A Christmas Bale

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There was no sun to wake up to, not this early in the morning. Instead, Applejack's alarm clock rang, forcing her eyes open. She looked over and turned it off immediately and hopped out of bed. There was no debate in terms of what to wear to do her chores. She put on some thick overalls with a red and orange flannel shirt which had the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. The air was already chill, but she knew it was much colder outside so she took her winter jacket with her along with her trusty hat.

Despite harvest season being over, and all the preparations for the next season being done, there was no lack of chores to be done, and nobody could get away from it. The fact that her college was out for winter break didn't help either, now she had even more time on her hands. Noting the quietness from the outdoors, she knew her family was still asleep. It wouldn't stand.

"Granny! Big Mac! Apple Bloom!" She ran through the hallway, knocking on their doors. She received silence from Big Mac's room, and a groan from Apple Bloom, and Granny. It was normal enough, and so she moved on.

She ran down the stairs, eager to seize the day. The most important start to any day still had to be prepared of course. She made her way into the kitchen, deciding that pancakes and warm spiced cider would be the perfect start to a cold day. It was still too dark to work, so she searched around for the light switch.

Under the glow of the fluorescent lights, she got to work. Making breakfast for her family came naturally to her, and of course, she'd get an early start on today of all days. It was already Christmas Eve, and that meant that preparations for the real day would be at hand. But first, breakfast.

She decided to get a headstart on the apple cider since it was faster to make pancakes. She took out a jug of her family's fresh apple cider from the fridge and set it on the countertop. Then, she gathered the rest of the ingredients and started making the cider. Once she had successfully been able to leave it to simmer on the stove, she turned her attention to the pancakes.

"First, ya take the flour and put it in the pot, add yer dry ingredients, it's your only shot. Heat up the stove, gotta make sure that it's hot," she sang as she cooked. She hummed the rest of the tune instead of singing it, finding it easier to humm and cook.

"Been a mighty long time since I heard that song."

Applejack looked over as she mixed the wet ingredients together. "Good morning, Granny. Hope ya slept well."

Granny took a seat at the table. "Of course I did." She took a sniff of the air. "Pancakes, huh? Explains the song. Why I haven't heard that tune since you were a little girl!"

Applejack smiled, memories flooding her mind. "Yup, used to sing it all the time with Ma." She looked down at her mixture and decided to add the dry ingredients to it. She looked around the countertop with concentration. "Now where are those darn apples?"

Granny huffed. "There's one right in front of you. Honestly, you young'uns seem to be blinder than me sometimes," she mumbled.

Applejack noticed the apple that Granny meant and shook her head at herself. "Still too early, I guess." She rolled it over in front of herself and picked up a knife. She peeled the apple within seconds and cut it into tiny pieces. "Perfect!" She scooped it all into the mix and mixed it all together. "Now I can get the pancakes going!"

"Pancakes?" Apple Bloom hopped into the kitchen and took a seat next to Granny Smith. "Woohoo!" Big Mac came in after her, sat on the other side of Granny and rested his head on the table.

Applejack turned to look at Big Mac, who had already closed his eyes again. "Still tired?"

"Eeyup."

Applejack chuckled. "These pancakes are sure to wake you up, then." She poured the batter on the pan, waiting for them to cook.

In the meantime, she mixed the cider to perfection, taking in the perfect scent of perfect spiced apple cider. She turned off the stove and moved the pot off of it. Applejack turned to the pancakes and flipped them, hearing the satisfying noise of the raw batter cooking on the other side. She smiled contently at her cooking, knowing it would taste as good as it smelled. She served the apple cider into four mugs after she made sure they were no longer hot enough to burn anybody seriously. The warmth of the mugs felt nice on her cold hands.

"Here's the cider, now don't go and drink it all at once. Still gotta let it cool a bit, plus I haven't even brought y'all the pancakes yet." Applejack set everyone's mugs down in front of them, and her own in a seat between her siblings and in front of her Granny.

She went back to the pancakes and flipped them all into a tall stack on a plate. She grabbed four extra plates and brought them to the table and set down the empty ones in front of her family. Apple Bloom licked her lips and Big Mac raised his head with a smile. Applejack sat down, grabbing the utensils laid out in her spot. “Well, dig in!”

Breakfast was delicious, as usual. Applejack cleaned up the plates with the help of her siblings, who complained about being up so early, but Applejack explained reluctantly that there was no other way to get chores done before the sun came up. She went to the front door and put on her snow boots, some gloves, and a scarf. She opened the door and the wind blew into her face, causing her to shut her eyes for a moment. Nevertheless, she grinned and stepped outside.

The snow outside was piled up almost halfway up Applejack's shins. Despite the freezing temperatures setting its way deep into her bones, she had a smile plastered on her face. The sun wasn't up yet, and there was still work to be done, just the way she liked it. She shut the door behind her, hoping that Big Mac and Apple Bloom would have the same modesty once they came out. The last time snow got in the house, Granny didn't let them hear the end of it for days.

Checking her mental list, Applejack decided that the first order of business would be to feed the pigs. She trudged through the deep snow and eventually made it to the barn, which offered some protection against the wind chill. It was all too tempting to stay inside the barn, but she knew she had to move out.

Although, one small delay wouldn't do her any harm. She removed her gloves and took her phone out of her pocket and opened SnapGab, then she clicked on the messages option. She opened a chat called 'Rainbooms' with a rainbow emoji and an explosion emoji and tapped a button shaped like a camera. It was too dark to take a selfie without the flash, instead, she turned the phone so the outer camera faced her and pressed the button on the screen. There was a bright light that lit her up and some of her surroundings, and then it disappeared, leaving Applejack seeing spots.

She looked back down at the photo. It was her with a smile on her face. She added text that read 'Snow outside is crazy. Gotta work through it!' and sent it to the chat, knowing she probably wouldn't get a response for at least a few hours. It was barely past six in the morning, after all. She pocketed her phone and put her gloves back on.

She used the little amount of natural light available to her, which was none, to find an oil lantern on a workbench. While she could probably find what she needed without the lantern, she tried to prioritized safety over efficiency. She clicked it on, and with a small spark, the oil inside caught fire, providing Applejack with not only a way to see, but also some small amount of warmth.

She made her way to the corner where they kept their animal feed and picked up a bag of pig feed. She examined the bucket near the food and once she confirmed that there was nothing in it, she poured a good amount of the pellets in the bucket.

Given that it was Christmas Eve, and it was the time of gift-giving and generosity, Applejack felt like she should give the pigs a treat and reached into a barrel of carrots that was kept for the rare occasion of giving the pigs something nicer to eat. She grabbed a few carrots and put them in the bucket as well. Content with her decision, Applejack picked up the bucket in one hand and the lantern in the other and walked back to the entrance of the barn. She set the lantern back on the workbench and turned it off. She made sure there was nothing leaking since it was an old lantern, and then opened the door to the barn again.

The wind seemed to have picked up in the short time that she was indoors. The gust blew snow up into the air and caused Applejack to pulled her scarf to cover her face. She trudged back through the snow, trying to step in the footsteps she already made and arrived at the pigsty.

They had built an indoor area for them just a few years ago when Applejack first started high school. A couple of pigs had contracted pneumonia over the winter and died, causing an overall loss of money for the Apples. They enforced themselves over the warmer months to build a dedicated roofed area for the pigs, even including some cheap space heaters to keep them warm so they would grow and be able to be sold eventually.

Until the time came to sell them, they had to take care of them. Applejack learned to not get attached to them early on, but she still cared for them as they were an integral part of the farm. She set down the bucket outside of the fence and opened the gate to the enclosure to step inside. The snow was still fresh, and only a few pigs were outside already. She flicked a switch on the fencepost and the lightbulbs placed along the fence flickered on, effectively lighting up the area. She reached through the fence and lifted the bucket over it and banged it with her hand. The pigs outside looked over at the noise.

"Come on now, pigs! It's feeding time," she called in the direction of the enclosure. Applejack started to pour the bucket into the feeder as more of the pigs made their way outside to crowd around the food and began to eat noisily. Applejack shook her head in amusement as one of the younger pigs tried to push its way through the bigger hogs to get to the food.

She took the opportunity to enter the enclosure and change the bedding. She moved the hay inside the enclosure along the walls to the front where the pigs entered. She then went into the far corner and went past a barrier to grab some fresh hay and placed it where the pigs liked to sleep. Applejack nodded at her work, and once she knew she finished with the pigs after checking their water, she exited the enclosure and went on to her next task.

She noticed that the sun was just starting to rise and that Big Mac and Apple Bloom were out doing their share. Big Mac was over by the horses and Apple Bloom carried a basket of eggs carefully into the house. Applejack checked those two things off of her mental list and decided to go over to the apple orchard to check on the trees. Usually, she just checked over the first few rows as they gave a good indication of the entire orchard.

She inspected the trees, making sure that the white latex cover on their trunks wasn't damaged, and then she looked over the branches. She decided that they could wait a few days before needing to be pruned, and checked for any signs of sickness or infection. Once she was confident that the trees were healthy, she started to make her way back to the house. The sun was mostly up now, so on her way past the pig farm, she turned off the lights.

Before she went in, she took a quick glance to make sure that nothing was in need of her supervision. Apple Bloom was closing the gate behind her at the sheep area, and Big Mac was carrying buckets of milk toward the house. Applejack stood aside to let Big Mac in with a nod and took out her phone. It was barely nine in the morning, and she reflected on how quickly time seemed to pass in the morning. She found she had a notification from the Rainbooms chat and opened it. It was a picture from Rainbow Dash.

In the picture, Rainbow was dressed in casual wear and seemed like she just woke up. The picture was sent only a few minutes ago it seemed, judging by the natural light that showed through. She made a face at the camera and had a caption as well. 'Ugh and I thought I woke up early to do my workouts'. Applejack chuckled at her phone and decided to text a response instead of trying to take a picture.

applejack4:
All in a day's work. Or at least, the beginning of a day's work.

Applejack decided to head inside, not wanting to be out in the cold any longer. She waited for Apple Bloom to go in first, and then locked the door behind her. She kicked her boots on the mat in front of the door and then took off her boots carefully. Despite her best efforts, she still stepped in a wet spot which forced her to grumble in annoyance. She hung up her coat on the rack and put her scarf on top. Then, she laid out her gloves on the bench next to Apple Bloom and Big Mac's.

Deeming herself worthy of a short break, she went into the living room and sat down on the couch where she turned on the box TV and flipped to a channel that Apple Bloom liked watching. On the screen, a cartoon animation of a strong-looking girl with a sword surrounded by her colourful friends played. Applejack rolled her eyes at the sight and took her phone out of her pocket.

rd_rocks:
Okay, we get it
Say are we still meeting up tonight? I'm super psyched to exchange our secret Santa presents
You best believe mine is awesome! @shyanimallover @rarefashion @pinkie_winkie @twi_sparkle @queensunset

applejack4:
Yup.

pinkie_winkie:
Yeah! I just know you're gonna love my gift, Dashie! I made it extra special just for you!

rd_rocks:
Pinkie! You're not supposed to say who's secret santa you are yet!

twi_sparkle:
Whose*
And yes, I assumed we were still meeting up

pinkie_winkie:
Oops

rd_rocks:
*facepalm*

Applejack smiled at her phone. It seemed that Sunset, Fluttershy and Rarity either weren't awake yet, or they hadn't checked their phones just yet. In retrospect, Fluttershy was probably getting ready to go volunteer at the animal shelter, and Rarity was probably working on a winter line. Sunset was definitely just sleeping in.

Apple Bloom sat on the floor in front of Applejack and stared intently at the TV. The television itself was nothing fancy, it was an old boxy TV with antennas that had been there for as long as Applejack could remember. It was older than Apple Bloom, but her younger sister didn't seem to mind as long as it meant she could watch something whenever she wasn't on the farm or out with her friends.

“I don’t get what you find so appealing about that childish show, Apple Bloom.” Applejack gestured to the television with her head. “You’re not a little kid anymore, why do you like those cartoons anyway?”

Apple Bloom looked back at Applejack and scoffed. “Applejack! Just because you’re old and grumpy doesn’t mean everybody else is,” she whined. “Frankly, this has better storytelling aspects than those shows ya watch with Granny. You just wouldn’t understand,” she muttered.

Applejack rolled her eyes. “I’m not even that much older than you,” she pointed out. “We were in high school at the same time. That’s just three years.” It was still crazy to think that the events of her senior year had happened two years ago, but that only made Applejack realize that it was even stranger for Apple Bloom to be watching a kid’s show. “Hold on, you’re a junior and you’re watching this drivel?”

Apple Bloom pressed her lips together in a tight line. “Yes,” she said quickly. “Sweetie Belle told me it was good. But it actually has a good plotline if you give it a chance!”

Applejack shook her head. “No way, sugar cube. I’d like to keep my dignity,” she teased. She ruffled Apple Bloom’s hair with her hand and effectively messed up her bow, causing Apple Bloom to squeal in protest.

“Applejack!” The younger girl slapped her sister’s hand off of her head with an annoyed scowl that just made Applejack smirk. “Don’t you have stuff to do?”

With a dramatic groan, Applejack lifted herself off of the couch. “Now, why would you ask me that? We live on a farm, there’s always stuff to do,” she said. “But, I really oughta wait till it gets a bit warmer out to do it. Christmas decorations ain’t gonna hang themselves up, now are they? We’re having Fluttershy and Sunset over for Christmas tomorrow, remember?” She asked.

“Yeah. I suppose I could help you with the decorations,” Apple Bloom said, failing to hide her excitement. She loved decorating the barn for holiday parties and get-togethers. “But shouldn’t we start soon? I thought you were having your friends over.”

Applejack smiled, content that her sister had remembered. “Well, no. They’re not coming over here, it’s far too cold to be out in the barn tonight. We haven’t put the heaters in yet. We’ll be at Rainbow’s place, it’s big enough for all of us and her parents are out of town for the weekend so it works out perfect.”

Apple Bloom tilted her head. “So she’s all alone for Christmas? Why don’t you just invite her here?”

Applejack frowned. “I already did. I tried askin’ her, but she insisted she didn’t want to be a bother. I even told her we always make more than enough food in case of situations like that, but she still refused.” She frowned even more at the memory. “I’ll try asking her again though,” she added more for herself than for Apple Bloom.

Apple Bloom seemed satisfied with the situation and turned back to the TV. “Okay, well I’ll just be here. You’re always welcome to watch with me,” she said in a sing-songy voice.

“Naw, I’m okay,” Applejack said with a smile. “If you need me, I’ll be in my room.” She walked out of the living room and to the stairs, making her way up slowly. The house grew colder as she reached the second story and she reminded herself of why they tried so stay downstairs in the winter. Shrugging it off, she entered her room and placed her hat on her bed, ruffling the back of her hair so it wouldn’t be flat. She was tempted to lay back on her bed to take a nap, but she knew there was something else she could be doing. She just had to find it.

Desperate for something to do, Applejack looked around her room. It was already relatively clean due to her having cleaned it less than a week ago. She wanted to be mad at herself for being so considerate but couldn't find it in her. Instead, she decided to get in a quick practice session with her bass. The Rainbooms had definitely peaked in high school, but they still got together occasionally to jam and play small gigs, mostly due to Rainbow's insistence. Plus, the attention they got on social media was nothing to sneeze at.

Besides, practicing the bass was fun, and it gave Applejack something to do. She picked up the custom bass that had cost her most of her freshman year's summer job savings to buy and turned on her amp, connecting the cable to her bass. She put the strap around her shoulders and stood up, deciding to start with some simple warm-up exercises.

Despite most people thinking that the bass was a forgettable instrument, or simply boring, Applejack knew better. Without the bass, all of their songs sounded empty. She couldn't play guitar, but even if she could, she wouldn't pick it over the bass. There was a subtle art to the hard work that bassists did, and it often went underappreciated, but knowing that she made a difference in how the music sounded was enough for Applejack.

With a smile slowly creeping on her face, Applejack took a deep breath and began to play the familiar notes of her favourite song. It was a lot mellower than most of the Rainbooms' music, but Applejack preferred it that way. She took a breath before singing the words quietly to herself. "Once upon a time, you came into my world and made the stars align."

She played the rest of the song and found herself wishing she was playing with her friends. Despite knowing the part that the bass guitar had on the whole, by itself it sounded strange. Applejack grinned despite it and set her bass back on its stand. She turned off her amp, feeling productive for practicing her skill. But now she needed something else to do.

An idea popped into her mind and she chided herself for not thinking of it earlier. She walked to her desk and opened the drawer. Inside, she carefully took out a wooden jewelry box adorned with intricate etchings and a lacquer finish. The wood was a warm brown, edging on being almost red, and the hand-etched designs were painted in with a cool orange. On the front of the box was inscribed Rarity's name in a blue to contrast the warm tones.

Applejack admired the result of her labour and placed it softly on top of the desk, making sure to be as delicate as possible with it. She hoped Rarity would like her Secret Santa present, especially after it took Applejack so long to make it. It was practically done, all it needed was to be wrapped and ready to be gifted. Applejack went back into the drawer and took out a carefully rolled sheet of shiny blue wrapping paper. She wasn't sure what the hell it was made of, but it cost her more than the few dollars that were normal for wrapping paper.

She looked at the paper with a determined gaze. Despite her ability to be handy, and her natural gift for building that seemed to be a given for all of the Apples, Applejack was never good at wrapping gifts. That required a finesse that she simply did not have. There were no power tools or knives involved, just a delicate touch that Applejack wasn't lucky enough to possess. But she had to do her best for Rarity. She was the most generous person that Applejack knew, and she wanted to give back to her in a way that showed her friend that her efforts were always appreciated. That, and they were nearing a special date for the two of them.

With the most careful touch she could manage, Applejack unrolled the wrapping paper and flattened a section of it on her desk. She set the box down upside down on top of it, positioning it as parallel to the edge of the paper as she could. For whatever reason, one unbeknownst to Applejack, she started trembling. She needed to get this just right, or else she would be wasting a bunch of overly expensive wrapping paper. Applejack took in a breath, allowing herself to feel the cool air entering her body. She clenched her fists to force them to stop shaking, and then she put her hands on the paper.

It should be straightforward, Applejack knew that. But something about wrapping gifts was so hard to Applejack and as frustrating as it may be, she always had to ask Pinkie Pie to do it for her. For Secret Santa, though, she couldn’t. She reminded herself why she always put the gifts in bags but decided that now that she had unrolled the wrapping paper, it was too late for that anyway. She folded the paper over the box on one end, then did the same with the other. They met mostly straight at the centre, and it was so far so good. She taped it down so it would hold on its own, then did the other edges. These were harder and required a few extra folds, but the end result was acceptable. She wasn’t home free yet though, she still had to flip the gift over to see what it would look like once she gave it to Rarity.

She flipped the box over with even more care than before and closed her eyes. Whether it was because she dreaded the result, or because she wanted to simulate being surprised with the gift, she couldn’t decide. She held her hands straight out in front of her and reluctantly opened an eye, barely catching a glimpse of it. She raised her eyebrows in surprise as she looked at her handiwork.

“It… Actually ain’t that bad,” she muttered to herself with a short chuckle. “Well shoot, maybe I can wrap presents now!” She turned the box around to inspect it fully and noticed a considerable crease in one of the corners. She frowned slightly. “Okay, maybe not. But it’s still pretty good.”

She set the box back down on her table and patted it softly on the top, feeling satisfied with her work. Applejack took out her phone to check the time, noting that it was a few minutes before eleven in the morning. She decided with a grin that it was time to set up the barn, and that also meant informing Apple Bloom. Needless to say, Applejack was looking forward to decorating the space with her family. She left her room, taking with her the hat she previously left on her bed. She put it on her head and adjusted it as she went down the stairs.

“Apple Bloom, I’m gonna be out in a minute,” Applejack called as she went back to the front door to put her winter clothes back on. “If you ain’t there within ten, I’ll make you clean the pig pen tomorrow!”

Apple Bloom let out a squeak and Applejack heard shuffling from the other room as the noise from the television abruptly cut off. A few moments later, Apple Bloom turned the corner into the same room that Applejack was using to put her boots on. Applejack watched in amusement as Apple Bloom raced to put her coat on, and cursed under her breath when the zipper got stuck. She tugged on it several times, but it didn’t budge.

Applejack held out a gloved hand, motioning for Apple Bloom to stop. Her little sister obliged and let Applejack help her. She took Apple Bloom’s zipper in one hand and the bottom of her coat in the other, stretching it out until it was flat. Then, she wiggled the zipper and gave it a hard tug. The zipper relented and glided up the rest of the track smoothly, successfully closing the jacket. “There, all it takes is a bit of patience,” Applejack said with a grin. “You know I meant ten minutes and not ten seconds right?”

To say that Apple Bloom’s face rouged at the revelation was an understatement. She pulled her scarf over her face, leaving just her eyes visible as they darted away. She turned to the door and opened it, haphazardly forcing her boots on with every step. “Come on, let’s get to work,” she said as she rushed out the door into the unrelenting winter day.

Maybe it was a mistake to have insisted on waiting a few hours. Where there used to be a trodden down path, now was a fresh blanket of snow, and the once light blue sky was covered with clouds. Applejack could barely see in front of her as the wind blew snow from the ground up, and snowflakes from the sky down. There had been no blizzard in the forecast, and yet, there was one happening right in front of her. With an annoyed sigh, she followed Apple Bloom to the barn. At least they would have the protection of the walled building, although the cold would be an issue. Still, she was glad it had decided to start then and not earlier. It was already hard to see and do their morning chores in the dark, nevermind with weather like this.

On any other occasion, snow was a welcome sight, whether it got them out of going to school, or it snowed enough to go sledding, or it was the type of snow you could build forts with and have snowball fights. But on the farm with work to be done? If Applejack never saw snow again, it would be too soon. It was fitting, though. They were going to have a "white Christmas", which was always an admittedly pretty sight. Plus, the cold allowed them to sit around the fireplace to sing songs and drink hot apple cider. I guess there are some benefits to this weather.

The walk to the farm that always took five minutes at most now took them double that as they trekked through the pile of snow that was now at Applejack's knees, and she suddenly wished she had worn snow pants. The wind certainly didn't help speed them up, and they arrived at the barn trembling at the cold. The difference in the temperature wasn't very evident, but without the wind, it felt ten degrees warmer. With the relief of the disappearance of the blowing winds and falling snow, Applejack closed the barn door behind them and retrieved the lantern from where she left it earlier.

"Alright, let's get to it," Applejack said. "We've gotta be done by two. I need to leave then, 'specially with the weather the way it is, I gotta make sure to give myself enough time to get to Dash's safely."

Apple Bloom nodded. "No problem! That gives us around two hours, which is more than enough time," she pointed out.

Applejack didn't agree completely. "Now, it sounds like a long time, but it really ain't. We can't slack off, alright?" She put her free hand on her hip to accentuate her point.

Apple Bloom nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. You go up to get the box of decorations, and I'll turn the lights on," she said.

Applejack flashed her a thumbs-up as she made her way to the back of the barn where a ladder stood to the top level of the barn, filled mostly with boxes and other storage components. The lights flickered on, presumably by Apple Bloom, but Applejack was still a bit reluctant to put the lantern down and lose the minimal heat it gave off, but lantern fuel was hard to find in town, and they needed to preserve as much as they could. She put it down on a crate next to the ladder and climbed up to the second story. It was full of boxes, and Applejack had to watch her step to make sure she wouldn't step on an old rake or anything like that. She frowned as she remembered the first time she went to the second level of the barn.

"I'm really sorry, Granny Smith."

Applejack stared in disbelief at the police officer standing at the foot of their door. He held his hat in his hand and the other behind his back, looking a lot less composed than a policeman should. The snow outside blew gently into the house, barely illuminated by the front porch lights. She hid behind the wall. Applejack knew she wasn't supposed to be there. It was far too late, but the sounds of unwarranted visitors woke her up. There were tears in her eyes she didn't notice until they rolled down her cheeks, hot and wet.

Granny Smith shook her head. "You musta made some kinda mistake," she said firmly. "Ain't no way that could be them."

The officer frowned and glanced toward the hand behind his back. After a brief hesitation, he moved his hand in front of him, holding a Western-style hat. The hat that Applejack's father wore. "We found this at the scene of the crash," he explained slowly. "Do you recognize it?"

Applejack felt her knees buckle, but she forced herself to stay standing.

Granny Smith took the hat from his hands and observed it closely. Even Applejack could tell that it was in fact her father’s hat. There was no way that Granny couldn’t. Her suspicions were confirmed as Granny sighed and let her arms fall limp to her side. “That’s Bright Mac’s hat, alright,” she said grimly. She went to the kitchen to put the hat on the table as Applejack pressed herself closer to the wall, although Granny Smith didn’t see her.

“The snow must have made them swerve into the wrong lane,” the officer continued. “I’m so sorry,” he said, his voice cracking and breaking the professionality that a policeman should hold. “They meant so much to everyone in Canterlot.”

Granny Smith just nodded gravely, not offering the person standing across from her any emotions. “I know,” she said. “Thank ye for bringing this back to us,” she said. “Have a safe night.” With that, she shut the door and leaned against it. Applejack ducked back behind the wall, but it seemed Granny Smith didn’t see her again, or if she did, she pretended not to.

Applejack wasn’t sure if the muted crying she heard was coming from Granny, or from herself. Everything stopped around her, and her body slowed down to a near halt. She found out that she was, in fact, crying. She was no longer standing, and instead sat on the floor with her face in her hands. The tears continued to pour down her face, but she felt nothing. She looked blankly at the floor in front of her as the tears came to a stop. She knew it was only temporary that she could stop, but she shut herself off for a moment and stood up. It was time to capitalize on the lack of emotion.

Completely throwing all caution away, Applejack walked to the table and grabbed her dad’s hat. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt that she needed it. She noted that Granny Smith was gone completely, and chalked it up to the possibility that she didn’t want to stay downstairs, and saw no reason against going back to her room considering that Applejack wasn’t even supposed to be awake. The young girl walked to the door, not thinking about what she was doing, and put her boots on. She cast aside any thoughts of the reprimand she would get once she got back and opened the door. The wind blew strongly into the house and she blinked as the cold air hit her eyes. There was no use in standing still, so she closed the door behind her and began to walk.

If she was being completely honest, Applejack didn’t have much of a plan. She wasn’t thinking about where she was walking, she just kept her legs moving, partially thanks to the cold. It was dark outside, much darker than any night she’d ever seen. She didn’t even know what time it was, but the moon was high in the sky, and so Applejack assumed it was past midnight. Definitely way too late for a thirteen-year-old girl to roam around the farmland by herself, especially in the winter. She didn’t care, though. Who was going to punish her? Her parents?

She bit the inside of her cheek, and tasted the unmistakable metallic flavour of blood. Applejack forced herself to push the emotions back down and clutched the hat in her hands even harder. If her hands weren’t already paled by the cold (she definitely should have taken gloves), her knuckles would be white with the force of her grip. She kept walking, feeling her cheeks redden from the cold, if not from the crying she’d done before.

It felt like too long until she came across the barn. It loomed over her, much bigger than it seemed to in the daytime. Applejack was always too scared to come to it by herself in the dark and was often brought by her mother and father in an attempt to overcome her fear. She felt nothing as she opened the large door with a struggle, and went inside. The wind was non-existent, and she felt her ears ring, the only sound coming from her breathing and the muffled gust of wind outside. Snowstorms always had a way of making things quiet even when things were so loud inside her head.

There were piles of loose hay littered all over the floor and a workbench near the entrance. The barn was mostly used for storage, and barrels full of things Applejack didn’t know were scattered seemingly randomly about with no labels on them. She was always told that eventually, she would be able to know what barrel was for what without even thinking about it. She didn’t believe it.

The centre of the barn was empty. It was a space reserved for keeping the pickup truck that her parents always drove. Applejack wondered if she would ever see that truck again. It was big and an orange that almost looked brown, and older than she was. It worked just fine, though. Probably the strongest car Applejack ever saw. Despite its old outer shell, the important inside parts were changed every few years to keep the car in good condition. That was certainly less expensive than buying a new car every few years.

Applejack didn’t want to stand in the spot meant for the car any longer, and she made her way to the back of the barn. There was a ladder there, and while Applejack was always curious to go up, she wasn’t allowed to for safety reasons. There was no one to stop her as she climbed the ladder, holding the hat between her teeth. She almost slipped a few times on the way up but managed to catch herself before she could fall. Regardless, she reached the top and heaved herself to the top layer of the barn. There was no railing on the edge, and she understood why she wasn’t allowed up. They were afraid she’d fall, but she wasn’t that stupid.

She had no plan and was suddenly reminded of that fact. There was no way she could go back to the house now, though. Applejack knew better. Plus, she didn’t want to wake her siblings. Apple Bloom was only ten and needed her sleep, and Applejack would feel guilty if she robbed her of the last good sleep she’d have for a while. Big Mac, being her older brother, was a more reasonable option for someone to go to, but he was barely fifteen, and he talked way too much for Applejack to bear.

The only person she wanted to be with wasn’t here, and would never be here anymore. She looked down at the hat in her trembling hands and felt her heart drop as all her feelings returned at once. Applejack dropped to her knees and leaned against a blue box that had some kind of garland sticking out from under the lid. She shivered, either from the cold or the grief, and she clutched the cattleman hat in her hands and flipped it upside down. Stitched into the inner hem was the name of her dad.

“Bright Macintosh,” she read aloud. Her voice got caught in her throat as she began to sob into the hat. She wished for her Pa to lift her on his shoulders, or for her Ma to sing her a soothing song, but instead, she listened to the wind howl outside as the storm let on.

Apple Bloom snapped her out of her memory. “Applejack?”

Applejack blinked, surprised to feel a single tear roll out of her eye. She wiped it away and looked around. It was almost exactly like she remembered, except brighter. The wind howled just as ferociously though. “Uh, sorry, what did ya want Apple Bloom?” She cleared her throat as she awkwardly took in reality again, only then noticing that her other hand was rested absently on the brim of her hat, slowly pushing it down her face. She shook her head and pushed the hat back up so it wouldn’t obstruct her view.

She couldn’t see her sister, but she could hear the confusion in Apple Bloom’s voice. “I was just wonderin’ if you found the Christmas decorations?”

Applejack looked down at the box she found herself drifting to. It was blue with a teal lid and was about as tall as her knees. Draped from the side of it was a garland that never seemed to fit inside. The box made her stomach turn as she picked it up with a grunt. It was a lot heavier than it looked. “Yup, I got it,” she called to Apple Bloom who replied with an excited squeak. Applejack hauled the box over to a crude pulley system designed to lower boxes and other things that were too large to bring up or down the ladder. She placed it on the wooden plank the rope was tied to and clapped her hands, ridding her gloves from the dust. “It’s good to go from up here. Remember to be careful when you untie the rope or I’ll bet a bushel o’ plums that you’ll give yerself rope burn,” she said.

Apple Bloom snorted from below. “I’m wearing mittens ya know.”

Applejack heard the rustle of loose hay as Apple Bloom made her way to the rope tied to a hook on the wall. “You plan on untying the rope with mittens?” She snorted in amusement as she pointed out the impossible task.

There was silence for a moment as Apple Bloom fumbled with the rope. “No,” she said sternly. Apple Bloom tried to be discreet about taking her mittens off, but having made her way back down the ladder, Applejack saw her do it. The shorter girl untied the rope and held on to it tightly as she lengthened it slowly and brought the platform down slowly until it reached the ground. Only then did she let go, although she still did it hesitantly. “Well at least I didn’t drop it that time,” Apple Bloom pointed out with a look of pride on her face.

Amused by the fact that Apple Bloom set the bar that low for herself, Applejack walked over to the box to pull it off the platform. She figured she didn’t need to lift it off and decided to drag it off instead so that Apple Bloom could lift the platform back up and secure the rope once again. Apple Bloom wasn’t quite as strong as her sister, but she was still an Apple, and so some sort of natural strength, along with a good height, was a given. She struggled a little but was able to complete the job, and Applejack felt a rush of pride for her sister, even though it was a simple task.

The decorating aspect was as fun as Applejack remembered it being. As in, it wasn’t entirely that fun. She had to do all of the harder decorations; setting up the stringed lights across the wooden beams crossing the barn, building the faux Christmas tree for the barn, rolling barrels around so Apple Bloom could place decorations on them. Stuff like that. But even with all of the mundane hard work, Applejack found herself mostly enjoying the company of her little sister, and enjoying the genuine excitement on her face. There was only one last thing to do.

“You ready to put the star on the tree?” Applejack asked Apple Bloom.

Apple Bloom nodded eagerly, her face practically glowing with anticipation. “Yeah! Are ya gonna lift me on your shoulders again?” Her tone of voice was one reserved for the type of jokes that were meant to be taken lightly, but also one that implied that was what she wanted. She looked at Applejack with pleading eyes, and how could Applejack say no to that?

She rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat. “Fine, but this is the last time. You’re sixteen now! The weight isn’t the problem, but I can hardly balance with you on my shoulders,” she complained as she crouched down on one knee so Apple Bloom could sit on her back. “I swear, what with those cartoons of yours and this, I sometimes wonder if you ever really did grow up,” she muttered.

If Apple Bloom noticed the comment, she didn’t show it. Instead, she climbed on Applejack’s shoulders. As she stood up, she took a few steps forward for balance. Apple Bloom held on to Applejack’s shoulders until they got within reach of the tree. Once close enough, she held out the hand that held the star and reached slightly up in front of her and placed the star on the tip of the tree. A smile crept on to Apple Bloom’s face as she swung her hands up in celebration. “Woo hoo!”

“Woah there!” Applejack took a few steps backwards. “Be careful! You darn near made me fall over,” she warned. “Now, that’s enough of that,” she said as she crouched down again slowly and allowed Apple Bloom to get off her shoulders. Applejack stood back up and rolled her arms around, quickly stretching out her shoulders. “Looks good, Bloom,” she commented. Applejack took her phone out of her pocket to check the time. “Good gravy! It’s already two-thirty?” She shoved her phone back in her pocket.

Apple Bloom shrugged. “So? Aren’t you meeting at four anyway?”

Applejack huffed. “Yeah, but you know that Rainbow Dash lives on the other side of town, plus with all this snow and the blizzard, it’ll take me even longer to get there! Aw hell, I really shoulda been watching the time more carefully,” she reprimanded herself. “Oh well, no use complaining about it now. I gotta get the present and clean the windshield of the car. You gonna stay here a bit or you comin’ back to the house?”

Apple Bloom waved her hand, looking intently at the tree. “I’ll stay here a bit. There’re some minor fixes I have to do to the tree to make it perfect.”

With a shrug, Applejack waved to her sister, who waved back automatically, not even turning to look. “Alright, I guess I’ll be off now. Be careful on your way back,” she said. Apple Bloom hummed in response and moved the garland slightly.

Applejack rushed back outside, having to secure her hat on her head as the wind almost blew it away. She lifted her scarf back over her face and quickly made her way back to the house. Or at least as quickly as the conditions allowed her to. She burst through the door and kicked off her boots, not bothering to take off her coat or anything else. Instead, she shook off as much of the snow on top of her as possible and ran up the stairs. “Just me,” she yelled through the house so the rest of her family wouldn’t be concerned.

She barged into her room and looked in the mirror. The clothes she often wore for her chores had to be good enough since there was no time to change. Applejack carefully grabbed the present she left on the desk and ran back out her door. Big Mac’s door was shut, and she heard a muffled “Eeyup,” on the other side. He was probably talking to his girlfriend on the phone. Applejack wondered if Sugar Belle would come over for Christmas. She probably would.

Applejack slipped her boots back on, grabbed her set of keys from the keyholder, and basically ran out the door, making sure to close it behind her. She cursed at herself for leaving her car so far away as she sprinted through the blizzard, keeping Rarity’s present safe in her jacket. It took her about fifteen minutes to reach her car on the other side of the barn.
With no hesitation, she fumbled the key into the slot and opened the door to the red pickup truck and put her present on the passenger seat, reaching across her own seat. She closed the door again and walked to the bed of the truck, snapping off the cover slightly to reach in. Luckily, the snow brush was within reach as she pulled it out and ran to the windshield, brushing off as much snow as she could, and working next on the ice with the scraper part of the tool. Satisfied with the result, although it certainly could have been better, she put the snow brush back in the bed of the truck and closed the lid tightly so it wouldn’t fly off.

Applejack climbed in the car and turned the key into the ignition, letting the car warm up for a few moments. She took out her phone and opened the chat, blowing heat into her hands as she took off her gloves. There were messages earlier from Twilight and Fluttershy, and a video of Sunset complaining about her heater not working. Applejack felt kind of bad for her, but Sunset seemed to find it amusing, despite her annoyed speech, so Applejack found it within her to smile.

applejack4:
On my way. Might be a little bit late considering my forty minute drive is about to be doubled at the least

rd_rocks:
No prob AJ. Don’t die on your way here lol
I’m just kidding, but seriously don’t rush

applejack4:
Har har. I’m a good driver

pinkie_winkie:
Oh! I’ll be late too!
Sorry, my shift at Sugarcube got extended but at least I get to take some yummy food for us! :D

queensunset:
Hey at least I’ll be on time
Actually, do you mind if I get there a bit early?

rd_rocks:
Sure, how early?

queensunset:
I’m… actually right outside

Applejack stared in amusement as the conversation slowed to a halt for a few moments. Then, a picture from Rainbow Dash. Applejack opened it and saw a picture of a sheepish looking Sunset Shimmer with a snowy motorcycle helmet in her hands waving awkwardly at the camera captioned ‘No warning smh’. Applejack rolled her eyes and shut off the screen after a final time check. It was already 3:15.

She put the car in reverse and backed out of the spot she left the car in. She drove extra slowly out of the farm since it was all snow, setting her even further behind. In an attempt to distract herself from the great deal of annoyance she felt at being late, she turned on the radio. A repetitive Christmas song came on, and she flipped the channel immediately, searching for something more her style. A grin of amusement crept on her face as she landed on a channel called Canterlot Local Music, designed to showcase the music made by the people in their town. A Rainbooms song was playing and she recognized it as the one Rainbow Dash wrote to gloat about herself. She didn’t even know there was a good enough recording of that song to put on the radio, and yet there it was. She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the song as she finally made it on to the actual road.

The car sped up a bit as Applejack was determined to cut her time as much as possible while staying within the technical legal limits. While the roads were definitely better than the ones on the farm, the snowplows simply didn’t come often enough to keep the roads completely clear, although she noticed a snowplow followed by a salt truck passing by on the oncoming lane. Only a matter of time until they passed by on this road, although Applejack wouldn’t be fortunate enough to reap the positive outcomes of it. Instead, she focused on driving to make sure she wouldn’t get into an accident.

The snow continued to fall heavily as Applejack pulled up to Rainbow Dash’s driveway. After a gruelling hour and a half of driving, Applejack made it in one piece, which was about as much as she had hoped. She noticed two other cars and a motorcycle lined up outside of her house, which meant that everybody except Pinkie Pie was already there. Applejack parked in the vicinity of Rainbow Dash’s house, hoping that her choice wasn’t going to cause a problem, and turned off the car. She put her coat back on since she removed it on the way there, and put her gloves and scarf back on as well. Most importantly, she grabbed Rarity’s present and put it carefully in a bag she kept in the car to hide it from the falling snow.

As she stepped out of the car, the cold was jarring enough for her to rush to the foot of Rainbow Dash’s home. She slipped on her way there but was able to maintain her balance, thank God. Applejack knocked firmly, already wanting the undoubtedly present heat inside of her house, and she had only been out in the cold for a few minutes. Applejack heard muffled speaking that got closer to the door as she heard the lock click and finally the door opened. Rainbow stood there wearing casual sweatpants and a track jacket.

“Oh, hey AJ! Glad you made it. You’re only half an hour late,” she pointed out and ushered Applejack in. There was no reluctance on her end for getting inside the heat.

The sudden warmth made Applejack’s already flushed from the cold cheeks even redder as she felt a chill go up her spine. “Howdy, Rainbow. I drove here as fast as I legally could.” She carefully took off her boots and set them nicely next to everyone else’s shoes.

“Fuck the law!” A voice from another room yelled, and Applejack instantly recognized it as Sunset’s. A thwack followed her voice. “Ouch, okay Twi. Screw the law.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head with a grin and motioned for Applejack to follow her down into the basement, where all their friends sat in the two couches and a single seat recliner surrounding a table. It was definitely for Rainbow Dash, as posters from different bands were up on the wall, and there was workout equipment in one corner, and musical instruments in the other. Applejack sat down next to Rainbow on an empty couch. “Hey y’all,” she greeted her friends.

They all waved at her and returned the greeting. Applejack put the bag next to the couch and reached over to the table and grabbed some chips from the spread of snacks that were on it. She shoved them in her mouth, not realizing how hungry she was. She hadn’t noticed the nagging hunger until then and internally yelled at herself for not having eaten since breakfast. Applejack tuned into the conversation. Rarity was going on about her apprenticeship under Canterlot’s best fashion designer Hoity Toity, and how delighted she was by his offer for her to design outfits for the upcoming charity fashion show. Twilight and Rainbow Dash offered the occasional comment, enticing Rarity to keep talking, while Fluttershy simply listened carefully with a smile on her face. Applejack kept stuffing her face with food.

“Uh, not to interrupt,” Applejack began before swallowing a mouthful of chips.

“Why, not at all, Darling!” Rarity encouraged her. “You’ve hardly said a thing since you arrived.”

Applejack’s cheeks flushed at the comment, realizing what she was about to ask. “I was just wonderin’ if we were ordering any food or something,” she muttered.

Rainbow Dash twitched next to her. As Applejack looked over, she realized it was because she was laughing. “Oh man, and you guys think I’m obsessed with food?” She chuckled for a bit before nodding. “Yeah, I ordered a pizza a little bit ago. Pinkie said she’d pick it up on her way here.”

Applejack nodded and decided to stop eating the chips. She had to save some for Pinkie, of course. “Well, anyway, I’m glad that your apprenticeship with that fancy sort is working out well for you, Rares,” she said, trying to instill herself into the conversation.

“Ah, well thank you very much, Darling,” she responded with a smile. “I, too, am very glad it’s working out.” Rarity took a sip from her solo cup. “How are things on the farm?”

Applejack snorted without meaning to. “God, and I thought I could come here to be free of farm talk,” she joked. “I love the farm, don’t get me wrong, but on days like these, I wish I was a simple city girl. Like Rainbow Dash,” she added.

Rainbow Dash slapped her on the arm. “Hey!”

Rarity giggled. “Yes, well I suppose you’re right. You should relax, I cannot imagine how long you’ve been out in the cold today in this dreadful weather,” she said.

Applejack nodded. “Mhm, way too long. I reckon I'll need a beer,” she admitted as Rainbow Dash instantly handed her a cold bottle. She opened it by smacking the cap against the table and took a long sip. “Anyway, how are y’all doing?”

Sunset fidgeted in her seat, grabbing the attention of everyone. “Actually, I meant to say it before, but remember that party we went to like… Last month?”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “You mean the one where Applejack got wasted?”

Despite Applejack’s sputtering failure to defend herself, Sunset nodded. “Yeah, that night Princess Twilight was telling me about some weird book she found?” She trailed off as if she were asking a question, and thought about her next words. “I dunno, she’s been acting kinda weird.”

Fluttershy frowned. “Do you think there’s something wrong?”

Sunset shrugged. “I’m sure she’s fine. She’s Twilight, the Princess of fucking Friendship. She’s super smart.”

Twilight frowned, adjusting her glasses. “Sunset,” she said firmly. “Don’t swear.” Sunset lifted her arms to her side, an innocent look on her face. “And I’m sure she has everything under control.”

Rainbow Dash looked skeptically into her cup as she spoke. “Well, if there’s something wrong, I’m sure she’d tell you, so don’t worry about it.” She leaned back further into the couch and interlocked her hands behind her head. “Besides, we’re here to chillax. So chillax.”

Sunset chuckled, visibly easing up. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she said. “Hey, I wonder when-”

“When Pinkie will be here?” Pinkie Pie popped up behind Sunset, causing everyone to scream in surprise. “I’ve been here for like, five minutes. That whole Twilight thing is weird! I hope she doesn’t get possessed by an evil and magical spirit and start enslaving her friends in order to gain control of all of Ponyworld!”

Everyone just stared in disbelief. Applejack was the only one to speak up. “Now, why in the world would she do that?”

Pinkie shrugged. “I dunno, just a thought.” She climbed over the couch’s armrest instead of simply walking around and sat next to Rainbow Dash. “I brought the pizza!” She pointed at the pizza on the table, and Applejack could have sworn she never saw Pinkie put it there. “Oh, and I also brought sweets!” Pinkie pulled out a box of aesthetically pleasing desserts and placed them near the pizza. “Talk about eye candy!”

Rainbow cocked her head. “Eye candy? Wait, how did you get into my house? The doors are locked!”

Applejack chose to ignore Pinkie’s weird reference to something she didn’t understand and looked intently at the pizza. “So are we gonna eat or…”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Applejack’s been starving since she got here. I say we get it over with and dig in.”

Applejack licked her lips. Now, this she could agree with. She took initiative and leaned forward to open the box. The delicious, warm scent of the pizza filled her lungs and she felt herself begin to heat up even quicker. She couldn’t bear to wait for another second as she ripped a slice from the meat-lovers side of the pizza, leaving the vegetarian side for Fluttershy and Sunset. With an anxious and delighted moan, she bit into the pizza and smiled at the taste. It was absolutely delicious, perhaps the best pizza she’s ever had. Maybe it was the hunger speaking, but God damn was the pizza good.

Rarity let out a delighted squeal as she took it upon herself to take a slice as well, although in a much more refined manner, and took a bite. She herself couldn't resist the tiny hum of delight that escaped her throat, and Applejack shot her an amused glance as she chewed. Rarity averted her gaze and blushed intensely.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Jeez, I know you said you were hungry, AJ, but there was absolutely no remorse," she joked. Applejack responded with a muffled complaint. "But holy shit does that pizza look good!" She took a slice as well and bit into it eagerly.

Twilight huffed in exasperation at Rainbow's choice of words, but Sunset put a hand on her shoulder and whispered something to her, making Twilight ease up and smile. They both took their own slices, Sunset's being the veggie option, and grinned at the pizza.

Pinkie shot them a knowing glance and took a slice of pizza. "I know! It's so good, right? I can tell by your stunned silence," she said. "Whenever I bite into a yummy slice of pie, I can't even speak! I just keep eating more and more pie until it runs out!" She took a bite of her pizza. "And they call pizzas 'pies' in some places, so it fits perfectly!" She lifted her arms happily in the air before taking another bite.

Sunset glared at Rainbow Dash. "Do not give her alcohol," she said as she gestured to Pinkie, who bounced on the couch and ate two slices of pizza at once.

Fluttershy decided to take a slice as well and took a bite immediately. Her eyebrows raised in surprise as she looked down at her pizza. "Damn, that is good," she said.

Applejack nearly choked. Fluttershy never swore, and as tame of a swear that damn was, it was still funny to hear it come out of their shy friend's mouth. "I guess it really must be good if it makes ya turn vulgar," she teased. Fluttershy flushed and ducked her head as everyone giggled.

"Okay, so now that we're all here, I suggest we get to the reason we’re here,” Rainbow Dash said. “Secret Santa. Any volunteers?”

As expected, Pinkie shot her hand straight up. “Ooh! Ooh! Me! I have the greatest gift ever for my Secret Santa!” Without awaiting a response, Pinkie Pie shot up and climbed over the back of the couch and reached to the floor behind it. She brought up a longer than it was wide red gift box with a prismatic ribbon tied into a bow. “Dashie! This one’s for you!” She thrust the box into Rainbow Dash’s chest.

“Oof, okay, thanks Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash said as she grabbed the box in her hands and shook it. A soft cluttering came from inside of the box. Applejack shook her head at her disregard for the possible fragile nature of the gift. Then, she realized it was from Pinkie Pie and shrugged it off.

Rainbow ripped the bow off of the present and opened the box. She looked in the box and smiled widely. “Pinkie, this is great!” She reached in and pulled out a pair of bright blue soccer cleats with a rainbow lightning bolt on the sides. “Where did you even get these?”

Pinkie bounced in her seat, the excitement of her friend loving her gift showed. “I made them! Well obviously I didn’t make them make them, I bought really cool white cleats and then I decorated them with leather paint and sparkles and a cool finishing spray that really gives it that nice shiny look! And they’re completely usable too!” As Rainbow Dash turned the cleats over, her smile widened. “And I changed the spikes to be all the colours of the rainbow!”

Rainbow Dash’s face heated up as she smiled meekly. “You really didn’t have to do all this, Pinks,” she muttered.

Pinkie Pie pulled her into a hug anyway and smiled. “I know, but I did anyway because I know you really like soccer and I wanted to make you happy because you’re my friend and I love my friends!” She tightened her hold on Rainbow Dash, who pressed her lips in a line and stared down at her gift.

Once Pinkie Pie finally released her, Rainbow Dash sucked in some air. “Well, I don’t know how I’m ever going to top that gift, but I guess it’s my turn now,” she said as she took a thin, rectangular wrapped present from under the table. It was purple and red, and Rainbow Dash held it awkwardly in her hands. “Uh, my gift is for you, Twi,” she said. The shape of the present suddenly made sense to Applejack. It had to be a book.

Rainbow Dash held it out to Twilight and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “I, uh, didn’t really know what to get you, to be honest. I thought this would be good,” she said dubiously. Rainbow Dash smiled nervously at her as she took the gift.

Sunset crossed her arms with a smirk. “Let me guess,” she said. “It’s a book?” She caused the group to chuckle as Rainbow Dash’s face grew redder. Applejack had never seen her so flustered before, especially about giving presents.

Twilight shot a look at Sunset, who stuck her tongue out at her. She then smiled at Rainbow Dash. “You know, I’m pretty easy to give gifts to,” Twilight said. “I love books.” She carefully unwrapped the present, much to Sunset’s dismay as she cheered for her to just rip it open, and gasped softly at the contents. “You got me a first-edition copy of Doctor Darkwood’s Exploring The Human Psyche?” She grinned happily and drummed on the hardcover of the book with her fingers. “I’ve been wanting to read this book of his for so long, but they’re so controversial that they're super rare! How did you even find this?”

Rainbow scoffed, her once doubtful expression now replaced with one of confidence after she confirmed that the present was in fact a good one. “The internet is an extremely handy place, Twi.” She grinned and folded her arms over her chest. “I found a first-edition copy on the internet some egghead was selling, and then I did some research and found out that Darkwood guy was having a book signing at the observatorium so I went to get the book signed,” she explained. Rainbow stuck out her hand and pointed to the book. “Actually, if you open it, you’ll see the signature.”

Twilight’s eyes lit up as she opened the cover slowly and pushed her glasses up higher on her face, her jaw on the floor. “To Twilight Sparkle, my biggest fan and my upcoming competitor. Keep on learning, Darkwood,” she read. With a smile, she looked back up at Rainbow, who seemed extremely satisfied with herself. “This is perfect, Rainbow Dash! Thank you so much!”

Rainbow Dash nodded in response. "Yeah, no problem Twilight. I heard you mention it once, although I wasn't sure if you had already found a copy." She smiled as Twilight continued to smile and showed off the book to Sunset, who shot Rainbow a friendly look. Rainbow winked in response and leaned back on the couch. Pinkie raised an eyebrow at the interaction.

Twilight picked up her backpack and carefully slid her book inside with the utmost care. "Well, now it's my turn!" She reached into her bag and pulled out a yellow gift bag. "Fluttershy, this one's for you."

Fluttershy squeaked in surprise. "Oh, um, thanks," she said quietly as she watched the present be passed from Twilight to Sunset to Rarity and reached over to receive it. "I hope you didn't spend too much money on me," Fluttershy mumbled, already looking guilty.

Twilight laughed softly and shook her head. "Don't worry about that," she assured her. "To be honest, finding a gift for you was hard. You don't really care much for material objects," she admitted. "But I think I found something you'd enjoy."

Fluttershy smiled warmly and looked into the bag. She pulled out what looked like a picture frame, but instead of a picture, it had a screen. She looked at it with confusion until she flipped it over and noticed a power button. She pressed it and the screen lit up. On it, pictures of her friends showed up on the screen. There was a picture of their first practice session as the Rainbooms, them at their graduation, them on stage at the graduation party and singing. There was a picture of everyone hugging Fluttershy as she smiled happily into the camera. There were also pictures of just Fluttershy and one or two of her friends until each of them had their picture with Fluttershy shown. Then, the slideshow restarted.

Applejack felt herself grinning at the gift as Fluttershy smiled, her eyes watering. Twilight got Fluttershy the perfect gift in Applejack's opinion. Everyone seemed to have a similar thought as they looked at Fluttershy with an astounded smile, and then in unison, back at Twilight with an equally impressed glance.

"It's amazing," Fluttershy breathed. "Thank you so much. This was the best present I could have asked for, Twilight. How will I ever repay you?"

Twilight held up her hands and shook her head. "You don't have to repay me, you just need to promise me that you'll never forget us," she said with a smile.

Fluttershy nodded eagerly. "I'll never forget you girls, especially not with this amazing slideshow. You all are the best friends I've ever had, and I'll never find better friends," she said to everyone with tears threatening to escape her.

Everyone responded with their own words of love and encouragement. Rarity even wiped a tear from her own eye and placed her other hand over her heart. Applejack chuckled in amusement at her and looked back at Fluttershy who caressed the screen gently before placing the frame on the armrest of the recliner she sat on.

"Um, my gift is for Sunset," Fluttershy said. Sunset perked up at the sound of her name. Fluttershy reached beside her and pulled up a large red gift bag. "I kind of went overboard, but I really hope you'll like it," she said meekly.

Sunset took the gift that Rarity helped hand her and was taken aback by the weight. "Hm, lighter than I thought it'd be," she admitted. She took out the yellow tissue paper inside and opened her mouth incredulously. She looked over at Fluttershy. "Shy, you really shouldn't have got me this," she breathed.

Fluttershy squinted her eyes in a show of affection. "But I had to. You've been going around all winter without a real jacket, and well, I saw this one at the mall and it looked perfect for you," she explained. "I hope you like it."

Sunset laughed briefly. "Of course I like it! But you really shouldn't have," she repeated, to which Fluttershy waved her hand dismissively and encouraged Sunset to show the jacket off. Sunset reached inside and pulled out a black winter coat with a red-lined interior and a faux fur trim on the hood. It was absolutely amazing.

Applejack let out a low whistle. "Hoo wee, Sunset," she exclaimed. "Now that's a mighty fine coat. Looks real warm and comfy-like." She examined the coat further, admiring the stitching and overall quality. Now, Applejack wasn't much of a fashionista, but if anyone could appreciate the coat, it'd be-

"Oh! It's simply divine!"

Rarity. Applejack grinned as Rarity leaned over to get a closer look at the jacket. "You wouldn't mind me grabbing it for a second, would you Sunset?"

Sunset shook her head. "Nah, be my guest, Rare," she said, lifting her hands off of the coat.

Rarity squealed in delight as she cautiously grabbed Sunset's coat and looked at it carefully. "Honestly, Fluttershy, you've truly outdone yourself. Why, this is a beautiful coat that, just judging by the stitching, is sure to last a long time!" She looked over at Sunset. "Provided you take care of it, of course."

Sunset scoffed. "It's, like, my only winter jacket. I'm not gonna ruin it instantly, you know," she deflected with a defensive smile. She peered back over to Fluttershy. "Again, thank you so much, Shy," she said.

Fluttershy mumbled in response, averting her gaze to the floor. Applejack found it amusing how shy she was, even in front of her friends. If there was something she couldn't deny, though, it'd be that Fluttershy was an excellent gift giver. She always knew what everyone wanted or needed, and found a way to get that for them.

Sunset's amused expression fell into one of embarrassment. "Okay, so I'm not sure how I'm supposed to follow up to all of those amazing gifts, and I'd like to say that I am sorry in advance, AJ." She chuckled awkwardly as she pulled out a little box from the inside of her jacket. "I didn't really have that much money and frankly, I wasn't sure what you'd want so-"

Applejack held up a hand and Sunset stopped halfway through her sentence. "It don't matter none to me, Sunset. Whatever ya got for me, I will appreciate it," she said reassuringly. She received the box from Rainbow Dash as it was passed down to her from Sunset. It was an orange box with a red ribbon. Extremely fitting, Applejack thought with an amused grin. She opened the box and looked inside. There was a mini snow globe with what seemed to be a handmade recreation of Sweet Apple Acres in it, and inscribed on the base of the snow globe was 'Home Sweet Home'. Applejack looked at the gift with a blank stare for a second, and Sunset frowned in anticipation.

"Okay, uh, I guess I could have gotten something better," Sunset said, her voice strained. "Yeah, no, looking back it actually was quite a stupid idea."

"Sunset Shimmer, you shut yer mouth," Applejack said sternly. She looked back up and held the snow globe tenderly in her hands with a wide smile. "This is amazing! Did ya make this yourself? I knew you were kinda artsy but I didn't know you were this crafty," she said.

Sunset scratched the back of her head, being uncharacteristically modest. "Ah, well, you know me," she said with an awkward chuckle. "Always full of surprises!"

Applejack snorted. "Yeah, you could say that again." She placed the snow globe on the small table next to her and grabbed the carefully wrapped present. She held it in her hands, suddenly feeling very nervous. "Er, well, I reckon it's my turn now," she started. She contemplated passing the box down to Rarity but decided to stand up and give it to her herself.

She stepped awkwardly over Rainbow Dash's legs, who didn't bother trying to make space and stood in front of Rarity. She could feel her face heat up. "Well I guess I don't gotta say it, but this ones for you Rares," she announced with a lopsided grin.

Rainbow Dash made a noise of amusement, and Applejack turned to see her and Pinkie whispering to each other. "Figures that one of the lovebirds would get the other," was all she heard Rainbow whisper to a giggling Pinkie Pie, who pressed up against Rainbow Dash.

Rarity copied Applejack's best impression of a tomato and took the gift from her. "Oh, thank you, Darling!" She slid her fingers over the wrapping paper smoothly. "Now, wherever did you get this wrapping paper? It's exquisite!"

Applejack held back a laugh. She just knew Rarity would like it, and suddenly, it was worth the extra money. "Now, you do know the present isn't the wrapping paper, right?" She smirked as she teased her. "The actual present's underneath."

"Tsk, don't tease me, Applejack," Rarity said, enunciating the blonde's name. She carefully unwrapped the present, leaving Pinkie, Rainbow and Sunset groaning in anticipation. Twilight just nodded in agreement with Rarity's methods. Rarity gasped in delight. She held the jewelry box in her hands, looking at Applejack with shock. "Applejack," she said, but her voice trailed off.

Pinkie Pie spoke up, not to anyone’s surprise. “Applejack! That’s so pretty! Did you make that yourself?” Pinkie Pie leaned forward slightly to get a better look at the box that Rarity held out in front of herself.

With a nod, Applejack responded. “Yup, I worked on it day and night,” she said. She turned to Rarity and placed her hand on her knee as he squatted down to get more eye level with her. “I reckon we’ve been together for almost two years now, and it was the perfect opportunity to make you somethin’ nice. I hope you actually like it,” she said nervously.

Rarity smiled warmly at Applejack and leaned forward to plant a quick kiss on her cheek. “Don’t be preposterous. Of course I like it!” She let go of the box and put her hands on Applejack’s. At the sound of an overly dramatized gag, Rarity turned to glare at the source of the noise. “Oh, shut it, Rainbow Dash. You’re such a child!”

Applejack chuckled and tapped the box. “I used wood right from Sweet Apple Acres, so no matter where ya go, you’ll always have a reminder of me,” she said. “I also found the nicest gemstones I could get on the internet and put ‘em on there. Apparently, they have some kinda meaning. The ones I bought were uh… Blue topaz or somethin’?” She shrugged. “I’m pretty sure that was it. They’re the crystal of, uh, something,” Applejack started, but cursed herself for not being able to remember.

“Love,” Twilight filled in. “I was actually reading up on crystals last night. Blue topaz is known as the jewel of love and represents emotional clarity, emotional attachment, and honesty. That’s why it shares the spotlight with rose quartz as a crystal that represents love,” she said, almost sounding like she was reading off of something.

Applejack blushed slightly as she turned to face Rarity. “Yeah, that’s right. I actually meant to tell ya in private, but I guess now’s a good a time as any,” she muttered. “If I hadn’t messed up my speech, I woulda used it to tell you… Well, I wanted to tell you that I love you, Rarity.” She took a shaky breath and shut her eyes. “I really do, and I hope that’s okay with you.”

The room was dead silent, and Applejack instantly regretted her decision. It was stupid of her, and she was caught up in the moment. Why did she do that? She should have waited until she was alone with Rarity. At least then, Rarity could let her down easy and nobody would have to know. But now, not only did she put Rarity on the spot but involved all of her friends. How could she be so stupid? She thought two years would have been enough! They started dating the summer after they graduated, but of course, once again, Applejack got way too ahead of herself. She was ready to leave, and her arms started shaking as they rested on Rarity’s knees.

Applejack felt a pair of hands fall on top of hers, and she opened her eyes one at a time to see Rarity’s hands cupping around hers tightly. She looked up at Rarity’s face, not expecting the tender smile on her face. “Oh, Applejack, that’s so sweet! And there’s no need to be so nervous,” she said. Before she spoke she pressed her lips together tightly and blushed. “I love you too.”

Before Applejack could say anything, Pinkie Pie laughed. "Hah! I told you so!" She leaned on a groaning Rainbow and stuck out her hand as Rainbow Dash reluctantly slapped a bill into the palm of her hand.

"Now, hold on. Y'all were bettin' on us?" Applejack stood up and crossed her arms, glaring at Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash huffed. "I thought Rarity would be the one to say it," she defended. "And Pinkie thought it'd be you. What else were we supposed to do? Not bet on it?" She threw her arms up in exasperation. Rainbow always hated losing bets and Pinkie was just so good at winning them.

Rarity giggled, much to Applejack's surprise. "Oh you girls are too much, really," she said with a friendly glance over at them. She tugged on Applejack's belt loop. "Now come down here so I can give you a proper kiss, Darling."

Applejack pretended to be annoyed and rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. But only 'cause you're pretty," she said as she turned back around and leaned down to receive Rarity's kiss.

It was definitely far from their first kiss, and yet Applejack couldn't keep herself from blushing. She imagined Rainbow Dash and Sunset exchanging an annoyed glance as Twilight strategically checks her phone, and Pinkie would definitely just watch with a smile. Fluttershy would probably look away in embarrassment, but none of that mattered to Applejack after a moment. The world around her dissolved whenever she kissed her girlfriend, and it soon became just her and Rarity.

Of course, the show must go on, and as much as Applejack would have enjoyed continuing to deepen the kiss, Rarity still had her present to give, and they had friends to entertain. Applejack decided they could just save it for later, preferably somewhere alone. She pulled away from Rarity and they both gazed into each other's eyes lovingly for a moment before Applejack stood up and rubbed the back of her neck. A quick glance at her friends confirmed her previous suspicions were entirely right.

"Well anyway, let's not hold up Pinkie from getting her present much longer," she said while looking at Pinkie Pie. "I reckon she's just about to explode."

Pinkie Pie shrugged. "You two are just so cute! I really don't mind, but if you insist…" She leaned forward in anticipation for her gift. "I'm excited to see what you got me! You're always such a great gift giver!"

Applejack turned to walk back to her seat next to Rainbow Dash. Before she sat down, she looked at Rarity one last time. "We'll continue this later," she said with a wink, causing Rarity to blush and bury her face in her hands. Rainbow Dash whooped in response, and Sunset said something about getting a room. Applejack snickered as she sat back down and noticed Rarity's face that was somehow even redder than before. She thought it was a lot of fun to tease Rarity in public, especially when her reaction was always just so adorable.

Rarity opened her mouth to say something, but instead, a high pitched squeak came out, which Applejack smiled fondly at. Rarity cleared her throat and fanned her hand in front of her face. "Oh my, well, I suppose that it is my turn now," she said quickly. "Well, Pinkie, this gift is something that I desperately hope you'll like. I think you'll find it's right up your alley, so to say." She took out a floppy wrapped bag, and Applejack instantly knew that it was clothes.

Pinkie took the pink, sparkly wrapped present in her hands and looked at it eagerly. "Ooh! I hope it's clothes!" She turned to Rainbow Dash, who sat beside Pinkie with a smile, and multiplied that smile by ten. "Dashie! Do you think it's clothes?"

Rainbow Dash pretended to think for a minute and put a hand on her chin. She hummed as she thought, then snapped her fingers and pointed to Pinkie. "Probably," she said way too enthusiastically.

Pinkie Pie giggled in response. "Me too!" She ripped the wrapping paper off, much to Rarity's dismay and Rainbow Dash's delight, and gasped loudly. She held out a hand-knit pink sweater with embroidered cupcake all over it and a large patch of three balloons on the back. "Omigosh! Rarity! This is the best gift ever! How did you know I needed a brand new lucky baking sweater?"

Rarity winked at her. "Sometimes I just know these things, darling." She giggled and waved her hand. "I'm just kidding. You kept mentioning how your favourite sweater was ruined, and so I thought it the perfect opportunity to make you one once I picked your name from Applejack's hat!"

Twilight cleared her throat. "I just want to know how you know the sweater is lucky, Pinkie Pie, when you haven't even worn it yet?" She looked curiously at Pinkie's sweater. "That's dismissing the obvious flaw of saying something is lucky, much less an article of clothing. Although it is a pretty sweater."

Pinkie Pie giggled. "Silly willy, I called it lucky because I know it's lucky. I can just tell!" She brought the sweater over her head and yanked it on. Her hair flattened through the hole, and then inflated all over again, making Applejack snort in amusement. "It fits perfectly! And it's so comfy!"

Rarity scoffed, a smile on her face. "Well yes, of course! I do pride myself in custom making fitted clothing for people," she said plainly. "I am glad you like it, though. I wasn't sure what was the right ratio of balloon to cupcake, I didn't want to make it feel too overcrowded."

"You're so funny," Pinkie commented with a laugh. "You can never have a sweater that's too overcrowded! How are you supposed to fit a whole crowd in a sweater?" She rubbed the sleeve of her new hoodie on her cheek. "Well you could, you'd need a really big sweater!"

Rarity blinked. "Yes, well, I suppose it's fine, then," she muttered.

Rainbow Dash snickered next to Pinkie Pie. "I don't think that's what she meant, Pinks," she said with a playful smile. "But it really is a nice sweater!” She leaned over and rubbed her arm on Pinkie’s. “It’s really soft. I wish the hoodies they give the sports teams were like this,” she reflected.

The conversation diverted from gifts to Rainbow Dash’s various sports teams, to the insane weather, to the plans for New Year’s. They had been wanting to all spend New Year’s together, eager for the chance to start the year together so they could end it together as well. It was a saying as old as Canterlot itself, ‘whoever you spend New Year’s with are the people you’ll have the whole year’.

And Applejack'd be damned if she didn't spend another year with her friends. Her family was a given, so she wasn't worried about that, but friends are mostly unpredictable. They all seemed to be in agreement, and as the hours passed, Applejack felt the exhaustion get the better of her.

"Well, I'd better get goin' now," Applejack said once she had found a dip in the conversation. "Snow's only gonna get worse and, well, to be honest, I'm getting mighty tired," she explained. She yawned as if to prove her point and stretched her hands up to the sky.

"Oh, I should get going too," added Sunset. "I mean, if the snow's only going to get worse, I might as well, right?" She looked around to find her belongings and placed them in the bag she brought with her. Twilight frowned in disappointment.

Rainbow Dash was quick to stand up and force Sunset to remain seated. "It's no biggie, just stay here tonight! I mean, there's no one home to say otherwise, and it's way too dangerous to drive a motorcycle right now," she said.

Sunset tilted her head. "Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother," she admitted.

Rainbow Dash just shook her head. "Nah, it's really no problem. Fluttershy's staying over tonight, too, so it's no extra hassle," she explained. She grinned eagerly at Sunset who squinted her eyes as she thought.

"Alright, I'll stay," Sunset said, sounding incredibly relieved. "Thanks, Rainbow Dash." She set her things back down and relaxed into her seat, allowing for Rainbow to go back to her own spot between Applejack and Pinkie Pie.

At this, Pinkie's eyes widened and she shot to her feet. "I'll be right back!" She reached into her bag to grab something that Applejack couldn't identify other than it was green and sparkly and ran up the stairs.

Despite Pinkie Pie's outburst, Fluttershy squeaked in delight. "Yay! This will be so much fun!" She took a drink from her cup as happiness radiated from her.

Applejack chuckled as she finished packing her things, and decided to take a few snacks to go. "Well, I'd better be off now," she repeated. "Oh, and Rainbow Dash, my invitation to spend tomorrow and Christmas with the Apples still stands, ya know," Applejack said with an implicatory tone.

Before Rainbow could refuse again, Sunset spoke. "Ooh, yeah, you should definitely tag along. Fluttershy and I are going and since we're both spending the night here, you might as well go. We could carpool together," she suggested.

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "You should come, Rainbow. It'd be really fun," she said. "Plus, then you won't have to spend the entire weekend by yourself." The second point was more of an afterthought since a weekend alone was probably Rainbow's biggest dream, but it was Christmas time. She couldn't be alone.

Rainbow seemed to realize this as well, and after a few reluctant moments, she sighed in defeat. "Yeah, sure, I'll go," she deadpanned. "Should I bring anything? I know you're kinda adding someone out of nowhere, AJ," she mumbled.

Applejack shook her head. "Naw, don't worry about it at all, Dash. We always make plenty of food. Why, this year we'll have double the people," she exclaimed happily. "I reckon Big Mac's bringing over Sugar Belle, and I'm bringing you three." She counted on her fingers. "Golly, makin' food'll be fun tomorrow!"

Applejack began to walk to the stairs at the foot of the entrance to the basement. Pinkie Pie returned down the stairs with a cheeky smile on her face and she winked at Applejack, leaving her confused more than anything. She stood there for a moment in confusion and then turned back to her friends. "See y'all on New Year’s," she called to them. "Oh, and y'all three coming over tomorrow, remember to be there by nine sharp or else the eatin' will start without ya. You might want to bring some extra clothes and yer toothbrushes if you wanna spend the night."

Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset all gave her a thumbs up in unison, making Applejack chuckle. "Right, well, bye now! And happy holidays!"

She turned back to the stairs and opened the door. Before she could go through it, she heard scuffling from behind her. Applejack turned around to see Rarity standing up quickly and walking over to her. Pinkie Pie sat behind her with a pleased look on her face.

"Um, well, I guess I'll go up with you," Rarity said. "Just to make sure you leave alright," she added quickly, glancing behind her to Pinkie who winked in response.

They both stared at her in confusion and then shrugged. "Right, sure Rares. Thanks." Applejack instinctively held out her hand, which Rarity did not hesitate in grabbing. They laced their fingers together, and as they went up the stairs, the conversation in the basement continued.

Applejack put on her boots first as Rarity leaned on the wall and watched her with a passive smile. Next was the scarf and coat. Applejack was all bundled up and already felt herself getting warmer from the extra layers. She waved at Rarity and opened the door to step outside.

"Applejack, just wait one second," Rarity said as she followed her outside. She was certainly not dressed for the weather, and it showed as she shivered slightly almost instantly. The snow fell around her slowly, and the light from inside the house contrasted the darkness from outside. Applejack knew the sight in front of her was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

"I just wanted to say thank you again for the jewelry box," Rarity said, her face red, although this time it was probably from the cold. She hugged herself to try to maintain warmth.

Applejack reached out to rub her arms with her gloved hands in an attempt to warm Rarity up at least a little. "Sure thing, Sugar Cube." She smiled at her.

Rarity returned the smile just as easily. "And I really do love you, you know. I wasn't just saying it because we were in front of our friends." Although her voice was genuine, the way her eyes were lidded indicated that she was teasing her girlfriend.

Applejack chuckled, her breath visible in front of her from the cold. "Yeah, I wasn't planning on sayin' it like that, but I'm glad you love me too," she admitted. "Although, I love you more."

Rarity scoffed. "One could argue that you're wrong, but I won't because I'm cold and I need to get back inside." She turned back to the door and hesitated, her cheeks turning redder as she looked above them.

Applejack furrowed her eyebrows. "What is it?" She turned to the door that was half-closed, and followed Rarity's gaze that landed on a note that said 'Look up!' written in sparkly pink pen. Applejack looked up to see a green, equally sparkly mistletoe hanging above them, and she understood Rarity's reaction.

The two of them looked back down at each other at the same time, their breath coming out in synchronized puffs of white. Applejack decided she'd be the one to start it this time since it was only fair. Before she could even do anything, though, Rarity gripped Applejack's scarf and brought her low to her face in the familiar embrace of a kiss.

The cold made it hard to feel anything, but it still felt electrifying. Applejack could feel Rarity shivering, however, so she wrapped her arms around her waist and brought Rarity closer to her body, trying to share as much of her body heat as she could. Rarity smiled as they parted for a breath, but Applejack wasn't ready to let go yet. After they caught their breath, Applejack went in for more, and Rarity, of course, did not complain. She wrapped her arms around Applejack's neck and brought the two of them together as close as was physically possible.

Upon remembering that they were not, in fact, alone in either of their bedrooms, and were instead in front of Rainbow Dash's house in the snow, they separated their lips but kept their foreheads together as they smiled happily, neither of them opening their eyes just yet. They breathed heavily feeling each other's warm breath in contrast to the freezing temperature.

Applejack chuckled lowly. "You know, you're real good at kissin'," she teased as she finally opened her eyes to take in Rarity's cold-flushed face again.

Rarity blinked her eyes open and quirked an eyebrow. "I don't know Dear, I think I may have some competition," she replied. "You might know her, she's about your height, blonde, lives on a farm." She trailed off with a smile.

Applejack snorted. "Yeah, I reckon she could give you a run for your money," she teased in return. Rarity slapped her on the shoulder and took a step back.

"I should get back inside now," Rarity said as she gazed into the house. The heat from Applejack disappeared and she started shivering again. "It's so cold out, and the others are probably wondering what's taking me so long."

"Oh, I'm sure Pinkie knows," Applejack pointed out with a laugh. She watched Rarity step back into the house and waved at her, the smile not disappearing from her face. "See ya, Rares!"

"Bye-bye, Applejack," Rarity said in return. "I love you!"

Applejack felt her heart swell at the words. She definitely did not regret her decision anymore. "I love you too!"

After Rarity closed the door, Applejack turned to walk to her truck. It was full of snow again and she groaned as she realized she had to clean it off with the snow broom again. She hated doing that.

Christmas Day was about the only time you could catch a break on the barn, if having reduced chores even counted as a break. Applejack, of course, still had to tend to the animals and check the trees, but there were no deliveries or other orders to work on since they were closed for the holiday. That meant that the Apples were ready to go by eight in the morning. What time was free, however, was occupied by cooking. Applejack couldn't complain, of course. She loved cooking.

Christmas breakfast was special. Instead of apple pancakes, they would use fresh eggs from the farm to make a big serving of scrambled eggs that everyone could share. Applejack made sure to double the recipe since they had so many friends coming over. It would be topped off with warm, freshly baked bread, and homemade eggnog with the Apple family recipe.

They were sharing the load of cooking. Apple Bloom loved cracking eggs, Big Mac made the eggnog with Granny Smith, and Applejack took care of the bread. She was the best baker in her family, after all, so there were no disputes on that position at least. Applejack kneaded the bread precariously, following a specific kneading pattern that her family was extremely superstitious about. If she didn't do it exactly, the bread wouldn't be perfect.

She counted in her head between presses and made sure to get the exact elasticity as always. Once the dough felt right, she separated it into four loaves and stuck them in the oven to bake for exactly twenty-seven minutes. No more, no less; the Apple way.

Applejack clapped excess flour off of her hands and rubbed them against her pants, effectively covering them with the white powder. There was no annoyance though. She knew better than to expect to remain clean while cooking. She made sure to set the timer for the exact amount of time, then turned back to the rest of her family.

Apple Bloom was finishing up the eggs, while Big Mac and Granny Smith taste-tested the eggnog, then added some cinnamon to it. Applejack walked over to Apple Bloom and grabbed a fork. She tasted some of the eggs, and despite the burning sensation in her mouth, she squinted her eyes in concentration. "Add a bit more pepper and those eggs'll be perfect," she instructed. Apple Bloom nodded and did as she was told.

A knock on the door made everyone turn to face the noise. Applejack pushed herself off the counter she was leaning on and walked toward the front door. "I got it," she called to her family. There was another knock, and Applejack huffed. "Comin'!"

She opened the door to see Sunset, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy standing in the doorway. The snow outside had stopped falling since the previous night, although almost none of it had melted away. "Howdy, y'all! Merry Christmas! Glad ya could make it. " Applejack stepped aside to allow her friends to come in. "Sheesh, Rainbow Dash, ya look exhausted."

Rainbow Dash's eyebrow twitched as she frowned. "Yeah, because someone kept kicking me in her sleep!" She shot a look at Sunset who happened to be looking away at the moment, but Applejack spotted the trace of a smile on her face. "I mean, seriously! Fluttershy was as still as a log, but you were thrashing around and I got caught in the crossfire!" Rainbow waved her arms around as she complained.

Applejack quirked her head. "Hold on, y'all were sharing one bed?" She chuckled at the thought of the three of them sleeping on Rainbow's bed.

Fluttershy hung her coat on the coat rack and nodded. "Yeah, it was freezing cold and it seemed like a good idea at the time," she explained. "I'm just glad I didn't have to sleep next to Sunset."

Sunset blushed as she stuck her hands in her pants pockets. "Okay, the picture has been painted, I kick in my sleep," she muttered. "But Rainbow, you aren't exactly a light sleeper either! You were the first to fall asleep and all you kept doing was clinging to me and snoring," she pointed out with an amused smirk.

Rainbow Dash flushed. She huffed and walked past Sunset, shouldering her in the process. Sunset rolled her eyes, but she and Fluttershy caught each other's eyes and giggled. Applejack smiled at the scene, and while Rainbow Dash seemed to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed, it was looking to be a good day.

"Right, well, breakfast should be ready real soon, so get yourselves situated," Applejack said as she led her friends to the kitchen area. "We'll have breakfast here, but dinner will be over in the barn. The walk there'll be the worst part, but don't you worry much about it," she explained. "Space heaters are all good to go in there. Should be nice and toasty."

Rainbow Dash sat down on a stool near the island in the middle of the kitchen since there was no space at the small table. Applejack took a seat next to Rainbow and offered for Sunset and Fluttershy to do the same. Soon, they were all sitting together. Rainbow had her head propped up on her arm, blinking groggily into the distance. Fluttershy held a conversation with Sunset, which was actually mostly just Sunset speaking and Fluttershy listening.

"Hey, Applejack." Big Mac's voice sounded from the other side of the kitchen. "It's servin' time."

Applejack got up from her seat and made her way over to the food. The oven dinged just as she got there, and she wasted no time in putting on oven mitts and taking the bread out to cool. "So, where's Sugar Belle?" Applejack was curious as to why she wasn't here yet. It wasn't like her to be late.

"Apparently, she's stuck in traffic," Big Mac explained. "Something 'bout a car crash on the highway." He shrugged and brought the eggnog to the main counter.

Applejack followed suit with the bread that was still steaming. "Well, I'm glad she's alright. I'm sure she'll be here soon enough. The highway ain't too far off from here." At that, another knock came from the door. She turned to look at Big Mac, who instantly perked up. "You gon' get it?"

"Eeyup," he responded as he placed the cups hastily on the table before running to the door.

Applejack shook her head in amusement as she helped Apple Bloom bring the big pan of scrambled eggs to the table, along with bacon strips on the side for those who wanted them. It was set up buffet style, and as soon as they did a quick prayer, they all got up to serve themselves. Applejack was ravenous.

"Wow, these eggs are great, Applejack," Sunset said as she took another bite. "A lot better than the ones I make, at least."

"Well, they are Apple family eggs," Rainbow Dash pointed out through a full mouth. "Their food is always great."

Fluttershy frowned at Rainbow Dash. "Don't talk with your mouth full," she berated. "It's rude."

Applejack took a swig of the eggnog and allowed it to fill her mouth with the eccentric flavour before she responded. "It really ain't no issue, we don't rightly care as long as ya leave your plate cleaner than a duck outta the water," she reassured. Rainbow grinned in victory.

Fluttershy shook her head. "Well, Rainbow still needs to learn her manners, first," she shot back, causing Rainbow Dash to whine, mouth still full of food.

Sunset and Applejack laughed in amusement as Rainbow Dash continued to stuff food in her mouth, but remained quiet until she cleared her plate. Applejack went back for seconds, while Fluttershy struggled to finish her first plate.

Once everyone seemed to be done, Applejack stood up and brought their dishes to the sink. "We can head up to my room if y'all want, or we can go to the barn." She turned back to her friends and put her hands on her hips as she waited for a response.

The three of them looked between each other with shrugs. "I guess we'll just head up to your room," Sunset suggested. "I think it's easier that way."

Applejack nodded. "Sure thing, come on, let's go." She started walking out of the kitchen and turned to the staircase. Before she went up, she made sure that her friends were following her. While they had all been to the farm before, they hadn't been enough times to completely remember where Applejack's room was.

They walked down the hallway past all of the rooms and entered Applejack's room. "Sorry for the mess, I didn't get to clean last night," she said.

Sunset snorted. "Mess? Are you kidding?" She rubbed a finger on Applejack's dresser and looked at it. "There's, like, no dust on here. And it's all neat."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "This is actually really neat," she observed as she stepped further into her room. "Oh, I really like this stuffed animal!" She pointed to a stuffed dog that Applejack had laying on her bed. "Looks just like Winona!"

Rainbow Dash took a seat on Applejack's bed, bouncing a little bit. "How is Winona, by the way? I know you said she was at the vet a few days ago."

Applejack closed the door to her room and leaned on it. "She's fine. Silly dog ate somethin' she wasn't supposed to," she explained. "Vet said we could pick her up on Tuesday."

"That's great," Fluttershy said. "Sad that she couldn't be here for Christmas, though."

Applejack frowned. "Yeah, she always loved the big dinner." She reflected on the previous year when Winona dragged the table cover off the table and sent all the food crashing to the floor. There was no use in trying to suppress a smile. "Well, at least she made it on to this year's Christmas card! Y'all got one, right?"

They nodded at her in response. Sunset leaned on Applejack's dresser. "I really liked the theme. Didn't you guys get cold, though? I mean, beach day in the winter doesn't exactly sound pleasant."

Applejack chuckled. "True, but it made for some great pictures. I reckon that's all that matters." She looked around the room, searching for something to do. "Y'all wanna play Oligopoly?"

Rainbow Dash laid back on Applejack's bed and looked at the ceiling. "You know, I never really got that name. I mean, why call it something so weird? They could have named it monopoly instead." She huffed. "Isn't that the same thing?"

"Well they coulda, but they didn't, because that's a stupid name, Dash. And it ain't the same thing."

"Yeah, whatever," Rainbow Dash muttered. She sat up and looked at her friends in excitement. "Now, are you girls ready to get your butts whooped? I rule at Oligopoly!"

"I can't believe I just lost!"

Rainbow Dash gaped at the board game in front of them. She looked down at her skateboard figurine that was on a tile labelled 'Dolphin Square'. There was a big red house positioned in front of her.

Fluttershy laughed at Rainbow Dash. "I told you it was a bad idea to buy all those houses," she teased with a sing-songy voice as she ran her fingers through her hair innocently. "But you're even worse with your money in this game than in real life."

Sunset snorted. Despite being the first one to have to declare bankruptcy, she still found humour in the fact that Rainbow Dash got utterly destroyed. "I didn't even think it was possible to lose when you were that far ahead just an hour ago."

"Oh, shut up, Sunset!" If Rainbow had any money left, she'd have thrown it at the flame-haired girl. Instead, she threw dice at Sunset, who laughed. "You lost first, you don't get to tease me."

Applejack crossed her arms and smirked. "Well, at least she wasn't braggin' about being the best," she pointed out. "I mean, you were doing so well, but then ya had to go buy all that stuff, didn't ya?"

Applejack herself had a good run. She had the unfortunate luck of landing on one of Fluttershy's estates, and couldn't afford the rent, even after mortgaging all of her properties. Applejack didn't own a lot of properties, but it still made all the difference in the end. She turned over all of her things to Fluttershy, who took the time to upgrade them all at a moderate pace. It was actually one of Applejack's old properties that drove Rainbow Dash to bankruptcy. If only Applejack had been smarter about her game plan. She was the one getting a business degree, after all.

The game had taken about as long as it normally did with speed rules. One look out the window confirmed Applejack’s suspicions; it was dark out, and probably time for dinner soon. She checked her phone quickly and discovered it was just about to be six. "Alright, y'all. Let's clean up. It's dinner time soon." She stood up and stretched her legs for a moment before grabbing the box that the game came in.

She set the box down and knelt down to help pack the game up. The board itself folded into a neat square that fit nicely in one half of the box. All of the cards and money were organized and placed back in the packaging along with the dice that had bounced off of Sunset and under the bed. Rainbow Dash had been the one to get them, much to her dismay. Once the game was neatly packed up, they all headed downstairs to put on their boots and coats once again.

"I am not looking forward to going out again," Rainbow Dash groaned as she tied up her boots. "It's way too cold out."

Sunset put on her hat. "Yeah, but food," she pointed out. Not even Rainbow Dash could argue with that. "Besides, if my memory serves me correctly, the barn always looks great for the holidays!"

Applejack chuckled as she nodded. She zipped up her coat. "Yup. Your memory's as good as an elephant's," she said. "Not to toot my own horn, but Apple Bloom and I did a mighty good job with the farm."

"Darn right," called Apple Bloom from the other room. "Anyway, sorry Sweetie Belle." Her voice was muffled as she continued to talk from the other room.

"Dinner's soon," Applejack yelled into the living room. She turned to the door and gripped the handle, grabbing a flashlight from the key holder's shelf. "Y'all ready?"

Everyone nodded in unison, bracing themselves for the cold. Applejack opened the door and as expected, a cold gust of wind immediately greeted them, causing Applejack to blink the cold from her eyes. She took a step out, her boot crunching on the snow as she walked. As annoying as the snow was, she loved walking in it. She led her friends out of the house and towards the barn, relying on her memory to guide them since it was dark apart from the light that shone from the flashlight and the lights from the animal enclosures. "Watch yer step," she warned.

"Aw, these pigs look beautiful," Fluttershy cooed as they walked past the pigpen. "What's this cutie's name?" She gestured at the young pig who was visibly younger than the rest.

"Oh, we don't name 'em," Applejack said with an amused smile. "Ain't no point in getting attached if we're gonna sell' em anyway." She chuckled, but upon realizing Fluttershy's lack of response, she adjusted her hat awkwardly. "But I guess he looks like a… Harvey?"

Fluttershy squeaked as they walked further from the pigpen and closer to the barn. "That's a great name!"

Rainbow Dash groaned from the back of the group. "Are we there yet? I'm freezing my ass off." She wrapped her arms around her waist in an attempt to scavenge for heat.

"Are ya blind or something?" Applejack raised and lowered the lights on the barn doors they had found their way to. She shot an amused glance at Rainbow Dash, who strategically zipped up her jacket past her nose, and proceeded to open the door to the barn.

Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Sugar Belle were already inside preparing the area for dinner. Applejack yelled a greeting, which Sugar Belle returned with a friendly smile. She pushed the door closed behind them as quickly as she could so the heat in the barn wouldn't disappear. It wasn't warm enough to warrant wearing just a shirt, but it was warm enough to get away with just a sweater.

Applejack took the lead and took off her coat and scarf and piled it on a barrel near the entrance, motioning for her friends to do the same. She wore a Christmas sweater that was part of a collection Rarity had made for their entire friend group as a separate present. The ends of the sleeves and the collar were red while the rest was mostly orange. There were little apples adorning the Christmas tree that decorated the front of the sweater, which Applejack thought was a nice touch.

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Sunset were all wearing theirs as well. Rainbow's was sky blue with a red collar and yellow ends of the sleeves. The Christmas tree was decorated with multicoloured clouds and lightning-bolt shaped ornaments, and the star on the top was rainbow coloured. It was extremely fitting.

Fluttershy's was a soft pink, with light blue accents in the same places as everyone else's sweaters. Her tree was decorated with light pink butterflies. She smiled happily as she looked down at it.

Sunset's was a deep yellow with red accents. Her tree was decorated with red and yellow ornaments, but the tree topper was the same bicoloured sun that she wore sometimes. The detail that tied everyone's sweaters together perfectly was the white snowflakes going across all of their sweaters horizontally just under the clavicle.

They must have looked ridiculous in some way, because as they all stood together, Applejack could hear snickering coming from the direction of the rest of her family. She rolled her eyes. "Y'all are just jealous," she yelled to the group, who all put on an innocent face and turned away. She rolled her eyes at her friends, who each grinned in amusement. “They’re just jealous,” she repeated, matching their smiles.

The interior of the barn was mostly dark, with the only source of light being the copious amounts of candles and lanterns near the right side of the barn. There were Christmas lights strung along the walls, but those didn’t provide anything except something to look at.

Applejack checked her phone to see various texts containing the words “Merry” and “Christmas” from her friends. She sent each of them a quick response, promising to call them later. In the meantime, she opened her calling app and swiped through her contacts. She clicked on the contact with the picture of her little sister on it and put the phone to her ear. The line rang for a few moments before Apple Bloom picked up.

"Applejack?" Apple Bloom sounded confused and slightly annoyed. "I was talkin' to Sweetie Belle. Why are ya calling me?"

"It's just about to be dinner," Applejack replied. "Get to the barn or else there's gonna be no food left for ya," Applejack ordered sternly. "Let Sweetie Belle spend time with her family, I know Rarity's been looking forward to spending time with her sister, and so have I."

From the other side of the line, Apple Bloom groaned. "We spend so much time together! Didja forget we live on a farm? We literally spend every mornin' together."

"You know what I mean, Apple Bloom," Applejack grunted. "Besides, ya were supposed to help set up dinner. And before ya say it, no, I wasn't supposed to help because I was supposed to entertain my friends."

Apple Bloom groaned. "Fine, I'll be there soon. Just gotta say a proper bye to Sweetie Belle first. Won't take long," she reassured as she hung up the phone. Applejack rolled her eyes as the line disconnected and she shoved her phone in her pocket. She turned back to her friends who were watching the phone call with amusement.

"Alright, show's over y'all. Now let's get seats at the table. We're all gonna fit together this time."

Applejack walked to the long table where the food was already set up, steam rising from it. There was a large spread of different types of food. Chicken, meatloaf, salad, pasta, and more bread. There was also rice with sausage, and regular rice. Applejack was pleased that they had a lot of vegetarian options for their vegetarian friends. She sat down on a seat parallel from Big Mac and adjacent to Sugar Belle. Granny Smith sat on the opposite side of Big Mac, with an empty space between them for Apple Bloom. Applejack's friends filled out her side of the table, and they all looked eagerly at the food.

A few tantalizing minutes passed until they all heard the sound of the barn door sliding open along with the sound of wind and a gust of cold wind. Apple Bloom entered the barn and shut the door behind her, throwing her jacket on the hay covered floor. She rushed to the table, cheeks red, and sat in her seat.

"Sorry I'm late," she muttered as she looked at her plate with a huge grin on her face. "It's really windy out."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "You okay, sugar cube? Ya seem… weird." She observed her sister who looked straight up at her and flushed further.

"Yeah, I'm fine! It's just really cold out," she said with a nervous laugh. "Plus, I'm starving! Let's eat!"

Granny Smith held up a hand. "Now hold on, girly. We gotta pray first," she said. She held out her hands to her side. Apple Bloom and Fluttershy each took one. Sunset held Fluttershy's hand with an awkward smile on her face since she didn't pray, but didn't want to ruin the moment. Rainbow continued the chain and held out her hand for Applejack to hold. Applejack took off her hat and placed it in her lap before she continued the chain as she reached across to hold Sugar Belle's hand, and she linked Big Mac's hand in hers. He completed the cycle and held Apple Bloom's.

It was quiet for a moment, nobody wanting to be the one to lead the prayer. Applejack almost sighed in annoyance, and as it always turned out, she cleared her throat. "Guess I'll lead us in prayer this year." She shot a look at her family. "Again," she said, drawing out the word in an annoyed huff.

It's not that she didn't like praying. Her family were and always have been devout Catholics, and she took pride in her faith, even if there wasn't time to go to church as often as there used to be. But, she didn't want to always be the one leading prayers. Moments like there were special and should be shared equally. She met Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy at Sunday school many, many years ago, and despite having gone different ways, they eventually found each other again. That had to mean something, right?

Whatever. She would do it again. She looked around the table at the people sitting together under the warm glow of candles and lanterns. The Christmas decorations around the barn made it feel very homely, along with the Christmas tree behind them. Applejack took a deep breath and shut everything out as she closed her eyes.

"Dear Lord, we ask you to bless this food and everyone around this table with yer almighty grace. Around this table, we have friends and relatives, but under your roof, we are all family." She inhaled sharply. "I ask you to take care of everyone here, and those who have departed much too early. We ask for your continued love and recognition in the name of the Lord, our God." Applejack paused for a moment, tightening her grip on Rainbow Dash's hand. "And keep Ma and Pa safe with ya, please. We ask this in the name of God, our Lord and Saviour Almighty."

Everyone, save for Sunset who remained in respectful silence, spoke in unison. "Amen." They all unlinked hands as they opened their eyes to rest them on Applejack, who had no expression on her face.

Applejack placed her hat on her head again, letting her hand rest on the brim for a moment. She allowed her fingers to slowly trace the edge of the hat before bringing her hand back down to the table. She could feel them looking at her, just like every year. And again, like every year, she stared straight ahead at the food, hinting that it was time to eat. She grabbed a piece of chicken and put it on her plate, accompanying it with rice and pasta. She figured she'd get some salad on her second go since the plate was already full.

Everyone seemingly took Applejack’s action as a signal to get their own food, and soon the entire table was busy eating the meal that most of the Apples prepared. The table was full of sounds of happy chewing and light conversation. Applejack was drawn into a lighthearted discussion about school with her friends, including some friendly competition about marks, subject-specific help, and plans for the events and clubs happening at Everton Univsersity after the break.

Sugar Belle’s voice drew Applejack away from her conversation. “So, Applejack,” she started, her face hidden partially behind a cup she held. “Do you have a boyfriend yet? Any interesting news in the love department?” Sugar Belle took a sip of her cup as Rainbow Dash sputtered with her own drink next to Applejack.

And again, just like every year, the same routine. “Nope, no boyfriend,” she admitted. She smiled nervously at Sugar Belle who shrugged in defeat. Of course, Applejack understood the curiosity in her future sister-in-law, and she wouldn't deny her that right. She'd just have to strategically avoid the question.

The best way to do that was to give attention to someone else. Applejack searched the table and let her gaze rest on her sister. "What about you, Apple Bloom?" She interlocked her hands and rested her chin on top. "Anyone catch yer eye?"

Apple Bloom blinked in surprise before letting out a forced laugh that sounded more like a wheeze. "What? No," she said. "D-do you know what though? Scootaloo totally has it good for this boy named Rumble. I mean she hasn't told me, but I'm assuming since they're always hanging out and calling."

Rainbow Dash tapped her fingers on the table, eager to take the change of conversation upon noting Applejack's discomfort. "Oh, Rumble? I think I know who that is. His brother is Thunderlane, right?" She looked at Apple Bloom, who nodded. "Yeah, I'm on the track and field team with his brother. We do the relay together. We totally kick ass!"

Fluttershy elbowed Rainbow Dash in the ribs. "Dash," she hissed under her breath. The polite smile on her face remained the same despite that. "Oh yes, they are very good at running," she confirmed as she shot Rainbow a stern look. "And this food is delicious! The salad is absolutely fantastic. What kind of dressing did you use?"

Granny Smith grinned at the compliment since she made the salad. "Why, we used the Apple family recipe apple vinaigrette," she said. "T'aint nothin' better than our home-cooked meals."

Sunset nodded eagerly. "Damn right," she said as she stuffed pasta into her mouth, earning her an elbow to the side as well. She snorted in amusement. "This pasta is delicious! I'm guessing you guys made the sauce too."

Big Mac flashed her a thumbs up. "Eeyup," he confirmed. "Even taught Sugar Belle the recipe."

Applejack gasped. "I guess she really is an Apple now." She smiled eagerly at Sugar Belle. Sharing the family recipe to anyone outside of the family was extremely rare for the Apples. It was what made family tradition so family-based, after all.

Sugar Belle blushed and rubbed her arm. "Oh, well, not just yet," she mumbled. "But almost! And then you'll both have another sister!" She looked at Apple Bloom who squealed in delight.

Applejack smiled eagerly at the reminder of her brother's engagement. While he was only two years older than her, he and Sugar Belle had clicked instantly and had admittedly moved through their relationship very quickly. Nobody said anything about it, though. They were clearly in love, and Applejack was glad to see her brother so happy.

The rest of dinner passed without a hitch. Applejack ate her share of food, and leaned back in her chair until everyone was done, feeling way too full. She stuck her tongue out of her mouth for a moment but decided that only made her more nauseous, and returned to rubbing her full stomach. At least they had used paper plates, so there was nothing to be washed, except for the trays that the food was put in. Apple Bloom collected those and followed Big Mac and Sugar Belle out of the barn.

Applejack stood up despite herself. "Need any help with the cleanup?" The cleanup, to be fair, was mostly putting the trash in the bags, which had already been done, and lugging that and the trays back to the house.

"Nope," Big Mac said as he pulled on his coat. "Y'all gonna stay here?"

Applejack nodded, secretly relieved that she had gotten out of dinner chores entirely. "Yup, gotta do Pinkie's hay thing still. Plus, the barn's definitely a lot roomier than my room, and it's way too cold to be in the cellar."

Big Mac nodded and opened the door to the barn and stepped out. The wind had died out, it seemed. He waved at Applejack, who waved back, and then the door was shut.

"So, you haven't told them yet?"

Applejack turned back around to face her friends. Sunset stood awkwardly as she asked the question. "No." Applejack slumped against the wall of the barn, not wanting to sit back at the chairs where the table was before they packed it away.

Rainbow Dash led the rest of them closer to Applejack. "Why not?" Her voice wasn't accusatory, more curious.

Applejack sighed. "Cause I know what my family's like." She crossed her arms over her chest. "They say that it's important to be true to who you are and that they're supportive of other people." She trailed off and looked to the side.

"But not you," Fluttershy finished for her.

Applejack nodded briefly, still looking off to the side at the Christmas lights she had hung the day before. "I don't wanna lie to them, but I don't want to disappoint 'em either." Her hands clenched into fists as she gripped her arms. "Who am I kidding? I don't wanna disappoint Granny. I don't think Big Mac cares what gender I like, and Apple Bloom is one of the most understanding people I know. But Granny is so old fashioned, God bless her." She frowned angrily at the floor. "I love her to bits, but she really does come from another time."

Applejack sputtered. "Do y'all remember that pride parade we went to our senior year?" Her friends nodded. "When I got back, Granny was bein' all weird, talking about how some things should be kept private." Her voice raised with every word she spoke. "I know she's doin' her best, and I shouldn't be upset, but it's just so unfair. It's such a double standard! I'm Catholic, so I ain't 'supposed' to be gay, or whatever, but I am! And God makes no mistakes, but apparently I'm wrong for existing. I know that's all just bullshit and that God would never condemn us for something so stupid, but the point is that Granny believes that." Her eyes darted around the room, resting on each of her friends who frowned, not daring to interrupt. "Or she did. Hell if I know! All I know is that I can't come out to her unless I wanna risk getting kicked outta Sweet Apple Acres!"

Sunset stepped forward and placed her hands on Applejack's shoulders. "Hey, she wouldn't do that. You know that."

Applejack blinked angry tears out of her eyes. "I know she wouldn't but maybe I would." She felt the confused gazes her friends laid on her. "Sometimes I just wanna leave," she said quietly.

Rainbow Dash frowned. "What do you mean?"

Applejack laughed mirthlessly. "Ya heard me." She took a few steps backwards from Sunset and turned from her friends, placing a hand on her forehead, pushing her hat higher up on her head as she continued laughing. "I just wanna leave. Go somewhere else or somethin'. Kick myself out. Might be what's best in the long run. Can't have somethin' like me tainting the business, right? They could just pretend I died or something." Her shoulders shook as she let out a dry chuckle. "Maybe everyone'll think it's some kinda curse on us. Why do the Apples keep dying?"

Nobody laughed.

Applejack let her arms hang at her sides as she leaned against the wall, still facing away from her friends. "I'm sorry, girls," she muttered. "It's Christmas, and I'm ruinin' the mood." She felt three hands rest on her shoulders.

"Hey it's alright," Sunset said. Applejack turned around to face her friends, who all gave her warm smiles. "Christmas is… Kind of like Hearth's Warming, other than the backstory. I know that for both, it's about spending time with your family."

"And shit, aren't we a funny match? I don't have any relatives here, Rainbow's parents are away, and Fluttershy… Well I'm actually not sure, but she's here too." Sunset grinned at Applejack. "What I'm trying to say is, you're our family too. And that means we're your family. We'd never let anything bad happen to you."

Rainbow Dash nodded firmly. "She's right, you know. And for what it's worth, I'd much rather spend Christmas here than at home by myself!" She gave Applejack a square punch on the shoulder with a friendly smile.

"You don't have to tell anyone if you don't want to," Fluttershy said. "But I think that it would be a huge weight off your shoulders. That's your decision to make, though. You just have to remember we'll all be there every step of the way. What are friends for?"

Applejack smiled despite herself. "Shoot, y'all. That was real nice." She rubbed the back of her neck and readjusted her hat. "Y'know, I think I am ready," she said. "Not to tell everyone, but I at least wanna tell my siblings. I know they'll understand." A smile appeared on her face. "And I have just the perfect way to guarantee it'll go right."

After a few moments, they stood in front of a decently large hay bale on the opposite end of the barn. Applejack held a lantern in her hand since the only source of light was the string of Christmas lights a few feet above the bale. Applejack smiled in anticipation, while her friends looked in confusion.

Sunset stuck up a finger. "Uh, what are we looking at here, AJ?"

Applejack gestured to the hay bale. "That there is the Christmas hay bale," she responded simply.

Rainbow Dash cocked her head. "No offence, but is that… a farm thing?" She looked at the square hay bale, kept together by a red strap.

"Nope. This here is a Pinkie thing," Applejack corrected her with a slight chuckle.

"Ohhh," her friends all exclaimed in unison as if that was enough of an explanation. By their standards, it was. Sometimes, you just don't question Pinkie things.

Applejack set the lantern down next to the hay bale and walked a few feet over to the corner of the barn until she came across an old, cardboard box labelled 'DO NOT THROW OUT' in messy, smudged black marker. She looked in and searched.

"Basically, we had Christmas with Pinkie's family last year here at the farm," Applejack started. She took her hand out of the box but frowned as she observed she had picked up a tall, metal water bottle. Not what she was looking for. Applejack reached back into the box with a grunt. "Apparently, they have a weird tradition where they put a star on top of this boulder where they live and make a wish. S'pposedly, whatever ya wish for comes true."

Applejack smiled as she found what she was looking for. She didn't even need to see it to confirm, but she inspected it after she pulled it out anyway. She held an angel tree topper, clad in white with a yellow halo and light blue skin. Applejack held it tenderly in her hands. "Now, I'm sure y'all are aware that we don't have boulders here, but Pinkie Pie had the brilliant idea of using a hay bale instead."

She stood in front of her friends and held the angel out. "This angel has been in my family for generations, but we stopped usin' it after Pa and Ma died,'' Applejack explained calmly. "But Pinkie's tradition gave me the opportunity to use it again. Ma woulda loved something ridiculous like this," she recalled with a smile. "Yer supposed to do it with your family, but my family frankly didn’t really like it, so I was gonna do it myself. But y'all are here now, and I'd be mighty glad if we did this together." She offered the angel out.

Sunset smiled and put her hand on the angel. "Who could say no to a Pinkie thing?"

Rainbow Dash snorted as she put her hand on the tree topper as well. "Not me," she said with a laugh.

"Me neither," Fluttershy agreed as she followed suit.

Applejack smiled warmly at her friends. She used her free hand to take off her hat and held it on her chest. "This one's for you, Ma and Pa," she said aloud as they all placed the angel gently on top of the hay bale. It was silent for a moment afterwards, and Applejack used this moment to make her wish. She had changed her wish last minute but found it was still exactly what she wanted, just in a better way.

I wish I could make you proud, Ma and Pa. You and the whole family.

As she made her wish, the lights above the hay bale flickered. First, only the red ones lit up, then the green ones joined. They stayed on for a moment, and then they turned off. Applejack cocked her head and noticed her friend’s eyes had been closed. She was going to say something but found herself unable to speak. The lights returned to normal, and her friends’ eyes opened. They all looked at her with curious eyes as she stared at the lights. She shook her head and smiled.

“I think my wish already came true,” Applejack said as she pulled her friends into a tight group hug.

Author's Notes:

Here's the story I promised to have out for mid-December! It turned out a lot longer than I expected

Some notes:
I decided that religion is a factor in this world because I was kind of self projecting for a moment. This doesn't mean that there is any kind of "Pony Jesus" or whatever. There are discrepancies between the two worlds, and in the specific canon for this story, that's one of them. Also, I had only originally planned to do the gift exchange scene (it's what I wanted to write originally) but I ended up writing everything else as well.

I also made a cover image for this (and my other fics) but was unable to upload them sadly. curse you derpy internal server error message!!!, so as soon as that’s fixed, ill add those. In the meantime, do you have any ideas for a temporary solution?

This wasn't supposed to come out 'til the 15th, but I finished early (with double my projected wordcount) so I thought I'd release it now! Epilogue/second part of Sweet, Sweet Record O’ Mine is coming out late December! More info on the longer, chaptered Nano fic will be released around then too.

Hope y’all like it, and no matter what religion you are (or you aren't), I'd like to say, happy holidays! See y'all soon :)

there are some things you might want to remember about this story.