//------------------------------//
// He did not stand aside 
// Story: This is what we do 
// by Foxgear 
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This is what we do chapter 26
By Foxgear



“Run Sweetie!” Applebloom grabbed her friend by the hand and ran for all she was worth towards the bar. Rarity right on their trail looking like a diamond-clad demon from hell! Sweetie seemed to be in a sort of shock and was lagging them behind, giving Rarity time to cover the distance between them with her long athletic legs. Times like this she wished she was AJ’s height. 
“Get down!” A male voice shouts. The men that had been standing outside of the bar watching them all had guns drawn and aimed. Not sure what else to do Applebloom pulled Sweetie to the ground, the men opening fire! With her head huddled low Applebloom glances up to see Rarity getting shot up by the men from the bar. Their bullets breaking off pieces of her diamond skin. The fashionista let out a banish like scream as she creates a shield to hide behind, the men did not stop firing, continuing to chip away at the shield. 
“Girls over here! Crawl over here!” An older man with a pipe screams at them, waving them over. He had a shotgun in his hands. Applebloom recognized him as one of the men her Grandpa Bailey was playing cards with. “Come on!” 
With little choice, they crawled across the park grass onto the street as bullets whizzed overhead. The old man kept encouraging them to keep going and keep their heads down. The man suddenly raised his gun and fired over them, the same banish scream from before overpowering the noise of the guns. He had shot Rarity. The look on his face said he hadn’t killed her. Or maybe he couldn’t. 
“Come, girls, up you go. Name’s Gator by the way.” The man shouts it was the only way they could hear over the noise. “Let’s get you lassies inside.” 
Two more men flanked them as Gator led them towards the outdoor patio. As they were ushered inside Applebloom spares a glance back. Through the transparent shield, Rarity held her shoulder, blood seeping out spilling between her fingers, her hair was wild and unruly and for a moment their eyes met, Rarity’s suddenly dart towards Sweetie and her friend shivers. 
“In ya go,” Gator pushed shut the door behind them, a metal screen falling down over the window and doors. What kind of bar was this? 
“You ok Applebloom?” She was caught off guard as Bailey knelt down in front of her, checking her over for injuries. Other then a few scrapes from crawling over the road she was fine. Once he realized that he looked Sweetie over. “Let’s get a bandage around that wrist, honey.” He said gingerly touching Sweetie’s bruised arm. A man with a red cross hat steps in wrapping Sweetie’s hand, while her Grandfather stands staring at the monitors to the camera’s outside. 
Bailey lifts a walkie-talkie to his lips and speaks, “Gator, how are things out there? Over.” The monitors only showed the patio, so they couldn’t see Rarity at the moment or most of the men firing at her. Applebloom was feeling strangely emotionless about her best friend’s sister getting shot at. Course looking at Sweetie Belle sob and the marks on her arm might be the reason for that. Or maybe it something else, she’s felt this feeling before a feeling of calm reassurance like the first time she unlocked her magic. 
“Bailey, since when did your grandkid have ears on her head.” 
Applebloom let out a loud, “Huh?” As her new appendages wiggle involuntarily. She glances around, finding the mirror at the bar. She ponied up, without even knowing how to. Strangely instead of everyone being shocked, they looked… amused. 
Bailey smiles, ruffling her hair with his big hands. “Runs in the family, from her father’s side. I’m sure Nico would have been proud to see ya come into your own. I know I am.”
A diamond spike suddenly shot through the steel shutters, screams from the men outside sent shivers down their spines as Rarity appears on screen wielding to diamond rapiers. She looks into the camera and destroys it. 
“Come on, let’s go,” Bailey says pushing her and Sweetie Belle towards the stairs. Downstairs the men from the bar start pulling out weapons that were no way legal and take up positions behind the tables and the bar. “I’m sorry boys.” Her grandfather says to the men as they climb the stairs. 
The horrible sound of metal squealing and gunfire erupts as Baily ushers them into the office. What they were going to do here Applebloom had no idea. They were on the second floor and there was no way out! 
“In here girls,” Bailey said opening the gun safe inside the closet. There weren’t a lot of guns inside. Bailey removed a short double barrel rifle and opened the floor of the safe, revealing a small space beneath it. “Get in and keep quiet and don’t come out till the coast is clear.” He lowers them into the safe room. Sweetie Belle hugging her tight as she looks up at her grandfather’s grim face. 
“Grandpa…”
“You’ll be fine, she won’t find you here.” 
“But what about you!” 
He didn’t reply. He shut the trapdoor and locked it. Replacing the floor of the safe before locking that too. Calmly Bailey loads his sawed-off Elephant rifle, next he taps his pockets making sure his brass knuckles were assessable, and finally straps the long knife he found in the closet to his belt. It was more of a short sword than a knife, maybe a machete. He didn’t know why Ferocious had it, but it might come in handy. He doubt’s he’ll have time to reload again. 
The gunfire downstairs ceases and the old stairs begin to creak. Bailey shoulders his sawed-off, taking a moment to glance at the pictures hanging on the wall. There was one of him and Feri’s father, Feri, Stryker, and Nico, his daughter Applejane with Nico and their kids, Feri, and the kids and so on. Memories from their lives intertwine on one wall. 
A shadow appears on the other side of the office door glass. He sights in the bead and waits. 
“Though I walk through the valley of death, I fear no evil,” He mutters his finger gently squeezing the trigger. 
BOOM!
The door explodes, Rarity breaking through at the same time he pulled the trigger. The purple haired girl had a look of pure surprise as the two .50 caliber rounds hit her center mass. Diamond shards fly through the air moving in slow motion as Rarity is flung back into the stairwell, smashing into the wall. Bailey drops the gun, his shoulder hurting and his hand numb. He digs into his pocket slipping a set of brass knuckles on his trembling right hand, using his left to smack his fingers into a fist. 
“Damn old body work!” He growls as he fumbles for the machete. Stupid safety latch didn’t want to come off! “Dammit!” Slipping his second set of knuckles on Bailey raises his arms for some boxing as Rarity stumbles back into the office. The young girl was holding her stomach, while blood drips down from her chin. 
“Not the very gentle gentleman, are you?” She says standing up straight. “I’ll have to teach you how to treat a lady.” Rarity slips into a stance and begins pacing the room.
Bailey follows suit, keeping the distance between them. The youngsters nowadays learn a bunch of them martial arts. He’s watched Feri and Stryker practice from time to time. Not stuff he could really do, not at his age. He was an old dog, but he had his tricks. 
“Ah doubt there’s much you can teach me, missy.” He moved a powerful right hook swinging at Rarity’s face. The girl stepped in close, elbowing him in the gut, her hands grabbing his arm and pulling over her back. He’s seen this move before, some sort of aikido shit. The throws his weight to the right, he outweighs Rarity by a good two hundred and she gets dragged for the ride. Swinging his arm spins her around her hands wet with sweat and blood. Her fingers slide off his wrist and she goes flying into Ferocious’s desk! While Bailey falls to a knee, his leg trembling with pain. He might have pulled something or his arthritis was acting up. His right hand was still numb, the pain in his shoulder wasn’t going away, and when he stands his right knee couldn’t take the weight and buckles. 
“Worn out already?” Rarity snidely remarks walking out of the debris of the desk. “Poor, poor, old man. So frail, your beauty wasted away to dust like your bones will be soon.”
He raises his dukes. “Keep talking girly, I’ll be laughing in my grave when your sixty years older and sitting a nursing home waiting to die. Me, I’ve never felt so alive in years!” 
Rarity drops her hands, summoning diamond rapiers. “Let’s change that then.”
Bailey tries to balance on his old knees, Rarity taunting him with her rapiers throwing a few light jabs at him that he deflects with his brass knuckles. He bites his lips as the diamond blade swings back, taking a slice out of his arm. Digging in he charges into her space throwing two quick hits, metal meeting diamond. The impacts traveling up his arm, his fingers cracking, but he keeps on throwing all his strength into his punches. 

Flinging her head forward, Rarity’s diamond coated head slams into Bailey’s fist. Several of his fingers crack sickeningly as the old bones break, but Bailey doesn’t relent as he slams another hit-on Rarity, knocking her head back. She let out a howl as her brain slams against her skull. She swings the rapier in her left hand upwards, Bailey catches her arm under his arm locking her in as he slams his weight against her throwing them to the ground, continuing to hit her with his right hand. His fingers were so numb he couldn’t even feel the pain anymore. Blood spatters on diamond skin, Rarity’s head abuzz with pain, her vision distorting. 

Then everything became clear. 

Bailey stumbles back, a diamond dagger in his liver, his knee gave out, his right arm falling limbless in a mass of bruises and blood. Rarity stands, whipping her hair around as she readies another dagger while drawing up her rapier, the tip of the diamond blade posed at his heart. 

“Now where is Sweetie? Tell me and I’ll be generous and let you live.” She laughs poking his liver wound with her sword. “For however long that is.”

He growls, standing up on one leg. Not as tall or proudly as before, but he still dwarfed the girl’s height if nothing else. He lets his left hand go slack, the brass knuckles sliding off his fingers. She looks curiously at him. Perhaps thinking it as a sign of surrender. Bailey rests his hand on the knife, the button latch flicking off easy now. 

Rarity steps back, rapier posed to strike. “You can’t be serious. In your condition? Laughable.” 

“Maybe,” Bailey replies with a bloody grin, the knife clumsily held in his left hand. “But I am not going to let you have the girl.”

“She’s my sister, tis my right to do to her what I will.” 

“That’s not how family works, doll.” He brandishes the knife, knocking away the rapier and jumping ahead with his one leg. Rarity easily sidesteps thrusting with her rapier. Hopping sideways Bailey jabs the knife into the rapiers guard, Rarity let out a yelp as blood splatters from her fingers. The blade falls to the ground Rarity’s entire right hand covered in hot blood. He figured her armor would be weakest around her joints. He stabs cutting into the gab in her elbow. She screams charging him with a newly made diamond dagger. First, she stabbed his side, his lungs, stomach, all over, he lost count after the fifth stab. His knees give out and he falls to the floor wheezing as his lungs fill with blood. 

Rarity stands over him, bladed posed high ready for the killing blow. The dagger lengthens to a rapier, the tip pointing at Bailey’s heart. She raises her arm, striking down when the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs catches her attention. Her head swivels toward the doorway another old man with a Santa white beard and a shotgun standing there.

“Get away from him you, bitch!” The old man levels the gun, Rarity not bothering to dodge, knowing the round would do nothing serious but was quickly proven wrong as she’s sent flying across the room, smashing into the window ceil, her diamond armor shattered, and her chest burned and bleeding. The man racks the shotgun, a green shell landing on the floor. Twelve-gauge grenade slug written on the brass. 

Gator sights in on the wounded girl pulling the trigger without hesitation, another explosive shell slams into Rarity, the diamond girl letting out a horrible hiss as dust fills the room. Gusts of air swirl around the room clearing it away, Rarity, with large purple wings on her back hoovers outside the broken wall, her body limp. From the girl’s neck rose a snake’s head, hissing threateningly at Gator before flying the unconscious girl away. Gator goes to the hole in the wall, Rarity a blimp in the distance. 

The threat gone Gator slides next Bailey, screaming for a medic as he tries to put pressure on the older man’s wounds. 
“Come on, you old bastard, stay with us! Will someone get me a fucking medic!” Gator roars as several more men come running up the stars. He steps back, letting the younger men tend to Bailey. Pulling one of the men standing around Gator asks about those downstairs. “How are the causalities.” 

The young man, Green Cross, shook his head. “We got five dead out front, two by the door, five inside and a couple dozen injured. We got hold of the hospital their sending an ambulance, but they’ll only take the critically injured. They’re still a lot of folks from this morning there, so they're still swamped. I ah…” Green Cross looks over to Bailey as the medical professionals of the bar bandage the old soldier’s wounds. They each had the same expression but kept on with their work. “Mr. Bailey’s condition Gator… well, you see for yourself.” 

Gator stood silently as Bailey weakly waves him over. He knelt down to his old friend, the first person that had greeted him when he came back from Vietnam and didn’t spit on his face. He held Bailey’s callused hands, once strong with the grip of a gorilla and burning with life was cold and weak. 

“The girls… under the safe…”

“Ok, ok, I got it. I’ll let them out once we get you out of here. I’m sure… I’m sure you don’t want them to see you like this.” Bailey’s grip tightened for a fleeting moment as the medical boys lifted him up, the sound of the ambulance could be heard from the down the street. The room cleared out and Gator was left alone as he opens the closet door. He paused and threw a sheet over the spot on the floor where Bailey had laid, the blood soaking through the white fabric, so he threw another red-colored sheet over it. Ferocious wouldn’t mind. He opens the door to the safe and then uncovers the door in the floor, unlocking it and opening to reveal the two girls huddling close, Applebloom holding her palm out with a yellow orb floating in it. 

Gator extends his hand, “Easily now. I’m here to help.” 

Applebloom nods the orb vanishing from her palm as she takes his hand. With a grunt, he pulls both girls up one at a time. Just as they get settled of being out in the open again a herd of thunderous footsteps comes up the stairs. 



“What the fucking hell is this shit!” Were the words Stryker used to describe the fubar that was the bar when he and Celestia pulled up. An ambulance just pulled away, while several police cars surround the place. Everyone looking antsy as the street’s lights came on, bringing this long ass horrible day to evening. He wished it would just end. God only knows what he’s going to find inside. “Stick close to me.” He orders Celestia as they climb out of the truck. 

He had parked at the end of the block the police cars and bar attendants taking up most of the street. The police were already setting up the do not cross line as the bar members kept post by the door, a standoff between the officers and veterans and bikers brewing. And who should he see arguing with a police officer but Luna with Fiercy Fury. 

“I told you already! I’m looking for my godchild and I have good reason to believe she’s here so let me in!”

“Ma’am this is a…”

“Let them in, they’re with me.” Stryker flashed his badge pushing the local Leo out of the way and holding the tape up for Luna and Fury to come in. “You blues stay here, leave this to someone qualified to do this.” 

As they enter the patio Celestia moved in close whispering, “Should you be so rude to them? Things are pretty tense right now.” 

“We don’t have time to be playing with fools.” He replies the guys at the front part a path for them. Once out of the earshot of the normies Stryker asks the obvious. “What the hell happened?” 

“We were attacked. Bailey’s granddaughter and her friend…”

“Applebloom!” Luna suddenly grabbed the man talking the collar of his shirt. “Where is she? Was Sweetie Belle with her! 
Tell me!” 

“They’re upstairs lady, Gator is there to looking after them.”

Luna stepped back, confused. “Gator… what’s my neighbor doing here? Never mind! They’re in the office, right? At the top of the stairs?”

“Why do you know that Luna?” Celestia asked suspiciously.

“Because that’s where Ferocious and I…um… never mind you don’t need to know. Let’s go!” 

Taking off like a bolt Luna raced up the stairs. Stryker and the others following suit so they all ended up at the top of the stairs, squished together in the stairwell. Inside the office was Gator with Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. 

Luna ran inside embracing to the two preteens lovingly. “Applebloom, Sweetie Belle! I’m so glad you're both alright.” She leans back giving the girls some room to breathe. “You are alright, right?” Both girls nod. “Good, I’m sorry we didn’t catch on something was wrong with Rarity sooner Sweetie. It’s just… I’m sorry things aren’t going really good, right now.”

“You can say that again,” Gator said snidely sitting across the room while lighting his pipe. The old man blew out a huge cloud of smoke, visibly relaxing as he looks to Stryker. “What’s going on, Boss? Better yet where’s the big boss?”

They had spread out around the room. Fury and Stryker leaning against the wall, while Celestia helps Luna look over the girls. Stryker presses his hand into his face as he tries to sort things out. “We think four of Applejack’s friends are infected by a monster dubbed SINS. It’s a parasite that takes over the host. We just started looking into it today. Ferocious is in the city with Mac looking for leads. But we haven’t heard back them yet since the blackout.” 

Stryker holds out his phone, pressing power to try and turn it back on, it stays black. “How’d you call the cops and ambulance?”

Gator snorts, “Gunfire probably attracted the cops. I think of the medic boys has a short-wave radio linked with the ambulance since their part of that outfit. Maybe they used the landline too, I didn’t have time to ask before you all showed up. We have several dead and injured in case your curious.”

“I saw,” Stryker replies remembering the horror of downstairs. There was a strange moment where something connects in his brain as he looks from a fretting Applebloom who was looking at the blood-stained sheets on the floor and the open safe room. A room only two others besides him and Feri knew about. “Who got hurt in here?” 	

Gator stayed silent. 

“Is Grandpa going to be ok? Rarity… she didn’t hurt him too bad, did she?” Applebloom asked softly as Sweetie Belle hugged her close. The school principals looking at the old veteran for answers. 

“He was taken to the hospital by the ambulance,” Gator said staring at the floor. Suddenly his phone lit up, as did everyone else’s. A missed call on the screen, it was from Nurse Nyx. He looks at Stryker who was also looking at his phone. The young man presses dial holding the speaker to his ear. 

“Nyx?” Stryker says aloud, putting his phone on speaker so everyone could hear the nurse. 

“You better get down here, ASAP too. Shit, I got so many calls to make.” She cursed the call ends. Suddenly Applebloom’s, Luna’s, and Celestia’s phones go off all calls from Nyx. 

“Go,” Gator said. “I got things handled here.”

With those words everyone hurried out of the room, leaving him alone. Gator took one sad look around the office and the blood-stained sheets, knowing what was coming. Haggard, he walks over to Ferocious personal stash of whiskey, grabbing two shot glasses. He fills both, setting them on the nightstand, he raises one high before downing in it. 



Adagio just walked downstairs, the darkness finally gone when she heard the sound of a car drive into the yard. Her heart aflutter with hope as she ran for the living room window. Much to her excitement, she saw Mac in the driver’s seat of the car. Though she didn’t recognize the car. 

“Ugh, what’s going on?” Said a voice behind her. 

She turned around to find Applejack slumped at the bottom of the stairs. Holding her head. 
“Mac’s home,” Adagio said cheerfully, walking over to help her sister in law up. “Glad you’re awake. You remember what happened?”

“Kind of. It’s all a bit blurry right now. I do remember a lot of fire, and then nothing for several seconds before things become clear again. I passed out after that.” 

Adagio laughed nervously debating if she should tell Applejack Fierce Fury turned her to ash. Better not. There’s been enough trauma. “Right, well we’ll get you up to speed as soon as the others wake up. Mac should be in any minute now. What’s taking him so long?” 

Running over to the window Adagio watched Mac help Ferocious to the pouch. She opens the door for the two, Mac setting Feri on the couch. She grits her teeth as she watched Feri’s poorly wrapped wounds get blood on her couch. 
“But him on the leather couch if he’s bleeding, it’ll be easier to clean the blood off.” 

“Yes, Honey,” Mac said sounding tired as he lifts Feri again and brings him towards the lazy boy chair. 

“The couch, we cuddle on that chair.” Again, Mac changes direction and lays Feri on the leather couch. She smiles happily and goes to get the first aid kit while Mac goes outside. As she’s applying burn ointment to Ferocious Mac walks back in carrying Moon Dancer princess style. “Throw her down quick or I might start to get jealous.” 

Mac chuckles putting Moon Dancer on the other couch. “I would worry for the life of the woman that tries to steal me from you.” 

She laughs lightly, showing off a bit of fang. “Yes, you should, I’d gouge out their eyes.” 

From her spot on the stairs, Applejack made a gagging noise. “Do you two have to flirt now?”

“You should be taking notes Applejack. That is if you want to catch as fine as a man as your brother someday.” 
Applejack made another gagging sound, “Please don’t say that kind of crap, I get enough of that from every other girl that crushed on Mac during school.”

Adagio’s knuckles popped as her nails became claws, “Oh really? Care to write those names down?” 

Before anyone could intervene, the phone rang. Adagio dropping her bandaging of Ferocious and pushing Mac into his lazy boy, telling both males to relax. Taking the receiver off the hook she smiles wide trying to sound happier than she actually felt, actually she was pretty happy right now. So she wanted to sound as happy as she felt so she said loudly and chipperly. 

“Apple residence, Adagio Apple here.” 

“Is Mac there?” It was Nyx? Why was she calling? 

“Yes, Applejack too if your wondering, what’s this about Nyx?”

There was a sigh over the line. Nyx cursing as a bunch of background noise comes over the speaker. “There’s no easy way around this. Bailey is in the hospital… you should all come to see him. It’s… it’s serious.”

“What happened to Bailey! Nyx! Nyx!” The nurse didn’t answer, she already hung up. “Mac!”

“I know, I heard.” Mac looks around, Moon Dancer on the couch, Ferocious laying across from her with three bullet wounds and burns, Applejack looking ready to fall over where she sat and everybody else still asleep upstairs. “Someone needs to stay and watch everyone. Someone able.”

Ferocious rises up the couch, supporting himself by hopping on his good leg and holding to the back of the couch. “If you think I’m staying here when Bailey’s in the hospital your wrong kid.”

“I kind of figured that but…”

“I’ll watch everyone,” Sunset Shimmer said suddenly climbing down the stairs. Her hair was a complete mess, lacking its usual tone and style, it looked like she just got out of the shower. “I’m not the ablest, but I can move.” She snaps her fingers creating a small flame. “And I got a little magic left in me still. Worse comes to worse, we got a phone and guns.” 
Both Mac and Adagio stare at the drowsy pony girl, before nodding at each other. “Alright, Applejack, come with me. I’ll loan you some clothes. Hurry now. Mac, you should clean up quick too. Maybe put Ferocious in something that isn't burned or bloodstained.” Adagio ordered breezily pushing Applejack into her and Mac’s room. 

A quick run upstairs Mac throws Ferocious one of his dad’s old flannel shirts before quickly showering himself. A quick two-minute shower later, he exits the bath in a towel as Adagio pulls Applejack out of their room in some of Adagio’s clothes. A simple snug tee shirt and jeans. He excuses himself past the two and quickly dresses in his room. In the mere passing of seven minutes, they were ready to go and helping Ferocious into the car. The red detective’s phone going off as Mac pulled out of the driveway.

“Yeah, Stryker?” Ferocious answers, putting his phone of speaker for them all to hear. 

“Are you on your way to the hospital?”

“Yeah, we just got a call from Nyx, were on our way now. How’s Bailey?” 

Silence. 

“Stryker?”

“Just get here soon.” Stryker hangs up.

Ferocious looks at Mac. “Step on it, don’t worry about getting pulled over. I’ll deal with that.”

Mac floors the ‘borrowed’ car making the usual fifteen-minute trip to town under ten. The streets were unusually empty, even for the small town of Canterlot. That didn’t bother Mac as he raced towards the hospital. The parking lot was packed, they found the first spot they could find. He and Applejack helping Ferocious limp across the parking lot to the front door. When the doctors tried to take Ferocious from them the red detective growled and barked at them, demanding to know where Bailey was while flashing his badge. 

The doctor pointed them towards the one place Mac hated in the hospital. ICU. The intensive care unit. As he pulls Ferocious along flashes of his mother’s brief time here before her death by Maddie’s father’s poison come to mind. Nothing good ever happened here for his family. 

“Mac! Applejack!” 

“Applebloom?” The two Apple siblings said surprised as the youngest of the trio glomped them. Rounding the corner was Celestia and Luna, both looking very anxious as they pull Applebloom away. The youngest Apple unknowingly hitting Ferocious’s wounds, but the red detective didn’t cry out or curse, instead he pats the girl on the head, smiling. 

“Well, you certainly grew up.”

Applebloom looks up at Ferocious then to Fury noticing the obvious similarities between the two men but was still nervous as she backed away into Luna’s arms. “Who’s he?” Ferocious’s smile dropped slightly. While Luna gave a ‘what did you expect’ look. 

Luna seems to take mercy as she knelt down and explained things to Applebloom. “This is your godfather Ferocious, he… while he was a friend of your father and my boyfriend once upon a time.” 

Applebloom seemed to still be confused. From around the corner, Stryker loomed and with a snap of his finger clarity come to the youngest Apple’s eyes, as did Applejack and Mac as the memory magic was completely undone. 

“I think I kind of remember you, it’s kind of fuzzy, but yeah! Yeah! I do!” Applebloom suddenly became very shy. “You came to my school concerts and stuff after Dad died.” 

“Yeah, you got some good singing chops kiddo.” Ferocious ruffles her hair again, giving Stryker a look. Nyx emerges from the ICU, her expression grim as she surveys the crowd before her. 

Clipboard tight against her chest she addresses them, “Can I assume everyone here is privy to you know what?” 
“More or less,” Mac replies pulling Applebloom close. “How is he?”

“Not good, please follow me, be mindful of the other patients please.” Nyx opens the wide double doors for them leading them down the deserted hallway. The changeling nurse stood aside letting them file one by one into Bailey’s room. They all stood silently as the once-hulking old man lay on the bed, pale, covered in bandages, with the rhythmic sound of the heart monitor the only indication he was alive. 

Mac’s fist tightened as he looked at his great grandfather’s pale exposed chest, stab wounds everywhere, he had no idea what was keeping the old man alive. Maybe sheer stubbornness. Adagio took his hand, squeezing it tight as Nyx went to Bailey’s bedside. 

“Bailey, your family is here and… some others.” She said softly while looking and Ferocious and Stryker. 

Bailey’s fingers twitched, his eyes fluttered open, they were dull and bloodshot, red veins a bright contrast to his sclera. Slowly Bailey moved his head his gaze landing on him and Adagio. The old man smiled gesturing for them to come closer. 
“Mac… finally…(WEEZ) came by to show me your pretty young wife. Took you long enough.” He laughed lightly, going into a horrible coughing fit, each hack looking physically painful. Nyx ran to the IV’s and did something, Bailey settling down thanks to whatever she did. “Come closer here girly, let me get a better look at ya.” 

Adagio knelt next to the bed, Bailey raised his hand touching Adagio’s face. “Hmm… yep defiantly a looker. Got some nice cheeks here.” He laughs playfully squeezing Adagio’s cheeks. “Yeah, you’ll make a fine Apple. How’s the little babe doing?” 
“They’re still growing,” Adagio said standing up and placing Bailey’s hand on her stomach. She had no aggressive reaction. Even though she wasn’t holding Mac’s hand. Maybe Bailey was a lot like more or him, or maybe her instincts were keen enough to know the dying old man was no threat. Whatever the cause Bailey seem to light up as he gently strokes her bumping belly. 

“I think it’s going to be a girl,” Bailey announced boldly. “A beautiful strong-willed girl.” He pats her belly one last time, his hand falling limply to the side of the bed. “I’m glad I got to meet you two. Mac?”

Mac stood a little closer, Bailey’s voice growing weaker. “Yeah, Grandpa?”

“Remember what we talked about…(WEEZ) the other day…(WEEZ) at the bar. Applejack, Applebloom… (WEEZ)… Be mindful of Granny… (WEEZ) remember… remember to visit after you move out. She gets lonely.” Bailey’s head rolls back, catching sight of Ferocious and Stryker as everyone gathers together around the bed. “Well…(WEEZ) look at you boys… come to see me off?”

“Bailey…” Ferocious broke free from Stryker’s support hopping over to the bed on one leg. He brushes away a tear as he grips the bed rail. “Why.”

“Its what I do, she was after my grandbaby and her friend. No real man stands aside when (WEEZ) someone’s in trouble. I… (WEEZ) want…(WEEZ) you two… (WEEZ, WEEZ) take care of (WEEZ, WEEZ, WEEZ) of yourselves. Try to live a little and settle down…”

BEEEEEPPPPPPPP! 

Bailey Apple, Father of Granny Smith and Crab Apple, Grandfather of Applejane, Great Grandfather of Macintosh, Applejack, and Applebloom, died at eighty years old, surrounded by his friends and family.