//------------------------------// // The Farmer and the Poet // Story: Precious Blood // by DisneyFanatic23 //------------------------------// TRIGGER WARNING: REFERENCES TO SUICIDE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT! Early the next morning, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Applejack were sparring in the gymnasium. Twilight walked in to see Pinkie sitting on Dash's stomach and Applejack holding Rarity in a headlock. "Hey girls?" Twilight said. "Have you noticed anything…off about the Master?" Before answering, Rainbow flipped Pinkie onto her back. "What makes you say that?" "Well, I was patrolling last night and saw him come home looking distressed. I went to his room to ask what was wrong but he had shut himself up." Applejack released Rarity. "Did he say anything?" "Nothing, except that he wanted to be left alone. He sounded so…broken. I'm worried about him." Rainbow yelped as Pinkie bucked her off. "Aw he's just in another one of his moods!" Pinkie said. "Let's all go and cheer him up!" And so the five of them went up to their master's room together. Twilight knocked on the door. "Master? Are you in there?" "Hey is something burning?" Pinkie asked, sniffing the air. The others took a few whiffs and their eyes widened in terror as they reached the same conclusion. "He wouldn't," Applejack said. But they could hear the crackling of fire inside. Twilight hastily tried the door. "It's locked!" "Move aside!" The mares pressed themselves against the walls as Rainbow flew back and charged for the door. It broke apart instantly. They all gasped at the sight of their master standing before an open window with his arms spread out in surrender, the sun beams sparking tiny flames on his flesh. "Master!" the mares cried. They didn't waste another second. Rainbow, Applejack and Pinkie leapt at Discord, tackling him out of the light while Rarity conjured up curtains to cover the window. "NOOOO!" Discord screamed, struggling to break free from the girls' hooves. "Master, calm down!" Applejack commanded. "No! You ruined it! It would've all been over! I would've been…" Twilight cut him off by summoning a bucket of water to douse the flames. Panting from exhaustion, Discord relaxed, giving the mares the opportunity to release him. "How could you?" Rainbow scolded. "You swore you wouldn't do this again!" Rarity exclaimed. "Again?" Twilight asked. "Not long after Applejack was turned, he tried stepping out into the light." Applejack scowled at the draconequus. "Why, Master? Why would ya go and do a stupid thing like that?" Discord sniffed as he curled up into a fetal position. "She doesn't want me." "Who doesn't want you?" Rarity demanded. "Fluttershy!" he shouted suddenly. "She doesn't want me anymore!" Applejack's eyes widened. "Did you…end things with her?" "I had to! She wants to live! Really live!" He began sobbing loudly. "Without my dearest love, I have no reason to continue." Rainbow looked as if some pony had stabbed her with a stake. "So," she choked, "you…you were just gonna…leave us here? As if…we weren't enough?" Discord turned towards her and saw the blood in her eyes. "Oh, Dashie, I didn't mean…" "You didn't think we'd care?!" she snapped, standing up. "If…if you were suddenly…gone?! All these years, I've never left your side, Master! And you were just gonna…burst into flames without explanation?!" "Oh, it's worse," Rarity snorted angrily as she levitated a piece of paper into view. "He left a note!" Rainbow's eyes reddened. "A note?! You thought a note was going to make this all better?! I…I can't believe you think so…so little of us! Like we're not important! But no! It's all about Fluttershy, isn't it?! You don't care about us!" She stormed out of the room. "Dashie!" Pinkie called, chasing after her. Rarity glared down at Discord. "Are you happy now?" She too followed the distressed pegasus, leaving Twilight and Applejack to tend to their master. "What happened last night?" the unicorn asked. Discord winced. "I…I went to Fluttershy's and…she said she wanted children." Applejack and Twilight glanced at each other uneasily. "I…I said it wasn't possible and…she said she just couldn't…be with me anymore." "Wait," Applejack said. "She broke things off with you?" He nodded. "You see? She doesn't want me. The love of my life, the one I was supposed to spend the rest of eternity with…doesn't…want…me." He sobbed into his knees and Twilight tenderly patted his head. "Leave us," she told Applejack. "Ya sure?" The unicorn locked gaze with her. "I can handle him." Applejack rose to her hooves and left the room. "That," Twilight said, narrowing her eyes at her master, "was cowardice, Discord." He buried his face in his paw and claw in shame. "I just…didn't want to suffer any longer. All my problems would've been solved." "You would've been dead! How would that have solved anything? Whatever happened with Fluttershy, she wouldn't have wanted you to take your own life!" "Why not? She doesn't want me in her life anymore, so why should I go on living?" Twilight sighed and shook her head in pity. "I know how you feel, Master. When Flash was killed, I felt like I'd lost everything, like my soul was incomplete without him. Like you, I even thought about ending it all." Discord lowered his paw and claw so he could see the determination in her face. "But Flash wouldn't have wanted me to give up. He would've wanted me to keep going, so that I could find his killers and see that they were brought to justice." "But your love died, Twilight," Discord said, wiping his face with his claw. "Fluttershy left me." "That doesn't mean she doesn't still care for you. If you kill yourself, she's going to blame herself for the rest of her life. Do you want to do that to her?" He sniffed. "I…I didn't think that she'd…" "No. You didn't." "But if I am to never love again, what am I to do?" Twilight smiled as she took his claw. "You still have us." "Not forever. You girls will eventually find your own soulmates and might leave me for them. Already Rarity has found hers. It's only a matter of time." "Even if that happened, we wouldn't leave you behind. You've done us all favors, Master, regardless of what you may think. We're more than just friends. We're family." Discord gazed up at the unicorn gratefully. Her words had soothed him somewhat, but his heart was still broken, and he didn't think it could ever be fully mended no matter how many friends surrounded him. He was so exhausted from crying and Twilight sensed this. "Do you want me to put you to sleep with useless, boring facts?" He smiled slightly and whimpered, "Yes, please." Applejack found the others in Rainbow's room. The pegasus was crying in her coffin while Rarity patted her on the back and Pinkie tried making silly faces to cheer her up. "He didn't mean what he said, Rainbow," Rarity said assuredly. "But it's true!" Rainbow wailed. "He doesn't care about us enough to stay!" "I think it's partly my fault." The mares turned to Applejack in the doorway. "What are you talking about?" Rarity asked suspiciously. The orange mare hung her head. "Last night, before Discord went to see Fluttershy, I told him to…end things with her." Pinkie gasped and Rainbow's jaw dropped. Rarity's eyes reddened in fury. "You did what?!" "He had to!" Applejack insisted. "What he was doin' to her was selfish!" "What he was doing was selfish?!" The unicorn stood defiantly. "What about you? You were trying to drive a wedge between him and Fluttershy, all because of something that happened to you!" "So you're sayin' havin' her become a vampire just to be with him would've been completely selfless?" "Of course not! But if we are completely selfless, Applejack, we're never going to get anything we want! Especially when it comes to love!" "What are ya talkin' about?" Rarity groaned. "Isn't it obvious?! When you fall in love, and you pursue that love, you are only thinking of yourself and how much you want that pony. Hence, you are selfish. But if you don't pursue them at all because you do not think you are good enough for them, then you are selfless. But how will you ever move forward in a relationship if you're not a little selfish?" Applejack was reminded of Spike and how she never pursued him. But that was different. She was protecting Spike from a terrible fate. She scowled angrily at the unicorn. "And what do you know about relationships? Last time you were in one, ya threw yourself at the colt the minute he proposed to ya!" Pinkie and Rainbow gasped in horror. Applejack knew she had cut too deep when Rarity's fangs started sprouting. "At least I've been in one! But you," she advanced towards Applejack, poking her in the chest, "have no right to interfere with other ponies' affairs!" "I was just tryin' to protect Fluttershy!" Applejack said. "But apparently my advice wasn't needed as Fluttershy was the one to break things off with him! She doesn't want to be a vampire, Rarity!" "But it's thanks to you that the Master's not going to even fight for her anymore!" "Wouldn't ya do the same for Fancy Pants if he didn't wanna be a vampire?" Rarity's eyes returned to their natural blue and her fangs shrank into her mouth. Her shoulders slumped as she sighed. "I don't know where my relationship with Fancy Pants will go. I don't know if he'll even still like me when he finds out what I am and what I've done." She raised her head boldly. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying. However, if he truly wishes me gone and no longer loves me, then yes, I will let him be, but it will be my choice, not some pony else's." Applejack lowered her head. "I know. I know I shouldn't've meddled. I knew the moment I saw Discord roastin' himself to death. He's not strong like you and me, Rarity. He needs Fluttershy." She looked up as Rarity placed a sympathetic hoof on her shoulder. "So then, what are you going to do about it?" Applejack narrowed her eyes in resolve and straightened up. "I'm gonna set things right." Fluttershy refused to get out of bed that morning. She had told her aunt she was feeling under the weather. A cold cup of tea and bowl of soup stood on her side table. Under normal circumstances, Angel would've eaten the soup right up. As much as he despised Discord, the rabbit hated seeing his owner so upset. He leapt onto the bed and found her in a sorry state. Her mane was tangled, her eyes were crusty and she was curled up into a tight ball with her sheets. Angel hopped over to her and snuggled in the crook of her foreleg. "Oh, Angel," Fluttershy murmured, stroking her pet's fur. "Did I do the right thing?" He nuzzled against her in response. "You should've seen him. He was so…broken. I love him, Angel, but…" She buried her face in her pillow. "Oh, I just don't know what I want anymore!" There was a knock at the door. "Who is it?" "It is me, domnişoară," said Coco's voice. "Come in." The maid opened the door a crack and peered inside. "There's a messenger for you, from the Count Discord." Fluttershy moaned tiredly. "Tell them I am not well and do not wish to see any pony today." "I did, my lady, but she was so insistent. She swore she would not leave the doorstep until you would speak with her." Lifting her head slightly, Fluttershy asked, "What did this mare look like?" "Earth mare, orange coat, blonde mane. And she has a peculiar accent, madam. I think she's from the country." Fluttershy sat up in interest. "Send her up here. I'll only be a moment." Coco nodded and shut the door. Fluttershy got out of bed and put on a green silken robe. A few minutes later, Applejack was knocking at the door. Fluttershy answered and moved aside to let her in. "To be honest," the pegasus said before shutting the door, "I was not expecting you to come." "Understood," Applejack said, sitting in one of the divans. Fluttershy sat in the chair across from her. "If Discord sent you to convince me to reconsider, tell him I need time to…" "Discord doesn't know I'm here." The pegasus blinked. "Yeah," Applejack scoffed. "Thought you'd be surprised. After all, I'm the last pony who'd try to get ya to change yerr mind. But first," she faced Fluttershy, "I want you to tell me exactly what happened last night." Still aghast, Fluttershy took a deep breath. "He…he came to me and…I told him I wanted children. He told me it wasn't possible for vampires, and I can understand that, but when I suggested adoption he…he didn't think we could handle it." She sniffed as she wiped away some oncoming tears. "And I…I told him that…that it was all too much for me to give up and…" Applejack hung her head. "You weren't ready to give up yerr life for love." Fluttershy covered her face with her hooves. "I didn't want to hurt him. It's just that…all my life I've done whatever I was told, fulfilled whatever obligation was set before me. When he told me that I was the only mare he'd ever love, that…that he needed me… I can't have him needing me, Applejack! All that time we were together I thought for the first time ever, some pony wanted me for me, not because they needed my money or my title. But now that I know he needs me, I feel like…I have no other choice." "And what makes ya think want and need are necessarily different? Sometimes, they can be interchangeable. Every pony needs food to live but no pony doesn't wanna eat, right? Of course Discord wants ya in the sense that ya make him happy, but he also needs ya in the sense that…he just can't live without ya. "And that's why I'm here," Applejack said with a wince. "He…he tried to kill himself today." Fluttershy's eyes widened in horror. "What?!" The earth mare nodded. "We found him in his room, standin' in front of an open window. In the sun." "He did what?!" "It's true." Her face grew solemn. "It's not the first time he's tried somethin' like this, ya know? We once caught him steppin' out the front door during the day." "Is he alright?" "We managed to get him in time, but…I've never seen him so…broken." Fluttershy stared blankly at the carpet. "I…I knew he would be upset but…I didn't think he'd…" "I know. And I blame myself for it." She faced her again. "What?" Applejack sighed. "I tried convincin' him last night to break things off with ya. I didn't want ya to become a vampire like us." "Oh, Applejack, it's not your fault. I was the one to end things. You had nothing to do with my decision." "But if I hadn't talked to him, he probably wouldn't've let ya go." She straightened up. "Now, it's time I make up for my mistakes. I can't guarantee I'll change yerr mind, but if ya really wanna know the reason I've acted this way," she closed her eyes, "it's time ya heard my story." At last, Fluttershy was to receive the last piece of the puzzle to the vampires' lives, and after what little she had heard of Applejack, she wasn't sure she was prepared for what she was about to hear. Taking a deep breath, Applejack began. "Twenty years ago, I was livin' on an apple farm with my Granny Smith, by big brother Big Macintosh and my lil' sister Apple Bloom. My parents died not long after Apple Bloom was born, and with Big Mac and Granny Smith runnin' the farm, I pretty much had to raise her on my own. She smiled slightly. "Oh, she was a sweet lil' thing. While I'd never really been interested in romance, it was because of my sister that I someday wanted to raise a family of my own, and we'd all live together on the apple farm, buckin' apples, bakin' pies, tendin' to the livestock. No doubt about it, I had everythin' I could possibly want right there on that farm." Despair overtook her expression. "Then one day, this fella came to the farm. He called himself Travelhay. He said he was a travelin' writer and asked me to be his," she gagged, "muse. I told him I wasn't interested, but he kept comin' back and tryin' to court me. It started gettin' annoyin' and I told him to leave me alone. When that didn't work, Big Mac threatened to get his musket. Thing was, even though my family wanted to see me settled, they could tell the fella was bad news." She sighed. "Boy, were they ever right." Bloody tears formed in her eyes as she continued. "One night, I was comin' home from the market. I should've been more careful. I should've known better than to go out alone at night. I should've spent the night at an inn, but…I was just so sure of myself. "Travelhay met me on the road, just on the outskirts of the forest. He told me it was my last chance, and that if I rejected him again, he would have to teach me a lesson. I thought nothin' of his threat. He was so skinny, I thought I could take him if he tried anything. So I kept on walkin' and…" She bit her lip. "He…he grabbed me from behind and tackled me to the ground. I tried fightin' back but he was stronger than I thought. And then…" She began hyperventilating. "He…he changed. Oh, if I had listened to Granny's tales about vampires! I would've brought garlic with me! He…he started liftin' my skirt and said, 'It's time you learned what happens when you say no to stallions.'" She was silent for a long while as she wiped at her tears. "I'd never felt so helpless in my life. In one instant, every bit of happiness in me was gone, just like that. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, he…he took my foreleg and bit hard into it." She cradled her right foreleg, and Fluttershy only now noticed the faded crescent-shaped teeth marks. "Then he bit into his own foreleg, enough to spew blood. He tried to get me to drink but I kept turnin' my head away. He was so mad I thought he was gonna kill me right then and there, but then he was suddenly pulled off me. It was Discord. He was wrestlin' that no-good bastard like crazy! Travelhay was so spooked, he flew off. "I thought Discord had only saved me so he could finish me off, but instead he asked if I was okay and looked at my wounds. Seein' the bite, he said there was nothin' he could do to stop the venom from turnin' me into a vampire, but that he could offer me sanctuary, help me with my changes, take me to mares who had gone through similar experiences, help me kill the bastard who had done this to me. "Naturally I trusted him. He had saved my life." She snorted. "Well, if you can call this a life! Stayin' frozen forever, never able to have a family, never to grow old with the ones you love." She sighed. "Then again, I could've ended up Travelhay's slave mare had Discord not come then. "I went with him, met Rarity and Rainbow. After talkin' with Rarity, we realized we'd been bitten by the same vampire. He had used a different name, but our descriptions matched. As for my family, I…I tried to keep in contact with 'em, but as they grew older and I stayed the same, I had to stop visitin' them." Her cheeks were now streaked with blood. "My lil' Apple Bloom is all grown up, my brother has a family, and my granny…" She sniffed. "She might not make it through the winter." She began sobbing, quietly, but without control. Fluttershy offered her a handkerchief, which Applejack used to blow her nose. "Now ya know why I was always so cold with ya," she said once she had composed herself. "When Pinkie and Twilight were turned, I did nothin'. They knew what they were gettin' into. But you, you were in love. I thought…if Discord wasn't careful he might…unwittingly destroy everythin' that ya are. I thought he was bein' selfish, but now…now that he's let ya go I see that he really loves ya and that he would do anythin' for ya." "Even take his life?" Fluttershy said quietly. Applejack shook her head. "Don't feel like you're obligated to be with him. I don't know ya very well, Fluttershy, but it sounds like you've never really had to make many choices. I can't tell ya what to do, neither can Discord. But if ya really love him, if ya need and or want him as much as he does you, then you should go back to him. If not, then if you care for him at all you will at least comfort him so that he doesn't hurt himself again." "Well," the pegasus murmured, "if he really does want me…" She laid her hoof over Fluttershy's. "Never mind what he wants, Sugar Cube. This about what you want." Applejack rose from her seat. "I've said my peace. Whatever choice ya make, I'm not gonna try and stop ya this time." And with that, she left Fluttershy alone with her thoughts. The pegasus didn't know what to do. Her heart was torn between her yearning for Discord and her yearning for a family. To have a choice was not something she was accustomed to. No pony had ever asked what she wanted. Now she had finally been asked. And she did not know the answer. Applejack was on the ground floor when she caught a whiff of something. The smell made her stop in her tracks, for it was very familiar and unpleasant and gave her an eerie sense of foreboding. She followed the scent into the drawing room and searched for its source. "I thought I smelled apples in here." She froze at the sound of the chilling voice. Traumatizing memories of the past came rushing back, leaving her momentarily paralyzed. "What, no hello for an old friend?" She knew who it was before she turned around. "You." Trenderhoof was leaning against the doorframe, smiling mischievously at her as he magically shut the door. "Applejack," he said, slowly advancing. "After all these years." He sized her up. "You look well, for a forty-year-old vampire." "Travelhay," she said in a voice barely above a whisper. "Actually, I go by Count Trenderhoof now." "Trenderhoof?" she murmured as she remembered the name of the count that was staying in this house. "You're Count Trenderhoof?" "Surprise!" he exclaimed, gesturing towards himself. "As you can see, I've come a long way since last we met." He took another step. "And to think all this time I thought that monstrous beast in the woods had devoured you." Upon hearing him insult her master, Applejack found some strength and narrowed her eyes menacingly at him. "The only monstrous beast that was around that night was you!" "Ooh," Trenderhoof breathed in amusement. "I see you're just as feisty as ever." He reached out his hoof. "I always liked that about you." She slapped it away. "Touch me and you're dead!" He sighed. "Difficult too. Didn't you learn your lesson last time?" "I learned that you're even more of a pig than I took ya for! You haven't changed a bit either!" "How did you survive?" Trenderhoof asked as he began circling her at a safe distance. "Did you fight off that creature by yourself?" He scoffed. "I doubt that. Perhaps you just got lucky. Oh well. I'd say it all turned out well for you. You serve the Count Discord now." Applejack stiffened. "How'd ya know…?" "I have my sources. But tell me. Are you his mistress or just one of his flunkies?" She snorted. "Not all males are as pigheaded as you!" "Really, Applejack? Is this the gratitude I get for…?" "Gratitude?!" she snapped, facing him. "What do I possibly have to thank ya for?!" "Why, I made you immortal. Your youth and beauty are preserved forever, thanks to me." "Oh, sure, thank ya! Thank ya ever so much for takin' away my life, my family, my happiness! Don't think I don't know what you're doin' here! You're after Fluttershy, aren't ya?" He chuckled. "Ever the sharp one." "You're not gonna get her. She doesn't belong to ya!" "And what are you going to do about it?" "I'm gonna tell her what ya are!" She marched to the door, but when it opened, the Dazzlings were blocking the way. "Going somewhere?" Adagio asked innocently. "It doesn't have to be this way, Applejack," Trenderhoof said, stalking towards her. "I really did like you. I wasn't going to kill you. I was going to make you my number one mistress. I would've set you above all my mares. If only you hadn't slipped through my hooves." Applejack looked at the Dazzlings in disgust. "How can ya follow this bastard? Don't ya know he's just usin' ya?" Aria shrugged. "Yeah, so?" "We're evil, duh!" said Sonata. "You should've seen us before we were turned," Adagio sneered. "Only difference now is that we're paid in blood instead of silver." Applejack turned back to Trenderhoof. He was so close now that she was trapped between him and the Dazzlings. Her eyes reddened as she bared her fangs. "Oh, you can fight us off, darling," Trenderhoof said with a knowing smile. "But the thing is, I am a respected citizen in this country and should some pony walk in, it'll look like murder. The walls are, in fact, very thin here. Oh, yes. Let's not forget the fact that the curtains are open and the sun is beaming into this room." She glanced between him and the Dazzlings, realizing that he was right. "But you don't have to fight us," he said, slowly raising his hoof. "There's always room for one more in our…big happy family." He whispered in her ear. "We can finish what we started." That set her off. In a swift motion she bit down on his hoof and ducked out under his foreleg. "I already have a family," she said defiantly. "A good one. And you're not gonna take 'em away from me like ya did my real family. You might've ruined my life, Travelhay, Tenderheart, Trenderhoof, whatever ya call yourself! But ya made one big mistake!" She stomped her hoof hard enough to crack the floor. "Ya made me stronger! And I'm not gonna let ya ruin Fluttershy's life the way ya did mine! If ya even try, you can expect a whole lot o' hell from me and my friends!" Trenderhoof scowled and crossed his hooves. "Make your threats, but you will not stop me from carrying out my plans, no matter how much I favored you in the past." "Well then I guess I'll just have to make it harder for ya, because you know what?" she said as she stuck her muzzle in his face. "You don't rule over me anymore." With a final huff, she pushed past the Dazzlings with her head held high. Trenderhoof held Sonata back. "Let her go." "But Master," Aria said. "Aren't you worried she's going to warn Lady Fluttershy?" He shook his head. "She knows it's too risky. I can hear her out the door right now." "What about Count Discord?" Adagio inquired. "She's sure to tell him." "Of course she is." "So what do we do now?" Sonata asked. Trenderhoof grinned cruelly as he casually brushed the dust off his jacket. "We'll just have to resort to Plan B."