Ganymede
Even in a place where the sun couldn't reach, some part of Applejack knew to wake in the before-dawn.
It'd taken some time to remember where she was. She instantly recognized the snoring, as Rainbow Dash had the kind of noise that was impossible to forget, but that didn't give much of an indication of location. After all, the six of them had ended up asleep in a ponypile a few times, even after that ill-advised sleepover with Rarity. She mentally cycled through her memories of what her friends' homes, and floors, felt like, and when nothing registered as familiar, she opened her eyes to the sight of dark stone.
Right. Eventide. She remembered now.
Applejack looked over at her friends, still fast asleep, and smiled as she saw Twilight resting in the middle of the pile with a book tucked under her chin. Up late reading again, most likely. As for Applejack, a body that had never quite learned the meaning of the words sleep in was already twitching with the need to get up and do something, and lacking the chores of the farm back home didn't mean slacking off. She'd made plans, and she was going to keep to them.
She slid out of the bed, and the chill of the stone floor conducting through the soles of her hooves nearly sent her leaping back into it again. By Celestia, how did a single one of these Umbral Society ponies stand living in a home full of stone when that awaited them on a cold morning? One day of that and she'd be up and moving right back out into a wooden house with a roaring fireplace.
At least she'd be out of here soon and walking on sun-touched earth. Keeping the winces to a minimum, she moved over to where she and her friends had piled their belongings, and sought out her own. A snap of her teeth and swift toss of her head sent the hat soaring and then landing in its proper place, and then she slid into her saddlebags.
She felt the familiar weight, but still checked that her Element was in its place in one of them. The princesses had recommended that they keep the necklaces and crown on their person at all times, and she'd been in agreement. They didn't need anypony sneaking into their room while they were out and going through their things. They couldn't be too careful, in unfamiliar territory.
One good thing about being an Apple, however, was that unfamiliar territory tended to come with a familiar face or two.
Applejack turned toward the door, casting one more quick look at her sleeping friends before she pushed it open. It was time for a reunion with her distant cousin.
It would seem that the chancellor had had an additional guest the previous night.
Masquerade was not supposed to know about this, of course. She had been trusted with knowing that Hypnos existed, but was not supposed to be privy to his comings and goings. Nopony was, but Penumbra. It had been a protective measure. She would know where the book was and what do to if something went wrong, but only one pony was ever supposed to contact the nyx at a time, to minimize his potential influence. It left each meeting conducted in secret, to keep her shielded from the creature.
What her dear chancellor had failed to account for was that Masquerade was good at uncovering secrets. Equestrian society was nothing but a series of bejeweled masks placed atop piles of bones, and she had a talent for tossing the sparkling facades aside and assembling the skeletons beneath. Being a unicorn gave her a slightly closer relationship with the immaterial plane, and while she could not directly observe the nyx himself, she was aware of all of Hypnos's visits.
It would have been easy to "accidentally" stroll into Penumbra's office right in the middle of the meditation, but she'd refrained. Jeopardizing such a fragile alliance with the outsider for mere amusement would be the act of a foal, tempted as she was.
It would be so enlightening to speak to him herself at last, if she had the opportunity. It was so hard to acquire specimens from outside, much less those sapient and sane enough to talk in anything more than thoughtless echoes of the minds they'd touched. But no, it was better to keep it her little secret, and continue to watch the chancellor to be sure that she showed no signs of dark influence.
It was all fun and games until a pony succumbed to possession, after all. Dealing with such an incident tended to be... messy.
It was nearly dawn, and Masquerade had been up for several hours already. The wards in her workroom had just been freshly applied, the symbols still gleaming a wet crimson, and would need time to gorge themselves on the mana flowing in the leyline beneath her hooves. That meant spending several hours out of doors while the magic charged, and she would need to find a way to spend the time.
Masquerade fetched her scarf, wrapping it around her neck just so, and checked the mirror, her candlelit reflection giving her a dazzling smile. With a nod of approval, she turned toward the door, plans already falling together in her mind.
It felt like a day for getting a little bit of sun.
Applejack had never felt quite right in cities.
As a foal, in Manehattan, she hadn't recognized it for what it was, only that everything had felt wrong there. It was a lot like if she'd lost her sense of smell; an absence not as immediately apparent as hearing or sight, but still a piece missing from her full picture of the world. She'd felt dulled. Detached. Disassociation was the word she would learn for it, years later, that feeling of not being quite in her own body, nothing feeling quite real. Then she'd come back home, become whole again, and her mark had come to her to let her know that she was where she belonged.
She could handle it a bit better, now, as an adult, but being off her land still had a tugging in the core of her soul, trying to urge her back home. She had meant it, that talking to her cousin could lead to valuable information, but her decision had also been made because, in the absence the Acres, one of the things that could soothe the hollow feeling was family.
It was sunrise, but the sky didn't reflect it, and she continued to make her way through the cool grass below a false moon. The grass wouldn't be green much longer, and it was time for autumn to start transitioning to winter. Eventide was one of the warmer parts of the nation, and wouldn't get much snow, but the time for snow was coming, all the same.
Applejack's eyes went skyward.
Nightmare Moon had been defeated on the day of the Summer Sun, and now Princess Luna's return was going to be celebrated on the night of the Winter Moon. The choice had to be deliberate, but the exact meaning was likely layered in fancy traditions, perpetuated long after the meaning behind them had faded away.
Much like the meaning behind there being a Summer Sun and Winter Moon in the first place. Why have days and nights of different lengths, when it was clear that the only reason days and nights existed was because two ponies made it so? Much like the change of seasons, things being this way was supposedly good for the planet, but she couldn't help but wonder who had come to that conclusion, and if anypony had ever thought to question it and do more research.
It was easy to just assume that Celestia had been around long enough to know best. Only... Celestia had suffered a massive loss, a thousand years ago. One she hadn't been able to avert, and nearly cost her her sister. She was fallible. Celestia had her calculations on what the sun and moon needed to do for the good of the planet, but who checked her math?
Applejack shook her head slightly. Now wasn't time for the heavy existential thoughts. She had a mission, and family to visit. She continued her way through the moonlit grass, the city of Eventide growing further away, and soon she realized she wasn't alone.
Hooves. Light. Either they don't weigh as much as me, they've got a talent for light-stepping, or both. They're near silent. Near. Gait says unicorn. Could get a lock on location a little better than "behind me," but moving ears is a giveaway. Just keep moving forward. Should be getting close to the edge of that there Shroud thing.
Head stayed up, ears forward, and hooves didn't falter. The mystery pony behind her kept following, and soon were following her into daylight. It was a bit like watching the sunrise, the way the light and warmth would spread over her coat as the sun ascended, only it happened much more quickly. The transition resulted in a sharp inhale behind her, and Applejack chose that moment to slow to a stop.
She lowered her head, examining a nearby patch of grass. Seized a few blades in her teeth, chewed, and made sure her head was angled in a way that she caught a glimpse of pale pink. She turned fully, as if just noticing the presence, and saw Lady Masquerade standing there and blinking furiously in the light. "You goin' on a walk, Your Ladyship?"
The blinked ceased, and Masquerade instantly put on a friendly smile. "Ah! So it is you, Lady Applejack." Light steps had her strolling to Applejack's side with the fluidity of a cat. "I had been unsure from the back if it was you, or a local who shared your fashion sense."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Fashion sense?"
"Your hat, darling." Masquerade let out a titter. "I heard about what happened during the luncheon. It's good to see that the tomato soup didn't stain. It would be such a shame to ruin something that looks so lovely on you."
The eyebrow stayed aloft, and the corner of her mouth quirked. "Layin' the compliments on a little thick, ain't you, sugarcube?"
That earned another titter. "Well, that entirely depends." Masquerade leaned closer, drooping her eyelids to look at Applejack through long lashes. "Are they working?"
Her smile widened. "They might be, if'fn you explain what you're doin' out here."
"Oh, I'm simply on my way to visit with some acquaintances." Masquerade lifted a hoof and waved it casually. "They helped provide some of the food that you ate." A bout of giggles bubbled up. "And wore. It's tragic that I had to take my leave. I'm told that the sight of the princess hurling a blueberry pie at Lady Rainbow Dash was priceless."
Applejack couldn't help but laugh. "It was somethin' t' see. Princess Luna's got real good aim." She eyed the petite unicorn next to her thoughtfully. "Forgive me for sayin' so, but I wouldn'ta pegged you as the type t' enjoy a food fight."
"Oh quite the contrary." Masquerade smiled slyly, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "I've been to too many balls and garden parties to not revel in the chaos when somepony decides to liven them up."
Applejack started to trot again, and she paused to make sure she was being followed before she spoke again. "Then I wish you'd've been there when we went t' the Grand Galloping Gala. It'd prolly be your kind o' party when we were done with it."
"I had heard some very strange rumours coming out of Canterlot about that. What did happen?"
"Well, it all started when Twilight got a letter invitin' her t' the Gala..."
Two ponies walked through the sunlight grass of the early morning. And as they did, Applejack talked, weaving the tale of the Gala tickets, and then the Gala itself. She left out a few things here and there, of course, things her friends had sworn her to secrecy about, but it was still enough to have Masquerade laughing uproariously. Not the little polite giggles that Rarity would call "ladylike," either, but real laughter.
These Umbral Society ponies really weren't half as snooty as she'd thought they'd be.
"An' then as we're drownin' our sorrows in hot chocolate an' doughnuts, in comes Princess Celestia, merry as you please, an' she starts thankin' us."
She needed to sidestep then, to dodge the slim body pitching toward her in mirth, but Masquerade managed to right herself to keep from falling over. "Oh my, now that must have been a shock."
"My jaw hit the ground like a bucked apple missin' the basket," Applejack said through her own laughter at the memory. "But it's like you're sayin', too many of them parties an' you're lookin' for any way t' spice them up. An' she's been goin' t' them for centuries."
Laughter died down, and Masquerade gave a small hum of thought. "You know, I had never considered that. Being immortal must make everything terribly boring after a time." She frowned. "I certainly hope our celebration doesn't reduce our dear Princess of the Night to snores."
Applejack shook her head. "Nah, I think you'll be fine. Princess Luna seemed t' really like Nightmare Night down in Ponyville, once she got int' the spirit o' thin's."
"I was surprised to hear that she would make her first public appearance on such a night." There was a small giggle. "Though I'm sure the rumours of her prancing around in a Nightmare Moon costume--"
"Was more of an illusion, really. 'Cept for the teeth. We lent her some plastic vampony teeth."
This time, when Masquerade pitched to one side, it was with shock instead of mirth. "You mean... she really...?"
"I was as surprised as you, but Princess Luna seems t' really love entertain' foals, an' they loved it. One of them gave her a big hug after all was said an' done."
"Wonders never cease."
They'd found a path as they'd talked, and Applejack's hooves felt at home on the dirt road. She could see trees in the distance, and a farmhouse, ones she recognized from photographs. She eyed Masquerade, who showed no sign of looking for a way off the path. "If'fn you don't mind me askin', who're these acquaintances you're goin' t' see?"
A sly look fell over her features again. "Well, I believe you do know them. The baked apples happened to come from a very reliable source."
As they drew nearer, Applejack spotted the exact stallion she'd wanted to see. Goldspur had always been big and broad, only a bit smaller than Big Mac, and true to his name, everything about him was golden, from his coat to his mane to his eyes. Even his mark was hard to spot, the apple on his flank only being distinguished from the fur around it by being very slightly green-tinted. He was already hard at work, baskets all around one of his trees as he lined up his kick.
"There y'are, Gold! Come down here an' say howdy t' your cousin!"
Goldspur froze awkwardly mid-buck and let his hooves fall back to earth, blinking at the earth pony and unicorn pair with shock. "AJ!" His stunned look morphed to a huge smile as he trotted over. "What in tarnation are you doin' way out here?" He raised his hoof, which Applejack happily bumped with her own. "With Lady Masquerade at that!" He lowered his head briefly in a respectful bow. "Always happy t' see you, Your Ladyship."
Masquerade gave a friendly nod. "And I you, of course." She looked to Applejack with a smile. "We just happened to both be coming to see you, and met up for a lovely chat along the way."
"Me an' my friends were asked t' come along with Princess Luna for the big Winter Moon celebration the Society's throwin'," Applejack explained, puffing up a bit pride.
Goldspur gave an impressed whistle. "Fan-cy." He grinned at Masquerade. "If you're lettin' in non-members this go-'round, does that mean me an' the husband can come? I'll even wear a tux."
Masquerade gave a soft laugh. "I'd have to ask the chancellor, but given how incredibly fond she is of your apples, I don't think she would need too much persuading."
Goldspur blinked. "Wait, you're serious?"
"Entirely so." She gestured with a hoof. "This is a new age, darling. Our princess has returned at last. Time to do away with some of the stuffier traditions, wouldn't you say?"
"Well shoot, I better tell Pine the good news." He half-turned toward the farmhouse. "Either o' you ladies had breakfast yet?"
"Nope."
"A small bite, but I certainly have room for more."
Goldspur's eyes twinkled. "Then I say this calls for some pancakes."
Finally, inside the farmhouse and out of the light.
Well, not entirely, but what streamed through the windows of the cozy living room was... tolerable. Masquerade knew that she was fortunate, knew that being a daywalker opened doors, but enough time under the oppressive rays left her teeth on edge. Being beneath a roof again had her fighting to give a deep sigh of relief, as she could finally stop feeling the constant pressure on her horn as if under the gaze of a stern schoolteacher, letting her know she dare not light it.
She'd been welcomed into the home a couple of times, and it was exactly as she remembered it, save for some extra pictures over the fireplace. It had been quite a while since the last invitation, however, and she knew that the reason for that would be apparent very soon.
"Pine! Love! Put out extra plates an' fire up the pancake batter! We've got visitors!"
There was movement in the kitchen, and Masquerade put on her best smile as the petite stallion stepped out into view. "Visitors? Who is--" All words cut off with a mouse-like squeak, and his white coat seemed to go even paler.
"Howdy Pineberry!" Applejack burst out with a grin, seeming not to notice the way his eyes had formed red saucers. "Or I guess it's Pineapple now, huh? We got the letter with the weddin' pictures."
Masquerade continued to smile. "A pleasure to see you again, dear. Your berry jam last time was exquisite as always."
Goldspur nodded toward the two mares. "AJ's here with the princess for the Winter Moon celebration, an' Lady Masquerade came t' let us know that we've got an invite this year--"
"I do still have to run that through official channels. Technically."
"--So we're goin' t' celebrate! I'll get all the fixin's together if'fn you handle the batter."
Pineapple hadn't moved a muscle, still staring. If he were a cat, Masquerade had no doubt that the rich green mane and tail would have hairs standing on end.
Applejack blinked. "You alright, sugarcube?"
There was another squeak. "Pancakes. Yes. I'll do that." A rather festive-looking blur once again vanished into the kitchen.
Applejack blinked again, then looked to Goldspur. "Still a bit o' the skittish type, huh?"
Masquerade took a breath, and let out her finest suffering sigh. "No, dear, in this case I believe he is reacting more to me."
Goldspur, ever the kind stallion, spoke up as expected. "Now, Your Ladyship, it ain't..."
Masquerade held up a hoof to stop him, letting out another sigh. "There's no need to cover it up. It comes with the title for ponies to shy away from me. I'm accustomed to it."
Applejack scoffed. "Your title? Hay, I'm a 'lady,' too. All six of us are, thanks t' Princess Celestia givin' us titles as thanks for savin' her sister. Ain't nothing t' be--"
"Not that one, dear. My title as Society Archmagus." She studied Applejack's face for comprehension, and spotted none. "The highest ranked professional magus in the entire city, and the Society Chancellor's right hoof in matters of the arcane." She raised a brow. "You didn't know?"
Applejack's head tilted forward. The hat, as if acting on cue, slid down to partly hide her face. "Y'could say we were kind o' short on time for research." Head tilted again and the hat obligingly revealed her friendly smile. "But I'd be happy t' hear more. Always better t' get it right from the pony's mouth."
"Quite." Masquerade smiled back. "I'd love to speak more of my work, over breakfast."
She could hear Pineberry in the kitchen. The sounds of cooking almost covered up the sounds of hyperventilation, and she was sure that it would indeed be a delightful breakfast spread when all was said and done. A perfect time to talk to one of the Bearers of Harmony, without her friends to provide any distractions. Ponies were always so much chattier when conversing over the course of a meal, just as they were over a walk, and Applejack was such a forthright, honest mare.
This was going to be all too easy.
Stats
Page generated in 0.024 seconds
Total duration
981 users online
1,661,804 hits today, 2,244,100 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Honest doesn't mean stupid or oblivious. She's going to learn this the hard way.
Fascinating insights into both Applejack's and Masquerade's nature. This should make for very interesting breakfast conversation indeed.
For some reason, that makes me smile in amusement. Yeah, I know that's precisely how the show portrayed it, but now I'm just thinking that it's amusing that Luna could do all of that illusionary magic to transform herself into the appearance of Nightmare Moon down to the finest of details...except for the fangs. The fangs, for some odd reason, were beyond her capability to render in her illusion.
11496974
It's for that authentic lisp
I forget the exact fic in question, but it had Applejack say she can lie just fine, Honesty isn't about always telling the truth but being trustworthy. The people of Eventide are putting a lot of trust in Masquerade given her position, is she worthy of it?
Yep, not suspicious at all, nope.
Since I'm struggling to think of any other secrets that someone nefarious wants out of them, and since the narrative brought attention to them, I assume she wants to know where the Elements are. Either that or it's just them trying to learn about the outside world or Luna, which is pretty banal as diplomatic maneuvering goes so I doubt Masquerade would think in a sinister voice if that was the case, heh.
Ah, nice, more of this; thanks! :)
That was a good chapter.