The snow crunched under Luna's hooves. The outer courtyard garden had snow drifts that buried most of the inhabitants when they sank into the snow. The evergreens peeked out of the white.
Luna watched young Gale flit from one side of the courtyard to the other. The pegasus colt landed and called to his companions. A bundled dragon waddled over with a unicorn filly rode its back. The wolfish pup bounded over and exchanged words with Gale.
The young silver nymph, Luna recongized as Kaito, buzzed over to her, giving a fanged smile. Luna tilted her head. The changeling put his toe to his mouth. Luna frowned.
The snow sprayed into the air. Nue, snow-crusted, tickled the youngsters as she caught them up. Kaito shifted forms, a small tiger, and barrelled into Nue. Nue with a huff caught him with her tail. Kaito shifted back and buzzed, trying to escape.
Like a cresting whale, she and her prizes disappeared into the snow. Luna stood up as the laughter died away. The ensueing silence unnerved the alicorn.
SPLAT!
Luna spluttered as the snowball hit her in the muzzle. Nue's wicked grin could be seen in Canterlot. Luna didn't even dodge the next one. The children's laughter rang out.
Luna recovered enough to launch a counter strike. Nue slithered back under the snow. Without a thought, Luna joined into the game. She and the children tried to capture the draconequus as she moved through the snow.
The sun was setting when Luna and her tepid band of adventurers cornered the elusive Nue. Nue pretended to die a most dramatic silly death. Luna laughed, nostalgia warring with the simple here-and-now. The children didn't noticed, urged by Nue to go get some cookies and tea. The group stampeded.
Nue folded her fore-paws like a cat and waited for Luna to recover her wit.
"Thank you." Luna murmured once the fit passed.
"Yule is not a time to spend alone." Nue shrugged. "And some memories are not always those we should dwell on."
Luna flushed a purple at the reminder. "Hypocrite."
Nue's golden gaze turned from her to a distant place. "Memoria echos with the past present, and possibility yet to be, Luna Moonraiser, and sometimes I cannot do anything but watch and think."
Nue's serene expression turned dark for a moment. Luna tilted her head slight. Nue shook her head, the beaded braids shifting.
"However I prefer the here and now." Nue temporized. "We all have things we regret, but that is life, isn't it?"
Luna blinked as Nue surged to her feet. "Let's find Uzimaki and Somber. The pair make the funniest pair of drunks during this time you've ever seen."
Luna stared. "Buh?"
"Last Yule, those two spelled themselves bright colors and danced the waltz on the ceiling. Then the next morning, the resulting screams woke the dead! I bet you a bottle of cider that the two will find themselves in the same bed again this year."
Luna trotted to keep up. While her facial expression was unimpressed, she inwardly laughed.