Cheating the Cycle of Life- A Padded Pony Collab

The smell of fresh blood, and ashes coated the air. Half melted steel walls surrounded the orange farm pony. Shadowy Griffon-like shapes flited around her, laughing. Two bodies, with several deep gashes and cuts on them, were laying next to each other, propped up, one embracing the other. One was a stallion with a coat the color of a watermelon with a mane the color of a peach. He had on a brown Stetson, and was dressed in a dark brown vest, and a scarf the color of a granny smith apple (the actual apple, not his mother-in-law). The mare had a coat the color of ripe golden delicious apple. Her mane, tied back in a short ponytail, was spattered with blood, and singed slightly. She had on the armor of the Royal Day Guard, buy burnt and torn by claws. She had a familiar red ribbon in her mane. A detonator lay in the hooves of the stallion. Both had smiles on their faces, their last expression. Applejack shuddered, sniffiling as she reached out to the two. “Ma? Pa? Wake up” She pleaded. That was when she heard the ticking, and then heard a loud roar. She could barely turn as a fireball the size of their barn engulfed her, and her parents.

“Huah!” Applejack’s eyes shot open, as she sat upright in bed. “Why...” She muttered, wiping her tears. Her mother, Apple Cinnamon, had been a member of the Royal Guard, while her father, who had been a farmhoof before marrying her, Crescent Melon. On a routine inspection of a weather forecasting site on the border of Griffonhala, in which Crescent had come along for Bring-Your-Spouse-To-Work day, the unthinkable occured. A force of Griffon and Earth Pony bandits had stormed the place, seeking any technology they could sell on the black market. Her father had activated the self destruct mechanism, but not before giving his favorite hat, the one Applejack now wore with pride, and the ribbon his wife wore in her mane, the one Apple Bloom had, to a close friend, Hakon Steel Lance, a kind-hearted half-Griffon, Half-Unicorn. Hakon and then Captain of the Royal Guard Road Roller had delivered the news to the Apple Family. A monument to the couple, and all those that had given their lives that day stood at the ruins of the facility. AJ had only been seven, and Big Mac ten. Applejack squirmed, feeling a squish. She looked down, and blushed lightly. She had become an Adult Foal to ease stress and relieve the fond memories of her foaldom. Her Granny had understood, and Big Mac occasionaly indulged in it to. She lowered the sides of her crib, and set her teddy bear down. She was about to go change, when she heard a quiet sobbing coming from Apple Bloom’s room. She had guessed she had had a similar nightmare. Apple Bloom had only been a few weeks old when their parents had perished. Even years later, they still felt the pain and sorrow of that fateful day.

Applejack waddled over, her full diaper swaying. She gently pushed open the door. Apple Bloom was curled up, sobbing into her hooves. “Sis? Bad dream? She asked, as her sister nodded. She rubbed her sister’s back. “Wanna talk about it?”

Apple Bloom sniffled, and nodded. “Yeah sis,” She smiled slightly, “And yah need a change.” She giggled.

Applejack giggled back, “Ah will, but first, let’s get some hot chocolate.” Her sister hopped off the bed. The two Apple siblings trotted downstairs, to make hot chocolate.

Meanwhile, outside, the spirits of a mare and a stallion smiled, and trotted towards the house, to visit their family.