I’m late! I’m so late!
Time Turner galloped through the streets of Ponyville, rushing to reach Sugarcube Corner for the Hearth’s Warming party. He had recently finished a few of his projects at home, projects that unfortunately had made him late to the event. He promised himself beforehoof that he would arrive on time, as he wanted to make a good first impression.
He was failing miserably.
Just calm down now. Your project on figuring out how to successfully determine the magic flow of timberwolves came out with moderate success. That’s at least something to look forward to when this party’s done.
Time Turner furrowed his brow, pressing ever forward through town.
Who am I kidding. I already failed in that theory alone. I’ve spent far too much time contemplating the means to muster the courage in finding a timberwolf. They have razor sharp teeth and can tear your hooves clean off! How dreadful a thought.
His thoughts soon ended as he cantered up the stoop to Sugarcube Corner. The front door was heavily decorated with small glass ornaments along with two wreaths on either side of the door, all in preparation for tomorrow’s Hearth’s Warming. The sounds of cheerful dance and friendly conversation rang from within as a variety of smells wafted through the air, most of them enticing.
Alright then, dramatic entrance.
He took a deep breath, clearing his mind of his days works in hopes of relaxing at the party.
Dramatic entrance…
Lifting his head with a confident smile, he opened the door and entered inside.
The party was already well under way. Ponies of all different kinds danced a jig in the cleared dining area. Friends laughed together, and foals of many ages chased each other to their hearts content. Time Turner carefully weaved his way through the crowd toward the center of the room, fascinated by the celebratory nature of everypony around him. He could only wonder if he would escape this night unscathed from the more rowdy party goers.
“Well, if it isn’t Time Turner!” a loud voice broke through the crowd. “How have you been!” He was surprised to see a tall yellow stallion trotting up to greet him. He recognized him as the owner of Sugarcube Corner, Carrot Cake. Both Carrot and his marefriend Dazzle had been working the new store for the past year now and were quickly making a name for themselves in this small town.
Alright. Just remain calm. Meet them in the eye. Don’t show any brash or unnecessary emotions.
Time Turner gave a genuine smile to his friend, to which the latter returned one of his own and patted his shoulder. “Glad to see you here. I can’t wait to tell you all about—”
“Carrot! We got new cupcakes! Fresh from the oven!” a feminine voice from the back called out.
Carrot glanced back at the opening to the kitchen. “Oh! Dazzle’s calling! We’ll talk later Time Turner! Gotta save those treats!” he said as he dashed through a pair of swinging doors, leaving Time Turner to his thoughts.
Well that turned out well. I guess I could say… hmm… oh, what is it that the younger colts say these days? Ah yes: I nailed it!
He smiled to himself as he turned to a table of refreshments sitting nearby. As he picked through the assortment of treats and snacks, such as the golden crusted apple pie, the large sugar cookies with various frosting's, and the delectable eggnog served in a large bowl, all of which made his mouth water, he continued to listen to the banter between those around him. Many were content to chat the night away, while most of the foals had an abundance of energy to burn. He watched with a smile as several fillies and colts chased each other, enjoying the wonderful desserts and treats available to them whenever they found the time to pause.
Time Turner breathed a pleasant sigh, then paused. A new and most wonderful scent suddenly began to fill the air. He lifted his head and sniffed a couple times, pivoting to face the kitchen — and just in time. Both Carrot and Dazzle walked out of the back room with several trays of cupcakes on their backs. Dazzle wore an apron that read “Kiss the Cook.” She smiled as she placed the trays on the table, watching as a throng of ponies began picking at the new treats. She wiped her light crimson mane, which almost resembled the top of a cupcake, and laughed as the fresh batch of cupcakes were devoured with joy. Carrot Cake sidled up beside the mare and nuzzled her head with his own as the two cantered into the back and fetched more trays.
Those two are a very lovely couple. The odds of them getting married is ten to one. Very high chance for you, my friend. May those odds ever stay in your favor.
He lifted a glass of cider to them and took a small sip. The drink tasted sweet with only a hint of carbonation. It was a delightful sensation, so he took another generous sip.
As he enjoyed his cider, Time Turner took to surveying the room again. It wasn’t long before he took noticed of a pony on the other side of the room. This pony, a grey pegasus mare with a blonde mane, was watching him silently. She stood somewhat alone, hiding by a pair of ponies who were having a discussion, one she was not a part of. Within a moment, his calculating mind halted, and he now began to wonder who this mare was. She looked oddly familiar, yet he couldn’t quite place it. She held a gift-wrapped box in her hoof, clutching it tightly to her chest as she stared at him. The more he looked at her, the more he felt a strange sensation about her. But before he could contemplate the matter any further, a loud noise startled him from aside.
“Whooweee! This is the best Hearth’s Warming Eve ever! Ain’t that right big brother?’
“Eeyup!”
Time Turner turned to see a pair of young ponies. One was a red colt and the other an orange filly, siblings by the sound of it. The colt looked to be in his early or mid teens, while the younger filly looked to be around ten to eleven years of age. The two were merrily gorging themselves on the treats and refreshments. Time Turner stared in awe as they ate with such gusto. He ever so slightly stepped to the side as the two continued to dig into the buffet.
“Now now youngins, don’t over do yerselves! Don’t want to see ya sick on Hearth's Warming Day,” a tired voice spoke from nearby. Time Turner glanced back at a green elderly mare, wearing a simple bonnet over her head. Her greying hair was braided down the side of her head and he could clearly see some wrinkles on the old mare's face. Yet he also noticed that she still had the look of a young mare within her. Despite her age, she still looked well and healthy.
“Sorry granny,” the little filly said, her face scrunched slightly. The elder brother said nothing but kept his ears low.
“Now don’t get yerselves down. Just wait til tomorrow and Santa Hooves will be coming to town.”
The two foals brightened almost instantly. “Ya mean that Granny? Santa Whooves is coming?” the filly asked, her eyes hopeful.
Time Turner smiled at the two from aside. How touching. So the traditions of telling of Santa Whooves is still being passed down. Even though he’s made up, it’s nice to see that the foals are kept in the spirit of Hearth’s Warming.
Time Turner took another sip of his drink as he watched the older mare grin at the foals. “You betcha, sweetie! I know he’s a comin. It’s a promise that he’ll be here, or my name ain't Granny Apple Smith.”
Time Turner nearly spat his drink. He leaned forward and beat his chest a couple times as he tried to recover. Soon as he composed himself, he turned to the old mare, who didn’t take notice of his outburst.
She’s the famed Granny Smith?! The founder of Ponyville? But that was over hundred years ago! How could she…
He paused mid-thought as the rude accusation soon dawned on him and what he was about to utter.
Time Turner, you should know better then to ask a mare about her age! It is quite rude, after all. Besides, it might be the cider doing the thinking.
He looked at the cider in his hooves and set the cup on the table, averting his gaze and avoiding it like a plague of parasprites.
As the family continued to enjoy themselves, he returned to silently observing the party. Ponies exchanged gifts while others danced in the center of the room. Everypony chatted amongst themselves, which soon caused him to realize an important part of being at this party.
I better socialize with somepony.
Time Turner looked around the room, searching for a possible somepony to speak with. He didn’t have much luck as most ponies were either busy mingling with friends and family, or enjoying the wide assortment of treats still available.
It would be rude to intrude on one’s conversation, his rational side surmised as he continued to ponder on who he could socialize with. His attention eventually turned to Granny Smith as she tended to her grandchildren. He watched as she chatted with them about Santa Hooves and talked about her early days, much to his interest.
Time Turner breathed a heavy sigh. He knew he might be rude for doing this, but if he had a start a conversation with her, it would be about how she founded Ponyville.
Worth a shot at least. The chances for a nice conversation is two hundred to one. Hopefully I can get lucky in having an interesting talk and—
“Um, excuse me, Time Turner?” the tender voice of a mare spoke from behind. He turned to find the same blonde-mane mare from earlier. She had the gift still in her hooves and she was fidgeting slightly. But what really made him feel on edge was her eyes. They were constantly moving about, sometimes in two different directions. He wasn’t quite sure how to respond to her strange ailment, if it was an ailment at all or if it was just her natural self. But before he could even decide on what to say, she thrusted the gift in front of him.
“H-Happy Hearth’s Warming, Time Turner,” she stammered rather quickly. He stared at her for a moment, then down at the gift in front of him. It was a small rectangular gift, wrapped in simple green and red wrapping with a small golden bow at the top. He cautiously grabbed the gift in hoof and tested the weight of it.
I see. I got a gift that is approximately several pounds and is clearly wrapped in care. I don’t sense any ill will or bad intentions about this gift. But I guess I should open it.
Time Turner paused.
Ah, you idiot! You're expected to open it! You shouldn’t have to guess! You just open the gift and see what it is for the surprise.
Time Turner finished his rationalizing thoughts and began to open the gift. As he carefully unwrapped the box, the mare in front of him fidgeted in place. She was clearly nervous, but as to why, he could not fathom. As he removed the wrapping and tossed the bow to the side, he placed a hoof on the box cover, ready to remove it. He glanced up at the mare before him, who continued to give a small smile. Looking back down at the gift he removed the top of the box and stared with wide eyes at the gift before him.
Oh wow. This is… this is…
Inside the box was a large multi-colored scarf. He grabbed the scarf and felt the textures of the wool. Rubbing the fabric to his cheek, he felt a wonderful sensation from the cross stitch of the yarn, soft and velvety to the touch. He then wrapped it around his neck, enjoying the warmth of the fabric. Feeling enraptured by the gift, he gave a quick spin, watching as the scarf followed his movements. He eventually came to a stop with a bright smile, bringing the edge of the scarf to rub against his cheek once again, all the while the mare before him kept smiling.
This scarf is certainly a delight. Rather long, but the extra length provides extra warmth. This is truly a lovely gift.
He inspected the scarf, examining the different colors of the fabric. The design of the scarf, which ranged from red, white, green, blue, and brown in a striped patterned that repeated itself, complemented his brown coat. He gave it a whirl once more, humming with glee.
“I’m glad you like it,” the mare said as he stopped to look at her, his own smile unwavering. “I made it myself. I heard you moved here only a few months ago, and you might not know about the tradition of gift exchange that we have here. So I just thought it might be nice to make you something warm. Happy Hearth’s Warming.” She closed her eyes and gave another large smile.
Time Turner could only stare in return as a number of emotions ran through him. Glee, jubilation, and a warm feeling in the pit of your stomach took place within him, and oddly enough, guilt. For some reason he felt a guilty feeling inside of him. The more he pondered on this strange emotion, the more he wondered where it came from.
This gift is wonderful, that is certain. She even made it with her own hooves. I got to return her gesture in kind. Or find some way to repay her. I got to do…
“Big Mac! That is too funny! You can’t put that many marshmallows in your mouth,” a high spirited filly from behind yelled out. Time Turner looked back to see the two siblings from before. The little filly was laughing as her brother shoved several large marshmallows in his mouth before clenching his jaw and giving a loud yet muffled, “Eeyup.” This caused the filly to jump in laughter at the sight and bump straight into Time Turner. This startled him greatly and he gave a yelp before jumping straight toward the pegasus mare. He smacked his head straight into hers, but something else made contact, too.
When he opened his eyes, he stared in shock. He was kissing her. Her eyes widened and her pupils shrunk to the size of pinpricks. They held the position for a brief moment before the two separated, their lips making a soft smooching sound after. As the two stared at each other in surprise the small colts and fillies around them blinked in awe.
“Heh heh. Twitterpated,” he heard Granny Smith say behind him with a soft chuckle.
“Granny, what’s twitterpated?” the young filly asked from nearby. Granny Smith laughed again, albeit hesitantly. “Well ah, it's… Ah’ll tell you when you're older.” The filly didn’t press any further on the subject.
As Time Turner continued to stare at the mare before him, he saw her eyes begin to tear up. Soon, she was crying, tears streaming down her cheeks. She promptly turned and ran, heading straight for the stairs. Time Turner merely remained standing where he was, unsure of what had just taken place.
I just kissed her. I just kissed her! That was my first kiss!
His mind tried to comprehend what happened until he felt something brush up against his side. He looked down.
The filly from before stumbled away a few paces. “Sorry mister! Ah didn't mean to back into you like that,” she apologized, giving small puppy-like eyes at him.
“Young colt,” Granny Smith started, walking up to Time Turner with a look of purpose. “You best skedaddle after her. No telling what’s going through her mind.”
Time Turner, now out of his stupor, nodded quickly, then galloped after her. As he moved toward the stairs, he stumbled over something. Looking down, he saw that his scarf was dragging across the floor.
It appears the extra length also has another hazard that I have to… oh, what am I talking about! I got to get to that mare and apologize for my actions!
Grabbing the end of the scarf with his teeth he tossed the fabric over his withers before continuing after the mare. He bolted up the stairs and searched for her through the house. He didn’t have to go far before he saw a figure standing on an open balcony. He quickly made his way to her side, but as he walked up, he could hear her soft cries. Stepping forward a little, he saw the tears still streaming down the side of her cheeks. He sat on his haunches, sitting a few hooves away from her.
Give her space. Just take this slow, and apologize.
He took a steady breath and, after a moment, finally spoke to her.
“Miss. I would like to apologize for what just happened. I never intended to hurt your feelings or make you uncomfortable. What happened back there was an accident. In fact, it was all caused by the foals playing, though it was funny to look at. According to my calculations, that colt is going to be a big help to both his sister and his family.” He turned to the mare, giving off a honest smile. When it was clear she didn’t plan to respond, his smile faded.
After a moment passed between them, he continued. “Oh my, there I go again, speaking and about algorithms and fractions and all that. It’s a bit of a habit actually, whatever I see in life I make new assumptions and possibilities that would happen to any pony and that… heh. Well, you get my point. I’m trying to make idle conversation, and even now, I end up talking more about myself. I guess that’s why I don’t socialize as much… too many variables.”
The mare remained silent, her head hung low and ears folded back. His ears flattened as well after a moment, and he looked away.
“Oh, this is useless,” he muttered under his breath. “I can’t form a proper apology without boring somepony to death. I guess I should just be quiet and—”
“Thank you,” she finally spoke. Time Turner looked at her in surprise. “I’d like to thank you. I never had anypony given me a kiss before.”
He brought a hoof to her cheek, rubbing away the fresh tears. “But it was an accident, my dear. I didn’t mean to cause—”
He was cut off by a wave of her hoof. “No. There are no accidents. In fact, that was actually my Hearth’s Warming wish,” she said as she gave a soft smile.
“I beg your pardon?” he asked, looking very confused.
“You see,” she began, pushing some of her mane out of her face, “I always wanted somepony to like me. I’m more of a klutz these days, to be honest. I work hard to get everyone their mail, gifts, and send out post stamps. It’s all very busy, and I get almost no appreciation.”
So she is the town mailmare? That would explain where I may have seen her before.
“I know, it sounds crazy and all,” she continued, “but I just recently got this job. I’m really good at sorting and handling mail, despite my eyes being the way they are. I really take time in making sure everything is right. I get complaints sometimes from ponies who receive their packages late, especially around this time of year. But I try to be thorough, really I do! It’s… just hard to make everyone happy, you know?”
“But your job is the most important one in the community!” Time Turner said, trying his best to reassure her. “Surely ponies can’t overlook that!”
“I know. But, it's still hard. It’s just someponies seem to overlook that part about it.” She fell silent once more, hanging her head.
Time Turner notice her body begin to shake, most likely from the cold, but perhaps due to the situation. Taking another breath, he spoke again. “I’m sure that ponies are not all the same way. Besides, I know without a doubt that you are unique and special in your own way. It just takes time and patience, and soon enough, everypony will be appreciating your works and deeds in this community. I’m sure of it!”
The mare remained silent, the only sound being the soft wind around them. Time Turner took an uneasy step back, fearing that he might have upset her.
Now I’ve gone and done it. I guess I should have just kept my mouth shut.
“Thank you,” she tearfully said once again.
Or… maybe not.
He looked over at her once again and saw her sniffling, although with a bright smile this time. She rubbed a hoof over her eyes and murmured, “I really needed somepony to say that.”
Time Turner turned his gaze with a slight blush, rubbing the back of his mane with a hoof. Like her, he too was a bit embarrassed when accepting praise. The two remained where they were for a moment until a gasp escaped the mare. He turned to her and saw that she was looking up. Following her gaze he saw the last thing that he expected to see: a mistletoe, hanging just above their heads on the roof of the door. He looked back to her, his blush burning deeper than before. She returned the look with a nervous smile.
“Heh, mistletoe,” she said with an unsteady tone.
Oh boy.
Time Turner stood still as the pegasus continued to smile at him. A slight wind blew her blonde mane in the cold winter night. The long scarf around his neck kept him warm from the cold winter breeze, yet he felt small shivers crawl up his body as she stepped closer to him.
I can’t believe this is happening.
His mind raced as the mare took another nervous step toward him. Her eyes, which looked in different directions, began to water as she looked up at the stallion with a hopeful smile.
Calm down now. This is just a kiss. The chances of me falling in love are approximately three thousand and seven hundred twenty to one. This is just a simple kiss, though you did kiss her earlier. No wait, that was just an accident!
He squinted up at the perpetrator of the impending kiss, a single hemiparasitic plant that hung above them over the deck. He would have liked to believe the hosts did this just as a prank, but according to his understanding of this particular holiday, it was not.
The mare took notice of his uncertainty and giggled. Time Turner returned his gaze toward her, her smile ever present. She stepped closer, both their eyes locked to one another.
This is just a kiss. There is nothing special about it. It’s just… am I sweating? No, it’s just the lights from all around us. Yes, yes just the light... nothing to worry about! Am I worrying?
Time Turner continued to stand in place as the mare before him closed her eyes. His own eyes widened as she leaned forward, her puckered lips approaching his. A bit of sweat trickled down the side of his head as she was twelve inches away from him.
I’m sweating. Oh this is probably the scarf, maybe it’s still warm outside. No that’s not right, it’s winter! Everything is cold in winter!
Twelve inches became six. He could see her warm breath in the cold air as his heart raced in his chest, threatening to burst out of him.
This is only a kiss. The chances of us dating to her are approximately seven hundred twenty five to one. Even if that possibility were to occur, the two of us married afterward would be slim to none. But… wait… why are the numbers getting closer?
Six inches became three. He slowly closed his eyes to meet the inevitable ceremonial kiss under the mistletoe.
The chances of us having a unicorn filly are approximately… wait! Why am I even thinking about that?! She is a pegasus! I’m an earth pony! It can’t possibly be...
Finally, her lips met his, soft and warm despite the frigid world surrounding them. This kiss felt far more meaningful than the previous one, and to his continued surprise, he felt something else burst inside him. His mind instantly calmed and he felt a strange sensation run through his body. It was not one of being shocked by tubes and wires, or getting burned by sophisticated machines of his own invention. No. This feeling was joyful, compassionate, and above all, he felt happy. He was happy.
The two remained where they were, locked between each other by a single kiss. A moment in time that felt would last forever.
The chances of this moment lasting in my mind? One in one. Absolutely guaranteed.
His thoughts dissolved to blissful calm as the two parted from their kiss. The young mare before him only smiled brighter, and he returned the gesture in kind. She then leaned into his brown coat and wrapped a wing around his side. He wrapped part of the long scarf around her and the two huddled together in the warmth of the fabric. A cold breeze blew around them yet they both laughed it off as they huddled close together. The two remained where they were, enjoying each other’s company, their hearts slowly becoming in sync with one another.
It seems some things such as this are best left unsaid.
Author's Note
Here you go everyone. My hearth's Warming story! Albeit a month behind to what I originally intended. Life gets in the way sometimes and other thing pop up. Hope you all enjoy this late holiday story. Leave a feedback and I will talk to you all later.
~Broman
