We stopped in front of another home and began singing. A cute little colt opened the door, a huge grin on his face, and his mother appeared just a few second later. His eyes sparkled as he watched our group sing, and I couldn’t help but smile. Normally, I wouldn’t want to go out into public and sing, but all of my friends were going to be there, singing with me, and they really wanted me to join them. Really, it was Twilight, of all ponies, who convinced me to come. She knew I was afraid to sing in front of people, especially after that dreadful event with the Ponytones, and so had walked the quiet path to my cottage by herself. She hadn’t even brought Spike with her.

We sat on my couch as she explained that Applejack wanted to have all the girls and their families sing Hearth’s Warming carols to everyone in Ponyville. She looked at me, her sparkling eyes full of hope, and her charming smile faltered. “I understand if you don’t want to, and so will the girls,” she said. “But if it helps, you can stay by my side, all night, and pretend to sing. You can still be there and have the wonderful memories, but you won’t be afraid. Or you’ll be less, maybe.  I’m not sure.” She furrowed her eyebrows, her face taking on the intense look of concentration it does when she is trying to figure something out.  “I thought it would be nice.”

“That does sound nice, Twilight.” I smiled as she looked up at me and grinned.

So I found myself here, a scarf wrapped tightly around my neck and a hat pulled over my head, my hooves tapping to the tune of the song while we sang to the last house on the list. As the last note came to an end, and the colt and his mother stomped their feat in applause, I felt myself relax. The colt ran out, ignoring his mother’s calls for snow boots, and began talking to the fillies and Spike.

Finally, the colts mother called him back and made him dress before running out and joining the snowball fight the others had started. Twilight sighed and smiled, watching them play. I reached up and tapped her shoulder. She turned and looked at me, that contented smile still on her face. I took a breath. “This was very nice. Thank you for convincing me to come.”

She nodded, her contented smile shifting into something warmer. “Of course, Fluttershy. I wouldn’t have been the same without you there.” She licked her lips for a moment before shaking her head and looking back over at the playing foals. “I’m really glad you came.”

We sat there in silence. I liked that about Twilight. I could just be silent around her. It wasn’t like with some of the other girls. Pinkie always wanted to talk about something, and while Rarity didn’t expect me to speak much, she did always fill the silence with words. Twilight was different. The sun made its progress from just starting to set to barely peaking over the horizon before the snowball fight ended.

Rarity was pulling Sweetie Belle’s hat back over her ears as the two readied to go home. Dash had Scootaloo on her back as they waved goodbye, and Applebloom had ended up with Applejacks hat on her head.  Everyone looked over at Twilight and me, and I waved.

Twilight stood. “If you all would like, we could go back to the castle for hot chocolate.”

The fillies and Spike all perked up at the mention of hot chocolate, but everyone else shook their heads, all saying something about being tired, or cold, or the lateness of the hour. With that, we all started our treks home. The Apples walked toward the road that led to their farm, the four of them still laughing as they walked. Rainbow took to the sky with Scootaloo, heading toward the fillies home. Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Pinkie took the path that would lead to the main street of Ponyville.

That left Twilight, Spike, and myself. I sighed as I stood. “I could use some hot chocolate.” Twilight smiled, and I felt a small warmth through my chest.

“Me too,” Spike said. Twilight giggled, capturing him in her magical aura and placing him on her back.

“I’m sure you could, Spike.” She started on the path toward the castle. Again, she did not try to make small talk, which was a mercy on my nerves. By the time we arrived, my hooves felt like solid blocks of ice. She led us to a sitting room, where a fire was already roaring, and levitated some blankets onto the plush rug. “Warm up, I’ll go get the drinks.”

She left the room, leaving only me and Spike. He picked up a blanket and wrapped it around me, smiling. “Today sure was fun, wasn’t it?”

I nodded. Spike liked to talk to me. “Where was Starlight?” I asked. He paused, only half wrapped in his own blanket.

“Oh, right. She’s sick. That’s probably what’s taking Twilight so long.” He shrugged and finished cocooning himself in the blanket, sitting as close to the fire as he could without the material alighting. “It’s just a cold, but Twilight has been coddling her anyway.”

It only took a few more minutes before Twilight came back, a tray with three mugs held aloft in her magic. She sat the tray on the floor in front of the fire. “There we are. I added extra marshmallows for you, Spike.” He smiled as one of his claws came free of the cocoon and grabbed his mug. “It’s hot, be careful,” Twilight warned.

He nodded, his eyes never leaving his tray. Then he took what was definitely more than a sip. He swallowed forcefully, his eyes watering. Twilight shook her head. “I told you.” He sat the mug down and unwrapped himself. “I’m going to find some ice for my tongue. I’ll be back.”

Twilight sighed as the door shut. “He does that every time.”

I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped, and Twilight smiled. “Thank you,” I said, raising my own mug to my lips. I took a small sip. “It’s nice.”

Twilight picked her own mug up in her magic and the last blanket up in her hooves. She settled herself close enough to me to lean against my shoulder. “This is nice,” she said.

I looked over to her, meeting her eyes as she gazed back at me. The gaze didn’t last longer than a few seconds, but I felt myself blush. I looked away, back into the crackling fire. I sat my mug on the floor and looked over at Twilight, who was looking into her mug. Her blanket was draped over her head like a cape, her horn the only thing stopping it from obscuring her face.

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. The entire evening had been nice. The caroling, the fun after, and the fire was warm enough to make my cheeks burn. With my own contented sigh to match the earlier ones Twilight had given, I laid my head on her shoulder. Her eyes never strayed from the fire, but I watched as her smile widened and she closed her eyes. A moment later, her head rested on mine.

This was nice.