Lately, Applejack had been feeling down. Winter often did that to her. Some days were worse than others. Today was one of the better days, but it wasn’t even close to being called ‘decent’ in Applejack’s view. The air was frigid and smelled like wet trees. Wet trees weren’t the worst smell, but it just felt wrong to her in the cold.
Applejack had a mug of cider in her hooves. It was warm a few hours ago, but she had been outside so long that it had gone cold. She looked out at the snowy orchard, sighing as the wind picked up and blew loose snow onto her lap.
The snowing had stopped, but the clouds still hung heavy in the night sky. Applejack watched the clouds shift and reshape as the wind pushed them around. She looked into the bottom of her mug. There were still a few swallows of cider left, but with how cold it was it didn’t feel worth the effort of moving the mug to her mouth to finish it off. Applejack set the mug down by her side and sighed. How many times she’d done that since midnight, she didn’t know. All she knew right now was that it was freezing outside.
The clouds shifted more. As they did something else shifted too, inside Applejack. A patch of starry sky shone from where the clouds parted. It looked almost like ice, floating in a glass of a delicious drink. Not any drink she recognised, but something smooth and cool. Not cold, but not too warm, either. Just enough to comfort her in the snow.
At that moment, all Applejack wanted was a drink. Something alcoholic to take some of the sadness off her shoulders. Something to help her feel better. To give her a warmth she could use throughout the rest of the week, to be able to bear the winter months better. A warmth she could share.
Applejack slowly took to her hooves. She went inside for a moment to get into something warm, then set out to find Rainbow Dash’s home. If anyone had the drink she needed, it was her. And if any other pony were up at this Luna-forsaken time of night, it would be her.
Applejack called up to the giant cloud monstrosity. Rainbow almost instantly hopped down to greet her. Applejack was surprised. “Why are you outside so late? Awake, sure, but out here in the cold?”
Rainbow shrugged. “I was kinda feeling depressed, so I figured stargazing would be a good way to kill some time while waiting to be tired. Thing is, even from up there I can’t see much due to the clouds. I’d buck them, but I was told to just let them dissipate. Dunno why, but I don’t wanna lose my job, so… yeah, I guess.”
“Over by the orchard, the clouds are clearin’ up some. Wanna grab a couple drinks and head on over?” Applejack smiled slightly as Rainbow contemplated the offer. “Well, sure,” she said. “What kind of drinks? Hot cocoa, or spiced cider, or were you thinking of something in particular that you think I might have?”
Applejack hummed a bit before saying, “I don’t have nothin’ specific in mind, just somethin’ with alcohol in it. Been feeling down lately mahself, so if you have anything, that’d be nice.” Rainbow dashed off without bothering to answer, but came back carrying a bag with a few bottles of scotch and some glasses. She nodded in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres, and the pair set off for the orchard.
Neither spoke the rest of the night. They were silent, yet felt like they were having the deepest conversation of their lives. Everything was said using looks and gestures. They sat on a hill on the far west side of the orchard, facing east to get a good look at the rest of the apple trees across the snowy landscape. They sat there, drinking, being in one another’s company, silent, just feeling. It was one of the few highlights in Applejack’s life that happened during winter. They sat there until the sun rose. Neither cared that they’d been out all night. All that mattered, then, was that they were there together, having a good time.
The sunrise that morning was breathtaking. The clouds left over from the night before made the sky look like an oil painting, blended together perfectly. Beams of sunlight shone through them, casting a golden glow across the snow that coated all of Ponyville. The orchard looked like heaven. It was no wonder the weather team wasn’t supposed to clear the clouds. This was perfect.
The two ponies were asleep by the time the sun hit its peak around noon. Applebloom found them beneath the trees on the hill, sleeping peacefully, empty bottles and glasses in their hooves. She had Big MacIntosh bring them in.
That night had been the first of many that Applejack and Rainbow had together. It was the only one, however, that they had been alone. And every time they had one of these nights, it was the same. Up at midnight, having drinks, no talking, and just feeling like the happiest ponies alive.
Author's Note
If you have suggestions on any ponies to feature in this story feel free to tell me!
Applebloom (Magic Apple Juice)
Applebloom trudged down the road to Sweet Apple Acres. Her head was low and her tail was tucked between her legs. She was whimpering and had a little pout on her lips. Everything about her looked sad.
At school this morning, Diamond Tiara had made fun of Applebloom and her friends again. Then at recess, she tripped Applebloom, making her lunch fly everywhere. Diamond didn’t let up bullying them until they all had to go home. Applebloom felt so bad that they all had to endure her endless bullying today. Normally Diamond Tiara didn’t bother them constantly, but today Silver hadn’t shown up, so she had nothing else to do.
Applebloom sighed as she opened the door to the barn and flopped down into a haystack. Normally she would go up to her room to sulk, but today she didn’t want to alert Applejack of her coming home, so she stayed in the barn for a while instead.
Mondays were the worst. Especially during winter, when it was cold outside. And especially today. Applebloom was certain that absolutely nothing could cure her bad mood.
Applebloom picked up a few pieces of hay and started weaving them together. She let her mind drift to yesterday, at noon. The way Applejack and Rainbow Dash were snuggled up like that was definitely the most adorable thing Applebloom had seen Rainbow do before. If word got out about that, Rainbow would be so embarrassed. But surely, if she told Scootaloo, she could be trusted to keep it a secret?
Applebloom decided to tell Scootaloo about it. She knew if she told Sweetie Belle, she would blab to Rarity, who would probably tell everypony in town that Rainbow was some kind of big softie, and Rainbow would be mad. But Scootaloo knew better than that, right?
Applebloom trotted to the CMC clubhouse and waited inside, hoping Scootaloo would come around sometime. After waiting for nearly an hour, she figured Applejack might worry, so she gave up and left. As she walked back in the direction she came from, Applebloom smelled pie and quickened her pace. She smelled two kinds of pie: apple pie and veggie pot pie. She wasn’t as fond of the latter, but Applebloom could endure it if only to have some of Granny Smith’s famous apple pie.
Almost immediately after Applebloom walked in the door, Applejack stuck a fork into her mouth. “What do ya think, sugarcube? It’s mah new recipe for veggie pot pie. Made it so you could have a better time eatin’ it. Ah know how much ya didn’t like it, so hopefully, you like this better?”
Applebloom nodded a bit, her mouth still full of pie. She sat down at the dinner table, then remembered she should wash her hooves. She pretended not to remember, though, so she wouldn’t have to get up unless Applejack told her to. Applejack didn’t seem to remember either, which made Applebloom feel triumphant.
Applejack placed the pot pie on the table and they quickly finished it off. The apple pie followed, and it only took a few minutes for them all to go off and do their own things. Applebloom was the only one left and that feeling of hopelessness returned.
Applebloom slowly climbed the staircase to her room. She flopped onto the bed. Applebloom laid on her back, looking at the ceiling. At one point, Applebloom had glued lights to the ceiling, but they had long since been broken or removed. Now all that was left were three burnt-out, cracked bulbs and a thick layer of glue.
Applebloom closed her eyes and squeezed them tight. She felt tears form at the corners of her eyes. She was sick of the teasing, and nothing today could fix it. Or her dumb blank flank. Nothing could bring back her good mood. Or her parents…
She hit her head against the wall. No, she thought. I’m not an orphan… I’m not...
She cried for a few minutes before deciding to bring it outside so nopony else would hear. She quietly went down the stairs and out onto the porch. Applebloom shut the door and turned forward only to hit something soft and kind of cold. She looked up to see the blurry face of her big sister.
“Whuh…” Applebloom thought Applejack was out harvesting apples. What was she doing? “What are ya doin’ Applejack? Ain’t ya s’posta be workin’ or sumthin’?”
Applejack shook her head. She gave no verbal reply. She simply turned her head and gestured in the direction of the orchard. Applejack stood up and looked at Applebloom expectantly. She then walked off into the orchard. Applebloom took this as an indication to follow.
They trotted through the fallen leaves and shoveled snow. Neither said a word and for Applejack, that was really saying something. She seemed a bit melancholy but very peaceful. She also seemed to be going somewhere specific as she led Applebloom through the trees. Applejack stopped under a tree on a hill. Applebloom thought This is it? before seeing Rainbow under the tree as well.
There were bottles of cider and empty mugs, none used. She patted next to her and AJ sat down. She looked at Applebloom, and Applebloom sat down as well. She popped open a bottle and poured the frothy liquid into a mug. Applebloom sipped it and scrunched up her nose. “The hay’s this?”
AJ smiled gently. Applebloom saw the look on her face. She saw how the moon cast soft shadows across her features. How her eyes glittered as she spoke. How her breath seemed to slow after one sip. Applebloom felt the earth, felt their breath synchronize. She felt their heartbeats at the same time. Felt them slow, but hard. Not just the ponies. The trees, the grass, the plants. Felt the whole acres breathing, beating as one. And Applejack’s next words felt deeper than she ever thought they could.
“My magic apple juice.”
They were all quiet. Rainbow raised her mug. The others followed. They all downed the magic drink and refilled. The rest of their night was just drinking and refilling their mugs, without speaking a word.
Applebloom wished this night would last forever, that she could stay here with them until the day she died. The feeling she felt was more than she could have ever imagined a pony could experience in a million lifetimes.
The drink, though it tasted bitter, had a flavour Applebloom found herself liking more than she thought she could. It burned on the way down - which was not altogether the most unique experience, considering she’d had sodas before - but it felt surprisingly different, almost comforting. Like it gave her the warmth she needed to stay out all night.
By the end of the night, Rainbow opened every bottle and it had been emptied into the mugs and drank by everypony holding one out to her. After they were all finished off, the trio still felt the effects of the drink in their bodies.
Applebloom could feel the earth underneath her more with every mugful, and in the end, she could feel every squirrel in every tree scurrying around, feel their breath and heartbeat almost like it was her own. She felt, for the first time, that she was truly part of something bigger than the world, or the galaxy, bigger than space as a whole could hold in one place.
Applebloom could see the stars clearly from the hill, and her heart felt full of them.
