Chapter one: Half-breed.
(AN: I know there's a dragon/pony story out there somewhere already, however I like that idea so I'm making one of my own. Hope you enjoy.)
Applejack was lost. She had wandered into the Everfree forest in search of a sheep that had escaped in there earlier, sometime during the search she had lost the trail and was now wandering aimlessly searching for a way to get back home. Little did she know that some distance nearby something in the undergrowth was watching her.
The hidden figure watched carefully as the Orange pony paused and looked around as if searching for something. The figured narrowed its catlike eyes, staring with burning, blood-red irises, the pupils contracting to slits.
A low growl like that of a predator of the highest order emanated from the throat of the stalker.
The figure continued following the pony effortlessly weaving in the undergrowth with nary a sound.
The figure growled again as it watched as a large hungry manticore leaped from the bushes slowly cornering the hapless orange pony.
The figure's cat eyes narrowed further, and it swiftly came to a decision. It leaped out of the undergrowth interposing itself between the hungry beast and the innocent pony.
Applejack backed away warily watching as the hungry Manticore stalked closer.
Then she heard the rustle of bushes and saw a large emerald blur place itself between her and the beast.
She gasped in disbelief as she took in every detail of the figure.
It was a large stallion, yet some details about it were horribly WRONG. Where a ponies normal tail would be instead was a long serpentine almost lizard like tail that twitched and flexed restlessly. The ponies wings instead of being feathered looked leathery, almost like the wings of a bat. The ponies mane, golden in color was styled in large triangular segments which reminded Applejack vaguely of Spike's spines.
The strange stallion reared back his head and roared at the beast, the sound echoing through the forest, sending shivers down Applejack's spine.
The beast cowered slightly before puffing itself up and roaring back at the large stallion, which was easily the size of Bigmacintosh.
In response, the pony flared its wings, the leathery appendages stretching to their fullest length. Applejack could faintly see the lime green skin between the bones of the stallions wing base.
The Manticore cowered again before flaring out its own wings and readying its tail for a strike.
The stallion reared back his head and opened his mouth a large stream of flame bursting forth, enveloping the beast in fire.
After a few seconds the stallion closed its mouth the stream of ruby flame dying off.
The manticore whimpered in pain licking its burns and dashed off back into the forest from whence it came.
The stallion folded its large bat-wings to its side and turned towards the farm pony, draconic eyes locking with Applejack's own.
The farm pony winced as the Burning red orbs gazed at her seeming to stare into her very soul.
“Uh, thank yah kindly thar pardner.” Applejack said.
The stallion nodded speaking in turn, his voice a soft, yet deep bass. “You're welcome, it would be unkind of me to let you die within my territory.”
“This is yers? Well uh thanks again.”
The stallion cocked his head at her, the burning red eyes continuing to gaze at her.
“Are you not frightened of me? Can you not see that I am a monster?” The stallion asked.
Applejack laughed.
“Shoot no, just cause yah look different don't mean yer a monster. 'Sides yah saved me, a monster wouldn't have done that.” AJ replied.
“You are wise. I only wish other saw me the way you do. I have been called many names because of what I am. Freak, Half-breed, Abomination.” The emerald stallion replied.
“That's horrible, ah wouldn't call yah none of them names. Lissen, I feel like ah need tah repay yah. How about yah come back tah town an I can introduce yah.” AJ ventures.
“I do not believe that would be a good Idea, the town may not accept me for who I am.”
“Look ah promise yah, I'll talk tah tha town an we can get a meetin' set up so tha town can get tah know yah. Ah promise iffn anypony says somethin' mean towards yah ah'll stop 'em.”
The stallion regards AJ for a moment before replying. “Very well. I shall accept your offer. For the record my name is Draco.”
“Ahm Applejack. Pleased tah meet yah Draco.” AJ replies.
“Do you know your way back to town?” Draco asks.
AJ looks down, telling the dragon-colt everything he needs to know.
“You do not. Fret not I can fly us above the tree line and you can point out your town.” Draco says.
“Fly? Ah don't have wings.” AJ replies.
“I can carry you I am strong enough.”
“Yall promise not tah drop me?”
“On my honor as half dragon.” Draco replies.
The large stallion kneels down, allowing the pony to climb on his back.
“Hold on tight.” The Dragon-colt says as he lifts off, easily carrying the farm pony with him.
AJ holds on tightly, gripping her hat with one hoof.
As they climb through the tree tops, AJ can spot Ponyville in the distance.
“There, head that way, look fer a large orchard ah live there.” AJ says pointing for the stallion.
Draco nods and with quick wing beats soars towards the town.
He spots the orchard and swiftly comes in for a landing, noticing a small yellow filly dashing towards them.
AJ releases her grip on Draco, sliding to the ground, only to be tackled by the yellow filly.
“AJ! Ah thought you were lost!” the filly says.
“Ahm fine Applebloom. Now why don't yah say hi to our guest, he saved me.” AJ said.
The yellow filly detaches herself from her sister and glances at Draco, stepping back at the size of him.
“Yall saved mah sister?” Applebloom asks.
“I did.” Draco replies.
AB smiles briefly giving the dragon-colt a hug before looking at him more closely.
“Yall sure do look weird.” AB says.
“APLEBLOOM! Yall apologize right now!” AJ says.
The yellow filly looks down. “Sorry mister.”
“It is fine, you were only saying what is true.” Draco replies.
“She coulda been nicer about it.” AJ says.
“Well, iffn yer gonna stay with us we'd better get yah settled.” AJ says.
AB looks at her sister. “Why's he staying with us?”
“HE saved me an' ah promised him I'd get help him get tah know tha town better.” AJ replies.
AB nods and begins trotting towards the small house.
AJ follows after her trailed by Draco.
As they enter they are greeted by Bigmacintosh, who looks at the stallion before speaking to his older sister.
“AJ? Who's this?”
“Now Bigmac this here feller saved mah life, I want yah tah treat him with respect.”
The big red stallion looks at Draco, surprised he can see eye to eye instead of looking down on him like he does with other ponies.
“Yall helped mah sister, ahm honored tah have yah on tha farm.” Bigmac says.
“The honor is mine, your sister offered to give me a place to stay and to help me get to know the ponies of the town.” Draco replies.
“Lissen, ah gotta go talk tah tha mayor about a meetin' tomorrow fer yah. Yall think yah can occupy yerselves while ahm gone?” AJ asks.
“I can find something to do yes.” Draco replies.
AJ nods and trots out the door heading in the direction of town.
Draco watches her until Applebloom taps him on his leg.
Draco looks down at the tiny filly.
“So do yall have a name?” AB asks.
Bigmac nods at his sisters question.
“My name is Draco.” The dragon-colt replies.
Bigmac speaks this time. “Not tah be rude but what exactly are yah?”
“I am a hybrid, half dragon, half pony. My father was a unicorn, and my mother a dragon.” Draco replies.
“Yall have a family, what happened to them?” AB asks innocently.
Draco looks down sadness evident on his face. “Gone, they died when I was young. And since then I have wandered most towns throw me out because of what I am, I truly hope this town is different.”
“That's awful, towns shouldn't throw yah out just cause yah look a little strange. Iffn it makes yah feel better, ah'll gladly be yer first friend!” AB says happily.
Draco looks at the filly regarding her with his blood-red eyes before smiling.
“Thank you Applebloom. I would be honored to count you as my first friend.” Draco says.
“Ah'll be yer friend too. An' ah know AJ will gladly be yer friend as well.” Bigmac says.
Draco smiles again. “Thank you.”
“Well ah hope yah don't mind but iffn yer gonna stay here yer gonna have tah pull yer own weight. Ahm sure yall don't mind doin' chores do yah?” Bigmac says.
“Not at all I was going to offer to help out on the farm anyways, you just asked for me.” Draco replies.
Bigmac smiles and nods, just as AJ reenters the farm house.
“Well, a got us a meetin' tomorrow afternoon. We can go after tomorrow’s chores are done.” AJ says.
“Good, I have already agreed to help out where I am needed.” Draco says.
AJ nods, a grateful smile coming upon her face. “Thank yah kindly Draco, ah know you'll work hard.”
AJ begins walking upstairs gesturing for Draco to follow. “Come on pardner, ah'll show you yer room.”
Draco wanders upstairs after her, Bigmac and AB going off to do their own things.
AJ points to an empty room and Draco glances in at the bed.
“Yall can sleep here, ah hope yah like wakin' early, we get started when tha sun rises here on tha farm.” AJ says. “Imma let yall get settled then.” The farm pony says as se exits the room.
Draco sighs as he looks around his new home a small smile on his face.
He climbs on the bed, and not unlike a cat kneads the sheets before curling up. His long tail wraps around his body, his breathing slowing, his eyes shutting in sleep.
Draco awakens to someone shaking him lightly.
“Come on pardner, its time tah get tah work.” AJ says as he opens his eyes.
Draco gets up wordlessly and stretches wings flaring outwards as he flexes the muscles in them.
Draco wander out of the room and walks downstairs to see Applejack helping her brother put on a collar.
The pair nods at him and he waits until the red stallion saunters out the door before staring at AJ.
AJ motions to a small bowl of apples on a nearby table. “Grab yah one pardner don't want yah starting work without yah getting a bite to eat.”
Draco nods and grabs an apple with his hoof before taking a large bite out of it. Between bites of apple, he questions the farm pony.
“So what exactly am I going to be doing today.”
“Well ah thought yall could help with apple-buckin'” AJ replies.
“Apple-bucking?” Draco questions.
“It ain't hard, I can teach yah.” AJ replies.
The pair exit the house and Draco follows AJ to the edge of the orchard.
AJ thumps her hoof on an apple tree. “This here is an apple tree, tha goal of apple-buckin' is tah get all tha apples off tha tree by kickin' it.” AJ turns her back to the tree and gives it a mighty kick. Seconds later all the apples fall off the tree with several thumps.
Draco looks at AJ. “That's it? That should not be too hard.” Draco walks over to the next tree and turns around looking at the tree sideways. He lifts one leg and extends it forcefully.
The leg impacts the tree with a crack, the tree shakes visibly from the impact and all the apples immediately fall to the ground.
When Draco removes his hoof, AJ can see a small hoof-shaped dent in the bark of the tree.
“Shoot yall are strong as Bigmac.” AJ says with a small whistle.
Draco merely chuckles. “I inherited my strength from my dragon mother, there are perks to being half dragon.”
“Ah'll say.” AJ mutters. “You take tha next row of trees, ah'll take this one.”
Draco nods and trots over to the end of the next row, already beginning to apple-buck.
Hours later.
Draco wipes sweat from his brow with a hoof and glances a the sky, noticing the sun is nearly in the middle of the azure sky.
Stopping what he is doing he trots over to Applejack and taps her lightly pointing at the position of the sun.
AJ looks up muttering. “Shoot, ah guess ah lost track o' time. Lets get tah town 'fore we're late fer yer meetin'.”
Draco nods. “I will conceal myself in the skies, whistle when you want me to reveal myself and I will.”
“Gotcha pardner.” AJ says as Draco takes off into the skies.
AJ gallops into the square to find the townsfolk waiting for her, the mayor already having told them about the meeting.
“Sorry ahm late Mayor.” AJ says.
“Not at all Applejack, come I set up a small podium for you.” The mayor says.
AJ nods in thanks ad takes up position behind the podium.
“Lissen up, ah wanted tah have this meetin fer a reason. Yesterday ah meet a nice stallion by tha name of Draco. Now yall are probably wonderin' why ah wanted yall here. Lemme tell yah you'll get tah meet him in a few moments. But first ah gotta tell yall somethin'. Draco don't look like a normal pony, but ah don't wanna hear a word about how he looks, I want yall tah treat him like ya'd treat yer friends.”
The gathered crowd murmurs in curiosity before AJ raises a hoof to her mouth and whistles sharply.
Suddenly a large green blur slams into the ground next to AJ with a loud thud.
Draco stand up, slowly folding his draconic wings to his side and glances at AJ as the murmurs get louder, some laced with fear.
“I do not think this was a good idea Applejack.” Draco says.
AJ frowns at his statement but taps the microphone for silence. “Yall lissen here. Draco may not look like us but he has feelin's like every other pony. I know what yall did tah Zecora an' I don't want yall treatin' Draco tha same way. He saved mah life from a Manticore yesterday, and ahm more then proud tah call him mah friend. Iffn yall change yer minds He'll be living with me on tha farm. Yall can come by anytime iffn yall want tah get tah know him better.” AJ says moving away from the podium.
“Come on Draco, let's go home.” AJ says to the dragon-colt.
Draco nods and spreads his large wings taking off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.
As they leave the crowd sits there stunned, not used to being read the riot act.
Slowly the crowd disperses murmuring amongst themselves.
All the ponies except for five move to return to their daily lives.
The five ponies group together discussing amongst themselves.
“So what do you girls think of Draco?” Twilight asks.
“Well he does look different but that is no reason to judge him so harshly.” Rarity replies.
“I think he's neato! I wonder if he likes parties?!” Pinkie pie says excitedly.
“Well uhm he did save Applejack, so uhm I think he's ok.” Fluttershy says meekly.
“He is pretty cool, but he's still not as cool as me!” Rainbow Dash says.
“Well I don't know about the rest of you girls but I'd like to get to know him more.” Twilight says.
The other girls nod each agreeing to wanting to get to know Draco better.
(AN: This chapter is finished. How will Draco react to meeting the Mane 6? What will the other townsfolk react to him. Read on to find out.)