water to feed his burning lungs.

The water made it worse. What ponies failed to mention about drowning is that it wasn't quick or painless. For a few terrifying seconds, Blue breathed in the cold water, the searing pain in his lungs increasing to the point he tried to scream.

Suddenly, everything faded into a starry, swirling mass of black.





Fluttershy surfaced, gasping and sputtering for breath. The cold water weakened her; it stole her breath and strength, and she knew that if she didn't get out now, she would die from hypothermia or shock very quickly.

"B-Blue...!" she yelled weakly, searching the water around her for him. He hadn't come up yet, which worried her. Had he struck a rock when he hit? "Blue!" she tried again, her heart racing as she realized he'd been under far too long. Something was wrong.

Taking as deep a breath as she could, she dove under the surface and peered through the darkness, barely able to see. However, with the sky clear, the aurora's, and the moon, she could see just enough to send a stab of fear into her heart.

At the bottom of the shallow pool was the silhouette of a pony, lying motionless.

Springing into action, Fluttershy rushed down to him, grabbing ahold of a foreleg and yanked him up as she swam to the surface. She needed to get them both out of the water.

She breached the surface, tugging Blue's limp body along. She began to cry in frustration and fear. There was a chance Blue was gone. But she had to try and save him. She needed him. She wanted him.

Once she paddled to the shore littered with thousands of erosion-polished stones, she dragged Blue up and out of the water. The cold was making her sluggish, and she knew hypothermia was already trying to grasp at her. She needed to start a fire and get them both warm and fast. But first, she had to save Blue.

Laying Blue out on the rocks, she checked for injuries. There were no new ones, so the only other explanation was that he drowned. But how could he? All adult ponies she knew learned to swim as foals. Perhaps his injury made swimming too hard. In any case, she had to resuscitate him now or he had no chance of making it.

She took a deep, shaky breath. She'd never actually performed this manuever, so she hoped she could do it right. Blue's life was in her hooves.

Beginning to feel numb, she knelt beside Blue and parted his mouth. She took as deep a breath as she could and pressed her lips to his, which somehow seemed far colder than hers - as cold as death. She covered his nostrils with a hoof and breathed as much air into his lungs as she could, pulled away, and pressed her hooves to his chest, just below his sternum. She thrust downward over and over, keeping her elbows straight and feeling a warm tear trickle down over her cheek.

Blue didn't come to.

"Come on! Please!" Fluttershy cried, blowing air into his lungs again, then performing more chest compressions. Still nothing.

Growing desperate and feeling her gut-wrenching fear taking over, she tried one last time. Midway through blowing air into his lungs, Blue suddenly began coughing and sputtering out water, his body writhing.

"Blue!" Fluttershy exclaimed, not believing she'd just done this. She saved Blue. No - she revived him.

Blue turned on his side and vomited, spitting and gasping for air.

Fluttershy picked his head and shoulders up, resting his upper body in her lap and craddling him. "It's okay. It's okay now. I thought you were dead. I thought you were gone, Blue..."

Blue lay there gasping for breath and staring up at her. He felt scared, cold, and very tired. "Y-yeah. Th-anks Shy..." He gave her a weak smile.

Fluttershy began crying with relief, holding him close. "How could you be so stupid? You nearly killed us! But you got us away from that... thing. I guess this was the only way... But you got hurt! Don't ever scare me like that again. Never again!"

"Fl-Fluttershy... Warmth. I n-need warmth..."

Fluttershy gasped. "I forgot about hypothermia! I'm sorry, Blue! I'll go get some wood." She paused. "But how will I light it? I don't have anything to start a fire with..."

Blue pointed a shaky foreleg at the cliff nearby. "Get s-some rocks..."

"That's right! The ones you used at the cave!" Fluttershy said with realization. She set Blue down gently. "I'll be right back, Blue. Don't go anywhere."

"D-didn't plan on it..."

Fluttershy hesitated, staring down at him. She'd been surviving this nightmare for days with this stallion, and he'd almost died. She couldn't think of what it would be like to actually lose him and have to face this mess on her own. She hugged him tightly, briefly, then set him down, rushing off to go find wood and rocks for a fire.






162 hours


Hypothermia was dangerous and uncomfortable to suffer from. The stages it took to complete the process on its victims was terrifying and unforgiving.

It would start with a vague numbness in the limbs as the blood retreated to the body's core to protect the critical organs. Delirious hallucinations would come next, as the pulse and respiration slowed, cheating the brain of oxygen. Then, the body would make a final effort to conserve its remaining heat by shutting down all operations except the heart and respiratory system. At that point, unconsciousness was inevitable. In the end, heart and respiratory systems would fail, and the victim would die.

Blue was in the hallucinogenic stages when Fluttershy finally returned with enough wood to start a fire.

"Blue?" she asked, her jaw dropping.

At the foot of the water, Blue had gathered dozens and dozens of rocks from around the pool in a small pile and was tossing them madly at the water, screaming at it with rage.

"Blue... what are you doing? You need to lay down and rest while I get a fire going." Fluttershy approached him from behind, which startled him.

He spun and glared at her. "It's in the pond. I need to kill it. Help me!" He pointed at the water. There was nothing there.

Fluttershy knitted her eyebrows in concern. "I think you need to go lay down. Please, Blue."

"No!" he hollered vehemently. "I need to kill it or it'll kill me!" He stooped and picked up another stone, hurling it at the water, where it skipped twice and disappeared under the surface.

Fluttershy sighed and took Blue's foreleg. "Come here. You need to sit."

Blue hardly resisted, mainly due to being too weak. "Fine. But don't get mad at me if it comes out and eats us like a two course meal."

"Sit and don't move until I get back with some rocks, okay?" Fluttershy said, gently tugging his foreleg down to bring him on his haunches.

Blue grunted inaudibly but complied.

"Good boy. I'll be right back."

It didn't take her ten minutes, luckily. She found the same type of rocks Blue had used before and rushed back to the falls.

Blue wasn't there.

"Blue!"

Fluttershy ran over to the stack of wood and dropped the rocks, frantically scanning the area for him. Over near the falls, she spotted him just as he stumbled behind them against the cliff face.

"I told you to stay put!" she muttered under her breath and hurried over to the cliff. A narrow rocky ledge led directly behind the falls, where Blue had disappeared.

She had to get a fire started soon, as she herself was beginning to feel weak and extremely tired. The latter in part because it was late, but also from hypothermia taking hold. Her teeth had stopped chattering, which was a bad sign.

"Blue! Where did you go?" she called out to him in a hushed voice. She wasn't entirely sure he was wrong that the monster from earlier wasn't nearby. Just in case, she kept her voice down.

She crawled carefully along the ledge, making her way behind the falls. She was amazed to find a decent-sized cavern with stalagmites and stalactites jutting from the floor and ceiling. Just inside the mouth was Blue.

"Blue?" Fluttershy whispered, padding up beside him.

Blue was staring deep into the darkness. He seemed focused, even though there wasn't anything to see.

"Blue?" Fluttershy tried again, placing a hoof on his shoulder.

He turned to her, looking confused. "Fluttershy? How'd you get in here? This is a mining installation. You're not permitted in here."

Fluttershy opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out. She didn't even know what she was going to say to that.

"I can escort you out, if you'd like."

Fluttershy shook her head. "Blue, you're not feeling right. I need to get you warm, and now. Come on." She snatched up his left foreleg and began leading him out of the cave.

"Heh. You're an escort. Heh heh."

Fluttershy blushed. "No I'm not. Not that kind." She would've been upset by such a comment at any other time, but she knew the hypothermia was affecting his mind. He was hallucinating and delirious.

They left the cave and trailed along the ledge back out to the beach alongside the pool. Fluttershy brought Blue over to the stack of wood and sat him down.

"Pretty useless fire," Blue commented, looking down at the pile.

Fluttershy sighed. "I haven't started it yet."

"Oh."

It was clear Blue needed warmth. She was doing better due to running around. She'd already started warming back up a little. However, the fire was still necessary for both of them.

Remembering how Blue had done it, Fluttershy struck the rocks together with a glancing blow, sending a shower of sparks down on the dried grasses she collected. It did nothing, so she tried again.

No fire.

"Come on..." She struck the rocks together over and over, but the grass never even smoked.

"Thinner tinder. More fibrous material." Blue smacked the grass off the wood. "Grass will never do."

Fluttershy nodded. "Right. I'll be back."

She left and returned with a long, broken stick. The end was frayed with dozens of fibers of wood.

"That'll do," Blue said.

"You... um... suddenly seem so..." Fluttershy paused, searching for the right word as to not insult him, "okay?"

"I was always fine. A little numb, but I'm fine."

"I can assure you you're not fine," Fluttershy said, placing the frayed end of the stick down with the grass around it. She began striking the rocks together again. After a few good blows, the end of the stick began to smoke.

"Yes!" Fluttershy exclaimed, kneeling and gently blowing on the end of the stick to get the fire going.

In a few seconds, the grass caught. Eventually, the fire roared and crackled as it devoured the wood she fed it.

"Good job, Fluttershy. I'm proud of you." Blue curled up beside the fire, beginning to shiver. The process of hypothermia was undoing itself.

She didn't know why, but his words made her feel good about herself. She had managed to both save him, and start an emergency fire all by herself. It was a feat she didn't know she could ever accomplish, let alone under all the stress she was while being injured and suffering from the beginning stages of hypothermia. She really was a stronger-willed pony than she gave herself credit for.

"Thanks, Blue. You scared me, though..." she admitted, sitting on her haunches beside him. She stared down at the fire and enjoyed the warmth it provided.

"I did? What did I do?"

"You... you drowned, Blue. Don't you remember?"

Blue sat up and rubbed his head, wincing. "No... Everything's cloudy. I remember falling and everything previous. I don't remember anything up until about... I don't know, an hour ago?"

Fluttershy sighed. "I guess it's better that way."

"What do you mean?" Blue asked curiously. "Is there something I should know? What else happened?"

"Nothing," Fluttershy said, poking at the fire with a stick. She promptly tossed it in. "I'm just thankful you're still alive. I'm thankful we're both still alive."

"Yeah..."

Silence.

"I'm really tired," Fluttershy said quietly.

"Me too."

More silence, save for the fire and the rushing falls.

"Where are we going to sleep?" Fluttershy asked the question that had been on her mind since she pulled him from the pool.

Blue laid back beside the fire. "Right here," he said simply.

"Out in the open?"

Blue nodded his head towards the fire. "That'll keep predators away. We'll need to keep it going all night though."

Fluttershy frowned. "But... that means one of us needs to stay up..."

Blue shook his head, clearing the rocks out from under him with a sweeping hoof. "Not necessarily. Put a whole bunch of wood in there. It won't be long before dawn. It'll stay going until then."

Fluttershy took in a deep breath and let it go. "Okay..." She trusted him. He hadn't done her or them wrong so far. So she stacked up a few large sticks and tossed them in, the fire flaring up in response.

Blue settled down on his side, facing the fire. He sighed heavily. "It's been a long night..."

Fluttershy wasn't sure where to lay. Should she lay on the other side? It would be awkward to lay beside him. "Yeah," she replied, scratching the back of her head nervously. "And now I can't figure out where to sleep..."

Blue scooted away from the fire a bit and patted the ground between him and the fire. "I'll let you be closer."

Fluttershy glanced away shyly, rubbing the back of her foreleg. "You want to sleep with me in front of you like that? Isn't that a little... awkward?"

Blue shrugged. "I'm just trying to be nice. And protective."

"Okay..." She sighed. "I'll lay with you I guess..."

She stood and flipped on her side in front of him. At first, she wasn't sure she was comfortable with it, but as she scooted back against him and felt him slide a foreleg around her, as if to guard her from danger, she realized she was okay with it. She was okay with him.

"Is this okay?" Blue asked, moving the protective foreleg around a little.

Fluttershy nodded and smiled, despite knowing he couldn't see her face. She was kind of glad for that. She couldn't possibly tell him she actually enjoyed being held close as she fell asleep. Feeling protected was the best feeling in the world to her. "It's fine..."

They lay there in silence for awhile, but neither had fallen asleep. There was too much on both their minds. One thing that kept floating around in Blue's mind just had to come out though. It didn't take him long to gather the courage to ask.

"Fluttershy...?"

"Yes?"

"How did you resuscitate me?"

She hesitated. "I um... used CPR."

"The whole process..."

"Yes..."

Blue felt his face grow hot. "Oh. Okay." He never thought the first time his lips would make contact with a mare's was while he was dead. Such is life.

"Why do you ask?" Fluttershy inquired after a few seconds.

Blue searched for an answer. "I uh... was just wondering."

"Why?"

"Persistence. I love it," he said humorously with the hint of sarcasm. "Because I think you're amazing for doing it."

Fluttershy blushed. "I'm not..." She shifted a little.

"You most certainly are," Blue said flatly. "You saved my life again. Now I definitely owe you. I'm in your debt girl." He gave her a friendly squeeze.

"I don't want you in my debt..."

"Then tell me how I can repay you. I'm sure there's some way."

She snuggled up against him for warmth and a couple other reasons. "There probably is..." she said under her breath, flushing. She was glad he couldn't see.

Blue wondered what she meant, but reveled at her snuggling up to him. He wanted so badly to tell her how much he loved it. "Mind telling me...?"

Fluttershy placed a hoof on the back of his, the one at the end of the foreleg around her midsection. "Sleep, Blue. Goodnight..."

Blue wanted to protest. It was better not to, though. He was tired anyways. "Alright. Goodnight, Fluttershy. Thanks for saving my life. I'll repay you any way I can." He closed his eyes. "Any way you want..."

They lay there for awhile longer before both dozing off.
> Broken
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


178 Hours


The next morning was a hard one. Neither pony wanted to face the day in the state they were in. The events of the previous night had left them tired, sore, and feeling a bit hopeless, but giving up was still not in the equation.

Waking hours into the day, they slowly gathered the will and strength to look for a way back to the top of the falls and hopefully back to their cave. Tending to some cuts and bruises first, they started out along the edge of the cliff, looking for a way up.

The air was stale and cold, likely due to the cliff. They were out of the wind, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Wind chill was dangerous.

Along the banks of the stream running from the pool at the foot of the falls, they soon found the ground sloping upwards, meaning they would find the top, much to their relief. It seemed as though this would turn out to be easier than their previous experience with falling in canyons.

Along the way, they talked to keep their minds occupied.

"I'm really sorry about last night, Fluttershy," Blue said, giving a heaving sigh. He trailed along behind her, limping slightly. The pain in his leg was still there, but over the past couple days, it had subsided significantly. It still caused him to move slower than her, so he resigned himself to being the rear guard.

"Sorry for what?" Fluttershy asked, turning back to him as she carefully maneuvered around a narrow, steep corner. The slope was growing very steep and the path was narrowing. The top was soon.

"For throwing us off a cliff."

Fluttershy turned back to where she was going. "Blue, I don't fault you for that. Last night I dreamt of what would've happened had we not gotten away from that... thing." Blue saw her visibly shiver.

"And...?"

"I'd rather not discuss the details."

"Fair enough." Blue glanced over the edge of the path at the ground. It was at least a hundred feet down by now, and littered with sharp rocks and boulders that would not feel great mashed against one's body. "Watch your step," he advised her.

"I know. I'm also not going to look down."

"Very smart."

The top was a long way up, but neither of them bothered to worry about such a menial thing. Normally, they would both be deterred from wanting to scale a cliff side to reach the top. It was dangerous, hard on the body, and painfully slow. It would take them most of the day just to reach the top at their current speed. However, ascending and getting back to their cave camp was vital. They wouldn't survive long if they stayed where they were.

So the climb continued.

Blue, however, still had something to worry about, at least in his opinion. Thanks to his brilliant idea to save them from being a late night snack, he'd cost them time, supplies, and his own health. He'd actually drowned and caused Fluttershy the stress of thinking she was going to be all alone in this mess. Not to mention he currently felt like passing out for the next two days, which he'd refused to tell her. No use in reporting more bad news.

Even worse, he was starving. He was sure she was too, but the events last night had left him feeling drained and weak. Their diet did not provide the nutrients he needed so desperately. Even though getting back to the cave - and eventually the train - would not solve this problem, it would allow them to forage for food better than what they had to eat this morning. The train also had remnants of food and other important stuffs they needed in their race to survive. Getting back to it was sine qua non.

"Blue?"

Blue shook his head and broke free from deep reverie. He glanced up at her and gave a tired smile. "Yeah? I'm just thinking about how nice a big, juicy hayburger would be right about now."

Fluttershy smiled sadly. She'd stopped and turned to him along the path they were taking to hopefully reach the top of the cliff. "I've already been through those thoughts. I've moved on to knowing roots and berries are all we'll be getting for awhile."

Blue sighed and shrugged. "Not the best diet. Also not the worst."

Fluttershy gave a slight nod, lowering her gaze. "Yeah... we could be eating nothing..."

"Pretty much, yeah..."

She gave him another half-hearted smile and turned back to the path, leading the way further up.

"You know, we really have to stop being so negative," Blue said, staring  off at the sun. It felt warm on his face, despite the biting cold air around him. Maybe soon he would have time to sit out and enjoy that warmth.

But not now.

"What? I thought we were plenty positive...?" Fluttershy asked, sounding confused. She didn't look back.

"Fluttershy... what we just discussed was in no way positive." Blue chuckled. "However, we can make it that way. What if I offer to take you out to go get a big, juicy hayburger after we get out of this mess?"

Fluttershy came to a halt and peered back at him through her tangled, pink mane. "Take me out?" she asked in a soft voice.

Blue stopped short and smiled back at her. "Yeah. Can I take you to dinner after all this? It'd make my day, you know." Blue watched a faint smile creep across her lips behind her mane. It was satisfying to see.

"I... suppose so. Though, I've never been asked on a date before..." Fluttershy said, lowering her gaze.

Blue hummed in reply. His heart suddenly began pattering like he'd just run a marathon, and he found himself stumbling over words. Where did these strange feelings just come from? "I... wasn't uh... aware I was asking you... you on a date." He swallowed hard. "But you know... if that's what you wanted to do..."

Fluttershy lifted her gaze back to him, her mane drifting aside to reveal her face. She wore the same faint smile from before, but somehow it seemed more... mysterious. "We should probably get moving."

Blue nodded, feeling a bead of sweat on his brow despite sub-freezing temperatures. "Yeah... yeah, sorry. Leave it to Casanova here to lead us astray from our important tasks." He shook his head, then provided a nervous but playful grin up at her.

She gave a muted chuckle and turned back to the path, leading them further and further up.

Along the way, unbeknownst to Fluttershy, Blue silently chided and scolded himself for being stupid, at least, in his opinion he was. Asking his survival partner to dinner was highly inappropriate. If she were even interested in him, she'd tell him.

Right?

Furthermore, this wasn't the time, nor the place to be inquiring of romance. He chalked this up to another reason he was no good with mares.

Within the hour, the top of the cliff was in sight. The two of them scrambled for the edge and eventually clambered over it, nearly kissing the ground in relief. As happy as they were, this was only the tip of the iceberg. They had to get to the cave, now. Fortunately for them, they ended up within earshot of the falls, allowing them to skirt along the cliff back to where they went over, and eventually back on the path towards the cave after gathering some water.

It was afternoon, and they knew they had at least an hour of walking to do. Blue estimated that since the train wreck, they'd walked more than 50 miles. Fluttershy wasn't so sure, as that seemed an impossible number given their conditions, but she trusted his math.

With the winter sun at its highest point, the air was the warmest it was going to be that day. It was below freezing, but with the path they took, they had patches of direct sunlight, which was surprisingly warm. It was a welcoming feeling, as their limbs were stiff from both usage and the cold.

The path was exactly as they'd left it the day before. No new tracks, except what appeared to be deer. Fluttershy said it was a little too big, and was either a moose or an elk. Neither of which would be a threat to them unless encountered.

The two ponies maintained conversation as they wandered towards the cave. With their minds occupied, time seemed to fly by. It didn't feel like a whole hour by the time they'd finally come across the cave. Not that it mattered; they were simply happy to be there.

"Oh, goodness. I've never been so relieved to be in a cave," Fluttershy said, flopping down onto the floor just inside the entrance. Blue wandered in behind her and collapsed as well, heavily fatigued.

"Preaching to the choir..."

All the things they'd left in the cave were still there. Their experience the previous night had been a setback, but it hadn't stopped them or taken away their hope. They would head out to the train in the next day or so, and soon, hopefully, be rescued. That is, assuming the creature from before didn't return...

Fluttershy sat up, propping herself up from behind with her forelegs. "So, um... what now? What do we do, now that we're here?" She stared down curiously at Blue.

Blue yawned and stretched, ignoring the aches and pains that accompanied it. "I think I want to nap..."

"Oh... So what do I do then?"

"If I were you, gather firewood or food." After a moment or two of consideration, Blue added, "Or both."

Fluttershy sighed, nodding. "I don't enjoy this. Not one bit..." She turned away, curling up into a fetal position and falling on her side. "I've never had to forage to survive. This is so much to handle..."

Blue sat up suddenly, alarmed. "Hey, now... what's with the sudden depressing attitude? It's not like you, so far as I know..."

"It isn't me. That's the problem. I feel off and on hopelessness. Ever since the wreck, it's been situational, like when bad things are happening. Except this time, everything is fine and I still feel depressed. Is there something wrong with me?" She peered up at Blue with wide eyes brimming with tears.

Blue leaned towards her, placing a gentle and comforting hoof on her shoulder. She was trembling slightly. "Nothing's wrong with you at all. I promise. Your feelings are justified through the fact that no matter how well things are going, we're still out here. Until we're safe in our homes, we have every right to feel hopelessness."

Fluttershy sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Alright... I suppose occupying my mind with searching for berries and roots might help..."

"Yeah," Blue agreed, removing his hoof as Fluttershy sat back up. "We can talk for a while too, later. If you'd like, that is."

Fluttershy smiled faintly. "That would be nice..." She stood and moved for the mouth of the cave. "You can nap, if you want. I'll be back with some food."

"Are you sure? I can go with you," Blue offered.

Fluttershy shook her head. "You can get some rest. I can see that you need it. Please - take a nap and feel better."

Blue sighed, relenting. "Alright. Please be safe. At the slightest hint of danger, scream bloody murder and run for this cave. I'll come help."

Fluttershy gave a nod. "I will. I'll be back soon. Rest well, Blue..." Then she turned and trotted off into the trees, disappearing moments later.

Blue took a deep breath and released it, watching her form blend into the forest and vanish. "We have to get out of here..."






185 Hours


Darkness arrived before Blue finally roused from his lengthy nap. He sat up, yawned loudly and forcefully for comedic effect, and stared out the mouth of the cave at Fluttershy, who was poking at a small fire going. It also appeared she was making more tea.

"Whatever you're making, it smells fantastic," Blue said, climbing to his hooves and wandering over to her, taking a seat clumsily on a log they'd moved beside the fire before the waterfall incident.

Fluttershy met his eyes with a smile. "Oh. Hey, you're awake. Did you have a good nap?" She stirred the contents of the container over the fire. Whatever it was bubbled and hissed as it cooked.

Blue yawned again, although less dramatically. "I sure did. Boy, did I need that. Thanks for letting me and getting a fire going. You're too kind."

Fluttershy hid a blush. "Not a problem at all..." She removed the container from over the fire. "Would you like some coffee? It's not from tree needles this time. It's from some roots. Chicory."

Blue nodded. "Actually, yes. Normally I'd decline coffee at such a late hour, but I doubt chicory has caffeine."

"It doesn't," Fluttershy confirmed, pouring him some in a small ceramic cup. "Enjoy! Chicory is very nutritious for us. It's high in fats and proteins, and is toxic to parasites in the stomach."

"Huh. I didn't know that." Blue took the cup and sipped, burning the tip of his tongue and crying out. "Ow! Perhaps I should wait a bit."

Fluttershy gave a muffled giggle, a hoof over her muzzle. "It would be wise, but don't wait too long. It's freezing out, so it won't take very long to cool down. It doesn't taste nearly as good cold," she advised, pouring herself a cup and setting the container with the rest beside the fire.

Blue nodded in acknowledgement, setting the cup in his lap. "Thank you for the drink. I'm certain it will hit the spot." He gazed up at the darkened sky, noting the clouds moving in from the distant horizon. A storm?

"You're very welcome, and I'm hoping it to do just that," Fluttershy replied, flashing her teeth and gingerly sipping at her own cup. She noticed Blue staring up at the sky and followed his gaze. "Um... see something?"

Blue shook his head. "No... nothing worth worrying about." He reassured her with a jovial smile. "Fire's doing a great job at keeping us warm," he noted aloud, rubbing his forehooves together close to the flames.

"Oh, definitely," Fluttershy agreed. "Do... do you think it will keep... that..."

"Creature away? Yeah, hopefully," Blue said, finishing for her. "Otherwise, we gotta get back to the waterfall and jump again." He winked at her when she glanced up with a look of horror on her face.

"Blue, that isn't funny..." she said, frowning disapprovingly.

Blue shrugged. "Somepony's got to have a sense of humor here." He grinned playfully.

"Blue."

Blue threw his forelegs up in surrender. "Alright, alright... Gosh, a guy can't joke about nothin' anymore."

Fluttershy sighed. "Nothing about you almost dying is funny. I'm sorry, but that's just how I feel."

Blue nodded. "I know. Just trying to make light of the situation. No use in moping around. I'm alive, you're alive, and we're currently safe. Let's try to enjoy ourselves a little, eh?"

"I guess... but not that way. No joking about that incident. It worries me just thinking about it..."

"Alright, fair enough," Blue relented. He finally drank a little of his coffee, which was delightfully tasty, and set it aside. "What do we talk about or do then?"

"Hmm." Fluttershy stared down at the flickering fire, folding her forelegs across her chest and rubbing to warm up. "Um... what are we gonna do when we get back to the train? We can't just sit there..."

"What choice do we have? We need to be there when rescuers arrive. That's the first place they're going to look for us."

"But food, water, warmth..."

"All of that will be provided by the forest," Blue said. "Hasn't it anyways?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Yeah. I suppose..." She didn't look convinced.

Blue stood and moved over beside her, sitting and putting a foreleg around her shoulders. "We'll be fine. Okay? We're doing great, despite the circumstances. I mean, look what we've been through - a train wreck, falling down a mountain, sleeping in freezing weather, escaping a huge, murderous monster, jumping over a waterfall into a freezing cold pool..."

"I think I get it..." Fluttershy murmured, peering up at him through her mane. She didn't appear uncomfortable by his sudden closeness. Then again, he was probably keeping her warm.

Blue cracked a smile. "Good. Need any more convincing?" he teased.

Fluttershy embraced him suddenly. It was so unexpected, it nearly threw them both off the log onto the ground, but Blue managed to maintain his balance and return the embrace, although less enthusiastically. He wasn't sure why he deserved a hug, but there was no reason to deny it.

"Thank you..." Fluttershy said in a voice just above a whisper. She gave him a squeeze, her head flush with his chest, forelegs wrapped around his midsection.

"Uh... no problem, Shy. Just being as kind to you as you are to me," Blue replied, still unsure about the hug. It didn't make him uncomfortable, but he also didn't understand why. Perhaps it was just because he'd come to know the mare a little better.

A few moments later, Fluttershy released him and sat upright, looking embarrassed by her actions. "Sorry about that..."

"Sorry?" Blue asked, not understanding. "Sorry for hugging me? Why?"

Fluttershy curled up a little, trying to stay warm. "That was a little much. I shouldn't have let myself do that. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable..." She stared down at the fire.

"No, no. It was just fine. I enjoyed it... I mean, it didn't bother me. I know you probably just needed some comforting and I have no problem with giving you hugs to do that." Blue did his best to reassure her that no lines were crossed. She'd have to do a lot to cross his lines...

Fluttershy gave a barely perceivable nod without looking away from the fire. "Okay..."

"Hey," Blue said, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Cheer up. We should talk about something positive."

Fluttershy looked up at him. "Like what?"

"Like how good it'll feel to sleep in actual shelter with a fireplace of sorts," Blue said. "I can't wait for that, honestly. I've had waaaay too much nature lately."

"I can't believe I want to agree with you..."

"Why can't you believe that?" Blue asked quizzically. He pulled away a bit, staring over at her as though she'd just made the most insulting comment ever.

Fluttershy realized how what she'd said sounded and immediately backpedaled. "I meant... I love nature and I can't believe I want to agree with you on having too much..."

Blue nodded in understanding. "Ah. Okay. Sorry I got bent out of shape there for a moment. I thought you hated me or something."

Fluttershy glanced back down at the fire, her eyes telling a story of many thoughts. "I don't hate you at all..." she said quietly.

"Good to know..."

A few moments of awkward silence followed, with Fluttershy's gaze fixed on the campfire, and Blue staring into the distance, collecting his thoughts. Suddenly, he felt a desire to ask a question floating around in his mind. It had been there many times throughout the course of their journey, but only now had he felt a strong urge to get it off his chest.

"So how do you feel about me?" he asked, his voice shaking near the end of the question. A stab of fear struck him as he finished the question. He wasn't sure why.

Fluttershy took a deep breath and released it noisily. "I... think you're kind and brave and smart..."

"Oh," Blue replied, underwhelmed. "I uh... I don't know what I was expecting. I guess that makes me feel okay."

Fluttershy looked up and over at him. "You sound a little disappointed..."

He was. "I'm fine, really. Honestly I'm glad your opinion of me is so high."

"I see..." Fluttershy turned back to the fire. After a moment, she asked, "How do you feel about me?"

Blue knew this was coming. But what he didn't know is how to respond without making things awkward or scaring her off. A stallion couldn't help who he found attractive. That's just how nature worked. "I... think pretty much the same thing, honestly... although I'd add that you're very... pretty."

Fluttershy flushed lightly. "Pretty...? But... I'm disgusting right now... I smell and I'm filthy..." She peered up at him. "Why do you think that?"

Blue felt sweat forming on his brow as his heart rate increased. This wasn't the topic he wanted to delve headfirst into right now. "You're just... a pretty mare. I think you're pretty, is all."

Fluttershy gave an inscrutable little smile. The pink color in her cheeks remained. "Thanks... That's sweet of you to say..."

A delicate but frigid breeze blew through, pulling them from the cozy conversation. It was a reminder that they were still in danger, still in this horrid situation that continued to test their characters. At least they still found time to talk about normal things and detach themselves from the reality they faced.

Blue rubbed his forelegs and shivered. "Fire isn't helping much anymore with that breeze going. Maybe we should head to sleep? We do have a long walk tomorrow."

Fluttershy nodded once. "Yeah. I am a bit tired, actually." She picked up and finished off her coffee, prompting Blue to do the same. He'd forgotten all about his, and he drank the rest so as to not disappoint or insult Fluttershy.

They cleaned up around the fire, but left it going. It would generate enough warmth to affect them in the cave nearby, but not enough to cause a collapse as Blue had warned would occur if the fire was inside the cave.

Once inside, Blue set out blankets for them to lay on, separate blankets as they'd done before, but this time, Fluttershy stopped him.

"Actually..." Fluttershy played with the tangled tip of her mane, looking sheepish. "I'd rather us share so we can be as warm as possible. It's going to be really cold tonight and I don't want to struggle to stay warm..."

"I see... you want to share blankets? Is that what you're saying?" Blue asked, rolling one of the blankets up that was intended for her to sleep on. He might end up using it instead as a blanket for them to keep warm with since Fluttershy didn't want to sleep alone.

Fluttershy nodded wordlessly. She didn't make eye contact with him, but did look up in his direction.

"Alright. Just let me know if you get uncomfortable with the uh..." Blue searched for the right words, "...closeness. Okay?" He laid out two blankets, then used the other two as covers, laying down and pulling them up to his neck. "Ready?"

Fluttershy crawled in beside him, their bodies flush together. Blue fought the many thoughts shooting around his mind and focused only on staying warm, until Fluttershy cuddled up on him unexpectedly. Blue didn't know how to react, feeling her wrap her forelegs around him and her burying her muzzle in his neck. This wasn't at all what he imagined the night ending with. But he didn't want it to stop or go away, either. So desperately did he want to just open up and tell her that he'd developed feelings for her, but something told him the feeling wasn't mutual. He told himself that she cuddled him to stay warm, not because she had feelings. Besides, he'd know if she liked him. It wouldn't be that hard to tell, would it?

Blue decided to cuddle her back, hoping he wouldn't be going to far. Despite them both being dirty and having a bit of an odor, he relished in the feeling of her warm, soft body against his. She didn't pull away as he slid his forelegs around her lithe body and held her close. She even seemed a bit receptive, almost as if she wanted him to do that or was expecting it. Her mane tickled at his neck as it curled in pink tendrils all over it and his chest, and he could feel her slow, hot breaths. It nearly made him shudder.

"Goodnight, Blue..." Fluttershy said softly, closing her eyes. She wanted to fall asleep and dream of the things she wished she could have right now, but also she wanted to resist wanting to say or do more than she was comfortable with. At least, for now. She just hoped Blue didn't catch on to anything.

"Goodnight, Shy. Sleep well. We'll have a great day tomorrow," Blue said, gently squeezing her. He opened his mouth to say "I love you," but stopped himself before it came out. He had no idea where the words arose from, but was glad he didn't say them.

They both fell asleep soon after.






198 Hours


The following morning, they woke up, ate, took turns relieving themselves and trying to clean up a bit, before packing up and heading out towards where they hoped would be the train wreckage.

It was overcast and much colder than it had been the past couple days. Blue forecasted a storm incoming in the next 24 hours, which meant they needed to get to the train and stock up on food and firewood. Even if they made it to the train, if they didn't prepare for the storm, they would likely die.

The wind had also picked up to a considerable breeze, sometimes reaching a moderate gale. The trees around them groaned and creaked as they swung to and fro in the strong winds. The wind chill was almost certainly a problem, and the two ponies frequently had to stop and rub extremities to keep them warm and prevent frostbite.

After roughly two hours of walking, they stopped for a break. It seemed to them that they were making far more headway than when they'd been trying to escape the ravine. They surmised it had to do with better terrain conditions; there weren't heaps of rocks and boulders the size of beach balls littered everywhere as obstacles up here.

"I really hope we get there today..." Fluttershy said, sounding concerned. She was propped up against a tree, her back to it as she finished off some roots and berries she'd collected for the two of them. "That storm is sure to come soon and make things so much worse..."

Blue sat on his haunches nearby in a small clearing, examining the sky and growing worried. "Yeah. We won't make it if we're caught."

"Oh, no..." Fluttershy gasped.

Blue kept his eyes on the sky. "Yeah. We need to get moving again soon or we'll never make it. Being caught in a winter storm right now would devastate us."

Fluttershy gathered the little food she had left and packed it back into her saddlebags. "Alright. Let's go," she said as she stood up.

"Are you sure?" Blue asked. "I wasn't rushing you."

"I'm sure. We need to go."

"Okay."

They ventured for another hour before reaching a familiar location. The ravine was seen through a clearing in the trees off to their left. They knew at this point they were no more than an hour from the train.

It was at this time that minute snowflakes began fluttering down all around them. Few and far enough in between to not pose a threat, but they foretold the nasty storm that was sure to follow soon. They picked up pace, hoping to beat the storm, as they still had to replenish resources and gather enough firewood for at least a couple days. They had no way of knowing how long the storm would last, or when they might be rescued.

They soon stumbled upon a clearing with hoofprints - their own hoofprints.

"We're close now!" Blue exclaimed, overjoyed. This was a huge relief for them.

They followed the mostly gone hoofprints, quickly weaving between trees and growing tired. The excitement was making them work too hard, as they began pushing themselves to go as fast as possible. They abandoned pace and at some points, they attempted a sloppy gait for as long as either could tolerate it.

Soon, they could see the scarred rocky side of the mountain where the train had gone over from above. They rushed through the remaining trees.

"The train!" Fluttershy cried out happily as they breached the edge of the forest and stood before the train wreckage. They danced around and hugged each other, laughing almost hysterically. They had done it. They'd beaten the storm and reached the train.

After a few moments of celebration, they approached the train to get started with gathering resources. It was at this time they began noticing something very wrong.

Around the caboose were dozens of hoofprints in the melted down snow, especially around the door.

"What the..." Blue stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the prints. "No..." Blue ran off towards the other train cars, his heart racing. No, no, no... he thought, hoping this wasn't real. This couldn't be. Not after everything they'd been through.

"Blue," Fluttershy murmured in a terrified voice. "Something isn't right. Where are all the... the bodies?"

Blue ran to the front of the wreckage where the three bodies he knew should still be there were. All he found were hoofprints in the snow.

They were gone.

"No!" Blue cried. "No no!"

"Blue?! What happened?"

Blue fell to his knees, his eyes welling up with warm tears that threatened to pour out over his cheeks. "Fluttershy... we're not getting rescued..." he said in disbelief, gawking at the hoofprints. His mind was a tumultuous mess of thoughts now. He couldn't comprehend something like this happening.

"What do you mean? Blue? What happened here?" Fluttershy demanded loudly, her voice shaking. She came up beside him and put a hoof on his shoulder.

Blue couldn't believe it. This was all they had left going for them. It was what drove them to survive. To fight. It was the only thing they could look forward to and make any effort they put out worth it in the end.

"Fluttershy," Blue whispered, a tear finally rolling down over his cheek as he took a shakey breath. "We're not getting rescued because they've already been here. We were too late."
> "Never go alone."
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


202 Hours


This was it.

All they'd worked for, fought to survive for, was in vain. There wouldn't be a rescue.

They were all alone and nopony was coming for them.

Blue sat curled up beside the entrance to the caboose, his mind reeling as he tried to make sense of things. Fluttershy rested on her haunches nearby, concerned for the now silent and whimpering stallion accompanying her. Although she too was distraught about the revelation of the rescue crew having come and gone, Blue seemed to be taking things much harder - he hadn't said a word in almost an hour, and it would be growing dark very soon.

"Blue..." Fluttershy sighed, moving over beside him. "I know you're upset, and so am I, but we can't just sit here and... grieve. We have to get up and keep fighting. We can't give up this easily..."

Blue looked up at her through watery eyes. He felt an overwhelming urge to just sob and lay there, but Fluttershy had a point. There was no use in giving up now. But what was there to do at this point? They were not getting rescued, so that was out of the question. What would they do now that they were for certain alone?

Blue shook away the thoughts and shakily struggled to his hooves. "Yeah... you're right. But we aren't getting rescued, so what's the point? You and I both know we can't live out here forever." He glanced warily off at the endless expanses of woods all around them.

"I know..." Fluttershy replied quietly. "But couldn't we leave? Couldn't we try and find civilization? There's gotta be something nearby..."

Blue shook his head. "Sadly, no. I doubt there's anything within walking distance for us. Not that we'd know where to go anyways." He glanced back at the wreckage of the train and sighed. Carrying on now just seemed futile to him, but he didn't want to put that on Fluttershy. She didn't deserve it. "Guess we better get started on gathering supplies. Let's try and figure things out tonight."

"Alright..."

"I, uh..." Blue paused, taking a deep breath and releasing it. "I guess I'll rummage through the cars and see what I can find. If you want, you can skirt the woods and gather some firewood. I have a feeling we'll need a lot..." He pointed to the darkening sky obscured by threatening, low clouds. A storm was imminent.

Fluttershy nodded hesitantly. "How much is a lot...?"

"Start a pile by the door to the caboose. Make it as tall as you can manage. Gather anything and everything that will burn. We have no way of knowing how long the storm coming in will last and we can't take the chances on freezing to death. Better to have too much wood than not enough, in these circumstances."

Fluttershy gave a quick nod. "Right."

Between them, a small, needle-like snowflake fluttered down and settled on the older layer of snow.
Both Blue and Fluttershy watched it the whole time, following it with their eyes on its final descent.

"That's a sign that we need to get going," Blue said, tight-lipped.





The rescue team had cleared out all personal belongings, Blue discovered as he searched through the wreckage of the train cars. Almost nothing of value to him and Fluttershy was left, leading Blue to believe their chances of survival had just drastically gone down. Good thing Fluttershy was away gathering wood, or she'd see him panicking.

Blue ran from car to car, hoping to find something useful, but to no avail. The rescue team had scoured each car, clearing everything - even the caboose was cleared, save for the makeshift stove he and Fluttershy had constructed days earlier. They'd even left his book he'd been reading, though at this point he had little to no interest in it.

As Blue utilized the remaining but rapidly retreating daylight to check out the engine, which was heavily burned, he discovered part of the engineer's room had been left untouched by the inferno. It was here he ran across something that changed everything.

In an overturned decorative desk, Blue found a curled up piece of paper held by a rubber band.

"Is this... what I think it is?" he asked himself aloud as he picked it up and carefully removed the rubber band, slowly unfurling the paper to reveal what it depicted.

It was exactly what he'd hoped it would be - a map. But not just any map; a map of the Frozen North - including their area, so it seemed. He couldn't tell for sure, so he decided later to study it. It didn't, unfortunately, show the locations of any civilizations. Not even the Crystal Empire was marked on the map where Blue knew it should ordinarily be.

As good as finding the map was, it likely wouldn't be of much use to them without showing them where to go. Although Blue could tell from memory where the Crystal Empire was on the map, it was much too far for them to try for on hoof. It would take them weeks to reach it, assuming the weather conditions and rough, mountainous terrain didn't do them in first; not to mention the humongous beast that nearly ate them near the falls. Blue shivered violently.

"Blue!" Fluttershy's distant voice called out to him, interrupting his reverie. "Blue, I think I'm done! Where are you?"

Blue rolled the map up quickly and stuffed it in the small, dark red duffle bag he'd brought along to collect findings in. No use in showing Fluttershy a finding that wasted their time. He zipped it up and replied, "In the engine! Up front!" He stepped into the doorway and waited for her, peering up at the darkening sky blanketed by low stratus clouds. Dusk was soon.

Fluttershy came into view to his left, looking disheveled and very tired. "Blue," she sighed as she trotted up to him. "I found as much wood as I could. I'm afraid I can't do anymore. I'm much too tired and hungry..." She stopped before him and pouted. "I'm sorry..."

Blue shook his head. "Don't be sorry, Shy. You did good then, if you did as much as you could. You did better than I." He shrugged and stepped out of the engine beside her.

Fluttershy looked over at him. "What?" she asked, confused.

"I found nothing useful in the cars," Blue explained sadly. He closed his eyes and lowered his head in defeat. "Rescue team left us with nothing..."

"That's awful," Fluttershy gasped. "What about the stove we made? And our stuff left by the stove, too? Did they take those too?"

Blue shook his head. "Oddly enough, no. Everything there was untouched, though the rest of the caboose is empty."

"At least we still have our stuff," Fluttershy said. "I don't think we could make it without those extra blankets and the fireplace..."

"We could and can, if it boils down to it." He began marching towards the caboose, the snow crunching underhoof. Fluttershy started after him. "I will say that I will be considering a plan of action for us to execute once this incoming storm clears."

"Oh? What kind of plan?"

"One that will save us."

They made their way to the caboose, where Blue checked out the pile of wood Fluttershy gathered for them to use in the stove. She did an impressive job, managing to stack the pile well over rump-level. It was enough wood to last three days, at the minimum.

"Excellent work, Shy. This should keep us plenty warm," Blue praised her, picking up a large stick and tossing it on the top of the pile. "Lots of good wood here."

Fluttershy blushed. "Oh, thanks..."

Blue smiled pleasantly at her. "Come on, lets go inside before we become pony popsicles."






207 Hours


Darkness descended upon them shortly after they'd retreated into the caboose for shelter. Not long after dark, the wind began picking up, howling against the edges of the train cars, and the snowflakes picked up in frequency and size. The storm had begun.

Blue had also taken care of the broken windows, using some metal panels that had fallen off the train during the crash to seal off the two broken windows as best he could. It was better then letting the cold winds howl into the caboose all night.

Over by the fireplace, Blue and Fluttershy hung out curled up in blankets, talking idly about whatever came to mind. The storm raged on, preventing them from going anyplace, as if there was anywhere to go at all. The most they could do is stimulate their minds with conversation, which, luckily enough, wasn't terribly hard for them to manage.

Blue kept his book nearby, deciding that whenever Fluttershy was ready to sleep, he would be getting back into it. For now, they talked.

"...And that was honestly the only time I'd ever been frightened by an animal," Fluttershy finished her short story. She smiled over at Blue. "What about you? Has a regular animal ever scared you?"

Blue sniffled and rubbed his nose. It was running due to the cold, but the fire was helping him warm up. "Many animals, Fluttershy. Many animals..."

Fluttershy cocked her head to the side and frowned. "Like what?"

Blue cringed. He didn't want to tell her, but the truth was the truth. "Uh... well, when I was a colt, I got scared by... a..."

Fluttershy watched curiously, giving him a little nod to continue.

"I got... scared by a butterfly..."

Fluttershy covered her mouth to suppress a laugh. Her cheeks bulged and her sides quaked. After a few seconds of this, she pulled her hoof away and sighed. "Oh dear..."

"Exactly how I figured you'd react. Most ponies do," Blue admitted with a shrug, "but when you're only five and you watch a crinkled up butterfly emerge from a cocoon, it's pretty terrifying."

"Really?" Fluttershy asked, not understanding. The emergence of a butterfly was a wonderful, amazing sight in nature. How could anypony find that frightening? "What about it scared you? I don't understand..." She pouted.

"Coincidentally, my lack of understanding," Blue replied, poking at the fire with a stick, then tossing it in. "I didn't know that's what caterpillars turned into. When my mom explained later, I didn't fear them anymore."

"So... is that all? Nothing else notable scared you?" Fluttershy prodded. She wanted to know for some reason. The caterpillar thing intrigued her enough to want more.

Blue rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment, looking off into the darkness at the other end of the caboose. "Hmm. Well, I suppose there was the time that fish scared me."

"What kind of fish?" Fluttershy asked.

"A really big catfish," Blue replied. "My dad had caught it on a fishing trip down at the river we lived by during most of my colthood. The thing was almost as big as me. And, well, my dad had told me those things had spiny fins and one that big could easily spear a big hole in me, so as soon as he pulled it up, I screamed like a filly and took off."

Fluttershy chuckled. "That's quite the scene I'm imagining."

Blue smiled. "Yeah, I suppose it was funny. I mean, later that night we ate that fish, but, you know, it still scared me."

"Oh."

For a moment, they were silent. Only the wind howling outside and the crackle of the fire resounded throughout the caboose.

"So, uh," Blue started, shifting under his blanket. "Where do you stand in the topic of... uh... relationships?" Blue swallowed hard. It was honestly an innocent question, but he wasn't sure if Fluttershy would see it that way.

"Relationships?" Fluttershy knitted her eyebrows. "Like, friendships?"

Blue gave a slight nod, growing nervous. "Yeah, those, but also... you know... relationships. Like... love."

Fluttershy drew back, seemingly surprised by the question. "I um... I don't know what you're asking. What do you mean 'Where do I stand?'?" She shrank back a bit, which told Blue he was finding an uncomfortable topic.

"I just meant... how do you feel about dating? Stallions? Romance?" Blue glanced nervously at the fire. He knew he might be asking for too much but, at this point, it was a bit too late to retract all that he'd already asked. "I know I might be asking some... rather personal questions, but I feel like we've known each other long enough to be open about it. At least, I hope so."

Fluttershy drew a sharp breath through her teeth and let it out with a heavy sigh. "Well, I typically don't date..."

Blue sat quietly for a moment. "So... you're celibate?"

"Not exactly," Fluttershy replied, withdrawing even further into the folds of her blanket. "I don't date because... nopony ever asks me out on dates..."

If Blue had been drinking something, he would've done a perfect spit-take. "You're serious? Nopony has ever asked you on a date?" Blue was dumbfounded by this. How could nopony ever ask such  beautiful mare on a date? Blue wasn't the hottest stallion in town, but even he had been asked out a dozen times or so. Fluttershy should've been able to write a novel with the names of stallion that had asked her by now.

"Don't get me wrong... I've been asked out before..." Fluttershy stared down at the floor. "But it's been awhile. Everypony knows not to ask me because I can't find the courage to say yes..."

Now things were beginning to make sense for Blue. Fluttershy was just too... shy. That meant it was even more unlikely that she herself had done any asking out lately, either. "Well, when was the last time you were asked out? And if you feel too uncomfortable to answer these, just tell me. I'll drop the subject."

"No, it's fine," she replied, sighing. "Anyways, it's been since last Hearts and Hooves Day, at least. Nopony ever asks me otherwise, because they know I either won't reply, or I won't say yes."

"But why? Don't you want to date?"

"Of course I do..." Fluttershy was almost completely covered in her blanket now. Blue could only see her eyes. "I just can't work up the courage to..."

Blue fell silent for a moment as he tried to think of a solution for her. When she got home, maybe she could use it. Or, more realistically, Blue could finally admit to himself that he was developing an affinity for her. All this time spent surviving with her has made him care for her, and greatly. But was it appropriate to say anything? Was it a good idea to perhaps take a chance on ruining their friendship? Maybe even causing rift enough that they could no longer work together to survive?

Blue doubted that would be the case, as she didn't seem the type to shun a guy over his honest feelings, especially in a time of survival. But whether it was appropriate to say anything or not was definitely up for debate. For now, he just wanted to offer her some advice.

"Well, Fluttershy... can I give you some advice?" Blue asked finally, watching her "come out of her shell" a bit.

"I um... I suppose... Though I will admit my friends have already tried that before..." Fluttershy replied, unfurling the blanket and recovering herself so her head was free. She still seemed a bit reserved, which he didn't blame her.

"Cool. I promise I'll try my best. I just want to help you out a bit, okay? I feel like a mare like you deserves to be with somepony that cares about you and wants nothing but to make you happy every day and appreciates you for who you - " Blue realized he was expressing his own feelings and stopped himself short. "I, uh, think I'll start with your shyness."

Fluttershy nodded, looking less than convinced. "Okay..." Then she stood up suddenly. "Actually, I need to... relieve myself first..." she said with a light blush.

Blue stared out the window in concern. "Are you sure you wanna go out there? That storm is brutal."

Fluttershy nodded. "I don't have much of a choice do I? I can't go in here, with you..."

"Fair enough... Just be careful, okay? That storm will kill you if you get lost. Don't wander too far away. If you can't see the caboose, you're too far."

"Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes." She tossed the blanket over herself and wrapped up as much of her exposed body as possible. Blue led her to the door and opened it, letting her out. He watched her fade into the falling snow and sighed, trotting back over to the fire and leaving the door open. It was letting cold air in, but he thought it far more important that she could find her way back in then them being a bit cold for awhile until the fire warmed the caboose back up.

Blue picked up his book and began reading where he left off, or, at least trying to. The howling wind was distracting him and he was slightly worried about Fluttershy.

Also on his mind was the topic of their conversation. He wondered if he should just tell her. All he'd been doing is thinking the worst possible responses he'd get from her. But what if she responded positively? Despite the fact that she clearly has shyness issues, she had no problem cuddling with him. She also performed CPR, including mouth-to-mouth, when he drowned. That may have been a life-saving maneuver, but that didn't mean it didn't take courage to put her lips on his. He knew it would definitely take courage for him to put his on hers...

At this point, Blue really just wanted to be honest. If they somehow didn't make it, he wanted her to know he'd come to enjoy her company and wanted to be with her. There may never be another chance.

Blue set the book down and stood up. "That's it. I'm gonna just tell her. I'm gonna tell her when she gets back in and -"

A bloodcurdling scream cut him off.

Fluttershy's scream.

"Fluttershy!" Blue hollered, racing out of the caboose and into the storm. Fluttershy appeared from the whiteness and ran smack into him, causing them to both collapse in a heap, her on top of him.

"Blue! Blue it's here!" Fluttershy cried frantically and stood up quickly, yanking him to his hooves.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... what's here?"

A monstrous roar echoed through the snow-filled air, sending chills up Blue's spine. That was his answer.

"No!" Blue cried out in fear and frustration. How did it find them?

In the distance, the sound of heavy thumps with each bounding step the brute took sent Blue and Fluttershy scrambling for the caboose. They ran as fast as they could into the entry and slammed the door shut.

"Blue that's not going to stop it! I don't want to die Blue... I don't want to die!" Fluttershy clung to him and whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"We're aren't going to die, Sweetie. I promise." Blue's heart raced as he searched the room for a weapon. For anything at all they could use to defend themselves. Fluttershy was right -- the door would not hold back that monster. The caboose would be like a tin can, with them the food within.

There was nothing. Nothing that would stop the beast that barreled towards the caboose as they watched on in horror, holding each other tight.

The creature reached the caboose and began growling furiously, tearing and clawing at the already weak door. It easily fell under the force of the monster. The beast peeked its giant head into the caboose and glared at them, licking its gnarly, jagged teeth in anticipation of its soon-to-be meal.

"Blue!" Fluttershy shrieked, squeezing her eyes closed and turning away from the creature, holding Blue close and shaking. "Blue do something!"

Blue's eyes darted around the room, searching even still for something -- anything -- that could save them, or even just buy them time. His eyes fell upon the blazing fire just behind them as they backed away from the door.

Of course! Fire!

Thinking instinctively, Blue yanked himself away from Fluttershy and balled up his blanket, shoving it hastily over the end of a large, crooked stick Fluttershy had gathered with the firewood earlier that day. Blue stuck the blanket end in the fire until it was up in flames. It meant that he had just sacrificed his only blanket, but if his idea worked, it would be worth it.

"Blue, what are you doing?" Fluttershy shouted over the roars from the intruder.

Blue ignored her, running past her and standing before the creature that was now halfway into the caboose. It glared at him with flashing eyes and snarled angrily, the reflection of the flaming blanket in its haunting yellow eyes.

Undaunted, but internally contemplating the stupidity of his actions, he forced the flaming weapon into to face of the beast, which howled in agony and drew back sharply, rocking the caboose.

"Blue!" Fluttershy fought to stay upright as the caboose rattled to a stop from the shaking. "Blue I think you hurt it!"

"That's the plan," he breathed, edging outside to meet the now furious monster. It stared him down with a new hatred and feral hunger. Blue could see in its eyes how badly it desired to kill him.

Despite his heart beating at the speed of sound and his brain screaming to back away, Blue charged the beast and struck it in the face again with the burning blanket.

The colossal carnivore spun away and roared, lumbering off into the woods, disappearing moments later. Its pained howls could be heard for the next few minutes as it faded into the sounds of the winter storm.

Blue stared uneasily into the woods the entire time before realizing he'd been holding his breath. He took a few deep breaths and turned back to the caboose to assess the damage.

Fluttershy stood just inside, looking perturbed. "Blue, the door broke off..." she said, glancing down at the wrecked remains of what was just moments before the barrier that separated them from the harsh winter landscape.

Blue sighed down at the mangled heap of metal. "We'll have to fix this. Without something holding in the heat, we're wasting our time and effort with the fire."

"What are we going to do then?" Fluttershy asked. "We don't exactly have welding tools..."

Blue glanced around the room. His eyes fell upon his other blanket. He hurried over, snatching it up and going back over to the entrance. He stretched the blanket over the jagged edges so it was taut and the wind wouldn't carry it off. It wasn't very effective, but definitely better than nothing.

"Absolutely not," Fluttershy said flatly. "You're not going without blankets."

"Fluttershy, I already burned one. This is better than leaving the doorway open. Besides, what choice do we have?" Blue motioned to the inside of the caboose. "Do you see anything else helpful?"

Fluttershy sighed. "No. No, I guess not..."

Blue suddenly hugged her. It was pent up. The creature had nearly killed her, and that was just now hitting him. He had almost lost her, and was realizing just how much she meant to him.

Fluttershy embraced him back, unsure what to say.

"I can't imagine what would happen to me if I lost you," Blue said serenely. "I don't think I could go on." He continued to hold her close, feeling her rapid heartbeat on his chest. He was sure she could feel his, as well.

"Blue, don't talk like that," she quietly chastised him. "You'd do just fine. You're smart and strong. You'd find a way to get out of this."

"No." Blue pulled away slightly, looking into her eyes. Their muzzles were only inches apart. As Blue stared into her sparkling turquoise eyes, he decided now was a better time then ever to just admit his feelings. Something told him she wouldn't hare him for feeling something that was only natural.

"Fluttershy, I..." he fell silent, unsure how to proceed with what he so badly wanted to say. He'd confessed feelings to many mares in the past, so why was this any different? "I... I really care about you. I know we haven't known each other long, but I feel like we've become great friends. Like we can share the most personal details about our lives and be completely comfortable with it. And honestly I couldn't go one without you. If something happened to you and I was left alone, well... I'd be devastated."

Fluttershy nodded, giving him a pleasant, understanding smile. "I know Blue. You're very sweet... but you could go on. You don't need me."

"That's wrong," Blue replied assuredly. "Very wrong. The truth is..." He sighed. "The truth is... I..." The words would just not come. He stared nervously into her curious eyes and swallowed the stone in his throat. "Fluttershy, I think I'm falling in love with you..." He immediately turned away, hoping to avoid the disproving eyes that were surely staring him down.

Instead, he felt her soft, gentle touch on his cheek as she turned his head back to face her. She wore the same understanding smile from moments before. This time, there was a warmth to it.

"Blue," she whispered softly, "there's nothing wrong with feelings. We've been pitted against this wasteland alone and we've been through some tough times. But we've learned to rely on each other, and I think I understand what you mean when you say you can't go on without me. You're right... we probably both couldn't go on without the other. And I guess feelings play into this a bit, too..." She pulled him into another embrace, burying her face into his neck. "My point is... I really like you too, Blue..."

Blue felt his eyes well up with tears. "This is probably the high-point of this entire situation for me..." Then he had a thought. "But wait..."

Fluttershy pulled away, giving him a questioning look. "Yes...?"

Blue gave a troubled frown. "You never seemed interested in me. This whole time I thought I made you uncomfortable."

"That's because I'm awful at expressing certain emotions and feelings. We talked about that earlier tonight, remember?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I suppose so..."

A moment went by of nothing but silence.

"So um..." Blue started. "What does this mean?"

Fluttershy cocked her head to the side. "What does what mean?"

"What does... us admitting care about each other mean?"

"What do you want it to mean?" Fluttershy asked, averting her eyes, flushing a light pink.

"I..." Blue thought for a moment. "I don't know..."

Fluttershy leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek. It wasn't much, but Blue felt his heart soar.

"I... I, uh..." Blue stuttered, his face growing hot.

Fluttershy placed a hoof over his mouth. "We should get to bed, Blue. It's late and I'm sure you're as tired as I am."

He nodded, pulling away from her. "Yeah..."

They stood around in awkward silence for a few moments before moving over to the fire.

"Oh, right..." Fluttershy murmured. "You burned your other blanket..."

Blue scratched the back of his head. "I could... share with you, right? We could share yours?"

Fluttershy smiled. "Sure, Blue. I can share mine with you."

Blue returned the smile with humility. "You're too good to me, Shy..."

"Nonsense," Fluttershy said, splaying out her bottom blanket and straightening it out. "I don't want you to be cold."

Blue motioned to the fire. "There is the fire, you know. I just... asked because I like..."

"Cuddling me?" she finished for him, somehow looking both amused and sheepish. She laid down and waved an inviting hoof.

Blue joined her as she pulled the blanket over them. She nestled up against him, and he laid a foreleg around her to pull her closer. Instead of feeling her tense up as she normally would, he felt her relax. The fire crackled away as they settled in for bed.

"Blue?" Fluttershy said in a tiny voice.

"Yeah...?"

"We'll get out of this. Together," she said, laying her head on his shoulder.

Blue rested his head on hers. "Yeah..." It was better not to tell her his doubts. For her, he'd try and at least appear hopeful.

"You believe me... right?"

Blue hesitated. "Yeah," he replied finally. "Sorry if I sound a bit disbelieving. It's not often a two-ton wolf thing attacks you in a caboose during a blizzard in the middle of nowhere."

"Hmm. You have a very negative perspective on things, Blue. Guess I'll have to help break you of that." She smiled mischievously up at him.

"Heh. I imagine you will."

Fluttershy yawned and shifted to a more comfortable position. "I'm ready to sleep, Blue. Sorry..."

"Don't be sorry. Get your rest, okay?" Blue gave her a little squeeze. "But one more thing, before you drift off into dreamland."

"Yes...?"

"No more going alone. Anywhere," Blue said. "I know it's going to be hard to... do certain things with me present, but honestly a little embarrassment is not going to kill anypony. That thing... that thing will."

"Alright..." She laid her head down on her forelegs and closed her eyes. She wasn't happy about that, but Blue was right. It was safer this way. "Goodnight, Blue..."

"Goodnight Fluttershy. Sleep well and dream of wonderful things," Blue said in the most sincerest of ways.

Fluttershy dozed off moments later, but Blue remained awake for another couple hours, lost in his thoughts.






222 Hours


Blue felt a warmth on his face. His eyes snapped open.

Sunlight.

He burst from under the blanket, momentarily forgetting about Fluttershy beside him, and raced over to the window.

Outside, the frozen world was bathed in a golden light, the snow glittering and sparkling like billions of little diamonds. The sky was an azure blue, cloudless, and infinite.

"Blue?"

Blue turned and gave Fluttershy a boyish grin. "The storm is over, Fluttershy. The storm ended!"

"W...what?" She sat up suddenly, the blanket draped over shoulders. She rubbed her tired eyes and yawned. "The storm stopped?"

"Yes, and that means we can make some progress today. This is amazing!" Blue turned back to the window, placing a hoof on its icy surface. "I just hope it stays this way."

"What are we going to do today, then?"

"I have a plan. It's the one from yesterday."

"Should I get ready?" Fluttershy asked.

Blue trotted back over to her. "No, don't worry about it for right now. Let's eat. I'll outline the plan with you."

Fluttershy glanced around the caboose. "Well, um..."

"What's wrong?"

"We don't have any food..."

"You don't have anything left in your bag from yesterday?" he asked, sitting on his haunches, growing worried. The storm would have most likely buried any sources of food for them. It would be much harder to get anything and time-consuming.

Fluttershy stood and pulled her bag over to her, digging through it for a moment. "Oh, good. I have probably just enough for a good breakfast. I'm afraid there's not going to be enough left for later, though." She slid the remaining rations out of her bag.

"That's not good," Blue said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "We'll have to forage a little after discussing the plan."

"Alright..."

As they ate their roots and berries, Blue explained what he had in mind.

"Now," he started. "I can't believe it took me this long to think of this, but we could head up or around the mountain with the tracks above to find a way up to them, then just follow them to the nearest town."

"Wow. That's... actually a good idea." Fluttershy munched on some roots. "But how will we find a way up, and how will we find the tracks from down here?"

Blue pondered for a moment. "I was thinking... we could follow the gouges from the train. They would lead right up to the tracks."

"That might work."

Blue polished off a hoofful of berries and took a swig of some snowmelt from their canister. "We can scope out some locations around the mountainside, then choose the best route."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Fluttershy got the water from Blue when he was done and got a drink for herself.

"Anything you want to suggest?" Blue asked, trying to include her.

"Not really. I think you have a wonderful plan. I hope this works."

"Me too." Blue stood. "In that case, I'm ready when you are."

"Okay. I'm ready."





An hour later, they were wandering alongside the mountain, staring up and scanning for the tracks they hoped to reach.

The snow wasn't too deep, but deep enough to slow their progress. Not to mention Blue was still in pain from his leg break, which was a legitimate concern for him -- would it inhibit his ability to climb a steep angle to the tracks? He would be finding out.

So far, along their walk, their search had yielded no results. The tracks were simply too far up to be spotted from below, not to mention the trees growing along the sides of the mountain prevented them from seeing very far up. And the gouges from the train would be excellent to use as a guide up, but the mountain was far too steep at that location to be climbed without proper gear.

It seemed like this plan wouldn't be so good after all. The more they skirted the mountainside, the less convinced they were that they could easily get up it.

Another failure, in Blue's eyes.

After several hours of searching, they gave up. Fluttershy guided them around on the hunt for food, trying to beat nightfall. They wandered home just as dusk approached, loading up the dying fire in the caboose with fresh logs and settling in for the night.

They sat around the fire that evening, Fluttershy sorting their food, and Blue deeply indelved in a book. He was actually just trying not to talk, as he was feeling a bit self-conscious about his failed plan. What bothered him the most was the fact that that was his only plan. He hadn't come up with anything else, and likely wouldn't. He had no idea what they were going to do now, and he didn't want to talk about it.

"Blue, I feel like you're upset," Fluttershy spoke for the first time since they'd settled for the night. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said flatly, not taking his eyes from his book.

"I don't think you are..." Fluttershy replied, not convinced. "I know we didn't get much done today but at least we know what we can't do. That lets us figure out a new plan."

"What plan, Fluttershy?" Blue said, irritated. "What, are we going to fly up the damn mountain? We're stuck on the ground, and I'm hurt. We're going nowhere. The rescue team came and left, and we can't go anywhere. There's nothing we can do now. Might as well sit it out."

"Blue!" Fluttershy scolded him, staring disapprovingly. "Don't talk like that! You know very well that we still have many options. I know you can think of something else. You're not dumb."

Blue sighed. "Fluttershy, I don't feel like arguing with you. I don't know what else to do, okay? What do you want me to say?"

"That maybe you're not giving up? Because you'd be giving up on me. Is that what you want to do?"

"No, but what choice do I have? My plan failed. I wasted a perfectly good day on a terrible plan." Blue tossed the book down and folded his forelegs across his chest in a fit, turning away from her. "We got nothing done today, and it's my fault."

Fluttershy moved over to him, putting a gentle hoof on his shoulder. He pouted up at her, but her consoling gaze broke him.

"Blue," she said in a tender, soothing voice. "You didn't waste anything. We tried a great idea that we learned from. It's not the end of the world and you shouldn't give up. We still have each other and as long as we do, neither of us is allowed to give up. Okay?"

Blue looked down at the floor and nodded, relenting. "Yeah, alright. Sorry, Fluttershy. I'm just... frustrated..."

She hugged him. "I know. I am too, but there's always tomorrow to think up a new plan. What do you say we hit the hay? Tomorrow we can think of a new plan."

"I think that's a good idea." Blue stood and stretched. "The book was getting too lovey-dovey for me, anyways." He winked at her.

Fluttershy smiled back at him and began setting up for bed.

"Sorry again for my attitude, Shy. I shouldn't have gotten aggressive like that," Blue apologized again, feeling bad about how he talked to her. He'd never spoken that way to a lady before, and would make every effort to never do it again, especially to Fluttershy.

"It's okay, Blue," she assured him, setting out the blankets. "Don't worry about it. Let's just get to bed. We have lots to do tomorrow."

"Yeah."

Fluttershy curled up under the covers and Blue slipped under beside her. She nuzzled up to him as he laid a foreleg over her to pull her close.

"Just keeping you warm," Blue said with a nervous laugh.

"I'm okay with that..." Fluttershy blushed, returning the smile.

"Goodnight, Shy. See you in the morning."

'Goodnight Blue..."

Sleep found them soon after.
> Promises
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


245 Hours


The next morning, the two ponies awoke early and prepared for another go at rescuing themselves. With no plan in play, they would likely use the clear weather unwillingly to sit around and formulate strategies to escape from the Frozen North.

The sun shone brilliantly as it had the day before, but the thin layer of high-altitude cirrus clouds to the northwest indicated that in the next 24-36 hours, that would change. Whatever they were going to do, it would have to happen fast.

Even more alarming, despite the sun shining with no obstruction and little to no wind present, the air felt as though it was colder today than the previous day, meaning some sort of winter frontal system was moving in, and quickly. It wouldn't be long before the wind picked up, and then they really would be in trouble if caught outside.

Fluttershy wandered around the edge of the woods, gathering berries and roots, while Blue sat on a log out in the sun, thinking deeply about what they could do next to find rescue. Unfortunately, he was having trouble with this, and soon found himself wondering if he could use the map to locate a way to civilization somehow, though he was fairly certain it would be near-useless.

Blue glanced from his log, watching Fluttershy for a moment as she sedulously gathered their breakfast and lunch. She was much too busy to be noticing what Blue was doing so he made his way back into the caboose and retrieved the map, unfurling it and peering with little interest at the area it depicted. He knew the whole area, but only geographically. Most of the towns were not labeled on maps to begin with, but this map didn't even mark where he knew the Crystal Empire should be. It was as though a Pegasus had flown up into the sky, painted a picture of the ground, and printed it as a map.

The map was simply not useful. It was too large, anyways. The map depicted from the Frozen North all the way to just north of Canterlot. Without a closer look at the area he surmised they were even in, he wouldn't be able to determine where to head as their destination. The map was essentially pointless, and whoever had made it had to of known this.

Blue sighed resignedly and rolled the map back up, shoving it carelessly into the saddlebag where he'd been storing it. Just then, Fluttershy came waltzing up, humming cheerfully and smiling as though everything was and would be all right. Blue was baffled by her upbeat attitude, as he could not match it. What was there to be cheerful about, anyways?

"Well Blue," she said with an ear-to-ear grin with such cheeriness that it was nearly infectious. "I've gathered enough food for us to make it until tomorrow night!" She set down before them a very full bin of mixed berries and roots.

"Huh," is all Blue could manage. He was impressed, but his mood wasn't better. Fluttershy always found a way to cheer him up when he was down, or vice versa, but this time he just felt that nagging sense of helplessness that no bucket of food could overcome.

Fluttershy's face fell. "Blue…? You don't seem very excited about this..."

He feigned a grin. "See? Excited."

"I'm not convinced."

Blue sighed. "I honestly didn't expect you to be."

Fluttershy sat beside him, her face revealing her growing concern. "Blue, what's bothering you? Is it what happened the other day...?"

"It's a compilation of things, actually," Blue admitted, staring off into the trees. "But the most prominent and foremost being that we have no plan."

"Then we think of one," Fluttershy said simply, as if it were really that easy. Granted, they'd come up with plans every time something arose, but this time, there didn't seem to be any available options. With the last failure, it seems their ideas had come to a grinding halt. At least, for Blue they had.

"Fluttershy," Blue started, closing his eyes for a moment to think. When he opened them, he finished his thought. "If I do recall correctly, the mountain was far too steep for either of us to safely traverse its slopes, correct?"

She nodded. "Mhm."

"Have any ideas to get around that? Any ingenious alternatives?"

Fluttershy opened her mouth, sat for a second or two that way, then closed her mouth, turning away. "I um... I don't know..."

Blue stood. "Bingo. Now you know why I'm upset." He began trotting away, towards the caboose.

Fluttershy jumped up and followed him. "Blue, just because we can't rethink that particular plan doesn't mean others don't exist. We have to keep our minds open and try harder."

Blue stopped and spun around. "You see the clouds?" He pointed a hoof stiffly up at the high-altitude cirrus clouds overhead. "Those are a sign. A sign that bad weather will be here in the next day or so. Have we really any time to be sitting here all day trying to come up with better plans?"

Fluttershy frowned, narrowing her eyes. "It's our only plan of action, Blue. And far better than the alternative."

"And what's the alternative? Dying?" Blue asked, snorting. "That's been a threat the whole time we've been out here, Fluttershy. It's not 'an alternative.' It's a realistic risk we face with every plan. And at this point, I'm half-tempted to say we'd be better off not coming up with some crazy idea that will more than likely just put us further in danger."

Fluttershy gasped. "Blue! That's quitter talk!"

"Is it?" Blue raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Or am I finally realizing what kind of nonsense our 'plans' keep putting us through?"

Fluttershy's frown turned to one of determination. "Blue, we aren't going down that road. We've been through too much to sit here and think this way. Yes, when we go out and try stuff, bad things happen. But look where we are. Isn't something bad bound to happen at any time?"

"It'll be less likely without stupid antics, I'll tell you that much." Blue turned and started back towards the caboose.

Fluttershy ran up and jumped in front of him, halting him with a scowl. "You're not giving up. Didn't we already talk about this?"

"I'm not giving up. I'm just being smarter." He slipped past her.

Fluttershy intervened with his progress a second time. "No you're not. You're giving up on me. You said that neither of us is allowed to give up on the other. By giving up, you're giving up on me. So I'm telling you that I'm not giving up, and you're not giving up. Clear?"

Blue closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out quickly. "Okay, okay. fine. You win. We sit here all day thinking of some master plan to get ourselves nearly killed again. Happy?"

"No," she said sharply. "We're going to think of another plan that will get us out of this mess. That's what we're gonna do."

Blue shook his head. "Whatever you say then."

"I'm not convinced you mean it."

Blue rolled his eyes. "I'll think of a plan with you, okay? Just... please. Let's go inside."

Fluttershy studied him for a moment, then stepped aside. "Okay."

They entered the caboose to attempt to come up with a new plan, but only one of them held any confidence.






249 Hours


Hours later, after having discussed multiple options, they were running dry. Nopony had come up with a definitive plan of action, just as Blue had suspected, but he was beginning to feel a little better about the whole thing.

Fluttershy was right -- earlier, he'd almost given up on her. He couldn't ever do such a thing. After all, one of the main reasons he kept fighting was for her. Giving up on such a mare was just... selfish.

As they munched precariously on some edibles Fluttershy had collected that morning, Blue felt compelled to apologize for his behavior.

"Fluttershy, I'm..." he paused, setting his food down. Fluttershy stopped as well, watching him curiously. "I'm sorry. About earlier. It was the stress getting to me again. I promise you that I'll never give up on you. I swear my life on that."

Fluttershy placed a reassuring hoof on his shoulder and gave him a gentle smile. "It's okay, Blue. And you don't have to say that -- I already knew you wouldn't. You kinda already said you wouldn't before."

"Well... now it's a promise."

"What's more important is that we continue to work together. We can do this, Blue. I believe in us."

Blue hugged her. It was spur-of-the-moment, but he really just wanted to hug her. She was strong, brave, and kinder than no other. He wished he was half as good a pony as she was, but he didn't need to be with her around. She was like the other half of him.

Fluttershy returned the embrace tightly. "Feeling better?" she asked hopefully, her voice muffled from her muzzle being buried in his neck.

"Yeah..." Blue replied quietly, giving her a gentle squeeze. "A lot better now..."

They pulled away from each other a couple moments later, both giving awkward smiles.

"I uh..." Blue started, rubbing the back of his head and trying to determine how he would construct his next sentence. "I... really like... you... being around..." He butchered the hell out of it.

Fluttershy giggled, a hoof over her mouth. "Oh? Is that really what you wanted to say?"

Blue flushed hard. "No, not at all. Let's... change topics."

Fluttershy giggled again, but nodded. "Okay then. what's on your mind?"

"I might actually have an idea."

"For our next plan?" She asked, sipping some chicory root tea she'd brewed up for them.

Blue nodded. "Yes. I want to outline it with you, as I literally just thought of it. Just now."

"Hmm," Fluttershy hummed, setting her tea down and thinking for a moment. "Can I... go relieve myself first?"

"You don't need my permission for that, silly girl. Just go do it whenever you need to. I'll be here, keeping an ear out for you."

"Okay then," she said, hopping up quickly and hurrying out of the room. When you gotta go, you gotta go.

Blue kept his eyes on the doorway, seeing her shadow just outside. He thought it a bit creepy to be staring at it, as he could see what she was doing, so he looked away, back down at his food, but kept his ears trained for trouble. Meanwhile, he analyzed his new plan.

When Fluttershy returned, he discussed it with her, only for them to discover several holes in the strategy, and the plan fell flat. And now, it seemed, it was Fluttershy's turn to lose a little hope.

It started when Blue noticed her fiddling with her food instead of eating it, which, as far as he knew, was out-of-character for her.

"Hey uh," Blue scooted over beside her, bumping her should with his. "You alright?"

Fluttershy smiled up at him. "Oh, of course. I'm doing fine."

Blue could tell this smile was faked. "I doubt it. You seem a bit down. What happened to that chipper young mare from earlier?"

She sighed. "She left when she figured out you were right earlier."

Blue drew back. "What?"

Fluttershy seemed to draw into a ball, her head dropping low and her limbs drawing in. "You were right. We thought up several plans here, and every one of them wouldn't work. You were right. I just... didn't realize that until this last plan hit the dirt. You were right all along..."

Blue shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. Was Fluttershy giving up?

"No," Blue said sternly. "Hell no. No way."

"What...?" Fluttershy looked up at him, eyes rimmed with the moisture of tears.

"Not a chance. You can't give up. After all that stuff you said earlier. How could you have such a change of heart so quickly?"

"I just realized you were right, that's all. I was wrong to be upset at you for it..."

"No, no, no!" Blue stood up, shouting angrily. "You can't give up now! You're the one who kept our hope going, Shy! You're the one who's been making this whole event even remotely bearable!" He stopped, staring into her eyes and lowering his voice. "You're the one who's kept me from giving up. You've been my source of strength all along. If you lose hope, I'll lose hope. Is that what you want...?"

Fluttershy turned away. "I don't want to keep feeding you false hope..."

Blue realized he had to do something, and fast. Things were deteriorating quickly. If Fluttershy succumbed to hopelessness, they both would. And that would drop their survival chances to zero.

"Look... I know the couple plans we thought up didn't work out. But there's always more. What if..." Blue's mind raced, trying to formulate a new plan to get her hopes back up, if even a little. "What if I told you I have a new plan?"

That got a stir out of her, but not much. "Sure, I'll bite, I guess... What is it?"

"Well... I'll need your full attention. Come on," he said, sitting beside her, patting the floor. "Sit up and listen."

Fluttershy complied, but slowly. This gave Blue the opportunity to smooth out the sharp edges of his plan in just those few seconds of spare time. Fluttershy now peered over at him with mild interest.

Blue couldn't believe what he was about to do, and definitely wasn't proud of it. But whatever it took to get this mare back on track, he'd be willing to do it. Just her smiles alone made his day better. The thought of her losing hope was already draining his. This was a last-ditch effort to get things back together, or they'd be lost.

He swallowed hard as he prepared to lie to the face of the prettiest mare he'd ever known. "I have a plan for us. To get help."

"What is it...?"

"Well..." Blue rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I uh... I may have learned the location of a nearby town from the map."

Fluttershy seemed to perk up. Her once flattened ears pricked up, and her eyes opened up a bit wider, her pupils dilating. "Really...?"

Blue nodded. "I'm fairly certain we have around two days of travel before we can reach it, but there's a town."

"Oh, Blue!" Fluttershy leapt into his arms, clinging to him and burying her face into his neck. "That's so wonderful! Can I see?"

"Uh, no! It's... there's no reason to get the map out. I've already seen it so." Bkue felt awful for making up story after story, but it was necessary. Fluttershy had done yet another 180 and that was all that mattered to him. "We should try and get prepared tonight so tomorrow we can head out," he said, trying to divert her attention away from the map. She was far too inquisitive, and might see through his lie if she kept at it.

Fluttershy pulled away. "Oh... you're right. I'll go restock the food." She stood.

Blue got up as well, stretching his legs and groaning. "Ahhhh... great. And I'll uh... restock water. And perhaps poke around for some other supplies. Maybe there's something left for us around here."

"Great idea. I'll be back over here shortly," Fluttershy told him, spinning away and making off towards the treeline.

"Don't go too far!" Blue called after her, recalling the attack the other night and shivering violently.

"I won't!" she called back, barely visible through the low branches of the forest. She was already at work, yanking up roots and tearing down twigs.

Blue watched her carefully for a moment, his fear slowly ebbing away. It was replaced with his thoughts about the new "plan" in place.

How long could he keep up the lie? Hopefully until they actually found help, but Blue knew he was taking a risky shot in the dark taking them into uncharted territory. Unfortunately, it occurred to him that the creature was still out there, and being caught in the woods might spell death for them.

But what if they found help first? Blue wandered aimlessly around the wreckage, pretending to look diligently for some unseen item to aid them on their trip. He had to at least try and look busy.

If, in the event they actually found help, which was part of his plan, he wouldn't have to worry about her discovering the truth. It would be as though he told the truth from the start. But that was if they found help. Chances weren't very good, however...

What if things went awry, like they fell into another ravine, or the beast attacked while they were out in the open? What would they do? Sit there and take it? That wasn't realistic, but neither was expecting nothing bad at all. It was probably better to go 50/50 on it and be prepared for both.

Still, the many threats lingered over his head. Too many things could go wrong. This was like tossing a dart at a dartboard -- if he hit anything but dead center, they wouldn't be making it. That was scary.

But their chances were worse if they did nothing, as they'd earlier discussed. This truly was the only way for them to have a chance.

Blue found nothing in his "search", so he played it safe and returned to the caboose looking disappointed. He never was a good actor, though.

Fluttershy joined him around half an hour later, humming to herself as she trotted in merrily, filling the corner with her collection of goodies.

"Looks like you hit the jackpot," Blue joked, sliding over to her and trying to act cool. Nervousness was making him act out. He needed to relax or his cover would easily be blown.

"I did!" Fluttershy exclaimed happily, grinning up at him. "I found a whole patch of delicious edibles! Isn't that wonderful?"

Blue nodded with a jovial smile in return. "I'm not surprised you found it, though. You're smart like that."

She blushed and averted her eyes. "Oh... thank you for the compliment, Blue."

"Not a problem in the least. Say, why don't we relax for a bit? Perhaps we can discuss further what I had in mind, plan-wise."

Why was he offering to talk more about his fake plan? What was he thinking? The idea was to divert her attention from the scanty details, not lead her deeper into the topic!

"I suppose we could. But shouldn't we be getting going?" She glanced out the nearest window. "You mentioned a storm earlier..."

Blue hummed. "Well, you are right, but we shouldn't be heading out so late. We'll be caught in the dark and we know how that usually fares."

"Not good," Fluttershy mumbled in agreement.

"Exactly. Let's take another night, and we'll head out tomorrow morning, bright and early. Sound good?"

Fluttershy gave a quick nod. "Right."

They wandered back over to the dying fire in the stove. Blue began restocking it, bringing the fire roaring back to life. He sat on his haunches beside it, taking up his drink from earlier. It had gotten cold, but he finished it nonetheless.

Fluttershy sat across from him, watching him and waiting for him to speak. After all, it was his plan they would be discussing.

Blue set his empty drink aside and took a deep breath, letting it out quickly. He hoped the plan would make enough sense that she wouldn't ask too many questions. He might not have answers for some of them.

He began by reoutlining the idea of finding a small community a few miles away, to their northeast. The nonexistent community was apparently just a small logging town, but it was their only option, since the next "nearest town" was almost 30 miles to the west.

Blue expressed that it was important they paid great attention to where they were going, as the town was so small, it'd be easy to be a mile off and walk right past it without ever knowing it was there.

Furthermore, the area they'd be traversing had some areas of rough terrain, meaning they might run into some obstacles. Bkue added that it was likely they'd have to skirt some large hills or cliffsides along the way.

Fluttershy did end up asking questions, but nothing that would implicate Blue, luckily. She asked about the redirectment due to obstacles and wondered if that would throw off their sense of direction. Blue assured her it wouldn't.

Once darkness fell, they'd changed topics to more personal matters. They shared more information about their lives and laughed about stories of their experiences throughout life. Having a good time was important in their situation; stress would begin to overload them and they'd end up mkre depressed and hopeless. Plus, Blue really desired to get to know her even more. Fluttershy herself wanted to know him a little better, as well. After all, they were spending all their time together, albeit without a choice, but they were getting to really enjoy each other's company.

Blue found himself questioning throughout the night if this was what falling in love truly was.

The night drew to a close, with Fluttershy already fast asleep, curled up in her blankets, while Blue sat nearby, finishing the last couple chapters of his book.

Blue finally finished it, closing it and quietly setting it on the floor beside him. He watched Fluttershy as she slept for a few moments, thinking deeply about his lying and how it might destroy their friendship if she found out, and how much he desired to be a part of her life, despite only having known her just these last several days.

I'd better not screw this up, he told himself as he laid down for bed, still eyeing his sleeping friend. She was the last thing he saw as he drifted off to dreamland moments later.





Blue paced around in a grove of gnarled hemlocks, wondering what was taking Fluttershy so long. She'd stepped away to relieve herself while they travelled towards the town, but she'd been gone too long.

Finally growing worried, Blue made his way into the trees Fluttershy had disappeared into earlier. "Fluttershy? You okay?"

The trees seemed to grow denser, blocking out most of the light. Despite it being midday, he could hardly see more than a couple dozen feet in any direction. With the low branches and deep snow, Blue was having trouble getting around. But he had to find Fluttershy.

Even more alarming, it was dead silent -- no birds chirping away, no wind, no nothing.

Complete silence, save for his hoofsteps crunching in the snow and his voice as he called out for his friend.

"Hello? Are you out there?" Blue tried again, slipping under some low branches. Ahead, he noticed it was brighter -- a clearing.

He made his way through the branches and snow towards the apparent clearing. Finally there, he dropped low to get under another branch when he noticed a large print in the snow.

No.

Blue rushed into the clearing. Fluttershy stood in the middle, staring off into the trees opposite of him.

"Fluttershy?" Blue quietly, hoping not to attract the attention of the beast most likely nearby.

Fluttershy turned. She looked upset. Angry.

"You. You lied to me."

Blue drew back. "Wh... What?"

Fluttershy marched towards him, scowling. "You thought I wouldn't find out? I'm not dumb. But you must be if you think I'd believe this nonsense."

Blue took a step back, his jaw dropping. "I... what are you talking about?" His heart was racing. She'd somehow found out he lied. How?

She finally reached him. But instead of looking angry as she had just seconds ago, she looked hurt. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"I thought you cared about me.... How could you?" she murmured, sniffling and looking him dead in the eyes.

Blue couldn't find the words to reply. When they finally came, he was interrupted by a deafening roar.

No!

It came crashing through the trees where Fluttershy had been staring into earlier. It barreled into the clearing, just behind Fluttershy. Blue could see the desire to kill in it's eyes and it stood over the two helpless ponies. Except...

Fluttershy didn't look at all frightened. Instead, she continued to tearfully gaze into his eyes shaking her head as though he was just the worst thing ever.

"Fluttershy!" Blue managed to gasp, standing rigid. His fight-or-flight response was kicking in, but he couldn't leave without her. "We have to go!"

Fluttershy didn't move... but the creature did.

It lumbered forward and snatched the mare up in its wicked claws.

"Nooooo!" Blue screamed.

Fluttershy didn't seem at all worried. She kept giving him a sorrowful, haunting stare that sent chills up his spine.

As the monster lifted her to its gaping maw, Blue stood around and watched with horror. It began munching on her, tearing her body to shreds and staining the snow crimson. Blue was frozen in shock and terror, unable to flee and avoid the same fate as soon as it finished with her.

The thing roared again, but from within its roar, Blue heard Fluttershy's voice calling him a liar, accusing him of being unreliable. When it stopped roaring, Fluttershy's voice could still be heard.

Blue was still unable to run, but now he was confused and terrified. Fluttershy just got eaten and her voice was still echoing around in his head, calling him a liar and asking him why he would do such a thing to her. Nothing happening made any sense, but it was scaring the daylights out of him.

The beast stepped forward and wrapped its gnarly claws around his shivering, frozen body. He was able to start thinking clearly enough to act, but now, it was far too late. He was about to become dessert.

As the creature opened it's mouth to start gnawing on his head, Blue began sweating despite the cold and screaming bloody murder. Fluttershy's voice filled his head yet again, over and over accusing him, crying, yelling that he was a fraud. As his head disappeared into the pungent, cave-like mouth of the beast, the world grew darker and all Blue could hear is his own screams and Fluttershy's repetitive accusations.

He begged for it to end. "Stop please! Stop! Fuck, I'm sorry! Aaaahhhhh!"

The jaws clamped shut with a crunch.





"Ahhhh! Shit shit nooo!" Blue screamed as he awoke, sweating and panting like he'd just finished a marathon. His heart threatened to leave his chest and he felt lightheaded, ready to pass out again at any moment.

To his right, Fluttershy sat up, looking thoroughly concerned and alarmed. "Are you okay Blue?" She didn't admonish him for his language, but only because she was worried about him. Whatever he had dreamt, it must've been awful if it woke him up in a panic and fit of swear words.

Blue sat there for a moment, trying to catch his breath and collect himself. The dream had been too realistic. Plus it was clearly telling him he was a scumbag for lying. He had no arguments for that.

It took him quite some time to recollect. When he was ready, he replied, "That uh... that was not a good dream."

Fluttershy felt a pang of pity for Blue and shook her head. She was more than familiar with bad dreams. "It didn't sound like it.... you were yelling 'I'm sorry' and my name in your sleep." She cocked her head to the side, knitting her eyebrows. "What was it about?"

Blue began to panic again. He couldn't tell her what it was about. Not all of it. "I uh... would rather not discuss details. It involved that thing though. That... creature."

Fluttershy brought a hoof to her chest and gasped. "Oh, no. That definitely must've been awful. Are you going to be able to get back to sleep?"

Blue honestly didn't know, but if he had to answer, it would be no. "I don't know for certain..." he admitted, looking away and closing his eyes. He was a bit embarrassed about this. No mare had ever been around him during one of his nightmares. They occurred every now and then, less frequently since foalhood, but when they did, they were themed by something floating around in his conscience. Visits to the psychologist only made him feel worse about it. He was told they were normal and should go away, but they haven't, and were no less terrifying than when he was a foal. Normally not so graphic, but this one just happened to be accompanied by memories of the terrible monster that seemed to stalk them.

Fluttershy placed a reassuring hoof on the back of his. "If there's anything I can do to help you get back to sleep, I'm willing. I don't want you to be tired tomorrow. You'll need as much energy as you can muster up..."

Although she was right, Blue didn't see himself falling back asleep tonight, or at least staying asleep. "No, it's fine. I'll be okay, don't worry about it. Just get some rest."

She didn't appear convinced, but she said goodnight and rolled over, falling asleep moments later. Blue laid down, facing the opposite direction and staring off into space.

He only managed another hour or two of sleep the rest of the night, still hearing faint echoes of his nightmare deep in his mind.






265 Hours


Awaking in the early morning hours, just as dawn transitioned to morning, Blue and Fluttershy packed, ate, and scrambled off into the wilderness in the direction of the false logging town.

The sky was overcast, the air freezing, and the breeze brisk. Blue knew a storm was soon, but they had to get out of there. They had to get help.

Blue led through the woods, occasionally stopping to glance at the map, albeit discretely. Fluttershy could never lay eyes on the map, lest she discover his equivocation.

The trek took time. Too much time. For the next few hours, Blue and Fluttershy trudged through the woods and crusty snow at a slow, but steady pace. They only traveled about half as far as Blue had predicted, and time was running out fast. The sky grew darker, the wind picked up, and Blue began to worry that he may be leading them straight to their deaths.

"I don't like the looks of those clouds, Blue..." Fluttershy piped up, trotting up beside him.

Blue sighed, holding pace. "I don't either. I hope we're close to that town, or we're going to regret this trip."

"I think we're going to regret more than this trip if it starts storming."

"Touché."

With that. they trekked on, trying desperately to beat the imminent winter storm bearing down on them like a hungry lion over its prey. It was as though the storm was deliberately sent to sabotage them and their progress, or at least, it felt that way to them.

Soon, the sky darkened with night, the bitter cold rushed in, and the first few flakes made their way to the surface of the earth.

They had run out of time.

"Blue, what are we going to do?" Fluttershy asked fearfully, clasping her forehooves together and looking at him for an answer. They had taken refuge from the brewing storm under the lower branches of a tall spruce tree.

Blue stared off into the woods around them, watching the flakes grow bigger and more numerous, as well as the wind picking up, beginning to whistle through the trees. "I honestly don't know Fluttershy. I really don't..."

"We can't just sit here," she said. "We'll be dead in hours!" The fear in her voice made her voice waver.

"Where are we gonna go? Do you see a place to stay the night in? We don't even know how long this storm is gonna last. It could be a week long system for all we know. I don't know what to do, okay? I thought we had more time. I thought we could do this. Guess I failed us again, for the last time." Blue closed his eyes and plopped down into a laying position under the tree. With his hope and will all but gone, he had no energy even to sit there. This was defeat for him, and he was ready to embrace it.

"No, no, no!" Fluttershy hollered, grabbing hold of one of his forelegs and yanking him to his hooves. "We already discussed this on more than one occasion. We are not giving up!"

Blue jerked his foreleg away and glared at her, rubbing his shoulder. "Look around you! There's nothing. Okay? Nothing. We are as good as dead and it's my fault. Can't you just let me accept my mistake like a stallion?"

She huffed at him. "No. Because there was no mistake here. At all. Just another minor setback. We can work through this like everything else so far. Haven't we?"

"Pfft, is that what you think? We 'worked through' everything else?" Blue waved a foreleg around, gesturing to the ever-whiter forest. "Still in the woods in the middle of Celestia-knows-where? Yes? That's because everything we've 'worked through' hasn't been enough. It has done not a damn thing. In fact, it's made things worse! You-"

"Blue, look!" Fluttershy interrupted him, pointing an excited hoof past him into the trees.

"I see the snow, dammit. Are you even listening to me? For Celestia's sake-"

"Hush for a second and just look!" She slapped his cheek and spun him around.

Blue rubbed his tender cheek and nearly yelled at her for not telling him what he was looking for when he saw it.

"Dear Celestia..." he breathed, his heart skipping a beat.

Off to the west, Blue could see the faint and fading silhouette of a pony-made structure. Squarish, made of wood, no doubt, and most likely empty.

And just like that, Blue's fears melted away, and he squawked with excitement, spinning to embrace Fluttershy.

They had found a log cabin.
> Falling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


273 Hours


Blue and Fluttershy couldn't believe what they were seeing.

There, barely a darkened silhouette against the backdrop of pure white, clouded by the ever-increasing intensity of the snow storm, stood a small log cabin.

Fluttershy and Blue cavorted around for joy, hugging each other multiple times before sprinting off with newfound energy towards their finding. At the least, it would provide shelter. At the most, somepony would be home. Either way. they'd found something great that was no doubt the turning point in this horrible situation.

As the approached the structure, they discovered that it was in better condition than they had expected to find it in. It even appeared as though somepony had been home very recently. Outside was a crate of fruits and veggies that was nearly empty, but the fruit was preserved from the cold. Nearby, a wagon stood up against the cabin. It had been filled with hay bales, one of which seemed to be missing, at least, that's what Blue suggested.

As a whole, the cabin was well-maintained. There was no rot, no logs missing or damaged, and all windows were intact. There was even a chimney, with which the prospect of having continuous warmth excited the two ponies even more.

Making their way around to the front of the square cabin, they came upon another sign that the occupants or owner was around recently -- a literal sign. It was hung on the front door, on the bronze handle. It read, "Gone to town. Leave mail on doormat." Blue silently wondered who would be dumb enough to deliver mail in the middle of nowhere in the Frozen North.

"That must be the town you and I have been trekking for!" Fluttershy exclaimed hopefully.

Blue smiled nervously. "Uh, yeah. That town." He had almost forgotten his terrible lie and plan which had led them to this cabin by chance. Maybe this was his opportunity to change the plans again to something that was honest, and avoid ever having to lie to this mare he was with again.

Blue and Fluttershy now stood on the covered porch, unsure as to whether they could morally justify breaking into some pony's house. Blue was less certain that the owner would care, seeing as how they were near death and currently in the middle of a raging, life-threatening winter storm.

With survival instinct finally winning them over, they found the heavy wooden door unlocked and made their way into the cabin. It was dark, but they could see that it was fully furnished. Somepony definitely lived here, and very recently.

Fluttershy went around and lit up lanterns while Blue got the fireplace going. They could now see the extent of their situation.

The cabin was furnished, decorated, and had many personal belongings scattered about. There was even food in the kitchen that was still good. By the door was a wrought iron rod poker for the fireplace, probably stuck there by the owner for intruders to learn their mistake.

Fluttershy wandered over to a corner of the room where a stack of green metal pans sat in a precariously, along with a long, ribbed open-topped box. "What is this stuff?" she inquired aloud, picking up one of the pans and putting it on her head like a hat.

Blue chuckled as he trotted up to her, taking the pan off her head and turning it upright. "It's a gold pan. And that box down there is a sluice box. The fella that owns this cabin must be a prospector." He stuck the pan back down on the stack of others, feeling a quick pang of jealousy for the cabin owner. Prospecting for gold in this area must be so relaxing, he thought to himself.

Fluttershy blushed with embarrassment and turned away. "Oh, right..."

Blue gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder and a reassuring smile. "Let's go finish seeing what we have to work with in here, shall we?" The he moved off towards the back of the cabin.

On the left, Blue found a lavish yet simple bathroom. It contained a huge tub, a sink with a mirrored cabinet above, and a small corner table with a beautiful bouquet of mixed flowers in a pot on the top. Finding a way to get clean was a relief. Neither of them had done anything to wash the filth from their bodies -- which included dried blood and soot --  since the accident. He shivered at the thought of getting to soak in a relaxing, steamy bath.

Across from the bathroom was a comfy little bedroom. The large bed seemed a bit too big for a single pony, and Blue wondered if there was only one owner to this property. There was a shag brown and gold carpet at the foot of the decorative walnut bed frame, and a heavy dark-wood wardrobe to the left of the door, beside the bed. A lantern sat unlit on the nightstand by the opposite side of the bed.

"Blue! Are you hungry?" Fluttershy called out from behind him some distance. Blue turned to find her merrily trotting up to him, munching on a pear. She held one out to him, much to his surprise.

"There was food? Where?" he asked inquisitively, taking the pear and removing a generous portion of one side with a single bite.

Fluttershy gave a feminine little giggle. "The kitchen. of course. It's almost fully stocked! Want dinner?"

"Boy, would I!" Blue replied with a cheesy grin after swallowing without chewing. "It's been awhile since we were civilized, hasn't it?"

"Mmhmm," Fluttershy nodded in agreement, already done with her pear. She turned and went back to the kitchen and began shuffling around in cabinets, getting some type of meal ready for them.

Blue shuffled over to the couch sitting before the fireplace and plopped down lazily, sinking down between the cushions. The soft, cushiony seat was almost alien to him, considering he and Fluttershy had been sleeping on rocks, dirt, and metal floors the past week or so.

Blue began scanning the room in greater detail, looking for anything that might give a clue as to whom the owner might be. Atop the fireplace, where there was space on the stone for smaller objects and decorations, Blue sighted some pictures of an older stallion with two foals. They were all smiling at the camera. Beside it, on either side, were two decorative bells of gold and silver. Representations of the two foals? Gifts from  the foals?

Off to his left, where the gold mining tools were, Blue saw a small desk. There was a small lamp on top that Fluttershy had lit, some papers, it appeared, and a book. Beside the desk was a short bookshelf with maybe 15 volumes, Blue estimated. On top of that bookshelf were a few carafes and a wine bottle.

On the far right side of the room was a huge, towering safe. Blue wondered what was in it only for a second until he nearly facehooved. Gold, duh.

"Blue, what kind of bread to you want? Rye or wheat?"

Blue snapped out of his deep thought and peered over his shoulder into the kitchen. Fluttershy stood there at one of the counters looking back at him while holding a loaf of bread in either hoof.

"Uhhh… Rye?"

Fluttershy frowned. "Is that a question or a statement?"

"Rye," Blue corrected himself with an innocent grin.

Fluttershy seemed concerned for a moment, but returned her attention to making what looked like sandwiches. Blue couldn't wait for real food.

And he didn't have to wait long. Fluttershy handed Blue a plate with his sandwich over his shoulder, then came and sat beside him, wasting no time digging into her meal.

"I honestly can't blame you for that ravenous hunger you're displaying," Blue said with mild amusement, watching Fluttershy devour her meal. "I wish I could share the feeling. I'm hungry, just not that hungry. Stomach has probably shrunken due to this mess of a situation and our piss-poor diet lately." He finally indulged in his sandwich. It was every bit as delicious as he'd expected it to be.

Fluttershy swallowed and peered over at him, giving him a slightly motherly look. "Are you okay? You're not feeling ill, are you?"

Blue shook his head. "Nah. I feel alright. I just don't have as big of an appetite right now. I'm glad you're eating, though. You never seemed to eat very much and that always worried me."

"I've never been a big eater," she said admittedly. "I guess this event has had the opposite effect on me than it did for you." She dug back into her sandwich.

"It seems it has." Blue resumed eating his sandwich as well.

They ate in silence for the rest of their meal. Fluttershy finished first, naturally, and decided to use the opportunity to clean up. Blue got the fireplace going while he waited, sitting on the couch and listening to the crackle of the fire and the whistle of the wind outside and got to thinking.

Would he and Fluttershy have a friendship after this was all over? Would they stay in touch? Would they end up more than friends? Should Blue even cross that line? Technically he'd already asked her out, and she didn't say no. But Blue wondered just how far they would take this relationship. They'd only known each other this last week and a half roughly, but had spent so much time together, facing trial and tribulation one after another, that he believed their connection to be strong enough for a relationship after everything was said and done.

The question was -- did Fluttershy feel the same way?

Staring blankly at the flickering flames before him, Blue pondered further. What would life be for him after this all ended? Would it go back to normal? Would he feel normal? With such a traumatic incident in his past, would he have any psychological drawbacks? Anything that would cause him trouble, like nightmares or flashbacks? PTSD? How would he deal with it all?

Working aboard a cruise ship while suffering from PTSD seemed like a terrible plan, but somehow, Blue felt he wouldn't have to deal with any of the aforementioned issues. He was strong-willed enough, he thought, to move on quite well from this terrible chapter in his life. Never mind the bouts of depression that plagued he and Fluttershy from time to time -- that came naturally with a tragedy such as this. It didn't make either of them any less strong.

Correcting himself on earlier thoughts, Blue noted that it wasn't all that bad, to be completely honest. He had met Fluttershy. That wasn't bad. He made friends with her, had survived thus far with her, and even confessed his growing attraction to her without being rejected. Where was the wrong in that?

Blue stood and brought his paper plate to the kitchen, where he deposited it in the metal trash bin by the sink. He silently returned to the couch after making himself some tea from the cabinet using the water on the stove Fluttershy had boiled during dinner. She claimed to have found purified water in a jug under the sink to use for tea, which would help with the flavor.

What about his parents? He hadn't spoken to them in awhile, but they did worry about him all the time when he was working in the mines. At least once a month, his parents sent him a letter, and he would return one. Depending on how long this ordeal took to get out of, if he and Fluttershy ever did, he might end up missing his monthly "check-up" with his parents. That wouldn't go well, seeing as how they once contacted Princess Celestia's Royal Air Force when his letter back to them was a day late.

Blue knew nothing of Fluttershy's family or friends, aside from the other Elements of Harmony, which were no doubt aware of her lack or presence. There was also Discord, but he was apparently in charge of watching over her cottage while she was away, which Blue had expressed concern for why he hadn't just tracked her down through detecting her magic. Fluttershy had no answer for that. She suggested Discord might be off in a multi-dimensional adventure again, which he did every so often.

His reverie was interrupted when Fluttershy emerged from the latrine, wrapped like a pony taco in towels.

"Um, bathroom's free," she said with a demure smile, then disappearing into the bedroom, closing the door tightly behind her.

"Guess it's my turn," Blue said, standing up and stretching.





Blue and Fluttershy sat on the couch before the blazing fireplace with steaming mugs of freshly brewed herbal tea and keeping warm.

Then storm outside hadn't let up a bit. As it was hours ago, the it howled like an angry predator, consuming the land with copious quantities of powdery, white snow. There was no telling how long it was to last, so Blue and Fluttershy agreed to hunker down in their newfound shelter until it showed signs of weakening.

To pass time, they held random discussions about various things, from how much better they felt after their showers, to foalhood stories, to recent happenings in their lives. It was a great way to learn a little more about each other, and to break up the dark metaphorical cloud that seemed to be trailing behind them lately. With things finally looking up, they felt more normal, and they both could tell they were loosening up a little.

Blue was just finishing up a story about the time he found a 100-pound ruby when a loud crack of thunder rattled the windows and sent the two ponies to the floor, cowering in fear.

"W-what was that?" Fluttershy stammered, trembling un controllably.

Blue swallowed hard, shaking as well. "I... I think it was... thunder? Like... lightning thunder?"

Fluttershy was confused. "It's not summer, and it's not a thunderstorm outside right now. I don't understand..."

They both slowly sat up, swiveling their heads back and forth like a pair of meerkats looking for danger.

"That was thunder, the more I think about it," Blue confirmed. "It can happen in severe winter storms. Rare, but possible."

"Well, I've never heard thunder in a snowstorm before." Fluttershy crawled back onto the couch and wrapped up in her blanket once again.

Blue sighed down at his spilled tea and broken mug. Fluttershy had set hers down but Blue was holding his when the thunder struck, and when he flopped to the floor, it sent his precious tea flying. "Guess I'll go get a mop or something."

"Sorry, Blue..." Fluttershy offered.

Blue laughed. "Be quiet, you. Don't be sorry."

"Sorry..."

Blue returned once he located an old mop in the kitchen closet. Good thing the floors in the living room were wood, otherwise he'd feel bad about staining whoever's carpet it was.

After cleaning up his mess, Blue put the mop in the tub to deal with later. He returned to the sofa with Fluttershy, tealess and mopey.

"I'm sensing distress," Fluttershy said, leaning forward to see Blue's face better, as he was slouching and staring down.

Blue sighed. "That tea... it was so young."

Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, but words evaded her. Confusion set in quickly, and she closed her mouth, sitting back, and diverting her gaze to the fireplace.

Blue could only hold in his laughs for so long. he burst into a fit and nearly fell off the couch.

"Uh, are you okay? You're not suffering from delirium again, are you...?" Fluttershy questioned him, unamused.

Blue stopped giggling and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "Whew... okay so, that was not as funny as I made it out to be, I have no idea why I laughed that hard, probably due to the lack of humor lately altogether, and, suffering from delirium again? What?"

Fluttershy sipped her tea, staring straight forward. She said nothing.

"Okay then. Onwards! I'm feeling much more chipper. How about you?" Blue clasped his hooves together, feeling a bit woozy. Why was he suddenly so... tired? So disoriented? So goofy?

Fluttershy nearly dropped her tea as she tried to set it down on the floor. "I don't know why, but this tea doesn't taste right. I also feel weird..."

Blue struggled to stand. "Yeah, I noticed this, but I didn't want to say anything and sound like a jackass. Uhhhh, what kind of tea is this you made?"

"Herbal, I said. I think." She too, struggled to stand, tossing her blanket haphazardly back onto the couch to follow Blue.

Blue staggered into the kitchen with Fluttershy hot on his tail. "I don't know about that one, Dollface. Something ain't right here." He snatched the tea box off the counter and tried to read it for information. "Ah, Herbal Remedies: Echinacea Blend. That doesn't seem a viable culprit."

Fluttershy held onto the counter for support, wobbling to and fro. "That can't be why we feel sooooo odd."

Blue remembered something through the haziness in his thoughts. "You said you used filtered water from a jug, right?"

"Yeah. It's under the counter. You don't think the water did this, do you?"

Blue dug under the counter for the jug, which he pulled out for inspection. "Oh, shit. Fluttershy, this isn't water. I knew this tea seemed off."

Fluttershy shook her head vigorously, trying to rid herself of the slowly increasing dizziness. "Uh, what is it?"

"It's absinthe, you goof. You got us drunk."

"Oh."

"Well," Blue coughed, setting the jug on the counter. "That explains the strong taste," he said in a gravelly voice. "How does shit like this even happen? How did neither of us gag on this shit long before drinking enough to pass out?"

"I don't know. Maybe the echinacea canceled it out? I don't know much about alcohol, frankly." She hiccupped loudly and abruptly, startling Blue. "Oh. I'm sorry. That was rude of me."

"No?" Blue cocked an eyebrow at her. "We should probably go sit down."

"I think I agree, though I'm probably going for the bed."

Blue shrugged the best he could. "Oh, okay. Going to bed without me?"

Fluttershy smiled coquettishly. "I didn't say that." She held his gaze and the smile as she left the kitchen, wandering in a stumble to the bedroom, leaving Blue with a million thoughts running through his mind.

"I guess I'd better toss another log into the fire and get to bed then," he said aloud, to nopony in particular. He knew he was inebriated, that Fluttershy was inebriated, and that both of them would feel like complete shit in the morning, but to him, even though this was an accident, it was worth it. They deserved a little fun, right?

After fueling the fire for a bit longer, Blue headed to the bedroom, where Fluttershy lay sprawled out under the covers, staring curiously at him as he entered the room.

"Hey," she said.

Blue waved. "Uh, hey?" He sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his eyes. He was going to say something more, he even had his mouth open, until he felt Fluttershy wrapping her forelegs around his torso and tugging him onto her. In a flash, he was staring into the eyes of a drunk mare who seemed a bit too frisky for her typical personality.

Blue swallowed hard, his throat suddenly feeling dry. His muzzle was inches from hers, so close he could feel her hot breaths on his face and smell the alcohol on her breath. "I, uh..."

Fluttershy shushed him, holding a hoof to his mouth. "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted to hold you." She pecked his cheek and giggled mischievously.

Blue felt his face growing hot. "Fluttershy, I think you may have had too much to drink."

"We both did, silly. I'm just having fun. Don't you like having fun?"

"I... yeah, but..."

"But what?" She began gently stroking his chest with a hoof while fluttering her lashes flirtatiously.

Blue considered all things for a moment. He was lying on top of Fluttershy, their bodies flush. She was touching him with more than just a platonic hug, they were both inebriated, and they had a place too stay finally, somewhere inherently safe, with food, water, shelter, warmth, and even entertainment. Why shouldn't he indulge in a little harmless dalliance, especially if the mare is the one enticing?

From a moral standpoint, Blue questioned the current situation. But, as it seems, he also had interests and desires, as it appeared Fluttershy did. But that didn't mean she wanted to do anything with him, did it? Then again, by her actions and gestures, she was clearly looking for something from him, and he had every intention on supplying whatever she wanted.

He swallowed hard, locking eyes with the mare beneath him. "I... I have a lot of things on my mind, right now. The most prominent being what I would like to do with you right now."

"And what is that?" Fluttershy asked, fluttering her eyelashes provocatively at him. Were these her true feelings being amplified by the alcohol, or simply alcohol turning her into a mindless deviant, as it sometimes did with some ponies? Blue couldn't tell -- his own mind was clouded from the alcohol, and even he was beginning to feel a bit inappropriate.

He sighed heavily, opening his mouth to speak every dirty thought he'd ever had about her throughout the whole trip, but her hoof to his lips stopped him.

"Show me," she whispered.






284 Hours


Blue's eyes cracked open, and the first thing he felt was the telltale signs of a hangover. Also there to greet him was the grogginess of a terrible night's sleep. He sat up, yawned unnecessarily loud, and rubbed his eyes.

And then he remembered what had happened last night.

In a slight state of panic, he shot a glance over to Fluttershy's side of the bed, but she wasn't there.

"Fluttershy?" he called out, quickly hopping out of bed and wincing. His pastern was still broken and still hurt, albeit much less than before, especially with Fluttershy constantly treating it.

Blue got no reply, so he wandered wearily into the hall and out to the living room. Fluttershy was sitting on the couch at the fireplace, which she had lit at some point. She also had a cup of what appeared to be hot tea, and a blanket wrapped around her.

"Fluttershy...?" He approached her slowly.

"Sit please," Fluttershy said sternly.

Blue had a feeling this was about the events that transpired last night. He complied, though he sat in such a way where there was no chance he would be touching her. Somehow he doubted she wanted that right now. He had clearly crossed a line last night.

Fluttershy stared at the fire, then closed her eyes and sighed. "Blue... Last night..."

"I know," he interrupted. "I'm sorry. I let-"

Fluttershy raised a hoof to stop him. "Let me finish."

"Sorry... Go on."

"Last night should never have happened. I..." she paused, searching for the right words. "I like you... a lot. But... I wasn't ready for what we did. I wasn't, but... that alcohol is nasty stuff. It made me think I was."

Blue nodded, not sure how to respond. Fluttershy continued after a moment.

"I can't really say I'm mad. I'm not, honestly. But we shouldn't have done... what we did. Neither of us were ready." She sipped her tea and went on. "I also can't blame you. I'm the one that used alcohol in our tea. that was purely an accident that will never happen again."

"It's not your fault," Blue said gently, looking over at her. She glanced up at him from the fire. Her eyes were red-rimmed, most likely from crying. Blue felt a gut-wrenching pang of guilt. "Listen... that bottle was labelled on the bottom with marker. It had no real label. You had no way of knowing it wasn't water. It's a mistake you really couldn't have prevented. And also... I let myself get carried away last night. I can't blame it all on the alcohol. And I'm sorry for that. I just hope I can be forgiven..."

Fluttershy averted her gaze back to the fire. "I'm not mad at you, Blue. I just want you to understand that last night shouldn't have happened. I can't pretend it didn't happen, but I'd rather not discuss it anymore." She sighed. "And it won't happen again. At least, not during this mess..."

"Right," Blue agreed. "We have more important things to do than engaging in personal affairs."

There was a moment of silence from the both of them, with nothing but the sounds of the winter storm and the fire filling the void.

"So..." Blue was the first to break the silence. "Are we okay? Are we good?"

"Everything is fine, Blue. I already told you I'm not mad at you. Let's just move on, okay?"

Sensing her irritation, Blue decided she was probably right. New topic. "Well, looks like the storm is still growing strong."

Fluttershy followed his gaze to the window by the front door. "Yeah. I'm glad we found this place. I don't think we could've made it a single night out there."

"No, we most certainly would not have made it."

As if to confirm this, a strong gust of wind sent curtains of heavy snow against the west side of the cabin, making the whole structure creak and groan in protest.

"Well, I have no idea when this storm will end, and we have no reason to venture outside the cabin except for more firewood, which we don't have to go far for since it's in a pile on the porch, but I can't just sit here. I'm going to find something to do." Blue stood and stretched, his joints cracking audibly.

"I need to rewrap your wing," Fluttershy said quietly, sipping her tea. "I'll do mine afterwards. Go sit in the bathroom and wait for me."

"I suppose that needs to be done, yeah." Blue made his way into the bathroom, where he closed the lid to the toilet and plopped down. His head was throbbing, which meant he would have to end up looking around for pain reliever. Not to mention his leg was still broken.

Fluttershy appeared moments later, pulling a roll of bandages from the cabinet over the sink. She used a pair of scissors to cut loose his old, dirty, tattered ones, carefully and methodically. Blue watched in awe, noting how doctorly she could be.

She began wrapping his wing after gently cleaning it with an alcohol-soaked rag, but she very quickly ran out of bandages.

"Shoot... I don't know if we have any more bandages." She scratched her chin thoughtfully and stood by the sink.

Blue shrugged. "Uhhhh… In the kitchen? I don't know. Have any in your bag?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. I'll go search around here a little. There's got to be more, or at least a viable substitute." She pranced out of the room on the hunt.

Blue used the opportunity to check out his half-wrapped wing. He could stretch it out farther now, but it ached, and the bandages prevented him from fully extending it. It looked dirty still, too, but much cleaner after Fluttershy had cleansed it.

Where did Fluttershy learn all this medical stuff, anyways? Blue couldn't imagine she'd ever been a nurse. But he also couldn't deny that she'd be a great one. Now that he gave it more thought, she'd probably learned all her medical knowledge from treating her animals. That seemed the most reasonable explanation.

Blue rubbed his leg tenderly at the break. The splint needed replaced. It was falling apart, dingy, and stank. He'd ask her if she could take care of that as well whenever she came back, assuming she found more bandages.

Blue looked up when Fluttershy appeared in the doorway, but she wasn't holding bandages. His heart skipped a full two beats when he saw the furious glare on her face as she held up a map, unfurled.

His map.

Blue stood from the toilet slowly. "Fluttershy... I can explain."

She did not appear convinced. "You have a lot of that to do then."
> Separate Ways
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


285 Hours


It had been almost an hour since Blue had woken up. After making the terrible mistake of having let Fluttershy rummage through his bag, she had discovered his B.S. map, and now he was standing in the living room with her, trying desperately to explain himself and get her calm before things got too far out of hoof.

"It's really not what it seems like, Fluttershy. I swear," Blue said defensively, holding up his hooves as though he were being held up. "There's more to this than just an empty map."

Fluttershy glared at him, tossing the unfolded map onto the floor between them with a slap. "Start explaining. Now."

"Now, don't have a conniption fit, please. Look, the map didn't have any towns, so I made one up to get us moving. Without a destination, we were just sitting ducks, and I didn't want you to be disappointed that there was still no plan, so I made one up. I'm sorry." He sat on his haunches and shrugged. Hopefully that had been enough to convince her.

"Why?" Fluttershy snapped, her patience wearing thin quickly. She wore a very unamused frown with eyes that seemed ready to bore holes through him. "Blue, you realize that by leading us blindly into the woods, you could've gotten us lost? Or worse... we could've been killed! What is wrong with you?"

In her eyes, Blue could see the heat building. This would get real ugly real fast if he didn't get the right words out. "Fluttershy -- we were losing hope. Both of us. And running out of time. I did what I had to to preserve our hope. I know it seems bad at first glance, but in hindsight, it was the right thing to do."

"Right thing to do?" Fluttershy repeated in disgust, curling a lip at him. "Blue -- if we hadn't found this cabin, where would we be? Hmm?" she pressed, throwing her hooves up dramatically. "Hmm?"

Blue hesitated, unsure how to reply. "I-"

"Dead. We'd be dead, Blue. By either that storm," she pointed a hoof stiffly out the window, "or by whatever the hell that... beast is stalking us! How dare you pretend that lying to me and leading us into the unknown was the 'right thing to do'." She turned away from him, seething. "And to think I let you close to me. You lied to me, endangered not only my life, but even your own, and now you pretend to have done it all with good intentions? Since when is lying to somepony good intentions?"

Blue was at a loss for words. Not just because Fluttershy had never used a curse word in front of him, but also because this was not too far off from how the horrible nightmare he'd had about this was, save for the creature barreling in and making a two-course meal out of them. "Fluttershy -- I did what I had to. I'm wasn't going to sit there and let us rot. I had to think of something to get us moving. How is it you can't see that...?"

Fluttershy spun, giving him a death stare. "You LIED Blue. Not just any lie, either -- a lie that could've landed us in some monster's stomach, or frozen under some snow bank! Admit it already! You had no idea where we were going! Your lie was dangerous, reckless, and selfish. And then I let you get close to me... Closer than I should've let you be. I knew better, but I let my guard down. This is why I don't date." She paused, staring down at the floorboards for a moment before looking back up at him. "So what else have you lied about? Hmm? Anything else I need to know?"

Blue gasped, taking a step back at the accusation. "How fucking dare you accuse me of being a habitual liar! I haven't lied about anything aside from the map. I did that because it needed to be done so we weren't sitting in that death trap train car like a pair of damn canned sardines waiting for you-know-who to come snack on our hides!"

"Well, maybe I can't trust you now! Maybe I don't know about you anymore! What you did could've gotten us killed. That's a scary thought to me, Blue. A very scary thought that you would willingly lead us into danger under the false premise that you were getting us out of it." She closed her eyes and sighed, turning away again, facing the fireplace and leaving Blue standing there in shock. "I don't know about this..."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Blue said gruffly, lowering his voice and taking a step towards her. "What are you trying to say?"

Without turning, Fluttershy muttered stoically over her shoulder, "It means this probably won't work. I can't trust you. Not right now."

Blue fumed, shaking his head in disappointment. He'd had enough. "If you can't trust me now, then you'll never trust me. And I have no business being around somepony who is too dense to see my point of view!" He huffed and pirouetted, grabbing the nearest bag -- which was his -- and threw it over his shoulder.

Fluttershy turned to observe what he was doing, and when it dawned on her what he was planning, she moved quickly to the front door, blocking it with her body. "Blue -- where do you think you're going?"

Blue used a foreleg to gently brush her aside, though part of him wished he had the guts to just push her out of the way like he wanted to. "Leaving." He unlocked and swung open the door, an angry tear streaming down his face as he felt the bitter winds welcoming him.

"Blue! You're not leaving! This is not what I meant when I said we won't work!" She tugged on his tail as he stepped out onto the snow-layered deck. He turned and yanked his tail from her grasp, sending her sprawling onto the snow before him. She looked up at him, startled and speechless, her mouth agape.

Blue peered down at her, showing as little emotion as he could manage. His mane whipped around in the wind as he locked eyes with her. "It's what I mean," he said coldly. Then he turned away, trotting as fast as he could out into the wilderness through the knee-deep, powdery snow.

Fluttershy scrambled rapidly to her hooves and called after him, attempting a pursuit, but he outran her and his silhouette rapidly faded into the whiteness, disappearing entirely seconds later through the billowing snow.

"Blue! Blue, come back! Blue!" she cried, her voice cracking and heart pounding. 

Standing there in the storm, the icy wind and snow swirling around her, making her shiver violently, she grew bitter as the memories of the last week flooded her mind all at once. The first night after the crash that they were both awake, the fall into the ravine, the caves, the waterfall...

In an instant, she hated him, and she wasn't entirely sure why. The anger rose from her fear, perhaps, or maybe it was just the feeling of betrayal holding onto her. In that moment, she decided not to care about Blue anymore. "Fine!" she screamed. "Leave! I don't care! I don't need you! I can do this on my own!"

She waited for a response, a sign he had heard her, but all she could hear and see was the relentless wind and the endless white all around. She turned and made her way back into the cabin, closing the door and locking it behind her. Then she sat on the couch before the warmth of the fireplace and sobbed silently, her face buried in her hooves.






296 Hours


Darkness had long since fallen, and Blue was growing weary, having wandered far away from the cabin in the blistering winds of the winter storm that raged on. He had no idea which way he had gone, where he was, or why he had run so far away. He knew it was likely a mistake, but it was too late -- he was lost.

Through the trees Blue continued, though his progress had slowed to a crawl as the snow piled up to almost rump-level, making every step more and more exhausting and draining. He didn't know how much longer he could go on...

The trees provided some form of shelter, and since he had brought the small blanket they had been traveling with prior to finding the cabin, he had warmth. He had the knowledge of how to start a fire so he could melt snow for water. He had everything he needed.

Blue marched over to a spruce tree with low branches. Underneath in the circular space surrounding the base of the tree, the snow was almost nonexistent, making it a prime location to shelter from the fierce winds that seemed to have grown more intense with nightfall.

As if to confirm this, the storm gave an animalistic growl and a layer of snow whipped up from the surface, nearly blinding him as the tiny shards of glassy ice pelted him like shrapnel. He yelled in surprise and covered his face with a foreleg to protect it the best he could.

Blue struggled to climb up under the lowest branches of the spruce and moved as close to its trunk as he could manage, quickly tearing open his bag and retrieving the blanket. He threw it on and lay there in a fetal position, shivering incessantly and cursing aloud, though his voice was easily lost in the ambience of the storm. He could hardly even hear himself think.

What the fuck have I gotten myself into? he cursed himself in his head. What a damn fool. The only thing not here making my life more miserable was the beast, lurking around out there somewhere. I'm sure he sees me, and is just waiting to have himself a nice, tasty meatsicle once I freeze to death.

Blue curled up tighter, trying to conserve as much heat as possible while he hunkered down, though at this point, something told him it didn't matter. He had no clue what the temperature was, nor did it matter. The winds were billowing and easily whipping at least 30 mph, and that meant at freezing temperatures the wind chill was well below lethality if he stayed out here too long. And since he had no choice but to be out here...

Blue sighed loudly with frustration. Why did he run off like that? Sure, Fluttershy had pissed him off, but what that worth his life? Really?

His mind filled with memories of the last few days. His time spent with the mare he had begun falling in love with. His lie to get them moving. Her reaction to learning about said lie. Her misunderstanding of his reason and idea behind the lie. It was enough to make his blood boil if it wasn't so cold out.

Why hadn't she seen his point of view? Everything he had said made sense to him. Why not to her? As if she'd never lied before, for any reason?

The more Blue thought about it, the angrier he got. What he had done was for her. Not so much for him, as he had made it his goal to protect the mare and get her home safely at all costs. But she had rejected his method of getting them to safety. So what if it was dangerous? So what if finding the cabin was pure luck? If he hadn't hustled them out into the woods, the never would've found it in the first place, so in his eyes, she should've been thanking him.

Blue shifted under his blanket, trying to seal himself underneath to keep heat in. he winced when his broken leg pulsed with a dull achiness, reminding him that he had just walked miles on it in an angry fit he was sure to regret come morning.

Returning his thoughts to the events that had transpired earlier, Blue thought about Fluttershy's words to him. She had said a few hurtful things, but the one that had taken the cake was when she said she had essentially regretted him, how they had been a mistake.

How could she trample his heart underhoof like that so mercilessly? How could the Element of Kindness say such a thing? All he had ever done since the minute he had found her limp form lying in the snow after the train wrecked was protect her, serve her, and do everything he could to keep her safe and alive. He had given her his all, and over one silly lie, she completely rejected him. How was that fair?

Blue's teeth began chattering audibly, though he wasn't sure if it was from anxiety, or the cold. The storm went on, though under the branches of the tree, he was protected from the wind for the most part, which eliminated half the danger and battle for survival.

Back to the earlier events. Blue wondered why every mare he ever met did the same thing --  abandoned him over a small lie that he had good intentions for. It was always the same. "We can't trust you", or "Once a liar, always a liar".

The same shit every time. No matter what the lie was for, even if it was to make everything better, it was always him that took the fall and the mare would leave him, claiming him to be "dishonest' or "manipulative". Whatever the hell that meant. If trying to keep things going smoothly meant you were dishonest, then maybe he didn't want to be in any more relationships.

It was with that thought that it hit him like a brick wall -- every time, it was the same thing he was doing that led to the failed relationship. It was always him lying about something that brought him down the same exact path, over and over. In a moment of clarity, Blue realized his dishonesty was the problem here, not the mares.

Blue felt a stab of fear in his gut. He had left the safety of the cabin, the safety of Fluttershy's presence, in lieu of the woods and the winter storm, all to prove a point. That point now plagued him with biting winds, relentless snowfall, and a lingering feeling of dread about the terrifying monster that they had run into a couple times. It was out there, somewhere... waiting, watching, plotting...

"Well, could be worse," Blue muttered sarcastically through chattering teeth to himself, clutching his blanket and pulling it as close to him as possible as he lay there, shivering violently. "Could be still in the ravine."

There was nothing he could do about the situation right now. It was dark, the storm wasn't over, and he was alone. It was better to at least wait until daytime before attempting any kind of travel. At least then he could see his surroundings to some extent and plan out his next move. For now, it was time for rest.

If it comes to me, Blue thought bitterly to himself. He closed his eyes and focused on fabricating a plan to take his mind off the cold and the persistent throbbing pain in his leg which he attributed to storming through deep snow for the last couple hours.

Tomorrow was going to be a long, painful day.






354 Hours


Fluttershy stood anxiously by the front door, staring blankly out past her reflection into the frozen landscape. It had been nearly two days since Blue had fled into the wilderness, leaving her alone. At first, she hadn't really cared. But that didn't last long.

As much as Blue had angered her, betrayed her trust -- she cared for him. For some reason, there was part of her that forgave him, and understood his reason behind the lie with the map.

She sat on her haunches and sighed, placing a hoof on the window, which formed a bit of condensation around her hoof from the warmth she put off.

Blue was either dead, or soon-to-be. The storm had ended hours ago, making way for surprisingly clear, blue morning skies, but it was intensely cold -- colder than she had ever felt since the train wreck.

Now, she worried for Blue. If he was alive, she would have to find and bring him back to the cabin, somehow. But there was no way she could locate him by herself. To even have a chance at that, she would have to be able to fly, and with her wing still healing, that wasn't possible. So she resorted to an alternative method.

The entire previous day, and beginning early this morning, Fluttershy called upon the very few birds in the area, asking them to fly and search for Blue, then return to lead her there. So far, the birds had found not a trace of him, and every time they announced so after a trip, the knot in her stomach grew bigger and her hope shrank.

Blue couldn't be dead. She needed him, and he needed her. It was a mistake to get so mad at him, and she knew it now. She had let her anger control her words, and she had said something that probably broke his heart. Maybe it wasn't too late for reparations, but that was only if she could find him, assuming he was still alive after that terrible, brutal snowstorm...

Fluttershy broke from her reverie and unbolted the door when she caught a glimpse of the grey-crowned rosy finch she had sent out hours ago, when it was still dark.

Stepping outside, Fluttershy immediately felt immensely cold, and rubbed her shoulders by crossing her forelegs across her chest as she sat and waited for the little bird to land nearby and deliver his news.

The finch soared up and landed on the wooden bannister beside her, tweeting excitedly.

Fluttershy perked up, having previously been growing more and more depressed as the searched yielded no results, but this time, the bird seemed to have found something.

"Um, you're tweeting too fast. I can't understand..." she said, furrowing her brow and cocking her head to one side.

The bird hopped up and down and repeated itself more clearly, trying desperately to get her to understand its urgent message.

Fluttershy gasped, taken aback by what she had just learned. It was great news, but seemed impossible. In any case, she couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"You found him? He's... alive...?"

The bird nodded and waved a wing, encouraging her to follow him as he flapped his little wings and fluttered about madly.

"Okay, okay... I have to get some things together and we'll head out right away!" She spun and bolted into the house without even closing the door, gathered what she saw as important for the trip, not knowing whether it was going to be long or short, and left hastily with the bird leading her overhead.

I just hope I'm not too late... she thought to herself with lingering fear as she tread through the snow into the dense evergreen woods.





Blue sat with his back resting against the rough bark of a tree, his legs propped up on the snow that piled up around it.

He was tired, cold, starving, and close to giving in. He had underestimated nature and overestimated his skills. Without Fluttershy, he had quickly learned that he knew nothing about edible plants in this environment. He tried to find a few that Fluttershy told him about, but he couldn't remember exactly what they all looked like or where to find them. Not to mention the snow made finding any plants almost impossible.

He hadn't traveled very far from where he had stopped the first night. There was no point -- he was hopelessly lost, and wasn't going to make it out here alone. Sequestered amongst the trees, lying there, waiting for death that would surely follow soon.

The storm had ended, but it was now bitterly cold. Blue knew the temperatures were low enough to kill within hours if he didn't get food to gain calories and generate heat. If he didn't keep moving, he would succumb even faster.

But he was tired. Tired of working so hard to survive, tired of waiting for rescue he knew would never come, tired of being prey to some unidentifiable beast that would soon be feasting on his lifeless corpse -- lifeless if he was lucky.

The brilliant sunlight shone down through the branches of the tree he rested under, making the snow all around take on a gorgeous glitter like millions of tiny diamonds. The nubiform waves of snow stretched on for miles in all directions, filling in the gaps between trees and weighing their branches to the point they could snap at any given moment as they sagged at impossible angles towards the ground.

All of this was beautiful, almost serene, but Blue was past caring now. He used to, back when this insane journey first began, but now he was alone, dying, and hopeless --  a victim of his own stupidity. All those promises to keep moving, to maintain hope and faith, to fight to the very end... all in vain. It seemed nature was going to take him after all.

No, he thought to himself, struggling to his hooves with a pained grunt. I will not let nature do me in. I will die by my own hooves.

He had done this to himself. He had ruined everything and abandoned Fluttershy to fend for herself. Who even knew if she was okay at this point? The monster would've surely made a quick meal from her by now, and he was to follow, if the cold didn't take him first.

His mistakes had led him here, to this remote location deep in the unforgiving wilderness of the great Frozen North, and now that death was inevitable, the honorable way to go was not to let nature have its way with him, but to end his own misery in a quick, painless fashion.

Blue knew exactly what to do, and how to do it.

Leaving his bag beside the tree, as he wouldn't need it, he began staggering through the snow, panting heavily, his breaths leaving clouds of vapor in wavy, floating trails behind him as he made his way in the direction of the ravine he had almost fallen into the previous day while scouting.

A tear of regret streamed down his face as he realized what he was planning. Was this really it? Was he about to go die, to give in? It's not like he had any choice --  without Fluttershy, he wouldn't make it another day or two. Her value to him made more and more sense as he shuffled along, gritting his teeth and shivering.

Unless by some magical coincidence, he stumbled upon the cabin again, or rescuers showed up, Blue knew there was absolutely no way to survive now. The overwhelming odds piled up like the snow, and the battle was lost.

He felt strangely calm, now. Knowing that Fluttershy was probably dead made him feel better. It sounded terrible at first, but if she was dead, she wasn't suffering, which was good. It would be his fault if she was suffering, anyways. 

Blue tried to clear his conscience the best he could and prepare for his untimely end, but thoughts of his moments shared with Fluttershy kept popping up at the forefront of his mind.

She had made most of this ordeal sufferable for him. Because of her, he had never given up hope, or been able to. Her personality was the light they needed to make it out here.

And then there was... the night. He had heard her say she regretted it. He didn't. They had been inebriated and that had greatly affected their choices, this was true, but there was more to it than that. They had made real love, in his opinion. There was an emotional connection they both shared, and he believed it had been made clear that night.

This was all a moot point now. She was probably gone, and now, it was his time as well.

Despite the storm being over and the sun shining brightly as it rose further into the sky from the peaks of local mountains to progress morning to noon, Blue struggled with the remnants of the storm and the unbearable cold. Factor in the paucity of edibles of any kind, and there was your recipe for failure.

The thick, powdery snow put up a fight, not letting him move with any kind of pace at all, but then, he didn't care. The pain in his broken leg worsened to the point that he was near tears, but he didn't care. The cold was making his eyes burn, his lungs cry out, and his extremities go numb, but he didn't care.

Even if it took him until nightfall, he would keep moving. When he found the ravine, only then could the sweet embrace of death steal him from this frozen hellscape that threatened to take him with every step.

Blue marched on.





The snow made her travels slow and tiresome, but she had packed plenty of food and water, along with a nice, heavy coat she had found in the cabin. The cold bothered her greatly, but her mind was set on a goal that she intended on reaching at any cost -- she was going to find Blue and get him back to the cabin no matter what.

With the bird whirring around overhead, leading her through the tall trees that suffered from the pillows of snow on every branch, only hanging on precariously, occasionally plopping down to the snow below and startling her.

Fluttershy couldn't help but wonder what condition Blue was in. His bag hadn't been packed with any essentials as far as she knew, but that didn't mean anything. They had improvised plenty of times throughout this ordeal, and she knew Blue well enough to know he would find a way to make things work if a problem presented itself.

What worried her the most as she threaded her way through the woods was whether he had endured the storm and the cold. No amount of improve would save somepony from the onslaught of freezing winds and snow that piled up for days. If Blue had made it, and the bird was right that he was alive, she had to get to him fast...

"Please be okay, Blue..." Fluttershy pleaded under her breath and continued following her guide.





Blue was not okay.

He had officially given up. Life was not worth living, not now.

He had failed Fluttershy, himself, and everypony else with his actions of selfishness. Nothing was going to stop him from carrying out his plan now.

In some sick way, Blue felt no sadness or fear. He just felt... loneliness. Intense emptiness. There was nopony there for him, nopony to tell him things would be okay, that he needed to keep fighting, and he couldn't even come close to convincing himself that.

With his legs beginning to ache, his stomach growling in protest, and tiny crystals of frost forming on his eyebrows and mane, Blue trudged on, slowly caring less and less about everything. Nothing mattered anymore.

Ahead, he spotted the telltale clearing along the edge of the ravine as the trees couldn't hold on to enough ground here to grow more than a few feet tall, and the ones that did were stunted and angled sharply towards the ravine.

For a moment, he almost felt relief. It would be all over soon.

He approached the ravine edge, searching along its crumbling banks for a good place to jump from, and he found himself starting to question his plan again.

Too many emotions, too many thoughts... he was losing his mind. He knew he had to do this, he had to. There was no way to be saved now -- he was already where he needed to be and there was no turning back. There was nothing to turn back for, anyways.

Beside him, a platform of rock protruded out over the ravine, its jagged edge decaying and depositing chunks and fragments of what appeared to be basalt all over the floor of the chasm. The snow had piled up on it, but was much shallower than the rest of the woods.

This was the place.

Blue made his way to the platform and crawled up onto it with a groan, moving as close to the edge as he could, then stared into the abyss. Snow had filled it quite a bit, but the massive ravine was deep enough and steep-walled enough that it didn't matter. The fall should still result in instant death.

"What the fuck am I doing?" he suddenly blurted down into the empty space before him, a knot forming in his stomach. "What the FUCK am I doing? What am I doing?"

Over and over he yelled, increasing the volume until his voice was hoarse, his words echoing off the walls into the distance until he could understand them no longer.

Blue stopped and took a deep breath, letting it go slowly and glancing around him at the icy world through the fog of his breaths.

What was he doing? Was he really taking the coward's way out?

"Celestia have mercy on me," he plead, dropping to his knees in the snow and covering his face with his hooves as warm, salty tears streamed down his cheeks and deposited themselves into the snow. "I don't know if I can do this. I... I have to, but I don't know if I have the strength..."

There was no other way out of this mess, and now that he was having second-thoughts, everything he had been through up to now seemed to slam his thoughts all at once.

Wave after wave of emotions swept through him, and he began sobbing there on the platform, unsure what to do. Before reaching the ravine, the idea of jumping to his doom didn't seem so terrifying, but by nature's design, nopony truly wanted to die this way.

But this was the only way to end the pain, to prevent the inevitable suffrage of a slow, agonizing death by the cold, which he was already starting by the lack of feeling starting in his limbs. Time was running out.

Blue sniffled and looked up to the sky, his eyes red and burning from the cold as he wiped away the tears with the back of his hoof. "Why does it have to be this way...?" he asked aloud in a shaky voice, hoping to somehow magically receive a response. But he knew there wouldn't be one. He was just stalling, unable to bring himself to do what was his only option.

He couldn't do this.

So what, just die from the cold? Die from the giant carnivore? Die of starvation?

No, Blue told himself, wiping away another tear that escaped from the corner of his eye. I will do this.

He gathered the courage after a few moments and climbed to his hooves, swallowing the rock in his throat. He peered down over the edge at the cliffside. It was rough -- unfortunately, he would probably hit it unless he jumped out far enough.

There was no more time to waste. This was it.

He closed his eyes and silently asked for forgiveness from friends and family as he prepared himself to jump.