A World Without Princesses

by PonyTom

Chapter 10 - Homestead

"You've got five minutes, Big Macintosh Apple," said the angry orange mare as she glared down at her elder brother, "Why did you run off, damn near get yourself killed, an' disappear again without so much as tellin' a soul where you was goin'!?"

Macintosh stared at his sister, frowning wide, rubbing the side of his face she had hoof-slapped. "Well, I-"

"An' you," Applejack pointed at Braeburn, who balked a bit, "What were you thinkin', leavin' Granny an' Apple Bloom alone!? You know those two can't be trusted without supervision! I came home to find them hatchin' a twofold scheme to not only find an' rescue you guys from pirates, but also ta scare Diamond Tiara an' Silver Spoon so badly they wet - and potentially soil - themselves!"

"It was a really good plan" shouted Apple Bloom from the upstairs window. Macintosh looked up at her, and the filly quickly bolted inside, shutting the window back.

"Woulda gotten away with it too if it weren't fer those meddlin' kids!" said Granny.

"What does that even mean!?" Applejack shouted back, shaking her head, before turning her attention back to her brother and cousin. "Better start up, an' I'm gonna be fair and warn ya, I've had a rough week, so if yer story ticks me off, I might hit ya in the berries." Macintosh and Braeburn instinctively shifted their hooves to protect their nethers.

"W-well..." started Big Mac, trying to pick his words wisely, "We... went to meet one of Rich's associates to try to see about gettin' translations for a book."

"Y-yeah," said Braeburn, nodding frantically, "A book!"

"And," said Applejack, holding a hoof up, "This book couldn't wait until y'all was... I dunno... not in worse shape than a fish in a desert?" She focused on her brother, daring him to lie to her, to tell her something she could figure out. Macintosh let out a sigh, deciding nerves weren't going to help anything.

"Yer right," he said, sounding absolutely humbled, "I coulda waited, but I was so anxious..."

Applejack stared at him for a bit, as if considering him. Macintosh kept his expression as calm as he could, not so much as twitching, doing nothing that might give him away. The mare then shifted her attention to her cousin. "Braeburn..." she said in a deceptively friendly tone, quirking a brow, "what isn't he tellin' me?"

Braeburn started shaking like a leak. "N-nothin', nothin' at all! That's the gist of it! Absolutely nothin' goin' on, beyond findin' that book, an' definitely no shady business here!" He turned his eyes away from Applejack's, who continued to stare at him. She stepped outside completely, shutting the door behind herself.

"Braeburn..." she said, a dangerous edge creeping into her voice, a smile on her face. "Big Mac's got a good poker face, but you don't. I know yer lyin' to me."

Braeburn was trembling harder. "I-I-I'm not llllying," he said, laughing nervously and sweating profusely, "Promise!" It was then that he noticed Applejack step very close to him, staring him dangerously in the eyes. From the corner of his vision, he could see her reel one of her forehooves back, dangerously close to his-- "He almost got killed by highwayponies in the woods for some old book an' it was stolen by a crazy mare that also saved his life so he wanted to go confront her an' now they got a deal worked out so that they'll both have copies of the translations or somethin'!" He turned his legs about, shielding his precious family jewels and whimpering, on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry Big Mac!"

Macintosh, however, grimaced. He knew Applejack would not likely do it -- never once has she ever lived up to the threat. All the same, Braeburn was not about to call her on her bluff. 'Oh Braeburn, who was I kiddin' bringin' you along?

But now Applejack's attention shifted to her brother, eyes wide. She zeroed in on him quickly, pulling him up from his side and setting him on his hooves. "My stars, you were attacked!? Granny said you just fell off th' roof of a house helpin' somepony fix the tiling! I thought I was hittin' ya for bein' an idiot, not bein' a victimized idiot!"

Macintosh sighed, shaking his head. "Don't tell Granny..."

Applejack stared at him, clearly upset. "Wha-why!? Big Mac, you got mugged! How bad did they get ya!?"

"They didn't get him too bad," said Braeburn, clearly still shaking, "until they picked him up, flew him into the sky, and threw him..."

"You got thrown from the sky by pegasi!?" Applejack gasped. Macintosh winced once more, personally preferring not to be reminded of it. "B-but, you... your--"

"Eeyup," said Big Mac, firmly, clearly not wanting this particular part of the conversation to continue. Thankfully, Applejack seemed to catch on quickly.

"Big Mac, you damn fool!" She punched him in the shoulder, causing the stallion's eyes to shoot wide open, a pained hiss escaping his teeth. "Oh my goodness--I'm sorry! Force of habit!" She shouted, biting her lip. Macintosh blinked back some tears, forcing a smile onto his face, though there was a hint of both pain and irritation in his expression as well.

"Salright..."

"But why," said Applejack, stepping closer to her brother, "wouldn't you want Granny to know?"

Macintosh shrugged. "... She'd worry. I don't want her to worry."

"Well darn tootin' she'd be worried!" Applejack almost punched him again, but she stopped herself when she noticed Macintosh back away a little. "Lookit you! How far did they drop ya? Should you even be alive?"

"Can we please not talk about that...?" Big Mac stared at her, his expression partly demanding, partly begging her to drop it. She seemed to want to continue, but with a sigh, she relented.

"Sorry..." Applejack bit her lip again, shaking her head. "It's a good thing I decided to come here early, otherwise who knows what kinda hijinks you two'd move on to from here?"

"Well," said Braeburn, slowly recovering from the fear of being kicked in the coin purse, "None immediately. The mare said it'd take a few weeks, probably a month, for her to translate that entire book."

Applejack quirked a brow. "That long, eh?"

"Eeyup," Macintosh responded, thankful that Braeburn might have actually calmed his sister down. "An' with it out of my hooves for now, I'm gonna jus' get back to work an-"

"Work!?" Applejack balked. "Boy, you look like a train wreck and a blimp crash had an ugly baby! You're not gonna be doin' no work until you're better!"

Macintosh frowned. "What...?"

"That's right!" Applejack pointed a hoof at Big Mac. "I'm gonna be here all week, maybe longer if I gotta be, an' I ain't lettin' you strain yourself too heavily durin' that time!"

Big Mac sighed. "An' your job...?"

Applejack waved a hoof. "I'm a hard worker. Long as I come back before the month ends, I'm pretty sure I'd still get a raise." The mare grinned a bit, crossing both a foreleg and a backleg. "I'm one of the best they've ever had. I'm pretty sure if I threatened to quit they'd give me anything I asked 'em for."

Big Mac rolled his eyes. "Don't get too cocky. I'd hate to see you fired."

Applejack stuck her tongue out. "Yeah, well, I got enough money in my savings account that even if I did get fired, I'd be able to ride unemployment out until I found a new job, and even then I'd be livin' comfortably." She turned, pulling the door open. "Besides, Uncle Orange is real good friends with my employers, so even if I did make 'em so angry, I'm sure they'd cut me some slack long as I didn't push the envelope too far."

As the ponies made their way back into the house, they saw Granny rocking on her rocking chair, smiling at them. "Y'all have a good conversation?"

"Eeyup," said Applejack, in imitation of her brother. "I gave these two a good talkin' to, and I think we've come to an understanding."

Granny Smith just chuckled. "Well, be nice to 'em sweetie, they ain't got yer college edumacation, so you've kinda got an unfair advantage over 'em."

Big Mac stepped into the house, looking around a bit. "Where's Apple Bloom?"

"Upstairs, mindin' her own business after a day-a showin' her lil' friend around the farm," said Granny Smith. Macintosh visibly tensed. "Big Mac, I won't go tellin' ya how to be a big brother, but if ya want my advice, I say leave th' girls alone. The filly's real sweet, an' she an' Apple Bloom get along real well."

Big Mac frowned. He so wanted to chase the filly off, but wanted Apple Bloom to be happy too. "... But... she's a thief..."

"Maybe she is," said Granny with a shrug, "But she's also Apple Bloom's friend."

"She might steal our apples..." Big Mac added.

"Why steal 'em when we feed 'em to her?"

"You what!?" Macintosh's nostrils flared.

"Don't get yer bandanna in a bunch there, sonny," said Granny, looking up at Big Mac with wizened eyes, "She's just a lil' filly. She ain't stolen nothin' since then -- at least nothin' we noticed missin'." She chuckled a bit, smiling. "Why, she reminds me of myself when I was younger! Lil' rascal knows jokes that'd be lost on most fillies her age!"

"Now she's teachin' Apple Bloom dirty jokes?" Macintosh grimaced.

Granny, however, gave him a judging gaze. "Oh? Like she needs Scootaloo to do that? 'Specially after your last birthday when you an' Braeburn had your fair share of some of our personal hard cider stash?"

At this, Big Mac blushed, biting his lip and looking aside. "That was different..."

Granny smiled. "So a five-legged stallion walks into a bar--"

"Alright!" Macintosh blurted out, putting a hoof over his face. "... Fine... I'll let it go... but I won't like it..."

Granny Smith simply chuckled and shook her head. "You don't have ta like it, boy. Just gotta like that it cheers yer sister up. Should be all that matters, right?" Rather than argue a point that he was not entirely sure how to argue, Macintosh conceded to his grandmother, although he was clearly not happy about it. "So, dija talk to Applejack about the deal?"

Applejack raised a brow. "What deal?"

Big Mac seemed confused a moment, looking towards his grandmother, but then remembering what she was talking about. "Ah... " He looked down to his hooves, trying to think it over. "Well... Filthy Rich... he wants to form a partnership with Sweet Apple Acres..."

Applejack seemed confused, staring at her brother for a moment. "Don't we already have a partnership? Or did that change while I wasn't lookin'?"

"We do... but...," Big Mac put a forehoof over the other foreleg, feeling his throat get sore. He looked up to Braeburn. "Could ya finish?"

"Oh!" Braeburn nodded, turning his attention towards Applejack. "He wants it to be more 'equalized.' His offer is ta buy the farmland, an' we would have a 50/50 share of all the profits made by Sweet Apple Acres apples. We'd keep the farmhouse, but legally speaking, the rest of the land'd be just as much his as ours."

Applejack was quiet a bit, looking towards her brother and cousin. "... Did you agree?"

"Not yet," said Braeburn, "Big Mac wanted to see what you thought before agreeing to anything."

"He wants to hire a buncha hooves to work the farm instead of have it run by the family what has tended it fer all these years," said Granny with a sigh, "An' in turn, he wants to offer us a lot of money fer even agreein' to it, never you mind the profits from the shares."

Applejack seemed curious. "How much we talkin'?" Big Mac leaned towards his sister's ear, placing a hoof over it and whispering. Her eyes shot wide open and her jaw fell, and she turned to her brother. "Yer jokin'."

"Nope."

Applejack turned her attention back to the other apples. "Wow... with... with that kinda money, you could improve the house... give Apple Bloom top tier education, Granny could go on that world tour she's always wanted... an' heck, I bet Big Mac could finally find that tree!"

"What?" Granny frowned, looking towards Big Mac. "Boy, she better not be talkin' about the tree I think she's talkin' about! You know that story's gotten lots of members of the Apple Family killed!"

Big Mac rolled his eyes. "One in the same, but I really don't-"

"You crazy!? That story's gotten lots of members of the Apple Family killed!" Granny flailed her hooves in the air.

"Granny," interrupted Big Mac, glaring towards Applejack momentarily before setting his attention back onto the matron of their little home, "I ain't wanted to find that tree since I was a foal. You don't have to worry."

"Oh..." Granny hummed. "Well, good then. Don't."

Applejack cleared her throat, turning everypony's attention back to her. "What I'm tryin' to say is... that with that kinda money, we'd be set for life. There wouldn't be closed doors anymore. Our family would be nobility."

Big Mac sighed. "So you wanna do it?"

"I didn't say that." Everypony seemed confused by the statement, but Applejack simply shrugged. "Fancy as all that sounds... this is still our home..." She looked down at her hooves. "I always feel happier back here. I feel more comfortable when I'm with y'all than when I have to go to those offices, hide my accent an' smile while snobs talk about how fancy they are." She looked up at her family members, frowning a bit. "For all the good that money could do, I gotta be honest... I don't think I'd want to give up even the barest fraction of this farm..."

Big Mac smiled, and past his sister, he could see his grandmother smile too.

"So..." he said with a nod, "We're all in agreement? We keep the farm?"

"Yessir," said Applejack, smiling a bit.

"Darn tootin'," said Granny.

"But what about all those bits?" Braeburn frowned. "That's not a small amount of money he's offerin' us just to sign on with 'em."

Big Mac raised a brow. "You really wanna sell the farm? I figured you'd be just as happy to keep it as the rest of us, cause you kinda grew up here yourself..."

Braeburn blinked, biting his lip. "I love the farm, don't get me wrong. But we get to keep the house. Why do we want the land? He's literally gonna pay us to stop havin' to do work."

"Well," piped Applejack, stepping forward, "I wouldn't say that, Braeburn. You'd likely still have to do some work. I mean, you'd have to meet a bunch of important, snobby ponies who'd think they're better than you, smile an' tell them that they're important even." She walked circles around the stallion, who seemed to be uncertain of himself now. "You'd also be held in higher regard, which means more responsibility, so your little sojourns to the bar'd probably be looked upon as scandalous and shameful to the Apple Clan and yourself, an' ponies both noble and common would consider ya a bit of a weak link. And that's assumin' one of these little trips didn't result in any.... 'unwanted apple-seeds' if'n ya catch my meanin'."

Braeburn gulped. "If that happened," added Applejack, grinning almost wickedly, "why, you'd be considered a right shame to your kin. Suddenly, your money actually would take away the respect and dignity you'd otherwise get. An' you know Granny's rules..."

Granny smiled sweetly. "If any of you boys gets a mare knocked up, ya best get hitched or you're dead to me!" Braeburn seemed to visibly pale.

Applejack laughed a bit. "Plus, everypony will be paying constant attention to you. Every sneeze, every butt scratch, every accidental--"

"Alright!" Braeburn threw his hooves in the air. "Alright, I get it! I get it. Money isn't everything..." He slumped a bit, clearly beaten. "I reckon this farm is worth keepin' after all."

"Great!" Applejack laughed, trotting towards her brother as Braeburn skulked his way towards the kitchen, likely to get a pity snack.

Big Mac watched his cousin leave the room before he leaned towards his sister. "All that stuff true?"

Applejack smirked mischievously, giving him a sideways glance. "I may have exaggerated a bit. Sure ponies'd pay more attention, but they'd focus more on the head of the family, which'd be you in the public eye. Braeburn'd be a debauchee at worst." Macintosh simply laughed a bit, to which Applejack grinned. "In my line of work, you gotta be able to be a good liar sometimes."

Letting his chuckling subside, Macintosh stopped as a realization dawned on him. "So wait... ponies'd pay more attention to me?"

Applejack nodded. "You're the main proprietor, an' as far as the public is concerned, you're the most responsible and capable pony here. By most ponies' standards, what you do reflects the entire family, and I reckon that if yer anything like me, you don't feel like takin' on that much attention."

Macintosh hummed to himself, wondering how he felt about that possibility. In his mind, he envisioned himself in a fancier suit, with his hair brushed back all proper-like, wearing one of those fancy green ties... and laughed. "Don't think it's my kinda look."

Applejack smirked. "Didn't think so..." She turned her attention to Granny, a smile now playing on her face. "Well, I'm hungry! What say you an' me make a good meal to celebrate a good day?"

Granny laughed, however. "Hey youngin', yer here ta relax! Leave the cookin' to me!"

"No," Applejack said, smiling, "I relax all the time. Jeeves does all my chores for me, I gotta sneak around to do anything myself half the time. Trust me, cookin' a good meal is about as relaxed as I'll get!" Macintosh smirked at his sister. Applejack was always an independent mare, though it occasionally bordered into the workaholic zone for her. Still, if she wanted to cook, more power to her.

He made his way up the stairs, intent on returning to his bedroom to rest for a bit until lunch was ready. As he made his way past the door to his sisters' room, however, he stopped when he thought he was hearing sounds. He stood stock still, holding his ear up. It almost sounded like whispering? Macintosh grimaced, slowly moving towards the door and pressing his ear against it. He wasn't normally one for eavesdropping, but he was curious. He didn't hear anything now. He gave the door a good knock.

"Apple Bloom," he said inquisitively, "May I come in?"

There was a thunk, and the clattering of tiny hooves on wood. "Uh... h-hold on a minute..." It was in his better nature to barge in, but Mac was curious, and pretty sure he knew what was going on. So, he pushed the door open. "Apple Bloom? You in here?" He looked to see his sister staring at him wide-eyed. She was standing next to her closet, with a big, forced smile stretched across her features. The stallion quirked a brow. "'Bloom. You hidin' somethin'?"

"No..." said Apple Bloom, before giving her brother a glare. "And do you ever knock? I coulda been indecent in here!"

Macintosh rolled his eyes. "Bein' naked ain't embarrassin'. It's just polite to wear clothes is all."

"Then why do you get so darn embarrassed when others see ya without yer coat?"

Macintosh bit his lip and fidgeted. "I'm self-conscious. Different story."

"Why?" Apple Bloom frowned inquisitively. "Is it cause yer fat?"

Macintosh snorted, quirking a brow. "Now Apple Bloom, I ain't fat."

"Well," said Apple Bloom with a roll of her hoof, "You say that, but I've seen lotsa other stallions about yer size, an' you got a bigger barrel than most of 'em." She looked at his side. "I mean, I guess you could say that was all muscle, but that sure looks like pudge to me."

Big Mac grimaced a bit. "Uh, yeah, I'm... gonna go somewhere else." He nodded, turning around and stepping out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Once outside, Macintosh sighed a bit, hanging his head. 'Well, my self-confidence is shot.'

On the other side of the door, Apple Bloom was looking under the crack. She watched her brothers' hooves make their way out of her line of sight before scooting towards her closet and opening it, looking up. "Okay, he's gone now!"

An orange blur fell from the ceiling and landed in a pile of clothes. Scootaloo pried herself up from the pile, sighing. "Dang. You called your brother fat? That's just cold."

"Yeah, well," Apple Bloom smiled and blushed, "it's the only thing I felt I coulda said that didn't sound like I was actually trying to be mean..." She frowned a bit, looking to her side. "I sort of... made him feel bad a little while back about somethin' I shouldn'ta made him feel bad about."

"Oh?" Scootaloo rose a brow in curiosity at her friend's words. "What'd you do?"

"Well," Apple Bloom gulped a bit, looking to her side with a hint of shame, "I'd rather not say if it's all the same to you." Scootaloo seemed to ponder it over, before shrugging it off, much to Apple Bloom's relief.

"Well, I better get goin' soon," said the little orange pegasus with a nod, "I gotta be home soon." The pegasus smiled and held a hoof up. "Smell ya later, right?"

Applebloom smiled back, bumping her hoof into the pegasus'. "Smell ya later."

The two fillies giggled a bit, with Scootaloo making her way towards the door. "Wait," said Applebloom, stepping forward, "I gotta make sure my brother don't see ya." Applebloom opened her bedroom door, peaking out a bit. Seeing no sign of danger, she stuck her head out and looked around. Gesturing towards Scootaloo, the two fillies hurriedly (and quietly) made their way from the room, down the stairs, and towards the door. They exchanged goodbyes and hugs, and the filly moved towards a nearby bush and pulled her scooter from it, her tiny wings buzzing as she darted down the path.

Applebloom shut the door and turned around, bumping into her big sister, who smiled down at her. "Well, yer friend sure seemed nice. Who was she?"

"Oh," Applebloom smiled a bit, looking out the window, though she was clearly nervous. "Her name's Scootaloo... could you not tell Big Mac about her?"

This seemed to catch the orange mare's curiosity. Applejack scratched her head a bit. "Why not?"

"Well," Applebloom bit her lip, not certain how Applejack would feel, "he doesn't like Scootaloo. She stole some apples from him..." Applejack held a hoof up to talk, but Applebloom tried to cut her off. "I know it ain't right that she stole apples, but she's been nothin' but nice to me, an' hasn't taken anything from us since that we ain't offered! She even promised never to steal from Big Mac again!"

Applejack frowned a bit. "Well, long as ya know it ain't right, an' long as you keep an eye on yer things. Also, don't go learnin' from her, ya hear?"

"I won't," Applebloom nodded, crossing her heart and sticking a hoof in her eye (which she closed beforehoof).

"Good," said Applejack with a nod, turning and making her way back towards the kitchen. "Lunch'll be ready in a bit. I'm gonna try to keep Big Mac from doin' anymore work than he needs, so I'll have you take him his."

---

Most of the day had come and gone. Another day of doing virtually nothing on the farm. Another day where so much work he could be doing was being delegated to Braeburn, who wasn't as good as bucking apples as he was, and Applejack, who should have been resting at the moment. After all, she was on vacation! Who spends their vacation working?

Still, Big Macintosh figured if he couldn't get any work done, he might as well enjoy the stars.

The medicine he had been given was already starting to wear off, and slowly all the pains and aches were beginning to set back in, although they were at least tolerable now. Big Mac lay underneath his favorite tree as he looked up at the stars, letting his thoughts wander here and there, too and fro. He then let his attention shift towards the moon. The great half-orb shone brightly in the sky, giving illumination to the night.

"The moon sure is lovely tonight."

Macintosh let his eyes shift towards the unknown intruder to his silence. Standing before him was none other than Nightingale, dressed in a fine magenta dress and wearing a fancy quartet of horseshoes. "Mind if I join you?"

"Nope."

Nightingale moved towards his side, lowering herself into the grass and pressing up against him. She let her head lean down and rest against his neck, letting out a soft sigh. 'Well, I guess I didn't tell her she couldn't user me as a pillow...'

"I do love the night sky..." she said almost wistfully. "It is so... serene. So calm. Mysterious even...." She looked towards Big Mac, smiling. "What do you think?"

Big Mac simply shrugged. "It is pretty."

"Pretty?" Nightingale smirked. "Nothing more to say?"

Big Mac pouted his lips a bit, seeming as if he was in thought. "Not much more needs to be said." His answer seemed to appease the mare, who smiled and nodded, snuggling against him and pressing closer.

"I suppose not."

The two ponies sat in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying the night. Macintosh observed a shooting star, smiling a bit. "Did you see it?"

"I did."

"Well," he said with a nod, "Make a wish."

The two ponies sat in silence a few minutes. Macintosh almost chuckled at how Nightingale seemed to actively make a wish by closing her eyes and looking like she was trying to force a wish with her thoughts. She opened her eyes, and looked towards him with a smile.

"Well," he said with a nod, "What'd ya wish for?"

"Silly," she said with a giggle, "I can't tell you, otherwise it won't come true!"

Big Mac shrugged, conceding to her point. The two ponies' eyes met. She stared at him, her emerald eyes seeming to reflect the light of the night sky. 'She has such beautiful eyes....' The thought would not leave him. No matter how he tried, he could not think of anything but her eyes. She slowly leaned forward, and placed her lips against his.

'This again.'

Macintosh pulled away, frowning some. "Nightingale, I--"

"Shh," the mare said, pressing a hoof gently to his lips. Letting that hoof trace down his chin, she leaned forward, and their lips met once more.

'Do I pull away? Do I keep kissing? This mare clearly won't take no for an answer.'

'Do I want to say no? Or am I just doing it because I feel obligated to?'

She broke the kiss this time, smiling towards him. Macintosh's gaze was far off, almost as if he was entranced. He blinked his eyes unevenly. The mare pushed him over onto his back, climbing over top of him. He continued to stare until the pressure on his barrel caused his injuries to sting, and he gasped. "Aha! G-get off get off...!"

"What!?" The mare hurried off, shocked. "What's wrong?"

"Broken ribs..." Macintosh hissed, clenching his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut, tears creeping from the corners.

"Oh my goodness, are you alright...?" She leaned closer, looking him over.

"I-I'm fine..." he said, slowly rolling back onto his front in a vain attempt to protect his torso. "Just... very, very sore..."

'Well, that worked better n' any cold shower.'

The mare looked him over a bit more, seeming both confused and worried. "How did you break your ribs?"

"Long story," he said, feeling the aches ebb to something more tolerable, "kinda rather not talk about it if its all the same... but not just my ribs, lots of broken bones." Thankfully, she seemed to accept his answer, offering a gentle nod. 'I'd rather not have to relive my nightmares more often than I have to...'

An awkward silence fell over the pair as they continued to stare out into the starlit sky. Macintosh wasn't sure what to say to a mare who seemed really infatuated with you after begging her to climb off of you for fear of bodily harm, but whatever it was that he was supposed to say, it never seemed to make itself known. Still, she gently pressed her head against his shoulder again, letting out a sigh.

"Sorry," she said, nuzzling against him.

Macintosh was silent for a moment, but responded with a simple "Salright."

They continued to sit there for a while on that spot. Macintosh wasn't sure how he felt about this strange mare. She was clearly very forward, and not too shy. Plus, she seemed to take a liking to him.

Before he could continue however, she stood up and offered a small nod. "I think I shall return home for the night." She gave him a little smile. "Come visit me sometime?"

Macintosh hummed, tapping his chin with a hoof. "Alright."

That seemed to make her smile wider. With a goodbye, she turned and was making her way out of the apple field. Macintosh watched her leave, letting a sigh escape him. 'Don't know what to do about that mare...'

Deciding to set that to the side for now, he turned his attention back to the night sky, simply enjoying the company of the stars.

---

The stars were lovely tonight.

And yet the moon told a story a thousand years old that scared her.

Twilight Sparkle stood on the balcony of her tower, staring up into the night sky, a worried frown painted on her face. Nothing happened outside of her house. The night was still, quiet, peaceful... it was almost haunting to the mare, her thoughts circulating a thousand miles a second in her head as she focused on the moon above.

"You're up late..." Twilight turned to see Spike step into the room, wearing simple white pajamas and rubbing his eyes. "Something wrong Twilight?"

'Of course something's wrong. Everything is wrong. And yet nothing is wrong. And that's what's wrong.' Twilight stepped away from her balcony door, which shut itself behind her. She made her way towards a nearby pedestal with a stone orb on it, looking it over. "I've been reading the journal of Princess Celestia... and I'm glad to say that it confirms my theory of the nature of our little artifact here... I suppose I should have guessed as much, however, given the events earlier today..."

"Oh..." Spike blinked the sleep from his eyes. "... Why do you seem so upset then?"

"Because," said Twilight, turning from the stone back to Spike, "if this really is an Element of Magic, then the chances are that Celestia, royal princess of the sun, is also real." Twilight seemed to stare into the ether as her thoughts were spinning once more. "And if Celestia is real.... that means so too is Nightmare Moon. And to make matters worse..."

Twilight gave one last look at the moon outside, its surface surprisingly blank.

"... She isn't where she's supposed to be."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Comments

[Omega Delta]

[MrAskAPirate]

"Woulda gotten away with it too if it weren't fer those meddlin' kids!" said Granny.
"What does that even mean!?"

Also, dat ending!

[Wacky]

Another interesting chapter.

I keep wondering if the Cake twins have been born yet, and if so if Pinkie knows & is keeping it a secret?

[The One Hammer]

One would think that if the features on the moon disappeared more would notice.
Oh well!

[Iamawesome]

It picks up speed

[willhman]

What was it, a third of the way in and a Scooby-Doo refrence! Perfect! Please continue.

[howard035]

Man, Manehatten has made Applejack mean. I guess she's taking after the Babs Seed side of the family more than the Oranges side.
I love Applebloom and Grannie plotting. I like to think it was Applebloom planning to rescue Mac from pirates, and Grannie planning to make Diamond Tiara soil herself.

Poor Big Mac, looks like he needs to eat more apples and less apple fritters! On the other hand, Nightmare seems to like chunky stallions...

[SFaccountant]

Dun, dun, DUUUUUUUUUUN!!

On a slightly more serious note, that Nightingale lass seems a mite sketchy to me. It was what, the second time they met that she propositioned him? And now she just walks onto the Apple property and starts making out with him? At least take the guy out to dinner first, cripes.
We all know Mac's a sexy beast, but she just seems WAY too determined to get a hold of his apples.

[PonyTom]

5103849

[ferret]

I like Granny's personality in this.

Poor Big Mac. Nightingale sure seemed determined to jump his bones.

[swyrl]

5103849 Yeah, I'd like to believe her intentions are honest, but I half-think she's there as a "backup" in case the deal doesn't go through. If the two of them fell in love and got married, then the Apples and the Richs would be the same family, and the Richs (or at the very least Nightingale) would hold equal sway over the orchards.

[SFaccountant]

6448147
Considering the events that take place a few chapters on from here, that would be a shockingly innocent turn of events.
... Not to mention fairly legit. Marry into the family, get a stake in the family's stuff.