A snowflake falls in the great town of Equiland, falling by the citizens of the town.
It soon falls onto the ground, blending in with the rest of the snow.
But a hoof steps on the snowflake, shattering it into the ground.
The hoof, along with a dragon foot, a snake tail, a lion paw, an eagle claw, a goat head, a bat wing, a bird wing, a deer antler, a swirled unicorn horn and a slick bear body, belonged to a Hearth's Warming hating draconequus named, 'Draconeezer Discrooge'.
Discrooge was a selfish and greedy businessman who ran a workshop on the other side of town.
He used to work alongside another selfish and greedy businessman named, 'Tirekob Centaurly', who died 7 years ago today.
Since then, Discrooge hated Hearth's Warming and any citizen who celebrated it. He even refused to partake in any event.
He opens the door and enters the shop.
Inside the shop was old wooden support, a rusty stove, only one candle and drafty windows.
There was another citizen in the shop. Working there was Discrooge's underpaid employee, Shining Armit.
Shining was a unicorn stallion with a white coat and baby-blue-sea-blue striped mane and tail.
"Good morning, Mr. Discrooge.", Shining says.
"Yes, yes, good morning to you, too, Armit.", Discrooge replies nonchalantly.
He sits down to his seat and starts counting. His counting is then interrupted by squeaking floor boards.
He looks up and sees Shining trying to put some firewood in the stove.
"Armit, what are you doing?!".
Shining screams and drops the firewood and looks up nervously.
"Uh, sorry, Mr. Discrooge", Shining says. "I was just borrowing some firewood."
"But you borrowed some last week.", Discrooge says. "Do you know how much that stuff costs? Now stop delaying and get back to work."
"Y-Yes, Mr. Discrooge.", Shining says as he puts the firewood back.
"Um, Mr. Discrooge.", he says. "Tomorrow is Hearth's Warming and I was wondering if I could take the day off."
"You want a day off?" Discrooge asks.
Shining nods.
Discrooge scratches his chin. "Bah. That's ridiculousness talking."
A knocking on the door is heard.
"Oh, for goodness sake. Who's at the door?", he complains.
Discrooge gets up and walks to the door.
He opens the door and looks left and right to see nopony around.
"Excuse me, sir.", a voice asks.
He looks down and sees two colts, one with a green coat and brown mane and tail and another with a brown coat and green mane and tail, with donation buckets.
"Hello, sir. We are going around town to receive donations for the Equiland orphanage.". the green colt says.
"It's falling apart and we need enough to make repairs.", the orange colt.
"Oh. You want me to give you donations?", the shop's owner asks.
The colts nod.
"Well, here you go."
Discrooge snaps his fingers and gives them a bag.
They open the bag and snakes pop out. The colts scream in fear and gallop away.
Discrooge laughs hysterically at their reaction.
"Enjoy you donations, you little brats!"
He closes the door and sighs in relief.
A knocking is heard again.
Discrooge groans.
"It better not be those colts again.", he said annoyingly.
He opens the door and sees that it's not the colts, but instead his nephew Fred Sentry, his only living relative.
Fred was a pegasus stallion with a yellow coat and a baby-blue-sea blue striped mane and tail.
"Happy Hearth's Warming, Uncle Discrooge.", says Fred.
"Oh, hello, Fred. And what's so happy about it?"
"Hello, Master Fred.", Shining says.
"Hello, Shining.", Fred says. "Uncle Discrooge, I came here to invite you to my Hearth's Warming party tomorrow morning."
"You want me to go to your party?", Discrooge asks.
Fred nods.
"Are you going to have a feast and games and friends and family?"
"That's what you'll see.", he replies.
"Ugh, gag!", Discrooge exclaims. "I'd rather be turned to stone than go to some happy Hearth's Warming party.", he says.
Fred smiles and shrugs.
"OK. But if you change you mind you know where to find me."
He leaves the workshop.
Night has fallen and all of the shops are closed.
Shining stops his writing and Discrooge finishes counting.
The draconequus walks to Shining.
"OK, Armit. You can go.", Discrooge says.
"Really?", Shining asks.
"Yes. Be thankful the Equiland law says all employees are allowed to take Hearth's Warming day off.", Discrooge replies.
"Thank you, Mr. Discrooge.", Shining says.
"But the day after that, I want you to work extra to catch up with whatever you missed.", the owner says as he leaves the workshop and rides his carriage.
Discrooge arrives at his mansion.
The mansion is a building with flying ovens, chocolate sprinkle clouds, snow globe houses and spiraling nights.
Discrooge approaches his front door and gets his key. Before he unlocks his door, the doorknob starts forming into a face. The face resembles a centaur face.
Discrooge looks at the face.
"Tirekob Centaurly?", he asks.
The face screams and Discrooge falls back. Discrooge composes himself and looks at the knob.
The knob is back to normal.
He brings out his key and unlocks his door.
He looks around and goes into his mansion.
Discrooge sits on his chair wearing his pajamas in front of his upside down fireplace.
Discrooge sighs in exhaustion.
"I must be working too hard. I actually thought I saw my old partner on the doorknob."
The window bursts open and a strong wind blows through.
His fire place burns out.
Discrooge hides behinds his chair and peeks out.
A ghastly figure appears in front of him wrapped in chains and carrying metal boxes.
"Greetings, Discrooge.", the ghost says.
"Who are you?", Discrooge asks.
"In life, I was your partner, Tirekob Centaurly.", the ghost explains.
"Tirekob Centaurly? What happened to you?", he asks.
"I came to tell you that I remembered when we loved to swindle unsuspecting townsponies."
"Yes. And you were the best at it.", he laughed.
Centaurly laughs as well.
"Yes, I was." He then remembers. "I mean, no. I was wrong to swindle others. And as punishment, I'm forced to wear these chains and carry every single bit I've swindled."
He shows the chains and boxes.
"The same thing will happen to you if you don't change your ways."
Discrooge scoffs.
"That's ridiculous. And I know ridiculous."
"Very well. If I won't convert you, then maybe they will.", his old partner says.
Discrooge raises an eyebrow.
"'They'? Who's 'they'?", he asks.
"Tonight, you will be visited by three spirits. They will show you the motive to changing your ways.", Centaurly asks.
He starts to vanish.
"You will see your consequences to not sharing", he says as he vanishes.
Discrooge composes himself.
"Who does he think he's fooling? I'm not worried for anything. I better get to bed.", he says to himself.
Discrooge gets into his bed and blows out his candle.
His clock strikes ten o'clock and rings.
He turns over and his eyes snap open.
He sees an earth pony mare with a pink poofy mane and tail and wearing a white fluffy gown.
"Hi.", the ghost says cheerfully.
Discrooge screams and falls off his bed. The ghost flies off his bed.
"Oh, I didn't mean to scare you. I guess I don't know how to make an entrance.", the ghost giggles.
Discrooge looks over the bed.
"Wh-Who are you?", he asks nervously.
"I am the ghost of Hearth's Warming past!", the ghost say in a ghastly voice. She then giggles.
"Did you like that? I was originally thinking of just introducing me normally. But I remembered that I was a ghost. So it makes more sense if I talk like a ghost. But wait. What if I introduced myself in a filly voice of a sleepy voice or maybe a very old voi-."
Her muzzle is zipped up and she looks up. Discrooge approaches the ghost.
"Why are you here exactly?", he asks.
She tries to talk trough the zipper, but her voice is muffled.
Discrooge sighs and snaps his fingers.
The mare's muzzle is unzipped.
"I'm here to take you back to the past.", she finally says.
"Listen, I'm not in the mood to look at any dinosaurs.", he says.
"No, silly. We're going to your past.", she giggles.
"You're awfully happy for a ghost, aren't you?"
"Yesiree!", she replies happily. "Well, no time for more talking. Let's go."
"Wait, you can't fly. You don't have wings.", Discrooge points out.
"No. We're not flying. We're going to blast off.", she corrects him.
She waves her hooves and Discrooge disappears.
Discrooge and the ghost reappears in a cannon. The ghost pulls the rope.
"Oh, poo."
The ghost and Discrooge get blasted out of his house and fly through the window. Discrooge screams as the ghost cheers.
They fly across the sky and into a light.
They enter the light and disappear.
Discrooge and the ghost exit the light and reappear.
They fly over Equiland in the daytime and land in a school playground.
Discrooge looks around.
"Oh, my goodness. It's my old schoolhouse."
In front of them are colts and fillies playing, laughing and chattering.
"Yeah. That's is good to see your old classmates. But that's not why we're here. Follow me."
She walks off.
Discrooge follows the ghost inside the schoolhouse.
Inside was an empty room with a dusty chalkboard, dusty windows and dusty desks.
They look forward and Discrooge's jaw drops at what he sees.
In front of him was a young draconequus colt in a desk writing.
"Does that colt look familiar?", the ghost asks.
"It's...it's me.", he says in disbelief.
"Draconeezer."
A formal earth pony mare with a magenta coat and a baby pink mane and tail approaches the young Discrooge.
"Yes, Headmistress?", the young Discrooge asks.
"Tomorrow is Hearth's Warming and you seem to have no interest in going out and enjoying the holiday.", the headmistress says.
"Headmistress, this holiday is just gonna slow down my studies. I need to focus more on work.", he replies.
"Very well. But just know your friends are having the time of their lives outside and would really enjoy it if you went and joined them."
"Well, that was shallow.", the ghost says. "Let's see more of the past."
They both disappear from the schoolhouse.
They reappear in a factory. They look around and see barrels of apple cider and an apple juicing machine.
"Wait. I know this place. This is Fezzytosh's apple factory.", he exclaims.
A figure flies past them.
They see it's Discrooge when he worked at the factory.
He flies to Tirekob Centaurly when he was still alive.
"Centaurly, guess what? I got promoted!"
"That's excellent, Discrooge!", Centaurly exclaims.
An earth pony stallion with a red coat, brown hoof ends and an orange mane and tail approach his workers.
"Draconeezer, Tirekob, I hope you both are happy, because I'm throwin' a Hearth's Warming party celebrating Draconeezer's promotion."
They all cheer.
"Let's watch some more of this part.", the ghost says.
They factory goes to the party with citizens dancing and drinking cider.
They soon see Discrooge sitting on a hay bale slouching.
The ghost looks and sees something.
"Oohh, who's that over there?", she points.
Discrooge looks and his eyes widen.
He sees an white alicorn mare with a waving rainbow colored mane and tail wearing a beautiful flowery dress with a rose in her flowing mane.
"That's Isabellestia."
She approaches Discrooge.
"Draconeezer, I noticed that you were alone and wanted to ask if you would like to dance with me."
"You want me to dance with you?", he asks.
She nods.
He smiles and takes her hoof.
They enter the dance floor and dance beautifully.
Eventually, they dance underneath a mistletoe.
They both look up and blush.
And without warning, Isabellestia plants a big kiss on his cheek. Discrooge literally melts in her hooves.
Discrooge and the ghost both smile at the scene before them.
"Awww. That's so sweet. But I wish I'd thrown a party like this. But still, it's sweet." the ghost coos.
"Yes, it is, Spirit.", Discrooge agrees.
"There was another Hearth's Warming with her."
Discrooge frowns.
"Please, don't show me."
They vanish from the factory.
They reappear in the workshop and see what's ahead.
Discrooge is on his desk counting his bits.
Isabellestia approaches him.
"Discrooge, our wedding is next week. Aren't you going to get ready?", she asks.
"Well, I've seen the cost of the wedding and I am not spending a single bit. And to keep me from losing any more, I'm foreclosing the mortgage.", he says as he shows the alicorn a foreclosure form.
Isabellestia starts sobbing completely heartbroken.
"So, that's how you wanna be! Well, I hope that you'll be happier without me! This engagement is over!" She gallops and slams the door.
All of Discrooge's bits fall off. He then sighs. "I guess I better start over.", he says and then starts counting again.
The ghost cries at what she sees. "How could you be so heartless?!", she shouts.
Discrooge sags.
"You loved your bits more than that mare."
"And I never saw her again after that.", he said morosely. "Spirit, I don't want to see anymore of this. Just take me home.", he says.
"Okey dokey loki! It's been a swell ride.", she says.
They disappear from the workshop.
Discrooge wakes up and looks around. He sighs and lies back.
"Well, that was a weird dream."
He then hears laughter in another room.
He gets out of bed and walks to the laughter.
He enters the other room and sees what's inside.
In the room were all kinds of baked and steamed goods all over. He was completely speechless.
He looks behind him and finds the source of the laughter.
Sitting on a pile was a blue alicorn with a flowing blue mane and tail wearing a red furry dress with white sleeve and a white collar and a pine needle headband.
"Hello there. It's a pleasure to meet you.", she says.
"Who are you?", Discrooge asks.
"I am the ghost of Hearth's Warming present."
Discrooge looks all over the room.
"What is all this?", he asks.
"This is food that was given for kindness towards others.", the ghost answers.
He raises an eyebrow.
"Come with me and I'll show you." She closes her eyes and her horn glows.
They both disappear from the room.
They reappear in the center of Equiland.
Discrooge looks left and right.
"This is Equiland. Why did you bring me here?", he asks.
"Follow me.", the ghost says.
He follows her to a house.
The draconequus looks and the house and knows who lives here.
"This is Fred's house."
They go to the window and look inside.
Inside was Fred playing a game with his wife, Twilight Sentry, and some guests.
The guests consisted of a pegasus mare with cyan blue coat and a rainbow colored mane and tail, a unicorn stallion with a white coat with a brown mane, tail and furry mustache, a pegasus mare with a yellow coat and a pink mane and tail and an earth pony stallion with a yellow coat and a gold mane and tail.
"OK. Who am I?" He starts acting grumpy and starts walking aggressively.
"Is it somepony you know?", the first pegasus asks.
Fred nods his head.
"Is it a farm animal?", asked the other pegasus.
"He should be. But no.", he says.
"Is it a very aggressive citizen?", the unicorn stallion asks.
Fred nods.
"Oh, I know. It's your Uncle Discrooge!", his wife says.
"Yes. That's it. I'm my Uncle Discrooge."
She hugs her husband.
"Gosh darn it. I was gonna say that.", the earth pony stallion exclaims.
"OK. My turn.", Fred's wife says. "OK. Who am I?"
"They're having fun. Why am I watching this?", Discrooge asks.
"This is the party you were supposed to go to. Your nephew invited you to be with him, but you rejected it.", the ghost points out. "And because of this, they're mocking you behind your back."
"They were really expecting me to go?", he asks.
The ghost nods. "There's another house you should see."
She closes her eyes and they both vanish again.
They reappear in front of an old rickety house. Discrooge looks at it in disgust.
"What are we doing here? This house looks disgusting.", he exclaims.
"Don't you know who's house this is?", the ghost asks.
The draconequus shakes his head.
"This is the home of your underpaid employee, Shining Armit."
Discrooge's eyes widen.
"This is Armit's house?"
The ghost nods.
They walk to the window and look inside.
Inside was Shining's wife Cadance Armit.
"Mommy.", a voice asks.
Approaching her were her three daughters, Apple, Sweetie and Scootaloo Armit.
Apple was an earth pony filly with a yellow coat and a red mane and tail.
Sweetie was a unicorn filly with a white coat and a purple-pink striped mane and tail.
And Scootaloo was a pegasus filly with an orange coat and a fuchsia mane and tail.
"Oh. Hello, daughters.", she says. "What do you need?"
"When's daddy coming home?", Apple asks.
"Yeah. We miss him.", Sweetie says.
"I don't know.", their mother says.
A lock is heard.
The door opens and Shining enters his home.
"Cadance, children, I'm home.", he shouts.
"Daddy!"
The daughters run and hug their father.
"We've been waiting for you.", Scootaloo says.
"You girls always wait for me."
"Daddy, is that you?", a voice is heard.
Coming down the stairs is Shining's son, Spikey Tim Armit.
Spikey Tim was a little dragon with purple scales and green spines.
He constantly walks with a crutch because of his twisted ankle.
"Hi, son.", he says.
He walks to his son and gives him a big hug.
"Why is their son a dragon?", Discrooge asks.
"He was an orphaned dragon egg. So he's adopted.", the ghost explains.
"Oh. I guess that makes sense."
"Oh, Shining, you're just in time for dinner."
Cadance takes out some grass soup for her and the family.
"Oh, grass soup again?", he asks.
"It's not much, but it's all we can afford.", his wife says.
"Grass soup? Don't they have more than that?", Discrooge asks.
"I'm afraid not. You don't give him enough for more food, more heat and to fix his home.", the ghost says.
Spikey Tim coughs.
"And not to mention, Spikey Tim's health."
"Well, what's gonna happen to him?", he asks concerned.
"Let's just say that the seat will soon be empty."
Shining's family and his house disappear.
The ghost coughs and gets weaker.
"Spirit, what's happening?", he asks frantically.
"My time is up. It is time for me to go.", the ghost says.
The ghost starts to age older and older.
"You can't go. What's gonna happen to Spikey Tim?", he asks.
"I can't answer that question. But another can."
"Another? What do you mean?", he asks.
"The ghost of Hearth's Warming future will answer your question concerning the little one.", she says.
"The ghost of Hearth's Warming future? How will he answer?", the draconequus asks.
The ghost laughs hysterically and vanishes.
Soon, everything starts to vanish.
Everything soon becomes misty and barren.
"Hello?", Discrooge shouts.
No answer is heard.
A shadow appears underneath him and emerges from the ground. He gets scared and falls down.
The shadow forms a dark unicorn figure.
The figure's eyes open show green eyes with red irises.
"Are you the ghost of Hearth's Warming future?", he asks.
The ghost just stands there ominously.
"What's happened here?", he asks.
The ghost points to a building.
Discrooge follows the direction and walks to the building.
He looks inside and sees three citizens.
One, an earth pony mare with a purple coat and silver mane and tail, another, a pegasus stallion with a cyan blue coat and a royal blue mane and tail and the last, a unicorn stallion with a white coat and a blue striped mane and tail and a trimmed mustache.
"I can't believe his really dead.", the mare says.
"I'm glad that monster is finally gone.", the pegasus stallion says.
"That guy has given nothing in return to any citizen in town.", the unicorn stallion says.
They all laugh and walk out.
"Oh, my.", the draconequus exclaims. "Who died?", he says to the ghost.
The ghost closes his eyes and his horn glows.
They both disappear.
They both reappear.
"Now, where are we?", he asks.
The ghost points.
The draconequus looks and sees the Equiland cemetery.
"The Equiland cemetery?", he asks.
He enters the cemetery and looks around.
He then looks at the ghost.
"Spirit, why did you bring me here?"
The ghost points again.
He looks and his eyes widen.
He sees a tombstone and in front of it was Shining and his family completely devastated.
Shining puts a crutch and a little hat on the tombstone.
"Why did he have to die so young?", Apple asks.
"He shouldn't have this.", Sweetie says.
"It should've been me, not him.", Scootaloo exclaims.
"Girls, girls, girls.", their mother interjects. "You shouldn't fight. It's not your fault. It's nopony's fault."
They all frown and their ears droop.
Their father approaches them. "You shouldn't blame yourselves for this. We just didn't have enough to treat his health. He just died naturally. And there was nothing we could do about it.", he says.
Discrooge and the ghost approach the tombstone and sees the tombstone reads, 'Spikey Tim Armit'.
"Oh, my gosh.", he says in disbelief. "This isn't what I wanted."
He turns to the ghost.
"Spirit, this is horrible.", he says.
The ghost points again.
Discrooge looks in his direction and sees another tombstone covered in frost.
"Spirit, who's grave is this?", he asks.
Suddenly, a powerful blizzard blows past the cemetery.
The frost blows off showing the tombstone reading, 'Draconeezer Discrooge'.
He gasps in horror. He looks at the ghost.
The ghost releases his shadowy form and is revealed to be a dark unicorn with a gray coat and a black waving mane and tail.
"Why, it's yours. The richest draconequus in the cemetery! Enjoy your stay!"
The ghost laughs evilly and Discrooge screams in horror.
A tentacle rises from the grave and grabs Discrooge.
It starts pulling him in and he clings onto the ledge.
The tentacle pulls him tighter and he loses his grip as screams as he then falls, falls and falls until he hits the ground.
Discrooge opens his eyes and sees that he is on his bedroom floor.
He feels his face and his whole body.
"I'm...I'm alive.", he says. He then realizes something. "Wait, what day is it?"
He rushes to his window and opens it.
He looks around and soon looks down to his gate.
He sees a young earth pony colt with a white and brown spotted coat and a brown mane and tail carrying a sled.
"You there, little colt!", he shouts.
"Who, me?", the colt asks.
"What day is it today?", Discrooge asks.
"It's Hearth's Warming.", the colt says.
"Hearth's Warming. I haven't missed it. The spirits have given me another chance.", he shouts. "Little colt, I have a job for you."
"What is it?", he asks the draconequus.
"Go to the local bakery and find the biggest gingerbread house you can find. Come back and I'll give you 40 bits.", he says.
The colt then runs.
He then runs out of his mansion.
Discrooge enters the town skipping happily.
He greets every citizen he comes across and wishes them a happy Heath's Warming.
They get confused by the greeting and follow him.
Discrooge then comes across the two colts he pranked yesterday.
"Hello, young colts.", he greets.
The colts see him and scream in fear.
They both flinch.
"Don't scare us again, please!", the green colt says.
"We're only collecting for the orphanage!", says the orange colt.
"I'm not going to prank you again.", he reassures them.
The colts compose themselves.
"You're not?", they both ask.
"No. I know see your purpose. And I would like to donate this much.", he says as he gives them a bag.
The colts hesitantly open the bag and sees bits instead of snakes.
They both gasp in shock.
"100 thousand bits?!", they exclaim.
"Oh, that's not enough?", he asks. "Well, how about 200 thousand. Or 300 thousand, or 700 thousand?", he goes on.
"No. No. This is enough to pay for 8 orphanages."
They both close the bag and face the draconequus.
"Thank you, sir.", they both say.
"You are most welcome.", Driscrooge tips his hat to them and leaves.
They both look at each other and follow him.
He approaches his nephew's house and opens the door.
Fred, his wife and his guests see who it is.
"Uncle Discrooge. What are you doing here?", he asks.
"Well, I just came to see my favorite nephew.", his uncle answers.
Fred smiles.
"Well, then come along. We were just about to play a game."
Discrooge sits and starts playing.
After the game they all laugh.
"That was fun, dear nephew.", he says as he stands up. "Well, I better go."
"Uncle, where are you going?", he asks.
"There's one more place I have to go to.", he says as he opens the door and leaves.
The guests and Fred look at each other and follow him.
Discrooge walks and walks and walks until he finds where he was going.
He reaches Shining Armit's house.
He prepares himself and knocks on his door.
Cadance opens the door and sees who it is.
"Mr. Discrooge.", she says.
"Hello. Is your husband here?", he asks.
"Just a second.", Cadance replies. "Honey, could you please come down here?", she shouts.
Shining comes to the door and looks out.
His eyes widen.
"Mr. Discrooge. What are you doing here?", he asks.
"Armit, you didn't come to work today."
"Well, you gave me the day off.", he says.
"I did, did I?", he asks.
Shining nods.
"Well, I'm disappointed that you wouldn't check in, my new partner.", he smiles.
Cadance steps in.
"Look, sir, you can't just make a decision to give my husband a day off and go back on your-", she says before noticing what he said. "Wait. What did you say?", she asks.
"Shining Armit, I'm promoting you. You are now my official partner.", he says cheerfully.
He enters the house and the couple smile.
Screaming is heard from upstairs.
Shining and Cadance's daughters gallop down and hug their father.
"Daddy?", Spikey Tim says upstairs.
He comes down the stairs.
"Daddy, are you really promoted?", he asks.
"Yes, son. I am.", his father replies.
"And with that I have prepared us...", he says as he snaps his fingers.
Just then, a feast appears in their table.
"A feast fit for a king."
They gather around and sit at the table.
"Celestia bless us, everypony.", Spikey Tim asks.
"You said it, son.", his father says.
The citizens of Equiland then gather around and line up to the house and become amazed at Discrooge's change.
And to this day, Discrooge adored Hearth's Warming and has been the kindest and most generous draconequus in all of Equiland.
Author's Note
I hope all of you enjoyed my first fanfiction.
More coming soon.