//------------------------------//
// Prince Rescuer, At Your Service! 
// Story: Marie's Story 
// by Musical Note 
//------------------------------//

Xavier had eventually made his way into the library, and healed himself with his magic after finding a spell. "Ah, that's better!" He sighed with relief. "Now to save Marie."

He trotted out the doors of the castle, and decided instead of a pampered carriage ride on this journey, he'd go alone and survive the horrors of Meldania's forest, even though he had no clue where David had taken her.

Jill said, "Jimmy, you go make sure...Xavier doesn't kill himself, I'll try and find Marie."

"On it!" Jimmy replied as he was flying off to follow him. Jill darted off in the other direction.

Meanwhile, somewhere deep in the EverFree Forest back in Equestria, Marie woke up in a small bedroom. "W-Where am I? Why do I always have to wake up and be somewhere else?" She paused for a moment then gasped, "Wait a second...this place...it seems familiar...my old house! This was my bedroom when I was a filly..."

David knocked on her door, "Oh, sweet-heart, I made you breakfast!" 

Marie replied from the other side of the door, "Let me out of here! I don't want breakfast, either!"

"That door will remained locked until our wedding day. Love me or not, you're going to be my wife, and Queen of Equestria. With this necklace of yours, now made into a weapon, I can take over this pathetic land. Just think of it, ponies perishing and screaming, towns burning down to a crisp, and we'll be the rulers of it!" David stated.

Marie growled, "No, never! I thought you said last night that you didn't even love me! Why would you want to marry me now?!"

"Because you're beautiful, and an eligible queen, besides, many ponies are suspicious of my behavior. They were all correct, and now, I can force somepony to be mine." David answered.

"I hate to burst your bubble, but I am not going to marry some idiot who stole me away from my home!" Marie shouted.

David scoffed, "Home? Home?! You were a maid there, you should be thanking me, I'm doing you a favor! Think a moment, would you rather be a queen or a nurse-maid?"

Marie replied, "I would rather be a nurse-maid. That is my place, and I was happy there...come to think of it, now that I'm away I..." She began thinking of Xavier, and how mean she was to him, and how he had just tried to save her. Marie realized that Xavier risked his life for her. 

David laughed, "D-Don't tell me! You are in love with Prince Xavier?! Ha ha ha ha ha! That is the most RIDICULOUS thing I have ever heard of!" 

Marie sighed, "I doubt he even cares what happened to me anyways. He's probably in his castle, sitting on his throne and sipping apple-juice."

However, Marie was way off with her guess, as Xavier was actually a mess. He had mud on his hoofs, brambles and leafs in his mane, and scars from thorns. 

"I'm an idiot! I have wings, I can just fly!" Xavier said as he lifted himself off the ground. His wings were a bit sore from being scratched up, but he managed to fly fairly high. He over-looked the forest, then saw a cottage. Jill and Jimmy met up there again, and Xavier had landed in, flying through the window and hitting the wall, "Ouch!"

Jimmy chirped, "Are you okay, X?"

"Uh...I know that the necklace allows ponies to speak to animals, but I'm not one, so I don't know what you're saying." Xavier answered, not knowing what the bird said. 

"What was that thud?" David pondered, walking off to the next room.

Xavier gasped, "Oh, no!" 

David opened up the door and looked around and saw nothing or no pony. "Hmm..." He walked back to return his attention to his future bride.

Xavier sighed once he left, but he fell from the ceiling fan. "Ow!" He got up and opened the door quietly, seeing David down the hallway. He was wearing the necklace. Xavier slyly placed an invisibility spell over himself, then listened to Marie and David's conversation.

"How does our wedding tonight sound?" David asked.

Marie shouted, "No! I told you, I don't love you, and I don't want to marry you!"

David replied, "You know that Xavier is not coming! No pony is going to save you, and unless you want to die alone, you'll have to accept sometime!"

Marie growled, "I love Xavier, and...well...I can't exactly say he's coming...but I know he'll try!"

Xavier thought in his head, "S-She loves me?"

"Well, you can forget about him. I'll give you time to sleep it over, but I want an answer in the morning. If you still say no, I will just have to force you." David said as he walked away. 

Marie began to cry on her bed. "I'm glad this is my own home, but...I miss Xavier." She said sadly.

Xavier turned visible again, and then picked the lock with his horn. Marie gasped, "Xavier!"

"Hey, Marie...um, little help here?" Xavier tried to pull out his horn from the lock.

"Oh, right, sorry!" Marie helped him pry his horn out, and then David was at the door.

David growled, "What are you doing here, Xavier? And why are you with my wife?"

Marie snarled, "I am NOT your wife, nor would I ever want to be!"

"Just let me take her back to the castle, and I won't hurt you." Xavier threatened.

David laughed, "Why would I be scared of you?! You are full of wounds!"

Xavier replied, "Again, let me take her home, I'll die defending her if I have to."

David smirked, "Very well then, if that is what you wish." His eyes lit up red, and then he made the house start to burn down as he teleported out of the cottage. Marie started to cough from the smoke's fumes.

"Hang in there, I'll get us out of here." Xavier picked up Marie and flew her out of the house, but she was put on top of the house as a piece of flaming wood landed behind, trapping Xavier inside.

"Xavier!" Marie shouted as she stood on the crumbling roof. David morphed into an alicorn, only he had fangs, and torn wings. He grabbed Marie and flew up into the air with her. "Ahhhh! Put me down!" Marie screamed.

"You can now watch as your 'prince' dies in the flames. He can join your mother!" David said.

The house completely collapsed, and Xavier was still inside. "NO!" Marie gasped and started tearing up. Then something flew up.

"N-No...you can't...how is that even possible?!" David was puzzled.

Xavier replied, "Next time, don't mess with a high-leveled unicorn!" Xavier lowered his force-field and then took Marie with his magic, zapping down David into the ground. He covered it up with dirt, trapping him below the Earth forever. As the house's remains were about to blow up, they both ran out of the way as quick as possible, Jimmy and Jill flying close behind.

Marie coughed again, "T-Thanks, Xavier."

Xavier smiled faintly, "Of course, I wouldn't ever let anypony harm you. Now, let's get home." Xavier carried Marie on his back to the castle and back to Meldania.