“Apple Bloom? Do you take this griffon to be your loftily wedded husband?”

“Ah do.”

“And Gabriel? Do you take this pony to be your loftily wedded wife?”

“I do.”

“Well then.” Winona continued as she clutched the Daring Do book in both paws. “I know pronounce you mare and colt.”

An older Apple Bloom and Gabriel kissed. It was tough to do with Gabe’s beak getting in the way. As they strode down the hallway, everypony in the audience cheered.

***

“Congratulations, Apple Bloom and Gabriel,” Dr. Discord said as he held the newborn in his paw and talon. “It’s a girl hippogriff. A mix-mash of different animals, just like me!” He handed the baby to Apple Bloom, who lovingly held it in her both hooves. Gabriel gently stroked the baby with one talon.

The baby had a pony head, hindquarters, and tail, but griffon wings and talons. She also had her father’s coat color and eyes.

“What will we name her?” Apple Bloom asked. “Greta? Gabriella? Gwendolyn? Genevieve?”

“How ‘bout Appletalon?” Gabriel replied.

“But…but…don’t you remember the griffon curse?”

“It’s a hippogriff, not a griffon,” Gabriel replied. “I’m sure nothing bad will happen to her if we name her something that doesn’t start with g.”

“Well,” Apple Bloom said. “Appletalon is a nice name. Ah think we’ll go with that, then.”

***

“Happy first birthday, Appletalon!”

The young hippogriff giggled and booped her mother’s nose with one talon.

“Come on! Let’s take you outside.”

Apple Bloom trotted outside with Appletalon waddling after her.

“So, what do you want to play?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Ball!” Appletalon shouted. “Ball!”

“Okay,” replied Apple Bloom. “Mommy’ll go get the ball.”

But before Apple Bloom could grab the ball from the other side of the yard, she heard familiar laughing. Standing across the street were two familiar mares, one pink and one silver.

“Oh no,” Apple Bloom groaned. “Not Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.”

“Hello, you little abomination of nature,” said Diamond Tiara as she trotted over to where Appletalon was sitting. “I can’t wait to see you get made fun of when you grow up.”

Appletalon giggled, unaware of what Diamond Tiara had said.

“In fact, I think I’ll help you out. I’ll just get rid of you to put you out of your misery.”

“No!” Apple Bloom shouted. “Don’t touch her!”

“What do you think, Silver Spoon?” Diamond Tiara asked her friend. “Should I eat it?”

Silver Spoon nodded. “Sounds like a good idea to me.”

“Very well, then,” said Diamond. “Down the hatch.” She bent her head down to the hippogriff and opened both jaws.

Apple Bloom tried to yell for her to stop, but no sound came out.

Diamond’s jaws stretched wider and wider until she completely engulfed the fledgling. She then tilted her head back and swallowed. Apple Bloom watched in horror at the bulge moving down her throat.

“Don’t cry, Apple Bloom,” said Silver Spoon. “I think Diamond just did you and that baby…thing a good favor.”

The mares laughed maniacally as they trotted off, leaving Apple Bloom alone to wallow in her own tears.

“Apple Bloom!”

The yellow mare turned around to see her older sister towering over her.

“You were supposed to take good care of your child.”

Apple Bloom tried to speak, but she was still unable to form words.

“Ya’ll had to give her a name that didn’t start with a g…” Applejack said as she grew larger and larger. “…now she’s gone…and it’s all yer’ fault, sis!” She lifted up one hoof and held it over her sister’s head, prepared to step on her.

“Goodbye, Apple Bloom.”

Apple Bloom was finally able to scream.”No! Applejack! Ah didn’t mean it!”

“Apple Bloom!”

“Please, Applejack! Ah said…”

“Apple Bloom…Apple Bloom…Apple Bloom…”

***

Apple Bloom awoke from her nightmare, breathing heavily. She looked around her room. Everything was the way it was before she fell asleep.
At that moment, Applejack came in. “Apple Bloom! Are you awake? Ah’ve been calling fer’ ya’, but you didn’t come.” She noticed the beads of sweat on her sister’s forehead. “Lemme guess…another nightmare?”

Apple Bloom nodded. “But it ain’t a big deal, sis,” she said. “Ah’ll be down in a moment.”

After Applejack left, Apple Bloom went over to her mirror and worked on combing her mane. Usually her dreams had some sort of logic, but this one had been extremely confusing. She decided that it was best not to tell anypony else about this dream. Especially not Gabriel. She didn’t want him to think that she was in love with him.

“Here ah am, sis’,” Apple Bloom said as she came downstairs to the kitchen. “What was it you wanted?”

Applejack was standing by the table next to Big Macintosh. “Well, ah just wanted to remind you that Sweetie Belle and Gabriel’s concert is tonight! Isn’t that right, Big Mac?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac replied.

“That’s right!” said Apple Bloom. “You want me and Scootaloo to help them out with setting everythin’ up?”

“Eeyup.”

“We sure do, sis. They’re over at the park. Why don’cha go over and help them?”

***

That evening, the stage at the park had been set up, and so had all the chairs. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had gotten front row seats and had their eyes wide open.

Rarity was also sitting at the front. She couldn’t wait to see her sister perform that beautiful song she had practiced.

At that moment, Grigori swooped down from the sky and landed in the seat next to Rarity. The unicorn gagged at the smell of his unwashed fur and feathers.

“Get away from me, you foul-smelling ruffian!” she shouted, pushing him with both hooves. Grigori responded by looking downwards at Rarity and glaring his yellow eyes.

“You know who I am, pony?” the griffon asked Rarity. “I am father of griffon performing! I come to see my son perform on stage for first time! I heard you are sister of filly Gabriel performing with. Well, if pony watch her sister perform, then Grigori watch his son perform. GOT THAT?!” he screeched in her face.

Sweat ran down Rarity’s face as she chuckled nervously. “Heh heh. Sorry, sir. I didn’t know you were Gabriel’s father. I apologize.”

At that moment, Spike appeared onstage holding a microphone. “Fillies and gentlecolts!” the young purple dragon announced. “Allow me to present two new singers here in Equestria: Sweetie Belle and Gabriel the Griffon!”

The curtain rose, revealing Octavia with her cello. Grasping the bow tightly in her hoof, she drew it across the strings, making a soft, calm melody. Then Sweetie Belle and Gabriel appeared onstage. Sweetie Belle was wearing a pink dress with a musical note on it, and Gabriel was wearing a blue shirt with a similar musical note. The crowd cheered.

Sweetie Belle trotted up to the microphone and began to sing.

There’s always another rainbow
Search until you find it
Don’t look at the cloud
Look behind it
There’s a rainbow there somewhere

It was Gabriel’s turn to sing the next part.

There’s always a ray of sunshine
Though it all seems tragic
You may turn around, and like magic
There’s an answer to your prayer

Then they sang together.

Now you feel forlorn
But hope can be reborn
Try to lose that frown
Look up, not down

Then it was Sweetie Belle’s turn again.

And you’ll find another rainbow
I can guarantee it
Even though you think you’ve reached the rainbow’s end

Then Sweetie and Gabriel sang together again.

There’s always another rainbow
Always another rainbow
Around the bend

The crowd all clapped their hooves and cheered.

“THAT’S MY SISTER!” Rarity screamed.

Tears ran down Grigori’s face. “My son,” he said as he clapped his talons. “Finally, you live up to full potential.”

***

Shortly after the concert, all the ponies had gone home. But Sweetie Belle and Gabriel had decided to stay for a short while, along with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

“Ah still think that was awesome!” Apple Bloom shouted.

“Yeah,” said Scootaloo. “I know I already said this, but that song makes me so happy. I’ll remember it every time I get sad, so I can cheer up.”

“Well, thank you,” said Sweetie Belle. “But Gabe here deserves praise too.”

Gabriel blushed.

“Oh, yeah!” said Apple Bloom. “And Gabriel was awesome too!”

“Yeah,” said Scootaloo. “Your singing voice and his are both awesome. But when combined…geez, I can’t comprehend the awesomeness of that number!”

“Well, I’ll be goin’ over to my house. Wanna come?”

“No thanks,” said Scootaloo. “I’m tired. I’d like to go to bed.”

“Me too,” said Sweetie Belle.

“Me three,” said Gabriel.

After Apple Bloom and Scootaloo left, Sweetie Belle and Gabriel were prepared to leave as well. But at that moment, they heard a voice from behind them.

“Wait! Wait, you two!”

That voice sounded familiar to Sweetie Belle.

A tall, lanky, handsome stallion came up onto the stage. He had a navy blue coat, a short, curly orange mane and tail, and was wearing a gray sweater and bowtie.

“I just wanted to praise your amazing performance,” said the stallion. His voice was soft and surprisingly high-pitched, sounding almost like the cooing of a dove. Indeed, his cutie mark depicted a white dove with outstretched wings. “You two have wonderful voices, just like how I constantly get praised for.”

“So, who are you, exactly?” asked Sweetie Belle.

The stallion chuckled. “You seriously don’t recognize my voice?”

“Well, your voice sounds familiar but…wait a minute! Are you Starling Hoofway?”

The stallion nodded. “What were you expecting?”

Sweetie Belle squealed with excitement. “Me and my sister hear you on the radio all the time! I fell in love with your voice the day I first heard it. But what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in Las Pegasus?”

“I occasionally go to other towns to check out the work the residents do. And I was impressed by the performance of both of you young ones. Your respective soprano and tenor go together like peanut butter and chocolate.”

“Well, thank you, Starling. Gabe, are you going to thank him as well?”

“Thank you, Starling,” said Gabe. “I’ve never heard of you, much less heard you at all.”

“Are you from Griffonstone?” Starling asked. “I’ve been there myself. Big dump of a place. They don’t have radio, so if you’re from there, it’s not surprising that you haven’t heard or heard of me before.”

Gabriel nodded. “Yeah, I’m from that place. So, what exactly do you do on the radio?”

“I mostly do readings of popular novels,” replied Starling. “Although, I do occasionally sing. And that’s the other reason I came here. Is it okay if sometime I perform the song you sang here?”

“Sure!” said Sweetie Belle. She turned to Gabriel. “The lyrics are on that table over there,” she told the griffon. “Go grab them and give them to Starling.”

Gabriel did what he was told. Starling beamed as he put the lyric sheet into his sweater pocket. “Thank you so much, young ones,” he said. “I’ll be on my way back to Las Pegasus. Have a good night!”

Sweetie and Gabe both waved as the stallion trotted out of the park.

“Well, that was great!” said Sweetie Belle. “We not only put on our first performance, but we got the attention of a famous radio star!”

“Yeah, yeah, cool,” said Gabriel, yawning. “But I’d like to go home and go to bed.”

Sweetie Belle found herself yawning as well. “Same here,” she said. “We can do some more stuff tomorrow. Good night.”

Sweetie Belle trotted out of the park to the direction of Rarity’s house while Gabriel flew up into the air to search for the tree in which he lived.

Author's Note

I tried to make AB's dream sequence as trippy and surreal as possible. Hope I succeeded in doing that.

I originally wanted Gabriel to mostly hang out with Apple Bloom, since he's based off of fan musician BlackGryph0n, who's friends with Michelle Creber. I ended up having him hang out with Sweetie Belle instead, since they both like to sing, but then I realized it works because Michelle sang for Sweetie Belle in the first three seasons. Plus, my brother found out he's also friends with Claire Corlett.

Also, Starling Hoofway is based off of a certain deceased actor. Can anyone guess who?