Endless Legend

Cold... so familiar, yet unwelcome feeling. It was yet another curious sensation. Sometimes light and nippy barely noticeable through layer of thick fur, sometimes chilly turning your breath into cloud of frozen steam. Most of the time however, it was icy, turning spit into an ice before it could touch the ground, freezing blood, turning limbs black and unusable, deadly, killing those unprepared. Cold was connected to his life, to life of every pony and every creature of this world from their very beginning. They all were trapped in this deadly cycle, struggling to survive from one season to other, living fully and intensively only in a short periods when vegetation was possible. They were all doomed even before they were born. He remembered it, how could he forget? Winter... everlasting, persistent, white and never truly gone. It was always there lurking, like hidden predator watching its prey, waiting for moment of its weakness.

People of Auriga tend to say that Winter had a mind of it's own, that it was a cruel beast lying in wait for their lives. Were these rumors even true? It was a mystery that even the wisest of sages and scientists couldn't answer. True was one thing, that white fluff falling from the sky was never a good sign.

He squinted his eyes, trying to see through a blizzard. Ubiquitous snow and ice clung to his protective clothing, freezing it, making them heavy and bulky, hindering his movements. Snowstorm was was furiously attacking him, seemingly aiming for his helmet. Damp and thawing snow gaily stick to his visor just to freeze again upon first blow of an icy wind. His vision obscured, he was forced to wipe and slosh his face all the time just to see what was in front of him.

Six cursed under his breath. He hated winter, he could easily bet that anypony asked would give him the same answer, winter however was as much part of their lives, as breathing and eating. No matter how much they disliked snow and cold, it would never go away. She would come earlier and more unexpectedly with each passing year.

Six grunted when he was once again forced to clean his mask. When he raised his head to face blizzard, he froze. Far away in the distance he spotted a faint lights, flashing steadily with blue and red colors. Their sight filled stallion heart with spark of hope. His journey was nearing it's end. True, he would have to go all the way back, wading through deep snow with blizzard blowing over his head, but it was future Six problem. Stallion resumed his walk in brisker pace, ramming through deep snow like an ice breaker.

It took him a better part of an hour to reach the station.

'Station' was a simple metal box with a tall signaling pole and an antenna attached to top of it. It was simple in build and even simpler in maintenance, yet very effective and weatherproof. As usual station's box was covered with thick layer of snow and ice. It was no surprise for Six who simply pulled out his trusted shovel and a torch as he started to sweep the snow away. Later he used fire to melt the ice covering station's lock.

Problem of Auriga's long winters forced Six to trot all the way from Shelter to here. He was sent to maintain and collect data from meteorological outposts scattered all around the bunker. According to numerous rules and regulations he should never be allowed to walk alone during winter while collecting meteorological data. Not because said data was valuable, these measurements were unreadable to anyone without proper equipment or training, but because winters in the past few years became severe and dangerous. Even the most beaten paths turned into death traps when temperature dropped well below the freezing point of a water.

But as it usually was with rules and regulations they were mostly applied when it was convenient.

Six would never admit it to anyone, surely not to his supervisors, that often he and his partner went on these weekly trips alone, each of them taking path to the different monitoring stations. They were able to finish their run twice as fast, no pony liked to spend long hours burrowing through snow. So far no pony was bothered them about it, they were effective.

Finishing his job, Six closed station's doors securing them in their place, knowing well enough that he soon will have to fight them again. Sighing and standing up supporting his own weight on the box. Stallion cast his eyes around.

He was greeted with view usual for this time of year. Lots of snow.

Stallion turned around and started to make his way back to the Shelter, when curious sound pierced through howl of wind. Rustle of wings? Just stranger, weirder one, as if they weren't made of feathers or leathery membrane, but something stiffer and harder. No, it can't be... no pony would be foolish enough to fly in such weather, not to mention, he wouldn't be able to hear them anyway!

There could be only one explanation of this puzzling case.

Eyes widened, stallion spun around. He spotted weird looking creature, pale, similar in build to a pony and insect alike. Its body was adorned with numerous spines placed in odd places and from it's back protruded fly-like wings. Creatures eyes however were the worst, lifeless and empty. Six managed to open his mouth just in time for this thing to lunge at his face.

Steel Six woke up with a start, his chest heaving as he was panting heavily in panic. He looked around with his gray eyes searching for his imaginary assailant, yet he found nothing but empty walls bathed in a cool light seeping from old ceiling lamps. Six breathed sigh of relief falling at his makeshift bed, his head hitting 'pillow' a little harder than he intended. He wasn't on some remote plain in the eye of the blizzard attacked by some foul beast.

Stallion looked down at his bare chest, jagged line of scars adorning his neck and collarbone was the only memento of that fateful encounter. Beast was venomous his skin and fur actually melted in place of bite... Doctors said that he managed to survive only thanks to his determination and cold alone. What a lucky coincidence.

He once again shuddered at the vivid memory.

His encounter with beast wasn't the first one recorded, ponies went missing all over the place, even in far away bunkers. Everypony blamed bad weather or looked for some other 'rational' explanation. Who would believe in some sort of predatory beast hunting for pony flesh? Six was actually the first one to survive... Who would have thought that this event would start a war?

Sighing and massaging his old wound, stallion lifted his gaze glancing over the room. He simply looked for an excuse, something to think about. Anything that would help him forget about encounter... how many years ago? It was not important right now.

At first glance there was nothing out of place. Room was run down and in bad shape, most of equipment stored here was damaged in one way or another. There was noticeable less dust and rubble. It wasn't scattered around like in other rooms he was, instead it was swept into one remote corner.

Other than lack of dust, room looked like any other he found earlier during his 'sleepwalking'. He didn't really remember much after his awakening in mysterious pod, it was all blurred out with odd sounds and images mixed together. Incomprehensible and without context. Throbbing headache told him that it would be best to leave it for now.

Deciding that short walk combined with some exploration, he had to find ponies responsible for his current condition, would do him some good, stallion attempted to stand up from his bed. Stretching his stagnant joints he swung legs over the edge of the bed.

There was a loud clang as one of his hooves collided with something, something wet, slimy and cold. Startled by sudden noise he cursed and fell back on his rump. Quick glance under the bed showed that indeed, something was right under it, it was now overturned metal tray. He guessed that gray mass splattered now all over the floor was some kind of food, it wasn't looking appealing at all. Who would be foolish enough to place tray with food in such place?

Luckily, he didn't had to wait too long for answer to his question, because door leading to his room slid open revealing slim figure of a pony.

She was pretty little thing, gentle face features, small nose, slim lips, small dimples on her cheeks in corner of her mouth, gorgeous walnut eyes. Mare mane was cut short, messy and in warm brown hue, coat in color of cappuccino foam. However what drawn Six eyes was not to her face, but pair of really long ears, freely hanging on mare sides like braids, swaying side-to-side. Even though she was covered in dust, darker splotches of dirt painting her sides, her mane was a little to messier than it should be, she had dark spots under her eyes and she was really thin around the middle, she was still something.

For short moment these two simply stared at each other, both on loss of words. Silence, however was never meant to last forever, as mare finally spoke up.

“S-Six?” She stuttered, her eyes growing in size. “You are awake!”

“Yes, I'm awake.” He repeated her words, wasn't that obvious?

Before Six could do anything else, mare inhaled deeply, spun around and rushed quickly out of the room. He could hear her hooves clapping rapidly against stone floor as she was running all over the place calling. “Grand! Willow! Everypony! Six woke up!” Her voice echoed over the empty halls.

He didn't had much time to wonder what it was all about when his ears were filled with clopping sound and hushed whispers as small crowd of ponies rapidly approached 'his' quarter. They stopped right in front of his door, but he was unable to hear more than tone of their conversation. They seemed to have an argument.

Six swallowed nervously. He was very unsure what he could expect from these ponies, they knew his name and so far didn't try to hurt him. They could harm him when he was out cold, he was more than aware of it. But they didn't. Instead they put him here, in the bed. They even gave him some food food. They couldn't be that bad? He reasoned. He tried to keep to this thought, yet it wasn't doing much to calm him down.

Soon his musings were interrupted by doors sliding away as tall and broad stallion walked in. He was easily head taller than Six, who could hardly be considered small. His fur was in color of desert sand mane and tail were equally black. Six from his sitting position was able to spot that his hooves were much bigger and broader than in any other pony kind he ever seen, also strange pony face adore reasonably sized mustache, what an oddity. Stallion was wearing a kind and calming smile, but Six was able to see that it was a little strained.

“I know your face.” Steel Six said slowly. Mustache so big and neatly cut was really hard to forget. He was sure that he saw it somewhere in the past... Past. Why suddenly it made him feel sad? He choose to ignore it for a time being.

“That's really good to hear. It means that your condition improves.” Sand-colored stallion replied while nodding. “Steel I would like to run some...”

“How can you know my name?” Steel interjected, asking a question that was bothering him since that mare disappearance. He didn't remember telling them his name, maybe he was missing something? Six noticed that this odd stallion called him by his name only, he didn't use any kind of salutation.

Stallion frowned disapprovingly at Six interruption, gray stallion shrunk a little under power of sand colored stallion gaze. Big one replied.

“Know that for now my explanation for now may sound absurdly, but I have no reason to lie to you.” Bigger stallion said slowly pulling out metal clipboard. “My name is Grand and we meet many years ago on a Salt Desert. I don't expect you to know my name, nor to know where said desert is. You dispelled that illusion a three days ago when we found you screaming your lungs out near our camp. You were really lucky, we...” He was once again interrupted by gray stallion.

“T-three days?” Six asked as he stopped listening after hearing these news. How could he forget a three days of his life? He wondered it was even possible. He didn't remember much, but he was sure he would remember spending so much time around these strange ponies! Not to mention his prolonged stay in this... place. He had yet to come up with suitable name for this whole complex. These ponies seemed to know him, that brown mare from earlier said that he was awake. Would that mean that he slept the whole time? That raised another question – why?

Six opened his mouth to say something, when Grand raised one hoof silencing him.

“Calm down Six, I will try to answer all your questions.” Grand said in calming tone, he tried to sound collected and professional even though there were big, black spots under his tired eyes. “Just listen to me, I have a tale and a question for you.”

Six nodded. He could fight, curse and flail, but why he would do that? This whole Grand seemed to be honest so far.

Seeing that his patient is willing to cooperate corners of Grand's lips raised slightly in a genuine smile.

“May I sit? Thanks.” Grand sat on metal crate that creaked under his weight. “You probably have many questions, sadly I can answer only some of them. Not because I don't want to or because I'm hiding something from you, no.” Grand shook his head. “I don't have all the answers. You may be surprised, but your and mine situations are very much alike.” Stallion explained.

“How so?” Asked Steel Six. He doubted that anypony confusion would he comparable to his.

“I and everypony behind these doors,” Grand pointed at sliding doors behind his back. “We slept, just like you. Do you remember these pods? You may not, you were as confused as we were, if not more. You were pretty lost when we found you, well you found us.” Grand hummed in thought.

“I-I don't really remember what happened.” Six admitted nervously.

“That's all right, you were really lucky.” Grand comforted Six. “Who knows how long you would wander around these abandoned halls? I know that I managed to gather my little group fairly quickly, but only because we were placed so close to each other. You too were supposed to be near us... It's mystery why you were stored away. Maybe it was a malfunction? You don't know why your pod was moved?” Grand asked. Six shook his head.

Steel Six noticed that he had really odd accent, he distinguished each first syllable of each word and dragged some sounds, like 'u' or 'o'. Odd look combined with this very specific accent  resulted in Grand being exotic and really out of place.

“Thought so.” Grand shrugged.  “Well, we can worry about it later.” Giant stallion coughed in a hoof as he continued his tale.“We slept, suspended in time. Not because it was fancy or funny, but because we had to. Ages ago, I'm not sure when because everything is broken here,” He kicked black surface of some device lying nearby. “There was an event that threatened whole life on our world. We called it the Cataclysm.” Cold chill ran through Six back. The very name of said event invoked fear in stallion's soul.

“We don't know what caused it, or even if there was cause at all! It may be just a cycle of this world, cycle of life and death. The Cataclysm is...” Grand was interrupted again.

“Eternal winter.” Six fell into Grand words.

Grand only nodded and said grimly. “You remember it, eh? You are confused, you hardly remember a thing, yet you shudder on the very mention of the Event.”

Steel Six stared blankly at his interlocutor, lost in thought. He remembered it, fear, cold and death. It was all faded, but message was clear – the Cataclysm meant death.

“That's why we are here.”

“And where is here?” Six finally asked raising his gaze.

“You are wondering where we are?” On Six nod, Grand continued. “We are in the Shelter, formerly main hub and capital of ponies that were called by everypony but themselves Vaulters. They were really amazing things, brave, organized and intelligent. Skilled builders and unmatched scientists, I'm sure they they were only a step away from discovering what Dust really was.” He mused. “That would probably help us save Auriga, but,” Grand sighed. “They only managed to preserve themselves.” He stated sadly. Then his face brightened as he remembered something. “I recall that they hated that name – Vaulters. They said it was insulting! I don't blame them, they were so proud... yet everypony remembered them only for their underground adobes.” He chuckled. “I guess ponies were right saying that you don't choose name for yourself. Others will always remember you by some silly trait or deed.”

“They meet their end here?” Six asked after short moment of quiet musings. He looked with renewed interest around the room they were in. All this ruin and destruction. Something curious was building inside his chest.

“I don't know.” Grand replied honestly. “There were never enough pods to contain all ponies who lived here. We can't forget about those who choose to remain on the surface. Some other tried to fled the destruction… Some tried to brave through it. Sadly fate of your and even fate of my own people is a mystery. I can only pray that they found their safe haven.”

Six nodded sadly, then his ears perked up as they caught one, very important detail. “I am a Vaulter?” Six asked incredulously.

Grand only hummed in response. “Last time I checked you were the same Steel Six I meet all those years ago. If during your slumber you haven't changed his political affiliation, which is unlikely, then yes. You are a Vaulter.”

Six said nothing, deep in thought. Grand, pony sitting in front of him knew much more about his that he himself! Gray stallion was really feeling like his life was not in his hooves any more.

“Then what should I do?” Six asked with troubled look on his face. “Everything you say could be gibberish to me, I don’t know half of the things you say, other half is just my wild guess.” Stallion huffed angrily. “Why my memory is so full of holes?” Steel stood up and stomped booth of his hooves against the metal floor.

“Easy! There’s no need to be so angry out of sudden!” Grand called standing to his full height. Six was not impressed in the slightest by this big stallion.

“Easy you say? How I’m supposed to take it easy when you of all ponies know more about me and my life than I do?!” Six spat panting heavily. He was full of anger, but it wasn’t aimed at anything or anypony in particular.

“I know that you are confused, I know that you don’t know where you are and that my words raise new questions for you, but please,” Grand took one step away from Six, all the time keeping angered stallion in his line of vision. “The last thing we need is you going violent for whatever reason.”

Steel tilted his head. Was he really so intimidating that one angered stomp and shout was enough to send other stallion away? He didn’t think about himself as a pony who was able to threaten others, not in his sorry state anyway. Or maybe there was more to it? Yet another piece of knowledge, so thoroughly hidden by his own mind? Suddenly Six felt really ashamed by his own actions.

“S-sorry.” Six said in milder tone, placing his rump back on edge of the bed, all the anger seeping out of him like air from pierced balloon. “I-I just…”

He was quickly cut of by Grand. “Don’t be, I know that you are sick and confused. You are currently suffering from post-hibernation sickness. I really want to help you Six, but… there isn’t much I can do. Your condition is as much a mystery to me as it is to you. I can’t call it ‘new’ ailment since I know about it for a longer time, by the Sun, I suffered from it too!” Sand colored stallion admitted. “Disorientation imbalance, lack of appetite, general weakness are the most common symptoms. You forgetting some of your memories is nothing unusual, just uncommon.”

“However, it’s worrying that you seem to loose larger chunk of your memory than I initially assumed. You regained most of your motor control, we should do more test to check that, and you are not catatonic. We feared that after your outburst three days ago. From what you said me, you don’t remember waking up earlier, is that correct?”

“N-no. I just woke up after some weird dream… It was strange, cold and scary. I don’t know what to make out of it.” Six huffed lying back on the bed. He stared at crack in the ceiling when Grand’s voice asked.

“Dream? Could you tell me more about it?”

“Why?” Six inquired.

“Dreams are nonsense for the most part, sometimes, however, they are a source of useful information. They are memories burned deeply into your mind, they are images of past, present, sometimes future. We know a little about them, but I, Grand can boast about acquiring a bit of knowledge about Death’s sister.”

Six though about it. This whole concept of telling other pony, even though this pony was saying he knows a bit about dreams, was silly. He found it hard to believe that anypony would be able to determinate the meaning of even a single dream.

“I don’t think that it would make any difference Grand.” Six replied after longer while massaging his old wound. Maybe Grand was telling the truth, maybe he wanted to make him talk. Both both options were equally possible. “It was just an old memory of mine, one of the few I remember. There was a lot of snow, ice and wind.”

“There was something else, right? Something that made you remember it, even after all these years?” Grand asked carefully.

“Yeah, there was… I don’t really know a suitable name for this thing. It was bug. Big, shaped like pony, all pale with strange spikes and spines all over it’s body. It attacked me, lunged at me and sunk it’s teeth into my flesh.” Six patted wound on his neck and collarbone. “I don’t remember much after that, just pain, taste of blood and numbness spreading all the way down my left foreleg.” He winced involuntarily at that.

Knocking sound coming from the doors snatched attention of two stallions. It repeated again, quick and soft rap on metal surface, somepony impatient was waiting on the other side.

“I’m going to check what it’s all about.” Grand grumbled and stood up from his box.

Metal door slid close after retreating stallion and there was soft sound of impact. Grand was probably swarmed by other ponies in the complex, attacking him with questions from all sides. Not that it was any concern to Six, who already was drifting off into warm embrace of sleep.