Two Wings

Crystal POV

“ZITRUS!”, Blueberry screamed.

I was not able to do anything. I was in such a shock.

Nothing of this old zebra facility stood anymore. Nothing! Everything is now rubble and ashes. Just one pile of stones. How could anypony survive such?

Blueberry and Horizon jumped right into action. They started to lift stones from the pile that once used to be a building.

“Zitrus, where are you? Can you hear me? Answer please!”, Horizon yelled.

But nothing came back. I stood frozen there while my sisters continued to search for Zitrus. I was not able to move or to think straight. I was only able to just stand there and watch. I didn’t even feel how some tears were running down my cheeks.

“Crystal, don’t just stand there! Help us!”

The commanding voice from Blueberry was finally able to get me out of my trance. She sounded full of despair, sadness… horrified. Something that she never had before. And then, she sounded the way I felt.

I jumped on the huge pile and started to remove parts of the rubble. With my magic I lifted away smaller rocks, which still were the size of a ponies' head.

My eyes fell on Horizon who mostly concentrated herself on the very big rocks. Her current target was a piece, that seemed to have been part of the wall at one point. It was taller than an alicorn. Horizon needed magic AND she had to put her full physical strength behind it, to get it loose. If Zitrus got smashed by a piece like that, he would not only be dead, but his whole body would be nothing more than a squished pool of blood. I was very worried, and I begged that Zitrus was alright. Or at least alive…

I, Horizon and Blueberry worked tirelessly. The fear didn’t allow us to take a break. Stone after stone we lifted away. Sometimes there was something else we dog out like a pieces of furniture or part of a shelf. I once even got my hooves on one of the energy turrets. It hadn’t survived the collapse and was completely destroyed now.

I don't know how long we worked. Shorter than it felt. Longer than we would like to. Because we knew, every second counts. With each passing moment, the change of finding Zitrus alive shrunk. Something I didn’t want to think about.

I lifted another heavy stone and found a cavity. A hollow space in the form of a staircase.

The basement! Zitrus has said this building has a basement! Shot through my mind.

“Blueberry! Horizon! Come help me here!”, I yelled to my sisters.

The two lifted their head from their work and were quickly by my side. Together we three quickly cleared more rubble from the area. Carefully, so that the rubble wouldn't collapse and bury it again. When the opening was tall enough, I slipped through. My shield ready around me, just in case there were still some energy turrets active, or this cavity collapsed. Not that this shield would help much against it, but it was better than nothing.

Of course, it was dark, but I was still able to see that I indeed was in the basement now. Or at least, what was left. A huge part was also buried as the ceiling gave in. The rest looked like what you would expect a zebra research lab to. Wooden furniture, clay vessels, zebraic totems and potions. Just all of it was now broken and laying around. The floor was covered in a thin layer of green liquid. The same liquid that was in the amphoras. Poison…

And Zitrus was laying in it… He didn’t move…

“Zitrus!”, I screamed.

I didn’t dare to step into this liquid and instead quickly floated his limp body to me.

His body had bruises all over and there was a big open wound on his hind leg. It was not bleeding much. Or at least, not anymore. Still, the wound was very large and nasty looking. On top of that, Zitrus' body was covered in the dark poison…

“Zitrus! Please talk to me!”, I ordered him, but he remained silent.

I have to get him out of here. This was not the place to treat him, nor did I had much medical knowledge. I floated him to the opening where I came from and together with Horizon’s teleportation spell, I got him and myself out.

“He is breathing. He is alive!”, Blueberry announced a bit relieved.

In the meantime I took the water bag out of Zitrus saddle bag and poured the clean water all over his body, to clean off the poison that was still on him. I just hoped it was not too late for that. some of the poison had landed right on his injury, with perfect access to his insides and blood veins…

Blueberry bandaged his hurt leg while I cleaned Zitrus’ face with the water. As the first water drops fell on his eyes, he slowly opened them. Horizon, I, and Blueberry stood in a circle and looked at him. He in return looked at all of us but nopony in particular.

“Am I dead?”, he asked.

“No, no you’re not”, Blueberry said and nuzzled his cheek.

She had tears in her eyes. Of worry or relief now, I couldn't tell.

“How do you feel?”, I asked him.

Zitrus rubbed his head with a hoof and took a moment before answering. He definitely didn't look like he was in a good condition. But I guess that was understandable from the given scenario.

“I feel like shit. Like I got punched everywhere. My head hurts from the ceiling falling on my head. But I guess it's nothing major except for the wound on my leg”, Zitrus answered.
I gave a sigh of relieve.

“How dare you put yourself at such risk? We were so worried! You were still in the building when it exploded. We thought you died! You are lucky to still count yourself among the living”, Horizon told him sternly.

Zitrus didn’t answer straight away. He still looked like… like a building dropped on him. His mind took a moment to process everything.

“I am sorry. I barely know what happened”, he said dizzy. “I remember taking the last amphora down from a shelf. I thought that the wall, that was connected to the shelf, looked a bit unstable, but I couldn't guess that the whole thing would break in.”

He took a short break to gather his mind again.

“I was able to safe myself in the basement. But I guess the fall of this wall had caused something. Maybe an explosive potion fell from a table down there, or an installed self-destruction mode against invaders triggered or the energy turrets overcharged. What the buck to I know. I just remember the explosion and then everything went black…”

Zitrus wanted to stand up but was not able to. His legs were not able to carry him.

I was still worried, and I was able to sense the same from my two sisters.

“You were laying in this poison and your whole body was speckled by it. Including the open wound on your leg”, I explained to him.

Zitrus looked at himself with a bit of worry.

“Well, I cannot say if I feel anything… I do not feel good but that can also be from the explosion I have experienced. But I better take a healing potion. They are able to help a bit against poisoning and will heal my leg a bit.”

Blueberry floated a healing potion out of Zitrus’ saddlebag and into his hooves. He thankfully uncorked it and started drinking. But as soon as he took the first gulp, his eyes went wide. He spit out the rest of the potion he had in his mouth and then vomited. Whatever of the healing liquid was able to reach his stomach came out again, along with some its contents. This was not a good sign…

“We need a medic!”, Horizon said.

The rest of us could only agree but…

“We are out here in the middle of nowhere. Where should we find a medic?”, I asked.

Horizon floated Zitrus’ map out of his saddlebag and studied it. Her face alone already told me bad news.

“There is this point you have marked, Zitrus. You wrote “Outcast Village” next to it. What is it?”

“It's a camp for creatures looking for a place in the equestrian wasteland”, Zitrus explained with a dry voice. “It mostly has zebras as inhabitants. But it also has pegasi, griffons, and other creatures that have been abandoned, rejected, or are other wise having trouble finding a place to call home.”

“Do they have a medic?”, Blueberry asked.

“Last time I was there they had.”

I looked at Horizon. She checked the map one more time.

“It is the closest thing we have but still far away. We have to carry Zitrus and probably fly through the night. A better option we do not have.”

Blueberry didn’t wait and went to float Zitrus on her back, but Horizon stopped her.

“Let me carry him first. I am way more trained in flying than you. I will have more stamina.”

Blueberry firstly looked like she wanted to argue but then gave a nod and then helped to get Zitrus in a safe and comfortable position on Horizon’s back.

I unfolded my wings too, ready to take off. I knew how real this danger for Zitrus was. That poison might have some serious effects and maybe even kill him. I didn’t want to think if it.

He cannot die. Not yet. Without him we are no longer two wings…