My Baby Sister

Apple Bloom’s eyes slowly opened themselves and the world presented itself to her every sense. The very first thing was its sound. Quietly, she heard a piece of music play from a gramophone. Soft strings and calm woodwinds performing together, every few moments she heard how the musicians plucked their instruments, how the woodwinds swell.

The second thing was the feeling of her body. She felt things wrapped around her head, her legs, felt a thick blanket covering her and keeping her warm. Apple Bloom felt like she was lying on a cloud, so soft was this bed she lay on. Sadly, she still felt a diaper between her legs, but she hadn’t really expected any different.

The third thing was the taste of strawberry in her mouth as she slightly tilted the rubber teat with her tongue. It hit against her gum. The teeth that remained stung as they met the foreign object and she could feel how few were left of them.

The fourth thing was the lush scent of cocoa that entered her nostrils. It reminded her of Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, and how the three of them had spent hours at Sugarcube Corner. Back then they had been able to waste away so much time doing nothing, it almost turned these fond memories sour.

And the last thing came into focus as her eyes finished to opened themselves. The first thing she spotted was the ceiling and how it looked like none other. Pipes ran across, entangled by strong roots. Some of the roots fell slightly from the ceiling, wrapping each other up in a spiral form. Within them glowed a magical light, that dyed the entire room in weak, but calming indigo hue.

She turned her head ever so slightly, feeling a bit weak. Her bed had small railings, tall enough to keep her from falling off. Apple Bloom had to admit that this was fortuitous.

This room was not one she recognized. Apple Bloom spotted two more beds on her left, and one to her right. At the first look, they appeared to not stand out at all. They all had white sheets, they were all the same size. The one to her right, however, wasn’t made as properly as the rest.

More roots spread across the floor, though a small, red carpet lay right in the middle of the room. Atop it stood a table, which had a book on it. Even with the rather poor lighting, she could still read the title.

“The Strings of the Universe: A study concerning the existence of different realities and their meaning to us.”

She only knew one pony who’d read a book with a complicated title like that.

And that realization made Apple Bloom stir. But as she tried to rise up and the blanket fell down, she caught a look at her body.

Only to realize that it looked better. She didn’t how exactly but some of those black patches of skin had brightened up a little. They looked more like healthy, though coatless, skin. As she looked closer, however, she spotted that the rot was still in the veins. Of course it was, no way she would wake up perfectly healthy.

Yet, she was better, she’d gotten help. They’d actually made it. A giggle escaped her and her vision got blurry. Something was in her eyes, dripped down her cheeks.

She felt the droplets against her cheek and another giggle erupted. This one didn’t stop, but instead grew into a laughter. A bright, happy laughter that she hadn’t been able to do for a few weeks.

And then a sound came, one that made her ears perk up a little. It was the creak of a door, one that hadn’t been oiled for quite some time. The noise was followed by footsteps and Apple Bloom heard how every step of staircase was touched.

She tried to get up, forgetting the diaper. Leaning on the railing, she rose up to her hind legs, eyes glimmering with anticipation. Whether it was her sister or the one-eyed alicorn, it didn’t matter. Apple Bloom was happy to see either.

Yet it was neither that appeared, but rather a purple, scaly, lizard-like figure.

And Apple Bloom could only blink.

Spike looked taller than before, if only slightly, and a bit leaner, too. That was not the only noticeable change, she was quick to spot. A massive scar ran down his chest and another one went right by his left eye, reaching from the top spike to his neck. Those were only the big ones, as his face was covered with them and even his spikes looked like they had only narrowly evaded some giant beast’s claws, or teeth.

In his claws he held a wooden tablet with an exquisite tea set placed on it and he clearly tried to at least look sneaky about how he went. Yet as he saw her he almost dropped his offerings. The dragon might’ve wanted to smile, but it looked forced and did not reach his eyes at all.

“Spike?” she asked, though again, it sounded closer to a word in her head than what came out of her mouth.

He sighed.

“Morning, kiddo,” he said, pretending to make it sound like he talked to a foal. “Looks like one little crinkle pony woke up with a bit much energy.”

He sounded more like he was giving a funeral speech, though. Yet Apple Bloom’s initial reaction was to think: Oh no, and then to turn and look at her behind. He could see the darn thing!

Immediately, she picked up the covers and threw them over her body, somehow managing to lose her balance in the process. Apple Bloom fell onto the soft, heavenly bed.

“A bit really excited, huh?” he said and walked closer to her.

The way he talked was pretty much as awkwardly as she expected someone who got told that they needed to treat a good friend of theirs as a little baby. Apple Bloom almost wanted to scream at him, feeling her blush and her padded behind like it was the first time she was put in diapers again.

The tears stung in her eyes and as he approached her, she couldn’t help but smile. After all, this was Spike, her Spike, her dear friend Spike. While they’d been more of acquaintances before, she almost felt like he was a long lost brother after all this time.

And she heard how the words he thought he needed to say hurt him. She turned to face him and looked him straight in the eyes.

His were cold and dead.

“What did my sister tell you?” she asked slowly from behind the paci, making sure every word sounded proper.

He halted right before her, looking at her, tilting his head.

“What?” he asked, clearly not sure what to answer.

At least Applejack hadn’t put that onesie back on her, that would have ruined her forever.

“You can talk normally to me,” she said, “I’m just keeping the pacifier in because of the rot. Like Twilight told me.”

“Uhm,” he said.

“Remember that? You laughed quite loudly when she told me to keep it in at all times?”

Then followed the most awkward silence, before he put the tablet on the table and walked up closer to her.

“Apple Bloom?” He asked, leaning against the railing, his eyes strangely alit.

“Yeah?”

He looked like he wanted to smile, but still doubted too much to dare. “Are you .… Is your head. …”

The dragon was so close to her, Apple Bloom couldn’t help herself. She threw off the covers and put her arms around him, pulling herself closer to his torso. Her paci fell out of her mouth, but that was the least of her worries right now. The filly didn’t care how she looked, she wanted to feel his warmth again.

There was silence as the two of them remained like that and she only felt her arms around his neck, her cheek brushing his. She smelt him, the faint odor, a mix of fire and tea that clung to him like a fine perfume. Apple Bloom thought there existed no sweeter smell in that moment.

She probably smelled of piss and blood, but as he put her arms around her, she didn’t care. After all, he was there with her again and she and Applejack weren’t alone anymore.

Then, there were no more words for quite a while. She choked, the tears streamed from her eyes, her mouth tasted of snot. In truth, Apple Bloom was happy he couldn’t see her face, she probably looked like Rarity’s worst nightmare. Yet his hands gently rubbed her back, like he was trying to check whether she was real, too.

She was.

He was.

They both were here.

“I take it that aside from a few lost teeth, you’re still you?” He asked finally, his voice grown a bit stronger.

“Yeah,” she answered, a wide smile on her face. It probably looked hideous.

Then came another quiet moment. “Apple Bloom?” He asked to break it.

“Yeah?”

“You might need a change.”

For the first split second she didn’t move, but then her eyes widened and she almost spit, instead pushing herself away from him. To top it off, she gave him a light punch against the chest.

He didn’t react to it, instead stared at her in puzzlement. Apple Bloom glared right back at him. From her sister, she was used to this sort of invasion of privacy, but Spike? He was always so much more gallan–

No wait, Apple Bloom thought, realizing who she was talking to.

“You don’t check on a filly’s diapers like that,” she stated, trying to sound angry.

Her jaw stung a bit.

“Uhm, yeah, but,” he started and leaned in closer again.

She half-wondered what he wanted to do. Then, the tiny dragon stretched his arm out, reaching for something on her chest level. She followed his claw, only to find it putting the paci back in her mouth.

Apparently someone had put it on a string around her neck as she’d laid asleep. For a moment she looked down and then back at him as he retreated. Had he just tried to shut her up by putting a pacifier in her mouth?

“It’s important that you keep that thing in. Twi engraved some new runes into the plastic to keep the rot better at bay. She’s gotten really good with runes lately, but for them to work you need to keep it in as long as possible.”

She still only glared. “You’re trying to shut me up,” she said and then realized how stupid she sounded with the paci in.

“Choo’r t’yin’ t’ shut m’up,” was what had come out of her mouth and it sounded closer to a magic chant than a statement.

But Spike shook his head immediately. “No, I’m not. I’m just, ugh,” he put his claws against his face and took a deep breath, only to then take a bow. “I’m sorry,” the dragon said. “I’m just not used to talking with other ponies anymore.”

At that, Apple Bloom tilted her head, sitting down again on the bed. “What do you mean?”

He understood her.

“I’m saying that,” he made a pause. “Your sister, she’s. …”

Insane, Apple Bloom thought, feeling mad at herself for it almost immediately. “What did she say?” she asked instead.

“Mind if I sit?” He asked her in return and pointed to the spot on the bed right beside her.

She nodded, but came to regret it the moment he crawled onto her bed. He looked kind of ripped, like a badflank that saw some apples, while still keeping that adorable face of his. She was loathe to admit it, but she wondered if he’d grown this well without the sky shattering as it did.

He sat down beside her and leaned back, looking at the ceiling.

“Well, I don’t know how much you know, but I think she believes herself to be around the age she was when you really were a foal.”

Apple Bloom looked at him, not really getting it. But then, beyond the stinging of the wounds, she remembered what Applejack had said once they’d started to flee from the acres.

“She’d been upset that she’d be grounded by Granny Smith,” she tried say, though once more it sounded more like babbling.

At least Spike’s ears seemed to work well enough. “Yeah, she says that’s why she’s staying with Twilight and me. I mean, she’s not really thinking it’s those days, but as far as I can tell, she couldn’t handle this flipping footstool of an apocalypse and decided to play pretend instead.”

“It’s more like playing House,” Apple Bloom admitted with a sigh.

After all, right before the beast had appeared, she’d finally given in to Applejack’s mad play. Apple Bloom wiped the snot from her nose.

“She’s like this because of me,” she said.

Spike shook his head. “No, you’re not.”

“I pretended to be a foal for her sake, that made her slip. I mean, look at me. …” She pointed down herself. “I wet my diapers, I need a paci, I look like celestia forsaken baby.”

He raised a non-existent eyebrow at her language, but didn’t say anything else. Even if he had, Apple Bloom had just been run out of her home by monsters and woken up in yet another wet diaper. After the single day she’d been dry, too.

“You think you’re a baby because of that, huh?” He asked and jumped off the bed.

“Where’re you off to?” She asked as he walked towards the farthest bed on her right.

He crouched and pulled something up from below it, a box, as far she could tell. “That should be it,” he said almost sagely and turned around.

He carried it towards her bed and put it down before her. It was a plain, wooden box with neither motives nor coloration. Just a box with the cover a bit loose.

“Okay,” he said, “Make a Pinkie swear that you’re never going to tell anyone.”

“What?”

“Just do it,” he said, giving her an encouraging smile.

She looked at the box again. Whatever’s inside must be juicy, she figured and then gave a nod. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” she said, making the accompanying gestures.

He grinned and pulled off the lid.

Even with the dim lighting she could see what was inside and she opened her mouth to form words, but couldn’t quite form them.

Spike smiled at her expression. “The details would probably bore you, but Twilight started wetting the bed after three weeks and developed signs of the rot in her mouth, too. Because the pacifier worked for you, she prepared one for herself. And this, well, let’s just say she didn’t think much of disposable diapers.”

The pieces of cloth were all nicely folded up and the covers weren’t really plain either. The one she spotted had stars and planets stitched on it, with a sun much like Celestia’s cutie mark right in the middle.

It looked kind of amazing, actually.

“Woah,” she said, half-amazed, half-questioning.

“Yeah, getting everything to align as it’s supposed to be was quite hard. I didn’t think I needed to go through that many books just to make a cloth cover for a diaper, but eh, that’s what living with a giant nerd gets you.”

“She wets herself?”

“Only to bed, don’t tell her I told you, though,” he said with a wink. She nodded immediately.

“And you made this?”

“Yeah, I had to read up on making clothes and had to,” he bit his lips, “get some stuff from Carousel Boutique, too. And then I made the nerdiest diaper covers ever. You wouldn’t believe it, but her favorite is the Daring Do one right beneath the star one.”

“You’re going to show me?”

“Naw, she’ll notice if I move the stuff. Last thing she wants is me messing up her stuff,” he told her with a shrug and put the lid on the stuff again.

“But either way, what I’m trying to say is,” Spike then continued, his fingers drumming on the box, “that the wetting, the rot, they’re just symptoms of an illness. An illness, Twilight is sure to cure very soon.”

Apple Bloom smiled at his encouraging words. She felt a bit sad for Twilight if she had developed the same icky problems now, but also wondered how Applejack would react if she found out.

And then the filly realized that Spike had just now told her something that might’ve actually been really important.

She looked at him. “What?”

And he grinned the smuggest grin this side of the sea. “Yeah. We’re pretty close to figuring out how to get everything back to normal.”

He turned around again to put the box back where it belonged. Apple Bloom looked at him, not quite sure what he had just told her. The only thing she did know, and that was also the one thing she didn’t believe, was that it was good.

“Well, she did most of the work. But I drew the sky for her, so that’s something.”

“You drew the sky?”

“Yeah. I can look at it without turning into a fire-breathing monstrosity. Mainly, because I am a fire-breathing monstrosity,” he answered.

Just after he put the box away he looked at her, that smug smile of his still intact. It was as if he felt himself the biggest, baddest pony in the whole world. And he wasn’t even a pony. A part of Apple Bloom thought that really cool, another part really wanted to deck him on the snot.

“You’re more like a cute, little critter, though,” she said.

He rolled his eyes. “Like you’re in any position to talk.”

She blushed and turned her eyes away.

“Sensible topic, huh? Sorry, I’m not really used to being sensible about this stuff anymore. You have no idea what Twilight’s like these days.” He sighed. “Not that your sister’s any better. I’m not even sure if I should leave her in the kitchen unsupervised.”

She giggled at that.

“What?”

She shrugged. “You make it sound like they’re the kids.”

“I’m trying to make it sound like I’m the only adult, though,” he said with a joking conviction.

Apple Bloom rose to her hooves and got to the edge of the bed. “Then how about I’m going to be adult, too.”

“I’d bet you all of my gems that you wouldn’t make it to the play pretend stage with how your sister’s going.”

She glared at him. “I can be an adult even with her here.”

“Right, when she dresses you up in that cute little onesie and tries to feed you with a bottle. You’re going to look like the most grown mare in all of Ponyville.”

The filly looked at the dragon and the dragon looked back at her. Of course, she knew he was right, but for a brief moment she’d almost thought she could get back a piece of her life. She sighed.

“Don’t try to be a grown-up when you still got a chance to be kid, Apple Bloom,” the dragon suddenly said, “The world’s too harsh to usually allow that still.”

His smile looked tired, but at least he was still with her. The way he looked, all grizzled and tired, it was much like her sister actually. Another soul that probably tried to take on much more than she could chew. Apple Bloom wanted to help him, too, and her sister.

If there was a chance that everypony got cured, that was wonderful, of course, but right now the world outside was real. She wasn’t sure what had happened after they’d gotten to the hospital and right now she didn’t care. What was important was the now, because that was everything left to them.

And in the now, she needed to be the best pony she could be.

She wouldn’t be sad or give up, because she knew that was the right thing to do.

“Alright, but just because I don’t get to be an adult doesn’t mean you can check my diaper whenever you want.”

He shrugged. “If that’s how you want it, sure. I’m not going to complain.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She asked.

He gave her a knowing look. For a brief moment, she felt a thought creeping up, of him checking her, of him changing her. It was only for a second or two, then she shook the thought off. Only a blush remained plastered on her cheeks.

He didn’t seem to notice. “Want some tea?”

He pointed at the tablet he’d brought and she nodded. Yet, just as he went to pour, something came running down the stairs, jumping off them and hitting the spot right beside the table in a well-practiced landing.

Spike rolled his eyes and turned around with a change of expression, Apple Bloom saw. He looked a bit sad and worried.

The purple pony had patches of black on her coat, her legs, her cheek. A bandage covered her right eye, clean and white. Not as clean was her mane, it was cut short, in a very rough manner, and what remained stood in all directions. One of her wings was missing a few feathers and she was wearing a metal brace around her right hind leg.

Twilight looked at the much smaller dragon while also puffing out her chest. She looked angry, and the one remaining eye seemed to have a hard time staying open.

“I told you to give me today’s calculations, Spike. If the sky changes aren’t documented we might miss the pattern.”

“We got the pattern already, Twi. We’ve been having the pattern for a month now,” he said, his voice a low hiss.

She shook her head. “We can’t take any risks. I want this to be breakthrough. I owe it to everypony. This is important.”

“And Apple Bloom isn’t?” he pointed at her, but Twilight didn’t even bother to look.

“She’ll make it if I get everything right. Once I’m done with the ritual, I–” she halted her speech for a yawn. “I just. …”

He sighed. “Twilight, you’ve been up for days again, how about you instead use this chance to lie down.”

But the alicorn shook her head. “No, Spike, I’ve got important things to take care of. The whole world’s at stake!”

He then simply handed the teacup over to her. “How about you have a drink to calm you down?”

“I am calm!” she insisted and stomped her hoof on the ground.

“Alright, Twilight. How about we both do each other a favor. I go up, draw the sky, and you have a bit of tea.”

She looked at him queerly. “Don’t try to play any games, Spike, I’m–” she was interrupted by another yawn.

Her one eye trailed off to look at the bed, her bed. “I just want this to work, Spike.”

He nodded. “Me, too, Twilight. That’s why the world needs you at your A-Game.” Then, the dragon pointed at the tea. “That’s why you want to drink this.”

“Huh?” The princess asked, looking at the tea. “Is there something special about it?”

“It’s a brew that helps you get awake, I made it for Apple Bloom so she would have an easier morning.”

The alicorn looked at him and then at the tea, but seemed to not notice that Apple Bloom was right before her, staring at her with curiosity. The alicorn hadn’t fared well, aside from the obvious wounds, she was much thinner than before the Tear appeared and she looked even more tired than Applejack.

“Alright,” Twilight finally said, levitating the cup to her side as she moved towards the bed on the right and seated herself on it, yawning again. “But I do hope this works. I’m feeling a teensy bit tired. Only was awake for seventy-two hours, though.”

She took a sip and then another. Spike and Apple Bloom just watched. Then, after she finished, Twilight put the cup to ground, stretched herself a bit and yawned again.

“Maybe you should lean back for a moment, Twi?”

“Naah,” she said, making to stand up again. “I don’t want to sleep.”

“Don’t worry,” Spike spoke, running towards her and pushing her back on the bed. “I’ll wake you up if you doze off.”

“You will?” Twilight asked. “Because you didn’t the last time.”

He lifted his right hand. “Cross my heart, Twi.”

One more time she yawned and then nodded. “Well, one second can’t hurt, right?”

Both Spike and Apple Bloom gave an agreeing nod and Twilight fell back on the cushion. For a second the two children stared at the mighty princess of friendship in absolute silence, until they heard a soft snore erupt from her nose.

Spike made a small fist-pump, before he picked up the cup and went back to Apple Bloom.

“What’s in the tea?” She asked, keeping her voice to a whisper now.

He gave a giggle. “Nothing. She’s just tired and needs some rest. It’ll be better for her to get it now. You still want some tea, though?”

She shook her head, not quite trusting Spike with what he said. The dragon shrugged it off and turned back to Twilight. “Alright,” he whispered. “Can you do me favor, then and look whether Applejack is actually still able to handle knives? I think working on good faith alone might be pushing it.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Sure. What’ll you do?”

He sighed. “Get her bed ready and then I need to prepare myself for a stern talking-to.”

The filly gave a giggle and then moved towards the edge of the bed, trying to get off it. With the diaper, her legs being as unhelpful as ever and really just anything, she probably would’ve made a fool out of herself. Spike, gallant as he was, however, immediately came to help her by providing some aid. He also didn’t make any more comments about her derriere, so that was a plus point in her book, too.

With that, he left her to fend the stairs all by herself, getting to work on Twilight. As she climbed them, she got one last look at how he got the box out from under the bed. In a way, it was really good to know that she wasn’t the only one needing diapers.

Of course, it wasn’t just that. Twilight was a grown-up, and she hadn’t ever expected to see a grown-up needing to wear diapers to bed. In a way, that made her feel more confident about her situation, but she also wondered if, if Twilight had the same symptoms as she, could they also appear in Applejack?