I’m not saying you should be depressed during christmas, but remember the people n pain...
Rarity smiled as she pulled away from her latest dress, looking at the various white trims lining up with the bright red of the coat. Running her hoof along the soft fabric, she admired the soft material of her outfit. Nodding with a sense of accomplishment, she then stood up and turned away looking at the mirror. For a brief moment, she saw herself as she once was,bipedal and with curves. Quickly blinking away the sight, she saw herself as a pony once more, “So glad to be back to normal.”
“Rarity! I’m here!” Sweetie Belle said, walking in through the front door. Smiling, she looked up the stairs as Rarity stepped out from her work room, “Ready for some Hearth’s warming shopping?”
“I would dear,” Rarity said, shaking her head, “But I agreed to help Applejack with the shopping. You know, considering her current...predicament? Your day will come tomorrow.”
Sweetie Belle turned to Rarity with a frustrated look, “Then what am I going to be doing today?”
“Spike will be here in an hour to drop off Crystal before he goes to help Twilight with her party,” Rarity said, smiling, “And that leaves you to look after her. Glarity is busy with the dresses for Luna’s royal engagement party so that leaves you with the hard work.”
“And why am I agreeing to babysit my little niece?” asked Sweetie Belle as she watched Rarity put on a scarf and a small coat.
“Because,” Rarity said sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes, “You love taking care of your little niece who you love as a baby sister?”
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes and then asked, “This is payback for all of the times mom and dad dropped off with you, isn’t it?”
Rarity said nothing, only let out a giggle as she stepped out into the snowy winter of Ponyville. Taking a deep breath, she calmly walked out onto the snowy field of the small town. Looking back and forth, she watched as unicorpian and pony alike began to work and play together. Near Sugar Cube Corner, a little unicorpian colt had a snowball fight with the twins.
Making her way to the marketplace, she heard a call of, “Lady Rarity, nice day isn’t it?” asked a Unicorpian, “I hope you and your family are well.”
Rarity let out a chuckle as she nodded and walked to where Applejack was standing, picking up a pear from a cart, “Well, if it isn’t lady Applejack and,” she giggled, looking at Applejack’s distended belly. “Company.”
Applejack glared at Rarity as she walked towards her friend, “You are never gonna stop with that gag, are ya?”
“I have three more months left to tease you until we see the newest member of the family, so I will take my time for a light teasing,” Rarity said, walking to stand next to Applejack. “But I am surprised that they are allowing you out here, considering.”
Applejack rolled her eyes, “They are only doing it because I have an ‘escort’ with me. I.e you.”
“OH, so the brave Applejack, conqueror of boars, almost invincible, is now rendered to the level of a damsel,” giggled Rarity.
“Oh haw haw. Ah swear, if it isn’t Caramel fawning over me and keeping an eye out for me, it’s Applebloom and Big Mac being bound and determined to not letting me do any work at all! All Ah’ve been able to do lately is cook, clean and look over everything,” Applejack sad, sighing.
Rarity reached over and tenderly caressed her friends stomach, “That’s because they want to make sure your precious cargo is safe. After all, this is an important time for you.”
“Yeah, just wish the kid wouldn’t make me crave everything under the sun,” Applejack said, shaking her head. Deciding to change the subject, she looked up and around at the various ponies walking around and talking. Looking above, she could hear a distant conversation of two weather ponies talking and smiled.
“Hard to believe that only a year ago, no one here would be this happy during the holidays,” Rarity said, looking down. “The Unicorpians would be antsy or looking down at us for trying to have fun during this time of year, and the Equestrians would be so downtrodden they wouldn’t see the point in being happy.”
“Yeah, and bow look,” Applejack said, looking around her, “Things are kind of back to normal. No one is thinking about war, or the next attack. Everypony is happy with each other and-”
“We have Twilight back home, alive,” Rarity smiled. “Oh, and speaking about the rest of us,what is everypony doing?”
“Fluttershy and Rainbow are setting things up at the cottage. Pinkie is busy with three parties at once,” Applejack said.
“Three parties?” asked Rarity shocked.
Applejack counted, “Ours, her family, and Starfleet’s.”
“Ah I see. And of course, Twilight is having her annual holiday freak out over her holiday planning,” Rarity giggled, “After all, not only does she have her family over, but she has to prepare to break the news of her current situation with Sir Flash Sentry.”
“Wait, the gal has been dating him for the past few months and hasn’t told a SOUL?” Applejack said, wide eyes.
“Remember who we are dealing with, dear. We are dealing with Twilight of the house Sparkle, the family who has a son who forgot to tell his sister of his upcoming nuptials a day before they happened,” Rarity said, shaking her mane. “ I am not really surprised that she forgot something that important.”
“Yeah, and coming back to life isn’t probably helping either,” Applejack said, much to the laughter of Rarity. Turning around, Applejack looked ahead as a few unicorpains were laughing with Equestrains, “We did this Rarity, we did all of this. Brought ponies together and saved the entire planet.”
“More than that, we brought ponies back to life,” Rarity said, patting Applejack on the shoulder, “that is important too. Do you ever think about it?”
“When we were that giant Alicorn thing? Sometimes. It was probably the most wonderful thing I had ever felt,” Applejack smiled contently, “It was like we were all one, sharing the same mind and body. Like Ah knew everything you knew and we could do anything.” then with a chuckle she added, “Not that Ah want to do it again. Ah saw some of Rainbow’s fantasies about Fluttershy, and let me tell you that gal can get saucy.”
Rarity laughed at this and looked around, “And here we all are, one, whole.”
Applejack listened to the air around her, hearing a faint guitar playing a slow and soft melody. Nodding her head to the beat, she began to walk ahead, shopping as she sang and pulling out a doll,
Rarity did you know that your little foal, would see the world at peace?
Rarity did you know that your little girl would live in a new and better place?
Did you know, that you gave her this brighter world?
The best gift you gave, was a world free from war.
Rarity smiled at Applejack, listening to the beat of the song. The way the music played, the memories of the past year played through her head. Smiling warmly, she moved ahead and began to sing in response
AJ did you know, that we would bring an end to an demon’s war?
AJ did you know that we would bring peace by your hands?
Did you know that we would see our dearest Twilight once more?
When you kissed your love, you kissed the brighter tomorrow.
Aj did you know?Aj did you know?Aj did you know?
Aj did you know?Aj did you know?Aj did you know?
Leaning their heads together, Rarity and Applejack began to sing in unison. Allowing their voices to become one as they walked through the streets.
The dead returned, The heroes rose, Ponies united in song.
Friends unite, Bring the light, All under friendship.
Smiling, Applejack and Rarity began to take turns in the song, as if asking and responding to each other’s questions.
Rarity, did you know that we would unite two races?
Applejack, did you know that your family would grow even more?
Did you know that our friendship would never fade?
That our world would see a brighter sun rise!
Rarity did you know? AJ did you know? Rarity did you know?
AJ did you know? Rarity did you know? AJ did you know? Oh
Rarity, did you know?
“Nice song,” a stallion’s voice was heard from a bench. As Applejack and Rarity turned to the sound, they found a red coated stallion with a blonde mane sitting on the bench. Looking up, he said, “Oh, sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.” and then he put down the guitar that he was playing and sighed.
“Oh you weren’t interrupting at all,” Rarity said shaking her head. With a warm smile she added, “That melody you were playing just inspired a song in our hearts.”
Strings sighed, “A song...in your heart? Heh, long time since I had thought about that.”
“Why are you so gloomy anyway? It’s hearth’s Warming you know,” Applejack said, looking at the stallion with a curious look.
“I know, it’s just,” Strings looked at his cutie mark, and gently ran a hoof along it, “Playing music, and crafting songs, makes me think of my lost love. The mare I dreamed of and loved for so long. It used to be I could play so sweetly, but everytime I start, I think about how I lost her.”
“Who?” Rarity asked.
“Princess Cadence,” String said, looking down at his instrument and shaking his head.
Applejack took a step back and shook her head, “Wait a sec, your old flame was Princess Cadence?”
Nodding, strings began his story, “Once, in high school, I had been trying my best to compose the right song. The most perfect song that I feel like I could give to the mare of my dreams. That is when I saw her, Cadence. Oh, how I loved her, pined for her, and wanted to be with her. As soon as she came into my life, I knew I had to have her,” Strings then lowered his head, and shook it, “But, during Homecoming, when it was time for me to play my song for her, I saw her dancing with him.”
Rarity listened to the venom with with he said his last word and said, “Shining Armor.”
“The moment I saw her dancing with him, I knew I had lost my chance with her,” Strings then took another deep breath, watching as it came out in a cold mist, “I haven't felt a song in my heart since then.”
Rarity sat on the bench with Strings and rubbed his back, “Dear, just because you can’t get the mare you want, doesn’t mean you can’t give up on love and romance. There are plenty of fish in the sea you know.”
“Yeah, but, what if I just want the one girl. I just one kind of fish and just one particular fish,” asked the stallion.
“No fisherman I have ever heard in my life thinks like that. Besides, you do know fish come in schools right?” Applejack asked, “Meaning that one particular fish you are looking for can come back and just be a different version of that fish. It’s still the same fish, you are just hunting another member of the species.”
“But, what about love? I always thought that it was that one special thing that only pops up once in a while and you will know it when you see it,” said Strings.
Rarity shook her head, “A wonderful sentiment, a wonderful dream I know, but even Cadence herself can tell you that love doesn’t really work that way. Trust me I know.”
“Hey Rares!” Spike called out.
Rarity smiled warmly as she looked to the voice of her husband, “I myself had to fish many times from the same school of fish, until I found my beloved.” and with that, she got off her bench and ran to Spike.
Strings looked to the standing Applejack, “Is she right?”
“Buddy, Ah have seen Rares go through plenty of stallions before she met Spike, so yeah, she knows what she’s talking about,” Applejack said. “Ah don’t know what yahoo said all of hat to ya, but real love is something you work for. It’s something built on a connection between two ponies who love and understand one another through trust, compromise, and caring. You can’t just wait for that special spark, you need to work and make it happen.”
“Think there’s somepony like that for me?” Strings asked.
“Don’t know, but maybe you should actually-”
“Strings!” a yellow unicorn called out, running to him, “I was looking for you. I was wondering if you, maybe, might want to check out that hay burger place with me.”
Strings paused, looked back at Rarity as she ran to Spike, smiled and nodded, “Sure. Maybe you could listen to a song of mine later?”
“Sure, I always loved your singing.” Sun said, smiling as she and her friend walked away.
Applejack turned and looked to Rarity and Spike as they talked. Curious, she stepped closer and watched as Spike handed Rarity a bundle of cloth, “Honey, I got a present for you!”
“Oh Spike, what is it?” Rarity asked, pulling back the cover, revealing a little kirin with green eyes. The little baby then kissed her mom on the nose, making Rarity giggle as she took Crystal in her magic, “Why, it’s the most wonderful gift of all! Hello my sweet little gem.” she said, kissing her daughter on the forehead.
“Good, could you take her home? With some of Twilight’s presents?” Spike asked, chuckling a bit as he rubbed the back of his head with his claw, “I’m kind of late to meet up with Twilight and, well, you know how mom is.”
“Spike, I thought we agreed that you would take care of Clare while I shopped with Applejack and then we could go shopping later,” Rarity fummed, stomping her hoof.
Spike clapped his paws together and bowed his head, “I know Rares, I jut messed up the timing. Just please help and I’ll make it up to you. Promise!”
“Well,” Rarity looked at Spike’s emerald eyes, and smiled before kissing his forehead, “All right. But, I expect you to make it up to me tonight.”
“You know I will, my lady,” Spike said, kissing her on the lips before flying off.
Rarity shook her head, “What am I going to do with that drake of mine? Well then,” Rarity said, looking at Clare, “You and I are going home to spend time with your favorite aunt. Shall we?”
“REETIE!” growled Clarity, throwing her paws up.
“Yes, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said, nuzzling her daughter’s belly and walking away, leaving Applejack to watch.
“Golden,” Applejack said, patting her belly, “Ah promise, Ah won’t be that embarassing.” and with that, she began her journey