//------------------------------//
// The Fires of Friendship 
// Story: Cold Days and Warm Hearts 
// by moguera 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 20: The Fires of Friendship

"Oh my goodness!  These are positively marvelous!" exclaimed Rarity as she twirled about, spinning to observe the silver and purple robes draped about her.  She had to admit, they were more than a match for the costume she had worn last time.  "Truly Miss Lockstitch, you've done wonderful work."
A dark-red unicorn mare with a grass-green mane bobbed her head politely.  She was a fair bit older than Rarity and clearly had the weight of experience behind her, especially seeing as she was able to maintain a successful business in the midst of Canterlot, a city whose inhabitants had the most demanding standards in all Equestria.  "I wish I could take all the credit," said Lockstitch, "But I have to say that my new apprentice handled a great deal of the work."
"Your apprentice?"  Rarity blinked and turned to give her costume a closer look.  "I honestly didn't notice.  This is fully professional quality."
"Though she is serving her apprenticeship under me, she already has considerable experience, thanks to the mare she was working under in Manehattan."  Lockstitch turned to the door of the dressing room.  "Coco, come in please."
"Oh...um..."  A young, off-white mare carefully made her way through the door, her cheeks colored faintly red as she met Rarity's gaze nervously and ducked her head in greeting.  "I-I'm Coco Pommel.  P-pleased to m-meet you Miss Rarity.  This is a great honor."
"I must say, I am very impressed with your work, darling," said Rarity, once again looking over her costume, "If Lockstitch hadn't told me, I would have never guessed this is an apprentice's work."
"Th-thank you!"  In spite of her stammering, Coco's eyes lit up like a filly opening a birthday present and realizing she had gotten exactly what she had wanted.
Lockstitch couldn't help but chuckle softly.  "Coco here is a great admirer of yours, Miss Rarity."
Coco's blush intensified as she gasped and ducked her head, this time to hide her face from Rarity, who was blushing herself.
"I-I...Well, I'm very flattered Miss Coco.  I had no idea I was such an inspiration."  Rarity fanned herself with a hoof, unsure of what else to say in response to that.  While she prided herself by being a shaker and mover in the fashion world, she felt a bit put on the spot to be confronted by one of her admirers so directly.  She was no Rainbow Dash after all.
"I have to concede that you are probably one of the finest fashion designers in the country," said Lockstitch, though she didn't sound the slightest troubled by that fact, "In fact, I was hoping to suggest something while I have the opportunity."
"And what is that?" asked Rarity, her interest piqued.
"I am the second designer Coco has apprenticed under," explained Lockstitch, "The first mare she apprenticed under in Manehattan was a charlatan of lowest grade.  Coco ended up here in Canterlot after that mare was exposed as such.  In her apprenticeship there, Coco was actually the one doing most of the work when it came to actually making the clothes.  Because of that, her technical skills are, more or less, at a professional level."
Coco blushed all the more fiercely at the praise being heaped on her.
"Because of that, I feel that there is very little that Coco would gain from apprenticing under me.  I believe that the best thing for her would be to broaden her experience further...like say, having her finish her apprenticeship under one of the most influential ponies in the fashion world."
Coco's gasped was matched by Rarity.  "A-are you saying that I should take Coco Pommel to Ponyville to finish out her apprenticeship under me?" asked Rarity.
"Would you have a problem with that?" asked Lockstitch, raising an eyebrow.
Rarity really wished that Lockstitch hadn't made her proposal while Coco was still in the room.  Rarity was almost ready to break out in a nervous sweat under the pressure of Coco's gaze as the younger mare stared at her with starstruck awe.  It wasn't that Rarity had anything against Coco.  Taking on an apprentice, even one who was merely finishing out her apprenticeship, was a serious decision to make.  While Rarity wasn't immediately inclined to say no, she couldn't necessarily guarantee that her answer would be yes either...But to say "no," right in front of Coco's face no less...Rarity wasn't certain that she could dash Coco's hopes like that.  But if she agreed, she wanted to do so for the right reasons.
“I have to admit that this is something I have to think about,” said Rarity, “I’m not certain the answer will be yes.”  She hid a grimace at the sight of Coco’s expression falling.  Sympathy came to her face easily enough, considering it was genuine.  “Please don’t think it’s any fault of yours, darling.  It’s just…I’ve never taken on an apprentice before.  I’m not certain whether or not I could provide you with what you need and deserve.”
“I more than think that you can handle the job,” said Lockstitch with a confidence Rarity only wished she could feel herself, “Coco’s education is nearly complete.  The most beneficial thing for her would be to expose her to other schools of thought and different perspectives.  That your boutique can flourish in a small town like Ponyville is a definite sign of your skill and business savvy, things that Coco will have to learn if she wants to open and run her own shop at some point.”
“I…see…”  Rarity still felt uncertain.  All things considered, she was very well off, in spite of the fact that she was providing for herself, her sister, and one rather dependent stallion, whom she had also now taken on as an employee.  She wondered if Flaxseed, with his nearly miraculous skill for number-crunching, might be able to find a way to stretch their finances to accommodate an apprentice as well.
But then, something else occurred to Rarity.  While taking Coco on as an apprentice might be a financial risk in the short term, there was something in the future that could alleviate it.  In the spring, Rarity would be trying to obtain the Royal Warrant.  Having what was essentially the Princesses’ official stamp of approval on her business would cause her notoriety and the demand for her products to skyrocket.  She could even resume business with the Canterlot nobility, free from her previous worries about their plans to manipulate her.  If she could obtain the Royal Warrant for her business, Rarity had little doubt that she would soon be making more than enough to accommodate and apprentice, maybe even two or three…
…If she succeeded.  Therein lay the problem.  Obtaining the Royal Warrant was far from a sure thing for Rarity.  There would be a great deal of competition for such prestigious recognition and, while Coco’s clear admiration of her made it apparent that Rarity was amongst the foremost of those in her chosen profession, she was wise enough to realize that she was still quite a long ways from having it “in the bag” as Rainbow Dash would so eloquently call it.  She was optimistic about her chances, but wouldn’t go far as to assume she had already won.
But still…maybe if she had the assistance of an apprentice, particularly one as skilled and experienced as Coco clearly already was, then maybe she might have an even better chance at obtaining the Royal Warrant.
“I think…” said Rarity, still a bit hesitantly as Coco’s ears perked up, “I think I just might be able to take you on after all.  My finances might be tight for a little bit.  But I believe that I might be able to manage.”
Turning her full attention back to Coco, Rarity gave her a warm smile.  “If you feel that you would like to finish your apprenticeship under me, then I will expect to see you at my boutique in Ponyville a week after Hearth’s Warming.”  Rarity turned back to Lockstitch.  “Is that acceptable?”
"I believe so," said Lockstitch with a pleased smile, "With that out of the way, let's finish with the fitting."
"Of course," said Rarity, going still so that the seamstress and her assistant could make the final adjustments to the costume.
Rarity was the last of her friends to be fitted.  Of the costumes for the six leaders, four had been done by Lockstitch and Coco, who had also done the costumes for Clover the Clever, Pudding Head and Smart Cookie.  The costumes for Commander Hurricane and Private Pansy had been shopped out to a different costume maker, one who was better versed in creating the imitation armor the two pegasus leaders would be wearing during the pageant.  Lockstitch and Coco were also responsible for the costumes for many of the extras in the play as well, though those garments had not required the same exacting attention to detail the leading roles did.
It was only the work of a few minutes for Lockstitch and Coco to finish up, at which point Rarity carefully removed her costume and draped it over the nearby ponyquin in preparation for the upcoming dress rehearsals.
"Thank you both so much for your hard work," said Rarity as the three of them made their way to the door.
"Oh!  I'm looking forward to seeing you perform Miss Rarity," said Coco with a wide, adoring smile that actually reminded Rarity a good bit of Sweetie Belle.  The resemblance was so uncanny that Rarity had to stifle a giggle.
"I'll try my hardest not to disappoint you," said Rarity politely.
After bidding the two tailors a good day, Rarity made her way to the dining room to join everypony else for lunch.



The dress rehearsals went smoothly in the last night of preparation before Hearth's Warming Eve.  The group reconvened for dinner before retiring to their rooms at night.  The next morning, they rose bright and early to join the Princesses for breakfast before returning to the general preparations for the pageant that evening.  It was now officially Hearth's Warming Eve.  Strangely, the Palace felt practically deserted compared to the previous two days.  The majority of the servants had been dismissed to spend this day and the next with their families.  The only ones still working in the Palace and its adjoining facilities (including the auditorium where the pageant would be performed) were the cast and crew of the pageant.  Even the cooks had left, leaving everypony, including Celestia and Luna, to use the kitchens themselves when it came to preparing meals.
Thus, while the cast and crew of the Pageant focused their efforts on final rehearsals before the guests arrived, everypony else assembled in the kitchens and, led by Caramel, went about the all-important task of preparing a Hearth's Warming Eve's dinner.  Fortunately, Caramel and Melon Cream were both well-versed in preparing various large dishes for the meal.  The foals (save for Apple Bloom and Spike, who were helping with the crew again), did their best to assist in the preparations.  Fortunately, their experience in Arkenstone's teashop allowed them to aid the adults without causing any disasters.
Work continued throughout the day, with only a brief pause for lunch.  Still, spirits were high as everything came together.  By the time the sun started to set and the first guests attending the pageant started to arrive, everything was ready.



"What are those things?" gasped Smart Cookie as she gaped upwards at the spectral horses circling above them like sharks.  The waves of cold washing down from those bizarre perversions of equinity had already frozen the three leaders.  Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane and Chancelor Puddinghead were now encased in thick ice.  Now that ice was slowly stretching across the floor towards the remaining three ponies in the cave as the monstrous creatures above whinnied in excitement.
"I-I'm not sure..." said Clover the Clever, watching the beasts with a similarly fearful expression, "I think I've heard about something like them from my teacher but..."
"Wha-what d-do y-you think they are?" stammered a frantically shivering Private Pansy as she too watched their tormentors with a look of abject terror on her face.
"I-I think they might be windigos," said Clover finally, "They're supposed to be monsters that feed on hatred and animosity.  My teacher said they were just a myth though."  Clover had already tried to blast the fell spirits away with her magic, but it had seemed to simply pass through them without consequence.
Cookie's eyes immediately dropped from the creatures above to Clover.  "Wait!  Ya said they feed on hatred."
"Well...yes..." said Clover with more than a little uncertainty, "That's what the stories about them said anyway.  I had no idea what they looked like."
"So ya think they're the ones behind the blizzards that chased us outta our homes?" demanded Cookie, looking up again at the monsters, but now glaring instead of gaping.
"M-maybe," said Clover, "They seem to be behind this blizzard right now.  But I don't understand why-"
Clover was cut off by a sharp gasp of terror from Pansy, drawing the eyes of the other two to her.  "I-it's our fault!" exclaimed Pansy, her eyes going even wider than before, "Y-you said they feed on hatred right..."
Clover blinked as Pansy's words dawned on her.  "So then..."
"So then it's our fault," said Cookie, the horror beginning to sink in for her as well, "We did this, we three tribes, with all our fightin' and arguin'.  It must'a been like a dinner bell to them monsters."
Tears were beginning to fall from Pansy's eyes.  "Th-then it's too late," she said, "The others are already gone.  S-soon we will too...a-all because we..."
"Because we were too obsessed with the idea of one tribe being better than the others," said Clover, her voice almost a whisper.
"I-I'm scared," whimpered Pansy, once again directing a look up at the windigos, which she could have sworn were now circling closer and closer down towards them.
"So am Ah," said Cookie, drawing up close to Pansy and wrapping her in a tight hug.
"B-but you sound so brave," said Pansy, "I thought you weren't scared at all."
"'Couse Ah am," said Cookie, "But Ah feel a bit better to have ponies Ah respect with me at the end.  Don't ya feel the same."
The look of terror on Pansy's face began to fade and she found herself smiling at the earth pony advisor.  "I-I guess so."
"What 'bout you?" asked Cookie, turning her head to look at Clover.
"I guess..."  Clover sniffed.  "I guess there's nothing left.  None of my magic worked against them.  We're all just as helpless.  But..."  She managed a faint smile.  "I guess that, if it's the end for me, then I'm happy to be there with ponies I could call friends."
Cookie and Pansy smiled at the unicorn.  "Us too."  Clover joined them in their embrace.
At that moment, something spectacular and miraculous happened.  The bodies of the three ponies began to shine white with light.  Power seemed to surge out from them as each in turn opened their eyes, the normal colors being replaced with shining white.  A column of energy erupted upwards, piercing through the center of the windigos' formation.  Their cries changed from triumph to terror as pink and violet fire swirled outwards from the epicenter of the blast, drawing them in and consuming them.
The light faded from the three ponies, leaving them in a daze in the middle of the cave.  Clover was the first to come to, blinking slowly as she looked from Cookie to Pansy, the earth pony and pegasus slowly coming out of their own trances as well.  The three of them looked between one another, completely baffled by the sudden, completely unexpected reversal of their fortunes.
Finally, it was Clover who spoke.  "What just happened?"



As the last strains of the familiar carol faded away, the curtain fell across the assembled actors as they bowed.  The theater echoed with cheers and clopping hooves as the assembled audience applauded the performance.  From his place next to Caramel, Dawn looked around, sweeping his eyes across the assembled ponies.  Through the cheering and whistling and stamping was a faint undercurrent of murmurs that stood out to Dawn's ears.
Trying to identify the source of the of the strange counterpoint to the cheering, Dawn's eyes picked out small pockets of ponies who seemed less than pleased with what they had seen on the stage.  There were a scant few of them, pairs or trios of ponies, all of them unicorns, staring at the stage as they exchanged harsh whispers with each other.
"Something wrong?" asked Caramel, realizing that Dawn's attention had wandered.
"Not everypony seems to have enjoyed the pageant," said Dawn pensively.
Looking around, Caramel noted the few pockets of discontent as well.  "I guess some ponies aren't too happy with the changes Twilight made to the script," he observed, "That's not too surprising really."
Dawn blinked and continued to look around.  This was the first time he had actually sat through the pageant himself.  He certainly hadn’t seen any renditions of the previous version.  “Is it really that different?”
“Umm…”  Caramel shrugged.  This was the first time he had seen the Canterlot pageant himself.
“Not really,” said Scootaloo, “I mean, the scene in the cave was a little shorter the last time we were here.  But it’s not a huge change.”
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom exchanged looks and shrugged.  “I don’t get it either,” said Sweetie.
“Not a big deal,” added Apple Bloom.
Dawn blinked and looked over at the upset unicorns again.  All of them were dressed to the nines, at least two of them looking as though they’d dressed for some elaborate ball than merely attending the Hearth’s Warming Pageant, which, from the state of undress sported by the vast majority of the audience, did not strike Dawn as a particularly formal event, no matter how important it was supposed to be.
“Well, let’s forget about it,” said Caramel, “If they want to be sour apples about the whole thing, let them.  We should get backstage and congratulate the girls and Spike on their hard work.”
The rest of the group nodded and they all made their way towards the backstage.  Caramel and Melon Cream had accompanied the foals, but Red River, Arkenstone, and Mayweather were absent, the three of them having stayed behind to finalize preparations for the evening’s dinner.
The door to the greenroom had just barely opened when Dawn and Caramel, who had entered first, found themselves nearly bowled over as Rarity came rushing out.  “There you are Sweetie Belle.  We need to hurry or we’ll be late.”
Sweetie’s eyes went wide as she gaped at Rarity.  “Oh!”  She went to join her sister as they rushed down the hall.  “Bye everypony!  I’ll see you later!”  With that, the two sisters galloped away.
“What…?” asked Dawn, looking after them in confusion.
“Don’t worry ‘bout them,” said Apple Bloom, smiling after the retreating pair, Princess Luna’s doin’ somethin’ right nice fer ‘em.  But, ‘cause ‘o that, they ain’t joinin’ us fer dinner tonight.”
“Okay…” said Scootaloo.
Once again, Caramel found himself shrugging.  “Well, let’s not worry about it too much.  Come on kids.”
They entered the greenroom, where Caramel was immediately tackled by an enthusiastic Fluttershy, who was giggling almost drunkenly as she planted several quick kisses on her coltfriend’s muzzle, her enthusiasm causing her to frequently miss his lips.
“Oh!  It was amazing!  Were you watching?  Did you see me?  Was I any good?”  Fluttershy’s words spilled out in a torrent that would have sounded normal coming from Pinkie Pie, but seemed completely alien coming from the mouth of the normally shy and retiring mare.
“You were great,” said Caramel, hugging her to his chest and gently running a hoof through her mane.  He quickly realized that Fluttershy was actually trembling, apparently overloaded with nervous energy.  He looked over Fluttershy’s shoulder at Rainbow, who was giggling.
“It’s an adrenaline rush,” she explained, “She got all worked up over the performance and she’s coming down off of it now.”  Given what an adrenaline junkie she was, Rainbow Dash knew exactly what she was talking about.  After all, the feeling of euphoria after accomplishing some hair-raising feat of daring do was something that athletes like her savored.
“Still, she’s doing a lot better this year,” observed Twilight, “I remember the first time we did this.  We had to actually yank her out of the prop box because she was terrified of going out on stage.”
“Eeyup,” agreed Applejack, “She’s a hay of a lot more confident this year.”  She smiled slyly as Dawn gently sidled up against Fluttershy and Caramel, only to be pulled in to join the embrace.  “Ah can think ‘o a couple ‘o things that might’a happened this year to do that.”
The others joined her in giggling and nodded.
“Okay everypony!” yelled Pinkie Pie, vaulting into the center of the greenroom, “The show’s over, so now it’s time for dinner!  Let’s go eat!”
“Yeah!” shouted Scootaloo, her wings carrying her up above everypony’s head.
“Sounds like somepony’s eager to chow down,” teased Bloom, smirking as Scootaloo blushed.
“Hey!  We’ve been helping with the food all day.  I’m starving!”
“Let’s not waste any time then,” said Melon, pulling her daughter down out of the air before depositing the filly on her back.
“Aww moooom!  You don’t have to carry me!” whined Scootaloo as Bloom and Spike both snickered at her.
“Hush,” said Melon, “You’re starting to get too big for me to do this.  At least let me enjoy it a few more times as a Hearth’s Warming gift…please…”
Scootaloo let out a resigned sigh, casting a glance at Dawn to see that the colt was still busy cuddling with Fluttershy and Caramel.  “Fine.”



Amongst the crowds exiting the venue, a pair of very well-dressed unicorns made their own way towards a parked carriage.  Compared to the rest of the throng of ponies streaming out the exit, one could easily have mistaken this pair as having come from a different event entirely.
Any of the commoners in attendance at the pageant would have probably called Baron Elderflower and his companion overdressed.  Of course, that was exactly why such ponies were commoners.  Commoners didn’t understand how important it was for those of noble stock to set themselves apart from the masses.  When Elderflower went out amongst the rabble, he wore his pride and dignity as the Baron of Dream Valley for all to see.  It was one of his chief responsibilities as a member of the Noble Court.  As such, he’d attended the play dressed in a pure white suit with ice-blue cuffs that stood out against his violet coat.  Without the clothes, Elderflower could have almost passed as a male version of Twilight Sparkle, if somepony had drawn a hot-pink streak down his mane and tail and supplied colored contacts for his dark-brown eyes.
His companion was even more elaborately dressed than he was.  Sweet Water, the Viscountess of Diamond Mountain, wore a pristine white gown with several glittering flakes of clear diamond woven into the fabric.  When she moved and walked, the gemstone chips caught the light and sent shining ripples up and down the length of the dress.  As a viscountess, Sweet Water wouldn’t allow herself to be shown up by somepony of inferior rank, thus the the eye-catching ensemble she was currently wearing.
Of course, said ensemble was ruined somewhat by Sweet Water’s eyes as she glared straight ahead.  “Of all the insulting things Twilight Sparkle is guilty of, this one takes the cake.”
Elderflower raised an eyebrow, glancing sidelong at his companion.  “I don’t really believe it’s worth getting upset over.”
Sweet Water immediately glared at him.  “Not worth-!” she sputtered indignantly, “She dumbed down Clover the Clever into an ineffectual simpleton who didn’t know the least thing about the windigos.  How dare they suggest that it wasn’t ultimately her leadership that led to the liberation of the tribes.”
Elderflower turned his head slightly so that Sweet Water couldn’t see him roll his eyes.  Certainly, he had no reason to believe that the new version of the pageant was more historically accurate.  Historical accuracy had been something of a minor concern for the Hearth’s Warming pageant for centuries, possibly since the actual passing of the ponies responsible for Equestria’s founding.  Obviously, a historically accurate recreation of the events that led to Equestria’s founding would have been far too large and elaborate to occupy a simple stage.  Thus, what truly mattered was the message of harmony between the three tribes, which had driven off the windigos.  Of course, what mattered in the eyes of those like Sweet Water was that the necessary corollary to that message was that some ponies were more harmonious than others.
But, to Elderflower, it was all so much window dressings.  If Twilight Sparkle wished to reduce her own character’s role to better showcase the characters from the other tribes, then who was he to object.  If anything, it showed she had a gift for bending the message behind the pageant to suit her purposes.  Elderflower believed he could turn that skill in a more useful and important direction.
The two nobles making their way towards the carriage were an odd couple, to say the least, made even odder by the overall context of their association.  Sweet Water had recently suffered severe humiliation when, in an attempt to gain influence over Twilight Sparkle, she had arranged for the younger sister of the now former head of the Department of Foal Protections to be detained at her estate in Diamond Mountain.  The humiliation had come when Dawn Lightwing, the colt whose home life hung in the balance of Sweet Water’s manipulations, went to Diamond Mountain to rescue the captive mare.  In the ensuing battle, there had been severe damage to the historic estate, which had been carved from the bedrock of the mountain itself.  Such damage could not simply be fixed and hidden away and Sweet Water had become and object of pity and scorn as a consequence.  But that was not what made their relationship odd.
What was truly the oddity of the pair’s interactions was that Elderflower had been the one behind said humiliation.  It had been Elderflower’s agent, one Perlin Bluestreak, who had informed Dawn of Sweet Water’s machinations and had then gone with Dawn to assist in the captive’s recovery.
Sweet Water knew it too.  After all, Elderflower had told her as much himself, which only served to make their relationship all the stranger.  Nonetheless, while Elderflower suspected that Sweet Water hadn't forgiven him for his actions (and that she would seek her retribution when she thought the time was right), for the time being, she was an ally who held the same objectives he did.
When they reached the carriage, Elderflower courteously held out a hoof to help her in before climbing in himself.  They settled onto separate seats that allowed them to face one another.
"So now what?" she asked irritably.
"For now we wait," said Elderflower, "I'm certain that, after the events of the previous few months, Twilight Sparkle is plenty leery of nobles approaching her.  I need to find the appropriate time to make my presentation.  She will be in Canterlot for another week, so we have a great deal of time at our disposal."
Sweet Water glared.  "And you think you can just talk her into agreeing with us...just like that."
Elderflower gave his erstwhile ally a smug smile.  "Twilight Sparkle is, amongst other things, a dedicated academic.  If our plan is presented to her on a foundation of sound reasoning and secure logic, she will see its appeal and support it to the fullest, especially if it is properly phrased."
"We'll see," said Sweet Water, "But I remain doubtful.  Is your contingency nearly ready."
The Baron nodded.  "My agent is almost in place and I am certain that, should my attempts to convince Twilight Sparkle to cooperate fail, then we can resort to the more drastic measures."
"I pray, for all our sakes, that you do not bungle this," growled Sweet Water.
"You have no reason for concern," said Elderflower, his smirk growing.



"Awesome!" crowed Rainbow, fluttering upwards to get a better look at the dining room table, "Look at this spread!"
"Rainbow Dash!  Get down here right now," scolded Fluttershy, "You know it's impolite to fly in the dining room."
"'Kay," said Rainbow with a petulant sigh as she lowered herself to the floor.
"The food does look amazing," observed Twilight.
Indeed, the ponies who had spent the day preparing the meal had outdone themselves.  The table was practically groaning under the weight of countless dishes.  Three massive bowls of salad dominated the center, each one a different variety.  They jostled for position with large casseroles, still steaming from having just come out of the ovens.  Also prepared were a selection of savory pot pies, each one small enough for an individual pony's consumption.  Freshly-baked biscuits were heaped on a large platter, complete with pots of honey and a boat of gravy for toppings.  Finally, a mid-sized cauldron of bubbling vegetable soup waited at one end.  The various aromas wafting about the room tantalized the nostrils and set mouths to watering as everypony took their seats.
"Oooh!  This all looks so scrumdidlyumptious!" squealed Pinkie Pie as she rubbed her hooves together excitedly, "You all did a really great job!  Thanks so much!"  Turning, she wrapped Mayweather in an enthusiastic hug as the other mare blushed lightly.
"I-It's not that big a deal," said Mayweather a bit nervously.
"You certainly outdid yourselves," said Celestia, "I wonder if any of us will have enough room for dessert."
"Um...Well..."  The members of the group who'd been working on the meal all exchanged nervous glances.
Arkenstone coughed.  "You see...we were a bit swamped just trying to get everything ready for dinner..."
"And, unfortunately, we didn't have time to make anything for dessert," added Mayweather, shying away from Pinkie Pie, who almost looked heartbroken.
Caramel let out an embarrassed laugh as he rubbed the back of his head.  "It didn't help that the two best bakers in our group were...occupied."  He looked over at Pinkie Pie and the...empty seat where Applejack should have been sitting.  "Hey, where's Applejack?"
"Red River's not here either," observed Arkenstone.
"Excuse me, but did I happen to hear that nopony made dessert?"  Arcana and Trixie came trotting into the room.  Arcana moved with as much grace and poise as a professional model making her way down the runway.  Several large boxes floated behind him in his magic.  "If that's the case, it's a good thing I brought some for us."
The assembled ponies, Celestia included, stared wide-eyed at the svelte stallion.  "You made that?" asked a baffled Arkenstone, whose eyes were just as wide as anyone else's.
It was Trixie who answered as she let out a dismissive snort.  "Of course not.  My brother can't bake to save his life.  He bought these cakes from a bakery yesterday."
"Oh," said everypony at once.  Arcana didn't seem to be phased by Trixie's revelation, merely continuing to a table set up off to the side of the room and setting the boxes down.
Arkenstone drew a foreleg across his forehead.  "Phew.  For a moment, I was afraid that stallion had no weaknesses."
Twilight smiled slyly as she elbowed him in the side.  "You mean, aside from his personality."
"Yes," agreed Arkenstone readily, "Aside from that."
Arcana chuckled.  "You would count my personality as a weakness."  He and Trixie took their own seats.  Looking around, Arcana also noticed the empty places at the table.  "We seem to be a few ponies short."
"AJ's bringin' somethin' special," said Apple Bloom as she and Spike grinned eagerly at each other, apparently sharing a private joke.
A minute later, everypony else learned why as Applejack and Red River arrived.  "Sorry to keep y'all waitin'.  Red and Ah had to get these from mah room."
The pair of them were carrying a single massive barrel each.  Said barrels were almost as large as the ponies carrying them, but Applejack and Red River bore the strain with only minimal difficulty as they carried their loads to the room.  Twilight quickly jumped to help them, using her magic to lift the barrels off the backs of the two earth ponies and set them down on the table next to the boxed cakes.
Rainbow's eyes went wide as she stared at the two barrels.  "Is that...?"
"Eeyup," said Applejack, smiling smugly, "That there's the first batch of Wintersilk Cider, pressed on Sweet Apple Acres right before we came up to Canterlot.  Y'all are gonna be the first ponies to get a taste."
"Sooooo awesome..." said Rainbow, her tongue lolling as she stared at the barrels.  At the sound of her friends (even Scootaloo) giggling, Rainbow managed to reassert control over herself and pull her tongue back in.  "So...AJ...bring any of the hard stuff?"
Applejack shook her head.  "Sorry to disappoint ya sugarcube, but the first batch 'o hard cider ain't gonna be ready fer another couple 'o weeks.  It's gotta ferment, ya know.  Besides, this first batch is just the test batch.  We need to see if the wintersilks'll make good cider on their own or if we need to blend them with some other apples to get a better product."
"Aww," groaned Rainbow, earning a chuckle from Applejack.
"Don't ya worry yer head sugarcube," she said, "Ah promise Ah'll let ya be one 'o mah taste testers."
The disappointment melted away as Rainbow broke out into a silly grin.  "Best. Job. Ever!"
Each place set at the table included a tall stemmed beverage glass (though only the adults got wine goblets to go along with those glasses).  Twilight lifted them all in her magic and floated the glasses over to the barrels, which Applejack had already set spigots into.  She filled each of the glasses in turn before returning them to their places.
As her own glass hovered in front of her, Twilight found herself staring in surprise at the liquid contained within.  "This is unfiltered, right?"
Applejack nodded definitively.  "'Course it is.  Wouldn't be cider otherwise."
It certainly didn't look that way.  The liquid resting in the glasses was crystal clear, resembling nothing so much as clear spring water.  "Amazing," said Twilight, "So this is what wintersilk cider looks like."
"We were mighty surprised too, the first time we saw it," said Bloom as Spike nodded in agreement.
Celestia cleared her throat.  "Well then, before we try the new cider, I propose a toast."  Taking her glass in hoof, she raised it up.  The others followed suit.  "To another year of friendship and harmony, for those here with us and those precious ones who are absent."
Everypony nodded solemnly before raising their glasses to their lips and taking their first sips of the wintersilk cider.  Silence descended on the dining room as everypony mulled over the taste of the unfamiliar drink.
"Wow!" exclaimed Apple Bloom.  After the first gulp, she'd been unable to resist draining her glass down.
"It really is amazing," said Spike, nodding in agreement, "I had no idea cider could taste like this."
The others nodded in agreement, some of them still swirling the drink around in their mouths and savoring its flavor.  It was incredibly sweet, but counterbalanced with a refreshing crispness that kept the sweet flavor from becoming too overwhelming.  It all flowed effortlessly down the throat with each gulp, a refreshing taste that seemed to chase away the fatigue that had built up over the course of the day.
"This is the best cider ever!" gasped Rainbow as she put her own glass down on the table, letting out a sigh of contentment.
Applejack chuckled at her friend's enthusiasm.  "Ah'm glad ya like it sugarcube.  Everypony drink up!  There's plenty more where that came from."
"Huh," mused Dawn, looking down at the drink swirling about in his own glass, "I'm surprised you have so much.  There can't have been that many apples."
"Actually the wintersilk harvest was really big," said Spike, "Especially for such a small orchard.  It's only about half as big as the zap apple orchard, but the output at least matched the Apples' last zap apple harvest."
"Not only that," added Bloom, "But wintersilk apples give up a ton of juice, so we gotta barrels and barrels 'o cider to work with and we ain't even pressed all 'o them yet."
Rainbow was already rushing over to refill her glass.  As she got back to the table, Fluttershy smiled at everypony.  "I know the cider is delicious, but our friends worked really hard to help prepare this wonderful dinner.  Let's enjoy it."
"Well said Fluttershy," said Celestia, nodding in agreement.
They paused when Trixie raised an tentative hoof.  "I was meaning to ask earlier, but isn't it rude to start without Princess Luna."
"Indeed," said Arcana, "And what about Miss Rarity and her sister?"
"Oh," said Celestia, raising a hoof to her mouth, "I'm afraid they won't be joining us tonight.  You see, Luna and Rarity have other plans and Sweetie Belle will be joining them."
"Joining them where?" asked Scootaloo, who realized that Spike, Apple Bloom, Applejack, and Red River were all sporting suspiciously knowing looks.
"By now they should be nearly back to Ponyville," said Celestia.
"Ponyville!"



Flaxseed stared down at his much vaunted Hearth's Warming Eve dinner.  It was nothing special, just a basic creamy hay and mushroom casserole he'd cobbled together.  Even without having to taste it, he could tell he hadn't gotten it quite right.  The top was a little bit burned, while the inside appeared to still be slightly runny.
But at least it's edible, he thought as he lowered his fork into the bowl (the casserole not holding up well on a plate), and lifting another mouthful out.  All told, it didn't taste too bad.  He could even say, without any reservation, that it tasted quite good.  It's better than some of the other things I've tried.
Years spent on the run had given Flaxseed very little time to refine his cooking skills.  He'd also rarely had the money to spend on ingredients and had been forced to work quite frugally in previous years.  Even now, he felt more than a little guilty about the number of ingredients he'd used up in the creation of this dish.  Certainly, though Rarity had said that he was more than welcome to help himself to the food in the icebox, he still couldn't help but feel he was overindulging.
"I made too much," he said finally, realizing that there was more than he could eat by himself.
"Perhaps that's just as well darling."
Flaxseed jumped upright and spun about to see Rarity standing poised in the door to the kitchen.  "R-Rarity!  What are you doing here?"
"Me too!" exclaimed Sweetie Belle, bounding into the room and stopping in front of Flaxseed before carefully wrapping her forelegs around one of his own.  "We thought it would be fun to spend the night here with you so that you can have a Hearth's Warming with friends."
"B-but you were in...Canterlot!"  Flaxseed tried as hard as he could to wrap his mind around the fact.  "The pageant..."
"Went swimmingly," said Rarity calmly, "You needn't worry.  You see, a very good friend of ours went out of her way to bring us here so that we could spend the evening with you.  She's actually been quite keen to meet you."
"A friend...?"  Flaxseed couldn't help but tilt his head, trying to make sense of what Rarity just said.
"Indeed," said Rarity, "She's just behind us and is waiting to introduce herself."
"Who-?" Flaxseed began to ask.  His mouth closed with a snap at the sight of a midnight blue mare ducking her head to fit through the doorway.  Princess Luna wasn't as tall as her older sister, but she was large enough to have some slight difficulties navigating portals meant for more normally-sized ponies.
"I've been waiting for the chance to meet you, my dear little pony," said Luna, smiling as the shimmering starscape of her mane twisted around her.
"P-P-P-Princess!" gasped Flaxseed, almost smacking his face against the floor in his eagerness to bow.
"Please rise," said Luna, her tone gentle.  Rarity had warned her about how nervous and jumpy Flaxseed could be around unfamiliar ponies.  Fortunately, Luna had an idea to help put him at ease.  Slowly, the stars glittering across her mane began to fade into lighter, silvery-blue.  Her stature diminished until she was only just a little taller than Rarity.  "Does this make it easier."
Flaxseed forced himself to look up.  Without her magically empowered appearance, Luna looked very much akin to a normal pony, albeit one with both wings and a horn, as well as a statuesque form that would put the finest of models to shame.  However, the easy and friendly smile on Luna's face did more than anything else to relax the gold-colored stallion.
"I-it's an honor to meet you, Princess," said Flaxseed, still stammering a little in spite of himself.
"Please, call me Luna," said Luna, "If anypony, you  are probably one of the few who I feel has more than earned the right to call me by name."
"I'm not sure I understand..." said Flaxseed.
Luna's smile faded, replaced by a slightly guilty look.  "I am aware of your condition and how you have suffered for it."  She closed her eyes and frowned darkly.  When she opened them again, her eyes had turned turquoise and now sported catlike pupils.
"Y-you..." gasped Flaxseed.
Luna nodded.  "Though I was not aware of it until recently, I am the pony from whom the Cult Solar's name for your condition originated, as well as the stigma that goes with it.  For that, I can't begin to apologize enough."  She closed her eyes again and, upon reopening them, now looked normal to Flaxseed.
"I don't think it's your fault," said Flaxseed, averting his gaze slightly, not sure how to respond to this situation.
"Of course it isn't," said Rarity, interjecting herself back into the conversation, "If anything, it's the fault of those beastly cultists.  But enough about such grim topics.  Let's enjoy dinner together.  This a time for family..."  She pulled a delighted Sweetie up against her side.  "...and friends..."  She nodded to both Flaxseed and Luna.  "...to truly revel in one another's company."
"Yay!" squealed Sweetie, rushing past the table to the cupboards, where she got out additional plates and silverware to set the table.  Luna quickly moved to help her while Rarity made her way to Flaxseed, who was looking completely stunned.
"You didn't have to," he said softly.
"I didn't," said Rarity, raising her forelegs and wrapping them around the stallion to pull him into a warm embrace, "But I wanted to.  What kind of friend would I be if I allowed somepony I care so much about to spend Hearth's Warming by himself."  Turning her head, she planted a quick kiss on Flaxseed's cheek before drawing back and looking at him, her cheeks faintly blushing.
Flaxseed was blushing too, gently raising a hoof to the cheek Rarity had just kissed.  How long has it been, he idly wondered, since somepony did that to me?  Certainly not since...  He shuddered and forced himself to stop thinking about that.  That line of thought would only lead him back into misery on a night where these three ponies had done so much to make it special for him.
Rarity giggled softly before going to join her sister and Luna in helping to set three additional places at the table.  Flaxseed felt a little guilty that all he had to offer was the crummy casserole he'd baked up.  But at least it won't go to waste.
The table set, they all gathered round and loaded up their plates.  Just before they were about to eat, Rarity stiffened, her ears going up.  "Oh my!  I almost forgot."  She left her place and trotted out of the kitchen, returning a minute later while towing a small keg in her magic.  "Applejack was kind enough to spare some for us to bring back here.  I believe that there would be no more appropriate time to share it."
With that, Rarity filled their glasses with the wintersilk cider she'd brought back from Canterlot.  Everything ready, the four of them settled down to what was probably one of the most frugal and simple Hearth's Warming dinners that three of them had ever tried before, though for Flaxseed, it seemed the richest, most satisfying meal he'd had in years.



"Wow!  I feel like I'm gonna explode," said Caramel, patting a slightly distended belly as he, Fluttershy, and Dawn made their way to the guest suite they'd been assigned to for the duration of their stay in the Palace.
Dawn nodded his agreement, feeling rather drowsy after eating far more than he was used to.  There had been so many delicious and savory things to try that he had found himself unable to even think about the possibility of dessert, had he been inclined towards any to begin with.
"Wow!  This is so much fun," said Scootaloo, almost seeming no worse for wear after the large meal she'd enjoyed, along with plenty of dessert.  Only the faint downwards twitch of her eyelids betrayed the fact that she was drowsy as well.  "What should we do next?"
"I think that would be quite clear," said Melon Cream, scooping up her daughter and depositing the filly onto her back, "It's bedtime young lady."
"Aww mooom!" groaned Scootaloo.
"Come now," said Melon, "You'll want to get up bright and early tomorrow.  After all, you have presents to open."
"Oh!" said Scootaloo, her annoyance vanishing, "That's right.  Let's go!"
Laughing at her daughter's antics, Melon trotted off towards their own suite.
Fluttershy, Caramel, and Dawn watched them go.  Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle at the sight, gently rubbing up against Caramel's side, nuzzling cheek to cheek with him as they saw the mother and daughter duo off.  After dinner had ended and as they'd passed the remainder of the evening trading stories and singing carols, Fluttershy had gradually grown more and more affectionate with Caramel, often nuzzling and kissing his cheek or running the feathers of her wing across his back.  The latter had actually made Caramel shiver from the pleasant contact, although he'd felt more than a little unnerved by the smug, knowing look Rainbow Dash had been giving him every time Fluttershy had done that.
"Come on," said Caramel, slowly nudging Dawn and Fluttershy towards their own suite's door, "I think we're ready for bed too."
"I..."  Dawn was interrupted by his mouth stretching into a yawn.  "...have to agree."
Caramel ruffled the colt's mane fondly.  "How did you like your first real Hearth's Warming Eve?" he asked.
"It was amazing," said Dawn.  After so many wonderful moments spent with he new family, he couldn't imagine that he'd ever feel more fulfilled or content.  And yet, on this night, he'd experienced just that.
"I'm so glad," said Fluttershy, kissing her son on the forehead.
Dawn paused and turned to nuzzle up to both his parents.  Fluttershy and Caramel wrapped their arms around him.  "I love you," he said.
"I love you too," said Fluttershy.
"Me too," added Caramel.
"Good night," whispered Fluttershy, giving her son one last kiss on the tip of his nose.
Dawn retreated to his own room to get ready for bed as Fluttershy and Caramel retired to theirs.
Caramel finished first, given that he only had to brush her teeth.  Fluttershy took a little bit longer on account of having to preen her wings.  In the meantime, Caramel banked the fireplace in their room to keep it warm throughout the night.  The wards would keep any stray sparks from escaping, allowing them to sleep safely.
The sound of the bathroom door opening prompted Caramel to turn around.  His jaw dropped at the sight that awaited him.  Fluttershy stood there.  Her mane had been combed down so that the front part of it hung over one eye.  With her remaining visible eye, Fluttershy smiled sweetly at him, tilting her head adorably, with one forehoof raised slightly off the floor as she reclined casually against the frame of the door.  At first, it had seemed that Fluttershy had stepped back into her old, shy, retiring self.  However, as she stepped forward, moving smoothly and confidently, Caramel felt his heart start to race.  Sweet Celestia!  She looks so beautiful like that.
Any other thoughts trying to make their way through Caramel's head were abruptly cut off as Fluttershy closed in and pressed her lips against his.  To his shock, she didn't stop there, continuing to push forward, forcing Caramel back until his haunches connected with the side of the bed.  Following her lead, Caramel climbed onto bed, allowing Fluttershy to do the same.  She'd barely gotten off the floor before she pounced on him once again, pushing Caramel down onto his back, kissing him with even more passion than before.  Her tongue snaked out of her mouth, lightly teasing his lips.  Caramel quickly moved to oblige her, opening his own mouth and gently twisting his tongue around hers.
Not waisting any time, Caramel quickly wrapped his arms around Fluttershy to pull her closer, triggering a breathy moan as his hooves pressed down against the joints of his wings, where they joined with her shoulders.  In the meantime, Fluttershy's wings began to twitch, sending her feathers dancing up and down her stallion's sides, the light tickling causing Caramel to twitch and grunt, even as his tongue continued to dance with hers.
Finally, they had to pull away to breathe.  Caramel stared up at Fluttershy as she panted lightly above him.  Once again, he was overwhelmed by that desperate feeling to hold her and never let go.
"Caramel," whispered Fluttershy, "I love you."
"I know," said Caramel, raising a hoof up to lightly stroke Fluttershy's cheek, "I'm so lucky to be able to share my life with somepony like you."
Lowering herself down, Fluttershy planted a soft, long kiss on Caramel's lips.  The passion was still there, but it now simmered away behind honest affection as their kiss transitioned into a loving nuzzle.
"Caramel," said Fluttershy, her voice going almost impossibly quiet, "I think I'm ready."
Caramel's eyes went wide as he met Fluttershy's gaze.  "A-are you sure?"
Fluttershy nodded slowly.  "You mean so much to me.  You mean so much to Dawn.  Ever since we've started living together, it's gotten to the point where I couldn't imagine living on our own without you.  I don't want to think of what it would be like to wake up without you there.  I want to fall asleep with you holding me and I want to see your face when I wake up.  So..."  Leaning down, she began to plant gentle, feathering kisses along Caramel's neck.  "...I'm ready.  I want to share everything with you."
Listening to Fluttershy's words slowly made Caramel realize that he felt the same way.  Both Fluttershy and Dawn were precious to him.  After spending so long living as a bachelor, he'd once, a long time ago, worried that he might have found living with them would be a chore, something he'd have to put up with.  However, he couldn't have been more wrong and he was glad that he had been so wrong.  Recently, he'd been thinking about the end of winter, dreading the day when Fluttershy and Dawn would move back to their cottage on the edge of town.  Thinking about how empty the house would feel without them there almost made him feel sick.  He'd come to love spending the winter days with the two of them and had come to wish that those days would never end.
Finally, Caramel found himself smiling.  Using a hoof, he slowly lifted Fluttershy's chin, tilting her face away from his neck and turning it back towards his own so he could capture her lips in another loving kiss.  "If you're ready," he said finally, as he pulled away from her slightly, "then so am I."
Fluttershy's smile stretched across her face as she descended on him with an exuberant squeal to press her lips to his again.  Caramel held her tightly as they began to go through the motions, both of them exulting in the moment that they became one as they showed their love for one another.