The early morning sun broke through the dispersing clouds, causing the fresh blanket of snow to glisten. People could be forgiven for being tempted to play in the winter wonderland or pausing to admire the beauty of this December day. However, the teenagers hurried down the sidewalks and up the steps into the renowned center of learning known as Canterlot High School.
In their homeroom, five girls chatted before the start of the school day.
“...You should have seen that pass,” remembered Rainbow Dash. “Perfectly thrown, the slot receiver caught it in the back of the end zone with only his toes in bounds.”
“Well, they barely managed to beat the spread,” noted Twilight.
Sunset Shimmer gave her friend a sideways glance. “Since when have you been interested in football?”
“Well,” began Twilight slightly blushing, “it’s not so much the football that interests me. It’s more the statistics used by the bookmakers in Las Vegas.”
Sunset deadpanned, “Tell me that you’re not going to become a gambler.”
Twilight shook her head. “No, I don’t have an addictive personality.”
“Says the person who spent all our tickets trying to beat the Flim Flam brothers’ carnival game at Equestria Land,” she responded with a wry grin.
“That was one time,” Twilight protested with a scowl.
Pinkie Pie bounced into the room. “Ooh. Ooh. I can’t wait for school to be out. We’re going to have so much fun with the snow.”
“What are you thinking – snowball fight?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“That’ll be so much fun!”
“Just be sure not to disturb the animals,” said Fluttershy. “Many of them are hibernating already.”
Dash brushed off her friend’s concerns. “Don’t worry, I’m sure we won’t wake any of them up….”
Trudging through the door came Applejack, wearing an old worn coat and her trademark Stetson. Bits of slushy snow fell off her boots as she made her way across the classroom to her waiting friends.
“Applejack, darling, you barely made it before the bell,” observed Rarity.
“Yeah, this snowstorm kind of caught us off guard,” she explained, setting her bag down and removing her heavy coat. “Ah ’ad some unexpected chores tah do this morning.” Suddenly remembering something, she rummaged around in her book bag. “By the way Rares, yah said how much yah liked it, so I brought yah somethin’.” She pulled four bottles from her bag.
Rainbow Dash stopped midsentence in her conversation with Pinkie Pie and turned to Applejack. “Is that cider!”
“Eeyup.”
“Can I have one?” Rainbow asked, her open mouth starting to drool as she only had eyes for the coveted bottles.
“Sorry sugarcube, these here four bottles are fer Rarity an’ her family.”
Rainbow Dash looked like a puppy whose favorite toy had been dangled in front of their face then cruelly yanked away.
“Oh, Applejack, how thoughtful of you,” thanked Rarity with a warm smile.
“Ah, think nothin’ of it Rares,” replied Applejack with a warm smile of her own.
“Well,” said Rarity as she reached into her own bag, “I have something for you as well.” She handed Applejack a small wrapped package.
“Ooh, a present,” cooed Pinkie Pie. “What is it? What is it?”
“Hold yer horses, Pinkie,” said Applejack. “Well, Ah’ll be.” She held up a green scarf.
Rarity explained, “I noticed that you don’t wear a scarf, so I thought I would design you something special. It took me oh so long to find that particular shade to match your eyes.”
“Ah Rarity, you shouldn’t have,” said a blushing Applejack.
“It was my pleasure,” smiled Rarity prettily.
A long, awkward silence broke out. The other five girls all shared knowing looks.
The portal flared and a tall figure emerged through its glassy surface.
“Sunset, so good to see you again,” said Twilight Sparkle as she trotted up to her friend intent on giving a welcoming hug.
Looking down, the Sunset Shimmer chuckled before dropping onto four hooves. “I keep forgetting to walk on four legs.”
“Well, you don’t get to practice much at Canterlot High,” responded Twilight as she embraced her friend.
“The other humans would think I’d gone crazy if I started galloping around like a pony,” laughed Sunset.
Stepping back, Twilight said, “We’d better go, they are waiting for us after all.” She turned and trotted out of the library, her guest following just behind. Down the long hall the two walked until they came to a door.
Opening the door revealed a well-appointed sitting room. In the middle lay an intricately-woven rug upon which rested a black coffee table. To the right, flanking a fireplace mantle, stood two golden armchairs. Opposite them sat a small couch, just big enough for two ponies, which was fortunate as it was occupied by a pair of mares.
As Twilight and Sunset entered the room, the pair perked up.
“Howdy, Sunset.”
“Sunset, darling, how nice it is to see you again.”
Taking her seat, Sunset greeted, “Rarity. Applejack. It’s good to see you too.”
“So,” began Applejack, “why did y’all need us tah come over?”
“Is this a bad time?” asked Sunset.
Shaking her head, she said, “Nah, it’s kind of slow. Ah’ve got plenty of time on my hooves until Winter Wrap Up.”
Rarity added, “And I just finished up the last of my Hearth’s Warming orders.”
“Good, good,” said Sunset as she tried to pull some things out of her saddlebag with her hooves.
“Uh, Sunset?”
Looking up, she asked, “Yes, Twilight?”
The alicorn merely tapped her own horn.
Sunset blushed a little. “I keep forgetting.” Her horn flared and soon a notebook and penc hung in her reddish-rose magical aura. Looking across the coffee table to the pair of mares, she began, “I was hoping that you two could help me with a little research project.”
“What kind of research?” asked Rarity.
“Well,” thought Sunset, trying to find the right words, “Rarity and Applejack – the Rarity and Applejack at Canterlot High – they have... feelings for each other. But they are too shy to admit it to each other. The rest of us are trying to help get them together, but we’re not sure how.” Sunset couldn’t help but notice the quick glimpse Applejack gave Rarity and the long sideways glance Rarity gave Applejack.
Turning back to Sunset, Applejack asked, “How can we help?”
“Since the two of you are very similar to your Canterlot High selves, I want to ask you some questions. Please give me honest answers.”
“ ’Course Ah’ll give yah honest answers.”
“As will I,” nodded Rarity.
“Great.” Scanning her notes, she mused, “Where to start.”
“How about something simple,” suggested Twilight.
Nibbling on the end of her pen as she thought, Sunset finally asked, “So, where are you two from?”
Applejack chuckled, “From right here in Ponyville. Born an’ raised.”
Rarity nodded her head, “I’ve lived my entire life here as well.”
Sunset scribbled notes. “Ponyville’s not a large town, so you two must have known each other for a long time.”
“Eeyup,” said Applejack. “We went to school together.”
“I see. So you two have been friends for a while?”
“Yes,” confirmed Rarity as she looked over at the mare sitting next to her. “Maybe we weren’t best friends in school, but we’ve certainly become better friends in the last few years.”
“Eeyup.”
“Okay. So you two are close?” The two mares gave each other awkward glances. “You two spend time together?” clarified Sunset.
“Yes, we socialize quite frequently. For instance, Applejack and I enjoy spending time at the spa together.”
“You do?” asked Sunset as she quickly scribbled the notes down on her pad. “Our Applejack doesn’t go for that – ” she raised her hooves for air quotes “ – ‘froufrou’ stuff.”
“Rares an’ Ah enjoy a good steam.”
“And massages,” added Rarity.
“Yeah,” Applejack smiled, “Ah enjoy a good massage.”
“Only after I talked you into it. When I first suggested it, you firmly put your hoof down and said you wouldn’t get one.”
“Well, y’all sweet-talked me into it.”
“Maybe next time I can convince you to go for a full facial and mud bath.”
“Don’t get yer hopes up Rarity, Ah ain’t goin’ in for any of the froufrou stuff.”
“It would do wonders for your coat.”
“Ah’m fine,” insisted Applejack.
Rarity narrowed her eyes. “You really should try it.”
“All’s Ah need is a good steam.”
“Honestly Applejack, you can be as stubborn as a mule sometimes.”
Applejack scowled and opened her mouth to say something –
“So do either of you play in a band?” interjected Sunset.
Her train of thought derailed, Applejack said, “What now?”
Turning to the unicorn, Rarity asked, “Come again?”
“Do you play in a band?”
“At Canterlot High,” explained Twilight, “your counterparts are part of the Rainbooms.”
“I play electric guitar, you play the keytar, and,” Sunset turned to Applejack, “you play the bass. And of course all of you provide vocals.”
“Ah’m not in a band, but Ah do like fiddlin’ from time tah time. Nothin’ really fancy.”
“Applejack,” said Rarity, “you don’t give yourself enough credit. You are quite skilled at the violin.” Pausing in thought, she continued, “You know, with a little practice, I think you could easily find a place in a string quartet.”
Applejack blushed slightly. “Thanks, Rares, but it’s just somethin’ Ah do fer fun.”
“And you, Rarity?” pressed Sunset.
“I do not play in a band, per se, but I do sing in the Ponytones.”
Sunset tilted her head. “The Ponytones?”
“It’s a little acapella group that I put together along with Big MacIntosh, Toe-Tapper, and Torch Song.”
“You should hear ’em, Sunset, them are really somethin’.”
“They are quite good,” confirmed Twilight with an approving nod.
“Perhaps I should suggest Rarity form a similar group back at Canterlot High,” she thought out loud. Coming back to the topic at hoof, Sunset said, “Okay you two, close your eyes.”
Both mares looked confused, but complied.
“Now, Rarity, can you describe what Applejack looks like?”
“Yes of course, darling. Applejack, is an earth pony, approximately my height. She is quite powerfully built with well-developed muscles, particularly her hind legs that she uses for bucking apple trees. Her mane and tail, which she keeps long and tied at the end, are a beautiful shade of olive. She always dons her Stetson, which perfectly frames her friendly freckled face. Her coat is a lovely gamboge that will brighten up any room that she walks into. Her eyes are a striking shade of green. But when you stare into them, really stare into them, they are full of compassion and shine with great wisdom. They do say that the eyes are the window to the soul, after all.”
“Wow,” said Applejack. “Just wow.”
“I am quite observant,” said Rarity with pride.
Flipping to a blank page, Sunset prompted, “Now you go, Applejack.”
“All’s right. Rarity is a unicorn. She’s white with a purple mane an’ tail.”
The room remained quiet for a moment and then nothing else.
Turning to her friend in disbelief, Rarity asked dumbfounded, “That’s it!”
“Rarity, close your eyes!” ordered Sunset. “Now, Applejack, try again.”
“Okay.” She scrunched muzzle in concentration. “Um, like Ah said, she’s white....” She huffed, “Ah’m no good at this.”
“You can do this,” encouraged Sunset.
“Um, she’s white. Her coat... it’s so soft and pure. It reminds me of new-fallen snow.”
“Keep goin’.”
“An’ her mane an’ tail are purple an’ all done up fancy.”
“Go on.”
“An’ they’re curled around... an’ Ah love to watch how they bounce when she walks, but never get fussed up. Her mane an’ tail always seem tah look.”
“And?”
“No matter what we’re doin’, even if it’s runnin’ fer our lives from some varmint, she always looks pretty doin’ it.”
“You think I’m pretty?”
“Of course, Rares. Even a blind mare could tell yer pretty.”
The room settled into silence.
“You can open your eyes now,” said Sunset at last. “So, have either of you dated other ponies?”
“A few,” confirmed Rarity.
“Nnope,” admitted Applejack.
Sunset eyed the earth pony, pad and pen at the ready. “So, if you were to date somepony, can you describe what you’d be looking for?”
“Um... Ah’d want somepony who’s hard-workin’. Somepony who is willing to work their hooves to the nub... An’ they would have to be strong. She wouldn’t let any challenges nor hardships stand in her way. An’ they would have tah be a family pony who cares deeply for her kin.”
Rarity blushed at the words.
“I see. Now Rarity, how would you describe your ideal special somepony?”
“Well... The foundation of any good relationship is honesty. I would want somepony who can be honest with me, who isn’t afraid to tell me things that I don’t want to hear. They would also have to be dependable, a steady rock in life’s swirling storms. And they would have to be kind, caring for their younger sister – er – or their brother or their other relatives who may live with them.”
Applejack blushed at the words. “Ah hope y’all have enough fer yer research project.”
Sunset reviewed her notes. “There is one more thing.”
“Oh.”
“I need you two to kiss.”
“What!” cried the two mares on the couch.
“I need data on kissing. I can extrapolate your kissing to my Applejack and Rarity.”
“Is this really necessary?” protested Rarity.
“Yes.”
“I don’t know,” dithered Applejack. “Isn’t there somethin’ else we can do?”
Sunset smiled and levitated a sprig over the couch.
“What the hay!” cried Applejack.
“It’s mistletoe,” informed Twilight. “You have to kiss, it’s the tradition.”
Applejack leaned forward to give Rarity a quick peck on the cheek. “There, Ah did it, can we go now?”
Rarity’s eyes went wide as she stared off into the distance at nothing in particular.
“No, I didn’t collect enough data.”
Applejack sighed, and gave Rarity a quick peck on her other cheek. “How ’bout now?”
“No. This time I want Rarity to kiss Applejack.”
“What?” exclaimed Rarity, snapping out of her dazed trance.
“I need you to kiss Applejack,” repeated Sunset.
“It’s for research,” reiterated Twilight.
Rarity turned back to the earth pony, and hesitantly looked into her friend’s eyes. She leaned forward and met Applejack’s lips. The earth pony’s eyes went wide as the two mares shared a passionate kiss. Breaking apart for just a moment, Applejack said, “Whoa,” before leaning in and pressing her lips to Rarity’s. The unicorn’s eyes went wide before closing as the two shared another long kiss.
Examining the pair on the loveseat, Twilight remarked, “I think you can put the mistletoe away.”
Twilight and Sunset returned to the library. “Wow,” beamed Twilight, “I’m glad I asked you to come. Your plan worked really well. I never thought that we’d finally be able to get those two together.”
“I did spend several years scheming and carrying out devious plans. It’s nice that I was able to finally use that skill for a good cause for a change.”
“So you’re going back to Canterlot High?”
“Yes, but I’m not going alone.”
Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
Sunset smiled, “Quid pro quo.”
~~~
Rarity entered the living room, with bits of snow still dusting her boots. “Sorry I’m late.”
“No problem at all,” said Sunset, indicating the small couch. “We were about to get started.”
Rarity took a seat next to Applejack, who took a moment to stretch her arms. “We’re more than happy tah help,” began Applejack, “but can you tell us what exactly we’re helping you with?”
Sunset smiled, “I’ll let Princess Twilight explain.”
Twilight fiddled with the pen and notepad in her hands. “It’s a research project. Rarity and Applejack – the versions of you back in Equestria – have feelings for each other. But they won’t admit it admit it to each other. We’d like to help get them together, but we need more data. Since the two of you are very similar to your pony selves, I want to ask you some questions....”
Author's Note
Happy Hearth's Warming! Merry Christmas!
