The winter factories of Equestria had left their soft, powdery blankets across the land once again. In Twilight’s castle, around a table, drinking hot chocolate, the Council of Friendship was enjoying a cozy friend day together.
The fire off to the side warmed them all, and dried out their booties, scarves and hats while they talked about business, their families, and the world.
“At first, my Sunset Delight gown didn’t sell well, but for some reason, about two weeks later, it completely sold out! I still haven’t the faintest idea why it boomed in popularity, but I’m grateful for it nonetheless,” Rarity reported with a dramatic wave of her hoof, “Fancy Pants and I laugh about it, though we are still confused.”
“I’m glad it sold out! I personally think it is one of your best designs,” Twilight congratulated her, using her magenta magic to pick up her mug and take a sip.
“Thank you! I think so as well!”
“Oh, how’s Karat doing?” Fluttershy asked, looking up after taking a sip of her own drink.
“OH! I can’t believe I almost forgot--but he’s walking so much better now!” Rarity cheered, clapping her hooves together, “We’re both so proud!”
“YAY! I remember when Lil’Cheese started walking. It still makes me so overwhelmingly happy,” Pinkie said with a proud gleam in her huge, blue eyes.
“Silver Pippin isn’t there yet, but she is crawling around more,” Applejack said with a proud grin of her own, “Before I know it, she’ll be walking on her own, I bet, ha!”
“Maybe,” Rarity said, “I’m sure she’ll be a hard worker too, when she gets older.”
“Oh I’m sure she will! At least, I hope so. Right now she just likes smilin’ and laughin',” Applejack said with a laugh of her own, “Maybe Pinkie Pie rubbed off on her somehow.”
“Ha ha ha ha! Maybe!” Pinkie said, leaning back and laughing.
Pinkie’s warm laughter spread around the room, and soon they all shared a quick, bright moment of joy.
“Ha… yeah, that’s nice and all for you guys, but I dunno if I want foals,” Rainbow said with a wave of a wing, “I’m focused on my Wonderbolt stuff, and a foal may just get in the way.”
“Dash, I run a farm, and constantly work, and I STILL have time for my foal!” AJ protested, putting down her hot chocolate with a frown, “Don’t be talkin’ like that!”
“And I run an animal sanctuary with Moonflower, which, well, isn’t quite like a farm, but it is a lot of work,” Fluttershy pointed out in a softer way, “I think you should have foals when you’re ready, Rainbow Dash, but at the same time, don’t be afraid to have children.”
“Need I say how busy I am?” Rarity pointed out as she adjusted her mane with her magic.
“OKAY, I get the point: you CAN have kids and work, yeah yeah,” Dash groaned with a dramatic flap of her wings.
“Hee hee hee, I didn’t even get to say how busy I am, ha! Sorry, Dashie, but the look on your face just now was perfect,” Pinkie said, trying to stifle her giggles behind a hoof.
Dash rolled her eyes while the other girls giggled again.
“Fluttershy is right though: Dash, you shouldn’t be afraid to have foals, but you should probably wait until you’re comfortable with raising them. I’m sure you’d be a really good mom--especially considering how well you treated little Scootaloo when she was a filly,” Twilight assured her with a warm grin and a nod.
“Yeah, I mean I could totally handle it but… I just wanna focus on the Wonderbolts right now--is that such a crime?” Dash sighed as she crossed her forelegs.
“No, we understand, Darling, we just wanted to point out that your work life is no excuse,” Rarity said with a smirk.
“Yeah,” AJ said gruffly as she picked up her mug in her hooves and chugged down the last of the tasty, chocolatey goodness.
“Eh, fair enough,” Dash said, drinking a toast to the working moms.
“Uhm… I know this may be the wrong time to talk about it, but.. Can we talk about the civil war for a bit?” Fluttershy asked, shuffling her wings nervously.
With those few words, the atmosphere shifted.
“Not much to say, Fluttershy. Zebrica has joined the side of the Shogunate, and the Zebrican navy’s blockade around Rikuma grows thicker every day,” Twilight reported glumly, “It's contained over there, and we have nothing to worry about here.”
Fluttershy looked down and sighed, “Those poor Kirin, all caught up in a war they didn’t ask for..”
“Yeah, well, it’s their problem,” Dash scoffed with a roll of her eyes, “Sure, it’s sad, but it’s the other side of the world, and we have enough to worry about right here.”
“It’s the other side of the world NOW, but we can’t act like it means nothin’,” AJ pointed out with a frown, “That Zebrican navy sure is getting close to some of our waters.”
“Can we please not talk about this? I’m officially DONE with this civil war nonesense. It’s all I ever read about in the newspapers, and barely anything has happened outside of Rikuma! I don’t see the need to discuss this further,” Rarity grumped with a dramatic wave of one of her hooves.
“YEAH, no more sad civil war stuff!” Pinkie agreed with a frustrated snort, “Let’s get back to enjoying Girl’s Day!”
The other girls nodded with a relieved sigh.
Looking down, Twilight realized she barely touched her drink, and used her magic to pick it up and take another sip.
Before she could reach it, a green zap of magic bolted it, and right when she went to put her mouth in it, she felt a sticky substance all over. Her eyes opened in worry and she pulled away.
“TWI--oh, too late,” AJ groaned.
Narrowing her eyes in confusion, Twilight looked down at the mug. All over the top was a sticky, green substance that could’ve only come from one creature.
“CHRYSALIS! DISCORD!” She called, glaring at the door.
In a puff of magic, Discord made himself and Chrysalis appear. The former Changeling Queen and the King of Chaos were giggling away, having too much fun from one prank.
“I cannot BELIEVE you fell for that so easily!” Chrysalis taunted with a wave of one of her swiss-cheese-style hooves.
Pinkie laughed it up while the other ponies rolled their eyes.
“Hey! This is Council of Friendship Get Together Day, or whatever we call it--go away!” Dash scolded them, hovering in the air angrily.
“Oh fiiiiine, Chryssie, make her drink go back to normal, would you?” Discord said, crossing his arms with a smirk.
Chrysalis zapped Twilight’s mug with another burst of lime-colored magic, and then the two pranksters vanished once again. Pinkie giggled while the other girls rolled their eyes.
“I admit, Discord and Chrysalis are fun, but not when they are ruining Girl’s Day,” Rarity said with a tiny smirk on her white features.
“Ha, you got that right. Remember that one time with the water hose?” Dash recalled with a sly grin.
“OH THAT WAS THE BEST, HA!” Pinkie shouted, making Fluttershy cringe.
“Yeah, for YOU guys it was,” Twilight sighed with a shake of her head.
At that, all the other girls giggled and nodded.
“It sure is nice to take a day off like this,” Applejack noted as she finished the last of her hot chocolate.
Rainbow Dash scoffed, “you know, Spitfire is making us train for battle now--I mean we did that before, but now we are REALLY training. Pfft, as if we need it.”
“I thought we agreed we weren’t going to talk about war…” Twilight sighed, giving Dash a tense stare.
“I’m just saying! Believe me, I don’t want to talk about war, either.”
Indeed, nopony did… nopony at all.
The day continued, the girls played some board games, and eventually went home.
It was a bright, beautiful, wintry evening… one of the few, last happy Winter days they’d have all together.