The moon had started its daily climb up the night´s sky. Luna, standing on her balcony, took it all in. She breathed in the cold air and sighed. A little white cloud of vapour emerged from her muzzle, and flew towards the stars. Luna smiled softly at the sight.
Below her, in the castle’s gardens, was the snow an immaculate, silvery white. Nopony had entered the garden to destroy the flowing, cold blanket. The small plants and bushes were now only recognizable by the small hill of snow they made.
Outside the gates, however, the snow was ruffled and shoved aside to make way for the hundreds of ponies going on their daily life. Luna could see the hoofprints they left, some deep, some light, others all drawn out from almost slipping over the iciest parts.
There were no ponies left to uneven the snow any further. They were all inside, warm and cozy, with their family or alone at the kitchen table. Maybe a bowl of soup, a bit of broth. Some warm bread or oats. Pudding, chocolate, wine or eggnog for the early birds. Hearth´s Warming wasn’t so far away, after all. Tomorrow it would be Hearth’s Warming Eve.
The Winter’s Moon Celebration had been a few days ago. She thought back to that in glee. For the first time in, well, forever, ponies flooded the streets at night to celebrate the longest night of the year and the rising of the moon. They had finally celebrated her night, instead of fearing it. She was glad it could be that way.
Below her she heard a rustling. It was Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor. They were here for the holidays; they had agreed to celebrate the holidays with the Royal Family. Twilight had already joined them; she was catching up with Celestia in the throne room.
She smiled. It’s always nice to spend holidays with family and friends. Her mind wandered to Hearth’s Warmings over 1000 years ago, before her banishment. Families would be huddled by the fire on the cold hearth’s warming eve. They would tell stories of old, and eat delicious treats. While the younger ones were playing outside in the snow, making snowponies, snowangels, or having snowball fights, the elders would bring out the eggnog and the champaign and be merry. Yes, it was a fun time.
Luna wondered if Hearth’s Warmings now would be the same. In her nightly flights over Canterlot, she had seen several things that were so much different then what she was used to. She had seen fillies and colts dragging their parents from toyshop to toyshop, telling them what they wanted from ‘Santa Hooves’ this year. She had seen pine trees being decorated with colorful lamps and orbs. She hadn’t seen any foals playing in the snow. They were all inside, busy with their own toys, instead of playing together. She had seen elders be at home, alone, their families away.
Luna couldn’t help but wonder: is there still anything left of the Hearth’s Warming centuries ago? Is there still love and stories, or has it all been replaced by greed and indifference?
She had asked her sister earlier that day, and even though she told her a lot about the new Hearth’s Warming, it didn’t ease her mind. Maybe Cadence could; she’s the Princess of Love herself! She was sure she could settle her worries.
She heard rustling behind her. The door opened, revealing her niece. Luna smiled.
“Good evening, Cadence. How was your journey?”
“It was fine, thanks. A little cold, though,” she said, chuckling, “but, you know, it’s winter! And what’s winter without a little cold and snow?”
Luna smiled softly back. “Indeed. I’m glad to hear it was all right.”
“Anyway, what are you doing here, so alone?” Cadence asked her aunt. “It’s much warmer inside.”
“The cold could not bother me less. It belongs to the night, to be a little cooler than the day.” She blew a little cloud of vapor into the night sky. “I like that from the night.”
Cadence smiled and nodded. “True… but when even the day is freezing…” She smiled half-heartedly.
Luna nodded. “True that.”
They both looked in silence at the night’s sky. The moon was now almost at its highest.
Luna broke the silence with the question she wanted to ask most.
“Cadence… Since you are the princess of love, I trust my question is within your knowledge…”
She trailed off, trying to find a proper way to from her question.
“In the thousand years that I have been absent, I see that Hearth’s Warming has changed… I do not see merriment so much anymore, nor do I see families together…”
She gestured towards the city.
“Is the love gone from this holiday?”
Cadence thought for a moment.
“To put it simply, no. There is still love…” She looked back at her aunt.
“In fact, I think I have a story for you that will ease your mind a bit.”
“Please, tell me.” Luna said.
“I will, but not here… It’s a little cold.”
Luna chuckled.
“Well, then, let us join my sister and Twilight. I’m sure they would enjoy your story as well.”
Cadence smiled back.
“Of course.”
Once the five of them were seated and comfortable downstairs, Cadence started with her story.
~
This story is not old, about a pony I had met a few Hearth’s Warmings ago. He had an important question to ask me, and an equally remarkable story to go with it. And me, being the princess of love, was the only pony who could help him. There was one problem though – I did not know how.
He came to me, on the day before Hearth’s Warming Eve.
“Princess,” he told me, “I need to ask you a question.”
I nodded for him to speak.
“Y-you see,” he stuttered, “I have a marefriend. She is the best marefriend I could wish for, and I love her with all my heart. I wish to give her a gift that she deserves, that shows her how much I love her…”
His expression saddened.
“But me, being jobless, have no money to give what she deserves… So I thought of the only thing I could give her – my love…”
He looked up to face me.
“Princess, I need to ask you this… Can I give her love as a present?”
~
“Love?” Twilight interrupted. “That’s silly. How can you give love as a present?”
Cadence chuckled. “He was wondering that too! That’s why he came to me.”
~
Frankly, I was a little taken aback. Indeed, how could you give love as a present? Wouldn’t that be the same as giving nothing? But I had faith in love, so I turned to him, and said,
“Of course you can! If she truly loves you, she would appreciate every gift you give her.”
And he smiled to me, he bowed, and left.
Hearth’s Warming passed and I was curious how it all went. Turns out, his marefriend was one of the castle’s maids, so I could personally ask her how her Hearth’s Warming was.
“Well,” she answered with a big smile, “It was amazing!”
I asked her to explain.
“Well, Princess,” she answered, “At Hearth’s Warming day, you know, when Santa Hooves had come and put all the presents under the tree. There were presents from everypony to everypony – except from my coltfriend.”
“How come?” I asked her.
“You see, he was jobless, so he couldn’t buy me a present. Even though he had received a few presents from us, he couldn’t give us anything back. All he could give us was his love.” She smiled dreamily.
“He kissed me and held me in his hooves for the rest of the night, and he promised he would love me for the rest of his life… At first I was confused. No present? No physical gift? But as he held me close, I realized it was far better than any gift I had ever received… and I kissed him back.”
She sighed, and her expression turned sour.
“My family, however, was offended. Technically, he had given us nothing of money’s worth, while my family did. So I tried to convince them that it was worth something – for unconditional love was far better than all the most expensive presents in the world.
“And when I told them that, despite my father’s rage, my mother’s eyes lit up and she smiled softly.
‘My darling’, she said, ‘I am so happy you can see what love is really worth. I am proud of you.’
“Of course, my father was enraged, but my mother managed to calm him down, and together, with all of our love, we managed to make it the best Hearth’s Warming until now.”
~
“And that shows that Hearth’s Warming Love isn’t completely lost.” Cadence concluded.
Luna smiled.
“I am glad that a bit of the old Hearth’s Warming is still here.”
Twilight nodded slowly, still thinking about Cadence’s story.
“Yes… Come to think of it, love is indeed the best present there is… Thanks, Cadence.”
Cadence laughed.
“Now, why don’t we make this the best Hearth’s Warming eve?”
They all laughed, and with their newfound knowledge, they made this Hearth’s Warming one of the best Hearth’s Warming they ever had… so far.
Author's Note
Happy Hearth's Warming and have a Great New Year!
