Winters in the Chadincreek Mountain Range far east of Canterlot are not known for their forgiving nature. Many a pony have gone missing or wound up frozen at the bottom of a lake, but those were inexperienced hikers at best and rich ponies who wanted to "see the world" at worst. Mane Allgood and Snap Shutter were neither, they were two experienced explorers documenting Equestrias most dangerous animals and mythical creatures. The pair stood out, not just because of their scientific achievements, but also in the fact that hey were married! Not exactly a very common marriage, but they loved each other and their work, something that melded quite well as it turned out. They were hunting the legendary Boreal Wolf, an ancient beast thought to exist still, but sightings are rare and untrustworthy. They would find the wolf and report back to the university in no time.
If they weren't stuck in a collapsed ice cave, that is.
Shutter and Allgood were tracking some tracks left by a large canine when the cave they had entered collapsed behind them and trapped in the somewhat large cavern.
Allgood smacked a flare to life "Well, crikey, brimstone, we seem to have really put ourselves in a pinch this time, eh?" Allgood asked his companion.
Shutter, who was already pulling out their tent, responded with "Yeah, but we've been through worse. We'll just get the radio out and signal for help."
"No can do, angel, these mountains would block our signal. Best to wait and conserve the battery for when they send out search parties."
"Allgood, we are supposed to be gone for a few weeks. They aren't sending anypony out for at least a month."
Allgood hadn't really considered that train of thought. "Well, just send out 1 distress message today. We can't afford to let that radio die. Here, help me pull this tent up."
Shutter obliged. The tent would certainly help conserve heat, especially if they surrounded it in snow. And Celestia knows they're going to need as much heat as possible. It was the coldest months of the year in the Chadincreek Mountains. After pulling the tent taut, Shutter continued to set up what little equipment they had. They didn't like bringing so little, but the mountains were too demanding for a large pack. Allgood piled icy chunks of snow onto the tent and filled in the gaps with crushed powdery snow to provide a good insulation. Shutter was pulling out the antenna of the radio, being careful with the wire that had become delicate in the cold. She then pulled out all of the food they had. Not much. Only a few chalk bars and emergency meals. They would have to make due with what they had, even if it meant losing incredible amounts of weight. Shutter then pulled out a sealed letter from Scootaloo, picked up on their last outing to civilization, smiling as she set it aside to continue. Shutter pulled out a map of the region, although it wasn't very detailed due to the lack of exploration in the area. She also pulled out 5 flares, the only source of light in this dark, damp cave.
Finally, she pulled out a journal/scrapbook used to document all the things they had found. She opened it up and peered at its contents. There was the time they had wrestled a bugbear. That was a fun trip, though, Shutter would admit it could have gone better. There was the time they got the mythic Golden Tree Frog, sadly not actually made of gold. Shutter turned the page again to see a very important photo. The photo that was taken the night she proposed to Allgood. They were on top of a cliffside deep in the forests of the Guttal Rainforest when she popped out the ring. It brought a smile to Shutters cold face.
"Brimstone, could you help me stack this ice?"
Shutter was pulled from her memories "Oh, of course honey!" She trotted over and helped by stacking and filling the other side. "Hey, you want to go through our little book?"
Allgood gave a block a good smash. "Of course, brimstone. Did we get any letters from Scootaloo in Canterlot?"
Shutter pointed to the stack of items near the pack "Yup, we got only one though."
The couple usually tried to space out the reading of the letters sent so that they would have something to look forward to on a particularly hard expedition. They weren't always that long, but they were little glimpses into the young mares life they had to leave behind for their work, and that was fine with them.
Done with their preparations, Shutter decided to send out the first signal on the radio, pulling out the map as she turned the proper knobs and switches. "Hello, this is Doctor Snap Shutter sending out a distress signal from Chadincreek Mountains Square 35c, 62a. Me and my partner have been trapped in an ice cave and request an evacuation immediately. May I repeat, This is Doctor Snap Shutter Sending out a distress signal..."
It had been 3 days since Shutter and Allgood became trapped in the cave. They were hungry, but they were rationing properly for the weeks they expected to be stuck. Despite this, their daily life hadn't really changed much other than a distinct lack of traveling miles by hoof. They spent the days mostly cuddling in the tent mixed with small bursts of pacing up and down the small caves foremost wall from the entrance. It was dark. So very dark. Their training had taught them to not ignite fires while in the cave, but that became harder and harder of a lesson to adhere by as the darkness and cold surrounded them, but they resisted nevertheless. Shutter released another distress call from the radio. The battery was hurting in the cold, so they couldn't use the hoof crank to much lest the battery explode and make it completely useless. At the end of the night, the couple decided to crack one of the few flares they had to read one of the letters Scootaloo had sent them as they snuggled up together in the tent.
Dear Mom and Dad,
Today, me, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom went to Princess Twilight's new castle to help her organize her books. But, our futures as librarians didn't seem all to likely when we accidentally lit the whole place on fire. It wasn't our faults, I swear! It's not our fault somepony decided to put candles next to a podium that looks suspiciously like a Sumo Circle.
Shutter and Allgood giggled at the shenanigans. "Well, brimstone, it looks like Scoot is causing quite a bit of property damage at the moment." Allgood pointed out.
"Well, hopefully Scootaloo and her friends find out whatever they are good at soon, as we can't keep spending bits on insurance claims!" Shutter and Allgood laughed heartily. This was the only joy they had, and they would savor it to the most they could given the bleak situation. They continued to read the letter.
But yeah, the Cutie Mark Crusaders will win eventually! I have been doing well in school, but Ms. Cherilee keeps on giving these boring history lessons. Who cares about how the Equestrian Royal Court resolved The Great Cake Crisis of 789? Ancient history as far as I'm concerned! Anyway, I hope you guys are doing well out there and making Equestria smarter by the day! Bye!
Sincerely, Scootaloo
Shutter turned to Allgood and wrapped a wing around his chest. "Our little pony seems to be doing well"
Allgood responded by nuzzling his spouse. "We should go pay her a visit sometime. Crikey, I do miss seeing her smile a lot."
The pair sighed together in agreement. The cave was very cold that night, so they pulled each other closer and went to sleep.
Allgood awoke cold and alone in the tent. It had been 2 weeks since they had become trapped, but Allgood had lost track of the time. They were running low on what little food they had and were starting to lose a lot of weight due to malnutrition. Allgood focused his senses a bit. He could hear a scraping noise and some faint crying coming from outside the tent, worrying Allgood to his only companion's well being.
"Brimstone? Love? Where are you?" No response. Allgood listened closely to the noises, pulling himself out of the tent to move closer. He located the crying and approached the disturbing noise. Shutter was sitting at the collapsed entrance scraping her hoof against the solid ice wall. He rushed to her side, embracing her in his hooves. "Love, what's the matter? What's got you going blue?"
Shutter could only mutter between soft, labored breaths "We're never leaving this cave are we? We're both going to die in here, aren't we?" She said before leaning into Allgood's grasp.
Allgood started stroking Shutters yellow mane "Brimstone, we still have the radio, we will just keep-"
"The radio is broken. I tried cranking the handle and the battery ignited and fused the components together. We're going to die in here Allgood. We're both going to die."
Allgood stopped stroking her mane, instead opting for resting his hoof on Shutter's shoulder. They sat there for awhile, in each others arms. They were out of food, freezing to death, and now they lost their only access to the outside world. Shutter was right. One way or another, they were going to die, and in all likelihood, nobody was going to ever find their bodies.
But instead of fighting on, Allgood and Shutter sat there in the cold, as the tears streamed down their faces. They sat their, unmoving for what seemed like days. Eventually, Shutter stopped crying, her body going cold as the breathing came t a standstill. Allgood sat there, holding her freezing body for what seemed like days more. As he felt his body losing it's grip on reality, he turned his frigid head to look at Shutter in the darkness, kissing her one final time.
"I'm sorry Scoot. but me and your mum have got to go. Goodbye."
FIN
Author's Note
Bit more heavy and short than my other stories. Hope you enjoyed! Thankyou and have a great day!
