//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: "It's my Favourite Holiday" // Story: Trixie's Hearth's Warming Eve // by Dleifragcat //------------------------------// Snow danced around against the chilling wisps of the winter breeze. The fluff was matted against the ground and caked the trees and buildings in its white. A sheet of ice and snow had blanketed the sleepy town of Ponyville. Ponies came out of their houses, yawning and trudging, ready to prepare for another day of winter. Secluded in a small spot between a couch store and an office building was a small wooden cart. Its hinges were rusted and its hull was tattered. But the site of its condition was only its usual appearance, in fact, the owner had recently prepared it before the winter’s arrival and as such the water damage by the snow could have ruined it to the fullest extent. But who is the owner of this cart? This purple covered mast of stars and swirls? A bright blue unicorn, wearing a purple hat and cap, brushed her pearlescent mane past her face as her head poked out her weary head from the cart's window. She looked outside with weary eyes, the night before she didn’t get enough decent sleep from the hours of trying to repair her once again broken cart. A cold gust of wind blasted her face making her head back inside from the shivers her body felt. As much as she wanted to admit, she didn’t like living this way. Perhaps one day I will get this cart upgraded, she thought with an exhaled sigh. After her rematch with Twilight Sparkle, she had made a promise, that instead of being the Great and Powerful Trixie-- which everypony hated-- she'd be become the Great and Apologetic Trixie. “But how?” she wondered with each passing day. Twilight saved her from the corrupted powers of the Alicorn necklace but there still lay a rift between her and Ponyville. She had to mend that. She gazed upon the interior design of her living space, from the outside quite small, but rather much different on the inside as it attained sufficient necessities that a travelling magician would require. She cringed her eyes shut when a worn out window flew off its hinges and crashed onto the floor. She sighed once more. “Something needs to change.” ------------------------------------------------ Trixie had taken her wizard’s attire and trotted down the snow-covered streets of Ponyville. It didn’t give her enough comfort against the cold but it was better than nothing, after all she had survived worse when she was still exiled as a laughing stock. Everywhere she looked, she saw families out together, they were enjoying the time having fun in the snow. The foals ran around while the parents chased after them, a few slipped on a hidden patch of ice and this made everyone laugh. Even Trixie made a non-audible chuckle, before looking at the scenes with a lonesome sadness in her eyes. She realized just how alone she was all these years. Before she could have the peace of allowing a tear to slide down her cheek, a body bumped into her. Trixie fell to the snow and its coldness sank into her cape, “Hey! Watch where you’re going!” “Trixie?” a recognizable voice answered. Trixie’s eyes grew large and quickly picked herself up to look presentable. The purple unicorn that bumped into her also picked herself up and shook her mane from the snow that was sticking to it. “Trixie it is you! How have you been?” the unicorn came in for a hug and her hoofs wrapped around the light-blue unicorn who returned the hug back. “I’ve been fine Twilight,” Trixie lied. “I was just going out to get some of this air, it’s not every day that we get to enjoy winter.” “Also Hearth’s Warming Eve-” Trixie’s eyes grew wide as her face beamed. Ever since she was a little filly, she always remembered the nights she shared with her parents during the Hearth’s Warming celebrations. It was the only time that she could have considered to be a fully-together family. It might sound cheezy but the holiday was one of the factors that pushed her to become a stage performer. She used to act in plays when reciting the many tales of Hearth’s Warming Eve. Her favourite had to be the story of Noel Hooves. After Equestria was made, the land was still ravaged by snowstorms and unsettled land. Many ponies were angry and even though the place was now a unity of all pony species, they still didn’t have enough time to do anything else other than work. One day a traveler came to the forming area of Equestria, this figure was that of an earth pony covered in a red and white woolen outfit, adorned with a hat and a large sack that he carried. His white beard glowed and this pony was insanely jolly and uncle-like. He went around the houses and offered them gifts, some accepted and some didn’t. It was then in the nighttime that he would essentially steal away into houses without making a sound, leaving more gifts for everypony that was nice and deserved them. The next morning the families were stunned to find a mass of toys, food and gifts decorated in their main room. They were even more surprised to have found out all their milk supply was drunk as well as their cookies and crackers eaten to crumbs. The parents were horrified, all of the dairy product, was gone. The young fillies and colts didn't seem to mind and asked them if they leave more cookies and milk out that the thing that came would come again and bring more presents. Mixed reactions came from them, but in the end they laughed and spent the day indoors as a family. No pony knew where that kind old pony left off to, but because of him the cold harsh nights seemed to be more cozy and warm. Trixie always liked that story the most for some reason. “- Trixie... TRIXIE!” The unicorn snapped out from her daydream and looked to see Twilight with a worried expression, “Uh… sorry. What was it?” “I need you to help me find the Hearth’s warming Eve gift I was going to give to Rarity,” Twilight said as she flipped over a rock and dug in a pile of snow. “I think I dropped it when you bumped into me.” “You mean when you bumped into ME,” Trixie's face scowled, before proceeding to help Twilight find the gift. After digging deep enough Trixie found a bright green box with a red bow on it. She gave it over to Twilight who had a look of relief. “Thank you so much Trixie. I didn’t want this to get in late.” “Twilight, when is Hearth’s Warming Eve? Did I miss it?! I can't have missed it!” Trixie shouted in fright of missing her favourite holiday of the year. “Don’t worry Trixie, it’s only a few more days until then. Right now it’s just the celebrations and gifting going around.” “Well, that’s great then. I was wondering how the Great and Apologetic Trixie would be able to give back to Ponyville. Would you not think that a noble deed?” Trixie said with an arrogant tone as she gave herself a better dignified posture. Twilight rolled her eyes and quickly said, “If you want to give back then Hearth Warming’s the best time to do it. I remember seeing Pinkie Pie doing a toy drive, maybe she could use some help? The best way to give back to the community is to actually do something for them. You know, be creative!” Twilight looked over at the clock tower in the distance. “Would you look at the time, I need to get going! It was nice to meet you again Trixie!” She said as she galloped away from the thinking unicorn. “Be creative… hmmm…” ------------------------------------------- Trixie arrived in front of the bakery of Sugercube Corner where she could see a pink earth pony happily bounce up and down as she reached for a small wooden train next to a large pile of toys. When Trixie got closer, Pinkie gave the small locomotive to a filly who had a look of wonder and thanked her before happily trotting away. “You’re welcome!” Pinkie shouted before she realized the light-blue unicorn standing near her pile of toys. “OH, Hiya Trixie! Are you excited for the holidays?” “Um... yes I am?” Trixie was feeling awkward now that Pinkie pressed her eyes right in front of hers. “OHHH GOODIE! So you must have had a reason to come to my stand right? You want a…… BAKED GOOD! No- wait, then you would have gone inside. That must mean you want a PRESENT!” Pinkie said ecstatically as she reached in the toy mountain. “So what would you like, a pony-action figure? A rubber balloon ball? A super springy elastic go thingy made of plastic jelly? Ooh! Maybe you want the book of ever knowing magical secrets!” Pinkie picked up the book and it immediately burst into flame. Trixie’s eyes were wide in shock. “Whoopsies!” “Just stop, please," Trixie groaned and Pinkie Pie immediately stood still for the first time that day. "I was actually sent by a recommendation from Twilight Sparkle to help you with this charity of yours. You see I want to give back to Ponyville for my rude behaviour in the past but I just don’t know how if I can’t even get my wagon fixe-” she quickly put a hoof to her mouth. She was too proud to mention that she needed any help herself. “Well, I’ve got a bunch of toys over here but it’s hard for ponies to notice or even walk here. Maybe you could take some with you and spread them around the places where I can’t go with my toy pile!” Pinkie said with a smile before darting into the bakery leaving Trixie interrupted with her reply. A few seconds later and the Pink entity came out holding a large sack stuffed full of toys. She quickly tied the opening with a beautiful red shaded cloth before handing it over the Trixie. “There you go! Good luck Trixie!” Trixie heaved the bag over her shoulder and onto her back, it wasn’t heavy but she could feel its weight pressing into her spine as she walked away from Pinkie and into Ponyville’s streets. “How did I get in this mess, in the first place? Right, stop being the great and powerful show-off and become the Great and Powerful helper of Apologies!” Her hoof stepped on a near invisible spot of slippery ice and she tumbled backwards with a cry as she and her bag landed in deep snow. He head came up above with her hat covered in the white powder and she spat out a few snowflakes. This was going to be a long day. ----------------------------------------------- After five hours of walking through slush, knocking on pony’s doors only to get slammed in the face and bumping into them on the street. Trixie had enough and retired for a quick break in her cart-house to cool down. She tossed her bag of toys and presents, with an exhausted grunt of anger, next to her bed and slouched onto a chair in front of a table, both hoofs thrusted into her head. “ARGH! The nerve of those ponies! How rude could they possibly be, I thought this town was tolerant! The gifts by the Great and Apologetic Trixie TURNED DOWN!? Preposterous! Why these ponies should be thanking me for even taking the time to consider doing something good for this town!” In her span of rage, Trixie grabbed a mug from her table and whipped it against the wall, with it shattering in a crash of pieces. Her hoofs cradled her head as she laid it down on the hard table. Tears were streaming through her eyes. “I just want to do some good... I just want these ponies to stop ignoring me and treating me like garbage. I want them to like me.” From her teary red eyes she looked at the sack of presents she wasn’t able to deliver. She nearly laughed at how pitiful she must’ve looked like carrying a tattered old sack on her back while walking through sub-zero temperatures in nothing other than a hat and a cape. She realized that the clothes still were on her and were soaking wet from melted snow. “I’m losing focus,” she thought as she used her magic to envelope her attire within a light blue light and hang them up in her closet. Her vision went back to that light brown sack, it was wet as well and it could really use a good cleaning. If there was one thing Trixie learned about being a magician is that: perfection is key and she is all about being perfect in every detail. Her magic went over the sack and lifted it, immediately she facehoofed. “I could have carried it like that and not have it BREAK my back! Urgh…. I’m so stupid sometimes….” she muttered under her breath in spite. If she were to properly clean this bag then everything inside would have to come out, so Trixie gently tipped the bag over and the toys and gifts poured out. They continued to pour. And pour some more… And pour and pour... Still pouring… “HOW MUCH TOYS DID THAT PINK PONY PUT IN THIS!?” ------------------------------------------------------------------------- After a good five minutes of solid toy and present dumping (and now roughly about half her carriage cart being non-accessible for the time being) the sack was finally empty. But with a keen eye and just the slightest bit of paranoia of there being more within this strange sack, Trixie’s head poked into the bag along with her hoofs. She felt something warm and incredibly soft so she pulled it out. She was awestruck. It was the most beautiful outfit Trixie had ever seen, her first choice obviously being her magic attire and the second being Princess Luna’s shoes, but this outfit was enough to bring a tear to her already tear-driven eyes. This outfit was made out of two parts, a cloak and a hat; both matched the fine silk of the bright crimson coloured cloth which was adorned with fuzzy snow-white trimming that made her hoofs tingle as she brushed them against it. The hat had its own comical feature, a furry white ball on its very end. This outfit reminded her so much about those days of Hearth’s Warming Eve. Without a second to spare, she tried them on. They were a perfect fit, like they were made exactly for her. She didn’t consider why these were inside the sack in the first place, she was too busy admiring how warm and snug the outfit wrapped around her body. A mirror captured her form and she saw herself reflected back. She really did look like the character of Noel Hooves. “Hmm… there’s something missing… something to tie all this up together…” she thought aloud. A small mistletoe plant was growing in a pot near the corner of her home. Usually Trixie wasn’t a great gardener and many of her house plants die usually within the first week. Perhaps this plant still lived because of the weather? Who knows? Trixie immediately ended the plant’s life and cut the red berries and leafs of the plant with her magic. She stuck the natural ornament between her ear and the hat. With once last glance at the mirror she smiled, “Perfect.” Playing dress-up was fun but she didn’t understand why this outfit would have come from a toy sack, did Pinkie place it there secretly or did she not even know about it? There was something strange yet a wonderful peculiar feeling eradiated from this cloak and hat. After Trixie’s gleeful moment with the outfit, she went back to the sack and began its cleanup and eventual refilling of gifts. The hours passed and Celestia’s sun dipped down below the horizon to welcome Luna’s gift up into the night sky. Trixie had finally put everything back in place, but during the whole time she kept hearing Twilight’s voice at the back of her head. “The best way to give back… is to do something for them. Be creative!” “Be creative…” Suddenly Trixie’s face beamed as she had thought up the most spectacular idea she had ever conceived. She had the outfit, she had the sack of presents, and she had to drive to spread joy to Ponyville. Her hoof readjusted her hat and with a triumphed stance she heaved the heavy sack of gifts over her shoulder before quickly shouting these words that instilled a sense of burning desire within her holiday spirit. “I, the Great and Apologetic Trixie shall become, NOEL HOOVES!” Her hoof slammed open the door, bringing a rush of winter wind through her mane as her body stepped out gallantly. “Prepare yourselves Ponyville! For Hearth’s Warming is coming!” “MERRY HEARTH’S WARMING EVE-” “WOULD YOU SHUT UP!? It’s one in the morning geez! And Hearth’s Warming Eve isn’t for another three days!” a disgruntled pony shouted down below from a building at Trixie from an open window. But this didn’t faze the cheerful unicorn one bit. It was a long night ahead with many more nights to come. With a spring in her step she left down the path and disappeared into the snowy veil of the night.