A Moon and World Apart

by Evilhumour

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

As they were in the midst of finishing their dessert, there was a knock on their door.

Twilight looked at her mom, stopping midway through her latest conversation with Sunset, wondering who it could be. Velvet frowned herself, giving an apologetic look at Rarity as she halted their conversation and rose to answer the door.

Opening the door, there was a smiling earth pony stallion waiting outside, wearing a vest and holding a hat. "Howdy ma'am," he said, tipping his head at her. "Ah understand mah cousin Applejack's here?"

"Why, yes! Come on in!" Velvet said, moving out of his way as Applejack rose to greet him.

"Hey, cuz," she said. "Glad ta meet ya at long last."

Braeburn, as Twilight recognized him from before, grinned. "Glad ta meet ya too, Applejack," he said. "Mighty fine hat you've got there."

"Same type mah Dad used to wear," Applejack said, tipping it. "Yerself?"

"Ah, it was mah grandpappy's," he said. "Great ol' stallion. Loved him greatly. It was a shame when he passed on."

"Ah know how ya feel," Applejack said sadly. "Mah Ma and Pa passed away when Ah was a squirt; Granny practically raised Big Mac, Apple Bloom and mahself all on her own."

Braeburn bowed his head, holding his hat to his chest. "Ah'm sorry fer your loss," he said.

"Same here cuz for yer grandpappy," Applejack said. "Though, Ah'm mostly sad for my little sis. She didn't get to know Ma or Pa like me or Mac did."

Braeburn bowed his head again, then looked up. "What're they like?" he asked. "Yer brother and sister?"

"Well... when they named him Big McIntosh, they weren't kiddin'," Applejack said with a grin. "Ah think he's almost as tall as Princess Celestia, or just about."

"Who?" Braeburn asked with a frown on his face.

"Yer Head Director's big sister," Applejack said. "The one who's been rulin' Equestria since yer ancestors came up here. You didn't know about her?"

"Ah, that's her name," Braeburn said with a blush as he rubbed the back of his head. "Ah hope ya don't go tellin' mah old teachers but Ah never bothered ta do that much digging in my old school reports about Equestria. Ah knew they have one, just didn't know 'er name."

"Ah'd say it's surprisin' Princess Celestia isn't really known up here, but to be honest, we only just learned about Director Luna," Applejack said. "Ah mean, sure there's talk about the Longest Night, but most of the ones who make any big deal about it are jerks Ah try to ignore 'cause of what they say about it."

Braeburn looked confused. "Longest Night...?"

"What we call the Night of Departure," Shining Armor explained, catching their attention. "But go on, you two."

"Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt but why is it called the Longest Night?" Twilight asked, looking at Sunset.

"Ah, that," Sunset blinked and bit her lip. "Well, during your founders leaving Equestria, the night lasted for three days before the whole sun and moon cycle started up again. It did disrupt many things on Equuis, with a lot of nations coming to Equestria and demanding answers from Princess Celestia, who was already busy with the trials concerning those involved in the Longest Night. From what the old history books I've read said, a lot of countries were close to invading Equestria over that."

"We had no idea of that," Velvet said, slowly and clearly horrified. "How..."

"Princess Celestia managed to talk them down," Sunset said. "But there were a lot of angry feelings for a while. It took some time, but eventually she was able to reopen diplomatic talks with some of them and get things straightened out and back to more peaceful relations. Mostly." She sighed. "The yaks closed their borders around then and haven't let anyone in, regardless of species, since. And then there's the whole Solar and Lunar Accord."

"What's that?" Velvet asked with a frown, and Sunset sighed heavier.

"It was the international agreement signed by the rest of the world that if something like the Long Night were to happen again, the world would force Princess Celestia to obey a strict schedule," she said with everypony in the room widening their eyes in horror. "Equestria isn't part of the agreement, of course, so we don't know the full scope of what their plans are but at the very least, an united alliance of everypony on the planet marching against Equestria if the moon or sun are out of their cycle for too long without proper notice, is a confirmed fact."

"Wait, the moon too?" Applejack asked, blinking. "But Princess Celestia doesn't move the moon, yer Director Luna does that. That ain't right."

"Applejack's right, they can't hold Princess Celestia responsible if Director Luna is late to lowering the moon," Twilight said. "But... the world doesn't know about the Republic, do they?"

"Not as far as I know," Sunset replied. "I mean, there are plenty of stories about what must have happened to all the ponies who disappeared that night, and some of them are about how they'd gone to set up a new society on the moon. But nopony's ever really envisioned all of what you've come up with up here, as far as I know."

"Well, I thank you for telling me of this, Sunset," Velvet said, looking nervously. "If everyone will excuse me, there are a number of calls I need to make now."

"It's okay Mom, we understand," Twilight said with the rest of her friends nodding as she left the room.

Braeburn let out a long, low whistle. "Woo-ee," he said. "Ah had no idea things were lahk that down below."

Twilight nodded in agreement. "But..."

"Now, hold on there a minute," Applejack said. "Ah get that there's some difficulties between Equestria an' the rest of the world. But there's still good stuff too." She bowed her head. "We still got our friends, our families, our traditions... folks who love the land and work it. That's a thing that'll never change." She sighed. "Even if some of 'em need ta get a good bit of sense knocked into 'em 'cause they fell in with a bad crowd an' the rest of their families ain't talkin' to 'em until they get that sense."

Twilight had a feeling she knew what Applejack was talking about, and was inwardly relieved at her new friend's comment. So they haven't all given up on that pony... She'd been worried when Apple Bloom mentioned it.

"Ah guess so," Braeburn said, scratching his head. "Look, Ah don't know much about nothin but Ah do know Ah can trust mah kin and yer kin, Applejack. Come, Ah told the rest of the fam about ya and Ah think they'd be mighty pleased ta meet ya and get ta know how the rest of the clan is down below."

"Ah'd like that," Applejack said. "And Ah hope we can get the whole clan for a proper reunion afterwards."

Braeburn smiled at that. "So, goin' back to happier talk," he said as he headed towards the door. "What's yer little sister lahk?"

"Er sorry, I don't mean to interrupt again," Sunset said as she stood up. "But is there a way we can reach you? I am responsible for her, and the rest of them, while we are here and it would be irresponsible for me to just let her go off on her own, even if you are family."

"Ah can give one of you mah number," Braeburn said, looking at the table with Twilight standing up.

"You can give me yours," she said, tapping on her PCA as Braeburn gave her his number, and Twilight said hers to him. She noticed Sunset looking at them with interest, flashing her a smile and tilting her arm to her. "I can explain this to you later while we walk," she said before turning to face the rest of their group. "If everypony is up to it, I can show you more of the domes, if you want to."

There was a chorus of nods, and a quick clattering of spoons as everypony finished what they had left of their last course before putting the dishes aside for later.

"Meet you later?" Twilight asked Applejack, who nodded.

"Catch ya back here, or wherever you feel's best," she said, tipping her hat at them before walking out with Braeburn.

"So," Twilight said, as the eight of them walked out of the house, Shining clearly attending as big brother... or as the deputy of security up here, keeping surveillance on them. "Where should we go..." she said to herself with Shining chuckling and shaking his head.

"I'm surprised you haven't already suggested one of the libraries," he said.

Twilight gave him a dirty look. "I try to be sensitive to everypony's interests," she said. "And no offense meant to the rest of you," she added, looking over the others. "But I have a feeling only Sunset and I would be really excited to go to one of those."

"Nah, you're pretty much spot-on," Rainbow Dash said. "I'd kinda like to see more of these ongoing parties; they sound like they'd be cool."

Pinkie nodded eagerly, while Fluttershy ducked her head nervously, and Twilight couldn't blame her. Rarity, meanwhile, tilted her head.

"What about your workplace?" she asked.

Twilight instantly shook her head. "Not possible. It's off-limits to anypony without the proper credentials; some of our work is very delicate, and in some cases experimental, which could result in injuries if you aren't trained to work with that sort of thing. We can't take the chance of anypony, especially visitors from another world, going in and getting hurt if they had an accident of some kind."

Not to mention highly classified, she silently added. She'd only known her new companions for a short time and could tell they were trustworthy, but she knew Luna would be very upset with her if she just showed them some of their nation's biggest and most advanced projects without official permission from the Board of Directors, Luna especially, first.

Sunset nodded. "That makes sense," she said. "We have a similar policy for the experimental wing at the School for Gifted Unicorns; some of the professors and students have their own areas where they do special projects, and they're sealed off so the experiments don't get interrupted and make things explode. Or worse."

"What's worse than explosions?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"You don't want to know," three voices chorused, and Twilight blinked as she realized Spike had chimed in with she and Sunset, looking at him in surprise.

"What?" the little dragon asked, looking back. "I'm Sunset's assistant, I help her with pretty much everything. Maybe I can't cast any spells, but I can understand the theories behind them, and what could happen if something goes really wrong. And again, you don't want to know."

"If you say so," Rainbow Dash said, still not sounding entirely convinced.

Rolling his eyes, Spike waddled over and whispered something into her ear, prompting Rainbow Dash's eyes to widen.

"Okay, now I get it," she said. "And eeurgh."

Twilight hadn't heard what he said, but she could make some guesses. "Come on," she said, catching their attention. "Let's go wander a bit. See the sights."

The others nodded in approval, and they set off.

---

They had headed back to the Primus dome, where the majority of the other parties were being held, and Sunset had to admit that despite this being clearly one of the most advanced countries in Equuis, you wouldn't be able to tell if you didn't look upwards or at the glass walls of the dome. The whole area was full of picnics with multiple families talking and celebrating their nation's birth.

And they were so welcoming; Pinkie had pronked over and started chatting up the locals, who were surprised and delighted to be talking to someone from Equestria. They were so curious and eager to learn about what was going on on the surface. Rainbow Dash had got a few pegasi around her, asking about the Wonderbolts and the other flying teams and Rarity had managed to meet a few ponies that were tailors as well, including the one that had made Director Luna's dress. Even Fluttershy had attracted the attention of a pair of small fillies who were looking curiously at her Cutie Mark and asking about what the images were, prompting her to explain all about butterflies to them and then about all the animals she was responsible for.

"You know," Sunset said to Twilight as they watched the interactions. "I really think that this can work. I know that your nation was born because of how our ancestors treated yours but... I really think we can make peace with each other and work together again."

Twilight nodded her head. "And I know that Director Luna will do her best to establish a proper treaty with Equestria and I am certain that Princess Celestia would do the same," she said. "They're both wise rulers that care deeply about their people so they will be able to overcome their past falling out. And they're sisters; I am sure that they will be able to come together for the good of everypony."

"Me too," Sunset said with a happy sigh. "Princess Celestia is a renowned diplomat; she is always able to work out a proper deal with any of our neighbours eventually. Once we get over the hurdle of being able to travel to and from the Republic, I am positive we'll be able to work to a better harmony for everypony." She glanced over to Twilight and bit her lip. "That's what you are working on, right? Spaceships?" she asked sotto voce with Twilight widening her eyes.

"How did you know-" Twilight began before Sunset raised a hoof and continued to whisper to her.

"I guessed," she said, feeling guilty at the half truth before she pushed herself to answer properly. "Or... I used my experience to make a real guess."

"What experience?" Twilight asked as they walked over to a statue of a griffon, Sunset unable to read the plaque hovering in front of it.

"That rough time I mentioned before?" Sunset said, with a painful sigh. "I was a nasty pony before; all greedy and power focused, seeking to become an alicorn, and I felt that Princess Celestia was holding me back. I had found this magical mirror that led me to this strange place, completely unlike anything on Equuis. They had technology that was actually... kind of like here, but not as advanced. Like your..." She gestured to Twilight's wrist gadget. "Except they were carried around, not wrist-worn, and they didn't have holographic projection. But they served the same purposes - portable computer access and distance communication. Anyway, they actually landed on their moon a few times, years and years ago, but one of their biggest achievements was a 'space shuttle' that could make multiple trips into orbit and dock with a station up there after they built it - they actually used a mix of shuttles and rockets to carry at least some of the pieces into orbit and assemble it there, if I remember right." She looked at Twilight, who was clearly fascinated by the descriptions she was giving. "The technology wasn't anywhere near as advanced as what you're going to need for a full moon-to-Equuis trip, launching from one and landing on the other. A lot of their fiction described that kind of stuff though, and it was one of their long-term goals, along with colonizing their moon and some of the other planets."

Twilight nodded. "So what happened?"

Sunset sighed. "According to their history books, economics and resources took a downturn and slowed the progress of space development for a while, but they're getting better. Anyway, I was there for... a while. Until Princess Celestia crossed over, and a lot of stuff happened. In the end, she talked me down, and I did my best to undo all the damage I'd done to peoples' relationships before we went home." She looked over at Spike, who was clearly the subject of a great deal of fascination by the ponies around him. "And when I got back, one of the first things I did was apologize to Spike for pushing him away and running off on him." She turned back to Twilight. "The way I treated him before I left was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made, and I still don't know why he forgave me so easily."

Twilight laid a hoof on hers. "Because he understood that you made a mistake and were genuinely sorry," she said. "Sometimes, it's as simple as that."

"Maybe." Sunset looked down. "But there are times when I still feel guilty about it."

"That's only natural," Twilight assured her. "What's important is that you know you did wrong, and you felt sorry for it." She smiled. "So, what other kind of technology did they have for space?"

"Well, they started by launching satellites, mostly for communication," Sunset said. "And to make it easier to study what's out there." She waved a hoof as they sat next to the statue. "Other planets, distant stars and galaxies... one of the entertainment programs I saw described space as 'the final frontier', and was all about them seeking other civilizations on other worlds in distant star systems." She smiled. "Wonder what they'd say if they found one a whole lot closer to home, like we have."

Twilight giggled, shaking her head. "Hopefully that they could be friends," she said, leaning against Sunset. "Like we are."

"Yeah," Sunset agreed happily. She smiled. "Twilight?"

"Yes?"

"I'm really glad I met you," Sunset said. "I mean, I have a few ponies I consider friends, but... sometimes, back in Canterlot, it's been just hard for me to relate to others, outside of Cadance and Spike. But since I came to Ponyville, and met you and the other girls? It's been so much better. Rarity and Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, Pinkie... they've all got their good points. But you, especially... you're so easy to get along with, and you've never had any trouble understanding the things I like to talk about."

Twilight blushed. "Some would say I have the same problem," she said. "I mean, my closest friends for years have been my brother and my old classmate Moondancer; we went to the same school when we were growing up, and she's always been important to me. And I can get along with some of the ponies I've met through my work, and my parents' and brother's work. Like Director Onyx and his husband." She sighed. "But you and the others? I feel... more at ease around all of you than I have most ponies I work with."

"What's Moondancer like, anyway?" Sunset asked. "I mean, you've said she helps keep you from burning out, but what else?"

"Well..." Twilight looked thoughtful. "She's smart," she said. "One of the few ponies I know who can keep up with me when it comes to studying. She's always after me to take better care of myself - one of the ways I know she cares about my well-being, even if she can be more than a little blunt about it at times." She chuckled. "She can be more than a little cranky when she's irritated, especially if it's because somepony's interrupting her when she's trying to focus on her studies or her work, which I can understand - I get the same way. And she's great on the dance floor - her parents didn't name her Moondancer for nothing. She tried to teach me some of it a few times, but... well, it didn't go so well. Director Luna tried to teach me too, but she's even worse."

"Princess Celestia is a terrible dancer," Sunset said with a giggle. "Flailing all over the place with her tongue out as she tries to dance; none of the nobles ever try to brownnose her by complimenting her dance, not even Blueblood."

Twilight nickered softly. "That must have been a sight," she said. "I'd show you some videos of Director Luna dancing but she asked me to delete them."

"And you actually did?" Sunset asked, giving her a knowing look.

"It'd take a court order to make me prove otherwise," Twilight said, a twinkle in her eye.

Sunset chuckled, easily figuring out what she meant. "Fair enough."

"And if you want to see what Twilight's dancing looks like, not even a court order could stop me from showing one of those videos," Shining Armor added from where he was standing.

Twilight gave him a dirty look. "Do it, and I'll show Cadance some of your foalhood videos," she said.

Shining Armor winced. "I give, I give!" he said quickly. "And I'll leave you two alone. You girls have fun, okay?"

"I'm sure we will," Sunset said. She turned back to Twilight once Shining had gone far enough away. "So..."

"Wanna see them?" Twilight asked. She lowered her voice. "If we can sneak away for a bit... Shiny can watch over the others."

Sunset was hesitant for a moment, then made up her mind. "Maybe later," she said. "But I'll hold you to it."

"Okay." Twilight smiled. "It's a date."

Comments

[SpikeSmolder fan]

Pretty fun interactions & a bit more backstory for this world, love it!

[New Rebellion]

A little short, but I totally loved it!!

[kaiser0kolovos]

In all honesty, I don't really blame the other nations for making a pact for if the day-night cycle is disrupted.

In the show, Nightmare Moon going rogue and trying to get rid of the sun was something out of Celestia's control and she did banish her sister for it.

Here, the other species could see this as Luna and Celestia misusing the celestial bodies during an argument.

[FoxSage]

Found this lovely story this morning happy to say I just binge read your story. I adore the idea and your world building, I am so very excited for more to come! Thank you ever so much for sharing your words and your ideas with us.

[Asolem2]

"Applejack's right, they can't hold Princess Celestia responsible if Director Luna is late to lowering the moon," Twilight said. "But... the world doesn't know about the Republic, do they?"

No they don't, and it's not like many of them would believe her if she claimed it wasn't her... so yeah your ancestors and Luna leaving a thousand years ago has put much of the world on abit of a hair trigger against Equestria

"You don't want to know," three voices chorused, and Twilight blinked as she realized Spike had chimed in with she and Sunset, looking at him in surprise.

I am these three in this scene

"You know," Sunset said to Twilight as they watched the interactions. "I really think that this can work. I know that your nation was born because of how our ancestors treated yours but... I really think we can make peace with each other and work together again."

I agree... though the Sisters sure won't make it easy

Twilight nodded her head. "And I know that Director Luna will do her best to establish a proper treaty with Equestria and I am certain that Princess Celestia would do the same," she said. "They're both wise rulers that care deeply about their people so they will be able to overcome their past falling out. And they're sisters ; I am sure that they will be able to come together for the good of everypony."

Yeah they're not doing too great on that front

Twilight nickered softly. "That must have been a sight," she said. "I'd show you some videos of Director Luna dancing but she asked me to delete them."

So, are you gonna show her or not

[Thranx]

Solar and Lunar Accords... Now that's a problem. The sisters gotta settle their bad blood real quick before one of them snapped and hold one of the celestial bodies in the sky.

[Revel Montaro]

Can friendship stop a world war after Discord breaks the accords? Dun dun Duuuuuun!!!!

Sunset and Twilight are being super adorable on this first friendly date.

[Fallen Stars]

10822383
They wouldn't be technically wrong.