“Twiiiiliiiight!” Spike’s voice echoed from downstairs, rousing Twilight from her peaceful slumber. “Breakfast is ready!”
Twilight groaned softly and pushed her head deeper into her favorite pillow. It was nothing special, but it had a special sort of sentimental value to it. The pillow itself was of an average size and was quite thick and fluffy, but that wasn’t the thing that made it special. The pillowcase covering the pillow was of the softest cotton, grown and spun all the way in Saddle Arabia. It had been quite expensive to procure, but things such as cost didn’t really matter when you were the prized pupil of the reigning princess, especially when you were given a weekly stipend to use as you saw fit.
Feeling something equally soft pull at her left wing, Twilight cracked an eye open and glanced down at Scootaloo. The filly was still fast asleep and had her forelegs curled up, holding her tail close. Scootaloo’s back was pressed up against Twilight’s side, and her head was laying on one of her outstretched forelegs. A small piece of her mane hung down in front of her mouth, swinging back and forth from each small inhale and exhale. Opening her other eye, Twilight lifted her head and saw that Scootaloo was tugging her own wing closer to her with one of her own.
Smiling, Twilight gently pulled her wing out of Scootaloo’s grasp, waking the filly up. Leaning down, Twilight gave Scootaloo a small nuzzle as she yawned. “Sleep well?” she asked with a smile. Twilight sat up and folded her wing back to her side, patiently waiting for the filly to finish yawning.
“Yeah, a lot better, after…” Scootaloo shuddered as she remembered her rather disturbing nightmare. “Well, you know…” Her ears drooped and she glanced away, folding her forelegs in front of her. She flicked her tail so that it landed around her side, and she held on to it tightly.
Seeing Scootaloo curl up into a ball, Twilight knew she had to keep Scootaloo’s mind off her nightmare. “Hey, Spike’s already made breakfast; you wanna come down with me and grab something to eat?” She rubbed Scootaloo’s back, taking care to avoid the bruised areas. Upon hearing Spike call her name again, Twilight chuckled and hopped off the bed. Turning back to look at Scootaloo, she said, “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I think he’s made muffins this morning; his own special recipe too!”
“Sure, that sounds great!” Scootaloo said, letting her tail slip from her hooves. She unfolded her hooves and stood up on unsteady legs. A moment later, Scootaloo crouched and hopped off the bed, much like Twilight had just done. “So… you said Spike made muffins?” she asked with a smile, listening to her stomach grumble at the thought of food.
“Yep! Come on, let’s go get some; I’m starving,” Twilight said. With a nod of her head, she beckoned towards her bedroom door and the two of them silently walked out into the hallway.
As soon as they reached the top of the steps, Twilight said, “Say…” she trailed off for a moment, letting a chuckle escape her lips as she started to walk downstairs. “Have you ever had coffee?” She knew giving a filly coffee probably wasn’t the best of ideas, but she wanted to keep Scootaloo in as best a mood as possible, especially since it was Hearth’s Warming Eve.
“Nah, but I heard that it’s really bitter. I don’t think I’d like it,” Scootaloo said as they turned the corner, heading for the kitchen.
“It’s only bitter if you don’t put creamer in it. I don’t like mine black at all.” Twilight smiled as her gaze settled on her most helpful assistant setting a miniature tower of muffins on the table. “Wow, Spike, you really went the extra mile today!” Her face lit up with a smile as she took in the whole display of culinary expertise. The small table was completely covered with plates packed full of oranges, sliced apples, grapes, and of course, the heaping plate of muffins.
Her mouth already salivating, Scootaloo darted forward and crammed a couple of muffins into her mouth. She swallowed most of what was in her mouth before saying, “Dang, Spike, these are really good! What’s in these?” Scootaloo grabbed another and started devouring it as well, not even bothering to finish the first two already in her mouth.
“Ah, it’s nothing special, really.” Spike sat down on a cushion and grabbed a muffin for himself. After taking a bite from it, he continued, “I just took the mix from the box and added a bunch of chocolate chips to it.”
“Nothing special?” Scootaloo repeated Spike’s words, staring at him incredulously. “Are you kidding me? These are great! You really have to show me how to make these sometime.” She grabbed yet another muffin and started plowing her way through that one.
“You better slow down or you might end up getting a stomachache,” Twilight warned as she sat down. Levitating the full pot of coffee from the counter, she poured an equal amount into the three empty mugs on the table. She placed the coffee pot back and then grabbed the creamer. Twilight poured a generous amount in everyone’s mugs and then pushed Scootaloo’s mug closer to her.
“So… yeah, tell me what you think! It’s really good when you put a lot of creamer in it.” Twilight raised her own mug to her lips and took a sip. Glad that she’d put the right amount of creamer in it, she watched as Scootaloo reached for the mug.
“Hey, everypony!” Pinkie Pie’s voice sounded out from directly behind Twilight, shocking her wide awake along with everyone else at the kitchen table. If she didn’t have a good grip on her mug, Twilight would have spilled her coffee everywhere.
“Gah! Pinkie, how’d you get in here?” Twilight asked, putting her half-empty cup of coffee down on the table. She waited with a cocked eyebrow as Pinkie trotted around the table, taking the only open cushion left at the other end. Twilight never was one for sudden surprises like that; such things left her heart racing and adrenaline pumping through her veins.
“I came in through the front door, duh!” Pinkie said, rolling her eyes as if Twilight had just asked a question with an obvious answer. “Say, is there any coffee left? I’m as parched as a peach!” Pinkie stared at Twilight with wide eyes as she breathlessly waited for her to respond.
“Um… yeah, there should be some left in the pot,” Twilight said slowly, not quite sure how Pinkie would react to consuming the powerful stimulant. As soon as Pinkie stood up, Twilight snuck a glance at the front door. It was still firmly locked and bolted shut, just like she always left it before going to bed. There was no way that anypony could have gotten through that door.
Perplexed, Twilight opened her mouth to question her friend but thought against it at the last second. Come on, this is Pinkie we’re talking about… You know how she can get… Shaking her head, Twilight took another few large gulps of her coffee, smiling as the hot liquid slid down her throat, warming her insides. It was a tad bit chilly in the library; not enough to warrant a jacket or a blanket, though. The coffee was more than enough to keep her warm, and Spike had lit a small fire in the oven, just barely giving off enough heat.
Scootaloo leaned over and tapped on Twilight’s leg. When Twilight bent over, she whispered, “Uh, how’d she get in here?” She glanced over at Spike, who mouthed back ‘It’s Pinkie.’ Spike shrugged silently and grabbed a few apple slices.
“Ahh… that hits the spot!” Pinkie said quite loudly, smacking her lips as she set the empty coffee pot back down. “Now where was I?” She tapped her chin as she thought.
If Twilight didn’t know better, she could have sworn that Pinkie’s hoof sped up, going faster and faster until she spoke up again.
“Oh yeah!” Pinkie turned around and returned to her cushion in a flash. She put her forehooves on the table and stared directly at Twilight, her tail flicking about in her excitement. “I’m here to invite you, well, everypony in Ponyville, really, to my Hearth’s Warming Eve party today! So how about it, guys? You wanna come?”
“Totally!” Spike spoke up. Turning to face Twilight, a smile grew on his face as he asked, “So how about it? Can we go?”
“Of course we can go!” Twilight said. “What time?”
“Eight o’clock, and don’t be late! AnywaysthanksforthecoffeeTwilightIgottagotelleveryponyelsebye!” Pinkie said. She bolted up and dashed to the door, unlocked it, and ran outside in the span of only a couple of seconds.
“Well, there’s a typical Pinkie Pie for you…” Spike trailed off, his voice tinted with a hint of worry. He shook his head and took a few sips from his mug. “So Scootaloo, you try the coffee yet? It goes great with the muffins!”
“Really? Well, if you say so…” Scootaloo reached out for another muffin and took a bite from it. With her other hoof, she grabbed her mug and brought it to her lips. She took a small taste of the light brown liquid, letting it dance across her tongue a few moments before she swallowed it.
“Well, how do you like it?” Twilight asked, eager to see what Scootaloo thought of one of her favorite drinks. She took another sip from her near-empty mug as she waited for the filly to respond.
“It’s definitely something else…” Scootaloo took a larger sip from her mug.
“Yeah, it really helps those that aren’t morning ponies wake up quickly. Usually, one or two cups is good enough to get you going. And if you’re wondering why Pinkie drank half a pot of coffee, well, yeah, that’s just Pinkie. She does stuff like that from time to time.” Giggling, Twilight shook her head just as she heard the front door open again. Looking up, she immediately recognized Scootaloo’s other friends, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Before she could greet her new guests, Scootaloo had already jumped out of her seat, making a beeline straight for her friends.
“Hey, you two!” Scootaloo chirped, giving the other two fillies a good, strong hug. “Wait, hold on a sec… How’d you two find me here?” She pulled away and sat back on her haunches, her gaze flicking between her two friends as she waited for either one to speak up.
“Oh, I read it in my sister’s diar…” Sweetie Belle trailed off when Twilight shot her a suspicious look. “Um, nevermind.” Deftly changing the subject, she continued, “So where have you been these past few days? Spike said something about you being in a hospital!”
“Oh, yeah, about that… I’m sorry I haven’t been able to hang out lately. Things have just been…” she trailed off, hesitation creeping into her voice as she stared at the floor between them.
“Interesting.” Twilight finished Scootaloo’s sentence for her, watching as she nodded in agreement. She sat down next to Scootaloo and asked, “So, what did you gals have in mind for today? More crusading? Another snowball fight?”
“Both!” Apple Bloom piped up, letting a large smile form on her face. “So what do ya say, Scootaloo? Wanna come build a snowpony with us?” She looked up at Twilight with a hopeful expression. “Oh, and can Spike come too? It’d be real nice to have him to even out the teams fer when we have another snowball fight!”
“Sure, I don’t see why not!” Twilight said. Looking over her shoulder, she raised her voice so Spike could hear her, and she asked, “Hey, Spike, the crusaders are here, and they want you to go play with them! You want to?”
“But what about my chores for today?” came Spike’s voice from around the corner.
“I think I can do them today,” Twilight called back, smiling as she saw her scaly assistant poke his head out from the kitchen. “Besides, since you took care of mine while I was at the hospital, it’s only fair that I take care of yours today.”
“Really? You sure?” Spike asked, fully emerging from behind the wall. “I mean, I can stick around for a–”
“Spike, I think I can handle it,” Twilight picked him up with her magic and set him down beside the three fillies. “Go have fun, and stay warm, alright? I don’t want any of you getting sick for the holidays.” She summoned a couple scarves for a nearby closet and used her magic to wrap them around Scootaloo and Spike.
“Awesome! Come on, let’s go build us a snowpony forty feet tall!” Apple Bloom turned around and scampered towards the door. She pulled it open and the four of them ran outside, already making plans for what they were going to do with the day.
“Spike, don’t forget about the party!” Twilight quickly yelled at the closing door. She winced as it slammed shut a moment later, leaving her alone in the library. “Hmph. Alright then…” Twilight said, glancing around the library. Spotting her list of things to do for the day on her desk, she trotted over to it and sat down in front of it, making herself comfortable on the cushion. Unrolling the scroll sitting in the middle of her desk, she quickly made sure it was her to-do list. Satisfied, she levitated it up into the air and held it before her, angling it so that the light could shine right on the first line.
Alrighty… item number one: reshelve all of the returned books. Twilight set her list down and looked at the empty bin at the other side of the library. With a small smile, she grabbed a quill and checked her first item off. Well, this should be an easy day!
Item number two: do the dishes from breakfast and/or lunch. Twilight stood up and trotted into the kitchen. Upon seeing that it was perfectly tidy and organized, even up to her standards, she smiled and went back to the desk. Upon checking off the second item, she sat back down and read the third item from the list. Study the assignments that you have assigned yourself, and write a full report to send to Princess Celestia.
“Well, that’s most of the day right there…” Twilight murmured, levitating several rather large textbooks from all corners of the library to her desk. “If I start now, I think I might be able to finish in time for Pinkie’s party…”
The hours flew by as Twilight quickly became lost in her work. Nopony disturbed her, and all was quiet until somepony knocked on the door.
“That’s strange…” Twilight murmured as she set down her quill. She pushed her report away from the edge of the table and stood up, stretching her legs briefly. “I’m pretty sure the sign says we’re open…” She trotted over to the door and pulled it open with her magic, instantly recognizing her friend. “Hey Rainbow!” Smiling, she stepped back and pulled the door open all the way. “Come on in!”
“Hey… Twilight…” Rainbow panted. Her chest heaved with each deep breath she took, and her wings were quivering from over-exertion. Little did Twilight know, she had just flown all the way to Trottingham and back to buy the alicorn a special present for the holidays.
“Let me guess, you pushed yourself too much practicing some cool new trick?” Twilight asked as she helped her friend over to the couch. Letting her flop down on it, she trotted into the kitchen and filled up an empty glass with water. Twilight turned around and returned to the living room, setting the glass down on the coffee table in front of the exhausted pegasus.
“So, what has you so tired?” Twilight asked curiously, laying down on the other side of the couch.
“Tired? Who said I was tired? I’m not tired!” Rainbow Dash got up and sat on her haunches, still panting slightly. She made sure the small, wrapped present she was carrying was still hidden from Twilight’s view and then reached for the glass of water. Downing it all in a couple quick gulps, she put the glass back down and sat back. Forcing herself to stop panting, Rainbow took several deep breaths and let each one out slowly.
Flicking her mane out of her face, Rainbow was just about to ask what Twilight was up to when the library’s door opened, revealing none other than Rarity carrying four suspicious-looking packages on her back.
“Rarity! Are those the… you know,” Twilight trailed off on purpose, not wanting to ruin the surprise for Rainbow. She slid off the couch and trotted up to the newcomer.
“Indeed they…” Rarity too trailed off as she watched Rainbow Dash quickly stuff something in Twilight’s Hearth’s Warming tree. Upon seeing the pegasus shush her with a hoof held up to her lips, Rarity continued on as if she’d seen nothing out of the ordinary. “Indeed they are.”
“Thank you so much for getting these done with such short notice,” Twilight said as she pulled her friend into a brief hug. “How much do I owe you?” she asked, pulling away. She lit her horn and levitated her bag full of bits over to her.
“Oh, for these little things?” Rarity levitated the presents off her back and set them down on the floor beside her. “Don’t worry about it, Twilight, and also…” She leaned closer and lowered her voice so that Rainbow couldn’t hear her. “I made you a matching one as well.”
Upon seeing Dash squirm on the couch as if she had something to say, Rarity leaned back and said, “Anyways, I left my scarf at home. If we’re going to be outside for any measure of time tonight, I’d like to be reasonably warm, wouldn’t you? This winter is particularly colder than the last one, if I remember correctly.” She shivered as she glanced over her shoulder, looking out one of the many windows in the library. Twilight nodded silently in response.
Rarity rubbed her hooves together to give them at least a small modicum of warmth in preparation for her return journey home. “Well, I best be going now. I’ll see you two at Pinkie’s party, alright?” She gave Twilight another quick hug before she left, leaving the two of them alone in the library.
Humming a little ditty, Twilight lit her horn and teleported the presents to her closet upstairs, right next to the present that Rainbow got for Scootaloo.
“Hey, what didja get there, Twi?” Rainbow asked, laying her forelegs over the arm of the couch. Taking a shot in the dark, she asked, “You, uh… you didn’t happen to get me a present, did ya?”
“Yeah, I did! Now that we’re going to be taking care of Scootaloo, I thought that I’d buy us all…” Twilight trailed off, letting a smirk slide onto her face as Dash’s expression changed to that of mild annoyance.
“What?” Rainbow’s voice rose in pitch as she got excited. Her tail started flicking from side to side as she asked, “What did you get us? Come on, spill the beans already!”
“Nope! Not saying another word!” Twilight made a left to right motion in front of her muzzle, pretending that she had just zipped her lips shut.
“Ahh, come on, Twilight!” Rainbow pouted, crossing her forelegs across her chest. “Can you give me just a little peek?”
“Uh-uh! You and everyone else are going to have to wait till tomorrow morning!” Twilight said. She glanced at the clock and noticed that they were already running a few minutes late. “We really should get going, Rainbow. We’re running late as it is!” Twilight levitated a couple scarves from a closet and tossed one to Dash. Wrapping her own tightly around her neck, she started walking towards the door.
“Ugh, fine…” Rainbow hopped off the couch and flew to the door. Pulling it open with a hoof, she bowed and mockingly said, “After you, my princess…”
With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Twilight trotted outside and tucked her wings in tighter, trying to keep as much warmth as she could. She turned the corner and started making her way down the street, leaving Rainbow to close up the library.
Seeing Twilight trot away, Rainbow quickly closed the door, and with a few quick flaps of her wings, she landed back at Twilight’s side. “Hey, you could’ve waited for me…” she muttered playfully, giving Twilight a gentle nudge on the shoulder.
“Oh, but princesses don’t wait for peasants, do they?” Twilight asked in a rather thick Canterlot accent. “I think not!” Twilight turned her nose up in jest, as if she considered Rainbow beneath her. Cracking an eye open, she giggled as she saw confusion spread upon Rainbow’s face. She dropped the act and gave Rainbow the mandatory retaliatory nudge back, giggling to show that she was joking. “Anyways, I was thinking…”
“Yeah?”
“Should we tell the rest of our friends about what we’re doing for Scootaloo? I’ve already told Rarity, and I don’t think it would be fair if we didn’t tell the rest of our friends. Besides, I don’t really like keeping secrets.” Twilight snuck a glance over at Rainbow to gauge her reaction.
“Yeah, I don’t see why not.” Rainbow responded after thinking for a few seconds. “If it’s alright with you, I’d rather not make a huge deal out of it.” She heard sounds of a party emanating from around the corner, which made her ears flick forward.
“That’s fine with me, and I’m sure Scootaloo would agree as well.” The two of them rounded the corner to see Sugarcube Corner completely covered in blinking lights and various decorations.
“Wow, Pinkie Pie really outdid herself from last year…” Rainbow said in awe, her eyes taking in the absurd scene.
“Hehe, yeah, about that…” Twilight trailed off with a giggle. “She drank several cups worth of coffee at my place this morning, so that’s probably why.”
Rainbow whistled. “Yeah, that’s probably it.” They made their way up the steps and knocked on the door, standing side by side. As they waited for Pinkie to open it, Rainbow shifted ever so slightly to the left, gently pressing herself against Twilight’s side to try and keep warm. Before Twilight could question her about it, the door opened and the two of them rushed in, desperate to get out of the cold.
“Hey! I’m so glad you two could make it!” Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing up and down in place. She grabbed both of them and pulled them inside, leading them towards the rest of their friends on the other side of the room. They weaved their way through several townsponies, greeting a couple familiar faces along the way.
As they neared the other three of their friends, Applejack glanced up and noticed them approaching. “Hey ya’ll, glad you two could make it!” She propped her forelegs up on a small wooden barrel that had the words ‘Hard Cider: Special Reserve’ painted on the side. “Now that everyone’s here, we can crack this bad boy open!” She picked up a crowbar from the ground beside her and deftly popped the top off, letting the smell of fermented apples fill the room.
“Woo nelly!” Applejack exclaimed, taking a deep whiff of the opened barrel. “This one smells a bit too strong, but that don’t matter; it’s the holidays!” She grabbed a hold of the six mugs behind her and filled each one up to the brim. After making sure everybody had one, Applejack sat down and said, “Now, enjoy this while you can, girls, because when this is gone…” she trailed off as she saw Rainbow down her whole mug in one go. “There’ll be no more hard cider till next season.” She shot a smug grin at Rainbow, chuckling as she watched the pegasus stare into her now empty mug.
“Uh, can I… can I have some more?” Dash asked, holding out her mug.
“Not until the rest of us have finished our drinks,” Rarity said before taking a sip of her own drink. “If we consume our drinks like party animals, like you are, Fluttershy would pass out faster than you could say potato! No offense, dear,” she said, giving Fluttershy a small, apologetic nuzzle.
Rainbow sighed in defeat, letting her shoulders slump. She put her mug down and looked at the open barrel of cider sitting right in front of her. Her lower lip stuck out, she glanced up at Applejack with a hopeful expression, silently pleading for more.
“Oh, alright then. Go ahead and get yerself a little more,” Applejack nodded towards the open barrel. “I know how much you like mah cider.”
“Awesome!” All in one motion, Rainbow grabbed her mug and filled it back to the brim. She brought it up to her lips as fast as she could, only to feel somepony place a hoof on her foreleg, stopping her.
“Remember, drink slowly,” Twilight whispered into Rainbow’s ear. “We still have to tell them about what we’re doing with Scootaloo, and I don’t want you so plastered you can’t speak straight, alright?”
“Hehe, you got it, Twilight,” Rainbow whispered back. She brought the mug back up to her lips and took a small sip, this time actually taking the time to enjoy the special treat. She felt her cheeks start to flush with warmth from the alcoholic drink, and she felt that familiar warm and fuzzy feeling envelop her whole body.
The next hour mainly consisted of reminiscing about the past year. Twilight had seen the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Spike come in a little while after them, and after a small greeting, they had gone to go hang out with the other fillies and colts at the party.
After that, the six of them finished off the barrel of hard cider rather quickly, and Applejack rolled the barrel out back to dispose of later. As soon as she returned, though, she cracked a smile, her gaze flicking back and forth between Rainbow and Twilight. She sat back down beside Rarity and whispered something in her ear. The two of them looked up and started giggling a moment later.
“Hey, what’s so funny?” Rainbow asked, her tone sounding a little defensive. “Why are you guys laughing at us?” She looked at Fluttershy, who immediately hid her face behind her mane.
“You two are, um…” Rarity trailed off, barely containing her gleefulness.
“Look up, silly!” Pinkie exclaimed.
Look... up?” Twilight glanced up, her eyes widening as she noticed a piece of mistletoe hanging right above her and Rainbow. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment and she looked at Rainbow, noticing that she too was blushing. “We… uh, hehehe, we don’t have to…” she stammered out, feeling her heart beat faster and faster in her breast.
“Yeah, you have to, it’s the rules!” Pinkie spoke up with a large smile.
Twilight looked over at Rainbow and saw that she wasn’t backing away. Her heart was racing and she found herself short of breath as she looked into Rainbow’s eyes.
“Oh, come on, you two, it’s just a kiss!” Rarity said, egging her two friends on.
“Yeah, just a kiss, right?” Dash asked, a hint of nervousness in her tone. She turned to face Twilight a little better and licked her lips.
“I guess…” Twilight trailed off as she cracked a nervous smile. She looked up into Rainbow’s eyes again and took a hesitant step forward, closing the distance between them. Before she could say anything else, Rainbow leaned the rest of the way and planted her lips on Twilight’s.
At that moment, everything faded away as Twilight felt Rainbow’s lips press up against hers. They were incredibly soft and warm, a little wet even. She closed her eyes and gently pushed back against Rainbow, and before she knew it, the moment was over.
“Wow, that was really quite something, Rainbow…” Rarity said in surprise.
“Yeah, well, if you’re going to do something, you gotta do it right,” the pegasus said, looking at the floor. She cracked a nervous smile and snuck a glance at Twilight. Her heart was racing, and as she looked at Twilight, she couldn’t help but feel something else, something that made her feel just a little bit closer to the alicorn. Her wings bristled in nervous excitement when Twilight looked up into her eyes, and she quickly looked away, desperately trying to think of something else to talk about.
“Yeah, it definitely was…” Twilight agreed, feeling her heart thumping. That was her first time kissing somepony, and the feeling of having somepony’s lips upon hers was indescribable. Wanting to defuse the rather awkward situation, Twilight shook her head and spoke up. “Anyways… Rainbow and I have something important that we want to talk to you all about,” Twilight said as she placed her empty mug down at her hooves. “I’m not sure if–”
“Wait!” Pinkie gasped. “Are you and Dashie together? Like, as a couple? Ohmygosh, I totally just made you two kiss!”
“What? Uh...” Rainbow started stammering nervously. “We– we aren’t together!”
“You sure? You two would look great together!”
“Pinkie, Rainbow and I are not a couple,” Twilight said confidently. “Anyways, like I was saying, I’m not sure if you are aware of this or not, but Scootaloo has lived with abusive parents her whole life, and I have, well, taken measures to ensure her safety. Rainbow and I–”
“Wait, hold on a sec,” Applejack said, cutting Twilight off. “What do you mean you’ve ‘taken measures to ensure her safety?’”
“Well, since Princess Celestia and I placed Scootaloo’s parents under arrest, Rainbow and I have taken it upon ourselves to take care of Scootaloo. Her parents are going to be put on trial pretty soon, and the filly is staying at the library for the time being.”
Over the course of the next twenty minutes, Twilight and Rainbow filled in the rest of the friends, answering all their questions. During this time, the party started dying down and everypony started leaving, thanking Pinkie Pie for another fun time.
“So yeah, that about covers it,” Twilight said. She gave a small sigh of relief, happy that she was done.
“Darling, like I said the other day, I really think it is quite wonderful that you and Rainbow are doing this for Scootaloo. I’m sure that you two will do a splendid job taking care of her,” Rarity said.
“Yeah, you said it,” Applejack said.
“Hey, since it looks like things are wrapping up, why don’t you guys all come over to my place after opening presents tomorrow?” Twilight asked. “I’m sure everyone would love to get back together again."
“Sure, sounds good to me.” Applejack got up and stretched her legs. “Anyways, this was a great party, Pinks. Ah sure had a great time, and Ah think it’s about time Ah get Apple Bloom in bed; it’s already way past her bedtime. Ah’ll see ya’ll tomorrow, alright?” She stood up and and walked to the other side of the room, where the Cutie Mark Crusaders were hanging out with Spike. After a few seconds, Apple Bloom hugged the rest of her friends goodbye and followed her big sister out the front door.
“You know, I think I’ll do the same,” Rarity said as she stood up. She gave Pinkie a small hug in thanks, trying to fight back a yawn. Releasing her friend, she called out to her little sister, “Sweetie Belle, it’s time to go!” She turned towards Twilight and asked, “You don’t mind if I bring Sweetie Belle tomorrow, do you?”
“Not at all!” Twilight said with a smile. “The more the merrier, right?”
“Perfect! I’ll see you tomorrow, then!” Rarity gave Twilight a hug, and then she and her sister walked out the front door, out into the cold, wintery night.
“So, uh, I guess I’ll get going too,” Rainbow said as she stood up, stretching her wings for the quick flight home. She stepped forward to hug Twilight goodbye, but she held back as she remembered the kiss that they had shared in front of their friends. Rainbow didn’t know why, but she felt her heart speed up as she thought about that kiss. Even though she had said it was just a kiss and nothing more, she couldn’t help but feel the opposite.
“You sure?” Twilight asked. Seeing Dash nod in response, she said, “Here, I’ll walk us out, and you can say goodnight to Scootaloo, alright?” She stood up and fluffed her wings, waiting for Rainbow’s response.
“Sounds good to me,” Rainbow said. She bit her lip as she thought about asking Twilight what she thought about their kiss, but she decided against it, choosing to just silently follow the alicorn instead. It only took them a few moments to cross the room.
“Hey…” Rainbow said as she sat down beside Spike and Scootaloo. “You two ready to go? Twi and I are ready to head out.”
“Aww, already?” Spike asked, his shoulders slumping in disappointment.
“Yeah, it’s getting late as it is, and it’s already way past your bedtime,” Twilight said as she tightened her scarf.
Scootaloo pulled her own scarf tighter as well and looked up at Rainbow. “Will I… will we see you tomorrow?” she asked hopefully.
“Of course, squirt,” Rainbow said, giving Scootaloo’s mane a playful tousle. “We’ll spend the whole day together tomorrow!”
“Really?” Scootaloo’s wings buzzed in excitement. “That’s gonna be so much fun!”
“Yeah, but first you two need to go bed!” Twilight said, pushing the two of them towards the door with her wings. “Besides, if you two aren’t in bed soon, Santa Hooves might skip our house! We wouldn’t want that, now would we?”