Hearth's Warming Eve in Equestria
Author's Note
Okay, so this is waaaaaaaaaay late, but I finished this darn thing and I'll dang well post it! And yes, I am aware that Pinkie's family are Igneous Rock, Cloudy Quartz, Limestone Pie, and Marble Pie, but after the work I put into coming up with clever names, I wanted to leave it in. I'll change it for future fics. This takes place before season three.
Hearth's Warming Eve in Equestria
A Hearth's Warming Eve in Equestria
A Sequel to "A Winter's Day in Ponyville"
by Ghost Writer
It was a white Hearth's Warming in Cloudsdale like it always was, but not in the same way that it was for the rest of Equestria. The white here came from the clouds that everything was made out of, rather than snow. However, even with their higher resistance to cold, the pegasi of the city were just as bundled up as the earthbound ponies, as the higher altitude made it even colder than on the ground. But that wouldn't last long today, for two reasons. First, Cloudsdale was above the clouds that were gently dropping snow, and would be warmed by the sun as the day went on. And secondly, today was a day of good cheer and warmth in the hearts of all ponies. Today was Hearth's Warming Eve, a day of celebrating friendship and unity. Though through the years following the foundation of Equestria, the traditions changed slightly, and it became an occasion for ponies to exchange gifts between friends and family, as well as to return home to their families.
As a result, many individual traditions sprang up within families as well. At the home of Rainbow Dash, after all the presents were opened, the tradition was go out in the front yard (actually a stretch of clouds they gathered in front of their house) and play a game of hoofball while her mother cooked a large dinner that took the place of lunch. Rainbow was the receiver of choice as she zipped around her bulkier brothers. Her father, Jet Stream, an iris colored pegasus with a mane almost identical to Rainbow's and an also similarly fit body, would just laugh after passing the ball, watching his only daughter zip across the yard for another touchdown.
"Touchdown! Speed over muscle any day boys!" Rainbow crowed after coming to a stop.
"Oh come on, you can't slow down a little?" whined Bearing Point, the middle of her older brothers who worked construction for the city. He was the most muscled of the three, and sported a steel blue coat with a burnt orange mane.
"You can't speed up some?" Rainbow replied with a smug grin.
"Would you prefer that I send a few lightning bolts at you?" said her youngest older brother Updraft, who was a weather patrol pony like her, except he stayed immediately around Cloudsdale. His coat was dark blue with a red mane.
"That's a foul and you know it," said Jet Stream in a warning tone. "Besides, Rainbow can handle a little lightning."
"Maybe I should ask Shock to cook up something special for her at the factory then," said Partly Cloudy with a grin. The oldest of the family, Partly Cloudy worked at the weather factory, in the cloud creation department. He used a sky blue hoof to push his lime green mane out of his face, where it had ended up from the exercise.
"Doesn't do you any good if you can't hit the broad side of a nimbostratus," Rainbow teased. "And your passes are just as bad."
Partly Cloudy smiled at her in a challenging way. "Oh it is on now."
"How did you know dinner's on?" All heads turned to see the matron of the family standing in the front door. Rain Prism could have passed for Rainbow's sister if it weren't for the difference in age, and she didn't have the athletic build that her daughter took pride in. She was more mellow than Rainbow, though understanding of her ideas and attitudes. Jet Stream liked to say that she was as wild as Rainbow in her youth and would regale them with stories. It was part of the reason Rainbow Dash hadn't been trying too hard to find a boyfriend yet: she was secretly worried about losing her edge and becoming a softie. Not that she didn't love her mother, though. They got along well, except that her mother tended to fret about her daughter not eating enough and would insist on extra portions. Which were hard to pass up when Rain Prism was just about the best cook in Cloudsdale.
"Dinner's on?" everyone echoed.
Rain nodded, then deftly stepped aside as a mad rush ensued and five bodies tried to wedge their way through the door at the same time. She had tried to put a stop to this rush when the kids were still young, but when those attempts failed (partly thanks to her husband not helping) she just accepted it and got out of the way. She looked out at the city for a moment more before turning to go inside. Hearth's Warming Eve was a time of chaos, but controlled chaos that brought everypony closer together. And now it was time for her to join that chaos before she missed the chance to enjoy her hard work.
~~~~~~~~
However, for Fluttershy, Hearth's Warming was a time of judgment and evaluation. It was part of the reason she only stayed in Cloudsdale for one day. The comments peppered throughout the conversation at dinner were indicative of the number of flaws that her parents saw in her. Her mother, Flitter Heart, had a deep yellow coat and a powder blue mane with a few grey hairs and was a very traditional homemaker. Her father, Sky Tower, was a no-nonsense construction foreman with a chocolate brown coat and a mane of dark red. Her mother took the polite, but thinly veiled approach, while her father preferred to make comments under his breath still loud enough to be heard by those at the table.
"When are you going to meet a nice stallion?" her mother asked.
"That's if she even likes stallions," her father muttered.
"I do hope that you're thinking of giving me some grandfoals someday," her mother continued.
"Probably too shy to even think of doing that with a stallion."
Fluttershy tried to get a word in edgewise. "Um... Well... I'm just so busy taking care of the little critters-"
Her mother interrupted, "And we're proud of the work you do darling, but there's more to life than animals."
Her father continued to mutter between bites of his food. "Don't know why you spend all your time on the ground."
"In fact, you could put your skills to use taking care of foals."
"But... I can't talk with foals like I can with animals," Fluttershy pointed out.
"It's similar enough dear," her mother replied, an edge of impatience creeping into her voice.
A younger male voice cut in. "You know, I can't tell you how glad I am to take a load off my wings and enjoy some food. The last few days I've been busier than a bee."
Flitter Heart finally turned her attention away from her daughter. "You shouldn't work so hard dear," she admonished gently. "I'm sure your wings must be sore."
There was one reason that Fluttershy came home for the holidays, and he had just come to her rescue. Contrail, her younger brother, worked as an express delivery pony, and flew all over Equestria to deliver mail and packages. He was only slightly larger than Fluttershy, with a light brown coat and a sky blue mane. Fluttershy gave him a small smile of thanks across the table, which he discretely returned.
"A little, but it's all part of the job," Contrail said before taking a bite of his acorn dressing.
"How far out were they sending you?" Sky Tower asked, also turning his attention away from Fluttershy.
"They generally keep me close to Cloudsdale this time of year; so that I'm available in case anything important comes up."
With the attention off of her, Fluttershy was able to finish her meal in peace. It was a very nice meal, with acorn dressing, asparagus, mashed sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, cranberry sauce, and rolls. A lot of families ate similarly on Hearth's Warming, pulling out the stops and breaking the bank a little. The time of eating varied though. Ever since Fluttershy had formally moved to Ponyville, the time had moved from early evening to early afternoon so that she could return home before it got too dark, under the excuse of needing to tend to the animals in her care.
Once she had finished eating, Fluttershy excused herself from the table and went to use the bathroom. After she finished, she stuck her head into what had been her old room. It wasn't her room any more, and hadn't been for a few years now. It wasn't even a guest bedroom that might house a weary pony. It was a study, with books and plans that her father looked over either for work or pleasure. It was almost like she had never lived there. She sighed and stepped out onto the back porch. She always liked sitting on the bench of the back porch since she could look at some of the surrounding homes and get away from her parents for a little while. At least with the clouds below today, she didn't get the feeling of vertigo that went with living up high.
"I thought you'd be out here."
Fluttershy turned her head to see Contrail stepping out onto the porch. She blushed a little and looked down at her hooves. "Well... I was hoping that you'd come out here."
Her brother sat next to her on the bench. "Really?"
The shy pegasus nodded. "Yes. To be honest... I know it's mean of me to say but... you're the only reason I come home anymore."
Contrail's gaze drifted out over the expanse of clouds as he was quiet for a moment. "Yeah. I can see why."
The two were quiet for a couple more moments, during which Contrail scoot closer to his sister and put his wing around her. She sighed and leaned against him a little. Contrail chuckled softly. "I'm supposed to be the younger one, yet I always feel like the older brother when we're alone like this."
Fluttershy smiled softly. "You'd make a great older brother."
"Thanks." Another moment of silence passed. "I'm sorry that I don't visit you in Ponyville more often."
"It's okay," the soft-spoken mare replied. "I know you're busy."
"I should still try harder to find time to come see you. Maybe meet some of your friends."
"You don't have-"
"Actually, I think I do have to."
Fluttershy looked at her brother in confusion. "Why do you have to?"
"Because if nothing is more important than my sister, then I should at least know your friends." He looked at her with a smile. "And I shouldn't make you wait a whole year to see me again."
Fluttershy didn't like being a burden to others, but she had to admit that she really liked the idea. "Do you really think you can find the time?"
Contrail smiled. "If I can't find it, I'll make it. That's a promise."
Fluttershy smiled widely before hugging her brother. "Oh thank you, Contrail."
The brown stallion put his foreleg around her. "You're welcome Shy."
Fluttershy sighed happily before looking out at the clouds again. Hearth's Warming Eve wasn't a fun day for her, but it was always worth it.
~~~~~~~
Hearth's Warming Eve morning at the house of Sweet Apple Acres had been a bit more energetic, the energy mostly provided by one little red-headed pony with a blank flank. Applebloom had woken up before dawn and had bounced into everyone else's room, speaking too fast to be understood. The message boiled down to, "Get up! It's Hearth's Warming!"
While Big Macintosh was downstairs getting a fire started in the living room fireplace and putting some cider that they set aside on the stove, Applejack, her hair still messy from her pillow, got a hoof on Applebloom to calm her down.
"Ah know yer excited Applebloom, but you shouldn't wake Granny Smith this early. She needs her sleep." By which she meant that she needed her sleep as well.
"But it's Hearth Warming," the little filly said with a pout.
"Now don't be too hard on her," Granny Smith said as she joined them in the hall. "A little excitement keeps me young."
Applejack sighed. She knew that this was one fight she shouldn't pick. A little grumpiness was worth it to see Applebloom happy. "Alright, alright." She shivered a little, as the cold morning air was still lingering in the farmhouse. "Let's get some blankets and head downstairs."
They each got a blanket from their room before heading downstairs, where it was warmer as the fire was now crackling merrily, but the heat hadn't permeated the room just yet. There was a pine tree in the corner of the room opposite the fire, decorated with old colored balls of glass, strings of popcorn, and dried apple slices. Presents sat under the tree, where they had been placed the night before. The Apple family tradition used to be that presents were placed under the tree immediately after they were wrapped, but after the year that Applebloom had gotten into one of her presents early, it was decided that they would be put under the tree at the last minute. The wrapping paper was plain, just simple colors with maybe a bow made out of a different paper.
While Applejack and Granny Smith were content to just watch Applebloom tear through wrapping paper like it was nothing, Big Mac always insisted that they participate, though in his silent, persistent way of placing presents before them. Applejack smiled at Big Mac as her brother placed the first gift for her in front of her place on the couch. She knew that she could get lost in her work and forget about her family a little, but Big Mac gave her little nudges here and there to keep her in check. That was Big Macintosh for you: solid, immovable, reliable.
Since the contest with the Flim Flam brothers, the Apples had found themselves having a better year than usual, financially speaking. As a result, the presents were a little better than usual as well. Applebloom got some nice new clothes and a few sewing supplies so she could mend them. Thoughts of a sewing cutie mark instantly filled her mind. Granny Smith got a new shawl to wear for the winter months. Big Mac got a shiny new axe that would make splitting firewood much easier than just bucking it to pieces. And Applejack got a new length of rope that would take much longer to wear out than her current, older rope. She also got a case to display the ribbons she had won in the Canterlot rodeo contest. She was still a self-conscious to display her less-than-best ribbons, but everypony insisted that she should be proud of how well she did.
After the presents, they drank hot cider, looking at the fire as they talked about past Hearth's Warming Eves. They had apple turnovers as part of their breakfast, which had been prepared yesterday. For them, Hearth's warming was a time of rest, so they prepared as much food as they could the day before so they could relax and enjoy the peaceful day. It was a day of rest and family togetherness, spent playing games and remembering times gone by.
~~~~~~~~~
In Ponyville proper, Sweetie Belle had started the morning much the same as Applebloom, much to Rarity's irritation. While her mother and father fed off her sister's enthusiasm to get their pep up, Rarity needed to brush her mane and sip a mug of hot chocolate before she could be properly cheerful for the occasion. She didn't usually drink hot chocolate, she had a figure to keep after all, but the holidays were a time to forget a rule or two in favor of sugary treats and warm feelings.
The contrast between the trees and presents at Sweet Apple Acres and Rarity's parents' house would be a point of discussion later between Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. Rarity had personally seen to the decorating of the tree, and it showed. Where the Apples' decorations were homemade or passed down, Rarity's were store-bought. Magic lights twinkled softly among the boughs in different colors. New glass ornaments were carefully hung on the branches, well made, but nothing too fancy. Rarity wasn't sure if she wanted to trust her absolute best ornaments around her sister. Those were on the smaller tree she had in the boutique. Gold garland circled the tree, weaving around ornaments and lights. And on the top, well balanced by magic, was a pink heart, representing the Fire of Friendship that the ponies of old created to ward off the cold and hatred of the Windigos.
Under the tree lay carefully wrapped presents. It was easy to tell which ones Rarity had wrapped, for they had more fanciful bows and ribbons than the rest. The fasionista winced as Sweetie Belle tore through the perfect packaging like it was nothing. Inside was a new dress that she had made herself, one meant to accompany the purple and pink in Sweetie's mane with similar shades.
"Cool! Thanks Rarity!" Sweetie Belle piped up.
"You're quite welcome," Rarity replied.
"Now you just need someplace fancy to wear it to," her mother added.
Sweetie's face fell a little. "I don't know any place fancy to wear it to."
"Nonsense," Rarity scoffed gently. "One never needs an excuse or a place to look fabulous. If you look fabulous and are fabulous, then wherever you are is fabulous by association."
Sweetie smiled and nodded. "I guess you're right. I can't wait to show Applebloom and Scootaloo!"
"Oh I'm sure they'll love it," her mother added.
"All girls like fancy things," their father, Magnum, put in.
"Have you... met her friends?" Rarity asked.
"Once. They came in, then ran out to go... what do you call it?"
"Crusading!" Sweetie Belle answered as she was pulling out the next present.
"Yeah. They seemed like nice girls."
Rarity decided to hold her peace about her sister and her friends. They were nice girls at heart, just... a little too energetic for her tastes.
Sweetie Belle got new saddlebags and a diary of her own to start writing in. Rarity realized she would have to resist the urge to read it; they had both learned their lesson after Gabby Gums. Magnum got a new jersey of his favorite hoofball team, the Fillydephila Eagles. He also got new fishing rod from Rarity. She knew nothing of fishing, but the clerk at the store said it was a good one. She had made her mother a dress as well, one of a dark orange that would help mute her mother's pink coat and purple mane a little.
Sweetie Belle had tried to hoof make her presents for her family, with mixed results. She made a necklace for her mother with beads made out of modeling clay. They were lopsided and uneven, but well received. "They're so nice Sweetie. I'll wear it when I play cards with my friends next week."
For her father, she got a blank white mug and painted on it in her childish writing, 'Equestria's Best Dad'. The end of 'Equestria' got squished in next to the mug handle and 'Dad' was a little large, but her dad pulled her into a hug as he said, "Awwww, the best mug from the best little filly."
For Rarity, Sweetie Belle had put a lot of thought into her gift. She knew that she and her big sister had had a number of rough spots throughout the year, and she really wanted to make something that Rarity would like. It took some thought and a lot of work, but she came up with something that she hoped would work. Her heart beat a little faster as Rarity neatly unwrapped the gift.
Rarity stared at it a moment. It was a picture frame with various gemstones glued on around the border, which explained where a few of her supply had gone missing. The picture in the frame was the two of them, dirty and disheveled after running the Sisterhooves Social race, but smiling and leaning against each other in a hug. Applejack had taken it before they cleaned up, much to Rarity's chagrin. But now...
She looked up at the little filly that was looking at her so nervously. She smiled gently and got up, levitating the frame after her as she hugged her little sister. "It's perfect."
Sweetie Belle hugged her tightly in return. "I'm so glad you like it!"
The parents of the two sisters shared a smile. They both knew that Hearth's Warming wasn't about the presents or the decorations. It was about strengthening the bonds that mattered.
~~~~~~~~
Some distance away from Ponyville in the countryside was a rock farm, one of the few that remained. It was a dying way of life, due to the hard nature of the work and the newly developing techniques for farming rocks more efficiently. But for those hanging on to the traditional methods, it was a simple, enjoyable way of life. Especially at this particular rock farm, for one of the family members that normally lived away from home had returned for the holidays, and she brought her party cannon with her.
Inside the house, the decorations were all themed for Hearth's Warming, which for Pinkie Pie meant that the streamers were red and green and the balloons were white and magenta in honor of the first Hearth's Warming. The tree was decorated similarly, with lots of red and white and magenta, but also some golden glittery decorations that were made of Luster Dust. The family was gathered in the living room, one of the few times that they ate there.
"It just hasn't been the same without you Pinkie," said her sister, Ink Stone. While her mother and father wouldn't call Pinkie by her nickname, her sisters were more than happy to.
"Oh I know, Inky," replied Pinkie. "But you know I get real busy and with the twins that were born this year, I've been even busier, but I still miss you all and wish I could be here to have parties more often!"
The Pie family had had time to adjust to Pinkie's rapid mode of speech that she had adopted since she had discovered her cutie mark, so Inky just nodded. "I understand. More ponies means more parties for you to plan."
"I bet she just forgets about us," said Blue Granite with a small smile before biting into a muffin. Pinkie would have made cupcakes, but her mother insisted that breakfast had to be semi-healthful. The muffins were still delicious though, a banana-nut that Pinkie's friends and family thought was fitting for her.
Pinkie shot her older sister a look with a smile of her own. "Oh, Blinky. You know I would never forget you. I just know that you're all happy here, so I don't have to worry about you guys. There are a lot of ponies out there that need cheering up."
"We are happy here," said her father, Claystone, who was putting another log on the fire. "We get along just fine. But we do miss having our pink ray of sunshine around."
"And a little music and fun is good once in a while. Keeps us feeling young and alive," Suevite Pie said as she came in from the kitchen with a plate of mugs full of hot chocolate carefully balanced on a forehoof.
"I'll say." Claystone chuckled as he took a mug before sitting.
The rest of the mugs were passed out and they started sipping together, settled in various places around the room. While they understood the tradition of giving gifts, they never felt it was necessary. They didn't need presents when they had each other. And while they would certainly party hard later on, right now was one of the few times that Pinkie was okay being still and quiet, soaking in the feelings of warmth and love of the season.
After they finished the hot chocolate, they walked out into the snow and sang Hearth Warming carols to their neighbors, with Pinkie providing music for some of the happier songs. This lasted them until after lunch, which one of their neighbors happily provided. They returned home and no sooner than their coats and boots were off, Pinkie Pie had started up music to dance to. "Nothing like dancing to warm you up in a jiffy!" she exclaimed.
Nopony could argue against that, especially with the way Pinkie had taught them all to dance; with all of your heart and body. They danced until they simply couldn't anymore, the family members dropping off to sit one by one. Pinkie still had plenty of energy left of course, so she showed them a dance that she had made up on her own. It was quite energetic, and made use of her considerable acrobatic abilities. When she finally paused to get a breath, they all stomped for her.
"Wow Pinkie! That was somethin'!" Inky said.
"And just what do you call such a dance?" her father asked.
"Break dancing!" the pink pony replied as she wiped her brow.
"I can't say I'm surprised," chimed in Suevite. "I was afraid you'd break something."
"Actually, that's why I called it that. I broke a lot of stuff in my room while I was inventing it," she admitted somewhat sheepishly.
"Well, save some of that energy for games after dinner," Claystone admonished gently.
Blinky chuckled. "She's always got energy for a party. Even if the world ended, Pinkie would still be having fun."
"I don't know about the end of the world, but you should see the New Year's parties that I put on in Ponyvillie!" Pinkie said with a giggle. "I plan the whole year for those!"
Suevite shook her head. "I don't know if I should be jealous or if I should be afraid."
They all laughed as they went into the kitchen to cook dinner together. Usually Suevite did the cooking all by herself. Having five ponies all bustling about made it rather crowded, and there were often apologies made as they bumped into each other. But this was the kind of noise and bustle that Pinkie thrived on. It wasn't too different from working at Sugar Cube Corner really. This was Hearth's Warming for her: surrounded by family and food and sound and life and love.
~~~~~~~
Across Equestria, everypony was celebrating Hearth's Warming Eve in their own ways. In the western town of Appleoosa, where the winters were mild and snow didn't fall, the settler ponies and local buffalo tribe were sharing a meal together. In the similar climate of Dodge Junction, Cherries Jubilee held a party for all of her neighbors, with plenty of various cherry goods for all. Somewhere in Equestria, the once Great and Powerful Trixie sat in a diner alone, poking at a meal that she could barely pay for. The only reason that she could even get service was because she wasn't known around here. She was actually trying not to think of some way to get revenge on Twilight Sparkle for a change of pace. She had thought of so many different plots and tricks, each more elaborate and less plausible than the last, that she had grown tired and frustrated with it. Perhaps it was time to forget about revenge and just move on. The job on the rock farm nearby wasn't going to last forever; at the moment she was practically jobless until the pegasi brought some sun in. Maybe she could get herself set up in a show in Las Pegasus. She had always wanted to play there, but hadn't gotten enough recognition to even audition. Maybe if she changed her name. A lot of professional magicians used stage names. She could work her way up from the bottom, instead of the shortcut to the top that she had been trying for.
In any case, that would have to wait for another day. For now, she was just going to try to enjoy the food on her plate... and ignore the two boisterous middle-aged earth pony stallions having a conversation over coffee a couple booths over.
"Did you see that antique store that opened recently?" one asked.
"You mean the one on Buckway?" the other replied.
"That's the one. Strange place, inn't it?"
"Haven't been in it yet."
"It's worth a look. All sorts of strange things in there. Even got some kind of magical charms."
Now Trixie was interested. Her ears twisted towards the conversation to hear better.
"Magical, huh? Like what kinds of charms?"
The first stallion dropped his tone to a more conspiratorial one, but it was more for the sake of effect than secrecy, so Trixie could still hear him. "I asked what his best item was, and the owner said it was some kind of necklace that makes unicorns stronger."
The other stallion chuckled. "And you believed him?"
The first one laughed. "Nah. If it was true, then he wouldn't be in a backwater town like this. If I were him, I'd sell it to the highest bidder."
Trixie's mind raced. If it were true... If the charm was real... The perhaps finally... She'd have to scrounge up every bit she had, maybe even spend some more time on the rock farm...
The magician smiled to herself as she went back to eating. Perhaps today wasn't so bad after all.
~~~~~~~
The skies around the mountainside city of Canterlot were clear, though colder than at lower elevations. But that just meant that the unicorns living there were heating their houses with fires and magic built into the structures. The sun was creeping down the horizon, but still provided some light to the mountainside city. The few unicorns that were still out headed for home so as not to be caught in the coming darkness.
Though it wasn't nearly as dark as it usually was in Canterlot, as almost every house was decorated in twinkling lights. This was especially true at the streets with shops, such as the Book Binding House that Twilight Velvet and Night Light lived and worked at. There were lights on the roof and the tree outside, as well as bordering the windows. The first floor store was decorated in the spirit of the season but was closed right now, the colored lights the only illumination. All the occupants were upstairs in the living area, surrounded by the smells and participating in the traditions they had built over the years. Traditions that the family was happily integrating its newest member into.
Cadence knew of the family's traditions from the days that she foalsat Twilight Sparkle, and had helped with a few in the past, but this was the first year she was participating in all of them. Cookie baking, fudge making, decorating the house, finding a suitable tree, the stallions moving the tree around as the mares discussed where it should be, casting a spell on the tree so Spike didn't accidentally set it on fire, decorating the tree, making shopping trips, wrapping presents, seeing them pile up as the Hearth's Warming drew closer, and helping making dinner on the special day. A dinner that they had just finished cleaning up.
"So what do we do now?" Cadence asked as she left the kitchen.
"Well..." Night Light sat on a cushion near the fire. "We all sit around the fire..."
"And drink hot chocolate." Twilight Velvet came in with a tray of mugs of hot chocolate.
"And talk about past Hearth's Warming Eves," Shining said as he took a mug with his magic before taking a seat.
"And about what we want to do next year," Twilight Sparkle added, also taking a mug.
"That sounds lovely." Cadence sat down with Shining and also took a mug.
"Well, that depends on which Hearth's Warming we're talking about." Night Light sipped his chocolate as he smiled.
Shining, Twilight, and Spike all grimaced as Cadence's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Velvet giggled as she sat next to her husband. "He means there are some memories that he won't let the kids forget."
"Oh really?" Cadence turned a mischievous grin at Shining, who wouldn't make eye contact.
"Oh yes." Night chuckled. "When he was three, Shining climbed up into the tree and called out, 'Imma tree!'"
Twilight and Spike chortled behind hoof and claw respectively, while Cadence leaned against her colt. "Awww, that's so cute."
Shining took a drink of hot chocolate while his blush faded. He then leveled a competitive smile at his dad. "Since we're getting out the big guns early, I have to say that my favorite Hearth's Warming memory was when I was eleven and you went up to change some bad lights on the roof."
"You would bring that up," Night said with a sigh.
"What happened?" Cadence asked.
"I slipped," Night replied simply.
Cadence gasped. "Oh no! Were you hurt?"
"Just my pride." He sipped his hot chocolate coolly.
"I'll say. Since you won't tell it, I will," Shining cut in. "His magic couldn't reach the higher lights, so he went up on a ladder to get closer." He put a hoof to his chest. "I, being a helpful son, held the ladder steady. He slipped on the roof, his back hoof caught in some lights, I yelled, and then he was dangling from the roof like a caught fish."
"Oh! I remember Twilight telling me about that." Cadence giggled. "She couldn't tell me without laughing."
"Oh really?" Night Light smiled at his daughter.
Twilight blushed briefly. "You have to admit, it was really funny."
"It was hilarious," Velvet added.
"Et tu my dear?" Night said as he turned his smile on her. "Perhaps I should remind you of the time you thought extra salt in the chocolate fudge would be a good idea."
Velvet pouted as she crossed her front hooves. "The chefs in Manehattan put salt in their chocolate."
"If that's Manehattan's idea of chocolate, I don't want any," Spike said, licking hot chocolate off his lips.
"Better than all that food you burned the first year you tried helping Mom," Shining jabbed.
"We managed to save most of it," Velvet defended.
Spike huffed and folded his arms. "It was my first time. Cut me some slack."
Twilight nodded. "You've really improved. You control your fire very well now."
The dragon smiled. "Thanks."
"How about you Cadence?" Night Light asked. "What's one of your favorite Hearth's Warming memories?"
Cadence thought for a moment before smiling. "Going shopping with Twilight when she was a foal. She was so cute she was so cute looking into the stores. Especially the book stores."
Velvet smiled. "She was an adorable little filly."
"Mooooom," Twilight whined softly as she blushed.
"You were! Almost as soon as Nightmare Night ended, you'd start singing carols."
"And Shining was right there with you," Night put in.
"And the two of you were right behind us," Shining added with a chuckle.
"Singing is an excellent exercise in timing, mathematics, and proper breathing," the patriarch replied primly.
"Oh don't even try to be a grump," Velvet said with a poke to her husband's ribs. "You know you love it just as much as the rest of us."
"Well.... " He smirked. "Maybe."
"It seems like all of you really love Hearth's Warming Eve," Cadence said with a smile.
"Uh huh. It's the best time of the year!" Spike chimed in.
"And it's even better with you here with us," Shining said as he put his hoof around his wife's shoulders.
"Aww." Cadence leaned into him.
"I'm starting to see how you got her to marry you," Twilight said with a giggle.
"A wise stallion knows that generous flattery makes for a happy wife," Night said with a bit of a smirk.
"I thought it was you always agreeing with whatever I say," Velvet chimed in.
"Now since when have I ever done that?"
The younger ponies and dragon chuckled as their parents continued to banter back and forth for a bit. The conversation would continue for a while into the evening, talking about other Hearth's Warming memories and their plans for the next year. Twilight was going to continue learning about friendship in Ponyville, with Spike assisting of course. Night Light and Twilight Velvet would remain at the book binding house as always. The main focus of discussion was where the newlyweds were going to live. Shining Armor was still captain of the Royal Guard, and Cadence still had duties as a princess that she was fulfilling at Canterlot Palace. They would be getting their own quarters , courtesy of Princesses Celestia and Luna. Twilight couldn't help but notice some kind of faraway look in Cadence's eyes. Though maybe she was imagining it.
Soon, they were stepping outside to look at the winter stars, the last of their Hearth's Warming traditions. For Twilight and her family, this was what Hearth's Warming was about: traditions old and new, happy memories of the past, and a bright future.
~~~~~~~
Canterlot Castle was mostly quiet. The guards all had a day off to spend with their families. The only two ponies in the castle were two alicorns, one with a coat of white, and the other with a coat of dark blue. They sat on the balcony of the tallest tower of the castle, looking out over their kingdom. Between them sat two mugs of hot cocoa, each with two marshmallows. For all of their differences, the two sisters shared a number of similarities in tastes.
"One of the longest days of the year, and most everpony is still awake," Celestia said with a small smile.
"You don't need to remind me," Luna replied. "And you don't need to keep reminding me that times have changed since my banishment." She smiled a little. "Though I do appreciate the sentiment behind it."
Celestia's smile grew a little. "Just making sure that my sister knows that her night is appreciated. In fact, my favorite student and her family look at the winter stars as a Hearth's Warming tradition."
"Oh Celie! Why didn't you tell me?" Luna said with slight annoyance. "I could have arranged the stars specially!"
"You mean even more special than you made them already?" Celestia giggled a little. "You've already put quite the effort into the sky tonight."
"Well... maybe a bit more..." Luna said meekly.
"It's beautiful just as it is Luna," Celestia said reassuringly.
The darker mare nodded a little. "I know... I should let go of being a perfectionist."
"You're still working on it. You're much better now than... before." The older sister preferred not to talk about Luna's time in the moon, especially since she had sent her there.
"I find it easier not to judge myself so harshly after you forgave me," Luna said as she scooted closer, extending a wing over her sister's back.
Celestia smiled and put her wing out over her precious little sister.
A few moments of companionable silence passed before Luna asked, "Have you told your subjects that we were the ones that started some of the Hearth's Warming traditions by accident?"
Celestia giggled softly. "No, actually. I like to let them guess and read the version that history wrote."
Luna rolled her eyes and giggled. "But history never gets it right. The books say that we set up and decorate the tree as an activity of unity. They always fail to mention that we cut down the tree by accident during a particularly... enthusiastic snowball fight."
"I wasn't the one that threw a snowball with a rock inside it," Celestia defended.
"I didn't know there was a rock in that snowball. I was simply careless in my snow scooping," Luna replied. The two of them laughed some more. "Our antics always seem to have consequences."
"Though these days, the worst of our antics just end up being cleaned by the castle staff," Celestia said with another giggle.
"The last food fight was pretty good."
There was silence for a few moment's more, during which they took a couple sips of their hot chocolate. Celestia finally broke it by asking, "Did you actually want anything for Hearth's Warming, Luna? I know you didn't really want anything then, but I didn't know if that changed."
Luna shook her head softly. "That hasn't changed. When you live as long as we do, the only things that really bring joy are company and good food. And we've had that in abundance today."
The lighter mare chuckled again. "We certainly have. And we left a mess in the kitchen for the staff to clean."
Luna giggled. "The privileges of the station."
Another moment or two of silence passed before Luna leaned in against Celestia's neck. "Happy Hearth's Warming, Celie."
"Happy Hearth's Warming, Lulu. I love you."
"I love you too."
The two princesses would sit there for some time, the warmth of their love keeping back the chill of the winter. It was the happiest Hearth's Warming ever.
