//------------------------------// // Pt. 2 - The Canterlot CMC presents The Hearth's Warming Tale // Story: A Very Witchy Holiday // by Witching Hour //------------------------------// “Five minutes until curtain!” the voice of a young filly rings out into the backstage area of the Coltden Primary’s auditorium where a group of very energetic foals are collectively preparing for their big night. The declaration is followed by a storm blue pegasus filly, a clipboard under one wing. As she progresses in, she stops behind a pair of colts who are laughing as they look at themselves in mirrors used for dressing. “Gust, Spark, are you ready to go?” “Yes Mom,” Gust sighs as he puts on his helmet before looking to Spark. “Ready, Private?” “Yes, Commander,” Spark says, saluting the other colt. “Wait… I thought Gust was Pansy?” the filly says slowly. “Please don’t tell me you two switched. Again.” “Oh, calm down, Shadow!” Gust laughs. “It’s not a big deal, we know our parts inside and out!” “Yeah, Shadow! It’s fine, we know all the lines for both the characters,” Spark shrugs with a wide smile. “Why Tricks decided to let you two be his co-founders I’ll never know,” Shadow mutters, putting a hoof to her face before lowering it and glaring at the two colts. “And the point isn’t that you know the lines! The point is that the cast list is already printed. WITH THE OTHER PARTS!” “She’s going to kill you two someday,” another filly comments from nearby. “Now, Shadow, can you please stop shouting? I’m having a hard enough time convincing Rose to come out as it is…” Sighing, Shadow shoots one last glare at the colts before she turns and walks over towards the other filly. “She still hiding, Magenta?” “We almost got her out,” Magenta replies with a weak smile as she looks over to the shivering box of spare costume parts. “But, then you shouted back how long until the curtain rises, and I think Rose just got scared again.” “There’s too many ponies out there!” a small voice comes from inside the box. “What if they laugh at me!? What if I mess up!?” “You’re not going to mess up, Rose,” Magenta says calmly, “You’ve been doing perfectly at rehearsal, so you’ll do awesome tonight!” “It’s okay, Rose!” another filly speaks up, her voice enthusiastic but kind. “We’re all going to be out there with you!” “I… I know, Lime, but there’s still so many ponies…” Rose says softly, peaking out of the box at the pink filly. “Well, just imagine that it’s just us and the teacher!” Lime offers, her smile growing. “I mean, I’m Smart Cookie. What would I be without my Chancellor!?” “O-okay,” Rose agrees hesitantly as she slowly climbs out of the box. “Well, that’s one down. Now to deal with our Clover the Clever…” Magenta sighs as she looks around. “Come with me, Shadow.” “What’s wrong with Tricks?” Shadow asks, raising an eyebrow. “If you thought Rose’s stage fright was bad…” Magenta rolls her eyes as she stands up and walks towards the back of the dressing area. She stops in front of a rack of clothing for the extras and calmly parts it with her magic before pointing towards the shivering form of a cloaked colt. “Tricks, it’s nearly time,” Shadow says slowly, worry creeping slightly into her voice. “You need to come out now.” “NO!” Tricks shouts, scooting further back into his corner. “I… I can’t go out there!” “Why?” Magenta asks softly. “Tricks, you need to. I need you out there with me.” “I can’t fail them!” Tricks states, his eyes growing wide as tears start to form. “If I do poorly then Witch Doctor won’t want me to stay with her in her nice house, a-and I’ll have to go back to the Castle a-a-and I won’t have a family again!” “Tricks, you’re going to do fine!” Shadow says a bit forcefully. “You were one of the first to fully memorize their lines, you’ll do fine!” “How do you know!?” Tricks demands, pointing a hoof at Shadow. “You don’t know what it’s like! I have to do it perfectly or they won’t like me anymore!” He wraps his arms around himself and shivers. “I have to do it perfectly….” “Witching Hour isn’t going to abandon you, Tricks,” Magenta offers with a warm smile. “She loves you.” “But she won’t if I mess up,” Tricks retorts without looking up. “Not true, what about…” Magenta starts, but trails off as she tries to think of an example of Tricks failing but not being abandoned by his caretaker. “What about that time we tried to get our cutie marks in mail delivery?” Gust asks as he comes up behind Magenta. “Or that time we tried to become master fencers in one afternoon!” Spark adds in with a laugh. “My mother still hasn’t forgiven you for what you did to her practice blades…” Shadow mutters. “Oh! What about the time we tried to bake that cake?” Magenta suggests with a shrug. “I think they’re still cleaning icing off the ceiling of the bakery’s kitchen.” Sniffling, Tricks looks up at his friends a smile forming on his face. “T-that’s true… I guess she won’t leave me if I don’t do this perfectly.” “I bet she’ll tell you she loved it, and that she can’t wait for next year,” Magenta suggests as she offers a hoof to Tricks. “Now, Clover the Clever, it’s time to listen to your Princess and come out. We’re going to be on soon!” “Right, good…” Shadow says quickly. “If everypony is done freaking out… and finished switching costumes,” she adds, glaring at Gust and Spark who have the audacity to grin at her, “I have to go out and fix the cast list!”