It was the ninth Hearth Warming Eve since Princess Twilight Sparkle had moved to Ponyville (and would move back to Canterlot over her dead body).
And the Pies and the Apples had chosen to celebrate together, hoping to find a balancing act to both their traditions.
And speaking of which, thanks to the Divine Might of the Pairing Stone that would not be challenged, Big Mac was now married to three mares.
But this was not the main event of the evening. Instead, a mare trotted in as if she'd be welcomed with open forelegs unchallenged. She was an Earth pony, had green fur, pink mane, and three peppermints as her cutie mark.
Before visiting Twilight Sparkle could ask who she was, Pinkie Pie shouted, "MINTY!"
"PINKY!"
The two mare immediately warmly nuzzled each other. Cheese Sandwich's smile admirably didn't twitch.
"Happy Hearth Warming Eve Pinks!"
"You too Mints!"
"Uh, Pinkie Pie... who this is?" Applejack asked.
"Oh you know Applejack! This is Minty! She's my oldest friend!"
"I've known Pinkie since forever!" Minty nodded.
"Weren't you at the ice cream museum opening?" Twilight asked.
Minty nodded. "That's me!" She help up a collection of green patterned socks and pinkie mint candy canes. "And I brought enough Christmas presents for everybody!"
"Shh! Minty! It's Hearths Warming Eve!" Pinkie Pie whispered.
"Huh? Oh right!" Minty said loudly, "I mean Hearth Warming Eve!"
Twilight thought for a moment, "Isn't that what Sunset said the holiday was called in her-"
"Now hold on cousin!" Applejack said unironically. "All the time we've hung out, and all the time Ah've visited, Ah've never seen so much as a photo of her, nor have ya spoken 'bout her once!"
Pinkie Pie then said simply, "You mean like how you ever told us about Rara before she showed up in Ponyville?"
"Uhhhhhh," Applejack looked unsure and embarrassed.
"Or how Twilight never once mentioned ger big brother for two years before she introduced us to him? And he wasn't even at the Gala?"
"That's..." Twilight tried to think of a reasonable answer to that.
"Or how you said that you had no friends in Canterlot after defeating Nightmare Moon in spite of having Moon Dancer, Lyra, Lemon Hearts, Twinkle Shine, and Minuette?"
Twilight shrank away. "That one... I was being an jackass."
"HEY!" Shouted an angry donkey passing by the window.
"Sorry Mr. Yankee."
"Or the CMC talking about how they were the only Blank Flanks in town in spite of Featherweight not having his cutie mark?"
"Maybe we were being kinda self centered?" Apple Bloom offered meekly.
"And you didn't mention me to any of your friends before I visited," Maud Pie said calmly.
"SHHHH!" Pinkie Pie shushed. "I didn't mention any of my sisters by name, so therefore, I didn't fail to mention you in particular."
"Logical," Maud Pie said simply.
"So... would anybody like some candy?" Minty offered.
Everypony was quick to take some and put everything Pinkie Pie had just mentioned out of their heads.
"So do you have the cookies and milk out for Santa?" Minty asked.
"Now hold on a minute-" Twilight began to say before Pinkie Pie interrupted.
"Minty, remember what we talked about."
"Oh right, sorry," Minty whispered.
"Did you bring enough socks for everypony?"
"Oh Pinkie Pie, you know you can bring too many socks!"
Pinkie later looked with satisfaction though a photo album showing Minty and Pinkie as fillies playing together that had most definitely been there before, and hadn't been retconned into existence, no sirree! Mint candy?
~Fin