Starry Skies over the Apple Orchard

by anotheraccount

Chapter 5

Starry Skies over the Apple Orchard

Chapter 5

Luna and Big Macintosh walked down the road that went from Ponyville to Sweet Apple Acres. She watched their shadows grow longer as she continued a story she was telling as they walked. "And then the guards surrounded the bandits, closing in from both sides. They were able to quickly subdue the outlaws with minimal injuries to both groups. The maneuvers were so successful that the town guards added them to their regular training sessions."

Big Macintosh looked at Luna as she finished the story. "That's pretty interesting. Do we know who came up with the tactic?"

"Unfortunately, no," Luna answered as she shook her head. "That was long before my sis..." catching herself, she quickly covered her mouth with a hoof and coughed. "That is, it was long before history was written down, and also before the Princesses. At that time, history was passed down by mouth from one generation to the next." Luna sighed, and then continued. "Ponies knew how to write then, but it was mostly used for recording early business transactions."

They neared the farmhouse, and the sounds of a meal in the final stages of preparation came from within the kitchen. Big Macintosh paused at the front door. He lifted a hoof and scratched his face. "Uh, looks like I'll be fixing the door tomorrow..." he said quietly. He reached for the door and pulled it open, and then they walked inside. "I would like to hear more of this story some time later, if possible. You know a lot about this."

Walking into the kitchen, they saw Apple Bloom sitting at the table, and both Applejack and Granny Smith were starting to sit down at the table with her. Applejack saw Big Macintosh step into the kitchen and raised an eyebrow. "Hear more about what?"

Luna stepped into the kitchen after Big Macintosh. She smiled when she saw the gathered family. "Flanking maneuvers!" she proudly replied.

The kitchen grew quiet for the few seconds it took Applejack's spoon to hit the floor. Several voices rose at once.

"I beg your pardon?" said Applejack.

"Huh?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Heeheehee" giggled Granny Smith.

"Uh....." Big Macintosh said as he looked from one family member to the next.

Luna, puzzled, blinked and asked, "What?"

Big Macintosh coughed into his hoof, cleared his throat, and then looked at his family. "This is Starry Skies. We, uh, bumped into each other this morning." He grinned sheepishly for a moment, and then raised a hoof to point to each family member at the table. "This is Apple Bloom."

"Hi," said Apple Bloom. Tilting her head, she said, "You look familiar."

"Hello, young one. You and your friends ran by us in town earlier today."

Applejack took one step forward. "I'm Applejack, and this here is Granny Smith."

Luna smiled at the Apple family, and bowed her head. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Have a seat, young'in," Granny Smith said as she looked at their guest and pointed a hoof to a vacant place at the table: a seat that was conveniently beside the seat normally occupied by Big Macintosh. Then, she quickly looked over at Big Macintosh with a mischievous grin. "Big Macintosh..."

Taking a few steps back, Big Macintosh blinked nervously. "Eeyup?"

"Be a good host and dish up a plate for our guest." Granny Smith then looked over at Luna. "Tonight we're havin' dried apple casserole, with a granola topping.

"That sounds," Luna started to say before her stomach interrupted her with a loud growl. "That sounds lovely," she said with a grin.

Luna heard steps to her side and she looked over to see Big Macintosh placing a plate onto the table in front her her. "Thank you," she said as she watched Big Macintosh quickly retreat to the counter to get his own serving.

Big Macintosh brought his plate over to the table, and then sat down beside Luna. Luna leaned over towards Big Macintosh, and with a loud stage whisper said, "Eyes open this time..." Seeing Big Macintosh freeze up, she started giggling and tapped her hoof on the table.

"Eeyup...hey! That wasn't entirely my fault..." said Big Macintosh.

From across the table, Applejack raised her eyebrow. "Now, what did y'all do?"

"Well, we were eatin' brunch," said Big Macintosh, before getting quiet and trailing off, "and we..."

"Oh? What was that dearie?" asked Granny Smith as she leaned forward.

"We were eatin' brunch," started Big Macintosh, and then he trailed off again, "and we..."

"And you what?" asked Applejack.

"We were eating and out lips accidentally brushed against each other," added Luna.

"Consarn it!" exclaimed Applejack. "Y'all have better table manners than that!"

"It was merely an accident," said Luna in Big Macintosh’s defense as she looked at Applejack.

"Doesn't matter!" replied Applejack as she pounded the table.

Granny Smith looked over at Applejack. "Calm down Applejack. There's no need to fight. Now, apologize!"

"Fine," said Applejack. "Sorry."

"Applejack," Granny Smith said with a disappointed frown, "that apology was lacking in enthusiasm."

Luna nodded her head, crossed her hooves over her barrel, and in a somber voice said, "Aye, half-hearted."

Apple Bloom, having just taken a drink of apple juice, promptly coughed and spurted a mouthful of juice from her nose. "Owie! Ahahahahaha! Ow! Hahahahaha!"

The room grew quiet, with the exception of Apple Bloom. Applejack looked at Luna, Granny Smith looked up and scratched the back of her head, and Big Macintosh froze. Apple Bloom was hunched over and holding her sides as she continued laughing.

"What?" asked Luna.

"Didn't we just finish telling Big Macintosh about table manners?" asked Applejack.

Luna raised her eyebrow. "Yes, that is correct..."

"You just said that you farted," said Apple Bloom as she gained control of her giggles.

"I most certainly did not!" Luna replied. "I said 'Aye, half-hearted'!"

Apple Bloom began giggling again at this outburst.

"I said: AYE, HALF....hearted..." Luna closed her eyes and rested her head on her hoof for a moment. She took a deep breath and let out a deep sigh. Raising her head, she opened her eyes and gave a sheepish smile. "I see what you mean...that does sound similar." She looked around and saw a pen next to a tablet of paper on the counter. Summoning her magic, she levitated them both to her over at the table. She then wrote in medium-sized letters the phrase 'Aye, half-hearted' and then passed the tablet around the table.

The tablet was passed from one pony to the next at the table, and as each pony received it there was an abrupt snort of laughter. Big Macintosh was the final pony to receive the tablet. He looked at it and then let out a powerful laugh for a few seconds. He covered his mouth with a hoof to try to stopping his laugh and looked over at Luna. A smile started on her face, and then she joined in on the laughter.

*-*-*-*

As Luna ate, she looked around at the gathered family and enjoyed the warm atmosphere. Dinner in the castle was nice, and she could find no fault in it or the effort the staff put forth, but she had missed this kind of dinner setting. Luna finished her casserole, and rubbed her stomach as she gave a contented sigh. She looked at the seated Apples. "That was a wonderful dinner. Many thanks to the cook."

Granny Smith smiled at Luna and leaned forward. "You're welcome, dearie. Say, tell us about yourself. Where are you from?"

Luna looked at the ceiling for a moment and rubbed the back of her head. She took a breath and then looked back at Granny Smith. "Well... at the moment I am living in Canterlot. I needed a vacation, so I came out here to take a break."

Luna became aware of motion off to her side. She turned her head and saw Big Macintosh stand up, and then he took his plate over to the sink. Luna stood up and started to take her plate over to the sink, but when she put her weight onto her front hoof a sharp, burning, pain ran up her leg. Grimacing in discomfort, she quickly raised her hoof again and slowly stretched it out.

"Are you ok?" asked Apple Bloom from the table.

'I'm fine," said Luna, "it's just a minor sprain. 'Tis nothing to worry about. I felt very little discomfort while I was still on my hooves; 'twas only when I stood up again after sitting a while did the pain return."

"Oh, my," said Granny Smith as she looked at the sunset through the window. "You weren't planning on going back to Canterlot tonight were you? That's too far to go with a sprain, especially at night."

Luna turned around and sat back down at the table, facing Granny Smith. "No, I just arrived this morning and was planning on a few days of vacation. In fact, I wasn't here very long before your grandson and I...met."

"So, tell me," Granny Smith leaned forward rested her head upon her upraised hooves. "Have you found a place to stay yet?"

Luna shook her head. "No, I was just going to get a room in the inn."

Granny Smith hid a smile behind her hooves. "Hmmm...it'd be a shame to go all the way back into town to find out there were no available rooms." She reached over and put her hoof on top of Luna's. "Why don't you stay here? We have a spare room that nopony is using at the moment."

Luna smiled at Granny Smith. This is a good family, Luna thought to herself. We have the bearer of the Element of Honesty, a wise matriarch, an enthusiastic filly, and a hard-working Stallion who is honorable, kind, strong, good looking, and has a mane that smells good. Luna blinked. Wait, what? Hold on there...calm down, Luna. Luna quickly recovered, once again glad that she was thinking to herself. She then answered Granny Smith. "That is very kind of you to offer, thank you."

Big Macintosh stepped backwards, and slowly crept away until he bumped into the counter at the other side of the kitchen.

"Now hold on there a minute!" said Applejack as she tapped the table with her hoof. "We just met Starry Skies, and now we're invitin' her to stay?"

Well, technically, we've known each other for a while, thought Luna. Although, "Starry Skies" has just met the family. I really should drop the disguise...but it is so nice to be able to act, and be treated, as a pony and not a princess.

Granny Smith looked over at Applejack. "I've been talking with her this whole time and have a good feelin' about her."

"Fine," Applejack said as he looked over at Luna, "but I'm keepin' my eye on her."

"Wonderful," said Luna with excitement as she looked at Big Macintosh. "Later we shall continue our discussion on flanking maneuvers!"

"Uh..." said Big Macintosh.

"What?" asked Luna with a puzzled look.

Comments

[Rokas]

Oblivious Luna is oblivious. Also adorable.

[Amos Anon]

"I most certainly did not!" Luna replied. "I said 'Aye, half-hearted'!"

Ah, toilet humor; The finest form of humor, and the most historical.