The room filled with gasps as Rainbow’s closest four friends, and marefriend, looked at the prismatic pegasus who was beaming, glowing with pride.

“I-I can’t believe it, darling… When did this happen?!”

“It’s super-duper-rific! I can’t believe I didn’t see it earlier, I was practically there!”

“It’s was bound to happen,” Twilight giggled.

“Oh, I’m so happy for you, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said as she smiled warmly.

“Oh yeah,” Applejack looked at Rainbow and tipped her hat, “she took ta flying a couple days ago. Reckon it was hard as herding a pack’a parasprites by my lonesome, but she stayed down ta show y’all tonight.”

Amidst the hoof stomps, whistles, and cheers; Rainbow hovered proudly.

“Okay, girls,” Rainbow’s voice cracked, “time ta get ready! Let’s rock this pageant,” she pumped her hoof as the girls looked around the dressing room.

“Ooo! Ah, please, somepony catch me, I’m actually here,” Rarity said and waved a hoof, fanning herself.

“Heh, it sure is somethin’ purty nice,” Applejack added as she dug into a box of set clothes, “can’t believe Ah’m gonna be Chancellor Pudding Head’s secretary! Ah can’t think of a better pony ta have been cast,” she grinned as she held up a full body tunic.

“Oh my, it certainly doesn’t leave much to the imagination,” Rarity pouted before she squealed in delight and tugged a flowing white and purple robe from a box and nuzzled it.

“What’re you talking about, Rare-Rare?” Pinkie giggled as she stood tall and proud wearing her tunic backwards with her custom hat on her tail, “these things are full of historically accurate- Ooo! Fluttershy, you look,” she paused to gaze at Fluttershy.

“Um, P-Pinkie, do I look, alright?”

Pinkie pulled herself into her tunic like a turtle and, a second later she was wearing her costume correctly. She barreled toward Fluttershy and sat next to her on her haunches, wagging her tail and looking around.

Fluttershy quickly leaned over and whispered in Pinkie’s ear, sending a series of vibrating chills down the pink mare’s back. Pinkie cooed and fell to her belly with a goofy grin across her muzzle.

“You two are so random,” Rainbow said as she placed her helmet on her head. “Oh yeah, that’s the stuff,” she said, adjusting it, “Commander Hurricane is in the castle,” she said flying over to a mirror and looking at her reflection.

A gust of wind blew a nearby window open sending a heavy chilled wind through the room and within a few seconds hooves were being pointed at who should close it.

Finally, Twilight closed the windows just as Spike announced the beginning of the Hearths Warming Eve Tale.

“Oh my goodness,” Rarity shouted as she galloped around and made sure her makeup, crown, and cape were on properly while the others adjusted their costumes.

“It’s time to start, let’s get into our places!” Pinkie whooped and tumbled, cart wheeled, and flipped around the room, landing by the curtains with a loud hush to the others. “Keep quiet,” she stage whispered, “they need to concentrate.”

One of the actors on set, a pegasi, shot Pinkie a mean look while he was taking food from earth ponies. Pinkie mouthed the words ‘sorry’ and looked back to her friends who were slightly nervous.

Applejack patted Rainbow’s hooves as the blue mare nervously hovered above them. With grace, she lowered and kissed the hoof that was outstretched to her and smiled.

“Darlin’ just lookit me when yer nerves get on ya, Ah’m here ta keep ya strong.”

Rainbow nodded fervantly as she sweated under her helmet and bit her bottom lip.

“Rainbow Dash, it’s no reason to be nervous,” Twilight said as she looked across the others, “we’re all scared, but think about Fluttershy. Be strong for her, right, Commander Hurricane?”

Rainbow grinned daringly. “You bet! No way Commander Hurricane is gonna be afraid of a little stage play. She led the ponies of Stratopolis to Equestria creating Pegasopolis, no pony ever did anything that epic,” she grinned to the acting chancellors.

“Well, darling, now that that is out of your system, let’s get ready,” Rarity said before she began to hum in various octaves, “the show won’t wait for any of-”

“Tribal leaders, you’re on,” the stage manager called.

“-Eep.”

“You can do it, ‘Shy! We gotta get this done so we can try out that costume,” Pinkie giggled as she pronked into her place.

“Good luck, ladies,” a stagehand said as he pushed a set of prop doors open and, with Spike’s narration, they began their parts in the play.

…

---

...

“Whoo-wee, that went better than harvest time on the farm,” Applejack sighed happily as she traded her costume hat for her stetson and settled it firmly on her head just before she finished replacing the costume into the box and closed it tight.

“Ugh, I certainly hope they launder these promptly,” Rarity scoffed as she pushed a closed box away from her, her ears swiveled and a grin crossed her face as she heard the hasty pattering of hooves. “And the girls are here,” she said looking at a stage door.

The cutie mark crusaders barged through a door, giggling happily as they raced around their sisters and mothers.

“That was such a great play,” Sweetie Belle commented as she stood between Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, “I can’t believe that there was a time we weren’t in harmony.”

“Yeah, what if we were livin’ like that right now? Would we be the cutie mark crusaders?”

“I don’t think so, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo said with a worried look, “we’d probably never even meet… I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Me neither.”

“Ah’m gonna stay extra harmonious and be friends ferev’r,” Apple Bloom chimed happiply in a heavy accent.

“And how,” Applejack agreed with a swipe of her hoof.

“Okay, okay, enough of that, I have a hunger pain and Ah’m getting somethin’ to eat, who’s down for some Donut Joe’s?”

“Rainbow,” Twilight asked, “you’ve eaten six times today. Even for a pegasi, that’s a lot. Are you feeling well?”

“I’m inclined to agree, Rainbow, one rarely eats that much without some type of illness… Oh my, you’re not,” she pointed inside her muzzle and made a vomit motion.

“What? Puking? I’m eating, Rares, sheesh.”

“What she means,” Fluttershy said stepping closer, “is that you aren’t eating healthy, either.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie appeared from a closed box. “I know unhealthy eating and you’re doing it! Pickles, onion, zucchini ice cream with sour cream?” All the mares made ‘gross’ faces. “Even I wouldn’t eat that, and I’ve eaten rocks stuffed inside cardboard that was soaked in spit… what?”

“Uhhmm,” Rarity said shaking her head and refocusing on Rainbow Dash, “we’re just, growing concerned. Certainly Applejack, your spouse and mate, can attest to the awkward diet you’ve taken up recently.”

“Look, gals, it’s no biggie,” Rainbow waved them off with a casual motion, “I just have… I mean, I want to try new things. And if you haven’t tried sour cream on your ice cream then you don’t know what you’re missing.”

“I think I’ll pass,” Twilight grimaced. “Applejack, doesn’t her recent diet bother you? She’s even been eating fish a lot more as of late.”

“Well, Ah ain’t one ta complain about another’s diet, long as there’s a heapin’ of apples ta go with it.”

“Ugh, girls, I’m fine, we’re fine, all’s fine! Look,” Rainbow did a backflip and landed in a trot, “see, just a case of the hungies.”

Applejack cleared her throat and motioned to the fillies. “And, let’s not ferget about these darlin’s. Ain’t’cha famished?”

“Meh,” Scootaloo shrugged with the others, “it’s kinda fun watching you all get excited. And you think sour cream ice cream is weird?” Scootaloo rolled her eyes as Rainbow waved and gestured for the filly to stop, unnoticed by all except Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

“She’s been eating apple pies with anchovies and onions late at night, pickles and fritters, peanut butter and jelly, and a whole lotta juice… every night. It’s like she’s trying to get fat,” Scootaloo said looking at Rainbow, who now had her hooves around her neck, acting like she was strangling herself… then she pointed to Scootaloo who gulped.

“Rainbow Dash, darling,” Rarity started and gathered all the attention back to the mare hovering just above and behind them, “is this true? Are you attempting to gain weight? Your petite and athletic figure are your most endearing traits-”

“And you look super skinny and tough too,” Pinkie interjected, ignoring the frown Raroty was giving her, “and if you wanna put on a few inches; I say have at it, sister.”

“She’s right, Rainbow,” Twilight added with a stomp of her hoof, “it’s your body and if you wanna get… plump, then you go right ahead.”

“We’ll support you no matter what,” Fluttershy added with a nod, “because we’re your best friends and we love you for who you are, not how big you are.”

Rainbow facehoofed and groaned. “I’m not trying to get fat, can we just drop it?”

“Well,” Pinkie tapped her chin, “sounds like you’re pregnant… but you can’t be; you’re with AJ, and we all know she doesn’t… have, uh? Why’s everypony looking at me like that?”

Pinkie turned to look among her friends who were glaring at her. “You can be as funny as you wish with the rest of us, Miss Pie,” Rarity raised a hoof and waggled it in a scolding way, “but do not make fun of our friend in such a way.”

“I agree,” Twilight nodded and pointed to Rainbow Dash, “eating disorders are no laughing matter and you never tell a mare she looks pregnant, especially during the holidays!”

“Yes, Pinkie-Winkie, that’s not very kind of you.”

“Wow,” Sweetie Belle whispered to the other crusaders, “this’ better than the play. Let’s see if they get harmonious again.”

“Or if windego’s freeze them all,” Scootaloo snickered.

“Oh, sister popsicles?!” Apple Bloom added as all three giggled quietly.

“Nah, I’d say they’d just hug it out before the next five minutes.”

“Ugh, Spike, can’t you just play along?”

“Hey, I’ve been watching quietly since the start; it always goes the same way. They’ll fight, something dangerous or scary will happen, they’ll make peace, hug it out, and… see, there you go.”

The cutie mark crusaders gasped and frowned. “We missed the thing,” Apple Bloom mumbled as they hung their heads.

“Bah, don’t fret none, sis,” Applejack said softly as she tilted her sisters chin up, “we’ve got a hum-dinger of a story ta share at supper. We’re goin’ ta Donut Joe’s, so saddle up.”

The crusaders and Spike grinned widely before splitting up.

Spike ran and jumped onto Twilight’s back, holding on with his legs as the mare trotted and gossiped with Rarity and Fluttershy; Sweetie Belle began a side conversation with the whelp.

Scootaloo strained herself but hovered beside Rainbow Dash and got a noogie for her efforts, while Apple Bloom asked Applejack how it was acting in the play.

Next Chapter: Happy Hearths Warming Eve 2 Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 41 Minutes