//------------------------------// // The Hearth's Warming Tale Method // Story: How Pinkie Pie "Saved" Hearth's Warming // by Alabenson //------------------------------// “How do you think my ghost costume looks?” Pinkie Pie asked in a hushed whisper as she and Rainbow Dash stood in the bushed outside Twilight’s castle. “Well, you definitely look spooky enough with the chains and the flour in your coat. But, what’s with all that gunk in your mane? Wait, let me guess, you’re going for that creepy, scraggly-maned ghost filly look like in that weird Neighponese comic Twilight showed us last Nightmare Night,” Rainbow Dash said as she inspected her friend. “No, although that does sound like it would be a really good idea for next Nightmare Night. Tonight, though, I’m supposed to be the ghost of Professor Flintheart!” Pinkie declared, to which she received a blank stare from Rainbow Dash. “You know, from a Hearth’s Warming Tale? He warned Snowfall Frost that the Spirits of Hearth’s Warming were upset with her spell and were coming to see her?” “I don’t remember him being a ghost in the story, just the three spirits,” Rainbow Dash replied, to which Pinkie shrugged. “Eh, he’s not in every version of the story. Anyway, talking to Moonwhisper directly didn’t work like I hoped it would, but I didn’t really expect it to. So now I’m going to use the Hearth’s Warming Tail method to show Moonwhisper how important Hearth’s Warming really is to him.” As Pinkie Pie spoke, she began carefully tying a series of white balloons around her barrel. “Hold on, you were really serious about the whole ‘saving Hearth’s Warming’ thing? I thought this was all some kind of weird prank you were pulling on Moonwhisper that you needed help pulling off,” Rainbow Dash said. “Nope, I’m really trying to teach Moonwhisper the true importance of Hearth’s Warming,” Pinkie Pie replied before a sudden look of worry overtook her. “That doesn’t mean you’re not going to help me, does it?” “Nah, even if you don’t mean it as a prank, this is still pretty funny. Weird, but funny,” Rainbow Dash concluded after a moment’s thought, prompting Pinkie Pie to breathe an audible sigh of relief. “So, what do you need me to do?” “Well, first of all, I’m going to need some clouds to disguise these balloons so it looks like I’m floating in the air.” The words had scarcely even left Pinkie Pie’s mouth when Rainbow Dash bolted away, only to reappear a moment later with a cloud large enough to conceal the mass of balloons Pinkie had tied herself to. “That’s perfect! Now if I remember correctly, Moonwhisper’s room should be right up there, so all I need to do now is…” Pinkie Pie snapped her tail back and slapped it to the ground, releasing the anvil she had hidden inside to keep herself from floating off before she was ready. Free of her ballast, Pinkie Pie promptly began floating up into the air, until she finally reached her targe4t window. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent to Pinkie that her plans had hit an unexpected snag. “He’s not in here.” “What?” Rainbow Dash replied while keeping her voice as low as possible. “How is he not in his room, its three in the morning! Are you sure it’s the right room?” “Uh huh, I can see Moonwhisper’s armor manakin thing and everything, but nopony’s inside,” Pinkie replied as she scanned the room for any sign of occupancy. “Maybe he’s in some other room doing guard stuff, let me check another window.” Without bothering to wait for Rainbow Dash to answer, Pinkie began twirling her tail like a propeller to maneuver herself around the outside of the castle, peering into windows as she went. “Nope, nopony in here. Or here. Maybe the next one…” “Uh, Pinkie, you might want to be careful, I’m pretty sure you’re starting to get close to Twilight’s –” “Oh hey, I think I found him!” Pinkie Pie whispered excitedly. “It sounds like he’s in Twilight’s room. I can’t be sure, though, since Twilight’s got her curtains shut, but it definitely sounds like they’re both in there.” “They’re both…” Rainbow Dash could feel her face start to flush as her mind cycled through the reasons Moonwhisper would be in Twilight’s bedroom at three in the morning, and landed on one scenario in particular. A responsible pony would have immediately done everything in their power to convince Pinkie to abort her mission before things went any further. Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash was not an especially responsible pony. “Pinkie, can you tell what they’re saying?” Rainbow Dash asked, only barely managed to stifle her snickering. “I’m not sure, it’s kind of muffled with the curtains, but whatever Moonwhisper’s telling Twilight, she must really agree with him because she keeps saying yes.” Pinkie Pie suddenly let out a horrified gasp as she realized what must be happening. “Moonwhisper must be trying to convince Twilight that Hearth’s Warming is no good! And Twilight’s agreeing with him for some reason! There’s no time to waste, I’m going in!” Before Rainbow Dash could collect her thoughts enough to register what Pinkie Pie was saying, the ghostly party pony used her tail to back up before propelling herself forward, straight into Twilight’s window. Rather than crashing through, however, Pinkie Pie wound up bouncing off the glass with a hollow thunk. “Ooh, that’s right, Twilight warned me she put some sort of strengthening spell on her windows so nopony could come crashing through them,” Rainbow Dash thought as she winced in sympathy for her friend. “That’s probably for the best, though. Let’s just hope Twilight didn’t—” Despite being concealed by the curtains, a few unmistakable rays of light could be seen peeking out from the window to Twilight’s bedroom. “—hear anything.” While Rainbow Dash was too far away to make out any details, she was just able to hear muffled voices coming from inside as the curtains were pulled open, revealing a somewhat disheveled Twilight. As Pinkie Pie peeled herself off the window, it opened and Twilight stuck her head outside wearing an expression that was equal parts annoyance and confusion. “What in Equestria – Pinkie Pie?” Twilight exclaimed as she saw her friend gently swinging in the air in front of her. “Umm…I know not who this Pinkie Pie is, I am the ghost of Professor Flintheart, here to warn the one known as Moonwhisper about the terrible fate his failure to embrace the magic of—” Pinkie Pie wasn’t given a chance to finish her monologue, however, as Twilight promptly conjured a gust of wind to blow away Pinkie’s cloud, and Pinkie Pie along with it. “Nooo! I didn’t even get to say anything about the other spirits that are going to come!” Pinkie Pie protested, all four of her legs waggling helplessly in the air as she drifted away from the castle. The sight was so comically pathetic that Rainbow Dash was left doubled over and shaking with mirth as she desperately tried to keep from bursting out into laughter and giving away her position. “Rainbow Dash! Don’t think that I don’t know that you helped Pinkie Pie with this nonsense!” Twilight called out, pouring a metaphorical bucket of cold water over Rainbow Dash’s amusement. “We are going to have a long talk about this tomorrow!” Rainbow Dash spent the next few moments contemplating the long, tedious lecture she was likely going to receive once Twilight got ahold of her, before shrugging her shoulders. “Eh, still worth it.”