What The Night Remembers

Chapters

1. Remember The Night
2. As Night Turns To Day
3. As The Night Turns
Interlude One: Does The Night Dream?
4. The Night's Lament
5. Up In The Night
Interlude Two: Revelator Of The Night
6. Mistakes Of The Night
7. A Night For The Farmer
8. A Moonlit Night
Interlude Three: In Defiance Of The Night
9. Minutiae Of The Night
10. The Truth Of The Night
11. The Night's Pale Moonlight
Epilogue: To The Victor....

1. Remember The Night

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Chapter One
Remember The Night

It's often been said the night holds a magic all its own.
Being the realm of dreams, shadows and mystery, it behooves
a pony to understand its meanings. Through the meandering
understanding of its shadows and symbols, we may gain
greater insight into the more magical side of the life we live.
~ Excerpt from Starswirl's "Serenade: Divinations By Moonlight

Discord went down to Appleloosa,

he was looking for a soul to steal.

He was in a bind 'cos he was way behind

and he was willin' to make a deal.

When he came across this young mare

sawin' on a cello and playin' it hot.

And Discord jumped upon a hickory stump

and said, "Filly let me tell you what”

The band on the large stage started their last musical number, further enthralling the mass of costumed ponies around it. This was the second Nightmare Night since Luna first graced Ponyville’s festival and had promised to return. Of course, the annual festival grew once it had gotten the tacit “royal sanction.” Such things tended to draw ponies from all over Equestria. Luna anticipated it and helped the town prepare.

With the moon in full glory overhead, Princess Luna, dressed as a Prench Maid of all things, was stomping to the music along with Applejack while an impromptu hoe down gathered pace in front of the stage. Getting Charlie Maneniels and his band wasn’t cheap, but royal allowances had that effect. Getting Applejack in a similar outfit, on a dare from her brother, required a lot more coaxing.

"I guess you didn't know it,

but I'm a string player too.

And if you'd care to take a dare,

I'll make a bet with you.”

"Now you play a pretty good cello, filly,

but give Discord his due:

I bet a cello of gold against your soul,

'cos I think I'm better than you."

A light grey earth pony stood up, drawing the attention the audience. Her purple eyes were sparkling with confidence as Maneniels deferred to the famous Octavia. She braced the large instrument as she spoke into the mic,

The mare said, "My name's Octy

and it might be a sin,

But I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret,

'cos I'm the best that's ever been!"

Luna looked around at the ponies who had done so much for her, even offered her their friendship, and felt her pride swell. Luna looked to Applejack, “How do you like the night, Applejack?”

The farmer turned to Luna with a big grin. Her Prench Maid costume seemed an odd choice, but Luna had to admit that it worked well for her, “Mighty fine job, Princ...Luna. Mighty fine!”

Luna smirked. She and the Elements were long past formalities, though there was the occasional slip. Her eyes sparkled, "You know, fair Applejack, I have need of another maid for my wing of the castle."

"Thanks all the same, but Ah'm happy where Ah'm at," Applejack replied with a smirk.

"I could make it a Royal Sanction."

"Ah could buck ya in the teeth," Applejack shot back, keeping her smirk. Luna let the matter drop as she resumed stomping to the beat to the music. Maneniels and Octavia both crooned into their microphones at that moment.

“Octy, rosin up your bow and play your cello hard.

'Cos all hay broke loose in Appleloos’ and Discord deals the cards.

And if you win you get this shiny cello made of gold.

But if you lose, Discord gets your soul.”

Celestia made an appearance this year as well, though it took Luna a lot of hooftwisting to get her sister there. The Solar Regent was dancing up front in the impromptu hoe down with her prized student, along with Pinkie and Rarity. Luna looked up and spotted Rainbow hovering along side Wonderbolts members Soarin’ and Spitfire while doing something of a jig herself, though it were probably involuntarily. Maneniels voice continued to enthrall the crowd.

Discord opened up his case

and he said, "I'll start this show."

And fire flew from his clawtips

as he rosined up his bow.

And he pulled the bow across the strings

and it made an evil hiss!

And a band of demons joined in

and it sounded something like this.

As Maneniels and the band on stage broke into a heavier, darker tone in their music, Luna happened to spot Fluttershy a comfortable distance away from the crowd with Angel Bunny giving a look of supreme indifference. The Lunar Regent supposed it was an accomplishment to even get the shy pegasus anywhere close to the festivities, so she took some satisfaction in that. A few of the Lunar Guard were also in various areas, keeping their slit irises over the gathered ponies. Luna made a promise to Mayor Mare to keep things in check, and her beloved Lunar Guard fit the atmosphere much better then the Royal Guards of Celestia's hire.

In truth, she expected little to happen. Between the Elements of Harmony, her sister and herself, even Tirek would be hard pressed to cause any sort of fracas that evening. However, given the small town’s propensity for disaster, she wouldn’t take any chances. The heavier set finished as Octavia moved to the mic, as if challenging the legendary singer.

When the Devil finished, Octy said,

"Well, you're pretty good ol' son.

But sit down in that chair right there

and let me show you how it's done."

Maneniels grinned as he stepped back while his band took the cellist's lead. The tone of the song immediately grew lighter as she sang. It was rumored that the fiery cellist practiced months for this part.

“Fire on the mountain, run colts, run.

Discord's in the house of the risin' sun.

Chicken in the bread pan, pickin' out dough.

"Granny, does your dog bite?"

"No, my foal, no."

Octavia's instrumental solo that electrified the ponies in attendance. Indeed, the entire night had gone well. Luna had worked multiple personal angles to give each of her friends a gift of sorts.

Twilight and Celestia spent a fair majority of the night just talking, away from prying eyes and royal obligations. Pinkie, with some help from Luna’s majordomo, organized most of the evening’s events, cementing her reputation as Ponyville’s, and maybe Equestria’s, premier party planner. Rarity designed the costumes for the royal sisters, which would make her boutique a name as far away as Manehattan. Dash would get her chance to perform with the Wonderbolts, even if it were a small display, and hang with two members of the team in the process.

Applejack catered most of the evening’s delightful sweets, which would be a long term boon for the farm. Even Fluttershy got to see the show, thanks to Luna solving all her excuses. Though Luna didn’t want pictures of her beloved (and fearsome looking) Lunar Guard chasing baby bunnies to appear in the “National Equestrian”, it was a risk she was willing to take. Maneniels and Octavia were moving towards the finish of their duet.

Discord bowed his head because

he knew that he just lost.

And he laid that golden cello

on the ground at Octy's hoofs.

Octy said, "Discord, just come on back

if you ever wanna try again.

'Cause I've told you once, you son of a gun,

I'm the best there's ever been!"

Indeed, she worked hard to ensure that this Nightmare Night wouldn’t end in near disaster as her first one did. The song was approaching the end as she snapped back from her reverie. Luna’s horn glowed softly, urging the moon to shine all the brighter as the two performers sang in unison.

And she played "Fire on the mountain, run colts run.

Discord’s in the house of the risin' sun.

Chicken in the bread pan, now they're pickin' out dough.

"Granny, will your dog bite?"

"No, my foal, no."

As the song ended in the usual hard fashion for a Maneniels composition, fireworks were shooting up and outward from the stage. Sparks showered the sky above the stage as Octavia and Maneniels both bowed along with the band. Ponies rabidly stomped their approval as two blue streaks, trailing colorful sparks and smoke, soared in an arc over the stage. Dash hit her cue perfectly, streaking upward before releasing a Sonic Rainboom. The mass of ponies stomped all the harder as the fireworks continued on for another few minutes. Luna was beaming with pride. The night had gone flawlessly.

“Mighty fine, Luna,” Applejack spoke up as she smiled and nodded at the princess.

“Indeed, my friend,” Luna couldn’t hide her grin. Not that she could lie to the Element of Honesty anyway, “Indeed.”

~(o)~

The afterparty at Sweet Apple Acres turned into something of a bacchanal. Luna watched it with innocent detachment. Applejack lent the friends the use of her barn for the soiree. She and Macintosh spent some time clearing it out and prepping it, setting up a few tables and even a makeshift bar. An old gramophone had been playing some Rockafilly albums with charming flair and barrels of hard cider were setup in the back of the bar.

Octavia and Charlie were discussing more collaborations off in a corner, with Vinyl Scratch promising to mix the record. Vinyl and Octavia were hanging on each other in a very familiar fashion that Luna didn’t miss. Celestia and Twilight were still talking about whatever subjects happened across their lips while Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, Spitfire and Soarin’ were within earshot of the duo. They seemingly created a drinking game out of the teacher and student's conversation. Luna willed her magic into being, manifesting a spell designed to amplify the sounds and sights of a location she wished within line-of-sight. The only downside was it brought the rest of the world out of focus, but it still had its uses.

“But Princess, doesn’t amniomorphic magic,” Twilight asked as Dash, Pinkie, Soarin' and Spitfire all took a slug of cider, “usually require a pony to change their physiology?”

“No, my faithful student,” Celestia smiled warmly to Twilight as the drinking ponies took a longer draw, “its only the illusion of morphing. It does have it’s uses though. The magic,” another slug was had by the four eavesdroppers, “can be used for a number of different reasons without harm to the pony casting it. The next time you are in Canterlot, I shall show you.” The Solar Regent finished with a wistful grin.

“Really,” Twilight’s glazed eyes betrayed her gleeful expression as she sipped her cider.

Celestia took note of something before continuing, “In fact, my faithful student *long slug*, I will give you access to Star Swirl’s magical *slug* compendiums, so your resources on magic *slug* won’t be dried up. My faithful student,” Celestia finished pointedly. She glared at the four ponies, whose empty mugs far exceeded the full ones, were finishing another long draw. Her suspicions were confirmed.

“Oh Dashie,” Pinkie said to her pranking pal, “My tummy is all warm and my head is all swimmy-whimmy.” She hiccuped and somehow streamers flew out of her mouth along with a honking noise.

“Yeah,” Dash spoke as she were having problems keeping her head still, “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

Soarin’s head hit the table with a groan while Spitfire leaned into Rainbow, “Dashie, you're cute. You know that?”

The Captain of the Wonderbolts giggled like a school filly with the smell of cider heavy on her breath. Rainbow turned to Spitfire, who’s orange eyes twinkled in the soft light of the barn. Dash looked longingly to her and even started pressing forward before Celestia pointedly interrupted them. The rules of the game were always to be abided and none of those ponies would admit defeat. Three because of their competitive natures and Pinkie just because it was a party game.

“Now, my faithful student *long slug*, did you have any other inquiries about magic *slug* or magic *slug* related topics? I can do this all night, my faithful student. *long slug* In fact, my faithful student *long slug*, the night has been so magical *slug* that I could discuss all things magical *slug* for an eternity.” Celestia kept a pointed glare at the eavesdroppers. Twilight, feeling a little fuzzy herself and apparently missing the point of Celestia’s pointed word dropping, just nuzzled her teacher.

Soarin's face took on an unnatural shade of green, while Dash and Spitfire fell into each other. Pinkie looked at the three pegasi, suddenly remembering the rules of the game.

"I win!" she chirped. Suddenly, her tummy felt a little too warm. "Oh pickles!" was the only cry before a pink streak weaved to find a bathroom.

Luna smirked at her sister as she let her magic go. And ponies wonder where she got it from. She spotted Rarity and Fluttershy were near the makeshift bar. As the two mares were nursing mugs of cider, Fluttershy seemed more animated than at any point since Luna met her. Curious, Luna called forth her magic again.

“So anyway I was wondering have you had a chance to try the new Trotsdam technique from Aloe and Lotus? Oh it's so wonderful because it makes your back feel like jelly. I wonder if Angel or Twilight would come with us. Do bunnies like massages? You know it’s funny because you would think that I would know that, but I don’t oddly enough. Do you think Macintosh would come with us to the spa? I would pay so many bits to rub down that flank,” Fluttershy said rapid-fired without pausing to breathe. Her normally gentle eyes were somewhere between mirth and full-on possession.

Rarity simply hovered her cider with her with a bemused look on her face, ”Indeed, dear. I bet many a mare would pay handsomely for a piece of that Apple.” She glanced to snoring Angel Bunny, who was splayed on the bar, a shot glass and a half empty mini-bottle of Carrot Vodka next to it.

"You know,” Fluttershy continued, “I bet all of Ponyville would to, but I would be so sad if anypony else touched him,” Fluttershy took a quick drink of her cider, spying the giant farm pony nursing a cider of his own off in a corner. Something clicked in her brain as her look shifted from mirth to predation, “Excuse me a moment, Rarity.”

Rarity moved to a full blown grin, “Of course, dear.”

Fluttershy weaved her way through the small crowd of ponies, somehow making her way towards the corner where Macintosh parked himself. “Hey...Hi Big Mac,” Fluttershy spoke in her most sultry voice, “How are you?” She gave the stallion a devastating flutter of her eyelashes.

Mac, breaking himself out of his pondering daze, gave the yellow pegasus a casual smile, “Ah’m good, Miss Fluttershy. How abou”

Fluttershy cut him off with a sudden press of her lips with an audible “Mmm...” . Rarity put a hoof to her face, trying not to laugh. A part of her figured they’d both regret it in the morning, but she made no move to stop her friend as one of them had to break the ice. Rarity, being the friend she was, was already mapping out possible plans to guide them forward. Mac, normally a shy and chivalrous stallion, didn’t seem to object too much as he closed his eyes.

Luna’s horn grew still as she had to stifle her own giggle. Indeed, though she were privy to many things, she would let ponies have their privacy. She glanced around, looking for her remaining friend. However, Applejack was nowhere to be seen.

Luna quietly excused herself from the party. Fluttershy and Mac were still off in the corner preparing tomorrow’s regret. Celestia and Twilight were giggling as Pinkie pronked her way into a distracted Rarity. The Wonderbolts and the aspirant Dash were left in dreamland. The trio of musicians were still debating if Dubstep and Country could actually mix. Maneniels cited the “Oil and Water” argument, to which Vinyl counter attacked with the “Peanut and Jelly” maxim. Octavia gave her DJ marefriend a peck on the cheek. Apparently Vinyl was so cute when she got flustered.

Luna stepped outside, still looking around for the farmer. A Lunar Guard stepped from the shadows near the door, his bat-like wings as stoic as his face, “Your Highness,” the guard bowed, “Is everything okay?”

To her credit, Luna didn’t jump though she completely forgot about the guards posted around town. Apparently, they took it to mean Sweet Apple Acres as well. “Yes,” she spoke with a soft smile, “have you seen where Applejack went off to?”

“I saw her leave towards the orchards, Your Highness,” his wings flitted a bit as he, “Shall we look for her?” The guard, Lt. Silverhawk, was already motioning to his companion, another guard by the name of Storm Wind, on the other side of the barn. Luna always appreciated his initiative and discretion. During the height of the Changeling Invasion, Luna walked into the guard's dormitory to find him instructing his charges in a plan to retake the city before the invaders were cleared via Shining Armor's spell.

“No, I shall find her,” Luna spoke at length, “but do keep watch over the...festivities inside and keep the paparazzi away from them.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Silverhawk nodded, and moved to discuss matters with his partner.

Luna expanded her wings out and took off with a powerful flap. Her eyes were better suited to the evening time, though the full moon helped matters greatly. It wasn’t long until she spotted the farm pony under a tree at the edge of the orchard, staring up at the sky with a content look on her face. Luna landed quietly a few trees away and watched her friend for awhile, trying to decide if she needed privacy. The Lunar Regent noted the farmer bundled her regalia under the nearest tree and replaced it with her trademark hat.

There was something naked about the scene, something unabashed about it. Luna studied her friend with fascination. Her toned body and long blonde mane complimented her green eyes so well. She probably could have been a model should she have chose to. But such a lifestyle seemed antithesis of who Applejack was.

“So like her progenitor,” Luna whispered, referring to the original Applejack, the founder of the Apple family line. Luna, being the eternal Goddess of the Night, was quite familiar with her, going so far as calling her a friend. The original Applejack was bluntly honest and fought for what she believed in.

Luna chuckled to herself as she remembered her old friend.

~(o)~

Celestia was showing her sister and the farmer her latest dress for the Spring Regalia. Though the fashionista that designed it swore that it was all the rage, the layers of black fabric wasn’t doing her any favors.

Applejack shook her head instantly, “Now Ah’m not gonna say it’s not flattering, Princess. But that dress makes your haunch look like two zebras are having a pillow fight,“ Applejack said after taking a drink of her cider, “Y’all may want to get a different design.”

“She has a point, sister,” Luna followed as she lifted her wine in a mock toast, “Though I would say it were closer to two griffons fighting over a watermelon.”

“Are you calling me fat,” Celestia’s horn glowed in a dangerous light.

“Nah,” the farm pony smirked, “Ya just need to lay off the cake is all.”

“Care for a banana,” Luna deadpanned as she telekinetically offered one to her sister while peeling one for herself, “I do hear they are less generous to one’s haunch.”

Celestia stomped with a indignant “Harrumph” before storming out of the room. Luna and Applejack turned to each other before falling back into fits of laughter.

~(o)~

Luna almost chuckled despite herself. Indeed, the current farmer was so like her. A strong-willed and fiery pony, but also dependable, generous and slow to judge. Luna’s smile nearly took her ears as she felt the pained hint of loneliness break her reverie.

The Lunar Regent was always slow to befriend others and slower to forget them. In truth, she had few friends over her long life that meant as much as Applejack’s namesake. Now here Luna was, with six friends that meant everything to her, indeed having risked their lives to free her from her madness. Luna remembered finally breaking free from the Nightmare. She felt the spirits of the bearers of the Elements keenly, each of them as beautiful as a winter night. There was one she felt the most though, familiar like a welcome and warm memory.

Luna didn’t try to give it much though in the whirlwind that followed. Between the sudden reuniting with her estranged sister, learning about a country she was co-ruling, and attempting to find herself again, it was a lot on any pony’s plate.

As things settle down, she had some time think things through. She knew the Elements and considered them friends, but Luna would be lying to herself if she didn’t think about one over the others though. In the end, Applejack was a pony who meant more to Luna. Whether she was waxing nostalgia or something else, she accepted it for what it was. But what exactly it was, she couldn’t put a hoof on it.

Luna sighed and moved to leave Applejack to her peace. But a quick snap of a twig stole Applejack’s attention and betrayed Luna’s presence. “Horseapples,” Luna cursed under her breath.

“Who’s there?” Applejack called to the darkness.

“Tis I, fair Applejack,” Luna strode forward into the moonlight, “I did not wish to intrude.”

“S’alright Luna,” Applejack smiled, “Ah was just taking in the night. Ya did a beautiful job with it.”

Luna blushed underneath her fur. She brought a hoof to her mouth and coughed before speaking, “Thank you, my friend. That means a lot.”

“No problem. Care to sit for a spell?”

“I’d like that,” Luna parked herself next to her friend looked over the scene down the slope. A pond reflected the moonlight as small waves lapped the shore. Leaves of myriad colors dotted the top of it and rolled with the motions of the waves. A few trees lined the shore, making it seem like a painting. Luna thought it beautiful. The two took the scene in a comfortable silence for a while.

Applejack rose after a while, “Ah gotta make sure my foalish brother didn’t let them ponies burn the barn down.”

Luna shrugged, “Last I checked, he and Fluttershy were discussing the finer points of dental hygiene.”

“All the more reason to check on ‘em.”

Luna looked over the scene and pondered her thoughts for another second, “I shall join you then.” The two made their way back towards the farm proper.

2. As Night Turns To Day

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Chapter Two
As Night Turns To Day

Such transitions from dusk to dawn only to go back
to the rise of the eventide is a great example of the
balance we should aspire to. Just as the serious
nature of law has no place without the laughter of
jesters, so should we to find a balance between
the fantastical and the rational.
~Excerpt from Voltmare's "A Guide To Life"

The aftermath of the afterparty was something to behold. Bodies were strewn everywhere next to empty mugs and more than a few cider barrels dripping from half-closed spigots. Applejack simply shook her head while Luna watched her sister mouthing, "Help me!" Twilight was snuggling with a soft smile on her face and Celestia apparently did not have the heart to use her magic to interrupt her slumber.

Somehow, Spitfire and Dash had tangled their bodies together as Soarin' slept contentedly atop a table. The argument between the musicians had long since died away as the three slept contentedly in their corner. Mac, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie had apparently left for the evening.

"Sister, I do believe you have a problem," Luna teased Celestia.

Celestia was always one to have a stoic smile regardless of the circumstance. However, in the grasp of her slumbering affectionate student, the cider wearing off, a full bladder, and the fact her haunch was asleep, she wasn't in the mood.

"Luna, in the name of our father and mother, if you don't help get Twilight off me..."

Applejack chuckled to herself as she moved to adjust Twilight's position. Where Celestia didn't have the heart, the farm mare had the practicality. After Applejack moved Twilight, Celestia gave her a nod of thanks. Luna had called in a few of her guards by then as Celestia passed them to look for a little filly's room.

"Silverhawk," Luna instructed her guard, "if you could escort our host's guests back to their residences, I'd be grateful. Also, please be as discreet as possible."

"Yes, Your Highness," replied Silverhawk. He turned as his charges set about their work. Among their number was a unicorn, which made being discreet a little easier. As they worked out the details, Luna trotted next to Applejack as Celestia worked her way back in.

"It seems the party is over," Luna remarked.

"Yup," Applejack remarked, deciding if she begin to clean up now or later.

"More's the pity. I would have paid many bits to see you in the maid outfit again."

"Keep pulling the tail of the manticore."

Luna loved to tease the farm pony, but such was the nature of their relationship. Celestia had rejoined them, her face reflecting her new found sense of comfort. The guardponies were executing their plan which involved a few pegasi mapping out the routes and the unicorn preparing a few teleportation spells.

"Luna, Celestia, where y'all staying tonight?" Applejack queried the sisters.

"I've to return to Canterlot to begin to the Day Court in a few hours. As for Luna..."

"Few hours!?" Applejack's interrupted as her face went a bit pale, "Ya mean it's almost....

"Dawn, yes." Celestia finished for her.

"Oh hay."

"Something the matter, fair Applejack?" Luna asked, some concern in her voice.

"Ah gotta finish the harvest in the western orchard," Applejack shook her head, "With my brother out with who knows, it's going to be a long day."

"I will help you then," Luna volunteered. The Lunar Regent turned to her sister, who nodded in approval.

"Y'all don't need to do that," Applejack said as she smiled warmly, knowing this lesson well, "but just the same, Ah'd be obliged for the help."

"Certainly."

To their credit, the Lunar Guard had managed to get the Wonderbolts and Rainbow back to their hotel and home, respectively. They had moved onto Twilight by that time; the unicorn guard gently grabbed her with a telekinesis spell and began the journey towards the library. The young mare was still snuggling an imaginary Celestia with a wistful grin on her face.

~(o)~

Luna released her magic as the two reformed their normal bodies from the gaseous state. Applejack found the experience a little disconcerting, the farmer reflexively checked over to make sure her limbs were intact.

"Now Ah know what a bad case of gas feels like," Applejack remarked after completing her inspection.

"Minus the stench," Luna agreed, "but it has its uses. Still, one has be sure to stay away from an open flame."

She looked around Applejack's room after the farmer turned the lamp on. It was surprisingly spartan in decor, but also surprisingly functional. A bathroom was just off to the side and the bed was large enough to fit Celestia comfortably.

"Ah figured you could stay here tonight and I'll take the spare room," Applejack said prior to releasing a yawn.

"I will do no such thing," Luna huffed, "Tis rude to kick a host from their own bed and I shall not be a pest."

"Ya already are a pest, but that don't change the situation," Applejack shot back, "It's the only bed that ya can fit in."

The two looked to each other without yielding. Before an earth pony versus alicorn war could break out, Luna offered a compromise without casualties, "Perhaps, we could share the bed? It seems the only reasonable to thing to do."

"Agreed then," Applejack was too tired to argue. She dropped her hat on the bedpost and climbed into bed.

"I do need to lower the moon," Luna spoke softly, "It will only take a moment."

"Ya want some privacy?"

"No," Luna smiled.

Luna faced the window. Though she didn't have line-of-sight to the moon, she didn't needed it. The Lunar Regent closed her eyes as her horn glowed with a soft silver light. Feeling along the celestial ley lines, she followed them out to grasp the moon. She smiled softly as the felt the warm felling of an old friend. Gradually, she nestled the moon along its descendant path, clearing the way for her sister to raise the sun.

As her magic fell still, she looked over to the bed and found Applejack already snoring. Luna chuckled despite herself. She always marveled how among the Elements, Applejack was the quickest to get past the formality of Luna's lineage and was seemingly the most comfortable with it. The Lunar Regents appreciated it more than the farmer could know.

Luna gave a flap of her wings and quietly settled into the bed next the farmer. Though alicorns didn't require sleep, they found it restful to indulge in the reverie of dreams. Luna thought back to her old friend and her current namesake. It put a smile on her face before she succumbed to slumber.

~(o)~

The morning arrived too quick. Though Applejack didn't indulge in enough cider to gain the weight of a hangover, she felt weary none the less. But with Luna's help, they made quick work of the western orchards. As quickly as Applejack bucked the tree, Luna could grab the apples via her magic. As they were moving the haul to the apple cellar, Luna noticed Applejack had a weary look on her face.

"You look piqued, my friend," Luna remarked.

"Princess of the obvious," Applejack deadpanned.

"Tis my calling in life, I fear."

The apples were moved into the cellar in short order, which left the two with some time to relax. On the front porch, the two were relaxing on porch swing. Luna let Applejack catch up on a bit more sleep before a large red stallion approached the farm with a yellow pegasus in tow. Both looked a bit worse for wear.

"Applejack, I do hate to wake you, but I believe court is in session."

"Huh?" The farmpony muttered as she woke up. She then caught her brother and friend approaching the residence, "Ah do think they're guilty."

"Of what crime though?"

"Ah'll get back to you on that."

Mac and Fluttershy approached the porch, both bowing before Luna. Mac looked like he'd been through a wringer and Fluttershy had a notably disheveled look. Luna and Applejack both caught a certain smile though.

"Mornin' brother, 'shy" Applejack chimed, much to their chagrin, "Y'all feeling ok?"

"Yes...yes, thank you," Fluttershy's voice trailed off as she moved behind her mane, 'We just....."

"Beg pardon?"

"We just...woke up late. That's all," the pegasus looked to Mac.

"Eeyup," Mac tried his best poker face, "Sorry sis. Lost track of time."

"Don't worry 'bout it. Got the western orchards done already, so Ah figured it'd be good to relax the rest of the day."

Macintosh nodded, while Fluttershy somehow managed to dig herself deeper into the folds of her mane.

"Pray tell, did you two have fun last night?" Luna asked almost despite herself.

Fluttershy squeaked and Mac managed to turn a deeper shade of red. Guilty as charged.

"Go on and get yourselves some lunch," Applejack spoke while repressing some mirth, "Ah'm sure y'all have an appetite."

Fluttershy and Mac moved inside where fritters and hay fries awaited them. Luna turned to Applejack, her eyes simply sparkling in the sunlight.

"I'm guessing you won't let them live it down?"

"As the day is long, sugarcube," the farmer confirmed.

"A pity. Though I am happy they found each other, I was hoping I could steal away Macintosh for a while."

"To what point?" Applejack replied, glaring at Luna from under her Stetson.

"I find myself in need of having my own trees bucked." Luna ducked just in time to avoid a flying glass of apple juice.

~(o)~

Ponyville was in the midst of a tremendous clean up effort. The massive stage was halfway torn down and a few more ponies were removing decorations and cleaning up various refuse. Luna worked a quick illusion spell, hiding her horn and changing up her cutie mark to just a single crescent moon. A gaudy pair of pink sunglasses completed the look. Applejack promised Luna she would show her Pinkie's new experimental confectionery that the party pony called "Superfantabulous Extraordinary Xiangjiao."

"Wait, doesn't that spell out..."

"Don't say it," Applejack interrupted Luna, "Pinkie says she got some bananas from Trot Kong. It's supposed to be some sort of fancy dessert.

"Well, if it's as good as it sounds, I'm sure it will be."

The two approached the giant cupcake building known as Sugarcube Corner. Applejack entered first, followed by the incognito Luna. Pinkie pronked her way from a display case to the counter at half her normal speed, defying a few laws of physics in the process. As with all things Pinkie, the two learned to accept it, figuring it was her version of a hangover.

"Afternoon Pinkie," Applejack spoke, the sugary sweet aromas assaulting her.

"Hey guys," Pinkie chirped, "What can I getcha!"

"We came by to try the S.E...." Luna coughed as she took an elbow to the ribs.

"We stopped by to see if you had any of that new dessert of yours," Applejack finished for her

"Oh, you guys will love it. I got these bananas all the way from Trot Kong and thought 'Oh, I wonder if these would be good for a banana split?' So I got some extra yummy vanilla and chocolate ice cream and tried it out. It was so cool the way it made my tummy all cold, but it made my brainy-wainy freeze and..."

"Pinkie," Applejack interjected.

"Yeah?"

"Get the dessert," the farmer said with a groan. Pinkie gave an emphatic nod and moved into the kitchen. Applejack and Luna moved a comfortable booth and sat. Luna had watched the entirety of the exchange with an amused expression.

"How does she do that?" Luna remarked after a moment.

"Ah gave up figuring her out a long time ago. She's a good sort though, even if she's all cloud and no rain."

"We could power Cloudsdale with the amount of energy she packs in her speech. Lightning in a bottle and all that."

"Shockin'."

Pinkie returned with the desserts in long oval bowls. The far eastern bananas rode the length of the bowl, with scoops of chocolate and vanilla ice cream near the edge of the bowl. The door bell chimed as a few more ponies walked in, "Sorry guys, I'll be back before you can say 'kumquats'!"

Luna thought to bring up references again and looked to Applejack. Given she was busily devouring the confection and operating on little sleep, Luna decided to let her friend have a little peace as she ate her own dessert. Luna marveled as the myriad of flavors. The vanilla and chocolate combined well with an odd tartness from the banana. The Lunar Regent involuntarily fluttered her eye lashes while Applejack seemed lost in her own tasty world.

"This is wonderful," Luna remarked, "this is almost as good as..."

"Don't. Say. It." Applejack spoke between chews of the banana.

"Say what, fair Applejack," Luna said through an innocent smile.

Applejack shook her head as she resumed her dessert. Pinkie pronked her way back to the two, "Hey guys, what do you think of the S.E.X.! Isn't it delightful?"

"Orgasmic," Applejack drew her hat down, finally conceding defeat.

3. As The Night Turns

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Chapter Three
As The Night Turns

So I shall grant that the melodramatic nature of serial
plays add nothing to the advancement of the mechanics
of Theater. Nothing is added to the advance of acting
or the tremendous revelations like those of Neighspeare.
But it does serve to draw a continued interest
of an audience, due to its character development
and the simple "What happens next?" maxim.
In that ideal, the advancement of Theater
is served as a whole because of the interest it engenders.
~ Excerpt from Eggbert's "Treatise For The Screenwriter"

Applejack and Luna left Sugarcube Corner not long after a rush arrived. The sun was just past its high point and the temperature was pleasant for autumn. Though they picked the most direct route back to Sweet Apple Acres, the two weren't in too much of a hurry. Luna was still in the midst of her glamor spell, complete with the large, pink round rimmed sunglasses.

"Applejack, I was curious as to something," Luna queried.

"The answer's yes," Applejack remarked offhoofedly while lazily looking over a few merchant stalls they were passing.

"To what?"

"You're a pain in my haunch."

"Besides that, and it's such a lovely haunch," Luna smiled, finding herself doing that a lot lately, "but if I may be serious for a moment."

"Are ya ever?"

"You wound me," Luna spoke with a dramatic sigh.

"Wouldn't be a first," Applejack replied dryly. She canted her head to the disguised Lunar Regent as she continued, "What's on your brain?"

"I need an honest opinion. I find myself partial to these sunglasses," Luna explained as she paused. She raised a hoof to the large pink glasses, pulling them off her face a bit, "Tell me, do you think they'd go well with my royal regalia?"

"Sugarcube, you wear a chest plate, slippers, and a crown," Applejack quipped, "Are ya hoping to next Lady BaaBaa?"

"Not quite. But my normal colors are so...dark."

"Ya could brighten up your wardrobe, but Ah don't think those goggles y'all call 'sunglasses' will work."

"Maybe I could get a hat then," Luna said as she glanced to her friend, "May I try yours on?"

"Give me your horn and we'll talk about it," Applejack replied as she met Luna's gaze.

"I'm afraid I'm rather attached to it, fair Applejack."

"Mah point exactly." Applejack smiled softly. Luna let it go as she and the farmer both chuckled.

They drew to the edge of Ponyville. Both ponies were surprisingly quiet though they were enjoying the company of the other. Applejack seemed to be working something over in her mind as well, but Luna decided to let her be. She was due back in Canterlot prior to dusk to resume her Night Court. In short, tedium would become her life yet again.

As the two approached Sweet Apple Acres, Silverhawk approached the Princess, bowing both to Luna and Applejack, "Your Highness, Lady Applejack," he said as he rose before turning his gaze to Luna, "The town appears normal and most of the guards have returned home."

"Very good," Luna spoke, "Did our guests return home safely?" Luna knew it was rhetorical, but she felt it important to ask.

"Yes, Your Highness. As well, there was a note left with those that seemed less than awake, explaining what happened. It seemed prudent so there would be no misunderstandings."

Luna nodded with his reasoning. "Thank you, Silverhawk. Return to Canterlot at your discretion. I shall see you tonight."

"Your Highness," Silverhawk nodded. He spread his leathery wings and took to the air.

"Seems a likeable sort," Applejack remarked.

"Perhaps, though I fear the wings are a bit gaudy."

"Ya ain't looked in the mirror lately, have ya?"

~(o)~

Luna felt betrayed. The box said "Doubly quick, easy, and fun!" Instead, she ran through three of the four boxes of hay fries, burned all the contents of them, and spent a better part of an hour trying to make a simple dish. Applejack was thoroughly amused by the situation while black smoke filled the kitchen.

"Are ya done yet?" Applejack teased.

"I should launch an investigation into these claims," Luna stomped a hoof, "Surely they are false. The fun has not been..."

"Sugarcube, let me do it," the farmer cut her off as she strode into the kitchen. Luna stepped away from the scene of her failure. Applejack picked up a hot pad, than the pan with her teeth and took it over to the sink.

"This is why I have others do the cooking," Luna admitted sheepishly.

"Your special talent's raisin' the moon, not makin' lunch," Applejack offered as she worked to clean the burned pan.

"Perhaps, but I have lived for thousands of years, have seen the rise and fall of empires long since turned to dust, and I control celestial bodies in the vast emptiness of space," Luna was gradually rising to a crescendo as she spoke, "You'd think I could make a simple appetizer!"

"Well, if ya raise the moon as well as ya cook, it's a wonder we ain't been killed yet." Applejack set the pan back on the stove top and poured some oil into it. Letting it heat for a bit, she turned to Luna, "Don't fret none."

"I'm not," Luna parked herself on the floor with a look of exasperation, "It's just there are still things I've yet to master that I should."

"Darlin', ya got all the time ya need. No reason to rush such things when there isn't a need."

"Are you saying I'm slow? That I can't adapt?" spoke the Luna Regent, as if challenging the farmer.

"Ah'm saying Ah'm afraid when the rabbit at the controls in your head starts pushin' buttons," Applejack absently remarked as she turned back to the stove. Judging the oil to be hot enough, she emptied the last remaining box of hay fries into the pan. The oil spattered in protest as the farmer hoofed a spatula through the fries to ensure an even coating while the fries sizzled in the hot oil.

Luna strode next to the Applejack, watching the deep frying with some fascination. The two stood for a moment before a bubble of oil grew out of proportion to its structural integrity. It popped, sending some of the hot oil flying onto Luna's snout. The Lunar Regent hopped back in protest.

"Vile machination of Discord!" Luna's horn began glowing in an ominous light. Applejack just ignored her as she set a colander in the sink. Returning to the store, she grabbed a hot pad in her mouth and then grabbed the pan. Luna looked set on the verge of an explosion as Applejack emptied the fries into the colander and set the pan to one side.

"Rabbit. Buttons. Bad." Applejack said, shaking her head a bit while chuckling.

"Dear Applejack," Luna's eyes took on something of a silver glow themselves, "Be afraid. Be very afraid."

"Ah don't think so."

The farmer worked the fries back and forth while applying an ample amount of salt to them. Luna let her magic die away. She and began to pout, "Why not? All I crave is your fearful devotion."

The farmer moved the hay fries into a basket and set them on the table, "It's just hard to take a pony seriously when they envy Prench Maids, are obsessed with bananas, and fear cookin' oil."

"Fair Applejack, you wound me again."

"Bleed for me, sugarcube."

The two ponies sat at the table and worked over the fries in their own way; Applejack with her hoof and Luna with her magic. The Princess was a little surprised by the harsh taste of the salt, but once her taste buds worked past it, she found the texture and plainness of the hay a pleasant back drop to the vigor of the salty exterior. Luna fluttered her eyes again.

"Maybe I should have these added as part of the menu in the castle," Luna spoke in her tasty daze.

"Good, aren't they?" Applejack smiled a bit, swallowing some of the fries she's been working on.

"That is an understatement. The fun has been restored to its previous levels."

"Not doubled?"

"I fear not. The oil did leave a scar that I fear may never heal."

Applejack looked over the Princess, "Ya look fine to me."

"Emotional scar, my friend," Luna said absently as she seemed to be analyzing the fry, as if trying to determine what chemical composition made it just that good.

"Ya'll be fine.'

"If you would be kind enough to wear the maid outfit again, I may perhaps heal," Luna spoke with a mock sadness, "Maybe."

"Ah got more oil," Applejack warned as snapped the end off another fry.

~(o)~

The castle's throne room was empty for the most part. The high arched windows let in an ample amount of moonlight into the marbled hall. Sculptures and tapestries lined the walls in a few spots. High on a raised dais, Luna tried not look bored of it all from her throne. An empty one for her sister was next to her's while Silverhawk and Storm Wind were on either side of the thrones.

"As you can see, Princess, we must be wary," spoke a unicorn with a poofy mane. His squinty eyes darting about as his voice grated on Luna's nerves, "Unless this infestation of Humans is controlled, Equestria will fall!"

"Indeed. A very compelling argument Mr. Trotkalos," Luna replied, forcing herself to sound interested, "Though I was led to believe that Humans were an old mare's tale?"

"They aren't! I can prove it!"

"No need. I shall have the Royal Librarian try to corroborate your findings. Until then, my guards will keep a wary eye. Will this be satisfactory?"

"Quite, Your Highness," the unicorn said as he broke into a bow with a big smile, "Thank you again!"

Luna just nodded as the petitioner was escorted from the hall, more for the unicorn's safety than anything else.

"Your Highness, that was the last of the petitioners," spoke Luna's majordomo. The wizened looking unicorn looked up from his scroll, "I do believe that concludes the matters for the evening."

Luna sighed despite herself. She had kept one night per week open to any who sought a royal audience and quickly learned to regret that decision. Regardless, Applejack thought it would be good for public relations to have royalty accessible should anypony find the need, and Luna found it hard to disagree with her logic.

"Good then. If there is nothing else, the court is set for the evening," Luna said. She intensely disliked the proclamation, but protocol was as eternal as alicorns.

The guards and majordomo bowed before taking their leave. Luna took her leave as well, trotting down off the dais and through a large set of double doors. Canterlot Castle had many winding halls, making it seem like a maze. It took Luna a while to learn the layout well enough to find her way without an escort. Eventually, she found her way to her private abode. A few of her Lunar Guard bowed and opened the way for the princess.

Luna found herself completely bored of it all. Prior to Luna's banishment, she and Celestia took on direct responsibility for the running of the country. After Luna's exile, Celestia designated authority to an increasing number of ponies as Equestria grew in population and geographical size. Otherwise, the day to day minutiae of governing the country would bury even an alicorn. Of course, the princesses always had the final say, but most times they deferred to the various ministers and magistrates. As such, her title and station seemed merely ceremonial for the most part. She could still pass decrees, make laws and such, but the government mostly ran itself. This left the Princess with a sense of ennui.

Luna looked about her circular abode. A large four post bed with a crescent moon stitched into the center of the bed set dominated the room. A roll top desk, various bookshelves and nicknacks took up most of the available space along the wall. A large fireplace was placed opposite of a doorway to her bathroom while a balcony, to which Luna strode, was opposite the bed. The chill autumn air nipped on her face, but she didn't mind.

"Rut it all," she called under her breath. Luna felt frustrated. It had been a week since she left the company of Applejack and Ponyville and she felt out of sorts. A part of her wanted to leave everything behind, but she knew she had a commitment to keep to her sister and to Equestria.

"Problem, sister?" Luna heard a familiar voice speak behind her.

"Tis nothing, Tia," Luna addressed Celestia as the Solar Regent walked up next to her, settling her wings to her side, "Just humans getting to me."

Celestia gave her sister a quizzical look, "I'm sorry, but did you say humans?"

"Forget it," Luna sighed again, "I just feel off balance is all."

Celestia remained silent, staring off to the west towards Ponyville in her own stoic way.

"I find myself at odds with my station," Luna remarked finally. Celestia nodded, apparently understanding the feeling while Luna continued, "How does one find time to be themselves when they are stuck in the proverbial tower?"

Celestia looked to her sister with a compassionate gaze, "You just have to make due and find the time when you can, such as this past Nightmare Night."

Luna nodded, somehow taking comfort and fearing the answer at the same time. Logic had that effect, "I just miss our friends in Ponyville."

"You need to find balance between the needs of our little ponies and of ourselves, though such a fulcrum is difficult to find," Celestia offerred

"'The needs of 'our little ponies'," Luna couldn't help but chuckle as she went on, "Tia, the place practically runs itself. I believe we could disappear for years and the government will still run on rails."

"You'd think. But between Blueblood, Typhoon, and Stone, they'd find a way to run Canterlot into the ground within three days, if not start a civil war," Celestia spoke, referring to the heads of the Royal Houses of the Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Ponies respectively.

"Perhaps you are right," Luna remarked, "Still though, the mind does need a break. How do you manage it all nowadays?''

"I've found personal time to spend with Twilight helps a great deal," Celestia spoke at length, figuring that since Luna was opening herself up, it would be prudent to do the same, "She tended to help drown away the tedium of watching over Equestria while you were...away. Lately, I've missed her a great deal. As such, I've learned to simply enjoy the time we have. It's enough to help keep perspective."

"Is it?" Luna remarked as she looked out west, "It seems that so much has changed and yet I haven't." Silence remained between the sisters for a while. Celestia believed she knew the source of the sister's dour mood.

"You miss Applejack, don't you?" Celestia said, driving the point home.

~(o)~

"Brother, ain't no use in hidin' it," Applejack spoke with as much sternness as she could muster. Mac had kept himself on the farm for a solid week without saying a word to anypony. The harvest was finished at least, so Applejack finally had a chance to confront her older sibling. She caught him in the barn while the rest of the family way was away in town.

"Nope. She's a friend and that's it," Mac said as shook his head emphatically.

"Mac, ya know Ah can tell when your lying, right?"

"Eeyup," Big Mac answered and sighed. If it wasn't because she was the Element of Honesty, it'd be because she was his sister. After Nightmare Night, he just wanted to go about his life. His pest of a little sister had other plans though.

"Then ya need to ask her out and get outta your funk," Applejack offered, "Ain't no harm in askin' her on one date."

Mac thought about it. He felt so unlike himself as of late. He was a stallion bred of a practical wisdom, but sometimes an outside prospective helped things along.

"Ain't ya gonna say anything?"

"Sorry sis, Ah just was afraid Ah'd taken advantage of Miss Fluttershy is all," Mac confessed. He smiled a little bit, glad to get it off his massive, but gentle shoulders.

Applejack nearly laughed despite the levity she meant to bring to the situations, "Mac, ya ought to see her when the girls get together for 'Mares Night Out'. She ain't prim and shy all the time. But she deserves a good stallion in her life though and Ah know she's sweet on you."

Mac resumed his blank gaze, but there was a sparkle in his eye that Applejack was used to.

"Look, all Ah'm saying is there ain't no harm in havin' dinner with a friend at least," Applejack said, "If it were to go somewhere, than fine. If not, no harm done. Either way, ya know for sure."

It didn't take Mac to know her logic was sound. He wrapped a forehoof around his sister. Applejack leaned into the hug for a moment. Mac let it go and took a deep breath, "Maybe Ah should go talk with her."

"Probably a good idea. Would ya remind her of dinner at Twi's tomorrow?"

"Eeyup," Mac cantered out of the barn, leaving Applejack by herself. What she said was the truth, Fluttershy had a crush on her brother for a while. She even saw a pair of yellow wings shoot out of a bush a time or two during Applebuck Season when her brother was working the trees nearest to the Fluttershy's cottage.

Applejack sauntered out of barn and found herself looking to the moon. It was still early, though she felt tired. The last week seemed no different than any other. Still, she found that she missed the company of Lunar Regent. Such thoughts left an ache she couldn't quite place.

~(o)~

"Of course I miss her," Luna balked at the question, "She is a dear friend."

Celestia broke her stoic smile into a full smirk, "Is she now, Luna?"

"What are you getting at?" Luna said as she turned a suspicious eye to her elder sister.

"All I'm saying is that you depend on her far more than you realize."

"Tia, I don't have time..."

"Of course you do," Celestia blurted as she moved, blocking her sister's exit into the bedroom, "Look, your campaign to ingratiate yourself to Equestria via 'fun' was largely her idea, right?

"Yes, but..."

"And I know that think the world of her," Celestia was gathering steam now, "Before you started finding more time to spend in Ponyville, and Applejack in particular, you were morose, distant and melancholy. Now look at you. Always staring fondly out west and you've even grown to like apple juice."

"So?"

"You used to think apple juice was a 'vile machination of Discord', remember?"

"I admit I've grown to like it," Luna spoke with a defiant pose, "But what are you saying?"

"All I'm saying is that she is more than 'a friend' to you."

Luna moved to speak, but found her words died in her throat. Everything Celestia said was true. She didn't realize how much she'd come to depend on the farmer, even just simple company in what downtime she had. She liked the other Elements well enough. They were indeed her friends, but she found a completeness of mind with Applejack.

"Is that...Is that wrong?" Luna squeaked. She felt herself in a vulnerable situation. Indeed, for the Lunar Regent, it was a peculiar sensation.

"Hardly," Celestia nuzzled her sister as she went on, "It is simply something to acknowledge and work with. She is special to you. Perhaps as a best friend, like another sister, or something else? That's for you to decide."

Luna looked over to the moon at that moment, "Now it becomes awkward. Thanks Tia."

Interlude One: Does The Night Dream?

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Interlude One
Does The Night Dream?

Luna went though he next few hours with a lot on her mind. The Lunar Regent found her thoughts full of questions that weren't easily resolved. After lowering the moon a few hours ago, she decided that some food would her clear her head. What Luna lacked in the decisiveness of her sister, she tried to make up for in creative solutions. That said, none would be forthcoming.

Luna remained silent as the two took up their usual morning meal. Celestia, thankfully or not, left her alone with her thoughts. Finding no answers in the grilled mushroom salad, she decided some sleep maybe good. Her hooffalls echoed in the final stretch of hall that lead to her private abode. Two of her Lunar Guard bowed as usual and opened the doors for her. Normally, she responded with a polite smile or a few words, but she passed by as if they were echoes of memory.

As the doors closed, she looked through her prized possessions. An abacus, an old book of prose, and a worn leather cowpony hat were held in prized positions above her mantle. Luna looked the worn brown leather hat with affection. A bit of the brim was seemingly was cut away by design and numerous scratches and weathered marks dotted the surface. While tarnished and worn with age, it was still quite flexible. In fact, it was still quite usable. She owed that to the Applejack's namesake. After its first owner passed on, she had a small quote put just below it.

"A hero is somepony who steps forward when everypony else steps down."

"I miss you, my friend," Luna spoke as much to herself as her memories, both old and new. She took off her regalia and made ready for some well earned sleep. It occurred to the Lunar Regent she was acting a bit overly morose, though she felt powerless to change it. Not with much uncertainty. Perhaps slumber would help her clear her head? After hopping into her large bed, her body turned many times over before finally finding comfort and drifting off into the alicorn's version of slumber.

~(o)~

The ponies of Dream Valley were proud and strong. Gradually, through a mixture of luck and sheer will, they made their way along the mountain path. The few pegasi guards that were available worked to keep the sky clear of those monsters that could fly. The armed and armored unicorn and earth ponies worked in a wedge ahead of the impromptu contingent of "militia" from the vast valley below. They pressed on, though there numbers dwindled, they had laid more of their opponents low.

Luna released her gaseous form magic, as did Celestia, in a copse of trees off to the side of the castle. They despised the plan, but there was little else they could do. Most of Dream Valley's ponies already fell to Tirek's magic and they would not see others suffer the same fate. Neither did it seem prudent to storm the castle with little idea of what defenses awaited them. The unspoken leader of the Dream Valley ponies, the fiery tempered farmer named Applejack, sparked the plan they were now executing.

"Why attack the hornet's nest when all you want is the hornet?" the farmer had noted. The adage struck Luna as surprisingly sound and the rest fell into place quickly. With the forces available and given the fact the closest sizable garrison was two days march, it seemed prudent if they were to prevent more ponies from falling to the daemon.

The alicorn sisters, wearing three Elements of Harmony each, watched the plot unfold before them. The ponies working their way up the mountain would be a necessary distraction and bait for Tirek. As with all daemons, Tirek had a natural arrogance that could be played upon. A challenge from a "lesser" being, if Applejack could ever be called that, should keep him out of the castle long enough for Celestia and Luna to work the Elements against him. Such security bred of hubris would, they hoped, be enough to keep him out. Still, it was a gambit that could fall apart easily if they didn't draw him out, but the sisters could ill afford to wait longer. Not where Equestria was concerned.

"Come on y'all," Applejack yelled as she bucked another monster off the side of the mountain, "Move your haunches!"

The earth pony's orange fur was matted with dirt and sported a few garish cuts, but her pride and temper prodded her onward. Unlike the rest of the denizens from Dream Valley, she worked along side the armored guards to clear the path. Luna and Celestia still waited in their leafy coverage near Midnight Castle atop the mountain. There was little else they could do at the moment.

"Sister, perhaps you should make her a Captain of the Guard?" Luna remarked quietly, watching the scene unfold before her. Another monster unwillingly flew off the side of the trail with a loud shrill. A half gleeful, half maniacal "Yeehaw!" erupted above the din. Luna watched her friend work with open admiration.

"I would, though I shudder to think of the example she'd set for the other guards," Celestia said with typical nonchalance as the Element of Magic's crown quietly gathering its strength atop her head, "It would do little good to see armored ponies marching around the Everfree cursing the very trees themselves."

"Perhaps, but still," Luna's quip was cut off with a cream colored hoof. Celestia nodded to the castle's massive double doors that were opening. The sisters spread their wings and silently took to the air. Luna purposely kept the moon's glow dim to further mask their presence.

The contingent from Dream Valley got to flat top of the mountain. Though their numbers thinned somewhat from their original number, the guards fanned out anyway. The defiant earth pony with seven small red apples as her cutie mark stood ahead of the rest. She glanced around as the doors finished opening. She understood the numbers were against her, but she accepted that. The ponies of Dream Valley kept a safe distance back. Applejack was okay with that as well. She volunteered so nopony else would get hurt.

"Anypony else want a limp?" she yelled out defiantly. The brim of her well-worn hat was caked in blood, some of her own. The farmer seemed confident it only added to the effect she wanted..

"This...this is what Celestia and Luna send against me?" spoke a tall centaur as he cantered out of the doors. Though host of monsters gathered behind him, they kept a respectful distance back. While his lower half had the familiar form of an equine, the daemon's upper half seemed utterly alien. A pair of long, muscly appendages ended in with grasping digits. Long horns jutted out and up from his head, the ends of which formed sharp points. The centuar's attire was dark blue and, aside from a pouch he wore around his thick neck, he had no weapons. The fact he was a half-ton of physical hazards seemed menacing enough.

"Ah tell you what," the earth pony said as she stepped forward. Two dark figures quietly landed silently atop the battlements of the castle to either side of a pair of monsters. After a brief and quiet tussle, two guards remained, standing close together. Applejack continued, betraying nothing of what she saw, "Y'all turn my friends back, unharmed, and you walk away from here."

"You would think to parlay with me?" the centaur's voice echoed with a dark amusement. A grasping appendage removed the pouch from around his neck.

"This ain't a negotiation," the farmer said as she put another hoof forward. Her fierce green eyes staring up and into Tirek's malicious orbs, "This is what it is. Give back our friends and leave. Now."

"The equine humor has forever escaped me. Return home, small thing, and I shall forget this took place," the centaur turned to walk a back into the ominous castle, waving his appendage in dismissal of the earth pony.

"Why you..." Applejack muttered, her cheeks flush red with anger. She charged toward the centaur. Tirek, as if expecting it all, quickly turned back and opened the pouch. A beam with varying shades of grey shot from the pouch. It roared towards the charging farmer, quickly encompassing her form. Luna watched from the battlements; her mind frozen in horror as her friend disappeared within the beam of daemonic magic. The contingent of ponies broke loose towards the trail at that moment as the alicorns watched on, Luna's brain clawing at her eyes trying to find a way to change the scene.

As the beam disappeared into the confines of the bag, the sisters watched as Applejack's form was already morphing. Her body grew taller. Battered leather wings began sprouting grotesquely from her back and fangs grew where her teeth used to be. Her fierce green eyes changed into yellow slits that glanced around, then over her form. A dark piercing cry loosed itself from her throat, as if in defiance of what she'd become as her once proud orange fur grew ebony.

"Applejack...." Luna whispered, her anger growing to explosive proportions. The Elements at her command, those of Laughter, Generosity and Kindness, didn't seem to begrudge her emotions one bit as they begged for release. Celestia was already in the midst of calling upon her Elements, her eyes and horn glowing a blazing white. Luna fell within herself, pouring everything she had into the magic of the Elements. She felt a pressure building deep inside as the six Elements connected, manifesting their magic. Preparing their judgment.

Tirek looked up as the alicorns rose, though not under their own power. On practiced instinct, he opened the pouch again as the gray beam shot out again. The Rainbow of Light, combining itself with the power of two alicorns, loosed itself at the same moment. The prismatic magic engulfed everything in its wake, even the gray magic of the Rainbow of Darkness, as if it were a puny thing. A bright burst of light exploded in every direction as the Elements of Harmony passed their judgment upon the beast. Tirek loosed a primal cry of his own, though it was drowned out in the sheer power of the display.

After the light faded, the host in the castle stood collectively dumbfounded. Luna and Celestia flew off the battlements and landed on the ground. Celestia worked the large double doors closed with her magic, before working a shield bubble around the castle itself, warding it from any escape. Luna cantered towards the monstrous Applejack, moving past the smoldering hoofprints where Tirek once stood.

"Applejack," Luna whispered again, her vengeance sated but heart still racing.

"Ya...put...me...down," the monster croaked in a guttural voice. The slitted irises started to lose Applejack's familiar luster as a single tear streaked down her dark face. The morphing magic was taking hold and she knew it. A clawed appendage where a hoof once was grasped at the ground as in frustration, "Ah won't...live like...this..."

The guards raced past the two and back down the mountain path, looking to tend to the wounded that could be saved. Celestia moved next to her sister, "Sister, I do not think..."

"Shut. Up," Luna spoke to them both in an even, almost deadly calm. Luna's horn glowed while as she fell within herself, searching through her vast mental repository of spells, looking for anything to change the situation. Physiomorphic magic was something that wasn't easy to counter when done to another pony. But such magic took time to fully take hold, so she had a chance. But the daemonic work was fast taking root.

After seemingly an eternity, Luna found nothing to change the situation. Feeling along the edges of the dark magic, she found it so foreign that she could not find an exploitable weakness and she could not outright overpower the magic. At least by herself.

Luna let her horn's glow die away as looked to the Elements of Harmony in desperation. Could they reverse the taint? The sisters no more commanded the Elements of Harmony as they were controlled it. It were more akin to a living entity and the ultimate judge of matters. Sometimes it was harsh, while other time gentle. There was no way to be sure as they only used in the most dire of circumstances. That said, there no choice but to try. The Lunar Regent could feel the black taint in Applejack's aura growing ever stronger. The alicorn looked to her sister, her face and expression of pure distress and begging. Celestia didn't need to ask. It would either cleanse Applejack or perhaps kill her. Either way, the Solar Regent silently agreed. There was simply no other choice.

Celestia and Luna's forms glowed once again as the Rainbow of Light was loosed for a second time that night from their source within the Elements of Harmony. The magic poured over the monstrous Applejack, who let out something between a cry of pain and a howl to freedom. The scene held for many seconds, though it was another eternity to the distressed Lunar Regent. Suddenly, something pulled at the very spirit of sisters, something familiar and warm. Immediately, they willed the magic to die away.

The alicorns looked to the orange form sprawled on the ground. Luna gasped as a leg twitched once, then again. Gradually, the wobbly Applejack got to her hoofs. She put a hoof to her head and tried to shake the cobwebs loose. Luna's eyes closed while they rimmed with wetness. The sister's had their answer to cleanse the rest of the ponies turned monsters.

"Ah feel like Ah've had the hay beat out of me," spoke the farmer, glancing to both the alicorns. Her green eyes regained the luster Luna was accustomed to.

"Fair Applejack, try not to speak," Luna whispered as trotted up and nuzzled her friend, trying to hide her tears.

"Ah feel fine," Applejack quipped, the seven apples of her cutie mark seemed to glisten in the moonlight as she returned the nuzzle just the same, "It was a damn near run thing though."

4. The Night's Lament

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Chapter Four
The Night's Lament

We should all be so fortunate as the Princess of the Sun!
The whim and beck and call of her masses is born of
the principles of adoration and revelry. A tyrant? No.
She simply seeks out the good of the many. Let us
not question that inherent drive of her will.
~ Excerpt from Whargarble's "In Defense of The Righteous."

A few weeks passed but the dream played on whenever Luna slept. Even though the dreams of others were within the Lunar Regent's purview, she had little control over dreams in general. While she appreciated the irony of it, such appreciation seldom contributed to resolutions. Luna ran through the motions of her Night Court, but found herself even less indulgent than usual.

Luna pressed on though. Despite the near-ceremonial nature of their positions, the buck did usually stop with the princesses. A lot of the tedium was simply paperwork. Ledgers, analyses, intelligence reports, and all matters of important sounding minutiae passed over the sisters' desks at any point. In her comparatively short time back, Luna got a first hand reminder of why she sometimes loathed being royalty.

The morose nature of the Lunar Regent stuck with her throughout those days, even into the private mealtimes the sisters shared. The most recent occasion saw Luna lazily working a hay fry through a small container of ketchup. Celestia didn't want to press the matter much, but she couldn't sit idly by anymore.

"A bit for your thoughts, Luna?" Celestia offered while magically jamming a fork into her spinach salad. Luna moved to speak, but just sighed. Of the two, the Lunar Regent was always the more dramatic one. Celestia continued, "You know Lulu, it doesn't do a pony any good to go through life in such a state."

"And suppose I wanted to?" Luna spoke, a little more harshly then intended, "I could be the Princess of Midnight Melancholy."

"It might improve your image."

Luna shot her sister a look before resuming her fry's dance in the ketchup, "Sister, I know the plebiscite is a few days away. I don't find my heart in it though."

"Understandable," the Solar Regent gave a single nod as she spoke, somehow expecting it.

This sisters agreed to put the best face forward on the Crystal Empire question. Until now, the once great home of the crystal ponies was held as a Protectorate. Celestia and Luna agreed that it was time for them to make a choice. That being to either go it alone or become part of Equestria. Though the sisters didn't bother hiding the fact that they wanted the bastion of paradise in the north for multiple reasons, they would put the will of the crystal ponies first. After all, going that route would be good for public relations. Luna, however, had lost her zest for that as well as other things recently.

"Then perhaps you should stay here," Celestia offered after munching on part of salad.

"But we agreed that it would be best if we went north together for the vote," Luna reminded her sister. She was about to take a bit out of the floppy hay fry, but dropped it. To Luna, the lack of crispness equated with betrayal.

"True, but you are obviously in need of collecting your thoughts," Celestia spoke as if it were a matter-of-fact, "And I could take Twilight and Spike with me. It would accomplish the same thing and besides, it is time she become familiar with politics."

"Perhaps you are right," Luna said as she seized upon the out she was offered, "She will need that education."

"Indeed," Celestia was smiling despite herself. The agreement went someway to redressing Luna's mood. She kept her calender cleared in anticipation of the trek north. It would almost be a vacation! Celestia then offered, "This would also be a chance to get the meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture out of the way."

"Sister, you know agricultural matters were never my forte," Luna pleaded as she pictured her downtime crashing onto the jagged rocks of responsibility, "Don't you remember when I thought a plowshare was a rental agreement?"

"Perhaps, but maybe you could call in outside assistance." Celestia remarked offhoofedly, "As in somepony who is intimately familiar with the matters at hand."

"Perhaps I could use somepony who would be honest, no matter what," Luna saw where her sister was going. The Lunar Regent eyes regained some of their lost luster. Celestia simply smiled before snapping off the end of a cucumber.

~(o)~

The flight to Canterlot was a little colder than Applejack anticipated. Even the heavy coat she wore was barely enough to keep the chill wind at bay. Spike and Twilight seemed more adjusted to it. Then again, Twilight's horn had a subtle glow probably due to a warmth spell and Spike was, after all, a dragon. The team of six pegasi Royal Guards kept on in rhythm as they neared the castle. Applejack, chilled and not accustomed to flight, watched as they approached the high buildings and mountain of Canterlot with forced fascination. Her visioned stayed forward while she pictured herself already within the warm confines of the castle.

As the chariot landed within the castle's courtyard, a brass fanfare erupted from the battlements high on the castle. Celestia and Luna were waiting in full regalia atop the stairs leading into the castle proper. The whole thing struck Applejack as odd, but she could blame Luna later. Applejack, Twilight and Spike stepped off the chariot as the fanfare echoed again. The farmer was stiff from the cold, so her movements were stilted.

"Follow my lead," Twilight whispered to Applejack before cantering to the front of the stairs. Applejack and Spike followed suit to either side of Celestia's student. The trio approached the bottom of the stairs where Twilight broke into a deep bow, as did Spike and an achy Applejack.

"Announcing Lady Twilight Sparkle and Lady Applejack, Advisors to the Her Majesties, Fourfold Heroes of Equestria, Bearers of the Elements of Magic and Honesty," announced a unicorn, his voice amplified via magic. As he rattled off a few other appellations, Applejack and Twilight looked to each other. Spike got his run as well, puffing his chest out at "Twice Hero of Equestria" in particular. As the list of titles and accomplishments concluded, Celestia and Luna trotted off the stairs while the trio rose. Twilight seemed a little lost, which made Applejack more than confused. The situation wasn't helped by the fact her hoofs were numb.

"My faithful student," Celestia leaned a bit and nuzzled Twilight, "It's so good to see you."

"Oh Princess Celestia," Twilight leaned into Celestia's nuzzle with a smile that reached the edges of her face, "I've missed you so much!"

"Fair Applejack, I've missed you so," Luna put a forehoof around her friend.

"Ah've missed you to Luna," Applejack was a bit overwhelmed and confused, but decided to play along. She leaned into the Luna Regent, wrapping a nearly desensitized forehoof of her own around Luna's neck. She whispered quietly, "What's that rabbit in your head got into now?"

Luna chuckled as the royal sisters withdrew almost on cue. Celestia and Luna stood in their usual stoic fashion. The farmer looked towards Luna while Twilight was lost in the moment.

"Now that formalities are done," Celestia offered, "I do believe it is time for some lunch."

The guards bowed and parted the way for the royal sisters and the three Ponyville residents. Twilight and Spike quickly caught up with Celestia while Luna fell back with Applejack. The Lunar Regent's smile took her ears.

"Now will ya tell me what this is all about?" Applejack asked.

"In due time, fair Applejack," Luna practically beamed, "It should suffice to say that there is a reason for such pomp."

"Ya mean there's a method to your madness?" Applejack quipped, "Now that's a first."

Luna's cackle echoed through the halls.

~(o)~

The four were still catching up after dining. As such, they moved to a study with some comfortable chairs and warm fire courtesy of Luna's magic. Spike busied himself with a huge plate of sapphires while the four ponies conversation switched to matters at hand.

"So let me get this straight," Applejack said. The fire helped restore some sensation to her extremities while the spirits helped to address the inevitable ache, "You, Twi and Spike are gonna head north to watch over this vote while Ah get the hang around with Luna for a week?"

"Well, basically yes," Celestia explained, sipping on some wine. She paused for a moment, lamenting its flavor before continuing, "I need Twilight and Spike north with me for the plebiscite."

"And I've need of an expert in matters of agriculture," Luna finished, "Normally Celestia handles these meetings, but as you can see, she will be indisposed."

"Ah can see that," Applejack remarked, "But what was with all that fanfare?"

Luna chuckled, "Well, it was more for Twilight and Spike's benefit. Not many could mistake you for a 'Lady', fair Applejack."

"Ah hate you," Applejack shook her head.

Celestia, Twilight and Spike took turns looking at each other. The baby dragon was working towards a gem-induced coma while all three were watching the exchange between the Lunar Regent and the farmer. Twilight gave Celestia a look as she asked, "Are you sure its okay to leave them alone for a week?"

The Solar Regent put a hoof to her chin in thought and shrugged as if it hardly mattered, "Assuming they don't kill each other, anything that happens should be covered by insurance."

Twilight let it go as she sipped her wine. Being with such proximity to her teacher gave her a sense of wholeness that she preferred to bask in anyway.

5. Up In The Night

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Chapter Five
Up In The Night

The inherent mystery of the eventide is, dare I say,
greater then that of the day. Though the Lunar Princess controls
the moon and all the stars in the night's sky, she is as
much a slave to their whims as we are to our own wiles.
As such, I would even go so far to say that the dominion
of the moon is proof enough against the concept
of predestination.
~ Excerpt from Atmos' "The Beauty of Shadows"

After bidding farewell to Celestia, Twilight and Spike; Luna and Applejack were winding through the vast expanses of Canterlot Castle. Luna decided to move through some of the lesser used corridors towards the throne room. She scheduled the meetings early in deference to Applejack, who usually was anything but a night owl. Given that any high level government meetings were likely foreign to the farmer, Luna felt it wise to get the preliminaries out of the way and give Applejack a taste of things to come. Though few ponies traveled those expanses of marble, guards were still posted at various points and the halls always shined under the great care of the cleaning staff.

"Fair Applejack, I apologize for imposing such things upon you," Luna said with a genuine look on her face. She figured her friend had little use of for concepts like "Title" and "Station".

"Don't worry none," Applejack shrugged slightly, "Ah'm guessing it's more ceremonial than anything else."

"If only. The title of 'Lady' is real and shall be carried by you whenever you travel the halls of the castle, within Canterlot or throughout Equestria."

"Ah ain't goin' to be kissin' up to ponies that Ah'd rather buck in the teeth, am Ah?" the farmer felt her fur bristle a bit even as she spoke. To the always practical farmer, she never wanted a part of higher society, let alone a title that carried wait. To her thinking, such things didn't matter.

"Hardly," Luna looked directly into Applejack's eyes as she put a hoof to her friend's muscled shoulder, "It means is that whenever you walk these halls, you shall be treated with the respect you are due. It also means that you are guaranteed the protection of Celestia and myself anywhere in Equestria. The title was necessary to give your voice weight, should such needs arise."

"But besides that," Luna continued, "there is no obligation beyond that of simply being a friend. These things have been discussed at great length between Celestia and me. We wanted to bestow them upon you and other Elements after the incident with...my madness. The deeds you've done, fair Applejack, were no small feats. We...I simply wished to express that gratitude, my friend."

Applejack closed her eyes and nodded. She could accept that. Eventually, the farmer resumed her normal smile. The two continued their walk with Applejack leaning into the Lunar Regent for a moment. Luna's heart grew warm at the touch.

"So what do ya need from me then?" Applejack asked.

"Simply put, keep me from making a fool of myself."

"May as well ask a duck not to swim."

"Or a farmer to drop her accent."

"Ah can find where you sleep," Applejack threatened.

"And I know when you dream," Luna shot back while both ponies wore an easy smile.

The duo made their way through the halls to the throne room. Luna went over a few things for Applejack to expect. More or less, she was simply to clarify things and give her input into the meetings as she saw fit. To Applejack, it seemed straight forward enough.

The two ponies turned the last corner towards the decorated double doors that marked the entrance of the throne room. Silverhawk and Storm Wind were on either side of the doors. The leader of the Lunar Guard approached while Applejack whispered something into Luna's ear. The Lunar Regent gave the farmer an inquisitive look to which the farmer only nodded encouragingly. Silverhawk stopped a few paces in front of the Lunar Regent and broke into a quick bow.

"Your Highness, Lady Applejack," Silverhawk addressed in his usual tone, "The representatives from the Ministry are assembled inside. All those expected have been accounted for."

"Very good," Luna said while seemingly contemplating something, "Resume your post."

Silverhawk, Head of the Lunar Guard, snapped his hooves together with practiced perfection. Silverhawk had spent years drilling while under the watchful gaze of Captain Shining Armor and was as dedicated as any pony in the service. When Luna returned from her exile and put out a call for volunteers for her resurrected Lunar Guard, Silverhawk was the first to volunteer and took his oath to serve Equestria and Luna seriously. In his mind, those were the only things that mattered.

"Oh, and one more thing," Luna called after Silverhawk as the Lieutenant began to move back to his original position.

"Yes, Your Highness?" the guard answered quickly while he turned around, resuming his normal rigid stance

"Silverhawk, you've been the head of my beloved Lunar Guard for how long now?" Luna spoke in a bit of a husky tone. A half smile creased her face as she shifted her weight to her right.

"Three years, Your Highness," he puffed out his barrel a bit in pride.

"And if I were to ask you do something that, let's say, ran counter to everything you were trained to do," Luna moved very casually around him. She traced the tip of her wing along his armor, flicking it with a tinging sound once she reached the end. Luna circled around, looking him over as if she were appraising a piece of art, "Would you do it?"

"If it pleases Your Highness, of course," the guard stammered in slight confusion, though his expression never broke. Storm Wind, his usual duty partner, fought hard to keep the smile from his face.

Luna stopped in front of him, her eyes pointedly looking into his. Her lips were barely an inch from his while her breath was hot on his face. Silverhawk valiantly fought to keep the images of the logical course of events far in the back of his mind. He allowed himself a few fantasies about this sort of encounter, as any stallion would. But now that he was faced with it, he was unsure how to proceed. Luna looked longingly into his eyes.

"Smile once in a while, would you?"

To his credit, Silverhawk's confused expression only broke through his composure for a few seconds. It was enough to be noticeable to anypony with vision had they been there.

"Gotcha," Luna smirked. Applejack and Storm Wind worked hard to stifle their chuckles.

Silverhawk stepped back and bowed, as much to give him space to fully resume his composure as for any other reason. After rising, "If there is nothing else, Your Highness?"

"Of course. My apologies for any...misunderstanding," Luna returned to her normal, slightly amused look, "Resume your post."

As the flustered guard returned to his position, Applejack and Luna remained behind for a moment.

"Now why did I do that?" Luna asked.

"To settle a bet," Applejack remarked, "Dash owes me twenty bits."

"Oh."

Both ponies resumed their trot towards the double doors as the guards opened it before them. In place of the normal open space of the hall, there was a long table set up with all sorts of fineries while some important looking ponies milled about. One even wore a crown. Applejack took a deep breath, attempting to quell her nervousness.

"Announcing Her Royal Highness, Princess Luna and Lady Applejack, Advisor to Her Royal Highness," one of the ponies spoke while sporting a silly looking white, curly wig. Applejack wondered if he were some relation to Hoity Toity. The collected ponies bowed to Luna and Applejack.

Luna gave a deep nod. Applejack stood looking out at the collective affair before feeling a telekinetic yank on her tail. She quickly moved into a nod of her own. She glanced over to Luna, who wore a polite, formal look while the glow of her horn died away. Silverhawk and Storm Wind closed the doors slowly once the two were inside. Storm Wind quickly put a hoof to his mouth, futilely trying to suppress his laughter.

"Shut up," Silverhawk growled to his partner. He quickly took a whistle from under his armor and blew a quick cadence into it. Though it made no sound, a silver glow pulsated with the exhaling of Silverhawk's breath. After he finished, he maneuvered the whistle back under his chest plate. A minute later, an eager and recent recruit to the Lunar Guard by the name of Zealous approached. He paused in front of Silverhawk, snapping an crisp salute to his superior.

"Private," Silverhawk spoke in all the manner of a grizzled veteran, "Stand post until relieved. I shall return shortly."

Zealous dropped his salute and stepped aside as Silverhawk moved on his way. Zealous quickly assumed his superior's post with all the mannerisms befitting his name. Once Silverhawk turned the distant corner, Zealous looked towards Storm Wind, who merely grinned. No reason to inform the ranks of their leader's need to get acquainted with his bunk.

~(o)~

The meeting proceeded about as Applejack would have expected.

Despite promises of brevity from Luna, Applejack found the ponies droning on about taxes, revenue and subsidies. The farmer was unsurprisingly bored by it. Luna was more at home in this part of it as numbers were ever her forte. Calculations that took most ponies a few hours with calculators, Luna took minutes with her abacus. As the beads clacked and ideas of revenue flew over the meeting, Applejack tried her best to stay awake.

It wasn't entirely a losing effort thanks to the amounts of a smooth, hot drink she was given at Luna's behest. Where she was used to the acrid taste of the coffee Sweet Apple Acres usually brewed, this drink from the castle kitchen was more mellow and had a hint of vanilla. Into the second cup, felt her attention span returning. Applejack could feel her heart pumping mightily and the gears in her mind spinning quickly after the third. Luna urged her to nurse it, but Applejack was fighting against tedium and such battles demanded overwhelming force.

"Does the drink suit you?" Luna asked as the meeting broke for the evening. Luna counted about four cups by that time.

"Oh yeah. Ah thought I'd be a sleep right now, but Ah feel like Ah could buck an orchard's worth of trees and have enough energy left over to raise a barn. What do y'all put into this anyway cause Ah can't get my mind to settle down and think in a straight line. Not that it matters anyway cause of all the numbers y'all were doing. Oh hay, why's my muscle twitchin' like that?" Applejack spoke in rapid succession, "Hey, can Ah get another cup of that? It's mighty good stuff! What's it called anyway cause Ah think I might like it every day, ya know?"

Luna was counting away the seconds in her mind before the farmer actually breathed. Finally, Applejack paused for a breathe as Luna got to the count of 45, "It's called a 'Quad Shot'. It only takes one to 'wake up', as it were."

"Ah can see sounds," Applejack remarked as she continued streaming at the mouth. Luna simply sat bemused.

~(o)~

A few hours and many pints of water later, Applejack managed to calm enough to regain coherency. Luna understood the earth pony's fabled resiliency better then most, but even she marveled at Applejack's constitution. She made a personal note to test it later as they two walked through the private gardens the royal sister's maintained. Despite the layers of snow, the place held a floral aroma that reminded Applejack of late spring.

"Ah take back what Ah said earlier," the farmer remarked as the two walked towards the center of the gardens. She had a bit of a headache, but it was easing.

"About the rabbit in my head?" Luna queried as she looked towards the farmer.

"Nope. About wantin' that drink everyday."

"I did warn you," Luna said dismissively while shrugging a bit.

"Ah know, but it's still your fault."

"How so?"

"Ah'm pretty certain it says that in a contract somewhere."

"Perhaps I could give you access to the Royal Archives," Luna spoke as they rounded a bend. The chill breeze nipped at the their cheeks, though that seemed the last thing on their minds, "Maybe you might find the contract I made with Discord that says it's my fault that a certain mare's sister helped trigger his release?"

"Darn it," Applejack shook her head gingerly, "Ah apologized for that already. How many more times do Ah have to say Ah'm sorry?"

"As many times as I can get away with," Luna smirked as they continued their jaunt. Their hooffalls fell quiet against the snow while a few guards stood as impassive as the statues that dotted the hedged maze.

The sun was setting and Luna could feel the moon pulling at her as subtly as it did the oceans. Few ponies could ever understand the intimacy of that connection. Nature was ever an eternal thing, even more so than Luna and Celestia. While most simply respected and lived with it, the royal sisters revered it. Life was always different as when one lived as an aspect of something so eternal.

As they approached the center of the gardens, a fountain that was halfway completed marked the very center point of the gardens. Statues of other ponies, each with a purple gem at the base, rimmed the outside of the circular area. A tall, continual bush ran the circumference, save for the entrance. A gazebo and small stream marked the area while the sun hung lazily in the western sky. Luna could feel her sister's grasp on the solar body.

Applejack adjusted her Stetson as she looked around, "A monument to your vanity?"

"A private retreat," Luna corrected.

Applejack smiled softly as Luna felt herself warm again. The Lunar Regent contemplated it for a moment as she simply bathed in the glow she felt in the center of her chest. The moon's pull became more incessant though, stealing her attention away.

"Tis time for me to raise the moon," the Lunar Regent remarked.

"Ah won't stop ya."

"Not that you could."

"Ah don't know," Applejack quipped as she turned a sly eye to her companion, "Ah bet your as ticklish as a foal."

"Do be quiet!" Luna stomped a hoof as she hissed, "If such things were to ever get out, it would mean the end of all things."

"Yup. The griffon's would storm the gates cause our beloved Princesses could be felled with feathers."

"You know stranger things have happened," Luna remarked.

Applejack chuckled as she parked herself near the half-completed fountain. The farmer remarked quietly as she turned to Luna, "Sometimes Ah wonder what it's like."

"Being the butt of your jokes?"

"Besides that. Ah mean bein' able to raise the moon and all."

"Tis something," Luna moved next to the farmer, "Such things are difficult to describe in words."

"Ah can only imagine," Applejack was still smiling despite herself, "Ah've been on the receivin' end of a few of Twi's spells. Gotta imagine its something like that," the farmer finished. Something clicked in Luna's mind while Applejack spoke. After a moment passed, the Lunar Regent turned to the farmer with a mischievous look.

"Fair Applejack, do you trust me?" Luna asked in due seriousness as her horn began its silver glow, bathing the area in an ethereal light.

Applejack was about to respond flippantly, but she saw the Lunar Regent was putting effort into something, "Of course, sugarcube."

Luna smiled as she worked through a few spells. Like her horn, her eyes took on a silver glow, both growing in intensity. Applejack could feel her body growing warm, as if she were being swaddled by a warm blanket. Something began tugging at her consciousness, as if bidding her to slumber. In the pits of her stomach, she felt something building to a release.

"Luna, what are ya doing?" Applejack asked, hoping she didn't misplace her trust. Her body began to levitate a bit as it became encompassed in a silver aura.

"Relax, my friend. I've done this before," Luna said. She smiled sweetly while working her magic towards release. The Lunar Regent pointed her horn up as this before as the aura still grew in intensity, sparks slowly dancing off her horn. Luna's eyes closed as she willed her magic to release. Of course, the chance to torment Applejack was to good to pass up. She said in a triumphant fashion, "It almost worked then and I'm sure it will work now"

"Wait, what are you doing!" Applejack asked as her vision slipped into a blackness akin to sleep. Her voice trailed away into a tremendous yawn, "Luna..."

Interlude Two: Revelator Of The Night

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Interlude Two
Revelator Of The Night

The blackness shattered. It took her a moment to focus past the initial blur, but the first thing Applejack noticed was the surreal and intense colors saturating of her vision. She tried to blink a few times but found no response forthcoming from her eyelids. She took a second to ponder the meaning of that before realizing then she was looking down at her body as if she were a mere spectator.

The farmer saw Luna's horn glowing with those little sparks drifting lazily downward in defiance of gravity. Her own body was suspended in a silver aura, her barrel expanding and contracting in a slow, rhythmic fashion. Applejack wanted to look around, but found no mechanism she understood to change the view. Where she expected the muscles of her neck to respond to the commands firing from her brain, there was simply no physical response. The farmer realized she was floating without any corporeal sensation.

She vaguely knew dreams had this quality, but it was something different as well. Where the colors were as vivid as any picture, the forms and shapes about her scope of vision had a bit of a blurry quality. She watched as the Lunar Regent looked up with that casual, amused smile and eyes still aglow in silver. Applejack wanted nothing more than to move in any direction at the moment. She willed herself forward in order to change the disconcerting perspective, but she wasn't budging. She felt more like a focal point of somepony's vision than anything resembling her normal point of view. Applejack could at least think, so she set her mind to take stock of the situation. Perhaps she could find some sort way out of it. Unless she were a ghost? What had that crazy mare done now?

"You've wondered, so you shall see," Applejack heard Luna's voice echo in her mind.

Applejack wanted to say or yell something to the Lunar Regent, but she realized things required vocal cords. She briefly wondered if the Lunar Regent had lost her mind while Luna's horn glowed more intensely as those sparks fell with a bit of an increased speed.

Suddenly, Applejack's vision began to spin as if she were in the midst of a silver and black vortex. The farmer wanted to call out in panic and tried, hoping somepony would hear her. Though no sounds were forthcoming, her instinct was in full control during the moments of terror. She still had a sense of wholeness, if such things meant anything anymore.

But as quickly as the tornado began, she found herself within some physical form. She knew intrinsically that it wasn't her body though. She felt heavier and stronger. There was sensations beyond her experience, as she felt muscles connecting about her shoulders she wasn't aware of before and currents of energy that was foreign. She finally managed a glance down and seeing a hoof outlined in dark cyan fur. A wisp of a blue with twinkles of white moved over her field of vision. The panic and confusion remained as Applejack was still trying to piece everything together. Before she could completely fight through the confusion, she began to feel something tug at the top of her head and at the very edges of her conscious. There was mental suggestions, physical coercion and tugs at that odd energy she felt.

"Open yourself to it, fair Applejack," she heard Luna's voice again. Or was it her voice now? The farm mare wasn't sure.

Applejack's faculties were racing to process what she was experiencing. Even through that, she somehow caught on to Luna's meaning. She fell within herself then, focusing almost exclusively on the feeling in her crown. Gradually, as a flower blooming, she felt the tingling pull spread across the top of her head. The edge of her vision took on a silvery glow as she felt something tugging, subtle but demanding. From somewhere in that focus, streams of energy grew outward from the crown of her head. She looked up, seeing several translucent silver lines etch themselves skyward from that single point atop her head. She didn't know what they were called, but she knew their purpose as they moved towards the space beyond the sky.

"Follow them," Luna instructed coolly.

Applejack wasn't too sure how to comply with Luna's request on a thinking level. On simple instinct though, she willed herself along those lines as if she were walking a path in a forest. Where she had no motion only moments ago, there finally was compliance with her will. Her vision seemingly split as her mind's eye kicked into full gear. She lost focus on the space in front of her, while her need to journey up the lines grabbed at her. She felt a physical sensation of separation as her body sought to keep hold of her...spirit? Applejack tried to push herself up and out, but for all her effort, the body would not let her go. Applejack felt herself approaching emotional exhaustion. There was sadness in it and it was crushing.

"Will yourself," Luna whispered urgently, "All your spirit, all your will, all your desire. Everything you've got. Use it now!"

Applejack fought through those emotions and poured everything into the effort, wanting to seek the destination of those lines. She strained against the grasping holds on her spirit. The farmer pushed hard for many moments. Finally, she felt her mind's eye rending the bonds of her physical coil. She gave one last gigantic effort and finally broke free.

"Nicely done," Luna spoke. Applejack could have swore she heard the Lunar Regent's coy smile.

Her vision had no tangible quality to it as she simply followed the lines skyward towards some destination. As startling as the break was, the journey became more intense as she left the ground. She saw everything, from the ground receding to the sky coming closer. She could see the full breadth of the horizon all around her as she continued. Applejack bathed herself in the experience. It seemed so foreign but so natural at once, as if she were bucking trees on farm in Prance. It wasn't her world, but the motions were second nature.

"There are worse special talents," Applejack heard Luna remark.

Gradually, she passed through the clouds to the very edges of space. She wondered for a second if she would suffocate, but she somehow knew that didn't need breath. Though she had no such concept of acceleration as there was nothing tangible to measure it against, saw the moon itself approaching, growing greater in size as the seconds passed. Where she remembered various shades, shapes and shadows on its surface though, she found it to be a spinning globe of pure silver energy. There was no measure of hot or cold or texture, it was simple there as if a pure sphere of silvery light. Applejack paused for a second. Suddenly, the farmer felt apprehension as she paused to consider her experience.

"Touch it, fair Applejack," Luna cooed, "It will not harm you."

Applejack tried to reach out and touch it, but she had no limbs. She paused again and thought. Could she push herself into the silvery globe? Applejack attempted to steel herself, but she began to wonder if she finally slipped the bonds of sanity.

"Don't think," Luna urged her, "Just do it."

Applejack finally steeled herself fully against that sense of apprehension. She moved along the last distance of the tendrils of silver before coming into point blank proximity with the whirling globe. Applejack knew she still felt some caution, but she tried to set it aside. She continued the push forward until there was contact, as she understood it. Initially, there was some resistance against her...melding? It quickly gave way as she continued. As she pushed through the perimeter, there was again darkness and a moist warmth to her sensations. There was also a protective feeling that welled about her, akin to a mother protecting her foal. Oddly, she began to think of her own mother then. Though she had long since passed, those memories were unwillingly brought to the forefront of her mind. Dozens of images began to flood her thoughts, each with their own variety of emotions. Applejack thought her faculties would overload. Though such things weren't easy against the flood of happiness, anger, sadness, guilt and everything in between, she managed to push through it. Eventually, she found peace within the womb-like hold of the celestial body.

"Couldn't have done better myself," Luna smiled, "Now ask if it's ready to travel."

Applejack wanted to talk, but again realized again that no vocal cords were present to vocalize her wishes. Instead, she put her thoughts out there, asking the bundle of celestial energy to move. At first, the energy wouldn't respond. It simply welcomed her and wrapped her within its folds, seemingly content to do so forever The farmer thought she could lose herself within the confines of that space, so welcoming was that embrace. So comforting...

"You have to be firm," Luna seemingly chuckled, "It often does require prodding."

Applejack snapped her focus back to the task. She tried again to will the sphere to move, but didn't feel any response. She put in her mind an image of the moon, as she once knew it, moving across the sky. Still nothing. She brought forth concepts of travel and balance. There was simple inertia in reply. She put her desire out there again, almost pleading for it to move. Still, the ball of energy seemed still. Applejack felt her frustration building. As much as she was enjoying the experience, she felt as if she were being mocked. Gradually, the anger within her built to a near explosion as she envisioned one command:MOVE!

After a moment, she felt the expanse of energy accede to her will and begin its trek. Somehow and in so many ways, that pleased the farm mare.

"Well done, my friend," Luna's voice seemed soft and joyful, "Tis time to come home."

Quickly, Applejack's perspective shifted from out of the silver sphere and back along those silvery lines. There was no violence in it; just a simple adjustment. For some reason, she was saddened by it. It was like an old friend that had to depart or whenever she thought about the last days of her mother. That feeling tore a great emotional hole in the heart of the farm mare and left as profound an ache as anything she knew. If the farmer could shed tears at the moment, she would have.

"Do not worry, fair Applejack. You shall see her again," Luna spoke softly, "Besides, I think it likes you."

The farm mare wanted to take solace in the words. But in being taken from the dark comfort of that womb, she was fighting through a renewed mixture of pure emotion. Joy, sadness, and fear each competed within her while she descended back towards the earth. Finally, a feeling of the purest exhaustion overwhelmed her as the silver sphere seemed to become what her memory recalled. The familiar shapes and shades of her moon returned. She knew the ground, the sky and her logical thought processes. She felt the cold hard ground against her hooves and heard the silent babble of the stream. Her vision slowly came into a dazed focus as the blurry quality of sleeping eyes clouded her vision. She felt the warmness of feathers against her form and relished in it like a warm quilt. The silvery glow about the circular center of the garden died away.

"Now you understand," were the last words her memory held as she succumbed to sleep again.

6. Mistakes Of The Night

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Chapter Six
Mistakes Of The Night

Accidents when executing a spell are going to happen.
Fear not! It should not dissuade you from exploring
the realm of the arcane arts, but it should serve as
a simple, but pointed reminder of the three sides
of the Mage's Pyramid: To Know. To Will. To Dare.
Remember always to take into account what you can
and learn from what you did not."
~Excerpt from "The Chronicles of Starswirl the Bearded"

After maneuvering her way through a window, Luna released her gaseous form in the guest bedroom set aside for Applejack. Though it wasn't really late, Luna was certain the farmer would sleep easily through the remainder of the night. It wasn't so much intuition or the energetically draining nature of the magic she had worked. It was the farmer's growl-like snoring.

"Like a starving bear in a buffet," Luna murmured as she towed the farmer in her magical grasp. She gingerly set about getting Applejack into bed. After setting her friend's trademark Stetson on the bed post, she was satisfied with the effort.

"Sweet dreams, my friend," Luna whispered with a smile.

The Lunar Regent quietly slipped out the door. Moving towards her quarters, she had time to ponder the powerful weariness of her own body. Soul Transference was a difficult spell to manage correctly. Though Luna was accomplished as anypony in magical matters, the spell work she did was intricate. Between giving Applejack enough control to ensure she was the one encouraging the moon on its flight, feeding the farmer enough of her own magic to make it happen, and keeping her own spirit from attempting to exert control, it was enough to test even Celestia's vaunted multitasking skills.

She moved slowly down the marble halls, her hooffalls echoing against the solitude of it. The castle was winding down from the bustle of the day, which would leave the Lunar Regent with time to herself. Which meant simply one thing: sleep. Her reserves, both physical and magical, were nearly tapped. Thankfully, her private abode wasn't far from Applejack's room. The Lunar Guards bowed, to which Luna pleasantly, if lazily smiled when she approached.

The only thing she wanted at the moment was a deep sleep. That thought struck the alicorn as odd, but in her exhaustion, she simply did not care enough to contemplate the meaning. After the doors closed, Luna slipped off her regalia and moved towards her bed. Slipping under the covers, she allowed herself a few thoughts as she shut her eyes.

She had done the spell a few times before, though she never allowed anypony to get so close to the moon while in her guise. The Lunar Regent considered it her private domain, the one sacred place she could retreat to whenever she wanted. Even when she were banished to it, the womb-like nature of it helped keep her sanity against the raging Nightmare she'd become.

That thought stuck with her as she rolled to her side. Why had she let Applejack touch it, become part of it? Was she trying to impress her? Was the farm pony's understanding so important in the end? Sure, she was a friend, but Luna risked much in letting Applejack into herself, indeed channeling and directing the magical bond she had. Luna wondered if, perhaps, such a thing were more intimate then making love? And why did she have a sudden hunger for apples at the moment?

Luna finally drifted off, her sleep comfortable and filled with the drifting thoughts of whatever immortal alicorns dreamed of.

~(o)~

Applejack felt a pull that jolted her from sleep. Her eyelids lazily worked themselves open despite the sudden start. It was still dark, but something was telling her to get out of bed; something she wasn't used to. This wasn't her internal clock honed from years of working the farm. It was different, like a message at the limits of her thoughts. Dismissing it as tricks of her mind, she tried to go back to sleep. Her memories, though, had other plans. She recalled the previous evening vividly. The sensations, the emotions, the surreal images, all of it danced about her imagination.

For some reason, she felt hollow as if she spent the night in the midst of crying. She tried to place whether those tears were happiness or sadness, but she couldn't quite sort it out. Promising to blame Luna later, the farmer shoved those thoughts aside and tried to get back to sleep. But then she felt the yanking once. Something was incessantly demanding her attention and, like a full bladder, it would not wait.

Seeing the futility of her goal, the farmer rose and put her trademark Stetson atop her head. She couldn't begin to explain the sensations as she moved out of her door. Whatever it was, it seemingly communicated an eager joy at her rising A guard greeted her as she moved out into the hallway as she snapped her attention back.

"Where's Luna?" Applejack asked.

"In her abode, Lady Applejack," Zealous replied, "She retired to it some time ago."

"Which way?" the farmer queried. Zealous pointed the way down one dark hall. Applejack nodded in thanks, but stopped for a second, "Hey, is the kitchen open?"

"All hours, Lady Applejack," Zealous confirmed, "Do you require something?"

"If it weren't too much trouble, could ya get me one of those Quad Shots?"

"Of course, Lady Applejack" Zealous smiled and snapped a hoof in attention. Applejack nodded in thanks before trotting down the hall. The pulling grew more incessant, as well as a gnawing feeling that something was wrong. She arrived at the double doors, where the two Lunar Guards stood stoically. They quickly snapped their wings out, barring her entrance.

"Y'all better move," the farmer growled.

"Is something wrong, Lady Applejack? Perhaps we can help," one of the guards spoke. Though he was nondescript as Lunar Guards went, he was in charge until the Royal Guards relieved his post.

"Doubtful that," Applejack was a few seconds away from bursting through them, "Ah need to pass. Now."

The Lunar Guard wasn't accustomed to making command decisions. Silverhawk usually made such calls, but given his boss was indisposed and the apparent closeness of the farmer to his Princess, he nodded and quickly snapped his wing back. A second later, the other wing was pulled away before Applejack quickly pushed through the door.

"Luna!" Applejack was nearing panic. The pull was bordering on full instrusion and she needed answers. She turned a lamp on and found the Lunar Regent contentedly snoring, her upper half wrapped thick in blankets. Applejack moved to give the Lunar Regent a push, "Luna! Wake up! Luna?"

There was no response from Luna other then a roll onto her back and a stuttered snort. Applejack tried again, but received even less of reaction then before. As the pulling continued to grow, Applejack looked for options. On the night stand was a glass of water. Seeing a lack of choices, Applejack seized the glass with her mouth and moved to dump the liquid onto the Lunar Regent's head. She paused for a second though after seeing Luna's exposed flanks. The farmer was one to always take the path of least resistance, so Applejack craned her head farther down Luna's body. After a quick tilt of the farmer's head, the water unceremoniously surrendered to gravity and crashed between Luna's vulnerable legs.

Luna's eyes shot open in shock as she blurted, "What! Hay! Cold! Applejack!?"

In perfect calm, Applejack set the empty glass back onto the night stand. She cleared her throat before speaking, "Four things, sugarcube: Watch how much you drink before going to bed. What is this naggin' feeling that Ah can't get rid of? What in the hay did you do me last night? And don't do it again."

Luna's sleep addled mind struggled to string together the farmers words. She put her hoofs to her eyes, rubbing them for a few seconds. She blinked a few times, innately realizing something was amiss. Luna hurriedly looked for the time. She finally spied the large grandfather clock across the room from her bed. It took a few seconds, but Luna finally realized what time it was. She blinked a few more times as if in disbelief.

"Buck," Luna stated in a calm tone.

"What? What is it?"

"Applejack, this...nagging you're feeling," Luna spoke as she struggled against grogginess and dread, "Is it a tugging at the edges of your mind, like something that's demanding attention and won't relent?"

"Yup," Applejack answered.

Even in the daze of the early morning, she felt something building in the pits of her stomach. Luna shut her eyes, as if she were searching her mind for something. She fell deep within herself, but felt an emptiness there she hadn't known in a long while; not since she first assumed her lunar duties. Applejack watched Luna for a few minutes as the tugging bordered on an impatient scream.

Luna opened her eyes and moved rose out of bed, soggy bottom and all. She galloped towards the balcony where the chill air seemed to break the last vestiges of sleep. Luna's horn sparked to life and she began looking with her mind's eye. The silver ley lines were still there. At least she still had that.

The Lunar Regent fell deeper within herself, racing quickly along those celestial pathways. She worked towards coaxing the moon while Applejack approached Luna, trepidation building in every step. Something was informing the farmer on a level she didn't understand of what was transpiring. Gradually, the moon began its decent as the sun began its ascent. Luna breathed out a tremendous sigh as she looked towards Applejack. Her expression was caught between relief and shock. Though most ponies would not know something was amiss, Luna was beside herself. If nothing else in her life, she was never late in moving the moon.

"What did you do?" Applejack had to ask.

"I know not," Luna shook her head, "Though I hope it won't require chiding from my sister and a dramatic revelation that I don't want to hear."

"Lovely," Applejack muttered. A knock on the door stole the duo's attention a moment later.

"Enter," Luna called out as she lead the way back into her room.

The door pushed open a bit as Zealous entered cautiously. A unicorn butler was in tow as he spoke up, "Your Highness, Lady Applejack. Pardon any interruption, but Lady Applejack, your Quad Shot is ready."

The butler used his magic to set the hot drink down. Fetch, as he was called, bowed deeply before turning to depart.

"Thank you," Luna called after him, "Would be so kind as to get me one to and send for Quill. Also please instruct Silverhawk and Storm Wind to see me at their convenience. It is going to be a long day."

Just then, a flash of green fire erupted in front of Luna. The scroll hung menacingly in the air, daring Luna to open it.

"A very long day," Luna remarked dryly.

~(o)~

Dear Sister,

Worry not. All is well in Canterlot. In answer to your questions, it was not recreational drug use nor was it the imbibing of spirits of an "epic" quantity, as you termed it, that caused the delay of the moon's setting. I was kept this morning in preparation for the day's meeting and lost track of time. Strange as it may sound, I find myself enjoying the meetings....

"She won't buy that," Applejack interjected immediately.

"Celestia was once the Element of Honesty," Luna quipped, "Once."

"And she's still your sister. If Apple Bloom tried to sell me that load of crap you were just shovelin', Ah sure as hay wouldn't be buying it. So what makes you think she will?"

"Perhaps you are right," Luna spoke after a moment. She took up another scroll and quickly caught up with her thoughts.

Strange as it may sound, the meetings are proving a bit more difficult then I first envisaged. Applejack has been of tremendous help in preparing and guiding me through these matters.

With Love,

Luna

"Better?" Luna ask, turning an eye to the farmer.

"Much," Applejack replied.

Luna quickly flared her horn to life and whisked the letter away to her waiting sister with a flash of green flame. Both ponies regained much of their composure thanks to the highly caffeinated Quad Shots and the warm fire Luna had conjured up in the fireplace. Applejack nursed her drink at a much more diminished pace than her previous experience. Though the nagging subsided a great deal, she was still confused. It was still there at the edges of her mind, but became more a soothing stroke rather then an urgent itch that needed to be scratched

"Fair Applejack," Luna spoke after a few minutes, "I...apologize for this. I had not anticipated any consequences for my actions last night."

"S'alright," the farmer shrugged, "Ah'm sure you'll make it right."

"I'm not so sure I'd be so forgiving in your place."

"Oh, Ah ain't forgiven you yet," Applejack spoke in an even tone before taking a small sip of her drink.

"You won't let me live this down, will you."

"Not a chance, sugarcube."

"How long dare I ask?" Luna asked after an audible gulp of her drink.

"Years."

"Might I perhaps lessen the time in some fashion?"

"Ah might think of a few ways as long as the rabbit in your head agrees to it," Applejack finished with a bit of a smile. For some reason, that was important to Luna as her heart warmed.

~(o)~

Applejack learned through her years to take the things life threw at you and work around it. She got through the early passing of her parents, managing a busy farm at an early age, becoming an Element of Harmony, and battling those things that could rightfully be called deities. As such, though she still felt bits of anger, she learned to temper it. Patience was a virtue she learned a long time ago.

So when Luna speculated about her connection to the moon, she wasn't overly surprised beyond the audacity of the statement. Then again, given the last few years of her life, this would simply be something she would overcome or adapt to. Applejack watched as Luna busily worked a quill over some papers while flipping through a volumes of magical tomes and levitating a half eaten apple in her magical grasp. It reminded her of when Twilight went on one of her weekend benders.

Luna had a pile of books she referenced stacked high on the edge of the table and many pieces of parchment were stacked in front of her. Though she'd only been at it for a shade over an hour, she managed to churn out enough notes for a research journal. After a few more minutes, she closed the books and set the items down.

"Well, what's the verdict," Applejack asked.

"Well, as near as I can tell, the spell worked as intended," Luna spoke with a sheepish look.

"Ya got to do better then that," the farmer said as she moved to a bucking position near the pile of books, angling her aim for Luna's head.

Luna cleared her throat, "I suspect when you became part of the moon in your Astral state, it may have left a residual echo in your magical frequencies. When the merging of those harmonics happened, it reverberated back along the ley lines and caused a slight distortion in our individual frequencies. This caused a rift and a merger happened in those energies. It's often been speculated, though never proven, that what happens in the Astral realm can manifest in the physical world. Assuming the theory is accurate, this would be our resultant state of being."

"Pretend Ah ain't Twilight," Applejack said before closing one eye, taking careful aim along her muscled body.

"The long story short is that when you merged yourself within the moon, it caused each of us to take a portion of the other's being," Luna said, "The effect should be temporary and will likely correct itself after a time."

"Wait, 'should be'?"

"There is no certainties in magic, fair Applejack," Luna said while shifting her head clear Applejack's line of fire, "Such magic cannot be predicted with a hundred percent certainty due to the variables involved."

"Like what?" Applejack asked, disliking the direction of the conversation. She knew Luna wasn't lying to her, but she adjusted her aim anyway.

"For starters, the moon itself," Luna said, "Tis more like a living entity then an inert, lifeless mass. You know this."

Applejack nodded, finally understanding. She summed it up in one word, "Accident?"

"Precisely. And temporary. Gradually, our natural states of being should reassert themselves."

The farmer moved from her firing position and sat on her haunch, deep in thought. She knew Luna meant well, but having witnessed Twilight's breakdowns and knowing full well Luna's indulgences, she began to wonder if being magically inclined involved being crazy. Applejack shook her head at the insanity of her life.

"Temporary, huh?" Applejack lamented, "How long ya think?"

Luna thought for a second. She moved to a drawer behind the desk and pulled out an abacus. Her magic flared as the beads clacked.

"Ya keep an abacus in the drawer?"

"I have them stored all over the castle," Luna remarked absently, "You know, in case of an abacus emer..."

"Shut up," the farmer spoke, glaring at Luna.

"Pinkie is more perceptive then she lets on," Luna said through a smirk although she never turned away from her calculations. The Lunar Regent set the abacus back inside the drawer when she finished, "A few days most likely. Maybe a week at most."

"So what's this mean for me?"

"Well," Luna moved slowly around the desk, moving to sit by Applejack, "You are a respected farmer, a multiple time rodeo champion, member of the respected Apple family, the Element of Honesty, four time hero to the realm of Equestria, held in high esteem by most of Equestria, titled nobility, an Advisor, and have touched the moon in ways nopony could fathom. For all that of that, fair Applejack, it means you are now are an alarm clock." She finished with a thump of her rump on the floor.

"Remind me to ring your bell later," Applejack groaned.

7. A Night For The Farmer

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Chapter Seven
A Night For The Farmer

Stop this day and night with me
and you shall possess the origin of all poems,
You shall possess the good of the moon and sun,
You shall no longer take things at second or third hoof,
nor look through the eyes of the dead,
nor feed on the spectres in books,
You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,
You shall listen to all sides and filter them from your self.
~Excerpt from Walt Whitmare's "Song of Myself"

Usually, Celestia had maintained an air of nonchalance. The stoic smile was as practiced as any spell in her vast repertoire. However, inside, she was fuming. Despite any pretense she gave, she did have one pet peeve: lack of punctuality. Perhaps it was because her life was governed by a tight schedule. The petty grievances of the nobles and the kowtowing of her little ponies seemed to take up so much time when all she wanted was a cool glass of wine, a hot bath, a dirty novel, and an hour of quiet.

She mused, unbeknownst to her student, perhaps Luna's delay was because she really had destroyed a part of the castle. Of course, her sister had proven reliable since her return so she didn't entertain it seriously. That said, Luna's frivolousness had returned after she and Applejack hit it off. Applejack, who was every bit like her namesake, certainly wasn't helping. But such things weren't necessarily bad. So she hoped.

"Perhaps she was kept late," Twilight offered, looking up to her mentor with a soft expression and eyes having only a veil of concern. Twilight knew her teacher well enough to see past the facade.

"Perhaps," Celestia mused, "At least one can hope."

"Maybe Spike and I should return to Canterlot and..."

"Worry not, my Faithful Student," Celestia interrupted, "I am sure there's nothing to worry about."

Twilight accepted the explanation and nodded more to herself then her teacher. Celestia disliked not being entirely honest with Twilight. However, she innately knew something was not quite right. Whether it was sisterly intuition or or something else, she didn't know really. The coffee she was sharing with her student helped to a degree, though not enough.

With the plebiscite proceeding smoothly, Celestia found more time to spend with Twilight where she had hoped to find some long deserved enjoyment. Instead, she found worry where there should have been none. Celestia was about to change the subject when a green gout of flame burst and speedily grew in size. A scroll formed amongst the quickly dying flames. Celestia seized upon the scroll and opened it with her magic. Her magenta eyes raced over the words. Upon reaching the end, she breathed an audible sigh.

"Something wrong?" Twilight immediately asked.

"No," Celestia said with a shifted smile, some relief visible on her normally placid face, "Luna was just up late playing with Applejack and lost track of the time."

Twilight's face screwed up in confusion.

"Worry not," the Solar Regent said again, "she was simply preparing for the day's meetings is all."

"Oh," Twilight said.

"Now, my Faithful Student," Celestia said in her usual tone, setting the scroll aside with her magical grip, "You wanted to know more about amniomorphic magic?"

~(o)~

For the past few years, Applejack's life had taken many strange turns. Prior to Twilight showing up in town, her single goal in life was to find a partner and settle down, as her folks did before her. More than that, the farmer was content in that idea. That said, after the eventful Summer Sun Celebration, her life kept getting stranger and stranger. Applejack told herself she should have seen it when her brother, after many attempts, finally accepted the bet that resulted in him strolling through town while wearing Granny's girdle.

For all of the trials and tribulations of the past few years, the farmer felt she was stronger for those experiences. Despite all that, her life consistently proved itself to have a sense of humor. She was a time keeper now, as Luna had surmised none too subtly, but there were worse fates. As a pony who took enjoyment where she found it, the connection she now had to the moon was something interesting to be sure.

Earth ponies, as a matter of genetics, weren't prone to willful magical manifestations. Instead, their magic was more rooted of the spirit. Applejack was always stronger then most ponies, while Pinkie's infamous "Pinkie Sense" had its own uses. Regardless, any new experiences flying or experiencing magical manipulations she tended to relish.

Since that morning, Applejack felt the need to prod her thoughts along those paths she now controlled. Given Luna believed that those connections were temporary, she wouldn't likely get another chance. The farmer eventually figured out more about the connection and how to use it, gaining a greater feel for the messages that the moon sent her. Not that such things had any practical value. She pieced together how to send it ideas in form of thoughts and images, though the moon usually returned a nonsensical reply. It even once showed a hot mug of coffee in response to a query of what made it tick.

Applejack spent a better part of the afternoon trying to filter through everything, though she wasn't exactly sure how to go about it. She looked up from her cards and saw Luna staring impatiently at her.

"Do you have any Jacks?" Luna asked again.

"Nope," Applejack shook her head, trying to snap back into reality, "Go buck yourself."

Luna whined and picked up a card from the deck with her magic. The Lunar Regent shifted the cards around, but found nothing to set down. "Go Buck Yourself" was a game the two improvised, involving an odd mixture of "Go Fish" with reverse strip tease rules. Quill, Luna's Majordomo, walked in on the two, with Luna losing and nearly dressed in a gaudy, suggestive outfit. After telling Luna the meetings that day were rescheduled at her behest, he quickly left. Applejack smiled slightly. Luna was indeed losing badly, being a pair of red heels away from losing the contest.

"Any 7s?" Applejack asked. Luna whined again and set the card down with her magic. Applejack grinned broadly as she set her last card down with a hoof, "That's game, sugarcube. Now, put 'em on."

"Do I have to?" Luna pouted, going so far as to purse her lips.

"Rules are rules," Applejack chided.

Luna managed a small display of defiance, but in the end, her horn flared to life. She snatched the shoes with her magical grasp and slipped them on her rear hoofs, completing the outfit. The garment was mostly black pleather, covering her from barrel to just over her haunch. A pair of black stockings, a few strands of silver chains about the hips and the heels completed the outfit. Her auroral mane floating on those unseen celestial breezes simply enhanced the saucy effect.

"You are a sight for somepony's sore eyes," Applejack said, wriggling her eyebrows. The chances to torment Luna were few.

"This was your idea," Luna said accusingly.

"It was your idea," Applejack corrected, "Ah just went along with it."

"Do I have to?" Luna stamped a hoof down, though her eyes sparkled a bit. A half-eaten apple rolled around on the nightstand the two used as a makeshift card table.

"Ya took the bet. Ya get to live with it," Applejack said, slipping her way out of the sheer knee-high stockings on her rear legs.

"I cannot make hay fries and I can't win a game of chance," Luna said, "It seems my lot in life is to lose."

"Ah tried to warn ya."

"I know," Luna said. She stood up, the pleather creaked a bit in protest, "For the rest of the day?"

"Until moonrise or a fuzzy-hatted stallion named 'Huggy Bear' says otherwise."

Luna shook her head slightly, "Fair Applejack, if you were any other pony..."

"You'd tell me to go buck myself," the farmer finished for her, "Now, if ya don't mind, Ah'm goin' hop in the shower."

~(o)~

Applejack closed her eyes, letting the water cascade down her face. The hot water did its job, streaking down her orange fur and taking a bit of stress with it. The farmer stretched her powerful shoulders, grateful for a chance to relax. She told the Lunar Regent she would only be a few minutes, but she lost all track of time. The moon's incessant, derisory messages wasn't helping matters. For that matter, it was distracting her any chance it got.

The call of the lunar body giggled again at the edge of her thoughts, ripping her focus and attention away once again as she moved to turn the shower off. The farmer sent her thoughts out, attempting to ask it once again what was so funny. The celestial body replied with simple emotions of mirth, showing images of suits from a deck of cards. Applejack pursed her brows, but just shrugged to herself. Life continued to have a sense of humor, but it was wearing thin.

Applejack shook the water from her face and turned the shower off. Prying the shower door open and reaching out blindly for a towel, she finally happened upon a soft feeling piece of fabric. She stepped out and buried her face within the folds of it. She paused for a second when noted the towel felt extremely soft and smelt of a summer night. The moon seemed to giggle once again.

"Will ya stop?" Applejack asked aloud.

"It was you who grabbed my mane," Luna replied.

Applejack wasn't actually surprised. Fully embracing the course, she quickly tamped her head dry before working herself free of Luna's voluminous mane. By the time the farmer got her eyes clear, Luna stood grinning broadly, her mane's usual wave seemingly required more effort. Applejack blushed slightly, her orange fur taking on a darker shade of red.

"Ya never heard of privacy?" the farmer said, trying to regain some dignity.

"You were taking longer then you advised," Luna moved a towel towards Applejack with her magic, "So I came in to check on you."

"How long was Ah in there?"

"Half an hour?" Luna guessed as much as answered. She turned towards the farmer, the outfit taking on droplets of moisture from the steamy air.

"Ah think Ah I know where the rabbit in your head gets its commands from."

~(o)~

Luna, for all her facade of pretense, seemed to take pride in her self appointed mission and her outfit. Applejack admitted to herself that she was curious what Luna wanted to demonstrate to her. The chains about the Lunar Regent's waist clanged. Despite a few near falls, Luna managed her balance well in the heels. The farmer would have been lying if she said she weren't a little impressed.

"Did you have to wear the sunglasses?" Applejack remarked. .

"Of course, fair Applejack," Luna remarked, "Does it not go nicely with the stockings?"

"About as well as me wearing a tuxedo."

"I can arrange that."

"Ya ever seen a bonfire, sugarcube?" Applejack replied, shaking her head.

"Of course," Luna said while she smiled. She raised the sunglasses from her eyes, throwing a wink to the farmer, "You forget I was a filly once."

"They don't date artifacts that old. Besides, Ah wonder if you aren't relivin' your youth though me somehow."

"I'm sorry," Luna replied, "Say that again? I couldn't hear you over the ringing in my ears."

"Ah said...," Applejack then shook her head, "Never mind."

Luna's grin never abated. She slung the glasses back over her eyes when the two approached the stairs. The Royal Guards simply bowed as the two made their way up. Apparently the memo to disregard any unusual scenes involving the pair reached these two. Luna lead the farmer towards the top floor of the tower. Not that Applejack could take in full account of Luna's posterior while the moon continued its inane probings.

After a while, the duo made their way into the observatory. Applejack shook her head once, trying to snap her attention back into focus but it was of little use. The room itself was rounded, with shelves of books, couches, and a few desks lining the expanse with charts of the stars and a few sketches stretched out over a main central table. The end of a large telescope protruded a portion of the way into the room with a few knobs jutting out from that base. Luna made her way towards a bookshelf, perusing its contents while Applejack moved towards a table.

After a moment, Luna grasped a worn book cover with her magic and turned back towards Applejack. The farmer, for her part, seemed to have a blank look as she stared towards nothing in particular. Luna sat next to the farmer and set the book on the table. She fumbled through a few pages of hoof-scribbled notes. Finally finding the entry, she switched the focus of her magic and grasped the farmers tale, giving it a yank.

"Huh...oh," Applejack snapped back finally.

"It happens quite a bit," Luna offered with a smile, quickly perusing the notes as if refreshing her memory, "When I first gained dominion over the night sky, I had similar problems. Its easy to become distracted by it when you aren't otherwise engaged with something or somepony else."

Applejack leaned in a bit, peering closer to the book, "Ya got an answer?"

"Perhaps," Luna remarked as she read. She flipped a page over with her magic and continued reading. After finishing the entry, the Lunar Regent put a hoof to her chin. A nod finished the thought as Luna rose, the pleather creaking a bit while the chains about her waist jangled lightly.

"Are you familiar with meditation, fair Applejack?"

"What's negotiation got to due with this?"

"Meditation", Luna corrected, "Not mediation."

"Probably not then."

"It's a exercise where you clear your thoughts to establish a state of inner tranquility," Luna was speaking as if teaching a class, "It maybe possible to lessen the intrusions you are experiencing if we can get your mind into a state of peace. I shall guide you through the exercise."

Applejack thought for a second as she felt the moon's giggle again more forcefully. "Anything," the farmer replied to Luna.

Luna smiled brightly while Applejack wondered what in the hay she was getting herself into. Luna willed her magic, grasping a couch off in the far corner, bringing it around the telescope towards the pair. After she let it go, the Lunar Regent motioned her head towards the cushioned seat. The farmer removed her hat and laid back, making herself comfortable while Luna re-checked her notes in the journal.

~(o)~

Applejack felt the extremities of her body tingle for a minute before falling still. The tingling sensations didn't distract as much as relay subtle signals to a consciousness that was shutting down. Applejack could feel herself molding into whatever was supporting her. The machinations of the moon's intrusions took some effort to blank out, but as she focused on the tingling overtaking her body, those interruptions died away.

The sensations reached her hips and shoulders before feeding into the core of her body. She was distantly aware of Luna's counting down, but it didn't matter at the moment. The feeling of utter blackness was working its way through her as all physical sensations ceased upon the tingling reaching her head.

"Now you are relaxed," Luna called softly. Applejack could hear the Lunar Regent's discourse. Luna's voice fell away until it were indistinct as white noise. The conscious mind of Applejack processed the instructions, though Applejack's subconscious took over all ideas of reality.

In the blackness, Applejack could feel the silver tendrils of energy beginning to manifest. Starting as a faint whisper of light, the lines gradually came into a blurred focus. The farmer could feel a pulling of sorts come through her core. The moon's indistinct chatter rose again, gradually taking on an incessant proportion before it blurred into a electrical crackle. Suddenly, there was a pop. Her vision exploded again into the context of the room, though previous colors had a silvery hue to them. The celestial lines came into a sharper focus.

"Interesting," Luna whispered to herself as she felt the building vibrations in her horn before the 'pop'. Applejack's Astral self took over with no effort after that. Luna altered her plan for guiding her friend, though she didn't need to stray far. She also willed for a minor spell of passive detection of magical energies. Her horn faintly glowed while she continued her guidance.

Applejack realized the silver tendrils of energy began a motion of their own, slowly beginning to move and tangle about her. The farmer, as if on instinct, exercised her will in a single command. The turning lines of energy began to blur. As they moved faster, they became all the farmer could see. She looked around, though it seemed she were inside a sphere. As Applejack grew to understand, the moon's left over chittering became hushed and indistinct. While not completely drowned away within the silvery bastion, it was enough to do away with the overpowering distractions.

The Element of Honesty began to experiment with the bastion. She willed it a lesser strength and the silver sphere became more translucent. The energetical prodding from the lunar body became more pronounced. She put all her will into the sphere until the shield became nothing but a pure silver light. The nonsensical meanderings of the moon died away almost completely. The farmer smiled. She spent a moment adjusting the sphere until she were comfortable with the level of "discourse" the lunar body would have to live with. Much to its chagrin she was sure.

"Now, the sphere dies away," Luna continued on, "Though you know this is your's to command." The Lunar Regent continued on with her instructions, guiding the farmer back to her normal reality. The farmer's eyes flitted for a second before opening fully. The farmer was taking a few moments to digest the experience.

"Very interesting," Luna mused to herself. Normally, modifications within the Astral realm was the dominion of practiced magic users. She started to draw some connections between the power of Will, the inherent magic of earth ponies, and Applejack's connection to the moon when she saw the farmer stir.

"How do you feel," Luna asked, snapping the book closed with her magic.

"Like Ah took a hell of a nap," Applejack replied. The farmer sat up and fumbled with her hat. Seating it back atop her head, she looked to the Lunar Regent curiously, "Did you..."

"No," Luna answered, "All of that was your doing, fair Applejack."

"It seemed so real," the farmer spoke, blinking a few times.

"It...can seem that way sometimes," Luna spoke after deciding on her words, "Most curious."

"How's that?" Applejack asked while mentally playing with her newly acquired mental blocks.

"Suffice to say that if you were a unicorn, you actually maybe quite adept at the arcane arts," Luna said between bites of an apple produced from seemingly nowhere.

"You'd also no doubt take me as a student, call me Horny, and put me in that getup your wearin'," Applejack said offhoodedly while finding she could willfully lower the intrusions with a thought. She nodded to herself in satisfaction.

"There's always perks to being the personal student of a princess," Luna answered with a saucy smile.

"Ah'll send a sympathy card to any student ya take," Applejack said. Luna's cackle echoed out of the observatory.

8. A Moonlit Night

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Chapter Eight
A Moonlit Night

It has often been said the truth shall set a pony free.
While it is true to some extent, the journey to arrive
at that destination is often difficult when filled with doubt
that those we cherish will understand those hidden truths
of ourselves. But when everything you see is inert, when
the reality you have feels like nothing but a continual painting,
eventually you would bleed just to know you're alive.
~ Excerpt from Labordeaux's "The Canticle: How To Live"

The next few hours passed by without much incident. Applejack fumbled about the telescope, turning the knobs and such to her satisfaction. Luna was furiously scribbling notes in her journal regarding her hypotheses. Though Celestia built the observatory to keep watch the the distant celestial bodies (and to keep an eye on her sister's "home" during her more morbid cycles during Luna's banishment), Luna adopted it as a place of repose and magical experimentation when she felt the need.

So it should go without saying that Starswirl's assumptions regarding the magic of earth ponies being directly linked to their spirit is indeed plausible, if not outright correct. The experiences and revelations my friend has unknowingly stumbled upon does bring to light some interesting questions. To date, only alicorns and unicorns were thought to be inclined to willful manifestations of the arcane. But what if, given the right conditions, earth ponies could perform similar feats?

Luna looked over to Applejack, who was peering through the eye piece. The farmer's hoof was turning a knob, adjusting the length of the finely honed lenses. Luna shook her head. It took her weeks to get the adjustments perfect for a visual image of the Terran system and odds are she turned it towards Ponyville.

"Having fun, dear Applejack?" Luna called out to the studious farmer.

"Uh huh," Applejack answered, her tongue sticking out slightly as she reached for another knob. In the space of time since she began playing with it, the farmer had a rough idea of how the magnifying device worked.

"Find any signs of life on other worlds?"

"Nope," Applejack answered absently, her head rolling back ever so slightly with the eye piece.

"You've pointed it towards Ponyville, haven't you," Luna stated more then asked.

"Mmm hmm," the farmer seemed to be studying a few points of the distant town intensely.

"What is it you are hoping to find then?" Luna asked.

"Evidence."

"Of what?" Luna said as set her quill down.

"Blackmail," Applejack absently replied.

"Well, should you find some, would you be kind enough to let me know?"

"Eeyup," the farmer peaked through the finderscope before resuming her surveillance.

Luna expression remained blank, but her eyes sparkled none the less. Luna called forth her magic again and continued scratching out her thoughts into the journal. The pleather outfit was chaffing a bit, but she persevered.

The study and science of magic is interesting because mistakes have often led to the greatest discoveries in the arcane. Given my latest accident and the discovery regarding a link between earth ponies and Astral manipulations, it does seem possible my accident could open up new avenues in magical research. Assuming that my friend is a willing participant, of course. It also remains to be seen whether or not time is a critical factor.

Applejack sighed as she turned the telescope upward towards the heavens. Luna assumed her friends would be free of extortion for now as the farmer adjusted the length of the device again. The Lunar Regent grinned a bit as she willed her magic into being. The telescope had been enchanted to peer upon the sun or moon when either was at rest should either alicorn wish it. The telescope itself took on a silver glow as Applejack pulled her head back from the eye piece in a start. The farmer blinked again and resumed her studies with interest when as Luna continued jotting down her thoughts.

The remaining questions should sort themselves out with time. There are, as yet, too many variables to factor out before coming to any conclusion. But if my hunch holds true, this maybe a discover that could hold profound implications for how we term "magically inclined".

"Luna," Applejack asked, drawing her eye away from the eye piece of the large telescope.

"Yes?" Luna asked, looking up from the journal of magical notes she was writing.

"Why's the moon winking at me?"

Luna felt an explosion of butterflies in her stomach as she rose. Somehow, her dark cyan fur grew paler as she trotted over to the large telescope. Looking through the finderscope, she saw her moon as plain as she knew it. A glimpse through the eye piece saw the focus square upon the outline. Where ponies knew the vague outline of the lunar body as a canvas for her whimsical notions of the moment, the shadows were moving a bit. A few circular holes were seen on horn and one of the eyes of the outline had indeed seemingly winked. Luna dreaded the thought, but given all that had transpired, she would not take chances. On pure instinct, she began calling forth her magic.

Had the Lunar Regent remained a split second more at the eye piece, she could have seen such was a trick of shadows and craters. But given the implications of earlier actions a few years ago and the connection a certain earth pony had, Luna was relying on pure, primal intuition.

"Fair Applejack," Luna said, "I shall apologize for this later."

Before the farmer could inquiry as to what was happening, her vision of the observatory was stolen by a burst of silver light. Applejack quickly closed her eyes while a wave of sensation seemingly burst over her, seemingly hitting every nerve about her body. Where the farmer had feared for second she would go back to dreamland, she instead felt herself very much awake and very much convulsing due to the feeling of titillation coursing through her body.

The farmer felt herself suspended as her body jerked as the tickling energy coursed over and through her, exciting her nerves. As the light died away, the farmer found herself recovering her breath while the Lunar Regent's horn still glowed. Luna's neck craned down as she eyed the farmer, muscles taut and magic at the ready.

"What...what was that for?" Applejack asked between breaths, glaring at the princess.

"I needed to be sure of something," Luna said softly, willing her horn to die away. The pleather dress groaned against the shifting of her body to a more relaxed posture. Applejack found her footing again as the princess let her down.

"Of what?" Applejack asked, adjusting her Stetson and her dignity.

"That your connection to the moon was still active," was all Luna offered.

"You know Ah can tell when your lying, right?" Applejack said, her eyes steady from underneath the worn hat.

"...Yes," Luna said after a moment.

"Then ya better get to talking," Applejack remarked. She worked her away around the desk to where Luna dropped her quill. Seizing it in her teeth, she locked onto the princess with her eyes, honing in as she stalked the alicorn deliberately. The farmer distinctly remember the kernel of truth regarding felling alicorns with feathers and decided to put it to the test.

"Applejack...please, don't do this," Luna backed away a few steps. Of course, Luna knew she could fly up or simple transport away from the apparently vindictive farmer, but something within the mind of the alicorn did not present those options. She had little chance anyway, As she stepped back, one of the red heels on her rear hoofs caught the edge of the couch. The alicorn was tripped backwards with a great flourish. Applejack seized upon her opening and pounced the alicorn as her dog Winona would a rabbit.

~(o)~

Silverhawk and Storm Wind were making rounds throughout the castle prior to assuming post. The two were friends and hung together quite a bit while off duty. Of course, Storm Wind was always the quiet type, which suited the talkative Silverhawk fine. In a lot of ways, they were perfectly suited as hetero lifemates. While on duty and in the presence of their charges, they were the living embodiment of Equestrian Military protocol. Off duty, there was a enough cider had between the two to serve a Las Pegasus party.

While turning a corner, a Private from the Royal Guard approached the two leaders of the Lunar Guard in a near panic. As the Private approached, he was out of breath, but minded his rank as he snapped a salute towards the grizzled Lieutenant and Sergeant Major, respectively.

"Sirs," the newly minted Royal Guard spoke, "I believe Princess...Luna is...under attack!"

"How so, Private," Silverhawk immediately bellowed, his eyes blazing with intensity, "Speak!"

"I observed...Lady Applejack and...Princess Luna...entering into observatory...and..."

"Resume your post, Private," Silverhawk interrupted as if in dismissal, "and disregard what you may have seen or heard."

"But Sir, Princess Luna was screaming for help!" the Private spoke with as much defiance as he could muster, the unexpected nature of the superior officers response snapping him from his need of breath.

"Are you deaf, Private?" the veteran Silverhawk tore into the Private, "Or has the Royal Guard lowered their standard to fulfill an imbecile quota? Are we an Equal Opportunity Military now?"

"No Sir!" the Private answered as a second.

"Then perhaps you have problems following orders," Silverhawk yelled, never breaking his gaze, "Did mommy and daddy not give you enough love as a foal? Are you acting out of some sense of rebellion?"

"No Sir!"

"Then resume your post!" Silverhawk glared into the Private's eyes as if mocking his entire existence, "Now!"

The Private held his position for only a second more before snapping another salute and moving to return to his post by the observatory. Silverhawk and Storm Wind resumed their stroll down the halls on the far side of the castle from Luna's private abode. The Sergeant Major turned to his partner, giving him an inquisitive look.

"What?" Silverhawk looked to Storm Wind, "You got the memo."

Storm Wind paused. Silverhawk advanced a few more steps before stopping himself. He craned his neck behind, to see his partner grinning broadly, a hoof extended out in waiting.

"I'm not doing it," Silverhawk looked to his friend. Seeing the Sergeant Major nodding with a cheesy grin on his face. Sighing, Silverhawk looked around to be sure they were on their own before putting his own hoof out to meet his friend's.

"Snootches," the Head of the Lunar Guard said, "Now, can we go?"

Their hooffalls echoed down the corridors while various Lunar Guards set about relieving the Royal Guard at the various posts throughout the castle. The Lieutenant promised himself to limit their Neighties movie marathons while off duty.

~(o)~

Luna was absolutely certain the scene would be surreal should anypony have seen it. She bellowed, cried out for help, pleaded and threatened the rampaging farmer, but it seemed Applejack was haybent on her course. The alicorn was, all her goddess-like qualities, a creature of physical sensations. As such, when Applejack found her ribs and hips were especially sensitive areas, it ended of the alicorn's defiance.

The assault lasted for many minutes. The two somehow managed to move to the couch where the farmer kept Luna pinned while her head shook ever so softly along the Lunar Regent's ribcage. The pleather dress somehow became scrunched around Luna's abdomen, tangling with the chains in the process. The feathered end of the writing device pushed just deep enough past the fur to hit Luna's skin, sending titillating jolts to the alicorn's brain. The lunar alicorn's legs kicked involuntarily while she squirmed as her chortles echoed from the observatory and across the castle grounds.

"Talk!" Applejack said through gritted teeth, pausing only long enough to speak.

Luna, to her credit, lasted another few minutes before surrendering, "Alright!"

Applejack, as satisfied as with any victory she had ever achieved, maneuvered off the desperately recovering alicorn. Finding her Stetson that had long since been discarded, she propped it back upon her head with a little more bravado than she typical exhibited. Luna moved herself off the couch and stood slightly off-balance thanks to the one remaining heel. Her dress was still wrapped about her stomach. The Lunar Regent blew bit of her auroral mane away from her face.

~(o)~

"So you banished ol' Queen Cheese-Legs?" Applejack asked as the two were sharing a dinner. Luna intended to go over the story in short detail, but the exercise in brevity became a long dissertation as Applejack pressed the princess for details. Luna even went so far as the demonstrate with a tater tot and a few plates the gruesome thrashing she inflicted upon the Chrysalis.

"Perhaps 'banish' is the wrong word," Luna said while measuring her words carefully, "Such things imply the possibility of an unwillful return, as in my case. Imprisoned would be more appropriate."

"Possibility?"

"It should suffice to say that, should Chrysalis return, it will be by design. She will be by herself." Luna's face took on a very even look, "And it shall be as a practice dummy."

Applejack shuddered involuntarily. The entire tale reminded her of the sheer power her companion possessed.

"Then why did ya blast me with that magic?" The farmer asked after a moment.

"It was a Dispel spell. No pony under any magical guise could hold their form within its confines."

"And if Ah was Chrysalis?" the farmer asked.

"We would not be having this conversation and your consciousness would be floating in some rock orbiting Celestia's Sun," Luna said, the confidence clear in her voice.

The farmer was beginning to understand. Given Celestia moved the moon while Luna was imprisoned within it and Luna didn't escape until the prophecy governing her return was fulfilled, she figured there was more to celestial banishment then Luna would let on. But given the highly unique nature of Applejack's relationship with the body and how it came about, the farmer couldn't logically blame the princess for her actions.

Luna seemed to be digesting more then food while Applejack queried the moon, asking it who it was. The mental image of a cartoonish rabbit sporting a maniacal grin while pulling various levers and pushing buttons at an oversized console told Applejack all she needed to know. It was indeed comforting, if such confirmations ever had that effect. It made the mare smile all the same.

"Fair Applejack, this isn't something I wished known," Luna said in a soft voice as she looked down, "and I must apologize for doubting who you were."

There was an innocence to it, as if Luna were asking if her actions were okay. The moon itself fed the farmer feelings of doubt and confusion at the moment, with images of the Lunar Regent, sitting on a cloud underneath the threshold of the sky. The Lunar Regent's auroral mane seems less graceful while Applejack considered what she heard. Luna was asking for forgiveness for what she felt an awful transgression, both in the past and the present. The farmer knew that intrinsically

A part of her was stunned. Beyond that, the farmer wasn't sure she could rightly fault Luna. Where Chrysalis had bested Celestia, nearly taken over Canterlot, entrapped both Cadence and the Solar Regent, and intended to enslave the citizens of the realm as "batteries" for emotions, the farmer wasn't sure she would have done anything different. Not where family and friends were concerned.

"Sugarcube," Applejack moved from behind the table and slowly made her way towards her companion. Applejack put a hoof to her occasionally crazy friend's chin and pushed Luna's eyes even with hers, "Ya did what ya needed to do. Ain't nothin' wrong with that."

Luna kept her gaze even with the farmer as much passed between the two. Luna, for all her unbridled power over matters of law and magic, for all her eons of experience and accumulated knowledge, for everything she had ever accomplished, was helpless against the farmer's emerald eyes. In those silent moments, Luna's heart swelled with a warmth that was all too common when in the company of the farmer and nopony else. Luna never answered to anypony, except perhaps her sister. But here she was, asking forgiveness for actions she wasn't entirely sure were wrong.

Luna wondered if perhaps Applejack was working some form of magic. Luna opened up her arcane senses just then, hoping to detect something. There was nothing. Just the honesty of feelings she had almost forgotten. For all the frivolities of their time together, the Lunar Regent knew she cared more for the farmer then almost all other ponies. But she never understood the one question she had: Why?

It wasn't out of memory for Applejack's namesake, nor loyalty to the name itself. It wasn't because due to a lack of pretense she had with the farmer. It wasn't because of some misplaced sense of honor and duty to protect the Elements. All of it hit like a lightning strike on an apple tree.

She loved Applejack.

Luna finally managed to blink while she attempted to digest the revelation. Applejack pulled away a bit with a soft smile on her face. For the farmer, she was comforting a friend. For Luna, it was world breaking. It was then that Applejack's face burst with a sudden change from smile to dumbfounded expression.

"Luna," the farmer said softly.

"Y...yes," Luna answer, hopeful and fearful at the same time.

"Unless its pullin' my leg, Ah think its time to raise the moon," the farmer spoke. The image of an alarm clock ringing and dancing forced itself into her head. If celestial bodies could grin, Applejack could swear the moon was doing just that.

~(o)~

The two made their way to Luna's bedroom at a steady pace. Applejack offered a few lines of conversation, but with none of the usual playfulness coming from the Lunar Regent, the farmer let it go. The farmer thought she understood why. When she didn't to return to Ponyville after failing to make any bits to repair Town Hall, Applejack was solemn after the secret came to light. Granted, it wasn't exactly on par with Luna's, but sometimes a pony simply needed time to digest things.

The duo approached the double doors to Luna's abode where the Lunar Guard awaited them. Silverhawk and Storm Wind bowed silently as they approached. Where Luna was off in her own little world, Applejack smiled politely to the two guards as they passed. The doors closed behind them once they stepped through the doorway and moved directly to the balcony. Applejack fidgeted with her mental shield while the moon continued to ramble in visual incoherency. The farmer finally found an acceptable level of intrusion when they strode onto the balcony.

The chill air broke itself on the faces of the two while Canterlot's Weather Teams cleared the sky. The two held their pose for a moment like statues. Where the farmer expected some sort of aura or at least an acknowledgement of concentration, she only found the blank look on the Lunar Regent's face.

The farmer considered her options for a moment. Given the Lunar Regent's lack of response from her vocal cues, Applejack decided she needed to resort to drastic measures. There was still a job to do. It was was then that she removed her trademark Stetson with a forehoof. After backing up a step, the farmer tossed the hat spinning upwards. The farmer then reared up and caught it between her raised forehooves before giving it a mighty swing as a soldier would a sword. The leather edge connected solidly on Luna's haunch with enough force to make the chains jangle.

"Ow!" Luna blurted as her eyes formed perfect circles, her daze broken.

"Moon. Raise. Good," Applejack remarked as she set her Stetson back upon her head before coming down to all fours.

"Oh," Luna said with a cheesy grin. She quietly closed her eyes as her horn lit a few seconds later. The farmer watched it all as the moon seemingly approved of her actions. After a few moments, the moon peaked up while the sun seemed to gently work its way to slumber.

"Ya alright, sugarcube? Applejack asked as Luna opened her eyes, "Ya seemed checked out for a while there."

"I am," Luna answered, "I was just distracted."

"Ya don't say?"

"Fair Applejack, why do you mock me so?" Luna said, pursing her lips once again. It seemed that Luna was pasted her secret as her eyes resumed their usual luster.

"For two reasons. One: Like what that getup is advertising, you're easy," Applejack said as she turned back through the open balcony, "and two: it's fun."

"You like my dress and you know it," Luna said, strutting back into the room in such a way as to make her haunch sway like a boat caught in a gale.

"It might be better to say, you like it," Applejack said, parking herself in front of the fireplace and looking to the Lunar Regent, "Ah just went along with it."

"Many courts have found accomplices guilty for lesser words," Luna retorted as she willed her magic forth. A burst of flame licked at the wood as the fire took hold, "and in the eyes of the law, such things equate to condoning."

"Then why don't ya burn me at the stake?"

"Because, fair Applejack, you would be no more and I would be bored," Luna said while working her way free of the outfit, "And I'm not sure I could live with myself."

"Ah knew ya cared about me!" Applejack triumphantly said. She closed her eyes and pumped her hoof a bit as if in victory.

"I mean that I shall not suffer years of boredom for five minutes of pleasure," the regent said as she rolled her eyes, "Though I am sure Smoked Apple would fetch quite a price in the Griffon Kingdom."

"Ah hope Ah'd be expensive," Applejack said through a smile.

"Most delicacies are," Luna said with her eyes twinkling, "though they say common food has its own tastes that can never be replaced."

~(o)~

Applejack was as practiced a card player as anypony in Ponyville. Between the weekly games of Yokelahoma Hold 'Em and the occasional games of Go Fish with Apple Bloom and the rest of the Crusaders, she learned to hold her expression when it mattered the most. In fact, poker games between her and Macintosh were the source of legendary amounts of apathy. As such, when the telltale sign happened, she held her expression.

Through everything she had done and everything she had experienced, somethings she still had considered beyond the realm of possibilities. Since gaining control of the Element of Honesty, she had come to understand the degrees to which ponies forfeited the truth. Whenever she and Luna exchanged quips, those little signals in her mind fluctuated to any given degree. Even given some of the outright fibs, such as Luna only wanting Applejack's "fearful devotion" when they were making hay fries, had given a certain signals that the farmer knew as playful jest.

However, when Luna spoke of suffering years of boredom being her only reason for not roasting the farmer atop a pyre, the mental signals screamed at Applejack in a different light. The farmer held her composure with enough practiced control to give even the most grizzled veteran of the Royal Guard a run for their bits. The signal in her head was tantamount one of Pinkie's physical cues for "a whopper".

Applejack excused herself and hoofed over to the bathroom, more to think then need to find physical relief. The farmer looked into the mirror while water ran from the basin. She opened herself up more to the moon's connection. As those blocks lowered, the giggling at the edges of her mind grew more intense.

'Ya know something,' Applejack fed her thoughts to the lunar body, 'what is it?'

The moon itself fed back no images and no other emotions. Instead, the farmer felt her core grow warm and tingly. The farmer shook her head a bit and willed the connection to near closure. Something gnawed at Applejack. She looked into the tall mirror overlooking the ornate sink. Given everything that had happened to now, what would the night bring? Applejack and Luna agreed it were best that the farmer stay with Luna from there on out, if only to avoid more accusations of recreational drug use from Celestia.

Applejack splashed some water over her face and rubbed her eyes and cheeks gingerly. The farmer found herself looking for answers, but found only more questions.

Interlude Three: In Defiance Of The Night

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Interlude Three
In Defiance Of The Night

The next few hours passed with the usual banter the two exchanged. Luna pressed the farmer along her usual lines of semi-sexual innuendo while Applejack countered with feelings of flippant apathy. Luna's eyes sparkled with their usual mischievousness, but something about them clued Applejack into the fact that the Lunar Regent was hiding something. The farmer fished as best she could, but Luna wasn't biting.

Gradually, Applejack felt the day catching up to her. Given the need to avoid any more "delays" with moving the moon and some stern accusations from the Celestia, the two agreed it would be wise to spend the night in Luna's abode. Applejack suggested that they could procure another bed. However, Luna cited some ancient protocol against moving beds from the guest rooms. Though the farmer caught on to a few of the Lunar Regent's disingenuous words, Applejack never called her on it. As such, the two eventually agreed to share the same bed.

When they retired, Luna fell easily into her reverie with a smile creased on her face. Applejack, though, had a more difficult time. Her mind worked to lower the intrusions from the moon until it were little more then a whisper. The last discernible feeling the farmer received was something akin to a whimpering puppy. After she found a satisfactory aegis against the intrusions and a few deep exhales, the farmer eventually succumbed to her weariness.

~(o)~

Applejack felt herself floating once more. Quickly breaking her vision downward, she realized her body was still whole as she found her typical orange fur ending in a familiar hoof. A sense of relief washed over the farmer while she let out an audible sigh.

"Am Ah dreamin'?" the farmer managed to vocalize. She was surprised she had heard herself. It occurred to the farmer that the swirling grey clouds were slowly lifting as if under an assault from the sun. Applejack felt her hooves connect with the ground as the cloudy masses continued their shift into translucence. It took a while before the shapes came into focus, but she understood the trees had a sense of familiarity, as if it were pulled from a memory. She put one hoof forward. After the farmer found some solidity in the connection, she took another step and another before finally breaking into a canter. As she paced along, the swirling mass of clouds abated into night time while a smell akin to a campfire filled her nostrils. The dense forest seemed scarred in a few spots, though those details mattered little to Applejack at the moment.

The farmer continued along the cobblestone path laid out before her. After seemingly hours had passed, she heard the growl of thunder off in the distance. Applejack moved faster, looking to find some shelter from the coming storm while bursts of light randomly lit the sky. The farmer looked skyward, trying to measure the time before the cloudburst arrived. But instead of the usual white that was accustomed to, the flashes had varying shades of color. Even a few flashes of pure darkness obfuscated the moonlit sky.

Applejack knew would need to find shelter soon lest she get caught in an storm out of Rainbow Dash's worst nightmares. Increasing her pace even more, she finally noted more than a few trees seemed to be smoldering. She paused and quickly looked around; she noted entire swaths of the forest lining the path seemed victims of a firestorm. A sense of dread grew in the pits of her stomach, but she felt herself being called forward. It wasn't a suggestion from the moon as she knew it, but something seemed to be beckoning her forth to show her something important. Though the flashes and rumblings became more sharp and against all better judgement, she pressed on.

As she emerged from the charred forest, a massive stone structure filled her sight. It was like Canterlot Castle, only on a smaller scale. Two jutting towers rose from either side of the main body of the structure with great sweeping buttresses liberally strewn about the perimeter. Where a pony might have expected a grandiose and pristine structure, the walls of the main hall and the towers had more than a few holes with black smoke pouring through. Black scorch marks liberally dotted the walls and a couple of buttresses seemed on the verge of collapse.

"The Castle of the Pony Sisters," Applejack muttered to herself.

A flash of lightning stole the farmer away from her ruminations. Gazing upwards, she saw a lightning bolt blazing away past her line of sight. A flash of fire streaked back from the direction of the departed lightning. The fire-bolt crashed into the top of the tower a split second after a dark form took the air. A cream colored form, save for a few spots of darker coloring, took flight after the dark form. The two figures proceeded to chase each other about the nighttime sky. A few elemental blasts crashed into the white form's globe, but they were seemingly absorbed into the shimmering translucent sphere. The cream colored figure seemed more deliberate with its blasts, as if wanting to keep the dark form corralled to the area.

Applejack watched in awe as the two forms continued to dance and loose all sorts of destructive energy about the sky. The cream colored form swooped down in an arc as the dark entity loosed a green shot of energy. The cream colored figure banked hard upwards, avoiding the shot. It occurred to the farmer at that moment that the green bolt was streaking towards her! Applejack's muscles instinctively grew taut as she readied to dodge.

Before the farmer could meet the business end of the green streaking bolt, a silver glow clouded her vision and she felt herself quickly yanked away. A split second later, the green energy bolt thundered into the ground where the farmer had been, blasting parts of it upward and smoldering a surprisingly large area. It took a moment for Applejack's vision to correct itself after the glow vanished. She realized that she was in a small stone structure. It was perhaps a guardhouse, but such details were unimportant as the brutal, beautiful battle raged overhead.

"It's possible for ponies to die in their dreams," spoke a form from the shadows off to her side. Cyan orbs possessed an innocent sparkle to them as they stared out from the darkness. A dark blue hoof strode forward from the darkness. Gradually, Luna continued as she emerged from the shadows in a corner, "It would be a pity if such were to happen to you."

Applejack noticed the alicorn seemed a head or two shorter than usual. Or was she taller? The farmer tried to process everything, but the vagaries of the entire scene left her dumbfounded.

"Please, Luna! Listen to me," cried out a voice above the two. Applejack recognized it as Celestia's, though she'd never heard it in so much distress. She continued to plead with the dark form as some golden trinkets and a crown glistened in the smoke-tinted starlight, “You can’t do this. Your privations will kill us all unless you lower the moon!”

"What's...," Applejack spoke, but a dark sapphire hoof intercepted any further words from her mouth.

“You’re joking, right?” the darker form shot back, “And have ‘our little ponies’ miss the night? You never got it, Tia." There was then an audible sound that the farmer, intimately familiar with physical vulgarities, recognized was a blob of saliva leaving a mouth. The dark form finished, "And I don’t think you ever will.”

Applejack stepped back from the hoof stopping up her mouth. Though she wasn't sure of all the variables involved, the farmer pieced together enough of the equation. She wasn't entirely sure, but she knew she were sharing a memory of the Lunar Regent. Luna didn't speak; she kept looking up to the unfolding scene. It was a scene she relived countless times, but never for an audience.

"Ah don't suppose ya have an answer," Applejack asked, though she didn't wish to press the matter. She figured there was some subtle reason she was witnessing Luna's reminiscence, but there would be time to find the answers. She hoped there would be anyway.

"Perhaps I have one," Luna remarked after a space, "Though I think you should close your eyes first."

"Why?"

"You are a wielder of an Element of Harmony, fair Applejack," Luna deadpanned, "You should know what happens next."

"Oh."

The Lunar Regent and farmer both snapped their eyes shut a split second before blinding flash erupted in the sky overhead. Even through her closed eyes, the brightness tinted Applejack's vision as she heard the sound of a familiar eruption. The Elements of Harmony sparked to life, wrapping the dark figure in its prismatic embrace. Applejack saw her eyelid-blocked vision grow brighter still as the sounds eventually dulled into a deafening silence. After a moment, the brightness died away to nothing, save for a few tracers. The sensations about Applejack's body became familiar as a warm, moist air filled the void about her. Against her better judgement, the farmer opened an eye and found darkness dominated her vision.

Before she could even find words to call out to Luna, her mind was nearly broken by a sudden deluge of intrusions. Feelings of overwhelming sadness, anger and confusion clouded any hopes of logical thought. Images of an inky black equine form with slit irises bashing itself repeatedly against a wall of pure golden energy clouded her mind's eye. Physical sensations of burns and pain wracked her body with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. She wanted to cry out, but found no faculty to facilitate it. In truth, she wasn't entirely sure she was herself at that moment. The assault seemingly lasted for hours, though only a few minutes had passed. Any defense she initially put up was crushed against the weight of the onslaught. As powerful as Discord had been and as ominous as Sombre was, this was something altogether different. She felt her spirit and her will bending not from a magical spell, but from the sheer weight of hopelessness. A dark alto laughter cackling in her skull that multiplied as the minutes passed.

Indeed, her will was bending, but not breaking. Eventually, the farmer's will began to reassert control. Those parts of her that overcame so much in so short of a life through sheer determination rallied. The defiant wielder of the Element of Honesty found a measure of defense against the mental maelstrom. Zoning out the pain, Applejack began pinpointing her thoughts against the emotional barrage. One by one, the feelings fell away. If they didn't fall, they were brutally shoved aside. The images were dealt with in the same fashion, some shattering like neatly broken glass. Eventually, Applejack's true self began to gain an upper hoof against it all. If nothing else, the farmer never did one thing: surrender. The laughter that was mocking her finally fell still. In it's steed as a soft titter that she'd grown familiar with If given a choice between the Nightmare and the moon, Applejack would choose the lunar body.

It took a few minutes before Applejack pierced all of the crippling sensations, but she managed to reassert her self-control and re-establish her mental blocks. The farmer took some time to make sure they'd hold before trying to make sense of the darkness. After a moment or two, a spark of silver lit before holding a glow and bathing the area in it's pale light. The glow moved towards her. Applejack quickly checked herself while the glow was growing brighter. She found no burns or even a scratch. The farmer shook her head at the insanity of it all. At least she were whole again.

"It took years before I could do that," Luna seemingly smirked as her horn glowed, "Though I had all the time a pony could want for practice and the sensations were all the more real than memory."

"Sugarcube," Applejack began. She paused for a moment to find the words she was looking for.

"Let me save you some trouble, fair Applejack," Luna interrupted the farmer's train of thought, "Yes, you are in my head. No, I don't really know how you got here. Yes, those were my memories and are my dreams. And no, I am not in control of any of this. No more then any pony controls their slumbering thoughts in any case." The Lunar Regent finished with a shrug.

Applejack pondered for a moment. Perhaps it was the connection to the moon? Maybe it was the fact they had "merged their harmonics" as Luna put it earlier? Regardless, it probably didn't matter in the end.

"Am Ah goin' to be stuck here?" Applejack asked.

"I could think of worse fates," Luna replied with a grin,

"Not many," Applejack mumbled.

"Doubtful," Luna answered both statements as once, "This is a dream, after all. And all dreams end." Applejack felt a slight sadness at that statement, but she wasn't sure it was her own. Luna continued on, "I've no more control to keep you here than you, yourself, possess. In any case, I suspect these are your thoughts now as much as mine."

"Beg pardon?"

"Think about it, my friend," Luna moved closer to the farmer, tapping her on the shoulder with a hoof, "For all intents, you were part of the moon itself, which is as much a part of me as my wings or horn. Don't you believe it's possible for you to relive those memories given that connection we now share?"

"Ah ain't seen that rabbit in your head yet," Applejack quipped.

"Some things are ever a private domain," Luna replied without missing a beat, "Regardless, the circumstances are what they are."

"If that's the case, why in the name of Apple Fritters are we in the moon?"

"I spent a thousand years here, my friend. Don't you think it would be a rather important time in my life?"

"Point taken," Applejack conceded.

"As I said, I don't outright control where my mind leads while I slumber. Were that the case, I would picture you in a bubbly hot tub waiting to offer me a glass of wine and a hoof rub," Luna finished.

"Let me guess. In a Prench Maid outfit?"

"My dreams, fair Applejack," Luna flashed a devastating grin as she finished, letting Applejack draw the appropriate conclusions.

"For all the good that does us. Do ya always dream about being banished?"

Where the farmer expected a verbal riposte, Luna instead was silent for once as she looked down. The farmer didn't need any intrusions to know she unintentionally hit a chink in the Lunar Regent's emotional armor. The farmer would normally pause to let any of her friend's have the space they needed. Such was the value of patience. Applejack decided to let the mental barriers drop a bit. Adjusting it ever so slowly, she allowed just enough of the chaotic energies and images through to gain a bit of perspective.

Or tried to. As she attempted to sort through the chaos, she only came to understand one thing through those emotions and images: fear. It wasn't bred from losing control or the natural precursor to rage. But that bred of loss and the resultant vulnerability. It was like losing a loved one and the uncertainties resulting from how to go on. She knew that well. But there was more as well. Where there was the natural result of a shattering loss, there was something else there she couldn't place. Though there was sadness, there was also a warmth in her chest. Applejack raised her blocks again to look for the Lunar Regent to apologize.

Applejack looked to where Luna was, but she was gone. Gradually, the darkness shifted away, blowing away as memories always do on moonlit winds. The visions gradually grew black. The farmer silently committed as much as she could for her waking memory before the dream simply faded away.

9. Minutiae Of The Night

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Chapter Nine
Minutiae Of The Night

While not born of the wing or horn, earth ponies
do indeed possess their own form of magic. While not
being prone to willful manifestations like unicorns or able
to dance among the clouds like pegasi, theirs is more
centered in the spirit. Tenacity, defiance, and simple
will are their hallmarks. The fact that, in all its history,
Stalliongrad never fell despite all intents to the contrary
in wartime is a testament to their pertinacious nature.
~ Excerpt from Starswirl's "Examinations of the Tribes"

"Is that crown too tight around your head?" Applejack was nearly yelling. It wasn't that she was angry, but where ponies lacked common sense, particularly when such dumb ideas affected her livelihood, she could hardly stand idle. Royalty or not, she pressed on, "Do you have any idea what happens if ya don't let the ground lie fallow once in a while?"

Luna watched it all with as much of a dispassionate view as she could muster, though she were thankful she wasn't on the receiving end of the farmer's bluster. The morning had been a little awkward between her and Applejack, but the meetings needed to move on. Working through the remainder of the budgetary items on the agenda had been easy enough as Luna was ever the living embodiment of an abacus. But when the agenda had moved on towards new ideas to increase incoming revenues, Luna assumed more of a secondary role. Applejack took the lead from her companion and seemed more at home. In fact, most of the others from the Ministry of Agriculture appreciated her perspective as one who actually worked the land. However, things became a bit heated between the farmer and another pony in attendance.

Stone, Prince of the House of Earth Ponies, glared at the upstart "Lady" with as much displeasure as he could express. His coal black eyes seemed on the verge of a violence while the muscles under his slate gray coat were tense. Though about the same size as Macintosh and just as physically imposing, Applejack took it right to the royal earth pony. To the farmer, he wasn't worthy of the golden plowshare cutie mark he possessed as he pressed on with the idea.

Stone's idea was to alter the timetables, published by the Ministry of Agriculture, that most of the farms in Equestria used to do away with the seasons when certain ground was left fallow. However, to Applejack, the idea was half baked and needed more time in the oven. Or the plot of whomever originated it. At that moment, it mattered little to the heated farmer.

"It shall not harm production in any way," Stone retorted evenly, never taking his eyes away from the farmer, "And you would be wise to consider that this has been discussed at great length already and no issues were found with altering the timetables."

"Uh huh. Ah sure as hay don't remember being included in any discussions," Applejack shot back, "Don't you even bother asking 'us little ponies' how we feel about it?"

"I shall explain this again," Stone said, openly mocking her as if she weren't understanding, "Unused ground is not productive ground. Using it to produce will only increase the amount of bits going into your pocket."

"And Ah'm guessing to you by proxy?" Applejack said, challenging him.

The farmer waited for a response, but none was forthcoming. Stone was caught in a logic trap. He couldn't deny it as the Element of Honesty would call him on it. He couldn't admit it as Luna would shut it down outright. He couldn't skirt around it in any form due to the farmer's direct nature. Silence was his only course as he continued to glare at the farmer.

"Thought so," Applejack continued, "Those schedules have been in place probably before your ancestors were an itch in their daddy's crotch," Applejack was gaining steam now, "Ah never heard such a damned fool notion in all mah life, and Ah've heard some whoppers. To me, that makes ya the damndest fool Ah've ever met."

"You would dare to speak to me in a such a way!" Stone interrupted, finding a measure of his courage at the verbal slight. Luna glared at Stone, but the farmer interrupted any words from the Lunar Regent.

"You're damn right Ah am!" Applejack tore back while glaring daggers at the prince, "Do rabbits control what comes out of your mouth? Do you have any idea what would happen if ya did what your suggestin'?" Luna covered her chuckle with a polite cough, as did a few of the attendees watching the verbal joust.

Applejack closed her eyes a moment and took a deep breath before continuing. "Look. If ya overstress the soil, it won't produce. The ground needs time to aerate and the dead plants need time to decompose. Otherwise, you'll sap all the nutrients from the ground, which will lower your harvests yields in the long run. Any farmer will tell ya that ya can't sacrifice long term benefits for short term growth. It don't make sense."

Stone kept his posture a moment more, but the rest of the attendees nodded in accord. As proud as he was, even the Prince of Earth Ponies realized he was beaten. Luna, for all her pretense of dispassion, was beaming inside.

"I believe we shall table the notion for now," Luna said, politely saying it were dead, buried, and had a house built on top of it. Applejack continued to stare at the Prince of Earth Ponies, but he returned his gaze only to his notes.

The rest of the meeting proceeded at a more normal tone and pace. Eventually, a few ideas (with the farmer's tacit approval) were born into proposals to invest in getting more produce to market via way of trains and expanding the rail networks to Equestria's outlying areas. With more produce getting to market quicker, more would be bought and more revenue could be collected without hurting the livelihood of the farms themselves. Given the prospective benefit to the rest of Equestria, Celestia would likely sign off on the idea. Though the sisters were equal in power, neither made a change without consulting the other.

After the meetings were called for the day, two of the Royal Guard were escorting Applejack and Luna through the halls towards a side exit from the castle used primarily by those in the employ of the Diarchs. Luna looked to her friend, "Did you have to be so harsh with him? He is part of the Royal Family, you know."

"If Ah won't tolerate it from you, what makes ya think I'll take it from him?" Applejack remarked. She was still fuming, but most of her bluster died away.

"To the point as usual, fair Applejack. Though you should know I shall never hear the end of it."

"Why?"

"You get to deal with him for a week. I have the pleasure of his company for years yet," Luna said, pausing to put a dramatic hoof to her crown, "And believe me when I tell you they shall be speaking of the 'upstart' Apple for years in court."

"You gonna cry?," Applejack finished a small smile. Luna smiled back as the two pressed on through the halls.

~(o)~

The sun was still high without a cloud in the sky as the two strolled through the streets of Canterlot. Applejack didn't need a disguise as much as the Lunar Regent did. The illusion was nearly the same one as she wore in Ponyville, though she opted to keep the horn rather than the wings. Applejack tried her best to get Luna to discard the pink sunglasses, but the Lunar Regent wouldn't hear of it. Prior to leaving, Luna attempted had dismissed the Royal Guard that was watching her. She knew it was futile though. After all, rounds needed to made around the capital city.

"Where we going again?" Applejack asked as the two moved through the winter streets.

"Quill gave me the address to a delightful restaurant," Luna said, "Supposedly, they've the best hay fries in Canterlot."

"How many times can ya eat 'em?"

"As many as I can get away with?" Luna asked as much as stated while giving a shrug.

"Ya know it goes straight to your haunch, right?" Applejack said, motioning her head to the disguised Lunar Regent's rear.

"Perhaps, but one advantage of being an nigh immortal, all powerful, magical being is one learns spells to cover any such bulges."

"They make spells that powerful?" Applejack remarked as the two rounded a bend.

"Think of it like a magical corset, fair Applejack."

"Uh huh, if ya say so," the farmer said dismissively.

"Do you doubt me?"

"Even Macintosh ain't that strong," Applejack shook her head, "Eat those things for a year straight and get back to me."

"Ever the realist," Luna said with a sigh, "Even after all you have experienced, you still look the practical side of things."

"Says the one who complains she has to put up with Stone?" Applejack replied shaking her head, "Ya could just banish him, ya know. Probably save ya a lot of trouble."

"There is a difference between dealing with nuisances and 'dealing' with them," Luna said. She saw their destination, so she slowed her gate a bit, "Where do you think the statues in the garden come from, fair Applejack?"

"Family members?" Applejack looked to Luna.

"Blueblood is one mistake away from his pedastal," Luna confirmed. The farmer smiled inside, figuring anything to give Rarity a bit of justice was welcome.

~(o)~

The restaurant, Beethoofen's, looked more like a diner one would expect in Ponyville. It seemed rather nondescript, but at least they served ale. The restaurant attempted to combine a road house atmosphere with family friendly service. Given the number of ponies enjoying a late lunch, it seemed to be working. Rockafilly played over the speakers while surly waiters moved about the raucous joint.

Luna refused to take off her glasses yet again, even in the face of the mountain of chili hayfries in front of her. Applejack worked through her mushroom burger while the incognito Lunar Regent seemed to take the plate in front of her as a personal challenge. Where Applejack manually labored to keep the contents of the burger from falling out, Luna was magically gripping as many fries as she could while easily maintaining the balance of the chili atop them. Such is where magic came in handy.

"Your gonna get a stomache ache, ya know that?" Applejack stated. She set down her burger to take a swig of the amber colored ale waiting for her.

"Eeyup," Luna remarked absently as she swallowed some of the infectious concoction. Her ale was still full as she fully indulged her course.

"Just makin' sure. One thing though," Applejack said before taking a slug of her ale. She continued as she finished, "Ah ain't sleepin' in the same bed with you tonight if you keep that up."

"Why not," Luna paused for a moment, seemingly distracted by the comment.

"Ya know what chili does, right?"

"Fair Applejack, I promise you I shan't fart," Luna snapped off a defiant bite of a bundle of fries.

"Ya say that now, but Ah don't want to be in the same room to test it," the farmer set her ale down as she finished.

"Have any of my theories been proven wrong thus far?" Luna said. She finished off the bundle of fries she was working on and finally touched her ale.

"No, sugarcube. But Ah know what it does to me. Ah figure given your a 'nigh immortal, all powerful, magical being' and all, Ah don't want to see the result. You're still a pony, ya know."

"Are you saying that my gas is any worse than yours?" Luna spoke, daring the farmer to continue.

"Ah bet ya'd blow out half the castle if ya eat too much," Applejack answered, returning to her burger. The image in her mind of a stick of blasting power tied to an alarm clock seemed to confirm her suspicions.

"My friend, you are being a ridiculous," Luna pointed a fry accusingly at the farmer.

"Ah bet they give ya the trots," the farmer charged back.

"Applejack! Such language!"

"Just bein' a realist," the farmer finished with a her forehoofs in the air dismissively. Luna smiled at her friend. She didn't doubt the farmer's words one bit, but the warnings were unimportant that moment. Happiness has such effects.

~(o)~

Aside from loud rumbling of the Lunar Regent's stomach, the return to the castle grounds proved relatively uneventful as they worked their way through the meandering streets of one of Canterlot's districts dubbed "Little Stalliongrad".

Much as the famed city on the far eastern fringes of Equestria, the neighborhood seemed a reflection of the spirits of the earth ponies claimed it as their own. While many small factories and workshops dotted the streets and alleys, there was a distinct flavor that the shops and cafes, the clubs and stands all possessed. Most the buildings were decorated in earth tones and possessed many large, open windows to invite the sunlight or moonlight in at any hour. A ball zoomed past the duo, promptly followed by a back of foals. Many earth ponies sporting a wide variety of facial hair were smoking pipes and while one mare strummed a balalaika with a soft beat audible in her mind.

"What are we doing here?" Applejack asked, looking through the expanse of the area. There was a small portion of it that appealed to the farmer.

"Meandering," Luna remarked dryly. She looked up and saw a Royal Guard hovering off in the distance. Most of the Royal and Lunar Guard made random rounds throughout the city, but it didn't help matters that the Lunar Regent felt a wanderlust in base of her city and those guardsponies were ever protective of their beloved leaders.

"Obviously," the farmer retorted. Images of a rabbit strumming a balalaika and dancing played through Applejack's mind, to which she shuttered the moon out a bit more.

"In truth, I felt the need the do a bit of shopping," Luna finally answered.

"For what? Your the princess of all ya survey, aren't ya? What use do ya have for bleedin' your bank account dry?"

"I am a mare, aren't I?" Luna answered, rolling her eyes behind the gaudy pink sunglasses, "Am I not allowed to go shopping when the mood suits me?"

"Ya still ain't answered my question."

"You'll see. I do need a 'common mares' opinion though," Luna looked around before continuing, "However, none would know me in this guise and Silverhawk would have a fit if I dropped it. So I believe you shall have to do."

"Ah still hate you," Applejack said, adjusting her Stetson against the wind.

"You keep saying that, but you stick around," Luna lifted the pink plastic rims adorning her face to look at the farmer, "Why is that, I wonder?"

"Cause your sister would have my hide if Ah left," the farmer stared back, "And Ah believe in exercise now and again."

"Pray tell, what sort of exercise?"

"Patience," the farmer finished. Luna chuckled as she lowered her sunglasses, but the sparkle in her eyes remained.

The Lunar Regent paused in front of a store and took off her sunglasses with her telekinetic grasp, pulling them away from her face. Applejack figured they were at the intended destination and looked up. The first thing that struck her was the name.

"Sergeant Flipper's Lonely Hearts Mare's Store?" the farmer sounded out to herself.

"What was that?" Luna asked as she focused on her glasses.

The farmer looked through the window and saw a number of items on display. The items ran the gamut from velvet-lined corsets to other items unfit for the eyes of Apple Bloom as of yet. The farmer backed away a few steps and shook her head while muttering, "Nah uh. Not happening."

"Did you say something, fair Applejack?"

"Ah've read many stories in Mareshouse that start this way," Applejack noted. She slipped on a spot of ice in the road and fell to her haunch. She continued on anyway despite the unceremonious seat, "Ah'll play with ya all night, but not that way."

Luna's face screwed up in confusion before she turned her head towards the storefront. Quickly connecting the dots, the incognito Lunar Regent burst into a belly laugh.

"You thought...." Luna said through a grin, her eyes glistening in the late afternoon sunlight, "Seriously?"

"The why did you stop?" Applejack accused indignantly, crossing her forehoofs over her barrel in a defiant gesture.

"To clean my glasses," Luna said, whisking the pink sunglasses to Applejack for her inspection, "A snowflake fell on one of the lenses and having a wet drop obscuring your vision is rather annoying."

"Oh," the farmer responded after a few seconds. She dropped her crossed hoofs back to the ground. Luna smirked a good while before engaging her magic, enjoying the moment at the farmer's expense.

"Now pick yourself up," Her horn lit as she spoke, using her magical grasp to plant the farmer back on all fours, "And let's be on our way."

Applejack finally spoke after a few minutes of silence, "So where we going then?"

"To procure some antacids," Luna said, "I fear those chili fries are going to haunt me later and I don't wish the doctors to fret over a case of indigestion."

"Ah. They think it'd be fatal or something?"

"Only in Trot Kong," Luna said as the continued on their way.

~(o)~

Applejack was looking over the schedule for the remainder of the meetings. Despite loosing an entire day due to the mishap with the moon, they were somehow on schedule. As the farmer continued over the schedule, she heard the faucet turn off from the bathroom attached to Luna's abode.

"Ah warned her," the farmer muttered to herself, shaking her head not for the last time that day.

The door opened as Luna pushed through. She looked none the worse for wear given her third trip to the bathroom that night. Applejack didn't tell her "Ah told ya so," figuring Luna was getting enough reminders as time wore on. Luna sat next to the farmer as she finished looking over the schedule.

"Assuming ya survive the night, we should be able to finish the day after tomorrow," Applejack snapped the binder closed.

"A pity you would have to leave then," Luna said, trying to keep the sadness out of her voice, "I don't believe it will be the same with you gone." She looked to the apple awaiting her on the nightstand, but nearly blanched at the site of it.

"Ah do have a farm to run," Applejack lamented, "Ah can't stay and play."

"I could order you to stay," Luna remarked, practically chirping, "I can even make a grand proclamation before the entirety of Canterlot." Luna stood up slowly, clearing her throat as if she were going to use the Royal Canterlot Voice. She stood up on her rear legs as much as her tummy troubles would allow and attempted some regality befitting her station.

"Here me, O citizens of Equestria! I, Princess Luna, Diarch of Equestria and Lunar Regent, hereby proclaim Sweet Apple Acres is now the property of the Lunar Crown! Henceforth, the Apple family, formerly freeholders, are now servants to the Lunar Princess! Let it be known that the Lady Applejack is henceforth stripped of all titles and obligations resulting from the same. She shall now be the personal plaything of the Lunar Regent until the end of her days!"

"Was that good enough?" Luna asked as she gingerly worked her way down to all fours.

"Close enough, though Ah think you needed a little more flourish to it," Applejack said, "Ya can't make such a proclamation without fanfare and doves flying past ya."

"I can organize it tomorrow if you so wish," Luna offered, "Though I must admit it may achieve a better effect the day after, given my current state."

"At least ya ain't pregnant," Applejack remarked, "Be thankful for that."

"Perish the thought," Luna remarked, "I cannot imagine the thought of a little alicorn running around the castle. From the stories my sister tells, having Twilight around as a foal nearly tore the castle down."

"Ah can imagine," Applejack offered, "Though I can't help but wonder what it would have been..." Applejack reflexively stopped as she considered what she was saying and remembering what happened that last time she professed anything aloud along that line of thought. Luna smirked, apparently agreeing with that judgement. The farmer corrected her wording, "Anyway, Ah bet it was cute."

"What of you, fair Applejack," Luna pressed, seating herself next to the farmer, "Do you not have aspirations for a family?"

Applejack thought for a moment before answering, "If it were to happen, then fine. Otherwise, whether it happens or not doesn't matter. Ah got my farm, my friends and my family. Ah don't need more than that."

"No stallions to tame the wild heart of the mighty Applejack?" Luna asked.

"Nope," Applejack said. Luna's heart jumped.

"A pity then," Luna remarked offhoodedly. Applejack caught on a telltale sign in her head, but let it go. The silence in the air was palpable and hung like a curtain obscuring a clear sky.

"Sugarcube, Ah need to ask ya something," Applejack asked after collecting her thoughts.

"Anything, fair Applejack," Luna replied, though her stomach protested with an audible growl.

"That hat over there," Applejack mentioned, pointing to the mantle above the fireplace, "Where'd ya get it?"

~(o)~

Stone and Blueblood, Prince of the House of Unicorns, were sharing a late dinner. The pasta dish they had was a little bland by their standards, but sat well in their stomachs. Stone, for his part, recounted most of the day while Blueblood sat silent while drinking a glass of dark red wine. Of course, Stone bent the truth to put him in a good light as most of the royal progeny would. Such was the games they played.

"Can you believe it?" Stone said after taking a long draw of his wine, "The damned farmer turned the entire Ministry of Agriculture against me."

"They have that effect," Blueblood finally spoke, referring to Twilight's cadre, "All things being equal, cousin, it may be prudent to let the issue slide. I mean, is this Apple really worth it?" Blueblood shuttered slightly recalling Applejack's part in the disaster at the Grand Galloping Gala a few years ago.

"I can't say I'm worried," Stone replied, "For that matter, I sent a missive to Auntie. I'm sure she'll put that Apple in her place."

"You didn't!" Blueblood's normally white face seemed to grow paler, "Cousin, of all the idiotic things you could do!"

"What!?" Stone seemed to be missing the point his unicorn 'cousin' was making, "No one, not even that whelp of a student she has speaks to me in such a way."

Just as Blueblood was about to suggest an immediate follow up message concerning the fraudulent nature of the original letter, a gout of green flame erupted in front of the Prince of Earth Ponies. Stone's smile was genuine, if overly eager as he seized the letter and unrolled it with his hooves. Stone's smile quickly faded into a frown before transitioning into a look of pure horror by the time he finished.

"What, cousin?" Blueblood pressed, "What does it say?"

"Dear Idiot," Stone began to read out aloud.

10. The Truth Of The Night

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Chapter Ten
The Truth Of The Night

As we've seen, accepting the truth is simultaneously the
most difficult and most rewarding thing a pony can do. It isn't
a sign of Cognitive Dissidence to question what we endeavor
to understand, but we should recognize the truth for what it is:
a source of strength and a saving grace. Just as a falsehood
snowballs upon the pony telling it, the telling of the truth, whether
scientific, historical, empirical, or personal, shall set that pony free.
~ Excerpt from Firemane's "Finding The Fulcrum: Essays of Life"

Luna swallowed hard. One of the Lunar Regent's hidden strengths was her attention to detail. However, in the company of the farmer, she found herself missing some things that normally wouldn't have slipped past her. The hat, placed dead center on her mantle, was one such thing. She meant to move it elsewhere, but between the emotional roller coaster and infectious flippancy, from basking in the farmer's presence to the mishap with the moon, from the meetings to the sheer randomness of the recent days, she missed that little detail.

It wasn't that Luna wanted to keep it from Applejack. After all, it rightly belonged to the Apple family. But she wasn't quite ready for the story at the moment Applejack had pointed it out. Luna quickly looked around for some means of distraction, but found nothing. She turned back to find the farmer's emerald eyes kept piercing her as only they could. The Lunar Regent felt a mixture of emotions bubble forth and she wasn't exactly sure how to process them. Her normally expressive face became a blank slate.

"Ya alright, sugarcube?" Applejack asked. She didn't miss the hat during the few times she'd been in the Lunar Regent's abode. The farmer wouldn't have pressed the issue, figuring all things come in due time, "Ah didn't mean to..."

"No, tis quite alright," Luna interrupted. The alicorn had decided at length to get it over with. She owed Applejack that much. Both of them. The Lunar Regent moved towards the doors leading out from her room.

"Where ya going?"

"To get some lubricant," the Lunar Regent remarked as she opened the doors. She found Silverhawk and Storm Wind, her ever faithful guards that just came on duty, at attention on either side of the doorway.

"Your Highness?" Silverhawk said as he turned his head to meet the gaze of the Lunar Regent.

"Would you be so kind as to summon Fetch," Luna said, referring to the butler, "I have need of some...items from the cellars."

"Of course, Your Highness," Silverhawk said as he and Storm Wind bowed. Luna moved back inside and closed the door behind her.

~(o)~

Of the five bottles of Spring Wine that Fetch had procured, two were emptied by the duo as they started on the third. The farmer had long ago donned her namesake's hat while Luna, for her part, finally wore Applejack's trademark Stetson. As they reclined on a couch near the fireplace, Luna was laid back as her rear hooves were kicked up over the farmer's seated form

Applejack sat enraptured by the stories she was hearing. It was like the grand adventures Granny Smith used to tell her. Luna went so far as to produce a few illusions to aid in the telling. The assault on the castle, her ancestor's audacious challenge to the centaur, all of it played through the imagination of the farmer. Through it all, even the moon gave her a few images, though Applejack found she had to let down her mental blocks more than usual so it could feed those images to her. One particular image of a rabbit, decked out with an overly large cowpony hat, giving somepony an obscene gesture only added to the farmer's mirth.

For her part, Luna proved an apt storyteller. She had decided to tell the farmer all if it from her memory. Everything from the first time she met the original Applejack to when the farmer from Dream Valley led the diversionary assault up the mountain top and stood brazenly against the centaur. Over her long span of years, Luna's memory could forget some small details as anypony's could. She never once, in the millennia of her existence, forgot the smallest detail about the current Applejack's namesake.

"So she really told Celestia to lay off the cakes?" Applejack said, sipping a bit more of the fine Spring Wine. The perpetual smile left her cheeks hurting, but the spirits helped dull the ache.

"Oh yes," Luna remarked, struggling to keep the laughter from her voice as she peaked out from under the wide brim of the Stetson, "If nothing else, she would speak her mind whenever it pleased her. She, in fact, said how Celestia's dress made it look like two zebras were having a pillow fight. At which point I told Tia that it looked more like two griffons brawling over a watermelon. In due seriousness, the dress had so many folds and so much fabric that we could have draped the entire castle two times over."

Applejack doubled over in laughter, trying futilely to find her breath. Luna found the experience was not as awkward as she believed it would be. Whether it was the farmer's open, if direct, nature or the wine was debatable, but it felt good to get the memories out in the open with another pony. Her head felt a giddiness that made her a bit light headed. Or was it the wine? The Lunar Regent wasn't sure. The wine was magically preserved and aged carefully for more of a kick than the usual fair. However, between her goddess-like countenance and Applejack's rugged constitution, what made them swoon would lay other ponies low.

"Sounds like mah family alright," the farmer said after finally getting her breath, "When Mac walked down Main Street in Granny's girdle, he wasn't ashamed of it."

"The apples never fall far from the tree," Luna said as she raised her glass in a mock toast.

"Ah hay, he practically relished it. Ah wonder about that stallion sometimes," Applejack remarked, giving an exaggerated shake of her head.

"Oh ho!" Luna grinned, finding a new avenue for discourse, "Does the Element of Honesty care if a pony is a...fillyfooler or coltcuddler?"

"Now where'd ya pick those up?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow at the Lunar Regent.

"It helps to keep up on the modern vernacular, even if it's a bit crude," Luna said, "Besides, I read them in a Police Academy comic."

"Ah huh," Applejack smirked as she spoke, "But to answer ya, it don't bother me. A pony loves who they love, and that can't be helped."

"A fine sentiment," Luna said, a soft smile on her face, "You do your namesake credit."

"Do Ah now?" the farmer said, rolling her head towards the Lunar Regent.

"Indeed you do!" Luna replied, moving her rear legs from the farmer's lap and moved to a seated position. The normally graceful alicorn's moves seemed somewhat forced, as if she were trying to make her muscles cooperate, "I think she would have been proud."

Applejack took the compliment in stride. Between the wine or the company, the farmer was more relaxed than she remembered, more unguarded. Not the farmer wasn't at ease in Luna's presence, but spirits they had shared made it easier to hear of long dead relatives from an eternally living aspect of nature that she chided on a regular basis. The farmer stared forward, realizing her life would likely never cease its humor.

Luna watched the farmer chew over something, the emerald eyes staring at nothing. Whether through a lack of inhibition or the freedom of expression she enjoyed in Applejack's company, something clicked inside Luna's head. On impulse, she leaned towards the distracted farmer's head as slowly as her tipsy state would allow. Her auroral mane brushed against the farmer's cheek, breaking Applejack's daze as she turned towards the offending strand of hair. The farmer found Luna's lips barely an inch from her's, the smell of wine heavy on the Lunar Regent's breath.

"Has anyone told you, fair Applejack," Luna said slowly, "Yours is a haunch that won't quit?"

"Yup," the farmer smiled slightly, keeping her emerald orbs level with the Lunar Regent's, "And Ah won't quit kicking yours if ya don't get outta mah face."

"Suppose I were to impose my will upon you," Luna replied, "Do you believe you could stop me?"

"Ah'll get the feathers," the farmer warned.

"Fair Applejack, I had no idea you were so kinky!"

"Do it and find out," the farmer finished, turning to take a sip of wine. The moon made it clear that it were time to begin its journey via an image of a dancing alarm clock, "Come on, it's time."

As much as Luna wanted to continue teasing the farmer, she wouldn't shirk her duties. The two rose, extricating themselves from the couch and moving towards the balcony. Unfortunately, the journey proved to be anything but a straight forward process as the two weaved through the large room. Some drapes, put there at the behest of the farmer to shut to chill air out of the room, separated the balcony from the rest of the room.

For her part, Applejack managed to navigate the voluminous fabric easily enough. Luna, who thought it would be a good idea to stretch her wings prior to exiting the room, managed to get herself tangled in the heavy fabric. The farmer turned sloppily to the Lunar Regent. Somehow part of Luna's mane got twisted up with the top portion of the drapes while one eye peaked out from a space within the layers of the drape. The entirety of her figure was otherwise covered by the lengthy fabric.

"Shut up," Luna said before the farmer could even speak.

"Should Ah take a picture?" Applejack said anyway, "Ah wonder how much the National Equestrian would pay for 'em?"

"Applejack, help me!" Luna said with a whine.

With a chuckle, the farmer managed her way to the trapped Lunar Regent and, after a few minutes, managed to extract her without resorting to scissors. Luna raised her head and gave a mocking "harrumph" as she reached the edge of the balcony. She looked over the late evening winter scene enveloping Canterlot before assuming an overly regal pose. Holding it for a moment, Luna laughed for no reason afterward.

Luna's horn sparked to life a moment later as she worked to encourage the moon on its way. The farmer felt the moon's happiness clearly as it began on its way. The Lunar Regent finished with an exaggerated bow to some imaginary audience.

"Ah think the rabbit in your head is dancing a jig," the farmer said as she moved back towards the abode.

"It does that sometimes," Luna smirked as she took a few wobbly steps towards her abode. The curtains gave her little trouble. She gave them as deadly a glare as her current state would allow. Applejack was sure the curtains, nor her, took the threat seriously.

Just as the well-spirited duo passed by the warm fireplace, the Luna paused as her face lit as if from an epiphany. The Lunar Regent seemed to be processing something while the farmer paused a few paces beyond her. Applejack looked back to the Lunar Regent with a studious eye.

"Is this the part where Ah got back to dreamland?" Applejack asked.

"Hardly," Luna answered, a smile spreading on her face again, "Though I can facilitate that if you wish."

"Ah've had enough rabbits," the farmer replied. The image of a weeping bunny seemingly mocked her mentally, though the farmer ignored it.

"You tire of my company?" Luna said with pursed lips forming a frown, as if oblivious to her earlier comment.

"Not that. Just....never mind. What's on your brain?"

"Music!" Luna chirped immediately, a broad smile returned her face, "Drinks!"

"What about 'em?" the farmer, admittedly feeling it herself, asked.

"We need more!" Luna replied. She broke into a near gallop heading towards a selection of records on one of the shelves. Applejack, for all her practicality, didn't fault the alicorn's logic at the moment. Until Luna crashed into the shelf, apparently misjudging the minimum distanced to gain a complete stop.

~(o)~

What the two bottles did to both of them, the fourth bottle had just as proportional an effect. Applejack worked hard to get the dozing Lunar Regent into bed. She was winding down herself, but promised herself to make sure Luna was in easy reach should any such emergencies arise. That said, the fact that alicorn outweighed her by nearly double didn't help matters much.

While giving a few utterances regarding a diet, the farmer finally got the Lunar Regent into the bed and nonchalantly shoved her to the far side. After working a few covers over the snoring alicorn, she removed her hat and the relic that Luna had given her. Should she remember anyway. The farmer wobbled a bit before finally getting comfortable into bed. Sleep, she hoped, would find her shortly.

Luna didn't wait long before rolling onto the nearly unconscious farmer. With part of her auroral mane, foreleg, and neck burying the Element of Honesty nearly to asphyxiation, Applejack somehow maneuvered onto her back and flung the Lunar Regent's bulk off of her. Luna's slumbering form rolled over back to the edge, and nearly off of it. Somehow, the Lunar Regent, even in the midst of her wine induced slumber, held enough grace to keep her position.

Applejack waited a few more minutes for either the thud of alicorn hitting her or for the thump from an alicorn hitting the floor. When neither seemed forthcoming, the farmer finally succumbed to the hazy slumber wine engenders.

~(o)~

When she made the realization she was dreaming, Applejack found herself flying. Though she couldn't remember what she had been doing before it occurred to her, the farmer had become aware of that lucidity without much of a shock. The farmer relished in that freedom as she was zooming through the warm night air. Above her, the sky was dotted with so many stars, she nearly lost herself just staring. The ground below her rolled with waves with lush green hills dotted by an occasional copse of trees. A river occasionally intersected the base of the hills, cutting a meandering blue line across a sea of night tinted green.

The farmer lost track of time of how long she were flying before a twinkling light drew her attention to a distant hilltop. It was then that Applejack felt the telltale pull once more. She willed herself forward as quickly as she could go, closing the distance to the twinkling light. Eventually, she managed to draw close enough to realize it were a fire. Logs were stacked two abreast a fair height from the ground. Applejack thought she could make out something atop the logs, but the flames had obscured her version too much to be definitive about what it was.

Applejack slowed her flight once she could make out additional details. A multitude of ponies gathered around the roaring blaze as if in reverence and solace. Some looked down, others towards some in attendance, while still others simply stared towards the fire. Nearly all had the same solemn, blank look of introspection. One thing was clear to the farmer: they were paying their respects to something or somepony. Two figures stood nearest to the fire and were taller than the rest of the gathered mass. One was cream colored while the other was a dark sapphire and both were decked in the formal trappings of royalty. The farmer didn't need to see their cuties marks to know who they were.

The quiet gathering began to break while the fire raged on. Celestia put a hoof to her sister's shoulder. The Lunar Regent simply stared into the fire as if trying to make peace. One hoof clutched a worn cowpony hat as the minutes into an hour. The two eternal sisters were utterly alone. Eventually, Luna's gaze drifted towards to the ground. That's when the tears came. Celestia brought her shattered sister in closer, wrapping a hoof and a wing about her form as if protecting her from the world. Luna leaned into it and sat down, as if trying to find some meaning to it. It seemed to Applejack that even alicorns, ever living aspects of nature, could sometimes be broken.

Though the farmer was unsure of how long had passed, the fire eventually subsided, leaving her in an inky blackness. As she realized what happened, she reflexively brought her barriers up, recalling the previous experience she had. However, no assault seemed forthcoming. It wasn't a minute after she focused back on her environment that she heard a voice behind her.

"It must be odd, watching the pyre of your namesake," Luna remarked behind the farmer. Applejack wasn't surprised, "I wonder what Voltmare would say about it? I'm sure it's a fascinating philosophical topic."

"What happened?" the farmer asked as a silver glow tinted the area.

"Old age," Luna remarked.

"Fittin'."

"Indeed. I wanted to put on a grand state funeral for all of Equestria to pay homage, but she wouldn't leave her home," Luna said to the entranced farmer, "As a matter of fact, she said she'd 'buck my bucking head off' if I moved her in those final days. Dream Valley was everything to her."

"Ah would have thought she wanted a party," the farmer looked over her shoulder to Luna as she spoke, "At least that's what Ah want. No tears and such, just smilin' and laughter."

"She made that request actually. In the end, we were overruled by the denizens of Dream Valley," Luna stated with a shrug, "Power of the ponies and all that, and who are Celestia or I to deny them the right to be...morose?"

Luna dropped the glow of her horn as another light sprung to life off in the distance. One more lit, then another before one more after that. In succession, the lights sprung until they revealed a stone hallway. The farmer believed she could make out a pony slowly approaching her. Its head never left the ground, though she recognized the pony in question as it drew closer.

"Luna?" Applejack called, but the somber alicorn didn't acknowledge her.

The melancholy pony seemed to acknowledge nothing as it moved passed her. The feelings of regret were nearly palpable as the sapphire alicorn kept walking. Applejack took a step to follow the silent Lunar Regent, but a yank on her tale snapped her attention away. She turned back to see Luna's horn amidst the silver glow.

"I wouldn't bother, Fair Applejack," Luna remarked, "Tis a long hallway and one that I do not think you want to travel. Besides, it is merely a metaphor for time and distance and all those subjects ponies can't make a living with after graduation."

"Uh huh," the farmer replied, glad she didn't pursue a degree in Philosophy, "Where's it lead then?"

"I believe you know, my friend," Luna said quietly as she looked down. The scenery shifted to a dark and scorched forest. A stone building, equally scorched and with many holes about the walls and ceiling, surrounded them.

“Please, Luna! Listen to me. You can’t do this. Your privations will kill us all unless you lower the moon!” Applejack heard once more. She drew the appropriate conclusions.

"Why?" Applejack asked, finally feeling she were owed an explanation.

"When your namesake passed on, fair Applejack," Luna began after collecting her thoughts, "I found myself unable to accept it. It left such a whole in my heart that the daemon we've come to call The Nightmare took root. As time passed, it manifested like a cancer before consuming me whole in my...in my arrogance and grief. All because I was a coward."

"Coward?" Applejack said, nearly scoffing despite herself, "You? How so."

"I have seen many ponies pass on that I have considered friends," Luna continued, apparently needing to come clean, "When you live for thousands of years, you learn that friends come and go and you honor them as such. But she...she was special. I've never known a pony like her up until now, but she never knew how special?"

"Why?"

Luna's eyes closed as she apparently took a deep breath, "Because I never told her I loved her."

Applejack parked herself as the scene of Luna's banishment played on. She wanted those signs of falsehood to go off, but her mind was still. The farmer looked to the Lunar Regent, unsure exactly what to do. A few minutes passed as Luna sat in contemplation.

"What you are experiencing is my own thoughts and fears, my friend," Luna said as she stared at the farmer, "What you see here is merely expressions of things I do not and can not tell others at casual parties."

The farmer rose and moved towards the Lunar Regent, finally understanding. She put a hoof to the Lunar Regent's cheek, finding it wet. Another tear loosed itself as the farmer shifted to her hoof to the Lunar Regent's chin, pushing Luna's face even with the farmer's. Applejack's emerald eyes held Luna's gaze without released.

"Sugarcube, whatever regrets ya feel," the farmer said softly, "Whatever crimes ya think ya did, you gotta move past them. If not for your sake, then for mine and her's. Ya know how that story ends and nopony deserves that."

Luna wanted to break away from that gaze, so awful and so beautiful. The farmer didn't judge her outside of the jest and arrows they slung at each other. The gaze was the same, past and present. It filled her with excitement and fear, devotion and compassion. The farmer's words were so simple, but so profound. They were the truth, Luna understood that, but it wasn't an easy thing for her to accept. Not without hearing it from her. Such is the nature of loyalty bred of devotion.

"Fair Applejack, our time in this way grows short as the connection grows weaker," Luna said quietly, "And there is one other thing you must know."

"What's that?" the farmer said equally soft, thinking she was helping a friend sort through her secrets.

As the world around them grew bright from the release of the Elements of Harmony, Luna pressed forward the last few inches, putting her lips to farmer's. The two held that pose as the shot from the Rainbow of Light consumed the dark form overhead. Applejack's eyes grew wide in surprise as the world flooded with light. But neither did she pull away as the dream faded.

11. The Night's Pale Moonlight

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Chapter Eleven
The Night's Pale Moonlight

"See the rose within that field of white,
clashed crimson lightning in ivory storms?
Tis a twilight call for us to run as we once did
amidst the field where the sweet wine's born.

So I ask, my love, this night, stay at my side.
Be my fire-lit silhouette 'neath Luna's mystery!
Though the wardrums soon will call for me,
tonight, my love, let's delay that misery.
~Excerpt from Triton's "A Soldier's Dying Wish"

The farmer did her level headed best to wake Luna before another of Celestia's inspired letters arrived, but the Lunar Regent was still snoring as the calls came clearer and more urgently from the moon. Seeing no water convenient, she found the next best thing with a quill from Luna's desk. Yanking back the sheets and seizing the writing instrument in her mouth, she found the Lunar Regent's exposed flank and gave her a quick prick.

Despite being a creature of physical sensations, the Lunar Regent still somehow snored contentedly, oblivious to the farmer's pointed inquiry. Applejack tried once again with a bit more pressure, but still the found the alicorn a tougher proposition then trying get to foal up for school. After setting the quill back, the farmer groaned. Between the hangover and pressing urgency the celestial body gave her, it wasn't as good start to the day. Seeing no other course, the farmer seized the Lunar Regent's horn and gave it a violent shake.

"Huh....," Luna finally responded groggily before becoming aware of the blistering headache behind her eyes.

"Ya gotta get up," Applejack said.

"Ugh. Five more minutes?"

"Do Ah gotta get an ax?" Applejack threatened.

"Violence begets violence, fair Applejack," Luna managed to quip, still refusing to open her eyes.

"Sugarcube," Applejack replied, managing as much command as she could muster given her bodily aches and the dreams the night before, "Move your haunch!"

"I'm up," the alicorn said, opening one eye slowly before the other while silently cursing her headache.

She rolled around for a moment while Applejack searched for her hat. At lengthy internal debate, the Lunar Regent decided to move on with the day. The alicorn moved in a slow gate towards the bathroom. Moon or not, some things had always come first. After a few minutes, Luna moved out onto the balcony where she found Applejack quietly leaning on the rail, her head buried beneath the hat and resting on her crossed forehoofs.

"There is a reason why I don't imbibe often," Luna remarked as she focused her magic towards manifestation. Her regalia seemingly glistened in the moon's waning light.

As her horn sparked to life, it seemed the tiny silver sparkles that defied gravity moved slower than usual. Despite the grogginess and aches engendered from the wine's after effects, it didn't take long to set the moon down for the day. Where Luna had expected a retort from the farmer, she found Applejack was silent. Whether it was from the lack of coffee or something seizing her thoughts, Luna wasn't sure. However, even in her current state, that troubled the Lunar Regent.

"A bit for your thoughts, my friend," Luna offered as she motioned back inside.

Applejack turned an eye towards the Lunar Regent. She wanted to speak her thoughts, but no words were forthcoming. The farmer shook her head gently, as much for her headache as for what she was processing, and turned back inside. As Luna watched the solemn farmer move inside, her own thoughts began to race as she recalled the reverie of the previous night.

The next few hours until breakfast were silent between the two. Luna pressed the farmer for any details she could muster while silent cursing her own stupidity. As much as she treasured Applejack, she remained a slave to her impulses around the farmer. The Lunar Regent wanted to make her apparent transgression right, but was unsure how to set about that. She remained silent with the farmer's namesake because of that fear of ruining what they had. However, if the current incarnation taught her anything, it was to take life as it came and accept what it gave you.

Luna now had come to believe she misunderstood that lesson. Further, she believed she saw her error. Where she had the fear of loss again, she failed to simply relish those experiences the farmer gave her. Hay fries, the banter, "Go Buck Yourself", all if it was an experience to treasure. But in counting on the farmer's accepting nature, had she perhaps pressed that relationship to far?

As the two moved slowly to breakfast courtesy of Fetch and the kitchen staff, Applejack focused more on the Quad Shot then her spinach and hay pancakes. Luna watched her friend as her mind replayed everything. So consumed, she nearly missed the fact that the telltale signals had begun to feed itself to Luna, albeit very weakly.

Luna was ever the embodiment of the moon and Applejack was a part of that for a while. As such, a thought occurred to her. The Lunar Regent tried to use that connection to feel out the moon, seeing if would give her an answer about the suddenly morose farmer. But when the Lunar Regent received what understood to be a coy giggle, a terse expression unintentionally crossed her features.

"Don't glare at me," Applejack said as she returned Luna's cross stare.

"Tis not you, fair Applejack," Luna said as she softened her expression.

"Rabbits?"

"Precisely."

"Well, it's good its getting back to ya," Applejack said absently before sipping her Quad Shot.

"Applejack," Luna began, seeing a chance for discourse, "I'm sorry if..."

"It's alright," the farmer said in a tone of finality. The farmer stared at her food, but seemingly lost her appetite. She rose and excused herself from the small table in the Lunar Regent's abode. She snapped her trademark hat in place before moving to the doors

"Applejack?" Luna asked, almost pleading.

"Ah need to be alone," the farmer said as a bit of anger crept into her voice. The farmer pushed passed the doors and into the hallway. The Royal Guard that just came on duty snapped a salute as the Element of Honesty departed down the hallway. Luna watched Applejack depart as her thoughts raced between dread and fascination.

~(o)~

For Applejack, it was hard to focus on the day's meeting. As Luna managed to guide the discussions enough via a mixture of thoughtful looks and measured bluff, the farmer remained quiet. While the various self-important ponies discussed subjects that pertained directly to her, the farmer wasn't focused on the discussion. Applejack left the meeting after a few hours without a word. Luna tried to press on in the farmer's absence, though she had her own difficulties. Between the subject matter and, even more so, the crisis with Applejack she caused, it was hard to continue on.

Luna called meeting not long after Applejack left. Much to her chagrin, she found the Apple was no where within the confines of the castle. She made a few inquires about the farmer's location with the Royal Guards, but none gave any information. The Lunar Regent, not for the first time in her life, felt unease growing in her heart.

After an hour of futility, Luna retreated to the observatory. Each step up the narrow stairwell felt like a trial. When she reached the top of the stairs and finally moved into the room, she seized her quill and ink with her magic and moved to the table to write. The Lunar Regent opened to her last incomplete entry and dipped the feather in the inkwell. She set the quill on the paper and tried to organized her thoughts.

Luna wasn't exactly sure how long she stared at the parchment or even how to begin. The alicorn couldn't shake the regret that clouded her thoughts, the same as it did those years ago. Why were Apples so difficult! She snapped the journal closed in frustration and moved to the couch. She needed space to think and the sofa, rather large by anypony's standards, seemed as good a place as any.

The alicorn set her vast mental faculties to work in three different directions as she laid back. In one direction, she set about cursing her foolishness. In another direction, she set about trying to figure a way to apologize to Applejack for her error and perhaps destroying the friendship between them. The final path she set on was wondering why her subconscious felt the need to reveal everything to the farmer. Luna, for her part, never quite grasped why she loved the farmer. But she knew that she trusted Applejack perhaps more then anypony else. Even Celestia, her sister in eternity, never understood the depths of her heart. Was that it then? Was it she didn't want to withhold anything from the farmer?

Luna rolled on the couch trying to find a comfortable spot. It didn't help that the moon still giggled at her Though It didn't often need to send her pictures, it gave her a mental image of an orange earth pony and dark purple alicorn touching hoofs while sitting in the bough of a tree. Both of their eyes were eyes closed while they leaned in close enough that their lips were nearly touching. The Lunar Regent was being mocked and there was little she could do about it.

~(o)~

It wasn't that Applejack was melancholy or even sad. Between the hangover (of which those induced by wine tends to be the worst) and the nature of the revelations she heard, she needed her own space to think. The farmer found herself milling about the gardens outside. She wanted to find an island of seriousness amidst the sea of frivolity that was her existence and Luna, as much as she cared for the alicorn, wouldn't give her that.

The moon's connection was weak enough that she let her barriers go down to almost nothing. Of course, the lunar body fed her images of a rabbit hugging itself with a goofy smile splayed across its face. The farmer shook her head as she moved among the hedgerows. Applejack found the center of the garden easily enough and moved to the gazebo. She parked herself and simply stared out into nothing as her mind raced.

It wasn't the first time the farmer was without an immediate answer, but never did the stakes feel so dramatic. Against Nightmare Moon, the decision to make her stand as her friends needed her was simple enough. She stood beside the then unknown Twilight Sparkle, even saving her life during a rock slide, because it was what was needed. Discord proved no different when he was let loose in Equestria. However, something the impish God of Chaos said played itself over and over in her mind in her confusion back then.

"When all the truth does is make your heart ache, sometimes a lie is easier to take."

Of course, Discord had employed powerful magic to overcome the Element of Honesty's spirit, to mask her nature from the very Element she embodied. However, after her spirit had finally reasserted itself with aid from Twilight, she let that thought play over in her mind as a safeguard and a lesson in life. When in doubt, be honest about yourself. With that in mind, she allowed herself to look back over her recent history.

Applejack supposed she should have saw it. Between the Lunar Regent's hyperactive innuendos and simple frivolity, the farmer had assumed the Lunar Regent was simply relaxed and being who she was. After all, alicorns were still ponies and everypony needed release in order to be themselves. But as Applejack looked back at everything in that different light, she came to a conclusion. Had she known, it would have changed nothing between them.

"Wouldn't change a thing," Applejack said to herself, some how startled but understanding of it all. The moon still gave her images a rabbit smiling stupidly, but she paid it no heed.

Why though? She understood that she loved her friends and family dearly, but she didn't have that same relationship with them. She would only put up with so much crap from them, but why then did she take by the shovelful from Luna? Applejack pulled the sides of her brim down in frustration. What was the answer? In reality, what did she feel?

It wasn't that she weren't attracted to mares. In truth, she never really cared for which set of pride organs the pony possessed and she even allowed herself the occasional fantasy along those lines. Also, there was the experience a few summers ago with Rainbow when they found an old and untapped barrel of cider. The farmer cleared her throat as she returned her easily distracted mind to its original course.

It was also that she didn't care for the Lunar Regent. For everything Luna had done to her and for all their little adventures, she found herself enjoying the experiences more often then regretting them. So what was it then? Why was she angry? Applejack kicked a bit of snow in front of her. Even Rarity never drew that level of frustration from her. Why now? The line replayed itself in the impish deity's voice as clear as when he uttered it to her.

"When all the truth does is make your heart ache, sometimes a lie is easier to take."

A lot of ponies misunderstood the Element of Harmony she embodied. Most felt that she could never lie and that, no matter what, she could speak only the truth. But it never worked like that. She bluffed and joked and told as many whoppers as the next farmer. However, as she came to understand it, she was the Element of Honesty for single reason. She knew, heart and soul, who she was and would never be anything but that. The fact she was a living lie detector was only an ancillary benefit. Given all that then, what was the point of her bluster? Was she lying to herself about the nature of their relationship? Oddly, that thought didn't disturb her.

The farmer attempted to simplify the complex equation. Luna, intentionally or otherwise, threw the gauntlet down and she needed to respond. What was the response though? She queried the weakened connection to the moon, trying to find some semblance of an answer. For its part, the moon still fed her images of a rabbit hugging itself with a blissful smile. The farmer shook head again and shut it out. Again the line played itself out for her.

"When all the truth does is make your heart ache, sometimes a lie is easier to take."

At length, three choices presented themselves to the farmer. She could tell Luna to jump in the lake, but what purpose would that serve? Sure, she could play out her bluster, but it wouldn't solve the situation. Eventually, the farmer realized that it, in and of itself, would be a lie. She could never do that to Luna and forgive herself.

Applejack considered the second option of simply playing it off as if nothing happened. The farmer shook her head immediately. Whatever life, in its infinite jocularity, threw at her, she kept going. All problems had some resolution and all questions had an answer, but leaving something unaddressed let it become a bigger problem. There would be no way she could leave this hanging between them.

The third option scared her and, perhaps more so, fascinated her. Unintentionally lowering her barriers, the moon fed her the same image of a purple alicorn and orange earth pony touching hoofs and nearly kissing in the bough of a tree. That didn't disturb the farmer either. As the reality of the situation set in, the farmer nodded to herself. Indeed, the third option was the right course. It was the truth. It wasn't simple, but it was what it was, and she would press on.

Applejack took a deep breath and gained her hoofs, fearing and accepting what she now understood all at once. For right or wrong, she would face it. While a lie might mask the situation to keep it simple and allow her to continue as if nothing happened, it wouldn't be the truth; it wouldn't be who she was and it wasn't what her and Luna's relationship was. She wasn't absolutely sure what would happen. But she found the decision, the realization, a bit easier with each step back towards the castle. Of course, she would make Luna pay dearly for doing this to her.

~(o)~

Applejack found Luna a short while later in the observatory. The alicorn's face was a blank slate as she stared at the ceiling. The farmer placed her hat down on the table and moved towards the couch. Luna looked to the farmer and quickly rose.

"Applejack," the Lunar Regent began, "I need to apologize to you."

"For what?" Applejack said while moving to the alicorn.

"I...," Luna said while closing her eyes, finding the words, "I have compromised our friendship and I must..."

"Shut up," Applejack said as she moved towards Luna, gazing into the alicorn's cyan eyes. Luna was trapped again by the terrible, beautiful gaze. The farmer deliberately stalked the Lunar Regent, "Ah'm going to talk and your gonna listen."

"Of...of course," Luna managed to stutter.

On her way to find Luna, the farmer had prepared a grand speech, even planning to extract an oath of silence from the Lunar Regent. However, in gazing into the Lunar Regent's eyes, she forgot all about it. She carried no pretense anymore. The farmer paused a few inches from the Lunar Regent's lips and just looked into her cyan orbs.

Luna wanted nothing more then some utterance of a word from the farmer to break the horrible silence. Where Applejack had told her to remain silent, it was perhaps the only time she ever directly followed an order she was given. Her nerves felt as if somepony had lit a current in her as she took several deep breathes. The Lunar Regent wondered if perhaps Applejack were about to tear her a new plot hole. Not that she would dare to defy the farmer.

The air hung tensely while the Lunar Regent while the butterflies in her stomach fluttered in a riot. The farmer continued to glare at her, as if she were parsing her words for either a furious tirade or, worse, to let her down gently. Where the alicorn had lived for centuries and had experienced the uncertain distress of everything from magical imprisonment to war to decisions that affected the lives of all the ponies that lived under her guidance, she never felt this particular sensation. Somewhere in her mind, she promised to document it for later examination. The one thing she could never do was break that gaze. Even if the world exploded around her, for the millenia of her existence, she could not break that tortuous moment.

Of course the farmer counted on that. Applejack sought every second to extract that much more revenge on the alicorn. Given how everything replayed in her mind, she understood the nature of the relationship and, more importantly, the reasons for Luna's fits of staring.

After torturing the Lunar Regent as much as she dared, Applejack finally pressed the last few inches to Luna's lips, connecting solidly and solidifying the fact she now understood implicitly.

Applejack did love the Lunar Regent.

Luna kept her eyes open as if in shock. She felt as if she were struck by lightning. It took a moment before she closed her eyes and sunk into it. Of course, it only happened after she realized the farmer was not, in fact, going to kill her. The two held the pose for as long moment. As the sunlight continued to stream through the windows of the observatory, Applejack put a hoof to the Lunar Regent's neck, giving it a gentle stroke. Luna, as much as she was stunned, took a deep breath, trying to steady her mind that was ignited by the touch. The farmer finally withdrew after a few minutes. Her eyes retained their uncompromising gaze to the Lunar Regent.

"Mmm....apples," Luna spoke a second after opening her eyes.

Applejack gave Luna a soft smile before moving to the table, seeking to put her hat back on. Luna looked on dumbfounded as she watched the farmer's muscled haunch. In the minds of both the Lunar Regent and the farmer, images of an audience of ponies stared on shocked while stomping and vocalizing their approval.

"Fair Applejack, I shall pay you back for that," Luna finally managed to say.

"For what?" the farmer said as she reseated her prized Stetson.

"For making me wait!" Luna said as she stomped in a fit.

"What ya gonna do?" Applejack said, turning to face her.

"To start with, I shall get an ax," the Lunar Regent threatened.

"Violence begets violence, sugarcube."

"Promises, promises," Luna vowed.

As if to emphasize the point, the Lunar Regent's horn flared to life as she immediately seized the quill set down earlier on the table. For added effect, she willed her eyes to take on the same silver glow as her horn. Giving a powerful flap of her wings, Luna easily closed the distance between them. To her credit, Applejack immediately moved to the opposite side of the table from the "enraged" Lunar Regent.

"You cannot run," Luna's voice took on an electronic tone as she spoke, grinning maniacally.

"Oh, Ah sure as hay can try!" Applejack said.

"I could banish you to the moon, my fair Applejack," Luna teased.

"Uh huh, you do that," the farmer defiantly spoke against the hollow threat.

"Don't think I won't!" the alicorn said. She dropped her fearsome display before continuing in her normal tone, "But I have a question before that comes to pass, if you would indulge me?"

"When don't Ah?" the farmer said as she moved slowly around the table.

"Where does this leave us?" Luna said as she cocked her head to the side inquisitively.

"How about 'day by day'," the farmer said. She closed the last of the gap between them and put a hoof to the alicorn's cheek, "We'll figure the rest out later."

"Fair enough," Luna said softly, leaning into the farmers surprisingly gentle touch as she closed her eyes. Applejack's heart warmed at the scene. A serene smile creased Luna's face, simply enjoying the feeling of everything being right with the world.

The farmer held the hoof there, gently stroking the Lunar Regent's face and taking the bait. Luna quickly willed her horn and eyes to glow again as she pounced the off guard farmer. The earth pony was proud and strong. Indeed, she was the living embodiment of all the traits the earth ponies cherished. But for all her strength, of the body and spirit, she couldn't hold against the might of the alicorn. Not with the forehoofs digging at her ticklish, exposed ribs and the feathered end of the quill brushing lightly across her face.

~(o)~

The train ride back to Canterlot was a calculated move worked out months in advance of the plebiscite in the remnants of the old Crystal Empire. Regardless of the outcome of the vote, the train itself, while slower than a chariot flight back to the seat of Equestria's power, was calculated. Celestia and Luna wanted more than anything to show the ponies in the frozen north that the Diarches were not totally above them. Despite the pomp and circumstance due their station, the sisters were still ponies after all.

In truth, thanks in part to Twilight and Spike's presence, along with some gentle governance from Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, the plebiscite easily passed and a full day shorter then they all anticipated. The train ride had a second benefit as it turned out. Celestia and Twilight spent a fair amount of time simply talking. The Solar Regent, who valued her "faithful student" more than all the trinkets and gold in the Royal Vaults, cherished the time she had.

Indeed, so valued was Twilight that, though she was unaware, she was Celestia's Designate. The alicorn hadn't worked out all the details of when, but Twilight had already proven herself beyond measure. She had mastered every situation thrown at her and brightened Celestia's life by simply being there and being herself.

In many ways, the alicorn mused, Twilight was the embodiment was everything Celestia wanted in a partner. She was caring and unabashed with herself. She was as powerful as Star Swirl and Sombre were all those years ago and, thanks to her friends, more well rounded. Celestia often found herself confiding in her student in ways she never could with Luna. Sure, she was sometimes awkward and had a few bats in her belfry, but that was part of her charm. The only thing Twilight ever wanted was the approval of her mentor and the unicorn, knowingly or not, had it in spades.

Celestia shook her head of the line of thought as Twilight turned another page in her "Chronicles of Star Swirl". Indeed, the unicorn was remarkable, but there would be time for that later. After a brief dinner with Cadence and Shining, the two departed amidst much fanfare. The Diarches long ago accepted that the two would be needed up north, but Celestia planned to remedy the "alicorn" shortage later and another Captain of the Guard could be promoted.

The train had been rolling for hours, with the scenery changing from the ivory rocky landscape of the frozen north to the usual snow lined forests and rolling hills of Equestria proper. In that time, Celestia and Twilight simply gabbed for no purpose other then their own amusement. Spike interjected once in a while, but when it became apparent that the "mare talk" was becoming a bit to much, he excused himself to the sleeping car for some well earned rest.

Though Spike was laid out snoring in the luxurious sleeping car and Twilight was contentedly reading, Celestia wore her placid smile genuinely. It was rare she could bask in the company of, perhaps, her dearest friend and let herself think. Though the conversation died down perhaps an hour ago, Celestia simply basked in the moment. Indeed, it had gone well. Life was good. Yup, nothing was wrong. The previous delays with setting the moon were simply happenstance. Celestia sipped her tea slowly, forcing the questions in the back of her mind.

As the train rolled to a stop in Canterlot, the usual fanfare and pomp played out as the three exited the train. Twilight agreed to stay a few days in the castle before returning to Ponyville and resuming her studies of Friendship. As the escort, led by a Lieutenant named Eager, moved through the winding streets of the capital and approached Canterlot Castle, Celestia was relieved to see it weren't smoldering, let alone having any significant portion blown off.

After escorting Twilight and Spike to their rooms and promising a late lunch with them, the Solar Regent made a few inquires among the Royal Guards about the state of things between Luna and Applejack. Though little information was forthcoming. she was quietly relieved that neither her sister or the Element of Honesty had killed the other. However, being unsatisfied with the lack of information, Celestia moved towards the barracks of the Lunar Guard. In particular, she moved towards the appointed quarters of Silverhawk and Storm Wind, the leaders of the unit.

Before the Solar Regent could knock on the door, a burst of laughter erupted from within. A moment after rapping on the wooden portal, the door opened slowly. Storm Wind, who's eyes and form were that of a normal pegasus outside the enchantment of his armor, gave sharp inhale as she realized who the inquirer was and snapped a salute.

"Fly fatarse, fly!" erupted from the speakers on the projector, causing a belly laugh from the mirthful Silverhawk. Celestia cleared her throat.

"This had better be important, Zealous," the leader of the Lunar Guard snapped without bothering to look at the door, "You know we don't have a rank of Sub Private, but I can invent it."

"Not so important really, but I do have a question," Celestia remarked as she peered at the leader of the Lunar Guard. Silverhawk didn't even bother to breath as he set the popcorn aside before rising to attention. The Solar Regent kept a bemused smile on her face as the Lunar Guard's leader snapped ridged. His face went pale, but he held his composure.

"My apologies, Your Highness," Silverhawk said, never turning his amber eyes from the Solar Regent, "I was not expecting...I should have..."

"It's alright. I do not wish to intrude and what in the name of Tartarus are you watching?" Celestia said as her mind deviated from its course. A rotund earth pony, decked in a costume worthy of a comic book, streaked across the screen.

"It's called 'Malltrots', Your Highness."

"I see," Celestia said slowly, hoping Spike would never become a fan of it. She returned to her previous line of thought, "Have you seen my sister and Applejack these past few days?"

"Of course, Your Highness," Silverhawk said, his wings resolutely still at his side, "All is well."

"Have they..." Celestia said, picking her words carefully, "hurt each other or done anything odd I should be aware of?"

Silverhawk remained at attention. Storm Wind, to his credit, never broke his forward facing glare, despite feeling very naked without his armor and helmet. Silverhawk was deciding his course. Of course, he wrote the memo not log after witnessing the two interact. His first duty was Equestria, but his first devotion was to the Lunar Regent. As such, when his memo made the rounds, he was rather stern in its wording in protecting her and Lady Applejack's privacy. But with the Solar Regent began dressing him down with that tranquil stare, he grew conflicted.

"No, Your Highness," the veteran said at length after deciding that the term "odd" had relative meaning, "There was nothing out of the ordinary."

"I see," Celestia smiled placidly, understanding the truth was just bent. But she'd try not to hold it against him, "Carry on then."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Silverhawk said as the alicorn shut the door. As the rotund earth pony apparently missed his target and spectacularly crashed for his efforts, the two pegasi looked at each other before shrugging. Celestia as moved through the halls easy enough, shaking her head and wondering if she should personally review the selection of Moollywood flicks available from the Royal Library.

The Solar Regent made due course for Luna's abode. It was nearly time to raise the moon and she would see it done on time. As the Royal Guards snapped a salute when Celestia approached, she smiled and nodded deference to the guardsponies. As she approached the door, she willed her magic into being, summoning a spell of magical silence around herself. Whatever her sister was up do, she wanted to see it firsthoof.

Slowly opening the door, Celestia peaked about inside the abode. Where the silence prevented any sound from escaping the perimeter she maintained, sounds could creep in. Like many of the spells the sisters used, this one had its uses. As she shut the door behind her, Celestia noticed Luna's bed covers flinging about wildly. Luna yelped once as her horn picked up the sheets, forming an odd fabric point. She giggled before diving back down into the morass of tumbling bedding.

Celestia, if she bothered to look, would have recognized Applejack's hat on the far side of the abode next to Luna's slippers. However, she was so focused on catching her sister doing...whatever, she missed it. Quickly dropping the magical silence, she willed her telekinetic grip to seize the covers. In a great flourish, she ripped them aside and let them go. Where she expected perhaps a line of half snorted white powder or disheveled stallion of the night, she wasn't expecting what she saw.

Luna, aside from her wearing of Applejack's Stetson, was without any of her usual regalia. Instead, those were strewn about the laid out farmer. The two were in an suggestive (and compromising) position, with Luna apparently holding down Applejack, to which the farmer wasn't apparently putting up much resistance. Spots of moist fur were all about the two as if they were licked or kissed or whatever else an imagination prone to hyperbole could drum up. Both the ponies turned a startled look to the equally startled Solar Regent.

"Tia! This isn't...." Luna began to say to her dumbfounded sister. After a moment, she shook her head and corrected herself with a click of her tongue, "You know, yes, this is what it looks like."

"Don't ya knock?" Applejack said a bit harsher than she intended. Luna's crown sat leaning to one side of her head added to the ridiculous scene

"I am...sorry?" the Solar Regent slowly said. Whether from the sheer absurdity of the scene, Luna's blunt admission, or Applejack's accusatory tone, she was left without words. The three stared at each other for a few moments while Celestia apparently forgot about the raising of the moon on time.

"Sister, if you would be so kind?" Luna said, adding some emphasis by motioning her head towards the door.

"Right," Celestia said, carrying the same expression as she moved out the door, "....carry on then."

Luna grinned. She seized the covers with her magic as the doors closed, allowing the earth pony versus alicorn war to continue in all its glory. Applejack was more than a willing participant as the battle resumed, quite determined to seize back her hat. For her part, the Lunar Regent didn't fault the farmer's logic one bit.

Epilogue: To The Victor....

What The Night Remembers
By: TCSNxs

Epilogue
To The Victor...

“Consarn it, Luna! I asked ya not to do that,” Applejack quietly hissed while Luna’s eyes sparkled mischievously. The farmer regretted not closing and locking the window to her bedroom. Then again, if the farmer did, she would be without a playmate and likely very bored.

"As if I ever take orders from you, my fair Applejack," Luna said while holding that grin.

"Ah...nevermind," Applejack said, conceding the point.

Luna lamented that Applejack couldn't be with her in Canterlot due to her commitment to the farm. But given the alicorn could cover the distance as quickly as Pinkie could devour the Cake's well stocked pantry, it was only a minor issue. If nothing else, their dirty little secret kept Luna's wheels turning.

"That rabbit having a seizure or somethin'?" Applejack said, "Ya just going to stand there?"

"Sorry," Luna said apologetically, snapping herself back to reality. She gave a flap of her wings and landed on the bed with all four hoofs straddling the body of the farmer. Luna's face wore a gentle smile as she spoke, "Is this better?"

"Much," the farmer wore a half smile, her emerald eyes nearly shimmering in the lamp's light.

The Lunar Regent wanted to blurt out about her decision to make the farmer her Designate. At length though, she decided to wait. After all, what was time to an immortal alicorn? Twilight was recently transformed into one and that was years in the making. As such, Luna decided to not rush things along.

"Applejack, I do have a request," Luna said after the moment of silence.

"What's that, sugarcube?"

"Wear the hat?" the Lunar Regent said as she gave the farmer her best puppy dog eyes.

"Huh? Why?" the farmer asked.

"Because I asked," Luna said, "I could make you do it."

"Ah huh," the farmer said, far from impressed.

"Please?"

"Fine," she said, grabbing her trademark Stetson from the post of the bed. After a moment of adjustment, she farmer rolled onto her back once more to face Luna, "Better?"

"Much, but..." Luna said, drawing out her words, "Would you say it?"

"No," the farmer said, crossing her forehoofs over her barrel.

"Please?"

"You're worse than a puppy, you know that?"

"It is part of my charm," the alicorn grinned.

"Ah hate you," the farmer said with a groan.

"I love you to," the Lunar Regent said as she shifted to a soft smile, finally getting her request granted.

The Lunar Regent's horn flared to life and turned the lamp switch off. She fell upon Applejack in short order, planting a hard kiss to the Element of Honesty's lips. After a moment, the farmer managed to roll atop the alicorn and continue their dance. Not that Luna was one to deny the farmer's will. Somewhere in the starlit sky overhead, the moon's mental imagery of an applauding and whistling rabbit seemed enough of an expression of approval.