New Year's Kissby Benevolent WolfChaptersA Doctor and his CompanionTwo SistersKindness and ChaosA Plumber and his PrincessThe Cowgirl and the DrakeThe Empress and her KingCheesecakeA Doctor and his CompanionVwoorp... Vwoorp... Vwoorp... On a grassy hill just outside of Ponyville, a blue Police Box started to blink into view, fading in and out, in and out. When it had fully appeared, a grey pegasus leapt out of the machine, cheering, followed by a brown Earth pony. "We did it, Doctor! We saved the New Year!" The Doctor smiled happily. "I'll say we did!" Derpy hugged her friend briefly before noticing what she was doing and letting go. "Uh, heh heh. Um, well, that was exciting!" The Earth pony nodded and looked down to Ponyville from the hill. "And we got back just in time. It's about a minute to midnight, I believe." "Ooh!" Derpy squealed. "Ponyville has the best fireworks on New Year's Eve just at midnight! We're so lucky to have such a view!" The mare paused, but then gasped as she remembered another aspect of this holiday. "And it's also when ponies--" she caught herself and stopped. The Doctor looked to his companion. "When ponies what?" "What?" Derpy pretended not to hear. The Doctor shook his head and lay on his back in the grass, putting his hooves behind his head. "Never mind." The pegasus gave a sigh of relief. She hoped her friend hadn't caught on to what she was about to say back there. She hoped he didn't know about the event that had gone on for many years in Ponyville and other places on this night. You see, every year, when the town clock struck twelve, starting New Year's Day, a popular tradition was to grab your very special somepony-- whether it be mare or colt-- and share a passionate kiss, starting off the year with an act of affection and romance. And Derpy was always ineligible to perform this tradition. No pony wanted to be the special somepony of a pegasus who literally couldn't even see straight with both eyes. She was an outcast, shunned by other Ponyville citizens and others-- especially Coudsdale pegasi-- and not quite subtly, either. But now, Derpy did have some pony who maybe, just maybe, might have feelings for her. She certainly did for him, though if he ever found out, she'd blush so hard she was sure her natural coat color would become red! But perhaps that fear could change tonight. Perhaps she would try to finally do what she'd secretly been wanting to do since not long after she met the Doctor. Alright. Brace yourself, Ditzy Doo. Be calm. Don't freak out. Be brave, but not too-- BONG! BONG! BONG! A roar of cheering came from the town below. Derpy took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Okay, here I go... Then she felt a muzzle press against hers. Opening her eyes in shock, she was surprised, relieved, and attracted all at once. The Doctor was kissing her. This went on for what felt like hours, and when the Doctor gently let go, he whispered in the pegasus' ear. "Happy New Year, Derpy." The fireworks went off. The Doctor turned his head and "oohed". Right behind him, Derpy sighed with dizzy eyes. "Ah..." Then she fell to the grass, her life now feeling quite complete. Two SistersThe sun set on New Year's Eve. Then an even more beautiful moon rose, silvery and shiny. Celestia and Luna stood beside each other, waiting for the Canterlot Clock to strike twelve. The Sun Princess turned to her sister. "This was a beautiful year, Luna." "Indeed, Tia." The Princess of the Night smiled and lay down on the marble balcony overlooking the towns of Equestria below. Celestia joined her younger sibling, and the two sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Tia decided to speak up. "This has been the best year of my life since a thousand years ago." the alicorn looked up to the sparkling sky. "My favored student has found her place as a princess beside us..." Luna then felt a nuzzle as Celestia leaned up against her lovingly. "And my little sister is no more a feared outcast." More silence. Luna did not verbally reply, but she did smile. After a few more seconds of no sound other than the noises of parties down in Canterlot, Celestia perked up. "You know what would make this night even better, Lulu?" "What, sister?" Then the clock set off in the town square. Tia pecked Luna on the cheek... and ran for her life. The Princess of the Night sat there for a second, shocked, then yelled, "Gross, Tia!" Then the chase began. Celestia galloped down the main hall, surprising some guards and even knocking over a visitor, she thought. A "sorry!" resounded after she had disappeared around the corner ahead. One unicorn soldier looked to the pegasus guard beside him. "Princess Celestia?" Not a minute later, the second princess who inhabited the castle flew past at full speed, accidentally knocking down both guards in the process. Another "sorry!" echoed. The unicorn, who was a new recruit, asked his partner, "Does... this happen often?" The pegasus smiled. "All the time." *** Celestia, galloping at maximum speed, found a fork in the halls. Which path should she take? After almost no further consideration, the left side was chosen. But unknown to the Sun Princess, a male guard of Celestia's and a female bat-pony guard of Luna's were conversing in the darkness of the hall, and when the ivory alicorn sped by, the ponies were pushed into each other, their muzzles touching. Both were astonished, but surprisingly, neither wanted to let go. Luna flapped her wings quickly, but when she came to the split, she stopped, landing gracefully. She looked to the left, then to the ri-- she immediately looked left again and said dryly to her guard, "Seriously, Luminescence?" The bat-pony let go of the day guard at once and saluted. "It... wasn't my fault, Your Highness. Princess Celestia came through and--" "Tia!" Luna took flight again and soared down the dark hall. "Well..." Celestia's guard's cheeks and ears grew bright red. "Hon-Honestly, that was..." "Enjoyable?" Luminescence finished. The day guard smiled slyly. "Wanna do it again?" The bat-pony leaned forward. *** Dead end! Celestia skidded as she dug her fore-hooves into the ground, and stopped just before she hit the wall. So that's why this hallway was so dark and unused. The flapping of wings could be heard down the hall. "Oh, Tiaaaaaa...." the call echoed. The Sun Princess awaited her consequence, and was pushed to the ground as another pony tackled her. Both sisters laughed. "Happy New Year, Tia." "Happy New Year, Lulu." Kindness and ChaosDiscord was restless, to say the least. Fluttershy had gone to the Ponyville New Year Celebration, and had left the cottage in his hands. Flutters had asked her new housemate if he wanted to join her at the festival, but the draconequus had declined. "Are you sure you don't want to go? There'll be refreshments and fireworks and--" "No!" Maybe he shouldn't have yelled so loudly at her. She looked definitely ready to cry. "N-no, Fluttershy. Thank you." His answer softened. Flutters shook away the tears forming in her eyes and smiled. "Alright. But if you change your mind, just head down to town square, okay?" Discord didn't know why she persisted so. Petty pony parties were no events for the Lord of Chaos. Discord finally lay down on the couch in the living room, sighing. Even if he did go, the party guests would just run away from him. Nobody wanted to hang with the creature who had tried to drown them in a flood of disorder. And Discord didn't mind. They could have their silly celebrations without him, and that was perfectly okay. Well, he told himself that it was perfectly okay. Suddenly, a tap came on the draconequus' shoulder, diverting him from his thoughts. "Huh-- what?" Discord looked down to the floor to see that annoying demon-spawn, Angel Bunny, crossing his arms and tapping his foot. "What do you want, runt?" The rabbit kept tapping. Discord ignored him, closing his eyes and laying back his head. The noise grew louder. Soon the draconequus couldn't take it anymore. He opened his eyes, ready to strangle the thing. "Will you ever so kindly knock it off?! ...Huh?" Angel was holding a photograph of fireworks going off in the night sky. "Uh, no! I don't want to go to the fireworks at midnight, thank you very much!" The tapping ceased, and Discord went back to his relaxation. Only seconds later, the demon-child resorted to jumping on him. Discord snatched Angel out of the air by the throat. His eye twitched. "Can you not even let me have a moment of--" then he saw another picture in the rabbit's paw. It was a photo of the draconequus and Fluttershy at a carnival. The yellow pegasus had her hooves wrapped tightly around Discord, and yet it didn't look like he was reluctant to the hug. He was embracing the mare right back. that was such a fun day, Discord remembered. The most fun I'd had in thousands of years... But he quickly shook the memory off. "If you're trying to imply that I have feelings for her, you can just..." then Angel started to make kissing faces. Discord rolled his eyes. "Kid, if you want a romantic moment, go look for one of your own kind!" But then he started to remember. He'd heard about the traditional New Year's Eve kiss. Was this spawn of fire implying that... "No! No way, no how, just, no! I am not..." Now Angel had pulled out from nowhere a picture of Fluttershy at a wedding, perhaps one of her relative's. She was smiling, but there was a subtle... sense in her. Longing. Discord wasn't stupid. He knew that look in her eyes because... he'd felt it before. Was Fluttershy really that much like Discord himself? Did she feel so alone, like he had those thousands of years ago when he was rejected time and time again? She wasn't exactly hard to look at, and her personality was likeable, a bit too timid, but likeable. What stallion wouldn't want Fluttershy as their special some pony? Why, if Discord was a stallion... the draconequus sighed. Angel Bunny looked up at him with a face that said "and so the truth flows forth." Discord jumped up from the couch, snapping his lion paw, making a formal suit appear on his body. "Hold on, my little pony!" he proclaimed. He nearly knocked down Angel as he flew out the door, fast as a bullet. The rabbit smiled to himself as he grabbed a carrot and began to munch. The love expert's work is done here. *** It was seconds from the clock striking twelve. Every pony pulled their special some pony close. Every pony but Fluttershy, that is. But Flutters just smiled. Oh, how she'd longed every year for someone someday to give her a traditional New Year's kiss. Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted into the air and someone else's lips touching hers... just as the midnight bells rang. Every pony gasped. But then they started to cheer as the fireworks went off, illuminating the kiss that Fluttershy was sharing. The pegasus eventually opened her eyes and was pleasantly surprised to see her admirer. When the two had landed, Fluttershy let go and simply hugged Discord, whispering, "Thank you." The draconequus hugged the pony as well. "You're welcome, Fluttershy." From then on, Fluttershy knew she'd likely not be lonely again anytime soon. A Plumber and his Princess"Ah! Hurry, one grabbed me!" The orange-masked hero saw his violet-masked ally seized by an enemy, calling out to him. The ninja wasted no time as he withdrew his long chain, whipping the henchman into shape and watching him fade into the wooden boards of the thirty-seventh floor of the Mane Villain's hideout. After saving his friend, the two ninjas made their way across the sixteen-bit screen. A cloaked figure came out of the shadows of the new level, and the orange ninja cried, "The Sliverer!" The villain cackled. "Yes, you foolish ninjas! And now that you have fallen into my trap--" Then the screen went blank. And the Super Pon-tendo started to produce smoke and sparks. Button slammed down his controller. "NOOOOOOOOO!" He then proceeded to kick the game-system in frustration. "No! No! No!" After finding that didn't help the situation, the colt fell to the ground and wept (a bit too) dramatically. "No, ho, no!" Sweetie Belle put down her own controller and walked over to her friend and patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. "It's okay, Button. That Pon-tendo was old anyway. It was bound to break sometime." The colt looked up to the filly with teary eyes, his bottom lip quivering. "But... it took us a whole fifteen minutes to get to the boss." Then Button burst into tears. "A whole fifteen minutes!" "Kids?" a motherly voice called from the next room over. "Is everything okay?" Sweetie answered, "Yeah. The old Pon-tendo just exploded. That's all." "Oh, okay. ... wait what?!" Button's Mom galloped into the living room. "Exploded?! Was any pony hurt?" Button, still sobbing, turned to his mother from his pathetic position on the carpet. "My heart... was hurt..." Button's Mom leaned her head down toward the system. "Hm. I guess your dad's old Super Pon-tendo was older than I thought. Oh, well. It'll have to be thrown away." The colt trembled at the words. But his mother suddenly calmed him. "As for the game, it looks alright. Which is completely surprising. I guess it's true what they say-- these game cartridges really are virtually indestructible. Hm." The game was removed from its system, and Button's Mom picked up the Pon-tendo with her teeth and took it away, never to be seen by foal eyes again. "Well," Sweetie Belle shrugged. "That's the end of Teenage Super Ninja Stallions IV." "P-ponies in the Past..." Button sighed. "The best videogame ever." Sweetie thought to herself for a short while. "How about... we play Pokepon?" "Nah, I've beat that game too many times to count." "Hm... Pony Plumber Xtreme?" Button perked up. He hadn't played that game in a long time. The colt remembered how he used to love it. "Yeah! Let's do it!" *** Button, the extremely cool yet lamely-dressed superhero plumber stepped into the throne room of Pearl Palace, where Queen Peachy Belle was waiting. "Your Highness," he bowed. "I am at your royal service." "Thank you, Button. Your quick arrival is appreciated. Now, for the reason I called you here." The Queen majestically descended from her throne, her magenta gown flowing with every move she made. Her gait was beautiful, but her eyes were sad. "My parasprite people are disappearing from everywhere in the kingdom. My guards and I are the only ones--" "Button!" Button's Mom called. The colt broke out of his trance. *** "Y-yeah, Mom?" The mare smiled and smoothed her gorgeous blue, sequined evening dress. "Your father and I are heading out to the New Year's Eve party in the square." "Okay." the colt was about to go back to his game, but he was interrupted by a kiss on his forehead. "Ew! Mo-om!" Button's mother smiled and shook her head. "Love you, pumpkin." "Mom!" The mare laughed as she exited the room. Sweetie Belle, still next to Button on the couch, waved. "Bye Button's Mom!" The colt returned to his fantasy world. *** Plumber Button awoke, finding himself trapped within a net with Queen Peachy Belle's parasprite guards on the floor of the throne room. "Ugh! What happened?" A parasprite guard cried, "A dastardly fiend broke into the castle's glass window and stole away the Queen! You tried to stop him, but were knocked out in the process!" Button tilted his head. "Then why didn't you guys try to stop him?" One guard sighed. "Alas, we did, but we're too small and puny to do anything useful, it seems." "Egad!" Button pounded his hoof on the ground. "I must stop him!" And so the chase began (after Button had freed himself and the guards, of course). The bold plumber crossed countless country plains, swam through many rivers, and climbed several castles, fighting changelings and manticores and many bosses. But finally, Button the Plumber came to the final castle, where he found Queen Peachy Belle imprisoned in a strong birdcage, calling out to him. The plumber thought his mission might be over, but then the final antagonist appeared. He was burly and intimidating, obviously a mix of different creatures. The villain roared. Button made his battle stance and smiled mischievously. "Come at me bro." *** It was a fierce battle. Sweetie Belle watched the clock on the wall of the living room. Eleven fifty-eight. It was almost the new year! Finally, Button pressed the fatal button and smashed the villain into the ground, the rumble freeing the Queen from her prison. "Yes! I beat the game!" Bong! Bong! Bong! "Yay!" Sweetie Belle cheered. "It's the New Year!" Then she remembered. "Oh!" the filly quickly bestowed a swift kiss on Button's cheek. Button sat there, eyes wide. Has Sweetie Belle just... He rubbed his cheek gently with his hoof. Sweetie laughed. "Happy New Year, Button Mash." The Cowgirl and the DrakeTwilight Sparkle and her friends had just arrived on the scene on the annual Ponyville New Year's Extravaganza. Spike was following behind the girls, struggling as he lugged along a heavy case of fireworks, sparklers, and scarves and blankets for the winter cold. "Brr!" Rarity shivered underneath her thick pink striped scarf as the wind started to pick up. "New Year's Eve is unusually cold this year!" The unicorn turned to the little dragon as he finally caught up to the group. "Spikey-Boo, would you wrap a blanket around me, please?" Spike perked up. "Of course!" He hastily opened the case of items and withdrew the most intricate throw of all of the soft materials in the container. Unfolding it very ceremoniously, he bowed, saying, "Milady." Rarity and the others giggled at his proper tone. "Uh, hey, Spike," Applejack stuttered and trembled because of the cold as well after the blanket had been placed on her friend. "Could ya throw one of those over me, too?" Spike smiled. "Oh, yeah, sure." He did so, though not as formally as he did for Rarity, and after, Applejack wrapped a fore-hoof around his middle and pulled the dragon to herself and letting go after a few seconds. "Thanks, Spike." Inside, her heart was pounding a little faster than normal. "Oh, Spikey-Wikey," Rarity cooed. "Always so helpful." Then she planted a kiss on the drake's cheek. Applejack twitched a little, but not noticeably. After a couple minutes of settling down in the square, Twilight looked up at the clock. "Hm. We've still got about a half hour until midnight. Oh! How about we share some New Year's resolutions!" Rarity nodded and lay down on the cobblestone, still wrapped in warmth. "A wonderful idea! I'll go first-- my resolution is to wow Canterlot with the greatest fashion line I've ever created!" She dramatically raised a hoof into the air. "I'll call it, 'A Rarity to Behold'!" That brought some harmless laughter from the other mares. "Ooh!" Pinkie Pie squealed, jumping up and down instead of sitting or lying like the others. "Me next! Me next! This year I wanna make the biggest cake EVER!" "Well I'm gonna train myself so hard, I'll be able to out-fly Spitfire by the end of next year!" Rainbow Dash chimed in. One-by-one, every pony confessed their resolutions. It was getting close to Applejack's turn. The mare was nervous. She had a resolution, all right. It just wasn't one she wanted to share. "So, AJ," Spike said. "What's your resolution?" Applejack took a deep breath. Okay, here I go... "M-my resolution is... to tell S--uh..." she stopped. I can't do it! I just can't do it! Pinkie was confused. "S-uh? Who's S-uh? And what are you going to tell him?" Rarity paused to think. But then she smiled mischievously. "Applejack... are you saying you like a stallion? Who's name starts with the letter 'S'?" Pinkie gasped. "Is it Soarin'?" "It better not be!" Rainbow pushed herself into AJ's face. Then she slowly backed away, blushing a bright red. "Uh... I mean... never mind." She grabbed a blanket from the case and buried herself in it. "So, Applejack," Twilight smiled. "Who is it?" AJ gulped. She didn't want to lie to her friends. But she didn't want to answer when the answer himself was standing right there. "It's... uh..." Suddenly, cheers came from a little further away. A few seconds later, it became evident that they were counting down the seconds until midnight. "Oh!" Twilight cried. "Girls! Get your sparklers ready!" Each mare took a sparkler from the case, and Spike readied the firework, blowing a bit of green fire on it, slowly shrinking the fuse. Saved by the bell... Applejack sighed with relief. Then she joined the citizens of Ponyville in counting down. "Five, four, three, two, one--" Bang! Zap! Crackle All kinds of light and firecrackers went off, and every pony let out joyful cries. Within the noise, Spike was distracted as he stood next to his crush, Rarity. Applejack, without taking more than two seconds to think, dashed beside the unicorn, pecked the dragon on the side of his mouth, and exited the scene before the drake turned to only see the white unicorn standing there. W... What? he thought. Did Rarity just... kiss me on the mouth? Then the unicorn looked down to him, tilting her head and curling up the corners of her mouth. "Happy New Year, Spike," she said lovingly. Applejack stood behind the two at a distance. Yes. She'd definitely tell him this year. Just not tonight. The Empress and her King"Cadance?" The bedroom door opened with a soft, nearly inaudible creak. A stallion head peeked inside. The slim form on the large bed yawned and stretched. Shining Armor smiled. "Didn't mean to wake you, sweetie." "It's fine, Shiny. I've been up for a while." The queen slowly raised her head, and the white pony trotted over and gingerly planted a kiss on his wife's waiting lips, remained there for a second, and released. Cadance gave her husband a nuzzle. "What did you want?" Shining Armor turned his head back toward the door. "The guards and I are waiting for the town clock to strike twelve. Wanna join us?" Cadance sighed. "I dunno, Shining Armor..." The stallion suddenly blushed. "Oh! Right, I shouldn't have asked. I forgot about..." Shining gently kissed Cadance's swollen abdomen. The mare smiled as the pony lifted his head once again. "How is our little tyke doing in there?" "Perfectly fine. Aren't we?" the queen spoke to her stomach, and a sharp movement answered her question. "Oh! I guess we are fine." "Have the doctors determined..." Cadance set her hoof on her husband's lips. "We're having a filly, Shiny." Shining Armor brightened up with more light than Celestia's sun. "Cadance! That's amazing!" The stallion jumped up and down a couple times. "Woo-hoo! It's a filly! It's a filly!" The queen just laughed to her heart's content, and then mused aloud. "Our first child. The future Crystal Princess. A beautiful thought." But then the pink pony grew somber. "But... what if I can't raise her the way I want to?" "What do you mean, honey?" Shining Armor entered the bed and lay down next to his wife. Cadance's shoulders slumped. "What if I can't raise her right? What if I make a mistake and mess up her childhood, her adulthood, her--" the mare's rant was stopped by a kiss on her anxious lips. "Cadance," Shining nuzzled the pony. "You were my little sister's foalsitter. You basically raised her when my parents were busy. You watched her grow; you taught her to be a kind and virtuous mare. And look at her now! She's a princess. You contributed to that, my love." The stallion wrapped his foreleg around Cadance. "Whenever you doubt if you'll be a good mother, just think of Twilight. Trust me. You're gonna be the greatest mother ever, Cades. I know it." The pink mare had tears in her eyes as she kissed her husband over and over again. "Thank you, Shining. Thank you so much..." BONG! BONG! BONG! "The clock!" Shining Armor gasped. Then he met Cadance's lips with a firm, long kiss. When they released, he smiled coyly. "Happy New Year, Candybutt." Cadance's lips pursed, seemingly in displeasure. But then she shot a sly look and leapt for her husband. A bright blue aura pushed the door shut as a night of joy ensued. CheesecakeSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
A Doctor and his CompanionVwoorp... Vwoorp... Vwoorp... On a grassy hill just outside of Ponyville, a blue Police Box started to blink into view, fading in and out, in and out. When it had fully appeared, a grey pegasus leapt out of the machine, cheering, followed by a brown Earth pony. "We did it, Doctor! We saved the New Year!" The Doctor smiled happily. "I'll say we did!" Derpy hugged her friend briefly before noticing what she was doing and letting go. "Uh, heh heh. Um, well, that was exciting!" The Earth pony nodded and looked down to Ponyville from the hill. "And we got back just in time. It's about a minute to midnight, I believe." "Ooh!" Derpy squealed. "Ponyville has the best fireworks on New Year's Eve just at midnight! We're so lucky to have such a view!" The mare paused, but then gasped as she remembered another aspect of this holiday. "And it's also when ponies--" she caught herself and stopped. The Doctor looked to his companion. "When ponies what?" "What?" Derpy pretended not to hear. The Doctor shook his head and lay on his back in the grass, putting his hooves behind his head. "Never mind." The pegasus gave a sigh of relief. She hoped her friend hadn't caught on to what she was about to say back there. She hoped he didn't know about the event that had gone on for many years in Ponyville and other places on this night. You see, every year, when the town clock struck twelve, starting New Year's Day, a popular tradition was to grab your very special somepony-- whether it be mare or colt-- and share a passionate kiss, starting off the year with an act of affection and romance. And Derpy was always ineligible to perform this tradition. No pony wanted to be the special somepony of a pegasus who literally couldn't even see straight with both eyes. She was an outcast, shunned by other Ponyville citizens and others-- especially Coudsdale pegasi-- and not quite subtly, either. But now, Derpy did have some pony who maybe, just maybe, might have feelings for her. She certainly did for him, though if he ever found out, she'd blush so hard she was sure her natural coat color would become red! But perhaps that fear could change tonight. Perhaps she would try to finally do what she'd secretly been wanting to do since not long after she met the Doctor. Alright. Brace yourself, Ditzy Doo. Be calm. Don't freak out. Be brave, but not too-- BONG! BONG! BONG! A roar of cheering came from the town below. Derpy took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Okay, here I go... Then she felt a muzzle press against hers. Opening her eyes in shock, she was surprised, relieved, and attracted all at once. The Doctor was kissing her. This went on for what felt like hours, and when the Doctor gently let go, he whispered in the pegasus' ear. "Happy New Year, Derpy." The fireworks went off. The Doctor turned his head and "oohed". Right behind him, Derpy sighed with dizzy eyes. "Ah..." Then she fell to the grass, her life now feeling quite complete.
Two SistersThe sun set on New Year's Eve. Then an even more beautiful moon rose, silvery and shiny. Celestia and Luna stood beside each other, waiting for the Canterlot Clock to strike twelve. The Sun Princess turned to her sister. "This was a beautiful year, Luna." "Indeed, Tia." The Princess of the Night smiled and lay down on the marble balcony overlooking the towns of Equestria below. Celestia joined her younger sibling, and the two sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Tia decided to speak up. "This has been the best year of my life since a thousand years ago." the alicorn looked up to the sparkling sky. "My favored student has found her place as a princess beside us..." Luna then felt a nuzzle as Celestia leaned up against her lovingly. "And my little sister is no more a feared outcast." More silence. Luna did not verbally reply, but she did smile. After a few more seconds of no sound other than the noises of parties down in Canterlot, Celestia perked up. "You know what would make this night even better, Lulu?" "What, sister?" Then the clock set off in the town square. Tia pecked Luna on the cheek... and ran for her life. The Princess of the Night sat there for a second, shocked, then yelled, "Gross, Tia!" Then the chase began. Celestia galloped down the main hall, surprising some guards and even knocking over a visitor, she thought. A "sorry!" resounded after she had disappeared around the corner ahead. One unicorn soldier looked to the pegasus guard beside him. "Princess Celestia?" Not a minute later, the second princess who inhabited the castle flew past at full speed, accidentally knocking down both guards in the process. Another "sorry!" echoed. The unicorn, who was a new recruit, asked his partner, "Does... this happen often?" The pegasus smiled. "All the time." *** Celestia, galloping at maximum speed, found a fork in the halls. Which path should she take? After almost no further consideration, the left side was chosen. But unknown to the Sun Princess, a male guard of Celestia's and a female bat-pony guard of Luna's were conversing in the darkness of the hall, and when the ivory alicorn sped by, the ponies were pushed into each other, their muzzles touching. Both were astonished, but surprisingly, neither wanted to let go. Luna flapped her wings quickly, but when she came to the split, she stopped, landing gracefully. She looked to the left, then to the ri-- she immediately looked left again and said dryly to her guard, "Seriously, Luminescence?" The bat-pony let go of the day guard at once and saluted. "It... wasn't my fault, Your Highness. Princess Celestia came through and--" "Tia!" Luna took flight again and soared down the dark hall. "Well..." Celestia's guard's cheeks and ears grew bright red. "Hon-Honestly, that was..." "Enjoyable?" Luminescence finished. The day guard smiled slyly. "Wanna do it again?" The bat-pony leaned forward. *** Dead end! Celestia skidded as she dug her fore-hooves into the ground, and stopped just before she hit the wall. So that's why this hallway was so dark and unused. The flapping of wings could be heard down the hall. "Oh, Tiaaaaaa...." the call echoed. The Sun Princess awaited her consequence, and was pushed to the ground as another pony tackled her. Both sisters laughed. "Happy New Year, Tia." "Happy New Year, Lulu."
Kindness and ChaosDiscord was restless, to say the least. Fluttershy had gone to the Ponyville New Year Celebration, and had left the cottage in his hands. Flutters had asked her new housemate if he wanted to join her at the festival, but the draconequus had declined. "Are you sure you don't want to go? There'll be refreshments and fireworks and--" "No!" Maybe he shouldn't have yelled so loudly at her. She looked definitely ready to cry. "N-no, Fluttershy. Thank you." His answer softened. Flutters shook away the tears forming in her eyes and smiled. "Alright. But if you change your mind, just head down to town square, okay?" Discord didn't know why she persisted so. Petty pony parties were no events for the Lord of Chaos. Discord finally lay down on the couch in the living room, sighing. Even if he did go, the party guests would just run away from him. Nobody wanted to hang with the creature who had tried to drown them in a flood of disorder. And Discord didn't mind. They could have their silly celebrations without him, and that was perfectly okay. Well, he told himself that it was perfectly okay. Suddenly, a tap came on the draconequus' shoulder, diverting him from his thoughts. "Huh-- what?" Discord looked down to the floor to see that annoying demon-spawn, Angel Bunny, crossing his arms and tapping his foot. "What do you want, runt?" The rabbit kept tapping. Discord ignored him, closing his eyes and laying back his head. The noise grew louder. Soon the draconequus couldn't take it anymore. He opened his eyes, ready to strangle the thing. "Will you ever so kindly knock it off?! ...Huh?" Angel was holding a photograph of fireworks going off in the night sky. "Uh, no! I don't want to go to the fireworks at midnight, thank you very much!" The tapping ceased, and Discord went back to his relaxation. Only seconds later, the demon-child resorted to jumping on him. Discord snatched Angel out of the air by the throat. His eye twitched. "Can you not even let me have a moment of--" then he saw another picture in the rabbit's paw. It was a photo of the draconequus and Fluttershy at a carnival. The yellow pegasus had her hooves wrapped tightly around Discord, and yet it didn't look like he was reluctant to the hug. He was embracing the mare right back. that was such a fun day, Discord remembered. The most fun I'd had in thousands of years... But he quickly shook the memory off. "If you're trying to imply that I have feelings for her, you can just..." then Angel started to make kissing faces. Discord rolled his eyes. "Kid, if you want a romantic moment, go look for one of your own kind!" But then he started to remember. He'd heard about the traditional New Year's Eve kiss. Was this spawn of fire implying that... "No! No way, no how, just, no! I am not..." Now Angel had pulled out from nowhere a picture of Fluttershy at a wedding, perhaps one of her relative's. She was smiling, but there was a subtle... sense in her. Longing. Discord wasn't stupid. He knew that look in her eyes because... he'd felt it before. Was Fluttershy really that much like Discord himself? Did she feel so alone, like he had those thousands of years ago when he was rejected time and time again? She wasn't exactly hard to look at, and her personality was likeable, a bit too timid, but likeable. What stallion wouldn't want Fluttershy as their special some pony? Why, if Discord was a stallion... the draconequus sighed. Angel Bunny looked up at him with a face that said "and so the truth flows forth." Discord jumped up from the couch, snapping his lion paw, making a formal suit appear on his body. "Hold on, my little pony!" he proclaimed. He nearly knocked down Angel as he flew out the door, fast as a bullet. The rabbit smiled to himself as he grabbed a carrot and began to munch. The love expert's work is done here. *** It was seconds from the clock striking twelve. Every pony pulled their special some pony close. Every pony but Fluttershy, that is. But Flutters just smiled. Oh, how she'd longed every year for someone someday to give her a traditional New Year's kiss. Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted into the air and someone else's lips touching hers... just as the midnight bells rang. Every pony gasped. But then they started to cheer as the fireworks went off, illuminating the kiss that Fluttershy was sharing. The pegasus eventually opened her eyes and was pleasantly surprised to see her admirer. When the two had landed, Fluttershy let go and simply hugged Discord, whispering, "Thank you." The draconequus hugged the pony as well. "You're welcome, Fluttershy." From then on, Fluttershy knew she'd likely not be lonely again anytime soon.
A Plumber and his Princess"Ah! Hurry, one grabbed me!" The orange-masked hero saw his violet-masked ally seized by an enemy, calling out to him. The ninja wasted no time as he withdrew his long chain, whipping the henchman into shape and watching him fade into the wooden boards of the thirty-seventh floor of the Mane Villain's hideout. After saving his friend, the two ninjas made their way across the sixteen-bit screen. A cloaked figure came out of the shadows of the new level, and the orange ninja cried, "The Sliverer!" The villain cackled. "Yes, you foolish ninjas! And now that you have fallen into my trap--" Then the screen went blank. And the Super Pon-tendo started to produce smoke and sparks. Button slammed down his controller. "NOOOOOOOOO!" He then proceeded to kick the game-system in frustration. "No! No! No!" After finding that didn't help the situation, the colt fell to the ground and wept (a bit too) dramatically. "No, ho, no!" Sweetie Belle put down her own controller and walked over to her friend and patted him on the shoulder sympathetically. "It's okay, Button. That Pon-tendo was old anyway. It was bound to break sometime." The colt looked up to the filly with teary eyes, his bottom lip quivering. "But... it took us a whole fifteen minutes to get to the boss." Then Button burst into tears. "A whole fifteen minutes!" "Kids?" a motherly voice called from the next room over. "Is everything okay?" Sweetie answered, "Yeah. The old Pon-tendo just exploded. That's all." "Oh, okay. ... wait what?!" Button's Mom galloped into the living room. "Exploded?! Was any pony hurt?" Button, still sobbing, turned to his mother from his pathetic position on the carpet. "My heart... was hurt..." Button's Mom leaned her head down toward the system. "Hm. I guess your dad's old Super Pon-tendo was older than I thought. Oh, well. It'll have to be thrown away." The colt trembled at the words. But his mother suddenly calmed him. "As for the game, it looks alright. Which is completely surprising. I guess it's true what they say-- these game cartridges really are virtually indestructible. Hm." The game was removed from its system, and Button's Mom picked up the Pon-tendo with her teeth and took it away, never to be seen by foal eyes again. "Well," Sweetie Belle shrugged. "That's the end of Teenage Super Ninja Stallions IV." "P-ponies in the Past..." Button sighed. "The best videogame ever." Sweetie thought to herself for a short while. "How about... we play Pokepon?" "Nah, I've beat that game too many times to count." "Hm... Pony Plumber Xtreme?" Button perked up. He hadn't played that game in a long time. The colt remembered how he used to love it. "Yeah! Let's do it!" *** Button, the extremely cool yet lamely-dressed superhero plumber stepped into the throne room of Pearl Palace, where Queen Peachy Belle was waiting. "Your Highness," he bowed. "I am at your royal service." "Thank you, Button. Your quick arrival is appreciated. Now, for the reason I called you here." The Queen majestically descended from her throne, her magenta gown flowing with every move she made. Her gait was beautiful, but her eyes were sad. "My parasprite people are disappearing from everywhere in the kingdom. My guards and I are the only ones--" "Button!" Button's Mom called. The colt broke out of his trance. *** "Y-yeah, Mom?" The mare smiled and smoothed her gorgeous blue, sequined evening dress. "Your father and I are heading out to the New Year's Eve party in the square." "Okay." the colt was about to go back to his game, but he was interrupted by a kiss on his forehead. "Ew! Mo-om!" Button's mother smiled and shook her head. "Love you, pumpkin." "Mom!" The mare laughed as she exited the room. Sweetie Belle, still next to Button on the couch, waved. "Bye Button's Mom!" The colt returned to his fantasy world. *** Plumber Button awoke, finding himself trapped within a net with Queen Peachy Belle's parasprite guards on the floor of the throne room. "Ugh! What happened?" A parasprite guard cried, "A dastardly fiend broke into the castle's glass window and stole away the Queen! You tried to stop him, but were knocked out in the process!" Button tilted his head. "Then why didn't you guys try to stop him?" One guard sighed. "Alas, we did, but we're too small and puny to do anything useful, it seems." "Egad!" Button pounded his hoof on the ground. "I must stop him!" And so the chase began (after Button had freed himself and the guards, of course). The bold plumber crossed countless country plains, swam through many rivers, and climbed several castles, fighting changelings and manticores and many bosses. But finally, Button the Plumber came to the final castle, where he found Queen Peachy Belle imprisoned in a strong birdcage, calling out to him. The plumber thought his mission might be over, but then the final antagonist appeared. He was burly and intimidating, obviously a mix of different creatures. The villain roared. Button made his battle stance and smiled mischievously. "Come at me bro." *** It was a fierce battle. Sweetie Belle watched the clock on the wall of the living room. Eleven fifty-eight. It was almost the new year! Finally, Button pressed the fatal button and smashed the villain into the ground, the rumble freeing the Queen from her prison. "Yes! I beat the game!" Bong! Bong! Bong! "Yay!" Sweetie Belle cheered. "It's the New Year!" Then she remembered. "Oh!" the filly quickly bestowed a swift kiss on Button's cheek. Button sat there, eyes wide. Has Sweetie Belle just... He rubbed his cheek gently with his hoof. Sweetie laughed. "Happy New Year, Button Mash."
The Cowgirl and the DrakeTwilight Sparkle and her friends had just arrived on the scene on the annual Ponyville New Year's Extravaganza. Spike was following behind the girls, struggling as he lugged along a heavy case of fireworks, sparklers, and scarves and blankets for the winter cold. "Brr!" Rarity shivered underneath her thick pink striped scarf as the wind started to pick up. "New Year's Eve is unusually cold this year!" The unicorn turned to the little dragon as he finally caught up to the group. "Spikey-Boo, would you wrap a blanket around me, please?" Spike perked up. "Of course!" He hastily opened the case of items and withdrew the most intricate throw of all of the soft materials in the container. Unfolding it very ceremoniously, he bowed, saying, "Milady." Rarity and the others giggled at his proper tone. "Uh, hey, Spike," Applejack stuttered and trembled because of the cold as well after the blanket had been placed on her friend. "Could ya throw one of those over me, too?" Spike smiled. "Oh, yeah, sure." He did so, though not as formally as he did for Rarity, and after, Applejack wrapped a fore-hoof around his middle and pulled the dragon to herself and letting go after a few seconds. "Thanks, Spike." Inside, her heart was pounding a little faster than normal. "Oh, Spikey-Wikey," Rarity cooed. "Always so helpful." Then she planted a kiss on the drake's cheek. Applejack twitched a little, but not noticeably. After a couple minutes of settling down in the square, Twilight looked up at the clock. "Hm. We've still got about a half hour until midnight. Oh! How about we share some New Year's resolutions!" Rarity nodded and lay down on the cobblestone, still wrapped in warmth. "A wonderful idea! I'll go first-- my resolution is to wow Canterlot with the greatest fashion line I've ever created!" She dramatically raised a hoof into the air. "I'll call it, 'A Rarity to Behold'!" That brought some harmless laughter from the other mares. "Ooh!" Pinkie Pie squealed, jumping up and down instead of sitting or lying like the others. "Me next! Me next! This year I wanna make the biggest cake EVER!" "Well I'm gonna train myself so hard, I'll be able to out-fly Spitfire by the end of next year!" Rainbow Dash chimed in. One-by-one, every pony confessed their resolutions. It was getting close to Applejack's turn. The mare was nervous. She had a resolution, all right. It just wasn't one she wanted to share. "So, AJ," Spike said. "What's your resolution?" Applejack took a deep breath. Okay, here I go... "M-my resolution is... to tell S--uh..." she stopped. I can't do it! I just can't do it! Pinkie was confused. "S-uh? Who's S-uh? And what are you going to tell him?" Rarity paused to think. But then she smiled mischievously. "Applejack... are you saying you like a stallion? Who's name starts with the letter 'S'?" Pinkie gasped. "Is it Soarin'?" "It better not be!" Rainbow pushed herself into AJ's face. Then she slowly backed away, blushing a bright red. "Uh... I mean... never mind." She grabbed a blanket from the case and buried herself in it. "So, Applejack," Twilight smiled. "Who is it?" AJ gulped. She didn't want to lie to her friends. But she didn't want to answer when the answer himself was standing right there. "It's... uh..." Suddenly, cheers came from a little further away. A few seconds later, it became evident that they were counting down the seconds until midnight. "Oh!" Twilight cried. "Girls! Get your sparklers ready!" Each mare took a sparkler from the case, and Spike readied the firework, blowing a bit of green fire on it, slowly shrinking the fuse. Saved by the bell... Applejack sighed with relief. Then she joined the citizens of Ponyville in counting down. "Five, four, three, two, one--" Bang! Zap! Crackle All kinds of light and firecrackers went off, and every pony let out joyful cries. Within the noise, Spike was distracted as he stood next to his crush, Rarity. Applejack, without taking more than two seconds to think, dashed beside the unicorn, pecked the dragon on the side of his mouth, and exited the scene before the drake turned to only see the white unicorn standing there. W... What? he thought. Did Rarity just... kiss me on the mouth? Then the unicorn looked down to him, tilting her head and curling up the corners of her mouth. "Happy New Year, Spike," she said lovingly. Applejack stood behind the two at a distance. Yes. She'd definitely tell him this year. Just not tonight.
The Empress and her King"Cadance?" The bedroom door opened with a soft, nearly inaudible creak. A stallion head peeked inside. The slim form on the large bed yawned and stretched. Shining Armor smiled. "Didn't mean to wake you, sweetie." "It's fine, Shiny. I've been up for a while." The queen slowly raised her head, and the white pony trotted over and gingerly planted a kiss on his wife's waiting lips, remained there for a second, and released. Cadance gave her husband a nuzzle. "What did you want?" Shining Armor turned his head back toward the door. "The guards and I are waiting for the town clock to strike twelve. Wanna join us?" Cadance sighed. "I dunno, Shining Armor..." The stallion suddenly blushed. "Oh! Right, I shouldn't have asked. I forgot about..." Shining gently kissed Cadance's swollen abdomen. The mare smiled as the pony lifted his head once again. "How is our little tyke doing in there?" "Perfectly fine. Aren't we?" the queen spoke to her stomach, and a sharp movement answered her question. "Oh! I guess we are fine." "Have the doctors determined..." Cadance set her hoof on her husband's lips. "We're having a filly, Shiny." Shining Armor brightened up with more light than Celestia's sun. "Cadance! That's amazing!" The stallion jumped up and down a couple times. "Woo-hoo! It's a filly! It's a filly!" The queen just laughed to her heart's content, and then mused aloud. "Our first child. The future Crystal Princess. A beautiful thought." But then the pink pony grew somber. "But... what if I can't raise her the way I want to?" "What do you mean, honey?" Shining Armor entered the bed and lay down next to his wife. Cadance's shoulders slumped. "What if I can't raise her right? What if I make a mistake and mess up her childhood, her adulthood, her--" the mare's rant was stopped by a kiss on her anxious lips. "Cadance," Shining nuzzled the pony. "You were my little sister's foalsitter. You basically raised her when my parents were busy. You watched her grow; you taught her to be a kind and virtuous mare. And look at her now! She's a princess. You contributed to that, my love." The stallion wrapped his foreleg around Cadance. "Whenever you doubt if you'll be a good mother, just think of Twilight. Trust me. You're gonna be the greatest mother ever, Cades. I know it." The pink mare had tears in her eyes as she kissed her husband over and over again. "Thank you, Shining. Thank you so much..." BONG! BONG! BONG! "The clock!" Shining Armor gasped. Then he met Cadance's lips with a firm, long kiss. When they released, he smiled coyly. "Happy New Year, Candybutt." Cadance's lips pursed, seemingly in displeasure. But then she shot a sly look and leapt for her husband. A bright blue aura pushed the door shut as a night of joy ensued.
