It was nighttime when every creature went to their friends' houses to celebrate the coming of Hearths' Warming. Neighsay knew where he will be going, and he will be going to Tempest's neighboring tower next to the castle. He noticed a window below her tower, which might be what he will be discussing about. He didn't knew that this would lead to a situation. He was having difficulty finding her area, and accidentally bumps into Tempest.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry Tempest! I was trying to look for your room." said Neighsay.

"Going to my room? I was supposed to go to your area!" Tempest said. "Well, let's just go to my area."

Neighsay followed her steps leading to her room, and there it was. Behind that door was her bed and a small drawer and small bookshelf, and even her little hedgehog's bed was beside hers.

"Okay, now where is that hyper hedgehog of yours?" Neighsay asked.

"You mean Grubber? He is celebrating Hearths' Warming with my friends after he knows that I will be celebrating with you. Instead of calling you a distraction, he thought you were my boyfriend." Tempest said.

"I beg your pardon!? He called me your boyfriend?" Neighsay said in shock.

"He did, and I tried to tell him you weren't, were just friends, Neighsay, and we will maintain that." Tempest said.

"Next time, I will call him a meatball." Neighsay blurted. Tempest just gave him a raised eyebrow and a playful smirk.

"Karma is real, I guess." Tempest said, which made Neighsay chuckle a bit.

"I noticed a window below your tower, and it doesn't seem to be around here. Did you even know what is under your area?" Neighsay asked her. Tempest did nothing but had a smirk in her face, which made Neighsay feel uncomfortable.

"Looks like you know about it." Tempest said to him.

"You know!?" Neighsay was in shock.

"I'll show you." Tempest said.

"How will you even get there?" Neighsay asked.

"It is under my bed." Tempest said. She led him under it and told him about it. "Do you see anything... different?" Tempest asked.

"I don't, but. whatever you're saying is creeping me out." Neighsay told her.

"You see the floor tile in here?" Tempest told him. "It is a purple shade unlike the rest of the purple tint tiles. This is the doorway." Tempest led him in.

Neighsay followed her, and the room was just... dark. Tempest touches the walls and find the switch. She found it and flipped it on. All that Neighsay saw was a bed, which was bigger than Tempest's, bookshelves bigger than hers as well, and a pile of books. And above the shelves he saw a chessboard.

"I still remember playing chess back in my days." Neighsay looked at the chessboard above the shelf. "Have you learned how to play chess?" Neighsay asked her.

"Ummm... No, I haven't." Tempest told him.

"I'll show you, I'm a professional."

"I can't even beat a professional, I'm just a beginner." Tempest said.

"I will just show you the basics." Neighsay told her. He has been teaching her for one hour and is already a fast learner.

"Ready?" Neighsay asked her.

"This mare was born to be that!" Tempest said. Neighsay was sure she was and assembled the board. He summoned 2 pockets and put a piece in it, a White knight in one and a Black Knight in the other, then he shuffled them. And led one to Tempest. She just had a raised eyebrow of confusion.

"Ummm... the color you are playing is in this pocket." Neighsay said. Tempest held the pocket and opened it, and came out a Black Knight.

"I will make it difficult or easy depending on how you play." Neighsay winked at her.

"I might checkmate your king in a jiffy." Tempest winked back. They started the game, which can lead to not a deadly cause but more strategy and tactics. Starting with Neighsay and going to Tempest. They have been playing for minutes aand they kept getting stalemate. When it was 11:58 PM, they now went out under the bed and sit on Tempest's bed. Neighsay lied down in pillows, and so did Tempest. After seeing her, Neighsay sit up and rest his back in the back of the bed.

"C'mon." Neighsay said. Tempest listened to him, and she went to Neighsay and leaned her head in his chest, which made him blush a bit.

"We keep getting a stalemate, I think soon it will no longer be a stalemate." Tempest said.

"It would be a checkmate? I made it easy for you so you can beat me easily." Neighsay said.

"You seriously have to do that!!!" Tempest said as she rubbed Neighsay's neat mane and after, it got a bit messed up. Neighsay noticed this and fixed it.

They noticed that the moving hand in their clock is nearly on midnight. They had a countdown, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...And there it was... It was Hearths' Warming.

"Happy Hearths' Warming, Tempest."

"Happy Hearths' Warming, Neighsay"

"Happy Hearths' Warming, you both." Tempest and Neighsay frozed after hearing a familiar voice. It was Grubber.

"Hello, meatball..." Neighsay said.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MEATBALL!?" Grubber got a grump face at Neighsay, and Neighsay was just fine with it. All he had was a smirk.

"Oh my gosh! I like these boys."

Author's Note

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!
-Decokelow