//------------------------------// // Life and Love // Story: Shakespony: Twelfth Night // by DisneyFanatic23 //------------------------------// Soarin paced back and forth in front of the blue tent, his armor clanking with every step he took. He then decided he could not take it anymore and called to the pony inside. "Hurry up, Rainbow Dash! It's almost time for the tournament and you've been taking forever!" "Give me a minute!" Rainbow cried. "Ow! Scootaloo! Not so tight!" Soarin tapped his hoof as he waited for his comrade. A few minutes later, the cyan pegasus emerged from the tent in his suit of armor. Following him was a young orange pegasus colt with a purple mane wearing a squire's uniform. "You know," Soarin said, "it would be a whole lot faster if we changed together. Why do you always insist on changing alone?" "I have my reasons," Rainbow said bluntly before turning to his squire. "Scootaloo, fetch my lance." The young colt saluted. "Yes, sir! Right away, Sir Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow could not help but giggle as the lad skittered off. "Say, uh, Rainbow?" Soarin uttered, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah?" Rainbow replied. "Could you, uh...go a little easy on me?" "Soarin, Soarin, Soarin. Even if I do go easy on you, you know I'll beat you. I always beat you." "Yeah, but...you see...Lady Rarity is watching today and..." Rainbow rolled his eyes. "Why don't you just forget about her? She's way, way, way out of your league." "But if I look like a hero, maybe she won't think that! Please, Rainbow? Help a buddy out?" Rainbow cringed as the light blue pegasus fell on his knees. He wanted to say no, as he did not want to see his comrade get his heart broken. On the other hoof, impressing this lady meant a lot to him. After much thought, Rainbow let out a sigh. "Okay, okay. I'll go easy on you. But don't guarantee a victory. I've got a reputation to uphold." His cheeks turned pink as Soarin suddenly flung his hooves around his neck. "Thanks, Rainbow Dash! You're a pal!" Meanwhile, the Duke Spike and his party were settling into their seats. Since the dragon was Duke of Illyrimane, he had his own box, and a throne, of course. He insisted that Applejack sit beside him, followed by Twilight. Applebloom was content sitting at her sister's hooves, since the other two seats were reserved for the Lady Rarity and her lady in waiting. Standing at Lady Twilight's side was Flash Sentry, who was there for protection. "Oh, this is so exciting!" Twilight exclaimed. "I haven't been to a joust since Father passed away." "You like jousts, milady?" Applejack inquired. "Oh, yes! I find it all quite fascinating and suspenseful! I wish I were allowed to joust!" "Don't be ridiculous, Twilight," Spike huffed. "Mares don't joust." The dragon glanced around and then whispered to Applejack. "I don't see her. You think she forgot?" "She said she'd be here," Applejack said with a shrug. "Remember, she invited you." "Look," Twilight proclaimed. "There's the Lady Rarity." Spike turned to where his sister was pointing and froze at the sight of the white unicorn and her entourage coming up the pews. "What do I do?!" he asked Applejack in desperation. "What do I say?!" "'Hello' would be a start," Applejack murmured. Rarity approached the Duke slowly, her gaze filled with disinterest. "Good afternoon, my lord," she said. Spike tried to speak, but his tongue had tied itself in a knot. The mare's beauty was just too distracting! Applejack had to give him a hard poke in the side to get a word out. The result was: "HALOOO!" The dragon winced in embarrassment. Rarity just raised an eyebrow at him. Then she turned to the pagecolt and smiled brightly. "Good afternoon, Master Applejack." Applejack bowed her head. "Milady." "And Twilight! So nice to see you, darling." "Nice to see you too, Rarity," the purple unicorn said with a grin. Spike glanced between them in confusion. "You two know each other?" Twilight rolled her eyes. "Yes, we met at the Summer Sun Celebration last year! Don't you listen to a word I say?" "Where shall I sit, my lord?" Rarity asked the dragon. Spike tried to speak again, but as soon as his eyes locked with those sparkling sapphires, he was back to being dumbstruck. Applejack came to his rescue. "My master wishes that you be seated beside him." "Very well," Rarity said, sitting down. "Fluttershy, you may sit by me." "Where will I sit?" Discord complained, crossing his arms. "You can sit in the pews, Uncle. Just don't frighten away the other lords and ladies." "You can have my seat," Fluttershy said softly. The draconequus stopped her from rising. "No, no. I'll just make my own seat." He snapped his fingers and suddenly the box was wider and Discord was sitting on a black and red throne. Rarity rolled her eyes with a groan. At least he was not hurting any pony. "Where's your donkey, milady?" Applejack asked. The white unicorn smiled as she faced the pagecolt. "Cranky? He takes no pleasure in jousts. 'Uncivil,' he calls them. What about you? What do you think of these tournaments?" "I think they're darn right excitin' and challengin' events." "Oh," Fluttershy uttered. "I hope no pony gets hurt." "Says the mare who knocked me upside the head three times this morning," Discord grumbled. "Who do you think will win?" Rarity asked Applejack. "My money is on Sir Rainbow Dash. He's won sixteen tournaments this past year!" "Sir Soarin is nearly as good," Twilight said. "They are both personal friends of mine," said Discord, "and I don't have to attend these things to know that Dashie always beats Soarin." Applejack shrugged. "Maybe he'll get lucky. Don't you think so, my lord?" Spike was too busy staring at Rarity to hear. "Huh?" Applejack groaned, knowing that this was going to be a long day. Applebloom crossed her hooves as the adults conversed with each other, barely even noticing she was there. Her ears perked up as she heard a "Pssst!" She looked up to see Sweetie Belle crouched down on the floor, her hoof beckoning her to follow her. Applebloom smiled mischievously and complied with her command. "Let's go exploring," Sweetie Belle whispered once they were out of the box. "Yeah," Applebloom nodded. "They'll hardly notice we're gone anyway." They crept along the pews and down the steps, careful not to attract attention from the nobles. Then they snuck behind the stands to where the knights were strapping on their armor. They ducked behind a tent and watched as an orange pegasus colt with purple hair carried a lance to one of the knights. "You're late, Scootaloo," Sir Rainbow Dash grumbled as he took his weapon. "But you're earlier than Soarin's squire." "Where is that boy, anyway?" Soarin questioned. "Button Mash!" The pegasus tapped his foot as he waited. A minute later, a brown earth colt with reddish-brown hair came panting, carrying a heavy lance. "What took you so long?" Soarin demanded. "Sorry, sir!" Button wheezed, still catching his breath. "I was watching those knights over there fence!" "How many times have I told you? If you ever want to be a knight, you have to focus!" "I have focus! I'm like a ninja! Always aware! Always... Ooh, look at that butterfly!" The spying fillies giggled at the scene. "He's cute," Sweetie Belle whispered. "Which one?" Applebloom asked. "The orange one that looks like a girl?" "No, the brown one with the short attention span who thinks he's a ninja." The unicorn filly sighed. "He's silly in an adorable way." "What's a ninja, anyway?" "No idea." "Oh, I can't watch!" Fluttershy cried, covering her eyes as the two stallions charged for each other. "Don't worry, my dear," Discord assured her. "They'll be fine. They're professionals." Applejack only vaguely heard what was going on around her. As much as she loved a good joust, her attention was on the dragon sitting on the throne beside her. His attention was on the fair white unicorn next to him, but Applejack did not care. Just getting to look at him was enough. Then as she tilted her head to find a better angle, she noticed the Lady Rarity staring in her direction. She assumed the unicorn was returning the Duke's gaze, until she saw that she was leaning forward and looking past him. Applejack glanced behind her, trying to find what had captured the lady's interest. She looked back and found her eyes locked with Lady Rarity's. Applejack stiffened in horror as she realized what the object of the unicorn's fascination was. She did not understand. Why was she looking at her and not her master? What was it about her the lady found more interesting than the Duke? Was there something on her face? The dreamy gaze Rarity was sending her made Applejack wriggle in discomfort. Then she saw that gleam in her eyes which was all too familiar. She looked down at her male garb. Uh oh, she thought. It was impossible and downright creepy, but the signs told all. The Lady Rarity was not in love with the Duke, because she had fallen in love with her! This was bad. The Lady Rarity could not be in love with her! For one thing, Applejack was not even a real stallion! For another, it was her job to match the unicorn with her master! Third, she was in love with someone else, who was in love with the very mare who was in love with her! Applejack put her hoof to her head, feeling like she was going to faint. She shook herself back to her senses, telling herself the whole idea was ridiculous. The lady could not be in love with her. If she was, Applejack had to correct her. She could not reveal her identity, but she had to show her unavailability somehow. She turned toward the Lady Twilight, who was too enthralled in the tournament to notice her distress. Flash Sentry was guarding her side, smiling as he watched her. Knowing this was a dangerous but necessary move, Applejack took her mistress' hoof. Twilight's eyes widened at her touch. She glanced down at their hooves and then at the pagecolt in bewilderment. Applejack tilted her head towards the Lady Rarity, who was just as confused as Twilight. "What are you...?" the purple unicorn started to ask. "Just pretend, milady," Applejack whispered. "I'll explain later." Twilight glanced nervously at Flash Sentry, who was glaring at the disguised mare. Applejack hastily shook her head, insisting that it was not what he thought! "Explain now," Twilight whispered. Applejack sighed. "Lady Rarity keeps lookin' at me. I want her to think I'm taken." "Ah," her mistress said, nodding in understanding. "Very well, but just the hooves." "Thank ya, Twilight." The purple unicorn sent her secret lover a glance, telling him that she would explain later. Applejack sighed in relief when she saw that Lady Rarity was no longer staring. Now that that problem was solved, she had to fix the other. She nudged her master, snapping him out of his trance. "Say something to her," she whispered. "Huh?" Spike uttered. "Oh, yeah." He turned to Rarity. "Um...you, uh...you...I..." Applejack groaned and pushed him hard. Unfortunately, all that did was knock him off his throne. "Are you alright, my lord?!" Applejack asked in panic. "I'm so sorry!" "I'm fine," Spike grumbled. He blushed in embarrassment as he crawled back into his seat. Rarity looked at him strangely for a moment and then returned her attention back to the match. When the two knights had cleared the field, a small orange colt stepped out and addressed the audience. "Mares and gentlecolts, lords and ladies, townsponies and peasants! I give you the most fearless, most daring, most amazing pegasus ever to come out of the grand city of Cloudsdale! The great champion, Sir Rainbow Dash!" The crowd stomped their hooves in applause as the noble knight came onto the field, blowing kisses to his adoring fans. Discord noticed Fluttershy's spirits lift and she clapped her hooves excitedly. He followed her gaze towards Rainbow Dash and then looked back at her. The draconequus felt a twist in his heart and a boiling in his stomach. He was not sure why, but he felt...envious. Another squire, this one brown, came into view, but was more nervous. "Um..." he stammered. "M-m-mares and g-g-gentlecolts...I, uh...here is...Sir Soarin!" Button raced off before his knight could appear. The applause was less enthusiastic. Rainbow Dash watched as Soarin glanced over at the Lady Rarity. It would mean a lot to his friend if he won for once, and in front of the mare he desired. The multi-colored pegasus sighed, knowing he was going to regret this. The referee made his call and the two knights charged for each other. The ponies watched in anticipation as their lances drew nearer and nearer. "Come on, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy whispered. It looked like Sir Rainbow was going to win, but at the last minute, he turned his weapon away from his opponent and Soarin's lance struck him hard in the chest, sending him flying backward into a pile of hay. The audience gasped, as they had never seen Sir Rainbow Dash lose. Once they got over their shock, they cheered Soarin's name and the ladies tossed roses at the victor. Soarin took a moment to bask in his glory before turning to help his friend. "Thanks, Rainbow Dash," Soarin whispered as he lifted him out of the hay. "You're the best." Rainbow groaned as he rubbed his aching chest. "Don't remind me." Applejack knew she was dreaming, for she wore a dress. She had not worn a dress in weeks. For a second she hoped her entire male masquerade had been the dream and she was awake now. Then she heard a familiar, deep voice: "We've been through this, Applejacqueline!" She turned around to see Big Macintosh, alive and angry. She wanted to rejoice at seeing him, but for some reason she shouted something else: "So you'll remember that I don't wanna marry Blueblood! I don't love him!" Big Macintosh stomped his hoof. "You'll learn to love him!" "Why him? Of all the stallions in the world, why him?" "He's the only suitor who can withstand yerr unladylike behavior!" "He just wants our money, Big Mac! He doesn't care for me!" "I'm yerr brother! I'm the head of this family now, so I decide what's best for ya!" "You're not Father, Big Mac! Ya can't tell me what to do! Only I know what's best for me!" "You're marryin' Prince Blueblood and that's final!" He recoiled as she spat in his face. "Go jump in the sea!" Big Macintosh was about to respond when the room shook suddenly and the two of them were knocked off their hooves. "What the devil?" Applejack uttered. The door swung open and Applebloom stood there panting. "Big Mac! Applejacqueline! There's a big storm out there!" She squealed as the room tilted and she gripped the door for balance. "Come here, sis," Applejack said, opening her forelegs for the filly. She held her sister tight and Big Macintosh wrapped his forelegs around them both. "I'm scared," Applebloom said with a shiver. "Don't worry, sis," Applejack said, stroking her mane. "Everything will be alright." "Eeyup," Big Macintosh agreed. Applejack's head shot up at the sound of water and a wave came bursting through the door. The three siblings screamed as it swept over them. Applejack could feel her brother's hooves slipping from her body. "No!" she shouted. "Big Macintosh!" "Applejack!" her brother cried. "Applejack!" The second time he called her name was not in his voice, but Twilight's. "Applejack, wake up!" Her eyes opened to see the purple unicorn standing over her and shaking her wildly. "What's goin' on?" Applebloom yawned from the bunk above. "Twilight, what is it?" Applejack inquired. "It's Spike!" Twilight cried. "I went to check on him, like I do every night when he's asleep, but he wasn't in bed! And I found this note on his desk!" She handed Applejack the paper and she scanned over the words: Whosoever shalt read this shalt know that I have quitted this world. Being without love, I shall throw myself into the sea... Applejack could not read any further and demanded, "Where is he?!" "I came to you as soon as I found this!" Twilight exclaimed. "Why?! He could be drowned by now!" "I don't think so! The ink is fresh! But if my brother is about to commit suicide, you must convince him not to!" "Why me?" "You're the only one he'll listen to!" "He hasn't even known me that long!" "Doesn't matter! He trusts you! We've got to find him!" "He said he'd throw himself into the sea. Where would he go?" Twilight gasped. "There's a cliff just beyond the garden gate. Oh, Applejack! You must hurry!" Applejack did not argue and bolted out of the room. She did not stop once, not even to check if she was going the right way. She prayed that she was not too late and that the love of her life was not gone from this world! What would drive him to take his own life? There was a thunderstorm outside and already, Applejack was getting drenched, but she did not care. The garden gate was fast approaching and it was hanging open. Once she was beyond it, she finally came to a halt. Just as Twilight had predicted, Spike was standing at the edge of a cliff, gazing down at the black water. His back was to her, so Applejack had to make her presence known. "Spike!" The Duke turned his head. His surprise was quickly replaced with anger. "Don't come any closer!" he shouted coldly. "Spike!" Applejack cried in desperation, forgetting to disguise her voice. "Why are you doin' this?!" "Why? WHY?! Because she doesn't love me! She hardly paid me any attention at the tournament today! And me...I was so stupid! I couldn't say a word to her! I...I just can't take it anymore!" Tears were forming in the mare's eyes. "Spike, please! This isn't the answer!" "And I get why! I'm a terrible duke!" "That's not true!" "Yes, it is! The ponies are right! Father shouldn't have made me ruler! I'm not even his real son! I'm not even a pony! I wasn't even ready for this!" It was his turn to cry. "Did any pony tell you how old I was?" Applejack opened her mouth and realized that they had not. "I'm fifteen! I'm just a boy! I can't run a whole duchy! I can't even get the love of my life to notice me!" He gazed back down at the rocks and water below. "No pony will even care when I'm gone!" "I'll care!" Applejack shouted over the howling wind and thunder. "So will Twilight! She cares for you, and loves ya like a brother! Do ya really think she would be better off without ya?" "She can have a life, not having to worry about me!" "What if she ends up like the Lady Rarity? She swore off stallions after her brother died! Do ya want Twilight to suffer the same fate?" "At least she'll honor her memory of me!" "And what if some stallion comes and asks for her hoof and she rejects him? He might suffer like you!" "No pony suffers like I do! No pony loves like I do!" "But I do!" Spike paused and faced the pagecolt again. Applejack stiffened at what she had just revealed. She wanted to take it back, but she had to convince him that she understood what he was going through and that he was not alone. "I mean I know of a pony," she said, "who loved like you did!" She paused as she chose her words carefully. "I...I didn't always have one sibling. My father had another daughter. She was in love." She bit her lip. "In a way...if I were a mare...I would...love you." The dragon was intrigued. "What's her story?" Applejack hung her head. "There's no story, my lord. She never told him. She kept her feelings hidden, because she knew if she told him, it would destroy his chances of happiness. So she destroyed her own happiness instead." Spike took a step toward her. "What happened to her?" Applejack looked up and met his eyes. "She got lost at sea." Everything she said was true. Although she had disguised it as the story of her nonexistent sister, she was professing her undying love for the dragon before her. This was as close as she was ever going to get to telling him everything. "Somewhere out there," she continued, "is a mare who will love you with that much passion. But you'll never find her if you go through with this. And I'm not leavin' without you." She held out her hoof, her eyes pleading for him to come to her, insisting that she needed him like apple trees needed water, that the world would be a dreary place if he was not in it. She loved him more than life itself. They held gaze for a very long time, until Spike raced towards her and flung his tiny arms around her. Applejack clutched him tight as he buried his face in her chest and sobbed. He was like a child, looking to his mother for comfort. For the first time, Applejack felt like he did trust her to be showing this side of himself to her. Now she saw him for what he was: not a cold, hopelessly romantic duke, but a scared boy just desperate for love and happiness. Well, he was fifteen, so not that much a boy. She pulled him tighter, not ever wanting to let him go, for fear he would disappear if she did. Even if they were struck by lightning at that moment, she would not be torn from him. As she held him, she knew for sure that no matter how hard she tried to suppress it, no matter how hard she tried to forget it, there was no doubt that she was deeply and unconditionally in love with the Duke. "Don't leave me," he whispered. Applejack smiled as she stroked the spines on his head. "Never."