Traditions and the Feeling of Belonging

Dash had never been around the Apple family on Hearth's Warming, but she had always presumed it was all smiles and warm memories. Now that she officially lived on the farm, the turquoise pegasus was able to fully integrate herself into the festivities, watching with childish wonder at the odd activities surrounding her. Bright candy-colored lights adorn almost every inch of the wooden ceiling and were joyously wrapped around the tree. An old, large radio rested beside a lit fireplace, the two large antennas sticking out of the top somehow managed to capture the waves of a station and played a soft instrumental song that perfectly fit the mood of the room.

"So now what?" the pegasus asked, feeling a bit out of place. Applejack gave her a quizzical stare, unsure if she had correctly heard her marefriend. She was heedless of how out of place the poor girl felt, too caught up in the night to really notice. In her defense however Dash hadn't voiced her discomfort, merely pretending to have no strong feelings one way or the other.

"Ugh, pardon?" her usual Stetson had been replaced with a festive Santa hat, the puffy white ball on the end bouncing with each tilt of her head.

The fillyfoolers observed Big Macintosh lift Applebloom onto his back, giving her a much needed boost to decorate the tree. "Well, what do you do after you're finished with the tree?"

"We take the annual Apple family Hearth Warmin' card o'course." Applejack nudged Dash and gestured to Granny Smith, who was attentively working on an old camera, which meant hitting it a few dozen times and mumbling what might've once been profanities. The winged pony had seen this model before, on a black-and-white noire film she'd stumbled upon late one night. "Don't y'know nothin' bout' Hearth's Warmin'?"

"Not really, I've seen some specials on T.V." Dash looked down at the empty mug in her hoof, trying to mask any emotion by focusing entirely on the bottom of the cup, it had varied results. While the rest of her family had been fooled, Applejack could see right through the pegasus' act. The thing nopony knew about the Rainbow was that her childhood was admittedly less than ideal. Holidays were spent alone in her room watching old Wonderbolt performances, and while the presents were nice and fancy they had little to offer as company. She had only ever told Applejack of this, and that was long after they had gotten together. Once she had even remarked that having a child was one of her parents' biggest regrets, though the earth mare had believed this to be an exaggeration, part of her good natured trust in everypony.

"Don't worry bout' it." She waved her hoof at the air, as if shooing away a fly. "Freshen your cocoa?"

"Yeah, thanks." A quick kiss on the cheek brings Dash out of her sullen mood, and before she can return the favor Applejack retreats to the kitchen, the mug handle firmly between her teeth. It made her smile, knowing just how much the orange mare hated displaying such affections in front of others, more-so when it was her family. After a delightful yet way too short period of staring at her marefriend's backside she turned back to the tree, unaware that she too had been watched. The bow-wearing pony quickly adverted her gaze before she and the pegasus could lock eyes. "Can I help ya kid?"

"Oh, sorry." The filly muttered as she jumped off of her brother's back. "Ah just never saw . . ." she bit her tongue, suddenly frightened.

"Your sister kiss a mare before?" the violet eyed pony finished, noticing young Applebloom's cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Well she's very good at it." She chuckled, immediately worried over how the Apple family would react. Looking around the room for the expressions of the others, Big Macintosh seemed moderately amused, a small grin forming on his muzzle.

"That's an Apple fer yah," Granny Smith cackled.

"Don't go tellin' her that!" Applejack shouted from the kitchen. The music changed, but for Dash most of these holiday songs just blended together. She continued to marvel at the colorful decorations. The star at the top of the pine needle tree was especially captivating, and that was before Applebloom even plugged it in. Her violet eyes mixed with the yellow glow, giving them a brownish hue.

She had seen these, in the town center, but there was something different about this one. She was a moment from figuring it out when the earth mare returned, handing her the mug as she attempted to brush the fuzzy white ball out of her eye. Dash wrapped her hoof around the cup, freeing Applejack to adjust the hat. "Thanks,"

"Feelin' better?"

"Yeah," she smiled, wide and joyous. "This is . . . well, actually not that lame." The turquoise pony shrugged and tried to look unimpressed, but that smile simply refused to leave. She decided on using her drink as a cover, unmindful of just how little time it had been given to cool. As she pressed her lips to the edge and tilted it back, the chocolaty drink flowed into her mouth and burned her tongue. The unrelenting grin is quickly replaced by wide eyes and a quick withdrawal as she spat the liquid back into the cup, or most of it.

Applejack laughed, hearty and carefree. Rainbow might have gotten defensive or annoyed had it been any other pony, but making AJ giggle had brought back her smile, even if her tongue was in pain. A nice little silence crept over the room, not the least bit uncomfortable. They watched Applebloom, who was staring holes into the presents under the tree as if she could figure out what was inside the festive wrapping paper on pure intuition and a small – or large dose of luck.

"Shake a leg younuns, time ta line up fer the picture!" Granny Smith shouted two cups of cocoa later, moving in front of the fireplace. Dash watched as Big Mac, Applejack, and Applebloom joined the green coated mare's side. She, however, remained sitting by the tree, staring in resentment at the happy family unit before her, oblivious to everpony – including herself – that she was a bit envious of all this.

That considered, it's no surprise that she's bursting with joy when Applejack returns and grabs her hoof, dragging the pegasus into the frame of the antique camera. "All of the family has ta be in the picture, no exceptions." She says, draping a forelimb over the pegasus' back and pulling her close. It's this moment that the violet eyed pony burns into her mind, the very first time she felt like she truly belonged with this loving family. In all of her life there would be few moments that could compete with this, two examples being the Apple family reunion and the wedding.

"Everpony say "sweet apples"," Applejack yelled cheerfully, wearing a grin that stretched from ear to ear. It perfectly matched Rainbow's own smile. A quick thought passed through Dash's head and she ponders how such an ancient device could have a timer, or how long it'd take until the camera went off. This held no trivial purpose the next minute when a white light flashed, blinding the family of ponies. The pegasus grew nauseous as spots danced before her dilated eyes.

The rest of the night moved uneventfully, a board game that was missing more than half the pieces was played, or at least they attempted to play it, another of the numerous traditions. Applebloom consistently asked if she could open a present, almost every five minutes in what was an eerie display of clockwork. Granny Smith was resilient, simply rocking back and forth in her wooden chair and shaking her head. The filly was first to drift off and sluggishly moved up the stairs, moaning over the lack of a new toy to play with for the night. They all had a nice little laugh over that, admiring the large fortitude of one so small.

Big Mac soon followed, and finally Granny, leaving the two lovers alone in the living room. Dash remained silent as Applejack spoke of past Hearth Warmings. She wouldn't admit this, but if envy was truly the worst sin then she'd have to find a confessional soon. "So all Hearth Warming nights go this way, with decorations and pictures and games?" the pegasus asked, head resting on the earth mare's lap as she lied on the couch. The tree had been unplugged and the fire was beginning to die, leaving them in a dim and romantic atmosphere. The feathered pony, who was on her tenth shot of cocoa, was planning on moving this into the bedroom soon so they could have their own, more intimate little party.

"Ever since Ah was a filly," Applejack declared, stroking the top of Rainbow's head. "There was a close call once, after my mom an' dad . . . y'know." The orange coated mare could feel a warm hoof wrap around her own, she didn't need to look to see that the turquoise matched her own color quite nicely. "But Granny Smith absolutely refused ta let us sulk, 'specially with it being Applebloom's first Hearth's Warmin' an' all."

"Did that work?"

"Yep, we laughed . . . an' cried. Wasn't exactly a barrel of fun, but it took our minds off of things."

"Good,"

"An' what about you? Ya haven't talked ta your parents in what? Six years? Ya never thought of just celebratin' on your own?"

"That sounds like the lamest thing ever, celebrating alone."

"Friends neither?"

"Last thing I want is for my friends to know how lonely my holidays are. You're my best friend and I couldn't even tell you until after I moved in!"

"Alright, no need gettin' your feathers riled. From now on this is where you'll spend every Hearth's Warmin', deal?"

"Deal, but if I'm really a part of this then can I add another tradition to the list?" Rainbow sat up and turned to face Applejack, a devious little spark in her eyes.

"Sure, what'd ya have in mind?"

"Well, it involves you and me and isn't exactly family friendly." A flirtatious, breathy tone and the farm pony knew exactly what the pegasus had in mind. The tomcoltish Dash would only ever use that voice for one purpose.

"By any chance would this put us on the naughty list?" she struggled to match the playfulness of her marefriend's voice, but it was that failed attempt that Rainbow found adorable and exhilarating. Already she can feel her wings spreading out to her sides, growing stiff and sensitive.

"Maybe not at first, but by tomorrow morning – " and suddenly Applejack is pulling her up the stairs to their bedroom, nibbling on her lips every two or three steps.

A/N

I can't write sex, but I can imply it. Plus this is rated T and I plan to get the most out of that.

As some of you may know I have a tendency to rant in these last few words, well . . . that isn't changing anytime soon.

Uncharted is one of my favorite video game franchises, true story. Also can anyone explain to me how hooves work in this show? I'm not an idiot mind you but I noticed that in A Friend in Deed, during Pinkie's song, Applebloom was holding one of the handles of a jump rope. Was I right in saying Dash had wrapped her hoof around the mug, or would held have sufficed?

Oh, and finally Puss in Boots is a great movie and I'm a bit disappointed that it lost the Oscar for best animated feature. I liked it more than the last two Shrek films anyway. Well Rango was a good movie too, so congratulations on the win.