//------------------------------// // Peanut Butter and Hearths Warming Day // Story: The Life and Adventures of Peanut Butter // by FlufferNutters //------------------------------//     Throughout the night Canterlot Castle is mostly silent with the only sounds coming from the occasional night guard patrol. That is until the sound of soft hoof steps can be heard slowly approaching Peanut Butter’s room. The door opens to reveal a dark blue unicorn with a sky blue and lavender mane. As she quietly enters the room she sees a brown pony fast asleep in the bed, most likely dreaming of what he’ll get in the morning.     “So this is where you went? Eager to see your cousin I see,” Celestia says quietly.     The unicorn spins around in surprise to see Celestia just outside the door. “But I want to see him now Princess Celestia,” the unicorn says.     “You will see him in the morning when he is awake. If you wake him up now he’ll be miserable and he shows it,” Celestia said. “Come Star Light, it’s time for you to go to bed.”     Star Light sighs as she begins to follow the princess. “Okay Princess, I’ll wait until tomorrow.”     As they walk out of Peanut Butters room, Celestia turns to Star Light and says, “You’re my daughter now, there's no need to be so formal with me.”     “I’m sorry Princess, I mean Celestia,” Star Light says. “This is all still so new to me, I don’t know the first thing about being the daughter of a princess.”     “There's no need to apologize,” Celestia replies, as they continue to walk down the hall. “I understand that this is all a little overwhelming but you’ll get used to it in time. For now just worry about getting a good night's sleep, and having a good day tomorrow.”     As they walk up to the door to Star Light’s room Celestia turns to her and says, “lets get you tucked into bed.” Star Light jumps up onto the bed and Celestia pulls the covers over her with her magic.     “Goodnight my child, sweet dreams,” Celestia says as she gives Star Light a kiss.     “Goodnight Celestia,” Star Light says, as she fades off to sleep. Her dreams are filled happy thoughts on what the next day, as well as her new life, has in store for her.     Celestia watches as her little filly fades off to sleep, before heading to her own room so she could get some sleep. ______________________ (the next day)     Peanut Butter stirred as the warm light of the morning sun shone in through his window. Rolling over he spots the hearths warming gift, that Luna left for him, on his bed side table. He stretches and grabs the gift, getting ready to open it. He rips the paper off to find a night guard action figure, complete with its own armor and spear.       As Peanut Butter started to play with his new toy, Luna walked in followed closely by Lunar Shine. “Good morning, Peanut Butter,” Luna said as she hugged her son.     “Good morning, momma,” Peanut Butter replies, “thank you for the toy.”     “You're very welcome, now get out of bed and I’ll help you get washed up,” Luna says.     Peanut Butter hops off the bed to follow Luna to the bathroom so he can get washed up. “I’ll wait for the two of you out here,” says Lunar Shine, “then we can go greet the others.”     “Okay Lunar, we won't be long,” said Luna as she gave Lunar Shine a kiss on the side of his muzzle. Peanut Butter rolled his eyes at the display of affection, and walked into the bathroom. Luna followed him into the bathroom to help him wash and brush his mane and tail, brush his teeth, and get washed up.     After Peanut Butter got washed up and dried off, Luna helped him get into his regalia. Then they all walked out of Peanut Butter’s room together, and proceeded to the great hall to join the others. _____________________ (meanwhile)     Celestia makes her way through the hallways of the castle approaching Star Light’s room. Along side her was one of her pegasi day guards, “so sergeant Swift Skies you know the plan right?” she asks him. “Of course Princess Celestia,” Swift Skies responded, “you go in first and have a talk with her, while I wait out here with her gift for you to call me in. Then after you give her the gift, I wait with her while you greet everypony else as they arrive. After that I escort her to the grand hall where you’ll introduce her to everypony just as planned,” he concluded.     “Very good Sergeant,” Celestia says.     “I always do my best to remember a plan Princess,” says Swift Skies, “but for now feel free to focus on Princess Star Light, after all Hearth’s Warming day is a day meant for spending time with loved ones not chatting with a single guardspony.”     “Don’t sell yourself short Sergeant Skies,” says Celestia.     “Never meant to Princess, I’m just saying that she is more important right now then I am,” he said with a smile, “besides, we’re here.     “So we are,” says Celestia. As she reaches the door, she peers in expecting to see Star Light still asleep in bed after her little adventure last night. She is surprised to see her already up and over by the balcony, staring off into the distance. She starts to worry when she spots a tear in the corner of her eye.     As she enters the room, she sees Star Lights ear swivel towards her, “good morning Celestia,” Star Light says with a sad tone.     “Is something wrong my child?” Celestia asks in a worried tone.     “It’s nothing,” says Star Light as she continues to stare out the window.     “Come now,” says Celestia, “I know something’s bothering you. You’re my daughter now, you can tell me anything and I promise you I’ll do my best to understand.     “I used to watch the sunrise with my mother and father before they left for work in the morning,” Star Light says. “Last year on Hearth’s Warming Eve was the last time I got to watch the sunrise with them. They went out shortly after to get the groceries for dinner the next day and never came home,” she said before she broke down into tears.     “I’m so sorry Star Light,” said Celestia.     “It’s okay Celestia,” said Star Light, “I had to talk about it eventually, and besides they’ll always be watching over me, and holding onto that special place in my heart.”     “Do you think there's room for one more in there?” Celestia asked while looking Star Light in the eyes.     “I think I have room for one more, mom,” says Star Light, as she hugs Celestia.     As Celestia breaks the hug she says, “Now on to happier things. The guests should be arriving at any time and I want to introduce you to everypony. But first I have something for you,” She said as she called for Swift Skies who was still waiting outside.     Swift Skies entered and passed Celestia a large wrapped package, who then placed it in front of Star Light. Star Light looked at it for a second before ripping off the wrapping paper and opening the box that it was covering. Inside was a set of regalia that looked like somepony had captured light from the stars and forced it into the polished metal. Celestia helped Star Light put it own before studying her, “it’s a perfect fit and accents your coat nicely, almost like somepony knew exactly what color and size it needed to be,” she said with a smirk on her face. This caused both Star Light and Swift Skies to start laughing.     “Now that that is taken care of, I need to go greet the others,” Celestia said to Star Light, “Sergeant Swift Skies will bring you down when it is time for them to meet you.”     “Okay mom,” said Star Light as she watched Celestia leave the room. She stuck her head out the door and watched until Celestia had turned the corner down the next hallway before she spun around to face Swift Skies.     “Did you get it?” she asked the guardspony.     “Of course I got it,” said Swift Skies. “One Solar Orchid as requested,” he said as he pulled the flower out of a hidden pocket in his armor. “I just can’t believe you got Discord to not only tell you the location of this legendary flower, but also to add this magical pocket to my armor so I could keep it hidden from her long enough to get it to you,” he said.     “Oh that was easy,” said Star Light with a sly grin, “I just told him I’d sick Fluttershy on him if he didn’t help me.”     “That was quite the devious move little one,” came the disembodied voice of the draconequus in question.     “Hello Discord,” said Star Light, “will you be joining us for hearths warming day?”     “Sadly no,” said Discord, “I’ll be spending the day with my dear friend Fluttershy, Something about Cloudsdale and her family.”     “Well, have fun with that,” Star Light told him, “and thanks again for all the help.”     “Glad I could be of service to a Princess of Equestria,” said Discord as he appeared just long enough to give a little bow, “farewell young Star Light, and may the warm light of chaos always shine upon you.” As he disappeared a small package landed on the ground where he had been, on the tag it said “use it well”, “I wonder what that means?” asked Star Light as she opened the package. Inside was a small flute with strange insignia on it, attached to it was a note that said “a tune played soft and sweat can soothe the raging beast”.     Swift Skies jaw dropped when he spotted it, “that’s a flute of pacifying, I heard they were all destroyed when Discord first rose to power.”     “I guess he saved one,” said Star Light as she look it over, “but I wonder why he would give it to me.”     “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see,” Swift Skies told her, “in the mean time I suggest you keep it close, you never know when you might need it. Now, lets go join the others shall we, Princess Celestia has to be ready for us by now.”     “Right, lets go,” said Star Light, as she picked up the flower she had acquired for the princess. _______________________     “Good morning Twilight, my dear friend,” Celestia addressed Twilight as she entered the castle along with spike. She was followed closely by Shining Armor and Cadance, “and a good morning to you as well Cadance and to you Shining Armor.”     “Good Morning Celestia,” they said in unison.     “Is this all of you?” Celestia asked, “I figured the other elements would be here as well.”     “They all had their own plans for today,” Twilight began. “Apple Jack stayed in Ponyville at Sweet Apple Acres with Apple Bloom, Big Mac, and Granny Smith, they had some relatives from Appleloosa coming over, while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are visiting their families in Cloudsdale,” Twilight continued. “Pinkie Pie went back to her families rock farm, and Rarity’s parents took her and Sweetie Belle to Manehattan for the week,” Twilight concluded.     “Well it’s a shame they couldn’t make it,” Celestia said with a slight pout, “but I’m glad that family is the reason for their absence.”     “That’s all well and good,” said Cadance, “but I for one would like to know where little Peanut Butter is.”     “Do I detect a hint of jealousy?” asked Twilight with a slight grin.     “Well I keep dropping hints to your brother but he doesn’t seem to be catching on,” Cadance replied in a less than subtle tone, cause Shining Armor to stumble a bit and Celestia and Twilight to giggle.     “Tis quite the conversation we have walked in on,” said Luna with the hit of a smile on her face. “Though if it progresses any farther, it won’t be suitable for young ears,” she said while gesturing towards Peanut Butter.     “There’s the little guy,” said Cadance as they all walked over to Luna, Peanut Butter, and Lunar Shine. “Good morning Peanut Butter, I have something for you.”     “We, have something for you,” said Shining Armor as he walked up beside Cadance. “But it will have to wait until he opens his gifts with the rest of us,” he said, more to Cadance then to Peanut Butter.     “Fine,” said Cadance, “I’ve waited almost a week, I guess I can wait another ten minutes.”     “Actually, you’ll have to wait a little longer then that,” said Celestia, “There's somepony else I would like you to meet first.”     “Did you just say there is somepony you want all of us to meet Auntie?” asked Blueblood as he walked in, followed closely by Ocean Shine.     “Indeed I did Blueblood,” Celestia replied, as Lunar Shine walked over to greet his sister.     “Have you finally found a coltfriend dear sister,” Luna asked her.     “Nope,” said Celestia. “Now, instead of you standing here all day guessing I think I’ll just show you,” she said. She nodded to one of her guards that had entered while they were all talking. The guard returned the nod and turn to talk to somepony in the hallway, “She’s ready for you to enter now,” he said. “Okay,” came the reply from a young sounding female voice.     All eyes turn to the young filly entering the room, and they are quick to notice the royal regalia she is wearing. “Everypony, I would like to introduce you all to Star Light,” says Celestia, then after a quick pause she adds, “my daughter.”     As soon as the words leave her mouth, the room erupted into a storm of questions. “When did this happen?” asked Luna, “and why didn’t you tell me sooner?”     “How did you keep her a secret?” asked Cadance at the same time as Luna.     “Is she a noble or just a commoner?” asked Blueblood, although no one seemed to hear him.     Celestia was about to use the royal Canterlot voice to stop all the questions, when she heard a soft melody rising over the noise. As they all stopped shouting, they turned to see Star Light playing the pacifying flute she had gotten from Discord.     “Is that what I think it is?” asked Twilight with a shocked look on her face.     “If you're thinking it’s a pacifying flute, then yes it’s exactly what you think it is,” said Star Light with a smile on her face, “and before you ask, it was a gift from Discord that received this morning and no you can’t borrow it to study in the name of science.”     “How did you know I was going to ask?” asked Twilight with a sheepish smile on her face.     “Celestia told me all about you, Princess Twilight, former student of my new mother, and the element of magic,” said Star Light.     “Well, I guess that explains why Pinkie Pie told the rest of the girls to send along an extra set of gifts for a young female unicorn,” Twilight said as she pulled another set of gifts out of her saddlebags.     “I see you know the same magic pocket spell as Discord,” Star Light said to Twilight.     “How did you know that Discord could perform that spell?” asked Celestia.     “He used it on Swift Skies armor so he could help me get a special surprise gift for you, which I want to save for last,” answered Star Light, “he also used it on my mane, though I think that one was supposed to be a prank, I find it quite useful.”     “Well with that shall we start handing out the gifts?” asked Celestia.     “Indeed, let the celebration begin,” said Luna with big smile on her face.     So they began opening gifts, with everypony getting a few. Peanut Butter got a new ball with a pattern that matched Luna’s mane from his mother, a chess game from Cadance and Shining Armor, a coupon for three free donuts from Donuts Joes from Celestia, a beginner to intermediate level flight book from Twilight, and some other gifts from the missing elements. He also got a school bag complete with book and other supplies.     Star Light got a set of weighted unicorn magic training balls complete with a manual from Celestia, a beginner level spell book from Twilight, a book a filled with songs made for pacifying flutes from Pinkie Pie which Twilight swore Discord had something to do with, so other gifts from the rest of the elements of harmony, and just like Peanut Butter she also got a school bag and supplies. When she got them Celestia told her that she was enrolling her in the school for gifted unicorns. Luna claimed that Celestia was just trying to upstage her, which made everypony laugh.     Lunar Shine gave Luna a solid gold pendant in the shape of her cutie mark, which almost mad her cry. As they hugged both Peanut Butter and Spike found other things to do so they didn’t have to watch.     When they reached the end of the gift giving everypony looked to Star Light expectantly, awaiting the gift she had gotten Celestia that had required Discords help in procuring. Nopony was expecting her to pull out the fabled Solar Orchid. They were even more shocked when Peanut Butter pulled out its twin, the Lunar Orchid, to give to his mother. As the two foals gave their mothers their respective flowers, both of the royal sister broke down into tears bringing their respective foals into hugs. ________________________     As the festivities wrapped, a lone foal gazed on with a sad expression. The foal wished to be inside with the others but it was not to be. The foal turned and walked off into the snow. Inside the castle Peanut Butter took a brief look out the window just in time to see a mysterious shadow slip down an alleyway, and he briefly wondered who could be out in the cold on Hearths Warming Day.