Case Six, Chapter Ten: Hearth's Warming
The sun hung over Ponyville late that Hearth’s Warming Eve, painting the unusually clear skies blue and coating the snow in gold leaf. Every street was decorated with signs of the season, the scents of peppermint, roasted chestnuts, and popcorn filled the air, and many ponies who passed each other on the streets greeted each other with a smile.
A tight grouping of ponies was gathered outside City Hall, forming an arc around the marble steps. The front lines were formed primarily of reporters, standing ready with their tape recorders and notebooks while cameraponies snapped pictures and sound operators struggled with the weight of their boom microphones. At the top of the steps, an impromptu stage had been set up with microphones and speakers. Mayor Mare stood at the head of the landing.
“For many years, Charles Silvertongue ruled this city from the darkness,” she declared in a solemn voice. “He bred corruption, kept other ponies under his rule with blackmail and bribes, killed those who stood against him. The suffering that he caused cannot be measured.”
“But thanks to the hard work of a few brave ponies, ponies who saw the corruption around them and decided that enough was enough, Silvertongue and many of his co-conspirators are now in Frostback Prison, awaiting trial for their crimes. These ponies you see next to me now are those brave ponies, to whom we owe our thanks…”
The Mayor continued her speech while the seven ponies beside her stood and waited, some more patiently than others.
“Hurry the fuck up, I’m freezing,” Daring grumbled beneath her breath.
“Such is the price of fame, Daring,” Red said from her left, running a hoof through his mane. “Get used to it.”
“Didn’t know you knew what mane polish was, Red,” Trace muttered, half-smiling.
“Shut up, I wanted to look good for the paper,” Red hissed back.
“We’re like a group of superheroes now!” Bumblebee whispered excitedly, bouncing up and down in place. “We should have a name or something. Like...the Untouchables! Or, wait, I know: the Blue Line! No, wait, the—”
“Settle down, Bee,” Prowl interrupted, staring stoically ahead. “We have to make a good impression of the PPD here.”
“Right, right,” Bumblebee said, standing up straight in an exaggerated position of attention, frowning heavily.
Prowl forced down a snicker and rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to lay it on so thick,” she muttered.
“All of me is thick, boss,” Bumblebee said, breaking his serious expression to grin at Prowl.
“When I get home, I’m downing a bottle of Manticore Rare to keep me warm,” Daring muttered, shifting from hoof to hoof in an attempt to stave off the cold.
“Alcohol doesn’t warm you up, you know,” Phillip commented flatly from her right.
“Then maybe we should do something else for that,” she smirked, rubbing up against his side.
“Not in public,” he grumbled through his teeth, his ears turning red.
Flash stood on the opposite end of the line, shifting nervously. “Relax, Sentry,” Prowl said. “You earned this.”
“Are they gonna make me do a speech?” Flash whispered, seemingly wondering out loud more than actually asking somepony else.
“Shush,” Trace hissed.
“...their meritorious conduct in the face of danger and resistance has earned each of them the Bronze Shield for Service and Integrity,” Mayor Mare concluded, opening up a box that stood on a stand next to her. Inside, sitting atop a velvet cushion, were seven bronze medals, each of them bearing an image of a shield and two stars, with “Service” and “Integrity” written under them. The ribbons were colored in blue and white, the colors of Ponyville’s flag.
“Chief Cold Case will now present these ponies with their medals,” Mayor Mare said, gesturing to Cold Case, who stood beside her in her dress uniform, stoic as ever.
Cold Case lifted the first medal from the box. “Detective Sergeant Trace Evidence,” she said. Trace stepped forward to the sound of applause from the crowd and bent his head to receive the medal. He shook hooves with Chief Case and with Mayor Mare, then returned to his place in line.
Cold then called forward Detective Red Herring, Sergeant Prowl, Officer Bumblebee, and Officer Flash Sentry. Then she called Phillip Finder. He strode forward to receive the crowd’s applause and his medal, though his hoofshake with Cold Case was very curt. Mayor Mare held his hoof for a couple beats longer than she really needed to, grinning at the flashing bulbs of the cameras.
As Phillip was receiving his medal, Daring looked down at her right hoof. The cursed brand was still there, staring back pitilessly at her. It would remain with her forever.
She’d always be marked as a thief. She’d always have blood on her hooves. She’d always have that stigma across her shoulders. Just thinking about it made the mark burn again, a low, bubbling pain beneath her skin. She hissed and lowered her hoof to the ground.
“Daring Do,” Cold Case’s voice announced, tone emotionless.
Already Daring could feel the eyes upon her. Already she could hear their silent judgments piercing her. She took a breath and settled herself. Never let them see when they get to you, she reminded herself. She stepped forward to receive her medal, then paused, staring at the crowd.
Every single pony there was applauding her. In the front row was Twilight Sparkle, beaming proudly. Doctor Suunkii and Doctor Mortis were both next to her, Suunkii’s enthusiastic applause an amusing contrast to his stoic expression, Mortis grinning from ear to ear. Rainbow Dash was whistling loudly, while Steamed Carrot was thumping her hooves against the ground as hard as she could. Mavri stood off to one side, clapping his gnarled talons together. Maple Leaf was applauding as well; Skysong, supported in a baby carrier on his chest, was clapping her hooves together as well as she could, smiling in a wide, toothless grin. Gentle Guide stood nearby, a proud glimmer in his eyes; Sweet Nectar stood next to him, applauding politely. Sugar Loaf winked at her from near the back of the crowd. Pastor Sound thumped her cane against the ground rhythmically, smiling widely even though her eyes were fixed at a point several feet to Daring’s left.
Amidst the crowd, Daring spotted three other ponies. Sunny Skies gave her a broad smile and a wink, while Arc Light shot her one of his grins. Mythic Aurora kept her expression neutral, applauding lightly.
The pain of the brand evaporated away. Barely making an effort to fight down her smile, she bent her head to receive the medal. The weight of the bronze medallion around her neck seemed to only buoy her slightly, so much so that she barely noticed that Cold gave her a tight-lipped scowl and refused to shake her hoof (not that she offered anyway). Mayor Mare smiled and extended her hoof, tilting her head to the side a little so that the reporters could capture her face. Daring extended her right hoof and shook the Mayor’s as the camera bulbs flashed in the corner of her gaze.
As she returned to her place in line, Mayor Mare stepped up to the microphones again. “With Silvertongue gone, this city can move forward again. The Ponyville Police Department will continue to rebuild itself into a proud service that will protect and serve our citizens fairly. And our great city will survive. Thank you; the Holy Mother bless us, and may you all have a Happy Hearth’s Warming and a prosperous new year!”
The crowd applauded again, the photographers fired off another round of pictures as the accompanying reporters began to shout questions. The medal recipients quietly shuffled off to the side, walking away from the baying of the crowds. Twilight separated from the crowds and ran up to them.
“Congratulations!” she cried, hugging Flash.
“Thank you, Twilight,” Flash said, hugging her back. “I wish they could’ve given you an award, too.”
“I don’t need an award,” Twilight said modestly. “I just helped out.”
“If it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t have solved a lot of those cases,” Flash replied, putting a foreleg around Twilight and squeezing her to his side. Twilight blushed a little.
“Hey, will you be bringing Spike out for the dinner tonight?” Flash asked, whispering in a lower voice so the others wouldn’t hear.
Twilight frowned. “I...I don’t know about taking him out. He is a dragon, after all. What if other ponies—”
“Twilight, trust me,” Flash said. “The Church is for everyone. And that includes dragons. Let him live a little, he’ll be fine.”
“I...I’ll think about it,” Twilight said slowly.
“We’re all still on for the celebration at the Apple Pie tomorrow night?” Bumblebee asked, happily bobbing down the sidewalk and making his medal bounce against his chest.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Phillip confirmed. The others all gave similar consent.
“Finder, Do, wait,” a voice called. Everypony turned to see Cold Case striding up behind them, fishing her pipe from her coat and inserting the stem into her mouth. “The rest of you move along.”
The other ponies hesitated for a moment, then walked on, leaving Phillip and Daring standing on the sidewalk, facing Cold Case. Cold approached them and looked them both in the eye.
“Silvertongue is gone,” she said. “That notebook sealed his fate. Do I want to know how you did it?”
“Who says it was us?” Daring replied. “As I recall, that was left in your mailbox in a blank envelope.”
Cold Case frowned at Daring for a moment, then reached into her coat and pulled out a folder with her magic. A folder labeled “Lucky Dice” in marker.
Daring tensed up, her heart rate increasing instantly. She instinctively took a quick glance around, planning escape routes, noting the surveillance crystals on the street corner, the passing police cruiser, the crowd of reporters still hovering in front of City Hall mere meters away.
Phillip merely stared at Cold, expression neutral as always, no sign at all that he was planning on running or fighting; he stood with the same sense of finality as a convict before the firing squad.
“You are not above the law,” Cold Case said. “Either of you. You know that.”
Phillip nodded. After a moment, so did Daring, who had to grit her teeth to ignore the slowly increasing pain of her brand.
Cold was silent for a moment longer, then with a flicker of her horn, tossed the folder into a nearby trash can. As Daring and Phillip watched in mute astonishment, Cold then plucked a long match from a matchbook, struck the match into flame and lit her pipe with it, then dropped the match into the trash can. The folder caught flame, slowly turning the contents into useless, burnt scraps.
“Consider this your one Get Out of Jail Free Card,” she said, turning on her tail and walking away.
“Did we at least pass Go first?” Daring called after her. Cold ignored her.
“Cold,” Phillip called. Cold paused.
“Come to the Apple Pie tomorrow,” Phillip said, ignoring Daring’s glare. “You can speak to AJ and Coloratura there, get some time off.”
Cold was still for a few moments, then said quietly, “I have work to do.”
“You also have a life to live,” Phillip said. When Cold didn’t answer, Phillip sighed. “Just...think about it. And Happy Hearth’s Warming.”
Phillip turned and walked away, leaving Cold standing alone on the sidewalk. Daring followed after Phillip, shooting a final frown at Cold over her shoulder.
“If she shows up tomorrow night—” she started to say.
“Both of you will keep your distance and your silence,” Phillip interrupted, his voice uncharacteristically hard. “I can accept that you’re not friends, but neither of you needs this shit. And nor do I. Especially not this time of year.”
Daring looked at him for a beat, then shrugged. “Fine. Just don’t expect me to give her a gift.”
Phil just smiled softly. “Let’s get home. We’ve gotta get ready for tonight.”
“What’s tonight?” Daring asked.
“Something I haven’t done in a long time,” Phillip said.
In comparison to the rest of the city, the Church of Navahism’s decorations were fairly sparse, but they had a special quality to them all on their own: the hoof-decorated candle holders made of plastic milk cartons that lined the sidewalk shone brightly amidst the snow, and the two wreaths that hung from the grand doors were decorated with glass baubles containing sparkles of unicorn magic and tiny cloud sculptures crafted by young pegasi.
The sanctuary was already empty, the Hearth’s Warming Eve service already complete. Ponies were now gathered in the lobby in the basement. A grand table with a bright red and blue tablecloth stretched across the room, lined with chairs and place settings. A buffet line was set up next to the door, steam rising from the plates and dishes stacked high with donations, staffed with volunteers. Small families and homeless ponies walked in, gratefully taking plates and bringing them to the table. The Ponytones stood on a raised makeshift stage in the corner, singing acapella renditions of favorite carols. Pastor Sound was standing near the door, exchanging greetings with ponies filing by.
Phillip descended the stairs, carrying a large plastic bag slung over one shoulder. Daring followed behind him.
“Charity dinner for the poor and homeless,” she said. “Not how I thought I’d be spending Hearth’s Warming Eve.”
Pastor Sound turned towards them, her sightless eyes seeming to brighten. “Phillip! It’s been a couple years since you were here.”
“Didn’t have time for it then. I do now,” Phillip said. “Good to see you again.”
“And you as well,” Joyful said, nodding. She turned towards Daring. “Welcome, Daring.”
“Pastor,” Daring nodded back.
Joyful sniffed. “Did you bring those portobello burgers and anzac biscuits you used to make?”
“I did,” Phillip nodded. “Daring helped me out.”
“Wonderful,” Pastor Sound smiled. “We’ve been missing those. Bring them inside and set them on the buffet table. Will you be staying?”
“Yes,” Phillip said, walking past Joyful. Daring followed.
Phillip set the heavy bag down in front of the buffet table and pulled out the contents: two large plates covered in plastic sheets, loaded with burgers dripping with sauce and melted cheese, followed by another covered plate with stacks of sweet biscuits. The two of them set them up on the table.
“Oh, hey!” Flash Sentry walked up, grinning. “I didn’t think you’d be here!”
“I used to come here regularly to help out, but I haven’t had time the last few years,” Phillip said. “Haven’t seen you here either.”
“Yeah,” Flash admitted. “Even before I enrolled in the academy, I was usually working some odd job on Hearth’s Warming Eve. Y’know, since mom couldn’t work…” He smiled and shrugged. “But I have time now.”
“Me too,” a voice said. Flash looked up and his eyes widened.
Twilight was walking towards them, waving happily: Spike was riding across her shoulders.
“Hello!” she said. “Thanks again for inviting me, Flash.”
“It was my pleasure,” Flash smiled. “Hey, bud!”
“Hi, Flash,” Spike said, bumping his claws against Flash’s hoof. A few ponies started at the sight of a baby dragon riding astride Twilight’s shoulders, but quickly shrugged it off.
At that moment, there was the sound of rapidly pattering hooves and a voice squealed, “Uncle Phil!” The next moment, a zebra colt with frizzy hair that ran down to his shoulders, green beads decorating his tail, and a cutie mark of a drum ran up and hugged Phil around his forelegs.
“Muziqaa, you little ankle-biter!” Phil said, grinning broadly as he hugged the colt.
“We’ve missed you!” Muziqaa said. He turned and waved. “Mama, papa, I found them!”
Suunkii walked up, a smile on his face. Accompanying him was a beautiful zebra mare. She had bright green eyes, a long snowy white mane that almost draped down to the floor, and her long tail was decorated with golden bands near her dock and beads woven into it. Her cutie mark was a silhouette of a dancing pony.
“It is wonderful to see you all,” Suunkii said. “Everypony, this is my wife, Sirba.”
“‘Tis always joyful to meet new friends,” Sirba said, bowing deeply. “Let us enjoy this feast until it ends! This night is not just about the toys, it’s meant for family and joy.”
“I didn’t know zebras celebrated Hearth’s Warming,” Twilight said, starting to load up a plate for herself.
“We do not celebrate Hearth’s Warming as Equestrian ponies do,” Suunkii explained. “However, we do celebrate the spirit of Hearth’s Warming.”
“Besides the joyful and celebratory mood, 'tis not like my husband to turn down food,” Sirba smirked, drawing laughter from the others.
Muziqaa looked up at Daring. “Are you Daring Do?”
“I am,” Daring said.
“Cool!” Muziqaa said. “Are you and Uncle Phil gonna get married one day?”
Phil and Daring both froze, their faces coloring.
“Son, perhaps it is best to leave those questions for another day,” Suunkii said, quickly ushering Muziqaa away. Sirba had to cover her mouth to stifle her giggling.
“He’s adorable,” Daring commented dryly.
“He did not mean to be injurious; like all foals, was just curious,” Sirba said.
“He’s a good kid, Daring,” Phil said. “And he’s got quite a talent for music, you should hear him someday.”
Daring smirked. “Also, ‘Uncle Phil?’”
“He’s known me since he was a baby,” Phillip said, somewhat defensively. “He—”
“Hey, I’m not knocking it,” Daring said. “In fact, it’s kinda cute.”
Phil’s ears turned a deeper shade of scarlet. The group loaded up their plates and headed to the long table to sit down. Daring took one of the portobello burgers, a few salads, and at the end of the table, the last slice of a chocolate cake. As she turned back, she heard a voice behind her.
“Aww, there’s no more cake?”
She turned to see a young colt staring forlornly at the empty platter with the cake.
“It’s okay, dear,” said the older mare with the dusty-gray mane next to him. “Maybe next year…”
Daring looked down at the cake on her plate for a moment, then turned around. “Hey, kid, c’mere,” she said. She bent down and used her fork to place the slice of cake onto the colt’s plate.
His eyes lit up. “Thank you! Happy Hearth’s Warming!” He scampered off to find a place.
The mare looked up at Daring and smiled at her. “That maniac Tinderspark almost burned down our home. If it hadn’t been for you, we might not be alive now.” She leaned forward and stroked Daring’s cheek. “Holy Mother bless you, Daring Do.”
“Uh...yeah. Thanks. You, too,” Daring said slowly. But she couldn’t help a smile creeping up her face as the mare walked off after her son. She joined Flash, Twilight, Spike, and Phil at the table as the Ponytones started a round of Jingle Bells.
As the hours went by with idle chatter and laughter, ponies came and went, the buffet line was gradually restocked as more donations were added. A few hours later, only a few ponies were left behind. Phillip was sitting on the stage, lost in thought.
Daring sat next to him, in silence. She slowly looked down at her right hoof, staring at the brand.
“What’s wrong?” Phillip asked.
“I was just thinking of Hearth’s Warming with the Family,” she said. “You know what my very first gift was? This compass that Bright Sparks nicked from a pawnshop.” She half-smiled and let out a small chuckle. “I got her this fake magic set from a toy store: you know, cups and balls, cut a coin in half, shit like that.” Her smile faded away.
“That was my family,” she whispered. “She was my family. And now…”
Phillip put a foreleg around her shoulders. “They were. But...you’ve got a new family now.”
Daring looked over at Flash, Twilight, and Spike, all of whom were sitting in a small grouping a few feet from them, laughing. Suunkii and Sirba were talking with Pastor Sound, a snoozing Muziqaa sprawled across his mother’s shoulders. She looked over at Phillip, who had his head tilted to the side a little and a small smile on his face. She smiled back at him.
“Pretty crazy family,” she said.
“But a family that loves you,” Phillip said.
“Yeah,” Daring smiled. She leaned in and closed her eyes. Just as she’d hoped, she felt his lips brushing against hers and his forelegs gently hugging her around her waist as she draped her forelegs around his neck. They held the kiss for several long seconds, him gently rubbing her back, her rubbing his ears with a hoof.
They finally broke apart, but still held the embrace. “I love you, Daring Do,” Phillip whispered.
“I love you, Phillip Finder,” Daring whispered back and nestled against him. Outside, the snow continued to fall over a still, peaceful city as the day began to close. A new year approached with its promises of a new chance for all ponies, and all was well.
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Absolutely adorable chapter, and this cemented it. Think I have diabetes now.
All was well. Yeah, the most misleading terms in fiction, especially with one chapter left.
Yeah, his name is literally "music", right?
9079051
It is! In keeping with Zecora's naming (her name literally means "Zebra"), most zebra characters here are named in the Oromo language. Suunkii means "venom," and Sirba means "dance."
God picks your relatives.
They're NOT Your Faut
(This includes inlaws.)
YOU pick your friends.
They ARE Your Fault.