Dawn roused Twilight, she panicked because she hadn’t intended to go to sleep. The fire was nothing but dying embers. The cold of the night had made her joints stiff and her damaged wing ache. She was now able to fold her wing with some difficulty but flying was still out of the question. Then the reason she hadn’t wanted to sleep jumped to mind. She turned quickly to see AJ sleeping peacefully, softly snoring.
“Thank Celestia,” said Twilight in relief. Twilight lightly kissed AJ on the cheek. AJ shifted slightly and smiled.
Twilight went a distance away downwind to relieve herself, then she walked to the stream for some water. What Twilight saw concerned her. There were paw prints by the water. Fresh, large, catlike paw prints that weren’t there the day before.
‘Horse-apples!’ thought Twilight. ‘As if we don’t have enough troubles already.’
Twilight determined not to mention this to AJ right now. No need to get her concerned if she didn’t have to be. After all, in AJ’s condition, there wasn’t anything she could do anyway.
Twilight trotted back to AJ and stoked up the fire. She was going to have to keep it going from now on, and no sleeping!
Twilight nibbled at some grass growing nearby, it was tasteless and dry, but it would fill her empty belly for now.
“Twilight?” said AJ weakly, obviously waking up.
“I’m here, Apple-Dumpling.”
AJ opened her eyes and reached a hoof out to Twilight. Twilight took the hoof and kissed it.
“Ah’m so sorry Sugar,” said Applejack looking embarrassed, “but Ah really gotta pee.”
“You’re just wanting to flaunt your ‘goodies’,” said Twilight giggling.
“You can check ‘em out all ya want,” said AJ, “after Ah ‘go’.”
“No problem Apple-Dumpling.”
Twilight opened AJ’s sleeping bag and AJ bared her marehood as Twilight’s aura formed at it. Applejack relaxed and she passed her urine into the aura. Twilight thought it funny just how much her marefriend had to ‘go’.
Twilight, as before, released it a ways away from their location across the stream.
Twilight returned to see AJ hadn’t tightened the muscles that would normally hide her marehood.
“Truthfully Sugar, what do ya think?” asked AJ blushing.
“Apple-Dumpling,” said Twilight, reaching out to barely stroke the outside of AJ’s love organ, AJ’s eyes half closed in rapture. “I want it so badly, I want you so badly. I want to kiss and lick it and find what pleasures it will bring us. I’d love to have you, how was it you put it? On your back with your hooves in the air. (AJ snickered)
But I don’t think we should do anything about it at this time. Too much is going on to be distracted (Twilight was thinking of the paw prints by the stream). And we both know that if we do it, it should be at a better place and time and not some situation that desperation may have clouded our judgement. Not that I think it has. With our talk before this mess, I admitted to myself that I’ve been really attracted you for some time.”
“The same with me, but promise me this; if’n it looks like we ain’t gonna make it. Will ya make love to me a’fore the end. Ah don’t wanna die not knowing what it’s like to make love with ya.”
“I promise, my lovely cowpony. But let’s not think like that yet. When the time is right, we’re going to spend an entire week locked away in the tower in Friendship Castle. I swear.”
“That sounds real nice.”
Twilight moved her hoof from AJ’s marehood, but to AJ’s surprise and delight, Twilight bend down and kissed AJ’s love organ with the slightest bit of tongue. Then Twilight closed the sleeping bag.
“Oh Twilight! Don’t do that if’n ya ain’t gonna finish it.”
“I plan on it…
Sometime.” Said Twilight.
“But when the situation is right. I just wanted to let you know how much I really do find your body attractive and arousing.”
Twilight hadn’t intended to use her tongue and it was so hard not to continue.
The two kissed a quick kiss.
“Are you hungry?” asked Twilight, making sure to change the subject.
‘Hungry for more than just food,’ AJ thought, but glad that the subject had changed. In spite of it still tingling ‘down there’.
“Yeah,” said AJ, “Ah just hate havin’ ya feed me like a foal.”
“Don’t think anything of it.” Said Twilight, “I really am happy to do it.”
“Thanks Sugar,” said AJ motioning Twilight closer.
The two kissed for an extended time, then Twilight went to get some of the good grass by the stream. When she returned, she fed AJ the grass and one of the precious apples. Then a couple bits of bark as well. There were probably three days left of the apple supply, with only AJ eating one per meal and none herself.
As the day wore on, Twilight was really getting bored, she could imagine what AJ was going through. Twilight was aware that because of her leg and possibly her back, AJ was limited to what she could do. AJ is normally a very active pony, so having to lay still out in the middle of nowhere having to depend on another pony to feed her or even to go to the bathroom must be Tartarus.
Twilight was trying her best to not think of the paw prints she saw this morning. But the sight of them wouldn’t go away. From the looks of them, it had to be a mountain lion. And by the size, it was a big one.
Twilight collected as much firewood as she could. She was also exercising her magic to see if she could do anything useful to get them out of there or defend them. She had tried teleporting but she thought she’d pass out from the pain caused by that much magic being retained. She was glad that AJ didn’t see it. One disabled pony was enough to worry with.
“Twilight?”
“Yes Apple-Dumpling,” answered Twilight.
“What’s botherin’ ya?”
“What do you mean?”
“Sugar, Ah’ve been around ya for years now. Ah know yer moods. An’ Ah think with our feelings fer each other, Ah think Ah can read ya a little better now.”
Twilight thought about it. She really didn’t want to get Applejack worried. But she knew that it was perhaps better that she knew. If roles were reversed, she’d want to know. Twilight didn’t know how much help her marefriend would be if something happened. But perhaps it’d be better if she faced it ‘eyes wide open’.
“Apple-Dumpling, I didn’t want to worry you, but I saw mountain lion tracks by the stream this morning.”
“Oh horse-apples!”
“That was my reaction,” chuckled Twilight. “I’m going to have to keep the fire going all night. Tomorrow I think we need to think about getting out of here.”
“How?” asked AJ. “only Pinkie Pie can climb walls like a spider. How the hay she does it, Ah wish Ah knew.”
“I’m thinking some kind of travois, you know, like we saw the buffalo using.
This canyon runs north-south at this point. There’s a bend in the stream to the north that goes east and the southern end bends off to the west. That’s why we can see only a small part of the canyon.
I figure this part is about a mile in length and we’re closer to the northern part. I think we’ll need to transport you and we head south. The west bend does go in the direction we need to go and it’s also the direction the stream is flowing.
I’ve always heard if lost to follow the flow of the stream or creek, it usually leads to settlements.”
“Ah’ll try my best to not be a bother,” said AJ. “an’ Ah’ll do what Ah can to help.”
“I know you will.” Said Twilight kissing AJ.
“Ya know,” said AJ smiling, “Ah think Ah’m gettin’ used to kissin’ ya. We should of thought of this sooner.”
The two embraced for a while and just enjoyed the contact. Both were hiding their fears of what could happen.
Time dragged on. Twilight was sure that it was driving AJ bonkers. But her marefriend was tough and she knew the situation. AJ tried to nap as much as she could, but if you’re not doing anything, it’s hard to get tired enough to need to rest.
Twilight stayed busy building the travois, making sure it was long enough that Applejack’s hind hooves wouldn’t have to drag the ground. Twilight hoped she was up to the task of carting her marefriend however far they had to go. Part of Twilight wanted to just stay here and see if any help would come. Yet something inside her said that they needed to get out of there.
Lunchtime rolled around and Twilight fed AJ some water, then another apple and some tender grass along with a little wild lettuce she’d found. Applejack said she’d try to do without the bark for now and see if she could handle it. Twilight agreed and ate more dry grass and moss.
After they’d eaten and Twilight helped AJ to take care of the ‘call of nature’, she returned to her work on the travois.
Twilight was obsessing over every little lashing, every cross piece. Making sure that the thing wouldn’t fall apart and hurt AJ more. Twilight was starting to get a little more control of her limited magic. She was able to use a beam of magic to cut sticks a little better and start a fire easier, still at no good distance. But nothing that’d be useful for defense or attack unless it was at ‘point blank’ range. The thought of being that close to a mountain lion was unnerving.
Her wing still wouldn’t do much more than spread to full length, but it was just too painful to try to use it for flight. And it drooped a little when folded.
And if she could fly, what then? With the memory of the lion tracks, there was no way that she’d leave AJ here alone even for one minute in any attempt to get help. So the 2nd saddlebag in the trees and a way out of the canyon, at least vertically, wasn’t going to happen.
AJ watched as Twilight worked. Never had she ever seen anypony work so hard at a task and take care of another pony at the same time. AJ wondered what would’ve happened if the mission was herself and one of her other friends.
AJ imagined if Rainbow had fallen and injured her wing. AJ wasn’t sure if Rainbow could have handled being flightless and stuck.
Rarity, even with her magic might’ve had a hard time handling the hardships down here.
Applejack was unsure if Pinkie could have stayed focused long enough on what had to be done other than planing a ‘Going Away for Good’ party for themselves.
And Fluttershy? Well she might come in handy with the mountain lion. Or maybe not, depending on how hungry the beast would be. A hungry mountain lion might scare Fluttershy so much, that she wouldn’t be able to use ‘The Stare’. Other than that, the shy Pegasus didn’t have the strength to attempt any strenuous activities.
But then AJ thought that perhaps Twilight would lack the strength and stamina to do much without her magic either. But AJ was learning that her assessment of Twilight was mistaken, so maybe it would be the same with her other friends.
But the biggest thing, other than the feelings they were admitting that they had for each other, was the knowledge Twilight had brought back from the other world. The knowledge that allowed Twilight to revived herself. Perhaps if she was with one of her other friends, she’d be lying dead right now.
There was little direct sunlight that made it down to the floor of the ravine. So when the evening was rolling around, it started to get dark quicker than the land above.
Twilight stoked up a nice fire and gathered some good grass and a mouthful of water for AJ.
“I think that does it for the day,” said Twilight after feeding and watering AJ. Looking around in the gathering darkness, Twilight sat back on her haunches. “It’s too late to try to go anywhere now. We’ll start in the morning.”
Applejack reached a hoof out to her marefriend, Twilight happily held it.
“Thank you so much Sugar Cube,” said AJ, kissing Twilight’s hoof. “Ah’m so sorry to be such a bother.”
“You’re no bother. You’ve always worked hard to take care of your family and friends. It’s time somepony took care of you.”
They smiled and took strength from the look in their marefriend’s eyes.
“Oh how touching,” said a deep growling voice. “How I hate to break up such a lovely pair.”
Twilight and Applejack looked in the direction of the voice. On the other side of the fire was a very large mountain lion.
“What…
What…
What do you want?” stammered Twilight, as she shifted so she was in between the lion and AJ.
“I’m here for dinner,” growled the lion. “Now why don’t you make it easy on all of us and leave the injured one to me. You get away easy, I get my meal easy and I put your friend out of her misery easy.
We all win.”
He was sure that this pony would run in terror to save herself and he’d have a meal tonight. Then tomorrow he’d have another fresh kill. She wasn’t going anywhere down here.
But he didn’t expect what came next.
Twilight’s ears snapped back flat against her head, never had she ever felt such anger in her life. No, it wasn’t anger, this was righteous indignation! She’d never felt this level of emotion in her battles with Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis or Sombra.
Not even Tirek put this much pure wrath in her heart after he’d destroyed the Golden Oak Library. Tirek could be reasoned with, more or less. But here was an antagonist that only wanted to kill and eat. Twilight was sure that if she agreed to leave, it would just pounce on her from behind and kill her as well.
And to suggest that Twilight just walk away from Applejack to be killed and devoured…
If her magic was working 100%…
This cat would be screaming in Tartarus right now.
But the way she felt, she wasn’t going to need magic to accomplish this.
“Go Sugar Cube,” said AJ, “save yerself. Ah’ll just slow ya down.”
“No bucking way!” said Twilight looking at the cat and ignoring AJ’s selfless request. “If you value your mangy hide, run away and never return. If you try to touch the pony I love, you’ll find that your hunger will never get to be satisfied. And not one creature will mourn your departure. So go while you have the chance.
Because I will kill you!”
In spite of the grim situation, Applejack’s heart leapt at Twilight’s declaration of love.
The lion actually felt some fear. The situation was already out of his understanding. Here were just ponies, they should be running or cowering in horror. His understanding of how this supposed to work failed him. He’d already lost the initiative and was unsure how to proceed.
Never had any prey had this attitude and fire in their eyes. The certainty of outcome didn’t appear as clear as it had when he first glimpsed them.
But he still tried to be as threatening as he could and try to retain the upper paw.
“Ponies don’t kill,” said the lion with as much threat as he could muster, “ponies get killed, and eaten!”
“Ponies do kill and leave the bodies for the worms to eat,” said Twilight resolutely. The threat she had in her voice matched and exceeded his. Then with disgust, “how noble of an end!”
This pony still wasn’t running in fear nor was she backing down as she should be. He might as well be facing another lion. There was nothing more for it but to strike. But his finely tuned instinctive actions wouldn’t work in this situation. Instincts were honed on prey running in terror. That way, the weak and defenseless portions are exposed.
And to try to approach this as he would to fight another lion wouldn’t work either. All he could see was prey, not a threat. It was out of his understanding which caused him to be uncertain of his actions and hesitate.
Here stood a pony that was already facing him down, she’d caused him to falter. Add to that, she had a horn, and hard hooves shod with iron. And she had a high intelligence.
The lion was completely out of his element.
But to leave and admit defeat was not an option. Such a reputation would make him a marked lion.
He’d be ostracized, shunned and he’d never be able to mate.
A lion who ran away from prey.
But he had to eat, so he had to kill. But if he was to lose, then he had to die trying. And this pony looked as if she was more than willing to help him with that.
Twilight circled around the fire and faced the lion, she was slowly advancing, not running. The growl Twilight emitted between clinched teeth and a snarl unnerved the lion more, he more than half expected her to roar.
Twilight was trying to make sure that all the attention was on herself and not AJ.
Twilight knew that the only way not to be prey is not to act like prey. And to do this, she had to take and keep the initiative.
Twilight loved peace and tolerance. She never, in her strangest dreams, ever thought that she’d have to take on the role of a predator and possibly make a kill. This was a great conflict inside her mind and heart. To be Princess of Friendship, yet willingly and with complete foreknowledge; take a life.
But if it was she and AJ or the lion, there really was no choice to make.
While the lion was trying to decide what to do next, Twilight surprised him and attacked first. She reared and struck out with both her forehooves catching the cat on the chin. The world spun for a moment for the lion as he was knocked backwards.
Shaking his head, he sprung forward. This was met with another barrage of forehooves. Twilight heard a crack sound. She’d injured the beast’s jaw, perhaps even fractured it. This was a little satisfying but she also knew that an injured predator was more dangerous.
As Twilight went on the attack again, a large paw struck Twilight on the shoulder and sent her flying off to one side. The lion was having to defend and not attack, he was unsure of how to handle this. Twilight rolled and sprung to her hooves in time to see the cat sailing through the air in her direction. His teeth bared and claws extended.
Twilight was able to dodge the attack at the last second allowing her to be in the right position. Her timing was good and she unleashed a kick with both hind legs. Apparently, her hooves made contact with a very sensitive part of his anatomy. He howled in pain.
He wasn’t the only one in pain. Where the cat had struck Twilight’s shoulder, his claws had dug deep. But Twilight couldn’t afford to worry with this now. She knew that she couldn’t show any weakness that he might try to exploit. Never had she been in this much of a fight for her life.
Not just her life, but Applejack’s as well.
That thought gave Twilight all the strength and reason she needed to continue the fight. She’d die before she’d let Applejack come to harm.
The thought of the cat harming AJ enraged Twilight to a level she'd never been enraged before, and the lion saw it.
Never had prey frightened him like this.
The lion turned and sprang back to his opponent. Expecting her to dodge out of the way again, he spread his forelegs to have a wider reach to catch the pony if she dodged. He wasn’t ready for her to spring forward and drop down. He sailed over her. As he passed over, she stabbed her horn upward as hard as she could. It cut deep into his underbelly. Any deeper and he would’ve been disemboweled.
The sight of his blood and the pain from the laceration on his belly was maddening! Never had he ever been so bested by any lion! Much less some grass eating prey.
The lion was regretting not listening to the pony’s warning, but there was nothing for it now. He had to do something to end this and get as much success as he could. He had to evade this pony and go after the injured one. Perhaps if he killed her, there’d be nothing for the other pony to stay and fight for.
As Twilight turned to face the lion again, something caught the corner of her eye. But how to get there without arousing suspicion? And how to get him to do what she needed?
Quickly Twilight concocted a plan, but it was risky and it was going to hurt!
The lion looked like he was about to go for AJ, but he heard Twilight snort and charging. As Twilight rushed at the lion, he turned to face her, the cat would swipe at Twilight and Twilight was trying to land another devastating kick to his face and head.
This went on for what felt like forever, the pain from his bleeding wounds and the fatigue along with the loss of his instinctive control of a situation was weakening him.
But the fatigue, pain and blood loss was weakening Twilight as well. This had to end soon while she still had the strength to attack and defend herself and AJ.
It was now or never for the gambit.
The lion knew it had to end soon as well. He was going to try to injure the pony attacking himself so he could rush and kill the other.
As Twilight rushed forward, she charged a little too close. And just as Twilight expected, the lion swiped at her and sent her flying toward the firewood. She allowed herself one moment of not moving to catch a breath and to let the monster think she was out. It was a gamble that the cat wouldn’t try to finish her off instead of going for the easy prey.
It worked.
The lion turned away and faced AJ. He was moving around the fire to have a clear shot at the defenseless prey.
AJ saw that the lion was about to pounce on her. She’d seen Twilight go down after the last charge and she was devastated. She almost didn’t care if she was going to be killed or not.
And despite the bravery of Applejack, her face reflected deadly terror as she raised a foreleg to try to fend off what was sure to happen. With eyes shut and pouring tears, she turned away.
Applejack’s thoughts were not for herself but how much Twilight will be hurt if she did survive. AJ knew now that Twilight really did love her and she knew that she loved Twilight. It looked like their future together wasn’t to be, except perhaps together in the Fields of Elysium.
Twilight had quickly but quietly gotten up so not to attract the lion’s attention. She saw the look on Applejack’s face, it was the last bit of motivation to go over and beyond the physical and mental limits of any pony. Twilight dredged up the last of her reserve strength and courage. The pain and exhaustion was all forgotten, the injuries didn’t matter.
She had to save Applejack now!
Twilight now saw what she’d hoped for, a clear shot at the cat’s unprotected side as he was fully distracted. Twilight bolted at the lion at full speed. The glare of the fire had hid her at first, so he didn’t see her until too late to react. Her horn went deep into his side and between his ribs. So much so that her scalp impacted with the lion’s skin. She heard ribs crack, there had to be internal organ damage with this attack. The lion shrieked as Twilight pulled her horn out of his flesh. Blood poured from the wound
Then she turned and fled…
Just like prey.
Normally, the lion might have approached this move with caution, but he was tired and pure instinct kicked in. As Twilight hoped, this made the lion turn to pursue herself. But suddenly, she stopped and spun around. All the lion registered was:
‘She’s giving in to the inevitable and this will be an easy kill after all.’
She had one chance at this. She was too tired to continue the fight with any hope of survival.
Success meant life. Failure meant that she and AJ were going to die horribly.
‘At least we’ll die together,’ thought Twilight grimly.
Twilight watched as the lion charged. It took all that was in her not to panic at this and flee, she had to stand strong.
‘For my Apple-Dumpling,’ Twilight thought as she steeled her nerves as the cat was bearing down on her.
The lion had no idea what it meant when a Unicorn’s horn glowed. As the cat, at the most speed he could manage, pounced. The stick that wasn’t suitable for the splint, the one with the diagonal cut, sprung up; sharp end first. Twilight’s forehooves anchored the other end to the ground. It was too late; the cat was airborne and had no way to avoid this. It penetrated the cat’s chest where Twilight’s horn had opened a wound. This made it easier for the stick to pierce his hide. The stick protruded out the lion’s back, he had impaled himself. But his jaws snapped at Twilight’s head a couple of times, just inches away.
Then it appeared that the light in his eyes was fading. The look on his face was of pain, regret and sadness. The look was pathetic and it broke Twilight’s heart. She felt guilt, despite the situation. As much as Twilight was appalled at the thought of killing, Twilight had to make sure that this was over. Also, in spite of his heartlessness, she couldn’t let the cat suffer.
The lion stumbled, Twilight spread her wings as quick as she could. This made the cat reflexively look in her direction.
“I’m so sorry,” said Twilight, not even sure if the lion was in any condition to register what she’d said.
Twilight slammed her head against the lion’s face. Her aim was good and her horn penetrated the cat’s right eye, through the opening in the scull for the optic nerve and into the brain.
There was nothing for it now, Twilight had to finish it. She released as powerful of a blast of offensive magic into the brain as she could manage. The cat shuddered and collapsed like a rag doll, silent and motionless.
Both lion and pony were locked together, neither one moving.
“Oh Good Faust no!” screamed Applejack.
“Twilight!”
Not caring about the possibility of her own injuries. Applejack managed to get free of the sleeping bag and got to three hooves, dragging the splinted leg behind. She hobbled to Twilight’s tail and grabbed it with her mouth. Then AJ dragged Twilight away from the dead cat. There was a sickening sound as Twilight’s horn was pulled out of the eye socket of the dead cat. The sound and the gore almost made AJ throw up.
She was able to bring Twilight back to the mossy bed where AJ had been laying. Being dragged through the grass removed most of the blood and gore on Twilight’s face and horn. AJ threw more wood on the fire and then as best she could lay Twilight out on her bed and cuddled next to her.
Holding Twilight close, Twilight started to respond.
“Is it over?” asked Twilight.
“Oh Darlin’, Darlin’ Twilight,” said Applejack crying and nuzzling Twilight. “It’s over, My Love.”
“You’re not hurt?” asked Twilight.
“Thanks to ya, Ah’m not.”
“Thank Celestia, as long as you’re safe, that’s the only thing in the world that matters.” Said Twilight as she smiled a weak smile and kissed Applejack.
They didn’t care what other dangers were out there. They cuddled close, Twilight was able to cover them with the sleeping bag and they fell asleep in each other’s forelegs.