A Crimson Star

Bloody Star got out of bed in the morning, feeling completely refreshed after almost four whole days of sleep. He made his way down the stairs and found Applejack waiting at the bottom. "Well, look who finally decided to get out of bed. How are ya feelin'?" "I'm feeling a might hungry and I could go for some hard work, if you got any." "I'm sure we could find something for you to do. Now come get some food." "Thank ya kindly, miss Applejack." They both sat at the kitchen table and ate some pancakes and eggs, with a cool glass of applecider to wash it down. All throught the meal, Bloody felt Applejack watching him, as if she were trying to figure out why he had been crying last night.

*

After Breakfast, Applejack introduced the rest of her family. The little yellow filly named Applebloom, the large Red Stallion named Big Macintosh, and the elderly Granny Smith. Having met everyone, Bloody immediatly got to work helping Big Macintosh and Applejack buck apples off the trees in their orchard. It was hard, honest work and Bloody savored every moment of it. The work kept him from thinking about his dream last night and helped get his muscles functioning properly. Though it was slow going, the work was rather enjoyable. He learned a fair deal about Applejack just by watching her movements. He had learned to do that while waging his war against Celestia and Luna. Her body language spoke volumes and he absobed ever detail. Suddenly, a hoof bopped him on the back of his head and Big Mac gave him a serious stare, one that said put your eyes back in your head and get back to work. Bloody blushed and mumbled an apology, returning to the task at hand.

*

They Worked all day, stopping only to eat lunch and occasionaly get some water. Soon it was getting dark and Big Mac went back to the house to help Granny Smith and Applebloom fix dinner, leaving Bloody and Applejack alone. The silence that fell between them was thick and laced with tension. Finally, Bloody couldn't stand it anymore and decided to talk. "Are there any good spots to watch the sunset around here?" He blurted out. Applejack smiled with relief and said "Sure there are. Come on, I'll take you to my favorite spot."

*

Bloody Star followed Applejack, who insisted he call her AJ, into the orchard. They walked and chatted about the weather and other such things, until they came to a rather large hill. Applejack continued all the way to the top, with Bloody following close behind. Once they were both on top of the hill, they both sat down and watched the sunset. Even though the sunset was beautiful, Bloody Star couldn't help looking at Applejack from time to time. He simply admired her and wanted to see her happy and smiling all the time. But he knew better than to think she would be happy with him, especially after he showed her what he needed to. He knew she would back away from him and run. But he had to do this, if only to get her to understand why he had been crying.

*

"AJ?" he hesistantly asked. "What's on your mind, Bloody?" She asked in return. Bloody Star went silent for a moment, trying to think of the best way to say what he needed to say. "I don't know anymore, to be honest. I used to think of nothing but the next day, then only about my anger and hate, now though....I just don't know what to think." "What's all this about Bloody? Why would you think about anger and hate?" "I can't tell you, it would be too hard to explain..." "Then why did ya bring it up?" Star looked at Applejack and gave her a sad smile. "I said I couldn't tell you. What I can do is Show you. If you are alright with seeing my memories, That is." "Ok....I don't really understand what all this is about, but I guess you can show me." "Alright then, know that what i'm about to show you is my past."

*

Leaning his head closer to Applejacks, Bloody Star concentrated on the magic that would allow her to see what he had seen in his dream last night. He saw the fear in her eyes as she learned about his bloody history, then the concern when he had been pinned down by Silver Blade in the forest. Soon her face became serene as she saw his happiest moment in the dream. After a short time, Applejack became sad as she witnessed what his sisters had done. She began to cry, just as he had when he released the magic and slumped to the ground, to tired to even stay upright. "Now you know everything about me and I do mean everything. I understand if you hate me for what I've done. I would too. If you want me to leave forever, I'll do it."

*

Applejack was silent for a few minutes. She had to think about what Bloody Star had just shown her. He was over two thousand years old, he had an extremely violent past, he had had a beautiful wife that had been pregnant with his foal and was killed by, and she couldn't believe this, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, then they had sent him into the abyss when he tried to avenge their deaths. She could hear the sadness in Bloody Stars voice and she realized that, even though he had tried to take over Equestria, all he really ever wanted was someone that loved him for who he was, not what his title was. He had gotten that long ago in the form of Silver Blade but then she was taken from him, along with the unnamed, unborn foal. He deserved justice in her eyes. She knew he wasn't lying to her and she believed him completely. Applejack stood and walked over to him. He looked up at her and then looked away as she lay on the ground next to him.

*

Bloody Star was surprised that Applejack was still with him at this point. He was sure she would have run off the moment he had ended his spell. He was even more surprised when she wrapped her foreleg around him and gave him a tender hug. He looked at her and saw the smile on her face. He couldn't help but smile back and lean into her as the sun disappeared below the horizon. He couldn't have asked for anything more from her at that moment. He turned to look at her again and found himself face to face with her. Their faces were only a few inches apart. He looked into her eyes and saw understanding and acceptance in them. Ever so slowly, the distance between their faces closed and they found themselves kissing in the Dark.