"This sucks!" Norton said as he flung the Leaper off himself. "How come these things don't get frostbite!?"

"Because they're Necromorphs!" Scootaloo yelled crushing a Slasher while she cut into another with the Ripper on top while the blade gave a small electric charge. "Sweetiebelle, where's Isaac and Nexus?"

"They should be here any-here they are! Hey Isaac!" Sweetiebelle waved as she tore a Leaper into three pieces.

They all momentarily stopped to glance at the cliff edge as a large clawed hoof came over, and shortly after Isaac with his Negotiator. Nexus, fully changed into his second form, rose above the edge and gave a roar as Isaac jumped off, firing away.

"Surprise motherfuckers!" He yelled blasting a Slasher away. "You can't kill me that easily! A lift and a Leaper wouldn't have stopped me! None of you can stop me!" He yelled blasting away at the Necromorphs, the shots coming from his weapon giving small flashes in the dimly lit area.

Helping the engineer, Norton, Scootaloo and Sweetiebelle moved in with him, Babs, feeling safer with Isaac, rushed to his side and fired with him, but Isaac was killing them just as quickly as they could aim. After they managed to kill one or two Necromorphs, the bodies unidentifiable thanks to Isaac blasting them as they still twitched, the fight was over as soon as it had started.

As they all re-loaded, Isaac marched up to Sweetiebelle, his faceplate down to show his anger. She looked up at him, using puppy-dog eyes and splaying her ears back.

"I have half a mind to punt you over this cliff for what you did." He said jabbing a finger at her. "But I'll settle for switching Applebloom with you. Just don't send me over anymore cliffs, alright? And which one of you almost crushed me with that damn lift?" He asked looking at the others.

"Uh... Norton?" She said pointing at the man.

"Yeah," Norton said shrugging. "I blame the rusted cable."

Isaac, raising a finger as if to say something, clenched a fist and continued on. Looking at the four ponies below his knees, Norton shrugged alongside them as they watched the steaming engineer kick a Leaper head over the edge of the cliff.

Following him, they stopped at the entrance to a cave, the sound of the wind crying from inside making them shudder for a second. Isaac, sighing went in first, followed by Norton, Sweetiebelle alongside Nexus, and then Scootaloo with Babs.

"So," Norton said. "What exactly did you mean when you said you were almost crushed by a lift? You mean the elevator?"

"Yeah, I guess the name sort'a stuck back in school." Isaac replied. looking behind a corner. "That's what the others called elevators, they all got it from the last British student. I knew him, he was a pretty good kid."

"Huh. What happened to him?"

"I'd... Rather not bring up bad memories." He said hollowly. "It involved the Ishimura. He was working with... My last fiancee."

"Oh, damn." Norton said looking away. "Um, if you don't mind, I went through your record at one point and, there was a blank spot for a few-"

"Titan Station." Scootaloo said. "You should know about that, Mr. EarthGov."

"Hod did you know I was EarthGov?" He asked looking at his shoulder badge. "Was it the suit? My gun?"

"Your record when I hacked EarthGov's funds." She said bringing up a screen. "By the way, your doctor recommends taking a prescription for the high blood-pressure. So, eat less of those french fries."

"Whatever happened to doctor's not giving out their patients info?" He said as they turned a corner and saw two more sets of climbing gear. "Alright, I don't want any of that glowing shit on my cord again. And I certainly don't want to be pulled up by two sets of razor sharp teeth."

"And I don't want to almost die again." Isaac said casting a glance at Nexus. "And you two stay on Norton's side. I'm not having anyone knock me off a cliff again, especially in a damn cave."

Sweetiebelle and Nexus, looking up the face of the cave, both turned and galloped away back outside. Isaac and Norton had hooked themselves up and were already moving up, Scootaloo already waiting at the first ledge with Babs in a tentacle. Looking down at them, she heard a screech and saw a Lurker crawl out from between a pair of cracks below her. Snorting in annoyance, she hit it off with a good swipe from her tentacles. Seeing another, and then a second, she kept repeating it.

Down below, the Lurkers were falling near and once, on the two humans below.

"This is why I hate these things!" Isaac yelled knocking another off him. "Why do they have to jump off like lemmings!?"

"Because they want to kill us! That's why!" Norton yelled dodging another as it fell. "Rocks! Jump to the other side!"

Isaac, following Norton's call, watched as a few boulder fell past where they once were. Shooting a Lurker that had come up on a lower part of the cliff face. Dodging the body, they both continued up until they came to a split in the rock, jumping to the other side, they nearly dodged another two boulders that fell down. Finishing off a Lurker from above, they could see Scootaloo smacking them off the edge from above and Babs shooting a few that were trying to attack the small alicorn.

"Scootaloo!" Isaac yelled. "Stop knocking them off! They're falling on us!"

He saw the tentacles stop and the glow from her helmet disappear over the edge. Reloading his gun, he fell back and was dangling upside-down. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he got his boots back into the frozen rock and saw Norton holding him by the shoulder.

"Norton, you're in my personal space." Isaac said taking a step away. "The only one allowed in that is Scootaloo, and she can only do that on account of her being able to use me as a hammer anytime she needs to."

"Alright, I'm just trying to help. So I hopefully don't get shot in the back by anyone." He said. "By the way, more rocks are falling." He said shooting out a shot of stasis.

Isaac jumped to the other side but slipped on the edge and was sent into the crack between the two rock faces. Trying to pull himself out, he wedged his foot in a crack. Pulling harder, he let out a grunt when his foot began to feel sore.

"Well, dammit." He sighed. "Scootaloo! Can I get some help? My foot is stuck."

Seeing the helmet looking over the ledge, he watched as her tentacles dug into the rock, making it crack and splinter. Looking to his side, he saw Norton looking up towards Scootaloo, his gun trained on the opposite side, without Norton looking, Isaac aimed his Negotiator on Norton's side without the man knowing.

Looking back at Scootaloo, she was now standing on his chest, looking over at his boot. Looking back at him, she put two tentacles between the rock and pushed away. With multiple cracks, the rock splintered and cracked as she almost effortlessly pushed the rock away. Pulling his boot out, she got off him and went back to her perch above them.

"Jesus, Scootaloo," Isaac said over the comm. "I knew those things were strong, but you just pushed a few tons of rock to the side like nothing. Are you on steroids or something?"

"No. I've just been working out. I'm up to fifty thousand pounds per tentacle. Forty pounds with my hooves." She replied smugly.

"Damn," Norton said. "You could basically tear a building apart then? Hell, you could have done that to that giant Necromorph back when... Well, you know." He finished a bit meekly.

"Actually, I couldn't." She said. "When me or Sweetiebelle receive an order from the Director, we have to follow it or else our pay is cut, we're suspended from duty unless it's an emergency, and we have to go under a psych evaluation in order to determine the reason behind it if it is individual, or being caused by an outside force."

"Wow, even my superiors aren't that strict." Norton said. "What exactly do you all do that makes for such strict rules?"

"I could tell you, but then I'd have to either put you under a tranquilizer and have you think it was a dream, or I'd have to kill you along with my own memory being partially wiped so I would forget telling you. But, what I can say is that we monitor the, what we have dubbed, T.E.R.M. Or, Trans-dimensional, Ethereal, Rift, in Matter. Basically, somethings come out, a pony touches it, and they go somewhere else. Me as an example, was brought here after I touched a human EarthGov suit."

"So, basically, it's a giant garbage disposal that has a reverse?" Isaac said. "I do like the acronym."

"...Yes Isaac, it's a giant garbage disposal. Remind me to get you an award later." She said sighing. "You two are taking too long, I'm just going to teleport you up. So don't move."

Hearing the buzz of the comm as she cut the link, Isaac and Norton were about to respond when they found themselves behind the small alicorn. Shaking the ringing from their ears, they unattached themselves from their harnesses and stood, brushing snow off themselves as Scootaloo led the way, Babs following close behind.

As they were going under the first open space in the cavern, Ellie turned her comm on. They all stopped, only momentarily as they only heard her breathing.

"Norton," she said, her voice obviously strained. "Why did you do it?"

"I-I..." The man sighed, leaning against a rock wall. "I just wanted you safe. Hell, you were the first good thing in my life ever since I joined EarthGov. I guess, I let my love blind me."

"I know that feeling." Isaac said. "Fucking Marker."

"Well, look, I'm sorry I slapped you, but you kind of deserved it." She said. "Listen, Norton, I think you know that-"

"Yeah, I know. And honestly," he laughed. "I think you need to be apologizing to someone too, specifically someone that came here just for you."

"Isaac?" She said slightly surprised. "I thought you made him come here at gun point?"

"Like I give a damn if I have a gun to my head." Isaac said. "I've had a fucking needle sent into my brain through me eye, it doesn't get any worse than that. But, yeah, I came here to make sure you were alright."

"Isaac... I... I'm sorry." She said. "The reason I left you was because of my job, I was doing dangerous work and I had to go to other star systems to do so. Look, if we get out of this, remind-"

"No, Ellie," his voice turning serious. "When we get out of this, I think maybe a co-pilot is going to be needed once we snag a ship. So- wait... Where'd Scootaloo go?"

"The little magic bird-horse-thing?" Norton said looking around. "Where the hell did she go? Scootaloo! Where are you!?" He called out.

They both looked around, turning and checking in large cracks, but she was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, they heard a noise similar to someone yelling while drinking expired milk. Turning towards the only direction they haven't been through, they nearly took off the hoof that poked around. Putting their weapons down with a synchronized groan, they watched as Scootaloo came trotting in with a four blackened Slashers, and three Exploders.

"I see you've been stuffing your face with more souls," Isaac noted. "Bring any for us mortals?"

"You can go suck each others souls out." She said. "Besides, I'm saving the Exploders for a special occasion."

The two men stared at the yellow puss sac adorning each of the Necromorphs arms. Tilting their heads, they watched the small bumps ooze slightly with each twitch of the Necromroph's arm.

"I'm guessing when we get surrounded, you can have them blow up?" Norton asked. "Just, make sure I'm not near them when you do."

"Whatever," she said. "If you two are done writing sop-operas, we have a universe to save. You know, from the Necromorphs and the Marker? But, if you two would rather stand here and apologize for dating or breaking up with the other, that's completely alright with me. I'll just go and save everypony myself." She said before trotting off, her Necromrophs following.

"That was rude." Isaac said.

"Are they always like this?" Norton asked as they ran to catch up.

"Only at work. Or when we're working." Scootaloo replied. "You forgot to turn the comm off."

Cutting off their comm's, they arrived at a fork in the cave. Sticking out his locator, Isaac watched the blue line dart to the right. hearing the sound of the wind from outside, they all looked at each other before taking off running, sometimes nearly slipping on the ice.

Seeing the golden light head, they all slowed down and stopped once they reached the outside. Isaac, peeking out, looked around before stepping out.

"Finally," he sighed. "For once I'm not going to fall-shit!" He suddenly yelled as he slipped.

The others could only watch in shock as the engineer fell over the edge. That turned to confusion when they heard his yells not diminishing, and then just as suddenly stop. Scootaloo, looking over the edge, backed away as Sweetiebelle climbed over her, dropped Isaac, and continued climbing alongside Nexus, their claws making large gashes in the rock.

"Well," Isaac said brushing himself off. "That was fortunate. Now, we never speak of this again, got it?"

"These suits record everything. You know that, right?" Scootaloo said tapping her helmet. "Come on, lets go meet the others at the top."

"Sure," Isaac said but paused. "Do we have to climb? So far, our luck hasn't been the best. Mainly for me."

"Sure, I can carry you three, just don't wiggle around too much."

As they all turned the corner, they were met with the sight of a few smashable boxes, more climbing gear, and just barely visible through the snow, a large harpoon and a short distance from that, another harpoon.

Standing on either side of Scootaloo, she wrapped a tentacle around them before sticking the other two into the rock; Isaac was holding Babs as she used a death grip on his arm. Pulling them up, they grabbed onto each appendage as they felt themselves slip a little. Holding tighter, Scootaloo was smirking under her helmet as she was striding along the rock.

Coming to the first split in it, a lift was knocking against each of the walls; one particular hit knocked loose a massive boulder. Quickly moving to the other side, they all watched as it fell down onto the climbing gear below.

"Glad I didn't decide on climbing," Isaac muttered. "That could have been me. Again."

Scootaloo, staring at the rubble for a second, shook her head and continued climbing. Going up, her eyes widened as a sheet of ice gave out from underneath a tentacle. Lighting her horn, she quickly slowed it down and managed to dig the appendage into the rock before releasing the spell.

"So," Norton said breaking the ice. "How is it that you three managed, out of this entire universe, to end up finding Isaac again? Much less being on this planet?"

"Well," Scootaloo said dodging another boulder. "I have a theory, me and-I can't say. But me and my assistant, have come up with a theory after viewing the energy around me and the others. When we first saw Isaac, the first living thing from this world that we had physical contact with, we don't need to make contact but be close, is that our energies mixed. So, when we first met, we were literally attached to him. So when I touched the suit, we were drawn back to him."

"But that doesn't explain why Babs ended up here too." Isaac said putting the swinging lift in stasis.

"There was the Apple family reunion earlier," Scootaloo said. "I'm guessing the close genes of the two were enough that the energy from you and when Applebloom was showing off her Plasma cutter, rubbed off on her. Or, maybe she was just lucky."

"Lucky," Babs said, finally speaking. "I think Lucky would be right."

"Nice to see you're not mute." Scootaloo said coming up over the edge. "Alright, next time, one of you is carrying me."

Looking around, they saw a row of lights going along the opposite edge, a lift with a working winch and cable, a fuse box above it, and a manual crank for the winch.

"Hey," Isaac turned on his comm. "I've found the winch. I'm gonna try and get it started, you all just hang tight down there."

"Can ya hurry up?" Applebloom replied over the comm. "We're freezin' our tails off! Ah mean mah' tail. And would ya quit fawnin' over Santos?"

"You're doing what?" Ellie asked.

"I'm doing what?" Isaac said. "I'm... I'm confused. When was I fawning over Santos?"

"Not you, the guard on the right. He keeps offerin' to hold her hand when they get on the lift. Hey! Ah see that snowball! Put it down!"

There was a muffled thud through the comm, and they all guessed Applebloom just got hit in the face with the snowball. It was a justified conclusion when Applebloom cut off her comm and one of the guards began screaming over his.

"This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?" Norton asked as Isaac activated the lift, but only for it to short out. "Yep. It does."

"Don't worry, I can fix this." Isaac said jumping onto the snow mound. "Lets see what we have to work with." Tearing off the panel, he glanced momentarily before flicking the bottom and second switch. "I think that's it. Yeah, the lift is coming down."

"'Bout time. Ah don't know how much longer ah could stand being with these two. Santos, it's gonna be fine, there's nothin' to worry 'bout."

As they waited for the lift to come up, Sweetiebelle and Nexus crawled over the peak of the mountain. Shrinking down, Nexus sat beside Norton and laid at his feet. Norton, backing away slightly was pulled back when Nexus grabbed one of his legs. Sighing, he just stood straight as best as he could.

Looking over at the edge, he saw the lift arrive. Ellie, Carter, Applebloom atop on of the guards shoulders, and the other guard holding Santos's hand, got off. Santos though, had to go back for her bag, and as she did, the Snow Beast came from below and wrapped its legs across the entrance.

"Santos! Shit!" Isaac yelled as the lift began to fall. "Someone get her dammit!" He yelled grabbing onto the manual winch.

The guards, acting as one, went to the edge and stood at the bare-width of falling off while the other was leaning out, his arm outstretched.

As she continued to scream, and Isaac loosing his grip slightly, Carter came over and held it with him. As they held it, the ice below them began to crack, Carter seeing this, reached behind him and grabbed the axe.

"Sweetiebelle!" Applebloom shouted using her suit's speakers. "Get her out'a there!"

Sweetiebelle, going up to the cage, shot out a Drag Tentacle and pulled the panicking woman out into the awaiting arms of the guards, unfortunately, her extra weight on the ice caused it to finally crumble.

Carter, the guards, and Santos were safe, and Norton had managed to drag himself along with the still sleeping Nexus to safety as the crusaders, Babs, and Isaac, fell down with the Snow Beast.

Author's Notes:

So, who thinks one of the guards needs a good girlfriend? And yes, Santos will live. Everyone in the group, Applebloom, Babs, Sweetieblle, Nexus, Isaac, Ellie, Norton, Carver, Santos and the guards will be alive.