A Dragon's Selection

by CartoonNerd12

Chapter 35

Author's Note:

Warning: This chapter contains spoilers from The Perfect Pear. I suggest you watch it if you haven't, but if you don't then read at your own risk.

The next day came and at exactly 11: 45, Spike came into the room giving Applejack the chance she needed to give the letter to her dragon. Once Spike blew the fire on it, he inquired.

"So your brother is going to be dating your maid once we leave Equestria, huh?"

Applejack nodded, "That's right. And I sure hope it works out for them." she slightly sighed, "I wish I could be there to see it for myself. My brother fallin' in love, getting married, having his own kin…" her eyes casted down in sadness.

Spike wrapped his arms around her for comfort, thinking with guilt, She's sacrificing everything just to be with me… Of all the gifts I have ever given her, none of those can compare to the gift that she has given to me…

She must have read his mind, because the next thing she said was, "But I am not regretting this, Spike… I want to be with you. And I still have some contact with my family so I'm not goin' to Dragonia with any kind of grief. From there we're goin' to make our own life. And thanks to Celestia's potion we can make that happen."

A smile slowly spread across his face but then frowned in concern, asking, "What do you suppose they'll look like… our kids?"

Applejack thought it over before shrugging, "Who knows? This will be the first time a dragon-pony hybrid will be ever created so… Anything goes, I guess."

"But will it matter to you if… they look very different from other creatures?"

"Spike, I'm half Pear. And although that was a shock for me at the time I found out I soon got over it quickly so it's not goin' matter to me if our kin is strange-lookin' than most. I would love them no matter what."

"You're half Pear?" he questioned with a gawk.

She faintly chuckled, "Guess I never told ya that, huh?"

He gave a small grin, "No… but now is a good time as any…"

"Well you see it's goes back to how my parents met. Their names were Bright Mac and Buttercup, though my Ma's real name was Pear Butter. According to the story told by my Great Aunt Goldie Delicious, my parent's best friends, and the mayor of Ponyville. Me, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom had learned the truth about why the Apples and Pears were family rivals but only our parents had liked each other and eventually fell in love. Their courtship was as sweet as honey…"

Applejack made a small sniffle, "My Ma sang to Pa a song about their love while Pa had carved their cutie marks in a heart on a stone… And then… when my Grand Pear was going move his family to Vanhoover, my Pa went right up and asked my Ma to marry him! He spent the whole day setting up a wedding! But once my Granny and Grand Pear came across the ceremony, Grand Pear demanded for my Ma to choose a side!"

Spike gasped out, "No!"

She somberly nodded, "Oh, he did…" then she smiled, "But you should know that Grand Pear regretted doin' that and when he came back to Ponyville one day, he reconciled with Granny and became closer to us grandkids."

Spike beamed, "Well that's a relief."

She nodded before her face went sad again, "Yeah… My Ma had to turn her back on being a Pear, but at least she had my Pa and it made her life very complete. In fact, the day they performed their vows they planted a pear seed and an apple seed and those seeds grew into two trees that entwined into the shape of a heart…"

Spike could only utter out, "Wow…"

AJ smirked, "I know, right?"

"That was the most beautiful and most romantic thing I ever heard…" his eyes lit up, "In fact… it reminds me of how my Uncle Matchstick and Aunt Brambleberry fell in love!"

Her own eyes widen, realizing he was right. Both couples fell in love during a time of feuds and despite how the odds were stack against them of ever being together, they prevailed in the end.

Applejack voiced, "Fate sure has a funny way of sneaking up on you. Think about it, my parents… your aunt and uncle… and how they fell in love… None of that could have happen unless it was meant to have happen."

Spike queried, "You think it's the same way with us…?"

There was a pause before she said in uncertainty, "I… I'm not sure…"

He stated firmly, "I think it is…"

Her eyes went wide again as she asked, "Really? What makes you say that?"

"Applejack… you didn't want to enter the Selection, remember?" She nodded with a blush as he continued, "And I didn't want the Selection to happen in the first place. But… because I went through with it and you were chosen, we had found each other…"

Her mouth went slack-jawed from his words.

Holy… He's right!

He kept speaking, "And so just like our relatives, fate brought us together when we had least expected it."

She shook her head in amazement, it was true, all of it.

"And I for one, am glad…" he stared into her eyes.

"Oh, Spike…" she wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him. They leaned in until they were interrupted by Winona's whimpering all the while holding a ball in her mouth. They looked down and Applejack sighed, "All right, girl. I'll play with ya."

Spike suddenly snapped his fingers, "Hey, I got an idea. Why don't I bring Pee-Wee here and we can have a pet playdate?"

"Hey! Now that is an idea! Good thinkin', hon!"

He smirked, "Already starting with the married pet names?"

She smirked back, "I got to practice, don't I?"

He shook his head in amusement before he quickly went out and then came back with a phoenix on his arm.

Winona saw the colorful bird and looked at it with intrigue. And in turn, Pee-Wee did the same.

Spike started, "Pee-Wee, this is Winona, and Winona, this is Pee-Wee."

Pee-Wee flew from Spike's arm and down to the floor where Winona was. Both pets eyed each other curiously then Winona did a quick sniff before wagging her tail happily. Pee-Wee saw no animosity from the pup and began to chip cheerfully.

"Awww…" both their owners gushed at the sight. Much to Applejack and Spike's relief as their pets were getting along. So much so that the pets started to play with each other giving their owners a chance to keep conversing.

But when Night Gilder-carrying bed sheets-entered the room, Winona and Pee-Wee headed for the door and ran out the room.

"Winona/Pee-Wee!" AJ and Spike shouted out.

Night Gilder apologized, "I'm sorry! I was just coming in to change the sheets, I didn't mean to lose your dog and-"

Applejack quickly said, "It's okay, but we need to get our pets back before they start causing trouble around the castle!"

Spike declared, "I'll need to go warn Ember so she can keep Garble occupied from this!"

They both ran out, hoping to catch their pets before something bad happen to them.

---

The dragon and earth pony searched the castle but Pee-Wee and Winona were nowhere to be found. They had manage to enlist Rarity and Sunset's help so they were busy searching other parts of the castle.

Applejack said, "How is it possible to lose one dog and one phoenix in a castle? As big as this place is, we should have come across them by now."

"We just have to keep looking…" he replied as they made their way down to the foyer. Where as luck would have it, they had spotted the back of phoenix's tail and heard the patter of paws going left. "Over there!" he pointed and they rushed after them.

They soon found themselves in the dungeons and just as they were about to go forward, they heard voices.

"Dashie, how could this have happen to you?!" a sweet yet sad voice filled the air.

Both Spike and Applejack's eyes widen recognizing the voice as Fluttershy's.

A raspy voice responded that Spike identified as Rainbow Dash's, "I'm sorry, Flutters, but the Selection was demanding all single mares to sign up and I just didn't want to be part of that. So Gilda took me in until the choosing was done, of course I was upset to learn that you got chosen from Cloudsdale and that was one of the reasons I was willing to help Gilda get the Idol of Boreas back, to strike a blow against those dragons."

Spike and Applejack exchanged a look before slowly moving on to take a peek of the voices talking. They saw Fluttershy and Discord looking into Rainbow Dash and Gilda's cell.

Discord told the butter-cream pegasus, "Really, Fluttershy, had I known you had history with Miss Dash here, I never would have captured her."

"It's alright, Discord, you didn't know, frankly because I had no idea that Rainbow was helping the griffons at all…"

Rainbow Dash told her, "And it's a good thing you didn't or else you might have gotten stuck here as well.

The draconequus agreed, "She has a point there."

Fluttershy said to the rainbow-mane mare, "I just wish I knew what was going to happen to you tomorrow…" tears welled in her eyes, "I don't want to lose my oldest friend!"

Spike gawked while Applejack covered her mouth in shock.

Fluttershy kept talking, "I only knew Twilight for a short time but when she was banished, I was very upset!"

"Hey, hey," Dash tried to calm her friend by reaching her hoof through the bars which Fluttershy took, "that's when she was part of the Selection, and the dragons got to punish her because of that, but I wasn't so the punishment falls to Princess Celestia…"

Discord mentioned, "That maybe so, Miss Dash, but Cay-Cay is also going to have be diplomatic to appease the dragons given you and the griffons attacked the castle."

Rainbow countered, "For a good reason!"

Discord smirked, "And that's why you got a shot of winning this case. And the law clearly states that you are allowed to have an attorney to defend you during the trial."

Rainbow grumbled, "Yeah, except I'm broke and I don't trust lawyers anyway so that's out."

Discord wag his finger, "Don't lose hope, Miss Dash, I know someone who's good at what he does and he'll even do it for free!"

"What kind-of lawyer would do that?!"

"You're looking at him!" he proclaimed just as business wear and a toupee appeared on him. "Allow me to introduce myself, Mr. Discord Mason. Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony, and Attorney at Law." he bowed, "At your service."

Dash dubiously inquired, "You, are going to defend me?"

"But of course!"

"It can't possibly be that easy! What's the catch?!"

There was silence as Discord slowly rose up and started to look menacing making everyone quiver at the sight just as he said in a booming voice, "I WANT YOUR… SOUL!"

"WHAT?!" Rainbow, Fluttershy, Spike, and Applejack gasped out.

But then Discord started laughing hysterically and everyone got confused, but once he spoke they felt calm.

"Oh, the looks on your faces! Priceless!" he chuckled before addressing Rainbow, "No, no, Miss Dash. I don't want your soul, that's so ancient times. No, I am doing this for Fluttershy. Representing you in the trial is my way of making up for capturing you in the first place."

Fluttershy gasped happily as she wrapped her arms around the draconequus in a tight embrace.

Discord started sweating, "Sweetheart, please… you know I can't hug you back…"

"Oh, right, sorry…" she let go of him with a longing look.

Dash asked, "Why can't you hug her back?"

"Rules of the Selection, I'm afraid. As I cannot get any closer to Fluttershy until after she's dismissed. For now we must be platonic."

Rainbow said in confusion, "But can't a hug be platonic?"

Discord quickly replied, "Not the kind of hug I'm thinking of."

Fluttershy flushed but nodded.

Rainbow Dash gawked and while still out of view, AJ and Spike exchanged an embarrassing blush.

Discord continued to talk, "Now then, we have to make this a 'right for the wrong reasons' type of case."

Dash motioned, "But isn't that already the case?"

"Correct, but we need to start making our defense. So tell me everything from the beginning to end about needing to get the idol back from the dragons."

By then Winona and Pee-Wee came from behind their owners and Applejack and Spike grabbed them before they could get away again. Then quietly, they left the dungeons as AJ voiced.

"One thing's for sure, this is goin' be one interesting trial tomorrow…"

Spike nodded, "I agree. I wonder how it'll go."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see…"

Comments

[Hillbe]

orig01.deviantart.net/a232/f/2017/155/a/1/crimson_ruby_didit_by_hillbe-dbbkh4f.jpg

what will our kin look like?

Doomie!

Pinkie?!?

[GrimmWolfDragon]

Why you do this me? Why must you end on a cliffhanger.
Good chapter

[CartoonNerd12]

8256326
Read Chapter 35, that was the episode we were talking about.

[MySisterBroughtMeHere]

Beautiful touch bringing the episode in. 👍

[blaukit]

OMG OMG Hybhhbuhujhuhjhuhjhhbhbhbhbhbhhuuhhyg llllelll