The festivities were now open to everypony! As the moon shone down upon the farm, families and friends from far and wide came to participate in the Hearth's Warming party, hosted by the Mane 6.

Carter was helping Princess Twilight Sparkle finish up with the last bits of party decorations, pulling up one last banner for the lavender alicorn to nail in place along the top of the barn. In time the Hearth's Warming party was set, ready for everypony to enjoy. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Carter and Twilight looked out over the crowd of ponies, watching them all enter the farm and find their friends.

“Wowee. Glad that the decorations are finally done with.” Twilight said, letting out a sigh of relief as she regained control of her breathing. “I think that we can finally start having some fun.” Carter smiled at the alicorn, locking his eyes with hers.

“Yeah, I am glad that the hard part is over.” Carter said.

“The hard part? Carter, you took down Grogar and freed all of those ponies from their imprisonment, giving each and every one of them a second chance at life, yet you call this the hard part?” Twilight scoffed, smacking her hoof against the stallion’s side.

“I would rather not get into that right now, your majesty. For now I honestly just want some time to relax and have fun for once.” Carter said, lowering his smile and changing it to a stoic look. "Doing all this hero work is taxing."

“Yeah, I can understand that. You have really filled your day with a lot of work. I can’t believe you are still wanting to participate in this party over something like a long slumber.” Twilight said, shaking her head at the stallion as she spoke.

“Well, first of all that is just considered rude manners. But secondly, I wouldn’t miss being with you for the world. You mean everything to me.” Carter said, his face returning with a smile. Twilight blushed to herself, hearing the wrong meaning of the stallion’s words. Carter caught on to this and raised his brow. “You know what I mean, jerk.” Carter threw his hoof through Twilight’s mane and pushed downward, forcing her purple hair in front of her eyes, blocking her vision.

“I am sorry, I didn’t mean that. I swear!” Twilight said, pulling her mane away from her face. "I was just accepting your complement."

“It’s fine, at least I know that at least one pony likes me.” Carter teased, acting all innocent and timid. He puckered his lips at the princess, taunting her with his devious ways.

“Would you cut it out? I said that I was sorry!” Twilight shouted, playfully laughing at the stallion’s abnormal gestures. Carter nodded to the princess, immediately stopping himself from acting any more like a fool. Calming himself with one final chuckle, he turned his attention towards the crowd of ponies that had made their way into the farm. “Is Applejack and her family doing ok?”

“They are rather quiet, but you and I both know their reasons.” Twilight said, looking out towards the crowd herself. “I can’t blame her. She has gone through so much.”

“Well, as long as she is happy, then I am happy, too.” Carter said. “Now, if you don’t have anything else for me to do, I think that I should go and get in on some of this party fun.” Twilight shook her head, laughing to herself after hearing his words.

“Yes, you are free to go, Carter. Go have fun.”

With that, Carter stepped out into the field, ready to get his party on. A strange sense of carelessness swept over him, giving him the feeling of freedom to let him be himself. With a rhythm between his steps he proceeded towards the rest of the ponies, narrowing his eyes and biting down on his lip with swagger emitting from his being. He rocked his body to the beat of the song going on from the east; DJ Pon-3 was laying down a mad beat, gaining the attention of many ponies, each of them standing around the stage as she did her thing.

Carter came across Fluttershy and Angel, her bunny companion. He walked up to them, turning around and approaching them with a Michael Jackson styled moon walk. Kicking his hooves back, he bobbed his head back and forth, staring at the mare with a captivating raise of his eyebrow. Fluttershy could find no words to say to the stallion, finding herself blown away by his sudden change of character.

“Wow, Carter. I have never seen you like this before.” Fluttershy said, timidly joining him in his dance, waving her tail around to the rhythm of the song. Angel simply stared at the stallion, disgusted by his absurd gestures.

“You see, Fluttershy, I am normally a very serious person. However, when I get the chance I am not afraid to show off my bad side!” Carter said, continuing through with his charming tone of voice. The cream colored pegasus began to feel awkward around Carter, pulling her head back towards the rest of her body. “Come on, I am just playing with you.” Carter stopped his alluring ways, noticing that it was beginning to creep out the timid pegasus.

“Oh, that’s a relief. I thought you were trying to flirt with me or something.” Fluttershy said, shying away her blush. Angel looked at Carter with a raised eyebrow.

“Please. If I were doing something like that then I would make sure to keep it to a low-profile.” Carter said, standing up straight and adjusting his posture. “No… in all seriousness, are you enjoying yourself?”

“Oh, absolutely. I must agree that this party is truly pressuring little ol’ me to get out on the dance floor and get my groove on, but you know me: timid Fluttershy.”

“Awe, that’s too bad. I was looking forward to seeing you sweep the competition.” Carter said, fooling around with the pegasus. Fluttershy laughed to herself in a whispery tone, holding her hoof up to her mouth. “You have a good time, Fluttershy.” Carter said, waving to the pegasus pony before turning to go find some others to talk to.

“You too, Carter.” Fluttershy waved back at the stallion.

As much as he wanted to continue chatting, Carter began to feel hungry. He figured that it didn't help that he hadn't eaten within the last eighteen hours. He ran over to the food table and grabbed a hay sandwich, shoving the whole thing in his mouth and rapidly chewing it up, swallowing the meal with one big gulp. He wanted another one, but figured that now wasn't exactly the best time to eat, especially considering that the guests were still continuing to come in.

Carter searched around for another group of ponies to chat with, trying to find someone that he had yet to meet. He found an oddly familiar group of various creatures sitting around a small campfire. There were six of them, reminding Carter of the Mane 6. The creatures all looked like they were still in their youth, talking and laughing with each other as they sat in a close group in an attempt to combat the harsh cold that the winter climate had to bring upon them with their own body heat, along with the warmth emitting from the flames.

Carter approached the group of friends and sat beside them. He kept his eyes off of them near the beginning of his visit so as to not look like some creep. He held his hooves out towards the campfire, feeling the heat of the flames hit his forelegs and fill him with some much needed warmth. He stared at the fire, listening to the sounds of the firewood crackling as the flames consumed each one, and the embers from said firewood floating around in the air, illuminating parts of the night sky that the fire could otherwise not reach.

A squeal of shock was heard resonating to Carter’s left. He turned his head, locking eyes with a rather large yak. Her head peered above the rest of the group’s faces, sticking out to him like gold in a mine. Her face had a giant smile and wide eyes across its entirety, notifying Carter that this particular creature indeed recognized him. Carter looked to both the left and right of himself, making sure that he was truly the one that the yak was staring at in amazement. Seeing no other pony in the vicinity, he looked back at the yak and gave her a nervous smile, waving his hoof around as a simple greeting.

“Oh my goodness! Yona finally found red pony!” The yak shouted, alerting the others to her point of interest. Carter stayed where he sat, unknowing about what to do from here. The yak seemed rather interested in him, so at least he knew that she meant no harm. An orange dragoness turned her head towards Carter, opening her mouth wide in excitement. The others did the same once they saw him for themselves. It appeared to Carter that he was somewhat of a popular pony to these creatures.

“Yo, you’re that crazy rad alicorn that everyone’s been talking about!” The orange dragoness said, crossing her arms and smiling with a smug look on her face. “I never thought the day would come when we’d actually get to meet you in person.”

“You know me?” Carter inquired, feeling pretty proud of himself with all the attention he was getting from this group of friends.

“Know you? Gosh, we are your biggest fans!” A pink hippogriff shouted, her entire being beaming with excitement. "It's an honor to meet you, sir!"

“I have fans?” Carter questioned. “But why? What have I done that is so cool to you guys and girls?”

“Don’t act so modest, we know that it was you who took down the evils that lurked within the Everfree Forest!” A green earth pony said, smiling with his white teeth showing to the world. “Your brave, courageous and heroic actions saved all of Equestria from certain doom. We respect you full heartedly, sir!”

“If it weren’t for you, we may never have gotten the chance to return to our treehouse.” A blue griffon added, speaking with a smug accent similar to that of the dragoness. "That would've sucked, too. I personally like that thing."

It suddenly clicked in Carter’s mind. He knew that they all looked vaguely familiar to him, but it wasn’t until now when he finally figured out exactly how he knew them. He smiled at the group of creatures, pointing his hoof at them while he spoke.

“Now I remember. You are the ones who live in that ginormous, crystalic treehouse in the middle of the Everfree right beside the Castle of the Two Sisters. I recognize you six from the picture I saw while I was inside.” Carter said.

"Well, we don't live there, but we do hang out in the treehouse from time to time." The hippogriff said.

“You know us?” A beady eyed creature said, shocked to hear the stallion reply with such an astonishing statement.

“Well, not directly. I only know you from outside appearances.” Carter admitted. "Again, I only saw a picture of you. I don't believe that we have ever met in person until now."

“Wow! Yona amazed! Yona pinch herself to check if Yona having dream.” The yak squealed.

“That won’t be necessary!” Carter quickly shouted, noticing that the yak was quite literally about to pinch herself. “I am all real, no doubt about that. Just please don’t do anything you might regret.” He let out a sigh, watching the yak’s hoof lower from her body.

"Oh my gosh, this is such a cool moment in my life!" The Earth pony said, holding his hooves up to his face. "Sorry, I am sure you don't get attention like this everyday."

"No, but it's cool to know that there are some out there who appreciate what I do for Equestria." Carter said, letting out a small laugh.

“That’s a sick scar, dude! Where did you get it?” The dragoness asked, pointing her finger at his eye. Carter placed his hoof up to his face, confused as to what the dragoness was talking about. He felt the indent that ran along his left eye. He smiled to himself, subconsciously checking his hoof for any residual blood.

“Funny you should ask, that was actually given to me by Grogar.” Carter said. He looked up at the group, each of them having the same shocked expressions.

“Ah, I see. So you are, like, as old as Celestia or something?” The griffon inquired.

“No, I am only 22.” Carter corrected, leaning his face closer towards the others. “I fought that bastard recently. He put up one hell of a fight, but me and my allies took him down.”

“What? You fought Grogar recently?” The dragoness shouted in denial, unable to believe such an outrageous statement. “There is no way! Grogar was destroyed many, many years ago!”

"Not to mention that he alone took on all three tribes of ponies at once." The griffon added.

“That’s what everyone thought, but apparently he got away, hiding himself away from all other forms of life until recently.” Carter said, narrowing his eyes, displaying a more serious look on his face. “I wouldn’t at all advise this, but that sucker is locked up in Tartarus as we speak. You can go check for yourselves if you find it that hard to believe. Again, I don’t encourage doing such an action, it's just my way of saying that I have proof.”

“Oh my gosh! You have defeated Grogar, too!?” The beady eyed creature shouted in amazement. “Dang! What else can you do?”

“Much more.” Carter said, making his words sound like they were something ready to be printed out as a quote on the front line of a newspaper. “What are your names?”

“My name Yona!” The yak said, raising her hoof to notify Carter that she would be the one to list off the names. Although to Carter, her dialect was so different from the rest of them that he didn’t need any sort of visual cue to tell him that she was the one talking. "Dragon friend is Smolder, hippogriff is Silverstream, griffon is Gallus, changeling is Ocellus, and pony friend is Sandbar."

"What is your name, hero?" Gallus asked, trying to look cool in front of his new idol.

"Carter. I come from Earth, a land far from Equestria."

"Earth? Never heard of it." Silverstream said, placing her hand up to her chin. "But it honestly makes sense. I don't think there has been a male alicorn for a long, long time! The fact that you are an alicorn and a guy still boggles my mind!"

"I am not actually a pony. I am a human." Carter stated.

"What!? But those are just a myth!" Ocellus shouted.

"Carter, you have said a lot of stuff that we have a hard time believing, but this is by far the hardest thing for us to find to be the truth." Smolder said, crossing her arms.

"It's the honest truth. I was sent here to learn about friendship. If I failed to do so then I would be sent someplace very unwelcoming to beings like me. I don't know why I have taken the form of an alicorn, but I promise that the real me is all human, no pony whatsoever."

"Erm, Yona believes that." The yak said, closing her eyes and nodding in defiance.

"What? You're telling me that you believe the stuff this guy says?" Gallus inquired.

"There is no way that he is telling the truth. Princess Twilight would've turned you back by now!" Smolder grumbled.

"Have Yona friends learned nothing in school?" Yona questioned her friends, staring each of them in the face. "Friendship involves honesty. If Carter is really friend to pony, then Carter must be honest to pony. Yona sense friend in Carter, so Yona believe Carter like friend should do."

"I'm with Yona." Sandbar said, moving himself to the yak's side. "Even if he is lying, what do we have to lose?"

"Can't you just change your forms like us?" Ocellus inquired.

"No. At least, not from what I know. Twilight can't reverse my effects, so I am stuck in the body of an alicorn until I prove to the spirit who sent me here that I have learned the true power of friendship. As much as I hate to say it, I may never go back home." Carter looked over to the Mane 6, who were having a wonderful time enjoying themselves in the company of each other. "But it's nothing I can't handle. I have great friends who have my back and a great life. It's just different, that's all. Simply something that I have needed to get used to."

"Yona sorry to hear that, Carter." The yak said, placing her hoof on his shoulder. "But no fear, Yona and friends have your back. Yona make sure Carter is happy."

"Thank you, Yona. Thank you everyone." Carter placed his hoof against Yona's and gently rubbed it. "I'll do the same for you. It's what friends are for, right?"

"Say, you haven't gone to the School of friendship, have you?" Silverstream asked. "You could surely learn about friendship much faster if you take the courses given by Headmare Starlight Glimmer."

"I have already thought about that, but I can't." Carter admitted. “Twilight said that I am too old to join, so she instead chose to mentor me about friendship by herself. She has taken the time to teach me about the power of friendship. She's like my tutor."

"What? You are being taught by the Princess of Friendship herself?" Sandbar shouted in surprise. "How'd you get so lucky?"

"We became good friends and I asked her." Carter said. "Didn't take much to do it, just needed to push away the fear of asking. She doesn't really do anything, either. She just leaves me to write down things that I learn, kinda like what she did while she was under the watchful eye of Celestia during her reign."

“Interesting. Yona note that.”

“So… what’s the hero of Equestria doing here at a time like this?” Gallus inquired, sitting down atop a small tree stump.

“I am taking a break from all the action. It may seem cool to do the things that I do, but it’s honestly quite taxing, not just on your body but on your mind as well. I have to be careful with what I do, or else my mind will crack, turning me into the same thing that I fight off to protect Equestria.” Carter said, pointing his hooves back to the campfire to get some warmth. “It’s a delicate balance, but easy to control once you get the hang of it.”

"What's so bad about what you do? Don't you just fight bad guys and keep the peace?" Silverstream inquired.

"Yes, but that's not the whole story." Carter said, lowering his voice. "The things I do involve me seeing and doing things that not everyone should experience. I see death, blood, gore, so many things that I sometimes wish I never had to see. That is the reason I must control my thoughts, or else it will corrupt me."

"Oh... I see." Gallus said, feeling rather ashamed for asking such a rude question.

"Do not fret, Gallus. You are fine with asking me about my work, just expect an honest answer."

“What’s it like being a human?” Ocellus asked, trying to change the subject. “Do you guys have some cool powers or something?”

“No. We are like earth ponies; we just use the simple things we are given like knowledge and strength. It is through things like that where humans strive, as we make some pretty badass inventions.” Carter said, listing off a few of them in his head.

“Like what?” Sandbar asked, wanting to know more about Carter’s homeworld.

“There is this cool thing called the smartphone. It’s a technological marvel that allows two or more people to contact each other from anywhere! Not only that, but it can also do things like do math, set alarms, mark dates and other cool things like that.”

“That’s so cool!” Yona shouted. “Yona wish she had smartphone. Yona think Earth sounds advanced.”

“It is, but is it more advanced than Equestria? That is beyond my knowledge.” Carter said, looking back at the group of friends. “If anything you guys just have different stuff than us humans. I don't think it wise to say one is better than the other."

“What else do you have on Earth?” Silverstream inquired, anxious for more knowledge.

“Umm, well I guess I could talk about…” Carter trailed off as he looked towards the table of food. He saw Gaea and her pack circle around the table, sniffing for something that would satisfy their carnivorous appetites. He saw Hyperion take a stance, ready to jump up and land on top of the table at any moment. “Give me just a second!” Carter said quickly, getting himself off of the ground and running over to the wolves before they did anything disastrous. "Uh... it was nice chatting with you!"

"What was that about?" Ocellus asked.

"It would appear that Carter has his own team of timberwolves by his side." Gallus said, surprised to see an entire pack of primal creatures in the farm.

"Wow! Carter so cool! Yona must learn from Carter, Carter must be good teacher." Yona said, staring at the stallion as he ran towards the timberwolves.

“Do you see anything up there, Cronus?” Gaea asked, checking their surroundings for any predators, their primal instincts kicking in due to their extreme need for food.

“No, Gaea. There is nothing but pony food in here. No meat or anything!” Cronus said, standing on his hind paws while his forepaws were stretched out along the table, his nose nearly touching all the food that he sniffed.

A small couple of older ponies wearing grand outfits came over to the table of hors d'oeuvres, wanting a small bite to eat before they did anymore party stuff. Before they could even begin to browse the choices of foods, they spotted the pack of timberwolves while they were searching for a meal. The mare let out a loud squeal, alerting the nearby ponies. The stallion beside her took off his top hat and waved it at them, shooing them away from the table.

“Be gone, foul beasts! Away with you!” The stallion said, speaking with force behind his voice. The mare hid behind her mate, shutting her eyes and shaking where she stood.

“Oi! Away from them, all of you!” Carter shouted, approaching the timberwolf pack. Carter stared at Gaea with a rather intense look in his eyes. Gaea looked into his eyes and cowered before him, laying down on the floor in submission and whimpering. The others followed suit, whimpering as they watched their alpha submit to the stallion.

“What is this?” The mare asked, demanding a logical explanation. She and her mate looked over to Carter, stomping their hooves against the snowy ground as they waited for his reply.

“They are just hungry. It was my fault and mine alone, I should’ve kept an eye on them and planned ahead accordingly.” Carter said, nodding to the pony couple with a sincere guilt in his presence. “My sincere apologies, though I must inform you that they mean no harm to you. They are tame. Well, as tame as wild timberwolves can get.” Carter turned his attention back towards Gaea, gesturing for her to arise from the ground. She did so without hesitation, feeling terrible for disrespecting her master. “It would appear that there are still some things that need to be adjusted.”

“I’ll say! There is no reason for animals such as these to be anywhere near us pony folk. You should just go and put them back in the Everfree where they belong.” The formal stallion said, pointing his top hat at Gaea. The timberwolf growled at the stallion, feeling attacked by his hurtful words. Carter held his hoof out, ordering the wolf to lower her guard.

“It is fine, sir. I will just keep them away from you ponies. You won't have to worry about them for the rest of the party. That is my promise.” Carter said, speaking with a stern look on his face and a voice of reason.

“... Very well. Just keep them away from us and I assume that we will accept that.” The mare said, adjusting her posture. “No good starting a fight on a day such as this.”

“Wise words, ma’am.” Carter said, retreating to a more casual expression. “Enjoy your night, you two.”

“To you as well, young stallion.” The pony couple nodded to Carter, proceeding towards the hors d'oeuvres. Carter let out a heavy exhale, glad that the conflict did not resort to violence. He turned to the wolf pack. He shook his head in disappointment, feeling betrayed that they would act so selfish around the ponies.

“We owe you our most sincere apologies, Carter. We were unaware that our actions came across as irregular.” Gaea knelt in front of Carter, the rest of the pack doing the same shortly following. “We will do better.”

“You owe me nothing, Gaea. Merely take this time to better yourself. You haven’t hurt anypony, so there is nothing for you to make up for.” Carter said, speaking to the timberwolves like a father-figure of sorts. “Now, I understand that you are all very hungry. If you would like for me to do so I could ask if there are any foods high in protein for you creatures to snack on.”

“Yes, Carter!” Hyperion said, frantically jumping around on his forepaws with his tongue hanging out of this mouth. The other timberwolves stared at him with discontent, snarling at him. Hyperion read the message they were giving off and stopped himself dead in his tracks. “Ahem… yes, we would all like that very much.” Hyperion said, this time standing tall with a respectful composure.

“Very well. I will go do just that.” Carter said, turning to go find somepony he knew to address the timberwolves’ aching stomachs. Without much time to react, Carter received another vision. This one was shorter than the others he previously had, revealing something about to happen very soon. He turned to the timberwolves. “Get down!”

Gaea nodded to her pack, ordering them to get down to the ground. Carter did the same, pressing his chest against the cold snow beneath him. A few seconds following their abnormal actions, a loud blast of confetti was shot out just above them, pressing against the cold, winter wind and slowly falling onto their bodies, sticking to them like stickers.

“What? I thought for sure I had you!” Pinkie Pie shouted, looking at the stallion with a smug look, feeling defeat. “You just love to ruin a good party, don’t you.”

“Pinkie Pie, you can’t just be shooting your party cannon all willy-nilly like that. You could’ve scared somepony to death.” Carter said, wiping the confetti off of his fur with his forehooves.

“I just wanted to spread some pinkie fun!” Pinkie Pie said, justifying herself and her bizarre actions.

“Well, mission complete. Either way, me and my timberwolf friends are covered in this confetti of yours.” Carter said, smiling at the pink party pony with a playfully agitated expression. “The hardest part about this is getting it out of my mane.”

“Just leave it in there, you look better when your mane is all shiny and colorful like that.” Pinkie Pie said, rubbing her hoof around in Carter’s short mane.

“Eh, why not. It’s not like this is some big party or something. Oh wait, it is.”

“There you go, Carter. Now you’re getting it!” Pinkie Pie reached behind her body and pulled out a tray of fish from seemingly nowhere. “I figured that your timberwolf companions were quite hungry, so I caught some fish for them to eat since pony food isn’t exactly what they enjoy snacking on.” Carter stared at her with his jaw slightly agape, baffled by her crazy methods of pulling things out of the air.

How the hell does she do it!?

“Thank you so much, Pinkie Pie. I am sure that they would enjoy that very much.”

“Absolutely! Happy to help!” With that, Carter was given the tray of fish while Pinkie Pie hopped over to the couple behind them. “Hiya, mom! Hey, Dad! Good party, huh?”

Carter looked over to the timberwolf pack and held the tray of fish in his hoof. The primal animals all leapt for it, begging for their master to let them eat. Carter hesitantly pulled the tray away from them due to a slight shake as a result of their quick actions. He shook away his nerves with haste, staring at the pack with a stern look on his face.

“Now, you will all act like civilized creatures.” Carter said, stomping his free hoof on the ground. “Sit.” He said firmly. The timberwolves, confused by the stallion's strange orders, complied with him nonetheless, placing themselves along the snow. As they waited for the fish, they wiggled around on the ground in anticipation, licking their lips as they watched Carter slowly approach each one of them.

He first approached Gaea, kneeling down to her and placing a fish on the ground in front of her. She kept her eyes locked with Carter’s waiting for him to give her a verbal cue that she was allowed to eat. The stallion nodded, giving her the allowance to eat her fish. She looked down at the delectable meal in front of her and drove her teeth into it, gaining the necessary nutrition that she so desperately needed. The other timberwolves eventually got their fair share of food, eating all the meat around the bones.

As they ate, Carter sat back against a tree stump, watching his pack fill themselves up with delicious fish. It was strange to him. He loved fish, yet for some reason the thought of eating some for himself felt unsatisfying to him. Perhaps it was just his pony appetite keeping him away from the consumption of meat, as he was living perfectly fine by simply eating things like hay and fruits.

The stallion got a good laugh while watching Hyperion kick his backleg against his body, using his hind paws to rid himself of the confetti that stuck to his wooden features. It was to no avail, leaving the poor timberwolf stuck with pink and white confetti trapped along his body.

Carter heard Pinkie Pie and her parents talk with each other, discussing their rock farm. He listened in on their conversation while he drank some fruit punch that he retrieved from the food tables. He took a sip of the liquid, swishing it around in his mouth.

“I swear, Pinkie. Some idiot came into our rock farm and completely destroyed it. The silo was seen laying across the ground with a giant hole in it. There was a giant crack in the land and some strange craters found scattered about.”

Carter spat his drink out of his mouth, widening his eyes after hearing them talk. He couldn’t believe his odds. His fight with Grogar was right in the Pie family’s rock farm.

“If I find the one responsible for the destruction of our rock farm, I will get Princess Twilight involved.”

Yeah, I wonder who did it…

“Carter, Pinkie Pie, you two need to come and meet up with the rest of us!” Rarity shouted, appearing behind the two ponies with her eyes wide open. “We are about to exchange gifts!”

“Oh boy! I can’t wait to see what I got!” Pinkie Pie said, jumping her way over towards the rest of the ponies.

“Coming, Rarity!” Carter said, throwing his empty cup away in a nearby trash can and jumping up to his hooves. He turned his head, looking over his shoulder towards the timberwolves. “You guys behave yourselves. I won’t be gone for too long.”

“Don’t worry about us, Carter. Go enjoy yourself.” Gaea said, waving her paw at him. Carter smiled and ran over towards the Mane 6, hoping that he wasn’t too late.

Everypony and their family were all gathered together around a larger fire, ready to begin giving each other their gifts. Carter caught up with them just in the nick of time and sat himself down next to Twilight and her family. The lavender alicorn smiled at the stallion, happy to be in his presence.

“Took your sweet time.” Twilight said, teasing the red alicorn.

“You know me, my plans change by the minute.” Carter replied sarcastically.

"Watch yourself, Carter. That's my sister you are talking to." Shining Armor said, acting like how a big brother should behave around his siblings.

"I speak with nothing but kindness, sir." Carter said.

“Well now, I think that we can begin giving our special pony their gifts.” Rarity said, eager to begin the holiday festivities.

“Alright, who wants to go first?” Twilight asked, looking around for any raised hooves. She noticed Rainbow Dash raising hers the second she was done talking. “Ok, Dash. You can give your gift first.”

Rainbow Dash sat up and handed her gift over to Pinkie Pie. The pink party pony squealed in joy, anxious to see what the pegasus had gotten her for the holidays. She quickly tore through the wrapping, pulling the item out of the box and holding it up in the air for all to see.

“No way!” Pinkie shouted, identifying the item within seconds of its reveal. “It’s a new cooking apron!” She held the pink accessory up into the air, watching it blow around in the wind.

“I heard you say that your old one was getting too messy, so I thought I’d get you a new one.” Rainbow Dash said, speaking as if Pinkie Pie’s reaction was obvious. Pinkie Pie ran over to her pegasus friend and gave her a big hug, squeezing her body with an immense amount of force. “Ack! Ok, Pinkie!” rainbow Dash shouted, trying to worm her way out of the pony’s hooves.

"How thoughtful of you, Rainbow Dash." Celestia said, commending the sky blue pegasus for her generous gift to the pink party pony.

“Seems like somepony liked their present.” Shining Armor said, laughing to himself. The Crystal Empire ponies sat just behind Twilight Sparkle, little Flurry Heart finding herself beside Carter. “Flurry Heart, you make sure that you don’t give Carter too much trouble.” The little foal gave off a cute baby noise, clapping her hooves together.

"Don't worry, sir. I am quite positive that your daughter is nothing but an angel." Carter said, looking down at the little foal and brushing his hoof through her miniature mane. "Ain't that right, Flurry?"

"Well, let's hope there aren't any cracks in the ground that we need to be aware of." Cadence said, feeding herself flashbacks of the first time they met.

"Geez, don't remind me, your grace." Carter said rolling his eyes back as a but of nervous anxiety swept over him.

"Alrighty, who wants to go next?"

The night went on and everypony gave their gifts to their respected recipient. The fun of the night carried on for hours, each pony loving the present they got. As for Carter, he was just enjoying the moments he shared with his friends. The warm and fuzzy feeling he felt inside his soul came upon him, making him remember the times he wasn’t afraid to be with his old friends. Simply looking at all the ponies around him, all of which laughing and enjoying each other's company, made him feel satisfaction with himself.

As the moon illuminated the area around the farmland, Carter looked around at all of the ponies that he had learned to love and appreciate. The emotional positivity they brought to him with each and every day came into his conscious, making him think about how much of a better person he truly became because of the time and energy these happy-go-lucky creatures spent with him. His stern and protective personality felt as though it was broken, shattering the steel barrier surrounding his heart and turning him into a man who he was proud of becoming. It then dawned on him: the true power of friendship. Somewhere deep down inside of his soul, something sparked. The newly found flame of hope residing within him filled the once empty hole in his heart with a newfound determination and will to be there for his friends. As the strange feeling filled his soul, Carter placed his hoof over his heart, getting himself accustomed to it. A small smile came over him, his breathing patterns speeding up along with his heart rate.

“Carter,” The stallion turned to find Twilight with a green and blue striped gift in her hoof. She held it out for him to take, surprising him at first. He reached out with his hooves and took it from her, holding it in his lap. “It’s for you, silly. My gift to you.”

"My gift?" Carter whispered, snapping back to reality. "Oh… my gift, right. Thank you very much, your majesty."

"Ooh! A present from the princess herself! Open it! Open it!" Pinkie Pie shouted, jumping in her seat.

Carter chuckled and began pulling away at the wrapping. The green and blue striped wrapping paper fell to the ground in shards as the stallion ripped into the present, awaiting the big reveal of what the contents of the gift really was. His heart beat rapidly with anticipation, expecting nothing too special but excited to find out the contents all the same.

The wrapping was all torn away, revealing the gift to the stallion. Carter's jaw was left agape, absolutely loving his gift from the princess. He looked up at Twilight with a bright smile, saying nothing to her, just processing his feelings.

"It's real. Go on, take a closer look." Twilight said, pointing toward the gift he held in his hooves. Carter looked back down at the item he received, further inspecting the contents of his gift.

Held between the stallion's hooves, Carter laid his eyes on a small bracelet with the symbols of each of the Mane 6's Elements embedded along the outside of the golden accessory. It was detachable, making it easier for him to fit it around his bulky hoof. Along the inside of the bracelet was a special message engraved into the gold material.

"Friends will always be there for you, never forget to do the same for them." - TS.

While the small bracelet would've seemed like nothing to him in any other scenario, Carter found himself seeing the golden accessory as a special relic from his past, as it reminded him of a similar bracelet gifted to him by his parents before he was to move out. Coincidence or not, the gift from the Princess of Friendship held a special place in his heart, giving him a reminder of his family and his new friends.

Placing the special gift around his hoof, Carter thought about all of the events that led up to this point. His journey towards becoming a better friend and partner had gone a long way. He had learned a lot of things during his time in Equestria, some of which he recalled.

Through this journey I have learned more about myself than I could ever imagine. I always thought that I would never regret the decisions I made, but I have come to accept the fact that the man I was before made me worse, turning me into a sinful being with no remorse for my terrible choices. But now I have learned the true power that comes with friendship and why it is so important for everyone to have other people in their lives.

I have done the impossible. I have saved myself from eternal damnation and I've also turned my life around for the better. I have learned kindness, generosity, honesty, laughter, loyalty, and above all, the magic of friendship. Through these strange creatures that I now consider my best friends, I have brought myself out of the very pits of hell and am now basking in the joy and happiness that comes from being a friend. From this day forward, I will never push myself away from friendship. No, this time, I will spread its message across the world in hopes that one day I can fulfill my calling to help others and fight for what's right.

In an instant, Carter's eyes gleamed with light, swiftly wiping the brightness across his soul. He had found his calling and had now learned what the spirit wanted him to know. For once in his life, Carter was at peace.

"Do you like your gift?" Twilight asked, hoping that the stallion's silence wasn't an indication of the contrary. Carter looked over to the lavender alicorn and gently hugged her, pulling her closely to him as he felt the warmth of her body pressed against his chest. Twilight was at a loss for words, doing nothing but hugging him back.

"I love it, Twilight. I cannot thank you enough. You could never understand what I feel, but this bracelet has a special place in my heart." Carter said, lifting his head and staring the princess straight in her eyes. "I know that I have said it time and time again, but I thank you and your friends for everything that you have done for me. Without you, I may not be where I am today. Without you, I may not be the man I want to be. Without you… I'd feel empty. You have brought me purpose in life, and rest assured, your words have inspired me to pursue friendship and better myself till the day I die." Carter turned towards the Mane 6, smiling and all. "I love you, girls. I love all of you."

The lavender alicorn's heart melted when she heard Carter's kind, poetic words. Her cheeks blushed with a surge of loving emotions filling her soul, leaving Twilight with a warm, fuzzy feeling within her. She leaned in and hugged the stallion, pulling his chest closer to her own with her hooves and slowly pressing her forehead against his. Her eyes closed and her body went limp, indulging herself in the stallion's touch. Carter smiled, pulling her closer to him and rubbing her mane with his hoof.

The rest of the Mane 6 fell to bits, touched by the normally stone-cold stallion's remarkable display of love and care. They all got up on their hooves, approaching the stallion and joining in on their hug, creating a giant clump of pony love.

"Yeah, I think it's safe to say that this was the best Hearth's Warming party ever!" Rainbow Dash said, cheering out loud. The sky blue pegasus burst out of excitement and flew into the air with surprising speeds, blasting through the dark sky and illuminating the area with a giant blast of prismatic colors. It was Dashie's very own Sonic Rainboom. Carter and Twilight turned their attention back towards each other, the red alicorn looking away with slight embarrassment.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to get so emotional." Carter said, defending himself for being so awkward around the others. "I loved your gift, though. That was an honest answer."

"You're ready, Carter." Twilight said, placing her hoof along his shoulder.

"Ready?" Carter questioned. "For what?"

"You are ready to finish your training. You have learned everything that I can teach you about friendship. It is time for you to finish your training and begin your own journey."

"But… does that mean I will have to leave you?" Carter asked, feeling hesitant as he thought about returning to Earth. It was what he wanted for the longest time, but by this point, Carter felt as if he didn't really want to leave Equestria. He didn't want to leave his friends.

"No, not exactly. It just means that the rest of your findings about friendship will be from your own journey. I can help you no more, but your job is far from over." Twilight leaned in and smiled at the stallion, the other mares listening in to their conversation. "It is time for you to become your own man. It is time for you to be who you want to be."

~

Carter laid against the back wall of the barn, wrapped up in a soft blanket made of thin strands of wool. He stared off into the dark sky through a window, watching the moon shine down upon the many acres of the farm. Life felt good for him. The party was over, Twilight announced that he would soon be taking his final steps under her mentorship, and him and his friends were now something much more.

Turning over onto his side, Carter spotted the timberwolves surrounding him, their wooden bodies pushed close to him to share their body heat and protect themselves from the cold weather outside the barn doors. Gaea was found resting right under Carter's chin, her light snores escaping her lungs every so often. Carter carefully laid his head on the ground and used his free hoof to pet the alpha's head. Gaea let a small smile present itself to him, notifying Carter that she was enjoying his loving gesture.

With his mission complete, Carter closed his eyes, feeling nothing but peace wash over him as he fell into a deep slumber. The night passed by quite quickly; never once did Carter get nightmares of his past or visions of future horrors. This time Carter was blessed with a peaceful slumber, nothing but silence filling his mind as he slept. With his mind at ease, Carter knew that he was done. His family looked down upon the sleeping pony, smiling in the clouds above. Their son had grown up and became a man, just like he knew they wanted him to be.

From here on out, Carter would leave this phase of life as a new chapter unfolds.

Author's Note

The time has finally come. With Carter finally fulfilling his goal, his return to Earth grows near. But does he really want to go back? Finding friends through the Mane 6 seemed to spark a new interest within him. Maybe he doesn't want to go back to Earth. But... does he even get a choice?