Alex reared up and bucked hard with all the strength he could muster from his hind hooves, his muscles aching against him to do so. The tree shook allowing the fruits of the tree to fall into various baskets placed around the tree. Once all the apples fell into place Alex stood back up and breathed heavily at his hard days work that he had performed. He wiped his sweat covered brow, flicking away his sweat. He felt a certain tension release from him as he bucked the various trees.

He was surprised at the amount of stress and tension he had released from just doing that. Alex picked up the baskets and brought them back to the barn and went back to the apple trees to continue his work. As he continued his work he thought about his home. He thought about his loved ones that he had betrayed. The ones he had neglected. The ones that he held too close. He thought back to his time he served as a servant of the Lich King. He thought back to the countless that had tried to find their way to him to take what belonged to him. Heroes came and they fell under the mighty Ashbringer. So many souls were trapped within that blade, his blessing and his curse. They sought something that they could never have, he was attached to it and it to him. It was a powerful weapon only capable of those with his potential to wield it.

He stopped as he remembered the very first words said to him when raised as a death knight,

Who do you love?

His voice was distant as he repeated what he had said that day, "No one..."

Who loves you?

"No one." Alex answered to himself. Perhaps that was why he kept Rarity away, to not get her involved with his dark past. So that if he did become something else, he would not harm her. He could not reduce himself to even think of harming Rarity. She was such a kind and benevolent mare, a good friend and that was where it belonged.

He thought back to his wife as he bucked another tree. Elena. What would she have done? What would she have done to help Alex? What could he have done to save her? Was it the life of his wife or his youngest son? What could he have done differently? Alex stopped and stared at the grass that ruffled under his hooves. He remembered some of the calming words she would say when he needed to boost himself up,

Do you know why I like the sunset so much? It reminds me that even the brightest of stars can go out, bringing us some of the darkest hours. But it also tells me of the promise of better times to come. Bringing a new dawn and good times to have.

Alex took in a deep breath. He muttered to himself, "A bright dawn to bring a bright day. A dark dawn to bring a cloudy day. There is no grey."

"You say somthin' Alex?" Alex pulled himself back into reality and turned to Applejack who had just finished bucking a tree.

Keeping his gaze on the farmpony he answered, "Yeah...I'm fine."

She looked over at him and she said knitting an eyebrow, "Yall do know that I know when somepony is lyin' to me. Com' on sugar cube, what's on your mind?"

Alex replied knowing that he would have told her sometime, "I...I was just thinking about my family. That's all."

Applejack glanced back over at Alex, almost checking to see if he was still lying. Applejack said in an accepting tone, "Yall miss um'?"

Alex choked back a lump in his throat and responded in a dark tone as he finished loading the baskets, "Regret is more like it. I had showed favoritism towards my youngest son, neglecting my eldest one. Needless to say how he responded was...unfriendly."

He stopped and drew a hoof over his scar subconsciously. Applejack stopped and asked nodding her head towards the scar over his chest, "Yer son did that to ya?"

Alex could hear the sympathy in her voice and he accepted her sympathy. Alex looked over at Applejack and responded keeping his hoof on the scar, "I wish I could have done something different...I wish..."

His voice trailed off as his train of thought was lost. Alex refocused after he noticed that he had slipped away from reality. He said, "Why don't you trust me?"

Applejack rubbed the back of her head and said, "Ah don't-"

"You might know when somepony is dishonest," Alex responded, "I know when somepony is untrusting of something."

She sighed and leaned against the post that Alex was leaning against. She responded, "Ah'm not saying ah don't trust ya. It's just...I was hesitant to know ya. Ya seemed outta place."

"I still am." Alex answered the statement and through a twig at the ground, in hopes it would raise his spirits. When in reality they were not raised at all. Sustained on his pillar of loneliness. He had a friend but he still felt alone, a feeling that he could not shake. Alex shrugged and said, "I don't know what to do...I feel obligated to accept Rarity's friendship and perhaps even yours but...I...I don't deserve this."

Alex looked to Applejack for some sympathy at the quick turn of the subject. Her accent lost for a few seconds as she explained in a heartfelt tone, "Listen sugarcube. There aint nothing on this planet and nopony that doesn't deserve a second chance. You can never be beyond the path of redemption. You deserve a second chance after what you have been through. And you have the scars to prove it. As far as accepting rarity as your friend...the time will come when the time comes."

Alex looked inside of himself. He did not think of it like that, it got him to question whether or not he was truly broken away from the Light. Maybe it was just dormant and it needed awakening. He did not know. But what he did know was to remember the words this mare has told him. He looked over at the sweat drenched farmpony and his lips curled into a smile and said, "Thank you Applejack."

Applejack returned the smile and said, alleviating any past mistrust, "Don' worry 'bout it sugarcube. Anytime."

Applejack looked a the position of the sun and Alex noticed that it drew very quickly into late evening, the sun at its crest of setting. Applejack turned back over to Alex and said, "Yall better make yer way back to Carousel Boutique. Remember that yer always welcome her' to lend a hoof. Yer a good apple bucker."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks again." Alex replied as he waved a hoof away and turned towards Ponyville, trotting on with lighter steps.

The sun was kept dim and relatively high in the sky, beaming down on the white coated unicorn known as Rarity. She loved the sights and smells of Ponyville. Various pastries and foods sitting on window sills waiting to be cooled off to be consumed. The sight of ponies around the square under the cover of umbrellas over tables outside cafes and or restaurants. She had been to each and every one, greatly increasing her already large palette of flavors. That day she fancied something Neightalian. A Panini sandwich with some of the best ciabatta bread she had ever tasted. Absolutely delightful to the senses. She was lucky she had saved some of it for later.

She passed by a few ponies she knew and had some conversations with them. She learned of Lyra and Bon Bon going steady, she learned of a new animal Fluttershy had taken in, and she learned of some of the newest fashion crazes. She tried with all of her might to keep up with it but she always fell behind somehow.

She carried a bag with the various items she had to buy. Some needles, her sandwich, thread, new fabric, sequins, plaster to fix a hole she had in the wall, food items she needed survive for the next few weeks. Standard run in the mill things. Plus a scarf or two for good measure. She had the money for such luxuries and decided to treat herself. She was not paying attention when she had bumped into somepony. She stumbled back and nearly dropped her things and said, "Sorry darling I was not-oh, hello Twilight."

Twilight dusted herself off and replied warmly, "Hello Rarity. I was actually coming to find you. You and Alec left before I could lend him a few books."

Rarity said, "Oh I am terribly sorry my dear, we simply had to make it home. I had to put Sweetie Belle to sleep at an appropriate time. I am sorry for leaving so early after he...opened up."

Twilight dabbed at the ground with her hoof and looked away with a slight blush on her cheeks, she said, "I-I didn't mean for anypony to feel uncomfortable."

Rarity smiled at her rosy friend and said, "It is quite alright darling, if anything you helped the situation. He has become more open after the fact. He is much more friendly. You truly are a great friend."

They shared equal smiles, until Rarity's faded and replaced with a curious look and she asked, "Although, I beg to ask, have you told Princess Celestia about any of this?"

Twilight returned to her normal way to look and talk and she said, "No. I have not had the time to write a report to Celestia yet. I thought about writing one but I spent most of my time finding these books for Alex to read. I don't want him to skip out on any details."

Rarity moved her eyes to the large stack of books and saw that there had to be around maybe thirty to fifty books. Rarity raised an eyebrow at Twilight and said, "Darling I think that he can know with a hoof full of books. I mean no offense, but he is one who is not fond of reading."

Twilight's gaze looked down cast. Twilight said as her mood became less cheery, "But everypony likes a good book..."

Rarity offered a friendly hoof and said, "It's okay darling, he is just not a very avid reader is all. I'm sure he would be fine with these books however."

Rarity had not seen Twilight get so sad to hear something like that. Rarity knew that she loved books but she looked as though somepony murdered her family in front of her and she was suffering from PTSD. Rarity swished her tail back and forth in her short state of think and Twilight said, "Well if you need anything, you know where to find me. Tell Alex I said hello."

Rarity was about to walk after her friend when a voice called out to her, a familiar but very new voice, "Hey! Rarity!"

Rarity looked back and saw Alex trotting towards her. He stopped in front of her and said slightly out of breath, "I just finished apple bucking with Applejack. How was your day?"

She responded, "Oh my day has been fine. I picked up some groceries and dropped off Opal for her monthly cleaning. And Twilight just came by and gave me the books that you wanted to read."

The white unicorn turned to her new friend and looked closer and then repulsed back and cried, "Alex darling you are drenched in sweat!"

Alex lifted a hoof to his chin and then to his neck and said, "Yeah. That is usually what happens when you do a full day's work."

Rarity stared daggers at him and responded, "Very funny Alex, I'm sure everypony would be laughing if they heard that. We simply must get you to a shower. You smell absolutely dreadful!"

Rarity pushed with her forehooves against Alex and they moved on to Carousel Boutique. She gagged as her hooves touched his sweaty muscles. But she felt something else as well. She felt a rising heat in a place she was not expecting. Seeing his toned muscles glisten in the evening light...just made Rarity...tingle. Rarity liked nothing more than to see a stallion well built. Rarity quickly shook her head as she pushed a brick wall of muscle. Rarity thought to herself, 'Get your mind out of the gutter! A lady should not think of such things!' She did however steal a few looks at Alex. Not that she would admit that in public though.

"Okay what am I supposed to do now?" Alex asked. Rarity looked dumbfounded at Alex. She had never met somepony who did not know what a shower was or how to operate one.

Her bathroom was well decorated and very clean. Pale lavender walls and flower wall paper, with white tile flooring and a rug with the same color pattern as the walls. The rest of the bathroom furnishings were bleach white. She did not want to make ponies think that her bathroom was too girly or fancy. She sighed both at that thought and then at her oblivious friend. Rarity pressed a hoof to her forehead and said, "Have you really never operated a shower before?"

Alex looked at her and shrugged his shoulders and replied, "We did not really have these...showers...we had bathhouses."

Rarity released a sigh and responded standing on her hind hooves, "Stand up."

Alex gave her a funny look and she repeated raising her forehooves, "Stand on your hind hooves. Come on darling."

Alex stood up and held his hooves out for balance but quickly he stood up straight and said, "Wow. Why don't we do this all the time?"

Rarity smiled and replied, "While yes it is easy for us to do, it is more socially acceptable to be on all fours. You don't stand on your hind hooves usually unless you are among friends. Now, step into the shower."

Alex pulled back the curtain and revealed a spacious bathroom, a little snug for two ponies but looked comfortable enough. Rarity could just imagine all of her friends laughing at her right now. She was about to share a shower with a stallion. She knew for a fact Rainbow Dash would get a kick out of this. Rarity followed Alex in and she noticed that he was beginning to have a horrid stench on him. Rarity remembered something and said, "You just reminded me to do something."

Rarity laid her hooves on Alex's shoulder that was wrapped in bandages that looked aged and stained. Rarity unwrapped it and revealed a broken splinter depressed and stabbed in Alex's shoulder. Rarity activated her magic and said, "Now do not scream darling."

In a quick motion Rarity pulled it out. She waited for a blood curdling scream, a horrid scream of unimaginable pain. Rarity uncringed and had a surprised look on her face. Alex kept his gaze low and he said answering her look, "This pain was nothing compared with what I have been through..."

Rarity was still surprised by this stallion in front of her. He was edgy but he had a good heart and she knew it. Rarity decided not to bring up anything else, she knew what would happen. Rarity turned her back on Alex and looked at the bath faucet and the handle to activate the water. She leaned over and pulled the handle, while moving it to hot water. A fall of water came out of the faucet. It spread quickly on the floor of the tub. Rarity turned to Alex and said, "Now just so we can avoid another situation like this, you pull this handle and move the small arrow to the red stripe to activate the water."

Alex nodded. Rarity could already feel the water lightly brush against the bottoms of her hooves. It sent a warm wave over her, she longed for a relaxing bath. Soak in for a few hours, lighting candles, bath beads, and orthopedic soap. Her muscles soothed just by the thought. Rarity then said once more leaning to the small pull on top of the faucet, "Now to turn on the shower just pull this up."

Rarity pulled it up and braced herself for the thin jet stream of water to strike against her. She felt the soothing jet of water wash over her, her mane slowly watered down and revealed its true length almost putting Fluttershy's mane to shame. Rarity said, "And that's all there is to it."

Rarity might as well take a shower while she was here. Oh the shame that she would get if her friends ever found out about this. The names they would call her. The worst coming from Rainbow Dash. She motioned for them to trade spots and he stood under the jet stream of water. He relaxed under the jets and he said, "This feels really good."

Rarity smiled and picked up her body wash and squirted a dollop of it in her hoof. She said to Alex, "Turn around."

He did as she asked and Rarity stopped as she saw Alex's back. Every muscle was chiseled and toned to perfection. Not too big and not too small, cut right from stone. Rarity froze as she would really hear it from her friends. She brought her hoof hesitantly to Alex's back and once her hoof pressed against it she had a shiver move up her spine. Rarity thought about things she never thought she would think about. She began to glide her hooves over Alex's back. She needed something to distract her. Something to keep her mind off of the fantasy of taking Alex in her hooves and just making out with him. Rarity looked over the surface of Alex's back and her hooves stopped as they found the large white scar on his back. Right in the same position of the one on his chest. Her eyes did not move from the scar.

To avoid being rude or Alex sensing why she stopped, Rarity continued rubbing down Alex's back. It did not help Rarity, with the soothing sounds coming from Rarity. A deep blush came across her cheeks. She thanked Celestia that he was not looking at her. She turned him and continued lathering his coat with her sweet smelling body wash. After she was done he turned back around and rinsed. She had become so distracted she did not notice that Alex stopped making his pleasured sounds. Rarity stopped and Alex turned, with all of her strength she forced her blush away. Once Alex faced her he had strife over his face. It was clear that he had something to say. Alex said looking into Rarity's light blue eyes, "Thank you Rarity. For everything. In the short few days that I have known you, you have proven time and time again that you are somepony that I can trust."

Rarity smiled sheepishly and said, "Aw thanks darling."

Her light hearted response did not ease the mood on Alex's eyes. As clear as day, he showed the struggle as he said, "I...I did things where I came from...horrible things..."

He choked back a lump in his throat, Rarity gulped down her own as she felt how hard it must be for him to say everything. He continued, "I...I...I killed ponies...innocent ponies...even my eldest son..."

Rarity knew how tough the stallion before her could be. He had taken on an entire pack of timber wolves and won. He even saved her from a falling piano. But nothing crippled Rarity more than seeing him form tears in his eyes. Rarity felt like crying her own, but found strength not to. Alex continued in a misty tone, "I...I was not a pony anymore...I was a monster...I...my son killed me...then I was raised back from the dead to be a servant of darkness...I know I must sound crazy by saying this...but...it's the truth...If only I knew...If only I could save them both..."

Rarity could not take it anymore. She grabbed Alex and pulled him in for a friendly hug. She wrapped her hooves tight around his waist and she said into his muscular shoulder, her voice soft and soothing, "That is not the pony that is standing before me now. If that was the case then you would not have saved me in the first place. You are the kindest and most righteous pony I have ever met. I am proud to call you my friend."

Alex offered no answer other than repeating the gesture. Rarity rubbed her hoof up and down in Alex's finely toned back. Rarity adjusted her head and sank further into his muscles. She felt warm and accepting, but she also felt aroused. Rarity gently released herself from the hug. Rarity looked up in Alex's eyes and she leaned up, softly pressing her lips against Alex's. Rarity did not know what she was doing until after she had done it. Her eyes shot open and were as wide as plates and they threw each other out of their hooves. Alex shouted, "Why did you do that!"

Rarity shrugged her shoulders. She tried to say something but was utterly lost in her words. She had just taken advantage of her friend in his hour of a friend in need. She kissed Alex while he was in a vulnerable state. Rarity sputtered, "You...I...we...you...I have to go!"

She stumbled as she found her way out of the bathroom. She grabbed a towel and briskly shut the door behind her and noticed she was sobbing wet. Rarity looked left and saw nothing, then she looked right and saw Sweetie Belle and she asked, "Where's Alex?"

Rarity quickly answered her groggy sister, "He's taking a shower!...we...I...get back to bed!"

Author's Note

Another tease! Yes! Oh it is like reading Rebirth of the Damned. The subtle hints but not yet there. Love you guys. I was originally going to wait for a moment like this, but I felt it was appropriate.