Hearth's Warming Eve
Hearth’s Warming Eve…. A happy occasion for most ponies. Ponies gathered with family, friends, and anypony they could and celebrated the unification of Equestria together. It is a time of togetherness for the lonely, a time of healing for the heartbroken, and a time of celebration for all.
On this most joyous occasions a single pony trod through the streets of Ponyville just as she had done for many a year before. This was the day there would be no parties to plan, no friends to enjoy; they were all with their own families and it reminded her of how much she missed Maud.
As Pinkie walked the streets snow fell lazily from the sky, the weather team had made the storm perfectly so it would continue to fall all throughout the holiday. Bit by bit the snow gathered on the ground, each flake making the ground colder and the piles higher. The decorations were hung along each house, garland and lights and large red ribbons were scattered throughout the town.
She continued walking, just as she did every year, in the town square where the library used to be was raised a great pine tree. A tradition from Germaneigh, continued in Ponyville for generations, this year in a new place. Lights and ornaments hung from the tree, she spotted the Cake’s ornament, a simple picture frame of the Cakes and their new foals, the picture framed in oak wood and pine garland with a red bow.
As Pinkie admired the tree and how beautiful it was, and how joyous all the decorations each of the towns ponies made for it looked as she walked. The snow continued to fall as she passed by house after house, each of them with a roaring fire, whether it was a fireplace or the fire of friendship produced from those inside. Each time Pinkie smiled a little bit more as she passed by Carousel Boutique and saw Rarity and Sweetie Belle opening presents in front of the fire.
Nopony bothered Pinkie. Ever since she had come to Ponyville she walked the streets each and every Hearth’s Warming eve, looking in on all her happy friends. Sure she could go home to the rock farm each year, but something kept her here each year, whether it was an accident or the Cake’s needed her to help cookies for the Hearth’s Warming rush. So she walked. This one night of the year Pinkie said nothing and simply walked through the snow, admiring the friendships and the decorations.
Some years were worse than others. Some years Pinkie walked the streets with straightened hair and a sour demeanour, cursing silently all the happy ponies she saw. This year was normal, everything was right with the world and she saw all her friends happy and it brought a smile to her own face as she walked.
Pinkie would never admit it to anypony but this was the loneliest night of the year for her. All the parties ended yesterday and she could never seem to find a way home for Hearth’s Warming eve so she walked those streets alone. She knew she could ask to join the Cakes, or the Apple Family or dozens of other families that called Ponyville home but she never did. This was a time to be with those closest to you, the ones you loved above all else, and she would have been an outsider. No matter what those ponies said she knew she would always be an outsider in those celebrations.
Pinkie realized long ago she was lonely. At some point she realized that being the biggest party planner in Ponyville, and the biggest in Equestria besides Cheese Sandwich meant she would always be alone. She knew her talent was to make other ponies laugh and smile, but she knew that while all these ponies were smiling and happy it left none of that happiness for herself. Each day she forced herself to be happy so she could make other ponies happy, and each day she ignored the loneliness that came with it.
These thoughts weighed heavily on Pinkie’s mind as she walked the empty streets. She never did have a destination on nights like these. She wandered until her hooves were too cold to continue, by that time she often found herself back where she started, at her home. Tonight however she felt warm, she didn’t know why but she figured it had something to do with the Fires of Friendship just like in the play.
So Pinkie saw more of Ponyville this year than normal. She even made it all the way to Sweet Apple Acres and saw the Apple family playing board games in front of the fire. She saw Fluttershy in her cottage surrounded by her animals and two ponies Pinkie thought to be her parents. She saw Matilda and Cranky enjoying each other’s company by the fire; but now…. Now it was getting cold and Pinkie started to head back to her home to finish her night by the fire with a steaming mug of hot chocolate and her alligator Gummy.
Pinkie Pie walked the streets again and as she closed in on her destination thoughts of loneliness plagued her, and how she of all ponies shouldn’t feel lonely, after all she was friends with everypony. The snow strengthened, a cold wind started to set in as Pinkie approached her home to continue her Hearth’s Warming tradition of being alone, just as she did every year since she came to Ponyville.
Then something changed, no longer was the space in front of her house empty, instead she saw her friends. Ponies that should be with their own families right now but instead were standing outside her home wrapped tightly in scarves and boots, each of them carrying small packages. Tears started forming in Pinkie’s eyes as she realized why they were there and her straight hair now once again started to poof out.
Pinkie stood in the snow letting her tears run dry, staring into the cloudy sky, “Thank you….” She whispered quietly and nopony heard her, she didn’t know who she was thanking but that didn’t matter, for the first time in years she wouldn’t be alone this Hearth’s Warming Eve.
The tears stopped and Pinkie began her usual pronking instead of the somber walking she had done all night. Now barely ten feet away her friends finally noticed her approaching, each of them turning and calling out to her.
Smiling her largest smile ever Pinkie asked them one question, “Is everypony ready for a PARTY?”
Her friends laughed and the six of them made their way in out of the cold, none of them seeing the faint lines of frozen tears that trailed on Pinkie’s cheeks. From then on Pinkie knew one thing, she wouldn’t be lonely anymore and that brought a smile to not only her face, but her heart, and her soul.
The End