~~~~~A Knight's Virtue~~~~
A figure stood over a hill in a full clad of pegasi royal armor wield a shield with the crest of the pegasi and a sword. The only thing of the pegasi wearing armor was his orange wings, he held up a map peering at it though his full helmet.
“Where hath the ghastly beast taken her?”The knight questioned looking over his map.
“I pray its not too far, such a large beast must have a nest within these mountains!”The knight grumbled as he folded the map up stashing it into his pack.
A gallant knight was set on a personal quest to save some pony special to this knight, she wasn't any of the royal blood just a simple mare an earth pony at that thought lowly by the pegasi race. A forbidden love if you will, a pegasi and an earth pony together is a great shame to their nations. The current paradigm of the earth pony and pegasi nations were very uneasy, a knight of the royal pegasi court to fall for a simple earth pony.
“I shall find thee my love, even if it takes many winters.”The knight muttered as he walked along the trail.
The knight came upon a small pegasi ground village for their somewhat trades for unicorn and earth pony nations, the knight was stopped by a pegasi guard.
“You there, what is a knight of the royal court business doing here?”The guard asked.
“The concern is of my own..I seek a dragon whom took my loved one...”The knight answered as the guard looked around.
“And what does the mare look like sire?”The guard asked.
“Her coat is orange....and her mane golden.....she is an earth pony and she is a commoner, have you seen her?.”The knight answered as the guard took a step back.
“You court an earth pony who is a commoner surely you jest?!”The guard exclaimed as the knight seemed to tense up some.
“Take heed of what ye say, for they could be your last, fool...”The knight answered darkly as the guard took a step back.
“Your wasting thou time.....That earth pony is mos--” The guard was stopped with a bash of the knight's shield.
“I warned thee, to choose thou words.”The knight towered over the unconscious guard.
The crowds stopped to see the knight standing over the unconscious guard.
“Go about your day.”The knight said as he left the town.
The knight made it to a river side as he sat upon a boulder and removed his helmet showing an orange pegasi with a brown mane and an eye patch over his left eye.
“I will find thee my love, that foul dragon shall feel thou wrath.”The knight muttered as he took a drink from the stream.
The knight pulled his map out again muttering to himself as he skimmed the map.
“This infernal map helps me none! I pray to the winds that she is unharmed...”The knight muttered balled the map up and tossed it.
The knight sat there muttering to himself with his thoughts drifting back to how he and the mare first met.
~~~~~A year before.~~~
The knight landed on a field panting slightly from just finishing up his aerial practice for today, the training wasn't easy in a full set of royal armor but he did it regardless. From a distance a he spotted a mare who had been watching him, he removed his helmet to get a better view as she approached. They seem to stop and look at each other for a moment, the mare wore a simple brown tunic with some baggy matching pants.
“What...a royal pegasi knight doin out here?”The mare asked as the knight only blinked.
“I was training, fair lady...”The knight answered as the mare crossed her arms.
“Tha way yah talk, yer definitely from the palace..”The mare said as she quirked an eyebrow.
“I have no quarrel with you, my lady....”The knight said with a weak smile trying to keep his composer.
“Ah don't know, normally a royal pegasi knight aren't this polite towards commoners or Earth ponies fer that matter.”The mare replied as he cleared his throat some.
“Well, I'm not like higher ups I serve, my lady.” The knight said as he bowed lightly as she quirked her eye brow.
“Tis my chivalry, my fair lady.”He said as he smirked as the mare chuckled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The knight's memory was interrupted by the sound of a distant roar as he looked up seeing smoke rising from a distant cave.
“HA! I knew that beast was close!” The knight exclaimed as he stood up and placed his helmet back on.
As the knight made a dash towards the caves the woods around him flickered as he stopped and looked around.
“Whoa wait every pony, we need to stop.... Twilight and Glistening are getting worn out.” Lowell called out as he took off the knight helmet.
Lowell looked out to the crowd and smiled a bit as there was some muttering in the crowd.
“Just give us about an hour break? We will continue after the break!”Lowell said as the ponies started to disperse.
He sets the helmet down as Applejack came from behind the curtain smiling at him.
“Ah can't believe we are pullin this off....”Applejack said as she smiled at the stallion as he crossed his arms with a grin.
“Of course, Golden Ray wrote this play and I'll be darned on messin it up!”Lowell said as Applejack rolled her eyes.
“In any case sugarcube, ya'll do look rather dashing in that get up.” Applejack said with a grin as Lowell smirked.
“Well, I have always wanted to be a knight.” Lowell said as he offered his hand to the mare.
“Care fer a dance, my lady?” Lowell asked as Applejack chuckled before she took his hand.
“Ah certainly would my dashing knight.” Applejack answered as she chuckled.
The two started their dancing, much like their dance from their wedding as Applejack rested her head onto his shoulder.
“Ya'll still can't dance to save yer life.” Applejack teased as Lowell rolled his eye.
“Thats why your leading my fair maiden.” Lowell replied as he rested his chin between her ears.
Applejack only chuckled before she looked up and kissed him on the lips, he happily returned the kiss as he closed his eye and held her hands. They parted their kiss after about a minute and just stared into each others eyes with a soft smile.
“Love ya Jackie, and always will..”Lowell whispered as he kissed her forehead.
“Ah love ya too sugarcuabe, and always will.” Applejack whispered back as she rested her head onto his chest.
Lowell gently wrapped his arms around the mare's waist as he smiled softly, Applejack only relaxed in his arms.
“And don't ya worry, I'll take care of that big bad dragon fer ya.” Lowell teased as Applejack rolled her eyes.
“Yer lucky that ya'll are needed fer the rest of the play or ah would have hogtied ya.”Applejack replied with a devious grin as Lowell smiled nervously.
“I'm not easy to be rid of dear.”Lowell said as he kissed the mare's forehead.
Applejack rolled her eyes before she flicked his nose causing him to wiggle his nose, as they both left the stage to go and relax. Lowell, Applejack, Twilight and Glistening were sitting back stage of the stage set up in the middle of Ponyville.
“Ah'm still amazed by how real that the set looked ya'll.”Applejack said as she smiled at Twilight and Glistening.
“I'm still surprised we can actually pull that off....its tiring.”Glistening answered with a nervous smile.
“Though do I have to use a real sword...isn't that well dangerous?”Lowell asked.
“You should be fine, your only going to fight an illusion.”Twilight answered as Lowell shrugged.
“True.” Lowell said as he took a sip of his apple juice.
The group stood up after a good while as Lowell and Applejack got dressed back into their play attire.
“Ya'll ready fer round two sugarcube?” Applejack asked with a smirk.
“Doth thee jest with me?”Lowell answered as Applejack quirked her eye brow.
“Yea, I'm ready.”Lowell replied with a smirk.
The curtains slowly rose as the knight was dashing though the forest towards the base of the mountains,
as the knight closed in on the caves just to see smoke billowing out of the entrance.
“This beast has revealed itself, thou grave mistake!”The knight called out as he drew his sword and shield.
A burst of fire blew past the knight as he held up his shield slowly walking into the cave peering into the dark cave for the beast.
“Face me you foul being and release my beloved one!”The knight demanded as he pointed his sword to the darkness.
Moments later a dragon with black scales landed in front of the knight towering over him by twenty feet. I thought it would be taller, darn changes. Lowell thought as he held his shield up. The dragon reared back as it blew a long stream of flame at the knight as he blocked it with his shield. They are making this all real like geez! I can feel that heat! Lowell thought as he stood up ducking under a swing.
“I will slay thee, feel thou wrath evil being!”The knight yelled as he blocked a swing from its tail causing him to stumble back.
He then jumped over the swing of the dragon's tail as he leaped forward driving his sword into the dragon's heart, the dragon threw the knight back as he slammed against the cave wall. Bucking rewrites. Lowell thought as he groan slowly getting up, a second dragon landed beside the first dragon which had died.
“Whoa!” Lowell called out as he pulled off his helmet.
“One dragon! I was told one dr....”Lowell said as the setting faded away but there was a dead dragon laying on the stage as every pony just stared.
“.....That...wasn't a fake.....oh buck, that's a real.”Lowell muttered as he fell back some as his eye twitched.
“Lowell!! Are ya'll alright!” Applejack asked as she kneeled beside him as he pointed at the dragon.
“I...uh....I killed a real...dragon....”Lowell rambled some as Applejack was feeling his forehead.
“What the buck!!”Lowell yelled as he brushed his hand thru his mane.
Curtains close on the scene leaving the crowd a bit confused but none the wiser that there was an actual dragon,