Blooming Talent 2: The Apple Falls Far

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo jumped as the front wall of the house exploded inward with a loud crash. Carrot instantly started to cry as the mares whirled around to see what had just happened. Piccolo was laying unconscious in the ruins of the once tidy living room; broken boards and Sheetrock covering him.

Apple Bloom looked through the new gap in her home to see Goten staring down Princess Luna and quite a few horses.

"You think I'm just gonna stand aside and let you take my boy?!" He shouted, advancing on Midas. "I don't care who you are! You're not taking my son!"

"Goten, please!" Luna started to plead.

"No!" The half-saiyan shouted, pushing the princess to the side as his hair exploded into a golden glow of a Super Saiyan. "You either find some other way of handling this, or you won't be walking out of here!"

"Goten!" Luna called out again.

He ignored her and continued to advance upon the Emperor. Two of the guards took a stance in front of him; they too wore suits of silver armor, and as soon as they took point, extra mechanical limbs sporting blades spring forth from them, pointed at the Super Saiyan.

"Goten, was it?" Midas spoke calmly. "Please, me taking in your son is the only way the world can feel safe with loose cannons like you running around. Let me make him into something great; a peacekeeper."

"Screw you!" Was the only thing Goten said in response.

In that moment, he floored one of the horse guards in a single blow, and kicked away the other before lining at Midas himself. He was stopped by a surge of magic from Luna, as she levitated him in her blue aura.

"Let me....go!"

"Goten! Listen! I like this no more than you do, but the council has made the decision. Your son is the only way we can ensure peace in the lands in case you or any of the others go...well...do what Sapphic did..." Luna told him.

He turned his greenish-blue eyes on the alicorn holding him in place, not believing what he had just heard. "You really think were that irresponsible?!"

"You just put Piccolo through a wall after he told you what was happening, Goten! You tell me!"

"I won't let this bastard steal my son!" He shouted, struggling under the magic.

"Goten, you must--"

Luna was silenced by a fierce punch from Apple Bloom. The alicorn fell to the ground, barely conscious and Goten was let loose.

She stared down at Luna with anger smoldering in her amber eyes; first the Dragon Balls, now her son. Was everypony so intent on making her life miserable?

"Scootaloo, take Carrot somewhere safe!" Apple Bloom shouted.

Without a word, the pegasus nodded and held the wailing baby tightly to her breast as she took to the sky; her speed making her appear like a bullet streaking upwards.

Midas signaled a few of his horse guards to follow her on hoof, and turned his attention back to the brawl that had broken out before him.

Goten by himself had already beaten down a good portion of his entourage, and now the one named Apple Bloom had entered the mix. He figured something like this might happen; parents were the hardest part to deal with in these situations.

Giving a bored sigh, he cracked his neck, and trotted into the fray as if taking a stroll. The golden armor seemed to come alive, and the art lines across it seemed to glow with some kind of power.

Goten saw the Emperor approaching, and without a thought, leapt forward to bring his fists down on him hard. He'd never connect; the armor suddenly propped Midas upright, and formed a humanoid like arm over his right foreleg. Using this sudden new limb, Midas halted Goten's assault, and tossed him away. The Super Saiyan skidded across the rows of ungrown treesbefore coming to a halt on his knees.

Apple Bloom saw this, and looked over at Goten's attacker; he now appeared to be a golden humanoid shjape, but much bulkier.

"Impressive yes?" The Emperor smirked. "My scientists were bright to study your anatomy; you and these Saiyan have some very useful appendages."

"If you think that tin can is gonna save you from my wrath--" she seethed as she ran toward him.

The two smashed fists together, and Midas marveled at how the blow had actually caused his suit some damage. He dismissed it quickly though, and blocked a low kick from the enraged mother. He struck her face with his free "hand", but was kicked back by the returning Goten.

He regained his stance, and smirked openly. " Hm. This is gonna be fun."

***

Scootaloo blasted over Ponyville as fast as her wings would let her, making sure Carrot was securely in her hooves. She looked down at the ground to where she had seen the pursuing horses before, and signed in relief when she saw nothing. She gasped not even a minute later when she looked up and saw the horses in the air, and gaining on her.

They bore metal wings and some type of propulsion system beneath them to speed them up.

"Jeez, what else do these metal suits do?! Cook?"

She quickened her pace as the horses gained on her quickly, closing he gap. Carrot was clinging to the orange pegasus' fur for dear life as they sped up.

"Hang on fight, little guy." She told him. "I'm gonna try to loss 'em."

She sped downwards in a spiral motion, and just before hitting the tree line, she sharply rose back up into the sky. The horses followed her trajectory,but two of them ate it big time as they caught some of the branches and fell into the underbrush below.

That left five of them left to get rid of. She doubted they would fall for the same trick twice, so she had to think fast.

***

Apple Bloom tossed the golden plated horse over her head and tried to smash I'm into the dirt, but he landed stop his "feet" and turned the attack back on her, slamming her face firs into the soil. Goten grappled the behemoth from behind and tossed him aside before firing several ki blasts at him.

Midas' suit took some damage, but for the most part he was unphased by the attack. He opened one of his mechanical palms and fired a dart from it. The projectile hit Goten square in the chest and the Super Saiyan suddenly started to spasm as electricity crackled around him. He fell to the ground and reverted to his normal state.

"Goten!" Apple Bloom called out.

She jumped on the back of the suited horse like a spider monkey and began reading pieces off of it like paper mache. The loud scrapping and rending of metal was deafening, and Midas was getting a headache. He grabbed the antro warrior by the hair and threw her away from him to gain a moment. She rolled and returned to her feet, taking up a very familiar stance; spreading her legs apart and holding her palms together at her side...

***

Scootaloo dived down as she led one of the horses around a thick cloud causing him to collide midair with one of the others. They tangled and fell from the sky fast in a heap of whinnying terror. Three pursuers remained, and the sky's were far too clear for anymore cloud tricks.

"Think, Scootaloo, think!" She grunted, clutching Carrot tighter to her body.

Her wings were starting to tire, and while holding Carrot, she wasn't as agile as she normally was. The horses were near on her tail; in fact, one of the brutes tried to bite down on her flowing purple tail. She flicked in his face and tried to speed up, but she couldn't risk going any faster; sure she could easily survive a sonic rainboom, but could Carrot? He wasn't a pegasi, in fact he was only half pony. She didn't know if his body could handle that kind of air pressure.

She couldn't let Apple Bloom down though, but what else could she try?

She didn't have to think long as a familiar faded rainbow streak suddenly took out one of her pursuers. She gasped and then smiled widely as her hero Rainbow Dash landed on the back of one of the horses. Promptly, she kicked one of the prupilsion jets off, and watched as the horse began spinning rapidly in place before getingkicked out of he sky by the same pegasus.

"Run, squirt!" She called out with a confident smile. " I gotcha covered.

Scootaloo nodded a thank you and dove groundward to find a hiding spot.

***

"Kame..."

Midas started to walk towards the antro before his armor told him her power levels were rising rapidly.

"Hame...."

"What's this now?" He mused, taking a defensive stance.

Apple Bloom snarled the final syllable as if trying to rip Midas in half wit her mere voice. "HA!!!!"

The Emperor went wide eyed for moment, but opened up his mechanical palms and activated his energy absorbers. Perhaps he could use the energy to power the suit up further and be done with this whole mess. As the beam struck, he was pushed back a ways, and throttled slightly by the force. The absorbers were doing their job, but the capacity was quickly filling.

"So much...power!" He said through gritted teeth.

After holding he attack for near a full minute, Apple Bloom let off. The beam was sucked inside the suit through the palms, and it looked as though it was about to explode. It rattled violently, and shook as if it were a jenga pile about to topple.

Midas looked at his readings; the suit would be destroyed if it contained this power much longer. He had to get rid of it, and he knew just how.

He once again thrust his suits arms forward, and released the very same Kamehameha wave back at Apple Bloom. Surprised, thesouthern anthro mare leapt out of the way of the beam, and watched in shock as it obliterated her home behind her. Piccolo had been in there, she though worriedly for a moment. She stopped panicking when she heard his voice from the side!Ines.

"Stop!" He yelled. "Everyone just stop!"

"What do you mean stop?! He attacked my home!" She protested angrily.

"To be fair, madame," Midas said, his suit returning to horse armor. "You and your husband initiated the violence."

"You came here for our son!"

"And this is why." The emperor explained. "Look around. Just ris little skirmish between us has destroyed much of your farmland and your entire house. This is why I need to take your son. He can act as a counterbalance if thinhgs get out of hand like this."

"The only reason they got this way is cuz you--"

Apple Bloom was stopped and fell to the ground unconscious as Piccolo struck her head from behind. The look on his face was one of both sorrow and regret. He hasn't wanted this, but this whole ting had just proven Midas' point. Apple Bloom and the others...including himself...were dangerous...

"Thank you, Piccolo." Midas said, turning to walk off. "Perhaps in he future our negotiations won't be so....hostile."

"Wait." The namekian called out to the horse emperor.

Midas stopped and turned his eyes to Piccolo, listening intently.

"What...what are you going to do to him. You said you were going to mold him to be able to fight against us...how?"

The leader of Saddle Arabia chuckled. "The way all children need to be brought up; discipline."

He then turned and trotted off, but not without saying a few more words. "I'll be taking the boy and then I shall leave. Good day, Piccolo."

The namekian growled under his death, and looked back down at Apple Bloom, then over to Goten. For what felt like the hundredth time in his life, he questioned if his decision had been the correct one...

***

Rainbow Dash landed back on the forest floor as she brushed herself off. The fight had been short, but it was over, and now Scootaloo had a few questions to answer. Why had those horses been chasing her, and why did she have Apple Bloom's kid with her? It didn't make a lot of sense, but she was sure Scoots would explain. She always had a good reason for...

Dash's train of thought was thrown off a cliff as she spotted some pony laying in the dirt of the forest, beaten. She recognized the purple mane and tail right away; the purple streaking bullet that was her cutie mark the true giveaway.

"Scootaloo!" She called, rushing over to her #1 fan.

Scootaloo tried to move, but just gasped in pain. Dash crouched beside her, and checked over her body; bruises everywhere...

"They too...him..were waiting for me...down here.." Scootaloo managed.

"Took who...Carrot?"

Scootaloo nodded.

"Who took him, squirt?" She asked. "The horses? Is that why they were after you?"

Scootaloo nodded once again, but before Dash could ask anymore questions, the orange mare passed out again. Dash picked her up and slum her across her back. She needed help, and Nurse Red heart didn't live too far from here. But what about Carrot? Apple Bloom's son had just been foalnapped by a bunch of Saddle Arabians...

She fought with herself on what she should do, but eventually came to the conclusion that Scootaloo needed her help a little more...but that didn't make it any easier for the Element of Loyalty to let those brutes take a young boy away from his home. As she galoped toward the hospital, she planned to head to Sweet Apple Acres right after, and see what was going on...