The Hearth's Warming Deal

Twilight, Justin, and Starlight are all decorating the main room for the castle, while Spike and Fudge were outside playing in the snow. The alicorn and human are working like a well-oiled machine to an uncanny degree with the occasional stare from the unicorn. Starlight more or less watches out of wonder at their Bond, watching the two work around, under, and over one another like it was second nature to them. They seem to move in opposite directions now as noises of excitement can be heard outside the window. Starlight soon goes back to decorating, letting the two work in tandem to one another.

Twi?

Yes?

You know quite a library of tricks. Do you think you could make it look like it snowing from the ceiling?

I think I can manage that.

Thanks, love.

After about an hour the room is all decorated and everyone is sitting down for some lunch. Happily chatting amongst one another for one topic or another. Spike and Fudge are discussing what they want to do after lunch, a smirk crossing the couple's faces that they hide behind cups. The next tradition is a favorite for the man that shares the same sentiment with his daughter. Once they put their cups down, he clears his throat.

"So! Now that the decorations are up, how does anyone feel about getting a tree?" He sees his filly's face light up at the mention for getting a tree.

"Can we get Aunt Applejack's help too?!" Fudge pipes up.

"Of course." Twilight wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to catch up with one of friends.

A group of four are wandering among a forest of evergreens with Fudge running forward, leaving the most of the adults behind. Justin sort of zoned out while Twilight and AJ talk amongst each other. His eyes are keeping a keen track on the unicorn filly while his gears get working in his brain. He's getting an idea that a certain fashionista may be able to help him with. A gloved hand lightly punches his arm and pulls him back to the present before applejack's voice reaches his ears.

"Any other reason ya pullin' me out here 'sides the kid, Stud?"

"Oh ya know, Jackie, figured an Apple like yourself could knock a tree clean out of the ground." He coolly responds, giving her shoulder a light punch in turn.

"Could?" AJ looks at him with a raised brow. "Well ah reckon ah sure can!"

"Aight." Justin smirks at her and nods his head towards Fudge. "Let her pick the tree and we shall see about that."

It doesn't take long for them to follow the chocolate unicorn filly out into a small clearing of the forest where she begins to circle a tree with stars in her eyes. The tree is probably the largest in the forest with the thickest trunk Justin and Fudge have seen. The man nudges Applejack with his shoulder and points his thumb towards the tree with a smirk and raised brow. The apple farmer just smirks back at him and rolls her eyes, obviously not going to back down from a challenge.

"Watch n' learn." Is all she says to him before leaving them behind.

Fudge run back over to her parents when the man calls for her and all three watch as Applejack walks her way up to the tree. The farm mare limbers up a bit, stretching her legs some before getting ready. Then she moves in and kicks tree close to the base that causes it to shake a bit but that's about it. She follows it up with a second, third and fourth strike only to barely make a dent in the tree's trunk. This doesn't deter the stubborn earth mare as she ups the ante and starts to kick harder. Five, six, seven, eight more strikes later and the tree's bark is giving way in chunks, forming a noticeable dent. Applejack stops for a moment to look over her shoulder.

"Heya Twi!" She yells from the distance. "Why don't ya send her husband over here so he can help me!"

The two look at one another for a moment and shrug before Justin walks on over to her.

"Not ta brag but," Applejack looks at him with a smirk before landing the final blow on the tree, all the while not breaking eye contact. "in yer face."

The tree starts to fall with a mighty groan before starts to splinter apart the closer it gets to no longer standing. The once proud evergreen slams into the snow, kicking up large clouds of white that start to cover them both. Justin just nods at her, giving her a respectful clapping of his hands. "I'll take that loss."

They trek through the forest with their prize in hands. Twilight leading at the front, holding the top of the tree with her gloved hands and using her alicorn strength to hold it up. Next in line was Justin, who had the center of the tree up on his shoulder. Applejack is easily carrying the base of the tree, though even she won't admit it's really to help the human. Fudge is off running ahead, excited about their haul.

"Heya, stud." Justin hears from behind. "Bet it'd be easier if you brought them fancy gauntlet Ember made fer ya."

"No, those are for special occasions and emergencies." He tells her.

"It'd help ya pick up some slack." She teases.

"Heya, Jackie?" He turns his head to loo at her over his shoulder. "Get fucked."

They do manage to haul their tree all the way back from the woods, across town, and into the castle with little problems. Maybe a few stops here and there thanks to Fudge. Now the tree is up on a base, however it's just Justin, Fudge, and Applejack decorating since Twilight ran off to do something else. What it is, they don't know, the three just continue to chip way at tree decorations. They started at the bottom, placing ornaments in a manner that was both evenly spaced, pleasant to look at, and still left enough tree to see. As they work up, Justin found himself having to lift Fudge up to reach higher up the tree and eventually the tables turn as the farm mare starts to lift the man up on her own shoulders so he can get near the top of the tree. They all were figuring out a way to get the star topper on the tree to finish out. Sure, magic could be used, but Fudge ad Justin have been decorating their trees without it for years, mostly at her insistence.

"Justin! Can you come here a moment, please?"

"Well, ladies." Justin starts as he turns to the two mares. "I gotta go check on Twilight, you two got this?"

"Sure thing, sugar cube." Applejack nods along side Fudge. "Go do what ya need ta."

With that taken care of, he leaves the two girls to their own devices while he goes find Twilight. Which doesn't take long thanks to their bond telling him where she is, the party room. He stand in front of the door with his hand hovering over the handle. Justin turns the knob to open the door and the sight he is met with is mesmerizing. When he asked Twilight about the illusion, he was expecting something simple. Instead he got something more along of Twilight levels of magic. Clouds of dark gray cling to the ceiling that look so real, they look like she brought some from outside. Flakes of white move in a delicate dance down to the floor, disappearing just before they collided with anything below. The man holds out a hand as one lands in his palm before quickly dissolving. Standing in the middle of the room with a grin as wide as can be is Twilight, watching his reaction as he steps further into the room, staring around him.

"Do you like it?" Her tone comes of as more sheepish than she anticipated.

"Like it? Babe, this is amazing!" Justin exclaims as he walks up to her. "You've outdone yourself as usual."

With a smile, she meets his cheek with a short kiss. "I was worried I overdid it."

A giggle erupts from her lips as he plants a kiss of his own at the base of her horn. "Overdo? Never."

The bell to Rarity's boutique rings out to signal her that she has a customer. Her current task is going to take a minute until it's done. The pale unicorn is trying to organize her craft room, sorting colored fabrics, spools of string, mannequins placed out of the way. Before she continues, she figures it wouldn't hurt to call out to her guest.

"Welcome to Carousel Boutique! Make yourself comfortable and I shall be down in a moment!"

"Take your time, Rare!" An all-too familiar male voice calls back. "Just little ol me with a favor."

Rarity pauses and decides to put her chore on hold to head downstairs. Once she gets to the last step of the stairs, she's met with Justin taking off some of his winter attire while wiping his boots on the mat.

"Oh, darling!" She all but squeals as she very quickly saunters up to him, squishing his face between her palms while planting a kiss on his lips. "It's been so long!"

A nervous chuckle leaves the man after returning the kiss. "Only a month, maybe a little over. Woulda seen ya sooner but I've been busy."

Rarity lowers her hands to his and clasp them in hers. "Oh do tell me al about your trip, darling! Come, come! I'll make us some tea!"

After she led him upstairs, made them some tea, and sat him down, she listened to him tell her about his time in the Griffon Lands. What Twilight and he did to ensure a lasting alliance and peace. She takes a long sip of tea while he continues to ramble and she attentively listens. He idly strokes her hoof with a foot while recounting the past events of his time abroad. Rarity slowly sets down her cup on the saucer in front of her.

"So, If I have this right." She begins. "You managed to make some friends of griffons by... arm wrestling them?"

"Yup." Justin takes a sip, the second one since he started talking.

"You always did have a unique approach to certain problems, darling." Rarity nods as she leans forward. "Eris with a broom, that wrestling move you pull on Ember all the time."

"A suplex? She loves that."

"Yes, yes. All those ruffians who would try their hand at an easy win in your matches and cheat."

"I think of it more as 'hard lessons learned'." His response did elicit a lady-like giggle from the unicorn.

The she remember why he came here in the first place. "Oh, before we get too caught up in our talk, darling. What's that favor you wanted to ask?"

"Huh? Oh right, that." Justin takes a moment to gather his thoughts. "Do you possibly have any fabric that changes color with, like I dunno, a command or spell or somethin'?"

Rarity hums out, tapping the pads on her fingers against her chin as she tries to remember if she does have such an item. While it's no unheard of for performers to use articles of clothing like that while on stage that change before ponies' very eyes as an alternative for costume changes. As well as adding spectacle to their already moving performance. She does recall working on something of the like, but it's far from being ready.

"I think I do but I must ask." Her pools of sapphire meet his. "Why do you want them?"

"I have an idea for the party I'm planning." He tells her.

She gives him a small nod before getting up from the table and motions for him to follow. He does so with out much of a question as she leads him. To her almost organized craft room Rarity brings him where she looks around for a few moments and spots her unfinished project. Justin watches as she walks over to a covered mannequin and pulls off the cover to reveal an unfinished suit. The suit itself is made of a strange material the human hasn't seen before, it was this silver-like texture that looks to be a cross between fabric and liquid. Though it isn't finished, it does catch his eye. He starts to step closer, examining it just that much closer. He does take a pinch of part of the suit and is surprised to feel how smooth it really is.

"I had an idea for a collection based on the raw elements of nature, but I simply couldn't quite figure out how to make it form." Rarity admits with a hand rubbing the back of her head. "I figured I'd shelf the idea or scrap it all together."

Justin stands tall and looks to her. "Have you asked Twilight to help, or Starlight? Those two are pretty nifty with magic."

"I wouldn't have it ready in time, darling."

"Not by yourself, no." He just smiles at her. "Tell you what, I'll ask Twi or Star, hell even both, to see if they can help. I'll compensate you if it turns out you all can get this working by the time of the party."

"What kind of compensation?"

"Anything you want or need."

As soon as those words left his mouth, his ears pick up the chimes of magic and the door lock. Justin, for his part, is really starting to wonder if all unicorns are just nymphos. He's willing to bet some bits they are between his experiences with Starlight, Rarity, and Twilight at this point. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, and right now that's about to be pleasing this mare of his.