After Daring had set up the anchor and Velvet had looped the rope through her belay and carabiners, Velvet got on her hind legs and tugged the ropes wrapping both sides of her waist. “Left hoof for feeding; right hoof for braking,” she whispered as she inched backwards into the shaft.

An icy draft howled through her ears. Velvet shut her eyes, grit her teeth, and strangled the rope.

“It…it’s just the w-wind, Twilight.” The words came out chattered, both from cold and from fear. “It’s just the wind.”

Quit being such a wuss. The Fillydelphia Motocross Trials? Pfft, compared to that, this is a walk in the park.

Velvet looked down the shaft to face Daring. Maybe some company would help calm the shaky nerves. “Hey, Daring! Isn’t there supposed to be a backup rope or–”

Her eyes caught the golden pegasus descending the shaft. Her headlamp was switched off. Her beige pith helmet taunted Velvet before it and its owner were swallowed up in the darkness. Another updraft chilled Velvet’s skin and whispered into her ears, even as the rope creaked above her. None of these things fazed Velvet this time, however: she was too busy gazing down the abyss Daring had vanished into, eyebrows furrowed and teeth gritted.

“Oh, I see how it is!” Velvet called down the shaft. “Thanks for looking out for me!” She gripped onto the rope and steadied herself, uttering a string of curses for the rest of the way down.