Christmas Comes to Canterlot
Luna sat on her balcony, watching the dancing snowflakes fall from the dark clouds above. Though the pegasi had scheduled a nominal snowstorm tonight, the princess of the moon still kept it bright through the cloud cover. A thin barrier of magic separating her from the elements. She leaned against her balcony railing as she continued to stand guard over the cold night.
“Luna,” she remembered Celestia saying this morning. “I need to go away on business for a little bit. I’m trusting the castle to you.”
“What?” Luna replied with a shock. “But I just got back! I’m pretty sure most of the ponies don’t really trust me either.” And who could blame them? Just a few months back she had returned from a thousand year imprisonment as Nightmare Moon, one of the greatest evils Equestria had ever seen. She had little hope for anypony to trust her anytime soon. “And besides, Tia,” she used her sister’s pet name with a puppy dog look in her eyes. “It’s Hearth’s Warming Season.”
Celestia sighed and returned the look with one of her own. “I know, Luna. Believe me when I say that I’d love nothing better than to stay here and celebrate with you.” She nuzzled her sister under her neck. “However, a dispute has surfaced in Saddle Arabia and the Romane Empire. If I don’t act soon it could lead to war. I will return as soon as I can.”
Luna sighed as she remembered her sister leaving that morning with a wave and loving goodbye. An entire castle of servants and staff all left to her, and yet Luna felt just as alone as the other thousand Hearth’s Warmings she had on the moon.
Luna continued to watch the falling snow on her balcony as its hypnotizing rhythm began to make her eyelids drift. She tried to keep her eyes open by patting her cheeks. I really am out of practice, she thought. Slowly but surely the snow began to overtake her consciousness and Luna let her eyes shut and her head fall softly on her crossed hooves over the railing. Luna drifted asleep.
Suddenly a sound pierced through the cold night air. Luna brushed her eyes open as she turned to the sky where she had assumed she heard the sound. She scanned the thick cloud cover for a few minutes before she was certain she heard the sound again. Bells. Pinpointing their location, she looked up at the clouds. Behind a wall of white and gray, a shadow passed through the sky.
It was an odd shape. It looked like eight or nine pegasi flying through the clouds in a rather odd formation, only from what Luna could see of their silhouettes these ponies had no wings. Behind them was some large vehicle? It looked like a chariot of some kind. Luna cocked an eyebrow in suspicion as she thought she saw another silhouette within the airborne chariot. It was big and round and held a set of reins in its appendages. Was it chasing those ponies?
Luna decided to investigate. Without alerting the staff of the castle, Luna silently took off from her balcony and flew to catch the mysterious silhouettes. She dove into the large bank of clouds and headed for the sound of bells. As it grew louder, Luna flew faster. Finally, she caught sight of the silhouettes before her. Coming at it from the back, she shouted. “Halt!”
The silhouetted creature in the chariot turned and then snapped the reins, increasing its speed. The ponies before it turned with the chariot as well. Were they pulling it? She had to know if these ponies were in any danger. Setting her face for an assault, Luna made a quick sideline maneuver and cut off the chariot and ponies coming to a stop right where they would fly through. “I said halt!” she commanded, thrusting her hoof out in front of her and creating a barrier of magic. The silhouettes grew closer and closer and then Luna’s stern glare dropped. What stampeded out of the cloud cover was not eight ponies as she had thought, but eight very large, very fast reindeer.
Luna instinctively ducked as the reindeer somehow ran through the air and caught their hooves on Luna’s barrier of magic. Each pair running up the barrier and up into the sky above. Luna let herself peek a little as the last of the reindeer flew into the sky and back into the clouds. What followed threw Luna for a loop as a giant sleigh came barreling toward her. It hit her barrier hard and shattered it instantly tossing Luna away. When she regained her composure in the air Luna turned to give chase to the mysterious flying sleigh. But something caught her eye. From the cloud cover where the sleigh had disappeared, a filly began to fall through the sky. Luna’s eyes widened as she heard the filly scream in distress. Without a moment’s hesitation, Luna sped downward to catch the filly before she could hit the ground. It was a close call with Luna barely being able to catch the filly in her hooves before she landed on a rooftop. While Luna was able to catch the filly, she had no chance of catching herself. Luna tucked in and her body hit the roof with a thud and bounced away. The two of them collided into a snowbank on the street by a park.
Luna untucked herself and groaned in pain as she examined her side. The filly in her grasp was trembling in fear with her eyes shut tight. To her surprise Luna found she wasn’t a pony, but like the rest of those creatures up there, a reindeer. The filly had thick brown fur and tiny stumps for antlers. When she opened her eyes with trepidation, Luna noticed they were a brilliant blue. Luna sighed with relief as the filly seemed fine. “It’s okay,” she said with a smile. “You’re safe.”
The filly jumped up and punched Luna in the mouth. The princess of the night did not see this coming so she had no time to defend against it. Luna grabbed her mouth in pain as the filly scrambled from her grasp and ran to hide behind a seesaw. Luna looked at her, enraged. “You dare to harm me, child!?” she yelled. “You dare to place your hooves on the Princess of the Ni-” But Luna couldn’t finish as a mass of snowballs pelted her face and drove her backwards, falling on her flank in the snow. She wiped the wet slush off her face and spit out any that had gotten in her mouth.
The filly peeked her head out with a snowball in hoof. She looked scared but willing to fight whatever creature had caught her and dragged her here. “Don’t move a muscle,” she called. “I know how to use these!”
Luna smirked at the threat but then remembered what she had just done with those snowballs and thought better of intimidating the filly. “Very well,” Luna muttered. “But is that how you thank your savior?”
“Savior?” the filly replied. “As I recall you knocked us into a vertical ascent. If it weren’t for you I never would have fallen! They’ll probably dock points now!”
Luna couldn’t quite understand the filly’s words. “I’m sorry. Points?” she asked.
The filly let her snowball fall as she rubbed her head with her hooves in a frustrated manner. “Now the big guy is going to make me wait another year before I can try out again!” She slumped against the seesaw and stuck her head between her legs. “Mom and Dad said I was ready,” she mourned. Luna began to walk forward. Though she didn’t know what the filly spoke of, she knew sorrow when she saw it. She lifted a hoof to comfort the filly but when it saw her it jumped away. They stood on opposite ends of the seesaw. “This is all your fault!”
The filly jumped up and grabbed her end of the play device, bringing it down and bringing the other end below Luna up, cracking against her jaw. “Ow! Why you little brat!” Luna pushed her end down and lifted the filly, who still had her hooves on it, suspended in the air. “I don’t know what your deal is or what in Tartarus was going on up there, but I know you probably would have died if I hadn’t caught you!”
The filly glared at Luna as the two stood silent in the snow. After a moment the filly shrugged and sighed. “They said I was ready to fly,” she muttered. “But when I was on my own… nothing. Mom and Dad were probably just carrying my weight.” The filly let go and landed on her back in the snow staring up at the sky with a frown.
Luna gave the filly a concerned look. “Um, are you alright?”
“Don’t worry about me,” the filly responded with a dejected sigh. “I’m just gonna wait here till they pick me up.”
“Until who picks you up?” Luna asked.
“My parents,” she sighed. “They’ll be circling around any minute.” The wind began to pick up as she said this.
Soon enough the snow began to pelt her side and Luna had to cover her eyes. “Are you sure they’ll know you’re here? The storms growing awfully strong.”
The filly sat up from her position and tried to squint into the clouds. Sure enough, the snow had begun to almost blot out the night sky. “Don’t worry,” she said with little confidence. “I’m sure they’ll find me.” Luna stared at the filly for a long moment before sighing and rolling her eyes. Her horn lit up and in a flash of light the two were once again on her balcony. The reindeer filly looked around in confusion. “Hey, what gives!?”
“There is no way your parents could find you in weather like this,” Luna uttered as she walked to her bedroom door. “It’s best that we both get out of the weather for now. We can look for your parents tomorrow.” She held the door open for the filly who stared incredulously at her. After a moment and a few shivers she finally gave in.
“Okay, but I’m pretty tough just so you know,” she flaunted. “I got a pretty thick coat.”
“Yes,” Luna replied adding with a mutter, “you’ve got a pretty thick head too.”
When they were both inside Luna lit her horn once more and started a fire in the hearth. The filly gazed at it and her with amazement. “Hey, how’d you do that?”
“Do what?” Luna asked as she placed her crown on her bedstand.
“That… glowing dealy. With your horn.”
Luna looked at her confused and then gave her own horn a quick glance. “You mean magic?”
“You have magic!?” the reindeer asked in disbelief.
Luna frowned. “Of course I do. I am an alicorn after all.”
“What’s an alicorn?”
“What’s an…” Luna was left baffled on how to respond. This filly didn’t seem to know anything about magic or even the basic pony races. “What have your schools been teaching you?” Did reindeers even have schools?
“Oh, you know, basics,” the filly said. “Flight 101. Sleigh Maintenance. Music. And of course the History of Christmas.”
Luna stared blankly at her. “What’s Christmas?”
The filly looked at her with her mouth agape. “Are you serious?” Luna nodded. The filly stood up, her attitude making a complete one eighty. “Christmas is that time of year when everyone; good, bad, big, small, enemy, ally; all forget their differences and take the time to appreciate each other.”
“Oh, you mean Hearth’s Warming?” Luna replied.
The filly raised an eyebrow. “Never heard it called that before.”
Luna shrugged. “Regardless, you are right about it being a time of coming together. So really, that is the only reason I am letting you stay here.” As Luna finished her statement she crawled onto her bed.
“Yeah, I guess it never hurts to be kind to one another,” the filly replied. “But Christmas is about a little more than that.”
Luna frowned. “Like?”
The filly smiled again. “Well, there’s a lot more to it. But I guess the thing my mom always talks about is going the extra mile.”
“The extra mile?”
“If there’s someone you love, you don’t just show them kindness. You try to make it special for them.” The filly jumped onto a couch and began to curl up with a yawn. “Yeah, my mom always does something new and special for my dad every year. Just to show she still loves him.” The filly closed her eyes as the warmth of the fire began to put her to sleep.
Luna watched the filly as she too began to drift off. “Hey.”
“Yeah?” she muttered.
“What did you say your name was?”
“Cory. Coriander.”
“That’s… a wonderful name.” Luna’s eye lids fell and as the two drifted off.
*#*#*#*#*
Luna awoke with a shiver as she felt a cold breeze slip over her body. She opened one eye to find the door to the balcony slightly open with snow beginning to slip in and wet the floor. With a yawn and a frown she moved from her bed to the door and muttered something about stupid locks. Then she turned back to the fire which had died since last night. Her magic protected her from harm but she still felt pretty cold. She hugged her shoulders as she surveyed the room. The filly wasn’t on the couch that she had seen her last.
Luna didn’t have to wonder long about where the filly went since she heard a small voice traveling down the hallway outside. Her own door was ajar as well. Luna sighed as she grabbed her scarf and headed down the hall. As she got closer, she began to make out just what Cory was singing. The tune was light and peppy.
“Deck the halls with bows of holly! Fa la la la la la la la la! Tis the season to be jolly!”
Luna turned a corner and saw a ladder. She followed the ladder up with her eyes and gasped in shock as she saw the reindeer filly standing precariously on one hoof on top of the ladder attempting to hang a laurel of vines across the ceiling. Luna flapped her wings and flew up. “What in Faust’s name do you think you’re doing!?” Cory hadn’t seen Luna appear below her and so was surprised to see her in midair. She stopped her singing as she fell forward and landed in Luna’s arms. “You could have hurt yourself!”
Cory wriggled in her grasp until she let her go on the ground. “Geez, I was just trying to add a little cheer to this drab place.”
Luna gave a skeptical look at the half hung laurel across the ceiling. “And just how does hanging a plant indoors do that?”
“Well, you didn’t have any holly so I pulled some of the vines out from your balcony.” Cory looked completely innocent as she said this, earning a groan from Luna. So that’s how that door got open.
“Look, why do you need holly in the first place? Isn’t that poison?” Luna asked.
“It’s in the song!” Cory replied with a smile.
Luna recalled the song she had been singing. “I suppose that’s one of your… ‘Christmas’ songs?”
Cory nodded. “Dad and I would sing it all the time when we decorated. I thought you said you had your own holiday coming up? What’s with the lack of décor around here?” She paused for a moment and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Um, holly isn’t really poisonous, right?”
Luna gave her a half lidded expression and sighed. “If ingested orally, then yes.” Cory’s pupils shrank. Luna quickly tried to change the subject. “The reason there are no decorations for Hearth’s Warming is because there’s no point.” She grabbed the filly’s shoulder and began to usher her back to her room. “My sister will be gone for the next week and she was the one that really enjoyed this holiday.”
Cory frowned. “You’re saying you don’t like the holidays?”
Luna bit her lip. “It’s not that. I just… have had some bad Hearth’s Warmings before.”
Cory brought out her smile again and skipped ahead of her to walk backward and talk face to face. “But you said before you’d never celebrated Christmas! I’ll bet you have ten times the fun you ever did with Heath’s Warming.”
“Hearth’s Warming.”
“Whatever.” Cory jumped as she backed into another slouching pony who was turning the corner. The pony yelled with a start as Cory’s bump caused him to drop a sack of something he’d been carrying. “Sorry, mister!”
The pony dusted himself off and gave the filly a glare that could make a snowman feel warm in comparison. He retracted the look when he noticed Luna with her. “Princess Luna,” the pony said with a bow. “Such an honor to see you about the castle.”
“Hello, Periwrinkle,” Luna greeted. “How is the head of staff doing today?”
Periwrinkle stood at a little under three feet tall with pale blue coat and white speckled mane. He was an old pony, much older than a lot of the other staff in the castle and some even speculated (although jokingly) that he was just as old as Celestia. He wore a fancy gray suit with handkerchief and had a small pair of round glasses resting at the edge of his nose. He grumbled as he again picked up the sack he’d been carrying. “Surprisingly enough, not so well. Which reminds me. I’d like to speak to you in private if I may, Princess.”
Luna nodded in recognition and waited for him to speak. Periwrinkle didn’t move but nodded his head to the reindeer filly and coughed. Luna looked at Cory with an apologetic look and Cory rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’m going,” she mumbled as she began to walk back to Luna’s room.
Luna raised an eyebrow at Periwrinkle’s lack of surprise to see Cory. “Does my sister normally have reindeer guests?” she asked jokingly.
Periwrinkle frowned. “The princess has many relations with various tribes and countries. Canterlot is more diverse than it was back in your day,” he coughed once more after realizing his words. “I’m sorry if I offended, princess.”
Luna tried to smile but she did feel a little hurt that her home had changed so much without her over the years. “That’s alright, Periwrinkle. Now what did you want to talk about?”
Periwrinkle cleared his throat once more and heaved the sack he’d been carrying over his shoulder onto the ground in front of Luna. He took a small breath. “I don’t know if you’re aware of this, princess, but princess Celestia holds a Hearth’s Warming Eve children’s pageant here at the castle every year.”
“I was aware that she had started some kind of tradition,” Luna responded. She smiled inwardly. It sounded nice.
“Yes, well,” Periwrinkle continued. “Every year Princess Celestia gives me the… ‘honor’ of directing, preparing and cleaning up the event.” He began to frown as he rubbed the bag with one hoof and his back with the other. “However, my old bones have been acting up lately. I would bring this up with Princess Celestia but she is away.”
Luna frowned with worry. “What are you getting at, Periwrinkle?”
“I’m afraid I might be getting too old to prepare the event, princess,” Periwrinkle sighed. “And I’m afraid that the rest of the staff are not available to help since Celestia gives them leave to visit their loved ones this time of year.”
“What about you?” Luna asked with concern.
Periwrinkle smiled. “I have no one left that is precious to me more than this castle. Do not worry about how I spend the holidays. The children’s…” he obviously tried to struggle to get out the next word, “‘joy’ is enough for me.” Luna gave him a skeptical look. “But that doesn’t matter. What does is that I’d like for you to shut down the pageant for this year.”
Luna widened her eyes in shock. “Periwrinkle, I know that you’re having trouble but surely we can find somepony to help. I’m sure this is a special event to many and I would hate-”
“You’re very kind, princess,” Periwrinkle interrupted. “But the only ponies who care about the pageant nowadays are the children. Trust me when I say that most of the ponies will be glad to not have to attend.”
Luna frowned deeply as she considered it. “But the children?”
“I know,” Periwrinkle sighed overdramatically. “But this is not a task that I as one pony can perform in my current state. I’m deeply embarrassed and sorry, princess.”
Luna shook her head vehemently. “No! I’m sorry that you’ve had to go without help for so long. I suppose I can… cancel the pageant.”
Periwrinkle’s eyes lit up and he laughed as he grabbed Luna’s hooves and shook them. “Oh thank you, Princess Luna. I know this is a hard decision but it must be a royal one if anypony is to accept it.”
Luna tried to smile at him. “Yes, I- I’ll find a way to break it to the citizens.”
Periwrinkle gave her a crooked smile. “You do that.” And walked away, leaving his bag behind.
“Periwrinkle! What’s this?” she asked him before he left.
“The props and costumes for the pageant,” he replied without turning around. “I would put them away but…” he moaned as he overdramatically gripped his back. Luna sighed and rolled her eyes as the pony turned a corner and was gone, his playacted moans still being heard. Luna turned back to the bag and sighed. “What to do with you?”
“Maybe try putting it on yourself?” Luna spun around to find Cory staring at her. Luna pouted.
“I thought you were going back to my chambers?” she asked.
“Nah,” Cory responded with shrug. “I was checking out your digs. Nice place for a stable.”
“This is a castle,” Luna sighed in frustration. “Not a stable.”
“Still pretty cool,” Cory smiled. She then nodded over to where Periwrinkle had left. “So you’re really going to do what that guy says?”
Luna frowned. “Well, he is getting old. And he probably does deserve a break if he does this every year.”
“He’s just making you do the dirty work,” Cory said angrily. “He doesn’t want to tell people bad news so he’s getting someone else to do it for him. You should throw that pageant yourself.”
Luna smirked. “Please, how would I know the first thing about putting on a pageant? Besides our first and foremost goal is to find your parents.”
Cory’s smile wavered slightly. Luna took notice and tried to cheer her up. “If there’s any news about reindeer in Canterlot then it’s probably on the streets. Most of the guard are out on vacation so…” Luna’s eyes wandered until she caught sight of the bag and she grinned. “How would you like to go out in disguise?”
Cory’s smile returned as she excitedly reached into the bag and pulled out a brown robe and hat. She put them on and began to jump around excitedly. Luna smiled at the oversized hat on her head that kept falling over her eyes and obscuring her horns. Luna reached into the bag as well and pulled out a large ragged gray cloth that looked like it used to be a robe. “Well, it looks warm at least. Plus it’s my size.” She wrapped the cloth around her body, tucking her wings beneath, and used a glamour to obscure her flowing mane and size. To all who saw her she would look like a normal unicorn, although in slightly less than formal dress.
Cory jumped around happily as the two walked out of the castle into the still snowing streets. Cory jumped off the stairs and into a big pile of snow, popping up to give Luna a smile with a face full of snowbeard. Luna laughed. "Well, looks like you do know how to have fun, princess,” Cory said. She shook the snow off as she ran to rejoin Luna. “So what’s this place called again?”
“Canterlot,” Luna replied, raising an eyebrow. “You were flying over and you didn’t even know where you were?”
“I’m not in charge of navigation,” she said flatly. “The big red cheese is in charge of that.”
Luna smirked at the name. “The big red cheese?”
“That’s what the big guy let’s me call him. My mom and dad don’t particularly like it but he always gets a chuckle out of it.” Cory smiled again which gave Luna a smile as well.
“So who is this 'big guy'?” she asked hesitantly. “I heard you talk about him before.”
Cory raised an eyebrow then sighed. “Oh, right. You guys don’t know anything about Christmas.” She stopped walking for a moment to think. “The big guy is… well, he’s round… and red… and jolly…and like the nicest guy in… ever.”
Luna stopped walking as well. “What makes him so nice?”
Cory smiled again. “Because he’s Father Christmas! Gives toys to everybody in the world.” She spread her hooves out to illustrate her point. “And its thanks to us reindeer that he’s able to do it all in one night!”
Luna nodded with a smirk, remembering last night. So he was the one driving the sleigh, she thought. Nearly ran me over. Cory saw her smirk and ran up to her as she continued to walk. “What?” she asked. Luna didn’t respond but simply smiled. “WHAT?”
*#*#*#*#*#*
The two had been walking in the snow for close to an hour. Not many ponies were on the street to talk to and even less knew anything about flying reindeer. Cory was beginning to lose her energetic smile and Luna was beginning to feel the cold. She turned her head back to the castle. She could see the spires protruding above the rooftops. Perhaps we should just call it and head back, she thought. After all, I do need to make that announcement soon before everypony shows up. She sighed as she turned her body. “Come on, Cory. Let’s head back for now.” But Cory didn’t come with her. Luna turned again to check where the filly had gone and she saw her dart down an alleyway. “Cory?” Luna sighed as she ran after her.
The filly continued to run through the back alleys, unaware of Luna right behind her. She would just use her wings but then the glamour would be dismissed. “Cory!” she shouted. They continued to run through the alleys, Luna looking up with some trepidation as she saw the newer wood and brick of the buildings beginning to lose their shine as they went deeper. Gradually the back alleys became littered with refuse and she saw several buildings boarded up as well as some stray boxes and cans overturned with someponies living within. Is this still Canterlot, she asked herself. Finally she burst into an open area, Cory standing just in front of her with her back turned. At first Luna frowned at the child and was prepared to berate her, but then she looked beyond at where Cory was staring. The filly stood in front of a short, very old looking wall. And just beyond that lay Equestria.
“Oh, wow,” she whispered in wonder. “We’re at the edge of Canterlot.” She had never actually been to this point of the city before. The place closest to the edge of the suspended city on a mountain. Luna looked on in wonder at the snowy enormity of the landscape. Not only had she never been to this place but she had never seen such a beautiful view. Somehow, here in this lower portion of the city, resting right above nothing, the view was more spectacular and breath taking than her room in the castle.
“Mom!” Cory shouted out to the whiteness. Luna’s attention returned as she looked down at the filly, finally noticing some small tears on her face. “Dad!” she cried out to the snowstorm. “I’m right here! I’m here!” Luna felt her heart fall. She looked back between Cory and the snowy landscape, an image of a small scared blue filly crying out to be noticed in a vast open landscape with nopony to answer running through her mind. “Mom! Dad! I’m-” Cory was cut off as she felt a warm embrace from behind her. Luna pulled her tight against her chest in a motherly embrace. Cory stopped yelling, finally breaking down in tears and burying her face against Luna’s chest.
“Sh,” Luna ushered her as she began to stroke the young filly’s mane. “It’s going to be fine.” She pulled her back a little to give Cory a smile. “Why don’t you show me how to sing one of those Christmas carols you like?” Cory sniffled but nodded. She turned around and laid back in Luna’s arms as she rested her head against her, both looking out at the snow.
“Good… King Wenceslas looked out…” Cory began waveringly. “On the feast of Stephen. When the snow lay round about. Deep and crisp and even. Brightly shown the moon that night. Though the frost was cruel. When a poor man came in sight. Gath’ring winter fuel.” Luna smiled down at her. Cory looked up and indicated the next part of the song to her. “Now you sing.”
Luna nodded. “Hither page, and stand by me. If thou know’st, it telling. Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?”
Cory broke in with the next verse. “Sire, he lives a good league hence. Underneath the mountain. Right against the forest fence. By Saint Agnes’ fountain.”
Luna broke in again, not noticing a couple of dirty but curious ponies peaking out from their windows or street corners at them. “Bring me flesh and bring me wine. Bring me pine logs hither. Thou and I will see him dine. When we bear him thither.”
Cory and Luna began to sing the next verse in tandem. The crowd beginning to grow behind them. “Page and Monarch forth they went. Forth they went together. Through the rude wind’s wild lament. And the bitter weather.”
Cory sang out with a small growing smile. “Sire the night is darker now. And the winds blow stronger. Fails my heart, I know not how, I can go no longer.”
Luna belted out her next verse. “Mark my footsteps, my good page. Tread thou in them boldly. Thou shalt find the winter’s rage. Freeze thy blood less coldly.”
The two finished out the song together, the crowd behind them having grown exponentially. “In his master’s steps he trod. Where the snow lay dinted. Heat was in the very sod. Which the Saint had printed. Therefore, Christian men, be sure. Wealth or rank possessing. Ye who now will bless the poor. Shall yourselves find blessing.”
As they finished the last note the two were surprised to hear a chorus of stomps and applause from behind them. Luna and Cory turned around to see many ponies, their clothes dirty or tattered and their hooves stained with dirt. Along the front of the rows were small fillies in equal disrepair. A mare with a dirty blonde mane and mud on her cutie mark walked up. “That was beautiful,” she said warmly. “I think I speak for everypony here when we say that we’ve never heard a song like that before.” The crowd nodded and murmured in appreciation.
Luna smiled weakly at them before turning to Cory with a frown. “What exactly is that song about anyway?”
Cory smirked. “It’s about leading by example. Going the extra mile to help somebody you don’t know inspires others. It’s the kind of thing Christmas is all about.”
Luna’s eyes widened. She looked back at the crowd of ponies gathered before her. A warm smile crossed her face. She put Cory down and patted her head. “Wait here for a moment.” Luna took off the gray cloth and released her wings as well as her mane, earning a shocked gasp from the crowd.
“Where are you going?” Cory asked with a raised eyebrow.
Luna flapped her wings and took off into the sky, she gave one last look back at Cory with a smile the little filly had not seen before. “To spread a little Christmas cheer!”
*#*#*#*#*#*
The ponies of Canterlot absolutely loved the Hearth’s Warming Pageant. In fact, many came from all over simply to watch. A tall unicorn with a suit and monocle was the first to the castle to watch, his beautiful wife in tow. However they stopped in surprise at the sight that awaited them. The door was closed. “Fancy, is something wrong?” asked his wife.
“I’m not sure, my dear,” Fancy answered. He went up to the door and knocked. “Hello!” Suddenly he was surprised as a blue arrow of light shined from the door. He looked at it with caution, turning his gaze to where it pointed at the ground. There he found another glowing blue arrow. He continued to follow the path of arrows as they one by one began to shine brightly and led back down the steps of the castle. "Oh my,” he whispered in amazement.
“Should we follow it?” asked his wife.
“I’d assume so,” he replied happily. “It looks like they’ve pulled out all the stops this year.” The two began to walk down the path, more and more ponies greeting them and following as well. Even the ponies that came by train discovered the mass of ponies walking down the street and decided to follow them in interest. The path was long and took them through alleys and under bridges. However everything around them was free of dirt or grime so the ponies continued to walk. Finally they came to a large open area. Fancy Pants lifted his hoof in surprise as he saw that all the snow around the open area had been melted. He saw a curtained stage just beyond and behind it was a landscape view of Equestria. The wealthy unicorn marveled at the sight. “Wonderful!”
The rest of the crowd began to saunter in until there was no more seating room left and ponies began to stand in the back. Nopony wanted to miss the show. A few looked up at the sky and gasped in awe as they saw the snow clouds move around the area above them, making the area snowfall free. In the gaping hole in the sky was the moon which shown more than enough light on the stage. When it was apparent that all the ponies that were coming had arrived, the ponies gasped as a familiar, but still slightly feared, pony appeared from behind the curtain. Luna stood before them all with a smile. “Fillies and Gentlecolts,” she spoke firmly but warmly. “I welcome you to the Hearth’s Warming Pageant. You may be confused as to the change of location. And while the castle may be a beautiful place to live. There is no place I’d rather have such a momentous and happy tradition take place, than in the most beautiful spot in Canterlot.” She backed away as the curtain began to part.
The crowd gasped again, in awe at the amazing sight of Equestria. The crowd took a moment to watch in silence, not noticing the other less well dressed ponies joining the crowd. Luna took the stage once more. “Now if I could have all the children approach the stage.” The children of the rich ponies ran up, accompanied by the poor and dirtied ones as well. Luna looked around at all of them before frowning. She looked back stage and saw a specific filly lifting a prop of a cloud. Cory smiled broadly and waved to her, Luna returning the warm smile. She returned her attention to the fillies on stage. “What do you say we wow them all tonight, hmm?” The fillies and colts cheered with joy as they rushed backstage and began to grab costumes out of the bag Luna had brought. Luna smiled as she looked back to the frozen landscape of Equestria and then the moon above.
*#*#*#*#*#*
“That was amazing!” Cory spouted as the two headed back after the pageant. They had stuck around to clean up. In fact most of the ponies, poor and rich alike had stayed behind to help in the cleanup. Many had even started conversations with ponies they had never met before, and probably never would have. As Luna left the edge of town, she promised the ponies there that she would be back tomorrow with a big Hearth’s Warming meal for everypony. Luna looked back down at Cory and no longer felt the cold loneliness in her heart. The two continued to walk until they reached a familiar park. It was the one they had landed in yesterday. “Hey can we go on the swings?” Cory asked.
Luna chuckled. “But it’s covered in snow.”
“You can just melt it,” Cory shrugged. “Come on!” Luna smiled as she watched the child spin around in the snow and run to the swings. Just as Cory jumped on the swingset, a familiar sound filled the air. Luna and Cory both looked up in surprise as they peered through the cloudy night. Jingle bells filled the air. Cory leapt off excitedly and waved her hooves in the air. “Hey!” she shouted. “I’m over here! Hey!”
Luna looked on as the clouds parted and a familiar red sleigh pulled by eight reindeer flew down from the sky. Cory jumped and ran excitedly to it as it came to a stop on the road right next to the park. Two of the reindeer disengaged their reins and ran to meet her. “Cory!” one of them shouted happily, throwing her hooves around her.
“Mom!” Cory responded with tears. “Dad!” The two older reindeer knelt down to hug their missing daughter. Luna tentatively walked over and rubbed a hoof hesitantly, unsure of how to proceed. When the reindeer were done they looked up to see her.
“You were the one that caught her, correct?” the mother asked.
Luna nodded. “Yes. But I must apologize in the first place for disrupting Cory’s first flight.”
“It’s alright,” the father said. “As long as we have our Cory, our Christmas is a full one. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. I’m Comet.”
“And I’m Cupid,” the mother said and embraced Luna in a surprise hug. Luna shrank back a little at the surprise but then gladly accepted it. When she was done they heard the sound of jingle bells once more. The four turned back to the sleigh to see a red figure dismount it and walk forward. He stood on two legs and wore a bright red suit with red hat. Around his face was a mane of the purest snow white, and his cheeks were as red as his outfit. He stopped in front of them.
“Well,” he chuckled as he leaned down to tussle Cory’s mane, his voice a sweet symphony to the ears. “Looks like we finally found our little troublemaker.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Cory shoved off his hand with a smirk. “You won’t lose me that easily, big guy.”
“Big guy?” Luna asked with wide eyes. The big guy looked back at her and winked, Luna feeling a slight blush.
The big guy stood back up and patted his belly. He gave a warm smile to the reindeer before they began to walk back to the sleigh. The big guy giving Luna a slightly curious look as she didn’t follow them to say goodbye. “What’s the matter?”
Luna bit her lip as she fought with the truth. “This is a dream, isn’t it?” The big guy's smile never wavered but his eyes grew a little less twinkly. Luna tried to fight back tears as she looked back at the sleigh and saw that beyond it the buildings of the city began to disappear one by one. The reindeer took no notice. However the big guy looked on with a melancholy smile. “I’m still asleep on that balcony. Don’t lie to me, I know when I’m being tricked. And I know when I’m dreaming. I’m-”
“The princess of the night,” the big guy said. He pulled out a list from his breast pocket and put on a pair of bifocals to read it. “Co-ruler of the magical land of Equestria. Tried to over throw your sister and spent the last thousand years alone… on the moon.” Luna lowered her head and continued to try to fight back tears.
“Why?” she whispered. “Why am I this delusional? I’m so desperate for love that I’d invent a filly to care for me and a made up holiday to make me feel better.”
The big guy sighed and folded back his list, the scenery continuing to fade around him. Luna was surprised when he reached down to place his hand under her chin and lift her head. He looked at her with some of the kindest eyes she’d ever seen. How could this be a dream? The big guy chuckled. “You can believe that if you want to. Believe that your loneliness made your mind come up with a fanciful experience that would make you feel better. Who knows, it might be true.” Luna’s lip began to quiver as she averted her gaze. “Or,” she stopped and looked back into his eyes, “you can take this for what it could be. Someone out there. Someone you’ve never met. In some place you don’t know. Is thinking about you, and wishing you a merry Christmas.”
Luna’s eyes widened and she felt her mouth fall agape slightly as she tried to rebut, but nothing came. The big guy smiled once more at her and began to walk back to the sleigh, the scenery around almost completely gone beside it. Suddenly Cory rushed past the big guy and up to Luna. Luna looked down at her with a tear-filled smile. “Cory, you should go back with your family.”
Cory shook her head. “There’s just one last song I want to teach you. Use it whenever you feel lonely and remember.” Cory began to sing as the whole world disappeared. The sleigh, the reindeer, the big guy as well. Soon all that was left was her and Cory. As the little reindeer finished she looked up to Luna with a broad smile. “You better remember it.”
Luna smiled sadly and knelt down to kiss the filly on the forehead. “I will. Thank you.”
Luna’s eyes fluttered open as she felt the chilly breeze brush along her body. She lifted her head from the balcony and held a hoof to her cheek. It was still wet. Luna bit her lip as she looked out at the morning sunrise in the distance, the snow clouds of last night completely gone. She felt another warm tear fall down her cheek. Luna pressed a hoof against her chest and began to sing. “Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and days of auld lang syne.”
“For days of auld lang syne, my dear, for days of auld lang syne,” Luna turned slowly to see a familiar white alicorn walking onto the balcony, singing the chorus to the song she just learned from her dreams. Luna smiled at Celestia as they finished it off together. “We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for days of auld lang syne.”
Luna broke down and hugged her sister tightly, getting a slight gasp of surprise from Celestia. She returned the hug in kind and the two stayed there for a few minutes. When they were done, Luna broke off and looked up at her sister. “I thought you had peace talks?”
“I did,” Celestia shrugged. “Until the Saddle Arabian leader and the prince of the Romane Empire simply made up. Tis the season I suppose.” She raised an eyebrow at her sister. “How did you know that song? I only heard it in a dream while I was away.”
Luna smiled. “A friend taught it to me.”
Celestia beamed. “Well, we’ve got the whole of Hearth’s Warming together. What do you want to do first?”
Luna pondered for a moment but then smiled.
“Stupid children’s play,” the old unicorn mumbled. Periwrinkle was sick and tired of putting on this whole thing by himself. He did all the work and then those little brats just trash the stage and everypony leaves him to pick up the pieces. He grumbled to himself as he reached out to pick up a plank of wood. Another hoof reached out and gave it to him. “Thank you,” he muttered before fully realizing who had handed it to him. He jumped back. Celestia and Luna stood in front of him. “Princesses! Uh, Princess Celestia, I was not expecting you back.”
“That doesn’t matter now, Periwrinkle,” she replied. “We’re here to help.”
Periwrinkle furrowed his brow in confusion. “Pardon?”
Luna reached out with her magic and grabbed a nail. “Just don’t think about it too much, Periwrinkle.” She smiled as she nailed a board in place and turned back to him. “Oh, and merry Christmas.”
Periwrinkle felt his cheeks tighten as the smallest of smiles spread across his face. Then he looked back at her in confusion. “Wait, what’s Christmas?”
Author's Note
Merry Christmas all you pony writers and readers out there. This is a time for everyone, regardless of faith. I wish you all the best Christmas possible. Happy Hearth's Warming and Happy New Year as well.
