//------------------------------// // Chapter 26 // Story: A Dragon's Selection // by CartoonNerd12 //------------------------------// Spike had scoured all of Canterlot, but Applejack was nowhere to be seen. Eventually he arrived at the outskirts of the capitol and found the Everfree Forest. Figuring she had gone in there to avoid being spotted, he took a deep breath and went in. The Everfree Forest was rumored to be the scariest forest in all of Equestria due to strange happenings that surround the forest. Animals took care of themselves, the plants grow freely, and the weather changed without having a need of the pegasi. Not to mention the many monsters and creatures that lived there. Like Timberwolves, Ursas, and Manticores. He was afraid of running into those things for they were creatures not to be mess with. The hours he spent with Twilight in the library made him all too aware of the dangers of what each creature contained. He prayed he would find Applejack before it was too late. Suddenly he heard a howl and a voice. "Now listen here, you big goons. You don't want to eat me, besides I would be too tough for you to digest." His heart pounded furiously, that was Applejack! He rushed to where he had heard her voice and found her trapped by a huge rock wall surrounded by three Timberwolves growling at her! The one closest to her gave out a howl before he started stalking his prey. Applejack didn't move, as she held her breath, closed her eyes, and waited for the final blow. But it never came, instead there was a giant roar and a familiar large figure pounced at the Timberwolves. He clawed and blew fire at them. That caused the other two to retreat while the third one stayed and fought with the dragon. Applejack was speechless by the whole thing. She saw how the Timberwolf managed to bite and slash at Spike's back making her gasp in fright. But in the end, Spike managed to smash the wolf to pieces. That caused him to pant heavily before collapsing from exhaustion. She ran to him and gently touched him while being in awe to his bravery. She cringed at the injuries on his body especially his back. Then she slowly lifted him up onto her back while putting his arm around her for extra support. She saw gathering storm clouds coming their way and knew she had to find them shelter and fast. Thankfully she knew a certain zebra nearby that could help. Applejack rapidly knocked on the hut door and voice inside replied; "One moment, I ask. I must set down my flask." When a zebra came to open the door, she was surprised to see her guests. "Zecora, we need your help…" Applejack pleaded. The wise zebra moved aside, "Come, come, friend of old. Get out of the cold." Applejack carefully moved Spike into the hut and Zecora gestured toward the bed where she gently laid Spike down on his stomach. The zebra then began to examine him. "Hmm… The marks of a Timberwolf's claw on his back can be detected. I will need to clean his wounds so they will not be infected." "I'll help." AJ volunteered. Zecora handed her a wet towel and Applejack started to clean his blood up. She couldn't help but think, This is all my fault… I did this to him… Zecora inquired, "Just why was Prince Spike attacked by a creature of great dislike? For that matter, Applejack, shed some light on why you two were out in the Everfree Forest at night?" Applejack sighed as she kept cleaning, "It's a long story…" Zecora smiled, "We have much time, so telling your tale won't be a crime…" So Applejack explained everything to the zebra about her relationship to Spike and how hard it has been to get close to him. It pained her to tell the zebra about Sunset's kiss with Spike but Zecora just gave her a sympathetic look and let the mare continue on with her tale. When she finished with Spike saving her life from three vicious Timberwolves she had to run from in the first place before getting cornered. She started crying and ended up holding Spike's head as she uttered. "I'm so sorry… I was so upset at ya… Now I just might have risked you losin' your life… I never wanted to hurt you…" "And I never wanted to hurt you…" he replied in a weak tone. She gasped as she saw his eyes half open staring up at her with a small smile. "Spike! Thank goodness!" she tightly embraced him causing him to yelp. She let go and apologized, "Oh, sorry…" He slightly shook his head, "I'm the one who should apologize…" She shushed him, "Never mind that right now. I ain't brought you this far just to lose you now…" Zecora spoke, "My agreement with her is alike, young Prince Spike. With balm and bandages, your wounds we've managed to deal, but you need absolute rest for you to fully heal." "Where are we anyway?" his voice sounding stronger. The healer replied, "Applejack brought you to my abode after your daring rescue gave you wounds to load. I am a resident of the Everfree Forest, so I require going to Ponyville to keep my healing abilities at a crest. There are certain ingredients to make my remedies and concoctions easier to take. When in an herb I did lack, it was when I first met the sisters Apple Bloom and Applejack. Though the older sister was distrustful while in her youth, brave Apple Bloom found out the truth. Since then, I have been accepted into the town and have friends for my ups and downs." Spike looked at Applejack in confusion. She released a small chuckle. "It takes a while to understand Zecora's lingo, especially when it's all just in rhyme like that. Heck, it's taken me a long time just to get what she's sayin' right now!" "So we're close to Ponyville then?" Applejack nodded, "Right." Zecora could see in their eyes of an intimate exchange about to happen and decided it would be best to leave the young couple alone so they could reconcile. Donning her cloak, she said to herself, "Perhaps it would be all right for me to stay in a Ponyville inn for the rest of the night." She went out the door without the pony and dragon's notice. Spike inquired, "I don't suppose I can convince you to go back to the castle once I'm healed?" She gapped, "You'd still want me even after what I've done?" "I'm afraid it's not matter of wanting you or not. You broke a serious rule in the Selection, Applejack. No mare is allowed to leave without my permission. It's a terrible rule I know, but my father is beyond angry of how you just left without me dismissing you." She lifted her brow, "So I'm to go back there and be punished?" "Not if I bring you back myself and I can say that you had another bout of homesickness and that the only way that you could be brought back was that I calmed you down. I know it's a lie but I cannot face the idea of you getting hurt. Banishment won't appease him this time. Otherwise if it did, I would keep you hidden with Twilight and Flash." A sad smile crept on her face, she didn't like the idea of Spike lying for her. She shook her head, "You should just tell him the truth. I can take whatever punishment they give me." Spike sighed, "So stubborn…" Applejack pointed to his bandaged wounds, "I did that to ya, Spike, it's only fair that I receive something just as bad." "And it would hurt me to see you that way… Not when you meant so much to me…" She heard the past tense in his sentence, "So… I guess this means I'm done then?" He asked in a soft tone, "Isn't that what you wanted?" "I was so upset and mad… to the point where I couldn't think… A part of me still wanted you even after… seeing you kissing with Sunset…" "I still have my explanation for that if you want to hear it…" Applejack shrugged, "What have I got to lose at this point? I'm out of the Selection now so no use fightin' it." Spike gave a tiny grin as he said while slowly moving on his side to face her better. "You weren't too far off about her being a plaything to me. Truth is, I knew she was a manipulative mare even if it didn't show at first but as time went on, I saw what you and the other girls had saw in her. So I figured, if she just wants to use me then what's to stop me from using her? Make her think she has a chance when really, she doesn't… It was in those moments with her I was prone to my greed as a dragon…" "So… if you really don't feel anything to her, why in the world would you even kiss her then?" "To fill the void. Between you and Rarity I much rather kiss you two but since Rarity set boundaries and you feeling unsure about being with me, I had to get my needs somewhere else and since Fluttershy is too timid for that kind of thing and Pinkie can't be taken seriously, the only other option was Sunset and again, I blame the dragon greed." "You keep sayin' that. What's dragon greed?" "You know how regular ponies get greedy every once and awhile?" "Uh-huh." she said, following him. "Well when dragons are greedy, it's much worst. When dragons start collecting stuff for their treasure troves, they tend to age at a fast pace. When they see something they like, they take it. It actually kind of explains the past Selections as a whole. My uncles liked my aunts for particular reasons and that's why they got chosen as they did." "Hence why they're trophy wives…" AJ grumbled. "Just so you know, you never would have been a trophy wife to me…" She smiled, "I know that…" "If anything, you would have been my equal partner and the mother of our children. I would have treasured you as any husband would for his wife… I would have made sure my promise to keep you happy was kept no matter what. As you were my first pick ever since the night of our first kiss." Applejack covered her mouth in astonishment. His words were too wonderful for her to bear. It made her see how foolish she'd been for pushing him away in the first place. Suddenly he asked, "Will you answer me this? Did you ever love me?" She was taken aback by this question but seeing him like this made her tell him the honest truth. "While it hasn't gotten to that point, I do know that you mean a great deal to me… Everything about you makes you the ideal husband for me. Our connections and our interests made us so alike and yet there were times we were the opposite of each other but that just made us stronger… When I saw you dancing with the other girls on Nightmare Night, it made me feel so jealous that I was sure I was goin' burst. I still get that way whenever I think of you and Rarity together or when I play the scene of you and Sunset kissing in my head. Had you proposed that night, I would have said 'yes' in an instant." Spike sighed happily and reached for her hoof, she let him take it, "Thank you… at least for one moment I knew you felt the same thing I did… And the fact you didn't leave after I had beaten up those Timberwolves says a lot too…" Applejack shook her head as she got closer to him, "Spike, I could never do that you or any other pony. As mad as I was at you I saw how brave you were to fight those things off and when you got injured just to save me… I have been such a fool to have not listened to ya sooner…" she felt the tears coming, "Now… I'll never see you again…" "Don't. If that is what will happen, then let's spend every last moment we have without any regrets…" His eyes were soft when he cupped her face and he slowly moved it to his face. They closed their eyes as they leaned in for a kiss. On impact it was the same fire that burned between them if not more so as Applejack crawled next to him on the bed as they kept on kissing with them wrapping their arms around each other.