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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Heart's Warming Eve~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A brief tale of generosity, and how little material things truly mean when it comes to friendship.
MILDLY inspired by Ebeneezer Scrooge.
Rarity, maintaining her naturally lady-like poise and bearing, stepped out of the magically heated boutique and out into a much darker less hospitable choice of scenery. Large, wet snowflakes fell slowly from the night sky, silently collecting on Ponyville's homes and upon the streets between them. The sounds of her hoofsteps were muffled by the sound-absorbing texture of the shallow snow as she stopped beside a lamp post, which was the only source of light for several yards. Her horn flared briefly as she gently adjusted the tantalizing, colorful, and gem-wrought scarf that she wore about her neck. It was woven of the finest scarlet silk and inlaid with sapphires whose weight was bordering on dangerous to be wearing as casual attire.
One couldn't tell by gazing at her, but her neck was as strong as any stallion's. The voluptuous collection of violet curls that composed her mane were heavier than her scarf, and she liked it that way. The words of one of her marefriends from her childhood came to mind. Rarity, with a name such as yours, it is only fitting that you should understand the true value of material things. Even if you were to earn every bit and jewel in Equestria, none of them should ever be worth as much to you as your mane. There are only one of those, and although it may grow back, it will only be around as long as you are. Generosity is the warmest scarf you will ever wear. With a soft sigh, Rarity set out toward Twilight Sparkle's library. Her hope for tonight was that her communion with Applejack would not go so roughly as it did the last time.
Only a few brief moments passed before she arrived in Ponyville's town square. A small plaque at the base of Celestia's statue read:
It's nothing, really.
Rarity was taken aback. During her stay in Ponyville, she had never noticed that the statue even featured any text at all. After putting a bit of thought to it, she remembered Princess Celestia saying that very same thing to her during her profuse display of gratitude for accommodating her in Canterlot. Twilight is always busy... The girl won't mind terribly if I take my time getting there, will she? Sitting back on her flanks, Rarity at last took a long look at the statue that she had ignored for so long, wondering what it really meant.
She knew the story of Hearth's Warming Eve, and of how harmony was successfully instilled upon Equestria. She also understood why the Royal Sisters chose to take the whole of Equestria under their wing. It was just what made them happy, and made them who they were. Rarity, being the element of generosity, found it absurd that other ponies didn't understand it so well. As stingy as she was, nothing made her happier than giving. Not anything.
Rarity's ears pricked, knocking a tiny patch of snow from each of her ears. She didn't turn to look, but she heard hoofsteps behind her. From the depth of the noise they made, they were the hoofsteps of a filly... And she was right.
She was too relaxed and entranced by the statue to bother looking, but now a filly sat beside her in the snow. Out of the corner of her eye, Rarity could see a large patch of red. From where in Equestria did Applebloom receive such a magnificent bow? That shade of scarlet compliments her coat and mane perfectly, and no matter how long she wears it, the fabric never ceases to maintain the elasticity that... Nevermind the bow. Why is she outside this late at night?
For a long, comfortable moment, Rarity and Applebloom sat in silence. Then Applebloom spoke.
"Rarity?"
Rarity looked down at Applebloom, who kept her gaze fixed on the plaque. "Yes, darling?" It was nice for Rarity to have a moment with Applebloom. Rarity talked to Applejack a lot, but rarely her little sister.
"What does that plaque mean?" As Applebloom's eyebrows were furled with thought, an elegant smile came to Rarity's face. She was a mare of all things intricate, as well as an appreciator of life's simplicities, but there was something lovely about sitting in the Ponyville square on a winter night. She's a bright filly... I'll give her a moment to think about it.
For even longer, Rarity sat beside Applebloom, admiring the likeness of the sun goddess and being entranced by the incredibly large snowflakes that were still falling. The sky was clouded out entirely, and as such, there was no moonlight. Only the beams of lamp posts at the corner and midway of every street and doorstep. The two ponies seemed to think alike, seeing as they found so little need for words.
Many times, Applebloom opened her mouth as if to speak, but remained silent. Finally, she spoke. "Oh... I remember the story of Hearth's Warming Eve. But I still don't understand."
Shifting her weight, Rarity looked at her again. Rarity's cyan eyes met the gaze of Applebloom's amber eyes, and she only said: "I think you do."
Applebloom now wore a blank expression. "Do I? Do I..." For another minute, the earth pony and the unicorn sat in snow and silence. Rarity's ear twitched again as Applebloom shivered, a movement that she must have concealed well. Poor thing must be freezing...
"I think you do, Applebloom." A look of sheer epiphany struck Applebloom's visage. At that moment, Rarity's horn flared and the ornate scarf that Rarity received as a filly wiggled its way through the air and wrapped itself gently around Applebloom's neck. With that, Rarity lifted her immaculately white body and continued her trot to Twilight's library. A single tear fell from each beautiful, gem-like eye. That scarlet scarf went with my mane perfectly, but... I won't miss it. It went so well with her own mane, anyway. I wont miss it. A warmth like no other settled itself upon Rarity's heart, and she couldn't contain her dazzling smile as she cantered off into the darkness.
☼ ☼ ☼
Applebloom watched in astonishment as the fashion unicorn cantered off silently away from her, and then looked down at her new scarf. She, too, began to tear up. Rarity was right; She did understand why the Sisters chose to devote their entire lives to making Equestria the beautiful, thriving land that it was.
It was because they cared.
It was because they wanted to.
It was because...
...It was nothing, really.
