Author's Note

Self-edited (the best I could on a phone). If you see mistakes, let me know. Otherwise, enjoy!

Train Wreck

"The past is an old armchair in the attic, the present an ominous ticking sound, and the future is anybody's guess."
-James Thurber

0 Hours

The constant rattle of metal on metal and the wobbling of the cars on the tracks began to pester Blue Seas. He wasn't used to taking the train; this trip would wreak havoc on him if it continued to annoy him as such. It was unfortunate that he forgot to pack something to do.

He sat alone in the right rear corner of the fifth car from the engine, staring out at the empty, endless expanses of the Frozen North. Forests layered the valleys, where streams snaked through off to the coast hundreds of miles away. In the background, the mountains soared like jagged teeth above the tundra, snow-capped and magnificent. A fresh layer of powdery snow covered the land as far as the eye could see. It was overcast, but there was no precipitation.

Blue sighed heavily and folded his forelegs across his chest, laying back to relax a little. Perhaps he could catch some sleep instead of watching the world flash by outside the window. Besides, the windows were fogging up, as it was fairly cold outside.

He closed his eyes and imagined working on the largest luxury cruise ship to ever grace the waves: the Unicorn of the Seas.

The job offer came after he graduated from a school of higher learning in Vanhoover. After he finished school, he landed a job as a gem miner up in the Crystal Mountains. It was hard work and long days, sometimes even dangerous, but the pay was good. He lived in a temporary residence in the beautiful Crystal Empire.

A few days ago, he received a letter in the mail that informed him he qualified to work aboard the glorious new cruise ship that would be making its maiden voyage from Horseshoe Bay. Similar letters had apparently been sent all over Equestria, as the need for almost 700 crew members was urgent. The ship was a mere week from setting sail, and they still needed more than 300 crew members. Obviously, pay was much better there, so Blue made the wise choice and accepted the offer, which led him to where he was now.

Except, he wished it wasn't a two-and-a-half day train ride.

Off to his left, an old mare coughed and sputtered, wrapped up in several layers of coats and scarves. It was clear she had a cold, but apparently had not a clue about how not to spread it. Blue was glad he wasn't in the crosshairs.

Other than her, the rest of the car was hardly occupied. There was a mother unicorn with her two fillies, a bulky stallion earth pony with glasses, and a mare pegasus. The 30-pony capacity was definitely not reached in this car. Even the rest of the cars were sparsely populated. This part of Equestria just didn't see that much traffic.

Blue looked back out the window and saw his reflection. He was an ordinary pegasus with a steel-blue coat and a midnight-blue and dark grey mane. His cobalt eyes appeared tired, and rightfully so. The excitement had caused him a couple nights of sleeplessness; tossing and turning for hours before dozing off for a mere hour or two.

Beyond his reflection, he noticed the change in elevation. They were heading up the side of a mountain, a glorious valley with an endless forest gracing every inch all the way to the horizon, a carpet of deep green and pure white. Never had he seen such beauty, even after having worked up in the Crystal Mountains. This land was awe-inspiring.

The train rocked back and forth, bringing back the knot in Blue's stomach. He didn't like the motion of the train, which he'd have to get used to. The cruise ship would certainly be worse.

He laid back, closing his eyes. That nap seemed welcoming, so that's what he would do.

Fluttershy sat near the front of the car, enjoying a steaming cup of tea and admiring the gorgeous landscape outside as they passed through, on the way to Ponyville. She made this trip once a year to see the polar bears and various other far northern animals she couldn't observe in nature down in Ponyville. This was her fifth trip, and it had gone better than any before.

This year, she'd had the pleasure of meeting a pack of grey wolves. They were by far the most adorable, friendly wolves she'd ever had the pleasure of spending a whole day with.

Besides that, the trip was worth it from the experience alone. Even if she hadn't met the wolves, being out in nature warmed her heart nonetheless and kept her coming back every year.

As the train lurched up a steep mountain, Fluttershy thought about her plans for when she got home. Discord would likely be waiting, as she employed him to watch over her cottage in her absence. He agreed, only if she'd watch over his place while he visited a friend for a couple days. She hesitantly agreed.

Twilight also needed to talk with her about a potential problem. Just before she left, Twilight stopped by Fluttershy's cottage and informed her that they'd need to talk whenever she returned. She spared the details, so Fluttershy had no clue what this problem might be.

The return home would be busy, but the trip was worthwhile. Memories were made, and she succeeded in finally spending time with some wolves in their natural habitat.

Fluttershy set her tea on the little table before her, up against the wall of the front of the train. The steep angle of the train ascending the mountain caused the cup to slowly slide towards her. She snatched it up before it fell over the side and onto the floor, and decided to just hold it in her lap. She took another sip and returned her attention to the scenic views outside.

The feeling of weightlessness jolted Blue Seas from his slumber. At first, he thought is was just part of his dream, but as he awoke and scanned the car, he realized they were falling.

Everything was happening so fast...
The sounds of crunching metal and glass, ear-piercing screams, and deafening thumps from the car rolling down the mountain at an insane rate of speed convinced Blue that this might be the end.

He tried to stay airborne, avoiding the barrage of debris being tossed around the cabin. He could see other ponies getting thrown around like ragdolls, with one of them suddenly appearing to be sucked through a window. Blue cried out in horror, but was cut off by a large suitcase bashing him in the back of his head.

The last thing he remembered, the last thing he saw before losing consciousness, was the inside of the car looking like a tornado. He felt his mind slip away as his eyes closed, the sounds and feelings of terror fading away to blackness and quiescence.

2 Hours

Blue's eyes sprang open. He felt a heavy weight on his leg, and a burning heat off to his left.

Although dizzy, he sat up and tried to make out his surroundings. It was definitely the inside of the train car, but dented up, and on fire. The front side was engulfed in flames, which roared closer and closer, consuming the seats. One of those seats had come loose and now lay across his leg, which was pinned between it and the side of the cabin he lay on. It was on fire, nearly halfway ablaze.

Blue gasped and whimpered, his back, right wing, and leg causing him excruciating pain. He had to get the seat off him and escape the train before he too was engulfed in a fiery tomb.

With a grunt, Blue pushed the seat off his leg, inch by inch. His side screamed with searing pain, but he ignored it. There would be more pain if he didn't get out of there fast.

The train groaned and shifted, sending burning debris falling around and on him like a hellish rain. With the seat out of his way, he grit his teeth and slid to the nearest window, which faced directly up into the darkening sky.

Blue felt shards of glass from the edges of the window cutting into his skin and tearing at his flesh, but once again, the wounds weren't going to slow him down. If he let them get to him, he'd burn to death, and that was not a fun way to die.

Once he got out onto the side of the train car, he scanned the area. He was at the foot of the mountain, the entire train crumpled up and resting on its side. Several cars were destroyed beyond recognition, and others, like his, were up in flames. Debris littered the snow, along with what he hoped weren't the bodies of fellow passengers.

Blue took a deep breath, gagging at the scent of burning flesh wafting through the air with the smoke that billowed from the burning cars. He crawled to the bottom edge of the car and fell over, hitting the snowy ground and yelling several expletives as he felt the bones in his already injured wing crunch under his weight.

He lay there, gasping for breath and fighting the urge to pass out from the pain that surged through his body. His vision had returned, but was now burning from the smoke and blurred by the tears that now welled up in them.

He began pulling himself from the wreckage, using his forelegs to drag himself towards a group of trees nearby. Getting away from the burning cars was his goal now.

As he slowly crept away from the remains of the train, he had to avoid the debris scattered about. Twisted metal, burning plastic and wood, and sprinkles of razor-sharp glass made his escape from the train feel more like a journey through a maze. He was unable to avoid the damaging pieces entirely, and ended up with several new wounds.

Once he made it to the tree line, he spun around on his back and laid against the trunk of a large aspen. He lay there, catching his breath and staring blankly at the train cars. His mind was unable to process this. It seemed unreal. There was no way he was here, lying in the snow, watching his ride to Baltimare burn.

But this was all too real, as the pain in every part of his body reminded him. And now, he was stranded in the middle of the Frozen North.

A cry for help startled him. It came from the next car up from his; the sound of muffled crying made him question whether he should try to get further away, or check the wreckage for survivors. After another plea for help, he decided his conscience wouldn't allow him to sit there and let ponies die while he fled to safety.

It took every ounce of effort he had to get to his hooves. His body practically begged him to lay back down, to rest, but not now he couldn't. The last thing he wanted was the haunting screams of ponies burning alive on his mind while he fought for survival until rescued.

He finally stood, but he was weak. His body shook as he felt the cold air blowing around him, wafting the flames and blowing snow around. The wind had picked up, and it was clear that a storm was moving in, as the sky darkened not from time of day, but from threatening, low clouds invading the sky above him. Nighttime was not far, either.

He took a step in the direction of the cries for help. They were growing quieter, which only meant one thing: he had to hurry. Every step made him clench his teeth, but he couldn't give up.

He made it to the fourth car from the engine, which was mostly in flames, but somehow intact. It had disconnected from the fifth car, allowing Blue space to enter the car from the door. Much to his surprise, it opened without any problems.

Smoke billowed from the open door, sending Blue backwards as he tried to steer clear of the burning it would cause his eyes and lungs. He waited until the smoke eased up, if even a little, before peeking into the sideways car to find the source of the voice.

The car was trashed on the inside. Most of the seats had come loose and been thrown around. They lay scattered about randomly, along with bags and other things passengers had brought on. Near the left corner of the room was what appeared to be a pony curled up in a fetal position, with their face covered by their forelegs in an attempt to keep smoke out of their eyes and lungs.

Blue hesitated, unsure what to do. "Hello? Are you okay?" he called out to them, his voice cracking.

Whoever they were didn't respond, but they did move a little. Blue took a deep breath. He'd have to go in and get them before they succumbed to smoke inhalation. He took another gulp of clean air before surging into the car, going straight to the pony in the corner.

They were barely clinging to consciousness, but when they became aware of Blue attempting to drag them towards the exit, they clung to his waist, wrapping their forelegs around him and holding him painfully tight.

He ignored that pain and delivered them to safety, just outside the door to the car. He propped them up against the side and stood there, uncertain of what to say or do. He watched them, sitting on his haunches and breathing heavily.

The pony he'd just rescued was a gray stallion earth pony. His body was almost obscured by black soot from the fire, so Blue was unsure if they had injuries. The pony also hadn't spoken a word or even looked at him, which concerned him even more. If he was injured, Blue would have to get him further from the train and tend to his wounds. But if there was this pony, there were more.

"Stay here. I'm going to the next car up to look for survivors," Blue said, holding back just a few seconds, waiting for a response. But the pony just sat there, his chest heaving with each breath. At least Blue knew he was alive.

Limping around the flames and debris, Blue approached the next car up with caution. This car was completely engulfed in flames, which shot out of every window up into the sky like curtains of glowing orange. Whoever was trapped inside was probably dead, and there wasn't much use in endangering himself trying to remove the lost.

Up to the next car, which lay propped on one end up against the mountain, Blue saw the bodies of two ponies lying in the snow. He felt his heart sink and trudged towards them. He had to make sure they were dead. If they weren't, he'd drag them over to the area of trees and figure out what to do from there.

The first pony lay sprawled out, facedown. They had scorch marks on their back and hind legs, and what appeared to be shrapnel embedded on one side of their abdomen and back. Blue winced upon seeing the wounds. After checking their pulse, he concluded they were DOA.

Moving to the next victim, Blue almost didn't need to check their pulse. They were missing part of their skull, with tufts of hair and chunks of brain matter drooling out of the wound. Blue fought the urge to vomit and quickly fled the area to the next car.

The final car before the engine, this one had the most passengers it seemed. There were four ponies within eyesight, lying around the train in various places, while the mangled car was split open wide enough to see three more ponies.

The engine was completely ablaze, so he decided not to bother looking in it. His priority was to check the passengers in and around the first car.

Each of the ponies outside the train had severe trauma and injuries, and so he declared them deceased. Once he crawled through the opening in the car, he discovered the bodies of two mares, a stallion, and a foal. He left the train, eyes watery and heart aching.

The wreckage was mostly cleared, except the back three cars, but the caboose was full of bags and luggage, so there was no need to check there for survivors.

On the way back towards the rear cars, Blue noticed a yellow ball lying up against a tree off near the forest. His curiosity piqued, he went over to investigate. As he got closer, he realized it was a pony. He rushed over as fast as he could, as the pony was on fire. If they were alive, they wouldn't be long if he didn't put the flames out.

He immediately began tossing snow on the body, kicking and shoving it upon them in hopes it would snuff out the fire. To his relief, it succeeded after a couple seconds. He rolled the body over, checking it out for wounds and a pulse.

The yellow pegasus mare was alive, but her pulse was weak. She had a couple visible injuries, but none that looked life-threatening. Blue grunted in discomfort as he knelt down, sliding her onto his back and carrying her over where the other pony still sat, clutching his head and crying.

Blue set the mare down gently in the snow, up against the train. "Hey," he croaked at the stallion, "we need to move away from the train. Can you move by yourself, or do you need help?"

To his surprise, the stallion spoke up. His voice was barely understandable, but he got the gist of it: he could move himself.

Blue took a deep breath and let it out, preparing for the pain that would accompany carrying the mare over to the edge of the woods where they'd recuperate and figure out what to do next. He got down low and pulled the mare up onto his back, her legs dangling off the sides of his body.

It took him everything he had to shuffle through the snow over to the trees. It felt as though his body were a balloon and his energy was draining through a pinhole. At this rate, he'd be too exhausted to even stand.

The stallion he'd pulled from the wreckage staggered behind him all the way to safety, mumbling incoherently. Blue couldn't make out anything he was saying, and so he gave up on trying. He couldn't blame them, though. He felt like doing the same.

The deeper woods further away would likely be their next destination, but they couldn't stray too far from the wreckage; first rule of survival is never leave the wreck. It would be the first place rescuers checked for survivors. If they left, trying to find their way to help, their chances of getting lost, injured, or dying went drastically up.

Blue set the mare up against a tree, her head propped up with her own saddlebags, which Blue used to keep her upright. Her pink mane was tangled and burned in places, but it was better that than her body, which luckily hadn't been burning.

Finally drained, Blue collapsed with a groan, feeling the pain begin to worsen. The adrenaline was wearing off quickly; soon, the pain would be unbearable.

Off to his right, the stallion had fallen face-first in the snow, unmoving. Fearing he'd just given up the ghost, Blue began to slide over to him, but the stallion suddenly jumped up, screaming bloody murder and scaring the daylights out of Blue, who scrambled back over to the tree, his heart racing.

"What the fuck," Blue breathed, panting heavily. "Are you okay?"

The stallion wobbled, falling again. He lay there and gasped, twitching and moaning. He was clearly not okay. He finally turned onto his back and covered his eyes. "M-my head... uhhh..."

Great, head trauma, Blue thought to himself, shaking his head. He had basic medical emergency knowledge, but he was no brain surgeon. If this stallion had injuries to his brain, there was nothing he could do for him. "Your head? What's wrong with it? Does it hurt?"

"It's gonna explode!" the stallion cried, flailing around and nearly burying himself in the snow. He stopped and began panting loudly, his breaths sounding labored and wheezy.

Blue sighed and crawled over to the stallion with caution, hoping another outburst wouldn't send him back over to the tree. He came to his side and examined his injuries.

With his body mostly covered in soot, it was hard to tell. But it couldn't mask the massive gash on the left side of his face and head, just below the ear. Blue couldn't tell how deep it was, but he knew it was deep enough to need medical attention.

"Hey, I'm gonna go to the train and get some supplies. Don't go anywhere. Stay over here with her," Blue said patting his arm and motioning to the unconscious mare just a few feet away. He stood with effort and went back to the train, walking along the side back towards the caboose.

Inside, all the luggage had been tossed around, some having busted open and spilled their contents. He'd be hard pressed to find what he needed, but he didn't have much choice.

Blue began looking for basic necessities: toilet paper or paper towels, regular towels, sowing kit, alcohol, blankets, coats, and any kind of analgesics. Since he was also aware of the possibility of broken bones, he also searched for anything that could be used as a tourniquet, splint, and bandages. His own wing would need a splint to help it heal properly or he'd never fly again.

Miraculously, Blue found everything he needed, including a whole medi-kit. It had enough supplies to use on three of four ponies. He packed everything into a large dufflebag and limped back over to the trees where the other two ponies were.

"Where the hell did you go?" Blue growled like an animal, dropping the bag and searching the area with his eyes. He didn't see the stallion, but he did notice the tracks leading out into the woods. "For fuck's sake."

Rather than risk getting lost, Blue decided not to follow him in hopes that he'd come back. In the meantime, he went to the mare to tend to her injuries.

He flipped her on her back and pulled her hind legs straight, resting her forelegs on either side of her body. Her head lay propped up against her saddlebags still, so he started checking for wounds there.

He brushed her mane aside and scanned her face, looking for abrasions, cuts, or burns. Her face and head escaped unscathed, it seemed. Blue also couldn't help but notice how familiar she looked, like he'd seen her before. That was irrelevant for the matter and hand, so he moved down and began checking her forelegs, chest and abdomen, and her wings.

Just as he'd expected, she had a few minor cuts, which he used a bottle of vodka to help disinfect and clean out dirt and debris. Normally, using alcohol of any kind on wounds was frowned upon, since it can actually harm tissues and delay healing, but there wasn't sufficient wound care in the medi-kit, so he resorted to the old trick of using liquor as an antiseptic. It was better than not cleaning the wound at all.

Her wings both seemed to be in working order, but her left had a bit of a crook in it. It didn't feel broken, which meant it might have fractures of some kind. To be on the safe side, Blue placed a splint and bandages on the wing. Better safe than sorry.

He checked her lower body and legs, but avoided anywhere he might not be welcome; if she had injuries there, she would have to tend to them herself. Besides that, she was in the clear.

Exhausted yet again, Blue collapsed in the snow beside the mare, resting up against the tree. Something was stealing his energy, it felt like. Or perhaps it was just because he was overworking himself. At least it was in good faith.

Glancing up to the sky, he noticed small flakes beginning to fall around, fluttering as they descended to form a new layer of snow. The sky was getting darker, the clouds rolling in looking like a menacing, boiling cauldron.

They couldn't stay out in the snow. They had to get inside and stay warm. Frostbite and hypothermia would happen quicker than they could stop it if they stayed out in the weather.

Blue staggered to his hooves and gathered all the supplies, running them to the caboose and setting them just inside the dented up entry. He rushed back and swept up the mare, carrying her on his back to the car and setting her down on some blankets he'd laid out. Hopefully soon she'd come to. It'd be easier to determine if she had internal injuries, since she could describe to him any pain she felt.

As for the stallion who fled into the woods - well, Blue just hoped that they came back soon. If they didn't, Celestia have mercy on them.

The caboose was mildly damaged, with most of the windows except two near the entry intact, and had hardly any holes from the fall. In fact, it appeared as though the caboose hadn't fallen at all -- from the deep gouges on the mountainside, the caboose miraculously slid upright the whole way down. Even more surprisingly, the door still shut. Blue closed it and sat beside the mare, leaning back on some luggage. It wasn't the most comfortable way to sleep, but he desperately needed it. It would have to do for now.

With the winter storm winds picking up outside, whistling around the train cars and trees, Blue closed his eyes and fell asleep.

14 Hours

Blue jerked awake, feeling pressure on his chest. He came face to face with a curious and concerned mare, staring down at him as she applied something to his chest. Realizing it was the mare he'd rescued, he relaxed and sat back with a deep, drawn-out breath.

"It's okay. I'm sorry I disturbed your sleep," she said softly, cleaning the small cuts on his chest and belly from when he escaped the train through the window. "I just figured I'd return the favor, assuming you were the one who'd gotten me out and tended to my injuries..."

"You don't owe me anything," Blue told her, wincing as she placed an alcohol-soaked rag on the gash on his thigh. "Gah... but yeah, I found and cleaned you up the best I could."

She sighed. "Thank you... But it's not about owing you, it's about helping you because... you saved me..." Her disheveled mane fell over her face, concealing it.

Blue swallowed hard, trying not to cry out from the burning sensation on his leg. His body was going rigid involuntarily. "I... just did what I thought was right. There were others I couldn't get out..."

"Don't blame yourself for that. You did what you could," the mare chastised him, wrapping his leg wound with the roll of gauze from the medi-kit. Maybe Blue was imagining it, but she had this very motherly aura to her.

He tried to sit up, but the mare planted a hoof on his chest and gently shoved him back. "I've gotta get that other guy. He ran into the woods."

The mare shook her head. "You can't. There's a terrible storm ongoing. It wouldn't be a good idea to go out there..." She set the roll of gauze aside and checked her work, making sure it was all dressed properly. "And you're in no shape to be chasing anypony down, either."

"Thanks, but I'm not worried about me."

"Well I am," she replied sternly, putting the supplies away. "I'll help you find him when the storm lets up. We should stay in here for now and try to stay warm."

She had a fair point. Blue decided it was better not to argue with her and changed the subject. "I didn't catch your name. I'm Blue Seas." He stuck out his hoof to her.

She hesitantly took it, barely touching and shaking it. "I'm Fluttershy."

Fluttershy... "I know you. You're one of the Element Bearers."

She nodded and sat on her haunches, looking almost sadly out the nearest window. "Yeah..."

Blue knew he'd seen her somewhere before. She was an Element Bearer, which made her a priority to keep alive and well. "In that case, I can't let anything happen to you. You're far too important."

"I'm not anymore important than anypony else," she disagreed, furrowing her eyebrows at him.

"But you are. If something happens to you, there'll be one less Element of Harmony. And if I recall correctly, there needs to be all six for the Elements to work. So, as I said, you're my top priority," Blue explained, hoping to close the case.

Fluttershy said nothing more, returning her attention to the snow falling almost horizontally outside. Blue followed her gaze and marveled at the intensity of the storm. He hoped it let up soon, or they'd never make it out of here. Not only that, but the caboose was growing colder, and the blankets would soon be unhelpful. There were only three, so they'd have to most likely share, which didn't seem like it would settle well with this mare he hardly knew.

Fluttershy went back over and curled up against the wall, pulling the blanket over herself and shivering. Her teeth began to chatter audibly. Blue felt bad for her, but he was in the same boat.

Outside, the storm howled and went on, never letting up. The snow fell so hard, it was impossible to see anything but white.

Blue also had no idea how long he'd been asleep, as it was daylight. When he'd fallen asleep, it was just beginning to get dark. "Fluttershy... how long have you been awake?"

She looked up at him, thinking. "Hmm... Maybe a few hours? I was scared and confused when I first woke up. I don't really have a good judge of time for then..."

"That's fine," Blue said. "I'm just worried about what day it is."

"I'm not sure," she admitted, averting her eyes.

"Also fine. It doesn't matter, anyways. We just need to stay alive until help arrives." Blue pulled his blanket higher, giving a shiver. "Whenever that is..."

Fluttershy turned onto her side and curled up, trying to stay warm. It was all either of them could do until the storm ended or let up enough to gather some firewood.

Sensing that she might want some sleep, Blue fell silent, listening to the storm and thinking deeply. If he didn't have his hooves full before he knew who she was, he did now.

She was an Element. This complicated things, and quite badly. She may downplay her importance, but Blue knew otherwise. He could not, under any circumstances, let harm come to her. Without her, there was no harmony. That was his understanding of how the Elements of Harmony worked, anyways.

He looked over at her. She was already fast asleep, the blanket rising and falling with each of her slow breaths. But she didn't appear comfortable. She was frowning, gritting her teeth and shaking every now and then. He guessed she was cold or in pain. Or both.

Blue sighed and stood, taking his blanket off. He quietly walked up to her and laid the blanket over her body, pulling it up to her neck. "Sleep well," he whispered. He turned and went back over to the window, peering out into the snow, keeping an eye out for the lost passenger.

Fluttershy felt a sudden warmth - a warmth so good, it felt as though she'd been teleported to a tropical getaway. It was enough to wake her from her somehow peaceful slumber. She sat up and realized she had an extra blanket... Blue's blanket.

Blue was standing off by the window, seemingly entranced by something outside. He was facing away from her, so she couldn't see his face.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to protest the giving up of his blanket, but thought better of it. It was a kind gesture that was only meant to help her. While he would likely suffer, it was still above freezing in the car, so he wouldn't succumb to hypothermia or anything else dangerous. She wouldn't let him.

She sat back and pulled the blankets back up to her chin, cozying up. She had no idea what time is was, as they'd discussed earlier, but it didn't matter. She was cold, tired, and sore. She just wanted to forget about everything and rest.

She let her eyes flutter shut and imagined herself at home, drinking a nice, hot cup of tea, relaxing with not a care in the world. With that, she didn't have to wait long for sleep to come.

20 Hours

Blue awoke with a start, rubbing his eyes groggily and feeling the stiff pain through his body. "Ugh... what a shitty way to wake up..."

He heard a little gasp from nearby and looked over, seeing Fluttershy eating something from a paper plate. She had a look of bewilderment and was staring directly at him.

"Did... I do something wrong?" Blue asked, feeling a bit confused as to why he was getting that look from her. He tried to sit up more but his back and sides weren't having it.

"I don't like that language..." she replied, letting her gaze fall back down to her food, which she hungrily took a bite of.

Blue rolled onto his side and grunted, a tearing pain erupting from his ribs and back. "Ahhhhh... Then make this pain go away... Dammit..."

Fluttershy quickly set her plate aside and rushed to him, wrapping a foreleg around him and helping him to his hooves. Blue graciously thanked her as she went back to her food.

"What's that you're eating?" Blue asked, limping stiffly over to her and eyeing her plate. He felt his stomach growl.

Fluttershy smiled meekly up at him. "I, uh, found some halved pears in a can lying around so I opened it..."

Blue nodded. "Okay. Did you happen to see any more? Or perhaps, food in general?"

"Now that you mention it, I believe there's a loaf of bread back there. It's kinda squished though," she warned him, nibbling on a pear slice and pointing a hoof down towards the other end of the caboose.

Blue stared down at the other side, feeling his heart sink. There was a mountain of luggage lying around. In his current state, he'd never be able to get over there, get food, and come back. "Hey, um, would you mind going back there and getting it for me when you're done? I don't think I'll make it. I need to sit down..." he said, his legs nearly giving out as he found a piece of luggage to sit on. He cringed and rubbed his sides tenderly.

"Not a problem at all," she replied, setting her plate on the floor, standing, and crawling over the luggage to the back.

Blue watched curiously, admiring the mare for her kindness. He could've waited until after she was done eating, and so could she, but she still went and did it the moment he asked. No wonder she was the Element of Kindness.

Once she came back over the mountain of luggage, she handed him a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread. "I found some peanut butter, too. You won't have to eat plain old bread now."

Blue smiled gratefully and took the foods from her. "Hey, thanks. I really appreciate it."

"No need to thank me. We're helping each other now, so everything we do is expected. It's going to be hard to... survive... without doing stuff for each other when we need it." She sat back down where she was before and resumed eating.

She made a good point. Blue sat with effort and unscrewed the lid to the peanut butter. He tore open the bread and got himself a few slices, scooping out a little peanut butter on each. The protein would certainly be helpful given the circumstances.

"So, um, where are you coming from?" Fluttershy asked, breaking the momentary silence.

Blue looked up at her, shoving a piece of bread in his mouth. "Frum Crishtal Empar."

Fluttershy gave a little chuckle. "I understand, but you shouldn't talk with your mouth full." Then she took another nibble of the pear on her plate.

Blue swallowed hard and smiled with embarrassment, feeling his face grow hot. Wouldn't be the first time a mare didn't agree with his methods. It probably explained why he was still single. "Yeah, sorry. I just didn't want to disrespect you by not answering."

She shook her head. "It's not disrespectful to wait until you're done chewing, silly." Finished with her food finally, she set the plate aside and smiled over at him, waiting for a reply.

How could she be so happy in a time like this? But again, she had a point. 2-Fluttershy, 0-Blue. "Uh, yeah. I guess. Sorry about that," he apologized, scratching the back of his head. "I'm not used to the company of a mare. I'm a bit uncivilized."

"Oh, I don't think you are. It's okay, let's just talk about something else," she suggested, glancing around the train car for something.

"Alright. I don't think the storm will be over any time soon," Blue began, taking the moment to stuff his face again while she replied. The growl and pangs of hunger in his stomach slowly went away.

"Yeah, I think you're right. What do we do?"

"There's nothing we can do," Blue replied factually after he finished chewing. "We're sitting ducks."

"Yeah..." Fluttershy stared at the floor, her expression revealing a bit of discomfort with that reality. Blue didn't blame her.

Not wanting his company to feel depressed and hopeless, Blue decided to mention the good news. "On the bright side, we're probably being looked for as we speak. A lost train that never showed up to its destination is quite the oddity. I'm sure we'll be found in the next day or so."

"But... trains only leave from the Crystal Empire once a week during the winter months. And during severe winter storms, they don't leave at all..." Her gaze fell upon the endless white outside the window.

If she kept this up, Blue couldn't keep up score. "Have faith. A missing train is more than enough reason to go out looking, regardless of the weather conditions." Blue polished off a fourth slice of bread and wrapped the remaining bread up, screwing the lid back on the peanut butter. "In any case, I think we'll be fine. Don't worry too much."

"That's the thing, though. You think we'll be fine..." she said quietly, closing her eyes and sighing. Her whole body seemed to slouch suddenly.

Blue didn't know what else to do. He'd already explained how things would be. There was nothing else he could say to make her feel better. It was times like these that he felt useless. "We'll see how things turn out. In the meantime, let's focus on here and now. It's easier to manage emotions that way."

She gave a little nod, but said nothing. She sat there, staring at the floor, seemingly in grief. Blue half expected a tear to come rolling down her cheeks any moment now.

With nothing else to say or do, Blue set his food aside and clambered over to the window, peering out and seeking any signs of the stallion that had taken off after being rescued. It was impossible to tell. With the snow falling horizontally, he couldn't see more than a couple feet. The world was a mass of white.

Wherever that stallion was, Blue hoped death came quickly and painlessly.