//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: The Sting // Story: Morning Star // by Radiant Dawn //------------------------------// Chapter 7: The Sting Before I could realize what was happening, I was suddenly very aware that I was awake, after feeling like I fell asleep only moments ago. It was not an uncommon situation for me, and let me just say that I specifically hate that feeling. That is besides the fact that when I awoke, it was clear that not only was it still daytime, but that there was another in the room besides me...someone powerful. I knew this because I could feel waves of energy radiating off of this unknown person so much that my skin tingled. Contrary to what my instincts were telling me, I knew that if there were truly ill will within whoever it was that was watching me, I would have been dead by now, as I was completely helpless while asleep. With that being the case, I gently opened my eyes as I got to my hooves and shook my untidy mane out... And I beheld one of the most amazing creatures I’d ever seen. She was an alicorn, like Lunacae, though taller and a stark white with a multicolored mane. Even with the amount of raw magical power radiating off of her, it was clear that in her heart at the moment was only benevolence, so I lowered my guard completely and smiled. “You must be Princess Celestia.” I voiced gently. I lowered my head in a soft bow and said, “It is an honor, your majesty.” I heard as a giggle was stifled, and the tall mare shuffled around closer to me. “Arise, young one.” I did as she asked and found myself staring back at two bright magenta eyes. “I know who and what you are Vega Morningstar, and I must say that it is a pleasure to meet one of my sister’s children.” I let a smile grace my face as I responded, “And it is a pleasure to meet the beloved sister of All-Mother Lunacae.” At my response, the white alicorn’s eyes widened in surprise. “Sister allows you to call her by her natural name?” I nodded. “She does. Though she recommended I call her Luna when in public with your subjects, as it would raise too many questions that are not to be answered at the current time.” “I agree.” the princess responded with a grin. “Nonetheless it is quite an honor for sister to give you the knowledge of her ancient name. You must be very special to her.” I shrugged as I stretched. “Lunacae spoke of me being unique to the others of my kind in some way, though I am unsure how exactly. Regardless, the fact that she took a personal interest in me speaks volumes.” “You are one of the last of your kind directly created by Luna, Vega.” Lunacae’s sister responded kindly. “More than that, Luna has told me of the difference within you...about your uniqueness. This may be part of the reason she has taken interest, but I would bet there is more to it than that. While I am often known as wise and all-knowing by my subjects, the truth is that Luna has the ability to see much deeper beyond the surface, seeing previously hidden attributes in both people and situations.” She then sighed as her eyes gained a far-away expression and a wistful grin. “It is something about her that I envy, though I would never tell her. She would never let me live it down.” I chuckled at the implication of the sisterly bond the two alicorns must share. “Anyhow,” the tall white pony started, “I am sure you are wondering why I came to see you today.” I nodded. “While it’s flattering to have a princess watching over me as I sleep, it does cause me to question why, exactly.” The regal alicorn nodded with a warm smile. “And it is a perfectly logical question to ask. Well, it is quite simple, really...I wished to know if Luna’s search yielded promising results.” “Search? Search for what?” I asked in confusion. The tall white pony’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh my...she hasn’t told you.” I growled, starting to get aggravated. “Told me about what?” The princess suddenly stood up with a sheepish smile. “Oh my, well would you look at the time? I have to...umm...change the...royal carpets! Yes, they can get so filthy with so many ponies walking on them. Well, um, it was wonderful to meet you Vega, but I must be going now. Farewell!” Before I could muster a reply, the princess disappeared in a bright flash of white light...leaving me blinded, frustrated, and very confused. What had she been speaking of? More so, why had All-Mother Lunacae not told me the truth? What was the truth? I did not know, but with the stars as my witnesses, I was going to find out. “Vega?” called a voice from the hallway leading to my room. A moment later a violet unicorn stepped in and asked, “Vega...you seem angry. Are you okay?” “You can send letters to the princesses, yes?” I asked softly. The unicorn nodded, so I continued with, “I need you to send a letter to Princess Luna please...I need to see her as soon as possible.” The young librarian eyed me curiously before asking, “Are you sure you’re alright? You seem really angry.” I sighed and lowered my gaze to the mess of sheets and comforter that was my bed. “Just please contact the night princess for me. It is very important.” Sensing the urgency in my voice, she nodded. “Okay Vega, I’ll write her a letter right away. Is there anything specific you want me to tell her?” “Only that I need to speak with her.” I responded with simplicity. The studious mare nodded and retreated to the lobby of the library, again leaving me with the many thoughts flying through my head. It was as if the bog locusts of Primus were buzzing around my head, intent on making me unable to make sense of anything, but one thought rang out clear as the day itself. Lunacae had been hiding something from me, and I had a right to know what. After a short but urgent letter sent to the moon goddess herself, Twilight advised me that Lunacae would be meeting with me at sunset at the library, which was perfect for me because it gave me time to get my thoughts in order. As much as I tried not to, my mind went down dark paths of betrayal by who I considered to be my mother, and the most important person in my life. Lunacae had originally made it sound as if my coming to Equestria was for the best for me...but had that been a lie? Was I really just a pawn in some greater game? Creator or not, I believed that no being had the right to use me or any others the way I began to believe I was being used. The cold ice of betrayal once again ran through my veins, and I had to fight back the other within me to keep from rampaging and destroying the entire town. Though maybe that would show her... No...I refuse to think like that. Revenge is not the answer, as it only leads to more suffering and in my case, death. It had become a sad and often debilitating reality to me over the years, but one I was still no closer to feeling at peace with. It was times like this that I wish I didn’t care. In some dark corner of my soul, I wished to simply lose myself in the rage and despair that came with this strong feeling of betrayal, and just destroy until there was naught but ashes around me. But no...that would not be fair. I owed the All-Mother the chance to explain herself before I condemned her. After all, it was she that gave me and my people life, and until now, she had not given me reason to distrust her...so I would see how this would pan out and react accordingly. Thanks to my many years of both self-training and...accidents...I’d learned to think more rationally and thus put the raging beast inside me within its cage during moments like this. So with that decided, I opted to take a walk to clear my mind. It would be nearly twelve hours before the evening was upon us, so I had quite a bit of time to kill. With that being the case, I decided to go see some of my other friends. I knew that at this time of day, Fluttershy would be busy with work and Applejack would be working her stand in the market, which only left Rarity, Rainbow Dash, or Pinkie Pie. In honesty Pinkie Pie was interesting, but in my current mood I didn’t want to risk snapping at her and hurting the poor mare’s feelings...and it was likely that Rarity as well would be too absorbed in her work to adequately hold a conversation. Rainbow Dash it is, then. Since first meeting the speedy pegasus, I had practiced greatly with flight in both the forms of a pegasus and a Nighthawk, so much so that I now actually felt more comfortable flying than walking. With that being the case, I opted to flit above the ground slightly much like... Fluttershy. There it was again, that feeling that came about whenever I thought about her. A strange feeling of elation coupled with...nervousness? Why was I nervous? I don’t get nervous, least of all when thinking about a friend. After all, Fluttershy would never do anything to hurt me. She was the most gentle, kind, soft-spoken... ‘And beautiful...’’ I growled at the thought that had seemingly been injected into my mind. Since when did I find beauty in the mere form of another? It didn’t make sense to me, and in honesty, it was aggravating. These new actions my mind seemed to take whenever the humble pegasus entered my mind were beginning to severely anger me...so much so that at times it interfered with my daily life if I wasn’t careful. Hunting, for example, was now a dangerous prospect. If I lost my focus during my tracking, I could very well become the target for another predator, as unlikely as that was. As paranoid as the thought made me, my rational mind made sure to advise me that death by another predator was all but impossible. That did not quell the storm within my mind, however. The young cream-colored pegasus had been on my mind a lot lately...more so than should be warranted for a mere friend. I thought about her, I talked about her, and more recently, I dreamt about her. It was maddening because of the fact that I had no idea why my mind seemed so interested in the mare. Not that there was anything wrong with her of course, but the question still arose... Why her? It was one of the things I honestly didn’t have an answer for, simply because of the fact that I was entirely unsure what exactly fascinated my mind so much about her. It was one of many questions I needed answers to...but somehow I no longer felt I could trust Lunacae with this particular conundrum...yet. Though my mind had been elsewhere the entire time, my wings had apparently taken me to my destination of their own volition, and when I next looked up, I was flying towards a familiar cloud abode. The tall and majestic tower that was accented with rainbows somehow just screamed Rainbow Dash, and not because of the obviousness of the rainbows themselves. No...it was the “attitude” of the entire place ‒ strong, bold, and also serene. The rainbow-maned pony put up a tough front and prided herself on being such a “tomcolt” as she referred to herself, but her eyes told quite another story. In her eyes I saw gentleness that rivaled Fluttershy, but also a resistance to show it. I would also see a great care offered to her friends, as well as a much deeper emotional pony than she showed the world. And that was just what I could decipher from one analysis. The truth was that like her friends, Rainbow Dash was infinitely complex and held much more potential than what she currently was. Perhaps she already knew of her potential or perhaps she did not...but what I did know was that who she could be would cause her to be the very best of herself in so many ways. As I knocked on the door of the cyan mare, I couldn’t help but once more take in the beauty of her home, but a second later the door opened to show a smiling pegasus...but something was off. In her eyes, I saw sadness. “Rainbow Dash,” I asked curiously, eyeing her with uncertainty, “what troubles you?” The mare grinned wider and shook her head. “Nothing’s wrong, Vega. What’s up?” I looked around to be sure we were alone before responding, “You should know by now that you can’t hide anything from me, Rainbow Dash. If you do not wish to talk about it I understand...but I’m here for you if you do.” The cyan mare poked her head out the door beside me and looked around before beckoning me inside and shutting the door behind her. She then sighed and sat down on the floor that was made of clouds. “I guess I’d have to tell somepony about it sooner or later, and I don’t like lying to you, Vega.” I took a seat relatively close to the mare, keeping a slight distance, as I was unsure of how she would react. “What troubles you?” The cyan mare kept a brave face and didn’t let fall a single tear, but she didn’t have to. As always, her eyes told more than tears ever could as she responded, “My parents are coming to visit me.” I raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why is that a bad thing?” The pegasus squirmed a bit and raised her eyes to look at me. “My dad and I don’t really get along.” “For the way you’re feeling, I’m sure that ‘not getting along’ is an understatement.” I observed. She nodded. “I don’t think he wanted me.” Family had always played an important role in my life, as even though my “parents” were simply adoptive caretakers, the family group was still something we placed great importance on. Because of that, I knew just how alone and worthless being unwanted could make one feel...whether it was true or not. Perhaps Rainbow Dash was wrong...or not. Either way, how she felt was giving her a large amount of anxiety as well as sadness, and so I took it upon myself to help my friend in need. “Rainbow Dash.” I whispered gently, causing the athlete to look at me. When she did I said, “I can’t pretend to know how you’re feeling. After all, I was never really close to anyone in my homeland, save for my mentor, Cygnus.” I then smiled. “But I do know that you don’t have to go through this alone. You have friends that care about you and will help you through anything that’s bothering you...if you’ll let them.” “I know,” she said with a defeated sigh, “I just want to handle this on my own is all.” “And how exactly are you planning to do that?” I asked curiously. Again the mare sighed as she responded, “I have no idea.” I gently patted her back in what I hoped was a reassuring manner as I replied, “I also think it’s important to do things on our own. It gives us confidence in our abilities and lets us know that we are fully capable of being independent...but we also need to remember that sometimes, it’s better to take help when it’s offered.” I then smiled. “I can’t force you to do anything Rainbow Dash, but I hope you realize that your friends all care about you and are more than willing to help...you don’t have to go through this alone.” “I guess you’re right.” the pegasus mused, seemingly to herself. “But this is my family, and I want to see if I can handle things on my own first.” I moved to stand directly in front of the troubled mare and corrected, “Your friends are your family too, Rainbow Dash...and I know that if you can find it within yourself to swallow your pride and ask for support, they’d be more than willing to give it.” After a few seconds in thought, the mare smiled as she looked up at me. “You’re right, Vega...and thanks. You can bet that if I start feeling like it’s too much, I’m going to come and find you all.” I patted her side reassuringly and nodded. “That appears to be a sound plan.” Seemingly revitalized, Rainbow Dash hopped up with a smile. “Thanks for the talk, Vega...I really needed it. Anyway, you want to go for a fly? I need to stretch my wings and clear my mind.” I chuckled and nodded. “Flight with a friend sounds nice, Rainbow Dash.” I then smirked as I unfurled my powerful wings. “I’ve been practicing though, so I hope you’re in the mood for a race.” “A race?” she asked quizzically with a grin. “You do know who you’re talking to, right? I’m only-” “The fastest flier in Equestria...supposedly.” I interrupted with a smug grin of my own. This earned me a glare from the rainbow-maned pegasus as she retorted, “You’re on, Vega.” I threw the door open and blasted into the sky, with a cyan blur following very closely. ”That’s no fair, you cheated!” yelled the cyan mare beside me as she panted wildly. I rolled my eyes and shot back, “Hey, I didn’t make you fly through that cloud. That was completely your fault.” “Y-yeah well...” the mare said, trailing off. I smirked as I turned on my side upon the cloud, looking her in the eye. “I may be a lot faster than most pegasi out there, but I think we both know that had you not plowed through that cloud, you would have won. With that in mind, what would you normally say?” “You got lucky...” she grumbled with annoyance. I nodded. “Yes, I did. Still, it was fun, and truth be told, I needed to clear my mind as well. Thank you for that, Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow Dash turned to her side as well, now facing me. “Something’s bothering you too, eh?” I nodded with a sigh. “Two things, actually. I’m not sure if you’d care to hear them though...they’re rather silly in comparison to your issue.” I felt as her hoof lightly punched my shoulder as she responded, “Hey, if it’s bothering you, it’s not silly. What’s eatin’ ya, Vega?” I shrugged and said, “Well, the first issue has to do with Princess Luna.” “Go on.” she coaxed excitedly. “Well,” I started, gaining my bearings to keep from becoming angry again, “I received a visit from Princess Celestia this morning. I won’t bore you with details, but suffice to say that during our conversation, I have found that it’s quite possible Luna had a hidden agenda in bringing me here...something other than what she told me.” “And what did she tell you?” Rainbow Dash asked with concern. I closed my eyes in disdain as I responded, “Well originally she made it sound as if she were saving me. She made me sound special and unique, and that because of that she wanted to bring me here to keep me safe and give me a better life. Now however, it seems that may not be the case.” “I’m not really all that close with Princess Luna, but I mean she doesn’t seem like a bad pony. Maybe it’s just a misunderstanding.” Rainbow Dash said thoughtfully. I sighed and rolled over onto my back, placing my hooves behind my head. “I surely hope so, Rainbow Dash. More than anything else, I do not know if I could stand the betrayal of the most important person in my life.” “She really means that much to you?” my companion asked curiously. I chuckled and nodded. “She does. She is the All-Mother, having created my entire race..but more than that, she is all I have left to hold onto. I have no family, no true home, and no purpose as of now. If the one person I thought I could trust and hold to a higher standard has actually used me in such a way, I don’t know how I’ll react.” “That’s rough, Vega.” she whispered. The cyan mare then raised an eyebrow. “That’s pretty intense, so do I even want to know what the other problem is?” I shrugged. “The other problem actually isn’t nearly as important, at least I don’t think so. It’s more annoying than anything else.” “I notice that you’ve stopped talking all proper, like Princess Luna.” Rainbow Dash remarked with a grin. I chuckled nervously. “Y-yeah, it’s hard to keep that up when I’m stressed, and being around you girls more and more has affected my speech styles.” The pegasus beside me giggled and shook her head. “It’s okay, Vega. It makes you less intimidating.” I raised an eyebrow as I looked to her and asked, “Since when am I intimidating?” “You can change into anything and you eat meat...” she quipped with a grin. I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.” I then furrowed my brow. “You all aren’t afraid of me or anything, are you?” This earned me a roll of the eyes as my companion responded, “I said intimidating, not scary. The princesses can be intimidating too, but we love them. Just because we know you can be dangerous doesn’t mean we don’t want to be friends with you.” “But I could easily tear you apart.” I responded, my self-fears beginning to manifest. “You can,” she started with a warm smile, “but you won’t.” I quirked my eyebrow up and asked, “And how do you know that?” “Because,” she began, placing a hoof firmly on my chest, “you’re good. Maybe you can turn into big strong scary things, but that isn’t who you are.” I nodded at her half-compliment and she smiled. “So, what’s this other problem then?” I shrugged with a sheepish smile. “Well...it has to do with Fl...” As I trailed off, the mare prodded me with a hoof. “You’re gonna have to speak up, Vega.” “Fluttershy...” I breathed with frustration. “Fluttershy?” the pony asked curiously. “Why is she a problem? I thought the two of you were cool now.” “We are,” I began, rubbing my face with a hoof, “but maybe that’s the problem...or maybe it isn’t.” I groaned in frustration. “I don’t know...” I heard the mare roll over closer to me until our wings were touching. “What do you mean, Vega?” I sighed and placed my foreleg over my eyes. “During the past month, I can’t seem to get her out of my mind. Whenever I’m not around her, I’m talking about her...and whenever I’m not talking about her, I dream about her. More recently, I’ve begun dreaming about her as well.” I then removed my hoof and opened my eyes to see the cyan mare smirking at me. I raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why the look?” A giggle was my response as the mare brought a hoof to her lips in an attempt to stifle bouts of laughter that threatened to erupt from her. Sadly, she was unsuccessful as she rolled around in a fit of loud laughter that shook the very cloud we rested upon. For a few minutes she reveled in laughter before finally stopping. I growled, “What’s so funny?” “Oh, this is just too perfect!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a grin. My frustration had changed into anger once more, at the thought of secrets being kept from me...especially when it concerned me. I needed to get away...before I did something I’d regret, so without another thought, I rolled over and beat my powerful wings, sailing into the Everfree Forest. In the past, I had used my battles against the shadow beasts to vent my anger and frustration, but here I had no such luck...and so I had spent the last six hours tearing massive fissures into the wild forest, leaving nearly an entire acre of the dangerous land flattened. As I lay by a small stream that was running through the devastated area of forest, I reflected on my outburst, and of just how close I had come to harming Rainbow Dash because of my anger. There was no doubt in my mind that had I not come to the forest, I would have killed her. It wasn’t really her fault either, it’s just that the events of the day had been catching up with me and her laughing in my face without explanation didn’t help the situation at all...but perhaps I shouldn’t have let myself get so riled about it. Nonetheless, by the sheer destruction I’d committed to the forest, it was clear that there were some things I needed to get worked out. “Vega?” shouted a familiar raspy voice from behind me. By the stars...of course she would find me. I turned to see a certain cyan pegasus mare looking over the carnage with a fearful eye, before her gaze fell upon me. “Vega...what happened?” “I did.” I responded simply. I didn’t bother shifting my form to that of a pony, simply opting to remain in my original form. The mare landed beside me and asked, “Why?” I shrugged. “I had a lot of frustration built up and no way to release it...and when you started laughing at me, it just tipped me over the edge.” I sighed and lowered my head. “It shouldn’t have, but it did.” I heard as the mare sat down beside me and said, “Vega, I’m really so-” “Don’t...just don’t.” I interrupted sternly. “You didn’t know I would react like that...frankly, neither did I. You didn’t do anything wrong, so don’t apologize. I just need to learn to control myself better.” I growled angrily at myself and said, “Had I not left when I did, I would have injured you because of the rage building within me.” “Vega...” she whispered in concern. I sighed and shook my head. “You need to go, Rainbow Dash. Until I can quiet my mind and get this thing with the princess worked out, I’m a danger to all of you. Please, just go. I promise I’ll come see you when I’m ‘better’.” For a moment she hesitated before poking me in the shoulder with a hoof. “You better...” The cyan mare then took flight, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake. Hours passed and night was nearly upon the town of Ponyville, so I shifted to my pony form and made my way to the library for my meeting with Lunacae. Upon my arrival, the sun was setting and the moon was rising, signaling the arrival of evening, as well as the time for my meeting with the All-Mother, and no sooner had I thought this then the princess herself appeared in front of me with a blinding flash of light. The dark alicorn looked to me with a sigh and said, “Come Vega, we must speak privately.” I followed the night princess to an empty meadow behind the library and growled, “So I’m sure you already know what I’m going to ask, don’t you?” The mare stopped and turned around with a sad expression. “I am truly hurt that you think such bad thoughts about me, dear Vega.” “Then why don’t you tell me why you really brought me here?” retorted angrily. The mare grimaced and responded, “I know not what you have heard, but I brought you here for your own well being, Vega. I care for you as any mother cares for her child, and I only want what is best for you.” My anger began to ebb away, but I wasn’t going to give up without a fight. “Then what was it about this ‘search’ your sister told me about? Apparently she thought I was a part of it.” Lunacae sighed as she sat upon her haunches. “Perhaps you are, perhaps you are not...I do not know. To set the record straight, this ‘search’ of mine is not why I brought you here.” This put my mind at ease finally, but then one question still bothered me... “Might I ask what this search of yours is for?” The All-Mother looked to me and shook her head. “It is rather private to a dear friend of mine, so I apologize Vega, but I cannot reveal it to you. Know simply that should the situation suddenly include you, you will not be disappointed.” “Whatever that means.” I remarked with a roll of my eyes. Lunacae then did something I didn’t expect...she hugged me tightly, and for some reason, it calmed me. “Vega, I care for you deeply. You mean the world to me and I only wish for you to be happy and healthy. I would never lead you down a path that did not lead to either of those.” It was at that moment I truly felt different for once...and all my problems and mental issues melted away in the warm embrace of the alicorn princess. Before I could stop myself, I reached my forelegs up and embraced the taller pony, relishing in the warmth and care she offered to me...and it felt unfathomably fantastic when instead of pulling away, she leaned into me and sighed happily. Family...I had a family. After a few minutes, we broke away and she asked, “Do you now understand just how much I care for you? Could you feel it?” In her eyes I saw the utmost sincerity, and for the first time, another emotion that I couldn’t place. It was the culmination of immense care and concern, along with the longing to be closer to me on a personal level...but it answered my her question. “Yes...I do.” I responded with a smile. The mare placed a hoof on my cheek and whispered, “I love you Vega...” I quirked an eyebrow and asked, “What does that mean? What is ‘love’?” Obviously pleased with being able to teach me something new, the alicorn princess smiled warmly. “Love is an emotion that is difficult to quantify, Vega. As every star in the sky is different, so are there many types of love. The love I have for you is that between a mother and her child. It is a nigh unbreakable bond that is more powerful than friendship, and can transcend time itself.” I nodded slowly, coming to understand what she spoke of. “And how does one feel with love?” The dark pony placed a hoof on her chin in thought before responding, “That is a difficult question to answer, Vega. Different people react to love differently, and different reactions are common with different types of love. One thing that holds true for all types, however, is the powerful desire to be closer to the person you love. You care for them deeply, and you think of them often and fondly.” I nodded with a smile. “I understand now.” The night princess smiled warmly and said, “I knew you would understand, my dear. Your vast intelligence and ability to learn quickly is one of the things that make you so unique.” She then leaned forward and brushed her lips softly in a kiss upon my forehead. “I must return to Canterlot now, but I would see you again soon if it is not too much to ask.” Feeling a new and stronger bond with Lunacae, I smiled and responded, “I would like that. You know where to find me, All-Mother.” She smiled once more before spreading her majestic wings and taking flight into the night, leaving me feeling much wiser and also much calmer now that I’d spoken with her...but it was at that moment that I realized a very frightening revelation... I think I might love Fluttershy...