Something From Nothing

Alex sat beside Fluttershy, restlessly turning the book over in his hands. He had to remind himself that Dr. Clear Mind came highly recommended. Luna wouldn’t have done so if he wasn’t good. The prospect of digging up all his old wounds didn’t excite him. Especially if, or more likely when, his father were to come up. The thought was threatening to set his flight or fight response off like crazy.

A comforting hoof touched his shoulder. “Just breathe, okay?” Fluttershy wrapped a wing around him, nuzzling his shoulder.

“I’m breathing.” Despite saying that, he sighed and took a steadying breath. “Any chance we could bail and replace therapy with pizza night?”

“You made a promise,” Fluttershy pressed, poking his side.

“I know.” Slumping over, he made a token effort to try to read his book.

An older mare approached, offering a smile. “Alexander Lionheart? The doctor will see you now.”

Grumbling, Alex stood up and dragged himself into the office. He kept his head down until he was laying down on the stereotypical chair associated with therapy.

A middle aged earth pony mare greeted him, sitting across from him. Her features were warm, a pair of glasses sitting on her muzzle.

“It’s nice to meet you, Alex,” she spoke, her voice carrying a lilt. “I’m Dr. Clear Mind.”

“Nice to meet you too.” Alex shifted, holding the book towards her. “This is for you. It’s a book on human psychology.”

Taking the offered book, Clear ran a hoof over the cover. “Oh my! That’s quite a gift.” Placing it beside herself, she adjusted her glasses. “I will read up on it of course, but I don’t want to build our relationship on preconceived notions.”

Alex nodded, settling back into his seat. “Fair, but something tells me I can supply notions just fine during this session.”

“Your mother told me the reason you didn’t see me before was due to a fear that I would treat you using pony psychology.” She gave the book a pat. “You needn’t worry about that. I specialize in treating non-ponies.”

“I can appreciate that,” Alex relented, looking up at the ceiling. “Do you have anything like a stress ball? My hands tend to fidget when I’m starting to get stressed.”

Clear motioned to a box under the table. “It might be too large, one of my minotaur patients brought it in.”

Alex reached out and pulled the box from under the table. Sitting it on his lap, he nodded to continue. “I’ll make do. So, where do you wanna start?”

“Where would you like to start?” Clear asked. “What are you comfortable with sharing today?”

Alex opened his mouth, only to instantly shut it. He’d wanted to respond with nothing, but something told him that his sarcastic response would’ve been taken seriously for the purposes of the session. So that left himself to consider the question seriously.

“I have a friend,” Alex began, eyeing the stress ball. “We’re pretty close... I think... we like each other more than friends...”

“That’s all perfectly natural,” the doctor noted, a warm smile on her face. “But I take it there are some things that make the situation more complicated than that?”

Alex fidgetted, taking the grapefruit sized ball into his hands. “I never even realized I liked guys... but I don’t know if that’s me or the body.”

Clear mind chuckled, scribbling down what Alex guessed was what he was saying. “There’s no simple answer to that. Denial can be a powerful thing. If you grew up in an environment where same sex attraction is discouraged, you may have developed internal mechanisms to instantly rationalize any hints of attraction previously. And now that you’re in an accepting environment, or because your body doesn’t match what you’re used to rationalizing with, those feelings are coming to surface.

“There’s also the fact that sexuality and romantic feelings can be fluid-”

“Then there's the age gap and just thinking about it makes me feel awful.”

“Yes, I did see in my notes that you were considered an adult on your old world.” If Clear Mind minded being interrupted, she didn’t show it. “Do you think that constantly being treated like a child here has influenced this development of feelings with your friend?”

“I’m almost twice his age!” Alex continued, words vomiting forth. “I’m an adult and he’s a kid. I-It’s just wrong! And we kissed and we went to the gala and... and I don’t want to take advantage of him.”

“If that’s how you feel then you should tell him that,” Clear Mind offered, not a hint of judgment in her tone. “You need to establish your boundaries with him explicitly if you wish to keep him as a friend and avoid these feelings of guilt.”

Alex groaned, slumping down in his seat. “I don’t know what I want.”

“The other clear option in this circumstance would be to avoid the colt altogether,” she pointed out, looking up from her notes. “And something tells me you’d like that even less.”

“I’m not going to avoid Snails,” Alex snapped.

“Then you need to confront this one way or another. And my personal standing on the matter, given you consider yourself an adult and have lived twice as long as this colt, would be the establishing of boundaries.”

“But I’m not an adult am I?” Alex asked, looking at himself. “I like to tell myself I still am but I’m not. Portions of my brain un-developed and I’m running on hormones and a still redeveloping brain.”

“Is that how you really feel or is this you internalizing how you’ve been treated since coming to Equestria?” Clear Mind asked, returning to her notes. “From your file it says that in your life prior to Equestria you were considered old enough to hold long term employment and housing. Even with hormones coursing through you, it seems hard to give up the idea of being an adult in the short time you’ve been here.”

Alex’s pressed on the ball, slightly deforming it. “I don’t know. I just want things to make sense.”

“That is why we’re here.” The doctor tittered, offering him a smile. “To get these feelings out in the open and work through them.”

Shifting, Alex cast his eyes away. “...I told Snails at the gala that if we ended up as more than friends we’d... figure it out.”

“That is the healthy thing to do. No matter how you want to resolve this situation, communicating with Snails would be the mature course of action.”

Taking a moment to make a note, Clear spoke again. “Have you been in any relationships before?”

Alex shrugged. “I’ve had sex before.”

"And was this a casual affair or were you trying for something long term?"

“It was drunken.”

The doctor chuckled, making another note. "So, very casual. Did you have romantic interests on your previous world?"

“There was a girl in college but she was out of my league.” He managed to look at her. “That’s about it.”

"Sounds like limited experience all around. Nothing wrong with that but it does make it hard to get a gauge on how new of a development an attraction to colts is."

Rising from her seat, she poured them both a glass of lemonade. “But that does give us a starting point.”

Rolling the ball in his hands, Alex nodded. "If you say so. I still feel like my wheels are spinning in the mud."

Retaking her seat, Clear sipped at her glass. “This doesn’t change my earlier advice, however, seeing as how you're just as inexperienced in relationships as he is, this might be a good experience for both of you.”

Eyeing the glass, Alex gingerly took a drink. “I... guess.”

Nodding in approval, Clear smiled. “Just remember, relationships are built upon mutual trust, respect and comfort. If you start dating Snails and it feels wrong, it’s okay to break things off in a healthy way.”

Alex nodded, his grip on the stress ball slackening. “I guess that makes sense. I think Snails would understand if I’m uncomfortable.”

The atmosphere of the room seemed lighter, and Alex found himself opening up more. Clear Mind proved to be what she seemed, even when he rattled on about something trivial. So engrossed was he, that his recounting of the gala was cut short.

Tapping on the ringing bell, Clear got to her hooves. “Oops! That’s our time, Alex. It certainly flies, doesn’t it?”

Putting the ball back in its box, Alex stood up. “I’ll admit, I didn’t hate this as much as I thought I would. This was almost… pleasant.”

Clear walked him to the door, carrying the book on her back. “I’m glad you found the experience pleasant. If this is something you’d like to do again, your mother can schedule you for this time next week.”

“I’ve kinda promised to so she’s sure to do that,” Alex admitted, following the doctor back to the waiting room.

“Have a good week, Alex.” Clear waved to them, slipping back into her office.

Alex approached Fluttershy, clearing his throat. “So um... things went well.”

Wrapping her wings around his waist, Fluttershy pulled him close. “I’m so proud of you. Thank you for taking this seriously.”

Kneeling down, he returned her hug. “Geez, you’re going to make me melt if my blush gets any hotter.”

“Too bad, that’s my job as your mother,” Fluttershy shot back, hugging him tighter. Stepping away, she gave him a nudge. “We have a bit of shopping to do before we head home.”

“Shopping too? What did I do to deserve this level of torture?” Alex groaned, following her out of the office.

Leading him towards the market, she tittered. “We’re just doing some ingredient shopping. I want your first Hearth's Warming to be memorable.”

Alex’s step lost its bounce. He regarded her for a moment before asking, “That’s like your Christmas, right?”

“That was the gift giving holiday you mentioned, right? Not the one with fireworks? If so, then yes. Your Christmas seems a lot like Hearth's Warming. It’s one of the most magical nights of the year.”

“Yeah, the most wonderful time of the year.” Alex attempted enthusiasm, managing a half-hearted chuckle. If Fluttershy noticed, she didn’t comment.

During a stop at a vegetable stall, Fluttershy started to prance. “Oh! I almost forgot to tell you.” turning to him, she bore a giddy smile. “You got invited to a sleepover!”

“Oh yeah? Who invited me?” Alex tried to force a smile, but the idea of a sleepover didn’t excite him. The word was always associated with girly things.

“Applejack did. Well, Apple Bloom did but Applejack passed it on,” Fluttershy explained as they resumed their walk. “Rarity’s parents are leaving town for the weekend and Applejack agreed to look after Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.”

Alex took a moment to consider it. While the Crusaders tended to be a bit too energetic for his liking, they weren’t exactly bad fillies. One weekend wouldn’t kill him, right? On the other hand... he was pretty sure Applejack still hated his guts.

“We can tell AJ I’ll be there,” he stated, nodding.

Fluttershy squealed, her prancing increasing. “Oh! You're going to have so much fun! I remember all the sleepovers Dash and I had as fillies.”

“Okay, but if things get uncomfortable for me, it’s okay for me to come home, right?” Alex asked, a pleading look on his face.

“I’m sure Discord wouldn’t mind giving you a quick way home,” she conceded.

Alex managed a real smile, letting a hand rest on her back. “I appreciate that. And I promise I’ll give the sleepover an honest shot and not bail at the first thing that bugs me.”

One of winter’s more powerful aspects was its ability to change a landscape. A heavy snowfall could make any land into a kingdom of cold. The walk to the farm house reminded Alex of many a Kinkade painting.

The chill crept up on him, making him rub his hands together out of habit. It didn’t do anything through the fabric of his gloves. Biting back a frown, he hefted his bag in an attempt to gauge if he had everything he needed for the sleepover.

“Good evening.”

Applejack’s voice cut through the chilly night, drawing his eyes to the porch. Much like himself, she sported a winter coat and a warm scarf. “Walk wasn’t too bad fer ya, was it?”

“The walk was fine, fingers got a little cold but nothing major.” Alex nodded at the mare. “Evening treating you well?”

“Ah’m fine.” Applejack placed herself between him and the door. “Look Alex, Ah know things between us haven’t been the best.” Taking her hat off, she held it over her chest. “Ah’m sorry Ah took my anger out on ya.”

“I don’t blame you,” Alex admitted, feeling his loathing rise. “You were right to. I failed to keep Big Mac safe.”

Lifting his head, Applejack greeted him with a scowl. “Oh no, ya ain’t doin’ that to yerself. You and Twilight did everything y'all could to help Zecora and mah brother. Don’t put yerself down because someone else did a bad thing.”

Alex nodded, a noncommittal smile on his face. “So, start over fresh?”

Stepping to the side, she replaced her hat. “Dang straight! Now git on inside. Bloom and the girls are waiting fer ya!”

Nodding again, Alex forced a wider smile. He was walking into the viper’s den now. All he needed was to not show fear and he could likely avoid the venom, or much more likely property damage knowing the three vipers in question.

The Apple’s home was the manifestation of a cozy farmstead. Family pictures lined the walls, from grainy black and white to vivid color. The cozy feeling couldn’t help but remind him of his mother. Even when the bastard that referred to itself as his father was at its worst, she did what she could to protect that very feeling.

“Alex!” Sweetie Belle’s squeaky voice rang down the hall. She ran down to meet him, coils bouncing around her face.

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out,” Alex said, taking a step back to avoid a collision with the unicorn. “Did you change your mane? Seems curlier than usual.”

Sweetie beamed with pride, running her hoof through her mane. “Rarity took me to the spa! They made my mane super curly!”

“That explains it.” Alex gave her a thumbs up. “Don’t think they’d be able to do anything besides make this a proper pixie cut.” He tugged at his short hair for emphasis.

“You just need to grow your mane out.” Surrounding his hand with the green glow of her magic, Sweetie tugged him along. “It is pretty though. Not many ponies have a black mane.”

“I dunno about growing it out, long hair seems like such a hassle. Pretty sure I’d wind up with a rat’s nest since I’d be too lazy to take care of it.” He wasn’t exactly lying, but he didn’t want to bring down the mood with his baggage.

Apple Bloom’s room was on the second floor, near the front of the house. It shared the same homey atmosphere as the rest of the house. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo sat on the bed, arguing over a book.

“How long until you think they notice us?” Alex questioned, leaning down to whisper in Sweetie’s ear. “My money’s on five minutes.”

“Girls! Alex is here!” Sweetie chirped, trotting into the room.

“Spoilsport,” Alex grumbled, putting on a brave face as he was swarmed by the other two members and dragged into the room in a blur of motion. “Okay hold on!” Alex put his hands up. “Give me a second to get settled, would ya?”

Apple Bloom stepped back, chuckling. “Sorry Alex, we just got excited since yer finally hangin’ out with us.”

“I’ve hung out with you before.” Alex placed his bag by the door and paused. “Uh... what do you want me to do with my shoes?”

“You can put them in the wardrobe,” Apple Bloom offered, opening the closet and pointing at the corner of it for him. “There’s plenty o’ room since Ah’ve only got a little bit o’ clothes.”

Slipping them off, he placed them and his bag inside. Shrugging off his coat, he placed it on an empty hook. A tap on his heel made him jump. Whirling around, he found Scootaloo looking at his sock curiously.

“Uh, mind not poking at me like I’m something strange on your plate?” Alex asked, turning to move his foot away from the prodding pegasus.

“Sorry.” Scootaloo backed up, her cheek fur darkening. “It’s just, I’ve never seen you without those things on!”

“Well yeah, human feet aren’t exactly well protected against the elements like hooves are.” As much as he would’ve liked to wear his normal relaxing clothes, it was still winter. A long john shirt and sweatpants made up his sleepwear for his mini vacation. With his bag down, he looked around the room. “So.. what were you two arguing about?”

“We were talkin’ bout’ what we’d do next to get our cutie marks,” Apple Bloom clarified. “We made a big list and we’re stuck on what ta do next.”

“Ah, makes sense for the Cutie Mark Crusaders,” Alex said, ready to sit down and pretend to listen. “Anything in particular you were looking at?”

Scootaloo puffed her chest out, her little wings buzzing. “I think we should try for snowboarding cutie marks!”

“Are there any good hills to practice that on?” Alex questioned. “And where would we even get snowboards at this time of night?”

Grabbing their list, Sweetie floated it onto a bookshelf. “Come on girls, I think it’d be unfair to talk cutie marks when Alex can’t get one.”

The pair shared a look, nodding and turning to Alex. “Sweetie’s right, sorry if you felt left out,” Scootaloo said, holding a hoof out.

Taking it, Alex gave it a little shake. “Ah, don’t worry about it. I did just get here after all. Besides, even if I can’t get a mark I could probably have fun doing whatever you’re trying.”

Scootaloo regarded her hoof curiously before clapping them together. “That could be fun! I don’t think they make snowboards for ‘feet’ though.”

“I could probably convince Discord to adjust the straps for me to put my feet in. We’d just have to find one for someone my height.”

A bell chimed from lower in the house. “Come on down youngin’s! Suppers on!”

The four put their conversation on hold and raced down the stairs to the kitchen where Granny Smith was waiting for them at the stove.

“Ah don’t think we’ve met,” she addressed Alex with a critical eye. “Much like everypony else, ya can call me Granny Smith!”

“I’m Alex, Fluttershy adopted me,” Alex replied, nodding as he waited for everyone else to sit down. “Dinner smells great.”

Granny Smith chuckled, patting his side. “Ah know who ya are. Ah can’t rightly tell iffin’ yer skinny or not, so just eat whatcha can. Yer momma told us ya ain’t good with hay, so Ah whipped up some fish fer ya.”

“I appreciate the effort,” Alex replied, taking his own seat with a smile. “I would’ve been happy with apples and veggies.”

The sight of Big Mac made Alex roll his shoulder, feeling a thousand phantom aches from the stallion’s brutal sword swings. Mac nodded, his eyes lacking the life the rest of his family carried. He made it a point not to meet the red stallion’s gaze.

“Nonsense, wouldn’t be a right proper host if Ah took the easy way,” Granny Smith dismissed, waving a spoon in Alex’s direction.

An Apple dinner shared many similarities to a Shy dinner. The noise of hungry animals was substituted with the sound of laughter and boisterous conversation. Many questions were directed at him by the family, Granny Smith in particular. It was a sight to behold her rallying the family around her. Apple Bloom in particular seemed to hang on her every word.

Tucking into a slice of apple pie, Alex glanced around the table. “So... do you guys want to watch a movie?”

"Is this a movie from your world?" Scootaloo questioned, shooting up in her seat.

“Yes it would.”

"Ah know Ah'd love to watch somethin' if yer offerin'," Apple Bloom agreed, tucking into her own pie.

“Awesome. We can watch the Muppet Christmas Carol.”

"Pretty sure Ah only knew half those words," Applejack noted, gathering the empty plates. “What exactly is a moppat?”

"A muppet is a type of puppet. Created by one of the most talented people that ever lived back home." Alex carried his dishes to the sink. “They’ve sort’ve taken on a life of their own at this point.”

"Puppets? Didn't think you'd be into something so kiddy," Scootaloo commented, her muzzle scrunching up.

Whirling on his shorter friend, Alex flicked her ear. “Muppets are for all ages.”

"Then show it t'us and prove it," Apple Bloom challenged, and hopped off her chair. "Gotta be interestin' if yer cheerin' it on so much."

“Bet.” Alex retrieved his tablet from his backpack and returned to the living room.

In an effort to encourage family bonding, Discord had conjured up a few unique accessories for the device. Setting it on its stand, he connected a small projector and set up an enchanted screen.

Swapping the SD card, he glanced at the kitchen. “Alright! Ready when you guys are!”

Applejack came into the room, a tray of drinks and snacks on her back. “While y’all were fiddlin’ with yer movie, Ah got us some drinks and popcorn. Even made some caramel apple flavored popcorn fer the occasion.”

“Thanks.” Alex hopped onto the couch, waiting for others to join them.

Everyone gathered around, curiosity overtaking their faces. Alex managed a smile, sharing something that was special to him. Popping some of the caramel corn in his mouth, he started the movie.

Alex had to hold back a belch as he laid atop his sleeping bag. Applejack’s special caramel corn had proven to be a siren he could not steer away from. Besides his full stomach, he was satisfied with the fact the movie had been a huge hit. The Ghost of Christmas Future scene had gone over especially well.

“Still think muppets are kiddy?” Alex questioned, tossing a sock at Scootaloo’s head.

“No way, that was so cool!” Scootaloo chirped, shaking her head to let the sock hit the floor. ‘That scene with the ghosts in the chains was the best!”

“Damn right it was,” Alex agreed, snatching the sock up. “That should teach you to doubt me.”

“Nope, we’ll just doubt until proven wrong,” Sweetie teased, tossing a pillow at Alex with her magic.

Alex caught the pillow, rising to his feet. “Well then, I guess I’ll just have to whack the lesson it ya!” he advanced upon Sweetie, holding the pillow above his head.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo jumped to their own hooves, pillows hanging from their mouths. With a high pitched war cry, they flanked Alex with their fluffy weapons held high. Bloom swung at his chest, while Scootaloo aimed for his knees.

Smirking, Alex jumped back to avoid the blow to his knees while swinging his own pillow to knock away the one that Apple Bloom levied at him.

His confidence stumbled when a magic piloted pillow whammed into the back of his head. Whirling on a heel, he grinned at the giggling marshmallow.

"That's a declaration of war."

The first human-pony war lasted an agonizing twenty minutes before the great arbiter Applejack told the participants to settle down.

Clear Mind’s words came back to him. Did he still see himself as an adult? He certainly didn’t act like one just now. Nestling into his sleeping bag, Alex wondered if it even mattered. Growing up the first time, he rarely had moments like these, full of laughter and joy.

But he couldn't help but feel a tingle at the back of his mind. He couldn't just ignore the time in his previous life. Even if he did feel like his childhood wasn't a proper one. Sonata had told him you were only as old as you felt…

He turned in his sleeping bag, conflicting feelings swirling in a tempest in his head. There was no simple way to square everything away between his body and his mind. No, he was overthinking it.

Adulthood was out of his grasp for another four years. The man who had made his life hell wasn’t here. He’d use these four years to wring every ounce of joy a second childhood could bring. He owed himself that.

Snow crunched under Alex’s boot, the midday sun shining above. The girls had dragged him out into the orchard at Scootaloo’s insistence.

“I wanna see you fly!” she had said at the breakfast table.

Rubbing his hands through his gloves, Alex tried to consider how to tackle using Glide again. He had sort of just done it before. Was it emotion based? He’d been thinking about how to save Diamond Tiara and himself.

“You know that wasn’t actually flying right? It was falling with style.”

“Whatever it was, it was cool!” Scootaloo retorted, wings buzzing like a hummingbird. “Oh! We should see if you can touch clouds!”

Rubbing his chin, Alex considered the idea. “It’s something to try for but I’m not jumping out of trees. Fluttershy already tore one of her friends apart. I’d hate for her to murder Applejack because I broke an arm.”

“Probably wouldn’t help if we took the blame,” Apple Bloom offered with a weak chuckle.

Stopping under a tree, Alex looked up at the branches. “Okay. We’ll start small then. Kingdom Hearts had a lot of movement abilities, including Glide. How high would you say that branch is?” Picking one that locked sturdy, he’d wager it was about ten feet up the trunk.

“That’s about ten hooves up,” Apple Bloom said, eyeing the tree. “Probably twelve hooves high if Ah wanted to wager on an exact number.”

“Perfect, should be able to test this out without a lot of pain.” Bending his knees, he kept his eyes focused on the branch. Tensing he jumped, barely making it more than half a foot. “This... might take a while.”

Gathering up his strength, he tried to use a mental image of a spring to aid his jump and made it a whole foot on the second attempt.

“Okay. I don’t think this is working,” he muttered, glaring at the wood.

“Maybe you have to try it like you’re doing one of your spells?” Sweetie offered, tapping at his legs.

Scootaloo scoffed. “You have to think like a pegasus!”

Alex quirked a brow at that statement. “And how do I do that?”

Scootaloo paused, as if she had to stop and consider her own advice. After about half a minute she finally perked up and answered. “It’s kinda like your ear twitching when you feel the wind against you or being aware of little changes in air pressure. Or even knowing the smell of ozone to warn you that a cloud’s about to discharge.”

Ignoring how blatantly pony that chunk of wisdom was, Alex nodded. “Sounds like aero... but internal...” Closing his eyes, he walked through the steps he had undergone when Sonata awakened his magic. With the concept in mind, he jumped again.

He found himself laying on his back, the top of his head throbbing. “Oow...”

“Might wanna work on your aim,” Sweetie Belle said, offering him a hoof. “You were supposed to land on the branch, not go through it.”

Scootaloo glomped onto his chest, all smiles and cheer. “You did it! I’ve never seen anyone jump that high!”

Rubbing his head, Alex managed a grin despite the dull ache in his skull. “I guess we can still call that a success. Thanks for the advice, Scoots.”

Standing up, he brushed the snow from his coat. “Let’s try that again, shall we?”

Keeping his eye on the branch, he repeated his jump. His fingers overcame the sudden stop, wrapping around the limb. “Success!” Letting go of the branch, he safely landed on his feet. “I think I’m starting to get the hang of this stuff.”

The excited fillies herded him along, finding an open area by the barn. The perfect spot to test the rest of his abilities.

His newfound movement became the highlight of the day. Cries of excitement and exhilaration echoed throughout the snow covered trees. Despite the extra weight, all three fillies went along with his jumps and runs. Scootaloo appreciated the airtime far more than her earthbound friends.

Swinging his feet over the side of the barn's roof, Alex shared a giggle with his friends. He hadn’t had many of those in his old life.

“You know, if we just had sea salt ice cream, my cosplay would be complete,” he joked.

“What’s sea salt ice cream?” Apple Bloom questioned, her muzzle scrunching up her muzzle. “Ain’t ice cream supposed t’be sweet, not salty?”

Alex shrugged. “I have no idea. I just know the person I look like would eat it with her friends.”

“I think I’ll stick with gelato,” Sweetie joked, letting her front hooves dangle off the roof. “Rarity says too much salt makes a mare look bloated.”

Casting her a side eye, he reminded himself that salt affected equines differently. “We can think of a different thing to eat when we hang out.”

“Something that isn’t apples,” Scootaloo chimed in, cutting off Apple Bloom before she could make a suggestion.

“Milkshakes?” Sweetie suggested, molding a clump of snow into a little pony.

Apple Bloom snickered, poking Alex’s leg. “Ah know somepony Alex would like to share a milkshake with.”

Feeling his face heat up, Alex flicked her ear. “Oh that’s low, Bloom.”

“What, low pointing out that you and him are practically attached at the hip?” Sweetie pressed, a smirk crossing her mouth. “He swoons when you walk by, you know!”

“Oh yeah, and Rumble practically trips over himself whenever Scoots is on her scooter,” Alex retorted, hoping to deflect the heat.

Scootaloo scoffed. “Rumble’s a jerk. That doesn’t change anything though! You get all flustered when Snails is around.”

Her features turned, smug and conspiratorial. “Plus, I saw you two getting pretty close at the lunch tables.”

“I can leave you three up here,” Alex warned, his cheeks glowing red.

Sweetie gasped, leaning towards her friend. “What happened?”

Scootaloo hopped in place, catching herself before she slid off. “Snails kissed Alex! It must’ve been really good because Alex fell right out of his seat!”

Alex groaned, covering his face with his hands. He could only silently wish for a heartless attack as the conversation spiraled away from him.

Celestia settled into her place by the hearth, basking in the fire's warm glow. Stretching her wings out, she resigned herself to a lovely winter night. The only thing that could make the evening even better would be a mug of hot chocolate. If only her assistant Raven hadn’t persuaded her to limit her sweets.

Her ear flicked, heralding a gust from her window. A scroll materialized, quickly gripped in her magic. Unfurling it, a smile blossomed as her eyes devoured the words. This was going to be an interesting Hearth’s Warming.