....OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"
(THUD!)
Blueblood kicked and thrashed under his blanket until he managed to sit up. After a few gasping breaths he looked around and found that he wasn't in Tartarus! Instead he was in...
"My room." he whispered. "I'm in my room.....I'M IN MY ROOM!!!!" he shouted and laughed. Blueblood looked up to find he had fallen out of bed, and concluded that was probably what woke him. He fell onto his back and started laughing again like a foal. "I'm in my room and I'm alive!!" He cried. before standing back up. "I have a second chance! I'm not going to waste it!"
Blueblood then fell on his knees and clasped his front hooves. "Oh thank you spirits, I won't forget the lessons you taught me! And I say it on my knees, ON MY KNEES!!! He cried happily. Blueblood then looked at the closed window before running over to it. "We need LIGHT!!" He cried as he threw open the window and looked outside. A Canterlot guard was walking below when he heard somepony call for him.
"YOU DOWN THERE!" Blueblood called.
The guard looked up and recognizing the prince he stood at attention. "YES, YOUR HIGHNESS!" He called back.
"WHAT DAY IS IT?" Blueblood asked.
The question caught the guard by surprise but he soon regained his composure. "IT'S HEARTH'S WARMING DAY, YOUR HIGHNESS!"
Bluelood laughed and said to himself "It's Hearth's Warming! I haven't missed it!", and to the guard he cried "THANK YOU SO MUCH! OH ONE MORE THING! I NEED YOU TO RUN A ROYAL ERRAND. DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THAT?
Again the guard was caught off guard but he responded "YES YOUR HIGHNESS!"
"GOOD!" Blueblood said throwing down a decent sized cloth bag full of bits. "TAKE THIS AND GO TO KNICK-KNACK'S TOY SHOP, BUY AS MANY TOYS AS YOU CAN, PUT THEM IN A SACK WITH A NOTE READING 'FROM SANTA' AND DELIVER THEM TO THE CANTERLOT HOME FOR SINGLE PARENTS! AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T LET THEM SEE YOU DELIVER THEM!! CAN YOU HANDLE THAT?
The guard was shocked by the amount of generosity coming from the prince, but nonetheless he shouted back "y-y-YES YOUR HIGHNESS!"
Before the guard could dash off Blueblood called down "ONE LAST THING! WHAT'S YOUR NAME GOOD SIR?"
"G-GAUNTLET YOUR HIGHNESS!"
"GAUNTLET!" The prince called down. "HAPPY HEARTH'S WARMING DAY GAUNTLET!"
Blueblood started prancing around his room. "I'm as happy as an angel, I'm as merry as a schoolfoal." He then climbed onto his bed and jumped right back off it. "I'M AS LIGHT AS A FEATHER!"
(THUD)
"Ouch...Okay, I'm not light as a feather. But I'm here, I'm alive and so happy!" Blueblood said rolling on the floor. "There is so much I need to do! I need...I need..." Blueblood stood back up. "I need to get to my office!" Blueblood ran out the front door into the hall before running right back in and looking down at his nightshirt. "I can't just run around the castle wearing this!!" He quickly changed before looking into the mirror. "Much better."
Blueblood ran down the hallway for a few seconds before coming across Princess Luna, who was sipping from her fifth mug of eggnog of the day. "AUNTIE LUNA!" He cried wrapping his hooves around her neck. "I love you so much. Happy Hearth's Warming! See you soon!" He said continuing down the hallway.
Luna stood in stunned silence for a few seconds before looking at the mug in her magical grip and pouring its contents into a nearby potted plant while muttering "Tia's right. I need to lay off this stuff."
Blueblood burst into his office, ran to his desk and pulled out two check forms. Once he filled them both out, he smiled to himself and headed towards the castle gate.
Before he reached the gate he came upon the two stallions who were collecting for the poor. "Pardon me my fine gentleponies." He said approaching them. The two stallions stared at Blueblood with slight distaste. Blueblood clearly understood their emotions. "I know that I'm probably the last stallion you want to see right now, but I'm here to change that. How did you two do with collecting for the poor?"
"We did fine." The tall one said rather stiffly.
"I'm so glad to hear that. Would it be too late to make a donation of my own?" Blueblood asked.
The two stallions looked at each other with mild confusion. "No, not at all your highness." The short one answered.
Blueblood handed them one of the check forms. "I hope this will make up for what I said yesterday evening."
Both stallions went slack jawed when they saw the amount on the form. "I...Wha?...Wha?...Your Highness...Are you sure this is the right amount?" The tall one asked.
Blueblood looked at the form before asking "Why? Not enough?".
"It's not that! We just never got a donation quite so generous!" The short one answered.
Blueblood just smiled and said "Well I hope you put it to good use. Good day and happy Hearth's Warming my fine gentleponies" before heading on his way out the gates.
Blueblood walked through Canterlot with his head held high, a skip in his step and a "Happy Hearth's Warming" on his lips, as he headed to a particular house. After arriving at his destination, he paced nervously in front of it for a few minutes before screwing up the courage to knock on the front door. Blueblood was mildly surprised to find the door answered by a small green and purple dragon!
"Good morning your highness." He said with mild distaste.
Blueblood chuckled to herself before surprising the dragon with his response. "Happy Hearth's Warming little one. May I ask if Cadence is around?"
As if on cue, Cadence herself rounded the corner to see who was calling for her and was shocked to find it was her cousin. "Blueblood? Is that you?" She asked in disbelief.
"I was wondering if the invitation was still available? Blueblood asked nervously.
Cadence walked up to him and asked "Does this mean.....?".
Blueblood answered her by simply saying "It does, Caddie".
Cadence wrapped her hooves around him and buried her face in his neck. "Oh Blue! I missed you so much!"
Blueblood returned the hug and said "I'm so sorry for everything I said yesterday. Can you ever forgive me?".
"I already have." Cadence said as she let him go. "Now come on in, I want to introduce you to my husband."
Blueblood had an wonderful time at the party. He had a wonderful meal, played wonderful games and heard wonderful stories, but most of all, he was filled with wonderful happiness. When the party was nearing the end, Blueblood pulled Cadence to the side.
" Caddie, I have a gift for you." He said as he pulled out the second check form he had filled out. "I want to donate this to your home for single parents."
Cadence saw the amount and staggered back a bit. "Oh Blue! I don't know what to say! Thank you so much!"
"One other thing. I want to donate it in your name." he said placing a hoof on her shoulder.
This shocked Cadence more than anything. "Why would you want to do that?! Why wouldn't you want them to know that you donated this?"
"I don't want the recognition. Besides, It's your charity. I just want to help a little."
"A little?!" She said looking back at the amount. "This will help out a lot! What happened to you?"
Blueblood just shrugged his shoulders. "I just had a really rough night." He simply said.
The next day, Blueblood arrived at his office earlier than usual. If he could only be there first, and catch Spicken Span coming in late! That was the thing he had set his heart upon. Sure enough... "She's five minutes late." He giggled. "Ten minutes late!....Twenty minutes late!" When she was twenty two minutes late, Spicken Span burst into the office, still trying to tie her apron on. Blueblood managed, with extreme difficulty, to keep a straight face. "Your late!" He snapped. "What do you mean by coming here at this time of day?"
Spicken looked at him with a hopeless look on her face. "I'm so sorry your highness. It won't happen again, I promise."
Blueblood got off his chair. "You're darn right it won't happen again!" he sneered. "I am not going to stand for this sort of thing any longer. And therefore," He said as his poker face started to break. "And therefore(snicker)....And therefore I'm going to raise your salary!"
Spicken stood staring at her employer in complete shock. "W-W-W-What did you say?"
"I'm going to raise your salary!" He repeated. "Happy Hearth's Warming Spicken Span. I'm going to double...no...triple...no...QUADRUPLE your salary!"
At this point, Spicken started shedding tears of joy and disbelief. "I don't know what to say! Thank you so much your highness!"
Blueblood held up a hoof. "One more thing. I'm going to personally see to it that your son gets the medical attention he needs and deserves, even if that means hoofing all the medical bills myself!"
Upon hearing this, Spicken Span leaped forward and pulled Blueblood in a giant hug. "Thank you so much Prince Blueblood. I'll never forget this!"
Blueblood was true to his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was like a father. He became as good a friend, as good a boss, and as good a Prince, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in all of Equestria. Some ponies laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him. It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Hearth's Warming well, if any pony alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, "Bless us all."