A Hearth's Warming Eve in Manehatten an FoE Tale
A Hearth's Warming Eve in Manehatten, an FoE Tale
By Trooper
“Time to wake up Lil’ Shelta,” I hear my mother say as she gently shakes me. I wake up and see that the sky is starting to lighten through the window of our vardo or traveling wagon.
“Good morning mama,” I reply as I look up into deep blue eyes and see her black splotches on her white coat like mine, I also notice a couple of gray hairs in her black and yellow mane, “Have you heard how the show did last night?”
“Not yet dear, not yet. But the dancers seemed pretty happy at the end of the night. How did it go for you and Baba Second Sight?”
As I get out of bed and start to put on my dress I begin to answer, “It went well overall it seems. Mama, how come when most ponies come into our tents, they pay us what we ask, but when those who come out of Tenpony Tower or other better-off towns, they always accuse us of overcharging them and try to get us to let them pay less?”
“Dear, I wish I could tell you. But I do not know the answer. Now are you ready for Hearths Warming tomorrow?” she asks me.
I am a bit excited when I answer, “Yes mama, but I still have a gift I need to get.”
My mother smiles, "And who are you getting your gift for this year? Would it be your friend Floor Craft, I know you both seem very fond of each other, and I have noticed you two getting closer the last four years since you got your cutie mark," she teases.
I blush, as I turn to her, “No, this year I think I will get it for Baba Sight. She has taught me so much and I have enjoyed spending so much time with her.” As I talk, I begin to brush and braid my mane and then my tail. I put on my bracelet and earring. As I look in the mirror, I notice how much my horn has started to peak above my forelock now. I remember just a couple of years ago, I was mistaken in several towns for being an earth pony, but not now. Now they notice my horn almost as quickly as my black on white splotched coat.
Once done Mama and I go outside and make breakfast for Papa and our wagon team. All of the Vardo drivers are responsible for feeding the teams that pull their wagon as well as housing them. It is kind of a nice set up as it allows me to know my cousins so much better.
After we eat and clean up, I ask Papa and Mama if I can go pick up my Hearth's Warming gift. Papa smiles at me “Always waiting to the last minute eh lil one? Do you have enough caps for it?”
I smile back, “Yes papa, I think so. Do you mind if I go into Tenpony Tower to buy it?”
I see a look of sadness on his face briefly, “My lil’ Shelta, if they let you in, go ahead, but if not, do not wander too far to look and make sure you have somepony with you. Be careful of gang members in the area, and whatever you do stay away from the area of that crater.”
“Ok Papa, Floor Craft was going to go with me,” I tell him. What I do not tell him is that my friend the white mare has told me she will be with me too. Part of me feels bad about not telling him that she will be with us, but no one else can see her it seems, but Baba Sight has told me she is real and that it is good to have a spirit for a friend.
I give papa and mama a hug and then head away from our vardo and over to the one that Floor Craft’s parents own and drive. I smile when I look up at it and see the familiar white crescent moon on the black field as it always reminds me of the story of our band’s connection with Princess Luna.
I knock on the door and Floor Craft opens the door, I see his Red splotches on white coat as well as his Black mane and tail. They set off his green eyes so well. “Hi Floor, ya ready to go?”
“Just a minute Shelta,” He turns and goes back inside. I then hear him say, “Ma, I will be back later, Shelta and I are going shopping.”
As he comes back out, I see he has his vest on as well as his hat. “Shall we Shelta?” he says to me as he walks past and I fall in beside him.
We are only half a block away from the main entrance to Tenpony Tower. It is the first time our band has been this way for several years and I do not really remember it from when I was younger.
We have set up under the Four-Star monorail tracks. This has the advantage of providing a rain covering over the midway of our show as well as for the wagons. It is cooler this time of year so any nearby bloodwings should be less active. The bandolier told Papa that it would make it where more ponies would be willing to come out to us. Especially as we are so close to the main entrance.
Floor Craft and I climb the metal stairs that lead up to the monorail track above. Another reason the Bandolier chose this location. As we approach the gates, I notice a sign hanging from an arch above the tracks. Floor Craft’s parents cannot read very well, preventing them from teaching him, so he asks me to read it to him.
“Ministry of Arcane Science, Manehatten Hub,” I tell him as we approach the old station, I see metal barricades with small windows cut into them. From the windows, I can see ponies looking out watching us as we move along. The walls look to have been fancily painted with ponies at one time but they have a heavy buildup of smoke on them as well as some are flaking, and in a few areas, it looks like somepony has painted symbols and some not so nice words on them.
I like the one that has a purple unicorn with purple and pink stripes in her mane. Just like mama’s it has some gray in it. I wonder who she was and if she was a mama too. I stop to look at it. After a few minutes Floor Craft nudges me, “Come one we need to get moving, we can’t spend all day looking at a picture of some gadjo mare.
As we approach the main entrance doors we are met by a guard. I recognize him from last night. He had come to see the dancers and passed right by Baba Sights tent. As we approach, I see him look at us and sigh.
“Sorry you two, but we do not let outsiders in,” He tells us.
Both Floor Craft and I are surprised at this. “But we only want to buy a Hearth's Warming gift.” I tell him, “See we even have caps,” I say then show him some in my bag.
He looks very nervous and quickly tells us, “Put those away now, don’t do that again. For Goddess sakes, there are ponies around here that would kill for what you have there.”
“I’m sorry sir, it is just I wanted you to know we have money and we're not just trying to sneak in,” I tell him.
“Yeah, we did not mean to upset you, sir.” Floor Craft tells him as well.
“Like I said though, we cannot let you in. In fact, if I did and I got caught, I would not only lose my job, but I would be kicked out of the tower along with my family. I really am sorry.
“If we cannot go inside to shop, then do you know of any markets nearby?” Floor Craft asks.
He thinks for a bit, Yes, about five blocks from your camp, you will need to go back to ground level, then head east three blocks and south two more, but children really, you should have an adult with you it is rough out there. If you get lost you could run into gangers or raiders. Please get an adult to go with you.”
I look over my shoulder and see the white mare, she shakes her head no, and motions her hoof for us to go over to her. I look at the guard one last time, “Thank you, sir, I hope you have a Happy Hearth's Warming celebration with your family,” and I lead Floor Craft away.
As we go, behind us, I hear the guard, “You too young filly, be careful please.”
Once we are heading away, I tell Floor Craft, “Ok, my friend the white mare has told me she will show us the way.”
He looks at me nervously, “Are you sure, I mean I trust you and you trust the spirits, but still Shelta it makes me nervous.”
“We will be fine; besides, I have my cards with me, and if we need to do a quick reading we can.”
“Ok, let’s go then, but let’s try to be back well before dark.”
Once we go back down the stairs and are on ground level we begin to head east. We are talking the whole time and I soon realize I do not know if we have gone three blocks or more. Ahead of us, I notice a barricade that completely blocks the street.
I see the white mare between us and the barricade, she is pointing to the south excitedly, and appears to run in that direction. I grab Floor Crafts foreleg and tell him to follow me quickly. As we begin to run to the south, I begin to hear voices behind us shouting.
“Where you going?” one calls. Another voice yells at us to come back and fight. A third tells us to never comeback to Thunderhoof territory. That one sounds like it is following us and I hear hoof clops behind us as we run. Suddenly the mare points to an alleyway and once we are in it to a doorway and we dodge inside.
“Hey, where’d they go?” I hear one of them yelling at the others.
“Doesn’t matter, theys out of our territory, nows they can deals with raiders or the Landsharks.”
We listen as their hoofsteps fade in the distance. Then we notice the building is empty. We begin to look around. It seems to have been picked over pretty well by now, but we still look. As he looks under a sink Floor Craft notices a hidden panel that leads behind a potato bin. When he opens it, we are surprised to find several old bits as well as an old revolver with a box of ammunition. We also find a really nice gold necklace with a heart locket that is engraved with a horseshoe.
He puts the pistol and ammunition in his saddlebag without thinking. “So, do you want the necklace to give to Baba Sight?” he asks me.
I look over and I see the mare shaking her head again, “No, you keep it, I think you might have somepony in mind already for it.”
He agrees then puts it in his saddlebag also. We look around a bit more but find nothing of real value. After a bit, we poke our heads out and check to make sure the way is clear. We head south another couple of blocks looking for the market, but we still cannot find it. Then I hear some noise behind us. I hear growling. Slowly we walk away from there looking down each of the side streets searching for the market at each crossroad. I know we have to have gone too far.
“We should go back the way we came,” Floor tells me, “It’s been a couple of hours and we still haven't found it.”
As he says that she motions for me to follow her again. “Not yet, let’s go this way.”
“Are you sure Shelta, I don’t know,”
“Come on Floor, have I led you wrong yet?” he shakes his head and agrees to follow me.
We go several more blocks to the south when we see a shop sign, hanging by only one of its two hooks that catches my attention. The sign simply says Fortune Teller. I point to it and quietly tell him, let’s check it out.”
As we enter the shop, I notice that there is debris spread across the floor. Among the debris are books of arcane magic as well as some on fortune-telling. I also see several decks of tarot cards that are still sealed. I take them and put them in my saddlebag without hesitation. I see a case labeled candles, but it has been emptied long ago. The door to the back is closed and I am hesitant to open it not knowing what may be behind it, but the white mare simply nods at the door.
I open the door and see two skeletons in the room. They are holding each other. But what I notice most is that the unicorn is wearing a gypsy style dress, and the earth pony is wearing a vest and hat. They have no jewelry on them but when we get close, I notice a pocket watch and fob hanging out of the vest pocket. On the table, before them, I see an open book with a pen. I start to read it and notice that it is a journal. But what really surprises me is that the last entry is more of a note to somepony than a journal entry. I read the entry and notice the name of who it is addressed to. My eyes go wide and I immediately put it in my saddlebags, behind me I see the white mare smile.
I take the watch and fob and put them in my bags too. Then I let Floor Craft know it is time to leave. I gently lay a hoof on both of the skeletons, “Thank you ancestors for these gifts. I will make sure she gets them.”
We then close the door to the room and sneak back out of the building. The sun is not near as high as I had expected it to be and I realize it is late afternoon. The white mare walks alongside of me during this time. I see her smiling and between her and Floor Craft, I cannot help but smile too. We pass an old church and from inside we can hear voices singing. Part of me wants to stop but I know we need to get back. Tonight, we still have to work, but we will close the show early.
Using the monorail tracks as a guide we head west. Once we reach them, we head north and finally return to our caravan. Floor Craft gives me a quick hug, “Thanks Shelta, I will see you later tonight at the fire ok?”
“Ok Floor, I will see you then, Thank you for going with me,” I tell him and give him an awkward hug back.
After he leaves to go get ready for the night I am then surprised when my friend the white mare speaks to me, “Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve Shelta, Thank you for spending time with me today. My gift to you was my time and the tarot cards you found.”
“Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve to you too my friend. Thank you so much for everything today.” I tell her, then she smiles and disappears into a small orb of light. I then go and get ready for work myself.
After work that evening, we are all sitting around the fires we are singing the old Hearth’s Warming songs and Papa is playing the fiddle to them. After a while we give our gifts to the pony we chose this year.
I receive my gift from Floor Craft. He has surprised me. It turns out he did have a pony in mind when we found that necklace with the heart locket. He helps me to put it on and gives me a quick hug. “Thank you so much Floor, I had no idea,” I tell him and give him a quick peck on the cheek which makes him blush.
Shortly afterward I hand the gift that I found in the shop to Baba Sight, she unwraps it from the cloth I have bound it in. She looks at it strangely at first then when she opens it, she sees several photos that make her smile, she pages through the journal entries raising an eyebrow now and again. Finally, she reads the final entry and her eyes go wide, her ears forward in surprise. She looks at me, “Lil Shelta, where did you get this? How did you get this?”
I smile back at her, “My friend the white mare led me and Floor to her shop today. Please read that last entry to everypony.”
She looks around at all of us, nods her head, and begins to read the last entry.
To my Great Granddaughter Second Sight, I know this will find you well, as I have talked to the spirits and though my time is near an end, I know yours is coming yet. I write this to say how proud I am of you and our band. I only wish my health would have left me able to have stayed with it. Your Great Grandfather also wishes to tell all of you hello and to not be sad, but happy to hear from us.
Please share the photos in this book. They are of our band as it was before the world as we knew it ended. Most of you are descended from the ponies in these pictures and may even recognize a trait or two in yourselves.
We want to wish you all a Happy Hearth’s Warming, and may the blessing of the Creator and the Goddesses be upon you. Tonight, when you enjoy your cup of tea, please think of us who are no longer with you as well as Princess Luna who has blessed our band, place a cup aside for her and raise your cups to our memories. But most of all enjoy each other while you can, for life is short, and there is much to enjoy.
With love and best wishes
Your Great Grandmother Vadoma and Great Grandfather Tinker
She finishes reading it and smiles. “Thank you, Lil Shelta, it is a wonderful gift, and much appreciated. Now to all of you, I wish you a Happy Hearth’s Warming and good night.”
Author's Note
To those reading this I too wish you a Happy Hearths' Warming.
This story was originally written in 2019 and I delayed its release until this year. I hope it has brought a smile to each of you and that this coming year brings you, health, happiness, and the love of friends and family.
