12. Hearth's Warming Part 2
Post-Celebration Bean leaned back on the couch, which gave out a groan of impending structural failure. Most likely, it was not his fault. After all, the huge reindeer next to him outweighed Bean by a good measure, and the warm alicorn on his other side… was not going to be measured by weight, even in his idle thoughts.
“I can’t move,” he managed. “Too much fruitcake.”
“There’s no such thing as too much fruitcake,” said Celestia to his side, although the plate resting on her round tummy had one slightly nibbled piece remaining on it.
It was doomed, really. So many of its brothers and sisters had already fallen to the double-alicorn assault. Such terrible, terrible carnage, and all of the other Beans had just laughed and made more fruitcake to feed the ongoing destruction.
“I don’t remember any of this being left out for me before,” said a similarly immobile Santa, who was eyeing a fragment of fruitcake which had fallen into his beard. “Just those snickerdoodles, some raisin cookies, and almond milk. Good, though,” he admitted.
“Normally, our fruitcake is a fire hazard,” said Bean with a groan. “This year, we used rum flavoring instead of rum, and—” he waved a hoof “—stuff. Next year, I’ll leave you some of the good fruitcake next to the fire extinguisher.”
“I’d never be able to get off the ground, let alone fly home.” Santa let out a low chuckle for apparently no reason, and Celestia lolled her head to one side so she could look at him over the top of Bean.
“Just a little of knowing when your little ponies are being bad or good,” he explained. “You’ll find out eventually.”
* ho * ho * ho *
Post-Celebration Hokey Pokey leaned back on his couch in a blurry food coma and considered his position.
He then considered how many years in the stockade he would get if his position were known to Their Highnesses. Once they quit laughing, that is. As a bachelor, his couch had always been an adequate size, but holding two ponies, one of which was ever so slightly larger than himself, stressed it.
She’s faking it. She’s not sleeping. She’s drooling on my shoulder just to be… her. Nopony… or no bug, that is, snores like that. She is pretending to be sleeping while sipping off my emotions, like dessert.
Pokey could barely see the kitchen from his position, and the dirty dishes he had not even started cleaning. Military training warred against proper couch etiquette, and the weight of a changeling queen holding down his shoulder won. They would wait. Until after the hoofball game on the radio was over, at least.
While the announcer called out the starting lineup on the radio, Pokey leaned his head against his waxy-smelling changeling pillow and nodded off to sleep with a small smile on his lips.
* ho * ho * ho *
Post-Celebration Luna surveyed the aftermath of this year’s Hearth’s Warming, and a pleased grin came at the sight of the festive devastation. If the carpet of wrapping paper was any indication, this year was arguably one of the best that had ever been experienced, and it would long be remembered by the Beans, the Sisters, and even by Santa Hooves himself.
Luna hummed in delight as she remembered the Hearth’s Warmings she had shared with Star and her wee rascal. While this modern holiday bore only a passing resemblance to the Hearth’s Warmings of old—Luna was still convinced that the holiday was not over until the host was pinned to the ground in a half-nelson—the spirit and the love that was here was exactly the same, and she welcomed that love with a grateful heart. It filled the hole that Star’s absence had left in her heart to a degree, and in a way, it brought him back to her, even if only in memory.
But as the Princess surveyed, she noticed there was one who still needed a little more cheer in their holiday. With a sad sigh, Luna crossed the room, and after a slight pause, she sat down on the couch next to Soy Bean and wrapped a dark wing around him.
“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Soy,” she offered.
“The same to you, Princess,” he said, a pleased grin on his lips as he watched the younger Beans and their antics.
“How are you holding up?”
“Oh, I’m as well as can be expected,” he said softly. “I do wish Pole could have been here. She was so eager to share that blanket with Celestia and Baked. Don’t tell anypony else, but the Santa Hooves you hired for tonight is very good. I almost believed he’s real myself. And the children got such a kick out of him. Thank you.”
“He is the best Santa I have ever found. But?” Luna gently prodded.
“But it doesn’t hurt as much as it should,” he continued. “She was with me for so many years, through thick and thin, foals, sickness and health... and she’s gone. That awful pain that I thought would be with me forever is just an ache now. Why?”
“Because she is still in your heart,” said Luna. “And in every Bean you see, young and old.”
Soy hesitated, then glanced up to the nocturnal diarch. “Do you ever feel like Star Struck is with you? Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part, but as I sit here and watch, I can almost believe that Pole is right here, with her hoof holding mine and her head leaning on my shoulder. It’s almost like she’s here again, if only in spirit.”
Luna nodded as she felt the comforting touch of her own beloved begin to flow over her withers and sides. “Thankfully, I do feel that he is again with me from time to time. I have noticed that he usually comes to me when I am happy and when I feel the love of my friends and family.
“I think that my Star loves me just as fiercely—and just as deeply—as Pole loves you. Nothing can stop such a love, not even Death. She will remain with you forever, just as your family will. Just remember to seek the good in life, despite the pain. Pole would not want you to suffer needlessly.”
Soy nodded and turned his gaze back to the others. “I don’t think that will be a problem, Your Highness.”
Luna smiled as she felt the tender touch of Star’s kiss upon her cheek, and her heart swelled with delight as she watched Pole do the same. “You know, I like to think that my Star has met Pole, somehow, and that they are now sharing all of the fond memories they have of their families. Star always held out hope that Celly would eventually find a special somepony of her own, and if he were alive, he would have loved all of you.”
“That would be nice,” Soy said. “I’m sure we would have loved him, too.”
“I have no doubt of that. Star always loved a good meal, and he was always trying to get my wee rascal to try new things. There was one Hearth’s Warming, in fact, where he decided to attempt what we would now call a three-bean casserole.”
“Oh? How did that turn out?”
“Is ‘volcanically’ a word?” she said, and they both chuckled. “Perhaps ‘explosive’ would fit. You see…”
~ And To All, A Good Night. ~
A fun side note:
The first two Post-Celebrations were suggested by the incomparable Georg, and when Georg suggests something, it is always best to accept. (It's a bit like getting an offer from the Godfather, but without all of the unpleasantness. :)
The third Post-Celebration is from me, though. I wanted to include Star Struck in the holiday, but I couldn't figure out how to add him into Part 1 without it coming across all awkward and wrong. This was worked out much better.
Happy Hearth's Warming, everyone!
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Hearth's Warming is a fine pseudo-Christmas festival, but as a Discworld fan, I can't help but think Hogswatch is better.
Aw. Also, is Luna a Festivian? Is that even a word?
Should be “volcanically” there.
Augh, I can't handle all these feels!
10003654
Whoops. Fixed.
10003648
A Festivus for the rest of us? :)
Maybe. Or she just stole that one part of it.
10003643
Well, maybe one day Celly will learn about it, and then she can introduce it to Equestria! :)
10003662
They're too much!
Meanwhile sneaking in the air vents...
“You ask me to wait 20 years hag?” A blue coated foal says between a butter knife in his teeth. “Well, Hearthswarming comes to me this year!” He hisses in delight coming to the end of the grate.
“Yippie Kai yay MotherBuck-“ he yells before stopping. Realizing His bag of death now has him pinned in the vent. “Oh you have got to be kidding me!
What a great post Hearth's Warming segment!
amazing such a amazing and loving chapter.
I see Luna is a traditionalist like the Sparkle family.
There's just so much chemistry with these characters.
See, everyone is a chemist in some shape or form
Thank you all! I'll be here until the end of time. Muhahaha!
When our we getting villains for Bean to face with or rivals at least?
D'awww
So many warm and fuzzies, you'd think this fic was comprised of tribbles.
Mmmm, love the warm and fuzzies. They taste like cinnamon.
Once again, you have made me cry.
I hope that there will be a little moment where Twilight and Luna talk about how they’re related.
Also, Hokey and Chryssy are adorable.
a part of me hopes that hokey will come around and actually give chrysalis a chance.
10009115 , Same.
Anyways I love this story keep it up!
Looking forward to more beans. Also love bug needs hugs
10003680
I know I'm almost a year late (only started the Noses a couple weeks ago, after reading about Blank Page), but there's a..... tradition of sorts where I live.
Every year on Christmas Eve, the national TV network shows Die Hard as the late night movie. It's just not Christmas, until Hans Gruber falls from Nakatomi Plaza.
So, Yippie Kay Yay indeed!
"Grief, I've learned, is really just love. It's all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corner of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and the hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go."
Beautyful chapter. Very well done
Whole aftermath
10776383
I have no words to describe just how much I love this. Actually got me to tear up over here thinking about my mom. Sincerely, thank you.