Solo Noel: A Hearth's Warming Tale
After the Hearth’s Warming Eve Pageant in Cantorlot, all the ponies are excited to get back home and celebrate Hearth’s Warming Day with their friends and family. The pageant brings ponies from all over Equestria to celebrate the magic of friendship.
However, after the end of the pageant, all those ponies have to go somewhere and this holiday is the busiest night of the year. Ponies are flocking together and packing themselves into the train cars like sardines. The noise is about as loud as a mountain pass’s raging river current. You can hardly hear the train’s whistle sound to proclaim it’s about to depart and all ponies that need a ride—should get on and soon!
“Hurry Everypony!” Twilight Sparkle calls from amongst the crowd with Spike riding on her back, “This is the last train for tonight!”
Rainbow Dash sighs with annoyance and complains, “Its Rarity’s fault for wanting to stop at every single store on the way back from the castle!”
“Hearth’s Warming Eve is the best night to get the greatest deals,” Rarity defends herself.
“I don’t care if you got them for a steal or for free, but we are going to miss the train,” Apple Jack scolds her.
“I see an opening in the crowd! Let’s go!” Pinkie points her hoof at the open space in the train car, “After that Gingerbread house for lunch, I can’t wait to get back home and eat some more sweet goodies!”
The six friends pile into the car just in time for the train conductor to yell “All aboard that’s coming aboard, the last train of the night to Ponyville!” The doors close and with a huff and a screeching tug, the train takes off into the night.
“Whoo-wee!” Apple Jack takes off her Stetson hat to fan herself from the adrenaline rush, “That was a close one!” She returns her hat to her head, “I bet you’re excited for the Hearth’s Warming Day Party tomorrow morning, right Applebloom?”
After a moment of silence Apple Jack looks down, “Applebloom?” she looks all over the place franticly for her little sister, “Applebloom! Where are you?”
Rarity has also noticed an absence of her own sister, “Sweetie Belle? Stop hiding! It’s not funny!”
“What about Scoots?!” Rainbow Dash gasped, “I promised her parents I’d watch her tonight!”
“The last I saw them was when they were going into that last shop outside of Canterlot with Rarity,” Spike speaks up. “After that I didn’t see what happened to them because Twilight grabbed me so sudden.”
“How could I lose my one and only sister!” Rarity lays down on the train bench dramatically, “Of all the worst possible things to happen, this is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!”
“RARITY!” “APPLE JACK!” “RAINBOW DASH!” “Twilight?”
Three little fillies were wondering around the now quiet and almost dead train station in Canterlot. With all the crowds of ponies now gone for the night, it was very quiet. Except for a unicorn, Pegasus, and an earth pony that were calling out for their older sisters and guardians to no avail.
“I hate to say this, but I think we missed the train,” Scootaloo the orange Pegasus said sadly.
“Ah, its okay girls,” the yellow earth pony named Applebloom encouraged, “We’ll just have ta’ wait for the next train.”
“But we just missed the last train 30 minutes ago,” a white unicorn named Sweetie Belle stated as she sat underneath the posted train schedule. Tears started to form in her eyes, “We are stuck here…alone.” Try as she might of fighting back the tears, the dam breaks and tears flow out her eyes like a burst fire hydrant.
“Don’t worry Sweetie Belle,” Applebloom tries her best to comfort her friend. The silence and the dreading reality that they were very alone was also getting to her and she could feel her own tears moistening her eyes.
“So what do we do now?” Scootaloo asks.
They continue to sit on the train platform, thinking of ways to get out of this mess. Usually the Cutie Mark Crusader’s had their minds on trying to find their special talents and receive their cutie marks. But now, as the night gets darker, they just want to find their way home. To their dismay, it starts to snow. Big flakes fall from the sky, like stars glittering the ground. If they weren’t in such big trouble, the night would’ve been the perfect white Hearth’s Warming Eve. Try as they might all they could do is keep wishing that they were back at home and resting by the fireplace with the rest of their friends and family.
They start to shiver when the fear of being stuck here alone at night—they might as well be alone in the Everfree Forest—at least they would be closer to home. They are about to lose hope when they start to hear the jingling, chingedy-ching sound of sleigh bells. Scootaloo notices some movement in the dark. It was hard to make out through the near white-out conditions, but there was somepony headed their way in the blizzard.
“Look!” Scootaloo points in the distance, “Somepony is out there and headed this direction.”
Not knowing what to do, and frozen stiff with fear and uncertainty, they watch as the pony form comes closer. When the pony gets closer, they realize that it is not a pony at all—but a donkey! He stands in front of them, bearing nothing but saddle bags filled with who knows what. The jingle bells that first gave away his presence, were attached to a neck collar and Martingale; that was a single strap that went between his front legs and connected to his girth like a harness. He had a very thick light gray coat and bristly, white mane and tail. His soft, brown wise eyes and friendly smile warms their lonely attitude.
“Hello there little ones!” he continues to smile, “Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve!” After some silence and noticing the frozen tear mats under their eyes, he softens his approach, “Looks like you fillies are having a rough night.” He reaches into his saddle bag and pulls out what looks like wool-knitted fabric, “Here you go, little ones!” he says in a jolly, cheerful tone, “Put these on; you’ll feel much better when you get yourselves warm and toasty.”
They look over the wool fabric placed in their little hooves and notice that they were knit caps and scarves. Starving for a sense of comfort, they gladly put on the winter gear. The scratchy wool was overlooked with the cozy warmth that came with it. They snuggled into the scarves that they carefully placed around their necks and wiped their faces clean from the frozen tears on their little faces.
“Now then,” he gets their attention in a soft, compassionate tone, “that looks much more comfortable, my name is Solo Noel…and I’m guessing you missed the last train home to Ponyville.”
“How did you know?” Applebloom asks.
He lifts his fore hoof to point at the train schedule stationed behind them and Sweetie Belle answers for him, “Well, that makes sense.”
“If you want, I can guide you back home,” he smiles kindly at them.
“It’s Hearth’s Warming Eve,” Scootaloo speaks up, “Don’t you have family to be with?”
“Don’t you?” he reassures them.
They all give each other wondering glances, they are more than desperate to get back home. Not to mention their family must be worried sick by now. Previously, they had thought about walking home because there was a carriage road to Ponyville; but with the sudden snow fall of heavy flakes, the road will probably disappear from their sight. They needed a guide or somepony that has taken the road before, since they didn’t have a map.
Applebloom is the first to speak, “Are you sure, Mister Noel?”
“Yeah,” Scootaloo cuts in, “How do we know we can trust you?”
“How long will the trip take?” Sweetie Belle adds her two bits.
The gray donkey gives a hearty, deep chuckle. The jingle bells around his chest rattle; the noise is almost mesmerizing, making his presence all the more welcoming. He answers, “One; Yes, I am positively sure and two; there isn’t a way for me to prove that I can be trusted, what other options do you have? And three; the trip isn’t that long, you will be home before you know it. I Promise. All you have to do…is wish and I’m more than happy to help.”
The three fillies look at each other again and then Solo adds, “Look, you can come with me and leave your ‘comfort zone’ or sit back and remain ‘securely’ here…the choice is yours,” after giving each other nods of agreement they look towards Solo with small smiles.
Solo claps his hooves together in excitement, “Yay! Travel Buddies! When you’re a donkey, chances like this don’t happen very often—Got’ta live in the moment!”
He hops down off of the train station’s platform and trots up next to the edge, so the flat of his back is flush with the platform. “Hop aboard the Hearth’s Warming Express! Next stop: Ponyville!”
The three fillies giggle at the sight of the gray donkey’s enthusiasm. They give each other playful smiles and walk to the edge of the platform and one by one hop onto his soft, fluffy back. After comfortably finding their spot on his back, they hear him proudly bray, “Hee-haw! And away we go!”
Starting off with a steady, smooth trot, Solo Noel and the Cutie Mark Crusaders begin their journey into the snow covered night. Plodding on; with the bells around his neck softly ringing with every step, the donkey never misses a beat. They were sitting close together on his back, single-file, like they were on a narrow toboggan. Except instead of sitting on hard, flat, cold wood; it was long, coarse, hair.
“This actually works out great!” he gets their attention.
“Why is that?” Sweetie Belle asks.
“Well, I don’t know if you knew this; but, Donkeys don’t have a waterproof undercoat like ponies do. We lose body heat if we get stuck in rain or wet snow. You’re protecting my back from the elements, so go ahead and make yourselves comfortable and cover as much space as you want.”
With that said, the fillies relax while still clumped together. For it was still brisk, night air and the frozen condensation building up below their mouths on the scarves reminded them that they weren’t out of the woods yet. Once they have their body heat under control, they have a look around the winter scenery. When they were stranded on the train station platform and blinded by fear of never seeing home again, they didn’t notice how pretty winter can actually be.
The full moon beams through the clouds in the sky and the little light that does make it through, reflect off of the white snow on the ground and the surface twinkles like diamonds. Even though it is the middle of the night, the snow gives off a glow about as bright as candlelight in their bedroom. The snow that is usually white in the daytime, is now a very soft neon blue. The snow on the Evergreen trees lining the road look like they are decorated in holiday spirit. Compared to the dark nights of spring and summer, winter nights are bright and almost alive. Even the large snowflakes that are falling blend in with the stars overhead. The young ones are usually asleep and snuggling in their beds, away from the chilly winter night, but they had no idea what they were missing.
The feeling is so serene and quiet—even with the sound of the jingling bells. After a long day of the hustle and bustling crowds, the little filly’s eyes were getting heavy and much to their dismay were getting harder and harder to maintain open. Solo’s trot was very smooth and even, it was barely noticeable and the beats with his bells that he did make were soothing to their physically and emotionally exhausted bodies. They start to slump over onto each other, using each other’s weight as balance on his back.
Applebloom, who is up-front, leans forward to rest her head on Solo’s bristly mane. She has already gotten used to the scratchy wool around her neck, so his mane was very inviting. She speaks after a huge yawn, “Solo?”
“Yes, little one?” he quietly answers.
“Why are you helping us? We just met—yet you are so kind. You comforted us with warm scarves and hats, you let us ride on your back, and offering to take us all the way home to Ponyville.”
“And?”
Scootaloo pokes her head up from behind Sweetie Belle, “What you mean and?” The three of them are thinking it but she is the one that says it, “You’re not like any other donkey or mule I’ve ever met. No offense.”
He chuckles under his breath, “None taken kid. Some call it stubborn, I call it common sense.” After some silence he continues again, “You see Hearth’s Warming isn’t just a season, it’s a feeling. It’s a holiday that you can get homesick, even when your already home. It’s a holiday that brings ponies together, rekindling the bond that has been keeping them together the whole year and it’s only tonight that they notice it. No Hearth’s Warming is complete without the ones you love. Can you remind me the first part of ‘The Heart Carol’?”
Sweetie Belle speaks up in a sing-song voice,
“The fire of friendship lives in our hearts,
As long as it burns we cannot drift apart…”
“The joy of friendship brightens each of our lives,” he continues again, “bearing each other’s burdens by easing the other’s load and planting happiness in empty hearts with generosity becomes the special magic of Hearth’s Warming. Think of the special magic as a golden thread that is wrapped around your heart and to everypony else you care about. Even though you are apart, the thread is still there—give a little tug and help will soon come. Does that make sense?”
“Kind of, sorta,” Solo couldn’t tell which filly that came from because it was muffled with another yawn.
“Just remember,” he continues even quieter, “Being alone is just a feeling, you are never really alone.”
He is answered with soft snores and turns his head to inspect the cause. All three fillies are heaped together in a pile on his back, sleeping soundly. He chuckles to himself and turns his head to continue plodding along on the snow covered path. Unbeknown to the sleeping fillies, the distance covered, the time flies as the snow falls.
Solo Noel stops for a moment to get his bearings of the approaching town.
“Don’t lose hope, little ones,” he whispers back to his passengers, “Ponyville is in sight.”
He is answered with tired moans and yawns. Cuddling together on his back, they have been asleep for most of the trip. Being young fillies, resistance to sleep was futile. He trots on with the light of Ponyville in sight. Before they know it, they are walking through town and passing dark houses and stores. His bells jingling as he walks. He sees the only house, or a rather large tree, with windows still alight in the late night.
“You know,” Spike says on a deadpan face, “It’s usually Twilight that does the pacing.”
Twilight Sparkle gives him an angry, disapproving stare. He puts up his claws in submission, “Just kidding.”
Apple Jack and Rarity cannot keep still. They have been waiting for hours to hear back from the Princess to see if her guards are able to locate their lost siblings. Rainbow Dash has been hovering and zipping from one end of the roam to the other.
Rainbow mutters to herself, “I take my eyes off her for one minute and expect her to be right behind me.” She gulps at the idea of facing her Scootaloo’s parents—without Scootaloo, “I’m so dead!”
“It’s not all your fault Rainbow,” Apple Jack speaks up to her, “I was also there when we promised her parents that we’d keep an eye on her.”
“We all did,” Twilight adds, “All we can do now is wait and have faith.”
Rarity levitates a couch near her and falls onto it dramatically, “How can I wait!? Sweetie Belle, my one and only sister…alone, she must be horrified.” She begins to cry at the many worst case scenarios that could happen to a small filly.
“BURP!” Spike belches a cloud of green fire and smoke with a scroll to suddenly appear. He picks it up and reads.
“Dear Twilight Sparkle,
“My guards have searched all over and your friends: Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo could not be found in Canterlot.”
The friends gasp in horror and Rarity buries her head in a pillow and wails uncontrollably.
“However,” Spike continues by getting their attention, “I have gained some intelligence from a close friend that they are just fine and on their way to back home to Ponyville. Be patient, they should be home before you know it.”
Spike flips the letter over, because Twilight is giving him the look that means, ‘Is that it?’ “That’s all that it says.”
“But what is that supposed to mean?” Apple Jack asks.
“I’m not sure but…” Twilight starts only to stop to swirl and twitch her ears.
“But, what?” Rarity inquires.
“Don’t you hear that?” Twilight answers. The rest of the friends quiet down and listen for themselves.
Sure enough they hear a distinct, distant sound, “Ching, ching, ching, ching, ching.”
“It that…sleigh bells?” Fluttershy wonders.
“Oh, oh, oh! Maybe somepony is giving out sleigh rides!” Pinkie proclaims.
“Sleigh rides?” Rainbow adds, “At this hour of the night?”
“Actually, it’s just past midnight,” Rarity corrects, “technically its morning.”
“Whatever,” Rainbow rolls her eyes, “This hour of the morning?”
The noise slowly gets louder as it seems to be getting closer. Their ears pick up the location that the sound is coming from outside and it is almost outside the front door. Curiosity gets the best of Twilight and she walks over the door and opens it with her magic to see what is making the noise. The rest of her friends follow and have a look as well.
Standing outside, knee deep in the falling snow, is a little gray donkey with jingle bells around his neck. He looks at them with a kind, tender smile as they stare at each other for a little while.
“Umm, can we help you?” Twilight asks.
“Actually you can,” he says with a chuckle that jingles the bells on his chest, “I come bearing gifts! And I think this is where they belong.”
“They?” the friends say in unison.
As if on cue, the donkey turns his body around so his side is facing them producing an odd-looking piled mass on his back, “Wake up little ones! You have reached your destination!”
A yellow form opens its eyes first and yawns, then a white unicorn, and finally an orange pegasus. They stretch their little legs and blink a couple times. Then their mouths drop open again, but it’s not for another yawn.
The ponies in the doorway wear flabbergasted faces at this unbelievable Hearth’s Warming miracle. A few even start shedding a few tears. Suddenly, time speeds back up and they explode out of the doorway. And the fillies jump off the little donkey’s back.
“Sweetie Belle!” “Rarity!”
“Applebloom!” “Apple Jack!”
“Scootaloo!” “Rainbow Dash!”
Overjoyed, the two sides clash into each other with hugs and nuzzles. With the friends and family back together, the fire in their hearts burns and any sadness from before is forgotten. After reuniting, they all share a group hug and the fire grows even bigger. Off to the side, the heart of a donkey—melts.
Without saying a word, he turns around with a smile and starts walking back into the dark of the night. In the middle of the group hug, Applebloom sees her new friend departing and speaks up, “Solo Noel!”
Everypony breaks the heartwarming group hug and turn towards the donkey. The fillies step forward, with Scootaloo speaking first, “Why are you leaving, can’t you stay?”
He chuckles softly, “I think my job here is finished…and I think my time is almost up.”
“Almost up?” Sweetie Belle ponders aloud.
“Yup,” he says with a wise smile, “Happy Hearth’s Warming everypony!” He waves his fore hoof to say goodbye and in a sudden gust of wind and blowing snow, his body dissolves into snowflakes and blows away into the night.
The six friends, three fillies and a dragon all look in awe at the sudden disappearance of the strange creature. Finally, Rarity breaks the silence, “And who was that?” she looks back to her friends, “Please don’t tell me I was the only one who saw that!”
“Oh no, we all saw that,” Twilight answers, “That was—“
“Creepy,” Spike says receiving glares from the fillies, “What?”
“What was his name again?” Twilight looks to the fillies.
“Solo Noel!” they answer in unison.
“Huh…That name sounds familiar,” Twilight says to herself deep in thought.
The friends find themselves laying down next to the warmth of the fireplace. The fillies are enjoying the warmth so much, that sleep finally overtakes their bodies again and they close their eyes to finally end their day. Twilight walks back to the fireplace with a book called “Equestria’s Legends and Lore.” She flips through the pages with her magic, skimming until she finds her prize.
“Ah! Here it is,” she proclaims making the sleeping fillies stir but not awaken. Their sisters look at Twilight with a stern glare to have her whisper.
She blushes sheepishly, “Sorry,” she starts to read her findings, “Solo Noel, also known as winter spirit called Beast of Burden. Solo Noel is thought of as the good spirit of winter. Although donkeys are more of a desert, dry climate creature; it is speculated that the spirit takes the form of a donkey because he doesn’t want to be mistaken for his counterpart, the horse-like Windigos.”
“Windigos?” Fluttershy shivers.
“Yes,” Twilight continues to read aloud, “Not long after the Windigos were defeated by the fire of friendship, Clover the Clever came across a single Windigo in a weakened state. Clover shared the warmth of friendship and the cold heart of the Windigo melted into a kind spirit. The humble spirit, took on the appearance of a donkey. The donkey is symbolized as spiritual dedication and willingness to take on the responsibilities and burdens of others. While Windigos feed off fighting and hatred, the winter spirit found that the power of love was much stronger than the power of hatred. When the spirit got better, he returned every year during Hearth’s Warming to visit his pony friend. Clover the Clever named this spirit, Solo Noel.
“Each winter, Solo Noel has been known to show himself whenever he feels somepony is feeling lonely, depressed or travelers who have lost their way home. He takes it upon himself to keep the fire of friendship burning and ensure that the Windigos will stay away and spring will return. He does this to atone for his past sins of being a cold-hearted Windigo.
“One story was of a young colt that left for a hike on Hearth’s Warming Eve that got caught in a sudden, blinding blizzard. Being gone for hours, his family was worried because nopony could venture out and survive the wind and cold. It was astronomical, that one minute they were in their cabin hearing nothing but the howling wind and the other minute, the sound of sleigh bells could be heard coming from the outside. That’s when the family opened the door and saw a donkey—sitting on his back was their son! The donkey carried the colt right into the cabin, placed him gently on a chair by the door, summoned the family to care for the colt, and then vanished right before the astonished family's eyes. When the colt woke up, he was all smiles and said, ‘It was the gray donkey, Solo Noel!’"
The friends, all look at each other in skepticism. Finally, Twilight speaks, “Wow, and I thought the Supernaturals book was an eye opener.”
Rarity leans her head down to nuzzle her sleeping sister on the pillow next to her, “Well, makes me a believer—I’m just happy to have my little sister back.”
The rest of her friends nod in agreement. There was no further discussion, because there was no need. They were just happy to be together again on Hearth’s Warming Day.
Back in Canterlot, two regal sisters sit atop the balcony in the highest tower of the castle. A sparkly cloud of smoke wisps in front of the taller white Alicorn and deposits a scroll, midair in front of her face. She catches it with her magical aura and reads it quietly.
“I presume that they made it back to Ponyville?” the smaller dark blue Alicorn inquires.
“Yes, Luna,” she answers, “Everypony is now home, together once again.”
“That is wonderful news, my sister,” Luna smiles.
A gust of wind blows from behind, catching the two sisters' attention. Snowflakes blow around like a whirl-wind behind the Princesses, quickly starting to congregate towards the center forming a white mass. The mass quickly changes its color from white to gray and it takes on a pony-like shape. With one quick flash of light and the sound of sleigh bells, a gray donkey appears before them.
“Been a long time, old friend,” Princess Celestia says with a warm smile, “Solo Noel”.
“Happy Hearth’s Warming Day, Princesses!” he bows his head, “Just wanted to welcome Princess Luna back to the castle after a thousand years on the moon.”
“Well, thank you, Solo,” Luna smiles back.
“I had to see for myself that you indeed have returned and that I am no longer needed here at the castle.”
“Why is that?”
“Because, your older sister, here,” he waves his hoof in Princess Celestia’s direction and mockingly scolds them, “was very lonely ever since your banishment to the moon! Try cheering somepony up during a holiday of togetherness for a thousand years. She really missed you! Don’t ya’ know?”
The older sister wraps her wing around her younger sister, “Yes, thank you, Solo.”
Luna nuzzles her sister’s neck, “I’m going to retire for the morning, for it has been a long night.” She walks past Solo Noel and with one last smile goodbye, she enters the castle to her chambers.
“I guess it’s your turn now, am I right?” he looks in the direction of the remaining Princess, “Rising the sun?”
“Yes, my friend,” she smiles.
“Just the way it should be,” he says with a wise smile, “I bet the reason for those one thousand years of raising the sun and moon, was quite a chore. Now your royal duties are cut in half. I bet it was the double stress that intensified your loneliness for your sister.”
Princess just smiles at the little donkey, “Are you ready?”
“Yup, bring on the day! With the fire of friendship burning bright, now it’s winter’s time to leave and spring can come again. What do you ponies call it...Winter Wrap-Up?”
“Very good to hear,” she rejoices as she turns towards the horizon, “Until next year, my friend—Happy Hearth’s Warming Day.”
“Happy Hearth Warming’s Day!” He declares with a beaming smile.
Princess Celestia’s horn begins to glow and she spreads out her angel white wings. Before long, a small glimmer starts to show in the horizon. She slowly lifts her head up, and the light in the distance grows brighter as it gets bigger. The horizon changes from red to orange to yellow, as the sun appears for morning over the land. Night no longer but a dream; the day now awakens. The bright rays from the sun beam down on the balcony and rests on the little donkey.
His body starts to glow and glimmer about as bright as the sun. He closes his eyes and takes one last breath of the cool wintery air, “Until next year…Equestria.” His body, now encased in light, starts to blow off the balcony like golden dust and disappear with the ever rising sun.
He Roams Equestria on Hearth's Warming EveThrough the snow in the solitary moonlightSome think he be naïveTo ensure that the fire of friendship keeps burning brightIf loved ones find themselves apart, you will hear his bells ringBringing cheer and merrily he will brayNo matter the distance, your loved ones he will bringTo be together again on Hearth’s Warming Day!
