The air carried its sharp annual chill. It didn’t matter where I went. It was a chill I used to hold a lot of disdain for, ever since my so-called best friend, Chummer, up and ditched me. Why did he do me dirty? I certainly couldn’t say other than to survive. I never resented him for it, even after the shocking sting of betrayal faded. Survival was everything. I’d always thought I could make it on my own after that. I always had, too. I survived, got myself to wise up to the world’s cruelties and came out on top. That’s what mattered, wasn’t it?
That never stopped the chill, though. The chill of the worst poverty of all: loneliness. Not even at its thickest did my fur protect me from it. It hurt. I’d always tried to ignore it. I’d always thought I won. That was never the case. Pickpocketing was a distraction at best. No matter how suave or cunning I’d been, no creature would miss me if I suddenly disappeared one day.
Everything changed when I met those six ponies and their little dragon. The alabaster unicorn among them brought to life a warmth in me that I’d forgotten all about. At no cost, to boot. I couldn’t remember another time anyone had been so generous to me. Rarity was the one who inspired me to look inside myself and allow me to feel again. I could believe in others again, all because of her. Her generosity taught me that life was, is and always will be about more than survival. We’d kept in touch after the fall of the Storm King via letters.
The cats of Panthera in Abyssinia had their sense of camaraderie and what not, no two ways about that, but they didn’t cherish each other nearly as much as ponies did. It was mind-blowing! And so, I had decided to take a train to Rarity’s hometown, Ponyville, to experience this jolly holiday of hers. Hearth’s Warming, she called it. I wanted to experience it. I wanted to celebrate and feel merry. Most of all, I wanted to not be alone, at least for a little while.
Rarity made me feel whole. She’s a gemstone in spirit, the kind of creature that makes anyone, even a jaded tomcat like me, want to become a better living being. She may not look sturdy, but her soul is indomitable. She was a dazzling diamond, a hunk of fighting gold, a precious pearl and a robust ruby.
Who knew one unicorn could have such a huge impact? I couldn’t think of any other reason to venture into a new realm with nothing but my wits and the clothes on my back. Rarity had given me nicer clothes, but the red coat look was my natural aesthetic. What could I say? Rarity looked into others and brought out the beauty in them. Though, to say I had just my wits and clothes was a teensy lie. What kind of gentleman shows up somewhere empty pawed? I made sure to get presents for Rarity and her little sister. From what Rarity told me, her sister knew what she liked, yet was easy to please. Rarity, on the other paw, had something of an eye for quality. I knew she would probably be happy with anything I chose, but that didn’t make whatever I got the right call.
I supposed it could go without saying that picking something out for both of them through honest means was a taller order than it had seemed at face value. The two carefully wrapped boxes laid beside me, leaving me to ponder my resolve as the train barreled past snow-capped trees and feral animals in their thick winter coats. Now that I thought about it, the animals tended to look out for their kin this time of year. Perhaps no creature could truly be alone.
My thoughts drifted back to Rarity and her friends. Those little ponies had big spirits. About a week before I had met them, I had bumped into a zebra fortune teller that I sort-of knew. She had said something about the golden winds of fortune breathing life into me. At first, I had taken it to be one of her nonsensical voodoo rhymes, but now I wanted to know if getting in touch with the spirits and that mystic jazz was zebra exclusive.
“Next stop: Ponyville Station,” an overhead announcer matter-of-factly stated. That was my cue to get my head out of my own thoughts and my tail into gear. I needed to get to Rarity. Taking up the presents under one arm, I held onto my seat with the opposite paw, steeling my nerves and waiting for the train to reach my destination.
What was most generous of Rarity to give me, probably without even realizing it, was something to believe in. I didn’t have to keep my guard up forever. Sometimes, it was okay to depend on others. I supposed it was only right for me to try to be that kind of creature for her. Rarity, you can count on this cat! Alliteration never hurt, but part of me did fear the day it would become overrated.
The train eased into a steady stop and I wasted no time getting out of my seat. Anticipation quickened its pace in setting in as the other patrons of the train took their time getting off. I slipped into the steady flow, my objective clear and my heart giddy. Once I saw the opportunity to part from the crowd and go my own way, I seized it. It wasn’t very graceful of me, but this was a train station. It’s not like I was just leaving a palace. I could worry about charm once I found Carousel Boutique.
While the town wasn’t scarce of activity, there were fewer ponies out and about than I anticipated. Everypony was probably already where they needed to be for the evening. The trip from Kluge Town must have taken longer than I thought. If store names were anything to go by, I was looking for a round building or something resembling a merry-go-round. Boy, accepting as they are, these ponies must have loved using equine puns to stake their claim.
It was lightly snowing, and what snow was on the ground wasn’t very deep, but the surface coating of soft white must have given the locals a very different perspective of Ponyville.
I was pulled from my thoughts by a steady wing-flapping sound. My gaze wandered towards the source of the sound to see a gray Pegasus with a light blonde mane and tail flying in my direction. As she got closer, I saw that she had gorgeous golden eyes, each one independent of the other.
“Excuse me,” I called out as she flew by. The Pegasus landed and craned her head to get a good look at me. Her smile was warm, and her crossed gaze was curious.
“Hi there! It doesn’t look like you’re from around here. What’s a fella like you doing here in Ponyville?” the mare asked.
“Well, I’m here to visit a friend. Could you please point me toward Carousel Boutique?” I asked. I didn’t want to bother her or anything, but aimlessly wandering with a guess as good as any other wasn’t going to do me any favors.
“Oh!” the wall-eyed mare gasped happily. “You must be here to see Rarity! She’s going to be so happy to see you! My house is actually a little past there, so I’ll take you right over! For future reference, it’s the building on the north end of town center. Come on, let’s go!”
I shouldn’t have been, but I was floored at how eager she was to help me, a stranger and, more than likely, a kind of being she’d never even seen before. Before I knew it, I was following her to my destination. She would sometimes need to reorient herself to stay in line, but the only reason I noticed was because I trained myself to keep track of details. The untrained eye probably wouldn’t have noticed, and the town locals likely saw it as par for the course.
“So how do you and Rarity know each other,” the Pegasus asked me.
“Well, we met when all the stuff with the Storm King was going down,” I explained, keeping it simple. True, stuff that I’m not too proud of happened afterward, but that was the gist of it.
I took a look around as we walked. The buildings were well cared for, and the air was so clean. In terms of quality of life, this place was heads and tails over Kluge Town. Though, what I could only assume was Twilight’s castle was either an add-on to or a distraction from the town’s aesthetic, depending on the angle. It was a nice castle, no two ways about it, but the large crystal castle stuck out like a sore thumb with the small town architecture. The next time the Pegasus spoke up made me realize I was thinking just a smidge too much about the buildings.
“We’re here!” the mare announced as we approached a tall, stacked building with a large sign over the doorway depicting an equine figure on a spiral shaped beam. If that wasn’t the biggest giveaway, everything from the windows to the pillars just screamed “Rarity”.
“Thank you so much!” I exclaimed, turning to the blonde Pegasus. “I don’t have anything to give you right now, but I will pay you back for this.”
“Oh, you don’t have to. There’s no need; I’m happy to help.”
“I will, though. You have no idea how much this means to me!”
“Well, then, be sure to swing by the Ponyville post office when you get the chance!” the mare conceded, quicker than I expected. To my surprise, she took on a more theatrical tone with her next words. “I am a mare known by many names! Mail Mare, Ditzy Doo, the Muffin Lover, but you can call me…Derpy Hooves!” After a pause that was too long and too quiet, she reverted to her casual demeanor and said, “Have fun!” With that, she flew off to her destination.
“I…wow,” I sighed, not sure what else to say. Taking in a deep breath, I collected my thoughts and turned to the door, giving it a triple combo of knocks.
“Coming…!” a voice higher than I expected sang from the other side before the door creaked open. Facing me was an alabaster unicorn, like Rarity, only with pink and light purple curls for a mane and tail rather than Rarity’s striking violet. Her eyes were different, too, as was her magical aura gripping the door handle. Both were a verdant green, soft and welcoming. “I’m sorry, mister, but the boutique is closed today.”
“Lucky for me I’m not a customer,” I informed her with an amused chuckle. I knelt down so that I was closer to eye level with her. “You must be Sweetie Belle. Rarity’s told me so much about you. Is she home?”
The filly gazed into my eyes for a long moment before turning around and yelling, “Rarity, a weird cat guy is here for you!”
“Weird cat guy? Sweetie, what are you—Oh!” Rarity began to inquire as she approached the doorway. Our eyes locked before she launched forward and tackled me with a hug. “Capper!”
“Hahaha! Hey, Rarity!” I greeted, returning the hug. “Happy Hearth’s Warming!”
“I’m amazed you’re here! Oh, please, do come in!” Rarity insisted, getting off of me and leading me inside. I was thankful to be inside and out of the cold. Taking notice of my presents, she asked me, “What do you have here?”
“Oh, nothing much. Just something for you and your sister,” I stated, letting them each take a box into their magical grasp.
“Even me? Wow, thank you so much!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed, giving me a big hug. Apparently, the line between stranger and friend was very fine in her mind. Still, her gratitude brought a familiar warmth to my heart, the warmth Rarity first gave me.
“Capper, I…oh, thank you! Did you really come all this way just to celebrate Hearth’s Warming Eve with us?” Rarity questioned, amazed about how far I had traveled.
“Well, there’s not much keeping me in Kluge Town. Besides, Hearth’s Warming is about celebrating friends, love, peace and diversity, right?” I replied.
A radiant smirk adorned her muzzle. “Fair enough.”
“Rarity, look at this!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed cheerily, present unwrapped and opened wide. Amidst the opened box and torn wrapping paper was a pale pink mage’s hat, not dissimilar to the one shown in pictures of ancient unicorns like Starswirl the Bearded.
“Goodness, Capper, how did you…?” Rarity asked, voice trailing off.
“I’ve done research,” I replied, feigning modesty and earning a giggle from Rarity.
“Eeeeee, I love it!” Sweetie Belle squealed. “Now I can look the part when I study magic more! This is awesome!”
“Now let’s see what you have for me,” Rarity mumbled, opening her present more carefully and methodically than her sister had. She made sure to open up the wrapping paper in such a way that the box could easily slide out. After that, she removed the lid and her eyes widened. “Oh, my goodness!” Using her magic, she pulled out my gift to her, a locket made of Abyssinian gold. “Wherever did you get it?”
“It was my mother’s,” I admitted. “What use am I going to have for a locket, you know?”
“Capper Dapperpaws, it belonged to your mother! I can’t except a priceless heirloom!” Rarity protested. “It belongs with you!”
“But that’s why I want you to have it—it’s priceless and so are you! You are the friend I needed. I can believe in others again. No one has ever been alone, not truly! That’s how we’re made and I can believe in that now! Rain helps the flowers grow, the sea gives rivers a point to strive for; sentient creatures are the same way and I’ve spent too long blind to that,” I insisted, pouring out my revelations and, to my surprise, my tears. “You’re my most precious friend, so you deserve that locket. That and so much more.”
“Aww!” Sweetie Belle cooed. Both she and Rarity had been moved to tears.
“Oh, Capper…!” Rarity exclaimed, hugging me again and nuzzling my right cheek. “I…I never knew how much our meeting meant to you. Please stay, at least for the night.”
“Heh. Sure. Thank you. Sorry for getting sappy there,” I sniffled and sheepishly apologized.
“Not at all. I’m actually quite happy you feel that way,” Rarity said soothingly. My first Hearth’s Warming was going to be a pretty happy one after all.
