ACT THREE
Twilight felt so happy for Miser Stash, “A Hearth’s Warming miracle.”
“Yes,” agreed The Spirit “Miracles work in mysterious ways, but it can never be chosen when and how they occur.”
The Spirit then transported Twilight to another era, many years later.
“Where, or when, are we now?” Twilight asked.
“This is the bank that Golden Heart owned and ran.” replied the Spirit “I am certain it looks familiar to you.”
Indeed it did; Twilight recognized it as the Ponyville Bank that Miser owned and managed. “This how he started his career?”
The Spirit nodded, “When Golden Heart had taken Miser Stash in, he could see the boy had potential, and his grades we’re phenomenal, so he offer him a job as a clerk in his bank.”
Twilight could see him, Miser as a young adult, in his early twenties, and he looked pretty handsome, all dressed in his suit and tie, and his glasses. Twilight thought he looked catchy, and he even earned his cutie mark in banking.
“How did his life turn out?” Twilight asked the spirit.
“Very well indeed…
Golden Heart had no wife or children, but he took Miser in and raised him well, like the father Miser never had. While Miser’s actual father perished in a prison riot. Miser never thought much of his father again, and began to see Golden Heart as a real second father rather than a master.
Miser wished only to pay back the kindness and generosity this wonderful Stallion had given him, so he worked, and worked, and hardly ever stopped unless told to by Golden himself.”
The spirit then showed Twilight another Hearth’s Warming Eve, whereas Golden Heart was throwing a big party for himself and his employees. “Everyone, stop working. The Eve young and I want us all to have a wonderful time before closing. Sing, Dance, consume your fill.”
The workers all cheered, and dropped their books and sheets and began to party. Twilight felt Pinkie would have loved all this.
“Where’s Miser Shaft?” she asked.
“In his study, working constantly.” replied The Spirit, and she took Twilight into the study where Miser was indeed hard at work, when Golden Heart came in.
“Miser, what are you doing in here?”
“Just trying to finish this account sir, and then I still have loan applications to look over, and the books need to be organized…”
Golden wouldn’t hear of it, “You’ve done enough, lad. Come on, stop working and join the party. It’s Hearth’s Warming.”
Miser could see there was no arguing, and really wanting to make his employer and master happy, he put down his books and joined the festivities; greeting his co-workers and saying hello to the clients.
In all the scuffling about, and watching the partygoers dance and having fun, he bumped into another pony, a very beautiful young Pegasi mare. She had a lovely sea-green coat, a long brown mane, a cutie mark of a shining bell, and Miser was just lost in her lovely mulberry eyes.
“I beg your pardon.” he said.
The mare gazed at him the same way he gazed at her, “I’m… I’m ever so sorry.”
Golden Heart came along. “Oh, good, you’ve met each other.
Twinkle Belle, this is me clerk, Miser Stash. Once of the finest workers I’ve ever had.
Miser, this is Twinkle Belle, she is my newest bookkeeper and just started tonight.”
“Pleased to meet you.” said Miser as he touched his hoof to hers.
“Likewise.” replied Twinkle.
Twilight could see it easily, it was love at first sight, and the Spirit showed her many images as a song played. “When Love is all there is”
Miser and Twinkle became good friends. Not just at work, but they began to grow really close, so close in fact, he proposed to her.
“Twinkle Belle, I wish to spend my life with you. Please say you will?”
With tears of love in her eyes, Twinkle threw herself at him, “Oh, Miser… Yes… Yes I will!”
They embraced, kissed passionately, enough to make Twilight cry. “It’s so beautiful!” she had seen Miser Stash in a whole new light. “I’m so happy for him… for them.”
The Spirit then told her, “There was of course another Hearths Warming with this couple, one year later.”
Twilight’s stomach turned at that, and the images warped again to reveal the Hearths Warming eve of the next year to show poor Miser, sobbing over a grave stone that read “Twinkle Belle”
“No!” cried Twilight.
“I’m afraid so…” replied The Spirit “This Hearths Warming was to be the day of their wedding, but it was not to be, for Twinkle was mysteriously struck by a devastating illness, and force to part from this world and Miser.”
Twilight could only gaze as Miser sobbed miserably, begging for Twinkle to come back to him, but no amount of tears or pleas would ever restore his lost love to him.
Twilight felt as heartbroken as he was, and the heartbreak was not yet done…!
Miser could never bring himself to love another, not the way he loved Twinkle Belle, plus he didn’t feel he could take one more tragedy or hardship especially considering all the worst ones always seemed to happen to him on Hearths Warming.
A few years later, at another Hearths Warming Eve, there was a party as usual, but Miser didn’t feel like celebrating, which he hadn’t for the past few years.
Golden Heart brought him some food, being the most sympathetic and understanding to his reasons not wanting to party. “Are you sure you won’t celebrate with us?”
“How can I?” said Miser “To celebrate this holiday, means to celebrate the passing of my beloved Twinkle Belle, and the scars and burns in my heart that will never heal.”
Golden hated to see his best employee so distraught and hurt.
Suddenly, there was trouble as they both heard the workers and clients screaming from outside.
Armed Robbers had broken into the bank, wielding guns and knives, and the unicorns had already levitated hostages, demanding all the money in the bank be turned over to them.
“DO IT…!” shouted the lead robber “Or these hostages get pumped with lead.”
Golden Heart pressed the silent alarm in Miser’s desk to alert the guards, and told Miser to stay down low as he tried to go out there and reason with the robbers.
“Give us the money!” the robbers demanded.
“Okay, Okay, I will…” said Golden, but really he was trying to stall them until the guards came, so he moved slowly to the vaults to get the money.
“MOVE IT!!” shouted the head robber, but the guards soon came, and used their magic to strip the robbers of their weapons and release the hostages.
The robbers were all apprehended, and the bank was spared of losing any money.
Twilight couldn’t see anything wrong with this scene… until she saw one robber hiding behind an office door which the guards hadn’t seen or subdued. “LOOK OUT!!” she cried out, but of course the images didn’t hear her.
The robber then burst out from behind the door, and shot Golden Heart with his gun.
Miser heard the gunshot and dashed out of his officer, just in time as the guards had returned and apprehended the last robber, but Golden Heart was wounded badly, much to Miser’s already crushed heart.
“No… No!!” cried Miser as he ran to his master’s side “Golden Heart…?”
Golden Heart knew he was finished, but with his dying strength he gave Miser a small key, “Use this…” he told him “Open… file 000, in my office desk.
It’s all… you now… Miser… My son…!”
Then he was gone, much to everyone’s heartbreak, but none as harshly as Miser. “Why!” he sobbed “Why do I keep losing things… ON HEARTHS WARMING?!!
TELL ME WHY---------------!!!”
“Oh…!” sobbed Twilight.
The Spirit magically handed her a tissue to dry her eyes, but Twilight felt so bad for Miser.
The final images of the fantasy showed what happened after Golden Heart’s funeral…
That key he had given Miser turned out to give him access for a file that continued a will and testament, whereas Golden Heart left the bank to Miser Stash for all his loyal years in service, his solid work ethic, and for making him proud to be like a real son to him!
The Bank was now Miser’s, but from that time on, he had changed. Too many years of pain and loss had finally caught up with him, outweighing whatever few good ones there were.
He despised Hearths Warming, for all the bad things that ever happened to him, and vowed never to celebrate it again, and have little or nothing to do with it at all each year. As such, he forbad his employees from ever inviting him to parties, wishing him a Happy Hearths Warming or anything, though he allowed them to celebrate it whichever way they chose, he demanded to be left out of it entirely.
“Bah… HUMBUG!!”
Twilight couldn’t bear to watch anymore of this. “Enough! I can’t take it anymore!”
With a magical glow, she and The Spirit reappeared in Twilight’s bedroom.
“How could you show me all that…?” Twilight asked angrily, “How could show me such horrible things, just to make me feel miserable.”
“I told you…” protested the spirit “Those were the shadows of what has been. They are what they are… Do not blame me.
I showed you that to teach you, sometimes Hearths Warming is not so happy, not for everyone. Sometimes you are so wrapped up in your own frivolities; you forget to observe what goes on in other places.”
Twilight fell silent, as if her eyes were opening for the first time to the ugliness of possibilities.
The spirit suddenly began to fade away. “My time with you is up, but your journey for answers has just begun, but remember what I have shown you and learn from the others as well.”
“Others?” asked Twilight “What do you mean others? Come back!” but the spirit had already vanished completely, leaving Twilight alone and exhausted on her bed.
Twilight lay down with her mind spinning after what she had seen. She still wasn’t so sure if what she had was a real vision or if her mind was playing tricks on her.
However, she then remembered the tree incident and Miser’s arrest for starting the fire, which she felt he had no right to do whether he detested Hearths Warming or not.
With this in mind, despite what she had seen, Twilight drifted off to sleep again.