A Hearths Warming Holiday

In a old timey town set in the times before modern day holds a grumpy, old, wealthy draconiquis with grey hair, a red scarf, a long black coat, and a pair of fancy black pants, filling out paperwork on his desk while somepony else feels cold, doing very little of the work. Wanting to stay warm he grabs some coal and is caught by his master.

"Touch any of my coal and I'll cut your salary down more."
"But Mr. Scrooge it's cold."

"Then warm yourself up with the candle you have." The poor soul, still feeling cold puts one of his hooves by his small candle hoping to stay warm. And then a familiar voice walks in with a cheerful attitude.

"Happy Hearths Warming Eve Uncle! It's my blessing!"
"Bah Humbug!"

"Hearths Warming a humbug? You don't really mean that. I'm very sure."
"I do. Hearths warming, what right have you to be jolly? What reason have you to be jolly? You're poor enough."

"Come, then what right have you to be dreary? What reason have you to be ill-tempered? You're rich enough."
"Bah Humbug!"

"Don't be so stubborn Uncle!" Then, the old one starts a long rant.
"What else can I be, when I live in such a world of fools as this? Happy Hearths Warming! Out upon Hearths Warming! Why must I listen to all this nonsense?! What's time to you but a time for paying bills without money, a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer, a time for balancing your books and having every item in them through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with Hearths Warming on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart!"

"Uncle! Why say such horrid things about others?"
"Nephew, keep Hearths Warming in your way, and let me keep it in mine."

"Keep it? But you don't keep it."
"Let me leave it alone then! Much good may it do you! Much good it has ever done you!"

"There are many things from which I might have derived good by which I have not profited. I dare say, Hearths Warming among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Hearths Warming time. When it has come round apart from the respect due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that as a good time. A kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time. The only time I know of in the long calendar of the year when mare and stallion are by one consent to open their hearts freely, and to think of ponyfolk below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good, and I say, Celestia bless it!" The employee claps his hooves until Mr. Scrooge gives him the hairy eyeball.
"Let me hear another sound from you and you'll keep your Hearths Warming by losing your family." Scared by the words of his master, he quickly returns to work. Scrooge turns back to his nephew with discontent. "You're quite a powerful speaker, sir, I wonder why you don't go into Parliament."

"Don't be angry uncle. Come and dine with us tomorrow night. A great feast to enjoy if I say so."
"No thank you. I have more important things to do other than be with you."

"But why?"
"Why did you get married to that one pony you mentioned before?"

"Because I fell in love."
"Because you fell in love? What an excuse. A dragon who happens to adore a pony much different from him!"

"Please reconsider. Love is a gift. Why give it as a reason for not wanting to see me?"
"Good afternoon."

"I am sorry with all my heart to find you so determined, but I have made the attempt to honor Hearth's Warming, and I’ll keep that good spirit to the last. So a Happy Hearth's Warming Uncle."
"Good afternoon!"

"And a happy new year!" With every bit of anger built up in him, he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"GOOD AFTERNOON!" When the nephew leaves the door, somepony else comes in, or two for that matter. Both with red and white manes, and light yellow coats. One of them had a mustache, while the other didn't.

"Scrooge and Grasping's I believe? Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr. Scrooge or Mr. Grasping?"
"Mr. Grasping has been dead for seven years."

"Oh Well, we have no doubt that his generosity is well represented by his surviving partner. At this festive season of the year Mr. Scrooge, it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and the destitute. Many thousands are in want of common comfort, sir."
"Are there no shelters?"

"Shelters? Oh yes plenty of them."
"And the union workhouses, are they still in operation?"

"They are. I wish I could say they were not."
"The treadmill in full vigor?"

"Very busy sir."
"Good."

"I was afraid something had occurred to stop them in their useful course. At this festive season, a few of us are endeavoring to raise a fund to buy the poor some meat and drink and means of warmth. What shall we put you down for?"
"Nothing."

"Oh I see... Do you wish to remain anonymous?"
"I wish to be left alone! I don't make merry myself at Hearths Warming, and I can't afford to make idle pony merry. I support the establishments I have mentioned, and those who are badly off must go there."

"Many cannot go there, many would rather die."
"Then they had better do it and decrease the surplus population. Good afternoon, gentlemen!" Once they leave, minutes later a group of carolers come singing. When it gets loud enough he grabs his cane and opens the windows without warning, shouting at them with great force.

"GET OUT YOU PESTS! I AM BUSY WORKING! COME BACK AGAIN, AND I'LL HAVE YOUR MONEY GONE BY TOMORROW!" Within seconds they all run off in fear. "Unwelcome guests near my business. I oughta give them a lesson not to disturb me." He murmured. Minutes later the worker gets up from his chair.

"You want all day off eh?"
"If it's quite convenient sir."

"It's not convenient and it's not fair. If I was to stop half-a-crown for it, you'd think yourself ill-used, I'd suppose? And yet, you don't think me ill-used when I pay a day's wages for no work."
"But sir, Hearths Warming is once a year."

"A poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty-fifth of December! But I suppose you must have the whole day. Be here all the earlier next morning."
"Yes sir." Mr. Scrooge himself stays while poor soul of a worker leaves the office. After the clock rings at 8, he then walks out and is bothered by ponies begging for money, but then swings his cane to shoo away the unwanted attention he did not ask for. When he arrives at his fancy, yet old mansion, he suddenly see's a pale cracked face with little hair on his head, and crooked teeth. Nervous at such sight he slowly reaches for the ring and suddenly the face opens wide shocking Ebenezer with a chill down his spine. Stunned by such surprise, he comes back to reality seeing that such face does not appear on his door.

"May'be I'm hallucinating and it's just an mirage. Although he looked familiar in some way, still it's just my mind playing tricks on me." Later that night, he drinks a cup of coffee to ease the stress. "Ponies these days, why would they do these crazy mumbo jumbo whatever it is on such day?" Suddenly he hears a crackling sound coming from the window and closes the blinds quickly, then he hears a rustling sound coming from his door.

"Hello? Who goes there? I have no reason to have such guest come at this hour!"
Bang! Came a sudden slam.
The door opens quickly causing him to collapse in fear.

"Be gone you demon! Leave me alone! What do you want with me?"
"Much." Scrooge looks up to see a familiar face and backs up slowly.

"Who are you?"
"Ask me who I was."

"Who were you then?"
"I was your partner... Scanty Grasping." He said in a chilling tone. "Don't believe in me do you?"

"I don't. Please leave."
"Why do you doubt your senses?"

"Because a little thing affects them. You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!" Suddenly Grasping lets out a chilling roar. "Mercy! Dreadful apparition, why do you trouble me? Why do spirits walk the earth, and why do they come to me?"
"It is required of everypony, that the spirit within him should walk among his fellow-folk, and travel far and wide. And if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. I cannot rest, I cannot stay, I cannot linger anywhere. My spirit never walked beyond our counting-house . Mark my words! In life my spirit never roved beyond our money-changing hole, and weary journeys lie before me! I am here to-night to warn you that you have yet a chance and hope of escaping my fate. You will be haunted by Three Spirits. Expect the first tomorrow night, when the bell tolls One. Expect the second on the next night at the same hour. The third, upon the next night, when the last stroke of Twelve has ceased to vibrate. Look to see me no more.” Before he could speak another word, Grasping disappeared in an instant.

"Is this some joke?" He thought. Like how could Mr. Grasping ever come back to such day? Unfinished business? Some random act of stupidity? No, that's just nonsense. He shrugged it off and decides to go to bed for the night.