Sweet Apples Under A Night Sky

Chapter Four

An awkward silence fell upon the dinner table.

Granny Smith's jibber jabber had died off after the first half an hour as tensions were so thick you could cough at them and they would break.

Applejack glanced between her friends; the unicorn versus the pegasus. "So..." she murmured, making Selene and Twilight break away their mini-staring contest. "What do y'all wanna do this weekend?"

Twilight shook her head "I'm afraid I can't do anything, AJ. Spike's still on holiday and I need to reorganize the library again, I think I've lost a book or something." she mumbled and turned back to her now cold soup. "Soup's great by the way."

Applejack swelled with pride. "Thanks Twi. What do you think Selly? Got any plans fer the weekend?"

Selene shook her head, "Not that I'm aware of. And the soup's lovely." she smiled and ate some more. There had been a moment of confusion as Selene had fumbled over the spoon, not having magic anymore, and nearly spilt the bowl. She blushed furiously as Big Mac watched her with a small grin and went back into his own little world of thought process.

"Big Mac?" Twilight called.

The red stallion looked up in surprise, a bit of food clinging to his lower lip. "Eeyup?" he asked.

"Could you pass me the salt please?"

"Eeyup." he stood up and hoofed the salt shaker to Twilight. She felt his warm breath as he did so and smiled warmly. Mac smiled back and sat down again.

Another half-hour of silence, broken only by the quiet ticking of the grandfather clock the Apple's had in the hall.

They all jumped as they heard the door slam shut.

"Hi guys. Oh hi Twilight." Applebloom said cheerily as she bounced further into the house.

"And where have you been?" Applejack asked in her 'I'm the big sister so you do what I say' voice.

The filly rolled her eyes. "Ah told you, ah'm always out with Scoots an' Sweetie tryin' ta earn our cutie marks."

Big Mac chuckled. "Still no luck then?"

Applebloom shook her head, "Nope. We'll try again tomorrow though."

"Well ah'd best clean this mess up. Selly could y'all pass me Granny's bowl? Ah'm sure she don't need it no more." Applejack said and began a precarious balancing act as Applebloom and Big Mac lifted the plates onto er back and she slowly moved towards the other end of the table.

"Oh, of course." Selene smiled and hopped out her chair and grasped Granny's bowl in her mouth. Twilight stifled a giggle as she almost fumbled it, sending some soup over the edge.

"Ah sho shorry A'ahjack." she mumbled through the bowl.

"Aw it's alright, this carpet's filthy as it is." the orange farmpony laughed as Selene flapped up and placed the bowl on the top of the towering pillar of precariously balanced platter.

Big Mac smiled. Ah'd better clear mah room out now before it's too late. He excused himself after Applejack had come back into the dining room and trotted upstairs.

Applejack turned back to her friends, who were now looking down at the table with guilty expressions. "Now what's been bothering you two?" she asked and placed her front legs on the table.

Twilight glanced up at Selene, who glared back. "...Friendly disagreement." she said after a while of studying the pegasus's face. Why had tensions been high? What did we do to become frienemies? Twilight wondered to herself.

"Just a small disagreement between myself and Twilight." Selene said calmly, still watching Twilight like a hawk.

"Well, if it's behind you now, ah reckon ah should show yer yer room Selly." Applejack smiled, concealing her thoughts. Now what in the hay is up with these two? she thought.

"That would be splendid." Selene murmured and shifted her gaze from Twilight to Applejack as a big red stallion trotted back in the room.

"Done all ah needed to do, AJ. Room's yer's Selly." he smiled at Selene.

"Thank you Big Mac."

"C'mon, this way." Aj turned to go, signalling Selene to do the same.

"Ooh, ooh! Is Selly staying for the night? Like a sleepover?" Applebloom piped up.

Selene chuckled softly, "I'll be working at the farm for a while, so we'll have to catch up some time." she said to the excited filly.

"Maybe you could tell us how you got your cutie mark?" Applebloom asked hopefully and began bouncing up and down, very excitedly.

"What is your cutie mark anyway?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh it's..." she stopped. It's different to what I imagined back in the palace. she panicked for a minute. "Oh it means I tended the gardens of Princess Luna." she said. The new cutie mark was a flower with the moon as it's background. Rather beautiful really.

"i thought you said you didn't pay attention to the princesses affairs?" Twilight continued suspiciously.

"I didn't, I merely took care of the night gardens." Selene replied with another cold gaze. She was beginning to feel irritated at the unicorn's incessant questioning.

Twilight glared at her then fake yawned. "Well, I should really be going now. Nice seeing you all, good night." she said, with added emphasis on the 'night'.

Selene nodded curly and followed Applejack upstairs to Big Mac's room.

Big Mac stayed downstairs and retrieved his mags from under his harness. "Sorry, sorry." he mumbled to them as he stuffed them back down after looking at one in particular. "Ah'm goin' out fer a bit, ah think Mel left somethin' of his last time he was here!" he called upstairs.

"Alrighty then." Applejack's voice floated downstairs.

Mac quickly left the house and locked the door behind him. He galloped all the way to Caramel's house and banged on the door with his face, and shouted out his friend's name. "Caramel! Open up, ah need to speak to you!"

A bleary eyed Caramel opened the door. "Whassup buddy?" he asked. "I was just sleeping. But it's always nice to see my best-" he stopped when Mac withdrew the dirty mags again. His eyebrows raised and he smirked as Mac fumbled them around. "Had enough have you?" he grinned as he took them from his red friend.

"Selene's stayin' in mah room for now, so ah gotta hide these here." Mac blushed.

This only increased 'Mel's grin. "You sly dog, you."

Mac blushed furiously. "Ah don't know what yer talkin' about. Can you hide these?"

"Pfft. Hide? Please. Just toss 'em on the pile." Caramel laughed and gestured to the small pile of 'Caramel' stuff in the corner.

Big Mac threw the mags and thanked Caramel. He was about to say something else when a stifled yawn could be heard in the other room. "Melly? Who's at the door that is more important than your Trixie?" the voice called.

Now it was Mac's turn to embarrass Mel. "Sleeping huh?"

"Shut up. Trixie's lovely. Now if you don't mind, I have business to attend to." 'Mel turned as red as Mac then.

Big Mac chuckled again and waved goodbye to his friend and began the slow trot home.

Caramel made sure he was leaving, then turned back into his house and locked the door. "Now. Trixie. Your Great and Powerful Caramel's right here." he grinned and went back into the bedroom.

***

Back at the farm house, Applejack was showing Luna around the house. "An' this here's mah room, wake me if you need anythin' an' ah'll be more than happy to oblige a guest. That there's Applebloom's room, speaking of which, shouldn't you be doin' yer homework Cheerilee gave you?" she turned to the small yellow filly.

Applebloom's ears splayed back and her bow drooped a bit. "Oh yeah..." she mumbled and dragged herself to her room.

Applejack watched her go with a stern gaze, then softened up a bit as she pulled Applebloom towards her and hugged her. "There." she said after a few minutes of hugging and Luna 'd'awwing' behind them. "Now, clean your teeth then get that homework done."

"Yesum." Applebloom smiled and trotted off to the bathroom.

"Kids." chuckled Applejack as she continued the tour. "You got any brothers or sisters, Selly?"

Luna choked back a whimper. "Yes. One sister. We're not on very good terms at the minute though."

Applejack nodded. "That why you came to Ponyville? To get away for a while?"

Luna nodded. "Yes, actually." That's a wonderful idea. Thanks AJ.

Applejack sighed, "You shouldn't just run from your problems ya know. You should talk to her."

"She doesn't listen." Luna snorted. "She's the bigger sister, so she thinks I have to do everything she says."

"Ah'm sure he's just lookin' out fer ya." Applejack said and patted her on the back comfortingly.

"THanks AJ, but she really is a royal pain." she giggled at her little joke and earned a questioning look from Applejack. "I'll explain later, maybe."

"Alright. Here's Big Mac's room. And just a heads up: don't look under his bed." she grinned and winked. "Boy stuff."

Luna blushed "Alright, I won't then. Thanks again by the way." she added as Applejack turned to go.

"For what?"

"Letting me stay here. It's been a while since somepony considered me a friend." Luna smiled.

Applejack blushed and pulled her hat down, "Aw shucks, Selly. Don't go all mushy on me now. Ah'm always pleased to make new friends." she smiled back, "Now, get some rest, ah'll take care of stuff downstairs."

"Alright. Good night Applejack." Luna murmured and looked out the window at the falling sun. She felt a lump rise in her throat. Would Celestia be able to lift the moon while Luna was still on this plane? She groaned as she realized she had no choice but to ignore it and settle down.

She tossed and turned for a few minutes before sitting up again and getting out of the comfy bed.

Luna walked around Big Mac's room, and smirked at the posters he had of a few rather beautiful mares: Fleur De Lis, Spitfire from the Wonderbolts without her suit, one with her suit, and a few other unknown model mares. She felt her hoof gently grze something at the foot of the bed. She looked down and saw the corner of a magazine hidden under the bed. She bit her lip and remembered what AJ had said:

'Boy stuff'.

She reached down and picked it up, laying it out on the bed. Her cheeks turned bright red as she saw the cover.

"'Playmare: Nightly Secrets Edition'." she murmured and flicked open a few of the pages. Her cheeks turned scarlet as did her whole face as she saw the erotic positions the mares in the magazine were stitting in, or splaying out across the beds. Or sitting in a pile of hay.

She nealy died when she turned the page and saw herself, her Luna form, staring back at her. "Oh... my..." she whispered as she read the article printed next to her: 'The next set of photos was taken from an unnamed source as none other than Princess Luna poses for this week's edition. Turn the page and see her royal majesty of the night reveal her darket secrets'.

Did she dare turn the page? She remembered that night quite well:

The young, eager looking stallion with a large camera had met her in the Cantertlot Library, when it was the deadest of nights and Celestia was fast sleep.

"Shh. Not here. My chambers." she had whispered to him and swished her tail at him.

"Sure thing, you highness."

"Please. Just Luna tonight."

"OK, Luna." he grinned cheekily.

She had led him up to her chambers and darkened the room even more so, then, as he set up his camera, she had taken the opportunity to get herself... ready so to speak. She climbed onto the bed as he said it was 'A-OK' and began posing. She turned so red, she could have matched Big Mac's shade of red with her own now.

"Big Mac!" she cried and fumbled the magazine, eyes poruing over the dirty images again until they rested on her own. "Oh..." she murmured as she remembered all the exotic things she'd done for the camera. "He wouldn't have. He's a gentlecolt." she said, furious with herself for finding this dirty thing. "So I shall relieve it from him." she smiled bitterly and tucked it under her pillow for the time being.

"Hello, what's this?" she murmured and pulled out a small doll. "Heh. Big Mac has his own little secret does he?" she giggled as she turned the doll over, observing it and looking for anything... boyish. Thankfully she found nothing and put it back.

A knocking at the door caught her full attention. She hurriedly stuffed the doll and the edge of the magazine under the pillow once more as the door opened.

"Oh... sorry, Selly, ah thought you were asleep." Big Mac turned the colour of blood as Luna frowned. "Ah- ah mean that ah just wanted to get somethin' ah think ah left behind and ah didn't want to disturb you." he added hastily.

"It's alright, Mac." Luna cooed, making him feel even more nervous, beads of sweat visibly dripping down his face. "What was it you were looking for? Perhaps I could help."

Big Mac blushed furiously "No!" he shouted and made her flinch a bit. "Ah mean... it's alright, it was just a... book ah had earlier. Ah can get it tomorrow though. Sorry to disturb you." he mumbled and shuffled out the door, gently closing it on his way out.

Luna giggled at his behaviour and deduced he was looking for the magazine and or the doll. She lay down on the bed, still smiling, and drifted off to sleep.

A few minutes later she woke and heard voices downstairs. She decided to investigate and snuck out, using the 'late night toilet' as her excuse should she get caught.

***

Big Mac sat on the other side of the door, head buried in his hooves. "Oh ah'm in fer it now. What if she finds it?" he moaned to himself as he dragged his sorry hooves downstairs and lay down on the sofa. "Well, not much ah can do now except hope she doesn't find it." he mumbled as he lay his head back and rested on the comfy cushion.

he bolted upright when he remembered Smarty Pants underneath the pillow. He groaned again and brought the cushion over his face and smothered himself. "Oh for..." he muttered and got up, contemplating going up again. "What if she's asleep now? And those stairs... ah have ta remember ta fix 'em when ah can." he murmured.

He groaned a third time and wandered over to the kitchen and pulled out his own recipe of mass destruction. He grinned as he recalled the time he'd first made it: a combination of cider, moonshine, a few dozen cupcakes and half a sugar block, that had levelled his sister in ten seconds flat it was that strong.

"Ah'll have to let Selly try some sometime." he mumbled as he took a big swig from it. He sloshed it around in his mouth for a few seconds then gulped it down. "Oh boy..." he murmured as he staggered back over to the sofa, the drink already taking it's toll on him. He, Big Macintosh, formerly Little Macintosh, couldn't hold his liquor in the slightest; one drink and he was gone. Caramel teased him immensely for this whenever they went to the pub or something.

"Hey guys! Big Macky here can't hold his drink!" he remembered Caramel shouting at their graduation. A few larger stallions had held him down and forced him to drink their nasty tasting booze then.

"Ah'll get you for this, Mel!" he growled playfully and stumbled after his friend, taking four steps then collapsing in a stupor.

Granny facehoofed so many times that day. "Now, come on big brother!" Applejack's voice shouted at him and brought him out that memory.

He looked up into his sisters glaring face. "Hey, AJ." he slurred.

"Don't you 'hey, AJ' me. You've been at that drink again haven't you?" she demanded and took the cushion away, making him fall off the sofa and onto the wooden floor with a muffled crash.

"Whoa, whoa... what's *hic* goin' on baby sister?" he mumbled as he rose, unsteadily to his feet.

"Ah smelt it all the way from the bathroom. Celestia knows what Granny'll say if she finds you drunk like this. And you onl get like this when you got a lot on your mind. What's up?" she asked and rubbed his back.

"It's the sixth today." he mumbled sadly.

Applejack tilted her head in confusion. "What's that got to do with anythin'?"

Big Mac looked at his sister, his big eyes filling with tears. "Twelve years ago." he said plainly.

A dawn of realization spread across her face as she sat down next to him. "You remember every year." she murmured and nuzzled against him.

"Eeyup." Mac muttered and sniffed. "It's mah fault you know."

Applejack shushed him. "How could you say somethin' like that? Of course it's not your fault, none of us knew how bad the storm was gonna be that night."

"Ah still could've gone with them." Mac mumbled and nuzzled his sister back.

She pulled away from him and looked at him. "Now what good would that have done?"

Mac shrugged. "Maybe ah could've been in their stead."

"Shhh." Applejack comforted him. "Just forget about it, we'll pay our respects tomorrow. It's all fine, see? Now hush or you'll wake Applebloom." she cooed as he laid his head back down on the sofa.

"Ah suppose yer right. G'night Applejack." he mumbled and began snoring.

All of this happened while Luna sat at the top of the stairs and listened. She choked back her own tears as she heard Applejack move to the stairs and began climbing them. Luna hurried back to her room and dove into the bed, pulling out the doll again and cuddling it. "I'll keep you safe, Big Mac. Tomorrow..." she whispered and drifted back off to sleep.

***

Celesta watched the sunset with a growing sense of dread. "Oh if she doesn't show up soon I'll have to do it again." she groaned then scolded herself for being selfish. She spread her wings and flew to the top of Luna's tower, perching on the top as she brought the sun down.

She took a deep breath and summoned the moon once more. "When you get back you're gonna get it Luna." she grunted as the sudden weight of the moon hit her and nearly made her slip.

It took all her strength to raise the moon like this, her sister's slender yet smaller form had much more success with lifting the moon in the night sky, whereas her own tall figure was more suited to the sun, so this strain of lifting both took it's toll on her greatly.

She sighed, content with her work, as she finished lifting the moon. She groaned as she realized she had forgotten the stars again. "Mother give me strength." she grunted and flew down to the observatory, looking for all the star charts she had made during Luna's imprisonment.

She slowly got to work as she drew the stars in the sky, occasionally hiding secret messages in them, things like: 'Luna come home', or 'I'm sorry Luna. Please come back'.

She gave a final grunt of exhaustion as sleep overtook her, and she collapsed into the desk in the office, snoring quite loudly and un-princess like.

***

Little did she know that one of the guards was selling bits of information for money.

"Now I can't say much, so it'll have to cost extra." he told the small crowd gathered in the alleyway.

The crowd gave a small groan of protest as they pulled out their own bags of money and he whispered into their ears. "Celestia's done away with her sister." and things like: "Celestia's thrown her own flesh and blood into the dungeons. Watch out, or it'll be you nobles next."

"I say, make way for the prince." a voice commanded as a tall unicorn pushed the crowd aside. The guard's face drooped when he saw who it was.

"Hello, Blueblood." he grumbled.

"Hello, Brandling." Blueblood grunted back. "I hear you have been selling information." he said and pulled out a very large sack, overflowing with money.

Brandling's eyes lit up as he took the bag in his wing. "This way, kind sir." he smirked and led the prince into the tavern they were outside.

"So what do you wish to know?" he asked the stuck up unicorn noble.

Blueblood leaned in. "Everything. Start with how you know this information."

Brandling whistled and gestured for more bits. "That's personal and costs extra." he grinned.

Blueblood fumed but gestured for his company to bring out another bag of golden bits. "There. Now talk."

"Well..." Brandling whistled as he began his story, starting with Shining Armour telling them what he knew, then adding his own liberties into the story.

Blueblood nodded at times and agreed with what Brandling said, all the while forming his own schemes and forming his own dastardly plans.

"That's just about it for now." Brandling finished and downed a drink.

Blueblood turned his head, disgusted by this common vulgarity he called a source. "I trust you will contact me when you have more information?"

Brandling nodded eagerly. "Yes, sir." he stood up and saluted mockingly and sat back down. "Now run along prince. This is a bad neighbourhood for those unlike me." he flashed a grin at Blueblood as he left, taking his entourage with him.

He chuckled and began counting his bits, making a small 'this is for drink' pile and 'this is for girls' pile.

"Fools, all of them." he chuckled to himself as he ordered another drink.