And The Stars Shine Forth

by archonix

5. Where do you start?

The rest of Luna's day was filled with little but the rumble of apples falling from trees. Golden Delicious they were called and Luna had no doubt that they were indeed a delicious treat. But, golden? They were more a yellow-green, and a rather worrying shade at that, reminiscent of the colour her dear nephew Blueblood had turned the night he had found himself eating 'carnival fare', as he had put it.

And, like Blueblood, those apples had stubbornly refused to do as they were told. Luna had become quite adept at bucking as the day wore on, and what she lacked in accuracy was more than compensated in strength for, though Applejack had correctly stated that the apples couldn't be harvested with magic, Luna had found there was no barrier to the use of a little magical energy to bolster her legs.

The apples had fallen, but at a much slower pace. Compared to the Coxes these trees held on to their fruity burden with a grip that was almost unbelievable; even Atlas and Heracles would have had difficulty with them. Luna soon found Applejack and Spritzer each clearing two trees to every one she bucked. She persevered, however, and soon lost herself in the repetition of her temporary profession.

In fact it was only when she heard a shrill whistle echoing between the trees that Luna realised the sun had almost set. In a blind panic she reached out to the moon, only to find Celestia's power wrapped around it. The aura reflected something resembling an amused smirk toward Luna, followed by a gentle push of reassurance and peace. She smiled back, even knowing Celestia wouldn't see it, and turned to watch the moon rise in the east.

"Goodnight, sister," she whispered as a little yellow filly came bounding up to her, blowing on a comically oversized whistle for all she was worth. Luna smiled at the little one and then returned her gaze to the moon.

"Who're you talkin' to?" The filly looked up at Luna with wide eyes and suddenly gasped. "Hey, I didn't know unicorns could buck apples!"

"Nor did I until today, little one," Luna said. She lowered her head to be closer to the filly. "What is the purpose of the whistle?"

"Oh this? I have to run around the orchards an' blow it real hard to let everypony know they can stop workin', just in case they don't see the big ol' sun settin'. Some ponies are silly like that, y'know?"

Luna smiled and gave the filly a brief nuzzle on her mane before bringing herself upright again. She looked around the orchard but there was no sign of Applejack. "May I ask, are you Applejack's young sister?"

"Yup! I'm Apple Bloom!"

"And I am Sable Moonshine," Luna said. She held out a hoof to the youngster. Apple Bloom stared at it like she'd never seen one before and then grinned up at Luna again. "I see. Do you know where Applejack is?"

"Oh yeah, she's down at the barn with Big Mac! Want me to take y'all there?"

"I would like that, Apple Bloom."

The little Apple beamed bright as the moon and bounced away into the darkness, leaving Luna to trail after her. She lost sight of Apple Bloom almost instantly in the dying light. Rather than blunder around, Luna conjured a tiny globe of werelight over the tip of her horn and cantered to keep up with her new guide.

Apple Bloom slowed and turned to look at Luna when she saw the light. She stared in awe at the rapidly shifting shadows cast by the trees around them, then again at the light over Luna's head. "That's awesome!"

"It is rather 'cool'," Luna replied. In fact, as spells went, it was almost so rudimentary that even the the weakest magic users could learn it with little difficulty but she wasn't about to disabuse Apple Bloom's fascination with the effect.

The walk to the barn wasn't particularly long, but Luna's legs were stiff from bucking and she soon found herself tiring. Her back legs especially were having difficulty cooperating with her demands for movement.

Luna extinguished the werelight as she stepped into the warmer, friendlier glow of lanterns around the barn's main door. Apple Bloom bounced on through the doors, bright voice calling loudly for her sister and loudly exclaiming on the awesomeness of unicorn magic and fancy lights. A moment later Applejack stepped out of the barn. Her worn face lit up as she spied Luna.

"Hey there, trouble." She trotted over to Luna and glanced over her shoulder at the wide-open barn. Apple Bloom was bouncing around Big Mac and Spritzer, loudly describing the light Luna had conjured yet again. "Y'all seem to have caught her fancy. I think she might want to be a unicorn hersel'."

"She did seem very impressed. It was but a simple trick."

"Little fillies are like that sometimes," Applejack replied. "Ya did good work today, Sable. Not the fastest maybe, but I saw the dedication. I'm sorry to see you go."

"Thank you again, Applejack. I enjoyed the work."

"I bet you did..." Applejack shuffled her hoof. The smile was gone now, replaced with a carefully neutral look. "Now. I reckon we should talk about your pay."

Luna blinked. Payment? Well she supposed it was work, after all, but the last time she had done anything remotely laborious Equestria had still operated on a barter system. She couldn't quite link hard work to the idea of getting paid, as such... Applejack took her hesitation to be... well, Luna wasn't sure, but the farm pony's face seemed to harden a little.

"A-applejack, please, I did not do this for payment!" She glanced at the ground, suddenly aware of all the little lies she'd told Applejack since they'd met. Now she was about to add another one, though it was almost true this time. "My family is wealthy and I am well cared for. I cannot take your money."

Applejack's face softened again and the smile was back. She put a foreleg over Luna's neck and gave her a half hug. "I appreciate it, Sable. I really do, but I can't let ya leave without somethin' to show for it."

They were walking. Luna realised she was being guided into the barn and that Big Mac and Applebloom had left some time ago, leaving just Apple Spritzer for company. Applejack's foreleg left her shoulders and the cow pony walked over to a large trapdoor off to one side. She glanced at Luna, as if willing her to secrecy, then heaved at the trapdoor, which swung open to reveal a short staircase leading underground. Applejack and Apple Spritzer disappeared into the tunnel without a backward glance. After taking a few tired moments to consider whether they were initiating her into some sort of secret cult, which was admittedly a rather silly thought, Luna followed.

At the foot of the stairs, a musty, stone-clad passage stretched away ahead of her. Dim light from the barn revealed a short run of neatly cut paving that sloped gently away from Luna before it was lost in the gloom. She could hear the echo of Applejack and Spritzer's hooves on stone some distance away.

"Applejack?"

Her voice echoed queerly in the dark tunnel, reflecting back a voice that was nothing like her own. She hadn't quite thought about the effects of the glamour on it; she hadn't thought about a lot of things. Luna cantered on and down and quickly spotted a dim light at the far end of the tunnel, issuing from a door set in a stout wooden frame.

Beyond that, a room, quite large, with a vaulted ceiling just high enough for a large pony to walk under. Barrels lined the back wall and the air was heavy with the scent of overripe apples and aged dust. At the far end of the barrels Luna found Applejack and Spritzer poking at a small, open crate. Pottery chimed in gentle rhythm as Applejack moved the crate away from the wall.

"There y'are," Applejack said, turning to her guest. She patted the crate and beckoned Luna closer to look at it. "How d'ya like them apples?"

Luna peered into the crate. A dozen large, earthenware bottles with swing stoppers stared back in greeting. She glanced at Applejack and raised her eyebrows, trying to understand the joke.

"I do not see any apples, Applejack."

"For t'scholic sort she can be reet dense," Spritzer muttered. But she was smiling, so it probably wasn't an insult. Probably. She grasped one of the bottles gently in her mouth and lifted it out of the crate, holding it up for Luna's appreciation.

"That, Sable, is the Apple Family's very finest Applesnap," Applejack said as Spritzer yanked the stopper from her bottle. The sweet, heady aroma of raw apple spirit filled the barn, conjuring images of summer heat and tall grass. Luna sniffed with cautious wonder and then glanced at the barrels lining the wall.

"Takes at least two years to make right," Applejack continued, a hint of pride entering her voice. "I got some laid down in this here cellar older'n Apple Bloom."

Luna jumped as she found the bottle pressed into her hooves. She looked at Spritzer; the earth pony mare winked at her. "Ge'it down thi lass. Put 'airs on tha chest it will!"

Luna looked down at her front. "But—"

"Jack, much as I'd like to partake, I think I'll hit t'hay. Try not to break 'er 'ead?"

Spritzer winked at Luna as she passed by the pair, whistling a cheery tune that echoed down the underground passage long after she'd left the room. As the tune faded, Luna found her gaze shifting between the bottle in front of her and Applejack. She did recall events from her distant past of a similar nature but most of those had been amongst a pegasus clan, and the spirit had been rather less... fruity. In addition, she was quite sure fire had been involved at some point, though her memories of the time were hazy. Without thinking she raised the bottle to her lips and took a swig.

I yes, there was the fire... A substantial amount of the liquor sprayed across the barn as Luna choked and spluttered on the burning liquid. She carefully returned the bottle to the floor, ignoring Applejack's stifled chuckle, and tried to wipe her mouth and cover her cough all at the same time.

"I guess I should've warned ya," Applejack said. She shuffled over closer to Luna, took the bottle from her unresisting hooves and raised it to her own lips. "Now that's good apples!"

"Applejack...?"

"I said y'all should get somethin' for today. I figure what better for y'all than a little moonshine?" Applejack pushed the bottle back toward Luna and grinned. "Don't worry, Twilight couldn't hold her liquor either, first time I had her down here. Poor Macintosh had to see the whole thing."

"What 'thing' was that?"

"Ya never heard Twilight sing when she's on the wagon?" Applejack grinned and nudged the bottle a little closer to Luna. "I guess not. You'd remember somethin' like that for sure."

Applejack nudged the Applesnap again and then seemed to give up, snatching the bottle back for another swig. Luna, not wanting to disappoint her host, retrieved the bottle and took an equally large swallow of the fiery brew. She choked, but this time managed to hold the drink down. Applejack's broad grin felt like the highest praise she'd received all day.

"It is a very interesting flavour," she wheezed.

"When y'all get past the feelin' like you're drinking molten lead, ya mean?" Luna nodded, prompting another smile. "Few more years an' it'll be smooth as honey. Or it'll make great paint stripper."

"Apples truly are a versatile fruit."

Luna could feel a prickling warmth spreading in her chest and across her back where her wings were supposed to be, and was suddenly very glad that the spells creating her glamour were self-sustaining.

"Apples is as apples does I guess," Applejack replied. "An' I ain't just talkin' about apples. I think."

"I understand, Applejack. You are expressing a deeply held belief that your friends and family are much more than they appear at first glance and that they are capable of great and diverse feats of spirit and body in unanticipated circumstances."

Silence. Luna briefly wondered if she'd somehow exposed herself but a discreet check of her form put paid to that. When she looked, she found Applejack giving her a worried smile and tried to match it with a cheery grin. Applejack raised her eyebrows and shook her head slightly.

"I ain't never heard it put so fancy before." She took another pull at the bottle. If the alcohol were affecting her she didn't show any sign just yet. "I mean, I ain't really thought about it. I guess I just meant that we ain't just fruit, if y'all see what I'm sayin'?"

"I believe we are in accord," Luna replied.

"Whut?"

Lost for words, Luna quicky retrieved the bottle and took another drink, more to distract herself and Applejack from the sudden conundrum than for the flavour of it. It was a terrible idea. She could feel the Applesnap working its insidious magic on her and there was little she could do about it.

"Y'know, in all the hubbub I never got to ask about where ya came from."

"Canterlot," Luna said quickly.

"I know that," Applejack shot back. She stood up and trotted around Luna to examine one of the aged barrels. "I mean, all I know is, you're an astromonitor, y'all got them university brains an' y'all are friends with Twilight. And ya buck apples pretty good," she added with a wry grin.

"I am not sure what to say, Applejack."

"Family, Sable. Where y'all came from is family." Applejack turned to the next barrel and gently tapped the wood, ears turning this way and that. She pressed one against the barrel and tapped it again. "You mentioned a sister."

Luna paused, then nodded, her mind racing as she tried to think through the haze of alcohol. "She is the eldest of us."

"You two close?"

"Yes, but we fought... recently."

"Family," Applejack replied. She sat down again, apparently satisfied with whatever her examination of the barrel had told her, and gently pulled the liquor bottle from Luna's gasp. "I fight with Apple Bloom so often it's a wonder she ain't up an' left already."

"I do not believe she would do so."

"Y'all ain't seen her for more than a few minutes!"

"I will not pretend I am a good judge of character, Applejack," Luna said. She placed a hoof on Applejack's shoulder; the farmer's ears perked up around another grin. "However I am certain that she would never do anything that would harm you. Some sisters simply cannot but love."

"But how do ya know?"

Though aware of her own temperamental nature, Luna was nevertheless surprised by the sudden change of Applejack's mood. The farmer sought reassurance for something. There was a pain behind her eyes that Luna could almost fathom. Almost, but not quite.

"She appears to take after you, Applejack. She is forthright, honest, and a hard worker."

"Takin' after me is what I'm afraid of," Applejack replied, ears hanging despondently. She took another tug at the Applesnap and sighed. "So... ya lookit the stars for a livin', huh?"

"I am an astronomer," Luna said. Another lie. This was starting to get uncomfortable. She had grown unused to being anyone but the moon. Even without that, she felt a strange discomfort in lying to this bluff and honest farm pony. Any other pony she would have been able to brush off... she pushed the thought from her mind and tried to drown it with more liquor. "It is more of a vocation."

"I likes 'em," Applejack said after some time. "The stars, I mean. Sometimes, when I was little, me an' Mac would go an' lie up on the roof, starin' at them stars and tellin' stories about em. Seen some right pretty things since Princess Luna came back too. An' I knows me a few constellations... but I bet you know 'em all by heart."

"Yes. The night sky is where I truly live."

"An' you're sister lives in the sun, right?" Applejack 's reply was accompanied by an incautious wink. Had she figured out the secret? Luna panicked and felt her non-existent wings trying to flare, muscles in her shoulders pulling in ways that felt alien and uncomfortable. She grit her teeth and tried to bring the phantom limbs under control.

"Y'all okay sugarcube?"

Luna found herself cowering on the floor. How odd. She looked up at the vaults and Applejack's concerned face hanging over her like a bright orange harvest moon. A few moments more, Applejack glanced up at the roof as alcohol-slowed comprehension dawned on her face. She crouched down and wrapped a foreleg around Luna's neck.

"I'm sorry, I shoulda guessed a pony like yoursel' would've been uncomfortable underground." Luna bit her lip; she couldn't respond. At least Applejack was telling the lies for her this time. "Lets get y'all outside."

Still, like all the best lies there was a smattering of truth to it. Not for nothing was Canterlot built to such colossal scale, so high in the mountains, so open and airy. Enough unicorns shared the Princesses' latent claustrophobia to put a sheen of truth to the lie and so Luna found herself going along with it, for now, because she really didn't have much of a choice.

Already Applejack had ushered her out of the cellar and into refreshing cool of the night. Luna felt her body relax. Perhaps it had been the truth after all? She couldn't tell, her mind was clouded, but the sky at least was clear as Applejack led her away from the barn. But not to the farmhouse, nor to the road back to town.

"Where are we going?"

Applejack didn't answer. Somehow, around helping Luna to the surface, she had acquired a saddlebag and a few smaller bottles of the Applesnap. Dark trees closed in as Applejack led them onward through orchards, the scent of crushed leaves and apples filling Luna's nostrils. Alien. Familiar. Memories of the day blended with those of aeons, dragging Luna back to times she had almost forgotten. Endless summer nights amongst the trees, chill streams, the hot stink of sun-baked loam and leaf litter churned to divots as she chased... who? Friend? Lover? She couldn't remember.

In what seemed like no time they reached the edge of the trees. Luna found herself on a bluff overlooking a broad valley, filled from side to side with more apple trees than seemed possible. Above it all the moon hung in the sky, broad and bright, its face still clear as Luna had left it the day she had returned. She should probably do something about that but it had looked so... so pure and right. Unsullied by the mistakes of her past.

"Ain't that a pretty sight?"

Did she mean the orchard or the stars? Luna knew Applejack would be rightly proud of her family's achievements and all the work they had done, but that didn't seem quite like the sort of thing she'd boast about to a near-stranger. On the other hand why would she be telling a pony she thought of as an astronomer how pretty the stars were? Though... they were pretty. She'd made sure of that when she got back.

"It is beautiful," she offered, not committing herself to either option. Applejack seemed to catch a little of her hesitancy but she didn't offer any reproach, unless a bottle of Applesnap was considered an insult amongst modern earth ponies. Luna accepted the drink and took a deep draught.

"Woah there girl!" Applejack tugged the bottle back from Luna's grasp and set it down on the floor. "This ain't some fruity soft drink!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Ain't no need to be sorry sugarcube, I like it when people 'preciate ma wares, but not all at once!"

"No, I—"

"Y'all are tired an' had a bad turn, that's all."

Luna flinched as Applejack's hoof rubbed across her back. The earth pony paused for a second, then gently withdrew her foreleg.

"Sable, you are stressin' out about somethin' and it ain't just bein' underground for a few minutes."

"I am fine!"

"If y'all say so."

A cork popped. Applejack took a slug from her bottle and settled down on the grass, eyes fixed on the horizon. She glanced at Luna once or twice and then resumed her vigil.

"Y'know, sometimes, when the work ain't so much, I come an' sit out here to watch the sunrise. Always done it. Gave me time to think." Applejack pushed back her hat as she continued speaking. "When I was a filly I was tired of bucking apples when every other pony seemed to be livin' the good ol' life. I used to think maybe there wuz more to life than just apples, maybe somethin' on the other side of the sun, an' one day I figured I'd go find out. So I ran away, went to Manehatten an' spent some time with mah cousins there. Oranges."

She spat the word as if it were the gravest insult she could hurl. Luna almost couldn't stop herself giggling, but she soon stifled the laugh and tried to look concerned. "I am sorry, Applejack. Did you find what you sought?"

"Yup." Applejack grinned and raised her bottle to the orchards. "Right where I started."

"That is wonderful!"

"Yeah, s'great, but ya see why I worry about Apple Bloom now? She's getting' near that age. I don't want her to feel like she's trapped or nothin' but I couldn't stand the thought of her getting' all antsy for some other life an' me losin' her like... well, I couldn't stand it."

"To lose family is a terrible thing," Luna replied, fixing her eyes on the flawless moon. Yes, she'd definitely have to do something about that once she got back to the palace. Perhaps a nice new pattern of craters and a few maria to set off all that grey. Had she really spent a thousand years trapped in that empty world? Alone?

"Sable?"

Tears stung her eyes as she looked away from the moon. Luna wiped a furious hoof at her face and tried to hide her state but her companion had already figured out something was wrong.

"I am sorry," Luna said again. She blinked away another tear... wasn't this what she had wanted? Someone to talk to without being treated like a princess? Someone to ease her soul, but that would mean telling... no. That would never do. "It would be insensitive to burden you with my problems, Applejack. I should go."

"No. Y'all listened to me grouse, I'll listen to you. Fair's fair." She tilted her head, eyes searching Luna's face for something. "I mean, if ya want to, that is."

Perhaps she could leave out a few details... Luna lay down on the grass, snuffling at the scent of warm earth and casting her mind back. "It is difficult to discuss without context. We are... my sister and I are both influential in Canterlot society."

"Oh. That's your problem?"

"It is simply what is," Luna replied, noting Applejack's reaction to her words. So quickly she had been ready to judge, but just as quick to accept. Perhaps things wouldn't be so bad. "But it means I can have no true friends, merely hangers-on and seekers of favour. My vocation, my love for the stars, simply 'seals the deal' as I think you might put it. In truth, Applejack, I am lonely. I have no memory of any parents. I have only my sister, yet even she... as I said, a time ago we fought and I wronged her in ways that still hurt to think about. I do not believe she fully trusts me, even now."

She felt Applejack's gentle touch on her back again and this time didn't flinch. The air had chilled but the ground beneath her was warm, and she could feel the heat radiating from Applejack's body nearby, mixing with the fire of the alcohol in her belly. Memories of other lives filled her head, betraying her thoughts. Memories from before... Tears forced their way out of her eyes again.

"I was so close to losing her. I thought she—when we fought, I was afraid, Applejack. I was so terribly afraid that I'd be alone forever. I love my sister, b-but right at that moment I hated her. I hated how my love for her and my fear of losing her gave her so much power over me. I wanted to destroy it, to drive her away so I wouldn't feel afraid any more, but then I would have been truly alone. I do not wish to be alone, Applejack." Luna raised her head to look at Applejack and saw just a hint of wetness in her eyes. This wasn't right! But it felt right to finally talk, even in such a truncated way. "I—Forgive me, I have burdened—"

"Ain't nothin' to forgive," Applejack said through a slightly strained smile. She lay down next to Luna and looked up at the stars. "I can't guess what ya did an I ain't expectin' y'all to tell me neither, but ya can't keep somethin' like that bottled up inside an' expect to stay sane for long. At least ya got a chance to turn 'round and try it agin. Some folk don't get that."

Luna buried her muzzle in her forelegs and closed her eyes. She felt strangely light and warm, and she was fairly sure it wasn't just a result of all the Applesnap she'd consumed tonight.

"Thank you, Applejack. You have a—"

"Great heart, yeah, I know." Applejack grinned and held out her bottle. After a few moments Luna realised what was happening and quickly bumped her own against it with a loud clunk. For a brief, glorious moment she was nothing more than Sable Moonshine and friend, looking up at the stars. Luna lay for a while, supping at her drink. She wasn't sure how much she'd had but she was certain she'd regret it in the morning.

"Applejack?"

"Yo..."

Luna laid her head on one side and stared up at the stars. "Applejack, tell me one of your stories."

"Mah—oh! Yeah... I got a few. Um... they're mostly fer little foals an' stuff. I usually started with one of them constellations." Applejack looked around the sky and then pointed at a patch of stars. "How 'bout that one there?"

"Ippomeda."

"That what that one is? Me an Mac, we called it Buckin' Butch cause it looks like a pony buckin' at a tree if you squint at it right. The way I heard it, big old Butch wuz the first pony to ever figure out how to harvest apples. One day he saw a big ol' crow up in a crab apple tree peckin' away at the fruit and he says 'hey crow, that there thing tasty?' and the crow, why he jus' looks back at Butch an yells that his momma done real bad things..."

Luna rolled onto her side as the story continued, content to let Applejack's eager telling of the tale wash over her mind. Her companion had her eyes fixed on the sky, pointing to this star and that as characters or places were introduced to the story, until the firmament was transformed into a tale of adventure and excitement to rival the greatest epics of history, climaxing in a grand test of spirit beneath the branches of a great, holy apple tree at the top of a hill.

The tale ended with the successful hero bringing the gift of apple husbandry and apple pastries to his eager compatriots, getting the filly of his dreams and a nice little farm on which to end his days; exactly the sort of ending that would appeal to a dedicated apple farmer. Luna thought to enquire to the fate of the crow, but her question was swallowed in a yawn so large that she couldn't even begin to stifle it.

"Sounds like y'all are gonna sleep well tonight," Applejack said. She drew herself to her feet, tottering barely at all despite the quantity of drink she'd consumed. "I guess I shoulda cut it short."

"No, it was fun! An extremely entertaining tale! I—" Luna hiccuped. She covered her mouth and tried not to giggle. "That was very, very silly."

After a few attempts Luna managed to stand, though her legs felt like they wanted to walk in different directions.

"This Applesnapple loses its appeal after a few hours, Apple—" She hiccuped again. This is becoming tedious, some part of her mind declared. Another much happier part demanded silence so that a third part could concentrate on moving her legs in the correct order. "Applejack, I may need some help home."

"I figured. Come on."

Leaning against each other, accompanied by Luna's uncontrollable giggles, the pair made their way back through the gloomy orchard.

Twilight tapped a quill against a blank sheet of parchment and stared at the sky. The deck on top of her library was hardly equivalent of the great Royal Observatory in Canterlot but it had a few perks, such as a nearby supply of tea, no need to trek half a mile to the library every time you needed a new reference volume and a complete absence of postgrads taking up more than their allotted time on the main scope or the programmable orrery. Unfortunately it also had one rather large and obvious lack. Twilight glanced over at the other, empty seat on the deck and sighed.

Still, waste not, want not. Her target for the night should be in view by now. Twilight leaned toward the scope; her impromptu stellar research had uncovered a rather interesting change in the behaviour of a comet that seemed to have completely reversed its orbit since Luna's return, though she'd need several more nights of observations to confirm that it wasn't merely a different, unknown object that just happened to have very similar orbital parameters. Perhaps she could get the naming rights... she made a quick note of a few possible names and returned to her observations.

Some time and many scribbled notes later she pulled herself from the 'scope and glanced at a little travel clock on the floor beside her. It was late. Extremely late. Twilight looked over her shoulder at the library's warm and oh so very inviting interior. Had Luna returned while she was deep in her observations? It didn't seem too likely, Twilight was sure she would have heard the door, and she was equally sure Luna would have at least come up to say goodnight. Surely.

Quill and parchment fell to the table and Twilight heaved herself from her comfortable chair, pausing a moment to stretch a crick from her back. She trotted over to the balcony rail and stared down at the darkened streets of Ponyville, watching for any signs of... of anything, really, but all she found were shadows. Twilight snuffed and bit her lip and, stars forgotten, turned to go inside. As she reached the door a snatch of song echoed across the deserted streets. Twilight's ears spun at the sound and she quickly returned to the rail, peering around. After a moment she could hear a distantly stentorian voice booming across the rooftops.

"A' the air and mountain free I ran

By forest glen and river

To see at last the fairest one

The lady—Applejack you must keep up!"

"I can't help it if I don't know the lyra... leer... dangit, them word things! Why I don't even know the story!"

Laughter echoed through the deserted streets. Twilight could only press her face to her hooves at the thought of what her two friends had been up to that night. She waited until they were in sight, singing meaningless nonsense by now and swaying back and forth as they made their way toward the library. Luna had a bottle of some sort suspended from an aura before their faces. Every now and then she'd offer it up to Applejack's eager mouth, before taking a swig of her own.

"It is very simple, Applejack! The tale is of the young swain's pursuit of his beloved atop a great mountain!"

"I wanted to sing Pink Lady o' Mine but noooooooo..."

This is my Princess, Twilight thought, shaking her head. And she'd never seen Applejack in such a state even when she'd been up to sample the farmer's wares. Twilight decided not to remember that night, preferring to focus on the immediate problems, such as a drunken princess pounding at her door.

"Twilight Sparkle, we are sleepy and require a bed!"

"Shhh!"

"Thou shush thyself, Erytheia!"

"N-no you! Wait, what?"

"Twilight!"

"Shhh!"

The drunken debate continued as Twilight made her way downstairs, grumbling all the while. This was not what she'd expected in the least. Kept up all night, left alone when she thought she'd be getting days and days with the Princess all to herself, drunken friends waking up the entire town... she knew she was being needlessly bitter but it wasn't fair.

"Y'all gotta be quiet, Sable! We might get arrested!"

"I shall not be arrested! I am a prin—princess!"

"Princess? I don't care if—if y'all are Celestia her almighty self! I ain't gettin'—"

Twilight yanked the door open and glared at the pair of silly ponies swaying on her doorstop. They stared back, wide-eyed and as legless as they come. Luna, seemingly unable to focus on Twilight without tipping over, turned her head to one side and held a hoof up over one eye.

"Twilight!"

"Shhh!"

"S-sable, what in the name of Celestia are you doing? It's nearly midnight!"

Swaying, blinking, Luna glanced at Applejack and then looked back at Twilight with narrow eyes. "We were singing?"

Twilight could only sigh. She ushered both ponies inside the library, took a quick look around to be sure they hadn't been spotted, and slammed the door. When she turned back to her friends they were leaning against each other, giggling like the fate of the world depended on their laughter. Given the hangover Luna was sure to experience tomorrow, perhaps it did. Twilight glared at Applejack.

"How could you let this happen?"

"I ain't lettin' noth—nothin' happen, Twilight. Y'alls just partynoid."

"Applejack! Sable was supposed to work for you and then come home, not... not gallivant off to guzzle moonshine—"

Both ponies burst out laughing again. Twilight rolled her eyes and stalked off to the far side of the library to wait for a calmer moment before talking. Moonshine. She'd walked right into that one, hadn't she?

Unsteady hooves clomped across the floor. Twilight looked up into Luna's wavering eyes and her bemused smile and found she couldn't be angry. Not really. In the background she could see Applejack meandering unsteadily around the room, a grin fixed on her face as she pawed at Twilight's carefully sorted books.

"Applejack..."

"Yo!"

"I'm sorry for shouting at you."

Applejack turned around and grinned. "S'okay darlin', I ain't one to—to hold no grudge! Anyhow I better git before I do something stupid..."

"I..."

Twilight pursed her lips and waited for the door to close before turning back to Luna. The princess was slumped on a couch, staring at the ceiling with a vacant expression. Occasionally her stomach would squeeze as she tried to hold back a hiccup.

"Twilight, why is your library rotating at such great speed?"

"You're drunk."

"This I know, Twilight Sparkle. I am very sorry."

An acerbic reply rose up and caught in Twilight's throat. She wanted to yell, maybe punch something but she'd never be able to forgive herself for whatever damage she might cause, and she was pretty sure Luna could more than match any shouting she might do. Twilight slowly paced the circumference of the main reading room, pausing a moment to neaten up some of the books Applejack had scuffed at, before returning to Luna.

"I know you weren't going to have time to spend with me tonight, but..."

But what? There was nothing she could say that wouldn't sound like she was whining about how Luna was choosing to spend her free time. It occurred to Twilight that antagonising the sister of the country's absolute ruler might not go down very well.

"Did... did you enjoy your day?"

"Oh yes! We worked all day and then Applejack introduced me to her Applesnap grotto!" Luna sat up but then swayed, closing her eyes. "By the great titans, the stars have followed me inside..."

"I should be so lucky," Twilight grumbled. She stalked upstairs to the kitchen and retrieved a large bowl, fairly certain that it would be needed at some point during the night. When she returned to the reading room Luna was lying on her back, legs all in the air, and snoring heavily. The scene reminded her of Spike after a ruby bender; she couldn't help but smile at the sight.

A purple aura wrapped around Luna and scooted her into the air ahead of Twilight. Even in her truncated form she was... light probably wasn't the best way to describe it, but there was something almost insubstantial about the princess, as if she both more and less than she appeared to be. Twilight found herself making a mental record of the sensations as she walked her charge up the stairs, her magic unconsciously probing to examine form and structure.

Luna snorted and rolled over in the aura, rear legs twitching fitfully. She muttered something about apples and then fell into a deeper sleep, no longer snoring. As carefully as her magic allowed, Twilight laid the princess on her bed and tucked her in, before retreating to tidy up and ready herself for sleep.

Yet, once settled, she found sleep would not come. Twilight rucked and fiddled at her sheets and turned every way she could but found no comfort. The room felt... too warm, confining, like a cage or a pit. Twilight huddled up next to her pillow and turned to stare out of the window at the night sky. Erato and Pistis were framed ahead of her, still far and dim enough to be mistaken for unusually bright stars, though her trained eye could see the conjunction advancing every day. In less than a week they would burn bright as the moon itself.

Sleep remained elusive. Twilight wondered if a little light reading would help but she doubted it, somehow. The muggy room was driving her out and there was only one thing outside worth the effort. It was probably fortuitous; she hadn't completed her observations of the comet earlier and it would still be visible for a few hours and she'd also be able to make more notes on the conjunction. If nothing else, having Luna point it out had given her a lot to do this week. She might never have spotted it in time otherwise.

She briefly considered waking Spike but decided he'd probably just grump at her. Twilight slid from her bed and trapped to the kitchen for a thermos of coffee, then retreated up to the observation deck. Her notes were still laid on on the table, a half-formed thought scribbled at the top of the page. She stared at the words, unable to remember what she had been trying to record. Any thoughts she'd had earlier in the evening were lost in the morass of conflicted feelings hammering around her brain. Twilight flopped into her chair and tossed the parchment to one side, selecting a fresh sheet to begin her work anew.

The stars wheeled, sedate and unconstrained by the fates and worries of life below. The moon set. At some point Twilight realised she had fallen asleep, for she suddenly found herself in the early light of dawn, quill pen resting on her foreleg, a stain of black ink spread and dried in her fur. The scope pointed skyward to stare at pale emptiness. Everywhere was silent. Twilight blinked weary eyes and stumbled from her chair, shivering in the early morning chill. She stumped downstairs to the bedroom, which had transformed from cloying to comfortingly warm in her absence. Luna was still asleep, twisted around her pillow like a snake and drooling on the sheets. Probably already nursing the mother of all hangovers.

"Spike." Twilight kicked at her assistant's basket. "Wake up."

"Wuh? Twi—" Spike yawned and stretched. "Whtime izzit?"

"Time you made breakfast."

"Is the sun up yet?"

"The sun's always up somewhere, Spike. I'm going to take a shower. I want a nice breakfast for all three of us when I'm done."

She heard Spike mutter something profane as he stomped off to the kitchen. Twilight didn't care, she was exhausted and just wanted to sleep, but the library wouldn't take care of itself and she'd have to take care of Luna on top of that. Princesses were so hard to manage! Coming and going on their own schedule, never doing what they were supposed to do. It was so frustrating.

The bathroom had mercifully yet to suffer the ministrations of Luna, Princess of Overkill, giving Twilight the opportunity to enjoy her shower free of the need to undertake a crash-course in plumbing or tile repair. She crawled into the tub and sat under a steaming-hot stream of water until the night chill had been thoroughly driven from her body and leaving her, if not refreshed, then at least no longer a shivering wreck.

Should have taken a blanket. Should have stayed in bed.

"Should have had somepony spending some time with me," she groused as she scrubbed at her body with a towel.

Luna, out of her bed and seated at their shared table, refused to speak to or even look at Twilight when she emerged from the bathroom, evidently preferring to keep her eyes tight shut against the brightening morning sun. Twilight enjoyed a tiny inner cackle at the princess's state, only to immediately regret such vindictive behaviour, even if it was entirely on the inside. She quietly seated herself at the table.

Spike arrived a moment later, breakfast things clattering on an enormous tray held over his head He dropped the entire thing on the table to the sound of tinkling china and jangling cutlery, every noise sending another wince of pain across Luna's face.

"Little dragon, prithee cease thy clamour!"

"But—"

Luna's eyes snapped open and turned to Spike bearing considerable malice. "We require silence!"

"Spike," Twilight said, gently as she could. "Leave it. I'll take care of everything, you just... just go away for a bit, okay?"

Reeling between fear of Luna's glare and the comfort of Twilight's voice, Spike slowly backed away from the table, a small bowl of food grasped in his claws. He gave Luna a final look, then nodded to Twilight and retreated from the bedroom.

With her assistant safely removed from Luna's wrath, Twilight began sorting the breakfast. She wrapped everything in a temporary sound-deadening spell as she worked, carefully laying the dishes with exacting precision, giving Luna a few slices of very heavily buttered toast and herself a small pile of pancakes. Finally Twilight poured a cup of strong, black tea and placed it before the princess.

She waited. The light of the sun moved fractionally, time passing as Luna sat and suffered in her silence. Finally the princess seemed to break down, head shaking, just the hint of a smile touching her lips.

"Such exquisite tortures we would have visited on no pony, even in our darkest hours," she murmured. Luna sniffed at the steam rising from her tea and lifted her head just a fraction. "Thank you, Twilight. I fear I would have acted rashly toward your assistant."

"He's a tough little guy, he'd have got over it."

"A dragon hoards more than gems, Twilight Sparkle." Luna sipped at her tea. An almost palpable look of relief washed across her face. "It has been some time since I drank like that. Normally it is Celestia that imbibes to excess. Applejack's moonshine is a surprisingly potent beverage."

"I guess Applejack told you about my first visit, too," Twilight replied, shifting uncomfortably on her seat. She wondered why she'd raised the subject and quickly tucked into her pancakes for an excuse to not answer any potential questions.

"Indeed. This 'Applesnap' does appear to provoke much singing."

A nod, a grimace. Twilight didn't want to remember that part, though at least she'd sung something Applejack could join in with. She swallowed her mouthful and washed it down with some tea.

"What was the song you sang? I've never heard it before."

"I..." Luna's eyes stared into space as she recalled the previous night's festivities. She smiled. "Fair Selene Upon The Mount. It was a Unicorn ballad from the classical era, though I believe it fell out of favour during my absence. The first time I heard the song was at a wedding—"

Luna's smile faltered and she blinked as if not sure where she was. Her eyes danced back and forth as if searching until they came to rest on the toast before her. Luna lifted it to her mouth and chewed at the crust, once again staring off into nowhere.

"It was so very long ago... and so very cold," Luna said quietly, her smile returning. "Winter weddings were considered auspicious in Unicorn society at the time. I remember the frost on Star's back, the way everyone's flanks steamed in the snow. The priest's robes. That stupid hat... I kept it for centuries afterwards, heaven knows how it lasted as long as it did."

The smile was almost gone now, replaced with an odd melancholy, her tea long forgotten.

"They would sing the song to the moon, it was still sacred to unicorns even in that era. If they'd known who was among them that day... The groom would take the part of the adventurer and the bride would be Selene upon a small mount in the centre of a bower. He would circle the bower to each of the witnesses in turn, acting out each cycle of the story and taking a token of their blessing for the union. At the conclusion, the adventurer would climb the mount to join with his beloved, whilst the witnesses remained to be sure no false claims were made."

"That sounds wonderful," Twilight sighed, imagining the snow-shrouded grandeur of the event. This was more like it! Maybe not astronomy, but Luna relating tales from the ancient past was just as good! She could compile them into a neat set of notes for her potential thesis on the perception of friendship through the centuries. There were strange holes in the histories of the Classical era, probably a result of the–

"Wait... w-what did you mean by false claims?"

"Exactly that which I said, Twilight. For the marriage ceremony to be complete its consummation had to be witnessed. I have to confess I was a little uncomfortable with the idea at first, but one tends to lose oneself in the moment..."

She couldn't remember how to work her mouth. Twilight could feel her jaw hanging but she literally had no idea how to close it, as if the nerves connecting it to the rest of her were just gone. She tried to speak; a gargled choke was all that emerged. Luna leaned forward and gently pressed Twilight's mouth closed with her hoof.

"They were older times, Twilight Sparkle. More dangerous times, when the guarantee of issue was important."

"B-but you... and he... in front of everyp—you're talking about your own marr—you were married?"

Luna nodded as she sipped her tea.

"Does... did Princess Celestia..."

"She knew, but whether she truly understood..." Luna closed her eyes again and rubbed her temple. She leaned back and sighed. "Oh, there was a time when I could drink and not feel this way in upon waking. Perhaps I shall spend the day at rest."

"How could you get married? You're the princess!" The sight of Luna's grimace made Twilight realise she'd been shouting. She twisted her hoof on the table and looked away. "I'm sorry..."

"It is well, Twilight, I accept your interest and understand your confusion. Indeed, I am a princess – though Star never knew that. As I explained, there was a time when I would live amongst ponies. Like this," she said, indicating her current form. Twilight tilted her head, trying to tame her racing confusion. Yet it must have been obvious, for Luna smiled and nodded. "I know what you're thinking."

"You seemed so loud..."

"I have a carrying voice," Luna replied, just a hint of reproach in her voice. She looked away, frowned and sipped her tea. "I see why Celestia drinks this all the time. Good tea seems to be a rather potent restorative."

"If you don't want to talk about this you could just say so."

"Oh but I do, Twilight, I do..." Luna shook her head and then seemed to regret the action. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply of the steam rising from her tea. "I owe you a great debt of gratitude, Twilight, and I have been remiss in honouring that debt. However I sincerely do require rest."

Another piece of toast floated up and away from the table as Luna stood. She paced the short distance to her bed and lay down, tea to one side, toast to the other, eyes closed. After a moment a book floated from the wall and dropped on the bed in front of her.

It felt like a dismissal. A relatively carefree life in Ponyville meant that Twilight had almost forgotten the ways of the court and the often brusque habit of the nobility to tune out things they didn't want to pay attention to, but it seemed Sable was playing that part of her role quite admirably. Twilight was sure she'd never behaved that way... well almost never. She huffed and finished off her breakfast as quickly as she could before clearing everything into a neat pile on the tray. Spike could deal with it later.

And that just left the day ahead. The library wouldn't take care of itself, Twilight reasoned, though she knew she'd probably scare most of her customers away given her current mood. Perhaps she could hide it behind a frantic re-arrangement of the shelving. That always helped... and they were a little out of order again. In all the 'excitement' she'd forgotten to arrange her weekly reshelving session.

"Twilight..."

She turned. Luna was looking at her with an odd, almost hungry expression. "Yes?"

"I wish to speak to Spike shortly. I was... overbearing."

"Of course," Twilight replied, a little more formally than she'd wanted.

"I would also like to read any notes you made regarding your observations of the conjunction," Luna continued, returning to her book. My book! "It would be useful for our observations tonight."

"Tonight... oh! Yes, of course! I left them on the desk."

"Thank you, Twilight."

I'm so easily bought, Twilight's cynicism griped as she trotted downstairs to the library. She considered trying to maintain her bad mood – she was still feeling a little put-out by Luna's behaviour the previous night – but it was a half-hearted sort of affair and she knew it would only get in the way of her daily tasks.

A small pile of unsorted books waited for her by the reading table but Spike was nowhere to be seen. Not that it mattered, he was probably hiding in the supply closet; she'd see to him later. Twilight set about sorting the books while she assembled a mental checklist of tasks for the day, yet her mind was soon rolling back over the conversation at breakfast. It was hard to reconcile this aspect of Luna with the lost and frankly bizarre behaviour she'd displayed on Nightmare Night, or the aloof confidence she'd displayed at other times.

Twilight levitated a pile of books as she walked to the shelves, still deep in thought. Luna, married? It must have been a long time ago, given the way she'd talked about specific Unicorn rituals, perhaps when the three races had still lived almost separate lives within Equestria. Had she had children? Had she done it before or since?

A knock at the door abruptly tore Twilight from her thoughts. She groaned as she found she'd been shelving cookery books in the history section. Another, more urgent knock at the door forced Twilight to abandon her charges in a neat pile by the shelves.

A remotely familiar earth pony waited as Twilight drew back the door. She gave the library behind Twilight a dour look and then turned slightly. "Jack, get thiself over 'ere."

"Jack?" Twilight spotted the stranger's cutie mark of an apple wrapped in the thorny stem of a red rose. "Oh, you mean Applejack!"

"She's in t'shade," the stranger said, grinning mischievously. She turned and shouted under the branches of the library. "Drank a bit much las' night didn't thi!"

"Spritzer, ya ain't helpin'..."

"Aye, but it's fun," Spritzer replied, giving Twilight a cheeky wink. "Tha better hurry Jack. I'll be down at t'market. Mebbe thi've got a cart o' t'seasonals in today."

The strangely-accented Spritzer turned to leave, but then paused and leaned close to Twilight. "Be kind."

She cantered away just as Applejack hauled herself out of the leafy shade beside Twilight's door. The farmer was a wreck, glassy eyes ringed by dark circles, lidded against the morning sun. She winced at the sound of Twilight's indrawn breath.

"Applejack, what happened?"

"Mah applesnap happened," Applejack replied. Her ears were laid back as far as they'd go and her jaw was tight but the earth pony seemed unwilling to acknowledge her very obvious headache. "I deserve it. Stayed up too late an' didn't bring Sable back when I shoulda."

"No, Applejack, that's not fair at all. Sable—"

"Twilight, I'm gonna say this quick, an' then I'm gonna find me some sorta ice bucket for ma head, cause I gotta get back to work." Applejack took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"But last night—"

"I ain't talkin' about last night!"

"Applejack, come inside." Twilight opened the door wider and stepped back but Applejack refused to move. "Please?"

She knew she was making those big eyes that used to get her treats back in the palace. They'd always worked; they seemed to work now too. Applejack scowled but dragged herself into the library, sighing with relief as she escaped the bright sunlight. She crawled over to the couch and collapsed into it, barely moving even when Twilight sat on the floor next to her.

"I can help ease the pain a little," she said, horn glowing as an analgesia spell collected within it. "It'll take a moment. And don't say you deserve the hangover."

Applejack had opened her mouth to speak. She closed it again and nodded slightly before closing her eyes.

"Sable tells me she had a lot of fun yesterday."

"I guess? She worked hard." The lines on Applejack's face softened as the spell took hold, soothing and easing her pain. She took a deep breath and nodded again. "I meant to say I was sorry for the day before. I was rude. Neither of you deserved that."

"Surely you've already spoken to Sable about that?"

"I have, I wanted to apologise to you as well. Y'all had to watch me mistreat your friend and that ain't fair." The aura dissipated, power draining from Twilight's horn as the spell completed its work. Applejack lifted herself upright, twisting her head this way and that. "Well how 'bout that..."

"It'll hold the pain off until the worst has passed."

"That'll make the day easier. You're a lifesaver, Twilight."

Applejack pulled herself from the couch and trotted back to the door, followed closely by Twilight. Half way outside she paused and turned back to her friend, giving Twilight another good look at her face. It was pretty obvious she'd been drinking more after she got home. Twilight thought to ask but she knew the farmer would likely refuse to explain in her current mood.

"Listen... I know Sable's probably restin' up right now but you let her know, I really 'preciated her help yesterday."

"Sure," Twilight said, putting on her best smile. "I'll mention it."

"Thanks again, Twilight." Applejack rubbed the back of her head and grinned. "For everythin'."

"No problem," Twilight replied after the door had clicked shut. "Any time..."

She turned back to the library, thoughts racing. There were books to sort but her heart wasn't in it, lost in the morass of questions without answers and unknown variables that her life had rapidly become. Who would have thought inviting a millennia-old immortal to stay the night would become so confusing? But she had to put it from her mind, there would be no answers from Luna yet and she had work to do.

Twilight groaned as she took in the sight of her half-sorted stacks. They were a complete mess. It was incredible how far they could slip in just a single day and she wasn't even sure she'd had that many visitors yesterday. Quite apart from her own brief oversight, the reference section was completely out of order, there were philosophy books all over the history section and someone had moved her ancient religion texts to comedy fiction. Again.

There was only one solution to this conundrum.

"Spike! Get in here!"

Comments

[archonix]

2084971 Newp. That was something different.

[banjo2E]

Twilight groaned as she took in the sight of her half-sorted stacks. They were a complete mess. It was incredible how far they could slip in just a single day and she wasn't even sure she'd had that many visitors yesterday. Quite apart from her own brief oversight, the reference section was completely out of order, there were philosophy books all over the history section and someone had moved her ancient religion texts to comedy fiction. Again.

This is why Discord should have stayed a statue.

[Misplaced Modifier]

Tracked, lets see where this goes

-Mis

[Kaille]

someone had moved her ancient religion texts to comedy fiction. Again.

God, I loved that line. Seriously golden.

[Shachza]

"Normally it is Celestia that imbibes to excess."

Wait, what? Celestia? The pony who (in your story) very carefully picks who and when she shares any friendship - much less anything more intimate. The pony who apparently would rather spend time alone. The pony who doesn't seem to deviate from her set schedule. Ever. The pony more focused on what she is than who she is. The pony who, judging by the interactions so far, has serious trouble being as remotely as expressive as Luna.

She's the drunkard?

[nemryn]

I bet once this is all over, there's going to be a crow constellation mysteriously added to Andromeda, isn't there?

[coandco]

her impromptu stellar research had uncovered a rather interesting change in the behaviour of a comet that seemed to have completely reversed it's orbit since Luna's return, though she'd need several more nights of observations to confirm that it wasn't merely a different, unknown object that just happened to have very similar orbital parameters.

"It's" should be "its", since expanding it to "it is" doesn't make sense in this context.

"Y'all gotta be quite, Sable! We might get arrested!"

Should "quite" be "quiet"? That'd make more sense.

[marinus18]

Why is Twilight so shocked that Luna has married? I mean Cadence is married too isn't she?