Hanirikah

by Shakespearicles

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, Autumn Blaze, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Kirins, Romance, Applejack, Comedy, Fluttershy
Length: 4803

Jinglemas 2020: Applejack and Fluttershy return to the Kirin village and learn about the holiday tradition of Hanirikah.

A Jinglemas 2020 gift for Fancy Mark

Hearth's Warming Eve is approaching, and the Map calls Applejack and Fluttershy back to the Kirin Village in the Perilous Peaks to resolve another friendship problem. It seems that Autumn Blaze has come to love all things Equestrian, and wants to bring the tradition of Hearth's Warming to the Kirin Village. Autumn's friend, Fern Flare, wants to keep the Kirin tradition of Hanirikah. But what is Hanirikah?

Audio Book

Published 2020-12-27 14:20:02 UTC
Last updated 2020-12-27 14:20:02 UTC

A Crazy Night

Applejack ducked in and out from between the stands in the marketplace, looking from one to the next with increased desperation. "C'mon, c'mon! Something? Anything?" Barely looking where she was going, the orange earth pony nearly collided with Fluttershy.

"Applejack, what's wrong?" Fluttershy asked, seeing her friend in a frenzied tizzy.

"It's Big Mac," Applejack said. "I'm his Hearth's Warming Helper this year. He always knows exactly what to get for me. But he's always impossible to shop for! It's not like he ever says what he wants. It's almost Hearth's Warming Eve, and I still haven't found anything for him!"

"I'm sure he will love whatever you give him," the yellow pegasus assured her. "You could just give him an apple and I'm sure he would love it."

"But he'll just think I'm re-gifting the one he gave me last- oh wait, you were joking." Applejack sighed. Fluttershy snickered. "Well what did you get for your brother this year?" she asked.

"Oh, Zephyr was easy. I got him this copy of Wonderbolts Illustrated with the three-page fold-out spread of Rainbow Dash signed by her." Fluttershy looked around nervously. "I didn't tell her that it's for him." Fluttershy turned to put the magazine back into her saddle bag. That was when she noticed that her cutie mark was glowing. "Oh dear!"

"Looks like the Map is calling you," Applejack said.

Fluttershy looked at Applejack. Her flank was glowing too. "It looks like it's calling you as well," she said.

"Dang it! Why now!?" Applejack griped. "It's almost Hearth's Warming! I ain't got time for this!"

"But Applejack, it means that somepony is having a friendship problem right now! We have to help save the holiday for them!"

"Alright, come on!" Applejack and Fluttershy trotted briskly to Twilight Sparkle's castle.

They arrived at Twilight's castle to find Twilight going full Twilie-nanas rushing around the castle making last minute preparations. "Oh, hey, what are you two doing here?" she asked. "It's not Hearth's Warming day already is it? Spike was I up all night again!? What day is it!"

"Yup, full Twilie-nanas," Spike groaned.

"Actually we're here because of these," Applejack said, as she and Fluttershy pointed to their glowing flanks.

"Oh my gosh oh my gosh!" Twilight gasped, trotting along with them to the Map room. They looked at where their cutie marks were hovering. "Oh, it's sending you two back to Perilous Peaks again?"

"The kirin village!" Fluttershy said.

"And Autumn Blaze!" Applejack said. "Why I haven't seen her in ages!"

"You don't think Rain Shine made them go through the Stream of Silence again do you?" Fluttershy asked nervously. "Or they all turned into Niriks and burned their village down again?"

"I don't think so," Applejack said. "At least, I hope not." She quickly did some fancy mathematics in her head. "Well, whatever it is, hopefully we can get there quickly, solve it, and get back in time for Hearth's Warming."

"Maybe you can find something for Big Mac while we're there," Fluttershy said.

"Just get him an apple," Twilight said.

"Why does everypony keep saying that!?" Applejack asked.

"Well, whatever it is, just make sure it's something good," Twilight said. "Because the one time you mess up, he'll go off and marry somepony, and you won't even find out about the wedding until you get an invitation in the mail, and you might tell him you forgive him, but deep down you never really let something like that go."

"Twi, Mac is already married. To Sugar Belle," Applejack reminded her.

"I knew that," Twilight said. They both looked at Fluttershy.

"Oh don't worry. I got Zephyr the perfect present," Fluttershy said. "We don't have to worry about some mare marrying him this year." They all laughed. Even Spike.

"We should get going as soon as possible," Applejack said to Fluttershy. "I'm gonna run home to grab some things and let them know I'll be out of town. I'll meet you at the train station."

After trotting across town, Fluttershy entered her cottage with haste and was immediately paralyzed with anxiety, drawing a complete blank on what she should pack for the trip.

"Is something troubling you?" Discord asked from the couch, making Fluttershy shriek as she turned around in shock.

"Oh, Discord! I thought you were going to Manehattan for the midnight release of Ogres and Oubliettes fifth edition!" Fluttershy said.

"Yes yes, it is a few hours away by train," Discord said, looking at his bare wrist where a watch would be if he wore one. "But I can get there in a snap." He snapped his fingers and his packed travel bag appeared beside him on the living room floor.

"Oh, well I need to pack a bag, myself," Fluttershy said. "The map called me back to the Perilous Peaks!"

Discord raised an eyebrow. "... With Applejack?" he asked.

"Yes. Like last time," she answered as she looked in her refrigerator for her clothes to pack.

"Seems like a pretty good opportunity if you ask me," he said.

Fluttershy realized that her clothes were not in the refrigerator. Also, his words finally registered. "Wait, opportunity?"

"To finally tell her?"

"Discord-"

"I told you, Fluttershy, I'm not jealous. You are, and always have been, my very dearest friend. But I know that is all we will ever be. And I'm fine with that. But you deserve to have a special somepony."

"Discord, please," Fluttershy sighed. "She doesn't even have any idea how I feel about her."

"Shame on you, Fluttershy!" he scolded. "You do her a disservice with such an assumption! Just because she's better at masking her feelings than you, doesn't mean she doesn't have every bit of your intuition."

"But isn't she dating Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked.

"Is that a fact?" Discord asked.

"Well... I don't know for sure..." she said.

"It wouldn't hurt to ask, would it?"

"Seems rude," she said. "It's not really any of my business, is it?"

"If you're interested in her... isn't it?" he asked.

"..."

Discord snapped his fingers. Fluttershy's packed saddle bags appeared on her haunches. "I packed you an extra scarf and sweater. Dress warm. I hear Perilous Peaks is expecting a cold snap in the coming days."

At Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack quickly packed her own bag. "... So hopefully we can finish our friendship mission and make it back in time for Hearth's Warming," she explained to Big Macintosh and Sugar Belle. "Be sure to let Apple Bloom know when she gets home."

"Um, actually..." Big Mac started to say.

"Apple Bloom is staying with her special somepony for the holiday," Sugar Belle said.

"Wai- what!?" Applejack sputtered. "When were y'all gonna tell me this?" she asked.

"Now-ish." Mac said.

"They have been dating for a while now," Sugar reminded her. "And she is a grown mare."

Applejack grumbled something about traditionalism and sighed as she grabbed the last of her things for her travel bag. "Well if I'm not back in time, tell her I said, 'Happy Hearth's Warming'."

"We will," Sugar assured her.

On the train ride to Perilous peaks, Applejack was still hung up on thinking about what to get her brother for Hearth's Warming. "Look, I just don't get why everypony keeps telling me to just get him an apple," Applejack huffed. "We live and work on an apple orchard! He can get himself as many apples as he wants!"

"It's the thought that counts, isn't it?" Fluttershy asked.

"It is!" Applejack agreed. "And I want to show that I thought about more than just apples."

"Have you talked to Rainbow Dash about it?" Fluttershy asked.

"Not particularly, no..."

"..."

"Why do you ask?" Applejack asked.

"Perspective?" Fluttershy tried. Applejack seemed unconvinced. "I don't know. I just figured she'd be the first pony you'd ask about... anything."

"Well... why do you say that?" Applejack asked.

"Isn't she your... special somepony?" Fluttershy asked. Applejack laughed out loud. "I'm sorry," Fluttershy apologized. "I didn't mean to presume-"

"No, it's ain't that, sugar cube," Applejack said. "I 'spose I can see how you might get that idea 'bout us. But me 'n Dash are... well, we ain't romantic. Not with each other. Don't get me wrong, we love each other. But- not like that."

"Well, what is it like?" Fluttershy asked.

"I 'spose it's more like a... like a bro-mance, with us. If mares can have that," Applejack said. "If that makes sense."

"No, I understand," Fluttershy said. "Discord and I are the same way. We're really close friends, but we're not... romantic partners either."

"..."

"So you don't have a marefriend- er, special somepony, then?" Fluttershy asked.

"No, no special somepony, mare or stallion," Applejack answered. "Not yet, anyway." The train slowed to a stop at Perilous Peaks, prompting Applejack to change the subject. "Alright, we're here. Let's get 'er done and get home double quick!"

With the experience from their prior trip, Applejack and Fluttershy found the hidden passage to the kirin village without any difficulty. The squirrels that had caught Fluttershy's attention before were nowhere to be found this time, likely hibernating for the season. Without the chatter of woodland creatures, their approach to the village was a quiet one. But that changed once they arrived. The kirin village was a bustling din of conversations in the courtyard marketplace.

Standing head and shoulders above the others, Rain Shine saw the approach of the familiar outsiders. "Applejack! Fluttershy! Welcome back!" she greeted enthusiastically.

"Hello again," Applejack replied. "I wish I could say this was just a social call, but the Map sent us back here."

"Do you know if anypony is having a friendship problem?" Fluttershy asked.

Rain Shine rolled her eyes. "You won't have to look far. Come with me." She waved for them to follow her into the main square. They followed her and the crowd of kirin parted for Rain Shine. As the tallest Kirin, she was the de facto leader, much like the pony hierarchy. As they got closer, Applejack recognized a particular voice above the rest of the din.

"Applejack!" Autumn Blaze called out with an enthusiastic wave. The kirin rushed over and hugged her super hard.

"Autumn-" Applejack wheezed, "Personal space! We talked about this."

"Oh, right, sorry!" she apologized. "I'm just super excited to see you again! You too, Fluttershy!"

"Hello. We're here about another friendship problem," Fluttershy said.

"Oh, that would probably be Fern Flare," Autumn said, pointing at the kirin behind her.

"No, it's Autumn that's the problem!" Fern said.

"Yup, I'd say we found it," Applejack muttered to Fluttershy. "Alright you two, what seems to be the problem?"

"It's not really a problem, per se," Autumn said, leading them to her home. "After you two were here last time, I was curious about Equestria, so I did a bit of traveling to learn about all things pony and bring it back to my village!" She opened the door to her house built into a tree. "I got my old place back when I rejoined the village. And my couch was even still here! But that's not the best part. Look!" Autumn showed them around the inside of her home. "I have the whole place decorated for Hearth's Warming!" It was true. She had the whole home trimmed to the nines with Hearth's Warming décor. The front door had a wreath, there was a Hearth's Warming tree, presents, and festive ribbons. Even the halls were decked with boughs of holly.

On a second glance outside, it became obvious that Autumn's was the only home decorated as such.

"Oh, yeah, the other kirin haven't really warmed up to the idea yet," Autumn explained. "They have their own thing. But I just love the tale of Hearth's Warming! The compelling story about the three tribes overcoming their differences and coming together in the magic of friendship!" Autumn held up her copy of A Hearth's Warming Tale. "I've read this book like, a hundred times! I read it for them too, but they don't seem to find it as interesting."

"You said they have their own thing?" Fluttershy asked. "What's that?"

"Oh, they still celebrate Hanirikah," Autumn said.

"Hanirikah? Would you like to tell us about that?" Applejack asked.

"No, I wouldn't," Autumn said. "I'd rather siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!"

♫ La, la-la-la, la-la!
La-la-la, la-la-la!

The Kirin celebrate Hanirikah,
And not Hearth's Warming.
It lasts eight days instead of one.
It's really kinda charming!

Long ago in days of olde,
In the midst of winter cold,
Windigos all filled the skies,
(Or so that's what we're told.)

My happy village huddled close,
Around a tiny fire.
But the flames went out.
They were about,
To all quickly expire!

One kirin that had enough,
Of hiding in their shame.
Uncaged, enraged, they were aflame!
Salvation quickly came!

They all made it through the night,
But one was not enough.
The storm went on for one week more.
Those eight days and nights were rough.

No Nirik had ever burned for more,
Than one day at a time.
But on she went,
Though her rage was spent.
That's why we sing this rhyme!

But Windigos stayed in the sky,
Until the three tribes came,
Together in the magic of friendship!
No, we can't forget the Nirik,
That saved her village from the cold.
But it's the story part that maybe we could skip. ♫

"Really, I was just trying to tell them that the real heroes were the ponies that banished the Windigos," Autumn said.

"Well I know how important tradition can be," Applejack said. "So I can't really blame them for wanting to keep theirs."

"Maybe we should learn more about how Hanirikah is celebrated," Fluttershy suggested.

Autumn shrugged. "If you want. I'm sure my neighbor, Fern Flare would be happy to teach you." They stepped back outside. There were already snow flurries starting to fall as they walked over to Fern's home. Autumn knocked on her door.

"Hello again, Fern," Autumn greeted.

"Hello, Autumn. What can I do for you?"

"My pony friends wanted to learn about Hanirikah. And I told them you were the kirin to ask."

"Oh really?" Fern grinned.

"Oh don't look so smug! They're just curious. It's not like they're planning on converting!"

"Come on inside," Fern said. "I was just about to make dinner. I'll put out some extra plates."

Autumn gasped. "Oh my gosh, yes, you guys must be hungry from your trip!"

"I don't want to be a bother, I'm fine," Fluttershy said. Her stomach audibly objected.

"I insist!" Fern said, waving them in. "I hope you like hay burgers."

"Love 'em!" Applejack said as they all sat down.

Fern worked in the kitchen for a short while and then came into the dining room with a couple serving plates. Applejack looked at the hay burger on her plate. It was just a plain patty between two thin slabs of hard bread.

"Looks like your bread forgot to rise," Applejack said. "Can I get a slice of cheese for mine?"

"What!?" Fern gasped. "You can't have cheese together with your hay burger!"

"Uh... why not?" Applejack asked.

"Because it's against the rules!" Fern said.

"O...kay. But why though?" Applejack asked.

"Because- well because... um, actually the scriptures were never really clear about the why," Fern admitted.

"Scriptures?" Fluttershy asked.

"The Hanirikah scrolls," Autumn said. "Unfortunately, they were lost along with the library in the big village fire when we all went Nirik that one time." Autumn walked into the kitchen to get the cheese. "Come on Fern, the Great Kirin created the universe. Do you really think she's going to draw the line in the deli aisle? What kind of goddess would send us to Tartarus for wanting a burger to have a little flavor?"

"It's okay, Autumn. I don't want to be rude," Applejack said, waving her off. "I can respect the rules. I was just curious is all. Besides, we're guests here."

"Suit yourself," Autumn said, slapping a slice of cheese on her own hay burger, earning a glare from Fern.

"So is Hanirikah celebration like Hearth's Warming?" Fluttershy asked.

Fern answered, "Well, according to Autumn, Hanirikah is a lot like Heath's Warming. Takes place at the same time, around the winter solstice. And there's gift exchange..."

Autumn interrupted, "Yeah, but instead of one good present, you get eight mediocre presents. Ooh like this one!" Autumn grabbed a four-sided top from Fern's shelf and spun it on the table.

"Not while we're eating!" Fern said.

They finished their supper and Applejack helped clear the table. When she and Fern came back from the kitchen, the table was littered with gold coins. "What in tarnation?"

"Apparently we're gambling?" Fluttershy said.

"We're gambling for dessert!" Autumn cheered. "Come on, grab a seat! You too, Fern!" Fern rolled her eyes. "Don't be like that, you love this game! It's like the one cool thing about Hanirikah!"

"There are plenty of 'cool things' about Hanirikah," Fern said. Her stern expression broke into a grin as she took a seat at the table. "But you're right. I do love this game."

"I don't know how I feel about gambling though," Applejack said.

"Don't worry, they're not real bits," Autumn said, unwrapping one of the 'coins' to reveal the chocolate inside. "It's just for fun."

Fern Flare explained the rules, showing them the symbols on each side of the top. "You start out putting in the ante, then you spin. And you either get All, Nothing, Half, or Put In more."

They played a few rounds. The piles of chocolate coins moved around the table, but Fluttershy seemed to be the one accumulating the most. Autumn might have been winning more, but she was eating into her profits. Literally.

"So... what's the purpose of this?" Applejack asked.

"It's to teach foals about gambling!" Autumn said.

"I really don't think that was the intention," Fern said. "I think it's supposed to be a lesson about the unpredictable nature of life and fortune, or something like that. But mostly it's just something to do for eight nights."

"We don't really have eight nights," Applejack said. "We have a holiday of our own we need to get back to. Look I think the two of you are mature enough to still be friends. Autumn wants to explore new cultures, and Fern, you want to keep your traditions alive. Surely you can respect each other's differences and still be friends."

Autumn Blaze and Fern looked each other in the eye before turning their heads away in unison. Then, after a brief pause, Fern let out a sigh and turned towards Autumn Blaze with a hoof outstretched. "Yeah," she said, offering a smile, which Autumn Blaze quickly returned, shaking her hoof in agreement.

The flanks on Applejack and Fluttershy glowed, signaling a job completed. "Whew-we! Done and done!" Applejack said. "I think this one was in record time, too!"

"Aww, are you guys leaving already?" Autumn whined.

"Unfortunately," Fluttershy said. "She's right, we need to get back to Ponyville before-" She opened the door and was greeted with an arctic blast. Snow was already piled up around the base of the doorway and the wind howled as more snow filled the air to the point that they couldn't even see the homes across the courtyard.

"Guacamole!" Applejack shouted as Fluttershy shut the door again.

"There's no way we'll be able to get back through the mountain pass in this!" Fluttershy said.

"Looks like we're stuck here for the night," Applejack said. She looked as Fern Flare. "I hate to impose..."

Fern shook her head and shrugged. "I wouldn't even have any place to put you. My bed is tiny, and I don't want to make you sleep on the floor."

"You can crash at my place," Autumn said. "My bed is big enough for the both of you and like I said, I still have my old couch!"

"Well alright then," Applejack said. "We just gotta trudge through the snow to get next door. You think you're up for it, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy nodded as she dug through her bag. "Mhmm. I'm just glad I packed my extra scarf and sweater."

Autumn opened the door and led the way, stepping into the high snow drifts and pressing forward as her friends followed. The simple trip of going back next door to her home was arduous in the snow that was already up to their hips. Autumn and Applejack frantically dug with their hooves at the snow in front of her door, clearing away just enough to get it open. The three of them tumbled through, landing in a sprawled pile on her carpet, tired, cold, and wet. Autumn closed the door quickly.

"Alright, if you two want to dry off and settle in on the couch, I can get some hot cocoa going," Autumn said. Applejack shook the wet snow out of her fur coat and Fluttershy brushed herself clean of snow with her wings. Applejack sat on the couch by the fireplace, and Fluttershy sat next to her, keeping her wings spread to dry. Her wing accidentally draped over Applejack's shoulder.

"Oh, excuse me," Fluttershy apologized. She moved to pull her wing away.

Applejack put her hoof on her wing to keep it where it was. "No, no. It's okay. It's nice. Warm." Applejack leaned closer against Fluttershy.

Autumn Blaze returned with a couple mugs of hot cocoa held in her magic. "Here you both go. Be careful, they're hot."

Fluttershy held her mug up to her mouth to take a careful sip. Even careful as she was, she still got whipped cream on her nose. Autumn giggled as Fluttershy's eyes crossed, blushing as she looked at the white blob on her snout. Applejack leaned over and gave her nose a chaste lick. Fluttershy blushed a little harder.

Autumn turned and opened the chest beside the fireplace, peering inside, and then looking distraught back at the other two ponies. "Oh no, you guys are gonna hate me! I don't have any firewood!"

"What do you mean?" Applejack asked.

"I meant to get some at the market today, but then you two showed up and I got all distracted- oh this is bad!" Autumn whined "Grr! I always do this, I always screw something up! This is so infuriating!" Tiny flames briefly appeared at the corners of Autumn's eyes before vanishing again.

Fluttershy looked at the reading material on the coffee table. "Are those Power Ponies comics?" she asked.

"Oh these?" Autumn asked. "Yeah! Ever since I met you guys I've been into all things pony. It's part of the reason why I wanted to bring Hearth's Warming back to the village. Obviously you can see how well that's not going."

"Well, you could just burn these," Fluttershy said of the comics.

Autumn scoffed, "What!? Are you crazy!?"

"Well sure," Fluttershy said. "These are the old comics anyway. The new series is way better."

Autumns eyebrows caught on fire. "You don't mean Power Ponies Go do you!?" she snarled.

"No. I mean Power Pony Life," Fluttershy said.

Autumn shrieked. "REEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Applejack whispered, "Fluttershy, are you trying to make her mad?"

"Yes." Fluttershy continued. "The best part was when they gave the Masked Matter-Horn wings."

"You can't just give somepony wings!" Autumn's whole body erupted into flames as she transformed into an angry nirik.

"Whoa nelly!" Applejack shielded her eyes. She could feel the radiating heat coming off the nirik's flames.

"Take it back!" Autumn screeched.

"Okay," Fluttershy said. "Thank you for the warmth."

Autumn looked at her flaming self. "I understand what you were doing, now." She calmed down and the flames went out. The cold draft coming off the window glass returned to chill the room a moment later. Applejack huddled a little closer to Fluttershy.

"Keep thinking angry thoughts," Fluttershy suggested.

"I don't want to go out of my way to get mad about something," Autumn said. "That's not something that a well-adjusted kirin does."

Fluttershy nodded. "What about in the second movie, when they changed Filli-Second's voice?"

Autumn burst into flames again and yelled, "You can't just change a character's voice!" she screamed. "That was her voice! That was how we all thought she sounded! And they changed it!"

♫ Oh the weather was so unpleasant,
But the nirik was incandescent.
With Fluttershy fueling hate,
Instigate, instigate, instigate. ♫

Autumn, still a burning nirik, laid curled up on the stone hearth in front of the fireplace, stewing in anger over all the things she didn't like about what had happened to her comic series. Being angry was exhausting, but it served to keep her friends warm all through the cold night.

In the small hours of the morning, Applejack woke up to Fluttershy shivering against her. Autumn was back to being a cold kirin on a colder stone slab.

"Autumn," Applejack said. "Autumn!"

Autumn Blaze blinked open her tired eyes and looked at her. "What?"

"Humdrum and Radiance are the one true pairing," Applejack said.

Autumn grit her teeth and reignited, seething for a couple hours more over Applejack's apparent lack of shipping taste.

The mere mention of the seventh Power Pony's name was enough to have Autumn ablaze until dawn and the storm had passed.

The sun came out and melted away enough snow for Applejack and Fluttershy to be able to get back to the train station. They worked together to help carry Autumn to her bed. After being awake all night as a nirik, the kirin had earned a nice long nap through the next day.

"Just like the story of Hanirikah," Fluttershy said.

"Heh, yeah," Applejack agreed as they tucked their exhausted friend into her bed. "I can't imagine anyone doing that for eight nights though."

"I guess that's why they're still talking about it a thousand years later," Fluttershy said. "It was a nirikal."

The tip of Autumn's horn burned for a moment and then went out as she groaned, "That pun was awful." And then she promptly fell asleep.

On the train ride back to Ponyville, Applejack laid asleep, slumped against Fluttershy, wrapped in her wing. Fluttershy leaned against the window and watched the landscape go by. She opened her bag for something, and a tiny Discord appeared inside.

"Did you enjoy that little cold snap?" he whispered with a sly grin.

"That was you?" Fluttershy asked, quietly, but sternly. "We could have froze to death!"

Discord looked at Applejack sleeping curled up inside Fluttershy's wing. "It looks like everything worked out," he said. "I imagine I'll be extending my trip for another day or so." He winked at her and vanished as a pair of hot cocoa mugs appeared in Fluttershy's hooves.

"Smells good," Applejack mumbled as she blinked awake a moment later. She sat upright and Fluttershy gave her one. Applejack took a sip. This time it was her turn to get whipped cream on her nose. Fluttershy returned the favor of giving it a quick lick.

"Are you going to go back to Sweet Apple Acres once we get back to Ponyville?" Fluttershy asked.

"Suppose so," Applejack said, sipping her drink without wearing any more of it. "Why?"

"Discord is still at his O&O convention," Fluttershy said.

"Didn't you get him a ticket for that for Hearth's Warming?" Applejack asked.

"Yeah."

"Oh, shoot! I still didn't get anything for Mac!"

Fluttershy dug around in her travel bag. All she could find was an apple that she hadn't eaten. "You could always give him an apple," she said. "He does love apples."

"I suppose it'll have to do," Applejack said in resignation, accepting the apple as her gift to him. "Do you mind coming with me? I can't bear the thought of giving him this by myself."

"Sure. The farm is on my way home from the train station anyway."

~

Applejack took off her hat and hung her head in shame as she walked into her farmhouse. "Well Mac, I know it ain't much, but, happy Hearth's Warming." She placed the apple on the kitchen table.

Sugar Belle smiled. "Oh Applejack, it's the thought that counts," she said cheerfully. In fact, Sugar looked like she was practically glowing. "I think just having the place to ourselves for a night was gift enough."

"Eeyup!" Big Macintosh sat at the kitchen table with a big, goofy grin plastered on his face.

Applejack looked back and forth between them, and then looked behind her through the doorway at Fluttershy standing out there in the front yard, nervously shuffling her hooves.

She had mentioned that Discord wouldn't be at the cottage.

It was an invitation.

Applejack blushed and looked back at the newlyweds, "Well, how about another night to yourselves then?"