Night Apples

by RangerBeef

Chapter 8

Luna worked mostly alone on the trees for the next few nights. Macintosh had been right in saying there wasn't much left to do but watch the apples grow. Despite this truth, Luna felt comfortable among the trees. Something about them was warm and inviting to her. She exited the fencing and leaned on it, staring at the trees, sighing softly.

"Any day now," she said to no one in particular.

"Princess Luna?" The voice came from behind her and she turned slowly, stepping out of the fog she greeted Twilight Sparkle.

"Be careful in the fog, Twilight Sparkle." She stepped back inside the fog disappearing almost immediately as she opened the gate and reentered the garden.

Twilight gingerly followed her, making sure not to bump into anything. As she cleared the fog she looked up at the usiku trees standing before her and her eyes grew wide. "Princess, they're beautiful."

Luna nodded. "Indeed they are. Now tell me, Twilight Sparkle, why did you wish to see the trees?"

Twilight stared a moment longer before answering the question posed to her. "Big Macintosh had made the trees sound so amazing, I wanted to see them before they were gone. I asked him to keep a notebook of proper care techniques and their growth pattern, as well."

"Before they are gone? What do you know of these trees, Twilight?"

Twilight took a moment to explain to Luna everything detailed in the book she had found in the library. She told her about the usiku trees short lifespan and accelerated growth time. Explained why the trees would be unable to be planted again until after the coming winter and how the person who planted the fruits was in charge of how they tasted.

"What do you mean? Macintosh can simply decide how the fruit tastes?"

"Not exactly. The fruits are grown not only from moonlight and water. They are grown with the love inside the very pony who plants them. As a result of that, other ponies that that pony loves will taste an amazing fruit. However, people that pony dislikes will taste something bitter. We're fortunate that Big Macintosh is such a stallion of the ponies. I don't think there's one pony he's ever met that he doesn't like."

Luna smiled and nodded at her. "Yes, he is something of a gentle giant, isn't he?" After a moment it finally clicked in Luna's head. Macintosh's truest feelings were grown into the fruits. That's how she would gauge how he felt about her. It was perfect!

"Alright, Princess, I need to hit the hay. I don't know how you night ponies stay up this late. Thank you for allowing me to see the trees."

"The pleasure was all mine, Twilight Sparkle. Thank you for the information."

They parted ways and Luna flew to the hospital to visit Macintosh. He was out of danger but he still hasn't woken up yet. Luna had made the internal promise to spend as much time with him as she could. Just in case he tried to slip away from them all without knowing how she felt.

The nurses nodded her in and she sat silently by his bedside, holding his hoof in both of hers, and worried. She didn't know what else to do. Magic was unable to help him now.

Often times, it felt like magic's uses were unlimited, but it did have it's limits. It was easy for a magical spell to mend a twisted ankle or a small cut but that was where it stopped. Superficial wounds were all it helped. Something like a concussion combined with blood loss was beyond the scope of any magically inclined pony's ability.

So Luna simply say and did what she could to make him comfortable and held his hoof. For a moment, it the beginning she thought someone might start a rumor or might find it uncouth but she decided quickly she didn't care what anyone else thought. She was genuinely worried for the stallion in front of her and wanted nothing more than for him to improve, so that they might share the fruits of their endeavors together.

"Fruits of our endeavors. How literal that statement is." Luna giggled softly to herself.

"What's funny, sister?" Celestia entered the room quietly, speaking softly.

Luna turned to her and quickly released Macintosh's hoof. "Nothing. My mind was wandering. What are you doing here?"

"No need to release him, sister. I couldn't sleep. I thought I'd check on Big Macintosh but I can see he is in very capable hooves."

Luna wrapped her hoof around Macintosh's again. "I simply wish we could do more for him," she said, sadly.

"Magic can do many things, sister. But sometimes you have to rely on the strength of the affected pony to pull them back to life." She paused to let her words sink in. "Now tell me, have you ever met a stronger pony in all of your long life?"

Luna smiled meekly as a tear rolled down her cheek and she shook her head at Celestia. "No, sister. No, I have not."

Celestia embraced her sister tightly, allowing her to cry more freely. Luna's hoof remained tight to Macintosh's but with her free hoof she held her sister close.

As they separated, Celestia spoke again. "Have you told him how you feel yet?"

Luna shook her head.

"Why not?"

"Because I want to tell him. I want him to be here to respond to me. I am afraid of his reaction but I feel that if I tell him in his current state it would be like saying farewell. I do not want to say farewell to him."

Celestia wiped away a fresh tear on Luna's face. "I cannot argue with that. Be strong, sister. Big Macintosh will return to us all. I have faith in his strength and his will to survive. He will not go from a bump on the head."

Luna smiled and again embraced her sister tightly. "Thank you." Luna broke the embrace and took a deep, calming breath. "I will be strong. For him."

"I'll leave you be. Good night, Luna."

"Good night, sister."

Luna was glad to be alone with Macintosh again. Not that she didn't value Celestia's wisdom and kind words but she simply wanted to sit and wait on Macintosh to awaken. She laid her head down on his bed and closed her eyes, thinking of all the things she had to tell him. Truly, she was scared, but she knew where his answer laid if he didn't awaken soon.

Luna awoke with a start hours later. A nurse had gently shaken her from her slumber. The nurse politely informed her that it was the time she had asked them to retrieve her. It was time for her to set the moon. She was sure Celestia would do it for her, had she asked, but Luna felt it best to stay in routines and this was an important one. She left Macintosh's room slowly. She didn't want to leave him alone but the nurses assured her that someone from the Apple family would be in soon.

She relented and left the hospital, soaring up into the already brightening sky. She relished the cool dawn air, and let it clear her mind as she settled the moon, before returning to the castle. Much as she wished to return to Macintosh, she knew he would be in good hooves throughout the day. After an hour of tossing and turning, she drifted into an uneasy and troubled sleep, filled with dreams that she would be hard pressed to forget come the next evening.

Comments

[CrimsonEyedPrince]

An emotional chapter and a good one.

[TAB]

Another good chapter, though I did catch one error:

Much as magic was an unexplainable thing, it did have it's limits.

I think you mixed up that sentence a bit

[RangerBeef]

1583081 I seriously almost cried a few times while writing it. I get too into my own stories.

1583165 Good call. That made more sense when I wrote it, not so much upon reading it. Haha

[CrimsonEyedPrince]

1583393
That is a good thing. Writers that put their emotions into the stories they write can only make the story that much better. I do the same thing for my stories.

[black heart]

Good job.

[Kiri92]

heart warming ,sad and ASELUTLY god...job ^^