Chapter Eighteen:
Snatch a Quick Breath

	“Twilight!” A voice ripped through the blackness that engulfed her. The world was rushing around her like a storm at sea. Everything was ice cold and she couldn't feel her body. Then in the dark someone was crying, no sobbing. What could cause someone to weep so hard? Ice in her veins had stopped the drumming of her heart. Was she dead?
	A warmth touched her lips, breathing in a warm summer breeze into the dark recesses of her torment. It was hot enough to thaw the frost that bound her to the icy grave. The warmth was gone, replaced by a driven thrust to her breast bone. Twilight could hear the ice cracking, breaking away, and then came a thump. So hard that I pained her ears. It pinched her sinuses and temples. Another warm kiss, a warm summer breeze and then...

	Twilight gasped and coughed up a thick bubble of warm water, it ran down each side of her face. The world was still dark, she was too afraid to open her eyes. “Oh my gosh, she's alive.” Another voice choked through tears, the sobbing had stopped by this point.
	“Easy now, Sugar Cube.” It was the voice that had said her name, calming, reassuring. It must be Applejack, it could only be Applejack. Then Twilight's limp body moved, rolled onto her side by strong hands. Coughs rattled her very existence to the core, it hurt her shoulders her spine, and sent a throb through her head. A heat engulfed her, churning her stomach, and she vomited. Not once, but two more times. Nothing more then hot river water flowed from her, she coughed desperately a few desperate times and rolled onto her back again trying to catch her breath.
	There was one last movement, before Twilight opened her eyes. Her head rested in the soaked lap of Applejack. She could see that the strong filly had been crying by the bloodshot eyes that searched her face now. The concerned eyebrows waiting to hear a word, anything that told her she wasn't too late. “Applejack...” Twilight whispered, and the filly clutched her tightly sobbing into her already soaked hair.
	“Oh goddess, I thought we lost you. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you.” Applejack sobbed painfully into the side of her head.
	“I'm...alright. Thank you.”
	Scootaloo jumped down from the stone she'd been sitting on, throwing her arms around Twilight's mid section. Another set of warm hands drummed on one of her frozen arms. Lastly a strong hand rested on her thigh. When she tore herself away long enough to look, her friends were all smiling at her. The desperate looks melted away, replaced by happiness.
	“Welcome back, Twilight Sparkle. You sure had us worried.” Braeburn said, placing his hat to his heart.
	“What happened?” Twilight asked, her short term memory having trouble catching up to everything that had happened.
	“We fell off the cliff of course.” Applejack chimed in. “And got swept down river for a time.”
	“And I saved you.” Scootaloo added.
	“That she did. You got hung up on a rock in the center of the river. So Scootaloo came up the idea to make a pony bridge.” Braebun chuckled, ruffling the small filly's hair.
	“Braeburn was the anchor and little Scootaloo was the hook. Then we all pulled you up on the shore.” Pinkie Pie huffed happily like an excited dog.
	“Thank you, sweetie. Thank all of you. If it hadn't been for you, I'd be dead now.” Twilight slowly sat up, running her fingers through Scootaloo's spiked hair.
	“Aw shucks it was nothing. You'd done the same for any of us.” Applejack ran the back of her hand along Twilight's face.
	In the back of Twilight's mind she heard her own voice utter. 'I'm not so sure I would have'. But she stopped herself before saying it out loud. The remnants of the darkness from her nightmars still dwell fresh in her mind, she had to fight harder not to let it haunt her waking hours as well. “How long was I out for?”
	“Not that long, we managed to get you breathing shortly after we rescued you.” Applejack reached up to adjust her hat and flinched at remembering she'd lost it somewhere in the river.
	“Good. What happened to things chasing us?” Twilight looked around at the group.
	“I'm not sure, Braeburn was the one bringing up the rear.” Applejack looked to her cousin.
	Braeburn slicked his wet hair and thought for a moment. “I didn't see 'em, but I reckon they broke off pursuit once they saw us fall. They might not be as stupid as we think they are.”
	Twilight nodded and cleared her throat. “That's unfortunate for us I suppose. At least we've lost them for now.”
	“That's not all, Sugar Cube. Look at that.” Applejack shifted out of view so Twilight could see the silhouette of Canterlot castle.
 	The river must have carried them a great distance, because they were infinitely closer to their destination now. It ignited a flame of determination in Twilight. One that started to warm her frozen body. Slowly she fought to get to her feet. Applejack took one of Twilight hand, pulled her up as she got to her feet. Scootaloo grabbed the other one as the both pulled her to her feet.
	“It's a miracle.” Twilight whispered, tears welled in her eyes threatening to spill over. “I never thought it would look so beautiful.”
	“It sure does though, don't it.” Applejack wrapped her arm around the small of Twilight's back. Scootaloo laced two fingers through one of her belt loops. Everything in Twilight's body hurt, as if she belly flopped  the water. Her hips felt spaced, her knees ached. The knots in her shoulders made it hard for her to turn her head. But at least she was alive, and so were her friends. “How are all of you?” Twilight searched for the faces of her friends, seeing a light behind their eyes.
	“Better now that you're awake.” Scootaloo giggled, hugging her waist again.
	“Couldn't have said it better myself.” Applejack took her hand.
	“I'm a little waterlogged and squishy. But I'm kinda use to that.” Pinkie Pie poked her round belly.
	“I think I could pull the limbs off a Timberwolf if I needed too.” Braeburn got up from the ground, slipping his hat back on.
	“Good, because we still have a long way to go and I need all of you to be strong, because I can't do this without you.” Twilight smiled and started limping towards the castle, The rest of her friends filed in behind her. Applejack, Scootaloo, Pinkie Pie, with Braeburn bringing up the rear. Twilight hoped with all her heart that Celestia and Luna had things under control, but the cold chill that shuttered her body told her otherwise.