Twas a hearth warming eve
Our story begins in the magical land of Equestria, where the ponies of Canterlot are decorating their homes for the wonderful winter holiday known as Hearth's Warming Eve. The whole town was participating in the festivities. The streets were decorated with all manner of lights, garland, and trees decorated to the full with holiday ornaments and lights.
Twilight was heading home from her first meeting with Princess Celestia. She was so happy and excited that she was bouncing down the street with a wide grin on her little face. As her house came into view, she broke into a gallop, barely noticing all the decorations and ponies who shouted “Hi” to her as she flew past. At this pace, the trip home only took a few minutes. Reaching the entrance, she nosed open the thick wooden door and took off her saddle bag, scarf, and snow boots putting them in the closet next to the front door.
"Mom... Dad… I'm home," She called into the house, but there was no reply. Twilight walked into the living room and called out again,
“I’m Home”, this time there was a muffled reply. Instinctively, she turned her ears towards source of the noise and called out
“Hello…?” The reply was louder this time and seemed to be coming from upstairs but she couldn't make out the words.
Twilight went upstairs and into the study, there outside on the balcony her dad had a hammer in his mouth and was levitating a string of lights and a nail. Floating the hammer out of his mouth he called out to Twilight,
"Hello, I'll be there in a minute." He went back to his work levitating the hammer up to the nail and with a resounding whack the nail went into the wall and the lights stayed up. With his task completed, Twilights’ dad nudged open the door and came up next to her.
"Hey there Twilight how was your first lesson with the Princess?"
She exclaimed "It was great Dad!” and continued excitedly “I learned all sorts of new spells, and the Princess said that I was a very special pony!" Twilight was skipping around her dad, a big smile on her face.
"Whoa there Twilight, calm down, you're making me dizzy! You can tell me all about it but first we have to make dinner, how would you like to help me?" Twilight nodded with a smile as her dad proceeded to nudge her downstairs.
====SSS====
Twilight was busy around the table when her mom walked in the door. As they greeted each other, Twilight could not help but notice that her moms’ saddle bags were practically full. Mom levitated them off her back and onto a large sturdy self above the old coat rack next to the door where she also put her boots and scarf to dry. In the dining room, the small four pony table was filled with food: biscuits, a large bowl of apple dandelion stew, steamed carrots, and a glass at each setting filled with ice cold water.
"Well dinner looks great tonight." She said.
"I helped make dinner." Twilight said with a smile on her face
"That she did, and what a great helper she is!" Said Twilights dad tussling her mane as he took his seat at the table
"Shining Armor isn't joining use for dinner tonight?" said Twilight.
"No, Shining Armor is on patrol for the Princess tonight but he'll be back tomorrow." He said as he lifted up each of their bowls and filled them with hot delicious stew.
During dinner Twilight told her parents all about what the Princess had taught her, and how excited she was to go back tomorrow. Dinner was almost finished and it was getting late.
"Twilight why don't you head upstairs and get tucked into bed, I'll be up in a moment to read you a story."
"Ok mom," twilight said as she disappeared up the stairs into her room.
Waiting until she heard the sound of bedroom door being closed, she turned, looked at Dad and whispered…
"Ok, the presents are in my saddle bag, why don't you put them under the tree while I go read Twilight a story."
"Brilliant," he whispered and quietly headed over to the front door while mom started up the stairs.
====SSS====
Twilights mom nudged open the door to see her under the covers with just her head sticking out above the covers a wide grin spread across her face. Twilights’ mom looked over at the bookcase next to the bed and levitated a book down from the very top shelf. The title read “Tales of the Snow Princess”. The book was brown and it had an image of a white Alicorn, with a silver mane and tail, and bright blue eyes in the center of the cover.
"Oh what story are you going to read tonight mom?"
"Tonight it's The Snow Princess and Hearth Warming Eve."
"You haven't read that one before." Twilight said excitedly.
"My mom first read it to me when I was a young filly just about your age."
Twilights’ mom began to read. Twilight was fascinated by the story. It told of how long ago, the Princess was having a rather hard time getting her cutie mark, until one Hearth's Warming Eve she decided to do something for the whole town. She had spent almost the entire month before Hearth’s Warming Eve making presents with her family, then, on that very special night, she went from house to house delivering those presents to everypony in town. It took her all night but she loved it, and she could hardly wait to see all of her friends faces the next morning when they discovered their gifts.
When morning came and all the ponies opened their presents they were so happy. When the Princess came into town every pony thanked her for her generosity. That's when her cutie mark appeared and she realized that the one thing that made her truly happy was giving to others.
Twilight's mom closed the book and placed it back high on the bookshelf. Her dad who came up towards the end of the story kissed Twilight on the head and wished her a good nights sleep Twilight's mom smiled and gave her a nuzzle and her parents left the room making their way back downstairs. Twilight pulled the covers closer to her neck as she closed her eyes and let sleep take her over.
====SSS====
During the night Twilight was stirred from her slumber by a sudden noise. Pulling the covers away Twilight got down off her bed and tiptoed to the door. She nudged it open a crack and heard a rustling sound coming from the living room. Twilight quietly made her way to the stairs and went down slowly. Through the railing Twilight could just see into the dimly lit living room; the noise was coming from the chimney as puffs of chimney dust fell onto the floor.
A minute pasted, and out of the chimney floated a small white cloud. The cloud moved to the center of the room and began to grow until a full grown Alicorn stood in the room. Twilight observed that the Alicorns’ flowing silver mane was waving past her head, just like Princess Celestia's mane. On her back was a red saddle bag with a picture of a snowflake and a red bag filled with presents, the same mark was on her flank. Her horn began to glow as she undid the buckle on her saddle bag. She then lifted several presents out of the bag, a few looked far too large to fit in the bag, and Twilight figured the bag must be enchanted; the Alicorn then carefully placed each gift under the tree.
Closing the bag, the Alicorn who Twilight now figured must be the Snow Princess, moved to leave. As she headed back towards the chimney she looked down and noticed a small silver plate where a single cupcake was resting, the cupcake had a lush green frosting and an apple slice on the top. A cold glass of milk stood by the plate promising further refreshment. The Princess lifted the cupcake up to her mouth with her magic and took a bite. A smile formed as she took another bite savoring the delicious cupcake. When she finished the cupcake she picked up the glass of milk and drank it in one gulp. It left a curious thin line of milk on her upper lip. She was turning to leave when she heard a sound. Twilight had slipped down one of the steps in an attempt to get a better look at the Princess.
Turning towards the noise the Princess eyed the little filly before a wide grin spread across her face. "Well hello there little one"
"He...Hello," said twilight stammering a little as the words were caught in her throat.
"And what is your name little filly?"
"Twi...Twilight,"
"Well Twilight, have you been a good little filly this year?"
"Uh huh, I've been real good." Twilight flashed a big grin, and pleading eyes that only a filly could do.
The Princess simply smiled and nodded, turning to her saddle bag she pulled out a small plush purple pony, she brought it over to Twilight who promptly took it in her own magic.
"For me?" Twilight asked, her smile growing larger then ever
The Princess nodded, "Merry Hearth's Warming Eve." And with those final words the princess turned back into a cloud and flew up the chimney. Twilight dashed back upstairs and went to her bedroom window. She could see the Princess flying out across the moon, and in a loud voice she called out
"Merry Hearth Warming to all, and to all a good night." Then the Princess was gone, Twilight returned to her bed yawning as she went. she crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her, their warmth bringing a smile to the filly. Looking beside her bed Twilight found the doll that the Snow Princess had given her. Picking up the doll in her magic she tucked in between her hooves and clutched it tightly as she drifted off to sleep.
