"That is one big tree." Jonathan said to himself out loud, his eyes scanning the trunk of the tree. Almost all of its leaves had already fallen, but it didn't hinder its ability to astonish the ones who saw it for the first time.

He had wandered around the streets of Ponyville, trying to look for job applications or any errands to do. To his dismay, he had found none and the day was almost over. The lower the sun went, the more he got worried of his situation. The temperature seemed to drop at every passing hour and he could feel it through his thick fur. It didn't feel so warm as it had just six hours ago.

Standing still; the cold started to bite harder and harder. "I need to keep moving." He took one last look at the majestic tree, before putting one hoof in front of the other. He had asked around Ponyville about Applejack and where he could find her. The town's folk gave him brow lifts and narrowed eyes at the question, but they told him about an apple-farm called Sweet Apple Acres. She was the only pony who could help Jonathan right now.

Jonathan had asked for Redheart back at the clinic an hour ago. The answer hadn't been what he had hoped for, "A day off for personal reasons." He had hoped to talk to her, but the staff didn't feel like sharing Redheart's address or location for that matter. The warm clinic bed had been the best he could have hoped for yesterday and she could have taken him in for "observation" over the night, just to be safe.

The lone zebra let out a huff. "Observation..." He shook his head rapidly, making the improper thoughts go away. "Focus, dammit!"

He walked along the street, towards the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. At least to the direction he was told to go, he didn't know if the instructions were truthful. The citizens he had asked from had all told him to go the same direction, so it probably was the real thing.

The streets were quiet, with only a few ponies scrambling for their homes. To their warm homes. The lights from the houses shined to the street from the windows. Passing by a small house, he got a glimpse inside from the window.

Inside, around what appeared to be the dining table, sat a young unicorn filly with a blond mane and light purple coat. She smiled from ear to ear and impatiently bounced on the chair, as a gray mare with a same blond mane carried a plate of muffins to the table. As the mare lowered the plate, Jonathan saw her misaligned eyes. Despite them, she seemed very happy.

The filly jumped off the chair and leaped for the mare. They both embraced each other in a warm, loving hug and Jonathan saw the filly move her snout.

"I love you, mommy."

Jonathan felt something squeeze his heart, like it had stopped for a second. He averted his eyes, and felt a tear fall down his cheek. "Why am I crying? I should be happy for her. I should be happy for them." Jonathan raised a hoof and wiped the tear away. He hanged his head with a sigh. "Why am I sad?"

Head lowered, he continued walking along the street leading out of Ponyville, as snowflakes slowly descended from the sky. They felt like little needles as they hit his back.

***

"Damn..." Jonathan said to himself. The farmhouse was already dark. "I can't take the risk... If Applejack isn't there I'd be in big trouble." Even though the citizens had been mostly nice towards him, they still gave him some weird looks. They seemed to avoid him; going far around him on the street like he smelt bad or something. "Do I smell bad?" He turned his head and tried to sniff his body. Nothing out of ordinary, except that he smelt like a zebra. "That's... normal, right?" He asked from himself. It was still a mystery to him how he ended up being a striped horse.

Jonathan raised a hoof and tapped the side of his head. "Why I can't remember anything?" He knew he was a human, he felt things, he knew what the feelings were; "...gratitude,  happiness and... love?" His heart twisted again. He felt deep sadness and grief, with no idea why. His face had taken up a frown and his vision started to get blurry. "This is so absurd."

A cold chill broke him from the question, which may never be answered. He was still standing in the middle of the farm's yard, out in the below zero temperature. The farm-house was dark, the residents had probably gone to sleep or were absent. He slowly turned his head from left to right, scanning his surroundings in the moonlight. The few falling snowflakes glowed like little stars as they fell down. His eyes stopped at a large, building-like silhouette some distance away from the farm-house.

Jonathan stood next to the large building. "A barn." If luck was on his side, it was warmer inside the barn than outside. He opened the barn's door sligthly, and felt a very slight rush of warmer air. "I hope it's warm enough in there to keep me from freezing to death..." He went inside and took a quick peek outside, before closing the door.

***

"Twilight, how are you feelin' 'bout this?"

The unicorn let out a sigh. "AJ, I'm fine." She turned to look at the mare next to her with a small, reassuring smile. "It has already been two months. The worst part is over."

Applejack shook her head. The worst wasn't really over. It was to come in upcoming months. Her friend knew it, she just didn't want to think about it. "Well, it's Heart's Warming eve now." She turned to look at the zebra, who was laying down on the couch in front of a fireplace. He looked so calm and relaxed while watching the flames and listening to crackling of the wood. "Oh look, RD is at it again."

The unicorn turned her head. Rainbow sneaked towards the couch, head and body close to the floor like a predator stalking its prey, with a wide grin on her face and eyes of determination. Not a sound was let out by her hooves as she approached the couch from behind. Her movement was smooth, a perfect example of her agility. She raised her head, her eyes slowly inspected the zebra laying in front of her. Her nostrils widened, as she started to take a deep breath.

"Almost, Rainbow." The zebra said without taking his eyes off the fireplace.

The pegasus' eyes widened. "Oh c'mon!" She flew over the couch and landed in front of Jonathan. "How did you know I was there?" she asked, shaking her head in disbelief and with narrowed eyes.

He slowly turned his head to look at the pegasus. His expression remaining flat and hard. "Your hooves aren't made of dough."

Rainbow let out a huff of frustration. "You and... your riddles!" She took air, slowly hovered away. Jonathan let out a snicker and smiled.

Applejack grinned at the pegasus flying towards her. "Ah knew you wouldn't manage to do it this time either, Rainbow."

Crossing her hooves in front of her, Rainbow continued to hover next to Applejack and Twilight. She gave a pout and glanced back at the zebra. "I just don't get it." The living room of Twilight's library was silent, except for the crackling of the fireplace and barely audible flaps of Rainbow's wings. The pegasus turned back to look at Applejack. "I can't make him jump, but Pinkie..."

"SURPRISE!"

"WHAT THE HELL!?" The yell was followed by a thump.

"...always succeeds." Rainbow gave deep sigh of defeat and landed next to Applejack, her head lowered.

The zebra laughed as he got up from the floor, the party pony smiled from ear to ear next to him. "That was a good one, Pinkie! Flawless timing!"

The pink pony laughed. "I know, right!?"

Twilight smiled at the sight. "At least he's having fun."

"Ah agree," Applejack said, also smiling at the two laughing friends. She turned to look at Rainbow, who also had a small grin on her face.

"Dinner's ready!" Spike yelled from the kitchen.

Twilight glanced at the kitchen and looked back at her guests and one resident. Despite her feelings, she knew she had to accommodate Jonathan. He had no other place. Fluttershy's cottage was too small, Applejack's farm was a bit too far away, Rainbow lived in a cloud, Pinkie wouldn't let him sleep and Rarity... Well, she didn't want her customers make wrong assumptions. Twilight had to live on, like nothing had happened. At least around Jonathan, she had to act like it.

"Twi'?" Applejack asked, her head slightly tilted. "You alright?"

The unicorn raised her eyes and looked at the cowpony. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."

"You looked like you phased out there... With a frown." Rainbow said, concerned of her friend.

Twilight put up a small smile. "I'm fine."

"Can we go and eat? It might not look or sound like it, but I'm starving!" Jonathan said as he walked next to the trio, still snickering at the party pony bouncing by towards the kitchen.

"Sure, let's go!" Twilight exclaimed.

The door was knocked. Twilight knew right away who it was from the way of the knocking and from who was missing from the Eve party. "Excuse me." Walking towards the door, she opened it with a small flick of her magic.

The rush of the cold wind brought Rarity's words inside with a chill, "I sincerely apologize for being late, Twilight!"

Jonathan shuttered as the cold air rushed inside. He had almost forgotten how cold it was outside right now. Living inside a huge and apparently very well insulated tree for almost two months straight might be the reason. His host was very kind and intelligent, but she seemed to be prone to emotions. For example, after she first saw him; she almost burst into tears. She hasn't told a reason for it to this day, at least to not him. Jonathan however felt better not to ask about it. Whatever it was, it had to very emotional for her.

"Jon?"

Twilight's voice broke him from the concerning thoughts. Jonathan raised his eyes to look at her. For an unknown reason, every time he saw those big, purple eyes; he didn't feel like looking away. "Yes, Twilight?"

Letting out a snicker, she smiled. "Are you going to join us?" she raised a hoof at the table as Spike put the last plate down on the it.

"With pleasure!" Jonathan exclaimed with a smile.

Just few minutes later, the dining room was filled with clinging of cutlery and the chewing of food. The six friends, a zebra and Spike all enjoyed their meals around the wooden dining table.

"Shpike, zhis ish delihcioush!" Rainbow said around the food in her mouth.

"Rainbow Dash! Don't speak with your mouth full!" Rarity commented firmly, cocking her head back as crumbs fell down from Rainbow's mouth.

Stopping her munching, Rainbow raised her head to look at Rarity. "Shorry!"

"No worries, dear." Rarity said, giving a smile with a narrowed eye.

"Glad you like it, Rainbow." Spike said before taking another small gem in his mouth.

"I still can't believe you can cook this amazing food, yet you eat gems." Jonathan commented with slightly narrowed eyes and a shaking head.

"Spike has always had a taste for food," Twilight said, smiling proudly at her number one assistant.

"I've been meaning to ask from you, Spike; how- ouch..." Jonathan raised his hoof to his head and leaned on it slightly as he closed his eyes.

Twilight furrowed her brows in concern, the others turning to look at the zebra with similar expressions. "Jon? You alright?"

Jonathan waved his hoof. "It's nothing, just a headache." Taking a deep breath, he raised his head and slowly opened his eyes. "It seems to come and go. It's not a very hard one, but when it comes in a second it hits you like a rock."

The six ponies gave each other looks of concern. Twilight's thoughts went straight to the probable cause of Jonathan's headache. She shifted her wide open eyes down. She felt something in her throat and gulped. "This can't be good... How long will...?"

"Twi?" Jonathan called.

The unicorn raised her eyes to look at his light green ones. "Relax! Don't show emotions! Focus!"

"I'm fine, don't worry about it." He said with a smile, head slightly tilted to the side.

Twilight forced a smile on her face. "I'm sure you are." A war ravaged in her head, as she pushed the thoughts away.

"Now, let's continue eating before the food get's cold." Jonathan said, glancing around the table and turning back to look at his almost empty plate. The others took one more concerned glance at each other and at Twilight, before continuing.

------------------------

A/N: Again: I sincerely apologize for the time it took to write this. I had a bad case of "writer's block" for the past week and before that was school related stuff...

Fortunately, after the writer's block went away, I had a case of the opposite and I've now planned the rest of the story through. Now it's just about writing it, but... Confound the schools! It takes my time from writing! (And curse my natural laziness...)