"Spike? SPIKE!"
Applejack called his name over and over as she watched the water. Almost a minute had gone by and her beloved dragon had not yet resurfaced. She instantly regretted her decision. How could she have pushed him into the moat knowing full well that he couldn't swim?
Her fear increased upon seeing the scaly green back of a crocodile break above the water.
"Spike, watch out!" she shouted.
The crocodile descended close to where Spike had fallen. Her heart became heavy within her chest as tears formed in her eyes.
"What have I done?" she murmured.
A paw grabbed her foreleg and hooked it behind her back, making her cry out in pain.
"You've been a very naughty girl!" Rover whispered in her ear.
Applejack tried to fight, but the Diamond Dog had a strong grip on her. She could hear the footsteps of other guards coming down the hall.
"My lord!" Rover called. "We've got the girl!"
He turned Applejack away from the window, and she found herself face-to-face with Tirek, who was glaring hard at her.
"Where is he?" he asked in a dangerously low voice.
Applejack kept her mouth shut as she scowled defiantly at him.
"WHERE IS SPIKE?!" he bellowed at a volume so loud that he sent her mane flying back.
But she kept her courage and muttered in a broken voice, "Gone."
Tirek stiffened. "What do you mean gone?!"
Applejack's eyes flicked towards the window. Seeing her gaze, Tirek pushed past her and Rover and leaned out the window. There were ripples in the water, and he saw the back of the crocodile swimming away.
"Dear me," Tirek said with a smirk. "What a dreadful tragedy."
"Right," Applejack said with a huff. "You wanted him dead."
Turning to her, he said in an innocent voice, "My dear, whatever do you mean by that?"
She snorted angrily. "I heard ya plottin' with Discord. You meant to murder Spike!"
Tirek stared at her, his face expressionless. Then he grinned as he knelt down to her eyelevel.
"Seems we will have to teach you a lesson not only in obedience," he said, his eyes narrowing, "but also in minding your own business." He straightened up. "Take her to the dungeon. Chain her up." Turning around, he folded his hands behind his back. "I'll deal with her later."
Rover cackled as he jerked Applejack down the hall, forcing her to walk.
"Oh," Tirek said over his shoulder, "and from now on, only I will bring her meals."
Applejack said nothing as she was led towards the dungeon, only kept her gaze to the floor. She wanted to fight, but what was the point? Even if she managed to escape Rover's hold, she could not leave the castle.
And the fear that she had just sent the love of her life to his death made her feel even less inclined to try. She had not seen him emerge from the water, but she had also not seen blood. There was a chance he could have survived the moat and crocodile.
Ma, Pa, she prayed silently, if y'all are listenin', please, please, watch over my Spike. And please, for the love of Celestia, don't let him be dead.
He could hear her voice, calling his name. He could feel her warm hoof upon his forehead. As he struggled to open his eyes, he could see the faint outline of her orange face and blond mane.
"Spike, Spike…"
"AJ," he murmured. "AJ…"
There was a hearty laugh, which was too deep to be Applejack's. "Well, how 'bout that? He lives!"
Spike's eyes popped open. The pony standing over him wasn't Applejack at all. It was a pudgy brown earth stallion with purple eyes, a bushy blond beard and a mane tied straight upwards, held together with a red bandana. He wore a green vest and, around his neck, a simple gold necklace and a brown beaded cord.
"Huh?" Spike said, putting his claw to his forehead, finding a damp cloth there. "W-Who are you? What happened? Where am I?"
The stallion smiled warmly. "Name's Cattail, little buddy. Ya needn't be scared of me. I'm a healer." He touched the blanket draped over Spike and pulled it up further. "Ya nearly drowned. By the time Dash had pulled ya outta the moat, you were out cold."
Looking up, Spike realized he was in a tent, and couldn't tell whether it was day or night. "H-How long?"
"Almost a whole day. We feared for the worst."
"We?"
Suddenly, a bright pink face appeared before him. "Hey look, he's awake!" The owner of the face pinched his cheeks so hard, he thought she was going to rip his face right off. "Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie, resident cook and bandit! But don't think I'm gonna rob you blind because I just wanna be friends because you look so cute and Twilight says you're nothing like your old meanie guardian Tirek and oh my gosh when you fell in the moat and that crocodile came for you we were all like ah! And then Twilight said 'Hold your fire!' and Rainbow Dash dove down into the water to pull you out and you were still breathing but not responding and we all thought you were gonna die cuz you weren't waking up but now you're awake and alive thanks to Cattail and oh my gosh Twilight's gonna be so happy to see you awake!"
"Twilight?" Spike blinked several times as he sat up from the bed of straw he was in. "Then that must mean I'm…?"
"Yup!" The mare, Pinkie Pie, opened the flap of the tent. "Welcome to the Society of the Lavender Arrow!"
Spike covered his eyes at the sudden ray of sunlight. Then his vision adjusted and he caught a glimpse of the camp. Tents were set up in a circle, with a campfire in the middle and trees surrounding them. Ponies of all shapes and sizes were walking to and fro, some carrying weapons, some carrying blankets, some carrying food, some sparring with swords and rods. He recognized some of the ponies from the ruins the other day.
Pinkie poked her head out of the tent and called, "Twilight, come here quick! He's awake, he's awake!"
A short time later, the leader of the Society of the Lavender Arrow entered the tent. Her cape whipped around her body, but her hood remained down. She carried no weapon, not even her bow, as she approached the dragon.
"Do not be afraid, Master Spike," Twilight said, kneeling down to his side. "You are among friends here, friends who were loyal to your father and are, in turn, loyal to you."
Now that he was getting an up-close view of her, his eyes examined her from head to hoof. She hadn't changed much in ten years, at least physically. She still had the same height, the same build, the same eyes and mane as she had when she was a Celestial knight.
However, there was something different about the purple eyes focusing upon him. One look into them, and Spike could find no hint of malice or vengeance. Instead, they were the caring, compassionate eyes of his childhood friend. But gone was the optimism and hope they once held. Their color had been dulled by a new emotion: sorrow.
"You must have so many questions," Twilight said after a minute of silence.
Spike nodded. "You…you saved my life."
"Yes." She glanced at the healer and the bandit. "We were trying to seize Midnight Castle, in hopes that our victory at Ghastly Gorge would weaken Tirek's defenses." She looked to Spike. "But when I saw you fall into the moat, I had one of my pegasi pull you out and then called a retreat."
He tilted his head curiously. "Why?"
"Because," Twilight said, "despite what you may think, what the rest of Equestria may think, I still care about you Spike." She gently laid her hoof over his claw. "I never stopped caring about you."
He glanced down at her hoof, then back into her eyes. "You didn't really kill my father, did you?"
Closing her eyes, Twilight shook her head. "Your father was my friend. He was one of the few male knights who believed in me. I could never betray him."
Spike scooted closer to her. "Then what really happened?"
Twilight sent her comrades a look. Whistling innocently, Cattail and Pinkie walked out of the tent, leaving the unicorn and dragon alone.
"Tirek never had any interest in winning the war for either one of the princesses," Twilight said, turning back to Spike. "Instead, he intended to seize control of Equestria for himself. He still does." She hung her head. "Your father, Sir Spikus, was gaining too much popularity from the common ponies. Tirek wanted him out of the way, so that he would seize control of his land." She smiled slightly. "But, as you know, your father wasn't so easy to get rid of."
Spike smiled too. "Yeah. Dad had scales so thick, nothing could pierce his hide."
"Exactly." Twilight frowned. "Which was why Tirek sought a weapon strong enough to pierce that hide. He consulted every spell book, but it was his brother, Scorpan who had led him to the crypt where the legendary lavender arrow was kept."
Spike's grin also disappeared. "Uncle Scorpan?"
She nodded grimly. "It was said the lavender arrows had been used in the Dragon Wars hundreds of years ago. The unicorn king who had used them was buried with one in his hooves. Scorpan took his brother to where that king was buried.
"I…was there when your father was struck." Her eyes closed at the painful memory. "The two of us were discussing your future of all things, whether or not we should start looking for a wife for you. I told him you were too young, but he also thought you should at least start meeting girls until you found someone you liked."
Spike's heart sank at the thought of Applejack, remembering where he had left her. He also wondered if his father would have approved of his choice.
"Then," Twilight continued, a tear falling from her eye, "out of nowhere, a lavender arrow came flying through the air and struck your father in the arm. He started turning to stone instantly. I…I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what spell to use. Before I knew it, he was a statue."
She sniffed. "Oh, the horrified, frozen expression on his face…"
She wiped the tear away and straightened up. "Then someone screamed 'Murderer! Twilight Sparkle has murdered Sir Spikus!' I turned to the library's door and saw Sir Wind Rider." She scowled. "No doubt Tirek had paid or blackmailed him to put the blame on me.
"Not knowing what to do, I ran from the library. I heard a loud crash from behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Lord Tirek, standing above the rubble that was once your father, smirking."
Spike could see the hatred building up in Twilight's eyes.
"Tirek sent the guards after me. I pleaded my innocence, but no one would believe me." She shook her head. "I had no choice but to fight them off so that I could get away. I've been hiding in the woods ever since, allying myself with bandits in order to survive. Those who believed my story wanted to help. Those who didn't believe me didn't care what I'd done as long as I was willing to steal for them. Sometimes I wonder if anyone in this camp truly believes me."
She looked to Spike. "When I heard that Tirek had taken you under his wing, I feared that he would one day do to you what he did to your father. So I've kept a close eye on you all these years. When I got wind of Tirek's plans to marry you off to a wealthy mare, I knew I had to take action before he got too powerful."
Sighing, she hung her head again. "I'm sorry you had to see what I had to do to Wind Rider."
"I know," Spike said. "You wanted me to learn the truth. I heard."
She caught his eyes, smirking. "I thought it was you who had infiltrated our camp the other day. You and that disguised mare."
Frowning, Spike touched the apple-shaped locket around his neck. "My brave AJ. She sacrificed her freedom so I could get away." He clutched the locket. "There truly is no mare nobler than her."
Twilight noticed how tightly he held the locket and understood. "You will see her again, Spike."
"But who knows what Uncle Tirek is doing to her right now?" He hung his head. "All this time, I thought he had cared about me. I thought Scorpan had cared about me too. But they'd been lying to me, using me." He buried his face in his claws. "Why didn't I see it earlier?"
He felt Twilight's hoof upon her shoulder.
"We'll get her back, Spike. The Society of the Lavender Arrow is at your service." She crossed her chest with her hoof. "You have the word of Joust Amend-All."
He lowered his claws as he remembered something. "Her brother." He stood up. "I gotta find Sir Big Macintosh! He'll know what to do!"
"Spike," Twilight said, sitting him back down, "you nearly drowned last night. You need to rest up before you do something reckless."
"But I'm supposed to give this locket to Applejack's brother," Spike said, showing her the golden apple. "So he'll know that his sister sent me."
Twilight shook her head. "It's too risky, Spike. Once Tirek realizes you're alive, he'll put a bounty on your head and declare you a traitor to the Crowns. At this moment, you're a fugitive like the rest of us. You can't trust that Sir Big Macintosh won't turn you in the minute he sees you."
"But Applejack…"
"Is a strong enough mare to handle Tirek for a short while, from what I've seen of her. Until then, you need to regain your strength." She took his claw. "We are all you have right now, Spike, and we are here for you. Once again, I promise, you will be avenged for your father's death and be reunited with your mare."
Spike smiled a bit, but then frowned upon another thought. "But what if Tirek marries her off to someone else before we get there? He can still gain control of her inheritance if he makes an arrangement with one of his friends, or worse, marries her himself!"
Twilight tapped her chin. "Not if we give him a good scare."
There were no windows or torches in the dungeon to give it light, leaving Applejack to sit in complete darkness. The shackles around her neck and hooves were cold against her skin. She did not fight the chains, nor did she dare to rattle them. Instead, she sat with her hooves curled under her body.
She had never felt so helpless. It wasn't because of the chains.
Her thoughts were on her beloved. She had thought she was saving him when she had pushed him out the window. Instead, she may have doomed them both. If he had drowned or been devoured by that crocodile, so had died with him any hope she had for escape.
And to think, only a short time ago, they had declared their love for each other. Now they were apart, alive or dead.
With the way I'm feelin' now, I might as well be dead.
The dungeon door opened, and the red light of a torch stretched across the floor. Heavy hoofsteps approached her slowly. Applejack did not need to look up, for she already knew to whom they belonged.
A single finger lifted her chin up so that she could look into Tirek's cold, yellow eyes, which gleamed in the light of the torch in his hand.
"You," he said with a sneer, "have caused a lot more trouble than I thought you would."
She refused to break eye contact with him.
"What's this?" he said, releasing her chin. "No protests? No witty comeback?"
She narrowed her gaze. Tirek simply laughed as he shook his head.
"It's deliciously ironic, don't you think?" he asked as he paced the room. "You ran away, because you didn't want to marry my ward. And then, who should you run into? The very boy you were running away from." He huffed. "What's even more delightful is the fact that you planned to run away with him tonight."
He turned back to her, but she did not change her expression. "There's no use denying it. You've grown to care for the lad, haven't you?" He leaned down to her eyelevel. "And to think you refused to marry him."
She tightened her scowl, trying hard not to blink. She wanted him to know that he could not break her.
"Shame, really," he said, straightening up, "that your little star-crossed love story had to end in tragedy." He smirked. "Sort of reminds me of another pair of star-crossed lovers. Perhaps you've heard of them? A mare and a stallion, born from rival families, got married in secret, had three children, before ultimately perishing in a fire?"
That was the last straw. Applejack charged forward, but the chains held her back far enough so that she could not reach the centaur. Tirek laughed, seeing that he had finally struck a nerve.
"I really do like that story," he said. "More importantly, I like what it came out of it. That tree your parents planted truly is a sight to behold. And once I have control of your land, that tree and all the magic it holds will be mine."
Applejack grunted. "You can do what ya like with me, but that tree won't make ya immortal! Its magic cannot be controlled in such a way! If it could, don't ya think us Apples, who have eaten from that tree countless times, would've become immortal by now?"
Her voice cracked upon thinking of her parents.
"I will learn that tree's secrets," Tirek said, waving his hand nonchalantly. "But first, we must find a suitable husband for you to gain possession of that tree."
Gritting her teeth together, she shouted, "Spike is dead!"
She hesitated to believe it, but she knew Tirek did.
"I don't need you married to that ungrateful whelp," the centaur said. "All I have to do is make an arrangement with one of my friends. Now, let's see." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Discord's already married, but my brother could certainly use a wife. Of course…" He looked at Applejack slyly. "I myself am unattached."
Applejack's eyes widened in shock. Then she growled.
"Ya haven't the right to marry me off! Only my legal guardian can do that!"
"Precisely, my dear." Reaching into his belt, he pulled out a scroll. "Which is why I made an arrangement with your former legal guardian."
Applejack blinked in confusion. "What are ya talkin' about? My brother would never sign me away!"
"Oh, I'm not talking about your brother. You see, Equestrian Law dictates that when a foal is recently orphaned, the role of guardianship is automatically awarded to her closest adult male relative."
"I know that!" she spat. "That's why Big Mac…"
"Ah, ah, ah!" Tirek said, wagging his finger. "I wasn't talking about your brother. You see, when your parents died, your brother was still underage and could not be your guardian."
"Yeah," Applejack said, feeling uneasy. "That's why Granny Smith took care of us until Big Mac was of age."
"Ah, but your Granny Smith is a mare, and therefore couldn't be your legal guardian. Therefore, guardianship was awarded to another adult relative, a male." He unrolled the scroll in his hand and held it up to her face. "From your mother's side."
As Applejack read the scroll over, her blood went as cold as her shackles. It was a legal document. Many of the legal terms were difficult to comprehend, but she understood the last paragraph perfectly:
I hereby relinquish my duties as the legal guardian of the maiden Apple Jewel of the Apple Clan and grant them to Lord Tirek.
Then she read the fancy signature at the bottom: Sir Grand Pear.
"My grandfather," she murmured.
"Turns out," Tirek said, rolling up the scroll, "he was more than happy to get rid of his granddaughter, who was nothing more than a reminder of the accursed Celestial knight who had stolen his daughter's heart."
"You're…" She mustered all the courage she could. "You're lyin'! My grandfather may be a lot of things, but he certainly wouldn't sell me like some sow!"
Tirek chuckled. "This contract in my hand says otherwise." He slid the paper into his belt. "So whether you like it or not, you belong to me now, which means you must be a good little girl and do exactly as I say." Scowling, he held his sharp claw out to her. "Or else."
She growled at him. "That paper may say you're my guardian, but ya don't own me! I've pledged my heart to Spike, and I'll marry no other but him!"
Tirek thrust his face towards hers, wearing a look of triumph. "Your lover is dead."
Just then, the dungeon door swung open and Rover came rushing in.
"My Lord Tirek!"
Growling, Tirek spun around. "What is it now?!"
"At the gate!" Rover said, pointing behind him. "A lavender arrow was shot at the gate!"
He stiffened. "What?"
"It hit no one, but it struck the wall!" He showed him a piece of paper. "And this note was attached to it!"
Tirek snatched the paper and read it over. Applejack watched as the centaur caught his breath.
Now what's got him all rattled?
Letting out an angry snarl, Tirek snapped his attention towards Applejack.
"Read it," he said through his teeth, pushing the paper towards Rover. "Our guest will want to hear this."
Shivering, Rover read the paper aloud:
"To the most untrue and cruel centaur, Lord Tirek,
I find that you were untrue and unkind from the very beginning. You have my father's blood upon your hands. Let it be that they will never wash off. Some day you shall perish by either my claw, or the arrow of my friend, Joust Amend-All. And let it be known that if you seek to wed to any other the mare, Mistress Apple Jewel, whom I am bound upon an oath of true love to wed myself, the blow will be very swift.
You made one enemy ten years ago, Tirek. Now you have made another.
Spike de Dragon."
"Spike?" Applejack said, her heart thumping wildly.
Tirek grabbed the paper from Rover and crumpled it into a ball.
"Um, my lord?" Rover asked meekly. "What is it you wish us to do?"
He glared at the dog. "Have a message sent to Princess Luna and all the Lunarian nobles throughout the land. Tell them Spike de Dragon, in a failed attempt to assassinate his guardian, has fled into the woods and joined a band of outlaws. He is not to be trusted and is to be killed on sight."
Applejack gasped while Rover saluted. "Right away, my lord."
As the Diamond Dog left, Tirek turned to the mare. "It seems your lover is tougher than he looks. But be warned my dear," he said, sticking his finger in her face, "if he dares come around here again, I won't show mercy."
Then he turned on his hoof and slammed the door behind him, leaving Applejack in darkness again, this time with new hope and new dread.
"DISCORD!" Tirek shouted once he was outside the dungeon.
In a few seconds, the draconequus was at his side. "Yes, my lord?"
Tirek gripped his neck and brought him to his face. "Failing to kill a powerful unicorn is one thing, but failing to kill a child?!"
"He wasn't alone!" Discord choked. "If I had killed him in front of the mare, she would have tattled!"
He grunted. "Then why didn't you capture her and then kill him?!"
"If I had come out of the passageway, I would've ruined my element of surprise!" He held up his paw and claw. "Then I heard the boy had been eaten by the crocodiles! Of course, I have no idea how he'd gotten out of that one!"
"He had help." Tirek smoothed out the message and showed it to Discord. "That brat has joined forces with the Lavender Arrow! Now we have him and Twilight Sparkle to deal with!" He shook Discord hard. "You should've killed them both when you had the chance!"
Tirek dropped him and Discord panted in exhaustion.
"I'm starting to doubt your competence, Discord," the centaur said, circling him. "If any of my enemies or prisoners escape again under your watch, that includes the girl, then your wife will pay the price. Understood?"
Discord nodded slowly.
"Good." Tirek turned to leave.
"Wait!" the draconequus said, holding up his claw. "I…I know where he's going."
The centaur turned to him. "Oh?"
"Or…at least where he wants to go. In…in the room, I overheard Spike and the girl talking about…running away to Applewood."
"Of course," Tirek said, rubbing his chin. "He'll seek help from the wench's brother." He chuckled darkly. "We'll just have to put out a warning to the Celestial nobles as well. After all, no Lunarian or Celestial would dare assist a traitor to the Crowns."