"Oof!" Starlight grunted as she collided with a pony-sized obstruction. She fell to her rump and rubbed her head to clear her vision.
In front of her was a large pile of wrapped boxes, occasionally dotted with a bow. A shape moved underneath the boxes, and a refined voice complained about ponies not watching where they were going. A moment later, a couple of boxes were grabbed in light blue magic and Rarity popped her head through.
"When I find whoever had the nerve to hit me, I'll... Oh, hello, Starlight!" Moving the rest of the boxes, she soon got to her hooves and helped Starlight up. "It's been ages, darling. How have you been?" She pulled Starlight in for a tight embrace.
A few bits of snow from Rarity's mane fell onto Starlight's, and she felt herself be squished further into the unicorn's chest. As always, Rarity was dressed for the occasion, and was wearing a bright purple scarf and dainty earmuffs along with light blue boots.
Breathing and catching a whiff of the unicorn's expensive perfume, she tried to push back. "Need to breathe!" she croaked. "Nice to see you, too, Rarity!" With a final shove, she got free of her friend's hug and gasped for air. She brushed the snow from her mane and swished her tail to get the clumps from her fall off as best she could.
Rarity's mane was a bit less than its usual perfect self after being buried underneath stacks of presents. A few loose hairs had sprung up here and there, giving her a bit of a manic look, which matched perfectly with her wide smile. When she realized her mistake, Rarity chuckled a bit and said, "Oh, right, sorry. I just haven't seen you in forever! When was the last time we talked?"
Thinking for a moment, Starlight finally stated, "Probably before you left for Canterlot to help Coco with her shop. Geez, that's been at least three months, hasn't it?" She shook her head. "S-sorry, Rarity. You know, it's just been, busy, busy, busy. New school year, figuring out replacements for you guys, dealing with student problems, you know." Chuckling, she scuffed a hoof in the snow.
"Hmmm, quite," Rarity hummed, a knowing smirk growing on her face.
Arching an eyebrow, Starlight shot back, "What?" She began to blush a bit and fiddle with her mane. "Is, is there something stuck in there?" She quickly took off her toque and shook her mane. When Rarity's expression didn't change, Starlight began to laugh uncomfortably.
Suddenly, Rarity laughed, her voice like tinkling wind chimes. "Oh, I know all about you and Sunburst," she said, lightly waving a hoof. "Rarity always is up on the latest news about her friends." She smiled in reassurance.
"Wh-what? We'd, we'd never! No!" Starlight laughed, a bit of wind catching in her nose and making her snort. "N-no! Definitely not!" Her cheeks grew a brighter shade of red, and she avoided Rarity's gaze.
Rarity tsked. "Honestly, Starlight, you really don't have to hide it." She stepped in front of the light purple unicorn and smiled again. "It's wonderful news. Twilight told me when I left for Canterlot." Her eyes went up and down her friend for a moment, before sparkling in delight. "And I'm so glad to see you are using my toque!" She chortled a bit. "It really does bring out your eyes. I trust Sunburst has seen it?"
Sighing, Starlight replied, "No, no, he hasn't."
The pair went quiet for a moment. Out of respect, Rarity didn't pry. Instead, she walked over to the bundle of gifts and began stacking them into a much more organized pile. Mumbling to herself, she sorted things based on shape, size, and color.
Regaining her composure, Starlight walked beside her and said, "Sorry for ramming into you. I guess I got lost in thought." She looked at the half-assembled pile of presents. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Rarity shook her head and continued stacking the boxes. At Starlight's silent demeanor, she soon stopped and turned her head. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "Starlight, is something the matter?"
Her mind beginning to race, Starlight took a step back and stuttered, "N-no! Everything's fine. We're fine. All's good." She cracked a toothy grin and stepped back a bit more. She felt her heartbeat begin to increase again.
Narrowing her eyes, Rarity uttered, "Uh-huh." When Starlight didn't offer anything further, she sighed and went back to stacking the boxes. The lights from Ponyville reflected off the shiny paper and danced on the snow below, which in turn reflected some of the light back and made it appear like tiny embers.
Slowly, Starlight's heartbeat returned to normal, and her chest no longer felt like it was going to burst. She watched Rarity. She bit her lip and finally said, "W-well, okay, maybe there's one thing."
Instantly, Rarity zipped up to Starlight and exclaimed, "Anything for a friend!"
Sighing, Starlight lowered her head and looked back to Ponyville. "It's, well, Sunburst."
Rarity hummed, a look of concern spreading across her face. She remained silent.
Afraid that she gave the wrong idea to Rarity, Starlight quickly backpedalled and stated, "I-it's not bad, or anything! Well, maybe it's bad, I don't know." With a light thud, she flopped down on her rump. Her saddlebags jittered, and she loosened the straps to let them slowly slide off. "We're not like, having fights or anything! Things are going great!"
"Then what's the real problem, Starlight?" Rarity trotted up beside her and sat down, ignoring the cold snow. "Darling, we've spent too long together. I know when you're trying to avoid a topic."
"You don't know the half of it," Starlight mused. After spending a few seconds of thinking on how she'd explain it, she went for the simple answer of, "It's complicated." Starlight mentally kicked herself. "That really helps, stupid!"
"Hmm, yes, that's quite the explanation," Rarity replied, a small smile forming. She rubbed on a booted forehoof on Starlight's back. Her eyes glowing in the evening light, she gently prodded "What makes it 'complicated?'"
"Well, I don't know, it just feels like it!" Starlight whipped her forehooves into the air in frustration, showering the two of them in some snow powder. "Ugh! I'm horrible at this!" Pouting, she hunkered down a bit and started at the ground.
"Starlight, take it from me. Relationships are complicated. Doubly so when you're dating, but I think you know this." Rarity chuckled and held a hoof to her mouth. "Twilight may be amazing with normal friendships, but, well, she's a bit unexperienced when it comes to having a special somepony."
"No, you think?" Starlight snarked back, looking into Rarity's eyes.
"I know." Snickering a bit more, Rarity, said, "If you need relationship advice, you've come to the right place. Now, please, tell me what's on your mind."
"Maybe it's nothing important, but, well, I feel, I don't know, lonely!" Starlight sighed, looking up into the night sky. "Sunburst, well, he's away every weekend to the Crystal Empire to help look after Flurry. This week he had to leave early because Cadance said that Flurry was causing even more problems than normal. And on top of that, he has his magical studies, and then dealing with lesser issues with the school!"
Looking over at Rarity, who was shivering a bit because of the snow seeping into her fur, she continued, "And now Trixie is going to Las Pegasus tomorrow morning! It's like nopony actually wants to be with me over Hearth's Warming." A few tears began to trickle down her cheeks.
"Starlight," Rarity sternly began, her face hardening. She got up from her position and got in front of Starlight, staring down at the sitting unicorn. "That is not true. You're a wonderful mare, and your friends and Sunburst, love you deeply. Sometimes, plans change."
Offering a hoof, she helped Starlight get back up and pulled her into another quick hug. After exiting the embrace, she continued, "You and Sunburst spent years without talking to each other, and how quickly did you rekindle your friendship?"
Bashfully, Starlight stated, "A few days."
Nodding, Rarity answered, "Exactly. It may be tough right now. Believe me, I've been there, but Sunburst will be back one day, and he'll have more free time someday, too." She walked back toward the stack of presents that she was carrying and said, "Having a coltfriend is hard work, and sometimes it feels like nothing you do helps, but this isn't the end of the world, Starlight. You'll see."
After lighting her horn, which cast a pale blue glow over the snow, she picked up the stack of presents and turned to face Starlight. "You and Sunburst were best friends well before you began to date. Sometimes you went months without speaking to each other, and you were fine." Chuckling, she said, "Besides, it's still a couple of days before Hearth's Warming. There may be a surprise waiting for you. Only Celestia knows."
Smiling, Starlight answered, "Thanks, Rarity. Also, probably we should start saying 'Twilight' now."
They shared a laugh. If only Starlight could be there to see Twilight’s reaction when she would first hear somepony curse, “Twilight damn it!” Although, that’d be far from the worst one ponies would come up with.
Curious, Starlight asked, "Who are all those gifts for? It can't be all for one pony, can it?"
Giggling a bit, Rarity replied, "Oh these? They're for Sweetie Belle." At Starlight's obvious surprise, Rarity asked, "What? You think it's a bit much? My poor Sweetie Belle hasn't seen her big sister Rarity in a couple of months."
"How much did that cost you?" Starlight questioned, grabbing her saddlebags and placing them on her back. She quickly checked the one bag to make sure that the perfume bottle hadn’t gotten too cold while it sat on the ground. For extra security, she ignited her horn to warm it a bit before closing the bag.
"Oh, just a few hundred bits. It's not the most I've spent on her." Rarity raised an eyebrow as Starlight stared at her incredulously. "What?"
Shaking her head, Starlight said nothing. Suddenly, a thought came to her mind. She gasped. "I haven’t gotten Sunburst a gift yet! Oh! I meant to last week, then everything got crazy and…" Nervously, she began prancing in place. "Oh, crap, crap, crap, crap!" She looked to the sky and then at Rarity. "What time is it?"
"Starlight," Rarity said flatly, her face growing more tired by the second.
"Oh, what am I going to do? No stores will be open tomorrow!" Now pacing in a small circle, Starlight was running through possible scenarios in her head. "Will, will he break up with me if I don't get him a present? I can't believe I forgot to get him one!"
"Starlight."
"Maybe, maybe, I can break into one of the stores tonight? I know how to remove glass with magic! They'd never see it coming."
"Starlight!" Rarity screamed, shaking the gifts suspended in her magic.
Stopping in her tracks, Starlight looked over to her and asked, "Yes, Rarity?"
"It's only seven-thirty. Davenport's Quills and Sofas is open until ten, and I believe the tome stores and antique store is open until nine." Rarity smiled. "You have all the time in the world, darling."
Taking a deep breath, Starlight blew it out and then replied, "Thanks, Rarity." A few seconds later, she remembered to add, "Oh, and happy Hearth's Warming."
"Mhmm." Rarity nodded and began trotting toward the School of Friendship.
"Wait!" Starlight called, causing Rarity to stop and look back. "You can't get in there! It's locked."
With a slight laugh, Rarity produced a set of keys from under her scarf and wiggled them in the air. Apparently, she still had her set of keys from when she taught at the school.
“Can’t be too careful. Sweetie likes to ‘inspect’ her presents before Hearth’s Warming!” She tittered softly. Before she started back toward the school, she exclaimed, "You're welcome to visit the Boutique on Hearth's Warming. So long as nopony else is spending time with you! Oh, and I’ll be putting these in Sunburst’s office. It used to be mine. He wouldn’t mind, would he?"
“Uh, I guess not,” Starlight replied, shaking her head as Rarity lightly giggled. With that, Rarity trotted off again, humming a tune that Starlight briefly heard before she went out of earshot.
Watching her friend for a few more seconds, Starlight sighed. Admittedly, it did feel better to get that bit off her chest, but it still didn't fully ease her mind. She turned around and looked at Ponyville.
The town hall was now fully decorated, lit up like a Hearth's Warming tree and shining for all to see. Even from her distance to the square, she could hear the sound of the holiday market mixing with seasonal music. A few pegasi flew over the square, carrying lanterns to hang on the town hall.
She grabbed the bag of bits from her saddlebag and weighed it. The few remaining coins clinked inside, and she opened it to check the exact amount. Twenty bits. Hopefully that would be enough to find something of value for Sunburst. As she put the bag away, she pondered what exactly she could get.
History might have been an area of interest, but it was mostly the sociological end. Sunburst was the one who actually had any interest in the old stuff itself. Maybe there'd be something at Davenport's or the modern tome shop?
"Well, only one way to find out," she resolved, making sure her toque fit snugly on her mane again and trotting back toward the merchant street of Ponyville.
Shortly, she arrived at her destination. Since she knew the way to avoid hoof traffic, she only took a few minutes to get from the road to the castle to the merchant street. Unsure of where to start, she went back to the Quills and Sofas shop, where she was quickly greeted again by Davenport.
When the tan pony saw a return customer, he quickly stepped out from behind the counter and asked, "I trust everything was satisfactory? Was there something else that I could help you find?"
Humming to herself for a second, Starlight finally replied, "Y-yes. I, uh, am looking for a gift for, you know, my, uh, coltfriend." She squeaked out the final part, as it was still a bit hard to admit that to the public. "He's, uh, very knowledgeable, so I thought I'd try here, since, you know, quills, and stuff."
"Yes, and 'stuff,'" Davenport echoed. Adjusting his suit jacket, he said, "Follow me, I believe I know something your special somepony will like." He walked back behind the counter and cantered over to a display case. When he saw that Starlight was still in the entrance, he waved her over with a hoof.
Weaving her way through the line to the bit register, which was being staffed by a young, tired-looking stallion no more than fifteen, she reached the display case and took a look through the glass. Before her were all manners of different quills, pristinely presented on plush cushions. The selection ranged from standard bird feathers to more exotic options.
Davenport unlocked the back of the glass case and took out an exquisite example, finely oiled and sharpened. "This," he said, taking the quill gently in a hoof and holding it before Starlight. "Is a quill fashioned from the rare Pingland Kingdom's own ice albatross!" Gently, he placed it back on its cushion and took out another one. "And this is a quill fashioned from one of Princess, er, former Princess Celestia's left wing!"
Starlight barely heard the sales pitch, looking for herself at the different quills on display. Finally, a golden-hued quill caught her eye and she inquired about it.
In an instant, Davenport bent down, taking the other two quills back, and grabbed the quill in question. Setting it down on the display case, he said, "You have a fine eye. This one is exceedingly rare, coming from the Griffonian continent. When their old Emperor died, in honor of his academic achievements, they took the primary feathers of his wings and fashioned them into quills. This is one of two in existence!"
When Starlight heard the rarity of her choice, her stomach began to sink. A few beads of sweat forming on the back of her neck, she asked, "And, uh, how much?" Nervously, she chuckled and eyed Davenport pleadingly.
"Three thousand bits," he replied flatly. With a condescending smile, he said, "Really, if you knew how hard it was to get this, you'd know it was a steal!"
Pupils shrinking, Starlight stammered for a few seconds, trying to wrap her head around the price. Finally, words managed to form coherent, or mostly coherent sentences, and she cried, "Three thousand bits?! For a bucking feather?!"
Expression falling flat, Davenport replied, "Miss, please keep your voice down, you're disrupting the rest of the customers." With that, he put away the golden quill and locked the display case. "If nothing suits your fancy, then I shall bid you a good evening and happy Hearth's Warming." Straightening his suit jacket again, he left the display case and walked to a new customer who had just entered.
Heaving for a few seconds, Starlight finally managed to calm down and looked at the quills again. No way in Tartarus was Sunburst worth that much to drop three thousand bits on a feather. If it came from Discord himself, she wouldn't have cared, although, admittedly, it'd probably have interesting effects.
Grumbling under her breath, she stomped out of the store and into the street, taking a look around as the evening went on. A few puffs of vapor left her nostrils as she breathed out, matching her demeanor by making it appear she was exhaling smoke clouds.
However, Rarity had mentioned two other stores. One for ancient and one for modern tomes of all kinds. Frowning slightly, she trudged through the street. Soon enough, she found the modern tomes store and entered, a bell chiming and soft, relaxing music reaching her ears. It was mostly devoid of customers, save a couple of young mares with braces and glasses. They were chortling together as they flipped through a book on dark rituals.
Staring at them, Starlight determined that she was out of touch with the younger generation if that's what they found humorous. Her attention turned to the pony behind the counter, who greeted her cordially. While polite, she had a slightly clipped undertone to her voice, like she was always busy.
"Welcome to the Modern Tomes away from Tome," she stated, sliding from behind the counter to shake Starlight's hoof. "If there's anything you need help finding, let me know." With that, she went over to the two young mares and glowered at them.
The two teens winced and put the tome back on the shelf before dashing past the owner and out into the street, nearly knocking Starlight over in the process.
Shaking her head, she began to explore the aisles upon aisles of tomes. Ponyville never ceased to surprise her. Who would have believed that tomes could be modern? When she thought "tome", she pictured an old, decaying rawhide book with faded parchment from which some evil necromancer was reading indications to summon the dead or the like.
Though, looking at the shelves, she found examples of rewritten ancient tomes, tomes on modern, "ethical" necromancy, tomes for dabbling in recreational alchemy, tomes on crystal magic, written by Sombrero Rex, and many other topics that she thought were only discussed as magical history.
Although she found the wide array of options interesting, the prices she saw were not. When she grabbed one of the tomes on crystal magic, she gulped and felt her heart drop a bit when she read the price of seventy bits. Groaning, she put the tome back on the shelf and thought, "So much for helping with Flurry."
She spent a few more minutes perusing the store, but ultimately found nothing worthwhile. Wishing the owner a happy Hearth's Warming, she stepped back out into the street and then entered the store directly next to the modern tome shop.
Inside, she was blasted with heavy rock music and saw multiple ponies dressed in leather jackets and spiky manes checking out some of the ancient tomes for sale. Behind its cluttered counter, a bored stallion dressed in the same attire noticed her and slowly turned to face her.
"Hey," he said, giving her a curt nod. He looked at the group of ponies who were having fun reciting some different spells from whatever tome they were reading. "Don't mind them."
He leaned forward. Pointing to the partly hidden speakers around the store, he cried, “And hope you like metal! It helps keep the spirits at bay!” With a sudden push back on the counter, he relaxed in his chair and started nodding his head to the music.
Covering her ears, Starlight began to wander through the cramped aisles, surprised at the complete reversal of appearance compared to the modern tomes shop. A few skull-like decorations hung from the ceiling, and a fake fireplace was blazing with a blue flame at the back of the aisle.
All the tomes in the store were in ancient Equestrian, Griffonian, or some other dead language, so it took a bit of time to decipher exactly what they were about. After translating the seventh tome title to be dealing with necromancy, Starlight made the executive decision to leave and hastily retreated back outside.
For a few minutes, she caught her breath and then made as much distance between that shop as she could. Soon, the ringing in her ears from the loud music settled down, and she trotted down the street toward the last shop. Sending a silent prayer to Celestia, Luna, or whoever, she entered the store and was greeted by a scholarly-looking pony sitting behind a small table.
The pony looked up from his book that he was reading and smiled. "Welcome!" he said, walking up to Starlight and shaking her hoof. His eyes glowed as he recognized her. "You're Princess Twilight's friend, aren't you? Er, Starlight Glimmer, right?"
"Yep, that's me." Starlight chuckled a bit. Slowly, she cast her gaze around the store. From the ceiling, old ornaments dangled and bounced light around the store. Some old cabinets were against the wall, holding different Hearth's Warming plate sets from decades ago.
Also suspended from the ceiling, multiple chandeliers sparkled as the candles inside slowly burned away, filling the store with a slight smokey smell. On the right side of the store, aisles of bookcases lined the floor, overflowing with antique books and other baubles. There were even stacks of books on the floor, covered in thin layers of dust.
Retracting her hoof, Starlight smiled nervously at the pony and said, "I guess my reputation around here is known?"
"Oh, no! I remember when you visited with the Princess and your other friend." The older pony coughed and grabbed his glasses. He breathed on them and rubbed them with a hoof before placing them back on his muzzle. "It's not everyday that a store gets royalty, after all. Plus, you've helped save the world multiple times, too!"
"No, definitely not." Starlight's ears flattened, and she looked ahead at the store, over the pony, and toward the back. Along the back wall were some old paintings and sculptures. Cool, but well out of her price range. She didn't need to ask about that one.
"Is there anything I can help you find?" the owner asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling.
"I think I'll just look around for a while," Starlight answered, plastering a forced smile on her face and trotting down into the store. At first, she took a look at the cabinets holding the plates. Interesting, but not really a good fit. A few of the plates depicted the Windigos being banished, but most were more commercialized holiday scenes, such as the tribe members spending time singing Hearth's Warming carols or making desserts.
In the distance, Starlight heard the clock tower of Ponyville strike eight. She fiddled with her mane a bit. Trixie would probably be curious what was taking her so long, but getting something for Sunburst was more important. "Hopefully she hasn't gotten into any trouble after setting up the decorations," she thought to herself.
After a bit more browsing of the antique plates and cabinets, she went to a nearby jewelry case and eyed some of the objects there. Most of the jewelry were different rings for horns, but a few bracelets and necklaces were dotted amongst them as well. Sighing, she looked at a couple of the more expensive rings. Wistfully, she placed her hoof on her head and envisioned Sunburst appearing next to her opening a ring box, floating one onto her horn, and pulling her close.
The image was over in a moment, though, as she came back to reality and realized that he was hundreds of miles away in the Crystal Empire. After looking at the jewelry a bit more, a couple of rings with turquoise gems catching her eye, she stepped away from the display case and trotted toward the aisles of bookcases.
As soon as she stepped into the first aisle, her nose was hit with a light, woody smell. It wasn’t so much musty as it was aged. Around her, stacks upon stacks of books lined the shelves of the bookcases, occasionally broken by some old toy or other antique. Wrinkling her nose at the smell, Starlight continued to investigate the aisles, pulling on a book or two with her magic to check the titles.
Briefly, she had a flashback to when Twilight and Sunburst dragged her in here the first time. If she protested any more, she would have literally been kicking and screaming. Now she willingly came in here to find something for Sunburst. She chuckled a bit. "How love changes things," she mused and read one of the book titles.
The aisles were dimly lit, as the light from the chandeliers was partly blocked by the towering bookcases and also one of the support pillars of the store. Turning on her horn, Starlight walked a bit deeper into the growing darkness of the aisle.
Cast in an eerie cyan light, long, thick shadows from the books’ spines played across the shelves. As they were different lengths, some made giant blocks of shade, others only thin tendrils. Most of these books were similar in style to the ancient tomes that she had skipped over in the other store, so she soon backed out and then went down the second aisle of bookcases.
This aisle faced the window of the store. Stopping her search, she took a minute to glance out the window. She saw a few families heading into the few remaining shops to purchase something.
A few foals were running around the street, trying desperately to deck each other with snowballs. Smiling, she watched the group play, one of them managing to catch the other in the back of the neck with a snowball and laughing as their victim went tumbling to the ground and getting a mouthful of snow.
For a few seconds, the foal lay on the ground. When her friends came close, she sprang up and showered them all with snow. The group laughed and began the high-speed chase again.
Sighing, Starlight dropped back to all fours and resumed her search for something that could be of interest to Sunburst. For minutes, she combed through the bookcases for anything that could possibly be used as a gift. Beads of sweat dripping down her forehead, she stuck out her tongue as she dug around, finding that the bookcases were deep enough to hold, in some instances, two rows of books.
Finally, she pulled out an old book that had to be at least fifty to sixty years in age. Blowing a bit of dust off the cover, she read the title. The History of Equestrian Entertainment. On its cover, a small set of board games were displayed in a haphazard pile. Pressed up next to them, there were some different toys for foals. One was a pair of Celestia and Luna dolls. Their slightly dead-looking eyes bore into her soul. Along with that, a single painting of a trio of ponies on a stage was in the background. One was holding a skull of a griffon, and was waving an arm around dramatically.
Determining that she would probably not be lucky enough to find anything else, Starlight kept the book in her magical grip and then trotted around to the front, where the owner looked up again from his book and smiled. A smile creeping on her features, she placed the book down on the table.
"Ah, I see somepony is interested in vintage toys." He got up and inspected the book. Flipping through its pages, he found no price sticker. After scratching his chin for a moment, he said, "Well, normally I'd charge at least thirty bits for something like this, but since you're a friend of the princess, I'll give you a discount." He tapped his chin. "How does half price sound?"
Grinning at her luck, Starlight quickly opened her saddlebag and pulled out her bit bag. With a glow of her horn, she hastily slipped the requested bits out. "Sounds like a deal!" she replied, floating them over and placing them on the table. In return, she grabbed the book for Sunburst and began to head toward the exit.
Before she left, the owner called to her, "Happy Hearth's Warming, er, I hope your other friend likes the book!"
Blushing, Starlight didn't look back, but she did answer by saying, "Thanks. Oh, and happy Hearth's Warming to you." She stepped outside and felt the snow crunch underneath her hooves. Slipping the book into her right saddlebag with the nearly empty bag of bits, she began to walk back toward Twilight's castle.
For once, she had a spring in her step, and her tail swished lightly as she pranced across the now mostly devoid of activity town square. The market vendors had closed early for the night. A few had signs promising to return for the morning of Hearth's Warming Eve, others instead wishing ponies a happy Hearth's Warming.
In the back of her mind, she thought, "Hopefully he doesn't have this. Antiques were always his thing." Soon, she slowed her pace to a more thoughtful trot as she began to make her way over the bridge leading to the castle. She eyed her saddlebag and fussed to herself, "Oh, I really hope I didn't mess up!"
Her mind once again racing, she failed to notice when she almost collided with a tree, only dodging out of the way of its trunk because of the face full of pine needles she received. Spitting out the needles, she got back on the path to the castle and soon climbed the porch.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door to the castle and saw that, thankfully, Trixie had not completely demolished the interior. In fact, she spied the warm glow of a fire coming from the living room that she had spoken to her in earlier in the evening.
After closing the doors to the castle, she took off her toque and trotted up the staircase toward the living room. Her hoofsteps left small bits of snow on the crystal floor, which soon melted into puddles. Eventually, after most of the snow had either melted onto her hooves or fallen off, her steps began to squeak as she approached the living room.
"Trixie," she called, peeking around the corner and looking for her friend. Before she could continue her thought, she froze and soon smiled as she saw Trixie passed out on the couch, her magician's cape used as a blanket. A few soft snores escaped her friend's lips, and she rolled over, facing closer to the half-lit fire in the fireplace.
Ducking back, Starlight checked the time on a clock on the opposite wall. It was only ten after eight, but Trixie had been going since early in the morning and then she put up the decorations on the tree. Starlight shrugged. Trixie deserved a bit of a rest.
When she poked her head through the doorway again, she looked at the now fully decorated tree. The topper was reflecting the light of the fireplace and sending it sparkling across the room. Garlands of tinsel adorned every few branches and added to the beauty of the tree. Additionally, the ornaments were neatly spaced every few inches to provide a symmetrical appearance.
Suddenly, two violet eyes were in her face, and she heard Trixie cry, "Hi, Starlight!"
Screaming in surprise, Starlight fell back onto her rump, a soft crack reverberating through the hallway. Rubbing her rear, Starlight hissed, "Ow." She looked up at Trixie, who was looking excitedly at her. "Trixie!" she exclaimed. "What? How?"
"Ah ah!" Trixie placed a hoof on Starlight's muzzle to silence her. "Trixie may have been having a small nap, but she could hear your hooves a mile away." Chuckling, she continued, "You really need to work on your sneaking skills, Starlight."
Grumbling, Starlight got to her hooves and set down her saddlebags. From the bags, she grabbed the lights and ornaments that she had bought earlier. She watched as Trixie's eyes widened and sparkled with excitement.
"Which do you want to do first? The outside, or the halls?" Starlight offered, raising the lights for the first question and the balls for the second.
Like a foal in a candy store, Trixie couldn't decide between which to do first. "Um, well, Trixie isn't sure," she finally admitted with a shrug.
At that, Starlight said, "All right, then we'll do the outside decorations first." She put the bag of ornaments next to her saddlebags and then slid her toque back on. Motioning for Trixie to follow, she headed back down the hallway and then out the doors of the castle.
While she was busy getting the boxes of lights open, she looked up into the sky and watched the stars twinkle. There was no moon tonight, giving her a perfect opportunity to observe the stars if she wanted. If only it was a bit warmer.
After a couple more minutes, Trixie stepped out onto the porch, too. She wore a light pink sweater with matching boots and toque. The toque didn't quite fit and kept sliding down her face and sticking on her horn. In a fit of anger, she grabbed it with her magic and threw it back into the castle. She turned to Starlight and said, "Trixie didn't need the warmth anyway."
Laughing a bit, Starlight offered Trixie one side of the light string and used her magic to lift hers. Gingerly, the two unicorns straightened out the lights and found spots on the trunk of the castle to hook them into. Once they were finished with that set of lights, Trixie asked, "Um, Starlight. As much as Trixie loves these new magical lights, they do require, you know, connection to the magic grid."
"Already thought of that, Trixie," Starlight said with a small grin. She grabbed the next set of lights and lifted them in her magic, Trixie grabbing hold with hers and helping her.
Soon, both sets of lights were strung up on the castle, looking at the moment like giant, stretched out spiderwebs.
Standing back to observe their work, Starlight nodded and looked to Trixie. "Okay," she began, lighting her horn and focusing on the plugs of the lights. Normally the plugs would connect to the socket that led to the spell matrix grid, but since there were no plugs on the outside of the castle, she had to improvise. "We're going to work together to power these things."
She squeezed her eyes shut and reached out with her magic to feel where the plug was. "Just, do what I do. Feel for the plug. When you find it, send a bit of juice its way. They don't require much."
Soon, she felt Trixie's magic reach out with her own, and the two fed some magical energy through the plugs and into the lights. Opening her eyes, she saw the lights slowly blink on. If the lights were powered normally, their glow would have been a pearly white. However, the bulbs were figuratively bursting with energy from the two unicorns. Most glimmered an electric cyan, but a few sparkled bright pink. Occasionally the lights would switch colors as they tapped into either Starlight’s or Trixie’s magic.
Taking a step back, Trixie smirked and observed the lights before glancing to Starlight. Her face fell when she spotted Starlight's own slightly dower expression. Arching an eyebrow, Trixie asked, "I-I know that there's something else bugging you, Starlight. Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"
Growling, Starlight shot a glare at Trixie and said, "Just drop it. Please?"
"Okay, okay. Tell you what? Trixie will make dinner tonight." At her friend's sudden paling, Trixie hastily added, "Trixie has been practicing her cooking more. She's mostly confident nothing bad will happen."
"Mostly?" Starlight echoed, a bored expression replacing her glare.
The two walked into the castle and put away their winter gear for the night. After Trixie closed the closet door, she turned to face Starlight again and nodded. "How does a nice spaghetti and tomato sauce sound? Trixie has been wanting to try that one for ages." Sauntering up to Starlight, she poked her in the chest with a cold hoof. "Besides, Trixie knows that you got something for Sunburst. You can go wrap it up while she makes dinner."
At her statement, Starlight's stomach let loose a loud growl, reminding her again that she hadn't eaten since lunchtime that day. Sighing, she lowered her head and said, "All right, Trixie. I'll do that. But what about the interior decorations?"
"Oh, Trixie can handle that, too." Trixie waved a hoof dismissively. "Multitasking. She's great at it. Had to do it all the time on her magic shows."
"Right," Starlight flatly answered. She looked at Trixie for a minute, her friend chuckling nervously and avoiding her gaze. Finally, she turned to go up the stairs and trotted toward her saddlebags.
Grabbing the bags in her magic, she pulled out the book she had bought and made her way down the hall toward one of the supply cabinets. After spending a few minutes wandering, passing a couple of war rooms—whatever the tree of Harmony needed those for—and yet another pool that decided to appear, she found a storage closet and opened it. Inside, she managed to find a few different styles of wrapping paper and scissors.
Items in magical grip, she smiled and trotted back to the living room, passing the two-level carriage garage and indoor theatre. She did a double take and looked again into the theatre. She swore the door before had led to the pool. Some days it seemed like the castle liked to play tricks on her.
Eventually, she got back to the living room, sat down on the floor, and dropped the rolls of paper next to her. The crackling fireplace provided a soothing background noise. Placing the book on the floor, she inspected the different types of wrapping paper at her disposal. There were a couple of different reflective options, along with one that was covered in different seasonal baked goods.
Before she could make a decision, she smelled the aroma of pasta cooking in the kitchen and a hint of garlic and other herbs. She licked her lips. Was Trixie throwing the garlic into the spaghetti sauce or making garlic bread?
Turning her attention back to the gift for Sunburst, she grabbed the blue reflective paper and the scissors and began to measure out the book. She placed it along the center of a wide sheet and then sliced through the paper with her scissors, leaving a clean cut to deal with.
Her tongue sticking out as she concentrated, she brushed a bit of her mane out of her face as she attempted to get the paper to wrap around the book. Fiddling for a few more minutes, she let go of the paper with her magic and checked the results. Before her was a book-sized, blue, reflective rectangle. Nodding to herself, she realized that she didn't have a ribbon and quickly teleported back to where she believed the supply closet was.
A moment later, she reappeared in a flash of cyan. Groaning, she spotted that the gust from her teleportation had pushed the book a short distance. It managed to scrape along the scissors, ripping most of her wrapping job to shreds.
Smacking a hoof to her face, she sat down again and grabbed a different roll of paper. This time, she chose the magenta reflective paper, as it went better with the yellow bow that she had found. Repeating her steps, she soon had the book wrapped again. This time, she held a hoof on the paper and began to measure the ribbon of the bow around it.
When she felt that the length was right, she quickly snipped the ribbon with her scissors and used her magic to tie it around the book. After a few more seconds, she lifted the book up to inspect it. Satisfied at her work, she grabbed the loose paper and rolls and stacked them to the side of the living room. She took the book and teleported it to her room, where she could then take it tomorrow to send to Sunburst.
As she set it down on her nightstand, she looked at one of the pictures of she and Sunburst and sighed. "Hopefully this doesn't arrive too late," she thought, and then teleported back to the living room.
Seconds after she reappeared in the living room, she heard a shriek come from the kitchen. "Starlight!" she heard Trixie scream, voice in full-blown panic.
Heart racing, Starlight dashed toward the kitchen. She galloped down the staircase to the main entrance and rushed across the floor. After nearly sliding into a wall as she turned, she soon reached the kitchen and froze in place.
The kitchen was on fire. Figuratively and somewhat literally. Trixie was pressed against a cabinet in the far corner of the room. Shakily, she was using a frying pan as a makeshift weapon to ward off giant eggs. Starlight blinked. What magic was Trixie trying to do to cause that?
Trixie squealed again as one of the eggs, feet sprouting through the shell, attempted to bash its way toward her. A couple of its brethren also attempted a pincer maneuver to get around her improvised sword.
Heaving a sigh, Starlight ducked and put up a shield spell as a group of flying measuring cups tried to bomb her with different ingredients, ranging from flour to milk. Aside from the chaos of the magically enhanced ingredients or utensils, the sink was on fire. It wasn’t something in the sink. It was the sink itself. How Trixie had managed that, Starlight didn't want to know.
Lighting her horn, Starlight charged a quick spell and shot at the giant eggs, which soon froze in place and shrunk down to normal. Next, she grabbed the measuring cups in her magic and chanted a few quick spells, which quickly turned them back into the inanimate objects they should have been.
For the fire in the sink, she just summoned a massive cube of ice and let it drop. A loud sizzle rose from the sink, and she turned to glare at Trixie.
Chuckling nervously, Trixie said, "Oops."
"I don't even want to know." Starlight smacked a hoof to her face and turned to look at the stove, which had somehow managed to not be damaged in the chaos. Needless to say, however, the spaghetti was ruined, and smoke was beginning to billow from the oven.
As Trixie slowly got down from the cabinet above the counter, Starlight said, "How about I cook us dinner?"
"Trixie likes that idea." Trixie enthusiastically nodded and avoided Starlight's lingering gaze.
Sighing, Starlight turned away and began rummaging through the cabinets for something that she could whip together. To her chagrin, most of the cabinets were empty, save for the occasional ingredient or two. After scraping through them all, she managed to find ingredients for a green bean casserole and went to work on preparing the food.
As she was cutting the beans for the dish, she turned her head and asked Trixie, "So, what are your plans for Las Pegasus?" With little attention paid to the knife, it slashed a bit higher than it should. Its tip pricked Starlight in the fetlock, and she yelped at the pinch of pain. Sucking on the small cut, she furrowed her brow and grunted.
"Well..." Trixie drawled, thinking of the words to say. She watched as Starlight went back to cutting the vegetables. "Well, uh, Trixie did already say that she was seeing Jack Pot's Hearth's Warming show. Uh, I may have been given a VIP ticket."
"Right, but what else–Wait, a VIP ticket? How in Celestia's name did you pull that off?" Stopping her preparation, Starlight faced Trixie and arched an eyebrow.
"Well, Trixie may have a few connections, if you catch her drift," Trixie admitted, a few nervous laughs escaping her mouth.
Humming to herself in thought, Starlight didn't answer and went back to cutting the food. Soon, she dropped the vegetables in the casserole dish and began slicing some cheese to melt on top of it. While she did that, she also mixed together the wet ingredients for the dish, pouring that on top of the vegetables before sprinkling the shredded cheese on the mixture.
She inspected her work and then nodded in satisfaction. Opening the oven, she coughed as a plume of black smoke hit her directly in the face. Gagging, she pulled back and heaved while she waited for the smoke to waft away. After she caught her breath, she glared at Trixie. Her eyes stung, and some trickles of water inched down her cheeks.
After the smoke had sufficiently cleared, she bent down to investigate the oven. In the center of the racks were two shriveled, black husks of what used to be garlic bread. With a grunt, she grabbed them with her magic and quickly dumped them into the garbage bin underneath the sink.
Now that the oven was cleared, she grabbed the casserole dish and placed it inside. Closing the door, she turned a couple of dials and set the dish to cook for the next twenty minutes.
Finished for the moment, she sat down at one of the chairs around the kitchen table and motioned for Trixie to follow. When her friend had sat down, eyebrow raised in curiosity, Starlight continued, "Surely you have other plans, right? How long are you staying there again?"
"O-oh, Trixie isn't sure, exactly," Trixie answered, clopping her forehooves together anxiously. A bit of sweat began to form on her forehead as she chuckled a bit. "The invitat–Er, ticket arrived last minute, so she hasn't fully thought it out. Yet."
Narrowing her eyes, Starlight said, "Trixie, there's nothing you're trying to hide from me, is there?" As soon as she said the words, her own stomach sank a bit. Here she was interrogating her best friend while she herself was keeping secrets.
"N-no!" Trixie stammered, avoiding Starlight's look. "Well, maybe Trixie might try some of the casino games later. She did get a holiday bonus, right, Starlight?" Quickly changing expressions, she blinked sultrily at Starlight, who groaned.
"Yeah, sure, Trixie. After you get back." Starlight groaned and made a mental note to pay Trixie extra the next time she got paid.
"And, well, Trixie may check out some of the sights. It's not every day that a unicorn can visit a cloud city," Trixie added, staring out into the hallway. She sighed and rested her chin on her hoof.
In the silence that followed, Starlight pondered her friend's nervousness. Before she could come to any final conclusions, the oven dinged, and she got up and trotted over. Opening the oven door, she pulled out the casserole and placed it on the stovetop.
Wisps of steam rose from the bubbling cheese, and she breathed in the aroma of the green beans and spices. "Not so bad, if I do say so myself," she mused. Another thought coming to mind, she frowned. "Of course, Sunburst would probably do it better."
Sadly sighing, she grabbed a couple of plates from another cabinet and served two portions of the casserole. She placed a plate and cutlery in front of her friend and then walked around to her seat.
After Trixie took a bite, she groaned a bit in pleasure and began to dig in to her serving. Starlight watched as the blue unicorn quickly ate the rest of her food, beating her in record time. Trixie grabbed a napkin and wiped her muzzle before going for a second serving.
When she had sat down, before she took another bite, she looked up quizzically at Starlight and asked, "What?"
Shaking her head, Starlight took a bite of food and said, "Nothing." Admittedly, the casserole was really good. Delectable, she could say. It could also just have been the fact that she was starving and anything short of rotten food would have tasted amazing.
The two ate in silence for a few minutes aside from the occasional clink of a fork on a plate as one took a bite of food. Eventually, Starlight finished her meal and looked on as Trixie finished her seconds. Tapping her hoof to her chin, she began pondering Trixie's trip to Las Pegasus again. Almost instantly, an idea hit her brain on why her friend was potentially so nervous.
"So, you said you got an invitation to Jack Pot's show, right?" she asked, trying to see if Trixie would react.
Instinctively, Trixie nodded and said, "Yep. Trixie was invited by Jack Pot to..." She covered her mouth, blushing as she realized her slip. At her friend's knowing grin, Trixie begged, "Please, Starlight! Don't share this with anypony. I-I haven't seen Jack Pot in years, I don't know how this will go."
"So, would it be too far to hazard a guess that he's your dad?" Starlight inquired, leaning over the table and placing a hoof on one of Trixie's. When her friend looked into her eyes, she smiled reassuringly.
With a sigh, Trixie nodded.
"I don't know what's so bad about that. Don't you want to spend time with him?" Starlight raised an eyebrow in confusion, pulled her hoof back, and got up and went around to Trixie. She nuzzled her friend affectionately.
Whinnying softly, Trixie got up and backed away from Starlight. She shrunk down a bit and muttered, "No, not really." When Starlight looked at her in surprise, Trixie added, "Jack, uh, Trixie's dad was always a bit... well, pushy."
Starlight scoffed. "Yeah, don't see the resemblance."
Growling, Trixie snapped, "Starlight!"
"Sorry, I shouldn't joke." Starlight held up her hooves apologetically.
After waiting a few seconds, Trixie continued, "Trixie, well, Trixie hasn't seen him, oh, for at least seven years? It was just before she finished magician's school, and he tried to hold a show there for him and celebrate his success at raising a second generation of magicians." She stomped a hoof on the kitchen floor and began to pace around the room.
"Oh," Starlight said. She tried thinking of anything else to add, but her mind came up blank.
"And then, and then!" Waving her forehooves in the air, Trixie grunted in disgust. "He sends me a letter out of the blue with a VIP ticket! He said that there was something important to tell Trixie!" She stopped and glowered at Starlight, as if she'd have the answer. "What does he want? To get Trixie to see how amazing of a magician he is compared to her? To gloat how he's living the life and she's 'stuck' in Ponyville as a counsellor?!"
Falling down on her rump, she covered her face in her hooves and moaned, "Why, why did Trixie agree to go? Oh, this will be a horrible time!" A few faint sobs came from Trixie as she sat on the floor.
Rushing to her friend's side, Starlight gave her a hug and whispered, "It'll be okay. What did the letter say?"
Shakily taking a few breaths, Trixie stammered, "I-it said that he had something important to tell Tri–me, and he hoped to see me soon. It had the ticket, that's all."
"And is that how he'd normally write to you?" Starlight continued, tightening her grip a bit.
"No, normally he'd begin with gloating about his latest show." Trixie sighed. "Now Trixie knows where she got the attitude from." A few weak laughs went through her frame, and Starlight released her from the hug.
Getting up, Trixie wiped a couple of tears from her eyes and resolved, "Trixie will still go. Maybe... maybe he deserves a second chance like she did." Smiling, she looked to Starlight and said, "Thank you."
"It's what I'm here for!" Starlight answered, swinging a hoof across her chest in an arcing motion. "Yep, what would you do with me?" As Trixie turned to put her plate in the sink, Starlight sighed and looked to the floor.
"Trixie will let you know how it goes," Trixie stated, turning around and flashing Starlight a weak smile. As Starlight stood up, she glanced away and bit her lip. Stifling a yawn, she said, "But now, Trixie needs her beauty sleep. She has to get up early for her train to Las Pegasus."
Slowly, she cantered out of the kitchen and into the hallway. Looking back, she grinned and nodded. "Happy Hearth's Warming, Starlight. Trixie wishes you the best for the new year." Before she left, her eyes lit up and she coyly added, "And try to relax, if you know what Trixie means. Wink." She winked and trotted out of sight.
Blushing profusely, Starlight listened as Trixie's hooves echoed down the hall and up the staircase. Soon, her friend's hoofbeats were out of earshot, and she was alone in the kitchen. With a sigh, she looked around the messy room and grimaced. Muttering to herself, she said, "And I'm alone now. Again. Also I’m stuck doing dishes. Again."
She grabbed her own plate in her magic and placed it in the sink. Although the metal was a bit slagged, it still was functional enough. As much as she was tempted to make Trixie responsible for the cost, she grunted and decided to fix it later. It wasn’t like she was going to have much company over Hearth’s Warming.
Turning the tap, she let the water warm before putting in the soap. There was still a small amount already in the sink from her emergency fire extinguishing measures. Tiredly, she cleaned the dishes she and Trixie used for dinner before hastily scrubbing the counter and putting the kitchen back together as best she could. Cracking her back, she trotted around to behind the table and looked at her work.
"You'd swear that nothing happened in here, well, aside from the giant scorch mark in the sink," she mused to herself. Suddenly, she yawned and stretched her whole body. As she arched her back, a couple of pops resounded, and she felt something loosen. Wincing, she rubbed her back a bit and decided, "I should probably head to bed, too."
Another yawn escaping her lips, she trotted out of the kitchen, extinguishing the lights before she left. As she entered the main hallway, she noticed a stack of gifts near the entrance that wasn't there when she passed by before. Resolving to investigate in the morning, she climbed the staircase and walked past the now dark living room.
She grabbed her saddlebags in her magic and made her way down the dark hallway toward her room. Slowly, her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, and she stopped to look at the pale light from the stars filter through the windows and crystal of the castle.
Despite being in the warmth of the castle, she shivered as she pictured how cold the air outside must be. Already, a few tendrils of ice were beginning to grow on the windows of the castle, and she took a minute to look out one and observe Ponyville.
Plumes of woodsmoke or steam rose from the houses in town, as families spent the night before Hearth's Warming Eve gathered together. With that thought, she whimpered a bit and looked to the floor. A lump began to form in her throat, but she managed to push it and the tears threatening to well up in her eyes down.
Starting up her trot again, she soon reached her room and used her magic to open the door. Once again, the holiday lights were dark, so she tried kicking the wall, this time to no avail. Grunting, she flicked the lamp beside her nightstand on and exhaled. Gently, she set her saddlebags down near the entrance and then pulled out the perfume bottle. The liquid inside glittered.
She inspected the small, contoured star-shaped bottle. Screwing the top off, she took another sniff of the fragrant liquid and sighed. She twisted it back on and then took a look at the label. Midnight Essence, it read.
Avoiding the piles of paper and other things on the floor, she made her way to the bathroom and put the bottle in the mirror cabinet. Stepping back out into her room, she eyed the mess of things and resisted the urge to send them all away. Where exactly that would be, she had no clue, but the copious stacks of paper, books, boxes, and other things were beginning to drive her up the wall.
Her head throbbed, and she felt like her hooves were nothing but lead weights. She treaded her way to bed, she flopped face-first into the soft mattress. Letting out a content sigh, she rolled over and stared at the ceiling for a couple of minutes. Finally, she lolled her head to the side and looked at one of the pictures of she and Sunburst.
Expression falling, she levitated it over and stared deeply into Sunburst's eyes. The two of them were leaning against each other, in front of the cafeteria of the school the day before classes started. Starlight's face was beaming, and she proudly wore her new headmare uniform. Conversely, Sunburst was smiling serenely at the camera, a slight blush on his features.
Sliding a hoof down the frame, Starlight put it back on the nightstand and looked at the gift that she had wrapped. It reflected the light around the room, making it appear that there were a few stars on the ceiling.
Starlight readjusted herself on the bed and kicked off a couple of the throw pillows. Normally, she'd do a bit more to prepare for bed, but she felt like she could pass out any minute. Scooching herself underneath the duvet, she sighed again as she felt the heavy covers squish lightly on her, making her feel safe and secure.
Turning her head to the side, she looked at a pile of boxes near the far-left corner of the room. They had arrived a few days ago, also from her dad. Probably her stuff that he had cleared out of her old room. Curious, she decided to open the top box and grab the first thing that was inside. A few seconds later, a worn photo album was floating in front of her face.
Resisting the urge to yawn, she opened the album and whined when the first picture was of her mom and dad. A few tears began to well up, and she briefly looked through the next few pages, all of pictures of her parents before she was born, potentially before they were even married.
Her heart rate increasing, she closed the book and shut her eyes tight. Willing to purge the images from her mind, she curled into a fetal position and softly cried. The last few thoughts before she slept were of Sunburst. "Where is that dork when I need him?" she groused to herself, a few tears falling from her muzzle and soaking into the pillow underneath her head.
Fitfully, she fell into the dark abyss of sleep.