A knock sounded at the door. Twilight looked up from her book, an eyebrow raised. The sign on the door clearly said the library was closed for the day. It was Hearth’s Warming Day after all. So who was it knocking at her door? Twilight decided to dismiss it. She had likely imagined it after all.
A knock came again. This one she knew she had not imagined. In fact, it was a very familiar knock. Twilight sighed, stretching her hooves and wings as she stood. She had been curled up on her couch for the last few hours as she read, and found herself still. Twilight put on a fake, pleasant smile as she opened the door. “Luna!” she cried with fake enthusiasm. “What are you doing here?”
“Do I need a reason to visit my marefriend on Hearth’s Warming day?” Luna replied with a smile, stepping in from the snow as Twilight stood to the side. “I was hoping you would let me spend the day with you this year.”
Twilight twitched. Not the noticeable kind, the kind a pony could easily get away with. “Well, I was just planning on reading the day away,” Twilight replied, closing the door behind Luna. “You’re welcome to join me, though I’m afraid I won’t be much company.”
“You know I love spending time with you, no matter what we do,” Luna chuckled, sitting herself on the couch. “But, isn’t Pinkie Pie throwing one of her parties? I thought you’d be there,” Luna asked, looking somewhat confused at Twilight. “I even checked there first, though Ms. Rarity told me you were still here at home.”
Twilight sat next to her marefriend, her fake smile faltering for a brief moment. “I just felt like having a quiet day this year.” Twilight leaned against Luna with a genuienly happy smile. A third knock came at the door. Twilight’s smile vanished. Her cheek twitched. Again, she knew that knock. “Luna, you told them to come, didn’t you?” Twilight accused.
“I admit nothing.”
Twilight sighed, quickly putting her smile back on, and opening the door. “Girls! I take it Luna asked you to come along?”
Pinkie Pie burst through the door the moment it was open, sailing over the ducking Twilight. The rest followed in, laughing as Pinkie was caught in a gentle blue glow, just before hitting the shelves. “Yes darling, she did ask us to come,” Rarity answered, closing the door behind her. “Though we understand if you wish to spend the day alone with her.”
Twilight shook her head. “Not at all girls, I’m always happy to spend time with you.”
“Aw yeah! Lets get this party started!” Rainbow yelled, zooming over to grab Pinkie. The two of them immediately began setting up a party, albeit much smaller than the one currently raging at Sugarcube Corner. Twilight let a small sigh escape her lips as she turned, an act only noticed by Luna and Rarity.
“Gosh dern it, you two!” Applejack called out, grabbing Rainbow by the tail and pulling her out of the air. “Ya’ll said we weren’t going to have no party!”
Pinkie and Rainbow hung their heads. “Sorry,” they mumbled in unison.
Fluttershy smiled. “We don’t need to have a party to have fun, Pinkie,” she said in her soft voice. “We can have fun just being together. “And Rainbow, you know it’s good to take a break every now and then.” The two mares nodded, smiling sheepishly.
Twilight’s smile became a little more genuine. “Thanks Fluttershy,” she whispered, loud enough only she could hear herself. With a content sigh the seven mares sat on either the couch or one of the many chairs. Twilight found Luna’s wing around her just as Applejack found Rainbow’s wing around her.
“Now, Twilight, dear, why do you hate Hearth’s Warming so?” Rarity asked. A shocked gasp went through all but two of the mares.
“Hate Hearth’s Warming? How could anypony hate today?” Pinkie asked incredulously.
“Seriously, today is like, the most awesome day of the year!” Rainbow added, staring shocked at her friend.
“I hafta agree with her there, suga’cube. Hearth’s Warming is a wonderful day,” Applejack commented, giving her wife a gentle nuzzle. “It’s a time to be spent with fammily-”
“Stop. All of you, just stop,” Twilight ordered, her voice firm. The room fell silent. “First, you’re wrong, Rarity. I don’t hate Hearth’s Warming.” A sigh went through the room. “I despise it. I loath it. I would see it ended and never return sooner than celebrate it.” Again all but two mares gasped at Twilight’s words and the venom they held.
“Twilight, why?” Luna asked, turning to look at her marefriend. “I knew you didn’t like it, but I didn’t know it went that deep.”
Twilight pulled away from Luna, curled up, and stared away from her friends. “The idea of it is fine. A day for ponies to gather together, united as one. A day for us to spend with family and friends, to relax, and for once not let our worries bother us.” Twilight sighed, a small smile flashing across her face. “But that’s not what it has become. It has been bastardized and corrupted.
“Foals, the ones we are supposed to be raising and instilling good values in, care about nothing but how many presents they get.” Twilight’s voice darkened as she continued. “To them today is all about getting. There care nothing about giving or about each other. And there are grown mares and stallions who share that view. How can we say any good comes of this day when all it leads to is fighting and complaining? Ponies will fight, sometimes to the death, over some small piece of plastic, because they think they need it. It sickens me.”
Luna slid across the gap seperating her from Twilight, wrapping her wing around her again. “Tia had told me you seemed to enjoy the holidays less and less each year, and that the few years before my return you had taken to locking yourself in your room for the whole day. I never understood why.”
“But Twilight,” Pinkie began, confused. “You always seem so happy on Hearths Warming Eve and day. You always smile and thank us for the gifts while giving us gifts as well. You always seemed to love it as much as any of us.”
“I faked that enthusiasm. Well, most of it. I was, and am, truly appreciative of the gifts you all have given me.” Twilight gave her friends a genuine smile. “I know you all put a lot of thought into what to get me each year, and I appreciate that. But, honestly, I never opened some of them.” Twilight’s smile faded slightly. “It’s more important to me that you thought to get me something then whatever it is you got me.”
The room went silent. Twilight curled up against Luna and closed her eyes, not wanting to face her friends. Fluttershy coughed quietly. “Twilight, dear, why didn’t you ever tell us?” Rarity asked after a few minutes.
“Because I know how much it means to all of you. And I didn’t want to ruin it.”
“Twilight, how would you like to spend the day?” Fluttershy asked quietly.
“With my friends. No parties, no presents. Just all of us, together, having a good time.” Twilight replied just as quietly.
“Can we have a small party, Twilight?” Pinkie asked, a hopeful smile on her face. “Otherwise it’s going to get really boring, just sitting around talking.”
Twilight gave a small chuckle. “Alright Pinkie. A small one. A punch bowl, maybe a few games, and some music in the background. Thats it. Just the seven of us, having a good time together.”
In a flash Pinkie had a party set up. Just as Twilight had asked, it was only the seven of them, a punch bowl, a collection of games, and some light music playing. And for the first time in over a decade, Twilight enjoyed Hearth’s Warming day.
Author's Note
Have a wonderful holiday. And remember what the true meaning behind it is.
