“That was quite an explosion.”

Twilight Sparkle stepped out of the elevator capsule, bracing against the wind, in order to greet the two couriers as they alighted upon the fringe of the cold metal disk that was the landing platform, shaking the last of the rain from their wings.

“And you only have one parcel between you.” observed Twilight, stopping before them and placing her hand on her hip.

Ditzy stepped forward and was about to speak, but Dash held out her arm in front of the novice courier.

“Don’t worry you two.” said Twilight, looking at them each in turn. She held out her hand to Ditzy, who sheepishly handed over her parcel. “The second parcel was technically redundant.”

Twilight slipped the strap over her own shoulder, then took a peek at the contents, all of which were still present and intact. “I mean, it would have been nice to have both, but I trust Rainbow Dash had good reason for sacrificing hers.”

Before either of then had a chance to get a word in, Twilight turned away, her tidy mane and tail fanning out in brief crescents that settled into a rhythm with her swaying hips while she strode back toward the elevator tube set in the center of the disk.

She paused about halfway there, looking back over her shoulder. “Are you guys coming, or would you rather stay out here in the cold?” she asked. The two pegasi exchanged glances, then fell in line behind the studious unicorn.

Though Ditzy did not know Miss Sparkle as well as Rainbow did, from the confident manner in which she conducted herself it seemed natural that Twilight and Dash would be friends.

The elevator was a little crowded with all three of them inside, but the extra warmth was not unwelcome.

Twilight pressed a button and the glass tube sealed shut. There was hardly any feeling of movement when the elevator began its smooth descent through the cylindrical tower a moment later.

To the West a great sea of low-hanging clouds lay draped over the valley, and through the glass it seemed nearly endless. The skies were fairly clear above, as though the clouds that were meant to be up there had simply become too heavy and fell to earth.

Everything was suddenly obscured as they entered those clouds and the feeling of being submerged in water came over Ditzy then, making her feel sleepy.

"These clouds are toxic." said Twilight, her voice clear and calm. "The only safe way through them is via this elevator."

Vague shapes started to become visible now and then, only to fade away as though scattered by the wind. Dash pressed up against the glass in an attempt to make out what she could, but her breasts got in the way and she discovered quickly that the glass was remarkably frigid. She pulled away with stiff nipples that she tried to hide by crossing her arms, and had to endure the mousy, know-it-all giggle from Twilight with which she was too familiar.

The last leg of their descent saw them enter suddenly into darkness, guided down by warm running lights as they slowed to a halt in a repurposed cavern embedded in the base of the cliff.

"The tunnels in the cliff are safe from the poison, we think. There haven't been any issues thus far, but as a precaution we—well, I—have installed an airlock or sorts using magic seals on the main entrance." said Twilight as the door slid open. She led them out into a spacious room of cold stone, the hum of generators and the glare of running lights providing an atmosphere of austerity and a sense of something in-progress, like a mine or construction site.

In truth the place was a bit of both, with the space being widened on the fringes by sweaty earth-ponies wielding picks and wearing head-lamps. The air rang out with the sound of them chipping away.

The elevator let them off on a concrete platform that was elevated somewhat from the natural floor of the cavern, and large enough to support a couple of pre-fabricated structures and a few large tents.

It was noticeably warmer down there, the heat from the lights, generators and hard-working ponies trapped by the cave ceiling. There were also a few space heaters beneath the tents.

Twilight showed them to the larger of the two prefabs, stopping to address them by the metal step in front of the door.

"I imagine you two are going to want to rest and recover after what you've been through." she said. "You'll find hot showers and hot coffee inside, as well as food and bunks. There shouldn't be any-pony in there right now. Take as much time as you need, and come find me in the building next door when you're done. I should have another assignment for you by then."

“Great.” said Dash, less than enthusiastic.

Twilight stood there awkwardly for a moment before speaking again, her tone somewhat different from before. “I wanted to thank you Dash, and you too Ditzy. This project is important, and thanks to you two we can finally move forward.”

Ditzy beamed, and even Dash felt a little proud. She was always gonna help, but she felt a lot better about it knowing her help wasn’t taken for granted.

“Okay, okay! Enough with the mushy stuff.” said Dash, evidently touched. “The coffee better be good.” She stepped up to the door, which opened automatically, and entered the structure.

“Thank you for saying that.” said Ditzy to Twilight, who smiled and nodded. Then Ditzy followed after Dash, and the door shut behind them.

Twilight wasted no time after that, eager to get the package to the atelier. The next part would be dangerous, but not as dangerous as what she would be asking of Ditzy and Dash. Of course, she would do everything she could to ensure their safety, and that would have to be enough.

Author's Note

Been toying with this idea for awhile now, and it is finally taking shape. It has been ages since I first wrote ‘Couriers in a Storm,’ and hopefully this will be a worthy follow-up.