As Stars Fall from the Heavens

I woke up to the sun piercing through my eyeballs and the sound of a rooster cawing in the distance. I looked down and saw that I was in a room with a wooden ceiling and heard farm animals outside. The confusion only lasted a few moments though as I recalled last night's occurrences. I yawned and felt something small and warm moving at my side. I looked down and saw that Applebloom had crawled up next to me at some point while I slept and was clutching my side.

I giggled softly and whispered softly in her ear. "Applebloom, we gotta get up. It's morning."

Applebloom dug further into my side, her soft fur and small body crawling further into my grip. "Fahve more minutes big brother," She said sleepily. I rolled his eyes, her cuteness getting to me. I slowly moved her to the side and got up. I exited the room while leaving my weapons and jacket there. I could hear movement downstairs and walked towards it. I found myself watching Applejack cooking up a storm of apple products and smiled happily.

"A ponies hearin's actually pretty good yah know. Yah, gonna stand there and stahr or are yah gonna halp?" She said without even looking back.

"Well, what do you need?" I answered simply.

"Set tha table. Granny's gettin a little mohr shuteye, and Big Mac's gettin' some tools ready for the day. I don't know 'bout Applebloom, but, knowin' tahdays Saturday she'll 'probably sleep in fur a bit," Applejack finished.

I laughed a bit and answered, "Sure and Applebloom crawled into my bed as I slept by the way. Cute thing was probably trying to make me feel better,"

I set the table while Applejack chuckled and said, "Yah, sounds like her tah me." She finished cooking and I helped her place the food methodically across the table. Once finished she rang a very loud bell screaming, "soup's on yall!!" The table was filled very quickly, while Applebloom and Applejack sat to my sides. Granny Smith was looking towards me as Applejack told her, "ah, already told Big Mac, but Granny, this here's Aegir Sama... Samebito. Dang, that's still hard tah say... He's lost all of his family, and, from what ah got he lost them all last naight. So, with yur permission we'd laike tah offer him not only a place on our farm, but, a place in our family. Applebloom already asked fur him tah be her big bro. Iffin' it's ok with you we'd laike tah make him an Apple."

Still looking towards me with a deep stare, Granny asked, "What, exactly are yah sonny?"

"I am a human, born from a Norse father and a Japanese mother. Both are cultures that focus on tradition and family. So, it's really hit me hard that I can never see them again," I answered, giving a little more information than what was asked.

"Ah, don't know what a human is nor do I know what Norse or Japanese is, but, tradition and family ahre especially important. Now, farm's hard workin'. Think yah can keep up?" She continued.

"I am currently 25 years old and I have been training my body and mind since I was 3. I do believe I can handle the physical stress and even help out with some of the mathematics needed for the farm. Not to mention I can keep unsavory creatures off of the farm as well," once more, I added a little more information than I was asked for.

"Darn, yur actually, 'bout faive years older than Applejack, round two years younger than Big Mac!" Applebloom said excitedly.

"Applebloom language," Granny said. "Now, ah trust mah granddaughter here, and ah can see that she trusts you. Two things yah need tah know, we're Apples tahgether and Apples furever, also, the Apple family is one of if not the biggest within the earth ponies. So, ah have tah know, do yah care fur AJ here?" she continued.

"Ma'am not only was she one of those to defend me to the point of actually getting between me and your princess, she was there for me the moment I realized what had happened with no questions asked. Then she, also, brought Applebloom in, somehow knowing that it would make me feel better. So, yes I care for Applejack dearly," I answered truthfully.

She stared at me for a short period of time as the family ate the food provided. A big smile formed on her face as she said happily, "hot diggity! AJ ah never thought y'all would actually faind a stallion this early. He's ah keeper yah here, y'all got my permission."

I sat confused for a moment until I looked at AJ and realized she had stopped eating mid bite with her mouth open and her face burning with embarrassment. That's when the realization that Granny had just performed a marriage evaluation on me and AJ, my embarrassment rose to her level quickly and I stammered out unsure if Granny was serious or joking, "th... tha... That's... no... not what... I... uh..."

Granny's smile widenned and AJ finally began to chatter off quickly, her eyes going back and forth while she twitched here and there, "now see here Granny, that ain't what ah meant. Ah mean, Tartarus, we only met last naite. The guy's just went through a bad experience. He's still hurtin' from that and being threatened by Princess Celestia. Ah, mean, ah do feel a connection with the guy, but, he's ain't a pony..."

Applebloom and Big Mac laughed out as Granny said, "all ah'm hearin' is a bunch of excuses when you ain't realizin' one little thing. Ah saw what happened earlier, wasn't sleepin'. Ah saw how he looked at yah and I saw how you looked at him. Not tah mention yah actually asked fur his help and yur stubborn as a mule. Also, he got all flustered which mean's y'all know he fainds yah to be purty, but, yah got flustered too. Finally, he ain't said no raight?"

Big Mac smiled putting forth a simple, "Nnope."

"Yah care fur AJ here right," Granny said to me and I simply nodded unsure of how this had gotten this far so quickly, "and AJ yah care fur this here stallion as well raight," she continued, AJ just as confused simply nodded as well. "Well, what's stoppin' yah y'all know true love can begin in ah day, but, the truest of love must be grown laike a seed."

This is when a screen popped in front of my face, 'Aegir and Applejack have reached red friendship level with points of 160 and completed the quest: Granny Smith's Approval. Will you accept the reward and go beyond friendship level red?' and I noticed that the same screen popped in front of AJ as well. We looked at each other and I sent her a questioning glance. She took a deep breath and nodded. We both thought 'yes' at the same time and a new notice popped up, 'Friendship Level between Aegir and Applejack is now 220 and has hit white friendship level. New companion skills granted to both Aegir and Applejack, Heart Bound, Apple Kin and Honesty. Quest: Honest Heart has been started. Completion status involves both Aegir and Applejack to be honest with each other and to the Apple family.'

Though only a few seconds had passed it felt like an eternity and I knew what I had to do, what I wanted to do. Still looking at Granny I started, "your right, I didn't say no," I looked to AJ and saw that she was looking at me with her mouth wide open, "and I wouldn't either, but, will you say yes?" I finished.

Applebloom's excitement was apparent as she bounced on her chair, Big Mac actually seemed a little surprised, but, Granny just looked like she already knew the answer. "Are, yah, serious... Ah, mean it's... Ah, ain't nothin' special... to muscled from the farm... ain't super pretty... we ain't even known each other fur a day... don't yah think... ah... don't know... that this is to... too fast..." Her eyes bounced back and forth between Granny and myself.

"You helped me out immediately, no questions asked. You took me in, simply because you knew the feelings I had. You somehow knew exactly how to help me right then and there. You connected with me on a level I've only known with very few. You asked me to be a part of your family, when you knew I had lost mine. If this is what you can do in a night, I would very much like to see what you can do in a lifetime. Also, you are absolutely gorgeous so don't downplay yourself" I said somehow not tripping on my words at all. Granny's smile just got bigger as now even Big Mac and Applebloom had wide open mouths. A new message popped up 'Friendship level between Aegir and Applejack has hit 260 and has hit a barrier. It cannot raise any further until the Quest Honest Heart has been completed.'

A single tear fell from AJ, but, her expression showed nothing save happiness. "Ah... Ah... Ah, want to be with yah... I can't hold it back... feels laike it just exploded inside ah me... Yes..." She answered. The screen appeared once more saying 'Quest: Honest Heart completed. Friendship level between Aegir and Applejack has now gone up to 320 points and is now called Love Level beginnings of True Love. Aegir now has a direct connection to the Element of Honesty and Applejack has a direct connection to the system itself and is granted similar attributing factors as Aegir. Other gifts have been placed in Aegir's item box. Friendship level between Aegir and Pinkie Pie has increased to 145 points Pink Level. Quest Given to Aegir, The Two Sides of Laughter. Completion upon helping Pinkie and Diane with a currently unknown problem.'

Granny Smith simply said, "told yah AJ. Now let's finish these here vittles and get tah workin'."

"Eeyup," Big Mac answered as we finished our food and went to work.

Two hours passed as we worked around the farm before I heard a ping and was confused as no one was around him. Then a shadow passed above the farm as a dragoness landed directly in front of me and spouted off quickly, "I'm sorry have you seen a unicorn around? He's got a light tan coat, a brown curly mane, one blue eye and one red one. Tends to wear darker clothing. No facial hair, around 5'5". Sorry, you don't even know me. I'm Viola Everscale and I'm looking for my son Jack Everscale Hunt."

I got another message screen 'Quest given, A Heartfelt Dragon. Completion upon helping Viola find her son.' "Um, I'm sorry I don't know anyone like that, but, I do know someone who might be able to help. I just have to finish with this part of the orchard," I answered. That's when I noticed that this dragoness was around 6'5" had wings that probably spanned around 17" from tip to tip, had a light purple scales, save for the little bit of white he saw from under her tail, black tipped nails, blood red eyes, pure white hair, her figure was mostly hidden from a heavy set of pure white armor with purple and black mixed here and there, and she had a massive great sword that would put most anime swords to shame.

Unfortunately AJ had seen her too and rushed up to them, "Aegir, what's goin' on? Is she makin' trouble?!"

Viola smiled and said happily, "oh the love between you is palpable. So, jealous. No, honey I'm just looking for my son."

AJ blushed and looked down as we both knew she wasn't lying to us. "Sorry, just ain't had too many dragons in this area. Just Spike and he's fairly new," She said to Viola.

Viola smiled widely and said, "oh, there's another dragon that can live around others and isn't a jerk! How old is he?"

"Uh, 14 ah think... Yah 14..." AJ answered a little confused at the statement.

"OH!!! He's just a little wyrmling!!! Let me see him! Let me hug him!!!" Viola burst out.

"I was going to take her to Twilight anyway. You said that's where he lives right? In the library that looks like a tree near the center of the town," I pointed out. AJ nodded.

"Oooo! I can't wait!" She belted out and picked both AJ and myself up in her arms flying to the Golden Oaks Library. When we got there we were very confused and she just giggled as she pushed us forward stating joyously, "I can't even knock please can you?"

In the confusion I simply knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

After a few moments a small purple and green dragon with a white tee shirt and jeans on came to the door. That's when Viola rushed him pulling him close to her and enveloping him in her arms, and once more belting out, "Oh, not even old enough to have your wings yet. Such an adorable wyrmling!"

We heard Twilight say with a muffled voice, "Spike who's at the door?"

Viola rushed in with all of us in toe, Twilight was now in the room and saw the dragoness and all of us. She stated quickly, "oh, you must be the one who has been protecting this little wyrmling here I can feel the bond between you two, so good to see a dragon who is actually being raised to be caring for once. Anyways, I also came here because these two lovebirds here said that you may be able to help me find my son." AJ and I went nuclear because of what she just said, unable to hide our blushing faces. Viola explained her situation to Twilight, hugging Spike tightly the entire time as he enjoyed her powerful arms.

"I might be able to help, um... also, you mind helping me with my little brother Spike," Twilight asked, "I really haven't been able to get much information on how dragons actually grow or live." Then, it hit her what Viola had said. "Wait, lovebirds? Aegir and Applejack?" She said quickly. We stayed silent and moved uncomfortably.

Viola grins happily and stated, ignoring Twilight's propagation of AJ's and my burning state, "honey, I'd adopt both of you helping you both out if you'd let me. You're both so cute."

"But, I already have parents?" Twilight said, her confusion apparent.

"Hun, I said nothing about taking you away from them. Just giving you another parent," Viola smirking.

"That's... huh... that's actually not a bad idea. You probably have a lot of experience and can teach Spike and me... Why not?" Twilight said and then the questions began.

Six hours later and Twilight asked the one question every guy knows not to ask a woman. "So, exactly how old a..."

Before she finished Viola sent out a small flare from her nose and said in a quiet voice, "don't finish that question hun."

(To be continued)