School had been quite a change in Eclipse's life. He was used to being confined to his home with no one other than his parents and Nullah to talk to while he read and played with what was given to him. The same boring routine over and over again. But this time was different!
Every morning, Eclipse would wake up to Nullah playing 'REVEILLE & ASSEMBLY,' on his little bugle horn while dressed in his drill sergeant's hat. It surprised the boys their first morning and made Notus fly into the ceiling in shock while Eclipse fell out of his bed. They've grown used to it and if they ever needed a few more minutes in they just had to boop the boop to snooze the boop. they would meet up with the girls in the cafeteria or go out to town and find something nice to eat for breakfast before heading to their classes.
Out of all the classes, he loved the friendship history classes that taught about this world's past and the friendships that bloomed and perished. He liked meeting all the animals and caring for them in Fluttershy's class, but he wasn't so fond of gym class. He was never the sporty type. But they played different team-building games with his friends, and it felt so great to run around and be with Winter and the others in class every day, learning and doing something new.
Some nights, he would meet with Winter to sneak out of campus to go visit the animals at the sanctuary. There he could be in his true form and do some chaos magic. Half the time it was him showing off his skills and the other half is them talking about school or home life and learning more about each other, growing closer as friends.
“It’s almost Heart's Warming Eve,” Winter mentioned one day as autumn was quickly passing on, the two outside the Sanctuary, after helping some animals get ready for hibernation. “Will you be heading home for the holidays?”
“Yes!! I mean, no, I mean...maybe? My parents honestly are not great organizers..” Eclipse replies, “but honestly, I’ve never celebrated Hearts Warming. So I don’t know what to do..” he looked a little down. While he knew about it, celebrations were not something he had done, asides from his birthday of course.
“Well if you’re staying around you’ll get to witness the magic of it all here in Ponyville!!” She flew up to dive into a pile of leaves. Laughing and having fun as she sprouts up to make a leaf pony angel. "I can't wait for the first snow..."
The leaves were so colourful they fell with elegance. He smiles and blushes while watching her. She was so cute he thought “hehe well I mean could I stay with you... maybe,” he said, nervous to ask.
“Oh, I guess. I’ll be flying to Cloudsdale to have dinner with my parents if they’re not busy, then again they might be attending some Wonderbolt party...” she thought, “you could help me bake some brownies though!! Nullah can be our little taste tester!” Nullah quite liked the sound of that, his little tail wagging.
“Oh, I’d love that! Nullah” He flew up excited then dived Into some leaves they went everywhere
When they were alone, he can be himself around her because she knew his secret, which he wasn't really ready to tell the others yet. After some leaf jumping they just raced through the forest.
It was freedom like he never knew and she was the world to him, they could run for hours laughing, tumbling, and having fun. Even though the trees were a beautiful sight, Winter was the only thing he could look at. She would look at him and feel similar.
“Well…I better get back to work, and make sure all the animals are ready for hibernation!” She chuckled nervously, quickly flying off and accidentally through a tree. She shook what leaves and branches were caught in her mane and tail, “I’m good!!” She called back with a nervous laugh before flying off. Nullah waved off to her as she flew off.
Autumn leaves fell and soon the snow would come it was cold but beautiful, Winter marveled at it, especially with her family history it gave her a sense of understanding. Then it began snowing! She caught a snowflake in her hoof, looking at its details before it melted away. She looked up again in thought, “what is my talent…”
Estelle saw her fly by, and she could see Winter looked rather contemplative, Estelle sat down and drew the image. When Winter glanced down to see the forests getting covered in the fresh snow, she saw Estelle sketching away.
“Oh, hey Estelle,” Winter greets her flying down, “how are you enjoying the snow?”
“Gahhh you moved! that would have been a great moment,” she said half serious, and chuckles.
“Oh, sorry, here,” Winter apologized and turned back looking up at the cloudy sky.
“It's nice, we don't get much snow from where I live. it's lovely, it helps me feel calm” she replies, turning to a new page and sketching Winter again, “so your cutie mark?..” She says wanting to know.
“Oh! I don’t have one,” she lifts her wings to show. Frowning sadly, "A grown mare without a cutiemark, a rather rare case,"
“That’s odd why don’t you have one? I’m not an expert, I'm sorry if it’s personal”
“Not it’s fine! I just…haven’t found what makes me special is all,” she shrugged.
Estelle finishes her drawing, a pegasus lost in thought in the falling snow, it looked very whimsical, “you have a lot of potential in you, I can tell. I also know you and Eclipse are close,” she smiles, showing it to Winter.
“What?! We’re just friends! And what potential?” She frowns, looking down at the ground. Before admiring the drawing, "Wow, you're amazing at this kind of thing, if you were a pony your cutie mark would definitely have something art related!"
She smirks “as an artist I see things and I mean you two do spend time like he’s pretty quiet around most other creatures around you though he’s so enthusiastic” she gets up “I heard you two are spending hearts warming with each other” she giggles
“His parents are away on a trip so he’s pretty much alone, I felt bad for him!!” She explains. It was hard covering up for him sometimes, but she made it work.
“Well, one way or another it’s great you do that for him,”
“It's what friends do for one another,” Winter replies bashfully, “The thing is...I don’t know what to do for his gift…”
“He's a nice stallion I’m sure if the gift comes from the heart it should be good,” she winks cheekily, "Especially if it's from his dearest friend,"
Winter blushed at the hint, before groaning and falling backward. Laying on the ground. A snowflake fell on her nose. “I don’t know Estelle…It's not like that! We're just friends,"
Estelle pats Winter's head “Let’s look around town together, I’ll help you!”
“Thanks, but I have to help miss Fluttershy with the animals and hibernation preparations,”
"Then maybe I can help you! More hoofs to carry the load and get the work done faster! Just show me what to do,"
"I guess that's true, alright, thanks again Estelle, I'm glad I have a great friend and roommate like you," Winter says honestly as Estelle helped her up. They made their way to the Sanctuary to help Fluttershy with the animals by providing them food to be stored, comfy sleeping places, and training the birds for their long flight north.
Winter and Estelle were able to get things done much sooner than Fluttershy anticipated and wished them happy holidays as they left for Ponyville. Many stalls were being put up for the holidays but nothing spoke to her. Little did they know that Eclipse was there too!
He was worried as he paced around the town but had no clue as he had never celebrated the holiday before. He hoped that by going to town he would gain a better understanding but so far it was just a lot of decorations and random stuff being sold. He did see some ponies lining up at a stall with colorful paper and ribbons with other ponies wrapping things. Presents! This holiday had presents too!! Which meant he need to give Winter something!
But he barely knew Winter, so with what little he knew Eclipse wandered around the market as he searched for a gift, he was stumped too. Thankfully he ran into Notus who was looking at a stall with antiques.
“Hey Notus I need help!!” he shouts hurrying over to his friend.
“Oh, hey Eclipse, what’s up?” He asked turning to him.
He was a little out of breath, “Wow.. running without magic to help is like….oh sorry, umm, so ya know this Heart's Warming thingy... that’s happening like really soon?...”
“Yeah? What about it?” Notus raised a brow. “Do you need help shopping or something?” Nullah was around Eclipse's neck like a scarf. Wearing his own little knitted hat
“Well it’s only a few weeks away and I'm spending it with Winter and well... I kinda have no idea what I'm doing or what to get her!”
“Ahhh shopping troubles, come on let’s look around,” Notus put his wing over him as they walked around. "Don't worry, I'm kinda an expert with this after learning about the story and its history,"
Eclipse let out a sigh of relief, “thanks bro, we are spending the whole night together and I got to do something special,” he says rather innocently though Notus starts to assume.
“Ohhh, my friend you want to impress your mare friend? Then I know all the tips and tricks, every ins and outs to arouse her,” he winks Eclipse didn't take much notice of what his friend was implying.
When they didn’t find a single thing, they decided to take a train to the Rainbow Falls seasonal trading fair. This way, they had a much bigger variety.
It was super busy! More than just stalls this was a great trade center now with more than just ponies coming to trade and buy. It was a mix of cultures for all races to exchange and share. Even in the cold winter, it maintained its magnificence.
Nullah saw a didgeridoo and slithers over to it, taking a deep breath and blowing into it to place a beautiful tune. Nearby creatures gathered to listen and tear up at the song, clapping and applauding for the boop when he finished. One of them threw a rose he happily caught with his tail as he bows. The stall owner was so moved they gave the instrument to the boop for free! Eclipse and Notus made their way through the crowd to Nullah, who proudly presented them the instrument as a gift idea for Winter.
“Aw, it’s nice Nullah but I don’t think she will know how to play it,” Eclipse smiles. Teleporting the instrument to their room at home for safekeeping.
“Exactly! You wanna win a girl's heart, you gotta go big!!!” Notus says then Eclipse looks at him confused.
“Huh? What do you mean I just want to have fun with her” Eclipse recalls. Notus's eyes widened.
“Ohhh, I see so it’s like that! Well then, there might be something for those needs~” Notus implies, who had thought the two were already a thing had misunderstood, Eclipse was totally confused but figured it was the custom of the universe or something.
They decided to split up o cover more ground. Notus flew one way while Eclipse trotted another. However, he saw a whole crowd gathered around one stall and he went to check it out.
“Lady’s and gentle colts!! Step right up for a deal you can’t refuse on these one-of-a-kind, limited edition, Phoenix feather accessories!!!” The stallion there announced making everyone excited. But Eclipse smelled a rat. Having studied many magical creatures in his books, he could tell the feathers they had were fake.
“THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS!!!! Taken from the great Phoenix itself, just for a small price of 34 bits!” The stallion said with great enthusiasm Eclipsed looked around him and saw he captivated the others, carrying bags of bits to buy some immediately before they could possibly run out. So Eclipse decided to speak up.
“Umm, why are they….such a dark orange?” Eclipse asks the stall owners, the crowd stopped and looked at him in confusion.
The two colts looked a little nervous and saw the strange purple pon. One of them adjusted their very fake beard, “well it’s that dark because it comes from the rarest Phoenix that ever lived!!!!”
Eclipse raised an eyebrow seeing through this rather obvious and embarrassing con, “and that is?..”
“The elder Phoenix!!! Since phoenixes are practically immortal it’s rare to find own so old before it is reborn!!!,” The second con unicorn spoke up. The others nodded since it sounded believable.
Eclipse burst out laughing, “Bffffhahaha! Sorry, sorry, but the elder Phoenix?!... That’s too good! You know that’s not how the species works, I might be clueless on this Hearts Warming celebration but I know these dimensions animals, and Phoenixes are all Equal in age due to immortality so none of them are older than the others.” the crowd didn’t know what to believe they all started mumbling to themselves.
The con ponies looked at each other more nervously then. “Well I’m sure a fine fellow such as yourself is searching for a gift for a special somepony, perhaps we could be of some assistance?”
He walks up, “well, I am but, I’d need more than some fake feathers.” Nullah smelled one of the accessories and sneezed then gave a look of disapproval. If he had eyelids he would glare.
“Well, we do have some other things in storage, perhaps they could be of interest to you?”
“Hmm I don't know, I guess it’s worth a look as I have no idea what I'm doing…..ok but no funny business! Nullah has a good sense of character and he doesn’t like you two.”
“Right this way!!” They said letting him into the back, “soooo, what are you looking for and who is this fine pony you’re gifting?”
“She’s just this mare who I’m really close with, and it’s important I do this right!” he said determinedly, walking with them to their storage tent.
“Well I’m sure we can find something,” they started going through the boxes.
Eclipse looks around with them, his head in a scramble. All the boxes were full of completely random and cheap stuff, he wasn’t much impressed but he felt a little tense feeling if he couldn’t get anything for her, he would be a horrible friend! "I can stop time, travel the world, and do homework! But, gift-giving is my downfall.." he thought to himself.
Nullah hissed when he saw some snake-made products. One of the brothers quickly shut the box with a nervous chuckle, “ignore those,”
He looked at the pony with a look that could kill, the two ponies moved quicker not wanting to anger the snake more. “you better find something because if not I’m telling everypony about those feathers,''
They started to offer Eclipse all sorts of random items but none of them were right for Winter!!
"For the tenth time, I’m not getting her a deluxe screwdriver! I mean why do you even have those?” Eclipse said annoyed. Nullah around his neck, just as annoyed.
“Well because our business can get screwy sometimes, do you want stick?” The colt offers, Eclipse hoof palmed.
“Look, it’s a lovely stick but I feel she will want something more! I mean, I need to impress her I need to give her something she won’t forget she’s done so much for me” Eclipse sighed, having a dreamy far off look.
“There you are!!!” Notus yelled peaking in. “Come on, I think I found the perfect thing for Winter!!!”
“Oh ok?” He said as he followed him the two colts sighed a relief then Eclipse piped his head back in, “don’t think I’m done with you two” he squinted then left. Nullah looked at them with another death glare then slithers off.
They ran around the place till they came to a stall. Sitting on the table was a pin that looked like Snowdrop's cutie mark. “Pretty cool right?! Uhhh do you have anything to trade?”
“Oh, that’s very nice! What makes you think she’ll like that?” Elipse questions, not sure if Notus knew or not about her ancestry.
“Well, I feel like she likes Snowdrop and it’s wintery-themed so yeah! You got anything to trade?”
Eclipse got out his saddlebags and looked through them, which was more of a pocket dimension portal if you reach in deep enough. “A badge for a badge... This one is from another di….I mean land beyond Equestria it’s called the cascade badge!” he displayed, it looked sort of like a water drop.
The pony running the stall there squinted his eyes at it, “it just looks like a badge to me,” they say unimpressed.
“Well... there are only a few of them in the multi…. world!” He caught himself, “and it’s a huge badge of honour in the land it comes from, it shows great perseverance and strength!"
“Ehhh sounds nice and all kid but I’ll have to say no. Now your snake friend there,” he took a close look at Nullah.
“Oh no no no no no!! You can’t take Nullah he’s not for bartering, selling, or anything!!!” Eclipse held Nullah close to him, the boop blew raspberries at the stall pony in protest.
“We’ll, if your friend sheds, I could trade it for a hoof full of scales,” he offers.
“I mean... maybe?.. would you do that?” He asks Nullah who looks really annoyed not liking anything from himself used for bartering.
Notus felt offended, “I’m sorry bud, but this is important and I wouldn’t ask this if you normally,”
“Hey, give me enough, and I’ll throw in a bonus item of your choosing from my stash,” the sales pony said. Eclipse gives pleading eyes to his friend.
“Please..” he begged, then Nullah rolled his eyes and accepted reluctantly. A huge light of magic arose and the skin slimmed off the beautiful colours of it were divine Notus was surprised at the power that snake had.
Eclipse picked it up and handed it to the sales pony. He motioned to the chest beside the table for him to look through after he took the pin.
Eclipse looks through the chest it had sims old dusty things but also a few books eclipse was hoping for something good. Notus peaked inside as well, “oh this one might be perfect for you two” he picked an oddly strange-looking book. It was a hardcover with the picture of two ponies really close to one another almost..hugging from what Eclipse could see?
“What’s that?” Eclipse asks having never seen the book before. The cover read, "Fifty shades of a pony~"
“Well, you said you want fun right? You two are close shall we say?~”
Eclipse nodded, “well this is the best way to have fun with a mare” eclipse was confused “I mean are you sure? This looks different….”
“Trust me. This is what you want. Hey! They have the whole collection here!!” He grabbed the rest. “We’ll be taking these, thank you very much!!”
“Thank you,” Eclipse said as they headed off well, "I’m sure Notus knows what he’s talking about maybe it’s just the custom they do in this dimension..."he thinks to himself.