A clean, white blanket of snow was settled on the ground of Sweet Apple Acres. Particles of the stuff were sprinkled on the black bark of the barren trees. Flakes continued to fall from the overcast sky as Pinkie Pie trotted through the path. Each hoofstep in the snow made a crunch before leaving a print in the ground.
Eventually, she arrived at the main household of the establishment. She raised one of her cold, wet hooves to the wooden door and pounded on it. The rhythmic beating made her think of a song, one she had never sung or thought of before. She formulated a melody in her head and began tapping on the door to keep a beat.
"Ah'm comin'!"
Pinkie froze as the booming drawl blasted her ears. Several muffled hoofsteps were heard from the other side before the door opened, revealing Applejack.
"Oh hey, Pinkie Pie. What brings you here?" she asked with a smile.
"To visit. Isn't that what friends do?" she replied along with a grin of her own.
Applejack pressed herself against the wall and pointed one of her forelegs toward the kitchen.
"Well, come on in!"
Accepting the invitation, Pinkie bounced in and took off her hat and mittens. She saw a tall coat hanger and used one of the rungs to rest the woolen apparel.
"Is there anythin' ya wanted to do?" Applejack asked.
Pinkie turned away from the hanger and said, "Nothing really. But if there's something you wanted to do, then I would love it."
Applejack didn't have anything special planned for that afternoon, especially considering the fact that winter days were considerable less active at Sweet Apple Acres.
"It's a good thing she came, though." she said to herself. She stared at Pinkie as she thought out some sort of activity.
"Why don't we sit down on the couch?" Applejack suggested as she moved toward the piece of furniture. Pinkie nodded and took a seat next to her. "So, uh, how have ya been?"
"Great! This morning, me and the Cakes went out to this field and played in the snow and it was really high!" she said as she burst both of her forelegs in the air, "It was so high that Pound and Pumpkin sunk right into it and then I had to pick them up so they wouldn't be buried in it," she then sunk her hooves down and used them to claw at the air, "Well, actually the snow wasn't falling that fast, but the snow was so high that they could have been lost in there and they would be like mummy ponies."
"Uh-uh" Applejack said.
"But then after that, I fell back into the snow and I sunk a little myself," she then plopped herself backwards on the couch, laying down sideways, "but not as much as them because I'm a big pony. And then I started to make snow angels. And then I taught Pound and Pumpkin how to do it themselves," she said "but it was a little hard because they sunk into the snow more than I did because they're smaller than me. But they were still able to do it and they were so cute! And then after that, we made a snowpony. It didn't look like anypony I knew or even a pony at all but we had so much fun making it."
She paused for a moment, allowing Applejack to focus on Pinkie's smiling face.
"How was your day?" Pinkie then asked.
The answer didn't come as quick as she had hoped. The events of the day played in quick succession within her mind like a slideshow but she was a little slow to speak.
"How can that filly go on an' on about stuff?"
"Ah woke up an' ah helped Granny make breakfast. Then ah went out an' fed the animals. ah walked through the Acres ta make sure there wasn't too much snow on the trees. Then ah went inside an' didn't really do nothin' really."
Pinkie's mouth fell open and she jumped back to sitting position.
"You didn't go outside and play in the snow?" she asked.
She then scooted herself closer to Applejack, so close that they were touching. But Applejack was unfazed by her friend's close proximity.
"No," Applejack answered.
"Not even with Apple Bloom?"
"No," she said, "the young'un went out ta spend time with those friends of her's."
Applejack felt a hoof wrapping itself around her neck. Once it was completely around, it pulled her closer to Pinkie's body.
"Did you wanna go outside?" Pinkie asked. It didn't take long for Applejack to shake her head, "Not even to build a snowpony?"
"No," she whispered.
"Not even to have a snowball fight?" Pinkie asked in a similar soft tone, pulling her friend in closer.
"No Pinkie P-"
"Not even to g-"
"Ah said 'no' Pinkie Pie," she said as she tried to herself away, "What makes you think ah'm gonna say 'yes'?"
"I dunno," she said, pulling her back in until their cheeks squished together.
Applejack's eyes wandered around the room, allowing her to see the table before her, Granny's chair in the corner, the stairs on the other side, and a doorway.
"How about we have some hot cider," she said, trying once again to separate.
"Yum!" Pinkie exclaimed. She pulled herself back and got up.
Applejack stood as well and followed her friend into the kitchen. She went to a wooden barrel in the corner, opened the lid, and took out some apples.
"Can you teach me how to make the super duper Apple Family Hot Cider?" Pinkie asked as she followed Applejack around.
"Ah already told ya, it's a secret family recipe. Ah can't be teachin' it to non-Apples," she said while placing the apples on the counter.
"Oh, silly! Of course I'm an Apple. Don't you remember?"
The memories suddenly pounded her like an avalanche.
"I might be your fourth cousin twice removed by a fifth cousin but we went through the road and the river and the scariest cave in Equestria to go to Golden Delicious's house to see for sure because she has all the Apple fa-"
"Ah know the rest," Applejack said. She then turned around to see Pinkie, "Ah'm sorry, ah forgot all 'bout that for a secon'. But yer right, though. You are an Apple. An' I guess that means you can learn."
Upon hearing this, Pinkie's entire face brightened; her lips stretched out, her eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but let out a little squee.
"But ya can't tell anyone that ain't an Apple," Applejack said sternly, "otherwise, it won't be a family secret no more. Ya understand?"
Pinkie took one of the apples and picked it up. Her eyes narrowed and her smile vanished.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cup- uh apple in my e-"
She drove the red fruit toward the right eye. Upon contact, she recoiled backwards and let the apple fall to the floor. She yelped and rushed both of her hooves to the eye. Applejack rushed to her side.
"What were ya thinking?" she demanded, her concern being carried through her voice.
"I...wanted to make a Pinkie Promise," she answered painfully, "so that I would never let the secret slip..."
"Ya didn't have to do that, let alone stick an apple in your eye!"
Pinkie clenched her teeth together and pressed her hooves harder. Applejack heard muffled groans escaping from her friend's mouth.
"You okay?" Applejack asked, her voice having calmed down.
For a moment, it seemed as though her friend didn't hear her. She was about to ask again but then Pinkie Pie slowly and shakily nodded.
"Y-Yeah...I think I'll be okay..."
Applejack heard several grunts from Pinkie but the latter managed to lower her hooves. Her eye was red and wet and the lid above it was slightly swollen but they would both heal in a short while.
"Now," Applejack said, "who wants to make some hot cider?"
"I do!"
She was back to normal, as if the incident had never happened in the first place. Her smile was back and her eyes conveyed as much warmth as they could.
"Okay...Now it's pretty simple, really," she said. She then picked up one of the apples and held it up, "Now first ya take three apples, peel 'em, and squash 'em ta make juice."
Applejack placed the apple down and went over to one of the cabinets. She opened it and took out a juicer and a peeler.
"Ya wanna do it?" she asked.
"Yes!" Pinkie said.
She walked back to the counter and placed the tools down. Pinkie picked up one of the apples and plugged it into the end of the peeler. Seeing the crank of the other hand, she gripped her hoof around its metal handle and slowly turned it. The apple rotated with it and the stationary blade tore away at the red skin. She was surprised, though, to discover how stubbornly the handle turned.
"So Applejack," Pinkie said while peeling, "did ya wanna go sledding tomorrow?"
"Maybe," she answered, "it all depends on what ah need ta do then."
"I thought you only have to do a couple of chores during the winter," she said. The apple had been completely stripped of its skin, prompting her to replace it with the second one.
"Well yeah. But ya never know what may happ'n," Applejack said. She leaned against the counter and watched Pinkie operate the peeler, "Apple Bloom or Big Mac or Granny Smith or even mah self might get sick or somethin'. Winter's a hard ti-"
"Wait a minute!" Pinkie said, taking her hoof off the crank, "Where's Big Mac and Granny Smith?"
"Big Mac is spendin' the day with Cheerliee," she said, "and Granny's upstairs takin' a nap."
"Aw, why don't you spend more time outside, Applejack?" Pinkie asked, "Both of your siblings are out having fun and you just decide to stay inside!"
"Well...ta be honest, ah'd rather make sure Granny is safe."
"Safe?!" Pinkie exclaimed, less from anger and more from passion, "Granny Smith can take care of herself."
"Ah know..." Applejack said. She paused to take a breath before continuing, "It's jus' that sometimes ah feel the need to be there fer mah family when no one else is. Ah know Apple Bloom has her friends to keep her safe and ah know Big Mac is with Cheerilee. Sometimes, though, ah think what if somethin' were ta happen to Granny. Ah know she can take care of herself but what if she got sick or hurt or somethin' then who would be there fer her, ta make sure she's all well?"
"But you deserve to do what you want too!" she replied, gripping her hoof onto Applejack's shoulder. Pinkie's blue eyes were deadlocked at her's and never broke away. But Applejack's face appeared relaxed, lacking any sort of tension.
"Ah do do what ah want," she said, "If ah feel the need ta watch over Granny or Apple Bloom or sometimes even Big Mac, then it would be a pleasure fer me to do," at this point, she took Pinkie's hoof and lowered it back to the ground, "But at the same time, ah still get ta go out ta spend time with you and the girls. So it's nothin' ta worry about."
Pinkie was silent. In her mind, she saw herself trying to argue against what had just been said but her mouth felt laid back, as usual. She looked at Applejack's face to see a pair of eyes that asked not for comfort but for mere understanding. She, herself, contemplated her friend's words. She imagined Pound and Pumpkin, Gummy, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, and everyone in Ponyville; the parties she'd throw and the smiles on all of their faces and the smile she'd get on her own. The two clicked together.
"Well..." she said, "okay...I didn't look at it that way."
"Wouldn't ya want ta babysit them twins when the Cakes go out?" Applejack asked.
"Of course! Why wouldn't I want to spend time with them?" Pinkie answered.
"Even when the Cakes are home?"
"Yes! I play with them and make sure they're good," Pinkie said.
"Now ya see how ah feel about mah family an' friends."
At that moment, she felt the handle become lighter and the rotations coming faster and faster. She looked down and saw that the last apple had been peeled, "Oh! Now we make the juice!"
Applejack went over to her and picked up one of the apples. She pulled the juicer closer to her and jammed the apple into the point near the top. Using her hoof, she started to twist it.
"Now ya just turn like ah'm doin' here," she said, "Do ya see the juice comin' down it?"
Pinkie observed her doing the twisting before staring at the widening cone below it. Streams of juice were rolling down before dropping off into a plastic container on the bottom. Despite its simplicity, her eyes couldn't help but widen.
"Yep!" she replied.
"We do this fer all three of 'em" Applejack said, "Jus' watch the bottom fill up with the stuff."
"Okey dokey lokey!" Pinkie said, leaning her face toward the container at the base. The juice fell into the top of it like tiny waterfalls before hitting the plastic side and running along that. For a while, however, the pool at the bottom was little more than a young puddle.
"Ya know, the other day Rarity and ah were havin' a good ol' walk aroun' Ponyville," Applejack said while squeezing the apple, "an' at one point ah grabbed a nice snowball and got her right in the face."
Pinkie giggled as she imagined the scene playing in her head. The sight of Rarity's overly-exasperated face only made her crack up even more.
"Did you get any in her mane?" she asked.
"You bet!" she answered, "But then she picked up her own snowball and hit me in mah face. And then the two of us had a crazy snowball fight. It was a lot of fun!"
Pinkie looked up at Applejack with a grin.
"That does sound like fun. If only I wasn't inside working," she said.
"That's alright," Applejack said as she finished up the first apple, "there'll be plenty of winter," she placed the first one to her left and picked up the second.
For a moment, Pinkie silently observed the container filling up. The tedious process, however, did little to detract from the image of a cup of delicious cider on a cozy December day. Her mind, however, had a difficult time putting together stories of its own.
The rest of the apples were squeezed within the frame of several quiet minutes. By then, the container was filled with yellow juice.
"Alright. Now we take the juice an' heat it over over the stove," Applejack said as she walked toward the cabinet. She opened it and sorted through it a bit before producing a gray metal pot with a handle and a wooden spoon, "Now ah believe there's a pair of mittens in one of them drawers. Could ya be so kind as to grab 'em?"
"Okay!" she said as she bounced up. She turned to her right to see a lot of drawers of varying sizes. She started by opening the longest one at her head. Nothing. She checked the one directly below it. Nothing. She went down several more drawers before stumbling across one halfway down. She opened it and found two orange puffy mittens in them, "Found them!" she then grabbed them with her mouth and turned to Applejack, who had poured the juice, placed the pot, and turned on the stove.
"Good job, sugarcube," Applejack said, "Do you wanna do this part?"
Pinkie nodded while still holding the mittens. She brought one of her hooves to her mouth and slid it inside one of them. She then lowered it and did the same for her other.
"Now, we're gonna add some special ingredients," she said. She then stretched her foreleg above the stove to reach a cabinet. She managed to get a decent grip on the handle and swung it open. She tipped onto her platforms to get a little more leverage. She then pulled out a shaker containing a brown powder, "The first one is cinnamon."
Applejack sprinkled some of the stuff into the cider, "Ya wanna add just three shakes. Then ya stir it."
"Okay," Pinkie said. She took the spoon from Applejack and spun it counter-clockwise around the juice, creating a whirlpool.
"Too fast, Pinkie," Applejack said. Thankfully, none of it had splashed out. Pinkie halted.
"Sorry," she answered.
"It's alright," Applejack said, giving her a smile, "Now, ya wanna stir clockwise and ya wanna be a little slow about it as well."
Pinkie followed the directions. Applejack looked on at the gentle, controlled strokes blending the two ingredients together. It reminded her of the way Granny would prepare the cider. Her gaze then moved upward at Pinkie herself. Her determined eyes were fixated at the cider she was stirring.
"She can really set her mind to somethin'."
She then looked back down at the juice, which shared an appearance with a batch her Granny made after mixing the cinnamon.
"Ah think that's enough," Applejack said. The spoon froze in place but the current of liquid continued to flow independently around the rim of the pot, "There's only one other ingredient we need."
"What is it?" Pinkie asked, staring at her.
"Sugar," she said while walking away from the stove, "ta finish off any cup of Apple Family cider, we need ta add five sugar cubes."
"I love sugar!" she heard Pinkie say. She couldn't help but smile as she slid out a drawer. The glass jar of sugar cubes was the first thing in her sight. She grabbed it and took out the cubes one at a time, counting to five. Once she had them, she closed the hoof that contained them and put the jar away. She closed the drawer and headed back to Pinkie.
Pinkie's mouth watered as she saw the sugar cubes being dropped into the cider. She briefly regretted not eating the bits of pure sugar before realizing the cider beneath her. Feeling a surge returning, she swallowed the excess saliva and stirred slow and clockwise.
For Applejack, watching Pinkie stir was really a sight to behold, considering that she had never made this cider before. Her effort was on level with that to which she puts into one of her parties, quite admirable.
"That's enough," she said after thirty seconds of stirring. Pinkie took the spoon out of the pot and held it up to her mouth.
"Can I lick it?" Pinkie asked. She waved the spoon around in her hoof and concentrated on the other's face.
Applejack's answer came in the form of a nod.
Pinkie's lips raced upward and her eyes sparkled with their trademark glow. The spoon fell into the center of her smile and was enveloped by her tongue. Her eyelids couldn't help but flutter shut as she sucked more and more on the spoon's wooden surface.
"It's so yummy!" she cried, her words jumbled by the spoon.
Applejack felt a warming sensation coming from her heart which then manifested in a grin of her own. While keeping her eyes on Pinkie, her hoof reached out to turn off the stove.
"Do ya wanna grab some cups so you can have it fer real?" she asked her.
Pinkie's eyes popped open.
"Absolutely!"
While keeping the spoon in her mouth, she turned back and opened the cabinets. She pulled out two red mugs from it before closing its door. She lowered them onto the counter, each producing a small natural thud. Finally, she slid off the mittens, grabbed them with her mouth, and gave them to Applejack.
"You can pour it," Pinkie said, mostly muffled by the gloves. Applejack's smile grew as she accepted the 'gift' from her friend. She slid them on and grabbed the pot. She lifted it from the stove and tilted it over one of the mugs. It leaned and leaned until the steaming cider fell from it and streamed through the chill air and into the cup. This continued until the mug was mostly full. She then did the same for the other.
"Just be careful, though," Applejack said as she placed the pot back on the stove, "It's very hot."
Pinkie's head leaned over the mug. The steam rose to her cheeks, heating them up in the process. She, however, allowed her face to warm up in exchange for sniffing the cider beneath her muzzle. Cinnamon, sugar, and apple mixed altogether to form an aroma worth inhaling.
Applejack, however, kept her distance from her cup. The cider was merely another component of the air that made up her home, a place she spent so much time in during the winter months. She occasionally touched the handle only to recoil upon contact. Each time she touched it, however, she found herself being able to grip for longer and longer. Eventually, she was able to lift the mug and bring it to her lips. The sip did not go unnoticed from Pinkie, who turned from her cup.
"Oh, can I drink it now?" she asked.
Applejack separated herself from the cider and looked at her.
"Ya mean ya haven't drank any yet?"
"I wasn't sure how hot it was going to be to touch," Pinkie said.
"Yer fine, sugarcube" Applejack replied.
"Okay, then," Pinkie said. She squeezed her hoof into the gap between the handle and the side of the mug. She hoisted it upward and slowly brought the rim closer and closer to her face. The steam, while cooler than before, still managed to radiate against her skin. Eventually, she was lip to cup with the cider. She lifted it more, allowing the stuff to enter her mouth. It became clear to her that the smell of apple, cinnamon, and sugar coming together had her face head deep in the cup. But the taste of apple, cinnamon, and sugar coming together had her chugging the cup. The cider rushed down her throat like rapids in a river. Even when the mug was empty, her tongue spat itself out to lick the glass interior.
"Easy, sugarcube," Applejack said, taking the mug from Pinkie's hooves. Their position didn't change, however, like there was an imaginary mug in them full of imaginary cider. It took her a minute to realize the truth and she lowered her forelegs accordingly.
"I'm sorry," Pinkie said, a toothy smile painted in place, "that was just apple-y goodness! I couldn't stop drinking!" Her body then fell right into Applejack's, her hooves interlocking in the back of her neck. She then pulled herself upward and inward, "Thank you!"
Applejack couldn't help but wrap her forelegs around Pinkie.
"No problem," she said.
The two remained there for a short while, each taking in the other's embrace. Their hooves were fused together, as if a slate of ice had frozen over them. Applejack thought about her family which, in her mind, was easily extended by Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Twilight, and even Rainbow Dash— all ponies to care for Pinkie imagined them all and more: blankets, cookies, hot cider, and other things that also made her smile.
"Did ya wanna sit in the livin' room?" Applejack asked while still hugging her, "It has a nice view of the outside."
"I would love to," Pinkie said as she pulled away from her. She took a moment to stare into her green eyes.
The two then walked from the kitchen and into the living room. They saw the familiar couch and sat down on it.
"You know," Pinkie said, looking at Applejack, "you know how I asked you earlier about you caring for your family?" Her body was still. Not in the way that was natural but, in Applejack's eyes, eerie.
"Yes ah do," Applejack said as she nodded her head. She then saw the next thing to slow down, her answer. She sat there, rubbing hoof on the upholstery and her eyes down on the floor. Applejack considered herself lucky to even get one at all.
"Another reason why I came over today," she said as her smile started to shrink, "was to see if you were okay."
"Okay?" Applejack asked. But her was quickly followed by a series of images. A certain tortoise was slowing down. His owner causing all of this early snow. And crying, "Oh..."
Pinkie nodded.
"I know that you cry on the inside but you shouldn't be sad all alone," she said, "I wanted to make sure you weren't still crying," Luckily, her smile started to grow again, "And besides, a little hang out is good for anypony."
The little discussion the two had earlier rang in Applejack's head. She also thought about the times she needed to talk to Apple Bloom after being bullied, helping Granny Smith walk around when she's tired, or feeding Big Mac when he's sick.
"Pinkie," she said, "ya know ah told ya-"
"I know," she answered. She then looked at Applejack before placing her hoof on her's, "I just can't help but worry for you sometimes. Even Princess Celestia needs somepony to lean on."
Applejack emulated Pinkie and hovered her other hoof above her's. Pinkie chuckled at the gesture.
"What's so funny?" she asked her.
"Oh nothing," Pinkie answered, "it can be funny how mushy friends can be at times," She then turned away from Applejack, however, and stared out the window. She gazed at the blankets of snow she walked through and the smooth slabs of ice stuck to the front porch, "It's a nice day outside."
She then turned back to her friend.
"Do you want to go sledding?" she asked her.
Applejack recollected that exact question from earlier and how it triggered the discussion. Rather than automatically answering, she took Pinkie's lead and looked out the window herself. She saw the same sight as her. Nothing appeared any different in her perception. After a moment, she turned back to her.
"Why not, sugarcube!"
