Blooming Talent 2: The Apple Falls Far

Cadence entered slowly into her home as she returned from Ponyville; the large crystal doors making very low creaking sounds as they swung in and out. The guards at the front knelt down and greeted the princess of love as usual, and she put them back at ease, as usual. She climbed the steps to her chambers, and put the groceries away as usual. She then organized the couch area...just like usual. It was as usual as any other day...even the once unusual part that was to follow had become so everyday it was like it too was usual.

Shining Armor lay under his covers in his bed, his curtains drawn and blocking out any sunlight. The room smelled musty, and even in the dark, Cadence could see the disarray that surrounded their sleeping area. Suits and armor plating were tossed about on the deep red carpet and several other articles of clothing and other miscellaneous items hung from the furniture.

Cadence had tried to organize things in this bedroom several times, but somehow it always ended up like this. Every. Single. Day.

It wasn't that she was angry at Shining about it; she didn't really mind having some busy work. She was, however, very worried that this had been fgoing on for so long. A full year almost, and even with the finest anti-depressants and even counseling with Dr. Hooves, Shining's life had not quite gotten back in order. He'd wake up, eat a small something, visit his sister in the asylum, and return home to mope.

Even when she would try to initiate love making, he would be unresponsive or bored by the idea. She was very worried about her beloved...

"Shining, dear?" She called softly to him as she entered into the dark cave that was their bedroom.

Her only response was a muffled grunt front beneath the covers.

"I brought back your meds, dear..." She told him, coming to lay beside him on the mattress. "And I also got your favorite drink to chase it; Sweet Apple Cider. You've gotta be happy about that."

Shining turned to look at her as she lay there levitating the bottle with a hopeful smile.

"How'd you get your hooves on that?" He asked, a hint of actual curiosity in his inflection.

"I got it from Sweet Apple Acres of course." She told him, happy to have some kind of response from him. "Goten was kind enough to give us some, and even payed your pharmacy bill for the month."

The white unicorn gave the bottle a once over before rolling back away from his wife. "I don't want it..."

Cadence's face instantly fell. "But..why..? He isn't mad at you or anything..."

"He should be..." Shining bluntly said. "Because of me, the Dragon Balls no longer exist, and that means no more wishes...no more miracles..."

There was a long pause before Shining broke the silence again.

"You know what I thought of last night? If I had let Apple Blom wish for her family back, Applejack would've come back, and then maybe they could have used the Elements of Harmony to return my poor Twilly back to sanity...but...because of my impatience...that'll never happen.."

Cadence scooted closer to her husband and put a comforting hoof on him. "Darling, Apple Bloom carries the Element of Honesty now. We can get her to--"

"I know she won't do it..." Shining interrupted. "She hates me, and with good reason....why should she help me get what I want when I took what she wanted away from her..?"

Cadence embraced him tightly from behind; her lover was much thinner in her hold than he had been a year prior. He was slowly wasting away not only mentally, but physically. She had to fight to stop from tearing up at the thought of what one more year like this would do to her Shining Armor...

***

Everyone took their seats around the large stone table in the middle of the large underground temple where the summit was being held. Luna and Piccolo represented the Equestrians, Queen Gilda and Jessibeak represented the Griffons, Lord Jackboot represented the Mules, King Iron Staff represented the minotaurs, and Emperor Midas with his bodyguard Equisbane represented the horses of Saddle Arabia; their names were all etched onto the triangular bars before their respective seats.

The leader of the diamond dogs, Ralph, preceded over the meeting as the neutral party. These were Diamond Dog lands after all.

Before anyone said anything, Luna began to look over the attending leaders. Most she recognized, and one or two were new to her; however, she could've swore that just before Ralph called the summit to order, Emperor Midas was smirking at her.

"This, the 36th summit of the world, shall now commence. I, Ralph of the Diamond Dogs will preceed over the goings on as the neutral party." Ralph said, slamming a rock on the table, presumably as a gavel.

Midas was the first to speak. "Hello, everyone. Its been too long since we had our little get together."

"Not long enough, Midas." Jackboot retorted.

"Iron Staff must agree with Jackboot; Iron Staff could go a lifetime without seeing your face again." Iron Staff added.

"Must we descend into argument so rapidly?" Luna tried to reason.

"Why not? Makes it less boring." Gilda responded dryly.

"Boring isn't a bad thing at meetings such as these." Luna replied quickly.

Midas raised a hoof; his golden armor making small noises as he moved. "Please, everyone, please. I think there's been enough violence in the world for the last few years."

Piccolo raised an eyebrow as he monitored the tan coated horse with the golden body armor.

"You're one to talk, Midas." Said Jackboot. "You and your gladiators kill each other just for the sport."

"At least my gladiators are contained within an arena. You never need to fear a threat from them, Lord Jackboot." Midas continued, unphased. "No, no, I'm talking about the recent goings on in Equestria. Princess Luna, it must be rough running a kingdom alone now that dearest Celestial is gone, yes?"

Luna twitched in her seat a bit, but answered as politely as she could. "Indeed, it has been taxing. Raising the sun and the moon each day and night takes much energy and time from me. "

"And you have been doing a beautiful job of it, Luna. Even with all the dissent amongst your subjects recently, you have kept your duties going."

"Dissent? Pray tell,what dost thou speakest of?"

"He means those super powered freaks like the one standing beside you causing a ruckus in Equesria." Gilda spoke up. "Not just the whole thing with Sapphic, either, but the brawl in Ponyville a year ago over items they created to help you."

"You don't have to worry about he Dragon Balls any longer." Piccolo spoke up. "They were destroyed shortly after the fighting in Ponyville."

Midas clicked his teeth together. "I wouldn't be too sure that we can't worry. Say these bytes find something else to squabble over, and the skirmish doesn't stay in Equestria? What if they completely disregard the safety of others just for some measly moral or object?"

"They would never!" Luna said loudly, Putin her hooves atop the table.

"But they have." Iron Staff added. "As much as Iron Staff dislikes Midas, he is correct in saying that leaving all of your souped up bipeds to run free is a mistake."

"I gotta go with them." Gilda agreed. "At least Midas keeps his fighters away from anywhere they can harm someone. But you ponies and your restrictions about control just let those guys run around. And judging from last year, they fight over the dumbest things at the drop of a hat."

"And gathering from the attack by Sapphic three year ago, we can't really do much against their kind..." Jackboot added himself. "The only ones truly capable of stopping them are themselves and their own kind."

"You all feel this way?!" Luna asked, not comfortable at all with where this was going. "So then what propose you? That I lock them all away and deny them freedom?! I cannot do that!"

"We know you can't, Princess." Midas spoke up. "We aren't asking you to do that."

"Midas," Ralph interjected. "You obviously want something, so please get to the point."

Midas nodded to the Diamond Dog, and took a breath. "I propose a sort of...nuclear deterrent. Something to balance out the possibility of Equestrtia's new 'protectors' from slipping up."

Piccolo gritted his teeth. "Let me guess...you want one of us to be homed in each of your counties, is that it? Silo'd away like a weapon of mass destruction until you have use of us?"

"No way am I letting freaks like that in my borders." Jackboot piped up. "However, someone here does need to find a way to figh fire with fire. Someone to protect us in case a bad scenario happens."

"Iron Staff agrees."

"Me to." Said Gilda.

Midas stared at Luna; the smirk she though she saw earlier back on his lips. "Well, Princess, its all against you to hand over at least one of your warriors to me. This is for the bes really; I can provide safety in case your remaining fighters suddenly decide to pull a Sapphic. "

Luna stared ice daggers into the horse. No way she could give up one of her citizens and force them to live with the British Saddle Arabians...but the summit was 90% in favor, and she was the only one against it. She looked to Ralph to try and see his thoughts, but she could tell from his expectant stare that he too agreed that this would be the best course of action.

Before Luna could say anything, however, Piccolo suddenly spoke.

"Alright. You can have me."

She looked up at him with pleading eyes; she didn't want her lover to leave just for political compliance. She was slightly relieved when Midas laughed.

"No, no, no, I don't want you, Piccolo." He said. "You're far too opinionated and loyal to Princess Luna. No, I need someone who I can...mold, so to speak, into one willing to defend against you."

At first Piccolo wasn't sure what Midas meant, but as soon as he figured it out, his eyes went wide. He tried rto act natural as he spoke his next words carefully. "Then...you're out of mluck, Midas. There's...no warriors like that in Equestria. Were all far too grown to be 'molded'."

"Your current warriors, yes." The gold armored horse continued. "But there is one who has yet to even take his first steps into the battle, yes?"