The Farm Girl and the Drake

When Applejack awoke the next morning, the warm rays of dawn caught her by surprise. She was shocked to realize she had spent the whole night away from home. It was late.

“Oh, dear!” she exclaimed.

“Is something wrong?” Spike asked her.

“It’s morning,”

“So it is,”

“I should have been home hours ago,”

“Why? Because you still believe in that ‘old faithful’ routine? Look, they’ve given you a pretty rough time. You don’t owe them a thing. Why go back at all? Open up your eyes,”

“Open my eyes?”

“To what life can really be! Come on,” he said, leading her back up the hill. “Look down there. Tell me what you see.”

“Well, I see homes. Nice houses, with yards, fences...”

“Exactly! Life boxed in! Now, look again,” he said, pointing to the hills beyond the town. “There’s a whole other world out there with no fence around it! Where two people can find adventure and excitement! Beyond those distant hills... who knows what wonderful experiences? And it’s all ours for the taking!”

“It sounds wonderful,” she admitted.

“But...?” he ventured.

“It leaves out just one thing—a family I promised to watch over and protect. Who will if I’m not there?”

Spike had no answer for that. He did not believe in having to do anything, having to be anywhere or having to answer to anyone.

He loved his freedom, but he couldn’t bring himself to come between Applejack and her family.

“I guess we’re just too different,” he thought.

So, he gave her a sad look, bowed his head and let out a deep sigh of defeat.

“All right. You win. Come on. I’ll take you home,”

Their walk was quite pleasant until they reached the marketplace.

Spike could not resist.

“Not to change the subject,” he said, “but... ever play Parkour?”

“No,”

“Oh, then you’ve never lived! Come on!”

Before she could stop him, Spike ran ahead of her, through the town square.

Applejack ran as fast as she could. She tried to keep up with Spike as he darted around corners and scrambled over fences.

Spike disappeared around a corner, thinking Applejack was right behind him. But when she stopped to catch her breath, two guards suddenly appeared and threw her into the paddy wagon.

Spike soon realized that Applejack wasn’t behind him. He frantically ran back through the market and tried to find her.

But all he found was her hat.

Before she knew what had happened, Applejack found herself behind bars at the city jail. She had never seen, let alone met, people like those in the lock-up. So many rough-looking characters. She felt so ashamed tears welled up in her eyes.

“Well, well,” a seedy-looking punk said. “Look who we got here.”

“A regular blooming debutante,” another added. “Where ya been all my life, sugar?” he teased.

“Look at that dress – those gems ain’t fakes,” said a third. “This girl’s got money. Or at least connections.”

“What’re you in for, sweetheart?” joked the second.

Suddenly, a sassy-looking girl with flaming red hair stepped out of the shadows and immediately shut the much larger, potentially more dangerous, prisoners up.

“All right, all right, you guys! Lay off, will ya?” she shouted.

“Aw, what’s the matter, Sunset?” the first guy asked.

“We was only having a bit of sport, we was,” the second added.

“Can’t you see she’s scared enough already?” she asked them.

“Pay no attention to them,” said the tall, thin man in the neighboring cell.

“He’s right,” the redhead said. “They don’t mean any real harm. I’m Sunset Shimmer, by the way,” she introduced herself. “What’s your name?”

“Applejack,”

“She may not be a shrinking violet like Fluttershy,” AJ thought, “but she is very kind.”

“You’ve already met Rover and Fido,” she said, motioning to the first two cellmates. “The short one is Spot, and the tall guy in the next cell is Discord, the Master of Chaos.”

“Confidentially, there’s not one girl here who would not give her left arm or leg for such a dress,” Discord said. “That’s like a get out of jail free card.”

“Take it from someone who knows!” the redhead said with a wink. “A girl like you won’t stay here long.”

Applejack’s fear began to fade away when she saw that they all had hearts of gold—and they all had a common connection: The Drake.

“The Drake?” she inquired.

“That would be a reference to Spike Drake,” Discord explained.

“Now, there’s a guy who never gets caught!” Fido said.

“He’s given the slip to every cop and guard in the kingdom,” Rover added.

“You won’t believe this, Applejack,” said Sunset, “but no matter how tight a jam he’s in, that boy always finds some way out.”

Applejack believed her. Quite easily, in fact.

“Ah, but remember, my friends, even the greatest among us have their weaknesses,” said Discord. “And the Drake’s only weakness is the ladies.”

“Yeah, but he never takes ‘em seriously,” Rover added. “Got a new one every week.”

“He has an eye for a well-rounded bust,” Fido went on. “Let’s see, there’s been Moondancer.”

“Yeah, and Trixie,”

“And Rarity,”

“And the town librarian,” Spot finished. “Miss Twilight Sparkle. I think.”

After listening to what they all had to say about Spike, Applejack thought that he had let her be caught so he could go on to another girl.

“But one day, he’ll meet someone different,” Discord said. “Some delicate, fragile girl who gives him a wish to shelter and protect.”

“Like little Miss House on the Prairie, here?” Fido asked, jerking a thumb in Applejack’s direction.

“Mmm. Could be,” Discord replied. “But when he does--”

“Way ahead of you!” Sunset interrupted. “‘Under the spell of true love...’”

“He grows careless,” Fido added.

“The guards finally catch him,” Discord went on.

“And it’s curtains for the Drake,” Rover finished.

Just then, they heard the jingle of keys. One of the guards had returned.

Sunset knew what she had been talking about. Not even half an hour had passed since Applejack was locked up, and she was released.

“All right, Applejack, I’ll take you home,” the guard said. “You’re too nice a girl to be in this place.”

“So long, Applejack!” cried the others. “Don’t forget us! We won’t forget you!”