December 25th, 1700 AFE, Ponyville

Dusk carefully adjusted the element on the stove, using his magic to lower a thermometer into the boiling water in the ceramic teapot. Beside him, Barb was busy with the frying pan, and even he was beginning to enjoy the smell of her idea of an old fashioned Hearth's Warming breakfast.

With great care, he pulled the thermometer from the water, and couldn't help but give another little squeal of glee. "Ohhh! 373.15°K, exactly! That's perfect! I hope the girls all get here soon, Barb!"

Laughing up at him, Barb flipped some of the bacon, picking out a few more and placing them on the tray. "Dusk, I really don't think it matters if you get the water to the precise boiling point or not. Hot cocoa is just as good hot as it is boiling!"

Adjusting the thick framed pair of reading glasses to sit at the bridge of his nose, Dusk looked down at Barb, blushing a little. "But, Barb! It's our first Hearth's Warming in Ponyville! And I've invited so many important people over to visit today, so everything has got to be right!"

Turning from the stove, Dusk pulled out his list, and reviewed it again. "First, it's breakfast and Hearth's Warming gifts with my best friends and their families! Then, the mayor and her family are scheduled for a 9 am tea. Mr. and Mrs. Cake should have finally caught up with their baking, so they’ll come over for an early lunch at 11 am, when Derpy and her family are scheduled to come. Then, in the afternoon, Lyra and her landlord Bonbon are bringing over Octavia and her marefriend Vinyl Scratch. Things calm down after that, with only Nurse Redheart, and some mystery guest to come visit us tonight, but Shining Armor and Cadence have also promised to come for a late dinner if things are quiet enough in Canterlot.”

Barb rolled her eyes, shaking her head a little and pulled the pan from the element, tossing the last few chunks of meat into the holding pan. “Dusk! Calm down! You’ve checked that list a dozen times. And before you start! Yes, yes I double checked your Hearth’s Warming gifts for everypony. They are all complete, and properly wrapped! I promise, okay?”

Barb laughed at him and picked up the tray with her contribution to their breakfast out to the library, settling it on the crisp, white linen sheet Rarity had made just for the counter.

Dusk followed after her, admiring the brilliant white sheets that covered most of the library. They had spent the night before hanging several of the sheets over most of the bookshelves that the fillies hadn't decorated, as well as the library counter, Dusk's desk, the coffee table and the sofa, combined with colourful decorations, the bold white cloth made the library a warmer and happier place.

A sudden, rapid knocking on the door made Dusk stand up a little taller, and called Barb back from her trip to the door. "That energetic of a knock... this early? It's gotta be Pinkie. Let me get it, or she’ll bowl you over. No reason to soil your dress or the front rug this early!"

Barb laughed, lightly punching him in the arm. "Sure!~ You just want your first kiss of the day!"

Dusk ruffled his fingers through her head spikes before walking to the main hall and pulled open the door before he even looked through the small window, and was bracing himself for Pinkie's sudden and inevitable hug attack, when a very different voice than expected made him look at who was really at the door. "Dusk Shine, forgive me arriving unannounced, but by winter's deep freeze I am getting quite trounced."

In shock, it finally registered who stood outside his door. Dressed in every piece of cloth, leather or fur she owned, a very miserable and shivering Zecora stared back at him, her teeth chattering and her lips turning faintly blue. Finally, his brain kicked back into gear as he realized the severity of her situation, and lurched forward, ignoring protocol and dragging the haggard-looking zebra inside and closed the door behind her. "Barb! Clear the fireplace and start it, quick! We have a bad case of frostbite!"

Ushering the unresisting, but stiff, mare into the library and helping her to sit down before the suddenly roaring fireplace, Dusk began rubbing at her shoulders and down her arms, until he found where her hands were hidden in the folds of many different types of cloth. Bitter cold, he ignored it, and pulled her hands into his own, squeezing them both on his hands. Satisfaction for that was instant, as Zecora's nimble fingers relaxed, entwined with his own fingers, and squeezed back. "What about your toes, Zecora? Can you feel them? Wiggle them?"

With Barb staring at them, Zecora kicked her feet out from under the many layers, resting them on the smooth, warming bricks around the fireplace. "The flames; they soar. But my toes; they roar. Does the winter's cold know no end? Or have we a Windigo on hand?"

Dusk couldn't help but laugh a little at the zebra's rhyming tongue, and continued to rub her fingers. Delighted to see her warming up, he sat down behind her and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her from behind so he could continue to help her warm up. Just as he considered advising she remove the many layers of cold impromptu-clothing to help her warm up faster, another rapid series of knocks rang from the front door. "Barb, can you see who that is? And let me know if the wind has died down. I'll load up some coal in the fireplace and go fetch somepony from the hospital."

"Alright, Dusk! I can keep Zecora company, besides, her feet are in my favorite seat anyways!" The plucky little dragoness turned, pulling on her thick wool coat so she could answer the door comfortably.

From the doorway, Dusk heard as Barb opened the door, her high voice pitched higher by the cold wind. "Oh, hi Pinkie! Come on in, sorry but we-OPHFF!"

Barb's voice was suddenly cut off and the noise of two bodies tumbling head-over-heels and into the doorway of the library with a crash. Pinkie had somehow managed to make sure she wound up on the bottom, hugging Barb tightly to her chest and burying the little dragoness' face in a flurry of kisses. "HAPPY HEARTH'S WARMING, Barb!!!"

Following Pinkie, Applejack was only half visible through the crowded doorway, the look on her face still trying to decide between being amused and cross with Pinkie's antics. "Really, Pinkie? That's why you asked me to carry your stuff? Well, can't ya just move a few feet out of the way? You're a road block keeping everypony standing outside and turning blue from the cold!"

Just as Pinkie half-heartedly began to scoot out of the way, Applejack looked towards him, and Dusk couldn't quite help wincing when she spoke about somepony freezing in the cold. Still rubbing Zecora's arms, Dusk half-stood up. "First, to answer your question, no Zecora, there are no Windigoes around, thank Celestia, but this has been a rather cold week. I'll be right back, stay close to the fire and we will get the door shut and get you warmed back up as quickly as we can."

Crossing the room to Applejack's side, Dusk started taking packages from his lover while she tried to stammer together an apology, having quickly spotted the mare's blue lips as she shivered by the fireplace, despite the roaring coal fire. Using his magic, Dusk took the wrapped gifts off his friend, pointing a finger towards the kitchen. "Any food that needs preparation can go in there; anything else can be put on the library counter. I need to run off to the hospital, but if you can settle in and get the fire stoked, I'll try to be back as quickly as my magic will allow."

Piling in behind her, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith, each with their own load, save the plump old mare who simply muttered dry curses at whoever was blocking the doorway. Stopping Applejack and pulling her into the kitchen for just a second, Dusk squeezed her hands. "Look, you didn't know. I'll make this teleport quick and I'm sure somepony will be on duty... I'll... well, if I have to, I'll teleport us both back. Just keep her warm and don't let Apple Bloom worry too much." Applejack squeezed his hand back and began to nod, but Dusk was already forming the spell, focusing on the fountain at the hospital as his destination. For a moment, his power swelled up, and -

-he winked back, his feet on the freshly shoveled bricks before the towering statue of Princess Celestia. The cold seeping through his thin socks, he turned to rush to the nearest door, while rubbing his hands together to warm them up. “I really need to experiment with teleporting more. I like that the spell moves me a few feet to the side of my destination to avoid running into anypony or anything, but I keep forgetting about little things, like putting on a jacket and shoes in the winter. And Barb bugs me about making lists of important things! Ha!”

Pushing through the door and into the waiting room beyond, it came as a shock at how quiet the hospital was this early on a holiday. Stomping his feet and still rubbing his hands together, Dusk went straight for the desk, where the on-duty nurse’s aid was already rushing to stand up, her eyes widening in shock at seeing somepony come in from the cold dressed as he was. “I- Oh my! Nurse Snowheart! Nurse Snowheart! Come quick! Somepony looks half frozen!”

As the mare rushed around the desk to Dusk’s side, another came from one of the nearby exam rooms, rushing to join them. Holding up his hands, Dusk did his best to calm the mares without wasting time. “Hault, hault. I’m not the one in need. I’ve a pony at my library, the zebra Zecora, who is suffering from awfully bad frostbite.”

The nurse Snowheart ignored Dusk’s words, and pulled his hands up, checking the pale hue and rubbing one of his hands between both of her own, the earth mare’s strong hands insistent enough that he didn’t dare pull his hands back. “Zebra? What ever do you mean, nobody’s seen a- No, nevermind that!” She cut herself off, and nudged her assistant with a foot, her voice serious as she pushed aside useless questions and switched Dusk’s hands, to help warm the other. “Cuddles, get my emergency bag, and ring the bell for Honey Drops. Maj- Dusk, you live at the library right? This Zecora is there?”

Dusk nodded, gesturing with his one free hand across town. “Yes. She’s inside and I’ve got a warm fire going for her, and there are a few others looking after her, but her lips were a vivid blue when I first got her inside, and she still shivers, badly.”

Letting go of his hands at last, Snowheart rushed over to a locked closet by the entrance, a brass key opening the lock and pushing it open. Inside she pulled out a thick white winter jacket that went past her knees, the medic’s badge sewn on her left breast. As she returned to his side, the nurse, whose name failed Dusk beyond being Cuddle-something, but that didn’t matter now. Pushing over the worn leather medic’s bag to Snowheart before speaking to them. “Honey Drops is getting up, and I’ve got some coffee on for her, go ahead, we’ll be fine here.”

Without a word, Snowheart accepted the bag, nodding once and heading towards the door, but this time, Dusk cut her off, gripping her elbow to stop her, for all it took most of his strength to do so. “Stop please, nurse. I have a faster way.”

For a moment the nurse stared at him, then it dawned on her just why he had been able to get so far across town in his socks and without getting his own case of frostbite. “Oh? Then let’s do it, magistrate. I’ll try and hold down what little of my Hearth’s Warming breakfast, yet alone my poor cold tea.”

That mutter made Dusk laugh, and he slipped an arm around the mare’s hips, pulling her close and reaching his mind out to focus on the mental image of his distant home, probably crowded now with his gathering friends and their families. Drawing a breath he grinned up at her. “Don’t worry, even if you lose it, we’ve a proper traditional breakfast set up, you’ll be well compensated.”

Dusk was shocked at how easy it was to teleport two ponies at once, the drain on his magic hardly felt like any kind of serious effort, like it had the times before. They had landed on the small landing three steps up the staircase, exactly as Dusk had picked out as his target, knowing it was unlikely anypony would be in their way there. Releasing the nurse, Dusk rushed towards the sound that came from the library, the many softly-speaking voices.

He stepped through the doorway to the library and almost stopped and stared at how calm the gathered ponies were, but the presence of the nurse behind him motivated Dusk to step inside and out of her way, taking in the cheerful room while Snowheart rushed to Zecora's side.

Pinkie, Applejack and Granny Smith sat together on the couch, each with a steaming mug of Big Mac's mulled spiced apple cider, while Mac had taken position behind the library counter, serving food to whoever came close, tending to a heavy brazzer where the cider rested. Rainbow Dash leaned against the wall on the other side of the door he had just stepped through, giving him a too casual nod before motioning back to the biggest gathering on the floor at the center of the room.

Somepony had wrapped Zecora in Dusk's heaviest blanket, the rest of her furs and other rags missing. Under the blanket with her, Fluttershy had an arm around Zecora's hips to pull their bodies close together, while holding out the ill mare's wrist to the nurse. On their knees behind them, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo were industrially at work, the first brushing the mare's tail out on the floor, the second doing the same with her black and white hair, while the third sat between them, offering them the different brushes, combs and oils from a bag he recognized from Rarity's pack. He overheard Fluttershy as he began to move around the room with care for the crowd. "When I realized her core temperature was so low, I made her strip off her freezing garments and we got under this warm blanket so I could help keep her warm, like they taught us in first aid."

Dusk finally found Rarity behind his desk, bent over and hard at work with a fine needle in her hands, her sewing kit set up on his desk, her efforts were turning out a fine looking thick winter dress, heavy purple velvet edged in gold silk. Designed with slits that ran from the ankles to both hips and Rarity's second needle, supported by her magic, sewing gold buttons into one side of the long slits. Rarity noticed his attention, and winked up at him. "In a foal's nursery book, I saw a design like this of a dancing priestess of the sun goddess. I've always wanted to try my hand at it, and purple would look SO pretty against her black and white hair!"

Unable to help himself, Dusk laughed gently, squeezing her shoulder with a hand before crouching down beside her. He waved to Pinkie as she sat tall and gave him the rapid wave of her hand in greeting when she noticed that he was back. Watching Rarity work, Dusk took a stab at the reason for her extra work. "And the buttons mean you can convert it into a warmer winter dress, a very nice idea." Placing a hand on her shoulder and waiting for her to focus on him for a moment, Dusk gave her a subtle gesture towards the three fillies. "It's nice to see Scootaloo here already, did Sweetie invite her along?"

Rarity shook her head, something in his words giving her reason to wear a wolfish grin that Dusk didn't recognize. "No, they talk sometimes, but I don't think they're really friends. It was Rainbow Dash. She says Nurse Redheart asked her to take care of the foal until she got off work, and Dash asked me if it was okay last night while I was walking home. How could I have said no? The poor filly lost two parents this year, and even though she'll never admit it, I know that she’s been hurt, and Dash can see that too. They’ve both been hurt on the inside, but together, they might be able to help heal one another."

Still crouching low, Dusk squeezed her nearby hand, offering her a quiet nod. "It sounds like a good way to make the best of two bad situations." When she pulled her hand free so she could resume sewing, Dusk let his head rest on her shoulder. "Still no sign of Blitz? I suppose the weather in Cloudsdale is bad enough that he didn't dare try to make the flight in the end?"

Rarity gave him a nod. "She was talking about going to check up on him, but the weather's bitter enough that even Dash doesn't trust her wings. Blitz might be Dash’s dad, but he’s no fool. I’m sure he stayed home where it was safe. We’ll hear from him if it clears up in the evening.”

Dusk gave her a nod, then leaned in close to lightly kiss her cheek. “Then I'll get my share of breakfast, and we can finally start our Hearth’s Warming, properly this time.”

* * *

Draining off the last of his steaming mug of cider, Dusk gave a long and happy sigh. He couldn’t even really remember how much time had passed, and it took a minute to see who was still in the room. Derpy and Amethyst sat on the couch with him, and since his thoughts were muddled because of Mac's brewed drinks, he struggled to remember how he’d gotten this far. Pinkie sat under the blanket before his blazing fire, having joined Zecora and Fluttershy, happy to cuddle in close. Barb slept, curled up between the zebra’s legs, snoring peacefully. Turning his head to look for Rarity, he was finally able to find her, still behind his desk, working on a second dress of blue and white with silver buttons instead of the gold and purple of the previous dress.

Something in what the ponies were doing around him pulled Dusk to pay attention to Derpy, Amethyst and the Cake's conversation. Derpy gave a small gesture to Ms. Cake. "Sorry if you're still waiting before you announce it, but I just can't hold back anymore! I just... well, me and Amethyst have been thinking about having another foal, and you're positively glowing!"

Instead of being embarrassed or annoyed, Mrs. Cake laughed and reached over, gently petting Derpy's knee. "It's okay, Derpy, really it is. We were waiting for some tests from the hospital before we told anypony, but it's true." Giving a diddy little giggle herself, Mrs. Cake wiggled with excitement in her chair. "Oh! I'm so excited! We've been trying so hard to have foals!"

Biting her lip, Derpy looked past Dusk, and mouthed something at Amethyst. Confused, he turned to look at the mare on his other side. Just as he did, Amethyst placed her hand on his knee, her voice vibrant with excitement. "Oh! You're so lucky! With how well things have been going for Derpy since Dusk moved to Ponyville, well, we've been talking about having a second foal ourselves."

It took a moment for the math of Amethyst's suggestive hand on his knee and her words to add up, and Dusk realized he had been caught up in their joy and was nodding along with the conversation. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he could tell that Rarity had stopped sewing, and was now watching their conversation intently.

With sudden clarity, doing the work of several hours of sleep and a hot coffee poured down his spine, Dusk sat up tall, and pushed the half-full mug of cider away and attempted to casually cross his legs. "Oh? That's charming to hear, Amethyst. For our part, we've only briefly talked about foals, but with Applejack helping to raise Apple Bloom, and Rarity helping to raise Sweetie Belle, it just doesn't feel right to think about having foals yet."

The silence that followed was palpable as Amethyst slowly drew her hand back after it fell from Dusk’s casually shifting leg, and as he turned to try and catch Rarity's reaction out of the corner of his eye, only then did he realize she had moved from his desk, her work abandoned. Just as he prepared to turn in his seat to search for her, long slender arms extended around Amethyst's neck, hugging the mare against the couch. Watching him with silent approval, Rarity gave the mare a kiss on the cheek, before speaking with great care to select her words. "Of course, Dusk, there are always stud services. It is a very popular way for mares in small towns to have a foal without worrying about the lack of available stallions."

As Dusk watched, Rarity reworked their conversation in a very different light, slipping around the couch without ever letting go of her gentle grip of Amethyst's neck, moving to sit down on the arm of the couch beside her. With care, she lifted Amethyst's hand and placed it on Dusk’s thigh again, smiling up at him. "See, Dusk, in small towns, a mare pays a stallion a stud fee, and in return, any foal born of their copulation is the mare's alone. It's a good way to ensure that mares don't fight over popular stallions, and it means a healthy young stallion might make some good money before settling down with his herd." Leaning past Amethyst, Rarity nipped at his neck before sitting back again. "Besides, you and Derpy are such good friends after these last few months of working together, it'd be rude for you to refuse her polite request. I'm sure Applejack would understand. Just name a reasonable price, and Dinky will soon be the proud older sister to a little filly or colt."

Shocked at Rarity's openness at him fathering a foal with another mare, Dusk swallowed hard, turning to take in the rest of the room. Pinkie was kneeling between Mrs. Cake's knees, her head on the mare's belly while she made ridiculous baby noises into the mare's round belly, giggling as always. Fluttershy had also left the blanket’s cover, and was holding one of Mrs. Cake's hands, laughing gently as they tried to talk over Pinkie's antics. Mr. Cake laughed at Pinkie and had relaxed, no longer the tense stallion Dusk remembered from so many early morning visits to the bakery for one emergency or another. And Zecora-

Zecora, in all of her nubile glory, had left the blankets behind. Ignoring the slack jaws and staring eyes of everypony in the room at her casual nudity, she knelt down between Amethyst's knees, her head resting to the side, one ear to the small mare's belly. A wicked grin crossed her lips and she gave a slow nod to Amethyst and Derpy. "Your traditions? I do not know. But for a foal? This mare is good to go. If a guarantee you need? A potion could ensure the deed, and make sure you breed."

Reaching out with her magic, Rarity picked up the finished purple dress, shoving it into Zecora’’s hand and clearing her throat, aggressively. “Be that as it may, darling. Please, put some clothing on, Sweetie Belle is napping in the next room! I don’t want to have to explain the meaning behind some of your tribal tattooing to her just yet, please?”

Accepting the dress and pulling it over her shoulders, Zecora gave Rarity a small nod, before looking from Derpy to Amethyst and then to Dusk, the zebra gave each a slow nod, before explaining herself if only briefly. "A repayment for your kind hospitality, I'd happily make this foal a reality."

“A foal… I…” Dusk slowly looked around the room, and suddenly, he found he was surrounded by a half-dozen smiling mares, all looking to him for a response. “Could I really handle being a father? I… I do like Sweetie. If she’s the example of a good foal, she’s a fine example. Sweet natured, forgiving, considerate, and very smart.”

As Dusk turned to face Amethyst, Derpy reached out, and wrapped him in a hug from behind, and his eyes shot around the room looking for some sort of escape. Then his eyes met Amethyst's, and looking into those soulful depths, he saw nothing but hope, love and joy. “She’s been such a good mother to Dinky. How could I deny her a foal of her own.” His heart melted, Dusk placed both hands on the mare's shoulders, Dusk squeezed down and gave her a small smile. "Alright, Amethyst. I- I don’t mind helping you two have a foal, if you're really serious, and if Applejack is okay with it, then I'll do it."

Squealing with delight, Amethyst joined Derpy in hugging him, and he gently patted the top of the unicorn’s head, then turned his head to look at Rarity, hoping he read her right. Rarity leaned over Amethyst, snatching up his lips in a kiss, her hands bracing on his chest, she rolled her weight onto her knees and sat up to lean over Amethyst, without crushing her. When she broke this kiss, she leaned against him still, her free hand joining Dusk's in stroking Amethyst's hair. "What about the price, Dusk? A proper stud fee is important."

Looking from Derpy to Amethyst, Dusk bit his lip, shaking his head a little. "That... well, I guess it's important. But Derpy's a friend. I wouldn't want to charge her some unfair fee."

Derpy climbed up his back so she was kneeling on the couch and hugging him around the neck. "I don't know, Dusk! I'm sure whatever price you name, we'll pay it. I promise."

Looking again into Rarity's eyes, Dusk saw the tender love that danced in them. Unable to help himself, Dusk leaned forward and gave Amethyst a kiss on the top of her head. "Then I'll make the price two bits, because Derpy's been such a good friend."

AJ turned, looking at Big Mac as he lugged along the cart of presents and empty kegs; silent as he normally was, he had a distant look to his eyes. Unable to let this pass, she leaned over, giving him a lazy nudge in the ribs. “What’s wrong, Mac? You’re never normally this quiet after a good Hearth’s Warming Feast. But instead, you just got quieter and quieter as the day let on. Heck, I’m surprised Mrs. Mayor didn’t mention anything, you two usually have so much to talk about!”

Shaking his head as if to cast off a distracting thought, the stallion leaned into his work, ignoring her rough nudge. As Granny and Apple Bloom leaned forward in the cart to see what had made him stop for a moment, he gave their inquiring looks a dismissive grunt. Applejack had begun to think he’d refuse to answer her at all until he suddenly spoke up as they walked the freshly plowed trail home. “I was wondering if we could do something to help out that unfortunate mare. Dusk an’ Fluttershy an’ the nurse got her fixed up, and they cleaned up one of their only spare rooms for her, but still, being stuck in Ponyville, away from ‘er home all winter? That’s a miserable way to spend three months, right?”

Grinning, Applejack leaned over, hugging him around the shoulders and messing his lanky blond hair. “Aww! And here I thought you’d gone cold, you mushy old romantic! Sure we can look into doing something for her. She’s about the right age for you anyways!”

Mac’s snort of dismissal and suddenly quickened pace was all the proof she needed to show she’d pegged his thoughts just right. “Poor Mac! Likes a mare, but after Carrot Top? I suppose he’s gunshy. I suppose I should get Rarity’s help, she’s more the expert on this kinda thing…”

After Derpy, Amethyst, and the Cake's left, Dusk had taken Rarity’s advice and took a nap. That had really helped, as had the shower. As Dusk stepped out of the shower, he felt like a new stallion again. Using a towel to brush moisture from his tail, Dusk could hear the distant sound of voices starting up a new conversation.

“Dusk did what? Really?” It took a moment, but as he devoted more of his attention to the conversation, he was finally able to place the loudest mare. It had to be Nurse Redheart. Reaching for his pants, Dusk could hear only part of the ongoing conversation, as Redheart drowned out the others. “Of course I know Derpy. But still-” Some muttered response followed, and things calmed down a little. Finally, Redheart seemed to be relaxing, though he could still hear her through the door. “Alright, but before anything else, I’m booking them both for a medical. You too, Rarity. And I’ll ask Applejack sometime privately. Does he have any other lovers we should test as well?” Silence as someone answered to quietly for him to hear before Redheart’s raised voice returned again. “Is that the whole list? Good. What? No! It’s for your well-being! Do you know how quickly an STD can move around a large herd like you have formed?!”

Pushing through the door and stepping back into the main hall, Dusk tightened the buckle on his belt, then pulled his shirt over his shoulders and started working on the fiddly little buttons on his shirt. Hair still damp, he let his tail sway across his hips as he stepped into the hallway with care, sneaking up behind the nurse. When he could tell that Scootaloo had gone off somewhere with Barb and Sweetie Belle, Dusk winked to Rarity, and slipped his hands around Redheart’s belly and shoulders, pulling her into his strong grip and whispering into her ear. “What’s all this yelling about? There are foals around. I do apologize, Redheart, I know you’d made your interest clear, even as I was recovering from our fight with Nightmare Moon, but we’ve both been so busy with other things, my work, your work and Scootaloo, most of all.”

Flushing darkly at his hold, and his lips at her ear, Redheart’s lip curled and she gave a disdainful snort, though Dusk felt it sounded like she was suppressing a foalish giggle. Placing her hands on his arms over her belly, she turned her nose up and gripped down on his wrists, pulling herself free of his arms before turning around, lightly tapping him on the nose. “It’s alright, Dusk. I’ve found someone positively dreamy to keep my company occasionally, I’m no wild mare in heat hunting for a stud.”

Dusk was momentarily taken back, stepping away from the mare and staring as she held a stern gaze, lifting a hand to rub where she’d tapped on his nose, he was starting to collect an answer when she broke, and burst out laughing. “You’re relaxing a little, Redheart. That, if nothing else, is good to see. Care to let a befuddled stallion in on your joke?”

Rarity was the one who answered however, stepping beside the nurse and passing her a tall glass of pale red wine, before linking arms with her. “It’s simple really, Dusk. She’s just getting her chance to nip off a piece of your ego. After all, how many mares have fallen into your lap this year? Half a dozen? Most stallions would kill to have that much attention.”

Redheart accepted Rarity’s offered glass, downing it all and releasing a heavy sigh of pleasure. Letting Rarity lean against her, and even nodded at Rarity’s answer. “Exactly. We can’t have your ego getting too bloated, Dusk. You’d get careless. Besides, with so many young mares around a stallion, a mare gets a little self-conscious about her age.”

Realizing they were serious, Dusk took a careful breath, leaning against the wall at the entrance to the library since they were blocking the doorway into the library proper, watching them as he thought back to all that had happened in the last few months. The sudden steady knock at the door, pulled his attention back. “Humble. Right, I guess I’ll work on that too. Thank you ladies, really.” Stepping forward and ignoring the door for a moment, Dusk reached out and squeezed Redheart’s hand with the empty wineglass, taking it from her on the motion. “And Redheart? Never think your age is something I’d think is important. You’re a very attractive woman, and if somepony else has caught your eye... I will admit, I’d be a little jealous of that lucky pony.”

Stepping to the door before the knocker could get frustrated and knock again, Dusk was delighted to see that Shining Armor and Cadence waited on the other side of the entryway. “Brother! Cadence! Thank you for coming so far; I hope this isn’t taking you away from anything important!”

Taking advantage of the open door, the couple stepped inside, Shining Armor grabbing Dusk by the arm and pulling him into a hug, his free hand patting Dusk heavily on the back. “Thank you for hosting us, Dusk! The celebrations in Canterlot were simply fantastic! You should have seen the fireworks the universities put on today! It really had the kids going, not to mention Princes Luna! She was near as giddy as any foal in the crowd.”

Glad for his brother’s good mood, Dusk returned the older stallion’s happy, one-armed hug, nodding. “Oh, yeah! I suppose she’s probably never seen fireworks before, has she? I don’t recall reading about them in any of the history books in my studies…”

As Dusk drifted off for a moment of thought, he was shocked when Cadence cupped up his cheeks and leaned in rubbing noses with him, her voice whispering a playful coo. “Sunshine, sunshine, Ladybugs awake, Dusk!”

Snapping out of his dream, he laughed again, and hugged his foalsitter around her hips. “Clap your hooves and give a little shake.” Grinning up at her and nuzzling her nose in return, he relaxed, and gave a happy sigh. “Hello, Princess Cadence! It’s only been a few days, but it already feels like it’s been far too long!” Darting his eyes around and leaning in, he whispered again in low tones. “I… I apologize, I don’t want to get too serious, but, well… has there been any improvement?”

Grinning at him, Cadence released his face and reached under her winter coat, into the collar of her radiant pink silk dress, and withdrew a small unsigned white letter from a hidden pocket . Shoving it down the collar of his shirt, she simply leaned in, whispering in return. “You worked a miracle, Dusk. Remember that.” Ignoring his stunned look, she pushed past him, handing off her coat to Rarity, making small talk as their coats were put away.

Fishing out the little letter, Dusk snapped open the seal, but couldn’t ignore the growing conversation, keeping one ear to their talk as he read, grinning as he heard Cadence meet Zecora. “Oh, my! And you’ve done well too, haven't you, Rarity? You made her this fantastic dress all by yourself today? I’m quite jealous.”

It was Zecora who answered first, her voice holding a humbled hint he’d not heard from her before. “The seamstress made me this dress, to help keep away winter’s cold and stress. I feel as if I’m some noble queen, but before a true goddess, I feel far unclean.”

Idly stroking the blank white seal on the letter, Dusk needed only a moment to recognize the handwriting, but now, as the others’ conversation moved off, he could reread the letter again; this time, Dusk pictured it in Bronze’s voice.

“Dear Magistrate,

Dusk Shine, I would be honored to take up my lance as your second. Please forgive me, as Princes Cadence says I shall need a few more months to properly recover.

Folding the letter closed, Dusk squeezed it tight to his chest, and finally took a breath. As the importance of the signature at the bottom sank in, and Dusk felt the lingering dread in his heart lift.

Cadence’s voice pulled him back into the present and away from the letter. “You honor me, dear priestess. And the dress suits you far more than I. The purple might go well with my feathers, but I think the pink and gold would clash. It looks far more resplendent on you, dear. Besides, I think I’d die of embarrassment if I were to wear something slit so far up the hip!”

Glad they were all getting along, Dusk folded up the letter and put it into the pocket of his shirt for later. Piercing his lips and whistling to himself, Dusk followed the others back into the library, a happy, lighthearted feeling washed away months of worries that had been piling up in the back of his mind.

Luna yelped at the sudden burst of noise from the nearby university courtyard, dashing from the table and abandoning the paperwork that lay spread over the map of Equestria, her nearly childlike joy warming Celestia's heart as the brilliant lights and noise of the second fireworks show for Canterlot's Hearth's Warming Celebrations lit up the night.

Lowering her quill to an inkpot, Celestia gestured to Silken, her voice gentle. "You might as well go to her. She's probably going to be distracted by this show for a while. Besides, celebrating our peace is just as worthy a cause as fighting for it."

Silk hadn’t been paying any real attention to their meeting since Luna left to watch the show, something in the fireworks brought out another, softer side in Luna that kept distracting the spy-mistress. She attempted to rally at Celestia's words, and turned back to the map. "I'm fine, really, Princess Celestia. We have months of planning left, and summer is fast approaching."

Shaking her head, Celestia leaned back in her chair, crossing her hands over the heavy wine glass. "I'm serious, Silk. All we do these days is plan for eventualities that may never happen. I've spent most of the last thousand years planning for things that never happened. Take tonight off, tomorrow when Luna is herself again, we can continue."

For just a moment, it looked like Silk was about to argue with her, but a sudden gleeful laugh from Luna as a rapid series of rainbow-colored explosions went off in successive order from one end of the spectrum to the other made her look away, finally relenting. "Thank you, princess. I promise I'll do my best to enjoy tonight."

Watching as the lanky mare stood up and moved at a hardly subtle run to Luna's side, Celestia allowed herself to relax as well, taking a long heavy pull at the thick wineglass. Luna didn't wait for her spy to join her. Instead, she rushed over and linked arms with Silk and pulled her back to the balcony with her, holding her around her hips and began to repeat the explanation that Shining Armor had told her only a few hours before of how the fireworks worked.

Celestia reached for her glass again, and found the bottom of what little wine was left. In the mood for some celebrations, she reached for the bell with her magic, planning to ring up a servant, but stopped herself, grinning a little. "Let them have a quiet night. After all, I'm sure they'd all be watching the fireworks as well. Besides, the wine cellar isn't that far of a walk."

Just as Celestia turned the corner to walk deeper into the castle, she heard her sister's voice fill with wonder. "They are so much more brilliant at night! It's almost as if the whole world celebrates my nights with this show of magical rainbow light!"

January 5th, 1701 AFE, Dusk's Library

Dash let her cup dangle from two fingers as she returned to the sketch, shaking her head. "What? No, no way, Dusk! I'd never need two staircases to the master suite! And why'd you make them both such wide spirals? It's way to 'unicorn fancy' for a proper pegasus home! Why not just take them out completely!?"

Laughing a little, Dusk pulled her teacup off her fingers, refilling it with the teapot suspended by his magic. Pushing the fragrant herbal tea back at her, Dusk lowered the pot before launching into his rebuttal. "First of all, Dash, we agreed to build the core framework of the house on ground level this spring before the special crew from Cloudsdale show up, and do the cloudwork, right? Well 90% of Ponyville's labor force are Earth ponies. They'll need a staircase of some kind to do the normal construction of the wooden framework and floors. Plus, if we do this..." Dusk paused and took a moment of concentration, scribbling into the design sketch the rest of the staircases, scribbling notes and math for the architect to double check later. Finishing, he leaned back from the drawing table set up on his desk, letting her get a better look at the sketch in the light. "The staircases serve an extra purpose, by meeting at the doorway to the main suite, they form a small balcony that overlooks the main hall. That way, if your weather team has a big meeting going on, everypony can see you on the balcony and you get a good vantage point to watch them as they gather below. Plus, should we have to host another group of the Royal Guard, or even better, the Wonderbolts, they could use your home for a command and control center, making organization and operations easier."

Watching Dash grow more and more excited after he brought up the balcony effect and the Wonderbolts, Dusk pushed on the last reason for the design, knowing she'd care far less for it than the others. "Besides, the large curve on the stairs minimize the floor space the stairs take up, maximizing the space in the main floor."

Sipping at her fresh cup of steaming tea, Dash was silent, but the way her wings puffed up and twitched as he talked about her hosting the Wonderbolts betrayed her stoicism. Attempting to act casual, Dash lowered the cup from her lips and leaned against him where he sat, nodding with agreement. "Alright, alright! You've got a decent point there, Dusk. And I like the dimensions you've got in the plan for the master suite, but I gotta ask, why put my bedroom above the kitchen and store rooms? I've stayed over at Applejack's before, things get damn noisy way too early in the morning over their kitchen."

Laughing at her latest gripe, Dusk responded with a question of his own. "Do you have roommates of any kind? A stallion who gets up early and cooks you breakfast in bed often?" As she blushed and stammered, he grinned and pressed the advantage. "I'll take that as a no, then. So the only time your kitchen will be noisy like the Apple's is when you are hosting guests of some kind or another. And if those guests are Wonderbolts... well I'm sure you'd certainly want to be up, right?"

Groaning a little, Dash finished off her tea to help suppress her embarrassment at the good points he made so easily. Finally surfacing, she leaned further into him, and drove a thumb knuckle into his head, but kept the pressure at only a teasing level. "You’re such an egghead, Dusk. But you're a useful egghead. I think I'll keep you around."

Grumbling a little at her aggressive attention, Dusk straightened his messed up mane to get the wild bangs out of his eyes, before striking back by leaning back against her and kissing her just behind the ear, relishing in the way she whimpered and squirmed at even that light pressure on the only sensitive place he'd managed to find. "I don't know, Dash. I like your unbound energy. I'll try to keep up with you, too."

January 9th, 1701 AFE, Pinkie's Room, Sugarcube Corner

Dusk flinched as he watched Pinkie round the corner of the staircase into her small bedroom, adjusting his weight in the chair she'd set up beside her bed, while a massive plate of frosted pastries was settled between the two plates on the small table. Sniffing at the strong spices that wafted up from the plate of still-steaming treats, he offered her a small smile. "Wow, Pinkie. You must have been working really hard on this. I can identify at least ten different glazed or frosted pastries. Are they all for me? I don't know if I have that strong of a sweet tooth-"

Laughing at his worried look, Pinkie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. Swift and sugary like her pastries, she didn't linger, but instead leaned back, and grinned at him while holding him around the neck. "No, Dusk, you silly-billy! I just made these as a feature for dessert! Mrs. Cake helped me make a candied cranberry and almond salad for dinner, as well as a lemon and herb salmon. We used the backyard oven for that so the smell didn't override everything else in the bakery!"

Remembering the unfamiliar strong smell on the wind he had caught as he walked to the bakery, Dusk laughed a little. “You know? You’re right, Pinkie. I was wondering what that smell was as I walked here. Makes more sense, now.” Gesturing to the other chair, he gave a shrug. “Do we have long? When do they need you to take over in the diner?”

Giggling happily, Pinkie ignored his gesture towards the free chair and hopped into his lap, resting her palms on his shoulders and nuzzling her nose against his own before answering. "I made sure that I got a lot of free time off today, Dusk! I've gotta take over in the diner from eight until close, but that gives us almost four hours to have dinner and whatever comes up afterwards! We could go for a walk, with all this fresh snow falling today; it'd be like we are all alone together in a big white fluffy blanket! Oh! Or even better! We can sit on the roof and talk about whatever you want, and watch the stars come out! The bakery’s big ovens keep the snow off and the roof nice and warm even in the winter!

Settling his hands around her hips, Dusk grinned, and lightly tugged at a handful of her fluffy tail hair. When she squeaked and giggled, before hugging him back harder, he held her in return, laughing along. "Sure, Pinkie. A quiet walk together would be nice. Now then, how about that dinner?"

Her giggles and snorts were cut off by a gasp of shock at having gotten carried away and forgetting their food, Pinkie leapt from his lap and rushed out the open bedroom door. Even from his comfortable seat, Dusk could hear her bound down the stairs, and her rushed apologies as she squeezed past Mrs. Cake on landing below. Then she was out the back door, the sound of her absence nearly as loud as her presence.

Alone, Dusk began to look, REALLY look, around Pinkie's bedroom for the first time. Just like her personality, it was a wild mess of colorful objects, ranging from spare party supplies to stuffed animals to unidentifiable frilly pink things that Dusk dare not attempt to identify.

The one thing that stood out among all the organized chaos that cluttered every inch of wall, shelf, dresser, and desk space was a single photo in a sterling silver frame. Crossing the room to pick the frame from her desk, Dusk shifted the photo to catch the dim light from the bedroom window.

With a wild grin, Pinkie was center frame, her arms stretching out to hug the shoulders of three other mares, two young fillIes grinning a little while a third, slightly older than Pinkie stared at the camera, her face emotionless, spartan of any real reaction.

"Her herd sisters. The glum one is Maud. The little fillies are Inky and Blinky." Standing in the doorway, the slight swell of her belly now obvious to anypony, Mrs. Cake watched Dusk with a wistful smile. "The older mare is Maud."

Realizing he had been caught prying into other’s property, Dusk felt his face flush, and he settled the silver frame back to where it belonged on the desk. "Oh! I'm sorry, Mrs. Cake. It's just, well, everything else in the room is so bright and colorful, except-"

Stepping through the doorway and putting her right hand on his elbow and squeezing gently, Mrs. Cake picked up the frame again, smiling a little warmer. "No, really, Dusk, it's okay. I think Pinkie doesn't like to think about them too much cause they live so far away. Her family runs a rock farm, you see."

Relaxing at her touch and soft tone, Dusk laid his free hand on her own where her gentle grip held his elbow. Picking his words carefully, he tried to pry a little more. "Doesn’t seem to be a very happy family; they all seem so dour, at least, compared to Pinkie."

Mrs. Cake laughed a little and put the picture back on the desk, wiping away a few sniffles that had fought to escape before turning to smile up at him. "No, no, nothing like that, Dusk. I don't really know that much, really. Her sister Maud stayed over once on a trip from a dig on the way home, and you've never seen Pinkie so excited!" Thinking about it for a moment, Mrs. Cake laughed again. "Besides, Dusk. Next to Pinkie, everypony looks less excited in comparison."

Dusk didn't need time to think; the mare's point was well made, so he joined her laughter with a happy chuckle. From the doorway, the sound of rapid footsteps rushing up the stairs was joined with the unique scent of roasted fish. Stepping through the open door, ever the vibrant source of joy, Pinkie settled the steaming platter on what little free space was left on the small dinner table before turning to see what had Dusk and Mrs. Cake's attention. "Oh! I'm so sorry you had to come entertain Dusk for me, Mrs. Cake. Do you want to join us for some dinner? I'm sure Dusk wouldn't mind! And I can just sit in his lap to make room for you!"

A sparkle of mischief in her eyes Mrs. Cake ushered Dusk back to the table by the elbow she already held. "No, Pinkie, it was my pleasure to talk with Dusk. With things being so calm this winter, why, we haven't seen him knocking on the bakery door so early in the morning. I doubt even Princess Celestia has started to try and wake the sun that early!" Releasing his arm, she swept up beside Pinkie, hugging the mare close and kissing her cheek. "And no, no, I won't intrude. It's rare you ask for time off, Pinkie. I want you to enjoy yourself, stop worrying about making everypony else smile for once!"

Giddy to receive the attention from Mrs. Cake, Pinkie waved to her as she left the room, humming happily to herself before turning back to Dusk again. "Well, let's eat!"

The evening breeze was crisp, but Dusk found it too nice to bother with his gloves, not when Pinkie had grabbed his hand in her own as they left the bakery and started to wander the quiet streets of Ponyville, watching as the sun set and the stars began to appear.

Walking through the cleared streets with no particular destination in mind, Dusk enjoyed the eerie calm, attempting to join Pinkie's breathy murmured song by softly humming along with whatever he could pick up, eliciting laughter from Pinkie when she realized he was trying to keep up. The distant sound of laughter grew closer as they crossed into a random clear side-street. "Dusk! If you want to learn to sing, just tell me! If I could teach Dash to stay on key, I can teach anyp-"

Whomph! The sudden roar and splatter of a wet and loosely packed snowball cut Dusk off from all outside sound. A perfect throw, he had to use both hands to clear the mess off his face, while his ears still rang from the impact.

Able to see again, even if not hear, the sight of three familiar foals sheepishly lining up before him and Pinkie was almost enough to make him laugh. The oldest, Rumble, looked the most ashamed, but was pushing the younger two forward. Pinkie stepped up, and while Dusk couldn't quite make out what she was saying, the suddenly nervous looks the foals shared began to worry him a little.

Wiggling one finger in an ear, Dusk finally heard a loud pop, and the deafening ringing noise at last faded away. He was just in time for him to hear Pinkie cry out. "That's it! Aura, Dinky! SNOWBALL WAR!!!"

Cackling with mad glee, Pinkie scooped up a fistful of snow with each hand, expertly balling them both at the same time and before the shock had worn off on the fillies, lightly lobbed a ball at each girl, just slow enough to be caught and still somehow stay intact if they missed.

That was Pinkie's soul act of mercy. Before Dusk’s eyes, she became a one mare snow war. She pulled him with her to safety behind a defensive snowbank and started building up a stock of ammunition. At the same time rapidly firing off the occasional easy lob behind her head to ward away the still-shell-shocked foals.

Finally catching up with Pinkie's antics, both Dusk and the foals began to laugh. The youngsters ran for cover, while Dusk began snatching spare snowballs from the pile Pinkie was building. Taking care, he tossed one over the barrier that the fillies had selected for cover, used his magic to carefully take a hold of it, and curved it sharply to the right, and hit Rumble's shoulder from where he hid behind a second snowbank.

Laughing along with all the others, Rumble cried foul at Dusk’s trick. "Hey! No magic! That's not fair!" Suddenly he was pelted from the side by another snowball thrown by Aura. Rumble roared at her betrayal, making a move into better cover from both sides, lobbing a snowball back at the filly. "Four on one?! That's fine! I'll take you all on!"

Giddy with laughter, Pinkie continued to battle with the foals, taking no sides, nor prisoners. The true highlight was when Rumble surrendered. Undaunted, Dinky refused his surrender and attempted to recreate Dusk’s curve ball with her magic. However, she applied too much pressure, and instead ended up showering the colt with ineffectual, fine powdered dust.

After retrieving Rumble from his new fortress, Dusk returned to where Pinkie waited with the fillies. Together they walked the foals home, arm in arm. Dusk made a mental note to look into the upcoming entrance exam they would have to host for Rumble.

Shaking the snow from his jacket, Dusk pulled the library door shut before calling for Barb. "Any chance you have a pot of water boiling?! Pinkie got us caught up in a snowball fight, and I could really use a good warm drink to thaw out."

It wasn’t until Dusk had took off his boots, hung up his jacket to drip dry, and closed the closet door that he realized nopony had answered him, and he began to worry. “Barb?! Zecora?! Anypony around?! Don’t tell me you both went out!” As he began to move around the house, he felt an intense heat radiating from the direction of the library, a momentary flare of panic clutched his heart. “Oh no! Don’t tell me they both went out and left the fireplace roaring!”

Charging into the the library, the first thing he saw was the closed gate on the fireplace, overstuffed with coal and roaring with heat. Curled up on a blanket set up right before the raging fireplace, Barb lay on her belly. She had opened her dress in the back to expose the small green spikes that ran down her spine, her scales glossy with oil. Curled up right against her, also asleep, Zecora still had the half-empty bottle of oil.

As Dusk felt a flood of relief at the knowledge that everything was okay, he couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the cute scene laid out on the library floor. Leaving them to sleep, Dusk moved with care, walking the long way around to the kitchen, and filled the teapot with water.

Just about to place it on the element upon the stove, an effort saving idea popped into his head. "Rather than waste a little magic regulating the element, I might as well take advantage of the roaring fire in the fireplace. As long as I'm careful, they're sure to never wake up!"

Returning to the library, he carefully walked around the sleeping pair and placed the pot on top of the fireplace. "A perfect solution! Now I can keep an eye on the overstuffed hearth and watch them sleep while getting some paperwork caught up!"

Giving it time to boil, Dusk returned to his desk, and sorted through his paperwork, but found nothing he felt worth focusing on. Pushing the pile aside, Dusk lifted the folder of half-written profiles, flipping though a few of the pages, before selecting the pages for Rumble, Aura and Davenport. With his memory still fresh, he made short work of the three letters before filing them in the outbox for later.

Just as he began to stand up to stretch, the pot started to whistle, forcing him to pick the teapot up with his magic. "Oh! Shit! Oh! Shit! Oh! Shit!" Rushing with the teapot back into the kitchen, all the time wincing at the noise it made. Searching through the pantry, Dusk found no sign of the leftover cocoa mix that had seemed so bottomless on Hearth’s Warming. Resigned, Dusk took out the box of calming tea Redheart had left as part of her Hearth’s Warming gift.

Standing over the pot and breathing in the steam that continued to waft out of the pot after he had added the tea bag, Dusk could already feel his muscles begin to reflexively relax, his head lolling over in the soothing vapors.

The soft tap on his shoulder came as such a shock, Dusk knew he must have passed out drinking in the tea’s smell. Reflexively, he tried to jump, but his legs were so numb from the soothing tea, he landed on his ass, his legs spasming from delayed orders only just arriving from his brain.

Zecora knelt down before him, laughter dancing in her eyes as she offered him a hand. “How flustered I was to be found asleep, after giving little Barb a massage quite deep. Yet my embarrassment seems to have fled, upon seeing you asleep in front of a teapot instead!”

Laughing at himself as he rubbed his aching calves, Dusk looked back up at the kneeling mare, shaking his head. “It’s the tea, I swear. Nurse Redheart keeps giving me boxes of it all the time. It’s just… I have stress and sleep problems.”

Confident, Zecora pulled out the bottle of oil from before, pushing his wet pant legs up to his knee, and poured the oil over his legs. Shocked at how cold the oil felt when she poured it on his aching legs, Dusk needed a second to catch his breath. In that time, Zecora took a grip of his right leg, working both of her thumbs aggressively into the tense muscle. “Relax my humble host, I’ll make you feel like you've just taken a trip to the coast.”

Unable to help himself, Dusk snorted a little at her forced rhyming. "Two questions, Zecora, if you don't mind? First, why the coast?"

Grinning back at him, Zecora gave a nod, and listened intently as he asked her. With her smile creeping wider, she gave him a wink. "That's easy, my dear host! To truly relax everypony you must try a soothing trip to the coast!"

Enjoying her confident answer as much as her tenacious approach to massaging his sore legs, Dusk pressed on. "And just where did the zebra rhyming slang tradition come from, anyway?"

Offering an unconcerned shrug, Zecora remained mostly focused on his legs. "I've no right to boast, my kindhearted host. Our oldest priestess might not even know. But maybe here-" she paused, gesturing to his expansive library. "We may find the answer lost long ago"

Finally standing back up, Dusk used his magic to fetch a second cup of tea, pouring them both from the still steeping kettle while giving her a hand up. "I doubt it, Zecora. That might just be a mystery that nopony will ever solve."

March 17th, 1701 AFE, Mayor Mare's manor.

Amethyst clutched Rainbow Dash’s note tightly, rushing up the steps two at a time. Her cheeks were flushed with the effort of rushing to see the mayor, but if anything, Dash had given her more than enough to go by. "This is it! It's my big year! Just you wait, I’ll finally get my chance to do it all! Not second! Not assistant! Not even co-planner! This year, I'm going to be the one to make sure everything goes right!"

Forcing herself to stop outside the mayor's office door, Amethyst caught her breath and straightened her hair. Fingers shaking with excitement, she lifted her hand, knocking once.

Opening the door herself, Mayor Mare beamed at Amethyst before waving her inside, but to Amethyst’s shock, they were not alone. Dusk sat in the big chair the mayor kept by her window, quietly reading over some paperwork. He grinned, and gave her a small wave, but continued to read. Sitting in the rays of sunlight, backlit by the glow, it softened his hair to lighter tones of blue, purple and pink, but did nothing to take away from his handsome features. “Ohhh! Just a few more weeks! Nurse Redheart gave me the go! I hope he’s ready by my next heat cycle!”

Amethyst realized that the mayor must have asked her something, as she stood waiting for her answer, a hand motioning to the tray of drinks she had waiting. Amethyst ignored them, and gave the mayor an informal salute. “City Planner, Amethyst Star reporting for duty, Mrs. Mayor!”

The smile the mayor gave her told Amethyst that her willingness was appreciated. “Well, I must admit, I admire your enthusiasm, Amethyst! After the disastrous Winter Wrap-Ups we’ve had these last few years, I’m kinda surprised anypony is willing to take the job of trying to squeeze so much into a single day!”

Grinning back at the mayor, Amethyst shook her head. “I admit it, Mrs. Mayor, it is a daunting task! But I’m ready for it, really I am!”

Sorrow swept into the mayor’s expression, and she looked to Dusk for a moment, almost as if she was embarrassed to even continue on such a negative topic before Dusk. “It’s just, remember the disaster we had seven years ago, when Blank Cheque was in charge and everything got so backed up it took nearly two weeks to get everything sorted out?”

Suppressing a laugh at the mayor’s dramatics Amethyst gave her a nod. “Of course I do. I was co-assistant to the Chief Planner that year, remember?”

Almost as if she didn’t hear Amethyst, the mare continued, throwing an arm over her eyes. “Or last year, when Derpy accidentally went west to fetch the southern birds and we were so busy tracking her down, that everypony fell behind on snow melting and sky clearing?! We were so close to getting everything finished according to plan! I still think that’s the real reason why Wishful Thinking moved away in the end.”

Shaking her head a little, Amethyst cleared her throat, harshly, to get the mayor’s attention again. “Mrs. Mayor, really. It’s okay! I was Wishful’s assistant last year, remember?! I’ve copied his plan from last year, with a few small modifications to make sure everything goes smoothly this year! You’ll see, it’ll be just like the good old days, when Diligent Dove was in charge!”

The mayor managed to relax a little when Amethyst cleared her throat, and gave her a little smile. “Oh, of course, of course, Amethyst! And that’s why I’m proud to name you Chief Planner for Ponyville’s traditional Winter Wrap-up!” Her eyes skirting to the side, the mayor attempted to surreptitiously gesture towards Dusk, her voice barely able to conceal a hint of frantic worry. “But, you see, well… It’s just... Magistrate Dusk Shine has offered his assistance to the city on some other matters, like finding out who spent half the year’s miscellaneous funds on Hearth’s Warming gift’s for every foal in town.”

The mare looked momentarily annoyed, while Dusk pretended to be invested in the paperwork he was clearly ignoring. Cutting into that gap in the conversation, Dusk’s voice gave away his indifference. “A matter I’m looking into, but would far rather simply pay the city the difference back from my own funds. I think seeing the smile on Sweetie Belle’s face alone was more than worth a few hundred Bits from the miscellaneous funds, Mrs. Mayor.”

Attempting to ignore Dusk’s easier solution, the mayor turned back to Amethyst, clutching her hands and squeezing them tight. “So please, Amethyst! Whatever happens, please consider asking Dusk for some help. I know this is your big year, but it’s just been one disaster after another lately, and I really- I mean, Ponyville really needs this to go well!”

Shaking the mayor’s hands, Amethyst puffed up with confidence and shook her head. “It’s alright, really, Mrs. Mayor!” When she saw that there was still desperation in the mayor’s eyes, she at last relented a little. “Dusk, are you still scheduled for your physical next Thursday? If I have any questions, do you mind if I come ask you then?”

Folding up the papers, Dusk laid them flat in his lap, giving Amethyst a smile that made her shiver in ways she’d not felt for anypony save Derpy in years. “Of course, Amethyst. I was going to ask you and Derpy for tea that afternoon anyways. My library, or your place?”

Shaking off the warm, tingly feeling, Amethyst smiled. “You’ve got a busy day, let us host you, Dusk! It would be our pleasure, really!”

With that settled, the mayor looked to finally relax, returning to her desk and leafing through her paperwork. Noncommittally, she looked over a page at Dusk. “I suppose it doesn’t really matter who spent a few bits on gifts for all the foals, does it? It was money well spent on making sure nopony went without a present. If you still insist on just paying for it and pushing the paperwork under the table, I won’t argue anymore, magistrate.”

Amethyst had to hide a giggle behind her hand when Dusk rolled his eyes at the way the mayor acted so only she could see it as she went to the door, waving goodbye to him. Clearly, the mayor had only wanted to make sure she had done everything possible to prevent another bad Winter Wrap-Up. “That doesn’t matter, really! She’s just doing her job!” Nearly slipping on the way out of manor, Amethyst was as giddy as a school filly. "I can’t believe it! This is it! The end of winter! And with Celestia’s blessing, I'll plan our first truly successful Winter Wrap-Up in years!"

Author's Notes:

At long last. Winter is over, and the wrap-up begins soon! Thanks to all of you for waiting for me to finally get this done and I hope it pays off and amuses you all!