Happy Hearth's Warming Eve
T’was a white winter night in Ponyville. The animals were asleep in their little homes and ponies were enjoying their time with friends and families, but never alone. Six pony friends gathered in a library, which was decorated as a Christmas tree. The bells on the branches jingled in every soft breeze and the star atop glowed bright to let everypony see.
Laughter and giggles echoed in the room, with presents stacked so high it would loom. A tree that was decorated with bells and candy cane stood merrily in the middle of the room that was anything but mundane. A rainbow maned pegasus flew briskly by, chasing a tortoise that could fly. An orange cowpony mare sat next to the tree, who was drinking a hot cup of lemon tea. A shy butterscotch pegasus mare with flowing pink mane, had a smile on her face as she looked at her friend. It was friend who had a puffy pink mane and tail, who was reading a book of magical fantasy tales.
Curly purple mane and tail that nopony could match, a snow white coat that bear no scratch. A unicorn mare who sat on a violet pillow, who had a purple young dragon that always in tow. The sound of a bell jingled resonated in the room by a purple unicorn mare who stepped into the room. Her dark purple mane and tail glowed under the light; her smile was warm, happy and bright.
“Thank you for coming, everypony. I am glad all of you are able to come to my Heart’s Warming eve party,” the purple pony spoke with a smile on her face as she levitated the bell away.
“No problem, Twi. It’s always nice to spend Hearth’s Warming eve with friends,” the cowpony replied as she took a sip of hot lemon tea. The other ponies nodded in unison.
“Thank you again, everypony,” Twilight said as she giggled. “Oh!” she gasped. “Do you know what time it is?” she asked, grinning.
“Dinner time?” the young dragon answered with a sheepish smile as he nervously scratched the back of his head.
“Nope, it’s presents giving time!” Twilight exclaimed cheerily as she giggled. “According to my ‘How to Organize You Own Heart’s Warming Eve Party Guide’ that I bought this morning,” she added with a sheepish grin.
“Yay, presents!” the pink pony cheered as she hopped high in the room, nearly bumped her head onto the ceiling.
“Oh, careful Pinkie Pie,” the butterscotch pegasus spoke up softly with a worried expression on her face. She slowly backed away, trying to avoid getting in Pinkie's way.
“Don’t worry, Fluttershy. I’m always careful,” Pinkie Pie giggled as she bounced on her tail. “Weee,” she cheered, bouncing around the tree which stood next to the stack of presents.
“Watch it, Pinkie Pie. You might ruin the presents,” scolded the rainbow maned pegasus, crossing her hooves together as her brows furrowed at Pinkie. The pink pony quickly stopped as her ears drooped and her head hung low in return. Pinkie Pie tentatively looked at the rainbow hued pegasus with an apologetic expression, her lips quivering in sadness.
“Don’t be like that, Rainbow Dash. She’s just having fun,” the snow white unicorn with curly purple mane and tail intoned, looking at her hoof.
“Sorry, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash sighed guiltily as she hovered next to the pony in question.
“No problem, Dashie!” Pinkie Pie quickly recovered from her sadness as she pulled Rainbow Dash in a tight embrace, happiness beamed from her smile.
“Hey, Rarity. Could you lend me a hand?” the orange cowpony mare grunted as she stood on her hind legs, trying to reach a present that was on top of the stack.
“Of course, Applejack,” Rarity said, levitating the box to Applejack’s reach.
“Thank ya’ kindly,” Applejack chuckled, tipping her hat to the mare. Then, she quickly trotted towards Twilight who was in the middle of rearranging the decoration of the tree with the present balanced on her back. “Ahem,” she coughed in attempt to get the busy unicorn’s attention.
“Oh,” Twilight spoke up as she noticed Applejack was standing next to her, waiting for her to notice. “What is it?” she asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.
“This is for you,” Applejack offered, handing over the present that was wrapped with green wrapping paper that had pictures of apples all over it.
“This is for me?” Twilight asked with surprised on her face as she levitated the present.
“Eeyup,” Applejack nodded with a smile on her face.
“Thank you!” Twilight gasped as she hugged her friend. Then she quickly opened the present, her eyes widened as she looked into the box. “This...” she muttered softly with shock plastered on her face.
“I know you like books and all, so I decided to get you a --,” before Applejack could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a happy glee from Twilight.
“You got me a book about the history of unicorns before the founding of Equestria,” she exclaimed cheerily as she levitated an old leather covered tome into the air, hopping around Applejack. “This. Is. The. Best. Gift. Ever!” she shouted between hops, her face was beamed with excitement.
“Well, glad that you like it,” Applejack chuckled, tipping her head upwards with a smile on her face as she looked at her hopping friend.
“Wait!” Twilight suddenly exclaimed as she stopped hopping. Her horn let out a soft purple glow, levitating a present that was wrapped in a purple wrapping paper with stars on its side towards Applejack. “This is for you,” she chuckled.
“You don’t have to give me anything, Twi’,” Applejack said with a sheepish smile on her face, scratching the back of her neck.
“I know I don’t have to, but I want to,” she replied, chuckling. “Come on, open it,” she said, levitating the present closer.
“Thank you kindly,” Applejack said, tipping her head with a smile on her face. Then, without a second longer, she excitedly opened the gift. Her eyes beamed with excitement as she pulled out a pair of galoshes. Then, she gave Twilight a questioning eyebrow.
“Do you like it?” Twilight asked, her ears dropped as she gave Applejack a nervous smile. Applejack’s confused look slowly turned into a warm smile, chuckling.
“I love it, Twi. Thank you,” she said as she hugged her unicorn friend. Twilight let out a relieved sigh as she returned the hug.
Meanwhile, in the other side of the room, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were exchanging their gifts with each other. “Here you go, Dashie.” Pinkie grinned as she handed over a present that was heavy on ribbons and glitters.
“Thank you, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash chuckled, taking the gift into her hooves. “Uh... can I open it?” she asked, looking at the pink pony with a questioning eyebrow.
“Yes indeedy,” Pinkie Pie said with a smile on her face as she bounced excitedly on her tail, anticipating the surprise of her friend. Rainbow Dash quickly opened the lid of the present and her jaw immediately dropped onto the floor. “Do you like it?” Pinkie Pie giggled. Her bounce became higher in anticipation.
“This... is... Awesome!” Rainbow Dash squealed in delight as she pulled out an autographed Wonderbolt’s goggles. “H-how did you get this?” she stuttered as she look at her pink friend with a mixture between confusion and excitement. Pinkie Pie let out a wide grin and giggled.
“Before we went back from the Wonderbolt’s flight academy, I asked Spitfire if she could autograph a picture as a present for you. But she was so impressed by your determination to be a Wonderbolt, she gave me her goggles that was signed personally by her,” Pinkie explained in one breath, bouncing excitedly at her friend’s anticipated reaction.
“Omygosh, thank you!” Rainbow Dash gasped as she hugged Pinkie Pie.
“No problem, Dashie,” Pinkie giggled, patting her pegasus friend on the back.
“Oh!” Rainbow Dash gasped as she bolted towards the tree, escaping from her friend’s embrace. “Here you go,” she said, offering a present that was wrapped in light blue wrapping paper with clouds on the side. “I hope you like it,” she chuckled as Pinkie Pie took it from her hooves. When Pinkie Pie opened the present, she let out a deep gasp, her eyes widened in shock.
“You got me a... flugel horn!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed with excitement in her eyes, pulling out the silver horn. “I always wanted a flugel horn since we went to the Crystal Kingdom,” she gasped as her eyes sparkled upon looking the unexpected gift. “Thank you so much,” the pink pony chortled, hugging the rainbow hued pegasus.
“No problem, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash chuckled, returning her friend’s embrace. “But uh...” she started, whispering. “It is best if you play it in the morning. You might wake the neighbors up and Twilight might be angry at us,” she continued, her eyes nervously darted towards Twilight who was reading the book that she got as a present next to the tree with her brows furrowed in concentration.
“Don’t worry, Dashie,” Pinkie chuckled.
At that moment, Rarity and Fluttershy were also exchanging gifts. The snow white pony laid peacefully on her comfy pillow as Fluttershy was sitting next to her, quietly looking at the bells that were hung on the tree in the middle of the main room. “Fluttershy,” Rarity intoned, levitating a present box that was wrapped in violet wrapping paper and tied with diamond encrusted ribbons next to the shy pegasus. “Happy Heart’s Warming, darling,” she chimed with a smile on her face.
“Oh, you don’t have to,” Fluttershy said softly, looking at the present that was presented next to her.
“Darling, I insist,” Rarity said as she pushed the present closer with a hoof.
“Thank you,” the butterscotch pegasus softly replied, gingerly opened the lid of the present. “Oh my,” she gasped in a soft tone as she pulled out a wooden music box. Fluttershy slowly turned the key at the side of the box and the lid suddenly opened, eliciting a squeak from the pony. Then, the room was filled with a happy and lighthearted sweet tone that was divine as a thousand angel’s voice. “Thank you, Rarity,” Fluttershy whispered with a smile on her face, closing the music box with a soft click.
“Don’t worry, darling. It’s my pleasure,” Rarity chimed, bouncing her curly mane on her hoof.
“Here you go,” Fluttershy squeaked, pushing a small present that was wrapped in a yellow wrapping paper with butterflies on its side. “Sorry, if you don’t like it,” she whispered softly, her ears drooped on her head.
“Don’t be silly darling--,” Rarity stopped in the middle of her sentence, looking into the tiny present box. Her eyes sparkled as a smile slowly spread across her face. “Muahahaha!” she cheered excitedly as she hopped onto her hooves, levitating a crystal comb that was made with perfection. The comb glowed under the library light, creating a rainbow as the light refracted from its surface. “When did- how did- gha?” Rarity mumbled as she had confusion and excitement on her face.
“Well, I got it from Princess Cadence as a gift but I think you should have it,” she admitted softly as she hid her face behind her flowing mane, looking through her hair.
“Oh, thank you!” Rarity quickly hugged her, eliciting a squeak from the pegasus mare. Whilst, everypony was exchanging gifts, Spike stood silently at the door, feeling left out. He let out an exasperated sigh.
“Here you go, Spike,” Twilight said as she levitated another present box towards her assistant.
“For me?” Spike asked as he took the present in his hands with a smile on his face. Twilight nodded in respond.
“For ya’, Spike,” Applejack said, dropping another present onto Spike’s hands. Then, another from each mare in the room and after a while, Spike was literally balancing a mountain of gifts on his hands as he tried to avoid dropping the presents.
“Can I open them, Twilight?” Spike grunted with excitement beamed from his eyes as his legs shook under him. Twilight looked at the watch that was hung on the library wall. She magically summoned her to-do list, checking the schedule.
“Maybe after dinner, Spike,” Twilight mumbled, looking at the list as she rubbed her chin in thought.
“Oka- gyah!” Spike screamed as he lost balance, slipping on a wrapping paper that was left on the floor while he helplessly flailed his arms around. The mountain of presents dropped onto the floor with a series of loud thuds, burying Spike under them. Then, all of the ponies shared a giggle when the little dragon’s head popped out from the pile of presents, looking confused.
The group of friends shared dinner together as they all shared giggles and laughter. After dinner they all gather, next to the tree they sat together. They shared stories and fondest memories, that all of them will forever cherish. They sang and danced through all the night until morning came with warmth and light.
Author's Note
If you see any glaring mistakes, let me know.
