The Green Angel

by LordOfCringe

Chapter 3 - Apple Bloom

“It’s hard to explain to Newversers like you and your people,” Sarah begins “but I suppose you are owed some kind of explanation, you would have been told sooner or later anyway.” Sarah looks more like she is trying to convince herself more than anything, her hand rests on her chin as she weighs through the pros and cons of telling us there and now. The pros seem to win out and she continues. “Did your world have any kind of multiverse theory?” Sarah asks.

“Well...yes. I think I remember seeing that on some science show one time. I didn’t believe it though. It seemed far fetched to me,” I say, still a little unsure of my answer.

“Yep,” Big Mac adds in, still holding me closely unwilling to let go.

“I should have guessed. Your world seemed to be developed enough to have made such a milestone. In any case, that theory is true. The Multiverse does indeed exist,” She pauses to gauge our reaction.

Honestly, it isn’t that surprising given everything else that has happened recently. And with the Nurse’s habit of consistently referring to my home as a ‘Verse’ and the fact that we’re on a spaceship, it’s not that big a leap to the Multiverse. My brother, on the other hand, is much more shocked.

“You mean to tell me that the Multiverse is real? That there is more than one Universe? Why that is the most outrageous thing I have heard in my life,” He says angrily.

“Is it any more outrageous then our planet being destroyed or us being on a spaceship right now?” I counter in a daringly sassy tone, in an attempt to lighten the mood a bit. Big Mac loosens his grip on me a bit and his expression softens a little bit.

“No, I suppose not. Sorry, mam, I think we’re all a bit distraught right about now. Please continue.”

“I know this is a lot to take in right now, but it’s the truth. The Multiverse is real and most of it is governed by the Universal Congress...uh.” Sarah pauses again, unsure of what to say next. It’s clearly not her job to explain this to people. I take pity on her and ask another question to help.

“You said this ship was going to someplace called Albion, where is that and why are you guys taking us there?” This doesn’t help as I intended and Sarah lets out a deep sigh before answering.

“I am not authorized to tell you about that yet. The higher-ups here want to tell all of you together soon. What I can say is that this ship, the Navigator, was purposely built to house refugees such as your people. And that Albion is a nice place for resettlement. I wish I could say more,” She puts on that apologetic smile again. I have so many more questions, so many other things I want to know. But I suppose I am going to have to be patient for now.

But as I keep thinking another much more pressing question seeps into my head, along with a spike of worry. I already knew the fate of my family, but what about my friends?

“Mam, I just have one more question. I need to know if Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are alright,” I say, the sadness starting to return again.

“I don’t know off the top of my head, but I can look through the ship’s database to see if they made it on board,” She says, taking out an odd device from her pocket. It is a long piece of metal, about the length of a ruler. She holds the top and bottom of it in a different hand and pulls the two halves apart. Instead of ripping in two, a blue film-like screen forms between the now separated pieces of metal. Sarah must have noticed me looking at the thing curiously, so she answers my question before I ask it.

“This is a Holopad, it’s a very common device here in the Megaverse,” She says in an almost distracting tone, probably an attempt to keep me and Big Mac calm for the time being. And there is another term, Megaverse, probably something I should know before too long. I dismiss it for now. I need to know if my friends are ok.

“ Now Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo…,” Sarah says as she pokes and prods at the screen to flick through the database, though I can’t see anything on the screen from my position on the other side. Big Mac begins to hold me closer again after her search lasts for several moments.

The minute she takes to look for my friends lasts an eternity. And when she’s done she looks at me with a distraught and sympathetic look. “It’s not good news Apple Bloom. Scootaloo never made it on the ship, and Sweetie Belle almost didn’t. She’s in a coma right now,” Sarah probably made another apology, but I don’t hear her. For the second time in half an hour, I feel crushed. One of my best friends dead and the other one on the verge of it. I had already lost so much, this was almost too much to bear. But I must remain strong, if only for my own sanity.

“Can I see her...Can I see Sweetie?” I ask as I let tears flow freely down my face.

“I’m sorry but you’re far too injured...wait a moment,” as she was in the middle of speaking Sarah had flicked her finger to view my vitals again. “That’s quite odd…,” she checks again and then looks at me with an odd stare “Your heart rate is normal, as appears is everything else. So I suppose you can go after all,” She says, clearly baffled.

“Thanks, mam...where would Sweetie be?” I say as I force myself to stop crying.

“Oh, right. Down the hall and to the right, third door on the left. Be careful, I don’t want you to overexert yourself for the time being,” she pivots to look at Big Mac “Go with her and make sure she’s ok. I’ll let Sweetie’s Nurse know that you’re coming,”

And with that, I get up off the bed and begin walking out the door. It is much easier this time. The agonizing pain from before is almost completely gone, though there is still a small ache. It really is weird, but that is the last thing on my mind as me and Big Mac traverse the hallway to Sweetie Belle’s room.

I don’t even pay attention to how the hallway looks as I speedwalk down it towards my destination. I follow Sarah’s instructions and I soon find my way to where the Nurse said my friend would be. I pause before entering the room The door looks friendly enough, just a typical wooded barrier. But I know I won’t like what I see beyond it. My hesitation lets Big Mac catch up to me.

“You don’t have to do this Apple Bloom,” He says to me kindly.

“But I do, I really do,” I say solemnly, taking a deep breath before opening the door and moving inside. What I see does not shock me, but it deepens my sadness nonetheless.

Sweetie Belle is laying on a bed the same as my own in a room identical to mine, her pink and purple hair splayed out on her pillow. She does not move or even appear to breathe. If it weren’t for the condensation appearing and disappearing upon the inside of the oxygen mask she wears, I would think she was already dead.

Beside her bed on the opposite side from me, Sweetie Bell’s older sister Rarity stands with her head down, clearly crying. After a few moments, she finally notices me and my brother and she lifts her head to look at us. And she takes a moment to compose herself.

“Hello Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh. Thank you for coming,” She says in her normal dignified British accent “I know how difficult this must have been for the both of you, considering what happened to,” Her voice falters and her newfound composure collapses “Applejack…,” She once again starts crying hysterically, for once she does not come off as dramatic

I can’t bring myself to say anything. And seeing my friend’s sister like this makes my own sadness grow ever stronger. I huddle closer to Big Mac and tears well up once again in my eyes. My brother, on the other hand, grips me close and speaks.

“Rarity,” He says with a confidence that he rarely shows “I know this is a trying time, for all of us. Just know that the Apples are here for you, now and always.”

My brother’s words give me the courage to say something as well. “Ya, Sweetie Belle is my best friend...my only friend now. I will try to help her in any way I can,”

It takes a few breaths and moment or two, but Rarity is once again able to calm herself down.

“Thank you for your kind words darlings. I might not need any physical help, but any support is greatly appreciated,” She pauses to wipe the tears from her face “I, of course, extend the same support to you two. Applejack and I were great friends as you well know. It’s nice to know her family is here now that she and my sister are gone.” This statement makes me slightly confused, and a little angry.

“Sweetie Belle isn’t gone. She’s right there!”

“Apple Bloom…,” Big Mac tries to interrupt

“So what exactly did you mean by that?” I ask, adding an edge to my angry voice.

Rarity is slightly shaken but is able to keep her dignity intact for now. “She had the house collapse on her darling, only my Geode powers were able to keep her from dying then and there. But...,” She chokes up for a second before continuing, “The Nurse said she still took intense trama to the head. I’m just trying to be realistic.”

I look once again down at the broken form of Sweetie Belle. I am at a loss for words. Today I lost my sister, my grandmother, and one of my friends. Now it looks like I will lose the other as well. I can’t be here. I want to be alone, by myself.

So suddenly I move away from the bed. I wiggle out of Mig Mac’s grip and practically run out of the room before either he or Rarity could stop me. I slink down the hallway to find a place of solitude. A place to think.