Ponyville was covered in snow and the houses were covered in festive lights, bows, and tinsel. All signs that the town was ready for Hearth's Warming Eve, the happiest time of the year.
Even the newest princess' castle was adorned top to bottom with the appropriate decorations, which a large majority of was done by Ponyville's resident dragon thanks to his new wings. Thankfully his two magically gifted mates were able to make a few dozen or so adjustments.
The dragon had been momentarily begrudged but agreed with his fashion savvy unicorn mate that the appearance of the castle was greatly improved from her and Twilight's intervention.
Currently, the dragon and his alicorn mate, Twilight, were in a room of the castle making small, final additions to the scenery. Or rather, Twilight was making some final additions. Spike was alternating between wringing his hands, crossing his arms and tapping his foot, and biting his claws, all while wearing a very anxious expression on his face.
"Spike, would you stop fidgeting?" Twilight chuckled at the nervous dragon as she set down a Hearth's Warming cake with her magic "You're usually shaking the presents to try and guess what they are."
"You want me to try and guess the presents?!" Spike chuckled anxiously before grabbing a nearby present and giving it a few quick, erratic shakes "Fine. Hm, I wonder what this one is. Maybe a book, a pot pan vase toy train NEW JACKET! There."
Spike tossed the present aside without looking where he threw it and turned to address his first mate, who was looking at him in a disbelieving amused look. "Now can you please let me out of here to see my pregnant mate?"
"I promised AJ I'd keep you here and try to keep you calm" Twilight reminded him "And she's already on her way here with Pinkie to see us before they head to Pinkie's family rock farm."
"Oh don't even get me started on the fact that two of my mates are leaving, one of whom is pregnant, with my child, and I have been forbidden from going with them. Which, by the way, HOW DID THAT EVEN HAPPEN?!" The sound of ash clumps falling in the chimney drew the pair's attention from the discussion.
"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve!" exclaimed Spike's fifth mate before losing here hold and humorously falling to the floor.
Twilight chuckled at her Sister Mate's antics while Spike immediately realized that the pink pony's presence meant that another must be present and sniffed the air to confirm. His head darted to the door just before his second mate entered.
"Shucks Twilight, y'all don-"
"Applejack!" Spike exclaimed as he quickly walked to the orange earth pony. Said pony didn't have time to get another word out before her drakefriend grabbed her face and brought her into a loving kiss. Applejack, taken aback, darted her eyes back and forth before shrugging her shoulders and melting into the kiss.
Pinkie hummed pleasantly at the sight while Twilight stared crossly at her assistant/significant other. "Uh, hello? Aren't you going to give Pinkie a kiss?"
"Oh relax Sis-Mate Twilight. She's preggers with Spike's love child. I don't mind a missed kiss or two" Pinkie assured the alicorn "Besides, he always has a way of....making it up to me, if ya know what I mean. Wink wink, nudge nudge."
"Hehe yeah, I get it Pinkie" Twilight said awkwardly as she pushed the pink pony away from her personal space just as Spike broke the kiss.
"Ahem....a fine how do ya do ta you too Spi-"
"I'm sorry I've been away for so long. Have you and the baby been okay?"
"Ya haven't seen me in ten hours Spike" AJ pointed out "Ya visit every day even though we made ya come back to the castle. And yes, we've been fine" AJ finished with a slight rub of her now slightly curved stomach.
"Thank Celestia" Spike breathed "A cart could've swerved on the icy ground and hit you while I wasn't there."
"The ground is covered in snow Spike" Twilight said with slight exasperation "Nopony is pulling a cart right now."
"Irrelevant Twilight" Spike replied.
"Well, we were just stoppin in to wish y'all a happy Hearth's Warming before we go" Applejack cut in to avoid any further trouble.
"I think it's sweet that your families are spending the holiday together" Twilight said as she placed hers and Spike's Hearth's Warming dolls above the fireplace. The latter's doll having been given abdominal muscles despite Spike's surprising insistence against it.
"Picture the most funtacular thing you can think of" Pinkie began as she stepped next to Twilight "Now multiply that times infinity! Whoo! It's gonna be great!" Pinkie exclaimed as she grabbed Applejack in a hug and lightly spun her.
"Hey hey hey" Spike said as she pulled Pinkie off of AJ "No tight hugs with the pregnant girl. And will you please let me come along?"
"Sorry Spike, much as we would love to take ya along" AJ paused to glare at Twilight, who grinned sheepishly in response "We all had an agreement that Twilight gets ya fer Hearth's Warming this year."
"Again, how did that happen?" Spike said as he looked to Twilight, only for Pinkie to step in with her own version of what happened.
"Twilight said a bunch of smarty pants math stuff about time and love distributions and patios"
"Ratios"
"That too. Hey where's the eggnog?"
"Sorry Pinkie. Me and Spike don't really like eggnog" Twilight said apologetically, only to have Pinkie get in her face.
"WWWHAT?! Who doesn't have eggnog on Hearth's Warming?!"
"Relax Pinkie" Applejack said to calm the erratic party planner "We can get some on the train."
"Oh, okay" Pinkie replied cheerfully as she bounded next to the farm pony and her drakefriend. "But I am craving really bad" Pinkie said as she approached Spike "Are you sure you don't have anything thick and creamy and warm for me to swallow- I mean drink?"
Pinkie began tracing circles on Spike's chest with her hoof and directed her eyes downward as Spike looked down at her with a cocked eyebrow and a smile.
"Pinkie" Twilight exclaimed "Just because we're all his mates doesn't mean inappropriate comments aren't inappropriate, or gross. Plus your train leaves in fifteen minutes."
"They could catch the next train" Spike said immediately before the train whistle blew.
"Sorry sugarcube" AJ said as she started pulling Pinkie away "It's the last train what with all the snow startin ta cover the tracks."
"Twilight, you know how to stop time right?" Pinkie asked desperately.
"Nope, sorry" Twilight replied as she used her magic to pull a frantic Spike towards her "You two should probably get going. Fast."
"No, wait!" Spike exclaimed "AJ, no heavy lifting or pushing. Eat only roughage. Pinkie, do your popping up thing so you can get in the train after you...do the thing."
"It doesn't work when I'm in a moving vehicle!"
"AJ, go now!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Yes mam" Applejack said before bolting off to the train station with Pinkie.
"Don't run too fast!" Spike said before slumping in Twilight's magic hold "Grrr."
"Oh stop complaining, she'll be fine" Twilight said as she shut the doors with her magic "Now come on, opening presents a day early tradition" Twilight said in a sing song voice "Open this one first."
Spike took hold of the present as he reluctantly took his eyes off the door. Twilight informed him that it could be thought of as present from all six of his mates. "Oh, just what I've always wanted. A book."
"Read the title" Twilight urged him as she motioned with her hoof.
".......The Kama Hooftra? Really?"
"Yeah, I thought the title sounded interesting" Twilight replied with an unconvincing tone of ignorance "I haven't checked to see what it translates to, but I'm sure it's not important. Have fun reading!" Twilight exclaimed as she hurried to the door.
"Wait, now?"
"Get to it mister. Book's not gonna read itself" Twilight said enthusiastically before closing the door behind her, leaving a slightly perplexed Spike behind. The young dragon looked down at the cover of the book with a cocked brow before shrugging his shoulders and opening the text.
"What if our families don't like each other?" Applejack asked in concern. Pinkie and the Apple family had arrived at the train station in Pinkie's home....town? land? area. Applejack made sure to remind Apple Bloom that Hearth's Warming wasn't just about candy and presents, while also fighting off the beginning cravings for sweets. She slipped up once when she took a bite of the cookie flag she was using after Pinkie had done so.
"We are friends and Sister Mates Applejack" Pinkie assured her maybe, possible cousin "And after tonight, our families are gonna be friends too. Plus, you're gonna get emotional support points for being knocked up. Do you know what that means? *number from complicated Pinkie math that includes AJ's foal* new friendships!"
"Uh...huh?" Applejack said in confusion as she looked at the ground where Pinkie's spontaneous extra hooves had come from.
"Maud!" Pinkie exclaimed before wrapping her second oldest sister in a loving hug.
"I'm so exited to see you Pinkie Pie. You too Applejack" Maud greeted her sister and friend "Congratulations on the foal. I hope you weren't bored while you watched your friends sledding yesterday."
"How'd you know we went sleddin? And that I didn't join in?" Applejack asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Maud asked as she approached AJ and lifted her hoof "There's specks of extrusive andesite on your hoof. It's a mountain rock."
"Oh, she's good" Granny Smith muttered.
"Wait, how did ya know about me being pregnant?"
"Pinkie writes to me all the time" Maud explained "She told me six letters ago about you and the others. Plus your metabolism resulting from your farm life makes it very unlikely that your rounded belly is the result of overeating."
"Oh, right" Applejack replied with slight blush.
"How's school going?" Pinkie asked as she appeared next to Maud.
"If you thought quartz was high on the Mohs hardness scale, wait till I tell you about corundum."
"I missed you so much!" Pinkie exclaimed while the Apples Eh'd and began following the two sisters.
"By the way Applejack" Maud said as they neared the Pie rock farm "Me and the family don't have a problem with you and the others sleeping with Pinkie's coltfriend. Our old fashioned ways are fine with polygamy, but you should know they're not too enthusiastic about you being pregnant first. Our kind of family see's a polygamous family member getting pregnant first as a sign of good fortune."
"Oh, Ah'm...sorry?" AJ replied unsurely.
"Oh don't worry about it Applejack" Pinkie said "Tradition says to treat an expecting friend of the family with care and hospitality, so you're in the clear."
"Ah suddenly feel like yer family and Fluttershah would get along pretty well."
After arriving, marveling at the decorated farm, being introduced to the Pie Family, and given the rule not to approach Holder's Boulder, Applejack noticed that Pinkie's sister, who strongly resembled Fluttershy, appeared to be struggling with backing away or stepping closer while hiding her face behind her mane.
"And this is Marble Pie" Pinkie said as she hugged her younger sibling "My baby sister who's only a few minutes younger than me but she'll always be a baby to me, isn't that right? She's so excited to meet everypony. Oh, and she wishes you all a happy Hearth's Warming."
"Mmhm" Marble shyly muttered only after Pinkie nudged her.
"She's seems pretty nervous. Am Ah makin her...uncomfortable?" AJ asked worriedly.
"Mm mm!" Marble replied immediately with wide eyes in an urgent tone as she shook her head, surprising almost everypony.
"Oh no, don't worry Applejack" Pinkie assured her "She's a little shy about this, but she loves foals. She's actually the one in the family most excited about it, excluding me of course."
"She's going to make a great mother one day" Maud said in her monotonous tone that somehow sounded caring at the same time "Assuming she can find a coltfriend that Limestone won't scare away."
"Hey! None of those five were good for her" Limestone exclaimed as she got in Maud's face "And you know Ma and Pa want her to get a stallion from the pairing stone."
"We said we would prefer that Marble would be aided by the pairing stone, but it is not a requirement" Igneous specified.
"Pa" Limestone grumbled before addressing Maud again "Hey don't forget you creeped out two others."
"You laughed about those two after they ran away" Maud pointed out.
"Mm!" Marble squeaked, gaining everypony's attention.
"Marble's right everypony" Pinkie said "We're here to spend Hearth's Warming together, not talk about her lack of a love life."
In a rare moment, Marble's face went from shy to a Limestone-esque deadpan as she grumbled "Mmmmmhm." Big Mac chuckled lightly at Marble's expression, which made Marble blush as she hid a smile behind her mane.
Everypony agreed before Pinkie made the announcement for everypony to get settled in before Hearth's Warming Eve dinner. On their way in, AJ noticed Marble glancing at her rounded belly with a small smile. She decided not to point it out to spare the already shy girl further embarrassment.
The Apples were naturally surprised to discover dinner consisted of rock soup, though Applejack found it rather curious that her soup was a slightly brighter green and had small rocks rather than one whole rock.
"Um...is there a reason mah soup is different from everypony else's?"
"It is a special soup for expecting mares" Cloudy Quartz explained "It aids in the child's developing strength and growth. It was the only thing I ate for dinner when I carried each of my daughters. Though I am unsure if the soup will work the same with the child's mixed lineage."
"Oh, well that's mighty nice of ya to do for me an the little one. And don't you fret, I'm sure it'll help." AJ then glanced down at her bowl of soup nervously before lifting it up to take a sip. She was surprised to find that it actually tasted pretty good, and the small rocks were actually easy to chew.
Limestone gave an unseen nod with a satisfied smile and Marble smiled warmly at Applejacks acceptance of the soup while everypony else enjoyed their meal.
As everypony made their way to the quarry to begin on their Hearth's Warming dolls, Limestone stepped next to Applejack to address her. "So I noticed Marble and your brother giving each other a few looks. What's his deal? Seems like a stallion like him would have a marefriend already."
"Um, he did" Applejack said nervously, not entirely comfortable with the discussion topic, especially considering a certain awkward encounter in the barn. "He was datin Ponyville's schoolteacher for a bit, but apparently they're on a break."
"What exactly happened?" Limestone asked demandingly.
"She forgot to grade all the students papers....four times."
"So he didn't cheat on her?"
"Nnope"
"Hm....I'll be keeping an eye on him none the less."
After making their Hearth's Warming "dolls" from rocks, Pinkie set up the two families in pairs to find the Hearth's Warming flag to place on Holder's Boulder.
AJ and Pinkie searched in the caves of the rock quarry, with Pinkie keeping an eye on AJ to ensure she didn't exert herself too much. "If you have trouble lifting a big rock, just tell me okay?"
"Ah'm stronger than ya Pinkie" Applejack pointed out "Somehow. And don't worry, Ah know not to go overboard, especially now."
AJ looked down at her stomach before giving it a small rub. "Truthfully, mah mind is being overworked over yer family's traditions. They're all so complicated and...rock based."
"Well, how else would we do it?" Pinkie asked cheerfully.
"Ah don't know. Ah just hope everypony else is havin a better time."
Marble and Big Mac had been sent to the front yard to search, where they both "conversed" with their trademark utterances.
"Mmhm"
"Eeyup"
"Mmmmhm"
"Eeeeeeeeeyup"
Both ponies glanced at each other before looking away awkwardly. And then Marble's foal loving mind made her speak to the stallion she had developed a small crush on.
"Have you ever thought about having kids?"
"!!!!!!!" Big Mac reared his head and looked at the shy earth pony with wide eyes and cheeks that were somehow redder. Marble cowered with a wince, immensely embarrassed and chiding herself for not thinking before she spoke.
"Uuuuuhhhhh.......Nope!" Bic Mac spun around and began frantically searching through the snow, digging out and then tossing aside rocks he grabbed. "Hm, nope! Nope! Nope!"
Marble meanwhile began banging her head against one of the fence columns. Great Marble. You don't need your sisters to scare this one away. You're gonna do it all by yourself! Like a big mare!
A short time later, Marble was able to work up just enough courage to approach the stallion in order to apologize.
"Ahem" Marble muttered, gaining the cautious stallion's attention "Um........sorry."
Big Mac looked surprised as the young mare hid her nervous face behind her mane as if expecting the worst. He smiled before leaning down and nudging her head up, which made her blush slightly as she looked up into his eyes.
"S'okay" Big Mac said with a caring smile, making Marble's eyes soften and her blush increase slightly.
"Mmhm?"
"Eeyup"
Marble's smile grew before both ponies averted their blushing faces and returned to their search.
"Mmhm"
"Eeyup"
While the elders discussed the Pairing Stone and Cloudy Quartz passed on the recipe for the soup AJ had been served to Granny Smith, Maud and Apple Bloom searched in a separate part of the quarry.
"What does the rock look like?"
"It looks like something that formed when volcanic lava cooled quickly."
"Oh."
"Have you ever wished you could turn into a rock?"
"Ah had a dream once Ah was an apple."
"We have a lot in common when it comes to thinking about turning into things."
Apple Bloom smiled cutely at Maud's comparison.
"Are you exited about having a niece or nephew?"
"Totally!" Apple Bloom replied before jumping off the rock she had been standing on "And it's gonna be a filly. No matter what Spike says." She paused mid-step as something occurred to her. "Oh wow. Ah'm gonna be an aunt. Mah sister's havin a foal, so that's gonna make me an aunt."
"Intense isn't it?" Maud asked, her tone still unchanged.
"Oh great, Ah'm gonna be an old aunt" Apple Bloom said in exaggerated despair.
"Apple Bloom" Maud called to the filly before motioning her over. Apple Bloom approached awkwardly with a cocked brow. "Considering how close your family is to each other and your age difference to the foal, this will probably be more of a sibling relationship for you."
Apple Bloom turned away slightly with a thoughtful expression before having her face turned back by Maud. Apple Bloom had to suppress an exclamation of shock when she saw a small smile on Maud's face.
"Helping raise a younger sibling is one of the best experiences you could ever have. And from what Pinkie has told me, I can guarantee you're going to be a great aunt and sister Apple Bloom."
Apple Bloom's smile trembled as tears began to stream down her face before she captured Maud's foreleg in a tight hug. Maud maintained her smile as she used her free hoof to rub Apple Bloom's head.
"*sniff* T-Thanks Maud" Apple Bloom said before releasing the mare and wiping away her tears.
"No problem" Maud replied before her smile morphed back into her steady frown "We should keep looking. Limestone doesn't like it when she can't keep an eye on everypony on the farm."
"Yeah, sure" Apple Bloom replied. She found Maud's emotion change rather abrupt, but from AJ's description of her encounter with the Pie sibling, she felt she should just go with it.
"I'm pretty sure the foal is going to be a colt by the way."
"Oh come on Maud" Apple Bloom whined "We just had a nice moment. Why do you need to spoil it?"
"I'm not saying it will be, but all the signs point to it."
"What signs?" Apple Bloom said skeptically.
"Applejack's right side hooves leave prints two centimeters deeper than her left side, she slightly leans to her left when she sits, and her bathroom trips have alternated between every fifteen minutes to every nineteen."
"............All that tells ya it's gonna be a colt?"
"Pretty much" Maud confirmed in her usual deadpan "I had a friend at Rock School who had the same signs and she had a colt."
"Really?"
"Mmhm. Also, mares that are having a filly or fillies go to the bathroom in even minutes instead if odd. That's how it was for mom when she was carrying Pinkie and Marble. And me. And Limestone."
"......Oh. Aw great, now Ah'm gonna owe Scootaloo ten bits."
Pinkie found the flag, and explained the present system, and approved Applejack's picturing of both families opening presents and raising the flag. Applejack then got to decorating the entire farm while everypony slept, despite the fact she should've been getting some rest in her condition.
Limestone was not pleased. Igneous and Cloudy were outraged. Marble didn't even say a word.
And then the pole AJ planted opened a fault line that sent Holder's Boulder into the ravine.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Oh boy" Applejack uttered nervously "Don't suppose y'all can chalk this up ta pregnancy hormone craziness......could ya?"
The Apple family packed after Limestone demanded they leave and she refused to believe it was pregnancy hormones.
"Prob'ly best if we head back to Sweet Apple Acres" Granny Smith suggested "Maybe in time we'll be friends again, but for the now it's best if we give them a little space."
"Ah wish we didn't have to" Apple Bloom said "Ah really like Maud. She's sweet once ya get ta know her, they all are." Limestone's gesture for them to get out seemed to slightly discredit Apple Bloom's comment.
The Apples left to catch their train after Applejack apologized to Pinkie for her actions. While on the train, Granny Smith told the story of Holder's Boulder, which allowed Applejack to realize the importance of it and the Pie family's traditions, right before receiving a blow to the head.
"Ya just found yer first Pie Hearth's Warmin' present ever!" Apple Bloom exclaimed
"Only Pinkie Pie could hide a present on a movin' train" Applejack chuckled "What a great tradition. Stop the train!"
The entire Pie family was down in the quarry straining to push Holder's Boulder out, with little to no progress.
"Grrrrr.....come on.....you.....boulder......come on....AGH!" Pinkie strained.
"I'm pushing as hard as I can too" Maud notified in her usual deadpan, making it clear that the endeavor was basically pointless.
"Rrrgh, it's hopeless!" Limestone exclaimed.
"Need a little help?"
The Pie family turned at the sound of Applejack's voice to see the "Apples!" Yes, thank you Pinkie.
"What do you want?" Limestone asked crossly.
"I wasn't tryin ta take away yer traditions, I was tryin ta share ours" Applejack explained as she took off her hat "Ah was so focused on bein' one big family, Ah thought we needed the same traditions right away. What Ah should've done was learn about yers and teach ya about ours. And over time we'd make new traditions together. I'm sorry y'all. Ah hope ya can find it in yer hearts ta forgive me. I'd rather the little one get ta know her possible extended family while we're on good terms."
All the Pie's looked to Limestone, as she ran the farm and was considered the head of the family. Limestone kept her sour face as she looked to her family before addressing the Apples. "Well don't just stand there, we got a boulder to move!"
The Apples all smiled before joining the Pies as Limestone clarified that she was in charge. Applejack suddenly found herself pushed away before she could commence pushing.
"Whoa whoa whoa" Limestone said "You can't strain yourself like this. You don't want to cause the little guy any harm do ya?"
"Oh great, you too?" Applejack sad as she stood off to the side so as not to impede the others "Ah'll tell ya like Ah told Spike, it's gonna be a girl."
"Yeah, no" Limestone heaved as she continued pushing "Everypony's seen the signs. You're getting a colt AJ."
"Hate ta tell ya hun" Granny Smith said before Applejack could respond "But ya have been showin the signs. Yer mama had the same before she had Big Macintosh. Ya favorite yer left when ya sit."
"Your right side hooves leave deeper imprints" Maud continued.
"And your bathroom trips have been in odd minutes instead of even" Granny Smith and Cloudy Quartz said simultaneously.
"Mmhm/Eeyup"
The eldest mares and the soft spoken siblings looked at each other in surprise before everypony aside from AJ broke into a chuckle. AJ deadpanned at everypony's laughter as they continued to push.
"Ah'm gonna choose not ta believe y'all. And if any of ya even thinks about tellin this ta Spike, you'll get a good buck to the chin cuz Ah'll never hear the end of it from 'im."
"I think we just invented our first combined tradition!" Pinkie exclaimed cheerfully "Pushing Holder's Boulder out of the quarry while we laugh about how Applejack thought she was gonna get a filly. I can't wait for her to knock over the boulder next Hearth's Warming. And for the little colt to join in the laughter."
The combined families laughed while AJ checked her fading patience. "Oh would you all hush and get ta pushin." The families laughed again before continuing they're pushing. Once they got the boulder out of the quarry, they all returned to the house to bond.
As the elders tried out each others manner of speech, Apple Bloom petted Boulder before enjoying a sweet roll provided by Limestone, and Pinkie aided the shy siblings in their romantic interest.
After Applejack opened Pinkie's present to her, a rock unsurprisingly, Marble approached her and gestured to her stomach with a soft hum. Applejack nodded and allowed the shy mare to feel her stomach.
"I'm sure you'll raise him to be a fine stallion Applejack."
"Thanks Marble. And Ah'm sure you'll be a great mother" AJ replied rather than say the foal would be a filly, but also deciding to get a little revenge "Assumin ya find a stallion who won't get scared off."
Marble turned her gaze to Big Mac, who was in the middle of a very one sided hoof wrestle with Limestone. "Let me know when you wanna start big guy."
"Grrrrrr"
"I think I have" Marble muttered, which made AJ's smug look sag into a blank one.
Well that one backfired Applejack thought. She sighed in relief when Apple Bloom announced that Maud was going to "sing" some home written carols.
"The first one is about rocks" Maud said in her trademark deadpan "They're all about rocks. Hearth's Warming is great. Like calcium cilicate. What a wonderful day. As good as mica or clay.
"Whoo!" Applejack exclaimed as she walked through Twilight's castle while waving a hoof in front of her "Ah see y'all been takin advantage of us not bein here to occupy Spike's time."
"No kidding" Pinkie said as she fanned her own muzzle "Woof."
Both mares looked around when they suddenly heard a wistful hum. They looked up to see Twilight gliding through the air with a dreamy look on her face.
"Applejack....Pinkie Pie" Twilight said as she continued to glide gracefully through the air "Soooo glad to see my Sister Mates have returned. I hope you had a delightful Hearth's Warming."
"Ours certainly was."
"What in tarnation!"
"The f***!!!"
"Quite the muzzle on you Sister Mate Pinkie" the out of nowhere Fluttershy said.
"Where in Equestria did ya come from Shah?" asked the flabbergasted Applejack.
"And how did I not know you were here?!" Pinkie asked as she started popping out of random areas as if there would be evidence of Fluttershy's presence.
"I've been here the whole time" Fluttershy said in the same manner as Twilight "I followed you from above when you entered."
"Okay, what's goin on with y'all?" AJ asked "Why are ya actin all......Rarity after five glasses of wine?"
"I believe it's time Sister Mate Twilight" Fluttershy said as she landed next to said mare.
"Indeed Sister Mate Fluttershy. Sister Mates Applejack and Pinkie Pie, now that you have returned, you too can enjoy in the collective gift our shared Alpha Male Spike has provided from my own doing."
"Yer doin?"
"Whadaya mean Twilight?" Pinkie asked after AJ.
"It is as I've always said" Twilight began "Books are our friends, and will give us great benefits afterwards."
Right as Twilight finished, the door to the royal bedroom opened, and out stepped Spike, flipping through the pages of the Kama Hooftra Twilight had gifted him. The sound of dragging accompanied him as he walked out with Rarity clinging to his torso, her lower half dragging and a dreamy look glued to her face.
"Next?" Spike asked as he continued to quickly read through the pages.
Rainbow entered through a window quickly with a surprisingly silent whoosh, wearing the same kind of expression as Fluttershy and Twilight. "It looks like Rarity has successfully felt the same physical awesomeness we have."
"Oh no, you too?" Applejack said.
"Me next! ME NEXT!!!" Pinkie exclaimed enthusiastically.
The open air allowed Spike's nostrils to be cleared of the most recent musk and allowed them to smell his recently returned mates. He lowered the book as quick as Rainbow Dash speed to look at the mare he had been most focused on. He sped towards Applejack while Rarity was simultaneously removed from him by Twilight's magic. Spike stopped suddenly in front of the orange earth pony, startling her before grabbing her face and capturing her lips.
Applejack attempted to draw the dragon's attention but melted into the kiss before she could tap him on the shoulder. Pinkie fidgeted in place, growing impatient for her turn.
"I missed you so much" Spike said after he broke away "I am so relieved you and the little guy are safe. And now you get your Hearth's Warming present." Spike began pulling AJ towards the royal bedroom as Pinkie gaped in confusion.
"Wha- bu- na- I- I said it was my turn!" Pinkie exclaimed before she received the same kind of kiss as AJ.
"You'll get the same" Spike promised after breaking away "But my son's mother takes priority at the moment."
"O-Okay" Pinkie said dreamily "You owe me big time AJ."
"Oh Ah think it'll be worth it" AJ said before the door to the royal bedroom closed.
"I know it won't be in this chapter, but I'm gonna say it like it already was" Pinkie said "Best Hearth's Warming Ever."
"All thanks to a book."
"Ugh"
"Really darling"
"Seriously"
"Give it a rest, Sister Mate Egghead"
"Hey it's true and you know it!"
Pinkie cut in before an argument could ensue "Happy Hearth's Warming everypony!"
"And a Haaaapy New Year! Yee-haw!" Applejack exclaimed from the royal bedroom.