Golden Bells 2: Family and Friends
(Another Hearth's Warming Special)
by Golden Flare
It was a chilly day in Ponyville, snow littered the ground, the winds were blowing cold air, all this is happening because it's not just winter, it's also Hearth's Warming Eve, the day before the actual Hearth's Warming. Colts and fillies were playing in the snow, parents were either watching or shoveling snow, and some ponies just went for a normal stroll. Some of which were namely, Golden Flare, his brother, Lloyd Shamrock, and his best friend, Roland Gen, who had arrived in Ponyville a while back to visit.
"So, Lloyd," Roland began, "what did you do for a living before coming to Ponyville?"
"Well, I was a student at Princess Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns, the princess herself was like a mother to me for a time when I ran away from home."
"Oh yeah! Golden, you were with a couple of bad parents once, weren't you?"
"Um..." Golden hesitated, "well, 'bad' is sort of an understatement."
"Yeah, they were horrible." Lloyd bluntly added.
"Okay...let's change the subject; we're still going to Twilight's for holidays, right?" Roland asked.
"Of course!" Golden said, ecstatically, "We're all the guests of honor!"
"Um, aren't all of Twilight's guests the guests of honor this year? Ever since the Grand Galloping Gala Ticket incident, when she decided not to favor one over the other?"
"...Oh." Golden blushed and chuckled nervously, "I knew that."
"You so did not." Lloyd remarked.
"Say that again, big bro!"
"And we're here!" Roland declared, diffusing the situation.
Golden and company came in front of Twilight's "Friendship Castle", or as Spike puts it. Golden walked up and knocked on the double doors, the group waited until the door opened to reveal Princess Twilight Sparkle herself.
"Golden! Roland! Lloyd!" Twilight cheered, "Glad you all could make it!"
"Are you kidding!?" Golden asked, excited, "Celebrating Hearth's Warming with my friends? How could I pass THAT up?"
"Wow, Golden, I haven't seen you excited for the holidays since our days in FIMFiction." Roland said.
Golden looked to the side, "Well...it's, um—"
"—It's a long story and Golden doesn't want to tell it right now." Twilight intercepted.
Nopony else saw it, but Golden mouthed "thank you". Roland cleared his throat to break the tension before it started building up.
"So, uh, how about we go ahead and get situated in the living area?" he suggests.
"Yes, my family is waiting for us, including my new student, let's go," Twilight said as she and the rest of the group made their way through the castle.
Upon reaching the living room, Golden and his gang took notice of Spike, Princess Cadence, Shining Armor, Night Light, who Golden already knows as Twilight's dad, Twilight Velvet, who is Twilight's mom, and a pink mare neither but Twilight recognizes, but Golden, Roland, and Lloyd remember the stories Twilight told them about her; Starlight Glimmer, her town of equality, "Our Town", the truth about it, her, Twilight, and Spike's escapade through time, and Starlight's reformation.
"Hello, everyone!" Cadence greeted.
"Hey, Princess Cadence." Golden said.
"A pleasure, your majesty." Roland said.
"How's it hangin'?" Lloyd said, casually.
"Golden!" Spike exclaimed, running up to him and giving him a hoof-bump, "How've you been?"
"I've been well, I'm actually planning a small collaboration with A.K. Yearling after the holidays." he replies.
"Really!? That's awesome!"
Twilight introduced the three stallions to the rest of her family, leading up to Starlight, who seemed a bit hesitant.
I wouldn't put it past her, Golden thought, she's probably afraid we won't accept her after everything she did.
"Okay!" Mrs. Velvet said, clapping her hooves together, "Now that introductions are out of the way, what's say we all go make some hot cocoa?"
Everyone cheered in agreement and went for kitchen, but Golden stopped his companions and Starlight with a hoof.
"Hey, um, can we meet up with you guys in sec? We need to talk to Starlight."
"We do?" Lloyd asked.
"Umm...okay, just don't take too long." Twilight agreed, skeptically.
As the rest of the group left, the three turned to face Starlight, who looked deathly nervous.
Better word this carefully. Golden thought.
"We all know what you did Starlight," he began, making her visibly tense up, "I think I'll start us off; after hearing all the stories of what you did up till now, I was a bit skeptical of you, and with good reason, you nearly destroyed everything in a quest of pure madness." Starlight lowered her head and ears in dejection, "But..." she perked back up at his continuation, "...I trust Twilight, and if she trusts you, then I suppose I can trust you as well." he held his hoof out in front of her, showing a gentle smile, "Friends?"
She put her own hoof in his and smiled as well, "Friends."
"My turn then," Roland said as Golden stepped back, "I heard about what you did, and how things nearly ended, but I understand why you did it; you lost a friend and made your town of equality so you could make friends and not be able to lose them, then when it was taken away from you, you decided take something away as well, and it just about ended in catastrophe. But when I heard and understood why, I already forgave you, so it's okay."
Starlight seemed the most touched by Roland's choice of words, his kindness and compassion knowing no bounds, "...Thank you."
"Guess it's time to put my two bits in," Lloyd began, "according to what Princess Twilight told me, you lived in a town where everyone had the same Cutie Mark, after everything you've done, I can give you three good reasons; one, you stole my friends' Cutie Marks, two, tried to change the future, and three...uh..." Don't say you look hot, don't say you look hot, don't say you look hot, don't say you look hot! Lloyd chanted in his head, "...You look hot." everyone was shocked at Lloyd, who went pale, "DARN IT!"
"I think what Lloyd is trying to say," Golden intervened, "is that he forgives you...and he wants to date you."
Lloyd's cheek burning red in embarrassment when Golden said that last piece.
"THAT'S for earlier! Ha-ha-HA!" Golden guffawed at Lloyd.
"Uh, let's go meet up with the others before a fight breaks out?" Roland suggested.
"YES! THANK YOU! LET'S DO THAT!" Lloyd loudly agreed.
Starlight and Roland went ahead while Lloyd levitated Golden to his face, "Remind me to punch you later." Lloyd said.
"Not likely." Golden smugly said.
Lloyd dropped him on the ground and followed Roland and Starlight into the kitchen as Golden got back up and joined them. They all worked together to make everyone a mug of hot cocoa, which they enjoyed while sitting next to the fireplace. Night soon fell and everypony retired to their rooms; Twilight and Spike to theirs' and all the guests to the their guest rooms.
Morning came as everyone woke up and joined each other in the dining room for breakfast.
"Now remember, everypony," Twilight began, "after breakfast, we're all going to exchange gifts."
They all voiced their agreements and finished breakfast. Afterwards, they returned to the living room and exchanged gifts; Twilight got everypony books, Spike got them gems, Shining and Cadence got everyone crystal necklaces, Mr. Light and Mrs. Velvet got everyone 14 karat gold bracelets, Roland got them Bionicles of all kinds, Lloyd got everypony Cosmolink replicas from the Spectrobes Origins game he likes so much, as for Golden...
"For Starlight..." he unfurled his wing to reveal a small box.
She levitated it over to herself and opened, gasping and crying tears of joy as she did, for inside was a very beautiful horn ring; the gem was fashioned from other gems to perfectly recreate Starlight's Cutie Mark and the ring itself was colored the same as her iris's.
"It...it's beautiful." Starlight said, choked up with emotion.
"Nothing but the best for my friends." Golden said, "Speaking of which..." he unfurled his other wing, revealing an uncut diamond, "for Spike..."
"WOW! Thanks, Golden!" Spike said.
"No prob, little dragon."
The rest of Golden's gift were, to Twilight and her family, horn rings like Starlight's; their Cutie Marks for the gems and the rings themselves the same color as their iris's, to Lloyd, a Kingdom Key replica from the Kingdom Hearts series, and to Roland, a gold Bioincle specially ordered from overseas.
"How, Golden?" Cadence asked, "All this must've cost you a fortune."
"Well, uh...my book series was more successful than I thought it would be." he answered.
"And how did you carry it all?" Roland asked.
"Well...Pinkie taught me how to store stuff in my mane," Golden answered again, "it's actually pretty easy once you know what you're doing." he then walked over to Starlight, "You know...the true meaning of Hearth's Warming isn't getting gifts, it's about giving to your friends and enjoying them being with you."
Starlight was bewildered, "But...why are you telling me this?"
"Twilight said you were starting to learn about friendship, consider my words a personal lesson from me."
"...Thank you."
And so, the rest of the day was spent with Twilight, her family, and her student. What Golden said, well, also consider that the lesson for this holiday special.
"Hey, Golden?"
"Yeah, Starlight?"
"...What's your family like?"
"...It's a long story."
"I'm pretty sure I can keep up." Starlight flashed him a reassuring smile.
Golden sighed, "...Alright. I'll start at the beginning."
THE END
Author's Note
HAPPY HEARTH'S WARMING AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! 
Lloyd's dialogue when he was forgiving Starlight was straight from Lloyd Shamrock himself.
