The threshold was finished a few days later. It wouldn't affect ponies none, it was built on the idea of..
Y'know how vampires can't come into your house without your explicit permission? That's because it's your house. The stronger an established living in that area, the stronger the threshold, which means that spirits n' gremlins have a harder time gettin' in. The Apple farm was nothin' if not well-lived in, servin' the vibes necessary to keep that threshold up.
In fact, I was kinda surprised one hadn't occurred naturally, but I reckon it's just tougher for one to form on a farm rather than, say, a one bedroom basement apartment. Square cube law or some shit, I dunno.

Spent the day celebratin' a job well done by participating in somethin called the Runnin' of the Leaves with Big Mac. That was pretty fun, and autumn's my favorite season anyhow. Everyone else was sprinting to win, but Mac and I, we was just happy to be there. Especially when I felt this strange sense of solidarity, both our hooves drumming together like thunder. I might've had the advantage of living a very active lifestyle, so, I ended up gettin' third place. Mac got second. Weren't too shabby at all.

That evening, I asked Mac if he was down to have some weed with me. Now, he was pretty straight edge, he seemed hesitant.

"Eeeeeennnyyyyynnnmmaybe?"
That was a first.
"I would actually, I trust ya," he said, quietly, "But I want Granny to know."
"What? Oh hell no, Granny would shut this down real quick. Let's just head out somewhere secret and-"
"Nnope."
"Why not??"
"Bonfire, Applejack is the Element of Honesty, and I'm her brother. I wanna live up to that. Either we let her know, or I'm out."

I couldn't put up much of an argument to his stoic ass. Hesitantly, I agreed, so we walked back to the livin' room, where Granny usually was at this hour. This was so goddamn embarrassing-
Oh fuck yeah, she's napping!

"Granny?" Mac asked.

..
Snore..
C'mon, don't wake up-

"Granny!" Mac barked.
"Snrrk- What, what?!" She shouted. "You youngins wanna ask me bout something?"
"Eeyup." Mac said.

..

"Well, go on, Bonfire!" Granny said. Mac nodded his head at me, and I flinched. Why you dragging me right into this?! I sighed.
"Aight so.. I got a hold of some.. Lettuce."
"Lettuce? What kind, iceberg? Romane? Butterhoof?"
"N-no, it ain't that kinda lettuce."
"Well then spit it out, what kinda lettuce is it, young lady?!"
"Ah, hell, Granny, it's weed!" I held up the baggie, slightly ashamed, but keepin' eye contact. "And I was fixin' to share it with Big Mac, but he weren't down unless we toldja."
"Eeyup."

She squinted at me, rubbed her wrinkly ol' chin, then stood up and approached me.
"Well.. I figure you youngins worked real hard this year, the farm ain't never been better, so I guess you can go ahead. Here, come to the kitchen an' help me make it into some brownies." She took the baggie from my hoof and took it into the kitchen. We followed her in.

She saw the shocked look on my face n' scoffed, heatin some butter up on the stove. "Oh c'mon, y'all don't think this is the first time one o' my children wanted to have some dumb fun? Bright Mac always snuck away with his sweetheart Pear Butter to light up'n the shack where we keep all the firewood. At least you two had the decency t'lemme know first before y'got hurt."
"Eeyup," Mac said to me, smugly.

Goddamn?! She opened the baggie and shook it out into the melted butter.
"Git over here n' help me!" She barked. We both jolted and moved in, pulling out wet n dry ingredients. "Least I know ahead a' time in case you do somethin' stupid n' gotta see the doc, y'won't believe how embarrassin' that is, takin' your son down to th'hospital late a'night cuz y'think he's dyin', but really he's just having a panic attack from a high, and y'don't find out till the doctor tells ya."

She huffed and I kept mixing the ingredients. Mac and I shared a look. Apparently he didn't know about this neither. I cracked some eggs into the bowl n' started beatin' it with the veggie oil n' milk. Mac measured out some cocoa, sugar, n' flour.

"Y'all ain't even the first of this here gen'ration, Applejack showed up'few nights ago stinkin' like a skunk. She's even worse a liar while hopped up on the Ol' devil's lettuce. Kept gigglin' every time she lied, N' every time sh'did was another hour cleaning the farmhouse instead o' gettin to be with her friends! But I'm startin' t'notice a pattern, here. First Bright Mac n Pear Butter, then Applejack and Rainbow Dash, now you two.."

"Eeey-huh?" Mac stuttered as he poured the dry ingredients into the wet. Granny added the butter, then poured it all into a greased pan.
"It always starts with this.." She ominously tutted her tongue. "Now you two better keep an eye on this here bake, 'M goin' back t'm'nap."
"Yes'm."
"Eeyup.."

We was gigglin' fools about three hours later. After the initial shock of the edible kickin' in, with my help, he just started laughing at how wide he was smilin'.
I liked his smile too, so I joined in.

Eventually, Applejack came back from whereever she'd been, walked into the livin room, and saw us all prone and giggly on the couch. She slowly raised an eyebrow, her eyes pannin' to the brownies, then back to us.
"Granny knows?"
"Eeyup." Mac nodded.

She left without a word. Mood was slightly killed a bit, we wasn't sure what exactly that'd mean for us-
Oh, hey, she was back and brought a pitcher of water and some wooden mugs. She filled them mugs and gave 'em to us.
"Just don't make this a habit, y'hear?" She said as she left us to our stupidities.
"Eeyup." Mac said.
"We won't!" I assured. "I only had one baggie anyhow."

We stared out the window.
"Y'finish'd the threshold." Mac said.
"Yea. Any fae that try to sneak on in, they'll get zapped. Ooh, there's one now, look at that gnome tryin' to scurry in."
A little pointy red hat and beady little glowin' eyes bounced around in the dark, heading towards the house. I felt the gatherin' of magic, and then..

PFFTCH! Went up in smoke!
The two of us howled in laughter, there was a tiny little red hat on top of a pile of ashes.

We looked out the window for more, but then we both noticed somethin' else.
"It's snowin'!" I gasped.
"Eeyup."
I looked around for my boss.

No sign of 'em.. Good. I let myself relax a little.
We stared at the snowfall for a good long time, just snugglin' all cozy.

Who needs TV when you got snowfall and snuggles?

The next morning, I was gettin' ready to get back to the ol' buckin' routine when I opened the door and was blasted with cold. Winter done came around and knocked them plans outta the park with a home run. Which meant no apples to harvest. Duh. No more work!

Relatively speaking, anyways, the cows that lived here rent-free still needed help cleaning their quarters. (Technically, they paid in milk. I tried not to think about it too hard, they said they was just happy with their living situation every time I asked.) Either way, the workload was still pretty damn reduced. School was out for the winter break, farming wouldn't kick back in till springtime.. It all left me with a real problem.
I had nothing to do! There weren't even any monsters from the Everfree, for fucks sake, they was all hibernatin'!

So, bored outta my skull, I walked into the Golden Oaks Library on a Tuesday morning, and started perusing books. The fact that the library was a tree was downright magical, I couldn't help but enjoy the architecture a bunch. Organizational system was a bit.. esoteric, given that Twilight was running the show. Still, I found a book that looked interestin', and settled in to read it.
Then, after a while, I heard a bit o' commotion upstairs, my ears tiltin' to the noise. I walked my way up the stairs, looked inside, and saw..

Big Mac, Spike, n' a jet black pony who was weirdly bald, all gathered round a table rollin' dice. Spike had some kinda cardboard wall in front of him, like a DM screen-

Oh my god, they were playin' DnD.
Mac looked up, his ears perked, and holy shit, his tail's a-waggin'. Goddamn, that was adorable! Couldn't help but grin. Before I realized it, my own tail was doin' the same. That's where this bastard had been all week while I was hanging out with Twi! With the harvest over, he could do whatever he pleased, so that made plenty sense.

"Hey Bonfire!" Spike waved.
"Hey Spike! And Mac! You sunofabitch, you play tabletop games?" I straight up nickered, too lost in the excitement as I walked in the room.
"E-eeyup." He got all bashful on me.
"And uh.. I don't think I've met you, before?" I turned to the third fella, who-

Jesus Christ, there's holes in his legs!

"Oh, this is Kevin." Spike said, patting him on the withers, n' I could see he didn't have fur at all - looked more like bug skin.
"Eeyup. He's a.. what'd you say you was, again?" Mac asked.
"..A drone from the hive.. was meant to collect food and return home, but.. got lost."
"Oh, so, you're like a.. bee pony." I guessed.
"...Yess." He said, then chirped. That didn't explain the leg holes, but I just decided it weren't worth cookin' my brain over.
"He's been staying in Ponyville for the past few days. I invited him to play Ogres and Oubliettes with us!" Spike explained.
"Well, cool." I hummed.

Bit of an awkward silence, before I decided to bite the bullet.
"Can I join?" I asked.
"Sure!"
"Eyup!"
"Okay."

The rules system was different, but easy to pick up, I had a character sheet ready in less than thirty minutes while the rest of the group was setting up.

Mac was playing a warrior lady with a big ol' halberd. Spike was playing a wizard that had weirdly high strength. Kevin was playing a cleric who specialized in.. love? Bit weird, but if it worked.. and I decided to play a dashin' rogue, since typically stealth and cunning weren't my style. Would be fun to live out a different life, huh?

Hey wait, ain't that just what I'm doing lately? Funny, that.

So, I spent the next few days just playing with the boys. Mac had a tendency to team up with me, n' we was like Butch n' Sundance. More often than not, he'd pull distraction plays so that my sneak attacks landed way more often, which would deal enough damage to fell the enemy. And whenever he was in trouble, my sneaky rogue tricks, like throwing a bag of ball bearings out, would mess up the enemy formation, letting him move to a better position.

We made a damn good team, him and I. We kept up the character chatter outside of sessions, him gushin' about his badass hellion mare and my crafty pirate pony. At one point, he fashioned some fake wooden weapons, a sword and halberd, and we'd spar while in character. So sue me, I was having fun, and it was great, seein' his stoic shell crack open just a bit more.

One night, on the way back home from one of these sessions, I just had this.. urge. To nuzzle him real good. For the longest time, I held back, until we was completely alone on the path towards the farmhouse. I pressed my face into his neck, and found myself nickerin' a little. He seemed a mite tongue tied about it, I mighta gone too far, the way he only managed to stammer out an "Ee-e-e-e-e-eyup."

But boy, was he handsome. Aw hell, was I sweet on him? I think I mighta been. But dammit if it didn't feel right.

Somethin' akin to Christmas was comin' up, and I hadn't the slightest goddamn idea what to get anypony- anyBODY. In the family.
Fuck, I'm goin' native!

Applejack, well, she were a humble sort, didn't ask for much. Apple Bloom, her interests bounced round like pinballs, what with her tryin' to get her cutie mark, and Mac?
Shit, Mac wanted even less than Applejack. I straight up asked him, "anythin' you want for Hearth's Warmin'?" And he just said, "Nnope," and nothin' else. Least AJ said she'd think on it and lemme know if she wanted somethin'.

Dammit, Mac, lemme get you somethin' nice!

Still, least there was at least a few chores to do round the farm to keep myself busy while I churned ideas. Kept singin' to myself, though I'd stop anytime someone came close. Funny, every time it happened, I swear I could perfectly hear the backin' instruments in the distance.

Weren't like the Fae's Horn, no, felt more like magic was gathering around me until I suddenly shut up as someone got close. Often, it was Mac. He'd look over all curious and when I shut up, he just said "Eeyup," and went on his merry way.

Time moved on by real fast. I was down to the wire. So, I turned to a friend for help.

"Twi. I need your help!" I said, enterin' the library one day.
"What's up, Bonfire?" She was readin' some real thick ass tome, War n' Peace lookin thing.
"I ain't got Hearth's Warming gifts for anyone!"
"..What about the books you got me?"
"Okay, b'sides you! I don't know what to get Mac, or AJ, or Bloom, or Granny, I'm more lost than an angler fish on Mt Matterhorn! Applejack ain't told me if she wanted anythin' or not, Apple Bloom's interests ping like seals on mason jars, and Mac said he didn't want anything! And I really, really, really, wanna get Mac something!"

She drew in a gasp, then got all smug on me. "Does somepony have a cruuuuush?"
"What?!" I stumbled back and my ears pinned back. "Ain't like that! He's my main man! He goes in! We're thick as thieves, that's all!"
She weren't buyin it. "You and Big Mac, huh? Funny, if it weren't for the fact that I know about your origins, I would have been worried about you two being cousins!"
I made a face. "Aw, hell, don't crack jokes like that, folks threw that joke at me all the time in middle school."
"How come?"
"Southerners like me, we was called 'rednecks', and we got hit with incest jokes something fierce.. I don't even know why! The fuckin' Mormons did way worse stuff!"

Twilight looked up at me curious like. "I.. think we're getting off topic. You wanted to get your family gifts?"
"Yeah."
"Well, this sounds like a job for books!"

She magically shoved a book in my chest, I grabbed it and read the cover.
"One hundred and one gift ideas for your loved ones.. an everymare's guide to gifts.."

I opened the book and skimmed through it, riffling the pages to see if anything caught my eye.
Then I did it again. And again.
"This can't be how you read books!" Twilight snorted.
"Naw, it pretty much is."
"You're not absorbing any information! You're not comprehending anything!"
"I'm not lookin' to comprehend, I'm lookin' for a point o' interest."
She jus' kept poutin'.
"Candles? No. Books? Probably not. Lamps? House has plenty light.."
"There's no way you're actually processing that information."
"I mean, no, not really. I'm just skimmin." I looked up from the book.
"That's not gonna help you at all!"

I shrugged. "Hell, you've lived here longer'n me. Y'ever see.. well, anythin' that Mac likes at all?"
"Well, there was.. the one time, with the Want It Need It spell, you remember? I had the entire town under that spell,"
"Right, right,"
"I had cast it on my foalhood doll, Smarty Pants, and after it was all over, I tried to find her again, but it turns out that Mac kept her.. I didn't wanna be mean, so, I let him keep her."
"Hahaaah! Oh, my heart's gonna blow, that's too damn sweet!"
"Right? He was so happy when I told him that,"
"He's a mighty fine fella, real sweet.." I nodded, lookin up and thinkin'.

"...You totally have a crush on him," She grinned.
"I don't! I do not!" My thoughts came crashin' on down like a china shop in a quake. "Dolls, he might like a doll, yep, y'got any paper to ho-"
She shoved a parchment and ink quill right in my face. I grabbed em out of her magic. "Pfft, course ya do, the hell do I take you for?" I muttered.

We spent the rest of that day brainstormin' ideas together.
Apple Bloom, she'd get a first aid kit and a how-to guide on it for the clubhouse. A lot of her shenanigans ended up with cuts n' bruises, and I'd spin it to say, 'hell, maybe you could get your cutie mark in medicine.'
AJ, well, I noticed she had a tendency to overwork herself in the field without takin' a break, n' so I decided a canteen for drinkin' water would be mighty fine, so long as it didn't mess with her form none, and I found a pretty good option.
Granny, I decided to get her some cushions for her rockin' chair so her back wouldn't ache as much when she finished nappin.
And Mac.. shit, I still didn't have nothin' for Mac. Guess I'd sew him a doll..? But I weren't that good at sewin', so, we'll see.

"Y'wanna join us for this year's Hearth's Warming Pageant?" Mac asked.
"Hearth's Warming Pageant?" I looked over to Mac as he took another swig of cider.

We was hanging on the porch together again, switching out cold beer for mulled cider.
"Eeyup." he said, "It's a play. AJ n' her friends are performing it this year."
"What's it about?"
"Foundin' of Equestria. And the Hearth. Why we all sing songs durin' the Winter n such."

Oh, like a nativity play! With that in my head, I started feelin' a sense of nostalgia for the Christmas sermons my Gramma and Pa used to put on in the winter, so I looked to Mac n' said, "Y'know what? Sure. I ain't been to anything like this in years. Reckon I'm in for a good time."
"Eeyup!" He smiled.

We took a train up to Canterlot, and, I know bougie when I see it. I found myself stickin' close to my family just because the sheer snootiness factors made me all agitated, I was worried I'd act a fool and hit somepony that looked at me wrong. And they did, often.

After a bit, AJ split up from the rest of us to meet up with her friends for the play, and we spent the time wanderin' the streets until the play started.

I came outta that play slightly traumatized. Fuckin' hell! No wonder ponies was so nice, they had the threat of a magical nuclear winter hangin' above them like the sword of damn-o.. something. Whatever. The Greek sword.
Now, a skeptic person woulda said, "Oh, that's just like how every Christmas, the churches all talk about Jesus bein' born and how we await his second comin', but it won't actually happen." But like.. Jeezy Boy did come round the bend and picked up those who was still his flock.

Which, notably, wasn't every christian out there. Trust me. I'd know.
It weren't even the rest of humanity, neither. There was still plenty other divine connections out there. It's just that the Father, Son, n Holy Ghost decided to round up their flock and go home.
So I weren't about to go and take this here story with a grain of salt either, and if I ever spotted someone being supremacist, I'd better kick their shit in before they bring on the end times.
Again.

Ironically enough, I don't do cold all that well. Found myself musin' on it while Apple Bloom n her friends pelted my shitty little fort with snowballs. They had my hooves tied round my back, metaphorically speakin', said I weren't allowed to use my fire magic to melt their fort. Fair enough, really.

I stuck my big ol' head out and was pelted with a whole barrage of snowy white death. I was just too damn big!

The CMCs squealed in delight every time, though, so I couldn't exactly complain.

I looked over to see AJ comin' our way.

"Alright, girls, it's gittin' dark, y'all gotta git ready to go home. There's a storm scheduled for an hour from now." Applejack called out into the no mare's land.

The CMCs all groaned in disappointment, but I came over n' gave them all a big hug. "Well," I said, "Hearth's Warmin' is tomorrow, that means the sooner y'git to bed, sooner y'get all your gifts."
That seemed to excite the little fillies, and they agreed. The three of them climbed up on a scooter hooked up to a wagon, and the pegasus - Scootaloo? Yeah, she fluttered her wings like they was a motorboat and revved off into the night to drop Apple Bloom off at the house, and Sweetie off at hers.

AJ walked up to me while I shook the snow outta my beanie and scarf. "Bonfire? I gotta make a last minute run out to the market, but we're outta firewood and Big Mac's makin' supper. Would you be able to go chop some?"
"Yeah, I can, don't worry." I agreed, patting her on the withers.
She looked up at me with a grin, and said, "Jus' don't leave my brother alone for too long, now, y'hear?"
"What's that s'pposed to mean!?" I shouted, and she ran off, hootin' and hollerin' with laughter.
Shiiiiit. If she could see it, everypony in town could.

I walked out to the shack where we kept the logs ready for splitting, grabbed the axe, and got into the rhythm of chopping wood to pieces. No better way to blow off steam than a good thwack n' chop.

Chop.
Place.
Chop chop.
Place.
Chop, chop, chop, chop.

Time passed as I worked myself into a rhythm, then when I was done, I started loading the wood up into a wagon. I was about to hitch myself up to it, when I heard some noise.

The Huntin' Horn.
It sounded in the distance. I looked up in shock, looking at the threshold, seeing it was fine. So then, what..?

I saw something launch from the woods. But it wasn't really visible, looked transparent, almost like..
Water?

Arrows of freezing cold water flew down from on high, pelting my coat and the wagon just as the snowstorm was kicking in, driving the temperature down!!

"SONUVABITCH! COLD, COLD, COLD, COLD, COLD!" I screamed.
The winter storm came roaring right on through, and I realized what them bastards were doing!

They was shock freezin' me! And it was working..!!

I immediately felt my body shivering, shaking, my teeth chattering like castanets, and I was too damn far from the house to get inside! Of course! Why bother with a barrier when you can just shoot artillery! Fuck me! Cold, cold, cold, cold, cold..

I tried shaking off the water, but it weren't much help, I swear it made me feel colder.
Fire. Build a fire. I have firewood.

Fire wood's also wet. Everything is wet n' cold.
Force a fire on some wood and it don't last. Too wet, too cold. I'm cold n' wet. I won't last. Tried reaching in for the ones underneath the top layer, but my shakin' hooves just knocked them into the snow.

I found my mind reeling something fierce. I try to focus, but the cold is so damn bitter on my nerves, it pulls me away, and I start walking, don't know where, I'm just so damn cold. My clothes are soaked. Cold. Wet. Freezin' over. Take off the clothes? Hell no, colder. Put em back on? Hell no, even colder!!

Oh, God, I'm gonna die. This is how I die. The only reason the fae didn't kill me this way before is cuz it was autumn. Sadistic bunch of fucking plants!

Cold, I'm so damn cold. Needed to get help. I tried to scream out, only to find my lungs too short on breath to scream! Too damn cold!! All I can think is cold! Oh, god, help! I'm panicking. I start running, stumbling, tumbling. I looked up at the sky and the stars looked down on me like little lighthouses, far away.
Lighthouse. That was a signal. Signal into the air, somehow.

A flare!
I gather my magic, as shakey and cold as it is, and fire up, into the air, the fireball makin' a little pchooooo on the way up, before exploding!
And that drained the last of my reserve. I look over to my left and see I'm on the ground not even a few meters from where I started.
This was bad.

Please, God, somepony help me..

"Bonfire!"
I see something approachin' in the snow, a thin lady, lookin' a bit like my boss, no, they couldn't be here. No. Why now?

"Bonfire!"

I hear somethin, crane my neck the other way, it takes a decade. Some kinda red blob headin' my way.

"Bonfire!"

Oh, nononono, Mac, run, honey, run, my boss has come to claim me. Save yourself, it's too damn late for me!

"Bonfire! Sweet Celestia, what happened? Stay with me, talk to me."
"M'ex-boss. Here. G-g-g-gonna kill me." I croaked.

I could hear the court laughing at the sad lil' joke that was my life. Why did I ever think I could protect them with just a barrier? Why did I ever..

"I don't see nopony out here, but keep talking, don't go to sleep!" He shouted at me, I felt my body move. Lay across something warm.
"Sleep.. sounds good. Cold, Mac.. so c-c-c-c-cold.."
"Eeyup! I know. We're gonna get you home. You're gonna be okay."
"I'm so..ssssSorry. I can't. Protect you.. At all."
"Nnope! Y'let me worry about protecting you for once, mmkay?! Stay with me, what did this?"
"Th'fae.. sh-sh-sh-shot water.. arrows. over th-th-the wall. I'm so goddamn p'thet.." Felt my eyes closin'.
"Nnope! You stay up!" He smacked my snout with his tail, I yelped, I looked up to see all sorts of shapes in the woods. The flurries of snow made em all shift and jiggle and wobble..
"They l-l-l-laughin at me.. Mac.. I'm scared."
"Eeyup. I'm not lettin' you die. Y'stay with me."
"AhM..T-t-t-trying.."
"I care 'bout you too damn much to lose ya!"
"H-H-H-Huh..?"
"Eeyup!" He snorted as he drove us through the snow.
"M-mac, is you.. are y-you's.. n-nawh... I'm just gonna.. I'm gon'.. nap.."
"Eenope! Stay with me!" Thwip!
"AGH!"

He kept me talkin'. Felt like eternity.
I suddenly felt the warmth of the house run over me. Felt nice. They took off my clothes, put me in my bed. Heard Granny givin' orders, felt a blanket on me. Oh, yeehaw.. hot choccy milk. I was shakin so much they gave me a straw to sip at it. They put a knit hat on my head. Something real warm behind my back.

Time passed.

Warmer now, and I felt myself returning to the living.
I rolled myself over in my bed and found Big Mac inches from my face, lookin' like he was just about ready to doze off.

Oh, he was so goddamn warm. I nosed him to wake him up. His eyes fluttered open, and I found m'self starin' into them big green eyes.

"Hey," I opened, real smooth.
"Eyup," He parried.

I didn't have the right words. I just laid my head down in front of his, nose to nose. My body's instincts seemed to know what to do, and Mac just pressed his nose to mine. And we breathed. It felt so goddamn nice. Wasn't sure how, or why. But inhaling a piece of him was the most, effervescent goddamn thing in the world.

"You wanna talk about.. what'cha said earlier?"
"Eeeyyynnnope."
"Okay. Later, then."
"Eeyup.."

Didn't stop snugglin' him. Just let us bask in the silence. He'd come round when he was good n' ready.

Hearth's Warmin' was here. I was still recoverin' from yesterday, my body ached somethin' fierce and they wouldn't let me leave the fireplace unless I was headin' to the bathroom. I was wrapped up in a blanket on the couch, real cozy. Mac wouldn't leave my side.

"I got y'all gifts." I mumbled, goodnaturedly. Sipped on some eggnog, gestured with my hoof. "They's under the couch." Apple Bloom skittered underneath and pulled em out, all gift wrapped n' stuff.
"Aw, Bon, y'didn't have to go an' do that." AJ looked real happy regardless.
"I didn', but I wanted to. Y'all've been the best dang thing that ever happened to me. Wanted to show my gratitude."

Apple Bloom was already tearin' apart her gift.
"A first aid kit?" she asked, confused. "And a book?"
"For yer clubhouse." I said. "You n' your friends get into all sorts of scrapes, I wanna make sure you can at least take care of yourself."
She looked up at me curiously. "B'sides," I continued, "Y'might get a cutiemark in first aid."
That made her light up n' beam real bright. She bounced up and hugged me real tight, and I wrapped my free hoof around her.

AJ looked at the flask I got her. Nice solid double metal canteen with a plastic cup, all fitted into a canvas pouch that strapped to the withers. She looked up at me.
"Drink up!" I grinned. "Y'keep comin' back to the farmhouse parched and gulpin' down water, so I figured you'd like this."
She tried on the pouch, adjusted the straps, and struck a lil pose.
"Whatcha think? Looks good on me?"
"Yeah!" Apple Bloom cheered, lookin' up from her pokin' around the kit.
"Eeyup." Mac nodded.

Granny was already just snoozin' away in her new cushions.

"Mac.. I already asked you whatcha wanted, you said nothin."
"Eeyup." He just laid there, next to me, stoic as always. I nodded.

Apple Bloom and AJ looked a lil' sad, and I flashed them a lil frown and shrug. Trust me, girls, I wanted to get him something nice too.

"Well.. we got somethin' for y'all too, sugarcube." AJ said softly.
"This was Mac's idea, actually!" Apple Bloom piped up, runnin off somewhere.
I looked to Mac. "It was?"
"E..Eeyup."
"Well, he's been hearing you sing to yourself when you do work. And we was just hoping.." and then Bloom came back round the corner with a guitar shaped gift.
No goddamn way.
I gingerly opened the wrappin' paper, and found myself face-to-face with the most gorgeous looking guitar I'd ever seen, holding it in my hooves. My lip quivered. She was beautiful. A rich wooden body that had been given a fancy sealin' treatment, sturdy lookin' strings that could survive a tunin', and no cheap lookin' glue at all - my god, she even had a beautiful apple blossom etched into the wood..
"We was hopin', Just maybe, you'd like to sing with us?" Applejack grinned, and whipped out her own fiddle, while Big Mac pulled out a goddamn banjo.
"You lead, we'll follow you." Mac smiled softly.

Oh hell yeah! Aw hell, wait a second..
"Y'all don't know any songs I do, though. How we gonna play a song together?"
Applejack grinned knowingly. "You'll see."

Huh.. okay. Well I reckon I could play something, then. Fat Little Killer Boy? No, too violent for the holidays. I didn't remember how to play Silent Night..
I spent too long on higher energy country songs, I didn't know of anything peaceful enough for tonight. Cmon! Something about seasons..!

Oh wait.
"I got one." I said, and strummed to see if my guitar was in tune. It was. I grinned, and started tapping a rhythm with my hoof, then started to play.

I swear the howlin' of the wind outside started to sound like a musical saw as AJ joined in on her fiddle and sang along with the first lyric.

We sang so many goddamn songs together, and I found myself able to sing along despite not knowin' the lyrics. Apple Bloom even joined in on the chorus of some songs. Eventually, though, the girls tuckered out and headed off to sleep.

Mac and I stayed together after the celebrations, on that bed. He was warm and I weren't about to go anywhere.

"Bonfire, I.. Bout what I said, yesterday.."
"Yeah?"
"..I meant it. Ever since you showed up and started bein' my friend, I.."

He fell silent.
"Take your time, big guy, I ain't goin' nowhere."
"Well. I've just been real happy to see you, every day. You always come round to spend time with me, even on my less chatty days. I don't have to.. change myself, for you. Folks always thought I was mad with em just cuz I didn't have nothing to say."

He sighed and brushed his mane with a hoof. "Truth of the matter is, I just don't think it's ever worth saying too much. So, you being happy with me, even when I don't talk..? It's nice."

"..Been happy to be round you too," I admitted. "Spent a lotta time out on the road all on my lonesome. Not many friends, no family.." No lovers, I wanted to say. Hookups, sure, but that's just cuz most folks wanted bragging rights about 'Bagging the Highwayman.'
"Here, though? I've.. had it all, and you've been the cream of the crop." I smiled to him. He smiled back, cupped my cheek with a hoof.

"There was a reason I told you I didn't want nothin' for Hearth's Warming." He quietly said to my face.
"Hm?" Felt my own fuzzy coat heating up right around the bridge of my nose.
"I.. Jus' wanted you."

My mind exploded into stars when his lips touched mine.

Author's Note