//------------------------------// // A New Story // Story: Latenighter meets Twilight Sparkle // by 21latenighter //------------------------------// Pinkie Pie watched as Applejack walked up the road before addressing her. "Hi Applejack, what'cha doin?" Pinkie said as she watched the orange farm pony walk up to her. "Well howdy Pinkie, I was just heading up to Latenighter's place, Big Mac is going to be busy takin off the corn, and ahm going to be busy in the orchard next week, so I was going to ask Latenighter if he could Help Big Mac out with the corn harvest," Applejack said as she reached the pink pony. "What brings you by this particular tree?" "Oh You know, just talking to myself, or am I?" Pinkie said, looking to blank space. "I can see that Pinkie, well, do you want to walk with me up to the house?" Applejack asked as she began to walk up the path towards the farm owned by the Dirt family. "Sure, why not, maybe Latenighter went back home," Pinkie said as she followed in hoof with the orange earth pony's proud steps. "Well, if'n he aint there, I'll just leave a message with ma," Applejack said as she continued towards the farmhouse down the old road. Latenighter was up in the tree where the others couldn't see him. When he had seen it was only Applejack, he thought about coming down, but he didn't really want to explain his methods to the farm pony. Him and Applejack had gotten along pretty good over the years, with the apples being like family to him. They had either been over at the apple orchard helping them or the Apples were helping him and his family with the hay fields. She had always messed with him about not wanting to be a farmer full time, but didn't take it too far after that. He had always picked back saying that she was too into her farm, which had always gotten her more sour than a rotten peach. He was even doing the countryisms now, he was really into the harvest this year. After the two mares left the oak tree, and vanished from his sight, Latenighter left the tree and began to walk back to the house, and explain his vanishing to Twilight and accept Applejack's offer and probably get yelled at by Ma, like he did by Luna earlier. Pinkie Pie hopped through the door of the Farmhouse just as Applejack opened it, pushing her against the door frame. "Hi Ma, Hi Ma!" Pinkie shouted happily as she bounced around the room. "Afternoon Ma," Applejack said politely after catching her breath. "Why hello Applejack, Pinkie Pie, what brings ya'll round here," Ma said with a cheerful and caring voice that could only be described as motherly. "Where's Latenighter Pinkie, I thought you and him were going to lunch with that unicorn that he's been talking about the last week?" Ma asked, puzzled that her son had not walked in after Applejack had came in. "Well, he was with me, and we did go to lunch, but he disappeared," Pinkie said, looking around the house. "We went to that Hayburger Joint in town.." "The one that charges six bits for a single hayburger?" Ma asked, looking over at the Pink bouncing earth pony. "Yea, and He had the same reaction, and then he said that he would wait outside and then left. I thought he would come back here, so I started back this way, and ran into him at the oak tree up the road, then he disappeared like the writer just plucked him out of thin air," Pinkie said, winking at a tea kettle on the stove, which began to steam when the water inside began to boil. "Hmm, that doesn't sound like Latenighter at all," Applejack said as she went to the kitchen to help Ma, who had went to the stove. "No, but I can believe that he had a reason to do what he did," Ma said as she pulled a coffee mug from the cabinet from above the stove. Would you two like a cup of fresh tea?" she asked the two other mares in the room. "Sure, I would love a cup of your world famous tea Ma!" Pinkie shouted as she cut across the room so fast that would of made Rainbow Dash jealous. Applejack nodded and smiled as she accepted a mug of the steaming hot beverage. The door opened as Latenighter stepped through quietly, but even at his top ninja like stealth, still caught the ear of Ma Dirt. "Oh Latenighter, come on into the kitchen for a minute would you," Ma said as Latenighter tried to ease the door shut. At that, he finished shutting the door, allowing it to close at it's normal crack, and walked into the kitchen, slowly. "How did you know..." he began "Oh Latenighter, I am your mother, I can hear you anywhere," she answered as he walked through the doorway to the kitchen. "Did i hear correctly from Pinkie Pie, did you really leave her and her friends there? and don't you lie to me," Ma said, her tone changing to one of anger. "Yes Ma, and it was stupid of me, but you always told me to pay for my own meals, no matter what," Latenighter said, a couple of tears streaking down his cheeks. "Dry up those crocodile tears child," Ma said as she walked over to him, "There is no need to cry." "Sorry Ma," Latenighter said, wiping his eyes, "I have already been punished by Princess Luna for this, and i didn't want to come home and be yelled at again," he said, looking down at the ground. "The Princess, why would she worry about you dear, i know you are special, but why?" Ma asked. "Well, to be truthful, i have been friends with Princess Luna for a while, and i have been writing to her my stories Ma," Latenighter said, looking up to his mother, only to see a look of disgust on her face. "I know, it doesn't make sense, and i don't know why she even talks to me, but that is a question that i don't want to ask again, so i will just leave you to your tea Ma, and you can yell at me later," Latenighter said as he turned around and began to walk out of the house. "Wait Latenighter," Ma said as she ran to the doorway. "Don't go leaving just yet, if you can prove your story, then i will consider removing your punishment." "What Punishment?" he asked. "You will do all the work on the hay field on the other side of town by yourself, and without pay," she answered him. "I'll be right back then," Latenighter said as he flew out of the house to the roof of the barn where his letter to and from the Princess set. When he reached the rooftop though, he found a new letter from Princess Luna. He opened the letter wrapped with a seal of a crescent moon and read it's contents. Dear Latenighter, I want you to read this letter to your mother, so don't read anymore until you return to the house, and if you think we are joking, just know that we are watching you from the oak tree you were hiding in. Latenighter put the scroll down for a minute and looked towards the oak tree down the road and saw a violet dot sitting on top of it. He sighed and took the letter back into the house, where his mother was anxiously waiting for him to return. Latenighter walked through the door with the letter that had just been sent to him. "Well, what proof do you have?" Ma asked, calmly. "This," Latenighter said as he held the letter in his mouth. He opened the letter back up and read the next lines in the letter. Dear Ma, I have never seen such commitment in ones destiny as we have seen in your son. Long has it been since I have seen Equestria as well, but then again, I am just the bringer of the night. Sincerely, Princess Luna Latenighter closed the scroll as he looked back to the mare in front of him. Her expression had not changed a bit. "Soo, you expect me to believe that?" Ma said. "No, but we would expect you to believe us," The voice of Princess Luna called out from the porch. The door opened by a force of magic as the Night Princess walked through the door. The ponies all bowed to the violet alicorn as she walked through the door. "Please rise, I am not here for royal matters. I knew that Latenighter wouldn't tell of my mentoring him, and that it would one day it would get him into trouble," Princess Luna said as she came to a stop in front of the Mother. Ma looked into the eyes of the Princess before speaking. "Well your majesty, I guess that solves it then," She said to the princess, before turning her attention to the Pegasus that was her son. "Well Latenighter, i guess we both have an apology to make. So i am truly sorry for falsely accusing you of lying to me dear," Ma said, holding a hoof up to her son to hug her, which he did. After they had finished the hug, she started talking again. "And i think that you have an apology of you own to make," Ma said as she turned back to the other mares in the room. "Your right Ma, I'll be back after a while, could you get some Apple pie made for my friends, if they still want to hang out and have lunch with me," Latenighter said as he turned around and walked towards the front door, but was stopped by Pinkie Pie. "Wait Latey, I'll come with you," she said as she began bouncing towards the Pegasus. The two then walked out of the front door as Applejack and Ma began gathering ingredients for the Pies in question.