//------------------------------// // The Wolf and the Moon // Story: Apples and Wheat // by TheAlmightySage //------------------------------// Many thanks to my editors: BrackMadar, Jamza, Hybridnecros. --- Apples and Wheat --- “Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.” ― Oscar Wilde, The Critic as Artist -- The Wolf and the Moon -- ----- Holo mumbled incoherently, as the sun's warm rays stirred her from a deep slumber. The wolfish mare lethargically rolled onto her back and stretched her forehooves wide, rubbing herself against the tall wheat stalks, before the sensation's familiarity registered with her memory. Startled, Holo bolted upright and looked about the familiar rolling hills, covered in ripe, golden wheat stalks as far as the eye could see. For a brief moment, Holo felt a pang of fear that she was back in the little mountain village that had been all but a prison for so many long years. However, as Holo looked about the golden fields, she saw no village in the distance and no ponies tending or harvesting the golden wheat stalks. After calming herself, Holo noted she was lacking her new clothes and the hangover typical of a night of drinking. Perplexed by this turn of events, Holo slowly walked about the field, looking for some recognizable landmark or indication of where she had awoken. "Can it be?" Holo whispered to herself as she saw a small stone slab a short distance away. As a faint recognition bloomed into vivid memories, Holo found herself running at nearly full speed to the distant granite slab. Upon arrival Holo nearly gasped, for before her was a round granite slab with a stylized, crescent moon carved in the center. "Will wonders ever cease," Holo mused with a smile and sat before the crescent moon, running her hoof over the engraving in the smooth granite, "Hmm, I do hope I remember the call correctly." Sitting up straight, Holo closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then sang a song from a time long since relegated to a nearly forgotten chapter of history.(1) To hear the raven’'s call by night To catch a wolven howl The Moon waits beyond the trees To guide the dreamer’'s soul. Holo solemnly sang with her eyes close and a small, serene smile upon her lips while the golden wheat stalks danced around her on an unfelt breeze. Keeper of Dreams hear my words spoken from my heart Guide this dreamer's flight, to and fro this night. Holo opened her eyes and waited with her ears perked up for any sign of a familiar, and long missed, friend. Unfortunately several long moments passed with no sound to be heard, save the rustling of the endless golden fields of wheat stalks. Holo closed her eyes, letting a mournful sigh slip past her lips as her ears drooped. Mentally chiding herself for allowing her hopes to be so easily raised. But as the wolfish mare slowly trotted away from the granite slab, to explore the dreamscape her subconscious had created, a faint and far off voice caused her ears to twitch. To wait at night upon the dream To seek the midnight hour The Moon hides beyond the gate To hear the dreamer’s prayer, . Holo dashed back to the granite slab as fast as her hooves could take her as the distant, regal voice sang and sang back the reply. Keeper of Dreams hear my words spoken from my heart Guide this dreamer's flight, to and fro this night. And again the regal voice sang back to her. However, this time the voice came, not from somewhere far across the golden fields, but right beside Holo and sang solemnly with her. To walk amongst the shadows by day, To call upon the sleeper The Moon whispers on the wind To drown the dreamer's sorrow. Luna, Princess of the Night and Keeper of the Dreamlands, sang with her eyes closed as she draped a wing around her old friend's shoulders. Holo close her eyes and leaned against the dark alicorn, relishing her long absent friend's touch and together the old companions sang the ancient songs final stanza. Keeper of Dreams hear my words spoken from my heart Guide this dreamer's flight, to and fro this night. For a time the pair remained in the silent embrace, both enjoying the simple feeling of each other's long missed presence. "I should have known only you would use a song from our youth to call me," Luna said with a soft smile as she hugged her dear friend closer with her wing. "I missed you greatly, my dear friend," Holo said keeping her eyes closed and leaving her head resting against the dark alicorn's shoulder. "And I you, my dear wolf," Luna replied before resting her chin on Holo's head. As much as the Night Princess was enjoying the silent closeness, there were things to discuss and a visit to explain. "So what have I missed, my friend?" Luna asked looking down at Holo. "A great many things," Holo said with a sigh and tired eyes, "After you left I stayed at a rural village for a time, then I resumed my travels after finding a good companion to stay with me." “Yes, my sister mentioned you visited her once after my… departure,” Luna said as Holo´s dreamscape shifted and they found themselves atop a wagon, slowly moving but with no driver, “She also said that you had a traveling merchant with you.” “He was a good stallion,” Holo replied quietly as she looked forlornly over the wagon's edge to empty harness, where her chestnut and silver peddler belonged, but was not. Though Luna's curiosity was piqued, she knew it would be foolish to ask about what was so clearly a painful memory. Instead she kept her wing wrapped tightly around her long missed friend. "What of your activities today?" Luna asked, gently nudging the wolfish mare's head. "Oh, I had quite a bit of fun, but first let me tell what your sister's brilliant student thought of me before we even met," Holo replied with a smirk. --- "And then she fainted!" Holo finished with a grin while Luna laughed leaning against her wolfish friend for support. "Oh, I did not know young Twilight could be so easily worked into a panic," Luna said between chuckles smiling broadly. "It was most entertaining," Holo said then sighed contentedly, leaning back against the dark alicorn. "Then I attended a party in my honor where I had my fill of fine ale and delicious cider." Luna chucked with her wing lazily draped over Holo, when a thought occurred to her, "At whose home are staying at my friend?" "Are you implying I cannot find my own bed to rest in?" Holo asked with a quirked eyebrow. Luna rolled her eyes at her friend's assumption. "Nay, but I remember you were always one to be clingy in your sleep," the night princess said with a chuckle. "I do not remember you ever complaining about my company," Holo countered with a flat look. "It is hard to complain when one's tongue is occupied with-" Luna began, but was interrupted when a hoof was abruptly shoved against her lips. Luna looked down at Holo with a raised eyebrow. "We agreed that was not to be brought up again," Holo said with a slight blush, "Besides we were younger and easily influenced by our emotions." Luna chuckled and gently pushed Holo's hoof away. "Fair enough, my old friend." "But to answer your question, I am staying with the Apple family of Ponyville," Holo replied, gazing upon the rolling hills of golden wheat stalks. "Ah, so you're staying with fair Applejack," Luna said with a smile. Holo stared at her old friend with a raised eyebrow for a moment, "'Fair' Applejack?" "What? She is a fine example of earth pony beauty," Luna said with a smile that bordered on devious. Holo felt her cheeks reddened ever so slightly at the implications of the off hand statement. "It would be wise to not attempt any claim upon Applejack," Holo stated curtly as her tail twitched in annoyance. Luna raised an eyebrow at her friends tone in surprise, before a grin slowly worked it's way across her lips. "You have feelings for her don't you?" Luna asked with a Cheshire grin. Holo turned away with an indignant humph, "That is none of your concern." "Apologies, my dear wolf. However, are you certain you do not wish to discuss this?" Luna asked with genuine concern. "It is a matter I shall contemplate on my own," Holo replied with soft sigh. Luna pursed her lips in thought for a moment, "I understand, my old friend, but if you wish to discuss this matter I am always willing to listen and give advice." "Thank you, Luna," Holo replied with a smile. "Though it still does not change the fact that Applejack is quite fetching," Luna added with a conspiratorial wink. Holo just rolled her eyes, then laid against the dark alicorn while her tail swayed lazily, "Not that I am complaining, but why are you only visiting me in my dreamscape and not face to face?" "In all honesty, my dear wolf, I was unaware you were still in Equestria after all these years," Luna replied as her eyes wandered over the subtle curves of Holo's lovely flank, enjoying the old memories that danced in her mind. "Ah, so your nag of a sister informed you of my return," Holo replied without opening her eyes. "Aye, that she did," Luna replied with a snicker, "And I am to tell you that we will be visiting you in a day, my dear wolf," the night princess answered before giving Holo's cheek a quick, affectionate nuzzle. Holo slipped away from Luna's nuzzling with an annoyed look, "By 'we' you mean that your sister shall be accompanying you?" Luna let out a weary sigh at her old friend's stubborn petulance. "Oh come now, Holo. Surely you can be tolerant if not courteous for just one day?" Holo let out an annoyed huff and laid back against Luna, "Fine, fine. I shall behave for your sake, my dear moon." "Thank you, my dear wolf." Luna said with a smile before placing a kiss upon Holo's forehead. Holo sighed contentedly, snuggled against Luna with the dark alicorn's wing lazily draped across, before the world was suddenly and violently tossed about, which threw her out of the comfortable dreamscape. Holo groaned as another rock on the dirt road caused the quickly moving wagon to jostle her about the wagon's interior, further aggravating her already painful hangover. Holo tried to open her eyes, but immediately shut them as the early morning sun burned her eyes painfully. Rubbing her eyes, Holo rose up from the pile of blankets with a scowl and voiced her annoyance, "Lawrence, I cannot sleep if you insist on jostling the wagon like this." The squeak of the wagon's wheels came to a slow stop, and for the briefest of moments Holo saw the outline of a stallion wearing a thin green coat under the wagon's harness. The outlined figure slowly turned and looked back at Holo with a slightly perplexed expression, "Who?" Holo blinked several times as the silhouette of her peddler changed to that of an orange mare wearing a Stetson. After a brief moment, recognition caught up with her hungover mind and the wolfish mare's cheeks acquired a lovely red hue, "Applejack?" "O' course, who else were ya expectin'?" AJ asked tilting her hat back curiously. "Never mind," Holo replied rubbing her head and doing her best to hide her growing blush, "Just pull the wagon with more care, it seems my hangover is making me see things." "Ain't mah fault you drank so much," Applejack muttered to herself then resumed the journey to Sweet Apple Acres, though at a slightly slower trot. With a tired sigh, Holo laid back down amongst the few blankets while she pondered the snippets of her dream, but she could not keep the glimpse of her peddler out of her mind. Perhaps, you are more like him than I realized at first, Holo thought to herself as she looked over at Applejack trotting along and pulling the wagon along. ~ Erstwhile ~ Twilight Sparkle slowly rose off her bathroom floor with a pained groan, "Ugh, too much alcohol." This wasn't the first time the young scholar awoke to the harsh consequence of partying a little too hard with her friends. Twilight gingerly rubbed her aching head, feeling slightly better after the rather forceful evacuation of her stomach. That is, until the scent of her stomach's leavings of undigested food and alcohol nearly caused a second vomiting fit. Biting back a dry heave, Twilight quickly flushed the toilet and ambled her way down to the kitchen for some strong coffee. Spike was already cooking up a light breakfast when Twilight slowly made her way into the kitchen and plopped down into her chair. Glancing back as he heard the familiar scrape of the kitchen chair on the floor, Spike smiled at his slightly hung over big sister, "Morning Twilight." The big sister in question, merely grunted in reply before quickly scooping the waiting cup of hot coffee between her hooves. "Uh oh," Spike said as he felt a familiar pressure build up in his gut. With a deep belch the little dragon produced a scroll with the familiar seal of Princess Celestia. Out of habit, Spike unfurled the scroll and read it aloud to Twilight. My most faithful student Twilight, My sister and I found your previous letter to be most informative and have to decided to speak with Holo, the Wise Wolf face to face. Since this will be a brief and informal visit. I would like you to gather as much information about Holo, her plans involving her stay with the Apple family, and any other relevant matters. My sister and I shall be arriving tomorrow morning. As such, there is no great rush and I will accept your report while I am in Ponyville. Your mentor and friend Princess Celestia. P. S. Luna asks if you could see if Pinkie Pie could make two dozen moon pies for her. "Thanks, Spike," Twilight replied before sipping on her coffee again. Then what Spike had read aloud finally registered in her groggy mind. "TOMORROW MORNING!?" Next Episode: Wolf and a Day on The Farm