Once again sore hooves struggled on a road covered in dust.
Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle... Just keep walking... Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle...
She had kept walking... why did she still have to walk? How much longer?
Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle... Just keep walking... Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle...
The voice speaking to her was different from yesterday. Still male but less resonant and higher pitched. What had caused it to change?
Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle... Just keep walking... Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle...
Rainbow Dash would appear any minute. She would fly right next to her and sweep her away from the pounding of the ground. She would carry her away to see Rarity. Before the day was done, she would be safe again.
Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle... Just keep walking... Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle...
Couldn’t Celestia stop the sun for just one day? Nopony would mind.
Then again, with the sun up Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash could see her. They could find her! But where were they?
Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle... Just keep walking... Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle...
The sun was rising higher and higher. If she called to Celestia to stop the sun the voice in her ear might get mad. Why was she so tired so early in the day? Why hadn’t anypony seen her yet? Her legs didn’t want to move. She could feel each protesting stretch of her muscles.
Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle... Just keep walking... Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle...
A twinge; she knew what that meant. But she had to keep moving forward no matter how slowly. But the twinge came back as she stepped again. She had to keep moving. The twinge was sharper.
Sweetie Belle collapsed as tears came easily. Her leg was cramping and she couldn’t get up.
Get up.
“I can’t! I can’t!” she bawled earnestly.
Get. Up! the voice repeated.
“My leg hurts! I can’t!”
One more mile.
“I can’t! I can’t walk anymore! I’m too tired!”
Just one more.
“No!”
One more and you can sleep.
“But... but it hurts.”
Stretch it. The pain goes away faster if you stretch it.
Sweetie Belle remained curled. Her leg felt as if it was locking to be permanently held up against her chest. If she moved it would would get worse. She shook her head and kept her eyes closed to the rising sun. Tears dirtied her face and dust entered her mouth and nose.
She wanted to go home.
Stand up and stretch. It will hurt less later on.
Her lips shook. She sobbed. Her leg pulled as she tried to uncurl it. It... did feel better.
Her left hoof soon stretched as far away from her body as it could. It was painful... but the voice was right. After a few moments the pain left with only a slight soreness as a reminder. She opened her eyes but did not get up. The tears didn’t stop.
Now... get up.
She felt the dirt scrape her sides as she stood up. She was sweaty... but she felt so cold. Shivers. She sniffed. Shivers. She began to walk again and felt the pull in her leg... but it soon faded as she continued to take steps. It was still sore though. Her dry throat burned as she coughed. She would keep going. It was only a mile.
Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle... Just keep walking... Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle...
How long was a mile anyway? It couldn’t be too long. It just sounded long. She was so sleepy. Last night had been so warm when she was tucked up in the blankets. She wouldn’t have left if the voice hadn’t...
No, Rarity was going to be all right. She just had to...
Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle... Just keep walking... Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle...
The warm mash she had been fed... it was so delicious. She could still remember the taste of cinnamon and sugar added to it. Another bowl right now would be just what she needed. It would warm her up.
The weather was so odd here. Yesterday she had been sweating the whole time. Today it was chilly. She was so tired. Just another mile.
Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle... Just keep walking... Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle...
Apple Bloom must miss her now. Would Scootaloo even know she was being fillynapped? Would Miss Cheerilee try to help find her? Would Celestia bother? Rarity must be coming. She was her sister and had always been there to take care of her.
But... why wasn’t she here?
Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle... Just keep walking... Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle...
How long was a mile anyway? It was a bunch of hooves but she couldn’t remember how many. It was like hours. She kept hearing about them but they never seem to be consistently one length or another. Would she have to walk for an hour or would a mile be shorter? Her head hurt from the numbers that she searched for but never could recall.
Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle... Just keep walking... Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle...
Exactly how cold was she right now? Did she have a temperature? Ponies only said she had a temperature when she was sick so not having one would mean she was not sick, right? What was temperatures measured in again? Miss Cheerilee needed to explain it.
Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle... Just keep walking... Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle...
She was measured in hooves too. Could she be measured in miles? No, she was measured in hours. Apple Bloom must miss her.
Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle... Just keep walking... Sweetie Belle... get up... Sweetie Belle you’ve fallen down again...
“No, I haven’t...” she mumbled into the ground that met her face and shivering body a second time. Sand scratched her eyes when she blinked. Rarity would come to tuck her into bed soon...
Sweetie Belle! Answer! Stand up! Move!
She just closed her eyes to the sun and opened them again when the sun was behind her. How did it move so quickly?
Answer me!
“Sweetie Belle!” somepony screamed from down the road.