//------------------------------// // Present // Story: A Hearth's Warming Carol // by Bookworm24 //------------------------------// Blueblood stared at the strange figure on his bed. She clearly was a pegasus with a coat of bright cyan blue and a remarkable rainbow mane and tail. She wore a light green robe that was tied around her middle with a sash of red ribbon and a buckle in the shape of a horn of plenty. on her head she wore a crown made of ivy and holly berries. Blueblood approached the pegasus and asked "Are you the next spirit who is supposed to visit me?" "Yup. That's me!" The spirit answered. "I am the ghost of Hearth's Warming Present." "Hearth's Warming Presents?" Blueblood asked. The spirit sighed and rolled her eyes. "No. Hearth's Warming PRESENT! You know, first there was past and now there is present. Duh. Now come on, we have a lot of things to see and we're burning daylight." Blueblood was confused. "Daylight? But it's still..." The spirit cut him off by drawing the curtains and flooding the room in sunlight. "...nightime." He finished. The spirit opened the window and looked down. "And here's our first visit." She then turned to Blueblood and pointed out the window. "Come over here and check this out." Blueblood looked out the window at a secret section of the castle's courtyard to see both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna engaged in a snowball fight just like the one that Blueblood and Cadence had all those years ago. "Is that Auntie Celestia and Auntie Luna!? What are they doing?" He asked with surprise. "They are engaged in a Hearth's Warming tradition that the both of them created since before they were princesses, before they lived in the castle and even before they had their cutie marks. Every year, they have a snowball fight to remind them of their foalhood. That's why it always snows at Hearth's Warming! Pretty Neat huh? Just imagine the pain this day must have caused Princess Celestia during the thousand years that she ruled alone. And yet there she is, acting just like a filly again." The spirit explained. Blueblood stared at the two rulers until the spirit tapped his shoulder. "We have a lot and I mean a lot of things to see. Grab my robe and hold on tight!" Blueblood grabbed the spirit's robe in his teeth and found himself rising off the floor. "Ready?" The spirit asked and before she could get an answer she rocketed out the window and flew through the sky like a comet. The two of them sped from house to house, town to town and city to city, checking out how families around Equestria celebrated Hearth's Warming. Vinyl Scratch and Octavia sat on their couch and swapped two identical looking gifts. Vinyl smiled and opened the gift from her marefriend revealing a record. "Iron Blimp! The farewell tour edition! Octy, this is amazing! Thank you!" Octavia then opened her gift. "The Best of Flank Sinatra! Oh Vinyl, I love it!" The both of them sat back on the couch before Octavia said "What do you want to now?". They both looked at each other for a few seconds before both making a mad dash to be the first one to the record player. Lyra handed Bon Bon a medium size gift bag and said "This is only half of my gift to you. I'll tell you the other half once you unwrap this". Bon Bon unwrapped her gift to reveal a new hairbrush to replace the her previous one that had broke. "Oh Lyra, thank you! Just what I needed. Now what's the other half?" Lyra looked her right in the eyes to show she meant business. "The next week will be just about us. You and me. None of me obsessing over humans or anything like that, I promise. You're more important." Bon Bon found herself chuckling as she handed Lyra her gift. "Are you rally sure?" she asked. "I mean it." Lyra simply said as she tore the wrapping to reveal a thick book with an aged cover. HUMANS Fact or Fiction? Lyra's jaw dropped as she read and reread the title. "Bon Bon.....I don't know what to say." Lyra then gently placed the book on the coffee table and wrapped her hooves around Bon Bon. "Thank you so much!" Derpy and Dinky were at the kitchen counter decorating Gingerbread Ponies and talking among themselves while Sparkler placed another pan into the oven to bake. "But what if he doesn't make it in time for the party?" dinky asked her mother while placing N&Ns on one cookie. "Don't worry Muffin, he said he'd only be gone a few moments." Derpy answered piping icing on another cookie. "But that's what he told that one girl, and twelve years later for her was a few seconds for him." Derpy patted her daughter reassuringly on the head. "That was when he was using his TARDIS. But he's only gone down to the store for some milk. Don't worry. We'll all be together for Hearth's Warming." She said placing a tiny dollop of icing on her daughter's nose and laughed to herself as Dinky tried to lick it off. Blueblood and the spirit spent most of the day flying from town to town watching others celebrate the holiday, but as the day wore on they found themselves headed back to Canterlot. They soon landed in front of a large building with a plaque next to the front door. Canterlot Home For Single Parents "Come on! Let's check this place out! I doubt you even knew this building was built. Your cousin Princess Cadence built this house, just like she promised. Plus it holds something special." The spirit said walking up the front porch to the front door. "What is so special about this run down place?" Blueblood asked following the spirit. "You'll see." The spirit said floating through the closed front door. Blueblood was guided by the spirit to the building's small kitchen which was occupied by two mares and one stallion while a few colts and fillies played in the neighboring room. Round Robin was fussing over a pot of simmering cranberry sauce while Stargazer and Spring Fresh set the table. "I hope she makes it in time." Stargazer said using magic to take some silverware out of a drawer. "Of course she will. She was given the whole day off after all." Spring Fresh said putting the plates on the table. "He gave her the whole day!?" "Yah! Can you believe it?" "Where is she now?" Stargazer asked getting the napkins out of the cupboard. Round Robin put her spoon down and took the saucepan off the heat. "She went to the store a while ago. I hope she gets back soon, I need those carrots." No sooner had Round Robin finished talking then the sound of the front door opening and closing was heard. "I'm back!" Spicken Span said entering the kitchen with two bags of groceries in her saddlebag. "Sorry I took so long." She put the two bags on the counter and started unpacking them. "Here are the carrots." She said giving Robin the ingredient. "I also bought some corn, and a loaf of bread. Round Robin shook her head. "You shouldn't have done that. You need every bit you earn for the doctors. Spicken Span sighed. "I know, but it was only 2 bits. The grocer was so kind that he gave me a personal discount. How's Tiny Tim?" "He's sleeping on the sofa." Stargazer said as he took the vegetables and put them in the fridge. Spring Fresh placed the loaf of bread on the table and then asked "How much longer until we're ready Robin?". Round Robin, who was cutting up the carrots, replied "About half an hour." Blueblood watched the ponies as they made some last minute preparations before he turned to the spirit. "Such a small amount of boarders for such a big house." The spirit gestured to them. "These are all that remain after the rest of the boarders left to go visit their own families. This house currently holds fourteen different families! Can you believe that? Fourteen families live in this building!" Blueblood watched as his loyal employee left the kitchen and entered the living room which held four foals. She then made her way over to the smallest one who was sleeping on a sofa. "Spicken Span kissed the forehead of her son which woke him up. "How are you feeling sweetie?" She asked him. "Better." He answered. "Much better." Spicken Span then went over to a near corner, rolled a small wheelchair over to Tiny Tim who after minimal difficulty got off of the sofa and into it. Blueblood was shocked to discover that the colt had need for such a device to get around. "Spirit." He asked. "Why is he in that wheelchair?" "He has bone weakness his legs. He's had it since birth but lately it's started to spread and get worse" The spirit answered. A short time later, Round Robin called from the kitchen that dinner was ready. Within moments everypony had been seated with the foals sitting next to their parents. The kitchen table was set with a brilliant spread of fresh vegetables cooked to perfection, apple and cranberry sauce, a few casseroles, two pitchers of tea and juice and the loaf of bread that Spicken had bought. Before everypony tucked into the feast before them they all had a moment of silence and then grace was said. Life is full of sweet surprises, everyday's a gift The sun comes up and I can feel it lift my sprit Fills me up with laughter, fills me up with song I look into the eyes of love and know that I belong Bless us all, who gather here The loving family I hold dear No place on Earth, compares with home And every path will bring me back from where I roam Bless us all, that as we live We always comfort and forgive We have so much that we can share With those in need we see around us everywhere Let us always love each other Lead us to the light Let us hear the voice of reason Singing in the night Let us run from anger And catch when we fall Teach us in our dreams and please, yes, please Bless us one and all Bless us all with playful years With noisy games and joyous tears We reach for you, and we stand tall And in our prayers and dreams we ask you bless us all We reach for you, and we stand tall And in our prayers and dreams we ask you bless us all Blueblood watched as they ate their dinner and talked about this and that. "I never knew." he whispered to himself not knowing that the spirit heard him. "Fifty eight." The spirit said. Blueblood turned towards the spirit. "Fifty eight, what?" He asked. The spirit turned to him with anger on her face. "FIFTY EIGHT TIMES SHE MENTIONED THAT SHE HAD A SON WHO NEEDED HELP! SEVENTY TWO TIMES SHE MENTIONED SHE LIVED HERE! SEVEN TIMES SHE ASKED FOR HELP FROM YOU! FORTY NINE NIGHTS SHE SPENT CRYING HERSELF TO SLEEP PRAYING THAT SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN TO HELP HER AND HER SON! HOW DARE YOU STAND THERE AND SAY YOU NEVER KNEW." Blueblood felt extreme shame flood over him as he turned back to the scene in front of him, tears in his eyes. Once the meal was over the ponies took turns making toasts to those they wished well. Each of then mentioning a friend or family member, but when came for Spicken's turn.... "I'd like to make a toast to Prince Blueblood." Spicken said startling everypony. Why in all of Equestria would you want to make a toast to that...monster?!" Round Robin asked. Spring Fresh agreed. "She's right Spicken. He treats you like the dirt you sweep up!" Spicken calmed down her friends. "Its true. He may not treat me like a friend or companion..." "Or living being." Stargazer muttered to Spring Fresh. "...But he still keeps me as an employee. He still provides me a job and salary and for that I am truly grateful." The spirit spoke to Blueblood. "Well look at that! Here's the employee you yell at, overwork, sneer at, berate, ignore, mistreat and underpay, and she is toasting your name, wishing you well!" Blueblood simply stared at Spicken as she helped her son into the living room. "Tell me spirit." He asked. "Will Tiny Tim be okay?" The spirit shook her head. "I can only see the present, not the future. but I will say this. I see his chair gathering dust and an empty space in Spicken Span's heart." Blueblood then witnessed as the spirit's form started to change into a mirror image of the prince himself and it spoke in Blueblood's own voice saying "But if he's going to die he'd better do it, and decrease the surplus population." The spirit then changed back into its original form as a rainbow maned pegasus. Blueblood hung his head in shame and the scene in front of them started to fade as the spirit led Blueblood away. "Now come along. The day is almost over and we have one more thing to see." Blueblood found himself in a hospital room looking in as a mare lay on one of the beds with wires leading to a monitor that steadily beat, the only indication she was alive. By her side was a young filly who was reading from a book with slight difficulty due to a stutter. "But I heard him ex-ex-exclaim as he rode out of sight. 'Happy H-H-Hearth's War-Warming to all and to all a good night." The filly finished and closed the book. "See mama, and my teacher says I'm getting b-b-better and better. Daddy says that if all goes well he could get that p-promotion he was after and we can finally get that new furnace." .....Dad took me to see Santa Hooves yesterday. W-W-When he asked if I had been a good filly I told him that I was.....And when he asked w-w-what I wanted for Hearth's Warming....I told him...(sniff)I t-t-told him that the only thing I wanted was for my m-m-mama to w-w-wake up." The filly then grabbed her mother's hoof and started to cry. "P-P-Please mama....W-W-Wake up! Please...please...Please w-wake up!" Blueblood turned to the spirit and said "Spirit, Please tell me she will live." The spirit looked back at Blueblood. "Don't worry. She will wake up by midnight." Blueblood sighed in relief. "But the filly still had the spirit of Hearth's Warming in her heart, even as her mother lay there." The scene then faded and they found themselves back in Blueblood's Bedroom. "My time with you is pretty much up." The spirit said as she slowly started fading. "Remember, beware of ignorance and greed. You think you can do that? Good luck Prince Blueblood." And the spirit was gone. Blueblood was once again alone in his room and he wondered when the third spirit was to come. As if to answer his question Blueblood found black smoke was curling around him. "Fire!" He cried and ran to the bedroom door, threw it open and found himself face to face with the third spirit.