Recent snowfall had coated Ponyville in a thick, glistening white blanket that seemed to have every intention of sticking around. Winter had most certainly arrived in Equestria, but despite the ever present chill in the air, every heart that beat above and below to the ground was alight and warm with excitement; Hearth’s Warming day was only one more sleep away.
The whole town was a bustling, beaming beacon of string lights, garlands, and ponies of every kind making their final preparations for the big day to come and amidst the sea of glad tidings and green stripes, a young dragon and a draconequuss sat contently overseeing the busy market place from a rooftop perch.
Spike took a small sip from his hot coco and spoke, “I just love this time of the year. So much kindness and good will in the air, so many fun festivities to enjoy, so much good food! Hearth’s Warming is just what everypony needs during the cold months. Don’t you agree, Discord?”
Discord snapped his talons to refill his own mug to the brim with steaming hot chocolate. “It’s starting to grow on me I’ll admit.” Discord wasn’t all that accustomed to popular pony holidays, but after his adventure during the prior year’s celebration at Twilight’s castle, he was beginning to see the appeal. The bright, red and green decorations and overly sugared holiday treats certainly did liven up a time of the year that normally would be quite bleek and a bit boring. He dared to even deem it chaotic and for that he had to commend it. He also had to admit that the tradition of gift exchanges had been unexpectedly fun. He blushed slightly at the memory of Fluttershy’s hoofmade gift to him. Tilting his mug away from Spike, he snapped his tail tufts, turning his hot chocolate into a rosy, warm strawberry milk. Looking away he took a long indulgent sip.
“Twilight and I will be visiting Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart in the Crystal Empire this year. What are your plans for the holiday, Discord?” Spike asked his somewhat distant looking friend.
Discord choked slightly at Spike’s sudden question. He tried to pass it off by gently beating his chest with his lion’s paw and recollected himself. “Well, since you’re asking, Fluttershy has invited me to spend the Holiday with her this year. I’m actually supposed to stay with her this evening.” He proudly sat erect. “She mentioned something about it being tradition for some ponies to stay up until the midnight hour and then exchange gifts over breakfast during the morning of Hearth’s Warming?”
Spike shot Discord a high, quirked brow as he nursed his mug again. “Every pony has slightly different traditions for the holiday and that sounds fun… So… what’d you get her?”
Discord’s whole body seemed to drupe, but he quickly regained his composure once more. “Oh, only the best gift in all of Equestria, of course! A gift that’s truly worthy of the friendship that I and Flutter-”
“You haven’t gotten her anything have you?” Spike said flatly.
Discord tried to protest, but could only produce a small gasp before coming up short. He shamefully rubbed the back of his neck. “Perhaps…” He looked down sadly at the little remaining pink liquid that swirled in his mug. “I just can’t think of what she could possibly want. I could find her another rare animal, but I feel like that’d be too repetitive, but she has to have something! She deserves something, but not just anything! She deserves the best of everything, but nothing I can think of seems good enough and I-” He looked to his small dragon friend who was giving him an all too assuming smile. “Don’t look at me like that!” Discord snapped and pointed a claw at Spike’s nose. “That’s not helping!”
Spike nonchalantly pushed the dagger sharp claw away. “Ya know, Discord… gifts don’t always have to be ‘things’. They can be experiences too. You could do something really special for her instead. Something that’s ‘worthy’ of her as you’ve seemed to put it. I mean you kinda did that last year too… Giving her the opportunity to be the hero of the day and all, and she really liked that! Your gift could be just making another memory together!”
Discord perked up at Spike’s suggestion. He still didn’t like the look that Spike was giving him, but admittedly was impressed. Spike was a young dragon, but was surprisingly wise and insightful at times.
He tapped his chin in thought. Hearth’s Warming was proving to be both a simple and complex holiday. It certainly was chaotic.
“Hmmmm. I Suppose you’re right. I only have till this evening to think of something, but I’m sure it’ll come to me,” Discord proudly responded. He knew precisely what to do for Fluttershy, but he sure as Tartarus couldn’t let Spike know.
“Oh!” Spike declared before rummaging through his satchel. “If you’ll be staying with Fluttershy for the holiday, you should take this along with you,” he said, handing Discord a small bundle of leaves tied with a simple white ribbon.
Discord took the bundle and examined it closer. Its leaves were long and thin and from each shoot, clusters of small white berries clung together. It was simple, but quite pretty.
“And just what in Scorpan’s name is this?” He asked, rather confused.
Spike leaned back into the roof’s shingles with a triumphant little smirk. “Eh, ask Fluttershy. She’ll tell you.”
Discord glared suspiciously at Spike, who seemed all too happy to leave Discord with an unanswered question.
"I'll take your word for it," he said, snapping the little plant cluster away for the time being.
Discord finished off the last sip of his rosy, warm drink before getting a devilish idea. Spike was looking all too pleased with himself lain on their rooftop perch and Discord couldn't help but disrupt him.
"So, what'd you get for Rarity then?"
Spike flung to the air in sudden desperation. "Sorry, Discord! I gotta go, uuuuh... have fun with Fluttershy and happy Hearth’s Warming," he stammered before zipping off.
Discord sipped away his mug looking rather smug himself. "That's what I thought."