The sunrise on the morning before Hearth’s Warming Eve was a work of art.

The winter’s dawn filled the Canterlot sky with flurries of snow, softer than they had been during the night, and shimmering in the light of Celestia’s star. Fragile snowflakes caressed the kitchen window, evaporating the moment they grazed the warm glass. Sturdier, luckier crystals settled in neat little piles on the windowsill outside, and ice framed the window in winter fog.

Night Light watched the scene patiently, a small smile teasing at the corners of his mouth. The truth was, despite his name, he often woke up early to watch the dawn break. His wife preferred to stay up late and sleep in, but there was nothing in Equestria that could keep him from seeing the morning’s first light. Perhaps it was the quiet beauty of it all, or perhaps being up at sunrise was just instinctual from when his children still lived at home, but he enjoyed the tranquility of watching the day begin.

Though being in charge of the coffee also had its perks.

His ear involuntarily flicked as the coffee maker sputtered and stopped, the hot water having finally finished running through the grounds. He levitated two nearby mugs over and removed the pot from the machine, delicately pouring its contents into the ceramic cups. Once his wife’s was nearly full and his was just over halfway, he turned his attention to the fridge and cabinets, setting various items on the kitchen counter. For his own coffee, the contents of a glass milk bottle were tipped in, turning the dark caffeine a light tan. Then, for both, he shook a can of whipped cream with his magic and covered the surface of each drink in a delicate whipped swirl. Red and gold sugar sprinkles dusted the surfaces, complimented by a careful shake of powdered cinnamon.

As he levitated everything back to its proper place, Night Light admired his work. It wasn’t perfect- a few drops of milk had missed their mark, a little bit of whipped cream had sprayed over the edge of his wife’s cup, and he’d practically decorated the area around the mugs just as much as he’d decorated the contents- but it was comfortingly silly. It was a fun way to greet the morning, and he would have it no other way.

With one final wipe-down of the counter and one more look outside the window, he picked up the mugs in a warm yellow aura and tiptoed them back to his wife. His hooves clicked and clacked on the kitchen’s hardwood, but thankfully softened when he stepped into the bedroom’s much more welcoming carpeted floor. He smiled at the sight within- Twilight Velvet was stirring in her sleep, covers wrapped around her barrel like a cocoon she’d partially escaped. She could probably smell the caffeinated treat from across the room, and he wasted no time sneaking over to meet her.

Sure enough, her eyes had sleepily opened, brilliant blue irises shining through the tiredness. When her gaze met his, it softened, and she smiled warmly.

“Mmm… good morning.”

“Good morning, dear.”

Twilight Velvet shifted up so her pillows could support her, and Night Light floated her mug to her waiting hooves. Strands of white and purple mane, ruffled from sleep and not yet straightened out, curled around her forehead and neck. He kissed the base of her horn, basking in the warmth of a mare still halfway buried in her covers.

Without another word between them, they clinked the ceramic mugs together, taking a long, slow sip. When they finally came up for air, whipped topping had dabbed each of their noses like a summer tourist’s sunscreen. His wife was the first to break the silence, her giggle like a chorus of the holiday’s silver bells. Night Light chuckled right alongside her.

It would be a busy day, but not right now. Right now, they were at peace.

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An hour or two later, with clear minds and completed morning rituals, Night Light and Twilight Velvet began the long and grueling task of untangling their Hearth’s Warming lights. They’d managed to string up the ones outside the week prior, but those had been graciously gifted to them by their daughter, who had wrapped up and packaged the decorative bulbs in an orderly loop.

These lights, however, had lasted them through two children and a baby dragon, and were unsurprisingly much worse for wear. It didn’t matter if they used their hooves or their horns- for every knot successfully untangled, another would prevail.

Twilight Velvet stared at her current target with a vengeance, squinting at the tangle of lights like they owed her money.

“We could buy new ones this year.”

She glanced up at her husband, who didn’t look up from his work, but who visibly hesitated on his reply to her comment.

“We could.”

“There was a group of Filly Guides selling spools outside a few days ago. They might have a few left.”

Her husband pouted.

“But our kids will be here…”

Twilight Velvet knew the fretful tone was an act, but she indulged in the drama, stroking her husband’s chin with a hoof.

“They’ll understand, honey. Lights just don’t last forever.”

Night Light leaned against his wife’s hoof, flashing her big, wet, pleading eyes.

“Can we work on them for just a little longer?”

“It’s been an hour.”

“I have a system down, they’ll be done soon!”

“Nighty-“

“Pleeeaaassseee?”

It was all Twilight Velvet could do not to burst out laughing. She could have sworn she’d heard this tone from Shining when he was little, begging to stay up and play with his toys just a little while longer. And, just like with her son, she pursed her lips with a faux sternness and pretended to think it over, ending the silent stalemate with a weary sigh.

“Oh, alright. We can try for one more hour. But if they’re not untangled by then, I’m tracking down those Filly Guides.“

Night Light’s expression brightened with newfound determination, and he went right back to work on his current strand. Twilight Velvet covered her mouth with a hoof, suppressing a very immature snicker as her husband stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth to further concentrate.

It took them an extra thirty five minutes to unravel the bulbs, and yet another near hour to drape them all across the house.

Next year, Twilight Velvet thought, wiping sweat from her forehead as she secured a strand across their hearth, I’m going to buy those Filly Guides’ entire stock.

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Night Light was glad now more than ever that they’d set the tree in the living room up in advance. Even if the lights hadn’t been such a mess, the tree was very tall and very heavy. It would have been a struggle to drag it in from the storage closet and fit it in the tree stand after doing so much work.

Besides, it meant that they got to do something much more laid-back today.

After a quick lunch break, they laid out their ornaments on the sofa and chairs, sorting through the mess to see which ones were still in good condition to hang up. The first few had been easy- monochrome baubles in shades of the holiday’s colors, some matte and some glittery, hung up without fanfare. But it still left them with many leftovers to consider, and even more to reminisce over.

Such as:

“Oh honey, do you remember this?”

Night Light held up a clumsily pieced-together paper horse on a ribbon, and his wife pressed her hooves to her chest, melting.

“Is that from Twilight’s kindergarten?”

“No, it’s Shining’s, see? There’s marker smudges all over it.”

His wife sighed fondly, levitating it over to the tree behind them.

“My little Shiny-Whiney… oh, here she is!”

She quickly picked up a different ornament, this one a slightly-less-messy felt wreath, with a picture inside. Night Light appraised it, smiling warmly- it was a photo of Cadence and Twilight, back when she first foalsat the filly. She had somehow convinced Twilight to let her do her mane, tying it up in blue-bowed pigtails.

“That’s definitely going where they’ll see it,” Night Light remarked, chuckling as he hung it up. Twilight Velvet sorted through a few more before picking out the next, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

“Well, what do we have here?”

She waggled a metal ornament that almost resembled a keychain, with “I Survived Bungee Jumping Over Luna Bay” carved into it. Just the mere sight of it brought back memories of watching his wife dive headfirst over a cliff, and Night Light shivered.

“I don’t remember them selling ornaments.”

“They were on sale in the gift shop. Besides, how else is Flurry going to know how cool her grandma is?”

His wife tapped a hoof thoughtfully against her chin until an idea struck, a sly smile crossing her face.

“I’ll let you put up the bingo ornament if you let me put this one up.”

Night Light eyed a figure he’d set aside earlier with thought- a Bingo board ornament sculpted from clay, complete with a little bingo dauber on top. He squinted at it, judging the pros and cons of the negotiation, but deep down he already knew his answer.

“Deal.”

Both ornaments joined the tree in a flash of magical light.

From there, very little banter was needed. Elegant glass-blown figurines gifted by Celestia herself were cautiously hung on the sturdiest branches. Various little hanging trinkets from Twilight’s friends joined in, some of clearer origin than others (there was no doubt about who the autographed photo on a string was from). They spent a bit of time dissecting a sculpted ornament from Shining’s friend Spearhead, which was… abstract, but crafted with such care that it was almost more insulting not to include it. A few past projects from Shining and Twilight that could no longer be read were fretfully discarded, and even more arts and crafts that would surely embarrass their children were gleefully hung up.

After a while, only one clay ornament remained.

A hush fell over them both upon the sight of it. Night Light levitated it gently to their eye levels, spinning it around slowly. It was the oldest of all their ornaments, made of glazed clay that had long since begun to chip, as anything that was three decades old would. The base was decorated with shimmering stars, shooting upward into the scene of a bride and groom slow-dancing together in the lights. A message on the bottom, though already known by heart, was tilted so the couple could read the gilded words.

“Just Married - Night Light and Twilight Velvet. May your love burn as bright as the stars.”

Neither spoke as they observed the little figurine- nothing needed to be said.

Night Light snuggled up to his wife as he hung the final ornament, right under the tree’s star.

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The gentle glow of the fireplace flickered, catching the light of their impromptu living-room-dinner setup. In lieu of her horn, burnt out from using so much magic already, Twilight Velvet twirled her fork in her hoof. Once the spaghetti was ensnared, she brought it to her lips, savoring the taste of the spicy tomato sauce from her Itailian leftovers.

They never had the same punch as the fresh dish, but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t enjoying it after so much heavy lifting.

“I’d say that was a successful day.”

Her husband, nibbling on the last of his garlic bread, nodded in agreement and chewed a little faster so he could respond.

While she waited, Twilight Velvet admired the fireplace’s mantle. Seven stockings hung on metal hooks, and all but one had crocheted dolls watching protectively over them. Of course, once Flurry Heart opened one of her very special gifts from grandma and grandpa, that number would go back up.

The thought of it made her so giddy that she was tempted to bring it out right there and then, but she composed herself. Not yet. Just two more days.

Night Light finally swallowed his bite, clearing his throat.

“Not bad at all! Maybe they’ll crown us for it.”

They both snickered, the sound soft and slightly pensive. She leaned against his shoulder, drifting her attention back to the yarn family huddled over the flames. Two princesses, a prince, a dragon, a little alicorn yet to come… and two parents. Writer and evening tutor. Mother and father. Wife and husband. Ordinary upper middle-class unicorns, not exceptionally wealthy or talented, now the parents of royals.

She sighed, the sound wistful.

“How did we get so lucky, Nighty?”

Her husband, reading her mind, nuzzled her cheek with the tip of his nose. It was warm from the fire, soothing and calm.

“I think they got it from you.”

“Me?”

“Of course. They’re kind, clever, adventurous… throw themselves into danger a little too often-“

“-oh, you stop that,” Twilight Velvet protested, batting her husband’s chest like a cat would bat a toy. Night Light kissed his wife at the base of her jawline in retaliation, smiling into her fur.

“Am I wrong?”

“Yes. It’s you they get the kindness from. And maybe the stubbornness, too.”

“What? Me? Never.”

“You’re proving my point~”

“Oh, maybe…”

The two shared a proper kiss this time, tender and sweet, slowly morphing into a loving embrace. Twilight Velvet tucked her head into the crook of her husband’s neck, closing her eyes and exhaling contentedly. She listened as his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm with his breathing, his heartbeat gentle and calming. It used to be quicker, she knew- they had gotten much older, much slower and grayer than they had when they first snuggled this way- but it didn’t matter.

It surely only lasted for a quarter of an hour, maybe even less, but every moment was comfortable beyond her wildest dreams.

She almost felt compelled to whine when he began to move, only to realize that he was grabbing their emptied plates. Alas, cutlery had to be washed, and responsibilities had to be met. He would almost definitely be turning in for the night very soon, judging by the weariness in his eyes. They’d both worked very hard, and they would have a big family to embrace in the morning.

“Goodnight, dear.”

Night Light smiled, balancing the dirty dishes in his free hoof.

“Goodnight, darling. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

The rattling of silverware against ceramic followed her husband out of the room.

Twilight Velvet shifted her position on their couch, turning to face the window behind her. The winter snow was beginning to whip up as the colder night approached, and Luna’s moon made them gleam like diamonds against the dark sky. Her husband preferred to sleep and wake early, but there was nothing in Equestria that could keep her from stargazing. She watched with a soft smile as the lights twinkled overhead, both artificial Hearth's Warming bulbs and natural flecks of starlight, imagining each and every one as lights in the eyes of her own children, so long ago.

It could not be denied: the evening before the holidays was a work of art.

Author's Note

A sincere apology that this story isn’t exactly… exciting. I wanted to write something very calm and sugary sweet, hopefully not to a boring detriment.
I very much hope the recipient enjoys it regardless! I’m unfamiliar with their work, but I’ve started to see their art floating around the site c: artist gang