A Hearth's Warming Carol

by TheBronywiththeBowTie

Hearth's Warming? Humbug!

It was a cold winter's day in Canterlot, and the entire city was in a buzz. Hearth's Warming was on the way, in fact, it was Hearth's Warming Eve! And nopony in Canterlot was more excited for it than Fancy Pants, one of the richest and fanciest ponies there. He loved the feeling of Hearth's Warming, the feeling of charity towards one's fellow pony always made him feel warm inside. There was one pony however, who didn't feel this way, he also happened to be a colleague of Fancy Pants. This pony's name was Prince Blueblood. Blueblood was never really bitter, or angry, just a bit dim. he didn't really care for other ponies, and he never showed any signs of rage. That was until Hearth's Warming came around....nopony knew exactly why....Blueblood just didn't like the Hearth's Warming season. While everypony else seemed to love the feelings of charity and good will, Blueblood seemed disgusted by it. Hearth's Warming Eve was just another Friday for Prince Blueblood....Fancy Pants then trotted up on the snowy street to greet his friend. "A very Merry Hearth's Warming Eve to you, Prince Blueblood!" he said with a smile.

Blueblood scoffed at that. "Hmph. Hearth's Warming? Humbug I say." He muttered.

Fancy's brow furrowed at this. "Hearth's Warming? A humbug?" The idea seemed ridiculous to him. How could anypony not love Hearth's Warming?

"That's right. Humbug!" He scoffed and turned away from the aristocratic pony.

"Come now, my friend you surely can't mean that!" He exclaimed to the royal pain of a pony.

Blueblood scoffed once again. "I do mean it. All this charity...and giving...it's enough to make you sick." His face started to turn green as he thought about it. He shook the horrid thoughts of good will from his mind and continued on his walk.

"Will I at least see you at the party I'm hosting tomorrow night?" Fancy asked, trying to find some way for his friend to enjoy the season.

"I can't, I'll be too busy with work." Blueblood stated simply.

"Work?!" Fancy Pants asked, flabbergasted. "How could anypony work on Hearth's Warming?!"

"It'll be just another Saturday, Fancy Pants." Blueblood said. "I'm expecting an order from Sweet Apple Acres to be delivered to my quarters...it's a very important order, and no silly holiday is going to mess it up. In fact, I'll be going to Ponyville tonight to arrange it."

Fancy Pants frowned at this. He then sighed. "Alright then....have it your way..."

---

Blueblood stepped off of the train and into the small village...Ponyville... this backwater hick town disgusted him so....everypony was too nice and harmonious for him to bear....he was surprised that there were still ponies living here after all the horror stories he had heard! Parasprite invasions, crazy purple unicorns causing chaos....

"Care to donate for the poor?"

That voice had interrupted his train of thought. In front of him, were three small fillies, one Unicorn, one Pegasus, and one Earth Pony, wearing a bright pink bow,who looked particularly sickly.

Blueblood didn't care that they were foals, how dare they get in front of him, blocking his path asking him about trivial matters such as giving to the poor? The poor didn't need money! They were poor! "They're not worth it." He stated simply, shoving them aside, causing the earth pony to break out in a coughing fit. "Applebloom! Are you alright?"

"Ah'm fine, Sweetie Belle...." The Earth Pony stifled through coughs.

The pegasus filly looked particularly angry. "Hey, buddy! What's the big idea?!"

"Scootaloo, Calm down!" Sweetie Belle shouted, holding her friend back.

"Why should I!? This guy just ignores us, and shoves us aside like we're unimportant!"

"W-We probably are to him.." Applebloom said.

"Whatever, we need to get Applebloom home...she doesn't look too good..." Sweetie Belle said, looking to the poor filly.

"Ah'm fine, ah said!" Applebloom shouted, not wanting to admit that she felt like she was about to puke.

Scootaloo gave Blueblood one more angry look, then went to assist Sweetie Belle in carrying their friend home.

Blueblood scoffed at them and continued on his way. All that mattered was that he reached Sweet Apple Acres. Once he made it to the barn, he was disgusted by what he saw. There were decorations up everywhere, wreathes wrapped around the fence posts, and different areas of the barn, ornaments complimenting the apples on the tree....why weren't they out working?! This order was important! He marched through the gate and right up to the farm house, knocking on the door. Eventually, a farm mare answered the door. Blueblood recognized her as Applejack, the farm mare who sold the filthy carnival fare at The Grande Galopping Gala. Applejack didn't particularly like Prince Blueblood that much, but it was Hearth's Warming Eve, and Applejack felt even he deserved a friendly greeting. "Well, howdy, Blueblood! And Merry Hearth's Warmin'!"

Blueblood looked annoyed. "That's Prince Blueblood, to you, commoner." He jeered.

This made the smile fade slightly off of Applejack's face. But, she still wanted to be nice to him, as it was Hearth's Warming Eve... "Well, we don't want ya ta catch frostbite! C'mon in!" She stepped aside from the door, allowing Blueblood to come inside the farmhouse. It was nothing too extravagant, but it still looked rather cozy. Sitting by the fireplace was Granny Smith, the oldest member of the Apple Family, who was currently napping in her rocking chair. Blueblood wanted to get straight down to business. "Why aren't you working?" He asked.

Applejack looked confused at this. "Workin'?" She asked.

"Don't tell me you forgot about my order?" Blueblood asked.

Applejack laughed slightly at this. "O'course we didn't ferget about yer order! Twenty Apple Pies, Ten Barrels o' Cider, and five dozen Apple Fritters!" She tipped her hat. "S'just....it's Hearth's Warmin' Eve...so we figgered' you'd understand,and let us have that day to ourselves."

Blueblood scoffed at that. "Hearth's Warming Eve...humbug!" He paced around the living room. "I am a Prince! I tell you when you can and cannot work, and I want you to work through that horrid holiday!"

Applejack looked shocked at this. "B-But...." She was a mare of her word...and her family desperately needed the money he was providing.... "Fine." She said, defeated. "But..."

"But what?" Blueblood asked.

"Ya think we could get a little bit more than what yer payin' us?" Applejack asked. "Y'see...mah little sis has got a sickness somethin' terrible....an' we cain't pay fer a doctor ta help her...."

As if on cue, there was a rather loud coughing fit heard from upstairs, it sounded distinctly like the Earth filly he had run into earlier. A large red stallion stepped down the stairs, a sad look on his face.

"She gettin' any better?" Applejack asked.

The stallion shook his head. "Eenope." He said.

"She need more water?" Applejack asked.

The Stallion nodded. "Eeyup." He then slowly trotted into the kitchen, to get the small filly a glass of water.

This didn't phase Blueblood. Sickness or not, they still had a job to do. "You will do the work for my original offer. nothing more."

Applejack looked shocked at this. "B-But tha's not gonna git us through the month! A-And Applebloom she might......why you low down, dirty no good son of a--"

"APPLEJACK!" Another voice rang out, sounding distinctly female and elderly. Granny Smith had awoken from her rest, and had heard some of the conversation. She held a hoof in front of her grandaughter. "Keep yer calm now, AJ." She said.

Applejack took a few deep breathes.... "Fine. We'll do it fer yer original offer....nothin' more..."

Blueblood nodded. "Alright then. Remember, I want you to get the job done as quick as possible. I don't care if it's Hearth's Warming Eve... GET. IT. DONE. Now good day." He turned and left the farm house post haste.

---

BAck in Canterlot, Blueblood sighed to himself. Why was it so hard for that hick family to understand that he needed that order done, no matter what?! They begged him for a raise, they begged him for a different time to complete it...his time was too important to be wasted! And that sick filly was their problem....not his. As he stepped home for his mansion...he heard a voice...

"Blueblood..." it said.

"What?!" He asked. He looked all around....he didn't see or hear anything..... "Must be hearing things....he said to himself. Once he had reached his mansion, he began to use his unicorn's magic ont he door knob....but he lost his focus, as he had nearly fallen over, when he saw the face of a stallion on the door knob.....

"BLUEBLOOD!" It shouted, then vanished.

Blueblood fell back on his haunches, frightened by the sudden appearence of the face....whatever was happening to him...it was unearthly....and it couldn't be good.

Author's Note:

So yeah, here's my little contribution to Hearth's Warming! I promise, I will get the other chapters out as soon as possible! Please give me comments, and criticism! it helps me out a lot! Thank you!

Comments

[Eyeswirl the Weirded]

I think the Ebeneezer Blueblood thing has been done maybe twice now, but I'm not sure if either of those stories included the Jacob Marely scenes... Read on I will, when this updates.
In terms of criticism, it seems pretty solid, no weird jumps of grammar detected, nor typoes, (Not that I was scanning carefully) but narrative-wise, the prince seems pathological in his meanness. Might be a reason we'll see later and Fancy Pants did say he's generally more mellow in non-Hearthswarming times, so it's probably not too big a deal. Besides, those ghosts need a reason to visit.

[Yasturo]

Seems like a good idea... But there is grammar errors all over the place.
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[thespazio01]

it's a beatiful story...i would read the second part