Branches of the Hearth's Warming Tree

by Jade Ring

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

“You sure yer ready fer this?”

“AJ, you’re acting like I’ve never been to a family function at your house before.”

“It ain’t that. It’s just…”

“Just what?”

“It’s Scarlet’s first Hearth’s Warming.”

“…And?”

“And Mac and Fluttershy might have gone a little overboard.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as she reached for the Apple’s front door. “How bad could it…”

The door swung open and Applebloom raced out, screaming. “I DON’T WANT TO TAKE ANOTHER GAL-DERNED PICTURE!”

“Applejack! Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy gripped them both in a fierce hug. “Come in out of the snow.”

“Uh… what about Applebloom?”

Fluttershy smiled and took notice of the trail of hoof prints the teenager had left in the snow. She whistled shrilly and waited. In seconds, Winona and her three puppies were at her hooves. She pointed them at the hoof prints. “Fetch.”

The dogs were gone quicker than they’d arrived.

Applejack laughed and shook her head. “Bein’ a mama has made you scary, ‘Shy.”

Rainbow Dash joined in the laughter. “Are you kidding? Fluttershy’s always scared the mess out of me.”

Fluttershy looked away sheepishly. “Sorry. I just want everything to be perfect for…”

“Little Wing!” Macintosh’s voice called out from the living room. “She’s playing with the tinsel again!”

Fluttershy was gone. Several yellow feathers floated to the ground where she'd once stood.

Rainbow Dash looked at her marefriend. “They do know that she’s not going to remember any of this, don’t they?”

Applejack shrugged and led the pegasus into the house proper. A teenage pegasus stallion came trotting from the living room. “Hey guys.”

“Hey Rumble.”

“Did you see where…?”

“That way.” Applejack pointed out the door. “But hurry. Fluttershy set the dogs on her.”

Rumble sighed. “Not again. That’s the third time today.”

The laughing marefriends watched him fly off and headed into the living room. Hearth’s Warming decorations covered every inch of space. Enchanted baubles sung carols, filling the air with holiday music. Angel hopped this way and that, flashing a camera almost as big as he was at anything Fluttershy told him to.

At the moment, his subject was baby Scarlet.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash smiled down at the mewling foal, the first born from Mac and Fluttershy’s union. The tiny red earth pony swiped at some tinsel stuck in her yellow mane and gurgled, both actions causing her parents to coo and exclaim in delight.

Rainbow Dash’s smile faded and she looked to Applejack. “She’s still really small.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “’Course she is. Little thing was born three months early.”

Rainbow Dash nodded, remembering those harrowing weeks following Scarlet’s birth. “Is she… alright?”

Applejack nodded. “Doctors say she’s gonna be rail thin for her entire life, and she won’t have the strength to apple-buck, but other than that she’s gonna be right as rain.”

Rainbow Dash sighed in relief. “That’s good.” She waved at the filly’s father. “Hey Mac.”

“Eeyup.” He responded, not tearing his eyes from his most precious creation.

“The house looks nice.”

“Eeyup.”

“So I’m gonna drag Applejack upstairs and make a mare out of her. Again. In your bed. Sound good?”

“Eeyup.”

Dash clutched at her belly as she guffawed at the scandalized look on Applejack’s face.

Applejack’s reprisal was cut off by a shout of rage from the front door. “Get offa me ya dumb colt!” Rumble floated through the door carrying a squirming Applebloom underneath him. Winona and the pups playfully barked and nipped at her waving hooves.

Rumble spied Rainbow Dash and cleared his throat. “Granny Smith wants to see you on the porch.”

“Me?”

He nodded.

Flashing a bewildered look at her love, Dash trotted back outside and made her way around the porch.

She found Granny Smith in her rocker, an envelope in her lap, staring at the setting sun. She motioned for Dash to join her who dutifully, but still confusedly, plopped herself on the wood next to the ancient chair.

“My pa always used to watch the sun set on Hearth’s Warming. Not sure why, but he did. In this very chair. Right up to the day he died.” She sighed heavily and looked at the lightning blue mare. “Applejack’s very fond of you.”

“I hope so.” Dash smiled. “I’m pretty head over hooves for her myself.”

Granny returned the smile. “I’m glad. Glad that I got to see her find somepony special.” She looked back at the sun set. “That’s what I was most afraid of, y’know? That I would leave before they all found somepony to love. Now Mac’s got Fluttershy, AJ’s got you, and Applebloom’s got that Rumble fella.”

Dash chuckled. “They are cute together, but I hardly think those two are thinking marriage just yet.”

“But you and AJ are?”

Dash’s mouth slapped shut and she looked away. “I won’t say the thought hasn’t crossed my mind.” She looked at the Apple matriarch in embarrassment. “I know I’m supposed to ask your for permission, aren’t I?”

Granny laughed and shook her head. “If you were asking today, you would. But I‘ve got a feeling that when the time comes, it’ll be Mac yer askin.’”

“What are you…?”

“I can feel it, Dash. Ain’t got long left. Could be a day. Maybe a week. A few months if I’m real lucky. But it won’t be a year. Nope.” She smiled sadly at the fading light. “I’m perty sure this is my last Hearth’s Warming sunset.”

Dash followed her gaze. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you love my grand-daughter. And she loves you. And she’s gonna take me leavin’ perty hard.” She looked at Dash, her wrinkled face tight with seriousness. “She’s gonna need you. Especially once she reads this.” She indicated the envelope on her hoof. “I need ya to promise me you’ll be there for her.”

“Why?”

“Call it an old mare’s last Hearth’s Warming wish.”

Dash considered, then nodded. “I’ll always be there for her.”

“I had a feeling.” The last of the sun’s light faded and the ancient pony hefted herself down from her rocker. She groaned as her joints popped. “Element of Loyalty and all. Just needed to hear you say it.”

Dash made for her side. “Need some help?”

She shook her head and headed for the door. “Perty sure I got this one. Now come on. Let me send Rumble and Applebloom to town to drop this with Pro Bono and then you can help me with dinner.”

Dash hesitated. “Isn’t the law office closed today?”

Granny grinned gummily. “Eeyup. That’s why they’re gonna slide it under the door then go hide in the treehouse for a bit.”

Rainbow Dash grinned back. “You’re pretty cool for an old pony.”

Granny Smith rolled her eyes. “Honey, I may be nearly a hunnert years old, but I ain’t dead yet. Speakin’ of…”

“Ahem.”

Dash turned to find Flim, one half of the charlatan Flim Flam Brothers, waiting at the bottom of the porch steps, a bouquet and a stack of presents hovering in his magic. “I’m not late am I?”

Granny waved him up. “Not late at all, my little bacon biscuit. Now get up here and give mama some Hearth’s Warming sugar.”

Comments

[Dawn Flower]

For the first time, I'm the first one to read a story. And upvote it. And comment on it. I'm glad it was one of yours. This story is is just as good as all your others, hitting every mark. I can't wait to read more.

Happy Hearths Warming, Jade Ring.

[ElJorro]

So Flim likes older women huh?:pinkie sick:

Since when did Winona have puppies!?

[Yami Vizzini]

More mood whiplash, but that's life.

[Jade Ring]

5423384 In my experience, when it comes to families and the holidays, emotions are always going this way and that.

5423384 Winona had her puppies not long before this little scene. She just ran off one day and came home pregnant.

5423268 And to you as well.

[The Princess Rarity]

Huzzah, another glorious set of Christmas stories written by the magnificent Jade Ring! As usual, my emotions have been flopped this way and that because of you, and I cannot wait for the rest of the installments.

[Swirling Line]

Go Granny Smith!

[Rubycast]

Oh...My...Gosh.

[sparkypchu]

I feel like this story should be called "Tinsel Time Machine." After binge reading all the stories in the DSB continuity this story, and this chapter specifically, feel like I took a big step back in time.

Unrelated note: "Tinsel Time Machine" sounds like a Hearth's Warming story with Doctor Whooves. Perhaps about alien snakes.

[Vic Fontaine]

Awesome!

[rogueunicorn]

That ending though . When are you gonna update this?

[Jade Ring]

6080592 Meh. When I get in a Christmas mood.