Second Verse, Same as the First · 4:39am Dec 13th, 2014

Time Turner looked out of his office window at the gently falling snow and sighed in relief. He had finally finished the stack of paperwork that the Mayor and Red Tape had asked be completed before the holiday. Granted, this meant that they enjoyed the luxury of taking the day off while he worked, but here was no sense in three of them coming in for a couple of hours to complete a job that had taken him only half of the day to do. It's not like the paperwork didn't matter, either. If it didn't go through, nopony at the Mayor's office would get their holiday bonuses that week, and all of them, from the Mayor and Time Turner to Yanni the custodian were counting on those bits.

Turner heard a tentative knock at his office door. It's probably Yanni, he thought, reminding me that I need to leave because my office is the last one he needs to so before he can leave himself.

"I'm just wrapping things up," Turner called out, chuckling a bit at the unintended Hearth's Warming pun. The door creaked open, and a small purple dragon nervously entered his office, clutching a small package.

"Yanni told me you were still here," she said. "I was afraid I'd missed you."

"Twilight?" Time Turner asked. It was unusual to see Spike's assistant out and about without him. The two were almost inseparable. Young as Twilight was, Turner couldn't imagine how Spike could ever manage without her help. "What are you doing here on Hearth's Warming Eve? Shouldn't you be at home? Does Spike know where you are?"

Twilight flushed. "Well, in reverse order, no. Spike does not know that I am here. He told me to sit tight while he delivered a little something special to Rarity."

Time Turner considered that thought. It was no secret in Ponyville that the young journalist had placed a certain fashion designer on a pedestal. Hearth's Warming was always a good excuse for getting "a little something" for that special somepony. He nodded absently.

"I am here," Twilight continued, "Because I got you something for Hearth's Warming."

Time Turner almost dropped the papers that he had been ready to file. "Me?" He stammered. "But Twilight, you didn't need to get me anything."

"I didn't?" the dragon whelp asked. "I've read all sorts of books about Hearth's Warming, and I know that one of the biggest traditions is that friends exchange gifts. We're friends, aren't we?"

Now it was Time Turner's turn to feel embarrassed. "Of course we're friends, Twilight. I didn't mean that. I just... wasn't expecting anything."

"Pinkie Pie says that sometimes the best gits are a surprise," Twilight said, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

"So you've been talking to Pinkie, eh?" Turner snickered. "I didn't get you anything," he finished lamely, realizing how bad it sounded even in his own head.

"That's okay. I wasn't expecting anything either," Twilight smiled toothily, offering up the neatly wrapped package. Time Turner wondered if she had done the wrapping herself or had somepony like Rarity do it for her. Scrutinizing the painstaking detail in regard to tape placement, paper choice, and overall neatness, he deduced that Rarity probably would not have picked this particular paper (it was rather gaudy), and thus the little dragon had done this on her own.

"You're supposed to open it," Twilight reminded him, more than a hint of impatience escaping and betraying her age in the process.

"Of course," Turner nodded. "I couldn't help but admire the find job you did wrapping this." Twilight said nothing in response, but her blush grew redder through her scales as she smiled.

It was almost a shame to tear into the package, but with an impatient dragon before him, Time Turner did what he had to do. The box inside was white and rectangular. It had definitely come from Carousel Boutique, even if Rarity hadn't wrapped it for Twilight. Gingerly, he lifted the lid.

Inside was a scarf. It was a scarf with many colors, leaning toward the earthy tones, but popped with some red, yellow, and purple bands as well.

Time Turner looked at the scarf, turned to Twilight, and looked back at the scarf again. Words failed him.

"I... Rarity... It's cold outside this time of year, and I didn't know what you like, and I saw this scarf at the boutique and thought that you must get cold in the winter like everypony else so I thought maybe you'd like one so you wouldn't be cold. Outside."

Time Turner shook his head.

"You don't like it?" Twilight's eyes widened in shock.

"No!" Turner exclaimed quickly. Realizing that his outburst might be misconstrued, he amended himself. "I mean, yes, I like it. It reminds me of one that I had a long time ago."

"You already have one, then," Twilight's lip stuck out in a pout.

"No, I don't have it any more. This brings back a lot of memories of those days, though. This is... how did you know, Twilight?"

The purple dragoness looked up at him with innocent eyes. "How did I know what?"

Time Turner shook his head, chastising himself. Of course Twilight couldn't have known. Rarity didn't even know, and he'd known Rarity for a number of years before Twilight and Spike had ever come to Ponyville.

"That this was just the sort of reminder I needed this Hearth's Warming?" he finished. "It's the best present I've received from anyone in a very long time."

"Well, you're the Element of Generosity," Twilight reminded him. "You're used to being the pony who gives, not the one who receives."

Time Turner wrapped the multicolored scarf around his neck a couple of times, and followed that by scooping Twilight up onto his back.

"Thank you so much, Twilight," he said. "Now, how about we get you back to Spike before he starts to worry? I don't expect any Windigoes tonight, but the way the snow is starting to fall, I'd rather make sure you get home safe and sound."

Twilight nodded, but as she was on Time Turner's back, he wasn't facing the right direction to see the gesture. "You do seem to enjoy playing the gallant knight who keeps the young dragon lass safe," she lightly teased him.

"Usually the knight keeps the lasses safe from the dragons, but in your case I'll make an exception," Time Turner teased back.

And so they set out on their way back to the library, braving the cold and snow, and generally thankful to be together during the holiday season.