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You know that feeling? You know, the feeling that you get when you realize you've forgotten something that is very, very important? It is 10:32 p.m. on Hearth's Warming Eve, and Twilight Sparkle has just gotten that feeling...
You know that feeling? You know, the feeling that you get when you realize you've forgotten something that is very, very important? It is 10:32 p.m. on Hearth's Warming Eve, and Twilight Sparkle has just gotten that feeling...
^ Spike at the airport.
I'm sorry, thought just blew into my head right then and there, simply had to say it :D
Happy Apocalypse Day!
How the hay do you create these feels? I mean seriously...
Just how do you do it??
My eyes watered thanks to you! And now I want to ship these two together!
Brilliant work, completly brilliant. Haven't been moved this much by a fic in ages, so thank ou for that. It's a very sweet heart-warming tale
Looking forward for more of you stories, keep up the good work..
I came in knowing exactly what I'd find, and yet you still took me by surprise, with just how well crafted everything was. (Though maybe I should be expecting it by now, after how much of your work I've read...) I loved that the first necklace came up again, too.
This story is heartwarming, accessible to basically any audience, and very relevant (obviously) to the season. If it doesn't rocket its way into the feature box, I'll be very surprised.
Happy holidays to you!
You know, I was about to complain that you uploaded another story before I could read your now second most recent story...
But then I thought, Heck yes! TD uploaded another story!!
*fav'd and thumbs up*
I'll post my thoughts and opinions on this story once I read it.
“I know, bro! Believe me, I know!” Spike called, dancing upon the bed and waving his arms about frantically. “Oh, uh… try to go limp, bro, go limp!”“Tell my wife I love her, dude!” Shining called, reaching his foreleg towards the bed and its occupants.
My sides. XD
I laughed, I cried
and I d'awwwed 
... Pretty darn good range for reading something on Apocalypse day. Simply wonderful story exploring a bit more into the relationship between Twilight and Spike. I really enjoyed the bit about benchmark tests to get the control value of mistletoe....
Edit: Grats on getting featured!
I had to turn on Warhammer 40000 music to prevent the levels of heartwarming to become heartscorching and kill me on the bloody spot. A good piece about the unique bond between Twily and Spike, indeed. Not without its humour (the "… and with that their door flung open, and Spike was dropped between them." part knocked me off the bucking chair), not without its tricky moments, but the massive showcasing of that bond is undoubtedly its central piece.
I subscribe to practically the same vision of it as shown here near the end of the second chapter. The bond between Twilight and Spike has the traits of one between parent and child, sister and brother and two close friends, but can't be called any one of these separately without ignoring some aspect of it. It's wonderful in its complexity and the overwhelming soul-warming goodness of it all. To me it's nothing short of sacred, deserving of great care, protection and celebration.
Such is the power of pony, to move our souls like few other things ever can.
I'm kinda sad it didn't end, 'cause now I have to pay for all of these hookers and blow I put on my credit card...
No dying! I can't afford to lose any readers!
Huzzah! I wanted to have one out for Christmas, and I did it!
Best Apocalypse Day ever! We should do it every year!
I'm very glad that you found it moving. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Thanks for your help, Dag! Now that I'm done with this, I should be able to help with the last two chapters of Of Proses, if you want to pass the links along!
It was sort of a quiet, happy, melancholy thing, huh? I've always thought that none of the labels fit, and I'm glad that my explaining as such worked out. I hope you enjoyed it!
Heh, when you get to be my age, Lucky, you'll have all sorts of experiences and memories to call upon as well.
No need for violence, it's Christmas! Just ask them to D'aaawwwww politely... 
...
I'll freely admit that this doesn't have the same sweeping scale that most of my stories have, but it was only meant to be a small story. It takes place in five rooms in the space of an hour and forty minutes. It has the lowest reading level of any story I've produced in the fandom, 5th grade. This is all because it was supposed to be a small story that became something much larger than I was expecting, so... yeah, I can see your point. I hope you were able to find something to enjoy in it.
You are most welcome! I always look forward to comments!
I am very glad that I'm still able to write things that surprise you, Gentle. I'm glad that you picked up that earlier reference, too!
Looking forward to your thoughts, as always, Redz!
My secret? I've lived a little longer than most Bronies, and I've written and experienced things for decades. It's simply a matter of having experience in writing... and having experiences and memories to call upon. Thanks for reading!
Glad you enjoyed it, Van!
I'm very glad that you liked it, Ry, as I wanted to be sure to release something heartwarming if it was gonna be my last fic ever!
Hey, I made the Featured Box! Hooray!
You're welcome for the tears!
I'm glad you enjoyed Shining! It's the first time I've used him in a speaking role, so I'm glad he "worked".
I certainly agree... a nice time of year for some quiet and peace... now that my damned shopping is done!
Skyla, apparently...
... fear her.
I strive to outdo myself with each one, Pal! Thanks as always!
That was a remarkably well-worded comment! Thank you so much for sharing it with me. The relationship between Spike and Twilight is the one in the series that I find the most important, of course, and I think you summed up my feelings on it very well!
Thanks so much!
I'm very glad that I was able to supply so "feels"!
I loved the idea of Spike calling Twilight's parents "Mrs. Mom" and "Mr. Dad", as it expresses both familiarity and respectful distance... without me having to commit to names for them!
Thanks as always, Lurk!
I'm glad you did!
I'm kinda sad it didn't end, 'cause now I have to pay for all of these hookers and blow I put on my credit card...
No dying! I can't afford to lose any readers!
Huzzah! I wanted to have one out for Christmas, and I did it!
Best Apocalypse Day ever! We should do it every year!
I'm very glad that you found it moving. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Thanks for your help, Dag! Now that I'm done with this, I should be able to help with the last two chapters of Of Proses, if you want to pass the links along!
It was sort of a quiet, happy, melancholy thing, huh? I've always thought that none of the labels fit, and I'm glad that my explaining as such worked out. I hope you enjoyed it!
Heh, when you get to be my age, Lucky, you'll have all sorts of experiences and memories to call upon as well.
No need for violence, it's Christmas! Just ask them to D'aaawwwww politely... ...
I'll freely admit that this doesn't have the same sweeping scale that most of my stories have, but it was only meant to be a small story. It takes place in five rooms in the space of an hour and forty minutes. It has the lowest reading level of any story I've produced in the fandom, 5th grade. This is all because it was supposed to be a small story that became something much larger than I was expecting, so... yeah, I can see your point. I hope you were able to find something to enjoy in it.
You are most welcome! I always look forward to comments!
I am very glad that I'm still able to write things that surprise you, Gentle. I'm glad that you picked up that earlier reference, too!
Looking forward to your thoughts, as always, Redz!
My secret? I've lived a little longer than most Bronies, and I've written and experienced things for decades. It's simply a matter of having experience in writing... and having experiences and memories to call upon. Thanks for reading!
Glad you enjoyed it, Van!
I'm very glad that you liked it, Ry, as I wanted to be sure to release something heartwarming if it was gonna be my last fic ever!
Hey, I made the Featured Box! Hooray!
You're welcome for the tears!
I'm glad you enjoyed Shining! It's the first time I've used him in a speaking role, so I'm glad he "worked".
I certainly agree... a nice time of year for some quiet and peace... now that my damned shopping is done!
Skyla, apparently...
... fear her.
I strive to outdo myself with each one, Pal! Thanks as always!
That was a remarkably well-worded comment! Thank you so much for sharing it with me. The relationship between Spike and Twilight is the one in the series that I find the most important, of course, and I think you summed up my feelings on it very well!
Thanks so much!
I'm very glad that I was able to supply so "feels"!
I loved the idea of Spike calling Twilight's parents "Mrs. Mom" and "Mr. Dad", as it expresses both familiarity and respectful distance... without me having to commit to names for them!
Thanks as always, Lurk!
I'm glad you did!
Well, to get it out of the way, there were a couple things that seemed out of place. They just didn't fit with the rest of the story. Namely, the objects under the stairs and in Twilight's drawer. They killed the mood. They just seemed off, ya know?
But now that that's out of the way... Holy crap, so many feels. You've executed the relationship between Spike and Twilight perfectly. I think this is the 27th time I'm mentioning that you write Spike spectacularly? Yeah, that sounds about right.
Just, so many feels. So many. Nicely done overall, Descy.
You too!
I was wondering how people would react to that scene. I know you always have critical eye for such, but I can't help but see Cadence and Shining as more... well, carnal, than the Cakes. And, hey, they are a young, healthy, married couple that love each other very much. I'd be worried if they weren't having lots and lots and lots of... well, that...
I understand your concerns though. The same thing is true for the second chapter. The only point of mentioning their "secrets" is to point out how Spike views her. Unlike Rarity, who he places on a pedestal ("Who is that mare you think you see, Spike? Should I be jealous of her?" -Rarity, in On Pins and Needles), Spike sees Twilight as an extension of his own life, and is entirely comfortable with her, as he's comfortable with her seeing him as an extension of herself. That was all that scene was meant to convey.
I remain very, very, very glad that you enjoy my interpretation of Spike, and you can't say it too much. Thanks for reading as always, CS, you know it means a bunch to me!
D'awwww indeed! Thanks for reading!
You're glad, Anne? I'm simply ecstatic that you could! You saw your name on the first page, right?
I'm glad that I could give you something to ponder!
I see your point on Shining and Cadance. However, it just didn't seem like a scene I'd put in a fic like this. This was a story full of depth, and that scene, well, wasn't. I dunno. It just seemed off. It was still entertaining, though; don't get me wrong. Just a little off, is all.
And yeah, I saw what you were trying to convey. And yeah, it conveys it well. But again, it just seemed out of place.
I'm trying my best, but still can't get the reply system to work for me. It won't show me the "quote" or "modify" buttons all the time, so I'm typing out the comment numbers by hand. It leads to me making mistakes. Sorry about that...
I'm glad that I can supply a number of emotions!
>>1836390 No prob for me…
But who does this belong to?
I'll freely admit that this doesn't have the same sweeping scale that most of my stories have, but it was only meant to be a small story. It takes place in five rooms in the space of an hour and forty minutes. It has the lowest reading level of any story I've produced in the fandom, 5th grade. This is all because it was supposed to be a small story that became something much larger than I was expecting, so... yeah, I can see your point. I hope you were able to find something to enjoy in it.
Dude, this whole chapter was just to funny from start to end, and everything in between.
I really liked the Stewie line Twilight used,
“Mom! Mom! Mommy! Mom! Mom! Mommy! Mom!” Twilight called, bouncing up and down at her mother’s side of the bed.
Great Work dude, Great Work!
I'll freely admit that this doesn't have the same sweeping scale that most of my stories have, but it was only meant to be a small story. It takes place in five rooms in the space of an hour and forty minutes. It has the lowest reading level of any story I've produced in the fandom, 5th grade. This is all because it was supposed to be a small story that became something much larger than I was expecting, so... yeah, I can see your point. I hope you were able to find something to enjoy in it.
Twilight Sparkle though was feeling, in all honesty, just a little bit giddy.She reached her neck forward, towards his other hand, and stuck her tongue out towards his candy cane…
“Twi!” he called, drawing it back as her tongue came closer. “Hey, if you want some just…”
She jumped upon the bed, fixing him with a mischievous smirk.
“I’m gonna get your candy cane, Spike,” she whispered.
“Uh oh!” he called, and in one smooth motion he rolled off the bed and began to pelt across the room.
“Gonna get it!” she called, barely hiding the laughter in her voice.
As for the rest of the story, how you come up with some of these descriptions is beyond me, just, wow.
I'm laughing but a little sad for Twilight at the same time.
-Delta-
Yes, it felt good to the kids all home.Wa?
“I forgot, Twi,” he said with a laugh, pulling it through a hidden loop upon the gem. “Here, you can wear it like a necklace, too, if you like.”"it" implies that the noun in question has already been stated. If you mean string, you should say string. Because you didn't say string.
It was one that she could give happily, freely, completely. It was the gift of being there for him, for just being the strong part of himself that he saw in her. Even as she lay there with him she could feel him falling into a peaceful sleep. She could feel his little hearts slowing their syncopated rhythm against her foreleg as his body calmed.WAH?! Dragon anatomy. Hm.
That's all I have from actually reading the story for what it was. Trying to get into the holiday spirit.
Wow, beautiful just beautiful!
The no secrets part had me laughing though,
“C’mon, Twi, you know that we don’t have any secrets. I mean, not after this year. W-We both know what our greatest fears are, we both know what our hopes are. You know what’s in the little book I keep under the stairs, I know what’s in the long box in your nightstand…”Twilight’s jaw dropped open. Well, okay, wow. That was unexpected… and embarrassing. And true.
Great Story!
Merry Christmas and A Happy Hearth Warming!
>>1836429 To be honest, it's not about that at all. I really like the concept (although I framed exactly how it was all going to pan out waaaay to early to get that much out of it), and it certainly hit all the cuddly, fuzzy notes that I like. In that sense, you'll all good on that score from where I'm sitting.
No, I'm afraid it was the grammar, construction, and word choices that felt rushed (albeit far less so on the last count). As Pascoite discussed in Writer-Centric Reviewing, it's hard for me to read as anything other than an editor and reviewer these days, and there were a lot of little details that were pinging my editor's radar as I went. Whether or not that's completely unfair, I don't know; it just is.
The other interesting question it raises is how much my enjoyment of a story is biased by my expectations of the author. Like it or not, you have more than enough of a reputation, both among the wiser consensus and with me personally, to set that bar of expectation fairly high. I certainly consider myself a good enough critic/reviewer not to be biased by whether or not I like the content, but to my memory, your work is always presented in near-immaculate quality, and this just didn't have that quality. For what it's worth, you at least made my doubt myself and ask and research/consult on a couple of points. Still, that's where the fairness question comes in, because 1. it depends on the intent of the article, and 2. it depends on the bias of the reader. I'm sure most people will understand that personal bias is inordinately hard to detect.
So, there were a few too many errant commas and odd descriptions to get immersed in it, but I did enjoy it. I just felt that it needed another editing pass, and that the 'voice' of the story didn't quite settle down enough to carry the style it is presented in. Without taking a quick dive through your other works to check, it felt like it was trying to be warmer and more intimate with the reader than your usual. Intentional or not, it didn't work for me, although the concept certainly suited the piece.
As I said, though, I can't tell you if that's me holding you to an impossibly high standard, or just a feeling that may not have much of a technical grounding. Either way, that's how the story felt as I read it.
And, dammit, I still haven't gotten around to Certain Advantages yet. Don't ask me why I read this first. (Actually I know exactly why. I'm a sucker for a good Spike/Twi emotional piece, which you certainly provided)
Have a good Crimbo, T.D.,
Inquisitor M, out.
A hilarious first chapter! Twilight's eagerness and frantic running around is perfectly done.
“Oh, uh… try to go limp, bro, go limp!”
Considering where Shining just was, I had a slightly different interpretation of the meaning there when I first read that. 
Blame it on a filthy mind.
This is very sweet. Shining and Cadence were hilarious. Personally, I think Twi should have just told Spike that
Rarity had been happy to volunteer, despite Spike passing out after the third, fifth, and seventh attempts to obtain a control level.was his gift.
In many ways he was more mature than she was… even though that pained her to admit it.
........
And Congrats on getting Featured.
That... abomination... shall haunt my dreams forever.
However, I have to say - incredible story. Could be a Hell of an episode, except for the coitus interruptis for poor Shining (good thing Twi didn't interrupt a few minutes later though! Really, they ought to know better than to try and fool around in the family home....)
Well done. It as very touching. I found the secret part both amusing and worthy of note. It shows a certain realism beyond faultless ponies, which is what makes the series great in my opinion. It's honest, and it shows how something like that doesn't ruin what they have. Instead, we see how they see exactly what's there. You did good. Admitably, I would love to know what Spike got Rarity, and vise verse.
my inner cynic had this fic understood fully from the minute I read the first sentence of the descriptor box, and found the incoming "the only present you need on Christmas is each other's company" message tacky. Also some of the story, between Twilight's frantic efforts to eat Spike's candy cane and Spike stroking the length of Twilight's horn to calm her, seemed very....suggestive. You'll forgive me if I'm a bit jaded by all that icky Spilight porn that crops up in the featured box just to remind me why I own a private "nope" button that I can't just enjoy the d'awwws in this case. That said, you handled Twilight's schedule slip quite nicely. Twilight forgetting a present on her list? Straining credibility. Twilight forgetting to check off the last present on her list because she spent so long making sure every present was perfectly and absolutely what each of her loved ones wanted? Genius, and totally believable. The speeches were nice, though usually only Twilight, Applejack and Princess Celestia tend to give more than five lines of dialogue without pause for another to speak in this show. except all the villains minus Sombra. Villains loooooove their motive rants and gloating monologues. Spike's speech about how much Twilight's meltdowns hurt him was especially touching, and certainly something I could see transpiring between the two in-show. While I can't criticize the final moments of the story as being poorly written or especially bad, the message and resolution just seems too cliche for me, especially with how funny and clever this story can be. But not bad. Not bad at all. I give 8/10.
I'm very glad that you're still enjoying my take on these two, DJ! You know I always love to hear from ya'!
I'm glad that you are enjoying that aspect of my works! Happy holidays to you too!
All you have to do to create little descriptions like that is keep an eye open for ones in the real world. It gets easy from there! I'm glad that the happy/sad worked out right. Always good to hear from you, Delta!
Real life is happy, and sad, and emotional, and awkward. I'm glad that you could see that, Type. Good to hear from you again!
Thank you for the grammar, usage, syntax catches. I will get to them as soon as I can. I actually want to develop the multi-heart thing for an upcoming epic I'm working on, so that one wasn't a "real" error. I hope you've found your holiday spirit!
I hope the Mayans enjoyed reading the story. No, wait...
Anywho, no heart attacks! I can't afford to lose any readers!
Ummm, yes. Yes I did.
You and I both have that weakness for SpiLight(F,Fr), and I'm glad that you did take the time to read the work.
I was trying to draw this one down to simpler elements. It has the lowest grade level and highest readability rating of any of my works in this fandom. I was trying to avoid needless details tat I thought would bore the reader... to get away from my purple prose as it were. I'm sorry if I went too far in the opposite direction.
I have no problem with being held to a standard. Every conquering general needs that one man whispering, "Remember, though art mortal" in his ear. Just do me a favor? Don't lose your sense of wonder with the works, mine or anyone else's. We'd hate to have you get tired of reading technically and lose you from the fandom!
I'm very glad that I could supply you with some feels, man!
I'm glad that I gave ya' some "feels"! Thanks for reading and commenting!
Heh, not my intent but hilarious in hindsight!
He'd probably have been very happy with that fact!
Heh, thanks for thinking that I'm cleverer than I actually am!
Yeah, that's a mistake ya' only make once!
I'm very glad you enjoyed the work. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Thanks!
I'm glad that you enjoyed it, Darth! Good to hear from you!
I wanted to convey how much of one another they see in the other, so "not having any real secrets" was a big part of that. Thanks for seeing that, and for reading and commenting!
I'm very glad to have made you happy!
Heh, I didn't fuss about the details!
You've managed to accurately describe Twilight and Spike's relationship. Many autbors have referred to them as best friends, otherz as mother and son, and finally sister and brother. You're one of the few authors to have the view that it's special and in some ways, very unique
You're explanation for Peewee's absence was good and the scenes with Spike communicating with Nightlight and Shining A was hilarious.
In short, this was orchestrated to near perfection and you definitely deserve to be featured
Thank you for taking the time to write a reasoned critique of the story. I appreciate it that you feel comfortable enough to give me honest, constructive criticism.
I am sorry that some other works clouded your ability to enjoy the honest, caring relationship that I was attempting to portray in this story. I can not feel that, when we love someone, and they are hurting or worried, one of the most important things that we can offer them is our closeness. That is all I was attempting to invoke here.
I'm especially glad that you feel everything was within the realm of believability. Thanks for reading and commenting!
This story was so adorable. I think you did a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of Christmas/Hearth's Warming, and I loved every second of it. Surprisingly enough this was the first Hearth's Warming fic I've read this season, but despite the fact that I am liable to see dozens more in the next several days, I doubt I'll see one better than this. Like I said, you just perfectly captured the love and warmth of Christmas.
Not to mention I am pretty sure that giddy Twi' was probably the cutest mental image I will ever have!
“Hay Ton Maneing?!” exclaimed Spike, driving his finger into the palm of his other hand. “He’s just gonna bolt from the Broncos like he did from the Colts!”Her father pounded his hoof on the bed. “Yea? Like your colt Drew Breeze is some kind of saint! Who…
Truly the greatest puns I have ever heard.
Another great work by The Descendant. I do not think there is a single one of your works that have not touched me in some way. I love your portrayal of Spike's relationship with Twilight, The personality given to the parents, the banter between Shining and Cadence or Shining and Spike. In other words Thank you for this wonderful feel during the holiday season and I look forward to the next adventure you take me on.
Descendant, this is nothing short of a masterpiece. Your characterizations were perfect and your visualizations were spot on. Your humor was heartwarming and your big reveal was just spectacular and brought tears to my eyes.
Thank you. This is a marvelous piece of work.
Yeah, I was very happy with how she came out in that regard. Her "Yes, yes, yes!" moment in the show was one of my favorite times for her, and I'm glad that I was able to catch something of it. Good to see you as always!
Heh, took me a little while to figure them out, but I'm glad that they worked out in the end!
Those are techniques that I've often used, and I'm glad that you found them used well here. Thanks so much!
I was very glad to be able to take you on this journey! Happy holidays!
I'm very glad that you enjoyed the visuals and characterization. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!
Indeed! Thank you so much!
Sorry about the diabetes!
I am very glad that you enjoyed it! I'm sorry about the little errors, I'll do my best to ferret them out. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!
heh, I get stories every once in awhile that just kinda spill out, Zap!
I'll be honest. I was smiling through the entirety of this fic.
In many ways, I'm recalling my very own first Christmases, when everything was new and wonderful in the world. I remember not having cares or worries or resposibilities, and I remember liking that. There was family, vivid colors, and wonderful gifts. I am recalling all of that, and I'm realizing that those moments have come to pass.
Now I think of the present, where everything is a bit different. I have responsibilities now, people to please and places to be. But I still like that, because I know that none of that matters come the holiday season. This is a time to be with the ones you love, and that's always been the case no matter the troubles I've faced through the year.
This fic, in any sense, has left me giddy. I feel like a small child again, shaking his gifts to guess at its contents and sipping on hot chocolate next to the Christmas tree. I feel like gawking at the lights I see and basking in the merriment that surrounds me. I feel like I'm home once more. I like that.
And so the kid in me thanks you for this wonderful tale, though it wasn't extravagant by any means, it was told well and drove its point home effectively (straight to the heart).
My heart goes out to you this Hearth's Warming Eve,
- Church
I was liking this story, but not enough to favorite it.
I dunno why, but there might've been a mood-killing effect on this story from watching Jonah Hex kill a man and then toss a murderous harlot into a coal mine.
I will give this a thumbs up though, as I do know there was a lot of effort put into this story.
Rarity had been happy to volunteer, despite Spike passing out after the third, fifth, and seventh attempts to obtain a control level.
Dayum, Spike got lucky this year! If Twilight was responsible for that project, then there's his Hearth's Warming present right there. And that bit of affection from Cadance was a nice little bonus.
I may have said this before, but no one I'm aware of can write quite like you. There aren't many writers who can make me feel the same level of emotional stimulus, and they all lack the literary skill you have. The giddy, playful, loving atmosphere in the opening pages was absolutely palpable. I also liked the Family Guy reference.
This seems to have been inspired by Obligations. Either you write great stuff amazingly darn fast or you had this story in mind before reading Obligations.
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I hope this doesn't give me a heart attack; I just survived the end of the world, I don't want to die now... 
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