The Lavender Arrow

by DisneyFanatic23

Training Grounds

"How's your lunch?" Twilight asked, lifting the flap of Spike's tent.

The dragon put down his wooden bowl to show his face covered with green sludge. "It's not gemstones, but it's good!"

Twilight smiled. "Be sure to tell Pinkie that. Hardly anyone here likes her cooking. I can't really blame her with our limited choices for ingredients."

"Why? What's in this stuff?"

"Moss and chopped worms."

Spike looked back down at his empty bowl, then used his long tongue to clean his face in a single slurp. "Not bad."

The unicorn chuckled. "I just wanted you to know that your message has been sent."

Setting his bowl to the side, Spike asked, "You sure that was the best idea? I mean wouldn't confirming that I'm alive just make it even harder for us to go up against Tirek? He'll be extra cautious now."

"He may be." She stepped towards him. "But from caution breeds fear. Tirek will be even more hesitant to marry your love off to someone else, knowing that you are coming for him. It will make him uneasy. It's the same reason I sent that rhyme to him. He'll spend his nights thinking about how the two of us might kill him." Her smirk held a twinge of mischief. "His fear will make him all the more vulnerable."

Spike recoiled at her words. "Do you have any idea how scary you sound right now?"

She shook her head. "Sorry. Do you think you're strong enough to walk?"

"I think so." Throwing off the blanket, he slowly stood to his feet.

"Good." She tossed him a pile of lavender cloth. "Put these on. Your training begins today."

"Training?" Spike said, fumbling to keep the clothes in his claws.

"Of course. You didn't expect to be going against Tirek without learning to fight first, did you?"

He scowled. "I can fight just fine."

Twilight scoffed. "You claim the bow to be your weapon, yet I've seen you shoot. You're not ready to face Tirek."

"But what about Applejack? Shouldn't we start planning to rescue her?"

"Leave the planning to me. In the meantime," Twilight said, levitating the flap of the tent, "you must prepare yourself through training."

And so she left him to get dressed.

---

Applejack didn't know how long she'd been asleep when the sound of the steel door unlocking awoke her. The Diamond Dog, Rover, came in with another guard. She was sure they were here to beat her until they started unlocking her shackles.

"What's goin' on?" she asked.

"Lord Tirek has asked that you be moved to a more…comfortable room," Rover said with a snicker.

Once she was unchained, the guards lifted her by the forelegs. There was no point in fighting. Even though Spike was alive, she couldn't escape this hellhole alone thanks to Discord's spell.

All she could do was take whatever Tirek could throw at her.

They took her up several flights of stairs to an open bedroom. Tirek was waiting inside. He nodded to the guards to release her. Applejack looked around at the chamber. It held a bed with lacy pillows and a gossamer canopy, a fancy ivory vanity, a pink dressing screen, and a pristine ivory wardrobe. There was window which was barred.

"What's all this?" Applejack asked.

With a smirk, Tirek bent down and whispered, "If you're going to be married to a noble, you'll have to start living like one."

She stuck her tongue out in defiance.

"And acting like one," he said, narrowing his eyes.

"And if I refuse?" she said, crossing her hooves.

He straightened up, rubbing his chin. "How about if you do as I say, I might reconsider that bounty on your lover's head?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "How do I know you'll keep your word?"

"You don't," he said, holding out his hands.

She scrutinized him for several minutes before saying, "If he dies, I kill myself."

Tirek and the guards looked at her in surprise.

"I'll find a way," she said, pointing to her chest. "Then ya won't get yerr tree."

The centaur blinked several times and then bowed with a smile. "As you wish, milady."

As he passed by her, he tossed her cap aside. "I've assigned a couple ladies-in-waiting to you. They'll provide you with more…suitable attire."

He shut her in, locking the door. Applejack went to the window and stuck her hoof through the bars. They seemed rather pointless, for her hoof hit the force field as she'd expected. She had a good view of the forest as she looked out. Somewhere out there was her beloved, and she could only hope that he would keep his promise and come back for her.

The sound of the door opening startled her. She spun around to see two mares entering, a white unicorn and a yellow pegasus, which made her relax a little. The unicorn, who wore a maid's attire, was levitating a pile of clothes while the pegasus, whose white dress was more pristine, walked in elegantly.

"Oh, goodness!" the unicorn said, scrunching her muzzle as she looked Applejack over. "Look at the wretchedness they have cursed you to!"

Suddenly, the unicorn was up in her face, making Applejack jump back.

"Oh, but you are lovely," the unicorn said as she began circling her, "in a homely, modest sort of way." She lifted up Applejack's ponytail. "If we put your mane up, you'll look positively stunning!"

Applejack opened her mouth to speak but was prevented when the unicorn thrust a dress in front of her.

"No," the unicorn said bluntly, moving onto the next gown. "No. No. No. Oh, absolutely not!" She went from dress to dress before deciding on an olive green velvet gown with puffed shoulders. "Oh, yes, definitely goes with your eyes!"

Applejack felt a tugging on her shirt and realized it was being levitated off her body.

"Hey!" she cried, pulling her shirt back down. "I can dress myself, ya know!"

"Dress yourself?" The unicorn scoffed in appalment. "A lady in your position?!"

Applejack glanced around her prison. "Yeah, I'm dressin' myself."

The unicorn opened her mouth to protest when the pegasus placed her hoof on her shoulder. "Let her dress herself, Rarity, if that is her wish."

Sighing, Rarity handed Applejack the olive gown and pushed her behind the screen.

"I take it y'all are supposed to be my ladies-in-waitin'," Applejack called as she began undressing herself.

"Yes," the pegasus said with a curtsy, despite Applejack not being able to see her. "I'm Fluttershy, and you've already met Rarity."

"First off," Rarity said, placing the rest of the gowns in the wardrobe, "let me clarify that I do not approve of this horrid situation in the slightest! I mean stealing you away from your home just so you could marry someone against your will?! Honestly! This is simply no way to treat a lady!"

Applejack smiled to herself. At least I got some pony here on my side.

"Oh, but we'll try to make the best of it, I'm sure," Fluttershy said. "If there's anything you wish of us, Miss Apple Jewel, don't hesitate to ask. Rarity and I only want you to feel comfortable."

"Not easy when you're being held here against yerr will," Applejack muttered. "But I appreciate the sentiment."

Once the dress was on, Applejack stepped awkwardly out from behind the screen. Somehow, being back in a dress didn't feel right. She'd forgotten how constricting it could be, especially in the torso. After several days in a tunic and trousers, she'd gotten quite used to moving about freely. Not to mention there hadn't been a long skirt to trip over.

Rarity squealed at the sight of her. "You look positively radiant! Now for your mane!"

Applejack yelped as she was suddenly grabbed by magic and seated at the vanity.

"That's okay," Applejack said, shivering as a brush magically approached her. "You don't need to—"

"Nonsense!" Rarity exclaimed as she began yanking at her yellow mane. "Just because you're imprisoned here, doesn't mean you can't still look your best!"

Applejack snorted, realizing that there was no reasoning with this mare.

"So tell me, darling," Rarity said, not noticing the pain Applejack was in, "is it true that Lord Tirek had intended you for Spike?"

At the mention of Spike, Applejack gazed down at her lap and nodded solemnly.

"Don't move!" Rarity commanded, pulling her head back up. "And is it true that in your attempt to escape, you ran into him in the woods?"

"Yes," Applejack murmured.

"And when you were captured again and brought here, little Spike tried to get you home?"

The earth mare shut her eyes. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"But is Spike really an outlaw now? And has he really threatened Tirek that he'll kill him if you're married off to anyone else but Spike?"

She's not much for listening, is she? "Yes, okay?! Yes!"

Rarity squealed. "Oh, that's so romantic! What I'd give to have a dashing rogue fighting for my honor! You're so lucky!"

"Yeah," Applejack mumbled, standing up. "Lucky."

"Excuse me!" Rarity exclaimed. "I haven't finished!"

Applejack ignored her as she made her way to the window so she could look out at the forest again. Fluttershy sent the unicorn a disapproving look.

"What?" Rarity asked, oblivious.

Shaking her head, Fluttershy approached the mare at the window. "Don't despair, Miss Apple Jewel."

"Applejack," the earth mare murmured.

"Pardon?"

Without looking at her, she said, "Call me Applejack."

"Alright, Applejack," Fluttershy said warmly. "What I was trying to say is that you shouldn't worry about Spike. He's a brave little dragon, and if he really loves you, he'll stop at nothing to see you again."

"How do ya know that?"

"Because that's what my husband does." The pegasus let out a dreamy sigh. "I can't help but worry about him whenever he goes out on one of Lord Tirek's missions, but my Discord always assures me that he'll return, because I'll be waiting for him."

Remembering where she had heard the name Fluttershy before, Applejack turned to face her. "You're Discord's wife?"

"Mmm-hmm," Fluttershy said shamelessly.

Applejack looked her over from head to hoof. "Really?"

Spike said she was pretty, but DANG!

Fluttershy blushed. "I'm assuming you've met my husband."

"You could say that," Applejack said, remembering the creature that had pulled on her chain, causing her to fall into the mud.

"It's okay. I know Discord's not…much to look at, but deep down, he has the heart of a prince."

"I wasn't thinkin' about his looks." Applejack took a step towards her. "How'd he manage to snag a mare like you? I mean you just seem so…nice!"

"Well, it's a long story," Fluttershy said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You don't want to hear it."

Shrugging, Applejack sat down beside her. "I'm trapped here anyway, so ya might as well tell me."

"Ooh, you're going to love this!" Rarity exclaimed, joining them on the bed. "I mean I'm not really a fan of Discord either, but the story of how he and Fluttershy met is adorable!"

Blushing, Fluttershy began her tale. "I was born a noblemare, the daughter of a count. Three years ago, Lord Tirek came to our estate to discuss business with my father. Father told me to stay in my room during the visit, said that Tirek wasn't the most…trustful of creatures, and rumor had it he was looking for a wife for his ward, and Father didn't want Tirek seeing me. Not wanting to upset my father, I obeyed. Besides, I was already promised to some pony, even though I'd never met him.

"Unfortunately, staying in my room meant complete boredom. My mother was visiting relatives at the time, and my younger brother was traveling around Equestria, so I had no pony to talk to. I tried working on my needlepoint, but I ran out of thread. None of the servants were nearby, so I ventured out to find some more.

"Just as I was rounding a corner, this fearsome creature jumped out at me and cried, 'Boo!' I screamed and fell to the ground while he laughed. He stopped when he saw that I was crying and asked if I was alright. I said I was. Then he held out his paw and helped me up."

Fluttershy's cheeks turned pink. "Now that he wasn't trying to scare me, I got a better look at him. I've spent a lot of time around animals, so seeing that he was made of various animal parts made him more…intriguing than frightening.

"I learned that his name was Discord and that he served Lord Tirek. He'd gotten bored with the meeting and was looking for something to do. I told him I was looking for something to do too. Then we started talking and…he conjured up a flower bouquet for me and made the flowers dance. I'd never smiled or laughed so hard in my life!"

Applejack saw the enormous smile on Fluttershy's face and believed her.

"He had to go back with Tirek," Fluttershy continued, "but we started writing to each other. And every now and then, he would sneak into the garden and fly up to my balcony just to see me." She noticed Applejack's appalled look. "Oh no, he didn't try to seduce me or anything! My husband's a gentlecolt!"

"I'm sure he is," Applejack murmured, not forgetting the mud incident.

"Then my father announced that I would be married soon," Fluttershy said, shaking her head. "I didn't want to, but what else could I do? I wrote the news to Discord. I didn't quite realize his or my feelings yet. I was merely informing him as a friend."

Her grin returned. "Then the night before the wedding, he showed up on my balcony, got down on his knee, took my hoof, and gave the most beautiful speech I'd ever heard."

She closed her eyes and placed her hoof on her heart. "'My dearest Fluttershy, I would offer my congratulations, but I'm afraid I cannot, as I cannot allow you to marry this stallion whom you've never met. I know you don't love him, and he doesn't love you, for he doesn't know you like I do. Before I met you, Fluttershy, all I lived for was making other ponies' miserable with my chaotic powers. When I first looked into your eyes, I saw all the beauty and innocence in the world, a sight that has escaped me all these years.

"'You're the only pony who treats me like an equal, and your soul surpasses your outward beauty tenfold. You've done the impossible and melted this stone cold heart. That's right, Fluttershy, I've fallen truly, deeply, madly in love with you. And, if you would have me, I wouldn't hesitate to whisk you away from here so that we could be together forever, as husband and wife.'"

Rarity let out a sigh along with Fluttershy. Applejack had listened to the speech, impressed that Discord could say something so sentimental, and that Fluttershy had managed to remember it word for word.

"As he said this," Fluttershy continued, opening her eyes, "I realized that I was as much in love with him as he was with me, so he carried me off to Midnight Castle where we were married immediately."

"So," Applejack said thoughtfully, "you were in a situation where ya thought ya had no choice, and when ya met Discord…ya felt ya finally had one?"

Fluttershy nodded. "Think what you will about Discord, but he has the kindest heart I've ever known."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Applejack looked up at the ceiling. "I mean he could've carried out Tirek's orders and killed me and Spike in that passageway if he hadn't let us go."

The pegasus' smile vanished. "What?"

"Oh," the earth mare said, turning to her. "While Spike and I were escapin', Discord caught us, but instead of killin' us or alertin' the guards, he let us go." She sighed. "A lotta good that did me, with that shield up."

Fluttershy stared at her for a long while and then rose to her hooves. "I, um…need to do something."

Without another word, she went out the door.

"I will give Discord this much credit," Rarity said, smoothing out her skirt. "He loves his wife, no matter how…unconventional it may be."

Applejack shrugged. "We don't exactly choose who we fall in love with."

Her thoughts returned to her beloved dragon and the circumstances of their meeting. Seeing her sad expression, Rarity seemed to understand.

"You're really in love with that little dragon, aren't you?"

Applejack nodded, feeling no shame. Rarity placed an assuring hoof on her shoulder.

"I, um, may get in trouble for this, but," the unicorn said with a grin, "once Spike comes for you, I'll help you escape with him."

Applejack looked at her in surprise. "You'd do that? Why? Ya barely even know me."

Rarity shrugged. "I'm a fan of true love, darling."

That made the earth mare smile. "Well…thanks." She looked out the window. "I just hope Spike can get here in time."

---

Heads turned as Twilight and Spike walked through the camp. The dragon shrank under their gazes.

"Where did you find all these ponies?" he asked his companion.

"They're all here for different reasons," Twilight replied. "Many of them were thieves before I met them and were just interested in causing some mischief. Some of them lost much in the war and were left with no other choice. And some of them," she looked to the side, "fled from the oppression they suffered within their own homes."

Spike followed her gaze to two mares he recognized from the other day, a unicorn and an earth mare called Lyra and Bon-Bon. The latter had a flower in her hoof, which she placed gently into Lyra's mane. They both giggled as they rubbed each other's noses. Spike looked at Twilight, stunned.

"You'll find outlaws to be the least judgmental of people," she said with a sad grin. "Their hooves may not be the cleanest, but they're all loyal to Celestia, and thus loyal to your father."

Spike sighed. "I never knew which side to take in this war. I just took whatever views my uncle held. It was easier that way."

"You don't have to fight for us, but as long as you're here, we'll fight for you. You can learn much from these ponies."

They came to a tent where a familiar multi-colored pegasus was sharpening a sword on a stone wheel.

"This is Rainbow Dash," Twilight said. "She is our resident blacksmith."

"You?!" Spike said in disbelief.

Rainbow smirked. "Never met a female blacksmith, huh?" She waved her sword. "Picked it up from my dad. Of course, what I really wanted to be was a knight."

"I tried to get her training," Twilight said, "but then Tirek betrayed me and…"

She trailed off, but Spike understood.

"So you're Spike, huh?" Rainbow said, looking the dragon over. "Twilight's told us so much about you. I thought you'd be taller."

Spike narrowed his eyes.

"Don't get me wrong," Rainbow said, holding up her hoof. "Size isn't everything."

"Rainbow's an expert archer," Twilight said, "but her specialties are swordplay and hoof-to-hoof combat, both of which she will be teaching to you."

"Are you crazy?" Spike said, turning to her. "I can't fight a mare! It would be undignified!"

"Spike!" Twilight said through her teeth.

"Nah, it's okay, Twilight," Rainbow said, holding her hoof out to Spike. "No hard feelings?"

Smiling, the dragon took her hoof. He realized his mistake immediately when he was suddenly thrown over Rainbow's shoulder. He screamed as he flew through the air and landed in a pile of dirty laundry.

"Lesson Number One, kid," Rainbow said, lifting a soiled tunic off his eyes. "Never let your guard down." She held out her hoof. "Not even for a mare."

Spike slapped her hoof away, which made her laugh.

"See? You're learning already!"

"Why are these woods filled with so many feisty mares?" Spike muttered under his breath as he rose to his feet.

"Because mares have all the more reason to run away from home," Twilight said, coming up to him. "Sadly, living on the edge of the law is the only way most of them can be free to be who they are."

Spike looked between Twilight and Rainbow and sighed. "Now I really wish I'd been able to escape with Applejack. She would've loved all this."

"Who's Applejack?" Rainbow asked.

"The mare Lord Tirek captured," Twilight whispered. "Remember, the mare Spike was traveling with?"

"Oh." Rainbow looked at the sad dragon with wide eyes. "Oh! I get it." She knelt down to him. "Ya want some romantic advice, buddy? It's a common misconception that mares are totally helpless and need rescuing all the time. Truth is we can handle ourselves just fine given the right training and such. However," she leaned in further to whisper, "we still appreciate any male who cares enough to fight for us."

She gave him a wink, causing him to smile.

"But don't think that means I'm gonna go easy on ya just because you're a boy!" Rainbow snapped, straightening up.

Twilight chuckled while Spike's unamused expression returned.

"Come on," Twilight said, wrapping her hoof around him. "Time you met your other tutor."

"You called?"

Spike yelped as Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared hanging upside-down in his face.

"Sorry!" Pinkie giggled as she righted herself up. "Didn't mean to scare you Spikey!"

He looked up to figure out what she was hanging from, but there was nothing but sky. "How did you—?"

"Of course, you've already met Pinkie Pie," Twilight said. "Aside from being the occasional cook, she is also a master of stealth."

"I'll be teaching you all sorts of sneaky things!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Camouflage!" She zipped away and returned with leaves covered all over her. "Disguises!"

She popped her head out of the leaves wearing glasses, an enormous fake nose and mustache. Spike felt a tapping on his shoulder. When he turned around, he saw Pinkie standing there. Yelping, he looked back Pinkie's previous spot, only to find and empty pile of leaves.

"And of course, sneaking up quietly behind people!" Pinkie said cheerfully. "Lord Tirek literally won't see you coming and then you'll get to rescue your damsel! Your first wall-scaling lesson's at five!"

As she bounced away, Spike pointed to her in bewilderment. "But she…how did…what?"

"It's best not to question her," Twilight said, lowering his claw. "I, of course," she said, leading him behind a tent, "will personally tutor you in archery."

Spike gasped when he saw the small archery range. Three bales of hay with targets drawn on them were lined up against some trees. Leaning against the tent was a rack of bows and arrows. Among them were his own bow and quiver. He picked them up and hugged them close to his chest.

"I thought I'd lost this in the moat," Spike said, tracing his fingers along the bowstring.

Twilight smiled. "I know it means a lot to you."

Recalling something, he looked at her in awe. "It was you, wasn't it? You retrieved my bow from the Great River Horse."

She nodded. "I was there when your father gave it to you, remember?" She smirked. "If only there'd been time for me to teach you then. You wouldn't have become such a lousy shot."

"Hey!" Spike said, stomping his foot. "I can shoot just fine!"

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Okay, so maybe my last few shots weren't the best, but I was under a lot of pressure! Not to mention Applejack kept distracting me which I suppose is a good thing because if she hadn't been I would've shot you and—"

"Spike?"

"What?"

Twilight gestured to the targets. "Just shoot."

He blushed. "Right. Right. I'll show ya."

Taking an arrow from his quiver, he nocked it and aimed his bow at the center target. Twilight leaned against the tent and watched as Spike fired the arrow. It hit the corner of the hay bale.

"T-That was just a warm-up," he said, getting another arrow.

This one was aimed too high and hit the tree behind the target.

"I meant to do that," Spike said, fumbling with his quiver.

His next shot was the most inaccurate. Not only was it aimed high, but it took a thin branch off the tree.

"The wind caught it!" he insisted.

"Spike," Twilight said, "there's no wind."

"I can do it, okay?!" He went for his quiver again, knocking it over. "Just let me get another arrow and—"

"Spike." Twilight spoke sternly as she grasped his shoulders. "You need to relax. You're focusing too much on showing off that you're not focusing on your actual shooting." She massaged his shoulders gently, making them slump. "You're building up all this tension. You need to slow down and take this one step at a time."

"Easy for you to say," Spike said, backing away. "You don't need to use your actual hooves to shoot because you've got that fancy magic to help you!"

She stared at him a while with narrowed eyes. Then, using her hooves, she grabbed a bow and arrow off the rack. Rising onto her hind legs, she nocked the arrow with her front hooves and pulled the bowstring back to her cheek. After taking a moment to aim, she released the arrow.

It did not hit a target, but did something more amazing. It hit the arrow Spike had shot into the tree trunk, splitting it in two.

Spike's jaw dropped as he looked up at the unicorn, who was smirking in triumph.

"Before I mastered levitation," Twilight said, returning to all fours, "I learned to shoot with my hooves. Oh yes, and to do this."

She levitated another arrow onto the bow. Flipping the bow over with her hoof so that it was parallel to the ground, she pulled back the string with her mouth and let the arrow fly. It pierced straight through the first arrow she'd shot, making Spike applaud excitedly.

"Of course," Twilight said, levitating the bow, "my magic makes it less of a hassle now, but learning to shoot without magic is how I developed my aim."

"Wait," Spike said with a frown. "Can't you just enchant the arrow so that it'll reach its target?"

"I could, but if I used magic for everything, I'd never learn anything. Besides," she said with a chuckle, "it's so much more satisfying knowing I can show you up with or without magic."

He scowled. "If you're doing all this just to make fun of me—"

"Alright, alright, I've had my fun." She levitated Spike's bow back into his claws and walked over to him. "Show me how you prepare to shoot."

Sticking his chest out, Spike drew his bow, pulling the string back to his cheek, his feet shoulder-width apart and his elbow up.

"Who taught you?" Twilight asked.

"Tirek," Spike said. "But Uncle Scorpan gave me a few pointers."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'll give them this much. They taught you the proper stance." She stood behind him and placed her hooves on his shoulders. "Now, before you shoot, take a deep breath to relieve the tension. Also lower your elbow a bit. You need it up, but it doesn't need to touch the sky."

"Right," Spike said, lowering his elbow an inch.

"Take a breath."

"But what if I don't have time to take a breath in battle?"

"As you get more practice, it'll become easier, but for now, take a breath."

After a sigh, he inhaled deeply and exhaled. He did feel a bit more relaxed.

"Now, imagine that target is Tirek," Twilight whispered, stepping back from him.

With an angry scowl, Spike pictured the center of the target as Tirek's chest. He released the arrow.

It hit the outer rim of the target.

"Better," Twilight said. "You at least hit the target this time."

"That's what Uncle Scorpan said!" Spike said with a groan. "You're just trying to make me feel better!"

"It just takes practice, Spike. It took me years before I could consistently hit a bullseye."

"But I don't have years! Applejack's counting on me! By the time I actually hit a bullseye," he hung his head, "she'll be married off to some pony else."

Twilight knelt down to him. "Listen to me, Spike," she said, taking his face in her hooves. "I never said this was going to be easy. I'm not going to pretend it will be. You can whine about it all you want, but whining is not going to help you get Applejack back. She needs you to be able to fight for her, Spike, but you're not going to become a fighter overnight. However, I and everyone else here will do our best to ensure that you become the fighter your lover needs, no matter how long it takes. Understand?"

Spike took in her words and thought about Applejack. She had saved him on so many occasions, and he'd never been able to repay the favor. He'd already failed in returning her to Applewood and freeing her from Tirek. He couldn't fail her again. If he was going to rescue her, he was going to do it right.

"I understand," he replied quietly.

"Good," Twilight said, handing him an arrow with magic. "Let's try again."

---

When Fluttershy arrived at the room she and Discord shared, her husband was sitting at her vanity, massaging his neck. Fluttershy gasped when she saw how bruised it was.

"Discord, what happened?!" she exclaimed, shutting the door and flying to his side.

"Nothing," Discord said, attempting to hide his neck with his paw and claw.

She tentatively removed his hands and touched the large blue imprints on his neck.

"Did Lord Tirek do this to you?" she asked shakily.

He turned his face away from her, giving her his answer. She hastened to a small cabinet near her bedside, took out a glass bottle and returned to her husband.

"This oil is made from the comfrey plant," Fluttershy said, pouring some of the oil onto her hoof. "It'll help reduce the swelling."

Discord remained silent as he allowed her to gently rub the oil into his skin. The feel of her tiny, delicate hooves made him close his eyes in bliss.

"I don't deserve you," he murmured.

"Don't say things like that," Fluttershy said, wrapping her hooves around his neck and settling her head on his back once she was finished. "I don't know how you can say things like that, after what you did for Spike and Applejack."

Discord craned his head towards her in surprise. "What?"

"Applejack told me." Closing her eyes, she gently nuzzled the back of his neck. "She told me you were ordered to kill them, and yet when you found them, you let them go."

Discord sighed. "I was ordered to kill Spike. Tirek has no intention of harming the girl."

"But you still didn't do it, even though you were ordered to. Why?"

He laid his claw over one of the hooves around his neck. "When I saw them, the way they were holding each other, it…it reminded me of us, and what you'd said to me the other night." He brought the hoof to his face and rubbed it against his cheek. "I knew you couldn't live with me, knowing I'd done something so cruel."

Fluttershy smiled. "You followed your heart."

"Yes," he muttered sadly. "Unfortunately, I'd forgotten about the spell I'd cast around the castle to prevent the girl from leaving."

She pulled her face away from his back and fluttered around to his side so that she could look at him. "You could always remove the spell."

Discord shook his head. "Tirek's already mad enough at me as it is. He doesn't know I let Spike go intentionally, but if the girl escapes, he'll know it was me who removed the spell and then…" He locked eyes with her. "That'll be it for me."

Fluttershy nodded. "I understand if you can't do anything else." She gave him a loving peck on the cheek. "But it warms my heart knowing you did that for Spike."

As he cupped her beautiful face with his paw and claw, he cursed himself for what he'd done. She was happy he'd let Spike go, but if she had known that he had done it out of risk of losing her, she might not forgive him for choosing to do the right thing over saving her.

Now Discord was at an even greater risk of losing her. If Applejack escaped, Tirek would take his wrath out on Fluttershy. But he wondered how Fluttershy would feel if Discord stood idly by while the other mare was imprisoned.

As he held her, though, Discord knew he couldn't take that risk again. Even if some pony else had to pay the price, Fluttershy was the only source of light he had in this world.

He couldn't let it extinguish.

"Discord?" Fluttershy asked, concerned at how quiet he was being.

Instead of answering, Discord brought her lips to his. Closing her eyes, Fluttershy welcomed the kiss. As she ran her hooves along his circle of bruises, she understood that the time for talking was over. He'd endured Tirek's rage so that another could escape, and she could tell it was hurting him, not just physically.

He needed her tonight more than ever.

So when he carried her to the bed, she had no objections.

---

"Not bad, kid," Rainbow said as Spike's stick clashed with hers. "Tirek taught you a bit of swordplay, I see." She jumped out of the way from his thrust. "But swordplay's about more than just fancy moves." She swung her stick only for him to parry it. "It's all about strategy. Studying your opponent, learning their strengths," she looked down at his feet, "and weaknesses."

Spike grunted as he blocked the blow coming from above.

"Kind of like a conversation of death."

In a flash, Rainbow's face became orange and her eyes green, making Spike take a step back. Rainbow took advantage of his distraction and swung at his feet, knocking him over. When he was on the ground, she pointed her staff at him.

"You're lucky this wasn't a real fight," Rainbow said, helping him up. "What happened? You were so focused a second ago, and then you just…I don't know. Looked like you were in shock or something."

Spike shook his head. "Sorry, I…I just…" With a sigh, he looked at the stick in his claw. "Last time I was in a duel like this, it was with Applejack."

"Ah," Rainbow said with a nod. "Who won?"

"She did."

She smirked. "So your gal's a hardcore swordfighter, huh? I'd like to meet this Applejack one day." She turned her stick over. "I'm curious to see just how good she is."

Her smirk vanished when she noticed the dragon's head hanging.

"Hey," Rainbow said, placing her hoof on her hip. "Ya gonna stand there and mope like that or do ya wanna actually work on saving the girl you're moping about?"

"Right, right," Spike said, raising his staff. "Should we go again?"

"Of course," Rainbow said, touching her stick with his. "This time, though, it'd be better if you didn't fantasize about your girlfriend while fighting me."

Spike blushed.

"Just imagine you're fighting Tirek, and that Applejack's on the sidelines, cheering you on." She leaned forward to whisper, "Though from what you've told me, I'd imagine she'd be fighting right alongside you."

Spike nodded and swung his stick. Rainbow blocked his surprise attack with a smirk.

"Nice try," she said, pushing his staff away. "But it'll take a lot more than that to catch me off-guard!"

---

Applejack looked up from the book she'd been reading as the door to her chamber opened. Rarity, who'd been dusting the furniture, also turned to the door as Rover peered in.

"What do you want?" Applejack spat.

"Lord Tirek requests that you join him for dinner," Rover said with a bow.

Narrowing her eyes, she returned to her book. "Tell him I'm not hungry."

The Diamond Dog shook his head. "He thought you might say that. He told me to tell you that if you refuse to dine with him, you will not dine at all."

"Then I'll starve," Applejack said bluntly. "I'd rather do that than give that snivelin' snake the pleasure of my company."

Rover shrugged. "Suit yourself."

After he shut the door, the sound of a lock turning was heard.

"I wouldn't recommend that."

Applejack turned to Rarity. "What?"

Sighing, Rarity walked over to her side. "I realize how cruel these brutes have been to you, and that you have no say in what will happen to you, but as you are already on thin ice with Lord Tirek after attempting to escape twice, it would be unwise to anger him any further."

"Let him get angry. He knows if he kills me, he won't get what he wants."

The earth mare pretended to continue reading. A few seconds later, she felt Rarity sit down beside her on the bed.

"How do you think Spike would feel if he came to your rescue, only to find you covered in bruises?"

Applejack lifted her gaze a bit, but did not look at her.

"If you ask me," Rarity said, shifting her legs into a comfortable sitting position, "I'd say he'd never be able to forgive himself, knowing you got yourself injured because he had left you here to fend for yourself."

She turned to the unicorn in horror. "You…really think that…?"

Rarity nodded. "If you don't want to suffer under Lord Tirek's wrath again, you're going to have to convince him that you're not going to give him any more trouble. In order to that, you'll have to start behaving like a proper lady."

Applejack blinked. "Say what now?"

"Think about it. As long as you act difficult, Lord Tirek will be watching you like a hawk. But if you act obedient, he will not suspect that you'll try to run away again and might be more lenient with you. That way, when Spike does come, it'll be easier for you to slip away."

"Huh," Applejack said. "That actually makes sense. Still," she set down her book, "I may have been born into a wealthy family, but I've never been the most…ladylike of girls."

"I can see that," Rarity said bluntly. "Fortunately, you have me to educate you in the proper etiquette of the nobility."

"You?" The earth mare raised an eyebrow. "What do you know about how the nobility act?"

"Don't be fooled by my current position. I was actually born into nobility. I'm actually related to the princesses, although distantly." Rarity hung her head. "Unfortunately, the war took all my family's wealth and land. We still have our titles, but the only way for us to survive was for each of us to take work. My father works in the Fisherponies' Village, while my mother and little sister work in a dress shop."

"And you work as a maid," Applejack said.

"And seamstress. It pays well," Rarity said, shaking her head. "But I don't approve of Lord Tirek's actions whatsoever. Still, I cannot risk losing my job. Not yet, anyway."

"I understand."

"However," the unicorn said, placing her hooves on Applejack's shoulders, "I will still help you with tricking Tirek into believing that you will not disobey him again."

Applejack considered this. As much as the thought of pretending to be a well-behaved lady for Lord Tirek made her sick, it did seem necessary if she was going to survive until Spike returned.

"Okay," Applejack said. "So what do I have to do?"

"First of all," Rarity said, slapping Applejack hard on the back, enough to make her grunt in pain, "no slouching! A lady must stand and sit up straight at all times! And lift your chin up high to show how proud you are! But not too much so that you appear arrogant! Always keep your gaze slightly downward and do not look a male in the eye, especially if he is above your status! Direct eye contact will make Lord Tirek really furious! Oh, and a lady must brush her hair at least twice a day…"

As Rarity went on, Applejack muttered to herself, "I'm already regrettin' this."

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long hiatus on this one. I've gone through a lot these past couple of months and sought comfort in other fanfics and projects. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this story.

The next couple of chapters will be filling in the blanks of Stevenson's original novel, providing some explanation as to what Richard/Spike did during all his time with the outlaws and how Joanna/Applejack coped with her imprisonment. It was sort of implied that Richard had some training done and I figured the reason Joanna hadn't made another escape attempt was because she knew it would be futile, and that she also feared for Richard's life if she disobeyed her captor. At least this is my interpretation.

Also wanted to give more insight into the character Rarity plays.

Comments

[Even Evil Has Standards]

I was actually expecting that last scene to reference Pirates of the Caribbean.

[DisneyFanatic23]

8778247
OOOOOOHHHHHH! Took me a minute to get what you meant.
LOL, DID come across my mind while I was writing it, but wouldn't have worked for this scene.

[Foxhelm]

Wait why are there.... So yeah the gender ratio in Equestria/MLP is low balling ten mares to one stallion given how few stallions there are it would sense that they would be the harder ones to displace.
Nice exploring into the situation the source material didn't explicitly touch upon.
I am certain that Discord can find away to not have Tirek use Fluttershy as a leash, if not Fluttershy will.
Interesting Beauty and The Beast reference.

[Even Evil Has Standards]

8778279
Given that most of the ponies are technically naked...

[DisneyFanatic23]

8778395
There were literally two female characters in the book this was based on, which Applejack and Rarity play (unless you count the wives of Tirek's character and Discord's character who were only mentioned once or twice and didn't really do anything to advance the plot). Naturally I had to do some cross-gendered casting if you still wanted your favorite MLP characters in this story. Made the most sense to use the characters who were outlaws defying society anyway.

[Foxhelm]

8778587

Naturally I had to do some cross-gendered casting if you still wanted your favorite MLP characters in this story.

all the reason you needed.