//------------------------------// // Episode 12: Heartwarming // Story: EoH Evolution: Season 6 // by Bahamut0 //------------------------------// Once again, time seemed to fly by in the kingdom of Unity. There weren't many excursions from the mutant changelings that still served Chrysalis, and the Lancers had been fairly inactive as of late. The only form of activity that came from them was an announcement from Blitz Surge that one of their members, Hax, was working on a new instrument to help distribute "justice." A remark that all our heroes inwardly scoffed at given their past unpleasant experiences with the Lancers' leader. But that was not the prime occupant of their attention. Instead, it was a much happier topic that currently permeated all their thoughts: Hearth's Warming. All around the kingdom, winter had finally settled in and everyone was preparing for the imminent, beloved holiday synonymous with the season. Arctic Ace helped to fully fully kick off the season by creating a large ice castle in Unityville for all the children to play a game of storm the castle with the fresh snow he'd made fall on Unityville with a little bit of help from the weather team. However, Ace was not alone in preparing for the coming Hearth's Warming. Both teams of elements, as well as the princesses, were hard at work with their preparations. Be it decorating their dwellings, purchasing gifts for their loved ones, or making treats fit for the holiday. But there was one person among our heroes who wasn't quite feeling the holiday cheer. Starlight Glimmer. Starlight silently sighed to herself as she and Shadow were out taking an evening stroll around Unityville. Lately she hadn't felt the same cheer of the season as everyone else, and Shadow took notice of this. While they were a couple, they hadn't really gone out that much. Shadow didn't even know if he could say that the two of them were dating. 'Is she waiting for me to make the first suggestion for a date? Or does she just want to stay indoors? I mean, I can't blame her, it does get pretty cold around this time of year.' Shadow thought to himself before deciding to investigate what was troubling Starlight. "Hey, Starlight?" "Hm?" Starlight snapped out of her gloomy state at Shadow's questioning. "What is it Shadow?" "If, uh, you didn't want to take a stroll around town, we could always just head back to Twilight's castle." Shadow suggested bashfully. "Not to sound like I was keeping too close an eye on you, but I noticed you looked a bit downcast while we were out today. If you didn't feel like going outside, you could've told me." "What? No, that's not it." Starlight shook her head. "It's just. . . this time of year doesn't work out the best for me." "So. . . do you not like Hearth's Warming?" Shadow asked cautiously. "Shadow. . . " Starlight sighed. "I used to love Hearth's Warming. Some of my favorite memories come from the times my family and I would celebrate Hearth's Warming. At least. . . they used to be my favorite before Paradox took my mother from me." "Starlight, if this is too painful-" Shadow began before Starlight raised her hand for him to be quiet. "No. Maybe it's best that I just say what's bothering me." Starlight said as she looked up to the starry night sky. One star in particular seemed to shine the same color as her magic, and a wistful smile slowly spread across Starlight's face. "One thing my mother and I would do every night when it got close to Hearth's Warming was to go outside, and make a wish on a star. And when she disappeared, that star always seemed to shine the brighter than the others. Once it got close to Hearth's Warming, it shined the most." Starlight pointed to the star for emphasis. "Whenever it shines, I always feel like my mother's right next to me. Even if she isn't physically with me." "I can kinda relate to that." Shadow said with a comforting smile as he wrapped one of his angelic wings around Starlight for support. The stray snowflakes falling from the sky blending in with his wing's feathers. "When Ice ran away from home after the storm that tore up our house, me and my brother wanted to keep his room around. Mom and Dad agreed because we all had a feeling deep inside ourselves that he'd always come back to us someday. If he couldn't be right there with us, then we'd at least have him be with us in spirit." "I guess it's no wonder why I fell for you so hard." Starlight smiled as she nuzzled against Shadow's wing. "Compassionate, sweet, and cute too. I guess it also helps you know what it's like for a loved one to leave your life, but always feel them with you." "Gee, thanks." Shadow chuckled shyly. "Soooo, wanna grab some hot chocolate?" "Your wing's doing a good job of keeping me warm, but I wouldn't mind a little something extra to warm me up." Starlight giggled before kissing Shadow's cheek! "You know, I can't wait to receive a gift from a god for Hearth's Warming." "Y-Yeah!" Shadow stammered as his face flushed red. However, at Starlight's mention of a "gift", Shadow began to inwardly panic! 'Oh man, what am I gonna do?! I've never bought a gift for a girlfriend before! Let alone a Hearth's Warming present for a girlfriend! I was the last one of the guys to get a relationship! I gotta ask them all what to do when shopping for a present!' Thus, Shadow Thunder began his mad dash to compile gift-getting advice the very next day. But as Shadow scoured his friends for information, they all gave him the same response: Give a gift that comes from the heart. As long as you put thought into it for the person you were buying it for, then it would be the perfect present. Shadow let out a frustrated sigh as he took note of the setting sun. "Man, I've been at this for a whole day and I've got no solid gift idea." Shadow groaned as he hovered in the sky. On the edge of admitting defeat, Shadow looked up to the heavens. And as soon as his eyes landed upon the star that Starlight felt so comforted by, that's when it hit him. In that instant Shadow knew the perfect gift to get Starlight. When he spotted the moon slowly rising up from the horizon, Shadow made a beeline for the royal castle! Flying at his top speed, the Avatar of Compassion reached the iconic royal balcony in a matter of seconds! Needless to say, Princess Luna was surprised at the sudden company. "Princess Luna!" "Yes, Shadow Thunder?" Luna asked as she composed herself. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" "Hearth's Warming is coming up soon, and I'm looking to get my girlfriend a present." Shadow replied as he hovered before the lunar princess. "And I just got the perfect gift idea for her!" "Ah, yes. Starlight Glimmer." Luna smiled. "So, might I ask what sort of gift you have in mind for your beloved?" "You see that star up there?" Shadow pointed to the star that Starlight had singled out on their outing yesterday. "I was wondering if you could give some sort of certificate that makes it Starlight's personal star. She always said that star made her feel like her mom was always with her. I just want to make sure she has something to help make that special feeling more tangible. I think it's a better choice than my first idea. I was going to ask you if you could actually bring that star down here so I could box it for her! Hah! Can you imagine?" "I can do that for you." Luna replied casually. ". . . Come again?" Shadow asked dumbfounded. "I am the princess of the moon and stars." Luna smiled. "I can move a celestial body, so bringing down a star is a simple feat for me to perform. If you and your friends were to learn celestial magic, you would be able to perform similar feats as well. But then again, raising the sun and moon is no fun if everyone can do it, now is it?" "Really?!" Shadow asked in amazement! "You'd really bring down that star so I could give it to Starlight as a present? Thank you!" "It's a service I'll only perform for those my sister acknowledges as friends." Luna replied. "Now, let me work my magic." Luna raised her hands, and focused on the star that Shadow had scoped out. Closing her eyes, the lunar princess beckoned the star to come to their level. And sure enough, the star obeyed as it descended from the sky above down to Luna's waiting hands. "Hmm." Luna said as she felt the star around with her magic before handing it over to Shadow. "This star truly is special. I can see why Starlight would feel a sense of comfort from it. You've truly picked out a wonderful gift for Starlight Glimmer, Shadow." "Yeah." Shadow nodded happily. "I can't wait to see her face when she opens it on Hearth's Warming Day!" "Farewell!" Luna said as she waved goodbye to Shadow. However, once he was out of sight, Luna frowned. "To think that Blitz Surge hasn't once asked what I might like for a present. He claims to be my lover, and yet we haven't done anything close. . . " The lunar princess gazed sadly at the almost complete Lancer headquarters. "It's said that distance makes the heart grow fonder, so why is it that Blitz seems to not care about me at all the rare instances we see each other?" "Hitting a snag in your relationship?" Nightmare Moon asked. Surprising Luna as the dream princess had come seemingly out of nowhere! "I. . . actually, I don't know." Luna sighed. "Blitz Surge claims to be doing all he does for the sake of justice, and that he loves me. But after all the reckless actions he's done, how he's acted toward the bearers of harmony and the elements of heroism, and using his position as my champion to shield himself from warranted retaliation? I really don't think I can consider him very heroic." "Something tells me that's only half the problem." Nightmare Moon said as she folded her arms, and tilted her head slightly. "Care to fill me in on what that other half is?" "The other key issue is that whenever I suggest spending time together or going on an outing, Blitz Surge always turns it down." Luna said sadly before looking at Nightmare Moon with pleading eyes. "Tell me, when you and Burst Stream were dating, did he ever have to refuse to spend time with you to focus on his duties as leader of the Elements of Heroism? Did he ever brush you off or push you away to leave himself to his cause?" "No." Nightmare Moon shook her head. "Not once, not even for an instant. It probably helps that he had plenty of teammates to take up patrol shifts, but there was definitely more to it than that. Burst made a balance between his work and life, and he was more than willing to tip the balance in my favor if it was reasonable. We haven't had any grand outings, but the dates we've went on always left me satisfied because I knew he took the time to put thought into them. No matter how brief. I guess Celestia could say the same since they were also a couple once." "I see why sister was so hesitant to pursue a relationship now." Luna sulked a little. "She was wary of those that would try to use her for their own gain." She then clenched her fist. "And now? It looks like one of those fiends wormed their way into my heart." "True. You did let him in. But," Nightmare Moon smirked. "That means you're also the one that can kick him out." 'I have a feeling Blitz's Heart's Warming present is gonna be a lot worse than coal. . . ' "It's not like he really needs me any more." Luna shrugged before smiling. "If he thinks he's such a big hero, then he should learn to fight for himself instead of using his title and connection to me as a shield. He can consider himself cut-off as soon as Hearth's Warming rolls around." "If we're lucky, maybe Celestia will cut-off Blueblood on the same day." Nightmare Moon giggled. "That'd be a Hearth's Warming present for the whole kingdom. Well, I better get going. The dreams of our citizens aren't going to monitor themselves." "Wait!" Luna pleaded! "Th. . . thank you. It was nice talking to you, Moon." "Geez, no need to act like you're on thin ice." Nightmare Moon said dismissively. "We've been on good terms since the whole Tantabus deal. Plus, your sister and I are cool too." "It is nice being awake during the day now. . . " Luna murmured to herself. "Well, goodnight!" "Same to you, Luna." Nightmare Moon smiled. "Maybe I'll craft you the man of your dreams tonight." "I'm able to craft my own fantasies, thank you very much." Luna pouted playfully before teleporting off to her bed! "Speaking of Hearth's Warming. . . " Nightmare Moon thought out loud as she made her way to Burst Stream's room in the castle. "I think I know the perfect present for my precious light." Smiling, she lay down beside her lover and drifted off to sleep. 'You're already back in my life, Burst Stream. That's present enough for me. Still, I know you'll get me something anyway. And I wouldn't have it any other way.' At the same time, Celestia was also busy working on her own present for Burst Stream. Each day before Hearth's Warming seemed to pass at a snail's pace as everyone planned and prepared with great anticipation. Be it any final touches on their decorations, or wrapping up any last-minute gifts they'd purchased, everyone was eagerly awaiting the big day. Both teams of elements were eager to be opening presents at Twilight's castle. Shadow Thunder in particular was more anxious than anyone else as he stared contemplatively at the box he'd used to store Starlight's present. 'Starlight always said she felt lonely around this time of year and that this star is what helped her feel less alone.' Shadow thought with a nervous expression on his face. 'It was something she always could look up at, and now I've had it brought down to earth. Is she going to love that she can hold it close to her, or is she going to hate the fact it's no longer up in the heavens? Well, time will tell. After all. . . ' Shadow looked at the calendar up in his room. 'The big day's tomorrow. . . ' And so, the Avatar of Compassion crawled into his bed. Hoping that Starlight's reaction to his gift tomorrow would be positive. Sure enough, the rays of morning's light slipped through the blinds of Shadow's window. Letting out a yawn, the Avatar of Compassion stretched as he rose from his bed and slipped on his usual outfit before grabbing Starlight's present and headed towards Twilight's castle. Once the entire group of friends had gathered, everyone began to exchange the gifts they'd intended to give. Shadow's heart racing with each step he took towards Starlight! "H-Happy Hearth's Warming Starlight." Shadow stuttered as he held out his gift to Starlight. "I spent a lot of time thinking about what to get you to make you feel less alone. I, uh, hope you like it!" "Honestly, you going out of your way to try and make me feel wanted was more than enough." Starlight answered with a smile. "I don't think anything can top-" Starlight froze as she opened the box to find the very same star that had given her comfort since her mother's disappearance. "Shadow. . . this is-" "Is it not good?!" Shadow panicked as he clutched his head in stress! "Agh! I knew asking Princess Luna to literally take it out of the sky was stupid! You're probably mad that you'll never get to see it up in the sky again and-" "Thank you Shadow." Starlight sobbed as she threw herself at her boyfriend! Tears of joy flowing from her eyes as she looked up at Shadow. "One thing I always wished was that I could take this star from the sky and keep it with me. Now, thanks to you, I can." "I'm glad you love it." Shadow blushed as he looked into Starlight's eyes. "So, uh, what'd you get me." ". . . Hold still." Starlight declared as she planted a deep kiss on Shadow's face! The Avatar of Compassion speechless as Starlight parted her lips from his! A loving smile on her face. "Happy Hearth's Warming Shadow." "Eh heh heh!" Shadow chuckled as a joyful smile spread across his face upon receiving his present. "Thanks Starlight." Meanwhile, in Castalot Castle, Luna was locking gazes with Blitz Surge. Today, the leader of the Lancers would be getting the gift he so righteously deserved handed to him by a princess. "Blitz Surge, there's something I can no longer overlook." Luna stated firmly. Her voice as unwavering as her gaze. "From the beginning of our relationship, you have done nothing to show any affection towards me. I understand that there is dedication to one's duties, but that is no excuse to show me any attention or affection! The Elements of Harmony and Elements of Heroism have shown it's possible to maintain duties and relationships without much issue." "If they are able to waste time like that, then they don't have nearly enough dedication to justice." Blitz Surge frowned. "They could never keep the constant vigil that I maintain. I thought my dedication and resolve were what you found attractive about me dear Luna." "Clearly your dedication is not solely devoted to the right place." Luna sighed. "It's been made clear that we don't fit well together, and that you aren't willing to reciprocate my affections. Relationships require both parties to work, and you've done nothing. And so, I cannot put myself through this any longer. Things are over between us Blitz Surge. Both as lovers, and as my champion." ". . . It appears you saved me the trouble of initiating this separation." Blitz replied with a completely straight face in contrast to Luna's shocked expression! "I could never truly love you Luna. Not while you refuse to face penance for your past sins and let their embodiment roam freely across the land." "I'm not the one who has something wrong with them." Luna shot back with a glare. "I was wrong to be so hateful towards Nightmare Moon because she did what I couldn't do at the time. She forgave herself. Something that I've now done, and now my past mistakes hold no power over me. No one will ever forget them, but that means we can all learn from them so the same mistake isn't made again." "If our business is concluded, then I no longer have any business here." Blitz scoffed as he turned to leave. "Perhaps it's for the best I did not waste bits on purchasing a pointless gift for you. . . " As Luna watched Blitz leave, something within her shifted. Like a weight upon her entire being had been lifted, and chains that had once bound her were broken. There was no heartache as she saw Blitz Surge leave her line of sight, only a feeling of liberation. Indeed, Princess Luna had received a truly great gift. Freedom. And the relieved expression on her face spoke volumes. Back at the castle, Nightmare Moon was approaching Burst Stream with her gift to him in her hands. An anxious smile on her normally flirty or cool-mannered face as she approached her beloved. All the other couples had given their gifts to their respective significant others. Or in Dark Ice's case, he'd ripped open the package sent to him by Indigo Zap all the way from the Crystal Empire. Seeing the significant others around her exchanging gifts gave Nightmare Moon a warm feeling inside as she placed her gift to Burst over her heart. "Happy Hearth's Warming Burst Stream." Moon said with a blush as she held out her gift. "This is the first time I've ever given a gift, and I had to put some thought into getting it ready. I made it myself for you and. . . I hope you love it." "You took the time to think of something to get for me. That already makes it a good gift." Burst smiled lovingly as he accepted the gift and opened it up without hesitation. His eyes brightened as he removed the contents of the box! "Oh man! A new spell magazine! You made this yourself just for me?" "Well, I know you can handle most fights you're in with no problem." Nightmare Moon smiled lovlingly. "But sometimes, I can't help but want to join you in your battles. To show any foe that dares to menace us that we are powerful on our own, but strong together. Heh. It would've been so easy to do that if I weren't a princess right now, but I don't regret the dream I'd been working towards coming true. Not one bit. So, if I can't be with you in battle, I can at least give you a little something to make it feel like I'm there. That spell magazine I crafted for you can fire stunning shots at enemies. Either to give you a chance to maneuver and escape, or capitalize on doing some damage." "I guess you could say a spell magazine like this is an enemy's worst nightmare." Burst joked. "I'm pretty sure that'd be you giving them the business end of your lightsaber." Nightmare Moon giggled. "So what've you got for me?" "Well, it's a bit simple, but I think you'll like it." Burst smiled as he pulled out a small box. "Happy Hearth's Warming Moon." "Funny. I've already got a wonderful gift." Nightmare Moon giggled. "But I guess you're the gift that keeps on giving." Moon immediately opened up Burst's gift to her, and her eyes went wide with amazement! Inside was a silver necklace. Its main ornament was a crescent moon with a dragon resting upon the crescent's inner curve. "I. . . I don't know what to say. So I'll just act." And she pulled Burst into a deep kiss. As they separated, the two of them smiled as they saw the other couples exchanging gifts. Ace, Fang, and Venus had given microphones for the Dazzlings. In return, Sonata gave Ace a new scarf, Aria gave Fang a new set of headphones, and Adagio gave Venus a set of. . . "special" pictures of herself that made the Element of Spirit blush like crazy as he hastily stashed the photos away. North had bought a new jacket for Applejack, and the Element of Honesty in return gave the Element of Nobility a picture of him and the Apple family together. To Applejack's shock, North teared up a lot and threw himself into embracing her. The farmgirl happily reciprocated the gesture with a loving smile. Dark Ice had sent a scarf in his weapon's color scheme to Indigo Zap earlier in the month due to their long-distance relationship, and he'd received her gift to him in the mail a few days before Hearth's Warming. The Element of Courage smiled when he'd unwrapped the snowglobe of the Crystal Empire that his girlfriend had sent to him. At the same time, the youngest couple of Spike and Sweetie Belle were exchanging their gifts as well. Spike had gotten Sweetie Belle a necklace with a heart-shaped ruby gem, and Sweetie Belle had gotten the young dragon a rock candy assortment due to them resembling gems. Meanwhile, in Castalot, Narico gave his present to Abyss. A set of twin necklaces that mentally and emotionally linked the two of them. Back at Twilight's castle, the princess of friendship had received a tablet that Nightfall Silver had made for her. Nightfall, in return, had received a LEGO set from Twilight. To his great joy, it was a set that contained numerous robot builds for him to create. The Element of Heart was so overjoyed by his new gift that he dragged Twilight to his lab in the castle so they could build together. Another couple, Steel Edge and Rainbow Dash, had also exchanged their gifts. Steel gave Rainbow Dash a custom trophy he'd had commissioned for her with the title of No. 1 girlfriend on it and Rainbow Dash had gotten Steel some armor polish. Pinkie Pie and Akage were also exhanging their gifts for each other, a set of cookbooks and a box set of TMNT episodes respectively received from both parties. With the most adorable couple, Fluttershy and Tyrannus, they had exchanged a stuffed animal and a dinosaur onesie. Then there was the soon-to-be-married couple of Inferno and Rarity. The god and goddess pair had given each other a designer sketchbook and a guitar case with a black dragon it. Seeing all the happy couples exchanging gifts, Celestia grew a bit nervous as she stared down at the wrapped present in her hands. The princess of the sun spared a breif glance towards Burst Stream and Nightmare Moon together before making her way over to the couple. Driving her worries out of her mind, Celestia put on her practiced smile and held out Burst's gift. "I guess you could say this is your second gift from a goddess." Celestia said as she handed the gift over to Burst. "I made it myself. It's something that I thought you looked incomplete without." "Really?" Burst asked as he ripped apart the wrapping and opened up the box. And his eyes went wide when he saw an almost exact copy of his signature white coat! "Celestia, it's beautiful. When did you-?" "I started making it after I saw your old coat was destroyed after your fight with Edge." Celestia answered with a slight blush on her face. "I know how special that coat was to you, and how much it's an iconic part of your outfit. I didn't know what hope there was of restoring your old one, so I decided to make you a new one. I didn't try to alter the design too much with the exception of slots for your wings to slip through and an enhancement or two. I hope I did a good job." "Celestia. It's perfect." Burst said as he removed the coat from the box and slipped it on. A warm feeling surrounded his entire being as soon as he put on the coat. "You know, it kinda feels like you're hugging me. So what kinds of enhancements did you add?" "I greatly increased the durability, and made it so that it adjusts to temperatue. No need to worry about getting too cold or hot." Celestia answered with a smile. "Gee, now I feel kinda bad." Burst frowned. "I didn't even get you anything." "Well, how about this as a gift for me?" Celestia suggested nervously. "One time. . . I can call on you to rescue me. Does that sound fair?" "Y-Yeah." Burst blushed a little upon agreeing. "I'll come running the minute you call me." "I know you will." Celestia smiled. "It's been lovely spending time here, but I need to head back home so Luna and I can celebrate. Happy Hearth's Warming to all of you." And with that, the solar princess teleported away in a pillar of light. Burst and Moon had split up to catch up with their friends. Burst going over to Shadow who was still rooted in place after receiving a kiss from Starlight Glimmer as his present. "So. You got a pretty sweet gift from your girl too, huh?" Burst asked with a knowing smile as he caught sight of the seemingly unremovable smile plastered on his face. "Uh huh." Shadow nodded dumbly. "Best gift I've ever gotten." "Yeah." Burst nodded with a fond smile as he gripped the spell magazine Nightmare Moon had made for him and brushed his hand against the coat Celestia had given him. "Same here buddy."