Twilight Sparkle opened the door to the library and stepped inside. She had gotten tired of fighting the wind and used a wind breaker spell to keep it from fighting her. She ran a hoof through her mane to get the little flurries out and to dry it a bit. She looked around the library for any hint that Spike was awake. Her confirmation came in the form of a loud snore coming from upstairs. Twilight rolled her eyes and giggled. Quietly, she walked up the stairs and into the bathroom. She opened one of the cabinets and pulled out a purple scrunchy and tied her mane up in a ponytail. It wasn't anything like Rarity, but it was enough for Twilight.
After she had finished getting ready for the show she walked back down the stairs into the lobby and glanced at the clock. The time read as one ten.
"Guess I got some time to kill don't I?" She said to no one in particular. "Where's that book?" She looked over to the table and found the item sitting open next to the vase. "There you are!" She trotted over happily and picked it up.
The pink mare tackled her partner as they tumbled down the hillside. Light flurries blew across the two lovers as they playfully rolled around in each other's arms. As they came to a stop, Rose ended up atop of Snow just inches away from his muzzle. He felt her steady breath mix with his as they lay there, invisible to the world around them. Snow brought a hoof up to Rose's face and slowly began to pull her closer. They both plunged into the kiss they were awaiting. Rose felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she-
Twilight was drawn from her story by a hard knocking at the door. She looked over and opened the door with her magic which revealed her yellow maned friend covered from head to hoof in snow. Twilight couldn't help but smile, but it was quickly replaced with a nervous smile as she realized the moment of truth was right in front of her.
"H-Howdy, Twi." Applejack said.
"Hello to you too, Applejack." Twilight replied as she got up to greet the mare.
"Mind if A-Ah come in?" Applejack asked. Twilight in return giggled.
"Of course. Here, let me clean you off." Twilight offered.
"It's alright, Twilight." Applejack replied but it was overlooked as the unicorn used her magic to clean the mare.
"There! All nice and dry." Twilight said with a smile that drove Applejack crazy.
"Y-Yeah." Applejack stuttered.
"Are you still cold?" Twilight asked.
"No, Ah'm fine, Twi." Applejack answered. She felt the heat rise to her cheeks. Celestia please don't let this happen now. Not now! PLEASE!
"Applejack? Hello?" Applejack refocused her attention on the mare in front of her.
"Huh? What?" Applejack asked. Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"I said we're gonna be late for the train if we don't leave now." Twilight repeated.
"Ah guess we should get a move on then!" Applejack said shakily as she moved for the still open door.
Twilight's suspicion was rising. Granted she was severely nervous about the upcoming date but she was able to hide it from her friend. Applejack on the other hoof seemed like she was more nervous than a filly on Nightmare Night. Twilight followed her partner outside into the storm. The wind pelted her as soon as she left the doorway and she could only make out a blurred image of Applejack. That's when the thought hit her. Why didn't she just teleport them to the station instead of walking in the storm.
"Applejack!" Twilight called. The mare kept going.
"Applejack!" Twilight called a little louder. The mare slowed some but didn't stop.
"APPLEJACK!" Twilight screamed. This time Applejack heard her.
"WHAT?" Applejack yelled back.
"COME HERE!" Applejack turned around and made her way back to the mare.
"What?"
"I'll just teleport us to the station!"
"Sounds good to me."
Twilight's horn began to glow as she prepared to transport them to their destination. She moved closer to Applejack to the point where their sides were touching. Applejack's blush from before deepened while Twilight's began to form rapidly. Twilight tried to focus on the station and not on the mare she had recently developed feelings for. Applejack desperately wished for the contact to end. She had to resist every fiber in her body telling her to just hug the mare and kiss her on the spot. Just as she thought she was about to lose it, the pair disappeared.
"So then I told her that there wasn't any trains heading to dodge junction." The ticket mare told the conductor.
"What'd she do?" The conductor asked.
"She demanded I get her a train and wouldn't move until I did!" The mare yelled.
"Did you?"
"Yep, but I gave her a ticket to Manehatten instead!" She began to laugh uncontrollably and so did the conductor.
"That's dirty, but hilarious!"
The two were interrupted by a loud 'pop' as two mares materialized right in front of the ticket window. The sudden intrusion caused both ponies to jump before regaining their composure. Twilight walked up to the ticket window and began the process of ordering the tickets for their trip while Applejack stood on the platform. She realized that they weren't being hammered by snow or the wind and looked up at the sky. The sun was peaking out over some of the clouds and was shining down on her. The snow clinging to her fur began to sparkle and twinkle. The whole sky looked so calm and reserved from the chaotic storm raging farther out. There was a light snowfall but it didn't matter much, just added to the whole scenery.
Twilight grabbed the tickets from the mare and after apologizing and thanking her turned around. The sight of Applejack sparkling in the sun stopped the unicorn in her tracks as she marveled at her friend. She thought Applejack was pretty before but now she questioned it. She wasn't pretty, she looked beautiful! Twilight felt her heartbeat quicken as she continued to take in the mare's beauty. She was ripped from her gazing by the mare she had been staring at.
"Uh, Twi? You alright?" Applejack asked.
"Y-yeah yeah. I'm fine." Twilight replied. Applejack raised an eyebrow.
"You sure? You were staring at me kinda funny." The farm mare asked. A light blush began to form on the unicorn's face as she attempted to hide that she was oogling her friend.
"Yeah. I'm sure." Twilight replied. "Oh look! The train is here!"
Applejack turned around just as the train pulled into the station. The giant machine hissed to a stop and the doors opened to allow ponies to enter and leave the cars. A conductor pony stepped out out the front car.
"All aboard for Canterlot!" he called.
Twilight gave the conductor her ticket and hurried on board. She took her seat next to one of the windows and eagerly waited for the train to part. She was too busy looking out the window to notice Applejack taking her seat unusually close to her. The heat radiating off the farm mare revealed how close she was to Twilight. The purple unicorn felt the heat rise in her cheeks. Thousands of thoughts flew through her mind as the train began it's departure and Twilight picked out a few.
Why is she sitting so close to me? Should I move away some? Should I move closer? What will she do if I move closer?
Applejack was also lost in her own thoughts. She looked over to the mare next to her and analyzed her appearance. She instantly took note of her mane in a ponytail and how little strands of her mane dangled in front of her face and tiny pellets of snow clung to her fur which made her glitter in the sunlight. Applejack turned away from the mare and tried to focus on something else. She gazed out the window and watched as the trees whizzed by along with the snow covered hills. The scenery did little to distract her from the mare of her dreams sitting right next to her. It didn't help that Twilight began to sneeze rapidly then shiver right after. Twilight ran a hoof underneath her muzzle and blushed.
"S-Sorry." Twilight apologized.
"Fer what?" Applejack asked.
"For sneezing all over you!" Twilight replied. Applejack giggled.
"It's alright, Twilight." Twilight shivered again.
"I-It's s-so c-c-cold in here." A look of hesitation flashed across Applejack's face. "Are you alright, Applejack?"
"Yeah. Just fine."
"Are you sure?" Twilight questioned.
"Eeyup." Applejack replied trying to imitate her older brother. It seemed to satisfy Twilight and she returned to her shivering.
Both ponies sat in silence for a moment before Applejack reached a hoof around Twilight's shoulders and pulled her close. A soft "Eeep" was drawn from Twilight as she was overwhelmed with heat from the mare next to her. It took Twilight a split second to realize how close she was to Applejack. If she were to turn her head to face the mare directly their muzzles would be a couple centimeters apart. A light blush played itself across Twilight's face. The more the heat spread through her the more the urge to snuggle up against Applejack rose. It took all of Twilight's willpower not to do that, but it proved to be too much as she leaned into Applejack and rested her head on her shoulder. Applejack's hoof slid down Twilight's back towards her torso which sent up red flags in Twilight's head, but were quickly dispelled when she realized that the farm mare was just re-positioning her foreleg. Applejack's fur felt soft despite her being a work pony. The strong muscles hidden beneath the coat were exposed to Twilight and she felt a sense of security as she laid against her. A thought in the back of her mind screamed at her to stop cuddling but it was dispelled quickly. Twilight was briefly drawn from her blissful state by the mare she was currently snuggled up against.
"Do ya fell better now?" Applejack asked. Twilight closed her eyes.
"Yes. Thank you Applejack." Twilight murmured softly.
The two sat there like that for a while snuggled up against each other. Eventually Twilight fell asleep leaving Applejack to her thoughts. There weren't many speeding through her head and she grew bored quickly. She looked down towards Twilight and grinned. She looked so adorable in her sleep, more than Applebloom did when she was excited for her first applebuck season. Then the reality hit her and hit hard.
What am Ah goin' ta say to Granny AND Applebloom?
Just the thought sent shivers down her spine which almost woke up the sleeping Twilight. Two scenarios played out in her head. Granny Smith would either accept it and be happy for her or she would scorn her and disown Applejack. Granny Smith was an old fashioned pony and she could be as stubborn as Applejack which meant that the odds of Granny Smith accepting her for a fillyfooler would be slim, very slim. The more she thought about it the more the fear built up like a forest fire. She didn't even know how she was going to explain this to Applebloom. She was too young to have had that kind of talk yet. Thankfully she was distracted from the problem by a soft yawn. Twilight wiped her eyes with a hoof and leaned off of Applejack. Twilight threw her forelegs in the air and yawned again as she stretched out her body. Applejack was again mesmerized by how elegant she looked. Every movement looked swift and graceful but sharp and rigid at the same time. Her mane and tail flew around wildly for a bit then gently swung back into place. Applejack would have continued staring had the train not come to a halt and flung her from her seat.
"Attention passengers we are now arriving at Canterlot station." a voice called over the intercom.
"Now ya tell me." Applejack muttered.
"Applejack, are you alright?" Twilight asked as she helped her up.
"Yeah Ah'm fine." Applejack replied. "Ah just wish they would warn me next time." Twilight giggled.
"So you don't fall off the seat?"
"Yup." The train's brakes hissed signaling their arrival into Canterlot.
"Well it looks like we're here so let's get a move on! I don't want miss the play."
Twilight began trotting off towards the doors and out into the streets of Canterlot with Applejack a little ways behind. She stepped out embracing the cold breeze slamming against her. The storm wasn't as bad as it was down in Ponyville and the light snowfall made everything that much more beautiful. The wind carried the snowflakes blissfully through the air with a couple landing on her nose. She began walking forward glancing at the buildings covered in blankets of snow. Icicles hung from the ceiling and wreaths and mistletoe were hung in windows and above doors. Applejack was so lost in the scenery that she didn't hear a certain unicorn calling to her.
"Applejack! Equestria to Applejack!" Twilight called.
"W-What?" Applejack put a hoof on her head. "Keep it together Applejack. Don't mess it up."
"Applejack, are you feeling alright?" Twilight asked walking up to the mare.
"Yeah. Ah'm fine. Let's get going, wouldn't want to miss the show." Applejack replied heading towards the theater. Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"What is up with her? She's been acting weird since this morning." Twilight whispered to herself.
The two mares began the short trip to the theater just up the street. The rainbow of lights that decorated it shone brightly illuminating the street and ticket booth. Applejack walked up to the mare manning the booth and pulled out twenty bits and placed them on the counter.
"Two tickets please."
Twilight Sparkle and Applejack both trotted out of the theater with petite smiles on their faces. The play was a splendid way to end the evening and both ponies simply walked in silence down the road. Twilight looked up towards the moon and took in it's beauty tonight. The stars were forming pictures that only Luna could form in the great canvas that was the night sky. That's when a either brilliant or idiotic idea popped into her head. She hesitated for a moment deciding whether or not it was appropriate for the current situation, but proceeded to carry it out. She turned to the mare beside her.
"Hey, Applejack?" Applejack's reaction was slightly delayed.
"Yeah?"
"Come with me for a second." Twilight began trotting at a quicker pace towards the castle.
"Somethin' wrong?" Applejack asked.
"No. Nothing's wrong." Twilight stopped abruptly and let Applejack catch up.
"Then where are we-"
There was a flash and a pop and the two mares reappeared in a lush garden filled with various plants and flowers. Applejack put a hoof to her head and struggled to stay on her feet. Teleportation was often dizzying if one wasn't used to it so it was natural Applejack had trouble staying on her hooves. After the dizziness wore off she joined Twilight who had made her way to a pond off near some lilies. She sat considerably close to Twilight to the point where their coats were almost touching but weren't. Applejack gazed up at the stars littering the night sky. Granny Smith and Mac had showed her some of the constellations when she was younger and she had showed them to Apple Bloom. She hadn't noticed the lavender mare next to her shift closer and closer with each passing second until she felt her coat up against hers. The warmth between them combining to keep both ponies heated amongst the freezing cold.
Twilight sighed which helped relieve the nervous energy building within her. It was the moment of truth. Whatever happened next would determine the fate of Equestria. Ok not that serious but the friendship she shared with Applejack was on the line here.
What if she rejects me? What if she doesn't want to be friends anymore!? What if she hates me and won't talk to me!?
Twilight frowned and took a deep breath. She had come this far and she wouldn't let anything stop her. She didn't know where this newfound courage had come from, maybe she should do some research on the subject of love and it's affects at a later date. Right now though was where she needed to be fully attentive and aware.
"Applejack?"
"Yeah, Twi." She replied not looking away from the stars.
"I got you something for Hearth's Warming." Applejack shifted a bit.
"Ya' didn't hafta get me anything." Applejack replied.
"I wanted to. Now close your eyes." Twilight replied. A scarlet blush was deepening on her face.
"Twi, Ah-"
"Applejack just close your eyes." Twilight stated in a firm tone.
"Fine." Applejack closed her eyes and waited patiently.
She had expected Twilight to grab her hoof and hand her an apple or something like that. What she didn't expect was the softest pair of lips to connect with her own. Applejack's eyes shot wide open and the full realization hit her when she the pair of lips she felt belonged to the lavender mare she had seen the show with. At first she was in shock and it took her a while to fully grasp the situation but when she did Twilight was already beginning to end the kiss. Applejack threw a hoof around Twilight, closed her eyes, and melted into the kiss. Now it was Twilight's turn to be surprised. The bliss on Applejack's face was evident and Twilight decided to mimic the bliss as well. Every nerve in her body tingled and screamed with joy. Her chest felt lighter than a feather and her heat sped up. When they parted both of the lovers had matching blushes that stained their faces. Words needn't be spoken for their actions spoke louder than they ever could. Both ponies turned back to watch the stars twinkle, their tails intertwining with each other and the space between them gone. Twilight rested her head against Applejack's shoulder and Applejack rested her head on Twilight's.
"Hey, Twi."
"Yes, Applejack?"
"Would you, ya know."
"Yes."
Applejack was slightly surprised at how quickly Twilight answered but decided not to question it. The two lovers watch the stars twinkle and shine putting on their own show for the new couple.
"Happy Hearth's Warming, Applejack." Twilight said.
"Happy Hearth Warming, Twilight."