The Equestrian Revolution

by Synclair

Chapter 10 - Hearth's Warming

Snow. That was the first thing I saw when I woke up the next day. When I woke up I tried to remember the faces in the photographs but to nothing. They only raised question after question and no matter how hard I tried, how much I strained my brain, nothing came to. Crying was pointless, it wouldn’t bring them back.
 
“Happy Hearth’s Warming!” Elven Spices burst through the door of Silver-Lined’s bedroom.
 
I turned over to see Silver-Lined next to me rubbing his eyes and giving a long, loud yawn. Then I turned back to Elven Spices who had a massive grin on her face and a large saddlebag filled to the brim with colorful boxes.
 
“No way!” I yelled happily and jumped on all fours.
 
Elven Spices nodded her head ecstatically.
 
“Yeah way!” She replied with the happiness that could only match a foal’s on Hearth’s Warming morning.
 
Silver-Lined propped me up on his back and we followed Elven Spices downstairs. Everypony in Trotten had gathered around in the Inn for Hearth’s Warming. Colorful lights were lined across the walls and wreaths with pretty red bows had replaced the paintings and a huuuuuge tree was placed in the center of the stage where a bunch of presents lied under.
 
Everypony was laughing, as usual and were dancing to the little jingles that played on the radio. It was a warming atmosphere and Silver-Lined sat me at a table with him and Elven Spices. She cooked us some hay fries for breakfast and looked a little embarrassed as Silver-Lined and I pigged out.
 
“I’m awfully embarrassed,” she admitted as if reading my mind, “but I didn’t really have enough time to cook anything special for you two, Brass and Kiara… hay fries were the only thing I could cook.”
 
“Speaking of Kiara, how is she?” Silver-Lined asked.
 
“She’s okay, she could be better, but she’s in a stable condition. Brass is giving her some company,” Elven Spices said.
 
Silver-Lined’s eyes flared up quickly but Elven Spices didn’t seem to notice. I patted Silver-Lined and he gave a swift smile before returning to the plate of hay fries. He clearly had something on his mind. I tried to eat as many hay fries as I could but Silver-Lined finished it before I could even get a decent helping. Silver-Lined stood up to leave but Elven Spices stopped him to talk about something.
 
I hopped off the table and trotted up the stairs. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom walked past me without a single greeting and there was the feeling of emptiness. I turned around but neither of them looked back. I presumed that it was because they were away from each other for a couple of years and they just wanted to spend a lot of time together. Sweetie Belle would come back to me soon.
 
Kiara’s room was right next to Silver-Lined’s. The door was open a crack and I stopped to see if Kiara was talking to Brass Tacks. There was no sound. I opened the door and hopped in and yelled,
 
“SURPRISE!”
 
Brass Tacks had his forelegs wrapped around Kiara, their muzzles were touching! Kiara was vigorously rubbing Brass’ mane and took a deep breath. Their forelegs and legs moved all around each other and I froze. It took them a few minutes to notice me and Kiara shoved Brass away. He seemed a bit upset.
 
“Oh Celestia!” Kiara sighed melodramatically, “I’m alive!”
 
I raised a brow and she bit her bottom lip.
 
“She…” Brass Tacks began then stopped to think.
 
“Passed out!” Kiara blurted out, “I, uh, passed out and he…”
 
She also stopped to think.
 
“Gave her CPR!” Brass finished, “yep, she passed out and I helped her with CPR.”
 
“The kiss of life,” Kiara exhaled.
 
“You were kissing!” I accused.
 
They started to laugh and exchanged nervous glances. Then they shook their heads and messed each other’s manes up even more.
 
“I’m not stupid!” I yelled.
 
Brass Tacks towered over me now with a grimace. His head was lowering to level my gaze as I crouched against his hooves. Brass Tacks slid me across the wooden floor with a hoof and took me outside of the room. I turned my head and saw Silver-Lined trotting up the hallway. I quickly galloped to him and Brass Tacks tensed.
 
“What’s going on?” Silver-Lined asked.
 
Brass Tacks glared at me and I pursed my lips.
 
“Nothin’,” Brass Tacks replied nonchalantly, “nothin’ at all.”
 
“Yeesh, you look all tasseled up!” Silver-Lined laughed.
 
Brass Tacks just huffed uncomfortably.
 
Silver-Lined trotted past Brass Tacks and smiled at Kiara who was pretending to be asleep. Brass Tacks nudged my side softly with a muzzle and gave a nod. His face was as serious as ever. He was intimidating me.
 
“They kissed!” I finally yelled.
 
I felt my mane billow like it was during the Gallapolopolis storm. Then I realized that I was arcing through the air, above Kiara’s bed, bounced off the headboard of the bed and landing right in her forelegs. She looked bewildered and covered my ears with her hooves while Silver-Lined and Brass Tacks started yelling. I wanted to close my eyes as Silver-Lined threw the first punch with his fore-hoof, cuffing him around the face. Then Brass Tacks delivered a hard buck, sending Silver-Lined in the air briefly before toppling over his own legs.
 
Inkwell was the first to enter the room. His initial reaction was shock as the two large stallions battled it out while I bawled my eyes out in the background and Kiara was yelling. She had tried to stand up but she only managed to injure her back leg more. Inkwell charged himself into the center of the two and tried to break up the fight but that only led to a buck in the face and sent him the ground. Blue Bonnet stood in the doorway with a horrified expression.
 
My sobs were uncontrollable as I hugged the bedcovers. Elven Spices finally showed up and Kiara shut her mouth, staring at her with pleading eyes. Elven Spices had no idea what was up until the two stallions stopped and began to yell the situation to her. Elven Spices walked forward and slapped Brass Tacks. Both stallions were bruised and bleeding, they even had a couple of bite marks on each other.
 
Brass Tacks tried to charge at Silver-Lined again but Braeburn and Soarin’ intervened. Spitfire and Inkwell helped Kiara out of bed and both her and Elven Spices began to talk. It was a heated argument at first but then they just exchanged stern words under the supervision of Inkwell and Spitfire. Zecora sat next to me to comfort me and I began to trace the black lines on her coat with my hooves.
 
“It’s H’arth’s Warmin’ everyone!” Blue Bonnet declared, “y’all should be happy and carin’ for one anotha.”
 
Silver-Lined and Brass Tacks were still iffy with each other but nodded. Kiara and Elven Spices weren’t smiling at each other, but they were civil.
 
Everypony wandered downstairs to find that the tables had been rearranged in the center of the bar to act as one, large table fit for a royal family.
 
Silver-Lined sat next to me and Inkwell was on the other. Across from me were Soarin’, Spitfire and Braeburn. Brass Tacks was in the bathroom cleaning himself off but Silver-Lined just fixed his mane and asked Elven Spices for a few bandages and he was done. He asked me to clean the dried blood from his muzzle and I happily obliged.
 
While Elven Spices was in the kitchen still making the food and everypony was busy talking, I decided to go to the bathroom myself. Silver-Lined asked where I was going but I pretended I didn’t hear him and trotted away. The bathrooms were located underneath the stairs and I found Brass Tacks dabbing a cloth to his muzzle. I approached him cautiously but he simply smiled at me.
 
“I- I’m sorry…” I said.
 
He waved a hoof to say ‘forget it’.
 
“What’s done is done, Glace. You meant well, I guess,” Brass Tacks said.
 
I hugged his forelegs and he tensed. I buried my face into his legs and he tried to shake me off gently. He laughed softly and nuzzled my mane.
 
“I’m sorry Brassy! I didn’t want anypony to get hurt!” I sobbed.
 
He picked me up by the mane and placed me in the sink in front of him. He dabbed the cloth on my forehead and it stung a bit. It was a cut.
 
“I apologize,” Brass Tacks said sadly, “I threw you across the damn room. The landing must have hurt.”
 
“Oh, naw,” I said, “it didn’t hurt.”
 
Brass Tacks’ faced softened as he began to wipe my face with a cloth. My face felt puffy again and my eyes were sore from crying. As he finished wiping my face, I felt rejuvenated and I gave my most radiant smile. Then, for the second time, Brass Tacks full-heartedly gave an ear-to-ear grin. My heart melted.
 
“You remind me of South Pole,” I said quietly.
 
“Your father?” Brass Tacks asked, “Inkwell told us about the whole thing. We knew he was going to Gallapolopolis, it was Kiara’s idea and we all backed her up on it. We all knew how much it pained you when Discord read that book to you.”
 
“Oh.” I shrank back in the sink.
 
“No, no! Don’t worry. We’re all a family now, we’re all here for each other,” Brass Tacks said.
 
“Then why did you and Silver-Lined fight? Why did you kiss your own sister?” I asked.
 
Brass Tacks laughed again, “Maybe calling each other family was weird. But you’re like a brother to me, so is Silver-Lined and sometimes brothers fight. Maybe Elven Spices and Kiara are like sisters to you, but I see them as best friends.”
 
“Why did you kiss her?” I asked.
 
“She needed someone. Silver-Lined wasn’t even with her when she needed someone so-”
 
“Silver-Lined was hurt too!” I argued.
 
Brass Tacks patted my mane, “Yes, he was. Now that I look back on it, it was silly of me. Kiara still loves Silver-Lined, I still love Elven. We just need a bit of time to ourselves and we’ll be okay.”
 
“But it’s Hearth’s Warming…” I sighed.
 
“Don’t fret it, Glace. We’ll be okay,” Brass Tacks reassured.
 
Brass Tacks looked at himself in the mirror and handed me the cloth. He pointed to a cut on his chin and I began to dab away at it. Something in my stomach ticked and everything went dark.
 

“Happy Hearth’s Warming!” I yelled as I galloped into my parent’s bathroom.

Winter Withers and South Pole were busy sprucing themselves up for their Hearth’s Warming breakfast party. South Pole propped me up on the counter in front of him and I watched intently as dad began to shave the extra hair growing around his muzzle. The process was slow and intricate and I couldn’t wait to be able to shave my own muzzle too!

South Pole winced as the razor went a bit too deep into his chin and he dropped the razor. I gasped and quickly grabbed a piece of tissue. I dabbed at the red dot and South Pole laughed. We all laughed with each other before ending it with a group embrace.

“Glace,” daddy said, “you’re my only son, and the only one I want.”

“Are you alright?” Brass Tacks asked and waved a hoof in my face.
 
I shook my head quickly and smiled, “I think… I think I’m remembering.”
 
“What?”
 
I galloped out the bathroom and I jumped onto the table.
 
“I’m remembering!” I cheered,” I’m really really remembering!”
 
At first everypony was silent, not quite sure what I was on about. Then Elven Spices and Silver-Lined stood up, clapping and coming over to hug me. Then Inkwell caught on and smiled, feeling happy that he had helped me with my troubles. Then everypony was cheering, laughing and smiling. I caught Sweetie Belle’s admiring gaze and I smiled at her.
 
The Inn rattled and a couple of ponies that were smoking outside came galloping in with scared looks. There was a thunder of party poppers and chocolate rain battered the rooftop. A hole was punched through the roof and the daunting figure of a Draconequus was coming down. A blast of lightening hit the rooftop and sent the edges of the hole on fire, illuminating Discord’s grinning face.
 
Everypony cowered but I threw a plate. Discord blinked at the plate his him in the muzzle and he frowned.
 
“That wasn’t nice,” he said and rubbed his muzzle.
 
I threw another plate, then another and he began to get irritated.
 
“BE STILL!” He commanded.
 
The force of his voice sent me staggering back but I tried to remain defiant.
 
“H- How did you find us?” Elven Spices asked.
 
“I can sense the bitter feelings of promiscuity, young Silver. Oh, and also there’s this annoying nudge in my head that tells me that Glace is remembering things that I’m trying to keep suppressed… I guess I have you to thank for that mister Inkwell,” Discord said.
 
“So you’re the owner, Miss Spices?” A claw picked up Elven Spices by the mane and she tried to wrestle out of it, “such a kind pony, a beautiful mare with such a different accent. Tell me Elven Spices, are there any times that you feel like hurting somepony instead of helping?”
 
Elven Spices shook her head slowly and then curled into a ball as Discord channeled his hypnotic gaze into her.
 
Silver-Lined, Brass Tacks, Braeburn and Soarin’ all launched an attack on Discord. They jumped towards him with their forelegs ready to drag him down to the table where everypony would have a piece at him. Discord laughed and time felt slow as he used his paw to smack them all away. The four stallions smacked against the wall, giving painful grunts before slumping to the ground, weak and trembling.
 
The coldness inside me swelled up and I yelled. Discord raised his eyebrows and then his eyes widened in horror as the small ice particles began to escape my mouth. I inhaled deeply before screaming at him with such a force that the icicles began to thicken and I was finally breathing out a blizzard. Discord threw Elven Spices to the ground and breathed a great flame. The blizzard and firestorm collided, creating a miniature explosion which sent me flying back, but only disrupting him for a second.
 
“Hmm, this is worrying,” Discord mused, “this is going to get veeeeeery interesting.”
 
The skies cleared to reveal nothing but the disarray of twinkling stars and Discord flew away into the sky. The fire disappeared and moonlight shone through the hole, casting a light of elegance into the place. Elven Spices and the four stallions regained their strength and sat themselves at the table.
 
“The celebration shall continue!” Blue Bonnet declared and the music started again.
 
An idea circled around in my mind and I went over to Sweetie Belle.
 
“You’re so brave!” she cheered, “you’re amazing!”
 
I shrugged with a goofy grin.
 
“Come up on stage with me,” I invited.
 
“N- No… I’m not good with shows… ever since the Ponyville School Talent Show. I’m never performing again!” Sweetie Belle buried her face in her hooves and Apple Bloom was nodding her head behind her.
 
I nuzzled Sweetie Belle’s perfect mane and she smiled. She looked at Apple Bloom who shrugged and she nodded determinedly. We both trotted up on stage and I began hum the tune of the Hearth’s Warming Carol. Her cheeks turned rosy as I nudged her and then she began to sing. Her voice was smooth and delicate, like silk to the coat. Her voice was shaky at first, but then everypony joined in on the singing and she began to gain some confidence.
 

Sweetie Belle turned to me with misty eyes but a large smile on her muzzle. She nuzzled me and we hugged. Then we tried our hand at muzzle-to-muzzle kissing like Brass Tacks and Kiara were doing. Everypony laughed but in the background I could hear Rarity yelling for Sweetie Belle to stop, but of course, that only made Sweetie Belle want to do this even more.
 
Sweetie Belle looked at me with her large, emerald eyes before turning bashful.
 
“You’re going to get rid of Discord once and for all!” she said happily, “if anypony can do it. It’s you, Glace.”