It was winter in the Changeling Hive. Snow was all around the Hive, and that meant fun.
“Heheh, catch me Papa Thorax!” Apex squealed, bounding through the snow.
The nymph left small little indents in the snow as he bounced. He smiled, basking in the cold sunlight. It was nearly evening, and he and Thorax were enjoying the last of the sunshine for the day. Then, as Apex smiled at the darkening sky, a hoof scooped him up.
“Eehehe! Papa Thorax!” Apex turned and hugged him, giggling.
“Heheh, gotcha my little hyper sprite!” Thorax cried, smiling at him. “Ready for cuddling and cookies?”
“Mhm!” Apex smiled, nuzzling against him. Thorax giggled and nuzzled him.
“Heheh, aww, cute.” a familiar rough voice said from above them. Thorax looked up, and immediately blushed.
“Ember!”
Ember smiled as she landed in front of them. Apex wiggled out of Thorax’s grip and ran to her, then stumbled and fell into the snow. Ember laughed softly and picked him up, holding him.
“Hey there little ruby.”
“Heheh, why’re you here?”
“Just thought I’d visit.” Ember walked over to Thorax, blushing slightly. “Smolder mentioned you guys celebrate Hearth’s Warming now.”
“O-Oh, yeah… would you… like to stay for the day?” Thorax asked
“Sure. Feast of Fire isn’t until tomorrow anyway.” Ember said, cradling Apex.
“O-Okay then, come on.” Thorax said, blushing. He led her back to the Hive, Apex giggling in her arms.
“So what are we doing first?” Ember asked as they walked into the warm Hive.
“Well, we were going to get something to eat, then sit by the fire in my room. Pharynx isn’t here yet though.” Thorax told her.
“Oh, okay. You have any gems?”
“Well, not really, but dragons eat meat, right?”
“Of course.”
“Well, most changelings are omnivores so we have some meat options.”
“Great.” Ember smiled at him and he blushed.
They entered the cafeteria and Thorax ordered for them. Ember sat at a table with Apex.
“So, what are you going to do while you’re staring at the fire?”
“Papa Thorax says I ge’ to open presen’s!” Apex said cheerfully. Ember blinked.
“You get presents?”
“Yeah! Don’ you?”
“Not really…” Ember replied as Thorax returned. “The Feast of Fire is more about stories.”
“Aww, so you don’ ge’ presen’s e’er?”
“Nope.”
Thorax frowned and blushed slightly as he set their food down. “Here you go Em.”
“Thanks Thor.” Ember smiled at him, beginning to eat. Apex dug in as well. They finished their food and Thorax picked up Apex.
“So, you want to go sit by the fire now?” Thorax suggested to her.
“Okay, but I thought we were waiting for your brother?”
“He said he’d be back around now, but we’re just waiting for him to get here to open presents. He won’t mind if we head over to the meeting spot now.” Thorax explained, leading them to his room.
Ember shrugged and nodded as Thorax led them into his room. He set Apex down on the bed and went to light the fire.
“Here Thor, I can do it.” Ember offered
“Oh, okay Em.” Thorax smiled at her and stepped back. Ember took a breath and let out a small breath of fire at the logs. They caught fire and began crackling. “Woah. Thanks Em.”
“Heh, no problem Thor.” Ember said, blushing.
Apex giggled, and Thorax looked over at him, smiling. Apex smiled back, laughing as Thorax came over and picked him up, cradling him.
“Can we open presen’s now Papa Thorax?” Apex asked eagerly
“Heheh, we should probably wait for Pharynx sweetie.” Thorax told him, and Apex pouted.
“Bu’ Uncle Pharynx won’ mind…”
“Well… okay sweetie, you can open one present now.” Thorax said, booping his nose.
“Hehehe! Yay!”
Thorax chuckled and set Apex down, going over to the desk in his room and taking some presents from underneath it. He picked up one and set it aside, then opened the drawer in it and pulled out a smaller present. Thorax smiled and held it to his chest, then turned back to Apex.
“Here you go my little hyper sprite.” Thorax said, setting one of the presents down in front of Apex.
“Yay!” Apex cheered, tearing at the wrapping paper. Thorax chuckled, watching him.
Apex unwrapped the present, opening the box. He gasped and lifted out the gift. A plushie of a fluffy orange kitten. He hugged it and put it by Blizzard.
“Heh, I noticed how much you like taking a kitten form, so I thought maybe you’d like something to practice copying it off of.”
“Yay!” Apex hugged him. “Thank you Papa Thorax.”
“Heheh, of course sweetie.”
“‘Re… ‘re there more plushies?” Apex asked, looking at the presents. Thorax chuckled.
“Maybe there are, but you’ll have to wait until Pharynx comes back to find out.”
“Aww… okay Papa Thorax…” Apex sighed.
Thorax smiled, kissing him on the forehead, then turned to Ember.
“U-Uh, Ember?”
“Yes Thorax?” Ember looked over, the firelight concealing her blush. Thorax was blushing too.
“I… I got something for you, I-I know you said you don’t really get presents but I thought you’d like it. I was going to give it to you another time but I guess now’s good a time as any and-”
Ember reached and laid a claw on his hoof, cutting him off. They both blushed heavily and Ember looked at the wall.
“I would actually really like to see it.” Ember told him, smiling slightly. “It would be the first gift I’ve ever gotten…”
Thorax smiled and held out the present. “Th-Then I hope I made it a good one.”
Ember smiled and took the gift, opening it. Her eyes widened, and she lifted it out. It was a set of two thick gold chains that were connected by a circular gold plate with a raging fire etched onto it. Thorax smiled and lifted it up in his aura, setting it down on her head. He reached with a hoof and carefully adjusted it.
“I know you said you don’t like tiaras because they’re ‘princessy’ but… I thought maybe something more like a chain… and it matches your armor, right?”
Ember nodded, reaching up to feel it. “Oh wow… Th-Thorax, this is…”
“Y-Yes?”
Ember hesitated, then jumped forwards and hugged him. Thorax yelped in surprise, then hugged back, blushing. Ember rested her head on his chest, smiling and blushing.
“I love it, Thorax. Thank you.” she murmured, then looked up at him. “I just wish I had a gift for you.”
“Your happiness is the only gift I need.” Thorax assured her.
“Still…” Ember blushed suddenly. “Wait… I know…”
“Em? What are you-mmph!”
Thorax was cut off as Ember pulled his head down and kissed him passionately. His eyes went wide, then he closed them and sunk into the kiss. He wrapped a hoof around her, pulling her close. They continued kissing until they heard a giggle, and a familiar snarky tone.
“Wow, and I thought my surprise was going to shock you.”
Thorax and Ember jumped apart, blushing. Apex was giggling and cuddling Blizzard, watching them. And standing at the doorway was Pharynx, who was smirking.
“P-Pharynx! H-Hey…” Thorax said, blushing.
“Hey bro.” Pharynx chuckled, walking over to Apex.
“Whas’ your ‘prise Uncle Pharynx?” Apex asked him eagerly. Pharynx blushed slightly.
“U-Uh… well…”
“Heh, Pharynx?” Thorax questioned, raising a brow. “Is there something you want to tell us?”
Ember giggled and wrapped an arm around Thorax, making them both blush. Pharynx also blushed, then sighed and turned to the doorway.
“Yeah… I do…” he admitted, gesturing to someone out of their sight.
Apex and Thorax looked at the doorway curiously. Then, Pharynx stepped back, allowing a pony to walk in, one with a magenta mohawk and broken horn.
“Tempest Shadow?” Thorax asked, recognizing the mare. She blushed slightly and nodded.
“You can just call me Tempest.”
“Tempest?” Ember walked over, and Tempest’s eyes widened.
“Ember?”
“Wait, how do you know her?” Pharynx asked Tempest.
“We met when I went to the Dragonlands to pass along the messages. Ember got involved when a drake insulted me and I cracked his scales.” Tempest explained, smirking at the dragoness.
“Heh, she was pretty cool for a pony.” Ember added.
“She sure is…” Pharynx sighed, looking at Tempest, who blushed.
Thorax giggled, looking between them. “So, this was the surprise Phar?”
“Y-Yes…” Pharynx admitted, blushing. “I wanted to tell you I… I’ve been… seeing her…”
“Aww!” Thorax cried, hugging his brother. “I’m so happy for you!”
“Y-Yeah… h-happy for you too Thor, now get off.” Pharynx pushed him off, and Thorax blushed.
“W-What do you-?”
Ember chuckled and put a claw on Thorax’s shoulder. “Thor. I love you.”
Thorax turned bright red. “I-I love you too Em…”
Ember smiled and kissed him on the cheek, blushing. Pharynx smirked and led Tempest to the fire, and the two sat down.
“Papa Thorax, presen’s now?” Apex asked.
“Heh, okay sweetie.”
“Open this one first Apex.” Pharynx said, tossing a present to the nymph.
Apex giggled and began opening it as Thorax and Ember joined Tempest and Pharynx. The adults curled up by the fire, watching the nymph cheer in delight.
Apex eventually opened all the presents but one. He pulled off the wrapping paper for the final one, lifting it out and beaming. It was a black dragon plushie with purple eyes and accents that were rainbow colored. Apex hugged it tight, looking at Pharynx, who chuckled.
“I, uh, know how much you like playing with a certain… dragon plushie, grub, and… I figured you’d like one of your own, just a little different.”
“It’s from both of us.” Thorax added, pulling Apex into a hug. “I thought you’d like it to be rainbows instead of purple.”
“I love i’!” Apex cried, cuddling it. “‘M gonna name him Pride…”
“Heh, that’s a wonderful name sweetie.” Thorax kissed Apex’s forehead, and the nymph yawned. “Heheh, go ahead and rest my little hyper sprite.”
“Okay Papa Thorax…” Apex curled up in Thorax’s forelegs, holding Pride. Thorax smiled and nuzzled him.
Soon, the nymph was asleep, his new plushie now in a limp hold. Thorax and Pharynx smiled at the nymph, then Thorax pulled Ember close. She giggled and rested against his side, watching the fire. Pharynx put a hoof around Tempest, who leaned into him.
The room descended into peaceful silence, contentment filling the room. The feeling warmed them despite the snow and cold weather outside.