//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: I, Dragon // by Psychomaniac //------------------------------// Chapter 2 Upon leaving the restaurant, Fluttershy turns to us. “I have to go home and feed my animals. And, um, thank you for lunch. It was nice meeting you, Sparky.” I nod and smile. “The pleasure was mine, Fluttershy. I look forward to seeing you again. I would love to tell you more about the animals I have encountered.” “Oh, that would be lovely. Have a nice day.” We part ways and I start to walk around town with Twilight. The walk to Sweet Apple Acres is an interesting one. We could have flown, but after the meal I just ate, a nice stroll is just what I need. Along the way, I am shown the sights of Ponyville. Sugarcube Corner, Sofas and Quills, a distant cloudhouse that belongs to my rainbow maned antagonist. We pass the Town Hall, easily the largest building around, and turn south following a river that runs through town. It was a circuitous route to be sure, but it’s nice to get a tour finally, and walking with this mare is turning a few heads, even if I have the current appearance of a colt. A little while later, we pass the schoolhouse. A bit further and we turn onto a side trail leading through an orchard. Above the trail is a sign that indicates we have reached our destination. Well, the edge of it anyway. It takes another 5 minutes before we actually reach the heart of the farm. There I see 4 ponies. An elderly mare, a much younger mare and stallion, and a young filly. The filly leaves after shouting a greeting to Twilight. I have heard of Applejack from the restaurant, and a few of the stories that were told to me. It’s safe to assume the younger mare to be her. She nods her head and trots over to us. “Whoa nelly, Twi, ya’ll didn’t mention this here pegasus was a colt. Ah dunno if’n this is gonna work.” It seems I was correct in my assumption that this was in fact Applejack. “Trust me, Applejack, he is more than strong enough for the job,” Twilight informs her. “I actually doubt you will find somepony stronger. Would you care for a demonstration?” Hmmm. Seems our princess can be a prankster too. Lets see what she has in mind. “If you say so, Twi, but I dunno. What’cha got in mind?” Applejack inquires. “Just a simple test. Lets say, tug o’ war? You and your brother versus Sparky. No stakes, just a friendly challenge of strength.” “Sparky, eh? Me an’ my brother? All at once? That seems a bit much, Twi. Ah’m all fur believing in your friends and all, but this seem like foolishness, plain and simple. Well, lets see then.” She walks over to me and looks me over. “Howdy, Sparky, name’s Applejack. You feel like takin’ me an’ my brother on? It’s alright if’n ya wanna back down. Our princess over yonder seems content to getcha into a heap of trouble.” She glances over at a smirking Twilight. “Actually, a pair of earth ponies might be a pretty good challenge. I am definetly game. What do I need to do?” I ask her. She looks at me wide eyed as could be. “Well alright then. Looks like we got us a challenger! YE HAW! Lets do this!” They put a harness around my body and fasten it to a long length of rope. A ribbon is tied in the middle and the other end is fastened to Applejack and her brother. The rope is pulled taught and lines are drawn on the ground. We all stand ready. “Twi, could ya’ll do the honors?” “Sure, AJ. Alright! Ready? Set, Pull!” And pull we do. We all strain against the rope, none of us really making any headway. At first, it’s a steady pressure, but it changes to a rocking motion that has me starting to back up. The team pulling me along is actually surging in waves to try to get me off balance. I dig in my hooves and stop the backwards motion. I manage to get a better stance and start making my own headway. Since I am pulling alone, I cannot use the same surging motion they can. I have no doubt I could fly away with both of them, however, this seems like a ground based event. Step after step, I slog forward. Then one of my back hooves slips. I immediately feel the surging motion dragging me backwards again. This time, I cannot relocate my hooves and before I know it, the game is over. “Whoa, nelly! That was way harder than it had any right bein’! What kinda game was that, Twi?” I calmly walk back over to Applejack after freeing myself from the harness. “Was that not tug o’ war?” I ask, grinning. Applejack applies hoof to face and shakes her head. She then glares at me. “Alright, Ah want some truth. There ain’t no way a colt yer size could put up that much of a challenge to either of us, let alone both of us. Fess up.” I look at Twilight and she nods her head. I sigh and lie down as my form reverts to it’s natural state. Applejack’s eyes widen and her jaw drops. She grins and goes back to her brother. “Hey Big Mac, Ah reckon we just bested a dragon at tug o’ war!” “Eeyup.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A little while later, we are walking around the farm as I tell the siblings and elder of my time in ponyville so far. They chuckle at my first meeting with Pinkie, and refer to Rainbow Dash as a “Mule-headed idjit.” I smile at this, but I still feel bad about having made such a bad impression with her. Still, I am glad I came here. Then we hear the cry. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Dragon Riders YAY!” All eyes go wide as three fillies fly through the air and land on my back. I recognise one from earlier standing near Applejack and Big Mac, who I guess to be their sister. The other two with her are an orange pegasus and a white unicorn. All three are wearing capes with a shield that depicts a rearing foal. They start bouncing around on my back and shoulders, trying to get me to move. I grin and wink at Twilight and Applejack, and oblige the fillies. I jump and give a downward flap of my wings. I no longer feel them bouncing on my back. I look back and see them clinging to my spines. I circle around a couple of times, then set down again. I could have avoided all of this if I had just changed back after showing my form to Applejack; however, the food I had eaten at the restaurant is settling so much easier in my larger stomach that I decided to keep my form. Upon landing, the three fillies jump down and check their flanks. Sorry girls, better luck next time. They grin back up at me. “That was our best failure EVER! Can we do that again?” the white unicorn asks. “Girls,” Applejack begins, “what did we tell ya about jumpin’ on strange critters? Ah reckon ya’ll owe Sparky here an apology.” “Sorry, Mr. Dragon,” the three all chime at once. “It’s okay, I love foals! They taste so good!” I grin at them, showing of my pearly whites. They go wide eyed and gulp in unison. I take up my colt form and keep grinning at them. They cautiously step closer to me. “Y..you were kiddin’, right?” asks the yellow filly. I chuckle. “Your bravery has earned you a ride from a dragon today. Is that not enough? The line between bravery and foolishness is very, very thin.” She gulps again and responds, “Ah reckon it ain’t. Ah was sure we would get our cutie marks that time, Mr. Dragon.” I laugh. “Please, call me Sparky. No, I don’t eat sentient creatures. Actually, I have a preference for fish.” “Yea? Me too!” the orange pegasus states. “I’ve had it before. It wasn’t bad,” the white unicorn responds. “Ya’ll are just weird,” the yellow earth pony adds. “Ah could never understand your taste fur fish. Yuck!” Applejack just laughs. “Earth ponies almost never like it, Sugarcube. Actually, the only one Ah know of who does is Big Mac here.” “Eeyup!” “Sides, ain’t nothing like one of our apples, right Apple Bloom?” “You bet, Sis! Would ya like one, Sparky? Better’n any filly Ah bet you ever had!” Thats the spirit, Apple Bloom. A bit of good natured ribbing can crack any ice. I smile at her and nod my head. I’m glad for that earlier contest. burning off some of that food has left me feeling satisfied still, however, an apple would be delightful. She trots over to a nearby basket and retrieves one. I take it from her and down it in a few bites. “Oh, my, yes.” I will definitely enjoy working here if I can get more than a few of these for my trouble. “Well, Ah reckon it’s about time we got back to work. Care to take a crack at one of our trees, Sparky?” Applejack asks. “It would be my privilege, Applejack, however, I would like to practice on something else first, if you don’t mind. I am a bit heavier than your average pony, you see. “Yea, no kidding,” remarks Twilight. We walk to the edge of the orchard, and find a small stand of trees. I walk up to one. The trunk looks to be a bit thicker than a typical apple tree, but close enough. I rear back and give it a kick. My hoof goes through the trunk. The damaged tree starts to fall towards the orchard. A lavender light envelopes it and Twilight guides it softly to the ground. “No worries there, we were gonna need some firewood soon anyway. If’n ya like, you can take out that whole stand. It would be mighty helpful,” Applejack supplies. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Lumberjacks YAY!” sound the horns of war. The three fillies run up to a nearby tree and start kicking it for all their worth. I just chuckle at their antics. I catch Twilight’s eye and point at the tree. She nods her head and readies herself. I set my aim above the fillies’ heads and let loose a bolt from deep within my core. It strikes the tree at exactly where I aim, and blasts a hole through it. The tree falls and is caught once again by Twilight. The three fillies grin and hoof bump each other. “Whoa nelly!” Applejack stares wide eyed at me. She shakes her head and smiles at me, saying nothing more. I turn back to the fillies. “Save a few for me, would ya? I gotta get some practice in.” They grin at me and walk away from the stand. I walk over to another tree and give it a light kick. The tree gives a bit but I can tell I didn’t provide near enough power to shake anything loose. Had this been an apple tree, It would have been unaffected. I apply a bit more force. Nothing. I hit it as hard as I dare to. A few leaves fall, but the tree is still unaffected. I turn to Applejack. She shakes her head and confirms what I already know. I apply a bit more force and sure enough, another fallen tree. Well. I can either knock down the tree, or knock a few leaves off. No happy medium. In frustration, I go back to my natural form, walk to the largest tree, and rip it out of the ground. I then smash it into kindling. I feel a bit better, but it doesn’t solve my problem. “What if you try it while staying as a dragon?” Twilight asks. I look at her, sigh, and try again. Inspiration strikes. Instead of kicking it, I reach up and shake it. The tree drops a great deal of its leaves, and stays rooted. Applejack smiles over at me. “Well I’ll be. Looks like instead of apple buckin, you will be apple shakin’.” “Heh, yea, I think I can manage that. Thank you, Twilight.” She smiles at me. I walk over to another tree. Using one of my powerful forelimbs, I smash the trunk. Before the tree can fall, I reach up and push it away from the orchard. It falls inward towards the stand. After about 10 minutes of work, All the trees have been taken down. It takes a bit longer to uproot the stumps, but I manage. I walk back to Applejack and Big Mac. “Fella, ya’ll just saved me an Big Mac a heap of work. You can come back anytime and help out.” She reaches into her saddlebag and pulls out a bag. She tosses it over to me and I catch it. “You can expect another bag just like that one fur each hour ya put in. That there’s about 10 times the normal rate for a farmhoof, an’ you’re worth every bit. Ah hope we can see ya soon. “Hey AJ, one more thing; our friend here is normally aquatic. He is currently staying at the lake near here. If he ends up saying over for the winter, though…” Twilight trails off. Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that. I doubt the cold would bother me, but breaking through a layer of ice to go to sleep and wake up every day would be bothersome. “Say no more, Twi. Ah have a barn that stays plenty warm enough. Lotsa space in there ta boot. The fact yer not a fire breather is a good thing too. Just lemme know when yer ready to move in, Sugercube.” “Thank you, Applejack, Big Mac. I look forward to seeing you again.” I turn to the three terrors, I mean, fillies. They look back at me, smiling. I focus on the yellow one. “Your sister mentioned your name, Apple Bloom. Correct?” “Yup!” I look over at the other two. “I’m Scootaloo! The totally awesome honorary sister of Rainbow Dash!” the orange filly states with a huge grin. “And I’m Sweetie Belle. I’m Rarity’s sister,” says the white unicorn. “Rarity? I haven’t had the pleasure just yet. I imagine I will be meeting her soon enough. “You will. But first,” She turns towards the three fillies, “how about we get going on another Twilight Time session girls? And you are welcome to join us today, Sparky.” “Twilight Time?” I ask. “Its just a little something I came up with for the local foals. It’s a chance for me to teach them on subjects that interest them, and they of course get to continue learning outside of their classroom.” “Yea, it’s totally neat,” Scootaloo says. “Hey Twilight, can we learn about dragons today? PLEASE?” Oh, my, aaugh, those Eyes! There should be a limit on the amount of cute that one filly can muster. “Well, we do have a subject matter expert with us. How about it, Sparky? Care to enlighten us? I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious myself,” requests Twilight. They all look at me, pouring on the cute. I cannot help myself. I just wanna hug em. I release my form, look at the bewildered fillies, and grab em up in what must be their most awesome, scariest hug. I settle down with them still in my arms, growling in content. They all start giggling and settle down in my massive arms. I grin at everypony. “So, what’s up with us dragons, eh? I suppose that’s reasonable. Lets start at the beginning. Just as you ponies have two goddesses, we dragons have two deities as well. There are others we will worship, your own Princess included, however, these two were the first. Lord Bahamut, the benevolent ruler of the Metallic Dragons, myself included, and the wicked Lady Tiamat, the 5 headed goddess of our Chromatic cousins. Now, recently, your own Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends had a run in with a Red dragon. They were lucky on two fronts on that encounter. “One: He was sleepy. More than anything, he just wanted to be left alone. Two: He was not a follower of Tiamat. Anypony care to take a guess as to how I know this to be true?” “Oh, OH!” Scootaloo is waving her forelimb erratically. “Hmmm? Well? Doesn’t anypony have an answer?” I tease her. “Ah! The little orange filly in my arms. What’s your theory?” “Would he have tried to eat them?!” She inquires. “Ah, it always come back to us eating the so called ‘lesser species.’ Even evil dragons wouldn’t take a life without reason. I know for a fact that Red did not feel threatened by his unexpected guest. And eating. Ponies have this stringy meat, and just so many bones, and you would barely be even a mouthful for a dragon his size. No, a dragon does not settle down for the Great Nap with an empty stomach. Princess Twilight, do you know about the Great Nap?” I ask, taking her title for the sake of a lecture. “Yes, I have looked into it. You cannot have a Number One Assistant like mine and not wonder about what he will go through after, well, lets just say later in life. Upon exiting adulthood, usually 700 to 800 years, a dragon will be compelled to gorge itself on the local flora and fauna, sometimes eating 2 or 3 times their own body weight in food. Then, they will be compelled to find a place for a long rest. They know it might be anywhere from 1 to 3 centuries before they awaken. They will choose accordingly. “Correct! A gold star for the Princess! And a very good effort, Scootaloo. Now, we have established this dragon was in no way hungry. What a dragon will be thinking of is his hoard. A follower of Tiamat would have tried to collect a few new pieces before bedding down. Some are known to keep cocatrices in covered cages so they may add new, unwilling statues. Others would just enslave you, blasting your minds until you are just mere shells of your former selves. Fortunately, followers of tiamat are few, and far between, and they would never set claw into Equestria. “Well, on to lighter topics. So. Lets talk about our moral compass, our alignment if you will. We all know the big one. Good vs. Evil. The old struggle. The righteous against the wicked. Who can think of another opposite?” The pegasus shoots up her arm again. “Scootaloo. Go ahead!” “Discord, the spirit of disharmony!” she responds. “Ah, excellent! and the other end of the spectrum?” I quiz her. “The Elements of Harmony!” She answers. Twilight beams at Scootaloo. I have not yet heard this tale, but knowing this group of ponies, I am looking forward to it. The elements themselves are well known among our kind, and we know of their recent rediscovery and recovery. Looking back at some of my encounters thus far, I have little doubt I have met some of the bearers themselves. Ah, but I digress. “So. Harmony vs. Disharmony. Chaos against Order. Is someone who is chaotic also evil?” Sweetie Belle puts up he hoof. I nod to her and she begins. “Discord wasn’t evil. He wasn’t good at first either. Even now, he does good things, but sometimes in a bad way?” “Again, very good. So,we know a pony or other being can be chaotic good, one who would steal to feed a starving friend, maybe? How about order evil? Maybe somepony who uses the law to their own ends perhaps? “King Sombra. His word was law, and he used it to enslave his ponies,” Responds Twilight. “I do hope he was dealt with swiftly,” I state. “He is no longer among us. The crystal heart saw to that. Actually, Spike had a role in his destruction. The crystal heart sent out a wave of pure hope and love that completely obliterated him. His punishment was a thousand years overdue,” Twilight informs me. “While I detest the taking of a life, I do know sometimes it’s necessary. Well, this has gotten pretty heavy all the sudden. How about I put these elements into place so you can see where I’m going with all of this?” “Chromatic dragons are the usual bunch. Red, blue, green, black, white, et cetera. Each has a unique breath weapon as well. Red dragons, the most common, breath fire of course. White dragons, their smaller northern cousins, breath a cone of freezing breath. The blue dragons share my electrical ability. Green dragons can go one of two ways. Fire, or a caustic gas. It’s like an airborne acid. They also share another of my abilities. My underwater nature. Black dragons are also water dragons. They spray a line of liquid acid. They prefer marshes and have been known to create them with their acid. “They are usually chaotic, evil, or both. They will almost never fall on the good or order side. Of course, a lot of that is how they are raised. Most chromatic dragons are alone as hatchlings. Spike is a great example of how a dragon can be raised to be a model citizen.” Twilight smiles and blushes, looking down and away. “That is something to be proud of, Princess. Your efforts to raise Spike will have lasting consequences for the better part of the next 2,000 years. Even longer, depending on how he lives. I have no doubt he will do great things, and all because a pony showed him the way.” I smile at her. She has a grin pasted on her face that won’t go away anytime soon. “Careful, Twilight, those smiles of yours can be contagious.” Sure enough, the three fillies are all beaming their own smiles at her. “Ahh! It’s too late!” We all share a hearty laugh. The three fillies all get up from my arms and make their way over to Twilight. They lay down next to her, holding her from all sides. “It’s amazing how the next generation can be so easily molded by our actions. The Metallic dragons all know this. We are all raised for at least a quarter century before we start to make our own way in the world. We will even visit our elders, usually once a decade or so. It’s always planned well in advance. We can expect a summons anywhere from three to 4 years in advance. Unplanned visits are frowned upon. It’s considered rude to bother your parents or siblings with your problems. Attempting to solve a problem for somedragon else is also rude. So, pretty much the exact opposite of pony culture. “There are 5 main classes of Metallic dragons. Gold dragons are like our paladins. They will suffer no disorder, nor any evil. They breathe fire, and are colossal in size. To my knowledge, they are all followers of Lord Bahamut, and accept any words from him as absolute truth. Silver dragons are slightly smaller than Gold dragons, however they share many of the same beliefs. They breath a cold blast on their enemies. Bronze dragons, myself included, are aquatic in nature. We can live above or beneath the waves, however we always prefer to live near the coast. I have never been this far away from the sea before.” I take in a breath, then shoot a lightning bolt at a nearby cloud. It dissipates, leaving a clear patch. “Like a Blue dragon, we shoot forth lightning. I can use it while underwater, however it usually dissipates very rapidly. It is useful for stunning fish within about 10 meters of me. “Copper dragons live in the mountains. They are tricky fellows, climbing up sheer cliffs like a spider on a wall. Elders can actually shape stone as well as any pegasus can shape a cloud. Of course, any species who primarily warship Discord will always have a few tricks to handle any situation. They shoot a stream of acid, like the Blacks. Brass dragons are the smallest of us. The oldest of them will never be much larger than I am now. They live in deserts, where the young ones will bury themselves in the sand if they feel threatened. They are also tricksters. Their favorite activity is talking to travelers who are crossing their desert. If the traveler tries to leave before the dragon has had its fill of conversation, it will bury the traveler in sand up their neck and continue talking. When finished, the dragon will always free the traveler, and even offer supplies should they run short. Once again, chaos does not mean evil. Their weapon is a line of liquid fire that extends much further than your typical fire breath. “These are the primary dragon species for each family. There are several subspecies. Steel dragons of the Metallic family, and we all know a purple chromatic dragon that lives with the local librarian princess, don’t we.” The three fillies all giggle, and Twilight blushes again. “So, are there any questions?” Four hooves shoot into the air, the lavender one much longer than the other three. I laugh and make my decision. “Apple Bloom, you’ve been pretty quiet. Please, what’s your question?” I ask her. She blushes, then quietly asks, “Have dragons ever fallen fur someone who wasn’t another dragon? Say, a pony?” Her two friends both chuckle, giving her a bit of a hard time. It seems somepony has a crush. I look at Twilight for help. I cannot answer this without affecting her ward, so I will have to defer to her judgement. “Actually, Apple Bloom, Spike is smitten with a pony right now. I don’t foresee the relationship going beyond friendship, however, yes, it would seem a dragon, especially one who lived among ponies his entire life, could find love and happiness with someone not of his kind.” “Oh. Okay. Ah kinda already figured,” she says quietly. I approach her, and lift her chin gently with one of my claws. I smile at her and tell her, “A dragon’s love is no small thing to earn, Apple Bloom. When a dragon loves, and is loved in return, it’s forever. Sometimes, when something is difficult to do, it’s that much more special when you are finally able to realise your dream.” “Ah’ll do whatever it takes. Thank you, Sparky,” She says, a determined look now on her face. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Following the lesson, I found myself laying in the grass beneath an apple tree with Twilight. “So, Spike has a crush,” I state. “I promised I wouldn’t tell anypony about it, however, I felt like I needed to today.” “So, who knows about it?” I ask. “It’s just about the worst kept secret in Ponyville. You can almost see hearts in his eyes when he’s around her. He even let her poke pins into his back. A living pincushion. I dread the day when she finally tells him he has no chance.” “I doubt he felt it through his scales. So, no chance at all? A pity. I meant it when I said a dragon’s love is forever. But, the heart wants what it wants, and it cannot be forced to feel anything one way or another. She isn’t leading him on, is she?” “Oh, no, never,” Twilight answers. “She cares far too much for him to ever get his hopes too high. But at the same time, she doesn’t want to break his heart completely. I doubt he has even thought about somepony else having feelings for him. I just want him to be happy. Actually, I’m pretty sure she already has her eyes on another. I believe she’s afraid of moving forward until she knows Spike’s going to be okay. Of course, she being a lady, she might be waiting for her love interest to make the first move. Knowing who that is, I doubt that will happen. It’s all circular logic. A real vicious cycle. A cannot happen before B, and B cannot happen because C is in the way, and C needs A to function properly. It keeps me up some nights.” “So we introduce a new variable. Lets call it S. S takes C aside and teaches it to function independently. A and B, by mutual agreement, start to coexist. C finds happiness with another, or finds happiness without another. It will be his choice. S, of course, stays on to assist C in any future endeavours.” Twilight smirks at me. She shakes her head and laughs. “Could it really be that easy?” “Who better to understand the heart of a dragon then another dragon? He can be happy. He may be sad at first, but then he can be happy. It’s really up to him how long he remains sad. Having the support of his friends and family will make a real difference. When and if he decides to open his heart to another, he will make that decision himself. It may break a little filly’s heart, but it’s important that she give him time to heal. She said earlier she would do whatever it takes. Well, right now, it will take time. An open ended timeline is the best I can offer. Only Spike can know when he is ready.” “Well. Sounds like we have a plan then. Oh! I need to write this down! Where’s my checklist! Spike! Oh, wait. I can’t very well have him write down a checklist about derailing his love life. Augh!” A manic looks crosses her face, and I start to feel afraid for some reason. “Twilight?” She looks at me, grinning unnaturally. I need to choose my next words carefully. Actually, words are overrated. I grab her and get her into a hug. She starts to struggle, but cannot get any leverage on my limbs. When I feel her relax, I set her down. “Feeling better?” I ask. She looks calmer, more composed. “Yes, actually. Thank you for that.” “My pleasure. Actually, a hug is a pretty useful way to calm a pony down. Do you know why, Twilight?” “Actually, yes. Being lightly restrained can trigger a release of endorphins, causing a happy state of mind. A bit of compression around the torso and all is right with the world. Funny how that works, really.” “Nothing gets past you, Twilight. So, the pony of Spike’s dreams?” “You will be meeting her tomorrow. You would have figured it out sooner or later anyway. Actually, if you don’t mind, could you sleep near Fluttershy’s cottage tonight? She can take you to meet Rarity tomorrow. That might answer a few of your other questions, too.” “So Fluttershy is…” “I’m not saying a word. Nope, no way, not a chance. Gotta fly! Gotta feed the baby dragon and wake up the owl. Yup! See you later, Sparky!” She takes off, leaving me a bit confused, but overall, I am okay with that. I walk over to the farm house. I take on my pony form and knock softly. Applejack soon opens the door. She blanks for a second, then recognizes the dragon before her. “Your shape changin’s gonna take some gettin’ used to, sugarcube. Come on in. We were just fixin’ to start dinner. Would ya care to join us?” “Will there be apples?” I ask. She just looks at me and lets out a good, hearty laugh. “Git in here, you! Hey, Granny, set another place! Our farmdragon is here fer dinner!” Before she can lead me to the dining room, I stop her. “What can ah do you fur, Sugercube?” “I… huh?” I don’t even know where to begin. “Ah’m sorry, it’s just an expression. Our way of askin’ what’s on your mind. Don’tcha be thinkin’ too deep into it, now.” “I… see. Well, first, I want to ask you. Are you aware of your sister’s crush?” “Ah know there’s a durn fool baby dragon who better not break my sister’s heart, if’n he knows what’s good for ‘im. She’s been fawnin’ over that there rascal almost since she first met ‘im. It durn near broke ‘er heart when she found out he was pining over that frou frou fashionista. Dang, I wasn’t supposta’ be passin’ that along. Ya’ll can keep your mouth shut, right?” “Actually, I am already familiar with a good deal of the situation. I may be able to, at the very least, help him overcome his infatuation with Rarity. I cannot speak of his feelings for Apple Bloom, if any, but I know his current situation is causing some difficulties. What I need from Apple Bloom right now is patience. Today, she told me she would do anything for Spike. I wish to hold her to that.” “So, what, ya just want ‘er to wait? Fur how long?” “When Spike goes through this, he will be fragile. He will need his friends and family more than anything. What he doesn’t need is a filly tossing her heart at him so soon after his own gets broken. All it will do is confuse him. He will need to get over his feelings for Rarity fully before any attempt is made to pursue him. It would be better if he were to develop feelings of his own, however, I think she deserves her chance. Twilight or myself will let you and Apple Bloom know when Spike is ready to hear what she has to say. Is this acceptable?” “Absolutely.” Applejack and I turn our heads and see Apple Bloom descending the stairs. She has the same look of determination from when I last saw her. “Ah already told ya, Ah will do whatever it takes. If’n you can just gimme the chance, Ah will sit on my hooves fur as long as needed.” This young pony has more fire in her then some dragons I have met. The look on her face is clear. This is where her heart lies. She walks into the dining room. Applejack and I look at each other, smile, and follow her. When we enter, I smile at what I see. Apples. There isn’t a dish out there that doesn’t have some kind of apple theme. Salad with apples. Apple fritters. A good deal of it I couldn’t even name. I didn’t even know you could make apple dumplings. After my large lunch, I am not nearly as hungry as I could be. I bet I could only eat half of what is being offered. Applejack leads me to my place. The head of the table. I widen my eyes at her. She just nods and says, “Ya’ll are our guest, so take your place. And don’t you be thinkin you’re gonna bust our food stores. We make this much most nights anyways. So, dig in! Just wait till we say Grace.” Everypony takes their spot. I remove the chair and sit on the floor. Applejack looks at me, but says nothing. Everypony then bows their head, and I follow suit. “Hail Luna, fulla grace, as we all mess up this place!” Applejack exclaims. “GRACE!” the rest of the family follows suit. Everypony, and I, go for the food. I get the idea that, yes, I could eat half the food on this table, however, I won’t get the chance. I scoop a little of this, and that, and some of what’s over there, and get a pretty respectable plate of food. The conversation stays light. Apple Bloom talks about school, Granny Smith asks if I’m seeing anypony, I of course, answer in the negative, and she bats her eyes at me. I let out a laugh. “You’re a bit young for me, Granny.” “Horseapples! Ah’m twice your age, sonny! Wouldn’t want no young whipper snapper like you nohow.” The whole family and I share a laugh and we all continue dining. The feast ends far too soon, and we all sit back with various looks of contentment. At one point, my age is brought up. “So, just how old are ya, Sugercube?” Applejack asks. “I am not exactly sure. Not quite a century and a half, but almost. I am an adult by a dragon’s standards,” I reply. “Dad gum! You sure you’re older than he is, Granny?” “Ah stand by what Ah said, young’un. Ponyville has been around for dang near 300 years, and Ah was there since the beginnin’ for all of it. Us earth ponies can just go on livin’ if’n there’s work to be done. And raisin’ you three is work enough for me. Ah’m mighty proud to call ya my grandchildren. Now enough of ya’ll askin’ your Granny about her age.” She turns to me. “Where you sleepin’ tonight, Sugercube?” “Twilight told me to sleep at Fluttershy’s cottage. I found a nice little patch of grass there that suits me just fine.? “And suppose it starts rainin’?” “I love the rain. If it does, I might have to go for a flight just on principal. If a full on storm were to take place, that would be just fine.” “Well, alright. Just remember, you always have a place here at the Acres. You keep workin’ the way you do, Ah might just have to make ya Kin. Ya ever wanna be an Apple, honorary or legal like, ya just lemme know. Why, I bet Applejack here would love ta have ya.” “Granny!” Applejack has gone from orange to red. She glares at her elder. She then glares at me. “Don’t you git no ideas. I ain’t got no interest in romanticizing right now. Granny, Ah’ll settle down when Ah’m good ‘n ready, and not a second before.” We all laugh at her expense. She glares for a few seconds more, then joins in with a few chuckles of her own. A few moments later, I bid them farewell. I look forward to spending a lot more time here. However, it’s getting late and I could really use some sleep. No doubt the rest of this fine family feels the same way. I exit their home, and fly to the northeast. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I arrive at Fluttershy’s cottage, and see her standing outside. She instantly recognizes me and waves. I land and approach her. “Good evening, Fluttershy. I hope it will be okay if I bed down here tonight.” “Oh, it will be my pleasure, Sparky. I wasn’t sure if you were coming back tonight. I was just going to go to bed. Do you need anything?” I shake my head. “No, thank you though. Do you know of my plans for tomorrow then?” She shakes her head. “Twilight was going to take me to see Rarity. However, something came up, and she told me to ask you instead. Will you take me to see her?” I ask her. “Meep!” Wow, red on yellow. It reminds me of a sunset. She gets a goofy grin on her muzzle, and nods her head. It looks like she is worlds away right now. “Splended! I look forward to meeting the pony who has caught the heart of a dragon.” Her grin disappears. “What? But, you have never even met her. How could you say you love her? Does she just attract every dragon she meets?” I cannot help it. I want to behave. But I just cannot pass this up. I will hate myself after, but it’s just irresistible. I have to do it. There is just no way around it. I have to prank Fluttershy. Somewhere, a blue pegasus and a pink earth pony both scream their vengeance if this goes wrong. I grin. “Ever since I heard of her, I just cannot help but hear her name ringing in my head. Rarity! Rarity! Oh Rarity! Come with me and you may have my hoard! You will be all the riches I will ever need! Rarity!” Fluttershy has a shocked expression. Then she covers her mouth and softly giggles. She sits back and wipes a tear from her eye. “You know, you had me convinced for a second there. Right up until you mentioned your hoard. I doubt any dragon would give up their hoard for somepony they haven’t even met.” She giggles again. “Thank you, Sparky.” “Hmmm?” “Nopony wants to tease me because of my soft spoken nature. I know my friends love me, but they don’t have to always treat me like I’m made of glass. I could use a good laugh sometimes.” I smile at her. “Anypony who stands up to a red dragon will never be weak in my eyes. So, about meeting Rarity tomorrow?” She blushes again, red on yellow. It’s a striking combination. The attraction is there, however, I will leave them to figure out how to go forward with it. My main concern is with Spike. She nods her head. “It would be lovely to see her tomorrow.” She yawns. “Goodness, it’s time for bed. Goodnight, Sparky.” “Goodnight.” I wander over to my spot by her bridge. As I relax into it, my original form comes out. I let out my own yawn. The sound causes the immediate area to fall silent. I smile, lay my head down, and fall asleep.