History ALWAYS has a way of repeating...
An ordinary day was just about to begin, here in the town of Ponyville. Celestia had just risen the sun, about to produce another gorgeous day. The ponies of Ponyville had began to get ready for the new day, whether it be the parents getting to work or the fillies and colts getting ready to go to the school house.
However, there is one couple of ponies who happened to spend just a little bit more time in bed asleep than everypony else.
Here, just in the west side of the town, was an apple farm: "Sweet Apple Acres." In the center of it, was a house embedded in a barn. It was an average size house within the barn, enough room for a family of five.
A young, married couple, were sleeping in the same bed. An earth pony mare with an orange fur coat and a golden blonde mane and tail, both tied at the end with little orange hair band, was sleeping on the right side of the bed.
On the left side of the bed, was a unicorn stallion. His mane and tail had the colors of peppermint, being both red and white. His fur coat was a pale yellow color, a great contrast to the coat color of his wife.
The two ponies were sleeping peacefully, them both facing the right side of the bed. The stallion's hoof can be seen laying gently and protectively over the mare's stomach, her hoof on top of his.
A ray of light from the Princess's sun had made its way to the bedroom window, shining in the couple's faces. The sound of a crowing rooster can be heard from the outside, alerting the two young lovers to awaken.
The husband was the first to wake up. He let out a soft yawn, shaking his head a little bit afterwards to help himself be more aware of his surroundings. He looked over to his right and smiled at his still sleeping wife. He almost didn't want to disturb her, for she looked like an angel.
However, he had to do what he had to do, for there was a lot of work to be done. The unicorn leaned down toward the mare's sleeping figure, placing his muzzle in the crick of her neck. He started to gently caress the mare's stomach as he tried to get her to waken.
"Applejack," he whispered in her ear, "Applejack, sweetheart, wake up."
Applejack just stirred as her husband tried to get her to open her eyes and out of bed. Her movement causing his hoof to come off of her stomach.
The stallion rolled his eyes, for the mare hadn't been wanting to get out of bed in the morning for the past couple of months. He began shaking her gently.
"AJ, come now. It's time to wake up; Apple Cider needs to get ready for school soon."
Nothing but a slight moan came out from the sleeping pony. The unicorn started thinking of another tatic that would get her to come out of bed... Then, an idea struck him.
A mischievous smile came across his face, his eyebrows becoming slinted as he narrowed his eyes, staring at his sleeping wife. He moved a little off the bed, trying to get into a good position. His moved his two front hooves over, one next to both sides of her face. The pale yellow right hoof went under her cheek as delicately as he could make it, lifting her face ever so lightly until she was facing him.
He chuckled softly, before leaning his lips to where hers were. It was a couple of moments before Applejack's eyes opened wide as she felt something wet against her lips. Her vision had become blurry due to her eyes how she suddenly awoken.
The mare blink her eyes a few times only to realized that the unicorn had kissed her awake. She was surprised, but then completely kissed him back. Applejack's front hooves went behind his neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss.
The mare thought in her mind that this would be his version of a "Wake up call." She pulled away from the kiss, panting with one hoof still around his neck. Her other hoof on his right cheek.
"Is tha' gonna be yer new way'a waking me up, Flim?"
Flim let out a little chuckle; a chuckle probably only she could hear. He laid his forehead against hers, their muzzles touching lightly.
"Say what you will, but," he pecked her lips before continuing, "you and I both know you rather enjoyed it." He gave her a sly smile as he looked into her emerald green eyes. "I know I enjoyed it."
"Remind me again, why ah married ya," she replied smartly, while giving him a soft chuckle.
Flim kissed her forehead before getting out of bed. His horn began glowing a dark green aura, as well as the country pony. He levitated her off the bed carefully, he didn't want to rush and get her hurt in some way.
The unicorn placed her down on the floor gently, her stomach three times bigger than the rest of her body. His lover walked over to him slowly and calmly, her heavy belly jiggling a tiny bit with every step.
"Ya know, Flim," she began, "ah can get up myself," the mare stated, in a calm, soft voice; their muzzles pressed against each other.
"Yes, darling, I know that," he responded, his lips almost touching hers as he spoke. "But you are pregnant, and I just don't want anything bad to happen."
The stallion began to run his hoof tenderly through her golden-blonde mane. Her eyes closed as he laid soft, tender pecks on her forehead, cheek and lips. The peck on her lips turned into a few which then became fierce kisses, each one longer than the last.
One of Applejack's hooves was now on the back of Flim's shoulder, her other running through his peppermint-colored mane. She felt his lips leave her own, now moving toward her neck. He left several kisses, fast and furiously, sending shivers down her spine; a heating sensation going through her like a batch of hot apple cider.
Suddenly, a quick thought popped into her mind...
The mare opened her eyes, taking one of her hooves to her husband's cheek, bringing him face-to-face. His lips quickly went back in contact with hers.
"Flim... honey... aren't you... forgetting... something," she asked him, only getting enough time to speak one or two words inbetween kisses.
The unicorn looked at his wife confused. He looked down at her, his eyes stopping at her pregnant belly. He looked back into her her eyes, whom's eyebrow was raised. It was at that moment that it hit him...
"Oh..." he said, looking away flustered. "We have a kid..."
Applejack just nodded her head, slowly.
"Um, I'll go and wake Apple Cider."
"Yeah, ya go an' do that Sugar Cube."
The pale yellow unicorn gave the country mare one last kiss before going their daughter's room to wake her up for school.
The Apple-Skim family were eating breakfast in the kitchen. The three of them sitting at the kitchen table, having apple and banana pancakes. Flim and Applejack were both sitting on one side of the table while their little girl, Apple Cider sat on the other side.
Apple Cider is a ten year old filly. A beautiful little earth pony with a fur coat like her mother's and her mane and tail was just like her father's. She wore a kind of hat that her father used to wear when he and her uncle Flam would when they would travel around, selling their latest inventions. She also wore a little red and white ascot around her neck.
There was, however, one characteristic trait she didn't get from her parents. That being her firey orange-red eyes. Instead of inheriting her parents' green eyes, she had gathered her eye color from her aunt Apple Bloom.
The filly sat in her seat, eating her pancakes. Her face being covered with bits and pieces of the fruit and pancake. Not to mention, all the syrup sticking onto the fur on her face.
"Whoa, there Cider," Applejack said, "don't make such a mess. Ya still have ta go ta school, ya know."
"Sorry, Ma," Apple Cider apologized, as a napkin was being levitated toward her by her father. She wiped off her face, all the syrup and crumbs making their way into the paper fabic.
"Alright, sweetie. Let's hurry up and get you to the school house," Flim said, taking everypony's dishes and putting them in the sink to wash.
The little earth pony nodded, hopping off of her chair quickly, getting her saddle bag from the living room next to the kitchen.
The unicorn looked over to his wife, taking her hooves in his, staring lovingly into her emerald green eyes.
"I'm going to go take Apple Cider to school. I should be back in a little bit."
The mare gave him a soft smile. "Okay. Don't be too long, we have a lot of work ta do today."
Flim gave her a soft chuckle, squeezing both of her hooves a little. "Of course."
"I'm ready," said a voice from behind.
The parents looked over to see their child all ready with her pale yellow saddle bag. A cup of cider for the latch, which looked exactly like the cutie mark on her flank, on the end of the opening flap.
"Alright, partner. Come an' give yer mommy a hug!"
The little filly rushed over to her mother but stop once she got next to her. She embraced her mother in a genuinely loving hug, but careful not to hurt her belly. She didn't want to hurt her future little brother or sister.
"Do good in school today, ya hear?"
"Yes, ma'am."
The country mare kissed her daughter on the forehead before letting go from the hug. She gave her a loving smile, causing the little pony to smile in return. Applejack then handed her over to her husband.
The stallion took his daughter's hoof in his as they began walking towards the front door. She watched as the two of them were just on the other side of the gate. The little filly turn her head, looking at her mother. She waved her a goodbye, using her free hoof.
The country earth pony smiled, waving back in return. She kept watch until the two ponies were out of her sight.
Applejack had returned to the kitchen, washing the dishes that had been used from breakfast. She held a dish in one and a lathered up sponge in the other, scrubbing it clean. Each of the dishes sparkling by the time she had put them in the dish rack next to the sink to dry.
The young, pregnant mare decided to take a break and relax in the living room. She grabbed a few photo albums to look through before taking a seat on the living room couch. The first one she looked through having pictures of she and Big Mac when they were just little kids.
She stopped to look at a photo of she and Big Mac at the county fair. She smiled, remembering that that had been where she had gotten her Stetson hat. In the photo, was a little Applejack retrieving a Stetson hat from the midway game host. A little Big Mac smiling at his sister's victory, clapping his hooves together.
A sudden sound of the door opening slightly startled her, causing her to look up from the photo. A pair of pale yellow hooves appeared from behind the front door, revealing none other than her beloved.
The unicorn walked over to where she was sitting, noticing a bunch of old photo album on the table in front of them. He placed two of his hooves around her waist, sort of giving her a backwards hug, placing his chin on her shoulder.
"Hey."
She smiled. "Hey."
"Looking at some of your old photo albums, I see," he commented.
"Ah thought it would be a nice way ta relax myself for a little bit," she explained.
She felt his hooves massaging her belly, moving around in small circles.
"I bet the baby would find this pretty relaxing too."
Applejack giggled softly as he continued to move his hooves around in little circles. He removed his chin from her shoulder, placing a small kiss on it instead.
The mare flipped through the pages of the photo album, stroking through memory lane. Her mind filling up with some of the best moments that happened to her when she was a child. Those memories came to a halt when she came across a certain picture.
She felt her face turn pale, her blood run cold. Her hooves began to shake a little as she looked upon the photograph.
The stallion looked at her, a worried expression on his face. "Darling, what's wrong?"
Instead of answering, his wife put one of her shaky hooves over the photo, running it across the page. This caused the unicorn to look down at the book. He carefully took her shaky hoof away from the picture to get a better view.
His big green eyes widened as he looked upon the photograph, now realizing why she had become so shaky.
In the photo was a little Applejack and Big Mac in the Ponyville hospital, along with a older, but young, stallion with a yellow-green fur coat and light orange mane and tail. The three of them were standing beside a hospital bed, a young mare laying in it. She looked an awful lot like Applejack, down to the freckles on her face. The only differences being her fur coat being red and her mane an tail were the color of dirty blonde.
The young mare was holding a baby wrapped in a pink blanket. The baby had firey orange-red eyes, a yellow fur coat and dark red mane and tail. All the of them were smiling at, what Flim could guess, the birth of his sister-in-law, Apple Bloom.
"Oh, I see," the peppermint maned stallion said.
"Looking at this photo made me realize that next Saturday is going ta be the twenty-fifth anniversary of...." she stopped there. Tears starting to form in her eyes.
"Applejack, Applejack," Flim said, taking her face with his hooves, "look at me."
She looked him in the eyes, emerald green staring into emerald green. Tears were starting to leave, going down her face. Flim wiped away her with his hooves, not wanting to leave any tear stains.
"Listen to me, AJ. I know that you and your family suffered such a horrible loss, you especially. However, I don't think it's good if you start becoming depressed during the week of your parents's death. Think about how it would affect Cider, or the baby along the way."
She let his words sink in. He was right, there was no use in getting into a depressed state, especially with Apple Cider around. Not to mention how it would effect the baby when she gives birth.
Applejack took a deep breath, before bringing her muzzle close to his, their lips almost touching as she spoke.
"Flim, why are ya so good ta me?"
He smiled, giving her a kiss that only lasted for a couple of moments.
"You're the apple of my eye," the stallion responded. This made the country mare smile. She drew him closer to her, pressing their foreheads together. His horn laying just at the top of her head.
"Ah love ya."
"I love you, too."
It was later in the day and Apple Cider was spending some time with her father. She was watching him work on the farm. Watching him as he was getting the apples down from the trees and feeding the pigs. She never fully understood why she enjoyed watching him work so much, though. For some reason it just amused her.
The little earth pony walked up to her father, tugging on his tail.
"Daddy, mind if I ask you something?"
"Anything, sweetheart."
"I was just wondering..." she trailed off for a moment before asking him, "do you know what happened to my grandparents?"
Flim looked at his daughter with a surprised look on his face. He didn't expect that one question to come out of her mouth. Especially not so young. He expected her to ask that when she was in her teen years but... at ten years old? He wasn't quite sure how to answer her question...
"Um... w-why do you ask, Apple Cider?"
The little filly removed her hat from her head, turning it clockwise with her hooves. "Well, it's just that... every year, by the time of December 15th, Ma seems to get sad. I can't help but think it has something to do with my grandparents," she explained.
The unicorn stallion just stared at his daughter. He thought in his mind how funny it was that earlier he had told his wife that he didn't her to be acting all depressed due thinking about how it would affect Cider and the baby coming soon. And yet, here she was, asking him why her mother seemed to be depressed whenever December 15th rolled around.
Well, she is a smart little pony...
"Yes, Apple Cider. I do know what happened."
The filly's ears perked up, obviously excited to hear that answer. "You do? Can you tell me, PLEASE?!"
Flim crouched down to her height so they could see eye-to-eye. "Listen, sweetie. Your mother and I agreed not to tell you until your a little older," he explained. "Even if we did want to tell you now, she wouldn't want us to tell you during this time. It's just too painful for her."
Apple Cider look down at the ground. A disappointed expression appearing across her face. Although, she wouldn't be told for now, she understood why. She wouldn't want to make her mother feel more depressed if she were to bring up what happened to her grandparents.
It was the last Friday before the week of the anniversary began. Applejack was trying her absolute best not to feel depressed. She began spending a lot of time with her daughter to take her mind off of it. Playing games and baking pies.
When she and the little filly weren't spending time together, she spend it with her husband. The two of them just relaxing, enjoying each other's company. They often talked about the little one growing inside her mid-drift. Thinking of names and wondering if it would either be an earth pony or unicorn.
They just laid on the couch for hours, nuzzled up against each other. The two of them were both quite content. She leaned her body against him for support, his hoof on top of hers.
The two lovers gave each other little eskimo kisses, showing their true love and affection for one another.
Suddenly, the sound of a knock on the front door interrupted the pair. The stallion was the first of the married couple to get up. As he was walking towards the door, he heard his dear wife struggling to getting off couch.
He quickly went over to help her, putting one hoof around her waist and taking her other in his, setting her down easily.
"Applejack, you need be careful whenever you're trying to come down from something."
"Yes, ah know. Sorry, 'bout that, Sugar Cube," she apologized.
He kissed her sweetly on the lips. "Why don't you go upstairs and check on Apple Cider? I'll go and see who's at the door."
She gave him a soft smile, nodding her head in the process. The mare began making her way up the stairs toward their daughter's room.
The unicorn headed toward the front door, opening it to reveal the mail mare, Derpy Hooves.
"Letter for Flim Skim," she said, extending her hoof that held the letter toward him. A dark green aura surrounded it as his magic began to levitate it.
"Thank you," he replied before the grey pegasus flew away, off to deliver some more mail.
Flim looked at the address only to see that it was from his little sister, Sham. He loved his little sister as much as he loved his wife. He wondered though, what was she writing to him about?
He opened up the letter and began to read it:
Dear Flim,
it's your sister, Sham. I have come down with a case of the pony pox and I need you and Flam to help take care of me. I know that you and Flam, along with Shim, will be able to help this disease go away faster. Please come over as soon as possible.
Your little sister, Sham.
As soon as he finished reading the letter, he thought for a moment. His sister wishes for him to help her but he wife needed him as well. She could give birth at any moment. Who would help take care of his wife if he were to go to his little sister's need?
He then thought of some of the perfect ponies to help take care of Applejack while he was away.
Applejack was up in their bedroom once her husband had come up. She trotted over to her lover.
"Cider's in her room, drawing to her heart's content."
"That's good to hear," he said, moving towards their closet.
Applejack had a befuddled looked come across her face. "Flim, what are ya doing?"
"Sham has sent me a letter, notifying me that she is ill," he explained, grabbing a suitcase. "So she requested that I come to her aid at once."
The country mare felt her heart stop for a moment. He's leaving? He couldn't leave. Especially not now when the anniversary is coming in less than five days. Not to mention the baby could be coming at any day.
Suddenly, it drew her mind back to how the incident had begun. A letter was sent to them by her aunt Orange, requesting for her brother and sister-in-law to come at her aid, along with Granny Smith.
She was starting to get a strange sense of déjà vu. She began to panic, rushing over to him. "Flim, I don't think ya should go!"
A surprised expression came over his face at his wife's sudden outburst. Her hooves hugging him tight, as if not wanting to let go.
"Darling, I have to. She's my sister," he said. "I need to go and help her. And it won't be just me over there. Flam will be there as well."
Her eyes widened. Flam was requested as well? She took this as a bad sign. Now she was getting a really bad case of déjà vu.
"Flim, the anniversary of my parents' death happened during the time of THIS week decades ago! Wh-what if..."
Flim was starting to become speechless. Was she starting to imply that what happened in the past was going to repeat itself and end up with him having the same fate as her late mother and father?
He turned around to face his beloved. He gave her a comforting hug, rubbing small circles on her back.
"Applejack, dear, I promise you, nothing bad is going to happen to me."
"How can ya'll be so certain?" she asked him. "The whole thing began with a letter from one of my parent's siblings saying that she was ill. What if what happened to my parents..." the mare trailed off for a moment before continuing, "turns out the exact same with ya?"
The pregnant mare began to have tears running down her face. She hyperventilated as well.
The unicorn shushed her, trying to keep her calm. He put their foreheads together, their muzzles close. He ran a hoof through her soft golden-blonde mane while his other hoof was resting on her face.
"I can assure you, my sweet, that that is not going to happen."
"Ya really think so?"
"I can one-hundred percent guarantee that it won't."
He then kissed his pregnant wife with a comforting kiss on the forehead.
The next day emerged and the taxi cab that Flim had called for was on its way. The stallion had just finished packing eveything he needed for his trip. He had already gotten a letter from his twin brother saying that he had already arrived at their sister's home.
"Daddy," he heard a little voice from behind him say.
Apple Cider was sitting on his parents bed, holding her little doll that her uncle, Big Mac, had given her. She had been watching her father packing for a few minutes.
"How long are you going to be gone?"
"Oh. Well, sweetie, I should only be gone for a couple of days. Your uncle Flam is over there with your aunt Sham right now."
"Do you have to go? What if Ma starts to get depressed while your away?"
Her father gave her a soft smile. He walked over to the little filly, taking a seat next to her on the bed. He drew her closer to him by putting an arm around her waist, almost giving her a kind of a side-hug.
"Apple Cider, I want you to listen to me very carefully, okay?"
She nodded.
"I made a guarantee with your mother that I will return safe and sound. I need you to keep that in mind and whenever your mother seems to look upset, just keep telling her that I will be alright."
"Yes, daddy."
"Alright," he said, kissing the top of the filly's head. "Now, your aunt Apple Bloom should be here any moment so why don't you go downstairs?"
The little earth pony hopped off the bed, her doll in her mouth. She quickly was out of the room. As she was running out of the room, Flim ears perked up, listening. He listened carefully as the sound of rain began to fall from the sky.
The little thumps of raindrops hitting the roof and the pitter-patter of rain hitting the ground could be heard all throughout the house.
The cab had finally arrived and Flim had already put his suitcase on the seat. He had told the cab driver that he would be right back; he just needed to say goodbye to his family.
It was raining harder than it was earlier. Everypony was starting to get soaked, especially Flim and Applejack who happened to be crying her eyes out. She was begging him to reconsider and not go on the trip.
She was fearing the worse, for this was how the day her parents left looked. Her mother and father had gotten a cab and it was pouring rain. They had told her that they would only be gone for a couple of days, but... of course, that was not what had happened.
The pale yellow pony was trying to comfort his crying wife. Their little girl holding onto his leg, watching the whole scene unfold before her.
"AJ, darling, please stop crying. I beg you."
The mare was holding onto his arm as she cried, not wanting to let go. She was truly starting to feel as if that history was planning to repeat itself. First the letter, now the weather as he was about to leave?
"What if ya never come back?"
"Dear," he said as he pressed his forhead against hers, "you're just being paranoid. Nothing horrible is going to happen."
He took her hoof and kissed it a few times before giving his favorite country mare a goodbye kiss. The stallion then took Apple Cider's hoof and gave her a big hug.
"Cider, I want you and Aunt Apple Bloom to take good care of your mother for me while I'm away alright."
"Yes, daddy, I will."
He gave her a goodbye kiss on the cheek. He then looked at his wife.
"Now Twilight will come later tonight if anything happens to you or the baby. If something does happen just send Flam and I a letter and we'll come dashing our way back here."
His wife nodded, giving him one last enbrace. Her wet mane soaked to the pointed that it looked to be stuck to her fur coat. His wet mane was soaked as well, the red in it looking more darker than it actually was.
"I love you," he whispered in her ear.
She smiled, whispering the same sentence in response.
The two of them finally let go of each other and Flim quickly ran toward the cab, trying his best not to get any more wet than he already was.
As he took his seat, the cab driver instantly began to trot away from Sweet Apple Acres. He waved goodbye to his family. He did so until his family was out of sight.
It had been three days since Flim had left and Applejack had been becoming more and more paranoid. Today was December 13th; less than forty-eight hours until the anniversary of her parents death.
Some of the other ponies began to wonder how was that she had known how her parents died if she wasn't there with them to witness it. Well, her Granny Smith was there and had witnessed the most horrible, and tragic event that had happened in her life... The death of her daughter and son-in-law.
Apple Bloom had only been about two days old when the incident happened. It wasn't until she had gotten older that she was told by her older siblings.
Applejack was brought out of her thoughts when the sound hoofsteps came from the front door of her home. She looked over to see none other than her friend Twilight standing in the door frame.
"Hey, Applejack."
"Oh, uh, h-hey Twilight?"
"You feeling alright?" the alicorn asked her.
"Honestly... no, ah'm not. I've been worried sick about him."
Twilight gave her friend a sly smile. She knew about what would be coming in less than two days. She knew what Applejack was going through, but she couldn't help but think that her friend was being a little paranoid.
"Applejack, I'm sure everything will be fine. Right now, you need to focus on what's good for the foal that you're carrying inside you. All of this worrying can't be healthy for it."
As soon as the Princess of Friendship said that, the country mare felt a shot of pain hit her in the mid-drift of her body. She let out a yelp of pain. Her back arched forward as one hoof immediately laid on her stomach and the other on her spine.
The orange pony felt something wet run down on her hind legs. Her eyes widened as she knew what was going on due to the fact that she had experienced this once before. She started taking in gasps of air.
"Twilight! Go get Apple Bloom!"
The purple pony princess stared at her friend who was now starting to sweat. She winced as the earth pony screamed in pain. This made her decide quickly to go and get AJ's little sister.
Applejack was going into labor.
Twilight, Apple Bloom were in AJ and Flim's bedroom. There wasn't any time to get her to the hospital in time due to the foal coming fast. Applejack was now laying in bed, her hind legs sitting upright.
The Princess proceeding to do the delivery whilst Apple Bloom held her sister's hoof. The red-maned earth pony thought that she was feeling more pain than her sister was due to the fact that her hoof being held so tightly she thought it would snap... or disintergrate.
She knew her older sister to be strong but this was just painful.
"Alright, Applejack. You're going to have to push, okay?" Twilight said through her surgical mask.
The mare was breathing and sweating like crazy. However she nodded, showing that she understood.
"Alright, one... two... three... PUSH!"
The earth pony pushed with all her might. She felt the lower portion of her body stretch to about as wide as what felt be about a quarter of the size of the blue ribbon apple that she and her family were going to enter in the Appleloosa State Fair back when the vampire fruit bats were attacking Sweet Apple Acres.
She screamed in searing pain.
"C'mon AJ, I can see the head. Just a little bit more," said Twilight.
The mare pushed harder once again. She pushed until she heard the sound of a baby cry.
"It's a colt, Applejack! It's a colt!" Apple Bloom said excitedly through her mask. "And he's a unicorn!"
Applejack tried to look up at her son but couldn't because her belly seemed to still look pregnant.
Twilight quickly made a blue blanket appear, wrapping it around the little colt. She gently set him down in a little basket next to the bed. The princess waited about another minute before going over to her friend.
"AJ," she began, "it looks as though there's another foal inside you. You're going to have to push in about another minute or two," Twilight explained.
"Another foal? Ah'm going ta have twins?" she asked while taking in a few slow breaths.
"Yes, I'm going to need to stay calm and push when I tell you, okay?"
"Okay, Twilight."
The alicorn trotted over to the end of the bed, the sound of nothing but a colt's cooing.
"You ready, Applejack?"
The sweaty and tired looking earth pony looked up at her friend and over at her sister. "As ready as ah'll ever be."
The Princess of Friendship nodded before getting ready for the second round of delivering. "One.... two... three... PUSH!"
The strong Apple pushed once again, delivering another child. The thought of all the pain she was experiencing gone as she thought about how happy Flim would be when he found out that she had given birth to twins.
"Okay, one last push! C'mon, c'mon I can see the head!"
Applejack let out one last scream before hearing the sound of another baby crying.
"It's a filly!" Twilight cheered. "But not just any filly, an earth pony!"
Flim and Flam were with their little sister Sham. She was laying in her bed, thermometer in her mouth, ice pack in her head. It was December 14th and the unicorn mare seemed to be getting better by the day.
A green aura surrounded the thermometer as well as Flam's horn. He squinted his eyes to get a good look at the temperature.
"98.6, dear brother of mine," the mustached unicorn stallion said.
"Wonderful."
"You should be completely recovered now Sham. All of the pox seemed to have gone away."
The mare smiled at her two borthers. "That's great news! Whenever I do get sick, it seems to go away in less than a week when you help."
The two stallions looked over at each other smiling. Proud of what they could be able to do to help their little sister.
All of a sudden, the sound of a doorbell rang through the house. Flam went over to the door, opening it to reveal the mailmare Derpy.
"Letter for Flim Skim," she said.
Flam took the letter with his magic, reading the front to see it was from his sister-in-law. He looked over at her, nodding his head in graditude. The pegasus mare flying off right after.
The mustached stallion opened the letter and began reading it. His eyes widened in excitement as quickly sprang over to where Flim and Sham were.
"Brother, we've got a letter from your wife."
Flim's eyes widened, but in fear. "My wife? What happened? Is she alright?" he asked, a panicking tone in his voice.
"She's given birth to twins!"
"Twins?!"
"A filly and a colt!" Flam cheered.
"What are their names?"
The oldest unicorn brother stammered, trying to look through the letter to find where the names were written. "Uh, she says that she named your son 'Apple Crisp' and your daughter 'Candy Apple'. And she also mentioned that your son is a unicorn just like us."
Flim couldn't believe his ears. Twins! And one of them was a unicorn! He was so happy for his wife and his now grown family. He had to see his newborn kids at once.
"Flam, we must get to Sweet Apple Acres at once!"
The two brothers had been walking on foot for about a day now. About less than half an hour and it would be December 15th. The anniversary of his in-laws' death. The day that his wife dreaded most about out of the year.
However, he didn't think want to think about that. Instead, he wanted to think about meeting his new son and daughter. His brother was also very eager to meet his new niece and nephew.
The two unicorn stallions were walking through the Everfree Forest, completely unaware that they were being tracked down by a shadowy figure.
Flim looked up at Princess Luna's moon to see what it was. From when looked last, to now, it had been confirmed to be December 15th.
Not matter, he promised his beloved family that he would return safely home by then, and that promise was about to be fulfilled. All he needed to do was reach the other side of the Everfree and he'll be reunited with his dearest Applejack and kids in Sweet Apple Acres.
However, he and his brother stopped in their tracks, their ears perking up due to a sound a twig snapping. They looked around themselves to see if either of them had happened to accidently step on one.
None, whatsoever.
The snapping sound was soon followed by a growling noise coming from right behind them. The twins looked over their shoulders to see a pair of bright, glowing yellow eyes, with a hint of green to outline the sockets from the darkness.
The glowing eyes began to grow bigger, followed by, what looked to be, a wooden snout. The rest of the creature's face coming into the moonlight. Its features seemed to not composed with skin, but with sticks and twigs. The only physical feature not made with either of those were its eyebrows, which were made of leaves.
A few more pairs of glowing yellow eyes appeared from the darkness. About three more in total of the same species.
"Timberwolves..." Flam whispered in a s frightened manner.
"Flam, we've got to get out of here. Quickly!"
The Timberwolves howled as the unicorn twins began to run. They soon ran after them, trailing not too far behind. Their ran just as fast as the two brothers. One of them just on Flim's tail.
Flam looked behind them to see one of the four chasing them almost grab Flim's tail. His horn quickly began to glow; a dark green laser shooting at the predator's face, breaking into pieces.
This didn't last too long, for its face quickly reassembled itself and managed to grab the tail of the youngest of the two.
Flim was then being lifted off the ground, hanging by his tail from the monster's sharp, thorny teeth.
"Brother!"
The unicorn turned his head due hearing his young sibling cry his name in distress. He skidded against the rough dirt path in order to stop himself from running any further. A look of horror come across his face as he saw the demon throw Flim hard against a large tree.
A cracking sound coming from his spine due to the impact in which the timberwolf had thrown him. The others completely forgetting about the stallion watching in horror, surrounding the one that was by the tree instead.
One timberwolf swiped its sharp, thorne-like claws across Flim's face, causing him to cry out in pain. Five large gashes across his whole entire face, each one about as wide as an inch and about two hooves long. Blood running all over his face, his pale yellow fur coat turning into a orange color.
Another one of the beasts then bit one bleeding unicorn outstretched arms. A bite so deep, you could see to the bone.
The totured unicorn screamed in agony. The pain too much for him to bare. His screams of torment caused the animal to release him, his body falling face down onto the hard ground.
Flam couldn't stand the sight much longer. He was conflicted with both sadness and anger at what those mongrels where doing to his brother. This made him to come out of his frozen state and blast the evil with the most power and deadliest laser of magic that he has ever done.
The deadly blow of his magic hit the timberwolf that had took a bite of Flim's arm. His magic managed to destroy the creature completely; not even bothering to reassemble itself.
The other three ran away in fear, not wanting to end up having the same fate.
Flam quickly ran over to his twin, holding him in his lap. He was horrified at the sight before him. The gashes in his face were so deep, all the veins of you could see of the veins were visible. His left eye seemed to be hanging out of its socket.
His entire body was getting cold; a lot of blood leaving his body. He entire coat becoming completely white.
"Flam..."
"Yes, brother..." he responded, tears forming in his eyes.
"I promised Applejack that I would return safe and sound..." his voice becoming more hoarse by the moment.
Flim body began to tremble. "I-it seems that... I-I ha-have failed."
"N-no! Don't say that, brother. We're going to get out of here, okay? W-we're going to get you to the hospital a-and then you'll be reunited with your wife and Cider and meet the twins!"
Flim shook his head. "Flam..."
"Y-yes?" he asked, tears coming down his face.
"Tell everypony that I lo-...."
Flam's face ran cold. He felt his own heart stop beating.
"That I lo-...."
It was that moment, the dying unicorn took his last and final breath...
It was now early in the ten in the morning. Applejack was holding a sleeping Apple Crisp. She no longer thinking about today being the anniversary now that she had two beautiful foals.
She was greeted by her dear Apple Cider pulling on her tail.
"Ma, the taxi is here! The taxi is here!"
Applejack trotted off behind her eldest daughter while tightly holding onto her son. She made it downstairs where her little sister Apple Bloom was holding her daughter, Candy Apple. They all made it outside to where the taxi was.
Every single one of them had grins on their faces that went up to their cheeks. However, Applejack's smile quickly faded when she only saw her brother-in-law and her husband nowhere in sight.
His head was down, not looking up at either her of Apple Bloom.
"Flam? What's the matter?" Applejack asked. "W-where's Flim?"
He looked at her, eye-to-eye. Not saying a word. And he didn't need to. His tear-stained face was all she needed to figure out what happened.
She eyes began to swell up with tears of sadness.
"Ma, what's wrong?" the little filly asked. "Why are you crying?"
Applejack looked down at her daughter. She crouched down to her height, her voice breaking. "Cider, sweetie. Ya know how yer've been asking me 'bout what happened with my parents?"
The little earth pony nodded her head "yes."
The mare sniffled. "Well, let's just say..." she paused, not wanting to continue, "history just repeated itself. The only difference being that this time... instead of taking the both of us... it took yer father."
The Apple-Skim family will never forget that ill-fateful day. Because for generations to come.... on December 15th, every 25 years... history will repeat itself...
Author's Note
Well, this took AGES to write. I've been having this story in my head for a while and decided to do a one-shot of it. I didn't think it would take me about a week to write it, though. Also, I've never written a tragedy before so... tell me how I did. Don't forget to favorite and LEAVE A REVIEW!!!!
