> Hearth's Warming Chaos
>  by DisneyFanatic23
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Earth ponies are numbskulls!" Prism shouted.

"Unicorns are snobs!" Cherry Pie hollered.

"Pegasi are brittle!" Gemstone snapped.

Every pony groaned and put their hooves to their heads.

"It's brutes, Gem!" Prism exclaimed. "Brutes!"

The white unicorn filly with the blue mane blushed. "Sorry! I can't help it if I have trouble reading the script!"

"Alright, every pony!" Cheerilee called as she walked onstage. "I think that's enough rehearsal for today. I have a few notes. Cherry, you were hilarious. Raspberry, don't be so nervous while narrating. Blueberry, act less cheerful. Smart Cookie is the level-headed earth pony, not the crazy one. Kicks, remember that you're playing shy, timid Private Pansy, not Commander Hurricane. Prism, great job. I would like you to go over lines with Gemstone before tomorrow."

Prism nodded with a smile. Since Gemstone was dyslexic, she needed help with her reading and Prism was more than happy to lend one of her best friends a hoof.

"Remember, kids!" their teacher announced. "The pageant is next week, so practice at home and make sure all your lines are memorized! Be careful going home! The weather's been rough lately."

As they changed out of their costumes and into their scarves and hats, Prism turned to Gemstone.

"You're doing great, Gem!" she complimented. "You were practically born to play Princess Platinum!"

The unicorn sighed. "If only I can get my lines right."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'll come by later and help you. Right now I gotta get home and write a letter to my parents."

"Are they coming for Hearth's Warming?" Raspberry Pie inquired.

"Yeah! They even said they would be here in time for the pageant! Finally, I get to show them something that'll make them proud!" She grumbled under her breath. "And I get to show Thunder and Lightning that I'm not useless."

"Rainbow Junior!"

The pegasus filly looked up to see an orange pegasus mare with a wild purple mane standing in front of the stage.

"There's Aunt Scootaloo," Prism said to her friends. "See ya guys tomorrow!"

"Bye!" her friends waved.

Prism leapt off the stage and landed beside her favorite pony in the world.

"Hey, RJ!" Scootaloo greeted, ruffling the filly's multi-colored mane. "How are rehearsals going?"

"Great!" Prism replied excitedly. "Mrs. Cheerilee says I'm the best Commander Hurricane she's ever seen!"

Scootaloo laughed. "Your mom won't be so happy to hear that."

The filly's face fell. "Why not?"

"She played Commander Hurricane in the Hearth's Warming pageant, and I don't think she'll like it to find out her own daughter is better than her."

She playfully poked the filly and they both giggled. Prism's parents were Wonderbolts and were away a lot, so Scootaloo would often take care of her and the twins. Because the twins usually spent their time with each other, Prism and Scootaloo had become very close. Unfortunately, Scootaloo was part of a rock band, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, so she would sometimes go away too, which meant they would all stay with Thunder and Lightning Dash's friend, Screwball. What Prism loved most about Hearth's Warming, was that no pony had to be away and they could all spend the holidays together.

When they had reached their cloud home, Scootaloo lifted Prism onto her back and carried her up to the sky. Once she was on her hooves, Prism immediately rushed inside and to her desk. She had promised her parents to write every single detail of what was happening while they were gone, and she wanted to get it all down before she forgot.

Dear Mom and Dad,

The Hearth's Warming Eve pageant is next week and I know I'm going to make you proud! Playing Commander Hurricane is so much fun, and I'm glad I get to boss Kicks around while doing it. Gemstone is a great Princess Platinum, though her dyslexia is making it hard for her to learn her lines. I'm helping her later today. Cherry is so funny being Chancellor Pudding Head, I can hardly keep a straight face onstage! It's weird seeing Blueberry act all snarky while playing Smart Cookie, but then again, I always thought she was the smartest of the Tri-Pies. Raspberry says she keeps getting stage fright, but I know she's going to be an awesome narrator. Who knows? We might just get our cutie marks in acting!

I can't wait for you guys to come home next week! It seems like forever since we were last together! I hope you can make it okay, because I hear the pegasi up in Fillydelphia made one heck of a snowstorm last night and ponies say it might find its way down here. But I know a little snow could never stop you guys!

You don't have to get me any presents. Really. All I want for Hearth's Warming is for us all to be together as a family. Well, that and my cutie mark. And for my wings to grow.

Your daughter and biggest fan,

Prism





When Prism reached the post office, she nearly dropped her letter as her mouth fell open. Derpy was hanging the closed sign on the door.

"Closed?" Prism said.

Her letter fell again as she spoke and she had to catch it with her hoof.

"Sorry, Prism," Derpy said with a shrug. "With all the snow spreading from Fillydelphia, I can't deliver any air mail."

"But I have to get this letter to Mom and Dad!" Prism insisted.

"I'm sorry, but that's the way the muffin crumbles, sometimes."

As the gray pegasus walked away, Prism tried to think of what she should do. She first went to Sweet Apple Acres, hoping that Spike could deliver the letter with his magic breath. She knocked on the door, but instead of Spike, Applejack answered.

"Hey there, Sugar," she said with a smile. "What brings you up here?"

"Hi, Auntie Applejack," Prism greeted. "Is Uncle Spike here? I have to get this letter to Mom and Dad."

"Oh, I'm sorry, hon. He just left with the kids to go gift shoppin'. They should be back in a few hours, if ya wanna wait."

"A few hours?! But I want to get this letter to them now!"

Applejack tapped her chin. "Well, Twilight might be able to send the letter, but she's in Canterlot right now, spendin' Hearth's Warming with her folks. Hey! Maybe Discord can get the letter to Rainbow and Soarin!"

Prism grinned. "Yeah! Why didn't I think of that?"

"Ya shouldn't be goin' into the Everfree Forest alone though." Applejack grabbed her scarf off the coat rack. "I'll come along with ya."





Mothball stared curiously at the string of popcorn he was holding.

"So...we just hang this on the tree?" he inquired.

"Yup," Screwball said as she wrapped the garland around the tree. "Just like we did with the lights."

"But why is it made of popcorn?"

"I have no idea! That's what I love about the garland!"

The changeling gazed up at the ten-foot-tall tree. Unlike most Hearth's Warming trees, this one was purple. He knew in this house, things were always chaotic, but he wondered why a pine tree was a holiday symbol. He had heard the story of Hearth's Warming, and it had nothing to do with trees. Actually, there was a lot of stuff he did not understand about the holiday, as he had never celebrated it before. His mother, Queen Chrysalis, never let him.

Now that he was living with Screwball's family, he could do whatever he wanted. He knew from the excited expression on his marefriend's face that Hearth's Warming meant a lot to her and he did not want to screw it up for her.

"I have a feeling I'm never going to get this holiday," Mothball declared.

"Don't be so nervous, MB," Screwball said. "After all, it's Zany's first Hearth's Warming too."

As if on cue, the gray foal with pink hair and red eyes appeared on the top of the tree. Screwball gasped in horror.

"Zany, get down from there!" she cried as she flew up to her little brother. "Mom would have a fit if she knew you were sitting on top of the tree!"

"Zany?!" Fluttershy called as she flew into the room. "Kids, have you seen...?"

She sighed in relief when she saw the infant in his sisters hooves. Fluttershy flew up to them and cradled her son in her hooves.

"Oh, don't scare me like that again!" she insisted.

"At least he didn't teleport to the Arctic Circle this time," Mothball said with a shrug.

As Fluttershy continued to cuddle her baby, Discord appeared behind her.

"Oh, Fluttershy!" he said in a sing-song voice.

The pegasus gasped as his tail waved a bushel of mistletoe in her face. Fluttershy rolled her eyes.

"Do we have to do this every second of every day?" she asked.

"Come on, my dear!" Discord insisted. "You know it's my favorite part of the season!"

Mothball raise an eyebrow. "I don't get it."

Screwball giggled. "Just watch."

Discord closed his eyes and puckered his lips, still waving the mistletoe. His wife smiled deviously as an idea formed in her head.

"Oh, alright," she said.

She held out Zany so that his lips would meet his father's. Discord opened his eyes and shrieked.

"No fair!"

"Hey," Fluttershy smirked. "I could have grabbed one of the animals."

Screwball and Mothball laughed while Discord pouted.

"How are you kids doing on the tree?" Fluttershy inquired.

"We were just putting up the garland," Screwball said and then turned to Mothball. "Then we'll put up the ornaments and candy canes and then the star. Then we can finally put the presents underneath!"

Mothball stiffened. "Presents?"

"Yeah! On Hearth's Warming Day, we gather around the tree and exchange gifts!" She nudged him in the side. "Wait until you see the gift I got you! You're going to love it!"

"Presents?" the changeling said again.

Screwball blinked. "You did remember to get me a present, right?"

"I...I...of course I did! It's amazing! You're going to be impressed! It's a..."

"Don't tell me now! That'll ruin the surprise!"

All heads turned as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Screwball insisted.

"No," Discord said, holding his daughter by the head. "I'll get it. You kids work on the tree."

Discord floated over to the front door and opened it.

"Why if it isn't Honest Applejack!" he exclaimed. "And Rainbow Dash Junior! Fluttershy's over there by the tree."

"Actually," Applejack said, "Prism wanted to see you."

He blinked. "Me? Well, that's a first."

"You see, Uncle Discord," Prism said, pulling her letter out of her saddle bag, "I need you to deliver this letter for me."

Discord crossed his arms. "What do I look like? A mail pony?"

"But you don't understand! I need to get this to Mom and Dad, but Derpy closed the post office! Please, Uncle Discord?"

He sighed. "Okay, but only because you said please."

He levitated the letter out of the filly's mouth and to his claw. He blew green fire and it dissolved into air.

"I've actually been wanting to do that for a while," Discord smirked.

Prism smiled. "Thanks, Uncle Discord!" She flung her forelegs around his serpentine body. "Happy Hearth's Warming!"

The draconequus blinked. No matter how many times it happened, he could never get used to hugs, nor being called 'Uncle.'

"Uh...Happy Hearth's Warming," Discord said, slowly returning the filly's hug.





As Prism trudged towards Carousel Boutique, she spotted her friends the Tri-Pies. The three fillies had their faces pressed against the window of the toy shop.

"Hey, guys," she said, walking over to them. "What you looking at?"

"That!" they all replied, tapping on the glass

Displayed in the window was a long, shiny red sled. Its name was branded in silver on the side.

"The Rosebud 3000!" the triplets sighed simultaneously.

"It's the fastest sled ever!" Cherry chimed.

"It's built for three and has its own brakes!" Blueberry exclaimed.

"And it's shiny!" Raspberry piped.

"It is a cool sled," Prism observed. "I'm guessing that's what you guys want for Hearth's Warming."

"You bet!" Cherry replied. "Our old sleds are all small and rickety!"

"Not to mention we can't ride on either of them together," Raspberry said.

"With the Rosebud 3000," said Blueberry, "we can all fit in one sled and be the fastest fillies in the snow!"

"And Mommy and Daddy are going to get it for us!" Cherry insisted.

"How can you be sure?" Prism asked.

"We've been dropping hints!" Raspberry replied.

"Uh..." the pegasus uttered. "Have you guys looked at the price tag?"

"Come to think of it," Blueberry pondered, "no, but it can't be that...HOLY MOLY! That's a lot of bits!"

The triplets sighed sadly.

"There's no way Mom and Dad can afford that!" Cherry lamented.

"Aw, don't be glum, you guys," Prism said. "Maybe you can ask some pony else for the sled."

"Nah," Raspberry shook her head. "We don't want any pony to spend more money on us than their own foals. That wouldn't be fair."

"Uncle Discord could always make you that sled."

"That would just be copyright infringement," Blueberry pointed out.

"Then why not ask Santa Hooves?"

The Tri-Pies gasped.

"Oh my gosh!" Raspberry exclaimed. "Why didn't we think of that?! Of course Santa will get us that sled!"

"We've been good all year!" Cherry declared.

"And Santa won't get in any trouble with copyright laws," Blueberry added. "Because he's Santa!"

"We'll write a letter to Santa on this notepad I always carry with me!" Raspberry said, bringing out said notepad.

Prism chuckled. "Well, looks like you guys are busy then. Oh, you should know that Derpy closed the post office, but you can get Uncle Discord to send the letter. I just sent a letter to Mom and Dad with his help. He'll also get it there faster."

"You're right!" Raspberry exclaimed. "Let's get over there right now!"

Before Prism could say another word, the triplets were off in a flash.





"What do you get your marefriend for Hearth's Warming?" Mothball asked Discord.

"Well," the draconequus replied, "last year I made Fluttershy a garden of ice sculptures made in her image."

The changeling looked at him wearily. "Yeah, sure. I've been taking ice sculpting lessons since I was two. That'll be a snap!"

Discord smirked. "You've really gotten the sarcasm down! I've taught you well!"

"I'm serious, sir! This is my first Hearth's Warming with Screwball and I have to get her the perfect gift!"

"You could try carving her name on the moon, though you might run into some trouble with Luna."

"Yeah, in case you haven't noticed, I can't do that kind of stuff!"

"Well, it is my daughter you're trying to please. Remember, she can get whatever she wants with the wave of her hoof. You have to wow her!"

He stopped when the doorbell rang.

"Glad we had this talk, son," Discord said, patting the changeling on the head.

"Thanks," Mothball groaned. "I feel so much better."

As soon as Discord opened the door, a streak of blue, pink and red bolted by.

"Hey, Uncle Discord!" the Tri-Pies greeted.

"Ah!" Discord said, instantly smiling. "My three favorite fillies! How's it going?"

"We wanted you to deliver a letter!" Blueberry explained.

The draconequus groaned. "Seriously? What is this? Discord Delivers the Mail Day?"

"It's a letter to Santa!" Cherry chimed.

"See?" Raspberry said, holding up her notepad. "I wrote it on our way over here!"

Discord scoffed. "Aren't you fillies a little old for that Santa stuff?"

The triplets blinked in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Raspberry asked. "You're never too old for Santa! So are you going to send this letter or what?"

"You're kidding, right?" the draconequus laughed. "I can't send a letter to some pony who doesn't exist!"

Raspberry's face fell. "What?"

"Uh oh!" Blueberry exclaimed. "Uncle Discord's a non-believer!"

"I don't believe it because it's not real!" Discord insisted. "There is no Santa Hooves!"

"What are you talking about?" Cherry said. "There is too a Santa Hooves!"

"Come on! A pony who travels around the world in one night with flying reindeer?"

"You make it rain chocolate milk from cotton candy clouds!"

"Yes, but that's me! I'm telling you, I've lived thousands of years, have been to the North Pole and have never seen a Santa Hooves!"

"If there's no Santa Hooves," Blueberry retorted, "then who's been leaving us those presents in our stockings?"

"Hate to burst your bubble, kids, but your parents got you those presents. Santa Hooves is just something adults made up to get their foals to behave all year."

Raspberry stared at the draconequus with wide, disbelieving eyes. Her notebook slid out of her hoof.

"Yeah, right!" Cherry exclaimed. "You're just a cynical, non-believing, grumpy pants!"

"We don't need this," Blueberry declared. "We'll find another way to send our letter to Santa!"

As they were about to go out the door, they realized something was missing. They turned around to see Raspberry staring at her notebook on the ground.

"You coming, sis?" Blueberry called.

"Huh?" Raspberry said. "Oh, sure."

The magenta filly walked passed her sisters with her head down.

"Uh, Raspberry?" Cherry asked. "Didn't you forget something?"

"No," Raspberry uttered. "Let's just get going."

As she trotted out the door, Blueberry and Cherry glanced at each other.

"Uh oh," they said.
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Unlike you pegasi..." Gemstone stumbled over her words. "Ruffles?"

"Ruffians," Prism said, tapping her hoof on the open script in front of them. "But you were closer this time."

"Oh," the unicorn groaned. "I'm never going to get these lines right!"

"Why don't we stop talking about the play for a bit? What are you doing for Hearth's Warming?"

"Well, my grandparents are coming up."

"Oh, that'll be fun. Grandpa Rainbow's on vacation in Saddle Arabia, but I got a present from him in the mail last week! I hope it's one of those cool hats they wear down there!"

"What else do you want for Hearth's Warming?"

"Nothing much, really. I just want Mom and Dad to come home and see the play." She paused. "And to fly." She glanced at flank. "And to get my cutie mark."

"But surely there's something you want. I've been wondering what to get you all month."

"Hey, you don't have to get me anything fancy. We're BFFs. I'm cool with whatever you get me. So what do you want for Hearth's Warming?"

Gemstone opened her mouth, but closed it and looked at the ceiling in thought.

"You know something?" she said. "I'm not sure what I want for Hearth's Warming."

"Really?" Prism asked. "Not even to be cured of dyslexia?"

"No, I've gotten used to it. Actually, since I learned I had dyslexia, my parents have been paying more attention to me."

At that moment, Rarity burst into the boutique levitating several gift bags

"Where's the wrapping paper?" she shouted. "Where's the wrapping paper?!"

"In the closet, Mother," Gemstone replied.

"Oh, I have to find it and wrap up all these presents! Then I have to get my holiday line done before tomorrow!"

As the unicorn mare raced upstairs, Prism raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Sure," she said sarcastically. "You're practically the center of attention around here."

"Oh, Mother always gets crazy around the holidays," Gemstone said with a shrug. "It's nothing to worry about."

Rarity came back down the stairs in hysterics.

"Gemstone!" she cried. "Where are the pickles?"

Her daughter scrunched her nose. "You hate pickles, Mother."

"Don't you talk back to me, young lady! Where are they?!"

"We don't have any."

"Oh, I'll have to go shopping again! Don't break anything, Gemstone! Oh, Prism! When did you get here, darling? Can't talk right now! Need to get some pickles!"

After pulling on her scarf, the unicorn rushed out the door, slamming it behind her. Prism sent Gemstone a questioning look.

"Although," the unicorn filly said, "she has been acting more crazy than usual."

"So you really don't want anything for Hearth's Warming?" Prism asked, trying to change the subject.

"No. I guess it's because most Hearth's Warmings, my parents buy me a bushel of presents that I'm not sure what I really want."

"You don't have to want something you can wrap in a box. Maybe you can wish for your cutie mark like me."

"I know I should, but I'm not sure that's what I really want. I mean, last year I wished for friends and now I've got you and the Tri-Pies. Things have been going so splendidly since we moved to Ponyville, I'm not sure what there's left to wish for."

Prism shrugged. "You'll figure it out."

Their heads turned as Rarity flung the door open.

"I've forgotten my bag!" she screeched, reaching for her saddle bag. "Can't buy pickles without any money!"

When she slammed the door again, Prism groaned.

"How about we go someplace less noisy? Like the Tri-Pies' place?"

"Agreed," Gemstone said, getting her things together. "We could practice lines with them."

After packing their saddle bags, the two friends went outside and started their walk to the Party Palace. They watched as a colt played with his dog in the snow.

"Maybe you want a pet," Prism said.

"No," Gemstone shook her head. "I don't really care much for animals. They're so messy!"

Prism cried out as a snowball hit her in the back of the head.

"Hey!" she shouted, turning around. "Who threw that?"

She heard giggling and saw Spike, Cinnamon Stick and Cinnamon Roll crouched behind a snow fort.

"Good shot, sis!" Cinnamon Stick declared.

"That's my girl!" Spike laughed, patting the twelve-year-old filly on the back.

"Hey, no fair!"

Prism turned to see her brother and sister behind another snow fort across the road.

"She's not even in the game!" Lightning Dash declared.

"But she's a Dash!" Cinnamon Roll insisted. "Didn't we say it was Apples vs. Dashes?"

"We are outnumbered," Thunder Dash mumbled.

Lightning rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay. Prism, you wanna be on our team?"

Prism's eyes lit up. "Really? You guys want me to join your team?!"

"Save your breath. It's the holidays."

"Can I join too?" Gemstone asked.

"Sorry, Gem," Cinnamon Stick called. "But it's a family feud here. You have to be a Dash."

"Son!" Spike exclaimed. "That's not nice! Gem can be on their team if she wants to. Besides, it would even things up."

"No, it wouldn't!" Cinnamon Roll declared. "It would be four against three!"

An orange head with green hair poked out of the snow.

"Applespike's a baby. He doesn't count!"

The pony-dragon infant burped up a green flame, melting the snow in front of him.

"As long as he can fire," Thunder said, "he counts!"

"Come over here, kids!" Lightning called.

Prism and Gemstone grinned as they leapt behind the fort.

"You're going down, Apples!" Thunder shouted.

"We'll see about that!" Cinnamon Stick retorted.

Cinnamon Roll shot up and threw the first snowball.

"Gem, duck!" Prism cried as she and her siblings took cover.

"Didn't they all fly south?" Gemstone asked, turning her head.

Her pegasus friend pulled her down before the snowball could hit her.

"Oh!" the unicorn uttered. "That kind of duck!"

"She always this flighty?" Lightning whispered to her sister.

"Give her a break," Prism muttered. "She has trouble concentrating."

After rolling some snow into a ball, Prism stood up.

"Take that!" she shouted as she fired.

But all the Apple family ducked out of the ball's way.

"Ha!" Cinnamon Roll laughed. "That the best you got?"

The battle raged on as more snowballs were thrown. Gemstone tried her best to lend a hoof by carefully crafting the snow into perfect spheres. However, her throwing was pitiful. Her snowballs would only travel a few feet before dropping in the middle of the street. Her father had warned her that some dyslexics were not very athletic. It made sense. She had never been good with sports or even active playground games, so she did not blame the twins for their angry looks.

"That's okay, Gem," Prism whispered. "You just keep that ammo coming and we'll take care of the rest."

It was actually a good task for her unicorn friend. Her snowballs remained intact due to the way she firmly packed the snow in and smoothed out the curves. They picked up little air resistance due to their small size. Although it was not obvious to Gemstone, Prism thought she was a big help.

The family feud, however, did not end in ice. The Cinnamon kids decided it was time to bring out the secret weapon. They lifted their baby brother and aimed his mouth towards the enemy fort.

"Take cover!" Thunder Dash hollered.

His team did not argue. They ducked before the pony-dragon could burp. Green flames were sent their way and their entire fortress was melted in an instant. The Cinnamon siblings high-hooved each other and cheered.

"No fair!" Lightning protested. "This is a snowball fight, not a fireball fight!"

"Well," Cinnamon Roll smirked, "you said that as long as Applespike can fire, he can participate."

"We demand a rematch!" Thunder cried.

"You're on!"

"Sorry, kids," Spike said, stopping his daughter's hoof from throwing another snowball. "We have to finish our shopping and get home before dinner, or else your mother's going to kill us."

"Aw!" the Cinnamon siblings complained.

"But Dad!" Cinnamon Roll started to say.

"I don't wanna hear it!" Spike exclaimed, holding up his claw. "Besides, don't you still have to get the stuff for your gift for Dinky, son?"

Cinnamon Stick smacked himself in the forehead. "Right! I nearly forgot!" He turned to the Dashes. "We gotta go! Good game, guys!"

"Same time tomorrow?" Thunder asked.

"Though next time," Lightning said, "no fireballs!"

"Oh, fine!" Cinnamon Roll groaned as she strapped her little brother in his stroller. "We'll beat you either way!"

"We'll see about that!" Prism shouted.

"Yeah!" Gemstone piped. "What they said!"

The unicorn watched as the Apple family laughed with each other and Cinnamon Stick ruffled his sister's mane as they continued their way down the street. She then glanced at the twins as they did the same to their younger sister.

"You were pretty quick out there, squirt!" Thunder complimented.

"Yeah," Lightning nodded. "For a flightless bird, anyway."

Prism smiled, as this was as nice as they were going to get with her. Gemstone watched them all sadly. There was no pony to ruffle her mane or hug her affectionately. Her parents or Aunt Sweetie Belle would usually do that, but they were not there at the moment. Besides, she did not want them doing that. She loved them, but they were all grown-ups. They could not play with her when she was bored, because they were often busy. Her friend Prism had playmates right at home, even if they were slightly older than her.

Gemstone then decided what she wanted for Hearth's Warming, but knew she could not have it. Not only was it unwrappable, but next to impossible.

After all, brothers and sisters do not just come out of the blue.





Mothball gazed in the window of the jewelry shop, wondering which necklace would look best around Screwball's neck. He glanced inside his bag of coins and wished he had asked Discord for more. He did not want to spend so little on his marefriend's gift only to get a fancy gift from her.

"Did Screwy even spend money on my gift?" Mothball asked himself. "I mean she could have created it with her magic. What if I do spend a lot on her gift and she feels bad because she just conjured my gift out of thin air?" He sighed. "I can see why Mother never had us celebrate Hearth's Warming. Buying gifts is hard!"

He looked at the price tags for the necklaces and decided he was not going to find a gift there. He moved on to the next store, a perfume shop. A bell rang as he opened the door and he heard the clerk let out a shriek. He rolled his eyes in annoyance. One would think ponies would be used to him walking around town by now.

When he had started living with Screwball, she kept insisting that he go into town with her, but he was afraid ponies would freak out. He had suggested going to town in disguise, but Screwball did not want him hiding himself. Eventually, she convinced him to go. A few ponies initially freaked out at the sight of the changeling, but when they saw the Princess of Chaos walking fearlessly beside him, they slowly became less afraid. However, no matter how many times Mothball went into town, there was always a pony or two that was not used to the sight of him.

He did not care though and browsed through the store's products like any other customer would. Mothball did not need to open the perfume bottles or spray the samples. Changelings had a very strong sense of smell. It was how they could tell each other apart. He could smell the contents of each bottle just by standing a foot away.

"What smell would suit Screwy?" he mumbled.

"If you can't decide, just go with peppermint. It fits the season."

Mothball turned to see Thunder Dash.

"Looking for a gift for your girl, eh?" the pegasus colt inquired. "So am I."

"Find anything?" Mothball asked.

"Sure." He held up a perfume bottle. "It took a while to find a smell she didn't already have."

The changeling sniffed the air. "Pumpkin spice?"

"Wow, you're good! Anyway, it reminds me of Apple Blossom! Sweet, but full of spunk! That's what I like about her."

"What smell do you think Screwball would like?"

"Aw, Screwy's not much for perfume."

"She isn't?"

"She and I have been buds since we were in diapers. She's never worn a spritz of the stuff, not even for parties. Did you ever notice her wearing it?"

Mothball thought about it. Screwball always smelt of chocolate milk and cotton candy and he could tell the difference between natural and artificial smells.

"Besides," Thunder continued, "buying your marefriend perfume can mean two things. One, that you thought it would smell great on her, or two, that you think she stinks."

"I do not!" the changeling insisted. "She smells great!"

"Then don't get her perfume."

"What about you and your marefriend?"

"You forget that Apple Blossom's special talent is creating smells. She has tons of perfumes, some she made herself, some she bought for inspiration. I checked that this bottle has natural ingredients, so I know she won't hate me."

"So perfume works for your marefriend, but not for mine? Great! What am I supposed to get her then? What can you get a girl who can get whatever she wants with a wave of her hoof?"

"Think of her favorite hobby or pastime and get her something related to it."

"Her favorite pastime is chaos. How am I supposed to work with that?"

Thunder shrugged. "You're her coltfriend. Use your imagination."

The pegasus left to make his purchase. Mothball sighed and walked out of the store.





"Hey, Aunt Pinkie!" Prism exclaimed when the party pony opened the door. "Are the Tri-Pies home?"

"Sure!" Pinkie replied. "They're up in their room doing...something. Actually, I'm not sure what they're doing, but I bet whatever it is they're doing, they can drop it to make time for you guys!"

She welcomed the two fillies in and gestured to the door in the back. Gemstone and Prism walked through the aisle of party supplies and costumes and to the door. Through it was a set of stairs leading to the family's living quarters.

When they reached the triplets' room, they were surprised to find it closed. The Tri-Pies always left the door open. Concerned, Prism knocked on the door.

"Guys?" she called.

"Go away!" cried one of the triplets' voices (it was hard to tell which one).

"Raspberry, don't be rude!" said another one.

"Yeah, it's Prism!" said the third.

Cherry opened the door a crack. "And Gemstone!"

"Tell them to go away!" said the first voice.

The red filly shook her head and looked apologetically at her friends.

"Sorry, Raspberry's been a little...out of it."

"Maybe we can cheer her up," Gemstone insisted.

"I don't know. We've tried everything! We even offered to read her The Frog Princess, but she didn't want us to!"

Prism gasped. "This is serious! That's her favorite book!"

"I know! This is even worse than when Dad went on tour with the circus for three months and missed our birthday!"

"Can we see her?"

Cherry bit her lip. "You can try, but don't blame me if she tells you to go away."

She opened the door further. Raspberry was sitting on her bed and gazing out the window. As Prism and Gemstone slowly approached her, they saw the solemn look on her face.

"Raspberry?" Prism uttered.

"Go away," the magenta filly moaned.

The pegasus turned to Blueberry. "What happened?"

The blue filly gestured for her friends to come closer.

"I think I know what it is," she whispered. "We went to ask Uncle Discord to send our letter to Santa, but he kind of told us...well..."

"That there is no Santa Hooves," Raspberry muttered.

"What?!" Prism exclaimed. "There is so a Santa Hooves! He gave me those roller-skates last year!"

"Really?" Gemstone asked. "I never got anything from Santa Hooves, but I did find some mysterious, dirty lumps of coal in my stocking."

"Your parents got you those roller-skates," Raspberry said. "And they got you the coal as a joke. Those Santa presents are all from our parents!"

"Lighten up, Raspberry!" Cherry insisted. "You sure you don't want us to read The Frog Princess?"

"What's the point?!" the magenta filly snapped. "If Santa's not real, who's to say frog princesses are real?!"

"Come on, sis!" Blueberry exclaimed. "Uncle Discord's just a grumpy old naysayer. There is a Santa Hooves and I'll prove it!" She brought out a magnifying glass and squealed. "This is so exciting! I finally get to play Nancy Horseshoe!"

Prism turned to Gemstone. "Looks like we're not gonna get to practice your lines here."

"That's okay," Cherry said. "You guys go. This is a task for sisters!"

Gemstone glanced between the three of them and sighed sadly.





"Maybe she'd like a hat," Mothball said, looking through the bin of winter clothing. "What am I saying? She wears that propeller beanie all the time! Scarf? Nah. She always has one to poof up! Boots? What am I? An idiot?!"

"No, but with all this talking to yourself, ponies will think you're crazy."

The changeling turned to Cinnamon Stick. "What did you buy for Dinky?"

The brown colt smiled. "I didn't buy her anything. Well," he opened his saddle bag, "I did buy this mix, but that's just an ingredient to the gift I'm giving her. I'm making her a batch of blueberry muffins!"

Mothball raised his eyebrow. "But doesn't she get muffins all the time?"

"My mom says that it doesn't matter what you get some pony, as long as it's a gift from the heart. She also said it's extra special if it's homemade, because you put your time and effort into something that'll make that pony happy."

The changeling hung his head. "I'm no good at making things, and I can't find a thing in this store that Screwball can't get for herself!"

Cinnamon Stick put a hoof on the changeling's shoulder. "You know what my parents always do for their anniversary?"

"What?"

"Well, my dad gets up early in the morning, before the rooster even crows, sneaks out of the house and does Mom's morning chores. When he's done, he goes into the kitchen, makes a pot of apple soup and serves it to Mom in bed and later, she gives him a special gem for him to eat. In the afternoon, they go on a hot air balloon ride and for dinner, they have a candlelit picnic at the gazebo.

"That's how it is every year. The exact same routine, no change. One year, I asked them why and they told me. Years ago, Mom saw an empty balloon floating over the Everfree Forest and she went to investigate. She found Dad cornered by a pack of Timberwolves and she saved his life. In return, Dad helped her with her chores and eventually saved her life too. A few days later, Mom started feeling sick and he brought her some apple soup, and she said that's when she realized she was in love with him. Their first date was a picnic at the gazebo. As for the gem, well, you know how Dad likes to eat gems, but he also proposed to Mom using a gem she had given to him as a birthday snack.

"You see? Every thing they do for their anniversary brings them a memory of how their relationship developed. Maybe you could do something similar for Screwball."

"But I don't know how to make apple soup," Mothball argued.

Cinnamon Stick laughed. "No, I mean do something that's meaningful to you. It doesn't have to be something you can wrap in a box. Think about when you and Screwy first met, or when you first fell in love. Was there anything significant about either of those times?"

Mothball tapped his chin. "Well, actually, I was fascinated with her from the moment I saw her, when she was playing pirate in the chocolate lake."

His eyes widened. "Wait! I think I've got something!"

He raced toward the door of the shop, but before he left, he turned back and shouted, "Thanks, Cinnamon Stick!"

The brown colt waved. "Go get her, tiger!"
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"See?" Blueberry said, putting her magnifying glass over a Hearth's Warming card. "Exhibit A! The writing on this card from Santa does not match the mouth-writing of Mom or Dad! Therefore it must be from the real Santa!"

She waved the card in her sister's face. Raspberry just looked at it unenthusiastically for a moment and then back out the window.

"They could've disguised their writing," she grumbled. "Or gotten some pony else to do it."

Blueberry blinked in surprise. "Oh. Well...Exhibit B!" She picked up three sets of ice skates. "We got these last year for Hearth's Warming, but we did not tell any pony we wanted these! Our parents did not know, thus, they could not have bought them for us!"

"Mom loves ice skating," Raspberry pointed out. "She could have just guessed."

Blueberry frowned. "Well, you'll think differently when you see Exhibit C!"

Cherry showed Raspberry an empty plate in the shape of Santa Hooves.

"Every year," Blueberry said, "we left cookies for Santa! Mom wouldn't even let us near the plate, because those cookies were for Santa and only Santa! We'd wake up on Hearth's Warming morning and find the plate empty! No pony could have eaten those cookies except for Santa Hooves!"

"Are you really that stupid?!" Raspberry groaned as she buried her face in her pillow. "Mom or Dad could have eaten those! Mom and Dad were behind everything! There is no Santa Hooves!"

Blueberry and Cherry stood frozen in place. Raspberry had never called any pony stupid in all her life, let alone her own sisters.

"Would you guys just go to sleep and leave me alone?" the magenta filly demanded. "It's the middle of the night."

Her sisters glanced at each other.

"Well," said Cherry.

"Okay," said Blueberry.

They turned around and crawled into their respective beds.

"You going to be okay, Rasp?" Cherry asked.

"I'm fine!" Raspberry snapped. "Just leave me be!"

Cherry looked to Blueberry, who shook her head and laid it down to sleep. Cherry stole one last look at Raspberry before laying down herself.





The next day at school, the fillies and colts were rehearsing their pageant. They were much improving, with Gemstone learning her lines and Blueberry acting less crazy and more snarky while playing Smart Cookie. However, when they were nearing the end of the play, after Clover the Clever, Smart Cookie and Private Pansy had defeated the windigoes, every pony waited in silence for the next line. After a while, they glanced around, wondering why they were not hearing anything.

Cheerilee looked up from her script and raised her eyebrow.

"Where's Raspberry?"

Blueberry left her position to run backstage and pull her sister out by the tail. The magenta filly was sitting with her head down, not seeming to care that her sister was dragging her.

"Raspberry!" Cheerilee exclaimed. "Your line?"

Raspberry looked up. "Huh?"

"All through the night, the three ponies kept the fire of friendship alive?"

"Oh, right. Sorry, Mrs. Cheerilee."

Raspberry then delivered her last set of lines in a monotone. Every pony frowned at how unemotional she was acting and the actors just stood and watched her, instead of moving like they were supposed to. When she was done, she simply walked off the stage without taking a bow. Cheerilee was at a loss for words.

"Um...okay. I think that will do it for today. Great job, every pony! You're all getting better! Blueberry, Cherry, may I speak with you for a moment?"

The two triplets glanced at each other and moved downstage towards their teacher.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Cheerilee whispered, "but what's wrong with your sister?"

"She's just..." Cherry stammered, "not herself today."

"It's just one of her moods," Blueberry assured their teacher. "She'll get over it in a couple days or so."

"Well," Cheerilee said, "if you say so, but let Raspberry know that if there's anything wrong, she can always come to me. Okay?"

"We'll tell her, Mrs. Cheerilee."

Of course, they would, but Raspberry had not been listening to them much lately. The two sisters went to grab their hats and scarves.

"Is Rasp still fretting over the whole Santa thing?" Prism inquired.

"We've tried to convince her Uncle Discord was wrong," Blueberry explained.

"But she won't believe us!" Cherry declared.

"And she's getting moodier by the minute!"

"Goodness," Gemstone uttered. "We need to cheer her up!"

"I have an idea!" Prism exclaimed. "Hey, Rasp!"

Raspberry looked up and turned in the pegasus filly's direction.

"You wanna go to Sugar Cube Corner and get some hot cocoa? I hear they're trying a new flavor. Peppermint!"

The magenta filly sighed and looked down. "No, thanks."

Prism frowned, but she did not give up. "Well, Aunt Scootaloo said she'd take me skating this afternoon. Wanna join us?"

"No."

"How about sledding? Don't you remember? This is the year we decided we were all gonna race down the Big Slope!"

"What's the point?!" Raspberry shouted.

Prism was taken aback at her friend's outburst and said nothing as the magenta filly walked off the stage. The others had been watching the whole scene. Cherry grunted and stomped her hoof.

"Oh, that's it! I can't take this anymore!"

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Blueberry demanded.

"You bet!"

"Let's show that punk a piece of our minds!"

Before any pony could say another word, they zoomed off the stage, out of the schoolyard and into the Everfree Forest.





"Honey!" Fluttershy cried as she pulled a wrapped box away from her husband. "How many times have I told you not to use your x-ray vision to peek at your presents?"

"Come on!" Discord complained. "You know I hate waiting! Can't you at least give me a hint?"

"No! You'll have to wait until Hearth's Warming!" She sighed. "I guess I'll have to hide it..."

They were interrupted when a streak of red and blue burst into the room.

"YOU!" Cherry shouted at the volume of a sonic boom.

"WE'VE GOT A BONE TO PICK WITH YOU, MISTER!" Blueberry screamed just as loudly.

"Wha...?" Discord uttered.

"YOU BROKE OUR SISTER!" Cherry declared.

"AND WE..."

Discord silenced them with his paw and claw. "A little softer so we don't damage any more ears, okay? Now, what is this all...?"

"Raspberry doesn't believe in Santa Hooves anymore!" Blueberry exclaimed.

"And it's all thanks to you!" Cherry accused.

"Me?" Discord said, pointing to himself. "What did I do?"

"You told us there was no Santa Hooves!" Blueberry replied.

"And now she's acting like a gloomy pants!" Cherry declared.

Fluttershy glared at Discord. "You told them WHAT?!"

"Well, there isn't!" the draconequus insisted.

"Yes, but you're not supposed to tell them that!" Fluttershy quickly covered her mouth. "I mean..."

"Aunt Fluttershy?" Cherry said. "You don't believe in Santa Hooves either?"

"No! I do! I just..."

"Never mind!" Blueberry exclaimed. "It doesn't matter if there's a Santa Hooves or not! We can't get our sister out of the dumps!"

"Why?" Discord asked, truly concerned. "What's wrong with Raspberry?"

"She's all moody!" Cherry declared.

"She doesn't want to hang out with us!" Blueberry added.

"Or play!"

"Or listen to her favorite book!"

"All she does is mope!"

"She's lost her optimistic spark!"

"Oh dear," Fluttershy gasped, before glaring at her husband again. "See what you've done?! You've crushed a little filly's hopes and dreams!"

"Well, how was I supposed to know?!" Discord protested. "Hey, how come you two aren't as upset?"

"Because we know you're wrong!" Cherry claimed.

"Yeah!" Blueberry agreed. "The writing on our card from Santa Hooves last year did not match that of Mom's or Dad's."

"Then why didn't you show that to Raspberry?" Discord asked.

"We did! She didn't believe us!"

"Why not? I mean how come she believes me when you two don't?"

"The thing about us Tri-Pies," Cherry replied, "is that we're exactly alike, save for our colors..."

"But we each have our distinct personality traits," Blueberry continued, "or rather we have the same personality traits, but some more than others. It's like this. Cherry's the super hyper one..."

"Blueberry's the super smart one..."

"And Raspberry's the super sensitive one. Which means if you tell her something like 'Santa Hooves doesn't exist,' she's going to take it hard!"

Discord's ears drooped. He truly cared about the three fillies and had not meant to hurt one of them, especially sweet little Raspberry. She had always been the most thoughtful of the bunch. Last Hearts and Hooves Day, she had swung by with a basket of heart-shaped cards and candy, and during the holidays she would give them some of the Pie family's annual Hearth's Warming cookies. And no matter how long it would take, she would always make a card for every pony with a little poem inside. Raspberry had always been full of holiday spirit.

Had Discord destroyed that spirit?

"Okay, okay," he said. "I goofed. But what do you want me to do about it?"

"Fix her!" Cherry commanded

"Tell her there's a Santa Hooves!" Blueberry added.

"But there isn't..." Discord started to say. "Oomph!"

He cried out as Fluttershy poked him in the side.

"Okay, okay! I'll find a way to make it up to her! I promise!"

"Pinkie Promise?" both sisters said.

"Do I really have to...? Oomph!"

He rubbed his side and shot a glare at his wife.

"Fine! I'll make it up to Raspberry! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

"You'd better!" Cherry warned. "Or else we're gonna bring in the big guns!"

"Cannons, to be specific," said Blueberry.

Discord was not sure what that meant, nor did he know whether he should be afraid or amused that he was being threatened by two eight-year-olds. Truth be told, he was more frightened of the cross pegasus hovering beside him. Whether he liked it or not, he had no choice but to comply with them.

"Take me to her."





Raspberry was flipping through sheets of paper. They were all letters she had written to Santa Hooves over the years. She always kept copies of them. She gazed wearily at the one she had written last year.

Dear Santa Hooves,

How are you? How's the North Pole this year? I bet it's cold. I hope you keep warm.

I don't know if you got Prism's letter, so I'll tell you what she wants, just in case it got lost in the mail or something.

Prism wants to be able to fly, but she especially wants her parents to be home for Hearth's Warming. She also wants a set of roller-skates.

My sisters and I all want ice skates, so we can skate like Mommy.

Me, I want a new notebook. The one I have now is running out of paper. Some pens would be nice if you can spare some of those too. I'm also waiting on that pet reindeer. The stuffed one you gave me last year is nice, but it doesn't fly, you know? I don't even care if I can't keep it. I understand if you don't want to part with a member of your family, but maybe I can just have a ride on it or something. A ride in your sleigh would be even more magical!

I hope I'm not asking for too much. I've been really good this year. So have my sisters and Prism. I also hope the trip isn't too difficult for you. Daddy promises the fireplace won't be burning when you drop in. We promise to leave you cookies! And carrots for your reindeer!

Happy Hearth's Warming!

Raspberry Pie

After reading it over one more time, she crumpled it in her hooves and threw it in the wastebasket with the others. Then she glanced at the stuffed reindeer on her pillow. It had been her favorite toy ever since she found it in her stocking. She had called it Olive, after Olive the Other Reindeer. That had been her favorite Hearth's Warming story.

She picked up the reindeer and stared into its black button eyes.

"Santa Hooves," she uttered.

She tossed the stuffed animal onto the floor.

"Phooey!"

Then she curled up into a ball and buried her face in her knees.

"Aw, that's not nice!"

Raspberry looked up to see Discord holding Olive.

"What did this reindeer ever do to you?"

The filly turned away. "What do you want?"

"Sheesh!" the draconequus said. "Not only are you moody, but rude!" He sat on the edge of her bed. "What's happened to you, Rasp? You were always so cheerful and optimistic!"

The door swung open and Pinkie Pie stood there wearing a green and red apron.

"Who wants to make Hearth's Warming cookies?!" she called. "Oh, hi Discord! When did you get here?"

"Just seconds ago," Discord grumbled. "Do you mind?"

"Well, excuse me, mister! This is my house!" She approached her daughter's bed. "So what do you say, Rasp? Want to help me bake the annual Hearth's Warming cookies?"

"No thanks, Mom," Raspberry sighed. "I'm not in the mood."

Pinkie gasped as if she had just heard a naughty word. "Not in the mood?! Since when are you not in the mood to make cookies?!"

"It's a long story," Discord explained, "and I'm trying to make amends here!"

"You're not sick, are you?" She felt Raspberry's forehead. "Huh. No fever. You didn't eat too many Brussels sprouts, did you?"

When Raspberry did not respond, Pinkie turned to the draconequus.

"What's wrong with my daughter?" she demanded.

Discord bit his lip. "Well, you see...the other day...I kind of told her...there was...no such thing as Santa Hooves."

He closed his eyes, preparing for the explosion. He could hear the pink pony's face boiling red, the steam furiously blowing out of her ears and her hair bursting into flames.

"YOU TOLD HER THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS SANTA HOOVES?!" her voice boomed.

Discord summoned a fire extinguisher and sprayed the flaming pony with foam. When he opened his eyes, her mane was flat and dripping wet, but her eyes still burned with anger.

"What gives you the right to tell a filly that?!" Pinkie screeched as she poked the draconequus in the chest. "Especially one that's not yours!"

"Hey, hey, hey!" he said, holding out his paw and claw. "I'm sorry, okay? I came here to fix all that!"

He knelt down and put his claw on Raspberry's shoulder.

"Sweetie," he said, "just because I don't believe in Santa Hooves, doesn't mean you have to stop believing."

"Yeah!" Pinkie nodded. "Discord can't help being a mean meanie pants!"

"But it was you who left those presents for us," Raspberry said, "wasn't it, Mommy?"

Pinkie stood in silence with her mouth a gape. After a while, she sighed.

"Well...we might have left you some of those gifts..."

"I knew it!"

The filly collapsed on her bed, her face landing in her pillow.

"But not all of it!" Pinkie insisted. "That reindeer, for example! The one you love so much! I don't know where it came from! And those ice skates last year! I thought your father might have left them, but he swore he didn't! There really is a Santa Hooves! Don't you see?"

Raspberry groaned. "You don't have to lie to make me feel better, Mom!"

"I'm not lying! Really! I'm telling the truth!"

"Oh, enough of this!" Discord grunted. "Look, Rasp, does it really matter if there's a Santa Hooves or not? I mean you still get presents on Hearth's Warming Day and get to make yummy cookies."

"Yeah, but..." Raspberry sniffed. "I always thought it was so...magical..."

"And it still is! I don't even know how that Santa thing got started! I mean it has nothing to do with the founding of Equestria or the magic of friendship..."

"I appreciate you trying, but...I just wanna be left alone, okay? I've got some sulking to do."

Discord felt a tug in his heart. "Raspberry, I..."

"You should go," Pinkie said, patting her daughter on the back.

The draconequus opened his mouth to say something, but then sighed and walked out in defeat. Blueberry and Cherry were standing outside the door.

"I tried," Discord said.

The two triplets hung their heads.

"Then there's only one thing left to try," Blueberry declared.





Every year, around Hearth's Warming Eve, a sleigh would be set up in the Town Square for fillies and colts to have their picture taken with Santa Hooves. Four ponies dressed as reindeer stood harnessed to the sleigh while a large red stallion sat in the seat as Santa Hooves. Two ponies dressed as elves handled the crowd of excited foals.

"Ho, ho, ho!" Santa Hooves laughed. "And what do you want for Hearth's Warming, little filly?"

"Well," Gemstone blushed, "I don't know if it's possible, but...I want a brother or sister."

The stallion raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's an unusual request. That's something you'll have to discuss with your parents, and you know a baby takes a long time."

"Eleven months, I know, but...that's all I want this year."

"Not even a doll or a pretty dress?"

"No. See, my parents always get me everything, but all my friends have something I don't have. Prism has the twins, the Tri-Pies have each other, nearly every pony I know has a brother or sister! I just want some pony to play with when my parents aren't home and my friends are unavailable."

"Have you been good this year?"

She bit her lip. "Not the best, but...I've been doing better."

Santa smiled at this answer. "Well, I'll see what I can do." He pointed to the camera. "Smile!"

Gemstone posed for the picture and then climbed off Santa's lap.

"Who's next?" he called.

The next filly crawled onto his lap.

"And what's your name?" he asked.

"Prism Soarin Dash," the pegasus replied. "And I'm going to ask you what I asked last year and the year before that. I just want my parents to come home for Hearth's Warming."

"Ah," Santa nodded. "Well, maybe during my route, I'll see them along the way and make sure they make it home okay. I don't care if you've been naughty or nice. Every filly should be with their parents on Hearth's Warming."

"Thanks. I also want my wings to grow and to get my cutie mark!"

"Ho, ho, ho! All in good time, my little pony. All in good time."

They both faced the camera and smiled for it.

"Alright, who's...?"

He was cut off as two fillies leapt on either knee.

"Oh," he said. "And what are your...?"

"Cut the theatrics, Buster!" Cherry exclaimed.

"We know you're not the real Santa Hooves!" Blueberry declared.

The Santa Hooves blinked. "What makes you say that?"

"There's no way Santa can be here, and in all the other cities in Equestria, and at the North Pole!"

"But we do know you're one of Santa's messengers," Cherry said.

"And we have a message for you to give to Santa!"

The stallion shrugged. "Okay. What's the message?"

"We've been really good all year," Cherry insisted.

"And we wanted Santa to get us the Rosebud 3000," Blueberry explained.

"But we've changed our minds."

"Our sister Raspberry doesn't believe in Santa Hooves anymore!"

"And she hasn't been the same since!"

"We don't need proof that Santa exists, but could you ask him to give Raspberry some sort of proof?

"It doesn't have to be big or anything, just enough so that we can have our sister back."

The red stallion glanced between them. "Okay. I'll tell him."

Blueberry then looked at the stallion again and squinted.

"What are you looking at?"

"Are you new or something?" she inquired. "I don't remember seeing you before."

He grinned. "Yeah. I'm new in town. I got the job."

"Well, you're good." She pulled at his beard, making him cry out. "First time they got one with an actual beard, and I like how you don't have glasses." She tapped his red and white striped horn. "The horn's a bit tacky, though. You could have done a better job painting it."

The stallion laughed. "I'll keep that in mind." He pulled them closer and faced the camera. "Smile!"





When Discord had teleported home, he slumped on the couch. Screwball flashed beside him.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey," he moaned.

"Mom told me what happened."

"Yeah?"

"Daddy, how could you tell an eight-year-old that there was no such thing as Santa Hooves?"

"I didn't think she'd take it so hard! After all, you didn't take it so hard when you found out!"

Screwball crossed her forelegs. "Dad, I always knew it was you and Mom leaving those gifts and not Santa Hooves."

He looked at her with wide eyes. "You did?"

"I can tell when you're lying, remember?"

"But...you always seemed to..."

"I went along with it, because pretending that there was this unicorn in a red suit flying around the world and leaving presents under the tree made Hearth's Warming...magical. Sometimes, I would get so caught up in it that I almost convinced myself there was a Santa Hooves. I think that's how Raspberry feels about it too. When you took Santa away from her, you took away the magic."

Discord winced. "And you...was that what happened to you?"

She shook her head. "Like I said, I always knew, but you know something? One Hearth's Warming Eve, I heard jingle bells outside. That got me thinking...what if there really is a Santa Hooves? Maybe the parents are just his helpers and keep the legend alive by giving their children gifts under his name. They give them hope. When you told Raspberry Santa was just lie, you destroyed that hope."

Discord leaned his head into his paw. "I messed up big time, didn't I?"

"It's not too late to make things right."

"But I tried! I already talked to her! What else can I do?"

Screwball laid her hoof on his shoulder. "Make her believe."

"How?"

"By keeping the idea of Santa Hooves alive."

She slid off the couch and left her father to his thoughts. Discord did not know what to do. He had been reformed for several years now, yet he still made ponies unhappy. He would not be surprised if his reflection started mocking him again. This time, the pain he had caused was not intentional, and it was to some pony he liked.

He was not particularly fond of Fluttershy's friends, but their colts and fillies had always been so sweet to him, even called him 'Uncle.' He never thought he would be so loveable among foals. After this, he figured no foal would look at him the same way again. He had to make amends to Raspberry no matter what.

He got up to pace around the room when his hoof touched something. He glanced down and saw a notepad. Curious, he picked it up and read the page it was open to:

Dear Santa Hooves,

My sisters and I have been good all year, cross our hearts and hope to fly! We even helped stop an army of evil changelings! Well, there was one time when we got revenge on Gemstone for picking on us, but we're all best friends now!

As usual, Prism wants her family to come home for the holidays, though I'm sure you got her letter this time, because Uncle Discord sent it. Make sure he gets something too! I mean sure he went a little berserk this year, but he made up for it. He deserves to be on the Nice List.

I'm not sure what Gemstone wants, but she's been really good and I'm sure you can get her something nice.

Anyway, back to us. You can forget about everything else I've asked you to get me, because all my sisters and I want is the Rosebud 3000! We need a new sled, and one we can all fit in! And one that's fast! And shiny red! Please? If you can't fit it down the chimney, you can just leave it outside.

I hope you have a safe trip, and give my regards to the wife and reindeer! I have to go now. We're at Uncle Discord's now. He's going to send this letter.

Happy Hearth's Warming!

Raspberry Pie

Discord wiped away a tear as he read the letter. How long had this notepad been sitting here? Raspberry must have dropped it. She had thought of her Uncle Discord while writing to Santa Hooves, and only to be crushed by that very same draconequus a minute later.

What had he done?

As he reread the letter, an idea formed in his mind. He quickly teleported to the toy store, only to be met with disappointment. Where a grand sled built for three had stood, a sign reading 'Sold Out' had taken its place. He groaned and teleported back home.

He could always make a Rosebud 3000 appear, but he did not know what it looked like. Then again, all Raspberry wanted was a sled built for three. Would it matter if it was the Rosebud 3000 or not?

He summoned a pile of wooden planks, a hammer, nails and a bucket of paint.

"I better get to work," he said.
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It was three days before Hearth's Warming Day. Raspberry was sitting in the snow, staring at the empty window of the toy store. Flakes were gently falling and sticking to her poofy mane. Most stores had closed for the night, so the streets were quiet. At least, they were until a voice spoke:

"You know, you could catch a cold if you keep sitting there, right?"

Raspberry turned her head to find the source of the voice and saw a red unicorn stallion dressed as Santa Hooves.

"I know you," she said. "You're the guy who poses for those Santa pictures in the Town Square."

He shrugged. "Guilty. Though I don't recall you coming to see me."

"That's because I know you're not really Santa. None of you are."

She hung her head and then looked back up at the window. The Santa Hooves sat down beside her.

"What used to be here?" he asked.

"The Rosebud 3000," Raspberry replied. "It was going to be our Hearth's Warming gift, but we couldn't afford it, and now it's sold out."

"Oh, I see. Well, Hearth's Warming isn't all about presents, you know?"

"It's not so much the sled. It was something my sisters and I could have done together. See, every pony says we're eventually going to drift apart, and the thing is...I believe them, but I don't want to. But if we are going to drift apart, I want us to have as much fun together as we can, before it's too late."

"Maybe Santa could get it for you."

"No, he won't! Because there is no Santa Hooves!"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "How can you believe that? A sweet little girl like you?"

"You can stop pretending. I know the truth. I know my parents were the ones leaving the presents and not you."

"And does it really matter who the presents are from? Is it really worth losing faith in Hearth's Warming?"

She paused. "It's just...I always thought Hearth's Warming was a time for magic."

"And if there was no Santa Hooves, it wouldn't be? Hearth's Warming isn't about Santa Hooves, you know. Haven't you been paying attention to that play you're in? Hearth's Warming Eve is about three different types of ponies living in harmony and friendship. We celebrate it every year to keep that fire of friendship alive, and we give each other gifts to show our friends and family how much we care. Santa does the same thing by bringing joy and hope to all the children of the world."

He smiled at the filly. "If you think about it, there's a little Santa Hooves in all of us, even in you."

Raspberry glanced down at his hoof as it poked her in the chest. She gazed up at the stallion and squinted at his face.

"That beard is so realistic," she said. "I don't know about that horn though."

He laughed. "It's always the horn. So what do you say, Raspberry? Are you going to stop this moping and let the spirit of Hearth's Warming back in your heart?"

She stared at him for a moment, then gave him a small smile and nodded.

"Splendid. You be a good little filly now, you hear?"

"Yeah," she said. "Thanks, mister."

The stallion grinned, stood up and started his way down the street. Raspberry glanced back at the window and it suddenly did not seem so empty anymore. Her smile disappeared once she realized something.

"Hey! How did you know my name?"

She looked around for the stallion, but he appeared to have vanished into thin air.





When Prism woke, it was freezing. Strange, for they did not usually have this problem in winter as the clouds were insulated. She saw a moving lump under the covers and lifted them to find the shivering shell of her tortoise, Tank.

"It's okay, little buddy," she said, wrapping her hoof around the shell. "I'll keep you warm."

It was so cold, she could see her breath. As she crawled out of bed, she draped her blanket around her shoulders while holding on to Tank. She hobbled over to the calendar and picked up the red marker with her chattering teeth. When she saw what day it was, her mouth fell open and the pen dropped to the floor.

It was Hearth's Warming Eve, the day of the pageant! Her parents were supposed to have flown in last night! Maybe they were here right now!

She forgot about how cold she was and dropped both her blanket and the tortoise as she raced downstairs.

"Mom?" she called. "Dad?"

She found the twins and Scootaloo shivering in the kitchen, wearing heavy blankets and drinking hot cocoa. Prism glanced around for her parents, but they were not there. She wrapped her hooves around her body as she started feeling chilly again. Scootaloo opened her forelegs and pulled the filly into her blanket.

"Wh-where...?" she said through her chattering teeth. "Where are Mom and Dad?"

Scootaloo bit her lip. "I...I think they're running a little late, hon. They must be having trouble getting through the storm."

Prism's eyes widened. "Storm?! What storm?!"

Scootaloo pointed to the window. The shutters flew open, letting the snowflakes blow furiously inside.

"Your turn," Lightning groaned.

Thunder grunted and got out of his seat. He tightly clutched his blanket to his body as he fought against the wind. After much struggle, he managed to seal the blizzard out.

"Looks like the blizzard from Fillydelphia finally caught up to us," he declared.

Prism looked worriedly at her aunt. "You think Mom and Dad are okay?"

"I'm sure they're fine," Scootaloo assured her. "Remember, these are your parents we're talking about."

"Yeah!" Thunder said. "They're the toughest ponies around!"

"I guess you're right." Prism gasped as a new thought occurred to her. "How am I going to get to school?"

Scootaloo raised her eyebrow. "Are you sure? School might be closed today."

"It can't be closed! Today's the pageant!"

"There's no way we're taking you out in that blizzard!" Lightning insisted. "You could become an icicle out there!"

"So could we!" Thunder added.

The door burst open, allowing more flakes to fly in. Derpy held an envelope in her hoof.

"Cheerilee...asked me...to..."

Lightning ushered Derpy in and shut the door. The gray pegasus plopped to the floor in exhaustion.

"The things I do for friends!" she complained. "I tell them I don't work blizzards, but no! I have to deliver a letter to every student in the class!"

Lightning Dash picked up the envelope and opened it. After reading the words on the paper, she looked sadly at her sister.

"Sorry, squirt," she said. "The pageant's cancelled due to the storm."





"Golly!" Discord exclaimed as he attempted to close the door. "I haven't seen a storm like this since the first Hearth's Warming Eve! Is there some sort of rift between pegasi, earth ponies and unicorns that I don't know about?"

"Can't you do something with your magic?" Fluttershy asked as she moved in to help him.

"Maybe I can push the storm back a little, but only a few feet away from our house."

"It's better than nothing!"

Discord snapped his fingers and the wind stopped blowing through the door, allowing him to shut it.

"Gee," Screwball marveled as she gazed out the window. "However did the pegasi from Fillydelphia manage to create a storm like this?"

"I hope it doesn't ruin my surprise," Mothball mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

Cold air filled the room as the door opened again.

"Are you kidding me?!" Discord groaned.

Then he saw four pegasi covered in snow standing in the doorway.

"Oh, goodness!" Fluttershy uttered as she shut the door behind them.

The pegasi shook the ice off their wings and heads.

"Lightning, Thunder!" Screwball exclaimed, rushing to her friends. "Are you guys okay?"

"No!" Lightning snapped. "We're not okay!"

"We just flew through a blizzard!" Thunder shouted. "Sure, we're just peachy!"

"That's enough, you two!" Scootaloo commanded.

She glanced down at the shivering filly under her wing. Prism was clutching Tank tight to her chest.

"It's okay, RJ," the orange pegasus said. "We're inside now."

"What happened to all of you?" Fluttershy inquired.

"Our home was so cold that even the fireplace was frozen! We couldn't stay in there any longer, so we came here. Do you guys mind if we crash here until the storm blows over?"

"Of course, you can! We have plenty of room here. You can stay here as long as you like."

"Woo hoo!" Lightning and Screwball cheered. "Slumber party!"

"Fine," Discord said as he glared at the teenagers. "But boys and girls will be sleeping in separate rooms! Except for me and Fluttershy, of course."

"I wonder if Apple Blossom is having as much trouble," Thunder said. "What if her roof caved in or something?!"

"Yeah," Screwball nodded, looking out at the blizzard. "And what about Dinky and Cinnamon Stick?"

"Don't forget Gem and the Tri-Pies!" Prism exclaimed.

"Goodness!" Fluttershy squeaked. "We should make sure they're alright!"

"Ooh!" Discord uttered as he rubbed his hands together. "Party time!"





Things at Sweet Apple Acres were not faring so well. The wind had already blown off the roof of the barn and the animals inside were screaming. Applejack, Applebloom, Big Macintosh and Cinnamon Stick were trying their best to round up the pigs and chickens while Cheerilee, Apple Blossom and Spike were handling the sheep. It was not easy with all the snow blowing in their faces.

"Mom!" a voice called.

"Cinnamon Roll?!" Applejack cried. "I told ya to stay inside with Granny Smith and Applespike!"

"But we have a visitor!"

"Who would be visiting us in this weather?!"

Discord flashed behind her. "Me, of course!"

The cowgirl jumped and tripped backward into the snow.

"What are you...?"

"I'm here to help you!"

"Can you fix up the barn?"

"Even better!"

He snapped his fingers and in the place of the barn stood a house of steel.

"Your animals are all safely tucked away, with plenty of food to last them the storm."

Applejack smiled. "Thanks."

Her hat then went flying off her head. She reached out her hoof to catch it, but was not fast enough. Discord stretched out his claw to retrieve it.

"You all want to spend Hearth's Warming Eve at our place?" Discord offered. "It's less windy."

She looked at the draconequus suspiciously, wondering if this was another prank of his. When the wind knocked her down again, she decided it did not matter.

"Sure, whatever! Just get us out of here!"





Meanwhile, at Carousel Boutique, the window burst open and Rarity cried out as the wind blew through her mane.

"My hair!" she howled. "Some pony shut the window!"

"I got it," her father said, pushing firmly against the glass.

"Hot cocoa, any pony?" her mother asked as she levitated a tray of hot chocolate.

"Please!" Sweetie Belle begged.

"One for me too!" Gemstone exclaimed.

The filly and her aunt were shivering in front of the fireplace with their hooves wrapped around each other.

"It's so cold in here!" Gemstone whined. "Can't we put another log in?"

"Sorry, Princess," her grandfather shrugged. "That was the last one."

Rarity groaned and glared accusingly at her husband. "Fancy, you were supposed to get some firewood!"

"Me?" Fancy Pants said. "Why didn't you get some while you were shopping for watermelon yesterday?"

"I forgot! Okay?!"

"Brrr!" Gemstone uttered. "If only there was some sort of way we could heat up the entire house using some sort of sparky energy source."

Her grandmother laughed. "Oh, Rarity, your little girl says the most adorable things!"

"I'm serious! And it's cold!"

"Gemstone!" Rarity shouted. "Stop your whining!"

"Hey, it's not her fault!" Sweetie Belle insisted. "She's only a filly!"

As the adults started talking over each other, Gemstone moved closer to her aunt and tried to keep warm. At first, no pony noticed when Discord materialized in the room. He watched them all with excited red and yellow eyes, until he got bored and cleared his throat.

"Well, I hate to break up Family Fun Night, but I understand you're having a bit of a heating problem?"

Every pony turned to the draconequus and shouted, "YES!"

"Our home is plenty warm. You're welcome to come over. The Apples and Dashes are already there."

Gemstone gasped in delight. "Can we, Mommy?"

Rarity scowled. "Absolutely n-" She paused. "What am I saying? It's freezing! Let's go!"





"Red!" Pinkie shouted.

The orange stallion with red hair dropped the balloon animal he had been fiddling with. "Oh no."

His wife came into the living room holding an empty carton.

"Did you forget to buy more eggnog again?!"

"I was going to today!" Red Shoes insisted. "I didn't think there'd be a blizzard!"

"Mom!" Blueberry cried as she and Cherry rushed into the room. "We're out of cookies!"

"WHAT?!" Pinkie shouted.

"And cupcakes!" Raspberry exclaimed, running up behind her sisters.

"WHAT?!"

"And, uh, fruitcake," Cherry gulped.

"Oh, that's fine. But still, WHAT?!

"Calm down, honey!" Red said softly. "It's no big deal!"

The triplets gasped and Red winced once he realized his mistake. Pinkie stared at him in disbelief.

"No big deal?" she said. "No big deal?! NO BIG DEAL?! It's bigger than big! We're out of eggnog! And we can't have a Happy Hearth's Warming without eggnog! And no Hearth's Warming cookies? Or cupcakes? DOES NO PONY THINK ABOUT THE CUPCAKES?!"

Discord then appeared sprawled on the mantel. "I do! Cupcakes are my top priority! Next to chocolate milk and cotton candy, of course."

Cherry and Blueberry narrowed their eyes at the draconequus.

"Oh," the latter said. "It's you."

"You're not still mad at me, are you?"

"YES!" they both shouted.

"Girls, it's okay," Raspberry insisted. "Uncle Discord, it's fine whether there's no Santa or not. Hearth's Warming is magical when I'm with my family and friends."

"Yeah, yeah," Discord said, waving his paw. "That's touching and all, but I didn't come here about that. I came to invite you all to our little Hearth's Warming Eve party!"

Pinkie looked at him wearily. "Will there be eggnog?"

"Truckloads."

She grinned brightly. "Then what are we waiting for?!"





The living room was crowded, but fortunately, it was a big room. The Dashes, the Apples, the Pies and Rarity's family were all gathered around the fireplace, wrapped in blankets, sharing hot cocoa and eggnog. Discord had also brought Derpy and Dinky Doo. Every pony talked, laughed and sang winter carols, enjoying the company of each other.

Soon, it was time for bed. The married couples each had their own room, while the boys slept in Mothball's room and the girls in Screwball's and the single mares shared a room together. It was hard to get the little ones to sleep, for they were excited for the morning to come.

Discord could not get much sleep either and teleported out of bed and into the living room to sip some hot cocoa in front of the fire. He was soon joined by a sleepy-eyed pegasus filly.

"Rainbow Junior," he said. "What are you doing up?"

"Can't sleep," Prism said.

"Well, I could use a friend."

He patted the space beside him. Prism did not hesitate to sit down.

"Hot cocoa?" he offered, summoning a mug.

The filly nodded and allowed the cup to land in her hooves. She took a sip of the warm liquid and then let out a content sigh.

"Thanks for letting us stay here, Uncle Discord," she said.

"Hey, no problem," the draconequus replied.

Prism glanced out the window. "I'm worried. What if my parents can't make it through the snow? What if they show up at our house and wonder where we are? What if they get into some sort of accident? What if...?"

"Hey, hey!" Discord said, putting his finger to her lips. "That's no way to talk! I'm sure your parents are fine."

She looked up at him with hopeful green eyes. "You think so?"

"Well, I'm not really fond of them, but I know what it's like to be a parent. When it comes to your children, nothing stands in your way, not even a little snow!"

"You think Santa can get through the snow?" another voice asked.

Discord glanced down to see little Raspberry.

"I thought you didn't believe," he smirked.

The magenta filly jumped up on the other side of him. "I'm not sure anymore. It would be nice if he did exist. I don't know. I guess...knowing all those stories are real kind of gave me...hope."

"Maybe Santa can help my parents home," Prism said.

"Now, I wouldn't..." Discord started to say.

He trailed off as he looked at the pleading eyes of the two fillies. He sighed in defeat. Had he really gone so soft that he would submit to a couple of children?

"Maybe," he said.

"Hey," Raspberry said. "Wasn't there a storm like this the first Hearth's Warming Eve?"

"Yeah," Discord said. "I was there."

Both girls stared at him with wide eyes.

"You were?!" they said.

"Well, I wasn't there for that whole fire of friendship thing, but I did live through that blizzard. I was just a little draconequus at that time." He glanced between them. "Actually, I think I was just about your age."

Intrigued, the fillies leaned in closer.

"What happened?" Raspberry asked.

He gulped. "I was...separated from my family. Don't ask me what happened to them. Let's just say that I'm the last of my kind and leave it at that."

"You had a Mommy and Daddy?" Prism inquired.

"Of course I did! Where do you think I came from? The stork?"

"Yes," Raspberry replied, scratching her head. "Isn't that where all babies come from?"

"Actually, they come from...quit changing the subject!"

"So you lost your family? That's sad."

He sighed. "Yeah, but I've gotten used to it."

"And it's not like you don't have a family anymore," Prism said. "You've got Fluttershy and Screwball and Zany, even Mothball!"

"And us!" Raspberry piped.

He smiled as he pulled them closer. "That's right, my little ponies. You know? I was once like you. When I was small, I was full of hope and excitement. I would play with the other young draconeqi, my parents would feed me cotton candy and chocolate milk..." He chuckled. "You know they once made me this little cornhusk doll, err, action figure? What was it I called him? Corny, that's right!"

"Cool. Do you still have it?"

His smile faded. "I lost him in the blizzard, not long after I lost my parents." He sighed again. "After that, I slowly lost my hope as well. It was dashed forever when the storm finally ended and my parents did not return."

The fillies fell silent for a long while.

"Gee," Raspberry said. "No wonder you became such a grump."

He shrugged. "Maybe that's why I could never believe in something as impossible as Santa Hooves. He was never there for me, after all."

"Maybe because you were never on the Nice List," Prism smirked.

"Eh. Fair enough."

The pegasus filly's worry then returned. "Will I lose my parents to the storm, too?"

"Of course, not!" He ruffled her rainbow mane. "You silly filly! It's not that bad a blizzard! You just need a little hope, that's all."

"But you said you lost hope when you lost your parents."

"Well, I was foolish. I thought things wouldn't get better, but you know something? They did. Eventually. And things will get better for you too."

Prism's smile slowly returned. "Thanks, Uncle Discord."

The draconequus stiffened as the fillies snuggled up to him. Indeed, he was never going to get used to this, but he did not mind.
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Wake up, wake up!"

Discord screamed and opened his eyes to see Cherry hopping on his stomach.

"It's Hearth's Warming! It's Hearth's Warming!"

Raspberry and Prism sat up and gasped.

"It is?!"

"Of course, sillies!" Cherry snorted. "Come on! Santa Hooves left us presents!"

Raspberry gasped again. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! There are more under the tree now than there were last night!"

The fillies peered over the couch and gaped when they saw the ocean of gifts surrounding the tree. Discord had teleported all their gifts from home, but there twice as many now! The stockings that hung on the wall were filled to the brim with even more gifts! The girls cheered and raced toward the pile as the others started coming down.

"This is fantastic!" Blueberry exclaimed. "Do you believe in Santa now, Rasp?"

"Who cares?" Raspberry replied. "There are presents!"

Prism was about to squeal in delight when she remembered something and her ears drooped in sadness.

"What's the matter, Prism?" Gemstone inquired.

"I'm sure these gifts are nice," Prism said, "but without Mom and Dad here, it just doesn't feel right."

Her head shot up when she heard a knock at the door and a raspy voice calling, "Hello? Any pony home?"

Prism raced to the door and flung it open before any pony else could. As excited as she was that morning, nothing made her happier than the sight before her. Rainbow Dash and Soarin stood in the doorway, their faces smiling and their bodies covered in snow. Prism did not even notice that it had stopped snowing, for that did not matter. Her lips curled into a big smile.

"Mom!" she cried, jumping up and flinging her hooves around her parents. "Dad! You made it!"

"We almost didn't," Soarin admitted.

"The storm was tough!" Rainbow declared. "We crash-landed in Baltimare, and then..." She trailed off and scratched her head. "Actually, I'm not sure how we got here."

"Who cares?" Prism said. "You guys are home! And you're okay!"

When the twins and Scootaloo came down, they joined the group hug.

"So what's going on here?" Rainbow asked. "You guys having a party without us?"

"Uncle Discord let us all stay here for the blizzard," Prism explained.

"We were about to open presents!" Cherry chimed.

"Then what are we waiting for?" the multi-colored pegasus demanded. "Those presents aren't going to open themselves!"

The little ones emptied their stockings first, dumping out toys and candy. Then they joined the adults in exchanging gifts.

"Here, Gem," Prism said, handing her unicorn friend a package wrapped in rainbow paper. "Happy Hearth's Warming."

"Oh, Prism!" Gemstone exclaimed. "You shouldn't have!"

"But I did! Go on! Open it!"

Gemstone peeled back the wrapping to reveal a thick booklet. Drawn on the cover was a pegasus explorer swinging on a vine. The unicorn squinted to make out the title.

"Banig...Bo?" she guessed.

"Close," Prism chuckled. "It's Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone."

Gemstone flipped through the pages and found various drawings. They were so well done, they could have been professional! But the colored pencil lines indicated that they were done by a filly.

"You made this?"

"Been working on it ever since you told us you were dyslexic. I thought it was a shame you couldn't enjoy cool books like Daring Do, so I made a completely illustrated version you'd be less frustrated with. No words, I promise! Well, except for the title, and..." she flipped to the back of the cover, "this."

There was writing, which made Gemstone groan.

"I'll read it for you," Prism said with a smile. "It says: To my best friend, Gem. Maybe some day, you'll be able to read this without my help. For now, enjoy the drawings I made just for you. Happy Hearth's Warming! Your friend, Prism Soarin Dash."

Gemstone looked up at her friend and gave her a big hug.

"Ooh!" she cried. "I have something for you too! Just let me find it!"

After searching the pile of gifts, she found one wrapped in white and blue paper and gave it to her pegasus friend. Prism gasped when she opened the box and pulled out a pair of blue wing warmers.

"You'll have to keep your wings warm if you're ever going to fly," Gemstone explained.

"Did you make these?" Prism asked.

The unicorn blushed. "No, my mum made them, but I told her to make them blue!"

The pegasus shrugged. "It's the thought that counts. Thank you, Gem!"

Fluttershy let out a gasp as she lifted the silver chain from the box. Hanging from it was a crystal snowflake.

"Oh, Discord," she said. "It's beautiful. And so simple!"

The draconequus beamed. "I know it's not as extravagant as the sculpture garden, but..."

"Oh, sweetie," Fluttershy smiled. "You don't have to give me extravagant gifts all the time. I'll love any gift you give me, no matter how simple."

He chuckled nervously. "Right. I knew that."

On the floor, Zany and Applespike sat next to each other. They each took out their pacifier and put it in the other's mouth. Then they gurgled, as if to say, "Happy Hearth's Warming, fellow baby friend!"

The Tri-Pies zoomed through their gifts, viciously unwrapping box after box.

"The Nancy Horseshoe Detective Kit!" Blueberry squealed. "Thanks, Dad!"

"The latest issue of Bitsie and Vanilla!" Cherry chimed. "This is awesome, Mom!"

"A new notebook and a set of pencils!" Raspberry piped. "Thank you so much!"

Raspberry then picked up another box. When she saw the tag, she gasped.

"Hey, girls?" she called. "This one's for all of us, from Santa."

Blueberry and Cherry fell silent and scooted next to their sister as she opened the box. It was only the size of her hoof, yet out of that tiny box popped a large sled that made the Tri-Pies' jaws drop.

It was red and shiny, but it was not the Rosebud 3000. It was much larger, and could fit more than three! It was shaped like Santa's sleigh, with gold metal rails and lettering on the side that read 'Rosebud 4000.'

"Oh," said Blueberry.

"My," said Raspberry.

"Gosh!" Cherry finished.

The triplets cheered and leapt onto the sled.

"This is amazing!" Blueberry exclaimed.

"And look at the rails!" Cherry marveled. "It's sure to go fast!"

"There is a Santa!" Raspberry shouted as she bounced on the cushioned seat. "There is a Santa!"

Red Shoes looked at his wife. "Did you get them that?"

"I thought you did," Pinkie whispered. "Aren't big things popping out of small things your thing?"

Discord grinned as he watched the three fillies crawl excitedly over the sleigh. He paid special attention to Raspberry's cheerful face. He turned his head and jumped when he saw his daughter hovering beside him, smirking.

"What?" he said.

"I know what you did, Dad," Screwball accused. "That was really neat of you."

The draconequus looked up at the ceiling and innocently put his paw and claw behind his back. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Gemstone was sitting with her head down.

"What's wrong, dear?" Rarity said, putting a hoof on her daughter's shoulder. "Don't you like your presents?"

"It's not that," she sighed. "It's just...what I really wanted for Hearth's Warming...nah, you'd think I was silly."

Her mother smiled. "Well, you'll be happy to know that I have one more gift for you."

The filly looked up. "What?"

Rarity turned to the crowd. "Every pony! I have a big announcement! I was saving it for this special day!"

The unicorn glanced down and touched her stomach. "I'm having another foal!"

There were a lot of gasps, cheers and squeals, but no pony was more shocked than Gemstone.

"You mean..." she stammered. "I...you..."

"That's right, darling," Rarity grinned. "You're going to be a big sister!"

The unicorn could not contain her joy and bounced around the room.

"Oh my goodness! This is amazing! This is the best gift ever! This is the best Hearth's Warming ever! Am I going to have a little brother or sister?"

"I can always find out!" Discord said, getting out his x-ray glasses (these were just for show, of course).

"If you don't mind," Rarity said, holding up her hoof. "I'd like to be surprised."

"So would I!" Gemstone declared. "Oh, I don't care what it's going to be! It's going to be the best little brother or sister ever!"

"And you're going to be the best big sister ever."

The unicorn pulled her daughter in for a hug and kissed her on the forehead.

"Hey!" Raspberry exclaimed, reaching to the bottom of the Rosebud 4000. "There's a note in here!"

Discord raised an eyebrow. "Note?"

"What does it say?" her sisters pleaded. "What does it say?"

"Look outside," Raspberry read.

"Ooh!" Cherry clapped. "More surprises!"

The triplets squealed as they raced out the door. The others followed to see what the excitement was about. The three of them stopped in their tracks once they saw the surprise. They were all shocked, but not as shocked as Raspberry.

Standing there, in the flesh, was a tall, furry reindeer, antlers and all.

"I..." Raspberry stammered. "I...I don't believe it!"

Blueberry was the only one calm enough to approach the creature. Tied around its neck was a big red ribbon, along with a tag. Blueberry had to squint to read the tiny writing:

"I remembered your wish and Vixen here volunteered. This is only for today, of course, because I will need her back. When Hearth's Warming is over, she will fly back to the North Pole. I trust you to take care of her until then. Don't stop believing. Love, Santa Hooves."

Raspberry's jaw dropped. "He's real." She jumped into the air. "He's real!"

She rushed to the deer and flung her hooves around her neck. "Oh, thank you, Santa! This is what I've always wanted! I'm sorry I ever doubted you! Ooh!" She looked at the reindeer. "Can you fly?"

Vixen nodded and demonstrated by hovering a few inches off the ground.

"This is amazing!" Blueberry exclaimed.

"We can fly!" Raspberry cheered.

"I have an idea!" Cherry chimed. "Let's attach her to the Rosebud 4000! That way we can all fly!"

"Is that okay, Vixen?"

The reindeer nodded with a smile.

"Whoa!" Prism uttered, coming up behind them. "You guys got a reindeer?"

"Can we have a turn?" Gemstone begged.

"We can all go together!" Raspberry declared. "The Rosebud 4000 should fit all of us!"

"Ooh!" Pinkie squealed. "Don't forget to let me have a turn after you guys!"

"Me too!" Cinnamon Roll shouted.

"Oh my gosh!" Fluttershy squeaked. "A flying reindeer! Oh, I've never seen a flying reindeer before!"

Discord watched the entire scene from the doorway, his mouth open in disbelief.

"Flying reindeer," Screwball smirked, nudging him in the side. "Nice touch, Dad."

"But I didn't," he whispered. "I swear! I have no idea where that thing came from!"

"Hey, Discord."

The draconequus glanced down at Spike. He held up a small package.

"I found this one under the tree for you."

"For me?" Discord said, taking the gift.

"Yeah. Hey, is that a flying reindeer?!"

As the dragon joined the crowd of ponies, Discord looked curiously at the tiny package. There was a card attached to it. He opened it and read it.

Dear Discord,

Sorry this didn't come sooner, but it took so long to find, and you hold the record for being on the Naughty List. Anyway, I think it's appropriate for this year, now that you've truly embraced the holiday spirit. What you did for Raspberry will never be forgotten by me.

S.H.

"Do we know any pony named S.H.?" the draconequus asked.

Screwball shrugged. "Not that I know of." She smirked. "Well, there is one possibility."

"But it couldn't be." He looked at her nervously. "Could it?"

The young mare tapped her hoof on the package. "Only one way to find out."

Discord ripped up the brown paper and his eyes widened at the object he held in his paw and claw.

"It's...it's not possible."

It was a cornhusk doll in the shape of a pony. He shook his head, telling himself it was not the same doll when he saw the piece of green taffy wrapped around its neck. He had put that there over a thousand years ago.

"What is that?" Screwball inquired.

"Corny," he uttered.

"I can see that, but seriously, what is it?"

Instead of answering her question, Discord looked at his daughter and said, "Yes, Screwy, there is a Santa Hooves."





Raspberry Pie smiled to the audience as she finished her line. "And they called this land..."

"Equestria!" the other foals shouted.

The curtains closed and the audience stomped their hooves in applause. Discord had brought every pony in Ponyville, including the rest of Cheerilee's class, to his castle so the fillies and colts could perform the play they had worked so hard on. The curtain re-opened and the little actors all took a bow.

"Woo, Prism!" Rainbow Dash cheered. "That's my daughter up there! That's my daughter!"

"Great job, sis!" Lightning Dash called.

"You're awesome, sis!" shouted Thunder.

"Mommy's so proud of you three!" Pinkie screeched.

"Way to go, Gemstone!" Rarity exclaimed.

In the back of the room, Mothball was applauding too when his marefriend tapped him on the shoulder.

"You know," she whispered, "I still haven't given you your gift yet."

He grinned. "And I haven't given you yours."

"You first."

"Okay, but we're going to have to go outside."





"No peeking!" Mothball said, keeping his hooves over his marefriend's eyes.

"We've been walking forever!" Screwball complained. "Are we there yet?"

"Just a little further. Okay. You can look now."

When he removed his hooves, Screwball opened her eyes excitedly, but then tilted her head in confusion.

"It's a...snow pony?"

"The first one I've ever made," Mothball explained as he stood beside his creation.

The snow pony was not impressive. It did not even have a tail. It was small compared to a normal pony's size, a little chubby around the middle and its head was lopsided, its left ear slipping down the side. On its head was a pirate's hat, and instead of charcoal for eyes, it had two swirly purple lollipops without their sticks.

Mothball saw her face and sighed. "It's supposed to be you. I got the lollipops for the eyes, because your eyes always make me think of lollipops."

"I got that," Screwball said, "but what's with the hat? I usually wear this beanie."

"Yes, I know, but when I first saw you, you were sailing on this lake here, playing pirate and wearing a hat like this."

Screwball glanced around and realized that they were at the chocolate lake, where they had first met.

"You hate it, don't you?" Mothball groaned. "Ugh, I knew it! You probably got me something fantastic and I messed up! I wanted to get you the perfect gift but you've got those powers that you can get whatever you want whenever you want! I'm such a bad coltfriend! I really..."

"Mothball."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up, okay?"

"Sorry. I mean..."

He put his hoof over his mouth.

"Now," Screwball said slowly, "in regards to this gift, this is...this is..." Her lips curled into a smile. "One of the sweetest things any pony's ever done for me!"

Mothball yelped as she attacked him with a hug. He looked up at her in confusion.

"You mean...you like it?"

"Like it?" Screwball laughed. "Mothball, considering you've never built a snow pony before, you put a lot of work into this! And the fact that you built it here, where we first met, makes it even more special!"

She crawled off of him. "That reminds me. I still have to give you your gift!"

She held out her hooves and a large chocolate shake appeared. It was topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. Sticking out of it was a squiggly straw. Mothball licked his lips at the delicious display.

"You know what I love!" he declared, grabbing the shake and giving it a sip. "But wait. Don't you always give me chocolate shakes?"

"Yes, but not like this. See..." She grinned proudly. "I didn't use any magic to make this."

He nearly spat out the shake. "What? You mean you bought it?"

"No. I got this homemade ice cream maker and made the ice cream from scratch!" She rubbed her right foreleg. "You have no idea how long it took to crank that thing!"

He looked at her and then at the shake. "You made this all by yourself?"

"Okay, so I bought the whipped cream and the sprinkles and the squiggly straw, but yeah, the rest was all me."

Mothball stared at her for a long while. Then he put down the shake so he could hug his marefriend.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Screwball said, returning his embrace. "But you know what? There is only one thing I really wanted for Hearth's Warming."

"What's that?"

She pulled away from him and looked up. He followed her gaze and saw a bushel of leaves with white berries. His cheeks grew red.

"You're not gonna have me kiss Zany, are you?"

She laughed. "No, silly! That's not what mistletoe means!"

"It's not?"

"No! This is what it means!"

Without warning, she closed the distance between them and their lips met in a soft, but passionate kiss. Mothball's eyes widened in surprise, but closed as he slid into complete and utter bliss.

He decided he was going to like this holiday.