//------------------------------// // Scrooge's Office // Story: An Equestria Girls Christmas Carol // by Draconaquest //------------------------------// APPLEJACK Sunset's plan was farfetched beyond belief, but I needed it to work, for Applebloom's sake. Working in Scrooge's office wasn't fun at all, and a barely paid, but I hope that Sunset's plan will change that. Today was Christmas Eve, and the most remarkable thing happened. Scrooge's nephew, Fred, came in for a visit. He stormed in, with a massive grin on his face, and a Christmas Wreath in his hand. He shouted in a cheerful voice, "Merry Christmas Uncle! God save you!" "Bah!" said Scrooge, "Humbug!" He barely even looked up from his desk. "Christmas a humbug, uncle!" said Scrooge's nephew. "You don't mean that, I am sure." "Oh, I mean it!" Scrooge replied. "Bah, 'Merry Christmas!' What right have you to be merry? You're poor enough!" "What right have you to be dismal?" Fred asked. "You're rich enough." Scrooge face scrunched up in anger, and he shouted "Bah! Humbug!" "Don't be cross, Uncle!" Fred said. "What else can I be," returned the uncle, "when I live in such a world of fools as this? Merry Christmas! Out upon merry Christmas! What's Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not a dolor richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in 'em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I could work my will," said Scrooge indignantly, "every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be cooked with his own turkey, and buried with a stake through his heart!" "Uncle!" Fred pleaded. "Nephew!" Scrooge snapped. "Keep Christmas in your way, and I'll keep it in mine!" "But, you don't keep it." Fred said. "Let me leave it alone, then," said Scrooge. "Much good may it do you! Much good it has ever done you!" "There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say," returned the nephew. "Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that -- as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a single dolor in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!" I probably shouldn't have, but I applauded. Once I realized what I was doing, I immediately stopped, and got back to writing. "Let me hear another sound from you, Applejack," said Scrooge, "and you'll keep your Christmas by losing your employment." Scrooge turned to his nephew. "You're a powerful speaker, sir," Scrooge told Fred. "Perhaps, you should go into government." "Come, Uncle, dine with Clara and me tomorrow." Fred asked. Scrooge rolled his eyes. "Why, ever did you get married?" "Because you fell in love." Scrooge repeated. "Love is a disease. It requires care and attention, like a sick child! It makes you spend every hour of the day taking care of it! Love, is for fools!" "Nay, uncle, but you never came to see me before that happened. Why give it as a reason for not coming now?" "Good afternoon," said Scrooge. "I want nothing from you; I ask nothing of you; why cannot we be friends?" "Good afternoon," said Scrooge. "I am sorry, with all my heart, to find you so resolute. We have never had any quarrel, to which I have been a party. But I have made the trial in homage to Christmas, and I'll keep my Christmas humor to the last. So A Merry Christmas, uncle!" "Good afternoon," said Scrooge. "And A Happy New Year!" "Good afternoon!" said Scrooge Fred hung the Wreath on a hook, and stopped by me and wished me a Merry Christmas, to which a responded by giving him a Merry Christmas as well. I heard Scrooge mumbling something, but I couldn't make it out. However, now the first part of the plan was in motion. There was a knock on the door, and Rarity walked in. She glanced at me and then walked toward Scrooge. "Hello, I'm Rarity, from the Celestial House of Charity. Do I have the pleasure of addressing Mr. Scrooge or Ms. Marley?" "Ms. Marley has been dead these seven years," Scrooge replied. "She died seven years ago, this very night." "Oh, well, I'm sorry." Rarity said. "But, to my point, in this festive time of the year, we try to give food and warmth to those who need it, and I was hoping you might be able to make a donation." She pulled out a pen and notebook. "What may I put you down for?" "Are there no prisons?" Scrooge asked. "Plenty of prisons." Rarity said. "Are the workhouses still in operation?" Scrooge asked. "Yes, though I wish I could say they were not." Rarity said. "Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course," said Scrooge. "I'm very glad to hear it." "Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude," returned Rarity, "a few of us are endeavoring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?" "You wish to remain anonymous?" Rarity asked. "I wish to be left alone," said Scrooge. "Since you ask me what I wish, Rarity of Charity, that is my answer. I don't make merry myself at Christmas and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned -- they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there." Rarity gasped. "But, some would rather die!" "Then if they would rather die than they'd better do it!" Scrooge snapped. "And decrease the surplus population!" "Ugh!!!" Rarity gasped. "How can you say something like?!" "Simple, by moving my vocal chords!" Scrooge said smugly. "Well, Mr. Scrooge, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!" Rarity shouted, knowing that would annoy him. She stomped toward the door, opened it shouted, "Good day!" and slammed the door as she walked out. A few minutes later, a voice singing Good King Wenceslas was outside. Scrooge opened the door to find it was Sunset who was singing. She stopped at soon as she saw him. "What do you want?" Scrooge asked angrily. "Uh..." Sunset said, scratching the back of her head. "Any money to spare, sir?" Scrooge slammed the door in her face. He spotted the Christmas Wreath, and snatched it. He opened the door, and threw the Wreath at her, causing her to collapse. When it pushed closing time, he said to me, "You'll want all day tomorrow, I suppose?" "If convenient, sir." I said. "It's not convenient!" Scrooge yelled. "And it's not fair! You expect me to pay you for no work, but when I pay myself for no work, you don't find me ill-used!" "It's...uh...only once a year." I pointed out. "A poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty-fifth of December!" said Scrooge, buttoning his great-coat to the chin. "But I suppose you must have the whole day. Be here all the earlier next morning." "Yes sir!" I said, and once Scrooge left, I left too. I walked over to the alleyway. Sunset, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were there waiting. Rainbow's hair was dyed a light blue, and she was wearing a long light blue dress. "You okay?" I asked Sunset, who was holding an ice pack to her forehead. "I'm okay, just a headache." Sunset said. "You weren't kidding, when you said how terrible Scrooge is!" Rarity said. "Yeah, he's really terrible." I said. "Anyway," Rainbow Dash began, "Applejack, you need to get home." She turned to Sunset, "And we need to beat Scrooge home." "Yeah." Sunset said. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her phone. She pressed some button's and looked up. "Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie are there already. They say they have the projector set up. You ready?" "I was born ready!" Rainbow said. And I went home, as Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Sunset went to Scrooge's house. I hoped they were ready for Marley's ghost.