A Very Twidash Hearth's Warming

by Kodeake

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Romance
Length: 5666

Rainbow Dash seeks assistance in picking out the perfect give for a friend she wants to be closer to.

Rainbow Dash needs help with a problem. It's the day before Hearth's Warming Eve, and she still doesn't have a gift for one of her friends. But for this particular friend it can't be any old gift, no. This gift is for Twilight Sparkle; Student of Princess Celestia, Element of Magic, and Rainbow's crush.

Happy Hearths' Warming to everyone. I hope you enjoy this special I threw together for the festive season.

Published 2013-12-26 13:00:03 UTC
Last updated 2013-12-26 13:00:03 UTC

The Perfect Gift

A Very Twidash Hearth's Warming

The ground was covered in a fresh layer of snow, pearly white fluff blanketing rich green grass. Nothing escaped the snow's freezing embrace; trees houses and fields alike were covered in a pristine sheet, untouched after the snowfall of the previous night. Much too early in the morning and cold for ponies to be out and about, not a single hoof-print marred the perfect sheen of snow coating the land.

The air was crisp and cold, biting winds occasionally gusting across the white landscape. Even the birds that stayed over the winter were still safe in their nests, away from the freezing cold. The only thing that disturbed the air was a single pegasus screaming through the sky. Nothing but a cyan blur against the steel-blue sky, the pegasus flapped her wings frantically, pushing herself faster and faster over the snow covered land. The only thing proving she had been there at all was a faint rainbow coloured trail, tracing her path through the frigid air.

Rainbow set her face in a determined glare as her destination came into view. The tall white spires of Canterlot could be seen in the distance, standing out against the pale blue sky she flew across. The grey mountain a perfect backdrop for the grandeur of the elegant cityscape. In this city of tall white towers and purple and gold roofs she might just find the answer she was looking for. Forcing herself to fly just a little faster, the city that was once nothing but a fuzzy spec on the horizon growing in size and clarity as she brought herself closer.

After the long, cold flight from Ponyville, Rainbow sighed in relief as she set herself down on the cobbled roads of the mountain city. Making sure her saddle bags were still secure, she started making her way towards her destination. Her goal was within reach as she trotted quickly down empty street after empty street, light blue scarf flapping behind her as she pushed her way through the snow covering the path. The closed shops all around her were a painful reminder as to why she was here in the first place, and she grimaced as she forced herself to keep going through the cold, her wings beginning to numb now that they weren't being used. She tucked them closer to her sides, holding as much heat in as she could and picking up the pace.

At last the royal palace came into view as she rounded another corner in the street, the gates just at the end of the road. She reached back with a wing, fumbling for a second through the cold-induced numbness to open her bag. She extracted her Element of Harmony necklace and made her way to the gate and the two guards standing at rapt attention in front of it. She held the necklace up and they quickly went about opening the gate and letting her in, the red jewel the only identification she needed to gain access to the castle and, more importantly, the residents within.

Rainbow made her way through the winding halls of the castle quickly, vaguely noticing the Hearth's Warming decorations strung along the halls, sparkling brightly as the sun hit them through the windows. She walked a familiar path though the castle, passing only a couple servants and guards as she went about her business. A few of the more talkative servants wished her a happy Hearth's Warming as she passed, to which she responded with a halfhearted smile and a nod before continuing her swift trot.

At last she found herself in front of the large, intricately decorated throne room doors. The gold and marble structures were not safe from the season either; bright red and green tinsel was strung across the door in a simple pattern. A guard stood on either side of the door, watching her carefully as she admired the passageway.

“Celestia in there?” she asked simply, turning to the guard on her left. He nodded in response. She smiled lightly, knocking on the large doors. The sound reverberated across the material, coming out as a booming echo through the hall and the room on the other side.

“You may enter,” came the regal, and somewhat bored, tone of the monarch on the other side. Rainbow took a breath, held it for a second, then blew it out as she pushed open the door. The mighty slabs of marble moved smoothly, not a single sound was made by the well-oiled hinges the heavy bricks swung on. Carefully, Rainbow stepped into the room, the door closing behind her in one of the guard's magical grasp.

In front of her Celestia and Luna sat at their individual thrones. While Celestia's was a large golden affair with regal purple cushions matching the design of the room, Luna's was a dark blue with deep purple cushions. Next to each of them were piles of scrolls, almost as tall as the chairs they sat in. They moved in almost perfect sync, grabbing a scroll from the pile, reading it, signing it, then passing it to a collective pile between them. Occasionally a scroll would be passed to a servant standing on the stairs in front of the thrones, who would stamp something on the scroll and teleport it away.

Celestia looked up from the monotony of her job, smiling as she saw the pegasus in the room. “Ah, Rainbow Dash, I was not expecting you. How can I help?” She asked, smiling kindly. Luna raised an inquisitive eyebrow, but continued with her own share of the work without saying anything.

Rainbow bowed respectfully before speaking. “Hi, Princess. The thing, is I need a little.... advice,” she started slowly, awkwardly walking farther into the room, following the plush red carpet towards the dual thrones.

“Advice? What about? And why would you come to me?” Celestia asked curiously, raising an inquisitive eyebrow as Rainbow seemed to hesitate for a second before answering.

“Well, tomorrow is Hearth's Warming Eve, and I still have to get a gift for... somepony...” Rainbow trailed off as she stopped at the bottom of the steps leading up to Celestia's throne.

“I'm afraid I'm going to need a bit more information,” Celestia prompted slowly. Luna set her scroll down and watched as Rainbow fidgeted nervously.

“It's... for Twilight...” she admitted quietly, so quiet it could not be heard were the room not as silent as it was.

Celestia nodded slowly, then turned to the servant in front of her. “Clear the room. Nopony comes in until I say otherwise,” she said simply. The unicorn nodded, quickly relaying the order to the guards and other servants around the room and the hall. Within seconds the room was cleared, leaving just Luna, Celestia and Rainbow. “I have to ask, Rainbow; why would you come to me for advice on matters such as this? Surely one of your friends in Ponyville could help? This doesn't sound like something that needed to be taken to me.”

“Well I need it to be kind of special, and I figured-” Rainbow was forced to stop talking as Celestia stood.

“Specifics, Rainbow Dash. How exactly do you need it to be special? Do you perhaps want to deliver a message with your gift?” Celestia asked calmly, though she had a smirk that made Rainbow uneasy.

“Well...” she trailed off, shifting her weight from hoof to hoof nervously. Celestia remained silent meanwhile, waiting patiently for Rainbow to collect herself. “I've kinda sorta had a crush on her for a while, and I wanted to tell her through the gift, or at least when I give it to her” she admitted awkwardly. Celestia smiled.

“Finally!” Luna exclaimed loudly, drawing an odd look from the pegasus in the room. Luna blushed at her outburst. “Sorry. But I mean really; you've been dreaming about her for weeks. Took you long enough!”

“Well I kinda- wait, how did you know about that?” Rainbow asked incredulously. Luna rolled her eyes.

“Princess of the Night means Princess of everything that goes on during the night, including – but not limited to – dreams,” she explained, sounding almost bored by the prospect. Upon seeing Rainbow's fascinated look, she sighed. “It's not as interesting as you might think. Trust me. Just the other night I found a pony dreaming about eating dinner. Eating dinner! Can you believe it? In one's dreams, the only limit's are the imagination of the dreamer, and they dream about eating dinner!”

“Now Luna, I'm sure they quite enjoyed their dinner,” Celestia mocked with a teasing smile, making Luna cross her hooves and grumble about boring ponies and their boring dreams.

Rainbow cleared her throat loudly, bringing the Princess's attention back to her. “So does this mean you'll help?” She asked hopefully.

Celestia smiled kindly. “Of course, Rainbow Dash. You've gone through all the trouble to see me, and how could I turn down a friend requesting assistance with a matter such as this?” Sitting back in her throne, she tapped her hoof to her chin lightly, thinking back to her time spent with her student for anything that may give her a possible hint.

“I was thinking, I dunno, a really romantic book or something?” Rainbow offered weakly.

“While not a bad idea for a normal gift, for what you want to say to her... You're going to need something more,” Celestia said absentmindedly, still deep in thought.

“Then what? I don't want to be too forward or anything.”

Celestia nodded in agreement. “No, you most certainly don't.”

Luna slumped back in her chair. “Sister, if I may offer some advice?”

“By all means, Luna. Do you have an idea?” Celestia asked curiously, raising an eyebrow. From the hopeful look on Rainbow's face, the Night Princess had her attention as well.

“Well, I may not know Twilight as well as you do, but from the time I've spent with her, I have to say she doesn't seem like a very materialistic pony,” Luna noted, to which Celestia nodded.

“Materia-what?” Rainbow asked, cocking her head to the side.

Celestia chuckled. “It means she doesn't put much value into physical objects. She prefers things like memories, knowledge, sentiment. To her, most things only have value if they hold one of those things,” she explained. Rainbow nodded in understanding.

“Right, but how does that help me? I can't exactly give her anything like that, can I?”

“No, but you could make something like that with her,” Celestia said, smiling as she came up with an idea. “Create a memory with her. Do something special with her that you both enjoy. The memory will mean more to her then any book you could have found.”

Rainbow nodded, thinking about what she could do, before frowning. “That's a great idea and all, but what am I suppose to do with her to make a memory?”

“That is for you to decide,” Celestia said simply, shrugging her shoulders.. “I've done all I can to help you. You need to come up with the gift yourself or it won't mean as much.”

“Right...” Rainbow sighed, turning to the door, “Thanks for the help!” she called over her shoulder as she started walking out of the throne room. Before she could make it to the door however, Luna came running up beside her.

“Here, consider this an early Hearth's Warming gift,” she said, before leaning in a whispering something in Rainbow's ear. Celestia raised an eyebrow as Rainbow's expression shifted to one of joy. Luna turned to look at Celestia, then leaned back and whispered something else.

With a grin Rainbow thanked her before trotting swiftly out of the throne room as Luna walked back up the steps.

“What was that?” Celestia asked as Luna took her seat, smiling slyly.

“A little gift I think will help.”

-_-_-_-

The day was finally here; Hearths Warming Eve. Seven friends gathered around a fireplace, crackling and burning, inside Twilight's library home. Both the biggest and most central place for all of them, they decided to open their gifts there before heading home to spend Hearth's Warming Day with their own families. Most of the gifts had already been opened, and the room was alive with conversation. Rainbow sat nervously on the couch as the final presents were passed out and opened by their intended recipients. All of the thoughtful gifts were met with warm welcome and thanks. All except the one from her to Twilight, the one that had yet to be given.

“Hey Twi, about my gift to you,” Rainbow started slowly, drawing the unicorn's attention to herself.

“What about it?” Twilight asked curiously, cocking her head to the side.

“It's... not here... exactly...” she trailed off nervously. Twilight rolled her eyes.

“Don't tell me you forgot it?”

“No! No nothing like that! No, it's just... I can't give it to you yet,” Rainbow answered quickly, not wanting Twilight to think anything like that.

“Oh... okay? Why not?” Twilight gave her an odd look as she gathered the used wrapping paper in her magic, clumping it into a ball and compacting it to fit in the trash bin.

“It's... special. I'll let you know later, okay?” Rainbow was clearly nervous about something, so Twilight decided to leave it at that with a nod and a smile.

“Of course, Rainbow. Just let me know.”

“Well thanks for everything girls, but I think I should be heading home,” Applejack started, drawing everypony's attention to her as she made her way to the door. “I had a great time, but Granny's been cooking all day, and I don't want to be late for dinner.”

“Of course, Applejack. We'll see you later,” Twilight called, standing and walking away as Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief.

“Come on, Dash, get a hold of yourself,” Rainbow muttered to herself as the rest of the group said their goodbyes to Applejack, walking her to the door. Rainbow waved halfheartedly as the farmer left the room. “Just remember what Luna told you,” she continued, taking a deep, calming breath as the remaining ponies walked back in. Apparently Rarity had decided to leave, as she was no longer with them. She glanced at the clock: Twenty minutes left until she had to give her gift.

The room filled with chatter again as they all took their seats again, Spike coming out of the kitchen with drinks and snacks before taking his place on the couch beside Twilight, his voice lending in to the low murmur of conversation spread through the room. In time the room started slowly emptying out, with ponies returning to their own homes and families as the moon started rising above the horizon.

Eventually, with three minutes to spare, Twilight and Rainbow were the only ponies left. Glancing at the clock one final time to ensure the time was right, Rainbow stood from the couch she'd been sitting in almost all afternoon.

“Alright,” she said slowly, “time for your gift.”

Twilight smiled, standing from the couch with her. “Alright, so what is it? And why did I have to wait?”

“Well, it's kind of in three parts,” Rainbow said, talking a breath to steady her shaking legs as she started making her way to the door. “First, how would you like to go flying with me?”

“Flying?” Twilight asked curiously. When Rainbow looked back from the entryway, she could clearly see the light blush on Twilight's cheeks.

“Guess she was right,” she noted with a faint smile before shaking her head and focusing on Twilight. “Yep, part one is a flight. Come on,” Rainbow insisted, motioning for Twilight to follow her out the front door.

“If you're sure,” Twilight said hesitantly, following reluctantly after a brief pause. “Spike! I'm going out for a bit!” Twilight called up stairs to the dragon who had just recently gone to bed. She got an extra loud snore as a response. By the time she closed and locked the door behind her, Rainbow was already stretching her wings, preparing them for the added weight of another pony.

“You're sure about this?” Twilight asked as Rainbow shook her wings out, making sure they were in good flying condition.

“Yep, hop on,” she said, leaning down and motioning to her back. Twilight nodded and gently climbed on, carefully avoiding the pegasus's wings. Rainbow felt hooves wrap around her neck as Twilight's weight settled evenly across her back.

“Hang on,” Rainbow said over her shoulder before launching herself into the sky, a scream of terror came from the pony on her back as she rocketed into the black of night.

“Rainbow!” Twilight screamed as her possibly insane friend levelled off high above the town, but still just below the layer of clouds that filled the winter sky. All light from the moon and starts was blocked out by the dark grey clouds.

Slowing her speed, Rainbow looked back over her shoulder to see Twilight hanging on for her very life, eyes clenched shut and face buried into her back. Rainbow fought down a blush at the sight. “You alright back there?”

“Alright? Alright!? Are you trying to kill me!?” Twilight yelled furiously, opening her eyes to harshly glare at the pegasus.

Rainbow chuckled lightly as she came to a slow, steady pace. “Sorry, but you have to admit; it was kinda fun.”

Twilight's glare did not relent.

“Not even a little?” She offered weakly. Twilight's scowl faltered slightly, and Rainbow grinned.

“I knew you'd like it,” she cheered triumphantly. Twilight sighed, the hint of a smile on her lips.

With ten minutes left until she had to be where she was going, Rainbow had plenty of time to make sure Twilight enjoyed the flight as much as possible. With a devilish grin shot over her shoulder, Rainbow stopped flapping and leaned forward into a dive. The hooves around her neck tightened as a cry ripped itself from Twilight's throat. It was lost in the whistling wind as they continued to free-fall.

Rainbow pulled up twenty meters before she normally would; not wanting to scare Twilight too badly and adjusting for the extra weight. As she leveled off again and the wind died down, she heard another sound; laughter. Looking back, Twilight was grinning ear to ear and laughing joyfully. Rainbow smiled and pulled up, ascending nearly vertically for a few seconds before leaning back and looping around. Twilight was laughing and cheering behind her, so she kept going.

Together they looped, rolled, and dove through the nighttime sky. All the while Rainbow kept careful count of the time, ensuring she wouldn't be late. Eventually, with three minutes left, they leveled off just below the clouds and flew in a straight line at a nice cruising speed.

“Where are we going?” Twilight questioned curiously, watching the clouds above her fly by, almost close enough to touch.

“You'll see,” Rainbow teased with a smirk, flapping her wings in a steady rhythm to keep them at a constant altitude and velocity.

Twilight rolled her eyes at the predictably vague answer, looking back to the sky. She'd never been up this high before, at least not outside of Canterlot. She was almost a little disappointed that the sky was filled with clouds; the stars probably looked amazing from this altitude and without the light pollution of a big city. But in their own way the wispy clumps of water vapor were beautiful too; the swirls blending perfectly into one another in a fluffy display of elegance that couldn't be matched by anything else. It was a unique blend of natural and artificial that could seldom be found. While the clouds were formed originally by pegasi, the longer they staid in the sky the bigger nature's effect on them. The way they moved, flowing like a river, its only banks the invisible currents of wind surrounding them. The clouds framed the air like the negative of a photo, an impression left behind by the ever-changing current.

With one minute forty seconds to spare, Rainbow flew out from under the clouds, revealing the night sky in all its glory; bright stars alongside dim ones covering every inch of the sky. The moon was the center piece of the art; the biggest jewel in the crown. Big, silver and full, casting a dim light across the snowy hills around the small settlement of Ponyville. The snow sparkled brightly as they passed, their shadow but a spec amongst the sea of white below, themselves nothing but a dot in the endless sea of black above.

With fifty-five seconds remaining, Rainbow landed on top of one of the hills. The top had already been cleared of snow and a blanket had been spread across the damp grass. She bent over and let Twilight off her back, the unicorn sliding off and onto the blanket.

“And we're here because...?” Twilight asked, scanning the surrounding landscape for anything that might offer a clue as to their purpose for being there. All around her was white, snowy hills and fields.

“This is part two of your gift” Rainbow said proudly, motioning to the sky with a grand wave of her hoof.

Twilight followed her gaze, and her expression of confusion only grew. “What about it? Sure, it's beautiful out here, but it always is. What's so special about it?”

“Three... two... one.” As Rainbow reached the final number, a single strand of green appeared in the sky. Like a length of thread it stretched all the way from the clouds behind them to the horizon in front of them. It moved and waved and flowed through he sky, as if caressed by an invisible wind. Soon, more threads started to appear. Some of them green like the first, and others were blue, red, and some purple. Slowly, the threads flowed around and through each other, performing a dance only they could hear the music to. Eventually, the spindly threads started to grow thicker, becoming more defined against the black backdrop of night sky as they grew brighter. What was once a thread became a ribbon, filling a lane in the middle of the sky with their colours.

Rainbow looked over and smiled as Twilight's jaw fell open, gazing at the sight before her. She turned her attention back to the sky as yet another layer was added to the already incredible performance; behind the amazing colours a blue-white orb appeared. From their perspective on top of the hill, it grew from a spec to the size of a hoof, then to that of a pony's head. It stopped at the size of a large pumpkin, arcing across the sky, following the road of colours laid out before it like a red carpet. The comet's tail was almost as brilliant as the comet, a bright, glowing white trail marking its path through the sky. At the end it dissipated to a light blue mist as the space dust spread out.

“Rainbow... this is... how did you know?” Twilight asked in awe, dragging her eyes away from the sky for only a second to look at the pegasus that had brought her here before looking back.

“Tell ya later,” Rainbow said absentmindedly as she continued to watch the amazing display.

Eventually the comet passed, disappearing behind the veil of clouds over Ponyville. The ribbons of colour in the sky followed, dimming down back to threads before vanishing completely. The entire show was spent in near-silence, with only the occasional mutter of awe breaking the comfortable atmosphere. Finally, as the last shred of light faded from the sky, both Twilight and Rainbow turned to look at each other. After a moment of silence, Rainbow pointed behind Twilight.

“That's part three of your gift,” she said as Twilight turned, revealing a small brown box sitting on the edge of the clearing that had gone unnoticed during the spectacular show in the sky.

Twilight turned back to her friend. “Rainbow, that was already amazing; you didn't have to get me anything else.”

“It's... I insist,” Rainbow encouraged nervously, nodding towards the small, seemingly boring box. After a moment of hesitation Twilight stood and trotted over, eyeing it suspiciously. She didn't hear Rainbow follow her.

“If you're sure,” she said, picking it up with her magic and opening it. Inside was nothing but a single, blank slip of paper. Curious, Twilight extracted it, flipping it over in her magic. On the backside were two easy, simple words; Turn around.

Obeying the instructions, she turned, and came face to face with Rainbow Dash. But before she could ask a question, before she could even utter a single word, her mind was suddenly flooded with information. Information like the gentle, smooth pressure against her lips as Rainbow kissed her. Slow and gentle, what was mere seconds was an eternity in her mind as she struggled to process it all, suddenly seeing everything Rainbow had done in a new light. Her cheeks lit up a bright scarlet as Rainbow pulled away, the pegasus's own face a deep burgundy. Their eyes remained mere inches apart, their lips still so close they could feel each others breath.

“So... yeah..." she started awkwardly as Twilight continued to stared at her. Rainbow smiled weakly. Was not saying anything a good sign?

“Rainbow...” Twilight started slowly as she stared back at her friend's fearful, nervous eyes.

Her face falling, Rainbow swallowed the lump in her throat as she forced herself to speak. “Y-yeah?”

Apparently, Twilight had nothing to say, because she didn't speak another word. Instead, she once again closed the minuscule distance between them and connected in another kiss. Rainbow was more than welcoming of it, their eyes closing together as they brought their hooves up and around the others neck. After a few moments a joy, they both pulled back again, panting lightly with matching blushes.

“Guess that's a yes,” Dash murmured, slightly shocked as she sat back on her haunches.

“I'd say so.”

-_-_-_-

The library was quiet as Twilight opened and walked through the door. Behind her followed Rainbow Dash wearing a goofy grin. Twilight chuckled at the look plastered across Rainbow's face, motioning to the sitting room of the library.

“Go sit, I'll be out with some hot chocolate in a second,” she said before disappearing into the kitchen. Rainbow nodded and trotted into the room, collapsing on the couch as the emotional and physical exhaustion came crashing down on her. She laid her chin on the armrest, simply running through the events of the night in her head. All the anxiety leading up to her gift, the feeling of flying with Twilight, and the awe of watching the comet, and the dread of possible rejection after that first kiss. That first, life changing kiss. No matter what happened, that kiss had started a chain reaction that could continue to effect both of them for the rest of their lives, for better or for worse.

True to her word, Twilight was out seconds later with two steaming mugs of sweet, sugary liquid. Thankful that she could magically heat the water so she didn't need to wait, she set both mugs on the coffee table and joined Rainbow on the couch, the pegasus sitting up and making room for her. For now, that domino effect she had started seemed to be paying out in her favor.

“Seriously, how did you know about the comet?” Twilight asked, taking a gentle sip from her drink. Rainbow reached forward, grasping her own cup as she thought.

“Here, consider this an early Hearth's Warming gift,” Luna said, leaning in close before continuing. “You never heard any of this from me, but recently... Twilight's been dreaming about flying... with you,” she whispered. Leaning back briefly, she looked to make sure Celestia was out of earshot before bringing her muzzle a little closer to Rainbow's ear. “And I'm starting a new tradition this year. Look to the sky at exactly 10 PM.”

“A friend that works on Canterlot's weather found out about it wen Luna asked him the clear the sky, figured I'd like to know to see if I could clear the sky for Ponyville. I couldn't in time, but I figured I could at least show you,” Rainbow lied with a smile. It might not be the truth, but Twilight seemed to accept it. After all; she hadn't heard it from Luna, and who else would know?

The unicorn nodded, taking another sip from her cup before setting it back down on the coffee table. “Well, make sure you thank your friend for me,” she said, leaning in a nuzzling Rainbow's neck gently. A cyan wing was wrapped gently around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

“I'll be sure to.” Rainbow yawned, her eyelids growing heavy with the aid of the comfortable couch and the warm embrace. It wasn't long before she was snoring peacefully, sleeping soundly with her wing still wrapped firmly around the lavender unicorn next to her.

Twilight, unwilling to wake the pegasus and too tired to struggle out of her grasp, allowed her own eyes to close, sleep taking hold of her willing mind and dragging her away from the real world.

-_-_-_-

Twilight's eyes opened blearily. She was only vaguely aware of her surroundings as her mind slowly started waking up. First she saw the fireplace on the opposite side of the room; nothing left of the once roaring fire except faint embers. But the lack of flame didn't do anything diminish the heat she felt. No, the heat that was once provided by the fire was now provided by the downy cyan wing draped around her, holding her close to the body it was attached to.

From the sound of her snoring, Rainbow Dash was still fast asleep, and would not be waking anytime soon. Looking out the window, Twilight confirmed it was rather late; the sun not yet rising over the snow covered horizon. Sighing contentedly, she allowed herself to sink deeper into the warm embrace.

Twilight turned, looking up at Rainbow's sleeping face, and smiled. Leaning up, she gave her brand-new marefriend a kiss on her cheek, the pegasus's muzzle twitching slightly from the contact before twisting into a relaxed smile. Closing her eyes and resting her head on Rainbow’s shoulder, Twilight once again welcomed sleep with open arms. Whatever had woken her up could wait until morning to be dealt with; she had a warm pegasus pillow and blanket that she wasn't about to waste.

As she fell asleep on the shoulder of her marefriend, one thought echoed through her mind: Best Hearth's Warming ever.

-_-_-_-

Dear Princess Celestia

Today I learned that the greatest gifts aren't always in the form of physical objects. True gifts come from the heart. Even something that isn't even tangible can be the greatest gift you will ever receive. It all depends on who gives it to you and how they do it. I was given a gift like that this Hearth's Warming, and I can honestly say it was the best gift I could have gotten. Better than any gift I could have wished for. It came from one heart and into another, and will be with me forever, a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life, no matter what.

Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle.

P.S. I hope you and Luna had a happy Hearth's Warming.

P.P.S. Tell Luna the comet was beautiful.

Celestia smiled as she came in from the balcony attached to her personal bedchambers, her student's most recent letter held in a magical glow. She found Luna sitting on one of her cushions waiting patiently.

“Twilight?” Luna asked curiously, motioning towards to the letter with a nod of her head.

“Yes, it seems one of her friends has given her quite the gift,” Celestia explained, sharing a knowing smile with Luna as she set the parchment down on her desk.

“I'm glad it worked out for them. If anypony deserves to be happy it's those two. They both work so hard for their dreams,” Luna noted, smiling idly, seemingly lost in her own world of memories.

“It was beautiful,” Celestia whispered, sitting herself down on the cushion next to Luna.

“Hmm?” Shaking her head and freeing herself form her mind, Luna looked up at Celestia questioningly.

“The comet. It was beautiful,” Celestia clarified.

“Oh. Well, no offence, but your nights were kind of... boring. I mean really; the same constellations every night? I get you didn't have much time while I was... gone, taking care of both the moon and the sun, but you could have at least changed it up every month or so.”

The older sibling shook her head. “You forget, Luna. I can raise the moon, but the sky itself has always been your domain; I don't have the skill to do something like that. It's the same reason I can't dream-walk like you. I don't have the same finesse with my magic as you do.”

“Well then I guess it's a really good thing I came back,” Luna joked with a laugh, “Any longer with the same constellations and ponies might start making up stories about them.”

Luna laughed at her own joke. Celestia hid her embarrassed blush.

Author's Note

Happy Hearth's Warming Eve everyone! Started work on the 23rd, finished at 2:27 AM on boxing day. All in all, not bad. I wanted it out on Christmas, but I over estimated my time to write on Christmas day. Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Leave a comment telling me what you thought, and point out anything I missed in my eggnog fueled editing. There's bound to be something.

Officially edited by the amazing AppleDashFan132 for your reading pleasure. Seriously, there was a lot that needed to be edited with this. This wonderful editer deserves nothing less than a huge thanks.