Thud.

One blue eye snapped wide open.

Thud.

A body rolled over, pulling off the bedcovers as it moved, groaning with the indignity of wakefulness, to face the window.

Thud.

It got up, grumbling still, stretching across to pull wide the curtains and push open the snow-spattered window pane.

Wait a moment, Rarity realised moments too late. Snow?

The fourth snowball struck her head on. Screaming with surprise and from the cold, she toppled backwards onto the bed, while three foals and one grown mare fell about with laughter outside.

"Nice shot, Pound! I didn't think she'd wake up so quickly, though..."

Rarity had been planning to give the irresponsible adult behind this some strong words of rebuke, but when she heard her old friend's voice for the first time in a year all her anger evaporated. Sticking her head back outside, disregarding the potential for additional missiles, she waved down to the farmyard below.

"Pinkie! Pinkie Pie!" she called. "Oh, thank heavens you made it!"

"Why wouldn't I have?" Pinkie yelled back up as the Cake siblings, Pound and Pumpkin, rolled around in the snow, their little frames shaking with gleeful mirth. Next to them, a white pegasus filly with a deep red mane tittered nervously at the mare she had been accomplice to waking. Pinkie Pie pulled Little Angel into a typically enthusiastic hug as she rambled on. "There's no way I'd have missed spending Hearth's Warming with my bestest, greatest friends in all of Equestria! Not even for, like, a million cupcakes!"

"Come inside, darling!" Rarity shouted. "I'll be right down!"

Wide awake after the rude, albeit forgiven rousing, Rarity summoned her towel dressing gown to her, having had the good sense to remember to bring it up the night before, and galloped downstairs as fast as the garment would allow. In the kitchen, the fire was roaring in the hearth, Twilight was sat, deep in a book, on the sofa in front of it, and standing in the doorway was bright pink mare with fluffy pink hair. The wide grin that seemed to be permanently plastered onto Pinkie's face could only grow wider as Rarity burst in, running to the door and hugging her tightly, the two of them laughing with the simple joy of reunion.

By her side stood her adorers Pound and Pumpkin, the pegasus and unicorn twins who had adopted Pinkie as their aunt, with the filly proudly sporting a cutie mark of her namesake, it having only just come in this past year, while the colt was still as of yet unmarked. Little Angel, Fluttershy and Mac's only child, stood beside them, smiling nervously, although with more courage yet than her mother had borne as a youngster herself. Rarity went to each of the foals in turn, greeting them with vary degrees of sweetness and mock disappointment. Having met the two fillies with gentle embraces, she turned to the colt by the counter with an exaggerated frown.

"Now, Pound Cake," she sighed. "What am I to do with you?" The children giggled. "Throwing snowballs at a lady's face is a most ungentlecoltly thing to do." She pursed her lips as if in thought. "I think," she said at length, "that we are going to have to have a proper snowball fight at some point. You must let me have a chance to avenge myself." Angel and Pumpkin burst out laughing as Pound Cake shuffled nervously where he stood, grinning abashedly at the smiling unicorn.

"Alright then!" Pinkie Pie shouted, saving the embarrassed youngster. "Who wants hot chocolate?" The foals inevitably squealed with excitement as the playful pony clattered about the kitchen.

"I'd rather have a strong coffee, if that's alright with you, Pinkie dearest," Rarity admitted. She glanced to the left as a little hoof poked at her side.

"Miss Rarity?" Little Angel mumbled, a lock of her red mane falling down over her eyes in a fashion that beautifully reminded the former dressmaker of her mother's own partially-blinding bangs. "You aren't a-angry with Pound Cake, are you?"

"Oh, why, no darling, of course not!" Rarity exclaimed. "I might have been if I wasn't so happy to see you all! Especially you-" she said, swooping down to pull her old friend's daughter into another hug, as the pegasus filly laughed, squirming. She quickly pulled away, and Angel pranced off to stand at Pinkie's hooves. Rarity smiled at the child's antics as she moved in front of the fire to join Twilight.

"So then Twilight," she said with a happy sigh. "What's the plan?"

"Oh," Twilight replied with slight surprise. "I'm still waiting on Cele- Princess Celestia to send me the final details."

"No, darling," Rarity said patiently. "For today. Are we going to the market?"

"Oh!" Twilight said again, realising her mistake. "Uh, of course we are! We were just waiting for you!"

"Really? You should have woken me, dear! I don't want to keep the foals hanging around!"

"It's OK, Rarity!" Pinkie reassured her as she dashed over with a tray, loading with steaming mugs of coffee and cocoa, from which the two unicorns gratefully took. "We've been having great fun, haven't we guys?" she said, and the children yelled their approval.

"It certainly looks like it." Rarity smiled as the three foals sat down in front of the fire with their drinks, their coats dripping with a mix of sweat and melting snow. "But I shan't keep you waiting any longer, if I can avoid it. I'll have a quick shower, and then we can head off."

"Don't you want any food first?" Twilight asked, concerned. "You can't have eaten anything since that sandwich on the train last night."

"It's fine, Twilight, honestly," Rarity said with a shake of her head. "I'd rather sample the delights of the market, to be honest. It's probably going to be my only chance to go." She bought the mug to her muzzle and gulped appreciatively at Pinkie's brew.

"Oh, yeah," Pinkie said, her voice slowly slightly as the excitement faded a little. "Applejack told me about that trip you're going on."

Rarity paused for a moment. Of all their friends, Pinkie had been the least angry when Rainbow Dash had left. However, after the Fire of Pitsburgh and Rainbow's disappearance, she had taken it harder than anypony, and even refused to believe Princess Celestia at first when she finally got word from her athletic agent that she was OK. "Oh, Pinkie," she sighed, "I'm sorry-"

"Why?" Pinkie asked with a quizzical look. "What'cha got to be sorry for?"

"I - I just thought that - after Rainbow went missing-"

"Oh, um, yeah," Pinkie said in an tone subdued - at least by her standards. "She's OK, though, isn't she?" Now it was the unicorn's turn to look surprised. "I, uh... I know how I kinda lost it a bit after the Fire, but... I - I think I'm OK with it now." She gave an apologetic smile, her head bowed so that she looked up at Twilight as she went on. "I'm sorry I shouted at you Twilight. I - I really-"

"It's OK Pinkie," Twilight replied, looking up from her book. "We... I think we all wanted to shout that day. I know I did."

"Thanks, Twilight." Pinkie brought her head up once more. "See, at first I was, like, really really worried that something super-bad might have happened to her, but then when I got back to work all the kids were like, 'why are you crying, Pinkie?' And the other carers all said it wasn't good for the children or their parents if we looked miserable." As she justified herself, her voice regained its cheerful bubble, until by the time she finished she was very much Pinkie once more - not quite the over-excitable mare she had been when she first came to Ponyville, but still with a greater capacity for cheer and laughter than almost anypony else Rarity knew.

"I can understand that," Rarity agreed. Four years ago Pinkie had moved to Manehatten to work in a children's hospice for fillies and colts with serious illnesses - foals who didn't have very long to live. There they cared for them and gave them a chance to play like normal children, which was something that Pinkie, with her bubbly outlook and love of youngsters, had proven to be well-suited to. Though she had toned her mannerisms down from being the crazy party pony she had been when she first arrived in Ponyville, she still had an infectious ability to make ponies happy, and still never asked for any thanks more than a grateful smile.

"You're right, they were right," Pinkie went on, "so I thought, 'Pinkie, you gotta trust the Princess, and everything'll be alright.' And I just went back on in and started smiling again."

"You're so sweet, Pinkie." Rarity gave her friend an appreciative smile. "So - you don't mind us going as well, then?"

"Nuh-uh!" Pinkie responded with an emphatic shake of the head. "Like I said, I trust Princess Celestia! If she wants you to go, then she knows you'll be fine, right? She wouldn't send you if she didn't think you could handle it! She'd send, like, royal guards or something."

Rarity felt Twilight stiffen next to her on the sofa. The purple unicorn, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, reading, turned away a little. Before either of the two adult mares could respond, a voice squeaked up at them from the floor below.

"Where's Lady Twilight going?" Pumpkin Cake asked, her orange mane flopping down comically in front of her eyes as she looked up at her foalsitter.

"Pssh," her pegasus brother derided, "she's not Lady Twilight. She's Mage Twilight."

"She's a lady too!" the little unicorn yelled back. "Her brother's a prince!"

"Yeah, but mages are cooler."

"Lady!"

"Mage!"

"I like Doctor Twilight best," Little Angel admitted with a little smile.

"So do I," Twilight said with a wink. Sensing the tension had defused, she decided to push things on before Pinkie could bring out her greatest weapon - the last thing she wanted was to have to Pinkie Promise a return. "Right then! We want to get to the market before noon, right? You should go get ready, Rarity."

"Yes!" the actress replied, springing up from the sofa, gulping down the last of her coffee.

"Of course! We're meeting AJ and Fluttershy there, I presume?"

"We'll drop in," Twilight said with a nod, "but they'll probably be too busy with their stall to chat much."

"Of course." Rarity gave a little self-focused frown as she realised. "The Winter market must be wonderful for their business. Apple family spiced cider and apple pie on Hearth's Warming is always a treat."

"We have mamma's chocolate log cake at Hearth's Warming," said Pound Cake with a proud grin.

"Oh, well, they're also very nice," Rarity agreed hastily, trying not to offend the egotistical young colt. "I suppose Pinkie is getting you out from under your parents' hooves whilst they do business?"

"Uh-huh," the foal said, nodding. Rarity smiled down at him, then yelped as a pair of white hooves gave her a little shove.

"Go on, Rarity!" Little Angel pleaded. "I wanna see the bard again!"

"The bard?" Rarity asked. "Oh! The gazelle! Of course, you're right, we should get going!" She made for the staircase. "I shan't be a moment, darlings!"

"She'll be half an hour at least," Twilight said with a grin. "So, Pinkie, tell me about Manehatten life. Met any friendly colts?"

"Well," Pinkie said, fidgeting her hooves as a little blush spread across her cheeks. "There's this nurse at the hospice called Soothing Hooves. He's-"

"Ew!" The three youngsters gave retches of childish disgust.

"Come on guys, we don't wanna listen to this!" Pound cried, sprinting for the doorway once more. "Let's go outside and finish building our snow colt!"

"It's a snow mare!" his sister insisted, as she and Angel gave chase.

The two older ponies chuckled at the foals' antics as Pinkie slumped down in Rarity's place on the sofa.

"So then," Twilight said to her. "Soothing Hooves..."

"Oh, wow," Twilight breathed as they stepped into the marketplace. "They really pulled out all the stops this year, didn't they?" Rarity smiled.

Ponyville's octagonal town hall tower was not only covered in sparkling lights and fluttering banners as it was most years, but this year also sported glimmering statues around the upper gantries, seemingly carved from ice, depicting famous Equestrian figures old and new. Above the front door reared the Princesses Celestia and Luna, with the legendary ancient King Steelmane stood just to their right.

"Oh, I love that one," Rarity said, pointing. "That one just on Luna's left. With the big book?" She gave a sly grin.

"The other unicorn? I don't know who that... Oh," Twilight mumbled, as she realised the unicorn with the tome was in fact a likeness of herself.

"They got one of the town hero," Pinkie stage whispered to her.

"Me, though?" Twilight asked.

"Well, sure!" Pinkie went on. "You saved the town from an Ursa! And loadsa other things, too! I think it's because of the Ursa, though..."

"You fought an Ursa Major?" Pound Cake gasped, following along beside Pinkie as they came into the marketplace. "Wow! Those things are, like, gigantous!"

"Gigantic," Twilight corrected him. "And no, it was an Ursa Minor, and I just put him to sleep - I mean, literally," she said, as the two fillies gave distressed squeaks. "With a bottle of milk and everything. Did Mrs Cake never tell you that story?"

"My Mamma told me about that," Angel said with an innocent childish certainty. "She said you're really good with animals."

"Not as good as her," Twilight said, smiling knowingly. "There's not a single creature the Fluttershy can't get to behave."

"Except Angel." The little pegasus grinned meekly.

"Except Angel." Twilight drifted slightly, reminiscing. "Yeah... She had her work cut out with him... I miss that little critter," she sighed.

"So does mamma," Angel said, and Twilight smiled again.

"But now she's got you, and your dad, and all the Apples to keep her company, right?"

"Right!" the white pegasus exclaimed, happily.

"Momma!" squealed Pumpkin, dashing across the square to the market stall opposite. Rarity startled, raising a hoof, about to call her back, before realising where she had actually gone. The homely blue earth mare nuzzled her daughter lovingly as her husband carried on dealing with the line of customers.

"Hello, darling," she said. "Hello, Pound. I - Oh! Dr. Sparkle, Miss Rarity! It's been too long! How are you both? I hope my little ones haven't been giving you too much trouble."

"Oh, we're fine, missus Cake," Twilight said with a grin. "They've been absolute treasures."

"We're gonna look at the market with Auntie Pinkie!" Pumpkin squealed.

"Again?" Cup Cake asked, an exasperated smile spreading across her features.

"Well, yeah," the orange unicorn replied. "We haven't nearly seen everything yet!"

"Well, go on then." Mrs Cake grinned as she pushed her away. "You be back here before it gets dark, alright?"

"Yes, mamma!" the twins chorused back, before galloping away. Twilight and Rarity smiled at the baker and her husband before turning away to catch up with Pinkie.

The ground under their hooves had been trodden free of its white blanket as they traipsed around the stalls, but snow still lay fresh on the stands' awnings and the rooftops of the houses around. With thick, grey clouds oppressing the sky, it was clear that more could be to come.

Despite the ominous outlook, the merchants of Ponyville were out in full force, manning stalls decked out with all kinds of festive wares. Pies, turnovers, quiches, and loaves stood freshly-baked next to their sugary counterparts of puddings, pastries, fruitcakes and sweets. Massive sacks of vegetables and juicy fruits, kept fresh by the raw magic of the earth pony folk, were rapidly unloaded onto housemares desperately making their last preparations for the holiday ahead.

Foals gazed wide-eyed at toys and trinkets, wooden train-sets and plastic swords, child's dolls and story books. Unicorn children pestered their mothers for a "real" arch-mage's cape, while pegasi fathers and sons both looked on in want at Skyball flightsuits and Wonderbolts memorabilia, the image of Spitfire, the team's most famous captain who had left abruptly three years ago to travel the world, stuck and signed in multiple frames.

As they walked around, Twilight's ears began to prick up as a strumming noise started somewhere close by. With a giggle, the foals in their charge broke into a run, Pinkie close behind.

"Come on, girls!" called the excitable mare. "You're going to want to see this!"

"Wha..." Rarity began to ask, but the answer became clear all too quickly. A ring of ponies stood around a platform at the edge of the square, raised ever-so-slightly off the ground to give performers a chance to be seen, and the crowd a chance to see. At the very centre of the stage sat a strange being, fiddling with a peculiar instrument, and singing in melodious tones a folk song Twilight had never before, the audience stomping out a rousing beat.

"...farmer, baker, tailor, mayor,

Labourer, widower, sailor unafeared,

We'll come together and together we'll sing!

For all are equal in the dear old inn.

The dear old inn, the dear old inn,

The tat and trappings strung within,

Just another guise for why we're really here -

For good company and better, strong beer!"

A little chuckle spread through the crowd as the song wound on. Pinkie's head started to bob up and down in time with the music, the poofy curls of her mane being left slightly behind each beat.

"I told my wife one morning that a walk I'd take that day,

She bid me fond farewell for now and sent me on my way,

Afore I reached the hills o'course, 'fore I gazed upon the land,

I were sitting at the bar table, with the sound of this awful band! They were singing -

The dear old inn, the dear old inn,

The tat and trappings strung within,

Just another guise for why we're really here -

For good company and better, strong beer!"

This time Twilight joined in the laughter. The children laughed too, although Twilight expected they did not know quite why.

"I came back to the farm that night, to greet my lover dear,

She took one whiff of my stallion's breath and claimed I stank of beer!

She were awful angry then, I thought it unwise to stay,

So I walked back down to the village inn to drink 'til the new day!

The..."

He paused, holding the note, one cloven hoof tinkling the same string on his guitar-like possession, the other waving to the crowd to join in, which they did gleefully. The instant failure in tuning was compensated for by the massive volume suddenly produced by tens, if not hundreds of singers, of whom only the bard himself managed to get all the words right.

"The dear old inn, the dear old inn,

The tat and trappings strung within,

Just another guise for why we're really here -

For good company and better, strong beer!"

Cheering had broken out before singing really stopped, the last words of the song disintegrating into the cacophony of appreciation that the crowd let loose. Pinkie Pie whistled as the performer stood up and took a bow, giving Twilight the chance to appraise him.

He was definitely an antelope, possibly some kind of gazelle. His coat did not have the typical technicolour variety of the pony races, rather it had the orange body and white underbelly shared by most of his kind. His two horns curved slightly backwards from his skull, as he rose from his bow he flipped his only garment - a green fedora with a red feather stuck in its band - deftly back atop his head, two holes in the hat's brim accommodating the two prongs.

"Thank you!" he called out, his accent central Equestrian with only the slightest hints of otherness, suggesting to Twilight he had been in the country for a long time. "And thank you for lending your wonderful singing voices," he added, to further amusement.

"He's good," Twilight decided, approval in her voice.

"What's that he's playing?" Rarity asked her over the applause.

Twilight gave his instrument another appraisal. It had the fingerboard of a guitar, but its body was teardrop-shaped and rounded, unlike the flat double oval of the commoner instrument. "I think," she said after a moment, "it's a mandolin."

"Mando-whuh?" Pinkie sputtered.

"It's like a guitar. They come from the Eastern Isles and the Roan area. You don't really see them this far west," Twilight explained.

"It sounds really pretty," Angel enthused. "I wish I could play an instrument."

"Your father plays the banjo, doesn't he?" Rarity reminded her. "You should ask him to teach you one day."

"Ooh!" the little pegasus squeaked. "Yeah! Daddy really loves his banjo."

"If you learn the banjo and I keep practicing my clarinet, we could start a band!" Pumpkin Cake exclaimed, and the two youngsters began to plan their career in music to the general amusement of the adults.

"A banjo and a clarinet would certainly make for an interesting combination," Rarity noted.

"You can get anything to work in music, so long as you've got the vision to see it through," Twilight told her. "Have you ever hear the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Bayton?"

"No." Rarity frowned. "What're they, then?"

"Exactly what they sound like," Twilight said with a smirk. "They play pretty much everything... Just only on ukeleles."

"The ukelele is a beautiful instrument," a new voice asserted, "but I find that they don't quite match up to the mandolin when it comes to entrancing a crowd. You need at least two for a decent tune."

Twilight gasped and her gaze shot forward. The crowd had dispersed a little, for the bard had finished his act for now. He had clambered down from his platform and now stood just before her, wearing his hat, an amused smile, and his instrument slung across his back.

"Oh, hi there! I - um..." she stuttered.

"We absolutely loved your performance," Rarity gushed. "It's good to meet you, Mr... Um..."

"Call me Longhorn," the antelope said, smiling.

"Mr. Longhorn," Rarity went on, "We only arrived in town last night and we were told that your act was a must-see. Will you be playing again later?"

"You can count on it," he told her. "But I have some things to attend to first."

"Mr. Longhorn?" Twilight cut in, desperately, "I was wondering - um, if it's OK with you, that is - if you had a moment later, if you would mind talking to me a bit about, uh... Well, I'm an academic, you see," she said with a little self-conscious grin.

"A learned mare, hm? What is it you study?"

"Magic, mostly," she admitted, "but... I minor in, well, pretty much everything," she said with a grin. "Or at least, that's what Princess - um, that's what some ponies say."

"Really now?" Longhorn replied with interest, eyebrows raising. "You weren't about to say Princess Celestia, were you?"

"I - uh-"

"I think what she's trying to say is yes, darling," Rarity interrupted, cutting through Twilight's babbling. "She was hoping you could tell her a little about where you come from." Twilight gave her a grateful smile.

"Um, that is, if I'm not presuming - I mean, I don't know, you are, I mean you aren't, uh," Twilight blustered desperately, "if you aren't from around here, that is. I mean, you might be, I don't know - I'm not being, ah, insensitive, right? I mean, I don't want to intrude-"

"It's fine, miss!" the gazelle laughed, "absolutely fine! I'm not from around here, no, and I'd love to talk to you or anypony about where I've been, what I've witnessed. But I'm rather pressed for time as it is," he admitted, sounding disappointed. "I fear I have already placed too many obligations upon myself." He looked down as Twilight sighed. "I'm sorry, Miss, but I already agreed to visit other families and venues and such... If you only arrived back yesterday, I'm afraid that may be where the issue lies. Had I seen you sooner I might have been a bit more available."

"That... Makes sense," Twilight said disappointedly.

"I'm sorry," he said, genuinely apologetic. "I wonder though, what are you doing tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? Why?"

"Tomorrow's Hearth's Warming!" Pinkie exclaimed. "She's probably just going to be sat in the farmhouse talking and eating and playing and reading and singing with everypony else!"

"I see." Longhorn grinned. "Which farm do you live on?"

"I don't live there, but I'm staying on the Apple family farm, just on the western fringe of town," Twilight replied.

"Hmm..." the Antelope mused. "Well then, I suppose that if you're there... You wouldn't mind, would you, if I dropped in tomorrow should I find time? It's not entirely possible that I'm being over-cautious... You never know, I may have a moment. No promises, mind."

"Oh, wow, really? Thanks!" Twilight gasped. "I-"

"Pinkie, when are we gonna do something?" Pound Cake whined, poking at his adopted aunt's leg.

"Yeah!" his sister shouted. "I wanna get cookies!"

"I'll let you get on, shall I?" Twilight told the bard. "It was great to hear you sing. Thank you."

"I'll be back later," he reminded her, smiling. "Just a few things to sort out first. Other ponies I've made arrangements with. I'll see you later, Miss..."

"Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle."

"Oh!" he gasped. "Well, well! Dr. Sparkle?"

"Please," the scholar replied, her purple cheeks turning bright red as she blushed with modesty. "Call me Twilight."

"Very well then, Twilight! If you are indeed the famous student of her highness Princess Celestia, you can be assured I shall find time for you, even if I must cut short some of my other visits. After all," he went on, "you've done so much for the world that I could hardly begrudge you a favour of my own."

"I - Uh, well, I'm honoured, but I'd really rather you didn't - eep!" Rarity had given her a firm push, moving to catch up with Pinkie and the three foals who had walked on and were now stood in line at the stand of one of Ponyville's many bakeries. "Ah, goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Twilight Sparkle!" Longhorn called back. "I shall see you tomorrow, Harmony willing!" Amusement flickered at his lips and mouth as the renowned scholar was shoved away like a drift before a snowplough.

"He doesn't just sing drinking songs, does he?" Rarity asked when they joined the others.

"Nope!" Pinkie replied with an emphatic shake of the head, her fluffy mane bouncing this way and that as she did so. "He does all kinds of things! He sings love songs and tells stories, too!"

"He's handsome," Pumpkin Cake decided, drawing her brother's ire.

"Ew!" The foalish complaint was met by a blown raspberry from Pound's sister, which the pegasus reciprocated. "Phbt!" he spat. Not wanting to let him have the last word, Pumpkin also responded in kind, and the two stood in the queue, tongues out and cheeks puffed up, mocking back and forth. Twilight giggled.

"Don't encourage them," Rarity whispered. "Now, come on you two," she said, speaking at normal pitch again. "There are other ponies around." The siblings finally stopped, but continued to glare daggers at each other as best as children were able.

"Pinkie, if it's alright with you I'd like to walk on a little," Twilight said.

"Huh? Don't you want any cookies?"

"I'm not too bothered," Twilight replied, "I'd just like to see a bit more of the town just now."

"Oh, sure! Fine by me! Ooh, I know! I'll just get more cookies and give them to you later, OK?"

"That'd be great, Pinkie," Twilight said, smiling at her ever-happy friend. "Coming, Rarity?"

"I think so," the unicorn mare replied. "I just think I'd prefer to to see a bit more of the town right about now." Smiling and giving little waves to their friends, they began to pull away.

"Twilight, darling," Rarity asked, concerned, as the wind began to pick up. "Aren't you a little cold?" Realisation flashed in Twilight's eyes as she realised that while Rarity was wearing her thick Winter coat, a white scarf, and fluffy white earmuffs with her cutie mark emblazoned on each side, she herself hadn't dressed for the cold at all. That is to say, she hadn't dressed.

"Oh, uh, oops," she muttered. "I was practicing Magus Pyrelight's Inner Glow spell. Uh - the one you said Celestia used to keep you warm on Solstice night. I guess I forgot I was doing it."

"You might have to teach me that one," Rarity said, lips pursed. "It could come in handy for our... Excursion."

"I'll see," Twilight replied, nodding. "It's, uh... It's not too tricky, but it almost never goes right first time. Most unicorns... Um, I don't wanna put you off, but they-"

"Set their manes on fire?" Rarity supplied, smiling, and Twilight smiled back, relieved at her friend's unconcernedness.

"Yeah! Not that that's a good thing..."

They continued to amble, breaking away from the marketplace to cut down a side street. Rarity shivered as the Winter chill began to bite ever-deeper, but Twilight remained disconcertingly unfazed. As they pulled away from the centre of town, their surroundings grew quieter and quieter, until they were the only ponies in the street. Though Rarity had been away for a year now, she knew her hometown well enough to know where Twilight was leading her. She swallowed nervously.

"Twilight, darling..." she began, nervously.

"I just want to see it again, Rarity," Twilight said, a hint of regret entering her voice. "One last time."

At the end of the road stood an ancient tree. Rivalling the manaleaf in the Canterlot Arboretum in size, the giant oak had been built into a home by some clever soul in Ponyville's early days. But the library tree was no longer a place of shelter or knowledge - the front door swung on its hinges, flapping in the growing breeze. The windows had been smashed in, whether by stones or storms Twilight didn't know. The balcony, where she had spent many long summer days studying or entertaining guests had collapsed into a pile of rotten wood at the foot of the tree, and the trunk itself was stripped of bark in many places, the hideous scars revealing the lifeless core within. Though the books and artifacts within had been saved, Twilight still felt an immeasurable sense of loss when she was reminded once again that the tree was dead any there was nothing more she could do for it.

The library had been moved in to a new building on the edge of town, Twilight knew. She had first found out two years ago, when Fluttershy wrote to her - the tree had caught a horrible illness off a parasite carried by a travelling lumber merchant. Though most of Ponyville's leafy boughs had been saved, the library had refused to heal. The scholar knew that there were scientific explanations - the tree was too old to be receptive to magic, Ponyville didn't have its own tree specialist and inexpert care was given, decades of being used as a public building had damaged it anyway - but that didn't make it easier to accept.

"They'll cut it down soon," Twilight noted, her voice shaking ever-so-slightly.

"No, Twilight, they promised they wouldn't," Rarity reminded her. "It's an important part of the town's heritage and history - they said they'd leave it-"

But Twilight shook her head. "It's dangerous like this."

"It's fine, Twilight! The groundsponies have been keeping it safe, it's virtually the same now as when - when it died..."

"It's not worth it, Rarity," Twilight insisted. "It's just an ugly old tree now. They haven't even bothered to fix the windows. One day they'll realise that they just don't care and take an axe to it." Rarity didn't bother to protest further. The branches of the old plant creaked in protest as the wind picked up. Above them, flakes of white began to drift down from the cloud blanket, swirling down, sticking to their manes and the ground around them. Twilight Sparkle began to shiver, sniffing.

"Twilight..."

"L-let's go," Twilight sniffled. "W-we'll find Pinkie and A-AJ, and probably have another w-walk around..." But she couldn't get going. She couldn't bring herself to move. She sat down in the road and began to sob, shaking. Magic failing, the cold finally took ahold of her and shivers wracked her body.

"Twilight. Twilight, sweetie, look at me." Twilight looked up and stood ahead of her was Rarity, her face concerned but her tone firm. She unzipped her thick coat, holding it out to her friend in a selfless offer of comfort. "You aren't going to keep doing this now, are you?"

"D-doing what?" Twilight asked, making no move to accept the garment.

"You keep breaking down, dear. I - look, I know we have to leave soon, but you should just enjoy the season. Stop - I mean, I know it's hard, but you have to stop fretting!" The older mare sighed. Around them the snow was beginning to blanket the ground once more. Moving to Twilight's side, she slid her jacket over Twilight's frame with her magic. The younger mare shrugged slightly, as if to resist, but her heart wasn't in it.

"Twilight," Rarity went on after a pause, "I - you're acting like this is your last chance to see Ponyville. This isn't goodbye, you know."

"But it is," Twilight insisted miserably.

"I said I'd stay, Twilight, you - oh, for goodness sake! Let's not argue about this now." She reached out, offering Twilight a hoof up which the studious unicorn slowly accepted. "Just relax, dear. You're only making everything harder for yourself."

The lavender mare sniffled. "I... I guess you're right," she admitted reluctantly. "I should..." She stopped, shivering a little. "Oh, stars, It's so cold," she said. "Thank you, Rarity, I - are you sure you'll be alright without this?" She indicated the snow-white coat on her person, her expression torn between thankfulness and concern.

"Of course, darling!" Rarity dismissed the worry with a carefree laugh. "You know me. I wouldn't be happy if I was convinced you weren't either."

"I guess not," Twilight admitted with a smile. Around them, ponies were beginning to head for home as the snow drove them from the market to take shelter indoors.

"Come on, dear." The pale actress turned and began to stride back towards the market. "If everypony is leaving then the Apples may be starting to pack away. We can lend them a helping hoof."

"Ugh," Twilight groaned, "I'm sorry for dragging you away, Rarity. We didn't even buy anything."

"Well, it's a good thing we did all our shopping in Canterlot then, isn't it?" Rarity replied, unworried. "And anyway, I'm making assumptions. Most of the stands may still be open. I guess we'll only find out when we get there."

"Well, then, let's go! Oh, and, um, Rarity? Thank you for lending me your coat. You aren't too cold, are you?"

"I'm fine, Twilight, honestly." Rarity smiled. "Now then, come on. If we're lucky there may still be a food stall open, I'm starving! I still haven't got around to breakfast yet."

"Ooh! I think I saw Horse Chestnut selling roasted chestnuts before! You know what he's like, it'll take more than snowfall to move him on, ever if there's nopony to sell to." Chatting amiably as Twilight brightened up once more, they left the old tree behind as its dead branches groaned against the wind.

As the former librarian's old home faded in the distance, she tried to put it out of her mind once more. Whether or not she ever saw Ponyville again, she knew that the grand oak would not be there when whichever one of them returned came home. It would be gone, cut to sawdust and chucked away, the diseased, magically preserved wood good for nothing. But there were greater things in her life to mourn than the loss of a tree.

It was so important to her. So, so important. It was her home, where she'd had her first real party, her first sleepover, where she'd cared for Spike and lived and learned and grown. In a way, it was more home to her than Canterlot, and now it was gone, no more to be a part of her life. But maybe that's the way things have to be, Twilight thought with a resigned sigh. Stop worrying about it. Don't fear that what's good is gone, just be glad that it ever was.

At the end of the street, though, as they turned a corner and the once-library slipped from view, she turned back. The snow was falling faster and thicker, but beyond it she could just about make out her old home.

"Goodbye," Twilight Sparkle whispered, as the Ponyville library was lost from sight as its old curator left it behind for the last time.

Smiling.

"Will this do?"

"Yes, Applejack, that'll be perfect."

"Alright then." AJ stepped back to view their work. In the big barn next to the Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse, they had cleared a space amongst the tools and hay bales for Twilight and Rarity's travelling supplies. Princess Celestia had promised to teleport them in using magic, with Twilight's guiding her aim. They had agreed to put them in the barn so as not to clutter the already heaving farmhouse, which was even busier now that Pinkie had come over - instead of staying with the Cakes for Hearth's Warming, she had come over to the farm as well.

"Alrighty then," the farm pony said approvingly. "You, uh... You got somethin' you need to do?"

"I have to wrap some presents for tomorrow," Twilight replied. "Why? Is there anything you need help with?"

"Well, um," Applejack faltered briefly, "Ah did kinda wanna ask you somethin', but it might be too late now."

"Well, you never know," Twiligh said, grinning. "Magic is my special talent. I might be able to pull something off. What is it you want?"

"Take me with you."

Twilight fell silent, surprised. AJ was completely serious. She had neither asked nor demanded of Twilight, she had simply stated her request, and caught Twilight unprepared.

"If it's just some research trip you're goin' on, then it can't be a problem me taggin' along now, can it?" Applejack reasoned. "And if it's just food and clothes their highnesses are supplyin' then it can't be too much to ask fer one set more, surely?"

"Oh," Twilight blankly responded. "Um, I guess?" In her mind she was clutching desperately at straws. She didn't want AJ to know just why they were going, in case she tried to stop them, for reasons Twilight totally agreed with. She didn't want this Hearth's Warming to be the last time she saw the farmer, but she had made an agreement, and she was beholden to it. "But, uh, AJ, don't they need you on the farm?"

"Well, kinda, Ah guess, but we got time between now an' Spring to take on a hired hoof or two, and now we got Fluttershy helpin' us economise we can afford to do that," Applejack replied. Twilight went quiet once more. She had her there.

"Have you told anypony else that you want to come?" the scholar pushed. "What do they think about it?"

"Nothin' yet," Applejack admitted, "but they know I got good reason fer wantin'."

"Really?" Twilight asked. "Why do you want to come?"

"Ain't it obvious, Twi?" AJ sighed. "Jus'... Just look at yerself. You got yerself a PhD, and a job at Canterlot Uni', an' yer goin' off Celestia-knows-where for work. An' not just you!" she went on, "Rarity, she's, uh, she got into showbiz, didn't she? And Pinkie's off in Manehatten, RD's on her own adventure, and Fluttershy's even gotten herself married. To mah big brother, no less. An' most of y'all are younger than me!"

Twilight stared down at her hooves as she realised what her dependable friend was getting at. "Me, though, Twi'," Applejack continued, "I'm just the same as ever. Day-in, day-out, life on the farm... I want a shot at somethin' new too. Do... Do ya follow?" The unicorn shuffled a little, uncomfortably as she realised she couldn't rightly begrudge her to come along, with only the issue of why they were going in the first place hazing the matter.

"Well," she said, reluctantly, "I'll see what I can do. A lot of our travel arrangements have already been made. I'll write to the Princess tonight."

"Alright," the orange farmer said, nodding acceptingly. "I suppose I can't ask fer better 'n that." She began to walk towards the barn door, Twilight following on behind. "Ah suppose that the Princess'll just give ya a time an' drop the gear here?"

"I expect so," Twilight replied, as they stepped out into the thick covering of snow outside. The snow had stopped falling and the cloud cover had cleared. Unlike the night before, there was no wind, and the beautiful vista was only spoilt by the oppressive, biting cold that the two mares hurried to get out of. Walking thankfully back into the kitchen, they immediately made for the warmth of the fire and settled down with appreciative sighs. Applejack slumped on the sofa and lay back, closing her eyes, but whatever form of respite she hoped to get was swiftly denied as a tiny form flung itself through the air to land on top of her.

"Oof!" wheezed the farmer, snapping alert once more.

"Hi, Auntie AJ," Angel giggled. "Did I scare you?"

"Darn straight you did, scamp," Applejack playfully rebuked her niece, rolling so that the little white pegasus fell and landed next to her on the sofa. "I bet your mamma never went around jumpin' or poor ponies like that, now, did she?" Angel only continued to laugh, thrashing her little legs and in serious danger of toppling to the floor. Twilight, who had been sat on the rug on the floor, stood, pushing Fluttershy's daughter with her magic to the middle of the sofa, and sat on it herself, leaving the chuckling filly between her and AJ.

"Are you excited, Angel?" Twilight asked gently. "Looking forward to tomorrow?"

"You bet!" Angel replied, still laughing. Her eyes widened as she anticipated every young foal's favourite day of the year. "Auntie Applebloom bought a big stuffed marrow, and water chestnuts, and, uh, lots of carrots!" she remembered, gleefully, bouncing in her seat. "They're my favourite!"

"Just like another little Angel I used to know," a soft voice added from the hall.

"Mamma!" Angel yelled, leaping up and over the back of the sofa as Fluttershy entered, smiling demurely. She pulled her daughter into a loving embrace with her wing.

"Hello, dear," Fluttershy near-whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't join you all sooner, I just had to make sure the chickens were all tucked in for the night. It's awfully cold out there, but they have plenty of bedding hay in their coop. I think they should be alright."

"That's not true!" Angel squealed. "You were upstairs, wrapping my presents!"

"Not just yours, Angel," her mother admitted with a smile. "Now why don't you run upstairs and get the Hearth's Warming story from your bedroom? I'm sure everypony will want to hear it tonight."

"Ooh! Yeah!" Angel squeaked approvingly, running for the stairs. She shouted something back down to the kitchen, but nopony could hear it over the sound of her hooves rampaging up the wooden staircase.

"What an adorable young lady you're bringing up, Fluttershy," Rarity cooed, once she was certain Angel was out of hearing range.

"Bit more bounce in her than her parents, though," Applejack noted, jokingly.

"Oh, yes," Fluttershy agreed, "but I think that's a good thing for all of us." She smiled gently. "I think she's brought the excitable side of me out a little more."

"We're all so proud of you and Mac," Twilight added. "I think-" She was cut off, however, by the returning one-mare stampede as Angel entered again, a book tucked under her wing. Without explanation, she hoofed the storybook onto the sofa next to Twilight and jumped up to take back her old place.

"What's this?" Twilight asked with a grin. "I thought you were going to read us the story, Angel? Your mamma says you've gotten really good at reading since you started lessons with Miss Cheerilee."

"You could read it better," Little Angel insisted. "Mamma says you read for a job. She said you read magic. This has gotta be easier than that! Even I can read it!"

"Oh! Heh," Twilight laughed at the filly's innocent assumption. "No, Angel, I, um..." She floundered, trying to fit the life of a researcher into a sentence. "I, uh, I read textbooks, sorta, and write my own. I teach a little, too."

"That sounds boring," Angel whined. "Don't you wanna read this instead?"

"She's got you there, Twilight," AJ said, grinning. Twilight smiled reluctantly.

"I suppose," she relented. "I think we should wait for your daddy and everypony else first, though. They'll want to listen too."

"OK," Angel agreed, reclining on the sofa. Seconds later, she shot back up, turning her head to her mother. "Mamma, can I have some hot chocolate?"

"It's nearly bedtime, sweetie," Fluttershy replied, shaking her yellow head. "You don't want to be up all night now, do you?" Angel didn't reply, she merely gazed at her mother with wide, soulful eyes. "Oh, alright then," the pegasus relented, "but only because it's Hearth's Warming."

"Yay!" shouted the filly, leaping back up and following her mother into the kitchen.

Letting her voice drop to a near-whisper, Twilight turned to AJ. "Once we're done here, I'll write to Celestia. But Applejack... Just make sure this is what you want."

"Of course it is," AJ replied, confused. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Do you want to leave Fluttershy all alone when Pinkie goes back to Manehatten?"

"Aw, Twi', she wouldn't be alone," the applebucker insisted. "There's Mac an' Angel an' AB back here. And all her animals, too," she added. But there was a hint of doubt in her voice, and as they both turned away to face the fire, Twilight made her mind up. No matter what AJ had said, she couldn't face her coming.

It's not fair for me to make this decision, she thought, but it's not fair to force the alternative on her family. After losing Granny Smith only last year, and now waving goodbye to not only the rest of their friends and one of their own? Not to mention they'll find out sooner or later that... She swallowed, nervously. That we lied to them...

I'll run it over with Celestia, of course, but I'll make sure she knows I don't want it and why, she decided. I'm sorry, AJ, but I don't think this is right. I just don't don't... Her mind fell quiet as she gazed into the flickering orange flames. She frowned a little, and sighed a little more, but the conflict wouldn't go away. She was leaving, betraying her friends, and yet trying to convince herself that she was really doing the just thing.

But it's for the right reasons, she supposed. Isn't it?