Shipwrecked
She was drowning. There was nothing but darkness. She struggled to get to the surface, her legs kicking the water furiously, but the sea was stronger.
The storm came unexpectedly. The ship was tossed by the ferocious black waves. It was only moments ago she was holding her brother and sister as they hid below deck.
Then lightning struck the mast, setting the ship on fire. The captain ordered every pony on deck and to abandon ship. She and her siblings rushed to the lifeboats, but the force of the sea tossed her sister overboard. Her brother bravely dove in after her while she watched from the rail.
The captain told her to come to the lifeboat, but she refused to abandon her siblings. She put up a fight as he pulled her from the rail, but in the end, the captain succeeded. He ushered her to the lifeboat where the rest of the crew had gathered. She struggled against him, screaming for her brother and sister, but the captain managed to shove her in.
There was no time to lower the lifeboat, so the captain and the first mate cut the ropes and the party landed in the water with a splash. The mare scanned the vicious tempest for her siblings and cried out for them. She received no answer.
The sailors got out the oars and prepared to paddle, but they were not fast enough to dodge the wave coming toward them. The black wall crashed down on them, throwing the tiny boat into the ship, shattering it to pieces.
Soon she found herself deep underwater.
Her mouth was firmly closed, her lungs burning from lack of oxygen. Where was the light? She could not see it!
Just a couple more strokes! Come on! You can make it!
She could not hold it any longer. Her mouth opened, allowing the water to flood down her throat and into her lungs. Her body began to sink, her vision fading.
This was the end. In a few moments, she would be joining her parents. If only she had defied her brother's wishes. If only she had not accepted the Prince's invitation. How ironic that she was to be punished for her obedience.
Then she felt a foreleg wrap around her waist and she was lifted toward the surface. She gasped for air the minute her head was above the waves, but she was still semi-conscious.
Her rescuer dragged her along the water and lifted her onto a wooden plank big enough to hold one pony. She opened her eyes and saw the faint outline of a stallion. Then she heard a loud thud and she felt the stallion's hoof slip from hers.
"No," she cried weakly. "No!"
She repeated the word until everything went black.
The sea is always calm the morning after a tempest, despite the horror that occurred in the night. Scattered along the beach were what remained of a ship called The Mela. A muscular blue minotaur lay sprawled on his stomach, soaked and panting for air.
He glanced around for signs of life. Was he the lone survivor? Had the others perished in the wreck? Were the sweet children he was supposed to deliver safely to Prance gone for good?
His ears perked up as he heard a faint cough. He struggled to rise and jogged down the shoreline. He gasped when he saw the limp body of a mare with orange fur. The waves lapped at her, soaking her tattered gown. Her blonde hair was dirty from the sand. As the minotaur came closer he recognized the poor mare.
"Lady Applejacqueline!"
He lifted the mare out of the water and leaned her against a large, dry rock. Sea water spilt from her mouth as she coughed fiercely. Once she could breathe properly, she finally opened her green eyes and looked upon her savior.
"Captain Iron Will?"
The minotaur smiled. "Don't worry, milady. You're safe now."
Applejacqueline grinned in gratitude, but then her eyes widened in worry.
"Where are my brother and sister?"
The captain's face fell. The mare bolted to her hooves and called in all directions.
"Macintosh! Applebloom!"
She ran up and down the beach, searching for her lost siblings.
"Big Macintosh! Applebloom!"
Her eyes glistened with tears as she assumed the worst. Had the sea taken her brave brother and her sweet sister? Was she alone in the world?
"Look!" Iron Will cried.
He pointed out to a floating speck on the water. Applejacqueline squinted and gasped at the sight of a small, yellow, red-headed filly clinging desperately to a wooden plank, crying out in fear.
"Applebloom!" Applejacqueline shouted.
She stepped into the sea, only for the captain to pull her back.
"No, milady!" he insisted. "Iron Will shall get her!"
He dove into the waves and swam toward the filly. Applebloom recognized the captain and called out to him.
"Captain! Hurry! I think I saw a shark!"
"Hold...on...Apple...bloom..." Iron Will shouted between strokes. "Iron...Will...is...coming!"
The filly gripped onto the wood. She shrieked as a dorsal fin floated by.
"Help!"
"Hang on, Applebloom!" Applejacqueline called. "Oh, Captain, please hurry!"
The filly's fear increased as another fin appeared. She tried to climb onto the board but lost her balance and fell into the water again. The minotaur scooped her up and flung her onto his back. Applebloom tightened her forelegs around his neck.
"Don't let go," he said.
The filly did not argue. Applejacqueline let out a sigh of relief as the two approached the beach. Applebloom screamed and pointed as the dorsal fin appeared again. The sea creature then leapt out of the water and flipped in the air. It was only a dolphin. Applebloom blushed in embarrassment while Iron Will laughed.
The minotaur panted as he reached the shore. Applejacqueline caught her sister as she slid off his back.
"Applebloom!" she said, shaking her. "Are you alright, little sis? Say somethin'!"
"Are we there yet?" the filly said wearily.
Applejacqueline cried out for joy as she embraced her. "Oh, thank Celestia you're okay!" She turned to the minotaur. "Thank you, Captain."
"No thanks is necessary," Iron Will said, straightening himself up.
Applebloom glanced around. "Where...where's Big Macintosh?"
The mare gasped. "Oh no."
She got up and began running down the beach again. "Big Mac! Big Macintosh! Big brother! Answer me!"
She kept calling and calling until her throat was sore. She looked out at the sea, but saw nothing but water and dolphins.
"Why won't you anwer me?" she whispered, tears forming in her eyes.
She glanced up at the minotaur as he laid his hand on her shoulder. His face was solemn.
"Iron Will does not think he made it."
"No. NO!"
She collapsed to her knees and sobbed.
"Not Macintosh! Not my brother!" She looked at the sea with angry eyes. "You...you stupid water! What'd I ever do to you that you take away my brother?! Why? WHY?!"
She buried her face in her hooves. She remembered now. It was her brother who had pulled her from the water and placed her on the board. He must have hit his head and drowned.
He perished saving her life.
"My fault," she murmured. "It's my fault."
Applebloom slowly approached her and hugged her around the waist. She was weeping too.
"Don't cry, big sis," she said softly. "We made it, didn't we? Maybe Big Macintosh made it too! Maybe one of them dolphins saved 'im! Like in that story about the musician, Lyra! Maybe they saved the others as well!"
Applejacqueline looked down at her sister's innocent face. Applebloom was too young to understand that their brother was never coming back. Nevertheless, her naivety brought hope to the mare. She ruffled her sister's red mane with a smile.
"You may be right, little sis," she said. "If we survived, there's a chance Big Macintosh did too. Who knows? Maybe he's already made it to the nearest town."
Applejacqueline glanced around the unfamiliar beach. "Where are we, anyway?"
The captain gasped. "Iron Will knows this place! This is Illyrimane! Iron Will was born here!"
"So you know yerr way around?"
"You bet Iron Will does! The nearest town is less than a mile away!"
"Illyrimane?" Applebloom repeated. "I remember Zecora pointin' to this place on the map. It's miles away from Haystings and is not even close to Prance! How are we gonna get home, Applejacqueline?"
The mare grimaced. "I don't know, little sister. I say we find who's in charge here and ask for help."
"That won't be so easy," Iron Will said. "No pony's going to believe you two are of noble birth, not dressed like that."
Applejacqueline looked over their tattered clothes. "You're right. Ponies may easily mistake us for beggars, or worse."
"But we're not beggars!" Applebloom insisted. "Our father was the Duke of Haystings!"
"We can't prove that, Applebloom. Besides, you and I both know with or without the ball gown, I hardly look the part of a lady."
"I wish you'd stop sayin' that!"
"It's true. Every pony back in Haystings says so. If they don't believe I'm noble, the ponies of Illyrimane certainly won't."
"Then what do we do?"
"Iron Will suggests we find an inn," the minotaur declared, "and rest for the night."
"But we've lost everything!" Applejacqueline explained. "Our gold, our gowns..."
"Not everything!" Applebloom said, pointing. "Look!"
A red trunk with the Apple Family crest on it had just washed ashore. Seeing that the lock was broken, Applejacqueline opened it up. Inside were Macintosh's clothes. Tears formed in her eyes at seeing them, but she shook away her sadness and looked through the chest. Beneath the garments were five pouches of gold. She counted the money to be a total of fifty bits. It was not much, but it was enough to get them a meal and a place to sleep for the night.
Applejacqueline could not help but smile. It was like a gift from Heaven. She looked up at the sky.
"Thank you, big brother."
The three castaways were lucky to find lodging at an inn called The Sugar Cube, run by a young couple with newborn twins.
"So where are you all from?" the mare, Mrs. Cake, asked as she served them their meal.
"We're from Hay..." Applebloom started to say.
Applejacqueline covered her sister's mouth. "We're travelin'."
"Ah, I see," the blue mare said. "Well, I understand if you want to keep to yourselves, but might I ask what two young fillies are doing with a...?"
She paused as she glanced up at the minotaur.
"He's our uncle," Applejacqueline said quickly. "Well, he's not exactly our uncle, but he's our guardian. He was a friend of our father's. When Father died, this minotaur here took us in."
"Oh."
Mrs. Cake asked no further questions and left the table.
"Why did you...?" Applebloom started to ask.
"Shush!" Applejacqueline whispered.
The filly spoke quieter. "Why did you lie to her? You never lie!"
"Applebloom, don't you realize how much danger we're in? If any pony knew who we were, they might use that knowledge to their advantage!"
"Your sister's right, young filly," Iron Will said. "The streets are full of thieves and kidnappers. You could be mugged or held for ransom. Illyrimane is no place for two young ladies to be on their own."
"Can't you take care of us?" Applebloom inquired.
"Alas, Iron Will has little money to care for you."
"We scarcely have enough for a day," Applejacqueline added.
"This is terrible!" the filly exclaimed. "Every pony back home is probably worried sick! And I can only imagine how yerr betrothed is feelin'!
The mare groaned. "He's not my betrothed!"
"Still, he'll be pretty upset if we don't show up at the docks."
"He wouldn't give a hoof if our muzzles fell clean off our faces. Forget the Prince. Until we can get word to Haystings, we better find some work."
The filly blinked. "Work? You mean for money?"
"Of course. You know it'll be no sweat for me."
Applejacqueline might have been a mare of noble birth, but she was no stranger to work. As a filly, she would escape from her etiquette lessons by dressing up as a servant girl. Naturally, the other maids assumed she was really a servant and had her do the housework. She had been reluctant at first, but soon found that work relaxed her. Even as a mare, she preferred picking the apples in the orchard herself than having some pony else doing it.
"There are not that many honest ways for mares to make money," Iron Will commented. "Unless you don't mind cooking or cleaning."
The mare shrugged. "I don't mind."
"But you shouldn't have to work, Applejacqueline," said Applebloom. "You're a lady of the..."
"Hush! Captain, who's in charge here?"
"That would be the Duke Spike," Iron Will replied.
Applejacqueline paused. "Duke Spike, eh? I think I've heard of him before. Is it true that he's not a pony, but a...dragon?"
"Indeed, he is."
"How does a dragon become a duke?" Applebloom questioned.
"The late Duke of Illyrimane found the dragon as an infant while hunting in the woods. He was out in the middle of nowhere and since the Duke had always wanted a son, he raised him as his own. Naturally, Duke Spike inherited his title. He lives with his adoptive sister, the Lady Twilight Sparkle."
"You think they're lookin' to hire a maid?" Applejacqueline inquired.
"Iron Will does not know. The Duke does not usually hire mares and the Lady Twilight keeps no hoofmaids. They're not a social pair, you see? They seek only the company of each other, and, " the minotaur snickered, "in the Lady Twilight's case, her books."
"What does the Duke Spike do?"
"Nothing much. Last time Iron Will was here, there was a rumor going around that he was in love with the Lady Rarity. She's the daughter of a late count, who left her and her younger sister in the care of their brother. Unfortunately, he passed away not too long ago. The Lady Rarity took his death rather badly. Since then, she refuses to let anyone see her face and dresses for mourning."
Applejacqueline hung her head. "I can understand that."
She knew all too well what it was like to lose a brother. Applejacqueline figured since she could relate to this mare, she obtain a job as a maid and since the lady had a younger sister, Applebloom could serve her. Even though it meant Applebloom would have to work more than she was accustomed to, at least they would be living in a manor, a setting they were familiar with.
"You think she would accept our services?"
"Iron Will doubts that. She will not admit any pony or any dragon."
The mare sighed. "That is unfortunate."
When they were finished with their meal, the three retired upstairs. The innkeeper's wife had lent them some needle and thread to mend their dresses. Applejacqueline groaned as she tried to get the string through the needle's eye.
"Here, let me try," Applebloom offered.
The filly licked the end of the thread and slid it through the needle.
"I was never good with those things," Applejacqueline said.
As her little sister began stitching her skirt, the mare started thinking of where they were to go from here. The captain had to return to Haystings and report the wreck, but they did not have enough money for all of them to make the journey. Applejacqueline was the oldest sibling now and was responsible for her sister. She had promised her mother on her deathbed to take care of Applebloom and to not let anything happen to her.
They could not stay in Illyrimane. A constable could find them roaming the streets one day and get the wrong impression. With her garments, Applejacqueline could be mistaken for a prostitute and hauled off to prison and poor Applebloom would be placed in an orphanage. She did not say any of this to her sister, because she did not want her to worry. Still, she could not bear the thought of being separated from all she had left in the world.
She needed to find a way to earn money so they could stay together.
"We damaged these really bad," Applebloom observed, snipping the thread with her teeth. "Too bad none of our clothes survived the wreck. Can't we buy some new gowns?"
"We need to save the money for food, sister."
"But how do ya expect to find work lookin' like this?! Ya might as well be wearin' Big Macintosh's britches!"
As the words fell from her sister's mouth, an idea formed in Applejacqueline's head. The grin on her face was joyful and a tad mischievous. Applebloom gazed at her in concern.
"You alright, big sister?"
Without warning, the mare jumped off the bed and rushed to Iron Will's room.
"Captain!" she shouted from the doorway. "I just got the most brilliant plan!"
"Whoa, whoa, milady!" the minotaur said, putting his hands on the jumping mare's shoulders. "What's all the excitement?"
"Yeah," Applebloom said, peering out from behind her. "What's this all about?"
"Shut the door," Applejacqueline whispered.
The filly did so and joined the two on the bed.
"Captain," Applejacqueline began. "You were right when you said this was no place for two young ladies to be on their own."
"It isn't," Iron Will said, shaking his head.
"Well, then we won't be two young ladies!"
"What are ya sayin', sister?" Applebloom inquired.
"Applebloom, you remember how Aunt Orange used to say I might as well have been a boy?"
"Yeah, just because you weren't afraid to get dirty."
"And that was," she mimicked their aunt's voice, "'so unladylike'!"
The filly laughed.
"Well, why don't we make Aunt Orange's wish come true?"
"Huh?"
Applejacqueline turned to Iron Will. "Captain, you have been a good friend to our family for years and you've helped us so much already that I hate to ask you for more, but I expect you to keep this secret and help me in this plan."
"Iron Will shall keep his mouth shut," the minotaur said.
"Then listen carefully." She glanced around and gestured for them to come closer. "I will serve the Duke Spike as a pagecolt."
"A pagecolt?!" Applebloom gasped.
"It pays better than bein' a maid."
"But in order to be a pagecolt, don't you have to be a...a boy?"
Applejacqueline grinned. "That's right. You need a stallion to look after you, sister. If the Duke accepts my services, I'm sure he'll take you as well."
"But...how?"
"Macintosh's clothes. And if we cut my mane a tiny bit..."
"What about yerr muzzle? It's not a stallion's."
The mare put her hoof to her nose. "Oh. Didn't think about that. Well, it was a good plan..."
"Now hold on!" Iron Will interrupted. He looked at the mare through a square he had made with his hands. "This could work."
Applejacqueline's face lit up. "You mean you'll help?"
"Iron Will can make you look like a stallion! You will be the Duke's pagecolt until Iron Will can get word to Haystings!"
The mare cried out for joy and flung her forelegs around the minotaur's waist. "Thank ya, Captain! How can I ever repay you?"
"No thanks is necessary. Applebloom, get a pair of scissors! We're going to make a stallion out of this mare!"
"Alright, you ready?" Applejacqueline called out from behind the screen.
"Ready!" Applebloom declared.
She and the captain gasped at the pony that stepped out. Not even Applebloom could believe it was a mare she was looking at. Her straw-colored mane and tail were cut short in a style similar to how their brother's had been. She wore a pair of tan trousers, a white collared shirt and a blue jacket with gold buttons. The clothes had been resized, thanks to Applebloom.
"What do you think?" Applejacqueline asked in a voice deep for a mare but shrill for a stallion.
The filly grinned. "I think I have a new brother! Why, if you were red and taller, I'd almost think you were Big Macintosh! But...yerr muzzle..."
"We'll just tell them that she, I mean he, got his looks from his mother and is sensitive about it," Iron Will explained with a slight chuckle.
"But do you think the Duke will buy it?" the mare turned stallion inquired.
"If you can fool me, Applejacqueline," Applebloom said, "you can fool any pony!"
"It's not Applejacqueline anymore, little sister," the mare said as she looked at her new face in the mirror. "It's Applejack."
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Sounds mighty interesting
I shall keep my tabs on this story, hope to see more
the world needs more AppleSpike; thanks for bringing more of this great pairing to this site.
I just did a paper on this for British literature. Freaky, but good work.
Oh my gosh this is BRILLIANT!
I actually really liked the original story so I'll add this to my read later list I love ponified Shakespeare.
Yay, Twelfth Night ponified. I look forward to this little trip.
Loved Twelfth Night (and played Sir Toby in a production once), and I shall love this
LOVE Shakespeare, so I shall LOVE this! :teehee:
I just keep imagining iron will to pose every time he talks.
oooooooh
this is good. I have preformed this play before in public! ( obviously the normal version)
This is so good
Oooh, the ever-classic works of the the Bard mixed with the televized perfection of MLP. Dis gun be gud.
5880445 omg yes