Hearth's Warming
Fluttershy nervously paces the living room. A long list spans over the small coffee table between the couch and chair. “You’ll find the cheese in the fridge, just be sure the mice family get some before you go to bed. And don’t forget to feed Angel twice a day. Make sure he eats everything in his bowl because he’ll only want to eat the carrots. And… Nova, are you listening?” She stops reading off the list and looks at the crimson mare lying on the couch.
Nova sighs and looks up from her book. She blinks twice then looks over at the list. “Fluttershy, that’s the kind of list Twilight would make… Honestly, this all seems a little excessive. I’ve been living here for a month, I think I’ll be fine on my own for a day,” she says going back to her book.
“You weren’t listening? Nova, this is really important. I want to make sure my animal friends are well looked after until I come back. And, you’re still hurt even. Maybe I should find someone else to watch over my house…” Fluttershy says.
“Yes, I was listening, and I’m perfectly fine,” Nova says. She stomps her newly healed hoof on the floor twice for emphasis. “Trust me, everything will go great. Me and Angel will be the best of friends.” She looks over at the rabbit. He frowns, turns, and jumps away. “There’s nothing to worry about. It’s Hearth’s Warming Eve, just go have a great day with your family.”
Fluttershy stops fretting and looks her over. Nova seems fine, asides from her still broken wing. She sighs and relaxes some. “I guess you’re right.” Nova smiles at her and goes back to her book. “Nova, are you sure you don’t want to come with me? No one should be alone on Hearth’s Warming after all.” She notices the crimson pegasus's shoulders slump down some.
She closes her books and looks out the window, a frown pulling down the corners of her mouth. “Yeah, I’m sure. I don’t want to ruin your holiday either, anyways.”
“You wouldn’t ruin it, I’m sure my family would be happy to have you over.”
Nova huffs out a thin stream of smoke. “Yeah, I would… Trust me, I shouldn’t go to Cloudsdale.” She takes a deep breath and fixes Fluttershy with her gaze forcing out a grin. “I’ll be fine on my own, I’m used to it…”
Fluttershy sees the pain behind Nova’s gaze no matter how hard she tries to hide it. “How about I just stay--”
“Nope!” Nova exclaims jumping up from the couch. She quickly makes her way to Fluttershy and starts pushing the smaller pegasus toward the door. “You’re going to miss your family’s party if you argue with me any longer.”
“But--”
Nova stops at the door and shakes her head. “No, no, no, no buts.” She reaches over and opens the door then quickly shoves Fluttershy outside. “Have a nice party,” Nova says closing the door before Fluttershy can try to argue any further. Once the door is closed she sighs and slumps down against the door. “I’m used to being alone,” she whispers pulling her knees up to her chest. She takes a deep breath, a long stream of grey smoke flaring out of her nostril on the exhale.
She gets back to her hooves and heads into the kitchen then after a few seconds she comes back with a carrot. “Leave me alone for today, and you can have the entire lot of them,” she says tossing the carrot to Angel. Without waiting for much of a response she head over to the fireplace and and sits in front of the crackling fire. Angel looks at her for a moment. Ultimately he heads to his bed, but he keeps his eye on the pegasus.
“Sorry, Scarlet,” she says staring into the flames. “Looks like I’m not gonna be home.”
At least you’re not alone. The flames wrap and shift with the voice. Nova groans and immediately starts thinking about putting the fire out, but decides against it.
“If you’re referring to yourself, I’d rather be alone,” she says aloud. Angel gives her an odd look as she talks to herself, though Nova doesn’t see.
Don’t be like that, it’s Hearth’s Warming Eve! You should be happy. A face starts forming out of the fire.
Nova growls a little and grabs a poker from the side of the fireplace and stabs the figure roughly where the eye would be. There is a loud crack as the poker slams into the back of the fireplace and wedges itself in the chimney. “Shut up and leave me alone. If I can’t so much as see Scarlet, I don’t want to even hear you.” She doesn’t bother trying to pull the poker out, instead she simply lets it hang there in the middle of the fire.
This time he doesn’t answer, instead only the crackling flames fill the silence. Nova lays her heads with a relieved sigh as her mind drifts back her sister.
A filly version of Nova is curled in front of a fireplace. The house creaks and groans from the howling winds outside. She looks over her shoulder at window that looks out to the front of the house. Her ears fold back when she sees the wall of pure white outside.
“Are you okay?”
Nova turns to find Scarlet sitting next to her, her expression a little worried. She looks strikingly similar Nova where the only major differences are the lack of wings and the mane style. Looking a little closer would make it possible to notice that Scarlet has hazel eyes. “I’m alright, why do you ask?”
“You looked a little… lonely,” she says stepping closer, but Nova scoots further away.
“I don’t want to hurt you…”
“Nova, that’s no reason anypony should be alone on Hearth’s Warming Eve.” Nova looks back out the window putting her back to Scarlet. She frowns and takes a few steps closer. “You haven’t celebrated Hearth’s Warming much, have you?”
The pegasus frown and looks back at Scarlet. “I haven’t had much of family to celebrate it with,” she says with a little shake of her head.
Scarlet stares down at her, heartbroken for the filly. She tries once again the get closer, but Nova just backs away. After a minute Scarlet runs off to the kitchen, an idea starting to form in her head.
Nova goes back to watching the fire. Some cold air brushes against her coat causing a shiver to run down her spine, the fire flares up in response. Nova shuffles back a little hoping the fire would goes back to normal.
She sighs and lays her head down on her crossed forehooves. In her peripheral vision she sees Scarlet going into her room. Well, hopefully I won’t burn this home down too quickly… She stomps her hoof with an annoyed huff. Stop it, Nova! You’re not a monster, you… you’re not bad. This time it’ll be different.
Sometimes I wonder who else lives in your head…
Shut up. I’m not going to ruin-- I’m not going to let you ruin their lives. She stops arguing with the voice when she hears Scarlet walk up next to her. Before she can move away a tray with two steaming cups of hot chocolate is place in front of her. A shadow falls over her as Scarlet covers her in a blanket. “I made us some hot chocolate,” Scarlet says wrapping herself in the blanket as well.
Nova tries moving away from Scarlet, but the blanket quickly stops her. “I don’t want to risk hurting you,” Nova says trying to shrink away.
“Too bad that’s not a reason to be alone on Hearth’s Warming,” the earth filly replies. She pulls the tray closer and passes Nova one of the cups. “Besides, you’re soft and warm and I’m cold.”
Nova tenses as the filly nuzzles her, but she ultimately relaxes. She smiles as they sit and watch the fire burn.
A series of three loud knock at the door snaps her out of her memories. She looks around in a bit of a daze. The fire burns low, little more than small flames and smoldering coals.. The sky outside is no longer morning, but that on midday. Angel lies happily in his bed, his stomach a little bulged out and carrot stems scattered around him.
Three more knocks draw her attention to the door. She yawns and stretches out before getting up.
“Good morning,” Lore says as Nova opens the door. He’s dressed in a rather puffy coat with animal fur lining the inside. Behind him is a small wagon, though the wheels were replaced by a pair of crudely made skis. There are a few board games, a carton of eggnog, and what looks like a few boxes of choco mix for hot chocolate.
“Lore, good to see you,” Nova says with a smile. However, her smile quickly dies as she starts wondering why he’s there. “Wait, shouldn’t you be celebrating the holiday with your family?”
The stallion grins and scratches the back of his head. “Yeah, I should be, kinda why I’m here actually.”
“With your actual family I meant. And please don’t tell me you want to waste you holiday on me.”
His grin only grows wider. “Everyday's a holiday to me, remember? Hard to waste something I have ample of. Besides, I heard you’re throwing a party today, how could I miss that?”
Nova narrows her eyes at him. “Lore, I’m not in the mood for whatever you have planned. Please just let me--” Her sentence ends abruptly as another pony walks into view. A young male pegasus. He has a royal blue coat and a black mane. Nova quickly finds herself smiling.
“You sure you want us to leave?” he says.
“Talon!” Nova jumps forward and catches the pegasus in a tackle-hug and they both tumble into the snow. She ignores the cold as she nuzzles him.
"Well, someone's friendly today," Talon says nuzzling her back.
After a little while she decides, begrudgingly, that it would be better to be out of the snow. She picks herself up while helping Talon up as well. “Sorry about that,” she says giving him a hug.
Talon chuckles and gives her a kiss on the nose getting her to blush slightly. “Don’t worry about it.”
Lore coughs a few times and gets their attention. He makes an act of looking around for anypony else, but shrugs after a quick sweep. “Looks like we’re the only ones who got the invitations.”
Nova sighs and heads for the door. “Come on inside before we all freeze to death.” The two stallions chuckle and follow her inside, Lore drags the wagon in behind him. Nova spreads her good wing toward the fireplace. A bolt of fire shoots out from the tip of her wing and soars clear into the fireplace, reigniting the few dying embers. She goes over and drops a few logs in just to be sure.
“Kinda figured you didn’t want to be alone today. And since I couldn’t get Scarlet, I went for the next best thing,” Lore says untying himself from the wagon.
“Gee thanks… and here I was thinking that we were friends,” Talon says looking around the inside of the cottage.
Nova sits down on the couch, Talon sits down next to her. “I think I’ll go make something to drink,” Lore says heading into the kitchen with a box of chocolate mix leaving the two pegasi.
“Glad to see you’re back in Equestria,” Talon says, getting comfy on the couch. “I didn’t actually think you’d be here…”
Nova sighs and lies down, putting her head up on Talon’s lap. “Doubting my resolve?” Nova asks with a smirk.
Talon smiles at her and shakes his head. “No, never. I just didn’t expect you to be in Ponyville. Actually I was hoping you’d stay at my place when you decided to come back, though now that I think about it…”
Her expression drops some. “No, I can’t risk her knowing, not yet at least. Maybe later, once I’m done with the debts.”
He frowns a little. “Still trying to deal with those? Well, hopefully they forgive you.”
“I don’t want forgiveness, they shouldn’t forgive me, ever. After what I’ve done, I don’t deserve it. I… I just need them to know I didn’t mean for it…” She shakes her head, hoping to dispel the thoughts for now. “Anyways, how have you been doing? Last time we met was back in Foaland.”
Talon raises an eyebrow at the change in subject, but decides to follow along to cheer her up. “I’ve been okay. Better now that I know you’re here and I can just come visit.”
“Yeah, well I don’t exactly own this place… I kinda live a little outside town.”
“That much I figured.”
Nova smiles and tilts her head back when she hears hoofsteps coming from the kitchen. Lore walks out of the kitchen with a tray of three mugs balanced on his back. He sets the tray down on the small table at the end of the couch then sits in the chair and grabs a mug off the tray.
“Thanks, Lore,” Nova says as Talon passes her a mug and she sits up to drink it.
“No problem, I just figured I get you two something while I made some hot chocolate for myself.”
She rolls her eyes at him. “I meant thanks for doing… this,” she says gesturing to the wagon and Talon. “I kinda need it.”
“What are you on about? As I said before, this is your party, all your idea. I had no part in this at all, none, no part.” He starts taking a long drink from his mug and looks away from her.
With a sigh, she accepts it and takes a drink of her hot chocolate as well. A content smile curls her lips as the warmth spreads through her body. “Thanks anyways. By the way, how’s Scarlet?”
“She’s alright,” Lore says facing her again. “I kinda told her you got hurt, so she’s worried about you, missing you, but fine. She’s actually spending the holidays with the rest of her family. Oh, and she wishes you get well soon.”
“That’s good, at least she’s alright.”
“Hey, you’re allowed to be happy too,” Talon says nudging her in the side. She turns and looks at him. He gives her a kiss on the snout.
Lore rolls his eyes and leans back into the chair taking a drink from his mug. “I see you’ve actually been reading,” he says nudging his head to the book of the table, the book which he had given her.
“Yes, I’ve been reading the book,” she says with a sigh. “Though, I’m only at the third chapter…”
He smiles and shrugs. “I didn’t really think you’d finish it anytime soon, no offence and all. Well, are you enjoying it?” Nova nods as she takes another drink. Lore nods and tilts his head back quickly finishing off his cup of hot chocolate. “Right, how ‘bout you two pick a game while I go make some more chocolate?”
Nova yawns, leaning her head on Talon’s shoulder. Lore sighs as he places the last game back onto the wagon. He looks out the window at the dark sky outside with the moon hanging low in the east. “So, Nova,” he begins as he turns to face the couple, “Seems to be night already.”
“Hm?” she glances out the window. “That late already? Huh…”
“Pretty dark out there, must be cold…” He looks at Talon and nudges his head at Nova.
Nova sighs and rolls her eyes, at the less than subtle suggestion. “You want to stay the night here, don’t you?”
“Wasn’t even thinking it. I know Talon there would love to spend the night in your bed. But, I have a house in town. I just have to walk through the freezing night while dragging that thing behind me,” he says gesturing at the wagon.
“Wanna sleep on the couch?”
“Thank you.”
“So, where am I going to sleep?” Talon asks as he and Nova get up.
“Where do you think?” It takes a moment, but he eventually gets the hint and a smile quickly spreads across his face. Nova just rolls her eyes again and starts heading for the stairs. She jumps up the stairs a few steps at a time while Talon flies up. Once they get upstairs Nova opens the door to a closet. “My room is down that way,” Nova says pointing further down the hall. “I’ll be there in a moment, just going to get Lore some blankets.”
Talon gives a nod and heads off for her room. Nova grabs a few blankets and starts heading back down. She find Lore lying on the couch, using his coat as a pillow. He looks up at her when he hear the hoofsteps coming toward him.
“Figured you could use these,” she says tossing him the blankets.
“Thanks,” he says giving her a nod.
Nova smiles and turns back to the stairs, but hesitates. She turns back to the stallion. “Lore, thank you, thanks for this.”
“No need--”
“No, seriously thank you for this, I needed it.”
Lore smiles and looks her over for a moment. “No problem, what are friends for, huh?”
She smiles back and gives him a hug. “Goodnight,” she says. With that she heads back upstairs.
By the time Fluttershy returns the moon is high in the sky. Celebrating the holidays with her family for most of the day, and night, has left her exhausted. Now, she slowly descends to the ground outside her house. She sighs as she lands in front of her cottage, and the sheer fact that it’s still there.
She quietly opens the door and lightly walks in. Through the darkness all she can make out are the vague shapes of things, the stairs, doorway to the kitchen, back window. She can make out the shape of something in front of her. Though she can’t make out much of anything else. For a moment she thinks of turning the lights on, but then she spots something moving in the darkness. She shrinks back a few steps until she realizes that it’s just somepony sleeping on the couch.
Oh, Nova… I really wish she’d take better care of herself, she thinks taking a few seconds to let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Eventually, she can make out that the thing in front of her is a wagon, with several boxes scattered around inside of it. She looks at it confused and curious as to why it’s there. What exactly did you get up to?
She walks around it and goes over to the couch. “Come on, Nova,” she says gently shaking the pony. “Let’s get you to…” Her sentence trails off as her eyes continue to adjust and she sees that the pony on the couch isn’t Nova. Her heart stops for a moment, the idea of a stranger sleeping in her house quickly coming to her mind. She shrieks and scurries backward, her hindlegs run into the wagon and she falls back over it.
Lore jolts awake with a scream, he scrambles to get some footing. “I’m up, I’m up! What’s happening?!” He rolls over to land on his hooves, but he gets tangled up in the bed sheets and tumbles to the floor. There is a dull thud as he hits the floor. “Ow.”
Fluttershy quickly gets back onto her hooves and ducks down behind the wagon. “W-who’s there?”
“Fluttershy?” Lore calls out as he begins to untangle himself.
The two fall silent when they hear something hit the floor upstairs. They hear hoofsteps thundering through the hall upstairs. A moment later, a crimson mare bounds down the stairs, landing neatly on the floor crouched and ready to fight. “Whoever broke in better damn well--”
“Nova, Fluttershy came back.”
“Oh…” Nova relaxes some and glances over at the wagon the pegasus is hiding behind. She can roughly see a pair of eyes peeking over the wagon.
Fluttershy slowly comes out of her cover eyeing Lore carefully. “Uh, Nova, why is Lore sleeping on the couch?”
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Hibernates, eh?
6713012 She sleeps and hides inside. There's not much that she actually does during winter.
6713067 So hibernates. I get it.