"I still can't believe you were the bandits all along!" Twilight exclaimed as the large group of Merry Mares and knights gathered around the fire of the Everfree campsite finishing a delicious meal made by Granny Smith to celebrate the girls' reunion with Twilight and Spike.
From the moment Twilight had come back, Spike was already waiting for her and made her cover her eyes. He took her straight to the secret waterfall hideout where to her absolute surprise she saw all her old friends much to her joy! The girls were equally as joyful to see her as they went into a teary group hug. Soon they sat down to eat in merriment as they exchanged stories.
Pinkie pointed out, "Not as much as we can't believe that Spike and Applejack got together!"
The couple was sitting together and blushed in embarrassment to the comment.
Twilight shook her head in disbelief asking Spike, "Why didn't you tell me about your dreams?"
He replied, "I wasn't sure if I should have, because I didn't know what they meant until AJ and I met again in disguise, all that time we were fighting…"
Applejack bluntly added, "Clueless. Absolutely clueless."
"We sure were. I had no idea it was Applejack under that hood."
"And I didn't know it was Spike under that helmet."
He addressed his beloved, "At least your swordfighting skills make sense now. Rainbow taught you and she was taught by Twilight's father who also taught Shining Armor who in turn taught me."
Soarin' exclaimed, "No wonder you two had a draw!"
Laughter went across the camp.
RD motioned, "That reminds me," she pointed to Spitfire, "I want a rematch! You only bested me because you took me by surprise when you knew my true gender, Miss Cross-dresser!"
Soarin' inquired, "Yeah, why didn't you ever tell us you were a girl?"
Spitfire rolled her eyes, "Uh, because there was a penalty for a woman to dress as a man and become a knight?"
Soarin' flushed, "Oh. Right."
Flash stated, "Well, I think we need to change that law, because if you managed to make it up the ranks and we have female outlaws striving to help the unfortunate then we should have more female knights."
Twilight complimented, "That's a very progressive thing to say, Sir Sentry."
He smiled back, "My thanks, your ladyship."
Rarity mentioned, "It seems fate has brought us back together in a time of great misery."
Spike said, "I think you're right. We all want to help those that are suffering under the prince and sheriff's hands. Alone we cannot do it but together…"
Applejack finished, "We can help everyone around us and serve justice where it's needed."
There was the sound of agreement.
Gladmane met with the prince in his suite as he looked over reports from all over the kingdom, "It would seem that the more we take, the more people get angry. If we aren't careful, your majesty, we'll have uprisings on our hands."
Blueblood stated, "And we certainly can't have that. So, my sheriff it'll have to be up to you to make the people think that the taxes are for a worthy cause."
"A worthy cause? Like what?"
"My aunts are currently meeting with King Sombra to prevent a war from starting, what if word was to get out that their peace talks failed…?"
"Oh… Then you would need the taxes…"
"To help fund for an upcoming battle…" he smirked.
Gladmane smirked as well, "It's perfect."
The prince held his goblet up and the sheriff did the same as they clanked the cups together.
Everyone was sleeping in their huts. But the knights, Twilight, and Sunset had to bunk up with the others. The boys slept with Big Mac while Spitfire stayed with Rainbow Dash as Twilight stayed with Fluttershy and Sunset stayed with Rarity in their huts.
Spike opened his eyes to check to make sure the guys were fast asleep as he quietly tip-toed out the hut. Once he was out he spotted Applejack coming out of her hut. She made a gesture for him to follow her.
She led him to the waterfall's exit and went through it. They found themselves outside the camp giving them the chance to wrap their arms around each other and kiss passionately.
Once they took a breath, she uttered, "I never thought… this could happen to us…"
Spike softly chuckled, "Neither did I… But I'm glad regardless…"
She giggled before they leaned in for another kiss. Lost in their infatuation they dropped to the forest floor with him on top. With another breath, he said, "I could stay like this forever…"
That got Applejack out of her trance and sadly replied, "But you can't…" she started to sit up.
He slightly frowned in concern, asking, "But why?"
She shook her head, "I can't let you stay here… Not when you have a life…"
"Applejack… serving that bastard is not a life…"
"I know that, but you can still be free to do things without a bounty over your head. I'm force to hide every single day; I don't want you to have to do the same… What's worst is that I have nothin' to offer you anyway… My dowry was a third of my family's farmland but now that's been taken away from me…"
"I don't care about dowries. To me that's just extra incentive for a groom to take a bride when he's never even met her. I rather that a man and a woman marry for love without profit."
AJ sighed, "Just like my parents…"
Spike took her hand and planted a kiss, "Exactly…"
Applejack could feel happy tears well in her eyes but she couldn't give into her passion and had to stay firm, "I do love you, Spike, and I would love nothing better for you to stay but you have a duty to the kingdom and you need to keep it."
"My duty is to the people, and I won't be performing that duty if I have to follow his stupid rules."
"But you can't be an outlaw either."
"So why not be both? A knight and an outlaw."
She furrowed her brow in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"I stay on as a knight but I can also send you messages of what is going at the castle. It's foolproof."
She gapped, "Spike, that's a risky thing to do! If you get caught you'll be labeled a traitor and die!"
"Then I'll just have to be extra vigilant and stay on my toes, I can't just sit by and do nothing, AJ…"
Suddenly her own words from when she was in the tavern with the girls popped into her mind, "Look… I know it's a dangerous move to do, but I can't hide in the forest anymore while you're all suffering at the hands of that greedy prince. It's time that someone does somethin' about it."
She shook her head and uttered out, "Alright…" she stared at him, "But I'm begging you… please be careful… If somethin' were to happen to you…" she shook her head again, "I don't know what I'd do…"
He made a tiny smile and cupped her cheek, softly stroking it. He told her, "Only if you promise to do the same…"
Her own tiny smile appeared on her lips.
"Especially since I don't want Lord Trenderhoof to get his hands on you." he scowled.
She chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll make sure that never happens." she kissed his cheek.
His face softened feeling assured until it turned sad, "That's good because I'm not sure if I'll be able to see you as often as I like…"
"It's for the best, sugar, in times like these how can one even court the one they love without uncertainty hangin' over them?"
"Fate is a cruel mistress…" he muttered bitterly, "It finally brings us together after all these years only for us to be separated again."
Applejack pondered on his words when an idea struck her! She slowly said, "Or maybe… we don't have to be…"
Now it was his turn to be confused, "What?"
"The outpost we was working on, it's on the edge of the Everfree Forest, so… what if we pick certain days to meet up with each other and meet there?"
Spike thought it over and his eyes began to light up, exclaiming, "That's perfect!" in his excitement he got up and lifted Applejack high into the air and twirled her around in happiness.
She chuckled at the feeling before he let her down and they went in for another kiss.
The next day, everyone gathered for breakfast and Twilight had noticed her brother and Applejack kept close throughout the entire meal.
Sunset noticed it too and whispered to her lady, "You got to admit it, they are good for each other."
Twilight made a sad smile, "I agree completely and I would like nothing better for them to be together… But… you know it's not possible."
Sunset nodded, "Granted there are some complications regarding courtship but I'm sure that won't last forever. Once Queen Celestia and Princess Luna return, life will then go back to what it was before Blueblood took control."
"But how long will that be? Shining Armor and Cadence went after them but I haven't heard anything from them since they left. I'm starting to worry…"
Her lady-in-waiting wrapped an arm around her in comfort, "I'm sure they're fine."
Shining Armor and Cadence sat close together in their dungeon cell. Until the door suddenly opened revealing the very prince that had them locked in the first place.
The couple scowled at him as Cadence shouted, "Cousin, you have gone too far! Locking us in here is treason!"
Blueblood mocked a sigh, "Alas, dear cousin, it had to be done." he stated, "When I heard you were leaving to go after Aunt Celestia and Aunt Luna, I had to do something to make sure you didn't."
Shining declared, "Because then they would have known you were abusing your power!"
"Well obviously." he gave a smug look.
Cadence demanded, "Just why?! Why are you doing this?!"
Blueblood frowned, "What else? The throne! It's too late for our aunts to bear heirs but as we are their only living relatives the throne will go to us. But since you married the captain it will only be a matter of time that you two will have a child, which means I won't be able to inherit the crown should you two have a son. So I need a woman of refined breeding to marry so I can have a son first before it's too late."
Shining questioned angrily, "So why tell us this?"
The prince's smug look came back, "I need your blessings so I can wed your sister."
The prince and princess gasped loudly at this before Shining shouted, "Never!"
But Blueblood just chuckled, "I knew you were going to say that." he snap his fingers and motion two guards to seize Cadence.
She yelled, "Get your hands off of me!"
"Sorry, Cousin, but as you know they'll only obey me." he ordered to them, "Take the Princess to a separate cell. I don't want her and her dear husband to get any ideas of escaping," he whispered to Cadence, "or to produce a legitimate heir…"
She uttered in hatred, "You're a monster…"
He merely waved off her words and the guards took her away as he faced Shining Armor again, "Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way…" he had out a parchment and quill, "You can write your blessings on this sheet or be force apart from your beloved… It's your choice."
Shining replied a dangerously low tone, "I'll never let you marry my sister…"
Blueblood shrugged and started to leave, "Very well, but heed this warning, Shining Armor. If I don't get your blessings soon, I might have to arrange a small "accident" for your wife and little brother… Without Cadence there's no chance for an heir to the throne and without your little brother, Maid Twilight will have no choice but to find a husband to provide for her…"
Shining gritted his teeth, "Not if I'm still alive, you-"
"Ah! But you'll be declared missing! The entire castle won't know if you are dead or alive!"
Shining kept gnashing his teeth but couldn't make a comeback due the royal pain making a valid point.
Blueblood was still smirking as he locked the door behind him.