Every time I almost die, I feel so alive. Why would I ever want to be more careful.

dizzy, causing her to trip and stumble. Paired with the fever that was burning her from the inside out, she was nothing short of delirious. She could only see shadows, as the black ooze had become terrible, staining her blue face black and seeping from her nose and mouth. A painful pressure was building in her head, and her lungs crackled with each breath.

She staggered forward. She had been aimlessly moving since the virus had latched itself onto her, and crawled into her lungs and wreaked havoc. She couldn’t sleep, as the heat in her blood and gunk in her lungs prevented her from relaxing long enough to get any rest. Her mind was a tangled nightmare, running with thoughts and words and visions that didn’t make sense. The blue mare wasn’t sure who she was, or what she was doing. She had lucid moments, but mostly hallucinations and confusion.

If she hadn’t lost all of her senses, she would have realized she was approaching the sea. Gulls called ahead, and the scent of salt filled the air. As she walked, a sudden change in texture beneath her feet disoriented her further. She sank into the sand, her balance even worse. Beautiful blue waves lapped at the shore, scattering shells and pulling sand back into the sea. Ebb and flow. Coming and going. It was a beautiful sight, even if she could not enjoy it or appreciate it.

The sun flashed bright off of the choppy waves, catching the eye of the nearly blinded mare. She tipped her head, inquisitive, naive, trying to establish where she was. A sudden irritation elicited a sharp sneeze, for a moment clearing her sinuses and nose from the black sludge. She gasped, taking in a deep breath before the black refilled her face and prevented her from breathing. She gulped in the air as much as she could, the salted air stinging her congested lungs, and causing a painful coughing fit. She continued forward, making her way ungracefully towards where the foam met the shore. The cool water splashed her hooves. There was a moment of relief, and she was able to place herself. She was at water. She plunged in, sloppy strides bringing her harshly into the surf. The coldness of the waves eased her feverish body, kissed her pain. Her snowy curls lay flat to the side of her neck, and she dropped her whole body under the surface.

Coming back up, she pulled herself closer to the shore. She stood knee deep in the water, and dipped her head down. She sucked in large gulps of water. In her confusion, she could not differentiate that salt water was bad, fresh water was good. But for a moment, the awful taste of the ocean rinsed from her mouth the putrid taste of the black. After several large mouthfuls, her stomach began to churn. The blue mare groaned, dragging herself back to shore.

Collapsing into the hot sand, she gave up. The fever quickly returned, and her face and throat and lungs soon refilled with the black.

The starry warrior cried.

"Talk?"