//------------------------------// // 2. It'll be a picnic! // Story: And The Stars Shine Forth // by archonix //------------------------------// The pre-dawn light streaming through the window woke Luna. In itself that was an unaccustomed sensation, made more peculiar by the size and quality of the room she found herself in. She hadn't taken the time for a detailed exploration the previous night, even after the unexpected yet most entertaining pillow-fight Twilight had initiated for no apparent reason, but she had appreciated its basic honesty and simplicity. Books lined nearly every available space, for someone as studious as Twilight would surely go insane without a constant access to the written word. It gladdened Luna's heart to see how many were related to the stars. Luna slid from the bed to continue her perusal, walking softly to avoid waking Twilight. She came to a writing desk, a hugely ornate thing that looked out of place in such a small space. Luna suspected it was a gift from Celestia, who was prone to overcompensation at times, yet despite it being such a contrast to the room she couldn't deny the superior craftwork. It was a desk built to last and built to survive the ministrations of a mage, as it already had. Luna could see the scars of several overenthusiastic experiments on its surface. She glanced up at the ceiling and saw at least one mottled chemical stain. The room was very much lived in. How long had Twilight been in Ponyville? Two years? She had certainly settled herself well, Luna thought as she tip-toed around the room. She paused to look at her sleeping friend and smiled. Luna's stomach, unused to the odd hour, growled menacingly. She opened the door, expecting for a moment to find a waiting attendant she could demand food from, then remembered that she wasn't a princess right now. Yet Twilight couldn't be disturbed for it would be unfair to wake her so early, and her little dragon friend was apparently notorious for his ability to sleep through anything. Another stolen glance up at Twilight's prone form and Luna had a sudden and rather wonderful idea. She almost bit her tongue with excitement as she skipped back through the room and up the back stairs to the kitchen, her mind ablaze with thoughts of the magnificently prepared feast she would present for Twilight. And herself, naturally. Twilight woke with the smell of smoke in her nostrils. She snuffled and tried to clear the air by turning over, then buried her head under her pillow to get away from the smell. Smoke. In a library. A library full of books. Smoke. In a house made from a tree. Smoke! "Fire!" She leaped from her bed, noticing only in hindsight that Lu—Sable's bed was already abandoned as she shot down the stairs to the reading room, a fire suppression spell already coiling around her horn. A thin cloud of smoke stirred fitfully across the ceiling, pooling around the stairs and crawling up to the upper floors, but Twilight could see no sign of a fire. The spell dissipated with a quiet pop and she flopped onto her haunches, panting as the adrenaline worked its way through her body. Twilight shook her head and gently slapped her cheeks with her forehooves. The clatter of pots drew her back upstairs to the kitchen where she expected to find Spike preparing something. Except Spike, as far as she knew, was still fast asleep in his basket which left only one other possibility. Heart filled with trepidation, Twilight pushed open the door and stepped into the kitchen. "Hello Twilight!" "S-Sable?" Twilight looked around the kitchen and tried not to think about how long it would take to clean up the mess. Somehow there were eggs on the ceiling. Why were there eggs on the ceiling? "What's going on?" "I have prepared a meal to break our fast!" The goddess-in-disguise pointed at a plate stacked high with what looked suspiciously like pancakes. "A veritable feast! Though you are woefully short of certain key ingredients and I am afraid you will have to purchase a new skillet, as I appear to have destroyed this one." As proof Luna held up a mangled mess of metal that did appear to be vaguely skillet-related. I'm not even going to ask how she did that, Twilight thought, already rather closer to the edge of sanity than she liked. On the other hoof the pancakes did smell genuinely good. "I wasn't expecting breakfast," Twilight said. Luna's face fell. "I-I-I mean I'm not saying it's a bad thing, it looks delicious, I just didn't expect it! That's... that's all." "Well, now you shall have an unexpected pleasure, Twilight," Luna said. She winked and levitated the plate of pancakes out of the kitchen. Twilight heard her stump down the stairs to the bedroom and then pause. A shout echoed back a moment later. "Twilight, we cannot find the dining hall!" It was going to be a long day, Twilight could tell. A very long, very interesting day. She took a last look at the almost unrecognisable kitchen before dragging herself out into the main room. The smoke had largely cleared, though the smell would persist for a few hours. Twilight made a note to check that no books had absorbed anything damaging. Fortunately the most vulnerable volumes were kept in a hermetically sealed cabinet in the reference section on the ground floor, where she exercised a very strict 'no touching' policy for all but a chosen few. Twilight found the Princess pacing uncertainly at the top of the stairs, pancakes suspended carefully near the wall, unmoving. In all honesty it was hard for Twilight to reconcile her previous experience of Luna with this... this Sable. The eagerness to enjoy and take part was the same, but cooking? Competently? Well, somewhat competently Twilight amended as she recalled the kitchen. Princesses were supposed to have ponies doing everything for them weren't they? "Sable." Twilight's ersatz friend didn't respond. Obviously she was still getting used to the name as well. "Sable! We eat in here." "In the bed chamber?" "It's the only chamber," Twilight said. She turned and looked at her room. It had begun to seem so large, or perhaps so efficient; even with Sable's bed in the corner it still had plenty of space. She glanced at the floating stack of pancakes and then dragged her work table away from the wall. "If I have a lot of guests I set up a table in the Politics and Philosophy section downstairs, but I don't normally need to do that." By now she had finished moving the table and set out two place settings. A short burst of magic tore the pancakes away from Luna's yielding grasp. When Twilight looked back the night-black unicorn was staring at her with uncomprehending eyes. "But the bed chamber?" "If it helps, you can try thinking of it as a dining room that just happens to have a bed in it. Now come on, I want to try your pancakes." The demand seemed to mollify Luna. She trotted to the table and sat down, her face cheery as Twilight helped herself to a small stack of pancakes. Twilight noticed that Luna had also brought out syrup, cream and – Celestia be thanked – raspberries. She loved raspberries. Had Luna been reading her letters? The vague worry over her privacy was lost as she tucked into the breakfast. "Oh, heavens, these are wonderful! Luna, when did you learn to cook?" Luna cleared her throat and purposefully looked away, refusing to answer. "Oh. Right," Twilight said. She swallowed another mouthful and put on her best smile. "Sable. Same question." Luna raised a portion of her pancakes – her 'feast' – and an odd melancholy clouded her eyes. "We were not always the pampered monarch, Twilight Sparkle. As I told you last night, I have lived many lives and I had many lifetimes to learn the art." She raised an eyebrow, still examining her pancakes. "However, as your kitchen attests, I am somewhat out of practice." They ate in silence. Now and then Luna seemed about to speak but, whenever Twilight turned to pay attention the princess seemed to shy away or find something else to do. Twilight wondered what she might have done or said wrong, but there was little point in trying to guess. She'd only make things worse if it were true. At least the pancakes were good. As the last of them disappeared on to Twilight's place, Luna shifted and arched her back. She grimaced. "I had forgotten how odd a sensation it is to have no wings." "But surely they're just invisible?" Luna shook her head and smiled. "Nay, Twilight Sparkle. This is no mere showmare's trick." "You mean—b-but that's amazing! How do you compensate for the mass difference? Do you convert the extra to energy and dissipate it somehow? But then how would you get everything back in the right place to—" "Twilight, please," Luna said, holding up a hoof. She frowned ever so slightly, arched her back again and then shook her head. "I cannot answer your questions simply, I promise I shall teach you some of what I know, later," she stressed, cutting of Twilight before she could speak. "I am not here to be your tutor." "Oh that would have been a much better cover story!" "I was already enamoured with the idea of being your friend, Twilight Sparkle." "We can do that too," Twilight said, a little too quickly. She could feel her stomach twisting again, already on edge as conflicting desires fought for dominance. Twilight couldn't believe she was so quick to try and seek advantage from somepony who just wanted to be her friend. On the other hand, she was a princess... Practicality won the day as Twilight realised the table wouldn't clean itself. Nor would the kitchen. She quickly began gathering up dishes, levitating them into a pile at the edge of the table until Luna's magic suddenly took over the task. "P-p... S-Sable, you can't—" "Twilight Sparkle, you may cosset me all month if you wish, but I must do this today if I am to gain anything from this outing." Luna hummed as she gathered the dirty dishes to herself and turned toward the kitchen. "Sable, I really think I should—" "No!" Luna stomped toward the kitchen. "We are a princess, we may do as we wish! And it is our decree that these dishes shall be sentenced to drowning in soap!" That's what I was worried about, Twilight thought. Luna may have shown herself to be a domestic demi-goddess but it seemed she had almost no sense of proportion. If Twilight were lucky, Luna would only fill the kitchen with suds and not the entire building. She made a mental note to stock up on more soap. After an hour, drawn out to what felt like several days by Twilight's tension, Luna had finished cleaning and was back in the library, perusing the history section. The kitchen had not suffered any sort of soap-related apocalypse and was actually a little cleaner than normal, though Twilight knew the smell of burnt sponge and singed chinaware would linger for weeks. The skillet was consigned to the trash – Twilight would take it to be recycled later – and whatever food and cutlery had survived the destructive tide of Sable Moonshine was carefully stored away, ready for Twilight to take stock later on. It was barely nine and Twilight was already exhausted, though she was rarely much of a morning pony anyway. Maybe she'd have Spike take care of the stock-take. That way she could go and collapse with a nice book in the reading room and not think about anything involving food. Speaking of which... "Is there anything you're after, Sable?" Luna looked up from her study of the shelves and gave Twilight a half-smile through furrowed brows. "There are many I things seek, Twilight Sparkle." "Twilight," Twilight said. Luna's absent-minded nod was the only reply she got. "Well, you know where I am if you need help finding anything specific." Luna stood and turned sharply from the shelves to trot across the room. She pause by the wooden bust in the centre of the room and peered at it before glancing around, then meandered toward the modern literature section and sat down with a thump, staring at the shelves. "Oh, I was thinking I would invite my friends to meet you this lunchtime," Twilight said. Luna twisted toward Twilight, surprise pulling her eyebrows almost past her horn. She grinned. "Wonderful! Are we to meet them here? Or shall we go out to an eatery or place of entertainment?" "Uh, well, I thought a picnic would be a nice way to introduce everyone. I've sent Spike out to sort the details." "I wondered whence the little dragon had departed." Luna rubbed her chin, lost in thought. "An outdoor meal sounds like an excellent idea. I have not had one in almost two thousand years. It shall be fun! Are we to have the traditional birch pyre? Would you like me to prepare any—" "No!" Twilight closed her eyes and tried to keep her ears upright as visions of the fate of her poor battered kitchen flashed through her mind. She put on a friendly smile. "I mean... no, you're a guest and a friend, it would be unfair to expect you to make breakfast and lunch." The room almost visibly brightened as Luna's smile returned. For the workers of Sweet Apple Acres the working day had started several hours earlier, before the first light of dawn and the rising of the sun. With just a few more days to the start of Applebucking season there was not a minute that could be spent on anything other than repetitive, laborious work and preparation, and that was on top of all the regular work that went on around a farm of such a size, from tending greenhouses to cutting hay to the constant repair of tools and buildings. From her perch on a hill behind the farmhouse Applejack surveyed the frenetic activity of the Apple Family empire and nodded to herself, for it was good. Even if she had been forced to lay in extra hours thanks to that idiot stallion and alleged fieldworker suddenly deciding to up and leave in the middle of the night without so much as a thank you ma'am, and even if they were expecting an unusually large harvest and had an unusually short time to bring it in thanks to a scheduling mix-up at the weather factories over in Cloudsdale. And even if... Applejack sighed. If she rehearsed all the problems she was facing she'd be here all day. But it was good, because the alternative was idleness and sloth and if she'd learned anything in her life it was that idle hooves caused mischief of the worst kind. A busy farm was a happy farm. The bustling scene and her anticipated return to it would have to wait, however. Applejack turned to face her current, minor assailant and his terrifyingly sharp teeth, claws and temper. "I'm sure it'll be great, Spike, but I don't see why I should be cuttin' a day short right at the start of the harvest to play picnic with Twilight and her new friend." "Don't shoot the messenger, Applejack," Spike replied, hands spread in supplication. "Of course I could just wander back down and tell Twilight that you said you're too busy to spend time with one of your best friends..." "That's exactly what I am sayin'!" "Oh." Dragon faces were not nearly as expressive as a pony's but even Applejack could see the change in Spike's demeanour. He slouched and turned away, sighing heavily. "Spike..." "No, it's fine. It's not like she was really excited about a day out for everypony or that she'll be upset if a friend can't take a couple of measly hours out of an entire season to see her or that it's the first time she's had a chance to even talk to that friend for several weeks." "Now listen here, it ain't been more than... why it's only been a..." Applejack began counting back the days since she had last spoken to her friend and found a great many of them. Work, always work. Funny how the thing she had been so proud of a moment earlier had suddenly become such a burden. "Oh mercy, has it really been that long since I saw Twilight? Maybe I do need to take a break." "You're coming?" "I guess I am at that. You give Twilight mah reservup and I'll see all y'all later." The smile on Spike's face was a sight to behold as he scooted down the hill back to town, though Applejack had difficulty actually beholding it through the trail of dust he kicked up. She shook her head, then turned back to the farm. A short trot down the hill brought her to the family home, a haven of relative peace on the farm at this time of year. Through the kitchen window she saw Granny Smith and Applebloom playing a game of checkers, which Granny Smith seemed to be winning quite handily judging by the sour look Applebloom was giving the board. Applejack had learned long ago never to challenge the old nag to anything. Not even Applebucking; Granny Smith would gladly shatter her own legs before admitting she was beat. A pair of fieldworkers wandered past the gate on their way to a late breakfast, deep in conversation. They seemed happy, despite the extra hours they were putting in. Even the new one, Rock or something was it? Sky stone? No matter. She was a strange cookie but Applejack knew a good, hard worker when she saw one. She continued through the yard until she found the target of her search lurking beneath a tree. Lazing, more like. Big Macintosh put his all into everything he did and right now he was putting it into not doing a dang thing. Applejack pushed up her hat and whistled her appreciation. "Y'all are gonna turn into part of that tree if'n you stay there much longer, Mac," she said, giving her brother an affectionate nuzzle. Mac grinned up at her and twisted his ever-present stalk of grass around his mouth. "Yup." "Listen, I gotta go into town for a few hours an' make nicey-nice with some new friend of Twilight's. Think y'all can hold down the fort till I get back?" Big Mac nodded and smiled, then lay back and pushed a hat over his eyes as Applejack turned to leave. "Y'all take care now." "I will," Applejack yelled over her shoulder, already in the mood for a few hours of impromptu rest and recreation. A gust of wind caught at her hat as Applejack exited the yard, accompanied a moment later by the loud groan of tortured wood. Applejack looked up at the nearest trees, branches heavy with almost perfectly ripe apples, just in time see a particularly overladen limb heave itself out in the wind and crash to the ground. Now free of the loaded branch, the tree swayed like a drunken sailor as it fought the miniature squall and sought a new balance, flinging apples and leaves every which way and leaning dangerously close to one of the greenhouses. Applejack set off at a run toward the tree. She spotted a few workponies nearby, the same she'd seen passing earlier. "You two! Rope, baskets and a saw!" Without pausing for breath Applejack spun on her forehooves and gave the tree a firm kick, flinging another bushel of apples into the air. The tree groaned and swayed again, even lifting its roots free of the ground. Too late, she thought. She bucked it again, trying to guide the already lost tree to a safe landing. With a loud report the tree lifted itself clear of the ground, almost seeming to jump, eager to be free of its earthbound ways. It fell away from the greenhouse in a flurry of leaves and shattered branches. Applejack flopped to her haunches and wiped her brow. Familiar hoofbeats behind her told of Big Mac finally dragging himself over to see what had happened. He took in the scene and whistled. "I knew building them greenhouses so close to the orchard was a bad idea," Applejack groused. She pushed her hat back and took in the scene. "Never thought I'd be in the dumps at havin' too many apples." Big Mac inclined his head and nodded at the returning workponies, before turning back to look at the tree. "Nope." "If a little breeze could do that... Send Apple Fritter down to the weather factory an'have her make sure they ain't sendin' any wind up our way. We can not afford to lose this harvest, Mac." Applejack pushed her hat forward again and gestured at the surrounding ponies to begin clearing the tree. "Better get to work, I guess." It was almost noon by the time Applejack finally escaped the farm and its never-ending litany of demands. A collapsed barn roof, rats in the granary and an injured fieldworker were just the highlights. "After today I am gonna be workin' until I drop an' no two ways about it," she muttered. "Until you drop what, darling?" Applejack felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest. She glanced over at Rarity, who had somehow managed to sneak up on her despite the path being deserted in both directions. The fashionista was giving Applejack a very appraising look, as if fitting her up for yet another dress. Applejack was not interested in another dress. She had three already. "Just, uh, farm work," she said, rubbing the back of her head as Rarity cantered up to her. "I got a lot on an' almost no time to do it." "We're all quite busy at the moment aren't we? Why just today I—oh sweet Celestia, what is that awful smell?" "Uh, now y'see—" "Darling, perhaps you should read up on a new invention I like to call bathing. I hear it's all the rage!" "It's not like I had much of a choice, I've been working solid since sunrise!" Rarity slowed her pace and seemed to be thinking about something. Well that was just fine with Applejack, if it meant she'd not have to listen to more comments about her bathing habits from some wannabe princess with delusions of sainthood. Applejack set her eyes on the distant hill they usually used for these outings and set herself into a comfortable canter. She could see a pair of ponies already on the spot; one was Twilight, who Applejack could recognise anywhere. The other was new. "Applejack, darling, wait!" Despite herself Applejack slowed a little to let Rarity catch up. The unicorn tossed her hair as she drew alongside Applejack and gave her a broad smile. "I'm so very sorry Applejack, that was terribly rude." "Y'darn tootin'!" "Quite. Well I believe the fresh air has already reduced the... odour quite significantly," Rarity replied, standing as close as she dared to Applejack and holding her dainty little snout in the air. "I was planning on an afternoon at the spa with Fluttershy after this lunch but apparently she has, ah, other engagements. You could come along instead, if you like." Applejack sighed. It was just like Rarity to do this, offering a chance at what she believed to be a taste of heaven as an apology. Applejack tried to suppress a smile. "I'm sorry, Rarity, I gotta work the rest of the day." "Nonsense! I won't stand to see you work yourself into a stupor again, you're going to come with me and you're going to be pampered and preened until you positively glow. Now say thank you and I might let myself forget this little incident." "Are you kiddin' me?" "On this subject, Applejack, I never joke." The back and forth continued as they trotted toward the picnic. Applejack could feel herself relaxing under the constant wash of Rarity's chatter, even as the conversation turned to her work and various contracts she had secured in Canterlot on the back of the royal wedding. She tuned it out, tried to enjoyed the walk and the freedom from her responsibilities for a little while. High above, Celestia's sun shone bright and hot in a deep blue sky, barely a cloud to hide it. Perfect weather for a lot of things that definitely weren't apples, nor the harvesting of apples, making of cider, storage of fruits and general work of the season. Applejack shook her head and tried to concentrate on something that wasn't work, only to find herself worrying about the fieldworker who'd managed to get her leg cut up in a hay baler. Any relaxation she'd felt was sucked away by the tension in her withers and back, the itch in her legs that could only be scratched by the firm bark of a tree under her hooves. She almost turned away there and then, but halted at the last moment as Rainbow Dash zoomed overhead. Besides, she'd promised Twilight she'd be there, she couldn't back out now. Applejack's thoughts were interrupted by Rarity, who squealed something so outrageously loud that she managed to drown herself out in the noise. "Whut?" "I said that must be Twilight's new friend! Oh isn't she gorgeous?" Applejack glanced over at the strange pony with Twilight. "I guess I don't know gorgeous from tubby," she said with a wry grin. Rarity's shocked glare said everything she needed to know about that subject. "Y'all suppose she's from Canterlot?" "Where else! Though such a dusky colouration is extremely unusual amongst high society mares." The others were arriving as Rarity and Applejack drew close and some part of the picnic was already set out, complete with the stereotype chequered cloth. Pinkie Pie was carrying the largest basket Applejack had ever seen. Twilight turned as they arrived and greeted Applejack with a warm smile. "You made it!" "I sure did, though I gotta confess I'm a mite on the ripe side..." "No kidding," Rainbow Dash replied. She held her hoof over her nose and fluttered her wings at Applejack. "What did you do, wrestle a pig?" "Jealous?" "What? That doesn't even make sense!" "Girls!" Twilight forced herself between the pair and glared at each of them in turn until they backed down. Applejack let out a sigh. This was not going well, she could feel the familiar lump at the back of her throat that turned up whenever she was in the wrong. " 'm sorry Twilight. It's been a hard mornin'." "Right. Well, now you can forget all that." Twilight stepped back and looked at each of her friends in turn. She spent a little longer staring at Applejack, who couldn't think why she'd do that, then put on another broad smile and held out her hoof to toward her companion. "Girls, I'd like you to meet Sable Moonshine. She's taken some time off from her studies in Canterlot and will be staying with me for a couple of weeks for some, ah, extracurricular research, I suppose." "Greetings!" A chorus of welcomes echoed around the group as they introduced each other to Sable, shortly followed by a overly dramatic gasp as Rarity belatedly noticed the mention of 'Canterlot'. The dark unicorn's gaze lingered for a moment on Applejack, just as Twilight's had, but her expression was tinged with uncertainty. She held out a nervous hoof. "You are a farm worker?" "That's right!" Applejack pressed her hoof against Sable's and grinned the biggest, widest grin she could force onto her face. Sable nodded slightly but her expression remained unreadable. "I'm also the best dang cowpony from here to Appleoosa!" If Applejack's boast had impressed Sable, she didn't show it. If anything she seemed unnerved by the brash reply and quickly backed away, much to Applejack's annoyance. Guess I'm too stinky for her, she thought. Applejack, y'all are too stinky for your own self, never mind some prancing Canterlot courtier, some part of her brain added. "... and you simply must tell me who does your mane, it's so stylish, so retro-chic! I just love it! And your fetlocks, so daring, so autrement! Tell me, do you bleach them or is it a natural colour?" "I... I would love to tell you about my styling attendants, but I am not sure you know them," Sable replied, almost collapsing under the assault of Rarity's commentary on every part of her look. And who has styling attendants anyway? "Oh darling, knowing who they are doesn't matter, I simply must experience their work! Oh!" Rarity covered her mouth with her hoof and almost squealed. "I just realised I have an ensemble that would look absolutely splendid on you! Please tell me you'll pay a visit to my little shop soon?" "Of course! We... we shall have so much fun!" Applejack couldn't help but grin at Sable's dazed expression, one shared with so many who encountered Rarity for the first time. Yet somehow she managed to survive an introduction to Pinkie Pie, who seemed unusually subdued by comparison; Pinkie Pie obviously realised she had an impossible act to follow and just didn't try. Sable returned to her spot by Twilight as everyone settled down and Pinkie produced their meal. Applejack had expected the basket to contain some sort of party bomb, or at least a giant cake, but instead the party pony brought forth a feast of treats and savouries that threatened to put even the Apple Family annual shindigs to shame. Appreciative murmurs ran around the group as the food was laid out and just as quickly snatched up. Sable seemed content to just watch, though she must surely have been as hungry as the others. Applejack wondered if that was politeness or something else and recalled the reaction of Canterlot's elite to her own 'carnival food'. She snorted. The sound seemed to startle Sable and she turned her piercing blue eyes on Applejack, then raised her eyebrows and quickly looked away. "Everypony, I would like to thank you for making me so welcome today. Twilight has told me a great deal about all of you, her closest friends, such that I almost feel I know you myself." Sable smiled as she spoke. Applejack wondered what the joke was and found herself frowning at Twilight, though fortunately her friend didn't notice. "As Twilight has so graciously explained, I shall be staying with her for a short time to undertake some research on a topic we are both extremely keen to understand. I should also like to spend time with all of you, if you are willing to allow my presence." "Of course, silly!" Pinkie practically bounced over to Sable and wrapped her in a great big hug. "If you're Twilight's friend, you're our friend too!" "Absolutely," Rarity agreed between mouthfuls of whatever treat Pinkie Pie had laid before her. "You simply must spend some time with me at the spa, dear. Lotus and Aloe will do wonders for your back which, I noticed, you seem to be having some trouble with if I'm not being too forward?" Sable's ears twitched, followed a moment later by a sort of half-shrug as she shifted her back. "You are so perceptive, Rarity. Of course I would be honoured!" "Oh the honour is all mine," Rarity purred. Applejack closed her eyes and tried not to feel embarrassed for her friend. The meal wore on but Applejack found she had quickly lost her appetite. She gently pushed her plate away and sat back, ignoring Pinkie Pie's quizzical look. A moment later Applejack found her plate had magically disappeared and turned to see Pinkie looking at her with an overstuffed grin. She winked and swallowed, before returning her attention to Sable. And that was the thing. Everyone seemed so enamoured with this newcomer, even Fluttershy had come out of her shell a little. Applejack was sure by now that she was just another shallow, stuck-up society mare... well, reasonably sure. Probably. The point was she'd turned her nose up at Pinkie's food and the silly pastry chef was still hanging on her every word. And she'd reacted to Applejack like she was just a serf or labourer or something. Stuffy, loud, haughty. Everything Applejack disliked about Rarity without any of her redeeming features. Maybe she was being too harsh. Maybe it was just the events of the day getting to her. She tried to put the thoughts from her mind and concentrate on being friendly, not that she was in much of a mood for it any more. The conversation wound on. Applejack gave the occasional polite response if necessary but otherwise stayed quiet, letting her mind wander over the preparations for the start of the harvest. Short-handed as she was it would be difficult to take care of the entire harvest without losing a significant portion, and now there was the threat of more trees collapsing under their overbountiful crops which meant she might even end up with a smaller take than usual. Applejack heard someone calling her name and shook her head clear of the reverie. "Whut? Sorry, I was thinkin about work." "I was just explaining that you're expecting a very large harvest," Twilight said, gently touching Applejack's foreleg with her hoof. "And that you're probably quite tired." "Oh... yeah, tired," Applejack replied. "We had a tree go over an' one of the seasonals is laid up in hospital with a hole in her leg the size of mah hoof. I got more apples than I know what to do with... but this ain't the place fer me to complain." She glanced at Sable and tried to smile. "You never told us 'bout what it is y'all do for a livin'." "I herd the night..." Sable glanced at her cutie mark and frowned as if remembering something important. "That is to say, I am an astronomer. I study the stars and the moon, and..." Sable looked at Twilight with a pleading expression and the younger unicorn looked thoughtful for a moment. The two leaned close to confer in quiet whispers. Applejack risked a glance at Rarity and saw a very knowing look as Twilight began to speak. "Outside of her studies Sable helps maintain a catalogue of the stars for Canterlot University and provides a similar service to the School for Gifted Unicorns." "Yes." Sable nodded eagerly. "I have a great love of the stars. Sometimes I feel they are my only true friends. Apart from Twilight Sparkle, of course!" Twilight giggled and leaned almost drunkenly against Sable's side, which in turn set off Pinkie Pie and then Rainbow Dash. Soon even Applejack was laughing along with them, happy to just let go of herself for a moment and join in the fun. The laughter soon died down, replaced with a comfortable silence as they contemplated the now departed feast. Pinkie Pie let out a gaping yawn and stretched, cat-like, before starting to pack up her basket of goodies. With that signal for the end of the meal, Twilight and Sable both stood at the same time. They giggled again. "We should get back," Twilight said, tail twitching with her usual eagerness when anything involve books was in her near future. "We've got a lot planned for tonight." Sable nodded her affirmation and gave everypony all a far-too-cheery wave as they turned away. The others remained, lingering by the remnants of the food and enjoying the sun or, in Applejack's case, enjoying the fact that they still weren't back to work for the rest of the day. With the pair out of earshot, Rarity's eyes narrowed and she leaned towards the others. "Tell me I was not the only one to see something going on there." "I thought they looked very happy," Fluttershy offered. She blushed and stared at her hooves. "Do you think... maybe?" "No maybe about it, darling! Whatever that pony is here for it's not just stargazing." Rainbow Dash stood up and glared at the gossiping pair. "Guys, this is Twilight we're talking about, she'd rather stick her snout in a book than... than anything." "Well there's definitely something going on. Oh, do you suppose she's some sort of spy for the princess?" "I don't rightly think this is any of our business," Applejack retorted. She stood up and glared at the others. "Whatever Twilight gets up to on her own time is her own business. For all ya know she really is just here to look at the stars an' you're all makin out like she's some sorta high-class courtesan! How would y'all feel if she started talkin' about you like that? I don't rightly care none what this Sable gits up to when I'm not around an' maybe all y'all should do the same." "I thought she was fun," Pinkie Pie said as Applejack stalked away, legs protesting at the sudden demand to move after so long seated. The tired farmer had almost reached the bottom of the hill when she was was halted by the sound of Rarity clearing her throat. Applejack rounded on her friend but the unicorn just nodded her head toward town and grinned. "You didn't think I'd let you walk out on our little arrangement, did you, darling?" The spa. Oh Celestia. Though she didn't mind the big hot-tub, Applejack would rather douse herself in a trough back at the farm and have more time for work, but the mare would not be refused; not even after the tongue-lashing Applejack had just handed out. And now she was doing that pouting thing. Applejack could not imagine a more useless thing than a hooficure on the very first day of Applebucking season. "Rarity I ain't got time to argue—" "Good! Buck up, we don't want to be late!" Horsefeathers!