Nature Calls
In a forest just west of Sweet Apple Acres, the pale light of the moon illuminated a small clearing with a campfire that had been extinguished long ago. Just adjacent to the burnt out timbers, a group of ponies took shelter from the chill of the autumn night in a spacious cave. Farthest from the cave entrance stood a large and rather flamboyant inflatable tent, and to the left slept two Earth ponies: Applebloom, and her big sister Applejack, her Stetson hat covering her face as she slept. Further from them, closest to the opening of the cave, Rainbow Dash snored heavily, the bangs of her rainbow mane lifting slightly with each exhale. The pegasus’s face wrinkled a bit with discomfort, and she turned over onto her side, groaning slightly.
“Mmm…” Rainbow Dash’s eyelids opened slightly as she scanned the cave wall ahead of her, her sight trying to adjust to the darkness. Still feeling groggy, she yawned and pushed her head into her pillow, deciding that she still needed more sleep. However, a slightly uncomfortable pressure poked through her stomach, making it difficult for her to settle down. Turning to lay on her tummy, Dash breathed out slightly and applied a very gentle pressure to her lower regions.
Pfrrrrrpp
Rainbow Dash’s sleeping bag trembled slightly around her flank as she sighed contentedly. “Ahh…” With the pressure relieved, the pegasus rolled back on her side and breathed in deeply. Her nose shriveled up and she coughed a bit, accidentally inhaling some of the fumes emanating from her bag. Rainbow Dash had become an unintentional victim to her own dutch oven, a fact she would have found hysterical had she not been so tired.
Despite her gaseous release, a new pressure took its place in her stomach, concentrating closer to the center of her anus. No no, come on, not now, the sleepy pony internally begged, clenching her buttocks together and crossing her hindlegs in an attempt to pull whatever solid matter was agitating her. A few minutes passed, and the pressure had not relented. Rainbow Dash sighed in defeat and sat up in her sleeping bag. Her groggy eyes surveyed the space of the cave, the light of the moon being reflected off the pools of water collected from the dripping stalactites. She saw Applejack over to her left twisting to her side, as well as Scootaloo’s empty sleeping bag right next to her—
Empty!?
Rainbow Dash darted to the empty sleeping bag to make sure it was indeed empty. Where could that pony be? Rainbow Dash felt another agitating poke between her cyan glutes, and her mind was put at ease with a sudden realization. Relax, Dash. Scoots probably had to drop a load too. No need to fly off the handle just yet. With her fears subsided for the moment, Rainbow Dash stepped towards the cave wall and dipped her head towards her backpack.
“Hey, Dash?” a hushed country accent met the ears of the pegasus, causing them to flick at the sound of her name. Turning back to look over her shoulder, Rainbow Dash noticed Applejack sitting up and rubbing the back of her hoof against her eyes. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” Dash replied in a whisper, “Nature calls.”
“Heh, you too huh?” Applejack kept her voice low as she stepped away from her sleeping bag, careful not to wake her sister. “Think I might join you. Hey, where’s Scootaloo?” she asked, noticing the empty sleeping bag next to Dash’s.
“Hoping that she just stepped out to do the same,” Dash replied, dipping her head back to her bag. “But before we start organizing a search party, I gotta let the dogs out.”
“I told Applebloom to wake me up if she needed to step outside. I’m sure there ain’t nothing that’s gonna get her while she’s poppin’ a squat, but no harm in being extra safe.”
“I hear you. I should have told Scoots to do the same, but the kid’s been acting weird the whole trip; I didn’t want to make her more uncomfortable.” Rainbow Dash finished affixing her bag between her wings. “Come on, let’s go,” she said, before the sound of a cloth moving made them both turn their heads towards the lacey tent. Rarity stepped out, her teeth clenched and her eyes darting from side to side worriedly.
“Applejack? Rainbow Dash? What are you two doing awake?” Rarity called out to them in a hushed voice.
“Me and AJ need to cut a rope, we’ll be back in a minute.” The pegasus explained casually.
“Oh, thank goodness!” Rarity pranced towards them excitedly. “I’m so relieved you know where to find a latrine this deep in the woods. I was beginning to wonder how much longer I’d be able to contain myself.”
Applejack and Rainbow Dash exchanged confused glances with one another before turning back to Rarity. “Rarity, there aren’t any toilets anywhere near here.”
“But I don’t understand,” Rarity uttered with confusion, her hindlegs tensing up behind her. “You said that you were stepping out to relieve yourselves, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, but we’re in the woods,” Applejack told her. “The ground’s gonna be our toilet.”
Rarity’s ears drooped and her tongue hung out of her mouth in disgust. “That is… absolutely vile! Just letting your waste drop from you like a Neanderthal cavepony!”
“I didn’t say that now, we have enough sense to mosey on away from the campsite and dig ourselves a hole.”
“That is not much better!”
“Well, it’s the only choice we got, missy.”
“Wait a minute.” Rainbow Dash interjected. “Have you been holding it in since before you started hiking yesterday?”
“And some of the day before that.” Rarity admitted, rubbing her stomach as a soft gurgle emanated from her. “I had run into an acquaintance from Canterlot the night before and he had treated me to quite an expensive dinner. I tend to get a bit greedy when I’m being offered a free meal, so I ate perhaps more than I should have. The next morning I was in such a hurry before the trip to throw on my hiking ‘gear’ and get out the door that I had completely forgotten to evacuate myself before leaving with Sweetie Belle. By the time I felt any urge at all, we had already met up with Applejack and Applebloom, so I couldn’t very well turn around and go back home, could I?”
“Rarity, you’re gonna pop if you keep holding it in.” Dash argued. “Look, dropping a deuce in the woods isn’t a big deal, that’s what ponies do when they go camping. It’s part of roughing it!”
“Well, I shall have no part of it!” Rarity huffed, stamping her front hoof to the ground in protest. “I have an image of glamour to uphold after all!”
“Ain’t nopony gonna see you Rarity, I promise.” Applejack reassured her.
“I will still know that I did it! And I do not see how I could live with the shame knowing I had performed such an uncultured act.”
“Suit yourself, Rarity.” Rainbow Dash shrugged, turning away from her. “It’s gonna happen on its own, whether you want it to or not. It’ll be really embarrassing if we wake up and there’s a pile of your ‘shame’ for us and your sister to see.”
“How dare you! I have done well to hold myself for this long; I think I could hold on for another day just fine!”
“Your tail’s lifting up, just thought you should know.” Rainbow Dash advised her, before stepping out of the cave with Applejack.
Rarity looked back over her shoulder to confirm that the dock of her swirled purple tail had indeed lifted up in response to the mounting pressure agitating her anus. Her exposed and puckering white hole twitched slightly as it let out a small puff of gas, causing her to gasp with her teeth clenched as she fought to regain control of her muscles. The unicorn managed to suppress her tail down against her backside. Holding a hoof to her stomach, Rarity turned this way and that as she considered her predicament and the options before her. Closing her eyes and letting out a defeated sigh, Rarity quickly trot towards the mouth of the cave, just in time to trail the pegasus and Earth pony stepping into the bushes to the right of the exit.
“You done being miss prissy pants for the evening? “Applejack asked Rarity, following the both of them closely behind.
“If you’re asking whether or not I’ve decided to cast my pride to the wind and perform my ‘duty’ in the filth of nature, then I am happy to disappoint you.” The unicorn replied with her head turned up. “I’ve merely decided to step out in the hopes that the cool night air might help return enough strength to my body to restrain myself for another day.”
“Suit yourself. All’s I know is that I’m gonna feel loads better after I drop what I’m carrying, whether I’m sitting on a commode or not.”
“Me too.” Rainbow Dash chimed in. “I’m practically turtle heading.”
“I feel I’m going to regret asking, but what is ‘turtle-heading’?” Rarity asked, her face wearing a look of disgust.
Rainbow Dash turned to Applejack, a smirk on both their faces. “You’ve seen Tank peek his head out of his shell before, right?” she asked, her multi-colored tail lifting just slightly as she walked.
“I have…” Rarity replied, having trouble following what her friend was trying to explain. “I don’t see how that has anything to do with your need to—Oh for the LOVE of Celestia, Rainbow Dash!”
Rarity was greeted with the sight of a tiny light brown nugget nestled in between Rainbow Dash’s spreading blue hole. Once Rarity had exclaimed, the pegasus tilted her head as she laughed, and her bottom flexed to pull the head of the turd back in. Applejack began to chuckle heartily, laughing so hard that she missed a step, throwing her off balance. She scrambled to keep her stance, accidentally letting out a rather loud pfoot from underneath her tail.
“Ah ha ha ha, ‘scuse me!” The farmer pony chuckled, waving her tail back and forth across her buttcheeks. Rarity had turned her head to the side and buried her snout in her purple mane, staring daggers at Applejack. “I’m sorry Rarity, really I am!” Applejack assured her, still laughing the whole while.
“I am repulsed that my friends behave so immaturely.” Rarity scolded them, increasing the pace of her canter to trot in front in front as opposed to downwind of them. The ponies to either side of her kept laughing as they trotted, Applejack’s rear letting off a soft purt with each step that she took. All three ponies had their tails raised slightly, exposing their twitching pony holes doing their best to keep their solid mass in check.
“Ha ha ha, AJ, stop!” Rainbow Dash cried, giggling as she spoke. “I can’t hold it anymore, I’m laughing too much. We’re out far enough, right?”
“Heh heh, yeah.” Applejack said, letting out a few small toots with each step before she turned back to them. “I can still see the cave from here, but ain’t nopony gonna step in it if it’s this far out.”
Rainbow Dashpulled her pack off of her shoulders and reached her head inside. Pulling a tiny shovel out with her teeth, she lowered her head to break the first bit of ground. She quickly dug a hole a few hooves deep and about as wide as a rubber ball. Once she was done, she flicked her head and tossed the shovel over to Applejack. “Hey, farmer.” She called out as Applejack caught it in the air. “Betcha I can make a bigger pile than you.”
“Rr oo sherous?” Applejack questioned her, before she began to dig into the ground as well. Once she had dug a hole for herself, she laid the shovel to the side and turned about to line her bottom up over her hole in the ground.
“I’m serious in knowing I’m gonna beat you.” Rainbow Dash declared, her blue posterior already in position.
“You’ll make just about anything a competition won’t ya?” The farmer shrugged as she looked over her shoulder at her pegasus friend. “Why not? So how you wanna do this? We go at the same time, or one after the other?”
“If anypony asks, I don’t know you two.” Rarity said off to the side, her hoof pinching her brow in frustration.
“I’ll go first.” Rainbow Dash informed her. She turned her head up towards the top of the trees and took a deep breath through her nose, the smell of the crisp woodland night air fill her nostrils. “Hmm… ooouaaagh…” The center of Rainbow Dash’s puckering anus began to open and expand, the head of the log that she had pulled in a moment ago emerging and moving outwards. Rainbow Dash’s face scrunched as her solid waste pushed and slid out of her rear, increasing in length and hanging from her hole. The pressure of her rim being stretched open forced a light stream of urine to trickle just above her mare vulva. Her brown log had slithered to a few inches short of a foot before it snapped off and hit the bottom of her hole with a soft thump. A brown flat head of waste remained in Dash’s anus, until she pushed her sphincter and forced it out to join the log that had fallen previously. With her bowels cleared, Dash’s anus poked out a bit as it began to shrink, and curl back inside of her. “Ahh… much better.” She sighed, turning to reach into her bag and pull out a roll of biodegradeable toilet paper. She tore off a large amount of tissue before holding the rest of the roll in her wing. Rainbow Dash reached to her rear and began to wipe her slippery, dirty anus, looking over her shoulder at Applejack who had turned forward to watch her friend poop in front of her. “How do you like them apples, huh?” She taunted her, giving her hole one last wipe before she dropped the smudged paper into the hole with her droppings.
“Not bad,” Applejack nodded as she complimented her. “But I can easily say I’ve seen bigger from Applebloom.”
“Put up or shut up, Applesmack.” Rainbow Dash countered smartly as she turned to face her.
Applejack smirked before turning herself around again, sticking her rear out to get into position. She turned her head to the left while her blonde tail moved to the side. “You okay over there Rarity?”
Rainbow Dash glanced over at the unicorn who had been staring down at the ground with her front left hoof lifted in the air. Her head snapped up to attention at her name as she flashed a nervous smile at both of them. “M hm!” she uttered, putting her hoof back down immediately. Dash wasn’t sure, but she could have sworn she saw a bit of a glimmer dripping from between Rarity’s hindlegs. Rainbow Dash’s ears perked to the sound a soft pffftchk and turned back towards Applejack just in time to see a dark brown nugget emerging from her orange crater. Her anus constricted and pushed out a small nugget that fell into the pit she had dug for herself, followed by another. Neither piece was much bigger than a plum.
“Man, that was easier than I expected” Dash mocked her friend at her meager droppings.
“Gimme a moment, there’s more on the way.” Applejack assured her, a stream of golden liquid gushing from between her hindlegs and spattering the grass and the dirt in her pit. “Hnnngh” Applejacks urine stream increased to a momentary gush before subsiding to a light drip, while a low pffooooot rang out from her rear. Following her vicious fart, her rectum expanded to give passage for a much thicker brown log that slipped out and broke off into her hole. “Ahh… hoo, nelly…” Applejack muttered as she pursed her lips and continued to push her excrement out, moving her round orange rear from side to side as her waste slithered out of her. Half a minute passed, and the last piece had finally dropped out of her butt with a loud thud against the dug up ground. “Phew! All done.” Applejack looked back and admired her work.
“No way…” Rainbow Dash stared in wonder at the pile in Applejack’s hole, her waste so plentiful that it was only a few inches from breaching the surface. “How do you keep that much in you at once?”
“Granny Smith keeps the Apple family well fed at all times: even on camping trips.” Applejack removed her Stetson hat and fanned her backside. “Hoo-ee, that don’t smell too good. Hey Dash, toss me some paper and get to coverin’ up your pile so I can do the same for mine.”
Looking defeated, the pegasus tossed the white roll to Applejack. The farmer caught it in her teeth and tore off a long sheet with a hoof. Applejack reached between her hindlegs and wiped her anus in circles, then dipped her head to look down her belly at what she had accumulated. She saw a rather thick brown smudge at the center of her tissue and tossed it into the pit. She straightened her hindlegs to press her cheeks together, and felt a tad slick at the center of her bottom, telling her she needed to take another pass at wiping.
Rainbow Dash had just finished shoveling the last clump of dirt to conceal her leavings when she heard a frightened squeal. She looked up with the shovel still in her mouth up at Rarity, seeing the unicorn’s legs prancing up and down in place with her teeth clenched as light golden dribble emanated from her hindlegs. “Help me…” Rarity whimpered, placing her hindlegs down for a few seconds before her dribble escalated to a steady stream of urine and began to spatter the grass below her. Rarity shrieked again and lifted her right hindleg, her stream losing power and reverting back to her light dribble. “I’ve reached my limit; my body absolutely refuses to hold it anymore!” She pleaded, putting her right leg down for a moment, her yellow current acting up again before she raised her left leg up in a vain attempt at restraining herself. She looked to Rainbow Dash with shimmery pleading eyes as her mare lips dripped with urine onto the ground.
“Rarity, you’re already wettin’ the ground and all.” Applejack reminded her, tossing her soiled paper into the Earth and giving her rump a bit of a shake. “No sense in holding it back now, right?”
“But it’s not just that,” Rarity went on, squeezing her eyes closed in desperation. “It’s… the other thing…”
Rainbow Dash let out a frustrated snort with her mouth still holding the handle of the shovel. “Crimny Raty; watsh da—“ Rainbow Dash stretched her wing out and let go of the handle to clear her mouth. “What’s the big deal? Everypony poops.”
“Don’t say it!” Rarity begged, stamping her leg down and letting out another jet of urine before pulling it up again. “I’m disgusted enough when I have to do it in the privacy of my own toilet; it’s an absolute nightmare to think of doing it anywhere else… especially out here.”
Rainbow Dash looked to Applejack, who had just trotted up to the two and shook her head at Rainbow Dash. “Rarity, you’re the prettiest pony in all of Ponyville; probably even in Equestria. I know you got an image of yourself ya like to maintain, I get it. But this is just silly.” Applejack raised her hoof to Rarity’s chin and looked her in the eyes. “Ain’t no shame in doing something your body needs you to do. Yes, it’s a little icky, but it ain’t gonna take anything away from you. You’ll still be a generous, talented, and beautiful unicorn with me and Dash and lots of other ponies as your friends. Okay?”
Rarity blinked a few times, visible tears building up in the corners of her eyes as her mouth began to tremble.
“Here, I’ll dig you a hole Rarity.” Rainbow Dash offered, placing the shovel back in her mouth. “Ou choos to ush it or naht.”
Rarity’s eyes darted back and forth nervously as her hindlegs danced up and down behind her. “Hurry, Dash.” She frantically begged her friend. “Ooh, it’s about to move, hurry!”
Dash quickly dug a third hole into the ground in front of Rarity, getting a face full of dirt with each swipe at the Earth. Once it was big enough, she tossed the shovel to the side, Applejack lifting it herself so she could bury her own waste that was beginning to attract a group of flies. “Okay Rarity, it’s finished. Just turn around and back up, and you’ll be all set.” Cutting off her stream of urine again, Rarity carefully moved her hindlegs around until her white rump was facing towards Rainbow Dash, her tail lifted up high as her anus puckered out and visibly twitched while she backed up. Rarity let out an exasperated moan as her hindlegs bent slightly.
“Wait wait wait, Rarity, you’re not lined up right!” Rainbow Dash called to her, trotting over and lifting her forelegs up to her friend’s bottom. “Just take a few more steps back, and to the right, and…”
Poot, poot, poooooooot pt pt pfftch
The pupils in Rainbow Dash’s eyes shrunk and her jaw dropped in her mouth as she heard the soft emanations from her friend’s posterior. “Oh come on!” She yelled out in anger as she looked down at the unicorn whose face had turned a lovely shade of beet red.
“I am so so so so SO sorry Rainbow Dash dear!” Rarity pleaded, making sure to avoid eye contact with her. “I was almost ready to let go, I didn’t know you were going to be there so suddenly.”
“Ugh…” Rainbow Dash held her breath as she made a few minor adjustments to the unicorn’s supple white rear, letting go just before the head of a knobby dark green nugget began to emerge from her cheeks. “Okay, you’re good, let it go.”
“P-please don’t tell anypony this happened…” Rarity’s voice trailed off as she closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. Rainbow Dash looked back at Applejack, who had just finished burying her stool and was trotting back up to Rainbow Dash. The farmer looked at Rarity, then back at Dash with a grin on her face. Rainbow Dash began to giggle, and then the two of them turned back to gaze at the quivering rear of their unicorn friend, feeling a bit eager that she was getting to bear witness to such an elegant unicorn take a dump in nature.
The dribble between Rarity’s hindlegs increased to a powerful flood as it drenched the ground beneath her, some of it pouring into the hole Rainbow Dash had dug, some pooling between her hindlegs. The head of her turd pushed forward and sunk down towards the ground, keeping its solid form and extending over her steady stream of urine. Rarity’s thick log stretched to more than a foot before it finally broke off and hit the ground with a heavy thump. Rarity let out a soft sigh while her anus remained open wide.
“Whoa, that’s pretty big,” Rainbow Dash commented as she stared at what had filled up the bottom of the hole in the ground. “No wonder you were—“
“I’m not finished yet.” Rarity interrupted, sounding a bit winded. “That’s just what I was holding back. There’s more coming”
“Oh… wow.” Rainbow Dash responded nervously, before Rarity’s butthole began to flex and another brown log came into view, this one wider than her previous one, stretching her hole a bit. The log ceased its movements and one half broke off, the other remaining in Rarity’s hole and causing the unicorn to gasp. “Huaah… hummmmph.” Rarity’s face tightened as she grunted, forcing the bulk of waste to resume its course. The troublesome log finally fell out of her and joined its comrade down below.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash stared down at the two hefty logs in the hole in the ground. Rainbow Dash let out an impressive whistle, seeing that Rarity’s pile was nearly close to rivaling Applejacks’, and was about halfway filling the hole she had dug for her.
“Feel better Rarity?” Applejack asked. She found her reply when Rarity’s butthole gave off a soft hffffft. “No way… more?”
“More…” Rarity replied meekly, readjusting her head so that she was resting on her forelegs on the ground. “Mmmmph…” Following a soft crackle, another solid log of brown pushed through the unicorn’s now dirty anus, enough to stretch the rim and force it to protrude slightly. “Ahh… ahhhh…” Rarity began to moan as the anaconda of manure slithered through her tight hole, stretching so far that it actually touched what she had previously pushed out below, before it fell out of her hole and curled up at the end. With her new addition, Applejack calculated there must have been more than three feet of pony poop in that hole, which was running out of room at this point. A soft pattering began to hit the ground again with her stream of urine resuming and splashing around her hindlegs. “Almost done…” Rarity murmured as she peed.
The two ponies behind her felt their jaws drop as they looked at her, and then at each other. Hearing Rarity moan again, they turned to face her and watch a thin log of waste crawl its way out of her backside as her stream faded once again. Only reaching more than half a foot this time, it broke off and fell on top of her pile, making it officially above the surface of which Rainbow Dash had dug. “ … Done.” The unicorn whispered contentedly, her urine soaked mare lips winking furiously as she panted. She looked over her shoulder at the two ponies still gawking at her. “Well, I’m certainly glad you two enjoyed the show!” she fumed, “But could one of you possibly pass me something to clean myself with?”
Applejack shook her head out of her daze and lifted the roll of toilet paper up with her teeth, Rarity’s magical aura taking hold of it and floating it towards her face. She unrolled quite a large sheet for herself before tearing it off and bunching it up, then floated it back to her rear, slipping it between her hindquarters to wipe up against her puckering anus covered in her filth. She tossed the large wad on top of her pile before pulling another bountiful amount from the roll and taking another pass at her rear.
“You uh… think you got enough paper there Rarity?” Rainbow Dash snickered as she came out of her daze. “You know we’re only going to have one more roll after that one for the trip back, right?”
“I apologize but I spare no expense in bathroom tissue.” Rarity replied, letting out soft whimpers as she ran the tissue along the rim of her anus. “A lady takes great care to make sure that there is not even the tiniest speck of filth left in her backside. After all, she never knows when a gentlecolt might be paying a visit there, that is why—“ Rarity paused her wiping and looked back at her friends once again, whose eyes had widened at what she had just uttered. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”
“Are you serious!?” Rainbow Dash cried out gleefully, jumping up and hovering in the air with her wings. “Are you telling me you take it in the pooper?”
“Oh please don’t call it that! That is so vulgar!” Rarity chided her, discarding her tissue on top of her massive pile. “But, yes, I have allowed some lucky colts access to my ‘derriere’ from time to time.”
“No kidding? Uh… what’s it feel like?” Rainbow Dash asked as she touched back down on the ground.
“It’s quite interesting, actually. How do I describe this… it’s like the same kind of pressure you get from traditional vaginal sex, but in a different area, and much tighter.” Rarity explained as she levitated yet another wad of paper behind her.
“I’d think that’d feel pretty uncomfortable.” Applejack interjected.
“It is a touch painful if not done properly, and the first time is always uncomfortable. But, if you’re lucky to find a stallion who’s willing to take things slowly… it can be quite enjoyable. Not to mention the feeling when he finishes inside you, it’s just—ooh!” Rarity shivered a bit with a smile on her face as she described the sensation.
“Eh, it ain’t for me,” Applejack shrugged. “I’d rather keep that particular hole of mine an exit only.” Applejack declared, as Rarity made a few final dabs at her backside before dropping her tissue onto the small mountain of pony poop and toilet paper she had created. “Now don’t you feel better now that you got that out of your system?”
Rarity let out a happy sigh while she lifted a clump of dirt with her magic and sprinkled it over her pile. “Much better! I think my sundress might fit better for the rest of the trip.” She said, with a humorous grin on her face. Applejack and Rainbow Dash stared in silence for a few moments before all of them burst out into laughter.
“Hello!?” A faint voice in the distance called out, prompting all of them to cease their laughing and turn their heads up. “Anypony out there!?”
“Did y’all hear that?” Applejack asked.
“I most certainly did.” Rarity replied, dropping the now thin roll of toilet paper as she listened for the voice again. “If I’m not mistaken, it sounded like it was…”
“Hellllp!” the voice called out again, followed by the sound of something splashing in the water.
“That was Scootaloo!” Rainbow Dash shouted frantically. The pegasus bared down on the ground and leapt into the air at such a speed that a gust of wind and a rainbow contrail tailed her ascension. Applejack and Rarity covered their eyes from the sudden current, and looked up only to see a rainbow trail flying away from them in the starlit sky.
“Come on Rarity, we need to get after her.” The two ponies took off in a gallop towards the direction their friend had flown off to, leaving their equipment and toiletries behind as they sprinted into the darkness of the trees before them.