“It’s called ‘holiday blend’ for a reason, dope,” Rainbow said, giving Applejack a hearty smack on the shoulder. “What did you think was gonna be in it?”
Applejack stuck her tongue out and set her bottle back down on the table. “Not… not that, that’s for damn sure.”
Rainbow took another long swig of the cider. The usual alcoholic burn was rounded out, almost softened, by the spiced notes of clove, ginger, and cinnamon. Even the color was a darker, richer orange-brown-- though that may have been a trick of the bottle’s amber tint.
“Don’t they have any normal cider around here?” Applejack asked.
“Ugh, I guess.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I thought the point was to try some new flavors. Find the right gift for this mystery special-somepony we’ve been hearing about.”
Applejack blushed fiercely. “Maybe.” She tucked her chin down into her scarf, though it did nothing to disguise the rising pink of her cheeks.
Rainbow scoffed and set her bottle back down on the table. “Why won’t you just tell me, AJ?” she complained. “C’mon! I’m your best friend! I don’t get to know who you’ve got the hots for?”
“Shut up!” Applejack shot back.
“No way!” Rainbow replied with a little laugh.
Applejack stuck her tongue out again, this time at her friend.
Rainbow returned the crude gesture. She tossed in a small raspberry.
Applejack declined the escalation. Her gaze slipped down to the floor. Her cheeks were still rosy, but it seemed less in embarrassment and more in outright frustration. She folded her forelegs over her chest and shivered slightly.
Rainbow’s expression softened. “I-I mean… you don’t have to. I wasn’t gonna make you or anything, I just--”
“I know, I know.” Applejack waved off her friend’s comments. “Just… in my own time, okay?”
“Uh… yeah.” Rainbow forced an awkward smile, even though Applejack wasn’t looking. “Sure thing, AJ.”
Applejack did not turn back to look at her friend, though her gaze did rise to the large window at the front of the brewery. She sighed, and a plume of steam rose from her snout.
Rainbow tapped her hooves impatiently on the table. To her disappointment, Applejack seemed to be ignoring her on purpose, now.
She opened her mouth, intending to say something smart or funny or in any way distracting, but couldn’t conjure even a single syllable. Instead, she put her head down on the table, and gazed out the window with Applejack.
When winter hit Ponyville, it hit hard. That was mostly thanks to Cloudsdale being so close, but at least some of the snow drifts and sledding could be attributed to none other than Rainbow Dash herself. Few loved winter more than she did, and she was known for… perhaps overdoing the annual snowfall totals for a few extra wintery days.
It was beautiful as it was fun. The snow was that perfect, powdery consistency that still packed down into powerful snowballs. So light and fluffy that it hardly even felt cold. That was the only way Rainbow would have it.
Today, it seemed that everypony in Ponyville was out playing in the snow. Pony families were building matching snow families, foals of all ages were belly flopping into the drifts and carving out silly shapes… Rainbow was sure that, somewhere in the Everfree, Sweetie Belle and Rarity were enjoying the first ice skate of the season.
All of it through a frosty window, tinged at the corners with delicate fractals of ice.
Applejack leaned back in her chair, and it creaked slightly.
Rainbow looked at her.
She wasn’t stupid. Rainbow knew Applejack well enough to know that she wasn’t just ‘waiting for the right time’ or whatever; she was hiding something. She was into somepony she shouldn’t be--or maybe even couldn’t be--and was too scared to tell Rainbow.
Rainbow, her best friend.
Was that it?
Was Applejack afraid that Rainbow wouldn’t want to hang out with her anymore after this?
Just like that, the magic of friendship and loyalty flared in Rainbow’s chest, and she cleared her throat lightly.
Applejack cast a sidelong glance in her direction.
“Hey,” Rainbow said softly, pushing her cider to the side. “Uh. You know that, no matter who you like, I’ll support you… right?”
Applejack, at last, turned to face Rainbow once again.
There was something strange in her eyes. A dark and nostalgic crinkle at the corners, a melancholy shimmer to her squint… and yet, a humorous twinkle somewhere deep inside.
She didn’t say anything at all. Only stared. If she had dared to say anything, it would have either been a barefaced lie or a truth far too honest-- even for Applejack.
Rainbow returned a grimace that was likely nowhere near as subtle.
“You like this one, don’t you?” Applejack said, motioning to the bottle of cider across from Rainbow.
“Uh…” Rainbow picked it up, took another sip. “Yeah, I like it. It’s, uh. Winter-y. I think it’s a good Hearth’s Warming gift.”
Applejack nodded. “Okay. That’s what I’m getting my special somepony, then.”
Rainbow snorted. “You sure?” she said. “You don’t have to go by me. I mean-- you probably shouldn’t, I have bad taste in--”
“Rainbow,” Applejack said firmly. “If you like it, I’m positive they’ll like it, too.”
Rainbow looked back down into the bottle. The liquid inside looked so much like Applejack’s hide, she thought. It was even pocked with little white bubbles, matching her freckles almost perfectly.
“Alright.” Rainbow shrugged. “Whatever. I’m sure they’ll like it plenty.”
“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Rainbow,” Applejack said, passing her friend a tall bag topped with blue tissue.
Rainbow gasped. “You had me for Hearth’s Warming Helper?!” She snatched the bag from her friend with the excitement of a foal.
It wasn’t so much that Applejack was known as a fantastic gift-giver-- more that she was frequently a giver of booze. And Rainbow was partial to booze. Especially the gifted kind.
She tore away the tissue paper, revealing a bottle of cider.
“Ah, you came through again, AJ,” she mused, pulling the bottle out of the bag.
Applejack chuckled.
Rainbow read the label. “Hey. You got me the holiday blend,” she said, turning the bottle to face AJ. “Really? You got me the same drink as your mare of mystery?”
Applejack laughed even harder, and a little snort snuck out.
Rainbow cocked her head. If this was meant to be some sort of hilarious joke, she sure was missing the punchline.
Then she saw the way Applejack smiled as she laughed. The way her cheeks were a little bit rosy from the cold. The way even her harsh snorts sounded delightfully cheerful and wholesome. The way her eyes crinkled at the corners.
Rainbow cracked a smile.
She started to laugh along.
And that was okay. She would figure it out eventually.