The Last Queen of the Blaze

For the next half-hour or so, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle took turns feeding the applesauce to Autumn. Ponies were beginning to emerge out of their houses, ready to go about their day. By now, Rarity had dried off her face and donned her multi-feathered hat and coat, swinging her bag around her neck, and looked up at the clear blue sky.

"About a good a time as any..." she sighed to herself. "Apple Bloom?" she called, turning around to see Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom almost mercilessly nuzzling the now satisfied infant. The earth pony's ears perked up, and looked in anticipation.

"We can go whenever you're ready, but we really must be on our way soon."

"Oh. Right, of course," said Apple Bloom. She turned back to the infant and kissed its forehead before picking it up with her hooves. "Should Autumn come as well?"

Rarity looked over her shoulder, glancing at the three. Autumns giggles were now becoming gurgles. The infant closed her eyes and squirmed with discomfort. Rarity noticed this and turned to look at the other two. "Erm, darling? Did you burp her yet?"

Apple Bloom's eyes widened. "Oh, shoot!" She hastily held the infant over her shoulder and began patting it's back. "Um... am I doing it right?"

Rarity smiled and nodded. "Yes, just like that," she said calmly, "but you can go easy on the - "

Her words were cut off when a burst of red fire shot from Autumn's snout. The flames rose up and spread out towards the ceiling at the end of the stream, changing to a darker shade of red. The infant coughed some smoke out of its mouth, as did Sweetie Belle, who happened to be caught in the middle of the blast. She chuckled as she wiped the soot off her snout.

"Aw, you got me, you little rascal," she teased, as Rarity handed her sister a towel hanging from the clothesline.

Autumn returned to her happy cheery self. The infant flapped its arms, as if it were trying to take off. Apple Bloom laughed as she raised the foal into her arms and grabbed the basket. She turned when Rarity tapped her shoulder, who offered her a brown and red scarf. The earth pony thanked her graciously and wrapped the soft wool around her neck.

"Alright, now let's-" Apple Bloom began before interrupting herself by wrinkling her nose. "Ugh, did we leave the food out? Something smells rotten in here."

Rarity's nose also twitched, and Sweetie Belle pinched her nose with her hoof as she looked about. "I don't think so," she said nasally.

Autumn babbled and squirmed inRthe basket, gaining the attention of the three mares. The three looked at each other in unison, realizing what was going on. Rarity sighed and Sweetie Belle grabbed a nearby clothespin to pinch her nose with. Apple Bloom looked at Rarity, using her hat to cover her nose. "I don't suppose you have any ... supplies, do you?" she asked. Her hat did a very poor job hiding the awkward embarrassment she felt for not foreseeing this.

Rarity huffed in exasperation and nodded. "I may still have some old foal supplies for when Sweetie Belle was just an infant. I'll go grab them, while you two learn how to change her."

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom's eyes widened. "Wait, why do I have to be on changing duty?" Sweetie Belle asked, almost begging.

"Because," said Rarity, smiling deviously, "it's a life skill, Sweetie, and if you're ever going to get married one day, you'll need to-"
Sweetie Belle immediately stuck her hoofs in her ears, hollering, "LA-LA-LA-LA, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

Apple Bloom couldn't help but laugh as Rarity made her way up the stairs. She came with a few crumpled-up boxes, covered in dust. She blew across the top, causing small amounts of dust to billow up. Apple Bloom opened them up and looked inside. There was a variety of objects tucked away inside: the dismantled frame of what looked to be a crib, some old blankets, a smaller box containing some unused baby bottles and diapers. They all clattered together as Rarity, using her magic, plopped the box down on the kitchen table.

"I think this is everything," huffed Rarity. Even after all these years, it seemed that any form of exertion was still something Rarity tried to avoid.

"Thanks," said Apple Bloom as she scoured through the contents. She grabbed one of the diapers and picked Autumn in her arms, carrying her up to the upstairs bathroom. She paused for a second and turned to look behind her.

"Hey, Sweetie!" she called out with a slightly mischievous grin. "Are you going to help me or not?"

Sweetie was currently trying to open the door handle quietly and froze upon hearing her name. Rarity raised her eyebrow at her sister, who whined and ascended up the stairs. "Fine...." she groaned, before mumbling, "Stupid Rarity, putting me on changing duty .... why can't I just be the fun aunt who plays with her all the time?"

Sweetie brought the changing mat with her, and both she and Apple Bloom entered the upstairs bathroom, with Autumn giggling the whole time. She laid the changing mat down on the floor, with the clothespin still clamping on her nose, and Apple Bloom placed the squirming infant on top.

Sweetie Belle was about to offer Apple Bloom another clothespin she had snatched up earlier, but much to her surprise (and disgust), Apple Bloom had already begun tearing open the tapes.

The two mares gagged as Sweetie Belle's horn began to illuminate. Using her magic, the unicorn tossed the soiled garment into the trash can nearby, before tying up the garbage bag and throwing it out the window. Apple Bloom looked at her friend, shocked by her action. The white mare simply shrugged in response. "Relax," she said, "there's a dumpster right under the window. I've done this a hundred times."

The disgusted shriek of an older mare came from outside. Sweetie's pupils dilated in fear, looked at the window, then back at Apple Bloom. "......Can we just get this over with?"

Apple Bloom planted her hoof in her face in exasperation. She turned around back to Autumn, who had crumpled up the changing mat by squirming around. Apple Bloom raised her hoofs, but hesitated. "Umm, I'm not sure what to do next..."

"Oh, it's easy!" said Sweetie Belle, who trotted over to the table, standing right next to Apple Bloom. "You just... take the thing and... stick it onto the, uh... other ... thing...." She was rotating the fresh diaper in the air and walked around the changing mat. Autumn's eyes innocently followed the unicorn, giggling and clapping her hooves.

"You have no idea what you're doing, do you?" Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. Sweetie continued to circle the infant, testing different angles to fit the garment onto Autumn.

Eventually, Apple Bloom snatched the diaper from Sweetie's hooves as she attempted to try to get it on Autumn. "Oh, for crying out loud! Obviously, we need to ... put the thicker end on front and wrap the tapes 'round the waist ... right?"

The earth pony finally managed to tape up the diaper around Autumn's body, despite the constant squirming and confusion on which end was the front. It was slightly lopsided and creased, but Apple Bloom was secretly a tiny bit proud of herself for managing to accomplish such a grueling task. That is until Sweetie Belle kindly reminded her that they forgot to apply baby power and baby lotion.

Apple Bloom then spent the next five seconds banging her head against the wall in frustration, followed by half a minute of nursing her now sore head, and another five minutes tearing the diaper open, gathering and applying the lotions and power onto Autumn, and finally getting the happy foal dressed and bringing her downstairs.

Rarity was tapping her foot as she waited for the others to come down. "Finally," she said, slightly annoyed. "With all the clamor you made up there, I thought a fight had broken out. I pray you are all alright?"

"Yeah, we're good, Rarity," said Apple Bloom as she laid Autumn, now dressed in a yellow onesie with a sunflower sewn onto the front, in the basket.

"Autumn's just a bit of a hassle...." Sweetie Belle said as she grabbed her coat from the hanger.

Apple Bloom shot an unamused glance at Sweetie Belle. "No, she's not. In fact, she's been such a peach this whole time," said Apple Bloom. She began nuzzling Autumn's cheek, much to Autumns audible delight. "Yes, you are! Yes, you are!" sang Apple Bloom.

The infant's laughed were cut off when it coughed, producing tiny embers from its mouth. It began fussing slightly before coughing again. Apple Bloom raised her head to avoid the spit and flames. "Is something wrong, Autumn?" she asked the foal.

Autumn began crying quietly and breathing heavily. Apple Bloom brought her forehead onto Autumn's. The heat from her skin caused the mare to draw back quickly. "Guys, she's burning up!"

"What?" Rarity hurried over to the infant, placing her hoof on Autumn's head, before retracting it just as quickly and yelping. "Oh my!"

Autumn coughed again, and continued to cry, only a bit louder. Rarity watched as Apple Bloom tried to console Autumn, before the gears finally clicked in her head.

"Of course!" said Rarity. "She must be dehydrated! Quick, grab one of those baby bottles from the box." Her demeanor and tone were back to being calm and soothing, putting Apple Bloom at ease as well. The earth pony did as she was told, and Rarity grabbed the kettle, filling the body with water.

"Alright then, open up Autumn!" said Rarity as her horn began to glow. Sweetie Belle had been standing off to the side as she and Apple Bloom watched the bottle float and be brought up to the infant's lips.

Autumn's crying quieted as she looked at the bottle. She sniffed the tip for a moment, and bit down on it. She sucked on the bottle for a moment as Rarity and the others watched. The water level in the bottle had not gone down at all before Autumn spat out the bottle, much to Rarity's dismay. She began crying louder and was squirming in the basket.

"Oh dear me," said Rarity. She desperately looked around the house, before her eyes settled on a red uncut ruby, roughly the size of a baseball. She raised it into the air with her magic and waved it in front of Autumn's face.

"Look! Look, sweetie! Shiny!" said Rarity. Autumn's crying lowered slightly, and her eyes opened. The infant sniffled as its eyes followed the gem through the air. It reached out and gently grabbed it from the air, and she cooed as she started at the shining stone.

"Good, she's calmed down," said Rarity. Apple Bloom sighed and grabbed the knocked over baby bottle. She rinsed it under the sink and refilled it, while Rarity had Sweetie wipe up the spill.

"Let's try this again," Apple Bloom said to herself. She gently held the bottle to Autumn, who looked up from the gem in her hands.

Once again, Autumn rejected it. She instead curled up slightly and began gnawing on the gem with her tiny sharp teeth. Apple Bloom persisted, and still Autumn tossed and turned like a salad, avoiding the bottle. She seemed content with sucking on the gem, although the heat radiating from her forehead was not disappearing.

"Come on, Autumn, you gotta drink water! It'll make you feel better, I promise!" she said.

"Bloom, can I talk with you for a sec?" Sweetie Bell asked, beckoning her aside.

The two began conversing quietly a few paces away, while Rarity searched her tea cabinet. The unicorn scanned through her cabinet, before muttering, "No, not that...." and moving onto the next cabinet.

"I think Autumn needs something with a bit more ... sustenance," said Sweetie Belle.

Apple Bloom thought for a moment before her eyes went as wide as dinner plates. "Y-You mean, y-you honestly want me t--t-tah ..... do THAT?" she stammered.

Sweetie Belle caught on and shook her head. "NO! OH GOSH, NO! No, I just meant that we should find a drink that she'll enjoy more! Juice, maybe!"

Apple Bloom took several deep breaths until the fear in her heart subsided, but her face was still flustered. "Well, do you have anything good?"

Sweetie looked over at her sister, who was rummaging through their fridge. Rarity popped her head up, having overheard the conversation, and shook her head. "Sorry dear," she said, "I don't have any juice, and infants are very sensitive to lactose, so we can't give her this milk here."

Apple Bloom clicked her tongue, saying, "There must be something we can give her... maybe we could -"

They were interrupted by a loud crunching noise, scaring the three of the mares. They turned to the source of the sound, and their eyes widened at what they saw. Autumn's crying had shifted into giggling. Her sharp teeth had pierced through the ruby, breaking off the chunk in her mouth. She was now munching on the gem, and the three mares saw the gem break down into smaller and smaller bits in her mouth. Rarity gasped in shock as she watched the infant swallow the bits before taking another bite out of the jewel.

".....Oh," was Rarity's response. Apple Bloom walked over to Autumn, staring at her. Autumn took no notice of her, as she was too endorsed in devouring the gem. There was no sign of any discomfort or pain from Autumn; in fact, she seemed to enjoy eating it as much as an ordinary foal would enjoy their favorite dessert.

"Well, that's something," said Sweetie Belle. A lightbulb went off in Apple Bloom's head. She turned to Rarity, who had slumped down in her chair, shaken from what she saw.

"Rarity, you got a blender or something? I need to break up a ton of gems into really tiny pieces."

Rarity raised her eyebrow, and then realized Bloom's plan. She trotted off to the cabinet directly above the stove and opened it with her magic. She retrieved a large black device from the back and assembled the container and base together. Sweetie Belle caught onto the idea, and brought over a box filled with dully shaded gems. The box was labeled "Unusable/Weak" written in elegant cursive. She slid the box over to Apple Bloom, who was filling the blender with water.

"Here, use these ones, Bloom!" she said cheerfully. "These ones dissolve better in water."

"Perfect!" The earth pony took a handful of the gems from the box and slipped them into the blender. Immediately, tiny bubbles began rising out of the surface of the stones. Apple Bloom turned the blender on, and a very loud clamor of sound came out of it. The metal clashed and cut through the rocks like a knife through butter, surprisingly, but clattered upon contact with each other. The whirring of the motor startled Autumn, causing her to drop her gem. Sweetie Belle quickly grabbed the gem and laid it on Autumn's lap and used her hoofs to cover the infant's ears. Autumn didn't seem to mind and continued biting on the gem.

Once the gems had been grinded and dissolved, Apple Bloom poured the drink into the bottle.

"Alright, sweetie. Try drinking this," Apple Bloom said as she gently brought the bottle to Autumn's lips.

Autumn looked up from the ruby and stared at the bottle. At first, she seemed to recognize the bottle and rejected it; however she sniffed the tip, and an intrigued look appeared on her fact. Slowly, she gently began suckling on the bottle. The two unicorns watched in anticipation as the infant took the first taste. Autumn began holding the bottle, and drank half the bottle before Apple Bloom noticed her letting go of the bottle and yawning. She placed her hoof on the infant, checking the temperature.

"Her temperature's going down! It worked!" she said. The other two breathed a sigh of relief. Apple Bloom watched as Autumn arms reached out to touch hers, as she yawned once more.

"Buh....mm... mm..." babbled Autumn. Rarity squeaked with delight at the sound. Sweetie's eyes went wide, and Apple Bloom gently held onto the infant's hand. A gentle warmth filled the earth pony's heart.

"Apple Bloom! I do believe she is trying to talk to you," squealed Rarity. The three watched Autumn struggle to articulate any comprehensible word from her mouth, until her eyes fluttered closed, and a small snoring sound escaped from her mouth. She was asleep once more.

Apple Bloom's eyes grew misty, and she gently kissed the forehead of the slumbering infant. "Sleep well, my little fireball...." she whispered, smiling. She wrapped the blanket around Autumn's body, and after one last nuzzle, picked up the basket in her mouth, rocking it gently back and forth.

"... Alright, that's enough mushy stuff. Can we just move on now?" Sweetie Belle looked at Rarity. The older unicorn's heart was currently melting, before she snapped back to reality thanks to a smack on the shoulder from her sister.

"Oh, yes! We must be going now, if we are to make it on time!" Rarity said, donning her hat.

The three mares made their way from the boutique and through the town, with their jackets and scarves fluttering in the wind. Apple Bloom moved Autumn's basket onto her back, and at several point in their journey, looked back to see check on her. The foal remained quiet for the remainder of the trip.

As they were passing through the town, Apple Bloom felt the need to hide her face deeper into her scarf. With every pony that passed, her mind raced through her memories, wondering if they were present at the market yesterday. At one point, an older colt called out to the trio, causing her heart to leap into her throat. Once she realized he was only talking to Rarity about repairing the cuff on his suit, her heart eased, and she heaved a sigh of relief. Still, throughout the whole duration of the trip, she felt that every passing set of eyes that landed on her were secretly accusing her, judging her, and condemning her.

Maybe this was a bad idea, she thought to herself.

"We're here," said Rarity, stopping at the door of a small house near the edge of Ponyville. Apple Bloom blinked and looked up. Her mind had wandered so far that she barely noticed the distance they had traveled. Just beyond the house was the entrance to the Everfree Forest, but the building they had stopped at was what gained her attention. The hut looked sturdy enough, but the wooden logs forming the walls and the straw roof made it stand out among all the other houses in the area. Nailed above the door was an unassuming wooden sign, with the words "Zecora's Clinic" carved neatly into the sign. Ther was nothing flashy or particularly interesting about it, unlike the other shops they had passed.

"Wait, we're going to see Zecora?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Not quite," said Rarity, smiling. "You and Autumn are going to see Zecora. The two of us will be waiting out in the lounge."

Apple Bloom couldn't find a reason to protest, even though a knot formed in her stomach, so she followed Rarity into the hut. The scent of incense washed over the three of them, though it was not thick enough to cause discomfort. Inside, a straw mat covered the foot of the entrance, and just a few meters directly ahead of it, wooden desk topped with a variety of carved statues and relics made of wood and stone resting on the surface, a surrounded a small stack of paper. The blue writing quill was laying on top of the paper, and the ink written on the parchment was still fresh. To their sides, a small set of wood chairs and tables, held together by vines, stings and sticks, were placed comfortably next to the open windows on both sides of the house. The curtains were drawn up, and the cool fall air wafted through the whole hut.

Past the desk was a set of green, leafy curtains that lead into another room, where a figure emerged. The clattering of bead's around the bearer's neck announced the identity of the figure, if the black and white striped mane and skin did not already give it away.

Apple Bloom and the two unicorns watched as the zebra shook back her mane, and smiled warmly.

"Greetings, Apple Bloom. It has been so long," said Zecora, bowing her head, "and I am glad to see that your spirit is still strong."

Apple Bloom followed Zecora's action and bowed as well. "Howdy, Zecora. You're right, it has been too long."

Zecora smiled as she took the quill on the table and made a mark on the paper. "Rarity called me the night before today, to see if I could help without any delay."

Apple Bloom glanced at Rarity, who gave her a knowing wink. The zebra led Apple Bloom past the curtains and into the back room, with Autumn still on her back. Rarity and Sweetie Belle sat at one of the tables. Rarity entertained herself with a set of sewing needles she had kept hidden under her hat, and began working on her next project. Sweetie Belle, on the other hand, leaned towards the curtains from her seat in the lounge. Her ears twitched at every word hushed by Zecora and Bloom, until the sound of a door closing was heard, and no more sounds could be heard.

.............................

"Hmm," Zecora hummed to herself as she brought the stethoscope to Autumn's chest. Apple Bloom watched the zebra listen intently through the device, before she shifted away towards the desk. She took a large, dusty green book from one of the shelves, and began flipping through the pages. Zecora's eyes scanned the pages one by one, until she sighed and clapped the book shut.

Autumn's eyes flickered open, yawning as she did. She looked over at Apple Bloom, who stood right next to the bedside where she lay, and reached out her tiny hoof, babbling happily. Her face beamed with joy, and the warm feeling began bubbling within Bloom's heart.

"Well, it certainly is strange," said Zecora as she slid her book back into the shelf. "But the good news is your child is strong for her age."

Apple Bloom's ears perked up at the comment. "Oh, I'm not her...." she paused, hesitating. Autumn's grip was soft, although the scales on her hand were hard. The happy squeals of the infant resonated deep within her soul, and she felt a tightness in her chest form and disappear in an instant. She smiled, gently holding Autumn's arm. "Yeah...she's strong, alright."

Liar.

The warm feeling in her soul shattered in an instant. Apple Bloom suddenly let go of Autumn's hoof. She looked about the room to the source of the sound. The chill settled along her back, and she heard a low whispering in her ear. At first, the words were indistinct and hushed. She shut her eyes for a second to clear her mind, but the noise only grew louder.

The words were beginning to become clearer and clearer: "Liar. Liar. LIAR!

The pounding in her head returned. She turned away from Zecora and Autumn, breathing heavily. She gripped her head, hoping for it to pass. The chill caused her to shiver, until her knees buckled beneath her, and she swayed to the side. She managed to maintain her balance, and with a gasp, she raised her head to look forward.

Nothing was there, just the walls of the hut and the shelves lined with books backed against it. She sighed, before the cold suddenly shocked through her body like an arrow, when AJ's voice re-entered her mind.

You're not a mother. You're not even a sister. You're just you. A cold, shriveled hoof gripped Bloom's shoulder. Even through the decay and faded color, she recognized the hoof of her sister, and, daring not to turn around, she yelled out and slammed her head into the ground.

"SHUT UP! SHUT! UP! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" The chill and the headache vanished, replaced by a very sore patch on her skin where she hit her head. Apple Bloom covered her mouth, realizing she was screaming in the presence of Zecora and Autumn. The sudden noise scared Autumn into a quiet crying fit. Apple Bloom turned back to see the crying infant and Zecora, looking more shaken than shocked. She hurried over to Autumn, ignoring the redness and swelling on her forehead. "No, no, no, sweetie, I'm sorry. Mommy didn't mean it..."

Autumn whimpered upon seeing Bloom initially, but after a few moments, the crying had subsided into soft sniffles. It was at this point that Apple Bloom wiped the tears from her own eyes, and Zecora approached her.

"Apple Bloom," the Zebra said calmly. "Is this what Rarity said was much maligned? The one where you dream and see terrors from your mind? "

"....Sorry.... and yeah, that kind of sums it up," Apple Bloom said, finally nursing the bruise now forming on her head. Zecora looked through her cabinets, before pulling out a small plastic pill bottle and a washcloth. She rinsed the cloth under the sink in the corner of the room, and placed it on Apple Bloom's head, much to her surprise.

"Oh! Um..." she began, but Zecora politely cut her off.

"This is for your head, for it will heal with relative speed. And these," she added, raising the pill capsule, "are to be taken in the evening, but one, you must not exceed."

Apple Bloom took the capsule into her hoof, turning it over several times. The pills inside rattled as she did and clattered more when something unexpected happened.

Without warning, Zecora brought Apple Bloom into a tight embrace. The zebra hugged the earth pony tight, who wasn't sure how to react. There was an awkward silence in the air, even after Zecora let go.

"I know the pain that runs through your heart," said Zecora, "but you must not let the past tear your future apart."

"...I know. Thank you, Zecora," said Apple Bloom. She stared at Autumn, who was back to her usual happy self. She gently held her hoof and kissed her forehead. The zebra's words echoed in her mind, and she tucked the pills away in one of the basket's side compartments.

Zecora watched as Apple Bloom gently stroked Autumn's cheek, and wiped a small tear from her own eye. She cleared her throat, gaining the attention of Apple Bloom.

"Ahem. Well then, there is one thing that must be done," she said, approaching her books. She opened one of them, checking through them one more time before closing them again. "We must learn all about the origin of this one."

She poked the tip of Autumn's horn, causing Autumn whimper as embers sparked from the end. "The species of this child is not in any of my books. I believe we need the assistance of someone whose wisdom exceeds mine to take a look."

Apple Bloom thought for a moment. "Someone who knows a lot about animals? Fluttershy might help!"

Zecora shook her head. "I believe we need the assistance of one familiar with the mystic. Twilight Sparkle is the option that is most realistic."

Twilight Sparkle. The mention of that name triggered another headache for Bloom, though not the same kind as before. She sighed shaking her head, catching Zecora's attention.

"Is something the matter? Are you alright? Do you need to stay the night?" Zecora asked. Apple Bloom smiled and shook her head.

"Nah, it's good..." she said. She sighed and, making sure Zecora was out of earshot, muttered in annoyance. "Oy vey...."