Midnight Star: Recovery

by Nebula Star

Chapter 3: The Help

Midnight Star: Recovery
By Nebula Star

The Help
***

Spring, three years after the Battle of the Badlands

A loud knock on the farmhouse door surprised Applejack as she was just finishing washing her dinner dishes. She hadn't been expecting anypony and there was nopony else in the house. It was often quite this time of night at the farm. Ever since Big Mac and Fluttershy had married and Mac had moved in with Fluttershy, it had just been her and Apple Bloom most nights. But this evening, Bloom had gone out with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle for a night together while Sweetie Belle was in town between tours.

Wondering who would be coming to the farm at this time in the evening, she dried her hooves and went to answer the door.

Whoever it was, knocked again before she got there.

“Ah'm coming, hold yer horses.” She grumbled as she reached the door. With a click, she opened it. Then blinked in surprise. Standing on the porch was a young nocturne stallion that was perhaps in his mid-twenties. With a dark slightly bluish-gray coat and darker, nearly black mane and tail, he was a prime example of his race. “Well howdy. Can Ah help you?”

“Uh, yes,” He said, sounding nervous. “I mean, you're Applejack, of the Apple family, right?”

“Sure am.”

“I... My name is Rainfall. I actually wanted to talk to you about something, if you have time, that is.”

Applejack shrugged. “Sure, Ah recon Ah could spare a minute or two to talk,” she said then held the door open for him. “Come on in.”

He looked surprised by her hospitality and managed a small smile. “Thank you.” Applejack lead him into the living room and took a seat in her favorite chair while he took the couch.

“So, what brings ya to Sweet Apple Acres? We don't have a lot of Nocturne around Ponyville and Ah recon Ah know all of them, so Ah'm guessin' y’all are from out of town.”

“Yes, well, sort of...”

“Sort of?” Applejack wondered aloud. “What is it y'all wanted to talk about?”

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Well, it’s actually somewhat of a confession really.”

Applejack raised a brow at that, but let him continue.

“You know how my kind were treated before Princess Luna’s return, don’t you?”

She nodded, “Sure do; never did sit right by me, the way some ponies treated y’all just because you look a little different. Glad the Princess put an end to that.”

He winced slightly looking guilty as he went on. “Some tried to live peacefully among other ponies, but most of us just tried to make it on our own, living in hidden colonies. My own clan made our home out in the Whitetail woods. We did what we could to grow our own food, but it wasn’t enough. Nocturne like more fruit in our diet than most ponies, but we couldn’t exactly stay hidden if we started clearing trees to plant orchards. So, in order to get fruit as well as other more luxurious foods; we would raid nearby farms and orchards… Including Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Really? Ah can’t say Ah recall ever noticing any lack in our harvest.”

He nodded. “I was just a colt at the time, but I participated when we would raid your farm every year around harvest time. We were very careful not to get caught and only took a few apples from each tree, but it was still a significant amount. I suppose, as young as I was, I just thought it was exciting… but now that I look back on it, I realize it was wrong. We could have gotten by on just what the forest provided. But my clan wasn’t willing to just get by. And so, we stole from you and many others.

“And while the rest of my clan is content to leave it in the past; I just can’t. I want to repay you. I don’t have bits right now, but I’m willing to work as long as you want to pay off the debt.”

Applejack smiled. “Well, that’s mighty honest of you, sugarcube, but from what Ah understand, Princess Luna pardoned y’all for all such crimes. So as far as Ah’m concerned, it’s no debt owed to me.”

He nodded. “I know the Princess pardoned us; but it still doesn’t sit well with me. Please, just let me repay the debt. I won’t be able to rest easy until all my debts are paid.”

She frowned. “Well shoot, Ah can’t really fault you for wanting to be honest and square your debts. And to be honest myself, we could use some more help around here. Y’all ever done farm work before?”

Looking up eagerly, he nodded again. “Yes, I always helped in our colony with the farming we did; it wasn’t much, but I also already spent a year working at another farm we used to raid on the far side of the forest.”

“Well sounds like you know your way around a farm at least.” Applejack said with a nod. “So do y’all still live out in the Whitetail woods?”

“No, my clan moved to Canterlot after Princess Luna returned; a lot of them actually joined the night-guard.” He told her.

“So, you don’t have a place to stay here in Ponyville then?”

He shook his head.

Applejack considered it a few moments more. They may have just met, but he seemed like a decent, honest, young stallion. And while she still felt like it wasn’t really a debt he owed her, especially not him alone when it was his entire clan that carried out the raids; she could certainly understand him wanting to clear his conscience on the matter. “Alright, Ah’ll tell you what; Ah’ll let you work here at the farm however long you feel you need to on one condition: You allow us to provide you with room and board for as long as yer here.”

He looked up sharply. “But I… I wouldn’t want to impose.”

Applejack gave him a smirk. “Ain’t no imposition; we have two empty rooms in this house, leastwise since Big Mac moved out.”

“I… thank you, for giving me this chance. I won’t let you down.”

“That’d be a hard thing to do, considerin’ yer working for free.” Applejack said rolling her eyes. She smiled and held out a hoof. He gladly took it and gave it a shake. “Well, we’ve got some time before it’s completely dark out, how about Ah show you around the farm?”

“That would be great.”

“So, you’re good at making sure plants get just the right amount of rain?” Applejack asked as they made their way along a path through the west orchard.

Rainfall nodded. “It’s my talent; that’s why I was always involved with what little farming my colony did.”

“Well, Ah’ll have to get you in touch with the local weather team so you can coordinate with them. Can’t remember who is in charge of them these days; Bloom would probably know. Her friend, Scootaloo, just joined the weather team.”

“That would probably be a good idea.” He agreed. “Bloom?”

“Apple Bloom, my younger sister.” Applejack told him. “She’ll probably be back soon, and you can meet her.”

“Oh, alright.” He blinked. “Is there anypony else living here?”

“Nope, like Ah said, Big Mac moved out when he got married so it’s just me and Bloom these days.”

“Oh… okay…” Rainfall said suddenly feeling a little nervous as he realized that he’d be living in a farmhouse out on the edge of town with two mares, one of which was likely around his age. He was an honorable young Stallion; but that was why the thought of living alone with two mares made him nervous. He had to do this though; he would never be able to sleep soundly until he’d paid off his debts.

“You okay sugarcube?”

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine.” He said, realizing he had zoned out for a moment.

Applejack raised a brow but decided not to worry about it. “Well, like Ah was sayin’, Big Mac still comes and works on the farm during the day, so you’ll probably meet him, though I’m guessin’ you’d be more comfortable working at night.”

“I can do either; whatever you need me to do really. I mostly worked during the day at the last farm I worked on.”

“Alright, in that case it would be best if you work during the day at first, at least until we can show you the ropes; after that it will be up to you when you want to work.”

“Sounds good.” He said with a nod.

“There you are AJ!”

Both Rainfall and Applejack looked toward the voice to find a young mare with a yellow coat and red mane, perhaps a year or two younger than Rainfall, trotting toward them. The large pink bow tying her mane just at her shoulder complimented her colors well.

“Hey there, sugarcube, you and your friends done already?” Applejack asked smiling.

She nodded. “Yeah, Scoots has weather team training early tomorrow, so we decided to keep it short tonight,” she answered then looked over at Rainfall. He shifted a little, nervous about the way she looked him over. “Who’s this?”

“Oh, right; Bloom, this is Rainfall; Rainfall, this is mah little sister, Apple Bloom.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Apple Bloom said holding out a hoof.

“I’m pleased to meet you too,” Rainfall said, giving her hoof a shake.

“So, what brings you to Sweet Apple Acres?”

“Well, uh…” He stammered a bit wondering just where to start.

“Rainfall here is going to be working on the farm.” Applejack answered for him.

Apple Bloom looked back at Rainfall in surprise, then gave Applejack a smirk. “Really. So ya finally decided to hire some extra help, eh sis?”

“Well, sort of…” Applejack told her.

“I actually offered to work for free… to pay off an old debt.” Rainfall told her.

“Debt?” Apple Bloom raised a brow, curiously.

He sighed and nodded. “When I was younger, my clan used to live out in the whitetail woods, and would raid nearby farms for food, including Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Oh, Ah see. So, you’re the reason Ah didn’t get more Hearth’s Warming presents when ah was a filly!” She said, glaring at him accusingly.

His eyes widened. “I… uh…”

Her glare vanished in an instant, and a huge grin spread across her face. “Ah’m just kiddin’,” she said with a laugh. “So, you want to work on the farm to pay us back?”

Rainfall nodded. “Uh, yeah.”

“But Ah thought the princesses pardoned y’all for that kind of thing, because of how you were mistreated.”

“They did… but that’s never sat well with me.” He sighed. “I won’t be able to rest easy until I pay back all the farms my clan used to raid. And Sweet Apple Acres is the last one.”

Apple Bloom smiled. “Well, that’s mighty honest of ya.”

Applejack smirked. “That’s what Ah said.”

Bloom just shrugged. “Well, ya did practically raise me, sis.”

With a smile Applejack stepped next to her and put a forehoof around her in a brief hug. “Anyway, Ah told Rainfall that he could work here as long as he feels he needs to, and we’ll provide room and board for however long that may be.”

“Really?” Apple Bloom looked at her sister in obvious surprise before turning back at the young stallion. “So, you’re going to be living with us!?”

Rainfall felt another wave of nervousness as he was reminded of that detail. “I guess I am…”

“He going to take Mac’s old room?” Apple Bloom asked her sister.

“Might as well. It ain’t like Mac needs it anymore.” Applejack nodded then looked up at Rainfall. “You have a place to stay for tonight?

“Uh, no… I wanted to make sure I’d be staying before I got a place. I should probably head into town before it gets too much later.”

“Nonsense. Y’all might as well stay here. You’re goin’ to be livin’ with us for some time, after all, no point in waitin’. Mac’s old room is mostly empty, but it does still have a bed.”

He looked back and forth between the sisters, just a little wide eyed. “I, uh…” He’d found out enough in town about the Apples to know they were held in high regard, and of course now he knew it was just the two sisters who lived on the farm; but he hadn’t considered that they might invite him to live with them while he worked to repay the debt. Alone, in a house with two strong and undeniably attractive mares… One of whom he knew to have saved Equestria on more than one occasion.

“Ah think he’s a might intimidated.” Apple Bloom said with a smirk, seeing the look on his face.

“Here now, we’re not that intimidating, are we?” Applejack asked, amusement clear in her eyes.

Great, now they’re teasing me. Valiantly he tried to collect himself. “No, of course not.”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Sure, you do know AJ is the element of honesty, don’t you?”

Applejack just grinned. “Don’t worry, Ah get ya. Living alone in a house with two mares, Ah’d be nervous too, if our roles were reversed. But there’s no reason to be nervous, we’re all adults and it’s not like we’ll be sharing a room.”

“Of course, it’s just. I hadn’t considered you might invite me to live here…” He managed.

“Well, you might as well.” Apple Bloom told him. “And it really is for the best, Trust me. A few good days of work and you’ll be glad you don’t have to walk back to town.”

“Darn right, we work hard on this here farm.”

Rainfall looked between the two of them, it was clear they meant what they said; they truly thought it would be for the best if he stayed at the farm. Why was he so nervous anyway; he knew the Apple family’s reputation after all, and it wasn’t like he was going to do anything; besides, either one of them could likely break him in half if he even tried; so what was there to be afraid of? Still he couldn’t quite shake his nerves completely. “Alright, thank you. I promise, I’ll work hard, you won’t regret it!”

Applejack smiled. “Ah’m sure we won’t.”

~~~

A couple weeks passed and in no time, Rainfall had found himself falling into a routine. As Applejack had said, once he’d proven that he knew what he was doing, they’d allowed him to move to a more nocturnal schedule; though he’d elected to still get up earlier in the evening so that at least part of the time he could work alongside the Apples. He’d help with whatever chores needed doing in the evenings then spend the rest of his night tending to the trees and ensuring every part of the orchard got just the right amount of water.

It was near sunset one evening when he happened upon Apple Bloom, sitting on one of the orchard’s hills, under its lone tree. He hesitated; she appeared to be deep in thought and he wasn’t sure if she wanted to be disturbed. But it was already too late; his arrival hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Apple Bloom looked over at him and saw his hesitation. “It’s alright, you can come and sit down if you like. Ah don’t bite.”

After a moment’s more hesitation, he went ahead and took her invitation. “I just wasn’t sure if you wanted company; you looked rather deep in thought.”

She raised a brow, giving him a doubtful look as he sat down next to her. “Is that all?”

The question confused him. “Well yeah, I wouldn’t want to disturb you if you wanted to be alone.”

Apple Bloom watched him a moment more but seemed to accept he was telling the truth. “Oh; ah thought maybe you’d heard some of the rumors about me in town.”

“Rumors?”

She sighed. “About me bein’ a flip-tail.”

His eyes widened. “What? Why would anypony spread rumors about you being a flip-tail?”

She looked over at him. “Because Ah was,” she said simply.

He stared at her in shock. After past couple weeks working with them, that was not something he ever would have believed of the youngest Apple.

Turning back to look out at the sunset, she was silent a moment. Rainfall waited, not wanting to press her, but hoping she would explain. Finally, she did. “When Ah was just finishin’ up school, Ah went through a phase where Ah had a different coltfriend every couple weeks; and was buckin’ every one of them by the second date… some even on the first.” She sighed heavily, clearly regretting it now.

“Ah grew out of it eventually, but not before ah’d earned quite a reputation in Ponyville... And also, not before ah’d nearly destroyed mah relationship with mah sister, and completely lost her trust. Not that Ah didn’t deserve it. Ah betrayed her trust so many times in those years; sneaking colts into my room or sneaking out of the house; telling her Ah was at a friend’s when Ah was really with a colt.

“Our parents died when Ah was still a foal. Ah hardly remember them. Most mah life, Applejack has been the closest thing Ah had to a mother. And Ah nearly threw that away because Ah was a stupid hormonal teenager. Ah’ll never forget the pain and disappointment in her eyes each time Ah broke her trust. There was a time Ah feared she’d never trust me again.

“That’s what really surprised me when she said you were going to be staying here: Not that she would trust you… but that she would trust me.” She smiled sadly looking off into the sunset. “It really meant a lot to me when she told me that she’d invited you to stay with us. Ah don’t think she would have even a year ago. Ah don’t think she would have trusted me to be in the same house as a colt, even then. That Ah’ve managed to earn back my sister’s trust, even a little… It means a lot to me.”

Rainfall watched for a moment in silence; it was clear how much her relationship with her sister meant to her. He really didn’t know what to say, other than the truth. “Honestly, if I had heard those rumors in town, I definitely wouldn’t have believed them; not after getting to know you these last couple weeks.”

She smiled. “Thanks. But now you know if you do hear them, that there was at least some truth to them… It’s probably for the best that you know.”

“Well, if anyone tries to tell me you’re still that way, I’ll be sure and tell them that you’re not that kind of filly anymore.”

With a soft laugh and a smile, Apple Bloom got up on her hooves. “Thanks, but don’t worry too much about it. Ah’ve got a couple chores Ah’d better get to back at the house. You said you’re going to work in the south-west orchard tonight?”

He nodded. “Yeah, a few of the trees in that section were looking just a little bit parched.”

“Alright then; Ah guess Ah’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good night.”

“You too.” He said and with one last wave, Apple Bloom headed back toward the house. Rainfall watched her go for a moment, thinking about what she’d told him. Since he’d arrived, he hadn’t noticed any sign at all that the sisters’ relationship was strained. True he only had a couple weeks to go off of; but from what he’d seen, Applejack seemed to have completely forgiven Apple Bloom at this point. Could it be that Apple Bloom’s own guilt was keeping her from seeing it as well? He sighed and shook his head. It really wasn’t his place to interfere.

Spreading his wings, he took off heading for the South-West orchard. He had work to do.

~~~

Though he tried not to think about it, over the next couple weeks, now that he was aware of it; Rainfall couldn’t help noticing more and more, how strained Apple Bloom’s relationship with her sister was, due entirely to her own guilt. What was more, the more he saw, the more he was convinced that Applejack didn’t even realize it. She seemed to think all was well between her and Apple Bloom. She never noticed how much Apple Bloom deferred to her. How she never spoke up, even when she looked like she wanted to. And by then, after working with them for so long, he was beginning to care for the sisters. Eventually he decided he had to say something.

He got up early one evening, perhaps a full hour before sunset. As he’d come to expect, though she’d completed all her actual chores for the day, Applejack was out in one of the fields they used for other crops, working on some repairs to the sprinkler lines in preparation for the next season. It wasn’t something that had to be done anytime soon, but one of the many little jobs around the farm that Applejack would work on whenever she had free time.

“Hey, Applejack. You have a minute?” He asked as he landed softly nearby.

Applejack looked up from her work, nodded, and set down her tools. “Sure thing, what’s up?”

“It’s about Apple Bloom actually.”

She raised a brow seeming to notice the concerned tone in his voice. “What about her?”

He sighed, trying to think of what exactly to say. “A few weeks back, she mentioned the rumors about her, about her reputation around town, and told me why…”

“Well Bloom ain’t that kind of filly anymore!” Applejack said firmly.

“I know, at the time I could hardly believe her even though she was telling me herself.” He assured her. “But she also told me how much it hurt your relationship with her, how she betrayed your trust and how sorry she was for that.”

Applejack smiled sadly. “Yeah, Ah’ll admit Ah was mighty upset with her at the time. It hurt not bein’ able to trust my little sister, but she’s honest as an Apple should be these days, ya’ll don’t have to worry.”

“I know,” He agreed, deciding he should get to the point. “Applejack, you have forgiven Apple Bloom for those times, haven’t you?”

“Of course, Ah have!” Applejack said seeming surprised he even had to ask.

“Have you ever told her that?” Rainfall asked getting to the heart of the matter.

She looked taken back, and had to take a moment to think back. “Well, no, Ah reckon Ah can’t honestly say Ah have, but Ah’m sure Bloom knows.”

“I don’t think she does.” He said softly shaking his head. “From what she’s told me, the way she acts when you’re around; she’s always on edge, like she’s walking on eggshells, as if she’d afraid of ever stepping out of line.”

Applejack looked up at him, concern starting to show. “She is? Are you sure?”

He nodded. “I can tell that you’ve forgiven Apple Bloom. But I don’t think she can see it. I think she still feels too guilty about all she did; it’s blinding her to the truth.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, and I think it would do her a world of good, if you let her know, that you’ve forgiven her.”

Applejack looked down a moment, then nodded to herself, and went about gathering her tools. “Ah’ll go talk to Bloom then.” She said as she closed the toolbox. The sprinkler lines could wait. Getting back to her hooves she placed the toolbox across her withers and started back toward the barn. She’d only gone a few steps when she paused and looked back at Rainfall. “Thanks for tellin’ me this, Rainfall.”

He smiled. “You’re welcome.”

She gave him a nod and then hurried back toward the barn and small tool shed.

With nothing else to do, he decided to go get ready for the night’s chores. He had a fair amount of work to get done and would need a few tools himself, so after a few moments he followed and set about getting what he would need for the night.

He’d managed to finish one quick chore by the time the sun was setting and went to return the tools he wouldn’t need anymore. As he came out of the toolshed, he happened to spot the sisters on the same hilltop where he and Apple Bloom had spoken weeks before, under its lone tree. He couldn’t hear anything from that distance, and they weren’t much more than silhouettes against the setting sun, but the two were clearly talking. He watched for just a moment, until Apple Bloom suddenly threw her hooves around Applejack and the sisters embraced. Rainfall just smiled and went on with his work, glad he could be of help.

Author's Note:

So, I wanted to give a bit more on each of the crusaders in the Midnight Star universe. There was already a bit about Scootaloo in The Frozen Empire and of course a bit more here now that she can fly, and a little about Sweetie Belle, but Apple Bloom was just still on the farm, i didn't really mention anything about her life between the first and second stories. There will be more on Sweetie in a coming chapter.

As for the nocturne, Whisper Song spoke of one way they had struggled to live in Equestria in the first chapter, here I wanted to show another side; nocturne that chose a different path with Rainfall's clan.