To some people, Christmas/Hearth's Warming is "Just another day"
That's why you should always think and pray for others, not just yourself.
Twilight stepped out from the warmth of the house and into the cool winter night air. Taking a deep breath, she lost herself into the calmness of the night and the feeling of the season around her. Closing her eyes, she allowed her magical sense to kick in and look around for her companions, sensing them all at once. With a warm smile, she turned to th sound of the door opening, “Enjoying the cold air, Sparkle?” Trixie asked, a steaming cup held in her magic.
“Trixie? You’re still sober? Well, you’re speaking Equish as least,” Twilight giggled as Trixie rolled her eyes.
“Trixie will have you know, she does not get drunk around children or,” Trixie looked back in the house, watching as little Dinky lit up her horn and gave her mother a present, “god daughters.”
Twilight looked back into the house, watching the former rebels play and laugh. She watched as Raindrops gave Snails a barbell to use, and Carrot Top making some coca. On the couch, she could see Lyra and Bon Bon snuggle up against the fire while Cheerilee looked at the bookshelf, “How things have changed.”
“Yeah, if you told Trixie a few years ago that she was going to be sharing a party with a large group of friends,” Trixie gave a shake of her head, “She would have called you a liar.”
“Things change over time, Trixie. But at least, we all made it here together,” Twilight said with a warm smile.
Trixie looked down, “Not, all of us.” quickly looking back up at Twilight, she asked, “Do you ever, think about them? Your other halves?”
Twilight nodded and placed a hoof onto her chest, “Sometimes, when I’m alone. Like if I had a great day with my friends, I’ll hear Belle babbling on excitedly about how much she loves the experience. Or sometimes, when I’m meditating, I’ll hear Spark give me a refresher on a spell we are learning.”
“That’s...good to hear,” Trixie said, smiling warmly before shaking her head, “What is Trixie doing, today is the time for parties and merriment and looking forward to the future!”
“Are...are you nervous about the Winter Moon Celebration in a few days?” Twilight asked.
“Moi!? Nervous? Why would Trixie be nervous? Just because she is the maid of honor at the wedding of her mentor and master, the powerful Princess Luna and her betrothed, Supernova, and she has no idea how she is going to handle herself in such a manner or if she will embarrass her beloved mentor, so no! She is not nervous.”
Twilight rolled her eyes at this and then gave Trixie a hug, “You’ll be fine, Trix. No job too tough for the great and powerful Trixie, right?” she said, rolling her rs.
“Of course, after all, Trixie has to show her rival how great at anything she can be!” Trixie said, taking another drink from her cup. “Heading home then?”
“Yep, figured I have enough time to get the tree decorated, and then meet my family and introduce them to my boyfriend and-” Twilight began, her speech starting to pick up, only to be stopped by a small illusory stop sign.
“Just go, before you have a breakdown,” Trixie said with a smile.
Twilight chuckled, “You’re right. See you later and happy hearth’s warming!” she said, waving farewell to her friends as she left the small house.
Walking through the small town of Ponyville, gave her a chance to see all of the houses and their decorations. The lights, ornaments, and the trees all found ways to say something unique about the ponies living there. Each family seemed to have their own way of expressing their love for the holiday. What also made her smile, was seeing the Unicorpians who had now begun to open their hearts as they too celebrated.
Stopping for a second, Twilight saw two sets of hoofprints in front of her. One on the left and on the right. Smiling a little, she stepped forward and added her set before looking to her sides. On the one side, she saw a purple mare with a long white mane and on the other, a grey mare with a purple mane. Closing her eyes, she said, “Spark, Belle, I hope you are enjoying this world I helped to protect.” and with that, she trotted along back to the library, only stopping when she saw an old stallion standing in front of her window. “Excuse me?”
“Huh?” asked the blue stallion as he turned to looked to twilight. Shaking his head, he said, “Sorry, I just wanted to see the warmth and love from a Hearth’s warming family on this night. It kind of helps to keep my soul at peace, to see others happy on this night.”
Twilight arced an eyebrow, “And you do this often mr-” before she continued, she saw that his leg was in a wheelchair, “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s ok,” the stallion said, looking back at his lame leg, “It happened a long time ago. My name is Helper Soul and...you look so much like her.”
“Her?” Twilight asked, curious about this stallion now.
“Your mother,” with a sigh, Helper Soul began, “You see, I knew your mother and father back in the old days, when we were in college. Night Light was my best friend, like a brother to me and we always did everything together. That is, until he stole her from me.”
“My mom?” Twilight said, looking at him, “You loved my mother?”
Helper nodded, “I did. But, I held it back, never letting my anger show until the day I lost this.” using his left hind leg, he tapped his lame leg. “Your father was in danger of getting hit by a falling steel beam and I b=pushed him out of the way, getting hit by the girder in place of him. And so, I lost my leg and with it, my dreams of being in the royal guard. Your father not only took her away, but my dreams.”
“But you saved him,” Twilight said, looking down, “Doesn’t that count for something?”
“I...” Helper paused and looked back at the tree, “I don’t know. Everytime I look at you, or hear about your accomplishments, I wonder if that could’ve been me. If I could’ve had the pleasure of calling you,my daughter. Or if I could’ve achieved more if I could have accomplished my dreams.”
“Why didn’t you? Why not take a desk job, or get a prosthetic,” Twilight asked.
“MY family taught me that it was my dreams, or nothing. ‘If you couldn’t achieve them in one way, then don’t at all,” Helper said chuckling.
“Then they’re wrong,” Twilight said, before looking up at the pale moon. Smiling warmly as she began to remember her past, she added, “A few years ago, I didn’t really have much in the way of dreams. I would’ve been content just being Twilight Sparkle, librarian with the most power in the world. But, then I took up a mission from my teacher and now I’m Twilight Sparkle, hero, savior, healer, and way too many titles to count,” she laughed, rolling her eyes.
“But I have seen my friends, and how they accomplished their dreams, and I can tell you...they wouldn’t let a little thing like a broken leg stop them. They would find another way or make their own happiness, through their own effort,” she finished, looking back at Helper Soul.
Helper Soul looked down, and replied, “Even if it wasn't what you wanted?”
“Yes, because maybe you might find out that you are happier in the new dream than you were before,” Twilight said, and then put her hoof onto his shoulder, “Would you have really been happy with mom?”
“I don’t know, I,” he paused, blushing a little, “Never really talked to her.”
“You didn’t?” Twilight laughed, “Then how did you know if it was really going to work out? For all you know, you two could bore each other to tears!”
Helper began to laugh, “Or start to want to kill each other.”
“See? You don’t know what the future might bring, you just need to learn to take the bad times and the mistakes of the past and move on. That it’s better to live and love your life then let it hold you down,” Twilight said with a warm smile.
Helper smiled and nodded, “You’re right, thank you Twilight,” he said,body beginning to fade away.
“Wait, what?! You’re a-”
“Ghost, yes,” Helper said, sighing, “I killed myself on this day so many years ago. Occasionally I would watch you and your family, thinking of what might have been. I never found a reason to move on, because I was so stuck her by my anger and resentment to your father. But now I see, that it was all on me. I could’ve done so much more with my life if I just tried. Thank you Twilight.”
Twilight looked down and said, “You are welcome, Helper Soul. And if you see Dusk Shine, tell him I’m sorry he never got to meet me. I would’ve loved to have met my ancestor.”
“I will. And from one pony who crossed over to another? Thank you,” and with that he faded away.
Twilight watched in awe as the ghost faded away, and smiled warmly to herself. There was an unexpected warm feeling that flowed through her as she thought about how she helped the stallion moved on and how much she had actually helped in this world. Lookin back at the library she called her home, she smiled and walked forward, opening the door slowly. Only to step back by a loud shouting from two male voices.
“I PUT THE STAR ON THE TOP OF THE TREE!” Spike yelled, pulling the star away from a yellow pegasus stallion with blue mane, “I have been doing this since I was a little kid.”
“Well, I want to this year to be part of the family,” grunted Flash Sentry. “And less we forget,” he growled, pointing to the ring on his claw, “You aint a little kid anymore!”
“And what are some of the most important males in my life doing?” asked Twilight angerily, using her magic to put away her clothes. Looking around the living room of her house, she sighed and shook her head, “Oh, look at this place. Everything isn’t decorated, the tree isn’t finished, we haven’t set up the presents or cooked anything. There is so much to be done around here, and we got so little time...”
Spike looked over at Flash as Twilight began her panicked and worried muttering, and said, “Mom panic attack, assume battle stations.”
“Right,” Flash nodded, winking at Spike and walking over to Twilight who was busy pacing the floor, making a rut.
“And we still have to plan for when my parents meet you, what if they don’t like you, what if they do and-” Twilight was quickly interrupted by a kiss on the lips from Flash.
Breaking the kiss, Flash smiled warmly and said, “Babe, we got this. With your brains and my...lack of brains, we can manage.”
“You...you’re right,” Twilight said, using her magic to lift some of the decorations and placing them on the bannisters. “After all, they won’t be here until at least tomorrow, so we have plenty of time.”
“That’s the spirit!” Spike said, walking to the kitchen, “And not to worry! Your faithful, number one assistant and helper will make sure everything is nice and baked!”
“Thank you Spike. You can go home after-whoa!” Twilight said, feeling herself lifted by Flash as he flew her to the ceiling to put on a long string of lights, “Flash, I can fly on my own.”
“Yeah, I know,” Flash said, smiling at her, “But, I always wanted to do this when I got a marefriend. And now I have one.”
Twilight turned around in his grip and looked at him curiously, “You never had a girl before?”
“Never found the right one before now. And the one I wanted...I never thought I was good enough,” Flash said, sitting Twilight down and rubbing his hoof through his mane.
“Oh,” Twilight said, looking at him curious as she grabbed the holly with magic, “And who would that be?”
“You,” Flash said, looking down and rubbing the ground with his hoof.
As the soulful tune began to playthrough the air, Twilight smiled as she listened to the music. Walking up to Flash, she began to sing,
When I saw today, was nearly hearth’s warming
I thought about what I want, what I need
Just love me, love me, love me
That's what I want for Hearth’s Warming.
“So, did you fall in love with me because I was Celestia’s student or was there something more?” asked Twilight, fixing up the bookshelves and looking over her shoulder.
Flash sighed, “To be honest, I was in love with you when I was a cadet. I saw you one day, walking with Celestia and I hoped, no I prayed one day I would be worthy of you. That I would be strong enough to be with you, to be your knight. But then you stopped Nightmare Moon, Discord, Sombra, and became a princess. More and more, it was like you were drifting away from me.”
When you walked into my life, I wanted you to need me
Go through a room, and need me
To see you need me, love me, want me
That's what I want for Hearth’s Warming.
Twilight smiled and turned away from her decorations, swaying her hips side to side. Looking at Flash with compassion and caring, she said, “Flash, I don’t need a knight or a hero...I need a partner, a friend.”
Any stallion can be the knight in light
Some can even think that love is something t be bought
But the thing I want, isn’t in armor or in a store, right
Bring me love and bring it just for me
“I know that, now,” Flash said, and he placed his hooves onto her shoulders, looking into her violet eyes, “And it’s what I hope to be for you, a friend, a lover, a partner.”
When I see you are all right
I’ll take you in my legs and hold you
And then we can kiss, say we need, want, need me
That's what I want for Hearth’s Warming.
Twilight smiled, and looked up at a mistletoe, right above their heads. With a giggle she said, “You know, I planned this.”
“I thought I did, my little nerd,” Flash said, rubbing his nose with hers.
Twilight giggled, “No, t was me, my dork.” She then closed her eyes and brought her lips closer as she finished the song.
Hold me, kiss me
That's what I want for Hearth’s Warming.
Flash smiled, closing his eyes and pressing his lips to Twilights. With a soft moan, she returned the kiss, keeping her forelegs around his shoulders. Lips pressed together, rubbing their shoulders, they were lost in the kiss and unable to hear the door opening, “Are we interupting something?” Cadence asked with a giggle.
Twilight and Flash broke from the kiss, with a blush covering their snouts. Flash was the first to speak, “Shining Armor?! SIR!!” he said, saluting. “I can confirm that your sister is safe and untouched. Not that I wasn’t thinking of touching her like that, it’s just I was-”
“Flash, calm down,” Shining Armor said, putting his hoof onto his shoulder, “I figured something was going on a long time ago.”
Cadence set Flurry Heart into a crib and giggled, “So, Twilight, how long were you hiding this?”
“Well, I-that is-I mean-I didn’t-” Twilight stuttered and mumbled as Cadence walked up and hugged her.
“Calm down. Let’s just enjoy this and talk later. I want to enjoy Hearth’s Warming with an awesome little sister,” Cadence said, watching as Twilight smiled and nodded calmly.