Two unicorns marched through a perpetual haze in a single-line formation. The lead kept her head level, glaring at the horizon. It was taunting her, a destination that yielded hope yet was forever impossible to reach. But she strode onwards with little more than a scowl, never stopping, never looking back.

There was nothing to look back from, anyway.

A scant breeze kicked up the piles of dust smothering the land onto her muzzle. She flinched, blinking and flaring her nose before sneezing out into the open, leading to a coughing fit. Her knees bent slightly, and the unicorn lurched forwards.

“Starlight!” The rear unicorn jumped, holding out a hoof to steady the mare. Brushing aside her teal and purple bangs, she asked, “Are you alright?”

Starlight kept coughing in response, managing to squint at the supporting hoof, and sat down onto her haunches with its aid, riding out the fit over the course of a few minutes.

“Here, you need to drink some water.” The standing mare produced a small bottle from a worn saddlebag, offering it to Starlight. Much to her chagrin, Starlight immediately shook her head, hovering a hoof to ward the bottle away.

“No.” The word came out hoarse, and Starlight winced, rubbing her throat. To her dismay however, the mare only proceeded to push the bottle into her hooves. With a groan, Starlight pushed the bottle aside, and said, “Twilight, stop.”

Twilight paused, and then turned to put the bottle into the saddlebags. She knelt down, staring at Starlight’s flank for a few moments.

“You can’t go on like this,” she stated. “You can’t go on with nothing. You just can’t.”

The glare came back in full force, and Starlight snarled back.

“I will. It won’t last forever; I have to make it last. So I will go on with nothing.”

Grunting, Starlight pulled herself to her hooves, and placed one hoof in front of the other. It buckled.

Twilight widened her eyes. “No, wait-”

“I will!” Starlight snapped back, and Twilight backed down. Gritting her teeth, Starlight tensed, and willed another step forwards. Her hoof acquiesced and soon Starlight marched onwards with her eyes steeled forward, never stopping, never looking back. She chuckled, ignoring the pain from her scratchy thro-

“Starlight watch out!”

Starlight tripped over a jutting rock, slamming back onto the ground. She cursed into the dust, and rolled onto her sides with a moan. Twilight rushed over, rummaging through her saddle bags. She pulled out the bottle again, and turned back to Starlight.

Twilight cursed.

The rock pierced through the skin, and crimson started spreading through the ash of her coat. Starlight followed Twilight’s eyes, gazing over her haunch. She grimaced.

Twilight dropped the saddlebag, spilling its contents haphazardly on the dusty earth. Torn parchment, a bottle, a packet of food. Something to cover the wound quickly.

Nothing.

Starlight laughed, but fell into another coughing fit. Wheezing, she spluttered her words out. “Guess I spoke too soon, then.”

Twilight’s mind raced as she surveyed the materials. An idea came into her head; she reached towards the pieces of parchment. Starlight silenced, staring at her.
Twilight took the parchment, and turned back to face an open jaw.

Vehemently shaking her head, Starlight whispered, “Don’t use that. That’s our only method of survival.”

“I’ve got nothing else.”

Starlight frowned, and replied back with force, “What? Are you crazy? That is the only way to stay alive!”

Twilight didn’t respond, instead inching towards the wound, moving the parchment over.

With a sudden burst, Starlight kicked her away, rolling further on the dust, blood pooling in splotches around her. “What in Equestria are you thinking of, Twilight! That is the only way to get out of this blasted wasteland!”

The parchment flew from Twilight’s grip, floating towards the crimson puddle. Starlight’s eyes widened, and she yelled, “Get the spell before it touches-”

It landed, and blood started seeping into the parchment, the intricate runes and symbols glowing slightly, and deteriorated before both mares, turning into dust.

The parchment was blank; nothing except soaked with blood.

Twilight picked it up, and strode over to Starlight, who was gaping wordlessly at her. She covered the wound up, stemming the blood with a knot.

After a while, both mares stood up, and shuffled back the way they came, side-by-side.

There was nothing to look forward to, anyway.