Striving for Adaptation

Alright, now that I've gotten into it, it seems like a stupid idea.

"Yeah, sure," I muttered, gazing into the distance at the float bobbing on the water. My back was resting against the metal hatch of the BMP as if it were a chair. Since this machine moves through the water quite independently, I thought I could spare some free time to get some meat. Fruits are great, but I prefer meat. Even if it's fish.

"Your move!" Cozy suddenly exclaimed, still sitting inside the IFV. Ha, I forgot I agreed to play chess with her. But since there's no bite anyway, I can give it a bit more attention.

Carefully setting the fishing rod aside, I leaned over the hatch and looked down at the chessboard. Adjusting my glasses, I glanced at the position. Honestly, I forgot what it looked like before Cozy's move, but now it looked like this:

Move the queen to b7.

Why? Ah, yes, I see. In the next two moves, I can take both of her pieces, and further resistance will be pointless.

My hand slowly reached for the queen to make the decisive move. But at the last moment, I stopped. Why do I even need this victory? And why does Cozy need this victory? Objectively speaking, I don't need it. But an orphan needs some happiness in life.

But simply giving up would be wrong. To grow, you need a challenge. Let my time with her be as harmless as possible. Sighing, I finally said, "Cozy, maybe you should make a different move?"

"Huh?" she asked, looking up at me in confusion. Her scarlet eyes sparkled in the sunlight streaming through the hatch.

"Ahem, maybe think about your move for at least two more minutes? Maybe there's a better option here."

"But you can't take back a move," she replied uncertainly.

"We're not in a tournament. I allow it."

After my words, Cozy slowly and quietly mumbled before turning her gaze back to the chessboard. Sighing, I turned away and looked into the distance at the fishing float. Nothing had changed; no fish. Perhaps the sound of the IFV is scaring them away. Looks like no meat for me today.

Disappointed, I sighed and looked up at the cold winter sun. For a while, my mind was completely blank as I gazed at it. Maybe it's just something associated with Celestia that calms me so much.

Am I doing everything right? Are you proud of me?

Of course, the celestial body didn't answer my thought. Sighing, I glanced back at the distant float. The only thing making it move was the small waves from the IFV sailing through the sea. It's good that Cozy broke the monotony with her slightly offended voice: "You saw that I made a bad move."

"Yes," I replied briefly, looking down through the open hatch again. Cozy was frowning at me, clearly displeased.

"Do you think I couldn't win without a numerical advantage?"

What a smart kid.

"Sorry if I offended your intelligence. But I thought winning was more important for you," I said, raising both hands in a calming gesture. I'm not sure if it actually has that effect.

"But if everyone lets me win, I'll never learn to play really well!" she exclaimed, stomping her hoof on the chessboard so hard that all the remaining pieces fell over. Except for the black king.

Right. She mentioned once that her talent is chess, but she hasn't won any competitions.

For a while, I just silently watched the upset filly, trying to come up with or at least feel what needed to be said. Finally, the words slipped out: "Listen, why did you even decide that your talent is chess?"

"Huh?"

"Well, ponies determine their special talent through cutie marks, right? Like the mark on their flank. Why did you interpret your mark as chess?"

In response, she silently shifted slightly. Anticipating what she was about to do, I quickly looked away at the sea and said, "Can you just describe it? I don't really want to look at that part of your body."

Cozy let out an embarrassed mumble before saying uncertainly, "My cutie mark is a red rook. Now can you explain your strange thought?"

For a while, I focused on imagining that image in my head and analyzing it. And like a waterfall, thoughts began to flow: "The color red means different things in different cultures. In Chinese culture, for example, it symbolizes success and prosperity. The rook, which is essentially a castle, can be interpreted as stability and protection."

I tried to snap my prosthetic fingers. Unsuccessfully. Damn, the moment's ruined. Sighing, I snapped the fingers of my left hand and said, "So your cutie mark could mean stable success, meaning your talent is achieving things at a calm, steady pace without suffering serious setbacks. It took me less than a minute to come up with that."

"That's . . . wow. I never thought of it that way."

All problems come from not thinking about something the right way.

"Can you come up with a few more interpretations? Pleeease," Cozy said, her voice suddenly taking on a pleading tone. And her eyes were big and very strange. I've seen that look in other ponies but still haven't figured out what it's supposed to mean.

Before answering Cozy's question, I glanced around at the sea. Not seeing any land nearby, I sighed and said, looking at the filly, "Well, if you really want, I can come up with a few more. Just, don't show me your flank again, okay?"

"Okay!" she exclaimed happily.

I wonder if all kids react like this when you actively engage with them? At her age, I probably would have tried to run away to my room from a conversation like this.

You didn't ask her age, you idiot.

Frowning, I raised my hand in a stop gesture and said, "Wait, Cozy. Before we start, I want to ask, how old are you?"

She seemed slightly disappointed but still answered, "I'm eleven."

Hmm, yeah, at her age, I would have run away from the conversation and hidden in my room. After mentally shaking my head, my train of thought continued, and a new improvisation quickly formed: "If I remember correctly, red was considered the color of life itself by ancient humans. And the rook, as a chess piece, could mean the ability to control life."

Or the ability to manipulate others.

Mentally, I flinched slightly, and the next moment Cozy happily clapped her hooves: "Oh, I like that one!"

"But can you come up with a couple more options?" she asked, her voice suddenly soft and innocent.

"Alright, let me think for a bit. If it's not too much trouble, can you pass me a banana?" I replied, unable to suppress a smile.

At least I'll have something to do while we're sailing.

Slowly, the wind picked up, creating waves that could hinder the movement of small ships. However, there was an object that, like a majestic rock, didn't react to the pitiful waves at all.

Just a mile north of the unknown metal object, the ship Solaris was sailing. This is one of the most, if not the most, majestic ships of Equestria. Being one of the few steamships, it is about 500 feet long, 70 feet wide, and 50 feet tall. The Solaris is a ship specifically designed for transporting goods to New Mareland, a semi-autonomous colony of Equestria in Griffonia.

Under the black metal hull of the Solaris were numerous compartments. Some of them were packed to the brim with all sorts of goods for sale. However, the largest steamship in Equestria could also afford to carry many passengers.

Although, in one unexpected place, a pair of stowaways was found.

POV: Arthur Davis
Location: Ship Solaris, between the lower and main deck.
Time: An hour later

"I think I'm going to develop claustrophobia."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, look."

"It's dark here, in case you haven't noticed. Where am I supposed to look?"

It's a figure of speech.

With a snort, I raised my fist slightly and brought it just an inch above my head, causing it to hit the metal ceiling of the deck with a soft thud. After squirming on my stomach, I finally explained, "We crawled between the decks into absolute darkness, and moreover, we can only move here by crawling."

"But we don't have to worry about any ponies noticing us and starting to scream," Ember replied calmly. Though I have no proof, I'm sure she shook her head.

Rubbing my face in mild irritation, I sighed, "How did we even get here?"

"I burned a hole in the ship's metal armor," she answered instantly. That question didn't require your answer.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and asked, "How are we even going to know when the ship stops and it's time to sneak out?"

.

.

.

"Wait, are we really not sure!?"

"I've never been on a ship!" Ember retorted angrily. Damn it.

I think it's obvious what we'll have to do. We need to get out of here.

Sighing the little air available in this crevice, I said, slowly crawling forward, "Alright, never mind, we need to get somewhere higher. Ideally, find a window and a place where there's at least enough room to sit."

To my own surprise, I didn't bump into Ember as soon as I started moving. Apparently, no clichés today. Quietly sighing, I continued crawling forward without stopping. And judging by the sounds behind me, the vengeful dragoness agreed to follow me.

"I never thought I'd be a leader," I muttered under my breath, though I couldn't suppress a small smile. I like this feeling. Control. Authority.

Confidence.

Suddenly, I saw a tiny bit of light coming from somewhere to the left. After a few moments of crawling in that direction, my eyes widened. It turned out we had been lying between the ceiling and a large crate with some cargo. Taking a quick glance at the lamp illuminating the strange room between the decks, I asked: "Ember, how did we get here, please remind me."

She awkwardly raised an eyebrow but answered slowly, "We snuck through an open window onto one of the decks. Then we found a huge, well-lit storage room. I burned a hole in the hull, and when we went through it, I closed it with a crate. And here we are."

"Don't you think it's strange that a ship you can buy a passenger ticket for has two cargo holds?"

"How should I know? I don't know much about ships. Especially metal ones."

"I'm no expert, but I think ships like this should have a fifty-fifty split. Basically, to carry enough cargo to be profitable and still sail fast enough so the route isn't too long. A second deck for storage is just excessive."

"What are you getting at?" Ember asked, confused, as I put a finger to my upper lip. Maybe the time in the dark made me accumulate a lot of energy, which I'm now spending on thoughts. Maybe I'm overthinking.

But I can't shake this feeling!

"I think these crates shouldn't be here. That explains the lack of lighting and the fact that we haven't seen a single pony passing by this whole time," I said, and without waiting for Ember's answer, I started sliding off the crate we had been lying on.

Stretching my arms forward, I began to slowly slide down until they finally hit the floor. However, the next moment, I lost my balance and fell on my back. Yeah, even with enhanced physical abilities, I'm clearly no acrobat.

"Ha. Well, the first half looked pretty graceful," Ember smirked as she slowed her fall with a couple of light wing flaps and landed calmly on both feet. Honestly, I feel a bit stupid for not thinking to do the same.

I still sometimes forget about my wings.

Sighing, I slowly got to my feet and looked around. In the center of the room was a small lamp illuminating numerous crates around it. The distance between them created makeshift corridors in four directions. However, their ends were hidden in absolute darkness. Not at all like the storage room we saw on the deck above.

My train of thought was interrupted when Ember asked, "So, assuming these crates really shouldn't be here. What does that mean?"

"We can open them and find something good? And it won't exactly be stealing," I replied, trying not to show uncertainty in my plan. It seemed to work, as she nodded.

Turning around, I came face to face with the crate I had just been lying on. After a deep breath, my right hand rose and clenched into a fist. I hope I'm not overestimating my own strength.

CRACK!

My fist punched through the wooden surface of the crate, causing splinters to fly in all directions. Exhaling, I grabbed the edge of the hole with my palm and pulled hard. With a second crack, the crate was damaged enough to see its contents in the dim light and take something if desired.

"Wow. There's a whole arsenal here," Ember said, whistling slightly.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Huh?" I asked, momentarily distracted from my hand.

"Your paw doesn't look too good," she noted, pointing at me.

Taking a quick breath, I returned to my right hand. My palm was stuck with numerous small splinters, and my wrist was slightly bleeding. My heart started beating faster, my chest rising and falling a bit quicker. For a moment, it seemed like my vision even darkened.

Quickly, I grabbed the sleeve of my jacket and pulled it down as far as possible to completely cover my hand. Taking a deep breath, I wiped my forehead with my left hand and said, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

This is one of the reasons I wouldn't want to fight Daniel. At the first sight of blood, I just freeze.

Ember watched me for a while before saying awkwardly, "Uh, well, you're stronger than you look, I'll give you that."

"Thanks," I said before taking another long breath and finally looking inside the crate. There were numerous spears, swords, axes, and other medieval weapons. However, one object stood out. It consisted of an empty tank and something vaguely resembling a tank barrel, only very short. Both elements were connected by a hose.

"I remember Daniel telling me something about flamethrower tanks, which he initiated the creation of. And though I'm no engineer, this thing really looks like a flamethrower. If video game experience is anything to go by," I muttered under my breath, not taking my eyes off the flamethrower in the crate.

But what is this thing doing here?

"So, what weapon are you going to choose for the fight?" Ember asked, placing her clawed paw on my shoulder.

"Heyyy," she said, shaking me slightly. However, I didn't let that stop my, frankly, unproductive thoughts. I have too little data to connect this to Daniel in any way.

Quickly shaking my head, I turned to the dragoness and said, "I don't think I'll use any weapons."

"Oh, you want to take this guy, Daniel, down with your bare hands? Respect," she replied, lightly tapping her chest with her fist. Well, how do I put this.

I awkwardly rubbed my neck before saying, "Uh, Ember, I think we need to discuss how we're going to act when we catch up with Daniel."

"What's there to discuss? We show up, we see, we win."

"And of course, when it's all over, you can try to move to the dragon lands," she smirked, slightly rolling her eyes.

Alright, this particular aspect isn't worth discussing. I see enough advantages in it: no taxes, few canonical characters, and all that.

Sighing, I slowly leaned on the nearest intact crate and began cautiously, "Well, I'd like to talk to Daniel. It would be better if, when we catch him, I could exchange a few words."

"Why?" Ember asked coldly, making me flinch slightly. How do I answer her in a way that she doesn't realize our goals are just a tiny bit different?

"Uh, to lower his guard, of course! We'll start talking, and you'll quietly sneak up behind him. And when I say a certain phrase, you'll attack him!"

Unfortunately, the effect of my words was the opposite of what I expected. She narrowed her eyes and said, "Too much honor for this slug. I'll stomp him in close combat, one on one. No tricks."

Damn!

Taking a quick breath, I decided to change tactics: "Alright, alright. Listen, we both don't like Daniel. But I really, really need to ask him a few questions. Please, when we meet him, give me at least two minutes to talk. Then you can do whatever you want."

In response to my, let's say, pleas, Ember frowned, clearly unconvinced. But when I folded my hands in an almost prayer-like gesture, she reluctantly replied, "Fine. Have it your way. You can chat with this slug for a couple of minutes if you need it so much."

"Thank you," I said, exhaling with relief.

After that, Ember briefly snorted and headed to the opened container. A few moments later, she came out with a two-handed axe. Feeling that the situation had been resolved, I slightly smirked and said, "I thought you were going to fight Daniel with your bare hands."

In response, she merely nodded firmly before saying, "That's right. The axe will be needed when the fight is over."

I don't think I'll survive watching someone die right in front of me without trying to intervene. Even if that someone is Daniel.

Sighing, I looked around and said, "I think we should get out of here before the owner of all this shows up."

"Oh, you're out of luck," came a voice from above that I absolutely didn't expect to hear right now.

Looking up, I saw the person we've been chasing for the past few days. Daniel. He was sitting on one of the crates with his legs dangling, looking at both of us with a strange, almost playful smile. Because of the darkness, it wasn't clear if he had a prosthetic arm or not.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" I asked, shocked, taking a step back. Ember, on the other hand, tossed the axe aside before opening her mouth wide. The next moment, a massive pillar of fire erupted from her mouth and shot straight at Daniel, who jumped to the side.

Wait. He can teleport. Why didn't he do that?

"Yo, Art-something," Daniel suddenly said as I felt his cold hand on my right shoulder. Almost reflexively, I pushed him away with surprising ease, hitting him in the face, and turned around, ready for further combat. But instead, I froze. He had two whole, normal arms. Moreover, a short stream of green liquid was coming from his nose.

For a few moments, memories flashed through my mind before I confidently answered, "You're a changeling. Uh, Abdomen or Flying, if I remember correctly?"

"The first option is correct," an irritated voice came from behind. Turning around, I saw a changeling, the same one who had given me a passport long ago. The only difference from our last meeting was the steam coming from his left ear. Obviously, he didn't dodge completely.

"What's going on here?" Ember asked suspiciously, her wings spread wide behind her for added intimidation.

Abdomen rolled his eyes, and as another changeling stood next to him, he said, "What's going on here? Well, first, me and the guys wanted to move away from the imprisoned queen-slut. But someone almost burned me and woke everyone up!"

"Everyone?" I managed to ask just before the air was filled with a buzzing sound eerily similar to bees. Then, from all sides, changelings began to emerge with clearly irritated expressions.

"Hey, guys, relax, they'll leave now," Abdomen calmed them, slightly waving his hoof. Is he their leader?

Seems like a pretty bad one, because the next moment, many changelings lunged at us. Fortunately, Ember grabbed me by the scruff and quickly ran forward through the completely dark corridor. Behind us, we only heard Abdomen's words: "Guys, I understand we haven't eaten in a week, but control yourselves! I'm ashamed of you!"

What the hell, out of all the ships, I had to choose the one infested with changelings!?

As we ran, one changeling jumped down from a crate above with its mouth wide open. Nervously exhaling, I sharply swung my wing and felt it hit the changeling. The next sound was the crack of wood and an absurdly large amount of dishes falling.

At some point, I broke free from Ember's grip and started running normally. Suddenly, she asked, "Do you know that guy?"

"Uh, sort of. He's Daniel's friend," I replied before covering my mouth with my hand. But the word was already out. The dragoness started slowing down, leaving long and deep scratches on the wooden floor.

Finally stopping, she shouted, "Then we should beat that guy up and interrogate him properly!"

No, that's reckless! There are infinitely many of them. Plus, the Solaris is still heading to the city we need to get to.

Quickly inhaling, I forcefully grabbed Ember's hand and started running forward. Despite her active resistance, I managed to maintain my grip and continue moving fast enough that the buzzing of the changelings became more distant.

"Let me go!" Ember screamed, hitting my arm several times in an attempt to break free.

Letting out a short groan of pain, I pulled her towards me and ordered, pointing forward, "Instead of acting recklessly, you should light up the corridor we're heading into."

In response, the dragoness clenched her teeth but, feeling my unrelenting grip, opened her mouth. Leaning slightly to the side, I could safely see the fire erupt from her throat and down the dark corridor. Along the way, it caught on several wooden crates, creating makeshift torches. A few seconds later, there was a splash of water.

Water started flowing across the floor and rapidly rising. Ember felt the same confusion as I did and stopped breathing fire. Everything became clear. She had melted the ship's hull, causing a large hole from which water was pouring like a waterfall.

We are located between the main deck and the lowest deck. Behind us is a huge crowd of hungry changelings who want to eat us. Well, to be precise, our love, but I don't think it affects anything. And now this.

"Do you know how to swim?" I asked nervously, letting go of the dragoness's hand and turning to her.

Her eyes were wide with shock and some awe. For a couple of seconds, it seemed like she was too stunned to hear my question. But that was a mistake, as Ember muttered, "No, I can't..."

I bit my lip, trying to suppress a cry of despair. Even if I somehow manage to swim from here to the surface while holding the bag and Ember, I won't be able to fly; my wings will get wet. So we need to get to a higher part of the ship and take off from there. The main thing is that Ember's fire doesn't hit anyone...

The buzzing of the changelings got much closer. They're approaching. Frantically inhaling, I pointed upward and asked, "Can you create a path for us to the storage room?"

"Yesss," she whispered before raising her head and taking a few raspy breaths. A second later, flames erupted from Ember's mouth, melting the metal separating this deck from the lower one in a few moments. The edges of the resulting hole turned into a red, jelly-like substance that dripped slightly downward.

I wouldn't dare touch that. Although. . .

Sighing, I spread my wings before making a small jump and a powerful flap. In just a second, the view before my eyes changed from almost complete darkness to a well-lit room with numerous crates. The next moment, I clenched my teeth in pain. My wings had accidentally brushed against the molten metal.

When I landed, Ember was already standing nearby, lightly stroking her neck. Looking up at the much higher ceiling, I said, "Now, one more time."

"Can't do it," she rasped before starting to cough frantically.

"You can't breathe fire continuously?" I asked, approaching her and gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I can! Just, cgh. . ." she tried to argue but was interrupted by her own coughing fit. We need to come up with another way to get out of here.

Finding a staircase would take too much time. Especially considering that changelings are chasing us. The only thing that comes to mind is to rely on something completely absurd. My physical strength.

Taking a deep breath, I quickly created a rune consisting of an outer circle with spikes inside, a central circle without an effect, and a symbol of three intertwined lines. Activating it, I felt my arms and legs grow slightly larger. If in my normal state I can punch through wood, with extra muscles, I should be able to punch through metal, right?

"Better work," I muttered under my breath before looking at the nearest wall. For a few moments, my brain thought about how much this would hurt even if successful, but the approaching buzz of changelings hinted that this was the only option. Alright, let's go.

I sharply exhaled before running to the wall and punching it with all my might. On the other side, my fingers didn't feel anything like water. Great. Taking a breath for the next action, I grabbed the edges of the hole with my palms and pulled down with all my weight. The ship's steel hull groaned before giving way and sliding down, revealing the endless sea.

I didn't think. Do we have enough strength to reach land? Especially considering we don't have a compass?

Ember, it seems, didn't think much about it and immediately flew out through the hole. Hearing the buzzing behind me, I turned and saw that the crowd of changelings from the lower deck had made it here and were looking at me hungrily. Ugh.

The next moment, I flapped my wings and flew after Ember. However, I couldn't help but notice that I was flying, probably, one and a half times faster than before. Apparently, this rune affects the entire body. Not that I'm complaining.

Finally glancing back at the ship, I saw that the changelings didn't fly after us. I dare to assume they don't believe they can chase us for long enough. Honestly, I don't believe we can fly to land either.

Finishing my inspection, I turned my head forward and made a few quick flaps to catch up with Ember. Noticing me out of the corner of her eye, she commented with a brief snort, "Alright, I admit. You're much stronger than you look."

"I never thought I'd hear that from anyone. But thanks," I awkwardly replied, lightly feeling my shoulder. Phew, the bag is still there. It's just that with all this commotion, its existence became unnoticeable.

"So, how's your throat?"

"I'm fine. If you had waited a couple of seconds, I could have melted that wall myself," Ember replied before covering her mouth with her paw and coughing again.

I don't think so.

After our exchange, silence fell, broken only by the flapping of wings. However, with every dozen feet covered, I felt increasing fatigue. Maybe due to the adrenaline wearing off, maybe each movement with extra muscles uses extra energy, maybe both. Either way, the result is the same—I'm getting tired.

In an attempt to squeeze out a few more feet, I grabbed the bag with both hands and asked, "Uh, Ember, can you please hold the bag?"

To my own surprise, she immediately snatched it from my hands and took a deep breath before briefly replying, "Yeah, sure."

Seems she's getting tired too. But she understands that for me, as someone who learned to fly less than a week ago, this situation is more critical.

The absence of the bag slightly eased the situation, allowing me to continue flying. But despite this, the sea was getting closer and closer. However, after some time, the coveted goal appeared on the horizon. The city. New Manehattan!

"Come on, Arthur, don't descend, we're almost there!" Ember tried to encourage me with her still slightly hoarse voice.

In response, I could only wipe the sweat from my forehead and briefly nod. The clear visibility of the goal gave me strength, allowing me to make more powerful flaps and, accordingly, move faster. Now I'm sure we'll reach the city and most likely Daniel! There will be time to recover and face him fully armed.

The wind ruffled my hair and the feathers on my wings. The sun beat into my eyes as if trying to stop me. But with clenched teeth, I continued flying forward at my maximum speed. The city was getting closer and closer. First, the outlines of the buildings became much clearer, and then the spot where I would land became visible. A snow-covered beach.

I must have been too excited because I started descending very quickly. Faster than necessary for landing. But before I could realize my mistake, something incredible happened. Ember grabbed me by the shoulders and started flapping her wings in the opposite direction, slowing me down. Everything was done so perfectly that upon landing, I didn't fall but simply stood on both feet.

We made it. Illegally boarded a ship, escaped a horde of changelings, and flew an incredible distance using only our wings.

"You were really good, human. Glad I brought you along," Ember said with a slight smirk, extending her fist to me. Without a second thought, I bumped her fist with mine. Yeah, we make a pretty good team.

After a few seconds of silence, I sat down tiredly on the sand and said with a smile, "Now, I think we have plenty of time before Daniel shows up here. What should we do?"

She slowly sat down next to me and said, lightly hitting my shoulder, "Don't relax too much. I think it's best to find some loud thing so we can split up and call each other when Daniel arrives."

And I thought I was the brains of the team. . .

Slightly smirking, I said, "Yeah, I think that's a good plan. But first, we need to res-"

"Huh? Something wrong?"

I didn't answer the dragoness's question because I was completely focused on a strange object in the distance. It was small, probably the size of a regular boat. However, it was made entirely of metal. And overall, the outline looked like something human. Something I might see in a movie.

It seems Ember understood where I was looking because she asked, "Do you know what that thing is?"

I remember Daniel talking about tanks he introduced into the Equestrian army. And this thing looks very similar to how I imagine it.

Trying to lean forward to take off again, I didn't move. My body was simply numb from today's strain. The only thing I managed to achieve was goosebumps. Damn.

She shook me and loudly repeated her question, "Do you know what that is or not?!"

With all my might, I wanted to answer her. But I didn't have the strength to move my jaw. A few seconds later, a massive metal machine rolled onto the beach, a couple of dozen feet from us. The first association that came to my mind was an old tank, the kind you see in history textbooks.

As the machine started rushing forward toward the city, I finally managed to say, "Daniel is in that thing."

"What!? Why didn't you say so earlier? He's getting away!" Ember said, tightly grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet. After that, she flapped her wings and flew after the tank, apparently expecting me to follow.

However, I couldn't meet her expectations. I was barely breathing and standing at the moment, let alone chasing.

No, I can't be this weak. This useless.

Overcoming the pain, I forced my body to move. Taking a few quick steps forward, I flapped my wings and took to the air.

"Hang on. Just a little more," I encouraged myself as I joined the chase.