"Come on, Spike! I ain't gonna be responsible if you decide to become a snowpony!"

The teenage dragon said nothing, instead increasing his speed as the two continued their mad dash back towards Zecora's hut. Quickly unattaching the harness, Apple Bloom followed after Spike, nearly throwing herself into the tree hut.

The two of them splayed out onto the floor, spending a few moments to catch their breaths. Spike let out a long sigh "Just our luck, huh?"

Apple Bloom rubbed her cutie mark, regretting how hard she flung herself in. "Seeing a snowstorm start in the Everfree would be cooler if we weren't in the dang middle of it." She pushed herself to her hooves, and pulled Spike to his feet. "I don't think we'll be getting that delivery back for Twilight anytime soon. Anyways..." she glanced around the room, "Where's Zecora?"

The front door slammed open, causing Spike and Apple Bloom to jump back in surprise. Zecora gave them a warm smile, softy closing the door behind her. "I assume you know the weather is foul, and I can perfectly understand why you wouldn't want to go out. But enjoying others' presence is quite a delight, and I wouldn't mind having you here for the night."

"Thanks, Zecora." Apple Bloom let off a shiver. "Do you have any way to warm up this place? A few minutes in that snow and my hooves already want to fall off."

Zecora nodded. "Just give me a moment, I must move my cauldron." Letting her bags fall to the floor, she moves over the cauldron, and motions Spike to come over. "If you could light the fire, it would save me a scalding. Apple Bloom, could you grab some blankets from the floor above? I'll grab some cups if you wish to drink up." With that, she left towards the kitchen, and clangs rang through the hut as she slowly navigated through the clutter.

After one puff of flame, three blankets, and three cups of hot tea later, Zecora, Spike, and Apple Bloom all huddled around the fireplace, basking in its warmth as the sky darkened and the wind whistled outside. Apple Bloom took a long sip of her drink and shuddered as she felt her core heat up. "Sorry about leaving all of your herbs in the cart, they're probably all ruined by now."

Zecora shrugged. "They will freeze, but that is fine, they'll simply dethaw in the sunlight. More importantly, how shall we spend our time? Not entertaining my guests simply seems like a crime."

"Do you have any stories?" Spike pulled the blanket tighter around him. "You've mentioned tales from your homeland, but I don't think you've ever told them in full."

The zebra let out a laugh. "Just like your mentor, aren't you? But I love to recite them, to tell you the truth. Now, where shall I begin? Ah, I shall tell you the mare who had to choose between her heart and her kin!" She spent a few moments clearing her throat.

"Once upon a time, there was a filly who had a goal in her life, but her dedication to her family kept her confined..."

Neither Spike or AppleBloom knew how much time had passed. Zecora had fallen asleep a while ago, the winds died down, and the world fell completely silent. Somehow, they found themselves huddled up next to each other, sharing their blankets and body heat with one another as the fire began to fade away. AppleBloom turned her head and looked at Spike. Now that they've both grown up, she was still surprised at how much he'd grown - he was half a head taller than her, both sitting and standing, even though she was rather large herself.

Her mind drifted off to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. They've spent so much time together, but now they were planning on heading to Canterlot, to do bigger and better things. She couldn't help but think back on the story Zecora told — and she couldn't stop herself from shivering a little. She couldn't lie to herself—

"I'm scared, Spike."

"Of the snow?"

She shook her head. "No, no, I'm..." The words weighed heavy at the back of her throat. "I'm scared of...I dunno. Being alone? Things changing? I want to go with Scoots and Sweetie, but...I want to stay with my sis too. And...I don't know what to do." A moment of silence. "I'm sorry, I'm just dumping this on y—"

"Hey, it's fine." Spike gave Apple Bloom a warm smile. "Feel free to get it off your chest, I'll listen as long as I need to."

Another moment of silence. "No, Spike, it's fine, I'm fine, I was just—"

"But you're not. You said so yourself." Spike looked at Apple Bloom. "The worries aren't going to go away if you just keep it all in — just look at Twilight, and see how successful she's been at solving problems all on her own." He turned back towards the fading flames. "Take all the time that you need, we have all night."

"Well..." She tried to finish - to start - the thought, but nothing came out. The feelings that were rising out of her chest didn't seem to translate into words, and she could only sit there with an increasing weight in her chest.

"I feel selfish, and I hate it, Spike." As soon as the first words came out, the feelings that were welling in her chest began pouring out. "I love my sister, and I feel like it's only the right thing to do for me to stay on the farm and help her. I love Sweetie and Scoots, and I want to follow them to Canterlot, and for all of us to continue helping one another, to continue as the Cutie Mark Crusaders. But if I'm with Applejack, then Sweetie and Scoots might stay in Ponyville with me. And if I go, then I'll be leaving Applejack and Macintosh all alone. And I don't know what to do." She leaned onto Spike's shoulder, and rubbed her eyes. "They're all telling me to do what I really want to do, but I...I don't know what to do, Spike. I don't want to be this confused, this scared."

"There's nothing wrong with being scared." Spike wrapped his arm around Apple Bloom and pulled her closer. "And you're anything but selfish. You're just being too selfless, putting others before yourself. The question is, what do you want? What will make you happy?"

"I don't know." Apple Bloom buried her face in the dragon's side. "I'm just...so scared. I don't want to hurt anypony. But I can't choose both."

"So what do you really want, then? Not what you feel like your should do, not what you feel you owe — what do you really want?"

"I told you, I don't kn—"

"It seems to me like you do. You said so yourself."

"No, you don't understand!" AppleBloom pulled away and buried her face in the blanket. "You don't understand."

"...It kind of hurts for you to say that."

"..."

Spike pulled the blanket - and in turn Apple Bloom - closer to him. "Unlike you, I don't really get that choice. You know how Twilight is going to leave for her first diplomatic mission next week, right?"

Apple Bloom nodded.

"...I'm not going with her. She said that I should find what 'makes me happy', instead of serving her for the rest of my life. And as much as I've tried, she's won't change her mind." Spike took a moment to rub his eyes. "I wish I could choose to stay with her, but...I can't tell her she's wrong."

"And you're just...going to let it happen?"

"I've...accepted it, I guess. I'd love to stay with Twilight, and follow her on all around the world, but...I can't be a kid forever. I need to do something for myself, and I'm—" Spike chokes back a sob. "I'm not ready. I'm not ready." His tone wavers, and tears roll down his cheeks. "I've seen Twilight at her best and her worst, and as much as she's caused trouble, she's like a mother to me. And I...I love her. I've never told her that, you know?" He stops for a moment, wiping the tears off of his face. "I've never said to her I love you. Isn't that selfish, wanting her to stay with me, to keep her to myself, and I can't even express my love to her?"

Apple Bloom felt her own eyes water, and embrace Spike, burying her face in his chest. She couldn't help but let out a weak giggle. "Maybe you can come with us. It could be like the times in the treehouse, remember."

"Yeah." Spike wrapped his arms around Apple Bloom. "Maybe I should. Give myself a bit more time to get ready. If I'll ever be.

"You will, Spike. You will. You managed that entire dang castle by yourself, haven't you?"

Spike nodded, and the silence fell back over the darkness. Apple Bloom felt nothing but relief was over her. All the stress, the worry she'd be keeping inside felt like it vanished into the air, even if only for a moment. She still wasn't sure of her answer, but her dread was replaced by a fearful excitement, the weight in her chest replaced by the beat of her heart.

The dying embers looked so beautiful. How did she not notice that?

Holding each other in the other's embrace, they drifted off into world of dreams, the last ashes of the fire fading into the night.

Author's Notes:

I planned to add a bit more, but I wasn't able to finish before the deadline. Still, I hope you enjoyed it.