//------------------------------// // 14 Sweet by Toratchi888 // Story: Full Moon Fever: A MoonLight Prompt Collab // by TheLastBrunnenG //------------------------------// Sweet by Toratchi888 Nightmare Moon glanced meekly at the ground before the Apple Family barn, prodding the remains of many litres’ worth of barrel-packed apples which were now little more than applesauce, loose staves, and hoops. Apple pulp dripped from her coat, as well as from the face of— “Blackie,” Twilight thundered, wiping a hoof across her sticky face, “what was that all about?!” Nightmare Moon looked up sheepishly. Before here stood Twilight Sparkle, her… guardian, for lack of a better term, and Applejack, bearer of the Element of Honesty and a close friend of Twilight Sparkle. Nightmare Moon glanced at Applejack; though she was frowning, Applejack did not appear to be feeling active hostility… yet. Probably since she was clean. “I… I am sorry, Twilight Sparkle,” she mumbled, “I was… hasty?” “…hasty.” Twilight’s look was pure disbelief. “Yes!” Nightmare Moon stood quickly, glancing abashedly at Applejack, whose frown had softened slightly. “I was… cooped up in the Castle for the last two days; Lady Celestia had required me to clean my quarters, but with all the dust and such, I was sneezing and banging into things and it took so long—” Twilight held up a hoof, stopping Nightmare Moon mid-flow. “Okay, okay, so you were cooped up. So… you thought…?” “I… I was enjoying my freedom through flight, and when I saw you below, I was just so happy…” Nightmare Moon again glanced at the remains of the apples, which appeared even sorrier now. Twilight sighed. “Blackie, look: I know you have even less idea than Luna about proper pony etiquette, but really: Dropping from the sky on a thunderbolt is assuredly not good form.” “Yes, Lady Sparkle.” Nightmare Moon bobbed her head docilely before turning to Applejack, who had yet to speak. “Lady Applejack, do you bear me enmity for my blunder? How may I compensate the loss of your harvest?” Applejack stroked her chin with her left hoof, eyes skyward as she thought. “Hmm… Well, beggin’ your pardon, Miss Nigh—Miss Moon, but, well, there ain’t much to be done about it.” “Oh, no! Please, I beg you, let me do something to compensate your! I know you take pride in your work, and surely working the land is hard! Please; I would not forgive myself if I could not—” “All right, all right!” Applejack brought her hoof down from her chin in a “stop” motion. “No need to plead, Miss Moon. I mean, there literally ain’t much to do; the apples are squished, and it’s apples we need. So…” Nighmare Moon perked up. “That’s it! I shall gather you more apples! Surely it is not so difficult!” Twilight’s hoof met her face, and her nose scrunched. Applejack snickered. “...Twilight Sparkle, I sense you are withholding your enthusiasm." NIghtmare Moon deadpanned. “Blackie,” Twilight sighed, “here at Sweet Apple Acres, the Earth Ponies buck every tree. No machines, no wings, no magic.” Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened. “I… oh, my… I had not… considered…” Applejack’s face became wry. “Welp, it took me a good two hours of buckin’ to get that much…” She frowned. “Hmm… And we’ll have to go farther, since we used all the trees on this plot…” She checked the sky; the sun was past its zenith. “Miss Moon, I tell ya, we need those apples right quick; I have to get them into the barn before sunset, or we’ll be behind schedule for tomorrow’s market.” “Show me the way, Lady Applejack!” Nighmare Moon reared on her back hooves. “I shall buck your apples post-haste!” “Well, let’s go!” Applejack reared and galloped into the barn, emerging with a can of red paint and a brush. She galloped off, Nightmare Moon cantering close behind. “Twilight! Can ya fix my barrels? Looks like they just burst instead o’ splinterin’; if ya can bring ‘em fixed and ready, we can load ‘em quick and be done!” Twilight rolled her eyes, but began picking up the broken barrels with her magic. * * * After about twenty minutes, Twilight had carefully repaired the barrels and was moving at a trot towards the west acres, a dozen barrels in her magical grip. Applejack had left daubs of paint at intervals, so Twilight was able to follow the path whenever it branched. She assumed she was about halfway to the new site, given the daubs lately were slightly more methodical now—cross-shaped, rather than just globs of paint. Twilight froze suddenly as she heard something rise from the orchards ahead of her. It was a wordless shout, but it sounded urgent. Twilight made off at a gallop towards the source of the sound, and was pleased somewhere in the back of her mind that she had grasped the sound’s origin at first try, since she didn’t miss a single daub of paint along the way even though she was only half looking. After a few minutes, she came to one particular plot, and— “I SAY, O APPLES: BUCK THYSELVES!” Twilight skidded ten hoof-lengths—her barrels continuing forward due to magical inertia—and came to a disbelieving stop as apples fell from their trees, Nightmare Moon’s amplified shout shaking the trees as thoroughly as a kick from Applejack’s hind legs. Twilight tried—she really tried—to say something intelligent about what she saw. But the only thing that came to mind was: “BLACKIIIIIIE! WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!” * * * Applejack could not stop laughing as they trotted all the way back to the barn. “Oh, Twi, relax. Miss Moon was only tryin’ to help, and y’know, she did! She got them apples down right quick, we’re back up to quota; everythin’s gonna be all right. And besides, the language's changed; I'm sure she knows better now not t'go shoutin' 'buck' at high volume.” Twilight fumed, but said nothing as she too trotted along the orchard path. Nightmare Moon walked quickly several strides back, afraid to further irritate Twilight Sparkle. The now-full barrels bobbed in her wake, levitated by her magic. Applejack looked back and noticed both her companions were lagging. “Look, y’all seem to have to work some things out, so tell ya what; I’ll go on ahead and clear space for the barrels, y’all do what you have to.” Applejack switched to a canter and was soon out of sight down the road. Twilight sighed. “Come here, Blackie.” Nightmare Moon perked up and trotted to Twilight’s side. “Am I… Will Lady Applejack forgive me?” “Oh, Blackie, I think Applejack’s well beyond that now. You got her quota back, and made her laugh; I don’t think forgiveness is even an issue right now.” “That is good—” “However—” Twilight stopped, and Nightmare Moon jerked to a halt as well “—you must, MUST promise me: You will never drop out of the sky on a thunderbolt… unless it’s a Nightmare Night prank. And you ask me first.” Twilight couldn’t hide a little smirk. Nightmare Moon whinnied contentedly. “I promise, from now on, I shall present myself in a less unseemly fashion.” She tapped a hoof to her chin. “Do you suppose the Apple Family would accept an offering of gold as recompense? I did destroy some of their property, and I have a stipend from Lady Celestia…” “I don’t think that’s strictly necessary…” Twilight began to trot again, and Nightmare Moon restarted her quick walk. “But I think if you offered, Applejack would appreciate it. Ask her later.” Twilight jerked her head, and they quickened to a canter. * * * “Well, now, ain’t you two just lucky!” Applejack called as Twilight and Nightmare Moon came into view. “I just finished cleanin’ up, and look what survived Miss Moon’s landing!” Applejack held up a large apple on her right hoof: easily the size of four or five hooves, it had a deep red lustre and a jaunty leaf on the end of its stem. She held it carefully between her hooves and, tongue poking between her teeth with concentration, gave it a twist; it split perfectly down the middle. Applejack offered the two halves to Twilight and Nightmare Moon. “Y’all earned it, I think. Miss Moon, just set them barrels down by the barn-door; I’ll finish up here. Y’er dismissed, as it were.” Applejack stuck out a cheeky tongue. Nightmare Moon bowed low. “As you command, Lady Applejack,” she replied with a smile. Twilight smiled as well and levitated the apple pieces to her as Nightmare Moon deposited the barrels. Together, Twilight and Nightmare Moon moved to the shady side of the barn and lay down together, each chomping on their apple. Nightmare Moon looked sidelong at Twilight as they ate: Twilight was smiling widely, eyes closed as she enjoyed the flavour. A dribble of juice ran down Twilight’s chin. Impulsively, Nightmare Moon craned her neck quickly to her right and licked. Twilight jumped three hooves into the air with a shriek. “Wha-wha-wha-wha-wha—” She landed with a thud and turned to glare at Nightmare Moon, but froze when she saw the coy look in Nightmare Moon’s eyes. “I’m sorry if I startled you…” She fluttered her lashes. “There was some juice on your chin; I didn’t want you to get covered in applesauce twice in one day.” Twilight neighed. “Thank you, Blackie. That’s very—” she smiled “—sweet.”