Macintosh grunted as he placed the last barrel of cider on top of the other four. He smiled. It was going to be a good party.
Behind him, Applejack checked over the food table, though that was more of a formality; Granny Smith had never failed to deliver. She did pause at the charred mess on a cracked plate sitting at one corner of the table, but nearby Apple Bloom's wide, angelic smile killed any protest Applejack might have had. So what if Cutie Mark Crusaders Pastry Bakers had been a no go? Besides, the smokey soot on the kitchen walls would wash off.
Eventually.
Applejack could feel her excitement begin to grow as the first few family members began to arrive. The musicians arrived first and filled the barn with the sounds of cacophonous tuning, but somehow that made Applejack feel good anyway.
The party wasn't supposed to start until sundown, but family members from all over Equestria began to show up early anyway. Some brought food while others had only themselves and their appetite; but all brought willing hooves to help out. Soon the bonfire outside was blazing and the inside of the barn completely cleared and ready for its new purpose as a dance floor.
It wasn't long before the party had begun in earnest. Family members were dancing and eating and catching up and eating some more and just having a great time.
It was about an hour into the party when Applejack happened to walk by the door. She slowed to a stop and frowned as she heard three repeated noises. “Sounds like somepony's knockin',” Applejack thought aloud. Who on earth knocked on the door at a party? That'd be almost as weird as not taking seconds at dinner.
Nevertheless, Applejack trotted over and slid open the door, and her eyes widened as she recognized the flowing silhouette of the pony lit from behind from the bonfire. She only knew of two ponies in the world that had manes like that.
“Princess Luna?!”
The music and party quickly ground to a screeching halt as either curiosity or fright prompted everypony present to stop whatever they had been doing and turn and look.
Sure enough, Princess Luna stood in the doorway. She looked around at the shocked faces and scuffed a front hoof nervously, looking more like a young filly forcibly thrown out of her comfort zone than the princess she was.
Applejack suddenly remembered her manners. “Come on in,” she said, taking a step back. “There's plenty of room for everypony.”
Luna walked in slowly, looking around as the ponies bowed low before her. Her eyes swept over the gathered ponies, and the corner of her mouth tightened as she saw some of them shaking with fear.
And then Granny Smith shouted, “Told you my cookin' was fit fer a princess!”
Scattered laughter broke the tension, and the music picked back up. Ponies began again to dance and eat.
Luna cracked a smile as well. “Thank you, Applejack,” she said. She cast her gaze over the ponies there. Her smile widened slightly as she saw them dancing and playing in her night.
She sat against the wall, observing all the excitement, but not feeling comfortable enough to join. She soon became aware of somepony standing next to her, and looked over to see Apple Bloom, with a wide, happy smile on her face. For some reason, this unsettled Luna somewhat.
“Hiya, Princess!” she said cheerfully.
“Salutations,” Luna responded hesitantly.
“Bless you,” Apple Bloom said pleasantly.
Luna cracked a wry smile. “It is a greeting. Or was, it seems. Apparently, it has fallen out of style recently.”
Apple Bloom considered this, then moved on to her actual purpose for visiting. “Wanna try an apple fritter?” she asked, holding up a plate.
Many new foods had been invented since Luna had… left, and every so often she found herself compelled to ask about the food that had been served on her plate. She had heard of these apple fritters, but she was fairly certain that they were supposed to be a crisp golden brown, not a charred black as these were. “I came to observe, not to intrude,” she declined politely.
Apple Bloom narrowed an eye suspiciously. “Intrudin' nothin',” she said. “Nopony comes to a Harvest Party without eating. That's, like, the best part of this night!”
Luna couldn't help but feel pleased that even the filly felt this night was important; but at the same time, felt no desire to consume food that looked more like charcoal than food.
Luckily, she was spared needing to answer tactfully by a frightened yelp from high up in the barn.
Two ponies, one red and one gray, tumbled down out of the rafters and crashed into the ground. This time, the party stopped instantly as everypony looked over.
Granny Smith rolled over, awoken by the noise. “Party over already?” she mumbled, adjusting her bun.
Applejack recognized one of the party crashers. “Mac! What in tarnation?” she asked.
Mac scrambled to his hooves and took a few steps back. The other pony had taken the majority of the impact, but her armor—for she was wearing a beautiful set of dark purple armor with silver-gray trim—showed little damage as she quickly rolled up to her hooves. Applejack's eyes widened further as she recognized the dark fur, fluffy ears, leathery wings, and slitted eyes of a bat pony.
“Uh... What's goin' on?” she repeated, this time with apprehension.
Mac gestured frantically at the pony. “Up in the rafters,” he said, scared spitless. “Owls were bein' too quiet, went to go see what was happening, then Ah saw it up there!”
The mare's ears flicked back and she bared her sharp little fangs as she hissed, letting him know in no uncertain terms that she did not appreciate being called an 'it'.
Luna raised an eyebrow, more concerned with something else. “You let yourself be seen?” she asked disapprovingly.
The bat pony's ears drooped, and she turned around to face Luna and gave her a weak smile before she spread her wings in preparation to fly.
Luna's face curled into what could only be called a predatory smile. “Hold,” she ordered. “As long as you are here, you might as well join the party.” She lit her horn and lifted the burnt fritters from Apple Bloom's back. “Here,” she said, offering one. “This is a night for eating and celebrating.”
Applejack understood instantly. This was her punishment. Applejack had been a taste tester for a few of Apple Bloom's concoctions, and she suddenly felt sympathy for the bat pony.
The bat pony's eye twitched ever so slightly. She, too, understood that she was being punished. Luckily, Apple Bloom did not, and the wide smile never left her face.
Gamely, the bat pony took one of the charred fritters, examined it, and then took a bite. The resulting crunch could be heard across the barn, and more than one pony had shivers run up their spine.
Applejack was impressed to see her finish it, swallowing the rest with a barely-noticeable grimace. But alas, she was not to get off that easy. Luna wordlessly gave her another, and she resolutely crunched her way though that one, too.
Mac was a bit more compassionate. As she finished choking down the second, he brought over a mug of cider for her and held it out invitingly.
The bat pony mare took the mug, looking very suspiciously at Mac. Apparently, that little experience had shattered her trust in Apple foods. Not breaking eye contact with him, she bent her head down, extended her little tongue, and lapped up a bit of the cider.
Her eyes popped open. She lapped up a second time, then a third, and then she gave in to the cider's call. She dropped to her haunches, and chugged the rest, leaning back as she did until she landed on her back. She drank the last drop and exhaled as she closed her eyes, feeling euphoric.
“I take it you enjoyed it?” Luna asked dryly.
The bat pony's eyes snapped open and she shot to her hooves. She lowered her ears and looked rather sheepish.
Luna stared stonily at her before cracking a smile. “Then I would like to try some as well,” she said.
Apple Bloom, ever eager to help, brought it over, balanced on her head. Luna took it and, much like the bat pony, regarded it with a hint of suspicion at first. She lapped at it, then drained it, and then rendered her verdict.
“Delicious!” She threw the mug on the ground. “Another!”
There was a pause. Applejack subconsciously noted that the bat pony had disappeared again.
Luna frowned and looked around at the other ponies, their expressions ranging from surprise to shock to amusement. She took the smallest of steps back. “Is that not what is done anymore?” she asked hesitantly. “Were we supposed to say 'please'?”
Applejack chuckled as she walked back over to the bar. “Nah. Nowadays we just say, 'Eh! Pass me another!'” She held up a hoof, and with perfect aim Apple Strudel slid another mug over to her across the table. She picked it up, took a sip, and gestured for Luna to try.
Luna hesitantly raised a hoof. “Eh!” she said, her voice sounding stilted as the unfamiliar syllable crossed her tongue. “Pass me another!”
Apple Strudel obliged, and Luna raised it to her mouth.
“Slow down there, your highness,” Applejack chuckled as Luna drained this mug, too. “There ain't too much alcohol in it, but it's there. Wouldn't want you spillin' any national secrets or anything 'cause you can't hold your cider or something.”
Luna cracked a smile. “Oh, I doubt it will get that far. We alicorns are quite resilient.” She threw the mug to the ground again. “Eh! Pass me another!”
Applejack winced as the wooden mug visibly cracked. “Also, maybe stop doing that.”
* * *
Luna finished her next mug and looked over at Applejack. “And that is why the earth ponies were my least favorite of the tribes,” she admitted, her words connected with just the tiniest hint of a slur. “To the last colt, they were ponies who happened to love the sun because that was the only time they could work.” She sighed. “I spent years searching for a fruit that would grow at night, hoping that that would make them love me; but I was unsuccessful in my search.”
Applejack nodded, feeling the tiniest of buzzes herself. “I'd grow it," she said. “Fruit's my favorite. Especially apples.”
“I find myself loving apples as well,” Luna admitted. She lifted yet another mug and smiled at it lovingly. “They make such lovely things.”
Applejack grinned. Once she'd tried fritters that weren't blackened beyond recognition, Luna had declared them delicious as well, and she didn't stop until she had repeatedly sampled everything on the food table. She had ended up eating enough to put a slight bulge in her royal stomach.
Needless to say, this had done nothing but swell the Apples' collective ego.
“It is hard, though,” Luna continued. “Everything that blooms at night is at the most awkward time. Moon flowers are the most beautiful of any flower I know, and are also quite tasty; but they bloom near two thirty in the morning and close two hours before dawn.”
“I bet they're something special,” Applejack agreed.
“I just… I want the earth ponies to see,” Luna said wistfully. “There is so much beauty that they miss by sleeping during the night. They only love me not because they know me not.”
“You might have better luck this time around,” Applejack said comfortingly. “Farm technology improvements means we got a lot less earth ponies on farms and more growin' other things and stayin' up later because the lights are getting better. There might be a market.”
Luna cracked a smile. “Any light drowns out my stars; but that aside, I certainly hope you're right.” She frowned as she looked into her empty mug. She looked over at Apple Strudel, who shook the barrel and then shrugged. Luna could hear from there that it was empty.
She paused. Now that she listened, she could tell that the party was winding down. Apple Bloom lay sleeping on a haybale, and somepony had placed a saddle blanket over her to cover her as she slept. It was quieter; many ponies had left and some were instead electing to sleep on the tables. Or perhaps they had merely passed out. That would also make sense. Luna cracked a smile. At least some things never changed.
She stood up and shook out her hooves one by one. “The cider is gone, the party ending, and I fear to overstay my welcome,” she said regretfully. “By your leave?”
Applejack cocked her head.
“Uh… may I be excused?” Luna tried.
Applejack cracked up and quickly hid her mouth behind a hoof. Luna had probably been the hostess for most of the parties she'd attended; it was no wonder she was a bit confused as to leaving protocol. “If you want to go, just give somepony a hug, say thanks for the party, and promise to see them again soon.”
Applejack gasped as Luna suddenly reached out and pulled her into the tightest of hugs. “Thank you, Applejack,” she murmured into her mane. “You truly are a dear friend unto me, and we shall meet again soon.”
“You're welcome, your highness,” Applejack managed to choke out.
Luna released her and spread her wings. She walked regally out the door, paused to glare at the bonfire, and then flew away. Applejack watched her leave, and then her eyes widened slightly as she saw four other shadowy figures fly up after her. Had they been in the barn the whole time, too? She shook her head. Those lunar guards were really creepy.
But Luna had been very nice. Really. Applejack pondered. She'd stepped out of her comfort zone, tried to meet a few ponies and attempted to reintegrate herself into pony society; and from what Applejack had seen, she'd had a good time. At least, she thought so; the princess of the night had eaten and drunk enough for at least four ponies.
She nodded. She should send Luna something, an encouraging / 'thank you' gift. She'd really liked the apples. Applejack nodded confidently. A nice, big bushel of her recently-harvested apples would definitely bring a smile to her face.