Tiger Bloom

by Tundara

Epilogue

Tiger Bloom

Epilogue

The wind gently caressed Apple Bloom's long mane, the rich red hairs dancing in its playful grasp, even as they were pulled back and tied in an identical manner as her sister. She looked over the side of the sky-carriage down at the endless sea of green treetops of the Everfree, a little frown tugging at her lips. They weren't that high, underneath the clouds, but at just the right elevation where she could spot key details.

Below, twisting and turning like a drunk snake, was the Everfree River. A flash of purple showed the river serpent, Steven Magnet, as he merrily swam along. Looking up, Steven gave the carriage a wave and yelled a greeting. Apple Bloom returned the wave.

Far to the left an open field of flowers surrounded the yawning mouth of the Everfree Dragon's cave. Thin tendrils of smoke occasionally drifted up into the sky as the dragon napped. He had mellowed over the years, and had even taken to teaching Spike about draconian history. An abrupt change from the only time Apple Bloom had ever met the dragon.

Another open space of glinting white, broken only by the trunk of an ugly black tree that looked as if it had once been set on fire, came into view. In the tree's branches sat an equally ugly black crow, the bird's beady red eyes peering up at Apple Bloom. She suppressed a shiver and unconciously rubbed her shoulder. It had never properly healed, and she still sometime had moments to hours of shooting pain that would make her limp and curse. Luckily, it hadn't effected her work on the farm, and she'd just grit her teeth, take some of her pain medication, and carry on.

Movement in the trees drew her gaze, a pack of Timber Wolves leaping and bounding after a deer. Apple Bloom said a silent prayer to Celestia, asking that the deer would escape. Even after all these years, she still hated the wolves. They crashed through the trees and then slowed, looking up at the carriage as it passed, and the deer got away.

A wide groaning chasm swept beneath them, a well maintained wooden bridge crossing its expanse. The chasm's depths were hidden by a rolling thick cloud of fog, but Apple Bloom didn't need to see the bottom to know it was filled with jagged rocks and broken trees with a small stream trickling past.

"Where are you taking me?" she called, cupping her mouth with her hooves to shout over the wind to the two pegasus' pulling the carriage.

Turning to look over her shoulder, Rainbow Dash shouted back, "Just wait and see, AB! We're almost there!"

Almost as soon as she'd finished responding,they began to descend. Frowning a little, Apple Bloom saw that they were headed towards the old ruins of the Everfree Castle. She wondered why they were taking her there, and on such a chilly fall day. She should be back at Sweet Apple Acres helping with the last of the harvesting. Winter was coming quicker than usual this year, and if they didn't hurry all the apples wouldn't be harvested in time.

But it had been Applejack, of all ponies, who had practically thrown Apple Bloom into the back of the carriage, with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy already hitched to its reigns. A sputtering series of protests had left Apple Bloom's lips, mostly centered on the harvest, or who would look after the foals if both her and Fluttershy were going to be gone for the day. Applejack had just waved off the protests, said that she and Mac had managed to harvest just fine when Apple Bloom was younger, and that Twilight was coming over with her own foal to look after Fluttershy's.

It seemed like a well planed and co-ordinated attack had been launched on any protests or objections Apple Bloom could conjure, and so, still grumbling about losing a day, she'd sat with crossed hooves as the carriage had lifted into the air and out over the Everfree.

Tires bouncing a little as the carriage touched down on the old moss covered stone of the castle's courtyard, Apple Bloom got her first look at the structure in years. A lot had changed. Some pony had been keeping the place up and repairing it, she quickly realised as she stepped out of the carriage while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash helped each other out of their harnesses.

Walls had been restored, pathways cleared, and a beautiful flower garden planted around a statue of Princesses Luna and Celestia. Mouth hanging slightly open, Apple Bloom moved around, gently lifting some of the flowers, or poking various places in the walls where it was obvious that old stones had been replaced and mortar applied.

"Is this where you've been going every Sunday, Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom asked in wonder.

Smiling a little half-hearted smile, Fluttershy nodded.

"This way, Apple Bloom," Fluttershy said, waving for the younger mare to follow.

Rainbow Dash leaned up against the carriage pulling out a Daring Do book from a bag. Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask why Rainbow Dash was staying behind.

"So, Fluttershy, mind telling me what's going on now?" Apple Bloom asked as they entered the old hall that lead to the castle's throne room.

Again, Fluttershy didn't answer the question.

They passed through the hall into the throne room quickly. Once, so long ago, it had hosted a battle between a mad goddess returned from exile and six brave mares. Then its windows had been mostly shattered, the roof filled with holes, and the floor slick with wet sludge.

Now, however, the shards of stained glass had been removed from the ground and the window frames. In their place, plain white panes of glass let shafts of light into the chamber of dark basalt. The floor was dry and swept, thanks to the repaired roof overhead. Apple Bloom just blinked at the transformation that had happened to the castle in the years since the only time she'd ever seen it.

But most curiously of all were the pictures that covered the walls, the bookcases covered in thick encyclopedia volumes and books, and the odd devices that rested everywhere. There was a largish half-wagon, half-ship, a tarp covering most of the back and a mast leaning against its side. Beyond it was a strange contraption that sort of resembled Pinkie's flying machine, but with seats of every size, from those for mice to ones fit for an Alicorn.

Tools littered the floor in one corner of the throne room, and a work-table and bench had been set up where the throne itself should have been. Half finished projects littered the table, and Apple Bloom was tempted to go and investigate.

Some of the pictures showed Angel, or one of his many sons, and other small woodland critters. A few had the great big cuddly grizzly bear that occasional came onto the farm to get a massage from Fluttershy. But most had an orange and black striped face that Apple Bloom could never forget. In each picture his head was turned in such a way that only his right side was visible.

Questions rising in her throat, Apple Bloom snapped her eyes away from the pictures and instead continued to follow her sister-in-law.

Up a set of stairs they went, winding higher and higher until they reached the top of the castle's only remaining tower. There they came to a wide landing, one filled with animals.

Angel Jr. sat there, a white handkerchief held in his paws and dabbing at his eyes. The ancient rabbit, on seeing Fluttershy, shoved the tear stained cloth behind his back and tried to look stoic. His expression came across pinched, like some pony had stolen his last carrot. Around him were squirrels, a beaver, a great big moose whose antlers rapt against the ceiling, two horned owls, and Mr. Bear. The last looked away from a closed wooden door and towards Apple Bloom. Ambling over, he nuzzled the much smaller pony, and through the contact Apple Bloom could feel the silent sobs the old bear tried to contain.

Looking at all the gathered animals a sense of dread engulfed Apple Bloom. Turning to Fluttershy, she asked, "Sis, what's going on, and tell me the truth."

Fluttershy just looked a little sad, and pushed open the door.

"You should come in and see for yourself."

The feeling of dread growing, Apple Bloom did as she was asked.

Inside she found a cozy fire crackling away in the tower's hearth. Curtains had been drawn over the only window, creating a dark, and yet somehow welcoming atmosphere. More bookshelves lined the walls, the spines of tomes bulging and spilling onto the floor. Next to a bed containing a suspiciously large lump was a writing desk, a single brown leather book resting open upon it, a quill and bottle of ink laying at its side. A weaved carpet covered the floor, muting the two ponies steps.

But more surprising still was Zecora sitting on a cushion between the fire and the bed. Long ago she had stopped wearing her mane in the sharp mohawk, instead if fell about her neck and shoulder in a cascade of silvery-white.The Zebra looked up, and her blue eyes twinkled as she nodded to her old apprentice. There was a bag of herbal medicine beside her, and she dabbed a cloth on the out of sight occupant of the bed.

Apple Bloom stood just inside the room as Fluttershy crossed over to Zecora and shared a quick whispered word.

"He does not have long left I fear, the endless sleep draws quickly near."

A little sad whimper escaped Fluttershy at Zecora's words, and she nodded slowly.

"Apple Bloom, would you like to come over here, please? It's really important."

Her heart was beating so loud in her chest Apple Bloom was certain that the animals waiting outside could hear it. Suspicions of what she would find raced through her head as Apple Bloom put first one hoof, and then another, forward. Before she knew it, she was at the beds side and looking down at someone she thought she'd never again see.

Orange fur had become almost white with age along his muzzle, and the tiger took only slow very shallow breaths. He rolled over in his sleep revealing a terrible scar that covered over a quarter of his head. Apple Bloom put a hoof over her mouth to contain her voice as she stared at the remnants of that day so long ago.

A day she had tried so hard to forget, but never could.

"H-how long have you known he was here?" she asked, a gentle hoof stroking the tiger's head. A head she'd once proudly rode upon.

"Eleven years," Fluttershy replied, her voice so quiet Apple Bloom wouldn't have heard her without years of practice and time around the shy pegasus.

"Eleven years," Apple Bloom repeated. "Ah never expected... I always thought he... H-he was so beat up, and Ah was so angry, and..."

Tears fell from Apple Bloom's eyes, staining the covers and the tiger's neck.

She wanted to be angry at all three of them; Zecora, Fluttershy, and the tiger. Apple Bloom certainly had been angry at the tiger for many years. How many times had she dreamed and fantasised about this meeting? The things she'd say to him, maybe kick him, and then she'd be free of her demons. But as she looked down on his sunken face, Apple Bloom found that all the anger just halted. It didn't vanish. Years of pent up anger didn't just disappear in a moment, as much as she wished it could.

His eye flickered, and the emerald orb opened. Where once it had been lustrous and full of power and life, now it was hazy and milky. It first went to Zecora, then to Fluttershy, and finally Apple Bloom. It stayed on her for a moment, genuine confusion swimming through the haze, and then the tiger went rigid, the pupil dilating in fear.

He began to speak, his voice a slow torpid rumble that Apple Bloom had never forgotten.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, it's okay. I brought her here. It's okay," Fluttershy said, taking the tiger's head in her hooves and stroking his face so softly his fur hardly moved beneath her touch. "You need this, she needs this. You both have to let it go."

Apple Bloom didn't know what to say. Here, before her after so many long years, was the animal that had both saved her, and scarred her. The sight of him flying through the trees, bringing down those three strange not-ponies, it had never left her. She still woke up some nights screaming, though they had become farther and farther apart as the years passed.

But she never would have made it out of that forest without him.

The conflicted swirl of emotions was almost too much, a lump in her throat stealing Apple Bloom's voice. So, she just laid her head against his neck and cried. For minutes or hours she stayed like that, sobs wracking her body as years of pent up emotion finally found release. A hoof touched her shoulder, and Apple Bloom lifted her puffy red eyes to look over to Zecora.

The zebra had also been crying, which partly confused Apple Bloom. Why was she even here? How long had she known about the tiger as well?

A rumble from the tiger made Apple Bloom look back to him. Both of his eyes were open, and Apple Bloom could see that his other eye was almost entirely milky and blind. He said something again, then looked to Fluttershy expectantly.

"H-he, he says that he wants you to know that he is sorry. That he has tried many times to visit you, but he just couldn't, that he was too much of a coward."

Apple Bloom gave a wet snort.

"He's not a coward. He was the bravest pony Ah ever met. The things he did to keep me safe those few days."

Fresh tears began to trickle down her face.

Again, the tiger spoke, Fluttershy translating.

"He wants you to have his journals. He says that maybe you'll be able to understand, even if you still can't forgive him."

A little smile crossed Apple Bloom's lips, the mare leaning down to kiss the tiger on the cheek.

"Ah forgive you," she whispered.

The tiger looked shocked for a moment, then he smiled, and was gone. He fell back and seemed to shrink into the covers and pillow, the last remnants of light leaving his eyes. Apple Bloom clutched him and just cried, listening as Fluttershy and Zecora joined her, their hooves wrapping around and engulfing her in loving warmth.

After a while, Apple Bloom got up. Where her head had rested the covers and become soaked and clammy. The other animals had entered the room at some point, and sat at the foot of the bed. Trotting to the desk, she closed the journal.

On its face was written only a few words.

Picking up the journal, she clutched it to her chest.

A short while later she and Fluttershy made their way back to the carriage. Rainbow Dash didn't say anything as the two mares approached. She just nodded in understanding, gave them both a hug, and then started the preparations for the flight home.

The flight home was quiet and sullen. Apple Bloom looked down at the worn journal in her hooves, and the others taken from inside the desk. A few times she thought about just tossing them over the side, that she didn't need to know the tiger's side of things. He had done what he had done, and murdered those three not-ponies. Nothing could change that.

And yet, she couldn't bring herself to do it. There was something sacred about the journals. She had been entrusted with their safety.

That night, in front of the roaring fire in the Apple Family homestead, surrounded by her sister, brother, nieces, and Fluttershy, Apple Bloom opened the first journal, and began to read.