Every Hearth's Warming is Last Hearth's Warming
Twilight hurried through the halls of Canterlot Palace, rushing to answer the mysterious summons she had recieved from her mentor and teacher, Princess Celestia. The young unicorn couldn't imagine what the Princess would need her for on the day before Hearth's Warming, but her curiosity to discover the answer was currently overpowering her frustration at being pulled away from her holiday preparations. Not that there was anything too urgent left to do. She wasn't her brother after all, who was probably still scrambling to finish his shopping. That being said, she still had to triple check the wrapping on her presents, help Spike wrap his gifts, and help her dad chart out the optimal order in which her family should present and receive their gifts in order to ensure the most efficient exchange possible. If any other pony had interrupted her in the middle of all that fun she'd be a bit annoyed, but she knew there had to be a good reason for Princess Celestia to be calling her, and Twilight was determined to discover what it was as quickly as possible.
In fact, Twilight felt like she was making record time as she ran to her teacher. Recently she had felt so tired and worn, probably due to all the hassle of getting ready for Hearth's Warming, but for some reason all that fatigue felt like a distant memory now. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so awake and full of energy, but she tried not to think too deeply about all that. For now, she was just happy that Princess Celestia wouldn't have to see her looking so exhausted.
At last, she reached the door to Celestia's throne room, taking a moment to collect herself before presenting herself to the Princess. It was kind of odd, usually there would be guards posted at the door, but there were none here. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember seeing a single one since she'd entered the palace. She shrugged away the thought, figuring the Princess had probably given them all off for Hearth's Warming. She was always so kind and thoughtful to all the ponies who worked for her. Who'd want to be standing guard in the empty halls of Canterlot Palace when they should be at home with their loved ones? That's what Hearth's Warming was for, after all: a day when friends and family everywhere came together and celebrated the bonds they shared. She smiled to herself as warm memories of past holidays flittered through her mind, and pushed open the door.
Twilight paused as she took her first few steps into the room. Frowning in confusion, she looked around the room, taking in every detail. There was something different about it, but she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. Had the windows changed recently? There seemed to be more stained glass, featuring ponies she had never seen. Events and battles she'd never read about before too, but that all seemed oddly familiar somehow. Her eyes were drawn to one window in particular, depicting an unfamiliar winged unicorn who Twilight could swear she recognized. In fact, the more she looked at it, the more the image seemed to resemble...
"Twilight Sparkle." Celestia's regal voice interrupted Twilight's thoughts. "It is so wonderful to see you again. Thank you for coming."
"Of course, Princess," Twilight replied, bowing with respect to her mentor, "but what exactly is it you needed, Your Majesty?"
"Oh, a bit impatient are we?" Celestia asked in a coy manner, raising an eyebrow as she regarded her student. "Am I not permitted to call you just because I want to see you, Twilight? Or do you have more important things to be doing than talking to me?"
"O-oh! No, of course not, Princess!" Twilight stammered, bowing even deeper to the ground. "I-I mean, of course you can call on me whenever you like. I would never accuse you of wasting my time. Not that seeing you would ever be a waste of time, I mean, but I just meant that, what with how busy you are, I wouldn't want to be a bother to you if there was anything I could-"
Twilight's rambling apology was interrupted by the sound of Celestia's laughter echoing around the room, the princess no longer able to hold it back as she listened to Twilight's panicked response.
"Oh Twilight, I had nearly forgotten how fun you are to tease," Celestia said once her laughter had subsided, then noticed the look of confusion and indignation on Twilight's face. She grew more serious as she addressed her student. "My apologies, Twilight. You're still confused about what is happening and it's perhaps a little cruel of me to tease you. It's just so nice to see you standing here again, I forgot myself for a moment."
"I... I don't understand, Princess? What do you mean? It hasn't been long since we last met. Unless, oh no! I didn't miss a class or anything, did I? I swear I didn't mean to if I did, but everything has been so busy lately and I would never want to disappoint or forget you, but if I-" Twilight was cut off by Celestia gently placing a hoof to Twilight's mouth, silencing the unicorn.
"Relax, Twilight. There is nothing you could ever do to disappoint me, and I've had the fortune to see first-hoof that you've never forgotten me, no matter how much time passed," Celestia reassured Twilight, who simply stared back at her teacher with a look of complete bafflement by now. "Enough about all that for now." Celestia continued, stroking a hoof affectionately through Twilight's mane as she spoke. "Tell me Twilight, do you know what today is?"
"Of course, Your Majesty," Twilight replied, "it's the day before Hearth's Warming."
"Is it?" Celestia replied, sounding slightly surprised for a moment before collecting herself. "Ah, yes. Now I remember. Your family did their gift exchange on the night of Hearth's Warming eve, didn't you?"
"Um, yes. We do, Princess," Twilight confirmed, feeling ever more lost at the conversation they were having. She was doing her best to focus on the Princess and ignore the pictures shining down around her. What was going on?
"Well, I suppose that makes sense then," Celestia mused. "For you see, Twilight, the reason you're here is that I have a gift to give you.",
"You do!?" Twilight asked excitedly, all feelings of confusion or doubt dispelled by the excitement of receiving a gift from the Princess herself. "I mean, uh, thank you most graciously Your Majesty, but you don't have to..."
"Oh, but I do, Twilight. It's the least you deserve for all you've done. Now here," Celestia's horn lit up as she spoke, and a small, wrapped present floated gently before Twilight. "Happy Hearth's Warming. Go ahead and open it."
Twilight hesitantly dispelled Celestia's aura around the box as she gripped it within her own magic. Slowly peeling off the wrapping paper, being careful not to tear or rip any of it as usual, she examined the small box that it had hidden. The box was small, no bigger than Twilight's hoof, but it felt oddly heavy in her magic. She gave one last look up to Celestia, who smiled warmly and nodded to the unicorn to continue, before opening the box's lid. A warm light flooded the room, blinding Twilight for a moment as the world spun around her.
Princess Twilight Sparkle stood atop the stairway in her old castle back in Ponyville, the alicorn looking over the large room of ponies celebrating and partying with one another. Beside her stood Celestia, no longer towering over a young unicorn but standing eye to eye as one ruler to another.
"Happy Hearth's Warming, Your Majesty," Celestia whispered to Twilight as she took in the sights before her. Twilight felt her eyes watering as she looked out and saw all her friends and relatives laughing and partying together. She saw her parents chatting with Rarity and some of her old students. She watched Applejack and Shining Armor hoof-wrestling as Rainbow Dash and Cadance cheered their partners on. Over there Starlight and Trixie appeared to be playing tug-of-war using Sunburst's body beneath a sprig of mistletoe. Across the room, Luster Dawn was showing off some new spell to the friends she had made in Ponyville. Fluttershy was directing a flock of birds in wrapping ribbons and lights around a Hearth's Warming tree as Moondancer and Minuette used their magic to hang shining ornaments upon the branches. Countless other ponies cavorted around the room, many of them ponies Twilight recognized from her life. It seemed like every pony she had ever known was here, and many more besides.
"Princess, I don't understand," Twilight finally managed to utter, "what is all this?"
"It's exactly what it looks like, Twilight. It's a Hearth's Warming party," Celestia explained.
"But, I- How can everypony be here? They're all- I mean they all- even you're..." Twilight stuttered, unable to fully voice her thoughts. Her eyes scanned around the room again, trying to take everything in and process what was happening. She suddenly realized two very important creatures in her life were missing from the party. "Wait. Where are Spike and Flurry Heart? Shouldn't they be here too?"
"They'll be along in time," Celestia remarked. "As will others. Every creature ends up here in time, Twilight. No need to rush them."
"I don't understand," Twilight pressed, still unable to fully comprehend what was happening.
"Tell me, Twilight, do you remember what you were doing earlier today?" Celestia asked.
Memories of her day began to come back to Twilight. It had been the day of Hearth's Warming, and she had been celebrating it along with Princess Flurry Heart, her co-ruler of Equestria and the lands beyond. The two had hosted a large party at the palace, inviting creatures from all around their kingdom to attend and have a chance to mingle with their princesses. Twilight had excused herself early, leaving Flurry to handle the rest of the festivities. She had been growing more and more tired recently, never seeming to have the energy to do all the things she had once handled with ease. Even alicorns show their age eventually, she had mused more than once to herself over the past few years.
Twilight remembered retiring to her chambers, and curling up with one of her favorite holiday stories. She remembered reading about Snowfall Frost as her eyes grew heavier. She remembered closing her eyes and-
and-
"Oh," Twilight muttered, letting her head fall as she finally understood. "I see," she whispered sadly, almost too softly for anypony to hear. She looked back up at Celestia, tears welling in her eyes as she smiled sadly at her former teacher and princess. "I suppose this was my last Hearth's Warming, wasn't it?"
Celestia said nothing, her eyes too tearing up as she regarded her former student.
"Indeed it was, Twilight Sparkle," Luna's voice cut through the moment of silence, startling both alicorns back to reality. "I'm afraid that time has caught up to you just as it did all of us."
"Princess Luna!" Twilight gasped, surprised at her sudden arrival. "Then, is this your doing?" Twilight asked, gesturing at the scene before them. "Is this your magic?"
"Just Luna is fine, I should think. After all, you bore the title of princess longer than either my sister or me, in the end," Luna chided her. "And no, this is a magic far older and more powerful than any of mine own or any other pony's, Twilight. For it is the magic of Hearth's Warming itself."
"The magic of Hearth's Warming?" Twilight asked.
"Hearth's Warming is a day for friends and family everywhere to get together and share in the joys of the holiday, is it not?" Celestia asked. "And in the end, Twilight, we do end up coming from everywhere to celebrate together." Celestia smiled as she swept a hoof across the room, guiding Twilight's gaze. "As long as creatures across Equestria continue to celebrate the holiday, then we'll be able to rejoin our friends and family here, time and time again. This is the last Hearth's Warming for every creature, and it happens every year."
"It is the final gift that we all receive, Twilight," Luna added. "The gift of friendship everlasting."
Twilight was about to say more, but suddenly another familiar voice disrupted her thoughts.
"TWILIGHT!!!" it called out.
Before Twilight was able to react to her name being called, something pink and puffy crashed into her, tackling her to the ground. Twilight found herself lying on her back, the smiling face of Pinkie Pie directly above her as the pink party pony wrapped her in her hooves.
"It's so good to finally see you again, Twi," Pinkie cried. "I mean, it's super sad and all too, cause it means you, you know, but it's also excitetastic that you're here and we're all together again, 'cause me and the girls have been waiting so long to see you again and now we can and the elements can all be together just like we used to when we had all those crazy adventures together, like do you remember the time we kicked Nightmare Moon's butt -- oh, um, no offense, Princess Luna -- or when we sent Tirek packing all the way back down to Tartarus, or all the other crazy things we did together? And I bet you have all sorts of fun stories to tell us about what you've been doing all these years since, and I can't wait to hear all about all of it and- OH!" Twilight managed to blink once as Pinkie paused for a breath. "I need to put together a 'welcome to the party' party for you. Don't you worry, Twi, Cheese and I will whip up a welcome party for you that will blow even all those galas we did back in the old days out of the water! Don't go anywhere until we're ready! But, then, I guess I don't really have to worry about that, do I? Cause we're all here forever and together and there's so much fun to be had and so much to do and I've got to go get ready now, but I'll see you in a little bit, okay?! Good seeing you again Twi!"
Pinkie tightened her hug around Twilight's body, squeezing her long absent friend as tightly as she could, before zipping off as suddenly as she had appeared. Twilight grinned as she watched her friend run off, wiping the tears from her eyes. Her grin grew into a smile as she remembered all the times she'd watched Pinkie run off to put together a party, all the fun they'd had together with all their friends, all the great memories her and the girls had shared. She started to laugh with joy as Celestia and Luna helped her back to her hooves, overwhelmed with the feeling of regaining something she had thought lost to her forever.
"We're all really here, aren't we?" Twilight asked the two former princesses once she had calmed down, the smile still wide across her face. "I really get to see everypony again? I get to see you again? I mean, I thought I'd never..." she trailed off.
"Nor did we," Luna responded. "My sister and I are well aware of the pain an alicorn's lifespan causes, Twilight. We were as relieved as you are now to once again see all those we had thought lost to us in time."
"And yet, here we are. All of us together at the end of all things, able to enjoy this one last Hearth's Warming together," Celestia continued. "Go on Twilight. There are many ponies here eager to see you again. Not just your family and friends, but countless ponies who have arrived here after us who have praised your rule and regaled all of us with stories of your friendship and wisdom," Celestia spoke proudly to her former student, wrapping Twilight in a hug of her own. "You've done well, my dear, dear Twilight. No pony has earned their rest more than you. Now go, enjoy the party."
Twilight hugged Celestia back, nearly as hard as Pinkie had done to her, and then turned to face the assembly of ponies and creatures in her castle. As she looked on, the scenery before her changed again, revealing an endless expanse of all those who had come before her to join in this last Hearth's Warming. She stepped forward, joining with them in the eternal revelry of the holiday spirit.
"And you haven't told anypony else?" a regal voice asked the forlorn guard standing before her. They were the only two ponies in the bedroom, both looking down sadly at the body of a third.
"No, Your Highness," the guard answered truthfully. "I came to check in on her as you requested, and then rushed to find you as soon as I saw."
"Good. I think it best if we kept this between us until tomorrow, if possible. No sense ruining any pony else's Hearth's Warming with the news," Princess Flurry Heart sadly decreed.
"As you wish, Princess," the guard stated. "Though, there are a number of things to get ready and prepare for now that-"
"TOMORROW!" Flurry Heart shouted, the order coming out much harsher than she had intended. She paused, took a deep breath, and wiped the tears from her eyes. "My apologies, captain. I'm sorry. I just, I need some time to process this."
"Of course, Your Highness," the captain of the guard responded in understanding. "Is there anything I can do for you now, Princess?"
Flurry considered a moment before responding.
"Send a message to Ambassador Spike. Tell him I need to see him as soon as possible. Tonight, or in the morning at the latest," Flurry ordered. "I'd prefer he hear about this directly from me, rather than anypony else."
"Of course," the guard spoke, "I'll contact him immediately. Come Princess, first allow me to escort you back to your room for the evening. You should get some rest. I think the next few weeks will be very busy for all of us."
The guard exited the door of the bedroom, with Flurry Heart following behind. Before leaving the room, she took one last look at the pony lying in bed, a small smile gracing the still body of the purple alicorn.
"Happy Hearth's Warming, Auntie Twilight," Flurry Heart whispered softly, before putting out the light and closing the door behind her.
Author's Note
Oh hey, it's my first 'E' rated fic. Feels weird writing something clean, but rules are rules. This fic was written for Jinglemas, for user NeKiyha, who asked for something involving Twilight and Celestia and for something 'heart warming'. I don't know if this ended up heart warming or just depressing, but hopefully they liked it. I think it turned out pretty well, but it's not exactly my normal wheelhouse.
Title is a reference to the best holiday special of the revived Doctor Who series, "Last Christmas". I took a little inspiration from that special, but had to leave out Santa Claus and the brain eating dream parasites.
Hope you all enjoyed reading this, and a happy Hearth's Warming to all of you. Stay safe this holiday season, and let's all hope 2021 brings a little more cheer than the past year did.
