Splinteredby Golden ScriptChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Christmas SpecialChapter 1“H-hello, my name is Dillon.” I started my introduction to the group before me. ‘Why can't one of you do this for me?’ Because we love to watch you squirm! “Hi, Dillon.” Came the droning response from the group, interrupting my thought. 'Deep, calming breath and just like I had rehearsed... I can do this.' No you can’t, it’ll be just like last time! I gritted my teeth and tried to block out the voices. “I am twenty years old.” And still single! “I have MPD, or Multi-Personality Disorder.” Oh, yeah, did I mention I was crazy?! “And I am here to try and make some new friends.” I concluded. Really, friends with this bunch? I can see it now! Mr. Tourett's and Dr. ADHD, with their trusty sidekick, MPD Kid! I shook my head free of all thoughts, focusing on the floor for a second to make sure they wouldn’t come back. As I looked up I expected to see the board faces of the few people who actually come to these “help sessions”. Instead I received a bunch of weird looks, as if I had lost my mind. And we all know that’s not too far away. “Um… please continue, Dillon.” I heard the group leader say as she recovered from whatever had just happened. “I have no siblings, my parents wish to stay out of contact, and if I had a love life it would be a wreck.” You all can start lining up for the crazy train any time you’d like. “And what about your job?” she asked as if she wanted to get this over with relatively fast, which I could understand, as I had the same wish. I am currently attending Harvard. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong. I am no genius, nor am I gifted in any way. I am the average, if not worse. My parents paid for it and bribed the teachers for better grades. I am nothing more than a normal person and I hate to be thought of as something more. My response was something to the effect of “collage.” As I sat back down. Like I said, just like last time. Hey, give him some credit, he didn’t get all embarrassed and freak out, did he? Not to mention he knew better than to ask what had happened! I know that none of you care about him, but I think you’re being awful mean. Well, that’s too bad. Um, yeah, guys. Could ya cut it out? Hell no! He brought us into this world and now he will pay for all eternity! ‘I did nothing to get you guys lodged in my head! They were all unintentional! Not to mention I didn’t have anything to do with half of them!’ And you wanna know something? We don’t care. There was maniacal laughter in my head, as there was no way I could respond to that. I was about to attempt a retort when another voice interrupted me. This one was not in my head. “Mr. Dillon, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. You are causing a disturbance. I will call you and inform you when the next meet is.” Came the group leader’s voice. “I’m sorry, Mrs.” I said as I got up and swiftly left the room. And my prediction continues. You screwed this one up just like the last one. “hey, it’s not my fault you guys distract me!” I whispered under my breath. A janitor gave me a funny look. And it’s not our fault that you got us instead of insanity! Oh, wait! There was laughter in my head as the two jackasses were being just that, jackasses. “whatever.” I growled as I exited the building. It had been about half an hour since I left the help meet, but it wasn’t bugging me. What was bugging me, though, was the noise in my head; my many voices talking about what to eat tonight. I say we get some Chinese takeout. And I say we get some good ole fashion steak. Well what about that quaint little restaurant on the corner of 174th and Switzer? You mean the place where if you use the wrong fork you get thrown out? This bickering kept on for a while as I walked into the kitchen and started making mac n’ cheese. It took a minute for anyone to figure out I had already decided what we were eating. Dillon, whatcha doin? “oh, nothing. You guys are deciding dinner, right?” I asked aloud, there was nobody around to stare at me, so I thought why not? Well, yeah, but you’re making something. “yep, I am.” Why? “Well, this is what I’m eating. You guys have yet to decide what you want.” I stirred the noodles. But we inhabit the same body. If you eat we won’t be hungry anymore. “I know that.” By this time I was finished with the initial heating, so I drained the water and put the cheese powder in. Then why are you eating?! “I’m hungry.” I deadpanned. “Why else?” But we were deciding where to eat! “And it’s my body, I’m in control, and I say a cheap bowl of the golden stuff.” I smiled as several voices broke out in complaint. After a few minutes of stirring I was eating, but the incessant voices never stop. They started talking about many things at once. If I focused on one conversation I might hear them freaking out about the new call of duty game, if I tried to listen to another, I would hear stuff about the current president. I sifted through the conversations and came to one in particular I always listen in on to get a good laugh. And I said ‘oatmeal, are you crazy?!’ Laughter erupted from the listener as the other voice finished an apparent joke. I rarely understood his antics or why he did stuff, but he always made people laugh. And he seemed to enjoy it. As I listened to the many random conversations I ate. As a whole, they were nothing but background noise, random thoughts. But each one was a different person with different experiences. I never wanted them there and I always thought they were a curse. But parents often think that of their children. Either way, I’ve grown to deal with them. Chapter 2The room was quiet as I ate my mac n’ cheese, but in my head there was a plethora of voices. When a new voice entered the fray I didn’t even realize it wasn’t just in my head. “Honey, what are you eating?” it asked. “I didn’t know you guys could talk like that.” I mumbled to myself in slight surprise. That wasn’t us. I looked up from my meal and turned around to see a woman in her late forties looking at me with a smile, behind her was a man in his early fifties. They were both dressed in nice clothes, him in a tuxedo, her in a ruby dress. “What do you want?” I asked in a less than friendly tone. “We wanted to see if you would come with us to a party.” She told me kindly, as if she were greeting an old friend. “I don’t want to go.” I turned back to my cheesy goodness, hoping against hope that they would leave. Of course, they didn’t. “But we think you would like this one. It’s not going to be like the last one.” She claimed. “the last one I ended up humiliating myself in front of all of your business partners. I think you said that you lost tens of thousands of dollars for it.” I recalled. “would you like a repeat?” “this time you won’t be with us, but with someone else.” Said the man. “who?” I asked, not at all interested. “a girl!” called the woman in glee. Now, it’s true, I’ve been less than successful on the relationship front, especially when it came to girls, but asking for help from these two would be like using a dating site. It would be the bottom of the bottom, the most desperate I could get. I would rather gouge my eyes out. “I don’t need your help with women.” I told them with a stern glance over my shoulder. “really, when was the last time you were with a girl?” asked the man. “I don’t remember. But that doesn’t matter.” I told them, then took a bite. The mac and cheese was getting cold, if they didn’t leave soon I’d have to microwave it or something. “we think you’ll like her.” she said with obvious hope in her voice. “yeah, what makes you think that?” I asked with another mouthful. “she’s pretty and kind, every man’s dream.” “is she rich?” I asked, turning around with an interesting look on my face. “oh, yes, very.” She said. “then this is nothing more than a matter of money for you. All you want is her money and not for me to be happy. Therefore, I’m out.” I said with a twinge of anger in my voice. “you may show yourselves out.” “this matter is not up for debate.” He said as he took a threatening step forward. “what, you’re going to make me go on a date? I’ll just ruin it like the rest, willingly or unwillingly.” I told him with a hateful glare. “you’ll do as I say, whether you like it or not.” “I’m a man of my own, dad, I’ll do what I like.” This made his rage boil over. “I will cut you off.” Those five words made me freeze. He was willing to cut off his supply of high tech designs for this woman. What was so important about her? Why was she so special? What can I do to get out of this conversation without losing my unlimited access to their money? As all these thoughts went through my head they waited for my response. “I hate you so much.” I told my parents as I got up and walked to my room. I had on a brand new suit with a tie and fedora. I didn’t like monkey suits, but I had to admit, I looked good. I was told that the girl would meet me by the drinks. So I waited… And waited… And… waited… About three hours into the party a woman walked up to me. My eye fell upon a woman that seemed to be absolutely perfect. She was only a few inches shorter than me, but she looked... I don't think I could put her form into words, but I’ll try. Her eyes were a haunting shade of teal, or maybe turquoise, and they had a look of pure innocence, like she had never seen the horror of real life. Her hair was jet black, and almost looked to be sparkling in the twilight, it flowed effortlessly in the breeze as if it were natural. My eyes began to take in the rest of her while my mind went blank as it became overwhelmed by the appearance of the mysterious woman before me. Her body was the picture of flawlessness; no fashion model could hold a candle to her radiance. Her legs were elegant and had just the right amount of tone to them. Her waist was slim and gave her an hour glass appearance overall, but her bust was just as lovely, not like those women that wanted to show off their chest to attract men, no, hers was just the right size... maybe a B-cup... I’m not sure. Women have been something I never really put much thought into, mostly thanks to my parents, but this woman was making me think I should have... “Are you Dillon?” I nodded wordlessly. She was wearing a dark sapphire blue evening dress with a split up the leg that went to her thigh. It made her pale white and flawless skin practically glow in the light with the dark dress contrasting against it. She may be the only reason that I will ever give my parents a thank you. “Are you okay?” she asked concerned. “Oh, yeah, sorry. You’re just so beautiful.” As I said this, a light crimson blush spread across her cheeks. “Thank you.” she quietly replied before turning away slightly to hide her blushing from me. She turned back to me, apparently just remembering her manners. “I’m Laura. Your parents told me to meet you by the punch.” There was an awkward silence as I kept staring at her flawlessness. I was snapped out of it by some polite coughing. Realizing that calling her beautiful won’t have the same effect as before, so I moved on. “You… want to go do something?” I asked uncertainly while rubbing the back of my neck. “I never was one for formal parties.” She walked up and laced her arm through mine, as if we were a couple already. Thank you mother and father... that's the only one you get from me. “What do you want to do?” I asked, feeling her tight grip around my appendage. “Does dinner sound good?” she asked with a cute smile. I hope this works out... I think I could actually enjoy tonight. “Sure.” Chapter 3“So, where would like to go for dinner?” I asked as we exited the building together. She brought her free hand and tapped a finger against her chin, then answered “There’s a rather quaint restaurant down the street I know of, shall we try there?” “Sounds good to me.” We turned the corner at the end of the block and towards the restaurant, still holding each other’s arms. This is something I could get used to! After a minute of content walking I check the time on my watch, it's getting late and the sun will be setting in a few minutes. She must have taken this as a sign that I was losing interest because she broke the silence by leaning against me and clearing her throat to get my attention. I looked down at her next to me... “So, tell me about yourself.” she said nervously, but looking up at me with curiosity in her eyes. “I… I don’t know where to start.” I said sheepishly, not knowing exactly what normal people talked about. “Well, when I say ‘fun’ what’s the first thing you think of?” she asked. “Um… happiness? Joy and laughter? I’m not sure.” I stated awkwardly. “How about you? What do you think of?” “I think of being with the ones I love.” She told me without batting an eye. “And who might that be?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “My friends, my sister… my parents.” She stated cautiously. ‘is she hinting towards something?’ Shut up. “Really?” I said, buying a second for me to recollect my thoughts and come up with a response. “Well, tell me about your friends.” I demanded playfully. “Oh, there’s not much to tell. Just the rag tag group you’d expect to find at the local delinquent department.” She joked. “Ok, then. What about your sister?” I asked with a small chuckle. “Ah ah! You still have to tell me about your friends.” She tsked. “I don’t have any friends. All I have are acquaintances. And sometimes those acquaintances aren’t good to be around.” I told her solemnly. I saw her face visibly drop and she lost some of her radiance. “But enough about me, tell me about your sister.” I said cheerily, which rubbed off on her a little. “Oh, she’s the best sister one could have! She never forgot a birthday, always looked out for me, she even lets me help with the family company! She really is great.” The smile only grew as she talked about this woman she adored so. “That’s great! She sounds like a nice woman. I can’t wait to meet her.” “I bet. But don’t get any ideas, she’s got a guy friend that would kick your ass.” She gave me a playful look. “Not to mention I’m the one you’re with right now.” Her arm tightened around mine. “True, true.” I stated wistfully. “Well, if you like the sound of her, my parents will really blow your mind.” I tightened visibly to that. “Oh, really.” I said with a slightly more strained smile on my face. “yeah.” she said, apparently oblivious to my uncomfortableness to the situation. “They started with nothing, but ended with everything. They were born into poor families and married with nothing more than the shirt on their back.” Her expression was nostalgia at the time, like she was thinking back to the good ole days. “They started a small business and worked their way up. Now they run one of the largest and most powerful companies in New York.” She said. “They sound like great people.” I said still uncomfortable, but less so. “Are you ok?” she asked, only now noticing my sudden change in demeanor. “Yeah, fine.” I said, rubbing the back of my head with my free hand. “Yeah, it’s hard to be born into power.” she seemed to have a realization. The clues were barely noticeable, but clear enough for me to notice. “Maybe if you talk about them…” she trailed off, wanting me to finish what she started. “They were saints!” I lied blatantly. “They gave me candy when I wanted it, I was treated to the best toys a kid could ask for, and the stuff I got to do!” I feigned excitement, the sarcasm thick in my voice, and kept an eye on her. What I saw was confusing, to say the least. In her eyes I saw a mixture of fear, curiosity, and confusion… and was that… anger? But why would she feel these things? Unless… ‘Called it!’ Didn’t I tell you to shut up? ‘Technically, no.’ Then let me tell all of you: SHUT UP! ‘Ok, chief!’ There was a minute of silence. She seemed to be debating what to say next when I broke the silence. “Um-” she flinched. She honest to god flinched. I felt the knife sink into my chest as the realization of what I had just done. This stopped my talking immediately, as a side product of the blade sinking into my ribcage. “I’m sorry, I-” “No, I’m sorry.” She cut me off. “I should have been more considerate.” She said while looking at the ground, where the blood was dripping from the metaphorical stab wound. “How were you inconsiderate?” I decided not to make her feel guiltier and head this one off. “You know what, forget I even said anything. We were talking about your parents and how they built their empire from nothing.” I prompted hopefully, wanting to salvage what was left of this train wreck. Unfortunately, this didn’t do much to help. She was less enthusiastic and the light in her eyes… it was just… dimmed. Like someone drained the battery. “Well, when my sister was born she was pampered and given many things she wanted. Almost never did she hear the word ‘no’ in her first twenty years of life. I came along a few years later and was neglected. I would get things for my sister and do things for her. She was the favorite while I was the forgotten. When I turned eighteen and was sent away I fell to the… bad lifestyle. I started to hate my sister and all of the praise she got. These feelings festered inside me for years, and I was finally free to let them out. She was the reason I sank to an all-time low.” “I’m sorry, I didn’t know, I-” I started, knowing I had probably just ruined all chances of relationship with this woman. “Let me finish.” These three words shut my mouth tight. “When I fell past rock bottom the only one to notice was my sister.” She continued. “She was the only one to see how much it all was killing me… and she had two choices. Let me stay and ruin all that mother and father had worked on, or send me away to cool off and think about it. She chose to send me to a small, isolated ranch. This ranch was occupied by an elderly couple that didn’t do much other than sit on the porch or in the living room and talk. Don’t get me wrong, I loved them to death, but it wasn’t home. Not yet. Over the next ten years I learned how to care for someone, truly. And when I came home I was a whole new person. When I came home I loved my family, no matter who got the credit.” She finished. “That’s… terrible… I never did anything for my family and they always saw me as a burden. Is your sister still like that?” I asked, genuinely wanting to know if her home life was still that bad. “no.” she smiled again and I let out a mental breath, knowing I could at least make it up to her… somehow. “When I met my sister at the station she was so happy to see me. We made up and I learned what had happened in my absence. The company had thrived even more under her. I can only hope to contribute half as much as she did. She was so nice and caring. I’m not sure what changed her, but I wouldn’t trade it for all those years alone.” she smiled at the fond memory; and I smiled, knowing that she was happy. There was some content walking and when I broke the silence there was still a flinch, but it was less noticeable. “I… think that’s great.” I said awkwardly, hoping not to upset her again. “It is.” She said simply. We rounded a corner and she looked up at a sign down the street. “We’re almost there; I have reservations for two under the name Laura. Can you go find our seats while I take care of something?” she asked. “Uh… sure, I guess.” I was surprised. I’m not sure how normal dates go, but I’m pretty sure that your date shouldn’t ‘take care’ of something right before you sit down to eat. I thought as I watched her walk across the street and into a back alley. Even less so in a place like that. When she was out of sight I walked into the restaurant. Christmas SpecialI was strolling through Whitetail Woods, just enjoying the beautiful colors of the fall leaves being bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. The songbirds were finishing their last melodies before the lovely night sky was to be painted above for the evening. It was turning into the perfect time to do something I had long forgotten to enjoy... watching the sunset. I made my way to small clearing ahead of me that gave the perfect vantage point to watch the last warmth of light slip below the horizon. settling down on the cold ground sent a small shiver up my spine, but the sight of the red, orange, and yellow tree tops practically glow under the fading light, warmed my body, heart, and soul; pushing aside the cool feeling of the ground below me. In only a few short months the dead of winter will bring its full and frigid weight upon the area. The vibrant colors of the fall trees, grass, and lingering flowers would be blanketed under a thick cover of snow. Although right now I was content to just sit, watch, and wait, but a small white bunny caught my attention as it hopped from out of nowhere and settle next to me. My curiosity was peaked as an animal had never been so bold as to approach me like this, so this caught me a little off guard. I watched for moment as the little bunny looked up to me as if it needed something from me. Its tiny brown eyes trembling with excitement from something unknown to me, I felt the urge to ask; though knowing an answer would never be given. “Hey, little guy. Do you need something?” It quickly stood on its hind legs taking a deep gasping breath, before it gave me a reply: one that I wouldn’t expect from an animal, or one that I think fits the question! “WAKE UP!!” My head flew from the pillow as the weight of something was launched from upon my chest. My wings had snapped open on reflex to the sudden shout awakening me, in case I needed to fly away from an unknown danger, and my heart was beating frantically within the confines of my chest, which accompanied the gasping breaths I drew in from the fright given to me. As my eyes took in the dim light in the room I calmed myself and pulled my wings back to my sides, realizing it was all just a dream. I glanced at the window to the world outside and saw the wind whipping the snow around into flurries of white. “Damn.” I muttered quietly under my breath before a tiny squeaky voice broke the silence. “Ow! Daddy!!” Came the voice I recognized as the bunny from my dream, and now even more than that, my daughter. “Sorry, Daddy was sleeping. You startled me, Sugarplum.” I told her as I slid out from under the warm quilted blanket to my hooves. The cool morning air brought goose bumps to the skin under my fur as I walked over to the small filly lying on the floor. “I know... Umm... Sorry I woke you.” She apologized as I wrapped a foreleg around her small barrel and brought her up onto all fours. I gazed down at my cute daughter, standing there next to me. The dawn's early light shining through the edge frosted window allowed me to see her soft teal coat and tiny filly wings, which would need a good brushing and preening later; along with her long, silky blond mane and tail. Both looked as if the birds made their winter homes in it. I chuckled under my breath as she looked up with her blue, intelligent eyes, which seemed to sparkled in the warm light beginning to flood into the room. She was just so innocent and young. I hope she stays this way for a long time to come. I thought to myself as my wife's voice reached my ears. “Honey, is that you?” She asked groggily as she fumbled around feeling for my presence next to her, then giving up when she found I was no longer under the sheets with her. “Yeah, I just had an early morning wake up call.” “Then... just hit the..." A long yawn interrupted her suggestion. "Snooze button.” She continued before returning her head back upon her soft, inviting pillow. I chuckled and looked back to the filly standing before me. She looked up to me with a confused expression on her face as I made a point of looking her over, pretending to look for a button to press that would allow us to sleep for a few more minutes, uninterrupted. After a few seconds, I raised my hoof up towards her and… "Boop!" I chirped as my hoof touch my daughter's nose. She stood there for a second, stunned, with her little wings flared from the sudden and unsuspected touch. She stared cross eyed at the end of her nose, where my hoof was only a moment before, letting me climb back in bed with my loving wife as she recovered. “Hey! Don’t go back to bed!!” She complained as I settled in under the blanket once more. “I think that was the volume button.” My wife grumbled as she buried her head deeper into the pillow. “Sorry honey... I’ll try something else.” I chortled as I looked back to my daughter standing next to the bed. “Now, where could that button be?” I murmured to myself trying to suppress my urge to laugh longer. “Where’s what button?” The confused filly asked. “Maybe… here!” I chuckled as I gently patted her head a few times. “Daddy!” She exclaimed the moment after my hoof left her head. "Nope! Not there." I laughed at my daughter's cute pouting face. “Try again.” The mare in bed next to me said sarcastically as she snuggled closer. “It has to be here somewhere.” I said a little louder, with more fake exasperation. I rolled over onto my side and used a wing to scoop her up and place her on the blanket, letting her sit in front of me and her mother. She still wore that cute pout that could melt the thickest, coldest ice on any heart. “What about here? This has to be the button!” I said giving a soft poke of my hoof to her chest. “Hehe, daddy!” She exclaimed with a small, stifled giggle. “Hey, hon, check this one out! I kinda like it!” I told my wife as I pressed the ‘button’ again. The smiling little filly laughed and put up her forelegs to block my incessant poking, which caused her to yelp as she fell onto the covers, effectively put her in a prone position. This drew a chuckle from her mother, as she had begun to watch our father-daughter playfulness. “I wonder if there’s more buttons to press on the bottom.” I exclaimed aloud as I rolled the filly over. “No!” She squealed giddily. Her little tummy was exposed to my tickling hoof, along with my wife's own hoof. The next five minutes was a mess of girly giggles and laughs accompanied by a filly's screams of joy, not all of which came from my wife or daughter, to my eternal shame. After we all calmed down from the 'Battle of Tickle-hill,' which ended with a truce, I found myself with my wife on top of me and my daughter on the mare’s back grinning triumphantly. We moved ourselves from the floor of the bedroom back to the bed as we all took a deep breath to farther calm ourselves. “Well, I’m not going back to sleep.” My wife said smiling at the filly. When they gazed over at me, they found a stallion with his face buried underneath the blanket snoring as if he were sleeping. Although the sound of the extremely loud snoring meant there was no chance anyone would be sleeping. “But you are, apparently.” She chortled as her hind hoof met my ribs in a faux-kick. I whipped back the blanket to see their amused faces staring at me. “Heh. Anyway, Sugarplum, why did you have to wake us up so early in the morning again?” I asked the youngest of the three of us. Suddenly, my little girls face lit up with pure and unaltered glee. “Oh! There are presents!!” She shouted as if she wanted our neighbors’ neighbor to know. “We know...” I said, rubbing a hoof in my ear in hopes of stopping the ringing that now resounded from it. “And now so do people in Saddle Arabia.” I groaned. The little filly smiled sheepishly before she flared her wings and jumped off the bed, flapping them quickly to slow her descent to the floor. Her flying lesson had been paying off, as her wings had slowed her down just enough for a safe landing, and not a solid thud, as her previous attempts had ended. “C’mon c’mon c’mon!!” She yelled as she sprinted at full speed down the hallway. “Be careful!” My wife worriedly called after her. “Kids.” I said with a knowing look on my face. Her hoof met my face with no force behind it. “Let’s go, before she starts opening them without us.” She said sliding out of bed. When I cleared the bottom step my eyes fell upon all the decorations carefully displayed around the room. The walls were strung with ropes of holly, above the fireplace was large wreath with red ribbon tied to it, and a large pine tree sat in corner of the room. Beneath the evergreen tree was a plethora of wrapped gifts: some green, some red, some small, some tall; all wrapped with love and care. My adorable daughter was practically swimming in the gifts, looking one over, then moving on to another with quiet cry of joy at the mysteries laid before her and the prize that each wrapped gift hid. My loving wife strolled to the couch as I watched the filly examine a wrapped sphere in her hooves, obviously a ball to those who knew. A soft patting sound drew my attention to the gorgeous mare laying on the couch as she patted the spot next to her and motioning me over with small wave of her dainty hoof. As I sat down next to her, she nestled against my chest as we watched our youngest one practically dance under the tree picking out one to unwrap. “No, young lady! You have to wait for your brother to join us before you can do that.” I playfully scold her. She brought out her weapon grade pout: big doe eyes, quivering bottom lip, and tiny whimper of protest that could bring the princesses themselves to their knees. “F-Fine, but if he’s not down in a minute, I’m gonna… I’m gonna go and drag him here!” She stated firmly and crossed her fore hooves. “Very well.” ‘And now we play the waiting game.’ There was a minute of silence before the sound of clip clopping coming from the stairs found my ears. The hoofsteps slowly grew louder and louder as the last of the family arrived in all his sleepy glory. As our son reached the bottom step he paused, fighting a lingering yawn, though losing in the end and letting it escape his mouth with a groan. “Good... morning.” A groggy greeting came from the young colt, obviously still in a half sleeping state. He continued his journey into the kitchen to fix himself a bowl of cereal, not at all concerned that there was a small mountain of brightly wrapped gifts no less than ten feet away from him. My little girl made to call out to him, but I quickly rushed from the couch stopping her with a hoof over her mouth. Getting a disappointed 'Hurmph' and pout from my wife “Let’s see how long it takes him to notice, alright?” I whispered into her ear softly. She giggled a bit behind a tiny hoof, and became quiet as we all waited for his eventual return. “So, what’s the weather looking like today?” He asked from the kitchen. “I heard there’s supposed to be a flurry of snow today.” “Oh, it’s alright. Not too terrible, considering last year.” I told him as I took my former position on the couch with a slight smirk on my face, much to the delight of my wife. “That’s good. Don’t want to be out all day with the snow blowing in my face.” He stated idly as he munched on a spoonful. “Yeah. Hey, when you’re done with your breakfast, can you help me with something?” I asked fighting to keep a straight face. “Sure, what is it?” He turned to look at me, in case I had to point out something, I assumed. “Well, there’s gonna be a ton of wrapping paper everywhere once your sister’s done with all of that over there.” I told him nonchalantly with a vague uncaring expression on my face, I then gestured towards the presents piled under the tree as if it were mere garbage that needed to be taken out. “Sure.” He turned back around to venture back into his bowl for another mouthful. I watched in utter amusement as I knew the gears in his mind were slowly turning with the previous image that was being processed. “Wait for it…” I whispered to my wife and daughter. I started counting down “Three… two… one…” I quickly pointed at him as the clarity and understanding of what he saw broke through his addled mind. His ears perked up and his body whipped around and within a fraction of a second he was in the presents, soon joined by his sister. They began wading through the mysterious prizes surrounding them, eager to unwrap them all. “There’s so many! And they’re so big!” He yelled as he eyed a box that was a head taller than him. “I know, right?!” excitedly shouted his sister. “I’ll go clean up the bowl.” I told my wife giving her a parting kiss as they started deciding which gift to open first. I stopped one last time and looked at the room laid out before me, and all that came to mind was ‘This could be a pretty nice Hearths Warming Day, after all.’
Chapter 1“H-hello, my name is Dillon.” I started my introduction to the group before me. ‘Why can't one of you do this for me?’ Because we love to watch you squirm! “Hi, Dillon.” Came the droning response from the group, interrupting my thought. 'Deep, calming breath and just like I had rehearsed... I can do this.' No you can’t, it’ll be just like last time! I gritted my teeth and tried to block out the voices. “I am twenty years old.” And still single! “I have MPD, or Multi-Personality Disorder.” Oh, yeah, did I mention I was crazy?! “And I am here to try and make some new friends.” I concluded. Really, friends with this bunch? I can see it now! Mr. Tourett's and Dr. ADHD, with their trusty sidekick, MPD Kid! I shook my head free of all thoughts, focusing on the floor for a second to make sure they wouldn’t come back. As I looked up I expected to see the board faces of the few people who actually come to these “help sessions”. Instead I received a bunch of weird looks, as if I had lost my mind. And we all know that’s not too far away. “Um… please continue, Dillon.” I heard the group leader say as she recovered from whatever had just happened. “I have no siblings, my parents wish to stay out of contact, and if I had a love life it would be a wreck.” You all can start lining up for the crazy train any time you’d like. “And what about your job?” she asked as if she wanted to get this over with relatively fast, which I could understand, as I had the same wish. I am currently attending Harvard. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong. I am no genius, nor am I gifted in any way. I am the average, if not worse. My parents paid for it and bribed the teachers for better grades. I am nothing more than a normal person and I hate to be thought of as something more. My response was something to the effect of “collage.” As I sat back down. Like I said, just like last time. Hey, give him some credit, he didn’t get all embarrassed and freak out, did he? Not to mention he knew better than to ask what had happened! I know that none of you care about him, but I think you’re being awful mean. Well, that’s too bad. Um, yeah, guys. Could ya cut it out? Hell no! He brought us into this world and now he will pay for all eternity! ‘I did nothing to get you guys lodged in my head! They were all unintentional! Not to mention I didn’t have anything to do with half of them!’ And you wanna know something? We don’t care. There was maniacal laughter in my head, as there was no way I could respond to that. I was about to attempt a retort when another voice interrupted me. This one was not in my head. “Mr. Dillon, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. You are causing a disturbance. I will call you and inform you when the next meet is.” Came the group leader’s voice. “I’m sorry, Mrs.” I said as I got up and swiftly left the room. And my prediction continues. You screwed this one up just like the last one. “hey, it’s not my fault you guys distract me!” I whispered under my breath. A janitor gave me a funny look. And it’s not our fault that you got us instead of insanity! Oh, wait! There was laughter in my head as the two jackasses were being just that, jackasses. “whatever.” I growled as I exited the building. It had been about half an hour since I left the help meet, but it wasn’t bugging me. What was bugging me, though, was the noise in my head; my many voices talking about what to eat tonight. I say we get some Chinese takeout. And I say we get some good ole fashion steak. Well what about that quaint little restaurant on the corner of 174th and Switzer? You mean the place where if you use the wrong fork you get thrown out? This bickering kept on for a while as I walked into the kitchen and started making mac n’ cheese. It took a minute for anyone to figure out I had already decided what we were eating. Dillon, whatcha doin? “oh, nothing. You guys are deciding dinner, right?” I asked aloud, there was nobody around to stare at me, so I thought why not? Well, yeah, but you’re making something. “yep, I am.” Why? “Well, this is what I’m eating. You guys have yet to decide what you want.” I stirred the noodles. But we inhabit the same body. If you eat we won’t be hungry anymore. “I know that.” By this time I was finished with the initial heating, so I drained the water and put the cheese powder in. Then why are you eating?! “I’m hungry.” I deadpanned. “Why else?” But we were deciding where to eat! “And it’s my body, I’m in control, and I say a cheap bowl of the golden stuff.” I smiled as several voices broke out in complaint. After a few minutes of stirring I was eating, but the incessant voices never stop. They started talking about many things at once. If I focused on one conversation I might hear them freaking out about the new call of duty game, if I tried to listen to another, I would hear stuff about the current president. I sifted through the conversations and came to one in particular I always listen in on to get a good laugh. And I said ‘oatmeal, are you crazy?!’ Laughter erupted from the listener as the other voice finished an apparent joke. I rarely understood his antics or why he did stuff, but he always made people laugh. And he seemed to enjoy it. As I listened to the many random conversations I ate. As a whole, they were nothing but background noise, random thoughts. But each one was a different person with different experiences. I never wanted them there and I always thought they were a curse. But parents often think that of their children. Either way, I’ve grown to deal with them.
Chapter 2The room was quiet as I ate my mac n’ cheese, but in my head there was a plethora of voices. When a new voice entered the fray I didn’t even realize it wasn’t just in my head. “Honey, what are you eating?” it asked. “I didn’t know you guys could talk like that.” I mumbled to myself in slight surprise. That wasn’t us. I looked up from my meal and turned around to see a woman in her late forties looking at me with a smile, behind her was a man in his early fifties. They were both dressed in nice clothes, him in a tuxedo, her in a ruby dress. “What do you want?” I asked in a less than friendly tone. “We wanted to see if you would come with us to a party.” She told me kindly, as if she were greeting an old friend. “I don’t want to go.” I turned back to my cheesy goodness, hoping against hope that they would leave. Of course, they didn’t. “But we think you would like this one. It’s not going to be like the last one.” She claimed. “the last one I ended up humiliating myself in front of all of your business partners. I think you said that you lost tens of thousands of dollars for it.” I recalled. “would you like a repeat?” “this time you won’t be with us, but with someone else.” Said the man. “who?” I asked, not at all interested. “a girl!” called the woman in glee. Now, it’s true, I’ve been less than successful on the relationship front, especially when it came to girls, but asking for help from these two would be like using a dating site. It would be the bottom of the bottom, the most desperate I could get. I would rather gouge my eyes out. “I don’t need your help with women.” I told them with a stern glance over my shoulder. “really, when was the last time you were with a girl?” asked the man. “I don’t remember. But that doesn’t matter.” I told them, then took a bite. The mac and cheese was getting cold, if they didn’t leave soon I’d have to microwave it or something. “we think you’ll like her.” she said with obvious hope in her voice. “yeah, what makes you think that?” I asked with another mouthful. “she’s pretty and kind, every man’s dream.” “is she rich?” I asked, turning around with an interesting look on my face. “oh, yes, very.” She said. “then this is nothing more than a matter of money for you. All you want is her money and not for me to be happy. Therefore, I’m out.” I said with a twinge of anger in my voice. “you may show yourselves out.” “this matter is not up for debate.” He said as he took a threatening step forward. “what, you’re going to make me go on a date? I’ll just ruin it like the rest, willingly or unwillingly.” I told him with a hateful glare. “you’ll do as I say, whether you like it or not.” “I’m a man of my own, dad, I’ll do what I like.” This made his rage boil over. “I will cut you off.” Those five words made me freeze. He was willing to cut off his supply of high tech designs for this woman. What was so important about her? Why was she so special? What can I do to get out of this conversation without losing my unlimited access to their money? As all these thoughts went through my head they waited for my response. “I hate you so much.” I told my parents as I got up and walked to my room. I had on a brand new suit with a tie and fedora. I didn’t like monkey suits, but I had to admit, I looked good. I was told that the girl would meet me by the drinks. So I waited… And waited… And… waited… About three hours into the party a woman walked up to me. My eye fell upon a woman that seemed to be absolutely perfect. She was only a few inches shorter than me, but she looked... I don't think I could put her form into words, but I’ll try. Her eyes were a haunting shade of teal, or maybe turquoise, and they had a look of pure innocence, like she had never seen the horror of real life. Her hair was jet black, and almost looked to be sparkling in the twilight, it flowed effortlessly in the breeze as if it were natural. My eyes began to take in the rest of her while my mind went blank as it became overwhelmed by the appearance of the mysterious woman before me. Her body was the picture of flawlessness; no fashion model could hold a candle to her radiance. Her legs were elegant and had just the right amount of tone to them. Her waist was slim and gave her an hour glass appearance overall, but her bust was just as lovely, not like those women that wanted to show off their chest to attract men, no, hers was just the right size... maybe a B-cup... I’m not sure. Women have been something I never really put much thought into, mostly thanks to my parents, but this woman was making me think I should have... “Are you Dillon?” I nodded wordlessly. She was wearing a dark sapphire blue evening dress with a split up the leg that went to her thigh. It made her pale white and flawless skin practically glow in the light with the dark dress contrasting against it. She may be the only reason that I will ever give my parents a thank you. “Are you okay?” she asked concerned. “Oh, yeah, sorry. You’re just so beautiful.” As I said this, a light crimson blush spread across her cheeks. “Thank you.” she quietly replied before turning away slightly to hide her blushing from me. She turned back to me, apparently just remembering her manners. “I’m Laura. Your parents told me to meet you by the punch.” There was an awkward silence as I kept staring at her flawlessness. I was snapped out of it by some polite coughing. Realizing that calling her beautiful won’t have the same effect as before, so I moved on. “You… want to go do something?” I asked uncertainly while rubbing the back of my neck. “I never was one for formal parties.” She walked up and laced her arm through mine, as if we were a couple already. Thank you mother and father... that's the only one you get from me. “What do you want to do?” I asked, feeling her tight grip around my appendage. “Does dinner sound good?” she asked with a cute smile. I hope this works out... I think I could actually enjoy tonight. “Sure.”
Chapter 3“So, where would like to go for dinner?” I asked as we exited the building together. She brought her free hand and tapped a finger against her chin, then answered “There’s a rather quaint restaurant down the street I know of, shall we try there?” “Sounds good to me.” We turned the corner at the end of the block and towards the restaurant, still holding each other’s arms. This is something I could get used to! After a minute of content walking I check the time on my watch, it's getting late and the sun will be setting in a few minutes. She must have taken this as a sign that I was losing interest because she broke the silence by leaning against me and clearing her throat to get my attention. I looked down at her next to me... “So, tell me about yourself.” she said nervously, but looking up at me with curiosity in her eyes. “I… I don’t know where to start.” I said sheepishly, not knowing exactly what normal people talked about. “Well, when I say ‘fun’ what’s the first thing you think of?” she asked. “Um… happiness? Joy and laughter? I’m not sure.” I stated awkwardly. “How about you? What do you think of?” “I think of being with the ones I love.” She told me without batting an eye. “And who might that be?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “My friends, my sister… my parents.” She stated cautiously. ‘is she hinting towards something?’ Shut up. “Really?” I said, buying a second for me to recollect my thoughts and come up with a response. “Well, tell me about your friends.” I demanded playfully. “Oh, there’s not much to tell. Just the rag tag group you’d expect to find at the local delinquent department.” She joked. “Ok, then. What about your sister?” I asked with a small chuckle. “Ah ah! You still have to tell me about your friends.” She tsked. “I don’t have any friends. All I have are acquaintances. And sometimes those acquaintances aren’t good to be around.” I told her solemnly. I saw her face visibly drop and she lost some of her radiance. “But enough about me, tell me about your sister.” I said cheerily, which rubbed off on her a little. “Oh, she’s the best sister one could have! She never forgot a birthday, always looked out for me, she even lets me help with the family company! She really is great.” The smile only grew as she talked about this woman she adored so. “That’s great! She sounds like a nice woman. I can’t wait to meet her.” “I bet. But don’t get any ideas, she’s got a guy friend that would kick your ass.” She gave me a playful look. “Not to mention I’m the one you’re with right now.” Her arm tightened around mine. “True, true.” I stated wistfully. “Well, if you like the sound of her, my parents will really blow your mind.” I tightened visibly to that. “Oh, really.” I said with a slightly more strained smile on my face. “yeah.” she said, apparently oblivious to my uncomfortableness to the situation. “They started with nothing, but ended with everything. They were born into poor families and married with nothing more than the shirt on their back.” Her expression was nostalgia at the time, like she was thinking back to the good ole days. “They started a small business and worked their way up. Now they run one of the largest and most powerful companies in New York.” She said. “They sound like great people.” I said still uncomfortable, but less so. “Are you ok?” she asked, only now noticing my sudden change in demeanor. “Yeah, fine.” I said, rubbing the back of my head with my free hand. “Yeah, it’s hard to be born into power.” she seemed to have a realization. The clues were barely noticeable, but clear enough for me to notice. “Maybe if you talk about them…” she trailed off, wanting me to finish what she started. “They were saints!” I lied blatantly. “They gave me candy when I wanted it, I was treated to the best toys a kid could ask for, and the stuff I got to do!” I feigned excitement, the sarcasm thick in my voice, and kept an eye on her. What I saw was confusing, to say the least. In her eyes I saw a mixture of fear, curiosity, and confusion… and was that… anger? But why would she feel these things? Unless… ‘Called it!’ Didn’t I tell you to shut up? ‘Technically, no.’ Then let me tell all of you: SHUT UP! ‘Ok, chief!’ There was a minute of silence. She seemed to be debating what to say next when I broke the silence. “Um-” she flinched. She honest to god flinched. I felt the knife sink into my chest as the realization of what I had just done. This stopped my talking immediately, as a side product of the blade sinking into my ribcage. “I’m sorry, I-” “No, I’m sorry.” She cut me off. “I should have been more considerate.” She said while looking at the ground, where the blood was dripping from the metaphorical stab wound. “How were you inconsiderate?” I decided not to make her feel guiltier and head this one off. “You know what, forget I even said anything. We were talking about your parents and how they built their empire from nothing.” I prompted hopefully, wanting to salvage what was left of this train wreck. Unfortunately, this didn’t do much to help. She was less enthusiastic and the light in her eyes… it was just… dimmed. Like someone drained the battery. “Well, when my sister was born she was pampered and given many things she wanted. Almost never did she hear the word ‘no’ in her first twenty years of life. I came along a few years later and was neglected. I would get things for my sister and do things for her. She was the favorite while I was the forgotten. When I turned eighteen and was sent away I fell to the… bad lifestyle. I started to hate my sister and all of the praise she got. These feelings festered inside me for years, and I was finally free to let them out. She was the reason I sank to an all-time low.” “I’m sorry, I didn’t know, I-” I started, knowing I had probably just ruined all chances of relationship with this woman. “Let me finish.” These three words shut my mouth tight. “When I fell past rock bottom the only one to notice was my sister.” She continued. “She was the only one to see how much it all was killing me… and she had two choices. Let me stay and ruin all that mother and father had worked on, or send me away to cool off and think about it. She chose to send me to a small, isolated ranch. This ranch was occupied by an elderly couple that didn’t do much other than sit on the porch or in the living room and talk. Don’t get me wrong, I loved them to death, but it wasn’t home. Not yet. Over the next ten years I learned how to care for someone, truly. And when I came home I was a whole new person. When I came home I loved my family, no matter who got the credit.” She finished. “That’s… terrible… I never did anything for my family and they always saw me as a burden. Is your sister still like that?” I asked, genuinely wanting to know if her home life was still that bad. “no.” she smiled again and I let out a mental breath, knowing I could at least make it up to her… somehow. “When I met my sister at the station she was so happy to see me. We made up and I learned what had happened in my absence. The company had thrived even more under her. I can only hope to contribute half as much as she did. She was so nice and caring. I’m not sure what changed her, but I wouldn’t trade it for all those years alone.” she smiled at the fond memory; and I smiled, knowing that she was happy. There was some content walking and when I broke the silence there was still a flinch, but it was less noticeable. “I… think that’s great.” I said awkwardly, hoping not to upset her again. “It is.” She said simply. We rounded a corner and she looked up at a sign down the street. “We’re almost there; I have reservations for two under the name Laura. Can you go find our seats while I take care of something?” she asked. “Uh… sure, I guess.” I was surprised. I’m not sure how normal dates go, but I’m pretty sure that your date shouldn’t ‘take care’ of something right before you sit down to eat. I thought as I watched her walk across the street and into a back alley. Even less so in a place like that. When she was out of sight I walked into the restaurant.
Christmas SpecialI was strolling through Whitetail Woods, just enjoying the beautiful colors of the fall leaves being bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. The songbirds were finishing their last melodies before the lovely night sky was to be painted above for the evening. It was turning into the perfect time to do something I had long forgotten to enjoy... watching the sunset. I made my way to small clearing ahead of me that gave the perfect vantage point to watch the last warmth of light slip below the horizon. settling down on the cold ground sent a small shiver up my spine, but the sight of the red, orange, and yellow tree tops practically glow under the fading light, warmed my body, heart, and soul; pushing aside the cool feeling of the ground below me. In only a few short months the dead of winter will bring its full and frigid weight upon the area. The vibrant colors of the fall trees, grass, and lingering flowers would be blanketed under a thick cover of snow. Although right now I was content to just sit, watch, and wait, but a small white bunny caught my attention as it hopped from out of nowhere and settle next to me. My curiosity was peaked as an animal had never been so bold as to approach me like this, so this caught me a little off guard. I watched for moment as the little bunny looked up to me as if it needed something from me. Its tiny brown eyes trembling with excitement from something unknown to me, I felt the urge to ask; though knowing an answer would never be given. “Hey, little guy. Do you need something?” It quickly stood on its hind legs taking a deep gasping breath, before it gave me a reply: one that I wouldn’t expect from an animal, or one that I think fits the question! “WAKE UP!!” My head flew from the pillow as the weight of something was launched from upon my chest. My wings had snapped open on reflex to the sudden shout awakening me, in case I needed to fly away from an unknown danger, and my heart was beating frantically within the confines of my chest, which accompanied the gasping breaths I drew in from the fright given to me. As my eyes took in the dim light in the room I calmed myself and pulled my wings back to my sides, realizing it was all just a dream. I glanced at the window to the world outside and saw the wind whipping the snow around into flurries of white. “Damn.” I muttered quietly under my breath before a tiny squeaky voice broke the silence. “Ow! Daddy!!” Came the voice I recognized as the bunny from my dream, and now even more than that, my daughter. “Sorry, Daddy was sleeping. You startled me, Sugarplum.” I told her as I slid out from under the warm quilted blanket to my hooves. The cool morning air brought goose bumps to the skin under my fur as I walked over to the small filly lying on the floor. “I know... Umm... Sorry I woke you.” She apologized as I wrapped a foreleg around her small barrel and brought her up onto all fours. I gazed down at my cute daughter, standing there next to me. The dawn's early light shining through the edge frosted window allowed me to see her soft teal coat and tiny filly wings, which would need a good brushing and preening later; along with her long, silky blond mane and tail. Both looked as if the birds made their winter homes in it. I chuckled under my breath as she looked up with her blue, intelligent eyes, which seemed to sparkled in the warm light beginning to flood into the room. She was just so innocent and young. I hope she stays this way for a long time to come. I thought to myself as my wife's voice reached my ears. “Honey, is that you?” She asked groggily as she fumbled around feeling for my presence next to her, then giving up when she found I was no longer under the sheets with her. “Yeah, I just had an early morning wake up call.” “Then... just hit the..." A long yawn interrupted her suggestion. "Snooze button.” She continued before returning her head back upon her soft, inviting pillow. I chuckled and looked back to the filly standing before me. She looked up to me with a confused expression on her face as I made a point of looking her over, pretending to look for a button to press that would allow us to sleep for a few more minutes, uninterrupted. After a few seconds, I raised my hoof up towards her and… "Boop!" I chirped as my hoof touch my daughter's nose. She stood there for a second, stunned, with her little wings flared from the sudden and unsuspected touch. She stared cross eyed at the end of her nose, where my hoof was only a moment before, letting me climb back in bed with my loving wife as she recovered. “Hey! Don’t go back to bed!!” She complained as I settled in under the blanket once more. “I think that was the volume button.” My wife grumbled as she buried her head deeper into the pillow. “Sorry honey... I’ll try something else.” I chortled as I looked back to my daughter standing next to the bed. “Now, where could that button be?” I murmured to myself trying to suppress my urge to laugh longer. “Where’s what button?” The confused filly asked. “Maybe… here!” I chuckled as I gently patted her head a few times. “Daddy!” She exclaimed the moment after my hoof left her head. "Nope! Not there." I laughed at my daughter's cute pouting face. “Try again.” The mare in bed next to me said sarcastically as she snuggled closer. “It has to be here somewhere.” I said a little louder, with more fake exasperation. I rolled over onto my side and used a wing to scoop her up and place her on the blanket, letting her sit in front of me and her mother. She still wore that cute pout that could melt the thickest, coldest ice on any heart. “What about here? This has to be the button!” I said giving a soft poke of my hoof to her chest. “Hehe, daddy!” She exclaimed with a small, stifled giggle. “Hey, hon, check this one out! I kinda like it!” I told my wife as I pressed the ‘button’ again. The smiling little filly laughed and put up her forelegs to block my incessant poking, which caused her to yelp as she fell onto the covers, effectively put her in a prone position. This drew a chuckle from her mother, as she had begun to watch our father-daughter playfulness. “I wonder if there’s more buttons to press on the bottom.” I exclaimed aloud as I rolled the filly over. “No!” She squealed giddily. Her little tummy was exposed to my tickling hoof, along with my wife's own hoof. The next five minutes was a mess of girly giggles and laughs accompanied by a filly's screams of joy, not all of which came from my wife or daughter, to my eternal shame. After we all calmed down from the 'Battle of Tickle-hill,' which ended with a truce, I found myself with my wife on top of me and my daughter on the mare’s back grinning triumphantly. We moved ourselves from the floor of the bedroom back to the bed as we all took a deep breath to farther calm ourselves. “Well, I’m not going back to sleep.” My wife said smiling at the filly. When they gazed over at me, they found a stallion with his face buried underneath the blanket snoring as if he were sleeping. Although the sound of the extremely loud snoring meant there was no chance anyone would be sleeping. “But you are, apparently.” She chortled as her hind hoof met my ribs in a faux-kick. I whipped back the blanket to see their amused faces staring at me. “Heh. Anyway, Sugarplum, why did you have to wake us up so early in the morning again?” I asked the youngest of the three of us. Suddenly, my little girls face lit up with pure and unaltered glee. “Oh! There are presents!!” She shouted as if she wanted our neighbors’ neighbor to know. “We know...” I said, rubbing a hoof in my ear in hopes of stopping the ringing that now resounded from it. “And now so do people in Saddle Arabia.” I groaned. The little filly smiled sheepishly before she flared her wings and jumped off the bed, flapping them quickly to slow her descent to the floor. Her flying lesson had been paying off, as her wings had slowed her down just enough for a safe landing, and not a solid thud, as her previous attempts had ended. “C’mon c’mon c’mon!!” She yelled as she sprinted at full speed down the hallway. “Be careful!” My wife worriedly called after her. “Kids.” I said with a knowing look on my face. Her hoof met my face with no force behind it. “Let’s go, before she starts opening them without us.” She said sliding out of bed. When I cleared the bottom step my eyes fell upon all the decorations carefully displayed around the room. The walls were strung with ropes of holly, above the fireplace was large wreath with red ribbon tied to it, and a large pine tree sat in corner of the room. Beneath the evergreen tree was a plethora of wrapped gifts: some green, some red, some small, some tall; all wrapped with love and care. My adorable daughter was practically swimming in the gifts, looking one over, then moving on to another with quiet cry of joy at the mysteries laid before her and the prize that each wrapped gift hid. My loving wife strolled to the couch as I watched the filly examine a wrapped sphere in her hooves, obviously a ball to those who knew. A soft patting sound drew my attention to the gorgeous mare laying on the couch as she patted the spot next to her and motioning me over with small wave of her dainty hoof. As I sat down next to her, she nestled against my chest as we watched our youngest one practically dance under the tree picking out one to unwrap. “No, young lady! You have to wait for your brother to join us before you can do that.” I playfully scold her. She brought out her weapon grade pout: big doe eyes, quivering bottom lip, and tiny whimper of protest that could bring the princesses themselves to their knees. “F-Fine, but if he’s not down in a minute, I’m gonna… I’m gonna go and drag him here!” She stated firmly and crossed her fore hooves. “Very well.” ‘And now we play the waiting game.’ There was a minute of silence before the sound of clip clopping coming from the stairs found my ears. The hoofsteps slowly grew louder and louder as the last of the family arrived in all his sleepy glory. As our son reached the bottom step he paused, fighting a lingering yawn, though losing in the end and letting it escape his mouth with a groan. “Good... morning.” A groggy greeting came from the young colt, obviously still in a half sleeping state. He continued his journey into the kitchen to fix himself a bowl of cereal, not at all concerned that there was a small mountain of brightly wrapped gifts no less than ten feet away from him. My little girl made to call out to him, but I quickly rushed from the couch stopping her with a hoof over her mouth. Getting a disappointed 'Hurmph' and pout from my wife “Let’s see how long it takes him to notice, alright?” I whispered into her ear softly. She giggled a bit behind a tiny hoof, and became quiet as we all waited for his eventual return. “So, what’s the weather looking like today?” He asked from the kitchen. “I heard there’s supposed to be a flurry of snow today.” “Oh, it’s alright. Not too terrible, considering last year.” I told him as I took my former position on the couch with a slight smirk on my face, much to the delight of my wife. “That’s good. Don’t want to be out all day with the snow blowing in my face.” He stated idly as he munched on a spoonful. “Yeah. Hey, when you’re done with your breakfast, can you help me with something?” I asked fighting to keep a straight face. “Sure, what is it?” He turned to look at me, in case I had to point out something, I assumed. “Well, there’s gonna be a ton of wrapping paper everywhere once your sister’s done with all of that over there.” I told him nonchalantly with a vague uncaring expression on my face, I then gestured towards the presents piled under the tree as if it were mere garbage that needed to be taken out. “Sure.” He turned back around to venture back into his bowl for another mouthful. I watched in utter amusement as I knew the gears in his mind were slowly turning with the previous image that was being processed. “Wait for it…” I whispered to my wife and daughter. I started counting down “Three… two… one…” I quickly pointed at him as the clarity and understanding of what he saw broke through his addled mind. His ears perked up and his body whipped around and within a fraction of a second he was in the presents, soon joined by his sister. They began wading through the mysterious prizes surrounding them, eager to unwrap them all. “There’s so many! And they’re so big!” He yelled as he eyed a box that was a head taller than him. “I know, right?!” excitedly shouted his sister. “I’ll go clean up the bowl.” I told my wife giving her a parting kiss as they started deciding which gift to open first. I stopped one last time and looked at the room laid out before me, and all that came to mind was ‘This could be a pretty nice Hearths Warming Day, after all.’
