//------------------------------//
// Chapter 27 
// Story: A Dragon's Selection 
// by CartoonNerd12 
//------------------------------//

The storm brewed outside as dragon and pony kept in each other's arms, feeling safe. Applejack sighed as Spike ran his claws in her hair then moved down to her back where he rubbed tenderly. It felt amazing to the cowgirl that it made her melt in his chest.

Spike commented, "Wow, you got a lot of tension back there."

She replied, "Well when you've been working on a farm all your life there's bound to be a strain in the muscles. And being in the Selection hasn't helped either. Speaking of… When you do officially dismiss me, will you choose Rarity right away?"

He sighed, "Yes…" he explained, "I was hoping you would stay that's why I kept the Selection going as I did. Rarity was still there in case you didn't. She's wonderful, but there's something missing. With you I feel I have everything I could ever want…"

She felt tears of bitter sweetness threatening to escape her. "I was going to tell you… last night… I was going to tell you I was stayin'… That's why I saw you kissing Sunset…"

Spike let out a small gasp before using his claw to rub his temple, "Oh, Applejack… no wonder you were so angry with me… sweetheart, I'm so, so sorry…"

"It's no worse than what I've done… pushing you away… Not listening to what you were tellin' me… Running away… Nearly gettin' you killed…"

He shook his head and kissed her head, "Half of those things were caused by me being a coward. I didn't try hard enough to reach out to you… Me kissing Sunset was a terrible mistake and that you running away was the consequence of my actions. I was the reason you were in the forest in the first place and about to be attacked by those Timberwolves…" his voice broke, "I think… if I hadn't come when I did…" he started weeping in her mane.

She held him closer and stroked his spines, "But it didn't… And it was my fault, not yours… Had I just stayed put, you wouldn't be like this…"

"So…? We're both to blame?"

She slightly chuckled, "Pretty much…"

He held her closer, "Sweet Celestia, I have missed this…"

"So have I…"

They stayed like that for the rest of the night until sleep overwhelmed them.




By the next morning, they woke up to the smell of food cooking. Zecora came up to them with a smile.

"Well, I see that your bonding moments in dreadful weather have made you feel so much better."

Applejack blushed as she slowly got up, "Uh, sorry, Zecora, if we did anything inappropriate while in your home."

Zecora shook her head, "Your hearts needed to be mended. It was best that I left when I did." A bark suddenly sounded off and grin formed the zebra's face. "And even in dreary weather, I came by an old friend you'll likely remember." she opened her door and a small brown and white dog ran in.

Applejack gasped happily, "Winona!" she held arms out for the pup as Winona began to lick Applejack's face.

Spike watched on with mirth as the mare played with her pet. Zecora approached him and checked his healing injuries. "Ah, your wounds are curing rather nicely, young dragon so princely."

"Yeah, they don't feel as bad as they were last night." he replied.

"Come, have some tea and biscuits, my own special recipe. It should give you enough energy to trot all the way back to Canterlot."

Applejack said to them, "And I'll be there every step of the way."

Spike and her shared a smile even though they knew it would not last forever.




The walk back to Canterlot didn't take too long especially when Winona was leading the way. Applejack told Zecora to tell her family what happen and that she and Winona would be home soon. The zebra of course would keep her promise. The dragon and pony didn't say anything during the walk as they wanted to savor this moment of them being together before it was over.

When they got to the castle gates, the guards let them in as one of them escorted them to where everybody would be. When entering the castle, Spike and Applejack could sense something was wrong and their feelings were correct when they were taken into the throne room, where the Pinkie was bawling her eyes out and Rarity and Fluttershy were trying to comfort her as Sunset kept her distance from them. While the royal sisters, Discord, Ember, and Garble were looking at a griffon and a pony in chains that Applejack recognized all too well since the griffon's last attack.

Spike was the one to speak, "What's going on here?"

Everyone turned to their direction. Ember flew to her brother, "Spike! Thank Thorn!" then she saw his bandages and her eyes burn in fury, "What happen to you?!"

Applejack spoke up, "He saved my life from some Timberwolves that were about to eat me!"

Spike said, "And in turn, Applejack saved my life by getting me to a healer in the forest."

Everyone had gawked at such events happening to the duo. Then Spike asked again, "Now what is going on here?"

Discord answered for them, "Last night, after you went off to get Miss Applejack back, the castle was under attack by the griffons again! Luckily, yours truly was here to capture the masterminds behind it!" he pointed to the pony and griffon.

The pony exclaimed, "You did not capture us! It was a freak accident that caused me to lose control of my flying and I got tangled in the curtains, and the same thing happen to Gilda!"

The spirit wagged his finger, "Ah, but it was I who made that freak accident happen, Miss Rainbow Dash."

The pony gawked, "How did you know my name?!"

Discord replied with a smug look, "I know everypony."

Celestia stated, "The point is, we now have two of the beings responsible for the attacks happening and for taking Miss Maud Pie from her home."

Pinkie then yelled with angry tears running down her face, "Yeah! My sister was taken by a bunch of mean-meanie griffons and I want her back!"

Gilda retorted, "We haven't taken any loser ponies! Why would we? All we care about is getting the Idol of Boreas back, which they have stolen from us!" glaring at the dragons in the room.

Ember glowered back at the griffon, "And we don't have your stupid idol, bird. I've searched every part of my homeland and it's not there."

Applejack spoke up, "Excuse me, but I feel like I'm missing something here." she turned to Pinkie, "Why do you think the griffons took your sister?"

Luna answered for the pink mare, "We received a report that Maudelina Daisy Pie was taken and that there was griffon feathers from where she was last seen."

Applejack said, "If you ask me that doesn't make a lick of sense, just because there were griffon feathers doesn't mean Maud was taken by them."

Rainbow gestured, "Exactly! Thank you!"

The royal sisters exchanged looks, before Celestia stated, "That remains to be seen. For now, Miss Gilda and Miss Rainbow Dash must be taken in for attacking the castle."

Luna nodded to some guards standing by, and they had to take the chained griffon and pony out of the room as Gilda and Rainbow kept their heads held high. Applejack could clearly see that they were fighters and that they won't let chains and imprisonment break their will.

Once they were out of the room, Garble pointed to Applejack and Spike, "Now what punishment should we inflict on the pony for running away?"

Applejack scowled and was about to speak when Spike spoke for her, "She may have left the Selection without my permission but at least she was willing to come back and she saved my life, Garble, and as such I am indebted to her."

Garble scoffed, "Well we'll have to see what Uncle Torch has to say about that…" he went out the room with Ember quickly following after him.

Spike addressed the rest of the Elite, "I'll be by to visit all of you soon. So please return to your rooms."

They did as he said with Pinkie still being comforted by Fluttershy and Rarity.

Then Spike turned to Applejack whispering, "Head to your room for now, and I'll be there soon to tell you what'll happen."

She nodded and was tempted to kiss his cheek but decided against it, she figured she lost that privilege to be intimate with him at this point. She went out of the throne room and found Winona waiting for her. It brought her some relief that whatever was going to happen to her she would at least have her pet with her to get through it.

When she got back to her room, she was greeted by three sobbing maids that were overjoyed to see her and she told them she was sorry for running away and making them worried. They forgave her thankfully and when they left the room she had a visitor.

Silver Shill asked, "Why didn't you tell me you were going to run away like that?"

She replied, "I didn't want you or anyone else to get trouble for the decision I made."

"What will happen to you?"

Applejack shrugged, "I don't know. But one thing's for sure, I've lost the only dragon I have ever cared about…" she deeply sighed.

He sighed as well, "I never stood a chance, did I? Ever since you met him, you've been head over hooves… And even now you're still mooning over him…"

AJ touched his shoulder in comfort, "I'm sorry, Shill. But it goes to show that I'm not the right one for ya. Maybe, it's time for you to look elsewhere, find someone whose going to love only ya, ya deserve that."

He slightly smiled, "Yeah… And… I'm really sorry about you and the prince…"

"Don't worry about that. I lost him on my own accord so I will just simply have to live up to what I did."

He shook his head, "You make it sound so easy…"

Applejack admitted sorrowfully, "Yeah, I do, don't I?'




There was foreboding silence in the room as Torch glowered right at Spike. Garble and Ember watched on the side, with the red dragon looking smug while Ember gave no emotion on her face.

Torch slowly spoke with a hint of anger, "Do you realize what would have happen had you died right then and there?"

Spike started, "But I didn't-"

"SILENCE!"

The young drake went quiet.

Torch slowly spoke again, "The Selection would have gone undone and our treaty with the ponies would have been broken! And all because you just had to go after a worthless mare that defied your authority! I want her punished!"

Spike retorted, "She saved my life! I am honored bound to repay her back!"

Ember stepped in, "Dad, he makes a good point, for you know we are bound to serve those that save us. It's rare given we dragons don't give anyone reason to save us but in Spike's case, that's how it is."

Torch snorted irritably, "He always was the weak link in our mighty chain…"

Spike's eyes widen in shock as did Ember's while Garble was smiling more.

Torch continued speaking, "You were always weaker than the rest of your dragon brethren. You were always small and feeble that you couldn't do anything right. Even now, you are still puny compared to the other dragons of our land. And with the Selection, you nearly chose a wife that would dare disobey our way of life! You may be honored bound to her but I will not have you pick her as a mate!"

Spike was speechless to speak and looked downcast until Ember said to her father, "What if she was taught to be more self-restraint and obedient?"

Garble scoffed in amusement, "Yeah, right! That pony is an earth pony, what's to stop her from using her strength and challenge the rest of us?!"

Fury burned in Ember's eyes never had she wanted to destroy her cousin more than ever.

Torch stated, "All the more reason she cannot be chosen. With an earth pony's strength it gives them a chance to confront us. I will not have you and this pony ruin all that we are! This Selection has always been a way to show the ponies that we are a dominating force and that we're the ones in control!"

Spike couldn't believe what he was hearing, all this time he thought that the Selection was suppose to bring peace between two lands, but no, it was nothing but a game for the dragons. All they had to do was pick a pony that was the most submissive or greedy of the bunch that way it pleased both parties while the dragons still kept control over the Selection and that the pony taken wouldn't fight them.

For the first time in his life, Spike wanted to fight. He didn't like fighting the other dragons growing up but now… this was something that had to be done… They couldn't keep control over this, it wasn't right. Forcing mares to enter the Selection was terrible, though he can admit that without that show of force he never would have met the mares of his Selection and they were all wonderful. But they at least deserved to make that choice of coming here or not.

Then I never would have met Applejack and I wouldn't have to feel this pain of letting her go…

Ember must have read his mind for she said, "Dad… While Spike isn't the strongest of dragons he does have a strong heart and he actually cares for these ponies… At least see if the mare can be tamed into behaving properly. Think about it, if Spike can make sure an earth pony learns her place then it would show that the strongest of ponies would be completely at the dragons' mercy, making us the greater species." she bluffed, hoping her father would buy that excuse.

Fortunately for her, Torch actually seemed to consider it, which made Garble frown. Both Ember and Spike held their breaths as they waited for their father's final verdict. Finally the large dragon said.

"If the mare can be controlled by him then he may chose her. But if she isn't, I want her gone, is that understood?"

Spike and Ember exchanged glances before facing Torch again and nodded.