She simply could not stop screaming, Fobwatch was plenty frightened, but Lexi was close to deafening him with the screaming. They couldn't even hear Reaper's laughter over the high pitched screeching.

"Damn it mud pony! Fucking breath!" Croce's voice too was drowned out in the screams even if it wasn't nearly muted by the rushing wind and hard to come by with the thin atmosphere.

Fobwatch's magical aura covered her mouth nearly the moment they started off, but it wasn't enough. He was now dedicating more energy to covering his own ears while clinging on for dear life as they came down from the climax of their trip. The peak of their climb had ended and now they were heading down.

The frail clanking skycart did barely anything, mostly due to its only power coming from connecting it to Lexi's armor. But with all the team's flyers pulling it along it took off fast. The trip wasn't easy though, even Oso showed signs of getting tired up towards the top. Then just as quickly, the thought to be fearless Oso a fair amount of concern that the cart was not letting them glide back down. "... Oh... balls..." It was all the massive Griffon could say as the hum coming from the skycart's 170 year old motors sputtered and died letting them all fall like a rock.

"You have my attention..." Reaper grinned fluttering his eyelashes at Oso as they began to free fall. He earned a quick swat over the head just as Lexi redoubled her screaming and all three flyers began a torrent of flapping before Reaper looked back at Fobwatch. "I know this might sound stupid... but unplug her armor, kick it into overdrive and plug it back in... oh then hold on tight... it'll be rough, but everpony's first time is rough..." He giggled and turned away once Fobwatch began frantically pulling wires and trying to work through Lexi's screaming and the loss of gravity.

Lexi's mind was blank, even from the start. Logical Lexi simply huddled into the fetal position and recited her hatred of flying which was now multiplied by the clanky rust covered junkyard trash that Oso practically glued together before inviting her aboard. With Logical Lexi busy, panic Lexi, fear Lexi, and a few others she had not quite named yet were at the controls. Had Oso not zip tied her armor to the cart and zip tied her into her armor she would have very likely fallen out or had choked one of the others trying to hang on.

Fobwatch struggled with Lexi's armor in desperation and though she could not see it, Oso's face twisted into genuine concern. He was not a Griffon who had much to worry about usually, but this was bringing out the slightest touch of panic in him. Still flapping his wings and struggling right beside Croce and Reaper as the ground raced up towards them. There was moment where his beak clamped shut in concern, very quickly he reached back and his heavy talons gripped the harness. Fully prepared to tear all three of them free and scoop up their only two members who couldn't fly, he was met with extreme relief as Lexi's armor let out a strained hum and the cart fired back to life.

All three flyers gave it their all and miraculously they barely managed to pull out of the dive. Oso let out a powerful growl as he struggled to keep the front end high. The cart impacting the snow rattled violently as if it were ready to come apart, which was not a hard thing to imagine, or even suspect.

The impact was extreme, but it didn't last. As violent as it was, the cart turned like a badly dented sled and finally came to a stop. Lexi's senses only just barely came back enough for her to notice Fobwatch clinging to her tightly. She was about to speak when what sounded like a fight broke out between the flyers.

The harnesses violently pulled off and practically soared skywards away from the giant Griffon. Lexi barley managed to struggle in her armor to see Reaper arc over Oso in his grasp before smashing into the snow, Oso's aggressive voice was nearly at a war cry level.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" His iron like talons pinned the cherry red Pegasus into the snow as the big Griffon glared into his eyes with the wrath of a God. "Me and my team survive by being careful, we DON'T take risks like this!"

Fobwatch worked at the zip ties and Lexi fell into a pile of steel and pony. She wanted to pop the armor off and rush over, but one or two zip ties still held on tight. Instead of freeing herself she scrambled like a foal wearing a heavy winter coat for the first time, struggling to get to the other side of the skycart. Fobwatch followed close and they both came to a stop next to Croce who watched, he didn't seem concerned or surprised.

Reaper coughed and shifted in the snow a little. "Hey hey birdy... I got us here..." He smiled but visibly cringed when Oso pushed him further into the snow.

"You almost killed us all!" Oso's grasp seemed more than just wrathful, Lexi detected the slightest touch of worry in his words.

"You guys hired me to get you here, and my job ain't done. And remember, I was the first one to strap in big boy... You paid for this, and I put my life on the line just like you...and on another note... lower your voice... There's much more dangerous things than falling into fluffy snow around here." They remained locking eyes for a moment, Reaper's smile only widened even with a suggestive tone before Oso let him go.

"Next time, we talk it through!" Oso looked over the massive dented wreck as if wondering how they were going to get out again. The initial trip was to get over the first part of the storm which was especially rough, the blizzard here was rough as well, but at least they could see for about 100 feet.

Oso turned about and took a quick survey of the area and Lexi came to Reaper's side. She intended to comfort and support him but he seemed oddly happy. And something else stole her attention away. Her eyes wide, she stared at the readout of her pipbuck and the horrifying clicking made by the geiger counter. Her panic was interrupted when something touched her tongue.

"Sip sip sip silly..." Reaper's hoof budged her radiation pack making the straw scrape her tongue softly. Oso had made a fresh one for everyone and there was more in the back of the downed skycart. "If you're having trouble with things in your mouth, just remember to relax your throat, make eye contact and..."

Lexi covered his mouth with her hooves. Blushing and fidgeting she stammered and didn't really manage to say anything.

Reaper chuckled stepping back. "Well, fine. I'll share my experience with someone who appreciates it. Fobwatch?" The Unicorn's eyes widened as he went stiff as a board. But just as quickly he disappeared with a soft waver of light. "Well fine! Crocie! Birby boy!" Reaper happily pranced in the snow towards the young Griffon who pulled out his Susi knife.

"No! Fuck you!" He scrambled over the snow bank waving the massive blade at Reaper.

"Oh yes please! I brought my thigh highs and I have to use my lube before it freezes!" The red pony playfully pounced forward a little at a time but went dead silent and froze in place. It caught more than just Lexi's attention. His ears rotated like a radar dish, pivoting and turning softly. His harness gave off a soft click and hiss. The fold out scythe at his side came loose but still held on by a small folding arm. The odd clack of the unfolding melee weapon hung in the air as Reaper's eyes panned left and right.

Lexi's lips twitched, she wanted so badly to ask what it was, but sadly never got the chance. Her vision spun as something struck her in the breastplate. Even through an inch of tempered steel, she swore she felt ribs breaking. She only felt her heart kick into overdrive as she stared at some sort of suit of power armor. She would have gotten a good look at it if her face wasn't full of a cold cyan blue visor leaking what looked to be an eerie smoke to match. What she swore was an armored paw came up and cat like crystals claws at the end of what she only had a brief moment to realize was a hoof leveled at her throat.

She watched in horror as the crystals hummed to life and began to sink into her armor as if the steel was made of butter. That is until the booming screech followed by an 900lb Griffon plowed into the creature. Again, she had only a brief moment to see the armor more clearly. It had a vague catlike appearance to it, but there was not mistaking the shape of a pony inside the armor.

Oso pulled his weapons from their holsters and began a very fast and brutal dance, bringing the bladed tips down in surprisingly fast arcs which the cat armored pony dodged and dipped just barely avoiding each of the lethal swipes. Oso pushed against the armored foe slashing with surprising grace. Each blow seemed to move into the next until he finally pulled a brutal overhead strike which left him rather open. The armored pony capitalized on the opening with a firm pounce, crystal blades first. But what he had not seen soon enough was that the overhead strike dug into the snow and ice, not as a result of an attack but for leverage in the slippery environment. Oso's wing's flared to pull his heavy paws off the ground and with the weapon in the ground like an anchor he forced his paws into the foe knocking him back where a blurring red flash of Pegasus drove the blade of his scythe into the armor.

Reaper threw his weight into an over the shoulder swing to try and pin the pony like a Entomology's display. But to Lexi's absolute horror, the cat armored pony still flailed and rapidly scratched out, slamming it's hooves into the ground to try and force it's way out despite the full scythe blade through his back and out his chest.

But the struggle was cut short when a blur formed beside the pony and a heavy caliber revolver round popped through the armored helmet. Finally, the pony went still, but Reaper didn't seem satisfied. Wrenching the blade out of the armor he raised it high and drove it into the pony's head.

"Hey, doctor fabulous...I think we got him..." Oso stepped forward grasping the mangled head as Reaper pulled his weapon out.

"You've never fought a Wraith before have you? I'm not surprised... But we do need to dismember it quickly." Reaper Twisted his blade as if to try and scramble the brains within the armor as he pulled it out and slid it under the Wraith's neck before placing his hoof over the back of the thing's head.

Lexi stumbled forward coughing and retching, something deep inside hurt badly and she tasted copper. She couldn't tell what she was feeling, but she was pretty sure it was pain peaking through the shock of the Wraith tackling her. All their voices sounded dull and distant, all sparked a touch of fear in her. But it all amplified as she heard them speaking faster about the Wrath. Reaper pressed and groaned trying to cut off it's head until Oso grasped the thing and held it upright. One massive iron like set of talons gripped into the helmet and he began twisting.

Then it woke up.

It made no noise, it just twitched and plasma erupted from it's shoulders into Oso's face. She couldn't see it, but she could only imagine his pained grimace before he turned and hurled the creature into the distance grasping at his face.

"Oso!" She stumbled forward still feeling an intense grinding pain in her chest. But as she came closer, she was noticed a sort of spark of concern in everyone's faces. Thankfully not at her, but at their surroundings. She turned and the fear hit the bottom of her stomach like cold sludge. There was more of them, she quickly counted four but she had no doubt the others could see proof of more.

"Fabs! follow us on the ground with Lexi!" Reaper nudged Croce and together they both shot into the sky, narrowly dodging the fifth armored figure as they climbed skyward. Oso too took to the sky leaving Lexi with a horrid feeling of dread as she saw nopony else on the ground with her save for the Wraiths, of which two turned and started advancing in her direction.

Lexi opened her mouth to scream as they started barreling towards her. But a hoof clamped over her mouth and she was yanked back and down a hill sliding and tumbling until she came to a full stop. Again she felt hooves on her, but she still couldn't see anything. Even as whatever it was wrenched her pipbuck leg up and slammed something into it.

"Stay quiet and follow closely! If we get separated, look up and follow them!" The sensation was more than a little odd. She couldn't quite place it but she pushed through nearly getting yanked along. A quick glance upwards showed her a flash of red in the distance she was confident was reaper, but the flashes of bright green slashing through the air at him didn't help her worries, nor did the silent armored figures following their tracks in the snow. But something else happened quite suddenly. A massive explosions sending heat and a shock wave that nearly knocked her off her hooves right where the Wraiths were. In the green fireball she could barely make out an armored figure struggling to stand, and one other pulling itself out of the hole filled with boiling water and bale fire in the frozen hellscape. But just as quickly, Oso plowed into them both hammering with his weapons before taking off again and swooping low to slash and attack as invisible Fobwatch pulled her away.

It took her a shameful amount of time to figure out she was invisible. Fobwatch and Lexi both were gasping for breath despite Fobwatch being in much better shape, and Lexi's armor doing most of her running for her.

"Balls! it's bloody fookin cold!" Fobwatch finally let her go and winked into existence. There was quite literally ice hanging off his snout and frost on his skin. She barely knew just enough to know that this was a sign that he had moments to get somewhere warm before he would need a tremendous amount of skin grafts and amputations to prevent gangrene.

He rubbed his skin breaking the ice and scraping the frost off. Lexi quickly rushed over rubbing him as well trying to help. His reaction was instant. "Oh hell! Yer warm!"

He almost instantly hugged onto her and her blush quickly started to spread. "Hey! Wh..what?"

"Sorry love... yer just... holy ell! How ye so damned warm?" He was shivering badly as he hugged into her, and despite the sun token she could actually feel the rigid cold off him and knowing what she would do in his position she snuggled right back into him trying to keep her mind from nosediving into the gutter.

There was a flash and the sensation she figured was the invisibility was gone, but the sensation of Fobwatch's rubbing was still VERY much so still present. So many things rushed through her head. Fears of the Wraiths they left so far behind, excitement of a handsome stallion so close with so much contact. The physical contact was amplified by the memories of the last time a male companion was freezing and needed physical contact.

She could feel his touch and she bit her lip. A spark of hope and excitement touched her mind as he pulled her in spooning her fully. She didn't know if he was intending for it but it certainly felt like he was going for the same approach as Croce had. But then it all changed.

"Room for us?" Reaper was snow white, even his armor. But so was Croce who chattered and shivered near violently.

Lexi nearly tried to pop off of Fobwatch but he hugged her close almost forcefully making her blush twice as hard.

"Tho.. those... fu..fucking... clouds... holy... fucking....fucking balls!" Croce sounded like he was close to dying, and while Reaper was smiling, he made an occasional shudder and gasp but was still all smiles.

"It's useless Fabs... The medicine is keeping you alive right now, but not keeping you warm. All it does is prevent you frying dying from cold. That's all. You're gonna be cold no matter what you snuggle, but hey, if you're really in need, I'm pretty sure without lube we can make some pretty hot friction." He advanced and still snuggling, Fobwatch put Lexi between them.

"I'll di...die alone.. th..thank... thank you..." Croce's voice sounded but instantly he shot worry into Lexi with the soft comment. "I.. H..hope th..the big guy... is ok..."

Lexi popped up worried and fearful. She saw him dive in to fight the Wraiths, sure he was doing a lot more than that, but he was still really fighting them all alone. "We need to go back for him!"

Reaper shook his head before pausing a moment to look over his frosted body with a smile. "No... he's a big bird, he can handle himself. Plus, I'm sure he'll find us. I'm pretty sure he was just doing hit and runs to keep them busy while we ran. I'd be more worried about the radiation."

Lexi's worry took a moment to rest as she pondered what he meant then her worry returned with reinforcements. "Oh balls!.." She borrowed the more popular phrase she kept hearing.

"Ah.. yes... mmmm balls...." Reaper smiled looking to the snowy heavens before laughing and standing up. "Yeah, all our radaway and a lot of our medicine was in the skycart back there."

"Not all of it!" Lexi looked down at the baggie around her neck then to everyone else who had one. "We'll have to ration it all. But, what do we do now? Should we wait for Oso?"

Reaper shook his head and pointed a hoof upwards. The wind was dying down a bit, promising conditions for spotting a giant Griffon but Reaper's face was one that was about to explain something she didn't like. "We most certainly wont make it if we wait for him. We can walk shoulder to shoulder to make sure we leave a big trail for him to follow, he'll certainly see it if this lucky weather break keeps up. But yeah, if we don't go forward, we'll die. Hell, we might even die on the return trip if my antifreeze wears off."

The faces around were grim, only Reaper seemed to be in good spirits. But Lexi suspected it was possibly from the amount of chems he used.

"Th.. then let's get moving, the turkey can handle himself, and I doubt he'll not catch up." Croce started forward trying to force himself not to shiver gasp or let his body shiver.

"Then follow the bouncing red tush!" Reaper near playfully started off in a direction everyone hoped was north, Lexi was certain he was intentionally letting his rear giggle with how he seemed to hop about instead of just walking.

Progress was rather slow through the snow, made even worse with the severe cold. Not even the sun token kept Lexi's limbs warm. It was an odd feeling, like being so cold she couldn't move, only she could. The sun token seemed to be struggling to keep her warm and actually failing, she could only imagine how the others felt. So cold that if they did not have Reaper's chems they would likely be long past frozen to death. The mission was looking bleak, even her armor was starting to stop up. Thankfully Reaper stayed close, and whenever the joints of her armor started to stutter, he would pop the limbs with his folded scythe to break the ice free.

"Fuck!" Croce's voice seemed annoyed and worried, drawing everyone's attention he clacked his pistol against his armor trying to get it to get it to free it of ice. "My weapons are fucked... if we run into trouble we ain't gonna last long."

Fobwatch hefted his revolver and tried spinning the chambers before frowning at the non moving cylinder. Reaper just nodded. "Yup... get used to it and keep moving or our bodies will do the same... speaking of which"

Reaper dug into his saddle bags and pulled out a set of inhalers. One for each of them, Reaper took his and bit firmly before inhaling sharply. Fobwatch magically dragged one over to him and inhaled deeply before struggling to keep from coughing. But he took the time to levitate one over for Lexi, leaving only Croce hesitating to get close to Reaper, even for the literal life saving drugs.

"Dawwww come on now birby... I only bite when I have time..." Reaper purred teasing the inhaler.

A heavy thud sounded and a heavy set of Talons swiped the inhaler from Reaper's outstretched hoof making him jump and fall on his back. "I do bite!..." Oso desperately inhaled the medicine holding his breath as long as he could trying desperately to get as much as he could into his system as he struggled and shivered.

"Oso!" Lexi moved toward him but slowed looking over grievous wounds, heavy burns and even a fair amount of what looked like cracks in his skin. The damage to his body seemed more than was possible, even as he was still moving, still upright.

"Damn..." Oso looked over the group as Reaper wordlessly passed Croce one of the inhalers, staring at Oso with amazement as if he truly did not expect, but despite the miraculous return, something else was wrong. "It's not enough..." Oso stared down at the empty inhaler. "I'm simply too big, too much mass, not enough drug."

"Well... I do have two more doses for the group left." Reaper dug into his bags and held out Oso's second and third dose. "I mean, you'll die before we get back, but hey... maybe we'll get lucky..."

"Gah!!! COLD!!!" Everyone turned to see Lexi holding up the sun token. "Ta..ake it!.. y..you'll l...live."

Oso grasped the magical token and quickly fitted it under his armor just as Lexi inhaled on her medicine. She hoped dearly that it would be enough. The biting cold physically hurt and it felt like the air itself was nipping at her viciously, drinking her body heat greedily, but she didn't feel like she was slowing down. She just felt ungodly horribly cold. But at least the pain in her chest was slowly ebbing away as the cold robbed her of the ability to feel it.

She almost flinched feeling his talons over her head. "Thank you little one... I honestly forgot all about the sun token." Quickly he pulled out a few berries and quickly popped them into his beak. "Hopefully it will be warm enough for my flesh to regenerate. But... oh hell, we have to get going quickly."

He looked to Reaper and pointed north. Reaper skill bawked and took a moment before starting forward. "Don't get me wrong big birb.... I'm happy you're alive... but holy sweet salty balls I thought you were long gone dead.... how did you survive?"

Lexi's ears perked, she had been so hopeful with Reaper's comforting words, and yet again she found herself displeased that she had been lied to in order to keep her from worrying. She didn't know whether she should be offended or not. She would have certainly been distraught and worried and it most certainly would have effected her performance. Still, she felt like she was being treated like a child. She huffed, a little disturbed that her breath no longer steamed. She would think about it later.

Psychological Lexi pushed it all into a closet and locked the door before selecting an idea to clog her mind. "Reaper?" She tried to lick her lips but the sensation felt too odd, but odd was nothing new. She had just started to get used to the cold and her voice had stopped stuttering as her body simply refused to shiver.

"Hrmmm?" Reaper slowed up a bit, staying close. "What cha need Cherry pone?

She grumbled at the nickname and spouted out. "How did you get to know the drug? I mean, you know which way you're going and you have the drug? How many times have you been up this way, how did you get it all done?"

"Oh... the first time we went up this way, we had a team, I joined on with about 20 other ponies and a zebra... oh he was a fighter... he's the one I learned the recipe from. He was very adamant on keeping it to himself, but he was so very happy about me liberating him..."

"Liberating?" Croce interrupted.

Reaper grinned ear to ear before popping up on his hind legs and pointing down. "With my penis!" He chuckled and plopped back to all fours. "He was REALLLY deep in the closet, I showed him a good time and eventually he showed me a good time, taught me how to make all the good stuff. Even gave me his life's work. Sadly fate caught up with him, you can't run from your troubles forever... still, he was a fun playmate and I learned a lot before his head ended up decorating a pike... oh right, the mission. The twenty ponies were all lead by this one guy... old gruff earth pony. I couldn't tell if he was just REALLY ugly or a ghoul. He had a map, and said there was a downed airship up here in the wastes. We never found it, and we only managed to come back with like 8 of us, Wraiths decimated us on the third night. We made a break for the south and tried again the next year. 15 of the meanest and grumpiest straight mercenaries I've ever seen... the whole trip was boring as hell. And half of them died on the first night. Canceled again. The next year that same ugly pony tried numbers again, ole Xanny already got offed so it was up to me to make and distribute the antifreeze. But yeah, we made it all the way to where the Crystal Empire was supposed to be. Came back with nothing still, old ugly died on the way back. Wraiths got em. But yeah, I met Crocie when I got back. Celebrated and everyone who was in the group split up old ugly's gear and sold it."

Breaking from his story despite how finished it sounded, he pointed to a large cliff face with a smile. "Been here before, we're close to the circle... won't be long now."

"The circle?" Lexi's question almost seemed to echo as Reaper held a hoof to his lips.

Almost quietly he responded. "The biggest, meanest Wraith you've ever seen... well... not the biggest, but we call him the weeper. Listen as we come over the next hill and around the corner into the clearing. Just whatever you do, don't go into the circle, he'll kill you instantly."

The words from his frosted lips caught everyone's attention and as they trudged along, the howling wind mixed with the saddest coldest sound Lexi had ever heard. It was crying, something out there was crying, loudly.

Just as Reaper said, over the hill and past the cliff then into a clearing, and there it was. A ring of stones roughly 15 feet apart, and just around 50 feet beyond them, a figure sat. Covered in the same cat like armor adorned with crystals and faded insignias. Pushing her glasses up, Lexi could only just barely make out a faded blue shield insignia on the flank of the armor. But the most concerning thing was the dozens of long since rotting bodies littering the area. Skeletons, picked clean by the few individuals who had come up this way littered the outside of the circle, and many many more corpses fully armored and armed lay within the circle, some literally just a single foot inside the circle.

"He kills anything that goes into the circle, I seen him tear a fully power armored Griffon in half... that one see?" Reaper pointed at half of a Griffon's armor just barely inside the circle. "He doesn't look it, but he's got crazy powerful defensive magic."

Croce grumbled, looking almost greedily at the piles of lootable bodies within the circle. "Shame to leave it all there..."

Reaper laughed but hushed his tone. "Yeah, that's what the power armored Griffon said. How about you don't do stupid shit that will get you killed, it would just wreck poor cherry pone's heart..."

Lexi focused for a moment, activating SATS for a closer look. And to her surprise, the Pipbuck showed a 0% chance to hit, even as the armored figure had its back to her and was holding very still. She wondered if it was working correctly, or perhaps it was just the angle. She switched it off and followed Reaper as he lead them far away from the stone markers around the Wraith. She flicked on SATS once or twice again to test her theory, but each time it came back as 0%.

She grumbled as they started up the path out and away from the clearing, one last SATS glance through the distant snowy cold air. But as she turned it off, she swore she saw something. A very old corpse, a pile of bones directly beneath the weeping Wraith. She couldn't be sure, as there was what looked like golden armor, but she was so certain as the closer frozen image that she saw a horn and wings.

She blinked and shook her head as she followed them up the path and left the weeping Wraith behind.

"Holy fuck are we there yet?" Croce grumbled angrily, his joints starting to stick and slowly grow too solid. But he was not alone, everyone's limbs were becoming far too heavy. Even Lexi with power armor somehow still working found it difficult to keep walking.

"Almost, but this doesn't bode well..." Reaper stressed his limbs trying to work the stiffness out. "We're going to need another dose..." He dug around in his bags.

Oso gave him a look over, he was surprisingly doing the best. The sun token was not enough to fully keep the cold at bay, but it was just barely more than enough to let Oso stay alive with so little of the drug and so much body mass. Everyone took their share and never before did Lexi ever feel so much dread knowing that so little of a precious resource remained. Before the world ended, she never once had to worry about anything running out. For a country at war, she never really had to struggle to get her hooves on anything other than rare books. Then again, her mother was fairly high ranking in the Ministry of Arcane Sciences. For just a moment, she wondered if her life would have been harder if her mother hadn't been in such a position.

She shook her head and pocketed the dead inhaler. The shake made her freeze as she was very certain some of her mane just broke with such a sudden movement, she hoped it was still there. Thankfully Reaper took her mind off of it.

"Yeah, just up here... But don't let me lead the way... I'd far rather stay back here. The view is way better." Reaper chuckled earning a glare from Fobwatch and Croce both who tucked their tails and tried to move to the side.

"Oh don't be such a poor sport! We might not come back, good excuse for a last minute orgy" Reaper smiled just as he ducked a stone thrown by Fobwatch's magical grasp.

"Not even if it meant surviving...." Fobwatch hefted another stone.

Croce too picked up a rock and looked to Oso. "You sure you don't need one of us to scout ahead, I could be like WAYYYYYY over there... or dead... either would be better..." Oso blinked looking into his clutched talons before Croce too looked at the stone. "Wait... what the fuck?"

They all looked down to see only about a half inch of snow. Looking back they could see the endless slopes of snow. Even Reaper looked confused. "This is... new..." He fluttered up to the only feature in the area worth noting.

Within the area of extremely minimal snow, crumbled ruins and a simple leafless tree stood. Reaper looked around and shrugged. "Ok... I have no idea what happened... but... We’re heeeerrreeee!” His sing song voice echoed as he playfully perched on the tree. But he flinched when the tree moved.

Toppling off he slammed his scythe to the ground to knock the ice free and like lightning it unfolded and he swung it but blinked in awe as the blade was caught in a pair of gnarled talons as if it had been stopped by sheer indomitable will. His copper eyes gleamed curiously until he noticed that he could only see down the barrel of a 40mm weapon.

“The hell is this?....” The old Griffon glared as he flexed his jaw grinding his lower beak against his upper in a sharpening motion.

“I believe it’s called a Pegasus… and you know you didn’t have to…” The tree mumbled calmly walking forward on four wooden hooves.

Oso plucked Reaper up with a soft grip which earned him a flirtatious giggle, the Pegasus seemed to be in a much better mood with strangers around.

“Oh my hero! Away to thine castle to consummate your rescue mine fine prince?” Reaper batted his eyelashes but only earned a soft toss over Oso’s shoulder.

“He’s our guide… we needed him to find this cursed place… How did you find it?.. And moreover, not that I'm angry but how did you get here before us?” Oso extended a set of talons pushing Reaper back again as he came back for post rescue snuggles.

“Wait… this handsome old bird is that friend you were talking about?” Reaper’s scythe clicked and clacked back into place as his eyebrows danced at Tyrin.

Completely ignoring the Pegasus, Tyrin holstered his weapon and pulled out his flask gingerly tapping his eyepatch with the capped end before popping it open. “I remember everything… and the north is my bitch…”

Yin sighed and Reaper giggled. “Oh?... is that just restricted to the north?...” He cooed and came closer looking at the flask and extending his hoof which was firmly grabbed and twisted to one side. There was no yip, instead he purred admiring the brute strength.

“Touch my vodka and I’ll drink it from your skull you fruit…” He pushed him back and grumbled.

“Oooo… I like him… so dominant….” Reaper’s singsong voice sounded off despite his keen eyes seeing this was one Griffon he didn’t necessarily want to tease too much.

After getting a full round of hooves and talons to their respective faces, it was Yin of all those present who broke the silence. His wooden lips pursing with that calm zen like smile. “Well, we are here are we not? One or two souls more than I thought we would have.. But we are here… shall we begin?” He looked a touch uncomfortable with so many eyes on him and quickly his features became blurred. Those who had never seen him before were very taken back, especially Fobwatch who's face betrayed great interest.

Reaper blew a raspberry and collapsed into a giggle fit. “Oh… I honestly forgot that was why you guys needed my help finding the place… But this I got to see… And remember, it's gotta be epic!”

Oso extended his open palm downward and promptly seated the Pegasus before gesturing to Tyrin.

“... You told him?.... Whatever… I don’t care… Look… I open it, you go in, grab the shit, get out… done!”

“Wait… us? Not you?” Lexi sputtered. She wasn’t the only who noticed that she was constantly thrown into the fires of Tartarus while much more capable ponies and griffons were present. “Aren’t you like some sort of super death god or whatever?”

Reaper was about to speak before Oso pinched his snout shut and Tyring grumbled, his shadow oddly seeing to engulf her. But that was just about normal and she had come to expect such from him and how creepy the old Griffon always seemed to be. “Do not blaspheme…” His eye glared at her before he reached up gingerly as if he was grasping at nothing but the air. “I am the gatekeeper in this venture… anyways.. There are some things in there that you really wouldn’t want me waking up with my presence.”

Reaper’s eyes went wide and blank as he witnessed the Griffon heave and appear to dig his talons into the very fabric of space before tearing it open. There before them all was a shapeless hole in the air, a nothingness opened wide.

“Wait… what?...” For the first time, the Pegasi was wordless.

Lexi sighed loudly and grumbled. “This is what we are here for… there is something that apparently we need in there, I'm kinda surprised we have to do... whatever this is… So if you really want to see something crazy, then... onward… We are going to explore the Crystal Empire…”

She beamed with glee, it was not very often that she ever got the chance to make anypony look at her with that sort of wonder and bafflement.

“Got to admit love… Even I kinda figured he was this was going to be a waste of time…” Fobwatch stared into the inky sparkling hell that Tyrin had opened. However, seeming for the most part unphased he gestured to her and hopped in.

Oso chuckled watching Lexi hop up and cannon ball her way into the blackness.

“Fucking crazy ponies…” Grimacing, Croce jumped in after her.

Oso closed the distance and waved to Reaper. “You coming? Croce might lose his ass if you don’t keep up your watchful gaze…” He laughed and plunged in.

Reaper gazed at the darkness then at Tyrin who lazily stood holding it open for him with a deadpan expression. “Well… I guess that ass isn’t going to watch itself…” He chuckled figuring that he would regret it later. Kissing his hoof and blowing it to Tyrin he hopped into the darkness.

Still holding the hole open, Trying grumbled. “.... I hope they come back without that one…”

“That isn’t nice Tyrin…”

“I’m not a nice Griffon…”

Footnote: No level achieved. Good progress, but no level.

This fanfiction is based on Fallout Equestria by Kkat, Fallout Equestria Pink Eyes by Mimezinga and Fallout Equestria Project Horizons by Somber; a familiarity with the source material may aid your understanding.

Author - Sanguine Eyes

Chapter editor - Currently N/A

Earl: Concept artist, Proof reader.

Nick Valentine: Artist

Crimmharmony: Artist

Author's Notes:

I missed something, I know I did >.< If you see it, let me know.