//------------------------------// // A Christmas Thistle // Story: Tales of Another Ponyville // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// -TWEEEEEEEEEEEET!- Oh, hello there! -TWEET!- What brings a pony like you to -TWEET!- to Butterfly island? We don't -TWEET!- get many visitors here, so it's sure nice to meet you, yes indeedy! Oh, my name's -TWEET!- Thistle Whistle, and I'm -TWEET!- Starcatcher's loyal second in command. I provide a -TWEET!- more cautious voice to our -TWEET!- overly optimistic. Now, I'm not a -TWEET!- over the top negative Nancy, like some mares -TWEET!- are, but I do have a -TWEET!- little more grounded sense than most Pegasus, yes sirree! I guess you see all the -TWEET!- Decorations all over the island, huh? Yeah, we're -TWEET!- getting ready to celebrate Christmas, and we're inviting all of our Ponyville friends to -TWEET!- join us for the holiday festivities. Several years ago, we went over to Ponyville to celebrate, and -TWEET!- wow whee, did that turn into a disaster! Minty crashed the one-of-a kind-here-comes-Christmas-candy-cane, and tried to go to the North Pole, and I followed her, and -TWEET!- let's just say it didn't end well! So we're just going to try to have a tropical Christmas here on Butterfly Island, even thought that means no snow for a -TWEET!- winter-y holiday. "Thistle Whistle, do your Pegasus teams have the strands of garland up yet?" Starcatcher -TWEET!- came up to me, flying gracefully around in a -TWEET!- loop. "Our guests will be arriving here soon." "We're working on it, -TWEET!- my queen!" I reply, bowing to the -TWEET!- ruler of Butterfly Island. "Aurora Mist! -TWEET!- Coconut Grove! Get that tree up so we can get those decorations on it!" "We're on it!" The two reply in -TWEET!- unison. They both push the evergreen tree our stallion cut down in Ponyville up into it's stand, and the others start putting the decorations. Ornaments, tinsel, garlands -TWEET!- yes sirree, they did a good job on putting up a beautiful tree! "What do you think, Thistle?" "It looks sweet, girls! -TWEET!- Really sweet!" I reply, grinning at the two of them. Yes, I really really love this -TWEET!- lovely holiday the earth ponies brought us! Lights and trees, candy canes and Santa... it's a time of year that makes you think of all the family and friends who are important to you -TWEET!- including the ones you lost.... My mom and dad were always a little too adventurous. -TWEET!- They pushed me out of the hut really early, and tried to get me to fly before I was ready. Pulling me out to swim when I was only three, -TWEET!- trying to get me to soar above the ocean when I was four. They decided to take me out during a storm, flying on either side of me as I wobbled along, telling me everything -TWEET!- was going to be alright. And then that storm, that terrible, terrible storm. -TWEET!- Mama's reassuring smile, daddy's telling me everything was going to be okay. Clouds -TWEET!- I remember there were clouds everywhere, and there was lightning, and winds, and darkness that all came from those terrible, terrible clouds. Those clouds blew me away from mommy and daddy that day -TWEET!- I saw the one last time between the lightning flashes, as the wind carried me back to the island, and heard their screams on the wind as they -TWEET!- swirled away into the darkness. The winds slammed me against the -TWEET!- Island's rocky shore, shattering my jaw and skull, and leaving me scared of those clouds that took mommy and daddy away from me, forever. My head did eventually get better, but the damage left me with my -TWEET!- unique speech problem. Whenever I think of this holiday, and see the other Pegasus with their own families, I can't help but remember how I lost the ponies I cared about the most. "Hey mom, check this out!" I -TWEET!- hear from above me. Looking up, I see a teenage certain teenage Pegasus doing loop de loops, and -TWEET!- messing around recklessly with her friends. My wings reflexively shoot out in a panic, and -TWEET!- I angrily yell at her in a panic. "Mochanaut, you get down from there this instant, young lady! -TWEET!-" I cry out, flapping around in a panicked frenzy. "There are clouds up there, and you could hurt yourself!" "Awww, you worry to much!" She called back defiantly, rankling the feathers on my -TWEET!- wings. "Look, I'm gonna fly out over the ocean!" But then a strong wind came up, and I saw it start to pull her away from the island -TWEET!- she started to spin out of control, as she was blown father and farther out over the sea. "Aieee, the winds are too strong!" She called out to me. "I can't stop! Somebody help me!" Oh no oh no oh no! -TWEET!- Not my baby girl, not my little girl, too! Every muscle in my body tenses to jump after her, but Starcatcher is one hoof ahead of me. -TWEET!- Flying against the mighty winds with those powerful wings of hers, our Queen catches the rebellious teen in her hooves, and brings her back to ground. "Oh, Mocha! -TWEET!- I'm so glad you're safe!" I cry out, embracing her in my hooves. But my relief -TWEET!- quickly turned to anger, and I exploded. "What were you thinking?! -TWEET!- You could've gotten yourself killed up there!" "I-I'm sorry..." She sobbed. "I didn't mean to..." "Thistle, don't be too hard on the child." Starcatcher advised me -TWEET!- in her ususal gentle. "It was simply a youthful mistake." "No! She could have gotten herself killed! -TWEET!- " I yell in a panic, not thinking with my head on straight. "Just wait until your father gets back, young lady, -TWEET!- Then you'll really be sorry!" "THISTLE WHISTLE!" Starcatcher yelled angrily, -TWEET!- coming in between the two of us. "THAT IS ENOUGH!" Now, I've seen a lot of scary things in my time -TWEET!- especially clouds, but I have never seen anything as terrifying as an angry Starcatcher. Like a wrathful goddess, burning with the rage of a hundred thousand bonfires. She's so scary, she literally frightened the Tweets out of me. I totally melted under her fiery gaze. As my little girl galloped away, tears flowing from her eyes. Now, -TWEET!- I realize I may had acted a bit harsh, but I would have to calm down before I realized how stupid -TWEET!- I had been. But the worse had yet to come this holiday season -TWEET!- before it got better.