//------------------------------// // Christmas Plays // Story: The Day My Life Began // by Authora97 //------------------------------// That time of year had come around once again. Christmas! I was going to have my Christmas with my family tomorrow, but today I was in Equestria. Princess Celestia invited us all to come up to Canterlot for the play, but for one twist. Lilac was asked to play a role. I thought it was for the role as storyteller, but Celestia said that wasn’t it. Apparently Lilac had a special role to play in the...play. My Christmas shopping was all done. For the humans, ponies, and dragons. I had little to no difficulty with Twilight’s gift was this time. There were even some gifts for the alicorns! They were my friends too, so, silence thyself. I gave Cheerilee her present (some of those #1 Teacher paraphernalia) just before I came up here. Hope she liked it. Right now, we were on the train to Canterlot. The snow had picked up shortly after our last adventure. As far as everypony knew, it was almost Christmas time. Our bags were packed, our coats were being worn, and I had my saddlebags ready with my stuff. “Mommy?” Lilac was told she was going to be part in a play, and had a mini melt down. Now she just had stage fright. She was sitting next to me, her midnight blue eyes filled with worry. It made my heart shake. “Yeah, Princess?” I asked, wrapping a hoof over her shoulder. Lilac gulped, wringing her claws. “What...What if I forget my lines?” “I’ll go over them with you. Just think of it like a spelling test.” I advised. “What if somepony forgets theirs, and makes me forget mine?” Lilac asked. “You’ll be so thoroughly trained by me, that it won’t be a possibility.” I said, holding her a bit tighter in reassurance. “What if somepony says my line, instead of their own?” Lilac asked. “Everypony else who speaks is on this train with us. That won’t happen.” A part of me wanted to laugh at her absurd worries. The rest of me knew not too. That once I was in her (theoretical) shoes, back when I was at the beginning of my life. Lilac still looked like she was panicking. She made her hands into a fist, and brought the fist to her mouth. If I didn’t take more action, she may start biting it. “What if I say somepony’s line? Does that make me a line stealer?” I shook my head, still holding her tight. “Lilac, I promise. Everything is going to be just fine. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” I did the motions. “Okay? Breathe in, breathe out.” Lilac did so. I pulled her script out from my saddlebag. “Just read over your lines. I promise everything’ll be alright.” Lilac nodded, immediately going to her lines in the book. Soon after, everypony was looking out the windows of the train. I pulled out my camera and took photos. Thankfully I bought five rolls of camera film. This was my first Christmas with Lilac, and I wanted to make it special. “We’re getting closer!” Twilight squealed sticking her head out the window.. “I can hardly wait!” Rainbow cheered, going into the second window. Fluttershy’s mane was blowing through the breeze, and it was hilarious. “I’m so excited, I...I feel like shouting!” She whispered. “Woo-hoo!” “Hooo-wee!” Applejack leaned out the window, taking her hat off. “Canterlot, here we come!” Rarity went next, wearing a Christmas tree on her head. “Oh, I do hope I look festive enough!” Pinkie stood on Rarity’s head, I’m surprised the mare didn’t screech. “There it is! Canterlot!” Lilac stuck her head out next. “It’s so pretty.” “Oooh...” I looked out the window. “I like the snow.” Speaking of, their was a Christmas Special back home for Doctor Who. It has Clara in it from Asylum of the Daleks! My mind is going to fucking explode if I don’t find out why she exists! I haven’t even done a full adventure with the Eleventh Doctor yet, and I was still protective of him. Damn me and my bleeding heart! “Oh, isn’t Canterlot wonderful this time of year?” Twilight said as soon as we got off the train. Everypony was looking around the city, gawking. I wasn’t. I had been here just last week to see Mia and Shining. He was actually super cool. “Yeah, I wish it was Hearth’s Warming Eve everyday.” I had a sudden impulse to yell at Timmy Turner, but repressed it. Stupid bucktoothed idiot, making everyday Christmas for three weeks. Messed up my freakin’ head. “Mommy, Mommy, can we get a snow globe?!” “I got you one last time I came.” I smiled. “There’s so much to look at! I feel like my durned eyes are gonna pop right out of my head!” Applejack said as we trotted through Canterlot towards the play house. Twilight smiled. “I have an idea, let’s play ‘I spy with my little eye’ as we walk! I’ll go first. I spy... an eight-foot candy cane.” “I spy a snowpony!” “I spy somepony eating a gingerbread house...” Pinkie held up a giant gingerbread house. “...and it’s me!” Everypony laughed. “I spy, with my little eye, something small, and purple.” “Me!” Lilac cheered. She started looking around. “I spy something green!” “Is it that tree?” “No!” “Is it Rarity’s hat?” “No!” Lilac giggled. I made a fake annoyed groan. “Be warned, Dearest Daughter of Mine, I will figure out what you spy!” “You sure it wasn’t Rarity’s hat?” Lilac laughed, still trying to get her costume on. “Mommy, no! It wasn’t Miss Rarity’s hat.” I raised a brow. “Wait. Was it the green in Rainbow’s mane?” “Yes!” Lilac said. “Really?” “No.” She laughed. I shook my head, laughing. “I raised you right.” Then, I got a good look at her costume. She wasn’t dressed in old rags, or golden robes. She was just wearing what looked like a pink skirt, and a white shirt. For a girl who lived in the 80’s as a child, that outfit looked familiar. She even wore blue sneakers on her feet! She was wearing a white feather wig on her head, with touches of blue at the tips. Golden gloves were on her hands, a beak over her mouth, and brown wings on her back to make her look like a griffon, which is apparently what she was playing. I don’t know why the griffon was wearing clothes, but I’d rather not question that much. Not because I didn’t think much of it. I had an instinctually feeling something was wrong with this story. I knew that my being here had something to do with it, but I didn’t know exactly what it was. It was gonna be a pain to figure out. “I can’t believe that Princess Celestia chose us to put on the most important play of the season! Do you guys know what an honor this is? For all of us?” “No.” I said with an eye roll. “Because you haven’t been saying it during the train ride, the walk here, the past hour.” Twilight blushed. “Oh, I wish she hadn’t honored me quite so much...I can’t go onstage!” Fluttershy squeaked. “I don’t want everypony looking at me!” The yellow pegasus then hid in the box of boas. Rarity came up next to her. “Fluttershy, darling, there’s nothing to feel nervous about.” Fluttershy looked very hopeful. “No?” Rarity pushed Fluttershy back to the mirror, and began putting on her hair and make-up. “Of course not. All across Equestria, ponies are preparing their own pageants for Hearth’s Warming Eve in their own towns. It’s tradition.” Fluttershy looked super hopeful. “So you’re saying they’ll be too busy to come to our play?” “Well, no.” The sophisticated unicorn shook her head. “We’re in the Canterlot pageant, the biggest, most important production in all of Equestria. A lot of ponies will come to watch us.” “A lot?” I rolled my eyes. “Hundreds.” I facehoofed. This was starting to remind me of the Macbeth Play I did with Jimmy, Sheen, and Carl. Idiots. “Hundreds?” “Maybe even thousands!” And...she’s back in the box. I walked up to it, and gently tried coaxing her out. “Fluttershy, I promise, it’ll be just fine.” I smiled at her. She gave me a terrified look. “Don’t focus on the audience, if you need to look that way, just look at the exit sign. Just pretend it’s a conversation between friends. Can you do that for me?” Fluttershy sighed, then nodded. She climbed out of the box. That was when the window opened. “Oh, my hair! Applejack? Be a dear and shut those windows, will you?” Applejack walked towards the window. I grabbed the window with my magic and slammed it shut, locking it for good measure. “Aaah! Rain-bow-Dash! Rain-bow-Dash! Aaaah! Thank you, thank you!” The pegasus cheered. Applejack glared. “It’s a reenactment of the founding of Equestria. It’s not the ‘Rainbow Dash Show’.” She growled. Rainbow Dash glared at Applejack, right in her eyes. “Well it should be the ‘Rainbow Dash Show’! I’m the star!” Spike came in. “Curtain in two minutes!” The wendigos blew the window open again. “My hair!” Rarity squeaked. “What if it all falls apart?” Fluttershy squeaked. I put a hoof on her shoulder. “Fluttershy, I promise, everything is going to be just fine.” I said. I closed the window with my magic again. “The Hearth’s Warming Eve pageant is about harmony and friendship.” It burst open a third time. “Shut the window!” The play was actually really good. Spike’s narration was wonderful, and voice was a great touch. I was super proud of everypony on stage, even though I had no reason to be. The Three Tribe Leaders had just been frozen in wendigo ice. Smart Cookie, Pansy, and Clover were all curled in on each other in the center of the cave. It was almost time for Lilac to come on stage. The three ponies on stage screamed as the room got colder. There was a flash of yellow, and Lilac was sitting in the room. “Woah. This is a weird way to spend my...my birthday.” Lilac stumbled over her line slightly, but managed to cover it. She looked around the cave, ever so curious. “What’s going on here? Did some...someone leave the AC on...on..on high?” She said, then covered it up with shivering. ‘Clover’ looked over at the ‘griffon’. “Who are you?” “Well, my name is Danielle, but most call me Elle.” She looked down, at noticed her claws. “Woah. Claws. Yellow claws.” She looked behind her, at her wings. This reminded me of when the Doctor would regenerate. “Wings. Alright. First trip and I get wings.” “How did you get in here?” ‘Smart Cookie’ asked. “The door is frozen shut!” “It is.” ‘Elle’ blinked. “Um...points for...points for effort.” She shivered again. “Can someone turn the heat on? It’s really cold.” “Griffon!” ‘Pansy’ squeaked. ‘Elle’ gaped, like she was insulted. “Griffon?” She looked herself over. “Really? Why do I have to be a griffon? That’s just weak.” She noticed the frozen leaders. “What happened to them?” “Frozen solid.” ‘Clover’ whimpered, looking over at ‘Princess Platinum’. “Woah.” “Elle’ blinked. “Sorry. Who are you three?” “What?” ‘Smart Cookie’ asked. “Seeing as we might be next, I thought we could at least get to know each other. I’m Elle.” She smiled, holding out her claw. “Smart Cookie.” “Clover the Clever.” “Private Pansy.” “Creative names.” ‘Elle’ smiled. “Very unique. Those are gonna be easy to remember. “Your’s is too, Elle.” ‘Smart Cookie’ commented. “Griffons have a more unique style to naming than ponies.” ‘Clover’ pointed out to them. There was a giant roar. Everypony screamed. ‘Elle’ joined them in the center of the room, between ‘Clover’ and ‘Pansy’. ‘Pansy looked up at the wendigo animation spell. “W-W-What is that...thing?” ‘Clover’s’ eyes widened. “They must be... wendigos!” “Windigos?” ‘Smart Cookie’, ‘Pansy’, and ‘Elle’ gaped. “My mentor Star Swirl the Bearded taught me about them. They’re winter spirits that feed off fighting and hatred. The more hate the spirit feels, the colder things become!” ‘Clover’ explained. “Then why didn’t you figure this out sooner?!” ‘Elle’ almost yelled. I could already hear Lilac’s future apology to those three. “I haven’t thought about them since I was a filly!” ‘Clover’ excused. ‘Smart Cookie’ came to a realization. “Then...this is our fault. We three tribes...we brought this blizzard to our home by fightin’ and not trustin’ each other. Now it’s destroyin’ this land, too.” “And now our bodies will become as cold as our hearts...all because we were foolish enough to hate.” ‘Clover’ said. “Well, I don’t hate you…” The ice stopped. “I actually hate Commander Hurricane a lot more than I hate you guys.” It’s back. “Commander Hurricane?” ‘Elle’ said. “Sounds tough.” The other two ponies giggled. ‘Pansy’ correct herself. “Actually, I don’t really hate her, I just really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really dislike her.” They other two started laughing. “Well, I don’t hate you guys either.” ‘Smart Cookie’ said. “Nor do I.” ‘Clover’ said. ‘Elle’ looked around at the wendigos. She shut her eyes tight, hiding on ‘Pansy’s’ coat. “Jingle Bells...Jingle Bells...jingle all the way…” “What’re you doin’?” ‘Smart Cookie’ asked. “My mom told me that when you’re scared, that singing made it better.” ‘Elle’ said. Her eyes never opened. “And Jingle Bells was the first song I could think of. Don’t convince a little kid to stop singing.” ‘Elle’ explained. “Dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh. Laughing all the way. Hahaha.” The ice shrunk away. The four stayed in the hug. “No matter what our differences, we’re all ponies.” ‘Smart Cookie’ smiled. “Yeah. What she said.” ‘Elle’ squeaked. Then, ‘Clover’s’ horn glowed brightly. It got rid of the wendigos, it a bright pink heart of fire. “What was that?” ‘Pansy’ asked. “Word to the wise.” ‘Elle’ said. “When something saves you from freezing to death, don’t question it. It may change it’s mind.” “I didn’t know unicorns could do that.” ‘Smart Cookie’ said. “I didn’t either.” ‘Clover’ admitted. “Nothing like this has ever happened before. But I know it couldn’t have been just me. It came from all three of us, joined together, in friendship.” Spike began his narration. “All through the night, the three ponies and the one griffon kept the fire of friendship alive by telling stories to one another and by singing songs, which of course became the winter carols that we all still sing today. Eventually, the warmth of the fire and singing and laughing reached the leaders, and their bodies began to thaw.” His accent vanished. “And it even began to melt their hearts.” The three leaders lost their ice coats. They joined the party, and ‘Elle’ gave them each a hug. “The three leaders agreed to share the beautiful land, and live in harmony ever afterwards. And together, they named their new land...” “Equestria!” All seven cheered. Everypony in the audience cheered. I cheered as loud as I could went the curtain call came up. I threw a bouquet of flowers for all of them. We sang the carol, and I had never felt so proud of Lilac in her life. I was cleaning the feather off Lilac’s head, sitting backstage with everypony else. “Princess I am so proud of you.” I cheered. Lilac blushed. “I just remembered you telling me it was gonna be fine.” “See? What did I say?” I hugged her. “You mom may be a lot of things, but she could never break a Pinkie Promise.” “Can anypony?” Lilac said. The two of us giggled. “We should be so honored that Princess Celestia chose us!” Twilight cheered. “She must really think we exemplify what good friends are!” The wind burst open. “Applejack, I thought you closed all the windows.” Rarity commented. The earth pony rolled her eyes. “Don’t blame me. Rainbow Dash should’ve flown up there and shut it. After all, she’s got wings.” Okay. That was racist. I’m like eighty percent sure that was racist. “Why do I always have to do all the high up chores?” Rainbow snapped. “Why can’t Twilight use her magic for a change!” There was a large amount of arguing, most of which I couldn’t catch. There was a loud roar, and they were all stunned silent. Rainbow flew up “Y’know what? I got it.” They all laughed. My eyes widened. “Oh! Wait!” I said, reaching into my saddlebags. “I almost forgot. Hearth’s Warming Eve Tradition.” I held up all of my presents to them in my magic. “You open one present.” Their gifts floated over to them, even Spike when he walked in. They looked at their gifts happily. “You got me a Hearth’s Warming gift?” Rainbow asked, sounding surprised. “Duh.” I rolled my eyes. “How could I not?” One by one, they opened their presents. “Bird feed!” Fluttershy exclaimed.. “Oh, my friends will love this when the spring comes around!” “More sewing supplies! Thanks Celestia, I was starting to run low!” Rarity cheered. “Oh! A photo album, so I can keep memories of my friends. Just what I needed!” Twilight hugged the album. “An apple cinnamon roll recipe?” Applejack looked at me. “It was my mom’s.” I smiled at her. “I managed to find it in my kitchen. Thought you might like it.” Pinkie squealed. “A cake recipe!” She gasped. “Sprinkles inside the cake?! Why didn’t I think of that?” Rainbow raised her brow. She opened the tube, tilting her gift out. A rolled up poster popped out. She unrolled it, and gasped. “A poster signed by the Wonderbolts!” I nodded. “Spitfire apparently owed my sister a favor.” I explained. “So, I got all the members to sign their newest poster to Rainbow Dash.” I smirked. “Although, once they hear dit was going to you, they were very eager to sign.” Rainbow’s eyes bulged in her head. She looked at the poster like it was gold, and squealed. “A Fire Ruby?!” Spike gasped. “Yeah. Had to fight a Diamond Dog for that.” I admitted. Then shrugged. “Fang was asking for it anyway.” “What about my gift, Mommy?” Lilac asked. “Princess, I got you canvases.” I told her. “I have them set up in our usual room.” Lilac squealed, clapping her claws. “Then let’s go! I know exactly what I have to paint next!” She made her way to the door. Rolling my eyes, I laughed. She was so cute. “Raspberry.” Twilight said. I turned to her. “Yes, Sparkle of Twilight?” Twilight smiled. “Thank you. Have a merry Hearth’s Warming.” I smiled back. “I will. You do.”