A Hearth's Warming Eclipse
In the depths of Bridlewood, the snow had begun to fall; it was that time of year again. That time of year when the hearts of Unicorns were lighter, and now with the return of their magic, a time of joy and laughter; a time of togetherness.
Though lost to time, the tradition of Hearth’s Warming had been revived. Amidst the newly unified races, this would be the first Hearth’s Warming all three; Unicorn, Earthpony, and Pegasi would celebrate together. And in a home that, even amidst the glowing colors of the magical woods, seemed to shine just a little bit more, Izzy Moonbow was excitedly decorating for the festivities that would take place the next day.
Ever-creative the dauntless Unicorn hummed cheerfully to herself, as she strung up various strands of rainbow-colored streamers. Glancing at the streamer in her hooves, she giggled. It’s orange, just like her. Continuing to hang up the streamers; orange ones, purple ones, and various others, Izzy couldn’t help but let her mind wander.
She thought about Hearth’s Warming tomorrow, about how her friends would all be there, about how Sunny would be there. Sunny; her best friend, with those gorgeous teal eyes, that adorably optimistic, sparkling smile. That orange furred hide, and that well-toned flank. Shaking her head, as if trying to clear it, suddenly, she started talking to herself.
“Oh come on Izzy, that’s your best friend. But-”
Lowering her eyes, she whispered.
“I want more.”
This wasn’t the first time she had had this conflict within herself; since she had these thoughts. For months now, Izzy had known Sunny and what had started as intrigue during their adventure, had become far more. She couldn’t fool herself, she had a crush on the Earthpony; everything from the way she smiled to the way she flicked her tail while walking. Everything about Sunny caused her heart to flutter.
And yet, she couldn’t say that to Sunny. She desperately wanted to; but after countless walks and talks and activities together, with their friends, Izzy still wasn’t sure how Sunny saw her. What if she really only wanted to be friends? What if she wasn’t into mares? What if telling her ruined their friendship? No, Izzy couldn’t tell her, she refused to risk ruining the friendship they had and instead had resigned herself to hide her ever-growing desire.
A loud knocking snapped Izzy from her thoughts and nearly leaping off the ladder she’d been standing on, she hollered out.
“Coming~”
She approached the door, still trying to reassure herself.
“Just relax. Tomorrow everypony will be there. Tomorrow you can dance with her all day long, enjoy food with her, and with the others there it won’t seem weird.”
Reaching for the doorknob she chuckled.
“As if you’ll ever find yourself alone on Hearth’s Warming Eve with-”
Flinging open the door, her eyes grew as wide as dinner plates, her heart leaped into her throat, pounding fiercely, and her voice rose several octaves.
“Sunny!”
***
Earlier that morning
Sunny Starscout’s eyes flew open as the alarm went off. Rising up, and stretching her hooves with a loud yawn, Sunny glanced at the calendar. Her bright teal eyes radiated with excitement. There, in a bright red circle, was the day’s date. Today’s gonna be my day! Today was Hearth’s Warming Eve, and though the holiday was just re-established, she was going to spend it with Izzy. And that meant the world to her.
She had felt it, from that moment they had met, and she first stared into Izzy’s shimmering pink irises. Since then, Sunny had been completely smitten. Though she had never known love, Sunny couldn’t deny her feelings. Something about Izzy intrigued her. And she had to know why.
Unlike many others, the Earthpony mare normally never fretted over her desires or wants; if she enjoyed something, she pursued it. She was usually never conflicted or lost on the path she chose to follow. And when it came to Izzy, that Unicorn had caused a spark within her; a jolt of excitement and joy like no other. And for once in her life, she had been completely stumped on how to pursue it.
Sliding her hooves into her rollerblades, Sunny thought about yesterday at lunch and the advice Pipp had offered her.
***
Yesterday
“Sunny, what’s wrong? I got your text and I rushed over as quickly as I could. What’s going on?”
Gliding on her wings the Pegasus Princess, Pipp, landed beside Sunny, who sat alone at a picnic table; a half-eaten haybacon on rye on a plate in front of her and tears welling in her eyes. Sunny looked miserable; her eyes had dark circles from lack of sleep, her mane and tail completely mussed. Beside the plate lay the cellphone Pipp had bought for her, flashing with nearly 30 unread text notifications from the Princess.
“I’m in love with Izzy!”
Clasping her hooves over her muzzle in shock at her own abrupt shout, Sunny winced. She hadn’t meant to yell, but it had been welling within her, and Sunny’s heart pounded heavily, the stress of holding it back had been killing her. She had to say it, to tell somepony.
“That’s wonderful Sunny…But why are you telling me?”
Unclasping her hooves from her eyes, Sunny looked at Pipp’s surprisingly gentle smile. The Pegasus Princess gave a small chuckle.
“I’ll never understand what it is with you Earthponies shouting your romantic desires at me; I may be very loving but I am not the Princess of Love, y’know.”
“Huh?”
Sighing, Pipp wore a bemused smile as she spoke.
“First Hitch, and now you.”
“Wait, Hitch?”
"Yeah, we were on a date when I got your text. Anywho, Listen Sunny. I’m not the one you should be telling. I think it’s wonderful you feel that way, but the only one whose opinion really counts is Izzy’s. You should tell her.”
“I’m not sure how!”
“Hm, what about the party in two days?”
“I thought about that, but I really didn’t want to put pressure on her in front of all our friends.”
“Yeah, you have a point. Unlike Hitch, you should probably announce it to her in private and not during my Livestream-”
Blinking, Sunny looked surprised, but Pipp carried on before she could respond.
“-Well, she is decorating tomorrow for the party, perhaps that would allow for more intimacy.”
“Yeah, but when exactly will she be decorating that house? I mean you know how erratic she is and how swiftly she accomplishes such tasks.”
Nodding thoughtfully, Pipp mused out loud, slowly working it out.
“True, she could be anywhere from an hour to four. If only we knew what her schedule was. I got it. Let’s ask the Pippsqueaks!”
“Pipp what are you-”
With a clicking sound, Pipp activated her phone and the camera came to life as she smiled brightly.
“What’s up, Pippsqueaks? Can I get a Pipp, Pipp, Hooray in the chat?”
Sunny watched in utter disbelief as the viewer count skyrocketed and the chat suddenly came to life. What was Pipp doing? Meanwhile, Pipp continued calling out to her fans.
“Listen up Everypony. I am hosting a super special giveaway for the next five minutes only. Beside me is Sunny Starscout, the savior of unity and we are offering one of you the chance of a lifetime; to have lunch with us next week!”
The chat buzzed and chirped with tips, donations, and just one question: What do we have to do?
Pipp skillfully flourished her mane and spoke cheerfully to her adoring followers.
“All you have to do is get me the schedule of the Unicorn, Izzy Moonbow, for Hearth’s Warming Eve! Izzy is a dear friend of ours and we really need to know when she’ll be home. First one to post the info and proof, will not only get a shoutout, but will also be flown to Maretime Bay for lunch with Sunny and yours truly next week!”
Turning to Sunny with a bright grin, Pipp whispered to her; the chat buzzing like an angry wasp and notifications and chirping going ballistic on all social media avenues the message was swiftly spread.
“And now, we wait.”
Rolling her eyes, Sunny said.
“Pipp you can’t really expect this to-”
Before she could finish her words, Pipp excitedly exclaimed.
“Sunny, look!”
Blinking, Sunny read what Pipp was pointing to on the screen:
“Unicorn, here. I saw Izzy over in the Crystal Tea Room, telling Alphabittle exactly where she would be and when she would be there, below is a link to the spreadsheet I’ve compiled…Oh wow, they really went into detail on this.”
Before she looked away from the chat another comment caught her attention:
“They’re right. Afterward, she challenged Alphabittle to a dance-off after several glasses of straight tea. You should have seen it, it was so insane. She…Wait, that can’t be right.”
Pipp suddenly chimed in.
“Hey look, they included a video, tap it.”
Sunny’s mouth fell open as the video of Izzy on the dance pad played and her face flushed a bright red, while Pipp’s wings shot straight up.
“That’s…something. She is one flexible mare, isn’t she? You really picked a winner there, Sunny.”
Sunny was at a loss for words as the chat exploded in surprise. Swiftly, Pipp held up the camera and smiled into it.
“Shoutout to Rainbowedscissorer42 for winning the contest! Keep an eye on your inbox for information on how to claim your prize. Sunny and I can’t wait to meet you! Well, that’s all the time we have today! I’ll be hosting a full Livestream of the First Hearth’s Warming party I’ve attended. Tune in, and be sure to let all your friends know. Be sure to check out my Patreon and merch store, links in the chat now. I love all of you. Pipp, Pipp, Hooray!”
As the chat was flooded with Pipp, Pipp, Hoorays, Pipp turned off the Livestream and looked at Sunny.
“See?”
“I can’t believe that worked. How in Equestria did you get almost 100k viewers on an impromptu stream?”
Pipp shrugged.
“I don’t know, they just seem to always show up when I Livestream. Anywho, now you have her schedule for tomorrow. So what are you going to do? Are you gonna tell her?”
***
Skating down the newly constructed highway between Bridlewood and Maretime Bay, Sunny wore a grin as bright as her namesake. Her mane was styled, without a hair out of place, the circles under her eyes were gone and she no longer had any doubt.
Arriving at the home of Izzy, Sunny stared at the door in silence. Her hoof suddenly felt rather heavy. Could she do this? Taking a deep breath, she put a smile on her face and knocked on the heavy wooden door. I’m going to do it. Today I’m going to tell her!
The door was flung open and Sunny watched Izzy’s fiery pink eyes widen, as the Unicorn shouted at her.
“Sunny!”
***
“Izzy!”
Izzy stared into the warm eyes of Sunny, still a bit startled at her sudden appearance. Taking in her beauty, Izzy could swear she smelt strawberries; was that perfume she was wearing, and what about the beam of light that seemed to surround her? Was she really bathed in a halo, or was that just her own perception of her?
She watched Sunny’s mouth move, but she couldn’t hear her. Shaking herself out of her own thoughts, Izzy blinked.
“Huh?”
“I said, I came to help you decorate. Can I come inside?”
“Oh, yeah. Of course, come in!”
Izzy’s heart pounded as Sunny walked past her. I’m alone with Sunny! Her elation gave way to anxiety as she realized. Oh no, I’m alone with Sunny. Don’t blow this Izzy. Don’t do anything to make her suspicious.
Trying to play it cool, as Sunny inspected the tree, ornaments, and banister decor, Izzy leaned against the railing and crossed her hooves.
“Soooo, what do you think?”
Sunny’s face was one of delight.
“Oh Izzy, it looks amazing!”
As Sunny continued looking around, Izzy glanced up and balked. Staring at the streamers she had hung earlier, Izzy realized she had hung them in a way that created Sunny’s face. Frantically, her horn glowed and she used her magic to tear them down. Sunny blinked in surprise as the mass of streamers fell on her.
“Wha-”
Izzy suddenly shouted.
“Oh no. Sunny, I’m sorry! I must not have secured them properly.”
Sunny just gave a gentle snort of laughter and said.
“That’s okay. Here let me help you with that. Hm, these are interesting colors for Hearth’s Warming…”
Worried that Sunny might notice her faux pas, Izzy swiftly made another suggestion.
“Actually, I was wondering if you could help me with baking some cookies for tomorrow’s party.”
Sunny grinned and dropped the orange streamer in her hoof.
“Absolutely! I love baking. My dad and I used to bake treats all the time.”
***
For the next few hours, Sunny mixed and baked the various ingredients, while Izzy pulled forth the cookies and colored them with icing. While Sunny was stirring the batter, Izzy couldn’t help but sneak sidelong glances at her. What an adorable smile she has, look how focused she is. Look at that glorious orange- Izzy stop it! Why can’t I stop these thoughts? What am I going to do?
What Izzy didn’t know was that while she pulled the hot trays from the oven, Sunny did the exact same thing. Mmm, those cookies look almost a good as those well-toned thighs of hers. I really need to tell her. I can’t take my eyes off her. Argh! Just say it! Just tell her!
“Hey Izzy, can- can I ask you something?”
“Huh? Sure, what’s up?”
Sunny got up close to Izzy, close enough for Izzy to feel the warmth of her breath. This is it! Just tell her. Just-Her eyes are so pretty. Why is this so hard? I can’t focus, I- Just say it!
“I just wanted to ask you if-if-if-”
“Sunny, what’s wrong?”
“I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to…go outside and hang the lights, together?”
No! Just say it! Argh! Why can’t I say it?
“What about the cookies?”
Sunny looked at the tray, cooling on the counter. What in the-
“Hey, Izzy, these look just like m-”
Swiftly grabbing Sunny’s hoof, Izzy shouted.
“Right! Lights, let’s do it!”
“Izzy! Wa-Wait a minute!”
Izzy dragged Sunny out of the kitchen and the two-headed outside, amidst the protests of her off-balanced friend. And In no time at all, Izzy and Sunny had a ladder set up and were stringing up the lights. Sunny had insisted on physically hanging the lights and now stood on her hind hooves on top of the ladder.
“Y’know since you had trouble with the streamers earlier.”
Izzy didn’t mind, who was she to complain about such a wonderful view from down below.
***
The temperature of the outside air began to drop as the night fell, and Izzy’s heavy breathing left vapor trails in the air. As the chill filled the air, Sunny came down the ladder, her own breathing increasing dramatically as she turned and stared into Izzy’s eyes. Above the two, a white frost had begun to fall.
As the world froze around them, the two mares felt none of it. Their bodies felt like they were on fire, and for that moment in time, the world just faded away. Both of them just stared at each other in complete silence. And then it happened. Neither could take it anymore, and both opened their mouths at the same time.
“Izzy-!
“Sunny-!”
Their voices became one in the cold winter’s night.
“I’m in love with-”
Their eyes widened as they realized they were on the same page, that they both had the same words written on their hearts. Finishing their words they moved closer together, inches away from the other’s muzzle, both feeling the warmth of the other’s breath.
“-You.”
Their cheeks flushed a bright pink as they just stared at each other, unsure of what to do next. That’s when Sunny grabbed Izzy and tenderly placed her lips against Izzy’s own. Melting into Sunny’s embrace, Izzy never wanted that moment to end.
After a few moments, the two slowly separated and just stared at each other; once more, smiling lovingly at each other. Both were breathing heavily, the stress finally lifted. Izzy finally noticed the snow falling as a snowflake landed on her forehead and she chuckled mischievously.
“Hey, you know, the snow’s getting pretty thick. Maybe you should, um, spend the night.”
Sunny glanced around her at the ground, seeing no snowy build-up whatsoever, and grinned sheepishly, gently nuzzling Izzy’s neck as she whispered.
“Yeah, I think I should. I don’t want to get caught in a snowdrift after all. What do you say we go inside and get cozy?”
***
Outside, the snowfall slowly grew more and more intense as the night waned on; the winds picked up and howled while the temperature continued to fall. Inside the house of Izzy Moonbow, however, two mares lay upon a faux fur blanket, gently cuddling each other before a roaring fire.
And as the fire’s flames faded and the embers glowered, both embraced each other as they entered the land of dreams. Beside them, two empty mugs, once filled with steaming hot cocoa lay; the remnants of the night’s activities. Neither knew what tomorrow would bring, but what they did know was they would face it together; Their two hearts, finally one.
