The Friendship Express pulled into Ponyville Station for its last stop of the day. The sun was already set and the chilly winter weather had almost everypony seek the warmth of their homes. The ponies who exited the train had the same idea as they made their ways straight to their respective homes, most of them clad in warm clothes.
The four ponies who hopped out last where the only ones who spent a minute to take in the beauty of the town. So close to Hearth’s Warming, the weather patrol had covered every house and every street with pure white snow. In the twinkling lights of the stars and the full moon, everything glittered and shimmered beautifully.
The four crystal ponies, three fillies and a mare, made their way through Ponyville without haste. The mare, Crystal Note, knew the way in her sleep, so the three fillies just followed while taking in as much as they could
“This is the town you used to live in, Mommy?”
“It’s way smaller than Canterlot or Vanhoover.”
“I like it.”
Crystal Note giggled and kept directing her fillies towards their destination
“We’ll have plenty of time to explore the town tomorrow, girls. For now, let’s keep going.”
Glass Slipper nodded and gently nudged Sweetie Tooth with her head so the younger filly would stop staring at the house that looked like it was made of gingerbread. Velvet Heart was already ahead and trotted next to Crystal Note. All four of them were packed with saddlebags, but Velvet Heart also held a pet carrier in her mouth. Although it wasn’t as cold as in the Crystal Empire far up north, the filly still wanted to get Cotton Ball, the kitten inside the carrier, back into the warm as quickly as possible.
She smiled to her twin sister as Sweetie Tooth took Crystal Note’s other side, with Glass Slipper close behind.
Crystal Note guided them out of the town centre and towards the largest structure in the town. The Castle of Friendship, as locals had come to call it, looked a little out of place in a small town like Ponyville, but the fillies from the Crystal Empire were used to crystal buildings so they didn’t care too much.
After a short walk, they arrived at the huge double doors leading inside. Crystal Note motioned with her hoof and whispered
“Okay, quiet now. Remember, they know we’re coming, but they don't know we're here already.”
The three fillies nodded and giggled quietly before Crystal Note pushed open the big doors and led them inside. They walked into the large foyer hall with numerous hallways and stairs leading deeper into the castle.
The four crystal ponies shared a glance and grinned. They were in, and nopony had noticed. So far, so good.
Crystal Note walked into the centre of the foyer and cleared her throat. She took a deep breath and started singing, her voice echoing through the empty hallways
Hearth’s Warming Eve is filled with presents
Some take you by surprise
A special gift from your best friends
That makes your spirits rise.
Crystal Note stopped and perked up her ears with a grin. The fillies waited in a little distance, listening carefully. Glass Slipper started counting in her head. When she reached six, they heard an excited call from one of the upper floors
“She's here!”
A set of doors glowed in magenta coloured magic and opened up just in time for Princess Twilight Sparkle to fly through. With a flap of her purple wings, she headed straight for a dive towards the crystal mare. Just before she reached her, a teal light flashed next to Crystal Note and another pony appeared, a unicorn this time. Teacher and student reached out at the exact same time and wrapped their friend into a tight hug. Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer exclaimed in unison
“You’re here!”
Everypony giggled and Crystal Note did her best to return the hugs as someone else chimed in, a deeper and slightly breathless voice of a young dragon who sprinted down another set of stairs
“No fair. You have wings and can teleport, but I have to run through the whole castle.”
Before Spike reached the foot of the stairs, he found himself surrounded in the teal glow of Starlight’s magic and pulled into the hug as well.
Sweetie Tooth couldn’t hold back her giggling any longer, and the three residents of the Castle of Friendship turned around to notice their other visitors
“Oh. Hello girls, welcome to Ponyville! It’s great to finally meet you.”
Princess Twilight walked up towards them, her wings spread in a welcoming gesture and a bright smile on her face. That smile faltered a little as the three fillies bowed down before her and she quickly intervened
“Now girls, there’s no reason for that. No bowing and no calling me Princess or anything. You can just call me Twilight, everypony does.”
The three fillies smiled back at the Princess as she introduced her friends
“Girls, I’d like you to meet Spike and Starlight Glimmer.”
Spike just smirked and waved, as he had met them before, but Starlight stepped forward and nodded her head in greeting
“It’s nice to meet you, girls. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Her eyes stayed on Sweetie Tooth and Velvet Heart for a while
“So, twins, huh?”
Sweetie Tooth and Velvet Heart grinned widely. They nodded in synchronisation and started talking in perfect unison
“Yes Miss Starlight. It’s nice to meet you too.”
They each both pointed at themselves
“I’m Sweetie Tooth.”
And then the other
“This is Velvet Heart.”
Starlight just watched and blinked confused as the twins wouldn’t stop their little routine
“Thank you for letting us stay in your home, Starlight Glimmer.”
Glass Slipper had to hide her giggling behind her hoof as she took in Starlight’s boggled expression. Spike and Twilight had no such reservations and laughed whole-heartedly at the cute display. Only Crystal Note could hold back and tried to intervene
“Now girls, be nice.”
“Yes Mommy!”
The twins just went on undeterred, focusing on Starlight Glimmer, still in perfect unison
“Mommy says you’re great with magic, Miss Starlight. Can you show us something? Please?”
Starlight’s confusion slowly turned into a smirk as she nodded
“Oh, sure. For my first spell, I’m going to turn one of you green so I can keep you apart.”
The twins backed away a step with their smiles wavering while Starlight just kept grinning and lit up her horn with her teal magic. This only led to more giggles from the others, especially when Twilight spoke up, mimicking Crystal Note’s parental tone from before
“Now Starlight, be nice.”
The unicorn mare just pouted like a filly and pointed at the twins with her hoof
“But they started it!”
At this point, nopony could hold back their laughter any longer.
After the greetings were done, Twilight and Spike herded their friends and visitors into the main sitting room. Once everypony had found a place to sit and had received a drink of their choice, Spike excused himself to the kitchen. None of the ponies had dinner yet and both Starlight and Twilight knew better than to get in the dragon’s way when it came to cooking.
After a filling dinner, everypony returned to the sitting room, Spike and the fillies on cushions near a fireplace and the three mares on one of the couches. Starlight was petting Cotton Ball since the kitten had chosen her hoof as her designated napping spot. The orange kitten purred softly which lured out a smile of Starlight
“So, you’re going to stay in Ponyville for the holidays?”
Crystal Note smiled and nodded
“That’s the plan. The girls’ winter break lasts two weeks, so we planned to stay at least ten days in Ponyville.”
“Aren’t you going to miss Hearth’s Warming with your friends?”
Spike chimed in and addressed the younger ponies. Glass Slipper just shrugged
“Before Princess Cadance arrived, we’ve never even heard of Hearth’s Warming. Nopony in the Crystal Empire celebrates it like the ponies in Equestria.”
“Huh. So, no Hearth’s Warming Eve play? No presents or carols?”
Glass Slipper just shook her head and Spike scratched his
“Well that’s a weird thought.”
The others just giggled gently and while the twins started questioning Spike on details, the three mares went back to planning. Princess Twilight had already summoned a scroll of notes
“So, a tour around town is a must. If we start early tomorrow, we can hit all the important landmarks and end the tour at Sweet Apple Acres. I’m sure Applejack will be thrilled to see you all.”
Crystal Note smiled patiently as Twilight scribbled down notes
“Actually, I’ve already thought of meeting with Lyra and Bon Bon tomorrow, Octavia wanted to join in as well.”
Starlight giggled at Twilight’s disappointed pout and put her hoof on her shoulder
“I’m sure we can still fit in the tour at least. Plus, shouldn’t you give Applejack a warning before we all drop in on her?”
Crystal Note nodded and Twilight seemed appeased by that thought
“Right, I can arrange that tomorrow while you visit the Sweet Shop. How about we organize a meeting at Sweet Apple Acres the day after tomorrow then? I’m sure Rainbow Dash and the others would love to see you again and meet the girls.”
Starlight and Twilight kept going on for a while, but Crystal Note lost track of what they said. Instead, her attention was on the three fillies and the young dragon. By now, the twins were as excited as Spike as he told them about celebrations, plays and all kinds of games and treats they would get once Hearth’s Warming Eve arrived. The fillies hung on his lips and Crystal Note smiled when she saw their shining eyes and happy expressions.
She looked up again when Starlight nudged her shoulder
“Sounds like a plan?”
“Huh?”
Starlight giggled and winked
“You didn’t hear a thing we said, didn’t you? You had that same look as Twilight when she gets her hooves on a new book.”
“Hey! What’s wrong with enjoying a good book?”
“Nothing at all, unless you forget the whole world around you over it.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, but the three mares broke into giggles at that. Crystal Note glanced at the list and frowned at its length
“Um, Twilight, I thought maybe we could play the first days by ear? You know, give the girls a little time to take everything in?”
Twilight had the grace to blush a little and nodded understandingly
“Of course. I wouldn’t want to overwhelm them, after… all that happened.”
Crystal Note smiled gently
“Thank you, Princess.”
The three watched the fillies silently for a few minutes, Starlight still idly petting the kitten on her hoof
“How are they doing so far?”
“A little better each day, but there are still some rough days in between. They took the trip to Vanhoover very well, I hope they get to have as much fun as they can here in Ponyville.”
Starlight softly nudged the crystal mare with her head
“It’s going to be fine, Crystal Note. Ponyville is only the friendliest town in all of Equestria.”
“I sure hope so. They deserve all the happiness in the world.”
Twilight and Starlight smiled softly as the noticed the fondness in Crystal Note’s voice
“Don’t worry, Mom. Your girls will have a blast while they’re here.”
At the teasing tone, Crystal Note glared at Starlight Glimmer, but with a smile
“Last warning before I send you to your room, young lady!”
Again, they giggled and Crystal Note took a closer look at the list
“Dinner at Sweet Apple Acres sounds like a wonderful idea. And I’m sure the girls would be thrilled to go ice-skating on the lake and have a snow-play day.”
Twilight nodded and highlighted the lines on her scroll
“Sure. Anything else you like?”
“What about this?”
Starlight pointed at one of the entries and Crystal Note tilted her head
“Magic lessons? I don’t know why the girls would need that.”
“Not them, you! It’s been ages since we did something for your spellwork.”
Crystal Note just blushed at this
“Starlight, it’s not that I don’t appreciate the offer, but the truth is I haven’t learned anything new in ages.”
“Then this is your chance to change that. Come on, it’ll be fun!”
Crystal Note couldn’t help but smile at Starlight’s excitement and relented
“Okay, I’m sure we’ll find some time for it.”
“Great!”
Twilight watched the conversation with a fond smile of her own, until she noticed the time
“Goodness, it’s that late already! I’ll better get your rooms set up for the night.”
Crystal Note got on her hooves
“I’ll help.”
“Oh no, you’re a guest, you don’t have to help! Spike can give me a hoof.”
Crystal Note just giggled and already headed towards the stairs
“Come on, Twilight. I’ve spent so many nights here, it’s not like it’s a big deal.”
Glass Slipper’s ears perked up as the two mares made their way out of the room and followed along
“I can help too!”
Twilight took a deep breath to decline, but Crystal Note was faster
“Thank you, Darling. That would be nice.”
Glass Slipper followed the two mares up some stairs into one of the many hallways.
The princess soon led them to four adjacent rooms
“There we are. There’s a bathroom each that two rooms share and if you need extra blankets or pillows, you’ll find them in the closet behind the door. If you need anything else, just follow this hallway down, my rooms are just at the other side.”
Crystal Note thanked her friend while Glass Slipper curiously stepped into the foremost room. The room was even bigger than her bedroom at home and even had a desk and a few sitting cushions as well as a large bed. She looked through the window and saw the silhouette of a big forest in the distance.
While Glass Slipper stored away her few things she brought along, Crystal Note brought the saddlebags from Velvet Heart, Sweetie Tooth and herself to the other rooms. A few minutes later, she poked her head into Glass Slipper’s room
“Are you alright, dear? Do you need anything?”
The teenage filly shook her head and yawned softly
“No, I think I’m going to bed right away. I’m tired.”
Crystal Note smiled gently at her
“It’s been a long day. But you should at least say Goodnight to Princess Twilight, Starlight Glimmer and Spike, since they’re letting us stay at their home after all.”
“Okay Mom.”
Glass Slipper yawned and followed Crystal Note, completely missing the fond smile of the mare. For Glass Slipper it was almost normal by now, but Crystal Note still felt that warm glow whenever the fillies called her ‘Mom’.
They didn’t get too far though, as Starlight and Spike met them halfway with two sleepy fillies. Sweetie Tooth was sprawled out on Starlight’s back, already more asleep than anything else, and Velvet Heart rubbed her eyes as she walked next to the young dragon.
Crystal Note smiled and gently levitated the sleepy filly on her own back and took Velvet’s hoof
“Come on girls, let’s get you tucked in.”
Sweetie Tooth yawned on her back and Velvet Heart nodded and turned around
“G’night Spike, g’night Miss Starlight.”
“Goodnight Sweetie.”
Starlight smiled when the filly yawned her response
“I’m Velvet Heart, not Sweetie Tooth…”
Spike grinned and poked the unicorn who just giggled
“I promise I’ll remember from now on!”
Velvet Heart smiled and allowed Crystal Note to take her to the bedrooms.
Starlight turned to the teenager, still smiling
“Are you turning in as well, Glass Slipper?”
“Uh-huh. Thank you for letting us stay in your home, Miss Starlight.”
The unicorn blushed and rubbed the back of her head
“Well, technically it’s Twilight’s castle. And as you see, we have more than enough rooms, so it’s no problem at all.”
“Yeah. And if you need anything, just give us a call, okay?”
Spike added and the filly nodded gratefully
“Thank you again. Um, goodnight.”
“Goodnight Glass Slipper.”
“Sleep tight!”
Half an hour later, Glass Slipper was sprawled out on her bed, which was softer than the one she had at home. And bigger as well. She had four pillows all for herself and a large blanket she could probably wrap three times around herself.
And despite how tired she felt, she still couldn’t fall asleep. She had heard how Crystal Note tucked in the twins and sung them a lullaby each. Glass Slipper had watched the door in vain hope, even though she knew it was silly. She was thirteen years old, she shouldn’t need to be tucked in like Velvet Heart and Sweetie Tooth anymore. Ever since she had her own room now, she had even told Crystal Note so herself. The mare seemed a little disappointed by that, but she respected her wishes, of course. Crystal Note simply was too nice not to.
So instead of tucking her in, Crystal Note usually met her on the way up to her room. Each and every night, her new mom asked her if she needed something before turning in.
Maybe she had just gotten used to that. Maybe it was because she was in a strange new place all by herself. Glass Slipper couldn’t fall asleep and stared at the ceiling.
Just then, the door opened very slowly and Crystal Note peeked in.
Once she saw the teenage filly stirring and turning her head towards her, she stepped in all the way and approached the bed
“Did I wake you, Darling?”
Glass Slipper just shook her head, but shuffled a little closer towards Crystal Note anyways
“Couldn’t fall asleep.”
Crystal Note noticed the shuffling under the blankets and understood right away
“Yes, the first night in a foreign bed can be a little awkward.”
She carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, close to Glass Slipper. With a quiet voice and a calm smile, she asked
“Do you want me to stay a while?”
Glass Slipper was glad that her blush was covered by the dark night as she nodded shyly. Crystal Note softly put her hoof on the filly’s shoulder
“Just close your eyes, Angel. I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep.”
There was no chiding in her voice, no sign whatsoever that Crystal Note found this weird or unfit or even troubling. So, Glass Slipper simply closed her eyes and enjoyed how nice this felt, with Crystal Note watching over her and her hoof softly rubbing down her back.
Crystal Note stayed a while longer than she had promised. Watching Glass Slipper sleep so peacefully reminded her that the filly still was a young teenager, even though she was always a responsible big sister for the twins. It felt nice to see her let go for a change. The girls had taken their latest trip out of the Crystal Empire very well. Princess Twilight, Spike and Starlight Glimmer were nothing but sensible and caring with their young guests as well.
Tomorrow, they would find themselves confronted with quite a lot from Crystal Note’s past. All three fillies had been asking questions ever since, now they had the chance to see some of it with their own eyes. Crystal Note hoped she would get to see many more of their smiles in the next few days.
She leaned down and kissed Glass Slipper’s forehead very softly, before she headed to her own bed. Tomorrow would be another wonderful day and she couldn’t wait to see all her friends again and share some happy times with her girls. With a wide smile, she quickly fell asleep.