Author's Note

If you see any form of mistake, please let me know. Enjoy!

Broken

178 Hours

The next morning was a hard one. Neither pony wanted to face the day in the state they were in. The events of the previous night had left them tired, sore, and feeling a bit hopeless, but giving up was still not in the equation.

Waking hours into the day, they slowly gathered the will and strength to look for a way back to the top of the falls and hopefully back to their cave. Tending to some cuts and bruises first, they started out along the edge of the cliff, looking for a way up.

The air was stale and cold, likely due to the cliff. They were out of the wind, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Wind chill was dangerous.

Along the banks of the stream running from the pool at the foot of the falls, they soon found the ground sloping upwards, meaning they would find the top, much to their relief. It seemed as though this would turn out to be easier than their previous experience with falling in canyons.

Along the way, they talked to keep their minds occupied.

"I'm really sorry about last night, Fluttershy," Blue said, giving a heaving sigh. He trailed along behind her, limping slightly. The pain in his leg was still there, but over the past couple days, it had subsided significantly. It still caused him to move slower than her, so he resigned himself to being the rear guard.

"Sorry for what?" Fluttershy asked, turning back to him as she carefully maneuvered around a narrow, steep corner. The slope was growing very steep and the path was narrowing. The top was soon.

"For throwing us off a cliff."

Fluttershy turned back to where she was going. "Blue, I don't fault you for that. Last night I dreamt of what would've happened had we not gotten away from that... thing." Blue saw her visibly shiver.

"And...?"

"I'd rather not discuss the details."

"Fair enough." Blue glanced over the edge of the path at the ground. It was at least a hundred feet down by now, and littered with sharp rocks and boulders that would not feel great mashed against one's body. "Watch your step," he advised her.

"I know. I'm also not going to look down."

"Very smart."

The top was a long way up, but neither of them bothered to worry about such a menial thing. Normally, they would both be deterred from wanting to scale a cliff side to reach the top. It was dangerous, hard on the body, and painfully slow. It would take them most of the day just to reach the top at their current speed. However, ascending and getting back to their cave camp was vital. They wouldn't survive long if they stayed where they were.

So the climb continued.

Blue, however, still had something to worry about, at least in his opinion. Thanks to his brilliant idea to save them from being a late night snack, he'd cost them time, supplies, and his own health. He'd actually drowned and caused Fluttershy the stress of thinking she was going to be all alone in this mess. Not to mention he currently felt like passing out for the next two days, which he'd refused to tell her. No use in reporting more bad news.

Even worse, he was starving. He was sure she was too, but the events last night had left him feeling drained and weak. Their diet did not provide the nutrients he needed so desperately. Even though getting back to the cave - and eventually the train - would not solve this problem, it would allow them to forage for food better than what they had to eat this morning. The train also had remnants of food and other important stuffs they needed in their race to survive. Getting back to it was sine qua non.

"Blue?"

Blue shook his head and broke free from deep reverie. He glanced up at her and gave a tired smile. "Yeah? I'm just thinking about how nice a big, juicy hayburger would be right about now."

Fluttershy smiled sadly. She'd stopped and turned to him along the path they were taking to hopefully reach the top of the cliff. "I've already been through those thoughts. I've moved on to knowing roots and berries are all we'll be getting for awhile."

Blue sighed and shrugged. "Not the best diet. Also not the worst."

Fluttershy gave a slight nod, lowering her gaze. "Yeah... we could be eating nothing..."

"Pretty much, yeah..."

She gave him another half-hearted smile and turned back to the path, leading the way further up.

"You know, we really have to stop being so negative," Blue said, staring off at the sun. It felt warm on his face, despite the biting cold air around him. Maybe soon he would have time to sit out and enjoy that warmth.

But not now.

"What? I thought we were plenty positive...?" Fluttershy asked, sounding confused. She didn't look back.

"Fluttershy... what we just discussed was in no way positive." Blue chuckled. "However, we can make it that way. What if I offer to take you out to go get a big, juicy hayburger after we get out of this mess?"

Fluttershy came to a halt and peered back at him through her tangled, pink mane. "Take me out?" she asked in a soft voice.

Blue stopped short and smiled back at her. "Yeah. Can I take you to dinner after all this? It'd make my day, you know." Blue watched a faint smile creep across her lips behind her mane. It was satisfying to see.

"I... suppose so. Though, I've never been asked on a date before..." Fluttershy said, lowering her gaze.

Blue hummed in reply. His heart suddenly began pattering like he'd just run a marathon, and he found himself stumbling over words. Where did these strange feelings just come from? "I... wasn't uh... aware I was asking you... you on a date." He swallowed hard. "But you know... if that's what you wanted to do..."

Fluttershy lifted her gaze back to him, her mane drifting aside to reveal her face. She wore the same faint smile from before, but somehow it seemed more... mysterious. "We should probably get moving."

Blue nodded, feeling a bead of sweat on his brow despite sub-freezing temperatures. "Yeah... yeah, sorry. Leave it to Casanova here to lead us astray from our important tasks." He shook his head, then provided a nervous but playful grin up at her.

She gave a muted chuckle and turned back to the path, leading them further and further up.

Along the way, unbeknownst to Fluttershy, Blue silently chided and scolded himself for being stupid, at least, in his opinion he was. Asking his survival partner to dinner was highly inappropriate. If she were even interested in him, she'd tell him.

Right?

Furthermore, this wasn't the time, nor the place to be inquiring of romance. He chalked this up to another reason he was no good with mares.

Within the hour, the top of the cliff was in sight. The two of them scrambled for the edge and eventually clambered over it, nearly kissing the ground in relief. As happy as they were, this was only the tip of the iceberg. They had to get to the cave, now. Fortunately for them, they ended up within earshot of the falls, allowing them to skirt along the cliff back to where they went over, and eventually back on the path towards the cave after gathering some water.

It was afternoon, and they knew they had at least an hour of walking to do. Blue estimated that since the train wreck, they'd walked more than 50 miles. Fluttershy wasn't so sure, as that seemed an impossible number given their conditions, but she trusted his math.

With the winter sun at its highest point, the air was the warmest it was going to be that day. It was below freezing, but with the path they took, they had patches of direct sunlight, which was surprisingly warm. It was a welcoming feeling, as their limbs were stiff from both usage and the cold.

The path was exactly as they'd left it the day before. No new tracks, except what appeared to be deer. Fluttershy said it was a little too big, and was either a moose or an elk. Neither of which would be a threat to them unless encountered.

The two ponies maintained conversation as they wandered towards the cave. With their minds occupied, time seemed to fly by. It didn't feel like a whole hour by the time they'd finally come across the cave. Not that it mattered; they were simply happy to be there.

"Oh, goodness. I've never been so relieved to be in a cave," Fluttershy said, flopping down onto the floor just inside the entrance. Blue wandered in behind her and collapsed as well, heavily fatigued.

"Preaching to the choir..."

All the things they'd left in the cave were still there. Their experience the previous night had been a setback, but it hadn't stopped them or taken away their hope. They would head out to the train in the next day or so, and soon, hopefully, be rescued. That is, assuming the creature from before didn't return...

Fluttershy sat up, propping herself up from behind with her forelegs. "So, um... what now? What do we do, now that we're here?" She stared down curiously at Blue.

Blue yawned and stretched, ignoring the aches and pains that accompanied it. "I think I want to nap..."

"Oh... So what do I do then?"

"If I were you, gather firewood or food." After a moment or two of consideration, Blue added, "Or both."

Fluttershy sighed, nodding. "I don't enjoy this. Not one bit..." She turned away, curling up into a fetal position and falling on her side. "I've never had to forage to survive. This is so much to handle..."

Blue sat up suddenly, alarmed. "Hey, now... what's with the sudden depressing attitude? It's not like you, so far as I know..."

"It isn't me. That's the problem. I feel off and on hopelessness. Ever since the wreck, it's been situational, like when bad things are happening. Except this time, everything is fine and I still feel depressed. Is there something wrong with me?" She peered up at Blue with wide eyes brimming with tears.

Blue leaned towards her, placing a gentle and comforting hoof on her shoulder. She was trembling slightly. "Nothing's wrong with you at all. I promise. Your feelings are justified through the fact that no matter how well things are going, we're still out here. Until we're safe in our homes, we have every right to feel hopelessness."

Fluttershy sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Alright... I suppose occupying my mind with searching for berries and roots might help..."

"Yeah," Blue agreed, removing his hoof as Fluttershy sat back up. "We can talk for a while too, later. If you'd like, that is."

Fluttershy smiled faintly. "That would be nice..." She stood and moved for the mouth of the cave. "You can nap, if you want. I'll be back with some food."

"Are you sure? I can go with you," Blue offered.

Fluttershy shook her head. "You can get some rest. I can see that you need it. Please - take a nap and feel better."

Blue sighed, relenting. "Alright. Please be safe. At the slightest hint of danger, scream bloody murder and run for this cave. I'll come help."

Fluttershy gave a nod. "I will. I'll be back soon. Rest well, Blue..." Then she turned and trotted off into the trees, disappearing moments later.

Blue took a deep breath and released it, watching her form blend into the forest and vanish. "We have to get out of here..."

185 Hours

Darkness arrived before Blue finally roused from his lengthy nap. He sat up, yawned loudly and forcefully for comedic effect, and stared out the mouth of the cave at Fluttershy, who was poking at a small fire going. It also appeared she was making more tea.

"Whatever you're making, it smells fantastic," Blue said, climbing to his hooves and wandering over to her, taking a seat clumsily on a log they'd moved beside the fire before the waterfall incident.

Fluttershy met his eyes with a smile. "Oh. Hey, you're awake. Did you have a good nap?" She stirred the contents of the container over the fire. Whatever it was bubbled and hissed as it cooked.

Blue yawned again, although less dramatically. "I sure did. Boy, did I need that. Thanks for letting me and getting a fire going. You're too kind."

Fluttershy hid a blush. "Not a problem at all..." She removed the container from over the fire. "Would you like some coffee? It's not from tree needles this time. It's from some roots. Chicory."

Blue nodded. "Actually, yes. Normally I'd decline coffee at such a late hour, but I doubt chicory has caffeine."

"It doesn't," Fluttershy confirmed, pouring him some in a small ceramic cup. "Enjoy! Chicory is very nutritious for us. It's high in fats and proteins, and is toxic to parasites in the stomach."

"Huh. I didn't know that." Blue took the cup and sipped, burning the tip of his tongue and crying out. "Ow! Perhaps I should wait a bit."

Fluttershy gave a muffled giggle, a hoof over her muzzle. "It would be wise, but don't wait too long. It's freezing out, so it won't take very long to cool down. It doesn't taste nearly as good cold," she advised, pouring herself a cup and setting the container with the rest beside the fire.

Blue nodded in acknowledgement, setting the cup in his lap. "Thank you for the drink. I'm certain it will hit the spot." He gazed up at the darkened sky, noting the clouds moving in from the distant horizon. A storm?

"You're very welcome, and I'm hoping it to do just that," Fluttershy replied, flashing her teeth and gingerly sipping at her own cup. She noticed Blue staring up at the sky and followed his gaze. "Um... see something?"

Blue shook his head. "No... nothing worth worrying about." He reassured her with a jovial smile. "Fire's doing a great job at keeping us warm," he noted aloud, rubbing his forehooves together close to the flames.

"Oh, definitely," Fluttershy agreed. "Do... do you think it will keep... that..."

"Creature away? Yeah, hopefully," Blue said, finishing for her. "Otherwise, we gotta get back to the waterfall and jump again." He winked at her when she glanced up with a look of horror on her face.

"Blue, that isn't funny..." she said, frowning disapprovingly.

Blue shrugged. "Somepony's got to have a sense of humor here." He grinned playfully.

"Blue."

Blue threw his forelegs up in surrender. "Alright, alright... Gosh, a guy can't joke about nothin' anymore."

Fluttershy sighed. "Nothing about you almost dying is funny. I'm sorry, but that's just how I feel."

Blue nodded. "I know. Just trying to make light of the situation. No use in moping around. I'm alive, you're alive, and we're currently safe. Let's try to enjoy ourselves a little, eh?"

"I guess... but not that way. No joking about that incident. It worries me just thinking about it..."

"Alright, fair enough," Blue relented. He finally drank a little of his coffee, which was delightfully tasty, and set it aside. "What do we talk about or do then?"

"Hmm." Fluttershy stared down at the flickering fire, folding her forelegs across her chest and rubbing to warm up. "Um... what are we gonna do when we get back to the train? We can't just sit there..."

"What choice do we have? We need to be there when rescuers arrive. That's the first place they're going to look for us."

"But food, water, warmth..."

"All of that will be provided by the forest," Blue said. "Hasn't it anyways?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Yeah. I suppose..." She didn't look convinced.

Blue stood and moved over beside her, sitting and putting a foreleg around her shoulders. "We'll be fine. Okay? We're doing great, despite the circumstances. I mean, look what we've been through - a train wreck, falling down a mountain, sleeping in freezing weather, escaping a huge, murderous monster, jumping over a waterfall into a freezing cold pool..."

"I think I get it..." Fluttershy murmured, peering up at him through her mane. She didn't appear uncomfortable by his sudden closeness. Then again, he was probably keeping her warm.

Blue cracked a smile. "Good. Need any more convincing?" he teased.

Fluttershy embraced him suddenly. It was so unexpected, it nearly threw them both off the log onto the ground, but Blue managed to maintain his balance and return the embrace, although less enthusiastically. He wasn't sure why he deserved a hug, but there was no reason to deny it.

"Thank you..." Fluttershy said in a voice just above a whisper. She gave him a squeeze, her head flush with his chest, forelegs wrapped around his midsection.

"Uh... no problem, Shy. Just being as kind to you as you are to me," Blue replied, still unsure about the hug. It didn't make him uncomfortable, but he also didn't understand why. Perhaps it was just because he'd come to know the mare a little better.

A few moments later, Fluttershy released him and sat upright, looking embarrassed by her actions. "Sorry about that..."

"Sorry?" Blue asked, not understanding. "Sorry for hugging me? Why?"

Fluttershy curled up a little, trying to stay warm. "That was a little much. I shouldn't have let myself do that. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable..." She stared down at the fire.

"No, no. It was just fine. I enjoyed it... I mean, it didn't bother me. I know you probably just needed some comforting and I have no problem with giving you hugs to do that." Blue did his best to reassure her that no lines were crossed. She'd have to do a lot to cross his lines...

Fluttershy gave a barely perceivable nod without looking away from the fire. "Okay..."

"Hey," Blue said, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Cheer up. We should talk about something positive."

Fluttershy looked up at him. "Like what?"

"Like how good it'll feel to sleep in actual shelter with a fireplace of sorts," Blue said. "I can't wait for that, honestly. I've had waaaay too much nature lately."

"I can't believe I want to agree with you..."

"Why can't you believe that?" Blue asked quizzically. He pulled away a bit, staring over at her as though she'd just made the most insulting comment ever.

Fluttershy realized how what she'd said sounded and immediately backpedaled. "I meant... I love nature and I can't believe I want to agree with you on having too much..."

Blue nodded in understanding. "Ah. Okay. Sorry I got bent out of shape there for a moment. I thought you hated me or something."

Fluttershy glanced back down at the fire, her eyes telling a story of many thoughts. "I don't hate you at all..." she said quietly.

"Good to know..."

A few moments of awkward silence followed, with Fluttershy's gaze fixed on the campfire, and Blue staring into the distance, collecting his thoughts. Suddenly, he felt a desire to ask a question floating around in his mind. It had been there many times throughout the course of their journey, but only now had he felt a strong urge to get it off his chest.

"So how do you feel about me?" he asked, his voice shaking near the end of the question. A stab of fear struck him as he finished the question. He wasn't sure why.

Fluttershy took a deep breath and released it noisily. "I... think you're kind and brave and smart..."

"Oh," Blue replied, underwhelmed. "I uh... I don't know what I was expecting. I guess that makes me feel okay."

Fluttershy looked up and over at him. "You sound a little disappointed..."

He was. "I'm fine, really. Honestly I'm glad your opinion of me is so high."

"I see..." Fluttershy turned back to the fire. After a moment, she asked, "How do you feel about me?"

Blue knew this was coming. But what he didn't know is how to respond without making things awkward or scaring her off. A stallion couldn't help who he found attractive. That's just how nature worked. "I... think pretty much the same thing, honestly... although I'd add that you're very... pretty."

Fluttershy flushed lightly. "Pretty...? But... I'm disgusting right now... I smell and I'm filthy..." She peered up at him. "Why do you think that?"

Blue felt sweat forming on his brow as his heart rate increased. This wasn't the topic he wanted to delve headfirst into right now. "You're just... a pretty mare. I think you're pretty, is all."

Fluttershy gave an inscrutable little smile. The pink color in her cheeks remained. "Thanks... That's sweet of you to say..."

A delicate but frigid breeze blew through, pulling them from the cozy conversation. It was a reminder that they were still in danger, still in this horrid situation that continued to test their characters. At least they still found time to talk about normal things and detach themselves from the reality they faced.

Blue rubbed his forelegs and shivered. "Fire isn't helping much anymore with that breeze going. Maybe we should head to sleep? We do have a long walk tomorrow."

Fluttershy nodded once. "Yeah. I am a bit tired, actually." She picked up and finished off her coffee, prompting Blue to do the same. He'd forgotten all about his, and he drank the rest so as to not disappoint or insult Fluttershy.

They cleaned up around the fire, but left it going. It would generate enough warmth to affect them in the cave nearby, but not enough to cause a collapse as Blue had warned would occur if the fire was inside the cave.

Once inside, Blue set out blankets for them to lay on, separate blankets as they'd done before, but this time, Fluttershy stopped him.

"Actually..." Fluttershy played with the tangled tip of her mane, looking sheepish. "I'd rather us share so we can be as warm as possible. It's going to be really cold tonight and I don't want to struggle to stay warm..."

"I see... you want to share blankets? Is that what you're saying?" Blue asked, rolling one of the blankets up that was intended for her to sleep on. He might end up using it instead as a blanket for them to keep warm with since Fluttershy didn't want to sleep alone.

Fluttershy nodded wordlessly. She didn't make eye contact with him, but did look up in his direction.

"Alright. Just let me know if you get uncomfortable with the uh..." Blue searched for the right words, "...closeness. Okay?" He laid out two blankets, then used the other two as covers, laying down and pulling them up to his neck. "Ready?"

Fluttershy crawled in beside him, their bodies flush together. Blue fought the many thoughts shooting around his mind and focused only on staying warm, until Fluttershy cuddled up on him unexpectedly. Blue didn't know how to react, feeling her wrap her forelegs around him and her burying her muzzle in his neck. This wasn't at all what he imagined the night ending with. But he didn't want it to stop or go away, either. So desperately did he want to just open up and tell her that he'd developed feelings for her, but something told him the feeling wasn't mutual. He told himself that she cuddled him to stay warm, not because she had feelings. Besides, he'd know if she liked him. It wouldn't be that hard to tell, would it?

Blue decided to cuddle her back, hoping he wouldn't be going to far. Despite them both being dirty and having a bit of an odor, he relished in the feeling of her warm, soft body against his. She didn't pull away as he slid his forelegs around her lithe body and held her close. She even seemed a bit receptive, almost as if she wanted him to do that or was expecting it. Her mane tickled at his neck as it curled in pink tendrils all over it and his chest, and he could feel her slow, hot breaths. It nearly made him shudder.

"Goodnight, Blue..." Fluttershy said softly, closing her eyes. She wanted to fall asleep and dream of the things she wished she could have right now, but also she wanted to resist wanting to say or do more than she was comfortable with. At least, for now. She just hoped Blue didn't catch on to anything.

"Goodnight, Shy. Sleep well. We'll have a great day tomorrow," Blue said, gently squeezing her. He opened his mouth to say "I love you," but stopped himself before it came out. He had no idea where the words arose from, but was glad he didn't say them.

They both fell asleep soon after.

198 Hours

The following morning, they woke up, ate, took turns relieving themselves and trying to clean up a bit, before packing up and heading out towards where they hoped would be the train wreckage.

It was overcast and much colder than it had been the past couple days. Blue forecasted a storm incoming in the next 24 hours, which meant they needed to get to the train and stock up on food and firewood. Even if they made it to the train, if they didn't prepare for the storm, they would likely die.

The wind had also picked up to a considerable breeze, sometimes reaching a moderate gale. The trees around them groaned and creaked as they swung to and fro in the strong winds. The wind chill was almost certainly a problem, and the two ponies frequently had to stop and rub extremities to keep them warm and prevent frostbite.

After roughly two hours of walking, they stopped for a break. It seemed to them that they were making far more headway than when they'd been trying to escape the ravine. They surmised it had to do with better terrain conditions; there weren't heaps of rocks and boulders the size of beach balls littered everywhere as obstacles up here.

"I really hope we get there today..." Fluttershy said, sounding concerned. She was propped up against a tree, her back to it as she finished off some roots and berries she'd collected for the two of them. "That storm is sure to come soon and make things so much worse..."

Blue sat on his haunches nearby in a small clearing, examining the sky and growing worried. "Yeah. We won't make it if we're caught."

"Oh, no..." Fluttershy gasped.

Blue kept his eyes on the sky. "Yeah. We need to get moving again soon or we'll never make it. Being caught in a winter storm right now would devastate us."

Fluttershy gathered the little food she had left and packed it back into her saddlebags. "Alright. Let's go," she said as she stood up.

"Are you sure?" Blue asked. "I wasn't rushing you."

"I'm sure. We need to go."

"Okay."

They ventured for another hour before reaching a familiar location. The ravine was seen through a clearing in the trees off to their left. They knew at this point they were no more than an hour from the train.

It was at this time that minute snowflakes began fluttering down all around them. Few and far enough in between to not pose a threat, but they foretold the nasty storm that was sure to follow soon. They picked up pace, hoping to beat the storm, as they still had to replenish resources and gather enough firewood for at least a couple days. They had no way of knowing how long the storm would last, or when they might be rescued.

They soon stumbled upon a clearing with hoofprints - their own hoofprints.

"We're close now!" Blue exclaimed, overjoyed. This was a huge relief for them.

They followed the mostly gone hoofprints, quickly weaving between trees and growing tired. The excitement was making them work too hard, as they began pushing themselves to go as fast as possible. They abandoned pace and at some points, they attempted a sloppy gait for as long as either could tolerate it.

Soon, they could see the scarred rocky side of the mountain where the train had gone over from above. They rushed through the remaining trees.

"The train!" Fluttershy cried out happily as they breached the edge of the forest and stood before the train wreckage. They danced around and hugged each other, laughing almost hysterically. They had done it. They'd beaten the storm and reached the train.

After a few moments of celebration, they approached the train to get started with gathering resources. It was at this time they began noticing something very wrong.

Around the caboose were dozens of hoofprints in the melted down snow, especially around the door.

"What the..." Blue stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the prints. "No..." Blue ran off towards the other train cars, his heart racing. No, no, no... he thought, hoping this wasn't real. This couldn't be. Not after everything they'd been through.

"Blue," Fluttershy murmured in a terrified voice. "Something isn't right. Where are all the... the bodies?"

Blue ran to the front of the wreckage where the three bodies he knew should still be there were. All he found were hoofprints in the snow.

They were gone.

"No!" Blue cried. "No no!"

"Blue?! What happened?"

Blue fell to his knees, his eyes welling up with warm tears that threatened to pour out over his cheeks. "Fluttershy... we're not getting rescued..." he said in disbelief, gawking at the hoofprints. His mind was a tumultuous mess of thoughts now. He couldn't comprehend something like this happening.

"What do you mean? Blue? What happened here?" Fluttershy demanded loudly, her voice shaking. She came up beside him and put a hoof on his shoulder.

Blue couldn't believe it. This was all they had left going for them. It was what drove them to survive. To fight. It was the only thing they could look forward to and make any effort they put out worth it in the end.

"Fluttershy," Blue whispered, a tear finally rolling down over his cheek as he took a shakey breath. "We're not getting rescued because they've already been here. We were too late."