Hearth's Warming Carol

by pokefreak13

The Ghost of Hearth's Warming Present

Diamond Tiara opened her eyes slowly and took a deep breath. The smell of freshly baked cookies, bread, and mashed potatoes made her stomach rumble. Smiling, she jumped up from her...floor?

"I must've fallen from my bed." the mare muttered to herself before following the heavenly aroma.

It led her towards the bathroom. Then, ever so slowly, she turned the doorknob and walked inside.

Inside there was a grand chandelier that hung from the ceiling. Red and greed couches laid underneath it, and a simple oak wood coffee table was filled with soft sugar cookies drenched in white icing, juicy fruit, creamy mashed potatoes with coffee brown gravy, and freshly baked bread.

"Ah, so you're finally awake!" exclaimed a pleasantly sweet voice.

Diamond shifted her head to a small radio where an eagerly awaiting filly stood. She had a snowy white coat, emerald eyes, and a curly purple and pink mane and tail. A simple red and green striped cloak covered her back, while a crown made of holly leaves decorated her head.

"I am the ghost of Hearth's Warming Present!" bellowed the small ghost. "But since that name is really long, just call me Sweetie Belle."

The mare just simply nodded, dumbfounded at how Sweetie Belle managed to fit all this stuff into her small bathroom.

Sweetie noticed her expression right away and laughed sheepishly. "Heh, sorry about the mess. I'll clean in up later, but right now we need to go!" She quickly grabbed Diamond's hoof and ran head first into the bathroom wall. Diamond screamed and closed her eyes tightly, already contemplating on how bad this was going to hurt.

---

"We're here, you can stop screaming now." the ghost informed.

Diamond Tiara opened her eyes and stared in confusion at the scene before her. They were in a small room with a sad looking fireplace, and five worn out chairs sitting around it. The floors Diamond realized, was just a dirt floor, and the walls were just pieces of wood. No insulation whatsoever. Curious, she looked up at the ceiling and found that it was made out of cracked stone.

"Who's house is this Sweetie Belle?" Diamond Tiara asked.

Before the spirit could reply, there was a familiar voice followed by hoofsteps. Diamond shifted her gaze to Pipsqueak walking into the small room, a mare with a curly red mane and tail followed behind, and a tiny colt rode on top of her head.

"But mommy, I don't want to go to bed!" cried the colt. He tried to fly away, but alas his wings were still too weak to hold him up.

"Candy Cane, you need to get your retht." the mare informed.

"Maybe he could stay up just a little Twist." Pipsqueak replied sheepishly. In truth, he needed his son so they can get to his wife's stash of peppermint treats she keeps in the cupboards. They're too high for him, but if Candy Can stood atop his head then maybe...

"And you need your retht too Pipthqueak." Twist stated before lifting up her son and placing him on one of the chairs. Now that Diamond examined it more, she found that there was a blanket on the chair.

"Good night Candy Cane." Pipsqueak whispered before draping the worn out blanket over his son.

"Thweet dreamth." Twist said before blowing out the small fire.

"Sweetie Belle, why do they live in such a poorly made house?" Diamond asked once her worker and his wife left.

"It's the only house they could afford with what you're paying him. Twist could get a job, but she has to stay home and tend to Candy Cane." the filly explained.

"Why?"

"Candy Can got the Feather Flu two months ago and it left him very weak and fragile. Not to mention it doesn't help that they practically live in a barn."

"Why can't they take him to the doctors?"

"Because it costs money, money that they simply do not have."

Diamond Tiara gazed at the small colt and bit her lip. "W-what will happen to him?"

"If the future does not change, I see one less chair by the fire place." Sweetie Belle replied before taking the mare's hoof and walking into another wall.

---

Love Lane, or as Diamond likes to call it Homeless Town. Even though this is still an illusion, the sight of hundreds of dirty bodies made the mare want to puke.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked.

"Just look." the filly replied happily.

Frowning, Diamond looked around the street. Ponies in rags were leaning against grimy walls, while dusty fillies played hoof ball with half a tennis ball. She still didn't understand why the spirit brought her here, that is until she heard it. The ponies that were mumbling were actually singing a holiday song. And as she gazed at the broken and bordered up houses, she found that holly and broken lights were hung by the windows.

Diamond Tiara stood there aghast, how could these ponies be happy when they have nothing?

"I always had an interest in these types of ponies. Here they are, singing and decorating for the holiday, yet they have no warm houses or hot meals waiting for them." the spirit said thoughtfully.

The mare nodded her head in agreement. She always thought that these ponies were nothing but pests, but now these pests seem to have something she lacked for twenty years. Hearth's Warming spirit.

Sweetie Belle produced a silver stopwatch from her cloak and frowned. "Would you look at the time!" she placed the watch back in her cloak and shook Diamond's hoof, "It was nice meeting you, but I've gotta go!"

Then in the speed of light, the ghost vanished. Diamond Tiara cried out for her to come back, for she didn't know how to get back home. However, the sound of thunder forced her to be quiet and rain washed the scene before her away.

Comments

[Hillbe]

A bat sure works, CMC Hearths warming ghosts Yay !