Daffodil gasped at what lay before her. She had heard much about the Crystal Empire, especially from Icing Blaze, but that was nothing compared to the beautiful scenery that filled her vision.
The main street, which went from the train station all the way up to the crystal castle, had been decorated for Hearth’s Warming Eve with colourful banners, holiday wreaths and bouquets of mistletoe hanging across the streets. The whole scenery was covered in a thin layer of snow that crunched below Daffodil's hooves as she made her way further along the main street, leaving the train station behind in the distance. Outside the protecting shield, it was ice cold and a thick, heavy layer snow covered the fields, but here, it was just perfect. In the windows Daffodil passed by where three red and green lights in the shapes of a heart, a cross and an anchor hanging, a peculiar little holiday decoration only seen up here in the frozen north.
Daffodil remembered Icing Blaze telling her about the lights in one of her letters. The heart shaped one represented “love”, the cross ”believe” and the anchor “hope”. "The symbols of what make up our very being", or something along those line, Blaze called them. Noticing that it was already starting to get darker, Daffodil fell into a light trot, hurrying as she made her way to the address at which her friend was now supposedly living.
Taking a deep breath and giving the photo of a light blue filly with a brown and blue mane she was carrying one last look, she walked up the short alley to the door of the crystal house and rang the doorbell.
Inside the house, the sound of a bell was heard and the little pony from the picture threw herself down the stairs to the hallway and opened the door as the bell rang a second time.
"Daffodil! You're here!" Icing Blaze exclaimed, embracing the orange earth pony filly with a yellow mane outside her door and pulling her inside. "I'm so glad you could be here. I really want to celebrate my first St. Lucy's Day with you!"
St. Lucy's Day. The main reason why Blaze had wanted Daffodil to come visit exactly this day. 13th of December was St. Lucy's Day here, an old tradition only celebrated in the Crystal Empire. Blaze had told Daffodil that they celebrated it in the honor of the bringer of light. St. Lucy came with warmth and light when it was at its very darkest and coldest in the frozen north.
"So, do you want me to show your room?" Blaze asked, an expecting look on her face.
Daffodil looked at Blaze, giving her one of her characteristic smiles.
"Sure, why not? It's still a little while until dinner time, so we can start with looking at my room, and then you can show me around the house." She answered.
Icing Blaze nodded in agreement.
"Ok. Oh, and just so you know, it's going to be a very late night, so you may want to rest a bit after dinner." Blaze warned, the stern expression on her face only lasting for a couple of seconds before laughing. "Come, I'll show you your room."
Daffodil then followed Blaze up the stairs, wondering what was going to happen throughout the night and listening with one ear as she explained what was in the different rooms of the first floor. After they finished upstairs they continued on the second floor of the crystal house.
When the tour around the house was finished, they went to Blaze's room and continued catching up until dinner was ready. They placed themselves at the dinner table, promptly continuing their conversation where they had left of when being called down for dinner.
Daffodil never thought she had laughed as much as she did that evening. She had completely forgotten how much she had been missing Blaze during the six months that had passed since she moved. But now that Blaze's family was all settled in and everything was starting to go back to normal, they promised to come and visit each other much more often.
As the clocks struck nine, Daffodil started to wonder when they were going to celebrate this "St. Lucy's Day". She was just about to voice her question when she noticed Blaze motioning for her to come with her.
"Outside?" Daffodil asked skeptically. It was pitch black outside the window and going out there in the frigid snow didn't really feel like a good idea.
Blaze didn't share her opinion. She didn't care if Daffodil thought it was a bad idea. Her mother had given her instructions, and she was about to follow them.
"Come on Daffodil, you wanted to celebrate St. Lucy's Day, didn't you?" She complained.
Daffodil hesitated before nodding, her instincts telling her what a bad idea all of this was.
"Come on then!" Blaze exclaimed happily, rushing out the door and forcing Daffodil, who didn't want to be left alone, to follow.
Outside, it was just as dark as it seemed through the window. The only source of light was a fire burning in the distance and it seemed that that was where they were heading.
As they came closer, Daffodil saw that a couple of dozen other children were sitting around the fire. Among all the little ponies gathered, there was only one adult pony. When Daffodil and Blaze had seated themselves on the ground among the other children, the stallion put out the fire. Casting a spell that made his horn glow with a faint, white light, he opened an old book and began to read.
"The winter was at its coldest and darkest, and the ponies of the land had started to fear that they would never see the sun rise again. There were no Alicorns to lead them, or bring them light. But as they were about to succumb to the darkness around them, they got a sign, a light in the cold winter night. An angel from heaven to earth had arrived."
The stallion closed the book and all the fillies and colts turned their heads to look at the misty outlines of the dark city. In the windows of every house and home a light appeared. Coming out of the houses on the left side of the street were mares, dressed in white with glitter in their manes and around their waist. From the houses on the right side of the street were stallions, dressed in white dresses as well and wearing pointy hats with golden stars.
The mares were carrying burning candles and the stallions sticks with golden stars at the end.
In the center of everything was one pony. She was standing in front of all the other mares and stallions and led the procession. The mare was dressed in a white dress, a red ribbon around her waist and on top of her head was a wreath with burning candles in it. In her magic, the mare was carrying a tray with gingerbreads and saffron buns on it.
The processions slowly made their way through the frozen fields, and when reaching a hill a few meters away from where the foals were sitting, they stopped. The mare leading the procession started to talk.
"I welcome you all, like many times before during the winter nights long,
With candles in my crown and atmospheric song
I come when it's at it's very darkest here in the north
When everything seem dead and frozen on the earth
The everlasting ray of light, the sun everywhere
Finds a way into every heart where it now feels so cold.
I welcome you all, like many times before during the winter nights long,
With candles in my crown and atmospheric song."
The mare went quiet and for a moment, the only thing that could be heard was the sound of the cold winter wind rustling in the fields. But then, the rest of the mares and stallions began to sing.
"Now awake and rejoice, St. Lucy is here, and the night against morning is turning.
The shimmering lights in the crown she wears, and the hope in our hearts she awakes.
Welcome, this midwinter’s radiant maiden,
you comforting bringest!
See life, covered by frost and by snow,
Victory shall once more be winning.
Welcome, welcome, once more in our house,
you light bride, that concured the night
And in the darkness a ray of light ignites,
And hope and joy us brings!"
As the mares and stallions finished their singing, the mare that depicted St. Lucy walked over to the children and distributed the gingerbreads and saffron buns to some of them.
When the tray was empty, she looked over at the mares and stallions, and they all nodded in mutual understanding. The mare standing next to St. Lucy then carefully blew out her candle, and the mare behind her then did so too. One after one, the candles where blown out, and soon the ones in St. Lucy’s mane were the only ones burning. Turning around, the mare depicting St. Lucy then started to lead the procession back the way they came.
Spellbound by what they had seen, Daffodil and Icing watched as the mare leading the procession took with her the last lights through the frozen fields, further and further away, until they where no longer to be seen.
At once, the spell was broken and the two fillies got aware of how dark and cold everything was. Many of the other fillies and colts, especially some of the younger ones, had started to notice it too. A quiet, whining noise could be heard from the group, slowly growing louder, until they thought it would break out into full-blown screaming. But then the old stallion lit a match and set fire to two of the four candles that had been placed in the snow. The candles he lit were marked 1 and 2 and the other candles, the ones he didn't lit, were marked 3 and 4.
"St. Lucy has been here, blessing us with her light and marking the second milestone on our way to the holy night of Hearth’s Warming Eve. What you have seen out here in the frozen fields, you will always carry with you in your heart. Let it remind you that Faust and her children will never leave our side as long as we believe."
With that, the old stallion stood up and gave two older fillies the candles, who then started to lead the way back to the city.
The walk home gave little room for conversation, as they all shared a mutual feeling that it was something sacred about this moments, and the second someone spoke up, what made these few moments special would be gone.
Making their way up the main street, the foals dropped off one by one as they passed by their houses, their parents waiting on the door steps.
Outside Blaze’s house, the filly’s parents were waiting for their daughter and her friend.
Icing Blaze immediately ran up and hugged her parents, leaving Daffodil standing there, watching as they showed their affection to each other. Seeing this made Daffodil wish her parents were there, and just as she thought she was about to cry, Blaze’s dad appeared from behind and hugged Daffodil. Blaze’s mother and Blaze then walked up to them and joined them, all of them having one big group hug.
"Goodbye Daffodil, I'm going to miss you." The blue filly said, embracing her friend.
"Goodbye Blaze, I'm going to miss you too. Promise not to open my gift before Hearth’s Warming Eve, okay?" Daffodil answered, returning the embrace.
The blue filly giggled, finally letting go of her friend.
"I won't. I trust you. Don't open mine earlier either."
The orange filly winked, stepping on board the train to Canterlot where she would switch to a train home to Manehattan.
10 Days Later, on the morning of Hearth’s Warming Eve
It was early in the morning and everypony was fast asleep in their beds. All except one. Upstairs in the old house an orange filly was sitting on her bedroom floor. Pieces of colourful holiday gift paper lay scattered around her and she was cradling a tiny, delicate work of art in her small hooves. It was a crimson feathered deity, holding a precious crystal In it's delicate hands. The golden halo sat stoically on it's head, reminding of the fragile balance of hate In the world, and the undying love of the deity. The huge feathered wingspan branched out, giving rays of hope to all below...it was the blood angel, watching the balance between light and darkness.
The blood angel was a present from the filly’s friend to remember her by when they couldn't meet.
In a house in Manehattan, a small orange filly was sitting on her bedroom floor, cradling a tiny glass angel. At the same time, a small blue filly was sitting on her bedroom floor, cradling an identical glass angel. The only differences between the two angels was that while one was red and pink, the other one was dark and light blue.
These fillies were so different, and lived in two completely different places, yet they stuck together. They were the best of friends and wanted it to always stay that way.
Author's Note
Preread, proofread and edited by MusicMelody, Mountain Bell and Fugly Duckling
So, first off, I just want to wish you all happy Heart's Warming Eve! This fanfic was based off a Swedish tradition called St. Lucy's Day (wiki link for you interested) and I had a blast writing it. Enjoy! 
