Spike The Brony Dragon

Winter had arrived. Once again, Rainbow Dash threw another going away party for Tank before his hibernation.

Twilight had the notion of hosting a Hearth's Warming Eve party at her castle for everypony in Ponyville. After some continuous decorating, and a few musical scores, the holiday party was underway.

Starlight rested against the railings of a nearby balcony. Twilight and I approached her.

“Hey, Starlight!” Twilight greeted. “Ready to celebrate your second Hearth's Warming Eve here in Ponyville?”

“I was thinking I might just skip it,” Starlight nonchalantly replied.

Twilight immediately gasped. I knew this episode would arrive. In the show, Starlight wanted to bypass Hearth’s Warming Eve, but Twilight reads her a story to change her mind. I didn’t think of anything major to change.

“Starlight, why would you skip Hearth’s Warming Eve?” I asked. “You celebrated with us last year.”

“I know, but I just find it all a little silly. It's mostly a day dedicated to presents and candy, isn't it?”

“It’s more than that, Starlight. It’s a chance to hang out with friends and family whilst celebrating an important milestone in Equestrian history.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth, Spike,” Twilight said.

Starlight shrugged. “I think to most ponies, it's just an excuse for silly songs and fun, not a day to remember some old story.”

Twilight teleported in front of Starlight. “Maybe you just haven't heard the right Hearth's Warming Eve story yet!”

“Earth ponies, Pegasi, and unicorns sing songs around a hearth to fight back an eternal winter caused by the mythical windigos? I’m pretty sure every foal and filly knows that story.”

“Not that one. My favorite holiday story, ‘A Hearth's Warming Tale’!”

Which is pretty much an MLP adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” with a little Grinch added into the mix.

“Spike, why don’t you go pick up Moondancer and Tyke while I read the story to Starlight? I didn’t see them yet, and they were supposed to be here by now.”

“Will do.” I saluted.

After donning my winter clothes, I hurried out of the castle and into the snowy town. The gentle flakes danced through the cloudy sky, making Ponyville look like a giant luxurious snow globe. I was so entranced by the spectacle, I didn’t notice I was already at the Golden Oaks Library. I quickly entered.

“Hello? Moondancer? Tyke?” I called out.

“Oh, Spike!” Moondancer called out from the top of the stairs. “Come on in. You’re just in time!”

“I am?” I asked as I undid my scarf.

“Yeah,” Tyke said. “We’re about to light the candle.”

“What candle? Is it your birthday today?”

“What? No.” Tyke chuckled. “Maybe you should join us and see for yourself.”

Still in the dark but keeping an open mind, I joined Moondancer and Tyke in the other room. Said room had all the curtains drawn while a lone candle rested on a table in the center of the room.

Tyke kneeled down and softly said, “Everypony and non-pony sit or kneel by the candle.”

Moondancer sat down next to Tyke, while I kneeled on the other side of him.

“Is everyone ready?” Tyke noticed our nods. “Light it.”

Moondancer cast a spell, and the wick ignited brightly. Tyke put his paws together, lowered his head, and closed his eyes. Moondancer followed suit, and so did I.

Tyke muttered. “As the candle burns, let it be my light and guide. Heal my wounds of the past, and lead me toward a better future.” He inhaled deeply. “Now a period of quietness as we make our wishes silently. You may open your eyes when you’re done.”

Stillness filled the room. I gave my wish from my mind.

I wish everypony and non-pony has a happier life, at least those who deserve it.

I opened my eyes. Tyke and Moondancer did the same. Tyke blew out the candle, encasing us in darkness once again. Moondancer opened the curtains to let the natural light fill the room.

“Thank you for joining us, Spike,” Tyke said as he stood up.

“No problem,” I said. “Is praying to a candle a Hearth’s Warming Eve tradition for either of you?”

“No, it’s actually a holiday we Diamond Dogs call ‘Three-day Candle Wick.’ It’s been a holiday tradition ever since Diamond Dogs first mined in caves.”

“Wow, I didn’t know Diamond Dogs had holidays. Is there anything else you do during this holiday?”

“Well, on the first day, we buy or make a candle. It can be a normal candle or a scented kind depending on what you prefer. On the second day, we eat a hearty meal while sharing our goals, accomplishments, failures, and lessons we received for the year. Then on the last day, which coincidentally occurs on Hearth’s Warming Eve as I found out today, we light our candles and give our wishes.”

“That sounds like a really fun tradition.”

“It is. It was one of the few times my siblings got together.”

“Oh, speaking of getting together, Twilight’s looking for both you and Moondancer.”

“Oh!” Moondancer slapped her forehead. “The Hearth’s Warming Party. I almost forgot. Come on, Tyke. Let’s get dressed.”

A short while later, Tyke, Moondancer, and I left the library.

“So how did ‘Three-day Candle Wick’ come to be?” I asked Tyke.

“Well…” Tyke rubbed the back of his head. “It’s kind of a long story.”

“Long stories seem to be your forte. How is this one different?”

Tyke chuckled. “Good point. Okay, so you know how Diamond Dogs are usually underground? Well, it didn’t used to be like that.”

“Way back then, Diamond Dogs lived above ground. They weren’t even called “Diamond” Dogs, but rather Standing Dogs, Biped Dogs, or just simply Dogs. They all lived in this kingdom known as Canineton, ruled by King Garm.

“King Garm was a good king, but he was also a bit of a neat freak and a germaphobe. He even invented his own type of soap. King Garm always wore white gloves to keep his hands from getting dirty, and he made sure they were washed thoroughly. In fact, even Diamond Dog historians were unsure how many times his gloves were washed per week. In spite of that, he made sure to help the common dogs and made sure everything was fair under his rule.

“Then one day, a massive blizzard struck the kingdom. Snow was nothing new in Canineton, but this weather came out of nowhere, and it greatly affected the crops and living conditions. The king couldn’t take it lying down, so he had the citizens rest in his castle until the blizzard blew over. While it was cramped, the castle provided warmth and food for the Dogs. Some of them worked to help out the castle staff, even though King Garm mentioned it was not needed.

“Sadly, days had passed and the blizzard never let up. The food ran low, not to mention the firewood for the many fireplaces in the castle. Even with the hospitality, the Dogs weren’t going to survive long. So King Garm made the decision to venture out for more resources, or at the very least new land to settle in.

“The king brought his family and a couple scout dogs to venture out into the wilderness. They bore the elements, searching for any reliable sources of materials, but they found nothing. They rested in a cave, wondering if they should continue or return to Canineton empty-handed. That’s when a massive avalanche buried the entrance deep in snow, ice, and rocks, sealing the group inside.

“To counteract the darkness and provide a little bit of warmth, the queen lit a candle. The group of Dogs shared what remaining meals they had left with each other. They told stories to pass the time, tried breaking the ice in the entrance, and discussed ways to escape. All while the candle itself burned nonstop.

“About three days later, the Dogs were down to their last meal, and the cave’s entrance still remained blocked without any sign of melting or budging. The candle remained lit despite its continuous flame. That was when King Garm did something no one else expected him to do. He went to the edge of the cave, took his gloves off, and started digging.

“The rest of the group didn’t know if the king had gone insane from the isolation or if he dug as a last resort, but they joined him in his excavation figuring it could help them all out of the cave. As they dug through the ground, they encountered a massive cave system big enough for the entire Canineton population. Not only was it warmer than outdoors, but it also had various ores and jewels. It was a perfect place for the Dogs to reside until the blizzard let up. So King Garm and his group dug back to his castle to announce his subjects of their discovery.

“The subjects agreed to move into the underground caves, and soon they discovered other useful assets, such as good soil for some of their crops and special gems that could increase the torches’ brightness. Eventually, the Dogs decided to stay underground even after the blizzard ended. Some of the miners taught the other Dogs how to dig and mine properly, and soon after, the Dogs’ new area grew more and more. They found various gems and jewels, so much so that anyone who saw them on the surface would often see them carry at least one on hand. They started calling them ‘Diamond Dogs,’ and the Dogs liked term so much they made it their official creature name.

“Anyway, that’s how Diamond Dogs became underground gem hunters, and why we celebrate ‘Three-day Candle Wick’ every year.”

“Wow, interesting story,” I said. “I noticed how it sounds familiar to the Hearth’s Warming Eve story. A group winds up in a blizzard, they reside in a cave, and eventually they work together and form a new territory.”

“Yeah, I discovered the similarities when Moondancer told the story. I wonder if those windigos caused the Diamond Dogs’ blizzard, too.”

The three of us arrived at Twilight's castle. We entered just to see Starlight and Twilight partying together.

“Hey, you three!” Twilight greeted us. “Glad you could make it.”

“Sorry for being tardy,” Moondancer said as she removed her winter garments. “We were doing our own traditions.”

“It’s okay. This party’s still going strong.”

We joined up with the other ponies and participated in the festivities.

“So how did it go with Starlight?” I asked Twilight. “I take it she’s giving it a second chance?”

“You got it,” Twilight replied. “I could tell she was really interested in the story. While I did let her go to bed if she wanted to, she decided to join the party instead.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

I admitted I almost expected Starlight to still not show interest in the party, as it would provide the lesson that there are those who prefer not to celebrate the holidays, but I was okay with her joining us.

Hearth’s Warming Eve passed, and we were already on New Year’s. I stood at the top of the stair railings while the meterstick leaned against the wall at the bottom.

“Ready, Spike!” Twilight announced.

“Okay, here it comes!” I immediately dropped the ball.

Twilight quickly snapped a picture of the ball the moment it bounced. Once the photo was printed, she placed it on the nearby table. A few minutes later, the photo developed.

“Uh, oh,” Twilight said.

“‘Uh, oh’?” I asked. “What’s wrong? Did we hit a prime number?”

“That’s the thing, I don’t know.” Twilight scrutinized the photograph. “The ball is between 43 and 44 inches, so I don’t know if we’ll have a good year or a bad one. I knew I should’ve adjusted the shutter speed before this.”

“Should we bounce the ball again?”

“I don’t know. We never had to before.”

“Well, whatever year we’ll have, we’ll still be together,” Starlight said. “We can get through whatever 2013 throws at us!”

We three shared a group hug together.