Hearts Warming on Hearth's Warming Eve

Walking through Ponyville’s snowy streets, Rarity gleefully watched the countless lights and decorations put up by everypony for the holidays. Despite the sun setting much earlier and the gloominess of a silent winter evening dominating the town, a certain jolly air permeated throughout Ponyville. Sure, her friends and neighbors’ decorations weren’t always to her refined taste—but merely seeing the efforts everypony had put into lighting up the cold winter nights brought warmth to her heart.

Or, maybe, that warmth was to be attributed to something else entirely, she thought as her snow boots crunched through the heavy, cold blankets covering the streets. On her side, a bag containing a gift was levitating above the ground. Rarity was, as always, looking forward to the best part of Hearth’s Warming Eve: watching the smile on ponies’ faces when they opened her gifts. This year, especially, the mare mentally patted herself on the back for truly going above and beyond.

What’s a few thousand bits in comparison to a friend’s happiness, after all?

Rarity’s heart fluttered as she laid her eyes upon her destination. The massive crystal tree in the center of the town was one of the most beautiful sights in town, after all, but during winter, with the nearby lights and garlands reflecting on the tree’s surface? It was simply sublime, countless scintillating lights mimicking the starry skies above. And yet, despite even Rarity herself believing so, it wasn’t for the sights that her heart beat faster.

Taking a moment to regain her composure, she took a deep breath. She didn’t want Twilight to see her be so flustered: Rarity had a reputation to maintain, after all. Steeling herself, she stepped forward, approaching the tree’s massive crystal doors. Just beyond, she could hear music, noises, ponies stepping around and dancing. She knocked, her hoof striking three times, neither too hard nor too softly. And then, taking a step back, she patiently waited.

Each second spent in the cold was agonizingly long. Her heart started pounding in her chest, her breath quickened, until the door swung open.

And there she was. Wearing a simple, yet elegant dress—one of Rarity’s own, of course—Twilight gasped. “Rarity! It’s so good to see you,” the alicorn smiled, going for a hug which the fashionista returned perhaps a little too enthusiastically.

“Sorry for my lateness, darling,” Rarity replied, holding Twilight tight. “There was a hold-up at the boutique, and…”

“Don’t worry about that,” Twilight said as she broke off the hug, too soon to Rarity’s liking. “Come on in, you must be freezing!”

The party had been going on in full swing for a while, Rarity quickly noticed. The rest of Twilight’s guests were all in different states of inebriation: from the sober Fluttershy having a lively discussion with Spike, to the very noticeably drunk Applejack and Rainbow Dash challenging each other in increasingly silly dares and challenges. In another corner, Starlight pretended to be impressed by Trixie’s magic tricks, while using some of her own to sneakily help the blue unicorn along. Twilight herself had a rosy tint on her cheeks, one Rarity attributed to alcohol, but the alicorn was still very much in control of herself.

“Make yourself comfortable while I get you something to drink,” Twilight said as she helped Rarity place her gifts amongst the many others surrounding a massive, decorated tree.

Rarity nodded before heading for the foyer’s large couch. A roaring fire crackled in the fireplace, its heat helping the unicorn warm up quickly. Still, despite the soft fabric underneath, the pleasant warmth and the lively atmosphere, Rarity could not help but feel anxious. ‘Come on’, she thought, ‘it’s just a casual little get-together with your friends. Why are you so tense?’

As soon as Rarity started to sink in her seat, a blurry pink blob darted seemingly out of nowhere and next to her. Pinkie Pie, as joyous and energetic as ever, grabbed Rarity tight. “You’re here!” she loudly cheered. “Now, we can part-ay!”

Rarity chuckled. “It’s good to see you too, Pinkie Pie. I hope you did not wait too long for me.”

“Pfft, nah, we got started right away, actually. Hey, when was the last time we all got together like that?”

“Too long ago,” the unicorn admitted. “I’m glad Twilight managed to clear up some time for us,” she continued.

“Yeah. Who could’ve known being a princess would keep her so busy all the time?” Pinkie Pie lamented in earnest.

Right on cue, Twilight approached the couch, holding two glasses of wine with her magic. “I’m sorry about that, girls. It’s just… Things have been hectic, y’know?”

“The past few months have been quite busy indeed,” Rarity admitted. “I can’t even fathom the amount of work on your plate, Twilight.”

Sitting down next to the fashionista, Twilight smiled. “Well, what matters now is that everypony’s here. Let’s have fun! Here’s a glass of red for you, Rarity.”

“You know me too well, dear,” Rarity returned the smile as she took a sip from her glass. “So, what have you girls been up to?”

The evening slowly passed by as Rarity whiled away the time with lively discussions, drinks and snacks. Most of the time, though, the topics broached were focused on the alicorn’s still relatively newly found position as princess of friendship, as well as Twilight keeping up with what the remaining elements of harmony have been doing. Discussion flowed easily, friendship still holding strong inside the group despite not being able to spend as much time together as of yore.

Yes, despite everything, they were still friends.

And that bothered Rarity, although she couldn’t exactly understand why.

Thankfully, the evening’s main events prevented her from dwelling too much on this strange melancholy, the act of gift-giving not lending itself to gloomy introspection. She watched with a smile as their game of Secret Starswirl began, as Spike started off the chain by offering Pinkie a gift. Then, from Pinkie, to Fluttershy, to Applejack, to Rainbow Dash, who then in turn excitedly brought Rarity her gift.

The fashionista was surprised to see that her athletic and otherwise unrefined friend somehow had managed to get her hooves on a large roll of artisan-made Gryffonian silk. Overjoyed at the prospective dresses she could create from such a rare find; Rarity almost forgot it was then her turn to present her gift.

Once again, her heart fluttered. With butterflies in her stomach, Rarity did everything in her power to keep her composure, a task rendered difficult by the multiple glasses of red wine now in her system. Still, with noticeably shaky hooves, she offered Twilight her gift. “And… And here is yours, Twilight,” Rarity stammered. She decided to ignore the snickers coming from Rainbow Dash and Applejack, instead focusing on the alicorn’s eyes.

Twilight’s eyes, locked in with hers, caused the unicorn to feel weak at the knees. A part of her wished to hide away, as if in shame, but another part wanted to drown in her violet irises. Her body locked up, unable to move, wanting the moment to last forever… Until Twilight awkwardly pulled on the gift still stuck in Rarity’s grasp.

The two mares remained silent as Twilight opened the package, revealing two books. The alicorn’s gaze stopped on the first one, loudly gasping. “Wait, is that… Oh my— ‘Prosperian Seventh-circle Transmutations’?!” she practically yelled in excitement, standing up from her seat and her wings unfurling in surprise. “I thought… I thought no copies remained!”

“Well, it turns out, I had this contact from Saddle Arabia… A noble, fancying herself as a collector of rare books and similar antiquities, you see. She was visiting one of my boutiques and we talked a little over tea after she made an order. I mentioned that book you were looking for, and won’t you know it? She just so happened to have an exemplary back at home!” Rarity explained, trying to be as casual as possible. Of course, she didn’t mention the costs, or how much she had to haggle with the surprisingly stingy noblepony.

Her eyes trained on the old, almost decrepit cover, Twilight beamed a smile at the book—though aimed at Rarity. “Thank you, Rares… I’m surprised you remembered the name!”

Feeling her cheeks turn red, Rarity gazed to the side, pretending to search for her drink. “W-Well, that’s what friends do, right? Besides, you’ve got another book in there, too.”

The second book, its cover much cleaner than the old tome’s, was simply titled Harmony. Twilight opened it, a curious glint in her eyes, before stopping in shock for a moment. Turning another page, then another, the alicorn silently ruffled through the book.

Trixie was the one to break the silence, her curiosity getting the better of her. “Well, what is it, Twilight? Don’t keep us waiting, some of us still haven’t gotten their gifts!” the magician complained, earning her multiple exasperated glares.

“It’s… It’s an album photo, filled with… With pictures of us,” Twilight said before turning the book to the rest of the group. Sure enough, each page depicted a different photograph of the group, or of one of the girls. Some showed daily scenes, others were taken from journals and newspapers after their adventures, a couple were more comedic in nature. As everypony stared at the many pictures in the book excitedly recounting the events that led to such or such photo, they failed to notice Twilight’s lips quivering and the tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

Still looking away, Rarity cleared her throat. “Well, you know, with your newfound responsibilities and everything, I thought you’d enjoy having a… A reminder, of sorts, that wherever you go, we’re still with you,” she explained, causing a few ‘awws’ to emerge from the crowd.

It was then that Twilight started crying, surprising the group, and terrifying the white unicorn. “Rarity, this is…” she whimpered before breaking into tears.

“O-Oh, I’m sorry, Twilight, I… You don’t like it? I can get rid of it, I didn’t know it’d be so—” Rarity stammered, unsure of what she did wrong, but nonetheless deathly terrified of harming Twilight’s feelings.

“N-No!” the alicorn eventually replied. “It’s… I love it, Rarity. I… I really do. Thank you so much!” she barely managed to utter in-between sobs, holding the picture book tight to her chest.

Fear quickly turned to relief and happiness; Rarity felt like she could cry at any moment as well. “Oh… Well, then, I’m glad you like your gifts, Twilight,” she muttered.

“Quick, girls, group hug!” Pinkie yelled, instantly breaking the tension, and forcing Spike and the mares into a tight blob of hugging furs and scales.

The rest of the night had been much more light-hearted. After the gift exchange, the group of friends played board games, drank, partied, danced, then drank some more. As the night went on, Rarity decided to head to the balcony overlooking the illuminated city, hoping to take a breath of fresh air and to clear her mind. She was well past tipsy at this point, and had to stop drinking before the buzz took her to unglamorous extremes.

Pushing the doors to the balcony open, Rarity was surprised to find Twilight already there, her gaze glued to the picture book in her hooves, only lifting her eyes upon noticing she had company. “Oh, Rarity? Getting some fresh air?” Twilight asked as she closed the book.

“Yes, dear. I’m afraid the red has been getting the best of me,” Rarity sighed before taking her place next to Twilight. Her heart, once again, started to beat faster. This time, however, Rarity did not feel flustered, the mare being instead emboldened by drunken bravado.

Twilight chuckled. “It’s pretty good, right? I had it imported from the Crystal Empire. It’s actually a recommendation from my brother.”

“Really now? I didn’t peg him as a wine connoisseur.”

“Cadance’s the one to get him into wine, actually. He used to be the always-sober type when he was captain of the guard. Now that he’s a prince, though, he’s started to loosen up a little.”

“That’s great to hear. One should enjoy the niceties of life, every now and then,” Rarity replied before leaning on the railing, overlooking the city.

Sitting in comfortable silence, the two mares stared at the countless blinking lights in the distance, both above and below. Even as the festivities started to die down all around Ponyville, there were still signs of jovialities everywhere, the occasional yell or cheer resonating throughout the streets. The air, cold and rejuvenating, and the town’s atmosphere, jolly and cheerful, once again sparked that odd melancholy deep within Rarity.

This time, however, as she dwelled on the feelings bottled up inside, a newfound clarity shone through her mind. Carried by the liquid courage in her veins, she let out a long sigh, drawing Twilight’s attention.

“... We used to be so much closer,” Rarity eventually said, her tone heavy-hearted. “What happened to us?”

Twilight shifted uncomfortably. “We… Well, I became an alicorn, for starters.”

Her gaze jumping from the city to Twilight’s eyes, Rarity once again stared in the deep violet, twinkling lights reflecting off them. “Hm, yes… The ‘Princess of Friendship’ and whatnot,” she mumbled.

“That, and your multiple shops all across Equestria,” Twilight continued, trying to hide her slightly indignant tone. “We’ve both been… Extremely busy,” she tried to reason.

“Yes, but… That’s not my question, darling. Not ‘why are we not spending more time together,’ but ‘why aren’t we as close’? Why aren’t we…”

Rarity stopped before finishing her thought, though the implications were not lost on Twilight. Both mares looked away from each other, a small blush on their cheeks, though their expressions only portrayed sadness.

“I… I guess we used to be… A lot closer, as you said,” Twilight practically whispered.

Rarity giggled bitterly. “I used to think I… I was imagining things. Reading too much into, well… Into us.” She spoke softly, her hoof playing with her mane.

“... We both did,” the alicorn affirmed after a moment of silence. “I… I think I was hinting that, well… That I was interested. I think you did too.”

“Why, then… Why, then, did nothing happen?”

“I… I assume we were both afraid to make a move. I certainly was… But now, it’s too late,” Twilight responded before hugging the picture book tighter, her voice breaking by the sentence’s end.

Another long silent moment passed by, before Rarity turned around, facing Twilight, her eyes glistening with intensity. “Is it… Is it too late, though? Did we really let the chance of us being more than friends pass by? I… I wholly admit that the feelings are still there.”

Twilight could not meet Rarity’s gaze. “It is too late. In the past, perhaps, there could have been something between us, but now that I’m an alicorn…”

Tilting her head to the side, Rarity hesitantly grabbed Twilight’s hoof with her own. “I… That is not an issue for me, Twilight. Whether you are an alicorn, a unicorn, a donkey, I… I’d love you no matter what.”

Shocked, Twilight’s face grew bright red. She stammered, eventually snapping out of her surprise. “W… Well… It’s not like the attraction is… Is gone, but…”

Rarity did not respond. She waited patiently for Twilight to continue, but she felt the lump forming in her throat.

“... But I’m an alicorn, now. It… It can’t work. It’d be… Cruel, for the both of us,” Twilight relented.

“What do you mean by that?” the white unicorn asked, confused. “How would it be cruel?”

“Rarity… What’s the average lifespan of a unicorn?”

She did not reply. She didn’t need to in order to understand what Twilight was insinuating. “... Ah. I… I understand that it’s… An issue, but—”

“There’s no but!” Twilight suddenly yelled, freeing her hoof from Rarity’s grasp and holding the book ever tighter, tears now running down her face. “I… I’m going to have to live on for so, so long, and… And you girls won’t, and I’ll have to… To watch, as you all… One by one, you… And then, I’ll be alone, and I can’t…”

Rarity saw Twilight begin to hyperventilate, recognizing the signs of a typical Twilight meltdown. Of course, throughout their times together, she witnessed this very event unfold many times, but tonight was the first time Rarity did not know how to console her friend.

After a moment of hesitation, Rarity hugged Twilight. The alicorn slowly stopped rambling, and instead began crying into Rarity’s coat as the fashionista slowly rubbed her mane. Rarity kept holding Twilight for as long as was needed, fighting back tears herself. After long cathartic minutes, Twilight stopped crying.

“I understand this is… Existentially terrifying,” Rarity whispered in Twilight’s ear. “I can’t even begin to imagine how… How you must feel. I’ll admit, I don’t think I’ll ever truly grasp it. But… But you know you won’t be alone. Every step of the way, we’ll be with you… And when we’re gone, more will be there. Besides, you’ve also got Celestia, Luna, and Cadance… Oh, and little Flurry Heart, too, now.”

Still in the process of calming down, Twilight suppressed a sob. “Yes, but… Still, I’m… I’m afraid, Rarity.”

“It’s natural to be afraid, Twilight. What you can’t do, however, is to spend the remainder of your life afraid to connect with anypony. You will be hurt, of course, but… But you will also be loved, and cherished. Even if it’s not with me, I don’t… I don’t want to see you alone, Twilight. I want you to be happy.”

Lifting her head up, Twilight rubbed her eyes as Rarity leaned back, allowing the two mares to see each other once again.

With puffy eyes and streaks of makeup slowly dripping away, they chuckled at how they looked. “T… Thank you, Rarity. I… I needed to hear that.”

“But of course, darling.”

“It’s just… A part of me wants to… To be with you, but I’m also still… It still all feels so new and, and scary, and just… I think I need more time… Time to process everything, to… To make sure I’m ready. Will you… Will you wait for me, Rarity?”

She smiled. “For you, Twilight? I’d wait my entire life.”

And so, without another word spoken, the mares slowly inched closer to each other. Their breaths quickened as their lips approached one another, mere seconds away from contact, when a sudden crashing sound caused them to jolt up in surprise.

Inside Twilight’s home, half a dozen voices began arguing, speaking so loudly both Rarity and Twilight could hear them from the balcony. Her ears perked up, listening to her friends’ arguing and bickering, Rarity fought the urge to slam her hoof in her face as she deciphered the reason behind the ruckus. “I… I believe Trixie caused a chandelier to crash down on our little party, dear… I think we—”

Just as Rarity’s face turned away from the doors to face Twilight once again, the alicorn stood up and, in one swift motion, started kissing Rarity. An explosion of sensations burst through the unicorn's body: shock, surprise, happiness and a tinge of fear. The sudden mixture of emotions erased the last traces of drunken bravado left in her bloodstream, instead leaving the usually well-composed mare into a blushing, blabbering mess.

Her eyes still puffy from the crying, Twilight smiled softly at the utterly flustered unicorn. “Thank you for waiting for me,” Twilight said in a hush tone.

Shaking her head to drag herself out of her stupor, Rarity returned the smile. “Take as long as you need, Twilight.”

“Let’s go back inside and check the damage,” the alicorn chuckled before pushing the large doors open. Rarity watched as for a moment, Twilight glowed resplendent, the warm lights coming from inside the house giving the alicorn a sublime aura. She drank the sight for a second before following suit, abandoning the cold air for the comfortable warmth inside.

Both mares knew that for as long as they lived, they would always remember this year’s Hearth Warming’s Eve.