This one is kinda just a 'fuck it' story I thought of when I was at work. I'm using Anthro ponies, not Humanized and this is a HIE. It will feature OCs, Daring Do, Night Glider, Double Diamond, and the Mane Six at some point in this frozen adventure. Also introducing an enemy Organization and Rival. So here we go.
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Through The Rift Chapter 1 Broken World
-Somewhere in the Himalayas-
" Blast this infernal cold." Bastin shivers, his British voice cracking a bit from the extremely frigged temperatures of the Himalayas. Me, him, and our Nepalese guide are treading up the mountain to our excavation site." I'm a bloody ex commando, not a fucking yeti." He holds himself with his arms, shaking physically from the cold, even through his thermal clothing and thick coat. I'm cold too but not much of a complainer, unlike him. Our snow boots crunch through the already slightly flattened snow caused by others moving along this path. I shift the weight of my large pack slightly. Baffin looks back at me and pulls back his hood slightly, revealing his slightly cliched brown goatee and his grey wool hat.
" How you holding up?" He asks with a slight chuckle at the end. Just like Bastin to try to lighten the mood with a joke.
" I'm still here ain't I?" I smirk slightly, causing him to roll his eyes. Also the typical James Bastin, the 'ex' British Commando that was best buddies with my father. Me, I'm just an American archaeologist. Two PHDs in history, one of them in Asian history. I'm the one though who would put myself into danger just to get what I want, kind of like Indiana Jones and Lara Croft. Those two though kinda inspired me to become an Archaeologist, funny if you ask me. Baffin pulls the strap of his FN SCAR-L to move it up slightly. He's kind of like my escort until we can get to the excavation site. Some sort of ancient Nepalese temple that is told to hold some kind of ancient power or something like that. Our guide stops suddenly, like he knows something is up." I cannot go any further."
" Well why not?" Bastin ask, slightly angry.
" I am not well equipped for this part of the way, you must go on your own. Just past this point the whole trail has collapsed and is covered in ice. I am sorry but I cannot continue. Tell your friends though." He pauses and puts a hand behind his back, and pulls out a 9mm pistol." The Black Cross says hello." He aims for Bastin first, but before he can pull the trigger I pull out my own pistol. A Colt six shot revolver that I bought down in Kentucky, its nothing much but it still gets the job done. I walk up to him and place the pistol to the side of his head while he is aiming at Bastin." Who do you work for?" I question. The guide just chuckles and turns his head slightly to see me.
" Why you should know that Jason Keller has funded this expedition to the fullest. Unfortunately for you two, he already has an entire private army and a team of fully dedicated archaeologists. He already has your notes on the supernatural device inside the temple, Karver. He has no more use for you two anymore." I remove the gun from is head and aim it at his right leg and fire. A hole is ripped through his clothing and and spray of blood paints the white snow red. He grabs his leg and lets out a shriveled shriek, dropping his gun in the process, and collapsing on too the snow covered ground. I point with my right arm, which has my gun in it, at his head.
" Well consider yourself fired." I shoot right through his head, painting the ground with more blood and brain matter. I look back at Bastin, who had his hands up the whole time, and his face shows rage and shock." Jesus fucking hell boy, I would've never guess for you as much of a fighter." I holster my weapon.
" Thanks to your training and my hatred for Jason Keller, anything is worth fighting for." I look around and feel the breeze pick up. I feel its come north of here so that must mean the small valley that the temple is in is close." Shall we get a move on then?" I ask him. Bastin regains his composure and un holsters his assault rifle.
" Yeah, maybe a good fire fight should warm my bones a bit." He chuckles a bit to himself an I roll my eyes. We start heading north. The Black Cross, oh why can't one good thing happen to me on this trip? These bastards have been searching all over for the mysterious and the unknown, claiming to have the knowlege to open portals to new worlds and shit like that, bunch of crazies more like it. They are funded by my rival, Jason Keller. An intelligent and controlling power hungry giant, the son of a rich snob who left all of his money to him. My father was always searching for the next new dig after his time in the British Special Forces. The one thing he was completely for sure about was that we are not along in this universe or the next. Something was here on earth, what it was not a soul knows. My father passed the torch onto me, and I want answers. The snow gets thick around our ankles and we're getting slowed down." Fucking snow!" Bastin shouts slightly, though not too loud, because we're in avalanche territory. The trail gets shorter and short and before we know it, we're at the excavation sight. Before us are two obsticals, one a lone guard armed with a sniper rifle, and two the thirty foot drop to the ground below. The funny thing is that these guys are all dressed in black combat gear while me and Bastin are wearing white. I slide my pack off to make less noise and I crouch down as Bastin takes point. He draws his large hunting knife that he always kept wit him. This simple dig site trip turns into something straight from Call Of Duty.
Bastin grabs the man with his left hand, covering his mouth and jams his knife through the back of his neck. Bastin slowly sets the dead man on the ground, to not make much sound. Bastin and I both have killed people to protect what we love, for him its his country, and me its to preserve ancient history from falling into the wrong hands, sounds cliched as hell." Bloody hell, look at 'em all." He points to the dig site. Numerous white tents and rebuilt buildings brought in by helicopter dot the cobble stone ruins of this ancient place. The temple itself is built in the the mountain side, leading into the rock and deep inside.
" How could we have been tricked like this?" I whisper.
" Who knows? My concern is on what the hell do we do now? Its not like we can take them all on." Bastin scratches his chin." But it looks like we have no choice. Are you sure you want to do this?" He looks back at me and I just give cold glare.
" My father's legacy was to understand myth and legend. He was interested in this place due to how under searched it is. I want Keller dead and this place preserved." I look down at the encampment below, mapping the area, looking for the best routes inside. Ok so there is no good way in, this is not a video game." Damn, there is no way in. We're fucked." I groan. Just then a intercom turns on with a loud metallic shriek. I hope that didn't start an avalanche.
" Ah! William Karver and James Bastin, welcome. I can see you two on that ridge above the place." Jason Keller's voice fills the valley, my blood boils, he killed my father." This is a very interesting opportunity for all of us to witness. So just sit back and smell the ashes." The intercom shuts off and then a strange hum fills the air." What in gods name is that noise?" Bastin yells. The whole area starts shake violently and then the ground beneath us crumbles and we both collapse thirty feet to the ground. I land on my side and smack my head on the concrete, my ears ring out and my vision is slightly fuzzy. My pack falls and lands next to me. I struggle to get up and Bastin tumbles down the side of the icy rock and lands about ten feet away from me. Black Cross soldiers rush to us, guns pointed at my face, the I hear a slow clap. The soldiers part ways and out of the crowd comes Jason Keller, dressed in comfy rich people black thermal clothing." Ah, my condolences for your fall. I did not intent to hurt you like that."
" Fuck you." Bastin spats at him and earns a rifle butt to the face. Jason crouches next to me and removes my gun, examining it.
" Such a fine weapon for someone like you. Still you won't stop me this time, British boy." I roll my eyes. He tosses my gun at me feet.
" I'm American, just like you, fuck wit." Jason just chuckles.
" While yes you are American, your father was British. Now I do believe that you have a medallion that you recovered from the Amazon, yes?" I don't respond and a soldier cracks me up side the head with his rifle. I spit up a bit of blood and glance up at the soldier, who waves his rifle in my face and gestures with it to Jason." I have your fucking medallion, what do you want with it?" Jason motions to a soldier and he grabs my pack and opens it. He shifts through it until he pulls out a golden medallion that I found in an old Mayan ruin last year. Its covered in strange markings and runes that I could not decipher myself but I held on to it for safe keeping, until now. The soldier also pulls out two leather notebooks I kept with me, one was my dad's and the other was mine. The soldier hands the items to Jason, who grins like a manic.
" Such a great find in the jungle. Now then you asked what I wanted with this medallion? Well this place and the medallion are both connected. This place holds a portal to another dimension, which we will take over and create a new world basking in our glore. You and your little friend though," He points to Bastin and if looks could kill, Jason would be dead and buried." You two will witness the portal first hand, then we will kill you." I mange to get up as Jason turns away from me." Son of a-" I get cut off with a chock wire wrap around my neck from behind. I chock and gasp out and collapse again. Jason looks back at me and grins." Your work is complete." He disappears and then my hands are tied with...zip ties, really? Bastin is tied in the same manner and his SCAR-L is taken away from him, and tossed aside. My own gun is at my feet but trying to fight would be suicide.
" Fucking pricks." Bastin mutters under his breath. Soldiers still surround us and Jason is long gone. Soon the strange hum from before fills the air again and then there is a large rumble from atop the mountain." Avalanche!" A soldier cries out and then they all scatter, leaving us for dead. Bastin struggles against his bindings as do I but to no avail, they won't budge." Dammit Karver, there's no way out of this. I hope becoming a human popsicle isn't as bad as they say." I snort.
" Only you would be the one to joke in the face of death." Bastin just laughs.
" Nice knowing you." The we are both swept into the white blinding snow...cold freezing blackness engulfs my vision.
-Somewhere Else-
" Its freaking freezing." I say shivering. Treading through the snowy mountains can do that to you, I guess. I look over at Double Diamond, who has been leading us through the mountains to the network of underground caves. The only other pony here besides me and Double Diamond is the famous adventure herself, Daring Do. After the whole Starlight Glimmer incident with tricking us into a false sesnce of friendship and allowed us to have our cutie marks removed, we gotten over the fear of these caves and now those caves are about to get tracked and traced by Daring herself, well with me and Double Diamond." I'm still trying to figure out why you wanted to come with anyway." Diamond chuckles lightly." Your not used to the cold like I am." I get an amused smirk.
" Then why aren't you stripped down to nothing but bare fur then, hmm?" Diamond just rolls his eyes." So Daring is still in the tent, right?" I look back over at the large green tent the protrudes from the snow covered ground. We set that up this morning, in preparedness because of a threatening snow storm. Even us pegasi can't control the weather in these mountains. Diamond walks through the thick snow over to me and places a gentle hand on my left shoulder.
" Night Glider you should go in the tent where its warm. Any longer out here, you'll become a pony popcicle, besides your already shivering even through these thick snow coats." I go to say something but I see, something sticking out of the snow about 30 or so feet away from us. I tap Diamond a couple of times to get his attention." Hey whats that over there?" I say pointing a finger at the black object sticking out of the snow slightly." I don't know, wanna check it out?" He offers and I'm already head over that way. Diamond rushes through the snow and catches up with me. We get to the object sticking out of the snow and it looks like a gun barrel. I pull on it a few times and out pops out an assault rifle. I pick it up and examine it. Its tan and black and on the side it says FN-SCAR-L." Huh, never heard of this brand. Diamond do you think someone lost it up here?" I show the weapon.
" Maybe, you think he or she is still here?" He looks around and hold on to the gun for me. I take a few more steps only to trip over something in the snow and I fall face first." Are you alright?" Diamond chuckles, though with actual concern. I get back up on my hooves and brush off the snow from my jacket and pants. I look over to see a white and black and grey camo backpack, a large one. Diamond crouches down to get a closer look." Did a hiker come through here recently?" I ask looking at him.
" I highly dought it, though some are crazy enough to venture out here alone."
" Hey! Did you two find something?" A familiar voice calls to us. I look over my should to see Daring Do dressed in a olive green snow jacket with yellow fuzz trimming around the hood run, well as fast as you can through snow, over to us." Find something interesting?" She asks.
" Yeah here take a look at this." I move aside so she can kneel down and examine it, she is a archaeologist after all." Ok judging from the looks of this pack, somepony must still be out here." Daring looks over at the gun Diamond placed on the ground beside him." Ok so they must be military or a mercenary. Ok what we need to do is to search the area, and if they are hostel, let me know." Daring pulls out her own semi automatic hand gun she carry's with her at all times. Me and Diamond both nod and stand up strait. Even over the howling wind in this freezing wasteland, I hear something very faint, and it sounds like breathing. Diamond heads off a little ways away from me and I head in the direction of the sound I heard, while Daring searches the pack.
-Will's POV-
THUMP THUMP...THUMP THUMP...THUMP THUMP
My heart seems to still be beating, though its slowing. I fear that hypothermia may have set in, though I'm wearing black gloves. I can't see in front of me due to the snow covering my whole body. My body temp is dropping and I'm going to die out here. My hands are still bound and I kept them close to my chest when the snow hit. I only hear howling winds and nothing else, well that is until I hear a girl's voice call out." Hey! I think I found something!" I can't move or speak, I'm weak and about to die freezing to death. I start to hear the sound of something crunching through snow. I start to feel mounds of snow being shoveled away by an unknown person by hand, it seems that the snow has froze over right at my face but on directly on my face, so I can see only frozen white. Suddenly a small light breaks through the frozen ground above me and gloved hands shovel snow and ice away to get a better look at me. My eyes are weak but I make out a feminine shap but I see two wings sprouting from its back, folded up tightly. Am I being rescued by angels? The creature looks down at me but I don't do anything, still it seems to know I'm alive...somehow. It looks up and pulls her dark navy blue snow jacket hood back and I see and animalistic face." Daring! I found someone!" She screams. My vision begins to blur and fade into black again. She looks down at me but sees I'm beginning to fade away.
" No, no don't go now. HEY DIAMOND GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE NOW!" She screams looking back up and to her left. Then my vision blacks once more.
" Then there I was, just me and my comrades in the blinding desert heat." I hear Bastin's oh so familiar British voice cut through my blackened vision. My eyes slowly open and I see that I'm in a large olive green tent. I don't move and I feel cold still, very cold. I look around and see numerous bags and a few light brown wooden crates. I see about four or five military grade cots on the side I'm on.
" So you were trapped with your military teammates in the desert, how did you get out of that?" A male voice asks. I look over and I see a small fire pit in the middle of a tent, Bastin is on one side dressed in nothing but his grey thermals and a green blanket covering him. He's holding a bowl in his hands. Bastin lets out a chuckle.
" It was just sheer luck that my radio, after the explosion, was still working so I called in for immediate air support and evac, the Taliban didn't know what hit them." I smile slightly, always a bragger and a joker, yet still tough enough to make John Price look soft. I sit up slightly and throw in my two cents.
" I recall my dad saving YOUR ass that day. Your radio was all but working and he called in the air support." Bastin just chuckles and waves a hand at me.
" Back from the dead I see." I roll my eyes and notice that I'm dressed in my grey thermals only too. I look around and see somethings different. I see somekind of horse people. One guy and two girls, all sorts of different colors. The guy was white as snow with hair and tail to match. He's dressed in a blaxk denim jacket with a blue undershirt and some blue jeans. Around his neck is a purple scarf. I see the familiar winged girl that pulled my ass out of the ice. She's dark navy blue with a snow white hair and tail. She's wearing similar blue jean pants but a purple sweater. The last one is like a rusted golden yellow with a grey scale hair and tail, plus she has wings like the navy blue girl. She's wearing a light green button up long sleve shirt and tan cargo pants. Bastin notices my confusion.
" Meet our savors, Karver. Don't worry." I wave a tentative hand at them." Hey."
" Glad to see that your awake...and alive." The grey scale girl says." I'm Daring Do and these two." She motions too the navy blue girl and white guy." Thats Night Glider and Double Diamond. Your friend Bastin here was just telling us some stories from his military experience. So now that both of you are awake I guess I should ask this first, Who are you two?" I ponder her question for a moment.
" I'm William Karver and the one over there that you've already met is James Bastin. We're...um how do I put this?" I stop for a second then something hits me, we aren't one Earth anymore." Are you two like mercenaries or something?" The girl I assume is Night Glider asks.
" No, no we're explorers, sort of. Well actually I'm an archaeologist and Bastin is more or less a bodyguard, who love to explore as much as myself." Bastin gives me a look but I notice that Daring Do perks up." An archaeologist, really? I just so happen to be an archaeologist myself. So tell me, what were you two going up in these mountains?"
" Well actually, we're not from this world." Bastin interjects causing Double Diamond to murmur something under his breath. Daring Do raises an eyebrow.
" Really? How so?" She questions and before Bastin answers I jump in." Well just look at us in compared to you. We don't have fur, well only hair at the top of our heads and we have no tail." Daring seems to notice this for the first time." Well...fair point then, I should have noticed that from the beginning. So tell me, what are you two then?"
" Human, we're humans." Daring Do seems to nod in her approval." Ok so you two are humans as you call yourselves, yes?" I nod and she continues." So what were you two doing in the mountains?" That painful memory comes back at me.
" Well I was, or we, were tricked into going to a supposed dig site in the Himalayas. Unfortunate for us, it was a trap by a my 'adversary' Jason Keller and his private group known as The Black Cross. He stole my notebooks on this medallion I found a year ago. It was supposed to hold the power of portal creation and other supernatural stuff like that. The dig site was at an old temple in the mountain itself, and said to hold a portal to other worlds. Jason and my father were both after that place but for different goals. Jason tricked me into bringing that medallion to him, then tied us up, and left us for dead. The last thing I remember was an avalanche buring us in a few feet of snow, then the rest I have no clue." I wrap up and glance at Bastin to see if he had anything to say but he didn't. Daring seems to pace a bit on the ground which I noticed was completely uncovered ground but with no snow or nothing, just dirt. I also notice that these guys have hooves instead of feet, weird.
" Ok so some sort of unknown power brought you two here by means of portal teleportation. Its not that hard to believe." She sits down by the fire. Now its my turn to ask questions." So, what are you doing here, where ever here is, that is."
" I'm taking Daring here up to the large system of caves in these mountains so she can map them out." Double Diamond says. So we are still in mountians then, ok that explains why I hear slight wind in the background. I see a small plastic window on the other side of the tent and I see nothing but blackness and snow whipping against it." So we still are up in the mountains then?" I ask and Diamond nods. I grin at Bastin, who hates the snow still.
" Bastin we're in your favorite weather." I grin and Bastin snorts.
" Oh piss off with ya!" He waves me the finger." Its you who loves this kind of temperature, not me." Diamond looks at me with curiosity." You like the snow and cold?" I nod.
" Yeah, I grew up in Montana, which had snow peaked mountains. I got into rock climbing from my dad and my uncle. Its more or less in my blood to adventure and explore." Diamond seems pleased with my answer." Finally! Someone who appreciates the cold like I do! You check out fine in my book William." I chuckle a bit and move to the end of the cot, which is closer to the fire." First off call me Karver or Will, if you prefer. Now I have to ask, what you guys exactly?"
" We're ponies." Night Glider answers." Well actually me and Daring here are Pegasi, while Diamond is and Earth pony. And before you ask, your in Equestria, not where ever you two are from." Equestria? Huh, strange name and stranger inhabitants. I feel a bit warmer now. I realize tha I don't have my pack and neither does Bastin." Did you guys by chance find anything else along with us?" I ask. Daring gets up from her seat on then ground.
" We did but we were keeping it until we could trust you two. But you two seem trustful enough. We found one backpack that was closed completely. It had basic survival gear in it, along with extra rifle ammunition and a handgun. Also it had a large machete like knife in it." Bastin perks up.
" Thats my pack you found. May I have it back?" Daring picks up the large grey arctic camo bag from the table I just now noticed and tosses it to Bastin, who catches it sitting down. Daring turns to me." We found another backpack, sadly it was opened up and most of the paperwork in it was destroyed. The cloths and other basic stuff is fine. I also found this in the bottom of the bag." She produces my arctic camo climbing axe I use on my rocky adventures." Thatmust be my pack then you found, along with my climbing axe. Jason's goons ripped my bag open to get the medallion and my notebooks, so thats why it was open." Daring instead of throwing my bag at me, sets it down next to me. She lays the axe next to me on the cot. I see Bastin pull out his big knife, well actually its a Kurki Machete. A typical weapon for a British or Australian soilder to carry one, also cliched as hell." There you are you beaut." He mutters and cecks the blade.
" Was there anything else you found?" I ask looking at Daring and Daring Do nods." Yes we found an assault rifle sticking up out of the snow and a small revolver in t snow right near you." She goes over to the table and produces said items in her hands." Now can we trust you enough to carry your weapons again?" She asks sternlly.
" Then why the hell are we sitting here in the first place then?" Bastin snorts and I roll my eyes." Just ignore him. Yes you can trus us to carry a weapon again." She nods and hands me my revolver. I guess she put two and two together and figured that Bastin was the one who had the SCAR-L, plus she gave him his Beretta M9.. I check to make sure I had any ammo in it still. I break the gun open, its a break barrel like a double barrel shotgun. I see four bullets remaining in there but it appears that the soilder must have taken the rest of the ammo I had when I wasn't looking. I see Bastin check his precious gun for scratches and such. I look back up at Daring Do.
" Is there anyway to repay you? I mean you did save our lives after all." Daring seems to think for a second.
" Tell you what, let me know how you two are feeling in the morning and we'll go from there ok? I need to get some rest anyway." I nod in agreement. Bastin lets out a long yawn." Yeah I'm getting tired so I'm going to get some shut eye. Night." He gets up and crawl in the cot next to me. Everyone seems to start getting ready for bed so I set my gun and axe on my still opened bag ans push it underneath my cot. I lay back on the cot and prop my head up with the small pillow. I watch as Daring Do puts the fire out and my eyes are thrusted back into darkness again.
Yeah this is going to be the adventure of a lifetime.
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Achievement Unlocked, Frostbite-Complete Chapter 1
-Karver Level 1-
New Perk- Adventure Sight-Lets you see farther that your enemies, also good for spotting climbable areas.
New Gear- Climbing Axe-A light weight steel axe the is designed to be used by hikers and rock climbers alike. It serves as a versatile tool and even a weapon if need in close quarter combat.
Revolver-A simple six shot break barrel revolver that deals good amount of damage in close proximity. Nothing much but its a start.
-Bastin Level 1-
New Perk- Cold Blooded-You are 10% less likely to freeze to death.
New Gear- FN SCAR-L-A favorable assault rifle designed by FN Herstal. Good for close to mid range action.
Beretta M9-A favorable 9mm sidearm used by both American and British Forces . Good at close range.
Kurki-A traditional Nepalese weapon. Used by British and Australian Forces alike, though most can just buy one from Amazon now a days. They say once the blade has been drawn, it cannot be sheathed until it has tasted blood, seems rather fitting doesn't it?
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I hope everyone enjoy this little adventure story. This will follow a 'video game' like style so you will earn achievements as you progress through the story. The leveling and perks are more than less just shits and giggles on my part, though if you want them to be actual parts of the story let me know. The gear is a part of the story and just like the video game style I mentioned its like collecting them in an actual game, for those of you who played the Tomb Raider reboot game should know what I'm talking about. If you like it, review and follow it if you like. If you want this to become an actual story, please let me know.
Untile next time, stay awesome-AJ