The crackling of the fire filled the farmhouse living room with a comfortable warmth. Sunset looked awkwardly around the room from her place on the couch, a sinking feeling in her stomach at the thought that she only got Applejack a gift as Big Mac and Apple Bloom sat patiently beside her. They were both giving their full attention to the jolly old woman rocking back and forth in her rocking chair without a care in the world, Apple Bloom swinging her feet behind her from her position on the floor, and the big, burly farmer leaned back in his recliner.
“Boy I tell ya, Hearth’s Warming today wasn’t nothing like it was back in my day,” Granny Smith said with a reminiscent smile on her face. “Peepaw made my toys right out in the barn and I tell ya, I could fight off a pack of wolves with ‘em without even given’ ‘em a scratch.”
Sunset had to lean back for a moment to let the almost uncomfortable amount of food settle in her stomach. The scent of the holiday feast still lingered in the air and with it the promise of even more tomorrow. Even with it all, Sunset’s smile couldn’t last long.
“I still got them things up in the attic somewhere. They’re probably the only thing holding up the roof now. Now let me tell y’all about the time the neighborhood boys thought they could take one from me.”
Sunset’s gaze drifted out to the window and a heavy sigh left her lips. Her stomach twisted against the bad feelings worming their way up to the surface. She knew she was supposed to feel thankful, that finally getting to experience a real Hearth’s Warming was supposed to fill her with joy. Instead of jubilation, Sunset still had to fight off the latent loneliness of last year and all the years before.
“Y’all alright, sugarcube?” Applejack asked from her position on the couch beside Sunset.
Sunset did her best to blink away her forlorn expression. “Oh, yeah. This is all really great.” She tapped her finger against her jeans for a moment and tried to avoid Applejack’s gaze. “Thanks for inviting me out again,” she said with her best attempt at a smile.
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “You sure? You barely touched your cocoa.”
After a few blinks of confusion, Sunset turned back and reached over for the warm cup to take a quick sip. “Oh! Right, yeah. Just… got lost in everything, you know?”
Applejack pursed her lips. “What’s really goin' on? Something not sittin’ right?”
Sunset took in a deep breath and looked down to her mug. What could she even say? That she feels like a third wheel? That the holidays probably aren’t for her? Thanks for the invitation but I’d rather stay home until it all blows over? Her breath left her lips as a sigh.
“Everything’s great, Applejack. Your family pretty much has the perfect Hearth’s Warming.”
“But?” Applejack leaned in.
Sunset’s mouth hung open for a second. She shook her head and decided to put her fake smile back on. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong or anything. I’m really glad I got to be here. Might just be tired, is all.”
Applejack sat back on the couch, narrowing her eyes before giving a small shrug. “If you say so.”
“And all three of ‘em went back to school the next day with black eyes! And that doll was the smallest one I had too!” Granny Smith said, adding in a quick laugh. The warm smiles on Big Mac and Apple Bloom’s faces give Sunset a twinge of jealousy, but she did her best to smile as well. “Alright now. Best get yourselves to bed or else y’all are gonna miss present openin’ tomorrow. We ain’t waitin’ for nobody!”
Everybody slowly rose from their seats, warm smiles still adorning their faces. Sunset looked over to the gift she left on the counter, a little nervous it might go ignored for the night. She touched Applejack’s shoulder to grab her attention.
“Hey, we’re not doing any gifts tonight? I thought…”
Applejack caught Sunset’s gaze shifting over to the counter. “Nah, sugarcube. Nothing tonight. You can hold onto it until tomorrow morning.’
Sunset’s fingers awkwardly played with her sleeve as she looked away. “Are you sure?”
“O’course! Tomorrow’s a better time for it, you’ll see.”
Sunset shifted awkwardly in place, looking over at the door. “I don’t want to get in your family’s way or anything. It wouldn’t be too much to ask for a ride home, would it?”
Concern quickly spread over Applejack’s face. “Thought the plan was to spend the night? You don’t want to spend Hearth’s Warming all alone in that old apartment, do you?”
Sunset stared at the floor, twiddling her fingers against her sleeves. “Oh, that wouldn’t be so bad. A lot better than what happened last year.” She let out an awkward laugh. Applejack didn’t even crack a smile. “Besides, this is more of a family thing, isn’t it?”
A comforting hand found its way onto Sunset’s shoulder, perking her attention enough to finally look Applejack in the eye. “Sunset, as far as I’m concerned you’re a part a’ this family as much as any of us. Now, I insist on you spending the night and gettin’ the best breakfast of your life tomorrow morning. I ain’t hearing anything to the contrary, ya’ hear?”
Sunset gave her a weak smile. The nervous twisting in her stomach still remained, but at least now there was a little bit of that warmth she wanted. Applejack motioned for her to follow upstairs, and she lethargically obliged, giving one last look at the gift on the counter before they made their way up.
It was the sturdiest multitool she could find. The hours she spent poking around hardware stores and websites looking for something that would last a lifetime flashed through her mind. The crushing feeling of Hearth’s Warming never made her feel at ease, especially after last year, but the thought of the smile’s on her friend’s faces when they opened the perfect gift brought a little light into that darkness. Sunset played with her hair as the worry that the gifts would be lackluster seized her. She shook her head as they made their way to the bedroom, doing her best to reassure herself. Somebody needed to enjoy the holiday at least.
After a “sleeping over” version of a nighttime routine, Sunset pulled back the thick and hardy blanket on her cot set up at the edge of Applejack’s room. The soft moonlight illuminated the comforting space, painting the rich wood in a dull white. Sunset always felt a unique sense of coziness here, even if they hardly ever hung out in it. The pit in her stomach didn’t let her enjoy much of it tonight. She draped the blanket over herself, doing her best to revel in the immediate warmth.
“Alright, sugarcube. Spill the beans. I know something’s wrong,” Applejack said as she rested on the edge of her bed.
Sunset sat up in her cot and looked over at her, then down at the floor. “It’s just… been a really long time since I’ve actually had a good Hearth’s Warming. Besides last year, I’ve spent every single one alone for the past… I don’t even know… The last time I can remember being excited for it was when I was a filly.”
Applejack rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly then looked away. “Yeah… sorry again about that. Y’all seemed like you enjoyed bein’ over last year, didn’t ya?”
A soft smile crossed Sunset’s lips. “Yeah, it was a lot better than the alternative, but it feels like… I don’t know.”
Applejack put on her best reassuring smile. “Somethin’ missin’?”
“Yeah…”
“Well, the way I figure it, it can only get better from here, right? Who knows, give tomorrow a chance and you just might love it.”
Sunset took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m not really sure, AJ. Maybe this Hearth’s Warming stuff isn’t really for me, you know? Might be better to just let it pass by like any other day. At least that way nothing bad could happen for it.”
“Oh, now that’s just plain nonsense. This is the happiest time of the year. If you ask me, I think by the end of tomorrow you’re gonna be counting the days ‘til next year,” Applejack said with a triumphant grin.
Sunset let out a weak chuckle. “I wish I could share your optimism. Every year before I came over here, I was either avoiding the ponies that wanted to try to be friends, or avoiding Celestia because I thought it was all a waste of time. When I came over here I didn’t have anyone who cared enough to want to do anything even if I wanted to.” Sunset pursed her lips and held onto the blanket tightly. The latent feelings of resentment and loneliness washed over her like a flood and she didn’t feel like talking too much anymore.
She looked over and could see the concern growing on Applejack’s face too. “Well, that sure as shootin’ ain’t the case now. You’re welcome here anytime. Heck, if I have to drag you over here to have a good time I will.” They shared an uneasy smile. “Just promise me you’ll give things a chance tomorrow, alright?”
Sunset gave her a weak nod. “Yeah… I can do that at least.”
“Good. Now let’s get some shuteye so we don’t have to hear Granny stomping in here with pots and pans in the morning to make sure we’re up.”
Another weak laugh left Sunset’s lips. “Yeah. Probably a good idea. Night, AJ.”
“Night, Sunset,” she said before rolling over into her own bed.
Sunset snuggled up into the unusually comfortable blanket and turned to look at the wall. With a long, deep breath, she tried to let the bad feelings slide away from her and imagine herself happy tomorrow. The best home-cooked breakfast anyone could ask for, great company, and the look of happiness on her friend's faces as she gave them their gifts danced in her mind, but the latent fear of those faces putting on fake smiles remained.
Her eyes closed tightly and she gripped her blanket harder. Maybe she just wasn’t meant to participate, she thought. Looking for the perfect gift for each of her friends took so long and by the end, she still wasn’t sure if they’d like it. Sunset did her best to fend off the doubts that maybe she wasn’t as close to them as she thought. Two years of disaster in a row might be more than she could handle.
Another few deep breaths and Sunset tried her hardest to reassure herself that they’d be something each of them would treasure. Something that they’d use every day or keep in their lives even if for some reason she wasn’t in them anymore. The thought of it being anything less than that twisted in her stomach. She wondered what else could even really be important about the holiday if that fell through.
Sunset did her best to quiet her mind, despite the futility of it. She knew all she could do now was hope for the best. Maybe Applejack was right and she would start to love it. She pulled the covers tighter over her shoulder and tried to let the tension go, somberly waiting for sleep so the worry could wait.
Sunset shifted in her seat. Anxiety roared in her core as she gripped her still-wrapped gift. The only noise was the low hum of the road under the tires of Applejack’s old pickup, and every second that passed made it even more awkward.
“I didn’t… you know, mess things up, did I?” Sunset asked, finally breaking the silence.
“Nah, of course not. Things went pretty swell if I do say so.”
The untouched box in Sunset’s hand made her feel otherwise. She shifted in her seat again, looking out over Canterlot to see that the sun hadn’t even made it halfway through the sky.
“It’s just. We left kind of quick, didn’t we? I didn’t mean to drag things down or anything,” Sunset said, carefully going over their interactions this morning to try to find what might’ve ruined the mood.
“Sunset, I promise, you didn’t do nothing wrong.” Applejack spared a quick, reassuring glance. Sunset studied her, trying to find any irritation or disappointment in her expression, but couldn’t. She was either really good at hiding or wasn’t lying, Sunset couldn’t figure out which.
Sunset played with the gift in her hands for a moment. “Is it a weird kind of tradition to not open gifts from friends while you’re with family? I mean if that’s the case then—”
Applejack just laughed. “It ain’t any kind of tradition or nothing. Just trust, me, alright?”
The muscles in Sunset’s shoulders tensed. The thought that this Hearth’s Warming was going south nagged at the back of her mind just like the cold seeping in through the truck’s window. The rest of Sunset’s body clenched up in frustration. The one thing she thought she could do to make the holiday better and now it’s going to be an awkward transaction at her doorway? Sunset did her best to contain her frustration, knowing it’d probably be another whole day until her friends were even available to do anything. A heavy breath left her nose and the frustration fell away into disappointment. They probably wouldn’t have been that excited anyway, she thought.
“Hey, sugarcube. No need to look so down, alright?” Applejack said, putting her hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “The day ain’t over yet.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? You’re dropping me off aren’t you?”
“I am.”
“And the rest of the Apple Family is still celebrating back on the farm?”
“They are.” AJ nodded.
“So how’s it not over?” Sunset asked through her bewilderment.
“Like I said, y’all are just gonna have to trust me. Now come on.”
Applejack’s truck slowed to a stop on the curb of Sunset’s apartment, with a resounding clang of the tools hanging out in the bed. The old doors creaked as Sunset stepped out onto the pavement, watching carefully as Applejack made her way up to the building with her own gift in hand.
Sunset followed suit with her own gift huddled in her arms. The wind pierced through her jacket enough to give her a hop in her step to follow her friend inside. The sudden chill stirred the feelings inside her. The disappointment mixed around with the biscuits and gravy, but the confusion at AJ overpowered them all. Sunset fumbled around with her keys while still holding her gift tight, but Applejack just twisted open the knob and walked right in.
Sunset blinked in confusion, specifically going over the memory of locking that when AJ picked her up.
“How did you…” she started as she caught up to her friend. A world of colorful confetti and streamers exploded in her face, almost knocking her to the floor.
“Surprise!” the voices of her friends shouted out in unison. Before she could even react, Pinkie appeared out of nowhere and pounced on her like a lion on the hunt, wrapping her in a massive hug tight enough to break the ribs of lesser men.
“Merry Christmas, Sunset!” Pinkie said as she snuggled their faces together.
Her friends all looked over in unison with some confusion. “What’s Christmas?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Oh, right, wrong universe.” Pinkie giggled at herself. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Sunset! I made your favorite cupcake ever! Triple cherry red velvet!”
Sunset blinked a few times and walked in to survey her apartment, taking in a few incredulous breaths all the while. “Guys… you…”
The brick walls of her sparsely-decorated apartment seemed to be transported to an entirely different world. Wreaths and ornaments adorned the walls, lights illuminated every corner with bright and beautiful colors, and in the middle of it all, before her loft was a massive tree that nearly scraped the ceiling, completely covered in lights and ornaments and fabric to make the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. To top it all off, the tree almost seemed supported by the presents underneath, and Sunset breathed a sigh of relief that the ones she’d gotten her friends found their way under as well.
“How did you…” Sunset stood in shock, spinning around just to take it all in. “I left yesterday morning!”
Rarity gave off a proud chuckle. “You can accomplish quite a bit with a few neighborhood boys and the promise of a hug and some eternal gratitude.”
“Do you like it?” Fluttershy asked with a hopeful smile.
“It’s amazing!” The shock seized Sunset, then joy, then a hint of guilt. “You guys really did all of this for me?”
“Of course,” Twilight chimed in with her own joyous grin. “We couldn’t let you go another year without a proper Hearth’s Warming.”
The tinge of guilt grew as she looked across all her friends. “You guys aren’t, you know, missing out on family stuff for me, are you?”
“You kidding?” Rainbow Dash started. “I would’ve killed for an excuse to get away from the endless picture-taking my parents did last year. We’re doing this every year from now on whether you like it or not.”
Rarity walked over and put a comforting hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Dash the thought, my dear. We’ve had ample time to do our usual festivities and all agreed this was the best use of our time afterward. After all you’ve done for us, I can’t think of anyone in Canterlot who’d deserve this more.”
The guilt in Sunset washed away as she looked into Rarity’s kind eyes. She couldn’t help herself but fall forward and wrap her arms around Rarity’s plush coat. The rest of the girls fell in as well, wrapping themselves around Sunset to give her the coziest kind of warmth. A wide smile spread across her face as her friend’s arms tightened. Sunset snuggled into the group, savoring every second of love her friends had to share. There was only one other thing on her mind that could make this moment even better.
“Do you guys want to see what I got you? I guess you found them already, huh?” Sunset asked, her cheeks starting to hurt from the smile across her face.
Applejack picked her head up. “We’ll get to that part. There’s something else we got for you first.”
“Oh, right!” Twilight said, perking up from her position. “They were supposed to be here by now.”
Sunset shook her head. “You guys don’t have to get me anything. I just—”
Pinkie jumped out of the group like a bottle rocket before landing on her feet outside of it. “There they are!”
Sunset did her best to turn to see the commotion. In the doorway stood the spitting image of Twilight, despite her friend clinging to her side, and beside her stood who she thought was Principal Celestia, in a long, white dress with a matching coat with yellow highlights. She had split away from the group for a moment to walk up to them and wrap Princess Twilight in a hug instead, trying her best to share the warmth of the moment.
Once Sunset pulled away from Twilight, she gave a timid look over to the taller woman. A pit of nervousness formed in her stomach at the thought of her identity. “Um… Principal Celestia?”
Celestia gave her a warm, comforting smile, and in an instant Sunset didn’t have any confusion over who it was. “I’d like to think I rule over a little more than a single school, but a few of the Aristocrats might have other ideas,” she said in that soft, motherly tone Sunset had once known so well.
“I… uh…” Sunset brought her hands together, twiddling with her sleeves as she looked towards the ground. The nervousness gripped her stomach even harder, despite their last meeting going over pretty well.
Her worries were quickly washed away as Celestia put on another warm smile and stepped forward to wrap her in a hug. Sunset melted into the embrace immediately, although the nervousness remained. Her mind buzzed with all the things she thought she needed to say, everything she thought needed making up for. Their last meeting had sat on her conscious as lackluster ever since she left and now? Fear bubbled up in her that she’d leave this holiday with the same feeling.
“It’s so wonderful to see you again, Sunset,” Celestia said in a quiet, loving tone that soothed away some of Sunset’s worries.
The two of them broke apart for a moment, and all Sunset could do was stand there in an attempt to get the words out. Her eyes drifted away, still not entirely sure what to say.
“Oh! I got something for you, Sunset,” Princess Twilight said, pulling a bag off of her shoulder and trading a glance with her teacher. Celestia put her hand up and closed her eyes for a moment, and Twilight nodded in return, pulling out a small gem from her backpack.
Sunset’s stomach seized slightly. “Oh, I’m sorry, if I’d known you were coming I would have—”
Twilight just laughed. “Don’t worry, it’s okay. This is more my little experiment than anything,” she said, pulling a little orange gem out of the bag with tiny metal parts sticking out of it. “A little boost for your geode! I only had the measurements and readings from my last visit, but I’m sure it’ll work. I even added a toggle function!”
In her excitement, Twilight jumped forward, holding the little gem out without warning. It flashed for a quick moment before snapping to Sunset’s geode like a magnet. In an instant Sunset was overwhelmed with an intensity of emotion that almost made her throw up on the spot. She could feel a roaring excitement, unbridled joy, crippling anticipation, an ecstatic sense of pride, and gentle fondness all at once. Her head started spinning and she could feel herself start to fall, triggering the girls to come up behind her. In her dazed state, trying to sort through all the intense emotions, a twinge of sadness and regret.
Sunset held her hand up to her head. Worry and a hint of panic seized her so hard she thought her heart might stop, but it quickly faded once she was stabilized. “W-what just happened?”
Princess Twilight grimaced. “Sorry! It might take some getting used to. I tried to make the gem so that you could feel other people’s emotions if you’re in close enough proximity. It should adjust based on your reactions as it’s tuned to detect stress spikes. Also, if you tap it, it should transition to a dormant state,” she said, reaching over to push it in. All at once all the emotions flowing through her body disappeared and her head stopped spinning.
“The emotional waves detected will generally follow the inverse square law, but should simultaneously de-amplify upon the standard contact that activates the primary functions. In the case of directed absorption I’ve run a multitude of experiments involving—”
Sunset raised her hand to stop her with a quick chuckle through her own dizziness. “I got it, Twi. Just give me a warning next time you want to make any sudden installations.”
“Oh, right, sorry,” the princess said with a sheepish smile.
The magical geode shimmered in Sunset’s hand as she inspected it. “Thank you, though. I’d love to hear all about it later.”
The other Twilight jumped in. “Oh, me too! Did you say something about emotional waves? How do you detect those? How are they generated?”
Celestia looked over to her student with a slightly amused, maybe-you-shouldn’t-have-done-that kind of gaze, to which that sheepish smile grew even larger.
Celestia cleared her throat. “Perhaps we could save the equations for later. I believe there was something said about there being cupcakes?”
Before anyone could blink, Pinkie jumped in between Sunset and Celestia, grabbing her hand so quickly she’d likely be skewered by the Royal Guard if they were actually here. “Yes! I’ve made sixty-four super vanilla sprinkle surprises! And if you don’t like that I’ve got twenty-six quintuple chocolate deckers with marshmallows! And if you don’t like that…”
“Welp, she’s gone,” Applejack said with a chuckle.
The girls helped Sunset back up straight before Rarity started again. “Now that everyone’s here, how about we get started?”
Sunset looked down at her pendant pressing in the gem again to see how it’d feel. She smiled up at everyone, doing her best to savor the much less intense flood of reverie this time. As she followed them over to the tree, she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more.
In a shower of wrapping paper, the girls all exchanged their gifts, radiating the feelings of every last one. Sunset felt all the excitement the girls felt at the thought of trying out their new outfits from Rarity, the awkward amusement at Rainbow’s last-second ideas on what everyone might like, and the reserved acceptance at Applejack’s assortment of tools that each of them probably actually needed but probably didn’t want to have to use. Pinkie’s specialized holiday mini-cakes hit the tastebuds of everyone at all their favorite spots, and Sunset couldn’t help but laugh at Twilight’s various attempts to make everyone’s weakest subjects more fun with various supplies trying to draw in everyone’s interests. Fluttershy spread around the year’s best toys or helpful tools to make everyone feel that much closer to their pets, and Sunset immediately bolted over to Ray’s terrarium to install the new hammock. The girls watched in awe as he climbed into it and did his best monkey impression.
With all the girls crowded around her to witness the lizard show, Sunset could feel the joy emanating from every single one of them. She held her pendant tight, wishing she could make sure this moment never came to an end. Unfortunately, the pit in her stomach reminded her of the worries of last night. Sunset looked over to her former teacher, who gave her that warm, encouraging smile she used to treasure, then took a deep breath and turned around.
“You guys have to see what I got you,” Sunset said, walking back over to the tree and doing her best to hide the nervous anticipation in her voice.
After leaning over and tossing her friends everything that was left, Rainbow Dash tore hers open immediately like a ravenous dog, revealing the specialized shoe box. “Oh, a new pair?” she asked.
Sunset stood up from her spot on the tree. “Not just any new pair. I got those custom-made with the most durable materials they could get. They’re supposed to last a lifetime, but hopefully they’ll last you a few months.” Sunset crossed her arms and leaned back, her confidence slowly returning to her as she felt the ecstatic excitement growing inside her friend.
“Sweet! Buying a new pair every week has been the lamest thing ever,” Rainbow said before immediately plopping down to try them on.
Rarity, in a fit of curiosity, tore hers open as well to reveal a menagerie of different strands of sparkling twine. Worry grew inside Sunset's stomach as her friend put it up to the light. Sunset cleared her throat. “Uh, I did a little research on some exotic stitching techniques. Apparently, some people use the gloss from those to add an extra pop to their designs. I don’t know much about that kind of thing but—”
“They’re perfect!” Rarity exclaimed. “You can’t even get these on this side of the country! Oh, I can see the spectacular additions now!”
Sunset let out a sigh of relief, reveling in the inspiration radiating off of Rarity. Twilight decided to go up next, tearing her gift open. “A pen?” Twilight asked, clicking the back of it. She looked over the body, to find several buttons on it.
Sunset’s hand shot out to offer some assistance. “Not just any pen,” she said, clicking one of the buttons and the buzz of tiny propellors roared to life from her loft. “Check this out.” With a few clicks of the buttons and a wave of the pen, the little drone flew around the room, eventually crashing into Sunset’s wall with a harsh smack, making both the girls wince. “It might take a little getting used to, but it can interface with anything that has the right hardware. Don’t worry, there are some of the input modules in there too.”
There was a twinkle in Twilight’s eyes as her mouth hung open, thinking of all the possibilities. Sunset felt her own wave of relief and satisfaction, knowing that the pile of old parts that her friend made her contraptions out of was about to get sorted through yet again.
Leaving Twilight to her own imagination, Sunset walked over to Fluttershy now instead. “Hey, would you like to open yours?”
Fluttershy smiled. “Sure, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course not. I’d love to see what you think.”
“Okay,” Fluttershy said before timidly pulling off the wrapping paper. “A new backpack?”
“Yeah, look at the bottom,” Sunset said, pointing to the little window looking into the small, padded compartment. “Just big enough to bring Angel with you anywhere you go, and you can still fit books or whatever else you need in the top. Now you never have to go anywhere without him, or if you run into any animals that might need a lift, you’ve got the perfect seat for them.”
A soft, excited smile spread across Fluttershy’s face and she hugged the new bag close. “Oh, Sunset, I love it.”
Sunset returned the smile, doing her best to not let that warm and fuzzy feeling get to her too much. She stood back up and looked over as Pinkie was haphazardly stuffing cupcakes into the mouth of the ruler of an entire nation.
“Pinkie!” Sunset shouted. In an instant Pinkie popped up in front of her, cupcake in hand. Celestia gave a slight sigh of relief and a grateful look over to them.
“Yeah, Sunset? Ready to try your cupcakes?”
Sunset shook her head and then gave Pinkie her gift. “No, I just wanted you to open your present.”
“Oooh!” Like a lightning bolt, Pinkie had the wrapping paper off of her gift and onto the floor before anyone could even blink, then, once the plain cardboard box was in her hands, she only sputtered for a moment like a chainsaw in the middle of a cut before she had that open too. “Oooh! Envelopes! I love envelopes! You can fit all kinds of things inside here, like letters, keys, coins, letters, confetti, stuffed animals, letters, small appliances, trading cards… did I mention letters?”
Sunset couldn’t help but laugh. “No, Pinkie, it’s what’s inside the envelopes.”
“Oh!” In yet another flash, both envelopes got shredded and Pinkie poured over the contents. A sharp gasp filled the room as she got halfway through the first. “You… you… you!”
Sunset nodded. “I talked to the owner of the arcade and he agreed to unban you for life as long as you promise not to discharge the party cannon from inside the popcorn machine again, or in the building, or within 500 feet of the building, as per the new city ordinance.”
“Yay! I can practice skeeball again for the next tournament! Oh! Oh! Let’s go over there right now for a 12-hour session.”
Sunset rolled her eyes playfully. “Why not check out the other one?”
Pinkie flipped over the page, revealing a little card that was covered in colorful confetti and balloons. “A lifetime supply of confetti!?” Pinkie yelled. The rest of the girls looked over and she could feel the momentary terror seize them.
“Oh no…” Rarity said.
“I talked to the owner of the party store too, and since you’re their number one customer and he said you’ve probably spent enough money to buy a small mansion there so far, he’d be willing to meet your confetti supply needs as long as you don’t start shopping at that new party store in Hoofington.”
Pinkie Pie dropped her smile and stood up straight, putting her hand to her forehead in a stern salute. “You can tell Decker that he’s got a deal,” she said, before immediately going back to her usual excited self. Sunset couldn’t help but let that same cheeky smile cross her face. Pinkie’s joy radiated even without her new pendant.
Sunset looked over to Applejack but blinked a few times before she saw her spinning the multitool around in her hand and looking down at the new implement fondly. “Oh, you already opened it.”
“Sure did.”
“So… you like it?”
Applejack grinned. “A’course. Been wantin’ one of these since my old toolbelt about took my pants off right at the top of the barn. They say these last a lifetime, so I don’t think I’m goin’ out into the field without it from now on.”
Sunset smiled, but couldn’t quite read what was radiating from Applejack from here. It almost felt like, pride or satisfaction. “What else… oh.” Sunset playfully shook her head.
“I told you things’d get better if you just gave them a chance,” she said with a proud grin.
“Yeah, I guess they did,” Sunset said as she looked back at the rest of the girls, soaking in some of that happiness as they all smiled and joked with each other. Her own smile faded a bit as she saw some of her gifts temporarily lying still as the girls shared their moment.
“Somethin’ still missing?” Applejack asked as she stood up.
“I…” Sunset looked down and shook her head at herself. “This is probably the happiest I’ve been in years, maybe, but…”
Applejack gave Sunset a quick nudge to avert her gaze. “I think y’all are pretty close to gettin’ it. I know it’s been a while since you’ve felt what that Hearth’s Warming cheer’s all about, but I reckon you’re gonna find what you’re looking for over there,” she said, nodding over to Celestia who was finally getting the last of the icing off of her cheek. She caught Sunset’s gaze and gave her another warm, patient smile, crossing her hands in front of her as she waited.
Sunset pursed her lips and pinched her own sleeve, rolling it in her fingers before looking back to Applejack. “I guess it’s been a long time coming.” Sunset took a long moment to look into Applejack’s eyes, her own anxiety fighting with her before she gave herself a stern nod. Her lip turned up at the edge before wrapping her gruff friend up in a grateful hug. “Thanks, AJ. Seriously.”
“Don’t sweat it, sugarcube. That’s what friends are for. Now get on before I have to drag you over myself.”
Sunset gave her a short nod and then made the long walk over to the table full of food at the edge of the room, and to Celestia. She took a deep breath in and did her best to face her mentor with the same warmth, but couldn’t help but shrink back as the years of mistakes piled on her. Before Sunset could look away, she felt the tinge of sadness and regret from earlier, and looked up to her teacher in confusion, wondering how that was getting through her tender smile.
“O-oh, sorry,” Sunset said as she went to press the gem on her geode.
Celestia held a hand up to stop her. “It’s alright. I’d prefer if you left it, actually.” Her former teacher took in a deep breath and her eyes wandered toward Sunset’s window. Sunset felt a wave of uncertainty and apprehension, and couldn’t tell whether it was coming from her or not. “I was not entirely prepared, the last time we spoke. I’m not sure I am now either,” Celestia said with a somber laugh at herself. “There’s much to be said between us, perhaps more than we’d ever have enough time for, but I’d like to do something to remedy that, if I can.”
Celestia reached over to the bag Twilight had brought over, pulling out an old leatherback tome with metal bindings and the royal insignia on the front.
“Princess, you don’t have to… I… If I’d known I would’ve—”
Celestia held up her hand again, before placing both of them on the old book. She looked down to her former student with such intense fondness and relief Sunset felt like she could cry just from the second-hand exposure. “There’s no greater gift for me than to see you so happy with such close friends of your own. It’s all I’ve ever wanted for you, Sunset. I’m just sorry I wasn’t able to help you to realize the magic of friendship sooner,” she said, handing the book over.
Sunset took the old tome, her mouth hanging open as she desperately tried to find something to say.
Celestia let her hands fall back down to her sides. “I’m ashamed to say I gave Twilight our old enchanted book because I couldn’t bear to look at it any longer. I’ve made a lot of mistakes over the years, but there’s not a failure I regret more than…” Celestia took in a deep breath, looking away for a moment. Sunset stood there in shock, barely being able to register what was happening. The tide of emotions she could feel crashing down on her was more than she felt she could handle, and couldn’t even comprehend how Celestia was keeping her composure so well.
“I know I asked for forgiveness before, Princess, but I truly am sorry. For everything.” Sunset stopped to take in a deep breath and rub her neck. “Man, last time I had a whole chariot ride to rehearse this.”
The Princess gave her a soft, caring smile. “Suffice it to say, we’ve both made mistakes.”
Sunset shook her head. “I was… I was terrible. All I wanted was power. You never should have had to—”
Celestia held out her hand again. “You were young and ambitious. You were smart enough to see the path I had prepared but I failed to guide you towards the real magic it would’ve taken to get there.” Another deep breath and Celestia extended her hand out, ready for Sunset to take. “Perhaps this will help.”
Sunset’s eyes quickly flicked between her teacher’s gaze and her palm. “Are… are you sure?”
Celestia gave her a reassuring smile and a nod. The air was tense as Sunset slowly raised her own palm. She gave her teacher one last questioning glance and once she got her reassurance, she let her palm down to take her grasp.
The world disappeared in a flash as Sunset’s eyes were overwhelmed with light. Blinks of time passed before her eyes until the maelstrom finally focused on the first tangible thing her mind could grasp. The portal. She saw Celestia’s reflection in it, and a harsh wince before she turned away. A deep, painful regret flooded through her. Sunset could never truly see behind the veil of the Princess’ eyes—they were always so stern, so assured. In another flash, she saw a different story: Celestia going through Sunset’s old room, tears streaming down her cheeks. She’d never in all her life seen her teacher cry. In that flash of a memory, she could feel the confusion and doubt as Celestia went over so many moments in her head, desperately searching for the pivotal one she could go back and change.
Hundreds of lonely nights poured remorse through Sunset’s being. Plans being formulated, scenarios played out, anything to try to right the wrong that burned in Celestia’s mind. Dozens of times the reflection of Celestia flashed in that portal, and every time she turned away with such an intense sting of failure in her being. So many nights of being so close to leaving the nation behind just to try one last time to help Sunset see things the way she failed to before. Until finally the shame and anguish became too much to bear. The piercing sadness of staring into that portal finally came to a head and all Celestia could do was painfully have it sent away.
The flashes of emotion didn’t stop though. Sunset clenched her teeth as she felt the pain and regret refuse to fade, even as she saw a younger Twilight through Celestia’s eyes. Desperation and overbearing protectiveness filled her mind now. Sleepless nights and endless consultations trying to make sure things wouldn’t happen the same way again, and then the quiet terror as her student remained for so long in that tower of hers.
Even as Sunset saw herself from Celestia’s gaze, the pain didn’t truly go away. A momentary relief in a hug, but an endless series of uncertainty and regrets pierced the days, ensuring none of them could be truly perfect.
Then, after what felt like an eternity of agony and misery, Sunset finally felt relief. Excitement and joy flooded her system, like that of a mother finally seeing their child after years apart. As she looked through Celestia’s eyes, she could see Twilight before her, talking about an invitation from the other side. A Hearth’s Warming that might finally feel normal again. Sunset felt a relief wash through her like something she hadn’t felt in centuries until finally, the light in her eyes faded, and the sight of Celestia looking down at her with those gentle, caring eyes became her reality again.
Tears streamed down Sunset’s face and stained her sweater, but they weren’t her tears. She blinked away as much as she could, but the remnants of the agony she went through kept them flowing like a river. “Princess… I never…”
Celestia placed her other hand over the top of Sunset’s. “I was never very good at this. Decades of having to keep up appearances and deal with other leaders leaves you with an odd sense of communication.”
Sunset did her best to catch her breath. “I never knew. I should have—”
Celestia gently squeezed her hand. “There’s nothing we can do to change the past, Sunset. All we can do is make the best of what we have now. I hope that this,” she said, reaching down to lift the book up between them. “Will help us with that. Just like our old one, you can write to me any time, and I to you. I imagine we’ve got quite a bit of catching up to do.”
An emotional tension Sunset didn’t even know she had suddenly relaxed, and Sunset couldn’t help but beam from ear to ear. Tears continued down her face, but instead of carrying away sadness, they sprang forth from overwhelming happiness. Sunset let go of her nervous inhibition and wrapped her arms around Celestia, squeezing and never wanting to let go.
Celestia stood there shocked for a moment, but it didn’t take her long to ease in and wrap her arms around Sunset as well, leaning down and snuggling her cheek into the top of her head.
From behind them, Sunset could hear a massive gasp. “Group hug time?” Pinkie asked excitedly.
Sunset could feel Celestia nod. “Group hug time,” she affirmed in a playful tone Sunset hadn’t heard in years.
Yet again her friends piled in, squeezing them both in a circle of affection and erasing any idea of cold in the warmth of the embrace. Sunset snuggled herself in, barely able to contain her own joy and gratefulness as it turned up her lips and streamed down her face. The book in her hands was one of the most important gifts she’d ever gotten, but in that moment she could hardly focus on it. The only thing in the world that truly mattered was in her arms and surrounding her in an embrace, and she finally felt like no matter what, having them was all that mattered.
Sunset closed her eyes and lost herself in the moment. She could feel every single one of her friends and their love for her bouncing around her mind and did her best to put that same feeling out to the world. With one last squeeze in the hug, Sunset thought to herself that maybe Hearth’s Warming wasn’t so bad after all.
