She squirmed beneath me, unable to escape my hold. She quickly began tapping out against my arm, gasping the words ‘I give! I give!’

I released her and had an urge to spit in her face. “What the hell do you want?!” I snarled and she blinked.

“Sweet Celestia…” she choked slightly and rubbed her somewhat sore neck. “What’s with the…ack… hostility?” she coughed and I gave her a cold glare.

“You damn well know why, you two timing…” I cut myself off and bit my lip. I wanted to call her a bitch… a cunt… jeeze, I never thought I’d have to face her ever again.

“Hey… woah, what’s the deal?” she asked, completely shocked at how I was acting.

“Dunno… maybe it’s the fact that you just tried to put me in a choke hold… or maybe the fact that after I saved your life twice, you still had the audacity to portray me in your story as an incompetent ape that out of its own greed ended up killing itself,” I snarled and she blinked.

“What?” she asked, almost as if she didn’t know.

“You damn well know what. I’m not stupid. I know that ape in the story you wrote about our adventure was-“ but she cut me off.

“Woah-woah-woah… WOAH!” she exclaimed. “For the record… I don’t write those stories. You remember Mrs. Applenathy?” she asked and I thought back.

“Yeah… the old mare running the museum?” I replied and she nodded.

“Yeah. I give her the rundown of what happened, sometimes a script to follow, and she writes and publishes the stories. Makes extra money on the side and that’s partially why I get a hefty paycheck,” she informed me and I scoffed at her.

“Oh let me guess. More lies? Yeah sure Daring, just sick me on an old mare… real fuckin’ nice a yah.” I curled my upper lip in anger, revealing my vicious canine teeth.

“Hey! Woah… chill the hay out. I’m serious. I don’t have enough time to write stories about my adventures… hay, I wouldn’t even want to. I might make a slip-up in one of my stories and reveal something personal about myself. Something the black-market bosses could use to hunt me down and find me,” she stated and I just furrowed my brows in anger. Goddess damn she was good at this game, but I somehow knew… or was just really damn sure, that she was still lying.

She just rolled her eyes and let out a deep and somewhat irritated sigh. “Fine, you know what. I’ll prove it to you. After we’re done, I’ll let you talk to Mrs. Applenathy about it,” she said and I was taken aback.

“When we’re done? What the hell did we start?” I asked and she facehoofed in embarrassment, having obviously gotten ahead of herself.

“Oh, sorry. Let me start over… how have you been-“ but I cut her short.

“Cut the crap Daring. We’re not friends. What the hell do you want, and why the hell did you try to put me in a choke hold?” I said rather aggressively.

“Okay… actually I was gonna give you a kiss and try to lighten you up before I asked,” she said and I looked at her seriously.

“Ask what?”

“Will you come on an adventure with me?” she asked, somewhat desperately. It wasn’t in her body language… but in her eyes.

“No… I don’t feel like being the design for your next bad guy,” I said and went to leave.

“Wait, please!” she pleaded back and just… I dunno, something in her voice made me stop.

“I thought you worked alone?” I quipped at her and she bit her lip and let out a defeated exhale.

“I need help… more specifically, your help,” she admitted and I rose an eyebrow. Huh… never figured her to admit defeat like that. “Listen, I didn’t write that story, just the outline and… okay I’ll admit it, I kinda made it look like you were a bad guy in the way I described you, but I’m really sorry,” she apologized.

“You're sorry now that you need something from me, right? Cause I haven't seen a hair of you since the last time we saw each other,” I challenged and she sighed.

“I didn’t read the story. I never really do. They’re usually exaggerated. But right now I need you… us, to put aside our differences and tackle this adventure,” she told me and I rubbed my chin. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad. Maybe it would be easy.

“Okay… what’s the deal?” I asked.

“We’re gonna climb Mount Tia!” she exclaimed in a very excited voice.

“Mount… Tia?” I asked.

“Yeah. Tallest summit on the planet. Nopony has ever made it to the top before. But-“ I cut her short.

“WOAH! FUCK THAT!” I yelled. “No way in hell I’m gonna-“ but she cut me off.

“No listen, seriously we can-“
“No, ‘we’ are not doing it. Namely ‘I’ am not doing that. Fuck un-climbable mountains, fuck being a guinea pig, fuck that, fuck you!” I told her and she sighed.

“I didn’t say it was un-climbable.”

“You just said nopony has ever climbed it!”

“Exactly!” she exclaimed and I blinked. There was a pause. “Say that again Mr. Genius.”

“You just said nopony has ever climbed it,” I repeated, trying to think about what she was hinting at.

“Duh! No… ‘pony’ has ever climbed it. Dragons have ascended to the summit before. That’s partially what we’re after,” she said and I blinked.

“A dragon?” I asked and she gave a so-so nod.

“Apparently there’s this ancient war relic, from even before the formation of Equestria. It’s called ‘The Dragon Horn’. Apparently it’s at the summit peak. The museum said they’d pay us a hundred thousand each if we got it! A hundred thousand!” she exclaimed and I just blinked.

“That still doesn’t solve our first problem… how the fuck do we get it? Why don’t you just fly up there?” I asked.

“Because it can get as cold as a sixty below, so all that gear to keep me warm weighs me down. Ontop of that, the altitude is so high that my wings can’t generate enough force against the thin air to keep me afloat. Even some young dragons have trouble flying at heights about five thousand meters,”

I blinked. “How… high up is the… peak?” I asked and she just shrugged.

“Nopony knows. Some say about eight kilometers, some say nine… others think it’s absurd like… ten and a half,” my gut sank as my spine shivered.

“Fuck that… no fuckin way… that’s too sketchy,” I said and she gave me a love tap to the side.

“Aww come on, yah big wussy. Besides, you got an advantage over the legend that I don’t,” she commented and I looked at her.

“And what’s that?” I asked in a deep rumbly voice.

“You’re not a pony,” she said with a bright smile.

“Oh cause that makes me feel sooo much better. You're not a pony so you should be able to climb this. Man, this is a frickin suicide mission… times like a hundred,” I stated and she just laughed and flung her hoof.

“Oh come on. This’ll probably be easier than getting Peg Leg’s gold,” she commented but I shook my head.

“No deal. Why not just find a dragon to get it,” I replied but she looked at me like I was crazy.

“Are you nuts? If a dragon found out how much that thing is worth, he’d end up hoarding it,” she stated and I just huffed.

“Well… if you can't climb it just cause you're a pony, why not just get a mule… or a zebra, or a gryphon!” I announced and she just bit her lip.

“Because… because I know you can do it okay… because I’ve seen what you can do,” she told me and I rolled my eyes.

“Why not just send out a ‘Help wanted’ add in the newspaper?” I offered coyly, knowing the obvious answer.

“I can’t… I need someone good. I know that you’re in physical shape… that you can handle your own if need be…” she trailed off. “What do you want me to do? Get on my knees and beg? Don’t try and play with my pride!” she shouted and I just rolled my eyes.

“No… I just don’t want to do this. I don’t want to climb some goddess forsaken fucking un-climbable rock in some diluted fantasy of reaching the top, then descending back down safely with this treasure. A treasure that may not even exist… I don’t feel like risking my life for that,” I said and she stomped her hoof.

“What do you want me to do? Say I’m sorry? Make you the hero in the next book? What?!” She said, almost like it was easy. Out of the corner of my peripheral vision, I caught sight of Rarity and slunk into the shadows slightly.

Daring looked out and followed my gaze. “I can try and set up a date between you and her, alone in one of Canterlot’s finest restaurants, just you and her,” she offered, getting the wrong idea.

“I don’t have a crush on her… I kinda… sorta broke into her place and trashed it… now I’m trying to find a way to apologize… and get enough money to pay her back,” I said honestly. I should have, however, not mentioned that, because it gave Daring fuel.

“Hey! Perfect! You'll get paid a pant-ton for this then you can just pay her back!” My stomach sank. Oh goddess… she was right. But… was it really worth it? For me to risk my life like this just to pay her back for something that might only be worth a few hundred, maybe thousand, bits?

My heart skipped a beat. I had broken and entered… vandalized, in a way... and robbed her while she was away… I bit my lip. “A hundred and fifty,” I said, somewhat selfishly.

“What?” Daring asked, unsure about what I meant.

“I want a hundred and fifty thousand,” I informed her and her eyes went wide.

“Wait! Hold on, the museum can only afford to pay us each a hundred,” she said and I nodded.

“So you give me half of yours,” I said and she was taken aback.

“What?!”

“Well… you want me to play guinea pig, try and climb an un-climbable mountain just cause I’m not a pony… give me half of your salary over top of mine.” She blinked in astonishment. I guess she never expected this outcome.

“B-b-but… but I-“ I cut her off.

“Hey… let’s say the repair bill and the bill to replace all the merchandise I destroyed comes to about eighty large… I still want quite a fair bit of pocket change left over,” I exaggerated. I doubted it’d be anywhere close to that much for everything, but hey… what’s my life worth to Daring?

“It couldn’t cost that much!” she challenged my bluff.

“Fine, I know a gal who’ll help me. Hue Heifer. I’m one of her V.I.P.s. I helped her write the one story ‘Passions of friendship’,” I partially lied. I had no idea if she had actually wrote that or if she was just sloshed.

“You… you know Hue?” she asked and I nodded.

“Yeah… so uhh, good luck Daring. Maybe I’ll read an article about a great and daring adventurer that froze to death trying to reach the peak of a mountain,” I snarked and she immediately called out.

“OKAY WAIT!...” She trailed off and I could tell she wasn’t happy. “Alright… a hundred and fifty… okay, does that make you happy?” she asked and I nodded.

If I was gonna agree to this, I couldn’t let mom know. I just knew she wouldn’t let me do it. I hated going behind her back like this but I needed to pay back Rarity for what Derreck got us into.

“Alright Daring… but there’s some ponies we have to see first…”

Hours later,

Desert garage…

It would’ve been quicker and more convenient to have taken Cadence, but I had two problems. Firstly, Daring wasn’t supposed to exist outside her stories so we’d have a troublesome time trying to make her a disguise, either that or my mom would think she’s a fan filly. My second problem was just that. My mother. Not only would she most likely not let me go, but if I had to explain why I was going, then she’d find out about Baltimare, and subsequently; Manehatten.

Flim and Flam were mind blown by our… by Daring’s, idea. “Th-th-tha-that’s insanity. It’d never work. You’ll both die for Celestia’s sake!” Flim gasped. Flam chimed in.

“Why yes! The last expedition team vanished without a trace. Not a single member returned! Why, they're leader was well trained for that exploration and-” Flam stated and Daring’s ears perked up.

“Sir Archimedes II… one of the most daring adventurers ever. Philanthropist on his spare time. His journal kept all his most valued secrets. It would be a highly prized museum item, had he not taken it along with him…” Daring trailed off with a faint smile on her face.

“Somepony’s a fan-filly.” I muttered and she looked to me with the still faint smile.

“Everypony has their idol,” she commented and I just smiled. 'Arnold Schwarzenegger'

Flim just shook his head. “No way! No how! This is blasphemy! Insanity! Madness!” He commented and I rose an eyebrow. I would’ve quipped something about Sparta but this was too serious.

“Listen Flam… Flim. It’d be easy, kind of. We’d just take Juggernaut to the old base camp at twenty five hundred meters. Then hike most of it. The angle of elevation isn’t that bad according to the reports. The hardest ascent would be the last…” I trailed off and let Daring pick up.

“It’s believed only the last two and a half thousand meters is a steep climb.”

Flim scoffed. “Yes, but the key word is ‘assumed’, meaning nopony actually knows. The clouds are too thick and nopony can actually see the top… the dragons would be able to survey it for us, if they weren’t so selfish about it.” Huh… funny, I never really took him for a geographical caring kind of pony. Who cares what the unreachable places look like.

I scratched the back of my head. “Listen guys… you made things right with me by letting me take Juggernaut before she was done… you gave me gear to help with Baltimare-“ Daring cut me short.

“You went to Baltimare?! As in, during that freeze scare?!” She gasped but I paid her no mind.

“I know you’re always looking to set an even score between us but please… I’m asking… begging you guys… help me out, in my time of need,” I pleaded.

Daring muttered under her breath, still thinking about Baltimare. “Fine… I’ll take that as a yes. Guess my question isn’t important enough.”

Flim sighed while Flam followed shortly after. “Help you out? In a time of need? What are you looking to achieve? Death? What sort of pony needs death so badly they’ll beg for it? You didn’t strike me as a depressed suicidal pony… err, person,” Flim stated, trotting back over to Juggernaut and stroking his hoof along her side.

Flam walked along with his brother. “We’ve been through some hard times-“ I cut them short.

“We… as in us? I don’t know times we've-“ but Flim cut me short.

“Don’t interrupt,” he whispered. I nodded and Flam began again.

“We’ve been through some hard times… some rough times I’m sure,” he began a saddened musical tune which Flim added to.

“The wall before us we must climb… for it is the one of friendship and love,” Flim sung. I groaned inwardly as I covered my face in embarrassment, briefly peeking through the slits between my fingers. The words to their chorus didn’t even rhyme. They just played in tune with the musical beat they had going on.

I stood and was punished for about two minutes, just barely able to stand the musical song. It was so… I don’t know… ridiculous. I mean… could they not just get to the point without the loony song?

Flim and Flam both ended the note, each brother scooting up on one side of me and singing in unison. “THAT’S WHY YOU’RE OUR… FRIIIIIEEEEENNND!” I let out an exhale through my nostrils while I scrunched my nose, clenching my eye shut in sheer… I don’t even know how I felt, I just felt mentally damaged.

Flim and Flam stepped back, teary eyed and both with a handkerchief. “Y-y-you see… we’ve never... ever…” Flim began to get choked up on his words and Flam offered him his handkerchief which he blew his nose into.

Flam picked up where his brother left off. “Never had friends before… a-and… and if you… if you…” he too got choked up and blew his nose into Flim’s handkerchief. Daring leaned over.

“Are they usually this… absurdly emotional?...” she trailed off, not knowing what to think.

Flim looked up, his eyes red from crying. “You’ve been our only friend… and if you were to die because of something we let you do… we’d never… be able to… to… TO!...” he began to weep, absurd amounts of tears pouring from his eyes.

Flam spoke up briefly before also bursting into tears. “NEVER BE ABLE TO FORGIVE OURSELVES!” I just groaned and dipped my hand into my palm.

“I’ll give you guys ten grand,” I commented and they both stopped, heads up and ears perked in attention.

“WHAT?!” They both gasped.

“I’ll pay you ten large… in cash,” I said and Flim and Flam’s jaws both went slack.

“I-i-is that… ten each? As in twenty all together?...” Flim trailed off in thought.

“Yeah, sure…” I trailed off, hopping greed would overpower the ‘magic’ of friendship.

“Where in Equestria would you get that kind of money?” Flam gasped and Daring spoke up.

“The museum. They’re paying top price for this expedition,” she stated and Flim and Flam both looked to each other with excited grins.

“One other condition. We want our names in bold print as the ones who supplied the gear for this expedition… oh boy, our names will be all over the frontlines!” Flim and Flam both squealed in delight as they began hopping around then stopped in midstride and looked to us. Flim spoke first.

“What we mean to say is: We’ll get your thermal gear right away!” He stated and rushed off.

Daring rose a brow. “Wow… I guess money talks,” she muttered and Flam broke in.

“Well… it’s not so much the money… as it is the… historic relevance! Yes, that’s it! Historic relevance! Imagine it. The unreachable, finally reached! And supplied with our gear no less!” Flam exclaimed and Daring interjected.
“Dragons have made it up there before,” she commented and Flam just rubbed his chin to try and think of an excuse then looked back to Juggernaut, the armored truck.

“I’ll go get the truck ready!” he offered then took a better look at Daring. “Oh, by the way, your Daring Do outfit is pretty good, but you’re missing the hat, and your mane isn’t nearly long enough,” he stated then quickly scurried off as Daring just groaned, burying her face into her hooves…

Third person,

Wednesday, May 20th, 2014…

Twilight moseyed down the stairs, a little on the worried side. Spike was already sorting and organizing the library’s collection of fictional novels. Lassie at times would help Spike but at others would just mingle uselessly, watch television or listen to the radio.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity for her, Twilight spoke her mind. “Ithinksomething’swrong!” she sputtered. Both Spike and Lassie looked to her. “Evan didn’t come home last night. He said he was just going for a walk, but it’s been too long to just be a walk,” she said anxiously and Lassie just chewed on the inside of her cheek in a not so worried way.

“Meh… he’ll be fine. He’s probably just helping Flim and Flam again or something. They’re always having trouble with desert bandits,” Lassie commented and Twilight thought back to how those two brothers tried to swindle the Apple Family farm.

“Good… they deserve it,” she commented and Lassie gave her a funny look.

“Really?... I dunno, they seemed okay to me,” the canine replied. Taking a look out the window, she noticed that Cadence was still parked in the car shelter. She rubbed her chin attentively in thought. “Hmm… that’s weird…” Lassie said and Twilight immediately sped to Lassie’s side, trying to see what Lassie was looking at.

“What’s weird? What is it?! IT’SSOMETHINGBADISN’TIT?!” Twilight sputtered. Lassie pushed her away.

“Jeeze, calm down you crazy old bat! He’s only been gone for like…” she looked at the clock. “Twelve hours. He might’ve stayed over at somepony else’s house,” Lassie stated.

“I thought you said he went to see Flim and Flam!” Twilight said, still worried. Lassie just rolled her eyes with a huff.

“Listen, chill the buck out! I thought he might’ve went to see them, but his truck’s still here so… it’d be a helluva walk,” Lassie commented. Spike slightly rose one of his claws.

“Uhm… I saw Evan last night,” he said cautiously. The other two looked to him.

"Why didn't you say something earlier?!" Twilight gasped.

“Well… I mean… yeah,” he said, not really wanting to become part of the discussion. He was partly siding with Lassie, Twilight was acting far too bizarre for her own good. He hadn’t been gone that long.

Twilight’s one hoof tapped nervously. “Well… what was he doing?” she asked, still in somewhat of a panic.

“Uhm… well… walking,” Spike replied and Twilight was quick to sputter out another question.

“Do you know what he was actually doing? Where he was going?” she asked hastily and Spike shrugged.
“I dunno… he... he was with some mare that was dressed like that character from Dash’s books… Daring Do I think she’s called,” Spike said and Twilight bit her lip.

“Maybe he was kidnaped!” Twilight thought drastically. Both Spike and Lassie groaned. She looked to the two of them. “This could be serious! Evan could be in real danger!” Twilight scorned them and Lassie just chuckled.

“Okay… seriously… calm the hay down. How many times has Evan been in the face of danger and just like… totally was fine,” Lassie said casually. Twilight however, couldn’t help but to worry herself over this. The dog just let out a ‘Ugggh!’ and grabbed her by the hoof and began tugging her towards the door.

“Spike, stay here and… be productive. Come on princess,” Lassie ordered and Twilight looked to the talking canine with wide eyes.

“Wh-where are we going?” Twilight asked stammeringly as she was pulled along.

“Out.”

“Out? Out where? Why?” Twilight asked, unsure and hesitantly.

“Wherever. Today you’re gonna relax and just fuck the dog all day,” Lassie commented and Twilight went wide eyed.

“I’m… I’M GONNA WHAT?!” She gasped in shock and Lassie groaned.

“It’s a metaphor!”

Burdy’s perspective…

It took us a few days, two or three, to reach the base of the mountain. The place was up near the top of Equestria, according to Daring, it was a few miles away from The Crystal Empire. Apparently Twilight’s brother is the prince there or something.

Flim and Flam were gracious… or greedy enough, to offer us a bunch of cool mountain climbing gear. At first I thought it to be cumbersome and heavy… but now, up here where it was a bit nippy… I realized it was fully worth the weight.

I pulled the battle truck to a stop and took a moment to fully realize the adventure I had agreed to partake in. The clouds were so dense, dark and grey that I couldn’t even see the peak of the mountain.

“Why don’t you just fly to the top? You got wings,” I asked and Daring smirked.

“I already explained this a dozen times. I can’t. Up there, the air is so thin that pegasus can’t create enough air pressure beneath them to give them flight. Not even Gryphons can fly up there. Dragons can only ascend it because of their size. Climbing up that mountain to them, is like you or I climbing any ordinary cliff… just uhh… they can’t stay up their long. Oxygen levels aren’t very high up there. Apparently a few dragons have died when they decided to take a nap, never woke up,” she informed me.

“If they were dead, then how'd they tell everypony they were just taking a nap?” I asked and Daring blinked, unsure about how to answer. I let out a deep exhale as I shifted the truck back into drive, also activating the enhanced traction. I still couldn’t believe I was going to do this.

Third person, Ponyville…

Lassie raced across the field after the Frisbee. Twilight was, as always, freaked out and overly anxious about Evan’s disappearance, but just like the last few days, Lassie had been able to occupy her with something that took her mind away from the subject.

Lassie returned with the Frisbee, panting and wagging her tail in an excited way. “Lassie… why is it that dogs like to chase Frisbees and tennis balls so much?” Twilight asked and Lassie was speechless, not sure really why she, or why any other dog for that matter, liked chasing stuff like balls or Frisbees.

“I don’t really know… it’s like… chasing it is an exhilarating… irresistible urge, but once we catch it… it’s like we’ve found inner peace… like it was our meaning in life to catch the ball… then there’s this sense, somewhere deep down inside… saying we should do it again… almost as if it was meant to be… like it was our destiny to give the ball back and fetch it again!” Lassie informed Twilight who merely looked at her with a weirded out look.

“Uhm…” she trailed off. Lassie blinked.

“Does any of that make sense to you?” the canine asked but Twilight shook her head.

“Not-even-a little,” she replied. “That’d be like saying you’ve worked so hard in life to finally reach your goal, but in the end just throw it away to do it again… it’s crazy!” she stated but Lassie shrugged.

“It brings you happiness, and us dogs like making others happy,” she said and Twilight just blinked.

“But I thought… dogs liked playing fetch just because it was fun,” she said and Lassie nodded.

“Maybe you should try fetching the Frisbee!” she replied but Twilight shook her head.

“Uhm… no thanks…”

Burdy’s perspective…
Reaching base camp… or what was left of it, was a synch in Juggernaut. The only downside was that from here on up, I couldn’t take the truck. The awkward terrain and uneven land would prove impossible for the truck to ascend… that also meant I wouldn’t be in the comfort of the truck’s heater and air conditioning.

Even with the heavy gear meant for cold temperatures… it was still chilly out. I slammed the door to the truck, making sure it was all the way closed. I just prayed that when we got back it would still run. Being a diesel, it might not want to readily start in such cold temperatures. Daring noticed my discomfort from the climate. “Get used to it. Apparently it’s colder the higher we go. They say it can get to sixty below at the peak,” she commented.

“Is that what the dead napping dragons say?” I replied in a quipy way. Christ… my breath was like fog. I didn’t bother with the oxygen tanks just yet. I’d start using them around the four thousand meter mark or so… maybe four and a half thousand. Neither of us were experienced climbers… hah! Two inexperienced climbers about to try and ascend to the summit of the most dangerous peak in the world… that’d make headlines.

We looked around the camp. It was almost unnoticeable that somepony had once been here. There was a small wooden hut that had been made, but most of the siding had been ripped down and the structure had crumbled… probably by the constant pounding of the high winds and inhospitable weather.

“Wanna have a look around?” I asked but Daring shook her head.

“Nah… a lot of ponies have already rummaged through this place trying to find any evidence about what happened to Archimedes. Anything you find will probably be useless,” she said.

I looked up the mountain… this would be like going up a roller coaster. Scary as shit going up… then just as terrifying coming down. It looked like an endless abyss… the dark clouds that obscured one’s vision of the peak… it just sent constant shivers down my back… then again, that might’ve just been the cold weather…

Third person, Ponyville…

Lassie giggled as she and Twilight watched the chick flick at the theatre. To still keep her mind off Evan, she had brought her out for a movie. To Twilight, it was great, the drama and such. But to Lassie, it was just goofy and ridiculous.

The movie finally ended with the mare finally getting back at her ex. As the theatre lit up, Lassie and Twilight left, heading out towards Cadence.

“You know… it was weird at first that you could talk… but I never thought you’d be able to drive his truck,” Twilight commented and Lassie just shrugged as the duo hopped into the vehicle.

“It’s easy really…” she turned to the steering wheel. “Isn’t that right baby… cause if you were difficult…” Lassie said in a whiny tone as she stroked and caressed the truck’s steering wheel and column. “Then that’d make you a bitch,” Lassie said in a hushed tone. “But… you’re not, are you?” she asked in a very seductive voice.

She slid the naughty key along and swiped it in the cubby hole, emitting a beep. “Oooh… oh you like that… don’t you?” Lassie asked. Twilight just shook her head and buried her face into her hoof.

Lassie began to buck her hips. “Oh… oh yeah baby… oh I like that too… oh yes… oh… ohh!” Lassie moaned as she ran the glow plugs. “Oh baby… oh… I'm so close...” she turned the ignition for the truck and it rumbled to life. Lassie’s body shuddered as she let out an orgasmic scream. “OH YES! I’M CUMMING!” She screamed and Twilight just groaned.

“I can’t believe both of you do that,” she commented and Lassie slowly came off her orgasmic high, huffing slightly. Twilight flicked on the dome light and inspected the seat cover where Lassie was sitting, noticing a small puddle of slime.

“LASSIE! Were you… really?!” Twilight asked and Lassie just grinned.

“Hey… I was horny, and this truck... I can feel the rumble... running up my leg...” she commented explicitly then looked to her spare paw which she had been using to secretly masturbate with. Pussy juice coated her paw and she sniffed it before promptly licking it clean.

“Eww… Lassie that’s gross,” Twilight complained and the canine simply looked to her and waved her cum infested paw at her.

“Want some. It’s bitterly sweet,” she joked…

Burdy’s perspective…
We had to break out the ice picks and start climbing the wall of ice. It looked like there used to be a free-flowing waterfall here but then it was turned to ice. Maybe this part of the world used to be warm or something? Kinda like back on my world with Pangaea...

It was dangerous, climbing like this. I was already around 250lbs, then with the gear I was wearing, I’d be nearing 300… maybe 325. After just a few hours of journeying up the mountain I had to stop. It was exhausting. It seemed like it was harder to do then it would be on the ground, and I had no idea why. I could easily haul around fifty or seventy five pounds before, but doing it up here just drained me.

Every time I drove the ice pick into the frozen waterfall and used it to pull myself up while I swung my free one, the ice around the point of impact would start to crack and spider web.

I swear… a few times I thought the ice was just going to give out and I would fall to my death. They say not to look down… but I can’t really. The gear is so thick I don’t really have much maneuverability.

I wish we had those ropes, like they did in the movies. The ones where they nailed them into the ice below them then knot the end of the rope to their harness so that if they fell, they’d be caught by the rope. But alas, nopony had thought of it at the time.

We just had some ice picks, oxygen tanks with masks and a ladder to climb across gaps. We also had water an a good supply of food... though it was dehydrated food which tasted really bad.

I felt a little bad for Daring. Being a pegasus, she must’ve felt so cooped up inside her gear. Hell, I was just a human and from time to time I just wanted to rip off my gear… but I know that it wouldn't take long for me to get hypothermia.

Daring continued up above me, just racing along. Christ she was good. I’d never really seen professional climbers, but if I hadn’t known better, I’d have mistaken her for a climber, not an adventurer.

She swung her ice pick into the ice but as she did, the one below gave way. She lost her immediate balance and her hindlegs kicked as she tried to get a grip with her spiked boots. The ice pick and falling debris cluttered down on me.

“EH!” I gasped as I tried to shield my eyes.

She squirmed but as she did, her other ice pick gave way and she fell. My eyes went wide. “DARING!” I yelled. Time seemed to slow. ‘Oh… fuck my life,’ was all I could think. I swung my left ice pick hard into the ice, then kicked both boots hard into the surface, making sure to get a good grip.

She was only a few feet above me, thank goddess, but I knew the combined weight, plus the momentum she’d have built up in that short distance, would not be nice to my shoulder.

As she fell, I grabbed out with my right arm, my most dominant one, and snatch at her backpack. The weight jerked against me and for a moment, I thought my icepick would’ve given way to. Thankfully it didn’t.

My shoulder seared in pain. She wasn’t that heavy, maybe a hundred pounds at tops… but the added weight of her gear made her feel like a full sized human woman, along with the falling momentum.

“UGGGGH!” I groaned in pain, and my body’s immediate instinct was to let go, but I pushed past it and held tight. “Daring!” I gritted my teeth. “Crawl up… onto my back…” I heard the cracking of ice as my icepick’s hold started to give way. “HURRY!” I yelled and she immediately scurried up to my back.

I quickly ascended the last few dozen feet to the edge of the frozen waterfall, and climbed up. “Get me the fuck…” I trailed off, a terrified shiver rattling my body as I scurried away from the side of the waterfall.

I dropped my head back and just looked to the dark sky above us. I had no idea what time it was… no idea what day it was… oh man… fuck this. Daring flopped down beside me. “Thank you… I thought for sure I was dead,” she thanked me and I just rolled my hurting shoulder.

“For the record… we’re not friends… if I saw you face down in a ditch… I’d pull you head out just so you wouldn’t drown,” I said and she gave me a frown.

“Well gee… you’re a cheery one,” she said in an unimpressed way.

“Yeah, well I’m also the one who wrote shit in her book about the guy who saved her life twice.”

She just huffed. “Okay… for the record, I didn’t write the book, I just wrote the script of what happened,” she countered and I just rubbed my shoulder attentively.

I huffed in deep breaths. The air was getting thinner. I pulled off my balaclava and right glove for a moment so I could use the Eagle Eye and figure out how high we were. As I screwed around with the menu options, Daring looked to me.

“I was meaning to ask. When did you lose your eye?” she asked.

“Not long ago,” I replied, not bothering to even look at her.

“How?” she asked, somewhat wonderingly.

“It was frozen,” I muttered, barely even acknowledging that she was speaking. I didn’t really like her all that much.

“Oh hardy har har… seriously, how'd you lose it?” she asked.

I rolled my eye. “No, seriously. It was frozen… four thousand, three hundred meters… we’ll need to make sure to start using our oxygen tanks a little bit more… I think,” I muttered. I was feeling a wee bit queasy, but not enough to make much of a difference.

“Oh… I’m sorry, about your eye,” she said sincerely.

“It was a small sacrifice,” I replied as I slipped my balaclava and glove back on.

“For what?” she asked but I never answered…

Third person…

Spike was out helping Rarity again, and as such, Lassie had conned Twilight into watching a cheap horror movie with her on the television. It was a corny vampire movie from way back near the beginning of movie history.

The audio, along with the video, was pretty poor but still watchable. Lassie giggled and laughed as the vampire flew down, obviously suspended by the noticeable cables. The vampony spread her robe wide. “I… AM DR-“ but Lassie cut in and finished the line.

“DRA-GOO-LETTA!” She laughed in a playfully intimidating voice. The stallion on the screen flailed his hoof to his forehead with a feeble gasp then fainted into her hold. “GAY!” Lassie laughed and Twilight looked at her.

“How is that… gay?” she asked and Lassie looked to her with a quizzical stare.

“What kind of straight stallion would do that?” she asked and Twilight was a little speechless.

The early depiction of Draculetta on screen showed her revealing her fangs. Lassie spoke up, in the perfect mimicking voice. “Now! I shall suck your blood!” The vampony sunk her fangs into the stallion who simply let out a rather flamboyant peep for a scream.

Lassie just squeaked out a laugh. “And what kind of stallion screams like that?” she asked. The scene ended into darkness and Twilight looked to the dog.

“Didn’t you go to see this movie a week or two ago?” she asked and Lassie nodded.

“Yeah, it was the pornographic remake,” she replied and Twilight gasped.

“They showed pornography in the local theater?!” She exclaimed and Lassie just sighed.

“Well… it wasn’t really a porno. It was a remake, but they had lots of really sexy scenes and didn’t even bother to censor it out or anything. Later in the movie, that stallion is actually transformed into a vampony and they become close. Anyway, there’s this part where she’s about to transform another stallion, but instead she quips the line ‘Now I shall suck…’ then she trails off and simply breaks the stallion’s neck, then looks to the vampony stallion and without another word just starts sucking him off, then fucks him and he blows his load in her,” she says and Twilight just blinked and looked away timidly.

“Oh… uhm…” she really was speechless.

“Well, anyway, so in the end of the movie it turns out she cocooned a bunch of their offspring, so even though the main character chick killed Draculetta and her husband, one of the cocoons hatched and it screeched into the screen just as the movie ended so…” she trailed off. “Sexy sequel.”

“I… Don’t think I’d want to see it,” she said, not really wanting to partake in the sexually explicit movie.

Lassie shrugged. “Whatever, it was a great storyline. Not quite as good as the original but the new effects made up for it,” she replied.

“I… I wouldn’t… the-“ but Lassie cut her short.

“You’re shy and timid about seeing cock spurt loads of cum into a pussy on screen?” the canine asked vulgarly, making the alicorn princess blush intensely.

“I-I-ah…” Twilight trailed off and Lassie rolled her eyes.

“Whatever… you’re letting your shyness for other ponies’ sexual activity ruin a perfectly good movie for you…"

Burdy’s perspective…

I had puked earlier this morning… or maybe it was midday… Christ I couldn’t even tell. I didn’t bother looking to my watch. It wouldn’t make a difference anyway.

I was finding it a little difficult to down much of anything, which made it had to keep up my body’s stamina. That dehydrated crap tasted bad anyway, but at least it was full of nutrients and vitamins.

Sleep wasn’t nice either. It was always cold and miserable… and I had to share a tent with Daring, but she wasn’t as keen on the idea either so it was a lose-lose situation which worked out well for the both of us.

Why the hell were the clouds so thick up here anyway? I know that Daring said pegasus couldn’t fly up this high, but it’s not like anywhere else there’s this constant… luminous death cloud that lingers around.

The air was getting thinner and I needed to use the oxygen mask more often than not. Even Daring wore hers quite often.

I had kept the Eagle Eye on so I could keep track of my vitals: heart rate, body temperature… how’d Flim and Flam integrate half this shit anyway? There was even a map option to follow the path we had taken up… it would come in useful for the way back down though.

The two of us set up camp in an open spot. I wanted to build camp under an overhang but Daring opted against it saying that the overhang wasn’t that thick and could collapse on us… maybe she was an experienced climber.

My body, despite being in physical form, was not meant for this. I had this awful headache. It wasn’t like a fever headache either. My head just hurt and throbbed. I was gonna try to get more sleep this time… try to.

We began setting up the tent which wasn’t very big. Flim had stated the smaller the tent the better, something about how the body heat we generated wouldn’t take long to warm us if we had a condensed tent versus a larger one. The lining was also apparently some kinda fabric that insulated our body heat and kept over ninety five percent of it in… goddess, these guys were smarter than a lot of the scientists back home.

“Here I am talking to myself,” I muttered and Daring looked to me.

“Huh?” she asked curiously and I shook my head.

“Just thinking… it’s driving me insane,” I said and Daring nodded. We finally got the tent set up. I dumped my backpack off and just about everything but my heavy undergarment clothing. God my clothing was starting to stink. I hadn’t showered in… a long time.

I also hadn’t shaved before we left so I was starting to grow a beard which was frosting. I zipped up the tent. “Tomorrow… we’re gonna reach the summit… or we’re gonna have to go back down to resupply,” I muttered, rethinking about our supplies.

Oxygen wasn’t a huge issue, but it would be if we didn’t hurry it up. Water was also another thing. We had to start melting snow but it was a somewhat longer process than what I would’ve liked. We were also running short on our food supply.

“And if we can’t… I mean, on our second attempt?” she asked and I just thought about it.

“Let’s not think about it… it’ll make my headache worse,” I said, rubbing my exposed forehead. I unzipped my coat a little and snugged into the big sleeping blanket. I slipped off my socks to make sure my feet got some fresh air.

Daring scooched over and offered me a water bottle. “Here,” she offered and I looked at it with a raised brow.

“That’s not your tent pee bottle is it?” I joked, though due to my exhaustion there wasn’t much expression in my voice.

“No you dunce. It’s water. You need it to keep up your strength,” she said and I rolled over.

“No thanks… I already drank,” I lied. I didn’t want any cold water right now… I just wanted to sleep.

“Hey… freezing to death isn’t the only thing you gotta worry about. You can dehydrate as well and die from thirst.” I paid her no mind but she persisted. I groaned and rolled over.

“If I drink, will you let me sleep?” I asked and she nodded, pushing the large bottle towards me. I unscrewed the cap and took a small sip. I could feel the water trickle down my throat, and even lubricate my dry lips. I only took a little sip though. Last time I drank too much water and got a stomach cramp.

I offered her back the water. “Hey! What was that?! You have to drink at least a liter,” she said and I gave her a glare. “I haven’t seen you drink since this morning, now drink!” she ordered.

I just gave her an emotionless stare, screwed the cap back on and gave it back to her. I just wished I hadn’t come along for this journey… wished I had’ve just gutted up and told Rarity.

Sleep, like always, was hard to get… almost like I had to start it manually, find a way to induce myself into it… but once I found it, it was like heaven…

Third person…

Spike helped Lassie with some dishes, washing them and setting in to the drying rack. “SoooOOOOooo…” Lassie trailed off and Spike looked to her.

“So… what?” he asked.

“So I noticed you spend a lot of time with Rarity,” she teased and Spike’s face went a flush of red.

“Well… I kinda… I kinda like… helping her out. She’s just been robbed! Can you believe that?! Who would rob her?! Why she’s so…” he trailed off then began a list of appraising things he had to say about her.

As Spike went on, Lassie just rolled her eyes. She had seen how that mare treated him. “You forgot aristocrat,” she muttered under her breath. Spike stopped.

“Wha-what? Aristocrat, what’s that?” he asked and Lassie just rolled her eyes.

“Don’t worry about it squirt… just remember, there’s more than one crown jewel in a pile of diamonds,” she commented, hinting towards Sweetiebelle. She had noticed the little filly’s attraction to Spike but also noticed that Spike was a little dense towards it. ‘Maybe Burdy’s density has rubbed off on this kid,’ she thought to herself.

“Huh… I don’t get it,” Spike replied back but Lassie just shrugged.
“Don’t worry about it kid. You have your whole life to live, don’t let it revolve around a single mare if the love is only one way,” she mentioned.

Spike’s face went a deeper hue of red. “Well… well she just hasn’t realized yet… plus I’m a little too young. When I’m older she’ll notice me,” Spike stammered.

Lassie muttered to herself, quiet enough that Spike couldn’t hear her. “Don’t hold your breath.”

Spike then realized something. Lassie knew about his crush on Rarity. “Hey… how’d you find out?!” he gasped, like a colt who had been caught in the act. Lassie rolled her eyes.

“You’re easy to read,” she commented in an un-amused way.

Spike just bit his lip. “Well… can you promise not to tell Rarity?” he pleaded and Lassie just groaned. It wasn’t a well-kept secret that he liked her. Just about everypony in town knew.

“Yeah, sure,” Lassie replied casually.

“I mean like… Pinkie Pie Promise?” Spike asked and Lassie went through the motions, though as she did, soapy water splashed and flicked at Spike. “Ahh! Hey!” He looked at her with a somewhat annoyed look, thinking she had done it purposefully.

“What?” Lassie asked back innocently, seeing what she had done. Spike splashed a bit of water back at her then giggled. Lassie got a coy grin then pawed a bit of water back at his scaly skin, only giggling louder.

Spike paddled his claws, splashing a somewhat constant spray of water at the dog. “Two can play at this game!” Lassie laughed and began to hovel water at the young dragon. Spike grabbed two cups and began shoveling cups of water at the dog.

Lassie reached over and grabbed the sink nozzle and began to hose the young dragon with a never ending torrent of water. “The one with the endless resources will win the battle!” Lassie giggled and they both drenched the kitchen floor in a matter of seconds.

Suddenly the water turned off, the sink itself covered in a purple magical aura. They both looked over to see a somewhat irritated alicorn princess, tapping her front hoof. Spike and Lassie pointed to one another and spoke in unison “HE/SHE DID IT!”

Burdy’s perspective…

I awoke thrashing, grasping for air. It was… just a dream. I found myself light headed and stopped completely, calming myself as quickly as I could. Hooves started stroking my sides. “Hey… woah… calm down… calm down” said an all too familiar voice.

I felt the rubber lining of an oxygen mask come up to my face. Slowly, I started breathing fresh oxygen. Daring continued to coo me. “Relax… relax… it was just a dream… all a dream,” she said in a most soothing voice.

I laid back down and noticed my blanket was shredded… and there was blood. I spoke, though my voice was muffled by the air mask. “Daring, are you okay?!” I gasped and she nodded worriedly.

“I’m not hurt… but I could’ve been if you had’ve gone on for a few more seconds… Celestia, that must’ve been some nightmare,” she mentioned and I nodded. It was about Freeze… and Baltimare.

“I was… dreaming… about when I lost my eye… in Baltimare… against Freeze,” I told her truthfully, forgetting about all the blood that had mysteriously ended up in the tent.

“Seriously?” she asked and I nodded. “Are you feeling okay?” she asked and I gave a shrug.

“Kinda… why?” I asked and she smiled.

“Because you opened up a little to me. Usually you’re kind of brash about things,” she smiled and I just sighed.

“I still don’t like you,” I replied back and she just frowned.

“Okay! Jeeze. I’m sorry I portrayed you to be a psycho. I already offered you half my pay on top of yours, what more do you want?” she asked and I just shrugged. If I never saw her again, and never heard her name… it probably wouldn’t come fast enough.

“Nothing… I just want to get this done and never see you ever again,” I muttered mindlessly. I wasn't thinking straight and my words just came out. Her face just… it almost wasn’t describable. It was like a light shut off. Everything happy in her emotion just died.

I felt dehydrated and went for some water. Unlike most other times, Daring didn’t go to help me out, just sat there, looking aimlessly. I chugged back some water and laid back down, falling asleep almost too quickly…

Third person…

Lassie and Twilight cruised around in Cadence. Spike had left earlier that day with Sweetiebelle. Lassie wore a plaid shirt and Evan’s ball cap hat that she had found in the glove box. On the broadside of the hat there was a blue oval that read ‘Ford’. There was also a caption above it say ‘Built’ and below it ‘Tough’.

“I really hope Spike lets go of Rarity and falls for her sister,” Lassie said out of the blue as she drove. Twilight looked to her and blinked.

“What makes you say that? Maybe his heart is set on Rarity, forever,” she mentioned and Lassie looked over to her.

“Wasn’t it you that said it’ll probably never happen?” she asked and Twilight just bit her lip.

“Well… sometimes fate has other things in mind,” she said with a small smile, thinking about Evan. Lassie looked out the window and to the scenery as she slowly puttered along with the windows down.

“Oh… what makes you say that? They’re way off in age, the love is only one way and they’re a different species,” she commented and Twilight looked back to her.

“So? How’s that really all that different from Sweetiebelle’s perspective? Sure they’re kinda close to the same age, but the love is only one way and they’re still a different species,” Twilight commented and Lassie just twitched her lip in thought.

“It’s just… that if Spike realized, it could be something. That twat Rarity-“ Twilight cut her short.

“Rarity is not a… genital,” she said, not wanting to partake in swearing.

Lassie just sighed. “Okay, yeah… sorry, but seriously. She obviously knows, but she uses that to her own personal gain, and in return gives him virtually nothing.” Twilight just sighed. “I mean, she’s the element of generosity but seriously… if that’s what’s considered generosity, I should be the element bearer.”

Twilight just rose a brow. “Oh… you think you’re generous?” she asked and Lassie nodded.

“Yeah. I’m taking time outta my life to make sure you stop moping about Evan being gone. It’s hard you know, trying to think up all these ways to keep you occupied,” she said then bit her lip. He had been gone for a while now. Two weeks, give or take.

Twilight said nothing and began pondering the thought, about how Spike had seen him with another mare just before he disappeared. “You don’t think he-“ but Lassie cut her short, already knowing full well what she was thinking.

“Nope, not even a chance,” she said and Twilight blinked. Lassie spoke her full opinion.

“That man is absolutely, one hundred percent, utterly retarded when it comes to mares. I mean… a mare could brush up against him and say ‘Take me to a place I’ve never been’ and the dunce’d probably launch her into orbit,” Lassie commented and Twilight just giggled.

Lassie continued her rant. “I bet if a mare said she was in the mood to be stuffed by his big fat sausage, he’d somehow procure a fat sausage and stuff it down her throat… the idiot,” she muttered, again getting a slight giggle out of Twilight.

“I bet… if a mare spread her legs and was like ‘I'm really in the mood for your penis,’ he’d be like ‘durr’ then put a fish disguise on and put a giant carrot on her head and be like ‘Oh wait… no, this doesn’t make any sense’.” Twilight couldn’t help but to laugh, mostly from knowing full well the man she loved was as dense as they came, but she loved him all the same.

“Yeah… he’s not the brightest, but that’s also a benefit. I’ll never really have to worry about him cheating on me,” she said and Lassie rose a brow.

“You were worrying just a second ago,” she said and Twilight nodded.

“I just… I just needed to hear it from somepony else. He’s been gone so long,” she mentioned and Lassie nodded.

“I know. He has to hurry his ass up or he’ll be late for the school picnic,” she said and Twilight looked over. “There’s a school picnic he’s going to, Cheerilee invited him. He helps the class from time to time.”

Twilight nodded and Lassie looked to the instrument panel. “Shit… I’m gonna need to fill this girl up… Mmm… oh yeah, I’m gonna fill you up baby,” she said in a sexual tone as she began rocking her hips. Twilight just rolled her eyes. “What?” Lassie asked, taking notice.

“You’re just so… Lassie. There’s no other way of explaining it. You’re one of a kind,” she said and the dog nodded.

“Eeyup, they only made one like me,” she smiled. As they puttered along, Lassie got a little… antsy. “So… what’s his cock like?” she asked and Twilight gasped.

“Wha-what?!”

“What… is… his… cock like?” Lassie asked, very slowly and bluntly.

“I-I-I… I’m not gonna answer that,” Twilight sputtered and Lassie just huffed.

“Ohhhhh… come-on! Please?!” Lassie pleaded but Twilight shook her head.

“No… a good mare doesn’t kiss and tell,” Twilight replied and Lassie gave her a pouty face. As she neglected to watch the path, she began swerving the vehicle. “Hey!... HEY WATCH WHERE YOU’RE DRIVING!” Twilight gasped but Lassie shook her head.

“Not until you tell me,” she said and Twilight gasped.

“OKAY, IT WAS GOOD!” She yelped, fearing for the safety of herself. Lassie resumed driving safely.

“Just good or?...” she trailed off.

“Fine… it was fine,” Twilight gasped, her heart still pounding. Despite being a decent driver, when Lassie became intrigued by something else other than driving, she was all over the trail, barely dodging nearby trees on the edge of the path. Squirrels and other rodents were a fine distraction, not just the talk of sex.

“Just fine or?...” she trailed off again.

“I don’t know. It was good. What do you want me to say?” she asked and Lassie rolled her eyes.

“Details, details. What was it like having something inside your pussy for the first time? What was it like being unified with him? What did it feel like when he came inside you?” Lassie asked, trying to dig up everything.

“Why do you want to know?” Twilight asked and Lassie pouted out in embarrassment.

“BECAUSE I’M A VIRGIN!” She cried in a Rarity-like voice of despair. Twilight just blinked in surprise.

“You’re… you’re a virgin?” she asked in disbelief and Lassie nodded somewhat shamefully.

“Is it any surprise?” she asked, still fake sobbing like Rarity would.

“Uhm… yeah. With how much you talk about it and how much you seem to know… I just thought that-“ but Lassie cut her short.

“No stallion in town is going to fuck a dog, a talking dog no less. Burdy… well, I don’t really think he’s all that cute or anything. I don’t want any old mutt banging me either… stupid mangy old things,” she commented and Twilight was taken aback by her comment.

“Stupid… mangy old things?” she asked, wondering why Lassie would speak of her own species in such a way.

“Have you ever noticed the hobo dogs that drift just outside of town? The ones that pant every time I walk past? I swear it’s almost a bad thing that Evan pampers me in such a way. To those mangy homeless dogs I’m like a goddess,” she said and Twilight took a moment to piece it together.

“You mean the… the Diamond Dogs?” she asked and Lassie shrugged.

“Yeah… goons,” she commented and Twilight rolled her eyes.

“Why in Equestria if you don’t like them ogling you, do you venture that far away from town?” Twilight asked.

“Because sometimes it’s nice to hear someone comment your body… rather than have everypony in town give you weirded out looks just because you can talk,” she mentioned. Twilight was unsure about how to take the information. Lassie looked to her again. “So please… kiss and tell. I wanna know how it was,” Lassie said and Twilight just bit her lip.

“I promised not to tell,” she commented and Lassie just sighed.

“Whatever… mental images tell a thousand words,” she muttered and Twilight looked to her with wide eyes.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” she asked in a somewhat shocked voice.

“I… kinda watched your first time together,” Lassie giggled and Twilight took in a deep inhale.

“You… you didn’t… you did… you did, didn’t you?!” the princess interrogated and Lassie smiled smugly.

“Guilty!... as charged.” The dog drove the rumbling truck far from town. After searching around, she finally found the old warehouse Evan spoke about. She drove up to the fuel pumps and shut off the truck before stepping out.

Looking back in through the opened window, she gave Twilight a wink. “It was pretty damn sexy,” she teased, only making Twilight’s cheeks flush red. Lassie puttered around the fuel pumps, inspecting each one.

“He said… it’s a diesel truck… which one is diesel?” she asked herself, looking at the faded out signs of the pumps. She bit her lips and thought to herself. Bringing up one of her paw digits, she licked the pad on the bottom then smudged away the dust over the readouts.

In worn out letters, one of the readouts was labelled ‘D2 diesel’. Lassie smiled. “Lucky Burdy. Amazing they have the same fuel as back on his world…” she trailed off and looked to his truck. “Too bad they don’t manufacture vehicles like this around here… carriages suck,” she muttered to herself then began to wonder why: if there was fuel for these sorts of things, why not have vehicles?

She looked over to a little booth and flicked the little tab attached to the trigger that kept the pump automatically running until the tank was full. She wandered into the booth where she found some old dusty papers and booklets. She skimmed through them briefly. Most fuel designated ‘Diesel’ was used in locomotive trains, but not as often due to the environmental impact, and as such, most of the time the trains were pulled by ponies unless long distances were required. There was also the old steam engine trains which were just as devastating to the environment as the diesel locomotives.

She continued to skip through and found a part about how some generators and kerosene lamps could actually run on diesel. “Well… lucky Burdy. He’s got fuel for his truck in a completely different world,” Lassie muttered to herself as she tossed away the papers and walked back out.

The rear tank had been filled and the automatic pump had been flicked off. She wondered to herself just how somepony conjured up that idea. She began to pump the front tank then giggled to herself. “Oh yeah baby… you like it when I fill you up?” she asked in an explicit tone as she thrusted her hips.

“You like it when I pump you with my liquids… ohh yeah baby… take it, take it all,” Lassie giggled, not fully paying attention to her surroundings. Suddenly the pump flicked off. Lassie was stunned and began pulling on the nozzle trigger but nothing would come out. There wasn’t even any pressure.

“Huh… hey what…” she trailed off as she looked around, spotting rodents of unusual size. “UGH! UH!” Lassie gasped, noticing that the two giant rats were standing on their hindlegs.

“Hello, Canidae oh-six-seven,” the first rat stated and Lassie just looked at them with wide eyes.

“How have you been?” the second rat added in. Lassie just blinked, not understanding what was happening.

“Uhm… wha… I uhm… who are you guys?” she asked.

The first rat started. “I am Muridae Rattus nine-oh-seven.”

The second rat added in. “And I am Muridae Rattus nine-oh-eight.” Lassie just blinked and looked at the two abnormally sized rats that walked almost like Burdy, or even a Diamond Dog.

There was a brief pause then Lassie spoke. “Are you guys… on drugs?” she asked but the first rat just laughed heartily.

“No… no,” he chuckled out his response. “We’re simply here to check up on you, see how you’re doing with your mission,” they said and Lassie just blinked.

“Uhm…” Lassie trailed off just as Twilight stepped out of the truck, having been occupied with the owner’s manual for the truck and not noticed the occurrence until now.

“Lassie!... What… what’s going on?” she asked hesitantly, having never seen giant rodents like that before.

“Twilight, get in the truck,” Lassie ordered, slightly worried.

“But I-“ but Lassie cut her short.

“Just get in the truck honey,” the canine ordered again. The first rat rose a brow.

“Honey… oooh hoo… Canidae oh-six-seven, you dog… snagged a princess,” it laughed and Lassie looked back to them.

“My name is Lassie,” she said and the rat just looked to her.

“What kind of name is Lassie, oh-six-seven?” it asked and Lassie looked him dead in the eyes.

“The name my friend gave me,” she said sternly. The rat closed his eyes with a sigh of disgrace.

“Ugghh… Canines… always becoming domesticated pets,” he spat and Lassie blinked. “You’re gonna have to come with us, have a talk with the boss,” he ordered he but Lassie shook her head.

“Uhm… no, actually, I’m not done here,” she said, going for the pump switch.

The rat stepped in her way, puffing out his chest a little. “Actually, I think you are,” the rat said with the most intimidating voice he could muster. Lassie just sighed.

“Well… whatever you’re thinking, rethink it,” she said. The first rat laughed again.

"Rethink it," he chuckled to himself then looked back to the other. "She says I should rethink it," he laughed with a smug smile. Lassie went for the pump switch. The rat got aggressive once more.

“Don’t you dare touch that pump,” he snarled. Lassie stepped back cautiously. After a moment, she stood to her hindlegs then slowly reached her arm up over the pump and to the switch, then flicked it on. Still standing on her hindlegs, she resumed filling the truck.

The first rat laughed, which was followed by the second rat chiming in. He chuckled quietly to himself. “You fucked up… oh you done and fucked up,” he laughed quietly then got close to Lassie and whispered to her ear.

“Why don’t I take you around back and kick your fuckin’ ass up over your shoulders?” he hissed before grabbing for the pump nozzle. Lassie whipped back and jabbed the nozzle at his gut.

He was winded from the blow and staggered back slightly. Grabbing his head with her left paw, she drove the side of his head into the edge of the fuel pump monitor. He dropped like a sack of potatoes. Lassie snugged her ball cap tightly to her head but the second rat rushed in and took a heavy swing at Lassie.

She arched her body back and dodged the first swing, then drove a quick one-two punch into the rat’s guts. He staggered a bit then took another heavy swing with his left. Lassie ducked her head to the right, letting the rat’s tiny fist swing past her face.
She grabbed his wrist with her left paw then swung an upwards palm strike into his elbow. The rat staggered back in slight pain, grasping his busted elbow. Lassie wasn’t one to let him get his guard up and drove a nasty kick straight to his groin. Before he could double over however, Lassie grabbed his head with her right paw and slammed his head into Cadence’s box.

As his head whiplashed, Lassie kicked at his feet and tripped him, his body landing with an audible ‘THUD!’

The first rat was up and at it again. He grabbed Lassie by her shoulders. The canine whipped around, her right arm swinging up high and around. She came face to face with him and hooked her right arm under his left elbow then tugged up, putting him into a pressure point move.

He grunted, barely able to move as he tried to alleviate the pain by arching his body up more but Lassie kept the pressure on him. He grunted but Lassie just drove her forehead into his and released her grip on him, letting him fall back to the ground again.

She turned around, hearing shuffling behind her. The second rat was staggering to his feet. She had to admit, they were determined. She cocked the right side of her body back then jumped forwards and through the air, then delivering a nasty roundhouse kick to his temple, knocking him clean out. Lassie fell to the ground and stumbled about, uncoordinated after her kick.

The first rat staggered to his feet, barely able to move but he now had the drop on Lassie. Just as he went to kick at Lassie’s head however, a magical blast soared out from the open window of the truck and slammed the rat in the side, smashing him into the pump and finally knocking him out.

Lassie stopped and took a deep breath, stood up then pulled the ball cap hat tightly to her head. She didn’t bother filling the front tank. She turned off the pump and hung up the nozzle before turning to the truck. She quickly tightened the fuel cap and shut the fuel door on the truck before hopping into the vehicle and leaving.

Twilight looked to Lassie. “What was all that about?” she asked and Lassie just shrugged.

“I don’t know,” she said, heart pounding. She truthfully had no idea what they wanted. Twilight was breathing heavily, but Lassie kept herself well under control.

“I was really scared back there, I didn’t know what they were going to do,” she said. Lassie looked to her.

“Aren’t you a powerful alicorn goddess?” she asked and Twilight looked away bashfully. “So even if they knocked me out couldn’t you have like… restrained them with your magic?” she asked and Twilight nodded.

“Yes, but it all happened so fast, under a few seconds… weren’t you scared?” she asked and Lassie didn’t answer for a moment.

“Well… there’s nothing wrong with being afraid right? Makes you remember that you’re still alive,” she said.

Twilight nodded. “You didn’t look scared,” she said and Lassie just nodded.

“Lots of practice,” she joked then gave Twilight an playful punch to the shoulder. Twilight looked to her.

“Maybe you could teach me, then I won’t feel like such a damsel in distress,” she said and Lassie just laughed.

“Oh hardly. I’ve heard about your heroic tales. Fighting Nightmare Moon, taking on Discord… you could’ve handled those blokes easy,” Lassie assured her and Twilight smiled.

“You think so?” she asked and Lassie nodded. “So then why’d you ask me to get back in the truck?”

“So that you wouldn’t get hurt. I know you can handle your own but I still need to protect you as best I can. And protecting you isn’t letting you get involved in a heated fight,” she said and Twilight frowned.

“Just because I’m a princess-“ but Lassie cut her short.

“It’s got nothing to do with you being a princess. It’s got something to do with you being my friend’s… mom slash fillyfriend slash… I don’t even know what to call you two,” she replied. Twilight smiled.

“Thank you Lassie…”

Burdy’s perspective…

I felt a little cold… like it was drafty. There was a hoof shaking me. “Psst… hey… psst, Burdy,” Daring whispered.

I awoke , light headed as always but came to my full senses as I realized we were surrounded by a dozen ponies. I couldn’t tell if they were stallions or mares due to the heavy clothing, but they had cut down our tent and were pointing spears and swords at us.

They dragged us out of our sleeping bags. Goddess, holy shit it was fucking cold. All I had was my undergarments which did close to piss all to keep me warm. It must’ve been pretty decent weather though, metaphorically speaking, maybe only -20 degrees Celsius. Daring was lucky, at least she had fur.

I was shivering, my feet wear itchy and painfully cold, being bare since I didn’t have my socks on when they dragged me out. Memories of the winter when I was four or five years old resurfaced.

My Uncle Corey offered to take me out on a snowmobile ride around our property up in Canada, where at the time it was nearly twenty below. In my haste, I put on all my snowmobiling gear… except I didn’t wear any socks or proper boots. The only thing that covered my feet during that twenty minute snowmobile ride was a simple pair of thin rubber boots… needless to say I almost lost my toes.

They sat me down on my knees and one stallion removed his mask. “Hello Daring,” he greeted but Daring just curled her lips at him. “Oh… why the hostility?” he asked defensively, almost as if he was doing nothing wrong.

One stallion came up and slapped a pair of flimsy looking hoofcuffs around my wirsts. I could still see my breath as I sat on my knees shivering. The stallion, whom I presumed to be the leader, looked to me. “Ahh… Daring, I thought you worked alone?” he began to tease. “So what gives with the hairless ape?” he insulted. I looked at him.

“Are you Rufus’s guys?” I asked, remembering what Daring had said about some crony that was her arch rival.

“Who?” he asked then looked to Daring who just said nothing. “Well, I’ve never heard of this Rufus fellow, but I can assure you I don’t work with him.”

I blinked. “Then who?” I asked.

“Ahuizotl,” he stated and Daring gasped. He looked to her with a grin. “Yes Daring. He’s alive, even after that little stunt you pulled back in Gryphonia,” he chuckled.

I had no idea who that was… and I kinda forgot how to pronounce his name. “Who’s asshole?” I asked but one of the ponies bucked me in the gut. I let out a sharp exhale as my wind left me.

“Have some respect you undignified creature!” the stallion, judging by his voice, yelled. I groaned as I regained my posture. If I didn’t get some clothes soon, I’d die of frostbite or hypothermia.

“Careful buddy, I’m valuable goods,” I joked and he again bucked me in the gut.

“Damaged goods,” he punned. I looked around. It was perfect. They all had their guards’ down. They not only outnumbered us, but had weapons while we didn’t, so they had this perceived disposition that they couldn’t be harmed the way things were. What they didn’t know was that the mind was the most powerful weapon of all. The ability to improvise on the spot... and right now I was improvising, while they had their guards' down.

The stallion stood back in attention, his back to me. I hopped up and tackled him to the ground while wrapping my hoofcuff chain across the front of his neck. He hacked violently just as I put my knees into the center of his back and pulled up with my arms, snapping his neck.

The others all looked to me with shocked looks as I made a dash for a nearby wall formation of ice. The leader pointed to one of his cronies. “Get him. Dead or alive, doesn’t matter!” he yelled then pointed to Daring. “Restrain her, make sure she can’t break free!” he yelled.

I rushed around the side of formation but stopped in my tracks as I found myself at the edge of the icy cliff. I effortlessly snapped the flimsy chain that held the hoofcuff shackles together. The metal was probably made in this world's equivalent of China. I looked down the face of the mountain If I was going down, I was going down fighting.

“Hey, psst!” called a familiar voice from behind me and I turned to see Derreck.
Bone claws were extended out of his knuckles, like Wolverine. But unlike the comic depictions, vast amounts of blood leaked down his forearms from the wounds that allowed the protruding claws to come out. “Oh my god that is sooo cool!” I exclaimed but he rolled his eyes.

“They hurt more than they’re worth. Come on, hop on my back!” he ordered as he turned around. I did as he asked and he immediately drove his claws into the wall of ice and began climbing upwards.

He stopped some twenty feet up and stayed still. A single stallion rushed out but stopped in shock as he didn’t see us. He cautiously leaned towards the edge of the cliff and looked down. He took sharp raspy inhales as he felt the illusion of height wanting to pull him off the side of the cliff.

Little flakes of chipped ice from where Derreck’s claws had cut in, crumbled down and past the stallion. I thought for sure he’d see us. Instead however, the falling ice terrified him and he scrambled back from the edge. “Ugh… must’ve jumped,” he muttered to himself.

Third person…

The leader got right up to Daring’s face. “Listen sweet cheeks… why not help us get the horn, join forces with Ahuizotl?” he tried to bargain. “Whatever the museum is paying, he’ll pay double,” he offered and she scoffed.

“Double a million?” she lied and the stallion bit his lip. “I didn’t think so.” The stallion scowled. Ahuizotl wanted her alive so he could execute her in some ridiculous fashion, like a snake pit. But every time they brought her back, she always escaped from those ridiculous executions.

“Oh… my dearest Daring… how I’d like to just… toss you off the edge of this cliff,” he said in a very calm tone and she smirked.

“How romantic, it’s a date then,” she punned. The stallion just smirked and went to backhoof her but a voice interrupted him.

“Sir, the ape… there’s no sign of him,” he interrupted…

Burdy’s perspective,

Moments earlier…

We waited for the stallion to leave before Derreck descended back to the flat surface. “Race you to the top,” Derreck said as he dropped me off then began to climb.

“Hey wait what? I still have to get my stuff!” I scowled and he just smirked.

“You got proper equipment. I just got bone claws that hurt to use. Last one up has to buy dinner,” he challenged competitively. For whatever reason… I just felt refreshed… alive… and ready to beat him at this challenge.

I snuck around to the side of the ice wall and peaked around the side. The lead stallion was interrogating Daring, though not physically. I could just leave her here… stupid twat… but something down inside wouldn’t let me.

I slowly and discretely snuck around and back to our trashed camp site. The ponies were all occupied with watching the leader interrogate Daring. I snuck around and grabbed an ice pick from my gear.

The stallion who had went out looking for me slowly returned. “Sir, the ape… there’s no sign of him,” he stated. I rushed up, already in the process of taking a heavy underhanded swing.

“HERE’S A SIGN!” I yelled and swung the pick right into his groin. He gasped, doubling over as blood began pouring from the wound. I yanked the pick out as another pony rushed at me. I slashed wide, slicing it across his throat. The pony's jugular sliced open and spewed blood, soiling the previously fresh snow.

With the group distracted, Daring hopped up and strangled the leader into unconsciousness with her hoofcuffs in a similar way I had done, except not as extreme.

Another pony rushed at me and I gave another slash, slicing open his throat as well. A pony rushed me from behind but was met with the bucking hooves of Daring Do, which sent him careening in another direction.

I jabbed the butt of the handle into a pony’s snout, sending him staggering. I leaned back and delivered a kick with my bare foot which sent him tumbling back. I looked back and saw Daring clack two stallions’ heads together, knocking them both out.

I turned to see a stallion charging me from the side. I swung the pick up high and drove it straight into his skull. There was a bone shattering crack that sounded but now my pick was lodged into his skull pretty good.

Daring clipped another pony with a powerful buck that knocked him away. I swung a backhand into a pony that slapped him/her away but as I did, a pony jumped on my back and tried to strangle me with a wire.

I grabbed at the wire to keep it from digging into my skin but the pony had a decent build on him. I slipped a little and fell to the ground but the pony persisted. Suddenly there was a sharp jerk and the pony was knocked off me.

I looked to see Daring, her hindlegs just coming down from her buck kick. I rolled onto my back.

A stallion who had been knocked down earlier rushed at us and jumped at me while I was still lying down. I gave a double footed kick to his chest, booting him off the edge of the cliff. He fell with an iconic scream that made me chuckle slightly.

The brief fight had warmed my body up and I was sweating a bit. I’d need to get my gear on before I started to cool down. Daring went to speak but I interrupted her. “Quick, get you’re gear on, we gotta beat Derreck to the top of the mountain,” I said in haste and she blinked.

“Who?” she asked and I repeated myself. “Is he one of Ahuizotl’s guys?” she asked and I quickly thought about it. The challenge… leaving me alone to rescue Daring… Derreck had probably knew this outcome would happen. I nodded in a lie.

We quickly rushed over to our gear and grabbed what we needed. I dried off my feet before slipping on my somewhat dry socks. My gear was cold but I’d soon warm it up. I turned to Daring. “Thanks for saving me back there… the stallion with the wire… he uhm… yeah,” I thanked her and she nodded.

“So… does this mean you don’t hate me anymore?” she asked but I shook my head.

“Nope, not even close,” I said as I slipped on my gear. She just let out a sigh and we quickly began our final ascent. What I thought might’ve been decent weather, turned into a shit-show rather quickly.

My Eagle Eye read we were 7500m above sea-level. It also read the temperatures were getting to thirty five below. Jesus, that was a helluva drop in temperature… but then again, we might’ve just been sheltered from the temperature due to where we were. Now we were not only fighting the base temperature, but the wind-chill as well.

We scrambled as fast and as safely as we could. We reached 8000m and stopped briefly for a drink. Daring looked to me. “Listen… I know I kinda wronged you but-“ I cut her short.

“Kinda is under-exaggerating it,” I commented and she sighed.

“Listen… we’re a team. And a team has to work together if they’re gonna finish an adventure alive,” she said and I looked to her.

“I think we’re doing alright,” I said and she sighed.

“Not really. I think you’re coming down with altitude sickness… we’ve both nearly died numerous times. I know you hate me and… I don’t really blame you, but can you at least show a little cooperation?” she pleaded.

“Well… cooperation… is my middle name,” I joked and she rolled her eyes. “Well… actually it’s Jayde Cherokee but…” she just giggled a little.

“Listen… I know I say it again and again but… I’m sorry, I really am,” she apologized but I just scratched the back of my neck. “I… I don’t like working with others… I’m kind of brash about it… but… thank you for coming along, even after what happened… it means a lot to me,” she said and I nodded.

“Yeah just… don’t mention it. Seriously. If you write about this shit and portray me as a psycho ape, I’ll hunt you down,” I said and Daring went a little wide-eyed. She nodded and we quickly continued our ascent. At this point we were using our air masks non-stop. The air was too thin up here for me to not use it.

As we started up a steep incline, I slipped a little and lost my footing. Daring swung her ice pick at me and I flinched. I waited moment then opened my eyes. She had, with tack-driving accuracy, drove her ice pick through some of my gear without hitting my body and nailed me to the ice, without injury.

I looked up to her and she gave me a wink. “Hey!... what if you had’ve hit me?” I gasped and she smirked.

“Would you rather me unhook you and let you fall?” she joked and I just grunted and snagged my own ice picks into the ice. Daring pulled hers free and let me go. I looked up to her. “Thanks,” I called out but she didn’t answer.

We continued up, and up… and up. Goddess it felt like it would never end. The clouds really hindered my view. It was like a dark fog. Suddenly however, without warning, the fog ended and the peak plateau was within a few dozen meters. We scrambled up to reach the peak.

Daring got there first and reached her hoof down to me and offered some help. I looked at her. I still kinda didn’t like her. She motioned with her hoof. “Come on… let me help you,” she offered. I hooked my ice pick to my gear then used my free hand and took her offer.

We both stood up and looked out to the horizon. The black clouds were opaque and we couldn’t see through them. The rising sun horizon looked beautiful. It cast a morning haze over top the plateau of clouds and even though it was fricken cold as an icebox… I felt this warmth inside me.

I remembered something and reached into my packsack, retrieving the small single lens camera Flim had given me. The brothers had wanted us to take a photo of the peak, so that they could sell it off.

“Hey Daring, say freeze,” I punned and snapped a picture of her before she was ready.

She looked at me. “Hey! Get rid of that. Nopony can know I exis-“ but I cut her off.

“Chill out. Nopony is gonna know it’s you beneath all that gear,” I chuckled. I took my mask off for just a brief moment and took a breath. It was so thin.

Daring snatched my camera and snagged a photo of me without my mask on. I brought up the Eagle Eye menu. Just a few meters over ten thousand. I slipped the mask back on. Daring handed me the camera back but I scoped her up to her hindlegs and snapped a picture of both of us.

I looked through the camera lens began snapping pictures. In an instant, I saw what we were after. “Is… that it?” I asked, already knowing full well the answer. On the middle of this little peak, was two tiny skeletal dragons, holding up a pedestal. On the pedestal was a perfectly preserved, untouched horn.

Literally, it was a horn, like a musical instrument. But not like a modern horn. More like the old war horns used by Vikings. I blinked and slowly approached it. “So this thing… is worth two hundred large to the museum?” I asked and she nodded.

Derreck squirmed up the edge of the plateau. “Ha-ha… aww dammit!” he yelled with a scowl. I looked to him and laughed.

“Looks like you’re buying dinner,” I joked and Daring looked to me with a weird stare.

“Why am I-“ but I cut her off.

“No, I wasn’t talking about you,” I told her. Derreck moseyed up beside us.

“Hot damn… so that’s what you guys have been after?” he asked and I nodded, though Daring didn’t even acknowledge him. She slowly pulled out a bag for it and gently set it inside.

I spoke out. “Think a giant boulder is gonna chase us?” I punned and she gave me a curious look. “Nothing,” I assured her and she quickly set the bag into her saddle bags. Derreck looked out.

“Man… sure is beautiful out here, get a picture of that, would yah,” he told me. I did as he asked and snapped off more photos of the scenery, along with Daring and myself and even one of the Dragon Horn.

With that taken care of, we decided not to overstay our visit, and quickly began back down the mountain. This time, rather than abandon me, Derreck stayed with us. We weren’t in too much of a rush but at the same time we were.

“Oh man… I can’t wait to get back home,” I said aloud, so that Daring could hear me. “First thing I’m gonna do is take a nice long, steamy hot bubble bath… then I’m gonna go out and get some fine lasagna with my mom and dog. My dog's name is Lassie, and she absolutely loves lasagna.” Daring didn’t say anything.

“So how bout you? Whatta you gonna do when you get back?” I asked in an upbeat tone.

There was a long pause as we continued down. Finally, after a few minutes, she answered. “Probably go on another adventure,” she stated. I joked around with her.

“Yeah, well just leave me out of it,” I laughed and she nodded.

“I know… you said you never wanted to see me ever again, and I’ll respect that,” she said and my heart sank a little.

“Well… I was just kinda joking around,” I told her, slightly apologetic in my tone. She didn’t say anything however and I felt a little bad. I had told her I never wanted to see her again when I was a little messed up in the head and didn’t fully mean that… or... well I had meant it but now I had changed my mind. Goddess I was getting soft.

We kept going down, quicker than we had gone up. Other than the gustering wind and rattling of our gear, there was total silence. We didn’t speak a word to one another.

Daring swung her ice pick into the ice but as she did, her footing gave way and she slipped. “DARING!” I yelled and reached down to her but she was far out of my reach. My own ice pick gave way and I fell as well.

Derreck leapt after me. “BURDY!” He yelled. The fall was pretty brutal. I skipped and tumbled along the side of the slanted mountain and after a few dozen feet of falling, we all crashed into a flat surface.

Daring yelped in pain while I yelled out, but Derreck just grimaced silently. “Ohhmguhm…” I cried out as I grabbed at my side. I think I just broke a rib. My leg jerked as I squirmed in pain, trying to hug my side which just made it worse.

Daring was weeping. I looked over to her. “Dar… Daring,” I whispered and began to crawl over. She didn’t say much as she tried to sit up but just fell over with a yelp of pain. “Daring!” I gasped as I got on my hands and knees and scurried to her side.

“It’s broken… gah! It’s broken!” she whined in pain.

“What’s broken? What’s broken?!” I gasped and she pointed to her leg.

“My leg… I think it’s a fracture…” she bit her lip, still whimpering in pain. My eyes went wide.

“Okay… okay I’ll just… I’ll just carry… ack!” I groaned as my chest ached in pain. She looked at me.

“No… no you can’t… you’ve busted something too, haven’t you?” she asked and I nodded.

“A rib… I think, it'll be fine though” I replied but as I tried to heave her up I involuntarily flinched and grabbed at my sides again. She just whimpered in pain.

“Oh goddess… oh goddess, I’m so sorry,” she began to cry.

“Daring, buck up! This isn’t you! You’re a brave adventurer. You always find a way,” I said but she just shook her head.

“You can’t carry me. You’ve got a busted rib and you’ll start to run out of oxygen and get pneumonia. Besides, you wouldn’t be able to carry me very well without some ropes to carry me on your back… we don’t have any ropes,” she said and I bit my lip as I yanked off my mask.

“No… NO GODDESS DAMMIT!” I yelled, tears beginning to flow from my eyes. “There… there has to be something… somehow,” I said but she shook her head.

“Think about it…” she trailed off and pulled off her own mask. “We’re both running low on oxygen, and you’ll just kill yourself trying to bring me down. Besides, you said yourself you never wanted to see me again… this’ll be a good way to make sure that happens,” she said but I yelled at her in response.

“Shut up Daring! I didn’t mean it! I'm a fuck up and say things I don't mean to! What the fuck is wrong with you?! This isn’t you? You don’t give up! You’d never let yourself just… die! Think of something,” I said but she shook her head.

I tried to pick her up but we both ended up yelping in pain. “Please… ahh… don’t,” she said in a hushed tone. I flumped my hands into the snow.

“No… no this can’t happen… it’s… it’s a dream right?” I pleaded. She just lay there, huffing to herself in pain.

“No… listen… I’m sorry-“ but I cut her short.

“Not now Daring, think of something!” I said furiously as I ran through all the options we had while stroking my hands through my hair in a fluster. She pulled off her glove and rested her hoof against my bare face.

“I’m sorry… about what I did. I’m sorry about dragging you along on this… but I won’t let you kill yourself in some hopeless attempt to save me,” she said but I shook my head. “No, seriously, listen to me!” she shouted. I stopped and she looked me dead in the eyes.

I looked to Derreck, maybe he could lift her?

My heart sank further as I noticed his left arm cradled. Shit!

Daring tugged my face so we were eye to eye. “Listen… I have nothing to live for. I just go adventure to adventure. I have no family… no friends… you said yourself. You have something to live for. A mother and dog to go back to, ponies who love you,” she said and I bit my lip.

“You’ve got parents too!” I yelled but she shook her head.

“They passed away when I was young. I was brought up by my mentor, Mrs. Applenathy,” my eyes went wide.

“Well she surely loves you!” I shouted but she nodded then just shook her head.

“Of course she does, but she also knows the dangers of the trade,” she stated. I bit my lip. Sure… I hated her… didn’t like her… she wasn’t all that bad… nopony deserves this kind of fate.

“I’ll make it down with you, or I’ll die trying!” I told her sternly but she shook her head and held her hoof firmly against me, holding me back.

“Don’t. I won’t drag you down with me. I’ve already done enough,” she said then smiled. “I know you don’t have fond memories of me so… please, for me, don’t remember me,” she said and Derreck rested his hand on my shoulder.

“I can’t…” I trailed off. “I can’t just let a pony die while knowing that I could’ve done something,” I said and Daring just sighed.
“There’s nothing you can do, nothing I can do… right now there’s nothing anypony can do. I knew that one day I’d die, but whether it be today, tomorrow or when I’m eighty… I never let it faze me,” she tried to offer some assurance but it didn’t work that well.

Derreck turned my face to him. “Listen… she’s right. I’ve got a busted arm, you’ve got busted ribs and she’s got a broken leg. Nopony here has ropes to tie her to either of us, and if you don’t get down to a lower altitude, you’ll probably catch pneumonia with the way your ribs are,” he stated.

I looked to Daring and she handed me a bag, the one with the Dragon Horn in it. “Here… get it to the museum,” she said and I looked to her.

“I’ll give your pay to a charity,” I said but she shook her head.

“Don’t… keep it. Like my final gift to you,” she said and I bit my lip. Why was she acting like this? She was supposed to be a strong upbeat adventurer that would never give up. Not some... fainthearted quitter.

“Dammit!” I clenched my fists in anger. “FUCK! IT’S NOT FAIR!” I yelled and Derreck pulled me along.

“Come on, we gotta go, we can’t stay here forever,” he said. Daring smiled and gave me a wave goodbye. No… no I wouldn’t let it be like this…

I had cried for the better part of an hour before my head got sore and my eye ran out of tears. Even my damaged eye managed to produce some tears which moistened the inside of my eye patch. Derreck helped me along as we descended the mountain. “You think… you think she’s still alive?” I asked and he just sighed.

“Sometimes... there’s nothing you can do. Just let it go and try not to think about it,” he said.

“But… it’s only been an hour and a half, maybe we could-“ Derreck slapped me across the face.

“GET A GRIP!” He boomed in my face and I was stunned. “Seriously, didn’t you hate that mare?!” he roared and I half nodded. “So what’s the big deal then?” he asked and I just rocked my head from side to side. “Listen, you can’t fucking go save everypony in the world. Shit, you can’t save ponies that just can’t be saved. Yeah, freezing to death on a mountain sucks, I wouldn’t wish it on most ponies, but it wasn’t your fault!” Derreck yelled and I bit my lip.

“Well… maybe if I had been closer to her-“ Derreck slapped me again.

“I was right there, right fucking there! There was nothing you could’ve done! Get over it!” He yelled and I fell to my knees, now in tears.

“I can’t... I can't okay! The whole time… she was trying to apologize for what she wrote, how she treated me… and I just gave her the cold shoulder… then she saved my life, and all she wanted was for me to forgive her and I didn’t. Now I couldn’t even save her life and she’s gonna die thinking…” I just trailed off. It wouldn’t even matter.

“But did you hate her?” he asked and I nodded.

“Well… kinda, yeah… at first but… I was just too stubborn to forgive her… goddess if only I could take it all back,” I whispered to myself but Derreck just heaved me up and began slugging along.

At this rate we’d…

We both stepped forwards through the deep snow but our feet kept going down. “OH SHI-“ was all we both managed as our bodies fell down through the snow.

We tumbled down, bouncing off a steep incline and rolling down powdery snow. Finally I slammed into the hard ground. I groaned in pain, wondering why I wasn’t dead. I looked up, and saw we didn’t just fall straight down, it was actually more like a tunnel we had rolled down.

“The snow must’ve coated over the tunnel entrance,” I whispered to myself. The cavern I was in was just barely illuminated by the small hole in the snow Derreck and I had created.

I turned to look for Derreck but was met by a grotesque face that was glaring at me with a crazed look. “GAH FUCK!” I screamed as I jumped back. In an instant however, I noticed that it was actually a pony, a stallion… who was sitting propped up against a wall. He must’ve froze to death some time ago… fuck what a harsh way to go… and his face is preserved in such an ugly pose… it must’ve been a long and painful death.

Derreck groaned as he stood up and wandered over to me. He swiped away the thin coating of snow over some big lumps in the ground. There was a bunch of old climbing gear with this dead guy, along with a little camp site set up. The cavern was well protected from the elements so only a thin layer of sparkling snow covered the floor, minus the pile of snow we had brought in with us.

“Who do you think he was?” Derreck asked and I just shrugged. “Gonna make a fuss over him and how you could’ve saved his life too?” he joked and I just shot him a glare. I wondered to myself just who he was.

I crawled over on my hands and knees, still in pain from my busted ribs. His body was rigid and still, and icicles drooped down from his nose. He must’ve been here a long time.

I slowly reached forwards and towards his chest. Just as I was about to reach his coat, I pulled my hand back. For some reason I swear… I thought he was just going to come to life with a horrifying screech and hiss… I probably watched too many movies as a kid. “Derreck… check his gear for… identification papers or something, anything we can use to find out who this guy was,” I said and Derreck looked to me.

“Why?” he asked.

“Because… because maybe somepony would like to know… maybe children or something,” I said and Derreck blinked.

“Didn’t the records say nopony survived?” he asked but I shook my head.

“No! They said nopony ever made it to the summit. Maybe this guy was just somepony who disappeared and the wife just wants to know for sure,” I told him and he rolled his eyes as he started rooting through the gear.

“You know… this is kinda like grave robbing… except this guy doesn’t have much to loot,” he joked. He tossed aside some things then sat back. “Jeeze… this guy doesn’t even have any food on him, what gives.” Derreck muttered.

I reached into the stallion’s coat and rooted around and quickly found something. I was a booklet… no, it was a journal.

I wiped a bit of fluffy residual snow off the hard cover and looked at it. It was just a plain-Jane hard covered journal… except the name on the front was Sir Archimedes II…

Author's Notes:

Yeah, it took me a long time to release this chapter and I feel kinda bad about it. But look on the bright side, it was a long as chapter. Now before anyone goes on saying that something I said about mountain climbing was wrong, I have no idea, not a clue, about mountain climbing other than you can die and freeze to death. I also know that winter temperatures on land in Canada can get a severe as most temperatures on Everest (Except the topmost part of the mountain during shit-storms)
I remember... I think it was two years ago actually, me and a buddy had the old SKSs out and were puttering off ammo fine but the Colt pistol wouldn't work... well, it kinda worked but kept stove-piping for some reason... the -40 degrees weather might've contributed to that, I'm not sure. Maybe the pistol was over lubbed and the lube started getting jelly-ish, who knows.
Anyways, cheers eh.