The Cutie Mark Crusaders were galloping to Sweet Apple Acres, feeling a little chilled. The winds of autumn were blowing in and the leaves were just beginning to turn orange, Equestria's way of signalling to all the animals that they should get ready for Winter Roll Around.

"Hello, girls," Fluttershy said to the passing fillies. She was out in the front of her cottage picking some of her ripened berries. "You seem in a hurry."

"Hi!" the Crusaders answered as one.

"We just heard that we've got presents waitin' fer us back home!" Apple Bloom answered, not pausing as she did so.

"Oh. Well, I hope you enjoy them." Fluttershy called as the Crusaders passed and she resumed picking berries. She was startled when she heard the skidding sound of three fillies stopping just short of her.

"Did you hear something that said they're not good presents?!?" Their eyes were full of worry then.

"Goodness, no!" Fluttershy said, shrinking back. "I mean, I haven't heard anything." Hardly reassured, the Crusaders resumed galloping to Sweet Apple Acres. Fluttershy finished her berry picking and went inside. She set the basket of berries on the kitchen table, then put on a leather apron. From there, she walked slowly, deliberately down into the basement.

As the Crusaders approached the Sweet Apple Acres farm house, Applejack rounded a corner to meet them.

"Hi, Applejack!" Apple Bloom called when she saw her sister. It wasn't until she got closer that she saw Applejack had a smile of discomfort on her face.

"Hey, lil fillies. Uh, y'all might wanna, how do Ah say this... keep yer expectations down a smidge fer the presents." The crusaders slowed to a walk at that.

"Oh," the crusaders said flatly, not too devastated since Fluttershy had already tempered their expectations but still a bit dispirited. Out of politeness they continued to gallop into the farmhouse. Behind them, Applejack shook her head and sighed.

In the living room, Granny Smith was seated in her rocking chair while Big Mac did some dusting. He was wearing his usual French maid uniform while doing so as all stallions in Equestria did while doing the household chores. When he saw the Crusaders come in, he could tell from their expressions that they weren't really too enthused about their presents. He couldn't blame them.

"There ya'll fillies are!" Granny Smith said as the Crusaders trotted into the living room. "Ah got something real special fer ya!"

"Yay" the crusaders cheered with very unconvincing false enthusiasm.

"Close yer eyes!" Granny Smith ordered. The Crusaders complied, and heard Granny Smith shifting about in her chair. "Ya can open 'em!" The Crusaders complied again. They stared for a second.

Granny Smith was holding three fluffy wool sweaters in her arms, each one color coordinated for one of the fillies and "CMC" embroidered in them. Applejack and Big Mac both cringed at Granny Smith's big expectant smile as she held them up for the crusaders.

"Sweaters!" the Crusaders yelled in unison as and jumped up to grab them from Granny Smith's offering forehooves. Big Mac and Applejack did double takes at the sight of this.

"Huh, y'all are glad to be gettin' sweaters?!" Applejack asked incredulously.

"Yeah! Sweaters are really in fashion all overall Ponyville!" Apple Bloom answered her big sister.

"Get with it, Kid." Granny Smith said while smugly cupping her forehooves behind her head.

"Help me get this on!" Scootaloo asked her friends as her messy mane got caught on her fabric.

"Here, I'll help." Sweetie Belle said as she trotted over to Scootaloo's side. She'd had considerable experience in getting sweaters on since Rarity had gone through a sweater phase and needed a model. She helped Scootaloo through the hems of the sweater and shifted the fabric on her back so that Scootaloo's miniature wings could pop out. When they had, they flapped rapidly as she hopped up and down in excitement.

"Sweetie, you look really cool, so I must look cool too!" Scootaloo said.

"Ya'll sure do!" Apple Bloom said. "Ah reckon Ah must look pretty good too." Apple Bloom struck a fashionable pose then, and her friends giggled and began striking similar poses that showed off their sweaters. They turned to Applejack and Big Mac, lining up their sweater letters.

"What do ya think?" Apple Bloom asked as they struck the same pose. Applejack smirked.

"That there's real good, if ya'll are callin' yerselves the Cutie Crusader Marks!" The Crusaders looked down, squeaked in embarrassment, and then changed positions appropriately. "There ya go!"

"Thank you, Granny!" The Crusaders said simultaneously to the old mare.

"If Ah can introduce fashion to the lives of a few fillies, that's reward enoug-" she was cut off when the Crusaders galloped up and hugged her legs. She hugged the three of them back for a moment. They separated before it became awkward and began bouncing out the door.

"Wait until all our classmates see us! I can't wait for school tomorrow!" Scootaloo yelled as they continued bouncing to their clubhouse.

"Fillies these days, eh?" Applejack said, leaning against her brother as she watched the Crusaders bounce away.

"Eeeyup." Big Mac observed.

The End.

Oh, and while all that was going on, Fluttershy had an orgy of gore. No one and nothing was hurt in the process or had been during the lead up to it. Fluttershy quickly became too disgusted to ever attempt such a thing again. Or something like that.