//------------------------------// // Interlude: Twilight's first Christmas // Story: The chef's student // by vincent789 //------------------------------// It was today. Twilight and her parents are going to Ponyville for a Christmas party hosted by the mayor. Velvet and the Mayor had been working on a way to earn money by selling artifacts from Ponyville's library to the castle. But it wasn't enough until one day, Velvet got an amazing idea. Why not make a lot of festivals and advertise them as one-of-a-kind. Not only that, but they would also invite lots of celebrities and nobles to these events to catch the attention of Princess Celestia herself. Many events failed to do this of course, however one such event caught both Celestia's attention, as well as Princess Mi Amore Cadenza's attention. And that was, the Ponyville Christmas event. This event was recorded by Celestia in history for one of the largest food event, since Luna's cooking competition. Not only that, but the actual event was larger than Ponyville and Manehattan combined. Making it larger than Twilight's birthday event* by 100 times. Making it the first Princess event outside of Canterlot and Twilight's first connection to the citizens of Ponyville. Twilight however was still practically a baby, with slightly higher levels of intelligence than a normal filly her age. This meant that she remembered everything despite being extremely young and even back then, she was quite the eater. In fact some could even call her a glutton if it wasn't for the fact that she was still growing. It also meant that when she smells food, she would run off or even teleport off. And using her baby eyes, she almost always got some food from each shop during her babyhood. However, with her mother and father always being busy and Shining also being to busy with learning, mostly about fighting. Twilight's babyhood was actually very lonely. Which is why this event changed everything she was known for. And the day she would fall in love with the sparkle of Christmas and cooking. The day she would meet Carrot and Cadence for the first time. "Honey! Are you ready?" Shouts an impatient Velvet to Night. "Just a minute! Did you already grab Twilight?" Night shouted back annoyed. "No! Shining was already carrying her!" Velvet shouts back. What proceeded was a bunch of loud sounds from the staircase and the sounds of a Christmas tree crashing on the floor. "That better wasn't my tree!" Velvet shouts almost angry. "It was in Twilight's room..." Night said with pieces of tree in his hair. Velvet groans, "I took one hour to set that one up." She replied. "Uh, oops." Night said with a guilty smile. "Let's just get going." Velvet said with an annoyed smile and a roll of her eyes. "Hey, you two ready-" Shining was about to ask, but stopped as he looked at his father state. "A Chrwistmas twee." Twilight said with a smile and looking at Night. "I was about to ask that. Why do you look like a Christmas tree, dad?" Shining asks with a smirk. "I may have damaged Twilight's tree." Night admit. "But why?" Twilight asks as her mood did a 180, causing her to tear up. Shining realizing that she was about to cry said "Don't worry, your brother will make you a better one." "Rweally?!" Twilight ask suddenly ecstatic. "Really!" Shining responds. "Yay!" Twilight said happily. "Let's get going, you three. We will be late!" Velvet said suddenly. "Where two?" Twilight asked curiously. "Ponyville. They are holding a Christmas party there!" Shining said excited. "Wiwth me?" Twilight asks with a tad hint of uncertainty. Her question caused her parent to get a guilt trip. As they suddenly looked at each other, remembering that haven't been very good parents to her this year. "Yes!" Shining answered for them. Although he felt equally responsible for the question. "You swure?" Twilight asks again, still with some uncertainty. "Of course my dear. You might even make some friends." Velvet said, with guilt present in their voice. Twilight, the smart baby that she was, did notice the guilt in her voice. "Yay!" she calmly responds although some uncertainty was still in her voice. Twilight, despite the reassurance, did deflate somewhat. Night sighed, "Lets go. At this rate we really will be late." he said. As the three entered the carriage with Twilight being held by Shining. They were off to Ponyville. Although their excitement got a tad bit less, thanks to Twilight. After a long ride, with not much talking. They had finally arrived at the soon to be, biggest event in Equestria's history. And Twilight's turning point. "Finally. That ride was suffocating." Shining said happily, he looks at Twilight and noticed that her anxiety about being somewhere that she has never been, showed her ugly side. Twilight was dead silent. Her eyes were gray and felt lifeless. She looked practically dead. Of course, he saw her breathing but still. Twilight is scared. Her parental abandonment showed it self in all it's glory. And a disguised Cadence noticed Twilight. Her face said it all, Empathy and uncertainty. She looked at Shining and asked, "Is that child your sister?" Startled, Shining looked her direction, "She is." he confirmed. "How about I will go and introduce her to the other children over there." 'Cadence' said, as she points to a kindergarten. Shining looked at the kindergarten. It appeared mostly empty, with the exception of a single filly. She had orange hair and was playing with, what appears to be, a carrot? Although he looked mostly confused, he sighed. "Okay, please do." Shining said as he gave his sister to the pink pony. "We will take good care of her." 'Cadence' said. "Thanks." Shining said, with guilt present. "Arwe you leavwing me here?" Twilight asks saddened. "Don't worry. I am just going to buy you a mystery present. I can have you with me for that, now can I?" Shining said smiling. Twilight rose her eyebrow, she clearly wasn't convinced. "Okway." she said, as she accepted her fate. "She is a bit smart. So please be careful." Shining pleaded to 'Cadence'. "Of course, Right Carrot?" 'Cadence' asked. "Yeah!" Carrot said as she held her toy up high. Shining nodded as he headed into the festival. Which caused Cadence to turn around and brush Twilight's hair. "Who are ywou?" Twilight asked Cadence. "I am a secret princess." Cadence responds calmly as she grabs some toys. "A pink one!" Carrot added. Twilight with her smarts, connected the dots. "Princess Cadence?" she asks. Cadence jumped at her name's mention. "How did you..?" she asks. "I am smarwt." Twilight said prideful, which made her forget about the, in her eyes, practically abandonment. "I see. She did look familiar." Carrot said. "Shh. Don't tell anyone!" Cadence said. "Only if you give me something to eat." Twilight said, somehow without making a mistake. "You little," Cadence said as she grabs Twilight and start tickling her. "Plwease stop!" Twilight shouted between her laugh. "Will you keep it a secret?" Cadence asked. "First my food." Twilight responds, which caused Cadence to continue tickling her. "Fwine! I will, I will." Twilight finally says, defeated. Cadence smirked and stopped tickling Twilight, "I won!" Cadence said happily. "Concrawtulation. You won against a toddlwer." Carrot said annoyed. Cadence immediately stopped celebrating, annoyed, she continued grabbing toys from the toy box. "Who are you thwan?" Twilight asks Carrot. "Who me?" Carrot ask surprised, noticing Twilight's nod, "I am Cwarrot Top. I love cwarrots." she said. "Is your name a pwun?" Twilight asked. "Yeah. I wish my parent gave me different name." Carrot said, somewhat annoyed. "I wish my parents gave me more attwention." Twilight said in responds. Twilight sudden response silenced both Carrot and Cadence. They looked at each other and Carrot beacon her to cheer her up. But before Cadence could response, Twilight talked some more, and the following talk made her look a lot more mature, well besides the fact that she would fall over certain words. "I mwean I get it. That's Life. But still, is work more importwant than me? And will I get abandwoned like in the bwooks?" Twilight asked Cadence. Cadence looked at Twilight as she registered the word, abandoned and important. It took Cadence a full minute to restore her train of thought as she remembered her mother for a moment. Shaking her head Cadence looked determined at Twilight, "Of course not. They are just worried for you. They want the best and sadly that costs money. However there is no way that they would abandon a cute filly like you." Cadence said, as her mind translated her words towards herself. Realizing the importance of what she just said, she looked determined at Twilight. "Besides if they don't want you. I wouldn't mind adopting you." Cadence finished. Carrot looked wide eyed at Cadence, feeling left out, Carrot jumps into the conversation. "Nah we knwow how to take better care to filly like her." Carrot said proudly. Cadence and Carrot then proceeded to argue in front of Twilight. Twilight simply watched as they rebutted each other. Twilight simply giggled, until she noticed a white pony standing with tears on the other side of the fence. Twilight once again connected the dots and realized that Cadence was abandoned for real. And that this pony is Princess Celestia. She began to realize the importance of friendship and hardship at the age of 3. Twilight then approached Celestia's disguised form and said, "It's okway. I think she is okway now." Celestia only cried harder as the tears wouldn't stop flowing, when it began to snow. Which was odd as no snow was expected today. The Pegasuses looked confused at the sky, there wasn't a cloud yet it was snowing. Twilight looked at the beautiful snowflakes that was falling out of the sky when she heard a quiet, "Thank you." from nowhere. Twilight looked around to locate the source of the voice, when a snowflake touched her nose. Twilight smiled, as she simply watched the snow fall. Meanwhile Cadence and Carrot stopped arguing when they also noticed the snow. "Uh snow? Did you order snow, Mayor?" Velvet asked as she got closer to the kindergarten. "I did not. And it would appear that even the Pegasuses are confused." Mayor mare said to Velvet. "Mwom!" Twilight shouts. "Did you have fun dear?" Velvet asked. "The snow was from the snow pony!" Twilight claimed. "From Santa?" Velvet asked confused. "No! From the snow pony of the ice cave!" Twilight said mysteriously. Cadence and Celestia's eyes widen all the way. They knew what she was talking about. "What is the password?" Cadence asked. "Sunshine, sunshine, Ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and do a little shake." Twilight replied without making a single mistake. Cadence's eyes widen as a stream of tears fall from her face, "Mom!" She shouts as she weeps. Celestia's eyes also widen, she knew that this pony was special, yet there was nothing special about her. Atleast not yet. Her smile turns soft as she undid her disguise. Velvet and Mayor's eyes widen at her presence, "Your highness!" They said together. Carrot looks at Twilight and asks "Can we be friends?" Twilight looks at Carrot, smiling "Surwe!" she replied. Carrot was about to shake Twilight's hoof, when Twilight tackled Carrot and giving her a painful bear hug. Cadence noticed this and quickly separated Twilight off Carrot. Which made Twilight giggle. Twilight's giggle felt genuine, which made Carrot smile despite the pain. Cadence too felt it a bit heartwarming. "So what do you want for Christmas?" Cadence asked Carrot. "Uhm. I don't know." Carrot admitted, "I alweady have a lot." Cadence nodded at her honesty, she looked at tad bit impressed too. As most fillies her age would have asked for a lot more. "How honest." Cadence said as she finally recovered from her crying. "What about you Twilight?" Cadence asked. "I want betwer parents." Twilight admitted honestly. Cadence and Celestia looked wide eyed at her. Which caused Velvet to gulp. The gulp got Celestia's attention however, making her frown disappointed in her direction. Velvet noticed the frown and dropped her head down in shame, she decided to leave Mayor to Celestia. Leaving the two in a slightly disappointed look towards her. "Well, I wish I had parents to begin with." Cadence accidentally said out loud. Realizing she said it out loud, she clamped her mouth shut with her hooves. Twilight realized what she asked in compared to Cadence's wish, causing to look disappointed at herself. Celestia meanwhile was shocked at Cadence for what she asked. And Carrot was shocked at Twilight's wish. It got quiet for a few minutes as the group looked wide eyed at each other. Shining joined the group a few minutes into the silence, although he had heard everything. As did practically the rest of Ponyville, after all most inhabitants were standing in hearing range from Twilight and her group. Twilight realized that she hated this silence more, than her lack of parental attention. She loudly cleared her throat, which caused everyone to be shaken for their daze. "Twilight, I am back from searching for a present and found this book. Maybe you will like it." Shining said as she hooves her a cooking book filled with Christmas snack recipes. Twilight takes the book from Shining and opens it. Which caused it to land on page 1 which said to following words. And something that changed Twilight forever. "Christmas cheer! Although Christmas in a time for presents and happiness. Sometimes it's the day of miracles. One day you might be sad and alone, waiting for a present that might never happen. But the thing my mother taught me is this. Most presents are the best if you work hard to get them without receiving it. The time for giving is more important, than the day of receiving. Because cooking as all about giving, not about receiving. Food brings people together, without the need for a party or presents. You will Santa's chef, after all everyone needs food. To us and to you, if you miss socializing, than make something delicious. I assure you, this will make you and them happy. For the tree is the guests, the presents your food and Santa is the chef in this cookbook" Twilight eyes shined at the words written in this book, as she and Carrot both look through it all. Until Twilight remembered something. "Thank you, Browther!" Twilight said with genuine smile on her face.