Blooming Talent 2: The Apple Falls Far

"My lord! My lord!" The nurse horse cheerily shouted as she galloped up to Emperor Midas' chambers. "My lord, your daughter!"

She reached the large golden door leading to his room, absolutely ecstatic of her news. Her excitement turned to shock when she opened the door and trotted inside.

"My lord, your daughter spoke her first wo-- oh, my lord!"

What she saw was not a pretty sight; Emperor Midas was a shivering wreck of a horse as he lay on his large bed like a dying animal. The brilliant golden silk sheets were stained heavily with thick reddish black blood around his pillow and his entire body except for a few spaces was covered in a tree like network of blackened veins. His golden armor lay scattered in seperate pieces about the room, each one's injection vial completely empty.

The nurse panicked, and rushed to her emperor's bedside, frantically thinking of what she could do.

"Oh dear oh dear oh dear! My lord, can I help in anyway?!"

Her eyes scanned the entirety of the large room, but no other Legacy Suppressor vials were around. She knew the emperor must have at least one for emergencies like this, though; he just had to. Perhaps if she could take some drops from the empty vials and combine them...

"There is ones way you can help, nurse." Midas wheezed painfully, cutting her train of thought off instantly.

"Yes, anything, my lord!"

A small grin spread across his bloodied mouth. "Tell...tell me what my...little girl's first words were.."

The nurse smiled a bit, but did not stop panicking internally. "She said 'where daddy?'"

Midas chuckled, causing more blood-spittle to leak from his teeth. His daughter's first words and they'd been about him. That made him feel much better, at least in emotional terms. He hacked up a splash of blood and bile again which caused the nurse to go back into full on freak out mode.

He knew what she was looking for, and pointed underneath his bed with one of his violently shaking hooves. He always kept that smaller vial of more concentrated Legacy Suppressor there in case of things like this, and had just not gotten it in time.

The nurse rapidly found the vial and injected the emperor quickly; the glowing blue liquid disappearing into his body. The veins receded back to his torso after a few moments, held at bay from spreading for the time being.

"Oh my lord, I thought it might have been too late." The nurse said, wiping her brow in relief. "I thought that brute Equisbane was retrieving your medicine for you!"

"He is, nurse. He is."

"Well he sure is taking his sweet time, if I may say so, my lord."

Midas managed to reach a sitting position before replying to his disgruntled subject. "He must take as much time as he needs to; I have full confidence he'll get the Suppressor."

***

"Wow, you must have a silver tongue, Ahkma." Goten admired. "You convinced your people pretty quickly."

Ahkma and his entire village were outside carrying packs and other traveling neccesaties. The age range was wide with elders, children, and everything in between. A good two hundred strong of canines ready to set off on a journey.

"It wasn't too hard." Ahkma grinned, causing his gruff voice to growl a bit. "My people seem to also want a life away from the near slavery we are in. They have reservations about it...as do I...but I told them what you said about your family, and I think they agree."

Apple Bloom smiled as she leaned on her husband. She was glad they would no longer have to fear oppression after this; that they'd find a new place to call home.

"So you said you knew a place." She said. "Out of curiosity, where is it?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, child." Ahkma replied, seeming to have remembered something. "We're going to travel to an oasis area deep in the desert outside Saddle Arabia's borders. I know a pony there that might be able to help you in your condition."

Apple Bloom and Goten both raisded their eyebrows. "But I thought you said only the Legacy Suppressor cash treat the Legacy Killer.."

Ahkma nodded. "That is true, but you are in the early stages, and since no vital organs or systems have yet been infected by the veins, there's a way this pony can technically cure you of the Legacy Killer."

"What do you mean technically?"

"You'll see, child. But only if you choose to come with us to see him."

Apple Bloom looked down and frowned in thought. It definetily would be nice to be rid of this horrible infection, but that would mean shed be going in the opposite direction of her son. The more time she took doing that, the more time Carrot would be in the Emperor's clutches. She wasn't sure she wanted to--

"She'll go with you for sure." Goten suddenly answered for her.

She looked at her husband in surprise. He was smiling at her with a confident look in his eyes.

"What are you doing?" She asked him.

"Remember when you said I needed to go after Carrot alone so you wouldn't 'slow me down'?" He asked, quotating the last phrase. "I told you then I wouldn't leave you alone out here in your condition. Well, now that you'll be with them, you won't be alone. "

"But..Goten..are you sure..?"

"Positive, love." He replied. "Don't worry; I'll have our son back, sand you'll be cured of this awful sickness, and everything will be lovely once again; we'll have our family back."

She had to admit that she had suggested that, and that what Goten was saying now made sense. They could take care of two birds with one stone and be happy once again. She pulled him close to give him a long kiss which he immediately returned.

"Be careful." She said.

"I will. I love you."

"I love you too."

With that, the half-saiyan leapt into the air, leaving Apple Bloom to rest on Ahkma's shoulder. He looked about for a moment, and then shot off into the horizon, headed for the imperial city.

She watched him until his form was no longer visible and his ki could no longer be sensed from the distance. A tear started to form in her eye, but she blinked and banished it; she shouldn't be crying. Everything was going to work out.

"Well, what do we have here?" A dark voice droned suddenly.

Apple Bloom did not recognize the voice, but the sudden fear and murmuring from those around her told her they did. She followed their terrified gaze and beheld several horse soldiers sporting silver armor. At the head of them was a much bulkier horse with a jet black mane  and tan coat. His red eyes scanned over all those present as the murmurs grew louder.

"Ah..Equisbane.." Ahkma shivered.

"Where do you think you are all going, Ahkma?" Equisbane asked, his tone of voice never changing.

"We... We...we were just..." Ahkma stuttered.

He couldn't find the words as fear was choking his movements. Something about this was strange; the dogs obviously feared this horse for some reason.

"Hey," she called out. "Who are you?"

The entirety of the canine clan gasped and turned to look at Apple Bloom who was now pointing at Equisbane, who was now looking at her as well.

"My name is Equisbane. I am Emperor Midas' right hoof horse." He replied calmly.

The mention of the emperor sparked something in the southern mare. Her eyes smoldered with anger as she involuntarily relived the day Carrot had been taken.

She got off of Ahkma and started  to slowly walk up to him. The soldiers readied their bladed weapons, but Equisbane didntv even flinch.

"So what are you doing here...right hoof horse?"

"I came to get the emperor his requirements. What are you doing here? Stirring up trouble..Misses Bloom?"

Apple Bloom stopped cautiously. "How do you know my name?"

"I deduced it based on the fact your body seems to be mostly Equestrian and by the fact you show signs of being infected by the Legacy Killer, which is unique to the royal family...or was until the emperor infected you with it during your skirmish in Ponyville."

"Then you also know what I'm doing." She said.

"Indeed." Equisbane said without infliction. "You are a criminal from Equestria, just as these dogs are now criminals to Saddle Arabia. Trying to leave the service of the Empire is punishable by death, Ahkma. "

Ahkma dropped to his knees and began to berg and pray; many of his clansmen doing the same. Apple Bloom did not faulted however.

"Whether its the law or not,i can't let you kill them over a stupid law like that." She stated. "And I won't let you force them to mine your Legacy Suppressor anymore."

"You're moving quite well for one who's body is unfamiliar with the Legacy Killer." Equisbane noted. "I assume that means they gave some to you. That is a far more serious crime on top of their desertion. Death is inevitable for them."

"Not if I can help it."

"You can't."

***

"My lord, forgive me, but why do you have so much faith in Equisbane?" The nurse horse asked. "For all we know he could have been killed."

"Unlikely, nurse." Midas told her. "There aren't many things that can kill his kind."

"His kind, my lord?"

***

"Your ki isn't normal. " Apple Bloom pointed out. "I'm guessing you've got some kind of power?"

Equisbane cracked his neck slowly to one side, motioning for his soldiers to back off. "You could say that. I may not be as powerful as you; what with your training under the Saiyan and your Element of Honesty."

He took one hoofstep forward...

***

"Equisbane isn't a normal horse, nurse." Midas said. "In fact, he really isn't a horse at all. Have you ever heard of the Unender Project ?"

"That study of phoenix's genetics our country did years ago, my lord?"

"Yes that's the one. Do you remember why it no longer is active in our science research?"

The nurse looked thoughtful, remembering past events. "Because none of the test subjects survived, my lord. It was all over the news. But why is this important right now?"

***

"I'm not technically a horse...not anymore, anyway." Equisbane explained, shedding his armor. "To be completely honest, I don't really know what I am. But I do know this--"

***

"I have faith in him because he's loyal to me. He's loyal to me because I in a way, saved his new life." Midas said, remembering days passed. "He was going to be destroyed to cover up any evidence of his existence...of a successfully completed test."

***

"--so anyone who defies his will must be punished accordingly. That means you and all of those sniveling dogs behind you. Once that's done, I will bring the emperor his medicine, and continue to make good on my debt."

"That's all warm and fuzzy and all, but if you think I'm gonna just stand aside and let you hurt them further, you're wrong." Apple Bloom stated firmly, taking up a fighting stance.

Equisbane noticed she was breathing hard already; the Suppressor must already be wearing off. Good...

"I'm going to show you something beautiful before you die, Misses Bloom." He said, the air around him starting the waver with intense heat.

***

"My lord...are you telling me that Equisbane is..."

"That's right nurse..." Midas confirmed.

***

Apple Bloom looked on in shock at what now stood where Equisbane had just been a second ago. The being was completely engulfed ijn flames, and had a rather large wingspan that spread out from its back. It was humanoid except for its head, which still looked like Equisbane, and its hands and feet looked like talons. Its arms and legs, or rather the flames upon them burned eternally in the shape of hasrdened feathers. His mane, now alight with flame, flickered like a forest fire across his head and neck.

"What are you..?" She questioned, gritting her teeth.

"What am I?" Equisbane repeated. I...am an Immortal."