S2 E11: Hearth's Warming Eve (What If?) - Redo
Inside one of the cars on the last train to Canterlot for the day, Spike was trying to catch up on some of his favorite comics. A task that was easier said than done considering how excitedly Twilight was prancing, like one of Santa Hooves' reindeer. The little dragon slammed his comic shut and let out a growl. "Twilight, do you mind? Some of us are trying to get a little quality reading time in!"
"Sorry, Spike," Twilight apologized with a bright smile on her face. "But just think about it, we're going to spend Hearth's Warming with my parents up at their house! It'll be just like old times, even Shining Armor's coming home for the holiday! Ooh, just wait until they all see how big you're getting!" She proceeded to lift Spike with her magic.
"It hasn't been that long since we left for Ponyville, you know," The little dragon quipped. "Even Shining Armor was there to see us off. I'm sure he hasn't forgotten what I look like."
Twilight continued to smile as she glanced out the train car's windows, delighting in the fresh snow that was falling from the clouds. It truly helped to bring out the best at this special holiday time. "Still, it'll be nice to see everypony again. Mom will probably bake her famous homemade Hearth's Warming Cookies, Dad will have a fresh pine tree ready for decorating, and of course we can't forget the Hearth's Warming dolls for you and Shining," She said to Spike and then ribbed him ever so slightly. "Maybe if you ask him nicely, he'll let you open one present from him early like I do."
Spike shook his head. "I doubt it. Even as a colt he was always a stickler for the rules. I can see why he joined the royal guard and became their captain."
"Well that's Shining Armor for you, always trying to set a good example for others," Twilight fondly sighed. "And he was always looking out for me too. It'll be so lovely to see him, Mom, and Dad again."
"Are you sure you don't want Princess Celestia to be there too?" Spike teased. "I know how much you look up to her, she was practically your mother when you lived in the castle."
A noticeable blush formed on Twilight's cheeks in response to that comment. "That was a long time ago, Spike, when i was just a filly. Obviously I've moved on from it now."
Under his breath Spike couldn't help but mutter. "Uh-huh, sure. Whatever you say, Mom."
Just then the train pulled into the station and the car doors swung open, it was time for all onboard to depart. The unicorn mare waited until Spike was firmly on her back, before she picked up all the suitcases for her and the little dragon she considered a son, all fully stocked for a fun holiday with the Sparkle family.
But instead of a nice warm welcome from her parents as she had been expecting, Twilight was surprised to find the train station nearly empty of ponies. And she soon found out why.
"I'm afraid I've got some bad news, miss," The station master informed her. "Canterlot's been shut down due to this unexpected snow storm. Nothing can get in or out. And everypony's been advised to stay indoors until further notice. The trains won't run in this kind of weather, the locomotives will be moved to the shed for safe keeping. I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do I'm afraid. Since it's Hearth's Warming Eve most of the pegasi that would normally be available aren't on duty, and even the ones that are aren't expected to be here 'til late tonight at the earliest."
Twilight suddenly found herself stricken with a sense of dread. "This was not how I envisioned my Hearth's Warming at all," She commented. "What are we gonna do, Spike? We're stuck here in Canterlot in the middle of a blizzard!"
The unicorn mare began to pace back and forth nervously in the train station, a sharp contrast to the happy prancing she had done in the train car just moments earlier. Spike, for his part, just focused on his comics. He knew that whenever Twilight got into one of these moods it usually took quite a while for her to snap out of it.
"Oh, why did this have to happen on Hearth's Warming Eve of all days?" The mare paused briefly in her pacing. "Why couldn't it have held off tomorrow, or the day after that?"
The little dragon simply replied. "Well I suppose there's only one thing we can do, Twilight. We'll just have to spend the night here and make the most of it."
Twilight shook her head in protest. "Out of the question, Spike. We are NOT missing out on Hearth's Warming traditions because of a little bad weather!"
"Twilight, you heard what the station master said," Spike groaned as he put down his comic and looked the unicorn firmly in the eyes. "The entire city of Canterlot has been shut down. There's no way we're gonna be able to make it to your parents' house in this kind of weather. We'll freeze for sure."
"We'll just have to dress for the occasion, Spike," Twilight firmly insisted. "Good thing I thought ahead and packed boots, scarfs, hats, and winter jackets. They were supposed to be for the sleigh ride tomorrow, but I suppose they'll have to do for the trek across town."
Spike let out a gulp, for he did not like where Twilight's train of thought was going. "Twilight, your parents will understand that we couldn't make it," He pleaded with her. "We'll still have Hearth's Warming Day to spend with them. One whole day is better than nothing, right?"
"Well... yes..." Twilight appeared to concede. But mere seconds later she added. "But if we could spend even just a little of today with my parents, isn't it worth the risk?"
Spike still refused to agree. "We'll get lost for sure, Twilight! Just look out the window, nothing but snow as far as the eye can see!"
But Twilight only replied with a laugh. "Spike, I know my way around this city like the back of my hoof. We won't get lost. At worst it might take us a while to fight our way through the snow, but we'll be fine," And with that she used her magic to put on the same scarf, boots, and ear muffs that she had worn for Winter Wrap-Up in Ponyville the previous winter. She also donned a blueish-green winter coat and matching puff ball hat. Then she dressed Spike in his winter attire. "Now come on, Spike, let's get going. The sooner we leave the sooner we can be at my parents' house, laughing and chatting by the fireplace."
Reluctantly, Spike found himself accompanying the pony he'd come to see as a mother out the door of the train station and into the howling winds and blinding snow of the blizzard. "I guess this is what those ancient founders of Equestria must've had to endure all those eons ago." The little dragon thought to himself and he began to flash back to the story he'd heard many times in the years since Twilight had hatched him.
Long long ago, before the days of Celestia and Luna, the land of Equestria did not exist. Alicorns did not either for they were thought to be a myth. But the three pony tribes did not know peace or friendship, they were divided not by a foreign power or an ineffective government but by simple hatred and distrust of each other. An uneasy alliance had been forged between the earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns, but it was always teetering on the brink of collapse.
Under this system the earth ponies tended to the soil, the pegasi handled the weather, and the unicorns controlled the sun and the moon. The earth ponies grew the crops to give to the pegasi in exchange for good weather and to give to the unicorns in exchange for ensuring the sun and the moon rose and set as necessary. Earth ponies often complained of pegasi and unicorns greedily demanding more crops than seemed necessary, with the threat of bad weather and no sun or no moon if they were not satisfied.
Even so the three tribes managed to hold together decently for many years. But then one day a huge blizzard surfaced from seemingly out of nowhere. The harsh winds, bitter snow and frost, and icy cold temperatures chilled the land. Earth ponies found it difficult to grow any crops, and the pegasi and unicorns began to complain of food shortages and starvation among their kind. The source of the blizzard could not be determined and it seemed to only grow in intensity as the tensions between the three tribes worsened.
As a desperate last resort to avoid war each of the tribes agreed to an emergency summit between their leaders. It was hoped that common sense would prevail and the wisdom of the leaders would lead to everlasting peace.
The pegasi chose their fearless leader, the battle hardened Commander Hurricane. His dark grey coat was adorned with scars from countless battles and his jet black mane and tail hung loose. His stern blue eyes reflected back a look of seriousness and it was well known that the commander had a very short fuse, it did not take much to set him off. His cutie mark depicted a swirling circle of clouds with an eye in the center, a reflection of his unrivaled speed and strength that even among pegasi was legendary.
The unicorns had planned to send their king, King Gemstone. But at the last minute his daughter, Princess Platinum, decided to take her ailing father's place. Having only recently been involved in the daily affairs of her father's kingdom she did not boast much experience. But her appearance made her a sight to behold. Her beautiful silver coat glistened as she strode into the room, decked out in a white and purple robe and a matching crown. Her powder white mane and tail were styled into a lovely set of curls and she had beautiful ruby red eyes. Her cutie mark, fittingly, depicted a platinum crown.
And the earth ponies chose from among their many representatives, the eccentric Chancellor Puddinghead (so named because of the bowl of pudding he wore for a hat). He had a dark brown coat, and a pink mane and tail that for a stallion looked most unusual, to say nothing of his green eyes that seemed to convey he was not all there. The only thing that made even remote sense about the chancellor, was his cutie mark that depicted a long scroll. Despite some allegations, he'd managed to win election in his own right.
The three leaders took their respective seats at a table in the middle of the meeting hall, a sturdy brick and stone building that was reserved for special occasions such as this. Various earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns were all seated in the balcony to watch the proceedings. All of them had high hopes for this summit. Said hopes were soon dashed as the leaders devolved into shouting and bickering at each other!
"Chancellor, I will only say this once," Hurricane warned Puddinghead. "Stop hoarding all the crops and give back what you owe us pegasi!"
Puddinghead snapped back! "We are not hoarding food, you brutish oaf! How many times must you be told that it is impossible for us earth ponies to grow anything in this unending blizzard?! You pegasi are supposed to control the weather, so why haven't you ended this cold snap like you're payed to do?!"
Hurricane growled. "We've been trying to do so, Puddinghead! Or should I say, Dunderhead?! This blizzard is something that defies even our attempts to combat it, though if you ask me I would say that some of my tribe are simply invoking that as an excuse for laziness," Then he accusingly pointed a hoof at Princess Platinum. "You're barking up the wrong tree, Chancellor! It's the unicorns who should have the power to end this blizzard, since they control the sun and the moon!"
Princess Platinum retorted with a huff. "It takes many of our own just to raise the sun and the moon each day, and doing so drains all of them of their magic. Only our Starswirl the Bearded seems to ever be able to hold onto his magic. To even begin to attempt what you've suggested, would be to drain the magical capabilities of our entire kingdom."
Puddinghead angrily pounded his hooves on the table. "Lies if I ever heard them! You know not what you speak of, Princess! I expected a meeting with your father, yet I find he sends his inexperienced daughter to take his place!" With a snort he added. "Disgraceful! Had I known this is what awaited me I would've sent Smart Cookie to stand in for me and gone back to more important needs."
Princess Platinum scoffed. "Chancellor, you have some nerve! I've sat in on my father's court for many months now, and I am the heir to his throne. I may have respect for the way you earth ponies govern yourselves, but I have no such respect for a scatterbrained leader such as you," She then added. "I am a lady, and I wish to be addressed as such. I won't stay here to be insulted."
"Looks like we finally agree on something, your 'highness'," Hurricane mockingly jeered. "This summit was a waste of my time. I'm leaving!"
"Not if I leave first!" Puddinghead declared.
All three leaders made a mad dash for the door as the ponies in the gallery could only look on in shame and in horror. The last attempt to avoid war had failed.
With the summit abruptly cancelled there was nothing left for the three leaders to do except go home to lick their wounds, and mostly to complain.
Commander Hurricane returned to Cloudsdale to find everything in disorder. It seemed that his fellow pegasi had all but stopped working in his absence. And that was something the commander would not tolerate in the slightest. He gave a whistle and bellowed out. "Private Pansy! Front and center, this instant!"
Out trotted a pegasus mare considerably younger than the battle hardened commander. Her coat was a gentle pink in color and she sported a yellowish-green mane and tail that hung down at her sides. Her eyes were a gentle sea-green in color and her cutie mark depicted a budding flower. "C-Commander Hurricane, sir!" She saluted to her superior.
"Private Pansy, what be the meaning of this?! I thought I entrusted you to hold down the fort while I was gone!" Commander Hurricane growled. "Yet I return to find my fellow pegasi lounging about and doing nothing productive!"
"Commander, our forces are growing tired and hungry. They lack the strength to do much of anything," Pansy explained. "I've had to instate mandatory rest breaks so they can conserve their energy," And then she asked. "So how was the summit, Commander? Did the earth ponies and the unicorns agree to work with us to stop the blizzard?"
Hurricane shook his head and growled. "Those other tribes care not of our plight even though we are the ones who control the weather. They seem to blame the likes of us for this blizzard and have sentenced us to starve."
Pansy gulped. "Really? I was so sure the three tribes could find some common ground. I happen to know a lot of earth ponies and unicorns, and they're very nice."
"Well I'm afraid the majority of them or at the least ones leading them do not return the feeling," Hurricane coldly protested. "That is why I'm the leader and you are not. So I suggest you keep such opinions to yourself from now on, Private, or else I will terminate your rank and have you dismissed. Do I make myself clear?"
"Y-yes sir, Commander," Pansy stuttered. "So what are we to do now?" She reluctantly asked.
"Why there's only one thing we can do, Private," Hurricane replied. "We must strike out on our own and find a new land. Let the earth ponies and the unicorns try to function without us, see how long they last."
At the same time that Hurricane was busy talking to Private Pansy, Princess Platinum was tending to her own grievances in the safety of her father's kingdom. "Clover the Clever, come here! I need your assistance!" She cried out.
In a moment a tall and lanky unicorn stallion with a dark blue coat appeared at the weary princess' side. He wore a simple brown robe, had a two shaded purple mane and tail that was cut short, violet-red eyes, and a cutie mark depicting a four leaf clover. "I'm here, your highness," He greeted with a bow as he shut the door. "So how was the summit? Did the three tribes see reason as I predicted?"
Platinum only shook her head in protest. "Your visions must've been all wrong, Clover. There's no finding common ground with such uncouth leaders as the likes of that brutish commander and that scatterbrained chancellor. I am glad my father didn't have to bother with the likes of them, neither of them could hold a candle to his brilliance. Speaking of my father, how is he?"
In a somber tone of voice Clover informed the princess. "Not very well, I'm afraid. His condition continues to worsen despite the efforts of our best doctors. I fear he is not long for this world."
Platinum let out a somber sigh upon hearing the news. "I see," She realized. "Well then I'm afraid there is but one option that remains. One that I doubt even your mentor, Starswirl the Bearded, would willingly sign off on."
"My services are first and foremost to you, Princess Platinum," Clover bowed. "Whatever you do, I shall support you as best I can. For that is a promise I made to your father, and it is a promise I intend to keep. So, what do you propose we do?"
"Assemble a scouting party at once," Platinum instructed to Clover. "The time has come for us to strike out on our own without the aid of the pegasi or the earth ponies."
"Are you sure that's wise, Princess?" Clover asked. "M-maybe we could still work things out here?"
But Platinum would hear none of such an idea. "Do as I command, Clover, or I'll find someone who will! Let the other tribes try to survive without the sun and the moon, we the unicorns shall survive on our own!"
And at the same time as Platinum and Hurricane were preparing to strike out on their own and find new land, Chancellor Puddinghead was himself visiting with his trusty adviser to discuss the meeting.
"Greetings, Smarty Cookie," The chancellor cheerfully spoke as he descended from a chimney and brushed the soot off his coat. "I trust you'll want to know how the summit went?"
Smart Cookie was a plump earth pony mare with a light brown coat and a black mane and tail done up in the style of a swirl. She sported black eyes, a simple tunic and hat, and a cutie mark depicting books in the shape of a circle (a cookie you might say). "You'll tell me even if I say no, won't you?" She sighed.
Puddinghead simply nodded and then complained. "Those greedy pegasi and those nasty unicorns didn't even wanna discuss solutions, they had the gal to accuse us of hoarding food! Never mind the fact that I told them we actually can't grow crops in these frigid conditions!" He grumbled. "They're just jealous because I worked hard to earn my title, whereas they got in through connections, family, prestiege, or any combination of the above."
"Ya know, I could've gone to that summit in your place, Chancellor," Smart Cookie suggested. "Perhaps if I had gone they would've had more reason to listen. No offense, sir, but your reputation most certainly preceeds you in many circles. And the rumors about some of your more 'out there' plans certainly haven't helped."
But Puddinghead simply scoffed at the notion. "Smart Cookie you are but a humble secretary to yours truly, you don't make decisions. I ask you for advice when I see it fit. As Chancellor I can think outside the box, which also means," He stuck his head into the chimney as he added. "I can also think inside of the chimney. Can you think inside the chimney?"
"...No sir." Smart Cookie reluctantly answered.
"'No sir' indeed," Puddinghead laughed and stuck his head out of the chimney. Then as he brushed the soot from his clothes his eyes grew wide and he exclaimed! "Oh my gosh! Hold onto your hooves, Smart Cookie, because I am just about to be brilliant!"
Smart Cookie sighed. "Dare I ask what 'genius' plan you've devised now, oh Chancellor?"
Puddinghead laughed. "I think it's one you'll quite agree with. Since this land is too snow covered and frozen to be any of use to us, we'll just have to move on and find greener pastures. Fertile land on which we can thrive and grow our crops, while getting away from those ungrateful pegasi and unicorns that have extorted us for far too long."
And so it was that the three tribes each decided to strike out on their own in search of new land. None of them seemed to suspect the true nature of the blizzard, or that it would follow them to the new land they would seek.
"Just because those tribe leaders decided to strike out for themselves doesn't mean we should follow their example and make our way through Canterlot in the middle of a blizzard!" Spike thought to himself as he held onto Twilight for warmth, and to keep from being blown away by the wind gusts that whipped up snow into a blinding frenzy.
Twilight, for her part, just kept focusing on what was in front of her and looked for any landmarks to signify where she and Spike were. "An eight foot candy cane!" She exclaimed as her eyes fell upon the huge, abandoned decoration. "They always put that out in the middle of town! We're already halfway there, Spike!"
"Yeah!" Spike shouted back over the roar of the winds. "And it only took us an entire hour and a half of wandering in circles! At this rate we'll be there in time for the Hearth's Warming Eve dinner!"
"You always did love the food Mom and Dad prepared!" Twilight teased her baby dragon. "I remember the first time I brought you home and you got into the cookie batter. I thought you'd never be clean. I'll bet Mom still has the pictures."
Spike blushed bright red. "Y-yeah well she also has your baby pictures," He teased back. "And since I'm technically your son now, that makes me your mom's grandson. And you know how grandmares love to tell embarrassing stories to the grandkids!"
"She could always share some about Shining Armor!" Twilight suggested even as she began to blush red ever so slightly. "Did I ever tell you about what he did on his first birthday? He sure gave Mom and Dad a 'surprise' they'll never forget!"
The little dragon couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that statement, before the wind picked up and he had to cling harder to the pony he'd come to know as a mother. At least she was able to keep her body warm with her magic, so that he could draw on it to stay warm himself. Even his thick dragon scales offered little protection from such frigid and frosty temperatures. "I suppose it's too late for us to turn back?" He suggested to Twilight.
The mare shook her head. "We've come this far, Spike. We might as well see our journey through to the end." And the two began to venture further into the blinding snow. As they did, Spike started to recall the next part of the story. About what happened after the founders reached their new home land.
The scouting party led by Commander Hurricane and Private Pansy flew for many, many miles. But at last they settled on a patch of clouds overlooking beautiful mountains and a lush green valley. "Ah yes," Commander Hurricane smiled. "These clouds will make an excellent home for us pegasi. And the best part is, no other tribes can get to us without us knowing about it. We'll control the skies."
"And these clouds are so soft, we can use them for all sorts of things," Private Pansy added. "We can finally start on those construction projects we always talked about."
Hurricane planted the flag of his scouting party into a cloud, ensuring that it stuck rather than sinking through. "I hereby claim this land for all pegasi!" He proudly declared. "Hence forth it shall be known as: Pegasopolis!"
Meanwhile, the unicorns led by Princess Platinum and Clover the Clever found their way towards some mountains and a vast set of caves. Princess Platinum smiled as her reflection shone in all the gemstones. "My, just look all these fine jewels," She declared. "They'll do wonders for our royal treasury."
"And these caves will be the perfect place to hone our skills and perfect new spells," Clover the Clever proudly added. "My mentor, Starswirl, will be up to his beard in new students."
Planting a flag into a patch of dirt near the cave entrance, Platinum said with a smile on her face. "I claim this land for the unicorns in the name of my father, King Gemstone! And all shall know it as: Unicornia!"
And on fields of green grass and freshly planted soil, Chancellor Puddinghead marveled at the fine sights that greeted his eyes. "Ah, the fresh air, the lush grass, the dirt. It's the dirtiest dirt I've ever seen and I love it!"
Smart Cookie beamed with pride. "Guess I shouldn't have been so quick to doubt you, Chancellor. This soil is nice and rich, just the thing for us to plant a new herd of crops."
Sticking a flag into one of the dirt mounds, Puddinghead announced. "As Chancellor, I claim all this new land for the earth ponies. And I will call it... Dirtville."
"Uh, how 'bout 'Earth' instead? You know, after the land?" Smart Cookie suggested.
"Earth works too!" Puddinghead giggled.
But just then the three leaders happened to look out and notice that, by some unbelievable stroke of bad luck they had all laid claim to the same area. Each of them had in fact staked claims that shared borders with one another. And naturally it didn't take long for tempers to flare up again.
"What are you confused lowlifes doing on the sovereign territory of Pegasopolis?!" Commander Hurricane demanded! "You're trespassing!"
"On the contrary, Commander!" Princess Platinum corrected. "It is you who are trespassing, you are on the territory that rightfully belongs to Unicornia!"
"You're both wrong!" Chancellor Puddinghead hissed as he stomped his hooves down and stuck out his tongue! "You side winding double crossers are on my territory! Get off of Earth right now, or you'll answer to Smart Cookie!"
Smart Cookie backed away nervously. "N-now hold on just a minute there, Chancellor!" She advised. "W-who said anything about fighting?! I want no part of it!"
"You don't have a choice in the matter, Smart Cookie! As my secretary you will do as you're told!" Chancellor Puddinghead bellowed as steam blew out of his nostrils. "Come here and help me defend!"
"If it's a fight you want it's a fight you shall get, Chancellor!" Commander Hurricane roared in defiance! "Private Pansy, ready our forces! If the earth ponies and unicorns won't willingly leave our land, we have no choice but to make them leave by any means necessary!"
Private Pansy shook her head. "Commander, please, must we fight?! We're all ponies, we should be working together!"
"That sounds like traitor talk to me, Pansy!" Hurricane growled as his eyes narrowed. "I oughta have you court martialed for such behavior!"
"Clover the Clever, you know what I expect!" Princess Platinum advised. "We're not going anywhere, and if the other tribes have a problem with that they'll just have to go through us!"
"But your majesty, we have no real army!" Clover the Clever protested. "Please, be sensible about this!"
"The time for rational thought is over, Clover!" Princess Platinum declared as she adjusted her crown. "One must be prepared to fight for what one holds dear!" Mere moments later she was pelted with a snowball. "Hey, who threw that?!"
"Gotcha!" Puddinghead laughed! "You made yourself an easy target, Princess!"
But Smart Cookie was concerned and a sense of dread creeped into her voice as she asked. "Where'd you get the snowball, Chancellor?"
Suddenly the tribes looked around and with horror they realized that the harsh wintery conditions they'd attempted to flee, had followed them all the way to their new home land. All immediately ran for the nearest shelter they could find, a large cavern near the flag for the unicorn kingdom (which was blown away by the biting winds).
Oh what Spike would give to have a nice warm cave to take shelter in on a day like this. It sure beat having to constantly cling to Twilight for warmth and security (even if it felt kind of nice). "How much further, Twilight?!" He called out above the roar of the wind!
"We're almost there, Spike! Just a few more blocks and we'll be at my parents' house!" Twilight called back! "We're going to make it!"
But just then Spike's green eyes happened to notice the familiar outline of a very familiar building, Donut Joe's Donut Emporium. Now that he thought about it, the little dragon hadn't had a bite to eat since this morning and he had not filled up like he usually did because he had not been expecting such a long journey. His stomach was beginning to remind him of its presence with audible rumbles.
"Uh, Twilight," The little dragon pointed out. "I suppose now would be a bad time to mention I'm getting hungry."
"There's nowhere we can stop, Spike!" Twilight protested. "We'll just have to keep going."
"But Donut Joe's is right over there, we could practically walk up to the door!" The little dragon insisted. "It wouldn't hurt to go inside just for a little bit and warm up."
Twilight froze in her tracks, considering what Spike had just said. Much as she wouldn't admit it the unicorn had to admit that she was getting cold, even in spite of all the gear she was wearing. And with Spike depending on her for warmth, it was imperative that she kept her body temperature at a reliably warm rate. Plus the idea of a few donuts was far too tempting of a treat for her to pass up.
"Oh alright, just for a few minutes though, Spike." The mare told the dragon, and they then trotted up to the door and to their surprise found it open.
Donut Joe was there to greet them, currently in the middle of wiping down his counter. "Well well well, Twilight Sparkle and her baby dragon and number one assistant." He greeted as warmly as his place felt to the two after they'd been out in the snow and the wind.
"And honorary son!" Spike added. "It's not official yet, but Twilight considers me part of her family! And one of these days she says she's gonna speak with Mayor Mare and make it official."
Donut Joe smiled. "Of course, I haven't forgotten. Always nice to see some friendly faces in my shop," Then he added. "You're pretty lucky, you know. I was just about to close up shop, reckoned nopony was gonna be out for donuts in a storm like this. So go ahead, order whatever you want. After I've served you two I reckon I'll have to call it a day and stay here 'til this whole blizzard blows over."
Twilight and Spike were soon seated at a booth and looked over the menus provided for but a moment before they placed an order. A few curlers, two powdered donuts, and one jelly-filled one for Spike. Donut Joe brought the sweets out to the two mere moments later and as they dug in Spike couldn't help but think back once again to the founders' frosty peril. Unlike him they were not so lucky as to have a donut shop they could take shelter in.
Forced into a cave as the blizzard continued to rage seemingly out of control, the leaders of the three tribes only grew more and more hostile to one another. It didn't help that in their haste to seek shelter they had left most of their provisions behind, only a small portion of rations remained.
With tempers running high and stomachs grumbling loudly, the three leaders all began to bicker and argue anew. Even going so far as to draw lines in the cave marking their territories.
All of a sudden, however, the argument ceased as Clover the Clever exclaimed! "Look! The cave entrance!" All turned to see that the cave entrance was freezing shut as ice started to encroach on the leaders, trapping them inside!'
"This is all your faults!" Commander Hurricane bellowed as the ice started to encase the leaders. "You rotten unicorns and earth ponies just couldn't leave well enough alone!"
"It was you pegasi who failed to prevent this blizzard from occurring! And it was you Earth Ponies who blamed us unicorns for things beyond our control!" Princess Platinum hissed.
"Both of you have taken advantage of the earth ponies!" Chancellor Puddinghead retorted. "Had you simply left us to have this land, none of this would've happened in the first place!"
"You're a numbskull, Chancellor Puddinghead!" Commander Hurricane growled and it was the last thing he said before he was completely encased in ice.
The last words to be heard from Princess Platinum were. "Commander Hurricane, you're nothing but a fiendish brute!"
And Chancellor Puddinghead was heard to say. "You and your father are royal snobs, Princess Platinum!"
And just like that the three leaders were frozen solid, leaving only their subordinates in the cave that continued to be coated with encroaching ice. It was of little surprise when the three bumped into each other and they were, understandably, quite worried.
But it was Clover the Clever who broke the silence as he spoke gently. "I must apologize for the actions of her highness. I could never hate pegasi or earth ponies the way she does. There are so many things you can do that we unicorns cannot."
Private Pansy nodded. "I've always appreciated earth ponies and unicorns, life in the clouds can get kind of boring."
"And I've always wondered what it would be like to be a unicorn or a pegasus, even just for a day," Smart Cookie nodded. "But how could this all have happened? How could the very conditions we sought to avoid have followed us here?"
Clover happened to look up toward the ceiling of the cave at that very moment and he let out a gulp as he pointed a hoof. "Because of those!" He motioned towards what appeared to be ghostly like horses with empty white eyes.
Private Pansy gulped. "W-what are those things?!"
"Those are windigos!" Clover explained to the frightened ponies. "My mentor, Starswirl the Bearded, taught me about them. But I always thought they were just a myth, there was never any documented proof of their existence. I should have known though, known that there were supernatural forces at work in this unstoppable snowstorm."
"What exactly do windigos do?" Smart Cookie questioned Clover.
In an ominous tone of voice, Clover answered. "They thrive off of conflict and hatred, turning the land as cold as the hearts of the ponies in whom they sense the hatred."
"So then... this was all our fault, we three tribes caused this," Smart Cookie realized. "And now our bodies will become as cold as our hearts, all because we were foolish enough to hate."
Private Pansy couldn't help but snicker, even as the ice started to encase her, Smart Cookie, and Clover the Clever. "If there was anyone I truly hated, it would be Commander Hurricane. And in fact I don't hate him so much as I simply really really REALLY dislike him."
"Well I don't hate you guys either," Smart Cookie nodded. "Whatever our fate may be, we'll all face it together as ponies."
"And as friends!" Clover firmly declared. "Even if it's only for a moment, I'm glad to have considered you as something beyond mere acquaintances."
All three ponies huddled together in the center of the cave as their bodies began to freeze just as the leaders' bodies had. But when the ice reached the tip of Clover's horn something most unexpected and truly wonderful happened! All of a sudden a roaring fire seeped out of his horn, morphing into the shape of a heart! The intense magical power and heat drove the windigos back and melted the body of the three subordinates and friends.
Smart Cookie and Private Pansy were most amazed and were rendered speechless! They'd never seen anything like it in all their lives! Clover's horn stopped glowing a moment later but the heart shaped fire continued to burn, the heat not fading even the slightest.
"How did you do that, Clover?" Smart Cookie asked her new friend.
"I'm not sure," Clover answered. "But it couldn't have come from me, never in all my years could I have pulled off something so powerful by myself. It must've come from each of us, united as one in friendship."
"You think that's what that glowing, burning heart is meant to symbolize?" Pansy inquired.
Clover nodded. "It would appear to be so, and I have the feeling that it shall continue to burn inside us all even long after the fire we see now is extinguished."
And so it was that, all through the night and into the next day the three friends kept a vigil by the glowing fire as it began to slowly melt the ice. The songs they sang became many of the carols now known to pony kind today. As for the leaders, as the fire melted their icy prisons it also melted their icy hearts. And they realized then how short sighted and foolish their hatred had been, as all hatred shall ever be. Not only is life too short to truly hate anyone or anything, but it shall always pale in comparison to the overwhelming joy and warmness of friendship.
When the blizzard retreated and the land thawed out, the three tribes agreed to merge together as one kingdom. And they dubbed the new land on which they had settled "Equestria". In time the kingdom elected its first rulers and built its first castle, cities and towns. And for centuries all was well, until the day a crafty and sinister spirit of chaos appeared and took over. But that's another story.
Just as Spike had finished retelling the story in his mind, he was snapped back to reality when Twilight skidded to a halt. "What is it, Twilight?" The baby dragon asked. "Are we lost again?"
But Twilight happily shook her head and told him. "No, Spike, we've finally made it! We're home!" And she was right, Spike recognized the sight before him at once as the house in which Twilight had lived during her filly years in Canterlot (and still frequented many times even after she moved into the castle as Princess Celestia's student).
And standing in the doorway, all bundled up in hats, scarfs, and boots, were two very familiar unicorns. A mare with a coat so light gray it could be mistaken for white, a mane and tail in stripes of the same light gray color as well as a purple only slightly lighter than Twilight's, eyes a sweet arctic blue in color, and a cutie mark depicting three blue stars. And a stallion with a coat the same blue as the night sky, a mane and tail considerably darker blue in color, eyes a lovely shade of moderate amber, and a cutie mark depicting a yellow, waxing crescent moon with a smaller, white waning crescent moon inside. They were instantly recognizable as Twilight Velvet and Night Light.
Twilight eagerly ran up to her parents and embraced the both of them in a hug! "Mom! Dad!" She happily exclaimed!
Velvet was the first one to speak up. "Oh honey, we're so glad you could make it. Your father and I were worried that with this huge snowstorm, you'd be lost or stranded somewhere."
Twilight shook her head. "Nothing could keep me from my family! I've missed you both so much in the time since I moved to Ponyville!"
"Oh we've known all about it," Night Light chuckled. "Princess Celestia kept us informed of your exploits, and we couldn't be happier that you've made friends. You can tell us all about them later, but for now we'd better get inside before we all freeze our rumps off."
Twilight and Spike followed Velvet and Night Light inside and Velvet used her magic to shut the door. The warmth of the house felt so nice to Twilight and Spike after they'd been out in the cold all day.
"You're just in time for dinner," Velvet cooed to her daughter. "I was just about to start baking the cookies for dessert. Do you and Spike wanna help me? It'll be just like old times."
Twilight beamed a happy smile. "I'd love that very much," She informed her mother. "But first, I have something I wanna share with both of you. You know Spike, right? My baby dragon and number one assistant?"
Night Light nodded. "We sure do, and I must say he's still just as adorable as he was the last time we saw him. I still remember how excited you were when you first brought him home."
"Well," The mare cleared her throat and informed her parents. "You'll be pleased to know that I now consider Spike my son, and sometime in the near future I plan on making it official. I really can't imagine what my life would be like without him. In a way he was like the first friend I ever had."
Night Light and Twilight Velvet both cooed and awwed. "That's so sweet, we always did consider Spike to be our grandson," Velvet commented and then added. "Gosh, I feel old."
"Oh what are you talking about, dear?" Night Light teased. "You still look as beautiful as you did the day I first met you."
"Oh stop it, you!" Velvet teased back. "Not in front of the little one!"
Spike snorted. "Hey, I'm not that young you know!"
Velvet patted Spike's scales with a hoof. "Of course you aren't, Spike. But you're still just so adorable!"
Twilight intervened to change the subject, coughing into a hoof. "Where's Shining Armor? I thought he'd be with you."
Velvet and Night Light exchanged nervous glances. "He said he'd be here today but he never specified when," Night Light answered with concern. "It's getting quite late though, I'm not sure if he'll able to make it. This weather did pop up unexpectedly after all."
But just then there came a knock at the door. "It's open, come in!" Velvet gingerly called.
The door knob turned and a moment later who should come trotting into the room but a unicorn stallion with a majestic white coat, dressed in a red wool jacket and matching hat? Removing his hat, the stallion revealed a moderate sapphire blue mane and tail with shades of darker and lighter blue in waves, which matched his moderate cerulean eyes to a t. His cutie mark was a purple shield that had a pink six pointed star on it and three smaller, light blue stars above it. Twilight recognized said stallion at once as Shining Armor, her older brother! "B.B.B.F.F!" She happily exclaimed (that was short for Big Brother, Best Friend Forever) and embraced him in a hug!
Shining Armor smiled, returning the hug. "Yup, it's me, Twily!" He greeted and then he spoke to Velvet and Night Light. "Sorry I'm late, this weather has made getting just about anywhere near impossible to do. But I wasn't gonna miss Hearth's Warming for the world, especially after I couldn't be there for my sister's birthday party."
"Speaking of family," Spike interrupted. "Guess what, Shining Armor? I'm now Twilight's son, and that makes you Uncle Shiny."
Shining couldn't help but chuckle. "Aren't you a little too young to be a mother, Twily?" He teased. "You still sleep with Smarty Pants last time I checked."
"I do not!" Twilight blushed and playfully whined. "Besides, the love I have for Spike has always felt like something beyond simple friendship. I hatched him and helped to raise him, it's only fitting I'm kind of his mother."
"Well if you think that's impressive, just wait until you hear about my big news." Shining spoke up.
"Well that can wait until later, Shining," Velvet declared. "For right now, we've got a Hearth's Warming dinner to prepare and then Hearth's Warming dolls to hang over the fireplace. And remember, no peaking at your presents early."
"That goes for you too, Spike," Twilight cautioned. "Just because I let you open one present early when we're alone, doesn't mean you can do it here. This is Mom's house, so Mom's rules go."
Spike folded his arms across his chest. "Aw, that's not fair." He grumbled.
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Again, this is a very good redo on the re-write. I loved the flashback/present day parallels in this story. In addition, the exchanges, characterizations, general wrap-up and future story foreshadowing are all well done in all the right places. And, yeah, you made some excellent points in the author's notes.
Anyway, here is something for either Volume Eight or Volume Nine when you get to those next year.
School Daze: Twilight actually finds out about the loophole concerning "Princess domain" BEFORE she even proposes the school to begin with (meaning her going to the education board is more of a courtesy [i.e. while I would PREFER to have your approval, I am quite willing to do the school even without it). At first, things go reasonably well, despite Neighsay's , well, nay-saying. However, when Chrysalis kidnaps six of the students disguised as one of the teachers (I think you can guess which six), the threat of war comes. The Mane Six and Starlight go to the rescue while Spike tries his best to keep the school going with the help of Celestia and Luna themselves and your choice of substitute teachers. Eventually, the Mane Six and Starlight succeed in rescuing the kidnapped students and driving off Chrysalis. However, the traps and secret passages she placed in her new lair distract the heroes enough for Chrysalis to complete her escape, along with a hair discreetly collected from each of the Mane Six and Starlight from the battle (this serves as foreshadowing for "the Mean Seven").
Non-Compete Clause: Applejack and Rainbow actually succeed in keeping their competitive streak in check enough to focus on the teamwork lesson. Instead, ALL of the complications come from nature itself (both weather AND animals). This makes things harder because they have to keep modifying their plans, but it also helps because it provides even more chances to practice teamwork.
The Mean Seven (two-part re-write to "the Mean Six"): After several months of planning, preparing and training the seven clones she created from the hair samples she collected at the end of the re-written "School Daze" Chrysalis is finally able to put her plan into action. First, she uses carefully planned sneak attacks to capture ALL of the REAL Mane Six and Starlight one-by-one (this takes up all of part one), she then proceeds to Phase Two of her plan: Sending the clones to the Friendship School to corrupt the students. The real Mane Six and Starlight escape from Chrysalis's trap and capture Chrysalis herself while Spike, with some help from Discord (who is MORE than a little peeved about the thought of Fluttershy being in danger), deals with the clones. You see, Spike knows the real Mane Six and Starlight well enough to NOT be fooled by the clones and had the foresight to call in Discord for back-up (as he would be the only one powerful enough to stand a chance against both the Twilight clone AND the Starlight clone). Discord, who is actually NOT Nerfed this time, makes EXTREMELY quick work of the clones (though he keeps them alive so he and Spike can question them). Of course, before Spike and Discord even have a chance to start interrogating the captured clones, the real Mane Six and Starlight return, a little worn out and frazzled, but otherwise okay. Chrysalis and the clones are then shipped off to Tartarus.
A Matter of Principals: All of the Mane Six get called away from the school on three separate simultaneous friendship mission problems (all three of them QUITE real) and they don't return until the very end of the episode; after which all three teams (your choice which teams) give only slight details onto the nature of the problem.
Anyway, the main story is Spike and Starlight (Spike as acting principal, Starlight assisting him) trying to handle things at the school. Meanwhile, as for substitute teachers, the Pillars (minus Starswirl) as well as Celestia and Luna try to fill in for the Mane Six there.
But, anyway, that is for Volumes Eight and Nine (possibly even Volume TEN) and I will also respect your right to NOT do these if you don't want to.
Still, I am definitely going to be looking forward to more of this.
9091299 I'm thinking "A Matter of Principals" would be blended in with "Non-Compete Clause" as episode 14 since "The Parent Map" or "The Mean Six" would be a two parter taking the slot by "Non-Compete Clause" with Starlight and Discord competing against each other for the position of headmare in Twilight's absence, tying it into "Friendship University" when Twilight investigates Neighsay's school.
9091312
Yeah. That sounds like it could work too.
Of course, both "the Parent Map" AND "the Mean Six" could be two-parters if you cut out one of the other episodes that probably wouldn't work in the "re-write" universe. That would definitely leave room for BOTH episodes to be two-parters.
9091387 We'll have to see whether "The Mean Six" is relevant to the finale or not first.
9092122
Yeah. Probably WON'T be, but you never know.
Actually, if Chrysalis and the clones ARE all shipped off to Tartarus in the re-written "Mean Seven", it could actually go quite a way to explain how Tirek managed to absorb enough power to be a threat again (i.e. Chrysalis and Tirek work together JUST long enough to plan and successfully pull off a break-out, Tirek THEN drains off the magic from the Rarity clone, followed by the Rainbow and Fluttershy clones and the Applejack and Pinkie clones then the Starlight clone, saving Chrysalis and the Twilight clone for VERY last. As a result, he would AT LEAST be more powerful than the entire Mane Six combined [possessing all of their combined abilities plus those of Starlight AND Chrysalis]).
Still, as I said, it probably won't be relevant to the finale. But that doesn't mean it can't be relevant in the re-writes.