On Hearth’s Warming Eve, the reluctant Night Guard Pumpernickel has been assigned an escort mission in the northern part of Equestria that will take him away from his wife, friends and family for all of the night.
And he will remember it forever.
Based on the long standing tradition of the U.S. Air Force escorting Santa Claus on Christmas Eve to ensure his flight across North America is unhindered. Starting in 1955 by way of a wrong number, it has grown into an international program where the nations of the world unite in a spirit of peace and friendship for one night. You can track the jolly old reindeer by way of the Norad Tracks Santa website. Even though it does not show Equestria, all good little colts and fillies can be assured that Luna’s Night Guard are hard at work on this special night.
Editing assistance by TheMaskedFerret, and Tek
Merry Hearth’s Warming to all, and to all a Good Night.
Author’s Notes:
The Hearth’s Warming gift that Laminia bought the flight surgeon was a pair of the new Royal Guard figurines that had just entered production, one male and one female.
The ‘Celestial Tea Set for Fillies™’ included settings for six as well as a real teakettle (Makes tea just like Princess Celestia drinks!) Over a decade of product development had gone into the creation of the kettle until Princess Celestia had approved it and declared the lukewarm product that it produced was not, “almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea.”
Peace between Equestria and the Griffon Empire had been a major factor in the increase in size of the ‘Nice List’ and Santa Hooves subsequent increased workload. Little grifflets who set up traps for Santa in hopes of grabbing all of his presents were quite firmly placed on the ‘Naughty List’ and left a single sprig of celery. They never did it twice.
Please note that the author did not crossover this story with Yes Twilight Sparkle, There Is a Santa Hooves because I wanted them to each stand alone. (also by my mental timeline this is the *second* Hearth’s Warming since Luna’s return, while the other story is about the *first* one.) But go ahead and read each one of them anyway. Just like Christmas cookies, they’re better by the handful.
In addition, the author would like to apologize for producing two such d’aww stories in a row. Readers who experience chest pain, sudden diabetic attacks, or impulsive decisions to adopt an orphan may consider themselves warned, and therefore without basis to sue. The next story I plan on publishing should be d’aww free. Keep an eye out for How The Great And Powerful Trixie Stole Hearth’s Warming starring, of course, Trixie! (must… type… faster…)
Oh yes another holiday story from you~!
Santa + Pumpernickel.
Have all of my wins.
3671897 Yay another tale of holiday cheeriness! Not gonna lie, was hoping to see a tale with a focus on a certain traveling tutor, but my favorite nocturne pony is just as good!
I remember reading the story about how NORAD started to track Santa in the paper years ago, so it is interesting to see your take on it. For those who don't know about it, click the link that good ole' Georg-ie boy set out for it (a truely funny and heartwarming set of real life events).
Now just gotta see Trixie get her Grinch on, and the Hearth's Warming Trifecta is complete!
A marvelous tale of a fantastic Santa. Thank you for it. Just don't kill yourself churning these out.
I loved this story, Merry Christmas to you.
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That was great, though I was a little disappointed this didn't cross over with the mentioned Twilight story.
3673897
Translated:
I'm sorry to tell you this, but not everyone celebrates Christmas. Your information is invalid.
One: no one said that everyone did.
Two: this isn't Christmas, it's Hearths Warming
Three: Binary? really?
Aww...gotta love the bat ponies and Santa Hooves. (If only he was Rudolph...)
Hey, it's Hearths Warming! Having super sugary stories around is almost prerequisite!
A male voice? Is that an error on your part, or the toy company's?
I can't argue with this story.
3677779 You know I've been waiting for this comment.
Below is a scan of a Hasbro blind bag toy card that I have in my collection, and Hasbro can't be wrong, can they?
lh4.googleusercontent.com/-lhNjA1huiY8/UnxGK6a8R6I/AAAAAAAAAVI/PQ21xgVS5eU/w386-h505-no/Spitfire-R63.jpg
3677721 Well, they both have the bright red noses and icicle antlers at the end, does that earn Rudolph points?
3676564 What can I say. Some people bring joy and happiness to all around them wherever they go. Some don't.
3674302 It was probably better to have them both stand alone. The story will be mentioned in "The Empty Crib" upcoming. (happy ending, I promise)
3672939 Your wish is my desire. How The Great And Powerful Trixie Stole Hearth's Warming is now live. No more Christmas fics for me for a year. Whew.
3672604 Pumpernickel has fans? Oh, you poor, poor people. Whatever did you do to deserve that?
3676564
"where the nations of the world unite in a spirit of peace and friendship for one night."
Really?
3699541 allow me my fantasies...
3673897 couldn't you have done this in 0x48657861646563696d616c
3676564 There are 10 kinds of people in this world, those that understand binary, and those that don't.
...and those that thought this joke was in base 3.
So, when are you doing a Rise of the Guardians crossover? :D
3673897
3911500
Soitenly ossifer!
Ask and you shall recieve!
0x49276d20736f72727920746f2074656c6c20796f7520746869732c20627574206e6f742065766572796f6e652063656c65627261746573204368726973746d61732e20596f757220696e666f726d6174696f6e20697320696e76616c69642e
But wait!
I'm sorry to tell you this, but not everyone uses Big-endian! Your information is still invalid.
What about the Little-Endians?
0x74269636866e769604ce960476f6962e86b64ef6667696044eaef69a0474ce86b62ece964e16c204cea62e864e46a636a6c604a676f69e4ea66ea6042ef676042eae460434ce96162e04aef69e043636a62e04f62e049e4e4ef6ce04b6e492
But wait again!
I'm sorry to tell you this, but there are those that use Middle-endian!
What about them? Surely you do not want to disenfranchise them do you?
0x9472d60237f62727970247f6024756c6c60297f6570247869637c20226574702e6f647025667562797f6e656023656c65626271647563702348627963747d61637e20295f657270296e666f627d6164796f6e60296370296e66716c69646e2
(Sorry for taking the piss MasterWriter)
3699541
3699769
It worked out well on occasion in World War 1...
Lovely little story!
A few months late reading it but whatever!
d'awww, this is such a sweet story
Awesome story, great ending. I got lots of D'AAAWWWW!
d'aaaaawwwwwwwww, so adorable
That was EXCELLENT!!!
Crystalheart
Merry Christmas 2015 to everyone who reads this.
Every time I read this I think back to many moons ago. Analog Science fiction/ fact magazine ran a Christmas cover with Santa crossing paths with another being with way too many tentacles and with what looked like mutated raptors pulling his sled. wish I could remember the year of that cover. Georg, you do good work.
6761563
Can't find the cover you're talking about, but Galaxy did something similar that I thought looked pretty cool
urbanhonking.com/spacecanon/files/2012/12/emsh_1958_01_galaxy.jpg
7801464 That's amazing. My copies of Galaxy magazine and Issac Asimov's magazine only go back to 1978. Some really cool stuff was published back then.
7801464
that's the one, had the wrong mag name. I was reading both at the time and got the covers mixed up. also check Santas arms, he just looks like ours at first glance.
7804058
Holy crap! How did I not notice that?!
7804153
don't feel so bad I may still have that cover around somewhere and it took the cover that you posted to catch it. Proves that we tend to see what we expect to see.
Thank you! Loved this story!