Hearth's Warmth
Holiday Cheer, despite her uplifting name, had led a very, very sad life. Sadly, her mom had died giving birth to her, and her dad....well, she never knew her dad. He was a Canterlot Guard, and had died in the line of duty merely two weeks before her birth, a fact which many believed was the major contributor to her mother's passing.
Now, five years later, she sat on a street in the great City of Solstice, begging for anything. Food, water, scraps of clothing, anything from the human and pony inhabitants and visitors from other nations. Nights in the Kingdom of Solstice were as cold as the heart of it's Princess, Nightmare Moon. Despite her rising popularity, escpecially with Hearth's Warming only a week away, many still feared her for what they thought her to be, including Holiday Cheer.
~~~~~~~~~~
Princess Nightmare Moon walked through Solstice Square, her head held high, and with her and Winter's daughter, Moonless Midnight, following close behind, trying but failing to look like her mom. Nightmare smiled at her daughter's efforts.
"Come on," Nightmare said as she lifted Moonless onto her back with her magic, "We got a celebration to plan!"
"Yay!"
Since her coronation, Nightmare Moon had been placed in charge of the Hearth's Warming celebrations in Solstice, a task she took with gusto, making it into a spectacle that could touch even the coldest of hearts. Since her first time organizing the celebrations, she had become a lot more friendly and humorous, and quite pleasant to be around.
"Mommy, who's that?"
"Who's who, Moonie?"
"Her," Moonie said, "That pony in the alley over there."
Nightmare followed her daughter's hoof. Sure enough, sitting in front of a nearby alley was sitting a rather young pegasus mare. Her white fur was matted with dirt and grim, as was her once beautiful candy red and mint green mane and tail. Her golden yellow eyes looked tired, like those of a pony who'd seen too much or been through a lot.
"I don't know, Moonie. Why don't we go find out?"
That idea thoroughly delighted Moonless. So, with Moonless still on her back, Nightmare Moon approached the young mare in the alley.
Holiday Cheer didn't even hear or see the Princess coming, nor did she hear her when she asked for her name. Truth be told, she'd passed out from sleep deprivation and starvation. So it was a surprise to her when she woke up, not in a dirty, smelly alley, but in a lavishly decorated bedroom common of Solstice's elite. It was decorated in fine blue silks, as well as some black and white, and some furniture, which also had gold and silver inlaid into the wood. The bed she was in was big-about as big as a bush.
Or an alicorn.
"Feeling better, little one?"
Holiday Cheer very nearly leapt out of her fur at that voice, and turned to see the Princess seated on a sofa near the bed. She quickly leapt up on account of Holiday Cheer's reaction, through.
"Oh my, I'm sorry if I frightened you. Are you okay?"
Holiday Cheer was frozen with fear. Not three feet away from her stood the object of her deepest, darkest fears, Nightmare Moon, Bringer of the Eternal Night.
So, she did what any sane pony in her position would do.
"I.....I......"
"Yes?"
"P-please d-d-don't eat m-m-me, P-p-princess."
A look of utter shock crossed over Nightmare Moon's face. Holiday Cheer could see every emotion in that one moment, however, despite her outward reaction, which was shocking enough, there was something else, something overwhelming, and it took less than a second to figure it out.
Her word had hurt Nightmare Moon, and had greatly offended her. She could see the sadness in her cyan eyes. It was there for but a moment, through, as Nightmare Moon regained her posture, but it had been there long enough. Holiday Cheer realized something.
She was wrong.
Nightmare Moon wasn't going to bring the Eternal Night, nor was she going to take fillies in their sleep, or eat little ponies. She was just a normal pony, just misunderstood.
"Now, why would I eat you?"
"I, uh-"
"What does it matter," the Princess suddenly said, cutting her off, "You hate me, don't you? Yo don't care how I feel, just like most of the ponies in Solstice. Sure, some say they care, and some actually do, but most of them don't. they just put on a smile and try to act nice around me, just because I'm the Princess."
"It s-sounds v-v-very depressing, your h-highness, but I-I think I m-m-may have b-b-been wrong about you."
Nightmare Moon, who had laid down on the now abscent bed, looked at Holiday Cheer.
"I always t-thought you were bad, just like the old legends s-said," began Cheer, "But those were j-j-just old stories. You're d-d-different now, r-right?"
Nightmare Moon slowly rose from the bed and calmly walked towards Holiday Cheer. As much as Cheer wanted to run with each step the Princess took, she stood her ground. Now, Nightmare Moon stood right in front of her, but what she did next suprised Cheer.
Nightmare Moon, Princess of Solstice, hugged her.
The hug took Cheer by complete suprise, and she didn't know what to do for a second. After a moment, and dismissing every other option, she returned the hug.
For the first time in years, Holiday Cheer felt happy for the holidays, much to the delight of Princess Nightmare Moon, Moonless Midnight, and Prince John Winter, who was informed of the situation and it's resolution by Moonless, and the best part was....
....it happened on Hearth's Warming Eve, a true Hearth's Warming Miracle.