Sundance rubbed his right foreleg absent-mindedly, waiting for Cobalt to return. Now that all of them had finished their trials, they'd been given analyses from the Colonel and had had their bondcords removed. It had been a part of him for so long that it almost felt wrong to not be wearing it.

The older pony's words still rang in Sundance's head. While Cobalt had been impressed with his performance, he'd still been picked apart with ease, causing conflicting feelings of pride and shame. Even so, all the paperwork had been filed and his bondcord was cut, and it felt good to finally belong somewhere again.

The door to the room hissing open caught Sundance's attention, and he looked over at it, expecting to see the strict Colonel re-entering. Instead, he was surprised to see all five of his friends file in, some looking more beat-up than others.

Even after having almost a month on base to recover, Hazelnut and Vermilion both looked gaunt, and he remembered that they had spent their time in a desert. Mist didn't look too different than he remembered, maybe a little more lean, but Mint had a few barely visible marks on her throat, and Sundance wondered what the story behind those was. Additionally, she was standing so close to Mist that their shoulders brushed, which was curious. However, the one thing he saw common between all of them was the smiles on their faces, showing their joy at finally being reunited.

"Sundance, you bastard, you barely look any different than you did seven months ago!" Mist joked as he sauntered over to the white pony and gave him a hug. "Obsidian told me you guys spent five months strapped into a suit of Battle Armor. Why did you guys get to be so lucky?"

Sundance snorted. "Lucky? We were almost killed by a ghost bear. Twice. Not to mention we almost fell down a crevasse, we both nearly died from hypothermia, we had to sleep together otherwise we would've-"

"Wait, you two slept together?" Mint interrupted. "I never knew you were gay, Sudnance. Even so, you could've spared us the details. Mist and I are dating now, but we didn't tell you guys everything that happened between us."

Sundance shook his head vigorously. "I'm not! There was no sex involved. We would've frozen to death if we didn't- wait, you guys are dating?"

"Don't worry, even though you didn't tell any of us, I already saw everything. The entire Trial was recorded on video, and I snuck into Cobalt's computer and watched it all," Enzo said from the doorway, having entered when nopony was looking.

Mint spun around, her face already transitioning to a bright shade of red. "You WHAT?! Everything?" she cried.

Enzo broke down into laughter and pointed at her face. "No, but it was worth it to see your expression! Cobalt's the only one who watched you two, and any footage is encrypted and will be stored somewhere in cold storage. If he did see anything he didn't tell me, and I'm not going to break into one of those vaults to watch a video of two foals fucking. That would be a little creepy."

"We're not foals anymore," Mist said defensively, his cheeks also starting to turn pink.

"Certainly not, otherwise you would not be here," another voice said from outside the room. Enzo jumped and turned to see Cobalt and Scarlet standing in the hallway, and he entered the room so they could follow. Scarlet closed the door behind them, and the room quickly fell into silence.

"So," Cobalt began, "the six of you are still here because you completed your respective Trials adequately. You all demonstrated incredible loyalty, integrity, and combat ability, both then and also during the battle nearly a year ago. You have proven your skill time and time again, and are eligible to become warriors in your new Clan."

Sundance and the others exchanged excited glances, but before any of them could say anything, Cobalt continued. "However, unless you decide to complete one final trial, the likelihood you will stay together as a unit is very unlikely. It is a dangerous one, debatably even more so than what you have already endured. It is up to you whether you participate or not. It only takes place once a year, and luckily for you six, that time is in two weeks, here on Strana.

"It is a ritual referred to as 'The Clawing.' After taking time to reflect with the Loremaster, you will be released into the antarctic of Strana, where it will be your party's mission to kill a ghost bear armed with nothing but spears and return with its carcass. If you do, I will be able to transfer you six to my Keshik, where you will replace old warriors who are scheduled to retire or transfer to a solahma unit soon. What is your decision?"

There was silence among the six ponies for a moment. So soon after having completed dangerous tasks, they were being asked to take on another. It was a tough decision. Even so, they knew they couldn't let a risk like that tear them apart after everything they'd been through. They were going to finish the war together, or not at all.

Obsidian took a step forward, the first to speak. "I'll do it, sir. We've already killed one ghost bear, so another won't be a problem," he said confidently with a glance at Sundance. The young pony nodded and stepped up to join his older companion.

"I'm not letting you go off without me. Slate would kill me if I left you to your own devices," Hazelnut said to Obsidian as he walked over to his close friend.

Mist chuckled. "Fuck it, we've come too far to back down now. I'm in, too. Between the lot of us, killing a ghost bear will be a snap," he added. Mint nodded her agreement. It was already obvious that if one of them made a big decision like that, the other was going to follow without hesitation.

"And I'm obviously coming with you. Someone has to make sure none of you die," Vermilion said jokingly as he pushed his mane out of his eyes, which he had elected to leave long after it had grown out during his trial.

Cobalt nodded his approval. "I had no doubt all of you would accept. You have improved greatly over the past half year, not only as soldiers, but as ponies, too. I will give you the rest of today to spend together, but after that, you must begin preparing for The Clawing. It is not just physical strength you will need; you will also need to have your wits about you at all times. MechWarriors Obsidian and Sundance can tell you all about how ghost bears appear out of nowhere. I know you can exceed my expectations. Do not disappoint me. You are dismissed," he said. The six of them saluted before he strode out of the room, Enzo and Scarlet not far behind.

"Man, he says that a lot, doesn't he?" Mint joked after the three of them were out of earshot.

Sundance chuckled and nodded. "Yep. That's what, our third time hearing that since we've known him?"

"Something like that," Mint replied.

Obsidian snuck up behind Mint and Mist before wrapping his forelegs around their shoulders and pulling them close. "Enough about that, I want to hear more about what you two have gotten up to. I think that's what we're all the most curious about right now, right, Sundance?"

Sundance shrugged. "Not really."

Mint shook her head. "Ugh, you fucking pervert. Why should we tell you? Our personal lives are our own."

"Aw, come on. don't be so prudish. It's healthy to be open about your sexuality. I let Hazelnut fuck me once, and I'm not embarrassed to say it," Obsidian said. "I'll even tell you the full details if you want to hear.

Hazelnut made an annoyed noise, his face flushing with heat. "You might not be embarrassed, but I am. And I'm not gay. It was one time. I was just curious," he added.

"Ew, nopony wants to hear anymore about that. Can we change the topic?" Mint asked.

Hazelnut nodded vigorously. "Yes, I agree. Who wants to hear about how I got pancreatitis from a scorpion sting in the desert and almost died?"

"I do, that sounds like a very entertaining story," Mist said as he broke away from Obsidian, with Mint closely behind him.

Obsidian sighed and turned to Sudnance as the others gathered around Hazelnut. "Man, why is everypony so averse to talking about sex? It's a big part of life."

Sundance shrugged. "It's just awkward to talk about."

"Whatever. You all are no fun," Obsidian said with a wave of his hoof. "Anyway, I actually kind of do want to hear Hazelnut's story, so stop bothering me already."

"But I didn't-" Sundance began, but before he got any further he was shushed by Obsidian. He snorted in amusement and rolled his eyes before settling in to listen to Hazelnut.

"It really is great to have all of us back together. I just wish we could've had everypony here," Sudnance thought, feeling his mind wander as Hazelnut finished his story and the others began filing out of the room. He glanced out one of the windows as they passed, which had a view out into the airstrip of the base they were currently on. One of Strana's moons was barely visible in the noon sky, and he smiled sadly at it, remembering his nights with Tangelo. The sweet nights that always made his heart flutter, the moments that made him feel as if everything in the world was perfect and nothing could change that.

"Are you watching? Is your home above the wonderful place you deserve?" Sundance wondered, still thinking of Tangelo. "Someday soon I'll join you. Just wait for me a little longer."

---

"Ah, that was a nice flight. Slept right through it," Mist said with a relaxed sigh as he stepped off of the transport craft, the last of the group to step out onto the snow-covered ground.

"Yeah, you were too knocked out to notice the dick we drew on your forehead," Obsidian said with a snicker.

Mist paused mid-stretch. "What? Damn it, so I have to go into this thing with a giant penis on my face?" he asked in disbelief. "The others were already going to hate us, now they're going to hate me in particular."

The five others laughed, and Mint shook her head. "We didn't actually, don't worry. It was just a joke," she said comfortingly.

Mist sighed in relief. "Oh, good. You guys had me worried."

"This is not a ritual to be taken so lightly. It is a sacred tradition that has occurred since the birth of this great Clan. It would do you well to learn some respect before you join the others," Cobalt said as he walked toward them through the snow.

The six of them nodded solemnly, remembering why they were there and what they were going to be doing. They would have to kill a ghost bear after taking a month to reflect with Clan Ghost Bear's Loremaster, somepony akin to the highest leader of a religious group. They interpreted Clan law, and in the event of a Khan becoming unable to fulfil his or her duties, they would step in to take the Khan's place.

"Good. Now follow me." Cobalt turned and walked toward a building Sundance hadn't noticed at first. The old-fashioned wooden building blended in well, the snow and few pine trees growing around it hiding its presence.

Sundance looked around as they neared the building. It was set into the edge of a forest, just where the barren tundra behind them began to give way to a taiga. It was a fairly large building, nearly as tall as the stunted trees that surrounded it. It stretched far back into the trees, and if he had to guess, it was large enough for about a hundred ponies to comfortably live in.

The front door to the building swung open as the group neared to reveal a muscular pegasus, who appeared to be in his late fifties or so. He had a sky-blue coat, a short graying midnight-blue mane, and eyes so pale he could easily be mistaken to be blind.

"Loremaster Iceberg," Cobalt said respectfully, giving a whole-hearted salute. The others followed suit, and Iceberg nodded his head, signaling for them to relax.

"Star Colonel Cobalt Dash. It is good to see you again, friend. I was skeptical when you said you would bring six freebirths- my apologies, freeborn ponies, to this Clawing," Iceberg said as he stepped outside and examined the group, peering closely at each inch of their bodies. Sundance felt his skin prickle as the old pony's gaze raked across him, but even so, he felt no hostility in it. "They do seem to be strong specimens, but the other Warriors may not accept them so easily. Sending six warriors from a single Cluster is unprecedented. It breaks tradition. Not to mention their roots in our enemy Clan."

Cobalt nodded his understanding. "I know, but trust me. These six are at their strongest together. I want them in the Silveroot Keshik now. I know they will make a large impact in this war under my command, but to do that, they need to complete this ritual."

"I see," Iceberg said slowly. "Well, if that is what you feel you must do. I have never doubted you before, and that is high praise coming from a Loremaster. We will find out soon what the other Warriors think of this. I will see you again soon," He said to Cobalt before turning back to the group. "Come. I will show you to your quarters." With that he turned on his hooved and walked back into the warm interior of the building. Cobalt nodded to the group as they passed, and as the door slammed shut behind Sundance, he glanced over his shoulder to find the Colonel's steely gaze trained on him.

"This is the Hall of the Clawed Warriors," Iceberg's voice echoed from the middle of a large, long room. Sundance glanced around the walls to see countless small lines scribed into them, each telling a tale of another successful hunt. The walls were nearly full, he noted. "Every Warrior who has completed their Clawing marks these walls to leave behind their legacy. Star Colonel Cobalt Dash obviously has faith that you will add your own legacy to this sacred building." Iceberg turned down the hall to his left, and the others followed.

"These are your sleeping quarters. Four more Warriors will join you once they arrive. You have first choice as to where you will sleep for the next month," Iceberg said as he stopped by a doorway. Obsidian led the group into the fairly small room, where a row of five bunk beds were lined against the far wall. Two storage trunks sat beneath each bottom bunk, and the six ponies all dropped their packs into one of the trunks before rejoining the Loremaster.

Icecap then brought them through the rest of the medieval-styled building, showing them the bathrooms, the dining hall, the training rooms, and the many small spaces they would be using to reflect. Finally he brought them to the main hall, a large ornate room filled with tables and chairs, where the noise of conversation could be heard through the open wooden double doors. A hush quickly fell over the room of fifty or so ponies as Icecap entered, and he signaled for them to continue on with their business.

"This is where we will hold any meetings requiring every Warrior here to be present. Currently, this is where you will wait until all of the Warriors are here," Icecap said, motioning for them to enter. "The meeting is scheduled to start within the hour. You may use this time to familiarize yourselves with the others." After they had walked through the doors he exited again, leaving to greet the next group of ponies who would show up.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting everything to happen like that," Hazelnut said, dumbfounded.

Mist nodded his agreement. "I knew the Loremaster would be here to guide us, but I didn't expect we'd be interacting directly with him."

"Is that freebirth talk I hear? I had better not have to share my sleeping quarters with such animals," a pony jeered from a nearby table. Sundance turned to see a large fire-brick red earth pony with pale gray eyes and a magenta mane staring at them with a condescending look on his face. A few ponies around him turned to watch, glad for the entertainment.

"Yes, that was freebirth talk," Vermilion challenged. "Do you have a problem with that, casket born?"

The pony rose to his hooves, his nostrils flaring. He was even bigger and more imposing standing at his full height, but even though Vermilion stood nearly half a meter shorter than the trueborn pony, he held his ground defiantly.

Before the encounter could escalate further, an olive green unicorn with peach eyes and a short mane the color of the pine trees outside stepped between the two of them. "Hey, how about we leave it at that? This is not a place to be so uncivilized in. Everypony just calm down, and we can all go our separate ways," he said in a silky voice.

The earth pony snorted disdainfully, but he sat back down and looked away. Hazelnut nodded politely to the unicorn. "Thanks for that. We didn't want to start something."

The unicorn turned back to the group and shrugged. "I did not do it for you. This is a sacred rite that should not be filled with arguing and fighting. I am normally indifferent toward freeborn ponies, but it is the duty of every one of us to keep the peace for the next month. I urge you to do your part," he said with a glance at Vermilion.

Vermilion nodded reluctantly. "Okay."

The unicorn seemed content with that, and he relaxed his shoulders. "Thank you. Now come with me. I believe most of the other freeborn ponies are gathered over here." He led the group toward one of the back corners of the main hall, where a group of fifteen or so ponies were seated at the tables there, with a good few meters of space between them and any of the other ponies.

"I am Star Commander Sage Whisper, by the way," the unicorn said politely.

"I'm MechWarrior Obsidian, and they're Hazelnut, Vermilion, Mist, Mint, and Sundance," Obsidian said, pointing to each of them in turn. "We're all the same rank."

Sage nodded, a flash of understanding crossing his face. "Ah, your names are familiar. Are you the six from Clan Draconequus who Star Colonel Cobalt Dash took under his wing? I heard a rumor you would show up today."

Mint raised an eyebrow at him. "We are. How'd you hear Cobalt was our bondholder?"

Sage smiled slightly. "Star Colonel Cobalt Dash is an old acquaintance of mine. We fought together for a brief period in our younger years, and while we do not communicate often, we still talk every now and then." He nodded to the group of freeborns sitting at the tables and stopped. "I will leave you here. I believe we will be seeing a lot of each other in the coming weeks."

The group said their goodbyes and sat down near the other freeborns, who mumbled greetings but did not start a conversation. They all looked tired, and Sundance got the feeling everypony was just wanted to take a nap instead of taking the energy to meet new ponies. He felt the same way, considering Mist's snores had kept him from sleeping a wink on the flight over.

For the better part of forty-five minutes the six ponies talked amongst themselves, Obsidian and Hazelnut telling stories of battles they'd fought while in Clan Draconequus. Sundance noticed a couple of the closest freeborns had swiveled their ears toward the group and were listening rather intently. He was glad they seemed less hostile than the majority of the trueborn ponies in the room.

As Loremaster Iceberg entered the room with one last pony, he shut the doors behind him, sending a hush over the hall. He strode up to the head of the room, where a lectern sat atop a podium. He cleared his voice and spoke loudly, allowing his voice to be heard easily by every pony in the hall.

"Warriors of Clan Ghost Bear. You are gathered here for this sacred ritual, one that has been done for nearly two centuries now. From your grandfathers to your fathers, it is now your turn to learn what it means to be the purest of the Clans' Warriors." The lights in the hall dimmed, leaving spotlights on Iceberg. Iceberg shuffled a few papers on the lectern, but Sundance got a feeling they were only for show. He was certain the old pony had whatever he intended to say learned by heart.

"In year zero of the Intergalactic Calendar, scientists discovered a way to travel many times the speed of light. This led to a century of growth, where..."

"Oh no, I'm getting flashbacks to Commander Seaweed," Mist whispered melodramatically. "Why do we need to sit through this again? Everypony knows the story already. We've heard it a million times."

A pony seated near them heard, and her head whipped around angrily. "Bite your tongue, freebirth! Do not insult the Loremaster with your foul complaints," she hissed before turning back around.

Mist jerked back in shock, but kept quiet. Sundance snorted in amusement and turned his attention back to Iceberg, who was still telling the tale of how everything started. To the old pony's credit, while it was a familiar story they all knew, the way he told it was quite captivating, nothing like Commander Seaweed's monotonous mumbling.

"...and with the new expanse of space inhabited with no central command, the Inner Sphere was formed, split into seven pieces. There were the six Great Houses, named after the essence of the ancient heroes of Equestria. In addition to these, the Terran Hegemony was at the head of the Inner Sphere, acting as an overseer.

"Over time, mistrust grew between the Terran Hegemony and the House of Loyalty. They soon broke off from the Inner Sphere, splitting into six Clans named after Terran creatures; Bugbear, Cragadile, Draconequus, Flash Bee, Star Spider, and Slingtail. The Inner Sphere saw the Clan way as barbaric, and drove the original Clans from their home worlds.

"After over a century of seething anger and research into military technology, the Clans invaded the Inner Sphere, intending to absorb it and establish peace and prosperity. With the invention of the BattleMech their progress was swift, carving out nearly a third of the Inner Sphere before reaching Terra. In an effort to end the war without further fighting the Clans challenged their rivals to a Trial of Possession for the entire Inner Sphere. Princess Celestia defeated IlKhan Storm Dash in the Accursed Trial, leading to the end of the invasion."

There was a quiet murmur throughout the hall, and Loremaster Iceberg raised a hoof for silence. The Trial of Possession that had ended the invasion was often referred to as the 'Accursed Trial,' seeing as Storm Dash's defeat was widely believed to be down to luck. It was a sore topic among the Clans, and nopony enjoyed hearing about it.

"The following four hundred years saw relative peace and great growth. In that time the Clans have made incredible strides in technology, the likes of which had not been seen before. The Clans thrived, and infighting was virtually nonexistent.

"But then, over a century ago, Clan Draconequus broke that peace. They started a war without provocation, without reason, without mercy. That is why you all are here, to prove you are worthy to strike down that vile Clan. A century from now, a new Loremaster will be standing in this very spot, recounting the tale of all of you. This war will be ended by your hooves. The Draconequus scum will be crushed beneath your boots, your tank treads, your BattleMech feet. This is where legends are born! History will be made by everypony in this room, and the Clans will sing your praises for years to come!"

There was a cheer from the ponies in the room, and as Iceberg stepped down from the podium, the room erupted into jovial conversation.

Mist stretched his legs and let out a grunt. "Well, that was at least mildly entertaining. Do you really think we'll make history?"

Sundance shrugged. "More or less. I doubt we specifically will be remembered, but we'll fight against Clan Draconequus soon, which is something."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, what do you think the next month is going to be like?" Mist asked.

"Probably a lot like the last Trials we went through. Lots of time to think to ourselves, followed by a brief but dangerous encounter," Mint replied with a sigh. "And I thought we were done with all of that."

Vermilion nodded his agreement. "The desert was mind-numbingly boring. At least this is a change of scenery."

Mist sighed. "We already went through six months of this, more or less. I think we've reflected about as much as we can. I don't know about you guys, but I think things are going to be really damn dull for the better part of the next month."

---

Sundance adjusted his face mask and peered out into the snow-covered forest. The day of the hunt had begun, and come morning, all of the Warriors had left on transport vehicles in their predetermined groups to hopefully pass this last stage of the trial. The sun was still low in the sky, and they had about twelve hours of light to find and kill a ghost bear. The ground around them was flat enough that he didn't think there was one nearby, but he was still on edge.

Obsidian hopped off of the transport vehicle next to Sundance and nudged the young pony with his shoulder. "You nervous at all?" he asked, a knowing look on his face.

Sundance nodded. "Yeah. You remember how terrifying those things are. I'd have to be stupid to not be scared."

"Definitely. I'd probably still be shaking if we all had more than just spears to defend ourselves with. We don't even get armor, just insulated clothing." Obsidian pulled his spear from its holder on his back. It was similar in size and construction to the ones they'd had in the mountains, except it looked more specialized for bear killing. It was longer for one; nearly three meters long. The head of the spear was broader as well, and there was a crosspiece beneath it that probably served to keep the spear from becoming too stuck.

"Come on, what are you guys afraid of? There's six of us. How hard could this be?" Mist asked.

Obsidian shook his head. "You don't know how dangerous they are. Standing on their hind legs they're about three times as tall as me or you, and that's on average. Their claws can tear a suit of Battle Armor to shreds, their jaws are strong enough to bend steel with ease, and they weigh over a metric ton. Not to mention they're surprisingly quick. You can't go charging in and expect to survive."

"Don't they hide underneath the snow for days at a time, too?" Mint asked as she walked over.

"Yep. Their white bodies blend in perfectly, and if the terrain is right, you can't even see a bulge in the snow where they're hiding," Obsidian said.

Mist shrugged. "I know all that. I'm just trying to stay light-hearted."

"He's trying to be more like me, is what he's saying," Mint said as she nudged Mist affectionately.

"Enough of that. Half a day sounds like a long time, but do any of you actually know how to find a ghost bear?" Vermilion said impatiently. "You guys only encountered two in five months."

"I think ghost bears are a lot more prevalent here, but you're right. We should probably get going," Obsidian said as he flipped the fur-lined hood over his head and set out into the snow, with the rest of the group following closely behind. "I don't know how to find one. We spent those five months avoiding ghost bears."

Mist scratched his chin. "Hmm. If they hide underneath the snow, should we spread out? That way we can cover more ground. We should stay close, though. If somepony finds one of those monsters, the others have to be able to react quickly."

The others nodded in agreement and followed his instructions. They spread out so they were about fifty meters apart, close enough together to be within earshot if something happened, but far enough apart that it felt like they were covering as much ground as they effectively could.

"Hey, what happens when we find one? How do we kill it?" Mint called after a while.

"Go for its hind legs. If we can get it on the ground, we can go for the throat without too much trouble," Mist replied. "If it charges you, I think these spears are designed to handle that, too. If you ram the butt end into the ground and point the spear at the bear, it should impale itself on the blade, and if you do it right you won't be crushed. Did everypony hear that?"

Sundance and Hazelnut yelled their replies, both being the ends of their line formation. It was comforting to know that they had somewhat of a plan in place, but even so, everypony in their group was still extremely nervous, and nopony spoke afterward. All of their attention was focused on the snow around them, and their ears constantly swiveled around to listen to the sounds of the forest, straining to hear any noise out of place.

As the day went on and the sun passed its highest point, Sundance noticed it suddenly became much darker. He frowned to himself and lifted the tinted goggles from his eyes. There was a shadow swiftly moving across the ground, encompassing the forest floor and bringing with it a strong gust of wind that made Sundance stumble a step forward.

"Shit, a blizzard? Now?" Mist cried as he glanced at the sky behind them, where dark clouds had begun to roll in. "This is even more sudden than the ones on Dike."

"Well that's just perfect. Why wouldn't they postpone the hunt if there was going to be a blizzard? Or get some weather ponies to clear it out?" Hazelnut shouted, fighting to be heard over the low noise of the wind and the distance between the ponies.

Obsidian shrugged. "I guess they thought it would be a good challenge. We should tighten the formation and be extra careful. Once the snow picks up, make sure you can still see the pony next to you."

The group shifted so that they were walking much closer together. Sundance glanced anxiously over his shoulder, where he could see snowfall over the trees. Within moments the snow was upon them, and it brought with it much stronger winds that tore at his mane and made it almost impossible to see more than a dozen meters or so. They were covering a much smaller area of ground than before because of that, and Sundance wondered if a ghost bear would even be able to sense them over the storm.

As if in answer to Sundance's worries, an all too familiar roar echoed through the forest and sent chills down his spine. He exchanged a terrified glance with Vermilion, and the two of them charged off into the snowstorm toward the sound. Fighting could be heard in the distance, and Sundance hoped they wouldn't be too late.

A shape lumbered toward them, and they raised their spears in front of them, thinking it was the ghost bear. However, as it got closer, Sundance recognized the dirt-brown fur of Hazelnut, with his left ear missing and blood running down his face. "Hazelnut! Are you okay?" he asked as he rushed over to the injured pony.

Hazelnut shook his head, splattering crimson onto the snow. "I'm fine! Go help the others!"

Vermilion hesitated for a moment, but he realized Hazelnut was right. The others needed help more than he did. He grabbed Sundance and pulled him along. "It's not lethal, he'll survive. Come on!"

Sundance nodded and followed Vermilion. The vague shapes milling in the distance quickly became a clear image, and he saw the rest of his friends circled around the massive beast, all of their faces contorted in fear. The ghost bear was standing on its hind legs and roaring at them, and if Sundance had to guess, it must've stood almost six meters tall.

"Dear Celestia, that thing's huge," Vermilion said. "How are we supposed to kill that beast?"

"Just like Mist said. Go for the legs," Sundance replied as they joined the circle around the bear.

Mist gave them a sideways glance as they ran up. "There you guys are. I was starting to worry you didn't notice the bear."

"You'd have to be deaf to not hear it, even over the sound of the storm." Vermilion jumped back as the bear swiped at him, and it's claws raked the air where his nose had been moments before.

"Isn't there a faster way to kill it? The longer the fight goes on, the more chances it has to kill us!" Mint called from the opposite side of the circle.

Mist jabbed at the bear's hind legs before darting out of its reach, eliciting a pained roar from it. "I don't know. This just seemed like the safest way to do it. If you think you can kill the thing, go for it."

"Okay. Here goes nothing." Mint hefted the large spear and charged forward, holding the blade level with the beast's heart. The creature didn't seem to notice, and Sundance watched on, thinking she was about to succeed and end the fight. However, instead of sinking into the flesh between its ribs, the blade stopped harmlessly as it thunked into the bear's ribcage, sending the shock of the blow back into Mint and stunning her for a moment.

The bear turned its head angrily with another roar and grabbed Mint's spear in its powerful jaws. It ripped the weapon from her grasp, causing her to stumble forward a few steps, before reaching down to sink its teeth into her body. Mint brought her right foreleg up at the last moment, and the bear crushed the artificial limb in its mouth before picking up the small pony by it and swinging her around like a chew toy.

"Mint!" Mist shouted as he rushed toward the bear, his spear pointed out in front of him. The bear turned and swung one of its gigantic paws at him. He raised his spear to defend himself from the sharp claws, but the force of the blow still sent him sprawling into the snow.

The distraction allowed Mint to regain her focus, and she reached up with her other foreleg. "Nice try, asshole," she grunted as she wrenched her right foreleg from its baseplate, gritting her teeth in pain as the nerves disconnected and she tumbled to the ground, out of the monster's reach.

While the bear had been busy with Mint, Vermilion hadn't been idle. He had moved around behind the bear, and leapt on its back as soon as Mint was free, wrapping one of his forelegs around its thick neck. With his free hoof he held his spear, and with a shout he stabbed it into the beast's right eye until he felt it hit bone.

The bear roared in agony and began shaking its massive body in an attempt to dislodge its attacker. The spear went flying from Vermilion's grasp into the trees, and despite his best efforts to hold on, he soon followed and landed hard against a tree with a dull thud. He struggled unsteadily to his hooves only to immediately fall over, unconscious.

Not wanting to give the bear a moment to recover, Obsidian charged from behind the bear and sank his spear into its soft rear flesh. "How do you like it up the butt?" he yelled as he jumped away from a wild blow sent from one of its hind legs. Confused, in pain, and blinded from the blood in its remaining eye, the beast ran away from Obsidian, straight toward Sundance.

Sundance tried to leap out of the monster's path, but his hooves slipped on the snow beneath him and he fell to the ground. "Fuck!" he thought as he looked up to see the bear looming over him, only a couple dozen meters or so away. It was deceptively quick for its size, and there was no way he'd be able to move out of its way in time. In a matter of seconds he'd be trampled beneath its powerful paws.

"Wait, the spear!" Sundance thought, remembering back to what Mist had said about them earlier. The spears were designed to be rammed into the ground, and they should even be able to hold back a ghost bear's weight. If he could move quickly enough he could not only kill the bear, but hopefully save his own skin in the process.

The ghost bear's pained roars reverberated in Sundance's skull as it barreled toward him. Had it not been for everything he'd been through, both as a cadet and during his previous Trial, he knew he would have frozen in fear in that moment. Their whole group had grown incredibly over the past year, both as ponies, and as soldiers. Sundance knew they could do anything together and make it out alive. He was confident in eveypony's abilities, but most of all, he trusted them and their plans and decisions with his life.

In a flash, Sundance jumped to his hooves and snatched the spear from the snow. He swung it around and jammed the butt end into the hard ground without a moment to spare, leveled at just the right height to do the job. The ghost bear crashed into the spear, which sunk deep into the beast's chest and bent dangerously from the force of the impact, worrying Sundance that it was going to snap and he would be crushed underneath the bear's weight. However, the spear held up, and the bear fell to the side with an almighty crash that nearly knocked Sundance to the ground. It struggled feebly for a moment, but before long its cries grew silent and it stopped moving.

"Is... is it over? Did you get it?" Mist asked as he crept up behind the bear and poked at it with his spear.

Sundance nodded and pulled his own spear free. From the looks of it the weapon had pierced the bear's heart, ending its life swiftly. "Yeah, I think so."

"Dear Celestia, that was terrifying," Obsidian said with a nervous chuckle. "Good job. I thought you were a goner for a second there."

"Yeah, me too. Luckily I remembered what Mist had said earlier about using the spears," Sundance said with a glance at his friend.

Mist scratched his flank through the thick clothing absentmindedly. "It was something I read about boar hunting earlier this month. I noticed the spears we were given were similarly shaped to what's used for hunting boar, but much larger, obviously."

"Well, it's a good thing you read about that. I guess they wanted us to research how to fight ghost bears on our own. I have no idea why none of the rest of us even thought to do that," Obsidian said.

Mist shrugged. "Just luck, I guess."

"What do we do now?" Mint called from across the clearing as she hobbled from the tree line. The blizzard had subsided somewhat, and they could see a little better than before.

"We'll get picked up in a transport vehicle once we send our coordinates to the base," Mist replied.

"Good. I don't know if Vermilion could walk all the way back," Sundance said with a glance at the red pony. Vermilion was awake now, but he didn't look very coherent. His eyes were unfocused, and even sitting down, he seemed unsteady.

Another roar shook the forest, and the ponies jumped in fright. Sundance glanced back at the ghost bear, but it hadn't moved at all while they were talking. Was there another one out there?

"Mint! Behind you!" Obsidian shouted. Sundance's head whipped around to see another ghost bear towering over Mint, impossibly huge and even more terrifying than the one they had just killed. Standing on its hind legs it was nearly half as tall as the trees around it, and it had its paws raised in the air, preparing to slam them down on the small pony. She stood with her limbs locked in terror, staring up at her impending doom with wide eyes.

Something shot past Sundance, making him stumble slightly. He shook his head and saw Mist charging toward the bear at full speed. Even so, it was just an act of desperation. There was no way for him to reach the bear in time to save Mint.

Out of nowhere, a spear flew from the fog of the blizzard and sank into the ghost bear's soft side. It bellowed in pain and turned to face its attacker, completely forgetting about its prey for a moment. That short span of time was enough for Mist to reach it, and with a cry of rage he jabbed his spear into the monster's exposed neck and held the other end of the weapon firmly against the ground.

The bear's cries cut off abruptly as blood began gurgling in its throat and jetting out into the snow around it, coating Mist and Mint in the sickening fluid. It flailed its forelegs wildly, but even with its large size, the spear held it at a far enough distance that it couldn't reach the two ponies. The spear bent underneath the creature's weight, but again proved its strength and remained in one piece.

The spear jerked in Mist's grasp as one of the bear's claws managed to connect with the weapon, and even in its weakened state, the beast had enough strength combined with its weight to shear the spear in half. Mist recovered from the jolt, but not quickly enough to move out of the way. It crashed down on top of him and remained still.

"No... Mist!" Mint shouted as she hobbled over to the dead bear and tried to shove it off of Mist. "Get over here and help me!"

Sundance and Obsidian ran over to help move the monster. Hazelnut appeared from the trees in the direction the spear had been thrown from, his head bandaged in what appeared to be strips of his clothing. "Good timing with that spear," Obsidian said as he began pushing against the bear.

"I hope it was enough," Hazelnut replied as he added his weight to the effort.

Even with the strength of the four ponies, they couldn't quite move the dead bear out of the way. Once or twice it would shift, but then somepony would slip and it would go right back to where it had been before. Sundance had begun to worry that they'd be too late when he felt another pony move in beside him, and he turned to see Vermilion working next to him.

"Vermilion, you're awake!" Sundance grunted inbetween shoves.

Vermilion shrugged. "Barely. Now let's get Mist out of there."

Sundance nodded and turned back to the ghost bear. Now that Vermilion was helping they had just enough combined strength, and with a final heave, the bear rolled over onto its side and off of Mist, who drew a weak breath as the weight was finally lifted from his body.

"Mist!" Mint cried as she jumped forward and wrapped her foreleg around him.

"Ow... I'll live, don't worry," Mist replied, returning the embrace.

Sundance let out a sigh of relief and fell back in the snow. He'd half expected them to not find even one ghost bear on the hunt, so finding two that were considerably larger than average was quite the unexpected turn of events. What's more, the fact that they had all completed their Clawing without life-threatening injuries was a bit surprising. After the excitement died down, it quickly dawned on the group that they were now Clawed warriors, and as a result demanded high respect from the other warriors of Clan Ghost Bear, despite their origins. To top it all off, they'd be able to stay together under Colonel Cobalt's command.

"Are you okay, Mist? That's quite a lot of weight to have crush you," Obsidian said after a moment as he kicked the second ghost bear, still breathing heavily from exhertion.

Mist nodded. "Yeah, my flank just hurts a bit," he said, shifting his rear legs. Sundance could see a cut in the clothing right above the blue pony's right hind leg, but it didn't look too serious.

Mint prodded gently at the tear in the fabric. "I think you'll be alright. The doctors should be able to- oh my..." she trialed off.

"What is it?" Mist asked as he twisted his head around. An expression of shock briefly passed his face, but then he turned back to Sundance and Vermilion with a look of triumph. Even before Sundance saw his friend's flank, he knew what that expression meant.

An open book had appeared across Mist's flank. After seventeen years of cruel life, he had finally earned his cutie mark.

Next Chapter: Chapter 12 - Snake in the Grass Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 35 Minutes