"Thank you, again, for coming. I'm glad you were able to attend," Twilight stated as she bid three of her guests a goodnight.
In front of her was Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Sugarbelle. The trio were just leaving after a fun and joyful Hearths Warming Eve party at Twilight's Castle in Ponyville.
"T'wasn't any need sayin' thanks ta us, Princess. We're just glad we could celebrate along side ya'll," Granny Smith responded with chuckle.
"Are you sure the three of you didn't want a room for the night? I know my castle here in Ponyville isn't as grandiose as Canterlot Castle, but it still has a number of available guest rooms, and it is getting rather close to midnight now."
"Ah appreciate the offer and all, but ah wouldn't want ta impose on ya. 'Sides, ah always did feel more comfortable sleepin' in mah own bed the night before Hearths Warmin'."
"And, of course, we don't want to leave Granny Smith by herself on Hearth Warming Eve," Sugarbelle rang in, gesturing with a hoof between Big Mac and herself.
"Eyep," Big Mac voiced in agreement.
"Wouldn't 'ave been a problem if ya both wanted ta stay behind like Bloom and Applejack," Granny Smith remarked, before turning her attention back to Twilight, "We'll be seein' ya next mornin' though. Wouldn't be much of a Hearths Warming Breakfast without mah two grandfillies with us. Take good care o' those two fer me, ya hear."
"Of course, you don't need to worry about anything Granny Smith, and we'll make sure to have a place ready for you three at the table when you arrive," Twilight stated.
The trio then took their leave as Twilight waved at them 'good-bye' before she trotted back and closed the door behind her to preserve what heat was still in the castle.
The castle was relatively quiet now, the opposite of how it was a little over an hour ago when even as the party was nearing its end, there were still ponies talking and laughing within the building's crystalline halls. The party was of course arranged by Pinkie Pie, and usually only saw Twilight's closest of friends and family in attendance, but this year had included a number of ponies around Ponyville.
"Did they leave already?" Twilight heard Applejack ask as the earth pony quietly trotted over to her.
Twilight nodded, "Yes, Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Sugarbelle just left out the door. You might still have some time to catch up and say 'good night' to them if you want, Applejack."
"Nah. The sooner Granny Smith gets home, the sooner ah won't have ta worry about her freezin'," Applejack stated with a sigh, "Still can't believe she wouldn't take ya up on the offer ta stay here."
"It is her choice, Applejack. Unless she's in clear danger by doing so, I know I can't even use any powers as a Princess to command her to stay."
"Yeah...Well, at least Big Mac and Sugar will be keepin' an eye on her. So that's somethin'," Applejack smiled, "Are ya headin' ta bed, Twi?"
"Yeah, it's been an eventful evening, and it'll probably be as eventful tomorrow morning, so I'm going to get some sleep while I can."
"Ah'll probably head to bed mahself soon also. Ah just gotta take care somethin' right quick first," Applejack stated, "Say, ya wouldn't happen ta have seen where Rainbow disappeared off to would ya?"
Twilight shrugged, "If she isn't asleep somewhere in the main room or a guest room, then I can only guess where she had gone off to. The last time I saw her though, Rainbow was in my personal library looking for a Daring Do book to read."
"Thanks, Twi," Applejack turned to leave, but stopped, "Oh, and have a g'night, ah'll see ya'll tomorrow."
Applejack then continued her way to Twilight's library, hoping that Rainbow hadn't decided to just leave the castle. Though it wouldn't have surprised her if Rainbow had decided to just fly off somewhere.
At this point, navigating the halls of the castle had become relatively easy for Applejack, but avoiding the occasional bit of mess or critter that was sleeping in the hallway did make things more difficult. Afterall, she wasn't interested in waking any of them up, or accidentally hurting one if she was careless about where she put her hoof down. She could already imagine the number of times she'd need to apologize to Fluttershy if she accidentally stepped on just one of the critters' tails.
As she arrived at the door to the library, Applejack took a deep breath before gently opening the door and peeking inside. It was actually quite dark in Twilight's library, the only sources of light at this point were a couple candles that hadn't been blown out yet, and the crackling fire in the only fireplace that was present in the room. Looking about the darkened room, Applejack found Rainbow reclined back on a chair, the pegasus was laying on her back, with her head supported by an armrest and her hind legs and tail just hanging over the other.
Trotting a bit closer till she was standing over the pegasus, Applejack noted that Rainbow was still quite awake and the pegasus didn't seem to notice her until she was looking down at her.
"Not at all tired, Dash?" Applejack chuckled, "Figured ya'll would've been tuckered out seein' ya kept humorin' Scootaloo ta fly 'er around durin' the party, and especially considerin' ah didn't let ya sleep the day away at the farm."
"Yeah, yeah," Rainbow responded as she closed the book she was reading, "Remind me to make up for lost time later by sleeping in the hay loft," she jested.
"Ya know ah'm just gonna kick yer lazy flank out if ah find ya snoozin' up there," Applejack remarked in a deadpan tone.
"I'm ready to call it a day. I would've probably napped during the party, but I couldn't let Scoots down, ya know. Besides, not like I was going to ever pass up on the cider you promised to bring for the party," Rainbow then jumped off from the chair and onto the floor, "I guess since you're checking up on me, that means it's late and everyone's gone to sleep now, right?"
"Eyep, just about. Ah'm sure Twi's still up, but she's more than likely just gettin' ready to crawl into bed herself soon."
"How about you? Aren't you going to get some sleep?"
"Ah will. Just...have ta take care o' some things first."
"What? It's late, don't tell me you're going to stay up doing something."
"Now, ah know better than ta stay up on Hearths Warming Eve, especially when mah sister, an' her friends, are involved. Believe me, ya'll are gonna need all the hooves ya can get keepin' those three under control."
"Then what's so important that you can't do it tomorrow?"
"It ain't that big of a deal, Dash. Should only take me a few minutes."
Rainbow raised a brow, but decided to shrug it off, "Whatever, I'm tired. See ya in the morning, Applejack," and with that, Rainbow took to the air and flew out of the room.
Applejack remained still for a brief moment as she scratched the side of her head as she contemplated something before sighing and going around to blow out all the candles. She didn't need to worry about the fireplace, Twilight had put a magic barrier in place to keep embers from flying out and what was left of the firewood would probably burn out in a couple of hours anyway. Her task in the library done, she trotted out to where the Hearths Warming tree was located.
Now standing in front of the tall tree that had been picked out weeks ago, Applejack couldn't help but smile as she recalled how she and the others worked hard to decorate the large pine, and how the upper-third was mainly decorated by Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Scootaloo since they were the only three able to reach that high without magic. Granted Scootaloo did need Rainbow to help lift her up that high. The tree was bigger than Applejack would've picked, which Twilight did agree with her on, but given how the large their group is, there was a good chance that not all their gifts would've fit underneath.
Actually, now that Applejack thought about it, it almost felt like being a little filly again with how big the tree was compared to her, looking up at all the different colored lights and baubles that hung on the tree. Chuckling at the thought, her eyes traveled down to all the gifts below the tree, those still looked normal at least, and recalled what she still needed to do as she started trotting over to her saddlebag.
"Trying to sneak a peak at your gift, Applejack?" She heard Rainbow's voice ask from above her.
The sudden appearance of the pegasus caused Applejack to yelp and jump, which was then followed by Rainbow laughing outloud.
"Rainbow Dash! What in blazes were ya'll doin' sneakin' up on me like that?!" Applejack stated in a hushed tone, "And, for Equestria sake, will ya keep it down. Yer goin' ta wake the others," She added before gesturing to the number of small critters that had chosen to sleep nearby.
Rainbow obliged and stifled her laughter, but it was clear she was still wanting to laugh, "So is this...that thing you couldn't put off till tomorrow morning? Sneaking a guess at what your present is?" She asked as she landed back on the ground, keeping a hoof to her mouth.
"No, ah wasn't sneakin' a peek at what ah got. Ah ain't like somepony who acts like an energetic puppy gettin' a treat, excitedly askin' what ah got while shakin' the box guessin' what's in it." Applejack remarked with a smirk.
"Oh ha ha, very funny, Apple-flank," Rainbow shot back with a glare, "If you weren't planning to sneaking a peak, then what are you doing that's so important?"
"If it's really buggin' ya enough fer ya ta decide to spah on me, Ah'm just finishing up and puttin' the last two gifts ah still have on me undah the tree," Applejack responded as she turned to get her saddlebag.
"That's it? You were just waiting till everypony was asleep to stick a couple extra gifts under the tree?"
"Well, one is meant fer 'Bloom, from ya-know-who, and it wouldn't make much sense that it'd be there before Hearths Warming," Applejack remarked as she pulled a gift out of her saddlebag and placed it under the tree.
"Oh, right. Good point," Rainbow sheepishly chuckled, "Wait, what about Sweetie and Scootaloo?"
"The family have their own gift fer those two, as fer the gift ya-know-who gives 'em, ah'm pretty sure Rare and Sweetie's folks have Sweetie's good and ready, and Scootaloo's aunts has hers."
"Yeah, that makes sense."
"The othah one though..." Applejack then trailed off as she pulled the front of her hat down, a little embarrassed to admit what she was thinking of saying.
Rainbow waited for a few seconds before gesturing with a hoof for Applejack to continue.
Applejack hesitated before sighing, "The othah, ah was wonderin' if ah should give it mahself."
"Oh, hoof-delivering it yourself, huh? A 'special' friend you haven't told us about yet, A-J?" Rainbow teased, raising a brow in interest, "Who?"
Again, Applejack hesitated and blushed fiercely, but pulled the gift out of her saddlebag, gently put it on the floor between them, and pushed it towards Rainbow.
Rainbow stared at the present with a curious expression for a good long while. The gift wasn't actually wrapped per say, but was a box decorated to look wrapped complete with a fake bow on the top, with two pieces of tape holding it on the sides. Rainbow recognized it as the same type of 'gift' box design that Rarity used in her stores for those buying clothes as gifts for loved ones and friends, and needed a quick and easy wrapping option. After looking back at Applejack, who had now pulled her hat down to cover her blushing face, then back at the gift, Rainbow's eyes shot open, her own cheeks turning red with a blush, as she realized who the gift was for.
"Wait, for me?! You were stuck deciding whether you should hoof-deliver the present meant for me?"
"Ah wanted ta get ya somethin' nice this year, somethin' that ah figured ya'll would really like," Applejack explained as she put her hat back onto her head, "Ah guess ah figured since ah'm goin' the extra hoofwork makin' sure ya like it, might as well go jus' a lil' bit further."
Rainbow remained silent, not quite sure what to say, as she picked up the gift and inspected the box, even shaking it a little out of habit.
"As ya can tell, Rares helped me pick out yer gift. Ah asked if she could help, an' o' course she was willin', even helped make adjustments ta fit ya."
Rainbow merely nodded as she looked at the gift, partially contemplating if she should actually open it since it wasn't actually wrapped, and gave a corner a slight tug to see if she could see what was inside.
"An' this here where I think ya'll were callin' the kettle black. Ya accuse me of sneakin' a peak at mah gift, and yer doin' just that." Applejack rolled her eyes as she watched Rainbow, but couldn't help but smile, "Can't wait the few hours till mornin' ta open that thing?"
"Well, you just gave it to me, and it isn't exactly wrapped anyway," Rainbow stated defensively, holding the present close to her chest.
Applejack sighed, "Ah suppose it would make it easier ta hear what ya think without the others talkin' at the same time. Sure, go 'head, Rainbow. At the very least, it saves ya the trouble of gettin' ta say ya don't like it in front of the others if ah was wrong."
Now given permission, Rainbow didn't hesitate to tear the tape off the sides and see what she got from Applejack. Upon seeing what was in the box, her jaw dropped.
"A flight jacket? You gave me a flight jacket?" She asked as she pulled it out to better inspect the object.
"Figured ya might like it, seein' ah don't think ah've seen ya get one from the Wonderbolts yet."
The jacket was much like any other flight jacket she had seen worn by other 'Bolts, a leather, or faux leather, exterior with an off-white feathery down on the interior; but, it was easy to tell it was made of high quality materials, the leather looked to be on par with other leather items from Canterlot, and the feathery down was possibly something sourced from Cloudsdale, which meant it was great for comfort around the base of a wearer's wings. What caught, Rainbow's eye the most though was an addition of her cutie mark and a pair of cyan wings embroidered onto the chest area of the jacket.
"So...uh, whatcha think, partner? Do ya like it?" Applejack asked nervously.
"Well, I, uh...I think its-" Rainbow tried speaking in a calm tone, but stopped when she saw Applejack's ears flatten, "I think its awesome, Applejack. I love it!" She then held it close before deciding to put it on.
Applejack smiled, "Glad ta hear it."
"Wow, this is soft. I guess I should've figured that Rarity wouldn't cut corners with the design," Rainbow remarked before taking to the air and doing a couple of loops, "And, it feels great to wear while flying! Thank you, Applejack! I really do love this gift."
"Just glad ya like it."
"Hold on, can you wait a moment?" Rainbow then dove to an area on the other side of the tree and started digging around the presents.
Applejack gave a curious look as she listened to Rainbow dig around behind the tree, occasionally hearing a brief mutter from the pegasus, before she heard, "Ah-ha!" And Rainbow came back out holding onto a small gift.
"Here, might as well, right?" Rainbow then held the gift out to Applejack.
Applejack chuckled, "Come on now, Dash, ya don't need to hoof-deliver mah gift just cause ah did. 'Sides ah don't mind waiting till mornin' ta open it."
"Yeah, but I sorta...kinda want to see what you think of yours, too," Rainbow admitted in a soft voice.
"What fer?" Applejack asked as accepted the gift.
"I was feeling generous I guess, and felt like giving you as nice a present I could get you this year," Rainbow explained as she fidgeted in place and fluffed her wings.
Applejack then looked down at the small gift in her hoof. It was a small, elongated box that she could tell that Rainbow had tried to wrap herself. Tearing off the wrapping paper, she found a white box with a clear plastic top, and her eyes widened seeing inside was a silver chain and a locket with an elegant design.
"If it isn't something you like, you can blame Twilight and Starlight," Rainbow remarked.
"Twi' and Starlight? What fer?"
"I kinda asked them for suggestions of what they think would make a good gift for you," Rainbow responded nonchalantly, "They shot down my original idea."
"Well, it ain't like I don't like this one. It's a bit more than what ah'd usually get seen wearing, but it's a right pretty gift that ah know ah could use ta cherish memories with in the future. What exactly was yer original gift idea anyway?"
Rainbow remained silent as her wings gave an involuntary, light flutter, before saying, "A...A brooch."
"A brooch? Like, a piece of jewelry?"
"Maybe it was a bad idea. Twi and Starlight actually said the same thing when I told them," Rainbow remarked as she sheepishly scratched the back of her head, "I wanted to give you something I knew you would be able to keep, and I saw this one shop in Canterlot who was selling this brooch with a leaf and apple design on it."
"That couldn't 'ave been a cheap."
"Yeah, it was kinda pricey, but I thought it might look good on you, maybe wearing it on your hat. You know, like for any of those fancy parties we attend at Canterlot since we're friends with four different princesses," Rainbow explained, quickly adding the last part, "I think when I saw it, the price tag was...80 bits?"
"80 bits?!" Applejack nearly shouted, before bringing a hoof to her mouth then checking if she had woken anyone, "Dash, ya don't need ta spend that kind o' bits on me."
"Yeah, I guess thinking about it now, it was kinda crazy on my part, huh?"
Applejack shook her head and chuckled, "Ah appreciate the thought, Rainbow, but ah'm a simple farm mare, ah ain't exactly the type ta be wearin' some fancy, expensive jewelry."
"So does that mean the locket was a bad idea, too?" Rainbow asked in a sad tone as her ears flattened.
"Ah already told ya, ah liked it," Applejack then looked at the locket again, "Why? How much did ya spend on this one?"
Rainbow immediately looked away with a nervous smile before responding with, "Not as much as I would've spent had I gotten the brooch, I'll say that much."
Applejack stared at her with a serious expression, but decided not to question it further, "Ya know what, nevermind. Ah like the locket, Rainbow, and ah'm mighty happy ya gave it ta me." She then smiled and pulled Rainbow into a hug, "Thank ya fer such a thoughtful gift, Rainbow."
Rainbow was caught off guard, but eventually forced a chuckle and wrapped her forelimbs around the other pony to returned the hug, "Hey, glad you like it."
The pair remained in that position for a couple of minutes, before both pulled apart while clearly feigning a cough to cover the obvious awkwardness both felt over having hugged for longer than probably necessary.
"Okay, so, yeah...I guess, we probably should go to bed now," Rainbow stated, "Ya know, so we can wake up in time for Hearths Warming breakfast with the others. Unless, you got some other thing to worry about."
"Nah, ah'll go get some shut eye," Applejack stated, "Ah'll see ya in the mornin', Dash. Happy Hearths Warming."
"Yeah, see ya in the morning, A-J," Rainbow responded automatically as she watched Applejack leave, both giving each other a gentle smile before parting ways.
Rainbow waited a moment before looking around and proceeding to cuddle up to her jacket, enjoying her gift, one last time before she went to bed. She was so happy about her new jacket, but she was more happy her gift to Applejack worked out the way she had hoped. She then took the jacket off and gingerly put it back into the box it was originally wrapped in for safekeeping. Carrying the box with her as she headed to the room she was staying at, she looked forward to tomorrow morning.
Author's Note
Okay, so as stated in the description, this is a Jinglemas gift for Calypso, who requested Applejack and Rainbow in any genre, but was a plus if it had romance.
Not usually the ship I write for, but since I write predominantly romance, this was well up my alley.
Admittedly, I'm hoping that the romance part is still there, since I was inspired to try approaching the topic on a lighter note than my usual. I did go back several times to add details to hopefully bring it out more, but I'm still nervous I might've approached it too lightly.
In any case, I hope you guys liked it, especially Calypso, and enjoyed the read. Have a Happy Holidays everyone!
-Blueninetails
