Celestia's late autumn day proceeded normally and without surprise—which, in Equestria, that can sometimes be asking for a lot. Her sun had risen without complaint, her country was all prepared for a chilly winter, and the Hearth's Warming holiday season was just a month away. Annoyingly enough, many ponies were already decorating for it, but that was their business.

For Celestia, the issue lay not in the weather or otherwise. It was in fact the utter boredom of ruling her kingdom. It seemed lately that only the most tedious of problems were ever left for her to deal with. Paperwork and the like.

However, her wish for more excitement was soon granted in the most unconventional way possible. That is, Discord dropped in for a visit with tricks and magic up the whazoo to give Celestia a bit more enjoyment out of the holiday season. A bit too much for her liking, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

Big ol thanks to my collab partner and homie MerlosTheMad for all his contributions with writing the story!

Another big round of thanks to my editor FloydienSlip and my pre-reader Bakmah Genesis!