//------------------------------//
// Al-moqad al-said al-ahtarar 
// Story: Sparkling Storytime 
// by Captain_Cosmos 
//------------------------------//

“Our first Hearths Warming together. It’s so wonderful.” Twilight said

“Yeah. And with Kicker. It’s sure to be a fun time.” Sparkler responded.

“What’s your fondest memory of the holiday?” Twilight asked.

Sparkler chuckled. “When I was a kid and I experienced a Hearths Warming I’ll never forget.” She said.

“Tell me about it?” Twilight asked.

Sparkler smiled. “Hey Flappy! Twilight wants to know about THAT Hearths Warming.” She called.

“Squawk! Ooh I love that one. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“It must have been pretty special.” Twilight said.

“Is it story time?” Asked their son Kicker.

“Gather around y’all. For I shall tell the tale of the most special Hearths Warming of my life.” Sparkler said.





“It all began the week after I turned 7. And suffice to say, I thought it was going to be terrible for one reason.”

“You’re leaving?” Little Sparkler asked.

“Yeah. Company has us going to the capital or Saddle Arabia for a business meeting Sparks.” Aurora told the filly.

“Can I come?” Sparkler asked.

“Afraid not kiddo. We have nopony there to care for you while mommy and I are at work.” Thundercracker said.

“Aww. But I want to come with you.” Sparkler responded, clearly seeing a chance to escape her tormentors at school for a bit.

“I wish we could sweetie.” Aurora said. “But don’t worry. Ms. Nook agreed to come foalsit until we’re back.”

“Squeak! Will you two be back for Hearths Warming? Squeak!” Flappy asked.

 “That’s the plan.” Aurora said. “And if something happens we’ll Scry Spell you.” Aurora said.

“Ok.” Sparkler responded, disappointed.

“Hey. Don’t worry Sparky.” Aurora said as she hugged her daughter. “We’ll be back to celebrate Hearths Warming with you. I promise.” She said.

“Ok.” Sparkler responded as she hugged her mother back.

“What company do your parents work for again?” Twilight asked.





“They work for a company providing financial consulting for other companies and the like.” Sparkler responded.

“Huh?” Kicker asked.

“Squawk! They work with money Kicker. Squawk!” Flappy responded.

“Oh. Ok.” Kicker responded.

Twilight nodded. “So. Ms. Nook foalsat you for your parents. Did she do that often?” She asked.

“Whenever they needed to go out of town for business.” Sparkler responded.

“So what ended up happening?” Twilight asked.





“Several days later, a day before Hearths Warming Eve, we got the news.”

“Bas news Sparks.” Thundercracker said. “The trains were disrupted by a sandstorm covering the tracks. We’re stuck here in the city.” He told his daughter through the Scrying Spell.

Sparkler gasped. “Wait…what does that mean?” She asked.

“It means we’re not going to be able to be home for Hearths Warming.” Aurora said.

“What?” Sparkler asked, clearly getting upset. “But…but you’re always here for Hearths Warming.” She said.

“We know. I’m sorry Sparky.” Aurora said.

“Nothing we could do. It was out of our hooves.” Thundercracker said.

Sparkler nodded, but it was clear as day she was upset. Ms. Nook agreed to take care of her until they returned. And Sparkler ended the Scrying Spell, before retreating to her room.

Flappy watched her go and sighed. “Squeak! Well that’s not good. Squeak!” He said.

“I know.” Ms. Nook responded. As somepony who had to watch Sparkler suffer in school, it broke her heart to hear that Sparkler only had Flappy to spend Hearths Warming with this year. And Even though she knew Sparkler and Flappy were close, friends came second to family. Poor kid…

“Squawk! I’ll tell this next part because Ms. Nook filled me in ahead of time. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“Sure. Go ahead.” Sparkler responded.

“Squawk! The next day, Ms. Nook was in the teacher’s lounge, Mr. Rhythm was with her. Squawk!” Flappy said.

“You’re kidding. Her parents are stuck in Saddletopia?” Mr. Rhythm asked.

“Yeah. Sandstorm covered the train tracks.” Ms. Nook responded.

“Ouch. No wonder she wasn’t smiling in my class.” Mr. Rhythm responded. It shocked him when he didn’t Sparkler smile ONCE in his class that day, and that NEVER happened. “So she’ll be spending Hearths Warming with you then?” He asked.

“Yes. My family practically begged me to bring her, especially when I told them she only had her parrot.” Ms. Nook said.

“How kind of them to invite her.” Mr. Rhythm responded. “Poor kid. She gets enough crap here in school, she doesn’t deserve to suffer at home too…” He commented, his mind slowly coming up with an idea.

Ms. Nook saw Mr. Rhythm’s expression start to change and raised her eyebrow. “What’re you thinking?” She asked.

“Just thinking how we can make her Hearths Warming as special and memorable as possible.” Mr. Rhythm responded, nodding his head. “Right, I got an idea.” He said.





Kicker raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t grandma and grandpa say they NEVER missed a Hearths Warming?” He asked, confused.

“We’re getting to that part.” Sparkler responded. “But before that, Hearths Warming Eve Comes and Flappy and I are with Ms. Nook and her family. All wonderful ponies and some of the best food I’ve ever had. Ahem, anyway. We hear a knock on the door…”





Ms. Nook’s mother answered the door when they heard the knock. After a moment, she called for Sparkler.

Sparkler and Flappy walked up to the door and Sparkler saw Mr. Rhythm at the door. “Oh, Mr. Mr. Rhythm.” Sparkler said.

“Good evening Sparkler.” Mr. Rhythm responded. “Come outside for a moment. Got something cool to show ya.” He said.

Confused, Sparkler walked outside with Flappy, and she saw what amounted to the whole of Kilihima School faculty and staff. Mr. Rhythm signaled for them to start, and pressed play on a portable record player.



Sparkler, and actually everypony in the house, came out and saw the performance, and at the end of the song, Everypony all called out in unison “Al-moqad al-said al-ahtarar Sparkling Medley!”

Sparkler’s eyes widened. They called her name specifically. That meant they did this for HER. “Wait, this was for me?” She asked.

Principal Lampshade nodded. “We heard what happened with your parents. So we thought we’d do something special to make this Hearths Warming one you’ll never forget.” She said.

Sparkler smiled and nodded. “Thank you.” She said. “I’ll definitely remember this for a long time.” She responded.

Mr. Rhythm smiled, before a pair of voices called out over the crowd. “Did we miss a memo about a Hearths Warming Carol?” They asked.

Sparkler’s eyes widened as the crowd parted to reveal, much to the shock of everypony, Aurora and Thundercracker!. “Mom…Dad?” Sparkler asked, unbelieving that it was really them.

“Happy Hearths Warming Sparky.” Aurora responded, inviting her to hug them.

That was all the invitation Sparkler needed as she galloped towards her parents and crashed into them in a group hug. “You’re back!” She cried out, tears of joy in her eyes.

“Squeak! How? Squeak!” Flappy asked.

“The train tracks were just…Cleared all of a sudden.” Thundercracker responded.

“I’m calling it a Hearths Warming miracle.” Aurora said. “However it happened, it happened.”

“This is the best Hearths Warming ever!” Sparkler cried out, clearly happy that her parents were back in time for Hearths Warming.





“After that Ms. Nook’s mother invited my mom and dad inside and we spent Hearths Warming together.” Sparkler said.

“Wow. It really IS a Hearths Warming Miracle that the train tracks were cleared WAY ahead of schedule.” Twilight responded.

“Did you ever find out how that happened?” Kicker asked.

“There WERE reports of a mysterious creature sighting that aligned with the track clearing. Leading some to believe that creature cleared the tracks.” Sparkler explained.

“Strange.” Twilight responded.

“Yeah. But hey, I wish I could thank them if that were true.” Sparkler said.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and when it was opened, a group of carolers started singing a Hearths Warming Carol. Sparkler smiled as she glanced at Twilight and Kicker, her family. Here’s hoping Twilight and I aren’t put in the same situation as My parents were.” She thought.

To Be continued…