Applejack smiled widely to check her teeth, which sparkled in the light. With a self-satisfied smile, she dropped her toothbrush back in the holder and reached for her hairbrush. Having a morning routine made early mornings like this one nice, because she could think while going through the repetitive motions of getting ready.
However, the knock on her door was not a usual occurrence. She paused, lowering her brush and squinting at the door. “Apple Bloom?” she guessed, judging by how loud it was. Apple Bloom didn’t usually knock; she usually burst in, brimming with excitement for her plans for today, regardless of privacy considerations. This hesitation could only mean that something had gone terribly wrong. Visions of the kitchen going up in flames burst unbidden to her mind.
The pony on the other side of the door giggled. “Nay.”
Applejack dropped her brush. That had sounded an awful lot like… “Princess Luna?”
“Aye.”
Applejack blinked. “You?” she asked.
“Aye.”
“So… you?” she tried again.
“Aye, it is I.”
Applejack paused. She shook her head and opened the door, and there indeed stood Luna. Applejack blinked. “It is you.” She had been half-expecting a Pinkie prank.
Luna frowned slightly. “Art thou… disappointed?”
Applejack quickly shook her head. “No, it's just… I didn't expect to see you out here, that's all.”
Luna shrugged. “I yet had a few moments before I was to retire to my bed, and I always feel the need to spend my time wisely.”
Applejack paused. Those few minutes before sleeping were some of her favorite moments of the day. They were a good time for self-reflection and planning for the next day. So if Luna had used her minutes to come see her… “I… see…” she finally said.
“I cannot stay long,” Luna continued. “It is soon morn, and it seems as though your grandmother is not a fan of my chariot pullers.”
Now curious, Applejack walked over to the window. Her jaw dropped as she saw Granny Smith waving a broom at the two circling bat ponies.
“Varmints!” she cried. She swung again, nearly overbalancing and falling on her face as she did. “I don't care how big you overgrown fruit bats are, ain't nopony gonna steal our apples on Granny Smith's watch!”
Far from feeling threatened (or even offended), the bat ponies circled and dove surprisingly close to their attacker, sticking their tongues out teasingly and blowing raspberries every time they buzzed by.
Applejack blushed. With a nervous glance at Luna, she opened the window. “Granny! It's fine!” she hollered.
“What?”
“It's ok! They're friendly!”
“They're deadly?!” Granny shrieked. “I knew it! Get a broom an' come help me!” She began swinging her broom with renewed vigor.
Applejack shut the window and suppressed the urge to facehoof as she turned back to Luna. “I'm real sorry about that…” she started.
Luna laughed lightly. “Noctrali are playful creatures by nature. This is exactly the sort of thing they enjoy.”
“Playful, huh?” Applejack said. She winced as Granny Smith scored a direct hit on one noctral's head with her broom. The noctral who didn't get hit pointed and laughed at his partner's misfortune… and took the broom to between his hind legs for his trouble.
Applejack winced again and reddened in embarrassment as he dropped painfully to the ground and Granny Smith continued her assault; but Luna merely chuckled. “Perhaps that will teach them to keep their eyes open at all times,” she said. “They do try valiantly, but 'warrior' is not in their genes.”
Applejack cocked her head. “They look it,” she said before she could stop herself.
Luna's mouth tightened and she nodded. “Noctrali are generally peaceful beings. But if a pegasus bent on reclaiming the sky's dominance saw a race that was most active at night, bore sharp fangs, had excellent hearing, and had the ability to shadow-travel anywhere the sun does not see, well… you may well imagine what he saw in them.”
Applejack definitely could. “They'd make perfect shock troops,” she realized.
“And their shadow-traveling makes them nearly perfect assassins,” Luna added. “A little foalnapping and the threat of familial torture can provide quite the incentive to use their abilities.”
Luna's previous statement that the noctrali history had been long and bloody came to mind, and Applejack shuddered slightly.
“No matter,” Luna said abruptly. “I came to deliver an invitation.”
“An invitation?” Applejack asked.
“To a party?!”
Both spun around to see Pinkie Pie, poking her head in through the window.
“Pinkie?” Applejack questioned; though by now she had a hard time questioning anything Pinkie did.
“Not exactly,” Luna said, attempting to take this interruption in stride. “My research has discovered a species of crystal berry tree that seems to grow fastest in the evening, and I would enjoy it if Applejack would… accompany me to see it.” She glanced over at the window. “Alone.”
“Ooh, that sounds like fun!” Pinkie said. “I've always wanted to try baking with crystal berries. That sounds so… crystally!” She gigglesnorted at the thought.
“Alone,” Luna emphasized.
“Yeah! I get it! All alone, together!”
“Just the two of us,” Luna said, gesturing at Applejack.
It finally dawned on Pinkie that she was not being invited. “Oh… ok.” She straightened up and huffed, a disgruntled frown crossing her face. “Well, I'll do my own crystal berry testing! With jelly and cookies!” And she withdrew her head, slammed the window shut, and pronked haughtily off.
Luna paused as she watched Pinkie disappear. “Perhaps I was a bit harsh,” she said.
“A bit,” Applejack said honestly.
Luna sighed. Could she do nothing right? “I did not mean to be. I just wanted this trip to be personal. I will have to make it up to her somehow...” She turned back to Applejack. “But would you accompany me?”
“Sure,” Applejack said hesitantly.
Luna smiled. “Then I shall send for you this Saturday. And this time, you can come of your own free will.”
Applejack cracked a smile, and Luna took her leave.
That smile faded slightly and Applejack bit her lower lip as she watched Luna walk down the stairs. Perhaps she was just seeing things, but she'd be prepared to swear that Luna was swaying her hips a bit more than strictly necessary as she descended.
Darn you, Lightning Dust, she thought.
* * *
Meanwhile, another mare was cursing a name, but this time it was her own.
Now back in her chariot and headed towards home, Luna buried her head in her forelegs and groaned. She was mildly upset, to put it lightly. She didn't want to offend Applejack by not inviting her friend, but she didn't want to bring her, either. Pinkie was many things, many of them good; but her hyperactivity would not be conducive to the romantic atmosphere she'd hoped for. She wanted Applejack to be hers and hers alone. And then talking about the noctrali history? Yes, let's bring up war and blood and foalnapping and pegasus warlords. Ramblings, like a young, inexperienced noble in front of court for the first time. Foolish, at best. At the very least, she'd have to watch and make sure Applejack didn't have bad dreams this coming night.
She exhaled and rested her head on the cushion, feeling the gentle rocking of the chariot as the noctrali pulled in tandem. Hopefully, she could recover this situation. But for now, she would just have to wait until Saturday to see how much damage she had actually done.