This work of fan fiction contains characters, ideas, situations, and places found in the Hasbro Studios series "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic". No infringement of copyright is implied by this work of satire and parody, and this work is meant as a celebration of the people involved in the creation, development, and production of the series.
Original Release Date: August 24th, 2011
The Purple Mare
Written by The Descendant
Inspired by an image created by KNA.
Chapter 1
The fisherponies looked up to the sky as they placed their nets into the holds of their little boats. A sun unguided by magic was already gathering even as their flickering lanterns bobbed across the bows of their boats, even as their captors peered down at them over the harborside ramparts.
As they cast off and raised their sails those ponies who still were allowed to make their living on the sea looked up to the first appearance of that sun with saddened eyes.
The sky was coming alive, spreading out above them in an expansive arc of pink that fell down into red. "Red at night, sailor's delight" repeated one to his crew as they pulled at the lanyards that allowed the sails to finally come loose, to power their fishing craft across the choppy water, "Red in the mornin', sailors…take warnin'."
The crew, composed as it was mostly of earth ponies, looked up as the sun peeked across the far pinnacles of the distant eastern horizon. They looked past to where even the Everfree Forest lay unseen, and there was no joy in it for them.
The mornings had all been red, there had been only choppy and unfriendly seas for Equestria since the Mah'Qua arrived…since their armies had erupted down the slopes of distant mountains, since Canterlot had been burned, since the sisters had been thrown down, their magic spent defending their foals, their ponies.
The captain of the fishing boat worked the tiller, moving his little craft farther out into the bay, sighing as his crew readied the nets.
At once his fishing boat was thrown up and down in the wake of a larger craft, his colts being toppled to the deck.
He lifted his hoof to begin protesting the actions of the larger craft. At once though he stopped, lowered his eyes as the crew of the sloop stared down at him. The Mah'Qua sailors looked at him with disdain as their rusty brown flag flapped from its halyard.
As the sloop took its position at the mouth of the delta the little fishing boats fell into line, each one taking up it a position assigned to it.
"Red in the morning," repeated the captain of the fishing boat as he reached his assigned spot, as his crew began tossing their nets. Beyond him the sleek lines of the sloop stood out in stark repose to the beautiful surface of the Mareiterranean Sea, even as choppy as it was.
It was an ugly blemish, as much as the occupiers of the land were to what was once Equestria. He leaned his muzzle across the tiller, thought of the beautiful land, drained of its magic, its living spirit washed away as thoroughly as the regal blood of the princesses had been after their falling.
Only red skies filled the Equestrian mornings…fallow fields, the animals falling away, strife between the races, the random weather unable or unwilling to answer the call of the pegasi, the once deep rivers now trickles…only choppy seas for Equestria.
He sighed deeper, looked back over his shoulder at the city of Port-au-Prance. He looked over what was once a beautiful port city, a jewel that harvested the bounty the good sea had offered to the ponies, but which was now a fortified camp. Above it loomed a massive new fortress, its stone form angular, stark, and as little like an Equestrian building as the occupiers of the land were like the ponies.
Time slid on, and the morning had become fully bright by the time the Mah'Qua sloop had banged its drums, had signaled them that they and the other little boats were now to turn back into the harbor.
This morning he had again looked up to the sloop, had once more pondered simply making a run for it. No, he knew, it was suicide. That was the whole point of having the swift little warship there, to end quickly and decidedly any attempt to leave the barren lands that the Mah'Qua had brought down upon themselves when they had killed the princesses…that they now blamed the ponies for.
Yet the captain of the fishing boat ran his hoof through his beard, and he looked down as his crew brought in the meager catch. He once again lifted his head to look at the grim warship. Something was different. He studied the crew of the sloop, saw how some were focusing on the sea farther out and beyond the delta.
When their curiosity had failed them the Mah'Qua crew of the sloop finally began herding the fisherponies and their boats back towards Port-au-Prance. As the did so the captain of the one fishing boat looked briefly across his shoulder…
There, on the horizon, sat a trim craft. It was a fully rigged brigantine, a graceful one…a familiar one. Suddenly insight flashed through his mind. The craft was tendering, looking like it was getting ready to deliver goods into the harbor by using the little boats. It was a front, he could tell, to those ponies who knew the sea it was obvious…but why? Was it…no, could it really be…
"Brown Jug," he said in a subdued tone, "C'mere…ya' see that brigantine over mah shoulders…don't look straight on it now…is that…that her ship?"
The other earth pony shied away, pretended to look distracted, looked back up. When Jug's eyes went wide the captain knew…
"It's her…the Purple Mare."
Red in the morning, he knew, for the Mah'Qua.
"Haul, lads, haul. And get back to yer' houses quick," he said in a deliberate whisper as the sloop bobbed nearby, "Gonna be some fun in Port-au-Prance today for certain sure…"
Her ship, disguised as it was this day as a freighter, stood ready. Around Twilight her crew went over the little middling details of shipboard life, yet one or two stood looking to the horizon, panning the space where the green waters of the delta gave way to the azure blue of the Mareiterranean Sea.
"Captain?" called a voice, and Twilight slowly walked towards where another unicorn stood, his eyes focusing through a spyglass.
"Yes, Starfall?" she asked, sheltering farther beneath a borrowed wide-brimmed hat as she felt the gaze of the distant crew of the sloop fall across her once more. Nearby Spike slid off the barrel where he had been gently carving something upon a mother-of-pearl inlay, using his flames to anneal the surface after each fine chip was flaked away.
As the young dragon joined her she looked over the starboard side through the spyglass, the unicorn colt stepping away as she did, looking over the choppy waters to the small speck he had sighted.
Twilight studied the form on the horizon. It was another ship, a brigantine like hers, but more stout, erupting from the waterline in a wall of wood.
She knew it well…
"Send it, Midshipman Spike," she said without lifting her face from the spyglass, enveloped as it was in her magic. Starfall slid up to the railing once more, hiding the wafts of the magica vasto that enveloped the spyglass as his captain looked through it.
Spike lifted a scroll out from beneath his bandana. He concentrated on a familiar figure, a pony who he had once held very dear, but who now seemed worlds away even as her ship drew nearer.
With a single puff of his green flame the parchment erupted into a swirl of ash and was gone.
As she watched through the spyglass another unicorn approached her. "Captain," the younger unicorn said, lifting a piece of paper for Twilight to see, "I have that anchor rigging you wanted all planned out…"
"You have to come around to the other side, Violet," spoke Twilight sternly.
"Sorry, Ma'am," said the unicorn, crossing behind Twilight. Her captain looked upon the designs with her remaining eye, the patch that sat across where the other one lay hidden in its broken respite nearly catching on the spyglass as she turned.
Twilight looked over the designs and then smiled to the chastised figure of the other unicorn.
"They're good Violet…get started on it, we may need it soon."
Violet nodded and trotted off as Twilight sighed and rested her good eye once more against the spyglass. The other ship was closer now, much closer, and she could see that it too was disguising itself as a freighter, running lubberly and with loose rigging.
"C'mon," she breathed, "Show me that's we're still on speaking terms…I know you got the message…"
As she watched a signal flag went up, then another, and soon a message was spelt out across the sails of the quickly approaching brigantine.
"Is…is it the Parasprite, Twi?" asked Spike, jumping up to grab the railing.
Twilight was silent.
"I…I mean, Captain?"
"Yes," she answered, "And she's signaling that she wants to transfer cargo…not what I expected this to be about. I wonder what she's up to."
"It's not like she's gonna do anything…to us, right? I mean, she's our friend…" spoke Spike, lowering himself so that he was half hidden behind the railing.
Twilight returned to silence.
Spike frowned, looked up at Twilight, and then walked away in a huff. As he went he gathered up the mother-or-pearl inlay and knife and went into the cabin. "I know she's still our friend!" called Spike in a loud hiss as he jumped down the stairs.
"You are dismissed, Midshipman Spike," she called after him, dismissively, still peering through the spyglass.
The Parasprite came alongside Twilight's ship about a half of an hour later. As they did Twilight looked it over. It was perhaps a touch longer than hers, and it had a sharper chine to its hull. It was built for brawling, hers for speed, and the difference was almost as acute between the ships as between their masters.
Twilight looked on as the crew of the Parasprite began throwing cables, as hers caught them in their mouths of lifted them off the decks, began lashing the ships together. Magic was too important a commodity to waste in a show of catching the ropes…taking longer to recharge each day that passed.
Soon the gangplank went out, the two crews eyeing each other nervously.
A proud form appeared at the far end, and with certain and deliberate steps the captain of the other ship began to come across, a few of the earth pony crew following along the space between the bobbing ships.
Spike sat on his barrel, placing the inlay on his lap as he watched Twilight step a few paces towards the end of the gangplank. He looked on as the other captain approached, stood defiantly at the end, looked down at Twilight who answered the gaze.
"Permission tah' come aboard?" the other captain asked as the sun fell across them both.
"Pipe Captain Applejack aboard," answered Twilight with a nod to one of her crew.
"Always so formal…yah' got that from Celestia," said Applejack as her saddlebags shifted around her and the haw pipe sounded, never lifting her eyes from Twilight's.
"Princess Celestia, to you," answered Twilight, narrowing the only eye she could.
Time hovered in an uncomfortable instant, and between the two mares something shifted back and forth…unease and a horrible uncertainty.
Something brushed Applejack's leg.
At once she reared back, spinning. She panned her head as the crews began to react, and had only just begun to unsheathe her spur when she saw her attacker…
Spike stood a few feet away, his arms still outstretched, looking up to her with disappointed eyes. His hug had gone unanswered.
Silence once more washed over the deck of Twilight's ship. Slowly Applejack retracted the spur, walked with tiny steps across the deck to where the dragon stood.
Applejack lowered her head into his arms, let the dragon lay his head into hers. "We miss…missed you, A.J.," he said with a stutter of emotion, "We…I thought…that you might still be upset…"
"Yeah, well…" began Applejack, letting the dragon hold her for a few moments longer than she thought necessary. Around her the crews began to return to normal as Twilight looked on, pondering the scene that was playing out before her.
Applejack lifted her head, looked up to Twilight.
"Kin' we talk someplace nice and private-like?" she asked. Her head fell down, the earth pony dropping her gaze in deference to the unicorn.
"Please?" she added. Twilight let some small surprise show on her face. As she looked up a few earth ponies were coming across from the Parasprite, renewing acquaintances among her crew.
She was very glad for it.
"Sure, Applejack…Captain Applejack, come along, then…" said Twilight, motioning her towards the cabin.
As the two went Applejack's eyes darted about, taking in her surroundings. She was so much more wary now, Twilight noted, her calm certainty having departed her.
Applejack looked upon Twilight's crew, looking for movement towards spurs or pikes, but instead she found herself looking upon a single crewmember, a small winged deer…a peryton. He placed his hoof to his forelock as she looked at him, and she nodded in return.
Together they entered the cabin, Twilight holding the door open a touch longer, looking on as Spike went back to sitting on his barrel, as he returned to carving the inlay. Her mouth opened to call to him…but soon she simply dropped her head and closed it behind her.
As she did Spike turned his head the slightest little bit, sighing deeply as the door clicked closed.
The two captains made their way through the cabin. As they did Twilight poured them both drinks, holding the bottle in her mouth rather than waste more magic.
"And how is the famed pirate the Purple Mare these days?" said Applejack, dropping the saddlebags to the floor, "Yah look thin…"
"You're not exactly betraying any gluttony yourself," replied Twilight, looking to Applejacks sunken eyes, her stark shoulder blades.
"Ain't none of us dealin' with an abundance of riches…" replied the earth pony. The two stared at each other for a long while, a haze of uncertainty hovering between them. Applejack flinched as Twilight turned her head, exposing the patch in fullness.
"I see yah got yerself a peryton on yer' crew…" said Applejack, taking a sip from the cup as it lay on the table, "Where'd ya' pick him up?"
"He joined up with us when we freed him from one of the Mah'Qua slave ships. I can't understand a word he says, but he's an excellent sailor…"
Twilight looked up to Applejack, saw her staring towards the door.
"They're suffering too, you know, the other races. The zebras, the bison, the donkeys…all the people who we had sheltered, who had gone into the west…"
Applejack kept her eyes towards the door, still not looking up into Twilight's remaining eye.
"I'll sell ya' the door if you like it that much," said Twilight accusingly.
"Does it hurt ya', much?"
Twilight shuttered to a stop. She looked back at Applejack, saw her staring at her, tilting her head to one side. All of the wariness seemed to depart the earth pony, all of the nervousness, and Twilight could see the alert tension dropping from the sunken eyes and being replaced with…concern? Guilt?
"Yer' eye…does it hurt ya' at all?"
Twilight shook her head, grabbed a can of salve off a nearby shelf.
"I've found a salve, a gift from a zebra who said he remembered Zecora…"
"Slave ship?"
"Slave ship…" replied Twilight lifting the patch, turning from Applejack, "Sometimes it gets dry…something is wrong with the tear duct…"
Before she could finish Applejack had already crossed over to her, was standing right before her. In one motion Applejack lifted the patch that much higher with her muzzle and gently placed a kiss on the deeply grooved and discolored remains of Twilight's eyelid.
"I'm so sorry, Twilight, I'm so sorry…" said Applejack, leaning into Twilight, draping her head across her shoulders.
Twilight stood there open mouthed, in a state of shock, as a pony at whom she had been enraged with for nearly two full years laid her head across her and begged for forgiveness.
"…I shouldn'ta called ya' out in front of yer' crew, shouldn't have said…said that you were a traitor fer' not fightin' harder. I was wrong…I was so wrong…"
Twilight slowly closed her mouth, listened as Applejack let out two years of guilt.
"You knew that we couldn't take on that frigate…that mah' plan were too complicated…"
Twilight remembered back to that long ago night, that night when Applejack had called upon her to do something rash, dangerous. Remembered how she had dressed her down, accused her of not doing enough to try to regain Equestria.
She had tried to explain, had tried to show Applejack the faults in the plan. Yet, in the end she had gone along…her crew landing on the beach in the moonlight, the two crews attempting to sneak aboard the frigate. The alarm going up…all in the Well breaking loose.
She remembered the long agonizing row back to the boats as the frigate slid from rowboat to rowboat, crushing them beneath its bow. The long jagged splinter of wood tearing through her eye, screaming in pain as the last of her magic evaporated…unable to heal herself in time…
Twilight remembered as this earth pony, the one now leaning into her withers and starting to sob, stood on the deck of her ship and accused her of cowardice as she fought to pull the splinters from within her own head.
She remembered a dash of her magic, called up from some place within her that she cared not to think about…one she should have used to heal herself or any of the other wounded crewponies…
…and instead using it to ensnare a belaying pin and use it to beat Applejack across the head.
She remembered the spurs that were suddenly unsheathed, the horrific sight of earth ponies preparing to slay unicorns and the same in answer…the awful, awful betrayal of all her teacher had fought for her whole long life.
She remembered the sudden shaft of fire, the erupting geyser of green flame that towered above the topgallant sails of both ships.
She remembered as Spike had berated them all, the green of his eyes flashing across the night with the horrible light of a dragon in fury as they all looked upon him in stunned horror.
She remembered how he had claimed Equestria truly dead if the races were turning on each other like this. He was ready to burn up both ships, it seemed, to burn them all alive and let the wreckage of the ships slip to the bottom rather than let them fall into such degradations, rather than let the boats be the scene of a kinslaying.
With that the ships parted ways, and as they did the little dragon had collapsed to the deck, his bolt shot, his energy expended.
"Well," said Twilight, rubbing her head against Applejacks, "You always were an obstinate one…you and Dash, bless her in the Well."
Applejack lifted her head, now red and running with tears. "Heh, yeah…do, do yah' remember…back on mah' farm, back on Sweet Apple Acres, durin' the first applebucking season you were in Ponyville…how I had kept fallin' asleep…"
Twilight nodded, smiling for what felt like the first time in months.
"Yah' were right then too…"
"You are my strongest friend, Applejack. We wouldn't have lasted through those first months…after the Sisters were ki…killed, after all of our friends…"
"Say that agin', Twi, please…the first bit," said Applejack, wiping her head with her raised foreleg.
"You are my friend, Applejack," said Twilight, smiling at the earth pony, feeling the tears begin in her…eye.
Applejack nodded, Twilight smiling at her. She had made things right, had wanted to for so long. Now, now she only had one other friend to…to try to…
"So what's wrong between ya' and Spike?"
Twilight looked back up to Applejack, a resigned expression crossing her muzzle.
"It's that obvious, huh?" she said, her hooves making soft sounds across the deck.
"Like a barn on fire," said Applejack, tilting her head back and forth, her old familiar expression of worry so evident on her face that made Twilight homesick for the times when their biggest concerns had been gathering apples, researching spells, and helping blank flanks find their marks.
"I…I've been, it's me…" said Twilight, "I…I've been keeping everyone at bay, for a while…been…"
She looked down to his basket. It was trim, tidy…unused for months.
"I've been cold to him…all of them, but mostly him…"
Twilight straightened herself, looked out across the choppy sea through the glass of the dirty windows, felt the creaking of her boat, felt it reacting oddly to being lashed to another.
"I want him to leave," she said, closing her eye, moving her shoulders to loosen the jacket, "I don't want him here anymore…he's going to get hurt…I'm, I'm going to get him killed, Applejack, he's going to die if he stays with me."
Twilight turned to Applejack. The bearer of the Element of Honesty bobbed her head and then slowly walked up to Twilight.
"I understand, Twi, I really do…" she said, staring out of the dingy windows towards her own boat, "But yer' all that dragon's ever had…and never more than now, I think, he's wanting you to rely on him…"
Twilight thought about the days after the failed raid, how Spike had been with her the whole time, how he'd changed the bandaging around her eye, how he'd guided her around the deck even as she became colder and distant.
"He ain't gonna leave on his own accord, ya' know, won't leave you…no matter how ya' try to nudge him…he'd rather go down with the ship. If Spike ain't changed…the Spike I knew, he'd rather go down inta' the Well with you than live tah' be a thousand and feel he deserted ya'…"
"I know."
Twilight stood there, quietly, watching the waves. The words of her strongest, and most honest, friend rocked at her like the waves that were lapping against the side of her brigantine.
"I…I got somethin' here for ya', Twi," spoke Applejack, returning to where she had dropped the saddlebags.
With that she lifted out a perfectly round stone, and inscribed across it was a familiar symbol. Twilight sucked in a deep breath through her teeth at the sight of it, let it slide out in a deeply saddened sigh.
"It's the Element of Laughter, isn't it? Pinkie…" said Twilight, looking over the smooth surface, taking it from Applejack's mouth with her own. After a moment of silence she walked towards a chest that sat in sheltered part of her cabin.
"I don't know either way, Twi," said Applejack, flexing her jaw from side to side, "All I can say is that she left it wit' some of the resistance up in Baltimare…ain't heard a word from her since."
"You went that far north?"
"Didn't…didn't feel like hangin' around here, after what…"
Applejack dropped her head. Twilight gave her a small nuzzle, the turned back to the table, poured some more of the drink for the both of them.
She listened as Applejack rustled through the saddlebags. At once there was an eruption of magic, and Twilight spun to determine what could possibly be the source of the once familiar but now all too rare sound of Deep Magic at work.
Around the neck of Applejack sat her element, honesty, and the earth pony hovered for a moment while the magic coursed through her. After a long minute even that Deep Magic failed, and Applejack wafted down to the deck, her hooves falling lightly upon it.
"Take mine too," she said, forcing the words to come.
Twilight didn't argue, knew that a decision had been made, that the rumors were true. Slowly she lifted the necklace from around Applejack's neck. Gently she lifted it past her ears, and Applejack looked upon it sadly. As it cleared her muzzle it returned to a solid sphere of stone, and together the two ponies looked on as the Elements of Harmony joined their compatriots in the chest.
Together the five stones wobbled, but did not roll, along the inside of the chest as the ship bounced on the uncertain sea.
"Rarity?" asked Applejack, looking upon a stone she had hoped wouldn't be there.
"I miss her," said Twilight, confirming Applejack's fear, validating the rumors without expanding, "I miss them all…"
"Me too…" added Applejack with a little sigh.
"Fluttershy is still…still out there, too, maybe," added Twilight, forcing some hope into her voice.
"I ain't seen no pegasi in over a year, Twi, flyin' or not. I'll never forget the first time I saw one fall through a cloud…was a horrible thing tah' see…"
Twilight looked back down at the stones, tried to remember the last time she had seen one of her flying kin, one of that gentle race. It had been a long time indeed.
Together they stood there, staring at the stones, sniffling at the sight of them.
"So," braved Twilight, "if you're giving me yours, that means that the rumors are true…you really are going to try to free them."
"I ain't asking you to come along this time, Twi, I know…I know what a longshot it is…"
"It's suicide!" brayed Twilight, raising her voice for the first time since Applejack had come onboard.
Applejack neither turned, scoffed, or fumed. The green eyes of the earth pony sat still upon the stones as Twilight looked upon her. Slowly Twilight's expression fell once more, and she nuzzled Applejack to get her to speak.
"Applejack, please…I, we can't lose anymore…"
"I have to try, Twi, the ponies in that fortress are resistance fighters. They'll be hung if they ain't rescued…and, and Big Mac may be one…"
Rather than continue her thought Applejack simply turned into Twilight's nuzzle, let it become an embrace, and then let it slide away.
"Well," said Twilight, sighing once more, "Giving me these, then. I guess that explains the 'Exchange' flag you flew when you came up."
"Nah, not really, Twi," added Applejack, "I got somethin' even more important I want ya' tah' keep an eye on…"
Twilight's face contorted.
"Oh," answered Applejack, "Sorry…"