//------------------------------// // Prompt #209-Home for Hearths' Warming // Story: Ponywatching // by ThunderTempest //------------------------------// Hearths’ Warming was very different in Canterlot, Rarity had noticed, as made herself a mug of hot chocolate in the kitchen in her house/shop in Canterlot. There was the seasonal good cheer, and the foals in the streets were certainly enjoying the snow, but there was less of something that she had grown up with in Ponyville. While Rarity could, and sometimes did, bemoan growing up in the just shy of rural town, there was a general aura around the town that Rarity found that she missed in Canterlot. Perhaps it was the lack of her friends or family. This was not the first Hearths’ Warming that Rarity had spent alone, but it was the first where her family and friends were sufficiently far away from her, as her parents and Sweetie Belle had gone to Manehatten for the holidays. Twilight was in the Crystal Empire with her family, staying at the request of Princess Cadence; Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Applejack would all still be in Ponyville and occupied with family, parties and animals, and Rainbow Dash had been called up by the Wonderbolts at the last minute for a performance-she’d said something about replacing an injured teammember, and Rainbow Dash never let down the ponies who needed her, so she had flown off yesterday morning towards Vanhoover, shouting back promises of make-up dinners and dates. Rarity sighed, and settled herself in her extremely warm and comfortable bed. As today was Hearths’ Warming, there was no need to open her shop, and all of her outstanding orders had been largely completed, only waiting on a final fitting and trim, but nopony would come on Hearths’ Warming. No, they would all come tomorrow, after having enjoyed the day with their families and special someponies. That thought sparked a brief spurt of jealousy in Rarity, which she shook off with some surprise. Perhaps she was missing her friends more than she thought. Letting another sigh escape her lips and removing herself from her bed, she moved towards her sewing room. With the day a waste already, her previous plans having been disrupted the day before, she reasoned that she may as well design a few new dresses. She got through four and a half new designs before she glanced out the window, towards the northwest. A glance at the clock told her that in all likelyhood, Rainbow would be in the middle of her performance right now. Shaking her head, Rarity pushed thoughts of ruined plans and dinners out of her head-it wasn’t like Rainbow had really known this was going to happen. She wasn’t to blame, and Rarity filed this incident under ‘Cons of dating a Wonderbolt recruit’ for future reference, and turned back to her half-finished design. ---- Rainbow paused under the edge of the Vanhoover Cloudball stadium, waiting for her cue to join the formation. Clad in the same full-body flight suit as the full time Wonderbolts, this was her sixth or seventh performance with the full squad-Spitfire liked to keep Rainbow for the more special occasions for the moment-Rainbooms were a special thing, and while they were Rainbow’s signature technique for the moment, neither of them wanted for the Rainboom to be expected from a performance. Rainbow’s eyes narrowed under her flight goggles as Spitfire turned her wings in the right way to break the formation, and that was Rainbow’s signal. She shot off the cloud she’d been standing on, dispersing it with sheer force, and trailed rainbows as the cone formed around her body. Just as she reached the still smokey point where the other ‘Bolts had broken formation, Rainbow broke through the barrier, sending a circular wave of colour and weather magic through the air, and instead of circling around the stadium like she knew she was supposed to, Rainbow instead pointed herself towards the mountain in the distance, and promptly left Vanhoover in her dust. In the stadium, Spitfire let a smirk grace her mouth, and told her squad to not chase after Rainbow for breaking routine. It was Hearths’ Warming, after all. ****Time**** Rarity sighed for what felt like the twentieth time that day. Hearths’ Warming was not a time for moping around the home. It was a time for joy and friendship and many, many things that did not involve becoming a recluse. She was startled by a knock on the door and glanced over at it, her eyes briefly flicking to the bell above, where she had hung a sprig of mistletoe. With some reluctance, Rarity moved to the door, her magic opening the door. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is unique, chique and...” Rarity was cut off by a pair of lips positively slamming onto her own, and her eyes saw blue and red and yellow and all the colours she could imagine, and then Rainbow did something with her tongue, and Rarity melted. Once Rainbow pulled back, and allowed Rarity to catch her breath, she spoke. “You, uh, still have that mistletoe hangin’ over the door, Rare?” “Indeed I do, Rainbow,” said Rarity, “And as long as we’re still standing under it...” Rarity left the sentence unfinished. Rainbow got the hint, and neither of them talked for a while. “Man,” Rainbow Dash said, much later, “It’s good to be home. Best Hearths’ Warming ever!”