"What in all creation..."
Snowfly looked up at the tree that he and his little swarm had come across. It was... massive. He'd seen it towering above the other trees in the forest from a couple of miles away, but now that he and his wards were right up against it, he truly had a grasp of how massive it truly was. It was taller than the highest towers of Canterlot Palace, and as thick around the trunk as a large house. That, in and of itself, would make it strange. The fact that, under the tree's canopy, it was as warm as a spring afternoon, even now, during the coldest of winter snows, made it stranger still. The fact that this massive tree had a golden star atop it, and strange decorations all about its boughs? That was the second strangest thing. The strangest of all?
The tree was singing.
He and his charges had not heard the song until they'd stepped under the protection of the tree, and into the warmth that it seemed to generate. Strangely, the song was cheerful, crooned by a melodius voice and accompanied by guitars and drums. It seemed to be singing about a strange entity called Santa Claus, and how he would be delivering gifts to good little children.
Yeah, right. He'd believe that when he saw it.
Still, given the circumstances, he wasn't about pass up an opportunity like this. For weeks, he and his young charges, ten hatchlings so young that they'd not even completed their training, had ended up stranded together after Canterlot, and had been trying to find their way out of this blasted forest for some time. Sadly, winter had set in before they could find their way out, and the first cold night of the year had come with a bitter blizzard. Unable to find any real shelter, things had seemed bleak, until he'd spotted this tree. It had seemed like a good place to seek shelter from the snow... and strangeness aside, that hadn't changed.
Beckoning to his charges, the changeling took stock. Thankfully, all ten were still with him, none the worse for wear. Snow's specialty, as one could tell by his name, was survival in winter conditions, but this situation had taxed him to his limits. During this time of year, the swarm's usual policy was to bundle together and share body heat in a cave. Sadly, that wasn't an option: He'd yet to find a single cave, and he'd looked as hard as he could, even while fighting off hostile creatures. Still, without some sort of winter wear, his charges wouldn't be able to go much further than this tree...
Clearing his throat, he said, "Alright, hatchlings, gather as close to the trunk of the tree as you can, and take a load off. We're not going any further today." The hatchlings didn't need to be told twice: They rushed in, speeding towards the trunk at breakneck speed once they realized how warm it suddenly had become. Following them at a more relaxed pace, Snow chuckled to himself in amusement. It had surprised him to learn that he did, in fact, like children. The fact that it turned out that he also had a gift with managing the little tykes had also been a surprise. He just wished that the circumstances were better. Love was beginning to run low. There might be enough left for a week, no more, and then...
And then, he didn't know what to do. If they didn't find a way out of the forest, and a fresh supply of love, things were going to be bad. Really bad.
With a sigh, he tucked that worry into the back of his mind: It was late, he was tired, and a solution wasn't likely to appear tonight. As he reached the tykes, one of them, the unofficial leader of the hatchlings, came forward, and asked, "Who's Santa Claus?"
Shrugging, Snowfly admitted, "I have no idea, squirt."
The tree's song changed, singing a song that sounded like someone asking a Jolly Old Saint Nicholas for help in granting the wishes of a group of children. It took the changeling a moment to realize that this Saint Nicholas was probably another name for Santa Claus. Snow snorted as he listened to the list: Roller skates, a doll, a storybook... typical. Toys. This Santa Claus could keep all of that, in Snow's opinion. Give me ten warm coats with boots and scarves for the tykes, a large sized set for him, a compass, and a map to the nearest town, and Snow would be happy.
Not like that was going to happen. Still, the hatchlings were listening with wide eyed awe as the tree sang song after song about this jolly old fat fellow who apparently went around giving gifts to good little youngsters. It was hogwash, Snow supposed, but it was... pleasant hogwash, he supposed.
Stretching, he yawned, and started to get ready to lay down to rest. As he did, he heard the tykes talking amongst themselves...
"What would you ask him for?"
"Me? I'd want a stuffed teddy bear. I've always wanted one of those."
"I'd... I'd like a dolly, myself."
"I'd like a hat, myself. I saw a colt with a propeller beanie in Canterlot. I think I'd look good in one of those."
"I'd... like to have a name."
"Really? Why?"
"Well, I might one day be too old for teddy bears or dollies, and I'd outgrow a hat, but a name would be mine to keep forever and ever."
"Oh! Right! I'd like one too!"
"Me too!"
"I thought you wanted a teddy bear?"
"Well, now I want a teddy bear and a name! No one says you can't get only one thing!"
Snow chuckled to himself, allowing them their fun. Better that they be focused on something silly like that, rather than the perils of the current situation. Things weren't hopeless, not yet, but you could see hopeless from here.
He listened to the tykes for a little while longer, until they finally drifted to sleep. With a blizzard like this, thankfully, a watch wouldn't be needed tonight: The blizzard worked as a better defense than a brigade of hardened warriors. As sleep finally began to take him, he made a note to himself that, before they started moving on in the morning, he'd give the youngsters names. In a week's time, they might all end up locked in dry hibernation, but if so, they'd at least have a name of their own to hold onto.
As he finished that thought, the tree's song changed, singing that Santa Claus was coming to town.
Yeah, right.
Snowfly awoke with a start at the sound of something large landing outside the canopy of the tree. Opening his eyes, he looked, but could only see a blur through the snow of the raging blizzard. After a moment, he heard heavy footsteps, loud even over the sound of the howling winds, and a booming voice, laughing in an unmistakably jolly tone.
"Ho ho ho!"
Springing to his feet, Snow took an aggressive stance, only to have his jaw drop in shock. Out from the snows came a most peculiar figure. He was tall. As tall as a minotaur, which made sense, since he walked on two legs, rather than four. Clad in red and white garb, with big black boots and a black belt, all of which had gold buckles. Atop his head, a red hat with a white bit at the and and white trim. Most bizarre was his face, framed by a bushy white beard and long white hair was a face with red cheeks, a red nose, and blue eyes that twinkled merrily. And over his shoulder...
It was the biggest sack that Snow had ever seen in his entire life. It could have held an elephant, and yet the figure carried it as if it weighed nothing.
Before Snowfly could say a word, the figure lifted a hand to its face, and made a shooshing noise, before walking silently to the hatchlings, and setting down his sack. Pulling boxes from the sack, he began tip-toeing gracefully, far more gracefully that an creature his size had any right to be, amongst the youngsters, depositing packages by each one. After depositing several packages by each youngster, the figure lifted up the sack again, and walked towards Snow. After a moment, the apparition gestured for Snow to follow.
All bemused, Snow followed the figure to the edge of the tree's protective canopy. At the edge, he turned, opened his bag, took out a package, and handed it to the changeling. Taking it, he looked up at the bearded one, and asked, "Are you Santa Claus?"
With another 'Ho ho ho', the figure nodded, then said, quietly, "Oh yes. This is a little off of my normal route, but I'm always willing to make an exception in special circumstances."
"You don't normally come this area?" Snow asked, confused.
"To this planet, rather," Santa Claus said, sadly. "It's a pity: This world could use someone like me, to give all the poor children of the world joy every year, but I can only go where people know my name, or some variation of it, and only in places where your world brushes against mine."
"Oh," Snow said, sadly. He had a sneaking suspicion about what was going to be in those boxes, and he was grateful for it. Still, the idea that they'd only received what they needed because of dumb luck, while there were plenty of other children out there who weren't that lucky...
Santa said, "Still, there's a hole where my role should be, and someone could fit in to it." Shaking his massive belly with a laugh, he said, "I'm a little too big for it, myself, but someone smaller should be able to squeeze through."
Confused, Snow asked, "But who?" Who could be asked to fill a role like that?
His cheeks crinkling with a smile, the figure removed his hat, and placed it upon Snowfly's head. "I'm sure you'll think of someone," he said, cheerfully. Then, turning around and striding off into the snow, he let out another 'Ho ho ho', and was gone.
Snow picked the hat up off of his head, and studied it. It felt strangely... heavy. There was magic in this hat. He could feel it. Powerful magic. The kind that would dwarf the combined efforts of every alicorn alive combined. The power to freeze time, the power to go anywhere in the world... The power to create enough gifts to give a dozen to every child on the planet. Powers that made being able to raise the sun or moon seem... small in comparison.
A small smile came to Snow's face as he studied it. Well, first things first, he'd need to get these tykes taken care of. After that? Well, it wasn't like he had anything else planned...
That morning, the hatchlings awoke with exclamations of joy, seeing the gifts that they'd received: Toys, winter coats, scarves, boots, toys... and the most wonderful gifts of all...
Upon each coat was a name. Their new names.
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph, and... Olive. Snowfly wasn't sure about that last one, but young 'Olive' seemed to like it.
And in Snow's pack, there was winter gear for him, a compass, and a map. Or perhaps it would be better to say 'maps'.
One map had directions for the safest route from the tree to the nearest town. It wasn't far, less than a day's travel, and a note promising clear skies without wind or snow the entire way, and not a single monster between them and their destination.
The other?
Well, it held directions to someplace north. Far to the north.
There would be time enough for that. First, came the children. Always.
One year later...
It was Hearth Fire's Eve, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a...
Sweetie Belle woke up to the sound of a loud thud on the rooftop, followed a moment later to the sound of something sliding down the chimney. Carefully exiting her bedroom as quietly as possible, she crept to the den of her parents' home, curious to see what was going on. In the den, she was amazed to see an equine figure, dressed in red and white, carrying a sack over his shoulder. She was almost convinced that it was a burglar, until she saw him reach into his sack, and pull out a gift wrapped present and put it under the Hearth Fire tree. He repeated the process several times, then turned around... and spotted Sweetie Belle.
A cheerful smile upon his face, the changeling held a hoof to his lips, and made a shoosh, then laid his hoof beside his nose...
The mysterious figure suddenly turned into red and green smoke, and sped up the chimney, leaving a joyful 'Ho ho ho!' in his wake.
In a state of awe, Sweetie Belle slowly walked over to the presents, and examined them. Upon the nearest one, she saw a tag that read, simply, 'To: Sweetie Belle, From: Santa Claus'.
