The snow was falling slowly over Equestria. Menacingly. Evilly. It was too slow. It was too peaceful.
Secret Agent Sweetie Drops moved stealthily across Ponyville in her small cardboard box. Her target: To reach Twilight's Castle without alerting the Wintery Menace... Whatever it was.
Her eyes peered out of two little holes in her box, waiting for ponies on the street to not pay attention to the small box that was scurrying from trashcan to trashcan.
"BonBon," a familar voice said in deadpan. "What are you doing?"
For some reason, a large exclaimation point appeared over the box as BonBon hopped from her hiding place. She snagged her friend and ducked into a nearby alleyway.
"Lyra!" Bon Bon whisper-screamed at her roommate. "What are you doing! I'm on the job!"
"Uh," Lyra said, her ears turning down. "Actually, you're off work for the holiday. Because I asked you to. And we were Hearth's Warming Eve shopping. Because we're going to the party tonight?"
"Lyra. Please tell me you can see the same signs as I do," she says placing two hooves on Lyra's face. "Everypony is so happy, and not paying any attention of their troubles, woes, or mortality."
Bon Bon stares into Lyra's eyes for a moment.
"Uh, no?"
"It's the perfect time for an evil surprise attack!" She yelled at an uncomfortable volume.
"Okay, Bon Bon, you're scaring me."
"Which is why we need to go talk to Twilight! Now here, I have two boxes."
"I'm not getting under a box, Bon Bon," Lyra sayid flatly. "Come on. Let's get this over with."
"Wait, what?" Bon Bon said, but her reactions were too slow for the speed of an irritated friend. Lyra grabbed Bon Bon by the ear and pulled her along, kicking and screaming back out into the evening air.
Three loud knocks echo against the large doors of Twilight's Crystal Castle.
"Our cover is completely blown, you realize that," Bon Bon growled.
"I'll take responsibility if we die, trust me."
"Good, as long as we're on the same page."
Twilight opened the door of the Crystal Castle with a wide smile.
"Happy Hearth's war-"
Twilight's eyes light up instantly at seeing Bon Bon in her doorway.
"Sweetie Drops! I hoped you would come!"
Bon Bon shot a glare at Lyra.
"I have a gift for you! Come in! Come in!" Twilight continued.
Lyra shot her own glare back.
The two mares follow in behind Twilight as they find a rather large pile of gifts stacked at least four ponies high in the center of the center of the castle's foyer.
"I bet gift is secret code for a mission or something."
"Or, I dunno," Lyra said in mild irritation. "Maybe it's a gift?"
Sure enough, Twilight's horn glew brightly as a gift moved from out of the pile, and into view. At that moment, another pony came down the entryway stairs, levitating several gifts of her own.
"SUNSET SHIMMER?!" Bon Bon exclaimed. "You're under arrest from The Pony Protection Police!"
Sunset stood still, looking from Twilight to the pony now charging at her. Luckily, with a mint green blur, Bon Bon was tackled to the ground.
"Lyra get off me! She's a wanted criminal!" Bon Bon exclaimed.
"Like, two years ago," Lyra said. "Remember when there was that article in the paper saying she was pardoned?"
"Uhm, yeah," Princess Twilight chimes in. "Sunset is my friend. And this is her first Hearth's Warming back in Equestria."
"Please don't arrest me," Sunset says quietly.
"Oh," Bon Bon said blankly.
"What is with you?!" Lyra growled at her friend. "First, you ditch out on our shopping. Now you're in full work mode, and almost attack a perfectly innocent pony. What's going on?!"
Bon Bon looks from Lyra, to Sunset, then to Twilight. She sighs to herself, then stands up with Lyra.
"I'm nervous," she says. "I never really handle the holidays well. I'm always so... nervous. That something will go wrong. Or something won't go right. I'm so used to everything being broken or some sort of emergency... that I just... can't calm down. I feel this twitch inside my body that I just can't turn off."
She looked up to her friend, her ears folded tightly.
"And now that you've invited me to this party..." Bon Bon continued. "I've never done something like this before. Usually I'm on the move from mission to mission... but now that I'm... here... I'm scared. And I never get scared. Not even on missions."
"If I may," Sunset said stepping forward. "I sort of... understand. It's taken me a long, long time to work up the courage to come back to Equestria for a Hearth's Warming. And, well, even though I'm here I'm still nervous. That, well, maybe somepony would still think I'm evil or something.
Lyra and Twilight glared at Bon Bon for half of a second.
"No offense," Sunset said to Bon Bon.
"None taken."
"Man, so that's what it feels like?" Sunset said to Twilight. "I see why everyone does that. Anyway. What I'm saying is, even though it's hard to let go of that fear and really embrace the holiday... sometimes what makes it easier is focusing on those we care about and our friends. After all, isn't that what the holiday is about?"
Bon Bon sighed and nodded, turning to Lyra.
"I'm sorry I've been such an anxious mess, Lyra. Do we still have time to get those gifts?"
"Of course. But, I think Twilight had a gift for you."
That's right! Twilight said, levitating her gift to Bon Bon.
"Wow, thank you Twilight, did you do this for every secret agent?" Bon Bon asked.
"Of course! It's just a little something to help everypony get into the holiday spirit and let go of their anxiety. I know I use it to help with my anxiety!"
Bonbon smiled, unwrapped the large red ribbon, and lifted the lid on the box in front of her.
"Twilight..." Bon Bon said questioningly. "This is just a bottle of wine."
A small silence filled the room as the tree ponies looked to Princess Twilight. The princess hiccuped slightly.
"I have a problem. Happy Hearth's Warming everypony!"
