It’s The Thought That Counts.
It's Definitely Different.
The sound of snow crunching under hooves and the excited cheers of fillies and colts filled the air as the young ponies of Hope Hollow played outside of a colorful clothing shop. Shrieks of delight would occasionally ring out as they threw snowballs at each other, occasionally hitting the walls of the shop whenever a filly or colt attempted to take refuge behind one of the shop’s outdoor displays.
The shop’s owner, a blue coated pegasus with an artificial hind leg named Kerfuffle, occasionally glanced out the window of her shop to see a pair of canary coated twin pegasi fly through the air with snowballs tucked under their fore legs. A small smile touched Kerfuffle’s muzzle as she returned her attention to a scarf that she was sewing together. The sound of their delightful cheers and shouts became a calming serenade of youth that rang in her ears, soothing her spirits as her hooves wove a pattern of festive colors into the fabric.
As Kerfuffle’s hooves fell into a natural rhythm of tucking and pulling the loose strands of yarn, three knocks came from her door before her visitor showed themselves in. Like any other pony in Hope Hollow, Kerfuffle almost never locked her door, so she didn’t even need to move from her swaying chair for her friend to come in.
Torque Wrench, a yellow coated earth pony wearing more clothes than half the town put together, trotted inside after shaking off the freshly fallen snow from her head and barrel. The town’s resident repair pony smiled brightly as she spotted the colorful couturier.
“Merry Hearths Warming, Fluff,” Torque Wrench greeted as she glanced around the shop.
“And a merry Hearths Warming ta ya too, Torque. Enjoyin’ yourself so far?”
“You bet’cha. Thought I’d come by early an’ give my gift to ya first. I hope ya like it,” Torque said as she dug through her saddle bags.
Kerfuffle hopped out of her chair after placing her project on the table, trotting over to her friend with a pleasant smile plastered on her muzzle as Torque pulled out a rather large box wrapped in red paper and topped with a beautiful golden bow. Kerfuffle gave the wrapping paper an appreciative glance before she tore into it and pulled out… A book. To be exact, it was a rather large book titled, “A Guide to Generosity by Rarity Belle.”
“Oh it’s… It’s a… It’s very nice,” Kerfuffle said as she leafed through the pages.
“I know ya like Rarity a lot, so I figured I’d get’cha a book about her. Oh, it even has a bunch’a tips about sewing an’ stuff that I thought yu’d like!”
“Really?” Kerfuffle rehotorically asked as she turned to a small section about different sewing techniques and color theory. There wasn’t anything revolutionary, and most of it was common knowledge to anypony with a clothing related cutie mark.
There was a time when Kerfuffle would have been really happy to get a book about the Element of Generosity. Rarity was a great fashion designer, possibly one of the best, but… Meeting her in pony had left a bit of an odd taste in Kerfuffle’s muzzle. There was a reason why everypony except Rarity received a personalized gift from Kerfuffle, and the less said about her “helpful pointers” the better.
“Ya shouldn’t have.” Ya really shouldn’t have. Holy buckets, this is… eehhhhhhh…. Kerfuffle thought to herself as she placed the gift down.
“Well, what da ya think?” Torque eagerly asked, wearing a bright smile that tugged at Kerfuffle's conscience.
She took a moment to look for the right words to both describe how she felt and the lies she wanted to tell. She was touched to know that her friend had put some thought into their gift, but also felt somewhat hesitant to give it a genuine compliment.
“It’s really different. I’m glad ya thought of gettin’ me somethin’ nice,” Kerfuffle said, dancing around her actual opinions of the thick book. “Anywho, I hope ya like my present!”
Kerfuffle quickly trotted over to her work area to grab a blue and light grey strap-back hat with a red trimming. An image of a skewed wrench was offset to the right of the brim next to a pair of straps that connected it to the crown of the hat. She gave it a final scrutinizing gaze before nodding in satisfaction and hoofed it over to Torque Wrench.
“Sorry I didn’t wrap it up nice an’ pretty in a bow, kinda ran outta time with all’a the orders and what not,” Kerfuffle apologized as Torque Wrench looked at her gift.
“Oh... Ya got me a hat,” Torque observed idly as she turned it in her hooves.
“Not just any hat. It’s a hat with a removable plastic shell to it can double as a hard hat an’ protect ya if somethin’ falls on ya, and the brim is removable, so ya can still wear it if’n yer also wearing that metal mask thingy.”
“Ya mean my welding mask?"
“Yeah, that thing. Oh, it’s also got these little flaps ta go over yur ears fur when it’s really cold, an’ the best part? It’s got yur cutie mark on it too!” Kerfuffle cheered as she ruffled her feathers lightly. “So, what’da ya think?”
“Thanks, I uh… I really like the color,” Torque wrench answered before placing the hat in her satchel.
Kerfuffle's smile waned slightly at the tone in Torque's voice.
“So ya like it, right?” Kerfuffle asked with a hint of worry touching her own words.
“I do I… Oh, buckets. Fluff, I like all the clothes ya give me but… I just have too many. I feel bad when I’m not wearin’ ‘em and then I just keep getting more. It helps with work, and the pockets on my overalls are nice for carrying spare nails and other small bits and bobs, but i’s a bit of a hassle ta work these clips whenever I need ta… Ya know, do my other business,” she explained before she unceremoniously fell to her haunches and looked away from Kerfuffle. She refused to meet Kerfuffle's eyes and her ears were pressed firmly against her head, as if to dull the bite of Kerfuffle’s voice. “I'm... I'm sorry, Fluff. I didn't mean ta sound like an' old grump ta ya and make ya feel bad on Hearths Warming.”
“Ya don’t have ta feel bad, Torque,” Kerfuffle assured her as she sat down across from the disheartened earth pony. “I didn’t know ya ever felt that way. Why didn’tcha tell me before?”
“I didn’t wanna complain when ya keep makin’ free stuff for me. Ya spend a lot of time makin’ this stuff an’ I really do always appreciate it. I didn’t want’cha ta think that I didn’t. I’m sorry,” she apologized again with a voice so quiet that only mice could hear it.
“Torque, ya don’t have anything ta be sorry fur. I just thought ya liked clothes because yur always wearin’ what I give ya. I’m glad ya thought about my feelings, Torque, so don’t apologize for it, okay?”
“… Alright,” Torque solemnly agreed as she tried to force a light smile on her muzzle. “Well, at least one of us liked our presents, right?” Torque asked, which prompted Kerfuffle to hiss through her teeth.
“Uuuuuhhhhh. Well, since we’re bein’ honest an’ all…”
“Wait, ya didn’t like my gift either?” Torque asked as her downtrodden mood suddenly became fainter.
“No, no it’s not like I don’t like it, but it’s not that I don’t not not like it either and wellllll… I’m just not a readin’ mare, ya know? Plus, Rarity's a littlllllle wordy? Yeah, we’ll go with wordy." Kerfuffle quickly explained.
“… Heh… Heh-heh-heh-heh,” Torque chuckled. “So, we both got each other the wrong gifts, huh?”
“I wouldn’t call ‘em wrong, I’d say... They were very thoughtful. I put a-lotta in that hat, don’tcha know?”
“Yeah, an’ I spent a pretty bit on that book too. Had it shipped all the way from Manehatten an’ I even got one that was signed by her ta top it off.”
“Oooooh… Sorry?”
“Don’t be, I should’a just asked what’cha wanted anyhow an’ we could’a both been happy. So, what’cha want, Fluff?”
“Honestly?” Kerfuffle asked with a shift of her wings. “Nothin’ actually.”
“Really? There’s nothin’ ya want?”
Kerfuffle merely shrugged as she looked around her shop. “Not really. I’ve got a full stock, supplies, and if I need somethin’ then I can just make it or buy it myself. I like givin’ gifts but it’s always kinda weird fur me to get them, don’tcha know.”
“Oh my gosh, don’t I know it,” Torque agreed with a sigh of relief. “I used to think that ya could never have too many tools, but when ya get tools fur yur birthday, Hearts Warming, and such, it can get a bit much.”
"Tell me about it. I have so many sewing needles that I can make a rug out'a them. An’ then there’s all’a the cards an’ letters ya have ta reply to, and don’t even get me started on Winter Wrap Up.”
“Uuuugh! Don’t remind me about that,” Torque lamented as her thoughts drifted to the same place as Kerfuffle’s.
“Honestly, I’m just not too interested in Hearths Warming, ya know?” Kerfuffle asked idly as she rolled around her artificial leg.
“… Ya don’t like Hearths Warming?”
“No, no, no… It’s… It’s like how a pony feels towards a Tuesday I guess, it’s…”
“Not much ta remember?”
“Exactly!” Kerfuffle agreed. “When yur a filly, every Hearths Warming is important, and all the presents are great but, it… It loses its charm a bit, don’t it?”
“Yeah. I’ll be honest, I’m a bit jealous of those ponies who can just smile an’ laugh every Hearths Warming like they just got a pot full’a gold. It just ain’t as special as it used ta be, ya know?”
“Right! An’ everypony acts like it’s a crime ta not want ta celebrate like it’s every birthday wrapped inta one. I can’t even skip a party without everypony lookin’ at me like I’m the next Snow Flake here ta ruin Hearths Warming.”
“Ya didn’t get invited ta the Hoofington’s party too, did’ja?”
“You betcha,” Kerfuffle answered, mustering the same amount of enthusiasm as a rock. “I got an invitation about a week ago, and I’m not sure I even wanna go. I gotta feeling that they’ll be ‘experimenting’ again.”
Torque Wrench shuddered at the memory of their more colorful and chaotic creations. They both loved apricots as much as the next mare, so long as that mare wasn’t Mrs. Hoofington. After a while, apricot themed dishes became a chore to eat, prompting the married couple to take a page out of Pinkie Pie’s book and test out new recipes. As Kerfuffle and Torque both thought about the inevitable party that was only hours away, an idea suddenly flashed across the pegasus’ mind. A mischievous smile quickly began to spread across her muzzle as she looked back at her wooden leg.
“… Ya knooooow,” she drawled out. “The cold really isn’t good fur my leg.”
“What?”
“Oh yeah, it starts ta squeak really bad in this kind’a weather. Here, just listen,” Kerfuffle said as she stood up on all fours and tapped her wooden leg on the floor. While anypony in Hope Hollow would have argued that the squeaking sounds her leg made were actually coming from Kerfuffle’s muzzle, Toque felt more inclined to follow Kerfuffle’s silent and squeaky lead than to refute it.
“Well, butter my biscuits, that don’t sound good at all. Well, I could try ta fix it, but it’d probably take all day. Shoot, I guess that means I can’t go ta the party then?”
“Oh no, me neither,” Kerfuffle agreed with faux worry. “An’ ya know, I can’t just ask ya ta work without givin’ ya anything. Tell ya what, I’ll make cocoa an' maybe play a few records while ya 'work'.”
“Sounds good ta me. I’ll head on over ta my shop and grab some tools. I’ll probably have’ta tell him that we can’t make it.”
“Thanks dearie, I’ll see ya in a bit,” Kerfuffle said as she trotted out of the room and into the kitchen.
As Torque Wrench began to tighten her saddle and trot towards the door, she dug out her Hearths Warming present and gave it an appreciative look over.
“Hey, Torque," Kerfuffle called out, causing Torque to stop short of the door as she looked back at the pegasus. “Thanks for the thoughtful gift.”
“Yur welcome. An’ Kerfuffle, I like yur gift too. It means a lot ta me,” Torque replied as she secured the hat on to her head. “I’ll be back in a jiffy, so get started on that cocoa, ya hear?"
"You bet'cha," Kerfuffle promised as Torque trotted out of the shop.
The sound of excited colts and fillies became a hair louder as the door opened, drawing Kerfuffle's attention to the window where she watched her friend navigate a battle field of snowballs and snow forts. While the young ponies could gallop and fly around with their friends all day, Kerfuffle would spend the rest of her day relaxing with one of her best friends.
Sometimes, a relaxing day with a good friend is the greatest gift of all.
Author's Note
Merry Christmas to all, now get out of my house.
