Rays of late afternoon sunshine reflected off of the white blanket that covered all of Ponyville and the surrounding countryside. Within the town itself, decorations were strung from buildings, with a definite preference for garlands and wreaths making itself known. Lights hung across the streets, connecting businesses and houses alike and creating a festive atmosphere that foretold the coming holiday.
Hearth’s Warming was serious business in Equestria, the tradition legendarily stemming from the moment that all three pony tribes had begun to cooperate and live together in Harmony. More than a mere celebration of togetherness and joy, the holiday also served as a means to stave off the harsher aspects of the winter months.
Trotting along one of the furrows that had been trampled down the center of the streets, Applejack spared a glance at the cart she pulled behind herself. It was empty, testament to a good sales day. Ponies always wanted a pie for after Hearth’s Warming dinner and, as far as Applejack was concerned, that meant more money for the farm. She never minded putting in the extra hours to bake an entire cartload of pastries, especially since an Apple Family pie had become something of a tradition amongst the citizenry of Ponyville. Even some of the other species that had moved into town had begun to take an interest.
As Applejack cantered along, some ponies gave her well wishes and kind words. She returned as many as she was able to, but hours of selling wares in the bitter cold had saddled her with fatigue. Additionally, any enthusiasm she might have normally felt from such a productive day was sapped by the thought of what it was that she was returning home to.
The buildings became more sparse as Applejack continued towards the edge of town. A particularly frigid wind picked up and threatened to give her a chill, which prompted her to tighten her winter coat and try to pick up her pace. There was a scheduled blizzard that was supposed to go from dusk till dawn to drop a fresh layer of white to greet Hearth’s Warming morning, and she didn’t want to get caught in any part of it. The going was slow however, and only becoming slower; the snow further out was less packed, and tugged at her legs as she pushed her way through it. By the time she had reached Sweet Apple Acres, she was essentially creating her own path through drifts which were deep enough to brush against her underside.
Once the barn was in sight, Applejack heaved a sigh of relief. Despite the overcast sky, the dimming light informed her that the sun was beginning to set. Her left shoulder had begun to ache something fierce, the dull throb a reminder of when she’d dislocated the joint a few years prior. Farming was hard work and it had left her with other pains as well, but none were as persistent or irritating as that one.
After unhitching herself from the wagon, Applejack turned back to look at the farm house. In the fading gray light, she couldn’t help but think that it looked completely abandoned, with no lights in the windows and no smoke coming from the chimney. There weren’t even any hoofprints leading in or out of the structure, the wind having erased all evidence of her passing earlier in the day.
Letting out another sigh, Applejack stepped out of the barn and surveyed the farm. She wrinkled her muzzle as something cold landed on it. A few snowflakes had begun to fall, lonely heralds of the blizzard to come. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t bring herself to see the beauty of the snowy vista. The countless apple trees which dotted the land looked dead to her, their leafless branches were gnarled claws which punctuated the lifeless desolation of the empty farmstead.
It didn’t have to be this way.
Big Mac had, of course, asked that she come along with the rest of the family to stay with Sugar Belle’s folks for the holidays. They were getting on in age and couldn’t make the trip to Ponyville anymore, and he figured that it was time to repay them for all the visits they’d made in the past.
Applejack knew she should have gone. Her excuse, that somepony had to stay and watch the farm, was a laughable one. Back when Grannie was still with them, they’d all left to spend Hearth’s Warming with the Pies. Sweet Apple Acres hadn’t spontaneously burned down in their absence then, and it sure as hay wouldn’t have this year.
But when she’d rebuffed him, Big Mac had just looked at her for a few moments before nodding in understanding and letting the matter drop.
They’d all left the day before yesterday, and wouldn’t be back until the new year.
The front door to the house opened on well-oiled hinges and Applejack stepped inside. Closing the door behind herself, she shivered slightly, the heat she’d built up from dragging the cart all the way from town was starting to leave her. She decided to throw down the bar; the last thing she needed would be for the strengthening winds to knock the front door open and fill the house with snow.
It was the work of a few minutes for Applejack to get a fire going in the hearth and to get a lantern lit. She set her jacket and stetson on the coat rack, and ambled over to sit on the couch before the fire, her stomach growling. Normally she’d have gone to the kitchen to make herself something, but she wasn’t in the mood to fill her protesting belly.
The wind outside began to howl, and Applejack could hear as loose snow scraped against the windows. The apple trees could be heard creaking as the gale tested their limits.
Looking down as her guts rumbled again, Applejack frowned. It could remain as empty as the rest of the house, as far as she was concerned. The day, and the way the holiday had gone so far, had worn her out. The fire had fizzled, leaving only hot coals, but she couldn’t muster the energy to get up and try to rekindle the blaze. She closed her eyes and was about to resign herself to a cold night alone on the couch, when something a loud crashing sound startled her.
Having bolted almost entirely upright, she turned her head and stared at the front door, not entirely sure what could have made the sound. It was just a single impact, not at all like knocking. Besides, while the wind was loud, she wasn’t too far from the door; she should have been able to hear hoofsteps crunching in the snow on her porch if somepony had walked up. She was fairly certain that a fallen branch must have been carried by a strong gust and gotten blown up against the house.
Until three distinct knocks echoed throughout the house.
“What in tarnation?” Applejack rolled off of the couch and walked to the front door. She reached out and undid the latch.
“Rainbow?” Applejack asked, blinking a few times in surprise. Sure enough, standing knee-deep in white powder and rubbing a fresh welt on her forehead, was none other than Rainbow Dash.
“Hey A.J.” Rainbow said, still running a hoof over her swollen brow. “When did you start bolting your front door?”
Applejack ushered Rainbow inside and closed the door behind her. “Since the weather team started up the storm of the century out there,” she replied. She shook her head. “All these years, and you still haven’t learned to not just fly into ponies’ front doors?”
“I may have been in a bit of a hurry to get out of the blizzard,” Rainbow said with a chuckle, before knocking the snow from her legs and taking a look at the fireplace. “Gettin kinda low there, A.J. You trying to freeze yourself?” She walked over to the wood pile and tossed two more logs into the hearth. “You know it’s called Hearth’s Warming, not Hearth’s Chilling, right?”
“Rainbow.”
“Yeah?”
“Why are you here?”
Rainbow let out a sigh and sat down on the couch. “I was in Canterlot a couple of days ago… on Wonderbolts business.” She motioned for Applejack to sit next to her. “I ran into Big Mac and the rest of the family at the train station.”
“Oh.” Applejack set herself down on the sofa.
Rainbow looked into the hearth for a moment as the fire sprang back to life. “Applejack, why would you want to spend the holiday alone?”
Applejack stared at the dancing flames as she thought of how to place her feelings into words. She was genuinely surprised that Rainbow didn’t try to prod her into answering faster. Instead, time passed in relative silence, the only sounds coming from the wind outside and the crackle of the fire.
“I was already spending it alone,” Applejack finally said. “And I didn’t want to bring everypony else in the family down.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow said. “Big Mac said as much.”
“I’m surprised that he managed to say anything to you. He didn’t argue with me when I told him I wasn’t going.”
“He’s a stallion of few words,” Rainbow said. “But he makes the ones he does say count.”
“Eeyup,” Applejack replied.
The awkward attempt at levity had fallen flat, if the ensuing silence were any indicator. A few more moments passed without either mare saying a word.
Rainbow’s brow scrunched in apparent concentration. “I totally get you not wanting to be around other ponies if they’re all happy but you’re not.”
Applejack turned away from the fire to face Rainbow. “How could you know what it’s like?” Her tone was one of genuine confusion. “You’re surrounded by ponies who respect and adore you.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow scoffed, “but there’s nopony I’m close to. When I first joined up, I was too busy practicing to just get up to everypony else’s level. Then, when I became head flier, things got even busier. I didn’t have time for a special somepony.
“Besides, everypony wants the Rainbow Dash on the posters, the one who leads the Wonderbolts, the one who makes rainbooms at shows and during the Summer Sun Celebration.” She looked down to the floor and let out a sigh. “All the newbies see me as their boss, not as a friend. And certainly not more than that.” Another sigh escaped her lips. “Everypony who I was friends with on the team has left. I’m the last of the ‘old guard,’ is what the kids are calling it. With everypony else having retired, I was thinking it’s about time I do the same.”
“Retire?!” Applejack jumped up to her hooves. “You’re still in your prime! I know you breaking your wing made you cut back on shows and kept you from doing the rainboom this year, but—”
“I didn’t break my wing, Applejack.”
“What?”
Rainbow spread both of her wings out. They were in pristine condition, no scars or deformations. “I haven’t ever broken either wing. The closest I came to that was way back when I ended up in the hospital for a few days and Twilight got me addicted to Daring Do books.”
“Then how come the Wonderbolts put out the news statement that said you were injured?”
Pursing her lips, Rainbow looked directly into Applejack’s eyes. “I can’t do the rainboom anymore, A.J.”
Applejack could only stare dumbly. “What?”
Rainbow let out a mirthless chuckle. “It started earlier this year. I began having trouble breaking the speed barrier in practice. At first I thought it was just me slacking off, so I upped my training regimen. But that only made the problem worse. That made me figure that I had actually been overworking myself. So I started doing fewer shows.
“It still got harder and harder to do it, but I was always able to just push myself that last little bit. For the last few shows I did, I made everything happen just by pure stubbornness. I figured that I could keep on that way forever. Until one practice, I just bounced off of the sonic wall, just like I used to. I finally went and talked to the team physician.
“Turns out—” the joints in Rainbow’s wings popped as she stretched them to their limits “—I’m just not as young as I used to be. The doc told me it might be a good time to step down, before I hurt or make a fool of myself. Ten months ago, I’d have told him to get bucked. But when he gave me that news—” she folded her wings back to her sides “—I agreed with him.
“I’d been training stand-ins and possible replacements ever since I took charge, but after what the doc said, last month I started full-time grooming Free Fall to take my place.”
Applejack sat back down on the couch. She put a forehoof to her head in an attempt to stop the dizziness that all of her swirling thoughts were causing. One idea in particular was scooped up in the maelstrom of her consciousness, brought to the forefront of her mind just long enough for her to be able to focus on it and cease the mental tempest.
“There aren’t any Wonderbolts shows this time of year,” Applejack said.
“Nope, that’s why it was the best time to leave Free Fall in charge, to see how she handles running things at the slowest time of year before saddling her with the rest—”
“So why were you really in Canterlot, R.D.?”
Red discolored Rainbow’s muzzle. “Eh heh. Guess I should have known better than to lie to the element of honesty and all.”
“Answer the question.”
“Fine.” Rainbow looked down at the floor between where her hind legs dangled from the sofa. “Earlier in the year, I bought my parents a trip to Prance so they could enjoy the holiday someplace fresh. You know Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom are all overseas too. Before she left, Scootaloo said that everyone else in the family was going to go to visit Sugar Belle’s parents, with a short layover in Canterlot.”
Applejack blinked a few times, her mind trying to parse what she was being told.
Rainbow reached out and placed a forehoof on Applejack’s withers. “I may have been trying to feign accidentally running into you at the station so I’d have somepony to spend the holiday with.”
“I was your first choice?”
“Hay yeah!” Rainbow said, throwing her forelegs up in the air like she just didn’t care. “Besides, Twilight’s queening it up in the castle, Fluttershy’s in Chaos Land with Discord—”
“And don’t you forget it,” said a draconequus-shaped log in the fire, before quickly returning to a regular piece of burning wood.
The mares turned back to each other after the slight intrusion, as if nothing had happened.
“—Rarity is doing some crazy Hearth’s Warming cat fashion show—”
“How many is she up to now?”
Rainbow scratched at her mane. “I think… like.. twelve?”
“Remember when Pinkie said ‘Give her time,’ way back when?”
“Yeah, I know, right?” Rainbow shook her head. “And speaking of Pinkie, she’s off with Cheese, something about a sled and reindeer and throwing gifts down chimneys… sounds kinda like a fire hazard.”
“Just like the whole foal’s first flamethrower giveaway,” they both said in unison.
A chuckle was shared between the two.
Applejack gave Rainbow a suspicious squint. “It sure doesn’t sound like I was first on the list.”
“You were,” Rainbow said. “I just had to make sure no one else was gonna show up and cramp my style.” She frowned slightly. “But when I went to the station, you weren’t there.”
“All just to see me?”
“Well, I had to tell somepony about my plans for the future. And, I mean, c’mon Applejack, out of all our friends, you’re the coolest to hang out with!” She paused for a few moments. “Plus… I couldn’t just leave you here once I found out you were all alone.”
“Did you actually have any plans for once you got here?”
Rainbow’s muzzle turned red and she scratched at her mane again. “Hadn’t thought that far ahead.”
Applejack smiled. “You never were one for the long-term planning. How about something to eat then?”
That would be great,” Rainbow said as Applejack got up to go to the kitchen.
Applejack tossed a pair of apple fritters into the oven, and grabbed a basket which contained six bottles of cider from the refrigerator. She walked out to the living room and set the cider down. “Leave some for me.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve cut back.”
“Uh huh.” Applejack highly doubted it, but turned to go back into the kitchen.
It only took a few minutes for the fritters to warm up, filling the house with the smell of delicious sweet pastry. When Applejack stepped out of the kitchen, plates resting on her back, she saw that her suspicions were confirmed. One of the cider bottles was already empty, and Rainbow was working aggressively at a second one.
“Cut back, eh?”
Rainbow pulled the bottle from her mouth. “Sorry, I forgot how good it was. Can’t get anything like this when we’re out on tour.”
Applejack hoofed over Rainbow’s plate and grabbed her own so she could take a seat. As with most delicious food, it took far less time to eat the fritters than it did to make them. Their stomachs full, the two mares stared into the fire and sipped cider.
Rainbow, of course, was taking much larger sips. She set down her third emptied bottle. “Hey, A.J.”
“Yeah?”
“How come you never found a special somepony?”
“Too busy,” Applejack replied. “Working a farm is hard, and I’ve just never had the time. Especially with Applebloom moving out to live with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, and Big Mac spending more time growing his own little Apple Clan.” She finished her first bottle and opened a second.” I always thought I’d have more time. But this year is the first time though—” she took a long draw of cider “—the first time I considered that maybe I’d waited too long, and that that ship had already sailed.”
“That’s a load of horseapples!” Rainbow threw out a forehoof for dramatic effect. “Anypony would be super lucky to have you as their marefriend!”
Applejack felt heat in her cheeks, and could see red creeping across her own muzzle. “You… you mean that?”
Rainbow‘s eyes shook with intensity as they met Applejack’s. “Of course I do! Even though we barely see each other anymore, you’re still the awesomest pony I know! I mean, why else would I fly all the way from Cloudsdale to Canterlot the day before Hearth’s Warming Eve, then spend the whole next day backtracking all the way to Ponyville?”
Both of the mares were silent for a moment.
“Uhhh whoops,” Rainbow stuttered. “Maybe I was supposed to work up to that.”
Applejack pointed at the empty bottles. “Looks like you have been working up to it.”
“Yeah.” Rainbow pursed her lips. “I thought I knew that I was living the dream, y’know? Fortune, fame, excitement…”
“But?”
“I never thought about what I’d do, or who I might spend my time with, after.”
“Again, you never were one for the long-term planning.”
“And you were never one to think about your own needs in the here & now,” Rainbow said. “You decided to spend the holiday by yourself so the rest of the family wouldn’t have to put up with you being all depressed about being alone. You’ve done everything for your family, for the farm, for others. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you’ve gotta think about you too.”
“Well fine then,” Applejack said. She downed the remainder of her cider and dropped it in the basket. Then she lifted her rear hooves up onto the cushions, and laid her head onto Rainbow’s ribs.
“Buh…” Rainbow sputtered, and Applejack could practically hear the blush spreading across the other mare’s muzzle.
“I’m doing this for me then,” Applejack said, snuggling her head into Rainbow’s chest floof. “Just because I was gonna spend Hearth’s Warming alone doesn’t mean I wanted to.”
“I figured,” Rainbow said as she tried to reposition her body so she could get her legs up on the couch as well. She ended up sliding her legs under the other mare, and wound up the large spoon, her back pressed against the sofa cushions and her forelegs wrapped around Applejack.
Applejack hummed in contentment, but then frowned. “Y’know, since you came all unexpected like this, I don’t have a present for ya.”
“Well,” Rainbow said with a chuckle, “I kinda forgot your present back in Cloudsdale.”
Applejack snuggled closer to Rainbow. “It’s alright, I think I got what I wanted.”
Rainbow gently tightened her grip.
“Happy Hearth's Warming, Applejack.”
