The Most Horrible Hearth's Warming EVER: A Candy Mare Tale

Snowflakes drift serenely through the night, fleetingly illuminated by the silvery beams of moonlight which break through the overcast sky. Far below the snow falls gently on the fairy lights and tinsel that twinkle merrily, strewn about the quaint little hamlet of Trottingham. In the cobble-stoned streets of the cheerily decorated town ponies of every stripe bustle about their holiday business. Some late shoppers dart from store to store, gathering supplies for feasts and parties that are only a few more sleeps away. Other ponies gaily deck their halls with yet more decorations for all to enjoy, perhaps hoping to attract a few more eyes to their shops for those last minute yuletide sales. Despite the cold, many a mare and stallion are clearly out to do nothing more than enjoy the good food and festive cheer all around them, drinking hot cider to stave off the chill.

As each pony sets about their business, they can't help but break into a familiar and jolly carol ~

'♪♫Ponies' voices fill the night~♪♫'
'Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!'
'Happy hearts so full and bright~'
'Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!'
'Oh, what a sight~'
'Look at the light!'
'All for tonight!'
'Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!'

The sights and sounds are enough to move the hearts of even the most humbugged of individuals to a merry glow. As the ponies sing their song a new voice drifts in, high and strange, but no less joyous than their own...

'♪♫So gather round and share the cheer~♪♫'
'Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!'
'To celebrate another year~'
'Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again'
'But did you know?'
'Not long ago...'
'It was not so!'
'Hearth's Warming Eve nearly came to an end!'

Caught off guard by these strange new lyrics the ponies paused to turn to the new singer, muttering quizzically among themselves. However, the singer seemed to relish this sudden shift in attention. They jumped to the top of the town square's frozen fountain and tipped a holly wreathed top-hat to the crowd. It was then that those citizens of Trottingham closest to the newcomer gasped in amazement!

"Why, she's made of snow!"

"Snow?"

"Yes, a pony made entirely of snow! A snow pony!"

Indeed, the pony who bowed so flamboyantly to their wondering eyes appeared to be a living Snow Mare! Aside from the silken black hat that now rested atop her head, as well as a red and black striped scarf that the pony wore around her neck, every inch of the pony's body was crystalline and gleaming white from the tips of her ears down to the soles of her hooves. Although snow wasn't exactly the only thing used in her construction; The Snow Mare graced the crowd with a wide smile and, as she did, tiny candy corn teeth peeked out from between her frosty lips. The snow pony had been cleverly sculpted to have a most expressive face, complete with peppermint dimples at the corners of its broad mouth. Wide lollipop eyes that seemed to glow in the reflected light of the jolly decorations spun and swirled in the shadow cast by the brim of her top-hat. She also sported several gumdrop buttons down her chest, like one might find on a holiday gingerbread treat. All in all, the Snow Mare looked like she’d be something sweet to bite in other circumstances.

Some of the adults looked a little disturbed by this strange pony's sudden appearance, but the children all around the town square lit up with delight.

A magic snow-pony!

Golems made out of snow were all the rage in the larger cities, created by powerful unicorn wizards to entertain crowds and tell stories of Hearth's Warming Eve's long, long ago! They existed to keep the spirit of Hearth’s Warming alive and well and to remind ponies to share good will and glad tidings! What a treat to find one in Trottingham, a hamlet populated mostly by earth ponies and fairly old fashioned ones at that.

Despite the Snow Mare's uncanny and unexpected arrival, or perhaps because of it, such a diversion was so singular as to immediately garner all the little filly's and colt's rapt attention. But not everyone gazed at the Snow Mare with wonder. In response to some of the older folk's shocked expressions, and perhaps to allay their fears, the snow pony danced a merry jig for their entertainment as she continued to hum a cheerful seasonal song.

The Snow Mare flipped and did cartwheels around the fountains edge and, picking up a few snow balls, she then began to juggle while sliding and skating across the frozen surface of the water within. As the festively frosty pony tossed the snow balls one by one high into the air she even removed her own head and tossed it up high into the sky, letting the snow balls and its own errant noggin fall back down onto her waiting shoulders! She then spat the snowballs back up into the air one by one where they burst into a shower of icy glitter that rained down along with pieces of apparently free candy! The Snow Mare then finished by performing a triple-axle before landing in the splits and spreading her forelegs wide with a dazzling smile and a spirited "Ta-da!"

The fillies and colts went wild with applause and laughter! As the children had been drawn further in by the acrobatic display, pointing and laughing with wonder and delight, the adults had managed to shrug off their own misgivings and join in. It seemed that there was nothing to fear from the Snow Mare and this spectacle seemed to be all in good fun. It was not long before all seemed eager to see how this holiday novelty might play out.

"That's right fillies and gentlecolts, gather round!" beckoned the snow pony with fervor and glee. She settled down on her haunches at the edge of the fountain, eager young foals practically spilling into her lap. "Gather round, and I shall regale you with a stupendous seasonal tale of past, present, and future, to captivate and terrify!"

One tiny filly, bundled up under so many layers of winter apparel that she could barely move, squealed as she exclaimed, "That was awmazing miss Snow Pony! Are you gonna tell us the tale of the fuwst Heawths Wawming, when the pony twibes set aside theiw diffewences and united undew the fwag of Equestwia?"

"No little girl. No, I won't!" replied the Snow Mare, with a confident grin.

Murmurs of confusion spread through the crowd. That was exactly the sort of story the snow pony's audience had been expecting! This wasn't how most interactions with story tellers, let alone a magic snow pony, was meant to go. They were fonts of festive holiday cheer, meant to enchant young and old alike wherever they were found. To deny the request of such a cute and precocious young filly so flatly was far from what was expected.

As if sensing the disquiet in the crowd, the Snow Mare quickly continued, "Wait, wait! I mean yes! Yes, little girl! I will tell you a tale reaching far back into Equestria's past, but not quite so far back as its founding. I will tell you a tale of mystery and danger, the triumph of good over evil, and a holiday lesson that will stay with you for the rest of your lives!" With a flourish, the Snow Mare jumped to her hooves, and grinned charmingly at the expectant ponies. All fears had been allayed and the crowd seemed eager once more to get underway. She had them eating out of her hoof now."This is the tale, of the 'Most Horrible Hearth's Warming EVER!' It's a little hazy, but it all started some one thousand moons ago..."