"You know, Wolfurio," Dharak stated as he brought up the portal to Equestria (specifically the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres), "you could've just used the direct approach and just tell me you want to visit Applejack and the family. I would've said yes without so much as a second thought." Wolfurio turned to him with surprise.
"Then why didn't you do so?" Dharak smirked at him in reply.
"A little bird told me that you planned to bribe me with some of the Apple Family's famous apple fritters." Then he popped an apple fritter into his mouth with a content moan.
"And that 'little bird' wouldn't happen to be Discord, would it?" the Haos Bakugan joked as his friend swallowed the dessert.
"Hey, we all know I've a sweet tooth," he laughed. "I couldn't possibly turn these down." Wolfurio only laughed with him before Dharak continued. "Besides, I think this would be a nice change of pace for you too."
Wolfurio only smiled in reply at what Dharak meant as he looked down at the three faded apples on his hand. After he and the other Guardians returned to Vestroia, he spent the couple of decades afterwards running a thriving arms corporation, albeit one that only sells to ethical and good groups. And boy, has it left him one heck of a head honcho: meeting with other corporate leaders; giving talks at the various academies Drago had opened up throughout Vestroia, going over weapon enhancements with said ruler himself; etc.
But all that was starting to bore him, and he misses his partner Applejack. Her letters to him via Dharak were the best option to keep in touch with her, given their busy lives in their respective worlds. They brought him some comfort whenever he thought of that fateful day, the day he had to tell Applejack of his sad departure all those years ago.
~*Flashback*~*
Wolfurio tried to focus on the task at hand as he helped the Apple Family make the cider for Princess Twilight Sparkle's coronation. But in spite of that, he just couldn't. Drago's words from the Guardians' private meeting were still ringing in his head like a sad song.
"We are going to have to leave Equestria… as long as we continue to stay here, Equestria will never be at peace. Evil such as Naga and Kyurem are only the tip of the iceberg. To keep our home safe, to keep our partners safe, we must depart. This news does not come lightly to any of us but make peace with your partner and loved ones before my or Twilight's coronations. We must leave shortly after."
Wolfurio wished that Drago was joking, but being with Applejack for so long has taught him too well. He saw the truth in his friend's eyes and felt his heart slowly break painfully. He scrunched his eyes shut to fight back his tears in vain.
"Wolfurio?" Apple Bloom asked, looking up at her sister's Guardian with concern. "What's wrong?" Wolfurio didn't acknowledge her but rushed out of the barn with soft sobs, leaving the small filly bewildered.
"Wolfurio, wait!" she called, but he already disappeared around the corner. Now worried, Apple Bloom rushed over to tell her sister who's helping Sugar Belle bring a basket of apples to Big Macintosh. "Applejack, come quick!"
"What's wrong, sugah cube?" her sister asked as she and the others turned to her.
"It's Wolfurio," the little filly answered. "He was tearing up all of a sudden and ran out crying when I asked what was wrong." Applejack blinked with surprise before her face fell with concern.
"Okay, I'll go talk to him," she then said before turning to her brother and sister-in-law. "You two okay by yourselves?"
"E-Yup," Big Mac answered, also concerned for his sister's Guardian. With that, Applejack left the barn to look for Wolfurio.
Once outside, she looked around a bit before spotting Wolfurio sitting on a haybale, sobbing into his hands. Saddened by the scene, she went up to him and sat beside him on another haybale sitting against his.
"Wolfurio?" The Haos Bakugan lifted up his head and turned to see his partner approaching him.
"Applejack," he replied, wiping his tears away as she sat next to him on the haybale. "Wh-What are you doing here?"
"Apple Bloom told me ya ran out here crying'," she answered, "so I came out here to make sure yer okay." She placed her front hoof on his shoulder. "What's wrong, sugarcube?"
Wolfurio wanted to tell her; he always talks to her about his problems. But it's so hard to do this. How will she take it? But if he doesn't before it's time to leave, it will break her heart more.
"Applejack, I…I have some…some bad news," he answered, trying to keep his composure. "Drago, he…we have to…"
"Ya hafta leave Equestria, don' cha?" Applejack replied with a solemn frown. Her Guardian sharply turned to her with shock.
"How…How did you…"
"Well, aftah that final fight and Twilight leavin' aftah her coronation, I had a feelin' it would come to this," she answered with a shrugging sigh. Heartbroken, the Haos Bakugan buried his face into his hands and broke down crying again.
"I'm sorry, Applejack…I wish there was some other way, but…we'll only put you all in more danger if we stay. It's just not fair!" The cowgirl filly rubbed his shoulder in comfort.
"It's ahright, Wolf," she said softly. "I agree it's not fair. But if this is to protect me, I understand. We just need to be strong…for everyone else." Her partner turned to her.
"I want to be strong, but…it's not making it easier for me…to be leaving you…and our family." Applejack just placed a comforting hoof on his three-apple mark symbolizing their bond.
"Just because yer leavin' doesn't mean we'll be that far apart. A part of me will still be with ya, even when we're worlds apart. Just promise me that you'll stay honest with yerself and those around ya so that our bond will stay strong always." Wolfurio nodded in reply.
"I promise." And he pulled her in for a sobbing embrace. Applejack may cry on the inside, but for Wolfurio, she cried with him.
~*End Flashback*~*
After they parted, Wolfurio turned to Dharak and Discord to deliver his letters to Applejack and vise versa. In her letters, he learned about the good happy life she's been living after they've parted ways, despite the sad news of Granny Smith's passing. He learned that Big Mac and Sugar Belle had a son, and Apple Bloom would entertain him with stories about her and her friends' Cutie Mark Crusader adventures.
As for Applejack herself, she had gotten together with Rainbow Dash. The two of them have even adopted a son Specter Apple, a Pegasus colt with the heart of an Earth Pony. He was dropped on Applejack's porch by his biological mother who couldn't care for him. After adopting him, Applejack and Rainbow started teaching him all about the virtues of loyalty and honesty, along with other facets of friendship. They have even sent Wolfurio and Helios a picture of Specter: his coat is a dark blue while his mane is a dusty brown like his eyes.
Wolfurio was heartbroken for Applejack and Specter's loss a few months back when Rainbow sacrificed herself to save Helios's home from a terrorist attack from a Tyranitar corrupted by Lucemon. Helios who was devastated the most even promised them that he'll avenge her for them. And Wolfurio promised to be there for them when he gets the chance. It took a while, but he was able to get a free day to take a little visit to Equestria and meet up with Applejack and Specter again with Dharak's help.
"Okay, I got the portal up for yo—SWEET VESTROIA!" Wolfurio snapped out of his thoughts when Dharak cried out in shock and saw what shocked him. The portal shows Sweet Apple Acres, but it's under attack! The farmhouse's roof is smashed in; the house's on fire; and some apple trees were either uprooted or slashed down. He then saw that the cause of all this was a swarm of Gargonoid, each one appearing to be possessed by Lucemon's corruption like Drago had warned before. Only one thought came to the Haos Bakugan's mind.
"Applejack…Specter…" Quickly, he grabbed a quiver of Exorcise Arrows from the supply he forged for Drago and Taylean before and jumped right into the portal before Dharak could stop him.
"Wolfurio!" But his cry was drowned out by the sound of the farm's chaos. He didn't care; he has to save Applejack and Specter.
As he fought his way though the chaos to find the Apples, Wolfurio brought out his Haos Bow to shoot the Exorcise Arrows at the Gargonoid. With each Arrow that hits one, the Gargonoid glowed with a white light before returning to the state he was prior to his corruption. And he had no recollection of what happened or how he got to Equestria. As he freed the Gargonoid from the corruption, Wolfurio saved the Ponies in the farm: Big Mac; Sugar Belle; their son; Apple Bloom; and their hired farm-hooves. But there's still no sign of Applejack or Specter Apple.
"Have you seen Applejack and Specter Apple?" he asked one of the farm-hooves, a brown Earth Pony.
"Miss Applejack went back into the house to get Specter," he answered breathless. With a grateful nod, Wolfurio rushed towards the house. Upon reaching it, she spotted Applejack rush out with Specter, who's shaken up but unharmed as is her mother. The Guardian sighed with relief as he rushed towards them…but stopped with shock when he saw something land by them with a loud crash.
Wolfurio felt his heart drop when he saw what—or who—it is. It's another Gargonoid, but this one is a black hulking black bulk.
"Silverhorn…" It has been such a long time, but Wolfurio recognizes the psychopathic Bakugan who murdered his parents when they were sending him away to Equestria. What's worse is that he has no signs of Lucemon's corruption on him; he's still the same murderous monster. The Haos Guardian then saw him turn his attention to Applejack and her son.
"Applejack, look out!" The cow-filly turned sharply to see Silverhorn ready to strike, not giving her or her son much time to dodge him. On instinct, she did the best solution she could think of.
"Specter!" she cried, pushing him out of harm's way hard and fast…right before Silverhorn struck!
"NOOOOOOO!" Both Wolfurio and Specter cried out when the Gargonoid struck Applejack, sending her crashing into the wall behind her.
"Mom!" Specter cried out rushing to her side. Silverhorn smiled evilly as he approached the sobbing colt trying to revive her mother.
"Don't worry, little one," he purred, holding up his bloodstained claws again. "You will be joining her…in the name of Lord Lucemon~" And he brought down his claw to strike the child…
"GAAHH!" Silverhorn's eyes went wide when he saw that he instead struck Wolfurio, who flew in fast to take a hit for Specter and ended up with deep scars in his chest. But despite the grimace of pain on his face, his eyes glowed with rage at the psycho Bakugan.
"You…you sick FREAK!!!"
Silverhorn soon found himself flying backwards full force before hitting a large piece of debris, extreme pain shooting throughout his entire torso to make him roar in pain. It was then that he noticed Wolfurio's Lightforce Lance impaled into him and pinning him to said debris. He looked up in fear as the enraged Wolfurio walking up to him until he's close enough to him, his fists glowing with Haos energy.
"You've robbed me of my family before," he growled. "You will not rob me of it again…FOR MY PATENTS AND PARTNER!" And he fired a powerful blast at Silverhorn point-blank, and the Gargonoid roared his final roar as he was vaporized. When the blast faded, all that was left was the lance which Wolfurio retrieved with a heavy sigh.
"Mom!" He immediately snapped out of it when he heard Specter Apple cry out and turned sharply to him and Applejack, who's lying on the ground and not moving.
"Applejack!" He rushed to her side and carefully took her into his arms, filling extreme pain not from his scarred chest but from the gashes on her body. As he was holding her in his arms, Dharak rushed up to them after fending off the remainder of the Gargonoid invasion. He stopped with dismay when he saw the Haos warrior holding his fatally-injured partner in his arms, her son watching tearfully beside him. Applejack then looked up at her Guardian weakly.
"Wol…Wolfurio?" she whimpered before smiling up at him. "Howdy, partner."
"Don't talk, Applejack," he begged her. "Just hang on a little longer. I can use my Haos to heal you and—"
"Don't…waste your energy, sugarcube," she replied, placing a gentle hoof on his hand. "It's…It's too late for me…" He only shook his head as he felt his tears coming in.
"No…" he begged with a whimper. "Don't say that…" But he knew that Applejack's right. Her injuries are far too great to heal and save her. Even Dharak's powers can't save her now.
"Hey…" Applejack said as she weakly wiped away his falling tears. "It'll be okay, Wolfurio…I'll be with Rainbow again…but I'll still be with you and Specter too…as long as…you keep your promise to me."
"Anything." It was all he could whimper.
""Promise me…that no matter what…you stay honest with yourself and those around ya…Always tell the truth…Don't ever lie…"
"I promise…" Applejack then turned to Specter and placed a gentle hoof on his cheek.
"I also ask…as my final wish…that you take care of Specter…give him…the best life you can…You are his…Guardian now…" Wolfurio knows it's not the kind of guardian ship she meant but doesn't care. The colt is still young and still needs someone to care for him.
"I will…" With a smile up at her Guardian, Applejack turned to her son once again.
"Specter, sweetie…" she then said to him. "Promise Mama…that you be good…for your Uncle Wolfurio…Help him…every way ya could…"
"I promise, Mom…" Specter whimpered with tears in his eyes. Applejack the smiled at both him and Wolfurio one last time.
"I'll always…be with you both…And that's…the honest truth…I love you both so much…" With that, she closed her eyes and sighed her last breath. Upon seeing that she's now gone, Wolfurio held her closer in his arms and broke down sobbing loudly, Specter trying to comfort him despite his own sobbing. And Dharak stood sadly at their side, tears streaming down his cheeks as well.
~*Few Days Later*~*
As Drago performed the eulogy for Applejack, Wolfurio and the sad Specter Apple in his arm watch as the Royal Knights lower the coffin (exactly made like Rainbow Dash's coffin but with Applejack's Cutie Mark on the lid) into the hole right beside Rainbow Dash's grave before filling it up again. Beside them stood Helios, also shedding tears for the loss of a friend. Around the graves also stood their fellow Guardians Taylean, Trister, and Boulderon who tried to comfort the moaning Apples: Big Mac; Sugar Belle; their son; and Apple Bloom. Princess Twilight also shed tears alongside Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich for the loss of another friend.
As each of them placed a pair of roses (one for Rainbow, and one for Applejack) on the two graves, Wolfurio gently hugged Specter. He recalled how the embalmers fixed Applejack's wounds and asked if they'd do the same for his scarred chest. He refused of course, stating that the scars will be a sign of his last promise to Applejack to love and care for his nephew/godson.
After the funeral, Wolfurio and Specter stayed behind to be with Specter's mothers a while longer. As they were gazing down at the graves in grief, Drago approached them from behind and stood beside his friend who turned to him with a sad smile.
"Thank you for the beautiful eulogy, Drago. I'm sure Applejack loved it as well."
"My pleasure, Wolfurio…and I apologize for your loss. I wished your last visit didn't have to be so devastating."
"No need. If I had come later, all the Apples would've been…I don't even want to say it." Specter nuzzled into his neck in comfort.
"The Gargonoid invasion and your partner's death has proven my fears," Drago then stated. "Lucemon is threatening Equestria. And if what you've told me about Silverhorn is right, then he must be making alliances with our enemies, possibly making false promises to them." He then turned to Wolfurio. "Which means I will need your help. You and your company make the best weapons I know. If Lucemon and his forces and allies are planning to raise war against us, we'll have to up your production on war to come."
"You have no need to convince me, Drago," Wolfurio replied firmly as he placed his hand on his chest to touch one of his scars under his suit of armor. "I'm in."
"Uncle Wolfurio," Specter then said, making the two Bakugan turn to him. "I know I'm too young to fight in wars like you do, but…I'll do everything I can to help you in any way I can. I know it's what my moms would want me to do, and I don't want anyone to go through the same loss as we have. So…if you'll let me, I want to help." Wolfurio smiled down at his nephew with the strong will in his eyes and gave him a loving hug.
"Thank you, Specter. This will be the honest truth: It will not be an easy path, but as my solemn vow to both you and your mother Applejack, we'll face it together. No matter what."