Snow drifted lazily about Ponyville. Blankets of white covered every lawn and whitened every roof, each little patch of it ruffled and marred by the tramping and trotting of ponies. Fillies and colts danced in the powder and scattered it to and fro. Little packed snowballs soared through the air to shatter across a pony's flank, only to receive more snowballs in return. All the while the grey snow continued to drift and fill the hoof-prints with a fresh layer that was soon padded down once more when another stallion or mare happened by. The roads were coated in ice that welcomed its light dusting so that for miles all a pony could see was white. It was broken only by the strings of colored lights on every home and in every shop. Red and green specs stood out from the snow. Some of them merely lit up while others made patterns, blinking or dripping or switching colors. Some figurines were laid out in the front lawns of homes as well. Inflatable Santas and light-outlined reindeer stood smiling at the folks who trotted by. Popular holiday movie characters sneaked along rooftops or tiptoed across lawns. Wreathes hung at every door and garland around every window, lit up with the stream of warm, golden light that spilled outside and grew warmer as the sun began to set.
The fillies retreated from their snowponies and their frolicking as the adults broke out the eggnog and readied their faux Santa costumes. Fillies and colts climbed into their pajamas early, sticking their little hooves into bright fluff-trimmed slippers. They climbed over to fireplaces or couches or beds; the sooner they fell asleep, the sooner Hearths Warming would be here. This was Hearths Warming Eve, and those not heading out for friends and family huddled inside their homes for stories and cookies. A few stallions and mares trotted down the well lit, merrily decorated town and turned back to head for the woods, toward a festive little cottage on its outskirts.
This particular cottage was perhaps the most festive of all in Ponyville. Garland-strewn lights wound about the edge of the roof and descended to the windows, framing the little circles of golden light. Candles in each window lit up the walkway that lead to her house almost as well as the short glowing candy canes set up at both sides of it. They reached as far as the bridge that crossed the stream; and that was cleared of snow and decorated with a neat little snowpony embroidered welcome mat. Frost climbed across the windows of the home so that peering inside was impossible. All that anypony could see from the outside was the soft candle glow and the fuzzy colored dots that lined the tree. The grassy roof of the cottage was a deep green, as it was every year, but interspersed inside it were brilliant little red lights and bright round bulbs like tree ornaments. At the very top, perched slightly off kilter atop a tiny birds nest, was a large yellow star. Yes, this had to be the most festive building in all of Ponyville; and Fluttershy admired it as so.
She stood outside, beaming up at all of her hard work. A pair of thin red boots covered her hooves and a long Santa hat sat over her ears, muffling the gentle whispers of the wind that followed her up the walkway to her house. She grinned wide and stepped inside to smile at her Angel. "Everypony should be here soon," she squeed, stomping the snow from her boots. "Are the appetizers all done?" Angel Bunny squeaked in response and hopped along beside her. "Oh, I hope the decorations are enough."
Much like the outside, the inside was all done up for the holidays. A large tree sat nestled in one corner, its lights glinting off the tiny glass balls hanging from the thick branches. Its star did not shine but it reflected well enough to give off a pale glow similar to the moon at night. All around the ceiling, garland colored the room in green and red. Little glass ornaments and holiday plushes lined every open surface, all save the counter in the kitchen. There were, indeed, enough decorations.
There was a slight knock at the door that gave Fluttershy some pause. "Come in," she trilled. Her heart leapt up to her throat and she stood frozen stiff until the door opened. In walked a familiar pale yellow mare with a grey-streaked pink mane similar to her own. "Mom!" Her wings flapped and carried her quickly to the mare. They embraced quickly, stumbling over the threshold in that awkward fashion ponies do when they hug and come inside.
"Oh that weather was dreadful. It was hard enough getting to the cab station," Posey shook snow off her ears and stomped her boots on the mat, "But then finding a driver to go down all the way from Cloudsdale to Ponyville. Oh!" With a hundred and one things to carry inside, everything either draped across her back or clung in one hoof, she stumbled over the livingroom and let everything spill onto the couch. Turning with a flourish, she again opened her hooves to her daughter. "Come here, honey." Fluttershy obliged at once, wrapping her hooves tightly around Posey. "The house is lovely! I've never seen so many decorations. And inside is stunning as well." She squeezed once and leaned back, admiring the decor. Her pale green blue eyes slowly drifted down to Fluttershy, taking in her long pink mane and red and white coat. "Oh my, and look at you. Absolutely beautiful." Her smile softened as she reached up to touch Flutters' cheek. "You get ever more marvelous every time I see you. Isn't that right, Dad?" Posey stood as the door opened again to let in a tall grey stallion. He hunched slightly as he stepped inside and looked around, pursing his mustached lips until his dark brown eyes found the mares.
"Amazing," he reflected as Fluttershy stood and blushed.
"Papa!" Her hooves beat and carried her to the stallion, who embraced her warmly and closed the door behind him.
"Hi, honey." His voice was deep but not gruff, carrying a strict bass to it but a friendly, warm tone. "How are ya?" His face, slightly wrinkled with age but his eyes sparkled youthfully and mischievously. Humor lined his every feature and he stepped inside and gently brushed off his thin, greyed mane.
"Wonderful! How are you?" She withheld the shout of joy that steadily built up inside her. Her throat tensed, her ears perked and everything within her strained as though she would pop off the floor right them and make a sonic rainboom of her own. With a skip in her step, Fluttershy followed her grandfather to sit beside Posey.
"I'm just fine." He wrapped a hoof around the two of them and brought them together. "You house looks wonderful, Fluttershy." Tonight his voice was soft and gentle, carrying a familiar warmth to it that made Fluttershy beam. Papa was happy tonight. All according to plan.
"Thank you," she bowed her head, "I want this party to be the beast Hearths Warming Eve party ever."
"Did somepony say Hearths Warming Eve?" Everypony looked up to see a certain Twilight Sparkle step into the house and pulled off a bright candy colored scarf. More snow collected around the sopping welcome mat and Fluttershy groaned looking at it.
"Hi, Twilight." Flutters stood and nuzzled her friend as she and Pinkie Pie entered the scene.
"Oh Fluttershy, when I heard you were having a party I just had to bring my party canon." The famous blue instrument was wheeled in behind her. "I mean, not that I didn't believe you could totally throw a party as awesome as this but I thought just in case but i see you don't even need my help because this place looks fantastic!" With her bright pink tail tangled around little golden strips and candy canes, Pinkie Pie trotted inside without stomping her hooves.
Twilight rolled her eyes and hung her coat on the rack. "Thanks for inviting us." The two smiled warmly and turned to the other ponies.
"Papa, Mom, these are my friends-"
"Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie." Papa stood to offer the two of them a hoof. "I used to be a substitute teacher for all kinds of schools before I settled in Ponyville."
The purple alicorn's face scrunched in recognition as she peered into his grey face and wrinkled muzzle. "Mr. Skill?" She whispered.
"Skill? As in Polyskill?" The voice came from the door. Everypony turned to see a little white unicorn race across the livingroom. "Mr. Skill!" She darted toward the stallion and reached up a hoof. "Do you remember me?"
Polyskill laughed, a great booming sound. His large hoof ruffled the filly's mane. "Of course I do. I had you only a few days ago."
"School's let out for break now, but maybe you can come and teach when we come back."
Before he could reply, another shrill voice piped up. "Sweetie Belle, you didn't shake all that snow off your coat." Rarity set a bundle of little paper bags on the floor and elegantly slipped out of her coat. Underneath that was a dainty sweater decorated with little reindeer and candy canes. Her friends all turned to one another and giggled silently. "Hello, dear," she stepped inside to give Fluttershy a quick pretend kiss, "I brought a few pies and cheesecakes, if anypony wants any." The bags she had carried in lifted themselves up and deposited their belongings across the counter in the kitchen. Away from them floated a tiny sprig that affixed itself to the doorway.
"Mistletoe?" Fluttershy stretched her wings nervously, face blushing. "What's the for?"
"Oh it's festive, darling. Besides, you never know what stallions from town might show up." She winked at Fluttershy.
The pegasus blushed deeply and stepped back. "W-well, I still don't-"
"I vote for keeping it!" Posey chimed in, beaming at the little plant. "You never know, Fluttershy."
"Does she have a crush on somepony?" Sweetie Belle gasped.
"No!"
"She might." A few ponies trickled in, including Rainbow Dash. Behind her was Applejack, her mane done up in green and red ribbons and two little fillies.
"Who might?"
"Fluttershy."
"Fluttershy's got a crush!" Bon Bon snickered the words to Lyra, who giggled into her hooves.
Pinkie Pie positioned herself underneath the mistletoe and puckered her lips excitedly. "Somepony go get Caramel!" She turned and winked to the first arriving stallion, Noteworthy.
Fluttershy groaned and hung her head, forgetting to greet the newcomers as they stepped inside. Polyskill looked up from his daughter to see Cheerilee stomp her way inside the warm little cottage. "Hello, Cheerilee." He boomed. The mare looked up for a second before noticing him and smiled, trotting inside.
"Happy Hearths Warming Eve."
Fluttershy looked up in time to see a happy grape colored earth pony stride in. On her back rested a carton of tall milk bottles. Flutters gave an excited gasp and leapt up to help Berry Punch into the kitchen. Rainbow Dash, from her position beside the three fillies, looked up and grinned wide. "Aw yeah!" She leapt into the air. "The fun has arrived!"
Posey scrunched her muzzle. "Seriously, Rainbow," she chided, "don't you think it's a little early?"
"It's never too early for eggnog!" Applejack raced the pegasus to the kitchen, and in doing so knocked Noteworthy into Colgate. Fluttershy and Berry Punch had just set up the bottles when one of them was whisked off the counter. "Rainbow Dash, you cheated."
"Oh it's always cheating when I use my wings." Cradling the bottle against her belly, Rainbow floated around the ceiling. "Do you want some, Applejack?" She stuck out her tongue.
Fluttershy's ears fell back. "Hey girls, can we not play with the eggnog?"
"Just a second," Applejack snapped. She leapt up, reaching for the pegasus' tail as it swished by her muzzle. "That's not fair!"
"You're darn right, not fair." There was a sudden hissing snap and everypony looked down to Berry Punch, who stood casually pouring another bottle into a tall glass. A moment later, she looked up to the confused face and shrugged, gesturing to the counter. "There's, like, ten bottles here. Seriously?" The kitchen erupted into laughter and Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief. She moved out into her busy livingroom and cleared her throat. "There's eggnog in the kitchen for all the adults," she spared a smile for the fillies gathering by the tree, "and milk and cookies for the foals."
Polyskill paused his conversation with Cheerilee to stand and move toward the kitchen. In the way, he met Time Turner. "Long time no see, Mr. Skill," Turner bowed his head to the elder.
"Hi there." The two shook hooves and peered past the mares to see the bottles steadily disappearing. "Looks like this'll be another winter cider fiasco, eh?"
"The mares get all the fun, don't they?"
Polyskill chuckled and nudged his companion. "We stallions have to stick together."
"Speaking of which," he pointed to the door, where a brown maned pony walked in. "Isn't that Caramel?"
"Don't tell Posey," he whispered and smiled to the newcomer. "Hello, Caramel."
"Hi, sir." He gave a small smile and, much to the protest of those behind them, squeezing in line around them. "Have you seen Noteworthy? Somepony told me he needed me." The two gave knowing glances and grinned at the stallion.
"Yeah, he-"
Polyskill nudged Turner and shrugged at Caramel. "I have no clue, sir." As Caramel shrugged and sheepishly backed out of line, Time Turner raised a brow at Polyskill. "My daughter might be eager to set the two of them up, but I have faith Fluttershy can do this without our pushing. Right?" Time Turner paused for a moment and grinned to himself, shaking his head.
The yellow mare in question flew out of the kitchen above the others' heads and found the group of fillies in the corner. "Who wants some cookies?" Balanced precariously across her fore-hooves was a platter of cookies and several glanced of milk. Berry Punch's little sister led the charge to the platter and helped lower it to the floor. "Take it easy, now." Together, Dinky Hooves and Sweetie Belle used their magic to distribute the milk. One even managed to reach Rumble, who entered the cottage behind his big brother.
"Merry Hearths Warming, Thunderlane." Fluttershy called and turned to see a blushing caramel face. "Oh," she gasped, "h-hello, Caramel. I didn't know you had arrived." Beneath her yellow fur, her cheeks flushed red.
"I was looking for Noteworthy," he said softly, kicking a hoof. "You wouldn't happen to know where he is?"
"I'm sorry, I don't."
"Oh... Well, I'm-" A sudden screeching, grating sound erupted from the stair well. The ponies froze, pinning their ears back and flinching away from the sound. A roar of exclamations swelled after the sound cut out as everypony trickled back out of the kitchen. Fluttershy timidly wove her way through the crowd.
Rainbow Dash sat on the staircase with a cup in one hoof and a tangle of wires in the other. "Sorry everypony," she apologized for Twilight, who sat hunched over a small stereo. "We haven't quite got it working yet."
"We might never; I don't understand why it isn't working." She flapped her wings angrily, lighting up several more wires and shoving them into Rainbow's hoof. "Stupid old thing." She finally gave up and kicked the speaker she was fiddling with. "It's broken."
"I'll get it." Time Turner squeezed past Fluttershy. She moved out of the way and caught a discarded scarf. She slipped down the stair and tumbled back, flapping her wings to keep her off the floor. The crowd giggled as she floated, upside down, off the floor. Grinning sheepishly, she moved out of the way. The circle again closed around the staircase. Almost as soon, a merry little tune sounded out from the speakers. Through it, Twilight gave an exasperated groan and stomped past Turner and RD.
There was a resounding cheer as ponies moved about the living room, stomping their hooves and belting out the words to 'Sleigh Ride.' Time Turner laughed and raised his hooves like a hero, leaping down the stairs. The crowd was suddenly a mass of dancing and singing as ponies held onto one another and hopped about to the holiday's hits.
Fluttershy righted herself by the front door and set herself down. She strode over to the tree and settled down beside the foals, watching everypony party. A soft smile lit up her face and grew when she noticed Polyskill take Granny Smith's hoof and twirl her around the living room. With a soft laugh and a happy sigh, Fluttershy rested her chin in a hoof. Time Turner took Amethyst's hoof and brought her around to collect Derpy and continued until they formed quite the chain of ponies. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, along with Rumble and Dinky, played around with the little glass Santa ornaments. Rainbow Dash and Applejack, each of them already sporting pleasant shades of red across their cheeks, made their way back into the kitchen with Berry Punch and Lyra.
A clock went off somewhere in the house and signaled eleven pm. Fluttershy's ears perked and she stood, stretching and lifting a left over cookie from the tray. Rainbow floated by and paused to bump hooves with the hostess. "Great party, Fluttershy."
"Indeed," Rarity trotted toward her, the ribbons in her mane loosened and trailing across the floor. "I haven't had this much fun in a long time." Even her porcelain face was shaded over with a fuzzy crimson. The unicorn turned to wave at a few stallions standing across the room. "Oh you must do this again next year."
Flutters beamed at the two of them. "Thank you, I'll try my best." She touched hooves with Rarity and watched the two of them move off to enjoy the rest of the party. Pinkie Pie hopped over and threw her hooves around Fluttershy.
"What a great party!" They hugged tightly. "I couldn't have done any better myself. Although, I've never done a holiday party before. Oh, that would be a great idea. But I should leave the holiday parties to you because you're already so good at them."
"Thank you, Pinkie, but if you really wanted to take over, I wouldn't mind." The mare gasped at this and whooped loudly, bounding back into the party with a wide smile. "Time Turner!" Fluttershy trotted to the stallion and his companions. "Thank you for fixing the stereo."
"Oh, it was really no trouble." Turner flashed a smirk in Twilight's direction. "I'm just really handy when it comes to those kinda things." The alicorn he teased gave a small huff and marched into the kitchen. "Thank you for the party."
"Well, I guess I'm kinda handy then, too." She giggled and fluffed her wings.
"I'd say you are." Caramel sprang up from behind her, startling them all with a cocky grin. "This party has been excellent."
The others moved on, leaving her and Caramel beside the kitchen door. "D-do you really think so?" She backed into the wall, smiling sheepishly and looking down at her hooves.
"Yeah, it was the most fun I've ever had." His rosy cheeked smile grew wider. "It's been wonderful. Well... Almost wonderful." He stooped down to peer into Fluttershy's face.
"Almost?" Her brow furrowed as she looked up.
"There's only one thing that could make this night even better." Before she could ask what that thing was, she was suddenly on her hooves. Her back arched, supported by a strong hoof. Her wings slipped down to the floor, going limp as everything else in her tensed. Her mane slipped around her face to dangle down behind her, leaving nothing in her vision save one beaming, handsome face. Hers went red and she reached up blindly, unsure what she was meant to do.
"C-Caramel?" She squeaked. Something caught her eye. Hanging above them, its little cherry glinting in the candle light, was a sprig of mistletoe.
A warm pressure met her lips and the world suddenly went blank. Then she was back on her hooves, her head spinning and her knees weak. Caramel stood beside her, suddenly shy as the room erupted into cheers. Both of their faces beat red, they stood side by side, not daring to look one another in the eye.
Posey, from across the room, beat a hoof into the air. "Yes!" She hissed under her breath.
When the cheers died down, the music swelled. On came another song with a curiously familiar little beat. The ponies gasped and scrambled about and someone paused the player. A few shouts came from the crowd as there was another shuffle. "Fluttershy!" Somepony called.
The pegasus blushed even deeper as her friends, all five of them, ushered her onto the stairs. She looked down at the boom box and them at the crowd, gulping nervously. "I-I don't think I can do this," she whispered to Twilight.
"You got this." Applejack raised her cup to Flutters and RD followed suit.
"Go Fluttershy!" Pinkie shouted. Posey and Polyskill made their way through the crowd to smile encouragingly at Fluttershy.
She let her ears fall back and gave a small sigh. "Alright, I guess. Just one time." She cleared her throat and started the song over again, brushing a stand of pink from her face. She raised her hooves up onto the railing and grinned at her guests. "Merry Hearths Warming, everypony!"
They echoed the words and she began to sing.
The End
Author's Note
Why? Because I love this song!
Merry Christmas, everyone!
