Blooming Talent 2: The Apple Falls Far

Midas trotted slowly throughout his palace as his bodyguard Equisbane followed closely.

"It took a bit of doing, but things are finally starting to come together, my loyal friend." He said; his golden clad hooves making tapping sounds with each step he took. "The Apple Family's half-breed offspring is with us. Once he is grown, our plan will be realized."

Equisbane nodded. "Indeed the beginning stages have concluded, but my lord.."

Midas cocked a curious eyebrow at the horse that trod close behind him. "Hm?"

"My lord, excuse my bluntness, but who is to say the ones called Apple Bloom and Goten will not simply come for their son?" He asked. "Their speed and strength is unmatched on this world. And I doubt they will just give up and accept the way of things."

The emperor nodded with a look of understanding. This was why he kept Equisbane around; strong and powerful, but not stupid and blind. He was there to cover any and all bases that could be covered.

"Your bluntness is forgiven, Equisbane; you are right." He stated. "The parents of the boy will try to seek revenge on me for taking their son. And I am not naive enough to think they will simply listen to Piccolo or Princess Luna."

He paused a moment to turn and stare at the night sky; the moon was beautiful over the sandy dunes outside his city walls. The light of his hallway fires reflected off of the gold and bronze hallway on which he stood; a stark yet fitting contrast to the darkness just over the balcony.

"I assume then you already have a plan for dealing with them?" Equisbane more stated than asked.

"Oh, my friend, I have already enacted it."

"May I ask what my lord has done?"

Midas chuckled, but it was not a hearty nor victorious one; this chuckle was dark...distant. "Let's just say...I've reminded them of the curse their kind put on my family generations ago..."

"Speaking of which, emperor..."

Equisbane nodded towards Midas' neck; thee emperor turned his eye to where he could see what the problem was. His veins were visible through his skin and fur; the color a sickly dark green, almost black. It was as if a tree of the damned pits of Tartarus was trying to etch its impression onto the emperor's body.

Midas winced as the pain started to set in. " Is...is it time already?"

"Your armor was heavily damaged in the battle, my emperor. 'Tis likely your injector pumps stopped functioning or may even have been drained."

Midas grimaced as the veins traveled up his neck up to his jaw. "Prepare my back up armor...make sure the injector pumps are full."

Equisbane nodded and galloped off to do his duty. Midas leaned wearily against the balcony edge as his vision became slightly hazy.

Just a few more years...he only needed a few more years...

***

Carrot sat wailing in a dark room lit only by a few candles and one window where the moonlight shone through; the crib he lay in was just a plain wooden structure, nothing fancy about it. Simple necessaries for the ones not yet old enough to appreciate art or interior design.

As he lay crying in the dimly lit enclosure, his cries were put on hold as a little stuffed toy was tossed next to him through the bars. He sniffled and decided to investigate the doll; it was long, slender thing that looked pink in color and resembled a rabbit in a few ways. Curious as to where this had come from, the two year old antro crawled over to the wooden bars and looked down at the floor.

He was met with two little green eyes staring back at him. The shape was much like the ponies he knew back home, but also nt like them. Its legs were thinner, and its muzzle longer, along with having a more pronounced neck. Carrot figured out rather quickly this was another living being when it blinked. He was scared at first, but the little creature cooed up at him, and gave a curious head tilt. This revealed her fur to be a very light tone of red, though that could have been the fire light. Carrot was not really developed enough to know. Being his age, however, he understood the noises the creature was making.

She was a small baby horse, and from what he gathered from their seemingly random baby noises, she had tossed the fluffy doll up to him to make him feel better.

He giggled a thank you to the little horse and she giggled back. She then reared up and rested her forelegs on the bottom edge of the crib. She stretched her neck out as far as she could and booped his nose with her own. This prompted Carrot to blush and scrunch up in embarrassment.

The two cooed and babbled at each other for a very long time. It wasn't until Carrot let the little horse know he was tired by yawning that they stopped. Feeling at ease now, he grasped the little doll close to him and drifted off to sleep. It was good to have a friend in such a dark place. Even if her daddy was a meanie...