A Visit From The Windigos
**T'was the Eve of Hearth's Warming**
T'was the eve of Hearth's Warming, and all through the town,
Every hilltop and orchard was snowed in a gown.
The pine trees were lit from the trunk to the peak,
To shine 'cross Equestria when nights seem so bleak.
Once, twice, three times, her hand slapped on the top of the alarm clock. But still, the buzzing and ringing would not end. Groaning in tune with it, despite her groggy and raspy voice, still burdened with the desire to remain dormant or mumbling in sleep, she flipped over to take a better look at her target. Nuzzling her freckled cheek against the pillow and blowing the waving bangs out of her face, she focused her half-lidded eyes on the clock. While normally she would squint between her golden locks to make out some time, which would be displayed in glowing lines and shapes that reflected the bright green of her eyes, this morning, the clock was dark.
Propping her chin up on the pillow, which she raised and fluffed with her hands curled up underneath, she became more aware of how puzzling the lifeless thing was, especially considering the ringing was still thundering through the house. She rubbed one eye, crawling across the bed well enough to sit up. Her shadow nestled into her lap gently between her resting arms, and she cocked her head at the sight. She hadn't woken up past the sun in a good few months, she realized. The familiar ringing echoed in short bursts, becoming faster and more frequent as she ignored it.
She blinked as she ran her hand through her hair, pushing the long strands back over her head where they belonged. It was chilly that morning, but it had been cold for the last couple of days anyway, as understandable in the dead of winter. Once she realized the date and lost concern for the time, she focused on the place: her farm house, the same rafters, coat rack, rodeo awards, bunches of rope. Then, that ringing must have been...
“Th' doorbell!” she shouted as she tore the covers off the lower half of her body, jumping out of her warm and comfortable bed and scampering down the stairs half-gracefully.
Missing the second and seventh steps as she slipped down the stairs in her socks, the girl hurriedly finished doing up the top few buttons of her pyjamas and ran another hand through her hair. She had to grab the handrail at the bottom to keep herself from sliding right across the hardwood in the foyer, but managed to catch herself. The doorbell must have grown tiresome, because whoever was outside began banging on the door instead.
“Applejack!” the voice called loudly between the knocking. “Applejack, come down, I know you're home!”
The girl named could see her guest through the panes of glass on either side of the door, though all she could really see was some blank glare and a big coat. The voice, however, told of the character. Still, to be certain, she turned the lock and swung the door open to address her friend.
“Rain—?” Applejack flinched as a clump of cold, white power collided with her face. She gasped and coughed on it, wiping it off as she felt it melt against her skin. “—bow!”
“Hey! Happy snow day, AJ!” Rainbow Dash mused between her loud laughs, helping brush the snow off her pyjamas.
“Nothin' 'bout ice in m' shirt spells happy t' me. An' what're you talkin' 'bout?” Applejack stopped and shook more snow out of her hair. “It ain't a snow day, we ain't got school in the first place, it's winter break.”
“I know, but come on! It's snowing, right on Hearth's Warming Eve!” Rainbow Dash spun around excitedly, slipping and sliding on the powdered porch steps.
"Oh, so it is," she agreed, but went on, “Is that a big deal?” she asked with an amused giggle, noticing Rainbow flipping her hair coolly after nearly falling down.
“Uh, duh!” the rainbow-haired girl spread her arms out wide, gesturing to the entire field of white, downy snow that Applejack had no even gotten a chance to look at yet. “It hasn't snowed on Hearth's Warming Eve in like... like ever!”
“Now that can't be true,” the farmer cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.
“Well, no, not exactly,” Rainbow murmured, crunching the snow under her characteristic blue boots, which were trimmed with white fluff and long grey laces. “But it hasn't snowed here on Hearth's Warming in years, not since I moved here, I know that much. Back in Cloudsdale, it snowed every year. But here, it totally doesn’t.”
“An' you like th' snow, is that it?” Applejack asked curiously, though she knew the answer.
“Of course, how could you not?! It's brisk and beautiful and, and just awesome!” she nearly screamed, her voice cracking with the high pitch of it. “Hurry up, we have to make the most of it!”
“Hurry up an' what?” Applejack inquired, but by then Rainbow Dash had grabbed her by the arm and began mercilessly tugging her out the front door. “Rainbow! Ah'm in ma pyjamas, f' Pete's sake!”
“But I want to go out and play, come on!” Rainbow whined loudly, her voice dragging out farther than she was able to pull the blonde girl.
“Y'sound like a darn child,” Applejack said in a laugh, reaching out and wrapping her arm around the girl's neck, locking her there in her grip. “You're comin' inside an' waitin' for me.”
“But who knows how long the snow will stay!” Rainbow complained, putting her hands on Applejack's chest and waist to try and get enough leverage to pull herself out, but the farmer was a good deal stronger than she was. “What if it melts?”
“Then Ah'll scrape m' freezer ice up an' make you a snowman outta it.” Applejack offered, managing to get the struggling girl in the door and kick it closed behind her.
Rainbow Dash scoffed as she felt the moisture from the snow on Applejack's pyjama shirt dampening her hair and cheek, groaning, “Sheesh! You're all wet—and not in the good way.” She flinched as she felt a flick against her temple and Applejack adjusting her headlock so she was bent down more awkwardly. “Ouch!”
“An' who's fault is that?” Applejack asked in a growl, leading the girl into the living room in tow.
“Mine, as always,” Rainbow murmured, grinning against Applejack's shirt and preparing for another smack.
“Jus' try an' stay outta trouble, will ya?” the farmer finally released her, pushing her gently into the living room as she turned to go back upstairs.
“No guarantees,” the rainbow-haired girl muttered deviously, though her friend cast her a stern glare. “Okay, okay, just get ready already.”
“Right,” Applejack passed the foyer and came to the stairwell, where she went to flick on the lights. Nothing happened, though, and with an odd expression, she tried another few times. Sighing, she knew what the problem was, “Ah s'pose th' power's out, tha's pro'ly why m' alarm didn't go off this mornin'.”
Leaving it at that, Applejack hurried up the narrow stairwell towards her bedroom. At first, Rainbow Dash sighed in boredom and glanced around, wondering why the place was so quiet. In fact, Granny Smith's rocking chair was even vacant, for once. Shrugging and looking down at her boots, she noticed the snow she had tracked in slowly melting on the hardwood floors. Mouthing an 'oops', she hurried back over to the front door mat and knocked it off. From there, she could see the stairwell, which was something like a dark hallway considering the lights were all off due to the lack of power.
“Why's it so quiet in here, AJ?” Rainbow Dash loudly called up, knowing the girl would likely be able to hear her.
“Family's gone off t' Appleoosa. They were s'posed t' be home last night, but they got stalled due t' th' weather out there, ain't much different than here Ah reckon,” Applejack called back, though her voice was muffled by the distance.
Continuing to look up the stairs, Rainbow noticed the pulling light that crept from under Applejack's bedroom door from the window she must have drawn open, as it was just at the top of the stairs and left slightly ajar. Her eyebrow raised as she noticed Applejack's shadow cross it, and wondered what she was doing up there. Mischievous Rainbow Dash, she was more than intrigued by this. Wiping her boots once more so they would not leave any betraying trail, she carefully crept up the stairs, avoiding the few creaks she knew too well. As she reached the top, hoping to stay out of sight, she bent down on the stairwell and ducked her head, placing her hands onto the second-most step and her knees on the fourth.
Leaning in and tilting her head to the side to get a better look, she managed to make out a tall standing mirror by the closet across the room. The thing looked like it must have been a hundred years old, like everything else in the house, including Applejack's Grandmother. Against it though, she caught the look of Applejack's reflection, though it was just a fragment.
She knew that Applejack never was interested in giving much care for her appearance, it was of little concern to her. But again, as her image flashed, she paused. For a moment, Rainbow Dash thought that she might have caught sight of her in the reflection, and ducked so far down her nose almost touched the step. But as the farm girl stepped nearer to the mirror, it became clear that she was looking at herself. As she drew closer, Rainbow Dash's eyes widened to realize that she was standing there in nothing but undone jeans and her undergarments.
Rainbow's fingers drummed and gripped at the stair as she herself stared, gulping back some initial response to whistle a flattering tune. But her eager grin slowly faded as she noticed the expression on Applejack's face. There she was, staring at herself right in the mirror, and yet she looked so very sad. Rainbow did not understand this, for whenever she looked at herself, she was very pleased, and tended to strike up all kinds of poses and such. Narrowing her eyes and lowering her brows, Rainbow Dash looked closer, spying ever more attentively.
Reaching out and touching the pane, Applejack carefully looked over her body in the mirror. It must have been cold, Rainbow Dash imagined, standing there half-naked, but Applejack did not move. Her emerald eyes carefully scanned each end and curve of her figure, her head tilting curiously yet critically. It was clear even from in the hallway just how fit and toned the girl was, but that seemed to bother her. Those strong arms bulged lightly around the biceps and triceps, her stomach creased gently around her abs, and she seemed quite upset about it. It wasn't particularly noticeable, but it was something she lingered upon. Crossing her arms and rubbing the muscles there, she attempted to hide them, but that only proved to define the strength in her forearms.
“Stupid brute,” Applejack murmured lividly through her teeth, turning around at once and abandoning her reflection with that.
Rainbow Dash let out a slow breath, wondering what the girl found so unappealing about herself. It was clear to her that, well, besides possibly herself, Applejack was the most attractive girl she had laid eyes on. Rainbow Dash adored those things about Applejack; the things that kept them in physical competition, the things that told the world of all the hard work she did, the things that defined her from other women she knew. Still, she pushed off the stair and backed down, knowing that it would not be long until Applejack was ready.
As she reached the first floor again, falling into a lazy swinging step, she heard Applejack's door squeak back open. She turned at once, glancing over her shoulder as she turned to see the farmer finishing up folding her collar and doing up the top several buttons on her usual half-suede cowboy shirt.
“Al'right, tha's better,” Applejack hummed as she finished putting on the shirt, swinging around her friend as if nothing was amiss. It irked Rainbow Dash how easily she went about doing that despite what she had just seen.
“Finally. I'm growing old down here,” Rainbow Dash murmured as if she cared about the delay, but though she forced her eyes to appear irritated, their soft gaze told otherwise.
“That'd be th' day,” the farmer chuckled, patting her friend on the back before drawing a sizeable coat from the nearby closet. “So, what d'you wanna do, sugarcube?”
“Well, I'm glad you asked.” Rainbow grabbed the girl by her arm and hurried to the front door. “First, we're going to have a snowball fight, of course, then, we're going build a great big fort! Then, we can take a break for hot chocolate, and go back outside to race to the stream, to see if that's frozen over. If it is, we can skate around, and oh my gosh, have a snowball fight on the ice!”
“Y'got this all planed out, don't cha?” Applejack chuckled as she let Rainbow lead her outside, pausing to close the front door after them.
“It's going to be awesome!” Rainbow squealed, sprinting off the porch and back into the mostly undisturbed snow.
The children stayed up tucked so warm in their cots,
Not sleeping a wink, though they knew that they ought.
Yet this winter's evening, I was up all alone,
The family was fighting, and we wouldn't atone.
“Why did ya drag us out there, again?” Applejack grumbled as she shoved the front door open at last, the wind screaming as it broke into the house after them. “That was a horrible idea.”
“Come on, you can not blame me for just wanting to have a little fun,” Rainbow growled back, slamming the door closed behind her and breaking the vicious arms of wind in half. “Besides, I'm the one who fell in.”
Rainbow Dash shook incessantly, her clothes soaked through and her skin turning pink. The house was dark, since the sun was already setting by now and the low clouds and raging snow blocked out what little light there had been to begin with. Still, Applejack helped remove the stiff, freezing jacket from Rainbow's arms, one that had originally belonged to Applejack, but she had used to cover the smaller girl after she had fallen into the stream when she tried to test the thickness. Both of them shivered profusely, but neither made any remarks about it.
“Yea', after Ah warned you it wasn't thick enough,” the farmer reminded her, continuing to peel her now dripping sweater off her shoulders and leave her in barely a tee shirt. “C'mon, let's get dried off.”
“That sounds good,” Rainbow nodded feverishly and hurriedly stepped out of her boots, peeling off and carrying her soaked socks up the stairs towards the bedroom.
Rainbow held Applejack's arm for support as the two felt their way up the dark stairs, their numb feet hardly registering the hardwood floor as they ascended. Though they both pouted and huffed in irritation, they helped each other into Applejack's bedroom. Rainbow Dash hesitated not a moment before she began to peel off her tee shirt, which stuck to her shivering skin in a frustrating way. Meanwhile, Applejack went over to her bedside and fumbled around in the drawer beneath. Finally, her blind fingers found the object in question and she pulled it out, hardly rummaging more to find the suitable secondary item.
“Th' power goes out all th' time out here, y'get used t' it,” Applejack spoke quietly, shaking the smaller object around before flicking it once, twice, three times.
The spark flew up and illuminated her face, catching Rainbow's attention from the other side of the room. The soaking wet athlete continued removing her clothing, kicking and stomping on her pants as they slid down her legs. Applejack managed to hold the flame on her lighter, bending it into the rim of some old, clearly used, glass-encircled candle. As she turned around, she immediately flinched in surprise to find Rainbow Dash standing there in nothing but her underwear, gathering up her clothes into a heap on the floor.
Blushing and looking away, Applejack murmured, “Well, you sure ain't shy.”
“You can hardly see anything,” Rainbow argued grouchily. “Besides, you aren't even looking.”
Applejack dared a careful glance back, her eyes lit up and shining by the candle's fire. Rainbow Dash was clumsily kicking the wad of clothes over to the hamper, as she knew it well enough to find it in the dark. She had been to Applejack's house enough times to know her way around pretty well. Running her tongue along the inside of her cheek until she found a suitable place to nibble on, Applejack frowned deeply.
It was clear even under the veil of darkness, Rainbow Dash was beautiful. She was trim, fit, sleek and confident, everything about her was hard to look away from. Applejack's eyes softened on the paler girl, some brimming envy tugging at her. Beneath the initial jealousy, though, there was some kind of pulling she could faintly feel, but she ignored that for the moment. Stepping over to the mostly nude girl, she shoved the candle right into her less than expectant hands.
“Hold this,” she told the girl firmly, and Rainbow Dash looked at her funny.
Going back over to the bed, Applejack grasped the wrinkles of the little quilt she draped over the lower half of the cot in the dull light and tugged, pulling it off the covers. She shook it out once to get a better grip before turning back to face Rainbow. With a gentle heave of her arms, she swung the quilt over Rainbow's head and settled it around her, tugging the corners and tucking them around her neck. Rainbow Dash reached up with one hand and pinned it there, holding it while Applejack took hold of the other sides and moved them around the girl's slender body.
“Dry off an' keep warm while Ah find ya some threads,” Applejack suggested while she went over to her closet, pulling open the old doors.
“What, you don't like me like this?” Rainbow quirked an eyebrow, a smirk creasing her lips.
“Ah can go into Apple Bloom's room an' find somethin' particularly small an' girly, if you'd prefer,” the farmer teased, pulling a red turtle-neck sweater off the hangar.
“You're not funny,” Rainbow Dash scoffed, waiting as Applejack found a pair of green pants to go along with it.
“Here, get dressed.” Applejack took the candle from her friend and placed the odd articles of clothing into her hands instead.
“Like I need permission,” the shivering athlete whispered to herself, turning away and beginning by slipping the pants on, leaving the warm quilt over her shoulders.
Applejack proceeded to go over to the window and push the drapes to one side, noticing the sky growing ever darker and the snow shielding what little view she had of the farm. Her breath fogged up the window lightly, but she didn't bother wiping it away as she stepped back and let the curtain fall into place. The clock was still dark on her bedside table expectantly, as it often took a good long while until the city got around to restoring power to communities like hers.
“Ugh, your place sucks, AJ.” Rainbow finished pulling down her sweater as Applejack looked blankly over at her, though she was turned away. “It's so quiet and boring here.”
“Ah happen t' like that about th' place, you're pro'ly just sour 'cause Ah whooped you in that snowball fight,” Applejack retorted monotonously, pushing off the windowsill and going over to her friend.
“Hey, your throws are like... like missiles, how can I compete with that strength of yours, anyway?” Rainbow Dash barked back. “Ugh, I should have just played with Fluttershy, I always beat her. But she never fights back, I thought it'd be more fun with you.”
“Well fine, don't bother inconveniencin' yourself comin' down here next time!” Applejack shouted back, storming past her friend and nearly blowing out the candle with her speed.
“Sheesh, what's with you?!” Rainbow hurried after her, catching up easily. “Why do you always have to pick fights with me?”
“Me?!” Applejack snapped, looking incredulously back at the girl. “Fightin' ain't a one-sided thing, y'know!”
“Well if all we're going to do is argue, maybe I should just leave,” Rainbow's voice squeaked once or twice in her irritation.
“Maybe y'should!” the farmer agreed, and the two paused in the foyer to glare at each other for a few more seconds.
Simultaneously, they groaned a sigh and broke apart, Rainbow Dash standing in the foyer in a pout while Applejack went into the kitchen. After a moment or so, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and reluctantly followed after, walking in to find the girl filling some large pot with water. Leaning against the doorway, the rainbow-haired girl let out another loud exhale, trying to get her friend's attention. After a few more seconds, she decided just to speak.
“What are you doing?” she grumbled the question in a snarky voice, barely audible over the spurting faucet.
“Gath'rin' some water from th' storage tank, we use well water y'see, s' without power, the pump don't work, s' we gotta take care o' what little we got,” Applejack explained simply, her voice calmer than the other girl's, but by no means too particularly happy.
“I don't know how you country folk manage at all,” Rainbow spoke lowly, staring blankly at the girl as she placed the pot beside the sink.
“Ah reckon it's gettin' worse out there,” Applejack ignored the comment and looked carefully out the window above the sink, seeing more and more snow scattering about. “Flick on that radio, will ya?”
“I thought the power was out,” Rainbow asked sarcastically, pushing off the doorframe and looking around for whatever she was talking about.
“It is, th' radio's battery powered,” Applejack reminded her, gesturing by the kitchen table to a small shelf just above it, where the radio was kept.
“Yeah yeah.” Rainbow went over and reached up, taking it down from well over her head and placing it on the small nook table.
She turned it on with little trouble, though she couldn't see the channels on the dial so she had to play it by feel. Applejack placed the candle further beside her so her shadow wouldn't obstruct Rainbow's vision, but the two flinched as the static and squeaking blared. With another few turns, the odd word or two sprung out from above the horrid noises, and Rainbow focused on accurately lining the dial up with them.
“...front approaching... overnight... warning...” came a few stray and muffled words, until Rainbow Dash found the sweet spot. A man's voice came on, sounding oddly calm compared to what he said, “...Advising you all to stay in your homes tonight as much as possible, isn't that right?”
“It sure is,” a woman's voice accompanied the man's and she went on, “I'm glad we're already inside, I wouldn't want to be caught out in a storm like this.”
“With you on that one.” The man cleared his throat, reciting the information perhaps for the fifth time that show, “Several roads into and out of town have been closed down due to the icy conditions, and all major bridges have been blocked off until they can be ploughed. The amount of accidents is rising steadily, but as of yet no one has been seriously injured.”
“A Hearth's Warming miracle, from the sounds of it,” the woman added in a pleasant tone.
“Absolutely,” he agreed cheerily before continuing, “The snowfall is showing no means of slowing down over the next few hours, and power outages have been reported all across the city.”
“Glad we have a backup generator in here. We suggest that you all snuggle up by the fireplace with your loved ones, spending a little quali—” Not being able to stand their horribly annoying voices, Rainbow Dash switched the radio back off and scoffed loudly.
“Yeah, right. Cuddle up? My ass,” Rainbow spat, kicking a chair uselessly.
“So much for leavin',” Applejack added simply, glancing over her shoulder at the puffy-cheeked girl, who made such a face to show her discontent.
“This is freaking ridiculous,” the athlete went on, glaring back at her friend with those same accusing eyes. “I can't believe I'm stuck here, with you.”
“Oh, like Ah'm pleased as peaches either.” Applejack narrowed her eyes back at the girl, and again they glared at each other for a few seconds longer.
“That doesn't even make sense.” Rainbow Dash frowned, before thinking of a way to keep the two apart. “Whatever, I have to call my mom. She's probably having an aneurysm wondering what trouble I got myself into this time.”
Pouring herself a small glass of water, Applejack shrugged and went over to the nook table with the candle, placing both items on the table before speaking, “Phone might work if th' line ain't down, only th' wired one mind you.”
Applejack plopped down in her seat before leaning back and reaching up, plucking the ancient phone off the wall behind her and holding it awkwardly down to her hear. Hearing a faint dial tone, she nodded for Rainbow Dash to come over. The athlete swung around her and took it from her hand, dialling the number with minimal trouble, that being the darkness and the faded numbers on the buttons. Hissing another annoyed tone, Rainbow turned her back to the farmer and leaned against the chair she was sitting in, crossing her arms.
After a few faint rings, the phone was picked up, and the voice on the other end was loud enough in the silence of the old farm house to be heard by both girls, “Hello?”
“S'up?” Rainbow greeted casually, and though her mother probably already knew who would speak like that over the phone, she went on, “It's Dash.”
“Oh, there you are. You had me worried sick, why aren't you home? Don't you know it's Hearth's Warming eve? How could you be so—?” her mother went on in an angry and concerned voice.
“Of course I know it's Hearth's Warming Eve, I'm not that much of an idiot.” Rainbow Dash cut the woman off, rolling her eyes.
“Ah dunno about that,” Applejack murmured a response, and the girl on the phone glared back at her.
“Where are you, dear? Are you safe? Will you be home tonight?” More questions rang out over the phone, echoing distantly in the kitchen.
“I'm fine, sheesh. I won't be home though, roads are closed and I doubt you'd want to come all the way out here to pick me up anyway,” Rainbow explained, shrugging.
“All the way where?” her mother asked simply.
“I'm with Applejack,” the girl responded slowly, her voice dropping into a mutter as she knew what was coming next.
“Applejack?” the voice repeated in a much more pleased tone, almost musing her delight as she went on, “Oh, she is such a lovely girl, Rainbow Dash. So responsible and hard-working, you could learn a lot from her, you know.”
The girl in question began chuckling in amusement to hear her being spoken of so highly, in contrast to the woman's own daughter. Stifling her giggles by drinking a glass of water, she found herself being roughly elbowed in the back by Rainbow Dash. Applejack immediately began choking, slamming the glass down as she coughed profusely into her elbow, banging on her chest to get the obstruction out of her throat.
“What was that?” the woman on the phone asked again, and this time, it was Rainbow Dash stifling her snickers.
“Oh, nothing mom. But you're right, Applejack is very mature for her age.” Rainbow pretended to agree, her voice getting all high and obnoxious as she teased.
She stumbled forward, however, when Applejack finished coughing and shoved her chair back, getting to her feet. The farmer came around the chair in a flash and was in front of Rainbow, grabbing her by the collar of her own sweater and squeezing. The smirk on Rainbow's face contrasted Applejack's deep frown and still lightly watering eyes as the two exchanged silent glares.
Taunting her further, Rainbow spoke clearly enough to be heard over the phone, “What's that, AJ? You want a kiss?”
“That ain't...” Applejack took a large step back at once, her voice a mere hush that drifted away after but two words.
“Pardon me? What did you say?” Rainbow's mother's voice asked over the phone, and Applejack blushed and looked away.
“Nevermind, Applejack was just about to start a fire up for us,” Rainbow went on, twirling the phone cord around her finger playfully and flashing Applejack another smile. “She's just ever so very thoughtful, isn't she?”
Scoffing and starting off towards the living room obediently, Applejack reached out and administered a rough punch to her friend's shoulder, knocking her off balance a bit. Rainbow pushed off the wall and looked around the corner after her, watching the farmer grouchily cross the living room. Hearing her mother speak up on the other end of the line, she went back to the conversation.
“My, that's nice of her. Do mind your manners when you're there, Dashie,” her mother played with her light voice.
“Of course, always,” Rainbow Dash snorted a laugh, but kept it to herself.
“Well, I suppose we're just going to have to,” her voice was distorted by static, and Rainbow winced as it hit her ear. “...by the time we...” Rainbow tried to listen closer, but all she got were rare words, “... try to... have fun... Applejack... bed...”
“Hello? Hello? Mom, you there?” Rainbow asked loudly, but by then, the phone was entirely silent. Hanging the thing up aggressively, she spoke to Applejack in the next room, “Well, there goes the phone line.”
When out by the window, came a howl so great,
It swept over the lawn and sprung open the gate.
I tugged on my jacket, done up to the neck,
To go out in the weather and look from the deck.
Rainbow Dash watched Applejack blankly as she carried her boots to the back door, slipping her jacket on over her arms all the while. As she stepped into the still damp boots, she tugged her gloves on over her strong hands and fumbled for the zipper of her jacket a few times. With a sigh, Rainbow went over and grabbed it for her, yanking the jacket closed all the way up her body and leaving only enough room around her neck for a scarf.
“You're an idiot to go out in that storm,” Rainbow warned her, watching the scarf twirl around her throat and tighten up snugly.
“It's that 'r freeze,” Applejack reminded her.
“It's that and freeze,” Rainbow corrected, but the farmer just chuckled a bit and shook her head, going towards the door anyway.
“Jus' think, if Ah can get some wood for that fire y'wanted, we can make somethin' hot t' drink. Don't that sound nice?” the farmer asked, tilting her head to the side though it was difficult due to the layers.
“But,” Rainbow cracked a small cheeky smile as she quoted some familiar lyrics, “Baby, it's cold outside.”
Applejack rolled her eyes and scoffed, but said nothing in response. As she pulled open the door, a great gust of wind blew in, hissing and whistling all around them. Rainbow Dash hid behind Applejack at once, gripping her jacket as if it would keep the both of them warm. Snow tracked in through the exit, blowing about and snagging between the lines in the hardwood floor. Pushing Rainbow gently further into the house, Applejack started out the door.
“Ah won't be long, keep y'self warm, okay?” Applejack called loudly over the wind, stepping outside onto the crunch of the fallen snow.
“No problem,” Rainbow waved her off casually before the door closed up behind her, draping her in the eerie silence of the house once again.
The farmer trudged slowly out across the lost landscape, barely able to tell where any path or obstruction might have been. Her first stop was not the wood shed, but the barn twice the distance away. Though she had her hood up and her scarf tucked around her nose, she squinted to see and felt snow wriggling into her hair.
"Yea', s' much f' th' snow meltin' b'fore we got t' play in it," Applejack grumbled to herself.
Pushing through the harsh wind which threatened to knock her back, she held her hood on her head and trod the uneven lumps of snow and sheets of ice. At last, she found the great big red barn, though it took her a few seconds to make her way to the door. The hatch was even more difficult, since it had frost along the metal edges and locked tighter than usual. At last, she pried the thing open and slipped inside, the door slamming closed on it's own right after her.
It was a good deal warmer in the barn, as it was built strong and this side of it was completely sealed off from the elements. That is, except for the little dog door she herself had installed in the next room. That particular section was used for storage and had steep stairs up to a wide loft, but the door just beneath those stairs led to a smaller room. That room was darker, though the wind could be heard fluttering the little dog door from side to side.
“Winona,” Applejack called with her numbing lips, and once more, “Winona, y'in here?”
With the sound of some scampering paws, a little brown dog came running around the corner with its tail wagging wildly. Applejack knelt down in front of the pooch and gave her a rough pet and messed up the fur around her ears. Despite the weather blowing harshly outside, the dog couldn't seem to care any less.
“There y'are, y'mut,” Applejack laughed as Winona licked her cheek once, twice, three times. “Al'right, al'right, tha's enough.”
Standing back up with Winona at her heels, she went into the next room and checked the dog's food and water dishes. The water seemed more than fine, but the food needed to be refilled. She hurriedly completed the task before climbing the stairs up into the loft. There, she found an old blanket they kept for just such an occasion and brought it back down. She wrapped it loosely around Winona's bed, leaving space to sniff around and knock it about, since she had a habit of doing so. Rubbing the dog's chin affectionately one last time, she started back for the door.
“Sorry Ah can't stay, Ah ain't got a fur coat all over m'body like you do,” Applejack spoke to the dog as if she understood. “B'sides, Ah got comp'ny t' keep, y'all remember Rainbow Dash. She needs more supervision than you do, Ah reckon.”
The dog barked in response, understanding that she was being spoken to at least. Applejack waved goodbye and took hold of the door's inner handle, having to shove the door roughly to get it back open due to the wind. In the face of the chill, Winona tucked her tail in between her legs and stepped backwards, dropping her head and whimpering. It would sure have been trouble to try and get the poor thing back to the main house in a storm like that, and she seemed more than happy to remain in the barn as always anyway. Applejack made sure to lock the hatch up once more to keep it warm inside, before starting back up to the farm house.
The snow whistled hard as it bit at my nose,
The twinkling flakes nestling into my clothes.
When out in the garden, 'tween the shivering trees,
Came the form of some stallion, made out of the breeze.
Keeping her eyes down at her feet to follow the path she made there, which was just gentle indentations now that the loose snow had been blown around it, she navigated the storm well enough to find her way to the wood shed. It was a small little makeshift shed her brother and she had built several years ago to keep wood closer to the house, as they used to just keep it in the barn but it had become quite the chore. Cracking open the rattling doors, she easily plucked several logs out of the pile.
Counting in her head, once, twice, three times, she gave a great heave and lifted more than an armful of wood. Not accustomed to carrying loads while in her snow boots, she stumbled backwards a few steps but managed to keep herself upright. The wind threatened to blow her right over just the same, but she turned around and kicked the doors shut behind her, the lock falling back into place with the force of her hit.
As she turned around, she heard a great howl on the wind, some unsettling groan or whiny. Glancing around carefully, she looked for the source of the noise. She swallowed slowly, taking a cold breath in through her nose. The snow before her shifted and swayed violently, distorting any possible shadows or silhouettes. Again, though, that same noise sounded through the wind.
“Dash?” Applejack found herself shakily asking, “Dash, that you?”
No response came, except another whistle and hiss around her. Shuffling the wood around in her arms, she cautiously took another step towards the dull outline of the farm house. The snow crunched under her now heavy boot-steps, and icicles shivered from the overhand of the roof a little ways away.
“Dash? This ain't funny, y'know,” Applejack called again, her expression contorting into anger as if that would make it true.
She cleared another few yards before the noise howled again, and that time, she knew something of direction. Glancing in the opposite direction from the house, she squinted her eyes to try and see through the darkening snowfall. The longer she looked, it seemed, the more she could see.
With a mane like a stream, he rode down from the sky,
Tall as a mountain, from withers to thigh.
Through the steam of his breath, his azure eyes shone,
Above a coat of silver and hooves made of stone.
“What th'...” Applejack murmured as she looked closer, the snow parting and shifting to give her a better view.
She could see something in the blizzard, something seemingly large that was formed in the blowing winds. The harder she looked at the torrent, the more she was convinced it looked something like a great big horse, one made of ice and snow. Hazy blue eyes seemed to captivate her, and a proud stance was exaggerated by the heave of an inhale, which was released with a steamy breath that scattered the image entirely.
As quickly as it had been there, it was gone. Applejack stepped forwards and looked again, certain that it had been real, but finding nothing to support the idea at all. If she had to call the image anything at all, she would have described it in mythological terms, a name long since attributed to nothing but story. She was so focused, in fact, she heard nothing come up behind her.
“Applejack?” the voice spoke, startling the farmer at once.
Nearly losing her hold on the logs, Applejack whirled around and glared at her friend firmly, nearly shouting, “Heaven's t' Betsy, Rainbow! Y'almost scared th' life outta me!”
“Uh, sorry?” Rainbow wondered if she should apologize at all, her whole body trembling in the cold as she held her arms around herself.
“What're y'doin' out here? Ah told y'all t' stay inside!” Applejack snapped at her, finding it the easiest way to turn the attention away from her embarrassment.
“You were taking so long,” the smaller girl grumbled, looking away distantly. “I thought something might have happened.”
“Like what? You were worried 'bout me 'r somethin'?” Applejack picked at it, stepping closer to see the girl's reaction.
“What? No way, dude, it's just cold in there and I want that hot drink you promised,” Rainbow snarled, turning on her heel and starting back to the house. “Hurry up already.”
“Yea', yea'.” Applejack went after her, lugging the whole load herself as Rainbow scurried back up to the rear door, holding it open for the farmer.
Applejack stepped out of her boots one by one without leaning down to pull them off, managing well enough to balance the wood as she did. She went over to the fireplace and swung the bunch into the box they kept just beside the fireplace, which was empty before the newest load. Glancing back at Rainbow, she found the girl taking off her same old pair of soggy boots and placing them next to the farmer's pair. She unbuttoned the jacket she had slung on over the other clothes she had borrowed, almost completely clad in Applejack's clothing.
As Rainbow Dash went to hang up her borrowed jacket once more, Applejack took a few logs of wood and placed them in the fireplace, removing a glove and touching the wood to be certain it was still dry. It was a little cold, but that would not last long. As Applejack pulled her own jacket off and removed her second glove, leaving them folded gently next to her, she ripped some sheets of newspaper off of their stack of paper burning materials and crumpled them up, placing them around the new logs.
“Hey, Dash?” Applejack called as she heard the closet door close in the foyer. “Y'mind runnin' up t' my room an' grabbing the lighter?”
“Well sure, what else do I have to do? I am your faithful servant, aren't I?” Rainbow grumbled, but dipped into the kitchen to grab the candle and head upstairs anyway.
“Thanks,” Applejack thanked, knowing she would go about doing it with or without complaint. “Oh, an' grab that quilt, too. If y'please.”
“Of course, ma'am,” Rainbow sarcastically replied, her voice high and grouchy.
Smirking at her childish behaviour, Applejack continued scrunching up some newspaper and placing it into the fireplace. She ducked under the overhang to look up and make certain the smoke hatch was open, and fiddled with it to be certain. If it got much colder in the house, the snow falling in through the chimney would fail to melt by the time it reached the logs. With another sigh, Applejack realized that it had gotten cold enough to see her own breath, and watched the steam disappear in front of her.
She flinched as she felt something fall over her shoulders, though it was comfortable and warm. Tilting her head back, she looked up at the girl who stood above her, whose arms were mostly crossed except the candle she held in her one hand. With a frown, she looked away, seemingly staring out the window to keep her attention elsewhere.
“Thanks,” Applejack almost whispered, though she had to hurriedly reach out and catch the lighter that Rainbow intentionally dropped right in front of her.
“Yeah, whatever,” the girl continued to play coy, going over and placing the candle on the coffee table before dropping onto the couch. “Of all places to be stuck on Hearth's Warming Eve, I'm trapped in an old, powerless farm house. This sucks.”
“Sorry it ain't what y'expected,” Applejack grumbled irritably, taking the lighter and holding it into the fireplace, striking it a few times.
“Right about now, I'd be sitting down for a feast with the family, course they'd be arguing or something, but the food would be awesome,” Rainbow went on, continuing to stare out the window that had fallen to darkness a while ago by then. “Of course, then I'd call you to complain all about it.”
“Yea', Ah reckon so. If m' family was home, we might be just 'bout finishin' up doin' th' dishes t'gether, maybe we'd be sittin' 'round the livin' room, openin' jus' one present before bed.” Applejack remembered, lighting various edges of the newspaper once, twice, three times.
“You guys do that too?” Rainbow sat up a bit on the couch, curiously looking at the girl at the fireplace, who merely nodded. “We do that. It's always pyjamas, though. Not much fun.”
“It ain't s'posed t' be fun,” the farmer laughed out. “It's tradition, same 's mine. Y'get pyjamas s' you can sleep peacefully through th' cold night, silly.”
“Whatever, it's lame,” Rainbow shrugged again, kicking her feet up on the coffee table.
“Leave it t' you t' have no sen'imental bone in y'whole body,” Applejack mumbled as she shook her head.
“What's that supposed to mean?” Rainbow barked back, slinging her arms over the back of the couch lazily. “You're always picking on me. Sheesh man, fine. I won't say another word. How would you like that?”
Wherever he stepped came the crawling of frost,
I knew what might happen if our two paths crossed.
The Windigo's breath, it could shiver the soul
Turning fires of hearts into clumps of black coal.
“Your windows are covered in ice,” Rainbow said in a low voice, noticing the phenomenon across the glass.
“Ah thought y'weren't speakin'?” Applejack asked as she finished closing up the fireplace, letting the flames take care of themselves by now.
“Well you're sure boring if I don't,” the athlete argued readily.
“Thanks,” the farmer grunted.
Getting up from the ground, Applejack gathered her jacket and gloves, which had still been sitting next to her, and put them away. It wasn't as if she had any shortage of time, in fact, it seemed like she had a good deal of that. She put them back into the front closet and closed it back up. But while she was in the foyer, she decided to have a look out the front door to see if perhaps there were any headlights in the distance. On such a large property as her own, one could see cars approaching from a good distance away.
However, as she glanced out the peep hole, once, twice, three times, she saw nothing of the sort anywhere near them. It seemed her family would not be making it home in time this year, and she was almost sorry she had not gone with them to Appleloosa. Someone had to stay back and tend to the farm, of course. She had volunteered for such a thing.
She could still hear the wind against the windows and doors, hissing and trying its best to sneak in through any small fragment of a crack. The wreath that hung on the door shook about, the bells affixed to it rattling and chiming some tune that for once did not seem so merry at all. She turned back to the living room and made her way through the thick darkness.
Managing to make it all the way to the far window without much trouble, she noticed the same oddity that Rainbow had commented upon. She knelt down in front of it and pressed her hand against the glass, seeing it fog up around each finger and gently melt very little of the ice. It was already creeping up quite badly, making lines up the glass with the freezing of condensation.
“What, did you not believe me?” Rainbow asked snarkily, raising her eyebrow from her spot on the couch.
“Hush, Ah don't need t' hear that lip all night, thank ya very much,” Applejack snapped back, but flinched as she felt a bite at her fingers.
She glanced back at the window and noticed the ice had made it a bit farther, going so far as to nip at her fingers and nearly pin them there. Pulling her hand away and placing the affected fingers into her mouth, she narrowed her eyes at the pane of glass. She didn't think it was possible for ice to travel or freeze so quickly, but seeing as how it did, she was easier to convince.
“Well too bad, you're stuck with me, baby,” Rainbow sneered as she crossed her arms behind her head, the turtle-neck scrunching up around her throat.
“What's gotten into you? Do we always gotta fight? C'mon, Ah know you're upset an' all 'bout bein' snowed in, but y'don't gotta take it out on me,” Applejack told her in an exasperated tone, sighing loudly.
“Are you telling me what to do?” Rainbow asked suspiciously.
“Wha—no!” the farmer shouted back, pushing herself back to her feet off the windowsill, which she noticed grew colder and colder as they fought. The wood, in fact, made a light crackling sound as it warped behind her, and she quickly looked back to be sure she heard it at all. “We just usually ain't so ornery 'round each other, tha's all.”
Rainbow Dash glared at her for a moment, a frown present on her face. Suddenly though, it disappeared, replaced with words, “Yeah, I know.”
My fingers, my toes, slowly chilled purple and blue,
So clumsily back into my home I flew.
Despite the harsh cold, the only thing in my head,
Was the worry I held for those upstairs in bed.
“Pardon?” Applejack was surprised by the change of mood.
“I'm just a little irritable, I guess. It's really cold, makes me grouchy.” Rainbow shifted on the couch uncomfortably, and Applejack noticed the way she shivered but tried to hide it. “And... maybe I just have some stuff on my mind, or something.”
“Stuff like what?” Applejack asked gently, moving over to the floor in front of the fireplace where she had left the quilt.
“I don't know, just stuff,” Rainbow turned away with a pout.
“Oh,” Applejack mouthed the word, and nodded as she fell silent again, not knowing what else to say.
Rainbow Dash looked at her as she stared at the fire, the light dancing across her body and illuminating her against the rest of the house. Tilting her head, the athlete let out a slow breath, feeling calmed by the farmer's presence. Applejack was just so comfortable, merely being around her put Rainbow Dash at ease. Feeling the need to speak again, Rainbow opened her mouth.
“Look, I did really want to come out here, it wasn't just to play in the snow. But, I did kind of want that too,” she sheepishly admitted, rolling her head to the side on her shoulders. “I like you, I like spending time with you. You're my best friend, stupid. Of course I'd rather come here than anywhere else, and, I don't know, I didn't really want to leave when I said I did.”
“You didn't?” Applejack looked over, the lights in her eyes seeming especially bright and breathtaking.
“No,” Rainbow told her firmly. But that was not the end, as she felt herself vomiting that same selfless honesty Applejack always pulled out of her, “But it's weird, being stuck here together. I mean, we're good together, AJ, but being trapped here, it makes me kind of nervous.”
Applejack's head dropped, and she chewed at her lip bashfully, asking, “Did Ah do somethin' wrong?”
“What? No, no, not at all. It's me, it's just,” Rainbow groaned as she couldn't describe it. “I don't know, sometimes when I'm around you, I say dumb things, and rude things. But... I don't mean them, I really don't.”
“I guess I can vouch for that,” Applejack smirked, lightening the heavy mood with a small jest. She reached down and picked up the quilt, going back over to the couch were Rainbow Dash sat, the girl watching her all the while.
“Sorry, again,” Rainbow found herself apologizing. She waited silently as Applejack climbed onto the couch, draping the one side of the quilt over her shoulders and the other on her own. “Thanks.”
“Don't mention it,” Applejack got herself adjusted on the couch, having to scoot a bit closer once, twice, three times, so the blanket would cover them both adequately.
“You know, I would rather be here than with my family, anyway.” Rainbow pulled the cover around her, shifting on the sofa to get comfortable. “All they ever do is fight, and get mad at me for just about anything I do.”
“Ah know,” Applejack gently spoke, her voice floating over the gradual heat of the fire as it stretched out towards them.
Rainbow subtly looked over at the girl beside her, her bright big eyes flashing with admiration. Snow tapped at the windows just beyond the pair, wind calming down but still whistling against the glass. Leaning closer, Rainbow decided to whisper instead of speak as obnoxiously loud as she usually did.
“Man, the storm sure sounds bad,” she said, looking up at Applejack with a small smile. “I'm glad I'm here.”
Gusts of great wind rattled wreaths 'til they fell,
Yet I rushed up the stairs to check my family well.
My sister in one room, my brother another,
The three of us hurried and woke up my mother.
“Ah wonder how m' family's doin',” Applejack questioned aloud, her brow furrowing on the subject. “My sister's pro'ly complainin' 'bout the cold. My brother must be worried sick about me bein' here all alone.”
“You aren't alone,” Rainbow Dash reminded her.
“He don't know that,” Applejack denied, though a reflective smile appeared on her features.
“I guess,” the athlete shrugged, the quilt shifting with her movement. “I know my mom only cares because she has to, I mean, she said nothing about me staying over with you, like she just assumes it's cool with you, she didn't even ask if there were any adults around, either.”
“Maybe she just assumed, it bein' Heath's Warmin' an' all,” the farmer gently argued, though her face contorted as she caught the second half of the statement. “Why would it matter if adults 're 'round?”
“Oh, no reason,” Rainbow whistled innocently as her hand dropped onto Applejack's leg, drumming once, twice, three times. The farmer didn't seem to mind though, and just chuckled a bit.
“Ah do kinda miss ma family, Hearth's Warmin' was always th' same 'round here,” Applejack reminisced to herself, leaning back in the seat. “Apple Bloom would hate t' be sent t' bed, she'd keep sneaking out and staying up no matter what Ah did. Mac would never wanna deal with it, he'd always send me up instead. It wasn't much different when Ah was a youngin' though.”
“I wish I was around to have seen that,” Rainbow Dash grinned, the sight of little Applejack sneaking around the house in her pyjamas too adorable to resist imagining.
“We were all young once,” Applejack reminded her gently, adding a nudge and a comment, “Some of us still are.”
“Hey, I'd keep you up all night for another reason,” Rainbow remarked, and Applejack tried not to think about what she meant.
“Be nice havin' y'all around when Apple Bloom's here though, you're much better with kids than Ah am,” Applejack blushed and looked away shyly. “They all seem t'like you.”
“Yeah but if it were up to me, all they'd eat would be sugar, and we'd spend all day running around. Kids need a balance, and that's what you're for,” the rainbow-haired girl turned the compliment around. “I'm no good at discipline and stuff, hell, I can't even keep myself focused.”
“Tha's for sure,” Applejack laughed at the sentiment.
“That candle won't last much longer,” Rainbow proved her point by shifting the subject, nodding towards the object on the table. It was true, the flame was drowning in the wax, and it was so used and old that there was little life left at all.
“We don't need it any more, any who,” Applejack leaned forward and bent down over it, blowing the flame gently out and allowing the fireplace to distribute the light source alone.
The hiss on the wind seemed to knock at the door,
As I pulled my loved ones to the living room floor.
There by the fireplace, we sat in a heap,
While the frost on the windows continued to creep.
Applejack leaned back against the couch, though the air still felt bitterly chilled. Beside her, she could feel the slim girl shivering again, trying to tuck her cold hands under the quilt entirely. The two were sitting very close indeed, and there was heat between them, but Applejack thought of a better idea.
“Ah reckon Ah did promise you a warm drink, didn't Ah?” the farmer asked, tilting her head pleasantly and adorning a smile that waved in the dull light.
“Yes, yes you did.” Rainbow Dash nodded certainly, even shuffling over so that Applejack could get up the way she moved to.
“Keep it warm for me, honey,” Applejack bent back down and grabbed the edges of the quilt, pulling it tightly around her body.
“Oh yeah,” Rainbow winked and rubbed her legs together, taking hold of the quilt and holding it closed.
“Weirdo,” the blonde girl patted her on the head and ruffled her hair a bit before turning to leave.
Rainbow watched her as she left the room, her body slowly fading into the rest of the darkness of the house as she went back into the kitchen. In there, Applejack hardly needed any bearing to know how to find what she was looking for. Opening the lower cupboards just to the left of the stove, she pulled out a mid-sized pot, complete with a lid. She then dipped into the refrigerator, feeling around the lower shelf for what she had in mind.
Slipping back into the living room, Applejack hid the bottle behind her back and quietly stepped around the couch. Rainbow noticed her enter, and immediately looked over, following her curiously with her eyes. As Applejack set up some odd metal bar contraption over the fire, Rainbow shifted from side to side to try and see what she brought.
“What do you have there?” Rainbow asked curiously, dragging her words around like a little kid.
“Somethin Ah know you'll like,” Applejack teased her with ambiguity, but couldn't keep it a secret for long. “A lil' o' our heated up Sweet Apple Acres apple cider.”
“Seriously?!” Rainbow sat up at once, staring at the bottle as Applejack held it out for her to see. It was clearly unopened and the gentle colour let the light of the fire pass through it. “Oh my gosh, you're awesome.”
“Well, shucks,” Applejack flushed a bit, getting back to what she was doing
She poured the lukewarm cider into the pot, emptying perhaps half of the bottle before covering it up. She was careful to position it over the fire so that it was no over any area too hot nor too cold nor too smoky, as she didn't want it to lose the quality due to the poor heating process. Swishing the pot around every few moments and stoking the fire, Applejack checked the cider again and again. It could be smelled wafting through the room soon enough, the warm, fruity smell toxic and endearing.
Applejack had gone and gathered two mugs as it was heating, and all the while Rainbow Dash waited patiently, licking her lips and salivating. Since the liquid was heated enough, Applejack carefully poured portions into each mug, smelling it up close to be certain it was still flavourful. As she did, though, she noticed the odd feeling of someone watching her. She shifted on the floor and looked back, noticing Rainbow Dash still staring right at her, in fact, tracing her over and over.
“Why're y'lookin' at me like that?” Applejack asked uneasily, tugging at some edges of her clothes and shrinking under the gaze.
Rainbow Dash blinked with surprise, as she hadn't realized that it might make her uncomfortable. Tipping her head to one side, she asked, “Does it bother you?”
“No... well, um,” Applejack played with her words and her fingers, drumming them over the rims of the mugs as she let it out. “Maybe a mite. Ah'm a little shy 'bout stuff like that.”
Smiling, Rainbow remembered the way Applejack had critically looked at herself when she was alone in her bedroom. She sure wasn't as confident as she came off, it seemed. Rainbow exhaled warmly, telling her, “I know.”
“You know?” Applejack perked up to hear that, wondering what she might have meant by it.
“Nevermind,” Rainbow swatted the subject away easily. “I just don't see any reason to be shy. Not for you, anyway.”
Applejack blushed about it, but finished removing the obstacle from in the fireplace and took the mugs over to the couch. “It's complicated an' pro'ly stupid, Ah dunno.”
“I think it's kind of cute,” Rainbow murmured, opening one arm out to allow Applejack back into the warmth of the quilt.
“Yea', right,” Applejack laughed lightly as she sat back down, sliding one mug in front of Rainbow and lifting the other one to her lips. “Here y'go, enjoy.”
“Thanks,” the athlete bent down and picked up the mug with both hands, smelling the sweet flavour blissfully.
Applejack blew on the hot liquid once, twice, three times before daring take a sip. It was still a bit too hot for her lips, but it was so delicious and warming she had to drink some more anyway. The wind rapped at the windows again, but it was drowned out over the sounds of their cool breaths and careful sips. Over the rim of her mug, Rainbow Dash glanced over at Applejack, noticing her silence. Though the farmer seemed eager to let the subject slide, Rainbow would not let it go so easily.
Placing her cup down, Rainbow carefully examined her friend. The way she shifted in her seat, tugging on her shirt and avoiding eye contact. She slung one arm, the arm nearest to Rainbow, over the back of the couch casually, trying to hide the way her muscles seemed to define themselves just the smallest amount as they held things. She was clearly self conscious after touching on the sensitive subject, but Rainbow Dash just loved pushing buttons.
With firm resolve, Rainbow Dash lunged forward at once and threw herself around Applejack, slinging her arms around the girl's waist. Lifting the mug up above the collision, Applejack's wide eyes cast down at the girl wrapped around her. She felt Rainbow squeeze tighter, nuzzling against her stomach and rubbing her back gently. the farmer's face flushed brightly, and she carefully leaned forward to put the mug down before vocalizing her uneasiness.
“U-uh, D-Dash?” her voice was shaky at first, feeling the heat of Rainbow's breath in her lap. “What're y'doin'?”
“Holding you,” Rainbow Dash murmured into her stomach, her arms squeezing firmer around her body. Humming pleasantly in the company she adored, she pulled back just enough to look up at Applejack, bringing up the subject she wanted to discuss, “You know, you don't look like other girls.”
“Ah...” Applejack's face fell anxiously, and in a disappointed or embarrassed voice, she finished, “Ah know, that.”
“I like it. You're you, and special.” Rainbow propped herself up a bit more in her lap, smiling brightly.
“Huh?” Applejack swallowed, not sure what she was getting at.
Rainbow's hands travelled up her body, pausing and squeezing on the subjects she spoke of as they came up, “Those strong arms of yours? They can hold tighter than anyone else's. Your firm stomach? It protects those awesome guts you've got. And...” Sitting up, Rainbow laid her head on Applejack's chest and rubbed against it with her cheek. “Your big breasts?”
“Rainbow,” Applejack's voice was very firm.
“They're comfy. And warm.” Rainbow mused, burying herself deeper between them with a fond grin.
“Rainbow,” the farmer repeated, just as seriously but with a bit more volume.
“And they keep bad people away from your loving heart,” she spoke more figuratively, her eyes softening as she glanced back up at her friend. “People except me, that is.”
“Rainbow.” Applejack blushed again, shifting in her seat as to make it more comfortable for the girl in her lap.
“Hmm?” Rainbow hummed her response.
“Ah, well...” The farmer's face burned brighter in the low lighting, and she pursed her lips carefully before responding fully, “Thanks. Ah guess. Y'sure have a weird way of sayin' nice things.”
“I think I have a weird way of doing a lot of things.” Rainbow winked at her again, flashing another charming smile.
“Ah dunno if Ah believe you, though,” Applejack said in a slow sigh, her eyes fondling the athlete wantingly. “You're th' pretty one, Dash. Ah can't be all that attractive. Ah'm only suited for work, not stuff like love.”
“AJ, you're beautiful. And I'll tell you that a million times over if that's what it takes to make you believe me.” Rainbow Dash pressed a hand over Applejack's chest, feeling her heartbeat quicken at the touch. “Even when I'm mad at you, I try—and I mean, I really try—to find something to hate you about or bother you about, but... I just can't. You're perfect in every way. To me, anyway.”
Applejack bit back a near sob, her arms falling off the back of the couch and coming around the girl in her lap, her lips gently making the word, “Rainbow...”
Pulling her nearer, Applejack passionately hugged Rainbow Dash, squeezing her slender body tightly. From there, she could smell the familiar scent of the girl's hair, feel the smoothness of her skin, enjoy the warmth of her body. It was a comfortable embrace, though it did not seem to last long enough. Soon, they released each other and relaxed into a silence stuffed up only with two merging gazes.
Breaking into a nervous smile, Applejack played her fingers on Rainbow's upper back, supporting her there as she looked away and felt heat rising to her face again. For a night so cold, she could not seem to keep the warmth from her cheeks. She licked her lips once, twice, three times, sucking on her words and deciding whether or not they were good enough to share.
“Would it be...” she started before she was ready, but seeing the attentive look in Rainbow's face, she could not help herself from going on, “Would if be weird if Ah said that Ah love you?”
Rainbow Dash blinked simply, before responding with, “Well, no.” She shrugged, her hand trailing down Applejack's other arm as it looped around her waist. “I love you too, stupid.”
“No, Ah mean,” Applejack corrected, shaking her head adamantly. “Ah really love you.”
“What do you mean you really love me?” Applejack blushed and bit her lip, unsure how to answer. However, Rainbow Dash seemed to be asking a different question than she thought, “What? You think I don't really love you? You think you love me more, or something?”
“What? Ah don't think you get it—it ain't no competition,” the farmer spoke back, frowning and pouting her lips at the girl in her arms.
“Not at all, because I'd win.” Rainbow pointed a thumb at herself, a confident smirk appearing as always.
“Yea' right! Don't tempt me, honey. Y'don't even know what trouble y'could get into talkin' like that,” Applejack warned her, poking her on the nose and glaring at her.
“Oh, what, are you gonna punish me somehow, AJ?” Rainbow could not keep her vibrant grin from cracking her smirk apart, pressing her chest against Applejack's roughly.
“Ah—well, wait—what?” the farmer scratched her head, not sure if she was reading the signals right. “Y'know Ah ain't kiddin', right?”
“Say it again,” Rainbow demanded, her fist closing around Applejack's collar.
“... Ah love you,” Applejack told her seriously, trying to get it through her thick skull.
“Again.” She quirked her eyebrow daringly.
“Ah—” Applejack gulped, deciding to throw caution into the terribly harsh winter wind and show the girl how she felt in a more aggressive way. “Oh, screw it.”
Applejack grabbed her firmly by the back of the head and waist, hoisting her up right at once. Their lips came together eagerly, and Rainbow Dash immediately hung her arms around Applejack's neck, her fingers combing into her hair and sliding up the side of her throat to hold her in place. The fire spat and flickered on beyond them, casting a shadow between them that they eagerly ravaged.
Though the passionate kissing came a few grumbled and murmurs, which were only audible in that breath of a distance between them.
“...Scamp,” Applejack called her friend, speaking almost right into her mouth.
“Stupid,” Rainbow hurriedly retorted, smirking against the farmer's lips and feeling her drive increase.
“Immature,” the farmer came back easily, her arms wrapping entirely around her slender body as Rainbow moved on the couch to straddle Applejack and deepen the kiss.
Humming in delight as she got a better taste, Rainbow found her quip much more flattering than the earlier one, “...Mmm, sexy.”
“Hehe, charmin'...” Applejack chuckled back, her freckled cheeks shifting to make way for the unusually large smile she adorned.
Applejack relaxed into the soft and permissive couch, letting Rainbow Dash push hard against her body in all the right ways. Her hands traced the girl's thin and athletic body, loving every inch of it she could simply explore. Their mingling bodies cast great shadows across the wall behind them, shifting and swaying with the dancing flames.
The cold, it was daunting, but loneliness more,
What's better than being with those you care for?
With not much time left, we spread our arms wide,
And let all our pride and our furies subside.
Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, looking up at Applejack from her lap as the farmer stroked her hair once, twice, three times. A soft smile melted across her features as she watched her in the dim lighting, and she placed a hand on the one Applejack had resting on her stomach. It was quiet once again, but the two were more than comfortable with it. However, Applejack had something on her mind, something she wanted to share.
“Y'know, there's one more thing m' family does on Hearth's Warmin', Eve,” Applejack's voice called out gingerly as she looked down at the girl in her lap.
“Oh? What's that?” Rainbow asked.
“We read this ol' book,” Applejack began, rolling her tongue around in her mouth wondering if Rainbow would think it was stupid. “Ah know, it pro'ly sounds lame t' you.”
“Which one?” the girl inquired, shifting around in her lap and nuzzling affectionately to show her support.
“It's called A Visit From The Windigos, but y'all might know it as 'Twas the Eve of Hearth's Warming, Ah bet,” Applejack revealed with a bashful smile.
“Oh yeah, I know what one,” Rainbow seemed pleased to hear about it, but played casual as she went on after clearing her throat, “Well, I mean, if you want to... you can read it.”
“Y'mean it?” the farmer asked hopefully.
“Yeah, I haven't heard it in like, forever, so,” Rainbow Dash muttered, trying not to seem to eager. “Do you have it around here?”
“It should be on th' bookshelf over there, there ain't many books, it'll be th' tallest one, with a blue binding.” Applejack nodded over to the bookcase, and Rainbow sprung right up to her feet.
“I'll get it,” she called back as she ran over to it, nearly tripping over the corner of the coffee table as she did.
Watching her adorably reach up, standing on one wavering foot to be able to grab it, Applejack chuckled as she grabbed the right one. Hurriedly, Rainbow Dash scampered back over and flipped backwards over the rear of the couch, landing upside-down with the book clutched tight to her chest. Looking up at the incredulous Applejack, she held out the book and grinned widely.
“Got it.” She let Applejack take it from her hands.
“Uh, thanks there, sugarcube,” Applejack laughed lightly as she opened it to the first page, running over the words in her head before glancing down at Rainbow Dash, who still sat with her legs kicking up over the back of the couch. “Y'gonna sit normal-like?”
“Oh, yeah, right. Blood's rushing to my head,” Rainbow agreed, shifting around until she was back next to Applejack.
With Applejack's arm still looped around the back of the couch, Rainbow nestled in right against her shoulder, placing a hand on the farmer's thigh. Instinctively, Applejack's arm grabbed the end of the quilt and tugged it over Rainbow's shoulder, resting around her closely instead. Clearing her throat and leaning her head on Rainbow's, Applejack began to speak.
“Okay, y'ready?” she asked gently, resisting the urge to kiss her on the head.
“Go ahead,” Rainbow responded, reading the words over in the girl's lap as she started.
“T'was the eve of Hearth's Warming, and all through the town,
Every hilltop and orchard was snowed in a gown.
The pine trees were lit from the trunk to the peak,
To shine 'cross Equestria when nights seem so bleak.
The children stayed up tucked so warm in their cots,
Not sleeping a wink, though they knew that they ought.
Yet this winter's evening, I was up all alone,
The family was fighting, and we wouldn't atone.
When out by the window, came a howl so great,
It swept over the lawn and sprung open the gate.
I tugged on my jacket, done up to the neck,
To go out in the weather and look from the deck.
The snow whistled hard as it bit at my nose,
The twinkling flakes nestling into my clothes.
When out in the garden, 'tween the shivering trees,
Came the form of some stallion, made out of the breeze.
With a mane like a stream, he rode down from the sky,
Tall as a mountain, from withers to thigh.
Through the steam of his breath, his azure eyes shone,
Above a coat of silver and hooves made of stone.
Wherever he stepped came the crawling of frost,
I knew what might happen if our two paths crossed.
The Windigo's breath, it could shiver the soul
Turning fires of hearts into clumps of black coal.
My fingers, my toes, slowly chilled purple and blue,
So clumsily back into my home I flew.
Despite the harsh cold, the only thing in my head,
Was the worry I held for those upstairs in bed.
Gusts of great wind rattled wreaths 'til they fell,
Yet I rushed up the stairs to check my family well.
My sister in one room, my brother another,
The three of us hurried and woke up my mother.
The hiss on the wind seemed to knock at the door,
As I pulled my loved ones to the living room floor.
There by the fireplace, we sat in a heap,
While the frost on the windows continued to creep.
The cold, it was daunting, but loneliness more,
What's better than being with those you care for?
With not much time left, we spread our arms wide,
And let all our pride and our furies subside.
The fire was warm, but the embrace, it was hot.
And it sent back the Windigos from whence they trot.
There by the hearth, in the dead of the night,
The fire before us kept burning so bright.
The stallions galloped back over the breeze,
To find a new land they could ravage and freeze.
And still to this day, when the winter blows strong,
We return to the hearth where we know we belong.
My brother stoking the fire, my sis' on the chair,
On the last night of winter, with people who care.
While as I sit in my cap and I wistfully sigh,
I recall such a story of Windigos nigh.
So gather so close when you—”
“Mmm,” Rainbow hummed distantly, rubbing against Applejack's shoulder once, twice, three times. In a sleepy voice, she mumbled, “That was a nice story, AJ,”
Even though she had not finished the last stanza, Applejack smiled, agreeing, “Yea', it was.”
She shifted on the couch, closing up the book and placing it on the coffee table next to their now cold apple cider. Moving her back over to the arm rest, Applejack swung her legs up onto the couch. With careful movements, she tugged the quilt out from under her and draped it over Rainbow Dash, who laid on her chest and snuggled perfectly between her legs.
It didn't seem to matter how the two did not fit very well on the couch, in fact, it could hardly have been more comfortable. Applejack leisurely played with Rainbow's bangs as her breathing fell and rose rhythmically against her own chest. As her eyes began to close, she leaned forward, planting one simple kiss on the girl's forehead before falling asleep herself.
The wind had long since stopped blowing, and through the evening the roads became much easier to navigate. The snow settled at last and the storm passed easily over the rest of the city. Though they were late, Applejack's family finally arrived the next morning.
They came in through the front door rather quietly, too tired after being up all night trying to make it back. Big Mac helped Granny take off her bulky jacket, letting Apple Bloom pout about not being able to open her pyjamas early as usual. The three called up the stairs, but saw the door hanging ajar and all the lights left off. Making their way into the living room, they found two young girls still peacefully sleeping on the couch in each other's arms. Apple Bloom was the first to speak, too eager for Hearth's Warming to keep herself contained.
“Should we wake 'em up, Mac?” Apple Bloom asked hurriedly, tugging on her older brother's sleeve roughly.
“Naw,” the older boy cracked a smile as he spoke, finding something pleasant about the situation, “It's a Hearth's Warmin' miracle, havin' 'em quiet f' once.”
“Aww... ain't they cute?” Granny Smith added shakily as she leaned over the side of the couch, her old wrinkled cheeks rising in a smile.
Apple Bloom grouchily pouted and scratched her head, not seeing the sentiment at all. With a whiney voice, she went on with, “...But Ah want m' presents!”
The other two laughed lightly, pulling the young girl away from the tired pair. Too blissfully asleep to notice much at all, the noise merely caused the pair to shuffle, their bodies mingling in a different yet equally affectionate way. Opening her eyes but a crack, Applejack's strong arms squeezed Rainbow Dash as she let out a sigh, never feeling more content and at ease than that moment.
So gather so close when you hear this tale told,
And those nearest you, put your arm 'round and hold.
May the hearth keep you warm, whether this you believe,
And let love keep you safe this Hearth's Warming Eve.
Author's Note
Wow, I really, really had to work to get this up in time for Christmas day... holy... well, anyway, I hope you liked it. As usual, me and my humanized AppleDash. To be honest, I wanted to make this one a pony version, but I already had several things in my head that I thought up about the story that relied on them either being human or it being an alternate universe, soooo I decided to stick to what I knew. I might do a pony remake of this, when I have some more time.
And yes, I did entirely rewrite the poem myself. It was troublesome. I also did a pony version of the poem, though, and will post it in the next chapter in full for all to see.
Thanks for reading, and happy Hearth's Warming to you all!
