Holy Bastard

Applejack saw as Iron and Lightshine left the farm and walked towards town. She saw as he limped and struggled to keep his pace with the excited centaur, and she felt sorry for him. It was in no way a feeling of pity. She merely could not understand what he was going through, and that was what compelled her to feel bad.

The knowledge of being an outcast, of being the only one who was not appreciated in any way by an entire community. It was a reality that seemed so distant to her, so alien and unfamiliar as she and everypony had always been warmly welcome. And now, to see him struggle to merely find allies while being surrounded by foes, in a society she once thought would be forgiving and unjudging.

Had they not learned their lesson with Zecora? Had they not comprehended that the world had differences and that not all would be the same? Perhaps he had earned his curse, perhaps it was him and no other that should carry that cross on his shoulders, but nevertheless. To see the townsponies walking away or taking a turn where none was needed simply to avoid him, it hurt her even if it wasn't personal for her.

To imagine being the only one of his kind in a world he could not understand, in a world that was afraid of him. Perhaps his deeds were wrong, perhaps he acted in his own manner and the only way he saw fitting, or perhaps he deserved the terrified looks everypony gave him. But the issue still remained. His future, his past, and his present hurt would always be there.

Reminding him of what happened, of what he lost. Foreboding the lonely years he was to face in the company of none who understood his thoughts and mannerisms. Staring him in the eye, like the sun does to the lost wanderer in the desert, as he was told of his solitude, of his withering and decay with every passing sunset.

He had been the problem, but also the solution. He had been the hero, but also the villain. Such things were hard to understand but... They were not. Not if you could see him as he moved, as he treaded the paths of the village. He carried himself with strength he shouldn't have, with determination that should not be there, and yet there it was.

He was a villain to the world, a hero in his mind and in the minds of those who knew him. Nothing more, nothing less.

Applejack saw as he disappeared in the distance, the sun barely rising above the horizon. As sad as the strange story of the human in Equestria was, she had work to do. Farm work is hard work, and it doesn't get done by itself.

She looked down at her charge, the small gryphon looking around at the orchard with interested eyes. The gryphon knew not what apples tasted like, and he did not really find them appetizing, merely intriguing. Applejack smiled at him and patted his head with a hoof.

"Come now pardner! We've got heaps of work to do."

Aquilder tilted his head to the side, a small grin trying to force its way into life. He didn't know what the pony had said, but he found the way she said it amusing. He decided he liked the way the pony spoke, and opted to follow her.

Batting his wings to stretch them out, the little gryphon walked beside Applejack as she hooked the cart with the empty baskets to her back and carried it towards the first set of trees. The farm had sprung to life early, having had breakfast and already setting off to work. Applebloom having left for school despite it being two hours early for it to start.

"Well now, Ah know ya can't eat pony food Aquilder. But Ah once saw this gryphon eat a cake so Ah figure it can't hurt ya none, can it?"

Applejack smiled and produced a small slice of apple pie from the cart behind her.

Aquilder looked at it without knowing what it was. It smelt, different. It wasnít what he usually ate and smelt more sweet than the supplement he enjoyed each day. There was something enticing about it however, so he decided to take a small bite.

Applejack smiled as Aquilder devoured the entire thing, eating with disregard for any form of social norm his father may have attempted to teach him, if he even tried to anyway. But the farm pony never payed etiquette much mind, never having being something of importance for her.

"Guess ya liked it then! Ahíll have some for ya after work is done, ok?"

Aquilder finished cleaning his beak of any excess pie and immediately tried to hop onto the cart Applejack was carrying, searching for more.

"Come on now, these apples ainít gonna pick themselves up."

Aquilder followed Applejack as she went about her daily chores.

=+=

Fluttershy looked as Iron and his other two wards left her cottage and made their way to Sweet Apple Acres. With the sun barely poking its timid head over the hills and shedding light over the town as it was early in the morning, most of her animals were barely waking and most of her work had barely started.

The sight of him had been scary when they first met, it still was. Standing twice her height and much more aggressive than any other being she had ever met. He was the perfect embodiment for the word monster, for the concept of a beast. And yet, he wasnít.

No monster takes care of three children that are not his, no monster does what he had done to keep them safe. It was a confusing thing to meddle in, and Fluttershy didn't like to partake in the judging of others. She left the subject hanging, content to merely call him a friend. Different as he was, and not nearly as pleasant to be around as her other friends, he still was someone she felt reliable, even if only to a certain extent.

Fluttershy parted her gaze from the figures and turned to look at Ectorius. The small minotaur looking at his surrogate father as he left, nothing much showing in the way of facial expression, not a lot being revealed by his mouth or body. His eyes however, they shone a bit dimly. It was obvious he was fond of his father and siblings, with little in the way of concern to the fact that they were all so different. In his eyes the differences must have been null, leaving only the similarities.

Fluttershy placed a hoof on his shoulder and softly whispered for him to follow. Ectorius offered no resistance and complied as he had been told to do. The two went about the daily routine of feeding the animals and getting them ready for the day ahead.

=+=

And me? Well...

I was walking of course. Walking as I had been since the day of my arrival to this land of ponies, of harmony and whatnot. Beautiful lie it was, huh? The land of love and tolerance... Pffft! Tolerance my ass!

On my way to the market I only saw three, not five, not ten, but THREE motherfucking ponies out of the entire town! They were avoiding me I tell you! It was a conspiracy n shit... Either that or they were still pissed that I decided to break a few tables, crack a few bones, make one or two mares faint and leave several ponies arrested...

Nay, must have been the UFOs bro, freaky shit that...

So there I was, walking down the deserted cobblestone road with a bagful of coins in my pocket, an axe in my hand and a bunch of firewood. Yup, heavy. Not to mention my shoulder was being a bitch. Not to mention my leg was being the bitches' bitch, or that the cold was still hanging out. It would be snowing later in the day, the pegasi had scheduled a snowstorm.

Sighing and trying not to think about the upcoming weather, I approached the first stall of the market.

"Sup Mac, how's it hanging?"

"Eeyup."

"Cool."

Several minutes went by with me browsing through the several stalls and shops, buying what I needed, haggling when it got too expensive, showing the axe a bit when they were too stubborn... Hehe, twas fun enough to mingle with the locals.

And so, with most of the items scratched off my imaginary list, occupy ponytown, equal writing supplies for everyhuman, we are the .0000000000000000005%! I groaned and moved on to my personal favorite stall of them all.

"Good morning Mr. Star, great day to be out there, saving ponytown from the most wanted pegasus in ponycountry! Oh wait! That was-"

"Shut it. You know very damn well what you almost caused to both his gang and yourself, it ain't nothing to be proud of."

Chief Golden Star looked at me sourly from behind his counter. He was mad, always was. Jealous I'd say, barely a few weeks here and I did what he never could.

I smirked and placed a couple of coins on the counter.

"You mad?"

"Disappointed."

"Cuz the human did your job? Or because he did it faster than you?"

Golden Star placed the usual bag of carrots on the counter and looked at the floor. My smile couldn't get bigger, this asshole had been a condescending bitch during the interrogations, after my sentence and judgement, and for the past weeks. It felt good to put him down, even if just for a little.

"No. I'm disappointed because the princess did too little, I'm disappointed on the ponies that followed you, disappointed because the first human we ever met had to be you."

"Yeah? Well sorry to disappoint, but I'm as good as it gets-"

"Cut off that nonsense! You know damn well what you are, a damn irresponsible, immature child! Snowflake has a kid, a job and respect. Two of those things you've made him lose in less than a week! And that poor mare? The one from Fillydelphia? What manner of sick individual are you to toy around with feelings like that? She has no idea who you are, and yet you drag her into this mess of yours."

Smiley me was gone. Frowning and with my nails biting into my palms, I took the carrots as well as the money.

"Dipshit."

Fuck his police badge, fuck his pony logic, and fuck his shit. I decided to call it a day and head to Fluttershy's to hand her the stuff she asked for. From there I'd head home and set everything ready for dinner before heading over to the applepony's work offer for the rest of the day, after which I'd be picking up the kids and heading home to make em dinner.

But first, I had to buy a few lilies for Lightshine's breakfast.

I once said I was no saint, and while I don't consider myself to be evil, I know damn well when I'm doing something I shouldn't.

The walk to the stall was short and well know to me, I walked it a few times a week every week. Not always to buy flowers.

It sort of burned in the inside if you thought about it. Golden Star, that condescending prick had a small ounce of truth, not a lot and not as bad as he put it, but still...

I... I'm not sure how I felt about Flintlock... I had already established that I was no saint, and I was not planning on staying monk-like during my stay in this place. But that wasn't love, not even close! I'd stolen a kiss yeah, but that hardly meant anything...

The few final steps towards the stand were short lived and I soon found myself standing before the only flower selling stand in the market, or at least the only one I visited.

How she felt about me though, that was the question. I didn't know! Or maybe I did but just wasn't sure, either way she'd be gone for a year or so, and I'd be here by myself.

"Hello Iron!"

And like I said...

"What's up beautiful?"

Lily smiled a bit at the compliment, and I couldn't help but chuckle as she showed that smile. The mare was good looking.

... I was no saint.

Author's Note

Getting this out for you guys, you've waited long enough! Please enjoy and feel free to express anger, fury, discomfort, and/or stomach issues in the comments. Remember, comments and likes are what makes this story continue!