Time Traveling Kids of the Mane Six Ch. 51 Prelude

Chapter 51 Prelude: (spoilers for first-time readers)


Everything happened so fast.


There wasn’t anything that could have been done.


Life itself seemed to come to a screeching halt for Andromeda, held up in perpetual slow-motion while her friends and mother carried the weakened bodies of Orion, Peach, and Bucky.


Quiet.


Such dizzying quiet!


Andromeda couldn’t tell if she was breathing or not. It didn’t matter.

All she knew was that everything in her ached.


“Get the doctor! Now!” she heard her mother scream to Rainbow Dash, who had only just arrived.
“But what if he finds out-“
“I said NOW!!!” Twilight’s reddened face shouted again.


As Twilight’s eyes followed her friend’s exit, her ears picked up Bucky’s gurgling coughs. A red foam leaked out the sides of his mouth, leaving Applejack in a distressed state.


“It’s okay, baby! It’s okay!” the country mare consoled while her tears betrayed their purpose. “It’s okay, it’s okay! Everythin’s goin’ to be okay. Alright? The doctors will be here soon! Ah promise!”


Bucky looked up at her and tried to speak, but couldn’t breathe. Applejack could see it in his darkening eyes; fear. She could feel the terror in them, the way their blackening voids stared back at her, begging for her help. But she was powerless to save her baby boy and grimaced as she was forced to watch him suffer.


“M-m-m-mom…” he gasped for air, choking again. “Mom!”


“Shhhh, shhhhhh, shhhhh! Don’t speak, sweetie. Don’t speak. Everythin’s gonna be okay, don’t you worry! Ya hear? Don’t worry  ‘bout a thing!”
His eyebrows arched inward, fresh tears pushing their way out.
“Mom,” he wept.


Beside him, Fluttershy was inconsolable and had her head buried beside her daughter. Peach Cobbler said nothing, too busy with her own crying. Her body grew colder by the second, her complexion becoming more and more pale. Whatever had a hold of her had weakened her to the point of paralysis. Only her head moved even slightly. She could feel herself grow increasingly tired and was now stricken with fear. She had been so brave for so long, but now…


“Am I… am I dying?” she sobbed. “Am I...”
“No you are not! Don’t you even think that!” Flora cried. “You’re going to be fine! You got better before and you’ll get better now!”
The small pink filly shivered. She could no longer feel her legs and the loss of touch seemed to be spreading through her body.


Beside her, Orion looked up at Twilight and Andromeda, sobbing and coughing.

“It’s all… it’s all.. my…” he said, coughing loudly, “my fault. My-“
“No, it’s not!” Andromeda sobbed. “It’s not your fault!”
Tears flowed again from Orion’s eyes as they tried to focus on his big sister.
“I’m sorry… Andi… I’m sorry.”
“No, I’M sorry!” Andromeda exclaimed, sinking her head into the bed. “This way MY fault, not yours! It was my stupid pride that got us into this mess! MY time travel spell! I...”


Twilight’s hooves trembled as she held Orion’s hoof until, little by little, his grip began to loosen. His eyelids began to shut slowly as it did.

“Orion?” she squeaked, her body shocked stiff. “Orion! Orion wake up!”

Bucky’s coughing slowly began to grow weaker as well while Peach Cobbler’s own eyes began to shut.


“No…”Flora cried. “No… No! NO! Peach! PEACH, PLEASE DON’T!!! PLEASE DON’T!!!”

Peach Cobbler did not answer. Flora could not see her sister breathing.

“PEACH!!! PLEASE CELESTIA, NO!!!” she screamed. “NO, PLEASE, NO!!!!”


Applejack’s body shook from silent sobs as she held her still boy.

“Please!” she whispered she clutched him tightly. “Please, no! Please!”


They had died in so much pain, scared and helpless. Echoes of Applejack’s lost parents rang through her heart as she mourned the loss of her baby boy. Berry and Cherry entered the room. Cherry dug her head into Berry’s chest and sobbed. Berry stood there, trying to keep his own composure while he held his sister. Tempest remained frozen, speechless. A tear rolled down his blue cheek.


Bismarck, unable to see another minute of it, stumbled out of the room, his shoulders slamming against the hallway walls, knocking picture frames off of the walls. A crying Radiance took off after him, following him outside until the country stallion fell to his knees and threw up.  Radiance rushed to the side of her husband and wrapped herself around him. She didn’t know what to say or do. All she could think was to hold on to him tightly. At first Bismarck did nothing and stared at the ground, processing, but the longer she held him, the more she could feel his body shake. Soon, it began to convulse, softly at first before weeping violently.


Bucky, Orion, and Peach Cobbler were all gone.


Ten children were thrown into the past. Now only seven remained.