The Great Equestrian Journey

Chrysalis's head snaps back, and she teeters backward. My nerves are erupting from going into contact with her jaw. The rest of me tingles, lights on fire.

I'm just done today.

Or tonight.

Who knows? Once again, it strikes me that I am very close to my death here. Do I really have the strength to fight her? Or would I drop dead? Can I defeat her and find a way to come back to Shining Armor and Flurry Heart with a big smile? Or will I never see them again?

That last thought makes my heart burst. A stupid, fat tear escapes from my eye.

Chrysalis doesn't notice; she's too busy being her crazy dumb self. She's whimpering. Whimpering.

I really can overpower her.

So I shouldn't waste time, right?

Chrysalis wrings her head back towards me, cradling her jaw with one hoof. She looks at me with a look I haven't seen on her before. It's shock and...

Admiration?

She sucks in a deep breath. "You...you're not dumb."

I know I'm not. I don't respond. I let her drown in the silence.

Silent. Silent. It night as well make my own pot boil over. It stretches on and on for a minute or so when Chrysalis finally snaps, "How dare you."

That's my trigger. That's when everything I've done to forget her rackets up in my brain. That's when I leap forward with a crazy yelp and land on her. That's when I roll on top of her and start pounding my hooves. That's when Chrysalis starts to kick and scream. That's when she kicks me off and I fall on my side and collapse into sobs.

It's only when my tears have dried on my cheeks that Chrysalis mutters something unintelligible. I envision her eyeroll. I don't even know why she's not pounced on me yet.

I don't respond. I'm done today. I'm done with peril and all. I thought I could be a hero. It's too exhausting.

Chrysalis has two bruises, on her jaw and one forming on her collarbone. They're deep yellow. I could've hit her harder, I think. I could've gotten hit. I could've killed her.

But I didn't. I allowed myself to fall into a crazy mess of crying. I wanted Chrysalis to do that. Not me. I feel stupid and worthless. I'm not even the only one being crazy today. I'm all tough one minute, sobbing the next. I have maybe spent the past hour crying, with a dumbstruck Chrysalis just watching.

I'm settled down now. I pull myself up to a sit and swallow, looking my biggest fear in the eyes. Not today. Chrysalis won't fool me with her craziness today.

I startle when I see the dark hoof in front of me.

"C'mon," she says.

I swat it away, and Chrysalis reacts by simply stepping back, which surprises me even more.

I struggle to my hooves, and when I'm done, I ask, "Why? Why are you so nice all of a sudden?"

Chrysalis looks tired. "Because, one, we're trapped in the same cave together and too injured to climb up there." She gestures to the tunnel I was in. "So we have to deal with each other for the time being. And two, you're obviously not backing down."

"Is this you trying to gain my trust?" I'm suspicious. If all of this acting tough and then sincere to each other leads to nothing, I'll go insane.

Chrysalis doesn't even roll her eyes or anything. "You want me to? Because we're going to have to work together to get out of here."

Good point. I take note of the rock under the ledge. Both of us would need to push it in our current state, and our wings are hurt, so we can't fly far. Plus, we may end up depending on each other. Obviously Chrysalis is hungry, and I may go hungry too, if it gets to be that long. I may be an alicorn, but that only means I can last longer.

I heed our bruises and current state of health. I'm not hungry or thirsty yet. But what about home? Shining is undoubtedly getting worried. And poor little Flurry. I feel like a bad mother.

Now's not the time. Now I need to decide whether Chrysalis is going to help me. And, in turn I might help her. Might.