Whole Ponyvile was covered in a white blanket. In the snow were trails, which were running from one shop to another. Pegasi were cutting through the sky, pulling big sleighs. For everyone, it was the day before Hearth's Warming Eve. For everypony, except for Octavia. She even didn't look at decorations. Her attention was concentrated at the ground under her hooves. Her sad eyes were hidden under a hood of her brown coat. Her own, small world. Suddenly she stopped, but her eyes was still glazing at the snowy ground. Suddenly her body started shaking, and tears were streaming down her face. Brutal memories hit her mind like a heavy shop's banner hit a poor pony standing underneath. Octavia raised her head. In the middle of a square was standing a huge Hearth's Warming tree.
One year earlier
“Hey Tavi! Look at this, it's so beautiful!” Vinyl was jumping around a gray earth pony with a black mane, and pointing to every colorful exhibit.
Octavia lost her hearing many years ago, but she learned to read words from moving lips. It couldn't replace hearing sounds, but communication between her and other ponies was simpler.
“Hey, Octavia, look at this beautiful Hearth's Warming tree!” A white hoof on her shoulder blurted her out from thoughts. Octavia looked at her friend.
Purple eyes were staring at a huge tree, which was standing in the middle of the snowy square. A small lamps were litting the whole place up. The baubles were shining like stars in the sky over Ponyville.
“It's amazing. This Hearth's Warming Eve will be the greatest event in my life! I've never seen so many lights and ornaments!” Vinyl was staring at huge Hearth's Warming tree. Her eyes sparkled in fascination.
“Yes, Hearth's Warming in this year is more shinning and amazing than before,” whispered Octavia. She was deaf, not mute, but she couldn't hear her own voice, so she always talks very quietly. Somehow, only her friend Vinyl could hear her no matter how far away she was. The white unicorn's fascination, granted hers too.
Present day
Octavia stood in front of her house. It was a small building, standing on a small hill. A red roof contrasted with the white walls. On this side, where Octavia was standing right now, was only one small window. The second one was on the other side of building, and it was bigger. This house was the only one without decorations and lamps.
Octavia put her hoof on a gold handle and pulled the doors open.
Inside was very dark and cold. The corridor wasn't too long, but it was very wide. Muddy boots were lying on the floor, waiting to be washed. Closer to the doors was a tall mirror with three hangers. The nearest one for Octavia, the second one for Vinyl Scratch and the third one for a visitor. Now, all three hangers were empty. The corridor had three entries. The farthest one, on the left side, was an Octavia's bedroom. On the opposite site was Scratch's room and a path to a kitchen. The closet entry, which was on the right, lead to a musical room.
Octavia threw her coat on the floor and turned right. When she passed through a threshold, a deeper darkness welcomed her. In the shadows was Octavia's cello with a broken fret board. A souvenir of her musical life. In the middle was a small old chair. Octavia sat down and fell into her thoughts.
One year earlier
“Hey Tavi, what do you have for me?” asked Vinyl, while trying to see what her friend was holding behind her.
“A-a-a, you will see when it comes time,” smiled a gray pony, while waving her hoof.
"Oh, come on! I want to see it right now! What does it matter that I'll see it today or tomorrow?" The white unicorn began to running around her friend, trying to get the present.
"Vinyl! It's tradition, you know that," said Octavia laughing before turning around to hid her present.
"Please Tavi I want to know what is it," Vinyl stumbled and almost fell into a small Hearth's Warming tree, which was standing in the middle of the musical room.
Octavia covered her face behind her hoof seeing Vinyl lying on the ground with some decorations, which she broke from a nearby wall.
"If you want it so much, maybe I could let you see what's in here," Tavi said encouragingly placing her present in front of her.
The DJ Pony immediately jumped to the package and quickly unpacked it. It was a new pair of headphones from a limited collection.
"So, what do you think?" asked Octavia, leaning forward to her best friend.
The white unicorn gazed at the precious blue and gray headphones.
"Wow, they look so awesome!" Vinyl jumped and hugged Octavia.
"In a shop they told me that they have some special options which lets you to make more wubs," smiled Octavia.
Early morning. Octavia was in the kitchen making breakfast. A teapot, which was on a cooker, was whistling so loudly, but Octavia didn't hear it. When she turned back, to place a dish on a table, she spotted Vinyl, which was switching off the gas.
"My goodness, it started making my head hurt," she laughed and looked at Octavia.
"Yeah, I'm sorry if I woke you up, but you know. I...," she said.
"No problem. I wanted to wake up earlier anyway," the white unicorn smiled with a twinkle in her eyes.
Octavia smiled back calmly and got back to frying eggs.
"Tavi, how many spoons of sugar do you want in your tea?" Octavia didn't answer on question, because she was too busy with the eggs.
"Yeah, I forgot you are deaf. Whelp, what can we do?" Vynil said sadly, when she was getting closer to her friend and she put hoof on her shoulder.
"Mhm?" violet eyes looked at her.
"Sugar, how many?" the unicorn asked calmly.
"Ah, ehm, two please," said the earth pony.
A couple minutes later, they were sitting around a table eating breakfast.
"Vinyl, will you go with me to the shop to buy a new cello? The old one has been broken, and I can't fix it," asked Octavia after a breakfast.
"Hmm? Ah yeas. I need to buy a new pair of sunglasses anyways" answered Vinyl while finishing her tea.
In Ponyville as always there were ponies running from one place to another. Some of them probably were coming back to their homes, some of them were going to work.
"Hey Tavi look, a big sleighs on wheels" Vinyl pointed her hoof at a huge sleigh with three wheels. Somepony was lying under them and fix something. Maybe brakes. Yeah, probably, because the front wheels were blocked by a small stones.
"Indeed. Strange thing" Octavia said quietly before turning her head to a shop's exhibit. There were some clothes. A sign read The latest scream of fashion. Those clothes are screaming, but with pain and despair. Anyway, maybe some pony...
An expected pull snatched her from her thoughts. She fell on the ground with a smack. When she got up and looked around, she felt that her heart stopped beating.
A big, metal banner was lying on the ground few meters in front of her. She started to look around, but she couldn't see Vinyl. Octavia looked at the nearest pony, which was pointing her hoof at the banner. Octavia took a look, and felt like her legs were going to give way. Everything started to swirl. Octavia fell on the ground without consciousness. Under a big piece of metal was lying Vinyl Scratch.
Now
Octavia was sitting on a chair in the middle of an almost empty room. She remembers this day, Vinyl's funeral and those tears which were flowing from her heart every day. Again and again memories were hitting her mind, like this damn metal banner hit her best and only friend. Octavia was on her own now. No pony truly knew what she felt. Everything reminded her of Vinyl. Even this stupid teapot, which Octavia forgets to switch off every time, whenever she tries to make tea.
"I heard that wishes comes true during a Hearth's Warming Eve, aren't they?" said Octavia to herself.
"I've never had any wishes, because all I always needed was a true friend. A friend like Vinyl," the gray pony led a monologue "she was always with me. Even when I lost my hearing, she didn't turn away from me as every pony did. And now? What now?" Tears began streaming down her face.
"Now I have only one wish" she raised her head to the ceiling, "I wish, that Vinyl will be here. With me," she said and suddenly a small candle, which was standing in a corner lit up.
Remember, you are not alone Tavi
She heard a familiar voice from somewhere. That voice which could be heard only by a deaf pony like her.
During Hearth's Warming Eve no pony is alone.
