How Pinkie Pie and her Friends Saved Santa Hooves

by The Diplomat

Pipsqueak's Hearth's Warming Eve (Part 1 of 2)

Riiiing! Riiiing! Riiiing!

The hellish noise of an alarm clock echoed throughout little Pipsqueak's room as his day started at 8 AM. He rose very slowly, groaning and moaning the whole time. With an immense effort he lifted his hoof and brought it down on the agent of Tartarus, waking up to fight another day. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, stared ahead for a few seconds, then gave a jolt of excitement as he realized what day it was. One day left until Hearth's Warming.

He had waited for this day the whole year - as many children did - because it meant snow, good food, and presents. Lots and lots of presents. This year he wanted to do something special for Santa Colt, as thanks for bringing so much happiness to those around him. He climbed out of bed, combed his hair, then ruffled it up to make his bandana comfortable. Ever since Nightmare Night, he had grown very fond of that item of clothing, and it fit him really well - for a costume accessory.

He ran to his window and threw open the curtains.

It never fails, does it?

Everywhere outside, great blankets of snow covered the houses of Ponyville. The sky was white, the ground was white, and every other colour stood out in a bold and beautiful way. He looked down at the ponies below, pegasi and unicorns and earth ponies, as they walked around wearing scarves, boots, hats, sweaters; some of them wore only a few of these, and others wore all of the above. He was glad to see such diversity as his original home, Trottingham, was mostly made up of pegasi, making him and the unicorns less numerous there.

For a second, he felt a bit homesick and gave a sniff. Then he rubbed his nose a gave himself a smile.

I'll see that old place soon enough. For now, it's Hearth's Warming Eve in Ponyville!

He also saw that many of these ponies were carrying presents, wrapped in paper and ribbons of all colours.

One might think that the cover was blown, but Pipsqueak knew better. Santa Colt only gave presents to colts and fillies, not stallions and mares, as they were now in charge of continuing the job that Santa entrusted them with. He knew this because his mother had told him, so it could only be true. Pipsqueak was proud to see that even though they were older, ponies still had Santa's trust in delivering presents to their loved ones.

He gave a shiver, as the cold finally crept up on him, and decided to go downstairs. He walked to the door, put his hoof on the knob, and gave a sniff.

She didn't...

Another sniff, longer and more pronounced, confirmed his suspicions.

Oh blimey, she did!

Pancakes. With syrup.

While it was a somewhat common meal here in Trotingham, it is a less common treat back in Trottingham, which is why young Pip was so excited. He ran down the stairs, almost tumbling over himself, and arrived on sliding hooves to the kitchen. The whole place was filled with Hearth's Warming decorations: holly was hung up on the beams above him, tinsels were set above the stove, and the holiday tree stood behind the massive wooden table, where ponies outside could see it through the window.

The decorations which covered it, like candy canes and little snowponies, were reflected on the hard wooden floor beneath their hooves. His father always said - and still does - that a good home needed a good floor, which made him very proud of the polished floorboard. Then again, his Cutie Mark in wood sanding made the maintenance of his floor an extension of his job as a furniture restorer, and more of a hobby than a chore.

The stove stood to the left of the table, and between the two his mother and father were busy cooking and setting up the table. His mother, a caramel coloured mare with dark brown hair, was busy making the treats while his father, a white stallion with sandy yellow hair, were happy to see their little colt so giddy these past few days.

"Hi ho, Mum and Da-"

He was about to finish his sentence when he felt something thin beneath his front hoof. He lifted it to see a strand of red ribbon, which curled up at the end. He observed it, with his head cocked to the side. What was a bit of ribbon doing here? On the side, his parents gave each other a nervous look.

"What's this?" he asked, looking up at them. They looked at him with a curious expression.

"That's...a bit of ribbon, Pippy," said his father, lightly tapping his hoof on the table.

"Well I know that, but what's it doin' here?" he asked again, showing them the intruder.

"It''s here because I was wrapping a gift for a friend of mine, to whom I gave a gift the other day. You know her, Pip, she's that mare who runs Sugarcube Corner, Cup Cake."

"Oh yeah, her! Right, I thought this was weird."

His father pursed his lips and gave her a look of small admiration, which she replied to with a wink.

"Oh boy, pancakes! Thanks mum!" he shouted, scrambling up his stool to face his plate.

"Anything for ya', lad!"

They all sat down, his father having hay bacon with eggs and coffee, while his mother had some oatmeal and a glass of apple juice - straight from the Acres. Pip, meanwhile, was busy stuffing his face with the spongy good, a bit of syrup dripping from his muzzle.

"Fo wut aff wu gaffs doin' tuduh?"

"No eating with your mouth full, Pip. Also..." said his father, tapping his muzzle with a hoof before taking a sip of coffee.

"So what are you guys doing today?" he repeated, wiping the syrup off of his nose.

"Well I have to polish up a wardrobe for a mate of mine, since I owe him a favour. I'll still be there for dinner though."

"And I have to prepare the house for Santa Colt, and make dinner," she said, with a smile. Designing a house or a room, which happened to be her special talent, was an opportunity she took whenever she could.

"But Mum, I want to do something for Santa Colt! You told me he said he would love it!"

"And he willl, Pip, he will. And what about you, what do you have planned?"

"Well some mates of mine thought about playing in the snow on the hills outside of town, with sleighs and snowballs. Can I go?"

"Sure you can, love. Just be sure to take some clothes with you," she said with a smile, patting him on the head.

"Cheers, mum. Dad?"

"Be careful not to get hurt when you're playing over there," he said, cutting up his bacon.

"Thanks Dad! You guys are the best!" he shouted, putting his empty plate on the sink and going upstairs. Once he was gone, his father chuckled.

"That was so close. So very close. Good catch, by the way," he said, scratching his head.

"I know, I was so scared. I'm just glad he believed it," she said, giving a nervous laugh.

After a small moment of silence, she spoke up. It took him a few seconds to reply.

"How bad do you think he'll take it?"

"...Well he loves ol' Saint Hooves, that's for sure. But he's your son, so I think we'll be alright," he said, giving her hoof a small squeeze.

************

Dragging a sleigh behind him, Pipsqueak trotted through the snowy streets of Ponyville. He had a green sweater and a red scarf, and he was humming a small holiday tune as the snow crunched beneath his hooves. Being born from Trottingham, the cold didn't bother him that much. He was on his way to the hills outside of town when a wave of heat hit him from the right, startling him a bit. He had been so distracted he hadn't even noticed that Sugarcube Corner now stood right next to him. He was a modest colt, and usually didn't spoil himself.

But, he thought, I guess I could grab something for the road. And something for the others while I'm at it.

With a smile, he left the sleigh outside and entered the store. As the warm atmosphere of the bakery made him feel slightly drowsy, he shook his head and walked up to the counter. He always liked coming here, but it always took him a minute to decide what he was going to choose. So many choices, so little time and bits. As he went over the baked goods, a familiar cheerful voice rang out.

"Well, would you look at that: little Pipsqueak! What can I do for you, my little friend?"

He looked up to see the very round face of Cup Cake. He really liked her: she was always nice, she was patient, and she always made him feel like a valued customer. Maybe that was because she knew how to talk to kids, seeing as how she had the twins and Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie was fun too; a bit crazy, but fun.

"Top o' the morning, miss Cake! I'm fine, how 'bout you?"

"Well I'm just peachy! Things are a bit hectic with Hearth's Warming around the corner, don't ya know, but I'm fine, thanks for asking! Or cheers, as you say in Trottingham. I do love saying that, 'Cheers!' Oh, but look at me, rambling on like that! So what'll it be?"

"I'll have...a blueberry muffin. Oh, and a bag of truffles, they're the best!"

"Coming right up!"

As the older mare started picking out the baked goods, a pink blur zipped through the store and threw little Pip in the air. Torn between fear and laughter, Pip made a squawking noise before a pair of hooves grabbed him and spun him around the store. These hooves belonged to none other than Pinkie Pie, who gave a few snorts while giggling and laughing.

"Heya Pippy, Pip, Pudding Pop! How's it going?!" she asked, after putting him down.

Hi ho, Pinkie-o! I'm just here to pick some things up before meeting my friends so we can play!"

"Ooh, lucky you! I only get to play with my friends later on this week, but that's fine, 'cause I have my family to visit and work to do for my other friends! Are you excited about tomorrow, huh huh huh?! I know I am!"

"Pinkie, let him go, he needs to go see his friends! Here ya go, Pippy, and have yourself a merry Hearth's Warming," said Cup Cake, handing him two small bags.

"Cheers, miss Cake! How much do I owe you?"

"Oh we'll have none of that, will we Pinkie?"

"No siree Bob, nun 'a that! You get this one on the house!"

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Sure, it's Hearth's Warming Eve after all!"

"Wow, thank you both so much! Celestial sisters bless ya both!" he said, bowing his head.

They smiled at him, finding his excitement and his accent endearing. He was so polite, and still managed to be excited about Hearth's Warming. But just before he left, he turned to Cup Cake.

"Oh and by the way, I hope the gift my mum gave you was nice!"

About three seconds of silence reigned over the store, but that was enough time for Cup Cake to tilt her head to the side and let her smile falter ever so slightly.

"What gift?"

"You know, that gift she gave you the other day. With some red ribbon?"

"...Oh yeah, that! Yes, I remember that gift, sorry for being slow! It must be all that work, it's making me all silly in the head, don't ya know!" she said, giving a small nervous laugh. "Tell your mom I said thanks."

"Will do! Bye miss Cake, bye Pinkie! I might come back soon to buy something for Santa Colt."

"You do that!" she shouted, making him laugh. "See ya soon, Pip pop!"

The bell jingled, and the little colt was gone with his sleigh. The two mares gave a sigh, and the older one turned to the youngest one.

"Oh, I do not want to be his parents when the time comes for him to know the truth. I couldn't stand to see his cute little face when they tell him the truth about Santa Colt."

With a mortified expression, Pinkie turned to her employer.

"I've been lied to about Santa Colt?"

The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds in complete silence before the pink one giggled, gave a sigh, then patted Cup Cake's hoof with hers.

"I know, miss Cake, I know. It won't be easy for anyone on that day. But just one thing: there is no gift from his mom to you, is there?"

"No gift, and no red ribbon."

Pinkie nodded, and looked at the door to the store. When she had learned about the truth, her mane had lost all its fluffiness and she had been very quiet for three days. She had been twelve at the time, but here, in this day and age, colts and fillies seemed to stop believing in Santa earlier and earlier in their lives. Not only that, but gifts were more numerous than before. Either way, she put on a smile and got to work.

As long as people are happy, I guess Hearth's Warming is still alive.

The next few hours of the day were spent baking goods and serving customers. Some of them came to pick up their orders, which were usually chocolate log cakes, cookie houses, and even some some sort of pie, while others simply came by to grab a bite or say hello. Those hours made everyone smile, and even though Pinkie Pie herself was smiling and happy, she couldn't help but think about what Pipsqueak would go through when he would be told that Santa Colt, one of his heroes, was not real.

Then, without warning, her left hind leg started shaking and she blinked several times for a few seconds. Once the twitches stopped, Carrot Top spoke up.

"So what's your Pinkie Sense telling you this time?...Pinkie?"

Pinkie kept staring at the door of the store with wide eyes. She was thinking of the time she had learned the truth, and the same signal had manifested itself even though she couldn't explain it. When it reoccurred just now, she knew it was that sign.

No. It can't happen, not to him. Not today, of all days!

"Pinkie you're scaring me, what's wrong?"

"...It means I'm going to leave the store for a bit, Mister Cake," said Pinkie, grabbing her yellow scarf. She was determined to not let this happen, especially not to someone like Pipsqueak, because nopony deserved to go through this on Heath's Warming Eve.

"Oh, well, ok. I guess we can handle it from here, and this does seem important," he said, knowing the Pinkie Sense was no laughing matter.

Pinkie Pie stepped out of Sugarcube Corner, intent on preventing the truth about Santa Hooves from reaching Pipsqueak. Yes, he would learn, but not at the age of eight years old, and it was unacceptable to let it happen today. But just as she was about to head for the hills where he was supposed to be, she saw him galloping towards her with wide eyes. Inside, she was as afraid as he was of what might have happened.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's the matter, Pip? Did something bad happen?"

He stopped to catch his breath, then looked up at Pinkie Pie. She had to restrain herself from hugging him when she saw that those eyes, which were usually full of light, seemed to be moist with tears.

"Pinkie...please tell me it ain't true...it can't be."

"...What can't be true, Pip?"

"Santa Colt...he's real, right?"

And there it was. The moment she had been dreading, the one she was trying to stop from happening, was now upon her. But she couldn't have read the sign wrong: someone's faith was in danger of being broken. But it couldn't be gone, not already. As she thought about it, Pip saw this moment of silence as a bad sign. A single tear ran down each of his eyes.

"No...Pinkie Pie, please..."

And that's when Pinkie Pie had an idea. It might have been the best idea anypony ever had in the entire year, and that year had seen Princess Celestia decide to have Discord reformed. Granted it was an idea that would need a lot of luck, immediate action, and perseverance, and maybe a metal boot. But if she could pull it off it would be worth it. With that in mind, she gave him a big smile and leveled with him.

"Don't worry Pipington, of course he's real, and that's the truth! You believe me, right?"

Pip looked at her for a few seconds, and it seemed that he was having trouble believing her, until he wiped his tears away with his sleeve and gave her a small smile. He hugged her tightly, and she returned the gesture.

"Yeah, that's what I thought...cheers, Pinkie."

"Anytime, Pip, anytime. Now what made you think those silly thoughts?"

"I'd rather not talk about it just yet, if that's okay."

"Okey dokey, keeping it low-key. Do you wanna buy that special something for good old Santy Hooves now?"

"...Nah, not just yet. Anyway, I have to get back home now. Thanks again, see ya soon!"

"Later, alligator!" she said, waving at him as he continued running down the town's snowy streets.

Speaking of alligators, I have to prepare Gummy's gift, she thought, before the sound of hurried hooves reached her again. Turning around, she saw little Dinky, Ditzy Hooves' daughter, running towards her with a sleigh.

"Well hey there, Dinks! What's got you in such a hurry?"

"It's...Pipsqueak...he forgot his sleigh...after he ran away," she said, taking big gulps of air to keep talking.

"Yeah, I just saw him now. I cheered him up a bit, and he's heading home. He seemed upset, what happened?"

Dinky flinched at that question, and rubbed her foreleg with its twin.

"Promise me you won't be mad if I tell you?"

"I Pinkie Promise, and you can take that to the sugar bank, filly," she added, giving a grin and a wink. Dinky giggled a bit, then cleared her throat.

"Alright, so we were all playing with each other when Pip arrived..."

************

"...and that's when he ran. I saw that he had forgotten his sleigh, and decided to get it back to him."

"...Oh Dinky, that's such a bummer. But I talked to him, and he seems to be okay now. Tell you what: how about you go in there and tell Miss Cake that I offered you a muffin? I'm going to get this back to Pip Pop."

"Hahaha, Pip Pop! Oh, right, muffins! Thanks Pinkie!"

"You go get it, girl," she shouted, giving the little filly a big grin. After the little unicorn had entered the building, Pinkie Pie took the sleigh and went into town, but she wasn't going to Pip's house. No, Pinkie's plan - albeit risky - was far better than that, and she was determined to make it work.

Because if Santa Hooves couldn't show up this year, Pinkie just needed to make another one.

Author's Note:

The events that lead to Pipsqueak running away from his friends will be told in the next chapter, so stay tuned if you're curious :)

Comments

[Toffee Bean]

Good story make a good addition to my group Holidays

[The Diplomat]

3683123 Thanks for the tip