Forty Minute Fantasies

Applejack was having trouble sleeping.  It was late, past eleven by the clock, and the farm mare should have been deep in slumber.  Instead, some vague noise just at the threshold of hearing had awoken her and was keeping her from falling back to sleep.  So, reluctantly, she got out of bed and started wandering the house, trying to find the source of the noise.

After several minutes, Applejack had managed to rule out the house as the source of the disturbing noise.  Bereft of options, AJ stepped outside and began walking around the house.  The noise picked up as she moved toward the side of the house facing the barn, and, almost in a trance, she started toward said building.  The noise, now audible as a dim pulse of rising and falling sound, grew in strength as she did so

AJ reached the barn almost on automatic, the dim light from the moon just barely enough to see her way to it. Once there, she put a hoof to the door and began to pull at it.  Almost immediately as she did so, the noise from within stopped.  Under other circumstances, that might have been enough, but Applejack finished pulling the door open anyway, then stepped inside.

AJ looked around the barn, bleary eyes taking in what she could see by the dim moonlight coming in through the door.  There was no sign of anything moving, although there were several strange shadows that shouldn't have been there.  Finally, Applejack turned her eyes upward, to where a single point of light glowed, and nodded.  "Evenin', Pinkie Pie."

From up in the rafters came back a timid, slightly guilty call.  "Um, hi, AJ."

"Pinkie, it may be dark and I may be half asleep, but I ain't blind.  You mind tellin' me what all these ponies're doing in mah barn this late at night?"

There was silence for several seconds, then the voice from above called out again.  "Dance party?"

"Dance party."  AJ snorted.  "Right, that explains yer DJ friend there with all her stuff.  Mind if I ask why?"

"The mayor wouldn't let us have it down in the town; she said she got too many complaints last time."

Applejack thought for a few seconds.  "You know, maybe it's just because I'm still mostly asleep, but that almost made sense."  She yawned, then continued.  "I'm too tired fer th' argument, so we'll save th' discussion 'bout askin' permission until the mornin'.  For now, though, ya mind keepin' things a bit quieter?  Some of us're tryin' to sleep."

"Sorry, AJ.  We'll try."

"Best I can hope for, I reckon."  Applejack nodded again, then turned and walked back to the door.  "Enjoy yer party, Pinkie."  With that, she stepped outside, closed the barn door, and headed back to her house and, hopefully, her dreams.