Friendship is Failure #14: A Hearths Warming Carol

by DakariKingMykan

Intro: Twilight's Work

INTRO

T’was the day before Hearth’s Warming
And everywhere you saw,
Pretty snow and decorations,
A sight of awe…

The ponies of Ponyville were looking with glee
For all the happy faces any pony could see
Gifts were exchanged, children were playing
And many great donations to charity were paying

Princess Sparkle and Spike by her side,
Had stopped by a bank and stepped inside
They too were on a donations spree,
to gather more money to give to charity.

***

Twilight had been really busy since the start of the holidays. Even though her School of Friendship was closed and all the students gone home, there was much to be done.

As Princess of Friendship, she was often in charge of organizing the annual Hearths Warming party to be held in town square, and for a full week she had worked, worked, and worked.

-She first organized all the festivities, made sure invitations were given to practically every pony in town.

-Then she, with the help of Applejack and Pinkie Pie baked all the treats and goods for the feasts.

-She, along with Rarity and Fluttershy helped make the decorations and set up everything in town square.

-Now, she was helping to gather donations to feed the poor.

Twilight and Spike approached the head of the Ponyville bank; a rather stingy looking old Earth Pony named Miser Stash. He was very elderly, with a bald head and a very little grey hair on the sides of his head. His coat was a faded and pale looking yellow due to his age. He wore small oval glasses, and his cutiemark was that of bank vault with coins and documents spilling out.

The pony looked up from his work papers and saw Twilight’s smiling face, and Spike was fluttering up beside her and smiling just as wide while holding a large bag of coins and donation money.

“Can I help you?” he asked in a rather stingy voice.

“Miser Stash,” said Twilight “As you know, we’re collecting donations for charity to feed all the poor and homeless ponies and other creatures.”

“I am QUITE aware of that!” snapped Miser, and he reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a cheque which he wrote a very large and rather generous donation on. “Here!”

Spike grabbed the cheque and gawked at the large sum of money. “Wow! Twilight check it out!”

Twilight was nearly speechless. “This is a lot of money. It’s so generous of you.”

Miser didn’t even so much as give a slight grin, “You have what you came for. Please leave-- I have much work to do.”

Twilight felt concerned now, “But, it’s Hearth’s Warming. You shouldn’t be working so hard now.”

“Yeah, if anything, shouldn’t you be getting ready for the big party tonight?” asked Spike.

Miser looked up, glaring them dead in the eyes, the kind of glare that sent shivers up your spine.

“Hearth’s Warming…

…Bah! Humbug!”

Twilight and Spike, and any employee in the bank and the customers and clients who heard him stopped dead in their tracks and gazed his way in shock.

“If I could work my will…” Miser hissed “Any fool that goes about wishing me a Happy Hearths Warming, would be BAKED with their cakes, and wrapped up and shipped far, far away!”

Twilight felt shocked at such words, as did everyone else in the bank.

“As you were!” sneered Miser to the employees “It’s not closing time yet!”

With that, the employees got back to work in a heartbeat, fearing they would be fired.

As for Twilight and Spike, Miser asked them again to leave. “I have given you my donation; your business with me is complete.”

Twilight felt there was something exceedingly wrong with Miser. Never had she met a pony who seemed so grouchy, so annoyed.

Still, as she had other duties to tend to, she and Spike left the bank.

“Wow! What a grouch.” grumbled Spike “At least we got the donation. This will increase donations more than tenfold.”

Twilight didn’t seem to be paying attention. It still bothered her how miserable Miser Stash looked, and insulting Hearth’s Warming as he did; it felt so wrong. “How can some pony not like Hearth’s Warming?” she wondered aloud.

Spike could tell where this was leading. “Uh, oh… here it comes.” He muttered, and he imitated Twilight’s voice softly, “…Spike, I think we have a friendship problem to solve.”

And just as he called it, “Spike, I think we have a friendship problem to solve.” And she took off for Friendship Castle.

Spike flew after her, “Twilight, wait up! This bag is heavy!”

While all over Ponyville, ponies were celebrating the arrival of Hearth’s Warming, through a song Hearths “Warming Eve is here Once again!”

All we’re exchanging gifts, setting up more decorations, some ponies were caught under mistletoes and exchanging smooches. Especially Big Mac and Sugar Belle,

Even at the Bank, all the customers and employees were singing along, much to irate of Miser Stash, but rather than scream for everyone to stop, he merely stuff two large balls of cotton in his ears and concentrated on his work while grumbling miserably of Hearths Warming and silliness he was seeing. “Can’t they see I’m trying to get my work done?!”

Soon, after the song had ended, his secretary came into the office to inform him, “Sir, I believe it’s time to close up for the holidays.”

“So it is,” replied Miser “Enjoy yourselves. See you after the holidays.”

The secretary bowed to him, “Yes, sir… Happy Her--” she stopped when he looked up at her sternly, meaning he did not want her to finish that sentence.

“Sorry Sir. I’ll be on my way.”

Soon, all the employees had left; the bank was closed early for Hearths Warming. Every client and customer had been dealt with. All assets were set fine, but only Miser Stash stayed behind in his office working away. At least he now had some peace, quiet, and solitude just as he preferred, yet he could still see his calendar and the big picture of Hearths Warming happiness.

“Humbug!” he grumbled.

Comments

[Battle154]

*After carefully reading* Hmm. This is going to be a bit different.