"HAPPY HEARTH'S WARMING EVE!!!"
All the ponies cheered a thunderous roar as Celestia's sun peaked over the horizon, celebrating the day that the ponies of Equestria bring harmony and happiness among each other, the very way the first ponies came together and made Equestria a millennium ago.
Rainbow Dash woke up to the cheering, and rolled over her bead with a groan, wishing to get into another comfortable position on her plushy cloud bed and fall back to sleep. "Uuugh, what are all the ponies doing so early in the morning...?
Then she immediately shot up, throwing her blanket across the room, her eyes wide open.
"HEARTH'S WARMING EVE! Oh Celestia, how did I forget?!"
Rainbow Dash had volunteered in the temporary holiday week weather team, who had to work extra for their loss of wings due to the holiday season, taking vacations with their family and whatnot. She had been so caught up with work, and so tired from it that she completely forgot about the actual celebration. She had planned to sleep in, since today and tomorrow were days off for the volunteer weather team, forgetting the actual reason WHY they had the two days off from work.
She felt the reason she volunteered was because she felt it was her duty to, being all loyal and what not. She also didn't really plan anything during this time of year, and she didn't want to spoil anyone else's time when she had nothing better to do. She did like the challenge of being required to push herself to the limit on the job, something she didn't get to in a while. Though, the only thing she hated was the that she needed to wake up extra early to fill in the morning shifts, along with her normal shift. And the extra work wasn't helping her out. This was something she did every single year ever since she joined the weather team, and she wanted to keep up her reputation, so she wasn't about to quit.
Rainbow Dash instantly turned into a blur of colors, rushing across to the bathroom to fix her messy multicolored mane, then grabbed her scarf as she shot out her front door, not wanting to miss a second of the fun celebration that was currently going on without her as she sped off to Ponyville.
"Oh, i'm so excited!" Twilight says as she trots towards the town center with all of her friends.
"Uuugh, too early..." Spike groans on Twilight's back, curling up into a warm ball, attempting to fall back to sleep.
"I know! It's all one big giant party with ALL the ponies happy together! Oh, this is gonna so great!" Pinkie Pie hops up and down the snow-layered road full of excitement.
"And all the decorations are so BEAUTIFUL! Oh, I just love it when Ponyville looks so grand!" Rarity says as she looks upon all the winter decorations lining the streets and buildings, full of ornaments, lights, and ribbons.
"Heh, is that all your exited for, partner? Just wait 'till ya taste the Apple Family's best Apple Pies, made specially for this day!"
"Too bad all my animals are hibernating through this. Oh, I would love them to have fun with all the ponies, but they really need their sleep, and the birds need to stay warm." Fluttershy says, a hint of sorrow showing in her face.
"C'mon Fluttershy! There's no need to act all down in the dumps 'cuz your critter friends don't want to celebrate Hearth's Warmin' Eve with us! It's their choice. If they want to, they'd celebrate with us. But they wanna sleep, it's what their content with. Speakin' of sleepin', that Rainbow Dash is probably sleepin' like a log through all this, that lazy haystack"
"Well, I guess she chose hibernation too. Can't blame her, since she worked so hard these past few days on that weather team. I feel sorry that she has to miss out on all the fun because of it."
"YOU DON'T HAVE TO!" a voice calls from behind. The friends turn around to see a cyan pegasus rushing towards them at break-neck speed, coming to a slow stop in front of them.
"Rainbow Dash, you made it!" All the friends cheer and turn to her as she skids to a halt, taking large breaths of air to regain her strength from flying at top speed all the way from her house.
"Ha! You kidding me? I wouldn't miss it for the world!"
"Well, you got here right on time! We're just starting!"
The now complete group travel towards the town center, where all the ponies of Ponyville are gathered.
After the initiation, the town gives a final hollering cheer. As the massive crowd dissipates, the six begin debating on what activities they should do together.
"TWILY!"
Twilight jumps in surprise, and everypony turns around to see her B.B.B.F.F running towards her. And right behind him are her Mom and Dad along with Princess Cadence.
"OMIGOSHOMIGOSHOMIGOSH...!" Twilight breaks from the circle, and sprints towards her brother.
"I missed you so much B.B.B.F.F!" Twilight squeezes him with all her strength, almost choking him despite his fitness from training.
"Heh, I missed you too, little sis!"
"And your all here with Mom, Dad, and Cadence!" They all hug each other, an entire family embracing one another.
"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, my little pony." Her parents say as they hug their daughter, their tears coming together with Twilight's.
"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, Mom and Dad...Oh, I haven't seen you guys in forever, I missed you so much..." Twilight's voice cracking in her throat.
All the friends look upon the family, their hearts exploding from joy, cuteness, and happiness, their eyes watering as well. Except for Pinkie, who's eyes are miraculously sprouting gallons at a time like a giant fountain, bawling on the floor while holding a completely soaked handkerchief that had no effect whatsoever.
"Is this how we're going to see you for the first time ever since you moved from the rock farm, Pinkie? Seeing our supposedly always happy daughter in a river of tears?" An old, western voice says from behind the group.
Pinkie Pie immediately stops her flood of water, and turns around to see her two sisters and both parents trotting towards her.
"AAAAAHH!!!" Pinkie Pie screams, and practically warps towards them in a blur, immediately managing to bring them all together in one giant hug of her elastic fore-hooves.
"I take it that-*erm* you missed us too!" The parents say, barely able to bring out the last words from her crushing grip, before finally releasing them.
"Ihadnoideathatyouguyswerecomingorelsewewouldhavethrownyouahugepartybuttodayishearthswarmingeveandwerealreadymakingonebighugepartyand-MMRRPHHH!" Her sister's hoof plugs Pinkie's mouth, stopping the onslaught of words.
"Don't worry, we wanted it to be a surprise! And you don't have to throw us one big party for us to know that you still love us!" They said, despite the fact they knew there was no stopping a Pinkie Pie from throwing a party.
"Oh it's a good thing you came today, because we're already going to have a party, so I don't have to make one for you! But i'm still just so glad that you guys came!"
"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, Pinkie. We missed you." They said, and hug each other once more.
"They better not make me start crying, *sniff* or else they will have ruined a perfectly good scarf!" Rarity says, attempting to hold back her tears.
"Well, it looks like your gonna be out of luck sis, cuz look who I brought!" Rarity turns around to see Sweetie Belle and the Cutie Mark Crusaders hopping towards her--along with her mother and father.
*GASP* "MOTHER! FATHER!" Rarity runs towards them, all her previous thoughts forgotten.
"Rarity, my beautiful pony!" Her mom says as another family unites under the winter snow.
"Oh, why didn't you tell me you were going to come?! Oh, I would have dressed up, and make presents for you, and--"
"Ah, that's my element of generosity! You truly don't have to, my dear! Nothing in Equestria would make us happier than seeing our two daughters!" The Father says. It was the truth: nothing would make him happier, as the four hug each other.
Fluttershy suddenly sees Angel bunny hop towards her, wearing a grin on her face.
"Oh Angel! What are you doing out here? Your going to catch a cold!" Angel points behind her, and Fluttershy sees a group of animals of all kinds running towards her. Raccoons, birds, squirrels, even her pet seal.
"YOU REALLY DID COME!" Fluttershy yells, no longer yielding her shy, quiet voice. "Oh, you came for me...! You really did come for me..." She says, overjoyed with her family of animals hugging her.
Applejack wipes her tears away with her hat, standing next to the other two CMC members, and places it back on her head. Though, Fluttershy's family reunion was a little strange to her, she hasn't seen her this happy in as long as anyone can remember. "Hey, ya know what we all should do? The Apple Family's settin' up a picnic in the barn over at mah place! All this cryin' is making me thirsty, and I'm sure we can all use some refreshing Sweet apple cider!" All the ponies nod in agreement, and make their way towards the barn.
"HAPPY HEARTH'S WARMING EVE!!!" All the ponies give a cheer, and take a sip of their golden sweet apple cider, refreshing their throats and giving them renewed vigor. The families sit together on a large, single-file table completely covered with plates and delicious trays of food, the aroma making all their bellies grumble.
"All right, everpony. Dig in!" Granny Smith says with her old voice. The ponies gladly obey, and begin to fill their stomachs with the wonderful meal.
After the meal, all the ponies begin to spend the wonderful day in the snow, happy to be able to spend time together with each other's friends and families.
During the evening as the sky turned into night, they cleaned up the barn after partying all they could, and mustered every bite of good food they could, and began to go into their own sections of the room with their families.
Once they were all settled, Twilight's parents looked at each other, nodded, then levitated a wrapped gift from across the room. It was lavender, and rectangular in shape.
"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, Twilight."
"A PRESENT! Oh, you really didn't have to!"
"Oh just, see what's inside, dear!"
Twilight did as they said, and began to massacre the wrapping paper, and levitated the treasure inside.
"A custom leather diary with a silver buckle...with my name engraved inside of it! Oh, I meant to get myself a diary, but I always forgot, and never could find the time to! It's beautiful!" Twilight hugged her parents. Then she watched as another present was levitated for Shining Armor.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve Pinkie Pie!" The Rock-Farm Family said and took out a colored box to Pinkie Pie.
*GASP* Pinkie Pie took the box, and in a flash, revealed a beautifully crafted rock in the shape of a diamond. Pinkie Pie gave the biggest smile they ever saw, then suddenly turned into a giant puppy face with tears protruding from her eyes, then began to bawl as she hugged them all with joy and happiness.
"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve to you too..." Pinkie Pie said through her weeping.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
"Rarity, I made you a present!" Sweetie Belle said as she lifted a wrapped present.
"Oh, Sweetie Belle, you shouldn't have! Wait..." Rarity said suspiciously as she eyed the box.
"No, I didn't take anything from your supplies Rarity, I made it myself!"
"Oh, hehe--well in that case!" Rarity blushed, and began to delicately unwrap the the gift, and lift the cover off.
"OH MY GOODNESS!" Rarity exclaimed as she saw what was inside. There were at least 50 beautiful swan feathers were neatly lined and placed inside the box. Swans were very uncommon, and it was illegal to hunt. So swan feathers had to be obtained through picking them up when the fell off a swan, therefore making them extremely expensive and difficult to find anywhere.
"Yeah, you had no idea how long it took for me to find all of those!" Sweetie Belle said.
"Is that why you always spent so much time outside the past month? To find all of these...for me?" She said, still stunned by the gift. Sweetie Belle nodded. Rarity picked her up and hugged her, soon joined by her two parents.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
Fluttershy turned around to see all her critter friends all grouped together, awkwardly walking towards her, obviously hiding something behind their backs.
"Oh, what's this?" Fluttershy asked. They then presented a multitude of flowers and roses, which were still ripe with color.
"OH, THANK YOU! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY!" Fluttershy said. The critters chattered happily as the huddled around her. Though, it wasn't the gift itself that made her happy, but the fact that they were like a family to her from this little gesture.
"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve to you too, my little family." Fluttershy smiled, and hugged them all.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
"Would 'ya look at that. All those ponies, all happy together and celebrating a Happy Hearth's Warming Eve." Applejack said, smiling at the sight of all the ponies embracing each other, and wishing each other a Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, which was a wish coming true.
"Eeyup." Big Mac nodded in agreement, sharing the warmth of the happiness.
"Now we don't give each other any presents, because we already have everything we need: A family. Ain't that right, Granny?"
*SNORT* "Huh? Oh, of course, Applejack. Family is everything. Nothing can replace that. And the only way of showing it is through our hearts."
"You said it, Granny!" Apple Bloom leaped.
"Eeyup!"
Rainbow Dash sat outside the barn, in the middle of the entrance between the fence gates, watching what was going on inside. After eating, she had left the party when all the ponies began to separate into each individual family to spend time together. She saw all the families laughing, hugging, sharing presents, and loving each other. She felt happy for them, and how lucky they were to have such a beautiful thing. To have the love and care no other pony can give, no matter when and where. It was a bond that nothing can break. Unless if it was never there.Rainbow never knew what that bond felt like. To have love that no other pony can give. A bond only a family can make.
Family... Rainbow Dash thought.
I never knew what it was like to have a family. I never knew what it felt like to have a Pony love me for every second of my life. I never had the feeling of a mom or dad tucking me in every night. I never knew what it was like to have a family to support me when I needed it. I never knew any of it. I never had the chance to...
It was then when it hit her why she always joined the Weather Team. Because she never had a family to celebrate with. She never had a family to say "Happy Hearth's Warming Eve" to. She never had a family to give a present to, or have a present given by a family of ponies that loved her. She never got to do any of this, and so she joined, with nothing better to do. But there was more to that. She realized she joined so that the other Pegasi could spend time with THEIR families, and give them presents and celebrate a Hearth's Warming Eve with. Right in front of her, there were ponies doing what she never got to do. And there were thousands more doing the exact same thing. Thousands of families everywhere. All of them celebrating in joy and happiness. Except her. Out of all of them, she was the one that didn't get to.
Tears began to roll down her cheek in anger and frustration.
Why?! Out of all of those ponies, why was I the one without a family?! Why was I the one who got picked to be alone for my entire life?! I never got to have a choice. I never got to decide whether I wanted any of this. Well, I didn't! I'd give up everything I have in this life to have a loving family, everything!
But everything she ever wanted, everything she ever needed was taken away from her.
"WHY, DAMN IT!!! WHY ME?!" Rainbow Dash screamed into the night sky. No other pony heard her. No pony ever would hear her cry. Never.
She sobbed into her hooves, her warm tears dripping into the snow, turning into ice. She kept on crying until there were no tears to cry, and she wiped the rest from her face. Then she shivered, and finally realized she was cold, and hugged herself.
I guess i'll never know what it's like to have a family to keep me warm, either... Rainbow Dash spat in her mind, and laid her head in the snow, then closed her eyes.
--- --- --- --- --- ---
"Rainbow Dash?" A familiar voice called in the darkness. It was filly's voice.
She lifted her head, and opened her eyes to see Scootaloo trotting towards her. Rainbow looked behind the little filly, and saw ponies leaving the barn, and the lights turning off. She turned back to Scootaloo.
"Yeah, scootaloo?" She asked.
"I'm cold..." She said, her words trembling as she shivered in the snow.
"Heh, c'mere Scoots." Rainbow Dash lifted her wing, and Scootaloo huddled next to Rainbow Dash, snuggling under her wing.
Rainbow Dash thought she would never know what it would be like to have a family, and she never will. But right now, Rainbow Dash IS the family. She is the family that neither of them ever had. She was the family neither of them knew until now. Scootaloo had a family.
"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, Dash." Scootaloo said. Rainbow Dash's heart broke, suddenly realizing that she wasn't the only pony who never knew what it was like to have a family. She realized she wasn't the only who never had the chance to have one. But right then, she began to feel warmer in the winter snow. She realized something else.
Scootaloo was having a pony that was tucking her into bed. Scootaloo was having a pony that was loving her this very second. Scootaloo was having somepony support her when she needed. Scootaloo was having a family keeping her warm.
Scootaloo had a family.
It was Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash would never know what it would be like to have a family as a filly, but right now Rainbow Dash was the family Scootaloo never knew until now. Rainbow Dash wanted to tuck her into bed every single night. Rainbow Dash wanted to love her for every single second. Rainbow Dash wanted to support her for the rest of her life because she knew what it felt like to not have a family. She knew what it was like to not have a choice. She knew all of it. And right now, she knew she had a choice of giving Scootaloo a family. And she wasn't about to take it away from her.
"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, Scootaloo..."
The end.
*Hey guys! I spent most of Christmas Day hastily typing this thing, which was 5 hours, so it's not really that great of a work of art. So help me out by telling me about any errors, or what I should fix so I can polish the story up. Hope you enjoyed it, Merry Christmas, and have a Happy Hearth's Warming Holiday!