Winter Bells

by Pen Stroke

Reconciliation

“It’s running that way!”

“Grab it!”

“It’s too fast!”

“It went under the table!”

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle dove under the buffet table, sliding on their bellies as they disappeared beneath the tablecloth. The pair were chasing after one of the legged brownies that Discord had created. The little squares of fudgy goodness were fast, despite their short squatty legs. Early in the party Discord had caused a few dozen of them to go running off. Most had been rounded up, but Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle found one hiding behind the drink table. The brownie ran the moment it was found, and the pair of fillies tore through the crowd in hot pursuit.

“Did you get it?” Sweetie Belle asked the moment she realized she had lost sight of the brownie.

Scootaloo smiled triumphantly and held up her forelegs. Pinned between her hooves, squirming to escape, was the brownie. “Yeah, I got it.”

“Oh boy, I hope it’s as good as Babs says.”

“It better be,” Scootaloo said as she and Sweetie Belle took a seat beneath the table. “We chased this thing all around the party.”

“I wonder what makes it so good?” Sweetie Belle asked, using her hoof to poke at the brownie, which kicked at her with its stubby legs. "It looks like a normal brownie to me. I don’t even see the strawberries Babs said she tasted.”

“It must be Discord’s magic. He gave this thing legs. I bet it’s super easy for him to make it taste better. Now, how do you want to split it? Down the middle so we each get one of the legs, or should I break it the other way? I wouldn’t mind getting both of the legs.”

“I don’t know, Scootaloo. Look at it,” Sweetie Belle said, leaning in to look at the brownie more closely as it shivered and struggled in Scootaloo’s grip. “It’s scared. Maybe we shouldn’t eat it. Maybe we should just let it go.”

“Let it go?” Scootaloo said, turning to hold the brownie away from Sweetie Belle. “Are you serious? After all we went through to get it!? If we let it go somepony else is just going to eat it.”

“But Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle whined. “Just look at it. It’s cute.”

“Sweetie Belle, it’s a brownie with freaky little legs. It is not cute. Still, if you don’t want any, I could just eat it all—”

“What!? No! I helped catch it. I deserve a piece!”

Scootaloo smiled like a cat that had cornered a mouse. “Oh, so you do want to eat it.”

“I... well... I just—” Sweetie Belle puffed up her cheeks, as if holding her breath would let her brain think faster. Still, just as she was starting to turn red in the cheeks, she let go of the breath and nodded her head. “Okay, just give me the half without the legs.”

Scootaloo nodded and began to pull at the brownie with her hooves, smiling with anticipation as the brownie began to break in half. Yet, before the deed could be done, a loud thump came from the table above them. Sweetie Belle jumped while Scootaloo flinched. She succeeded in ripping the brownie in half, but the two pieces flew from her hooves and fell to the floor. In a flash, the half with legs was up and running. The other half was gone quickly as well, needing only a moment to grow legs of its own before fleeing.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo would have likely heard light, chattering laugh from the brownies too, but their eyes were instead focused on the table above them. The thump had been followed by two voices, and the ponies who owned them were not having a pleasant conversation.

“But Cadance—”

“I don’t want to hear it, Shining Armor.”

“But I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“Don’t lie, Shining. You meant every word.”

“But—”

“Just leave me alone, Shining.”

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle snuck closer to the edge of the table, gently lifting up the table cloth just in time to see Cadance storm away from the table, leaving Shining with one hoof in the air. Shining, however, didn’t go after Cadance, instead sighing and turning to walk the other direction, his head hanging low.

“Whoa, what happened to them?” Scootaloo asked.

“I don’t know. They were so happy at their wedding,” Sweetie Belle said as she and Scootaloo climbed out from beneath the table. “And did you see when they danced at the reception when Twilight was singing? It was so romantic.”

“Well, they sure aren’t being romantic right now. Princess Cadance looks as angry as my mom was when we got back from Twist’s birthday party. I was grounded for a month for sneaking into Nyx’s castle. Still, that brownie is getting away,” Scootaloo said as she turned and began to look around the floor. “We better hurry if we’re—”

Sweetie Belle grabbed Scootaloo by the shoulder, spun her around, and then put both hooves to the side of her face. “How can you think of brownies at a time like this?!”

“Easy. I’m hungry and we’ve been chasing those things for the past fifteen minutes.”

“But Scootaloo, what if Princess Cadance and Shining Armor stay mad at each other?!” Sweetie Belle paused, gasped, and then pushed her nose up against Scootaloo’s. “What if they get a divorce?! We were their flower fillies! If they get divorced, then nopony might ever ask us to be flower fillies again, or mares of honor... or we might not even get married!

“And if they get divorced, the crystal ponies will be sad. Then, if the crystal ponies are sad, something could take over the crystal empire again. And if that happens, the thing that took over could come after the rest of Equestria. The Elements of Harmony will fail. Discord will turn evil again! It will be the end of the world as we know it!

“We have to fix this!” Sweetie Belle nearly shouted as she shook Scootaloo.

Scootaloo brought up her hooves and gently pushed herself away from Sweetie Belle. “Okay, first, you’ve been spending way too much time with your sister. Second, what are we supposed to do about it? We’re just two fillies.”

“You're right! We need help!” Sweetie Belle said with a stomp of her hoof. “It’s time for the Cutie Mark Crusaders to become Marriage Savers! To the kiddy table!”

With that Sweetie Belle sprinted off, galloping across the party hall to the low table where Nyx, Babs, and Apple Bloom were talking and eating. Scootaloo followed as well, but only after stopping and piling up a plate of cookies from the buffet table.

The two brownie halves were probably long gone anyway.

“What about crystal ponies that want to change the color of their houses? Do they use magic or do they just paint them? It has to be special paint, otherwise the crystal houses wouldn’t look as nice. How is the paint made? Do you use crystal berries to make it? What other kind of crystal foods do you have? Do you have crystal wheat? Do you use it to make crystal bread? What does crystal bread taste like? Is it better for you than normal bread? What does it look—”

“Oh, look, I think Princess Celestia is calling for me, over there. I’m terribly sorry, just give me a moment and I’ll be right back to answer all your questions.” Cadance didn’t wait a moment after uttering those words to quickly escape from Sweetie Belle, who for the past fifteen minutes had been an unending barrage of questions about the crystal empire, its ponies, its traditions, and... just everything.

She had tried to get away earlier, had tried to walk away politely, but Sweetie Belle followed her. All around the room they went until they were next to the exterior doors of the ballroom, and still the small unicorn filly pursued. The doors, however, were Cadance’s escape. She misdirected Sweetie Belle to the far side of the room, and then slipped outside into the cool, midday air of Canterlot.

Never had she ever appreciated the quiet of the gardens so much.

She took a few calming breaths. She let the wintery chill fill her lungs, let it calm her mind and body. Sweetie Belle was a just a filly, she couldn’t be mad. She just needed a break from those questions. Yes, just a short break. Maybe once around the garden?

“Princess Cadance? I thought you said Princess Celestia was calling you? Why did you go outside when she’s inside? Is this a crystal empire tradition?”

No maybe. There was no maybe. Putting a few panicked steps behind her, Cadance stepped down from the stone veranda and into the garden. She followed the well swept path through the snow covered grounds, smiling as the sounds of the party and Sweetie Belle’s questions fell into the distance behind her.

The gardens were really beautiful during winter. Honestly, they were beautiful all the time, but each season was like a different dress on the same stunning mare, a mare who could make anything look good. Snow and icicles glistened in the sun. The sky was cloudless, the few birds that remained in winter were chirping. There wasn’t a care in the world.

She continued to follow the path, the one clean path. Yes, there were multiple ways through the gardens of Canterlot, but for some reason all the other paths looked like they hadn't been swept. Actually, if she was to be honest, it looked like somepony had pushed snow back onto the paths. But what pony would go to all the trouble of sweeping the paths just to cover some of them up again? It seemed silly, and Cadance just assumed she was seeing things.

The path she was on eventually lead to one of the most secluded parts of the royal gardens, a place where Luna and Celestia liked to share an afternoon tea when their schedules would allow. A small but thick grove of trees hid away a gazebo from the rest of the garden, a place of private respite for the princesses who moved the sun and moon. It was also a place where she and Twilight would play on occasion. Usually it was when Twilight was going to have a private lesson with Princess Celestia.

Following the curve of the only swept path, Cadance stepped up into the gazebo, looking around as fond memories played in her head. It looked like some work was being done. A tarp was covering the underside of the gazebo’s roof and there were ropes going here and there. Maybe they were remodeling it, or maybe they were making repairs. With Discord free, Cadance could only imagine the spirit of chaos had crashed in on Celestia and Luna uninvited.

“C-Cadance!?”

The crystal princess turned and bristled at the sight of Shining Armor and Nyx walking up the path behind her. Shining Armor stopped dead in his tracks and averted his eyes from Cadance. “Sorry, we didn’t know you were out here. Nyx just wanted to see the gardens. We’ll leave you—”

“Leave? But we just came outside!” Nyx said, walking forward until she was halfway between Shining and Cadance. “Besides, I don’t mind if Cadance walks with us.”

“But I mind,” Cadance said. “I don’t know if Shining put you up to this or not, Nyx, but I’m still mad about what he said. Now, I’m going back ins—”

“Cadance? Are you out here? I wanted to know more about crystal corn on the cob!” Sweetie Belle called out from the far side of the thick trees surrounding the gazebo. Cadance dropped down almost immediately, as if she was being hunted by some assassin. She then turned and panicky waved her hooves at both Shining and Nyx. “Get over here before she sees you!”

Nyx and Shining did as they were asked, quickly climbing up into the gazebo. They stayed still for a time, listening as Sweetie Belle’s calls grew louder and then softer. All the while Shining looked on in confusion, not sure why his wife was hiding from a little filly. And Nyx, she was doing her best to keep herself from smiling at how well things were going.

Without Shining or Cadance noticing, Nyx turned and nodded towards a part of the trees surrounding the gazebo, a place where a pair of eyes were watching them back. There was a moment of scratching, of a needle being put on the start of a record. Then, from around the trees, music began to play.

Very loud, jazzy, dance music that made Nyx, Cadance, and Shining jump a foot in the air.

“What is going on!?” Cadance shouted as the music abruptly stopped. There was rustling amongst the tree trunks next to the gazebo, and if one listened closely they could hear a few small voices. But before Cadance and Shining Armor could focus in the music came back, this time something much more soothing and arguably romantic.

Little paper hearts, tied to strings, dropped from the edge of the gazebo’s roof. They hung in place, gently turning and swinging. Then, the ropes that were around the trio began to move. They were attached to the tarp that was covering the underside of the gazebo’s roof. As it was pulled back, mistletoe began to rain down on them. Cadance, Shining Armor, and Nyx got completely covered in the green, festive plant, which abruptly made Nyx turn and scowl at the bushes.

“You were supposed to tie them on strings like the hearts.”

“The spool of string got tangled up.” Scootaloo said as she and Babs Seed poked their head out from behind the trunk of a nearby tree. At the same time Apple Bloom hung her head over the edge of the gazebo, having gotten on top of the roof so she could throw down the paper hearts at the right time.

“Is... is this what I think it is?” Cadance asked, starting to shake a little.

“Eeyup, it’s mistletoe!” Apple Bloom cheered, even as the blood began to rush to her head from hanging it over the edge of the roof. “Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo overheard you two arguing, and so we decided to try and help you make up.”

“Yeah, and my mom and dad always get along better after they’ve kissed,” Scootaloo said.

“Mine too,” Babs Seed added.

“MISTLETOE!” Cadance shouted before screaming at the top of her lungs. She barreled out of the gazebo, trailing a few pieces of mistletoe behind her before she leapt into the snow. She then began to roll around frantically, covering herself in the white fluff as if her life depended on it. Shining Armor was soon at her side as well, using his magic to quickly toss away any bits of mistletoe that Cadance had carried with her away from the gazebo.

“Uh, am I missing something?” Scootaloo asked as she and Babs came out of the trees. “Aren’t they supposed be kissing and making up?”

“Yeah, what the hay are you doin’?” Babs asked.

“We’re trying to wash off the oils from the mistletoe!” Shining said as he dumped a levitation spell full of snow on Cadance.

“Why are you doing that?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Because Cadance is allergic to mistletoe!”

“She’s WHAT!?” All four fillies shouted in unison.

“Where did you even find that much mistletoe?”

Nyx stared down at her hooves as she, Twilight, Night Light, and Velvet waited outside the medical wards, sitting on a cushion provided to them by one of the castle staff. Despite Shining and Cadance’s best efforts to wash off mistletoe oils with snow, Cadance began to feel ill. Shining Armor didn’t waste a moment after that. He picked Cadance up in his magic and sprinted back to the castle. He barreled through the party, ignoring the surprised shouts being raised by his actions, and carried Cadance all the way to the castle’s doctors.

“It was in a box in a closet near the ballroom,” Nyx answered. It hadn’t taken long for everypony in the party to hear what had happened, and even less time for Nyx and her friends to be pulled off to the side by each of their families. They all faced similar questions about how they had done what they did. They all also faced the same simple truth: they were all in trouble.

“We were just trying to help them make up,” Nyx said for what had to be the twentieth time. “And we were going to hang the mistletoe, but Scootaloo said the string we found got all tangled up for some reason. We wouldn’t have done it if we knew she was allergic. We’re sorry.”

“I know,” Twilight said, putting a hoof around Nyx’s shoulder and hugging her. She sounded a little tired, as she usually seemed to be after one of their Cutie Mark Crusader escapades. Twilight, however, was sincere all the same. “You were just helping your aunt and uncle, but maybe next time ask somepony before you pull surprises like this. Okay?”

Nyx nodded her head and focused on the door to the medical ward. “Okay. Twilight, is Cadance going to be okay?”

“Don't worry. She’s just going to be itchy and a little... puffy for a day or two.”

“Puffy?”

Cadance groaned, cracking open her eyes as she laid back in the bed. She felt sore all over, which was arguably better than she had been feeling a few minutes before. The doctor had given her something to stop the itching, a little pill that caused her own magic to work as a soothing agent for her body. It meant she couldn’t really cast spells as well as normal, but it brought sweet relief from the itching she would otherwise be suffering from.

“Hey, how are you feeling?”

Cadance turned her head slowly, her body feeling heavy and stiff. Besides the itching, Mistletoe tended to make her swell up a little bit. Not so much she was in danger, unless she purposefully ate the stuff. It was, however, enough to make it look like she had gotten into a fight with somepony. That or she had binged out on holiday treats and gained ten pounds on most parts of her body.

Standing above her, smiling gently, was Shining.

“I feel puffy,” Cadance pouted.

“Well, you are a little puffy,” he said with a small chuckle. “but the doctor said you’ll be just fine by tomorrow night.” Shining turned his head and levitated a glass of water close to Cadance. A straw hung right in front of her lips, and Cadance gladly took a drink. She drained half the glass before finishing it and allowed Shining Armor to set it back down on the nearby table.

“Can I get you anything else? The party is still going on, if you’d like something from the buffet. I’ll even chase down one of those legged brownies for you, if you want.”

“I’m not really that hungry,” Cadance said quietly as she let her eyes drift back to the ceiling.

“No, I can’t imagine you are right now,” Shining said as he levitated a cushion closer to the bed and took a seat on it. “Still, is there anything you want? Another pillow?”

“Did the doctor say anything else?”

Shining Armor shook his head. “No, all he really said is that you’ll be better soon and that you have nothing to worry about. Your allergic reaction is only cosmetic, and that it will all clear up just fine.”

Cadance breathed a sigh of relief as she rested her forehooves on top of the blanket, specifically on top of her stomach. “That’s good. I was worried. I’ve never had this bad of a reaction before.”

“Well, you’ve never had that much mistletoe dumped on your head. Makes me remember what happened the first time, when we didn’t know you were allergic. Twilight was trying to decorate and she dropped a piece of mistletoe on your back. You spent the next hour after that trying to scratch yourself on everything in the house.”

Cadance chuckled before wincing a little. Smiling made her face hurt more, but she still felt like smiling “Yeah, I remember. Twilight looked up a bunch of techniques bears use to scratch their backs. Still, thanks for carrying me in, Shining.”

“What else was I supposed to do?” he asked, smiling weakly before glancing away. The room gave way to the awkward silence. Neither really had anything to say. Cadance had been angry, but it was hard to stay angry when your whole body aches. And Shining had apologized before, a dozen times. She hadn’t been keen to listen to him those dozen times, but she knew he was sorry.

“Cadance—”

“Shining—”

The pair both tried to speak at the same time, to try and break the silence, but they both fell quiet again in fear they were interrupting. Then a small chuckle, first from Shining and then from Cadance.

“I’m sorry—”

Again, the pair got caught speaking in unison, and they chuckled once more. Cadance moved one of her forehooves, holding Shining’s hoof as she looked at him. “Do you promise to never be that boneheaded again, to listen to me when I say you should trust somepony?”

He nodded, squeezing her hoof back. “I promise.”

“Okay,” she said, once more cringing from the pain of smiling. “Because I want a hot fudge sundae.”

Shining laughed before leaning forward and gently kissing Cadance on the forehead. “Of course. Anything you want?”

“Really, anything?” Cadance teased. “Will you bring me breakfast in bed for a week?”

“With all I have to make up for, I’ll bring you breakfast in bed for a month,” he said gladly.

“Hoof rubs?”

“For as long as you want.”

“Well... I guess that’s a start,” Cadance said. “Besides, I think you’ll have more than enough to do over the next few months. I’m going to need a lot of help. We’ll have classes to take and books to read. It’s going to be a lot of work getting ready.”

“Getting ready for what?”

Cadance smiled through her pain, pulling Shining Armor’s hoof to her stomach and just holding it there. “There’s been something I’ve been meaning to tell you. Have you noticed that I’ve been eating more lately, and that I’ve been craving some weird things.”

“Now that you mention it, I suppose I have.”

“And do you remember when I went to the doctor last week?”

“Yes, it was because you gained some weight. You were really nervous about it for some reason.”

“Well, that’s not entirely true. I did gain some weight, but it was also because I was late.”

“You were nervous because you were late for the appointment?”

“No, I was late,” Cadance stressed.

“I don’t understand,” Shining Armor said, an eyebrow arched in confusion. His mind then suddenly clicked together everything Cadance had said. Food cravings, weight gain, being that special kind of “late” only mares could be. “Wait... are you? How long?”

Cadance just nodded her head. “The doctor says I’m about a month in.”

Shining turned, focusing on Cadance’s blanket covered belly as he gently rubbed his hoof against it. He was silent for several seconds, the smile on his face growing inch by inch over that time. Finally, it grew as large as his face would allow, and that was when he exploded. He cheered and began to bound around like a rabbit. He whooped, he hollered, and he danced, not caring who heard or saw.

“Shining Armor, what’s going on?!” Twilight asked as she, Night Light, Velvet, and Nyx rushing into the room at the sound of his shouting.

“Twilie! Cadance and I are going to have a foal!”

Velvet and Twilight’s jaws dropped. They looked to Cadance, then back at Shining. They then repeated themselves twice, looking back and forth between the two before they looked at one another. They were stuck in a loop, neither able to believe what they had been told.

“My brother is having a foal?”

“My son is having a foal?

“I’m going to be an aunt?”

“I’m going to be a grandmother?”

“They’re going to have a foal?”

“They’re going to have a foal!?”

Twilight and Velvet smiled, rose up on their back hooves, and hugged each other tight as they cheered as loud as their voices would allow. They chanted and sang, “They’re having a foal! They’re having a foal! They’re having a foal!”

Night Light was a bit more controlled, but he was holding back tears as he went up to his son. First they shook hooves, but then Night Light pulled Shining into a firm hug. Nyx was bounding amongst all four of them, putting together the fact that she would be getting a cousin. She was cheering and talking about all they would do together, and how she and her cousin would be friends just like Apple Bloom and Babs.

It was growing into a cacophony. Five ponies all cheering at once while Cadance could only lay back in smile. Twilight and Velvet leapt at Night Light and Shining, and Nyx gladly joined in as well. The whole family shared the tight group hug, tilted their heads back, and shouted so loud there was hardly a pony in the castle that couldn't have heard them. “Cadance is having a foal!”

“Did you hear that? It sounded like somepony shouting something about a foal?”

Column glowered at Quick Snap from his bed. After getting his condition stabilized, he had been moved to another room. At least, that’s what he had been told. He had been asleep for most of it, suffering from one of the worst nightmares he had endured in a while. All he knew was he had woken up that morning to find he was sharing a small, well guarded room with the pony that had stabbed him in the back.

“All I hear is a snitch who can’t keep his mouth shut,” Column hissed before looking back up at the ceiling.

Quick Snap rolled his eyes and shifted to get more comfortable. He was sitting in the room’s sole chair, reading the single magazine that had been left. All other furniture had been removed. A nurse came in regularly to check on Column, and the guards escorted Quick Snap to the bathroom when he asked. Otherwise, the pair of reporters were on lockdown.

A shuffle of hooves outside the door made Quick Snap look up from the magazine while Column couldn’t be bothered to even turn his head. A mare marched into the room, a pegasus of the night guard in full armor. She removed her helmet with a wing, removing a portion of the disguising enchantment imbued in the metal. The fur around her head turned a light beige, and her mane became a bright, grain field blonde.

“What’s the news, Clear Cut?” Quick Snap asked, getting out of his chair and walking towards Column’s sister.

“Other than the fact both of you are still in deep trouble?” she quipped, making no effort to sugar coat her words or the truth behind them. “The good news is Nyx was found last night. No pony has yet asked Twilight Sparkle, Prince Shining Armor, or Princess Mi Amore Cadenza if they want to press charges yet. Even if they end up letting you off the hook, which is more than you deserve, you still have a long list of charges against you.”

Clear Cut extended one of her wings, counting off the charges with her feathers. “You're being charged with breaking and entering the castle, assaulting royal guards, and property damage for a start. You're also being investigated for your involvement with a case of a break in at the train station. The guard there recalls being buried in an avalanche of snow by a pair of ponies matching your and Quick Snap’s descriptions.”

“And what about an attorney?” Column asked as he sat up in his bed. “I know my rights.”

“You're getting your attorney. One’s already been assigned to the case, and do you know what that attorney thinks? He thinks both of you need to just plead guilty, because it’s only going to get worse. You go to trial—”

“And the truth comes out,” Column said firmly. “Everypony will finally know the truth, that Nightmare Moon is alive, well, and running free. They’re going to enter the pictures I took into evidence, and then their secret will be blown wide open.”

“Are you really going to turn this into some media circus, Column?” Quick Snap asked. “Are you really that obsessed? We could get locked up for the rest of our lives! We could get banished!”

“No jury is going to convict us when they hear how the princesses have been lying to us.”

“It’s not going to be a jury trial, Column. It’s going to be a bench trial, and your judge is going to be Princess Celestia herself. The princess has pushed this case straight to the top level of the court system, which is her. And, if she wants, she can order a news blackout about the trail.”

“N-no!” Column spat, starting to struggle to get out of bed only to groan and lay back down. He was still beat up from the catwalk collapse. “S-she can’t do that! Everypony deserves to know.”

“You’re right,” Clear Cut said, setting a hoof on her brother's shoulder. Her face was still firm, but her hoof was reassuring. “And the princesses happen to agree. That’s why they are willing to make a deal.”

Quick Snap stumbled up beside Clear Cut, a fleeting hope in his eyes. “W-what did the princesses say?”

“Princess Luna has offered a deal. It is your one and only chance to avoid full prosecution.”

“We aren’t going to make any—”

“Shut up, Column!” Quick Snap shouted before quickly focusing his attention back on Clear Cut. “W-what’s the deal?”

“Quick Snap, if you plead guilty at the trial, the princesses have agreed to wave the higher charges for what you did on castle grounds. You’ll still be sentenced for breaking into the train station, but Princess Celestia is willing to go easy. A hefty fine, community service, but no jail time.”

“Then I’m guilty!” Quick Snap shouted. “I’ll say it now. I am guilty! G-U-I-L-T-Y!”

“You spineless—”

“He’s making the right decision, Column,” Clear Cut snapped at her brother. “And you’d better listen to the deal they're offering you.”

“Oh, and what’s my deal?” Column asked, the sarcasm thick in his voice. “Do I have to say I’m sorry? Do I have to sweep a few paths?”

“Psychological treatment at Winter Ridge Psychiatric Hospital.”

“They’re trying to put me in the nut house?!” Column bellowed. “I’m not crazy! I’m the only sane one in the kingdom. That thing can’t be trusted! She’ll take over the nation again. She’ll—”

“Do you want to go to jail?” Clear Cut shouted back, pulling her brother up into a sitting position before grabbing him by both shoulders. “Do you want to be some martyr for your self-deluded cause? You’re getting locked up one way or another, Column. There’s no getting out of it considering all you did and who you put in danger. It’s either the psychiatric hospital, where you have a chance of getting better and getting released, or proper jail, where you won’t get to leave early.”

“I’m not going to a nut house! I’m not insane! I’m not some crazy—”

“I know,” Clear Cut said, her voice firm as she squeezed her brother’s shoulders with her hooves. “I know, but you are obsessed, and sending you to jail will only make it worse. The princesses are giving you a chance to get better, to not throw your life away because of this. So please, do it for me.”

Column gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. He struggled to escape from Clear Cut’s grip. Finally, he fell limp. He hung his head and ever so quietly said, “Okay... for you.”

“Thank you,” Clear Cut said as she helped Column lay back in the bed. “You’ll need to sign your confessions and guilty pleas. A pony will come tomorrow to take care of it. For now, Column, you're on bed rest. Quick Snap, head outside. The princesses don’t want to keep you away from your family on Hearth’s Warming. The guards outside will fit you with a magical tracking bracelet. You can’t leave Canterlot, but you can at least go home. But be back here at nine in the morning. A minute late and the deal goes away. Got it?”

Quick Snap nodded his head firmly. “Yes, of course.”

“Good, now get out of here. I need talk to my brother.”

The photographer pegasus didn’t dawdle. He was out the door in a flash, leaving Clear Cut and Column alone. Clear Cut pulled a cushion up beside the bed and sat quietly for a moment. Column just stared at the ceiling, as if not wanting to even acknowledge her presence. Still, Clear Cut remained, and after taking a breath to steady herself, she began.

“Column, have you been having nightmares?”

The Hearth’s Warming festivities got back into motion once everypony knew Cadance was okay, and things got even better when they heard the good news. Most of the ponies in attendance wanted to go right down to the medical wards to congratulate the happy couple. A few wise words from Celestia, however, kept everypony in the ballroom and the party continued as it had been. Talking, laughing, and the occasional chaotic but otherwise harmless shenanigan from Discord.

Still, as day wore into the late afternoon, ponies began to depart. They left to eat dinner and to spend the last few hours of Hearth’s Warming in the simple, quiet comfort of family. Cadance was given the go ahead by the castle doctors to go home with the rest of Twilight’s family, and soon only Luna and Celestia remained in the royal ballroom.

“Yeeeeehaaawwwww!”

Except, of course, for Discord, who was riding the Hearth’s Warming tree like a bucking bronco. The proud pine was bent over, its ornaments shaking as it tossed, turned, and gallivanted around the ballroom. Tables, chairs, and everything else sprung to life, just so they could jump, hobble, and roll away in fear. It was pure, honest chaos, and Discord’s happy cheers made it clear he was enjoying it. The tree, however, proved too much for the draconequus. With a whiney and a powerful buck, Discord was sent flying, crashing onto the floor at Celestia and Luna’s hooves.

“Shoot, I was this close to making eight seconds,” he said, holding the fingers on his claw apart by less than an inch. He then let his claw flop to the ground as he covered his face with his paw. “I guess I’ll never be a rodeo star.”

“Wouldn’t rodeo star be a step down from a lord of chaos?” Luna asked.

“That, Luna, would be true if they were mutually exclusive,” Discord said as he floated into the air, curling around the princess as he rose. “But they are not. I can attend to my duties as the super heroic bringer of chaos in this overly orderly world while also going for the blue ribbon at the rodeo. And after that, I’ll be off to compete in the Miss Equestria pageant.” With a spin Discord had put himself in a flowing dress with a glistening tiara. He also wore a white sash with “Miss Equestria” written across it in mismatched letters and a few numbers.

“With my good looks and winning personality, I’m a shoo in for the crown.”

“I don’t know, don’t pageant winners normally need hair?” Celestia asked, smiling to herself.

“Oh, look who has a sense of humor! It’s a Hearth’s Warming miracle!” Discord said as he circled the princesses once more. But this time, when he floated back into view, fabulous blonde, shoulder length hair had sprouted from his back. It waved and rolled like liquid gold, and Discord ran a claw through it in slow motion before smiling down at the princesses. “What do you think, too much?”

Luna giggled to herself as Celestia shook her head and rolled her eyes. “It’s very you, Discord.”

“Well, then, I’m just going to have to change it then.” He said, snapping his fingers and returning himself to normal. “It would ruin my reputation if I went out wearing something you approved of.”

“Speaking of approval, I wanted to ask you about a little something involving mistletoe.”

“Really, Celestia, if you want to sneak a kiss from me all you have to do is ask.” Discord flexed, his normally stringy body suddenly bulking up with muscle. “I know I’m a stud muffin.”

“I’m more interested in the box of mistletoe that the fillies were able to get into,” Celestia said. “The mistletoe they ended up dumping onto Cadance.”

“You know, Celestia, not every little piece of chaos that happens is my fault,” Discord said, putting a claw to his perfectly sculpted chest as if he had wounded his pride. “I mean, how was I to know what those fillies were planning? It wasn’t like I was listening in from an ornament on the tree. And how is it my fault that your castle staff decided to put a crate of fresh mistletoe, a ladder, a large tarp, red construction paper, scissors, string, and several yards worth of rope in the closet right across the hall from the ballroom?”

“So you're saying you didn’t have anything to do with it?” Luna asked.

“Well, maybe not entirely,” Discord admitted, his muscles deflating like balloons as he chuckled a little to himself. “Though, I have to give credit where credit is due. The Chaos Making Crusaders did a bang up job with the supplies. Oh, and the look on their faces when Shining told them Cadance was allergic was priceless! I wish I had a picture.”

Discord reached up and grabbed his antler with his paw and gave it a sharp yank. It shifted on his head like a lever, and, from his mouth, a thick white square with a picture popped out. He took the polaroid in his claw and began to shake it in the air before holding it out to the princesses. “Ah, there we go. That’s one for the scrapbook.”

“Yes, if anything this Hearth’s Warming has been memorable,” Celestia said as Discord pulled a jumbled mess of a book out of his ear. He began to flip through the pages, looking for the perfect place to put the new polaroid.

“Your highnesses, dinner is served on the sunset balcony, as you requested.”

Celestia and Luna both turned, looking to the servant who was standing in the ballroom’s doorway. Celestia gently nodded to the stallion and smiled. “Thank you. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

The servant returned the nod and hastily retreated. At the same time, Discord finished putting the photo in his scrap book. He shut it with a sharp snap before it evaporated into the air, as if it had been made only of smoke. “Well, I guess I should be heading out myself then. Enjoy a free night before I have to get back to my chores. So farewell, arrivederci, aloha, and—”

“But, Discord, we were going to ask you to join us,” Luna said.

The spirit of chaos skidded to a stop, leaving black marks floating in the air. He then turned, making sunglasses appear over his eyes just so he could take them off in disbelief. “You’re joking. You have to be joking. Why, would I, Discord, want to eat with you two stuffy, order-loving princesses?”

“It’s Hearth’s Warming, and I think even we three can put aside our differences today,” Luna said before gently nudging Celestia in the side. “Right, sister?”

“Yes,” Celestia said, though it was obvious she was not entirely keen on the idea. “Fluttershy thought we needed to get better acquainted as friends. Besides, we told the chef to make your favorite.”

“But he doesn’t know my favorite,” Discord said as he landed beside the princesses.

“Of course, that’s why we told him to guess. It’s going to be a surprise for all of us.”

Discord smiled, disappearing for one moment only to appear between the two princesses. He had his paw hanging over Celestia’s shoulder and his claw over Luna’s. “Oh, you two really know how to make a spirit of chaos feel welcome. I was going to go around town, spreading my own unique brand of holiday charm, but you’ve changed my mind. We'll have dinner, and I’ll provide the entertainment. How about a three ring circus extravaganza?”

Discord nodded to himself and floated towards the door. “Yes, I’ll make the appetizers the clowns and the acrobats, and I’ll make the main course the wild animals. I will be the humble ringmaster, serving up fine food and fantastic feats of culinary strength and skill.

“And then we’ll eat dessert while having a quiet chat and watching the sunset from the balcony. ” Discord landed at the door, putting a claw on the handle and opening it gently before looking back at the princesses.

“You want to sit and talk?” Celestia asked.

“Well, no, not really, but I think I’ve had my fair share of chaos today. As Fluttershy taught me, compromise is an important part of any friendship.”

Celestia chuckled as she and Luna walked through the door. “Careful, Discord, you're sounding like a greeting card.”

“Bleah, I know, but I just can’t help it! When the first friend you’ve ever had is a mare like Fluttershy, it rubs off. Before you know it I’ll have a fussy little pet bunny and will have dyed myself yellow. Can you imagine? Me, in all yellow? It’s preposterous! Now, cotton candy pink on the other claw...”

Twilight smiled as she sat at her desk, a blank scroll resting in the moonlight from the window. It was late, and everypony else was asleep. Cadance had let Shining Armor back into their room. He was sleeping on the floor, but that was more because he wanted to give Cadance the whole bed until she felt better. Her parents were in their room. Her friends were off at the castle. They and their families had been given suites by the princess, that way her family wasn’t trying to cram another dozen ponies into their home. Finally, Nyx and Spike were snoozing behind her. They had drifted off within minutes of being tucked into bed.

Still, after everything that happened, Twilight found herself feeling the need for a report. And so she sat at her desk. She had a fresh scroll, a fresh bottle of ink, a quill, an extra quill, spare paper in case the ink splattered, and a few other necessities. She dipped the quill into the ink and then gingerly placed it against the scroll.

Dear Princess Celestia,

This Hearth's Warming, I learned

A tapping on the window drew Twilight from her friendship report. There, she saw a familiar, if surprising, sight. Philomena was fluttering just outside the window, her bright feathers a stark contrast against the black, star speckled sky and snow covered ground. Twilight quickly opened the window, letting Philomena quickly flutter in before she shut the window, locking out the cool night air.

“What are you doing here?” Twilight couldn’t help but ask, and she quickly got her answer. Philomena opened one of her claws and dropped a pair of scrolls she was carrying. One was marked with Celestia’s seal. The other one bore the seal of the Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.

Philomena nudged the scroll with Celestia’s personal seal with her beak, and Twilight quickly took the hint. She opened that scroll first, quickly reading over the small note contained within.

Dear Twilight,

I was asked by an old friend to forward this scroll to you. I hope you don’t mind that I used Philomena instead of Spike. I can only imagine the little dragon is already asleep, and I didn’t want to wake him. I also didn’t see any harm in letting Philomena spread her wings.

Happy Hearth’s Warming

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

P.S. When you see Fluttershy, please tell her that I thank her for her suggestion. It was a surprisingly pleasant evening, and the circus was very good.

“Circus? What circus? There aren’t any circuses in Canterlot this time of year,” Twilight whispered to herself. She looked to Philomena, as if hoping the phoenix might give her some answer. She, however, just nudged the next scroll closer to Twilight. Twilight didn’t know who this second scroll was from, mostly because she didn’t know who Celestia considered a friend. She, however, wasn’t going to be rude, and began to read the noticeably longer message on the second scroll.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

It’s been many years since I’ve written a letter like this, reporting to somepony what I’ve learned. Back when I used to write to Celestia regularly, when I was just a little older than you are, they would always be about my work. My talent is for creating new spells, and back then hardly a week would go by when I hadn’t thought up some new theory or come up with, what I felt, was some groundbreaking technique in the mystical arts.

Still, I guess a pony is never too old to learn, and today I learned a new lesson. Sometimes ponies make mistakes. Sometimes you spill a glass of milk. Sometimes you stumble and drop something because you weren’t looking where you were going. And sometimes you aren’t as cautious as you should be when dealing with strange, dangerous, magical material.

Yes, I made a big mistake, and for the past several months I was sure that it was a mistake that I couldn’t fix. And, I was right to a degree. There is nothing I can do to put things back the way they were. There’s no way to undo what’s been done, but that’s not why I can’t fix it.

I can’t fix it because it’s not broken.

When Nyx arrived at my manor, we spoke. She asked about the spell, about what your blood did in the ritual. She was hoping that it would make you, in some way, her biological mother. Unfortunately, that is not how the spell was designed, but I’ll touch on that later. What I’d like to say first is that Nyx struck a nerve, and that I ended up saying something to her.

I told her how I wish none of it had happened. That I had never made the spell that created her, that I had never even been given the shreds of Nightmare Moon. I wished that she would just go away.

It was from Nyx’s reaction to my words that I realized what I was really wishing for. Yes, I made a mistake, one that could have doomed all of Equestria to the eternal night. But, somehow, things still worked out alright. Truthfully, things really worked out for the best. Equestria was no worse for the wear when the princesses returned to the throne.

And Nyx has been given a chance to lead a life free of the anger and hatred that defined her as Nightmare Moon.

So I apologize, to both you and Nyx for anything I said that may have upset her. I have not been myself lately, but I believe the commotion at my manor that evening has helped get me back on track.

I must also apologize for upsetting and possibly confusing Nyx with my explanation of the spell that created her. I wish for her to know the truth, in its purest form, and I hope I will have better luck articulating myself with a pen than I was with my own mouth.

Despite her wishes, Nyx is not related to you by blood. The spell was designed to work in stages. The first stage was to create a body to house everything that was Nightmare Moon. This is where your blood came into play. It was a transfusion, like one that would be given to a sick pony in the hospital. Your warm, living blood was a spark that helped ignite the heart that was forming inside what would become Nyx’s body.

That was, of course, when Princess Celestia interrupted.

If the spell had continued on its regular course, it would have worked until Nightmare Moon’s body was complete. The spell would have then formed Nightmare Moon’s mind by stitching together the echoes of her memories and emotions that lingered in the shreds of her old body. After that the spell would have focused on her soul. No pony can create a soul from scratch, but one can be grown.

There were only a few tiny scrapings of Luna’s spirit left in the shreds, fragments from the part of her soul where her jealousy first took root. I designed the spell to use those pieces as seeds. The mind the spell had already assembled would act as a trellis, guiding the growing soul just as our own souls grow and change with the experiences in life we face.

To speak truthfully, the spell was very closely based upon existing research in the growth and development of foals.

But, as we both know, things did not go as planned. The spell was interrupted, and so I can only guess at what happened after that. From what I know, this is what I believe. The part of the spell dealing with Nyx’s body was able to complete without issue. She is, physically, Nightmare Moon.

The part of the spell dealing with her mind, however, almost completely failed. At the moment of her birth Nyx had few if any of her own memories. Even her general knowledge was broken to pieces. She was a blank slate, like a true newborn she was almost entirely ignorant to the world around her.

As to her soul, it was left to grow naturally. With no mind, no memories, to act as a trellis, it was free to take whatever shape it wanted. This, I believe, is why Nyx shares some traits with you, like your love of books and your curiosity. She imprinted upon you, like any child would imprint on a mother, and her soul looked to yours as a role model.

Looking back, I don’t really think I had a hope of turning Nyx into a true Nightmare Moon after she spent even a week with you.

Still, I ask that you assure Nyx that she has no reason to be sad. You may not be her biological mother, but you are her true mother nonetheless. And she should be proud, I think. Every part of her came from Nightmare Moon: mind, body, and soul. She was Nightmare Moon when she was born. Yet, with a little luck and a lot of love from you, she grew into so much more.

So, in the end, I guess the lesson I learned is that sometimes mistakes can lead to amazing things, things that you wouldn’t have ever imagined were otherwise possible.

I wish you, Nyx, and your family a Happy Hearth’s Warming and a bright new year.

Sincerely,
The Returning Headmaster of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns
Spell Nexus

Twilight smiled a little as her eyes rose from the scroll. She let it rest on top of her desk, where she would be unable to forget it the following morning. She then gave Philomena a scratch beneath the beak before letting the phoenix fly out the window and back in the direction of the castle.

After watching Philomena until she disappeared from sight, Twilight stepped away from the window and her desk. She crossed the room to her old bed. She slipped in as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb Nyx who was sleeping on the opposite side or Spike who was passed out on the foot of the bed.

She laid her head down slowly, eyes drooping but a smile still lingering on her face. The road had been bumpy, and maybe once or twice she had worried that bringing Nyx up to meet her family had been a mistake. But, in the end, it had all worked out for the best. Nyx was happy, her family was happy, Cadance was having a foal. In all, it had been a pretty good Hearth’s Warming.

Beginning to doze off, Twilight let her eyes slide shut. She listened only to the quiet of the room. She heard Spike and Nyx breathing, but also another sound. A sound that was like a lullaby carrying her off to a land of pleasant dreams.

It was the bells of Canterlot tower. For one final night, the glorious bells sang out with all their strength. The large bells rang like thunder, the small bells chimed like whispers, but together they formed the grandest of chorus as they proudly played the carols of Hearth Warming. They sang out for all of Canterlot, for all Equestria, letting all know that the fire of friendship burned brightly in the kingdom of the ponies. That the three tribes were still in unison, and that the magic of friendship and family was alive and well.