Chapters A Hearths Warming Holiday
Alone on Hearths Warming Eve
As evening dawns, everypony is out and about, getting that one gift for their friend or family member, or for that special somepony there. As for some they celebrate their own way possible. Vinyl Scratch plays some hip Hearts Warming tunes for Neon lights, While Octavia enjoys some nice company with Frederic Horseshoepin. Lyra and Bon Bon enjoy some nice games together as bff's would. Derpy and Doctor Whooves eat some fresh fruitcake muffins as a specialty for the holiday. Even Starlight enjoys a nice evening with Sunburst himself. While everypony else enjoys their night, Spike doesn't feel all that happy with being alone for that matter, sitting in a corner sighing since everypony else is more focused on their own conversation. Rarity enjoying a little too much eggnog sings some songs in a little odd way. As the evening goes on, tears drops from Spike's right eye and hits the ground slowly. The others seem to be a little off since they began doing some pretty crazy stuff. Pinkie Pie goes a bit too far when she brought her party cannon to the event, launching confetti around wherever. Fluttershy on the other hand brought a few critters along to have some company. As for Rainbow Dash she snatches some apple cider from the bowl for herself considering the fact that she really enjoys it. Spike still sitting in the corner moaning and groaning quietly doesn't move a single bit since he feels very left out. Twilight Sparkle talking to her friends suddenly notices her little friend all bunched up and sad. She walks over to question the little dragon all down in the dumps.
"Spike?" Twilight asked.
"I'm starting to worry. What's wrong?"
"I know Shining Armor and Cadence, along with Flurry Heart are going to be a little late than usual since Flurry is having a little tough time."
"I know it's hard, but we can't change things like we tried in the past."
"Spike. Don't hurt yourself. Not everything is perfect."
"Can't you play Ogres and Oubliettes?"
"You haven't eaten your cookie that Sweetie Belle made for you."
"Discord?" Fluttershy asked.
"I want you to go over to Spike. He's not himself right now."
"Discord!" Discord sighs in annoyance and gets down.
"And how are you going to do that?"
"Well... Ok." Discord snaps his fingers as he warps to Spike's room to see the little dragon all wrapped up in his blanket whimpering.
"Why should I..." Spike weakly replied.
"What are you going to do this time? Try to make one of my fantasies come true."
"Did something bad happen to him?"
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."
"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!"
"Hearths Warming a humbug? You don't really mean that. I'm very sure."
"Come, then what right have you to be dreary? What reason have you to be ill-tempered? You're rich enough."
"Don't be so stubborn Uncle!" Then, the old one starts a long rant.
"Uncle! Why say such horrid things about others?"
"Keep it? But you don't keep it."
"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.
"Don't be angry uncle. Come and dine with us tomorrow night. A great feast to enjoy if I say so."
"But why?"
"Because I fell in love."
"Please reconsider. Love is a gift. Why give it as a reason for not wanting to see me?"
"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."
"And a happy new year!" With every bit of anger built up in him, he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Scrooge and Grasping's I believe? Have I the pleasure of addressing Mr. Scrooge or Mr. Grasping?"
"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."
"Shelters? Oh yes plenty of them."
"They are. I wish I could say they were not."
"Very busy sir."
"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?"
"Oh I see... Do you wish to remain anonymous?"
"Many cannot go there, many would rather die."
"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?"
"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."
"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."
"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!"
"Be gone you demon! Leave me alone! What do you want with me?"
"Who are you?"
"Who were you then?"
"I don't. Please leave."
"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?"
"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.
A Hearths Warming Holiday
In his deep sleep, he is woken up by the bell chiming.
"A quarter past?" It rings again.
"Half past?" It rings again.
"A quarter to it?" It rings yet again.
"Good heavens a whole hour passed so quick." Suddenly a light shines from his window revealing a beautiful mare with a snow white mane with a golden wisp above her head, a golden yellow coat, beautiful turquoise eyes, and a beautiful white dress.
"Are you the spirit who's coming I was told about?"
"Who, and what are you?"
"Long past?"
"Perhaps you could turn down that light that accompanies you."
"I'm sorry I would have said such thing to somepony."
"I'm tired at the moment and I rather get my rest."
"For the sake of Celestia, put me down before I get hurt!"
"Please, just leave me be."
"Great Scott! I was bred in this little place."
"Look it's Feathery Light and Rock bottom. I'll go say hello to them."
"Very well." Inside a school left a little filly reading a book.
"Indeed. My mother lost her life having my lovely sister. My father on the other hand was a drunk afterward and did not handle it so well." Suddenly a little filly named Fair Trade comes in.
"Why hello there little sister. You've grown so well." Said Young Scrooge.
"Things have changed so quick, but lets not get carried away."
"Really? What about our father."
"I guess it can't hurt to move back." His little sister was often ill, but had a very big heart. Sadly she died a young woman, but had a child. And that was Fred Hollow, the last of his family. And then they go to a warehouse to see a familiar face with a big beard and a happy grin.
"Good heavens, it's Mr. Fuzzywig."
"Bless me, yes. There he is. He was very much attached to me. Dear, dear!"
"You know what? I shall have a little fun, this tune is very memorable." Minutes later afterward, they go back to his office.
"Look upon thou shadow and see." In there Young Ebenezer does his work, when somepony comes in.
"It matters little. To you, very little. Another Idol has displaced me, and if it can cheer and comfort you in time to come, as I would have tried to do, I have no just cause to grieve."
"A golden one."
"You fear the world too much. All your other hopes have merged into the hope of being beyond the chance of its sordid reproach. I have seen your nobler aspirations fall off one by one until the master-passion gain engrosses you. Have I not?"
"Our work together is an old one. It was made when we were both poor and content to be so, until in good season, we could improve our worldly fortune by our patient industry. You are changed. When it was made, you were another man."
"Your own feeling tells you that you were not what you are. I am worried. That which promised happiness when we were one in heart, is fraught with misery now that we are two. How often and how keenly I have thought of this, I will not say. It is enough that I have thought of it, and can release you."
"No?"
"In a changed nature, in an altered spirit, in another atmosphere of life, another Hope as its great end. In everything that made my love of any worth or value in your sight. If this had never been between us tell me, would you seek me out and try to win me now?"
"Celestia knows! When I have learned a truth like this, I know how strong and irresistible it must be. But if you were free today, tomorrow, yesterday, can even I believe that you would choose a dowerless mare, in your very confidence with her, weigh everything by Gain or, choosing her, if for a moment you were false enough to your one guiding principle to do so, do I not know that your repentance and regret would surely follow? I do and I release you. With a full heart, for the love of him you once were. You may. The memory of what is past half makes me hope you will have pain in this. A very, very brief time, and you will dismiss the recollection of it, gladly as an unprofitable dream, from which it happened well that you awoke. May you be happy in the life you have chosen!"
"What brings you here?"
"Leave me be. I have better things to do."
"Why should I?"
"I guess I could." He opens up his gift to see a test tube with some odd color. Then he drinks it down the hatch. Suddenly he experiences great pain as his front hooves become one leg of a griffin and one becoming more of a lion. His back hooves change into a leg of a lizard and a leg of a donkey. And then he grows wings and a long tail.
"Show me no more! This is too much to see!"
A Hearths Warming Holiday
As Ebenezer put out the light out the light of the first one, he realizes that he is in his bed again.
"What in the name of Celestia am I doing in here?" Suddenly he see's a golden light coming from his bedroom door. Along came laughter, striking curiosity in him. He slowly gets up and walks past through the door to see a large griffin with a warm green robe, a orange beard, and a crown.
"Come in, come in! And know me better, my friend! I am the Ghost of Hearth's Warming Present. Look upon me! You have never seen the like of me before?"
"Why look so frightened?"
"Have you never walked forth with any of my previous brothers, sir?"
"I have many brothers. More than eighteen hundred!"
"Touch my robe."
"Good evening good sir."
"It's a lovely night here and I can't thank anypony enough about the blessings we have amongst ourselves."
"You're right. In fact I must get going. My lady is waiting for me so we can enjoy a lovely meal."
"You have a happy hearths warming."
"Well..." Said the spirit
"Perhaps I must seek a different approach." He then snaps his fingers and they see the poor old worker and his family enjoying a nice meal.
"How in the world is Igneous Cratchit enjoying a meal so expensive with such family?" Ebenezer said with agony.
"That's pointless! Money is to be used carefully, not in a dumb way!"
"Poor child. He won't live long."
"I'm afraid there is no hope for him. He is quite sickly and could possibly fall to his death down the stairs."
"Anything could go. Perhaps a decrease in the surplus population." Finally they stop by his nephews home to see him and his guests playing a game of yes or no.
"Is it a mare?"
"Is it a stallion?"
"Is it a donkey?" This upsets one guest in particular who seems to be a mule with a little attitude.
"Maybe?! Just say it now, or forever be stuck with a permanent mark in your own mind!"
"Yes."
"Yes that's it!"
"Take me home so I can rest."
"Time? What about time?" Suddenly he notices a small hoof peeking out from underneath the robe. He becomes rather curious about what lies underneath.
"Mine telling me why there is a hoof peeking out all of a sudden?"
"Who are those wicked souls you show before me?"
"How can such dreadful beings come from someone like you?"
"Please send them away before I have nightmares."
"It's just a part of life. Stuff happens."
"Too late. Now you will suffer your fate of what lies ahead." Suddenly he feels a sudden weight in his right pocket.
"My... Precious!" He jumps and snatches the pocket watch before growing into a stallion. He creeps up to Scrooge licking his teeth with a creepy whisper.
"Are there no workhouses?" She suffers a different punishment and is put in a straightjacket laughing manically. Seconds later she is drowned in a pit of maniacs. The Spirit laughs hard before the chime goes off causing his orange beard to go grey. The bell chimes again making his thick body become thin. Still laughing at his expense, he falls to the ground before his feathers fall off before laughing more into his final breath as he turns into bones.
"This is horrifying to see such poor man fall to his death." Suddenly his shadow begins to morph into a different figure.
A Hearths Warming Holiday
Hearths Warming yet to come
Once the figure shows it shadow, a dark portal appears from the ground lifting a figure with a black cloak and a curved, dark, red horn along with a pair of red eyes with a green and purple wispy aura surrounding them. Scrooge looks at it with a little tremble.
"You must be the spirit of Hearths Warming yet to come." No words came out of the spirits mouth. "I guess you don't have a thing for words." The spirit stands in silence with one raven flying towards Scrooge. He looks at the raven in curiosity before it says "Nevermore". Spooked by a sudden surprise, he regains his balance.
"Good heavens. I thought raven's could never talk." The raven fades away into the shadows before the spirit turns around and walks into the shadows. Scrooge slowly walks down the path to see something rather odd with Igneous Cratchit.
"What's this?" Upon further inspection he finds him with some fancy items. "This is not real! Is this what you are showing me? Do I give up such profit for a mere pony?" Igneous drinks a glass of fine wine with his wife Cloudy.
"Oh indeed we do. Sure wish our little boy could feel this amazing aroma of fancy candles here."
"Let's not grieve sweetie, we can still enjoy Hearth's Warming."
"Is this what will happen? I do not believe they will inherit such fortune today." Slowly, the spirit lifts his right hoof pointing toward Fred's home. Scrooge stands still, afraid to take a step toward where his only nephew lived. Without hesitation, the spirit moves him abruptly to where he see's his nephew and his wife grieving in silence.
"If only I had such time to see Uncle Scrooge. He may have been a little harsh, but deep in my heart, I love him as much as I love my sweet lovely wife."
"How could this come to be? How did this whole thing happen?" The spirit picks him up from the top of his ear and plops him down on the tombstone where he looks in confusion.
"What is the meaning of this? Why is my named inscribed in this?" Lightning strikes down during the snowstorm while the wind blows off the snow, revealing the cause of death.
"Did I commit suicide?" The spirit nods before the ground beneath him starts to rumble. Suddenly he slips before he grabbed a branch, holding him above the coffin to where his presumed dead body would go at the time of death.
"Please! Do not let me fall into a pit of despair. I do not wish to have this horrible fate. I beg for mercy!" Before the spirit revealed it's horrifying face, Scrooge cried for help to no avail before being dropped from a high point. Then from the horizon, a female alicorn with a flowing partially translucent mane, Dark blue skin, light blue eyes, and a dark grey cloak, shouting to the spirit that showed Scrooge a terrifying fate.
"Be gone foul one! You are not welcome in this world! Leave at once!" Removing his hood, his black spiky mane flowed slowly as he stood face to face with another being.
"I am not full of lies. I am one who rather show what is true, but you have crossed the line in showing a real nightmare terrifying to what appears to be a draconiquis. You're a monster." With every bit of wrath, filled deep within him, he blasts a very dark red beam before being burned by a projection of a heart. Scrooge, hanging on a tree branch, trembling with fear is lifted down gently with the female alicorn looking down upon him.
"Who are you?"
"Two spirits?"
"How can this be?"
"Does this mean I can still change?"
"This is why you must care. Everypony who can never afford to live a happy life will perish in the cold winter with no food or warmth. Others will try to take away your fortune as a way of getting even for your actions against their will. The economy will plummet down as all who wish to make ends meat will work themselves to the point of death."
"Sadly, he will quit his job and wishes to overthrow you by starting a business of his own, making even more money than you could imagine. Poor little boy will still die if he were to fall down by accident on the street from sickness and get run over by oncoming traffic."
"Even Fred will suffer as he may get into an argument with his wife about money, since he may have inherited your lust for money. This will soon lead to a divorce, along with a time when you no longer have any family left." Scrooge looks at all the trouble he caused, all because he didn't care later on.
"Forgive me. I wish I could prevent all of this."
"Really?"
"I will."
A Hearths Warming Holiday
Looking out his window, Scrooge finds a filly pulling his sled down the street.
"You there!" Startled by a sudden call, the filly turns his head looking up.
"What's today?"
"What's today fellow one?" Scrooge called louder.
"Do you know the Poulterer's in the next street, at the corner?"
"Do you know whether they've sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there? Not the little prize Turkey, the big one?"
"Yes."
"I don't know. Go and buy it."
"Nonsense, I am in earnest. Go and buy it, and tell them to bring it here that I may give them the direction where to take it. Come back with the Colt, and I'll give you five bits. Come back with him in less than five minutes and I'll give you a bagful!" The filly bolts off to the store and Scrooge comes down the stairs in less than two minutes. Opening his front door, a stallion is standing next to the filly with the turkey.
"Here's comes the Turkey. Hello! How are you! Happy Hearths Warming! Why, it's impossible to carry that to Camden Town. You must catch a cab." Scrooge pulls out his money and pays the filly and stallion a fair amount along with telling the location of where the turkey should go. Filled with the spirit of Hearths Warming, he gives 10% of his money to the poor and shows plenty of respect for the townsponies. Later on into the night, he visits his one and only nephew Fred. A knock on the door could be heard from outside and Fred is surprised to see his uncle in a very good mood.
"Uncle Scrooge?!"
"Very surprised. I thought you wanted to be left alone."
"Please come in and meet my guests." Seeing everyone greet him, he enjoys the company and decides to stay for a lovely meal. The next day after that, Scrooge sits quietly in his office chair turned away from the door. Igneous slowly walks in trembling from the cold air outside. Upon arrival, Scrooge turns his chair around to face his worker.
"You seem rather cold. And a little late."
"Please. Take a seat." Cratchit sits down trembling in fear for what is about to leave Scrooges mouth.
"I going to raise your salary more than I used to."
"Yes my dear friend. I am no longer giving you less. From this day on, I will pay you more with the money you need."
"Now go home and enjoy the rest of the holiday! You can return once a new year dawns." Igneous Cratchit smiles with joy and heads home. The Draconiquis leaves his chair before a shadowy figure appears before his eyes yet again.
"What now?" It was the one who showed Scrooge a horrifying fate yet again. He grabs his cane and swings at the unwelcome guest before the shadow becomes solid. In an act of desperation, he grabs the spirits horn and throws the evil one out of the window where it phases through and gets ran over by an oncoming cab.
"That should teach you a lesson foul one." And so every year, he celebrated the occasion to the year of his last days as time progressed. To little Tim, Scrooge was like a second father since the day he changed his old ways into a new beginning.
A Hearths Warming Holiday
"This story is amazing." Said Spike
"Maybe I should go apologize to Twilight before everypony else leaves."
"Hey Twilight. Sorry for what I had back there."
"I feel bad for those who are probably wondering where I am." In the distance was a white stallion with a blue mane and blue eyes along with a pink alicorn with some yellow highlights.
"Sorry we couldn't make it in time. Had some last minute shopping."
"Well?"
"Shouldn't you be over there?"
"Look at you. This is no time to stand around." Discord pushes Spike on over to where Twilight was standing with an outstretched arm.
"For me? Aw you shouldn't have."
"This is awesome! I thought they were sold out for good."
"Here Spike, open my gift." Cadance hands over a present with a small smile. Inside of the paper lied a collectors edition of Ogres and Oubliettes.