SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't seen the leaked episode "The Perfect Pear" yet, there are slight references to it in this chapter.
"Well," Spike said after searching through his knapsack, "doesn't look like anything was badly damaged." He looked up at Applejack. "Unless you like soggy bread."
She chuckled. "Better than nothin'. Maybe I should carry that bag from now on."
"No, no," he said, lifting the bag onto his shoulder with his quiver and bow. "I've got it."
She sighed. "Spike, ya almost drowned thanks to all that extra weight. If you're gonna be takin' me home, at least let me carry part of the burden."
"No, no! No need to be doing any favors for me! You saved my life after all!"
He tried to walk away, but she swiped the knapsack off his shoulder before he could get far.
"No arguments," she said, swinging the bag onto her own shoulder. "I'm carryin' this."
Spike groaned. "Fine."
Using his arms, he spread the tall grass aside so he and Applejack could go through. They came onto a dirt road lined with tall trees.
"Yuck," Applejack said, attempting to shake the mud off her hooves. "Not that I mind gettin' a lil' dirty, but we're bound to catch pneumonia if we keep our clothes wet like this."
"We could stop awhile for dinner," Spike said, pointing to a tree, "and we can hang our clothes on those branches to dry while we eat."
Applejack stiffened. "Ya mean…take our clothes off?"
"They'll dry quicker that way."
A lump formed in her throat. It wasn't mere modesty that had her worried, but if she took her clothes off, there were a few things Spike was bound to notice.
"Uh," Applejack said, throwing her hooves around herself. "I'd rather not."
Spike raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're shy! We're both males here!"
"Far from it," she murmured. "I mean…isn't there another way?"
He stared at her a moment before looking at their surroundings. "I suppose we could build a fire to warm ourselves." He glanced up at the pink sky. "It'll be dark soon. We'll have to make camp anyway."
"Camp? But…shouldn't we keep movin'? I mean not only might your uncle find us, but now there's that hooded lunatic out there! Wouldn't buildin' a fire and makin' camp put us out in the open?"
"It's better than traveling at night," he said, turning to her. "Besides, we've still got a long way to go and we'll need our rest."
Applejack sighed. "Okay. So…where we campin'?"
"Uh," Spike said, putting his finger to his chin as he looked up and down the path. "Give me a sec while I try and figure out where we are."
Her eyes widened. "You don't know where we are?!"
"Hey! Like it's my fault the boat capsized and we ended up further downstream than we were supposed to be!"
"Uh…yeah, it kinda is your fault! Madame Hoodie there was about to let us go when ya went and pointed your arrow at her!"
Spinning around, Spike shouted, "What else was I supposed to do?! Let my father's murderer get away again?!"
Applejack blinked. "Your father's murderer?"
"Yes! That mare wielded a lavender arrow, the same arrow that killed my father ten years ago, and Sir Wind Rider this morning! You think I was gonna just sit there and let crimes like that go unavenged?"
"Shush."
"What kind of dragon would I be if I didn't avenge…?"
"Shush!" Applejack whispered harshly, covering his mouth. "Listen."
Spike went still as he listened. There was a murmuring in the distance. Both of them searched anxiously for a place to hide. Spike grabbed Applejack's hoof and hastened her across the road to a large tree. At the base of the tree was a gaping hole big enough for them both. He pulled her down into it and they sat quietly as they listened.
Spike was thinking about the outlaws. Applejack was thinking about Lord Tirek.
As the muffled voice grew louder, she gripped Spike's claw for courage. He glanced down at it curiously, but he said nothing. Both for the reason of the oncoming stranger and for the reason that her hoof holding his claw made him feel less nervous.
The stranger came closer, and the thought of returning to Lord Tirek made Applejack so overwhelmed that she threw her hooves around Spike. He couldn't help but cling to her too.
Finally, the voice was close enough that they could make out words. "Yoo hoo! Twilight Sparkle? You hiding out here? Olly olly oxen free!"
Spike sighed in relief. He knew the voice well.
"We don't have to worry," he whispered to his companion. "It's just Discord."
Scowling, she gave him a hard shake. "You forget that he helped kidnap me! Did I mention he's the one who chained me up and kept tuggin' on the chain so I'd trip?!"
"Oh," Spike said. "You know, if I talked to him, I'm sure I can…"
"No! He won't listen to reason! None of 'em will!"
"But I just can't believe that…"
"Then don't!" She grabbed his shoulders so that he could face her. "Remember when you said you'd do anythin' for me?"
He nodded.
"Then please, don't let him know I'm here!"
"Hello?" Discord's voice called. "Is someone there?"
Applejack sent Spike a pleading look. He had not forgotten the promise he had made. Sighing, he moved to stand.
"What are ya doin'?" she hissed, pulling him back down.
"He's after you, not me," Spike whispered. "You stay here. I'll lead him away."
He winked at her. Applejack stared at him a moment before slowly releasing him. He sent her a thumbs-up as he crawled out of the hole and rounded the tree. Discord was hovering up the path, his head inside a knothole.
"Hey, Discord!"
Discord cried out as he hit his head inside the hole. Pushing against the tree trunk, he pulled his head out. He held it steady as he got over the dizziness. Then he caught sight of the dragon and gasped.
"Spikey, old chum!" Discord said, flapping over to him. "Didn't expect to see you all the way out here!" He frowned suddenly. "Come to think of it…" He tapped his chin suspiciously. "What are you doing all the way out here? Didn't Lord Tirek send you back to Midnight Castle?"
Spike bit his lip as he tried to come up with an explanation. Then he forced a smile.
"You mean this isn't the path to Midnight Castle?" He slapped himself in the forehead. "Oh, no! You mean to tell me I've been going the wrong way this whole time? Bummer!"
Discord rolled his eyes. "Figures. Can't even shoot an arrow straight, why should you be able to tell where you're going?" He looked the dragon over. "Did you go swimming or something?"
Spike looked down at his dripping clothes. "Not intentionally."
"Alright, hang on a mo."
With a snap of his fingers, a gust of warm air blew through Spike. He held up his hands as he struggled to keep upright. When the wind diminished, Spike's clothes were completely dry.
"Well, thanks for the blow-dry!" Spike said, saluting. "I'll just be on my way now!"
He was about to turn around when Discord said, "Hang on."
Spike winced, worried that his cover had been blown.
"Before you go," Discord said, glancing around, "you wouldn't by any chance have seen a young ma—I mean colt running around, would you?"
The dragon glanced back at the tree where Applejack was concealed. "N-No. Can't say that I have." He folded his claws behind his back. "W-What does this colt look like?"
"Oh, about yay high, orange fur, blond mane, green eyes, freckles, looks kinda marish?"
Spike snorted. "Sounds goofy."
Meanwhile, Applejack was clenching her jaw in annoyance.
"Well, if you see him," Discord said, "give a holler. Lord Tirek wants him taken back to the castle."
"Why?" Spike asked, truly curious. "What's he done?"
"Done? Well, he hasn't…" He quickly stopped himself. "He's a, uh…thief! Yeah, a thief! He stole a lot of money from Lord Tirek and obviously, he wants it back. Oh, wait." He face palmed himself. "I should probably be escorting you back to Midnight Castle now, shouldn't I?"
"No!" Spike said, a little too loudly. "I mean…I can find my way back by myself."
He half expected Discord to protest, to remind him of the outlaws running amuck. But the draconequus simply shrugged.
"Okay, have fun!"
He strolled nonchalantly past the dragon. Then an idea occurred to Spike.
"Discord, wait!"
The draconequus' head turned all the way round, making Spike shiver. "Yeeeeeeeeesssss?"
Shaking off the chills, Spike asked, "Ya think ya could at least give me a map of the forest so I can find my way back?"
Groaning, Discord snapped his fingers and a map appeared in Spike's claws.
"Oh, and one more thing," Discord said, snapping his fingers again. "When you get to the castle, could you give this to my dear sweet Fluttershy?"
An envelope materialized in the dragon's claw. Written in fancy pink cursive was the name "Fluttershy."
"Uh, sure," Spike said, tucking the letter into his pocket. "No problem, Discord."
Discord twisted his head back into place. "I'd deliver it by airmail, but Tirek says the message might get intercepted that way. After all, if I have letters flying around everywhere, someone is bound to catch one, and I'd rather not have anyone reading my love poems. I just hope my little love muffin doesn't miss me too much."
Sighing, he picked up the heart-shaped locket around his neck and opened it. Inside was a portrait of a mare next to a lock of pink hair.
"Fear not, my sweet," he said, gently stroking the pink lock. "I'll be in your delicate little hooves once again."
Spike cringed as Discord kissed the small picture. "Blech! Do ya have to do that in public?"
Rolling his eyes, Discord shut the locket. "When you're married to the love of your life, you'll understand."
"Yeah, right," Spike scoffed. "That ain't happening anytime soon!"
"Sooner than you think," Discord murmured, flapping his wings as he took off.
Spike waited until the draconequus had disappeared into the trees. "It's safe."
Applejack crawled out from behind the tree. "Spike, what he said about me…"
"It's okay," he said.
"No, no. I swear I've never stolen anything in my life! Well, except an apple, some bread and a knife from those Diamond Dogs, but I was desperate! I didn't steal any money!"
"Applejack," Spike said, holding up a claw, "I believe you."
She blinked. "Ya do?"
"Of course. Besides, if you really stole a whole lot of money from Uncle Tirek, you'd be carrying it with you." Spike rubbed his chin. "I just wonder why Discord would lie. Then again, I never really liked that guy."
"So what does the map say? Are we on the right path?"
Spike looked at the map. "According to this, there should be a clearing a little ways up this road. We could make camp there."
They proceeded to walk the trail.
"Did I hear all that right?" Applejack asked. "That there demon has a wife?!"
"Uh-huh," Spike said, not taking his eyes off the map.
She huffed. "She must be either blind or just as ugly as he is."
"Actually, by pony standards, Fluttershy's pretty…pretty, to say the least."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Was it an arranged marriage?"
"Believe it or not," Spike said, lowering the map, "those two married for love."
She stopped in her tracks. "You're kiddin'."
"Nope."
"Ya mean some pony married that," she said, pointing in the direction Discord had gone, "out of her own free will?!"
"I know. It's hard for me to believe too." He turned off the path. "The clearing should be this way."
Applejack followed him. "How did that even happen? I mean looks aside, he's not exactly…charmin'."
"All I know," Spike said, looking at her over his shoulder, "is that they're crazy about each other. Seriously, they can't go within five feet of each other without making goo-goo eyes and kissy faces." He gagged. "What did I tell ya? Mares can turn the mightiest warrior into a pile of mush!"
"Even so, ya sure he didn't cast some love spell on her or somethin'?"
"Discord's capable of many things, but I don't think a love spell is one of 'em." He smirked. "If he could do something like that, he would've cast it to prank everyone in the castle years ago. Who knows? Maybe he would've convinced Uncle Tirek to marry."
Applejack scoffed. "Now that's even less imaginable. Who would he even fall in love with?"
"With Discord calling the shots, anything." He pointed to a snail on a tree trunk. "He could even fall in love with that snail!"
Snickering, Applejack pointed to a squirrel in a knothole. "Or that squirrel!"
"Heck, who said it even had to be a female? He could fall in love with me!"
They both burst out laughing.
"Now that's just plain nasty!" Applejack exclaimed.
"I know, it'd be like marrying my own father!"
She patted him on the head. "Not to mention you're way too young and cute for him."
Spike blinked. "Did you just call me cute?"
Red flushed to her cheeks. "Uh…uh…" She pointed ahead. "Hey, look! I think I've found the clearin'!"
Luckily for her, the clearing was right up ahead. It was a small patch of grass canopied by trees. Two logs sat in the center, spread in an obtuse angle around a circle of dirt.
"Great," Spike said, tucking the map into the bag Applejack carried. "You sit down and rest while I get some firewood."
"I can help with the firewood," Applejack said.
"No, no," he said, taking his bag from her, "I can handle it."
After setting his bag, bow and quiver down against one of the logs, he started picking up twigs.
"Shouldn't ya find somethin' a bit…bigger?" Applejack asked.
"You're probably right." He looked around. "There's a big stick over there!"
She shook her head. "Sugar, that one's at least twice your size!" She started walking over. "I can get that one."
"No, no!" Spike said, running in front of her. "I can handle it!"
Sighing, Applejack grabbed him by the head, picked him up and turned him to face her.
"Okay," she said, "an hour ago, you barely put up with me. Now you're doin' everything for me?" She crossed her forelegs. "Is this because I saved your life?"
"Of course it is!" Spike exclaimed. "According to the Dragon Code, I owe you a life debt and must serve you until either I save your life, or I die. Whichever comes first."
Applejack's face paled at the thought of him dying. "That doesn't mean ya have to do all the work." She swiped the twigs out of his claws. "I'll get the wood. You see if ya can whip up a meal from that soggy bread."
Spike watched in astonishment as Applejack picked up the larger sticks lying around. He couldn't help but smile at her taking initiative. Meanwhile, Applejack was stealing glances at him out of the corner of her eye. It was honestly sweet of him to offer to build the fire, but she couldn't let him hurt himself in the process.
They were both thinking of the laughter they'd shared a few minutes earlier, and how neither of them could remember a time they had laughed so hard.
Soon Applejack had gathered enough wood for the fire. Just in time too, for it was getting dark. Before she could light the fire with sticks, Spike blew onto the wood with his fire breath.
"You have to admit," he said with a wink, "this is quicker."
The fire was warm and already Applejack could feel her clothes drying. While the bread Spike had brought was still soggy, he put pieces on the ends of two sticks for them to hold over the fire. They waited for the bread to toast, turning their sticks every few seconds. Spike sat against one log while Applejack lay against the other.
Spike then noticed Applejack had one hoof free. It was fiddling with something around her neck. Squinting, he realized it was a golden locket in the shape of an apple.
"From your sweetheart?" he asked.
Applejack's stick slipped from her hoof. Catching it, she looked at Spike in shock.
"What?"
He glanced downwards. "Your locket."
"Oh," she said, touching the golden apple. "No. This belonged to my parents."
Leaning his stick against his log, he asked, "May I see?"
Reluctantly, she set her stick down and lifted the golden chain above her head. She handed the locket to Spike. Opening it, he saw the painted faces of a stallion and a mare. The stallion on the left had a yellow coat, green eyes and a red mane. The mare on the right was peach-colored with blue eyes and a single yellow buttercup in her curly orange mane.
"You look just like your mother," he observed.
Applejack blushed. "That's what Dad used to say."
He saw her smile, but could sense there was a bit of sadness in that smile.
"Cheer up," he said, handing the locket back to her. "You'll see them again soon."
"No, I won't," she murmured.
"Sure, you will. We're making great time and should be in Applewood before sunset tomorrow."
She hung her head. "They died when I was just a fill—foal."
Spike's face fell. "I…I'm sorry, I didn't…"
"It's okay," she said, placing the locket around her neck again.
He was reminded of when he had told her about his mother. "I lost my father when I was very young too."
She nodded. "I know."
After a thought, he took his piece of bread off his stick and scooted over to her log. "What were their names?"
Clutching the locket, Applejack replied, "Bright Macintosh and Pear Butter." She smirked. "But Daddy always called her Buttercup, cuz puttin' a buttercup under her chin would make it glow."
"Pear Butter, huh?" Spike said, taking a bite out of his toasted bread. "Sounds like an outta place name for your family. I mean Bright Macintosh and Applejack?"
"You guessed right." She took her own bread off her stick. "Ma was born into the Pear family. They owned a pear farm next to our apple farm. Our families got along fine until…" She gazed up at the moon. "The war started."
"Let me guess," Spike said, swallowing. "The families took different sides?"
Applejack nodded. "The Apples were for Celestia, the Pears were for Luna. You wouldn't believe how many battles have broken out tween those two families alone!" She smiled softly as she opened her locket. "Yet somehow, in the midst of all the bloodshed, Ma and Pa managed to find each other.
"My grandfather, Sir Grand Pear, was gonna go to the front of the Lunarian army, and he wanted to get Ma somewhere safe, far away from Pa. But she didn't wanna leave Pa, so Pa surprised her with a proposal and they got married in secret."
"That must've ticked your grandfather off," Spike said as he ate the last of his bread.
She laughed. "Both he and my Granny Smith stumbled upon the weddin', but it was too late to stop it. Ma told Grand Pear that she was part of the Apple family now. She said not even the war could keep her away from the one she loved. Luckily, Granny Smith was able to put her own stubborn pride aside and allow Ma into the family. Grand Pear left for battle and Ma and Pa lived happily as they had me, my brother and sister."
Her smile vanished. "But…that happiness didn't last forever."
Spike frowned. "What happened?"
Pulling her knees to her chest, Applejack wrapped her hooves around her legs. "The Lunarians attacked our home. Dad grabbed his sword and went to defend it." She closed her eyes. "Last time I saw Ma was when she burst into my room and handed me my baby sister. She opened up a secret panel in the wall and told me to get lil' Apple Bloom outta there. She was gonna find my brother and granny and then help Dad."
She closed her eyes. "I made it out okay with my sister. Soon we were joined by my brother and granny. But then the house caught fire and…"
She buried her face in her knees as she tried to hide her tears. Reluctantly, Spike placed his claw on her back.
"My father was murdered too," he said softly.
Applejack lifted her head slightly so that she could look at him.
"Her name was Lady Twilight Sparkle," Spike said. "She was a powerful unicorn, and one of the few female soldiers in Princess Celestia's army." He sighed. "She was also my father's friend. I was very little, but I remember she used to come over and play with me and read me stories." He smiled slightly. "She really loved books."
"She was that strong mare you were talkin' about, wasn't she?" Applejack asked.
He nodded. "Then one day, she struck my father with a lavender arrow. It's a special kind of arrow that turns its victim to stone. He wasn't struck in the heart, so the curse could've been reversed, if she also hadn't," he gulped, "c-crushed his statue to bits."
Her eyes widened as his lip quivered. She could tell he was trying so hard not to cry in front of her.
"Her betrayal had angered Princess Celestia so much," Spike said in a choking voice, "she found it hard to trust another female soldier again, even if she was female herself. Princess Luna, meanwhile, had lost a lot of soldiers thanks to Lady Sparkle, and wanted her head just as much as Princess Celestia. She's the reason any mare usurping a male's role is put to death."
Applejack glanced sideways as she remembered something. "That hooded mare at the river. When ya drew your bow at her, you said something about a lavender arrow. Was that…?"
"It was." As he nodded, his eyes narrowed in a furious glare. "It was her. This morning she did the same thing she did to my father to a knight named Sir Wind Rider" He turned to her. "You should've let me kill her!"
"Clearly, she wasn't gonna let ya." She paused. "At least I understand now."
"Understand what?"
She locked eyes with him. "Why you're not particularly fond of mares."
He said nothing in response. All things considered, she couldn't entirely blame him. She herself hated all Lunarians for what they'd done to her parents. Still, it was kind of sad that one traumatic incident had closed this dragon's heart to all opportunities of romantic love.
He would be just as miserable as me if I ever married him.
She shivered, shocked that she was thinking about that again.
"But what I don't understand," she said, "is if this Twilight Sparkle is such a murderer, why didn't she try and…take care of ya when she had the chance?"
"Because she's a coward, that's why," Spike said gruffly.
She shook her head. "She was gonna let us pass unharmed. It doesn't seem like she wants to hurt ya."
"Might have to do with the fact that I'm not on her list."
"List?"
Spike then repeated the rhyme by Joust Amend-All. "So you see she and her band of outlaws are after Discord, Uncle Tirek, and his brother Scorpan."
Can't really blame her for wanting to put arrows in those bastards, Applejack couldn't help but think. But she didn't dare say this aloud, thinking about Spike's father.
"Guess we really need to keep our eyes open," she said, letting out a yawn. "You wanna take the first watch or shall I?"
"I'll take it," Spike said, moving to the other log.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'm…not that sleepy, anyway." He waved his claw. "You get some rest."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "You are gonna wake me in a few hours, right? You're not just gonna stay awake all night because ya feel like ya owe me for savin' your life, are ya?"
Spike bit his lip. "Noooooooo."
She sighed. "Look. I'm flattered that ya wanna be doin' these things for me, but you're already helpin' plenty by leadin' me home. And one thing you should know about me is that we Apples have a hard time acceptin' help as it is, so ya gotta make me feel like I'm pullin' my weight around here. In a few hours, you're gonna wake me and have me take the second watch while you sleep. Got it?"
Her hard tone made him lean back stiffly and nod.
"Good." She turned over. "'Night."
Spike watched as she folded her hooves together and placed them between her head and the log. The light from the orange flames danced across her freckled face. He couldn't help remarking how attractive this pony he took for a colt was.
He knew the locket belonged to the colt's parents, but he wondered if Applejack had a sweetheart waiting for him back in Applewood. If not, he certainly wouldn't have much trouble getting one. Although his face was marish, he had a strong spirit, and he was at least brave enough to rescue someone who was drowning.
But Spike was also wondering about his guardian, and why he would kidnap this colt. Perhaps Applejack was a prisoner of war? After all, the father had been a knight. Yes, that had to be the reason. Tirek was currently on the Lunarian side, Spike believed, and Applejack had admitted her family to being Celestial. Whatever other reason would there be to capture the child of a powerful Celestial family?
At least to that extent, Spike could understand Applejack's hatred for Tirek, and Tirek's want to get her back. Even so, should Spike really be helping his guardian's prisoner escape? If Tirek found out about this, he would be in a heap of trouble. And why was he helping her?
It's for the knighthood, he told himself, but he also saved my life. Uncle Tirek knows how important a Dragon Code is to a dragon, so he'd understand my disobedience, right?
He was also thinking of the story of Applejack's parents, how the war had almost kept them apart, and how it had also led to their demise. Just as the war had made Twilight turn against my father, he thought.
As Spike gazed up at Luna's night sky, he began to wonder if this war was even worth it.