MLPFiM: The Stars of Darkness pt. 8

The sun had risen completely over the horizon when Morningstar finally awoke.  The white unicorn stared at the beam of light coming in the window for a long moment before she moved, shifting slightly and letting out a contented sigh as she burrowed into the soft folds of her sheets.  It had been so very long since she'd been able to sleep in such comfort; traveling with Dark Star meant you had to stay in conditions that weren't exactly five-star, and she was determined to enjoy this while she could.  She shifted her legs beneath the sheets, letting the silken fabric caress her coat, still soft from her bath the night before.  She felt a smile sneak onto her lips as she rolled to one side of the spacious bed, then rolled back again.  These were perhaps the most amazing sheets she'd ever felt in her life!  Her smile grew as she rolled to the other side again, then back and forth again and again.  There were very few times when Morningstar would allow herself to succumb to such silly pleasures, but today it seemed that she just could not stop herself, and she let out a soft giggle as she rolled.  She knew that once she was out of bed her mission would truly begin, and that any time she might have had for such filly-like games would be at an end.  At the thought of her mission she felt such a heart-stopping sense of heaviness that she stopped dead center in her bed, her sunrise-colored mane splayed out around her.  She frowned, and unconsciously touched her chest over her heart.  Just thinking about her mission and what she would have to do once she rose from bed had robbed whatever joy she had taken in the softness of the sheets and replaced it with sadness that she had felt few times in her life.

Without another thought she rose from bed and crossed to the vanity where her personal effects lay; the silver chain and bright green gem levitated from it and flew to her as she approached, sliding over her horn and mane to nestle around her neck.  Immediately she felt better as the familiar power of the Elements of Destruction washed over her, washing away her sadness and joy to be replaced with a single unifying desire: the completion of her mission.  She looked in the mirror, eyeing her appearance for a moment before the brush on the nightstand lifted into the air and floated to her.  With long, smooth strokes she began to brush her mane as her mind wandered.

This wasn't the first time that different emotions had surfaced during her time away from the amulet of Jealousy, but she had to admit that she had rarely felt anything quite so strongly.  When she wore the amulet, everything else was unimportant; the only thing that mattered was her own glory and the ultimate victory of Nightmare Moon.  Everything was so much simpler.  She watched herself in the mirror, looking into her own dark eyes, void of empathy or understanding, and absently wondered what she would look like if she stopped wearing the amulet.  What would she feel?  What was she missing, wearing this?

"No," she said harshly, slamming the hairbrush down onto the vanity with a solid thump.  That was nothing to think about right now.  Dark Star was counting on her to complete her mission, and she didn't have time for hypothetical nonsense.

Suddenly, her nose twitched; a scent was drifting up to her room from the boutique downstairs… the scent of grass pancakes with maple syrup and eggs.  Her stomach grumbled loudly, and she smiled in spite of her mood.  She quickly checked her mane in the mirror; it was now combed and neat, falling around her graceful neck and shoulders in gentle waves.  Morningstar nodded to herself and turned towards the door, casting the illusion spell on her necklace so it disappeared as she exited the room.

Downstairs, in the rear of the boutique that served as Rarity's home, the designer was busy in the kitchen, multiple utensils glowing with blue auras flitting about the kitchen like fireflies as they went about their business.  The unicorn glanced over her shoulder as Morningstar entered the room, her eyes full of excitement.  "Oh, good morning, darling!" she said as she turned back to her cooking.  "You know, I wasn't sure when you were going to get up, but I said to myself 'Rarity, nothing wakes a pony up better than the smell of a freshly-cooked breakfast'!"  A whisk went sailing past her purple mane and into a bowl of batter where it began to mix with gusto.  "And here you are!  I guess I was right!"  She giggled to herself as the bowl of batter floated to her and poured out into a large skillet, forming neat circles that Morningstar knew would quickly become pancakes.  The whisk wiped the edge of the bowl neatly before settling back into the batter.

Morningstar smiled.  "I've been awake for a little while; I just wasn't sure when would be polite to come out."

"Oh darling, I hope you didn't stay in there on my account!" Rarity said, turning from her cooking to look at Morningstar yet again.  "Please, Morning Mist; from now on, this home is yours as well as mine, and I won't have you locking yourself away for propriety's sake!"  She smiled and, to Morningstar's surprise, looked slightly embarrassed.  "Although I will say how… refreshing it is to have a pony around with manners.  As much as I dearly love my friends, most of them are, well… a tad uncouth.  Even Twilight, who was raised in Canterlot, doesn't seem to know the first thing about social graces!"  Rarity turned back to the counter just in time to miss the black look that passed over Morningstar's face.  That Twilight again… she fumed.  She couldn't place it exactly, but something about Twilight Sparkle made her stomach turn.  "In fact," Rarity continued, "I daresay that your mannerisms are not what I imagined from somepony who lives in Whinnyapolis."  Her voice was light, but Morningstar could tell she was picking her words carefully.  Her eyes narrowed, but she kept her voice light.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Rarity," she said.

"On, come now, darling.  You don't behave like you were born in a city like Whinnyapolis," Rarity said as she levitated a spatula to herself; the glowing implement began to flip the pancakes one by one with precision.  "You are graceful, well-spoken, polite… and not that I'm saying Whinnyapolians aren't these things, mind you!  But you're… different."

Morningstar arched an eyebrow at the other unicorn's back.  "You're very perceptive, miss Rarity," she said, unable to keep a wry smile from her face.  And here I thought I was being a very convincing country pony.  "But if you don't believe I'm from Whinnyapolis…"  Unconsciously, Morningstar set her hooves apart just slightly; a battle stance, ready to react at any moment.  She hadn't thought Rarity keen enough to pick her out as an enemy, but by Luna's moon she would not be caught off guard by… her.

"Oh no, don't misunderstand me, darling!" Rarity corrected, turning to face her yet again; Morningstar shifted quickly back to a normal stance as her hostess laughed lightly, thankfully not seeing the aggressive set of her hooves a moment before.  "I believe you live in Whinnyapolis, but please, don't try to tell me that you were born there."  The purple-maned unicorn gave Morningstar a wink before turning back to the stove.

Morningstar sighed inaudibly before speaking.  "Very perceptive indeed, Rarity," she said.  "But since you seem to have an opinion on the matter, tell me, where do you think I was born?"

Without missing a beat, Rarity replied.  "Why, Canterlot, of course!  I've been there several times in my life, and even from those few visits I can see the social graces and perfect manners of Canterlot high society written all over you!"  She bounced slightly on her hooves and gave Morningstar an eager glance.  "Am I right?  I am, aren't I?!"

Morningstar watched her for a long moment before smiling and nodding… but with the admission came a flood of memories that the unicorn had not been prepared for.  Visions of her family, long-since passed; visions of her lessons with Princesses Celestia and Luna; bits and pieces of her life before Dark Star, all whirling before her eyes in a split second; after a moment she blinked, allowing the amulet to swallow her emotions before offering Rarity a winning smile.  "Indeed you are," she admitted.  "You certainly have a knack for reading ponies, Miss Rarity."

"Well, I study the fashions of the highest elites, darling!  And you don't just pick up sewing tips and color choices by doing that."  The pancakes flipped from the pan onto several plates sitting on the nearby counter.  "You see how they hold themselves, how they walk, how they stand still, for Celestia's sake!  Not to mention how they talk!  It seems that each place has its own unique qualities; Hoofington, Canterlot, Whinnyapolis, Fillydelphia, the ponies in those places all act, move and speak differently.  Once you know what to look for, well, it's not so hard to pick out!  And your mannerisms scream Canterlot to a trained eye."

After a few more moments of watching Rarity cook, Morningstar couldn't help but smile genuinely.  The vapid unicorn has surprised me, she thought.  Even on a mission like this, Morningstar could not help but be amused by being wrong.  "I was born in Canterlot," Morningstar admitted.  "I was raised there, as well.  I only recently moved out to Whinnyapolis to try and bring some culture to those who do not have it readily available."  Rarity made a very loud affirmative noise but continued her cooking, obviously very near completion of the meal; in a matter of minutes breakfast was served- grass pancakes with fresh blueberries, poached eggs with a side of celery and a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice.

Morningstar seated herself while Rarity levitated all of her creations from the counter to the small table where they would eat, settling everything down with delicate precision that must have come from her work as a designer; Morningstar rarely saw a unicorn with such a soft telekinetic touch.  She smiled as Rarity took her seat and gestured for her guest to dig in, which Morningstar did with delight.  She took her first bite and sighed as the soft fluffy pancakes simply melted in her mouth.  "Rarity… these are amazing!"  Rarity beamed at the praise, coloring slightly as she started eating her own food, but Morningstar hardly noticed; as much as she was here to subvert and twist Rarity to her own will, she had been raised, as Rarity had noticed, a polite, well-mannered socialite, and her compliments were rarely without a basis of truth… and her compliment about Rarity's cooking was entirely truth.  Just as sleeping in a less than desirable environment was a side-effect of working for Dark Star, so was the fact that more often than not they all had to eat Wild Star's cooking, and even though he wasn't terrible, there were only so many times that Morningstar could stomach wild leek and potato soup.  She couldn't even remember the last time she'd had pancakes, let alone compare them to these.

Breakfast flew by, and before she knew it Morningstar was seated before two empty plates and an empty glass of juice.  She sat back slightly and sighed, resisting the urge to pat her full stomach in a most unladylike fashion; instead she dabbed at her mouth daintily with a napkin.  "Rarity, that was quite possibly the most amazing meal I have ever had," she said.

"Oooh, you're just saying that," Rarity said as she levitated the empty dishes to the sink, but her tone of voice made it crystal clear that she was beyond pleased with the compliment… and in spite of Morningstar's state of full-stomach pleasure, her eyes narrowed sinisterly as that same tonality told her something that Rarity's words did not: I love your praise and want more of it.  She smiled in spite of herself.  And that's the way in.

"No, I mean it," she said, sitting up straight in the chair, her eyes firm.  "I don't think I've had pancakes that good… ever!"  Morningstar reached out and began to play with the liquid ring of condensation left over by the cold juice glass, tracing small circles on the tabletop with her hoof idly.  "I'll have to watch how much I let you cook for me otherwise I'll eat so much I won't be able to get around!"

Rarity turned around to reply, but before she could a roar from outside the building surprised both unicorns; it shook everything within the shop and rattled the windows as a blast of rainbow color painted the sky.  Morningstar blinked as the color invaded the world and, for a brief moment, everything in sight was a multihued version of itself; it disappeared just as quickly, and everything faded back to its original color.  "What… was that?" she asked quietly.  To her surprise, Rarity rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"That would be Rainbow Dash," she said with a sigh.  "Showing off again, I do not doubt."  She turned to her companion and smiled, though Morningstar could tell it was a bit forced.  "Rainbow Dash is the only Pegasus pony to ever perform a Sonic Rainboom, you know."  There was pride in her voice… but annoyance, too, as if she disliked taking the time in their conversation to explain about her friend.  Inside, Morningstar smiled.  Perfect.

"Well, that's certainly impressive!" she said, turning her deep blue eyes to the windows again; she put on her best look of wonderment and sighed deeply.  "What a talented flyer that Rainbow Dash must be!" she gushed.  "To be the only pony to ever have done something… how amazing that must be!"  Morningstar knew, of course, that Rainbow Dash was not the first pony ever to perform a Sonic Rainboom, just the most recent; the first in history had been a complete accident by a pony named Firefly, generations before Morningstar had been born.  However, Rarity didn't know that.  "I simply must meet her, Rarity," she continued, pouting slightly.  "I'm sure you can arrange that, can't you?"

Rarity stared at her, and Morningstar felt a tingle against her chest from the amulet of Jealousy before the other unicorn spoke again.  "W-well… I suppose I could… but you don't want to meet her, Morning Mist!" she said, trying in vain to steer her away from the idea.  "She's crude and… and so loud…"  Morningstar held Rarity's gaze for several long moments, her eyes sparkling like sapphires kissed by morning dew… and Rarity sighed unhappily.  "Of course I can arrange that, darling," she said, her voice flat and defeated.  "Anything for you…"  And despite the off-hoofedness of the statement, it rang in Morningstar's ears like a victory bell.  Against her chest, the amulet grew warm, and she smiled broadly.  Excellent.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Wild Star's wings flapped rapidly as he hovered between apple trees, his red eyes intent.  Applejack had told him exactly what to look for, but he was still having trouble telling the difference between… well, any of the apples.  They look the same to me, he thought for the millionth time that morning.  He felt his ire rising, but against his nature he kept it in check.  Now was not the time to lose his temper.  According to what Applejack had told him, they were out here checking to see just how far along the apples here were, to try and get an accurate gauge of when they would have to be harvested… but Wild Star wasn't a farmer, and the endless sea of fruit was beginning to make him see red.  With a harsh sigh he flew closer to the tree and carefully plucked a mostly-red apple by the stem and flew back to where Applejack had parked the cart.

The orange pony was standing near it, casting her lasso out to individual apples with such accuracy that Wild Star found himself impressed.  He watched as she whirled the length of rope overhead for a moment, her eyes searching the trees restlessly; suddenly with a flick of her head she sent the rope sailing up and out of sight in one of the trees.  With a grin she picked up the other end of the rope and gave it a small, sharp tug; Wild Star heard the delicate crack of a branch shifting, and out of the tree fell a red apple, encompassed by the lasso at the end of the rope.  Another expert tug from Applejack sent the apple whizzing towards her, only to impact her hip and bounce perfectly into the basket that sat next to her.  The farm pony let out a small chuckle and wiped the sweat from her brow with a hoof before leaning in and untying the rope with her teeth.

The gray Pegasus landed next to the basket and deposited his apple into it before giving Applejack a grin.  "That's some pretty fancy rope work there.  I'd always heard of ponies who could do that kind of thing, but I've never met one before."

Applejack waved a hoof.  "Pshaw, t'ain't nothing special.  It's all about practice, really!"  Without missing a beat she gave her head a sharp jerk and the rope sprang to life, lifting into the air and whirling around her in a perfect circle.  Just like before, the rope lashed out at a tree and several tugs later Applejack was knocking another apple into the basket.  "Well, that's about twenty trees down, only a hundred t' go!"

"Well… I guess that's not so bad," Wild Star said.  "After all, this lot only took us a little more than an hour to do these.  So…"  Mentally, Wild Star did the estimations, and after a moment he closed his eyes and sighed.  "This is literally going to take all morning, isn't it," he said.

"Why d'you think I wanted to set out early this mornin'?" Applejack said simply as she coiled her rope at her hooves.  "Ponies with a lot o' work to do need to get up early in the mornin'!"  But she gave Wild Star an easygoing smile.  "Aww, buck up, Red Wing!  It ain't as bad as all that.  Why, if we really put our hooves t' the grindstone, we'll-,"

She was cut off mid-sentence by a noise, a steady, growing rush of sound that Wild Star recognized instinctively and made him dip his head to the ground in preparation for what was to come.  Sure enough, the sound grew ever louder until with a roar like a violent windstorm two ponies flew overhead, so low and so close together that they looked like one large multicolored blur.  The wash from their wings was enough to shake every tree on the path, sending leaves and the occasional apple to the ground as the two pegasi roared off into the distance.

"Wow, those two were hauling tail!" Wild Star crowed as the two airborne ponies dwindled to dots in the distance, rising into the sky in a steep climb.  His black tail flicked back and forth in excitement, lashing his hindquarters in the process; like all pegasi, Wild Star possessed a desire to fly free in the open sky, and his past as a covert agent of the Princesses gave him a great respect and desire for flying fast and low, the land blazing by you so fast you couldn't see where you were or where you'd been, only where you were going.  He felt his wings unfurling of their own accord, willing him to rise into the sky and give chase to his brethren… but with a forceful breath, he pulled his wings back against his body and reluctantly reigned himself in.  Soon enough, I'll be able to fly free.  "I wonder what crawled under their saddles and got them so worked up," he said, turning back to Applejack; but it was clear that the farm pony hadn't heard a word of what he said.  Her normally friendly smile was gone, replaced by a deep frown as she stalked around her wagon, picking up the few fallen apples from the fly-by.

"Consarnit, Rainbow Dash!" she muttered angrily.  "I've told you a hun'erd times not ta fly low over my orchard..!"  She picked up an apple in her mouth and tossed it into the nearest basket much harder than she had the rest.  "An' NOW we have ta pick these up AND get the rest!!"  Applejack growled and stomped a hoof harshly to the ground, smashing a nearby apple into mush as she did so.  The destruction of the fruit seemed to snap her out of her trance; she blinked down at the apple bits on the ground in surprise, then her ears drooped and she sighed.  "Well, nothin' for it but to get pickin' 'em up," she muttered, wiping her hoof clean on the grass.

Wild Star felt a smile creeping onto his face as he watched Applejack sigh and begin to pick up more apples.  This might be easier than I thought.  Applejack had anger, all right… enough to make her the perfect target for Wild Star.  I have to hand it to the boss, he knows how to pick targets, Wild Star thought.  But Applejack also seemed to have more control over her temper than Wild Star would have liked.  His grin widened.  That, however, is something that can be remedied.  The amulet around his neck seemed to shudder in anticipation.

Suddenly, the most fortuitous thing that could possibly happen, happened; there was a huge burst of light in the sky above the orchard, a roar like thunder and a huge rainbow that seemed to explode from nothingness.  The shockwave sent out by the rainbow washed over the trees of the orchard, throwing their branches first away from the blast then back towards it, and even after the incredible noise of the initial sound, Wild Star could hear the apples falling from the trees for several seconds after silence had fallen again.

"What..!?  What was that?!"  He skittered sideways, his hooves anxious to leave the ground.  He'd never seen anything like that, airborne or otherwise, and his wings were itching to take to the air to find out just what had happened… but suddenly he felt the amulet against his chest grow warm, and he found his eyes drawn back to Applejack.  The earth pony's face had flushed, and she was visibly shaking as her eyes danced around the ground, taking in all the fallen apples.  He could feel her anger welling up, pulsing just below the surface like a raging river beneath a thin sheet of ice.

"Those empty-headed, flutter-brained… heads-in-the-clouds, inconsiderate flyin' pieces o'… Pegasi!!"  Applejack growled through gritted teeth, grinding her hoof firmly into the ground.  "They got no regard for us folks who hafta make a livin' off the land!  Always zoomin' around without a care in the world… makin' more work for other pony folk!!!"  She made a disgusted noise in her throat, clearly forgetting that her companion was one of those very same flyin' pieces o' Pegasi, but Wild Star didn't care at all; he could feel the anger surging in her, craving to be let loose.  His heart pumped faster as her anger fed into his amulet, giving him a thrill the likes of which he had not had in almost a thousand years.

Then, as suddenly as it had come, the feeling of warmth and power from the amulet started to fade; Wild Star looked back to Applejack just in time to see her take an extra deep breath and exhale loudly, bringing her anger under control… but he could still feel it there beneath her self-control, bubbling like a simmering stew.  Unconsciously a grin slid onto his features.  She just needs a push.

"Yeah," he said, his voice hot with an anger that he didn't feel… well, that he didn't feel past the normal anger he almost always felt.  "Some Pegasi don't have the decency to worry about what other ponies might have to go through because of their silliness, and clearly those two don't care one bit!"

Applejack looked at him, and their eyes locked; for a moment they held a look of surprise, either for his words or sentiment (or perhaps in her anger Applejack literally had forgetten that he was there), but they were only surprised for that moment.  After that, they held only anger, and the earth pony gave him a small, edgy smile.  "Yeah," she agreed, her voice as sharp as a knife.  "Those crazy Pegasi, especially Rainbow Dash, have been nothin' but a thorn in the pad o' my hoof for too long!"  She flicked her tail in annoyance.  "Rainbow… always too lazy t' do more than what she absolutely has to!  An' what's worse, she seems t' have no problem makin' more work for other ponies!  Just like this!!"  Applejack waved her hoof around her, indicating all the newly-fallen apples that they would have to pick up.  "She just made another hour's worth of work, at least, not ta mention the bits she's set me back; most o' these apples ain't ready t' sell yet!"

"Rainbow Dash, huh?" Wild Star asked, and temporarily he was distracted from his mission and his anger as thoughts of what he'd seen in the sky began to register in his brain.  So that must have been the pony who made the Sonic Rainboom…  It hadn't been done in a few hundred years when Wild Star was a colt, and that had been over a thousand years ago… but that was definitely what that noise had been.  He couldn't help but feel a little excited by the prospect of having a pony who could do that in this day and age, but luckily Applejack's rapidly rising ire kept him in on task.

"Yes, Rainbow Dash!  That feather-brained filly hasn't got a single responsible bone in her body, Red Wing, an' if she was here right now, I'm not sure I could be persuaded t' let her go without knockin' some sense into her multi-colored head!"  Applejack stomped the ground, and Wild Star felt his grin broaden.  "In fact, next time I see her, she'll be getting' a lil' talkin'-to from this farm pony!"

"I think that's a great idea, Applejack," he said emphatically.  "Maybe that'll get her to show a little respect for you, huh?"

"In fact," she said, her voice rising slightly, "I think I might head into town right now, find her, and teach her a lil' lesson in manners!"  Applejack's green eyes were bright with anger, now, and Wild Star could feel his amulet reacting.  His smile widened even more.  This was perfect!  With so little provocation, Applejack had exceeded his expectations, and was now suggesting that she take the next step herself!    He was about to open his mouth and agree wholeheartedly when suddenly the light in Applejack's eyes dimmed, and she seemed to shrink down slightly.  "No… wait, I cain't do that.  I promised Thistledown I'd come back to the farm 'round lunchtime and divvy up some chores for herself an' her filly t' do…"  She gave her head a shake, tossing her golden blonde mane around her face, and Wild Star felt the amulet go back to normal temperature.  His smile faded as Applejack slumped on her hooves.  "I… I'm sorry, Red Wing… I dunno what came over me…"

No!  Blast it!!  Now Wild Star felt his own anger surge.  You stupid mare!  You were so close!!  She was SO CLOSE to the sweet release of pure, unhindered anger, the rush that filled you completely when you gave in to your innermost rage.  He almost opened his mouth and shouted at her, screamed at her to embrace her anger and take it out on Rainbow Dash… but he didn't.  He watched Applejack for a long moment, then with great effort pushed his anger back down for the second time that day.  "Well, I can understand that," he said as calmly as he could, hoping that his voice didn't tremble too much from his suppressed rage.  "But," he said, his voice gaining confidence again, "don't be ashamed, Applejack."

Applejack raised her head and frowned at him in confusion.  "Come 'gain?"

"Don't be ashamed for being angry," he said.  "What Rainbow Dash and that other Pegasus did was wrong, and you were right to be mad at them."  He pointed at Applejack's chest.  "It's part of who you are, Applejack; that anger has kept ponies like you, farm ponies with no magic to protect them or wings to flee with, safe and alive for centuries.  That anger burns bright inside you, Applejack, and there's no reason to try and hide it!"

"Well… I s'pose so…"  But she didn't sound convinced.

"It's a part of who you are," Wild Star continued, taking a step towards Applejack.  "Don't be afraid of it, and don't let anypony tell you that it's not OK to feel angry."  He gave her a nod.  "All right?"

Applejack watched him closely for a few moments before she nodded as well.  "All right," she agreed.  "Well, I s'pose we should get these apples cleaned up as quick as we can; if we hurry, we should be able to get back t' the farm on time."  She turned away and trotted off towards a large cluster of fallen apples.  Wild Star watched her go, his savage smile returning.  She had reined her anger in before she'd allowed it to consume her… but it had been a near thing.  He'd felt the amulet reacting to her, and knew that it had been influencing her all the while.  And the fact that she had gotten that far after so little time near the blood-red gem meant only one thing to the gray Pegasus.  She can be pushed there again, there and beyond.

He could not resist a small, sinister chuckle as he turned away from the wagon to pick up his own apples.  And I think that a trip into town may be the perfect thing for that…

The rest of the morning passed without incident, and despite the excitement of earlier Wild Star found himself getting lost in the simple labor of the job.  Pick up the apples and check to make sure they weren't too damaged by the fall from the trees, then put them in the basket.  If they were too damaged, they got tossed and left for rabbits or other small critters (or eaten on the spot, as Applejack personally demonstrated on several occasions).  The sun rose higher in the sky, and faster than he would have thought possible Wild Star realized that there were no more apples to be picked up.  He blinked and turned back to Applejack, who was organizing the baskets so they would fit properly on the wagon.  "Is that really it?" he asked.  "Don't we have to still pull some off the trees?"  He felt almost… let down by the fact that they might be finished with their work.  The feeling surprised him.

Applejack shook her head.  "Nope, no more pickin' from the branches today.  I just needed a samplin' of the apples from this side o' the farm, and as luck'd have it, them pegasi knocked enough apples down to fill my baskets."  She gave a half-hearted chuckle.  "I guess I should thank 'em instead of yellin' at 'em…"  Wild Star arched an eyebrow at the orange mare curiously.  He knew everypony dealt with anger differently, but his job was going to be made that much more difficult if Applejack could forgive so easily, even in the presence of the element of Anger.  Her countenance, however, made him relax; she wasn't angry still, but her green eyes were uncertain and perhaps a bit guilty for feeling as strongly as she did before.  Guilt, I can work with, he reminded himself.  He knew that, despite the power he wielded and Dark Star's insistence that their missions be carried out as quickly as possible, it would take time to draw out the anger in Applejack's heart, and that simple anger wouldn't be enough.  True, deep anger and rage held many facets, much like the gem that adorned his neck; confusion, hurt, guilt, jealousy, they were all a part of it, and so long as one of them existed, anger could and would follow.  He tossed his last apple into the stack of baskets and nodded.

"Well, what now?"

"Back t' the farmhouse," Applejack said, sliding back into the harness at the front of the wagon.  "Honeysuckle an' Thistledown'll be there by now, I'm sure, an' they'll be wantin' to hear what they can help with."  At Wild Star's inquiring look, she explained.  "Thistledown an' Honeysuckle are two more o' you Whinnyapolis folk stayin' with me an' mine in the house.  They wanna help, so I told 'em I'd meet 'em after lunch."  She took a step forward and pulled against the wagon with all her strength to get it moving, then easier as the wheels turned and started after her.  Wild Star watched her pull the wagon and suddenly couldn't stand the fact that he wasn't helping; another strange emotion for him.  He blinked and shook his head slightly, as if to clear away spots in his vision, but the feeling remained, like an itch he couldn't quite scratch.  This has got to be because of our distance from the boss, he thought.  Dark Star had never been too far away from them, even during the dark times right after Nightmare Moon had been banished, and he had never once been bothered by the nagging notion of courtesy or the fulfillment of hard work.  He sighed harshly and galloped to catch up to Applejack's wagon; he leaped into the air, deftly snatching the earth pony's rope from its resting place in the wagon.  Landing just ahead of Applejack, he turned around and, while she still tugged the wagon along behind her, threaded the end of the rope through the hitch of the wagon, pulled it tight, and looped the end around his chest.  Applejack blinked at him, but he simply turned and kept his eyes straight ahead, allowing his slightly greater size to make up for his lack of earth pony muscle as he began to pull his share of the wagon.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Applejack shake her head and smile just a little, but she held her tongue as the two ponies hauled the load of apples back to the farm.

~*~*~*~*~*~

No sooner did the gray Pegasus and orange earth pony pull their wagon to a halt before Sweet Apple Acres' farm house than a small orange filly, just shades lighter than Applejack, darted out of the house, her bright pink and white mane bobbing merrily in the sunlight.  "Applejack!  Applejack!" she shouted as she approached, tailed closely by a small yellow filly around the same size with a red mane and large red bow.  "Apple Bloom showed me all around Ponyville!  AND we got to see the Cutie Mark Crusaders Clubhouse!!  It was so COOL!" the filly exclaimed.  "An' I got to meet Sweetie Belle!  She was sooo nice!"

Applejack grinned at the chatty filly and shrugged off her harness, letting it drop to the ground.  "Well, that sounds like a mighty fine mornin' if I do say so m'self!" she said, leaning down and giving the filly a friendly nuzzle.  The yellow filly bounced up.

"YEAH!  An' Sweetie Belle said that Scootaloo should be around soon, sis!  So when she comes, I'd like t' take Honeysuckle out t' the Clubhouse 'gain so we can have a right proper Cutie Mark Crusaders meetin'!  Is that OK, sis?"

Which means that this yellow filly is Apple Bloom, Applejack's sister, Wild Star thought.  Simple process of elimination or not, the two fillies were mastering about two thousand words a second from those tiny muzzles, making it hard for him to concentrate on what they were saying.

Applejack just laughed lightly and nodded.  "O'course it's all right, Apple Bloom."  She gave the orange filly an arched eyebrow.  "But I thought that you an' your momma might be wantin' to do a little gardening..?"  The orange filly whom Wild Star assumed must be Honeysuckle leaped into the air.

"Gardening!  My momma would love that!"  She bounced in place.  "Thank you so much, Applejack!"  At that moment the front door opened and another mare exited the house, this one deep amethyst with a dark green mane and eyes like emeralds.  She had a simple bandana tied around her forehead to keep her mane out of her face and looked so absolutely at ease with the farm environment that Wild Star had no doubts in his mind that this was a hard-working mare, very similar to Applejack.  "Momma!" Honeysuckle exclaimed; she became an orange blur as she raced to the mare who, from his conversation earlier with Applejack, Wild Star deduced must be Thistledown.  The mare laughed and leaned her head down, nuzzling her daughter lovingly.

"Hello, Honey.  I have to tell you sweetie, I was a little worried you wouldn't come back on time."  She gave her daughter a smile and a wink.  "So much new territory to explore, so many new ponies to meet… I didn't think you'd be coming back until suppertime."

Honeysuckle giggled.  "Oh Momma, you know I wouldn't miss gardening with you for anything."  She leaned against her mother and closed her eyes contentedly, an expression shared by her mother as they hugged one another.

Wild Star felt his chest compress as he watched the small orange filly; he suddenly found it hard to breathe as he watched her with her mother, the two of them sharing a moment together that they could not share with any other pony- the kind of moment that only a parent and child could share.  Inside his heart, buried deep beneath the anger and rage and hate, something stirred; something that he hadn't felt in so long that he couldn't put a word to it.  He couldn't even describe it- all he knew was that at that very moment as he watched Honeysuckle, he knew that if she ever asked him for anything, he could not say no to her.  The gray Pegasus took a deep, shaky breath as Honeysuckle turned her bright green eyes on him in curiosity, and suddenly the feeling in his heart welled up into his throat, and with a flash of panic, he realized what it was:

I always wanted to be a father.

With an inaudible snarl he shoved the feeling away, feeding it to the endless pit of anger that seethed in the pit of his stomach.  It was true; he had always planned on settling down after his career.  Find a nice mare, get married, have a filly or two… he'd never told anyone about it, not even Falling Star… not even the Wonderbolts when he'd been Captain.  But Celestia had taken that from him when she banished Luna to the moon, setting the next thousand years in motion for himself and the others, and now the regrets of the past millennium burned in his soul and kept him powerful.  He'd thought that part of his heart dead, long since given to his cause, and it disturbed him to find it still there.

"An' what's your name, mister?"

Wild Star jumped slightly, and realized that he'd been staring off into space.  He blinked and looked down into the clearest pair of green eyes he'd ever seen; it felt to him like little Honeysuckle was staring straight through him… and despite his anger, he felt that little piece of his heart stir as he smiled at her.  "My… my name is Red Wing," he said softly.  "I volunteered to help Applejack with her chores this morning so… so she could make it back here in time."

Honeysuckle's eyes lit up and her smile threatened to split her tiny face in two.  "Really?!  You helped her so she could get here on time?!"  She bounced in place again… and then she did the most horrible, most wonderful thing that Wild Star could ever remember.

She took the last few steps towards him and pony-hugged him, setting her tiny head against the side of his neck for just a moment before stepping back.  "Thank you so much, Mister Wing.  Momma an' I really wanna help!"  She beamed up at him for just a moment before she seemed to realize what she'd done; then she blushed so fiercely her coat turned red and she darted back to her mother, hiding behind Thistledown's flank and peering out from behind with one big green eye.

Wild Star stared after her, his mouth hanging open just slightly.  He hadn't been hugged in…  Blast it, Wild Star!!!  Get a hold of yourself!!!!  He shook his head slightly and, with more effort than it should have taken, allowed the general malaise of his anger to cover him again, drowning the warm, bubbly feeling in his heart and quelling the disquiet of his soul at what he was about to do.  What he had to do.  His expression came under his control again, and he smiled slightly at the filly before nodding to her.  "Any time, little one.  I know how much it means to help."

Thistledown giggled slightly and raised a hoof apologetically.  "I'm sorry for seeming amused, Mr. Red Wing, but Honey's not usually that familiar with ponies, least of all ponies she's just met… and least of those stallions.  She's not been around stallions much since…"  Her expression fell, and Wild Star could tell that there was a very sad story behind those emerald eyes.  Thistledown shook her head slightly and forced her smile back in place.  "Well, anyway, she seems to like you.  I hope that we'll get to see you around the farm..?"

"Oh, I'm sure you will.  I don't plan on taking off."

Thistledown nodded then turned to Applejack.  "Well, have you thought of anything for Honey and I to do?  We really do want to help."

"I sure as sugar have!  Y'all can start pickin' through the garden on the north side o' the house; the one with the lettuce and cabbage.  We've had some varmints get in there an' chew 'em up a bit; I'd like to get most of the heads out of that patch today an' see if we cain't find out where they're getting' in."  Applejack gestured towards the garden in question, and Thistledown nodded, her smile becoming genuine once again.

"Would you like us to till it up once we get them picked?"

Applejack looked slightly surprised at the offer, but nodded emphatically.  "Well sure!  If'n you're willing t' do it, that'd be a great help, Miss Thistledown.  We've got tools in the shed here, hoes an' shovels an' the like.  Help yerself, jus' make sure t' get 'em back where they belong."

Thistledown nodded again before turning to her filly.  "All right, Honeysuckle, you heard Applejack.  Let's get going!"  Honeysuckle nodded excitedly as the two started towards the shed, but just before they turned out of sight around the house the little filly cast a glance back towards Wild Star, her eyes sparkling with curiosity; then she was gone, leaving the gray Pegasus with Applejack again.

"Well, now that those two're on task, I guess I can head into Ponyville an' pick up some things."

Wild Star untied himself from the wagon and dropped the rope back into the bed.  "I'll come with you."

Applejack looked at him uncertainly.  "Well… I was plannin' on just doin' it by myself…"

"I won't take no for an answer," he said firmly.  "I'll come along and help you carry whatever you buy, OK?  I want to help, too."  He couldn't help but smile slightly as he felt the familiar confidence of his anger and the determination to finish his mission returning.  "Besides, maybe we'll get to see Rain-… some of your other friends."  At the half-mention of Rainbow Dash's name, Applejack's eyes flashed, and it was all Wild Star could do to keep himself from laughing.  This might not be as difficult as I thought.