Chapter Twelve: Sickly Apple
Fluttershy's Cottage
Fluttershy just got done feeding the animals. She looked over at Forrest, who just climbed the high tree. "Oh my!" she ran up to the tree. "Forrest, please come down from there." she then notices a rope he's holding. She looks and sees that the other end was tied to another tree. "No, Forrest, don't!" but he jumped off the limb and swung on the rope screaming his Tarzan scream. Fluttershy flies in the air and catches him before he hits the other tree. "Please, don't do that. It's dangerous." she said calmly.
She landed and sat the colt down. "Sorry Fluttershy. It hobby...."
"That's alright. I'm just concerned for your safety...." they hugged each other. Then they spotted Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. "Good evening girls!" Fluttershy greeted. "Where's Apple Bloom?"
"I think Apple Bloom is sick...." Sweetie Belle said sadly.
"Applejack took her home during school today. She didn't look to good...." Scootaloo added.
Sweet Apple Acres
Apple Bloom was in her bed with a pile of Kleenex on the floor. Her nose was red and an ice pack was on her head. She started coughing. Applejack came in with a glass of orange juice, "You feelin' any better?" she asked.
Apple Bloom coughed again, "Not really...."
Applejack put a thermometer in her sister's mouth. "Hm, you're runnin' a fever...." Forrest, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Fluttershy came into the room.
Forrest ran up to her bed, "Apple Bloom alright?!" he yelled.
Apple Bloom groaned. "Yeah.... achoo! Just feelin' sick.... achoo! And my head hurts...." Apple Bloom took another tissue and blew her nose.
Fluttershy came up to her and notices something, "Oh dear...."
"What's wrong?" Apple Bloom asked.
"I think you have the pony pox...."
"What?" Apple Bloom takes out a mirror and see's a brown spot on her cheek. She groaned and laid back down. Then a shadow appeared in the room, took shape, and Sombra came out.
"Sombra? It's you!" Scootaloo yelled jumping towards him with Sweetie Belle.
"Hello children...." he greeted. He walked over to the sick filly, "Hello Apple Bloom...."
Apple Bloom sat up, "Hi Sombra...." she started coughing again.
"I have heard you were sick so I came to check on you...."
Apple Bloom sniffed, "Thank you, but I don't want any of you to get sick from pony pox too...."
Sombra smiled, "Not to worry young lady, I had the pony pox centuries ago. I can't get them again. I also brought you something...." he took out a small carved light blue crystal Alicorn out from under his cape and sat it on the night table.
Apple Bloom looked at it with sparkles in her eyes, "Its... achoo! So pretty.... achoo! Thank you!"
"My pleasure. It's not a toy and is very fragile but it's a good decoration...." Sombra told her.
"Did you make it yourself?" Sweetie Belle asked staring at the shiny Alicorn with sparkles in her eyes too.
"Yes, it's one of my hobbies...."
"I bet you could make a fortune selling sculptures!" said Scootaloo.
Sombra laughs, "I have no need for money. I just wish to make others happy. It is a good idea though."
"You could live like a king! Oh, I forgot! You ARE a King." Scootaloo replied and they all laughed. Apple Bloom laughed too and then started coughing really hard. Then some more brown spots started coming.
Applejack pulled the blanket up, "You best be gettin' some rest, sugar cube."
"I guess we better go, too. Come on girls, come on Forrest...." Fluttershy said to the kids.
"We'll come back to check on you." promised Scootaloo, then they left.
"I'll watch over her, Applejack...." Sombra said.
"Thank you Sombra, seeya later." she left the room. Sombra pulled up a chair and sat down.
"You'll get better soon...." he assured her.
"Um, Sombra?"
"Yes?"
"Can you show me how you carve crystals?"
Sombra smirked and used his magic to bring out a diamond shaped red crystal out from under his cape. "I thought you might ask." he held the crystal in front of him, "Some ponies would use a hammer and stake, but I use magic. Watch carefully...." with that his eyes glowed red and lasers came from the pupils at the crystal.
"Laser vision?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Precisely...." the lasers began carving the crystal. In a half hour Sombra made another Alicorn and presented it to Apple Bloom.
"Wow.... achoo!"
"Bless you...."
"Thanks...." she starts coughing. Sombra sets the new Alicorn next to the blue Alicorn and hands her the orange juice. After drinking the orange juice she looks outside and see's Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Forrest helping Applejack and Big Mac with their chores. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo sat on a wood bucket full of apples wiping the sweat from their heads. Forrest lifted that bucket over his head and carried them to the barn. Apple Bloom sighs, "I wish I could help them...."
"If you did your illness might get worse...." Sombra said. Apple Bloom started scratching her back, "You mustn't scratch either...." Sombra said stopping her, then he sees Forrest outside, "That colt is strong for his age...."
"All that survival trainin' must have gave him that strength...." Apple Bloom said.
"Survival training? Oh, he was raised by the animals of Everfree Forest. I know...."
"How do you know? Achoo!"
"I know through my Crystal Ball. It can show me the past and the present, but not the future. And I use it as a window to see the world outside my castle. You are very close to him, aren't you?"
Apple Bloom sniffed, "I thought you can see... achoo! Through your Crystal Ball... achoo!"
Sombra laughs, "That's a good one! The Crystal Ball doesn't show me feelings of others."
"Oh, well, yes he is a good friend to me. He is also very protective.... achoo!" she blows her nose and then continues, "He wouldn't let anythin' bad happen to us, mostly me.... he's like a brother.... I never had...." she starts coughing again.
"I see. He seems to be very attracted to you. I saw it in his eyes; he cares deeply for you. Do you feel the same way?"
Apple Bloom blushed, "Welllll....."
"It's alright. You don't have to tell me."
"I have been gettin' this need to be beside him, to be honest.... achoo!" Apple Bloom told him.
"It's very understanding. I know because I feel the same about Luna...." he smiled at the thought of her.
"Do you love her?" Apple Bloom asked before coughing again.
"I haven't told her yet...." he sighs. "Even though she has forgiven me, I still feel bad about all the evil things I did. But she and the others are helping me keep the past in the past, so now I'm feeling better than I was...."
"I'm glad." Apple Bloom replied happily.
"Me too. I never thought having friends could feel so good until the Crystal Heart opened my darkened heart and I came back."
"Are you immortal? Achoo!"
"Yes, as long as there is darkness, I am. I have the powers of darkness, whether I like it or not, and it was darkness in all black hearted creatures that brought me back...."
"How?"
"After I was defeated I became a ghost, hungry for revenge. I searched the world and absorbed the darkness and evil inside the black hearted creatures' minds and hearts. I soon became strong enough to create a new body. And as soon as I got my new body, what the Crystal Heart did to me took effect; As soon as I was alive again I felt so much remorse. I felt so bad that I decided to stay on an island that I have found as a ghost and I the built the castle where I chose to live in isolation...."
"What does that mean?" Apple Bloom asked before she coughed again.
"Not to be heard from or seen, or far away. In my new castle I used my magic to create statues and bring them to life."
"You mean the soldiers and your servants?"
"Yes, and I sent them to the Mirror Pool to multiply themselves..."
"Wow.... achoo! I thought... achoo! The Mirror Pool was closed off.... achoo!"
"It was, but they found another way in and blocked it out. Discord found out I came back and went to talk to me, but I just wanted to be alone. He reported to Celestia and Luna and then Twilight Sparkle and the others. A few weeks later I decided to go to Ponyville wearing a disguise, but Luna told me to go as myself. The rest you already know...."
"Wow, that's quite a story." Apple Bloom said before coughing. "Have you and Luna known each other for a long time?"
Sombra's cleared his throat, "That is a story for another day. And yes, we've have known each other for a long, long time...."
"Is it okay to tell the others the story you told me?"
"Of course, but you'll have to get better first."
After Sombra told his story they talked, and talked like they were old friends. Then Sombra entertained Apple Bloom by turning into a shadow, making shapes, and having Apple Bloom guess what it is. Sombra used his magic to bring his pipe organ into her room and then played very pretty melodies and creating pictures while the music played. Soon Apple Bloom became very tired and fell asleep. Sombra stops playing his organ and pulls the blankets up, "Sleep well...." he whispers as his eyes and horn glowed and the pipe organ went back to his castle.
Sombra was just about to leave the room when Applejack came in, Sombra motioned her to be quiet. "How is she?" she whispered.
"She will be fine. Just let her sleep."
"I take it your visit went well?" they walked out and closed the door.
"Yes, way better than I thought...." Sombra smiles, "She's a good filly...."
Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Wild Forrest, Sombra, and the others visited Apple Bloom as often as they were aloud too. They brought in gifts like toys, decorations, fruits, ice cream, and books and get well soon cards signed by them and others at school. It went on for about ten days until the pony pox went away and Apple Bloom got healthy. "Ah, it feels good to be out of bed!" she said skipping out of the house. Sombra, Scootaloo, and Forrest were waiting for her.
"Glad to see you're feeling better..." Sombra told her.
"We lonely without you..." Wild Forrest said.
"You up to finding your Cutie Mark?" Scootaloo asked eagerly.
Apple Bloom jumped up and down, "You bet I am!" before they left Apple Bloom nuzzled against Sombra. Smiling, he wrapped an arm around her. "Thank you Sombra...."
"You're welcome Apple Bloom..."
After hugging Apple Bloom left with the other two waving goodbye. Sombra smiles again and then remembers something, "Maybe I should've told them...."
Carousel Boutique
Forrest, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom skipped over to Rarity's house and went on in. They found Rarity working in her room again. "Hi Rarity!" Apple Bloom greeted.
"Oh, hello girls! Hello Forrest! Glad you're feeling better, dear!"
"Thanks, where's Sweetie Belle?"
"Oh, the poor thing...." she said quietly. "She has caught your pony pox, dear...." the kids gasped. "She is in her room. You may go see her...."
The kids went to Sweetie Belle's room and found her in bed with the pony pox. And to their surprise Sombra was in there too! He has just given her a purple crystal Alicorn. Sweetie Belle smiled and hugged Sombra before sneezing and falling back down on the bed. Forrest, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom smiled and joins them.