Darkest Star

by The1Ryu

Chapter Twelve: Wounds, Old and New

Author's Note:

Arrg! Fluttershy's parents why did you have to come in and ruin my cannon, and don't even get me started on Zephyr Breeze.

Chapter Twelve
Wounds, Old and New

In the gloom of the dark forest, it was impossible for Fluttershy to keep track of the passage of time, she could only guess at the true number of hours that passed, it felt like a dozen. The long hike over the rough forest terrain was taking its toll on her, she panted with every step, and her back and legs felt like they had been lanced with burning glass. Despite the pain, every time Dark Star glanced over at her she gave him another, albeit tired looking, smile. As much as she wanted to take a rest, Dark Star didn’t seem to be tired at all, marching ever purposefully towards his destination deep in the woods. Feeling that his tolerance of her was still shaky at, best Fluttershy did not dare ask for a break for fear he would leave her behind.

Unexpectedly the darkness of the forest suddenly broke as a brilliant orange light washed over the tops of the trees. Fluttershy stopped dead in her tracks a little frightened by the sudden change and looked up at the amber light that was pouring down from the gaps in the canopy. Dark Star stared up at the canopy as well, a grim look on his face. Fluttershy watched as the leaves of the trees around the gaps brightened into a brilliant emerald color as the sun crested over the tree tops bathing them in its warming light. Fluttershy moved to one of the beams of sunlight, closed her eyes, and breathed in the morning air basking in the new light.

Dark Star, however, folded his ears back and lowered himself down, like a predator retreating from an enemy, and quickly moved into the deep shadows of the trees. “We’ll stop here for the day,” Dark Star announced moving around the beams of light giving them a wide berth and staying to the deep shadows. He made his way to the base of a large old oak tree where he pushed aside some brushes to reveal a large hole that led beneath it.

Fluttershy gave Dark Star a pained look as she moved over to the hole. Again she found herself wanting to say something, but nothing sounded right in her head. She turned her attention to the hole looking into it, her nose twitched at the musky smell the wafted from it, and she hesitated, “Are you sure no one’s using it?”

Dark Star rolled his eyes at her and crawled into the hole, disappearing as he slipped over a dip in the tunnel. Fluttershy stared into the depth for a moment before looking at the forest around her again. The Everfree Forest was spooky even during the day, and Fluttershy shivered suddenly feeling very alone. Glancing back into the tunnel, then the forest again she gave a timid moan and crawled into the tunnel.

The tunnel encircled her on all sides forcing her to crawl along on her belly pulling herself forward with his front hooves while her back legs dragged mostly useless behind her. Her wings dragged along the firmly packed dirt of the walls, and she banged her head on the top of the tunnel a few times especially while trying to navigate the arching dip that Dark Star had disappeared over. As she crawled past that arch, her world became darkness again. Her chest tightened, and she swallowed back a panicked cry, which cried out with twice the strength when she pulled herself forward, and something thin and dry hanging from the top of the tunnel draped across her face.

“You’re almost there,” A voice spoke out over her scream and once she was calm, a hoof clasped onto hers and pulled her from the tunnel.

No longer feeling the clutching grasp of the tunnel around her Fluttershy stood up, clutching the hoof in hers tightly for comfort as she tried in vain to see through the pitch blackness. “Dark Star?”

“You can’t see can you?” He asked with a tone of casual realization, as noting that she couldn't cook a soufflé. A blue glow began to emanate from his blade-like horn as a small sphere of pale light formed on its tip. It was like a miniature version of the spell Twilight had used to create a false moon over Ponyville, and this ball rose off his horn floating up to nestle within a tangle of roots that hung from the ceiling of the den, staining everything with its blue light.

The den wasn’t very large, the ceiling hanging low enough that if Fluttershy reared up, she would smack her head into it, and it was no more than ten feet wide at any one place, but it was empty.

“Nothing’s been here in a while,” Dark Star said sniffing the again and glancing around the den. “Probably an abandoned wolf den, a foxhole before, and rabbit warren before that. That’s how dens like this one are built in the Everfree.”

Dark Star glanced down to see his hoof was still clutched in Fluttershy’s. Pulling it free from hers with a jerk he moving over to the far side of the den and laid down. "Get some rest; the journey's not even half done."

Fluttershy frowned at the implications of his words about the den and its previous occupants, but her expression softened and grew a little sadder at what he had said next. Did the daylight hurt him and if so why? Twilight might know, Dark Star was a pony so saturated by magic that only somebody like her or the princesses could understand its full effects of it on him. However, even seeing him carefully skirt the sun's light it seemed to Fluttershy an easy task for him to navigate such a simple danger in a dark place like the Everfree. His words didn't disclude her, was he stopping for her sake? Carefully Fluttershy moved over to where the stallion lay and in a quiet nervous voice asked. “Aren’t you worried about my friends finding you if we stop, I doubt they will stop for as long.”

“No,” Dark Star shifted, so his back was completely to her.

“But-”

“I told you before that they can’t find us. This den might as well be on the moon,” His tail and wings flicked with annoyance and his ears folded back as he lay his head on the ground. “Now go to sleep!”

Fluttershy’s ears flopped down, and her face fell, she stood staring down at dirt floor for a moment before moving to give Dark Star some space. She moved to the other side of the den and lay down as well, her back to the wall as she watched Dark Star through the soft blue light. He lay still, but Fluttershy doubted he was already asleep, she had watched countless sleeping creatures, and even the most anxious didn't hold themselves so stiffly while asleep. But like other anxious creatures she had cared for Fluttershy expected that Dark Star would wait until he was sure she was asleep before he allowed himself to sleep as well. But as tired as she was, Fluttershy wanted to keep watching him, maybe it was as much about concern as it was fear, but she didn't want to lose sight of him in sleep.

Fluttershy laid her head down and relaxed letting her eyes half close. She felt her sore joints begin to relax and the fatigue reassert itself, causing her eyes to droop further closed than she intended. She began to doze only to start awake with a small jump, her eyes shooting open. Shifting her tongue between her teeth Fluttershy bite down on it as hard as she dared, determined to stay awake as she let her eyes begin to close once more.

---

“STOP!”

Fluttershy awoke. Her head shot up and smacking itself on the wall of the den as she threw it back in surprise. Realizing she had fallen asleep and was about to chastise herself when a pain filled neighing cried out through the den joined by the sound of scuffling hooves.

“Dark Star!” She gasped and looked to see him violently twitching and kicking out still laying out on his side at the other end of the den. He cried out again and kicked with such force that when his hoof connected with the wall, it pushed him back a few inches and left a deep indentation on the wall.

“Oh Celestia,” Fluttershy staggered to her hooves and rushed to Dark Star’s side, sweat and dirt marred his coat and was tangled in his mane as he threw his head back and forth; his blade-like horn sliced into the ground. His eyes were clenched shut, his ears pinned back against his head, and he didn't respond to any of Fluttershy’s calls.

“Dark Star, wake up, you’re having a nightmare!” She cried grabbing his shoulder, firmly shaking it. Dark Star cried out and with a painful looking twist of his head slashed his blade-like horn at her. Fluttershy jerked her hoof away gasping as the tip of the leg bit into her leg cutting a thin line just above her hoof.

Fluttershy gave a little moan of pain as she held the cut and clenched her eyes shut at the pain. Dark Star continued to cry out and thrash as if his nightmare had taken complete hold of him and refused to release him. Fluttershy's soft heart anguished at his every cry almost as much as he did, and unwilling to leave anyone to suffer like that, leaned carefully over him. Ready to jump back if he struck out at her again she gently whispered into his ear, “Dark Star you’re having a nightmare. It’ll be ok; I’m here.”

Dark Star continued to cry, shake and kick out violently against the empty air, but he made no move to attack Fluttershy. Slowly swallowing her fear Fluttershy risked kneeling down next to him and gently draped a wing over him, he was cold to the touch. “See I’m here,” Fluttershy continued to whisper softly. “Everything going to be all right. Don’t be afraid, just listen to the sound of my voice. You’re safe with me.”

As Fluttershy spoke Dark Star’s thrashing became less panicked, he kicked out with less frequency and force, and his wild neighing softened into a low whimpering. As Fluttershy continued to whisper reassurances to Dark Star he slowly became calmer; kicking, shaking and neighing less and less until he was only trembling slightly, moaning softly, and only giving an occasional jerking kick.

As his cold body greedily sucked away her heat, Fluttershy wondered if it was the result of some sickness or a side effect of taking on the dark power from Nightmare Moon’s failed resurrection. Regardless of the cause, Fluttershy desperately tried to think of something she could do about it. Those thoughts were interrupted when Dark Star shifted in his sleep and pressed his back into her side, perhaps seeking more of the warmth he lacked.

His cold body caused a shiver to run up Fluttershy's spine, but couldn’t help but smile at the cute way he unconsciously sought her warmth. The smile faded as she watched his face seeing the way his eyes still clenched as if against a terrible pain and she wondered what had taken such a firm hold of his mind that made it so a cautious pony like Dark Star wouldn't be woken at her presences? Beyond the cold, Fluttershy felt a dark power emanating from the stallion something in a simple understanding she could only liken to magic, powerful and disembodied. As much as Fluttershy knew there was no evidence for the thought, she couldn't help feeling that Dark Star had known this nightmare would come for him if he'd rested and yet he'd chosen to anyway, for her. It was a silly thought, but regardless of whether it was true or not, Fluttershy knew that even if she couldn’t do anything to help him, she would not abandon him either. Careful not to disturb her companion Fluttershy shifted into a more comfortable position against her companion and let sleep take her once more.

---

Dark Star’s eyes slowly opened, the nagging needs of his body rousing him from his first restful slumber since his Queen's betrayed. He'd learned at that time the true nature of the darkness and that even the servants of the darkness were spared none of its wrath. The darkness held no love for him and for little more than the sake of cruelty it attacked his mind at any moment of vulnerability. Dark Star was never more vulnerable than when he slept and his attempts to stave off the weak physical need only severed to trap him all the more completely in his nightmares. In these nightmares, his new master demanded his freedom and punished him for any delay no matter the obstacle.

For a moment Dark Star wondered what had allowed him to escape the nightmares this day before the feeling of soft down feathers across his side answered his question. He looked over to see the green stained wing and followed it to the green stained coat of the mare lying next to him. It made some sense to him that the presences of an element of harmony might shield him from the darkness’ attacks. Remembering she was his enemy Dark Star Shook his head, slipped out from under her wing and stepped over the sleeping mare care not to wake her. He had only moved a few steps from her when a low moan caused him to stop and look back at her. Fluttershy shifted in her sleep seeming to seek something that was no longer there for a moment before giving up and just rolling into his vacant place.

Out from under her influence the voices that resounded from deep in his mind could be heard again. Dark Star sat down and stared at the sleeping mare and listen to the council of his thoughts.

"Kill her!" The loudest shouted venomously and hatefully, adding as if an afterthought, "She's an enemy." Dark Star coldly dismissed the base impulse, Fluttershy was no threat to him so killing her was pointless.

"But she an Element of Harmony," Another wailed fearfully. Dark Star nearly snapped at this one his disgust for simpering only enhanced by his knowledge it was his own. Besides if it came to eliminating the threat of the elements anyone would do. Dark Star favored the meddling Twilight Sparkle.

"She simpers, like a coward," Another giggled maniacally. Dark Star shook his head; no, as much as Fluttershy feared him and the forest, she had come to stop him, and even though she knew she couldn't she still had courage enough to try.

"You're the coward!" One spat hatefully.

"You're getting all squishy towards her," another giggled.

"You have feelings for her," the last sobbed mournfully.

"Shut up!" Dark Star snapped internally, his cold rage causing the voices to recede to the back of his mind fearfully, but their wailing taunts and venomous jabs still came so persistently it was hard to ignore them completely. Glaring down at Fluttershy's sleeping form Dark Star horn illuminated with dark magic. It would be easy to kill her, far easier than trying to ignore the voices. He could skewer her with earth or ice; she would wake for only a moment to see him, her killer, before death.

Dark Star paused, and his horn's magic grew stronger as his blue orb of light dimmed; his magic drained away from it. He could slowly drain all the air out of the den. Fluttershy would never even wake up as she slowly slipped into death's embrace. He watched her eyes shift under his eyelids and wondered if she would dream of suffocating before the end.

The aura of Dark Star's horn continued to build as slowly as he gathered more magic the light of the orb faded to darkness. He could simply vaporize her with powerful enough magic, her delicate willow frame wouldn't put up much resistance, nor would her long gentle wings, wispy pink hair or gentle sky-blue eyes. The den slipped into total blackness, but Dark Star could see her perfectly, and soon she would be gone, totally, in a single instant.

He would never see her again.

---

Fluttershy stirred her legs and wing squeezing at the empty air. Her eyes cracked open ever so slightly as she sat up noting the lack of a pony body next to hers sleepily. She let out a curious, “Dark Star,” and craned her head around scanning the den for him. Her eyes snapped open when she saw nobody else in the blue light of Dark Star’s spell.

“Dark Star!” She called out looking into every shadowy corner of the den, but silence was the only response.

Fluttershy’s heart jumped into her throat, had he had left so she couldn’t follow him anymore? How could she have been so stupid to fall asleep and let him walk away without even noticing? She quickly climbed to her hooves and rushed to the entrance begging Celestia that she was not too late to catch him.

She slid to a stop several feet in front of the entrance as a figure began to emerge from it groaning unintelligently. Fluttershy’s breath caught in her throat as she remembered what Dark Star said about this place having been a wolf den and back up several steps quivering, what if he meant timber wolves?

“You’re awake,” The figure spoke as it stepped fully into the soft light of the blue sphere revealing it to be Dark Star his mane and tail stained blue by the light, “I brought food.”

“You’re still here!” Fluttershy cried throwing her forelegs around the stallion’s neck, “I thought you’d left me behind.”

“That would have been the smart thing to do,” Dark Star grumbled sarcastically quickly smoothing down the corners of his mouth. “Look don’t get sentimental,” He pushed her away gently, “It’s nothing let’s just eat and go, or I’ll eat and go, and you can eat and go back to your friends.”

Fluttershy gave him a smile and shook her head, “Nope. I said I was going to keep following you no matter what and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Dark Star rolled his eyes and lifted the bundle of food he’d gathered off his back with his magic. The bundle looked like a green leaf patterned sack, but Fluttershy could smell that the leaves were real. As she wondered how it held together, Dark Star placed it on the ground, and the leaves fell away from each other creating a loose nest that held its contents: patches of grass, flowers, berries and slimy looking mushrooms.

"Thank you, Dark Star," Fluttershy nodded gratefully to him, realizing for the first time just how hungry she was. Dark Star gave a low grunt in response but otherwise acted as if he hadn't heard her. Smiling at him, Fluttershy began to eat, dutifully trying everything to be polite as she had been taught. The grass and flowers were sweet and fresh, but the berries had a bitter taste to them, and while the mushrooms were bland their texture was unnerving. After her initial sampling of the foodstuffs, Fluttershy was thankful to find that Dark Star seemed to favor the berries and mushrooms. Though he ate in such a business-like manner, it was impossible to tell if he liked any of the food at all.

After the meal, Dark Star doused his magical light, and the pair crawled out of the den. The forest had returned to its gloomy nighttime atmosphere, but Fluttershy didn't feel nervous with Dark Star, his presence putting her at ease in a way that even her friends couldn't. He led her to a stream, no so far from the den, and let her drink her fill before Dark Star started off again.

Fluttershy followed, taking up her place next to him and giving him the same pleasant smile she had the day before. Glancing over to see the warm smile on her face Dark Star stopped dead in his tracks. “You should go back now. There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

Fluttershy looked nervously up at him, meeting his hard eyes noting that they were much softer now than they had been before, almost pleading. “No,” Fluttershy gently shook her head breaking eye contact after several moments of silence, “I’m not going to leave you.”

Dark Star’s face twisted slightly in anger, his fur standing on end and his wings once more twitching anxiously, but Fluttershy did not cower or back away this time. Scoffing angrily, he turned away from her and started deeper into the forest. She followed, Dark Star quickening his pace to keep her a step behind him and out of even his peripheral sight.

Fluttershy watched as Dark Star worked to put the wall that had started to come down between them back up. She realized she hadn't made as much progress as she'd thought, they were still pressing deeper into the Everfree Forest seeking some means of the stallion's revenge against the princesses. The wall between them was growing ever higher, and she knew her chance to build a bridge between them was slipping away.

Again Fluttershy tried to think of something to say, something to get him to talk to her, but everything she thought of still sounded stupid to her. As the moments passed by and Dark Star seemed to grow ever colder and distant. Her fear of saying something stupid and losing the opportunity to say anything clashed with ever mounting intensity until she practically cried out, "Where did you grow up?"

"What?" Dark Star stopped at her outburst and turned to give her a critical glare.

"Umm," Fluttershy looked away and pawed the ground, "W-where you grew up. What was it like?"

Hearing Dark Star scoff at the question, Fluttershy looked up to see him turn away and keep walking, "I didn't grow up anywhere." He answered coldly and Fluttershy's ears folded back sadly as she started after him, her eyes still looking at the ground and chastising herself. After a few moments, Dark Star broke the silence, "Starlight grew up in a town called Meadow Lake, it was... quiet and insignificant."

"Oh!" Fluttershy gave a small start at Dark Star's sudden indulgence of her curiosity. Looking up at him a smile returned to her face, and with a few galloping steps, which he didn't seem to protest, she was beside him again. "It sounds lovely; maybe we could go visit it?"

"There's nothing to visit, the lake dried up centuries ago, and the meadow turned barren." Dark Star shook his head, his tone even and disinterested as if he cared nothing for his hometown. "There isn't any sign of the village left."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," her ears pinning back sadly once more. Dark Star just shrugged disinterestedly, but she did have him talking and so pressed for more details. "Still it must have been beautiful with the lake and meadow, the scent of flowers and grass."

Dark Star let a smile touch his lips, "It was. I used to walk a little way out along the shore of the lake at night and with my back to the village and at just the right spot you could look out and take in the whole of the meadow without seeing any sign of the village. There was just an ocean of grass for miles when the night as clear, the wind passing like waves over it, the only thing the broke the perfect silence."

Fluttershy closed her eyes, Dark Star's words painting a picture of the meadow in her mind so perfect that the sounds of the forest seemed to fade away replaced by the gentle howl of the wind. She opened her eyes again their clear blueness meeting Dark Star gray eyes as she cooed, "It sounds beautiful."

The smile on Dark Star's lips lingered a little longer this time, and he shook his head. "It was nothing compared to the lake. On clear still nights, you could look out across that lake, and it was as if it held the whole sky you could see every star perfectly without looking up once. And it the distance they touched at the horizon like they were just two halves of a folded sheet. Some night I'd just stargaze in the lake all night by myself."

A hint of gloom touched Fluttershy's face at those last few words though she kept her gentle smile in place it grew almost apologetic. "You never showed your family or friends?"

The smile fell away from Dark Star's face, his usual coldness taking its place as she looked away and spoke disinterestedly again. "Starlight didn't have any friends. He took his family out once, they ooed and awed at all the right times. But his elder sister told him every foal thought they were the first one to notice it, but every pony knew about the views. Then, his mother and father started arguing about him going out so late, that wasn't so unusual for them. Hmm, it's funny, I can't remember their names."

Fluttershy's smile twitched a few times, but she couldn't stop it from falling away. For a moment she looked down, and a heavy silence settled between them. She glanced up to see Dark Star's face cold and unemotional and noticed his speed picking up a little as if preparing to outpace her as he had been before. Fluttershy felt her sadness turn to fear and rushed to say something. "I didn't know my parents at all."

Dark Star slowed and looked down at her, a hint of curiosity melting the cold look in his eyes. Still, he didn't say anything and so Fluttershy continued. "They died just after I was born; my grandparents raised me. Sometimes I think that's why I'm so nervous around other ponies."

"Did they treat you badly?" There was a low anger in Dark Star's tone as if it were more a threat than a question. It scared Fluttershy for a moment.

"Oh no," Fluttershy gave a furious shake of her head, "They were just quiet old when I came along. My grandmother thought she was beyond her foal bearing years when my father was born, and my parents didn't have me until they were older as well. So you can imagine a couple of ponies Granny Smith's age having to raise a baby." Fluttershy realized Dark Star probably would have never seen Granny Smith, but he nodded slightly as if he understood her perfectly. "They weren't... very good a showing affection, grandpa, in particular, was really stoic, he was a rainbow factory worker right until the day he... passed away. Grandma was the postmistress, and she was always working too."

The image of a little sunshine colored filly buzzing around a stormy gray cloud house smiling up with bright sky blue eyes at a pair of hard set weathered faces came to Dark Star's mind. He wondered if Fluttershy's young eyes could see the hint of a smile in her elders' eyes that just couldn't break across their age-worn faces. He watched as she sniffed and wiped a tear from her eyes with a foreleg as a small smile graced her lips. "They both passed away?"

Fluttershy nodded, "I had just gotten settled in Ponyville when grandpa passed away. Right at the end of his work day, ponies said he wouldn't have let himself die before the day was done." Fluttershy gave a weak chuckle trying to find the humor in the situation like the ponies had, but it came out as a sob, and she had to wipe away more tears. Dark Star's wing twitched slightly, but he forced it down against his side. "Grandma got all the preparations in order, even cooked all the food for the wake and then the day before grandpa funeral she went to sleep and just didn't wake up."

Fluttershy was sobbing openly now, and Dark Star's wing was twitching against his will, yet his face still was still even no emotion showing on it. Glancing up, his horn lit with its dark aura and he glanced up telekinetically yanking several leaves from a branch. As they floated down, they shed their stems and arranged themselves into a square which he floated to Fluttershy, "Here."

"Oh thank you," She sniffled in surprise at the sudden appearance of the handkerchief. Taking it in hoof, she found that despite its appearance it was soft and smooth as silk and was cool as she wiped it across her eyes. After a minute Fluttershy finally managed to stem her crying and wipe her face clean on the handkerchief noticing it was a wispy green on one side and a sharp emerald on the other. Folding it in her hooves, she held it out for Dark Star to take, "Thank you."

Dark Star made no move to take the handkerchief only glancing at it as they walked on. "She made her own funeral arrangements too didn't she."

Fluttershy gasped and gave a small start, without she tucked the unwanted handkerchief away and asked, "How did you know?"

"That just sounds like the kind of mare your grandmother was, getting everything settled and then going after her husband. It's an age thing as well, once you get old enough you realize death is just an old friend, there's no reason to be afraid of it." Suddenly Fluttershy remembered that Dark Star had himself been an anciently elderly stallion himself not so long ago, he gave a thousand years to Nightmare Moon, and in the end, it was all for nothing.

Fluttershy gave Dark Star a pitied look, but just for a moment quickly realizing he would hate to see her give him such a look. Instead, she gave him a bittersweet smile, "Looks like neither of us has any family left; I guess we'll just have to rely on our friends."

Dark Star's face fell at those words, he bristled and set his gaze straight ahead, "I don't have any friends."

"That's not true; you have me." Dark Star looked down to see her smiling brightly up at him again, and he could help the smile that shattered his stoic exterior.

"I really can't get rid of you can I," Dark Star let himself chuckle.

Fluttershy shook her head grinning wide, "Nope I'm staying by you, no matter what?"

Suddenly the happiness was scoured from Dark Star's face, his horn flaring to life with dark magic he shouted, “Get Down!”