The Day Before the Day
Lily was quite busy having fun now, and Shoelace was surprised at how incredibly much she could think of in the snow. The snow-foal for one, was something he thought he had seen in town when it came to this time of the year. But suddenly he remembered something. "Lily, I need to go buy some things in the market. Could you help me?"
Lily bounced 180 degrees, clearly eager before even opening her mouth. "Oh! Oh! What do we need?" she asked. Shoelace had to let out a sigh at her never-ending spirit.
"We just need some food. I don't have anything good for tonight," he said. Inside his head he also thought about his sore lack of presents.
That time of the year is the time when the town is filled the most. Even though the summersun celebration and other major events were also high on the list, it could not top the horde of ponies the final holiday of the year summons. Nearly everypony in Equestria stop by for presents and other things, such as food. Even though old Shoelace didn't like to come to town too often, he certainly had to do it now for Lily's sake.
Lily bounced around the streets, looking at all the pretty lights and all that the stores had to offer. She could hardly control her enthusiastic little hooves as one shop had something different to show her, and sweets were handed out there while another shop sold toys. Shoelace had to keep trotting to avoid losing her. In one corner were the food-stalls, across the streets was gift-shops, and in the middle of the market was a stage where a magician put up a show for bystanders.
It seemed like the magician had put up a particularly good show for the crowd, they all cheered for him and stomped their hooves. But suddenly he stood up on his hind hooves and said "And for my next trick I need a volunteer, anypony?"
Shoelace let out a sigh and shook his head; they didn't have time for such foolish cheap tricks now. "I will," he heard Lily say. And to Shoelace's unpleasant surprise, she had already jumped up on the stage.
"So what is your name dear?" the magician said, loud enough for the crowd to hear while he had lowered his head next to her.
"My name is Lily!" she replied. Her eyes sparkled, and she could barely keep her hooves in place with all the excitement she held in her body.
"Give it up for Lily!" the magician cheered, making the crowd stomp their hooves and cheer once more. "Now Lily, I need you to stand on this box and face the audience," he told her. Shoelace didn't like this kind of cheap tricks, but he had never seen this kind of trick before and nor had nopony else.
"As you will see," the magician said and pulled off his hat. "I will not be using my magic for this trick. And if you would look at the box," he continued and levitated the box in the air while continuously turning it around with his magic. "It will not be affected by magic either. If it does become affected by magic, the magic would glow around it like it does right now! Now, Lily," he said and faced her. "Close your eyes."
Lily closed her eyes and waited. She didn't feel anything weird, but the crowd suddenly gasped. "Open your eyes Lily," the magician commanded. When she opened them, she was levitating above the magician and the crowd. But as the magician said, the box was clearly unaffected by magic.
"Now close your eyes again and don't move a muscle," the magician commanded her, and she did as he said. She was a little afraid of heights, but not enough to be afraid. The crowd let out a huge gasp, and Lily felt the world twist for a moment. Suddenly she became a little heavier in her head. "Now open!" Lily opened her eyes once morem but this time she was upside down in mid-air. The crowd was dead-silent. Lily looked at the box; it was STILL not affected by magic!
"Give it up once more for my fantastic assistant Lily!" the crowd went wild. Surely this had never been performed before! And how could it be possible if the magician did not use magic, and the box was not affected by magic? The magician carefully placed the box back down. "Now Lily, you have been a wonderful assistant. And for that you deserve a reward!" he said.
"Let's see what the bag of wonder contains for you today hm?" He pulled forth a small bag in the size of a shoebox. "Now, close your eyes and pull out your reward," he told her. Lily closed her eyes and put her hoof inside the bag. Then she pulled out a small plushy. But the reaction from the crowd told her that it wasn’t just any plushy. They all gasped at the thing she held in her hand.
"Well would ya look at that," the magician said. "It seems like today is this little filly's lucky day!" The crowd stomped their hooves and cheered for her, but Lily didn't know why. The magician noticed her confusion and leaned his head down next to her. The plushy was seemingly a sleeping red dragon. Just like many of the other toys you could buy at the stores, but this one had a small shiny ruby in its chest.
"You take good care of that, its one-of-a-kind. Very special to me, but I think you should have it," Lily looked at him, and he smiled at her. "Now go on Lily, the show is over for now," he said. He turned to the crowd. "That's it folks, thank you for stopping by!"
Shoelace anxiously awaited Lily by the stage. His heart had jumped when the box flipped while she was on it. But he couldn't be angry at the happy little filly that skipped towards him through the crowd, even though she made him worry by going on-stage. "Look!" she said and pointed at the plushy on her head.
He smiled at her, but they should get back home soon before it got dark. "Come on, we need to get those things before the stores close," he said. "Okay!" The stores would be open for a lot longer and the lines were huge, but eventually they got the food they needed. Then there was the one final thing. He wouldn't feel right if he didn't give Lily a present. "Eh Lily, could you go fetch me some cookies?" he said so that he could have some time to find a present he could buy and come back for later.
"Sure!" Lily said and beamed off with a hoof-full of bits and the plushy on her head. She didn't know where the store was, but at least she went in the right general direction. Shoelace looked at the closest stores, it should be easy to find something.
The night came, the house was decorated and the food was in store. An ice-foal and an ice-unicorn shined in the moonlight. Shoelace had helped Lily make another one at his size that they made a unicorn instead of the other foal. The logs in Shoelace's fireplace burned nicely. Lily with played with the doll she received from the magician on the couch, pretending that is was a real dragon.
Shoelace looked out the window, it was dark now. He remembered Lily's story; she wanted to find her parents but found him. What a funny way for fate to bring them together. Lily needed somepony to care for her, and he needed somepony to care for. He looked at the clear winter sky, the stars shined brightly.
Shoelace heard a small sound next to him in the snow. Lily sat next to him and looked up at the sky as well. "I wonder if my parents can see this," she said. Shoelace looked at the little filly, holding around her plushy and staring at the sky with hope.
Shoelace smiled to her. "Of course they do! Every place in Equestria is different in some way, but the sky is always the same." Lily smiled; she took great comfort in those words. "Now, time to go to bed you foal. It's past bedtime for both of us," he said. She giggled and skipped back inside the front-door. Shoelace looked at the sky once more, he thought about String. He sighed and went inside to turn the light off. Tomorrow was the big day when it happened.