A Royal Hearth's Warming
Her eyes shot open.
Today was the day. The day that she looked forward to the most out of other all days. Today was Hearth's Warming Day.
In excitement, Princess Luna hopped out of her bed, barely containing a squeal of delight. Almost instantly, she turned on her nightstand's lamp, bathing her royal chambers in a soft glow.
With a quick turn, she saw the object of her affections. Hanging from the mantelpiece above her fireplace was a long, striped, blue sock. Normally so sleek and snug, it was bulging with hidden gifts just waiting to be opened.
Bouncing in joy, Luna grabbed the stocking with her magic as she reached the fireplace, returning to her bed, and flopped back into it. She glanced up at the ornate clock that was sitting on the mantel. Six-thirty-two in the morning: she had slept in!
She floated the stocking up and gently caressed it, prodding and poking, trying to uncover any details that would give away the contents. Concentrating hard, she stuck out her tongue out of the sheer challenge that awaited her skilled hooves.
After a moment more of investigating, she sighed and levitated the stocking back onto her bed. She resisted the urge to dive her hoof into the piece of long fabric and discover its secrets. Looking back up at the clock, she sighed again as she saw only another two minutes had passed.
She didn't want a repeat of last year, waking her sister up at four in the morning, her own stocking presents opened and thoroughly played with, eaten, or otherwise used. She barely escaped being re-banished to the moon, and had also ruined Celestia's day.
With another glance at the clock, she decided she'd let her sister sleep... a little longer at least. Maybe to seven o'clock.
Slightly above the clock hung a large oil painting of the two sisters. Luna smiled at it. It was commissioned shortly after she and Celestia became co-rulers, thousands of years ago. At the time, she could barely hold herself still for the hours it required, let alone resisting the temptation of the many wrapped presents under the Hearth's Warming tree.
An identical painting hung in Celestia's room, the original from which this was later copied. Turning her attention from the painting, Luna made her way to the window facing out from the castle. Planting her face right up to it, she stared in awe as she watched a few fat snowflakes fall from the sky.
Far below from her chambers, fresh snow glistened in the setting moon's silver rays, making the rooftops of the common pony seem that they were made out of crystal.
"The night pegasi have outdone themselves this year," she thought as her breath steamed up the window. Silently watching a few more flakes fall, she observed them shimmer in front of the moon, which still had a couple of more hours left in its track across the sky.
Most of the houses were dark, their owners taking the extra darkness that Celestia had allowed to catch up on their sleep.
After observing for another minute or two, Luna stepped back onto the marble floor, pulling her forehooves back as they touched the cold surface. Soon her hooves adjusted and she again looked at the clock. Three after seven; now was the perfect time to wake Celestia.
Ignoring her regalia that lay by the fireplace, she grabbed her stocking and slowly pushed open her chambers' doors and entered the hallway. As the doors slid shut behind her, she crept along the plush carpet towards her sister's chambers only a few doors away.
Normally at this time of day the castle would already be abuzz with activity, but everypony was enjoying their day of rest that came with the holiday, so she encountered nopony as she stopped in front of Celestia's chambers.
Cautiously, she nudged the doors. With a slight creak, they opened a few inches. Backing away, she waited, silently catching her breath, hoping that the creak hadn't awakened her sister. The servant that planted her stocking to Celestia did her job, leaving the door unlocked for Luna. From inside, she could hear loud, rhythmic snoring.
"So graceful," Luna thought wryly. "We hope We do not sound like that in Our sleep."
After another moment's hesitation, she slunk into Celestia's chambers and quickly closed the doors, managing to prevent them from squeaking again. In the absolute darkness, she waited for her eyes to adjust to the light from the full moon. Soon, she could make out the sleeping form of her sister, her chest rising and falling in rhythm, and an ornate sleeping blindfold over her face.
Out of the corner of her eye, Luna spied Celestia's stocking, identical to her own except it was a bright pink, rather than navy blue.
Slowly making her way to Celestia's bed, Luna set down her stocking and carefully prepared to strike. Smirking at Celestia's peacefulness, Luna sprang into the air, and shouted at the top of her lungs, although avoiding the Royal Canterlot Voice as to prevent her waking the entire castle. "HAPPY HEARTH'S WARMING, SISTER!" she declared.
Startled, Celestia mumbled, "Huh--Wha--?" As Luna landed on top of her, Celestia managed a strangled, "ACK!" as the wind was knocked from her.
"Today is the day we wish all goodwill, sister. Art thou excited?" Luna exclaimed, still on top of Celestia.
"Get off me, Luna. You're not three hundred and three any more, you know." Celestia managed to cough out from her position.
Giggling slightly, her sister replied, "Oops. Sorry Tia." Quickly as she had sprung on Celestia, Luna rolled off her sister onto the floor. "Happy Hearth's Warming," she repeated.
"Uh-huh." Celestia grunted, slowly pushing back her blindfold to look into her sister's giddy face.
"Here is thy stocking, sister." Luna stated, floating over said sock.
With an exasperated sigh that failed to hide her amusement, Celestia said, "Thanks,"
"Thou art welcome," Luna replied, climbing next to her sister on her bed. As they sat there silently, she finally said, "Well? Who shall open their stocking first?"
"Why don't you go first, Luna?" Celestia suggested, flicking on a light with her magic. "You seem so anxious."
Not needing another urge, Luna dug into her stocking, pulling out candy, and a couple of wrapped packages. Shaking the larger of the two, Luna glanced at Celestia as she chuckled at her child-like eagerness. Breaking open the wrapping paper, Luna gasped, "A miniature model chariot!" as it revealed a box advertising a lifelike model to be built inside.
Celestia only smiled and prodded Luna to open the other present. Quickly doing so, she revealed a small box, like something found in a bakery. "What is it?" she asked, confused at the box.
"Why don't you open it?" Celestia prodded.
Agreeing, Luna pried the lid of the box off and her eyes lit up at what lay inside. "A--a moon pie?" she asked excitedly, looking back up at Celestia, who was smiling at her sister's surprise.
"Homemade; just the way you remember them." Celestia stated.
"H-how did you--?" Luna began.
"I had the kitchen servants do some digging around in the recipe books in search of it. I tried one myself, and I think they captured the old style quite well, don't you think?" Celestia explained, as Luna hungrily chomped down on the confection, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips.
Nodding at Celestia's question, Luna finished her treat and motioned towards the other stocking.
As Luna opened one of the candies that came in her stocking, Celestia began pulling out the stuffers of her stocking, pulling out a few similar treats that she put in Luna's. Reaching the bottom, she pulled out a single box, larger than either of Luna's.
"I wonder what this could be," she wondered bemusedly, ripping the paper off.
Under the paper was a blank box, unassuming and waiting to be opened. Casting a confused glance at Luna, Celestia missed her sister's smirk as she turned back to look as she lifted the box's top. Inside were four socks, decorated with different seasonal designs.
Floating up them up, Celestia flatly said, "Socks. Gee, thanks."
Barely containing her mirth any longer, Luna burst into chuckling, much to her sister's chagrin. "T'would be perfect for this weather, Tia: the floor is truly freezing." she emphasized this with a quick hop on the floor and waiting a minute. Jumping back on Celestia's bed, she swiftly dove under the covers and pressed her hooves along Celestia's back.
"Ah! Luna, you're hooves are as cold as icebergs!" Celestia cried at the intruders.
Laughing, Luna sprung into the air and hovered. "See, sister? We sacrificed much to bring you these lovely hoof-warmers." she jested, snickering behind one of her hooves. She shook her head as a pillow hit her directly in the face. Before she could react, she was hit with another barrage of pillows: Celestia was conjuring them from the other beds and laundry areas of the castle to send at Luna.
"Give up now, Luna, or I'll have to force you to submit," Celestia threatened, conjuring another pillow to join its brethren.
"We surrender! We surrender." Luna said, chuckling and feigning defeat. A moment later, she conjured up a pillow of her own. "Never let down thy guard!" she cried slamming into Celestia.
Minutes, and many a murdered pillow later, the two princesses lay on Celestia's bed, partially covered in feathers. Rolling over onto her stomach to face Celestia, Luna grinned, "If only we had done this last year, sister."
Celestia only grunted, still breathing heavily. Chuckling again, Luna rolled over and sighed, a moment later popping into existence another wrapped box. "Here is thy true stocking present, Tia." she said, floating over to Celestia.
Halfheartedly ripping off the wrapping paper, Celestia gave Luna another glare as a similarly blank box greeted her. Her sister only gave a sincere look, and nodded towards the box.
Opening the box, Celestia pulled out an elaborate dream catcher, hoof-crafted by an expert. "In case We are never there for you in a nightmare, We can observe it and turn it into a good dream at a later time." Luna told her.
"That's very thoughtful of you, Luna." Celestia replied, drawing her sister in an embrace.
Suddenly, from behind them, they heard an alarmed gasp. In the doorway stood a flabbergasted servant, staring alarmed at the mess of feathers and broken pillowcases strewn about the chambers.
"We... can explain all this." Celestia chuckled at the surprised servant.
Glancing at the clock on Celestia's mantelpiece, Luna said, "Come, sister. It is time to usher in the day."
She hopped to the floor, and flinched at the cold marble. Quickly she teleported her regalia's slippers from her chambers and slipped them on before making her way out of Celestia's chambers toward the floor's balcony.
***
Nighttime was beginning to fall, and after a hard day's work of opening presents and visiting family, the city of Canterlot was beginning to slow down for a restful evening.
Inside the Royal Castle, Celestia and Luna were sitting on a rug in front of Celestia's fireplace, the Hearth's Warming tree off to the side. Shredded wrapping paper, opened boxes, candy wrappers, clothes, and baubles of all kinds lay strewn around on the floor.
Clutching cups of hot chocolate in their magical grasps, the two sisters stared blankly at the crackling fire. Finally Luna looked up at Celestia's painting of the two of them. "We were so young then," she commented.
"And you're not much different when it came to this day now as you were when that was painted, sister." Celestia quipped, stifling a giggle.
Luna shot Celestia a tired, yet mirthful look. "Thou art right, Tia. We never could resist getting into Our presents." she agreed, taking a sip from her hot chocolate.
Abruptly there was a small poof of smoke above Celestia's head, and a scroll sealed with the royal seal dropped in front of her. Picking it up with her magic, she opened it and read it.
"It's a letter from Twilight, wishing us a happy Hearth's Warming Day." She levitated it over for her sister to read.
After going through it, Luna magically made it vanish. "'Twas kind of her," she said, looking at the picture of the alicorn and her five close friends. It must have been taken in the recently.
Smiling, Celestia levitated over the picture, and said, "She was always excited about this day too when she was a filly."
"Truly it must be hard for thee to see thy students grow older," Luna noted, resting her hoof on Celestia's shoulder.
Celestia sighed and put down the picture. "It can be. But I'll always have you here for this special day, Luna."
"Happy Hearth's Warming Day, Tia." Luna said, moving up to Celestia and placing a wing around her.
"Happy Hearth's Warming Day, Luna." Celestia replied, returning the embrace.
FIN