160 hours

As the evening hours rolled by, Fluttershy and Blue settled down, returning to the cave and gathering ample firewood to hang out outside for awhile before bed. It was important that they tried to relax and talk here and there to hold onto their civility.

Around the fire, they snacked on some berries and leaves Fluttershy found for them and talked now about Blue and his profession in the Crystal Mountain as a miner.

The frigid, breezeless night air was warmed comfortably around them by the fire, allowing them to remain outside the cave as long as the fire was going. Blue fed it with fir and alder logs every so often.

"So," Fluttershy began, nibbling on a leaf. "What exactly did you mine for with this company?"

Blue sat beside her on a log they managed to roll to their campsite. It was heavy and took loads of effort, especially with Blue being injured.

After he'd explained he worked for a company that collected precious gems for the Crystal Empire and surrounding areas, Fluttershy began prying for other things, out of curiosity. Like, for example, what specifically he mined for.

"Large, precious gemstones, like rubies, diamonds and sapphires. They're greatly sought after. High demand." Blue rested his forehooves in his lap, staring down at the scintillating fire. It was a comforting thing, having this fire. Blue felt like, without it, they'd be far worse off. With it, they'd been able to purify water, cook food, and make tea. Well, Fluttershy had, using young, tender fir and spruce shoots.

"So did you find a lot? I mean, was there a great supply?" she inquired with genuine interest, sipping tea and peering over at him. The light of the fire danced on her face and body, making her appear to be glowing golden-orange. Blue wouldn't have been surprised if she actually was. To him, she was essentially angelic - gentle, kind, and intelligent.

"Of course," he replied casually. He rubbed his injured leg carefully, noting how it didn't hurt nearly as much now as it had hours ago. Even the persistent throb had lessened. "The amount of gems I gathered the entire time I was employed there probably totalled tens of millions of bits in value."

Fluttershy looked surprised. "Wow... that's a lot of gems. Rarity would've been in heaven." Fluttershy suddenly sulked, looking down and away. "Rarity..." she whispered sullenly.

Blue noticed her sudden change in emotions and leaned forward, trying to see her face. "What's wrong? Who's Rarity?"

Fluttershy turned and smiled sadly at him. "Just a friend I can't see right now. It's okay. Let's keep talking about you."

Blue leaned back. "Well... if you insist. What else do you want to know?"

Fluttershy didn't speak for a few moments, the only sound available being the constant crackling of the fire. She eventually spoke up, setting the metal canister wrapped in cloth aside, which was apparently empty. She had been drinking her tea from it, and finished it off just now before continuing with her questions.

"What did you do in your free time? I mean, when you're not working? Do you have friends? Family?" Under her breath, she added, "A marefriend...?" But she hoped he hadn't heard.

Blue had though. He flushed and replied, "No, none of those. Family is too far away, and I don't have any friends, really. Especially not the romantic kind." He sighed, his shoulders sagging. "I've already tried my hoof in that department. Didn't exactly end well."

"I think I understand how you feel. I've never really been without friends, not for a very long time. But it doesn't mean I don't know what you're feeling." She nudged his side with her elbow and gave him a big, nanciful smile. "Is it alright if I be your friend?"

He couldn't help but smile back. "Yeah... I'd like that, Fluttershy. After all, you've been great to me out here. You've saved my life."

"Blue, please. You saved my life first." She stared off into the trees, deep in thought. Blue wished he knew what they were. "I consider myself still in your debt."

"Don't," he told her firmly. " I saved yours, you saved mine. We're even. Okay?" He winked playfully at her, and she smiled widely, nodding once in confirmation.

They held each other's eyes for a long few moments, both having a dozen thoughts zooming around in their minds of what they could or should say next.

Finally, Blue stood and stretched, his joints crackling. "Whew. It's been a long day. What do you say about bed time?"

Fluttershy cocked her head at the fire, the flames reflecting off her enlarged pupils - deep pools of blackness, full of hidden thoughts. "I... don't think I'm ready, actually. I was hoping we could sit and talk a bit more." She looked up at him, seemingly disappointed.

Blue took a deep breath and let it out. "I uh, well... okay." He sat back down, smiling pleasantly over at her. "Talk about what?" Although he couldn't admit it, he greatly enjoyed talking to this mare. Their conversations were like a hot cup of tea at a cafe - tasteful and somehow satisfying. Something he could partake in daily and never get tired of it.

Fluttershy shrugged, staring back down at the flickering fire. "I don't know... I just like talking to you. It's nice to be able to act like nothing's wrong and just socialize, even if it is only for a little bit. I'm grateful for every second of it."

"You think just because of our situation we aren't normal?"

She shook her head. "I meant, what we're facing isn't normal, and for us to have the chance to act like things are okay and just... talk... makes me feel better." She sighed, closing her eyes. "I know, it's a silly idea."

Blue scooted over on the log, closer to her, placing a foreleg around her shoulders to comfort her. He understood he might be crossing some sort of line, but he gave it a shot anyways.

"I think it's a great idea," he said softly, his voice hovering above a whisper. "I never had anypony to talk to anyways. This is wonderful."

She turned to face him, their muzzles only inches apart. She gave him a faint smile, her eyes searching his for something.

"Thanks, Blue..." she said demurely.

"So," Blue began, letting go of her and scooting away to give her space. "What's up? What do you want to talk about?"

Fluttershy rubbed her chin and hummed thoughtfully. "I suppose we can talk about what we'll do when we get out of this mess."

Blue thought for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "I'm heading off to get to work. I've wanted to work at sea my whole life. I absolutely love the ocean, and I think it's where I belong."

Fluttershy nodded. "The ocean is indeed a beautiful thing. But why do you feel you belong there? I know you love it, but I love animals and I'd rather not live out in the woods with them, like them." She gave a little chuckle.

Blue shrugged. "It's a powerful force, endless and intimidating." He leaned forward and slapped a couple more sticks into the fire, sending red-hot embers soaring into the night, riding on the hot air rising from the flames. "I find solace in the sea. Even at its worst, I embrace it like family. Like a partner. I've been drawn to it since I was a foal."

"I suppose I can understand that," Fluttershy said quietly. "Where are you going to go to work at sea?"

"The Serendipity sets sail on its maiden voyage soon," Blue said, eyes glued to the fire. "I was called to work as crew aboard it. A dream come true." He closed his eyes. "I just hope I can make it. Otherwise it's just another one of my hopes and dreams crushed underhoof."

"'Another one'?" Fluttershy asked, repeating him. "Have other dreams of yours been meddled with?"

Blue gave a nod. "Of course. Most of them, to be precise." He peered over at her, smiling hesitantly. "But enough of my whining; let's hear about your plans. What will you do?"

"Me?" Fluttershy asked in surprise. "Well, um, probably... just... return to my normal, everyday life." Upon second thought, she added, "I wouldn't trade it for the world."

"If it's so ordinary, why do you love it so much?"

"I prefer things simple. I don't like a whole lot of drama or intricacies in my everyday living. It gets to be annoying."

Blue rubbed his chin. "I suppose you're right. But sometimes a little spice in your life can make things interesting. You know what I mean?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "I don't think I do."

"Well, maybe go do things you wouldn't normally do. For example, take a trip to a far away place. Maybe somewhere you don't have much knowledge of. That way, while you're there, you can gain that knowledge. That will add to the experience."

"Well..." Fluttershy rubbed the back of her foreleg. "I kinda already do that."

"You do?"

"Yes..."

"Then what haven't you done that you can do to make your life more exciting?"

Fluttershy shook her head. "There's a couple things I'd rather not discuss."

Blue drew back. "What?" What in Equestria did that mean? he asked himself. That was a vague response she gave.

She smiled over at him. "Mmm... nothing. I think we should gather a little more water. We're lacking for tonight," she said, holding up the near-empty canister and giving it a little shake. "Perhaps more from the river?"

Blue cringed. "That's a heck of a walk." His mind was still on her strange response to his question earlier, though. Why didn't she want to talk about the things she hadn't done but wanted to? Why?

Fluttershy stood, shivering. "It's cold. We should go get this done and head to bed. I think I'm about ready."

Now she was acting weird, Blue noticed. He really didn't want to openly question her and start an argument or another conversation. Truthfully, he was tired. And although they had an hour total walk ahead of them, it was for something they needed. Technically, they could get water from the snow everywhere, but snow is mostly air, and therefore it would take them longer to get enough to fill the canister, since they'd have to melt it and boil it. In fact, it'd take about just as long to walk to the river and back.

Blue stood, shaking his leg to return feeling to it. For some reason, it had fallen asleep. He hated the pins and needles that accompanied it. "Alright. Let's go then. I'll take a torch with us."

"Good idea," Fluttershy said. "We don't need to get lost."

"Not only that," Blue said, "but fire wards off predators. They don't much like fire."

"Oh... I knew that."

Blue nodded. "Yep! It's true." He grabbed a stick, wrapping it in some moss they'd torn from the log they sat on. It was dead and dry, making it good tinder. He secured it to the stick and shoved the moss end into the flames until it caught.

"Alright, let's go do this as quickly as possible. It's cold and dark, and I'm tired. Plus, we'll be getting up early tomorrow to make our way towards that mountain."

"Right. Let's go."

From the caliginous forest around them, their stalker watched curiously as its prey wandered away from the protection of their fire and into the dense woods...

Its territory.

In the dark, travel was hard, even with the torch lighting their way. And unfortunately, the torch wasn't going to last the whole trip. They found that out when it died as they approached the clearing for the river and the falls.

They clambered out of the woods with the barely alight torch, and gasped in awe at the sky above them.

Curtains of green, gold, scarlet and violet light waved and shimmered in the star-studded black sky. This light phenomenon wasn't visible in other parts of Equestria; these were a creature of the north. And not only that, but light pollution in the Crystal Empire made them unviewable even on the clearest nights.

But they weren't in the Crystal Empire.

The bands of light hung high over the mountains cast a glow over the surrounding landscape, creating a serene, luminous visual that stole Fluttershy and Blue's breaths.

They stepped out further into the clearing, near the water as it continued its never-ending cycle, flowing over the cliff to the pool below. The lights in the sky made the water appear almost iridescent, the mist thrown up appearing as millions of glittering, multi-colored diamonds floating around. Like a glowing, heavenly dust.

"Dear Celestia..." Blue murmured under his breath, his eyes trained on the sky. Even though he'd worked in the mountains to the north, he'd still never been out at night. He'd never witnessed the spectacle before them now. It was the most incredible thing of beauty he'd ever laid eyes on.

Fluttershy also had no words. She'd seen the beauty of nature in many other places, but not this. Had she not been in this situation, she never would've been able to see what the curtains of light - The Northern Lights - looked like on a clear winter's night.

"I've never seen anything like this..." Fluttershy managed to utter finally, staring up at the sky. "This is..."

"The most beautiful thing in Equestria," Blue finished for her, and she nodded.

"I almost wish..." Fluttershy began, sitting on her haunches beside Blue, still gazing up, her mouth agape. "I almost wish we could camp out here... you know? Just... lay out under the stars and the sky and..."

Blue sat and put an foreleg around her, pulling her close. He didn't know why he wanted to, or if he should, but once he started, it was too late to stop. Fluttershy didn't seem to mind. She laid her head on his shoulder as they both gawked up at the heavens, soaking up the scenery.

"You know..." Blue started, taking his eyes away from the sky finally. He felt so content for some reason. Like things were, and would be, okay. "I'm grateful for this accident in one way."

Fluttershy tore her eyes from the sky and peered up at him. "You are?" she asked incredulously. "Why?"

"Because I'd have never met you," he said with a grin.

She flushed and smiled, looking away to hide her face. "I suppose that's true..."

"And I'm glad I met you, " he continued. "You're a good mare with a big heart. I don't think I'd have made it this far if I'd have been stuck in this mess with anypony else."

"Wow, Blue... That's really sweet of you..." She gave him a dulcet smile. "I think you're a nice guy and all..."

"Heh. I'm glad you think so. Honestly I'm not, though." He shrugged sadly.

Fluttershy knitted her eyebrows, confused. "What do you mean?"

Blue shook his head. "Eh, it's unimportant. Let's just get what we came for and head back. I'm sure it's getting way too late for us to be out and I'm getting cold." He flashed a smile and headed downstream a bit, looking for a safe place to collect water. Fluttershy ripped her gaze from the sky and followed closely.

"Why isn't it important if you brought it up...?" she tried again, trotting up beside him as he stopped, knelt, and began scooping water into their container.

Blue sighed, pausing for a moment to look up at her. "Because I don't want your opinion of me to change. Therefore I'm keeping what I was originally going to say to myself. Sorry Shy." He went back to the task of filling their container.

Fluttershy sat on her haunches. "But... you think something you'd say would change my opinion of you? Why would you think something like that?"

"Because it will."

Fluttershy shook her head. "No it won't. You've piqued my interest now and I'd really like to know what you were going to say."

"Jeez you're persistent," Blue said, finishing up with the container and turning to face her. "Why does it interest you so much?"

Fluttershy smiled kindly. "Because I want to know more about you, if that isn't a problem..."

"I uh..." Blue scratched the back of his head and thought about it. She sure seemed interested in him for some reason. He couldn't assume it was anything more than curiosity, though. Because that's what it was, he told himself. "I guess there's nothing wrong with that."

She nodded. "You don't socialize much, do you?"

Blue closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "Well... no, not exactly..."

From just within the dark, dense forest nearby, it stood with its eyes feasting hungrily on the two helpless, weak prey before it by the river... dinner and a drink.

Baring its massive canine teeth and licking them in anticipation, running its tongue over each and every jagged tooth, the beast reared its head back and let out a haunting howl that reverberated through the woods and into the night, silencing every creature within earshot.

It was time to eat.

In the midst of the momentary silence between them, a bellowing, hoarse, animalistic howl rose from somewhere not far from them. It made them both freeze, their hearts skipping a beat.

"Fl-Fluttershy... that's a wolf, right?" Blue stuttered, slowly turning to the woods behind them with her.

Fluttershy shook her head, quivering in fear. "Um... I'm afraid I've never heard that sound before in my life..."

Blue swallowed the lump in his throat, realizing what this howl meant. "So... it's not a wolf...?"

"No..."

Another heart-stopping howl.

"Than what is it?"

Fluttershy couldn't answer. Before she even opened her mouth, the trees at the edge of the woods began to tremble as a massive, hairy beast emerged quickly on all fours. Its body was heavily muscled, with long, dark grey hair. It had a shape oddly reminiscent of a wolf, but much more terrifying - it was built to murder. Its piercing yellow eyes stared at the two ponies as it rushed towards them in a bounding, loping run, its enormous yellowish teeth bared as it snarled viciously.

Just about immobilized by the horrifying sight, neither pony could move. It was as though the gaze of this creature held them in a trance. But Blue quickly came to his senses. "Fluttershy, run!" he screamed, tugging her hard, nearly off balance.

Fluttershy tore her eyes from the sight and stumbled. "Oh, Dear Celestia, what is that?!" she hollered, sprinting with Blue away from the monster that now chased them.

Blue gasped and heaved with each breath as he quickly grew tired. The pain from his leg combined with malnutrition meant this game of tag wouldn't last long.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling it doesn't mean to cuddle. We need to get away from it and now!"

They raced along the riverbank with the strange beast hot on their tail and gaining fast. It would catch them soon.

They stumbled to a stop and gasped in horror, realizing they'd gone the wrong way in the midst of their fright. They stood at the edge of the waterfall, staring down into the abyss, the bottom seemingly miles away.

"Blue! What do we do?" Fluttershy cried, spinning back to the creature as it lumbered towards them, audibly gnashing its teeth.

Blue watched it get closer. He peered down over the cliff and waterfall at the bottom. There was a decent-sized pond at the foot of the waterfall. If they landed there, they might make it...

It was their only chance.

"We have to jump, Fluttershy," he said calmly, betraying his feelings. Inside, his heart raced. A million thoughts bounced around in his head, including what their demise might be if they decided to stay and face this beast.

"Blue, are you insane?! We'll die!"

"We have to jump!" Blue shouted angrily, his fear growing as the creature began to slow, closing in. It knew it had them cornered. There was nowhere to go, it thought.

Fluttershy edged towards the waterfall and glanced down the precipice to the pool below. "Into that?" she asked, pointing hesitantly.

Blue didn't answer. Instead, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and shoved Fluttershy over, jumping after her.

They both screamed in terror as they plummeted towards the water below, just out of reach of the jagged rocks that jutted above the waterline. With the wind whipping past them, the freezing air bringing tears to their eyes, they closed in on the bottom of the falls rapidly.

It was then Blue realized his terrible mistake.

He loved water. The ocean was his greatest interest. His hobby. But Blue had a flaw; something he never told anypony out of embarrassment. There was too much irony involved for him to admit.

Blue never learned to swim.

The beast approached the waterfall with caution and stood where its prey just was. It glanced with little interest at their receding bodies falling away towards the bottom.

It knew nothing could survive such a fall. Especially not with how cold it was. If the fall didn't kill them, hypothermia would.

The creature snarled and spun away, lumbering off into the woods.

It would come back for their bodies later.

It was too late now. Both of them had a broken wing. They were falling and nothing would stop that - except hitting something.

They plunged into the water, still screaming bloody murder. The bitterly cold water swirled around them, tossing them around from the eddies formed by the falls.

The freezing water stole their breaths, but only one of them struggled to the surface. The other bucked and squirmed, trying his hardest to stop sinking. But it was futile.

Already out of breath from running, Blue gave in to his urge to suck in the icy water to feed his burning lungs.

The water made it worse. What ponies failed to mention about drowning is that it wasn't quick or painless. For a few terrifying seconds, Blue breathed in the cold water, the searing pain in his lungs increasing to the point he tried to scream.

Suddenly, everything faded into a starry, swirling mass of black.

Fluttershy surfaced, gasping and sputtering for breath. The cold water weakened her; it stole her breath and strength, and she knew that if she didn't get out now, she would die from hypothermia or shock very quickly.

"B-Blue...!" she yelled weakly, searching the water around her for him. He hadn't come up yet, which worried her. Had he struck a rock when he hit? "Blue!" she tried again, her heart racing as she realized he'd been under far too long. Something was wrong.

Taking as deep a breath as she could, she dove under the surface and peered through the darkness, barely able to see. However, with the sky clear, the aurora's, and the moon, she could see just enough to send a stab of fear into her heart.

At the bottom of the shallow pool was the silhouette of a pony, lying motionless.

Springing into action, Fluttershy rushed down to him, grabbing ahold of a foreleg and yanked him up as she swam to the surface. She needed to get them both out of the water.

She breached the surface, tugging Blue's limp body along. She began to cry in frustration and fear. There was a chance Blue was gone. But she had to try and save him. She needed him. She wanted him.

Once she paddled to the shore littered with thousands of erosion-polished stones, she dragged Blue up and out of the water. The cold was making her sluggish, and she knew hypothermia was already trying to grasp at her. She needed to start a fire and get them both warm and fast. But first, she had to save Blue.

Laying Blue out on the rocks, she checked for injuries. There were no new ones, so the only other explanation was that he drowned. But how could he? All adult ponies she knew learned to swim as foals. Perhaps his injury made swimming too hard. In any case, she had to resuscitate him now or he had no chance of making it.

She took a deep, shaky breath. She'd never actually performed this manuever, so she hoped she could do it right. Blue's life was in her hooves.

Beginning to feel numb, she knelt beside Blue and parted his mouth. She took as deep a breath as she could and pressed her lips to his, which somehow seemed far colder than hers - as cold as death. She covered his nostrils with a hoof and breathed as much air into his lungs as she could, pulled away, and pressed her hooves to his chest, just below his sternum. She thrust downward over and over, keeping her elbows straight and feeling a warm tear trickle down over her cheek.

Blue didn't come to.

"Come on! Please!" Fluttershy cried, blowing air into his lungs again, then performing more chest compressions. Still nothing.

Growing desperate and feeling her gut-wrenching fear taking over, she tried one last time. Midway through blowing air into his lungs, Blue suddenly began coughing and sputtering out water, his body writhing.

"Blue!" Fluttershy exclaimed, not believing she'd just done this. She saved Blue. No - she revived him.

Blue turned on his side and vomited, spitting and gasping for air.

Fluttershy picked his head and shoulders up, resting his upper body in her lap and craddling him. "It's okay. It's okay now. I thought you were dead. I thought you were gone, Blue..."

Blue lay there gasping for breath and staring up at her. He felt scared, cold, and very tired. "Y-yeah. Th-anks Shy..." He gave her a weak smile.

Fluttershy began crying with relief, holding him close. "How could you be so stupid? You nearly killed us! But you got us away from that... thing. I guess this was the only way... But you got hurt! Don't ever scare me like that again. Never again!"

"Fl-Fluttershy... Warmth. I n-need warmth..."

Fluttershy gasped. "I forgot about hypothermia! I'm sorry, Blue! I'll go get some wood." She paused. "But how will I light it? I don't have anything to start a fire with..."

Blue pointed a shaky foreleg at the cliff nearby. "Get s-some rocks..."

"That's right! The ones you used at the cave!" Fluttershy said with realization. She set Blue down gently. "I'll be right back, Blue. Don't go anywhere."

"D-didn't plan on it..."

Fluttershy hesitated, staring down at him. She'd been surviving this nightmare for days with this stallion, and he'd almost died. She couldn't think of what it would be like to actually lose him and have to face this mess on her own. She hugged him tightly, briefly, then set him down, rushing off to go find wood and rocks for a fire.

162 hours

Hypothermia was dangerous and uncomfortable to suffer from. The stages it took to complete the process on its victims was terrifying and unforgiving.

It would start with a vague numbness in the limbs as the blood retreated to the body's core to protect the critical organs. Delirious hallucinations would come next, as the pulse and respiration slowed, cheating the brain of oxygen. Then, the body would make a final effort to conserve its remaining heat by shutting down all operations except the heart and respiratory system. At that point, unconsciousness was inevitable. In the end, heart and respiratory systems would fail, and the victim would die.

Blue was in the hallucinogenic stages when Fluttershy finally returned with enough wood to start a fire.

"Blue?" she asked, her jaw dropping.

At the foot of the water, Blue had gathered dozens and dozens of rocks from around the pool in a small pile and was tossing them madly at the water, screaming at it with rage.

"Blue... what are you doing? You need to lay down and rest while I get a fire going." Fluttershy approached him from behind, which startled him.

He spun and glared at her. "It's in the pond. I need to kill it. Help me!" He pointed at the water. There was nothing there.

Fluttershy knitted her eyebrows in concern. "I think you need to go lay down. Please, Blue."

"No!" he hollered vehemently. "I need to kill it or it'll kill me!" He stooped and picked up another stone, hurling it at the water, where it skipped twice and disappeared under the surface.

Fluttershy sighed and took Blue's foreleg. "Come here. You need to sit."

Blue hardly resisted, mainly due to being too weak. "Fine. But don't get mad at me if it comes out and eats us like a two course meal."

"Sit and don't move until I get back with some rocks, okay?" Fluttershy said, gently tugging his foreleg down to bring him on his haunches.

Blue grunted inaudibly but complied.

"Good boy. I'll be right back."

It didn't take her ten minutes, luckily. She found the same type of rocks Blue had used before and rushed back to the falls.

Blue wasn't there.

"Blue!"

Fluttershy ran over to the stack of wood and dropped the rocks, frantically scanning the area for him. Over near the falls, she spotted him just as he stumbled behind them against the cliff face.

"I told you to stay put!" she muttered under her breath and hurried over to the cliff. A narrow rocky ledge led directly behind the falls, where Blue had disappeared.

She had to get a fire started soon, as she herself was beginning to feel weak and extremely tired. The latter in part because it was late, but also from hypothermia taking hold. Her teeth had stopped chattering, which was a bad sign.

"Blue! Where did you go?" she called out to him in a hushed voice. She wasn't entirely sure he was wrong that the monster from earlier wasn't nearby. Just in case, she kept her voice down.

She crawled carefully along the ledge, making her way behind the falls. She was amazed to find a decent-sized cavern with stalagmites and stalactites jutting from the floor and ceiling. Just inside the mouth was Blue.

"Blue?" Fluttershy whispered, padding up beside him.

Blue was staring deep into the darkness. He seemed focused, even though there wasn't anything to see.

"Blue?" Fluttershy tried again, placing a hoof on his shoulder.

He turned to her, looking confused. "Fluttershy? How'd you get in here? This is a mining installation. You're not permitted in here."

Fluttershy opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out. She didn't even know what she was going to say to that.

"I can escort you out, if you'd like."

Fluttershy shook her head. "Blue, you're not feeling right. I need to get you warm, and now. Come on." She snatched up his left foreleg and began leading him out of the cave.

"Heh. You're an escort. Heh heh."

Fluttershy blushed. "No I'm not. Not that kind." She would've been upset by such a comment at any other time, but she knew the hypothermia was affecting his mind. He was hallucinating and delirious.

They left the cave and trailed along the ledge back out to the beach alongside the pool. Fluttershy brought Blue over to the stack of wood and sat him down.

"Pretty useless fire," Blue commented, looking down at the pile.

Fluttershy sighed. "I haven't started it yet."

"Oh."

It was clear Blue needed warmth. She was doing better due to running around. She'd already started warming back up a little. However, the fire was still necessary for both of them.

Remembering how Blue had done it, Fluttershy struck the rocks together with a glancing blow, sending a shower of sparks down on the dried grasses she collected. It did nothing, so she tried again.

No fire.

"Come on..." She struck the rocks together over and over, but the grass never even smoked.

"Thinner tinder. More fibrous material." Blue smacked the grass off the wood. "Grass will never do."

Fluttershy nodded. "Right. I'll be back."

She left and returned with a long, broken stick. The end was frayed with dozens of fibers of wood.

"That'll do," Blue said.

"You... um... suddenly seem so..." Fluttershy paused, searching for the right word as to not insult him, "okay?"

"I was always fine. A little numb, but I'm fine."

"I can assure you you're not fine," Fluttershy said, placing the frayed end of the stick down with the grass around it. She began striking the rocks together again. After a few good blows, the end of the stick began to smoke.

"Yes!" Fluttershy exclaimed, kneeling and gently blowing on the end of the stick to get the fire going.

In a few seconds, the grass caught. Eventually, the fire roared and crackled as it devoured the wood she fed it.

"Good job, Fluttershy. I'm proud of you." Blue curled up beside the fire, beginning to shiver. The process of hypothermia was undoing itself.

She didn't know why, but his words made her feel good about herself. She had managed to both save him, and start an emergency fire all by herself. It was a feat she didn't know she could ever accomplish, let alone under all the stress she was while being injured and suffering from the beginning stages of hypothermia. She really was a stronger-willed pony than she gave herself credit for.

"Thanks, Blue. You scared me, though..." she admitted, sitting on her haunches beside him. She stared down at the fire and enjoyed the warmth it provided.

"I did? What did I do?"

"You... you drowned, Blue. Don't you remember?"

Blue sat up and rubbed his head, wincing. "No... Everything's cloudy. I remember falling and everything previous. I don't remember anything up until about... I don't know, an hour ago?"

Fluttershy sighed. "I guess it's better that way."

"What do you mean?" Blue asked curiously. "Is there something I should know? What else happened?"

"Nothing," Fluttershy said, poking at the fire with a stick. She promptly tossed it in. "I'm just thankful you're still alive. I'm thankful we're both still alive."

"Yeah..."

Silence.

"I'm really tired," Fluttershy said quietly.

"Me too."

More silence, save for the fire and the rushing falls.

"Where are we going to sleep?" Fluttershy asked the question that had been on her mind since she pulled him from the pool.

Blue laid back beside the fire. "Right here," he said simply.

"Out in the open?"

Blue nodded his head towards the fire. "That'll keep predators away. We'll need to keep it going all night though."

Fluttershy frowned. "But... that means one of us needs to stay up..."

Blue shook his head, clearing the rocks out from under him with a sweeping hoof. "Not necessarily. Put a whole bunch of wood in there. It won't be long before dawn. It'll stay going until then."

Fluttershy took in a deep breath and let it go. "Okay..." She trusted him. He hadn't done her or them wrong so far. So she stacked up a few large sticks and tossed them in, the fire flaring up in response.

Blue settled down on his side, facing the fire. He sighed heavily. "It's been a long night..."

Fluttershy wasn't sure where to lay. Should she lay on the other side? It would be awkward to lay beside him. "Yeah," she replied, scratching the back of her head nervously. "And now I can't figure out where to sleep..."

Blue scooted away from the fire a bit and patted the ground between him and the fire. "I'll let you be closer."

Fluttershy glanced away shyly, rubbing the back of her foreleg. "You want to sleep with me in front of you like that? Isn't that a little... awkward?"

Blue shrugged. "I'm just trying to be nice. And protective."

"Okay..." She sighed. "I'll lay with you I guess..."

She stood and flipped on her side in front of him. At first, she wasn't sure she was comfortable with it, but as she scooted back against him and felt him slide a foreleg around her, as if to guard her from danger, she realized she was okay with it. She was okay with him.

"Is this okay?" Blue asked, moving the protective foreleg around a little.

Fluttershy nodded and smiled, despite knowing he couldn't see her face. She was kind of glad for that. She couldn't possibly tell him she actually enjoyed being held close as she fell asleep. Feeling protected was the best feeling in the world to her. "It's fine..."

They lay there in silence for awhile, but neither had fallen asleep. There was too much on both their minds. One thing that kept floating around in Blue's mind just had to come out though. It didn't take him long to gather the courage to ask.

"Fluttershy...?"

"Yes?"

"How did you resuscitate me?"

She hesitated. "I um... used CPR."

"The whole process..."

"Yes..."

Blue felt his face grow hot. "Oh. Okay." He never thought the first time his lips would make contact with a mare's was while he was dead. Such is life.

"Why do you ask?" Fluttershy inquired after a few seconds.

Blue searched for an answer. "I uh... was just wondering."

"Why?"

"Persistence. I love it," he said humorously with the hint of sarcasm. "Because I think you're amazing for doing it."

Fluttershy blushed. "I'm not..." She shifted a little.

"You most certainly are," Blue said flatly. "You saved my life again. Now I definitely owe you. I'm in your debt girl." He gave her a friendly squeeze.

"I don't want you in my debt..."

"Then tell me how I can repay you. I'm sure there's some way."

She snuggled up against him for warmth and a couple other reasons. "There probably is..." she said under her breath, flushing. She was glad he couldn't see.

Blue wondered what she meant, but reveled at her snuggling up to him. He wanted so badly to tell her how much he loved it. "Mind telling me...?"

Fluttershy placed a hoof on the back of his, the one at the end of the foreleg around her midsection. "Sleep, Blue. Goodnight..."

Blue wanted to protest. It was better not to, though. He was tired anyways. "Alright. Goodnight, Fluttershy. Thanks for saving my life. I'll repay you any way I can." He closed his eyes. "Any way you want..."

They lay there for awhile longer before both dozing off.

Author's Note

The creature that attacked our characters was an Amarok. It is a beast of Inuit folklore that hunts those who roam at night.