Twilight Sparkle smiled as she stretched out her legs and wings. A small series of satisfying pops rewarded her efforts and she groaned. Sighing happily, she relaxed on the sofa while Spike busied himself in the kitchen. With the last few presents opened this morning, Hearth’s Warming carols sung, and Santa hats donned, there was nothing left to do but bask in the warmth offered by a crackling yule log and a particularly distasteful snowpony sweater—courtesy of Shining Armor.
Well, there was still the mess to clean up, but that would come later. For the moment, Twilight was content to savour the aftermath that only an excited child on Hearth’s Warming could create. There was a certain peace that came with the carnage of wrapping paper, boxes, and bags strewn across the floor.
A peace that was ruined by the crinkling of wrapping paper underfoot. Twilight cringed, coming back to her senses, and opened her eyes.
“Wow, we really went to town this year, huh?” Spike padded across the floor, bits of paper crunching under and sticking to his feet. Carrying a tray in his arms, he only almost lost his balance once while trying to shake his foot clear of reindeer-decorated wrapping paper.
“Maybe just a little.” Twilight giggled and perked up when Spike placed the tray on the coffee table. Three sugar cookies, shaped and decorated to look like Hearth’s Warming trees, and a steaming cup of coffee. The perfect end to a perfect morning.
Spike scratched his head, turning around and surveying the mess littering the living room. “Is it just me, or were we missing a few presents?”
“Missing?” Twilight nibbled the corner of a cookie and hummed, delighting in the taste. After indulging in a bigger bite out of the cookie, she whisked her coffee over to her in the glow of her magic. “How could you even tell with so many? We were spoiled this year.”
“I don’t know.” Spike frowned, rubbing his chin as he waded back out into the Hearth’s Warming wasteland. He picked up gift tags, read the names, and dropped them as he worked his way around the room. “I just don’t think I remember seeing anything from Pinkie Pie or Rainbow Dash.”
“Really? Huh.” Twilight sipped her coffee, fading back into relaxation as warmth spread through her body. “I didn’t notice.”
Snorting, Spike made his way back to the sofa and plucked a cookie from the tray. “Yeah, I guess you’re rubbing off on me.”
“Careful, mister.” Twilight grinned. “Just because Santa Hooves isn’t watching for the moment doesn’t mean you can get away with anything.”
“Please, Twilight, I may be a baby dragon, but I’m not that much of a baby,” Spike said, climbing up on to the sofa next to Twilight. “Besides, didn’t you stop believing in Santa Hooves when you were three or something?”
“Four,” Twilight corrected. “Doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try for you, right?”
“Didn’t you used to hate how all the other foals went on and on about him?”
“Hate is a strong word.” Twilight pulled at the neckline of her sweater. No matter what they were made of and no matter how many times she washed them, sweaters always made her itchy. “I’d prefer to think I didn’t understand why they believed in something that made no logical sense.”
“Whatever.” Spike yawned and stretched his arms. “You try believing in Santa Hooves for very long growing up with somepony like you. Those presentations proving how he couldn’t be real didn’t help much, either.”
Sucking her lower lip between her teeth, Twilight found a loose thread on her sweater to tug on. “I didn’t . . . ruin Hearth’s Warming for you growing up, did I?”
“Not really.” Spike slouched back, munching a cookie corner. “I mean, yeah, it kind of sucked knowing that Santa Hooves wasn’t real, but you made up for it.” His eyes grew distant and a toothy grin spread over his face. “So many presents . . .”
“So this Hearth’s Warming was okay?” Twilight asked, chewing on her lip.
“Are you kidding? It was great! I can’t wait to try out that phoenix bird call Fluttershy gave me.” His eyes drifted over to a pair of books stacked among the ‘gift pile’—each carefully hoof-picked by Twilight. “And, uh, read those awesome books you got me! Hehe . . .”
Twilight felt her chest swell and relief roll off her shoulders in waves. A nagging voice in her ear finally quieted. Every year, when November turned to December, it was the same thing—a part of Twilight that would always feel guilty for spoiling a cherished childhood figure for Spike. And every year, because of that guilt, she would push herself to give him the best Hearth's Warming possible. The way his face brightened enough to fill the room made it worth it, even if it came without a reindeer-pulled sleigh. She sighed. “I’m really glad to hear that.”
“It’s still weird, though. Everypony else’s gift was here.” He frowned and scratched his chin. “Did Pinkie and Rainbow forget?”
“I think Pinkie said something about delivering gifts to everypony today.” Twilight shrugged, going back to her coffee now that the squirming in her gut had subsided. “And you know how Rainbow Dash can be. Maybe she forgot to drop them off yesterday.”
Spike polished off his cookie and reached for the last, licking the crumbs from his lips. “Like your present for her? What was it again?”
Lighting her horn, Twilight snatched the cookie away from Spike’s claws. She broke it in two and offered the larger half to him. “A limited edition, signed Zebrican tribal mask replica that Daring Do used to trick Ahuizotl in Daring Do and—”
“—the Trysts of Terror.” Spike rolled his eyes, biting into his half of the cookie. “Right, now I remember. You only told me like five times.”
“All the way from Zebrica, where Daring Do actually made Ahuizotl think she was a shaman and snuck into his ranks!” Twilight’s tail swished behind her, swatting Spike in the head. “She’s going to just love it! Whenever it gets here, that is.”
“I’m sure she will,” Spike said, popping what remained of his cookie in his mouth. He swallowed and sighed. “We should clean this up, shouldn’t we?”
Twilight crawled off of the sofa, reluctantly pulling away from its warmth, and fluffed her wings. “Let me worry about that. You,” she said, poking Spike in the chest, “worry about getting things started for dinner. Oh, and put on that sweater Shining sent you!”
“Reindeer? Really?” Spike made a face as Twilight levitated his sweater into his arms. “Rarity would kill us if she saw us in these.”
“It’s Hearth’s Warming; they’re supposed to look terrible. Now, put it on and get your butt in the kitchen,” she said, nudging Spike towards the door. Smiling to herself, she started cleaning while Spike muttered and pulled the almost offensively tacky sweater over his head as he stalked off to the kitchen.
Bits of paper, ribbon, tags, boxes, bags, and whatever else was lying on the floor was gathered up by Twilight as she cleared the floor and separated it all into different piles. What could be reused was collected closest to the tree, while the garbage was balled up and stuffed into a plastic bag next to the sofa. Everything else was gathered into piles somewhere in-between for storage, recycling, or disposal.
She hummed as she worked, her head bobbing and her hooves tapping on the crystal floor to the tune of “Up on the Rooftop.” After five or so minutes, she grew tired and switched to softly singing “Let It Snow.” A pair of familiar voices shouting somewhere outside her window made her stop mid-chorus.
“Yippee! Faster, Dashie, faster!”
“I’m—ugh—trying! This isn’t like pulling a cloud, you know!”
Twilight grinned and poked her head out the window. Her grin only widened when she spotted a rainbow-maned pegasus flying above the houses of Ponyville. Even from this distance, Twilight could see the strain on Rainbow Dash’s face as she pumped her wings, pulling a cherry-red sleigh behind her. Sitting in the sleigh and waving at the ponies below them was Pinkie Pie, whose voice rang out over the snow-blanketed rooftops.
“Merry Hearth’s Warming to all!” Pinkie cheered, tossing wrapped boxes and bundles over the side of the sleigh to a growing crowd below. “And to all a good night!”
“Night? Pinkie Pie, it’s like eleven o’clock in the morning!” Rainbow snapped over her shoulder, though the smile on her face was clear as day to Twilight.
“Minor details! It’s night time somewhere!” Pinkie gasped and dove into the sack in the back of the sleigh. She emerged a second later with a box wrapped in yellow paper with a blue ribbon and threw it over the side. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Raindrops!”
Charging up her horn, Twilight’s scarf appeared around her neck and she disappeared from her living room with a flash and a pop. Barely a second later, she reappeared on her front doorstep.
“Come on, Dashie!” Pinkie shouted from up above. “I know you can go faster than this! Weeeeeeeeee!”
“Do you have any idea how heavy this thing is?” Rainbow retorted while Twilight hurried down the walkway, watching her friends with a bright smile. “Ugh, seriously, how many presents do you have back there?”
“Enough for all of my friends, silly!”
“But everypony in Ponyville is your friend!”
“Yepperino!” Twilight could hear the smile in Pinkie Pie’s voice while Rainbow groaned. “Pick up the pace, slow poke! We won’t even get to Fluttershy’s before lunchtime at this rate!”
“Pinkie Pie—”
“Oh, oh, I know! Do a sonic rainboom! We’ll finish in no time flat if you do that!”
Deciding to interfere before Rainbow drove them both into a snowbank, Twilight called out and waved a hoof. “Rainbow! Pinkie! Down here!”
Rainbow’s head whipped around at the sound of Twilight’s voice and she beamed. “Twilight!” She flapped her wings and changed course, making Pinkie fall backwards into her sack of joys. “Sorry, Pinks, but the ride’s over!”
“Aww!” Pinkie pouted as Rainbow started their descent. “But we didn’t even get to Carousel Boutique!”
“Too bad!” Her hooves touched down and the sleigh thumped and slid to the ground behind her. She came to a running stop a few feet from Twilight. A pair of fake antlers stood proudly on her head and a harness of bells strapped around her shoulders jingled with every step she took. All that was missing was the glowing red nose, and the image would be complete.
“But we were having so much fun dashing through the snow!” Pinkie whined, her pout holding for a second longer before in shattered in the wake of a fit of giggles. “Get it? Dashing through the snow!”
Rainbow groaned and massaged her forehead while Pinkie fell over onto her back, laughing and snorting. “Every year . . .”
Twilight giggled and hurried over to hug her friend. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Rainbow.”
Rainbow tensed in Twilight’s hooves for a second before returning the hug, lightly nuzzling Twilight’s cheek as she did so. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Twilight.” She snickered. “Nice sweater.”
Twilight grinned as she pulled out of the embrace. “Thanks,” she said dryly. “My brother has the best taste when it comes to awful sweaters, doesn’t he?”
“Just don’t let Rarity see you in that.” Rainbow adjusted the antlers on her head, sniggering for a few seconds longer. “She might faint.”
“You sound like Spike.” Twilight walked around Rainbow, inspecting the sleigh. The varnish gleamed in the morning sunlight, accentuating the holly leaves carved into the side. She squinted at the interlocking holly leaves and ran a hoof down the rail. “Wow, this is beautiful.”
“You think?” Rainbow’s wings twitched out of the corner of Twilight’s eye as she unhitched herself from the reigns.
“Yeah, but why do you have it? And what’s with the antlers?”
“It’s Hearth’s Warming and it’s fun. Duh.” Rainbow smirked and patted the sleigh. “And I thought the sleigh thing would be obvious.”
“You bet it’s obvious!” Pinkie cheered, springing out from the sack of presents in the back of the sleigh. With outstretched hooves, she squealed and launched herself at Twilight, tackling her in a bone-crushing hug and sending them both into the snow. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Twilight!”
Freezing cold snow slipped down the nape of Twilight’s neck, trapped against her fur by her sweater. “Pinkie!” Twilight yelped, cringing as the snow started to melt and dribble down her back. “That’s cold!”
“That’s Santa Pie to you, Twilight!” Pinkie giggled and hopped back to her hooves. Looping her foreleg around Rainbow’s neck, she smiled her impossibly wide smile. “Santa Pie and her trusted assistant, Dashie the Red-Nosed Reinpony!
Twilight bolted up, shivering and casting a warming spell on herself. She sighed as the cold melted away. Rainbow fidgeted, and Twilight quirked a brow. Mirth flickered in her eyes and her lip tugged upwards in a smirk. “Dashie the Red-Nosed Reinpony, huh?”
“Shut up.” Pink dots filled Rainbow’s cheeks. “It was her idea.”
“Hmm,” Pinkie hummed, tapping her chin. “Or maybe it should be Pinkie Hooves and Dashie the Rainbow-Maned Pegadeer? Which sounds better to you, Dashie?”
“Neither.” Rainbow blanched, trying to squirm out from under Pinkie’s foreleg. “Pegadeer? Seriously?”
“Yeah, you’re right. Reinpony sounds better.” She released Rainbow and hopped in place with her eyes squeezed shut. “But maybe you should be Dashie the Red-Cheeked Reinpony instead! Oh, oh, do you think we could get a banner or something with that on it? We could put it on the back of the sleigh so everypony knows who we are!”
Rainbow looked at Twilight helplessly and mouthed out ‘help me,’ backing away one step for every step Pinkie hopped towards her.
Twilight could only shrug and grin in response. She mouthed back ‘you’re on your own,’ and Rainbow’s face paled.
“Don’t you still have a bunch of presents to deliver?” Rainbow asked quickly, flaring her wings and moving over to Twilight’s side in the span of a few wingbeats. “I kind of got something to take care of here, remember?” She jerked her head at Twilight, giving Pinkie a significant look.
Twilight arched her brow. “Really? And what might that be?”
“Silly Twilight, telling would ruin the surprise!” Pinkie mussed Twilight’s mane and cut off her protest by shoving two wrapped parcels into her hooves—one purple with a pink bow and the other purple with a long, green ribbon. “Now, you two have fun!” she said in a sing-song voice, bouncing back to the sleigh and lugging the Santa sack over her shoulder. “Santa Pie has a lot of deliveries to make, even without the help of her trusted Reinpony assistant!”
Rainbow stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry.
“Oh, but before I go...” Pinkie’s grin widened a hair as she produced a strand of mistletoe from her mane.
“What’s that for?” Twilight asked, looking between Rainbow’s wide eyes and Pinkie fixing the mistletoe on the headboard of the sleigh. It may have just been the cold, but Rainbow’s cheeks seemed to turn a shade redder.
“No spoilers for you, Twilight!” Pinkie sang, smiling innocently as Rainbow’s fur bristled.
“It’s just some dumb mistletoe! It’s for decoration!” Colour flushed across Rainbow’s face, turning everything from her snout to the tips of her ears pink. “Rarity made me agree to put it on when I borrowed the sleigh from her!”
“That’s not what you said earlier,” Pinkie said, waggling her ears at Rainbow. She turned and started hopping down the road, her bag of presents bouncing off her back in time with the bobbing of her tail. “Don’t stay out too late, you two!”
“Shut up, Pinkie!” Rainbow hissed at the retreating mare. She snapped her wings to punctuate the statement, making her harness jingle merrily in contrast to the scowl on her face.
What sounded like a growl emanated from the back of Rainbow’s throat, and Twilight frowned. “What was that about?”
In an instant the scowl vanished from Rainbow’s face. An easy smile was quick to replace it, though she didn’t quite meet Twilight’s eyes when she looked up at her. “Nothing. Pinkie was just . . . uh . . .” Rainbow’s tail twitched and she cleared her throat. “She almost spoiled your Hearth’s Warming gift, that’s all.”
“Really?” Twilight said, unconvinced. “Well, I hope you have it tucked away somewhere, because I’m pretty sure Pinkie ran off with all of the presents.”
“Nah.” Rainbow shifted her weight and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “It’s not something you can wrap, but you’re gonna love it. Trust me.”
“Oho, is that so?” A small smile played across Twilight’s face, her curiosity piqued. “Now you’ve got my attention. What is it?”
Snow crunched underhoof as Rainbow walked around to stand beside Twilight, the bells on her harness ringing with every step. Twilight only raised an eyebrow as she plopped down and gave her a sidelong smirk. Stretching out her blue wings, she yawned into her black-booted hoof as one of her wings draped loosely over Twilight’s withers.
“Uh . . .” Twilight stared at the wing and then at its owner and the coy expression dancing over her face. Her face pulled into a frown when she felt the slightest of tremors shake Rainbow’s wing. “Is this a hint?”
“It’s right in front of you, egghead,” Rainbow said, nodding at the sleigh.
Cocking her head to the side, Twilight looked from Rainbow to the sleigh and then back to Rainbow. She almost jumped when Rainbow’s tail flicked over hers before quickly flicking away. As the seconds dragged on, the easy smile over her face became visibly more strained.
“You got me a sleigh?” Twilight asked after a time.
“Kind of?” Rainbow scratched the back of her head, knocking her antlers askew. “Not really, though. I mean, it’s part of it.”
“Hey . . .” Twilight squinted at the sleigh, imagining Big Macintosh dressed in his full Santa Hooves costume standing in the middle and waving at a crowd. “Isn’t that the sleigh from the Hearth’s Warming parade? Wasn’t Rarity supposed to be taking care of it for Applejack?”
Rainbow nodded and jingled. “Yup. It took a lot of convincing and deal-making to talk Rarity into letting me borrow it for the day. Pretty sweet, huh?”
“You and Pinkie did look like you were having fun.” Twilight grinned and poked Rainbow in the chest. “Even if Rarity might not approve of how you were using it. You know that’s an Apple Family antique, right?”
“Eh, what Rarity and Applejack don’t know won’t hurt ‘em,” Rainbow said with a wave of her hoof. “Besides, what did Rarity think I’d be using a sleigh for? Decorating my Hearth’s Warming tree?”
“Just remember it’ll be your flank in the fire if anything happens to it.” Another poke, and Rainbow huffed and rolled her eyes, though she made no effort to hide her smile. “Seriously, though, what is it?”
“I told you,” Rainbow whined. She pointed at the sleigh and gave Twilight an expectant look. “It’s sitting right in front of you! I thought you liked riddles, and this one isn’t even that hard.”
Several long moments passed as Twilight studied the sleigh. A much more noticeable tremor passed through Rainbow’s wing and her brow furrowed. Finally, she straightened. “I don’t get it.”
“Of course you don’t, Twilight.” Something shifted behind Rainbow’s eyes and she withdrew her wing. The act made Twilight shiver at the lack of warmth, even though she still wore her snowpony sweater and scarf. “And that’s exactly why.”
“Exactly why what?” Twilight asked, ducking her head and trying to catch Rainbow’s gaze.
“Nothing.” Rainbow shook her mane and, after a few beats of her wings, hovered over the sleigh. “Now, hop in.”
Twilight blinked. “Huh?”
“You heard me.” Settling back down on the ground, Rainbow patted the felt seat. Her lips tugged back up into a familiar cocky grin. “You.” She pointed a hoof right at Twilight’s chest. “In.” She pointed back at the sleigh. Her grin grew as she fluffed her wings. “It’s time for your Hearth’s Warming present.”
“I . . . what?” Twilight simply stared. Then, as Rainbow rolled her eyes, the gears in Twilight’s head clicked and comprehension dawned on her. “Wait,” she said, her eyes widening. She took a reflexive step back and found her wings beginning to unfold. “You’re not.”
Rainbow showed her teeth. “Now she’s getting it!” She chuckled, leaning against the sleigh and somehow looking more relaxed. “Took you long enough. You ready for the most awesome Hearth’s Warming sleigh ride of your life?”
“B-but—You can’t—I have wings!” Twilight babbled, taking another step back as Rainbow’s grin became more wolfish. She paused for a second and then added, “And how was I supposed to figure that out from a sleigh?”
“What, did you want me to put a bow on or something?” Making a show of inspecting her harness, Rainbow smirked her infuriating smirk. “I bet you would, too.”
“Excuse me?”
“Sorry, Twi, not happening. There’s no way a nerd like you is gonna be lucky enough to unwrap this pegasus.” She tapped her chin, looking at Twilight with lidded eyes. “Unless you get really lucky and say pretty please. Then, I’ll consider it, but only because it’s Hearth’s Warming and somehow you’re rocking that sweater.”
Heat rushed to Twilight’s cheeks and she stammered. “Oh, um.” Her wings twitched and she dropped her gaze to Rainbow’s hooves. “Thank you?”
Rainbow giggled in response. “You’re welcome. Gee, Twi, I was just calling you hot. You get all blushy with everypony who flatters you, or am I just special?” she teased, though her voice sounded almost hopeful.
Shaking her head, Twilight cleared her throat. “More like you caught me off guard.” She fixed her scarf, which had started to unwind. “Can’t I go one day without being subject to your voyeuristic behaviour? Not even on Hearth’s Warming?”
“Nope,” Rainbow said happily, flashing a bright smile. “You know you love it.”
Rolling her eyes, Twilight couldn’t help but smile as she walked to the sleigh. She ran a hoof down the shining red varnish, tracing one of the holly leaf patterns carved into the side. “So,” she started. “A sleigh ride?”
Rainbow sidled up next to her, pressing their sides together. Twilight met her eyes and she offered a smaller, more genuine smile. “Yup.”
“You got me a sleigh ride?” The felt-covered cushion was soft under Twilight’s hoof—probably as comfortable as it looked.
“Pretty much.” Twilight felt Rainbow’s gaze following her hoof. “Sorry, no gift receipt for this one. Take it or leave it.”
“You’re not offering me any choice, are you?”
“I didn’t want to tie you up and throw you in the back of the sleigh, but a mare’s gotta do what a mare’s gotta do. Unless, well . . .” Rainbow’s head sagged down a little and she dropped her eyes. “Unless you really don’t want to. That’s cool, too. I’d just go, I don’t know, buy you some book or something I guess.”
“I never said no.” Twilight nudged Rainbow’s shoulder. “But I really should get those gifts Pinkie Pie left inside first.”
“Wait, so you mean—” Rainbow’s face lit up and she lept into the air, somersaulting and pumping her hoof. “Yes!” She landed with a crunch on the other side of the sleigh, her smile wide and her eyes sparkling. “You’re going to love this!”
“Hey!” A new voice called from inside the castle. “What’s all the commotion out here? Some dragons are trying to cook!” Spike’s head followed his voice a second later, poking out of the doorway. He swiveled his head, spotting Twilight, Rainbow, and the sleigh. “Oh, hi, Rainbow Dash! Nice antlers!” He stepped past the threshold and into the snow. “What’s with the sleigh?”
“Hey, Spike!” Rainbow waved. “Happy Hearth’s Warming. I’m just taking the princess here,” she said with a jab of her wing to Twilight’s flank, “on a little sleigh ride around town.”
“Cool!” Spike grinned, wiping his claws on the ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron around his waist. He froze mid-step, his eyes suddenly gleaming over. “Are those . . . presents?”
Twilight followed his greedy stare to the two presents lying in the snow. Giggling, she lifted them up and brushed the snow off of them. “You just missed Pinkie, Spike. She says happy Hearth’s Warming and left these here for us.”
“Yes!” Spike cheered. He darted through the snow and leapt, grabbing both wrapped boxes at once. Turning on his heel, he sprinted back to the castle. “I’ll just go and take these inside!” He skidded to a stop just inside the door. “You two have fun!”
The door slammed hard enough to shake some snow from the parapets.
Twilight blinked.
Rainbow snickered behind her.
“Well,” Twilight said, rubbing the back of her neck. “I guess that takes care of that.”
“Yup!” The world suddenly turned black as something was shoved down on her head, covering her eyes. “Which means no more excuses, egghead.” Twilight pushed whatever it was up, and was met with a fuzzy white ball dangling in front of her nose. She scratched at her scalp—Santa hats were up there with sweaters in terms of itchiness. “Now get your royal flank in,” Rainbow said, already securing the reigns around her harness. “It’s time for the best sleigh ride you’re ever going to have.”
“If you say so.” Stepping cautiously, Twilight got in the sleigh. The wood creaked as she settled herself on the velvet-covered seat. A quick inspection told her that the seat was big enough for maybe two ponies if they didn’t mind getting a little cozy. “Are you sure this is safe?”
“Please.” Rainbow flashed her a winning grin. “Pinkie and I flew this thing around for like an hour and it was fine. Besides, even if something does happen, you’ve got wings and I’ll be here to catch you.” She winked. “So chill out, will you?”
“If you say so . . .” Taking a deep breath, Twilight forced herself to relax. She found herself groping around the seat and found nothing there. A fresh wave of unease made her bite her lip. Relaxing could wait. “Aren’t there any seatbelts?” she squeaked.
Rainbow snickered. “You’re a riot, Twi. Now, hold on tight.” Snorting, she lowered her head and pawed the ground. Her wings unfurled with a mighty snap and she gave them a few test flaps. “Time for a ride, Rainbow Dash style.”
Twilight’s mouth went dry and she fumbled for something to grab on to. “H-hang on, what am I supposed to—” Any other complaints caught in her throat with her breath as Rainbow surged forward, throwing Twilight back against the seat. “Rainbow Dash!” she shrieked, eyes widening in terror as Rainbow galloped down the snow-covered street.
“I told you to hold on!” Rainbow cackled as she barreled through Ponyville, the sleigh creating a snow flurry in her wake. Her harness jangled as her hooves beat across the ground. Her tail swished from side to side and Twilight could hear the smile in her laughter. “Ready to take things up a notch?”
Not waiting for an answer, she turned a corner, barely losing any speed. Pupils shrinking to pinpricks, Twilight’s screams sputtered out as they rapidly approached a ramp built into a snowdrift.
By the time she found her voice, it was too late. Rainbow ran off the ramp and launched into the air with a jump and a powerful flap of her wings. The sled followed mere seconds later and Twilight squeezed her eyes shut, instinctively bracing herself for impact.
Except it never came.
The first thing she heard when her heart stopped beating in her ears was cheering. Then came the ringing of the bells from Rainbow’s harness. Wind whipped over her face and through her mane, and she needed to use her magic to keep her Santa hat from blowing away. The sleigh rocked and swayed and she was vaguely aware of the air growing thinner as they pulled further away from the ground. Her hooves clutched on the railing so tightly that it hurt, but her wings started to spread as the wind rushed by all around her.
“Come on, Twilight!” Rainbow’s voice came over the wind. It was light, carefree, and filled with laughter. “Open your eyes!”
Twilight peeked an eye open, her breaths coming in short and quick, and the sleigh lurched as Rainbow gave a particularly powerful pump of her wings. The movement jerked Twilight forwards and her eyes opened wide, staring down between the reins at the snow-quilted trees of Sweet Apple Acres.
“Whoops, sorry!” Rainbow giggled. “That was a nasty updraft—I’ll try to stay away from those!”
Pushing herself back into the seat, Twilight’s head shifted from side to side. Her breathing came in more slow and relaxed as she drank in the landscape with her mouth hanging open. From this high up, the rooftops of Ponyville blended together and decorated with snow and lights as they were, each promised a warm fire and even warmer ponies. With the quaintness of a still and snowy Sweet Apple Acres and the castle gleaming in the early winter’s light, the scene looked like something out of a fairy tale—the kind they put in old storybooks and on Hearth’s Warming cards.
“Wow . . .” Twilight said, remembering to exhale. Her grip loosened on the rail and she felt her lips stretch into a smile. It was beautiful and—in a way—romantic. Ponies in the street waved up at them as their sleigh bells announced their passing and she found herself waving back. A second later, she realized she was laughing.
“Told you!” Twilight’s head turned, and saw Rainbow looking over her shoulder at her. Where she expected to see a smug, satisfied grin she instead saw a bright, glowing smile. Rainbow’s whole face seemed to light up as they turned to loop over the town.
It was difficult not to return the smile.
“I guess you did!” Twilight laughed, casting her gaze over the snowy peaks of the mountains to the glimmering city of Canterlot, shining like a beacon in the distance. A train whistle pierced the cool morning air as the Ponyville Express pulled into the station, bringing ponies home on its last trip for the holiday to the open hooves of their friends and family.
“Best sleigh ride ever?”
Twilight giggled—she couldn’t help it. As she leaned over the side, watching foals and their parents toboggan down the biggest hill in Ponyville, her hooves, wings, and chest tingled with an excited kind of energy that warmed her from head to tail. “Best sleigh ride ever!” she confirmed, letting out another giddy laugh. “This is amazing! But why didn’t we just fly up here?”
Rainbow smirked over her shoulder and pulled the sleigh up higher. “Because then I couldn’t turn it up to eleven!”
The wind roared in Twilight’s ears, drowning out Rainbow’s voice. “Pardon?” The sleigh jolted forward again, and she grabbed the rail to steady herself. “Whoa! What’re you doing?!”
“Cranking things up to eleven!” Bringing her forelegs together in front of her, streamlining her body, Rainbow began to speed up. “This was a nice little warm-up, but now it’s time for your real present!”
“My ‘real’ present?” Twilight echoed, her giddy excitement fading away to a dull, growing dread. She straightened in the seat. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” Rainbow started, pumping her wings faster and faster, her voice straining with the effort, “that you’re about to be the first princess ever to fly through a sonic rainboom!”
“A what?!” Twilight’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and she lost concentration on her magic. The rest of her mane flowed in the freezing wind as her Santa hat flew away, twisting and tumbling to the ground. “You can’t be serious!”
The shape of a mach cone started to coalesce around them, coming to a point at Rainbow’s outstretched hooves. “You bet I am!”
A pit formed in her stomach, and Twilight felt herself get pressed further and further back into the seat. “But the sleigh—” she tried to yell, only for her words to get caught in her throat for the second time that day as Rainbow pushed through the barrier.
The world exploded into colour that radiated out from them in all directions. Rainbow’s cheering was barely audible over the roaring in Twilight’s ears as everything passed them by in a blur.
For a couple seconds, it was beautiful. The world warped and bled into itself as every colour from the rainbow made everything brighter and more alive. Then, everything went wrong.
There was a snap and a crunch and part of the railing Twilight had been clutching whizzed over her ear. Another snapping sound followed and the entire sled sunk to the right. The reins around Rainbow pulled taut, dragging her down with Twilight and the sleigh. Before either of them could do anything, one of the reins broke free of the harness, and all semblance of control joined them in a freefall.
As a clean, untouched hilltop came closer and closer, Twilight had enough sense to wrap herself and Rainbow Dash in a protective bubble. She clenched her jaw and her eyes shut, bracing yet again for impact.
This time, it came.
“Okay,” Rainbow Dash said, rubbing her shoulder. With her ears pinned back, she offered a bashful smile as she and Twilight sat in the snow on the hilltop they crashed into. One of her fake antlers snapped off in the landing, and more than one of her bells were dented and jingled no more. “Maybe it wasn’t meant to fly at Sonic Rainboom speeds.”
“You think?” Twilight sighed. The once-pristine hilltop was now scattered with bits and pieces of the sleigh. Broken slats of wood stuck out of the snow and the velvet cushion was torn and rested in a heap that was once an Apple Family heirloom. She closed her eyes and shivered, trying to still her trembling wings and ease her rapidly beating heart. The shock was just beginning to wear off, and she suddenly found herself very cold and very tired. If she had hesitated for even a moment, they could have very well been as mangled as the sleigh was in the crash.
Poking at a lump of wood, Rainbow chuckled. To Twilight’s ears, it sounded forced and brittle, even as Rainbow spoke with hardly a tremor in her voice. “We really dodged a bullet there, huh? Good timing with the magic.”
Twilight sighed again and drew her wings in close. “I’m just glad that we’re okay.” She furrowed her brow and stared at Rainbow. “What in Equestria were you thinking? That sleigh was an antique! It’s probably at least ten years older than you!”
Rainbow cringed. “Yeah . . .” She pawed at the ground, hunching her shoulders. “I guess I blew it, huh?” She slid what remained of the fake antlers off of her head. “Applejack’s going to kill me, then Rarity’s going to kill me, then Applejack’s going to kill me again.”
“It was just a sleigh,” Twilight said, exhaling. She tried for an encouraging smile and lightly booped Rainbow's nose. “What matters is that we’re okay. A sleigh can be replaced—we can’t.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Sighing, Rainbow shrugged out of her harness and trudged over to the lone tree on the hilltop. She plopped down on her haunches. “Still . . . I blew it.”
“It was nice while it lasted.” Twilight followed, sitting down next to Rainbow and wincing as cold traveled the length of her spine. “Really, it was beautiful. I’ve never seen Ponyville like that.”
“And then I had to go and push it.” Rainbow grumbled, pulling her wings in tight and staring at her hooves. “So much for your Hearth’s Warming present. The shops are still open, right?” she asked in a miserable tone. “I could go get you a book or a scarf or something. Maybe a throw pillow?”
Twilight, to the surprise evident on Rainbow’s face, laughed. “I don’t want a book, Rainbow. What you gave me was wonderful. I felt like a little schoolfilly up there.” She unwound her scarf from around her neck and loosely wrapped it around Rainbow’s. “And you look like you’re freezing.”
“Thanks,” Rainbow mumbled, her mouth hidden behind the fabric. Twilight frowned. The pegasus that sat besides her, with her head hanging and her wings drooped to the snow, was a stark contrast to the same pony that cheered and laughed as she pulled a sleigh through the sky mere minutes ago. Disappointment was one thing, but this felt like something more.
“It really was a beautiful gift,” she tried, studying her friend’s face. “I’ve never gotten anything like it. Thank you.”
“Welcome,” Rainbow muttered flatly.
Unfurling a wing, Twilight pulled Rainbow in for a sideways hug and shivered. “Wow, you really are freezing.” She giggled, rubbing her wing up and down Rainbow’s shoulder. “Now, are you going to tell me what’s wrong or do I have to play twenty questions?”
“You don’t have to pretend to be all nice and junk, Twi,” Rainbow said, frowning but not pulling away. Her cheeks turned a shade pinker as she continued to stare at her hooves—she must be colder than Twilight thought. “I know you’re mad. I was reckless and dumb, and I almost got us killed.”
“Then I guess you don’t know me as well as you think.” Twilight squeezed her wing, looking out at the town. A few ponies gathered in the distance, pointing in their direction and talking amongst themselves. A sonic rainboom on Hearth’s Warming morning—ponies were sure to have seen that, and then were likely to have seen them crash. “I’m not mad,” she said, watching the ponies collectively shrug and gradually disperse.
Rainbow snorted.
“Really, I’m not. I might have been a little scared, but I’m not mad. You tried to give me something beautiful, and you succeeded.” Shaking her wing, she drew Rainbow’s reserved gaze up to her own. She smiled. “I’d like to know why this meant so much to you, though.”
“I . . .” Rainbow started, opening and closing her mouth. She frowned back down to her hooves. “It’s stupid.”
“Rainbow,” Twilight chided, clicking her tongue. “Whatever it is, I’ll bet my throne it isn’t stupid.”
“Well . . .” Rainbow rocked back and forth on her haunches, biting her lip. “Remember how you told me about how you stopped believing in Santa Hooves when you were, like, four years old?”
Twilight nodded, scooching a little closer to Rainbow. Wings fluttered against her side as she did so.
“I couldn’t believe it.” Rainbow shook her head, kneading snow under her hooves. “How do you do Hearth’s Warming as a foal without Santa Hooves? It was like—no, it was totally the best time of the year!” A grin spread over Rainbow’s face and her eyes sparked to life. It was hard not to smile back. “Every year, trying to stay up late and see him for yourself and then waking up to a bunch of presents under the tree? It was the best! I started counting down the number of sleeps ‘till Hearth’s Warming Eve two months ahead of time.”
Withdrawing her wing, Twilight couldn’t help but giggle. “You still get presents without Santa Hooves, Rainbow.” She poked her shoulder, giggling again as Rainbow grunted. “How long did you believe in Santa Hooves, again?”
Rainbow’s cheeks turned from pink to red and she looked away, ruffling her wings. “That’s not the point,” she said, her voice a couple octaves higher than usual.
“Oh?” Twilight teased. “Then what is?”
“That I just don’t get it!” Rainbow huffed, throwing her hooves to the air. She turned and fixed Twilight with an expression that resembled equal parts sympathy and confusion. “Twilight, I could’ve gotten ballet slippers and toilet paper and I wouldn’t have been really that upset. Okay, maybe a little upset. The presents were cool, really cool, but it wasn’t about the presents. It was about Santa Hooves.”
Nodding, Twilight worked her jaw, trying to understand what Rainbow had meant. “I see,” she said slowly, chewing over her words. “So . . . you got me a sleigh ride for Hearth’s Warming . . . because of a foals’ tale?”
Rainbow groaned and smacked her forehead with her hoof. “No. Well, kinda. Not really.”
“Then I’m not following.”
“It’s not about Santa Hooves, Twi, but what he meant, you know?” Seeing the blank look on Twilight’s face, Rainbow rubbed her own face and sighed. “Look, waking up on Hearth’s Warming Day and thinking that Santa Hooves had come and left a bunch of stuff for everypony . . . it was awesome, okay? It was like . . . every Hearth’s Warming morning, I’d wake up and run into the living room and see all the presents and the lights and I’d just know that Santa Hooves did it again.” She chuckled, smiling fondly at Twilight’s sweater. “I used to jump up and down on my parents’ bed until they got up. Dad says I flew around the room like a blue fuzzy rocket—an awesome blue fuzzy rocket.”
Twilight smiled, imagining a much younger, foal-sized Rainbow Dash bouncing around a cloud house, her eyes bright and filled with wonder and filled with the kind of energy and excitement that only a foal could have on Hearth’s Warming. “I bet your parents must have been delighted.”
“Mom was fine after she got her coffee.” Rainbow’s grin turned devious. “And Dad was just as bad as me. I think he got his buzz from watching me get all excited. He loved watching me love Hearth’s Warming.” Her wings twitched and she glanced to the side. “Which is kinda why I wanted to do this thing with the sleigh.”
Twilight quirked her brow and shuffled closer so that her side brushed up against Rainbow’s. “It was?”
“Yeah.” Rainbow nodded, her eyes shifting to stare at her hooves. “It’s just . . . how could you not grow up getting that feeling every Hearth’s Warming? I know you don’t really care, but I do,” she said, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly. “It was the best feeling in the world and it sucked knowing that you never really had it as a kid.” She shrugged and rubbed her shoulder. “I guess I wanted to fix that.”
“Rainbow . . .” Small puffs of snow blew into the air as Rainbow’s wings twitched and fluttered as Twilight watched her cheeks flush. The gears turned in Twilight’s head, drawing connections from Rainbow’s attitude this morning to now. Then, her mind stretched back to recent weeks—glances thrown her way and then quickly averted, the occasional tease, and the appearance of a rainbow mane in her window followed by a beaming smile, eager to read, to talk, or to do nothing in each other’s presence.
“Kind of hard to put a bow on that.” Rainbow chuckled, her words bitter. A cool wind blew, and she shivered, drawing away from Twilight. “So, I came up with this sleigh ride thing. You’ve got wings and all but you’ve never seen Ponyville on Hearth’s Warming from up here, so I thought—” She sighed and stared at the mangled remains of the sleigh, her head hanging low as she did so. “Stupid, right?”
“No,” Twilight said, pulling herself closer and resting her hoof on her friend’s shoulder. Smiling softly, she turned Rainbow around and hugged her against her chest. She felt Rainbow’s wings flutter. “It’s not stupid at all.”
“I-it isn’t?” Rainbow squeaked, her breath warm on Twilight’s fur.
Shaking her head, Twilight pulled out of the hug and met Rainbow’s eyes. “Of course not. I try to do the same thing for Spike every year,” she said, holding her gaze. “You were right, I didn’t mind growing up not believing in Santa Hooves. Hearth’s Warming was just another day—with presents. Presents and cookies.”
Rainbow giggled a little and wiped her hoof over her eyes. “Store bought or homemade?”
“Homemade,” Twilight said as if the answer were obvious and smiled warmly. “But it wasn’t easy for Spike to believe in Santa Hooves or any fairy tale creatures because of it. In fact, I’m pretty sure he never believed.” She sighed, dropping her gaze to their hooves. “That wasn’t fair to him, and I can’t help but feel like it’s my fault. He followed me around everywhere when he was little, so it’s only natural he never got that feeling you talked about.”
“He still does,” Rainbow said, nudging Twilight with her snout. “He seemed pretty happy, though. I think he’ll pull through.”
“I still worry. I just want to try and give him some of that magic and wonder you had when you were a foal.” Leaning forward, Twilight nuzzled along Rainbow’s cheek and grinned when she saw Rainbow’s tail flick from side to side. “So, no, what you were trying to do wasn’t stupid at all. It’s the sweetest thing anypony’s tried to do for me for Hearth’s Warming. Thank you,” she said, wrapping her hooves around her friend’s neck and squeezing lightly.
“Y-yeah. No problem.” Rainbow’s voice cracked as she returned the hug. “I just—I wanted to make this Hearth’s Warming really special for you.”
Twilight’s smile turned coy. “Oh, really? Why?” She already expected she knew the answer. Some ponies, including Rainbow Dash, weren’t as subtle as they liked to think they were.
“Just because . . . you know . . .” Coughing, Rainbow slipped out of Twilight’s hooves and fiddled with the end of her scarf. Her jaw worked soundlessly and her eyes grew pensive.
Twilight sat in front of her, content to wait for the words to come. She glanced skywards and she spotted something dangling right above them. She froze and her heart skipped a beat. Then, an idea took root in her mind. She looked back to Rainbow, feeling her own cheeks warm as her face settled into a gentle, patient smile. She may not have ever felt what Rainbow felt as a foal, but she understood plenty how giving that feeling to somepony else was just as good, if not better. Giving that feeling to somepony you love and care about was what Hearth's Warming was all about, and Twilight held that lesson close to her heart. If Rainbow wanted to share that feeling with her, then it would only be fair to share it back.
She would be lying if she said the thought didn't make her a little bit excited.
“I care about you a bunch,” Rainbow finally said, wringing the scarf between her hooves. “A-and we’re like best friends, and I . . . I’m bad at this.” She groaned and dropped the scarf in favour of digging her hooves into the snow. “I really wanted this Hearth’s Warming to be special.”
“Uh-huh.” Twilight nodded. “Anything else?”
“Not really . . . well, maybe . . .” Rainbow took a deep breath, looked up at Twilight, then made a squeaking noise before dropping her eyes back to the snow. “Don’t make me say it. I’ve already been way, way too mushy today,” she said miserably. Twilight heard her grumble under her breath, “I knew I should’ve brought flowers.”
Hiding a giggle behind her hoof, Twilight leaned forward. “Then I won’t.” She pressed her lips to Rainbow’s cheek and tried not to laugh as her body went rigid at the touch. “You haven’t wrecked anything at all, Rainbow. This Hearth’s Warming has been one of the best I can remember.”
Rainbow, for her part, had yet to move. Her eyes were wide and her pupils shrunk to dots in a sea of white. “I—you—” Her throat bobbed as her hoof reached up for her cheek. “Wh-what was that for?”
Not bothering to hide her giggle this time, Twilight smiled, her eyes twinkling, and pointed up above them. Rainbow followed her hoof and gasped. Hanging, embedded in the tree between them, was the mistletoe Pinkie tied to the sleigh. It dangled, swaying in a light breeze, right over the two of them. “What are the odds, huh?”
“I-I—But—” Rainbow sputtered, looking from Twilight to the mistletoe.
“Kind of a cliché, I know, but I’ve always been a bit of a fan of clichés,” Twilight said, delighting in how Rainbow’s face gradually became as bright red as a Hearth’s Warming light.
“Twi, y-you—” Rainbow coughed, boring holes in the snow as she dug her hoof into it. She opened her mouth and glanced up, catching the soft look of understanding and warmth Twilight wore over her face. The words died before they made it past her lips and slowly a wide smile bloomed, stretching from ear to ear. “You mean . . .”
Twilight nodded. “Uh-huh.”
“Then . . .” Rainbow’s eyes sparkled and her wings twitched at her sides. She shuffled her hooves and licked her lips. Then, she sidled closer to Twilight so that their chest fur almost rubbed against each other with each breath they took. She cleared her throat. “You call that a kiss?”
Blinking, Twilight found herself frowning. “Huh?”
“That right there? You call that a kiss?” Rainbow asked, her face-splitting smile settling down into a well-worn smirk. “And I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to kiss the other pony on the lips under the mistletoe.”
Realization dawned upon Twilight and she giggled, even as her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue. “Is that a fact?”
“Yup. And in Prance, tongue is optional.” Rainbow waggled her eyebrows. “Unless it’s from a princess, then tongue is totally mandatory.”
“So I’ve heard,” Twilight said as Rainbow drew closer. She gently placed a hoof on the pegasus’ cheek. “But I don’t see the Eiffel Tower anywhere.” She giggled, pressing Rainbow’s face back and watching her expression drop to a pout. “Oh, fine. You’re just lucky that your gift hasn’t been delivered yet.”
It was Rainbow’s turn to frown in sudden confusion. “Huh? What do you—”
Before she could finish her thought, Twilight darted forward and caught Rainbow’s lips with her own. It was hardly long enough to qualify as a kiss, but the sparse second her lips were pressed against Rainbow’s were enough to chills down her spine. “What are you doing for Hearth’s Warming dinner?”
“Bwuh?” Rainbow slurred, her wings flared and her eyes distant as a dreamy expression washed over her.
“Dinner,” Twilight said, adjusting the scarf around Rainbow’s neck. “Spike always makes too much, and you’re more than welcome to join us. Maybe after, when Spike’s gone to bed, we could curl up by the fireplace with hot chocolate and a book and do couple things. I’m pretty new at this, so . . .” She fixed Rainbow with a warm look. “What do you say? Any plans?”
“N-nope!” Rainbow said, coming back to reality. She flashed a bright smile and hopped to her hooves. “That sounds awesome! So awesome.”
“Perfect, then I’ll see you at six. Don’t be late,” Twilight said, nuzzling along Rainbow’s neck before pulling away. She turned and was reminded of the wreckage surrounding them. “If Rarity and Applejack don’t kill you first, that is.”
“I won’t be, count on it!” Rainbow chirped. “But I should probably clean this mess up and tell AJ and Rarity, huh?”
“Probably,” Twilight said, giving Rainbow one more fond smile before starting down the slope of the hill. “I should get back and help Spike, but I can’t wait to see you—” She had barely made it five steps before there was the sound of wings flapping and something warm pressing against her lips. A strong hoof wrapped around her neck and another cupped her cheek, pulling her in closer. Twilight groaned, melting into the kiss. Her mouth moved of its own accord, mirroring the motions of Rainbow’s lips as her eyes fluttered closed.
After several long seconds that both felt like hours and an instant, it ended. Panting as Rainbow’s lips pulled away, Twilight blearily blinked her eyes open. “I . . . What . . .”
“That,” Rainbow said between deep breaths, her face flushed and her grin triumphant, “was a kiss.”
“I’ll say,” Twilight murmured, wobbling on her legs. “Whoa . . .”
Rainbow giggled, pecking Twilight once more on the cheek. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Twi.”
“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Rainbow,” Twilight said, dazed, as Rainbow turned and sped off towards town. Over the wind, she could make out her now-girlfriend’s voice cheering as she disappeared over the rooftops.
A few minutes later, when Twilight trusted herself to walk on steady hooves, she pushed herself up and stumbled a few steps down. Well, steadier hooves. She giggled, a tingling sensation radiating from her chest to her horn and to the tips of her hooves. She felt lighter and lighter with every step she took until she felt like she was floating through the streets. Given that her wings were fluttering in time with her racing heart, she very well might have been.
As she reached the castle and stepped past the threshold, she sighed as the smells of a Hearth’s Warming feast well underway met her nose. She continued to giggle helplessly as she made her way back into the living room, through the mess of wrapping paper that still littered the floor, and to the sofa where she lay on her side and hugged a pillow to her chest. Images of the sleigh ride rolled through her mind as she listened to the sounds of Spike in the kitchen and she felt the ghost of Rainbow’s lips make her own lips tingle.
She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling reflecting the light of the fire and the tree. She sighed and squeezed the pillow against her chest, thinking that she finally understood what Rainbow meant by the wonder and magic she felt on Hearth’s Warming as a foal.
Author's Note
January 26, 2016
_>
<_<
So . . . this came out a little late. The idea for this one struck me around Christmas Eve as I was listening to this song, and I jumped on it. Then semester started and things got crazy and before I knew it a month passed.
At least I'm decently sure that one month counts as "fashionably late."
