ACT ONE
Another Hearth’s Warming was just around the corner… or a week around the corner, and Ponyville was all decked up and looking beautiful.
Wreath’s and hollies were hung along the lampposts, houses and buildings were glistening with beautiful lights around the roof rims, which dazzled with beautiful colors, especially at night and when it was snowing-- the glistening of the snow would reflect the light and intensify the brightness, making it look as if all the colors were swirling in the breeze.
Gifts were being wrapped; chestnuts were roasting over campfires in the streets.
Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, and Spike were going around town collecting charity donations from neighbors and friends to help feed poor and homeless ponies.
“We sure have collected a lot of money.” said Starlight.
“A lot” is right.” groaned Spike as he struggled to lift up one of the huge bags full of coins. Twilight then levitated the bag up onto her back.
“Thanks, but why didn’t you do that before?” grumbled Spike.
Twilight didn’t bother to snark back at him. She was just so happy and full of cheer and joy.
“I just love this time of year; when every-pony is just being so generous and thankful… I just can’t get enough of it.”
Starlight smiled, sharing her friend’s glee. The past few years since her reformation only got brighter and better each year, and she always made sure to give her thanks for it.
“Hey, we better get going.” she pointed out, motioning to the sack on her back. “We’ve got to bring these to Rarity’s clothing drive.”
Rarity was hosting a drive for ponies to bring their old clothes, or blankets and curtains to her shop where they would be donated to charity, and Twilight had some old things to donate herself-- some old curtains, and blankets and capes.
“Oh, my…!” Rarity exclaimed as she gazed at the beautiful fabrics. “Why these are simply sensational. I could take them and turn them into such exquisite ball gowns, and royal robes, and…”
“Rarity… you’re supposed to be giving these away, not keeping them for yourself.” Starlight pointed out.
Rarity bit her hoof in stress. “…It’s just so hard! I see all these beautiful things and I can’t help myself.”
Spike then suggested, “Well, why not just use whatever you don’t give away and make them into new clothes.”
“Yes…” Rarity sighed happily “That way I can be even more the generous than ever. I’ll donate what I can to the poor, and make whatever is left into new things for others.
Oh, Spike… how clever of you.” and she leaned down and pecked him sweetly on his head, making Spike stiffen straight, and then sigh goofily.
Twilight and Starlight chuckled, and then went around to see all the kinds of displays of giving’s Rarity had for her drive.
More and more ponies were coming in to drop things off, and among them was a middle-aged Earth Pony, whom Twilight knew very well since she first moved to Ponyville.
“…Coin Jangles?”
He was indeed elderly, but not so much, nearing his sixties. His coat was pale brownish and, like the color of burlap, and his mane was a pale yellow due to aging. His cutiemark was that of a small sack of coins.
“Why, Princess Twilight…” he chuckle “How’ya’ll doin’?”
He then greeted Starlight and Spike too, and the trio noticed how much he seemed to be donating to the drive.
“Oh, don’t mind all this, just some things I’ve had for a long time.” he said “Table-clothes, carpets, old clothes of mine.”
“Gosh, you’d think you were giving your home with all that.” said Spike.
Twilight and Starlight noted and felt that way too.
“Ah, shucks, this is Hearth’s Warming.” replied Jangles. “I can be generous if I want to, what else is… there… to be-- Ack!” he suddenly was cringing and groaning in pain that was shooting through him.
“Are you alright?” cried Twilight.
“What’s wrong?” added Starlight.
Jangles took a few breaths and he stood upright again feeling better. “It’s alright… it’s just a small touch of colic. Oh, what a time to get it too…”
“Colic?!” cried Spike “That can be serious in ponies.”
“Shh… keep it down.” insisted Jangles “No need to let the whole town know.”
Twilight was deeply concerned, “Maybe you should go see your doctor?”
“One step ahead,” said Jangles “I already went a few days ago, and the results came in. I’m on the meds, everything will be fine.”
“That’s good to hear.” sighed Twilight.
Starlight and Spike weren’t as convinced, mostly because of the large donations Jangles had just made.
“So, do you have any plans for the holidays?” asked Twilight.
“Uh, oh… here she goes again.” Spike grumbled.
Twilight knew of Jangles, a retired banker who worked hard to help others, but he lived all alone with no family and never seemed to have one.
It was due to this that he often spent Hearth’s Warming alone, and every time since she knew him, Twilight would try to invite him to the Castle of Friendship for the holidays.
Jangles held up his hoof insisted… “Now, now… don’t you be going there again. It’s real sweet of you to offer, but I don’t want to bother.”
“It wouldn’t be a bother at all.” insisted Twilight.
“I second that,” added Starlight “No one should have to be alone on the holidays.”
Jangles smiled, but sighed, “I know you ladies mean well, but I’m used to it; been spending the holidays alone for a long time.
…Besides: my happiness is the joy I bring others.”
Twilight tried to protest, but Jangles insisted, “Now, now… It’s nice to offer, and I thank you for it, but trust me, I’ll be just fine. I’ve done good up to now for a guy like me.”
Not wanting to seem like a whining stalker, Twilight gave up. “Okay… but the offer is always open.”
Then she and her friends went off to do their business, leaving Jangles with a rather sad looking expression on his face.
He began to feel another slight jerk of pain shoot through him, but it passed quickly.
"This is bad." he thought, and then he thought back to what he just said to Twilight about his illness. "I hated to lie to her about it, but it's just better this way. I can't let any-pony know the truth."
As he prepared to leave, his eyes fell over something in one of the many donation crates; an old faded white baby blanket, with pink stripes around the top ridge.
It looked so incredibly familiar to him, and that’s when he noticed in the top right corner was a small, faded stitching of a baby’s name; “Sun Grin.”
Seeing that name and holding the blanket almost made Jangles’ heart stop in complete and total shock!
“That’s my daughter’s old blanket.” said another middle-aged pony.
Jangles turned and saw another Earth Pony standing next to him. He had a red coat, with a brown mane turning a hint of grey with age, and a mustache to boot.
“It’s your daughter’s?” asked Jangles.
“Sure is,” replied the pony. “Seems like only yesterday… it was almost Hearths Warming in Canterlot, my wife and I weren’t very happy that day…
The one thing we always to have was a child, but we found out she just couldn’t have any.
We prayed and we prayed for a miracle, and would you believe… we got one.
We found “her” on the stoop of our home wrapped in this blanket, with a letter telling us to take care of her.”
The more and more he went on, the more Jangles seemed to freeze stiff on the spot.
“Well, I guess miracles do happen on Hearths Warming.” said the father pony. “I better get home. Sun Grin’s coming to visit us over the holidays with my grandkids too.”
“Grandkids…?” Jangles muttered, and he watched the father leave the property, and saw him go to his home just across the road, and actually just a little far up the road from his own place nearby.
He had a queer look on his face; the kind one would get when planning something.