Blooming Talent 2: The Apple Falls Far

"Thanks for seeing me on such short notice, Miss Zecora." Lyra said graciously as she trotted into the zebra's Everfree home.

"It was no trouble at all; lately work has been quite small." Zecora replied with her rhyming way of speaking. "You ponyfolk used to see me as a witch, but now you all speak to me without a hitch. Any chance to make a new friend is good; please, get comfortable and set the mood."

She shut the door and offered the mint colored unicorn some tea, which Lyra accepted with a nod and a faint smile.

"I wish I could say I just came to be friendly, Miss Zecora...but I actually need your...expertise in strange enchantments."

The zebra chuckled a little as if expecting as such. "This does not surprise me; that's mostly why ponies come to Everfree."

She took a sip from her own cup before continuing.

"Now, Miss Lyra Heartstrings, what is it for which your want sings?"

The unicorn suddenly became a bit tense, as if she was about to ask for something that wouldn't sit well with almost anypony; and she was.

"Is there..a potion that might be able to..well...bond two souls together in a sense?" She questioned, not quite revealing her intentions yet.

Zecora tipped her head in confusion. "Please elaborate on this idea; the intention of the question is not quite clear."

"I mean.." Lyra started. "Say one of the two gets hit and the other can feel it too...or if they suffer an injury, the other does the same...or if one dies..."

She couldn't seem to finish that last example; she seemed as uncomfortable with her own idea as Zecora was quickly becoming.

"Child," she said in a lower tone. "the enchantment you ask for is not mild. A potion, yes, does exist; I could mix it up in this."

She held up her teacup for an example.

"However, pony, this trick is no fony. If this potion two people ingest, then combined will there fates be? Yes. If one dies the other will too; why do you need such a volatile brew?"

There was a moment of silence before Lyra answered. She rubbed her hooves over each other nervously as she spoke.

"Its...very complicated...but let's just say I want...assurance that I won't have to betray one I care about very much.." She finally said.

"So you wish a lover's doom? A Romeo and Juliet point-of-view." The zebra replied.

"I know it sounds reckless, and I know its dangerous..but Miss Zecora.." She practically begged from her seat. "This is very important to me...if Trunks is to die, then I want to go with him...I front want another to steal my heart from him whether in this world or the next.."

"But would Trunks want death for you, if he were to meet his doom? Doubtful, I say; 'tis not a true lover's way. He would want you to live on; not be forlorn and then too far gone."

The unicorn blinked back a few scared tears. "I guess you can call me a selfish lover then..cuz I don't want him to go...not without me.."

Zecora looked at her for a long moment as she tried not to start crying. Something must have happened to cause one as jovial as Lyra Heartstrings to become so down. What threat to her relationship was so great it required death as a backup plan?

She supposed she would never really know, and she got up on her hooves, turning to her mixing room.

"I will mix this up for you;" she said. "but only if one condition you follow through."

Lyra looked up at the zebra, waiting to hear her condition; in the back of her mind, she cringed remembering the last condition shed agreed to which had caused her to come here in the first place.

"If change your mind, you do; do not drink this evil brew." Zecora said. "For it to work to full power, you both must ingest some within the same hour. I urge you, though...do not go through...this isn't whatwhat he would want for you..and in my own opinion here...this will endanger him too, my dear."

"I know..." Lyra whispered more than said.

Zecora drooped her ears a bit, unsatisfied with how this had gone, but made her way into the brew station to mix up the potion. Sometimes love made these ponies do horrible things.

***

Apple Bloom and Wrath stood before the Chief in his hut; there were several tribal decorations mitered about the place on wooden poles and shelves made of some type of shell substance. The center, where they were standing, was a large circle with several symbols neither one of them could understand. Apple Bloom assumed it had something to do with the spirits these hippogryphs worshipped.

Along with the Chief was his daughter; the angry looking brown feathered hippogryph locked her fiery gaze on Wrath.

The pup just shifted uncomfortably. "She keeps looking at like I'm the devil, or something."

"Well, to her, I'd say you are." Apple Bloom said back.

"Cuz I took her kill? First come, first serve."

"Is it too much to show a little respect to these hippogryphs?"

"Yes." Wrath growled. "They're airheads who think that thing was some great monster from heaven or whatever. If it was, how did I kill it so easy?"

Apple Bloom just sighed, exasperated. There was no changing his thoughts on the matter.

"Now," Chief stated, gaining their attentions. "since you two outsiders have taken my daughter's right of passage from her, she has to undergo a different trial. It is not as honorable as slaying a spirit beast, but it is a feat nonetheless. You two are to make sure she gets to this trial alive. When she has finished, you will escort her back, and then, you will leave."

"Hoorasy...babysitting." Wrath scoffed. "Just what we need right now..."

"She's older than you, Wrath." Apple Bloom reminded him, causing the young canine to go red in the face.

"Father, I don't need these outsiders to protect me." The young hippogryph piped up. "I tracked Aragmanoth myself, I can find the cave myself as well."

Cave? There were caves in this vast expanse of desert? That was certainly news to Apple Bloom, but the more important question was; what was the hippogryph supposed to do in the cave?

"It is not your decision, daughter." Chief firmly stated. "It is their penance for taking away your kill."

"Their penance should be death by my hand."

"I have told you many times, daughter, that bloodshed when done for petty revenge will not appease the spirits."

"Father--"

He held up one of his yellow talons to silence his hotheaded child. After a second or two, she gave a large huff and sat down, crossing her forelegs across his chest.

"She may be older than me, but she acts like a baby." Wrath pointed out.

Apple Bloom ignored the comment, and tried to not noticeably wince as her infected arm throbbed again painfully. The Legacy Killer was spreading again already. She hoped wherever this cave was, it wasn't far; she doubted shed be able to stand on her own too much longer at this rate...

Some time passed, and the sun started getting low as Apple Bloom and Wrath made their way to the exit of the tribal encampment to meet with Kona, the Chief's daughter. They'd eaten, gotten a small rest, and were now about to depart on their escort mission. Wrath had made a comment about how they could just leave Kona alone and run, but Apple Bloom had quickly shot down the idea as dishonest; sometimes her Element was too true for her own good.

She was worried about the Legacy Killer, though. The blackened veins had spread up to her neck once more and across part if her right breast and side. The pain too was becoming more noticeable and hard to ignore the more she moved around. She hoped shed make it to the Temporal Rift before it was far too late to help her.

As they heated the rendezvous point, her mind wandered to Goten; she wasn't sure why, but she had a feeling all had not gone as planned with his rescue of their son. Surely she would have seen him by know; he would've followed her power level and met up with her...but he hadn't yet.

That didn't bode well...

"Took you long enough, outsiders." Kona's voice cut through the southern anthro's thoughts.

"You could a left without us, Princess." Wrath commented.

"And disobey my father? Bring shame upon myself? This just shows what little honor you have, mutt."

"Mutt?" Wrath growled, angered by the comment. "Who're you calling a--"

"Kona...we should get going.." Apple Bloom urgently but calmly interjected, holding her upper arm.

The hippogryph scoffed and started moving out, beckoning the duo to follow. This was going to be a long trek.

***

Shining Armor groaned when he heard his wife knock on his door for the first of many times that day. The Princess of Love let herself in and smiled warmly, but fell back into a saddened expression when her husband didn't even turn to look at her.

"Shining.." She began. "Its time for that special appointment with Dr. Hooves. Or at least, its time for you to start heading that way."

"Why should I?" He croaked, voice cracking from underusage. "Its so far away its almost not worth it to go..."

"I disagree." Cadence argued. "I think maybe some travel will do you some good. He even sent directions."

Cadence levitated a piece of paper over to Shining, who took it in his own magical grasp and brought it to his face to read it.

"What's with the name of the place?" He questioned. "The Center of the Temporal Rift?"

"I don't know, but your things are all packed, and you're good to go."

He sat up and looked at her with a surprised expression. "You're not coming with me?"

"Not this time." She said, a bit downcast by it herself. "I think you needs some...alone time between now and your visit with the Doctor. It might help you sort out some things while your out on a journey instead of moping in our bedroom."

Shining slumped back into a laying position and sighed. "I'm sorry, Cadence. I've driven you away too..."

The pink alicorn shook her head, rushing to her husband's side. "No, no, no. You haven't, Shining Armor, and you never will. I still love you just as much now as I did when we got married. But that's why I need to get you out there; you need to heal...to get better and learn that its not all over...not yet...I need my old Shining Armor back, and if Dr. Hooves can help get you better, than you need to go see him. But not just for me..but for yourself as well."