Snow gently falls to the ground as I look out the window of the library. Tiny specks of white pile up outside, already measuring an inch deep. Fire crackles in the fireplace, and the smell of hot chocolate slowly makes it's way from the kitchen. A small, happy smile rests on my face as I follow individual flakes to the ground, while also watching the early sunrise outside.

It's been two months since the whole amulet incident. I introduced Amber to all of the ponies that I know, and by that I mean the only six that I really know, and they all became quick friends. I can't say the same for myself just yet, I only consider Amber, Rainbow, and Twilight to be my only actual friends. Applejack is getting there I suppose, but I haven't spent enough time with her to really say. Rainbow and Amber compete to hang around me like, 24/7 even when I want to be alone. Amber I get, she suddenly appears in a land of ponies and I'm the only human around, so I understand why she'd feel comfortable around me. Rainbow however... well I can't really explain her, it's not like she doesn't have other friends to hang with.

After the whole bringing Amber to Equestria thing, we both lived with Twilight and Spike for a few days, but sadly, there just simply wasn't enough room for the four of us. So for the past two months, Amber has been living at Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack and her family. I met her family when visiting Amber on several occasions, nice folks. As for me, I continued to live at the library with Twilight who enjoys reading with me when I can actually find a book I enjoy. It's rare, but sometimes I just find a good book that I can't put down.

Every now and then, I find myself wandering to a secluded lake just inside the Everfree Forest. Of course I don't go in there unarmed, no, I bring my bow and a few arrows as a precaution. I'd bring the gun, but I think it would be a little overkill and a little too loud for such a quiet area. It'd probably just bring more creatures to kill me, and that's the last thing I need. Speaking of creatures, I've been given the duty to "protect" the town from those walker type creatures that occasionally find their way out of the forest. Since they're attracted to the virus in me and Amber, it's our job to keep them out.

I've been relatively bored since bringing Amber back. My whole existence revolved around bringing her back. Now, however, I could finally live a peaceful life in a mostly peaceful land with only the occasional killing of a walker pony. Speaking of killing, I'm dangerously low on ammo. Only six bullets remain, and they are for absolute emergencies only. Luckily Twilight is working on a duplication spell. The spell is complicated so it can only make two or three bullets at a time and takes days to recharge. But, it's better than nothing.

Tonight should be exciting though. The six mares, Amber, and myself are setting up a big bonfire behind the library. Tomorrow is December 24th which means today is the day before what would be Christmas Eve! I promised the mares I'd explain our earth holidays to them tonight. Twilight is excited to have the whole town celebrate, but I don't really know if they'd cooperated. We'll see.

Twilight walks out of the kitchen with three steaming cups of hot chocolate in her magic. Spike rides on her back, still asleep. I take one of the mugs and give Twilight a friendly smile. The warm drink reminds me just how cold it's been for me. I'm not a pony so I can't just walk outside and be naturally warm, and considering my jacket was torn to shreds and thrown away months ago, I'm not left with much to keep myself warm. Amber and I only have one set of clothes each. Lucky for her, she has a pink hoodie while I only have a white t-shirt and blue jeans. We have to wash our clothes almost every day. I'll have to learn how to stitch and sew if I ever want to be warm during the winter. Rarity offered to make me clothes, but I turned her down in hopes to learn how to make my own clothes. She's simply my backup plan.

I borrow a sack of bits (yeah, that's the name of their currency apparently) which is heavy as shit from Twilight, and head out the door. I did explain a small bit of Christmas to the mares, though the full explanation is coming tonight. However, I did tell them about the Secret Santa thing that my family did every year. So, about three days ago, we drew names and decided we would exchange our gifts at the bonfire. I actually drew Rainbow's name and immediately knew what I would get her. This time, I would need Rarity's help... but just this time!

I rushed over to Rarity's boutique in hopes that she had finished the gift I asked her to make for Rainbow. About a month ago, I was with Amber at a park. We were playing catch with an apple since there weren't really baseballs or anything here. Rainbow saw us and jumped in, and we somehow got on the subject of football, which I used to play. I showed her a football game on my phone, no longer caring about the battery now that Amber was here. Rainbow was intrigued by the sport and spent the next few days bugging me about it. The phone died a few days later, and has been dead since.

I entered Rarity's shop just as she was boxing up Rainbow's gift.

"Ah darling! Just in time!" She welcomed me excitedly. "I do hope you like it. Does it look like how you described it?"

I held up the piece of fabric and examined it with a satisfied smile. I had asked Rarity to make a uniform that looked like the one I wore on my old team. It was a dark royal blue with white lacing on the cuffs and around the neck. On the front were the words "#1 Flyer In Equestria" And on the back there was a big 1 with the word "Dash" above it. Holes for her wings were cut in the sides. I just knew she would love it.

I thanked Rarity and made my way out with the now wrapped box. I quickly returned to the library and hid the gift under my bed, then headed back out, ready to start the day. I met up with Applejack and Amber at the farm and starting making a snowman with Amber and AJ's sister, Applebloom. Nice kid. She insisted that we should make a snow pony, and was confused at the term snowMAN. Amber taught her how to make a snowman while I sat back and supervised. I met Applejack's brother while he was working, finally excited to talk to a guy in this land full of what seemed like all girls. Turns out he's not a man of many words.

I spent most of the day messing around with Amber and Applebloom. Eventually the sun began to set over the horizon and it was time to start heading over to the bonfire. Amber, Applejack, and I walked together through the now quiet streets of Ponyville.

"So, Amber, how are you liking Equestria?" I ask while messing with her hair. She lets out a small giggle.

"It's nice! I'm glad we don't have to worry about the walkers anymore!" She says with excitement and joy. I can understand why. This must be heaven to her after living in a walker infested Miami for six months.

"What 'bout them creatures in the Everfree? Aren't they like those walker creatures ya'll keep goin on about?" Applejack says curiously.

"You guys don't have to worry about those sons of bitches with me around!" I say pridefully, pointing my thumb at my chest. "And besides, there were millions of walkers where we came from. We see maybe one or two a week here."

We draw closer to the library as the sky becomes pitch black. The only lights around are coming from a few windows and the growing fire behind the library. Out in the distance, pretty far away, is a mountain with a city built onto the side of the damn thing. I'd asked Twilight about it after noticing it a while back. She said it was a place called Canterlot where the two princesses lived. This place just gets more girlish every day I swear. Of course I tried to correct her and ask "You mean Camelot right?"...She had no idea what I was talking about.

We approach the growing fire, realizing we are the last to arrive. I take a seat between Rarity and Rainbow, the latter of the two, scooting ever so slightly closer when noticing me sit down. I noticed the object I had asked Twilight to bring, along with my present for Rainbow. The object I asked Twilight to bring was an old guitar I had found in her basement. How the fuck ponies play guitar, I have no idea. I'm so glad for the fire, if it weren't for that, I'd be freezing to death. At least Amber has a hoodie.

All the girls were chatting, even Amber was talking with Fluttershy. Rainbow, however was just staring at the fire. I decided to start a conversation.

"Soooo, how's your first Christmas going?" I ask Rainbow as I gently elbow her on the wing.

"Huh!?" She mumbles rather loudly as she snaps out of her little trance. "Oh it's... it's good!"

Twilight then gets everyone's attention and begins the Secret Santa thing. Twilight goes first, giving Applejack a green scarf with little red apples on it, which she seems to love. Amber gives Rarity a drawing of all of us. It sounds a little cheesy, but Amber is the best damn artist I've ever met. The drawing looks just like a real photo, framed and everything. Pinkie Pie surprises me with my gift. She got me a hat that was black with a red trim, my favorite color combination. It looked almost exactly like a baseball cap, only there were two slits on the top where a pony's ears would go. They were pretty small though so the only thing that looked weird about it was the little puffs of hair coming through them.

Eventually we got me. I took the present out from behind Twilight and presented it to Rainbow.

"You drew my name?" She asked, surprised. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh what is it!?" She said excitedly as she shook it trying desperately to guess the contents of the package.

"Well, how about you open it and find out dummy?" I say with a chuckle as I flick her ear, which twitches involuntarily.

She opens her gift and stares at it with the biggest smile I have ever seen. Everyone but Amber, Rarity, and myself looked at it with curious gazes, never having seen a football uniform before.

Rainbow squees with delight and hugs the fabric to her chest. She quickly slips it on and reads the front.

"So you finally realized that I AM the best flyer in Equestria huh?" She says with a playful smirk. And there's the ego.

"Hah yeah. Merry Christmas Dash." I say as I ruffled her mane.

Once we finish passing out presents, I pull out the guitar and start playing a few warm-up notes. It's been years since I've played, but I think I still got it. We sing campfire songs, none of which I'd heard before hearing Twilight sing a few in the library. I picked up on the basic tunes and played the notes as the girls sang. Amber, being oblivious to the lyrics, just swayed to the music.

Eventually, Amber and I decided it was time for some earth songs. I thought of the perfect one as I glanced over at Rarity on my right. I gave a smirk to Amber, hoping she'd pick up on what I was about to do.

"Alright, time for one of MY songs!" I say with enthusiasm. I begin strumming the first few notes, and Amber perks up, recognizing the song. A smile forms on her face when she catches me glimpse another look at Rarity. Okay, now I know she gets my joke. I begin to sing along to the music.

"She'll be... coming around the mountain when she comes!" I sing loudly, getting everyone's attention. "She'll be coming around the mountain when she comes! She'll be comin' around the mountain, she'll be comin' around the mountain, she'll be comin' around the mountain when she comes!"

The six mares give me confused, yet satisfied looks, which told me I should start the second verse, the verse with my cheesy pun in it.

"She'll be... riding six white horses when she comes!" And with that I nudge Rarity with my elbow and give out a chuckle. She blushes, not expecting the lyrics. Amber giggles uncontrollably across from me. "She'll be riding six white horses when she comes!" Amber joins in now. "She'll be riding six white horses, she'll be riding six white horses, she'll be riding six white horses when she coooomes!"

Amber and I lose our shit while the other girls just kinda look around, confused. I explain to them that the lyrics were written a long time ago, and it was simply coincidence that it would end up being sung to an actual white horse, or pony in this case, close enough for me! After explaining, the rest of the girls burst out laughing, except for Rarity who just blushes.

Once we finish songs, we decide to play a game. One that I'm not comfortable with among humans, yet don't mind playing with these girls, Amber being the exception. Twilight wants to play... Truth or Dare. Why they picked my least favorite game ever, I don't know, but I go along with it.

Twilight starts by asking Rarity, "Truth or Dare?" Rarity picks truth.

"Okay," Twilight says smugly, "Have you ever... kissed anypony?"

Rarity looks shocked, but she has to answer. That's the bitchy part of this game, if you don't do what you're told, everyone will just force you to do it anyway.

"Um... I'd be lying if I said I have." Rarity says with an embarrassed smile.

Eventually it's Pinkie's turn. What follows, is not good... not good at all...

"Josh! Truth or Dare!" She yells in her high pitched voice which sometimes gives me a headache.

"Uh... dare?" I say nervously.

"Ok! I dare you to..." She pauses and gives an evil little smirk, and I know whatever she's about to say can't be good for me. "... kiss Applejack!"

Everything freezes... like, everything. I slowly turn my head to Applejack, and mouth the words, "Please... no... don't"

Applejack decides to speak up. "Ah... don't think that's a good idea Pinky... Josh is a nice fellow and all, but I... we ain't THAT close."

I glance to my left to see Rainbow shooting daggers at Pinky just with her eyes. I guess she doesn't want to embarrass her friends? I guess that's it.

"You have to! That's the rules!" Pinky says with an evil smile. Damn... it...

"Fuuuuuu...." I whisper under my breath as I stand up. I hear Rainbow huff behind me. I slowly kneel down in front of Applejack and whisper just loud enough for her to hear.

"Just... make it like, super fast..." I whisper nervously. I do NOT want to do this. The only time I ever got this close to one of these damn ponies was when I revived Rainbow, and that was to save her damn life.

Then... to only make things worse... Amber decides to speak up. Now let me remind you, Amber is only twelve years old, and doesn't quite grasp the whole "Ponies think just like humans" concept yet. She kinda sees them as talking animals pretty much.

"Josh! You can't kiss an animal! That's weird!" Amber shouts in protest.

"Oh fucking hell!" I whisper to myself. I love Amber to death, but she can be so oblivious some times.

"WHAT!?" Rainbow yells from across the fire. "Did you just call us animals!?" Now she's right up in front of Amber, angry as all hell. The other mares look really hurt as well. "Is that all you think we are!? Dirty animals!?" She yells again.

I don't know why Rainbow is so defensive about this. Why would she care so much? I have to physically pull her away from Amber who has cringed back, small tears forming in her eyes.

"Stop it! Both of you! You're acting like little kids!" I yell as I stand between them.

We settle back down and sit in silence for a few minutes. I begin to hum a little tune, hoping to lighten the mood. I reach behind me and strum the guitar, playing a few soft notes to lighten the mood. Once everything is back to normal, and most of us seem to have forgotten about the what happened, we made smores around the fire. They were pretty damn good if I do say so myself.

Eventually the fire goes out, and it's time to head home. Everyone heads out with friendly goodbyes until only Twilight, Rainbow, and myself are left. Rainbow thanks me again for the gift, but hold her gaze on me for a little longer than I did. With that she flew off into the night.

Twilight led me back inside to find Spike passed out in his little bed. Twilight heads on to sleep, but I stay downstairs for a little while. I watch as a new layer of snow falls down on the earth like a little white blanket. Today was a good day.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and after explaining what Christmas was, Twilight had sent out a very long, detailed letter to the mayor on how to set up the decorations around town. I'm surprised they took in our tradition so willingly.

Tomorrow, this town will finally feel like the earth that me and Amber grew up in. A small piece of home finally found it's way back into our lives.

Author's Note

Whoa, that took a while to write. Can you say longest chapter yet?

Major character developments coming up either next chapter or the one after, I haven't decided yet.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the few Christmas chapters! There's still two more to come, one for Christmas Eve and one for Christmas Day!