//------------------------------// // The Princess in the Tower // Story: The Princess and The Peasant // by DapperLilArts //------------------------------// CHAPTER 2 💎THE PRINCESS IN THE TOWER💎 “Sheesh! We’re gonna take weeks to get there!! I hope we make it in time…” Pinkie gazed at the map, concerned. Applejack was not faltering. “At my pace, we’ll take a week there, a week back, tops. Unless a certain Princess slows us down… Now I ain't gonna carry ya if you need to stop, so keep moving, ya hear?” The Pink Bard was not bothered, if there was one thing she had in surplus of, it was energy. They continued to walk on a road accentuated with a couple houses and grasslands around them here and there, with some peasants occasionally cheerfully waving, recognizing Applejack, which she gleefully waved back, but did not stop for small talk Pinkie continued explaining her deep and profound lore. “So! Like I was explaining before. I'm a Bard! Worked briefly as a jester, a couple times I was a babysitter, but mostly spent my time with a gig as Princess Twilight’s Bard. I also do birthdays!” She hopped and skipped with glee. Applejack moved at a steady pace, unwavering. “You went from personal Princess Bard, to workin’ at a booth? Tough luck, I feel ya.” Pinkie giggled. “No silly! I didn’t get fired, I quit! You see, The princess frequently got on these adventures to save the world, and don’t get me wrong, I had my fun writing songs about ‘em, but I didn’t want to write tales about only one person, ya know? Now sure, she and Sunset are my friends, but a bird’s gotta spread her wings, ya know? And I'm out here lookin for a legend. I don’t really care for money if I find it!” Applejack had a hard time believing a princess went on adventures. “I think I get it kinda? Why is it yer always goin’ on about a “legend”, anyways?” Pinkie’s eyes gleamed. “Legend… A Bard who tells a legendary tale through song is herself legendary! I may have gotten a teensy bitsy addicted to the idea of dangerous adventures. But I never really followed The Princess and her Captain on them, y’know? I couldn’t keep up… But oh! A legendary fairytale adventure! The action! The comedy! The drama! The romance!!” AJ giggled. “It’s gonna be easy keepin’ up with an earth pony like me, heh. But I'm sorry to disappoint ya, there ain’t much legendary ‘bout me.” Pinkie tilted her head. “I dunno. The way you wrecked those twenty guys earlier today did seem preeeetty legendary to me. And going on a quest to save a princess? How noble! How awesome! How legendary!!” Applejack chuckled. “Umm I'm in this for the money, Pinkie. I'm being paid to grab a mare and take her across the country. Ain’t much noble about it.” Pinkie tilted her head. “Oh, you’re not just doing it for money. You’re doing it for your family! That’s preeeetty noble!” Applejack smiled, rolling her eyes. Anyone would do the same in her position, right? “Sure, Pinkie.” “Just think! A humble Farmer turned dragon slayer and princess rescuer! A proper knight! Protecting her loved ones! Now there’s a song in there!!” the Bard’s mind spun with inspiration. Applejack couldn’t help but laugh. “Hah! That don’t sound like me at all!” “But it couuuuld beeee” Pinkie teased her. Applejack didn’t believe it for a second, but the thought did amuse her. “Sure, Pinkie.” “Woah! Look at this one! There’s gonna be a festival in this village in like a week or so!” Pinkie took a good glance at a poster on the wall. Applejack, for a moment, wanted to stop to look, she had always loved festivals, she and her family would often participate and dance all afternoon, sharing their cooking and produce. The happy memory made her falter for a moment. She missed home. This village was so alike the ones of her cousins and distant relatives she had visited many times… But for her family, she simply couldn’t slow down. “That’s nice Pinkie, but we ain’t here for sightseein’, remember? Just passin’ through and gettin’ supplies.” Pinkie hopped next to her excited as usual. “Oh but wouldn’t it be so fun if we took the princess here on our way back?” Applejack scoffed. “Why would a Princess ever wanna come here?” Pinkie looked around gleefully. “I dunno! Who wouldn’t wanna come here? Twilight would definitely like this kinda stuff. Maybe Rarity would too!” The idea of a Princess enjoying herself in a commoner festival was completely alien to her, an amusing absurdity. “Sure, Pinkie.” And so, the future Princess of friendship returned the moon to us! Queen Luna went back to her home and family, without a fuss! And to think, the deed was done by a mare from next door; The Queens of the Sun and Moon were reunited once more! Pinkie finished strumming on her harp, placing it back on her bag that seemed to hold way too many instruments, for something so small. Applejack stopped fiddling with their campfire and went back to resting, gazing at the night sky, but then she turned to Pinkie in confusion. “So yer tellin’ me that Twilight Sparkle beat Nightmare moon before she was even an Alicorn? That don’t sound right.” Pinkie couldn’t stop herself from literally singing her friends praises. “It is!! It was one of her very first true challenges as the pupil of the Queen of the Sun!” Applejack smirked. “Riiiiight. And she told you that? Just like she told you she beat a shadow king, a renegade cult leader sorceress, a chaos god draconequus, and more?” Pinkie Pie pouted. “My friend Twilight is not a liar. Besides, I was… kinda there for most of these! On the sidelines.” Applejack sighed, looking back at the night clouds. “Look, there’s no such thing as a good royal, Pinkie. I'm afraid she might be playin’ ya, having a Bard singing her praises so she can accrue more fame. ‘Legend’ or whatever.” Pinkie pouted more, looking down, clearly bothered by the accusations. “My friend is NOT a liar…” They stayed in silence a bit, and Applejack started feeling guilty for offending her. “Well… What other songs have ya made about her exploits? I’ wouldn’t mind hearin’ more, before we sleep.” She nudged at the Bard to do what she did best. “Alright!!” She picked up a guitar from her seemingly bottomless bag, already cheered up. “This one is called ‘The Queen of Vermin!’ A harrowing tale of a horrible insect queen that fed on LOVE and how she was defeated by Twilight Sparkle and her friend, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!” She was glad to see her friend happy again, but the idea of not only one but two princesses defeating anything or even fighting to save the world was absurd to Applejack. “Sure, Pinkie.” After being relieved of her greed, ambition and hatred through loving magic, She happily pledged her undying loyalty to the Princess of Friendship! “Lemme get this straight. The Captain and Twilight used to be enemies? And now the Captain is well. Her Captain!” Applejack looked back at the Bard who had just retold her friends' stories through song. “Yep!” Pinkie put away her banjo, selling every word of the tale with gusto. ”Captain Sunset used to be a Paladin trained by Queen Celestia, no less! She wanted to inherit her position and become an Alicorn; but her greed and callousness corrupted her into a dark paladin whose evil was out of control. She was banished by Celestia, but eventually Twilight fought her and restored her senses, ridding her of the darkness that took hold.” She really sold that last part. Applejack shoved some leaves aside, as they crossed a field of produce on their way forward in their journey. She doubted the verity of the tale. “Huh.” “And so, Sunset Shimmer, the dejected paladin laid her sword down and pledged undying allegiance to Princess Twilight Sparkle for saving her life! For changing it, even! And now, she has been fighting by her side and protecting her for years, Legend says she has never lost a fight since; and even became the captain of her royal guard!! Talk about a turnaround, huh?” Applejack wasn’t sure how much she could trust the royals having their tales told like this; it was like a game of telephone, each time the story was passed down it could twist it and embiggen it to make it seem more impressive. And if there was anything the Farmer despised, it was lies. The Bard continued excitedly. “She is now protecting someone who was once her rival with her life!! And they’re in loooooooove. Isn’t it romantic???” Pinkie shook her mane gleefully, thinking of how to add these updates to her song lyrics, and incredibly happy her friends had actually gotten together. The tale seemed to be dubious, but if it was true, it was indeed… Impressive. The Farmer found her cheeks getting red slightly, at the thought of pledging herself to someone like that. She easily shook the thought away, and raised an eyebrow. “It’s somethin’, alright. These royals, I tell ya. They got weird taste.” The Bard trotted happily. “The heart wants what the heart wants, AJ! I’ve dated pleeeenty of mares and stallions. Good times, good times.” Pinkie looked at nothing, smiling like a dummy. A life well lived. Applejack just chuckled at the thought. “How bout you, AJ? You ever been in love?” Applejack smiled smugly, almost proud of her single status. “Nope! Mine is a life of hard work and family, Pinkie. I ain’t got time for foolin’ around. Besides, the opportunity has never presented itself, and if it did I wouldn't take it!” she aimed her muzzle high in pride, with a smile. Pinkie gasped in disbelief. “Whaddaya mean!!! Love is so important and so, so good!!! Why wouldn't you answer if the opportunity came knocking??” The Farmer giggled. “‘Cause of the stuff I mentioned already. Hard work, and family. No lovey dovey hay fever would be better to me than that. Besides, Ain’t like anypony could love me! Charmless Farmer hick, with an overly large frame, heheh!” She chuckled at her own expense, almost with pride. In a sense, being charmless was her own form of charm, and she prided herself of being a hard working family mare and wasn’t usually self conscious of her largeness. Pinkie shook her tail around in anger, looking intently at her. “Mark my words Applejack Apple. Love will not only knock on your door, it will break it down someday.” Applejack laughed at the thought. “Sure, Pinkie.” They finally had the Dragon keep in sight. Past a large swamp, and near a small lake, they could see a dark castle at the edge of Equestria, with shrouding clouds atop it, surrounded by a river of lava. Behind it, mountains, volcanoes, and a dark sea few ever thread. Nature was quieter here, like animals avoided nestling this far off the center of the kingdom. Applejack narrowed her eyes. “There. Finally, That’s where we gotta go.” Pinkie jumped for joy. “YIPEE!! And to think! It’s been only a week! You were right, AJ. You got this!” The Farmer adjusted her hat. “Let’s go. I wanna get that Princess already and be past here by sundown. No dilly-dallying!” And immediately started trotting down the hill they were on. Pinkie hopped and skipped beside her. “Ooooh, loving that fiery determination!! So, what do you think Rarity will be like?” The thought had already crossed Applejack’s mind, as did others, and she didn’t like it. “Some prissy annoying lady with dainty little hooves that wouldn’t bear the thought of touchin’ mud and dirt. She’s gonna nag us the whooooole trip about ‘conditions’, and she’s gonna hate my commoner ass. Gosh darnit, if she asks me to carry her…” The idea made her blow air from her nostrils in annoyance. Pinkie tilted her head. “I dunno, if she’s a friend of Twilight’s, she can’t be all that bad.” Applejack dismissed the thought. “No such thing as a good royal, Pinkie.” Pinkie hopped closer trying to get the Farmer to see it her way. “Hey, give her some credit. Twilight has good taste in friends. I bet Princess Rarity will at the very least not hate you!” Applejack Snorted and laughed. She had never in her life been treated well by a royal, much less seen any of her friends and family be treated well either. The thought was comedic to her. “Hohoho, you know what? I got an idea. Let’s actually make a bet. I bet that Princess Rarity will be disappointed and disgusted that her ‘knight in shining armor’ is a filthy peasant. Hell, she’s probably gonna be insulted that I'm a mare! I bet twenty bits on it!” The amount of bits would be small to most, but not to her. She meant this. Pinkie pouted. “Hmpf. Fine. I bet that she’s gonna like you fine, because you are a dependable and nice pony, regardless of your background.” They stopped only to shake hooves on it, then kept going. Meeting this Princess just got a lot more interesting, because now maybe Applejack could get something out of the inherent hatred the royals had to people like her. She gazed at the castle in the distance with a confident smile. The Bard got smug. “I think you’re gonna regret taking this beeeeet” Applejack would not. “Sure, Pinkie.” “Fun fact…!” Pinkie shuddered in fear. “This is my first time ever seeing molten lava!” They both gazed down at the ravine they stood on. Below them, a fiery river of lava, and near them, a rickety wooden bridge that led to the dragon keep. Applejack felt a tinge of sweat, and not due to the rising heat. “Yup… Same here.” The sound of the raging river was heard even here, and the clouds covered the sky, making it almost seem like it was night. Small bits of ash fell from the skies slowly. She took a moment to consider the danger of walking on that bridge with her weight, then looked at the old abandoned castle past it, and stopped hesitating. She did not come this far to back down now. “I'm goin. You don’t have to follow me, stay here if ya need.” Applejack moved towards the bridge, aware that her friend would only be placing herself in unnecessary danger if she came with. Pinkie sighed in relief. “PHEW! Haha, if you think you don’t need me in there, sure! I won’t slow you down, hahahaaa” She smiled, but her eyes betrayed her, demonstrating her fear. Applejack didn’t react, she simply started walking on the bridge, measuring every step she took, but keeping a good pace, single minded focus as usual. Pinkie fidgeted nervously, reconsidering leaving her friend alone. She also considered what it would be like for her and her precious instruments to all be incinerated in one fell swoop. With an exasperated yelp, she followed the Peasant. Applejack felt the Bard’s careful steps behind her, and didn’t even turn around. “Pinkie, you sure about this?” “I-i-i-i-I'm s-s-sure…! I-i-i-i c-can’t leave y-you a-a-lone I-i-in t-t-there…!!” The poor pink pony stuttered. It was difficult to get fear out of Pinkie pie, she was usually too cheerful and giddy to be aware of danger. but the height and the lava river and even the possibility of a dragon were just enough to do it. Applejack simply shifted her sight from down to forward, forward to down, prioritizing which she needed at each moment. “I have not come this far to die on stupid lava…!” She muttered to herself. She heard the whimpers of fear behind her, and tried distracting them both. “Y’know, my Granny once told me a story about us Earth Ponies” Pinkie did not respond, just listened. “She told me that we came from the earth itself, thousands of years ago. Literally sproutin out of rocks and dirt and mountains, heheh. Imagine that, right? It means we used to be able to swim in lava! Ain’t that fun?” “Y-yay…!” Nothing about this situation was fun. She suddenly felt a slight weight on her back, that seemed to shiver. “Pinkie. Get off my back.” “I-I'm g-g-good…!” the Bard clinged to Applejack with all the strength she could muster, eyes closed, unable to look, feeling a bit sick of the weight of the bridge shifting around, terrified. Applejack kept moving, even if bothered. “Pinkie, I'm already heavy enough, I ain't sure it’s the best idea for you to be increasing my weight!!!” Pinkie did not respond with anything coherent. Applejack knew she couldn't exactly shift her attention to prying the terrified Bard off her, so she simply continued moving forward, determined. Princess Rarity gazed listlessly out of her window, sighing forlornly, on the tallest tower of the castle. Another dull day like any other, she thought. Until her sights were set on the bridge that led to the bastion she was imprisoned on. “Oh my…!” Her eyes widened. “Finally! My knight!!” A figure in the distance moved through the bridge in the direction of the dragon keep. She felt more excitement than hope. She began prancing around the room, preparing. “Oh, I must pack! I must prepare my belongings; OH and I must be ready for when he arrives! Oh, my sweet knight prince…!!” She ran around the room, gathering all she could into an old suitcase, definitely more than just essentials. She considered which dresses to pack, if any, other than the beautiful one she was currently wearing, hastingly checking every piece of the room, tidying up her messy tables and floor. She passed by a mirror, quickly adjusting her mane, which led to her sitting in front of it to brush her mane, which led to her adorning herself in perfume, which led to her adjusting her makeup, all while muttering to herself. “This is it, Rarity. All your dreams are coming true!!! You will meet your true love, He will be a strong and handsome Prince that will safely escort you to his castle, you will reach the heavens of popularity, you will earn your wings!! Everypony will want to know the fair Princess Rarity…! Queen Celestia herself will invite you to tea and you will arrive fashionably late because you’ll be macking on your future husband!!” She squealed with excitement. She then pressed her snout against the cracked mirror with a piercing gaze at herself. “Do NOT blow this. You are Princess Rarity. The most generous and beautiful princess!!! …I hope… …NO! I KNOW! Whoever breaks down that door to rescue you will be your true love, you will OWN his heart, and you will live happily ever after!!!!” She hastingly closed her suitcase, and then pranced to bed, placing several cloth stitched flowers in her bed as decoration. She laid in it with a seductive pose, rehearsing batting her eyelashes flirtingly. She then rehearsed being awoken lovingly by her knight. Then she shifted positions, trying to get a better angle for her love to first see her. Then again, and again, and again… Her excitement turned to worry, as she fidgeted with her blankets. “Oh, I hope the dragon doesn’t eat this one…” Applejack cherished walking over stable ground, with a sigh of relief. A massive archway led to the poorly kept dragon keep, with one of the few sources of light coming from the many broken or open windows, or the lava from outside shining from its cracks. They could still hear the lava river raging below. “Alright. Showtime, Pinkie.” She grabbed the Bard that was shivering, clinging to her, and placed her on the ground, which the Bard promptly began to kiss. “Oh my gosh I never thought i’d miss the floor so much.” she shivered. Applejack’s ears perked up, wary of her surroundings, looking at every corner, as she entered the keep, speaking softly. “Okay, remember, we might be dealin’ with a dragon here, so let’s keep it quiet, ya hear?” Pinkie whispered a bit desperately. “You don’t gotta tell me twice!” making sure all instruments on her abnormally well-fitting bag were muffled, and the bag was completely and entirely closed. She was sweating a lot, and not just because of the heat. Applejack saw pieces of charred abandoned armor, and had an idea. “Hold onto this for me, will ya?” She handed Pinkie her hat, which she placed on her bag. “Whadayadoing??” The Bard fearfully whispered. Applejack shifted through multiple sets of armor that laid abandoned on the floor, looking for some that might fit her. After she placed on herself a paladin helmet, she responded. “Protection and disguise. We still got a bet, remember?” The Farmer adorned herself with as much armor she could, almost like a new set of skin she felt alien on. Pinkie nodded fearfully while glancing at every doorway and exit around them. Applejack finished fitting herself with armor, which was a tad tight on her overly large frame, but protected enough, her braid still ran down the helmet she wore, giving her a professional paladin look. She saw her own reflection on an abandoned chestplate. She looked like a mighty grizzled legendary Earth Pony warrior with unending strength. “I look ridiculous.” She muttered, barely recognizing herself. They heard a loud, yet reserved raspy groan echo on the halls of the castle. Unmistakably not a natural sound. The dragon made itself known, somewhere in the halls of the keep. “Okay, now if I was a damsel, where would I be…?” Applejack pondered, thinking of which direction to take. Pinkie piped in, quietly. “Umm every legend has the princess locked in the highest tower, that’s usually how it goes.” “Great! then you search high, and I'll search low.” Pinkie scoffed, aware of what her friend was doing. “Nuh uh! You’re not getting out of our bet! You’re the knight in shining armor here! You search high and I'll search low!” Applejack rolled her eyes, thinking of how much she’d prefer fighting a dragon over meeting the princess. “Fine. I’ll search high, you search low. And remember to keep quiet!” The Bard started shivering again. “W-what do I do if I find the princess…??” Applejack surveyed the environment. “Well, if you find her, you stay quiet. Find me, and we can get her out.” “W-w-what do I do if I find the D-dragon…?!” “Well then I guess you can scream as much as ya want. I’ll find you.” Pinkie reevaluated her desire to be in that current predicament, nervously grabbing her notebook and writing important notes. ‘Dragon castle scary’ “Stick to the plan, and be sneaky about it!” Applejack started climbing the stairs of the castle, determined, yet quietly. “Y-yeah, i’ll be sneaky. I’ll be the sneakiest. The sneakyestest…!!” The terrified Bard whispered to herself, braving the hallways of the dark bastion. Applejack made it to the peak of the tallest tower, and before her stood a door that was barred from her side. Seemed to be the right place. With a swift buck, the door broke in half, leaving an opening for her to pass through. She ran into the room, examining its surroundings. It was… Odd. “Princess Rarity?” It didn’t seem to be the room of a Princess, but rather one of an obsessive seamstress. She saw multiple dresses were displayed on tables and even on the floors and a sewing machine that seemed to go through daily use was at the center of a table recently cleaned of clutter. She noticed that all the dresses seemed to be made of carpet, tapestries, and blankets, but undeniably stitched to perfection; Not that Applejack was an expert on the subject. The Princess likely spent months there making and remaking dozens of outfits. That’s when she spotted the bed, lit with the light of the setting sun. The Princess was sleeping in it… Or pretending to. “Princess Rarity!” She approached the bed, taking a gaze upon the mare she had traveled so far to rescue. Applejack knew that she was going to be pretty, sure, but why, despite this obviousness, did her stunning breathtaking beauty still catch her off guard? Rarity was wearing a white dress with multiple shades of the color, adorned with dusty jewels, despite the roughness of her making it in such dire conditions, it still looked incredible. There was also the case of an almost nauseating amount of very lovely smelling perfume emanating from her… A thought manifested in the Farmers head, one she couldn't shake off. She was in the presence of the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria. Whether this was fact or only her own opinion, it didn't matter. For a fleeting moment, The Peasant thought that maybe playing knight for a little while wouldn’t be so bad. These next moments would be more enjoyable for her than she would ever care to admit. Applejack blinked. She didn’t have time for thinking now. Eyes on the prize. “Princess, wake up! We have to get outta here!!” She shook the princess awake with urgency, resulting in her making an ‘eek!’ sound. The Princess rose up, eye to eye with her rescuer. “Oh, my knight! You’ve come to rescue me…!” a silly grin would not leave her face. “Yup. We gotta go.” The Knight attempted to be pragmatic. She examined Applejack up and down, her face getting red. “Y-you're bigger than I expected.” “I’ll take that as a compliment, c’mon, we gotta hurry!” Rarity snapped out of her hypnotized state of staring at the musculature of her rescuer. “U-um y-yes…! Wait, I have to say goodbye to my room!!” Applejack sighed, walking over to the door and waiting for her. Rarity touched her suitcase, and with magic, stored it within her horn. “Neat trick.” Her knight stated. “Yes darling, but it often gives me such headaches… I'm sure you can relieve me of that later.” She gave her rescuer a mischievous smile. Applejack’s face got a bit red as she rolled her eyes. Oh good, the princess flirts. At least that was going to end when she found out who her ‘knight’ really was. Rarity ran to a dress and nuzzled it, sadly. “I'm sorry I can't take you all with me…” She sorrowfully gazed at all the dresses in her room, despite being makeshift, she was clearly attached. Applejack took notice. “O-okay. I am ready!” “Good. Stay close to me, ya hear? Right behind me. I can’t have you harmed.” The Princess's eyes gleamed. “Oh, my knight… What is your name? I must know.” “I'm Applejack. And yer Rarity, right?” “Y-yes, Princess Rarity. Applejack, eh? How provincial! I love it…” The Princess was lost on the visage of her Knight. For a moment, their faces were very close, and the knight couldn’t help but be a bit lost in the princess's lovely blue eyes. Applejack the Peasant and Farmer would never even consider kissing a princess. The very thought would disgust her. Applejack the Knight, however… A high pitched scream coming from below interrupted them. “Who is that??” Rarity was completely confused. “Shoot. That’s my Bard. Looks like she mighta found your dragon.” The scream was followed by a castle-shaking roar. “Looks like she definitely found your dragon!! C’mon!! Stay behind me!” Applejack darted down the stairs, sprinting with fighting intent. Rarity followed a bit more carefully. “Y-you have a Bard?? Oh my!!” As they hasted through the castle, Rarity had some reservations. “U-um darling, why are we running towards the dragon? It’s very much unheard of, of a pony slaying one this big!!” Applejack did not slow down. “There’s a first time for everything.” She continued to gallop, determined to save her friend. They reached an antechamber, where they could see a massive figure move by beyond it, and the walls of the castle were suddenly lit up with the light of flames. Applejack entered the room with defiance, seeing a massive dragon with a chain bound to its neck pursuing pinkie through a massive hall, adorned with balconies all around it. Maybe this was a theater, a long time ago? The poor Bard was running in between columns, attempting to avoid its jaws and flames, screaming for Applejack’s help. The Knight noticed a chain bound the dragon’s neck, and started following it with her eyes. But her Bard was in trouble, and she had to step in. Applejack leaned against the railing. “HEY YA VARMINT! WHY DONTCHA PICK ON SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE!” The dragon stopped on its tracks, turning its head and looking at her with deadly intent. Pinkie felt immense relief hearing Applejack’s voice, but not enough to not be afraid. Applejack quickly got off the railing and grabbed her Princess, hiding behind a column as a burst of flames covered their sides. The Knight shielded the Princess with her entire body, protecting her from the flames no matter what, much to Rarity’s fluster. As the flames subsided, Applejack took a glance at what she tried searching before and found it. The dragon had massive chains that bound him to a wall, and Applejack was intent on reaching it. “The dragon’s a prisoner here, too…” She muttered to herself. “PINKIE! REMEMBER WHEN I TOLD YA TO BE QUIET?” “Y-yeah??!” Applejack readied her lasso. “WELL FORGET THAT. BE YOURSELF!!” Pinkie nodded, with fear, yet determination. She picked up one of her trumpets and started playing exceptionally loud, drawing the dragon’s attention to her. Applejack looked at the princess. “Climb on my back and hold on tight. Don’t let go for anything, ya hear?” Rarity was mesmerized. “U-um, yes?” The Princess hopped on her knight’s large back, holding onto her fiercely. Applejack quickly stepped over the railing, entangling her lasso on a chandelier, and jumping. Rarity clinged to her tightly, arms folded over her neck. “Oh, my knight…!” She whispered, with a smile on her face, too distracted to scream in fear. As the dragon prepared to incinerate her friend, Applejack swung over the massive hall, holding the lasso with her mouth front hooves. She hit the first target dead to rights; bucking the back of the dragon’s head mid-air, resulting in the beast smashing its head against a wall, choking on its own flames. The impact propelled them exactly where she wanted, the second target was the balcony in which the chain was bound. Applejack commanded the Princess to dismount and take cover, which she hesitantly did. “PINKIE!! GET IT TO PULL THE CHAIN!” Applejack hopped on the wall, and started pulling the chain at its base, literally suspending herself on the wall with the strength she was pulling it. Her back hooves started cracking the concrete. The Princess marveled at that feat of strength, mesmerized. Pinkie played even more obnoxiously loud as she ran in the opposite direction of Applejack and her Princess. The dragon, irritated, tried following her, up until the chain was extended to its maximum capacity and met resistance. That chain was built to resist the strength of a dragon. It was not, however, built to resist the strength of a dragon and Applejack. The dragon and the Knight pulled on the chain with all their might, it grinded and gnashed, until it gave with a crack of stone, and Applejack fell on the floor. “A-are you okay, dear?” Rarity rushed to her aid. “Yup!” They heard the terrified Bard scream of fear. “We ain’t done, though.” Applejack quickly grabbed the tip of the chain she had just broken off the wall, and yanked it with all her might. The dragon was about to crush the poor Bard with its jaws, until its neck was yanked back by the Knight. “Well then?? C’mon, ya big lizard!!” The dragon turned to the Knight and her princess, staring at them very close with a snarl. Applejack stomped her hoof and pointed at the very breakable ceiling. “You’re free, you big idiot!! Get outta here, go on, GIT!!” The dragon roared at her with rage, which echoed on the walls and blasted those two with wind. Rarity had to cling to her Knight so as to not be blown away, but Applejack did not budge. The Knight stomped her hooves down, cracking the floor, and roared back at the dragon, a primal scream that unleashed every bit of pent up anger and frustration she had gathered this past week and maybe even further down her life. The result was a scream that shook the halls of the castle they were on, that made the dragon reconsider this pointless conflict. The Princess was once more mesmerized by her Knight. As Applejack stared the dragon down with narrowed eyes and heavy breaths, the dragon decided this fight was pointless and turned to the ceiling, considering its escape. “O-oh my goodness…!” The princess was exasperated, beholding Applejack. “We’re not done yet, Sugarcube. Climb onto my back again and hold on tight, don’t let go no matter what.” The princess jumped on her back and clinged to her, this time with enthusiasm and a smile. Applejack took out her lasso once more, and tossed it towards the dragon, entangling on one of its spines. She jumped and clinged to the dragon’s back with all her strength. “PINKIE!! HOP ON!” The Bard saw a chance and took it, skedaddling towards the lasso, trying to avoid being stomped by the distracted dragon, and managing to grab it with her teeth, barely hanging on. The dragon leaped towards the ceiling, breaking through, and so, they took flight. Applejack held on fiercely, making sure Rarity was safe as well, who herself was just mumbling sweet affirmations of love for her knight. The winds of the dragon’s wings were fierce, but Applejack did not falter. This was it. They soared for a couple of seconds on their extremely large mount, until Applejack saw her target; the lake they had passed when coming this way. “PINKIE, JUMP! THERE’S THE LAKE!!” The Knight let go of the dragon, leaping at incredible speed, hoping to reach its target, and so did the Bard. Applejack shifted Rarity to be under her instead of over her, and pointed her own back downwards, Shielding the princess from the crash with her body, holding her with her front hooves, fully aware that she might have overshot her jump, which she painfully had. The Knight shielded her tightly, the last hope she had. If the Princess lived at least, maybe things would be okay for Applejack’s family. A few seconds before they hit the ground like a meteor, the princess cast a diamond shield around them while clinging to her knight, softening the blow. They crashed and skidded and rolled, and Applejack protected her as best she could the entire way, until they were both steady on solid ground, breathing heavily, with Rarity on top. The crystal shield had broken after a few impacts, but it had kept them alive. Both of them breathed heavily after the ordeal. Applejack let go of the Princess, and quickly examined her. “You okay? You’re not hurt are ya?” Rarity stood over her, breathing heavily, staring at her rescuer in complete disbelief. And at the same moment, her Knight looked right back, after having faced down challenges many would run from just to do so. They both broke out in relieved laughter, even if for different reasons. For the Princess, her Knight had surpassed her every expectation, and gone above and beyond. She was already falling in love, and with every good reason. This was the beginning of her new life, and the fact that it had begun so explosively was nothing short of incentive to laugh joyfully. For the Knight, it was just that. She had, even if for short moments, actually been a Knight. She had broken into a dragon keep and rescued a Princess and fought and beat a dragon. All while still being secretly nothing more than a Peasant. She couldn’t help but laugh at how glad she was to just be alive at that moment. “I'm… I'm better than okay!!! Oh my goodness, you’re incredible!!” Rarity got up and hopped around the area, prancing cheerfully. Applejack stood up, stretching with difficulty due to her armor, feeling the bruises she had just gotten. More for the pile. She spotted Pinkie swimming out of the lake, and exhaled. At least one of them landed safely. “My sweet Knight!!! So strong!! So brave!! Oh my goodness, my goodness!! You sent a dragon running scared with a ROAR! That was incredible!! You’re incredible!!” Rarity pranced joyfully around her, truly happy, with her dress swaying in the wing beautifully. Applejack sighed in relief that they were done with that whole ordeal, and then a smile creeped on her cheeks, knowing this was gonna be the funnest part. Pinkie shook herself off, still clinging to the lasso, but profoundly happy to be off that acursed castle. Her mane went from soggy and wet to poofy and dry in a matter of seconds. Rarity pranced over to her. “Oh!!! And you even have a noble Bard to tell the tale of our love!! You’re prepared for everything, aren’t you, my Knight??” Pinkie let out an “aw, shucks” on being seen as noble. “Sure, sugarcube.” The Knight smiled. The princess acted as if she had been struck with a love arrow. “Oh, and you even have a cute pet name for me already…!!” Rarity pranced over to Applejack with loving intent. “Oh, my sweet knight…! You have my boundless gratitude for this amazing rescue!! This is the best day of my–” Applejack removed her helmet, showing her bruised and ashen covered face, letting her braid swing in the wind, with a serious glance, paying close attention to the Princess’s response. Shock, and surprise, followed by confusion and bewilderment with a hint of sorrow. Her eyes widened as her brows furrowed. “You… You’re a mare…? And… you’re a peasant…?” Applejack did not contain a grin on her face, as she quickly side eyed Pinkie, knowing she had just won the bet. “I'm a Farmer.” She stated with pride, then glanced at the Bard, smugly. “She was expecting a charming prince, i reckon?” Pinkie rolled her eyes, as she checked if her instruments and notebook were dry, realizing she might have lost the bet. The Princess looked down. “Y-yes, actually…” Rarity’s gaze turned to the floor with a look of sorrow, she was no longer paying attention to her surroundings, lost in thought. Her dreams had just crumbled. She was not getting a ticket to a better life where she was appreciated and respected, where her work mattered truly, where her generosity and love could spread further than ever. Nothing had changed, she would have to go back home and continue her routine of desperately attempting to expand her business and status. Were all her dreams shattered for good? Would she never be seen as a true princess? Would she ever have her art and craft be respected? Would she ever find her true love and live happily ever after? She glanced back at her knight, examining her large, muscular frame from top to bottom. A smile crept up her muzzle as she bit her lips. One of her dreams was very much alive, and it was right in front of her. She picked her mighty composure back up. “Well… I can work with this.” The Farmer’s ears twitched, her attention turning back to the princess, who was approaching her with a flirty look, with a sway in her step and a bounce on her mane. Uh oh. “The Princess and the Peasant, a love story for the ages!” Rarity proclaimed joyfully. Pinkie gasped, picking up her notebook. “That has a ring to it!!” the Bard muttered. Applejack was completely dumbfounded, hooves firm on the ground, unable to move, staring at the Princess that approached imminently with loving intent. Did she just lose the bet? With flying colors? Rarity leaned a hoof on her knight’s chestplate, looking her right in the eyes, savoring every loving word. “You’ll be my anchor, and I'll be your sail! After all, you are so brave… exceptionally strong… and quite handsome…” All air left Applejack’s lungs. “H-h-handsome??!!?!” She barely managed to repeat that part. The word, spoken sweetly, bounced around her head like a destructive pinball, breaking down her mental defenses. She had never been called that, much less by someone that looked the way Rarity did. The Farmer desperately gave a glance to Pinkie begging for help, but the Bard simply raised an eyebrow smugly, while writing down in her notebook.  “I'm not helping you outta this one, ‘handsome’” She whispered mockingly. “After all…” Rarity got even closer to her face, with a mischievous smile, batting her eyelashes, with a loving whisper. “Are you not my Knight in Shining Armor?” The fluster on Applejack's face reached critical proportions as she sweat buckets. The smell of the Princess’s perfume had completely enveloped her. She was not prepared for whatever might happen as Rarity’s muzzle reached closer and closer to hers.  Facing down a dragon was less terrifying than this. Rarity closed her eyes and attempted to kiss her knight, only to be met with air. She opened her eyes in confusion to see an flustered Applejack that simply had pushed her slightly at an arm’s length, unable to speak properly. “L-lady…” Rarity smiled, tilting her head, a motion Applejack recoiled from. “What’s the matter, stud? Come kiss your Princess!” she encouraged, and attempted to kiss her again, once again kissing air. Applejack easily kept the Princess at arm’s length. “L-lady!! Um. There’s been a mistake.” Rarity fussed, putting her hooves on her hips, pouting. “What mistake?? Have you not rescued me because you love me, hot stuff?? You’re my hero, aren’t you??” Handsome, stud, hot stuff, hero. Applejack suddenly found herself incredibly ashamed of ever wanting to hurt the Princess's feelings over this matter.  “N-no, I rescued you because I'm being paid for it. I need the money to save my family and my home. I-I'm not your knight or your prince, in fact, Prince Blueblood has paid me to rescue you so you can marry him.” This time, it was Rarity’s lungs that went empty. “I-i. What??!”  Her jaw dropped. Both of them felt a tad dizzy over what could have just happened. She scoffed and her face went red, as she turned her head away, running her hooves through her mane, a couple seconds passed as she reevaluated her rash actions. “Y-you almost kissed a PEASANT!! What are you doing??” She muttered to herself anxiously. Pinkie quietly booed that Applejack had denied herself a smooch from a princess. Rarity turned to Applejack with an awkward smile. “A-Applejack, w-was it?” “Eyup.” The Farmer said, still very flustered. The Princess was beyond embarrassment, face completely red. “I-i am very sorry for the… confusion. T-thank you for the rescue. But where is my Prince?” Applejack sighed of relief over the diffused situation. “B-back on central Equestria, in his castle.” “Why??” The princess was flabbergasted. Applejack groaned, thinking of the Prince’s very punchable face. ”Why, indeed. Why dontcha ask him when we get there?” “Get there? You mean–” Pinkie handed the Farmer her hat, and Applejack forked over her 20 bits, having lost the bet thoroughly. Applejack was relieved on getting her hat back, she was done playing knight. She started getting rid of the cumbersome armor she was wearing, although it felt light on her, it wasn’t very flexible. It felt good to shed this strange skin she adorned, even if, for a moment, she was a Knight, and had a Princess. She would not admit to herself that part of her liked it, very very much. “I’ve also been paid to escort you safely there. It’s a week's trip, so we better get goin.” “A week? Are we walking??” The Princess was a bit exasperated. “Well you don’t see wings in my back, do ya? C’mon, the sun’s setting soon, and I wanna get to that valley by nightfall.” Applejack pointed in the distance. Rarity was a bit taken back at seeing her knight without armor. Applejack was exceptionally built, and she had an aura of power to her, even without the safety of armor. And yet, she really was just a peasant. A peasant that had faced down a dragon for her. As they walked together in silence, Rarity muttered once more, shamefully. “S-sorry again, for. The confusion…” “Yeah, yeah.” Applejack sighed, relieved this part was over, trying not to think of the feelings that meeting had just stirred within her. The word “handsome” bounced around her head like a DVD idle screen. Pinkie took extensive notice of the spark that had ignited between the Princess and the Peasant that they had just thoroughly stamped out. She realized that this journey just got a lot more interesting. And so did the potential legend that could come out of this...