Hearth's Warming? Humbug!
It was a cold winter's day in Canterlot, and the entire city was in a buzz. Hearth's Warming was on the way, in fact, it was Hearth's Warming Eve! And nopony in Canterlot was more excited for it than Fancy Pants, one of the richest and fanciest ponies there. He loved the feeling of Hearth's Warming, the feeling of charity towards one's fellow pony always made him feel warm inside. There was one pony however, who didn't feel this way, he also happened to be a colleague of Fancy Pants. This pony's name was Prince Blueblood. Blueblood was never really bitter, or angry, just a bit dim. he didn't really care for other ponies, and he never showed any signs of rage. That was until Hearth's Warming came around....nopony knew exactly why....Blueblood just didn't like the Hearth's Warming season. While everypony else seemed to love the feelings of charity and good will, Blueblood seemed disgusted by it. Hearth's Warming Eve was just another Friday for Prince Blueblood....Fancy Pants then trotted up on the snowy street to greet his friend. "A very Merry Hearth's Warming Eve to you, Prince Blueblood!" he said with a smile.
Blueblood scoffed at that. "Hmph. Hearth's Warming? Humbug I say." He muttered.
Fancy's brow furrowed at this. "Hearth's Warming? A humbug?" The idea seemed ridiculous to him. How could anypony not love Hearth's Warming?
"That's right. Humbug!" He scoffed and turned away from the aristocratic pony.
"Come now, my friend you surely can't mean that!" He exclaimed to the royal pain of a pony.
Blueblood scoffed once again. "I do mean it. All this charity...and giving...it's enough to make you sick." His face started to turn green as he thought about it. He shook the horrid thoughts of good will from his mind and continued on his walk.
"Will I at least see you at the party I'm hosting tomorrow night?" Fancy asked, trying to find some way for his friend to enjoy the season.
"I can't, I'll be too busy with work." Blueblood stated simply.
"Work?!" Fancy Pants asked, flabbergasted. "How could anypony work on Hearth's Warming?!"
"It'll be just another Saturday, Fancy Pants." Blueblood said. "I'm expecting an order from Sweet Apple Acres to be delivered to my quarters...it's a very important order, and no silly holiday is going to mess it up. In fact, I'll be going to Ponyville tonight to arrange it."
Fancy Pants frowned at this. He then sighed. "Alright then....have it your way..."
Blueblood stepped off of the train and into the small village...Ponyville... this backwater hick town disgusted him so....everypony was too nice and harmonious for him to bear....he was surprised that there were still ponies living here after all the horror stories he had heard! Parasprite invasions, crazy purple unicorns causing chaos....
"Care to donate for the poor?"
That voice had interrupted his train of thought. In front of him, were three small fillies, one Unicorn, one Pegasus, and one Earth Pony, wearing a bright pink bow,who looked particularly sickly.
Blueblood didn't care that they were foals, how dare they get in front of him, blocking his path asking him about trivial matters such as giving to the poor? The poor didn't need money! They were poor! "They're not worth it." He stated simply, shoving them aside, causing the earth pony to break out in a coughing fit. "Applebloom! Are you alright?"
"Ah'm fine, Sweetie Belle...." The Earth Pony stifled through coughs.
The pegasus filly looked particularly angry. "Hey, buddy! What's the big idea?!"
"Scootaloo, Calm down!" Sweetie Belle shouted, holding her friend back.
"Why should I!? This guy just ignores us, and shoves us aside like we're unimportant!"
"W-We probably are to him.." Applebloom said.
"Whatever, we need to get Applebloom home...she doesn't look too good..." Sweetie Belle said, looking to the poor filly.
"Ah'm fine, ah said!" Applebloom shouted, not wanting to admit that she felt like she was about to puke.
Scootaloo gave Blueblood one more angry look, then went to assist Sweetie Belle in carrying their friend home.
Blueblood scoffed at them and continued on his way. All that mattered was that he reached Sweet Apple Acres. Once he made it to the barn, he was disgusted by what he saw. There were decorations up everywhere, wreathes wrapped around the fence posts, and different areas of the barn, ornaments complimenting the apples on the tree....why weren't they out working?! This order was important! He marched through the gate and right up to the farm house, knocking on the door. Eventually, a farm mare answered the door. Blueblood recognized her as Applejack, the farm mare who sold the filthy carnival fare at The Grande Galopping Gala. Applejack didn't particularly like Prince Blueblood that much, but it was Hearth's Warming Eve, and Applejack felt even he deserved a friendly greeting. "Well, howdy, Blueblood! And Merry Hearth's Warmin'!"
Blueblood looked annoyed. "That's Prince Blueblood, to you, commoner." He jeered.
This made the smile fade slightly off of Applejack's face. But, she still wanted to be nice to him, as it was Hearth's Warming Eve... "Well, we don't want ya ta catch frostbite! C'mon in!" She stepped aside from the door, allowing Blueblood to come inside the farmhouse. It was nothing too extravagant, but it still looked rather cozy. Sitting by the fireplace was Granny Smith, the oldest member of the Apple Family, who was currently napping in her rocking chair. Blueblood wanted to get straight down to business. "Why aren't you working?" He asked.
Applejack looked confused at this. "Workin'?" She asked.
"Don't tell me you forgot about my order?" Blueblood asked.
Applejack laughed slightly at this. "O'course we didn't ferget about yer order! Twenty Apple Pies, Ten Barrels o' Cider, and five dozen Apple Fritters!" She tipped her hat. "S'just....it's Hearth's Warmin' Eve...so we figgered' you'd understand,and let us have that day to ourselves."
Blueblood scoffed at that. "Hearth's Warming Eve...humbug!" He paced around the living room. "I am a Prince! I tell you when you can and cannot work, and I want you to work through that horrid holiday!"
Applejack looked shocked at this. "B-But...." She was a mare of her word...and her family desperately needed the money he was providing.... "Fine." She said, defeated. "But..."
"But what?" Blueblood asked.
"Ya think we could get a little bit more than what yer payin' us?" Applejack asked. "Y'see...mah little sis has got a sickness somethin' terrible....an' we cain't pay fer a doctor ta help her...."
As if on cue, there was a rather loud coughing fit heard from upstairs, it sounded distinctly like the Earth filly he had run into earlier. A large red stallion stepped down the stairs, a sad look on his face.
"She gettin' any better?" Applejack asked.
The stallion shook his head. "Eenope." He said.
"She need more water?" Applejack asked.
The Stallion nodded. "Eeyup." He then slowly trotted into the kitchen, to get the small filly a glass of water.
This didn't phase Blueblood. Sickness or not, they still had a job to do. "You will do the work for my original offer. nothing more."
Applejack looked shocked at this. "B-But tha's not gonna git us through the month! A-And Applebloom she might......why you low down, dirty no good son of a--"
"APPLEJACK!" Another voice rang out, sounding distinctly female and elderly. Granny Smith had awoken from her rest, and had heard some of the conversation. She held a hoof in front of her grandaughter. "Keep yer calm now, AJ." She said.
Applejack took a few deep breathes.... "Fine. We'll do it fer yer original offer....nothin' more..."
Blueblood nodded. "Alright then. Remember, I want you to get the job done as quick as possible. I don't care if it's Hearth's Warming Eve... GET. IT. DONE. Now good day." He turned and left the farm house post haste.
BAck in Canterlot, Blueblood sighed to himself. Why was it so hard for that hick family to understand that he needed that order done, no matter what?! They begged him for a raise, they begged him for a different time to complete it...his time was too important to be wasted! And that sick filly was their problem....not his. As he stepped home for his mansion...he heard a voice...
"Blueblood..." it said.
"What?!" He asked. He looked all around....he didn't see or hear anything..... "Must be hearing things....he said to himself. Once he had reached his mansion, he began to use his unicorn's magic ont he door knob....but he lost his focus, as he had nearly fallen over, when he saw the face of a stallion on the door knob.....
"BLUEBLOOD!" It shouted, then vanished.
Blueblood fell back on his haunches, frightened by the sudden appearence of the face....whatever was happening to him...it was unearthly....and it couldn't be good.
Author's Note
So yeah, here's my little contribution to Hearth's Warming! I promise, I will get the other chapters out as soon as possible! Please give me comments, and criticism! it helps me out a lot! Thank you!
Filthy kept himself composed and trudged through the door to his mansion. He stood in the middle of the foyer, and pondered for a moment. 'Voices in my head? Faces on doorknobs? I must be going crazy!' He thought to himself. He shook these thoughts from his head...he was tired...the train ride home was long, and he needed to rest....He trotted up the stairs and to his quarters. However, as he rounded the corner into the corridor, he heard that strange, unsettling voice again. "Blueblood...." It whispered.
"Hello?!" The Prince called, out, starting to get a little bit anxious. No response. He sighed, trying to calm himself....he was just hearing things....He turned from the corridor into his private chamber, where he almost immediately ran to the large portrait of himself on the wall. He moved the painting out of the way, to reveal a safe. He turned the dial with his unicorn magic, inputting the combination. As soon as the door swung open, he smiled at the sighed. A large quantity of bits was inside. He began levitating the golden coins with his unicorn magic, counting the money to calm himself. If there was one thing Blueblood cherished in his ice cold heart, it was his vast fortune. He deserved it...he was one of the greatest ponies in Equestria, in his own mind. His gaze fixed over to the clock. It was almost midnight....it was time for him to go to sleep. He quickly slipped on a night shirt and cap, walking toward his bed.
"Blueblood..." he heard the voice again, only this time, it sounded much closer.
"Show yourself!" The Unicorn shouted, growing tired of hearing this voice. His anger turned to nervousness, when he heard what sounded like chains dragging down the hall outside his chamber. Blueblood dove for his bed and buried himself under the covers. Despite his appearance, and his cold unfeeling demeanor, he was an enormous coward. He was practically shivering underneath the covers of his bed, as the chains grew louder, and louder...until suddenly....it stopped. Out of curiosity, Blueblood peeked his head out of the covers, to see just what was out there. Floating next to his bed, was an Earthpony stallion, wrapped in chains, attached to a heavy-looking chest. Blueblood recognized this stallion. "Filthy Rich?" He asked.
The ghost nodded. "Hello, Blueblood."
Blueblood seemed very confused at this. "B-But....you're not dead.....how are you here?"
Filthy shook his head. "All in good time, what I have to tell you is much more important." The ghost flew to the other side of the bed, Blueblood not taking his eyes off of them. "Let's be honest here, Blueblood, you're a despicable pony."
Blueblood was slightly insulted at this. "Despicable?" He asked
"Look at yourself!" The spirit seemed slightly angry. "You don't give to the poor, you spend fifteen hours in front of the mirror every day, and you won't even help that sick little filly!"
"That's not my problem!" Blueblood snapped, crossing hos hooves and turning away from the ghost of Filthy Rich.
"That's your problem." Filthy said. "You only think of yourself. Look at these chains." He rattled the chains over in front of Blueblood's face.
"They look uncomfortable..." The Unicorn commented.
"They are." Filthy said. "Each link represents a wrong-doing I've done in my life. And this is the result." He pointed a hoof at him. "And this'll happen to you if you don't change your ways!"
"How insulting!" Blueblood spat at his ghostly visitor. "Why would I need to change?! I'm perfect!"
Filthy groaned. "Trust me, if you were perfect, I wouldn't be here." He floated back over to the other side of the bed. "I won't be the only one here tonight. When the clock strikes midnight, you'll be visited by three other spirits. Each more horrifying than the last. And trust me, if they aren't able to show you the error of your ways, nopony will be. Then, you'll end up like me." Just then, something tugged a bit on his chains. Blueblood looked to see what it was...but nothing was pulling against them....
"What's that?!" Blueblood asked a bit frightened.
"I'm being called back." Filthy said, being tugged again. "Change your ways, Blueblood! or end up like me! YOU NEED TO CHANGE!!!!!" The chains gave one final tug, until he was pulled through the floor, leaving no trace. Blueblood looked absolutely horrified. Then, his look faded to disbelief. Then finally irritation. Ghosts?! HA! I don't believe in ghosts....I obviously must've been seeing things......Filthy Rich isn't dead.... The Prince thought to himself. He obviously must've been seeing things....he must've had too much Cider on the way home....that was it. He just needed a glass of water to clear his head. He got up from his bed to walk down into the kitchen, his hoofsteps echoing a bit as he stepped down the hall. Once he had made it inside the kitchen, he started up the faucet, filling a cup with water. As he did so though, he thought he was hearing hoofsteps in the hallway. He turned to the door, and the hoofsteps stopped. He turned back to his glass of water, and heard the hoofsteps again. He turned to the door, and the sound stopped once again. "Hearing things...." He muttered to himself. Once his glass was full, he turned off the faucet, holding the glass in his magic, walking back to his room. He heard those darned hoofsteps again as he was stepping back to his chamber. This time, he was getting a little worried. He picked up the pace, hoping to get back to his chamber before whatever was following him caught up. After a few seconds he was practically galloping back to his chamber, the spectral hoofsteps following close behind. He had finally reached the door to his chamber, and he slammed it shut. As he did, he heard the grandfather clock he had in his chamber chime. Midnight.....he layed down on his bed, taking a long sip of the water. He looked over to his bedside table to place the glass on it, then he looked back to the other side, noticing there was a mare with a pink mane, and a yellow coat laying next to him, dressed in a night gown and sleeping cap.
"Um...hello..." She said.
"AAGH!!!"
"EEEK!" Blueblood and the mare both screamed together, scrambling off of the bed.
Author's Note
Alright! here's chapter 2! Chapter 3 is on the way! I'm sorry I most likely won't be able to finish this story before Christmas is over...but hey, it'll be prepared for Next Christmas! So be happy about that! :) Keep the critiques coming! I love them! Thank you all so much!
