//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, Twilight Sparkle! // by defender2222 //------------------------------// Sam the Snowman fiddled with his hat before continuing. "Yes, it seemed like every pony in Ponyville had sudden developed a Heath's Warming bug in their butt. Twilight knew what the holiday was suppose to be about but all her attempts to get help and reassurance had been hindered. There are some ponies that would have given up, but folks say Twilight Sparkle never admitted defeat, no matter how hard a situation became. This was mostly because she was a masochist and got off on pain; that's my theory, at least." Reaching down, Sam gathered up a bit of snow, rubbing it against his arms. "Her first 3 stops had only ended in pain, but Twilight knew how to correct all of this. There was one friend, above all others, that she knew she could trust not to become corrupted by the holiday spirit: the bashful pony Fluttershy. Thus, with the kindling flame of hope burning in her heart, Twilight trotted towards the pegasus' house, hoping that in that cottage she could find the seasonal cheer she had been hoping for." Sam lifted his arm up, revealing that he had used the snow to build some biceps on his arms. "What? I have a date tonight and I want to look my best!" He grabbed some more snow and began to rub it on his chest, sculpting so ice-hard abs. ~MC~MC~MC~ "Alright... so what if three of my friends are acting crazy... I will still manage to put on a wonderful holiday party!" Twilight blew a strand of hair from her eyes as she walked down the lane towards Fluttershy's house. "I mean, yes it would have been nice if they had helped me out, but I can manage. Granted, Pinkie was suppose to help me ensure my party games would be fun without becoming to overblown... and Applejack was going to show me how to make that apple crumble that I promised my mom but I am sure I can figure it out... and Rarity was going to help me decide on a color theme, whatever that is... but I can still do it!" Twilight stomped her hoof, determination flashing in her eyes. "Yeah... I am going to have a great party! I am going to show everypony what Hearth's Warming is all about!" The unicorn laughed to her self as she continued down the trail. "Geez, I can't believe the girls have let the holidays drive them so batty! I mean, I'm the one that usually loses it when it comes to planning things and I am totally keeping it together." The unicorn's brow furrowed. "I mean yeah, I am talking to myself, and I was talking to a little angelic version of myself... and I hear a little voice in my head telling me to 'kill whitey' but that doesn't mean I'm crazy!" She looked around, as if she expected ponies in white jackets and buttefly nets to emerge and try and catch her. She let out a sigh of relief when that did not happen and continued to trot along. "That's right Twilight... you are in the zone and keeping it together! Every pony can see that. I'm not crazy, they are! Isn't that right, sparkling elves." Twilight turned, staring at the empty air for several moments, before cocking her head to the side. "What's that? Why yes, I have been working out, thank you!" Twilight patted her stomach. "I took up Pilates!" She stared at the air again for several moments. "Yes, I know that they say swimming in the best exercise but I perfect not getting wet when i work out." She frowned after several moments of silence. "What do you mean, 'That's what she said'?" Another long lag. "No, I really don't think we should round up all the mules and put them in a concentration camp... and what the hay is Poland and why should I invade it?" She waved her hoof dismissively. "Forget it, there is no talking to you when you all are drunk." That problem settled, Twilight continued to happily trot down the lane, her spirits bolstered and her sanity hanging by a fraying thread. She just knew that Fluttershy would able to help her out; Fluttershy was so meek and timid that there simply wasn't any possible way that the shy pegasus could have become a holiday monster like the rest of their friends. Twilight turned a corner and felt her stomach drop at the sight of Fluttershy's cottage. She cursed herself for jinxing her luck. If Los Pegasus was a cheap streetwalker who enjoyed drinking dime store hooch, then Fluttershy's cottage looked like whatever the slut would purge from her body after a night of binging. There were enchanted lights everything: on the roof, framing the windows, and even two parallel lines running down the walk to where Twilight stood. A massive inflatable snowpony happily sat in front of the cottage, waving his foreleg, and Fluttershy had even managed to erect a Council Scene, depicting the moment Clover, Smart Cookie and Pansy had decided to become friends and banished the windigos to hell (or where ever the windigos went... the history books were unclear on that point). Several of the trees near Fluttershy's cottage had been decorated like Heath's Warming trees and there was even a sound system set up, ready to begin playing Hearth's Warming classics once it was turned on. "Uh, Mr. Badger?" Fluttershy said softly, floating over to the mammal as it worked on setting up some overly-large candy canes along the snowy flower beds. "I thought we agreed that we'd used green and red candy canes?" The badger let out a series of grunts and calls (which, roughly translated, meant "I am a female, you lousy-") but Fluttershy simply waved off the complaints. "Well then, if you don't want to do it right then I guess you will have to go into the box." The badger's eyes widened and he/she began to wave his/her arms rapidly in utter fear. "Are you sure?" Fluttershy said politely. "Ok." The badger, letting out a sigh of relief, quickly rushed into the house to get the right candy canes. "And, if it ok with you... could you maybe, kinda, let every other animal know that I will not tolerate failure." Fluttershy bit her lip nervously. "If you don't want to tell them I can-" "Fluttershy?!?" Twilight exclaimed his shock. "What are you doing?" "Oh, hello Twilight!" Fluttershy said happily, flapping over to her friend and giving her a hug. "I'm glad you are here; maybe when some of my little animal friends see you hard at work then will stop crying about being tired and hungry and get back to work. Or maybe, if it isn't too much trouble, you could use your magic to... convince them to work." "Did... did you enslave all your little animal friends?" Fluttershy shook her head rapidly. "No! No no no no no!" "Good." "I just ripped them away from their homes and force them to work long hours with no pay and no chance of being let go." "...that's the very definition of slavery!" "It is?" Fluttershy said in surprise. She turned to Angel, who, to Twilight's horror, was holding a whip and had on a pair of black sunglasses and a cowboy hat. "Angel, did you know that all our friends were really slaves?" The bunny nodded. "Oh, good... as long as one of us knows." "Fluttershy, how could you do this?" "Do what?" the mare asked innocently. "How could you enslave all your little friends?" Fluttershy shrugged. "Well, there is just so much work to do and I can't really afford to pay for workers-" "Fluttershy, you write the Daring Do books... you're a millionaire." "Well, that's true..." Angel ran over and whispered in her ear. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Twilight; I misspoke." Fluttershy smiled, nodding her head. "I can afford to pay workers, I just don't want to." Twilight felt a migraine coming on (though, truthfully, ever since she had moved to Ponyville she had felt migraines coming... Spike thought that it was a sign her brain was trying to claw its way out of her skull and escape the insanity; Twilight was more and more subscribing to that theory). "Fluttershy, what exactly could be so important that it would make you enslave innocent creatures?" "The decorating contest." "The decorating contest?" The pegasus nodded. "Oh yes! Every year Ponyville has a home decorating contest and every year I win. I really like to go all out and that is why I get-" "Enslave." "-my animal friends to help." Fluttershy gestured towards her cottage. "Isn't it lovely?" "It's... great. But Fluttershy, is winning a contest really worth all this?" "The winner gets 1,000 bits." Twilight did a spittake (which was weird because she wasn't drinking anything). "1,000 bits?!?!" "Yup. I use the winnings as down payment on more decorations. This year it cost me 3,000 bits." "You spend 3,000 bits to win a contest where the prize is a third of that?" "Yes, of course. It is like that old saying: you have to play to win." Twilight narrowed her eyes. "That is the motto for the Equestrian Lottery." "...still doesn't make it untrue." Fluttershy smiled to herself. "Come on, Twilight, it is Hearth's Warming Day... and that means enslaving friends so you can win things by over-decorating!" "NO IT DOESN'T!" Twilight screamed. It was a credit to her will that Fluttershy didn't fly away right then and there. "Well... I think it is, and so do a lot of ponies, that's why I go all out." Fluttershy gestured towards the little Hearth's Warming village, her light setup on the roof and... "Fluttershy... is that Discord's statue?" Fluttershy looked over where Angel and some bluebirds were working on some popcorn strings. "Yes... yes it is." "WHY DO YOU HAVE DISCORD'S STATUE!?!" "I rented it from Princess Celestia for my display." Twilight's eye twitched. "The Princess... rents out Discord's statue?" "Of course... for parties and Lunamitzvahs." "This... this is insane." Fluttershy shook her head, patting Twilight on the back. "It's ok, Twilight... this is just how the holidays are. I even wrote a song about it." Twilight shut her eyes. "Can we just skip the song and-" Fluttershy I am ready and I'm willing To win this year’s new contest I will put up my decorations and my house will be the best! But my animals will work for nothing Twilight Fluttershy, that’s because you refuse to pay! Fluttershy It is almost Hearth's Warming Day! Hooray! We only have a few days to string up several million lights And to get all of this hard work done my animals will work days and nights Twilight Fluttershy that is inhumane, and I have to say rather horrible cruel Fluttershy That's how I make Hearth's Warming Rule! Hooray Twilight Can't you see their all miserable? Fluttershy But none of them every complain Twilight That's because you've work them way too hard It's given them damage to their brains! Fluttershy Let us string up all the tinsel And push away the snow Twilight You really have to stop this it is horrible, you must know You aren’t paying attention and don't hear a single word that I say Fluttershy Oh, thanks Twilight, staying positive is the way! Twilight I complain and I whine But you don't do what you should You aren't paying attention all Fluttershy Those candy canes should be wood Twilight So with that thought in mind I have decided it's time to flee Discord's Statue I use to be a baddie till I took harmony to the knee Twilight Have we really sunk so low that we use that overdone meme? Fluttershy At least it fit better with the song’s overall rhyming scheme Now get going Twilight you are distracting my team! Hooray! "Fine! I'm going!" Twilight shouted over her shoulder, stomping away from Fluttershy. "But let it be know that I am 100% against-" "Someone fat get in my way!" Twilight turned just in time for Rainbow Dash to slam into her, driving the unicorn about 4 inches into the ground. The cyan pegasus shook the snow from her mane and looked down at the librarian. "Gee, thanks Twilight!" "I'm not fat!" Twilight said dizzily. "I... I take Pilates!" Then she promptly collapsed