//------------------------------//
// A Change in the Circumstances 
// Story: Shakespony: Twelfth Night 
// by DisneyFanatic23 
//------------------------------//

	Big Mac woke from the amazing dream. He had been with an angel, glowing brighter than the brightest diamond in the world. When his vision came into focus he found himself in an unfamiliar room. He was lying on a daybed and then realized it had not been a dream. His first instinct was to check if he was clothed. Thankfully, he was.

The beautiful unicorn had been real. Rarity, he believed her name to be. They had talked for some time, she of the latest fashions and he of Haystings, without revealing his parentage. He never told mares who he was, for fear they would only want him for his money and title. This unicorn did not seem to care and did not even ask of his station. She treated him as if she had known him all her life.

Soon they found themselves kissing. As the wonderful sensation passed through him, the tongue became involved and then the pretty mare pressed him against the daybed. They must have fallen asleep in each other's hooves.

The night had been wonderful, but what Big Macintosh did not understand was why it had happened. He stood up and looked out the window. The sky was still blue, Celestia's sun was where it should be, the grass was still green. He looked down at himself. He had all his hooves, his coat felt real, it was still orange from Trixie's spell...

Trixie! He had not thought of his dear friend! She was probably worried sick! He would have a hard time explaining what happened, especially since he was not sure himself.

Or was he imagining all this? No, everything around him felt real. He could not be mad. He considered that the mare could be mad, but he did not think that possible either. If she were mad, she would not be able to command her servants and run the household.

Something was not right about all this.

"Darling?"

He turned to the sound of the sweet voice and his mind went blank at the sight of the unicorn. She was wearing a simple, but elegant white gown and a wedding veil. She was followed by a priest.

"Oh, you must think I'm going too fast," Rarity said, taking the hooves of her beloved, "but after what we shared last night, I could not wait any longer!" She smiled as she gazed at his face. "It's funny. For some reason, you look even handsomer than when we first met. I promise you I'll be a devoted wife. We can keep it in secret until you're ready for us to come out in public. Then we can have an appropriate celebration. Oh. If...if you'll have me."

Big Macintosh was so enthralled with her beautiful face that he was not thinking straight. He was still unsure as to what was going on, but the only thing that felt right about this situation was her.

"Eeyup," he said dreamily.

Rarity grinned and threw her hooves around him. "Oh, how I've dreamed to hear you say that! Let's go, my love, so that Celestia may bless our union!"

"Eeyup."





"You have to tell him!" Twilight urged.

"Why now?" Applejack asked.

"Rarity gave you a locket! You have to fix this before he gets the wrong idea!"

"I...I don't know, Twi..."

"He'll understand if you explain the reason why! Now go!"

Applejack gulped and opened the door to the throne room. Spike was in his usual spot, listening to Octavia play the cello. Both Applejack and Twilight were surprised, because something about this scene was different. The music was not sad, but cheerful, and Spike was...smiling.

"Uh...Spike?" Twilight uttered.

The dragon sat up and his smile grew wider. "Good morning, sister! Good morning, Applejack! Lovely day, isn't it?"

The two mares glanced at each other.

"Ya want me to tell him while he's so happy?" Applejack whispered.

"Of course!" Twilight replied. "You're never going to find him in better shape to receive the news!" She turned to her brother. "Applejack has something to tell you."

"Don't tell me!" Spike exclaimed, leaping off the throne. "You two are engaged!"

"What?!" the two of them shouted.

"Come on, I know love when I see it! For the past few weeks, you've both been walking about with your heads in the clouds, staring into space with dreamy looks in your eyes and barely paying attention to what I am saying. Seeing you two holding hooves at the jousting match only confirmed my suspicions!"

"You saw that?" Twilight asked nervously.

"Of course, I did! I just want you two to know that you have my blessing!"

"No!" Applejack insisted. "You've got it all wrong! We didn't come here to talk about that!"

"Oh?" Spike said, raising an eyebrow. "Then what did you come to talk about?"

Applejack looked over at Twilight, who only nudged him forth.

"Ya see, my lord," the disguised mare tried to say, "there's something you should know about me. I..."

The minute she looked into his eyes, she lost all knowledge of speech. How would he react if she told him? Would he be angry or just shocked? And what would he even say? Why did he look so happy right now? Was it because he thought the Lady Rarity was warming up to him? Had Applejack somehow given him false hope?

There were so many questions running through her head that Applejack did not even think about the next thing she said:

"Lady Rarity is in love with me!"

Her hoof flew to her mouth as soon as the words escaped. Her heart sank as Spike's smile disappeared.

"WHAT?!" he shouted furiously.

"But she," Twilight said, "I mean he, didn't mean to make it happen!"

"Honest!" Applejack insisted. "I did nothing to encourage her!"

Spike paced back and forth. "You're lying to me! She can't be in love with you!"

"She is! Or at least thinks she is. She gave me this locket and told me to wear it!"

She brought out the necklace for proof. Spike took it in his claw, opened it, saw Rarity's picture and the engraving: R loves AJ. His cheeks grew hot with jealousy and he threw the locket to the floor.

"How could you?!" he bellowed. "I trusted you!"

"I didn't do anything!" Applejack declared. "I don't love her! I just...I didn't..."

"What Applejack means," Twilight interjected, "is that this wouldn't have happened if you had just gone and told Rarity your feelings yourself!"

The mares jumped back as Spike started blowing smoke out of his nostrils. "You're right! I'm going to see her right now! Twilight, you're coming with us!"

"Us?" Applejack asked.

"Of course! We're both going to set her straight! And bring your sister too! Fillies are more influential!"

Twilight glared at the pagecolt. "That's not all Applejack has to tell you."

He turned around angrily. "You mean there's more?!"

Applejack's face went pale. She could not tell him. Not now while he was so angry. So she picked another issue that was just as important.

"There's a mare in prison, my lord. She's a criminal, but she saved my life yesterday in a sword fight. I tried to bail her out, but they said only your command could set her free."

This request seemed to calm Spike down a little. "Well, if this mare saved you, I would certainly free her. What is her name?"

"They called her...Trixie something."

Both Spike and Twilight gasped. "Trixie?!"

"You know her?"

"Know her?!" Spike exclaimed. "She tried to kill our father!"

"Her father tried to kill our father," Twilight corrected him. "Trixie's target was me. She's returned to Illyrimane?"

"Yes, but she saved my life," Applejack reminded them.

"I'm sorry, Applejack, but we cannot release her under any circumstances. Trixie is a dangerous unicorn and a traitor."

"If she's so dangerous, why did she risk saving my life?"

"If she's in prison, we'll have to deal with her any way," Spike grumbled. "You!" he shouted to one of the guards. "Go to the prison and tell the soldiers to bring Trixie Lulamoon to the Lady Rarity's estate! We'll deal with her on our way there and save ourselves a trip to the prison."

He then called for two more guards, one of them Flash Sentry, to accompany them and Applejack returned to the throne room shortly with her sister. As they set off on their journey, Twilight brought Applejack aside.

"First you tell Spike that the love of his life wants another and now you want us to free a dangerous criminal?!"

"Trixie mentioned my brother's name," Applejack whispered. "I must find out if he's alive."

Twilight looked at her wearily. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I," the disguised mare mumbled to herself.





Discord had Fluttershy pressed against the wall, his mouth happily ravishing hers.

"Discord," Fluttershy giggled, playfully pushing him away. "I have my duties."

"Indeed you do," Discord said, wriggling his eyebrows. "Duties to your husband."

He held up his paw, revealing the gold band on his finger.

"What if some pony sees us?" his wife asked nervously.

"Who cares? We have nothing to hide."

Fluttershy smiled and closed her eyes as he moved in to kiss her again. Then, out of the corner of his eyes, he spied a familiar orange stallion prancing across the orchard. He seemed to be in merry spirits, the perfect time to catch him off-guard.

His wife opened her eyes in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

"I'll be right back, darling," Discord said, releasing his hold on her. "I have a score to settle."