The roar of the ghost bear shook Sundance to his core. It was a sound like a DropShip flying just overhead, only the threat of such a massive animal made it much more terrifying. "I had a feeling we'd run into a ghost bear eventually, but why'd it have to be in a situation like this?" he thought in fear.

The other end of the rope whipping past drew Sundance from his panicked thoughts. As much as the prospect of fighting one of the massive creatures was petrifying, he knew he couldn't leave Obsidian to fight for himself. They were going to make it through the trial together, or not at all. He began climbing the ice wall again, terror driving his hastened movements.

Sundance didn't have time to feel relieved at the comfort of solid ground underneath his hooves. As soon as he crested the ledge he looked around wildly, taking in all of the information he could. Obsidian's damaged spear was close, but likely wouldn't be much use against the monster in its condition. A quick check of his battery indicator confirmed using his micro pulse laser more than once would just get him killed later rather than sooner. Despite the weight of the heavy suit, the ghost bear had Obsidian in its mouth and was struggling to bite through the armor of his Hvitur with its powerful jaws, but Sundance knew it was only a matter of time before it got lucky and found a gap in the steel.

The weight of his spear served as a reminder to Sundance of everything else he had been taught as a cadet. In moments when everything else failed, the ability to rely on instincts was crucial. His weren't the strongest, and while his fight-or-flight reaction tended more towards the latter, he had his moments of clarity that had saved him or others on a small number of occasions. This was one such moment.

Sundance held the spear securely in one foreleg and began to charge at the ghost bear. The monster had its back turned towards him, so with any luck it wouldn't notice him until it was too late. He pushed back the fear that continued to mount in his throat as he got closer and aimed the Hvitur's laser carefully. Hesitation wouldn't be helpful here. He had one shot at this.

The laser mounted on the Hvitur's shoulder pulsed once, directly at the ghost bear's jaw. The smell of charred flesh and burning fur filled the air as the creature let out an agonized roar and dropped Obsidian, who fell heavily to the ground. Before the monster could further react, Sundance was on it with his spear. His aim with both weapons was true, and the pointed tip pierced the thick hide of the ghost bear and severed the muscles in its hind left leg. It fell backwards with an audible CRACK, nearly crushing Sundance in the process, and lay immobile.

Sundance let out a heavy breath and glanced at the large creature. The sound it made as it fell combined with its stillness led him to believe its neck had snapped as it fell. "A spot of luck," he thought with relief. His plan had only been to injure the creature to give them a chance to escape, but this allowed them the time to recover before continuing. He took a short moment to calm his panicked nerves and turned to Obsidian, who had pushed himself shakily into a sitting position. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Obsidian nodded. "I'll live. Thanks for that." He stood up and shook one of his hind legs before placing it gingerly on the ground. "It nearly had me there." One of his forelegs lifted as he took a step towards Sundance, but he stopped suddenly with a look of fear on his face. "Look out!"

The force of the ghost bear's claws sent Sundance flying a few meters away into the snow. It was only a glancing blow, but the red light that went off in his helmet and the breach notification on his HUD were enough to tell him it had done substantial damage. Another loud CRACK split the air, and Sundance realized what he had thought was the sound of bones breaking earlier was really just the ice cracking.

Sundance's head impacted painfully against the ice, receiving little protection from the snow. "This is bad. My spear is still stuck in its leg and I can't fire the laser again," he thought. He rolled over so his back was against the ground, and saw the monster pull itself painfully to its feet. Its nostrils flared in anger, and despite being unable to use its jaw as a weapon, the sharp claws had already proven themselves to be more than effective.

Yet another CRACK filled the air as the ghost bear took a step forward. This one seemed to resonate in the ice itself, and the ground beneath the creature shifted slightly. A look of terror briefly flashed across its face before the ice beneath it gave way and it slid into the crevasse. Its harrowing roars echoed through the deep chasm, and while it normally would have filled Sundance with fear, he felt only relief.

Sundance rested his head back in the snow and let out a nervous breath, but a strange tugging at his midsection caught his attention. The realization of its origin dawned on him the instant before the rope yanked him after the creature and to the ledge above the tall drop.

Sundance's hooves reached out desperately and managed to catch on the edge of the new divot that had been created in the ice when it had collapsed away. It was recessed two or three meters below the ground around it, and the angle made it extremely difficult to hold his own weight along with the ghost bear's.

When Sundance glanced down he saw the black thread stretched taught and wrapped firmly around one of the monster's claws. It was roaring in agony from the large amount of force on the small area, and Sundance watched as the tendril slowly sliced through its tough hide and flesh. The bones had likely already been broken, so it was only a matter of time before it fell. Whether or not Sundance could keep his grip for that long was another question.

The Hvitur's metallic hooves slipped a couple of centimeters, and Sundance gasped. At this rate he wasn't likely to survive the encounter, and he cursed his carelessness. Millimeter by millimeter he slid off of the ledge, inching closer to his death. The chasm yawned below him, black and uninviting. "I hope it doesn't end painfully," he thought. He clenched his eyes shut as he felt his hooves reach the edge of their hold. "At least I'll get to see Tangelo again."

Sundance was airborne for only a moment before he felt something grab his forelegs. He looked up to see Obsidian leaning over the ledge above him, struggling to support the immense weight. "What are you doing? You're gonna get yourself killed," he said.

"I couldn't just let you die after you saved my ass, now could I?" Obsidian replied with a wink. The pulse laser on his Hvitur began to move as he aimed past Sundance, directing the weapon towards the creature below. Time seemed to slow as the machine made minute adjustments, and both ponies held their breath as the weapon flashed a single time.

The shot was precise. All the weight from Sundance's midsection was lifted as the ghost bear's claw vaporized and it tumbled into the darkness. The monster impacted once, twice, three times against the ice before its cries cut off. They had done it. The bear was dead.

Obsidian hauled Sundance up to safety and fell back into the snow. The young pony joined him, and the two of them lied there for a long moment, exhausted.

"Well, that was sure to impress one of those three if they were watching," Obsidian said with a chuckle. The thrill of surviving such a dangerous encounter made the two ponies giddy, and it gave them a sense of excitement.

Sundance laughed and looked at the sun overhead through the Hvitur's tinted visor. He was sure Cobalt would be more than happy to pick apart their performance and tell them what they each did wrong if he had seen it, and even now he could think of a few things he could have done differently or been more careful about. Nonetheless, it was still an impressive feat. "Yeah. Maybe if we're lucky they'll call it now and just let us go back," he said jokingly.

"Not likely." Obsidian rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself upright. He let out a groan and rolled his shoulders. "Ow. I'm gonna be sore for days."

"Me too." Sundance struggled to his hooves and winced at the pain in his body. The adrenaline had begun to wear off as they took a moment to rest, and there was a light stinging in his side. The damage indicator on his HUD showed the breach had already been sealed by the limited self repair system, and the light wounds he had suffered were no longer bleeding thanks to the Harjel system on the machine.

Harjel, a naturally occurring petroleum-like material, was very useful in both 'Mechs and Battle Armor alike. Its main uses on the Hvitur were to control the pilot's bleeding and seal any gaps in the armor, preventing both heat loss and the escape of oxygen in the case of a less-habitable planet.

Obsidian shook himself and looked Sundance over. "You should be fine. There doesn't seem to be any serious damage to your suit, so there's nothing to worry about. Is mine okay?"

Sundance nodded. Obsidian's Hvitur was noticeably more beat up than his own, but the armor appeared to have held and there weren't any visible gaps. Anything that had been there earlier had already been sealed by the Harjel, and it looked strong enough to finish the trial. Assuming they didn't run into another ghost bear, of course.

"Right then. Let's get moving. With the battery we have left, we should still be able to make it to the next supply cache." Obsidian started forward through the snow, and Sundance followed close behind. The terrain map showed nothing but flat ice for many kilometers, so with any luck they wouldn't have to cross another crevasse like that one. He wasn't sure he could handle any more excitement in one day.

---

Sundance swung the access hatch to his Hvitur's battery compartment shut and sighed. They had been traveling for the better part of four months, but with the help of the Battle Armor they were ahead of schedule. With any luck they'd reach their 'Mechs by the end of the fifth month. Even with the machines, it was exhausting. Not to mention painfully boring. Sundance would be happy if he never had to see snow again in his life.

"Two mountains down, one to go," Obsidian said encouragingly as he finished replacing the battery in his own Hvitur. "If I didn't know any better I'd say this trial was going a little too well." He let out a chuckle as Sundance raised an eyebrow at him. "Or maybe not. But hey, at least we've only had to fight one ghost bear so far."

The light above them flickered off as Sundance flipped the hidden switch in the small supply cache. Since the first one that contained the pair of Battle Armor, the orange boxes had shrunken drastically in size. Now only about the size of a pony, these containers always held two batteries and rations for a day. Most days they even held something special.

That night's mystery supply wasn't particularly useful, but it was a nice comfort. A small pair of chocolate bars lay at the bottom of the box, tucked in neatly with their other rations. An oddly frivolous choice for the Clans, but Sundance assumed that was because of the freeborns in the Silveroot Keshik. Freeborns weren't nearly as spartan as the trueborns were in most cases.

"What'd we get this time?" Obsidian asked as he shouldered his way in next to the smaller pony. "Chocolate? Nice. I haven't had that in ages." He reached in eagerly and began unwrapping one of the silver bars.

Sundance picked up the remaining hoof-sized rectangle and turned it in his hooves. "I've never actually had chocolate before," he admitted.

Obsidian raised an eyebrow as he took a bite. "Really?" He swallowed and frowned slightly. "I guess it's not actually that surprising. We used to get some on the Constellation every few months, but it was strictly controlled and often ended up being traded for other things."

"What kinds of other things?"

Obsidian shrugged. "Oh, you know. The usual. Cigarettes, playing cards, small items salvaged during battle, even sex on a few occasions that I can remember."

Sundance snorted. "Prostitution for chocolate? It must have been really good, then."

"The chocolate or the sex?" Obsidian asked jokingly. "Both were dog shit, but it's not like we had much else." He lied down on their makeshift bed, which had become matted over the past few months. Sundance often found himself wishing they could be given an actual set of bedding, one with enough room to stretch out on.

Obsidian let out a long sigh. "Except for Cotton. Everything about her was great. She was an amazing pony, and one of the best friends I've ever had."

There was a light click as Sundance swung the orange container shut and walked over to the entrance of their small cave. Each of the supply caches were placed inside the mountains, out of the wind and snow. They hadn't been given tents, so trying to sleep out in the open would probably end with them frozen solid. "Really? You dated Cotton?"

"Nah, none of us did. I guess you could think of it as a reverse harem with me, Slate, and Hazelnut if that helps. But still, I often found myself thinking, 'if there was one pony in all of the universe who I'd want to spend the rest of my life with, it's her.' Don't tell Slate I said that, by the way."

Sundance chuckled and sat on the cold ground. He wasn't really tired at the moment, and even if he was he didn't think he'd be able to rest. Obsidian's talk had almost immediately reminded him of Tangelo, and he always had trouble sleeping whenever she came to mind.

They continued eating in silence for a few minutes. Obsidian had already scarfed down his food long ago, but Sundance preferred savoring it. Their rations were standard MRE's, and the heat they gave off was always comforting to him in the bitter cold. Even if they weren't the best tasting and the veggie burgers tended to sit in his stomach like rocks, they reminded him of his days as a cadet. He missed those days, especially the ones he spent with Tangelo. Quite often he found himself wondering how things would have been different if he had been more bold back then, but he was happy with how his relationship with her turned out. He just wished it hadn't been so short lived.

"I imagine you felt the same way about Tangelo. The two of you were pretty close," Obsidian said after a moment, breaking the silence.

Sundance sighed. He should have seen this coming. Obsidian brought this topic up all the time. He'd be annoyed if he didn't know the pony was just trying to help, but it often felt like Obsidian was being a little pushy. Tonight, however, Sundance felt he was ready to talk. He'd been avoiding his feelings for far too long. He was done running.

"Yeah. She... she was everything. My whole world. And now she's gone."

Obsidian nodded. "It's tough, losing the ones you love. Back in the infirmary I spent countless hours lost in thought, just reminiscing about all the memories I spent with the ones I lost."

"Me too." Sundance shifted slightly and traced lines in the snow with one of his hooves. Losing both Chartreuse and Tangelo at the same time hadn't been easy, and even though he had barely known Fern, he still felt sad about the green pony's death, too. Remembering the time they had all spent together was comforting, but also painful at the same time.

Obsidian cast the young pony a sideways glance. "You can talk about it, if you think you're ready."

Sundance shrugged. "I want to, but I don't know what to say."

"Well, try telling me your favorite memories with your friends. Sharing that kind of stuff with others always made me feel better, so it's worth a shot."

"Alright." Sundance sighed and glanced out at the sky. The sun had set long ago, leaving nothing in the sky but stars. The entire galaxy was visible overhead with the lack of light pollution, and swirls of orange and purple filled the vast expanse. It reminded him of all the nights he spent with Tangelo, when they'd sneak out after dark and just stare at the sky, wondering if there'd ever be a better life for them.

"I didn't know Fern very well, but there's one moment that I always remembered about him. We were up late one night, and Bistre had found a strange mushroom on the way back from the mess hall. He dared Fern to eat it, and the dumbass actually did." Sundance snorted. "He was sick for the rest of the week."

Obsidian shook his head. "That kid was an idiot. He puked on Hazelnut when we picked you guys up from Dike."

"That sounds like Fern." Sundance shivered at a chilling gust of wind and pulled the thin base layer he was wearing tighter around himself. "I guess Chartreuse is next.

"It's hard to pick just one moment with her. We trained together for so long, and I have countless good memories of her." Sundance scratched the side of his neck and smiled slightly. "Chartreuse wasn't just an amazing pilot, she was crazy talented at everything she tried, and an amazing friend. No matter what we were doing she always managed to one-up us, but she was never smug about it. Not seriously, at least. She especially enjoyed shutting down Mist whenever he got cocky, which I always found funny."

"I think Mist probably started to enjoy it after a while," Obsidian said jokingly.

Sundance chuckled. "Probably. If that was what he was looking for in a relationship, he was in the right place." He glanced back out at the stars, where a particularly bright one caught his attention. It was almost two times as big as the next largest star in the sky, and despite the bitter air around him, he felt oddly comforted by it. "And then there's Tangelo. There's one moment with her that always sticks in my mind, and I see it in my dreams all the time. The location, anyway. She's never there with me anywhere but my memories." Sundance sighed and swallowed the lump that had begun to form in his throat.

"It was late in the evening after our first real combat training exercise, just a few months before we left Dike. She took me down one of the overgrown paths. There was a large clearing with a waterfall and a bridge, and I just remembered it being the most beautiful place I've ever seen. After that, we went to a massive tree in the middle of the forest, and that was where we first kissed. She told me about her past, and after that we just took our time walking back to the mess hall, talking about whatever came to mind. It's a perfect memory. If there's one thing I want to remember for the rest of my life, it's that night." Sundance sighed again and blinked his eyes to clear the wetness he had felt building up in them. It was always hard thinking about her after her death, but he had to admit he felt at least a little better having shared his thoughts with someone else.

Obsidian was silent for a moment. Sundance hadn't noticed him move during the monologue, but the black pony was now sitting next to him at the entrance of the cave. After a brief pause he spoke up, his voice unusually devoid of any humor. "That sounds like a very special memory."

Sundance nodded but didn't say anything. He instead carefully unwrapped the chocolate bar that he had almost forgotten about and took a bite. It was soft, having melted partially from his body heat, and surprisingly bitter. It was darker in color than the few other pieces of chocolate he had seen before, too. He had always expected it to taste sweeter from how others had described it. Maybe there were different types of chocolate? Either way, it was surprisingly good. The only thing he didn't really like about it was how it dried out his mouth.

"Well, we shouldn't sit out here in the cold all night. Getting sick wouldn't be a fun time," Obsidian said as Sundance finished the chocolate bar. He stood and walked over to the furs, which had lost all of their residual heat by that point.

Sundance stood and followed the older pony. Sleeping with somepony always reminded him of the nights he and Tangelo would always steal. They'd dragged a pair of unused mattresses to a secret spot in the camp, and on warmer nights they'd sneak away and sleep together under the stars if the weather was nice. She had always liked the endless possibilities of what was out there, which was something Sundance liked about her. Tangelo was very down-to-earth, and she always held hope, even if it was just a tiny shred. Even though she was no longer alive, Sundance often felt she was the only thing still keeping him going.

---

The tumblers clicked into place as Sundance slammed a metal door shut behind him and locked it. He had almost had a heart attack when another ghost bear suddenly appeared in the snow in front of him just a minute or so prior, but a laser blast to the creature's face from Obsidian had distracted it long enough for the two ponies to flee. Luckily, the Hviturs allowed them to run much faster than the bear, and they managed to make it through a seemingly out of place metal door hidden in the side of the mountain. Sundance wasn't sure the creature had followed them, but it never hurt to be careful.

Sundance sighed and turned around to survey their surroundings. They were in a long hallway with hard concrete floors, dull sheet metal walls, and linear fluorescent lights that had turned on as soon as the doors opened. The hall went on for as long as he could see, but the terrain map updated to show it stopped after about two kilometers, just at the end of the long range sensor's reach. "What is this place?"

Obsidian frowned and reached around into his bag. He pulled out the map, which had become rather tattered by this point in their journey, and peered closely at it. "I'm not really sure. We should still be a day's travel from our 'Mechs. The map says the entrance is on the other side of the peak."

The ground shook slightly as Sundance walked over to Obsidian and looked at the map over his shoulder. "Do you think this tunnel leads to our 'Mechs? Maybe it's like a short cut or something. It leads in the right direction."

"You might be right." Obsidian glanced down the long hall and back at the map a few times. After a moment he shrugged and folded the map back up before starting off towards the far end. "I guess we don't really have much of a choice other than to see where it leads, considering the ghost bear that might still be outside. Come on."

That was all the motivation Sundance needed. He trotted behind Obsidian through the long gray tunnel, wary of traps the whole way. Maybe he was just being paranoid, but he didn't think Cobalt would have given them this tunnel to use if it were so easy to get through.

Which made it all the more surprising when they came to a set of double doors recessed into the far wall without incident. The entire two kilometers of the tunnel was just an open expanse of rock and steel, nothing more than what might have been an access tunnel. Not a single laser turret had shot at them, the floor hadn't opened up to reveal a massive spike trap, nothing. It was just a boring hallway.

"Huh. Did we miss something?" Sundance asked in confusion.

Obsidian shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't see anything else on the way, did you?" Sundance shook his head, and the older pony turned back to the doors. "Well, I guess we might as well go through. Be ready in case it's a trap or something," he said with a nod towards the laser mounted on the shoulder of Sundance's Hvitur.

Sundance felt his body tense up as Obsidian swung the pair of doors open. He half expected it to open up into a small room where another ghost bear would be waiting for them, but he let out a gasp when he saw what was on the other side.

Standing tall through the opening was a pair of 'Mechs, Obsidian's Grand Summoner and Sundance's Hellbringer, both repaired and polished to perfect condition. Everything that had been destroyed on his 'Mech had been replaced and repaired, and while some plates of armor along the rear and center torso still showed light scars from the last battle, the whole machine gleamed with new life.

"It was really that simple, huh?" Obsidian said in wonder. Even he seemed impressed by the machines' conditions.''

"Apparently." Sundance took a tentative step forward, but no sirens went off and no machine guns sprouted from the walls. This was it. It was the end of their Trial.

Obsidian grinned at Sundance and deactivated his Hvitur. The armor plates opened up, allowing the black pony to pull himself out of the still-damaged machine and take a step forward. He snorted and glanced up at his 'Mech. "I don't know why I was expecting it to be warm in here." He shook his head and ran towards his 'Mech. "Let's get this over with, Sundance! I want to sleep in an actual bed again. Five months on that thin excuse for bedding has given me cramps in more places than you want to know."

Sundance shook his head and powered down his own suit of Battle Armor before stepping out. Even though it was simplistic compared to a 'Mech and had no conscience as far as he could tell, it was still a useful machine that had served him well in the mountains. Hopefully the Techs could fix it up and put it to use again. He didn't want to see it torn apart and used as scrap.

By the time Sundance arrived at the two 'Mechs, Obsidian had already stripped from his base layer and was halfway into his cooling suit, which had been placed on the floor next to his Grand Summoner. "Do you have no sense of urgency? Our half-year long mission is over and we can finally go where it's warm again."

Sundance snorted in amusement and grabbed his cooling suit from the floor next to the foot of his Hellbringer. He could definitely understand Obsidian's excitement at finally being able to leave the frozen wasteland, and the pony's enthusiasm began to spill into him as he suited up and began climbing up the side of his 'Mech. It had been almost a year since he had last been in the cockpit, and he was excited to see Solis again. "I wonder how she's doing. When she's powered down it's as if she's asleep, so what will it be like, waking up in an unfamiliar location like this?"

The access hatch swung open easily under his hooves to reveal the clean cockpit. While the cockpit layout was the same, everything else about it was different. The Techs had really outdone themselves, and all of the aging interior had been replaced with brand new parts, colored in various shades of gray and black, along with blue accents. A flicker of fear popped into his mind, and he hoped Solis was still here. What if they had replaced the DI computer when doing repairs? He'd have to hope they had left her in, otherwise he'd have a lot of trouble getting down the mountain.

Only when Sundance was strapped into his seat and had his hooves hovering over the controls did he realize he hadn't been provided a neurohelmet. Was he expected to pilot his Hellbringer without one? It was possible to do, but he had never tried it before. As well as that, he would be unable to communicate with Solis. "Oh well, just another part of the Trial, I guess. I'll have to wait a bit longer to see Solis again," he thought with a twinge of sadness.

The Hellbringer hummed to life as Sundance began the startup sequence. The various beeps and other noises he usually heard through the neurohelmet came from a speaker situated above him, which he had never noticed in the cockpit before. Was that a new addition?

A familiar hum in the back of Sundance's mind made him stop. It was the hum he normally got from a neurohelmet when the 'Mech powered up, but he wasn't wearing one. What was going on?

Reactor: Online. Sensors: Online. Weapons: Online. All Systems Nominal.

Hello, Sundance. Good to hear you again, Solis said happily.

Sundance was sure his jaw would have hit the floor were it possible. "Solis? But how? I'm not wearing a neurohelmet," he thought in confusion.

I'm not sure. Every time I've powered up since our last battle, something had felt different. It would seem ponies have been making constant adjustments.

"Hmm. Maybe it's some sort of new tech?" Sundance wondered. Before he could continue that train of thought, however, he heard a voice he had long forgotten cut in on the comms.

"Congrats, you two. You survived and made it to your 'Mechs. Surprisingly, you even found that access tunnel Cobalt told me to have plugged up way back when he started putting ponies through this Trial. He's gonna have my ass for that," Enzo said, his voice garbled slightly by static. "Anyway, you should have already noticed the upgrades we made to your 'Mechs. Just a few modifications and some heavy maintenance to bring them up to snuff. I heard that Hellbringer in particular was a nightmare for the Techs."

A red light in the ceiling began flashing as a harsh siren blared and the sound of scraping filled the large space. Sundance squinted his eyes as the opposite wall, which appeared to be a thin bay door, slid into the far wall and allowed white light to spill in. The tint of the Hellbringer's cockpit shifted to a darker shade almost immediately at the bright gleaming snow, and Sundance raised an eyebrow. That was definitely new. A new set of NAV points had also appeared, but the distraction of the new cockpit had kept him from noticing at first.

"So now all that's left is to head down the mountain, which should only take a few hours if you're quick about it. There's a NAV point at each turn in the suggested path, so it should be easy to follow. Once you're at the foot of the mountain there will be a Broadsword waiting for you. It will take you back to our main base, where your ordeal will finally be over. And be careful on your way down. The slope has been known to trip up 'Mechs," Enzo added with a chuckle. There was a click as he left the comm channel, leaving Sundance and Obsidian alone.

"Well... that was a rather sudden end to the Trial," Obsidian said with a hint of lingering surprise in his voice.

Sundance nodded. He had thought they still had another day of travel left, but the hallway they had went through shaved off a lot of travel. It might have even saved them from another ghost bear encounter.

Obsidian's Grand Summoner took a tentative step forward in the 'Mech Bay, and the older pony let out a grunt of surprise. "Wow, the Techs really put in a lot of work. I've never piloted a 'Mech that ran this smoothly. That incessant knocking in the left leg is gone, too." His 'Mech walked out into the sunlight and paused, the armor plates gleaming. The Clan Draconequus symbol had been replaced with that of Clan Ghost Bear, and the entire machine had been painted in shades of white, gray, and blue. "Come on, I want to get to a private room as fast as possible. I haven't jacked off in months."

Sundance snorted at the joke, which might have actually been a completely serious statement considering the pony's nature, and pushed the throttle forward. Obsidian was right; his Hellbringer moved like the well-maintained machine it should have been all along. The controls didn't jerk, all the small scraping noises were gone, the torso and limbs didn't feel gunked up... The 'Mech was about two hundred years old, yet it felt brand new. "This is amazing. Does it feel any different to you?" he asked Solis.

Hugely. It all felt normal to me before, but now that I'm in proper working order, I don't think I could ever go back to the way I was before, Solis said gleefully.

"I get what you mean." Sundance glanced at the map screen and surveyed their route. The NAV points snaked down the mountain in what seemed to be the safest path that wouldn't take all day to traverse. He sighed in relief and leaned back slightly in the seat. It was a lot more comfortable, not having the weight of a neurohelmet on his neck anymore. His connection with Solis felt slightly weaker than with one, but he still felt entirely capable of communicating with her, so he preferred it this way. "The worst of it is over, and now we can finally get back to the others." Sundance grinned at the prospect of seeing his friends again. As much as he liked Obsidian, things had started to get lonely.

The worst of it? What happened while we were apart? Solis asked in confusion.

"More than you know." Sundance chuckled inwardly and sighed. "I guess we've got enough time for me to update you on the situation. It's a long story."

---

Sundance waited as Obsidian loaded his Grand Summoner into the Broadsword-class DropShip that was waiting for them at the bottom of the mountain. They were on a small plateau, the only perfectly flat ground for kilometers around. It wasn't much, but apparently it was enough for the 'Ship to use to takeoff and land.

Obsidian waved to Sundance as the 'Ship's door swung shut after him. Sundance shook his head and walked over to the other side of the ship, where the open doors awaited his own Hellbringer. However, another 'Mech stepped out as he came around the nose of the Broadsword, and he halted suddenly to avoid smashing into it.

"You are Sundance, I presume?" a mare's voice asked over the comms. Sundance assumed it belonged to the pilot of the newcomer, a Mad Dog in Ghost Bear colors.

"Yes. Who are you?" Sundance had never heard this pony's voice before, and he was more than a little confused. Why had they not been told there would be another 'Mech on the ship?

The voice continued, not bothering to introduce herself. Had it not been for their reply, he would have considered the pony to be rude. "It has come to our attention that you did not participate in a Trial of Position as a cadet, quiaff?"

Sundance felt his stomach sink. He had felt so relieved when the announcement was made that the Trial of Position was no longer a requirement for warriors in Clan Draconequus. The possibility of having to complete one now hadn't even been on his list of things he needed to consider. This was quite the unexpected twist for him, the kind he didn't like. "Aff."

Even before Sundance heard the reply, he knew what was coming. The past five months might have actually been for nothing. It was all going to ride on the next few minutes. He tightened his hooves around the controls of his Hellbringer in determination. It was time to test if the new life of the machine was all it was cracked up to be.

"Then I will be your opponent. The fight will be here, and you will do it alone. The Blooding begins now."

Next Chapter: Chapter 4 Estimated time remaining: 5 Hours, 46 Minutes