A Hearth's Warming to Remember

by Bronyxy

3 Words Overheard

Princess Luna awoke to the tender caress of a forehoof on her neck; not so soft as to tickle and not forceful enough to be intrusive. She opened one eye and found herself focusing on the face of her marefriend in the dim light permeating the bedroom. She smiled in recognition and leaned over for a kiss, finding Rarity eager and responsive.

Half an hour later, Rarity heard the barely audible click from the alarm clock that she had been listening out for; her cue that the preset time had been reached for her marefriend to rise. Since she had switched off the alarm on her way in to the bedroom, this was the only notification it was going to give the two lovers over whom it kept vigil, but from whom it faced tactfully away.
“Come on darling, time for you to get up” she whispered into the alicorn’s ear.

They stepped reluctantly out of the warmth of the bed they left behind and the intimacy of the bond so recently shared, exchanging one last delicate kiss before Rarity set to work fussing over Luna’s appearance until she put to shame even the most flattering of portraits of her ever painted.

She surveyed herself in a full length mirror, admiring the effort the fashionista had gone to on her behalf and strode out of their chambers with a spring in her step to be confronted by three fillies dressed in gold lined, maroon coloured capes, each adorned with a yellow silhouette of a prancing pony on a blue background.
“Um, Princess…” Sweetie Belle spoke up, stepping forward from her friends, “I hope you’ll accept this gift from me, but on behalf of us all.”
At this, two heads behind her nodded enthusiastically.
“Thank you fillies” said Luna, genuinely surprised, “Is this for Hearth’s Warming, or should I open it now?”
“Now, if it’s convenient, Princess” replied Sweetie Belle, expectantly.
Luna turned to Rarity who just smiled knowingly, indicating that this wasn’t just a secret shared between three, but in fact between four; in short everypony present except her.

She was quietly pleased she didn’t have to wait, as whatever this peace offering was needed to be opened sooner rather than later to maintain the momentum that the four of them had begun.
“Very well” she acquiesced, tearing into the wrapping with distinctly fillyish relish.
As the friends watched, they saw a piece of maroon and gold material fall out, only to be caught in Sweetie Belle’s green aura before it could land on the floor. They all giggled happily as Luna took the garment and held it up, allowing it to unfold in its true glory; an adult sized cape just like the three friends wore!

“I thought” said Sweetie Belle, “That since you and Rarity are close friends, and I’m her sister, that maybe that makes you my sister, kind of, and we all wanted you to be part of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, you know, like we help others and you are always helping others, kinda makes us the same, sort of …”
Luna smiled at the young unicorn’s rather rambling speech and donned the cape in her magic, while Rarity heaved a sigh of relief as she saw that she had guessed the size just right and that it fitted her just like a scaled up version of the ones being worn by the three excited fillies in front of her.
Sweetie Belle cleared her throat officiously and announced; “Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! We do solemnly invite you to join the exclusive order of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!”
Luna stepped forward in a gentle parody of her regal bearing.
“I accept” she replied, and reached down to give all of her fellow CMCs a large hug as Rarity looked on, beaming happily. She had made amends, and done it in style.

“Now we are all members of the same elite club” announced Luna, “May I invite you all to witness the raising of the moon?”
The fillies all cheered excitedly and swarmed around their newest member as she led them out to the Royal balcony where Celestia was already waiting.

“Good evening Sister” greeted Luna happily.
“Hello Luna” replied Celestia, picking up on the bonhomie among the party that her sister led out onto the balcony, “That’s a lovely new cape you have, Luna. And, oh my, our three young friends have ones just the same too; I am guessing this is no coincidence?”
“You are quite right Sister, I am the newest member of the esteemed Cutie Mark Crusaders.”
“Such an august organisation” replied Celestia, “I am so pleased for you. Now that they have allowed you into their ranks, I wonder if they are here by chance, or perhaps whether they would like to see the lowering of the sun?”
The fillies were beaming fit to burst as Celestia beckoned them up to join her as she projected her magic out towards the sun, lowering it lovingly to its rest at the end of another day. Luna then summoned her caped friends to watch as she called out to the moon and lifted it up against the deepening purple of the darkening sky and proceeded to place the constellations in their familiar places, introducing each by its name and telling a short story about each in turn.

Celestia stepped over to keep Rarity company as the Princess of the Night entertained her young friends.
“It’s lovely to see the new lease of life you and your sister have given Luna.”
“I’m so sorry we made such a dreadful faux pas yesterday” replied Rarity, “I’m so ashamed of the way we behaved.”
“Don’t worry” replied Celestia giving her a kindly smile, “The press are good at making up a story where there isn’t one. I believe it was just a slow news day and they could see an opportunity to make a little mischief.”
“Thank you Princess” said Rarity humbly, “I have spoken with my sister and we will be much more careful in future.”

Luna turned away from the balustrade as the fillies followed her heading back to the balcony doors where two white mares were waiting for them.
“Perhaps, as our young friends appear already dressed for dinner, they should all join us tonight?” enquired Celestia, “What do you think Luna?”
“Oh, can we?” they all chimed as one.
“Of course you may” concurred Luna, “Please accompany us in.”

By the time they entered the hall where a team of serving staff waited, they all noticed that the extra places had already been set at table. Either the staff were psychic, or this had been planned in advance; only Celestia and Rarity knew the answer to that one.

The usually serious and business-like two-way handover meeting that underpinned the purpose of this combined breakfast/dinner meal became a refreshingly animated and entertaining event. For one night only, the grown-ups all gave their young guests the opportunity to regale them with stories of the colts and fillies they had helped gain their cutie marks, with maybe just the slightest embellishments added along the way.

At the end of a delightful meal during which Celestia and Luna had both gained a deeper respect for the CMCs and their altruistic activities, Rarity announced that she had to take them back to Ponyville on the last train, so they could participate in activities with Miss Cheerilee the next morning. Celestia gave individual hugs to everypony and wished them all a safe journey before departing to her chambers for the night, while Luna thanked the fillies again for their kind gift and for having accepted her into their club; she reserved a much more passionate farewell to her marefriend, already beginning to count the minutes until she would return.

Rarity and her party of three caped fillies just made it to the station before the train arrived, although it was a much closer call than she would have chosen. They walked through the surprisingly crowded train right to the last carriage which was practically deserted apart from two parties of ponies, a friendly but noisy group at one end and a smaller, quieter group at the other. Rarity directed them towards the quieter group, knowing this was already past the fillies’ bedtime and gratefully, they filed in to a group of four seats together with a table between them. Here, they would be free to relax, tell their stories about the events in Canterlot and then fall asleep as was the usual order of events at this time of night. Indeed, Rarity had a sketch pad and a few pencils out ready, so she could jot down a few design ideas when the fillies fell asleep and she could keep herself usefully occupied once there was nopony left to talk to.

The train pulled out of Canterlot station with loud chuffing noises that were all but overwhelmed by the sound of their excited chatter. After a few minutes, Sweetie Belle put her head to one side and became strangely silent.
“Sweetie Belle, darling” enquired her sister, “What’s wrong?”
“Listen” she whispered, “Just listen to what they’re saying.”
“Sweetie Belle, you know it’s unladylike to eavesdrop” chided Rarity, “I thought I’d taught you better than that.”
The unicorn filly reached forward and abruptly tore off the top sheet from her sister’s drawing pad and a pencil and started writing.
“Honestly, Sweetie Belle!” huffed Rarity, “Why are you being so disobedient?”
By way of a reply, the filly turned round the piece of paper she had been writing on and showed her sister the three words she had written, whilst holding a forehoof up to her lips in an obvious quiet gesture.
· MAGIC
· ENSLAVE
· EQUESTRIA
Rarity stared speechless, tilting her head to one side and within ten seconds was frantically writing on the next sheet down in her drawing pad. Sweetie Belle meanwhile had stopped writing words and had drawn five horizontal parallel lines closely together, onto which she was adding strange symbols.

Raised voices were indicating that the mood of good natured, if loud companionship they had heard from the other party of travellers when they had boarded was developing into an argument and Rarity was pleased she had chosen seats as far away as possible. Not only that, but they were also close enough to the mysterious group apparently plotting quietly behind them to still be able to just about make out what they were saying, even if was only about one word in four.

Suddenly, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom noticed that half of their number had stopped talking and quietened down too, at which point the sinister discussion that the two sisters were overhearing suddenly became quieter too; so quiet that they could no longer listen in. Sweetie Belle made UP motions with her forehoof, trying to get her friends to resume their noisy conversation. Suddenly put on the spot, they couldn’t think of anything to say and tried to hang random unconnected thoughts together loudly, but this lacked the coherence of a proper conversation and shortly the subterfuge fell apart, the opportunity lost. Sweetie Belle looked at Rarity and shrugged, her older sister responding by pulling a face that seemed to say “Eeek!”
Quickly, she drew the others together across the table and whispered what they had overheard, their eyes growing wide as they learned what had been going on only a few feet away from them.

Throughout the rest of the journey, they were on tenterhooks, listening for anything else discernible, but there was nothing further to be heard. Rarity was however, grateful to acknowledge that differences among the group at the other end of the carriage appeared to have been resolved and they had quietened down too.

When the train reached Ponyville, they all got out; the large friendly group heading into town while the smaller group of three went the other way, hoods raised against the settling evening chill.
“Come on” encouraged Rarity, looking around the fillies for the support she knew would be forthcoming, “We have to see where they’re going.”
They kept a safe distance from their quarry, but when they disappeared into the thickening foliage of the Everfree, had to close up further lest they lose them. Before long, it was impossible to keep up, and even under the full moon, Rarity had to take the decision to abandon the pursuit, aware that she was responsible for getting not just herself but also three fillies safely out of the Everfree at night, the time when dangerous animals were on the prowl.

To her great relief, Rarity successfully retraced her steps and headed back into town, straight to the welcoming sight of the Castle of Friendship.
They were met by Twilight who received them all warmly, despite the hour.
“Hello Rarity, how nice to see you, and you three fillies too; love the capes by the way!”
“Oh Twilight, darling” began the seamstress theatrically, “Of all the worst things that could happen …”
“Uh huh” interrupted Twilight, knowing how much her friend sometimes succumbed to the over-dramatic.
“No, really Twilight, this truly is!”
“Right” humoured the librarian, “Shall we talk about it over a nice cup of tea?”
“No time darling, no time!”
“OK, spill.”
Rarity then summarised what had happened on the train, especially the words she and her sister had overheard. Twilight looked pensive, “Sweetie Belle; what else was it you noted down?”
“I heard some singing” she replied, “Not words, just a repeated melody, so I wrote it down as sheet music so I could sing it back.”
“Oh well done, darling!” gushed her sister proudly.
“Can you sing it for us?” asked Twilight, her brow now distinctly furrowed.
Sweetie Bell cleared her throat and repeated the seductive sounding ten note refrain that had been barely audible to her on the train over all the other noise.
Twilight froze in shock.
“Sirens” she said.

“Spike! Spike!” she called, then adding as an aside to nopony in particular, “Oh, I do hope he hasn’t gone to bed yet.”
The unmistakable form of a baby dragon clutching a comic book and rubbing his eyes appeared after a few moments.
“Hey Twi” he greeted his mistress, “Oh, Hi guys. Sounds important - what can I do?”
“Take a message, please Spike:

Dear Luna,

Rarity has just reported a chance encounter with what sounds like sirens. They started to sing on the train down to Ponyville, a tune that’s very familiar to me following the Battle of the Bands with my Canterlot High friends. I think there’s only four of us in Equestria who have heard their song; you, Celestia, Spike and me, and we all know what it means.

She pursued them into the Everfree before it got too dangerous to follow them any further and is now safely with me along with the fillies in the Castle of Friendship.

I was thinking of flying reconnaissance over the area to see what I could find before they can get too far, but wanted to check in with you first.

Twilight

Send as soon as you’re ready please Spike.”

“Sirens?” questioned Spike incredulous, “I thought you defeated them at the Battle of the Bands and they weren’t a threat any more?”
“So did I. Our CHS friends keep an eye on them and I haven’t heard anything from them to suggest that they’re anything but harmless teenage girls in their world, but it wouldn’t hurt to check. Perhaps more have hatched here in Equestria?”
“Hatched?” gasped Rarity.
“Yes” replied Twilight, “Their natural form is reptilian in appearance, so it would be sensible to assume that they are laid as eggs and then hatch, but there haven’t been any reported in Equestria for a thousand years, as far as I know. Either these eggs have had a really long incubation period or there are other sirens alive and well that we haven’t found yet. Perhaps they have managed to conceal their presence by mastering shape-shifting like the ones we met, you know, in the same way that the changelings do?”
They all shuddered at this last idea.

Before they could continue the discussion any further, Spike burped a gout of green flame and a letter appeared amid a puff of grey smoke.
“Want me to read it out Twi?” he asked.
“Yes please Spike.”

“Dear Twilight,

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. So glad to hear Rarity and fillies are safe. We will be with you within one and one half hours including Thestrals practiced in tracking. We think it would be too dangerous for you to take on this task alone.

Luna”

“Well, it looks like we’re going to have visitors this evening” observed Twilight with masterful understatement, “Now, shall we all have tea before they get here?”

Comments

[NoMoreNormalcy]

Oh snap. I hope it doesn't get too real for the CMC's sake.

[Bronyxy]

9358424
Something's going down and it doesn't sound good ...