The Best Hearthswarming Ever?
Author's Note:
I realize this is a tiny bit out of season, but I just felt inspired to write a fanficiton in the setting of a winter wonderland. This is a sequel to Nite's Mom, so please enjoy! ^.^
An untouched blanket of snow covered the silent city of Ponyville. All of the ponies in the town were shut away in the warmth of their homes as moonlight caused falling snowflakes to sparkle like diamonds as they drifted towards the ground. Near the center of town, the light of a fire glowed in the windows of a silent cottage. Berry Punch, the owner of this particular cottage had just wrapped her only child, a bat pony foal named Nitevision, in his favourite silk blanket. The foal’s basket had been placed next to the fireplace, with his mother snuggling close by. Berry Punch stroked his mane softly, wrapping her tail around him. As the bat pony’s chest rose and fell steadily, Berry Punch began to sing softly.
Rest now Littlebat, close your eyes.
Let your fears all melt away.
And when you wake, I’ll be by your side,
To welcome you, with the sunrise.
So rest now, Littlebat, let your fears melt away,
I’ll shelter you from reality.
Berry Punch gently kissed the top of the foal’s head, ruffled his mane, then stood up and walked over to the window to watch the snow fall. The sight that greeted her was more beautiful than she could have ever imagined. Ponyville was a wonderland, with Hearthswarming decorations were strung from house to house, with shiny new toys in the windows of the shops. A young tree with candy canes of varying colours had been placed outside of Sugarcube Corner. The air was filled with the smell of fresh baked sugar cookies. Berry Punch knew that the holiday season would bring in a great profit, so she would be able to get Littlebat the best Hearthswarming present she could get. As the mare looked out the window, a dark blue alicorn landed on the balcony.
“Good evening, Berry Punch.” Luna said quietly. “How art thou this lovely evening?” The purple earth pony bowed in response.
“Hello, Luna. I am rather well, and I agree, this is a lovely night. I just got Littlebat off to bed, which is most unfortunate. He would be honoured to be in your presence.” Luna smiled at Berry Punch.
“I am aware that your offspring is asleep,” she replied. “I specifically waited for him to fall asleep so that you would have an opportunity to look in to his visions of the night. Legend states that one’s true desires are reflected in their dreams. Would you care to see what Littlebat wants more than anything for Hearthswarming?” Berry Punch nodded enthusiastically. She didn’t need to think twice. In the months leading up to the holiday, she had been wracking her brain in an attempt to think of the perfect gift for her only child’s first Hearthswarming present, so that he would remember this day forever as one of the best days of his life. Luna illuminated her horn with a magical glow that enveloped the pair. As Nitevision slumbered, Princess Luna and Berry Punch were transported into his dreams.
Berry Punch looked around at her new surroundings. Everything was made up of pastel colours, with cotton candy clouds sailing overhead while a river of chocolate flowed underneath a candy cane bridge. Giant gummy bears wandered around in a field where lollipops grew like flowers, and gummy worms wove their way through the ground made of brownies.
“Candy?” Berry Punch asked. “Littlebat wants CANDY for Hearthswarming?” Luna shook her head slowly.
“This is a leisure dream, Berry Punch. We will have to wait to see his true desire, for the night is young.” The sound of thunder split the tranquil air, as one of the cotton candy clouds began to rain scoops of ice cream into a pond made of chocolate milk. In the distance, upside down ice cream cones stretched out towards the sky, forming a mountain range towards a lemon drop sunset. Luna giggled as she watched Nitevision hopping through the field, stopping ever so often to lick one of the lollipops that dotted the field. Berry Punch giggled as her son flapped his tiny wings, flying up to perch himself on a taller lollipop.
“Nitevision, you’re adorable!” She called out. Luna shook her head.
“Littlebat cannot see or hear you, Berry. If he were aware of our presence, our mission would be compromised. One’s deepest desires need to be released naturally, when one feels that they are safe. Therefore- “
“Hi Luna! Hi mom!” Nitevision said cheerfully. Luna shook her head slowly.
“How is that possible?” She asked in disbelief. Berry Punch giggled softly at the princess’s confusion.
“Simple. This is Nitevision’s dream, and he knows it. Therefore, he can do anything he wants.” She explained. Luna sighed heavily, then looked around one more time.
“Come on guys!” Nitevision called cheerfully, standing on a bride made of licorice that spanned across a chasm to another part of the dream. Berry Punch shrugged, then stepped out on to the bridge after her child. Luna flapped her wings and flew over the cavern.
“Alright, I can see why thine child would dream of sweets, but this makes no sense.” Luna said, observing her new surroundings.
“Nitevision loves toast.” Berry Punch replied, observing a particularly tall stack of massive slices of toast that reached towards the sky. A river of butter flowed around it, as more and more slices fell slowly from the sky, forming valleys and canyons. The princess of the night shook her head slowly in disbelief.
“Nitevision knows how toast is made…right?” Luna asked nervously, fearing that somewhere there was a massive toaster, ejecting slices of piping hot bread all over the world.
“Yes, and no.” Berry Punch replied. “He knows that toast requires heat to make, but what he doesn’t know is that toasters don’t use magic.”
“So…what does Nitevision think makes it?”
“Unicorns. More specifically those who wield fire based magic. Come to think of it, Littlebat does know some pony who uses fire as his elemental magic.” Luna gulped, realizing what that meant.
“Berry, I think thou should prepare thyself. If what you say is true about your child, then I fear that…” Luna’s voice trailed off as what appeared to be the sun rise over a hill made of toast. Upon closer inspection, Berry Punch realized that this was in fact the red and yellow Mohawk that made up Fire Alloy’s mane. As the unicorn tilted his head back, it was revealed that he had grown to the height of a giant by Nitevision’s imagination. As the two mares watched, the fiery red unicorn activated his magic, launching a blast of pure flame to toast a large piece of bread falling from the sky. Nitevision reached up to grab the object, and was ultimately flattened by it.
“So…Nitevision wants toast for Hearthswarming? I make him toast every morning…” Berry Punch wondered aloud. Once more, Luna shook her head.
“This is once more a leisure dream; it is attached to the one we were just in. The reality is, we have not left his subconscious. We’re going to have to wait for him to have another dream for his true desire to be revealed.” Berry Punch considered what she had just been said. “Which may be a lot harder than we thought!” Luna cried out as a slice of bread sailed just over their heads. “If we stay here much longer, it may become dangerous to our health.” Berry Punch’s hoof slipped off of the platform she was resting on, her body sliding in to the river. The mare struggled to get back to dry land.
“Easier said than done.” The mare said, shaking melted butter out of her fur, then brushing her wet mane out of her eyes. Luna looked around carefully, as the edges of the world began to blur slightly.
“Berry, now is not the time for swimming. It appears that Littlebat’s dream is changing, and I believe that our destination is about to be reached.” The earth pony opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, her vision darkened as the physical form of the world around her dissipated. Luna’s words echoed in her head just before the world went black:
‘Prepare yourself, Berry. One’s true desires, and deepest anxieties are revealed in their dreams. Some of Nitevision’s dark past could return to haunt him in the night.’ The mare took a deep breath in as the world around her suddenly brightened…
Berry Punch opened her eyes very slowly, afraid of what she might see. The first thing she noticed, is that she recognized her surroundings. It was, after all, her bedroom. She glanced around the room, looking for Luna to tell her where to go, but found that she was alone. At first she thought she was right back where she was at the beginning of the night, but when she glanced out the window she saw that the sun was just beginning to rise. It was Hearthswarming, and she still had no idea what she was going to get for Littlebat.
Berry Punch stepped out of her bedroom, and walked slowly down the hall. Her legs were beginning to tremble with anticipation as she came closer and closer to the stairs, and the tree that she knew lay bare in the living room. Her outing with Luna had taken all night, and she had not had time to wrap the few presents that she did have. As she walked, Berry Punch noticed that the objects around her were growing…or perhaps she was beginning to shrink. The stairs had turned in to cliffs, each one with a fall more than sufficient enough to kill a pony. Berry Punch quickly processed her situation, then decided that the best way to make it down to the ground would be to slide down the foundation of the railing and hope that she could get off in time to avoid being splattered against the pillar at the bottom. Taking two steps forward, Berry Punch realized just how much of perilous journey this was going to be.
Gripping the railing supports before taking a step, the earth pony made her journey inch by inch until she reached the first floor. Wiping sweat from her forehead, the mare continued her trek along the living room, stepping carefully over the train track that ringed the Hearthswarming tree. The mare shuddered at the thought of Littlebat coming down to the tree to find that she had nothing for him there. It would break her heart to watch tears falling from his eyes.
‘What would be worse? Disappointing him by getting nothing at all…or getting him something he doesn’t like?’ She wondered as she paced back and forth over the track. The mare was startled out of her concentration by the sound of something very large, and very fast rumbling down the tracks. She turned around just in time to see the model train that rode the rails bearing down on her. She turned to run, but it was too late. Berry Punch felt her tail become tangled around the front wheels of the engine. As her body was whipped into the metal plow at the front of the train’s engine, Berry Punch whispered that all she wanted to do was give Littlebat the best Hearthswarming he could have.
Berry Punch sat up suddenly in her bed, the covers flying off of her body. It had all been a dream…or at least, being chased by the train had. Berry Punch heard a soft knock at the front door, and quietly raced to answer it.
“Morning Berry! How’s Littlebat?” Minuette greeted, her blue and white striped scarf tied neatly around her throat. Berry Punch put a hoof up to her mouth indicating that the mare would have to speak softly, to avoid waking the foal.
“I’m glad you could make it, Colgate.” Berry Punch murmured. “Nitevision’s going to be ecstatic to see you.”
“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss breakfast with my favourite kid for anything! Speaking of, I have something for him.” The unicorn reached in to her saddle bag, producing a toothbrush shaped box wrapped in paper decorated in with her hourglass cutie mark.
“Uh, Minuette, don’t you think Nitevision’s going to know what that is?” Minuette shook her head slowly.
“I thought about that. It’s actually a bottle of mouth wash, in a tooth brush box.” Berry Punch chuckled.
“That’s very thoughtful of you.” She complimented, closing the door behind the mare. Minuette gently shook the snowflakes out of her fur, then walked in to the kitchen, placing her present on Nitevision’s chair. As soon as Berry Punch stepped in to the kitchen, a knock at the door summoned her back to the entryway. This time, it was Lyra and Sweetie Drops, both carrying rectangular boxes, also decorated with their cutie marks. Berry Punch raised her eyebrows at the sight.
“We got him socks and a little tie,” Sweetie Drops whispered as Lyra embraced Berry Punch. “They match his cutie mark. He’s going to be absolutely adorable!” The purple earth pony smiled at her friends as they walked in to the kitchen, exchanging holiday greetings. Berry Punch looked out at the blizzard that was falling slowly.
“I wonder if any of the shops are still open…” She wondered aloud.
“If you need to go out for something, we can keep an eye on the house for you.” Minuette offered.
“Would you really?” Berry Punch asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement. “That would be- “
The mare paused as a fiery red unicorn wandered in, headed directly for the kitchen. Minuette tracked the foal with her eyes as he walked past her.
“I brought Nitevision a toaster.” Fire Alloy stated flatly. The four mares exchanged glances, then all shrugged. The purple earth pony turned to walk out the door, another foal entered. He was an earth pony with a purple coat, with a purple and green mane. Under one of his hooves, he carried an easel, paint brush, a set of watercolours, and a roll of duct tape.
“I’m going to paint a picture of Nitevision, Ms. Punch.” The foal explained as he set his things down to shake the mare’s hoof. “I’m Sketch, by the way.
“I uh, I’m going to go take care of some things before anything weird happens.” She said as Fire Alloy pulled the cork out of a bottle of cider.
“This is my third one today,” He explained as he drained the bottle in a couple of swallows. Sketch sighed in frustration, slapping his forehead with a hoof.
“You’re going to rot your teeth if you keep drinking that stuff, Fire Alloy.” He groaned. The unicorn dropped the bottle, licked the bubbly residue off of his lips, then burped loudly.
“Like I care.” He shot back. Lyra groaned.
“Minuette, why did you sign us up for foal sitting?” She asked. The pale blue unicorn shrugged.
An hour later, Berry Punch returned empty hoofed.
“All of the shops were closed.” She said, steam puffing from her mouth. Hearing his mother’s voice, Nitevision hopped out of his chair and raced across the room to hug his mother.
“Mom! Look who’s here!” Nitevision said excitedly pointing at Sketch and Fire Alloy, who were staring at each other from opposite sides of the table. Berry Punch ruffled her child’s mane with a sad smile.
“Who wants to open their presents?” She asked in an attempt to buy herself some time. All three of the foals raised their hooves at the same time.
“We do!” They chanted in unison. Minuette, Lyra, and Sweetie Drops grabbed their gifts and wandered in to the living room. Nitevision hopped up on to the couch, his mother sitting next to him.
“I made this for you, mom!” He said cheerfully handing the mare a small cardboard box. The mare opened it slowly, and her heart melted. In her hooves, she held a hoof-made picture frame crafted from popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners. On the inside of the frame, a photograph of her and Nitevision standing between Lyra and Sweetie Drops, with Nitevision standing on Minuette’s back. Fire Alloy and Sketch stood across from one another, as usual looking like they were about to get in to a fight. Tears came to the mare’s eyes as she held the foal close to her.
“Oh Nitevision, this is the most thoughtful gift… I wish I had something just as special to give to you…”
“What do you mean, mom?” The foal asked looking up at his mother. “You gave me the only thing I ever wanted for Hearthswarming.”
“What would that be, Nitevision?” Berry Punch asked in confusion.
“You gave me time with my family!” He said as he embraced his mother. “Can I go play with my friends now?” He asked. The earth pony nodded, turning away so that Nitevision wouldn’t see the tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. Minuette smiled as she picked Nitevision up and set him on her back.
“Come on, kid. Let’s go teach you how to brush your teeth!” She said with a grin. “One day, your tiny fangs can be just as sparkly as my pearly whites!”
“After that I need to duct tape Nitevision to the wall, so I can paint a picture of him.” Sketch called after the pair.
“Uh…sure. We’ll do that too,” Colgate laughed. Berry Punch looked over at the window just in time to see Luna smile at her, then fly away into the falling snow.
This was indeed, the best Hearthswarming the mare could ask for.