//------------------------------// // Hearth's Warming Special // Story: A Twisted Crush // by Derpsanddinks404 //------------------------------// The day before Hearth's Warming break. A very important day, usually longer than the others due to the eagerness of the schoolfoals waiting to leave their classroom and celebrate the best holiday of the year with their families. Plus, today was usually the day where many of the young fillies and colt's shared their presents with their friend's, a very common practice in the small town of Ponyville. Featherweight sat quietly in his seat while the class went up in a buzz. He was feeling down in the dirt today; he had forgotten to get a gift for Twist. He planned it all out: he was going to get her the limited-edition Catz toy she'd told him about. But alas, he had forgotten to ask his mother, and today was the only day he could give it to her. This was because tomorrow his family was going to Los Pegasus to visit his uncle Picture Perfect and his family. He sighed at his stupid mistake and slammed his forehead down on his desk in shame. Miss Cheerilee must have noticed the colt's despair, for she walked to him with a look of worry. "Everything alright, Featherweight?" she asked in her always nice voice. "Yes, Miss Cheerilee," Featherweight lied, mumbling. "Oh, I don't think that's the truth," Cheerilee responded with a slight chuckle. The teacher looked around the room and pondered what would cause a foal so young to feel depressed during the holiday season. She was about to give up when she saw a certain rose-maned filly talking with a friend. "This wouldn't happen to be about Twist, would it?" she asked with a slight smile, already knowing the answer. She may not be the most observative pony out there, but it didn't take a Sherlock or Doctor Whooves to figure out the little crush between the two. Featherweight sighed in defeat and lifted his head to confront the persistent teacher. "I... may have forgotten to get her, er, a... gift," he trailed at the end into a whisper. Nevertheless, Cheerilee was used to the quiet voices of many young and shy foals, so she heard everything just fine. "Well, I don't think she'd mind if you were a bit late," she assured the little pegasus. "Maybe you could bring it to her house tomorrow-" "That's just it," Featherweight interrupted. "My family and I are going to Los Pegasus to see my cousins. I won't have any time for a present!" He lay his forehead back onto his desk and started to cry a bit. He expected Miss Cheerilee to sit next to him and soothe him, a gesture he very much didn't want right now, especially with the whole class around. But Cheerilee, being well-accustomed to saddened foals and knowing when to leave them, did the opposite of Featherweight's expectations. She walked away and returned to her desk, where she sat waiting for the first bell. She glanced at the clock; another three minutes. She sighed and prepared herself for one more day until her (secret) trip with Caramel to Manehatten. A minute later, a sudden idea popped into her head. Checking the clock again to see if she had time (two minutes, an affirmative), Cheerilee stood up from her seat and walked over to a candy-cane-cutie-marked earth filly in the front row. "Can I speak with you a minute, Twist?" Featherweight's mood hadn't improved that day, even with the absence of actual work in school (they had spent the day making crafts). When he had arrived at home, he wanted to be alone in his room. His mother had inspected his condition twice, both times receiving a very untruthful "Everything is fine, Mom!" But Featherweight's mother eventually knew that that would eventually be the truth, for after she had served up that night's peas-and-carrots soup, the phone rang... That night, everypony in the Weight family was happily preparing for their big trip across Equestria. That is, everypony but Featherweight, who felt dread with every item he packed in his bag. He was almost finished with his clothes and about to move on to basic toiletries when his mother knocked on the door. "Come in," he reluctantly said to his way-too-happy-right-now mother. Mrs. Weight walked in and trotted lightly over to her way-too-sad-right-now son on his bed. "I just got off the phone," she started, knowing full well that this news would lift his spirits. "So?" said Featherweight a bit bitterly. His mother ignored his tone. "It was Twist's mom..." Now she had the colt's full attention. "She had talked with Miss Cheerilee earlier today," she continued. Of course! Why trust a teacher with a secret? Featherweight thought with distaste. He wanted to question what their conversation was truly about, even though he knew the answer very clearly, but instead let his mother continue. "They talked about a certain crush of hers who had felt... remorseful, over the absence of a gift?" Featherweight's mother had a tendency to use complicated words now and again. "You know, it isn't all that bad if you forgot a gift. Twist even says that everything is fine-" "But it's not!" interrupted the pegasus colt, who appologized for doing so and shocking his mother a second later. "Mom, you don't get it! I needed to get her that gift! Needed to!" His mother sighed and put a reassuring hoof over his shoulder. "Listen sweetie, we can get her the gift after Los Pegasus, okay? There's not much I can do beyond that." "Alright," sighed the dissatisfied colt. Featherweight's mother planted a kiss on her son's forehead and stood up. She left the room to go check up on Heavyweight's progress. She walked away with a smile on her face and a warmth in her chest, for little did her son know she was planning more than just getting the gift for him to get Twist that Hearth's warming... The morning was just like any normal Saturday morning. Breakfast consisted of toast and yogurt with some milk, and everypony in the Weight family showered and prepared for the day ahead. All was going as per usual until the doorbell rang. "Feather, could you be a sweetheart and get that please?" his mother had called from the kitchen. The young foal did as his mother asked and opened the front door a minute later. One could only imagine the surprise and confusion on his face when the doorway revealed a white present with a blue bow on the doorstep. "Huh?" he asked while scratching the back of his head. "Who is this for?" He reached for the tag and read it as best he could. "HAPPY HEARTH'S WARMING FEATHERWEIGHT!" Now his confusion was doubled! He decided to open the gift now, even though his mother may not want him to. Reaching out his hoof again, this time to rip the bow apart and open the box. He had successfully done the first, but before he could remove the lid, the lid removed itself. "SURPRISE!" shouted a red-maned filly jumping out of the box. "Gah!" Featherweight cried in surprise. "Twist?! What's going on?" Answering from behind him, his mother explained, "Well, her parents and your father and I pulled some strings, and long story short-" "I'm going to Los Pegasus!" Twist interrupted. "Turns out, I also have cousins there!" Featherweight couldn't help but beam with excitement. He ran up to his crush and hugged her tightly, glad that the two wouldn't be separated over the holidays. This is the best Hearth's Warming ever!