Dazzling Christmas
It was with loud crunching that the two figures pushed their way forward in the otherwise quiet Everfree forest. Being the taller one, Scruffy trudged through the heavy snow first, making an easy path for his smaller companion, Strawberry Dazzle, to follow.
“You really do amaze me sometimes, Scruffy. Where did you even get the idea to have the Princesses pull your sleigh with those costumes on?” the guardsmare inquired. Gone was her usual barding, instead replaced with a scarf, snow boots, and wing warmers. She was well aware how erratic the weather could be where they were going compared to normal Equestrian weather, and her pegasus floof could only do so much.
“Heh, it hadn’t been my plan originally, but since they happened to visit me beforehand...I couldn’t resist asking,” the tall being replied with clear amusement in his voice. He was still wearing the santa costume, which seemed to protect him well enough from the elements as he appeared to be not bothered at all by the chill air.
Dazzle had been amongst the crowd when Scruffy made his grand entrance with the Princesses, the element bearers, and Spike. While she had gotten somewhat used to the crazy antics of Scruffy and those close to him while working as his escort, Strawberry had nonetheless joined her fellow guards in hanging their jaws down so low that they might have worked as snowploughs.
“Well, the foals absolutely loved it, so your plan clearly worked,” Dazzle laughed, soon joined by Scruffy. “Thank you for asking me join you, by the way,” Dazzle followed up.
“Mmm, you are always welcome at my home. Besides, food is best when shared with others. Or maybe it’s just the holiday bulge that you are sharing,” he replied, followed by another round of laughs from the both of them.
It was after Scruffy and the others were done with giving out all the presents they had and the Princesses had left to visit the other towns in Equestria that Strawberry said hi to her Ponyville friends. They were all surprised to see the royal guard in Ponyville, since her regular posting was now in Canterlot, afterall. Dazzle explained that she had arrived the day before to work as a replacement when one of the town’s regulars came down with a nasty case of the sniffles. The close proximity to the dreaded Everfree mandated that the guardpost always be fully staffed, and with many of the usual reserves being unavailable due to the holidays, a request was sent to Canterlot. Dazzle volunteered, since she was already familiar with the town, and it would also conveniently give her an opportunity to see how everypony was doing.
Strawberry did not have much of a plan afterwards, though, as she had only been required to stay until the next guard shift. A Lunar Guard took over for the night, and a Ponyville regular would return to duty by the next day. Once it became apparent that the flamboyant mare would spend the Hearth’s Warming Night at the guardpost alone and then take train back to Canterlot come morrow, Scruffy offered that she could join him instead. He joked that he always kept his favored bodyguard’s bed ready in case of real threats, like a nasty spider infestation, or perhaps some mice in the attic.
“Besides, nopony should spend Hearth’s Warming alone,” he argued.
The two made their way to Scruffy’s home, filling the silence with conversation as Dazzle took to explaining how Canterlot prepared for the Hearth’s Warming celebration. Being the capital of the nation and thus housing many of the richest ponies in the land, it was certainly a sight to behold when they decided to go all out decorating their mansions, each trying to one-up the other. Even the castle had had a festive touch added to it, although it was not as bombastic as the nobles’ homes, but rather emanated a more homely, perhaps more traditional, radiance. Luna especially must have preferred older customs to the modern day ones.
Soon enough the two arrived at their destination on the other side of the portal. Dazzle was surprised to find that it was snowing on on Scruffy’s side, as it had long since ceased on the ponies’ side, and no more had been scheduled for a few days. Considering that there had been a steady increase in amount of snow the further they got in to the Everfree forest, she briefly wondered if she would wake up tomorrow to find Scruffy’s house buried under a white blanket, and they would have to dig their way out.
Once they got inside his home, Scruffy quickly offered a towel for his pony friend to dry the melting snow she had accumulated, before setting off to get a roaring fire going in the fireplace. He had had enough foresight to get plenty of firewood ready before leaving for Ponyville, so it only took him a moment to stack the logs up. Soon, a small glow shined from the hearth, and Scruffy left to find a fresh set of clothes.
After drying most of the snow off herself and depositing her saddlebags and clothes next to her old bunk, Dazzle wandered back to the fireplace and hopped onto the couch near it.
“Seems that you have done some of your own Hearth’s Warming decorating,” Dazzle observed once Scruffy returned, having switched in to a woollen sweater and more comfortable pants. “You even got a Hearth’s Warming tree and all.”
“Hmhmm, a tree is a must, otherwise it just won’t feel right,” Scruffy hummed. “Oh, and my kind calls this holiday...-Christmas-...and not Hearth’s Warming.”
“Ah, of course,” Dazzle nodded, the tiny flames twinkling in her eyes. “You seem to have lots of same traditions then?” she asked.
“Yes. We talked with Twilight about it, and our holidays have plenty of similarities.”
“Neat.” There was a bout of silence. “But that...costume and giving gifts is your tradition, right?”
“Yep.” The two of them lapsed into silence again, staring in to the crackling fire. “Hungry?” Scruffy eventually asked.
“I wouldn’t miss out on your cooking for anything.”
It did not take long for Scruffy to produce a great number of dishes for the table. There were a few of them that Dazzle looked at with skepticism, and the chunk of what her host revealed to be hog made her stomach churn lightly, but mercifully Scruffy only cut himself a piece of it and then returned it to the ice box. What the mare was more than happy to partake in were the vegetarian casseroles, the salads, and just a few, thin slices of salted fish. For dessert, Scruffy had fixed a bowl with a mix of berries topped lightly with sugar.
“Wow, you really have prepared a proper feast, haven’t you,” Dazzle happily murmured as she ate the many delicious foods available.
“Yes. It’s a tradition to have a big feast for the holidays. During...uh, times when not much food was available, families wanted to make a feast for the winter to celebrate and for overcoming all the hardships they had to go through over the year. You could then start the new year happy and with full bellies.”
“I can see why. I’d happily take a month’s worth of dull guard shifts for a repast like this!” she happily giggled and took another bite of the incredibly delicious rutabaga casserole. If there was something she missed working as Scruffy’s escort, it was the food. Scruffy simply smiled and gave a few shakes of his head at the gorging mare.
Once each of them had had their fill, Scruffy prepared them each a small bowl of berries, and they went to sit in front of the fireplace. Scruffy added some more wood to the fire before sitting down himself.
“Are you really going to eat all of that yourself?” Dazzle eventually asked, looking back towards the kitchen. All of the foods had been left lying around on the various counters, and when she had asked if they should be put back in to the ice box, Scruffy had gotten this mysterious smile on his face and simply told her that the “spirits need to eat too”.
“No, probably not,” Scruffy chuckled, eating a spoonful of berries. “It’s only cinnamon rolls that I can eat in unlimited quantities.”
“Then...why did you make so much?” Strawberry asked with a tilt of her head.
Scruffy did not immediately reply, and while the smile did not leave, the mare could see sadness creep on to his face.
“It… It’s a force of habit,” he eventually said, but did not elaborate further, focusing on his dessert instead. Dazzle wanted to prompt him to say more, but she stayed her tongue, so the both of them ate the rest of their berry dessert.
“I was always the cook for our family...and I guess it refuses to stick that I don’t really need to cook as much anymore,” he continued after several moments.
“...Doesn’t your family visit you?” Dazzle asked carefully, knowing that there was one person in Scruffy’s family that couldn’t visit him anymore.
“They do,” Scruffy answered with a crooked smile. “But they have their own lives now...their own families. And they live quite far away, so they can’t always visit for long.”
“I remember you mentioning your daughter’s family once.”
“Yes,” the man nodded, some clear happiness returning to his expression again. “She is married. The lad is wonderful, if a bit quirky. They have a child of their own.” There was a bout of silence, apart from a loud crack from the fireplace. “They’ll probably visit soon, maybe two or three days from now. They usually stay for a couple of days, and then return to their own home.”
“T-that’s something,” Dazzle tried with a faux cheer, but when Scruffy kept gazing in to the dancing flames with his half smile, her ears drooped down. “...I’m sorry I brought this up,” she awkwardly mumbled.
“It’s okay. It makes me really happy that you decided to join me here today,” Scruffy soothed with a genuine smile this time.
“Heh… Have I ever let you down?” Dazzle asked and awkwardly rubbed her foreleg.
“Well… There was that one time…”
“You jerk!” Strawberry giggled and punched Scruffy in the shoulder. Lightly, but enough for it to sting just a bit.
There was a moment of quiet again, and Scruffy used that to deposit the dirty dishes in the sink. He could worry about them in the morning when his full stomach was no longer weighing him down.
“Uhm… Did you… I mean…” Strawberry started when he returned to the couch. “If...you wanted to, I’m sure you could have asked one of our friends if you could have joined them,” she ventured. “Applejack? Or Twilight?”
“Yeah… It’s something I could have done. I have little doubt that they would have welcomed me, but… I didn’t want to intrude upon them.”
“But-”
“Shush,” Scruffy gently said with a smile. “They have their own families that they want to spend time with as well. From what I have read and heard from Twilight, this is time that you spend with your loved ones. I don’t want to take their time from that. Just knowing that I have friends who I could have asked, that is enough to make me happy.”
“...”
“Besides,” Scruffy continued, ruffling Strawberry Dazzle’s mane. “I have my own traditions for the holidays that I want to fulfill. Cooking the meals, getting the tree, and sitting here watching the fire late in to the night is one of those.”
“...I suppose,” Dazzle relented.
“How about you?”
“Hmm?”
“Did you not have any other plans for Hearth’s Warming?”
“Not really. Guards are always needed on duty, even during the holidays,” the mare replied, but Scruffy was not fooled so easily. When it looked like she was not going to continue, he gently bumped her side, which caused Strawberry to snort and roll her eyes. “Fine. I had kinda contemplated to going to my parents for Hearth’s Warming this year.”
“You don’t want to go?” Scruffy’s voice was calm, parental.
“No,” Dazzle replied and looked away.
“...”
“...”
“I do…” Dazzle sighed, slumping against the armrest of the couch.
“But?” the man pressed.
“It’s just...complicated.”
“It’s okay. I shouldn’t be prying,” Scruffy said, once it again seemed like the mare was not going to continue.
“No, it… UGH!”
“...”
“...”
“It’s all my siblings really. We have a pretty large family, and I’m the second oldest of six...and the only single,” Dazzle admitted, and her ears drooping down again as she looked out the window and at the darkness past it.
“Mmh.”
“It just stings sometimes, you know? Having to watch them all being all loving and caring towards each other, and nuzzling and kissing, and corralling their foals around the house and ARGH!” Dazzle punched the armrest with one of her hooves in frustration. “And then I have to awkwardly sit there, alone, next to my parents who wonder why I haven’t found myself a coltfriend yet!”
“...”
“And it’s not like I hate them or anything, I just… I love my family, but it’s just so overwhelming sometimes to be there. I’ve always liked Hearth’s Warming to be more quiet and calm. Preferably with my special somepony, if I could ever get one.” The last bit was muttered rather sourly, and Dazzle’s short tail snapped protectively against her.
“You will.”
“Hmph.”
“I really mean it. You are a good friend, Strawberry. Loyal and kind. I have no doubt in my mind that somewhere out there is a, uh, ‘special somepony’ for you.” Scruffy patted the mare’s head. “But you are rushing ahead too fast. I know it must feel like you need to because of your siblings, but these things happen at their own pace.” Strawberry turned her head back towards Scruffy. “You are still young, you have all your life ahead of you. Take all the time you need,” Scruffy said with a smile. Dazzle stared at him for a while, examining the aged features of her companions face and mulled the words over.
“...Yeah, I suppose,” she finally muttered and straightened back up. She seemed to be mostly back to her usual self, but her fidgeting ears told that her sullen mood had not left completely.
“Definitely. And when it happens, you’ll have to bring them to meet me,” Scruffy laughed and ruffled the mare’s mane again.
“Would you stop that?” Dazzle complained and playfully patted Scruffy’s hand away.
“Now that I saw a smile again, yes,” Scruffy replied. They both had a brief chuckle, and then let the silence take over as they relaxed in to their seats. The winter chill howled outside, but the warmth of the fire kept the two cozy inside.
It was a long time before Dazzle talked again. “Thanks for inviting me over. This was the best Hearth’s Warming for me in years,” she said and bumped her head against Scruffy’s shoulder.
“Hmmmh. Like I said earlier, you are always welcome here.”
No more words needed to be exchanged, as both were happy to whittle away the hours as friends in silence. Eventually, the warmth of the fire caused Dazzle to fall asleep on the couch. Not wanting to wake her up, the old man carefully rose to retrieve a blanket, and gently laid it over her, before sitting back down to keep vigil over the fire.
Oh look, it is a new Christmas Special chapter. 
With a more realistically proportioned Scruffy. 
Happy holidays to all of you. 
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I love it but i just noticed his langue is better in this one then in the main story
9363571
If the main story ever catches up with these and they become canon, you'll have known beforehand that Scruffy can one day speak normally, although he still needs the magic doohickey for it.
Yup. After a long time of pronouncing words wrong, he's finally learned how to speak.
9363571
Yes, this is a non(semi?)canon story set in the future.
9363582
Random question thats bugging me I know scruffy is in his what 50s-60S but how old is he in equestrian time
9363589
Equestria had different time?
9363596
I don't know Thats why I asked you
The title had me thinking the Dazzlings would be popping in.
9363686
Me too.
Oh yay your ponies arent tiny
Thanks for the wonderful gift sir! This has made my evening!
9363599
Equestria runs in normal time as far as I'm conserned. I'm not sure my poor brain could handle if they had vastly different times.
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9364042
They are perfectly sized for hugging.
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9364402
Huh good to know
Love the art!
9364402
Yes, as mentioned before, Equestrian time is "normal time". Scruffy time is "metric time": 100 seconds/minute, 100 minutes/hour, 10 hours/day, 1000 days/year--that sort of thing.
9365077
Scruffy counts time by the amount of cute ponies he sees. One pony = One second. Hugging a pony, that's one minute. Pony flops on the floor and lets you give them bellyrubs, easily an hour goes by. Cuddling a pony? Well that's pretty much your entire day gone.
i personally like to think scruffy as rainheart sized it makes him sound more fun and bad ass
I have to wonder why Scruffy no longer needs a guard to escort him. Learned enough magic to knock an Ursa out if needed? I guess we'll find out eventually, assuming the main story continues.