Hearth’s Warming for the Apple Family usually meant a warm home full of family and feasting. Almost every year Applejack could remember, they’d made the best of the holiday, even when things were at their worst. The year Apple Bloom had been born had been one of the happiest she could remember, and relatives had come from all over just to see the new addition. The year she’d lost her parents, even more ponies had come, and they’d pretended everything was okay, and for just a little while she’d been able to feel almost normal thanks to the extra ponies taking up the empty spots around the dinner table and the happy conversation replacing hushed whispers.
This year, she felt like she’d finally failed at the holidays. One disaster after another had hit at the same time, and she’d been away for a week with the rest of the girls tracking down a foal-stealing creature that found the naughtiest and least grateful ponies in a town and dragged them away. Not to eat them or anything quite as pleasant, instead it put them to work making those ugly christmas sweaters that just seemed to appear when nopony was looking. Rarity had been the one to find the message for help woven into one of the early-pre-Hearth’s-Warming gifts Pinkie had been giving out, and things had spiraled out of control from there.
Then she’d gotten home, and because they’d all been out of town, Dash hadn’t been able to talk sense into a filly with more charts than common sense who thought a giant blizzard was just what the town needed. That shut down the roads before anypony could stop her, and because at least some ponies had been warned in advance, the town was half-empty with the smarter ponies in town gone to warmer climates to spend time with family there.
The Apples were a tough bunch. If you asked any pony who worked with the fruit, the things could last practically a whole year if they were stored properly. Without Applejack to plan anything, they’d organized a potluck and were enjoying it even now.
Unfortunately, that potluck was on the other side of Equestria, and Applejack hadn’t found her invitation in time to even start to think about attending. Sure, she could get Twilight or Starlight or, heck, even Discord if it was a real pinch and ask them for a little magical help, but part of her was actually looking forward to a few days to rest.
“You lookin’ at the snow again, sis?” Apple Bloom asked.
Applejack turned away from the window, with the piles of white all the way up to the glass, and smiled at her little sister.
“Ain’t had a winter storm like this since you were a real little filly,” Applejack said. “You probably don’t remember it much, but when you were a little shorter than my knee we had a blizzard come through nearly as bad as this and you got outside in it when nopony were lookin’. Just dug right into the snow and started tunnelin’ through the yard!”
“How far’d I get?” Apple Bloom asked.
“All the way around the house. We had to let you in the back door, and you were so plum tuckered out you took a nap right on the kitchen floor even with six ponies in there fixin’ to get dinner together for everypony else.”
“I don’t remember that part.”
“Course not,” Applejack smiled. “You slept through it!”
Apple Bloom giggled and reared up to look out over the fields. “Gonna be hard to move all that later.”
“No kiddin’. Wouldn’t surprise me if some ponies found excuses to make Hearth’s Warming vacation last until after Winter Wrap Up,” she sighed. “Still, gotta be done. When you plan the weather, you’re responsible for it. Even if it’s a darn stupid plan from a featherbrained accountant tryin’ to use up spare production on the cheap.”
“Scootaloo told me she heard Rainbow Dash say a bunch of curse words about it. She said--”
“Don’t say nothin’ that’s gonna make me wash your mouth out with soap,” Applejack warned. “Dash is a great pony, but she’s got a bad habit when it comes to doin’ work.”
“She does?”
“Most ponies don’t know about it on account of how she almost never actually does real work, but she can’t stop complainin’ about every little thing when it gets tough and she has to put her nose to the grindstone instead of blastin’ through it at the speed of sound.”
“Can you blast through a grindstone?”
“Dash goes plenty fast and she would absolutely try to go through it head first,” Applejack said with a smile. “Gotta admit I admire it when she’s putin’ in top effort. Not when she’s bein’ sloppy though.”
“Oh,” Apple Bloom nodded. “Is that what Scootaloo meant when she said you and Dash were getting sloppy--”
“Let’s go check on Big Mac and Granny,” Applejack said, cutting Bloom off. Her cheeks burned red. “And then when I find Scootaloo I’m gonna have a little talk with her.”
“Huh?”
“Never you mind. They’re gettin’ dinner together and we should see if they need an extra set of hooves.”
She nudged Bloom away from the window and towards the warmest part of the house. It was the only part properly warm with the blizzard outside, but there was one very good reason Applejack hadn’t been lingering there.
Granny Smith had once possessed a lovely singing voice. She still sang, but the notes came out with funny edges and arguing about the key.
“How’re things comin’?” Applejack interrupted, trying to stem the tide. It wouldn’t have been as bad if she’d stuck to the classics - the kind of songs a caroler might sing going door to door. Those songs had held up over the centuries by virtue of sounding good no matter how unskilled the singer. They practically had safety rails built in.
Granny, though, had gotten it into her to learn all the new Hearth's Warming pop songs, and was trying her level best to sing something from Coloratura’s catalog. It wasn’t quite the same without music, backup singers, or half the words.
“Ah sure hope y’all are hungry!” Granny said. “We’re makin’ Apple Surprise, and Rhubarb Surprise, an’ Surprise Surprise!”
“That’s an awful lot of surprise,” Applejack said. “Anything I should know?”
“They’re surprises on account of Big Mac didn’t think to get nothin’ from town before all the roads closed,” Granny said, gesturing vaguely at the big stallion with her mixing spoon, who was looking more than a little embarrassed while he peeled apples and potatoes in the corner. “So I’m takin’ the opportunity to open up some of them unlabeled jars we’ve had in the root cellar.”
“The ones where none of us knew what was actually in ‘em?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Just so, sweetie,” Granny nodded. “But once they’re open I can’t just seal ‘em back up, so we gotta use ‘em. It’s a little bit like a game, tryin’ to figure out why we had pickled asparagus and pearl onions, and then how I’m supposed to actually use the dern things.”
“Can I pick out the next one?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Sure can! Then it ain’t my fault if it’s sauerkraut again. Found two jars of that so far. Gonna have to leave the windows open no matter how cold it is, at this rate.”
Apple Bloom scampered off. AJ smiled and watched her go.
“Sorry about all this,” she said.
“Don’t apologize none,” Granny said. “Truth is I’m not fit for travelin’ anyway, but the same is true for half our relatives. It’s good to give ‘em a chance to do the hostin’ for a change. Then when it comes around to family reunion time, they can tell us how much better we are at it!” she cackled madly, until she started coughing.
“What can I do to help?” Applejack asked.
“Got somepony on peels duty,” Granny said. “But I could use a pair of hooves to help gettin’ things in and out of the oven. My hip’s not half pleased by all the movin’ around. And, uh…” she lowered her voice. “Give little Bloom some help with whatever she drags up from the cellar. Try t’ make sure it ends up good enough to eat even if you have to cheat a bit.”
“Will do,” Applejack agreed.
“So the surprise in Rhubarb Surprise ended up being wild strawberry jam,” Bloom burped. “Sorry. All that cabbage--”
“Don’t worry about it,” Applejack laughed. “Better than out the other end.”
“Ended up almost tastin’ like pie,” Big Mac offered. “Crumb toppin’ was a good idea.”
“Course it was,” Granny said. “All my ideas are good. Except maybe the thing with peanut butter and cucumber. But that weren’t my fault, I was tryin’ to follow a recipe from a magazine.”
“Granny, that recipe called for sesame butter and spicy chili paste. You can’t replace it with peanut butter and jalapeno jelly.”
“I still say they’re basically the same.”
“It tasted like a school lunch gone bad.”
“Y’all just need to have broader, more worldly tastes like I do,” Granny countered. “Anyway, we got more important work. I think I remember seein’ presents under that tree and even without my glasses on I’m pretty sure they’re still sittin’ there with the wrappers on all trussed up and waitin’.”
“Sounds like somethin’ we can fix,” Applejack said.
“Can I go first?” Bloom asked, excited.
Applejack laughed. “Course. Youngest always goes first!”
“Should I go for the big one, the small one, or the medium one…” Apple Bloom muttered, rubbing her chin.
“You’re gonna open ‘em all eventually,” Big Mac chuckled.
“Yeah, but it’s important to get the order right!” Bloom said. “You sorta want to ramp things up, so every present’s better than the rest, but you also don’t want none of the presents to be spoilers. Like if you get a pack of spare wagon wheels, you’ve got a pretty good idea your other present’s a wagon and it ruins the suspense!”
Applejack shook her head and laughed. “Right, the suspense!”
Bloom carefully considered one more time, then picked the medium-sized package. “I’ll start in the middle. Then I’ll open the small one. Then the big one!”
She tugged at the ribbon, untying it instead of ripping anything, at least until the instinct of a foal with a present in front of them took over and she tore into the wrapping paper, giving up at the first tiny rip and shredding the rest like a wild animal, revealing a gift box.
The lid flew off, practically on its own.
“I forgot how excited ponies could get about presents,” Applejack whispered to her brother.
“Makes it worth the givin’,” he replied.
Applejack nodded in agreement and half-listened while Apple Bloom held up the long copper and wooden spoon she’d gotten, talking about how it was perfect for the alchemy she was learning from Twilight and Zecora, and how most metals would interfere with magic and wood held onto traces of the last potions and had to be carefully cleaned. Truth was, Applejack only half-understood any of it, but she knew it was making her sister happy and that was enough.
“Had it specially made for you,” Applejack said, once she calmed down a little. “Look at the handle. It’s got your name engraved on it.”
“It’s perfect, sis!” Bloom said, hugging her.
“Yep. That’s why I did my shoppin’ early.”
“You’re next, Applejack,” Big Mac offered.
“Alright, let’s see…” she picked up a box and with about the same level of care as her little sister, but slightly less confetti when it came to removing the wrapping paper, revealed a long gift box with some heft to it. “Just to be clear, this ain’t gonna be a ladle, is it?” she asked. “Because if we all gave each other spoons it’d be funny.”
“Nah, it’s somethin’ even better,” Granny promised. “Found it at a swap-meet! Knew it’d make a perfect gift.”
Applejack opened the box, and found something she absolutely hadn’t expected.
“Is this a fiddle?” she asked, carefully removing the instrument. It was ancient, probably older than Granny herself, but looked to be in good condition.
“Needs a new bow and a little love and polish,” Granny said. “Little bit of a project before you can play it.”
“I’ll need to ask one of the cousins for some tips,” AJ joked. “Been a hen’s age since I played.”
“Yep. There’s a bottle of linseed oil in there too, to protect the wood.”
“Thanks, Granny,” Applejack said. “Maybe I should give y’all some earplugs until I’m fit as a fiddle to fiddle.”
“Don’t worry yourself,” Granny said. “I got myself a pair because I am always prepared for anythin’.”
The family laughed. The rest of the gifts were opened one at a time, each one savored and appreciated in its own right. What the actual gifts were almost didn’t matter - though Big Mac was very pleased by the new set of shoes he got, and Granny nearly fainted when she saw that the smallest box she’d gotten actually had tickets for a trip to Seaquestria.
“Just one present left,” Bloom said. “I think this one’s for all of us?”
“Yep, it’s a little something special,” Applejack said. “Been putting it together with a lot of help. Took ages. It’s for the whole family.”
Bloom struggled with the big, flat present. “Sure is heavy, whatever it is. A new sign for the farm?”
“Nah, but that might be a good present idea for next year,” Applejack noted. “Why don’t you and Big Mac open it up? Wouldn’t be proper for me to do it since I wrapped it.”
Bloom nodded, and Big Mac helped her steady the gift while she tore at the paper.
Slowly, she revealed a full circle cut out of a tall tree, the bark still preserved and attached around the edge. Set into the treated wood was a scrolling design of burned lines and inset photos, and with every new part revealed the shape of the whole thing came to light.
“My goodness,” Granny whispered. “It’s a family tree, ain’t it?”
There were dozens of portraits on it, all connected by branches and lines and little names. It had taken months of work to get what photos she could from various family members, having them copied and restored. Some of the oldest had been on tin instead of paper, and before that there were a few woodprints, which she’d also had included.
“I hadn’t planned it this way, but even though we don’t get to see the whole family, we still get to see them in a way,” Applejack said.
“Look, here’s Cousin Gala!” Apple Bloom pointed. “And Cosmic Crisp!”
“I left a little room around the edges to fit new additions like that little filly in,” Applejack said. “And good thing. There were three babies born while I was gettin’ this together! In a few years we’ll need a whole second family tree just to keep track of it all.”
“It’s lovely,” Granny said, wiping a tear from her eye. “Even if you did put the Pears on it. We need to find a good spot for it.”
“Right here with us is good for now,” Big Mac said. “Ah’m gonna get some hot cider. Y’all want some?”
“Course we do,” Granny said. “Thank you.”
“Don’t gotta thank me for gettin’ cider.”
“I meant that for all of you,” Granny corrected. “There are ponies who’re stuck spending the holiday alone. I had a terrible fear that things were gonna turn out poorly for us. I ain’t sure how many holidays I got left in me, but this was one to remember. Surprisin’ meals, good company, and rememberin’ the family. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate.”
“Neither can I,” Applejack agreed. “I love all y’all.”
“And nothing is gonna keep us from having a good Hearth’s Warming!” Bloom declared.
The front door burst open. Snow and cold wind blew in.
“Applejack!” Rainbow Dash said. “There’s no time to explain!”
“Darnit, Dash, I’m having a touching family moment. Can the call to adventure wait a minute?”
“Actually it’s a call to nature,” Dash corrected. “I had a minor problem with the pipes at my place and not being ready for the cold snap and I really need to use the bathroom. And a hot shower. And to not be somewhere it’s raining on the inside because cloud house plumbing is serious business.”
“Get your butt in here,” Applejack sighed. “Big Mac! Get another cider! And some of the leftovers!”
“Oh, you’ve got food!” Rainbow Dash perked up. “I’d love to, uh--”
“You know where the bathroom is,” Applejack said. Dash nodded and bolted, slamming the door shut against the weather behind her.
“Funny,” Apple Bloom said. “I didn’t think cloud houses had proper plumbing.”
“They don’t,” Applejack said. “And they’re above the weather.”
Apple Bloom frowned. “Huh.”
“We’ll get a proper explanation later when she’s ready to say she was restless and lonely,” Applejack explained.
“So she came here?” Bloom asked.
“Well, we’re practically family anyway, right?” Applejack joked. “I’ll go check up on her.”
She got up and trailed after Dash.
Granny Smith made a sound in the back of her throat, thinking.
“Gonna have to figure out where to put that girl’s portrait on this thing,” she mumbled, looking at the family tree. She touched the very deliberate empty space left next to Applejack. “Once they wise up a bit, anyway.”
“What d’ you mean?” Bloom asked.
“Oh, it’s nothin’ important. Just thinking about the future. Did I ever tell you how I met your grandfather?”
“You’ve told me three completely different stories about it an’ none of them fit together.”
“Perfect! Then it’s time for the fourth one. So there I was, in Canterlot, about to petition Princess Celestia herself for settlin’ rights, when this total Manehattan rube stumbles into me and we drop the forms we were holdin’ and I was nervous enough on account of I didn’t know if I’d written things correctly the first time…”