//------------------------------// // Hearth's warming bells, those Hearth's warming bells // Story: Stories told on the Hearth // by Alchemystudent //------------------------------// Christmas bells those Christmas bells         The news had come out, during the crystal war         Rainbow Dash grumbled as she walked into her commanding officer’s tent. She hated the cold air of the crystal mountains, and she hated the snow on her metal wing even more. She growled as she looked at the calendar and turned away with a frown. As she opened the tent, Spit fire looked up from her papers and at Rainbow Dash, “Rainbow Dash, you are probably wondering why I called you in.”         “Commander, I was under the impression that I was due some shore leave,” Dash grumbled, moving her metal wing, as if to make sure the snow didn’t freeze it up.         The bloody crystal knight, was attacking once more         The Princess’s command, ignored all  of his plan         And Called on Dash to beat him again.         “What? But I kicked his flank a year ago! I sent him falling into a gorge and right into a quarry eel mouth. He’s dead!” Rainbow Dash argued, her right ear twitching in pain.         “Crystal ponies are more resealant it seems,” Spitfire said. “I would go hunting for him myself, and make him pay for Soring, but...” she paused and waved her robotic hoof in sadness.         Rainbow Dash put her hoof onto Spitfire’s shoulder and smiled, “It’s ok, I understand. You want your best out there, and that’s me!” With her usual bravado, the cyan mare walked out of the tend.         Sighing, she stopped and looked at a calenday, noting the day         It was the night before Hearth’s Warming.         “Maude wanted me to meet the folks and tell them...” she sighed as she looked at the ring on her hoof. “She is going to kill me!” growling she spreaded her wings and took off into the sky.         It was 40 below         And Rainbow Dash went in search of her foe.         Rainbow Dash kept to a low altidude as she flew across the snowy landscape, keeping her eyes on the ground. For the moment, she breathed a sigh of relief that the Crystal ponies had not learned the magic of flight or gained an air advantage.  She knew that was one of the big reasons to why Equestria still had a chance in this war. Her magenta eyes conintued to look for the stallion, only to be taken out of her search by a whistling noise.         She spied the stallion                  Rainbow Dash growled as she saw the stallion clad in his cold looking armor. Raising a hoof up, he slowly waved at her to come at him. Narroinw her eyes in sher determination, she charged at the stallion and plowed both hooves into his chest. Before he had a chance to realitate, she uppercutted him and landed back onto the ground, shrugging her shoulders with confidence.         Firecely they fought.         The stalion bucked Rainbow Dash hard in the chest, bruisnge her ribs with his hit. He then made to deliver a right cross at Rainbow’s head, but it missed as she ducked under his hoof. Taking to the air, Rainbow Dash began to lay blow after blow upon the stallion’s back with rapid fire punches onto his back. The stuntmare let out a chuckle as the stallion tried to attack and strike at her.         The stallion rolled away from Rainbow Dash’s atttacks and pulled out an icy spear to throw at her. Rainbow Dash moved a second too slow and the icy shard cut deep into the side of her face. She let out a yelp as the blade left behind a small bleeding groove. Wiping hte blood from her cheek, she flew back into her fray. As she dived, she felt her metal wing freeze up.         but ice on her wings         She knew she was caught.         Rainbow Dash’s eyes opened wide in shock and horror as she flew right into the hoof of her opponent, causing her to corckscrew away from the blow. With a loud groan, Rainbow Dash struggled to get herslef back up, glaring at the stallion. Her ears twitching she could hear bells in the distance.         Hearth’s warming bells         Those hearth’s warming bells         Ringing throughout the country         Wishing peace on earth         And goodwill to pony.         Growling the stallion walke up to Rainbow Dash and held up a round object in his hoof. As Dash watched the stalion ready to strike, she muttered, “Go on, do it.”         The stallion had Dash in his sights         And he readied his hoof to         Put out her lights.         The stallion flicked his ears as he heard the bells from the distance, turning his head towards the sounds of the bells, he smiled.         Why didn’t he strike         We’ll never know         Maybe it was the bells healed this fellow         Hearth’s warming bells         Those hearth’s warming bells         Ringing throughout the country         Wishing peace on earth         And goodwill to pony.         The stallion grabbed Rainbow Dash and carried her off to a small hut nearby. Sitting her down onto the floor, the cyan mare looked up, “W-what are you doing?”         The stallion said nothing as he walked over and grabbed a small object and then turned to look at the captive Dash.         The Stallion took Dash on his own         Then made her captive in his home         Rainbow Dash thought this was the end         The cyan mare winced as she braced for a killing blow, but when none came she opened her eyes. Looking in the stallion’s hoof she saw a cup of cider and a cookie. She then heard him say to her         Happy Hearth’s warming, my friend.         The stallion then offered Dash         A holiday toast         And our heroine, saluted her host.                  And then with a brush of wind         They were both on their way         Knowing tomorrow’s another day.