//------------------------------// // Something Bold // Story: A New Dawn on The Horizon // by thunderhawk7865 //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Something Bold "Well, that was embarrassing..." "Hehe...it sure was..." "H-hey! It's not funny! I...I hurt my left wing in the forest!" "Haha! I figured you weren't from Ponyville. You got guts goin' through the forest, though; I haven't seen you before. What's your name?" "Da- Blue Bass." "Hahaha! That's a weird name, dude!" Beep...beep...beep...beep, beep, beep... "So, why is your Cutie Mark a bass cleffy thing?" "Haha! It's a bass clef, Dash. I have this because I am a musician." "Really? What do you play?" "Piano, mainly. I dabble in the guitar and saxophone as well..." "Can you sing?" "Haha... Well, yeah, I can. I don't like to brag about it, though." "Sing me something!" Beep...beep...beep...beep...beep...beep... "Just a small town mare... Livin' in a lonely world..." She took the midnight train... Goin' aaaanywheeere..." Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep... "She's waking up! Mom's waking up!" "Oh, for land's sake, ah was worried!" "Me too." "Everypony, stand back! Give her some breathing room!" "Wow...he sounds really good..." Rainbow's eyes fluttered open slowly. She moaned a rubbed her head with a forehoof. "Where-?" "The hospital, silly!" A high-pitched crazy-sounding voice rang through Rainbow's ears. Rainbow sat up suddenly in shock and came face to face with Pinkie Pie, the pink party mare herself, holding a batch of cupcakes in her forehooves. "Waaah!" Rainbow backed up against the headboard of the bed she was in, "Pinkie! For Celestia's sake! You'll give me a heart attack!" When Pinkie Pie withdrew from her sight, Rainbow Dash took a good look at the room she had been placed in. It seemed drab like any other hospital room and almost stank of antiseptic, but she noticed the other three beds to her immediate left. Big Mac, Noteworthy, and Trixie lied in similar beds, although none of them showed any real sign of having been conscious, their bodies lying as still as a log. She took note of Applebloom, who had her head laid on top of Big Mac's slowly rising chest and Applejack who gently rubbed her sisters back. Hearing some mixed up sounds, she turned back to the foot of her bed and was surprised to see her son and Twilight looking at her expectantly. Twilight's mouth moved, but the words that came out seemed out of sync with what she heard. Shaking her head, Rainbow could finally make out what she was trying to say to her. "Rainbow, are you okay?" Twilight asked with a heavily concerned expression. Rainbow Dash nodded quietly, "Yeah, I'm fine...just needed to let my head clear up for a moment." She stretched out her hooves and noticed an IV attached to one of her forehooves. Before she could attempt to take it off, a purple aura gently encased the butterfly IV tag and gently wedged it out from the joint. "Thanks." Rainbow Dash groggily said with a small smile. "Not a problem, Rainbow!" Twilight cheerfully said. "Mom!" She heard Blazing Dawn shout as he embraced her in a tight hug. Rainbow Dash laughed quietly and smiled warmly at her son who nuzzled her lovingly. Returning his affection she quietly laughed and chuckled, "It's nice to see ya too, kiddo." He smiled up at her, glad to know she was safe. The pegasus sat quietly in her bed before clearing her throat and asking, "What happened exactly?" "The doctor said that you fainted from heat exhaustion after that Rainboom..." Twilight said with a small frown. "That was the longest Rainboom in recorded history, Dash. It took a lot out of you." "Oh yeah!" Pinkie started bouncing up and down excitedly. "It was so long and beautiful! All the way across the sky!" "Really?" Rainbow hoof-pumped while still holding Blazing Dawn with the other hoof. "SWEET!" "Ah saw the Rainboom, too, Rainbow..." Applejack looked over at Rainbow with a solemn expression. "But ya'll 're forgettin' the sour apples o' this here situation, sugarcube." She said quietly as she continued rubbing Applebloom's back comfortingly. "Applejack..." Rainbow lowered her hoof and released her son. "Are you...okay?" "Well, nah...nah ah'm not, R.D..." A.J. sighed and turned back to Big Mac. "This whole incident is kinda unsettlin'..." "What do you mean?" Rainbow frowned, showing pity towards her cowpony friend. "It was so sudden..." A.J. related quietly. "Ms. Cheerilee bursts in and asks fer a phone..." She looked down at Big Mac sadly. "When I asked why, she told me..." A tear fell on Big Mac from her face. "What happened...and ah ran as fast as ah could..." "Applejack..." Dash's throat slightly tightened with emotion as she watched Big Mac's chest rise and fall with steady breathing, Applebloom's head rising and falling with it. "What's...what's wrong with them, Twilight?" Rainbow asked, looking over at the other victims. "Do they know?" Twilight nodded, "Well, aside from Notewrothy's jaw being absolutely obliterated by Big Mac's kick..." She paused and muttered, "Thank goodness he couldn't feel it..." She coughed after Blazing Dawn chuckled slightly and continued. "They are all in a comatose state. Their brain waves are all out of whack because The Nightmare was up there in their heads causing trouble." "That's...that's really bad..." Rainbow looked down in horrified awe. "Since Trixie is here too, and is suffering the same symptoms..." Blazing Dawn tapped his forehoof on his chin in thought. "That means that she must've been taken over by The Nightmare when she threw her cart through Sugar Cube Corner!" Blazing Dawn smirked at his deductiveness and turned to Twilight. "The Nightmare's responsible for the damage to Sugar Cube Corner!" "The Nightmare!?" Pinkie looked shocked, dropping her tray of cupcakes. She stomped the floor angrily before narrowing her eyes,"That meanie pants again!?" Rainbow raised an eye in surprise, along with a questioning forehoof. "Uhm...Pinkie? How...how did you know about The Nightmare?" Pinkie stomped pawing the floor angrily, stood up straight, cocked her head to one side, and shrugged. "I dunno..." "Anyway, Rainbow..." Twilight said, trying to recover from the reeling shock of Pinkie's supposed psychic powers she still couldn't figure out. "The doctors told me to tell you that you are good to leave once you woke up..." She smiled. "Like I said, you were just really tired..." "Great!" Rainbow leaped up out of bed and stood on top of the covers. "I'm late enough for training as it is!" "Mom, are you nuts?" Blazing Dawn flew up in front of her, holding out his forehooves in a stopping motion. "C'mon, son!" Rainbow gently pushed Blazing Dawn aside. "You know I can handle it..." "But mom..." Blazing Dawn persisted. "You'll hurt yourself!" "Blaze is right, Rainbow Dash." Twilight nodded in agreement. "I've informed Spitfire about what has transpired here today. She said she would prefer it if you didn't train today, seeing as you wore yourself out so much with that Rainboom." Rainbow slumped down onto her haunches on the bed and folded her forehooves. "Fine..." She huffed. Blazing Dawn chuckled when he saw his mother's cocky and slightly childish personality shine through once again. "Wow, mom..." He smirked. "You've never been late before..." He laughed. "Isn't your catch-phrase "ten seconds flat?" Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes dryly at her son before chuckling slightly. "Watch yourself, son..." "What're you gonna do?" B.D. folded his forehooves while in the air, bi-pedal style. "Chase after me?" His mother fixed him with a challenging gaze, ready for a rebuttal when Lunar Eclipse suddenly appeared in the room. "Hey there everypony. I'm sorry for being late, I got caught up with fixing up the schoolhouse." Lunar said. "Lunar, come over here." Rainbow Dash gestured with her front hooves. Lunar Eclipse walked over to her and wrapped her in a gentle hug, his wings protectively wrapping around her for the briefest of moments. Once they had finished hugging, he backed up and looked at her. "It's nice to see you up and about so fast Rainbow...you really had me worried back at Sweet Apple Acres." He admitted quietly. Rainbow Dash for her part laughed, "Oh come on Lunar! Nothing's been strong enough to put me under and I'll see to it that it stays like that!" She confidently boasted. He smiled at her and chuckled quietly, "If anypony else told me that, I'd be hard pressed to believe that, but I believe you're the exception to the rule, Rainbow. Unfortunately, I need to head back to Canterlot and seek some advice regarding today's happenings." "And I need to make a report." Twilight announced from behind him. She walked up to Rainbow Dash and hugged her, "I'm so glad to see that you're okay Rainbow Dash, but please take it easy and just relax, alright?" "Alright, I promis—" Rainbow Dash was suddenly interrupted by Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie Pie Promise!?" Pinkie Pie shouted out of the blue. "Cross my heart, hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye." She said, acting out the gestures accordingly and smiling. Pinkie closed her eyes and smiled warmly before taking her tray of cupcakes with her out of the room. "Rainbow..." Twilight said who turned to leave as well. "Be extra careful from now on. I told the two Hooves out there that one will go with you, as we now know that it's still after you..." "Right..." R.D. waved. "Thanks again Twilight." Twilight smiled at her friend, glad she was okay. She then turned and walked out the door behind Lunar Eclipse and Pinkie. Before the door swung shut, Rainbow could make out the figures of Blue Arrow and Papyrus standing guard outside the room. "Welp..." Applejack sighed and shook her head, looking down at Applebloom, "C'mon, kiddo. Let's get ya' home. Ya'll 've been through a lot, sugarcube." "No..." Applebloom muttered, not moving. Her head was still rested on Big Mac's chest. She angled her head slightly so that she could look up at her sister, "Ah wanna stay with Big Mac..." She sighed heavily and shakily, "Ah wanna...make sure he'll be okay..." Rainbow Dash and Blazing Dawn exchanged a sorrowful glance with one another before looking back over at the Apple siblings. "C'mon..." Applejack nudged her sister, "Ah'll get ya'll some apple pie..." Applebloom shook her head slowly. Applejack sighed and looked over at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash looked down in thought for a moment, then smiled at A.J, "Go ahead, A.J. Blaze and I will keep an eye on her..." Applejack smiled, though she still looked incredibly distraught, "Thank ya', sugarcube..." She ruffled Blazing Dawn's mane as she walked past, "Seeya, kiddo..." The cowpony walked out the door of the room, kissing Papyrus on the cheek as she did so. Before the door swung shut, Rainbow saw Papyrus blush and wave at A.J. and Blue Arrow roll his eyes and nudge him. "Mom, I was so worried..." Blazing Dawn hopped on the bed in front of her, sitting down on his haunches, "You weren't moving for the longest time..." He looked down, "Ms. Cheerilee said you'd be fine, but...but I don't know..." "C'mere..." Rainbow reached forward and dragged her son towards her, embracing her son again, "I'm okay...I promise..." "You won't fly off and do something stupid?" Blazing Dawn sniffed, "Like I would?" Rainbow chuckled and released her son, "Glad you know what you need to work on, son..." Rainbow Dash smiled, happy that her son was here with her, safe and sound away from The Nightmare. A dreary sigh from off to Rainbow's left caused her son to turn his head and frown. Rainbow did likewise and she frowned as well. She had forgotten about Applebloom and how she was feeling about her big brother. "Hey, Blaze..." Rainbow whispered and nudged her son, "C'mere again..." "What's up? Why are we whispering?" Blazing Dawn cocked an eye and whispered back. "Go talk to Applebloom..." "What?" Blazing Dawn widened his eyes. "I...I can't! I—" "Blaze..." Rainbow hissed, "Go talk to her. Get her mind off of Big Mac." She smiled, "In fact, try and get her out of the room. Go on a walk with her or something...you know, to calm her nerves..." Blazing Dawn silently looked over at the depressed Applebloom for a moment or two, then nodded and fluttered his wings, levitating himself off the bed and onto the floor behind Applebloom. "Hey, Applebloom..." Blazing Dawn asked, stepping forward a little, "Are you...are you doing any better?" Applebloom sniffed before angling her head to look at Blazing Dawn with sadness in her eyes, "Ah'm...ah'm okay..." She blinked away some more tears, "Ah know what the doctor said, but...ah can't help but worry he ain't gonna wake up..." "Applebloom..." Blazing Dawn frowned, his throat slightly clogging up with emotion. "Ever since Granny Smith...passed away..." She sniffed and blinked away another lone tear, "He's kinda been our provider..." She closed her eyes and started sobbing a little, "Ah can't lose another family member, Blaze! Not so soon!" Blazing Dawn gritted his teeth in sadness behind Applebloom, who had now buried her head on Big Mac's chest, sobbing. Blazing Dawn slowly rose a forehoof in the air and moved it towards the crying Applebloom's shoulder. He stopped for a second, closed his eyes, nodded, and slowly moved it onto to Applebloom's shoulder. "Hey..." Blazing Dawn's voice dropped a register as he tried to calm Applebloom down, "Hey, Applebloom...you'll be okay...he'll be okay..." Rainbow raised her eyes. She had never heard Blazing Dawn sound so mature before, even around Applebloom. Applebloom instantly stopped crying at hearing Blaze's voice. In a move that surprised Rainbow, Applebloom sat up and turned around and hugged Blazing Dawn. Blazing Dawn smiled and rubbed her back as she hugged her, a blush kissing his cheeks. "Applebloom..." Blazing Dawn said as she continued to hug him, "Come on a walk with me..." Applebloom moved back and looked at Blazing Dawn, whose eyes now glowing with the golden aura that his father's eyes did. "I have a feeling that you'll feel better..." Blazing Dawn smiled at her. Applebloom looked down at the ground, thinking. She then looked up at Blazing Dawn, then at Big Macintosh on the bed, then back to Blazing Dawn. She now had a tiny smile on her face. She gave a small nod, "Alright, Blaze..." Blazing Dawn smiled back at her and gestured out of the room with his head, "C'mon, then..." As they walked side by side out of the door, Rainbow Dash sat up in her bed and called out to her son before he left, "Blazing Dawn!" "Yeah, mom?" Blaze leaned back into the room. "Don't fly off and do anything stupid?" She smirked, "Like I would?" Blazing Dawn narrowed his eyes dryly, "Oh, ha ha, mom." He smiled before leaving, "I'll see you at home." Rainbow jumped out of bed and threw her off gown, ruffling her feathers and stretching out her wings. She narrowed her eyes in thought as she trotted towards the door, "Why would Blazing Dawn and I be a problem for The Nightmare? How would we be...disrupting its power, as it put it..." She walked out of the room and into the hospital hallway deep in thought, her eye twitching slightly as she did so. "Hey, R.D..." Papyrus said from off to her right, who was still standing guard, "I've been reassigned to guard you while Blue Arrow goes with Blaze..." Rainbow nodded indifferently in Papyrus' direction, still thinking. "What're you...doing...?" Papyrus asked strangely. "Argh..." Rainbow shook her head and sighed, "Thinking..." "Why?" Papyrus pressed. "Well..." Rainbow nodded determinedly, "I'm gonna have to pay a visit to Twilight tonight..." The sun began to slowly set over the treeline of the Everfree Forest, and two lone figures were walking along the path outside the border to the forest. They were Blazing Dawn and Applebloom. Up in the sky behind them quite a distance away was the Red Hoof commander, Blue Arrow. He was keeping an ever watchful eye on the alicorn and the Earth pony as they trotted along, the cool evening air blowing through their manes. Blazing Dawn watched Applebloom as she trotted along next to him. Her head was steadily staring at the ground, her eyes still full of sadness. It was not as bad as when she was in the hospital in front of Big Mac, but Blazing Dawn decided that progress and progress and made his first move and trying to get her to feel better. "Hey, Big Mac's a tough pony..." Blazing Dawn smiled sheepishly and nudged her playfully, "He'll be fine, I'm sure of it..." He chuckled, "Remember, on Hearts and Hooves day all those years ago? When you poisoned him and he pulled a bucking house to get to Ms. Cheerilee? He's tough as nails!" Blazing Dawn rose a forehoof and clenched it to emphasize his point. Applebloom looked up and laughed at Blazing Dawn's dramaticness, "Ah do, actually..." She shook her head at Blazing Dawn, "But didja ya' really have ta' bring that up as an example?" "Hey..." Blazing Dawn shrugged, "It worked, didn't it?" "It did..." Applebloom chuckled again, "But, ya' have ta' understand, Blaze..." She looked down again, "Ah am worried 'bout Big Mac, but..." She sighed, "I also feel bad for you." Blazing Dawn was taken aback, "Me?" He cocked his head to one side as they continued to trot along, "Why would you feel bad for me?" There was a tad of laughter in his voice as he asked her that question. "Ever since you were a foal..." She looked up at the evening sky, "Ya'll 've had ponies, evil critters, and all manner a' evil spirits after ya', an' now this...this Nightmare thing, which is a fragment of Nightmare Moon herself, is after ya'..." She looked over at him, "Ah just feel bad that...ya'll 've been through so much...an' yer father hasn't been here ta' protect ya'." Blazing Dawn stopped walking suddenly. Applebloom turned and looked at the young alicorn, who was looking at some plants that were waving in the evening wind, "I...never knew him, Applebloom..." He looked at her, "I...don't know what it's like so..." He nodded, "I'm fine." "It's still sad..." Applebloom sighed and stepped closer to him, "That ya'll are without a stallion to guide ya'...ah've got Big Mac..." Applebloom sniffed, "So ya'll can understand why ah'm worried, but...Blaze..." She smiled, "Yer daddy was great stallion..." Blaze looked over at the cowpony with curiousness, his mouth open slightly. "Was he...was he really the legend everypony says he is?" Applebloom nodded, "Yer daddy was that an' more, Blaze." She gestured for them to continue walking, and Blazing Dawn followed, "He wasn't just a hero. No..." She looked up at the sky, "He was a great friend to me an' mah sister...and everypony he met...an' his voice could melt yer heart..." "He sounds great, Applebloom..." Blaze smiled. This wasn't where he thought the conversation would go, but at least Applebloom's mind was off Big Mac. "He loved ya', Blaze..." Blazing Dawn turned his head in her direction again, this time with a look of minor shock on his face. He'd never heard that before from anypony, aside from his mother and Lunar. "He loved you so much..." She sighed, "His eyes were always on ya' when you was around him...he could barely manage to leave ya' with when I foalsat ya' fer the first time at that race..." She smiled, "You sure took a shine ta' me that day..." "Heh..." Blaze blushed slightly, "I...I sure did, didn't I?" He turned his head back in her direction. She stopped. His eyes were glowing again. "You have his eyes..." Applebloom smiled slightly as she stared into the golden aura that radiated from the young alicorn's eyes. Blazing Dawn stared back into her beautiful amber eyes for a moment or two before Applebloom shook her head and looked down at the ground again. She started walking again and Blazing Dawn frowned and followed her. Blazing Dawn racked his brain for anything he could think of that might take her mind off of Big Mac, as this whole conversation about Ace didn't seem to have the desired lasting effect. Suddenly, he stood up straight. He got an idea. "Applebloom?" He ran up beside her, "What...what will it take to get your mind off this whole Nightmare thing?" Applebloom sighed, "As long as that thingis still after ya' and everypony else ah know...ah..." She looked up at him as they continued to walk. "Ah won't be able ta' forget about it..." "Well, what if I-" Blazing Dawn stopped walking, rolled his eyes, as if he couldn't believe he was going to say what he was going to say, and said, "What if I did something...something so bold, you couldn't believe it?" Applebloom stopped and looked at Blazing Dawn with an unbelieving look. She rolled her eyes, "Like what?" Blazing Dawn looked down, let out a short chuckle, then trotted a few steps toward her. He stopped, looked her square in the eyes, and, to her utter astonishment, began to sing in a beautiful young tenor voice. I've been the needle and the thread... Weaving figure eights and circles 'round your head. You try to laugh but cry instead... Patiently wait to hear the words you've never heard. Applebloom was still shocked, her mouth hanging open, as Blazing Dawn turned and started gazing up at the treeline of the Everfree Forest. Fumbling through your dresser drawer, forgot what I was looking for... Try to guide me in the right direction. Making use of all this time... Keeping everything inside... Close my eyes and listen to you cry. "Blaze...ya' don't have ta'-" Applebloom started to say, who put a hoof over her chest in awe after Blaze sang the line about her crying, but Blazing Dawn held up a hoof and put it on her shoulder and smiled as he gazed at her. I'm lifting you up! I'm letting you down! I'm dancing 'til dawn! I'm fooling around! Blazing Dawn rubbed her back with his forehoof that was on her shoulder in comfort before he smiled and continued to sing. I'm not giving up! I'm making your love! This day's made us crazy and we must get out! Applebloom was looking down at the ground again, but Blazing Dawn lifted her face up by putting his forehoof under her chin and lifting her face up. He smiled and started trotting forward again. Applebloom gave a tiny smile and followed him attentively. This is not goodbye, you said. It is just time for you to rest your head... You do not walk you trot instead... Down these jagged streets and into my hooves... She walked up beside Blazing Dawn as he continued to sing. He glanced over at her, smirked, and flew up onto the branch of a nearby tree. He slumped down and dangled a hoof off the edge of the branch. He kept staring at her and continued to sing. When I was... Fumbling through your dresser drawer, forgot what I was looking for. Try to guide me in the right direction. Making use of all this time... Keeping everything inside. Close my eyes and listen to you cry. "Blaze..." Applebloom chuckled, "C'mon back down here, ya' dirty casanova..." Blaze laughed and flew down next to her, brushing up against her, "Oh, trust me...I'm not done..." Applebloom laughed even louder and tried to stop him. "Blaze—!" I'm lifting you up! I'm letting you down! I'm dancing til dawn! I'm fooling around! I'm not giving up! I'm making your love! This day's made us crazy and we must get out! "Applebloom..." Blaze turned so that they were face to face, "Listen to me right now..." Applebloom was too entranced by Blazing Dawn's beautiful voice to try and stop him this time. She slowly smiled and nodded. Blazing Dawn straightened her red cowpony hat, smiled, and continued. There's only so much I can do for you... After all of the things that we've gone through. Oooohhh! Blazing Dawn's eyes started glowing intensely as his father's love for music shone through. Applebloom couldn't help but smile again as Blazing Dawn looked at her almost lovingly and sang the chorus one last time, but gentler and quieter. I'm lifting you up... I'm letting you down... I'm dancing til dawn... I'm fooling around... I'm not giving up... I'm making your love... This day's made us crazy and we must get out... Applebloom was speechless, "Wow, Blaze..." She chuckled slightly, "Ah can't believe ya' just up and sung like that..." She shook her head in disbelief, "Ah mean, ya' never sing willy-nilly like that! Not fer no-pony!" Blazing Dawn stood as tall as he could, extending his wings proudly as he trotted along, "A pony can do anything they put their mind to..." He folded his wings up and looked over at Applebloom with a smile, "That right there was Lunar Eclipse words of wisdom..." He chuckled and blushed a little, "And it doesn't hurt that no pony other than you was around to hear it..." "Haha! Imagine if Scoots heard it, Blaze!" Applebloom held a forehoof up to her mouth to stifle a chuckle. "You'd get so much cud from her!" "Knock it off, Applebloom!" Blazing Dawn playfully shoved her, "That was from the bottom of my heart!" "And ah' appreciate it Blaze..." She smiled and looked down at the ground again, "And it helped...a little..." She stopped and Blazing Dawn followed suit, "But...ah still can't stop thinking 'bout Big Mac an' y-" She stopped herself, "An' Rainbow...and the danger we're all in..." Applebloom started walking forward again, but Blaze stayed behind. Upon noticing Blaze wasn't coming, she stopped and turned around. Blaze had stayed back and had his gaze locked on to her, his eyes still glowing their rich gold color. "What's..." Applebloom narrowed her eyes in thought, "What's wrong?" "Me, of all ponies, singing, wasn't bold enough for you to forget? It wasn't enough for you to get thinking about something else?" Blazing Dawn stared at her intently, his eyes piercing her very being. "Ah'm sorry, Blaze." She sighed, "Ah just can't—mphm!" Blazing Dawn, before she could say anything else, suddenly zipped through the air towards her, cupped her muzzle in both of his forehooves while still in flight, and kissed her on the lips for a second or two. Blazing Dawn broke away after those few seconds. He was still airborne, and he was blushing furiously. Applebloom stared up at the young alicorn with pure shock on her face, her mouth agate. Blazing Dawn let go a short laugh of disbelief of what he had just done. He narrowed his glowing eyes dreamily and hovered in front of her muzzle, so they were eye-to-eye. "Then think about that for awhile..." Blaze said quietly, still blushing. Applebloom said nothing; rather, she just kept staring at Blaze like he was a ghost. Blaze exhaled deeply, rubbed a forehoof with his other forehoof while flying in a bi-pedal style. "Goodbye, Applebloom. Stay safe." And with that, Blazing Dawn zipped off into the air faster than a speeding blast of magic. Applebloom was still as silent as a graveyard as she watched Blazing Dawn fly off towards Blue Arrow in the distance. As soon as he left, a beet-red blush exploded across Applebloom's face. Slowly, she smiled and gazed dreamily after the young alicorn. Suddenly, she shook her head angrily, "No!" She straightened her hat, "T'aint right! He's young! C'mon, Applebloom! Ya' used ta' foalsit him every day! Don't think like that!" She turned and started walking towards her family's apple orchard in the distance, clearly racking her brain about what had just transpired. Blazing Dawn flew up into the air as fast as his young wings could carry him, the cool evening air cooling down his red-hot cheeks. He finally stopped in front of Blue Arrow, who had stopped and was floating in the air, his mouth also hanging open in shock. Blaze chuckled, "You saw that, huh?" "What the bloody hay were you thinkin', lad?" Blue Arrow shook his head slowly, still in disbelief. Blazing Dawn smiled sheepishly. "Well, she needed something to get her mind off of her big brother's coma..." He cocked an eye at the Hoof commander, "It worked, didn't it?" "Well, aye, lad, but..." Blue Arrow shook his head and regained his composure, "Never mind." He smiled. "We should head home and check up on your mum..." "Yeah..." Blazing Dawn agreed by nodding his head. Blue Arrow flew off in an instant. Before Blazing Dawn followed, he turned his head and looked one last time at the Earth pony mare he had just kissed. He smiled slightly, blushed a little bit more, and flew off after the Red Hoof. Back in the quiet and serene town of Ponyville, ponies were leaving their jobs and going home to their families as sunset loomed overhead. The treehouse library's lights shone warmly through the windows as Twilight Sparkle and her assistant, Spike the dragon, were ending their work for the day. "Spike, take these books down to the basement to be sorted later..." Twilight hovered some books over to a now moderately taller Spike. He caught the books and nodded, saying in a slightly deeper voice, "Can do, Twilight..." As he walked through the main room of the library from the top floor, he passed Rainbow Dash, who was sitting in a chair reading a book entitled "The Legend of Nightmare Moon." "Oh, hey, Rainbow Dash..." Spike smiled a toothy grin at her as he walked by her towards the basement door. "What up, Spike..." Rainbow responded without looked up from the book, turning a page. "Hmmm...where is it?" She turned another page and narrowed her eyes, "Bingo! The Source of the Nightmare's Power!" She tapped a forehoof on the respective page and started to read intentively. Twilight Sparkle, now out of her representative robe, trotted out of the kitchen with two cups of warm tea hovering in front of her. Twilight sat down across from Rainbow and dropped one of the cups on a table next to Rainbow's chair. "So how's your 'research' coming along, Rainbow?" Rainbow peered over the edge of the book dryly at her Unicorn friend. "Eh, the only thing I've ever been able to take seriously while reading is Daring Do..." She rolled her eyes. "And that series ended a long time ago..." She went back to the book. "So to answer your question, Twi...it's not going so well..." Twilight chuckled, taking a sip from her own cup of tea. "So, how's Blazing Dawn doing these days?" She smiled. "I hear he has a little crush on Applebloom..." Rainbow rolled her eyes and turned another page. "That's an understatement...ever since he was foal, my son has been infatuated with A.J.'s sister..." "Is that a problem?" Twilight asked, concerned. "Well, no..." Rainbow sighed, peering over the edge of the book again. "It's just odd. Applejack used to have a thing for..." She looked down. "For Ace, after all..." She returned to reading. "So to see my son, an alicorn testament to Ace's very being, going for her younger sister..." Rainbow chuckled. "I don't know. I guess it's a bit ironic, really." "I agree..." Twilight took another sip. "I'm glad you are being mature about it, Rainbow. You really have grown up a little over the years..." "Yeah, yeah..." Rainbow waved a hoof. "Twilight, I appreciate the small-talk, but this is serious. I need to find out why the Nightmare is after me and Blazing Dawn." She shuddered slightly. "It could mean life and death." "I apologize..." Twilight Sparkle put a forehoof to her chin in thought. "It may have something to do with Ace, or the way that Blazing Dawn was transformed into an alicorn..." Rainbow Dash nodded. "Those are both really good possibilities, but..." She lowered the book down onto her lap. "I've found out how the Nightmare gets its power." Twilight leaned forward, intrigued, setting her tea down on the coffee table in front of her as she did so. "What does it say?" Rainbow tapped a paragraph next to a picture of a very evil looking purple cloud of gas with red serpentine eyes emanating from it. "It says the Nightmare gets its power during the night and through acts of disharmony and hate..." Rainbow looked up and stared ahead, as if she just had an epiphany. "It feeds off of it..." She looked over at Twilight and nodded. "So, the reason it's powers are weakened..." "Is because Ace left a reign of peace over the land..." Twilight finished, pointing a forehoof forward in response. "And because you gave birth to an alicorn whose magic bubbled to the surface at-" "Dawn." Rainbow finished, her mouth hanging open at this sudden realization. She looked down. "That's why it wants to kill my son..." Twilight frowned as she watched Rainbow close the book and put it on the table in front of her. Rainbow buried her face in her forehooves. "Gods..." She shook her head. "I don't know how much more I can take of this..." "Rainbow..." Twilight stood up and trotted around the table and stood next to her friend. She put a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder, and Rainbow looked up. "It's okay...we can beat it. You're an Element of Harmony, and so am I and the rest of our friends. We can beat it, I promise. Blaze will be safe, just like he always has..." Rainbow smiled a little, "Thanks, Twilight. I mean, I can take Trixie, zebras, and dragons, but...this is just too much." She looked down again and sighed. "I'm worried about why the Nightmare is after you, Rainbow." Twilight continued, removing her forehoof from off of Rainbow's shoulder and looking out of one of the windows of the library." She gazed silently at the setting sun. "We now know why it's after your son, but..." She turned around to face her friend. "There is no good explanation as to why it's hunting you." Twilight turned to look out her window again and gazed at Papyrus, the Red Hoof corporal. She couldn't help but wonder if these two Hooves protecting her friend and her son were enough. Twilight turned around when she heard the flapping of wings. Rainbow had taken to the air and nodded at Twilight. "Well, I'd better go home so I can be there when Blazing Dawn gets back..." She flew up and hugged her friend mid-air. "Thanks for letting me use your books, Twi." "No problem, Rainbow Dash." Twilight patted her back before they released. "I'll keep looking into why the Nightmare would be after you as well." "Great." Rainbow opened the door and flew out. "Seeya, Twi!" "Any luck?" Papyrus asked, taking to the air with her as they flew away. "We know why it's attacking Blaze..." Rainbow explained as they flew over Ponyville. "His alicorn powers that surfaced at dawn are the cause, and because the Nightmare gets its power from the night; it's too weak to do anything really dangerous." "What about you?" "...That remains to be seen..." Night had fallen, and in the capital city of Canterlot, Lunar Eclipse stood stone-faced in the Royal throne room of the castle, staring ahead at the double thrones. The only sound in the large room was the sound of magic as Celestia levitated a scroll in front of her and Luna. Their faces grew more and more shocked as they read. Luna seemed more ill-at-ease than Celestia, her teeth being gritted as she read. Lunar looked down for a moment, pawed the floor briefly, then looked back up. After a few moments, Celestia lowered the scroll and Lunar could feel both pairs of majestic eyes staring at him. "Did all of this indeed transpire but a few hours ago?" Celestia asked, leaning forward anxiously. "Every word in that report is true, Princess..." Lunar nodded solemnly. The Princesses looked at each other and nodded determinedly. Taking on looks of seriousness, they both turned forward again. "Shining Armor!" Celestia's regal voice rang throughout the throne room. The sudden intense clopping of hooves was heard on the marble floor of the Throne Room as Shining Armor, captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard and Twilight Sparkle's older brother, came galloping in behind Lunar Eclipse. He stopped a few meters behind the Prince of Death, his armor clinking around as he did so. he gave a smart salute. "Yes, Princess? You called?" "Captain, I want double the security in Ponyville. Now!" Celestia stood up and nodded. "And I want you and your top division of guards dispatched there immediately!" Shining Armor was taken aback. He shook his head, trying to process what the Princess had just ordered him to do. "Erm, as you wish, Your Highness." He dropped the salute and was about to leave when he said, "Has...has the Nightmare thing you told me about struck?" "Indeed..." Lunar turned around to face the guard captain, his eyes narrowed. "And it did more damage than we ever thought possible..." Blue Arrow and Papyrus (c) QTXAdsy Song: Must Get Out, Maroon 5