End of that Same Day
Granny Smith settled herself down into one of the chairs around the kitchen table, feeling rather tender in her legs after the day’s work of preparation for zap apple harvest day. Regardless of what had been going on lately, it didn’t change the fact that zap apple season was one of the most important times of the year for the Acres. They couldn’t afford to slacken in their efforts just because of small hiccups like orchard fires or a dragon living in their home.
Speaking of which…
“So,” Granny spoke, drawing the attention of Bright and Pear. “now that we’ve gotten all the young’ins teh bed, we need teh start figurin’ out what’s te’be done about our lil’ scaled guest here now.” She said, looking over to the couch where the dragon was sleeping.
Applebloom’s actions that morning had, ironically, done wonders for getting him to open up to the rest of the family. After Pear Butter was able to extricate the two apart, he made no fuss about anypony else getting close so long as they did so calmly and gently. And they were even able to change his bandages, which he desperately needed at the time considering that he’d unintentionally re-opened his injuries. Bright Mac was able to comfort and keep him still even while he flinched in pain from the treatment.
“Where’r we supposed to start with something like this?” Pear Butter asked Granny.
“Ah believe, we should first say, we have two choices tah decide between doin: keepin’ him, or sendin’ him away.” Bright Mac proposed.
“What?! Mac, he’s still hurt! We can’t send him out as he is right now!” Pear exclaimed in shock.
“Ah’m not sayin’ we are, ah was just sayin’ what choices we have to choose between. We can’t get anywhere if we don’t know where tah start.” Bright Mac said to her diplomatically.
“An’ knowin’ that we can’t send him out injured-s’a good point in favor of keepin’ him here… at least fer a little while if’n not permanently.” Granny added, acknowledging both of their thoughts.
Pear Butter shook her head. “Ah just don’t get why we need tah discuss this now. We could wait ‘til he’s better-.”
“That ain’t a good idea, ah’m afraid.” Granny interrupted.
Pear Butter looked to her questioningly. “Why not?” She asked. Bright Mac looked confused as well, not quite understanding his mother’s thinking.
Granny sighed. “Because it ain’t fair teh him teh wait til’ the last minute teh make this decision. Especially if’n we make the wrong choice with how we feel.” Granny said with a grimace. “If we send him away after actin’ and talkin’ like we care about him, it will wind up hurtin both him and us fer a long time. An’ likewise, if’n we keep him while we don’t care about him, it would jus’ be cruel teh wave our family’s love for one another in his face while withholdin’ it from him the entire time.” She looked up at the two parents with a look of steel in her eyes. “We need to know from here on out how we’re goin’ teh treat him, before too many attachments form.”
“Choosin’ how tah act beforehoof? That… seems a bit dishonest.” Pear Butter commented unsurely.
“Wouldn’t we learn more on what tah decide while getting’ tah know him better as he heals?” Bright Mac asked.
“This is a decision about whether we’ll be acceptin’ him into the family. An’ make no mistake, that’s exactly what we’ll be doin’ if we let him stay here. Ye did put a pretty good emphasis on that earlier today, didn’t ye Butter.” Granny pointed out.
Applejack had seen that their black-scaled guest was empathetic of her younger sister earlier, and so pestered her parents and Granny about whether they’d be having a pet dragon alongside Winona.
Pear Butter quickly admonished her and told her in no uncertain terms that he wouldn’t be a “pet” in any sense of the word. He was a living, thinking being, if not a pony, and referring to him as anything but that was incredibly rude. She then promptly shooed the orange filly back to work when Applejack pressed and asked if they were still going to keep him.
“Ah was jus’ tellin’ Applejack about what was right. There are other beings out there besides ponies. It ain’t right tah think ah them as less than us.” Pear Butter defended her actions.
Granny smiled. “Yes ye did. An’ since he’s a livin’ being, that means him livin’ under this roof would make him family. An’ the thing about family,” Granny said looking back to Bright Mac. “is that ye don’t choose them. Ye don’t have a time period to wait an learn about who they are teh decide on whether ye like them er not. Ye just know they’re yer family. Ye love em, ye care fer them, an if they stumble, ye help em get back on their hooves. Ye guide them when they’re lost, ye show them when they make mistakes, an ye build them back up so that they can do better an find their place in the world. That’s why we need teh make a decision tonight, before anythin’ else grows between us an him. It ain’t dishonest teh mentally prepare yerself fer a life-changin’ development. Emotions are fleetin’, but love is permanent so long as yeh build the foundation well. So let’s get back teh talkin’ about whether teh build that foundation or not.” She finished.
Bright Mac and Pear Butter shared an astonished look with each other for a moment. Then they looked back to Granny and nodded in agreement.
“Now then… since the two choices we’ve got are teh either keep him or get rid of him, let’s get the ugly side outta the way first an’ start listin’ reasons why he shouldn’t stay.” Granny suggested.
“He breaths fire,” Bright Mac said immediately. “he’s got claws, sharp teeth, and kin dart around fast as a whip-crack.”
“Mac!” Pear exclaimed again, incredulous.
“What? She said get the ugly side outta the way, so ah did! Now we kin move on tah discussin’ other reasons fer why he should stay!” Bright Mac defended himself.
“So ye think he should stay?” Granny Smith asked him with an arched brow.
“Course ah do. He saved our lives last night, and this mornin’ he kept Applebloom from cryin’ even though she made him panic an’ hurt himself again. He seems like an alright lil’ guy tah me.” Bright Mac answered with an approving smile in the direction of the couch.
“Mmhmm… those’re certainly things teh consider.” Granny murmured.
Pear Butter sighed in exasperation from Bright Mac’s easy logic, and then looked over to Granny. “And what about you Granny? What do you think about it?” She asked the Apple matriarch.
Granny smiled knowingly. “Ah’m keepin’ mah thoughts teh myself till ah hear both ah yers. So what is it ye think we should do with the youngin’?” She asked Pear Butter right back.
“He should stay.” Pear answered firmly.
“Oh? Ye think so?” Granny asked.
“Ah know so. It ain’t safe out there fer him.” Pear Butter stated.
“Course it ain’t safe, he’s a child, an’ the wilderness ain’t no place fer a child. But he seems teh have managed well enough till now, assumin’ he’s been on his own fer a while.” Granny pointed out.
“It ain’t because of that. Ah don’t know if either of you saw it, but he’s got a mark on the left of his collar. It looked like somethin’ horrible mah papa once told me about called a branding mark. Somethin’ slavers used tah mark their property.” Pear Butter stated darkly.
Granny sat forward suddenly in alarm. “A brand?! Are ye sure?” She demanded of Pear Butter.
“Mah papa told me one would look like a scar in the shape of a word or a symbol. And that’s exactly what it looked like tah me.” Pear Butter answered.
Granny Smith closed her eyes and shook her head. “Unbelievable…” She said and leaned back into her seat. “Yer right tah say that he shouldn’t be out in the wild if’n he’s marked by somepony as a slave. Slavery may be illegal here in Equestria but that ain’t true in other lands. An’ ah doubt that slavers would have any scruples about draggin’ ponies an’ other critters outta their homes and into those lands tah sell em off. The only reason they wouldn’t is from the worry of gettin’ caught. The Princess most definitely wouldn’t have any hesitation about punishin’ those types ah ponies. But that protection don’t extend out into the Everfree.” Granny paused with a sigh. “Alright, that settles it. He’s stayin’.” She announced.
“Good.” Bright Mac nodded.
“Did ya really not want him here Granny?” Pear Butter asked.
“Ah never said that. Although ah am a bit let down that yer reason fer him stayin’ easily beat mine out before ah could even say it.” Granny said with a chuckle.
Bright Mac looked confused. “Beat out yer reas-wait, Ma, are you sayin’ you were competin’ with us?!” He asked indignantly.
“Eeeeeeeyup.” Granny drolled.
“What the hay?!”
“Mac! Quiet, the children are sleeping!” Pear Butter shushed him.
“Ma,” Bright Mac continued in a lower voice. “this was the future of a lil’ dragon an you were tryin’ tah outperform us? Why?” He demanded.
“Cause ah’m gettin’ old! What else am ah gonna do with mah time? These legs of mine are gettin’ flimsy an’ floppy. Flimsy an’ floppy ah tell yeh! Ah can’t buck apples with flimsy an floppy legs!” Granny exclaimed as she flailed her forelegs in the air.
Pear Butter facehooved. “Granny, please, the children, are, sleeping. Old or not, ah will make the both of ya’ll sleep out in the barn if you both don’t be quiet!” She whispered threateningly.
Granny Smith blinked in realization and then lowered her legs back down. “Right, mah apologies. Ah suppose mah head’s gettin’ a bit old as well… don’t remember going senile in the last decade…” Granny mumbled, then chuckled at herself briefly before looking back at Bright Mac and Pear Butter. “Regardless, ah think there’s still one last question teh ask ye both.”
“What is it?” Bright Mac asked.
Granny looked over to the couch again. “What should we name the little one? We can’t exactly call him “the dragon” fer’ever.” She said with an amused smile at the thought.
“That… is a good point…” Pear Butter commented, looking down in thought.
“Apple…something?” Bright Mac said, unsure.
Granny Smith rolled her eyes. “Obviously. Everyone in the family deserves teh have “Apple” in their name. We’re lookin’ fer somethin’ more distinguishin’ fer a full name though.” She chided.
“Maybe he should get a dragon-like name, with “Apple” being added in?” Pear Butter asked.
“Perhaps.” Granny said.
“Scales?” Bright Mac suggested.
Granny snorted. “That’d be like namin’ a pony “Fur”, or “Mane”, or somethin’ else that grows on us. Come up with a better one.” She told him.
“Somethin’ that has deeper meanin’ tah us…” Pear Butter murmured, delving deeper into thought with a hooftip to her chin. She got up and walked softly over to the living room.
“Apple Stitch!” Bright Mac said with a grin.
“What?” Granny asked with a strange face.
“Apple. Stitch. He’ll be an Apple and we stitched him up when he was hurt!” Bright Mac explained cheerfully, as if his idea was the one they’d go with.
“That… makes no sense. What even is an apple stitch? An’ we didn’t stitch him up, we poured alcohol on him and wrapped up his injury.” Granny criticized.
“Deeper meanin…” Pear murmured while looking down at the dragon.
“Well ah don’t hear you comin’ up with any ideas Ma.” Bright Mac said in annoyance as he slumped back in his chair.
“That’s ‘cause ah’m too busy listenin’ teh your terrible ones.” She retorted.
“He… really did save us that night, huh Bright Mac.” Pear Butter said, drawing the bickering pair’s attention to her. “We wouldn’t have been able tah get away if it weren’t for him.”
Bright Mac stared at her a moment before he sighed. “No… no ah reckon we wouldn’t have.” He admitted. Then he smiled. “He turned them wolves tah charcoal faster’n they could react.”
Pear smiled back with a chuckle. Then her eyes widened in realization. “Charcoal.” She declared, turning to look at Granny and Bright Mac. “We’ll name him Charcoal. Charcoal Apple.”
End of Book 1