Hearths Warming: Scrooge

by Daxisle

Act II (Ghost of Christmas Present) Pt II

Act II Pt II

Scrooge bolted up from his bed in a sweat and a gasp. His labored breathing and shaking body spoke volumes to the dread of his dream.

Cyan pony ghost, so illogical, so emotionally charged and manipulative. Truly one of the worst night terrors he'd ever experienced.

He calmed himself and took a breath, giving some thought to the dream's visions against his better judgement. Between her and Marley, the oaken stallion was beginning to think that his life may, in fact, be less than what he was capable of.

Was he a little self centered with Belle? Yea, he was. Were his finances relatively stable enough to see them through if he continued working while he began his family. Most likely yea. So, on that he may have been wrong. Alright, he could admit that, but hey, she was better of for it, now. If the vision the Ghost of Hearths Warming past had shown him of her to be true, than she was just as happy. And that's what he wanted for her right?

The concerned and thoughtful frown Sin wore quickly turned sour. Besides; his resentment for his father and the manipulations of his fellow ponies were still solid enough that he kept his resolve in his ways. He'd dealt with enough of them to know that pity and generosity were more likely to be abused than appreciated. Though, maybe he should give it another chance? Maybe.

As much as Tartarus scared him, the thought of being bound in chains as Marley was didn't exactly have much of an appeal. Maybe there was something better? Maybe in the afterlife there was something more worth while? Maybe-

Scrooge sighed to himself. "What's wrong with me?" He said to no one in particular. It was a dream, an alcohol and drug induced dream! There's no spirits bound by chains, that'd be ridiculous! And even if there were, surly one of them would have approached one of the Princesses or a mage of some kind for assistance and release. At least some kind of report or study about the phenomena would be public knowledge by now, right?

Exhausted and still a little drunk, the stallion resolved to visit the library when it opened and settle the debate on if the ghost was real or a figment of his imagination, and gently placed him self back into bed to sleep.

...

...

DONG DONG.

Chimed the clock.

2 A.M.

A small light pierced the thin vale of the stallion's eye lids.

'Did I leave a candle on?' he asked himself, a small smile creeping on his face at the thought of the warm candles from before.

"Ohhh Scroooooogeyyyyyyy." A high pitch voice whispered. "It's time to wakey wakey eggs and bakeeeeeeyyyyyyy."

The Demon King is that? Scrooge opened an eye to find that the light was peaking in from the crack underneath the door to his room. 'Down stairs? Sighing, the pony threw back the covers and trudged to the door. Whoever it was knew he was awake and wanted him down there, probably his Nephew come to play a prank or surprise him with a meal or something. Though the voice was feminine, maybe Neo's girlfriend?

With no small amount of protest from his exhausted body, Sin staggered out of bed and made his way to the door and down the stairs.

His mouth gaped slightly at what he saw. There, a glowing, well sized fire crackled and roared, casting a golden shine that his living room had never seen before. Within, the typically bare and dingy common room sat a feast of every food imaginable, each looking as appetizing as the last. Mashed potatoes, cranberries, noodle soup, apple clustered, banana bread and so much more. Just staring at the food stuffs was enough to make the stallion's stomach groan with resentment for how long it had yearned for such treats.

"Hi." Chimed the high pitched voice again.

Sin turned his attention to the red chair that now stood in the place of where he had sat not two hours ago. Though, this one looked far more comfortable and inviting. Upon the chair a translucent, pink, smiling pony with a wild pink main sat, an emerald green robe covering her shoulders. "I'm the Ghost of Hearth's warming present." She greeted cheerfully.

Scrooge quirked a brow. While he was more more pleased with this ghosts entrance than the other's, she was still on his property with out permission. And if the latter spirit was any indication, her removal would be just as much a chore to get rid of."

"Indeed." The old pony sighed trudging down the stairs and stood with skeptical eyes. "So, what do you want?"

The mare giggled as if she'd heard a funny joke. "I'm here to show you the error of your ways and how your disregard of the feelings and love of others hurts not only them, but yourself!"

"Really?" Sin dead panned, "and how, prey tell, do you plan to do that?"

The mare placed a tentative hoof to her chin and hummed in thought. "Through emotional manipulation and psychological terrorism of course!"

'Well, at least she's honest about it.' Sin postulated. "And what do you plan to accomplish through all of this?" At least this one was giving him straight answers, maybe he would be able to figure out what all of this haunting business was about.

"Well duh," The mare rolled her eyes. "So you can stop being all mopey dopey and start spreading holiday cheer and be happy!"

"Okay? And why is my happiness so important? And who do you work for?"

"Weeeeelllllll," The emerald clad pony called standing up from her place. "I could tell you, but where's the fun in that?" She asked before stepping to the buffet before her and taking a lemon pie in hoof. "Pie?" She asked. A simple shake of the head from Sin was her reply and the pink mare began to stuff her face. Literally, she slammed her entire face into the pie with an audible "om nom nom".

Sin stood with a bewildered expression. The difference between the former spirit and the current was... off putting to say the least. Why was his happiness so important to these entities? What gain could they have from his cooperation? He was well off in money, yes but did ghosts have a use for money? It wouldn't make much sense to say yes, After all, Marley detested the money he had to carry around on his chains, so obviously it wasn't that.

What could these things want from him?

"Hey, are you listening to me?"

Sin looked up to an annoyed looking pair of blue eyes. "what?"

"I asked," She emphasized, "how you were feeling?"

'How I'm feeling? What in Tartarus is she-' Sin's eyes widened as he took in the window in front of him. He looked around to find he was back on the snow covered streets of Ponyville with naught but the family in the house for signs of life.

"When did you teliport us?" He asked forcefully.

"When you were sitting there looking cranky." The Ghost of the present replied cheefully.

'Well, at least I don't feel sick or dizzy.' With a nod of encouragement, Sin looked through the window to find... Neo? Yep, that was his nephew, as well as a few other ponies he didn't know.

"This is the house of your nephew who you were very rude to for most of your life." The pink spirit informed. "Every year, he'd invite you to his Harths warming party, and every year you'd reject him. But some how, he still speaks well of you." She shook her head. "You're lucky that isn't me, or I'd drag you there kicking and screaming."

Scrooge took a moment to regard the threat. "No kidding."

"Good afternoon everypony!" Neo greeted happily. "And may I welcome you to the most festive party in Ponyville!"

And festive it was, food of all kinds lined the shelves and tables around the house. Warm and affectionate candle light licked every corner of the room to be seen, basking its occupants in an inviting glow that lacked the grey and dim of the outside world. A mare and stallion spoke with smiles besides the window, taking no notice of the eavesdropping of the duo.

"And may I propose a toast!" Neo commanded, holding up his mug. "To all who've employed and given this merry Eve. To my friend's; the Buttermilk's." He nodded to the couple in front of the window. "The Ranger's, and the Scrooges." He nodded to a slightly aged mare with a deep lavander mane and lilac coat.

Sin frowned as he gazed upon the mare who he hadn't seen in years, Fanny. Though her form may have aged slightly, the kind and genuine look in her eyes still held true despite the decade's passing. She took a humble bow and the room's attention turned back to its owner.

"And even to my Uncle Sin Scrooge, who may not be the kindest or most generous stallion, I to wish for all of us to join in a well wish to his health." The grey stallion cheered holding his mug up.

The room went quiet. Scrooge smirked, did his nephew really think that would work?

"I'll toast to his health, to its decline!" Yelled the female of the Buttermilks. Her husband laughed, as well as one of the Rangers, but Neo and Fanny merely stared flatly.

Sin looked through the window to find a blond maned, orange coated mare standing in front of a stove. A ladle in her mouth as she stood stirring a pot of stew.

Sin watched the mare for a couple of seconds before he returned his attention to his guide. "Ummm, okay? Why am I here?"

Again, the spirit gave an encouraging nod to look back at the mare inside. The stallion watched her for a few more seconds, still nothing of note changing. He didn't recognize the mare at all, and while he could smell her delicious cooking from the door way, he was feeling like more and more of a creep just sitting and watching her from the window sill.

"Right, she's very pretty and all, but I'm not really understanding what I'm supposed to be feeling right now."

"Huh? Wait hold on." The spirit said pushing the stallion aside and looking through the window. "Hey, where are they all?"

"They?"

She nodded vigorously. "Uh uh, uh hu. This is the home of your employee Macintosh!"

Ahh, so that was her game, trying to make him feel bad for his employee by showing him to his family life and all of the people whom the individual must support...

As if that hadn't been tried before.

"Of course." He replied condescendingly. A few more seconds past as the mare in the kitchen continued her cooking. The seconds quickly turned into minutes until finally Sin rubbed his eyes.

"Right, well this has been... creepy, but I'm beginning to think you don't-"

"SOUPS ON, EVERYPONY!" The mare cried suddenly. Slowly, a couple of ponies made their way from the opposite room into the kitchen and greeted the mare with compliments to aroma.

"Oh, we were supposed to be looking in that window!" The pink spirit said in revelation as she pointed to the other side of the house. "Oopsie daisy."

Scrooge flinched at his guide's error. If she was going to wisk him away from his bed to peep through somepony's window like some kind of stalker, the least she could do was make sure it was the right window.

"Hey, everypony." Mac announced tiredly as he entered through the front door.

"Welcome home, Mac." The orange mare greeted before she walked over and gave her brother a hug. "Yer frozen to tha bone, here, sit by the fire and warm up." She marshled the red stallion over to the flame.

"Thanks sis." He commented, removing the dark brown scarf and sitting by the flame. "Ah've got some good news."

"Oh, what happened partner? That old stiff Scrooge finally up n' kick the bucket?"

Sin's eyes widened at the wish of his death. Though to be fair, the feeling of surprise quickly gave way to apathy. He didn't know her, nor particularly care for her opinion on him. The two would probably have a merry conversation at his expense.

"Applejack." Mac chastized. "Mr. Scrooge may be a little self-centered, but that ain't no reason tah wish him ill."

Sin's eyes once again went wide. Mac was... defending him? After all the times Sin had mistreated him? Wow, that was... wow.

"Aftah the farm wen' under due to the cold, he's th' reason we'll c'n still put food on th' table."

Applejack sighed and rolled her eyes. "That ain't no excuse for him treatin' you like he does." She turned back and began ladling out bowls. "Few times Ah've seen him, he's been nothing short o' a mantacore protectin' its kill."

Mac was going to speak but was quickly cut off by a much older voice. "Yer darn tootin!"

Sin's eyes moved to the marshmellow green mare with amber eyes and a shaky foundation. "Poor ol' Rarity, bless her, actually had the guts to go n' ask that old fool fer charity fer the Harvest o' Love."

"I'm not even middle aged yet." Sin complained to himself.

"Yea!" Another voice cried, though this one was a bright orange filly with a deep lilac mane and tail. "Sweetie was tellin' me about how uncaring and cold he was to her. The guy's a jerk."

Mac made a face as if he were about to retaliate but his words died in his throat as he heard the sound of a peg hit the wooden floor from the stairs. "Mac? Sis? What's going on?" A weak voice called.

Scrooges eyes trailed over to find a small and sickly cream coated, red maned filly standing at the bottom step. His heart skipped a beat and his mouth gaped slightly as he regarded the pathetic creature before him. Her eyes bore a look of exhaustion that he'd only seen from clients who'd spent days to raise money for their debts. The small pair of braces on her legs made it obvious her sickness was both weakening and crippling. But despite both, here mouth was in a slight smile and she made her way to her brother to embrace him and help melt the hard day's work from his shoulders.

"Little Bloom, I assume?" Sin asked out loud.

"Yes." The spirit replied, any giddiness or bubblyness absent from her words. Sin looked over to find the spirit staring at him, her face devoid of emotion. "A small creature who's never shown the world a bit of harshness and coldness." The ghosts eyes and ears drooped as she looked back at the smiling filly, gently nuzzling her brothers nose. "So young, yet her life is so close to an end."

Sin frowned to himself and gazed back to the family before him. The filly grabbing his attention most. He tried to rationalize with himself that the filly may have been innocent now, but would grow up to be just as much a deceiver as anyone else. 'So she'll never become the liar and corrupted mare this world would turn her into. that's not really a bad thing, is it?

"Bloom, don't strain yourself so much." Macintosh said, picking the filly up. "The doctor said that ya'll need tah rest if'n ya wanna get better."

"But Mac, ah wanna sit n' read with ya, again." She coughed a pathetic weeze that progressivly got worse. "Please *cough* can't ah stay? Just this once?"

Macintosh bit his lip in thought before crumbling under the preassure of her puppy dog eyes and setting her on the couch. "Alrigh' you can stay."

"Yay." The filly cried weakly, though the beaming smile on her face was a rarity that the stallion couldn't help but treasure.

"The doctor said that she wouldn't make it to this Hearth's Warming." The Ghost of Hearth's Warming Present said sagely. "They thought her illness would claim her life a month ago. But that little filly is strong, with the right help, she could overcome it."

"She's fighting so hard to stay alive so she wont make her family sad. She loves them very much, and they love her. She just wants to see them happy."

Scrooge pressed his lips together. He didn't know Bloom, but she seemed like a good filly, life had shown her suffering. No parents, poverty, a bad illness that took away her ability to walk and care for herself. Yet she thought about the happiness of others. Maybe... maybe she wouldn't be like everypony else in the world. Maybe she'd turn out better than that.

NO! He was questioning himself again, now. If he was becoming unsure that means he was losing, and the spirits were winning. He couldn't be wrong. This world WOULD turn her into one of them, a lying, conniving cur who looked to exploit the rest with dishonesty and seduction.

Suddenly, a wave of guilt washed over him. His mind drifted from justified apathy to the fact that one so young would die. Maybe I'm wrong? What if... what if she never became one of them? What if she became an honest and good pony, like her brother? What if-

"GAH!" Scrooge barked, trying to rub away the quickly developing head ache.

"You alright?" The ghost asked, a smug smile plastered on her face.

"Fine." Sin replied, clearing his throat. This wasn't good, she had him on the defensive now, and by the look on her face she knew it. If he were going to win in this little game of hers, he'd need to put the terms back on his favor.

But how?

His eyes found the pink mare's again, her smug grin slowly dropping to a concerned and hopeful smile. That was it. No matter how much he wanted to, Scrooge couldn't deny how he felt about the situation any longer. He pitied the filly, and he pitied the family to which she belonged.

It wasn't his problem, but it was a problem that wasn't fair for them to have. Especially little Bloom.

Scrooge smirked to himself, since when in the hay was life fair? He'd know better than anyone that it wasn't, but nobody helped him, maybe... maybe he could help her. Give her a chance he never had.

The two stood their for what seemed like an hour, until eventually the oaken stallion spoke. "You've made your point." He said barely above a whisper.

"YAY!" The ghost cheered, small bits of confetti shooting out from her robes and mane. "So you'll stop being all mean and cynical to everypony then and dedicate your life to love, life and kindness?"

And like that, the moment was ruined. Everypony? That was a joke, right? It must have been a funny one, because Sin couldn't stop himself from chuckling.

"What so funny?"

"Why on earth would I stop being cynical of others?" He replied. "Yea, one little filly may be facing adversities that she didn't deserve, but most of the misery of the world is brought on by it's own greed and selfishness."

"WHAT?!" The pink, translucent mare gasped shrilly. "Aww, c'mon Scroogy, that's really not fair to say."

"Oh?" Sin's eyebrow quirked. "Use your magic to take us two streets over, and you will see why you're wrong."

With her nose in the air, the spirit refused his request. All the guilt and sympathy for Little Bloom he'd just felt suddenly shriveled up and died as a knowing smirk plastered itself onto his face. He had her now.

"What's wrong?" He mocked. "Not willing to hear the other side of the story? To compelled by your master to even confront the idea that you might be wrong?"

In a pink and blue flash, the mare's nose was just a few inches from his, a disconcerting frown etched into her brows. "Okie dokie loki." She said through gritted teeth.

Scrooge waited, but the teliportation never came. Shaking his head, he lead the spirit away from the window and down two streets where the duo came upon a rather well kept and inviting establishment building. Even as the though it was christmas, the company building was bustling with life.

"Tell me, Spirit." Sin paused, allowing her to look inside. "Do you see what I see?"

The pony gave him a look before turning her attention to the joyful party within. A warm, harmonious orange glow illumnated the happy and content faces of the ponies and griffons within. Some were singing, others were cuddling by the fire with their families, and more were dining on a delicious buffet of vegetables.

The decorations of different and vibrant colors complimented and accentuated the lively and inviting atmsphere that simply made the pink mare's heart melt.

"This is the business of Rod Shoemaker." Sin said, looking in at the party with acute disinterest. "Shoemaker came to me when I first came to Ponyville. His business proposal was for shoes that didn't only protect hooves from the ground, but from the elements as well. As luck would have it, the weather here began to turn cold and I agreed to his loan when the other banks in town would not."

The stallion paused for dramatic effect, watching with a satisfying smugness as the spirits eyes practically begged him to continue. "He bought this building and hired most of the employees that you see in that building tonight. You could say that I'm a great deal responsible for their livelihood and happiness right now."

And like that his smugness and sense of self satisfaction increased ten fold. The Ghost of Hearth's warming eve's jaw hit the ground at a thunderous speed, her eyes wide and completely shocked.

"And yet I get no gratitude for helping him and every single employee he has." Sin shook his head, feigning indignation and hurt.

In the blink of an eye, the two were suddenly surrounded by a set of different buildings. These ones holding a much more dilapidated look to them than the previous neighborhood.

"Awww, poor guy." The spirit commented. "No doubt you had something to do with it."

Sin regarded the pink hoof pointing at him than looked back to the broken stallion sleeping behind a couple of trashcans. It took him a moment to recognize the individual in question. "Yes, this is Basket Thatcher." His eyes narrowed. "He was a stallion who came to me with a business proposal that I agreed to give him a loan for. However, luck was not on his side as the business he created quickly went under, and he had to liquidate everything to pay back the money he owed me."

"And look what your greed has done!" She shouted shrilly, motioning to the stallion again.

To this the banker raised a hoof and explained that it wasn't his alleged 'greed' that had put Basket on the street, but a disinterested market base. The spirit once again, motioned to the broken pony, emphasizing that if it weren't for Scrooge's involvement, the pony would have a home to live in and not be disheveled mess he was today.

Bracing himself for the guilt and shame that had influenced him before, the stallion merely shook his head, his loaning practices, while a bit more strict than other bankers, wasn't really that different from theirs. Arguing that no matter what bank Basket had gone to, the outcome would have been the same.

Thatcher's predicament was his own doing, that much the banker knew to be true. Yes, he was foolish for investing in the idea, but his then client had such a determination in his eyes, that the oaken pony would have considered himself stupid and regretted never taking the risk.

The spirit frowned. "No, you made loans that these ponies couldn't pay back and then threw them out into the street!"

Sin scoffed, his anger quickly coming to it's boiling point "I'm sorry, I thought I was dealing with adult ponies who were quite capable of making agreements and assessments of their financial abilities. I didn't know that I was supposed to be their mother and hold their hooves in terms of making capital agreements." Why was this so hard for her to understand? They were the ones who gave their word and property up for collateral. He just gave them the money. "I apologize severely, I had no idea that I was responsible for, not only holding up to my end of the agreements and contracts made, but helping them as well."

The pink pony frowned in frustration and began to speak, but Sin had had enough.

"No, to tartarus with that. These ponies made an AGREEMENT! Why should I feel bad if they didn't live up to their end? No, explain this to me." He held up his hoof, pretending there was a legal document within it. "If it says right here the negative implications that will come should the individual signing on with me fail to uphold their end of the agreement in. Every. Single. Contract that I have ever written includes than why should I feel bad?" His eye twitched. "No, seriously tell me, and I want a logically sound argument void of emotional jabs and heart strings, why I should feel bad when the rules are written out clear as day."

He prodded the imaginary contract for emphasis, this pony was far worse than the ghost of Hearths Warmings past, at least the former was at least some what logical and subtle.

The mare held a look for anger and determination, but it quickly fell to a sigh of despair. "You just don't get it, do you?"

"Hmph." Sin sneered. "No, madam, you seem to be the one who doesn't get it."

"Fine, I'm done here." She rubbed her hooves on her forehead. "I'm going to need, like, a bagillion parties to make me feel better after trying to help you! You know that?"

"Uh, sure; why not?"

In the blink of an eye, Sin was once again laying in his bed.

His eyes blinking a couple of times and scanning the room around him to make sure of the fact. Through everything he'd just whitnessed, past Little Bloom's illness, his employee's defending of him, and his nephew's kind words towards him, one thing stuck out in the banker's mind. A thought that he hadn't had until the moment he'd just 'woke up' and looked directly at the clock on the night stand.

Why were ponies eating dinner and having hearths warming parties at two in the morning?

Author's Note:

Comments are always appreciated.

Yea, it's not Christmas time yet, sue me.