150 days until arrival

"Wait...so what are you doing?" I lined Vinyl up with the corridor, "Ryan?"

"Quiet...gotta line this up." I looked down her back and lined her up with the hall, "I am going to, follow me here, spank you down the hall."

"Why!?"

I gave her backside a testing shot, "For science." I pulled my hand back and slammed my hand across her rump. She gave a loud squeak before zooming down the hall, "And, she, might, go, all, the, way!" I could see Vinyl bounce off the end of the hall, "Yes!" I grabbed a door frame and threw myself down the hall after her, "Vinyl, space!"

She glared at me as she floated through the room, "Woo...space..."

I wrapped my arm around her and pushed off towards the cockpit, "Oh you had fun," I rubbed her flank with my hand as we flew, "Don't be mad at me...blame your butt...it's hard to ignore." Vinyl just glared at me as we flew through the halls. I swung us into the cockpit and pressed Vinyl into the copilots chair, "Oh calm down, you're gonna love the things I got you for...what did you call it?"

"Hearth warming eve? You got me stuff?!" Vinyl started floating out of her chair, "No no no no no!" I pressed her back into her chair as I started up the centrifuge, "Anyways...you got me a present?"

"Presents...space man trade with primitive people, turn out very well, many coin."

The gravity started coming back up, "You're not funny...but seriously, you got me stuff?"

"Well, I had got you some stuff, but seems like you're being naughty." I grinned deviously, "Gonna be a good girl now?" Vinyl glared at me, "Oh come on, a quick tap."

Vinyl blew a string of hair out of her eyes, "Fine...butt loving weirdo." She stood up in the low gravity and turned around, "Just get it ov- ah!" I brought my hand down hard, her leg shooting off the floor in response, "Owwie..." I rubbed the impact, tracing small circles around her flank, "That really hurt...."

"Sorry." I finished my rubbing and turned to the console, "Let's land, I have to pick up your last thing."

She lit up and started poking my side, "So uh...what did you get me?"

"You'll see."

"Aw dude come on! Please." She levitated her glasses off, batting her eyelashes and looking at me with her ruby eyes, "For me?"

I bit my lower lip, "Don't make me ruin it...please? I promise it'll be worth it." She pouted and let her chin fall on my lap, "Good things come to those who wait," I turned to the console and watched as we landed back in the gorge. Touchdown was quick. I hurried through the halls to the airlock, Vinyl followed me through the halls, "Oh! One thing you can open early." I stopped and went into my room, "This isn't really a gift, just something you can use." I found my rudimentary gift, "Here."

I set the gift down for her, Vinyl jabbed her horn in and tore out the strange leg harnesses, "What is it?"

"Mag boots, I had the clothier help me make the harnesses. That way when you're in zero-G you can move without...you know, flailing."

She looked them over, "Huh. How do- oh!" She magically pressed the button and the boot shot out of her grip and clung to the ceiling, "Well...they work. Do I just-"

"You can walk normally with them on, anyways, I got you actual things. Just let me pick up the last thing." I rustled her mane and hurried to the airlock.

I walked through town, ponies still looking at me. They stopped staring about the third time I walked through town. I was immediately followed by the usual orange filly, "Scootaloo, hello. You excited?"

Scootaloo nodded frantically, "Yeah!"

I nodded once, "Come on, we can grab the last thing and head back." We started heading towards the bakery.

"Welcome to- oh!" Cupcake shot upright, her pudge jiggling as she popped back, "Ryan, hello. Happy Hearth warming eve."

"Happy Hanukkah," My joke was completely lost, I gave a rough cough, "So uh...the cake ready?"

She smiled and walked back into the bakery. She reemerged with a large cake on her back, "Here you are dear, enjoy." She boxed it quickly and waited politely for me to take it.

I grabbed the box and started hobbling out, "That's a big cake." Scootaloo commented offhandedly.

"Yep...please don't talk...I don't want to drop this thing." I focused my hardest on not dropping the massive treat, "Just- crap. Like I promised, I'd bring you along, but so help me god if I drop this thing!" Scootaloo took a step to the side, "Thank you."

"Alright, go find the others and tell them to meet me in the galley." I bumped Scootaloo's bum with the side of my boot and sent her on her way. I trundled into the galley and set the cake down on the galley counter and set out a few greens and fruit.

Lyra was the first one to wander in with Jan on the uplink, "So I was just hanging out, talking with Jan, then some orange filly ran in and told me to find you. So why is there a filly on the ship?"

"Holidays, I'll explain once the others get here." I lead Lyra to a booth and took the uplink from her, "Jan, sup?"

"Nothing, you have it ready?"

"Yeah man, Songhai helped, should be wired up and ready." He lit up, "Yeah calm down." I walked back over to Lyra and set the uplink down just as Scootaloo ran in, Vinyl chased after her, "Whoa, Vinyl, what happened?"

Scootaloo ran behind me, "She was looking through some drawers and almost fell!"

Vinyl ran over and pawed at the filly behind me, "I was not!"

I caught Vinyl in a hug and walked her away from Scootaloo, "You were looking for your presents weren't you."

"No! ...Yes...." Vinyl slowly calmed under my touch, "But still!"

I let her go and walked over to the cake, "Anyways, cake." I yanked the top of the cake box off and revealed the massive confection, "Communal present." I set out a few plates and started plating some. Vinyl took a large hunk and walked off, bouncing her flank as she danced towards a booth.

Lyra didn't get up, levitating a plate across the room and waving. I carried a slice for Scootaloo and sat her at a booth, "Eat up, presents after this."

"Well that was...diabetic." I cleaned up the plates and pulled a load of boxes out of a galley cupboard.

"The kitchen!?" Vinyl yelled.

"Yes the Kitchen, because you'd scour everywhere else, as has been proven." I carried the boxes over to the center of the room, "First off, me and Jan got Lyra something."

"Really!? Jan...thank you!" Lyra jumped off the booth and walked over. She tore the paper off and looked into the paper box, pulling out a prosthetic hand, "...Is this a joke?"

"Oh jeez...we try to do something nice for you." I walked over and turned it on, "Jan, it's on."

"What are you-" Lyra was cut off as the fake hand ran the outside of it's finger across her cheek. She stared at it with utter shock on her face. She quickly smiled as the hand caressed her, "Oh my gosh, this is so cool!" She hooked the uplink around her horn and darted out of the room.

"Good thing it's waterproof-" I was quickly bopped with a hoof by Vinyl, "Ow...what?" Vinyl cocked her head towards the orange filly, "Ah...good point. Well Scootaloo, you ready for your present?"

She smiled wide and nodded like crazy, "Yeah, yeah, yeah!"

I held Vinyl's head down and whispered into her ear, "Find the mag boots," I let her go and hurried to head up into orbit.

"Oh sweet Celestia this is so cool!" Scootaloo flew around the weightless room like a humming bird, "I'm flying! I'm flying!"

I smiled as I stood on the wall, I turned to Vinyl who was standing on the ceiling, "Did I do good? I feel like I did good."

She watched as the filly buzzed around the room, "Yeah, ya did good." She walked over, nuzzling my the side of my head and biting my ear, "But remember who your mama is."

"Right, Scootaloo." She ignored me and used her wings to push her around the room. Completely wrapped up in her weightless flying, "Scootaloo?" Once again ignored as she flew around out of the galley and through the halls, "Eh...she'll be fine." I bounced off the wall and gathered Vinyl's gifts, "Come on, bedroom." With her gifts around me I floated towards the room. Vinyl bounced from wall to wall after me.

"That's a lot of boxes..." Vinyl mumbled behind me, "Are those all for me?"

"Most, some are for me. Well, they're for you but I'll probably enjoy them more." I smiled to myself as I flew down the hall, "Don't worry, I think I picked pretty well."

"You'd better." Vinyl flew past and stuck herself to the wall. I opened the door and let her pull herself inside while I corralled her things.

I pulled myself into the room, catching her things and holding them in place, "Sorry about the no gravity thing, I promised the kid I would."

Vinyl waved a hoof at me, "Don't worry, how did you meet her anyways?"

"Remember that time we went out for breakfast, and the time I went to fix the tear in my shirt, and-"

"Okay, I get it, admirer." Vinyl looked away as her horn lit up, dragging the largest box towards her.

I smiled as she tried to be nonchalant about it. "Oh just open it."

The present continued its slow creep, "I have no idea, oh! Look at that...almost like magic," She turned around and tore the paper off, "Now here's a real question, where did you get all the boxes?"

"Boxes? You're worried about the boxes?"

"Pff no," She forced the box open and looked inside, "Clothes?" She levitated out a pair of stockings and a hat, "Is this because it's winter or because you're a pervert?" She asked with a knowing grin.

"Well, it was meant for winter, but the second thing did help." I tossed her another box, "You'll probably like this one better."

She tore the box wide open, my old music player floated out into the room, "What is it?"

I walked over with a second box, "Music, but kinda need this one too." I grabbed the tiny machine and waited for her to open it. She tore the set of headphones out and pulled them onto her head. I took the other end and plugged the player in.

Next thing Vinyl knew her head was being flooded with age old synth and electronic. It took a moment but she started bobbing her head, eventually throwing her entire body into the mix. I jumped back and watched as she danced, "Dude, it's almost like you know me!"

I shrugged, knowing she was lost in her new toy. I decided to let her enjoy the rest while I went to find the rogue filly flying through the ship, "Songhai, where's the little one?"

"She's in the cargo hold, better question, why did you bring a kid? You a kiddie fucker?"

I momentarily thought about making a detour and tearing Songhai's circuits out. "No, and go fuck yourself." was all I could really say.

I floated my way into the cargo hold. Nice open space for someone to enjoy, and she was enjoying it. Flying around the room, floating through the air and bounding off the walls, "Hey kid," I threw myself backwards into the room, "Space fun?"

"Huh?" I caught her attention just long enough for her to plow herself into the wall.

"Oh...that was completely avoidable, and totally my fault." I flew over to her and tucked her against my gut. I landed on the ground and waited fro her to right herself.

"Uh...you can let me go." Scootaloo wiggled free, I reached and grabbed her again, "Hey!" I held the small filly like a glider and tossed her to the other side of the room. She bounced off with her forelegs and started bouncing around the room. I ducked down and threw her along when she passed by. It was amazing the way she could zip around, she flew over and hovered in front of me, "So uh...yeah, thanks." She threw herself past, wrapping her hooves around my neck before letting go and spinning around the room.

I started walking out, leaving the filly to her weightless fun. I stopped to check on Lyra, the prostethic hand was scratching the underside of her neck, "Wow, showing more self restraint than I though." I joked as I floated in the doorway.

"Huh?" She asked as the hand went to work.

"I thought for sure you'd be riding that thing by now."

She looked at it before smirking, "Who said we didn't?"

I just stared at her, "Right...I'll just...go somewhere else then." I pushed off and floated away. I swung back into my room and found it littered with ripped paper and floating boxes.

I searched the littered room, hoof steps sounding from some unseen depth. Before I could start to panicked as I was quickly taken from behind. A warmth pressed itself into the back of my neck as I spun, "Thank you Ryan," Vinyl cooed before going back to kissing my neck, "Best Hearth warming eve ever, even if it is a little early."

I grabbed a wall and stopped spinning, "Eh, you know me." I wiggled free and faced her, "Are you- that's..." I felt the back of my neck, my hand came back with a few red smears on it, "Heh. Red does look good on you."

She smiled before hugging me, "Now it's time for your presnet." She whispered into my ear.

I could feel my face flush, "That sound...well...amazing, but I'd rather wait until there isn't a rouge filly in the ship." Vinyl pouted at my refusal, "Give her another hour, then I'll bring us back down."

"Fine...but you're missing out." Vinyl pulled her headphones back on and danced out of the room.