Chapter 1 - It's Hearth's Warming soon!
The fillies in Ponyville happily ran around as the snow slowly made its way down. Some fillies tried to catch the small, delicate snowflakes with their tongue while others were rolling balls of snow for a snowpony. Cheers could be heard everywhere, and the grown-up ponies rushed around decorating Ponyville and shopping for presents.
Applejack trotted her way to the market to sell some of the apples from the farm. She smiled as she waved to her little sister Apple Bloom and continued down the path. Her mind was buzzing around as she counted all the things that had to be done. There was however one thing she was really looking forward to. The Hearth’s Warming helper.
Last time they had done that was a few years ago back when Twilight still lived in Ponyville, Applejack was still getting used to the feeling of two friends living in Canterlot but it had gone a few months after the coronation and things were very peaceful. However, Twilight had made the decision to visit Ponyville this Hearth’s Warming and Applejack could not be happier. That is why the friends had decided to do the Hearth’s Warming helper again.
Applejack smiled as she remembered the events that had happened last time, it was chaotic, but it all worked out in the end. Applejack was excited to see who she would get, last time she got Spike, this time however, there was something deep inside her that was hoping to get a specific someone.
Applejack was thrown out of her thoughts by a zooming rainbow passing full speed right in front of her.
“GAH, Rainbow Dash! Look where you are flyin'! Ah' could’ve dropped mah basket of apples!”
Applejack shouted as she focused her eyes on the flying pegasus as she slowed down and landed right in front of her.
“You were the one lost in your thoughts AJ!”
Rainbow Dash smirked and pushed Applejack lightly with her hoof, causing her to almost drop the basket of apples. Applejack rolled her eyes and continued walking towards the marketplace.
“Are ya gonna bug me all the way to th' market now?”
Applejack asked and sighed, she had to be honest, she really did not mind Rainbow Dash's company but these last months had been different. She always felt a tingling sensation, almost like butterflies flying around in her stomach every time she was around. Applejack knew that feeling but she wasn’t ready to accept it yet. She did not wanna lose a best friend over a confession.
“Bug you?! Nah, I was just flying around and saw you, thought I’d say hi, what are your plans for this Hearth’s Warming?”
Rainbow Dash said confidently as always. Applejack smiled and put down the basket near her booth as several ponies came up to her to buy some of those delicious apples.
“Ahm goin' ta spend today lookin' for a gift for the pony ah' get, then ahm gonna spend some time with family, ya know wut tomorrow is about, spending time with y’all and all that gift givin' and ah'll spend Hearth’s Warmin' day with mah family”
Applejack said, satisfied with her plans. Their conversation was cut short by Pinkie Pie bouncing into the marketplace as she screamed happily. Applejack looked at her pink friend questionably as she came closer and finally made a pause in that bouncing. Pinkie Pie grinned widely as she took out a small jar with some folded paper pieces.
“ARE YOU EXCITED FOR THIS?!”
Pinkie yelled. Applejack gave Pinkie a nod and laughed. Rainbow Dash took the jar from Pinkie and held it up, she examined it and gave the jar a little shake.
“So, when’s Twilight arriving?”
Rainbow Dash asked, looking at both friends for an answer. Applejack shrugged and looked at Pinkie hoping she would know anything. Pinkie Pie nodded and pointed towards two other ponies they recognized. Fluttershy and Rarity. The three friends joined the other two and greeted them happily.
“Oh darling! Ponyville is absolutely stunning today, isn’t it? Oh! We must go meet Twilight and Spike at the train station in ten minutes! Shall we go?”
Rarity asked. They all agreed and made their way to the station. Applejack admired the beautiful layer of snow around her. No wonder Hearth’s Warming brought so much joy, this was a heartwarming and lovely holiday where you got to spend time with family and friends. Applejack couldn’t help but give Rainbow Dash a quick look as she was walking right beside her. She too, was admiring the decor and the fluffy blanket of snow covering the whole town. Suddenly, a familiar dog showed up and stopped right in front of Applejack, it wagged its tail with excitement.
“Winona? What are ya doin' around 'ere?”
Apple Bloom came running shortly after, breathing heavily. Applejack smiled as she knew what it was all about.
“Oh, sorry Applejack, Winona just saw ya and ah' wasn’t prepared for her ta run away like that- “
Apple Bloom giggled. Applejack let out a small laugh as she gave Winona some scratches behind her ears.
“Keep goin' now, don’t run off like that again Winona, ya hear?”
Applejack said jokingly. Winona let out a small bark and bounced around Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom laughed and continued down the path with her. Applejack went back to admiring the scenery but a light nudge to her side interrupted her. Applejack looked up from the snow and at her pegasus friend.
“Must be nice having a pet to spend the holiday with”
Rainbow Dash said as she laughed a little. Applejack knew she was a little sad about Tank hibernating. It really wasn’t easy to get used to that. Applejack put a hoof around her.
“Naw, don’t worry now. Ah' get it's difficult ta not be able to spend time with someone ya love but remember, ya take great care of Tank and he couldn’t be happier. He’ll be back after his nap and ya can spend time with him again. But if ya want a pet to hang out with.... ya can always come over to me and hang out with Winona if ya want-“
Applejack’s heart sped up a little after those words, but she hoped Dash would just take it as some useful advice from a friend, it wasn’t like Applejack to help out Rainbow Dash in that way. They had always been rivals and couldn’t get enough of competing with each other but never had they ever helped each other the “caring” way. Usually Fluttershy or Rarity were better with that stuff, however, this time Applejack had the urge to do it.
“Really? Wow, heh, thanks I guess”
Rainbow Dash looked away slightly, not expecting that kind of answer from Applejack, but she didn’t mind it. She would honestly love to spend a little more time around the farm and hopefully with Applejack too.
“We’re here~!”
Pinkie Pie sang out. She rushed to the train track and looked both ways, patiently waiting for a train to show up. Fluttershy and Rarity sat down on a bench as Rainbow Dash hovered over to Pinkie, also waiting for a train to show up. Applejack walked up beside Pinkie Pie and gave the clock behind her a quick look.
“Ah' think the train will arrive in about 3 minutes now- “
Applejack said calmly. Pinkie Pie jumped excitingly as confetti spread around the station. Pinkie blew up a balloon and twisted it into a figure that looked like their dear friend Twilight.
“I’m gonna give this to her as soon as she walks out of that train! OH OH! Then we’re finally gonna find out who our secret gift giving pony is going to be!!”
Pinkie smiled as she continued waiting for the train. She bounced up and down and gasped as the train became visible from a distance. The five friends waited patiently as the doors to the train slowly opened and crowds of ponies walked out. The train station suddenly felt lively, greetings and laughs filling the air. Finally, the friends saw two familiar faces step out of the train. The five friends let out a yelp of happiness and ran up to hug their two friends. Pinkie Pie was almost crying tears of joy and squeezed her dear friend.
“We missed you so much!”
Fluttershy let out, she was as the rest of the group, happy to see her friends again.
“It’s so good to see you all again!”
Twilight smiled and looked around. Spike came out with the bags Twilight had brought with them. He let out a small sigh of relief as he put them down onto the ground. Pinkie Pie handed Twilight the balloon she had blown up a while ago and the group of friends burst into laughter. It was amazing to be back together again.
Once they arrived at Twilight’s old castle, Pinkie Pie took the jar out and smiled at everyone widely as she kept going on about how excited she was. They had the rest of the day and a little bit of tomorrow to find the perfect present for their friend. Applejack felt a little nervous, what if she didn’t get the pony she was hoping for. She shook her head lightly to get out of those thoughts, did it really matter who she got?
“Sweet! This is going to be awesome”
Rainbow Dash was the first one to take a note out of the jar. She waited till everyone else had picked theirs and together they opened them up at once.
“Oh my gosh, THIS IS GONNA BE AMAZING! Just like last time”
Pinkie Pie jumped around. She was just as excited as last time and had no time to lose. One second later, she had disappeared off into her adventure of finding the best gift ever. The remaining friends had a good laugh at Pinkie’s sudden disappearance but again, it wasn’t unexpected.
Rainbow Dash looked at her note surprisingly. Her mind was about to explode. Applejack. She was Applejack’s Hearth’s Warming helper. But how would she get her a present so special?
“I guess we better get going now?”
Twilight said as she opened the front door for her friends. Her friends nodded in response and wished each other good luck with the presents as they finally parted ways.
Rainbow Dash quickly flew up into the sky, looking down at her friends who were all walking different ways. She looked at her note and then down at Applejack, who seemed to be heading to the centre of Ponyville, where most of the shops were.
It was noon, that means she still had most of the day and tomorrow to find the perfect gift. Rainbow Dash landed next to a little candle shop. She looked at the candle shop in confusion as she had no idea what to buy. The marketplace was filled with ponies rushing around, it was always this busy during the holiday. Rainbow Dash sighed; she had never thought it would be so difficult to find a present for someone she really cared about. There was something in her that didn’t want to give Applejack an ordinary gift, she wanted to give her something special, something she would love and something that would make her happy. Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and turned around, facing hundreds of shops with different things, she still had time, and so she started her journey to find the perfect present.
Applejack was satisfied, she was trotting confidently and with a slight smile. She looked at her note again as her smile got wider. There was the name of the pony she secretly loved. Applejack put the note away and decided to head home for a while. She had to list up all the possible things her friend could like. The smell of fresh apple fritters reached her as she entered the barn and a wave of relief hit her. Everything was going to be okay. She trotted up the stairs and into her room, closing the door behind her. Applejack got a piece of paper and a quill. What could she get her? She looked out through the window, the beautiful sight of Ponyville in a blanket of white and the elegant snowflakes falling gracefully put a smile on her face. She started writing, Applejack knew everything was going to be alright.
Little did they know that this Hearth’s Warming would have a big place in their hearts for years to come and a day to never forget.
Author's Note
Thanks for reading this! It's my first story, came from a decent idea I got. The remaining chapters will also hopefully be out soon, depends on how long it takes to write. 
Chapter 2 - Pinkie Help??
Rainbow Dash rushed around the shops through the swarm of ponies, her eyes darting from one shop to another. The wind got stronger and the sky with endless amounts of clouds slowly darkened. Rainbow Dash sighed and landed right into the crowd of ponies. How could it be evening already? The time passing so swiftly stressed her out, it was like an hourglass in the back of her mind continuing to run no matter how much she tried to stop it. She groaned and looked down at the path that was covered with hoof steps pressed into the soft snow blanket as she circled her right hoof on the ground in frustration. Her eyes fixated on a glimmering object in the snow, perhaps it was only a snowflake reflecting but even she knew the difference between snow and a gemstone. She bent down and gazed at the little gem. It was light orange and heart shaped. She sighed as she saw her reflection on its surface. Another wave of cold wind blew through Rainbow’s multicolored mane and she quickly wrapped her purple scarf tighter around her. There was something about this specific gem that reminded her of the most beautiful pony in Equestria. She picked it up and slid it into her pocket.
“RAINBOW DASH!!!” A light, high-pitched voice could be heard from behind. Rainbow Dash turned around and saw her friend Pinkie Pie standing there with a huge smile. She was holding a small elegant little bag in her right hoof and a ton of colorful wrapping paper and streamers in her saddlebag, in fact, there were so many stuff it seemed like the saddlebag could rip apart at any moment.
“Oh, hey Pinkie Pie, what’s up? You seem to have bought a lot of things for your pony” Rainbow Dash said. She had to admit she was a little disappointed in herself for being so slow with the shopping but finding the most awesome thing ever was difficult. Of course, she was the most awesome pony in Equestria, but this was different. Right now, it didn’t seem like she could think of anything great to give Applejack.
Pinkie Pie laughed. “No silly! It’s not only for Rarity, it’s for my sisters too and I need a lot, A LOOOT of wrapping paper cause Gummy LOVES eating it!” she bounced happily and suddenly appeared right next to Rainbow. “Sooo, what have you bought?” Pinkie Pie jumped forward and blinked repeatedly. She searched under Rainbow’s wing and inside her scarf until she realized her friend still hadn’t bought anything. Pinkie Pie gasped loudly. “Rainbow Dash, you haven’t bought ANYTHING!!” she frowned.
“I’m trying!” Rainbow shouted. “And it’s not as if the day is over, I mean, I still have rest of today AND tomorrow” She sighed and looked at the clock tower nearby. However, deep inside she knew time was running out and if she had no idea of what to buy, she would never be able to find the perfect gift.
“I can help you! I’m already done with my shopping. You can come over to Sugarcube Corner while I wrap the presents and we can talk and come up with spectacular ideas to give to your pony!” Pinkie said excitingly. Rainbow Dash thought to herself for a moment. Could Pinkie Pie really help her? But how would somepony like Pinkie Pie understand how important this gift must be? She was an expert at parties and gift giving was probably one of her specialities. Rainbow Dash sighed.
“Fine…why not” Dash said. She had no other option in mind, so she just started following her pink friend to the bakery. Pinkie Pie quickly jumped in and held the door open for Rainbow Dash who slowly walked in. Upon entering, she was greeted with holiday chaos, not that she wasn’t expecting that. Presents were laying around on the floor and the bakery was filled with ponies. The smell of cinnamon and apples was everywhere. Rainbow looked around, the Cakes were rushing with all their orders.
“SOOO tell me! Who are you shopping for??” Pinkie Pie asked and continued jumping to the stairs that led to her room. Rainbow Dash thought about this for a moment, should she ask Pinkie to help or not, this could either become something good or a disaster. It’s not that she didn’t rely on her friend, but this is Pinkie Pie we’re talking about, who knows what weird things she could come up with.
“Applejack” Rainbow Dash said, slightly hesitating. There was no going back now. “But I’m sure I’ll find someth-
Her sentence was cut short by Pinkie Pie shoving her to the side and behind a counter in the kitchen. Pinkie gestured Rainbow Dash to be quiet and stay there. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and did as told. She saw how Pinkie ran out of the hiding spot and suddenly let out a loud gasp.
“APPLEJACK! So glad you decided to visit Sugarcube Corner today! Whatcha looking for?” Pinkie Pie said happily. Rainbow Dash sat still behind the counter listening to their conversation.
“Oh uh, howdy Pinkie, ah came ‘ere to deliver these apples, heh, looks like ya have a lot of work today, this place is crowded” Applejack said and started walking toward the kitchen. Pinkie Pie rushed up in front of Applejack.
“WAIT, I’ll take them in for you!” Pinkie Pie said, trying to take the basket of apples away from Applejack.
“Aw shucks, nah ah’ can get ‘em in for ya” Applejack said. “There’s another basket outside, ya can take that one” she kept walking towards the door. Pinkie Pie quickly jumped towards Applejack and tackled her down to the floor, accidentally ending up in the kitchen. The apples flew out of the basket and scattered all over the kitchen floor.
“Pinkie WHAT in tarnati- Rainbow Dash?” Applejack stood up quickly, brushing off some dust and looked at her friend. Rainbow Dash flew up, rolling her eyes at Pinkie Pie.
“Ohh hey Applejack- I was just uh- helping Pinkie Pie sprinkle cupcakes-“ she said awkwardly. That was a terrible excuse, mostly because there were no cupcakes anywhere in the kitchen at the moment.
“No silly! There are no cupca-I MEAN, yes Applejack, she was helping me sprinkle cupcakes” Pinkie said, quickly gathering up all the apples and putting them back in the basket. Applejack raised an eyebrow and looked around, trying to figure out what cupcakes they were talking about. There were, as expected no cupcakes to be seen anywhere. Applejack was always able to tell when somepony was lying but she let it slip this time. She adjusted her hat and looked back at Rainbow Dash. She felt her heart race slightly, but she did her best to keep calm. The two looked at each other for a good moment without saying anything until Applejack cleared her voice in attempt to start a conversation.
“Soo…how has your luck with findin’ a present been?” Applejack asked, having no idea Rainbow Dash was having the exact same problem as her. Rainbow Dash thought for a moment, what was she supposed to say? Lie? That seemed like the fastest way to save herself at the moment, but it felt wrong. Sure, she’s been known for lying and making up excuses a lot of times but this time she just didn’t feel like it but she felt like she had no choice.
“Uhhh- “she started. “It’s going juust fine, not a problem at all, hehe, you know me, I’m pretty awesome at everything so finding a gift for someone isn’t a problem! Nope, not at all” she laughed nervously until she realized this would just make Applejack suspect something wasn’t right. “What about you?” she said, shifting the conversation over so she wouldn’t screw up more. That question led to Applejack’s eyes slightly widening for a split second. How was she going to answer to that?
“Well-“ she started. Suddenly Mrs. Cake rushed into the kitchen with the baby cakes running after her who were giggling cutely. Mrs. Cake was covered in cake batter and sprinkles and it was pretty easy to figure out how that happened since the baby cakes were holding a little bottle with sprinkles in it.
“Pinkie Pie?!” she gasped. “Help me with the twins, will you?” she grabbed a towel and cleaned herself off and then quickly ran back towards the counter where the ponies were waiting to say their order. Pinkie Pie laughed and took the sprinkles away from the baby cakes. Applejack sighed in relief, quietly so no one would notice and thanked Celestia for sending a distraction. She let out a small laugh and started to head towards the door that led out of the kitchen.
“Ah guess I’ll see ya later then, still got a lotta things to get done ‘n all” Applejack trotted out of the kitchen, giving Rainbow Dash a quick look before she left. Rainbow Dash smiled slightly as a reply to her farewell and looked around. She knew Pinkie Pie didn’t have more time to help her since she had to take care of the twins so she knew she had to come up with something else to do.
“I’ll be on my way now Pinkie, thanks for the offer but don’t worry…I’ll figure something out” she said as she went towards the exit. Pinkie Pie nodded and smiled.
“It will be okay, Rainbow! You’ll find something!” she said with a smirk. Rainbow Dash waved bye to her, exiting the bakery and up in the sky. Pinkie Pie thought to herself for a while. Her plan sadly didn’t work, but did Rarity really think it would? It was time for plan B but that was none of her business, that was all up to Rarity.
Applejack slowly walked through the crowd of ponies in Ponyville back to her farm, stopping slightly every time she passed a store to take a look at the things behind the display. Headphones, jewels, hats, jackets but were any of those things something Rainbow Dash would like? None of those things were even close to her awesomess. Yes, she had to admit Rainbow Dash was awesome, but that never stopped Applejack from competing against her. Applejack smiled a little, remembering that silly Iron Pony competition, why did she even give in on something silly as that? But in the end, it was a fun memory to have. She stopped in her tracks as she realized she had reached the farmhouse and headed inside.
Rainbow Dash flew around, close to the ground, still having hope for the perfect present she could give to Applejack. Little did she know that Rarity was spying from one of the bushes she just passed! Rarity knew this was her chance and quickly teleported in front of Rainbow Dash.
“Woah!” Rainbow Dash backed up at the unexpected appearance of Rarity. Rarity knew exactly what to do. But she had to start off slow, she had bring her to her boutique and then expose her secrets.
“Rainbow Dash! You better get over here and come with me this instant!” she said, pushing Rainbow in the direction of her boutique as she giggled.
“What the hay- Rarity, what?!” Rainbow Dash said, confused and flew up. She looked down at Rarity. “What are you doing??” she asked. Rarity rolled her eyes and dragged Rainbow Dash down by her tail.
“That’s it! Ready or not, you’re coming with me!” Rarity knew exactly what to do to bring Applejack and Rainbow Dash together. In fact, by the end of this Hearth’s Warming, there would be a cute, little, new couple.
