Shade paddles and splashes around in the water. The cold water revitalizes her. Nothing beats water. Maybe a hard drink or ten, but that is barely comparable.

Shade sighs contently and starts her swim back to shore. A grape colored pony is snooping around her bags. Shade stealthily approaches the shore then sneaks up to the pony wearing a dark blue cape.

The pony looks to the left and to the right and looks to the left at the river again. She turns around and jumps back when she spots Shade.

"Boo," is Shade's stoic remark.

The pony trips over the bags and lands on her side. "Wha? Wh-who are you!"

"I am the Pony of the River. I have come to claim your soul," Shade speaks in a ghostly tone.

"Over my dead body!" the mare states and jumps to her hooves in a battle stance.

"Obviously," Shade remarks.

The pony glares at Shade, unmoving. Shade cocks her head when she notices the pony has a broken horn and a scar over her right eye. Shade shakes herself dry, splashing the pony a few times.

"You should have seen the look on your face," Shade chuckles and shuffles to her bags.

"Who are you?" the pony demands and grows rigid.

"The owner of those bags," Shade growls, scowling at the pony. Her yellow serpentine eyes narrow at the pony.

"Somepony could have come along and taken them," the pony says as she steps away from the bags.

"I could use the experience," is Shade's reply.

Shade lifts the saddle bags with her muzzle and flings them onto her back, a move that took her a few hours to master; she then sits in front of the big bag, slides her front hooves through the loops, and fasten the buckle across her belly.

The pony determines crossing that white earth pony is bad for her health, considering the scars all over the white pony, most visible even if her long black and red mane tries to hide them. For some reason, the white pony drew her in. Perhaps it was the lack of a cutie mark at her age or perhaps she had stories to tell about her scars.

Shade notices the broken horned unicorn following her.

"Do you want to be the first pony I fight?" Shade stops abruptly and talks over her shoulder.

"Do you have any food to spare? I will pay," the pony says.

Shade reaches into the left saddle bag and pulls out one of the hard, round breads tossing it back behind her. Shade continues on her way along the tracks.

"What about—" a canteen bonks the mare in the face. "Thanks," the mare winces.

Night descends over the duo and the rest of the desert landscape. The grape pony looks worse for wear and Shade has barely broken a sweat. This does not go unnoticed.

"You didn't even sweat the entire time we walked!"

"So?" Shade replies and begins to unload the bags on her back.

"'So?' That is not normal."

"Okay," Shade replies with disinterest as she occupies herself with building a fire.

"You are an oddity," the mare comments. She sees the white pony shrug her shoulders. "What's your name?"

"Names are pretty but pointless—pretty pointless."

"Well what do I call you?"

"Shade, if you must."

"And you can call me Cherry Pie."

Shade snickers.

"What?" Cherry Pie glowers at Shade's back.

"Nothing," Shade replies.

Cherry Pie watches the anger grow on Shade's face with a schadenfreudeistic smile as the white pony struggles to ignite the kindling for the fire. After striking the starter a tenth time and nothing happening Shade tosses the metal to the side.

Cherry Pie chuckles.

Shade smirks at the grape pony. "I do not know why you are laughing, the fire is for you. I do just fine in the cold and heat clime extremes."

As soon as Cherry Pie thinks about the cold, the chilling desert air sinks into her bones and drains her body of warmth.

"Nighty night. Sleep tight," Shade lays down and rests her head an oustretching leg.

Cherry Pie grimaces at the white pony before curling up in a ball to stand against the cold.

Darkness envelopes Cherry Pie. She finds herself in a familiar cave. Fear immediately pierces her heart. She turns around to run away, but instead, comes face to face with her biggest fear: the blue Ursa Minor. She falls to her flank staring up at the massive creature in horror and hopelessness. The bear rears back and is ready to strike; she clenches her eyes close, knowing full well what happens next.

A warmth hugs her body and she hears the bear roar. She looks up to see Shade battling the bear—and winning. After a few more punches to the face, the bear topples backward and heaves a breath of defeat.

Shade walks over to Cherry Pie with yellow, glowing eyes, and walks past her without a word. Cherry Pie follows Shade and sees the white pony strap on her bags along with picking up Cherry's saddlebags.

"Wait!" Cherry Pie calls out to Shade. The pony turns to look at her with a neutral expression. "Why did you help me? Why are you carrying my bags? Why are you even here?"

Shade stares at Cherry Pie for a long moment, before her muzzle cracks with a faint smile and says, "Because I am your friend; because I will be your strength; because I never leave a friend behind."

"'Friend?'" Cherry Pie says as if she had drank vinegar. "I don't need friends!"

Shade steps closer to the grape pony slowly until their muzzles nearly touch. "You need me," Shade whispers low and grins before socking Cherry Pie in the eye with a straight left punch.

Cherry Pie sits up—or tries to. She finds herself in Shade's warm embrace. A small fire crackles about a foot away. She cranes her neck back to see Shade's reflective eyes staring at her unblinking. Shade removes her limbs off of Cherry Pie and stands up.

"Your damn teeth chattering kept me awake," Shade comments as she walks over to the fire to stoke the flames.

The cold besets Cherry Pie and she maneuveres herself closer to the fire.

"Th-thanks," Cherry Pie replies sheepishly, refusing to look at Shade.

"Dawn approaches. We should be nearing Appleoosa. Leaving now is preferable to make it before noon," Shade informs Cherry Pie as she begins loading on her bags.

"Okay."