They say the coldest wind blows when an outcast enters these frigid wastes. It bites at the unprotected coat, nipping at their hooves, noses, and destroy their peace of mind. Any sentiment you wish to find from this unholy creature is futile, it only wants your suffering, your life, your sanity. I know this much, though I am now outcast, the stories of this land are true. The winds circle around you like an arctic hound, stalking you, waiting for that final effort. It's a daunting realization knowing what you feared most in your little society has happened to you, with nothing but your wits and own gall to pull you through.
I was walking through this unforgiving land, leaving a swiftly removed hoof print in the sheet of snow behind me. "Keep moving, ke-keep moving!" I told myself. The blood shot to the surface of my skin giving me a small hint of warmth, but it was a high stakes technique. I would stay warm but if I went to fast I would sweat, the sweat would cool my body, and hypothermia would grasp me.
I continued at a slight canter through the snow, trudging vigorously through the deep banks. The snow made a soft crunch with every heated step I made, and the snow melted enough to speckle my legs with cool droplets of melted snow. My sight was slightly blurred do to the heavy winter winds. My lungs were forced to endure each agonizing breath, and with every breath the air crystallized before my eyes: although it was a pleasant sight, it only hurried the freezing process on my cheeks. The frost slowly settling into my fur clasped down on my sanity, it spoke without speaking, saying you will die in a dull tone. But I refused to listen and trudged on through the snow.
Although I felt warm my body was lying. My limbs were slowly freezing from the water droplets that settled onto my coat. I knew I had to find some sort of divot, trench, something for Celestia's sake to help me combat this damned wind!
I traversed the snow covered land a while longer, possibly hours or maybe just a few minutes, before finding refuge next to some decrepit shrubbery. It may not of been such a god forsaken walk through these lands if I wasn't burdened by my own body. Hell the fact that I found some place to hide from the wind was a miracle in itself. Trees, shrubbery, grass, even small furry animals will not be found out here. Not anymore that is, it's a sad but all to real fact that these lands weren't always barren. It thrived many years back during the reign of the two princesses, but when Luna left, well, there was nothing holding back the Hyperborean Steads.
They were freed from their harmonized cell and this place and quickly sent it's beauty into a unforgiving, arctic wasteland. Celestia came only a year after they had attacked, far too late if you ask me, for they had already had their way with this land. The scars of it's old beauty still show threw in few forms such as this shrub, the place that I will call home for a night.
I wobbled closer to the shrubbery, some branches had fallen around the shrub and they seem to have dried out in the cool wind. I gathered the remnants of the fallen branches and piled them next to the shrub. Thinking about it the best course of action was to dig a small divot. then line the sides with branches to prevent as much water as possible from reaching the fire. After placing a few small twigs into the center of the divot I clacked my hooves together. One benefit of working in a mine your whole life is that, at a young age, some of the minerals fuse with you hooves. For most it caused green hoof but for me it was very beneficial.
You see working in a mine meant long days, tedious work, and pain staking nights. It seems that was my life for the longest time. Wake up, eat, work, sleep, and repeat. It was almost instinctive when I was younger to want to work even though most that do, as I stated before, develop green hoof. I, however, benefited from the mines. The metal dust and flint specs that lined the ground had infused with my hooves. Making them stronger and allowed me to create sparks.
I continued to clack my hooves over the kindling until the twigs had caught fire. I smiled with unbound glee as the small flame sparked hope. I slowly went to push some twigs into the fire, but instead I accidentally sent a heap of snow into the newly kindled flare. "Dammit," I whispered to myself.
My hooves were to numb to feel anything and my sanity was slowly losing feeling along with them. I tried again, carefully scraping the snow out of the makeshift pit. Once it was clean again I dug another hole to the left of me in hopes of finding dried grass under the snow. Eventually a few sparse scraps left over from seasons long past began to show. Reaching into the hole I realized my hooves were too numb to properly function. None the less they managed to hold onto the hunks of dried grass and allowed me to place them into the pile. I let out a distressed sigh as the harsh winds knocked the air right out of me. "God damned wind," I whispered to myself.
I wheezed a little as the wind continued to clamp down on my lungs. Fighting for each breath of air, for each cooled, thin breath. Under my current condition I arduously I rose my legs above the tinder and clacked my hooves once again. the dried grass was like wool, immediately lighting from just a few undermined sparks.
"Ha ha, ok, no screw ups this time!" I said happily. I looked over to the twig pile and gently nudged them in with my nose. The fire attacked my unprotected face each time I decided to feed it. It left black streaks across my nuzzle and parts of my face. The scorching was both a welcome and unwanted feeling for it warmed my face for short periods of time, but it also charred it. The only reason I continued this action was because it was a life or death matter, and it wasn't so bad given the situation.
The fire was finally strong enough to produce a gentle heat. My face was still tingling from the burn marks left on it earlier, but fire didn't have as strong of an effect on me as other ponies. Working in the mine, metal dust had settled into my coat, giving my a slight resistance to charring. It was a nice benefit in situations like this. I laid on my side around the fire, allowing my slowly freezing legs to gain feeling once again. Once the feeling was fully back and I was warm enough I decided to build a wind break.
I didn't want to leave the fire and it's warm embrace, but without a break it would surely be blown out. I decided to take a simple, yet chilling, approach to my situation. Wandering around the shrub I noticed that the snow had been piling up around it, already creating a wind break. So I decided to further this natural action by adding snow to the break.
Spending nearly and hour trying to build the break by both building and taking short periods of time to heat my hooves, I had finally finished the break. It was a crude, roughly edged structure but viable in this situation. I seated myself onto the cool break and aloud my body to take the rest it had longed for. All my ached joints began to relax, slowly warming and readjusting in this state. It was grueling, but a worth while process.
As I relaxed I finally noticed that the sun had escaped the sky and allowed to moon to take it's place. This realization had caused me to become even more weary. Time seemed to be distant as I fought for life, but now I wasn't fighting, and it had caught up to me. My eyes drooped and my body numbed. Slowly, but surly, the sand mare held me in her arms, and I drifted away into a deep slumber.
(Sulfurs Dream)
"You think you can just run away, hide from your problems, and let the purity of the snow canopy your ever so blatant sins Sulfur! That's not how this game works!" A being whispered behind a shroud of black smog.
"Well that's how I'm going to play, creature. Go ahead and scowl at me for how I live, but I never run from my problems." I replied calmly. A masked face slowly emerged from the shroud and crept closer to me. It's hoof beats were heavy, and its coat was gray and flaked off; as if it was made of ash. I watched intently as it placed its steps carefully before coming close enough for me to clearly see its face. The mask was charred and dotted with, what appeared to be, blood. A large gash disfigured the mask that was now next to my face.
"If you won't play fair neither will I, Sulfur. Just remember you're not safe anymore, not even in your dreams," The creature scoffed as I backed away into the shroud. Play fair? the statement confused me. How could a figment of my own imagination, a conjuration of my duress, have the ability to "play"? Although I would've loved to dwell on this mystery I had to find a way out of this smog.
Trotting deeper and deeper into the depths of this barren plain I noticed the fog beginning to clear. "Finally, maybe I'll be able to get a good idea of where I may be at!" I said happily. I increased my pace and quickly cleared the fog. Finding that the shroud of black smog was surrounding a small house, my house. Slowing my pace I walked up the cobble stone pathway to the Iron/rock house. I walked up to the door and cautiously placed my hand on the cool door knob. the words play fair had slipped back into my mind as I gently opened the door.
A swift gust of wind took hold of both the door and I was sent flying into the room. I hit the ground with immense force. Pulling my head from the dirt I tried to focus on a grayish figure that was before me. My sight was clouded from the hit and the lack of lighting also played a factor. The dust began to settle and the figure became slightly more visible. My curiosity began to grow with the slowly fading light emanating from the doorway. Strenuously I pulled myself towards the figure. My frontward legs began to burn with every effort I made to get closer.
Finally I was close enough to actually fell the grayish figure before me. The figure was rough in texture and greasy. A cool liquid speckled to outside of it as well, but feel wasn't enough. I place my hooves under me and lifted myself over the figure to get a better look. But as I did so I heard a slight chuckle to the left of me. Swiftly turning to the sound and I saw the same masked colt from before.
A few candles adorning the wall of the house began to light one by one, "This is quite a lovely home you have here. Nice furnishings, lovely fireplace, and even a chair." The masked creature said enthusiastically as he rubbed the chair.
"It is a nice house isn't it," I replied happily, seeing no harm in entertaining this demon.
"Ha, glad you agree," He mumbled as he moved closer. "But wouldn't it be ever so wonderful to just have your parents here!"
"Yeah, that wouldn't be so bad, maybe I could get some closure and apologize for what I did." I said softly.
"Well you could apologize to them, or you could just say it to her face," He said bitterly as he moved closer. "Look at what you're grabbing, subside your curiosity!" I was afraid to look. My heart began to race, who could it be, I though to myself. Mom, Dad, that poor mare I killed. Unable to turn my head I kept some form of eye to mask contact with the demon as he moved closer. Suddenly, he disappeared into the floor, leaving only a small fire in the spot he once was. At the same he disappeared I felt a rough grip on the back of my head. "Look at HER!" The demon screamed.
My head was forcibly turned to the body. Revealing to me the mangled remains of Copper Bite; the mare I murdered. The makeshift stone dagger was still stuck in her side, and the disfiguring laceration I left across he face still remained, Her body was covered in bruises, nicks, and scrapes from our fight. The sight of her was about to bring me to tears, I wanted to cry, but a darker feeling overcame my senses.
"Gah!" I screamed as I felt something being sent through my rear legs and into the floor. It felt as if a fire spick was the object becoming lodged in my bones. I hollered and gasped for air almost simultaneously as my torture continued.
"I told you I wouldn't play fair, Sulfur!" The demon said in a mocking tone.
"Wh-what did you do!" I yelped in reply.
"Just a little added security is all," The demon spoke softly as he grabbed my chin. "If you struggle to get away she may miss!" Tears were streaming down my face at this point, both out of fear and agony. My body was twitching, spiking with every jolt of pain sent though it.
I looked up at him, "What do you mean she may miss, w-who is she?" I asked cautiously.
"Oh, Copper Bite of course." The demon said happily as he moved out of the way. As he did I immediately noticed the mangled corpse of Copper Bite was standing before me. The makeshift stone dagger was placed firmly between her bloodied hooves. She clumsily walked closer to me as I watched in fear at the reanimated corpse. She was now in front of me; the dagger pointed directly at me.
I took in a few deep breaths before speaking. "I'm so s-so-sorry Copper B-Bite!" I cried. A grin shot across her face at the end of my plea.
"Good," She whispered as she slammed the knife down towards my face.
(Sulfur wakes up)
"AH!...Oh my Celestia," I whimpered. Rolling over onto my side I gasped for breath, trying to regain some composure from such a vivid nightmare. The intensity of the dream was powerful enough to carry the pain through the plains of consciousness. My legs furiously burned and my face felt as if it had a knife stuck in it. Forcing myself back to an upright position I started to rub my legs to numb the nerves. "Fuck...that...that was to much," I said to myself.
I continued to rub my legs next the remnants of the once bright fire. As my legs began to feel better a rumbling feeling began to shake the ground below me. The snow began to crack and flake off the few trees decorating the landscape. A large screech sounded from behind my little, and caused me to leap from my spot to see what the noise came from. A Snow Barge. Surprised to see one this deep into the tundra I hopped out into the sight of the captain and flailed my hooves to stop him. Snow Barges are large sleds pulled by a domesticated Ice Tooth Dragon. The captains are usually the ponies brave enough to tame such a ferocious beast.
The Snow Barge slowly stopped next to me, splashing some powdered snow over me. "What the hell are you doin' out here boy!" The captain hollered.
"That's a god question sir!" I replied joyfully.
The back drop of the barge began to open, "Ha, well climb aboard, this land isn't forgiving to those who travel alone!" The captain replied as I swiftly climbed aboard.