Hearth’s Warming Eve
Twilight pulled off her Clover the Clever costume and draped the cloak on a rack. She stretched out her wings, ruffling the feathers before refolding them, and turned to her friends, all in various states of undress from the Hearth’s Warming Eve performance. She sighed in contentment and let her shoulders slump. “Great job, everypony. I think this year’s was even better than last year’s.”
“I’ll say.” Rainbow smirked and puffed out her chest. “I really like being Commander Hurricane. Something about her just speaks to me.”
Applejack stifled a snort and muttered low enough only Twilight could hear, “Ain’t surprised.”
Pinkie bounded away from a trunk with the Chancellor Puddinghead hat still on. “I sorta wish I didn’t have to be such a meanie pants, but it is fun to play somepony so much sillier than me!”
Twilight and Applejack exchanged an amused look, before Rarity, fixing her mane at a vanity, said, “It’s a shame we only got to perform in Canterlot the once; that stage was far more glamorous than Town Hall.”
“Oh, yeah,” Rainbow agreed. “And the crowd was huge!”
Fluttershy cringed and shied back. “It was still pretty big tonight…”
Grinning, Twilight turned back to her costume and straightened it on the rack. “I think I like doing it here better.”
Rarity glanced up from the vanity. “Really? But I remember you saying how much of an honor it was that Princess Celestia had asked us.”
“It was an honor. But…Ponyville is our home.” She looked over her friends, then walked to the window and smiled at the snowcapped shops surrounding town square. “ My home. And Hearth’s Warming is about the friendship and camaraderie you find in the ponies around you and, with those ponies, turning a little bit of land into Equestria together.” Her grin widened. “Canterlot’s beautiful, and I miss it sometimes, but performing here means more.”
“Oh, yuck,” Rainbow chuckled, flying close and ruffling Twilight’s mane. “You’re such a sap, egghead.”
Applejack laughed and snapped her costume’s trunk shut. “Sap or not, I get what she means. Ain’t nothin’ like spendin’ Hearth’s Warmin’ with your kin, blood or not.”
“Yeah, well, you’re a sap, too.”
“I could still lick ya at horseshoes.”
“Likely story.”
As they giggled at Rainbow and Applejack, Spike waddled into the dressing room from backstage, his costume folded up in his claws. “Hey, girls. Everypony else is gone now, and Princess Luna’s here.”
“Is she coming back here?” Rarity gave a fearful once-over to her mane, patting it into shape.
“No, she said to come get you so she could say hello.” Spike packed up his costume, then headed over to Twilight. He looked up at her with a solemn expression. “You sure you’re okay with me going, and you spending Hearth’s Warming alone?”
Smiling, Twilight hugged him. “I’ll be fine, Spike. I know how excited you are that Princess Celestia asked you to light the castle’s hearth in the morning; I don’t want to keep you from doing that.”
He leaned back from the hug. “Only if you’re sure, Twilight. Seems wrong for you to spend Hearth’s Warming all by yourself.”
“I’m sure, Spike. I’m going to sit at home, read, drink hot chocolate, and listen to carolers. It’s going to be perfect.” She let him go and checked that everypony had finished changing and packing. “Shall we go say hello?”
“Just a moment,” Rarity called, running a brush through her mane again.
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Ya look fine; c’mon.” Rarity yelped as Applejack dragged her out of her chair.
Twilight was the last to leave the dressing room, locking up and putting the key in the return drop for the mayor to collect. As she turned to join the others making their way towards the entrance, she found Applejack waiting back for her.
“Hey, sugarcube.”
“Hi, Applejack. You were great tonight; I love your Smart Cookie.”
Applejack smiled, falling into step next to Twilight. “Thank ya kindly. I like your Clover; she reminds me a’ you when everypony’s gone crazy.”
Giggling, Twilight teased, “So she reminds you of me all the time?”
Applejack shared the laugh. “Alright, so it’s pretty dang close to you all the time. Listen…” She stopped halfway up the aisle towards the door. Twilight glanced ahead, seeing Rarity file out behind the others into the snowy street, before turning back to Applejack. “I was wonderin’ if’n ya wanted to come to the farm for Hearth’s Warmin’ supper tomorrow, seein’ as you’re all on your lonesome.”
Twilight waved a hoof. “It’s like I said to Spike; I’ll be fine, Applejack. I don’t want to impose.”
“Ya wouldn’t be; I’d love ya to come.” Her eyes darted side to side. “I mean, uh…ya’d fit right in, an’ we’ll have plenty a’ food. No imposin’ at all.”
Twilight turned towards the door. “Thank you, but I’m sure you’d rather spend it with your family.”
As Twilight walked forward, Applejack said, “Yeah, family’s nice…” She sighed and dropped her voice, looking down at her hooves as she followed. “Blood or not.”
Twilight shut the door to Town Hall behind Applejack and smiled at the princess as she talked with the others. “It’s good to see you, Princess Luna!”
“And I you, Princess Twilight.” Luna smirked and winked. “I trust you have had a fine holiday so far?”
“Yes; the performance went over well.” The others nodded in agreement. “I’m looking forward to some peace and quiet tomorrow, too.”
Luna lowered down to let Spike up on her back, and paused, frowning at Twilight. “You are spending the day alone?”
Twilight waved her hoof again. “I keep telling everypony I’ll be fine; I was planning on reading The Gift of the Magi.”
Luna nodded, and her eyes met with Applejack’s, who turned away. “If you are quite certain, I shan’t discuss it more now, but the season is one of togetherness.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Rarity said, turning to Twilight. “Feel free to stop by tomorrow; Sweetie Belle, Pinkie Pie, the Cakes, and I will be caroling, and you’re welcome to join us.”
“I’m going to watch a Hearth’s Warming pageant performed by the critters, if you’d like to come see that, too, Twilight,” Fluttershy offered.
“And I’m leading the big bonfire in town; you should totally come to that, egghead.”
“Thanks, everypony,” Twilight giggled. “I appreciate it, but I don’t want to impose.” She cut off their protests, saying, “I look forward to hearing your carols when you stop by, but I’m happy to have a lazy day. Everypony should spend time with their families.”
Luna gave her a piercing look, before smiling. She turned to the others, then looked over her shoulder at Spike. “Well, Spike and I should be going if he hopes to be rested for the morning’s festivities.”
Twilight stepped forward and gave Spike a quick hug goodbye. “Thank you for coming and getting him tonight, so he could be in the performance.”
“You are most welcome. It was nice to see all of you again, and I shall see you soon. Some perhaps sooner than others.” As Twilight raised an eyebrow, she spread her wings and leapt into the air. They waved the two off as they sailed towards the sparkling glow of Canterlot Castle in the distance.
Rainbow left first towards her cloud home, calling, “See ya!” over her shoulder. Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy sped off towards their own sources of warmth, while Twilight locked up Town Hall.
Applejack’s hoof settled on her shoulder. Twilight noticed a small tremor in the touch and frowned; it wasn’t like Applejack to get cold easily. “Ya sure ya won’t come to supper? I would like ya to be there.”
Twilight smiled and hugged Applejack around the neck. Her friend stiffened at the touch, but returned the affection before she thought anything of it. “Thank you, but really, I’ll be fine. If I get lonely, I‘ll remember your door’s open, but I’ll do my best to leave you be.”
Applejack nuzzled her cheek as she stepped back from the hug. “…Okay, sugarcube, if’n you’re sure. I’ll, uh…I’ll see ya, Twilight.” She waved and cantered off towards the farm as Twilight headed home.
As Twilight walked, a bounce entered her step and she found herself humming a carol. Her smile widened as she went, replaying the night’s performance in her head and enjoying the bite of winter on the tips of her ears. The wind rustled sleigh bells hung over doors, and she delighted in the holiday spirit, almost skipping the last few blocks back to the tree.
In the library, she stoked the fireplace to life in a glow of magic, and headed to the kitchen. Too excited to wait until morning, she made a mug of hot chocolate, grabbed a book, and curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace. She sipped her steaming cup, and cracked open the book, reading by the light of the burning logs.
The embers burned low before Twilight put her book down and dragged herself to her hooves. She put out the remains of the fire and shook out her legs, then walked to the window and gazed out into the night, watching fresh snow fall across the rooftops, grinning, feeling connected to the ponies of her town. Windigos would never reach Ponyville, not that Hearth’s Warming, not ever.
“Goodnight, home,” she whispered, and made her way upstairs, getting ready for bed and laying down with happy thoughts still filling her mind. She drifted off to sleep humming The Fire of Friendship.
Twilight’s ear twitched, and she sat up in bed. The bell in her wall clock chimed over and over, and she huffed, flinging back the covers. She tromped to the wall, assuming it had wound down, or the hands had gotten stuck at a bad time. She frowned and took a step back when she got close, watching the minute and hour hands whirl around the dial fast enough to rattle the clock against the tree.
The clock downstairs started clanging, and the bell over the door outside chimed to life.
Twilight flung her wings wide in surprise, stumbling back and falling to her haunches, searching the room for something that would cause all the bells in her house to ring. As fast as it started, the tree went quiet again, and she shook her head, wondering if she imagined the whole thing. She walked back to the wall clock.
“Eleven fifty-nine,” she read off the face. The minute hand jumped forward and the bell tinkled again. A dragging clatter echoed up from downstairs.
Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat and lit up her horn to cast light around the room. “Is…is somepony there?” The sound grew louder, punctuated by the thunk of metal on wood, as something lurched up the stairs. “Hello?”
The door burst open, and Luna fell forward onto the floor, wrapped up in heavy chains. “Oh, for the sake of the moon,” she growled, kicking off the chains as best she could. “Why would you associate ghostly visitations with chains, Twilight Sparkle? That’s not even old fashioned, it’s just strange.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Princess Luna?” she deadpanned, descending to the lower loft. “What are you doing back in Ponyville so soon?”
With one last buck, the chain wrapped around Luna’s flanks sailed to a bookshelf with a thundering crash, knocking half the books onto the floor. As Twilight rushed to pick them up, Luna chuckled at her. “Do not bother yourself, for I am not actually here; you’re in a dream, Twilight.”
Twilight stopped and sat down. “Ohhh, I heard that you could visit ponies in their dreams! That does make more sense. Wait.” She jumped to her hooves. “Is everything okay? Nothing bad happened to Spike and you needed to get in touch with me right away, did it?” She pranced in place.
“No, no, calm yourself; we arrived safely and Spike is sleeping in your old suite.” She quirked an eyebrow and looked off in the distance. “…He seems to be dreaming of eating more buckets of ice cream than his body weight.”
Twilight let out a breath and giggled. “He loves that dream.” She straightened up. “So then, if everything’s okay…?”
“Oh, but everything is not okay, Twilight. For you see…” Luna pointed an accusatory hoof at her. “You have forgotten the spirit of Hearth’s Warming.”
Twilight blinked. She sat down heavily and let out a groan. “Is this about me being alone tomorrow? Ugh. I said I’m fine, and it’s not like I forgot about friendship.” She flapped her wings at Luna. “Princess of Friendship, remember?”
Luna cleared her throat and looked away. “Well, perhaps it is an overstatement to say you’ve forgotten.” She grumbled to herself and tapped her hooves together. She let out a sheepish, “My apologies,” before straightening. “But you have missed something important, something intrinsic to ponies everywhere, that is at least tangentially related to the spirit of Hearth’s Warming.”
“Really? What is it?”
Luna blanched, and tapped her hooves together again. “…I am afraid I cannot say.”
Twilight rubbed the bridge of her muzzle with a hoof and tried to keep the exasperation out of her voice. “Why not?”
“I made a unique and powerfully magical promise named after your pink friend, and I fear the repercussions of breaking such an oath.” A shiver ran up her spine.
Twilight nodded and let out a sigh. “Yes, don’t break a Pinkie Promise.” She gave Luna a forlorn look. “So, if you can’t tell me what it is, why are you telling me at all?”
“Ah!” Luna jumped to her hooves. “But I do not need to tell you directly, so much as show you truths, from your past, from the present, and from the future, too.” She swung out a hoof as if commanding a battalion. “Tonight, you shall be visited by three spirits.”
“There’s no such thing as ghosts.”
Luna winced, dropping her hoof and giving Twilight an irritated glare. “Dream, Twilight.”
“Oh, right.”
“Anyway,” she snorted, “these three spirits shall take you on a journey of memory, of things that have happened and things yet to come.”
“Fascinating. I’ve read about memory magic containing ways to view possible futures, but it was all so complicated and subtle I didn’t think I’d ever see it in action.” She clacked her hooves together. “This is exciting!”
“Yes, well, please try to pay attention to what the spirits are showing you; they’re bound by this same oath and won’t be able to talk about it until it’s no longer a secret kept from you.” Luna offered Twilight a knowing grin, before turning towards the stairs.
Twilight grabbed her shoulder. “Um…Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you doing this, Princess Luna? You’re purposefully circumventing a Pinkie Promise by having me get visited by ghosts?” She shrugged at Luna.
Chuckling, Luna sat down and crossed her forelegs. “Just a moment ago you were excited to see the subtleties of memory magic.”
Twilight cleared her throat. “Yes, well…”
Luna laughed again. “Oh, do not worry yourself, Twilight. You see, this specific spell has a long history tied to Hearth’s Warming, going back before the days of me and my sister. I am doing this because I wish to help. I am helping in this manner because tradition dictates as such.”
Slumping her wings, Twilight sighed. “You know I hate silly traditions that don’t have a reason, right?”
“Oh, fret not,” she teased. “Just remember how ‘fascinating’ this frivolity is. Enjoy yourself, Twilight; this is not an everyday experience.”
“Alright…thanks, I guess.”
“You are most welcome. I shall go about casting the necessary enchantments, and bid you a fond evening, Twilight. The first spirit shall arrive at the stroke of one. Until we see each other again, farewell!” As she waved over her shoulder, her hoof caught on the chains and sent them tumbling down the stairs. She laid her ears flat against the sound. “…And do consider dispelling your associations between ghosts and chains, please?”
Twilight chuckled as Luna descended the staircase, watching the princess of night’s body grow translucent and insubstantial. On the fourth riser down, she was gone. Twilight turned and climbed back to her loft, sitting on the bed and waiting for the first visitor to appear. After a few minutes, she lay down and closed her eyes.