That night, Nick went out to count the apples, while Octavia got Ananasrenette and Applebloom ready for bed.
"Mom? Could you read me a bedtime story?", Ananasrenette asked, holding a book out to her.
"Why of course, dear! What do you have there?", she smiled, taking the book and reading the cover. "The Luck Dragon, by Rachel Braveheart ,Bridleway composer, For My Dearest Ananasrenette. This should be interesting...", she smiled.
A long time ago, in a land far, far away, there was a dragon. Now this wasn't an ordinary dragon, no...this was the fabled Luck Dragon, who had just laid an egg. She knew she would never be able to love the egg, as she hated children, so she took the egg to a farm in the land of ponies, Equestria. There, she left the egg on the farmers' doorstep, and left it.
The farmers took the Luck Dragon cub and raised it to be one of them, and he grew to be kind, gracious, and helpful. But one tragic day, the queen of the Changelings killed the kind farmers, but the Luck Dragon protected the rest of his family, and swore revenge. After his adoptive parents died, the Luck Dragon felt that he no longer belonged among ponies, so in the dead of night, he snuck away, leaving his family heartbroken.
He traveled towards the edge of Equestria, hoping to find his roots. Along the way he met many ponies, some were friendly, some made fun of him, and some tried to hurt him. But everywhere, he felt alone, he felt rejected, he felt...felt...broken. It was another sad day, as he passed through Manehattan, he then noticed a couple of punks harassing a young earth pony mare, with yellow fur and a green mane.
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave that young lady alone!", he growled.
"Or what?", laughed one of the punk ponies, who had the mare kicking his shin as he pulled her mane.
"Or things will 'heat up' a bit.", the Luck Dragon smiled.
"Nice try, Mr. Dragon, but it'll take more than that to...", said the punks, throwing the mare to the side, before noticing their flanks were on fire.
They ran off screaming as the Luck Dragon shouted as he helped the mare up, "That's Mr. Luck Dragon to you! Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine, thank you! You know, you didn't have to do that, you could have just ignored it.", the mare said gratefully, picking up her satchel.
"One never ignores a damsel in distress, especially one as beautiful as you. As nice as it was meeting you, I must be going.", smiled the Luck Dragon, walking away.
"Wait! Where are you going? You can't leave! I haven't given you anything!", the mare cried, blushing and jumping in front of him.
"No payment is needed.", the Luck Dragon said, trying to get around her.
"Are you staying somewhere tonight?", the mare persisted.
"No, I don't intend to!", the Luck Dragon exclaimed, getting annoyed.
"Just...please, come home with me! You'll have somewhere to stay the night at!", the mare cried, she had already developed feelings for him, and she was not about to let him go.
The Luck Dragon wanted to leave, but deep down inside his heart, he knew he couldn't leave her, he too had developed feelings for her.
He stood there thinking for a minute before saying, "I suppose I could, maybe I could even settle down here, if that's okay with you..."
The mare had been hoping for this and quickly replied, "Of course! Follow me!"
He followed her to a hotel, and up to the penthouse.
"You own all this?", the Luck Dragon asked in surprise, the penthouse was large and spacious.
"Nah, but it's all paid for by my employer, I'm a composer who does music for the musicals on Bridleway. So my boss tries to make me as comfortable as possible.", she smiled, pointing her sheet music cutie mark, "Did you ever do anything exciting?"
"Well, I used to be an apple farmer, I was part of a band, and, not to brag, am an excellent piano player.", the Luck Dragon answered, noticing her grand piano in the corner.
"Be my guest! I'll go get us some milk and cookies, My Dearest.", the mare blushed, walking towards her kitchen.
The Luck Dragon played what had the equivalent to a symphony, while she went and got a snack for them.
"Wow! You really are good, maybe...you could help me with my compositions? You know, show me how they sound while I write them?", she smiled, handing him a glass of milk and a couple of cookies after he finished.
"Yeah, I would like that!", the Luck Dragon grinned, chomping on a cookie.
For the first time, since his parents died, he didn't feel alone, he didn't feel rejected, and he didn't feel broken. In fact, he had started feeling a new sensation, like his heart was swelling, about to burst.
When it was time for bed, the Luck Dragon started heading towards the couch, but the mare headed him off and said, "No, Dearest, you can share my bed with me. There's no harm in that."
So they climbed into the mare's bed, and as the Luck Dragon turned his back to her, she scooted up to him and put her hooves around him, before dozing off she said, "Good night, My Dearest."
The next morning, the Luck Dragon woke up alone in the bed. He got up and went into the main room, looking for the mare, he found her in the kitchen cooking dragonfruit pancakes.
"Good morning, My Dearest! I figured these would be your favorite.", she smiled, kissing his snout.
"Aww, you didn't have to do that...", the Luck Dragon replied gratefully, kissing her back, much to her delight.
"Dearest, I know we haven't known each other for a whole day, but...Dearest! I love you!", she cried out, confessing her love.
"I...I...I love you too!", the Luck Dragon smiled, taking her in his paws, he then pulled her into a kiss.
And soon after that, they were married, and had a beautiful daughter. But nothing lasts forever...
Tragically, the mare died from a train accident, in the hospital, the day before the Luck Dragon's birthday. He was crushed, so he took his motherless daughter back to his old home on the farm. He eventually found another mare, and moved on, but the heartbreak was deep, a mortal wound, if you will. So deep, so deep...
It's a wonder to see two different species show each other love, it's a even greater wonder when they get together and create something so beautiful and gracious.
The End
An envelope fell out addressed to Ananasrenette as Octavia turned the page.
"Can you read it to me, please Mom?", Ananasrenette pleaded.
"I don't see why not...", Octavia answered, tears coming to her eyes, learning the truth of Nick's life with Rachel was heartbreaking, poor Nick...
My Dearest Ananasrenette,
If you are reading this, you already know by now that this is how your father and I met, a tragic, yet wonderful tale. I write to you with my dying breath to tell you that I love you, and that I'm so, SO sorry I can't be there for you. You brought us joy, your father and I, so much joy. I'll be gone before long, so I want you to be strong. I know it's not easy, I'll miss you and your father too. You also need to help your father be strong too, I know he'll be devastated, I wish I didn't have to go, but there's no hope for me. I always love you, My Dearest Ananasrenette.
Love, Mother
"Oh, Mom!", Ananasrenette exclaimed, crying in Octavia as she patted her head.
"It's okay, I'm here...I'm here...", Octavia sobbed.
After calming Ananasrenette and putting her and Applebloom to bed, Octavia took the book to her and Nick's room and sat in the rocking chair to look through it some more.
Nick came in from counting all 2,282,008 apples harvested that day.
"Tavi, what's that you got there?", he asked, kissing her cheek.
"This is for you...", she smiled, handing him an envelope with some sheet music.
My Dearest Braveheart,
I know how much you loved to play every new composition I came up with, so for your birthday, I composed a special song, just for you. I hope you like it!
Love, Rachel
And until midnight, Nick stayed up and played Rachel's last composition, tears streaming down his face, but no one minded, they were heartbroken by his tragic tale, and thought he deserved to do want he wanted that night.