//------------------------------//
// . . . Can Be the Best Thing in the Present. 
// Story: A Present From the Past 
// by ShadowStrike11 
//------------------------------//

"Merry Hearth's Warming, guys!" Twilight smiled and waved to her five friends as they departed. With a smile, she stepped back through the doors of her castle and made her way to her bedroom.

"It's been quite a long time, right, Twi?" Spike commented as he joined her on the way back to their sleeping chambers. He had a total of twenty-seven candy canes in his claws. . . and that wasn't even the most he had for a day.

"You're right, Spike," Twilight smiled with a warm glance at her dragon friend. "But it feels like it's several weeks. I guess it's just how time works. All the good times pass too quickly."

"What about the bad times?" Spike asked just out of curiosity as he stuffed himself with more candy canes.

The purple alicorn thought for a moment. "It really depends. When you are experiencing it, it feels like it's never going to end. But when you look back on it, you wonder how much worse it could've been."

She sighed. "At least I haven't lost any memories of the good times."

"Well I guess I can't argue with that," Spike agreed. "It's like the old saying, "time is precious, make use of all you have of it".

"Right again." Twilight pushed open the door to their sleeping chambers. "Time sure is precious, but so is sleep. In fact, I'd be more than glad to take a good break." She yawned. "Being the Princess of Friendship isn't by any definition easy. But as long as there are ponies who need to see the joy of friendship, I wouldn't ever deny my role."

"And I'll always be there when you need me, Twilight. The perks of being your number one assistant, y'know," Spike winked and climbed into his basket, which he was starting to outgrow. 

Twilight also climbed into her bed, then blew out the light. "G'Night, Spike," she whispered, although he had already started snoring. With a smile on her face, she closed her eyes and started to fall asleep.

Then, all of a sudden. . .

POW!

A bright light burst into the room, flooding the room with light. Twilight jolted into a sitting position, her eyes straining to see. Beside her, Spike pulled the blanket over his head. Twilight leaned forward curiously as the light faded away, and the silhouette of an object could be seen.

Spike dared to bring down his blanket shield by just the slightest bit. "W-What is that, Twilight?"

Twilight glided down to examine the object. "I'm not quite sure. . . I think it looks like a. . ." The purple alicorn suddenly froze in midsentence.

"T-Twilight? What's wrong? It is a bomb? It is going to end the world in any way?" Then, Spike realized what was happening. "Oh Celestia, no," he covered his head with his blanket and awaited the catastrophe.

Three. . .

Two. . .

One. . .

"HOLY CELESTIA IT'S A BOOK! OHMYGOSH I'M SO HAPPY, THIS IS THE BEST HEARTH'S WARMING EVEEEEEEEER! COULD YOU BELIEVE IT, SPIKE? A SPELLS BOOK JUST FOR ME! Ha! Talk about the unexpected! Who would send me such a wonderful surprise like this? Must be a really nice, caring, friendly. . . "

Welp, seems like all those years really did make a difference in one's memory.

Spike groaned. "Merry Hearth's Warming, everypony."