A Christmas vision
It was the holiday season, and the snow was falling all about the land of ponies. Everyone and everypony was getting ready for the season- stringing up lights, decorating the tree. But though all of the ponies across time and location were united in all of this joy and warmth and light, the ways in which they celebrated this holiday were as varied and colorful as the lights and decorations that lit their homes and hearts.
In the ancient halls of old Ponyville, Rarity and Applejack decorate the town hall with ornaments, the earth pony lifting and carrying the heavy boxes, and the unicorn fashionesta levitating the bulbs and garland onto the building itself. Both were wrapped up in their preparations for hearth’s warming eve, that they weren’t even paying attention to the ponies who had gathered around to watch them.
“Applejack, darling, I can’t thank you enough for helping me get these decorations up!” The white unicorn told her, tying a bow on the top of the town hall with her magic. “I simply wouldn’t have been able to do this on my own!”
“Awww, it twernt nothing, pardner!” Her friend replied, pulling a bunch of tinsel out of one of the boxes with her teeth. We better hurry up and git the town hall finished, though. Ah reckon we don’t have much time to git the big Ponyville tree up before this year’s pageant is supposed at start!”
“You ask me? I think all your dumb decorations there look really lame!” Diamond Tiara called out, standing among the gathered group of ponies. “Personally, I think mayor mare shouldn’t have chosen you two to decorate the town hall at all!”
“Yeeeah! You two shouldn’t have decorated!” Silver Spoon giggled in agreement, backing up her bullying friend as always.
“Agreed! So why don’t the two of you stand aside, and let a pony with a true flair for the dramatic light up the hearth’s warming celebration!” A blue unicorn declared, trotting up behind the entire group assembled. “Surely, the grrrrreat and powerful Trixie, can do a better job of giving the holiday flair!”
“What? Why should we give up a job Princess Celestia appointed us to do, darling?” Rarity snapped back, glaring at the other unicorn. “I think we’re doing a pretty good job, as is!”
“Yeah, certainly a better jawb than an ornery braggart could do!” Applejack agreed, stamping her hoof, and staring the three heckling ponies down.
“Actually, I think you should all work on the holiday decorations.” A voice called out, as a regal white alicorn trotted up. “This is the season for friendship, after all!”
All of the ponies present went wide eyed at the sight of Princess Celestia, bowing low before the taller mare.
“Y-your highness!” Rarity Stuttered, looking up at the ruler of Equestria. “W-what are you doing here!?”
“I was dealing with some royal matters in the area, and I thought I might stop by to see how your decorating was going.” The regal rainbow-haired monarch replied serenely. “And I’m surprised to see the lessons of friendship don’t seem to be sticking among ponies who should know them all too well.”
After a few words of apology were exchanged between the ponies present, and soon all the equines in Ponyville were assisting in putting ornaments on the tree. Going over to one of the boxes of the colorful decorations, the alicorn looked inside, and gazed at a large golden orb that stood out from all the red and blue spheres inside. Looking at the small translucent sphere curiously, Celestia levitated the small ornate bauble up, and gazed into a small translucent window on it's side.
That's strange... The princess thought to herself, and she looked at the small scene that seemed to be carved into the inside of the ornament itself. It almost feels like somepony is somehow looking back at me...
...
"Hey Minty, would you please put that Christmas ornament down, and come over here and help us?" Sunny Daze asked, glaring at the distracted green mare in annoyance. "We could really use an extra hoof, in getting this tree up!"
The clumsy mare tore her gaze away from the bauble she was gazing at, and looked back at the other ponies, who were helping to put up the town's tree.
"Girls, you won't believe this, but I think there are ponies trapped in that ornament over there!" Minty exclaimed, galloping over to her friends. "We gotta help them!"
"Ponies? Trapped in a Christmas ornament?" A nearby pink unicorn asked, rolling her eyes at her earth pony friend's suggestion. "Really Minty, but you need to stop with all of these wild and silly stories!"
"I dunno, Cheerilee." Rarity replied, the little filly hopping around excitedly as her teacher levitated decorations onto the nearby Christmas tree. "I think it'd be amazing to find a bunch of ponies trapped in a little ornament! We could break em' out, then sings songs, bake Christmas cookies..."
"Ohhh, and hang Christmas stockings! Don't forget about the Christmas stockings!" Minty exclaimed excitedly, joining the other pony in hopping around. "I wonder if the the trapped ponies like green ones?"
"Trapped ponies... wow, you two dudettes really do have big imaginations!" Sunny replied, helping the other earth ponies to raise and steady the one-of-a-kind-here-comes-Christmas-candy-candy-cane into place. "Now Minty, be sure to stay away from this thing. We don't need another repeat of last year's Christmas!"
"Well, I think there really are ponies inside that ornament!" Rarity replied, picking up the bauble. "I wonder if there's another little filly in there who wants to play with me..."
...
"Mama! Y'all come here, quick!" Baby Heart Throb called out, staring into the open window on the ornament she was holding in her wings. "I think there's a filly inside here that wants to play with me!"
The ponies of Dream Castle, who were setting up the giant Christmas tree in the great hall, all looked back at the little filly who was holding the bauble.
"Oh, little one, such fantastic tales y'all tell!" The elder Heart Throb laughed, as she and Fizzy strung the tinsel on the tree. "Ah wish I'd had such a vivid imagination as y'all when ah was yo age!"
"Wow, a little filly inside the decoration? That's so cool!" Fizzy giggled, staring down at the bauble in the little filly's hooves. "but wow, she must be really tiny to fit in that thing!"
"Oh, Fizz, there's no one inside that thing! You're old enough to know that!" Moondancer scolded her goofball friend, and she used her magic to unpack one of the boxes. "To even think such a thing is an immoral crime against reason!"
"Be careful how you use that phrase, Moondancer! There are a lot of things in Ponyland- heck, within the walls of this very castle- that defy so-called reason." Magic Star offered, her cold form trotting up behind the talking ponies. "According to reason, I shouldn't even be u and walking around without a pulse!"
"Yeah, but I don't think there are little itty bitty ponies inside a little teensy-tiny ornament like that!" Surprise told them skeptically, as she flew over Tex's head with a sprig of mistletoe. "that's be even too much of a Surprise for me!"
"Yeah, but ya'll caint tell, honey darlin!" Tex declared, grabbing the giggling Pegasus out of the air with his oves, and pulling her to the ground. "aftar all, Christmas is the season fer miracles!"
"But do you thing the pony in there would like to sing Christmas carols with us? Or open presents?" Fizzy asked curiously, looking into the glass bauble as Tex kissed Surprise behind where she stood. "I mean, I'm pretty sure she's wanna come out here, and have fun with us, not stay cooped up in that tiny lil' place!"
"Ah got an idea, Fizz! Why don't you keep an eye on the little pony inside, while we work on the tree and the decorations?"
"Hey, that's a good idea, Fizzy. Surprise can even help you." Magic Star agreed, trying to hold back a chuckle. "It'll be just like having your own pet!"
"Wow... hey, you're right!" Surprise exclaimed, zipping over to look inside the bauble with Fizzy and baby Heart Throb. "I wonder what teeny tiny little ponies eat..."
...
The three dream valley ponies looked into the bauble, and the the ponies from all different times and places gazed back upon them. Minty saw the three ponies from the future. And the future ponies the green mare from the past. And it wasn't just these them, either- other ponies saw them all, and each other, as well. In Coltonville, a young mare named Clover saw them when she was putting an ornament onto her family's Christmas tree. On another world, Sunset Shimmer saw the ponies and the world she left behind in an decoration hanging in a mall store display. It filled her heart with the warm memories of a world she may never see again, and also filled her with a twinge of regret.
And far, far back, at the center of it all, a white alicorn gazed at all these ponies and more. And though she did not know the origin of this vision, nor it's meaning, a smile spread across her face, to see so many of what she thought were her little ponies happy.
"Happy Holidays to all." Princess Celestia said softly, in a voice heard through out all time. "And to all, a good night."