ACT ONE
It was that time of the year again…
The grounds were white with snow, kids were ice-skating, tobogganing, or just having friendly snowball fights.
Others were decorating, wrapping gifts, setting up trees and everything else.
Donations were being made to help feed the poor and homeless too.
Still, the one thing Princess Twilight loved was all the jolliness, smiling faces, and warmth coming from everyone as she strolled through Ponyville with Starlight and Spike—as part of their Hearths Warming Preparation duties.
Twilight shut her eyes and breathed in softly but deeply.
“Are you alright?” asked Starlight.
“I’m fine, I’m just smelling the sweetness of Hearths Warming. I can just feel it all around me.”
She looked all over at all the ponies and other creatures giving helping hooves to others-- holding doors open, reaching for high places, or giving others a boost up to help with the decorating.
Some were already exchanging presents, despite Hearths Warming being a week away.
“That’s the part I love most.” Spike said, eyeing all the presents.
Twilight looked disappointed, “Spike, you know Hearths Warming is more than just the presents.”
“I know, but I still love it.”
Starlight chuckled, “He’s got a point, I like presents too…”
Twilight looked cross with them both.
“…But I do love all the warmth too.” Starlight quickly said.
Many ponies passed by wishing the group, “…Happy Hearths Warming.”
The Cutiemark Crusaders were going around selling fresh-baked cookies for their own school charity.
“Would you like some?” asked Sweetie Belle.
Spike couldn’t stop drooling at the sight of how delicious those cookies all looked.
Twilight decided to buy a whole box, much to the Crusaders’ delight.
“Yee-Haw! We just made a big sale!” cheered Applebloom.
“Thank you, Twilight.” Said Scootaloo.
“You’re very welcome, girls, and Happy Hearths Warming.”
“Happy Hearths Warming!” the girls replied as they went off on their merry way.
“That was so nice.” said Starlight.
Spike was too busy in a daze over the cookies in the box, but Twilight only took out three-- one for each of them.
The rest she intended to share with passersby for free, as her own gesture-- much to Spike’s slight chagrin.
“Thank you…”
“That’s so nice.”
“I’d expect nothing less from you, Princess.”
Many nice comments, and all the smiling faces just warmed Twilight’s heart to the point where she felt she had to loosen her scarf.
Then she looked in the box and saw, “Aw, there’s one cookie left.”
Spike wanted himself, but Starlight shook her head at him, leaving him sulking in disappointment.
One pony came along-- a pale green coated Earth Pony with a soft brown mane, and his cutiemark was that of a Pinetree with snow all over it…
…He didn’t look very happy, though. He even looked a bit disheveled-- he had tiny bit of facial hair, his mane looked a little frazzled, and he was wearing a ragged coat, beat up boots and a very old looking scarf.
“Happy Hearths Warming…” Twilight said offering him the last cookie, but much to her surprise, the pony gave her a weak smile while holding up his hoof and gave her a polite, “No thank you.” and he just walked off.
Twilight kept looking at him with wide eyes until he disappeared around the corner.
“What was that about?” asked Starlight.
Even Spike was shocked, he didn’t even bother to jump for the cookie that Twilight was still holding in her hoof.
Just then, Pinkie Pie came galloping up the road calling, “Twilight! Twilight…!” she stopped before her, catching her breath. “…Need to… talk about… something…”
Then she saw, “…Ooh, cookie, and she just chomped it down on impulse.”
“Ah, rats!” grumbled Spike.
“What’s wrong?” asked Starlight.
Pinkie asked, “I was out giving my usual holiday cheers-- you know I love doing that.” She then revealed a sack of candy canes she had on her saddle.
Spike nearly fell into another daze again at the sight of those shining candies, but this time he kept his head.
Pinkie went on explaining, “…I came across this green pony. He looked as if he could use a friend, and I offered him a candy cane, but he said, “No thanks” and just went off.”
“Green pony?” murmured Twilight. It couldn’t just be a coincidence that it was the same one who just refused her too.
Rarity then came along, and she looked ready to pass out, but not from walking through the snow. She was nearly having one of her fits again.
“Oh, Twilight, thank goodness I’ve found you! The worst thing I have ever seen has happened! It’s so horrible!!”
She kept on ranting and whining until Starlight gave her a hard stare telling her, “…Say it!”
Rarity explained how she, too, came across a green pony, “He seemed badly dressed in such rags and filth. I offered him to shop in my boutique-- I have the best winter garments, not to mention most fashionable-- and he had the nerve to brush me off!”
“He brushed you off?!” snapped Spike. He hated it when others acted shameful towards her. “How dare he! Just what did he say?”
Rarity then felt embarrassed and admitted, “Well… perhaps he didn’t really brush me off. He said, “Thank you, but no” rather politely.
…But that still is no reason to reject a fashionable offer from moi, especially considering the clothing he had.”
The others were far from amused, but Twilight felt it had to be that pony who passed her.
“Who is he?” she wondered. “And more importantly, why does he look so down, and at Hearth’s Warming, of all times.”
“Uh, oh…” Spike groaned “…I think I know what’s coming.” He was right-- Twilight had that look in her eye.
“I think we’ve got a Friendship Mission.”
The other ponies agreed.
“First we have to find that pony and talk to him.” suggested Twilight.
“Uh… just one problem,” said Starlight. “…Does any-pony know where he is?”
They had all seen the guy, but by now he was probably miles away.
“No problem. I got this.” said Pinkie, and she mysteriously bounded her way up a lamppost and shouted into a megaphone. “HEY, EVERY-PONY!! WE’RE LOOKING FOR A GREEN PONY WITH RAGGED CLOTHES!
ANY PONY SEEN HIM?!!”
Naturally, none of the civilians had any idea of who she was referring to. Some others even ignored her, and they all went about their ways.
Pinkie hopped back down to the ground. “Well, I tried.”
The others shook off the shock and awkwardness from her antics.
“Well, what do we do now?” asked Spike.
“He’s got to be around here somewhere.” said Twilight. “Let’s split up and look for him.”
The group agreed, and split up, but Spike stayed with Twilight.
Pinkie searched all kinds of places, especially unusual-- under rocks, in trashcans, up the lampposts… typical of her.
The others didn’t have much luck either.
Every pony they questioned always shook their heads, unaware of the pony they were talking about.
A few hours later, the gang all met up at Sugar Cube Corners for some hot cocoa.
“Boy, did that feel like a waste of time.” grumbled Spike.
Rarity could barely bring herself to levitate her hot cup to her lips; she couldn’t stop thinking of that pony, whoever he was.
“He could freeze out there with the clothes he has on!” she cried “We simply must find him! We must!”
“Keep it down!” scolded Starlight. “We don’t need the entire café to hear us.”
Twilight was too lost in her own daze, constantly stirring her cocoa to the point that it started to thicken from evaporation…
…Until Carrot Cake came along with a letter. “Twilight, this came for you. It doesn’t say who it’s from though.”
“Thank you.” replied Twilight.
The letter simply read…
“If you seek me, then meet me in the meadows, by the lone redwood after dark.”
Was it that much a coincidence, or some kind of trick?”
“It can’t be from him.” said Starlight.
“But we can’t prove that it isn’t.”
Spike examined the letter. “Why would he ask us to meet him after dark, and in the meadows?” he shivered with thought. “It’s even colder at night, especially out there.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes at the letter.
“Twilight are you actually thinking…” Spike said, but Twilight already nodded. “I’m going to do it.”
“Twilight, you can’t!” cried Rarity. “You know it’s dark out there in the meadows at night, and Spike is quite right. It will be positively freezing!”
“Besides…” added Pinkie “You know the curfew-- Ponies are supposed to be at home after sundown.”
Twilight was well-aware, but the temptation was too great. “…This is an important matter, and besides. What if he stands out there all night and I don’t show up.
He’s already violating curfew. I can use the excuse to investigate.”
She then looked around at all her friends, “I could use some company out there.”
The friends all looked back and forth at one another…
…Then, at night, they were all out in the meadows. It was dark-- being out of town, away from all the streetlights-- it was snowing, and cold. The friends had wrapped themselves in extra warm clothes, and blankets, and had a little bonfire… but it was all starting to lose its charm.
“I wish I was home in my nice warm bed!” shivered Spike.
Pinkie gave a huge sniff. Her nostrils were so cold she could hardly feel it. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”
Twilight was the only one who didn’t seem cold. Her mind was far too fixated on meeting the strange pony to let the cold bother her.
“Come on, Twilight…” Starlight said “This is just one big hoax. We’re all getting cold.”
Twilight sighed. She was beginning to feel that this was a waste of time… until…
…She could see someone in the distance coming up to the tree.
“Who’s that?” asked Rarity. It was still rather dark to make things out clearly.
Twilight stepped out into the open, and the stranger came into full view-- the Green Pony she had been hoping to meet.
“So, you’ve come.” he said in a rather gloomy voice.
“What’s your name?” Twilight asked.
The pony shook his head, “That’s not important. Nothing is now.”
Twilight didn’t like the way his voice sounded-- all gloomy and shaky. These were signs of a downhearted creature.
“Why have you called me here?” she asked.
“I need you to do me a huge favor.” the pony paused, trying to find it in himself to say it out loud. “Princess Twilight Sparkle… I want you to--” he paused again “What I mean is--” he stopped again, and then finally he let it out.
“…I need you to kill me!”
Twilight’s eyes bulged!
“What?!” snapped Rarity.
Pinkie gasped in so hard she practically vacuumed up the falling snowflakes into her mouth.
“What did he just say?!” exclaimed Spike.
Starlight was totally speechless!