Learning To Live Again

by Speedy Quill

First Hearth’s Warming

The air grew colder with each passing day. I began to wear a scarf whenever I went outside. The hive was far enough south that we usually didn’t deal with the winter season. How did ponies do this every year?

This particular morning I was walking back from Luna’s tower. We had been up all night working on a summoning spell. I’d been working on it for a week straight with minor success. I could summon an object if it was in front of me, but I was still struggling with unseen items. Luna had been trying to help me figure out how to summon a cup from the shelf behind me.

Luna was becoming more relaxed with each evening, but I could tell she was a little irked that I wasn’t catching on quicker. Give me a break! I’m not Twilight. These simple spells were a lot harder for a non-pony like me. But did that make her go easy? Not a chance!

I entered the castle and made my way towards the dining room. My stomach was ready to turn inside out with how hungry it was.

I entered the room to find Celestia seating herself. She smiled at me.

“Good morning! I didn’t expect to see you so early.”

I sat down in my usual spot.

“Don’t we have a meeting with that committee from Vanhoover?”

“Well yes, but I figured you’d be taking a rain check on that one. You were up all night, weren’t you?”

“What gave it away?”

“I could hear you two bickering from my room.”

“We don’t bicker.”

“Oh? Calling my sister a slave-driver is friendly?”

I rolled my eyes.

“That’s just how we communicate. And she called me an insect!”

“Well the way you two are going, I’m going to have to put you both in a timeout.”

“...Can you actually do that?”

“Try me.”

She sipped her tea and winked at me. I scowled.

“Getting back to the topic, I’m fine and can come to the meeting.”

“What are we discussing with the committee?”

“Their budget for the upcoming holiday.”

“And the holiday?”

“Hearth’s Warming Eve.”

She stared at me for a moment, taking another sip of tea.

“Alright. You seem coherent enough. But I swear if you snore, Luna’s name-calling will be the least of your worries.”

“Thank you.”

Breakfast arrived and we began eating. The pancakes had powdered sugar on them, resembling some of the snow I’d begun seeing around Canterlot.

“I know I’ve read the stories and everything, but what’s the point of this holiday?”

Celestia paused and looked up.

“To remember the friendships we have in our lives.”

“And you need a whole day to remember them?”

She stared for a few seconds.

“Do changelings not have holidays?”

“I’d never even heard the word ‘holiday’ before a few months ago.”

“So you’ve never celebrated anything?”

“Besides victory over our enemies? No.”

Celestia stood up suddenly.

“This is far more serious than I thought. Here I was just thinking you were being a regular old Snowfall.”

“Come again?”

She came around the table to me.

“I want you to go out into the city and see what everypony has been doing to get ready. Hearth’s Warming Eve is only two days away!”

“What?! But the meeting-“

“Will continue without you. I know you have responsibilities now, but this is a matter of personal growth. I want you to experience the holiday for all that it is. Go out and observe the city. Have some fun!”

“It’s just a bunch of decorations and sweets out there...”

“The very fact that you think that’s all there is to Hearth’s Warming is why you need to do this Shade. I think you’ll thank me when the day is over.”

“The day?! I have to do this all day?!”

Celestia looked down on me with a stern face. Great. She was serious. I backed up a couple paces and sighed.

“Okay.”

Her smile returned.

“Excellent! Have fun!”

————————————

I left the castle and began walking the streets. Ponies were out shopping and laughing. And they were all smiling too. This was bizarre.

“Did everypony get a hit of laughing gas or something?”

Many ponies were carrying bags and gift boxes. Others were out decorating the exteriors of their shops. There was a slight coating of snow on the ground, hoofprints imprinted across the surface. As I looked back and forth, I got a whiff of a nearby bakery. The smell of cinnamon assaulted my nose. I felt my mouth begin to water as the aroma filled my nostrils.

I moved further down the street and music began to fill the air. I followed the sound to its source. There was a group of ponies singing carols on a corner. I stood for a few minutes listening to them. I don’t know why, but I felt a smile form as I listened to a few songs.

The next street had more of the same. The only difference was that every shop along the row was heavily decorated inside and out. The whole street was the very definition of extravagant! Why were these shops so ornate? I looked up at the street sign and realized I was on Diamond Street. Rarity’s boutique was down this way!

I began trotting towards Canterlot Carousel, eager to see how it was decorated. As I made my way down the street, I saw ponies frantically putting up additions to their decor. Why were they in such a hurry?

I arrived at the boutique and was shocked at the sight in front of me.

The outside was bare.

I hurried to the door and opened it. I was even more shocked to find Rarity running around inside, decorations trailing behind her.

“SASSY!! DID YOU PICK UP THAT GOLD RIBBON I SAW LAST WEEK?!”

Sassy Saddles appeared from the back room, decorations following her as well.

“Yes! Here it is!”

A spool of gold ribbon flew across the room. I had to duck to avoid being hit. Sassy noticed me first.

“I’m sorry. We’re closed for the next two hours.”

Rarity chimed in, still focused on hanging the ribbon.

“Don’t turn away customers Sassy! We don’t want to-“

Her head turned and her eyes found me. I was still in a state of mild shock from the scene I was witnessing. Somehow I managed to put on a smile.

“Hello beautiful.”

“Shade! What are you doing here darling?”

“I was walking around town and thought I’d see your decorations. What’s going on?”

She placed the gold ribbon and sighed.

“They moved up the deadline for the Diamond Decoration Dash.”

“The what?”

Sassy gasped.

“The Diamond Decoration Dash! Anypony who is anypony has heard of it!”

I rolled my eyes.

“Do I look like a pony to you?”

Sassy put on a pout, unhappy with my lack of knowledge. I turned back to Rarity, only to find her hanging decorations again. She saw me staring and filled me in.

“The Dash is an annual event. The shop owners of Diamond Street have six hours to decorate their shops inside and out. Whoever has the best display wins the prize.”

“And what’s the prize?”

I ignored the gasp from Sassy. Rarity continued.

“Your storefront featured on the cover of this winter’s catalog!”

“I’m guessing a fashion catalog?”

How many gasps could Sassy have in her?! Rarity nodded.

“The catalog is set to be released in three days. They just need the cover and it’s ready to print.”

“So how much time do you have left?”

She finally spun around to me.

“That’s the problem! The deadline was originally six tonight, but they decided to move it up to noon!”

“You’ve been here since six this morning?!”

“No! I didn’t get the memo about the deadline. Sassy told me when she found out and I rushed over as fast as I could. There’s only two hours left and I’ve barely started!”

I could see tears forming. This was a big deal to her. I looked over at the nearby boxes of decorations and focused. They were engulfed in my magic and began to levitate toward me. I smiled at Rarity as she stared in surprise.

“Where do I start?”

——————————

We worked our tails off. I probably ran a few miles going around in circles in the boutique. We were able to get the interior finished forty minutes after I arrived. The three of us moved outside and went to work on the exterior. My vision became a blur of tinsel and garland.

A bell started ringing as I plugged the lights in. Rarity and Sassy were hyperventilating while I made sure the lights were all on. I heard a voice from down the street.

“Step away from your shops! Step away from your shops!”

Damn! I stepped back, hoping that everything looked good.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that our rush job had turned out well. The shop was trimmed in garland with gold ribbon, colorful decorations, and some silver bells. The windows were bordered with more garland, these featuring tinsel and scented pinecones. And there were lights around everything, giving wonderful pops of color throughout the decor.

Through the windows you could see the interior, where red, green, and white made prominent appearances. And there was a bit of gold ribbon to accent everything inside.

I stood back with Rarity and Sassy, admiring our handiwork.

“Wow. I never noticed how pretty decorations could be.”

Rarity surprised me by pulling me into a hug.

“Thank you so much. We couldn’t have done this without you.”

I returned the hug and kissed her on the cheek.

“Yeah you could.”

She giggled and released me. The ponies of Diamond Street were milling about, congratulating each other on their displays. Rarity and Sassy began to walk along the shops, commenting on their neighbors work. I followed along, listening. It was surprising to find out that, despite the competitive aspect, nopony seemed to be on edge about who would win. They were all just enjoying the decorations.

I began to take in each shop we passed. They were dazzling! Some had lavish decorations that screamed ‘look how rich I am’. Others had tons of color, drawing your eyes to their shop over others. I took it all in, not wanting to miss a single display. It was a bit overwhelming, but I couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy at how everypony got into the spirit.

Rarity continued to congratulate others on their work. She was so genuine in her praise. Ponies were so happy to hear her approval too. And they all said how excited they were to see her display. Watching her made me realize that it wasn’t the competition that was important to her. I had thought she was upset that she’d fallen behind and wouldn’t win, but it was less petty than that. She’d been upset that she might miss out on participating in one of the big events of the year. She didn’t want to be left out.

We began to make our way back towards the boutique. Ponies were starting to migrate that way to view the rest of the shops. We beat the majority of the crowd and Rarity was there to greet ponies as they approached. Sassy and I stood back as ponies congratulated Rarity on a job well done.

“Oh thank you! But I couldn’t have done it without my friends.”

She looked back at us, her smile making me a little weak in the knees.

Sassy moved forward to talk to some of the passing ponies. I continued to stay back, letting Rarity have her moment.

“I say Rarity! You’ve gone with the traditional look. Though that is the easiest choice when it’s your first year.”

I leaned over to see around Rarity. Some posh pony was making quite the show of commenting on the decor. Rarity’s smile had faded a little.

“I don’t know if it’s quite traditional. I’ve added a little of my own flair to it.”

“I see! You definitely have a flair for subtlety. And it almost seems like you threw it together last minute!”

Rarity’s smile was gone now. I didn’t like that. I took a step forward, but Rarity wasn’t finished.

“Well I suppose that subtlety isn’t everypony’s style. I chose to let my boutique shine through the decor. I saw that you took a different approach. I could hardly see your shop past the ice sculptures you had.”

Wait...there had been a shop behind that sculpture garden?

I could see that the pony was taken aback. And it seemed the crowd agreed that Rarity had won the standoff. But then Miss Posh had one final jab.

“I’d hardly expect a small town pony to understand the grandeur of Canterlot decor. But you shouldn’t feel bad. I’m sure you’ll learn...eventually.”

In that moment, a plan popped into my head. I don’t know how I came up with it so fast, but I put it right into play. I moved around the crowd until I was facing the boutique. Then I began to push through the crowd gently.

“So sorry! Pardon me. May I sneak through?”

I broke through the front of the mass, causing everypony to look at me. I smiled at Rarity and, using a little of my changeling magic, put on my best Canterlot accent.

“There you are darling! I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

I made a show of looking over the shop.

“Marvelous!"

"Darling!"

"Exquisite!!"

I turned to Rarity with as much flourish as I could muster.

"This is exactly what we’ve been looking for! Celestia has grown tired of the same old holiday decor. I told her that we should go for something simple, yet elegant. And you’ve done it! The Princess will be so pleased to know the castle’s holiday decor is in good hooves.”

Ponies couldn’t begin whispering fast enough. I could tell they were impressed by my show. There were only two ponies that reacted differently. The posh pony was annoyed that her spotlight had been stolen. And Rarity was staring at me, trying not to laugh.

After a minute, the posh pony stomped away into the crowd. Soon the whispers ceased and everypony began milling about again. I approached Rarity and kissed her on the cheek.

“Not too bad, huh?”

Whoops. Forgot to change my voice back. I ended the spell and cleared my throat.

“Not too bad, huh?”

Much better! Rarity giggled.

“When did you become such a good actor?”

“Your dramatic flair has rubbed off on me I guess.”

Sassy walked over to us.

“An impressive performance. I wouldn’t have guessed a castle messenger could be so convincing.”

Rarity smiled, her eyes still locked on me.

“He’s not a messenger Sassy. That’s just another character. He’s Celestia’s advisor.”

Sassy stared at me for a few moments before responding.

“Advisor? I didn’t know she...”

Her eyes grew bigger.

“You’re him, aren’t you?”

Rarity turned to Sassy.

“Him? What do you mean?”

“Rarity! Don’t tell me you haven’t heard the rumors?”

“It’s Canterlot dear, there’s a mountain of rumors.”

“I know, but the big rumor that’s spreading is about a mysterious pony in the castle who’s become close with the Princesses. They trust him so much that they gave him the most prestigious position available.”

She turned to me, her eyes looking over every part of me.

“They call him The Right Hoof, as in the right hoof of Celestia and Luna. He’s said to be the most powerful and influential pony besides the Princesses themselves!”

Rarity looked back at me, her eyes filled with wonder and confusion.

“Is that true?”

I shrugged.

“Well...I don’t know if I’m that powerful and influential...”

Rarity just stared at me while Sassy fanned herself with her hoof.

“I’m so sorry if I was ever rude! I didn’t know who you were.”

I looked around, making sure nopony was listening.

“It’s okay Miss Saddles. I keep a low profile. And I’d like it kept that way.”

“Of course! My lips are sealed.”

I turned to Rarity.

“Would you like to go for a walk? I’ve been meaning to see some more of the city.”

She smiled and nodded.

We said goodbye to Sassy and left Diamond Street. As we made our way through the streets of Canterlot, it began to snow. I looked up at the snowflakes, letting them fall against my face. I could feel Rarity watching me.

“Have you never seen snow?”

“Not like this. It’s wonderful.”

“I was just thinking. This is your first Hearth’s Warming, isn’t it?”

I nodded.

“Celestia wanted me to get out today and really get into the spirit of things.”

“And have you?”

“The Dash definitely gave me a new appreciation for decorations.”

“There’s more than that you know.”

“Funny. Celestia said the same thing.”

Rarity smiled and grabbed my hoof.

“Come on. What you need is a hot chocolate. Nothing gets you into the spirit like cocoa”

I let her lead me down the street. We came to a cafe that smelled of chocolate and cinnamon. Rarity ordered two hot chocolates for us and we sat down to wait. As we sat at our table, a couple of fillies ran by, throwing snowballs at each other. They were giggling away as they attempted to hit one another.

As the fillies ran off and our hot chocolates arrived, the carolers I’d seen earlier came around the corner. The pony leading the group was singing a solo as the rest hummed.

When I see the twinkling lights so bright
It reminds me of that lovely night
You made me warm beyond compare
Two lovers, young, without a care
You looked so fair by firelight
And gave me one last kiss goodnight
So by the mantle I will prepare
The Eve doll of my lady fair
We press against each other tight
And celebrate with joy so bright
Hearth’s Warming Eve is here tonight!

I sipped my cocoa and sighed.

“I didn’t know that there could be so much joy in the world.”

Rarity held out her hoof and I grabbed it gently. The snow continued to fall as we drank. I was beginning to understand what Celestia and Rarity were talking about. All of these ponies sharing the spirit of friendship with each other. It was an amazing thing. Their friendships were stronger because of the shared experiences brought on by the holiday. And that was something they got to share every year.

I smiled as I realized that I now had my own Hearth’s Warming memories. And I would get to form more over the next couple days. I looked at Rarity.

“You heading back to Ponyville soon?”

She had that soft smile that I loved so much.

“That depends...what are you doing Hearth’s Warming Eve?”

I returned her smile.

“Hopefully spending it with you. If you don’t mind staying.”

She scooted around the table and leaned against me.

“I’d love nothing more.”

I sighed in content as we continued watching the snow fall. This whole holiday thing wasn’t too bad after all.

Comments

[The Bricklayer]

Absolutely d'aww worthy.

[Masquerade_Malek]

I crave more of this rewrite! So good! Loved Taken In, and this is even better. I anxiously wait for the next chapters!!!

[Replica Knight]

I love this rewrite

[Oblivions eye]

Yes.

[ChakatRedstripe]

I'm guessing by the comments that this is a rewrite. Not seen the original, but I'm loving this story

[Teraunce]

dawwwwwww....................