Once upon a time, many years ago. Equestria was yet to have its name, the three great pony kinds weren't unified, and ponies' lives were harsh. In this era, an old and strange creature sometimes visited the ponies of the three races. It had an uncanny resemblance with them, but bore two great horns of wood which scattered and propagated in every direction, like branches from a tree. It was taller than most ponies, with a coat brown and white, lacking a mane and yet of great majesty. He was called the Reindeer for he was pulling behind him a large sleigh, helped by reins. Some said it was coming from the great north, beyond the frozen seas, and that a whole kind existed, looking like the Reindeer.

Ponies at the time only saw him at the coldest part of winter, when all were at home, trying to warm themselves in front of meager fires, as snow was falling without the need for the pegasi's help.

When ponies were sleeping, he would descend from the sky, pulling on his heavy sleigh filled with wonderful things. He distributed them to the inhabitants, humming an old song now forgotten, before flying away in the sky, yelling "Merry Christmas!". Ponies never had time to thank him. They could only look up to the sky and sometimes see his shadow pass in front of the moon, before he would disappear until the following year.

"He descended from the sky?" suddenly interrupted Scootaloo, intrigued. "He could fly in addition to having a horn?"

"No just one horn," corrected Twilight, smiling. "He had two! And nothing is said about him having wings or not. But I think he was flying with magic.

"Oooooh."

The three fillies watched the purple unicorn with great round eyes filled with stars. Twilight closed the fairy tale book that she had bought specifically for those three little ones. Watching over them wasn't that much of a hassle with a bit of occupation.

"Now, it's time to go to bed," she said while putting the book on the table.

Outside, the night had already fallen in silence, and snow was doing the same. Wind was gently hitting the panes, as snowflakes were slowly crushing themselves on the windows of the Golden Oak library.

"You think he really existed, Twilight?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Maybe," the unicorn answered with a voice filled with mystery. "Who knows? No one can tell what he's become. The legend says that, one year, as everypony was waiting for him, he didn't come. Nor the next year, and nevermore after that."

"You think something happened to him?" Scootaloo said, suddenly worried.

"I don't think so, but all of this is extremely old, so no one can really tell."

The small pegasus pouted with a disappointed look, while the three of them walked to their bed, followed by Twilight.

"Why did he bring things to people like that?" Apple Bloom asked once in her bed, on the side.

"Most likely because he enjoyed making ponies happy without having anything in return. Good night, girls."

"Good night, Twilight!" answered in chorus the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

The purple unicorn looked at the three fillies from beneath the frame of the door with a smile, and turned off the lights, before leaving the room.

To be frank, she didn't get why Rarity complained so much about them being unbearable. What Twilight ignored is that Fluttershy had asked them to be quiet, and they had listened.

"Hey," Scootaloo whispered once the door was closed and the room plunged into obscurity. "Why do you think he said 'Merry Christmas'?"

"Somethin' to do with the fact he was always merry and all?" proposed Apple Bloom.

"Or that was his name?" said Sweetie Belle.

"Merry Christmas?" Scootaloo repeated, arching an eyebrow looking at her friend in the black.

"That doesn't make any sense," Apple Bloom followed. "If he was happy all the time, why would he say it?"

"I don't know," answered Sweetie Belle. "And you, Scootaloo?"

"I say it's something from his home. Maybe it's a special saying? Like we say 'Happy new year'?"

"Hmm, that still sounds weird..." Apple Bloom pondered.

The filly suddenly stopped, displaying the greatest smile which the others couldn't see in the dark.

"Hey, wanna look for him tomorrow?"

"Huh?"

"What?"

"The Christmas Reindeer!" Apple Bloom insisted. "We're gonna find him!"

Both the pegasus and unicorn simultaneously turned their head towards the other, which caused them to bang each other.

"Ouch!" said Sweetie Belle, massaging her muzzle. "How do you want to look for him, Apple Bloom?"

"We're going to look for information in Twilight's books, she must be asleep now!"

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Sweetie Belle replied, worried. "We said to Fluttershy we would listen to Twilight."

"Oh come on, we're just going to look in some books, we'll put everythin' back in place, nopony will see it."

"I'm in," added Scootaloo.

Sweetie Belle thought, hesitant. Then finally, she sighed and lit up her horn, which got the two others smiling.

"Hurry up! I'm struggling with that light spell!"

"We're doin' what we can," Apple Bloom replied, leaned over a book under the weak light Sweetie Belle's horn was diffusing in the library.

Scootaloo was looking through the shelves, to see if some books weren't linked to that reindeer story – this "Christmas Reindeer" as they now called him – but without any success.

"The first year, the inhabitants were surprised and amazed to discover all those gifts on their front door, helping them endure the winter that had just begun," read Apple Bloom with a half-voice. "The following years, the Reindeer was considered a savior and many ponies affirmed they had seen him, so his legend was made. He came back at the same date, seven days before the new year, tirelessly distributing his gifts, pushing out the same shout 'Merry Christmas', which got him the name Christmas-Reindeer."

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo turned their heads towards Apple Bloom at the same time.

"Ah told you he was called that!"

"That's just luck," sighed Sweetie Belle, as the little Apple was going back to her reading.

"One day however, as ponies all awaited the coming of this benefactor behind their windows, he didn't show up. Neither that night, nor any other nights. He didn't push his merry shout, and the inhabitants didn't receive any gifts, ordered to pass a harsh and cold winter without any help. The next year marked the unification of Equestria."

The two others waited for a follow up, then Scootaloo couldn't help herself but to say:

"That's it? What kind of conclusion is that?"

"No idea, but there's nothing else. The next page is the tale about the three tribes."

Apple Bloom closed the book and put it back on the table, as the light from Sweetie Belle's horn was beginning to weaken. She tried to comfort her friends with disappointed looking faces.

"It's not that bad. We'll find something as fun to do tomorrow."

"Wait!" Scootaloo suddenly said.

"Shhh!" issued the unicorn with a hoof on her mouth, pointing upstairs to where Twilight was sleeping.

The pegasus didn't pay any attention to it and took a book from a shelf, putting it in front of the two others who read the title.

"Daring Do and the never-ending Blizzard? Scoot', we're looking for information here, not made up stories."

"Not just any story," corrected the orange pegasus. "It takes place up north, even more up north than the Crystal Empire."

"You mean the Christmas Reindeer's in it?" reacted Sweetie Belle.

"No, but there's mention of Christmas at some point."

Apple Bloom looked at her friend with an interrogating gaze.

"Since when do you read Daring Do?"

"Since when do you read?" even added Sweetie Belle.

"Since Rainbow Dash does!" Scootaloo answered proudly.

"And what does your book say about Christmas?"

The pegasus opened the book and began searching for the moment in question. She remembered a point where it was mentioned, but had no clue what was said about it.

"I think it's there."

All of the sudden, the light turned off and the three fillies found themselves in utter darkness.

After a short silence, a voice said:

"I told you I was struggling with that light spell!"

"That's alright Sweet', can you turn it back on?"

"What do you think I'm trying to do?"

"Ah..."

"I think I know where Twilight puts her candles to... Aouch!"

Both turned to Scootaloo, even though by being in the dark, they guessed she must have hit herself on something. The pegasus was indeed holding her own head after a collision against the table.

She got back on her way, walking by feel, head low so as to not hit herself again. With a hoof, she tapped on a chest near the entrance.

"Ah! Found it!" she said to herself.

She was getting ready to open the chest, but a shadow cast onto it stopped her. Looking up, she managed to picture a dark shape in front of the window, slightly enlightened by the moon.

Then, two great yellow eyes opened and the pegasus yelled in fear, moving back, until she hit her friends who were also looking at the weird shape.

"Who?" then suddenly said the figure with a gloomy tone.

The three fillies started galloping around, screaming in terror under the gaze of the two yellow eyes.

The light in the room turned on abruptly with a Twilight upstairs looking visibly surprised and a little upset.

"What's going on here?"

The Cutie Mark Crusaders kept on running everywhere with non-stop yelling.

"A monster!" said Apple Bloom.

"It's the abominable snowpony!" added Sweetie Belle.

Twilight looked around to find what was terrorizing the fillies and her eyes fell on Owlowiscious in front of the window, who looked completely alien to the scene, shrugging his wings.

The unicorn teleported in the middle of the room, understanding the situation.

"Calm down now, it's just Owlowiscious!"

"Who?" repeated the Owl.

Sweetie Belle glanced at the owl and stopped realizing Twilight was telling the truth.

"Oh..."

She got the two others – who were still galloping – to stop by putting a hoof on their muzzle. When Apple Bloom looked at the howl, she acted like she had done nothing while saying:

"Scoot', you're really a chicken!"

"Hey! You got scared too!"

"More importantly," Twilight interrupted. "What were you doing here?"

The three of them immediately lowered their ears, ashamed.

"We were doing research on the Christmas Reindeer..." Apple Bloom confessed.

The unicorn's face softened with tenderness. And here she was thinking they were up to some kind of mischief.

"You can do that tomorrow, can't you? It's already pretty late in the day, you're going to be tired if you do that now."

"Yes, Twilight..." answered Apple Bloom heading for the stairs with the others. "Sorry. Good night."

"Good night," smiled the unicorn, going after them, before turning the light off.

The three fillies went back to their bedroom. Their eyes got acquainted to darkness, a ray of moonlight now passing by their window, showing the snowflakes which were slowly falling outside in uttermost quietness.

As Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo went to bed, Apple Bloom walked to the window, putting her hooves on the ledge, looking at the night sky.

"What's the matter?" asked the little unicorn.

"Seven days before the new year, that's tonigh'..." thought the filly. "Ah wonder if he's gonna come..."

"Why would he come?" wondered Scootaloo. "It's been centuries since he did."

"Ah know... But... It would be nice, wouldn't it?"

"I'd like to meet him"! Sweetie Belle added.

"Giving stuff to people like that, he must look like your sister," noted the pegasus.

"Rarity only has one horn," the unicorn corrected.

Apple Bloom loudly giggled, attracting the gaze of the two others.

"Ah just pictured Rarity with two horns on the forehead."

Sweetie Belle had to cover her mouth to not loudly burst into laughter, as the image of her sister with two perfectly symmetrical horns was forming in her mind.

It took a little time for the three fillies to calm their uncontrollable fit of laughter, trying to chase away that picture from their mind. After managing that, Apple Bloom continued, still looking at the moon through the snow:

"Ah'd like for him to come tonight..."

The two others calmed their laughter as well and turned to their friend, who suddenly looked a bit melancholic.

"I would love to climb in his sleigh," replied Sweetie Belle.

"And I would like to know how come he can fly without wings," Scootaloo added very seriously.

"Probably something to do with magic," supposed the unicorn.

"That's cheating!"

Sweetie Belle raised her hooves to indicate that it wasn't of her own doing.

"There's more advantages in being a unicorn than a pegasus, it's now my fault."

"What!?" Scootaloo took offense.

"Shhhh!" said her two friends, fearing that she might awaken Twilight.

"That's nonsense!" still protested the pegasus, whispering.

"Unicorns can fly with a spell and walk on clouds. Can pegasus cast spells?"

Sweetie Belle looked at her friends, whose eyes were glowing under the moonlight. The pegasus almost answered, but her eyes were suddenly drawn towards the window.

"What's that?" she said, surprised, pointing outside.

The unicorn turned her head to see what she was talking about. Outside, stars were shining as usual, and so was the moon, sometimes darkened by the snowflakes passing by.

"What are you...?" she started, before receiving a pillow on the cheek.

"No need to cast spells when you're strong like a pegasus!"

Scootaloo crossed her hooves with a triumphant look, as if her argument was irrefutable. However, she quickly understood her mistake, seeing the pillow come back to her, propelled by magic.

With a distinct "pomf", the projectile reached its target and made her fall backwards on the bed. Apple Bloom stepped in between them.

"Stop, Twilight's gonna hear us."

"You're joining the pegasi' side?" said Sweetie Belle, turning her gaze to her, another pillow already floating next to her, ready to be used.

"Of course not," replied the filly as if it was obvious. "In terms of strength, earth ponies clearly outclass the other races."

Right after ending her sentence, she barely dodged her friend's attack, grabbed her own pillow before throwing herself onto the offended unicorn.

Of course, the two friends were laughing while keeping their pillow fight quiet, and they thought about lowering her voice so as to not attract attention. When the pegasus got back up, she noticed that the battle was still raging and, grabbing the projectile that had knocked her down the first time, she threw herself in the melee.

After a few minutes of flying pillows and bolsters, the three fillies stopped fighting to lay down, exhausted but still laughing, on the bed. As they were slowly catching their breath, Apple Bloom looked once more towards the window and the moon. The snow was still falling and already covered the bottom part of the glass with around one centimeter.

"It'd be really nice if he came back..." thought the young farmer.

As if to answer her, a red and green lighting flashed at the center of the night star for a brief moment. Right after it, a shadow emerged from it, plunging to the ground, quickly disappearing from the filly's field of view, out of the window's frame.

"What was that!?" Apple Bloom exclaimed, rushing to the glass that was way too high for her.

Sweetie Belle cringed hearing her talk so loud, fearing Twilight might come to scold them again. Scootaloo didn't worry about it.

"What?" she said, intrigued.

"Yall didn't see? Something zapped pass the moon!"

"Stop talking so loud!" hushed the unicorn.

"Something? Like a snowflake?"

"No!" replied Apple Bloom whispering, overexcited. "There was a sparkle of magic and bam, somethin' passed in front of the moon!"

Both her friends looked up at the window, seeing that there was nothing outside.

"You probably mistook a snowflake for something else," Scootaloo supposed.

"Ah didn't dream, there was magic and after that, it fell! Ah'm sure it landed in the forest!"

"And what was it then?" questioned Sweetie Belle, skeptical.

"Ah don't know, but Ah'm going to take a look!" said Apple Bloom leaving her support, rushing to the bedroom's exit.

The two other fillies exchange a worried look, wondering if she was being serious, before the unicorn interrupted:

"You wanna go out with this weather? At this hour?"

"We have stuff to hold the snow. Come on! Twilight won't even see we're gone!"

The farmer pleaded her two friends with begging eyes, trotting in place, impatient. Her gaze was filled with a weird sparkle of excitement.

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes, while Scootaloo was hesitant.

"If there's nothing, you'll be the one Rarity will use as a model, instead of me," warned the unicorn.

"And you'll have to watch my new scooter stunts," added the pegasus, understanding she had a way of profiting from the situation.

"Yes, yes!" approved the farmer while hurrying to get out of the bedroom, barely listening.

Both her friends followed her, intrigued by so much excitement, even if they were persuaded that Apple Bloom was just seeing stuff because of the story Twilight had told them.

Author's Note

Alright, slice of life part is over. Originally, this one and the next one were both part 1, but I feel like this fits better.