//------------------------------// // Chapter XXX: Regaining Breath // Story: The Equestria Games: First Blood // by 8_Bit //------------------------------// “Keep running.” As Fluttershy’s mind raced with a mass of incomprehensible thoughts, it was only these two words that she could keep hold of for more than a few seconds. One second, she’d been stood with Twilight, working out a plan of action. Now she was running, not with any conscious choice of direction, nor of the proximity of any pursuers, but she was simply running because it was all she could do. The sun was now approaching its midpoint in the sky, if it hadn’t already passed it, and was evenly spreading its intense heat over the forest like a thick blanket. The heat was becoming increasingly difficult to bear for the rapidly exhausting pegasus, but panic and terror sent her mind into overdrive and put her body on autopilot as she continued to charge aimlessly through the dense woodlands. The woods had other plans, as after several minutes of non-stop running, Fluttershy caught her hoof on an exposed tree root. The tiny disruption of her balance turned her run into a stumble for a few meters, after which her attempts to right herself overstepped the mark and she tumbled forwards, receiving a mouthful of the dead leaves and dusty earth that coated the forest floor. She’d luckily avoided smacking into a tree when she fell, so as serious as the fall might have been, she only received a few scratches and the mouthful of soil, which she quickly coughed up. Panting desperately from the exertion, she found her muscles utterly refusing to respond when she attempted to sit up, so she resigned herself to staying on the ground until she had recovered. As her panting began to subside, she found her fatigue slowly fading, and her thoughts began to clarify. She thought back to the final moments she’d spent with Twilight. She was reaching out to take the knife being offered to her, when some of the clique ponies appeared out of nowhere. Fluttershy knew their faces from training, but had neglected to memorize their names. Twilight had thrown the knife at the bees’ nest, which had then crashed down on the head of the black pegasus with those piercing, icy blue eyes. Despite the fact that Fluttershy owed her escape to the knife throw, she hadn't come out of it too well. Twilight had taken the equipment pack, and when she’d thrown the knife, she’d left Fluttershy not only without any weapons, but also without food or water. This irritating fact about her situation left Fluttershy feeling uncomfortable, as although she had almost completely recovered her breath from the long run through the woods, her throat was begging for water, and the gritty taste of the dusty earth was sticking resolutely on her taste buds. She tried to ball up some spit to try and get and clear her mouth, but her arid throat utterly refused to comply. She finally committed herself to sitting up, which was a struggle as her muscles burned relentlessly from her run, but she soon found herself on her haunches, her panting now gentle enough to be classed as normal breathing, if slightly more rapid than usual. It was only when she was in a sitting position that her ears twitched slightly, registering a familiar sound not far in front of her. Muscles still burning, she forced herself onto all fours and walked forward, pushing through several bushes and emerging onto the beach. However far Twilight had led her in the space of half an hour, she had run back, non-stop, in scorching heat. She grinned slightly at the thought of this, having put a fair bit of distance between herself and the clique ponies, before looking left and right to try and gauge her position along the coast. She was further along the beach than before, she guessed roughly halfway between the mouth of the river and the cliff face that marked the edge of the arena. Her dry throat soon demanded her attention again as a particularly large wave crashed against the shore, the wash only stopping a few meters from her before gravity took hold and it receded back to the waterline. The water looked cool and refreshing, and the pain in her throat briefly overwhelmed her, as she took several steps forward, tongue hanging out in anticipation, before she was able to snap her senses back into action. District 11 was completely landlocked, and being in the arena was the first time Fluttershy had ever seen an ocean, or stood on a beach, but she wasn’t completely out of her depth. She’d been the butt of the salt in a glass of water prank plenty of times before, living with younger siblings, and she was put off by the taste alone. She did, however, also know the dangers of consuming large amounts of it, and it didn’t take more than a few seconds of thinking about Twilight’s blood seeping into the sea as they swam earlier in the day to put her completely off drinking any. The sun was hot though, so she was perfectly happy to cool herself off in the salty water. She walked in until she was neck deep, allowing her body to cool down. She closed her eyes and dove under briefly, bathing lusciously as the water lapped against her, which left her feeling refreshed and revitalized after less than a few minutes. Feeling much better, she stood up and returned to shore, sitting down with her back to a tree. The water clung to her body, dripping down and cooling as it went, a feeling which Fluttershy relished. The drops on her face slid down her muzzle and ended up at her lips, causing her to taste the saltiness of the water, but the flavor was weak and managed to distract her from the dirt still clinging relentlessly to her taste buds. A few minutes passed before her mind drifted over what to do next. She had no food, no clean water and no weapons. The river may have been of some use as a water supply, and as far as she could tell, it was the only safe place to get water in the arena, but Twilight had the iodine. Without it, she could suffer any number of ill effects from germs living in the water. None of her options were too appealing, but Twilight was the capable kind of pony. Fluttershy had stuck with her this far, and was happy to trust her for the time being. She had goodness in her heart, and Fluttershy had an element of kindness about her that told her Twilight was not the kind of pony who would turn on her. Being in the arena presented all kinds of uncertainties, and planning ahead was difficult, but Fluttershy decided her best course of action was to stay put. She was a good climber, and could easily scale a nearby tree if an unfriendly face appeared. Twilight had said to meet her at the beach, and that was exactly where Fluttershy decided she felt the safest, at least for the time being. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The world was little more than a hazy blur as Twilight collapsed in a bush, less than a hundred meters from the clearing in which sat the cornucopia. She gasped for air as her muscles racked with pain and her head span continuously. She cast a slow look down at the wrappings on her leg. The blood had continued to flow during her journey, the effects of which were beyond overwhelming to her. She had lost all awareness of time or distance, and couldn’t say for certain if she’d been walking for minutes or for days. Only major turning points stuck in her mid, such as throwing the knife at the bees’ nest, or when she’d stopped running and changed to a gentle jog, or when she’d crossed the river at a natural weir. She swallowed hard as her mind drifted again, biting down on her tongue to try and regain some focus. She was close to her target, and couldn’t afford to snuff it within reaching distance. The woozy feeling she had wasn’t going to get better anytime soon, and she didn’t want to go on much longer without the coagulation wipes she needed. She untied her wrappings, taking the leaves away and replacing them with new ones from the bush, and tied it up again, much tighter than before. Biting her tongue again to keep herself focused, she crouched down and crept out of the bushes, watching all around her for the possibility of ambush. It was mid-afternoon, and the heat was ever present. The forest floor was more dusty than muddy, and she did her best to ignore the patches of it that clung to her sweaty hooves. She crept closer and closer to the clearing, ears perked and looking all around for any sign of other ponies, but there was nothing. It was as she reached the edge of the clearing that she spotted the pile of backpacks and various other pieces of survival equipment, sat neatly in a pile at the mouth of the cornucopia. She was stood at a slight angle to the pile, giving her a clear view into the massive golden horn, revealing it to be empty save for some sleeping bags laid flat on its floor. She was desperate to begin raiding the pile, a feeling that was made ever more tantalizing when she could clearly see a green box with a cross on the side, which was undoubtedly a first aid kit. Capitol issue, top quality medicines inside. But she knew this was wrong. It was too easy, a pile of kit completely undefended. There had to be somepony nearby, lurking in cover. The kit was too valuable to be left alone like this. Twilight retreated what she guessed to be about ten to fifteen meters into the trees and began to survey the area, sticking to her distance from the clearing as she circled it. She stepped slowly, barely even at a crawling pace, as she carefully observed the cornucopia, the forest around her, and the trees above her. Every single noise she heard caused her to freeze, duck down and look frantically in every direction to determine where it came from. Every rustle of the leaves above her caused her to spend several minutes looking closer, trying to determine if there was anypony hiding above her. On top of all of this, she kept looking to the cornucopia and the treasure it held, the pile of equipment she so desperately needed. Her throat was dry, her muscles ached, her wound was burning and she was caked in sweat and dirt, but she didn’t dare stop for a rest. Any delay would slow the process of getting her precious wipes, and she had to be sure the area was safe. Her concept of time was still lost, so the only indication she had of how long she’d been circling was the shadow cast by the equipment pile, which had noticeably shifted by the time she came around and returned to her original position, looking into the cornucopia at a slight angle. In actuality, she’d spent the best part of an hour surveying the area, but she still wasn’t completely convinced about the situation, and her medical needs were far too urgent for her to simply walk away, so she slowly and hesitantly began to walk towards the pile. Something was amiss with the whole scenario, a fact which was undeniable. If something went wrong, she was a dead pony for sure, as she had lost her only means of defense. But without the medical aid she needed, she would be dead soon anyway. At least a sword or an arrow would be quicker. The sun shone brightly, briefly blinding Twilight as she stepped out from under the shade of the leaves, still woozy but alert. The cornucopia couldn’t have been more than fifteen meters away, but at her cautious pace, it felt like a lot further. She kept a low stance, hunched with her body as low to the ground as her muscles would bear, taking slow and shaky steps forward. She was barely a few steps away when something glistened right in front of her, belligerently reflecting the sun straight into her eyes. The suddenness of it caused her to stand up straight in panic, only for it to instantly disappear. Twilight stood still, looking all around her for what could have caused it. The leaves rustled gently in the wind, and she could hear birds chirping in nearby trees. Everything was normal. In the shock of the moment, Twilight had had a split second to identify the object that had glared her, which she had first thought to be a sword blade. Having come to the conclusion that not only was it not a sword, but also that she wasn’t under attack, she crouched down again, re-assuming the stance she had been in when she had been glared. Once again, something near invisible in front of her reflected the suns rays of light aggressively right into her eyes. Squinting, Twilight stood up slightly, just enough so she was no longer the recipient of the blinding rays, and whatever had glimmered vanished once again. Confused, she took a step back, and dug her hoof into the ground slightly, collecting some of the ashen dirt around it, which she kicked out forwards. Several specks of the dust clung to something thin, around the height Twilight had been crouching. Closer inspection revealed what looked like piano wire, only significantly thinner. It looked state-of-the-art, being almost transparent and barely as thin as a single hair on Twilight’s mane. She could only just see it, and it was just inches from the tip of her muzzle. The Capitol had developed all sorts of devious weapons during the war, not only bombs and guns for mass obliteration, but devilish little weapons that could fit in a pocket if need be, special for when fighting got more personal, more hoof-to-hoof. Twilight had heard somepony mention something along the lines of “glass wire” while she was in District 13, as being useful for torture and quick but quiet killing, but she’d never actually seen it up close. It was clearly being used as some kind of tripwire, but was much more remarkable about it was it didn’t appear to be attached to anything, and was quite simply floating in midair, in what Twilight guessed was a perfect circle around the precious mound of equipment. In her less than conscientious state, it was nothing less than a miracle she'd chosen to duck down as she walked. Maybe the odds were starting to turn in her favor. She carefully stepped over the wire, which barely went up to her knees, and stepped closer to the pile, a first aid kit tantalizingly situated right in front of her, which she cautiously sat herself down in front of. Twilight then felt around the pile carefully, making sure no more devilish tricks were waiting for her, before she slowly removed the small green box. She paused for a few moments, looking around her carefully to make sure nothing else was off, and only opening the box when she was at ease. She beamed with joy as she recognized the yellow packaging of the coagulation wipes. Removing a single wrapped wipe from the box, she held it up close to her face, as her vision was beginning to haze, and read the words written on the back: Instructions for Use. 1. Remove wipe from protective film. Only use 1 wipe per affected area. 2. For open wounds, hold the wound closed before wiping. 3. Gently and evenly rub the affected area for 2-3 minutes. 4. Avoid strenuous or rapid movement for at least 1 hour after use. Twilight grimaced slightly as she read the final step. In an open area like this, she was a sitting duck should the clique ponies return. She’d have to gather what she could before she applied it, and then hide out in a bush nearby. She could safely apply the wipes there, as well as recover, have something to eat and drink, and try and plan her next step. The next several minutes Twilight spent pacing around the mound of kit, carefully trying to decide what to take and what to leave. She’d already stashed the wipes in her bag, which was already near full, greatly limiting what else she could take. This was also partly a blessing, as while instinct would be to take as much kit as possible, it meant Twilight would have to restrict herself, only taking what the clique could easily miss. That way, they wouldn’t be let on that she’d been able to see past their tripwire trick. She couldn’t work out what the tripwire was connected to or what it would do when crossed, but it didn't take a genius to work out that it wasn't going to be anything pleasant. She finally contented herself with the wipes she’d already taken, a second flask for extra water, and a small sheath holding ten specialized throwing knives. Twilight strapped it to her good back leg for easy reach. The fact she’d had to restrain herself due to the limited space in her pack reflected well on the pile, which appeared completely unchanged. The first aid kit had been put back exactly where she’d found it, and she’d found the knives when she’d been searching the pockets of backpacks. She’d zipped them all back up again, just to be safe. Relishing the thought of finally being able to apply the wipes, Twilight carefully stepped over the tripwire where a few morsels of dust still clung where she’d kicked earlier. She sighed as she walked away, glad to be putting some distance between herself and whatever painful trick the tripwire was surely meant to provide. She reached the bush she had collapsed in earlier, only to look back at how close the cornucopia was. It was within her line of sight through the trees, although she had to squint slightly to see it properly. It didn’t take her long to realise that she wasn’t keen on the idea of sitting around for an hour in such close proximity to the hot spot for the clique ponies’ movements, but she didn’t have a choice. The large bush was sat in-between two thick oak trees a few meters apart. There was a large dip in the middle, which sat underneath the bulk of the leaves of the bush, creating a perfect hidey-hole for Twilight to recuperate. She crawled into the small space, which was refreshingly cool given the intense heat of the day, and laid her saddle pack beside her. After removing her wrappings, she eagerly dug into the bag, pulling out and ripping apart the packet containing the wipes she needed. Then she proceeded to gently push the two sides of the wound together, and gritting her teeth, began to rub it with the coagulation wipes. As was to be expected, the alcohol used as a disinfectant in the wipes stung as Twilight rubbed, but she soon found this stinging pain dissolved into a feeling that could almost be described as pleasurable, as the complex chemicals worked away at the exposed flesh. She had no way of measuring the time she’d spent wiping with any kind of accuracy, but she estimated it had been roughly three minutes when the soothing feeling began to dissolve, and all she could feel was the cool fabric being repeatedly rubbed up and down her leg. She’d seen the effect of the wipes before, but she still felt a sense of surprise when she looked down and saw the wound had closed. Past experience meant she knew it had only healed on the surface, but the hour wait stated on the packet was crucial time that the various chemicals would need to do their job repairing interior damage under her flesh. Twilight breathed a loud sigh of relief. The chemicals now in her system would not only repair the damage done by the shrapnel, but would rapidly boost the rate at which her red blood cells regenerated. This secondary process would be a slower one, and her blood levels wouldn’t be back to normal for a few hours, but she would be able to operate her body with a relatively clear mind after the hour wait. It was as she reached into her pack to reach for her flask that she had a thought. She'd been so occupied with getting here and getting the medicine she so desperately needed, she hadn't spared a single thought to what situation Fluttershy may be in. Then her pupils shrank to a fraction of their former size as she came to a startling realization. If there was no sign of the clique ponies, it would have most likely meant they weren’t coming after her. If they had chosen to follow anypony, their absence meant they’d chosen Fluttershy. Although she may have escaped unharmed due to Twilight’s trick with the knife, she had also been left completely defenseless.