It was the night before Hearth's Warming Eve, and winter had come to Equestria quickly as it usually did, covering everywhere with a blanket of white snow. Princess Celestia stood outside looking out on the balcony of her personal private chamber, watching the snowflakes fall slowly to the ground. From her balcony, she saw many ponies in the streets of Canterlot below, singing carols, buying last minute supplies, and putting up the lovely Hearth's Warming Eve trees and decorations in the main streets. The sight of seeing her subjects happy at this time of year put a smile on her face.
She soon went back inside closing the balcony door behind her, and rested herself down at her favorite spot in front of the fireplace. Princess Celestia soon turned her attention to a small pile of Hearth's Warming Eve presents from her faithful student, Twilight Sparkle and her friends. She focused her magic on the first present and levitated it towards herself until it was directly in front of her. The present was wrapped in lavender coloured wrapping paper, tied with a violet coloured ribbon, and had small name card on it with the words written on it, “To Princess Celestia, from Spike and your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle”.
Looks like Twilight and Spike’s gift is first, she thought to herself as she looked at it, and placed it down on the rug in front of her. “I wonder what it could be." Princess Celestia looked at it for a short while, thinking before she gave a little chuckle as she began to recall a Hearth's Warming Eve going back years ago. "I hope it’s not something like the very first gift she gave me. I remember that Hearth's Warming Eve so well."
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Twenty-two years ago...
The streets of Canterlot were filled with ponies preparing for the joyful celebration of Hearth's Warming Eve. Wreaths were hung on doors and in windows of every building and home, trees were decorated with glass balls and tinsel, and carols filling the white snow covered streets with holiday joy, including house number 3942 on Galloping Lane, the home of Night Light, along with his wife, Twilight Velvet, and their two children, their oldest son, Shining Armor, and their youngest daughter, Twilight Sparkle. Twilight at that time was a little toddler just barely beginning to speak, nearly two years old, and in three months time, she was due to be potty trained.
On that very night, Night Light was sitting in his armchair with toddler Twilight in the living room, reading her a story. It was a story that involved Hearth's Warming Eve, for it was the holiday tradition to tell Hearth's Warming Eve themed stories to little fillies and colts like herself.
“So you see, Twilight,” Night Light said as he finished the story and put the book down, “Hearth's Warming Eve is a time that is better to give than receive. Do you know what that means, sweetie?”
Twilight shook her head. "No.”
“Well, it is more virtuous to give things than to get them. Instead of thinking so much about what you want for your birthday or Hearth's Warming Eve, think about what to give to others for their birthdays or Hearth's Warming Eve. And when you give them something for either of those days, leave a part of you to show how much you care. Do understand that, sweetie.”
“I…unastand, daddy.” Twilight said.
Night Light gave Twilight a hug. “That’s my girl.”
Just at that moment, Twilight’s mother, Twilight Velvet came walking into the living room, levitating a tray with a baby bottle full of warm milk. “Her milk’s ready, darling.”
“Well, time for beddy-byes, sweetie.” Night Light said.
Night Light got up out of his seat and carried his toddler daughter in one hoof upstairs to her nursery. Night Light then opened the door of Twilight’s nursery with his magic, and then walked in with his wife and daughter. Twilight Velvet laid the tray on a dressing table before levitating the bottle off it. Night Light placed toddler Twilight into her crib and tucked her in, while Twilight Velvet placed the baby bottle of warm milk into Twilight's little hooves. Night Light and Twilight Velvet then leaned down, and kissed Twilight's head.
“Good night, sweetie.” Night Light said.
Twilight Velvet smiled. “Sweet dreams, my little pony.”
Night Light and Twilight Velvet then walked out of the nursery, after turning off the light, and leaving Twilight Sparkle drinking out of her baby bottle. As Twilight sucked on her bedtime bottle, she could hear her parents talking outside the nursery door that was opened slightly.
“Did you remember to get the gift for the princess, honey?” Night Light asked.
“Of course I did, dear,” Twilight Velvet said. “I got it while I went shopping with Shining today.”
“Oh, good. I hope this gift will get us to win this year.”
Twilight Velvet chuckled, “Oh, Night Light.”
“Oh, come on, honey. You know how I feel about Posh Life and Set-for Life winning best Hearth's Warming Eve gift for royalty every year and rubbing it in everypony's faces like a bunch of high horses." Night Light stood up straight with pride. "Well, not this year. This year, we’ll get the prize.”
“Oh, really?” Twilight Velvet said. “You’re just as bad as Shining is when he talked to that royal guard, and is obsessed with being one of them when he grows up. I think he gets it from you.”
“Oh, honey.” Night Light shared a kiss with Twilight Velvet. “We’re so lucky to have those two. I hope we do win this year.”
“I hope so, too. I really do.”
Night Light and Twilight Velvet then began to walk downstairs, with sound of their talking and chuckling falling fainter and fainter outside the door of Twilight’s nursery. Little did they know that little Twilight had been listening to everything they had said as she continued to suck on her bottle.
The next day soon came by, and the streets were as busy, snowy, and beautiful as usual, for it was the day before Hearth's Warming Eve. Twilight Velvet had just finished wrapping the present for the princess that they were going to give for the best Hearth's Warming Eve gift for royalty, for it was a tradition in Canterlot that pony families can give a gift to the princess that had been around for many, many years, and the family that gave the best gift was given a chance to spend a Hearth's Warming Eve feast with her royal highness, Princess Celestia herself. Night Light had been entering it since he was a little colt, ever since his childhood rival, Set-for Life and his family had been winning it for years; he had always wanted to win.
“Well, all done.” Twilight Velvet said.
“Wonderful, honey,” Night Light said. “Are you sure you’ll be fine taking the kids with you to the castle’s great hall?”
Twilight Velvet nodded. “Of course. I know how busy you’ll be shoveling the snow off the stairs and the path outside. So I’ll take them with me to get them off your hooves.”
“Thanks, honey.”
Just then, toddler Twilight came up to her mother, Twilight Velvet and poked at her to get her attention. Twilight Velvet turned her attention to little Twilight to see that she was holding what looked like a badly wrapped present. It was sealed well, but it was poorly wrapped in Hearth's Warming Eve themed wrapping paper and sticky tape.
“What’s that, sweetheart?” Twilight Velvet asked.
“...Presit...fur...Pincess.” Little Twilight said.
“Oh, Twilight,” Twilight Velvet said with an adoring tone in her voice. “Is that a present for Princess Celestia?”
Little Twilight smiled. “...Yah.”
Night Light levitated the badly wrapped gift from little Twilight’s hooves, and took a look at it. “What’s in it, Twilight, sweet heart? Is it something you made yourself?”
“...Yah.”
Twilight Velvet smiled. “Oh, that’s so sweet. We should put her gift in too.”
Night Light thought for a moment looking at the gift and then at his little daughters' cute innocent look. “Well...Okay. We can give this to the Princess too.”
Twilight Velvet began making a little tag on little Twilight’s gift. As she did, Night Light suddenly noticed that little Twilight was wearing a diaper with pink bunnies on it.
“That’s strange.” He thought to himself. “I could’ve sworn that the diaper I changed her in this morning had teddy bears on it.”
Night Light thought for a moment as to why Twilight was wearing a different diaper, but soon shrugged it off, thinking that his wife must have changed her earlier while he was not looking. He then soon focused on finding his son, Shining Armor who was upstairs.
“Shining!” Night Light said. “It’s time to go. Your mother's waiting.”
“Coming, Daddy.”
Shining Armor came down the stairs, wearing what looked like a royal guard armor costume made out of cardboard and tin foil that Shining Armor had put together himself.
“Now Shining, you know you can’t go out looking like that.” Twilight Velvet said.
“But, Mommy...” Shining Armor started, but Twilight Velvet held up a hoof to silence him.
“No buts, young colt. Now take it all off and put your scarf on. We have to go now.”
Shining Armor put his head down and moaned. “...Alright.”
Shining Armor soon took off his home-made royal guard armor costume, got his scarf from the dresser near the front door and wrapped it around his neck. Twilight Velvet then put the two gifts into her bag on one side, and placing little Twilight into a baby saddle on the other.
“Well, we should get going now.” Twilight Velvet said.
“See you later, honey.” Night Light kissed Twilight Velvet. “Have a good time.” He then looked at his son, Shining Armor. “You be good, Shining. And do what your mother tells you to do.”
Shining Armor saluted. “I will.”
Twilight Velvet, and the two children walked out the door, and down the doorsteps. Snowflakes began to rain down slowly onto the snow on the streets. One snowflake landed right on Twilight Sparkle’s nose and made her giggle with joy.
“Bye, dear.” Twilight Velvet waved her hoof at Night Light. “See you soon.”
“Bye, honey.”
Little Twilight waved her little hooves at Night Light. “...Bye, daddy!”
Night Light waved back as his family walked down the street. He then levitated a shovel with his magic and began to shovel snow off the steps to their house.
Twilight Velvet soon arrived at the great hall of the royal Canterlot castle with her children. The entire hall was decorated with many Hearth's Warming Eve decorations, along with a big Hearth's Warming Eve tree at the other end of the hall with a large pile of presents underneath it. They made their way towards the large tree for Twilight Velvet knew it was where they had to put their gifts to the princess. As they approached the tree, they were served by a light grey unicorn pony wearing a white powdered wig, and a funny dark green suit. Twilight Velvet knew too well that it was Princess Celestia’s lord chamberlain standing in front of the rope entrance to the pile of gifts under the tree.
“I assume you’re here to place a gift under the tree for her royal highness?” The Lord Chamberlain asked in a sophisticated, upper class manner.
“Yes, Lord Chamberlain.” Twilight Velvet levitated Twilight Sparkle’s gift, and the family’s gift in front of him. “Two gifts this year in fact.”
Lord Chamberlain took a long hard look at the badly wrapped gift that Twilight Velvet levitated in front of him. “And what may I ask is this?”
“Oh, my little daughter made something herself to give to the Princess as a gift.”
The Lord Chamberlain looked at the badly wrapped gift with a hard look. “I’m sorry. I’m afraid this…gift can’t be put with the others.”
Twilight Velvet tilted her head. “Why not? Is there a rule about little children entering?”
“Well…no, madam…” The Lord Chamberlain said, in a manner almost like if he did not want to give her a detailed answer.
“Well, please let my little filly’s present to the princess be under the tree.”
The Lord Chamberlain looked at Twilight Velvet, then at little Twilight in her baby saddle, and then at the badly wrapped gift. He then sighed and reluctantly allowed it. “Oh, alright. Fine, you can put it in.”
“Oh, thank you,” Twilight Velvet said.
“You’re entering that ugly thing?” A female voice said behind Twilight Velvet.
Twilight Velvet turned her head towards where the voice came from only to see two unicorn ponies standing there, two unicorns she knew all too well. “Hello, Set-for Life, Posh Life.”
“I can’t believe you’re putting that tacky thing in with these other gifts,” Set-for Life said.
“It doesn’t have a chance to win,” Posh Life laughed.
Twilight Velvet glared, trying her best to stop herself from yelling at the two ponies for their rudeness towards something made by her baby daughter. “I’m not expecting it to win. My little girl just wanted to give her gift to the princess. That’s all.”
“Whatever. We of course have already put our gift in. Our gift is sure to win again.”
Posh Life stroked her mane with her hoof. “After all, we win it every year. It’s only fitting we give the best and most expensive gifts to the princess.”
“How expensive the gift is isn’t what actually matters,” Twilight Velvet said.
“Oh please,” Set-for Life laughed. “That’s the type of words only losers use.”
Posh Life held up a make-up mirror with her hoof and used her magic to put on lipstick. “Come on, honey bun. Let’s go home. All this crowd of losers is getting to me.”
Set-for Life and Posh Life walked away laughing with stuck-up overconfidence, with Twilight Velvet looking annoyed at the rich, high-horse mannerism of the rich couple. She understood why her husband wanted to win so much. She then levitated little Twilight’s gift and the family’s gift under the big Hearth's Warming Eve tree. Suddenly as she was just about to leave, Twilight Velvet realized that her son, Shining Armor was missing. She briefly looked around frantically for him, only to see him talking to some royal guards standing at their posts. Shining Armor was admired by the guards, for it was his dream to become one.
“So how do I get into the royal guards, mister?” Shining Armor asked, but none of the guards answered, nor even looked at him. “Oh, come on. You can tell me.”
“Shining!” Twilight Velvet bounded over. “What have I told you about wandering off like that!?”
“But, Mom! I was just asking the-”
“Leave the guards alone! Now, come on, We’re going home.”
Shining Armor moaned in disappointment. “Alright.”
Twilight Velvet left the castle great hall with her two children. She was still a bit understandably angry about Shining Armor wandering off, but was relieved that nothing bad happened to him. She looked at little Twilight in her baby saddle, who was sitting in there sucking on a candy cane being good and quiet the whole time.
Later that afternoon, the Lord Chamberlain organised for the hall to be cleared for the princess to enter and begin the gift opening. Before long, the hall was cleared of any public, and only the servants, royal guards and the Lord Chamberlain himself were left in the room as the doors closed. A moment later, Princess Celestia came into the great hall with her servants bowing before her. The Lord Chamberlain stood before Celestia in front of the tree with the many presents from the citizens of Canterlot resting underneath.
The Lord Chamberlain bowed. “Your highness. The gifts from your subjects are all accounted for and ready for you.”
“Wonderful, Lord Chamberlain.” Celestia said. “I see we have a few extra ones this year.”
“Indeed,” The Lord Chamberlain said.
Celestia sat down at her throne. “Well, shall we begin?”
“Of course, your highness,” The Lord Chamberlain levitated the first gift from under the tree and looked at the gift tag. “This one is from Set-for Life and Posh Life, our common winners.”
Princess Celestia took hold of it with her magic and removed the wrapping. The gift to her from them turned out to be a flower fashioned from gold and jewels.
Celestia smiled, “How lovely. This must have been very expensive.”
“Indeed, your highness.”
Just when the Lord Chamberlain was about to bring forth the next gift, he suddenly paused. He then began to sniff with his nose in the air with a look of disgust on his face.
“Is there something wrong, Lord Chamberlain?” Celestia asked.
The Lord Chamberlain sniffed and winced. “What is that smell? It’s ghastly.”
One servant smelled the air. “You’re right!”
In a matter of minutes, almost all the great hall was filled with a mysterious, foul, quick-spreading odor. The smell was awful, so much that not even the royal guards could keep their composure for long. Before long, almost everyone in the great hall held their noses, for the smell had become too much to bear.
“Quick!” The Lord Chamberlain commanded to the servants and guards with his hoof over his nose. “Everypony search the hall! Find the source of the smell!” Everyone in the great hall began to search everywhere to try and find where the awful smell was coming from. Minutes ticked by and they had not yet found the source of the smell. Princess Celestia sat there watching her servants and guards searching around the great hall. She found it hard to keep a straight face, for she found it somewhat entertaining to watch. The Lord Chamberlain bravely uncovered his nose to try to locate the source of the smell. As he walked away from the tree, he found that the smell became fainter. It was then he realized that the smell was possibly coming from where the tree was.
“Everypony!” The Lord Chamberlain commanded to the servants and guards once again. “Search the tree! It’s coming from there.”
The Lord Chamberlain, along with the servants and guards began looking around the tree, searching for the smell. They were even smelling the gifts under the tree. One by one, they smelled every last gift that laid under the tree, until the Lord Chamberlain came across one gift that was badly wrapped, for it was the gift that little Twilight had wrapped, that her mother had put there earlier. With cautious curiosity, he levitated it with his magic and noticed it had been slightly ripped, most likely from the weight of the other gifts. The Lord Chamberlain brought it over to him closer and took a good sniff right where the rip in the gift was. His eyes widened with shock, and then began to cough and gag, as if he were going to vomit, for he had found the source of the smell.
“Everypony, cease your search!” The Lord Chamberlain commanded to the servants and guards once again. “I’ve found it.” Everyone in the hall stopped searching, and gathered round towards the Lord Chamberlain who was holding the little toddlers badly wrapped gift with his magic. The smell was getting to the point where it became absolutely unbearable. The Lord Chamberlain decided that he had to open it to find out what was inside.
“Everypony, stand back!” The Lord Chamberlain commanded to the servants and guards once again.
Everyone in the hall stood back at the Lord Chamberlain’s command. Cautiously, he slowly began to open the gift. With each second that ticked by with him opening it, everyone wondered what could be inside that could cause such a horrible, nauseating smell. Finally after twenty seconds of careful opening, the Lord Chamberlain unstuck the last strip of sticky tape and opened the gift up completely. Everyone gathered round to see what was inside, only to show shock and disgust to what they had found.
“Repulsive!” The Lord Chamberlain said.
A Royal Guard coughed, “Ew, rancid!”
“Gross, oh disgusting!!” A Female Servant gagged.
Everyone began to take steps back. The Lord Chamberlain did not look where he was going and slipped over a gift, landing flat on his back, messing up his powdered wig as it fell off his head. Princess Celestia, who was sitting at her throne watching everything, quietly chuckled under her breath. She then got up from her throne and came down to see for herself what was going on. She made her way into the crowd and looked down at what they had found.
“What is this? Where did this come from?”
That very evening, Night Light and Twilight Velvet were sitting in the living room, quietly relaxing and getting warm in front of the fireplace. Shining Armor was sitting on the floor playing with Twilight Sparkle. The little, colored lights decorated on the tree in the living room shined and twinkled brightly like stars in the night sky. It felt magical to Night Light and Twilight Velvet to see that. The quiet and peaceful atmosphere was cut short by the chime of the doorbell at the front door.
“Who could that be?” Night Light asked.
Night Light and Twilight Velvet both got up off the sofa, and went to answer the door. With their magic, they opened the door to see who it could be. To their surprise, they found that their visitor was the Lord Chamberlain, along with a couple of the royal guards. And to their even bigger surprise, there sitting in her chariot parked right outside their house in the street was her royal highness, Princess Celestia herself!
“Is this the residence of Night Light and Twilight Velvet?” The Lord Chamberlain asked.
Night Light and Twilight Velvet gasped with amazement with their eyes widened with great joy.
“Oh my goodness, honey!” Night Light said. “Do you know what this means? We’ve won!”
“I don’t believe it!” Twilight Velvet kissed and hugged her husband. “I knew that wonderful gift we entered would get us to win this year.”
The Lord Chamberlain scowled. “Oh, very funny! You thought it would be amusing, did you?! Well, I have got news for you. It wasn’t!”
Twilight Velvet tilted her head. “Amusing? What are you talking about?”
“As if you don’t know! Do you realize it is going to take weeks to remove that ghastly smell from the carpet?! We might have to replace the whole carpet!”
Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle, hearing the commotion from the living room, both came to the door to see what was going on, and were standing behind their parents at the front door.
“I’m sorry, but we don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, Lord Chamberlain.” Night Light said.
“Then what do you call..." The Lord Chamberlain angrily presented Twilight Sparkle’s opened, badly wrapped gift with his magic, nearly slamming it in Night Light’s face as he angrily says: "THIS?!!”
Night Light quickly covered his nose and gagged when he caught a whiff of the foul smell coming from Twilight's gift. As the Lord Chamberlain showed the badly wrapped gift and unfolded it slightly, something fell out and landed on the doorstep. They looked in horror to see that the thing that fell out was a white, dirty diaper with teddy bears on it. Night Light then recalled that it was the same diaper that his daughter was changed into this morning, and that she was wearing a different one later before leaving. Realizing this, they soon put two and two together and realized that Twilight had taken her dirty diaper off and wrapped it up as a present before putting another one on. Twilight was a clever little toddler after all. They turned round to see little Twilight standing behind them holding her favorite doll, Smarty Pants in her hooves.
“Twilight Sparkle!” Twilight Velvet said in shock. “Did you give a dirty diaper to the princess?! Why did you do that?!”
Twilight Sparkle looked up at her mother with her sweet little eyes, and said. “...I gave par me, Mommy. I gave par me.”
Shining Armor, who was standing there too, began to laugh for he thought it was funny what Twilight had just did. Probably the most funniest thing he had ever seen.
“That’s not funny, Shining! Twilight! You naughty, naughty little filly!”
“No, honey.” Night Light said, for he realized what their daughter meant. “It wasn’t her fault. I’m afraid it’s my fault. Last night, I told her the story about giving and receiving and how when you give a gift to somepony you care about, you leave a part of you to show how much you care.”
Twilight Velvet put a hoof over her mouth. “Oh. Oh dear.”
“Well, that’s still not going to make up for the chaos it caused!" The Lord Chamberlain growled. "I have never seen any act so repulsive in all the years that I have-”
Everyone was suddenly interrupted by the sound of toddler Twilight Sparkle beginning to cry with tears quickly trickling down her little cheeks, for feeling she was in big trouble, her heart was hurt. Princess Celestia, who was watching and listening to everything, felt sorry for that poor, sweet, little filly, knowing that what she did was of good intention. Before Twilight Velvet could comfit little Twilight, little Twilight began to levitate in Celestia’s light gold magic aura. She then levitated the little, crying Twilight Sparkle towards her, and held her in her hooves with a warm, loving hold. Twilight looked up at Celestia with her little, tear filled eyes, with Celestia looking down at her with a caring smile.
Celestia wrapped her wing around Little Twilight as she held her in her hoofs. “There there. No need to cry, little one. I know you meant no trouble. You are a very sweet little filly. In fact, that was the BEST gift anypony has ever given me.”
Twilight began to stop crying at what the princess had said. Twilight Velvet came forward towards Princess Celestia. “Your highness? I’m so sorry about what happened with the diaper.”
Celestia smiled, “That’s perfectly alright, Mrs Velvet. In fact, it’s the real reason why I’m here. Because I wanted to present the prize of best gift given to you and your family personally for this little ones gift.”
The Lord Chamberlain jolted with shock, nearly throwing his wig off. “What?! But your highness, with all due respect, that little toddler gave you a dirty diaper. I don’t see how something like that could ever be worthy of best gift given.”
Celestia chuckled heartily. “Oh, Lord Chamberlain. How much a gift is worth isn’t what really matters. This little one gave a part of her as a gift. And even though she didn’t truly understand, it was a very sweet thing she did. Because in the end, it’s the thought that really counts. Do you understand what I’m saying, Lord Chamberlain?”
The Lord Chamberlain look surprised, not expecting to get a lecture from her royal highness.
“How expensive the gift is isn’t what matters.”
The Lord Chamberlain's eyebrows rose as he recalled Twilight Velvet's words. Somehow it all made sense now. “I…I guess so.”
“Wonderful,” Celestia said. “Now, would you mind going back to the castle to get the Hearth's Warming Eve feast organised for tomorrow? Meanwhile, I feel like having a nice, warm cup of tea with this lovely family.”
Lord Chamberlain stammered. “Yes, of course, your highness.”
The Lord Chamberlain began to walk away down the snowy street back to the castle. Princess Celestia then turned her attention back to Twilight Velvet and Night Light.
“Do come in, your highness.” Night Light said.
Twilight Velvet took back little Twilight from Princess Celestia. “Royal guards too.”
“Yippee!” Shining Armor jumped with joy at how the two royal guards were joining them, with the guards smiling at the little colt’s spirit.
Princess Celestia and her guards walked up the steps and entered the front door into the house to enjoy some warm tea with the family, closing the door behind them with snowflakes slowly raining down into the streets.
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Back in the present...
Princess Celestia began to chuckle as she finished recalling the memory of that Hearth's Warming Eve long ago in her personal chambers in the present.
“I never had that much amusement in a long time before that day.” Celestia chuckled to herself.
Then, without delay, she used her magic to open the wrapping paper of Twilight and Spike’s gift and opened the box. Inside the box, she found it was full of homemade pony-shaped cookies made of shortbread, chocolate chips, and coated with hard, white icing on the hindquarters. She looked at them with surprise because the icing on the hindquarters looked like baby diapers. Princess Celestia briefly laughed heartily at what Twilight and Spike had given her.
“Oh, my favourite.” Celestia said. “What a thoughtful gift,” Princess Celestia chuckled once again as she took a bite from the first cookie, and moved on to the next gift. For it was the best gift she ever received from anypony.