He was always the antagonist, but he never hurt anyone. They were used to foiling his outlandish schemes, but he has gone away and now those who stopped him are left to cope.
"This sure is mighty unusual," a familiar orange mare with a blonde mane and tail said. She pushed the brim of her hat back up so that it wasn't blocking her vision.
"What do you mean, Applejack?" the Princess of Friendship had stopped by for a visit. She overheard her friend's statement and was curious.
"Twi, you remember my crazy cousin, Rotten Core? He tried to take over the Orchard that one time by sending in a bunch of clones of himself? Then he broke into song, proclaiming himself and his clones to be 'Number One'?" she explained, attempting to jog Twilight's memory.
"Oh, yeah, I remember. Crazy is definitely the right word to describe him," Twilight laughed.
"Well, one day, he apologized to me for doing that, and I hadn't heard from him since. I don't know what he's planning, it could be something bad," Applejack worried.
"Perhaps he meant it? Maybe something happened to him? You never know," Twilight attempted to come up with a rational explanation.
"All I know is, I'm gonna be ready for whatever souped-up plan he's going to try to unfold," Applejack remained paranoid.
Before Twilight could respond, there was a knock at the door. Granny Smith, who was teaching Apple Bloom how to properly bake an Apple Pie, trotted toward the front door, "Don't worry, young'un, I'll get it."
She opened the door to see Rotten Core standing on the other side. He said hello, then looked away when he saw the look on Granny Smith's face.
"Now, I done told you not to show your face around here again, Rotten Core. What do you want?" Granny Smith inquired.
"I was hoping to speak with Applejack. I have some news. I don't know how she'll feel about it, she might not even care, but it is good news. Well, good for me, at least," Rotten explained.
Granny Smith sighed and reluctantly agreed to let him in, "Alright, fine, come in," she grumbled.
He entered the house, closing the door behind him, "Thank you."
Applejack heard a familiar voice and followed it to the room that it was emanating from. She turned the corner to see her cousin, "Speak of Tirek. Y'know, I was just talking about you," Applejack stapled on a smile. Truthfully, she wasn't really happy to see him at all.
"Is that right? Hopefully, it was positive. Probably not. I have good news and bad news, I figured that since you're family, you deserve to know," Rotten got straight to the point, not wanting to force any pleasantries that he knew he wasn't going to receive.
Twilight had entered the room with Applejack, but she had stayed silent during the little exchange. She took this moment to speak up, "What's the bad news?"
Applejack turned to look at her then back to her cousin, "Yeah, start with the bad news. Bad news for you is probably good news anyway, all you have ever been is bad news," she scowled at him.
Taken aback by the insult, he hung his head with a sigh, he then looked back up at his cousin, "I was diagnosed with cancer."
Applejack was shocked to hear this. She immediately regretted her harsh words, "RC, I'm sorry, really. If that's the bad news, then I'd love to hear the good news."
He gave a half-smile and said, "The doctors said it is going into remission, so I might make it. I don't want to get too excited because it could also relapse and go right back to eating me alive. We'll have to play it by ear and see what happens, however I remain optimistic."
Twilight took the opportunity to speak up, "That's great to hear. Here's hoping you can go back to dressing like a pirate or trying to take all the sports equipment in town, or some other antics."
Rotten Core smiled at the thought, "I liked being a Pirate, that was fun. Stealing the sports equipment was kinda stupid though, I will admit. Just 'cause I'm sedentary and lazy doesn't mean everypony else is," he laughed.
Granny Smith had fallen asleep in her chair and was oblivious to the conversation. A half-knitted sweater was hanging over the arm of the chair. The others glanced at her and laughed as she let out a loud snore.
Rotten Core turned to his cousin once more, "I want to apologize again for trying to invade the Orchard with clones of myself. I just wanted a little of the glory, you know? This place has done nothing but good for this community and I wanted to contribute. Instead, I got too greedy and tried to take the whole thing. It was wrong of me, but you got to admit it was hilarious when the clones kept trapping me instead of you and your friends."
Applejack laughed, "Yeah. Like that time y'all were hiding behind a wall with a net and instead of catching me with it, they threw the net at you. All I heard was: 'THROW IT AT HER, NOT ME!' and I couldn't stop laughing."
Twilight stifled a laugh, also remembering this ordeal, "Yeah, you kept saying something about being Number One. It was almost like you were singing to yourself. It was definitely interesting, to say the least," she added.
"I figured that since nopony got hurt, that I wasn't doing anything bad. I actually thought it was good because I was making everypony laugh. Looking back, I understand that it was definitely wrong of me to do what I did. In the heat of the moment though, I was completely oblivious to right or wrong. I was in a selfish state of mind, where it was all about me. I had total disregard for everypony else. I really don't know what came over me. I just envisioned myself at the top. All I could think about was being the best, I wanted to be Number One," Rotten Core explained his point of view.
Applejack smiled at her cousin, "Don't worry, Rotten Core. You'll always be Number One in my book."
About a year had passed since Rotten Core had delivered the news that he was recovering from his illness. Still feeling guilty about his antics, he continued to distance himself from everypony else and instead chose to enter a life of solitude. At this point in time, he was living in Appleloosa, right next door to Braeburn.
Braeburn would try to visit Rotten Core regularly and check on him to see how he was doing. It was another routine visit for him. Only then did he realize how sickly his cousin had become. He called out to him, hoping to hear an answer, "RC? Are you home?"
He heard a very weak, "It's unlocked," come from the other side. Braeburn obliged and entered the home. It was truly depressing for him to see Rotten Core hooked up on all these wires and tubes.
Braeburn wasn't entirely sure what to say, so he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, "How are you holding up there, buddy?"
"I've had better days, can't say I've had any worse than this one though," Rotten Core could barely speak above a whisper.
"I'm sorry to hear that, cuzzo, I wish I could help out somehow," Braeburn felt hopeless.
"Well, there is one thing you can do, I hope it isn't too much trouble for you," Rotten Core sighed.
"Oh, nothing's too much or too little for me to handle, RC, I can do anything," Braeburn jokingly reared up and flexed his front hooves.
This caused Rotten Core to laugh, it had been a while since he laughed. It was painful for him to do so, but he didn't mind, "I have a followup appointment, but the doctors here said I had to go to Canterlot because their technology's better."
Braeburn nodded, obliging to his cousin's request, "Oh, I'll be more than happy to take you there. Let me get my cart ready," he cantered out of the house, leaving the door wide open. The soft breeze was refreshing, so Rotten Core didn't mind. He looked out the door and into the distance, he could see dust devils kicking up and tumbleweeds bouncing gently across the ground. He never really liked the desert, but he was happy that he could have a place to call home.
Braeburn returned with his cart, "Sorry it took so long, I had to unload all the apples off of it and put them into the barn, then I hit a rock and the wheel fell off, I had to fix it."
Rotten Core chuckled weakly, "It's only been a couple minutes, you didn't have to rush."
Braeburn shrugged, "I guess not, I was just excited because I finally have something to do around here that doesn't involve apples."
Rotten Core nodded, "I feel your pain. The whole reason I went around raising all grades of Tartarus, pulling pranks, trying to invade Applejack's orchard, was simply out of boredom. They say idle hooves are Tirek's playground, I guess I am Exhibit A of that being a factual statement. Also, I wanted a shot at a little glory. I didn't want to go down being remembered as just that one crazy cousin."
Braeburn lowered a ramp, "I don't have the proper equipment to transport you, will you be okay if I unplug these wires?"
Rotten Core thought for a moment, "I don't know, normally pulling the plug brings forth the end, but I'm still breathing on my own. I'm sure it'll be okay. Besides, they only left these here while I recovered from the chemotherapy. I feel well enough to travel, but I'm still rather sickly."
Braeburn took that as a yes, "Alright, big fella, lemme get you onto this cart," he unplugged the machines and moved the gurney and the IV drip onto the cart.
Rotten Core felt surprisingly comfortable, given the circumstances, "I appreciate you doing this for me, Braeburn, there was no way I could get there by myself in the condition I'm in."
Braeburn smiled, "Ain't no problem, cuzzo, I'm happy to help. I'm actually glad I live close by because I would've hated for you to have missed your appointment, it could be important."
Rotten Core concurred, "You're exactly right. It's still pretty early, so we should make it there on time. I don't have to be in the doctor's office until this afternoon."
Braeburn began to move, "Next stop is Canterlot General Hospital, keep all front and back hooves inside the vehicle at all times. No detours or delays, no returns, refunds, or exchanges. Yes, we do accept tips."
Rotten Core tried not to laugh because of how much it hurt him, but he couldn't help it, "Braeburn, you are a trip."
"I have my moments," Braeburn kept a steady pace, not wanting to hit any bumps and potentially hurt his sick cousin.
The ride continued in silence. Rotten Core had fallen asleep and Braeburn didn't want to disturb him. He was just hoping that he'd wake up when they got there. By midday, they had made it into Canterlot city limits. Ponies stared awkwardly as they passed by, but they said nothing as they continued on about their days. Braeburn had been to Canterlot a few times before, but he didn't really know his way around.
He looked around to see if there was anypony he could ask for directions. A paper white stallion in a slick black suit was trotting by and Braeburn spoke to him, "Hey, uh, sir, would you happen to know where the Hospital is? I'm trying to get my cousin in there to his appointment."
The stallion looked around for a minute, sizing up where he was in town, "You'll have to hang a right here," he pointed at the intersection behind him.
"Hang a right, then what?" Braeburn repeated so the stallion knew he was listening.
"After you hang this right, it's a straight shot all the way down to the end of this stretch of road. It's the last building on the right. You can't miss it, it's gigantic," the stallion finished giving the directions.
"Alright, much obliged," Braeburn tipped his hat to the Stallion and followed his directions. Rotten Core was still asleep in the back of the cart. He made his way to the end of the street. Just as the stallion said, the Hospital was at the far end of the street. He turned into the small path that lead to the front door.
He stopped when he got there, unhooked himself from his cart, and lowered the ramp. He gently began pulling Rotten Core down the ramp. He tried not to wake him up, but the back wheels hit the ground with a thud and it startled him.
Rotten Core's eyes shot open. He looked around to assess the situation. His rapidly darting eyes finally fixed on Braeburn. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Back from the dead, I see," Braeburn greeted his cousin.
Rotten Core nodded, "Yeah, thanks again for bringing me here."
Braeburn smiled, "No problem, let's get you inside where it's cool at," he pushed the gurney into the door, stopping at the reception desk.
The mare at the counter looked bewildered at the two, "Uh, may I help you?"
"Yeah, my cousin's just got done with chemotherapy, he's here for his followup appointment," Braeburn explained.
The mare nodded, "Alright, name please?"
"Rotten Core," Braeburn said it so that his cousin didn't have to.
She looked through the appointments for that day, "Alright, I found him. He's labeled urgent, so we'll get him into a room as quickly as possible."
Braeburn stepped back as two nurses grabbed hold of the gurney, "Don't worry, he's in good hooves," one of them reassured him.
Braeburn murmured to himself, "I sure as hay hope so."
The nurses transferred Rotten Core from the gurney to a bed, "Sit tight, the doctor will be right with you."
Rotten Core said okay and then waited. Due to his appointment being labeled urgent, the wait was very short. Within minutes, the doctor was already in the room, "Nice to see you made it. I'm Doctor Red Cross, I'll be the one running your followup."
"Nice to meet you, Doc, I'm still in one piece," Rotten whispered.
"That's good. I'm gonna run some tests to see how the chemotherapy's been helping you. Diagnostics sheets from Appleloosa say you have pancreatic cancer, is that correct?" Doctor Cross inquired.
Rotten confirmed this, "Yes, pancreatic."
The doctor scribbled some notes, "We're gonna run an MRI to see if there have been any growths."
Rotten Core nodded, "Hoping for the best. Last time I was there, I was told that it was in remission."
Cross smiled, "Great news, I hope it is gone completely, you've been fighting really hard, I'm extremely proud of you."
Rotten Core cracked a smile as well, "Means a lot that you'd say that. I've really been trying to make it through this. There's so much I still want to do."
Cross was listening as he set up the MRI machine, "I'm hoping you can kick this thing, it's almost gone. I believe a few more rounds of chemotherapy, and you'll be home free."
Rotten Core was excited to hear that, "I really hope you're right, Doctor Cross."
The doctor looked up at his patient, "So do I. The machine's ready, I'm gonna go ahead and put you through it."
Rotten was curious about something, "How long will I be in there?"
Doctor Cross thought for a moment, "Sometimes these machines take around 10 minutes, other scans can last as long as an hour. Try and sit tight, we'll make it through this. We're in this together."
The machine was whirring and buzzing, signaling that it was ready for use. Doctor Cross started the machine. The table began to move backward, pulling Rotten Core through. It stopped in the middle and began scanning him.
An hour had passed and the machine finally pushed him back out the other side. Doctor Cross was staring at the scan sheets in total disbelief. He excused himself from the room. Rotten Core was confused as to why he did that. He waited, hoping for the best.
Doctor Cross took a deep breath and reentered the room, "Rotten Core, I've got good news and I've got bad news."
Rotten's eyes widened with fear. He didn't really want to find out what the bad news was, "What's the good news?"
Doctor Cross smiled sympathetically, "Your pancreas is cancer-free."
Rotten Core laughed, "If that's the good news, then I would hate to hear the bad news."
Doctor Cross was stone-faced. Rotten Core realized that the bad news was probably going to be really bad. He stayed quiet, staring at the sheet.
"Doc, what's the bad news?" Rotten was afraid to ask, but needed to know.
Red Cross looked at him, "The cancer has spread. It has begun attacking your liver. It's too much for it to handle. The cancerous cells are growing at a faster rate than the healthy cells and cirrhosis is setting in. There are growths in the bile duct as well. I don't know how long this has been going on, but it is already Stage IV and I hate to say this. I never want to tell anypony this, but it is terminal."
Rotten Core was absolutely shellshocked, "How long do I have?"
The doctor shrugged, "Chances of survival at this rate are only 2%. With the cirrhosis of your liver also setting in, it could be even less. I'd say you might have a month left, if you're lucky. I wish you had come to Canterlot to begin with, we would have immediately noticed and addressed the growths in your bile duct. I really don't know how Appleloosa missed that. I am absolutely shocked and appalled by this turn of events. I'm completely outraged. You could have and should have been saved from this fate. I'm sorry. There's nothing else I can do, Rotten Core."
Rotten Core extended his hoof, "You did the best you could. Thank you for trying."
Doctor Cross shook his hoof, "It wasn't enough. I can't even look at myself in the mirror, I'm absolutely disgusted."
Rotten Core looked at him, "Listen. None of this is your fault. It's not my fault either. It is what it is. I'm glad I came in. I'm glad that I know how long I have left. You've done more than enough. You've given me time to reflect, time to say my goodbyes, time to arrange a will. I can get all this done in a month. For that, I thank you."
Doctor Cross sank to the floor, leaning against the wall, "I had one Tirek forsaken job and I couldn't do it," he slammed his hoof into the wall.
Rotten Core breathed a heavy sigh, "My cousin's gonna take the news a lot worse than us, I can guarantee you that."
Doctor Cross looked up, "I'll let him in," he stood up and left for a brief moment.
He came in, Braeburn following closely behind him. He cantered up to Rotten Core, "Look at you all wired up. What's the word, big fella?"
Rotten Core looked to Doctor Cross and back to Braeburn. He breathed a sigh of relief and began repeating Doctor Cross's prognosis, "Pancreas was cancer free."
Braeburn's early celebration cut him off, "Yeehaw! Let's go home, cuzzo."
Rotten Core looked at him and sighed, "There's more to it than that. The cancer spread to my liver and the bile duct in my liver. The cancer cells have caused cirrhosis to settle in and I was informed that I only have a month left to live."
Braeburn was at loss for words. He didn't know what to say. His eyes began to well up with tears, "A month?"
Rotten Core nodded, "Yeah. Long enough to atone and to say my goodbyes, that's about all I got."
"One isn't your lucky number at all," Braeburn drew this bizarre conclusion.
Rotten Core ruminated on it for a moment, "What makes you say that?"
Braeburn began to explain what he meant, "Well, one year after you were informed that your pancreatic cancer was going into remission, one stallion brought you to one city to see one doctor to run one test to tell you that you only have one month left. Isn't all that bizarre?"
Rotten Core nodded, "Yeah, it's definitely a strange coincidence. I wanted to be Number One, and I got it, just not the way I envisioned it."
It had been a couple days since the followup appointment. Rotten Core had already begun writing his will. He didn't really have a whole lot to give, so he was unsure as to what to do. He had no wife or foals, no friends, or even acquaintances. All he had was Applejack and Braeburn. Really, the only one who ever treated him like he existed was Braeburn.
Applejack's words still echoed in his mind, 'All you have ever been is bad news.' He stared around the walls of his empty house. He had never felt so alone in his life. He had begun to wonder why he was even born to begin with.
"Applejack was right about me. All I have ever been is a nuisance and a problem. I haven't done a single good thing for anypony in my entire life. I don't make anypony happy, nopony, except maybe Braeburn is ever happy to see me. I saw the way Granny Smith was looking at me when I went to visit Applejack last year. It was a look of total hatred and disgust. I'm surprised she even let me in. I was half expecting her to tell me how many different ways I could jump in a creek," Rotten Core rambled aloud to himself. He had nopony else to talk to. He was attempting to keep himself company, but even that didn't work.
Something clicked in him at that moment, "Maybe I won't have to suffer for an entire month, I'm going to wither away and die anyway, I might as well speed up the process. Nopony will miss me anyway. Braeburn might, but he'll forget about me, just like everypony else."
He pondered for a few minutes, realizing the decision he was about to make was irreversible. He rose from his bed, the sudden movement causing blood to rush to his head. His vision blurred for a moment and he blinked several times to clear it back up. Once he could clearly see again, he very slowly and painfully trudged toward Braeburn's barn.
Braeburn left his house, heading next door to check on his dying cousin. He knew his days were numbered and he wasn't gonna be able to see him much longer. A freshly baked apple pie was being balanced on his back, "I hope I don't drop it, I don't know why I thought this would be a good idea."
He made it to Rotten Core's front door and he called out to him, "RC, are you home? I brought you something," he waited for an answer. When he didn't hear one, he reared up on his hind legs and used his front hooves to knock on the door.
There was still no answer. He decided to just let himself in, "I'm coming in, I hope that's okay," he announced. He opened the door, entering the house. He let the pie slide off his back and land on the little table in the kitchen. He looked around, expecting Rotten Core to jump out and scare him as he used to do before he became sick.
It was deathly quiet in his house. Braeburn checked each room twice. It was then that he finally realized that his cousin had left the house, "Where in Equestria could he be?"
Rotten Core had finally made it to Braeburn's barn. He saw his cart sitting against the wall, just outside it. He gently pushed it into the barn and lowered the ramp. He looked around the inside of the barn, the dust was so heavy he could visibly see it floating through the air. He look in the corner to see a bundle of rope sitting on the floor.
"Well, here goes nothing," Rotten said to himself. He picked up the rope with his teeth and dragged it over to the cart and up the ramp. He was now standing inside the cart. He looked up at one of the beams that went across the roof. He took a deep breath and began going through with his plan.
He used what little strength he still had to hoist one end of the rope over the beam. He let out an uninterested sigh and began to tie a noose. It only took a few seconds. He pushed a decent sized rock across the floor so that it would pin down the extra rope and hold the noose in place.
He climbed back up the ramp and proceeded to push his head through the noose. Once it was around his neck, he decided to look around one last time. It was at this moment that he heard a familiar voice call his name, "RC? Where'd you go, cuzzo? I made you a pie, it's getting cold."
He ignored it, but Braeburn's calls got closer and closer. Rotten Core could tell he was heading towards the barn. Braeburn turned the corner to see this spectacle, "RC, NO! DON'T DO THAT, ARE YOU CRAZY?!"
Rotten Core looked up at his cousin and smiled, "Goodbye, Braeburn, and thank you for always being there for me. I finished the will. I left everything in your name and Applejack's. Do with it what you want. It won't be my problem anymore. I'm done being a nuisance. That's all I've ever been. A problem, bad news, nopony gives a filly's flank about me."
Braeburn took off in full gallop, attempting to stop Rotten Core from hanging himself. Rotten Core reared up on his hind legs and pushed the cart back, leaving himself to hang freely. The noose began to asphyxiate him. It was getting harder and harder for him to breathe. Braeburn was looking around, panicking. He finally noticed the rock that was holding the rope in place.
He galloped over and kicked it, causing the rope to fall. The rope slid over and off the beam, Rotten Core hit the ground with a thud. His throat hurt, but he was alive. Braeburn had saved his life.
"YOU PSYCHOPATH, YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED," Braeburn exclaimed.
Rotten Core wheezed, "I was... trying to... do you a favor."
Braeburn shook his head, "No, I would never want anything to happen to you. You're my cousin, you're family, I love you. I never say it because I always thought it was a weird thing for one stallion to say to another stallion, but I do. The fact that you're terminally ill is tearing me apart, but I would NEVER wish death on you or anypony else. Nopony deserves this fate, you were blessed with a final month to make amends, right past wrongs, say your goodbyes to your loved ones. You're snuffing yourself out already? I know your sickness might be clouding your judgement, but you must have lost your apple-picking mind!"
Rotten Core lost his composure and began to laugh uncontrollably. This made Braeburn very uncomfortable, "What's so funny?"
His ill cousin looked up, "You know I have never had anypony say those three words to me in my entire life? You're the only one. I always thought I was a nuisance to you, I thought you only helped me because that's what family does."
Braeburn nodded, "That's a part of it, but the other part of it is, I never thought you were bad, just different. Different is good, there's nopony else like you, Rotten Core. There never has been and there never will be."
Rotten Core got back up off the ground, brushing himself off with one of his front legs, "Thank you, Braeburn. You're the only friend I've ever really had."
Braeburn shrugged, "Don't mention it, cuzzo, it's what I'm here for. Now how about we settle down and dig into that pie? It's probably cold by now, but I ain't worried about that. I'm just glad you're still alive to eat it."
Rotten Core laughed, "Yeah, me too. Don't know what came over me. I was just feeling really down, I guess. All this pent up anger and frustration at my own mistakes pushed me to a bit of a breaking point. It caused me to overreact. I'm glad you were there to stop me."
Braeburn thought for a moment as they headed back to Rotten Core's house, "You know I gotta be here to keep you in check. I'm like your battle buddy, except you're doing most of the fighting, I'm only here for moral support, and to save your crazy flank when you decide to pull stunts like that one."
Rotten Core apologized again, "I'm sorry I put you through that."
Braeburn gently nudged his cousin with his left front leg, "Don't sweat it, buddy, it's over now. Don't bring on the end, let it happen on its own. You said it yourself, there's still so much you wanna do."
Rotten Core raised an eyebrow, "How'd you know I said that? You weren't even in the room with me and Dr. Cross."
Braeburn shrugged, "I was outside the door the whole time, the nurses tried to get me to stay in the waiting room, but I wasn't gonna let that happen. We're family, we stick up for each other. You expect me to trust ponies that don't even know you?"
Rotten Core chuckled, "I guess not. I appreciate you being here, once again."
Braeburn nodded, "I always will be. Apples to the Core, remember?"
It had been a week since Rotten Core almost took his own life. It had been about two weeks since the prognosis. He was aware that around half the time he had left was almost gone already. He decided he would make another trip to Ponyville, perhaps his last. Applejack had yet to be informed that he was dying. The only ones who knew were Braeburn and Doctor Red Cross.
"She needs to know. She doesn't deserve to be left in the dark. It would hit her really hard if she were to find out later that I had died and that she didn't have a chance to say goodbye," Rotten Core said to himself.
He grabbed his saddlebag, which consisted of only a few bits, some paper, a pen, and a little bag that held the leftover apple pie that Braeburn had made for him, "It's probably stale by now, but hopefully she'll like it. They say it's the thought that counts, after all," Rotten once again said to himself.
He took a deep breath and began to slowly trot out of his door. His entire body ached, but he didn't want to bother Braeburn while he was out working in the field. He felt his cousin had done enough to help him and that he deserved a break from the madness.
"Let me leave a note, so he'll know that I'm not trying to off myself again," he reached into the saddle bag and got out the pen and a sheet of paper.
In a huge, scrawling font, he wrote the note: GONE TO VISIT AJ IN PONYVILLE. BE BACK TONIGHT OR TOMORROW MORNING. I MIGHT STAY LONGER, DEPENDING ON HOW I'M FEELING.-RC
He left it between the front door and the screen door, "If he can't read that, he's blinder than I am sick," Rotten Core quipped under his breath. He then turned to leave. It felt nice to be out of the house, he was glad to be out in the fresh air instead of cooped up in his muggy house.
He was thinking of trotting the whole way, which would probably take all day. He then took his illness into account, "As much as I'd love to go the long way, I'm probably going to just take the train from here to Ponyville. I'll get there faster and I'll be able to spend more time there."
After about ten minutes, he made it to the train station. He had never taken the train before, so it would be a first for him. He asked himself, "I wonder if I still have time to make a bucket list?"
The train was boarding passengers when he approached it. The engineer was looking around for any stragglers. He took a deep breath and bellowed, "ALL ABOARD!"
Rotten Core spoke up, "What stops will you be making today?"
The engineer thought for a moment, "Well, I'll be going all over Equestria. Appleloosa was my last stop yesterday, so I'm starting from here today. My stops today will be Baltimare, Fillydelphia, Manehattan, the Crystal Empire, Canterlot, and my last stop will be Ponyville."
Rotten Core sighed, "How long do you reckon it'll take to get to all those places?"
"Here to Baltimare is about 6 hours. Baltimare to Fillydelphia will be 2 hours, Filly to Manehattan will be another 2 hours, Manehattan to the Crystal Empire is about 9 hours. Crystal Empire back to Canterlot 12 hours, then Ponyville will be about 2 hours. Altogether, it'll be 33 hours. Almost a day and a half. I tell you one thing, it'd be a hay of a lot faster if this train could fly," the engineer explained.
"Well, by Celestia, I'm better off travelling to Ponyville on hoof," Rotten Core was getting a little disgruntled.
"Look, I don't set these routes, the railroad union does. If you got a problem, you're gonna have to take it up with them or if you want results, Celestia herself. I'm simply doing my job. I don't make the rules, pal, I just follow them," the engineer remained professional, though he was clearly annoyed.
Rotten Core nodded, "You're right, I apologize. I just have family in Ponyville. I'm terminally ill and they don't know yet because I haven't had an opportunity to tell them. They need to know. I was hoping to spend some of my final days I have left with them. If I waste a day and a half on a crowded train, I won't have much time left to spend with them."
The engineer gave a sympathetic frown, "It's nothing personal, sir, it's simply business."
Rotten Core nodded, "Yeah, I know. I'm not blaming you. I'm sorry if it came off that way."
The engineer pondered for a moment, "You know, you said you don't have much time left, right? Have you ever been on a train before?"
Rotten Core shook his head, "I've never been on a train before."
The engineer continued explaining his idea, "Well, I have an idea that you might enjoy. It will definitely be memorable."
Rotten Core liked where this was going, "Do go on."
The engineer finished explaining his idea, "How about you ride up front with me the whole time? You'll be able to see everything. It'll be fun, trust me."
Rotten Core's eyes lit up, "Really? You'd let me do that?"
The engineer chuckled, "Yeah, also it'll give me somepony to talk to while I'm driving, because it gets a little lonely up front when everypony else is in the passenger cars."
Rotten Core asked the conductor, "May I ask what your name is?"
The engineer nodded, "Yes, sir, my name is Full Steam."
"You as well. Don't worry about a ticket, just hop in, buddy. We're in for a long ride," Full Steam gestured toward the front.
"I appreciate that," Rotten Core climbed onboard. He looked at the controls. All these dials looked like tiny clocks and they confused him. He was glad he wouldn't be the one controlling this giant hunk of metal.
Full Steam gave one last, "ALL ABOARD!"
The final ponies boarded the train. Full Steam climbed in the front, taking over the controls. He turned to his new sidekick, "Can you do me a favor?"
Rotten Core nodded, "Sure."
Full Steam gave him a list of passengers' names, "Can you make a head count real quick? I just wanna make sure I'm not leaving anypony behind. Since it's gonna take a day and a half to get to every stop, I'm not in any hurry."
Rotten obliged his new friend's request, "Sure. It'll give me a chance to meet new ponies as well."
He moved across to the back of the car and saw a door that lead to the passenger coaches. He pulled the door open and carefully stepped across, not wanting to fall, because the train wasn't moving yet, but hitting those rocks would still hurt a little. He took a look at the names and began the head count.
"Cherry Jubilee?"
A mare in the 2nd row raised her hoof, "That's me!"
"Your ticket please, madame," Rotten Core attempted a more professional approach to his little assignment.
She nodded, "Certainly," she held up her ticket.
"Thank you. Derpy Hooves?"
A wall-eyed grey mare with a blonde mane looked up, "Uh. That's me."
"Your ticket please, Ms. Hooves."
Derpy held up a blank piece of paper, "Is this my ticket?"
"No," Rotten Core raised an eyebrow.
Derpy held up a ball of lint, "Is this my ticket?"
"No, Ms. Hooves, that is not your ticket," Rotten answered.
She then held up a piece of torn fabric from her seat, "Is this my ticket?"
"You're a couple apples short of a bunch, aren't you?" Rotten Core shot back.
Derpy frowned, "But I found my ticket," she reached into her mane and pulled it out.
The other passengers glared at Rotten Core. This made him feel uncomfortable.
"Okay, well, uh... thank you, Ms. Hooves," he dodged a bullet and the passengers averted their gazes.
"Echo Chamber?" he called.
A white stallion with a black mane and tail looked up. He was writing something using a typewriter, he appeared to be some sort of reporter.
"Oh, yeah, I got it," he flashed his ticket.
"Thank you, sir," Rotten Core checked off his name.
He looked down at the next one, "Flash Sentry?"
A Canterlot guard in gold armor said nothing and simply flashed his ticket. Rotten Core checked his name and then called the next one, "Golden Harvest?"
A yellow mare with an orange mane and tail flashed her ticket, "I'm here."
"Thank you, Ms. Harvest," Rotten Core checked her name off.
"High Caliber?"
Another Canterlot guard silently flashed his ticket.
"10-4," Rotten Core checked his name off.
"Ink Well?" he called the next name.
"Present," he flashed his ticket as well.
"Gotcha. Jolly Rancher?"
A stallion in a large Stetson hat raised his hoof, holding his ticket.
"Krispy Kreme?" Rotten called.
A white mare with a red mane and tail raised her hoof, "Right here."
"Lyra Heartstrings?" Rotten Core called.
"You already know I'm here, I take this train all the time," she shrugged, her ticket sitting in the seat beside her.
"Alright, good to hear," he checked her name off.
"Maud Pie?" he called.
The grey mare just stared. She held up a rock. This confused Rotten Core until he realized that the ticket was taped to the rock, "Boulder has it," she said in a monotone.
"Right... okay then," Rotten Core cringed.
"Next Level?" he called the next name.
A young colt in the back raised his hoof, "That's me."
"Your ticket please, little guy," Rotten Core acknowledged him.
"Oh, right here," He fished it out of the bag that was sitting on the floor below his seat.
"Appreciate it. Octavia?" Rotten Core was getting sick of doing this.
The grey mare pointed at her collar. The ticket was tucked in between the collar and her neck. Her pink bowtie hung crookedly.
"Alright, thanks," Rotten Core knocked her down. The next name he saw on the list looked vaguely familiar, but he wasn't sure where he had heard it before. He pondered for a moment, attempting to remember. He drew a blank. The passengers blinked, waiting for Rotten Core to call the next name.
"Pinkie Pie?" he called.
A pink mare with a frizzy mane jumped up and shouted, "THAT'S ME!" She jumped around saying hello to everypony. Her energy never seemed to dwindle. She was always hyper. Rotten Core had finally remembered who she was, "Oh, I know you. You're one of Applejack's friends," he said.
Pinkie Pie nodded, "Yes! Applejack is one of my best friends! She's like a sister to me."
"Oh, well, I'm her cousin. Rotten Core. I'm from Appleloosa, I live next door to Braeburn. I don't know if we met when Applejack brought Bloomberg over that one time," Rotten Core introduced himself.
Pinkie Pie thought for a moment, "I don't remember you, but I DO remember Braeburn. That guy was funny, he loves Apples more than AJ does, and that's hard to do."
Rotten Core laughed, "Yeah, I'm not the most popular family member, I've always been the troublemaker, but I've changed."
Pinkie Pie facehoofed, "How did I not remember you? I just realized who you were. You're the sick cousin, right?"
Rotten Core nodded, "Yes, that's me."
Pinkie Pie smiled, "AYY, I GOT IT RIGHT! I'm glad to meet you, I love making new friends!"
Rotten Core concurred, "A friend of Applejack's and a friend of Braeburn's is most certainly a friend of mine."
Pinkie Pie reached into her mane and showed him her ticket, "Almost forgot!"
Rotten Core checked her name off and called the next one, "Quick Draw?"
A pale blue stallion was drawing in his sketchbook. He looked up when his name was called, "Hey, buddy, you wanna see a magic trick?"
Rotten Core was intrigued by this question, "Sure."
Quick Draw showed him a picture of his ticket that he had drawn, "Ready?"
Rotten Core nodded, eager to see where this was going.
Quick Draw smacked the page. It was now blank, the ticket drawing had disappeared. The magician looked at Rotten Core, "Check your saddlebag."
"It's back up front," Rotten Core raised an eyebrow.
"Just do it, you'll see," Quick Draw urged.
"Alright, I'll be back in a second," Rotten Core headed back up front to check his saddlebag. He fished through it until he found something unusual. A train ticket, but how did it get there? Quick Draw's trick had worked and Rotten Core was left completely mind-boggled. He return to the car, holding the ticket.
Quick Draw laughed, "I told you it would be cool."
The other ponies on the train gave him a round of applause. He took a bow and sat back down. Rotten Core called the next name, another one that looked very familiar, "Rainbow Dash?"
He looked up and realized that the blue mare was asleep, her head leaning against the window. Pinkie Pie nudged her, "WAKE UP, RAINBOW, THEY NEED YOUR TICKET!"
She jolted awake, rising above the seats with her wings. She got into a defensive stance as if she was about to swing on somepony, "WHO'S THERE? I'LL TAKE ON ANYPONY!"
Rotten Core shook his head, "I just need your ticket, pal, take it easy."
Rainbow sat down, feeling flustered. She pulled out her ticket, "Yeah, yeah, I got it."
Rotten Core checked her name off the list. He looked at the next one, "Snowflake?"
A ripped white stallion with tiny wings reared up on his hind legs. He flexed his front hooves, and held his ticket in the air. He let out a loud, "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH," which echoed throughout the cart. Everypony turned and looked at him. He chuckled at their reactions.
"Alright, True Grit?" Rotten Core called the next name. A tan stallion wearing all black raised his hoof, showing his ticket.
Rotten Core checked it off, he noticed there was nopony who started with U on the list. He skipped it and went to V, "Victory Lap?"
An athletic stallion raised his hoof, showing his ticket. That was the last pony on the list.
Rotten Core returned to the front after collecting everypony's tickets. Full Steam looked at him when he entered, "Is everypony present and accounted for? I have to leave now, there's no more time for me to kill."
Rotten Core nodded, "Yeah, that's everypony."
The train began to slowly creep out of the station, "Alright, we're on our way to Baltimare first."
Rotten Core sat, preparing for the 6 hour trip. His eyes were fixed to the window outside. He stared as Appleloosa became smaller and smaller and then fading into the distance. This is the farthest he had been from home since the prognosis.
Full Steam continued to drive the train silently. He was so used to doing this job alone that he had almost forgotten that Rotten Core was in there with him. Rotten Core's voice startled him as he spoke, "How long have you been doing this job?"
Full Steam reflected on his career, "Several years, definitely. My dad was an engineer too, he taught me everything I know. For some reason, I'm the engineer and the conductor. Usually, there's a conductor and an engineer. For whatever reason, Equestria Railways has always been short of help. The top brass don't like paying more than they have to. If I had that many bits, I'd be reluctant to spend 'em too. These trains are old and ragged though. The seats are tearing, the paint outside is chipping off, I had to reattach an axel that had broken at a stop. Do you have any idea how catastrophic that would have been had it broken while the train was moving? It could have killed everypony onboard. Families would be destroyed, I would lose my job, the Railway could have been shut down completely, everything would be a huge mess."
Rotten Core was shocked to hear all this, "I've never even been on a train before. I was always afraid of them growing up. They were always real loud and the rumbling noise of the train hauling flank down the tracks always annoyed me."
Full Steam laughed, "What made you change your mind?"
Rotten Core shrugged, "Desperation, I guess. I don't have a lot of time left, I wanted to spend it with my family. I grew up here in Appleloosa, but I always went around wreaking havoc. I got my name because I was always up to no good. And it's funny because my maternal grandparents named my mom Bad Apple and my paternal grandparents named my dad Spoiled Bunch. It was like I came from a whole line of troublemakers. Of course, my parents were criminals, part of this chain of crime that stretched as far south as the Badlands, as far north as Vanhoover, they were everywhere. One day, they took off down Haul Street in Manehattan at full gallop, pickpocketing everypony in sight. They got away with so many bits, it was a miracle they weren't caught and arrested. I never did things like that, I didn't want to be seen as a criminal like them, but their greed rubbed off on me. I went to Ponyville to help my cousin with her Orchard, I realized how successful it was, and I tried to invade it and take it all for myself. I contributed nothing, but wanted to take it all for myself. It was ridiculous, and it was the final nail in the coffin for me, so to speak. They want nothing to do with me, the only reason they've been paying me any mind is because they know I'm dying and they're showing me love out of pity. Once I'm gone, I'll be forgotten. I know that for a fact."
Full Steam listened intently as he drove, "Where are your parents now?"
Rotten Core shook his head in disgust, "Locked up in Dodge City. They tried to rob the bank there while it was busy. How could they have been so stupid?"
Full Steam stared ahead, "Funny thing is, I had never heard about anything like this happening anywhere. Equestria is such a beautiful place with such friendly ponies, that the idea of a crime ring never once crossed my mind. I can say I'm impressed, but I'm sure they didn't leave any of that for you."
Rotten Core nodded, "They didn't leave me anything. They're greedy, as soon as I was old enough to live alone, they kicked me out. Flat on my flank, and they pretended like I didn't exist after that. I had to ask Braeburn for help, one of my other cousins. This dude stopped everything he was doing, called some of the other Apples over and they built the house I live in now, for me, the troublemaking outcast who would never amount to anything. That was the nicest thing anypony had done for me, and I took it for granted. It's in my blood to be an unappreciative hack who's good for nothing. I don't know how that dude puts up with me, but I see him as more of a brother than a cousin."
Full Steam smiled, "There is no closer bond than family."
Rotten Core shrugged, "Maybe you're right. In terms of immediate family, I had never experienced such a bond. My extended family treats me more like immediate family than my immediate family. Granted, I was an only child, so my parents were all I had. They didn't give a filly's flank about me though. I pretty much raised myself."
Full Steam shook his head, "That's rough, buddy."
Rotten Core fixed his gaze out the window, staring at the blurred landscape, "It is what it is. I just realized something."
Full Steam raised an eyebrow, "What is that?"
Rotten Core looked toward the floor, "My parents don't even know I'm dying."
Full Steam, "You can't help that though, they're in prison. They wouldn't know even if you wanted them to."
Rotten Core remembered, "You know what they said when they kicked me out on my own?"
Full Steam sighed, "No."
Rotten Core quoted them, "Good riddance."
Full Steam gasped, "You're kidding me!"
Rotten Core shook his head, "Nope, that's what they said."
Full Steam asked, "What did you say when they got locked up?"
Rotten Core looked outside, then back to his new friend, "I didn't say anything. I didn't even know until recently that they had done that. How in the hay are they gonna kick me out, say good riddance, and then get themselves locked up by doing something outlandish like this? Unbelievable."
Full Steam agreed with him, "Yeah, that is the highest degree of buckery I have ever heard of in my life."
Rotten Core laughed, "It's nice to have somepony to talk to, I'm glad I agreed to this."
"I agree. Your company's made this trip a lot more fun, that's for sure," Full Steam concurred.
"How far from Baltimare are we now?" Rotten Core inquired.
"About halfway, maybe three-quarters. We'll be there in two or three hours," Full Steam estimated.
"Should we let the passengers know?" Rotten Core was eager for something to do.
Full Steam looked at him like he was crazy. Normally, he doesn't do that, he just tells them when they get to the destination that they had arrived. He simply decided to let Rotten Core do what he wanted, "Yeah, go ahead."
Rotten Core opened the door to pass between the cab and the passenger coaches, "This oughta be fun."
He jumped across landing on the edge. He almost fell, but he caught himself on the door handle. He leaned on the door and it opened, sending him to the floor. The passengers stared, bewildered at what they had just witnessed. Rotten Core sprang to his hooves, attempting to smoothly play off what had just happened. The staring passengers remained unconvinced. Nopony laughed at him because they had grown fond of him.
"Are you okay? That was a nasty fall," Quick Draw called from the back, the magician from earlier.
"Yeah, I'm good. I just came in to let everypony knew that we're about halfway to Baltimare, maybe three-quarters of the way. ETA is two hours, possibly three," Rotten Core repeated Full Steam's estimate.
The pony looked around. Cherry Jubilee asked, "Is anypony even going to get off in Baltimare?"
Ink Well spoke, "Yeah, I live there."
"Really? What were you in Appleloosa for?" Rotten Core was curious.
"Doing a report on the bandits that robbed the bank in Dodge City, or at least tried to. How could they have done that in broad daylight? They are total fools. I'm glad they're locked up," Ink Well laughed.
This made Rotten Core feel awkward, "Uh, yeah, me too."
Ink Well raised an eyebrow, "Did you know them?"
Rotten Core nodded, "You could say that."
Ink Well was delighted to hear this. He got out his pen and pad, "Tell me everything you know."
Rotten Core sighed, "They're my parents. There's not much that I don't know about them. I don't really feel like talking about them though, they were never very nice to me growing up."
Ink Well scribbled that down, "Well, it's a good thing their behavior doesn't run in the family."
Rotten Core felt slightly better hearing that, "Thank you, I was hoping I could stand out and not be seen as the bad guy."
Pinkie Pie blurted out, "Yeah, how can he be a bad guy if he's working for free?"
Rotten Core was confused as he and everypony else turned to look at the pink mare, "For free?"
Pinkie Pie clarified, "Yeah, you're helping the engineer because there's no conductor. He couldn't do both, so you're helping him."
Rotten Core was confused, "How did you know that?"
Pinkie Pie giggled, "Just a hunch!"
Rotten Core turned to leave, "So, is anypony else getting off at the Baltimare stop?"
Ink Well shook his head, "Nope, just me."
"Alright, enjoy the rest of the trip," Rotten Core went back to the cab with Full Steam.
"How many are getting off at Baltimare? They were too far away for me to hear," Full Steam asked.
"Just one," Rotten Core answered.
"Really? That's rare. Usually a bunch get off at the first stop and I'm stuck with only a few for the remainder of the trip," Full Steam laughed.
"Just one this time. Ink Well, one of those reporters," Rotten Core replied.
"Oh, him. I hate that guy, his stories are always opinionated. He doesn't ever post anything factual, it ought to be illegal," Full Steam ranted.
"Well, he'll be gone soon, so I'm sure it'll be okay," Rotten Core laughed.
"Probably, I thought about hauling flank and going full speed ahead, but even trains got speed limits. If I was seen going as fast as this thing's capable of, I'd never be able to engineer again. I would get to Baltimare a hay of a lot faster, and the other destinations as well," Full Steam groaned.
"I know, but still, it could get you in trouble," Rotten Core reminded him.
"Yeah, but it could turn a 33 hour trip into a 10 or 12 hour one. The only things capable of going faster than this train are Dragons, Gryphons, and Pegasi, that's it," Full Steam boasted.
"Wouldn't that be anti-climactic though? It would be for me, at least, I've only been outside Appleloosa twice in my life, this is the third. All that sightseeing would blur by too fast for me. It wouldn't be fair," Rotten Core coaxed him to keep the steady pace he was at.
"Fair enough. I'll keep going slow. None of the passengers have complained, so I guess they're not in any hurry either," Full Steam submitted.
"Alright, good, because the last thing you need is to lose your ability to engineer. It's bad enough that Equestria Railways ain't got no help, this'll make it even worse if they lose another employee," Rotten Core added.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Full Steam brushed his sidekick's valid points off.
Rotten Core was annoyed by this and remained silent for the duration of the trip to Baltimare. The train rounded a bend and not far ahead, the city could be seen. They were approaching the first stop on their journey through Equestria. Full Steam pulled into the station, the brakes squealed and the train slowed to a halt. Full Steam pointed to the door. Rotten Core understood the signal and poked his head through the passenger doors.
"We've made it to Baltimare. If anypony is deciding to get off here, now is the time to do so," Rotten Core called.
Ink Well rose from his seat, heading toward the exit. Victory Lap, who had been quiet most of the trip, silently rose and followed him out. Quick Draw also exited. This confused Rotten Core, as the other two hadn't mentioned getting off at Baltimare and Ink Well said he lived there.
"What are y'all doing?" Rotten Core asked Quick Draw.
He shushed him and whispered, "Just watch."
Victory Lap took off in full gallop toward Ink Well, who had his back turned. He did not see him coming. Victory Lap jumped and lunged at Ink Well. He used his front hooves to tackle and pin him down.
Ink Draw panicked and struggled, attempting to break loose, "VICTORY LAP, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! RELEASE ME AT ONCE!"
Victory Lap kept him down, "Not yet, you have something we need."
Quick Draw used his unicorn magic to retrieve Ink Well's notepad. It was riddled with total lies and hyperbole, "You call this news? This looks more like a tabloid magazine than a newspaper. Is this the kind of horseapples they accept here in Baltimare?"
Ink Well was fuming, "IT IS NEWS!"
Victory Lap kept him pinned down. Quick Draw showed Victory Lap what Ink Well had written, "Look at this madness. It says Rotten Core has taken the train's passengers hostage and that we're all being held against our will. That is a total lie. Rotten Core is one of the friendliest stallions I've ever met. He would never do anything like that. Ink Well, you owe this guy an apology. We won't let you go until you do."
Victory Lap's front hooves were digging into the back of Ink Well's neck, which brought him considerable pain, "If I keep pushing, I'll rupture a disk, I don't think you want that."
Ink Well gave in, "Alright, fine. Rotten Core, I offer my sincerest apologies for my inaccurate reporting. It's just that he came from a line of criminals, it would make for an interesting story to read."
Rotten Core had seen everything. He exited the car and approached the three tussling stallions, "I forgive you. You seem to have a knack for fiction. Maybe you should write novels instead of news reports. I think that will be more up your alley, and it would probably be more fun for you. In fiction, the only limit is your imagination, you don't have to tell the truth, you can be as inaccurate as you want."
Ink Well wasn't sure if Rotten Core was insulting him or helping him, "I'll definitely take that into consideration. Thank you. Again, I apologize."
Victory Lap held him long enough to threaten him, "If I ever see you do anything like that again, I'll snap you like a twig, do you understand me?"
Ink Well nodded, "Yeah, I got you."
Victory Lap let him go, "Off you go then, have a nice day."
Quick Draw gritted his teeth and turned to Rotten Core, "I was sitting behind him and I saw everything he had written. He had no business doing that. He's going to ask you personal questions and then make things up, the nerve of some ponies, I swear."
"I had no idea because I was up front with Full Steam the entire trip. I can't believe he would lie about me like that. He seemed nice when I spoke to him, even though our conversation was brief," Rotten Core was still in disbelief.
"Well, we have your back, ain't that right, Quick Draw?" Victory Lap nudged his friend.
"Absolutely, we're not gonna let a good name get soiled like that. The train's about to leave, we should probably get back on."
Victory Lap, Quick Draw, and Rotten Core got back on the train and the first two returned to their seats. Rotten Core closed the door to the car after seeing nopony else was getting on. Full Steam let out one loud, "ALL ABOARD," and off they went. Their next stop was Fillydelphia.
Rotten Core decided to stay in the passenger section. He had only briefly spoken to everypony onboard and he had newfound respect for Quick Draw and Victory Lap. They defended him when he couldn't defend himself and that was one of the nicest things anypony outside the Apple Family had done for him.
Echo Chamber, the other reporter on the trip got his attention as he passed, "Hey, Rotten Core, come here for a minute."
Rotten Core sighed, after Ink Well's charade, he no longer trusted reporters. He barely knew Echo Chamber, so he was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, "What's up?"
"I got a couple questions about what went down out there, I saw everything, but the windows were closed, so I didn't hear anything. Would you mind elaborating?" Echo Chamber tried to coax the ill stallion to speak about the events that had gone down earlier.
"Well, I don't know what Ink Well was doing, but Quick Draw and Victory Lap were well aware. He was making up some fake story about me, saying I was holding everypony hostage on this train and that Full Steam was following my directions so that I wouldn't hurt anypony and none of that was true. It actually hurt that he would try and ask about my past to twist this lie and attempt to pass it as truth. If authorities read this story, I would have been arrested for no reason, and even though I have plenty of witnesses to testify that I did not do what he said I did, I'd still be locked up for a few days until the trial. Worse than that, I'm dying. I have Stage IV bile duct cancer and cirrhosis in my liver. I have no hope of surviving. Half my time has already been spent. They said I only have a month left and that was two weeks ago. The more time I spend proving my innocence, the less I'll have to live. That is completely unfair. I did nothing to deserve that, and what he did was undeniably wrong. Ponies like him are out there spreading lies and then reporters expect everypony to trust them and take their word for things. Situations like this make me wish I stayed home and died in silence. All I wanted to do was go to Ponyville and spend what little time I had left with my cousin at her orchard, but evidently, that was too much to ask," Rotten Core was fuming.
Echo Chamber sat quietly, listening intently, "So, what happened out there was Quick Draw and Victory Lap defending you and clearing your name?"
"Essentially," Rotten Core confirmed.
"Noble of them. This will make a much better story than the insanity Ink Well was cooking up. Thank you for your time," Echo Chamber began typing away at his typewriter.
Rotten Core rose, heading back to the front. He took one final peek at Echo Chamber's pages to make sure he wasn't making up even crazier lies. He reached for the door when somepony called his name, it was the blue pegasus with the multicolored mane from earlier.
"Hey, aren't you AJ's cousin?" she asked.
"Yes," Rotten Core stopped and turned to face her.
"She doesn't talk about you much, but a lot of what I heard hasn't been good. You seem like a decent stallion, so I'm not gonna treat you like Sombra or Discord just yet, but test my patience even once, you'll regret it," she randomly threatened out of nowhere.
"Y'know, most ponies start with Hello. I dunno what they teach Pegasi up in Cloudsdale about manners, but this is ridiculous," Rotten Core shook his head.
Rainbow Dash laughed, "What do you know about manners? In case you forgot, I wasn't the one who tried to sabotage her cousin's orchard."
Rotten Core was furious that she would go from not speaking to him at all to mindless banter. He figured she was poking fun at him, but he didn't think that through. He opened his mouth to speak, but held his tongue. He was hoping Rainbow Dash would quit and go back to her seat.
"You're just bad news. I dunno why those two wasted their time defending you," she continued to egg him on.
Rotten Core had heard enough. He silenced Rainbow Dash with a single phrase, "At least I have a family."
Before she could respond, he opened the door and went back to the front of the car. He let go of the door and the wind current slammed it shut, providing a rather melodramatic finish to the quickwitted stallion's insult.
Rainbow Dash hovered over the floor, her wings flapping. She turned to the other passengers who simply stared in disbelief.
Even Pinkie Pie, who is always happy, was upset with her friend that she would tease him like that, "Rainbow, you asked for that one. He's our friend's family member, what you said was really mean. You should apologize."
Rainbow Dash glared at Pinkie, "I'm not apologizing for anything. What he said cut me deep. If anything, he should be the one apologizing."
Pinkie Pie sighed, "Look, Rainbow, I'm usually the one cracking jokes, I'm the joke expert, okay? What you were doing, that 'banter', or whatever you call it, isn't funny. What you said was hurtful. He retaliated because he had heard enough. I was watching him, he was trying to be patient with you. You pushed him. That wasn't nice, it was mean and unnecessary."
Rainbow, whose ego was too strong to admit defeat, simply sighed and returned to her seat.
Rotten Core sat, staring out the front window. He said nothing to Full Steam, who greeted him when he entered.
"Everything alright?" his engineer friend asked.
"It's nothing, I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired," he kept his gaze fixed on the passing scenery. The tracks were winding through a massive forest, trees went as far as the eye could see.
"We're about a third of the way to Fillydelphia. It'll take another hour and a half to get there," Full Steam informed him.
"Alright. I think I am going to go and socialize for a little while," Rotten Core replied.
"Have fun," Full Steam smiled.
Rotten Core nodded and opened the door, crossing back to the passenger car. He made eye contact with Rainbow Dash and she looked away.
He looked toward Pinkie Pie who was beckoning him over. He approached. She moved so he could sit. She sat silently for a moment then said, "Are you feeling okay?"
Rotten Core shook his head, "Terrible. I feel like a million Parasprites are eating me alive."
Pinkie Pie smiled, "Well, it was brave of you to stand up for yourself. I'm proud of you."
Rotten Core shrugged, "Thanks, I guess."
His gaze fixed on Rainbow Dash again. Her eyes looked puffy. It appeared she had been crying. Rotten Core felt guilty, he didn't mean to make her cry.
He got up and approached her, taking a seat beside her. He said nothing and simply stared up at the ceiling.
Rainbow looked up, "What do you want?"
Rotten Core looked over, "I wanted to apologize for what I said. You pushed me and I overreacted. I'm just so sick of everypony making me out to be the bad guy. I'm not bad anymore. I've changed. I'm sick and dying, I have very little time left. I don't have time to be bad. I'm trying to make up for my past wrongs. All anypony does is remind me of them. Why? What have I done to deserve this? I made some bad decisions, I admitted I was wrong. What more do you want from me?"
Rainbow Dash sighed, "Apology accepted. I'm sorry too. I was sizing you up, trying to see what you were made of. I got what was coming to me."
"All is forgiven. Truce?" He extended his hoof.
She hoofbumped him, "Truce."
Rotten Core smiled, "Good. Dodged a magic blast on that one."
He got up and moved toward the front. He turned and looked out the window, "Looks like some clouds rolling in."
"Yeah, we're gonna have a little rain today. Should be a sprinkle. Nothing major, we'll bust the clouds if they get too bad," Rainbow shrugged.
"Oh, okay," Rotten Core watched them roll in.
"Are you sure it's gonna be light rain? It looks really dark. This better not drown my crops again," Golden Harvest, who had been quiet this whole trip spoke up.
Rainbow sighed, "Relax. We'll bust them if it gets out of hoof. Ain't that right, Snowflake?"
He nodded and flexed his front hooves, "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Everypony else stared at him and then laughed. Rotten Core opened the door and went back across to the front of the train.
"Hey, Full Steam, we might be getting some rain," he warned.
Full Steam nodded, "Yep, I saw the clouds. Looks really dark. I hope it ain't too bad. We're still only halfway to Filly. It'll be an hour before we get there."
"I don't know. We'll have to wait and see," Rotten Core shrugged.
"I'm sure it'll be fine. We're almost to the next stop anyway," Full Steam shrugged it off.
Rotten Core estimated, "30 minutes, right?"
Full Steam shrugged, "About 45."
"Close enough," Rotten Core sighed. A clap of thunder rumbled outside the train.
"That doesn't sound like a sprinkle," Full Steam raised an eyebrow.
"I knew I shouldn't have trusted her," Rotten Core sighed.
He went outside, the wind howling. The rain hadn't begun to fall yet, so he had time to move over to the passenger side. He entered the car, "Rainbow."
She looked up when she heard her name being called, "Yeah?"
"It's not just a sprinkle, this storm's looking pretty rough," Rotten Core informed her.
"They told me it would only be a light mist, not a huge storm. I knew I shouldn't have listened to anypony other than myself," she sighed. It was at that moment that Rotten Core realized that he and RD weren't so different after all.
She turned to Snowflake, "We're gonna have to bust these clouds, they overdid it today. We'll have to postpone the weather until a later day. You ready?"
Snowflake nodded, letting out another loud, "YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Then let's roll," they opened the window and flew out of it. Snowflake was too massive to fit through the tiny window, so RD had to pull him through, which took quite a bit of strength. She managed to get him out of there and they flew up toward the dark grey clouds. It was a risky move because the train was still moving, they would have to catch back up to it in order to get back on it. For Rainbow Dash, that wasn't a problem because she was fast. Snowflake was a lot heavier and thus, he moved much slower.
"Come on, you lumbering oaf!" Rainbow hissed.
Snowflake said nothing and simply sped up to catch her. They went to work on busting the clouds. Most of them seemed harmless, but one huge cloud began to unleash a torrential downpour.
A bolt of lightning flashed. Snowflake had begun busting the cloud. Rainbow Dash yelled out to him again, "WATCH OUT FOR THE LIGHTNING!"
Snowflake ignored her and hit the cloud again. This time, the flash of lightning electrocuted him and sent him plummeting to the ground.
Rainbow Dash cursed under her breath, "Luna damn it, you roided up meathead."
She panicked and took off at full speed to try and save him. She took off with such a huge burst of speed, that the air gust sent the cloud moving in the opposite direction. The storm was now drifting back toward Baltimare.
He stopped him just before he hit the ground. She expected him to be dead, "Yo, Snowflake. You still alive?"
He laid still. She could tell he was still breathing, so she acted like she was gonna leave him behind.
Snowflake dropped the act and hauled flank to catch up. The train was much further ahead, but the sky ahead remained clear. They had accomplished their mission.
The two kept flying, trying to catch the train. Rainbow was forced to slow down so that she didn't leave Snowflake behind.
They saw a sign that said 'Fillydelphia City Limits'. The train was just pulling into the station when they caught back up to it.
They boarded it as the doors opened. Rotten Core greeted them, "Welcome back, good work. We dodged a serious situation."
Rainbow Dash laughed, "I've seen worse."
Snowflake didn't stay aboard. He had never been to Fillydelphia and decided to stay behind and explore.
"You coming?" Rainbow looked toward him. He shook his head. Rotten Core closed the door.
Full Steam let out a booming, "ALL ABOARD!" before climbing back in the front. Rotten Core returned to the front as well.
"Where are we headed next?" he asked.
Full Steam checked his schedule, "Manehattan is the next stop."
Rotten Core nodded, "How long will it take to get there?"
"Couple hours. Nopony else is boarding, so let's roll," Full Steam suggested.
"Sounds like a plan," Rotten Core nodded and off they went. Their next destination on this journey was Manehattan.
Rotten Core was actually excited about visiting Manehattan. He had family who lived there. His younger cousin, Babs Seed and her parents lived in an apartment downtown. He didn't want to leave the train because he wouldn't make it to Ponyville in time, but he wanted to speak to Babs one last time before his time came. He was now in a damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario. He didn't like it one bit.
Full Steam saw the conflicted look on Rotten Core's face, "Are you alright, buddy? Don't think too hard about your illness. I'm sorry to say that it isn't going anywhere. I wish it could because it has truly been a pleasure getting to know you, but we cannot delay the inevitable."
Rotten Core shook his head, "I ain't worried about that, I know I'm fixin' to die. My problem is, I have some family in Manehattan. I wanna visit them for a little while, but I don't want to delay the train and risk missing it before it makes its next stop. We still have a long way to go before we get to Ponyville."
"Well, check with the passengers to see if they're cool with it, I don't mind waiting a little while, but I don't have a whole lot of time, it's a bit of a tight schedule," Full Steam frowned sympathetically.
"I understand. Thank you for at least trying to help a brother out here," Rotten Core smiled for the first time in he didn't know how long.
"Least I can do, you've been a good friend to me in the short time I've known you," Full Steam replied.
Rotten Core headed toward the passenger side, he carefully crossed over to the other car, opening the door and poking his head through the threshold, "Hey, y'all, I have a request."
The remaining passengers looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
"I have some family that lives in Manehattan, I was wondering if y'all got any time to wait for me to stop by for a little while to say my goodbyes," he asked, feeling a little desperate at this point.
Golden Harvest was the first to speak, "I ain't in no hurry, if you wanna go speak to your folks, I understand. Family is important to you and that's always a good quality in any stallion."
He breathed a sigh of relief, "Well, that's one down. What about the rest of you?"
Echo Chamber looked hesitant to answer, fearing a backlash. The other passengers stared, waiting for him to reply.
"I hate to break it to you, RC, but I have a deadline. I need to be back in the Crystal Empire at the exact time. Told the editors at my station that I'll have the story there and ready for them. They're even more uptight than I am, they'd probably fire me over something as simple as that," Echo Chamber sighed.
Krispy Kreme turned to Jolly Rancher, "Hey don't they have some big festival going on in Manehattan?"
Jolly Rancher looked up, "Uh, I think so. I honestly forgot I was even here."
Krispy Kreme laughed hysterically, "What do you mean you forgot?"
Jolly Rancher shrugged, "I don't know, everypony else did too. I haven't been mentioned since Chapter 4."
Krispy Kreme shook her head, "What the hay's a chapter?"
Jolly Rancher shrugged again, "You've never read a book? Don't worry about it, they'll get what I mean."
Krispy Kreme looked even more confused than she already was, "What do you mean they? Who's they?"
Jolly Rancher sighed, "Don't worry about it. This was just a poor attempt at a 4th wall break for comedic value and it's failing. I'll just go back to being quiet."
Krispy Kreme just shook her head, "You're so weird."
Pinkie Pie gave an approving nod to Jolly Rancher, "Every story needs one!"
Rotten Core was lost, "Okay, forget about visiting Manehattan, I'll just have Echo Chamber write a letter and I'll drop it in a mailbox."
Derpy spoke up, "OH. OH. YOU DON'T HAVE TO! I'm a mail carrier! I'll deliver it for you."
She jumped up and down happily, eager to be productive.
Rotten Core looked over at a wall, as if speaking to someone the others couldn't see, "Ain't that convenient?"
Echo Chamber got out his typewriter again, "Alright, RC, what do you want this letter to say?"
Rotten Core thought for a moment and began quoting his thoughts. The letter read as follows:
Dear Babs Seed,
I'm sorry I was never able to visit Manehattan. The last time I saw you was the Apple Family reunion, which was luckily held in Appleloosa and I didn't have to go anywhere. I've come down with a sickness I will not be able to recover from. Doctors say it is terminal and that I only have a month to live. That was two weeks ago. I was diagnosed with Stage IV Bile Duct cancer and cirrhosis in my Liver. The pancreas was ruled cancer free, so I dodged one bullet just to be hit with a stronger, heavier caliber.
I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I wanted to tell you directly so that you could see me one last time before my time runs out, but I'm stuck on a train. I'll stop in Manehattan, but only briefly, it won't be fast enough for you to receive this letter. I'll already be gone, headed toward the Crystal Empire once you read this. If you can make it to Ponyville, maybe we can shoot the breeze for a little while. I know how much you enjoy traveling, so I'm sure you'll be happy to arrange it.
If you can pull that off, feel free to stop by. I send you and your parents the sincerest love. Looking forward to hopefully seeing you soon.
Sincerely,
Rotten Core
Echo Chamber read it back to make sure he got it all down, "Will that work?"
Rotten Core nodded, "Perfect. Thanks for your help!"
Derpy held up an empty envelope, "You don't need a stamp, I'll just put it in here and deliver it when we stop. I have other deliveries to make in Manehattan, so I probably won't be getting back on the train."
"Well, I certainly appreciate it, it was nice meeting you, Ms. Hooves," Rotten Core added the send address and return address to the envelope
"You too, Rotten Core," she laughed, adding the letter to her heavily amassed collection.
Rotten Core looked out the window. A sign that said 'Are you ready to take Manehattan?' was posted with a smaller one that said 'Manehattan City limits'.
"That didn't take nearly as long as the Baltimare to Fillydelphia trip, that 2 hours felt like 2 days," he laughed.
The other passengers nodded in agreement. Quick Draw spoke up, "I know, I was wondering when the hay we'd get here."
Victory Lap stood with him, heading toward the door, "Well, Rotten Core, it was a pleasure meeting you and an honor defending you, my friend. I'm afraid this is the end of the line for Quick Draw and I. We live here and home is where the heart is."
Rotten Core nodded, "It was nice meeting you both as well. Thank you again for having my back when nopony else did."
"No problem. Enjoy the rest of your life, Rotten Core, I better get an invitation to your wake and memorial service. I'll be there to send you off to the other side. I already got my eulogy down, 'Rotten Core was the best Luna damned stallion I've ever met. That motherbucker has guts. Terminally ill and this fool's on a train with a bunch of random background characters that nopony's even heard of.' It's still a work in progress," Quick Draw laughed hysterically.
"Glad I got to hear it before I'm gone," Rotten Core cracked a smile.
The train pulled to a complete stop. The door opened. Derpy scrambled off, mailbag draped around her neck. Quick Draw and Victory Lap exited. Krispy Kreme saw the music festival she was referring to on a poster outside that read 'Autumn Wind: A Commitment To Musical Excellence.'
She dragged Jolly Rancher with her, "Come on, JR, this is gonna be fun!"
They both exited as well. All that was left onboard were Echo Chamber, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, True Grit, Golden Harvest, Lyra Heartstrings, Next Level, Octavia, Cherry Jubilee, Flash Sentry, High Caliber, and Maud Pie.
The doors closed. The next stop was the Crystal Empire, which would be a much longer ride.
"ALL ABOARD," Full Steam boomed. Nopony else boarded, so he pulled out of the station.
Rotten Core turned to the passengers, "Anypony else besides Echo Chamber getting out at the Crystal Empire?"
True Grit nodded, "Yeah, I run a logging mill up in Vanhoover, I'm taking another train out of the Crystal Empire to get back home."
"That sounds like a plan," Rotten Core retorted.
Echo Chamber, who frequents this train spoke, "It's starting to get dark. It'll be at least 9 hours before we get to the Crystal Empire, so it'll be around 5 in the morning when we finally get there. I dunno about you, but I'm taking a nap."
Maud, who had been staring at her rock the entire trip spoke up in her boring and monotonous voice, "I need to feed Boulder."
True Grit raised an eyebrow "Sweetheart, that there's just a rock. It don't eat nothin' cuz it ain't a living thing."
Maud Pie went from her normally quiet and reserved self to somepony completely different, "What in the unholy mother of buck did you just say?"
"I said it's just a rock," True Grit wasn't fazed by the outburst.
"CAN A ROCK DO THIS?" Maud Pie drew all the way back and conked True Grit upside the head with Boulder, knocking him to the floor.
Pinkie Pie immediately began scolding her sister, "MAUD! What in Equestria is wrong with you?!"
Maud took a breath and returned to her regular monotone, "He hurt Boulder's feelings."
True Grit lied motionless on the floor. Maud hit him with the flat end of her pet rock, so he may have been concussed, but he wasn't bleeding.
Rainbow Dash stared in total disbelief, "Is he--is he okay?"
True Grit stayed down. Moving his head in any direction caused it to hurt. The most he could do was sit up on his hind legs, leaning his head against the wall. Normally, his hat would have taken most of the blow, but he had removed it prior to the exchange.
"We need to do the concussion test," Rotten Core said.
"Oh, are you a doctor?" Pinkie asked curiously.
"No, not at all. I've just spent a lot of time in hospitals," Rotten Core sighed.
He approached True Grit who was having trouble keeping his eyes open, "Hey, look at me. Follow along, okay?"
True Grit looked up, his head hurting, "I'll try."
"Alright follow my hoof," Rotten Core moved it left, True Grit looked right. He moved right. True Grit was able to look left. He repeated for up and down, both were successful.
"Okay, how many hooves am I holding up?" Rotten Core asked.
"Just one," True Grit shook his head.
"Who are you?" Rotten Core asked.
"True Grit," he answered.
"Where are you?" Rotten Core continued.
"I'm on a train," True Grit sighed, getting annoyed with the test.
"Okay, I think he's good. Do you think you can stand?" Rotten Core asked.
True Grit stood up, but the dizzy feeling brought him back down, "Not for long," he concluded.
"Alright, just lay low. We'll care for you here until we can get you to the hospital in the Crystal Empire," Rotten Core said.
True Grit sighed, "I don't need no Doctor. I'll be fine."
"Suit yourself," Rotten Core sighed.
Maud Pie sat silently, watching this fiasco unfold. She finally decided to speak, "Boulder says he's sorry."
"Oh, shut up, you sentient piece of charcoal," True Grit hissed.
Pinkie Pie stepped in, "Look, I know what she did was wrong, but don't be talking to my sister that way."
"She smacked me upside the head with a rock," True Grit sighed.
"His name is Boulder," Maud hissed.
"I don't care what its name is. It's an inanimate object," True Grit laughed.
"YOU'RE AN INANIMATE BUCKING OBJECT!" Maud snapped.
"Yo, chill! Take it easy," Rainbow was holding her back, preventing Maud from hitting True Grit again.
Maud threw Boulder, intending to hit True Grit. True Grit reached up to knock it out of the air. It ricocheted off his hoof and landed on the floor.
He picked up the rock, waving it around in a taunting manner, "I got your rock. I'm gonna release him to the wild."
Maud sidestepped left, causing Rainbow Dash to go right. Maud spun out of her grasp and juked her out. She lunged at True Grit, who had opened the window.
"If you hurt Boulder, it's gon' be me and you," Maud warned.
Rainbow was still trying to accept the fact that the weirdest mare on the train just broke her ankles.
Pinkie Pie and Rotten Core, the two mediators, looked at each other helplessly. Finally, Rotten Core approached them.
"True Grit, give her that Luna damned rock before she flips and kills you," he commanded.
True Grit stood, attempting to oblige the request to return Boulder to his rightful owner. He was still dizzy and fell backwards. He put his hoof against the window, trying to balance himself. He left the window open, so all he did was fall back against the wall. This caused him to lose his grip of Boulder and the beloved pet rock vanished.
Everypony froze. It was complete silence in the passenger car. True Grit leaned out the window, looking for it, but the train was moving too fast. They were long gone.
Maud Pie was on the verge of tears. She looked desperately at her sister, "Boulder's gone, Pinkie, what am I gonna do?"
Pinkie Pie shrugged, "I dunno, Maud. Maybe Rainbow can fly back and look. She's really fast."
Rainbow sighed, "Why do I have to do everything?"
Pinkie Pie laughed, "You're the only one here who can fly. Duh."
"Fair enough," Rainbow replied. She flew out the window and disappeared, headed back to where True Grit dropped Boulder.
She looked around, desperately. Rocks were everywhere. All shapes, all sizes. She decided to scoop up a bunch of them and bring them all back.
The window was still opened when she got back. She entered it and True Grit closed it.
"Maud. I had no idea which one was Boulder, so I brought a bunch of his friends," Rainbow Dash dropped the pile of rocks on the floor.
Maud smiled, "OH! Camouflage. I love this game. It's like hide and seek---."
Rainbow Dash finished, "But way more intense, yeah, we get it."
Maud laughed, "I always win. Boulder is a 2000-year old piece of magnesium-rich basalt. I will know him when I see him!"
Maud and Rainbow Dash sifted through each rock individually. The more they looked, the more it dawned on them that Boulder was still nowhere to be found.
"Boulder picked a really good hiding spot. It's also really dark outside, we might not ever find him," Maud looked completely dejected.
Rainbow Dash held up one final rock, "Is this Boulder?"
Maud looked at Rainbow. Her look of disappointment turned into a look of surprise and joy, "YOU FOUND HIM! Beaten at my own game. You're something else, Ms. Dash, I appreciate your help."
"No problem. Your sister's one of my best friends. A family member of hers is surely a friend of mine," she smiled and turned to Rotten Core.
"That goes for you too. Applejack is the only mare I know who has an ego like mine, and she has the courage and strength to back it up. I can see that runs in her family," she said to him.
Rotten Core nodded, "Means a lot that you'd say that."
"Well, like Applejack says, I gotta say what I mean and mean what I say," Rainbow quoted.
"Good advice to follow," Rotten Core confirmed.
Echo Chamber somehow managed to sleep through this entire debacle. At this point, it was after midnight. The overhead lights of the passenger car went off, sending everypony into total darkness.
They decided to tuck in for the night and sleep on the seats. They still had a long way to go before they made it to the Crystal Empire.
Rotten Core was having trouble sleeping in the worn wooden bench. The fabric that covered it was splitting and the springs kept poking him whenever he would move. He had to lay still as a statue in order to be even remotely comfortable.
He whispered into the darkness, hoping he could have somepony to talk to, "Is anypony awake?"
He heard the quiet breathing of his sleeping bunk buddies. He decided to head back up front. Obviously, if the train was still moving, then Full Steam would still be awake. He got up from the chair. He had been feeling surprisingly well during this trip, but his side was starting to give him fits. It dawned on him that he only had two weeks left to live. The thought shell-shocked him. He was stood frozen in place, staring into the pitch-black darkness.
He had been enjoying the trip and the thought of his impending demise hadn't really crossed his mind, but now it hit him like a ton of bricks. He was filled with fear. Pessimistic thoughts echoed in his mind.
What if the doctor was wrong and I die sooner than estimated? What if I don't make it to Ponyville and I die on this train surrounded by ponies I barely know? Cherry Jubilee is kind of family, but she didn't even recognize me. Come to think of it, I didn't really recognize her either until just now. But how many other Cherry Jubilees are there? Celestia, this is dreadful. I'm not ready to go yet, there's still so much that I want to do, Rotten Core's head was spinning.
"What are you doing up?" a whisper came from behind him and it caused him to jump out of his skin. He turned to face the direction the voice came from. It was one of the Canterlot Guards.
"Having trouble sleeping, I was thinking of heading back up front with the engineer," Rotten Core replied quietly.
"Why were you just standing there?" the Canterlot Guard asked.
"Caught up in deep thought again," Rotten Core answered.
The guard appeared sympathetic, "About what?"
Rotten Core's eyes fixed on the guard, he realized it was High Caliber, "Well, I'm terminally ill. I only have 2 weeks to live. My mind's filling with all these hypothetical questions. It's maddening."
High Caliber nodded, "I heard somepony say you were sick, I didn't realize it was that bad."
Rotten Core sighed, "It is."
High Caliber thought for a moment, "Come with me, there's something I want you to see. It may not change your fate, but it will be something to remember before your time comes."
Rotten Core wasn't sure where this was going, but he followed the Canterlot Guard to the back of the passenger car. High Caliber opened the door, leading to the caboose. He passed through the caboose and opened one more door that lead to a small platform surrounded by a small gate. The cold night air felt refreshing, Rotten Core took several deep breaths to decompress.
High Caliber motioned to a ladder that lead to the top of the train. He climbed it and Rotten Core followed him. When they got to the top of the train, Rotten Core's eyes met with a strange natural phenomenon. Several bright green and yellow lights shined in the sky. It was unlike anything Rotten Core had seen before.
After giving him a moment to take in the sight, High Caliber spoke, "I told you. Pretty cool, right?"
"I can understand why so many ponies come from all over Equestria to see this. This is truly a sight to behold," Rotten Core was in awe.
"I was sent here with Flash Sentry to be on guard detail for Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor. I genuinely forgot they existed until Princess Luna walked up like: 'You two, I have a mission for you.' I was like: 'Luna damn it.' She gave me this angry look and yelled out: 'DO NOT USE MY NAME IN VAIN!' It was funny," High Caliber recounted his tale.
"Echo Chamber and True Grit said they were the only ones getting off here," Rotten Core said, laughing at the guard's story. This caused his side to hurt.
"We were supposed to keep it classified, but I'm sure I can trust you with this information," High Caliber replied.
"Oh, absolutely, I won't tell a soul," Rotten Core promised.
"I didn't think you would," High Caliber retorted.
Rotten Core looked up in the sky. Billions upon billions of stars shined and twinkled like blinking eyes. He was an avid astronomer as a young colt, the sky always fascinated him.
He turned to High Caliber and said, "Sometimes, I wish i was a pegasus so I could experience that freedom."
High Caliber smiled sympathetically, "You'll be free eventually. All in due time."
"Well, you're not wrong," Rotten Core retorted.
"It's freezing out here, let's get you back inside where it's warm," High Caliber shivered and pointed at the ladder.
"It's probably best," Rotten Core obliged. The two of them climbed back down the ladder. They opened the door to the caboose and passed back through it. They opened another door that lead back to the passenger car. The others were still sleeping when they got back.
"Going to try and get some rest. You should as well," High Caliber said.
"Alright," Rotten Core went to another seat, hoping the cushion would be intact. He couldn't see anything. Normally, there would be moonlight shining in,but the clouds decided they didn't want anyone to see.
The only minuscule fragments of light were those big colorful lines way off in the distance. He took the L and simply decided to go back up front with Full Steam.
RC opened the doors and moved from the passenger car to the cab. Since the cab was partially open, it felt considerably colder up there than it did in the passenger car.
Full Steam turned to see Rotten Core, "Hey, buddy. We're almost to the Crystal Empire. I think I might sleep for a while when we get there. I hauled flank trying to get myself back ahead of schedule. I wasn't able to, but I can spare at least an hour or two for a nap or something."
"Hey. Sounds good. I'll be sure to get the passengers on and off the train while you rest," Rotten Core replied.
"Much obliged," Full Steam looked visibly exhausted. He had been engineering so long, you wouldn't have been able to tell because the train was still rolling smoothly.
"No problem," Rotten Core smiled.
Rotten Core headed back to the passenger car. The train was just pulling to a stop at the train station. They had made it to the Crystal Empire. Echo Chamber was already awake and packing his typewriter and stationery back into his saddlebag. He had awoken True Grit, who was still asleep when the train stopped. He jumped up with a start. He had his front hoof drawn back as if he was about to kick Echo Chamber. He realized where he was and what he was doing and restrained himself. He rose and the two of them headed toward the door as it opened.
"Rotten Core, it was nice meeting you. Expect to see that story about Quick Draw and Victory Lap defending you in the papers! Take care of yourself, enjoy the time you have left," Echo Chamber said to him as he stepped off the train.
"You as well, and thank you," Rotten Core replied. Echo Chamber smiled and waved as he took off in full gallop toward his workplace.
True Grit got off of the train next. He waited at the station for the next train to Vanhoover. He decided to stand and talk to Rotten Core while the two Canterlot Guards made their exit. The train was becoming emptier and emptier.
"That was an interesting ride, definitely one I'll never forget," True Grit laughed.
"I agree. It was a pleasure meeting you," Rotten Core smiled.
The doors stayed open. This confused True Grit, who figured the train would be ready to hurry toward Canterlot, considering it's a 12-hour trip and it was still only 5am. They'd make it by the late afternoon and could make it to Ponyville by dark if they hurried.
"What is Full Steam waiting on?" True Grit asked.
"He's been rolling nonstop this whole time, he said he wanted to take an hour nap before he shipped off to Canterlot," Rotten Core replied.
"Well, if I knew that, I'd have stayed on the train to get the hay up out this cold," True Grit chuckled and boarded again. Rotten Core closed the door to keep the air warm in the passenger car.
"I don't know when the Vanhoover train is going to be here, but you can just chill here til Full Steam wakes up, or until your next train gets here, whichever comes first," Rotten Core replied.
"I appreciate that," True Grit nodded.
"Ain't no problem," Rotten Core shrugged. The lights in the passenger car came on and it practically blinded everypony onboard. Anypony who was still asleep was definitely awake after that.
"Luna damn, my eyes," Rainbow Dash groaned as she stirred.
Pinkie Pie and Maud Pie were still asleep, their heads resting against each other. Sisterly love was a bond that could never be broken, regardless of how different they were from each other.
Cherry Jubilee sat quietly in the back of the train. She is normally flamboyant and outgoing, but it was just too early in the morning.
Octavia rose from her seat and approached Rotten Core. The two of them hadn't spoken the entire trip. When she got to the door, she asked him, "How long until we get to Canterlot?"
"According to Full Steam, it will be a 12 hour ride from here to Canterlot and then a 2 hour ride from there to Ponyville," Rotten Core answered.
"Alright, thank you," Octavia stopped and just seemed to realize something.
"Wait, you're the only pony on this train that I haven't seen at the Grand Galloping Gala," she said to him.
"The Grand Gallivanting what?" Rotten Core raised an eyebrow.
Octavia sighed," Grand. Galloping. Gala. It's one of the most prestigious events in all of Equestria. It's held in Canterlot, the Princesses host it every year."
"Oh, that shindig. Yeah, I know what you're talking about. I've never been there. Crowds are too big, and I'm too sick to spend a lot of time standing. I've only been able to deal with this train ride because I was able to spend the entire trip sitting down. I only get up when the doors open and when I just feel the need to stretch my legs," Rotten Core retorted.
"Oh, I see. Well, I'll tell you what. Since you're kin to Applejack and Applejack attends almost every year, the next one that happens, I'll make sure you get a ticket. The Gala is a once in a lifetime experience, believe me," she smiled.
"Well, that all sounds well and good, but in case you haven't realized, I'm terminally ill and I only have 2 weeks to live. I won't live long enough to experience this Grand Gallbladdering---Grand Gulaging---whatever it's called," Rotten Core sighed.
Octavia's smile faded, "Oh, I can't believe I forgot about that. That totally slipped my mind. My apologies. I'll just go back to my seat," she retreated, embarrassed and sympathetic at the same time.
"It's not your fault, don't worry," Rotten Core smiled reassuringly.
Another train pulled into the station on the other side. Another conductor poked his head out of the cab of the other train, "ALL ABOARD! CRYSTAL EMPIRE TO VANHOOVER NOW BOARDING!"
True Grit checked to make sure he had everything before he left, "That's my cue!"
Rotten Core opened the door and he exited. Everypony waved goodbye to him as he disappeared. Silence fell after a minute or two and the other train pulled off.
"Is Full Steam up yet?" Lyra asked. She had slept pretty much the entire trip, it was a miracle to see her up at 6 in the morning.
"I'll go check," Rotten Core shrugged. He closed the passenger door then passed between the car and the cab. He saw Full Steam set the engine off. The train began to slowly push out of the station. Rotten Core returned to the passenger car.
"I'll take the movement as a yes," Lyra laughed and closed her eyes again.
"She sure does sleep a lot," Rainbow said.
"You sure do run your mouth a lot," Lyra clapped back.
Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth and chose to remain silent. That was the third L she had taken on this trip and she was not happy about it. She was just glad this trip only had two more stops to make. She sat back and chilled. The road to Canterlot was still a long one.
Rotten Core took another head count. All that remained on board were Octavia, the Pie Sisters, Rainbow Dash, Cherry Jubilee, Golden Harvest, Lyra Heartstrings and Next Level.
The colt was so quiet, Rotten Core had forgotten that he was even there. He spent most of the trip sleeping, just like Lyra. He was wide awake now, watching the scenery passing outside. The sun was beginning to rise.
Rotten Core sighed and said, "Thirteen."
Lyra overheard him, "Thirteen? What are you counting?"
He turned to her and looked out at the rising sun, "That's how many days I have left to live."
"That's depressing. You've got to make the most of the time you have left," Lyra sighed.
"I'm trying, but it's hard, Ms. Heartstrings. I have nothing. I was born as nopony, I lived life as nopony and I will die as nopony," he sighed.
"That's what I'm talking about. That negative horseapples right there! You got thirteen Tirek forsaken days left. That's a lot more time than you think it is. That self-degrading nonsense has me angry enough to hit you. I won't though," Lyra retorted.
"I suppose you're right," Rotten Core sighed.
"Of course I'm right," Lyra Heartstrings said arrogantly.
Rotten Core shook his head, "I don't think you'll understand how I feel until you are in this situation yourself."
"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it," Lyra shrugged.
"That'll happen sooner than you think. Time flies," Rotten Core warned.
"I said I'll worry about that when the time comes!" Lyra snapped. She had a guilty look on her face. She immediately apologized.
"Look, I didn't mean to snap like that. I'm sorry," she said.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it," Rotten Core dismissed it.
"Alright, good," Lyra breathed a sigh of relief. She averted her gaze and closed her eyes once again.
Rotten Core understood the signal and left her alone. He found himself craving company, but nopony on board the train could relate to his situation. They were undoubtedly sympathetic, but they couldn't empathize. Rotten Core wanted empathy, not sympathy. He sat in an empty seat. He closed his eyes. He wasn't tired, but he needed time to decompress.
He was deep in thought, planning out his final two weeks. He felt a tap on his leg. He opened his eyes and looked over. He didn't see anypony.
"Down here," a voice said. He looked down to see Next Level. A folded piece of paper was in his mouth.
Rotten Core looked at it. It was decorated in crayon. A poorly drawn picture of what he assumed to be him was drawn on the front. Along with him, it was other poorly drawn portraits of everypony else on board the train, including the ones who left at previous stops. He opened the paper to look inside. The words 'Get Well Soon' were written inside the card. A picture of a smiling bandage was inside.
Rotten Core was frozen, staring at the card. He could feel himself convulsing and his eyes began to water. He was on the verge of tears, but not for himself. He realized the young colt didn't fully understand that he wasn't going to get well. That hit him really hard, but he tried to maintain his compsure, for Next Level's sake.
He looked up at the young colt and stapled on a smile, "Thank you, that was very thoughtful of you."
"I've been working on it the whole trip. That's why I was so quiet. I go home to my family today. I went to visit my grandparents in Dodge City. They're sending me back home to Canterlot. I heard you were sick and I thought you would like a card since nopony else made one for you," Next Level smiled, he was proud of his little masterpiece.
"You did such a good job on it. I'm proud of you. I will keep this forever. It will give me the strength I need to---to get better," Rotten Core didn't want to tell the child that his sickness had no cure.
"Thank you! I tried my best," Next Level laughed and went back to his seat.
The exchange brightened Rotten Core's day a little. He looked at the card again. The words 'Get Well Soon' stared back at him. He could no longer contain his emotion. He broke down and wept silently.
'How do I tell a colt that I'm dying and that I won't ever be well again? I appreciate his gesture, I'm sure his parents are proud. If only my parents had raised me that well. Perhaps I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in. I'm convinced this terminal illness is a punishment for my mistakes,' he thought to himself.
While caught up in his mental breakdown, he hadn't noticed that somepony had sat beside him. He looked over to see Pinkie Pie. He moved so she could have more room.
"Oh, you're up," Rotten Core stapled his smile back on.
"Yep. Good morning. I immediately noticed something was wrong. I have a sixth sense for this kinda thing. What's on your mind?" Pinkie Pie interrogated.
"Well, this is one of thirteen mornings I have left. On the fourteenth day, everypony will be mourning instead," Rotten Core sighed.
Pinkie Pie looked and saw the get well card, "Aww, that is too cute. Who made that for you?"
"Next Level," Rotten Core replied.
"He is precious, I love him to bits. He's always smiling, just like me," Pinkie grinned from ear to ear.
"Got any of your own?" Rotten Core asked.
"Nope. I'm too crazy to be a parent! I do foalsit the Cakes tho," Pinkie laughed. She was now hanging from the luggage rack by her back legs.
"That makes two of us," Rotten Core laughed.
"Match made in Tartarus," Pinkie joked.
"Something like that," Rotten Core raised an eyebrow.
Pinkie nodded, "See? No more tears. My work here is done. Another successful mission."
Rotten Core nodded, "Thanks for the smiles."
"Anytime, it's what I'm here for," Pinkie fell from the luggage rack. She rolled off the seat and trotted back over to her sister.
Maud was still asleep. She was guarding Boulder with her life. Rotten Core was convinced that she was the only one on this train that had more issues than he did.
It was high noon. They still had 6 hours before they made it to Canterlot. They were halfway to the next stop. Everypony was wide awake now.
Pinkie was showing Maud her slight of hoof by saying, "Maud, what's that behind your ear?"
Maud shrugged, "I dunno, Pinkie."
Pinkie reached behind her ear and showed her hoof. Boulder was sitting there.
Maud laughed, "That was cool."
Pinkie smiled, "Thanks!"
Lyra Heartstrings and Golden Harvest were discussing their plans for when they get home.
"I'm probably going to tend to my crops. They haven't been watered in a couple days. I don't want them to dry out," Golden Harvest said.
"That wouldn't be good. Planning on hanging out with Bon Bon, like I usually do. That's if she's not gone on another trip of her own," Lyra replied.
"Where has she gone off to?" Golden Harvest asked.
"I dunno. She'll disappear unannounced and then reappear unannounced. Sometimes, she's gone for a couple days, other times, she's gone for weeks," Lyra complained.
"What does she do?" Golden Harvest raised an eyebrow.
"Ain't no telling," Lyra was not about to blow her friend's cover. She knew Bon Bon was a secret agent for an elite unit in Canterlot. She wasn't gonna reveal that classified information to anypony.
"For the two of you to be best friends, you don't appear to know much about her," Golden Harvest observed.
"Oh, shut up, you don't even have friends," Lyra snapped.
Golden Harvest looked hurt by Lyra's insult and averted her gaze. She sat, staring down at the floor.
Lyra felt bad and apologized, "That was uncalled for, I'm sorry."
Golden Harvest looked up and nodded, "It's fine, I guess."
Lyra smiled, "Good."
Golden Harvest went back to staring out the window. The mountain that Canterlot stood upon could be seen in the distance. The train was still far from its next stop.
Rotten Core decided to make his way back up front with Full Steam. He opened the passenger car door, crossed onto the cab, and entered the control area.
Full Steam sat, staring ahead at the tracks. He heard the door open and turned to see his sidekick. "How are you holding up?"
"In pain now. It wasn't so bad at the beginning of the trip, but towards the end of it, I feel like I'm being pricked by millions of sewing needles," Rotten Core answered.
"Sorry to hear that," Full Steam sighed.
"I'll manage somehow," Rotten Core replied.
"Good, don't give up and don't lose hope," Full Steam tried to motivate his friend.
"I'll try not to," Rotten Core stapled on a smile.
Full Steam nodded, "Good. You of all ponies oughta know that life is short and death is long. I wish I could extend the former and that the latter didn't happen at all, but that's wishful thinking. All of our days will come eventually. Some simply take longer than others."
"Yeah, I'm well aware. I wish I could just clap my hooves and magically be cured so I could stick around a little while, but there's no way in Tartarus that's gonna happen," Rotten Core retorted.
"I know, I hate it for you. I'm glad you agreed to tag along though, this trip wouldn't have been the same without ya," Full Steam smiled reassuringly.
"I'm glad I did too," Rotten Core agreed.
"Yeah. I also have good news. It is about 3 or 4 hours before we reach Canterlot," Full Steam said.
"That is good news! That's only 5 or 6 before we reach Ponyville," Rotten Core's eyes lit up.
"Yeah. End of a long trip. How long do you plan on staying in Ponyville? I can take you back to Appleloosa whenever you're ready. I'll be stopped in the Ville for a few days taking ponies back and forth between Canterlot and Ponyville," Rotten Core inquired.
"I'm probably going to spend my final days with my cousin and her friends. I have already met 2 of them on this train. I don't know what the other 3 are like. I only know half of the group," Rotten Core clarified.
"I'm sure they'll warm up to you. You got everypony on this train to grow fond of you, except Ink Well, but everypony hates that guy because he's dishonest. I'm sure your cousin's other friends will warm up to you," Full Steam again attempted to motivate his friend.
"I hope you're right. My only problem is that I ain't got a lot of time left. Once that two weeks is up, I'll be gone just as they start to hate me a little less," Rotten Core realized.
"Look, do what Lyra said, worry about it when the time comes," Full Steam quoted.
"How did you know she said that? You always complain that the passenger car is too far away," Rotten Core looked surprised.
"She hasn't talked much on this trip, but when she does, she's loud as Tartarus. I can easily hear her through the walls," Full Steam laughed.
"Is that right?" Rotten Core couldn't help but laugh as well. A revelation entered his mind. He never asked Applejack's friends why they were in Appleloosa to begin with.
"I'll be back in a few minutes," Rotten Core told his engineer friend.
"Alright," Full Steam focused on the track ahead.
Rotten Core left the cab and re-entered the passenger car. He called Applejack's friends over, "Hey uh, Pinkie and Rainbow, can I ask y'all something? I meant to ask earlier, but I forgot."
The two friends approached him, ready for his question.
"Go ahead, shoot," Rainbow said.
"What were y'all doing in Appleloosa yesterday?" Rotten Core asked.
"Applejack asked us to check on you. When we got there, we asked Braeburn, he sent us nextdoor. We saw your note and figured you'd be here," Pinkie answered.
Rainbow nodded in agreement, which provided the corroboration Rotten Core needed.
"I reckon that shows us how small Equestria is," he chuckled.
"Looks even smaller from the air," Rainbow added.
"Oh, I believe it," Rotten Core laughed.
"Speaking of air, maybe we can get Twilight to take you up in her balloon," Pinkie joked.
"That would be awesome," Rotten Core thought of how small things would look from above.
"It is. I wish I could fly," Pinkie sighed.
"I had that same thought come across my mind on the way to the Crystal Empire last night. I told one of the guards that I wish I could exprience that freedom," Rotten Core revealed.
"Great minds think alike," Pinkie giggled.
"So it would seem," Rotten Core nodded in agreement.
He thanked the two Elements for their time and went back to the cab with Full Steam.
"I'm back, I also lied. I did meet a 3rd friend of Applejack's. I just don't remember her name. She was purple. She had wings like a pegasus, but a horn like a unicorn. The only three I've seen who looked like that were the Princesses. Celestia, Luna, and Cadence," Rotten Core pondered.
"Obviously meaning she's another Princess. Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. She basically put Ponyville on the map," Full Steam laughed.
Rotten Core facehoofed, "Of course! How did I not realize that? She was just so down to Equestria. She didn't come off as aloof or holier-than-thou at all. In fact, she was sympathetic of my situation. I didn't think anypony of her status would have time to be concerned about menial things like that."
"Did you just call a terminal illness menial?" Full Steam couldn't help but laugh at that.
"Yeah, she has all of Equestria to worry about. One dude being sick ain't really her problem, you know?" Rotten Core explained.
"Oh. I get what you mean, but nah, she's cool. She's not like that Prince Blueblood guy. Blueblood is a total moron. Dude wouldn't know his tail from a hole in the ground," Full Steam joked.
"Yeah, if he is a Prince, then who is he kin to that made that possible?" Rotten Core asked.
"I'll be Luna damned if I know. Your guess is as good as mine," Full Steam laughed.
"I remember now! He's Celestia's nephew. I never would have guessed because Celestia was chill that time I attended Cadence and Shining Armor's wedding," Full Steam added after he stopped laughing.
"I bet they were chill, it's cold up there," Rotten Core joked.
"Oh, shut up," Full Steam laughed along with him.
"You can't tell me that wasn't at least a little funny," Rotten Core regained his composure.
"It was," Full Steam confirmed.
"I have my moments," Rotten Core chuckled. He thought of Braeburn and wondered how he was doing.
It got quiet for a moment, but they started laughing again.
"You're a trip," Rotten Core shook his head.
Full Steam regained his composure, "We still got another hour or two before we get to Canterlot. It depends on how fast i can go and get away with it."
"Don't haul flank too fast. When you think no pony's looking, that's when everypony is," Rotten Core warned.
"Fair enough. Two hours it is. We're almost to the base of the mountain. It'll take half that time to get to the base and the other half to get up to the top of it," Full Steam estimated.
"Alright, wouldn't it be easier to stop at Ponyville first?"
"Yeah, but I gotta do everything by the book and log each stop. If I don't go in order, EQR's top brass will be giving me the stink eye. I don't want that," Full Steam explained.
"I understand. i don't want you to get in trouble either," Rotten Core concurred.
The train had finally made it to the mountain. It slowed to a screeching halt at the train station.
"I'll let everypony out," Rotten Core said and went back across to the passenger car.
"Alright," Full Steam replied and opened the passenger door with a switch next to the lever that blows the whistle. He had been letting Rotten Core open it manually, but he didn't want his friend to overwork himself. He had mentioned feeling worse than before.
Octavia exited first, "Goodbye, Rotten Core, take care of yourself.".
Next Level followed, "Bye. I hope you feel better."
Cherry Jubilee stopper at the door, "Rotten Core, I know we ain't blood kin, but I still consider Applejack family. Please, give her my best for me."
"Absolutely," Rotten Core promised.
She hugged him, "I appreciate that. Enjoy the time you have left. I'm sorry it's being cut short."
"It ain't your fault, Cherry," Rotten Core replied.
"Well, I'll let you go then. I don't want to hold this train up. It still has one more stop," she smiled and exited.
He waved and the door closed. There was one more stop this train had to make.
"I'll have y'all know that this is the longest day and a half I have ever experienced," Golden Harvest laughed.
Lyra nodded in agreement, "I know. It's been endless. We still have to go back down the mountain before we can get back home."
"Yep. We'll get there tho. First thing I'm doing is throwing a huge Welcome to Ponyville party for my buddy over here," Pinkie jumped with joy, pointing at Rotten Core.
"A party? For me?" Rotten Core laughed.
"Yeah, it'll be fun. Pinkie's parties are always ridiculous, she is the party-throwing expert," Rainbow vouched.
"Why am I not surprised?" Rotten Core smiled.
"Because I told you about it. Duh," Pinkie joked.
"I'll probably drag Bon Bon along to it. It'll be fun," Lyra said.
"I'll be there later on. I have to tend to my crops before I do anything else. I will not pass Go, I will not collect 200 bits until that is done," Golden Harvest added.
"I certainly look forward to it," Rotten Core smiled.
The train began to pull out of the station. It looped around the city and began to head back the way it had entered. This trip wasn't over yet. They still had to make it to Ponyville.
The train began to slowly move back down the mountain. Full Steam was worried that the train would derail if he went too fast. That would have been catastrophic because the train would have plummeted all the way down to the ground.
Full Steam continued his steady pace, slowly descending the mountain. He was almost to the bottom of it. Rotten Core and the remaining passengers remained seated, discussing the party that Pinkie Pie had mentioned earlier.
"It's gonna be great! We're gonna have cake, balloons, candy, cupcakes, streamers, my PARTY CANNON, it's gonna be so fun! I hope you're all as excited about it as I am," Pinkie Pie was jumping for joy.
Maud sat silently for a moment, collecting her thoughts, "I'm not good with parties, but spending time with my sister will be worth it."
"Aww, Maud, you're the best sister a mare could ask for," Pinkie smiled.
"I try," Maud shrugged.
"You really don't have to go through all this trouble for me, Pinkie. It means a lot that you would even consider doing this, but it isn't necessary," Rotten Core remained modest.
"Of course it's necessary, I'm a party pony, it's my job. Ain't no party like a Pinkie Pie party cuz the Pinkie party just don't stop," she sang.
"Well, if this is what you want to do, then don't let me stop you. I wouldn't want to kill your vibe," Rotten gave in to the mare's antics.
"I dunno what you're acting so worried about, her parties are always fun," Rainbow shook her head.
"I'm not worried about anything, I've just never had anypony throw a party for me. I don't know how to react to it," Rotten clarified.
"Oh, that's sad. I throw parties for everypony! You're gonna love it in Ponyville, the friendliest town in Equestria," Pinkie Pie was still ecstatic. Her energy was limitless.
"I wish they bottled and sold your energy, Pinkie Pie," Rotten Core laughed.
"If they did, it'd have a lot of sugar!" Pinkie giggled.
"I wouldn't doubt it," Rainbow stifled a laugh.
Lyra and Golden Harvest sat quietly. Golden had forgiven Lyra for the 'you don't even have friends' comment, but she hadn't forgotten about it. The mare was thinking of some way to get back at her, but she wasn't quite sure what it was going to be.
You bucked with the wrong one, Lyra Heartstrings. You're gonna get what's coming to you, she thought to herself.
Lyra noticed she was staring at her, a menacing grin on her face, "Do you like what you see?"
Golden Harvest shook her head, this was the perfect opportunity to clap back, "No, Lyra, I don't. You look like one of those soaps that they put in the bathrooms to make the toilets smell better."
Lyra laughed, "It took you this long to think of a comeback? I said you had no friends, I didn't know you had no imagination either."
Golden Harvest was fuming. Lyra thought she saw fire in her eyes, "You look like pistachio ice cream, nopony likes pistachio ice cream."
"You look like the type of mare to sit on a book and read a chair," Lyra laughed.
Golden Harvest couldn't help but laugh at that one, "What does that even mean?"
Lyra chuckled, shrugging, "I have no idea. For real tho, you're a total jackass. You make Cranky Doodle Donkey look like Celesita's nephew.
"What was his name again? Blueberry? Bluebiscuit? Blueballs?" Golden Harvest was at a loss.
"Blueblood, genius," Lyra laughed. Blueberry, that was actually funny."
"Hey, let's trash talk all the royals!" Golden Harvest suggested.
"Are you admitting defeat?" Lyra raised an eyebrow.
Golden Harvest rolled her eyes, "Yeah, whatever, I propose a truce."
Lyra nodded, "Truce. Wait, did you say Blueballs?"
Golden Harvest nodded, "Yeah, I thought that his cutiemark was like little toy balls or something. Like the bouncy ones that you throw and fly all over the place?"
Lyra laughed, "No, it's like a compass rose. Are you mad? You and I both know how that could've been misinterpreted."
"NO, I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT! Also, what does that even have to do with blood?" Golden Harvest asked, cringing at herself for not making that connection sooner.
"I dunno, roses are red, blood is red, and part of his cutie mark is blue. Blue blood?" Lyra took a wild guess.
"Maybe it's because his coat is so pale that you can see his veins?" Golden Harvest shrugged.
"That makes sense, actually," Lyra concurred.
"You remember that time at the Grand Galloping Gala when he was with Rarity and he treated her like absolute trash?" Golden Harvest laughed, thinking about it.
"Oh yeah, he's a total lowlife. Sad excuse for somepony who's supposed to be royalty," Lyra joked.
"Y'know, I think I'm starting to hate you a little less," Golden Harvest jokingly patted Lyra on the shoulder.
"Well, the feeling is mutual, Carrot Top!" Lyra smiled.
"Did you just call me Carrot Top?" Golden Harvest raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, your mane is orange and it's on top of your head. Carrots are orange, so Carrot Top," Lyra explained.
"I actually like that, carrots are my go-to crop, after all," Golden Harvest smiled.
Lyra jumped up, puffing her chest out proudly, "HENCEFORTH, YOU SHALL BE KNOWN AS... CARROT. TOP."
"Is that a Star Ponies reference?" Golden Harvest giggled.
"YES! I'm so glad you got it! You're not as bad as I thought you were," Lyra replied.
"I think the same can be said about you as well," Golden Harvest agreed.
Rainbow Dash sat, watching the bipolar ponies have a go at each other and then at some random Prince from Celestia knows where, and then instantly become friends over an obscure movie reference.
They've got some serious issues, she thought.
Pinkie Pie smiled, "Look at them settling their differences, that's just great. I'm proud of them!"
Rotten Core shrugged, "Here I was thinking I was the one with problems."
Maud laughed, which was surprising because she hardly ever laughs, "I know. I'm glad I have Boulder, he'll never betray me."
She hugged her pet rock, "Isn't that right?"
An awkward silence ensued, as if they expected the rock to respond. After hearing nothing, they continued on with their respective conversations.
The train came to a stop. Everypony on board the train looked outside to see the Town Hall.
Pinkie Pie gasped, "We're home!"
Lyra and Golden Harvest rose from their seats. The passenger door opened and they both exited.
"RC, me and Rainbow are gonna start planning that party! She's not as fun as I am, but she's way cooler, like at least 20%," Pinkie informed him.
Rainbow Dash nodded, "Yeah, I--HEY," she scowled at Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie laughed and they exited the train, headed toward Sugarcube Corner. Maud put Boulder safely in her saddlebag and hurried to catch up to her sister.
Rotten Core was left alone on the train. He went up to the front to speak with Full Steam for what would possibly be the last time.
Full Steam turned when he heard the door open. He smiled when he saw his sidekick enter the cab, "It's been a wild ride, partner. I'm sorry to say that this is the end of the line. I enjoyed every minute of it though, you made this trip a lot more interesting."
Rotten Core smiled, "I wanted to thank you once again for letting me tag along. Being a conductor was fun. Getting to know all the passengers onboard was great too."
Full Steam nodded, his smile growing wider, "You were a very good conductor, one of the best I've ever worked with. It was truly a pleasure."
Rotten Core extended his hoof, "I suppose this is goodbye then, my friend."
Full Steam shook his hoof, "Good luck in your final endeavors, Rotten Core, and Celestia-speed."
"You know, in another life, I think I would've pursued a career in this field. Having you as a battle buddy made things easier to cope with," Rotten Core retorted.
Full Steam laughed, "Hey, chill, you're gonna make me cry, man. Get on out of here, go find your cousin!"
Rotten Core nodded, "Right. Goodbye, Full Steam, and thank you."
Full Steam waved, "Goodbye."
Rotten Core exited the train. The door closed behind him. He watched as the train pulled out of the station, heading back to Canterlot. He waited for the train to disappear around a bend. He then turned to see what this town had to offer upon his not-so-triumphant return.
Rotten Core trotted through Ponyville. Ponies around town recognized him and averted their gazes. They would even adjust their path to avoid having to speak to him. It appeared the citizens of Ponyville that were not on the train were not as forgiving as the ones that were.
"There's that stallion who tried to ruin the Apple Family's farm," a voice rang out from somewhere behind him.
Rotten Core looked down. He was part of the Apple Family, why would he have wanted to destroy what his family helped build? That insult hit him surprisingly hard. It burned and echoed in his mind, causing him to feel angry. He looked back to see where the voice came from, "Who said that about me?"
Whoever it was had vanished into a house or a shop, because Rotten Core didn't see anypony. He returned his attention to the road ahead. He was going to visit Applejack again. It had been over a year since he had seen his cousin and he was sure she'd be happy to see him, at least he hoped.
Rotten Core made it to the orchard. A huge sign reading Sweet Apple Acres arched overhead.
It feels strange being back here, he thought.
He looked down the dirt path to see the little farmhouse. He could see his younger cousin, Apple Bloom playing with her friends.
He decided to approach and greet them, "Hello."
Apple Bloom looked up, "ROTTEN CORE!"
She hopped on to his back and wrapped her back legs around his neck, "I missed you, cuzzo!"
When she called him that, it reminded him of Braeburn.
"I missed you too, darlin'. It's so good to see you," Rotten Core smiled.
"Good to see you too, I'm sorry I didn't speak to you when you visited last year. Come on in the house, there's somepony else who would like to see you," Apple Bloom said.
"Who might that be?" Rotten Core asked.
"You'll see," she retorted.
"Do you know where your brother and sister are?" Rotten Core asked.
"They're out there harvestin' apples," Apple Bloom answered.
"Oh okay," he replied, following Apple Bloom into the house.
Granny Smith was in the kitchen, she was in the process of putting a batch of Apple Fritters in the oven. Rotten Core turned the corner and entered. He was shocked by who he saw sitting at the table.
Babs Seed was eating an Apple Cinnamon flavored muffin. She looked toward the sound of the hoofsteps, "RC! Glad you could make it. I got your letter and came as soon as I could. My parents couldn't make it, they wanted to be here for you too."
"It's good to see you," Rotten Core smiled.
Granny Smith turned to see Rotten Core. "Oh, howdy, Rotten Core. I ain't seen you come in."
"Hey, Granny," Rotten Core waved.
"How you holdin' up?" she asked.
"Not so good, Granny Smith. I got 2 weeks left," he broke the news.
Granny Smith looked down, "I never wanna see anypony die young. I figured I'd be gone before any of y'all ever kicked the bucket."
"I'll just have to make due with what I got," Rotten Core sighed.
Granny Smith wrapped him up in a hug, her feeble old back legs shaking. Rotten Core returned the hug, helping her keep her balance.
He heard the front door open and Apple Bloom's voice come from the parlor, "Applejack, Big Mac, you are not going to believe who's here."
"I already spoke to Babs," Applejack raised an eyebrow.
Big Mac said nothing and simply nodded to corroborate what Applejack said.
"No, it's somepony else," Apple Bloom giggled.
Applejack turned to Big Mac, "Were you expecting anypony?"
Big Mac shook his head, "Nope."
Applejack trotted down the hall towards the kitchen, "Then who is it?"
Big Mac followed her, along with Apple Bloom. They entered the kitchen to see Rotten Core sitting with Granny Smith and Babs Seed.
"Rotten Core! I thought I won't ever gon' see you again," Applejack threw her front hooves around him.
"Better late than never, right?" Rotten Core smiled.
"Eeyup," Big Mac nodded.
"Oh, Big Mac. I didn't see you last time I was here. You been doing alright?" Rotten Core greeted him.
"Eeyup," Big Mac replied.
"Happy to hear it," Rotten Core said.
The oven timer beeped. Granny Smith smiled, "My fritters are done!"
"I reckon we were just in time then. Ain't that right, Big Mac?" Applejack chuckled.
"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed.
"That reminds me!" Rotten Core reached into his saddlebag and retrieved the final piece of the apple pie Braeburn baked for him.
"I don't know if it's any good, but Braeburn baked it, I wanted to save you a slice," Rotten Core left it on the table, it was wrapped in foil.
"That was very thoughtful of you, I'll be sure to thank Braeburn next time I see him!" Applejack said.
Granny Smith set the plate of fritters on the table, "Help yourselves!"
"Much obliged, Granny," Apple Boom climbed into a chair to sit with her cousins and siblings.
"You're welcome, dear," Granny Smith smiled.
Rotten Core picked up one of the fritters and extended it toward Applejack, "Want an apple 'fwitter'?"
Applejack couldn't help but laugh, "Y'all ain't never gonna let me live that down."
Rotten Core smirked, "Well, do ya want it or not?"
Applejack shook her head, but took the fritter, "Can't say no to any of Granny Smith's cooking. There ain't nopony in Equestria who can cook as good as her. I'll take that to the Royal Bank in Canterlot."
Granny Smith grinned from ear to ear, "I do my best, young'un. I appreciate the mighty kind words."
"Ain't no problem, Granny," Applejack smiled back.
"Rotten Core, you look well, how is the recovery going?" Apple Bloom asked.
Rotten Core and Babs Seed froze and looked at each other. The sudden question caused him to drop his fritter back onto the plate.
Apple Bloom noticed the sudden negative reaction, "What's wrong?"
Rotten Core looked around at everypony, "Well, I've got good news and bad news."
Applejack winced at that remark, "Oh, no, I know where this is going."
Rotten Core nodded solemnly, looking around at everypony who was sitting with him, "Which do y'all wanna hear first?"
Applejack looked down at her plate, her front hoofs gripping her temples, her hat was covering her eyes, "Let's not delay the inevitable. We might as well hear the bad news first."
Her voice was close to breaking. It hit Rotten Core hard to see her happy and optimistic mood disappear. Everypony else had fallen silent with somber looks on their faces as well.
He breathed a heavy sigh, "I had an appointment. The Appleloosa hospital sent me to Canterlot because their technology was better. The doctor ran an MRI scan. He informed me that the cancer I had visited for was gone. However, there were growths found in my liver and bile duct. They told me it was Stage IV and that cirrhosis was setting in. They gave me a month to live. I spent half that time with Braeburn, so I only have 2 weeks left to live."
There was still silence at the table. Finally, Apple Bloom spoke, "What's the good news?"
Rotten Core smiled, "I'll be spending my last 2 weeks here in Ponyville with you and your family. I wanted to surround myself with the ones I loved, considering my time is very limited."
"We love you too, RC," Babs Seed said. The others smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Applejack, I met a couple of your friends on the train. They were very kind," Rotten remembered.
"Good. I asked them to check on you for me. I wish I could have gone myself, but these apples ain't about to harvest themselves," Applejack gave a hint of a smile, but it faded again.
"It's okay, I understand. I'm just happy to be with my true family. This is where I feel I belong," Rotten Core said, his eyes scanning around the kitchen to make eye contact with everypony in the room.
"Well, we're glad you came by to see us. I wish you could stick around longer than 2 weeks," Applejack sighed.
"So do I. I hate that I have been condemned to death by this incurable illness," Rotten Core concurred.
The kitchen fell silent. At that point, they were enjoying the fritters and each other's company. Granny Smith had baked a pie and another batch of muffins to add to the arsenal of apple flavored desserts. The silence was getting on Babs Seed's nerves.
"Hey, have you guys ever tried blueberry muffins?" she asked, taking a bite of another apple cinnamon muffin.
"Of course. Just 'cause we specialize in Apples don't mean we don't use no other fruits. The only fruit I won't eat is pears. I can't stand no pears," Granny Smith replied.
"Pears are gross. I tried one," Apple Bloom agreed.
"At least you tried something new. That's always a good thing," Rotten Core smiled.
"Yeah, I reckon so," Apple Bloom laughed.
Applejack sat silently, not even touching her plate. Rotten Core noticed this and spoke, "You alright?"
Before Applejack could respond, there was a knock at the door. Granny Smith hobbled slowly towards it, "Y'all enjoy the snacks, I'll get the door."
The others simply rose and peered through the kitchen's threshold to see who it was.
Granny Smith opened the door to see Pinkie Pie on the other side. "Hey, Granny!"
"How d'you do?" Granny Smith smiled.
"Doing great! We got everything set up for RC at Sugarcube Corner, we were waiting for everypony else in town to show up before we dropped by to get him," Pinkie explained.
"That's a mighty kind thing you did for him. You've always been such a sweetheart," Granny smiled.
"Oh, it was no biggie, G-Smithy," Pinkie giggled.
Granny Smith shook her head, but smiled goodnaturedly, "G-Smithy?"
"I dunno, I just thought it sounded good," Pinkie shrugged.
"Well, lemme round up the rest of the crew and we'll head on over there," Granny said.
"Alright, see you there," Pinkie waved and turned to head back to Sugar Cube corner.
Granny Smith turned to head back to the kitchen, "Pinkie Pie's throwing another one of her shindigs and she wants us all to be there. Bring the desserts."
Applejack sighed, getting up, 'I hope this party will get me out this slump,' she thought.
Big Mac retrieved the apple pie. Babs Seed put the muffins into a basket and carried it out. They left the fritters for Applejack. Apple Bloom took off in full gallop to catch up with Granny Smith.
Applejack and Rotten Core were the only ones still in the kitchen. She turned to her cousin, "I never answered your question, I do apologize. To answer it, no. I keep tryna tell myself that this is another sick joke you're playing on me and that you'll be okay. I keep tryna trick myself into believing that you got a way out of it, because you always had a Plan B for everything. It just hurts me to see you suffering like this."
Rotten Core looked up from the table at his cousin, "I'm afraid this is the last leg of my journey. I wish it wasn't so short. It all went by so fast, he told me I had a month. This last month has dragged and I'm glad. Part of me wishes I wasn't dying and that I could stay here with you, Granny, and your siblings. The other part is beginning to accept that I don't have a lot of time left and that I'll have to end this journey in order to begin a new one."
Applejack fought to hold back tears and then stapled on a smile, "Let's just get you to this party. I think it'll help us both feel a little better."
Rotten Core nodded in agreement, letting her lead the way. She retrieved the plate of fritters and exited the house. Rotten Core locked the door and exited the house, closing it behind him.
Rotten Core was the last to enter Sugarcube Corner. He entered the front hallway and froze in shock.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," a familiar voice rang out from ahead of him.
He looked up to see Quick Draw, "What are y'all doing here? I thought y'all had gone home."
"That's what we wanted you to think. Pinkie Pie had this planned the entire time. We all left the train to get on other ones that led straight to Ponyville so we would already be here by the time you got here," Quick Draw explained.
Rotten Core shook his head, a bewildered look on his face. Victory Lap entered the room, "Oh, I was wondering where ya disappeared to, buddy."
He turned to Rotten Core, "The stallion of the hour! We were wondering when you were gonna show up. Good to see you."
"You too. This is wild, I wasn't expecting anything like this. I knew Pinkie Pie was unpredictable, but this is a whole new level," Rotten Core replied.
He looked into the dining room. Applejack was talking to Cherry Jubilee. Granny Smith and Mrs. Cake were swapping dessert recipes. Apple Bloom and her friends were trying to stop Babs Seed and Derpy from fighting over the muffins.
True Grit was also in attendance. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were holding Maud Pie back from attacking him again. He seemed to know the right buttons to push.
There were unfamiliar faces as well, though he felt like he recognized a few. Seated at the same table were a white mare with a curly purple mane and tail and a yellow mare with a pink flowing mane and tail.
He looked at another table to see Lyra Heartstrings and Golden Harvest sitting with another unfamiliar face, a cream colored mare with a purple and pink striped mane.
'That must be that Bon Bon she was talking about,' Rotten Core thought.
He took a deep breath and prepared to be bombarded by greetings. He entered the dining room.
Maud Pie had finally calmed down and was now sitting and talking with True Grit. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie approached Rotten Core.
"I bet you weren't expecting almost everypony on the train to be here!" Pinkie giggled.
"I wasn't. I'm surprised you pulled this off," Rotten Core scanned the room. Somepony was missing.
"Of course. She's Pinkie Pie. This is what she does," Rainbow laughed.
"Where's the little guy who made the get well card? I thought he would be here, considering you two got along so well," Rotten Core asked.
He scanned the room again. He saw an empty chair with a black balloon tied to it. Nopony would go near it. He looked up at the Elements of Loyalty and Happiness. Their facial expressions went from happy to somber.
"Well, apparently, there was a serious accident back up on the mountain. Next Level was waiting for the other train to Ponyville to show up. Another stallion was running behind and was hauling flank trying to catch it. He didn't see the little guy standing there. He bumped into him and Next Level fell onto the track. The train couldn't slow down in time and the stallion wasn't fast enough to get Next Level back up onto the platform. He was struck by the train and he was killed pretty much instantly," Pinkie Pie explained.
Rotten Core was in shock. He felt numb. He still had his saddlebag fastened. He reached into it and took out the Get Well card. He trotted over to the chair, leaving it there. He reached into his bag again for a pen and paper. He began to write.
To the family of Next Level,
I never really got to know y'all's son, as I had very little interaction with him.
However, he made this get well card for me. He found out I was sick and went out of his way to do that for me.
I just wanted to thank you both for raising such a fine young stallion. It pains me to know his life has ended before it even began.
My time is limited as well, I was expecting to be gone long before him. Finding out what happened has left me completely numb. I offer my sincerest condolences.
Enclosed in this letter is the get well card he made for me. I figured since it was the last thing he did before he passed that y'all would like to have it. I hope it brings you both solace, as it did for me.
Take care of yourselves,
Rotten Core
He looked for Derpy. It appears she had won the battle for the muffins because she was guarding the basket with her life.
"Derpy, could you deliver this for me when you get a chance?" Rotten Core gave her the letter.
Derpy nodded, coughing because a crumb went down the wrong pipe, "Y-yeah, I'll figure out where they are. No worries."
"Thanks, Derpy. Also, you need to drink something. You're going to choke yourself," Rotten Core chuckled.
Derpy giggled, "Oh, I almost forgot."
Rotten Core went over to sit with Applejack and Cherry Jubilee. Cherry waved when she saw him, "We were wondering when you would mosey on over here."
"Fashionably late, that's how we Apples operate. Ain't that right, RC?" Applejack joked, knowing they were never late to anything.
"Oh, for sure. That's how we roll," Rotten Core stapled on a smile, but he looked dazed.
"Are you feeling okay?" Cherry asked.
"No, not feeling well at all," Rotten Core admitted.
"What's going on?" Applejack asked.
"Found out a friend of mine passed away," Rotten Core sighed.
"Who?" Cherry asked.
"The little guy who was on the train with us, Next Level," Rotten Core answered.
Cherry Jubilee froze, "I got off the train with him. I heard some commotion, but I didn't realize what happened. Did he fall and get hit?"
Rotten Core nodded, confirming her question.
"I'm at a loss. I can't believe somepony so young can be gone that quick," Cherry sighed.
"You never know when your number's going to come up," Rotten Core replied.
"That's true, you're never too young," Applejack added.
"I think I'm gonna head back to the orchard. I don't feel like staying here, it's just weird. It's like I'm attending my own wake before it even happens," Rotten Core said.
"Do you want anypony to go with you?" Applejack asked.
"I think I can manage, it ain't that far," Rotten Core declined.
"Suit yourself. I'll see you at home," Applejack waved.
"Alright," Rotten made his way for the exit. He didn't speak to anypony.
As he trotted, he began to feel light headed. The dull pain in his side became sharper. He kept moving, determined to make it back to the farm house by himself. He lost his balance and collapsed.The impact knocked the wind out of him. He tried to get up, but he was too dizzy. He fell again, hitting his head on the ground and knocking him unconscious.
Rotten Core's eyes fluttered open. He was nearly blinded by the fluorescent lights that shined overhead. He blinked several times for his vision to adjust to the brightness. Once he was fully conscious, he assessed his situation. It was total silence in the room, other than the faint hum of the lights.
He looks down to see he was laying in a bed, hooked up to wires. It didn't take long for him to put two and two together, "I'm in the hospital, but how? Why?"
He heard a door open. He looked up to see a paper white mare with a short pastel pink mane and flowing pink tail. Her hat matched her cutie mark, a red cross with a pinkish square behind it. He immediately recognized her, "Nurse Redheart?"
"Hello, Rotten Core. Somepony found you knocked out on the ground, we brought you in here to check on you," she replied.
"How bad off am I now?" he asked.
"Well, it's not good. While you were out, we took a look at your medical records. The MRI from Canterlot came in, we saw you were, well, t-terminal," she hated that word, all medical professionals did.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Cirrhosis and bile duct cancer. They told me a month and that was two weeks ago," Rotten Core replied.
Nurse Redheart shook her head sympathetically, "It was a rough estimate, he was in the right ballpark. The cirrhosis has begun to really dig into that liver though, it's rapid fire now. It's more like one week, at best."
Rotten Core stared, bewildered by what she had just said, "Only one week? I figured it would be two!"
"I know, I'm sorry you had to find out this way. I really wish it was the other way around. More accurately, I wish you weren't dealing with this at all. Why didn't you tell anypony you weren't feeling well?" Nurse Redheart raised an eyebrow.
"I felt fine. I found out terrible news, then I started feeling depressed and I left Sugar Cube Corner to head back to Sweet Apple Acres. I blacked out and I don't remember what happened after that," Rotten Core replied.
"Well, Applejack found you, her and her brother brought you in. They're out in the waiting room," Nurse Redheart confirmed Rotten Core's suspicion.
"I figured it was her, she's been worried sick about me this whole time, I can't say that I blame her. If the tables were turned, I'd be just as worried. I can't imagine what's going through her mind right now," Rotten Core sighed, his pale blue eyes piercing Nurse Redheart's like needles.
Nurse Redheart broke eye contact, "I can let them in if you'd like."
Rotten Core nodded, "That'd be great, Nurse."
"I'll go get them," Nurse Redheart exited through the open door, closing it behind her.
She came back moments later, Applejack and Big Macintosh behind her.
"Hey, RC. Are you doing okay?" Applejack asked.
He shook his head, "Seven days."
Applejack looked confused, "What do you mean?"
Rotten Core repeated, "Seven days. That's my most recent prognosis."
"A week? I thought you said you had two left," her eyes widened.
"I thought it was two, I figured it was four weeks, since four weeks were in a month. Nurse Redheart told me I got a week left," he explained.
Applejack turned away from her cousin, facing the wall. She snapped and angrily kicked a rolling cart with medical tools on it, knocking it over. The cart hit the floor with a loud bang and the scalpels and other utensils clattered on the floor. Nurse Redheart turned to face them. She was studying the MRI again.
"Why'd you have to go and do that for? Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep this hospital clean? Now I have to wash every single tool you just knocked onto the floor. You better pick every Luna damned one of them up. Do that again and I'll have you both escorted out of here, do you understand me?" her eyes were as venomous as her words.
"Yes, Nurse Redheart," Applejack was fighting back tears at this point. It was bad enough her cousin's time was cut in half, but now she was being fussed at.
Big Mac lifted the cart and Applejack sat all the tools back onto it.
"Thank you, now plant it like you grew from it," Nurse Redheart pointed at two chairs in the corner of the room. The siblings obliged and sat down.
Rotten Core couldn't help but shake his head at the spectacle that was unfolding in front of him, "Y'know, I'm kinda dying here. I feel like the tools are the least of your worries."
Nurse Redheart gave him a cold look, "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want dirty tools used on me. Ain't no telling what diseases are on that floor that could be put into your body. It could kill you even quicker. I doubt you want that to happen."
"The sooner the better, I'm tired. Tired of dying, tired of fighting, tired of living, tired of seeing the sad looks on everypony's faces. I just want to be gone, so they can forget about me and move on to bigger and better things. I'm not that important. I never was and I never will be. The fact that they are even in the same room as me right now says more about them than it does about me. This is the Apple Family for you. We care about our own, they even see the best in the worst of us. That speaks volumes, doesn't it?" Rotten Core rambled.
"Deal with it when the time comes, I absolutely refuse to pull the plug. Do you have any idea how much trouble I'd get myself and this Hospital into if I did that?'' Nurse Redheart stared in disbelief.
"I never told you to do that. Besides, I don't even think pulling the plug would be enough to do it yet. I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I honestly hate being stuck in a bed too, I don't wanna die here. I wanna die being surrounded by my family. Is there a Hospice unit here?" Rotten Core was growing restless.
"I'm sure there is, I never really had anypony request it," Nurse Redheart said.
"Could you be a dear and find out for me? I'd greatly appreciate it," Rotten Core smiled good-naturedly.
"I'll see what I can do. I can't really promise you anything though," Nurse Redheart replied.
"Well, just do the best you can. If I'm stuck to rot in this room, I'll rot in this room. I'm dead either way, so I reckon it won't make much of a difference," Rotten Core extended the olive branch.
"Alright, well, I'll be back then," Nurse Redheart left the room.
"I can't stand her. She acts nice to you at simple checkups, but as soon as something major happens, she turns into a complete flankhole," Applejack sighed.
"You had no business knocking over her tool kit. I know you're upset. I love y'all both, I really do, but that was unnecessary. I do appreciate y'all getting me here though. I'd rather have 7 days than 7 hours, minutes, or seconds," Rotten Core said.
"We'll always have your back, RC. Apples to the core, remember?" Applejack smiled.
"Absolutely, how could I forget?" Rotten Core chuckled.
"That's what makes you special, RC. No matter how bad you were, you never forgot your roots. You never forgot where you came from. More importantly, you saw the error of your ways, you reformed, that takes guts. You're fighting for your life right now. Your will is stronger than mine will ever be, you might even be stronger than Big Mac," Applejack chuckled.
Big Mac shrugged and added a sympathetic, "Eeyup."
"You always were the gentle giant. You're a riddle wrapped in an enigma though, I hope you know that. I always had trouble getting a read on you," Rotten Core chuckled.
Applejack nudged her brother, attempting to encourage him to speak more.
"Well, it's just that I focus so much on my work at the Orchard that I always keep my responses short. It ain't helped me none, I still have trouble talking to everypony. It's to the point where I just stay quiet and let the good times roll. Truth be told, I feel like you and me are in the same boat, Rotten Core. I'm such a quiet and reserved stallion that when my time comes to leave this world, nopony will notice except our family," Big Mac looked over at her sister.
Applejack gave an approving nod, "Ain't nopony gonna forget you, Big Mac. You're larger than life."
Big Mac chuckled, "Eeyup, I reckon so."
"I disagree with what you said though. Everypony's gonna miss you, because you've never done them wrong. I've done nothing but worry the wits out of everypony since I entered this world. I came in a nuisance, I'm going out a nuisance," Rotten Core sighed.
"Horseapples, anypony who still hates you are as blind as they are stupid," Applejack replied.
"Regardless, I'll die before anypony will get to know the new and improved Rotten Core," he shot back.
"Well, you ain't gotta worry about what they think. You're with your family, we'll always love you no matter what," Applejack laughed.
"I love y'all too. I'm sorry I didn't see you as much. I still felt guilty for all the headache I put y'all through," Rotten Core's eyes were fixed on the blank wall to his left. He hated that he got a room with no windows.
"I don't know why you worry so much about the past. I told you I had forgiven you," Applejack shook her head.
"I know you did, but I have this bad habit of beating myself every time I make a mistake, I feel like my constant worrying sped up the clock," Rotten Core sighed.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it did. You seem to be the living embodiment of Murphy's Law," Applejack joked, giving a sympathetic smile.
Rotten Core couldn't help but laugh. The laughing caused a sharp pain in his side which turned into a retching cough, the coughing became increasingly worse until he started dry heaving. He frantically looked for a metal pan or a wastebasket. Big Mac saw one little wastebasket next to the desk Nurse Redheart was standing at. He quickly brought it over to Rotten Core.
Rotten tried to hold back the vomit, but a metallic taste filled his mouth. It scared him into letting it flow. He began to profusely vomit what appeared to be blood into this wastebasket. He was beginning to hyperventilate.
Applejack opened the door and yelled down the hallway, "SOMEPONY HELP, HE'S VOMITING BLOOD AND CAN'T BREATHE!"
Nurse Redheart heard her yelling and took off in full gallop down to the end of the hallway where Rotten Core's room was. She wasted no time getting the oxygen tank hooked up and flowing into his snout. His breathing slowed and he eventually fainted from fatigue. It was much easier for him to breathe with the mask on.
"This doesn't bode well at all. I need to run some tests," Nurse Redheart took a sample of the blood from the wastebasket and ran a test. After it went through the system, she returned with her results.
"It's worse than I thought. The cirrhosis caused by the bile duct cancer has also caused cystic fibrosis in his lungs. This is way too much for his immune system to handle. It's possible that it could overwhelm his body and cause it to shut down. If his liver fails, he will die, there's no doubt about it. Y'all go home, I'll do what I can to help him," Nurse Redheart explained.
Applejack and Big Mac obliged and turned to leave. They were too stunned to protest.
"Take good care of him, Nurse," Applejack pleaded.
Rotten Core awoke, moving the oxygen mask from over his snout. He could hardly breathe, but he still managed to do so independently. He looked up to see Nurse Redheart standing over him.
She smiled, "Back from the dead, I see."
Braeburn's voice echoed in his head, he said the same thing before he found out he was terminal, "I reckon that's debatable, I'll be back there in a week."
"There's still a chance for you to make it, but it's very slim. It's like getting struck by lightning or winning the lottery slim though," Nurse Redheart offered.
"Very encouraging, Nurse Redheart," Rotten Core shook his head.
"Your cousins are still here, if you wish to see them," she changed the subject.
"Alright," Rotten Core nodded.
Nurse Redheart returned, followed by Big Mac and Applejack.
"Hey, RC, you really scared us back there," Applejack said when she entered.
"I honestly didn't think I would wake up from that. I thought that was it and I could finally be free of this agonizing pain. Everything I do is painful, it hurts just to breathe now," Rotten Core lamented.
"You'll cross that bridge when you get to it," Nurse Redheart replied.
"Do you think you could make it happen?" Rotten Core asked.
"We've already had this conversation, I'm not pulling that plug unless your family asks me to," she shook her head.
Rotten Core turned to his cousins, "Y'all know I'm dead either way, you might as well. We can't delay the inevitable."
"I don't want you to suffer anymore than you have to, RC, but we were hoping we could have time to say our goodbyes," Applejack replied.
Big Mac nodded in agreement, "Eeyup."
"Well, I wouldn't wanna take that away from y'all. How long will I be alive without it?" he asked Nurse Redheart.
She pondered for a moment, "About 3 days, probably. Cuts your remaining time in half."
"Do it then. That'll be plenty of time," Rotten Core requested.
"Are you absolutely sure this is what you want?" Applejack asked.
"Yes, I'm tired of this pain. I want it to go away," Rotten Core pleaded.
Applejack took a deep breath, then turned to Nurse Redheart, "Pull it. This is what he truly wants, we can't take that away from him."
Nurse Redheart trotted over to the monitor. She turned to Rotten Core, "Without the oxygen, your lungs will continue to deteriorate to the point of complete shutdown. You will die, are you absolutely sure you want me to unplug this machine?"
Rotten Core nodded, "I don't want to suffer anymore, please don't force me to. I no longer fear the Reaper, I embrace him."
Nurse Redheart reluctantly reached for the plug. She hesitated for a moment, then unplugged it. She turned to her patient, "The countdown begins."
Applejack turned to Big Mac, "We need to let the rest of the family know that his time is almost up. His friends too, I'm sure we can get them all to come back here. Hopefully they haven't left already and that they're still in town. It'd be faster if they were still here."
Big Mac shrugged, "Eeyup."
The two of them exited, leaving Nurse Redheart and Rotten Core to awkwardly stare at each other.
"I appreciate you setting me free, I don't think I could suffer for twice as much time. I've already had my will set up early in the month and I've pretty much achieved my bucket list. I can leave this world knowing I've left at least some positive impressions on it," Rotten Core said.
"I hate losing patients. It rarely happens here, it's mainly elderly mares and stallions passing from natural causes. I'm just sorry I can't do more to help you," Nurse Redheart sighed.
"It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself, my days were numbered long before I woke up in this room," Rotten Core smiled reassuringly.
"Doesn't make me feel any better, there's always this guilt I feel when somepony passes away. I always feel like I didn't do enough, like I could have done more to help them and that they should still be alive. I blame myself for that," Nurse Redheart's professional demeanor sank to a depressed and lamenting one.
Rotten Core locked eyes with his caretaker, "I know exactly how you feel. I used to worry the wits out of everypony, wreaking all sorts of havoc on the community. Some have forgiven me, but a lot haven't. I couldn't bring myself to come back home. I was too embarrassed and ashamed to show my face. It wasn't until I was near death that I finally grew a pair and made my way back. Now look at me, 3 days to live and I'm still hating myself for things that I've done years ago."
Nurse Redheart smiled sympathetically, "You were never bad, Rotten Core. Your sense of humor was just different from everypony else's. They didn't understand that you were just playing. I did. I thought your jokes were funny, until the Sweet Apple Acres incident. That's when we knew you had gone mad and needed help. I'm sorry it didn't come sooner."
"It is what it is. Thank you for making me comfortable, at least. Maybe hanging out with you these last few days won't be so bad after all," Rotten Core cracked a smile.
"I hope not. I try to be hospitable for my patients," Nurse Redheart retorted.
Rotten Core let out a soft laugh that deteriorated into a cough, "Hospitable and we're in a hospital. You're funny."
Nurse Redheart shrugged, "I didn't think about that until after I said it."
"It was a good one," Rotten Core cleared his throat.
"Well, thank you," Nurse Redheart said.
"Ain't no problem," Rotten Core replied.
"I'll be back in a bit, I'm going to check on some other patients. Stay out of trouble," Nurse Redheart chuckled.
"No promises," Rotten Core shrugged.
She exited his room. Rotten Core laid back and closed his eyes. Part of him hoped it would be the last time and that they wouldn't open again.
Nurse Redheart returned to Rotten Core's room. He was sound asleep, the heart monitor beeping periodically to indicate he was still alive for now.
'It's probably best to let him sleep,' she thought to herself. She occupied herself by changing out his IV drip.
She took a seat at her desk, glancing over at her patient periodically.
Applejack and Big Mac entered the hospital, hurrying toward their cousin's room. "He's gonna love this. I can't believe everypony stayed in town! This is gonna be great," she laughed.
"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed.
The siblings were followed by Cherry Jubilee, Lyra Heartstrings, Golden Harvest, Pinkie and Maud Pie, Rainbow Dash, Quick Draw, Victory Lap, True Grit, and Princess Twilight Sparkle.
"Is this his last day?" Cherry asked.
Big Mac sighed, "Eeyup."
"We'll try and make the best of it for him. Isn't that right everypony?" Victory Lap offered.
He was bombarded with a wave of nods and yeses, "Good."
They made it to the room. Applejack knocked on the door.
"It's open. The patient is sleeping, so please be quiet," Nurse Redheart greeted them.
The group of friends and family obliged and quietly entered.
"Oh, I wasn't expecting there to be so many of you," Nurse Redheart smiled.
"It's his last day. We have to make it his best," Quick Draw replied. The others nodded in agreement.
Rotten Core began to stir and his eyes opened. He blinked a few times and looked across the room at the myriad of visitors. He smiled, but couldn't find the strength to greet his friends and family.
"Surprise," Applejack's eyes lit up when she saw his smile.
Rotten Core struggled to speak, "It's, uh, g-good to see you all again."
"You too, buddy," Golden Harvest nodded.
"Hurts to sp-speak. Can't hardly breathe," Rotten Core coughed. Nurse Redheart put the oxygen mask over his face.
He nodded as thanks and lied back down.
"Well, we all wanted to be here for ya to give you a good send off," the Princess of Friendship spoke.
"Yeah, hate to see you go but it's inevitable. You're never too young," True Grit's tone was somber.
"Sad, but true," Lyra agreed.
"Eeyup," Big Mac concurred.
Rotten Core's heart monitor began to beep faster than normal.
"Palpitations? Not good," Nurse Redheart went to take evasive action.
Rotten Core extended his hoof weakly and shook his head. He used his other to remove the oxygen mask, "J-just let it happen. We c-can't delay the inevitable."
Nurse Redheart reluctantly obliged his request and returned to her desk. She faced away from the rest of them, afraid of what was happening.
She turned to Applejack, handing her a marker, "Write 'DNR' on the board on the door."
"DNR?" Applejack asked.
"Yes. It stands for Do Not Resuscitate. When he passes, they will not be allowed to perform CPR. When he's gone, he's gone," Nurse Redheart explained.
Applejack sighed and did as requested. She returned soon after.
Rotten Core took another breath through the oxygen mask, "Applejack, the will has been set up. Half of it goes to you and the other half goes to Braeburn."
"RC, I ain't gonna worry about that right now. What matters right now is spending as much time with you as I can. I know you ain't got much time left," she retorted.
"Speaking of Braeburn, where is he?" Cherry Jubilee raised an eyebrow.
"Back in Appleoosa. That orchard ain't gonna tend itself," Applejack answered.
"Fair enough, I hope he's alright," Cherry averted her gaze.
Rotten Core looked over at Nurse Redheart who was silently weeping at her desk. The others hadn't noticed. He struggled to speak, "Hey. Nurse?"
She turned toward him, "Yes?"
He smiled faintly, "T-try your best to st-stay positive. You h-have a beautiful smile and I think everypony should be able to see it."
She couldn't help but laugh, "You always did have a way with words. We're all gonna miss you."
Pinkie Pie had stayed quiet the whole time. She shivered and her mane fell flat, "Oh no, my Pinkie Sense."
The heart monitor began to fade and beep abnormally slow.
Rotten Core began feeling sluggish and closed his eyes, "So...tired."
The group of friends and family fell silent.
Quick Draw sighed, "Don't leave us, RC."
Rotten Core's eyes remained closed, but he was conscious. The heart monitor hadn't flatlined yet.
Victory Lap looked to his buddy, "Quick Draw, you know he has no control over that."
"I know, I just wish we did," he sighed.
Rotten Core opened his mouth to speak. The heart monitor froze, in his last breath he said, "Suffer the winter's cold wind, for it bears aloft next summer's seeds."
The monitor flatlined with a loud monotonous beep. Rotten Core had succumbed to his illness. There was a silence in the room as his final words echoed in their minds.
"What do you reckon that means?" True Grit asked.
Applejack broke down crying. She knew exactly what it meant. Big Mac did his best to console his sister. The others were left in total shock.
Nurse Redheart rose and covered Rotten Core's body with the blanket. She then unplugged the monitor so the beeping would stop, "What he said was simple. Things seem hard right now, but they will improve over time. Things always get worse before they get better."
Applejack and Big Mac left. The others went to pay their final respects.
"Rest easy, buddy. I hope to see you again someday," True Grit patted his shoulder and exited.
"We'll give you a hell of a sendoff. I promise," Quick Draw said through clenched teeth. Him and Victory Lap exited.
Lyra left a rotten apple core on the bedside table, "Before."
Golden Harvest left a fresh apple beside it, "After. You were proof that one bad apple doesn't spoil the whole bunch. Sleep peacefully, RC."
They both left. The Pie sisters approached their friend. Maud Pie left Boulder on the bedside table, "Take this. It's dangerous to go alone."
The sisters left. Cherry Jubilee was too broken to speak and left in silence.
Only Twilight remained. She already had her statement prepared, "Rotten Core, when I met you, you were such a pain in the neck with your constant antics. I tried so hard to put up with it. I was proud to see how you turned your life around. It's sad that it happened so close to the end. It was a pleasure to see you grow. I am proud to call you my friend. We'll meet again someday and I look forward to it."
It was a quiet day in Appleoosa. A small cart rolled down a dirt road that ran through the town. In the cart was a splintered wooden casket. A bouquet of roses sat on top of it. They rolled to a stop when they got to Braeburn's house.
The funeral was attended by many of the friends Rotten Core had made on that long train ride. True Grit, Quick Draw, Victory Lap, Lyra Heartstrings, Golden Harvest, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, Full Steam, Babs Seed, Cherry Jubilee, Echo Chamber, Pinkie Pie, Maud Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Princess Twilight Sparkle were all in attendance. Braeburn saw the platoon of ponies that had followed the cart from Ponyville all the way to Appleoosa.
Braeburn choked back tears and spoke, "Thank y'all for coming all this way. That was mighty kind of you."
The crowd remained silent. They pulled the cart around and went into the orchard. They stopped in a small clearing. They were on a hill overlooking the rest of the orchard.
There was a plot set for Rotten Core. The headstone was in the shape of an apple. They stopped the cart beside the hole he would be lowered into.
Braeburn finally addressed the funeral attendees, "We have gathered here to honor and remember the life of my troubled cousin, Rotten Core. Some of you may have known him as a troublemaker, but that wasn't the Rotten Core I knew. The Rotten Core I knew was very quiet and reserved, he was a bit of a recluse, but he would always go out of his way to check in on me. Even though he was extended family, I considered him a brother. Best Luna damned friend I ever had, I still can't believe he's gone. I don't know if he can hear me sayin' any of this, but thank you for always being there and I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye before you passed on."
The crowd remained silent, they looked on with somber expressions as Braeburn eulogized. He decided to open the floor for the other attendees, "Would anypony else like to share anything?"
Quick Draw took a deep breath and stood up. He had a promise to keep, he told Rotten Core on the train that he would share a few words at the service and he meant it. He rose and moved to the front, facing the other attendants.
Quick Draw took another deep breath and spoke, "I met Rotten Core under rather unusual circumstances. The guy had never been on a train, yet there he was collecting the tickets like a conductor. He was good at it too, I think if he was still here, he would have enjoyed doing that for a living. I wanted to share a story from this train ride that I often look back on."
He paused, collecting his thoughts. He had begun to tear up and he had trouble keeping himself composed. He sniffled, "I'm sorry. One moment."
He regained his composure and continued, "The train had rolled up to the station in Baltimare. There was a reporter named Ink Well who was writing a story about the robbery in Dodge City. Come to found, it was Rotten Core's parents, Bad Apple and Spoiled Bunch, who committed this crime. Ink Well asked Rotten Core what he knew about it. He then twisted it to make up a new story that the train was being held hostage, since Rotten Core spent a lot of time up front with Full Steam. Well, that was obviously not true and Victory Lap noticed this. He and I attacked that guy and cleared Rotten Core's name. He was very appreciative and we became fast friends. I didn't know the guy long, but his eagerness to better himself and make up for his past wrongs definitely left a lasting impression on me. I also considered him to be extremely bold for getting on a train as sick as he was. Goodbye, Rotten Core, I appreciate you making the train ride fun for us, buddy."
He went and sat back down. Braeburn smiled, "Thank you for sharing that with us. Would anypony else like to share anything?"
True Grit rose, "I reckon I'll say a few words."
He made his way to the front. He spoke, "I also met Rotten Core on the train. Thought he was a weird little fella, but he was real friendly. I admired his sense of humor. He was still laughing and cracking jokes even though the cold embrace of death loomed over him. While he was on that train, you never woulda guessed he was sick unless he told you. I will always admire the dignity and honor he faced his death with. I honestly don't think I will be able to do the when my time comes. That's all I gotta say. Rest easy, RC."
True Grit went and sat back down. Braeburn thanked him and looked around to see who else wanted to share. Applejack finally stood and trotted to the front.
"I misunderstood you, RC, I really did. You explained your reasoning behind the things you did and it all makes sense now. I didn't find it funny at the time, I always thought you were just an annoying troublemaker. I disregarded you as a nuisance, like a pest. That was wrong of me. Those few days you spent with us before you passed away were some of the most fun I've had in a long time. I truly wish you the best. I wish you were still with us, RC. Apples to the core, sugarcube, we love you."
She started getting misty eyed and went to sit back down before she started crying. Big Mac and Granny Smith were there to console her. Apple Bloom hugged her and Babs Seed stayed close by as well.
Nopony else had anything to say. Braeburn called the pallbearers to help him lower the casket into the grave. Victory Lap, True Grit, Quick Draw, Big Mac, Echo Chamber, and Full Steam rose and went to assist Braeburn in moving it. It wasn't heavy, but it was quicker and easier to move the casket with all of them carrying it. They held the casket over the hole in the ground. This was the Princess's cue. Twilight's horn glowed and the casket was held in a pink haze. She gently lowered the casket into the plot. Once it was set, Lyra assisted her in covering the hole back up. Quick Draw also used his magic to cover the hole.
With Rotten Core in his final resting place, there was only one thing left to do. Applejack reached into her saddlebag and retrieved an apple seed. The others followed her to the opposite side of the hill. She dug a hole and planted the seed before covering it back up.
"This represents the new life Rotten Core didn't get to live after his shot at redemption. He did the best he could to rectify his mistakes. As this tree grows, we will look up at the top of this hill and we will always be reminded of him."
