Blooming Talent 2: The Apple Falls Far

Apple Bloom's face was burning from Equisbane's touch as the immortal dug his near molten talons into her skull. The pain added on to the pain fromthe Legacy Killer was almost too much to bear. She grabbed at his wrist, but her hand was instantly burned and she let go quickly.

Equisbane stared down at her with the same non-expression and tilted his head slightly, flaring his flaming wings out.

"Its time for you to die, Misses Bloom." He announced.

She sensed his ki rising and shut her eyes tight; with the Legacy Killer tiring her out to where she couldn't use her full powers, she couldn't escape. If she flew, he'd either hold on to her or fly up with her. If she blasted him, she might expend too much energy. Her physical strength was drained. There was no way out...

The attack never came however; Equisbane was taken aback as Ahkma appeared from seemingly nowhere and with a swipe of his long claws, sliced the immortal's arm right off.

He showed n  shock however on his face and jumped back away from the fray to regroup with himself. Ahkma stood in front of Apple Bloom while she tossed aside the now useless limb that had nearly killed her. When she looked up at Ahkma, she saw the horrible burn marks all over his back and arms; the flesh was charged and blood was spotting places, the fur completely gone. He looked as though he were holding something in his arm, and sure enough, Apple Bloom realized he was holding a young pup to his chest. The terrified little canine looked no older than twelve.

"Ahkma...thank goodness you're OK." She said.

"I don't think OK is the word for it, child." The old dog replied, breathing raspy. "I'm in so much pain...not only physically...but in my heart as well..."

She got to her hooves and took up a fighting stance beside him. "We'll make him pay for what he's done."

Equisbane watched them intently, and twitched a little as the severed arm suddenly regrew in a burst of flame; the new limb liked completely like the old one.

Ahkma shakily reached into what remained of his vest and pulled forth a glowing blue vial.

"The Legacy Suppressor.." Apple Bloom murmured.

"Inject it into your arm. Quickly." He told her, not taking his eyes off of Equisbane for a second.

The small pup in his arms was crying and sniffling uncontrollably, paws clinging to Ahkma for dear life. Apple Bloom injected the Suppressor and breathed in, feeling rejuvenated for now.

"Alright," she said. "What's the game plan?"

The old dog suddenly shoved a slightly burned piece of paper into the southern anthro's shirt, causing her to yelp a bit in surprise, and then grunt as he shoved the pup into her arms right after. Confused, she looked at Ahkma questioningly.

"Follow those directions." He said. "They'll take you to our planned destination. When you get there, tell him I sent you, and get treated for your infection. Save your son...rejoin your family."

The pup's heightened cries mirrored Apple Bloom's own inner thoughts at hearing this. "What? No! I can't leave you to face this monster alone! What about your family? If you and this pup lived, surely others must have--"

"That pup is the only family I have left now, child." Ahkma told her matter-of-factly. "I need to protect him, and I'm far too injured to travel far...you have to get him out of here..."

"But Ahkma, we can--"

"You told me we should always do whatever it takes to keep our families safe...well, that's what I'm doing; you are my remaining family's best hope for safety. Take him, and get out of here quickly, before the Suppressor wears off."

"Ahkma..."

The old dog growled and turned to her with an agreed expression. "Go!"

She paused a second longer and shed one tear before zipping into the sky and away from the burning village. The pup cried out and screamed for Ahkma, but Apple Bloom held him tight to her body as she flew away, trying to fight the temptation to look back.

Equisbane watched her fade into the horizon as the sun finally set and darkness took over the sky; the flames providing an eerie light for the situation at hand. He finally turned his attention to Ahkma, who was growlinggrowling angrily.

"Your claws." He said. "They are sharp. I didn't know you could extend them."

"I never had a reason to do so until now." Ahkma replied. "I'd say now is as good a time as any though."

"You won't win this fight."

"I know that...but I have to give the child time to escape, you know. Stalling 101."

Equisbane huffed. "This all could have been avoided if you had just stayed put and turned Apple Bloom in."

"If we really want to get technical, than all of this is happening because you and your emperor took a defenseless child from it's parents." The old dog barked. "Did you expect no retaliation, or no kind of repercussion? Do you and that slave driver Midas even know right from wrong?!"

"What the emperor says is always right." Equisbane said, an actual hint of anger in his tone. "What others think is wrong; only the emperor knows what is best for us all."

"How can you say that?" Ahkma argued."You tear families apart at a whim and keep tour subjects in line with fear! How can a horse who knows what is right think that is?!"

"How can the horse that saved my life when others wanted to end it be wrong?!" Equisbane shouted, showing emotion finally and blasting a jetstream of flames from his talons.

Ahkma rolled away and extended his claws out to nine inches and charged. Equisbane turned the flames in his direction, but the old dog leapt over them and slashed some gashes into the immortal's shoulder. He let out a grunt of pain, and then another as Ahkma swiftly landed, turned, and drove all ten of his razor sharp claws into his back. The natural weapons protruded out of Equisbane's gut, preventing him from healing the wounds. Ahkma's flesh was searing, but he held the pose.

"One right...does not make up for hundreds of wrongs..." He groaned. "He saved your life, and then...and then used you as a living weapon to fulfill his deeds."

"He doesn't use me, welp!" Equisbane yelled. "He trusts me enough to carry out his will! And I do so with pleasure; I owe him that much."

He elbowed Ahkma in the face, causing he old canine to yelp and retract his claws momentarily to rub his nose. He then grabbed the dog by the back of his head and slammed him face first into the ground, making an indenture in the sand.

Ahkma coughed out the grains before attempting another dialogue. "If you kill for pleasure...you're no better than the scientists who tried to kill you...in fact...if you kill with pleasure...you're even worse than them.."

"Shut up, dog!" Equisbane shouted again, repeating his slamming attack several more times. "I am not like them! I serve the emperor! He is just and wise! They were ruthless and cruel! They wanted me dead because I was a freak, and he saved me! The emperor is always right! He's always right!"

He continued to repeat the last sentence with each slam he made with Ahkma's face into the ground. Each time he pulled his head back for another, there was more blood, more broken features...and before long, Ahkma wasnt breathing anymore, and yet the immortal continued his attack.

After several more minutes, Equisbane reverted back to his normal form and sat down beside Ahkma's body, breathing hard.

"He saved me...he saved my life..how can someone who saves another be...wrong?"

A look of realization spread over his face, as he remembered what had just happened. Ahkma had saved the pup by making Apple Bloom take him away. He'd save the pup. He had been doing the right thing.

No, he was defying the emperor, and the emperor was just and wise. Anyone who defies the emperor must be dealt with. It was the law...

But still...Ahkma had basically saved the pup's life...

But he only had to do so because he brought punishment down upon his family. So he was wrong; his plans of desertion brought this upon the canines, not the emperor. The emperor was right.

"The emperor!" He said to himself, turning towards the dying flames of the village.

Past the flames and burnt bodies, Equisbane saw the entrance to the mines, which would lead to the Legacy Suppressor stockpile. Good, they hadn't burned to the ground. He stood up on all four hooves, and regained his composure. He was no good to the emperor if he was emotional, and he returned his stone faced look to his features, pushing everything aside. The emperor had saved his life, and now the emperor needed him to help save his. He owed him.

***

Bon Bon sat in her home alone for the millionth day it seemed. Without Lyra, everything seemed to have lost color; the blue sky seemed gray, the sun didn't warm her at all...it was as if she was living in a black and white world without that beautiful mint colored unicorn by her side. Each night shed slept hugging a pillow, pretending it was Lyra, but it would never be the same as the warmth and solidity of another mare...

Shed been looking down at the razor knife in her hooves for over an hour, and the thoughts that accompanied it were not good ones. But good or not, what good was living in a world without love? Shed become desperate in the last year since the Dragon Balls were destroyed, and all hope of getting her Lyra back had been lost.

She may as well do it...

She clumsily held the razor's edge to her throat; her eyes tearing up a little as she closed them.

As she prepared to end it for good, a sudden knocking at her front door startled her back to the world. She waited, as if she had imagined it as some last ditch effort to stay alive. When it came again, she knew it was real, and not some final hope of hers trying to keep her in this hell of a world.

She put the razor down and trotted over to answer the door. When she opened it, her heart skipped a beat.

"Hey, Bon Bon.." Lyra said. "We need to talk..."