//------------------------------// // With a Thankful heart // Story: Stories told on the Hearth // by Alchemystudent //------------------------------// With a Thankful Heart         The gorgeous white alicorn sat in her chambers, looking up at the starry sky above her. A calm smile came to her lips as she began to admire her sister’s art; the way the stars aligned up perfectly without going out of place and the way the moon shone always was better than she managed alone. Turning her head, she looked down at the sleeping mare next to her, passed out from all of the partying that she was doing down below with the other ponies, “Her... friends,” Celestia remarked with a happy thought as she turned to look at her new journal.         Closing her eyes, she began to think back to a Hearth’s Warming Day, so long ago. Back when she was young.         “Lulu? Where are you? It’s time for presents!” The young white alicorn exclaimed, skipping through the castle, “Come on, it’s time to stop playing around and come out. Momma Terra and Poppa Titan said they won’t open any until you come to the main room.”         Looking down and up the old hallways of the castle, the little filly’s search led her to her own room. Walking carefully, she found a box with two eye holes labeled “To Tia, from: the mooooooooooooooon.” Raising an eyebrow, the alicorn pulled the ribbon off the box and opened it slowly. Her eyes opened wide in shock as a little blue filly leapt out and tackled her in a hug.         “TIA!!” Screamed Luna, decked out with a little red bow, “Happy Hearth’s Warming!”         “Luna? What are you...” Celestia asked, holding her sister tight with her forehooves.         Luna looked down shyly, “Well, I have been spending so much time on magic and flying lessons that I didn’t have time to get you a present. I asked Momma Terra what to get you and she said you would be happy with anything I got you. So... I got you me!” A big smile graced her mouth, “Surprised?”         “Oh, Lulu,” Celestia said, snuggling her sister, “You are the best present ever! After all, you are the one that keeps coming back.”         Celestia got up slowly from her bed, and walked to the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. Though she has had many parties and celebrations over the years, she couldn’t help but put a special pride on this one. Perhaps it was the way it was organized, or the way that it was set up, but perhaps for her, it was the small fact that this one was done with ponies she knew and cared for.         Twilight Sparkle and friends.         Placing her hooves onto the railing of the balcony, she watched as the party, held by Twilight Sparkle and her friends, down below began to die down. As she watched the ponies below, she levitated a friendship report that she had received not too long ago and read it to herself.         Dear Princess Celestia,         Today I learned something very special about my friends, they are some of the best ever. I was feeling down about this Hearth’s Warming Eve since it was the first one I would be spending away from you, Mom, Dad, Shining, and Cadence. My depression was something that was noticed by all of my friends after they were done telling me all of their traditions and some of their favorite Hearth's Warming. When they asked me what was wrong, I told them of how I would be spending this one away from my family, due to them being so busy that day and the trains being broken down making it impossible for me to head to Canterlot.         Well, the next day I woke up to find Applejack cooking for me...just like Mom used to. Fluttershy and Spike were busy fixing up the tree and were waiting for me to help while Rarity and Pinkie were helping with the table. At first, I thought that Rainbow Dash wouldn’t have been able to make it, but then she flew in through the window carrying a Canterlot chocolate log with her.         When I asked them why they were here, they told me that they wouldn’t even think of having a friend spend their Hearth’s Warming alone without their family around to keep them warm. That was when I realized that, despite knowing them for only a few months, we had become as close friends as you could ever see. We have done things together over the few months that would take others LIFETIMES to do. I am positive, that we are due for even bigger adventures in the next year, but I know that the friends I made here will always be by my side. I am thankful for all that you have given me:the lessons, the training, the magic, but most importantly...the greatest friends I could ever have. Yes, we have disagreements but Applejack keeps reminding me, thats life and nothing is ever perfect.  I learned that you are never alone, as long as your friends are there. Here’s hoping that Luna is keeping you company.         Happy Hearth’s Warming,         Twilight Sparkle.         Rolling up the letter with her magic and sending it to a special vault with a starburst on it, Celestia let out another contented sigh, “I miss these letters. I guess I always will, though I don’t think I need to hear anything more about what she has learned about friendship. She has moved on from my student to now being her own mare and whatever that leads her to.”         Turning around, she looked down at the young alicorn as she began to help with the clean up, “Now... I really  look forward to the normal letters from my surrogate daughter.” As she watched below, she let out a small chuckle as Applejack dragged an eggnog ladened drunk Rainbow and Pinkie Pie back to the Twilight residence. Looking up, she watched as Rarity carried a sleeping Spike on her back, a conversation beginning with Fluttershy. And, off in the distance, sharing one last dance, was Cadence and Shining. Turning around, she looked back at her little sister and began to remember the first Hearth’s Warming that Luna had shared with Cadence.         The dark blue alicorn stomped her way towards the pink alicorn with a frown on her face, “You, Cadence! Come here at once.” Luna commanded.         “Y-yes Princess?” Cadence asked, a bit of nervousness in her voice.         “Celestia has told me that she has gotten into the habit of adopting foals and naming them, not only wards of the crown, but as her family as well. Claiming them to be her nieces and nephews, is this correct?” Luna asked, looking down at the smaller alicorn.         “Yes,” Cadence gulped.         “Well, then,” Luna said, before wrapping her hooves around the alicorn and hugging her tightly, “Welcome to the family!”         “I told you that you had nothing to worry about,” Celestia said, levitating a cup of tea to her lips and drinking it slowly as she watched Twilight and friends leave.         “Oh and what is this? Is the normally stoic and serious Tia smiling?” Asked a brown water drop from the tip of Celestia’s horn, “And here I thought you would be all gloomy and reflecting on the past and how depressing everything was before you had those three little mares in your life.”         Without looking up and not losing focus, Celestia just calmly responded, “Despite what you may think Discord, I do not always look upon my life with regrets. I do think about the good things that have happened to me over my lifetime, it helps me to overcome the darker parts of my history.”         “OOOOOOOOH!” Discord exclaimed with glee, turning his brown drop into a bright red eye, “Am I one of those happier times that help you?”         “Only in what your reformation meant to my student. Other than that, no.” Celestia said with a smirk.         “Awwww, that hurt and everything we meant to each other,” Discord said with a frown, “Maybe I should cheer you up with a song.”         Celestia let out a small chuckle, before licking her hoof and putting it to her horn tip, “Dissy, why don’t you just bug off?”         As the hoof touched the droplet, Discord immediately turned into steam, “FINE! I’ll just spend the rest of my night with Rutterdhy and Sainbow Fash. ARRRRRIVERDARCI!”         Celestia let out a small bit of laughter from her lips and walked away from the balcony, heading to the sleeping mare on the bed, “Twilight is thankful for her friends, Cadence is thankful for the love that she finally has, and my sister is thankful to be home. As for me, I am thankful,” softly, the white alicorn laid down with her sister, running a hoof along the starry mane, “for this sweet little mare here, and to my student for returning her to me.” With that she kissed her little sister on the forehead and looked once more to the stars.         Old friends         Dear friends         Here where we ought to be