//------------------------------// // Generous Gifts // Story: Generous Gifts // by BlazzingInferno //------------------------------// Time flew by as it always did, at least until Hearth’s Warming Eve finally rolled around. Once again Spike was seated at the Castle’s table with his six closest friends, and once again Rarity was in the chair next to his. Her smiles and stolen glances were all the more frequent tonight, although he could detect something new in her eyes. All night she’d been asking him a question without uttering a single word: did you keep your promise? She’d find out soon enough. The usual gift-opening frenzy had given way to a sort of procession around the table; presents were being opened one at a time, and each pony’s reaction was priceless. Or at least that’s how Spike assumed their reactions were. Knowing all the gifts in advance kind of spoiled the surprise. Still, it was one thing to find out Pinkie was getting a new party cannon, it was quite another to see her swinging from the chandelier above the table with a freshly singed tail. “Whee, I’m one party cannon closer to a twenty-one gun salute!” she shouted. Applejack pushed the still-smoking party cannon a few inches further away. “Not sure my ears could take twenty more of those all at once, Pinkie.” Pinkie reached down and flicked Applejack’s hat. “Just fill your ears up with all that candy, that’s what I do.” Applejack glanced down at the candy-filled pie pans in front of her, and then to the five empty wrappers she’d piled next to it. “That’s… just hypothetical, right?” Rainbow set her back hooves on the table. Her new blanket was draped over her high-backed chair, displaying its perfect rendition of her cutie mark like a national flag. She gave a deep, satisfied sigh. “I’ve gotta tell ya, whoever drew my name really knows awesome when they see it. I can’t decide if this thing belongs on my bed or on the wall over it next to my Wonderbolts posters.” Fluttershy giggled. She’d nearly disappeared in the fuzzy depths of her new winter coat. With the hood pulled up she looked more bunny than pony, complete with decorative paws on the cuffs and rabbit ears on the hood. “Well I’m definitely wearing my new coat to bed. It’s cozier than all of my blankets combined.” Twilight jolted in her seat and, for a few seconds, looked up from the large picture frame clutched in her hooves. “Bed? B-but it’s not bed time yet, right? I still haven’t figured out where I’m going to hang this.” Rainbow laughed. “Twi, it’s just a—” Twilight turned the frame around and held it up for all to see. “It’s not ‘just’ anything! This is a copy of the very first land grant that Princess Celestia issued to the founders of Ponyville. You can even make out Princess Celestia’s signature at the bottom! The old library didn’t even have a copy of this.” She returned the frame to her loving embrace and brushed a hoof against the glass cover. “I don’t know how you got this, Ap—err, whoever got me this… but thank you! Thank you so much!”
 Spike met Applejack’s gaze just in time to catch her approving nod. He could almost hear her saying Thanks a million, sugarcube. A book-shaped present slid across the table in a blue aura and came to a stop under Spike’s nose. Rarity smiled at him. “I believe you’re next, Spikey.” He put on his best smile and tore at the wrapping. No matter what kind of book Twilight gave him, he knew she’d put a lot of thought into it, even if that thought was how much he’d love learning about advanced math, ancient unicorn history, or the origins of saddles. “Gosh, I wonder what this is…” The wrapping paper peeled off the front cover, and he read the title aloud. “The Life and Times of… Spike the Dragon?” He flipped the book open and glanced through the surprisingly empty pages. Half of each two-page spread was dedicated to a lined box labeled “What Happened This Week”, and the other half was split into columns labeled with the days of the week and times of day. At the bottom of each day’s column was a series of checkboxes with labels like “Big Project,” “Out of Town,” and, to his great surprise “On Vacation.” He flipped back to the first set of pages, the ones covering today and beyond, and saw that the vacation checkboxes were already checked for the rest of the week. The day columns had been overtaken by the message “Do whatever you want!” He flipped through the pages, catching more pre-filled vacation days with notes like “Comic Book Convention” and “Sapphire Season.” Twilight had found at least one event per month that he’d typically forget about or not have time for. He’d never had anything like this before, and yet having it made so much sense. Keeping Twilight’s schedule straight was complicated enough; factoring in time for himself, and remembering what he’d actually planned on doing, was next to impossible. Rainbow Dash flew low enough that Spike could feel her breath on his shoulder. “So… it’s a planner, or a journal, or something?” It took Spike a moment to nod. “Yeah… and it’s actually pretty cool. Tomorrow I’m… on vacation.” He looked over at Twilight, who gave him a smile and a wink. Applejack cleared her throat. “Looks like you’re up, Rarity.” Fluttershy’s coat rustled as she sat up. “Um, are you okay, Rarity? You’re… not breathing.” Rarity coughed and gasped. “I’m… perfectly fine, Fluttershy, dear. I-I was simply wondering what could possibly be in a package this… substantial.” Everypony, Spike included, followed Rarity’s gaze. The last present on the table was indeed large. Two of those top-of-the-line sewing machines would’ve fit inside with room to spare. Rainbow Dash grasped the box with her hooves and gave it a shake. “It’s heavy, whatever it is. Guess that means it’s not just dresses or something.” Applejack chuckled. “Unless they’re dipped in gold.” The box glowed blue and slid to Rarity’s side. She put a protective hoof on it. “Please, Applejack. A dress made of solid gold would be garish, impractical, and—” she fixed an eye on Spike “—completely unacceptable.” Pinkie fell from the chandelier and landed in her chair. “So open it, already! Let’s see that unacceptable dress!” Spike watched the wrapping paper slowly come undone. Rarity somehow put more finesse and elegance into unwrapping the present than he’d used to wrap it. Part of him wanted her to just tear the paper off and get the surprise over with. He was so sure he’d done the right thing, at least until all his friends gasped. A sturdy wooden chest stood on the table, as large as it was plain. Applejack scratched her head. “Huh. That’s an… interesting gift for a fashionista.” Rainbow folded her hooves. “Yeah. It looks so… simple. Is there something inside?” Rarity took a quick peek under the lid and shook her head. “No, it’s completely empty.” “Then why do you look so happy?” Rarity smiled and ran her hoof along the edge. “To you it might look like a simple chest, Rainbow, but I see a blank slate on which to express my creative vision. With a fresh coat of varnish and few decorative flourishes, I think this would be perfect for holding fabric swatches in my inspiration room.” “Eh, well as long as you like it…” Rarity gave Spike another glance and nodded. “I do. Thank you, whoever gifted me with something so practical.” Another blast from Pinkie’s new party cannon shook the room, and confetti rained down. Pinkie jumped up on the table and donned a party hat. “So who’s up for some Hearth’s Warming Eve party games?” Spike smiled. At least Rarity was content with the gift. Hopefully, after he’d gotten a chance to explain himself, she’d actually be happy about it. --- Spike got his chance a few hours later, when yawns began to overtake laughs as the favored break in conversation. Everypony was milling around the room, reassessing their new possessions and offering another round of thank-yous to whoever was nearest. Rarity was next to her new piece of furniture, probably wondering how she’d get the sizable thing home on a snowy winter’s night; Spike’s many years of hefting twice his weight in books and luggage had barely been enough to get the box down the castle’s stairs. No one else was nearby, affording them a measure of privacy as long as they kept their voices down. “H-hey, Rarity? Could we talk for a second?” Rarity turned to him and smiled. “Of course, Spikey. I’m so sorry that I doubted your intentions before. Thank you for getting me something simple, something that’s more of a project for me to sink my hooves into in my spare time.” “I’m glad you like it and everything, but… well that’s not exactly why I gave it to you.” “Hmm? Then why?” Spike took a deep breath, and pointed to the spot on the back corner where the finish was worn away completely. “I had to sand the writing off right there, but you can probably still make it out.” Rarity leaned down and examined the spot, the spot where a much younger Spike had scratched a message into the wood. “Property of Spike?” 
 “It’s where I kept my gems. I’ve been saving them up for months so I could get you something really amazing for Hearth’s Warming, but after we talked…” Rarity’s ears folded back. “Spike, I didn’t mean for you to part with something so important and personal, I—” “I know I was trying to tell you what’s really important about giving gifts, but I think I’m the one who needed to hear it. So I took all my gems and… got you this.” He held out a piece of paper, not unlike the one from the gift exchange. Rarity took it in her magic and looked it over. “What is this?” “It’s a receipt. My real gift to you is that I made a big donation to charity in your honor.” Rarity gasped. “Charity? Do you mean to say that you donated all of your gems?” He leaned in to whisper. “Well, kind of. First I left a big bag of them on Applejack’s doorstep and one at Fluttershy’s, then I donated the rest.” Rarity turned away and trotted out of the room. Spike nearly had a heart attack. He ran after her and nearly tripped over his own tail. “R-Rarity, wait! I-I thought this would—” He found her in the hallway dabbing away tears with a handkerchief. She embraced him as soon as he came near. “Thank you, Spike. I-I apologize for walking away, I just… What you’ve given me is almost too much to bear. Thank you! Thank you for making this the best Hearth’s Warming Eve I’ve ever had.” Relief flooded Spike’s mind, nearly eclipsing the bliss of her touch. His legs went weak as all his worries fled away. He’d done it. He’d given Rarity the perfect gift. All too quickly she pulled away, leaving him with only her radiant smile for comfort. “That’s what I wanted, Rarity. I don’t need gems, not when I’ve got your smile.” She blushed. “Spikey, under present circumstances I think I’ll need to break the rules of my own game. I simply must give you something in return.” He held up his hands. “Whoa, I don’t need anything. I—” Her horn glowed, and the wreath hanging on over the door lost its centerpiece. Spike stared at the mistletoe floating over his head, and then at the beautiful mare inching ever closer. His heart stopped, but she didn’t. For some uncountable number of seconds, joy itself flowed through their touching lips. Time didn’t stop, no matter how much Spike wanted it to. Suddenly he found himself standing on his own again, albeit on wobbly legs. Rarity was still gazing into his eyes, beckoning him to do or say something romantic. Instead he asked a simple question. “Can I get one of those every year?” Rarity giggled. “That is a distinct possibility, although I don’t see why we should wait until next Hearth’s Warming Eve, do you?” “I… uh… uh… no. What I mean is… Do you… want to go window shopping again tomorrow and… maybe have lunch? I-I’m kind of broke right now, but—” She held a hoof up to his lips. “My treat. I insist.”