It was a chilly afternoon in Ponyville, most ponies were in their winter coats and boots if it were too cold for them, some were also in their homes staying warm, except for Starlight, holding some boxes in her magic as she walked through the snowfall, snowflakes sticking to her coat as she picked up her pace. She was only wearing a mint scarf and boots, not realising how chilly it’d be once she got out the store, the snow was falling a little heavier than usual, too. She wasn’t planning on going out today, but there was a very special antique vase for sale that Sunburst was looking for for ages, so she decided to buy it for him, it was very expensive, but she knew it’d be worth it. In the other two boxes was a gift for Maud and one for Trixie, a cute purple blanket and a cute crochet cat that she thought she’d like. Only Trixie’s box was currently wrapped, but in her bag was a fresh roll of wrapping paper, looking like it was white with silver stripes, the piece used for Trixie’s having changed colour. As she walked along she was soon distracted by a loud shout of a familiar voice.
”Hey Starlight!” Trixie cried out, eyeing the boxes with a gasp. “Are any of those presents for me!?” She excitedly assumed, wanting to have a ‘little’ peek.
Starlight gulped as she looked at them and back at her, “No Trixie. These boxes are to be opened on Hearth’s Warming!” She cried out and sighed with Trixie made her “puppy dog eyes” face at her. “Trixie, no!” She scolded as Trixie looked up at the boxes with awe, her own horn glowing as she engulfed the one in orange wrapping paper, talking it down to her eye level and reading the name, shrugging once she realised it wasn’t hers and tossing it aside casually, Starlight yelped with fright and quickly levitated it in the nick of time. “Trixie! You could have broken Sunburst’s-“ she said before gasping, quickly snatching the purple striped one from Trixie’s hooves just seconds before she could start opening it. “Trixie! Seriously! You do this every year, what are you doing back in Ponyville so early, anyway? I thought you’d be back next week?”
“Oh.” Trixie waves a hoof. “A long story of a snowstorm flooding something with snow. None of Trixie’s concern.” She said before putting her hooves together and eyeing the purple box. ‘You don’t think I can’t get a small peak?”
”No Trixie. You’ll be able to open the box on the day, not now!” She exclaimed, smirking a bit when Trixie did her funny pout face and eyed the box again. She glanced at Trixie and sighed, “And if you think you can sneak in at night and open them, think again, because you won’t be finding them!” Said Starlight as she used a teleportation spell on Maud and Sunburst’s gifts, and her own bag, because she didn’t really need it anymore. But then she was about to use it on Trixie’s.
“The great and powerful Trixie just wants a small and quick look!” She exclaimed, grabbing the box just as Starlight used a teleportation spell on it.
“Trixie!” Cried Starlight as she gasped, realising that the spell was messed up with that box, she wasn’t thinking about the right location! She was thinking about Canterlot, where Trixie’s last performance was supposed to be! Perhaps the snowstorm in Phillidelphia caused her trip to Canterlot to be canceled too, or she took a detour, passing through Ponyville on the way for some reason, perhaps to annoy her. “You messed up my spell! How many times have I told you to not interfere when I’m doing a spell!?”
Trixie’s ears went back briefly, she felt a little bad at her mistake, but decided to try and calm her down. “Surely it can’t be that bad! I bet you were only sending them to your room. So perhaps they ended up in the bathroom instead!”
“Not’ because of you!” Starlight shouted then took a breath in and out. It wouldn’t have been a big deal if she could get another one. But those things were hand made by a young filly who had just gotten her cutiemark, she seemed so gleeful to have her first customer in her tiny little stall she was running, let alone the first thing she sold being something she worked hard on, it was the first crochet plush she had ever made. She’d hate for the little filly’s hard work to end up lost forever, kr tossed out, or anything in the list of things that could happen to it! She promised the filly that it was going to somepony who would love it! The kitten resembled a kitten that Trixie took a liking to and the cape it was wearing was the same colour as her own.
“What was it anyway? Gold?” Trixie asked, raising a brow at Starlight’s panicked reaction. Perhaps there was something very special in that box, it was blue and purple, perhaps it was hers, since she herself is associated with such colours.
“No, it was-“ Starlight said before stopping herself from spoiling the surprise. “A gift. I have to get it back!” She said, her own horn glowing as she glanced at Trixie, she would have brought her along, but she didn’t want to ruin the surprise. She gave Trixie a glance before she vanished in her own magic, to Canterlot.
Starlight gasped as her news surroundings appeared in a flash of light, she put herself in a small park, looking around frantically. She didn’t know where to start, but decided to do this small park, since that was the simplest and first thing she had in her mind when thinking of her teleportation destination. She needed to find that gift or else- She looked at her surroundings, keeping in mind that it could be in a tree, on a roof, or hopefully not in a lake or somepony else’s hooves.
“Oh! You look in a Rush.” A voice said behind her, Starlight quickly looked behind her to see a mint green mare, sitting oddly on the bench behind her, staring at her with a slight smug expression. She was in Canterlot to visit family for the holidays, she lived in Ponyville but had family here.
“Oh hey Lyra…” Starlight said quickly looking around. “Have you seen-“
“You looking a little lost, teleportation gone wrong?” She interrupted, looking pretty chill despite the slightly uncomfortable looking posture.
“No- I mean yes!” Starlight said, quickly. “Well, for my friend yes, but for me, no.” She corrected herself, a little frantic and hoping the words came out right, she looked back at Lyra who got up, she was wearing a hat, scarf and a jacket, it was slightly chillier in Canterlot than Ponyville at the moment. “So, Lyra… You haven't seen any misplaced gifts, have you?” She asked.
“Misplaced gifts?” Lyra asked then smirked slightly, “What kind?” She asked, looking like she was thinking of a plan. Starlight let out a groan, she needed to find the gift now.
“I dunno. A purple and blue striped box with a blue ribbon on it?” She said in a voice like she was suggesting something. “Appearing, I dunno, out of thin air?” She asked, waving her hooves in a circular motion.
”Not sure, I have seen a few blue purple boxes and blue ribbon laying around.”
Starlight let out a grown, more than one? That’s a little annoying, but at least she’d know which one was Trixie’s since had written- Or thought she had written her name on it. “Can you show me?” She asked, trying to not sound annoyed as Lyra started to think.
“Oh, yeah, of course, allow me to lead the way, Star… Bright?”
”Starlight.” She corrected.
“Oh Starlight! Of course, you are Twilight’s student! Nice to meet you, I’m Lyra!” She said, lifting a hoof to shake.
Starlight wanted to get to the point, but decided to shake hooves with Lyra, despite already knowing who she was, well, maybe knowing her name. But she didn’t really know her beyond that, was she a professional harp player? Or was she a comedic performer of some kind, she had heard of ponies saying she was silly and stuff. “Nice to meet you, too.” She responded, walking behind Lyra, having a feeling this would take a bit longer than she had hoped…
”It’s just around this corner!” Lyra said as she approached the corner of a few buildings, waving over at Starlight as she walked behind her, speed walking again as Starlight caught up, keeping her eye on her surrounds just in case, she didn’t want to miss it. But seeing Lyra looking eager to help made her actually more hopeful, two ponies looking is better than one, and perhaps she had actually seen it. As they walked past some more buildings she picked up her pace, hurrying to the corner and hurrying after her to a large open area, looking around at the buildings, expecting it on a roof, only to look ahead and see Lyra pointing at a large ornament resembling a purple and blue striped gift box, coincidentally resembling the one she lost. She looked at Lyra with a slight gaze of annoyance and back at the giant box, wondering of this was a joke of some kind.
“Really?” Starlight questioned as she gazed at Lyra. “I meant a more normal sized box?” She said in a slight annoyed tone.
”Wait for it…” Lyra said as she gazed up at the clouds, puzzling Starlight as she looked up, hoping that it hadn't teleported above the clouds, she’d be able to get it, of course. But she didn’t really want to levitate herself so high up in this weather, full exposure to the freezing winds and snow above mountain height was not going to be fun! She wasn’t a pegasus who would be used to this, or be able to fluff up wing feathers for extra warmth, if that’s how feathers work, she’d have to ask Rainbow later on how pegasi stay warm so high up. After pondering on the idea, she saw a small light in the clouds that slowly got bigger and bigger, what was it? It wasn’t even the afternoon, too early to be a star… She gasped as soon as it burst through the cloud, she instinctively jumped out the way as it zoomed down towards her, but going over top of the buildings instead and into the distance.
“W-what was that!?” Asked Starlight.
”A magical flying box!” Lyra exclaimed, looking a little confused but playful herself. “I’m not sure what’s going on with it, oe where it came from. But it just suddenly appeared and started zooming all over the place, all willy-nilly. Not sure if it’s a game or…” She thought to herself as Starlight held her mouth open.
“It’s the box!” She shouted, sprinting in the direction of where it had gone as soon as the realisation hit her. Sure she only saw it as a blur of blue and purple, but it just had to be it! But how in Equestria was it doing that!? It was a teleportation spell, not fly-around-like-crazy spell! Unless Trixie was doing a different spell on it for whatever reason, but why? Oh well, she was going to give her a right talking off later- Well, maybe less of a scolding and more of an explanation on why she was rude! What if it was a more complex spell than-
“Starlight!” Cried Lyra as Starlight found herself crashing down some steps, having not been paying attention on where she was going. “Are you okay, Starlight?!”
”I’m fine…” Starlight groaned and got up, looking to the sky with a groan, she lost sight of the box… She needs to go after it somehow, running after it would be a little tricky. It was very past and many buildings of Canterlot towered over her, meaning her view was partly obstructed. She needed help with this, luckily there was one pony who was willing to.
“So that was the box you were looking for?” Asked Lyra.
“Yes it was…” Starlight sighed as she was approached by her, she looked back ag tue sky. “I need to get it back, or else Trixie won’t be getting a preset and that filly’s hard work will go to waste!” She sighed and looked at Lyra who looked concerned.
”Trixie Loopymoon?” She asked.
”Huh, Loopymoon?”
”The pony magician you hang around with! That gift was for her?”
”You mean Trixie Lulamoon.” Starlight asked, deadpan. It was no surprise as she never really acknowledged her last name, with exceptions.
”Oh! Yes, I do.” Lyra confirmed. “Well, last time I went to one of her shows, she held a raffle amd I won!”
Starlight raised a brow, she must be talking about Trixie’s performance in Ponyville last week, she held a raffle after Pinkie’s suggestion, she pretended she wasn’t interested, but she was. But what did this have anything to do with a flying box? “Good for you, I guess?” She shrugged and looked back at the sky, hoping the box was staying within the airspace of Canterlot at least!
”She taught me a new spell!” Lyra said, Starlight’s eyes widening in shock at this reveal. She didn't know the prize as a new spell! Trixie never took- well did not often take the magic lessons given to her seriously and was usually rather silly and messed up the spell, her heart started to race at the crazy ideas, she tried to reassure herself that perhaps it was a less dangerous spell or one of the rare ones that Trixie wasn’t silly about and listened to every step, like the small hologram spell, or the self levitation.
“What was it?” Starlight questioned as Lyra’s horn stopped glowing.
“Oh, it doesn’t work all the time. But I’ll show you later, that box seemed pretty important to you. So we better get it back.”
Starlight nodded in agreement, taking her mind off the spell and onto the box, starting to think of a plan.
Starlight levitated herself above the buildings of Canterlot, feeling the chilly wind on her coat amd also holding a large bug net in her hooves, heart racing as she looked at her surroundings, spotting it zoom past her, she levitated herself after it, holding the net, getting ready to swipe.
”I got it!” She exclaimed before the box started to shake and rumble before zooming off again, taking her and the net with it, though the air at a dashing speed. She screamed as she held on for dear life. “Eeeek!” She let out a slight scream just seconds before a bird ended up slapped in her face before falling off, looking rather frightened as it fluttered off. She tried to pull back, but it was no use, it was like she was a piece of cloth on a clothesline in a windy day, she tried to engulf the box in her magic, bit with a sharp turn, the weak net snapped, sending Starlight tumbling out of the sky. She ended up crashing in the snow below, Lyra drinking a hot chocolate as a wave of snow hit her, unbothered. She proceeded to hold up an upside down score card saying eight as Starlight lifted her head.
”Is that score for me, or the box?” She asked.
”You didn’t quiet stick the landing..”
“Ugh!’
Starlight once again tried again, this time, more determined than before to receive Trixie’s present. She levitated in the air, ready to levitate the box when it appeared. She levitated herself around, looking out for it, now a little tired of this whole situation, but at least she’d hopefully have the opportunity to teleport it to Twilight’s Castle, what could go wrong? The smaller area would make it easier to catch. Meanwhile down below Lyra was watching on, looking out for the box too before she looked down at her lyra, her horn glowing as she played a single tune that rung out a little bit, she shook her head in slight disapproval. “Well, that’s not it.” She said before trying again, expecting something more to happen, she played a different tune this time, nothing different. She looked up just at the right moment to see the box ram straight into Starlight6, she flinched and jumped back as she watched the impact, worriedly watching her tumble though the air, luckily teleporting just in time before a painful landing on a roof. But she ended up teleporting into a snowman that Lyra had made while waiting, her head where the snowman’s was and her body inside the large snowball that made the body. She spat out the carrot in her mouth and groaned slightly as Lyra smirked a little, finding a bit of humour in this situation.
“I think It’ll be a seven this time.” She said.
”Not funny…” Starlight said before shaking all the snow off herself, shivering a little from the cold as snow started to fall harder, making it slightly harder to see the sky. “Great, just great!” She exclaimed, looking for the light from the box before looking at Lyra, seeing her play a tune on her harp. “Uh, what are you doing? There’s no time for that.” She responded, slightly annoyed as Lyra ignored her, her horn glowing as she played a collection of notes, creating a calming lullaby that actually seemed pretty relaxing. “Lyra?”
She only shushed her as she paused, “Just wait and see.” She said before playing the same tune, her horn slightly glowing more. Starlight watching with slight awe, visualizing music notes as the tune amplified itself gently, not in an annoying way, but in a way that ponies would hear for miles away. But how was ponies hearing Lyra’s song going to help with the box? Starlight simply reminded herself to be patient and watched on, wondering if there was more to this spell, or if Lyra was just showing her some music she wanted all of Canterlot to hear. But just before she made a groan after two minutes she looked in the air, seeing the small glow from the box getting bigger and bigger until it was visible again, getting closer and closer, slowly, seeming interested in the song? But how, the box didn’t have ears or anything to sense this, it was a sentient object. She watched puzzled as the box slowly came close to Starlight, soon gently laying itself on the ground in front of her, the glow fading as she watched on, wondering if it would be safe to touch and why it was flying around like crazy in the first place. After about a minute the music stopped and the box had not moved. “It seems it has calmed down, now.” Lyra said with a smile while Starlight used her own magic to figure out what was going on, but to her surprise no spell was put on it. Maybe it was something in the box? Maybe some sort of magic object that was put inside accidental, or something the filly picked up to put with her crochet work. She was reluctant to open Trixie’s present, but she sure didn’t want it to be zooming everywhere when she got it, she could wrap it back up when she checked. She ripped off the wrapping paper and tossed it aside, Lyra making a gasp. “I thought that was for Trixie, not from!”
“It is.” She responded just before she opened the box itself, Lyra alerting her.
“Is this wrapping paper meant to glow?” Asked Lyra, slightly amused at the magic wrapping paper.
”No?” Responded Starlight, “Well, I don’t know. Zecora was the one that gave me the wrapping paper to use,.” She admitted, holding the wrapping paper in her magic and scrunching it up, wondering where she had gotten this paper one, she wasn’t the kind to do mischievous things like this, so it must have been an error of some kind. The wrapping paper was actually magic in one way, it started white and grey striped, but when wrapped around the present, one of the colours would change to resemble the same colour as the recipent’s coat, eye colour or something they wear a lot. While the other stripes would simply change to any random colour that looked alright with the other. But why did it make the box go crazy after being teleported? Oh well, she’ll just have to rewrap it.
”Thank you for your help, Lyra.” Starlight smiled, “Would have been harder to do on my own.”
”You’re welcome, Starlight!” Lyra grinned, “Glad Trixie taught me that spell when I won the raffle. Comes in handy when you need it!” Starlight stood there, ready to teleport and thought about her destination. She also felt a bit relieved at learning what spell Trixie taught to the raffle winner, she was expecting something more dangerous. She was snapped from her thoughts then Lyra exclaimed. “Starlight! Wait!”
“Yes?”
”Happy Hearth’s Warming.” She said with a smile, holding out a small box wrapped up nicely. Starlight smiled a little, feeling a little bad she wasn’t giving her a gift, but was thankful.
”Thank you Lyra, happy Hearth’s Warming!”
”Happy Hearth’s Warming, Starlight, see you around!” Lyra waves just before Starlight teleported away.
Starlight let out a sigh of relief once she teleported in the entrance area of Twilight’s castle, where a large tree was sitting, ready to be decorated. She looked at the bare cardboard box with a slight smile, thinking of putting some different wrapping paper on it, her smile soon fading as her face slowly turned to horror, remembering the magical wrapping paper, she had a roll in her bag! She gasped slightly just when she turned around, seeing the wrapping paper unraveling itself, draping across the floor as it flew across the castle, dragging the rest of it along the floor as the end attached to the roll zoomed across the air. “Seriously?” She grumbled just before the doors were slammed open, revealing a certain Zebra.
”Do not use any magic besides teleportation on that roll! I used the wrong powder where unicorn magic will make it out of control!” Zecora exclaimed before seeing the large amount of paper flying around.
”Too late.” She said with a sigh but, glad she found the reason. Seemed Zecora must have somehow made her own wrapping paper or used some sort of potion or powder to personlise it. “But is there a way to fix it?” She wondered
”Water will make it easier to manage. But it won’t change colour when it gets water damage.”
Starlight already had two waterguns. ”Can live with that.” She shrugged, chasing after it, it was cool when it changed colour and stuff, but this was a faulty roll and had to go. So she didn’t stutter with chasing it down and soaking it up, till it was just a large sheet of soaked wrapping paper, she wasn’t sure what to so with a soaked sheet of unrolled wrapping paper, but perhaps it’ll be usable once dry? Right? Or she could use it for fire fuel.
Hearth’s Warming was finally here. Twilight and her friends, along with a few others were gathered near the large tree inside, exchanging gifts. Starlight sat near the tree her self, digging out presents, passing an occasional one to its nearby recipient. She smiled when she finally got to a certain group of gifts, sitting patiently in place. She levitated them in her magic as she walked over to her friends, Sunburst and Trixie chatting about some festive play while Maud was holding onto a box with rocked themed wrapping paper, with Trixie and Sunburst also holding boxes of their own.
“Found them!” Starlight cried out happily, giving her friends their gifts.
They thanked her and opening them up, Trixie immediately taking a liking to her crochet plush. “Starlight! It’s adorable!” She cried out, hugging her close. “I’m gonna name her…” She thought for a moment. “Mustard!”
”Mayonnaise?” Asked Starlight who soon smiled, an unusual name, bit it is her toy. “Good choice Trixie.”
”Thanks!” Trixie responded while Sunburst gasped and excitement and tapped his hooves like and excited foal upon opening his gift. Starlight opened her friends gift amd exchanges happened while Sunburst, Starlight and Trixie chatted as they opened their presents, Maud having gone to join her sisters for something. After a while, there was only one unopened gift within the three ponies Trixie eyed the small box in Starlight’s hooves, the one she got from Lyra the week before. “You gonna open that one, or what?”
”Oh yeah, sure!” Starlight said, a smile on her face as she gently undid the ribbon and lifted the lid from the colourful green and red box, revealing a shiny box inside, appearing to have been made from wood with gold outlined. She picked it up with awe, opening to see inside, wondering what it could be, a necklace? A bracelet? She smiled when she opened up, a nice tune coming out as a lyre twirled slowly in the middle. A music box with one of Lyra’s songs in it, she smiled at the sweet gift.
“Oh, that’s from that pony that won my raffle.” Trixie stated quietly.
Starlight nodded as she enjoyed the tune, hoping to soon thank Lyra for the gift, glad she helped her to recover Trixie’s, before anything got damaged or lost.
“Happy Hearth’s Warming!”
