An Aita Hearth's Warmingby Joshua CrapoChaptersChapter IChapter IIChapter IIIChapter IVChapter VChapter IWell, it’s finally that time of year. I have been looking forward to this ever since I adopted Aita. And this will be his first time entirely in Equestria. Three years ago was me and Spike’s first Hearth’s Warming in the castle, then the year after added Starlight, and finally Aita joined last minute last year. I couldn’t be happier that we’re all going to be here together. This upcoming Hearth’s Warming party has everyone invited. I even snuck in an RSVP with one of Matilda's friends just for Aita. But I have noticed something. Ever since his semester ended last week, Aita’s been really quiet. So quiet in fact that he hasn’t said a single word since this Tuesday. Every time I see him, he’s glued to the games he brought with him. He hasn’t even talked to Starlight or Spike, not even Lightning Dust when I tried to get her to talk to him. My best bet is to talk to my friends about this. So late-week just started as I head into the throne room in the morning. When I enter, Spike, Starlight and the rest of my friends have gathered around. I sigh in relief. “Oh good. Everyone’s here.” “Is everything alright, sugar cube?” Applejack asks. “Not quite; I needed your input. See, Aita’s been quiet ever since school got out for the holidays, and he hasn’t talked to me, Spike or Starlight in days. Not even Lightning Dust could break him out of this.” Fluttershy puts a hoof on the map table. “Do you think it has to do with inviting Kevin?” “I never told Aita about that.” “What about his past?” inquires Rarity. “Do you think losing Carina might contribute to that? She was his biological mother after all.” “Well, don’t be so sure about it until you talk to him, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash points out. “But I tried to, and he just won’t answer.” Pinkie Pie grabs me by the shoulders. “Did you even? Not much use getting another friend to try and break him out of that trance. You adopted him. YOU should get his attention, not us, Carve, Sunset, Areola, Bow, Windy, Discord or whoever else he made friends with.” “Pinkie Pie’s right,” Starlight replies. “Nopony knows Aita better than you; not even Spike and I do.” “Alright guys. I believe you. I’ll find Aita and talk to him.” And so, everyone - including me - leaves the throne room, off to do their own thing. As I walk the halls, I hear wind sounds playing in one of the rooms. I open the door and see Aita in his room and on the bed, playing with his DS. His wings seem less visible than they usually are. He seems to be playing Pokemon Soul Silver as the main character in that game is seemingly on a mountain with someone in similar attire. I see the background change as well as the perspective as battle music begins. When the battle in the game is over - and the main character wins, Aita sighs and sets the DS down on his bed, letting the credits roll. I decide to come in, sit down next to Aita and wrap my wing over him, who now looks to me. “Twilight?” “Hey Aita. You’ve been awful quiet. Is something bothering you?” “No, I’m fine.” “Are you sure about that? We’re as close as crossed feathers. If there is something bothering you, you really should tell me. Isn’t that the reason Starlight reconciled with Firelight?” “But nothing is bothering me… I’m fine.” Aita picks the DS back up with his magic and switches cartridges. The game he’s playing now appears to be Planet Puzzle League, the other game he brought with him when he first moved here. I decide to use my own magic to close the DS and put it in the drawer in the side-table, which I hold with my hoof. “Sorry Aita, but I can’t talk to you if you’re glued on there twenty four seven. I could tell something is making you upset. You’re not usually this quiet. But I’m not going to know for sure what unless you say so.” Aita looks away from me, starting to tear up. “Come on, Aita. You can tell me. We’re family.” Aita proceeds to bury his face in my neck, making me feel tears dripping on the floor. “I… I’m feeling… homesick…” Aita barely manages to say in between sobs. “Homesick? You… you miss Wisconsin?” Aita nods sadly, rubbing up on my neck by doing so. “...and Mom.” “...I knew this moment would come. I just didn’t think it be the week before Hearth’s Warming… Aita… I just want you to know that it’s okay to feel homesick. I missed the Golden Oak Library when I first got this place, and even Canterlot when I first came to Ponyville. You’re telling the right pony if you’re telling me. I’m here for you, Aita.” Aita looks up at me. “R-really? Th… Thanks, Twilight…” “Maybe after this, you could talk with Chrysalis and Areola. They’d probably have something to talk about to lift your spirits. What do you say you spend some time with them?” Aita faces the ground, thinking about it, then smiles for the first time since last week. “Yeah… I’d like that.” Suddenly, his stomach starts growling, obviously from him feeling homesick and not having very much else on his mind, thus unable to share love as much as he usually can. “Maybe a cuddle from me might help that.” I get upon the bed and lie down at the edge, that way Aita doesn’t have to look at much else. I wrap my hoof around him and pull him close. We finally share a nuzzle together, prompting his wings to glow. Now that Aita is back to full energy, I let go and get off the bed. “You know how to get there, right?” Aita nods at me. “I’ll be home when you get back.” “Okay… Thanks for coming to me when I needed it.” “Any time, Aita.” As I walk into the hallway, I hear the same shimmering and crackling sounds associated with teleporting. Chapter IIThis morning, I ended up in a meeting with Pharynx, Areola, Carve and my top drones about what we should do to celebrate Hearth’s Warming. Quite a bit changed in the last year, two returning changelings being the biggest. Yes, last year was cut short, but I’ll make sure that won’t happen again. As Areola and I enter the throne room, Aita teleports in in front of the throne. “Ah, Aita,” I greet. “Lovely of you come by and visit. My teacher and I just got back from a meeting before we began festivities.” Aita looks down and paws the ground as we approach him. “Oh yeah. I forgot you usually start celebrating Hearth’s Warming a few days early.” I shake my head. “No need to fret. Come by any time you’d like. Besides, we could use some company now that we have Carve and Pharynx here.” “Twilight suggested that I visit you, since I was quite homesick. I know I never used to live here, but-” “We know what you meant,” replies Areola, giving Aita a hug. “So why were you homesick now? You didn’t seem like that after you brought me back to life.” As Aita answers, he progressively tears up. “I’ve been feeling that way since school ended. Winter break means the anniversary for when I moved is coming up… and that got me thinking of all the traditions I was a part of back home… like when Sophie would gather me and Tim at night so that we could watch Christmas specials.” When Aita reminisces about his time in the real world, it gets me thinking of when I was his age. He never really got to partake in his traditions last year; all that time was spent visiting Carve, and then Carina having Kuma. Maybe he could use a recounting of my past, one I haven’t recounted for years. “Well, you have me and Areola now. Have a seat on the throne. I think you’ll like what we have in store for you.” Aita does as I tell him by flying and landing on the throne, joined soon after by my teacher and myself. I clear my throat to prepare for a long-winded story. “There once was a time where even I was an innocent soul, a clean slate… I was a late dreamer.” As I explain to Aita, my mind flashes back to roughly forty years ago, long before I ever became Areola’s student. In my flashback, three changelings as old as I was broke stalactites off that would turn into plushes for them to attack. I used to be stunned my peers acted like this. The one in the middle stepped forward. “What are you looking at?” He asked in a cocky tone. “I-Isn’t that a little savage?” “It’s called target practice, puritan. Maybe you should try it someday.” The younglings trotted past me, the one who was just talking to me brushing up against my wing. At your age, while my peers had already let the normalized souldier behavior infect them years before, I had different aspirations that kept me largely safe. After that one incident, I went to the throne room to talk to Areola’s mother about it. “Ah, good afternoon, Chrysalis. What seems to be the problem?” “Um, Queen Wavelength, those bullies keep pestering me about their ‘target practice’.” Wavelength sighed. “As usual. You wait here and enjoy my throne guards’ company while I take care of this.” Areola’s mother was an inspiration to me when I was small. As queen, she would treat her subjects with respect and dignity… well, as long as they were whitelisted. Still in the flashback, perspective shifts away from me and more toward former changeling queen Wavelength as she trailed the peers that pestered me. “Sirc? Setinege? PIgemen!” Those uh, translate to Silk, Stinger and Pigment respectively. “Si, Mone Wehivreneges?” Stinger called out, appearing in front of Wavelength, Silk and Pigment right behind. “What is it?” “Did you changelings tease Chrysalis again?” “What, no!” Silk protested. “We were doing target practice until she objected! Besides, Stinger was the one who responded!” Wavelength had a massive scowl on her face, instantly seeing through Silk’s wording. She started walking, locking eyes with the three changelings. “If you three do that ONE MORE TIME, SO help me mother! Go back to your nests, and think about what you did!” Once she was done, Silk, Stinger and Pigment shrieked and ran off as Wavelength told them. Perspective shifts back to mine from same time, where the then-queen returned to her throne room. “There we go, Chrysalis. All taken care of…” Wavelength flew back to her throne and groaned. “The grubs these days are getting out of hoof.” “You’re telling me. I can’t go one day without getting teased. No one seems to aspire to be something other than a guard.” “Except you and my daughter. I have an idea, Chrysalis. Areola ended up discovering Hearth’s Warming earlier this month. If she and you could start a holiday pageant together, will it do something to keep your peers in check?” “Absolutely, Queen Wavelength!” I saluted. “I accept your request!” I snap back to reality when Areola starts chuckling at the final bit. I seem to’ve said everything out loud. My cheeks are a bit green with embarrassment. “Oh, that takes me right back, my old student. That’s exactly what mother recounted at the very end of the year.” “She was also thrice as assertive as I am.” My remark sort of worries Aita a little bit. “Of course, this was forty years ago,” I clarify. “Assertion was key back then, and as you’ve seen, that’s changed.” Aita bows his head in relief. “So was that how you and Chrysalis met? By assembling a Hearth’s Warming pageant at your mother’s request? That’s actually kind of cool.” “Precisely,” Areola confidently answers. “Amusing though that you bring Hearth’s Warming up…” Chrysalis briefly pauses, seeing that we are well aware. “besides it being that time of year.” Chapter IIIChrysalis and I are back to flashing back to the collective memory we were telling Aita. Around the same time, I was an adolescent who regularly visited Equestria. Everything Mother ever knew about Hearth’s Warming came from me. In Dodge, I was one of the only changelings if not THE only changeling that wasn’t immediately shunned. “Princess Areola,” my mother called. I responded and flew up to the throne room. “Can you help this nymph make the little pageant you told me about?” “W-wait. You want me to do what? I thought we didn’t celebrate Hearth’s Warming, Mother.” “My peers keep hazing me,” Chrysalis explained. “And the queen is starting to get sick of it. I-I don’t blame her.” “But how would a Hearth’s Warming pageant help with that? That’s not going to make her problems go away, right Mother?” “Maybe not right away Areola, but what is the pageant supposed to teach the participants? Silk, Stinger and Pigment in particular seem to be missing the message the both of us got. I suggest you personally enlist them, Chrysalis. If you aspire to take my place one day, you will need to assert yourself as much as you can. It’s the only way changelings will pay you any respect.” Because Chrysalis and I were the only ones whose minds weren’t poisoned by the mentality the rest of the hive followed, we were the only ones honestly cut out to assemble a Hearth’s Warming pageant. At Chrysalis’ nestrooom, I broke off a regenerative stalactite and formed it into several pieces of paper and a quill. “So Chrysalis, did you ever hear of Hearth’s Warming before you told on those bullies?” Chrysalis shook her head. “N-no, princess.” “Please, I’m only an adolescent. Areola is fine. No need to be formal… All you need to know is that there are eight main roles behind the scenes. You will be our director.” I floated the quill and hastily wrote a quick and dirty script, then copied it with a spell I memorized from Canterlot. I then passed one of the eight resulting scripts to Chrysalis. “Director? Wouldn’t that be you?” Chrysalis asked. “You want to practice assertion, don’t you?” “But a director needs to pick apart the script before they have any idea how something needs to be delivered.” “You shouldn’t underestimate yourself, Chrysalis. Give it a whirl.” “Ugh, fine. Give me the scripts.” So yeah, I made a pretty rushed script, but Chrysalis managed to gather her peers while I rounded up my three sisters. Three more volunteered, so we gave them a secret role. So there I was with Chrysalis right next to me. The youngest of my sisters played music in the background while the rest of the recruits danced along. “Alright Areola, besides all the typos, grammar, and sloppy hornwriting, I got a sense of what this script is about.” “Sure, let’s make some corrections then.” So, I used my horn to change the text to fix all the errors so that the scripts were more presentable. “Okay, try it now, Chrysalis.” “Well, it’s much easier to read.” Chrysalis directed her attention to the recruits, who stopped dancing and playing the music to pay attention. “Okay! Quiet everyone! Well, it’s real good seeing you all here. As you know, we’re going to put on a Hearth’s Warming pageant. Due to the shortage of time, we’ll get right down to work. One of the first things to ensure a good performance is unbridled attention to the director. I’ll keep my directions simple. The forehoof lifted indicates the side of stage to exit. Slashing the neck means the scene is cut short. Buzzing wings mean to pick up the tempo. Slumped wings mean to implement retesur. It’s the spirit of the changeling that counts, the interest they show in the director. Am I right?” Everyone started dancing to my youngest sister’s music again. “Tahot!” Chrysalis shouted, prompting everyone to stop again. “Alright now, we will perform this pageant, and it will be by the script! Areola, take the scripts and pass them out.” Aita snaps me back to reality as he starts commenting. “Wait a minute. Why is all of this starting to sound familiar? A bunch of kids reenacting the origin story of a holiday? Didn’t I use to watch something like that?” As I look around, Chrysalis looks like she’s fuming. Chrysalis pulls me muzzle to muzzle with her hoof, about to say something to me, only to realize Aita’s in the room. She then teleports me outside the hive so that Aita doesn’t hear us. “Areola! What do you think you’re doing?!? The pageant never started out that way! I never gave a long-winded speech to the recruits! There was never any music going on! And I certainly never gave out pointers our peers already knew!” I throw the end of my hoof forward. “Oh, pff, this is a child, Chrysalis. As long as the main idea is intact, we can be liberal with the finer details.” Chrysalis shakes me with her magic. “But that child is Aita! He’s more like myself when I was small than you realize! I was able to analyze that play we did, so why can’t Aita do the same with our memories of it?!?” “I know that, but during my visits with Carina, she told me our story was similar to a special she and Aita watched. If we got his imagination flowing, he’d get the-” “Areola, listen to me. I know you were my old teacher, but I’ve been around Aita longer than you have, and he comes to solid conclusions pretty efficiently. If you want to contribute to the story, by all means, but please keep it truthful.” “Fine! I hope you’re happy. Goodbye Chrysalis.” I turn away from Chrysalis and start heading to Equetria. “Wait, what?!?” I look back at Chrysalis. “If YOU want to tell the story yourself, go ahead and tell him. I won’t get in your way.” “Areola, I-” “The fact we had to teleport out says it all.” And so, I take off the ground and start flying. Chapter IV“Areola! Wait!” I try to reach out to Areola as she flies away from the hive. Then I remember I have AIta on my throne. I know it’ll hurt but I have let Areola go. I turn around and reluctantly kick the sand behind me. I teleport back to the throne. “Chrysalis, where’s Areola?” Aita asks. “She’s left the hive.” “Left?!? But why?!?” “I teleported out with Areola so that you wouldn’t be caught in the middle of me calling her out on stretching the truth. I could tell that she was hurt, that she just wanted you to have a good time, but teacher or not, I will not stand to sacrifice honesty for the pleasure of others.” “Shouldn’t you reach out to her?” “Later. She left to recoup, so we must let her do that, as you learned from Sunburst and his mother.” Aita looks down in front of the throne, obviously worried for Areola. So I sit down wrap my wing around him. “I can only imagine how hard it must’ve been for you when you had to step between us. I always thought we’d quarrel, but not drive each other apart. I only hope she’s okay at least.” “Me too.” “...Should I continue the story without her?” “Maybe give her some time, Chrysalis.” The flight to Ponyville goes pretty smoothly, thank goodness. It only took an hour. But when I get there, I see Twilight out and about. “Hey Twilight!” I call out, getting her to pause, turn around and see me. “Oh! Areola! What a surprise. Long time no see. So how’s your first Hearth’s Warming in fifteen years going?” “Well… not the best…” Twilight gasps in concern. “What? Why not?” “Because my old student and I needed some space.” “But what about Aita? Is he okay?” “Yes, thank Chrysalis she at least remembered what happened at Aita’s birthday party.” “Okay, what did you do?” Twilight asks playfully. “Chrysalis and I were recounting our first Hearth’s Warming pageant, and I tried to make it more similar to a special he watched than it already was.” “You do realize Aita is not very fond of lying, right?” Suddenly, I feel a tingling sensation in my wings, and it seems like the sun is glaring off them. I also hear a shimmering sound. “Twilight, what is this?” “No. way. Are you- we are… a-… a-…” Twilight’s jaw drops when she sees my wings glowing, and stops short when she sees her cutie mark doing the same. “Wait a minute. I recognize this. My student’s crown glowed when one of these were solved.” “To the map!” Twilight leads me to her castle and races into the throne room. Holograms of her cutie mark and my wings hover over the changeling kingdom as displayed by the friendship map. I bury my face behind my hooves at the edge of the table at what this entails. “Oh no. Really? I came here to recuperate, not to get summoned by the map.” “Do you think this has to do with why you were here to begin with? But why would the map be calling me as well? This seems more to be you and you alone.” “Hm. Maybe it’s something different. Could it be Carve? Pharynx? Cervix even?” Twilight’s pupils shrink when I mention Cervix. “N-no, I’m pretty sure it’s Chrysalis.” I gasp playfully when I notice Twilight’s reaction. “Seems like you should add Cervix to that after all.” At the hive, Twilight and I are walking through the nest halls until we come across one area. There is a gap on the floor, and a note inscribed on the wall beside it. “What is this?” Twilight asks. “I never knew this was here until the day I first moved back in. Chrysalis leaves this hall like this as a reminder of how she got her throne back.” “So this is what caused Thorax to be overthrown?” I nod. “You see that note across the gap? That reads Va cut’ra Solaz.” Twilight and I hover over the gap and continue on our way to the throne room. When I hear a familiar hiss coming from behind, the two of us turn around. Twilight flinches at the sight of the changeling before us while I approach without hesitation. Judging by the way Twilight reacts, this must be Cervix. “Hey Areola, what’s up?” “Just showing Twilight around. We were called by the map.” Cervix looks confused. “First Chrysalis, then Aita, now you? What’s next? Pharynx?” “Not sure if that will be in a while. So Cervix, encounter any friendship problems for us to solve?” “I can’t say I have, Areola.” “Well, maybe you might want to talk to Twilight for a bit. I don’t know if that will help.” “Twilight? …oh yeah,” Cervix starts pawing at the ground like Aita did before. “I guess I owe you an apology for what happened last year. I was under order to impersonate you, same as Brand with Spike, and the other ten drones that replaced your friends and family. We promise it won’t happen again as long as Chrysalis and Carve rule the hive.” When Twilight hears Cervix’s promise, she freezes then runs over and gives her a hug. Cervix is caught off guard by the embrace, but returns it. “Well Cervix, if that’s true, then I’ll gladly invite you and your friends to my party at the castle. One of Matilda’s friends might look familiar over there.” I look around, waiting for Twilight’s cutie mark and my wings to glow again, but deep down, I knew the friendship problem that triggered the map hasn’t been solved. “Anything?” Twilight asks. I sigh. “Nope. But we’ll keep looking until we-” “I think I know what’s going on, Areola. You can’t put off reuniting with Chrysalis. That has to be the friendship problem.” “But this is ridiculous! Why would I need to reunite with someone so uptight about telling a story the right way?!?” I see Twilight and Cervix giving me smug looks at my wording, making me realize exactly what I just shouted. “Oh… I think I may have missed the point there.” Chapter VIt felt like days, but after just two and a half hours of me and Aita waiting, Areola finally returns to the throne room. And behind her are… “Ah, Cervix, Twilight. What brings you here?” “Well, queen,” Cervix starts. “Areola and Twilight were called by the map in the castle, and the former figured out how to solve the friendship problem by having me mend fences with the latter.” I fly off the throne and land in front of the three. “Well Areola?” I say with patience. “Care to explain?” “Um, Chrysalis… I think I might’ve overreacted when you called me out on sacrificing the honesty of our story. I was afraid of you seeing me again because of what you might say.” “But when Areola got me to resolve any qualms I had with Cervix, Brand and the other changelings that took over my castle and the royal family, she found the solution to her own friendship problem without realizing it.” Areola embraces me in apology. “I’m sorry I lied about our story.” “Areola… you never need to fret about what I have to say. You were my teacher, and I have learned a lot from you, so of course I accept your apology. As long as you’ve learned from the experience, that’s all that matters.” As I look over Areola’s shoulder with a smile, Twilight approaches the two of us. “Pretty amazing how far you’ve come, Chrysalis. I could never imagine this would’ve been possible if it weren’t for Carve and Carina. Areola, would you like to come to the party?” Areola and I let go, her turning to Twilight as her wings glow alongside Twilight’s cutie mark. “I would love to.” “Well, ready to head home, Aita?” Twilight asks, only to get a playful look from Areola and a laugh from me. “Heavens no,” I answer. “We haven’t finished our story yet. You go ahead, Twilight. Areola and I will finish up with Aita here.” “Oh, okay. See you at the party then, Areola.” Aita waves to Twilight as she leaves. “See you later, Twilight! I’ll be home soon!” A few days after I visited the hive, the Hearth’s Warming party at Twilight’s has finally begun. All the guests come pouring in to start off. Among those guests are Areola, Cervix and another changeling that looks like Cervix. The latter of the three stops when he spots me. “Hello there,” he greets. “Hi. I, uh… who’re you?” “I’m Kevin. Twilight invited me. A-Aita, right?” I nod. “I thought so.” Suddenly within the crowd, I see Lightning Dust conversing with other pegasi. When she sees me standing with Kevin, she laughs in recognition. “Hey! Aita! What’s up, kid?” Lightning Dust and I hoofbump. “Not much, Lightning Dust. I’m so glad you were invited.” “Eh, it was a given after the welcome party went so well. And here I am.” “Wait, you two know each other?” Kevin asks. “Aita here did an AWESOME job proving Discord innocent when I first met him. He’d make a really good PI ten years down the line.” I sigh. “At least that sounds more manageable than being a leader. The queens did always say I was bright.” “Well, it’s either me or Twilight that’s right,” replies Lightning Dust as she, Kevin and I start for the dining room. “Speaking of Twilight, what was up before, Aita? She had me check on you, and you never responded.” “Well… I was homesick. Chrysalis and Areola gave me a slice of home talking about their first Hearth’s Warming pageant together from forty years ago. Even with Chrysalis correcting Areola, it still felt enough like one of the specials I used to watch with my old family.” When I look at Kevin, I see him looking down. “Oh… I know how that feels. I started missing home after I was stranded in Ponyville before I met Matilda. It’s funny you bring up Queen Areola, Aita. I thought we lost her around the same time.” I blush. “I uh, accidentally revived her on my birthday. Twilight took the opportunity to teach me how magic can bridge nerves and electricity.” I open the dining room door to reveal that Twilight, Spike and Starlight at the table. Twilight waves at us. “Hi Aita, Lightning Dust, Kevin.” “Aita, we know how you weren’t feeling the best just last week, so Spike, Twilight and I made some Hearth’s Warming cookies.” “Ooooh…” I trot to the table, Kevin and Lightning Dust close behind. I look at the cookies, and take a quick sniff. They are frosted white, bright, and soft looking on one big napkin on the table. There appear to be twenty-four in total. “Thanks you guys. I can tell you had fun making these.” Kevin sniffs the cookies too. “Oh wow. You’re right, Aita.” “Well dig in, everyone. There’s plenty to go around,” Twilight confidently announces. “Don’t mind if I do,” Lightning Dust says as she takes her four and starts chowing down. Kevin floats one of his up close and takes a quick bite, as do I with mine. “So Aita…” I turn my attention to Spike. “You remember how last year went. After all that, do you still miss your old home?” “Of course I do, Spike. I still have good memories there. It’s really too bad none of my old family could go with me when I left, but now I have you, Twilight, Starlight, Lightning Dust and Chrysalis at least. I wouldn’t have it any other way now.” Twilight floats me up to her, so I just take the rest of my cookies as Twilight hugs me. “Oh, thank you Aita! We’re more than happy to call you family! And judging by the past year, it’s certainly been worth it.” Lightning Dust is smiling from the sentiment, but the moment I see her eyes contemplate watering, she shakes her head and takes a quick breath. “You saw nothing… Somepony doing dishes probably.” “Uh, that happens in the kitchen,” Spike points out, leaving all of us in stitches, including Kevin. Author's Note Fun Fact: For the final scene, I was originally going to have Discord and Granola meet up with Aita and Kevin, but I felt Lightning Dust had a more personal connection to Aita to let Kevin stand out as a new friend. No idea whether or not a message could be interpreted from the final cut, but it just felt like I could get more dialogue out of it.
Chapter IWell, it’s finally that time of year. I have been looking forward to this ever since I adopted Aita. And this will be his first time entirely in Equestria. Three years ago was me and Spike’s first Hearth’s Warming in the castle, then the year after added Starlight, and finally Aita joined last minute last year. I couldn’t be happier that we’re all going to be here together. This upcoming Hearth’s Warming party has everyone invited. I even snuck in an RSVP with one of Matilda's friends just for Aita. But I have noticed something. Ever since his semester ended last week, Aita’s been really quiet. So quiet in fact that he hasn’t said a single word since this Tuesday. Every time I see him, he’s glued to the games he brought with him. He hasn’t even talked to Starlight or Spike, not even Lightning Dust when I tried to get her to talk to him. My best bet is to talk to my friends about this. So late-week just started as I head into the throne room in the morning. When I enter, Spike, Starlight and the rest of my friends have gathered around. I sigh in relief. “Oh good. Everyone’s here.” “Is everything alright, sugar cube?” Applejack asks. “Not quite; I needed your input. See, Aita’s been quiet ever since school got out for the holidays, and he hasn’t talked to me, Spike or Starlight in days. Not even Lightning Dust could break him out of this.” Fluttershy puts a hoof on the map table. “Do you think it has to do with inviting Kevin?” “I never told Aita about that.” “What about his past?” inquires Rarity. “Do you think losing Carina might contribute to that? She was his biological mother after all.” “Well, don’t be so sure about it until you talk to him, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash points out. “But I tried to, and he just won’t answer.” Pinkie Pie grabs me by the shoulders. “Did you even? Not much use getting another friend to try and break him out of that trance. You adopted him. YOU should get his attention, not us, Carve, Sunset, Areola, Bow, Windy, Discord or whoever else he made friends with.” “Pinkie Pie’s right,” Starlight replies. “Nopony knows Aita better than you; not even Spike and I do.” “Alright guys. I believe you. I’ll find Aita and talk to him.” And so, everyone - including me - leaves the throne room, off to do their own thing. As I walk the halls, I hear wind sounds playing in one of the rooms. I open the door and see Aita in his room and on the bed, playing with his DS. His wings seem less visible than they usually are. He seems to be playing Pokemon Soul Silver as the main character in that game is seemingly on a mountain with someone in similar attire. I see the background change as well as the perspective as battle music begins. When the battle in the game is over - and the main character wins, Aita sighs and sets the DS down on his bed, letting the credits roll. I decide to come in, sit down next to Aita and wrap my wing over him, who now looks to me. “Twilight?” “Hey Aita. You’ve been awful quiet. Is something bothering you?” “No, I’m fine.” “Are you sure about that? We’re as close as crossed feathers. If there is something bothering you, you really should tell me. Isn’t that the reason Starlight reconciled with Firelight?” “But nothing is bothering me… I’m fine.” Aita picks the DS back up with his magic and switches cartridges. The game he’s playing now appears to be Planet Puzzle League, the other game he brought with him when he first moved here. I decide to use my own magic to close the DS and put it in the drawer in the side-table, which I hold with my hoof. “Sorry Aita, but I can’t talk to you if you’re glued on there twenty four seven. I could tell something is making you upset. You’re not usually this quiet. But I’m not going to know for sure what unless you say so.” Aita looks away from me, starting to tear up. “Come on, Aita. You can tell me. We’re family.” Aita proceeds to bury his face in my neck, making me feel tears dripping on the floor. “I… I’m feeling… homesick…” Aita barely manages to say in between sobs. “Homesick? You… you miss Wisconsin?” Aita nods sadly, rubbing up on my neck by doing so. “...and Mom.” “...I knew this moment would come. I just didn’t think it be the week before Hearth’s Warming… Aita… I just want you to know that it’s okay to feel homesick. I missed the Golden Oak Library when I first got this place, and even Canterlot when I first came to Ponyville. You’re telling the right pony if you’re telling me. I’m here for you, Aita.” Aita looks up at me. “R-really? Th… Thanks, Twilight…” “Maybe after this, you could talk with Chrysalis and Areola. They’d probably have something to talk about to lift your spirits. What do you say you spend some time with them?” Aita faces the ground, thinking about it, then smiles for the first time since last week. “Yeah… I’d like that.” Suddenly, his stomach starts growling, obviously from him feeling homesick and not having very much else on his mind, thus unable to share love as much as he usually can. “Maybe a cuddle from me might help that.” I get upon the bed and lie down at the edge, that way Aita doesn’t have to look at much else. I wrap my hoof around him and pull him close. We finally share a nuzzle together, prompting his wings to glow. Now that Aita is back to full energy, I let go and get off the bed. “You know how to get there, right?” Aita nods at me. “I’ll be home when you get back.” “Okay… Thanks for coming to me when I needed it.” “Any time, Aita.” As I walk into the hallway, I hear the same shimmering and crackling sounds associated with teleporting.
Chapter IIThis morning, I ended up in a meeting with Pharynx, Areola, Carve and my top drones about what we should do to celebrate Hearth’s Warming. Quite a bit changed in the last year, two returning changelings being the biggest. Yes, last year was cut short, but I’ll make sure that won’t happen again. As Areola and I enter the throne room, Aita teleports in in front of the throne. “Ah, Aita,” I greet. “Lovely of you come by and visit. My teacher and I just got back from a meeting before we began festivities.” Aita looks down and paws the ground as we approach him. “Oh yeah. I forgot you usually start celebrating Hearth’s Warming a few days early.” I shake my head. “No need to fret. Come by any time you’d like. Besides, we could use some company now that we have Carve and Pharynx here.” “Twilight suggested that I visit you, since I was quite homesick. I know I never used to live here, but-” “We know what you meant,” replies Areola, giving Aita a hug. “So why were you homesick now? You didn’t seem like that after you brought me back to life.” As Aita answers, he progressively tears up. “I’ve been feeling that way since school ended. Winter break means the anniversary for when I moved is coming up… and that got me thinking of all the traditions I was a part of back home… like when Sophie would gather me and Tim at night so that we could watch Christmas specials.” When Aita reminisces about his time in the real world, it gets me thinking of when I was his age. He never really got to partake in his traditions last year; all that time was spent visiting Carve, and then Carina having Kuma. Maybe he could use a recounting of my past, one I haven’t recounted for years. “Well, you have me and Areola now. Have a seat on the throne. I think you’ll like what we have in store for you.” Aita does as I tell him by flying and landing on the throne, joined soon after by my teacher and myself. I clear my throat to prepare for a long-winded story. “There once was a time where even I was an innocent soul, a clean slate… I was a late dreamer.” As I explain to Aita, my mind flashes back to roughly forty years ago, long before I ever became Areola’s student. In my flashback, three changelings as old as I was broke stalactites off that would turn into plushes for them to attack. I used to be stunned my peers acted like this. The one in the middle stepped forward. “What are you looking at?” He asked in a cocky tone. “I-Isn’t that a little savage?” “It’s called target practice, puritan. Maybe you should try it someday.” The younglings trotted past me, the one who was just talking to me brushing up against my wing. At your age, while my peers had already let the normalized souldier behavior infect them years before, I had different aspirations that kept me largely safe. After that one incident, I went to the throne room to talk to Areola’s mother about it. “Ah, good afternoon, Chrysalis. What seems to be the problem?” “Um, Queen Wavelength, those bullies keep pestering me about their ‘target practice’.” Wavelength sighed. “As usual. You wait here and enjoy my throne guards’ company while I take care of this.” Areola’s mother was an inspiration to me when I was small. As queen, she would treat her subjects with respect and dignity… well, as long as they were whitelisted. Still in the flashback, perspective shifts away from me and more toward former changeling queen Wavelength as she trailed the peers that pestered me. “Sirc? Setinege? PIgemen!” Those uh, translate to Silk, Stinger and Pigment respectively. “Si, Mone Wehivreneges?” Stinger called out, appearing in front of Wavelength, Silk and Pigment right behind. “What is it?” “Did you changelings tease Chrysalis again?” “What, no!” Silk protested. “We were doing target practice until she objected! Besides, Stinger was the one who responded!” Wavelength had a massive scowl on her face, instantly seeing through Silk’s wording. She started walking, locking eyes with the three changelings. “If you three do that ONE MORE TIME, SO help me mother! Go back to your nests, and think about what you did!” Once she was done, Silk, Stinger and Pigment shrieked and ran off as Wavelength told them. Perspective shifts back to mine from same time, where the then-queen returned to her throne room. “There we go, Chrysalis. All taken care of…” Wavelength flew back to her throne and groaned. “The grubs these days are getting out of hoof.” “You’re telling me. I can’t go one day without getting teased. No one seems to aspire to be something other than a guard.” “Except you and my daughter. I have an idea, Chrysalis. Areola ended up discovering Hearth’s Warming earlier this month. If she and you could start a holiday pageant together, will it do something to keep your peers in check?” “Absolutely, Queen Wavelength!” I saluted. “I accept your request!” I snap back to reality when Areola starts chuckling at the final bit. I seem to’ve said everything out loud. My cheeks are a bit green with embarrassment. “Oh, that takes me right back, my old student. That’s exactly what mother recounted at the very end of the year.” “She was also thrice as assertive as I am.” My remark sort of worries Aita a little bit. “Of course, this was forty years ago,” I clarify. “Assertion was key back then, and as you’ve seen, that’s changed.” Aita bows his head in relief. “So was that how you and Chrysalis met? By assembling a Hearth’s Warming pageant at your mother’s request? That’s actually kind of cool.” “Precisely,” Areola confidently answers. “Amusing though that you bring Hearth’s Warming up…” Chrysalis briefly pauses, seeing that we are well aware. “besides it being that time of year.”
Chapter IIIChrysalis and I are back to flashing back to the collective memory we were telling Aita. Around the same time, I was an adolescent who regularly visited Equestria. Everything Mother ever knew about Hearth’s Warming came from me. In Dodge, I was one of the only changelings if not THE only changeling that wasn’t immediately shunned. “Princess Areola,” my mother called. I responded and flew up to the throne room. “Can you help this nymph make the little pageant you told me about?” “W-wait. You want me to do what? I thought we didn’t celebrate Hearth’s Warming, Mother.” “My peers keep hazing me,” Chrysalis explained. “And the queen is starting to get sick of it. I-I don’t blame her.” “But how would a Hearth’s Warming pageant help with that? That’s not going to make her problems go away, right Mother?” “Maybe not right away Areola, but what is the pageant supposed to teach the participants? Silk, Stinger and Pigment in particular seem to be missing the message the both of us got. I suggest you personally enlist them, Chrysalis. If you aspire to take my place one day, you will need to assert yourself as much as you can. It’s the only way changelings will pay you any respect.” Because Chrysalis and I were the only ones whose minds weren’t poisoned by the mentality the rest of the hive followed, we were the only ones honestly cut out to assemble a Hearth’s Warming pageant. At Chrysalis’ nestrooom, I broke off a regenerative stalactite and formed it into several pieces of paper and a quill. “So Chrysalis, did you ever hear of Hearth’s Warming before you told on those bullies?” Chrysalis shook her head. “N-no, princess.” “Please, I’m only an adolescent. Areola is fine. No need to be formal… All you need to know is that there are eight main roles behind the scenes. You will be our director.” I floated the quill and hastily wrote a quick and dirty script, then copied it with a spell I memorized from Canterlot. I then passed one of the eight resulting scripts to Chrysalis. “Director? Wouldn’t that be you?” Chrysalis asked. “You want to practice assertion, don’t you?” “But a director needs to pick apart the script before they have any idea how something needs to be delivered.” “You shouldn’t underestimate yourself, Chrysalis. Give it a whirl.” “Ugh, fine. Give me the scripts.” So yeah, I made a pretty rushed script, but Chrysalis managed to gather her peers while I rounded up my three sisters. Three more volunteered, so we gave them a secret role. So there I was with Chrysalis right next to me. The youngest of my sisters played music in the background while the rest of the recruits danced along. “Alright Areola, besides all the typos, grammar, and sloppy hornwriting, I got a sense of what this script is about.” “Sure, let’s make some corrections then.” So, I used my horn to change the text to fix all the errors so that the scripts were more presentable. “Okay, try it now, Chrysalis.” “Well, it’s much easier to read.” Chrysalis directed her attention to the recruits, who stopped dancing and playing the music to pay attention. “Okay! Quiet everyone! Well, it’s real good seeing you all here. As you know, we’re going to put on a Hearth’s Warming pageant. Due to the shortage of time, we’ll get right down to work. One of the first things to ensure a good performance is unbridled attention to the director. I’ll keep my directions simple. The forehoof lifted indicates the side of stage to exit. Slashing the neck means the scene is cut short. Buzzing wings mean to pick up the tempo. Slumped wings mean to implement retesur. It’s the spirit of the changeling that counts, the interest they show in the director. Am I right?” Everyone started dancing to my youngest sister’s music again. “Tahot!” Chrysalis shouted, prompting everyone to stop again. “Alright now, we will perform this pageant, and it will be by the script! Areola, take the scripts and pass them out.” Aita snaps me back to reality as he starts commenting. “Wait a minute. Why is all of this starting to sound familiar? A bunch of kids reenacting the origin story of a holiday? Didn’t I use to watch something like that?” As I look around, Chrysalis looks like she’s fuming. Chrysalis pulls me muzzle to muzzle with her hoof, about to say something to me, only to realize Aita’s in the room. She then teleports me outside the hive so that Aita doesn’t hear us. “Areola! What do you think you’re doing?!? The pageant never started out that way! I never gave a long-winded speech to the recruits! There was never any music going on! And I certainly never gave out pointers our peers already knew!” I throw the end of my hoof forward. “Oh, pff, this is a child, Chrysalis. As long as the main idea is intact, we can be liberal with the finer details.” Chrysalis shakes me with her magic. “But that child is Aita! He’s more like myself when I was small than you realize! I was able to analyze that play we did, so why can’t Aita do the same with our memories of it?!?” “I know that, but during my visits with Carina, she told me our story was similar to a special she and Aita watched. If we got his imagination flowing, he’d get the-” “Areola, listen to me. I know you were my old teacher, but I’ve been around Aita longer than you have, and he comes to solid conclusions pretty efficiently. If you want to contribute to the story, by all means, but please keep it truthful.” “Fine! I hope you’re happy. Goodbye Chrysalis.” I turn away from Chrysalis and start heading to Equetria. “Wait, what?!?” I look back at Chrysalis. “If YOU want to tell the story yourself, go ahead and tell him. I won’t get in your way.” “Areola, I-” “The fact we had to teleport out says it all.” And so, I take off the ground and start flying.
Chapter IV“Areola! Wait!” I try to reach out to Areola as she flies away from the hive. Then I remember I have AIta on my throne. I know it’ll hurt but I have let Areola go. I turn around and reluctantly kick the sand behind me. I teleport back to the throne. “Chrysalis, where’s Areola?” Aita asks. “She’s left the hive.” “Left?!? But why?!?” “I teleported out with Areola so that you wouldn’t be caught in the middle of me calling her out on stretching the truth. I could tell that she was hurt, that she just wanted you to have a good time, but teacher or not, I will not stand to sacrifice honesty for the pleasure of others.” “Shouldn’t you reach out to her?” “Later. She left to recoup, so we must let her do that, as you learned from Sunburst and his mother.” Aita looks down in front of the throne, obviously worried for Areola. So I sit down wrap my wing around him. “I can only imagine how hard it must’ve been for you when you had to step between us. I always thought we’d quarrel, but not drive each other apart. I only hope she’s okay at least.” “Me too.” “...Should I continue the story without her?” “Maybe give her some time, Chrysalis.” The flight to Ponyville goes pretty smoothly, thank goodness. It only took an hour. But when I get there, I see Twilight out and about. “Hey Twilight!” I call out, getting her to pause, turn around and see me. “Oh! Areola! What a surprise. Long time no see. So how’s your first Hearth’s Warming in fifteen years going?” “Well… not the best…” Twilight gasps in concern. “What? Why not?” “Because my old student and I needed some space.” “But what about Aita? Is he okay?” “Yes, thank Chrysalis she at least remembered what happened at Aita’s birthday party.” “Okay, what did you do?” Twilight asks playfully. “Chrysalis and I were recounting our first Hearth’s Warming pageant, and I tried to make it more similar to a special he watched than it already was.” “You do realize Aita is not very fond of lying, right?” Suddenly, I feel a tingling sensation in my wings, and it seems like the sun is glaring off them. I also hear a shimmering sound. “Twilight, what is this?” “No. way. Are you- we are… a-… a-…” Twilight’s jaw drops when she sees my wings glowing, and stops short when she sees her cutie mark doing the same. “Wait a minute. I recognize this. My student’s crown glowed when one of these were solved.” “To the map!” Twilight leads me to her castle and races into the throne room. Holograms of her cutie mark and my wings hover over the changeling kingdom as displayed by the friendship map. I bury my face behind my hooves at the edge of the table at what this entails. “Oh no. Really? I came here to recuperate, not to get summoned by the map.” “Do you think this has to do with why you were here to begin with? But why would the map be calling me as well? This seems more to be you and you alone.” “Hm. Maybe it’s something different. Could it be Carve? Pharynx? Cervix even?” Twilight’s pupils shrink when I mention Cervix. “N-no, I’m pretty sure it’s Chrysalis.” I gasp playfully when I notice Twilight’s reaction. “Seems like you should add Cervix to that after all.” At the hive, Twilight and I are walking through the nest halls until we come across one area. There is a gap on the floor, and a note inscribed on the wall beside it. “What is this?” Twilight asks. “I never knew this was here until the day I first moved back in. Chrysalis leaves this hall like this as a reminder of how she got her throne back.” “So this is what caused Thorax to be overthrown?” I nod. “You see that note across the gap? That reads Va cut’ra Solaz.” Twilight and I hover over the gap and continue on our way to the throne room. When I hear a familiar hiss coming from behind, the two of us turn around. Twilight flinches at the sight of the changeling before us while I approach without hesitation. Judging by the way Twilight reacts, this must be Cervix. “Hey Areola, what’s up?” “Just showing Twilight around. We were called by the map.” Cervix looks confused. “First Chrysalis, then Aita, now you? What’s next? Pharynx?” “Not sure if that will be in a while. So Cervix, encounter any friendship problems for us to solve?” “I can’t say I have, Areola.” “Well, maybe you might want to talk to Twilight for a bit. I don’t know if that will help.” “Twilight? …oh yeah,” Cervix starts pawing at the ground like Aita did before. “I guess I owe you an apology for what happened last year. I was under order to impersonate you, same as Brand with Spike, and the other ten drones that replaced your friends and family. We promise it won’t happen again as long as Chrysalis and Carve rule the hive.” When Twilight hears Cervix’s promise, she freezes then runs over and gives her a hug. Cervix is caught off guard by the embrace, but returns it. “Well Cervix, if that’s true, then I’ll gladly invite you and your friends to my party at the castle. One of Matilda’s friends might look familiar over there.” I look around, waiting for Twilight’s cutie mark and my wings to glow again, but deep down, I knew the friendship problem that triggered the map hasn’t been solved. “Anything?” Twilight asks. I sigh. “Nope. But we’ll keep looking until we-” “I think I know what’s going on, Areola. You can’t put off reuniting with Chrysalis. That has to be the friendship problem.” “But this is ridiculous! Why would I need to reunite with someone so uptight about telling a story the right way?!?” I see Twilight and Cervix giving me smug looks at my wording, making me realize exactly what I just shouted. “Oh… I think I may have missed the point there.”
Chapter VIt felt like days, but after just two and a half hours of me and Aita waiting, Areola finally returns to the throne room. And behind her are… “Ah, Cervix, Twilight. What brings you here?” “Well, queen,” Cervix starts. “Areola and Twilight were called by the map in the castle, and the former figured out how to solve the friendship problem by having me mend fences with the latter.” I fly off the throne and land in front of the three. “Well Areola?” I say with patience. “Care to explain?” “Um, Chrysalis… I think I might’ve overreacted when you called me out on sacrificing the honesty of our story. I was afraid of you seeing me again because of what you might say.” “But when Areola got me to resolve any qualms I had with Cervix, Brand and the other changelings that took over my castle and the royal family, she found the solution to her own friendship problem without realizing it.” Areola embraces me in apology. “I’m sorry I lied about our story.” “Areola… you never need to fret about what I have to say. You were my teacher, and I have learned a lot from you, so of course I accept your apology. As long as you’ve learned from the experience, that’s all that matters.” As I look over Areola’s shoulder with a smile, Twilight approaches the two of us. “Pretty amazing how far you’ve come, Chrysalis. I could never imagine this would’ve been possible if it weren’t for Carve and Carina. Areola, would you like to come to the party?” Areola and I let go, her turning to Twilight as her wings glow alongside Twilight’s cutie mark. “I would love to.” “Well, ready to head home, Aita?” Twilight asks, only to get a playful look from Areola and a laugh from me. “Heavens no,” I answer. “We haven’t finished our story yet. You go ahead, Twilight. Areola and I will finish up with Aita here.” “Oh, okay. See you at the party then, Areola.” Aita waves to Twilight as she leaves. “See you later, Twilight! I’ll be home soon!” A few days after I visited the hive, the Hearth’s Warming party at Twilight’s has finally begun. All the guests come pouring in to start off. Among those guests are Areola, Cervix and another changeling that looks like Cervix. The latter of the three stops when he spots me. “Hello there,” he greets. “Hi. I, uh… who’re you?” “I’m Kevin. Twilight invited me. A-Aita, right?” I nod. “I thought so.” Suddenly within the crowd, I see Lightning Dust conversing with other pegasi. When she sees me standing with Kevin, she laughs in recognition. “Hey! Aita! What’s up, kid?” Lightning Dust and I hoofbump. “Not much, Lightning Dust. I’m so glad you were invited.” “Eh, it was a given after the welcome party went so well. And here I am.” “Wait, you two know each other?” Kevin asks. “Aita here did an AWESOME job proving Discord innocent when I first met him. He’d make a really good PI ten years down the line.” I sigh. “At least that sounds more manageable than being a leader. The queens did always say I was bright.” “Well, it’s either me or Twilight that’s right,” replies Lightning Dust as she, Kevin and I start for the dining room. “Speaking of Twilight, what was up before, Aita? She had me check on you, and you never responded.” “Well… I was homesick. Chrysalis and Areola gave me a slice of home talking about their first Hearth’s Warming pageant together from forty years ago. Even with Chrysalis correcting Areola, it still felt enough like one of the specials I used to watch with my old family.” When I look at Kevin, I see him looking down. “Oh… I know how that feels. I started missing home after I was stranded in Ponyville before I met Matilda. It’s funny you bring up Queen Areola, Aita. I thought we lost her around the same time.” I blush. “I uh, accidentally revived her on my birthday. Twilight took the opportunity to teach me how magic can bridge nerves and electricity.” I open the dining room door to reveal that Twilight, Spike and Starlight at the table. Twilight waves at us. “Hi Aita, Lightning Dust, Kevin.” “Aita, we know how you weren’t feeling the best just last week, so Spike, Twilight and I made some Hearth’s Warming cookies.” “Ooooh…” I trot to the table, Kevin and Lightning Dust close behind. I look at the cookies, and take a quick sniff. They are frosted white, bright, and soft looking on one big napkin on the table. There appear to be twenty-four in total. “Thanks you guys. I can tell you had fun making these.” Kevin sniffs the cookies too. “Oh wow. You’re right, Aita.” “Well dig in, everyone. There’s plenty to go around,” Twilight confidently announces. “Don’t mind if I do,” Lightning Dust says as she takes her four and starts chowing down. Kevin floats one of his up close and takes a quick bite, as do I with mine. “So Aita…” I turn my attention to Spike. “You remember how last year went. After all that, do you still miss your old home?” “Of course I do, Spike. I still have good memories there. It’s really too bad none of my old family could go with me when I left, but now I have you, Twilight, Starlight, Lightning Dust and Chrysalis at least. I wouldn’t have it any other way now.” Twilight floats me up to her, so I just take the rest of my cookies as Twilight hugs me. “Oh, thank you Aita! We’re more than happy to call you family! And judging by the past year, it’s certainly been worth it.” Lightning Dust is smiling from the sentiment, but the moment I see her eyes contemplate watering, she shakes her head and takes a quick breath. “You saw nothing… Somepony doing dishes probably.” “Uh, that happens in the kitchen,” Spike points out, leaving all of us in stitches, including Kevin. Author's Note Fun Fact: For the final scene, I was originally going to have Discord and Granola meet up with Aita and Kevin, but I felt Lightning Dust had a more personal connection to Aita to let Kevin stand out as a new friend. No idea whether or not a message could be interpreted from the final cut, but it just felt like I could get more dialogue out of it.
