Snowfall Frost froze, the light of morning seeping in and lighting up the vibrant colors of her bed curtains, the hoof rest of her bed digging into her stomach in the same manner as the dreary stone from before. No sooner had a breath of relief escaped her than her hooves slipped, and with a shout she met the floor with her cheek.
Groaning out her sudden startle of pain, she picked herself up and rubbed her face, becoming more aware of the fact of morning. A pause passed through her head, until at once a shock passed through her very soul, and she arose with a shout, throwing herself to the window and flinging open the shutters.
Her eyes passed to and fro across the street before her. Holly garland hung from the streetlamps, and ribbons and wreaths made up the doors of houses, strings of lights weaving back and forth across rooftops and chimneys and windows.
“It sure looks like Hearth’s Warming,” Snowfall muttered to herself. Laughter grabbed her attention from below, and she looked down upon a small grouping of foals running along the sidewalk.
“Hello!” she called to them. One foal, a young pegasus colt, looked up to her. “What day is it?”
The eggshell colt’s brow eyes peeked out from under his cap. “Hearth’s Warming!” he called up innocently.
Snowfall pulled in a sharp breath. “It’s Hearth’s Warming. It’s really Hearth’s Warming! All of that happened in one night–of course it did, the Spirits can do whatever they want!” She beamed down at the colt. “Thank you, kind lad! And Happy Hearth’s Warming!”
“You as well, miss!” the colt called out before galloping along to catch up with his friends.
“There’s still time,” Snowfall breathed. “There’s still time!”
In a sudden burst of energetic motion, she pulled her window shut, prancing about her room with shouts of joy rivaled only by the Spirit of Hearth’s Warming Present.
“I’ll do it!” she declared to no pony. “I’ll live in the Past, Present, and Future all year long. For the rest of my life–oh, this wonderful, wonderful day!”
She changed into her best suit, intent on running across town to the party that would take place that night, only to realize it was still morning. “I…what am I to do until then?! I can hardly wait! Oh, how long has it been since I’ve been to a party–much less a Hearth’s Warming party?! Do I bring gifts? I don’t know! Hah! Will it matter?”
With a flare of her magic, each and every candle in her house was lit, chasing away every shadow and highlighting every curve and edge therein. “Well, look at that! The walls really are that color!”
So great was her overflowing jubilee, she nearly sent herself down the stairs via the bannister, only to hold herself back when it occurred to her the pain that may be felt should she slip and tumble. She nearly tripped anyway, with the speed with which she ran down them. Snatching her tophat from the coat rack, she unceremoniously plopped it onto her head, straightened it, snuffed every candle, and threw open her door. She had nearly taken the first step down her front steps, when she turned to her door knocker.
“I promise, Miracle,” she vowed. “You won’t hear one more scowl of genuine nature from me. Thank you for the chance you gave me, and I pray it gives you some peace.” With a solemn nod, she allowed her smile to return, and leapt from her porch.
“Happy Hearth’s Warming!” she greeted each pony she passed, many returning the salutation without realizing who gave it until they looked to properly address who had spoken. Upon seeing their greeter, they were promptly silenced by shock, to which Snowfall was unaware, as she had already trotted a ways down the street to hail the next pony.
Approximately halfway into the town, she spied a familiar purple unicorn–the same that had come into her warehouse yesterday asking for a donation.
“Excuse me, Starlight Shimmer?” she called, stopping the unicorn and her dragon in their steady trot.
“Snowfall Frost?” Starlight Shimmer returned with shock.
“Yes,” Snowfall nodded, humility rising upon her face. “I…I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday.”
“That’s…quite alright,” Starlight Shimmer gave an uneasy smile, taken aback by the sudden total change in the mare’s demeanor.
Snowfall Frost gave an apologetically kind smile. “If you wouldn’t mind…” she leaned in, whispering in the other mare’s ear. Seafood Dinner, close enough to be in earshot, gave a surprised shout.
“My goodness!” Starlight Shimmer exclaimed. “You can’t be serious!”
“I am,” Snowfall nodded. “Not a bit less, either!” She met the stunned expressions with a warm smile. “Come by my office tomorrow, and we’ll work out the finer details.”
Starlight Shimmer and Seafood Dinner gave a numb nod, and Snowfall Frost beamed, bidding them goodbye and prancing along the street once more, sending the greetings of the season left and right.
The rest of the day went on in much the same way. Snowfall Frost may have walked about the town ten times and not have cared in the slightest. Nor did the others she passed, many of which had seen her more than once by the time day turned to evening, and many gathered themselves together to attend the fellowship within town hall.
Snowfall herself, overcome by a small bout of nervousness, kept herself from going right away, and instead waited until many had already gathered within.
Snowfall Frost pulled on the best serious expression she could, realizing she had nearly forgotten how to do so. She thrust open the doors, a small gust of wind announcing her entrance. Ponies near the entrance—many of which had not seen her in the previous hours—upon looking to see who had disturbed the interior air, stopped whatever they were doing at once the moment their gazes fell on Snowfall Frost. The next second was a uniform turning away from her presence, the ponies wondering what reasons she had for coming at this hour, yet not wishing to incur whatever wrath she may have held.
Snowfall, for her part, pulled out her pocket watch under the guise of checking the time to hide a wave of glee that threatened to break her facade. Composing herself once more, she replaced the watch and scanned the room, immediately finding her clerk in the corner by the window with her two friends.
She exuded as much of an air of no-nonsense as she could muster, stepping towards her employee. Snowdash’s eyes appeared to gain size with every step she took, until they were as large as dinner plates by the time Snowfall Frost was right in front of her.
"I wish to speak with you outside," she implored curtly.
Snowdash sucked in a strained breath, something in her countenance breaking. "Please," she breathed, "please not tonight, Snowfall."
"Auntie, please," Merry joined in the effort.
Snowfall Frost aimed a glare at her niece, her heart skipping a beat as she did so. Her niece quieted, and she raised an eyebrow to Snowdash. "Outside. Now."
At once, the unicorn turned, heading for the door. Behind her, Snowdash looked back at her friends, each of them giving her a worried look, before she swallowed and followed her employer. From the other room, three fillies galloped in, giggling happily. The little orange pegasus in the group glanced over at the movement of familiar color, her steps slowing when she saw the retreating tail of rainbow being led out by her sister’s employer.
Outside, Snowdash stepped down after Snowfall Frost into the cold cobblestone walkway. Snowfall stopped a bit to the side—near the very window Snowdash had previously been standing by inside--and faced her clerk.
Again, Snowdash tried to appease the older mare. "Please," she begged, "don't do this, I...I'll come in early tomorrow—I'll come in tonight, I—" she was cut off by a raised hoof from Snowfall, who addressed her with all the seriousness of a priest servicing a funeral.
"Snowdash," she drew out, making the pegasus gulp, "you have made it clear you care about spending the holidays with your friends and family far more than you do about your work." She paused at the rising expression of panic worming its way through Snowdash’s face. "It is for this very reason...that I am giving you a raise."
It was here Snowdash experienced a rare sort of reaction, one that can only come about from a sudden, unexpected turn of events from something not at all intended in the way previously perceived. Such an event tends to leave one trembling from the body's building up of energy in preparation to fight or to flee, only to be stopped short by the mind as it desperately tries to grasp and make sense of the contradictory information it has received. This would, in turn, create an unusual form of confusion that leaves the individual with a physical dizziness, as if their very hooves were unexpectedly swept out from under them as they went about a leisurely stroll.
From this very confusion, Snowdash fought with her two conflicting emotions, and was only able to utter a single syllable.
"...what…?"
Snowfall Frost took a definitive step forward, repeating, "I...am giving you...a raise."
Snowdash's dizziness began to subside, her body realizing she was not in any danger. Still, her mind tried to work through the words, and demanded clarification. "Are...are you...serious?"
Snowfall could not contain her joy any longer, and broke out in the widest grin Snowdash had seen on just about anypony. "Of course I'm serious!" Her resounding chortle made her clerk flinch, snapping her out of her mental fog.
Now, Snowdash’s eyes widened for a different reason. But before she could think to express a proper reaction of any kind, Snowfall Frost outwardly contemplated, "Now, you do about twice the work as the average pony paid on your salary...so why don't we simply double it? Yes, that works, and that is final." With a smile like that of a foal on Hearth's Warming, Snowfall Frost decreed, "Beginning from the next time you come in to work, your salary is now doubled."
Snowdash’s jaw fell in an excusably uncouth manner, the mare’s dizziness once again returning. She fell to her haunches as she lost feeling in her legs for reasons unrelated to the cold. Her voice attempted to express her gratitude, but was only capable of escaping in broken syllables and malformed noises.
Snowfall smiled warmly, her secondary objective reminding her of its existence. "Oh! And…" she stepped closer to her clerk, voice dropping to a more secret volume, "I would like to make arrangements for that little sister of yours."
Snowdash’s jaw slackened once more, tears springing to the mare’s eyes and threatening to fall onto her cheeks.
“Come now,” Snowfall Frost sympathized in a cheerful tone. “There won’t be any of that on Hearth’s Warming Eve.” Snowdash hesitated, nodding and pulling herself together as Snowfall added, “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Snowdash sniffed, giving another nod, before she threw her hooves around the unicorn. “Thank you so much!” she cried.
Snowfall, startled by the sudden display of affection, hesitated before returning the gesture. “You’re welcome.” She smiled at the sudden feeling of warmth that began to fill her chest, spreading through her shoulders and legs and filling every part of her body from the tip of her horn to the toes of her hooves.
Finally, the two broke apart, and Snowfall suggested. “Shall we go inside?”
Snowdash rubbed a final tear from her cheek, nodding while a smile beautifully adorned her face. Together, the two trotted back inside, ponies both confused and pleasantly surprised by the smile they found upon Snowfall’s face. Her own warmth seemed to be felt by all others around her, and the attendants graciously went back to their previous conversations.
The mare’s walk was interrupted when Snowdash was bumped, a small figure grabbing onto her foreleg. Scootaluge looked up at her sister with concern, and Snowdash did not hesitate to scoop up the filly, laughing wholeheartedly as she spun, rising into the air, holding Scootaluge close to her chest.
Snowfall watched the exchange, the older pegasus sharing the good news with the younger. Her eyes fell to her niece, and she humbly approached the one she had scorned yesterday’s morn.
“Merry,” she greeted softly.
“A…Auntie…” Merry returned.
Snowfall searched her niece’s eyes, finding a familiarity in them she had tried to fight for so long, and now wanted nothing more than to embrace. “I am…so sorry for my actions yesterday…and for every time before. I’d like to spend more time with you and Carol Belle…if you’ll have me…”
Merry’s eyes widened at the show of kindness from her usually cold-hearted aunt. A small moment of wondering passed through her, and she quickly dismissed it, not caring what may have caused the sudden change, and being perfectly content to embrace it with every part of her being.
As such, she threw her forelegs around her aunt, capturing her in a tight embrace. “Bless me–of course we will! This Hearth’s Warming and every one after!”
Snowfall felt the newfound warmth within her swell, and elated tears dripped down her face as she returned the hug from her niece.
“Merry?” asked a small, unsure voice. Snowfall glanced down, meeting the eyes of her second niece, Merry’s younger sister.
“Oh, Carol Belle!” Merry shouted happily, hooves moving from Snowfall to embrace the youngest unicorn. “Say hello to our auntie, darling!”
“Hello,” Carol Belle greeted, once Merry had let her go.
“Hello, there,” Snowfall Frost returned, pulling her little niece into a tight embrace, unable to contain her joy any longer. “I haven’t seen you since you were just old enough to run.”
Carol Belle gave a nervous little chuckle, and over the filly’s shoulder she saw her oldest niece wipe a tear from her eye.
Snowfall rose from the embrace just as Snowdash landed, carrying her younger sister upon her back. Snowfall crossed to the duo, face nearly in a cramp, but her joy too overwhelming to allow her muscles a break.
“And you must be Scootaluge,” Snowfall Frost grinned, holding out her hoof for the little pegasus. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
“Hi,” Scootaluge greeted shyly, shaking Snowfall’s hoof. “You, too.”
A shuffling to Flutterholly grabbed Snowfall’s attention, and she found the eyes of the little earth pony staring up at her in earnest, as if she were holding herself back from saying something she didn’t want others to hear.
Snowfall looked upon the little earth pony, recognition pulsing through her heart as two faces–one from her distant past, the other from much, much closer–made themselves known to her. She smiled at the filly, stooping a bit to her level. “You are Rose Bloom, correct?”
The little filly hesitated, then gave a shy nod. Snowfall smiled kindly at her, and brought her muzzle to Rose Bloom’s ear.
“If you would do me a favor: tell your sister ‘thank you’ for me the next time you see her.”
Rose Bloom startled, a sharp intake of air leaving her slack-jawed. Snowfall returned the look with a smile, humming a warm chuckle. The filly’s shock was nearly instantly replaced with joy, and a bright smile broke out on her face. Snowfall gave the foal a wink in time for a dance to be queued by the record holder.
Dances were had, conversations rose and fell. Snowfall shared many a tale of Hearth’s Warmings Past, shared in the merry fellowship of the Present, and joined in the hopes and dreams of the wishes for the Future.
Far too soon, the party began to draw to a close. Ponies began milling out the door, offering the host their thanks and wishing each other a Happy Hearth’s Warming.
Snowfall accompanied her nieces, clerk, and friends to the door, where she smiled upon the steadily-falling snow healthily covering the ground and lighting upon those who passed through it.
At once, she felt Snowdash stop. “Oh no…” the mare breathed. “We stayed out too late.”
Snowfall, in confusion, looked in question as to what the mare meant. When she was met with fear from both Snowdash and Scootaluge, she understood the grim implications snow could bring for the two.
Merry and Flutterholly stopped, as well, unsure how to help the two but not willing to leave them behind. With a thoughtful hum, Snowfall looked to the falling snow, and smiled contently.
“Allow me?”
Snowdash’s eyes whipped to Snowfall, and met their earnestness. A brief hesitation passed through her, before she gave a nod.
Snowfall reached out with her magic, and picked up Scootaluge. The little pegasus was transferred to her back, and she smiled at the filly, powering up a spell.
Steadily, the two were surrounded by a red glow, pulsing gently against the cold night. “Are you ready, little one?”
Scootaluge was unable to hide her unease in her eyes, but gave a nod all the same. Snowdash stepped with Snowfall as the unicorn moved out from under the balcony.
Scootaluge braced for the snow as if it would have struck her. The cold that reached for her little frame bounced away, deflected by the blanketing spell Snowfall had cast.
Snowdash watched cautiously, tension slowly fading when she noticed not a single sign of struggle from the filly, who then opened her eyes once she realized the cold could not reach her.
Snowfall looked back as the filly removed her face from her mane, staring in awe at the flakes that brushed and stopped upon her muzzle before melting away in her breath. A small chuckle escaped her, and she reached out, gathering more flakes upon her hooves before her gaze turned upward, and she marveled at the white flakes of frozen precipitation falling like a gift from the heavens.
“It’s like we’re in the stars!” Scootaluge laughed, stretching her hooves to brush as many snowflakes as she could.
Snowfall, hearing a sniffle, pretended to not notice Snowdash wiping joyful tears from her eyes. The older pegasus embraced the younger, still on Snowfall’s back, and planted a loving kiss on her forehead.
Snowfall Frost felt her own warmth pulse, feeling Hearth’s Warming coming to its close. But she knew, for her and for all her new friends, that this was only the beginning.