//------------------------------// // Chapter 13- A Cozy Hearth’s Warming Eve // Story: The Cozy Anthology // by Silvermyr //------------------------------// "Actually, I don't really hate her. I just really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really dislike her." "Well, I don't hate you guys either." "Nor do I!" "No matter what our differences, we are all ponies…" With a flash of blue, a glittering sheet of "ice" encapsulated the three young ponies on Canterlot Castle's grand stage. Twilight had seen it before, and even been one of the three standing on top the stage once, but she was still a bit taken aback by how aggressive that particular bit of stage-magic looked. It really was as if the three of them were frozen solid.  Of course, right on cue, "Clover the Clever's" horn started to glow and the ice flew apart.  Several young voices in the crowd cheered. Twilight smiled wistfully. She too had just been a few years when she saw the Hearth's Warming pageant for the first time. Next to her, on a smaller stool (which was still fashioned from pure gold and silver), Flurry Heart was one of the young ponies cheering. Cadance, Shining Armour and Twilight all exchanged a meaningful glance at the young one's happiness.  It was nice to sit with them. She would have preferred to sit in the rest of the crowd rather than in the special Princess box, but then again, she had the perfect view from up here. And while she didn't condone it herself, she knew many ponies came here in part for the pageant and in part to catch a glimpse of a real alicorn.  She had asked Cozy to sit with them too, but she had refused and instead she sat next to Rumble on the benches alongside the ballroom. That's where the castle staff could sit so they never had to miss the pageant. She could see them over there, and it looked like they were holding hooves. Some day, maybe Twilight would ask if Cozy wanted to be part of the pageant, like Celestia had done with her? As the final act of the pageant approached its end, Twilight and Cadance both stood up and extended their wings. Of all her representative tasks as the acting Princess of Equestria, this was perhaps the one she considered the most important. She could not afford to mess this up. "You've got this, sis," Shining Armour mumbled quietly. The little bit of anxiety has vanished. It was just a song that she had known since she was as young as Flurry Heart. "And together, they named their new land…" And as one, all the ponies on the stage, and all the ponies in the crowd answered. "Equestria." The actors, all promising students from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, took a bow as the first notes of Equestria's national anthem started to sound. As was expected, Twilight and Cadance started the song together. As alicorns, tradition dictated that they were to lead the rest of the crowd through the song, metaphorically guiding their nation to friendship and to peace. "As dawn shines on us every morn…" They didn't have to sing alone for very long. All of the crowd joined in with them.  The fire of friendship is reborn And all the friendships we have made We cherish in every way Loyalty binds us and makes us strong Honesty shows that we belong And kindness shared will unite us through each day For the chorus, the singing from the crowd increased in volume. While many young ponies didn't know the verses, every foal and filly learnt the chorus. The fire of friendship lives in our hearts As long as it burns, we cannot drift apart Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few Laughter and singing will see us through! We are a circle of pony friends A circle of friends we'll be to the very end! For the second verse the unsure ponies quieted a little again. Though the winter brings all its cold and storm The glow in our hearts keeps us warm The friends we now call our family Will always see us through Loyalty binds us and makes us strong Honesty shows that we belong And kindness shared will unite us through each day The fire of friendship lives in our hearts As long as it burns, we cannot drift apart Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few Laughter and singing will see us through! We are a circle of pony friends A circle of friends we'll be to the very end! As always, Twilight felt her heart swell a little as the crowd stomped their hooves in approval. As the Princess of Friendship, the anthem held a special place in her heart. The actors on stage bowed for the curtain call, and this year's pageant came to a close.  That meant it was time for her private Hearth's Warming Eve to start! For a few hours she didn't have to be Princess Twilight of Equestria, but just Twilight Sparkle, together with her friends and family. It hadn't been easy to convince the nobility that she did not plan on attending the grand celebration tonight, but thankfully Fancypants relented when she pointed out that the Princess of Friendship ought to spend this occasion with her own friends. Twilight, Shining Armour, Cadance and Flurry left through the backdoor of their private box, to avoid the crowds. It would take them to a part of the castle that was closed to the public.  "I liked Smart Cookie the most," Flurry declared. "She always tried to get everypony to listen. And I liked it when she said that no matter our differences, we are still all ponies. And… other creatures too, I guess?" Flurry looked pensive at that. "Mom, why were there no Crystal Ponies? Or Dragons or Changelings?" "Well, the dragons were here, but they didn't care about us ponies at all," Twilight answered. "Changeling history is nearly unknown to me, but hopefully Thorax can help us fill in the gaps. All I know is that the Changelings have existed in the fringe of pony history for a very long time. I don't know about the Crystal Ponies though." "I do," Cadance said. "They appeared soon after the unification, even if nopony knows how. We think it's related to a herd of earth ponies who wandered far north. They were never seen again, but soon after, the crystal ponies appeared." Flurry nodded so her mane and ears flopped on her head. "Isn't it time for presents soon?" "You always ask that," Shining Armour said mildly. "But you know we always eat first. Then it's presents." "Then are we eating soon?" Flurry asked impatiently.  "Are you hungry?" Shining Armour asked with a smirk.  "Yes! Very!" Flurry said quickly. "We definitely should eat." "But the food isn't ready yet," Twilight pointed out. "All the cooks were watching the pageant, so they'll need some time." Flurry flicked her ears back in displeasure. "I hope they hurry though." It was all Twilight could do to not  laugh at her eagerness for presents.  "You can go up to the common room," Twilight said when the four of them arrived at the stairway that led to her private wing. "I'll just wait for my friends and Cozy here. We'll be with you soon." "Alright sis," Shining Armor hugged her. "Happy Hearth's Warming." "Happy Hearth's Warming, BBBFF," Twilight hugged back. His coat smelled like it always did. Like family.  "Happy Hearth's Warming!" Flurry Heart said loudly.  ***** "I didn't know it was really that bad for the earth ponies though," Cozy said, looking a bit pensive. "The pageant in Cloudsdale didn't say very much about it." Rumble nodded. "I remember thinking the same thing when I first saw the Canterlot version. I mean, it makes sense that the one in Cloudsdale focuses more on the pegasus tribe, but still, I see where you're coming from." Cozy nodded. "I haven't seen any other pageant until now. I guess Twilight didn't want to focus so much on pony holidays in her school, else maybe her class should have put one together." "Then who'd you want to play?" Rumble asked as they made their way back towards Twilight's wing of the castle. "Commander Hurricane, obviously. I'm a born leader!" Cozy said. "A pity you didn't go to her class, or you could have played Private Pansy." "Well then, I'd still be the one to save your flank from an eternity in ice, so there," Rumble retorted.  Cozy huffed, but then cast a quick glance over her shoulder. When she spoke again, her voice was quiet. "I suppose… I wouldn't mind that too much. If it was you. But if you tell anypony I said that, I'm going to have you sent to Tartarus once I'm a princess." "Yes, Cozy. And a happy Hearth's Warming to you too," Rumble said sarcastically. He didn't need Flurry's acute sense for emotions to hear the warmth in her voice when she spoke. Clearly the spirit of Hearth's Warming affected Cozy just as much as it did every other pony.  "You'll join us for Twilight's party, right?" Cozy asked suddenly. "You don't have to stay in the kitchen all the time, right?" "Just a little bit," Rumble said. "But once the food is served, I'm on holiday and I'll be right up with you!" "I'll make sure we don't open the presents until you get there," Cozy said. "I think you'll like what I got you." "Same," Rumble said with much more confidence than he really felt. One could never be entirely sure with her, but he did know he liked confidence, at least. And while he did think his gift was good, but that was no guarantee she would like it. Still, he did know Cozy well at this point; if anypony could get her a gift she'd enjoy, it was him. They rounded a corner and Rumble spotted Twilight Sparkle talking with Rainbow Dash and Applejack, all of them smiling bright enough to lighten up the whole room. Also, he spotted the door to the kitchen. "Well, I'll have to go to the kitchen now, but it won't be too long. Okay?" "I still think you should have all of Hearth's Warming off," Cozy grumbled. "Nearly everypony has Hearth's Warming off." "Well, at least I get to be part of making you your first real Hearth's Warming meal, right?" he said and nuzzled her. "Don't you want that?" She nuzzled back by way of answering. He felt blood rush to his cheeks; he had not expected her to do something like that in the vicinity of Twilight and her friends. "I guess you're right. Well, I'll see you soon then. But don't be too long!" He nuzzled her one last time and went inside the kitchen. He was not surprised to see Ramson already there. They had started working on most dishes earlier and let them slowly cook under the pageant's first half, and then rushed back during intermission to take care of a few crucial steps before leaving the dishes to cook even longer. Yet again Rumble was left amazed by Ramson's ability. Not only did he plan and execute a feast fit for a princess (literally), but he even managed to watch the Hearth's Warming pageant, and partake in the anthem chorus while doing it! "Okay Tomtit, this is the most important moment." He said, nailing Rumble to the door frame with a stare that he, even after all the hours of having worked with Ramson still could not quite meet. "If everything has gone to plan, all that's left is the garnishing. If it has all gone to Tartarus, then we'll have to do plan B. Sadly plan B is basically trash so this had better work." "Yes Chef!" "Collect cabbage roulade and finish the kale and cranberry salad first and foremost. Then I'm going to give you an honorary task, if you do well enough." "Yes Chef!" Rumble saluted and dashed over to the oven where the red cabbage roulades were being baked with chèvre cheese and walnuts. He glanced for a moment to check if they were done before he recovered the plate. He grabbed a pot of honey with a wing and poured a wavy pattern over the dark-red roulades. Then he covered the plate with a silver lid so it kept warm.  Next for the salad. Luckily he had already started that during intermission. He grabbed a vegetable knife and started.  Kale, rutabagas, a few brussels sprouts, hacked almonds and walnuts, some grated cheese, olive oil and a careful dab of balsamic vinegar. And then, the coup-de-grâce, he fluttered off to the spice cabinet to pick up the particular ingredient he had picked out before. He had never worked with anything half as extravagant before. In fact, this stuff was so expensive that he didn't dare to leave it outside in the kitchen for intermission, just in case.   Inside a glass jar, there was an ugly, dirt-white, lumpy, ugly… thing.  He opened the jar and was greeted by an intense aroma that spoke of luxury and extravagance. White truffle didn't look very pretty, but there was a reason it was so very expensive. In fact, a few years ago, he would never have expected to work with something like this. They had even included a special magical grating iron that couldn't harm anything but the mushroom. That way he could grate the whole thing down without having to worry about nicking the hoof he held the truffle in and still use the whole thing. He grated it over the salad with reverence.  It took almost an hour of intensive work and carrying dishes back and forth to the Princess and the nobility's banquet before Ramson nodded sharply the way he did when things were nearing the end. "I'll handle the rest, Tomtit. But since I know for a fact that you'll be going up to the Princess to join the festivities, you can take care of one final, special task to round out the evening." "Yes chef, what's that?" Rumble asked.  "I have prepared this year's spice blend for the Princess's mulled cider." He nodded towards a tea-sieve filled with dark citrus peels, cinnamon and other spices he could not quite deduce at a distance. "The Princess's Apple friend will have brought the cider, but you've got to prepare it. I'm sure your little sweetheart wouldn't mind it either." "No, she'd like that," Rumble nodded.  "Good. Then happy Hearth's Warming Tomtit." There was a moment of hesitation before he shrugged. "You're developing at a good pace. Continue like this, and the CCC will be yours one day, I can tell." Once before, Ramson had said that Rumble had achieved something. Once. That moment was one he still remembered and still was proud of. To hear Ramson say something like this… this meant something. This was nothing he had ever expected him to say. Suddenly, he felt like he wanted to take another try at Shining Armour's training regimen- right now, he felt invincible. "Well, after I have retired, of course," Ramson corrected himself with a shrug.  "Or maybe before," Rumble said. At this moment, he felt like there was nothing he couldn't do. Ramson barked out a laugh. "Don't push it, Tomtit." He left, feeling like he was jumping on clouds as he made his way up the stairs. He got about halfway before he realized he had forgotten the spice-sieve downstairs.  ***** This was a bit of an odd situation Cozy found herself in. On the one hoof, she had almost forgotten how happy Twilight Sparkle could be. Now, for one evening she was free of all her duties and together with those five ponies who had changed… well, everything. The way her eyes sparkled, the way her voice seemed to come alive when talking to them filled Cozy too with a sense of peace. They belonged together, even beyond their connection as Elements of Harmony or how the appearance of their cutie marks was linked.  Indeed, it was that same idea that had first made Cozy so sure of the power in their friendship. And now she saw it again, the way they gloried in each other's presence, and the warm comfort of their friendship. Rainbow was listening intently to something Applejack was saying about Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. She had also brought a keg, about the same size as a pony's barrel. Cozy didn't know what it was, but Rainbow Dash kept sneaking lustful glances at it. Rarity had a glass of mulled wine and sat together with Fluttershy. It sounded like they were discussing something about fashion trends for the next year, and Pinkie sat together with the foals and was partaking in an alphabet game.  And among them all, part of all discussions at the same time, Twilight herself. She hadn't sat still all the time she had been inside the room. She was listening to Rarity's fashion concerns, asking questions about the Cutie Mark Crusaders, played with Pinkie and kept up with her family too. Cozy guessed she was making up for lost time with all her friends this evening.  But Cozy didn't belong. She could feel that, no matter how much Twilight tried to invite her. Cozy was not one of them, and she never could be. That's why it felt so odd. To be in a room so soaked in friendship but to not be able to fully partake was… sad, in a way.  But it was no more than could be ignored. After all, Cadance and Shining Armor were in the same boat. In fact, Cozy was willing to bet there was not a pony in Equestria who could truly appreciate friendship the way Twilight and her friends could. And to some degree, Cozy was thankful for the distraction. She had been a bit worried about meeting Rainbow and Applejack again. Those two were definitely the most stiff-necked of her old professors, and she wasn't sure they liked her.  This way they barely even noticed Cozy was there too. Maybe that was for the best.  And she still had Flurry and Sweetie Belle to keep her company, and plenty of presents all underneath the large Hearth's Warming tree they had put inside the common room and decorated, all on their own. With ornaments, lights, garlands, a star on top and a pile of presents at the bottom. The three of them had taken their time to do a thorough investigation of said pile to see exactly what they had to look forward to. Cozy was surprised with how many presents were addressed to her; she had only expected one from Twilight, Flurry and Rumble, and maybe Sweetie Belle. That made for three, possibly four gifts.  She had counted more than double that! There were no less than three from Pinkie (if the stains of frosting on the wrapper was anything to go by), and from Rarity and even Cadance too. To think that Cadance remembered her enough to buy her a Hearth's Warming gift!  Her own gifts were under the tree too. She had deliberately spread them out to different parts of the large pile. It felt better like that. "Okay, the next theme is… Animals!" Pinkie smiled, reading a note she had pulled from her mane. "I'll go first! Dog!" "Okay, my turn," Shining Armour said. "Hmm… Goat." "Tatzlwurm," Cadance said, glancing over at Twilight. Cozy didn't know what a "Tatzlwurm" was, but since nopony else asked she guessed it was a real thing. She would have to check that later.  "Ehm… Maulwurf," Sweetie Belle mumbled. "I think it's a half mole, half bear. I read about them once." "Phoenix!" Flurry Heart said quickly, wings wide.  "You know that isn't spelled with an F, sweetheart," Cadance corrected. "Phoenix starts with a P." Flurry's wings fell a little. "But that's stupid! Why are there different ways of spelling the same sound! We even have a letter for that sound!" "But that's how it is," Cadance explined, ever patient. ”So try again. An animal beginning with the letter F." "Fff… Ffflurry Heart?" Flurry tried.  "You're not an animal, you're a pony," Shining Armour laughed.  Flurry's retort was interrupted by a knock on the door. Twilight and her friends didn't stop their conversation, but Cozy did see Rumble discreetly make his way inside the room with a metal sieve in his mouth. At last, her Heart's Warming could begin for real! About time! She quickly flew off to welcome him and make sure he sat down next to her. Flurry followed too, presumably to try and weasel her way out of her losing argument. Sweetie Belle followed as well. "Good golly gee, why did he have to keep you for this long!" Cozy huffed. "Come now, we have saved some food for you, and soon we can give out presents!" "Just one more thing to do," Rumble said and shook the metal sieve. "If I remember correctly, you once said that you haven't had cider before, right?" Cozy shook her head. "No, never." "Me either," Flurry said. "Mommy said I'm too little, but I'm a big filly this year! So I want some too." "Only foal cider," Sweetie Belle said. "But that's plenty good too. Apple Bloom shared with me last Hearths Warming." "Well this," he waved the metal sieve, "is the spice for this year's cider." With a "whooosh" and a contrail of colours, another pony invaded their little circle. "There's gonna be cider?" Rainbow Dash asked, sniffing in the air like a canine on the prowl. "Whoa-nelly, sit down there partner," Applejack called to her companion. "It's gotta boil first." She turned to Rumble, even if Cozy could have sworn the spring-green eyes dwelled on her for a split second. "So you've got the spices?" "Right here!" "Then what say we get underway," Applejack said. "Before somepony bursts from waitin'," she glanced back at Rainbow Dash with a smart look in her eye. "I have a cauldron here," Twilight shouted. Cozy didn't know how long she had listened for, but out of nowhere, a black cauldron was magicked forth.  "You've got the cider, right?" Rumble looked at  Applejack.  "Sure do,” Applejack answered and tapped the keg she had brought. "Fall's finest harvest. There's even some late Zap-Apples in there. An' no alcohol. Wouldn't want anypony to try an' prove herself again now, would we?" "Hey, it was only once!" Rainbow fluffed up her wings in indignation. "Besides, it was just unlucky… I had a lot to eat before I tried that time…" "Well, there ain't no chance of you getting yourself smashed this year," Applejack said. "'Sides, I reckon the little ones should have some too, no?" "I'm not little!" Flurry snapped. "But I do want some. Mom and dad like cider." "Yeah yeah, get to it already! I'm thirsty," Rainbow Dash mumbled. "There ain't no talkin' with you," Applejack sighed with a tender sort of smile. "Twilight, mind helpin' me here?" "Not at all!" Twilight ignited her horn and poured the golden-brown cider into the cauldron. It smelled strongly of apples. Rumble lowered the sieve. Almost immediately Cozy could see a dark mist wafting from the sieve and out into the liquid.  "This will need some thirty minutes or so for the best results," Rumble informed.  "PRESENTS! PRESENTS NOW!" Pinkie shouted.  "PRESENTS NOW!" Flurry echoed, drawing smiles and giggles from most adults in the room.  "Sure, sweetheart, you can open your presents now," Cadance said and nuzzled her daughter. Flurry flew up in a sofa and tapped the spaces next to her. Shining Armour and Cadance obeyed. After that, everypony found their own place. Rarity remained sitting in an armchair, but now with Sweetie Belle cooped up next to her. Applejack and Rainbow sat down directly on the floor, and Fluttershy laid down by them. Pinkie appeared behind them somehow, leaving one other armchair free for Cozy and her special somepony. They sat down close to one another.  Cozy felt her cheeks flush, but she wasn't going to do anything about it. It was Hearth's Warming, after all.  And he was so warm and soft… and he smelled nice too.  "I have thought out the optimal way of handing out the gifts," Twilight said with pride, standing before the tree and the presents. From a nearby table she magicked up a notebook and a quill. "Based on the number of gifts, length and number of rhymes to go with them, and partitioning between everypony present and their individual preferences, I have come up with the optimal order. Pinkie will start and pick a random gift. She will then give it to whoever it's addressed to, and then that pony picks a gift from the pile to present!" "Oki-doki-loki," Pinkie said happily and darted forward. Cozy had a feeling that for Pinkie, giving the gifts was the most enjoyable part of Hearth's Warming. "Here is one from me to Rarity…" This was nice. This felt more real than any Hearth's Warming Cozy had experienced before. In the orphanage, they always decorated the tree together, and then everypony got a small gift. It was nice, and Cozy knew that if it was up to Cheerful she would have done more, but she simply didn't have the bits. But this… all of the food, the decorations and the friendships… this really felt like something magical. She got candy and cakes from Pinkie, a book on magical locations in Equestria from Sweetie Belle, a new set of winter boots from Cadance, and a large wool blanket from Rumble, which she had promptly wrapped around herself.  "Here is one from Cozy Glow to Sweetie Belle," Rarity read from a present.  Sweetie Belle looked up from her brand new scarf when her name was called again. She waved to her friend across the room. "Thank you so much, Cozy!" "Thank you too," Cozy called back, wriggling one hoof free from her blanket. That would be the yarn. Hopefully it would be a good gift.  Rarity magicked Cozy's present over to her sister. Sweetie Belle tore it open carefully with the mouth. Cozy briefly wondered why she didn't use her magic, but didn't dwell on it. Maybe it was still more trouble than it was worth for Sweetie Belle? The paper fell away, and a green bundle of yarn dropped in her lap. "Oh! For my crocheting, right?" Cozy nodded.  "Thanks a lot. Now I can make a nice pair of green socks for the rest of the winter," Sweetie Belle patted the soft yarn quickly before she put it among the other gifts she had received. It was not surprising that her pile was substantially bigger than Cozy's, with all her friends and her sister and her parents. Cozy did her best to not feel an ugly pang of jealousy at Sweetie Belle and Flurry. She had known  that's how it would be.   Sweetie Belle jumped down from her seat and started forward to the present pile, wading through the wrapping paper. Since she had received the last gift, that meant it was her turn to give the next one. She picked out a present from the pile and read the attached card.  "For Rumble, from his cute and loveable special somepony." Cozy felt her cheeks flush beet red and suddenly developed a massive interest in her new blanket. She hadn't thought about how it would feel to have that dedication spoken out loud in front of everypony. What would they think? "Thank you, cute and loveable special somepony," Rumble said with a grin. Sweetie Belle magicked the present over to him. It was hard and box-shaped.  "Be careful… don't drop it," Cozy mumbled. Why did she feel the need to say that? Cozy mentally kicked herself; of course Sweetie Belle wasn't going to drop it. Or for that matter, if she were, it wasn't like she'd now change her mind because Cozy asked her.  "Sure, I've got this," Sweetie Belle said and neatly sat the box down in front of Rumble. Cozy felt like Rumble had some sort of enchantment on him that compelled her to watch him open the gift. Sweetie Belle also stayed nearby. Inside was a box filled with straw, and nestled within was a bottle filled with something red. It looked miserly compared to his blanket. "Oh, this is…!" Rumble turned it over and looked at the wax stamp on the bottleneck. He seemed to recognize it. "Saffron oil," Cozy blurted. She couldn't stay silent anymore. "And some saffron too. There are some folds under the straw. So you could have some real stuff. But it's just about a gram. But maybe that's enough, I don't know… and-"  "Thank you." He took out the bottle and looked at it with an amazed face. "Really, Cozy. I know how expensive this stuff is. I have never even worked with it before!" "I know," Cozy managed as relief seemed to bloom in her chest. It had worked! It had all been worth it! "How did you know that?" Both Rumble and Flurry asked at the same time. "Uh… Pinkie said that when I asked," Cozy mumbled. "Does that make sense?" Rumble smiled. "I suppose it does. Thank you, Cozy. Again." Cozy didn't know what to say. She settled for covering her mouth with her blanket-wrapped hooves and smile. When was the last time she smiled like this? When was the last time her heart beat this fast? "Of course it makes sense!" Pinkie chirped. "Now stop stalling! It's your turn to give the next gift, Rumble!" Rumble hopped down from the armchair and Sweetie Belle returned to her sister's side. Rumble picked out a present. "For Twilight Sparkle from Pinkie!" "Thank you so much Pinkie. You have really been hard at work this Hearth's Warming," Twilight said. Cozy was inclined to agree. At least half of the presents in the pile were from Pinkie. "Well, since we did the Hearth's Warming Helper last year and I couldn't give everypony the gifts they deserved, I had to work extra extra hard this year!" Pinkie explained. "And I made sure everypony in Ponyville also got a Pinkie Pie-present. And Minuette. And mommy, daddy, Maud, Marble, Limestone, all the yaks in Yakyakistan and… pretty much everypony!" "… I'm sure they appreciate that," Twilight said tactfully and nimbly opened her gift. To nopony's surprise, it was a book. Also to nopony's surprise, stars seemed to appear in Twilight's eyes when she saw it. She put it on-top of the small pile of books she had already received.  "Also, while I'm here, I think the cider is ready now, so-" A burst of wind nearly toppled him when Rainbow all but shot from her place and up next to the fireplace where the cider boiled. Her slipstream kicked up all the wrapping paper from the floor and caused it to fall like colourful snow, much to Flurry's enjoyment. "Rainbow Dash!" Rarity snapped. "Can you please act with some dignity!?" "Cider first, dignity later," Rainbow scoffed.  "But the Princess should have the first flagon," Rumble tried to protest. "It's her cider, isn't it?" "No, no," Twilight said quickly. "Rainbow can start… as long as she leaves a little for the rest of us." "See, you heard the princess," Rainbow said smugly.  "Fine," Rumble said and scooped up a ladle of golden liquid. "I hope it turned out well." Rainbow sniffed approvingly and then returned to her place, balancing the stein on her wing. After that, everypony went forward for the cider. It really smelled nice. If Hearth's Warming was a liquid, this is how it would smell, Cozy decided.  Rumble was the last one to take a stein and return to the armchair. Cozy threw her blanket over the both of them once he returned. For one evening, she didn't have to keep up her omnipresent guard. Just for tonight, she was fine with being a filly celebrating Hearth's Warming Eve with her friends and her loved one. "Happy Hearth's Warming, everypony," Twilight said. "All of my friends… thank you for coming, I… It really means a lot to me." "Sure thing, Sugarplum," Applejack nodded to Twilight.  "Yeah! I mean come on here," Rainbow said, wiping a thick foam from her lips. "Our combined friendship saved Equestria a bunch of times, right? Do you honestly think we'd stop seeing you just 'cause you had to move to Canterlot?" "We'll always be friends," Fluttershy said softly.  "And you can make new friends too," Rumble said loudly. "You have two students now, and they are both your friends, aren't you?" "Yay!" Flurry Heart shouted.  Every eye in the room turned to Cozy.  She hesitated, just for a split second. "Golly, of course we're friends… most of the time anyway."