//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: Heath's Warming Eve for a Lonely Soul 
// by DragynSpire 
//------------------------------//

				Heath’s Warming Eve for a Lone Soul


It was the same as last year. It was the same as every year.
Heath’s Warming Eve is a time of joy. A time of happiness for all. 
But not for one pony. He is without a family. Without friends.
His life was filled with fear, and the few times he is with friends bring only small amounts happiness to his heart.
Alone since birth, he has never experienced true joy. Sadness and fear had consumed him long ago.
And yet, he still finds reason to go on. Never has he thought of doing any harm to himself.
But this day, like every other year, was the same.
Alone in the clouds, watching all the little colts and fillies play in the snow. He always wished to join them, but he could never bring himself to do so.
“Every year is just the same as always. Why do I even stay here? Nopony cares about me. If I left, nopony would even notice.” He never spoke to anypony but himself. Even when he did, it was always short. He would never have a conversation with himself. His own voice brought memories which haunted him.
Every morning, every afternoon, every night, he would stay at the same cloud, away from all ponies. It is like he tries to avoid all ponies. Through his life, he has made almost no interactions with any pony, other than Princess Luna. They met this same day, years ago when he was just a colt. He never saw her since, but she has always kept an eye on him.


A night almost like every other. But this one was different. Why? Somepony had found him. And it was not just anypony, but it was Princess Luna, Goddess of the Night. But he cared not for her presence, all he wanted was to be left alone.
Luna was worried about this young colt. She had seen him before, always away from other ponies. “Why must you hide, child? I am not here to do harm to thee.” She tried to approach the scared colt, but he ran away. She did not give chase, for She feared She would scare him even more.


“Umm, hello? You know you can’t stay here all day...right? Everypony knows you have it hard, but, you can’t stay like this all the time. You should, umm, maybe go and, uhh, make some friends?”
Now, it wasn’t uncommon for him to be spoken to like this, but he hated when ponies did come speak to him. “Go away. I don’t need any friends.”
Always lying to himself. In reality, he truly wishes he had friends.


“Okay, hold on you girls, I’m going outside for some fresh air. Be right back.”
Later that night, a well-known group of ponies were having their usual Heath’s Warming Eve party. He always envied these friends, how they became close in a small period of time. Every year, he would stay outside and watch them, wish he was there.
“Hey…don’t I know you?”
The pony that came outside had spotted him somehow. He freaked out and fell from his hiding place in a tree.
“Hehe, you’re silly. Why are you out here all alone? Don’t you have family or friends to have a party with?”
That was it. He had always been weak at heart, but this broke him. He stared at the overly-pink pony for a moment, and then started bawling. He didn’t want to, but he couldn’t help it. It may have been because he was reminded in one moment that he has no friends and family.
“Hey now, don’t cry. Seeing other ponies cry makes me want to cry. So don’t cry…for me?” The pink pony walked closer to him, and for once, he didn’t back away, yet he still cried.
And, for the first time in his life, he got a hug. He stopped crying, but only for a moment. “Now now, there is no need to cry. We all know that you are alone, but you don’t have to be. Come with me, and you won’t be alone any more. There are ponies that care about you. Every pony cares about you. So please, don’t cry. You are not alone.”
It took some time, but he managed to stop crying. Still sniffling, he managed to say “R-r-really? P-ponies a-actually…c-care about m-m-me?”
“Hugging him tighter, the pink pony spoke again. “Yes, silly. Everypony in town cares about you. We know what you have been through, and we want you to be happy. You don’t have to be scared of us. Now come on inside before you freeze your silly little face of.”
“Hey Pinkie, what’s takin ya so long!? Ya said ya’d be out for just a moment!”
“Coming Applejack!” Pinkie turned to the young stallion. “Come on. We know you don’t have family, but we can fix that for you. You will never be alone as long as Auntie Pinkie Pie is here.”