Fire Watcher in Heart's Warming Eve
There are times when life plays against you; even if you can't notice it, the occasions when you are prevented from doing something aren't exactly few and this can piss you off a lot, although there are some when this helps you stop your race on life for a moment and begin to reconsider what one does in life and if that's the right path to follow.
In my case, I was a complete idiot, I admit it; however, that doesn't mean that I dislike being one from time to time, though it's preferable for me when there is no one else around to witness it. I have fun doing some silly things and laugh doing them; I don't regret at all defying the law itself, after all, the "forbidden" - even if you don't want to - attracts you somehow.
…Now that I am considered the law, things aren't so funny, but I must stay calm to avoid problems that might affect - indirectly - my family; in part, that's a reason for which I took this job, it looked simple and entertaining. Nonetheless, that fun has been greatly reduced, which made me insist on reflecting more on what I was doing.
Nowadays, I've started to care more about others than I did in the past and that felt odd to me; as a teenager, I always loved living to the extreme (up to a point), but as an adult - and as the years passed - things in my life changed...
A lot...
I took a sip of the hot chocolate that I held while my eyes were fixed on the sky ahead of me; precisely, what I found myself observing was a large cluster of clouds that - slowly - approached us.
The weather report confirmed my supervisor's suspicions; it was estimated that this storm would last at least 3 or 4 days, bringing with it strong winds and a large amount of snow (which would make it difficult for us to move from point A to point B).
I, for my part, had no intention of leaving at all, despite suggestions from our superiors; nevertheless, the rangers and fire watchers had other plans and chose to leave the forest before they remained trapped.
On the other hand, my supervisor insisted on trying to convince me to leave, just like the rest, but I refused; consequently, she informed me of her decision of not leaving either, preferring to spend Heart's Warming Eve "completely" alone, because of me. Only once did I question her, but there was no response from her since then...
"Hey."
As if it were an instinct, I turned to look inside the cabin that I had assigned as my surveillance post; for a moment, it seemed for me to have heard something, but immediately looked back at the storm - ignoring the event completely -...
"Moonlight, please answer."
This time, I did hear a voice coming from the inside. Therefore, I entered the cabin, closing the door behind me, and grabbed the radio...
"Hi, Luna." I said over the radio.
"You know, there are times when you have to accept the fact that your parents raised you to be a gentleman." She commented. "Keeping a lady waiting is not kind at all... much less gentlemanly."
"Mhm..." I replied, somewhat embarrassed. "Sorry, I was distracted by the storm."
"Impressive, isn't it?" The woman commented again, referring to the storm. "One of the biggest I've ever seen."
"Yeah," I said. "me too."
Then, a brief silence didn't hesitate on making an act of presence to empty the previously busy environment; and although I wanted to speak, I couldn't...
"You wonder why I haven't left yet, right?" The voice asked, to which I replied.
"Yes."
A sigh came from the radio. "I didn't feel it... correct you know." She said with a sincere tone of voice. "Those kinds of things that don't allow you to advance-"
"...That keep you still, without the possibility of carrying out that."
"Exactly." She replied...
"Is it me or are you outside?" I asked, confused by listening to the wind sounding on the radio as well...
"Yes, I'm bringing Reggie some food." She answered.
"Your pet or the carved sign?" I joked; later, I got to let out a laugh...
"Ha. Ha. Very funny." She replied in a sarcastic tone. "The rabbit, my pet."
"You seem to like animals very much." I commented, to which she spoke...
"I guess I owe it to Fluttershy, my ex-student."
"Oh right. You were a teacher, weren't you?" I asked after having remembered her old job.
"And vice-principal."
...Well, besides that...
"Right," I said, out of the conversation by not pressing the radio's button. "You know, I never asked you. What made you change your profession?"
A silence emerged, but it was instantly snatched away by Luna's voice...
"Some... situations arose between the students."
"Let me guess," I interrupted. "Too complicated?"
"They were literally out of our control, so I decided to leave, although Celestia understood that my place was not that, but another."
"Does she... know you work here?" I asked, curious to know which would be her response...
She sighed once again. "No, she doesn't."
"That's a shame," I replied, then looked at the storm and said. "you're pretty good at it."
My confession seemed to have done something on her since no response came from her until several seconds later...
"R-Really?" Her voice spoke, to which I answered...
"Honestly? I kind of... admire you, Luna. Despite me being a total asshole, you're still here, aiding such an imbecile, no matter what."
She didn't reply...
I sighed with a smile as some memories came into mind. "You have the strength of your greatness, not disappointing anyone, even on the toughest conditions."
Still, no answer...
"And..." I spoke one again, taking a deep breath before concluding. "despite your errors and, mainly, mine, you never gave up on me; you helped me to be a better person and... I appreciate it. You deserve being with your sister instead of staying here and accompanying me."
The silence became more and more obvious as the seconds passed; I had stopped talking through the radio and paid attention to this static since no sound came from it. I was about to apologize and turn off the radio before a knocking on the door, I heard.
I let the radio in its original place and walked towards the door, then opened it...
...Only to reveal Luna herself, standing there, in front of me while looking straight at me; her eyes had tears running down by her cheeks before falling to the ground. She sniffed...
"No one on Earth has told me- ...something as sweet as that, Moonlight."
I sighed while a small, but sincere smile emerged from my face. "I'm only being honest."
Luna chuckled. "You're an idiot, did you know that?"
I nodded in response. "I know, wanna come in?"
She denied to herself while keeping her smile, then knelt to grab a box in which Reggie was - along with some food supplies (for Reggie and her) - next to a gift she held; after entering, I helped her placing everything, then...
"Merry Heart's Warming Eve." She said.
I looked at her hands, on them she held the box with the appearance of a gift, which I took after some seconds looking at it; posteriorly, we both sat on the bed behind me, and I opened the gift...
I genuinely smiled for once as I noticed what the gift was about... a typewriter of the 20s or 30s, it seemed a little old, but still functioning. I was glad to receive it, but I also had something for her...
I put the typewriter on the table at one side of the cabin and went to get a small box decorated as a gift as well; I handed it to her. Luna opened it and smiled gently as her eyes showed true happiness I saw for the first time; then, she put aside the box and went to hug me, I gladly reciprocated the gesture and said...
"Merry Heart's Warming Eve, Luna."
THE END.
Author's Note
This is one of my Christmas gifts for the FIMFiction community and the MLP Fandom.
Merry Christmas.
- Bronie312.
