A Hearth's Warming to Remember

by Locomotion

Chapter 3: The Flying Mistletoe

Next morning was business as usual for Locomotion. Once out of bed, he gave himself a quick wash and trotted briskly downstairs for a quick bite to eat before heading off to work. No sooner had he collected his kitbag, however, than his attention was distracted by a knock at the door; and when he answered it, he was surprised to see Apple Bloom standing outside.

“Howdy, Loco,” she said, “is Hornette up an' about yet?”

“Uh...yeah,” replied Locomotion, looking over his shoulder. “She's just in the middle of breakfast. How come?”

Apple Bloom shrugged. “Just wanted ta come over an' talk to her about...somethin'. Mind if Ah come in outta the cold?”

“Oh, sure.” Locomotion politely stepped aside and let her enter, closing the door once she was inside. “What did you want to talk about anyway?” he asked curiously.

“Ah, well that's...um...confidential.” Rather a feeble excuse, thought Apple Bloom, but it was the best she could come up with.

Locomotion cocked a perplexed eyebrow; but before he could press further, Hornette emerged from the dining room. “Oh, hi, Apple Bloom,” she remarked, licking the milk moustache away from her upper lip. “I wasn't expecting you to be this early.”

Apple Bloom chuckled wryly. “Yeah, sorry about that, Hornette,” she apologised, “Ah din' mean ta rush y'all.”

“No, that's alright. You just took me by surprise, that's all.”

“That makes two of us,” quipped Locomotion, checking his watch. “Anyway, love to stay and chat, but I don't wanna be late for work. Lots of shunting to be done.” He leaned over and gave Hornette an affectionate peck on the cheek. “Bye, honeybee.”

Hornette smiled and returned the gesture. “Have a good day, tender heart,” she replied as Locomotion trotted cheerfully out of the house. Only when he was out of sight did she turn her attention back to Apple Bloom; “So what did Big Mac and Applejack say?”

“Well...we got rather a lot ta do round the house,” said Apple Bloom, “but nothin' too big or complicated – just hangin' up decorations, puttin' up the tree, bakin'...we think a couple hours each evenin', Monday ta Friday should be doable. That okay with y'all?”

Hornette pondered. “Um...yeah, sounds fine. How many sessions will it take, do you reckon?”

“How long's a piece o' string?” observed Apple Bloom with a shrug. “It doesn't have ta be perfect, anyways.”

Just like Sweetie-Belle said yesterday – but it does if it's for Loco, thought Hornette; but refrained from saying it out loud. Instead, she replied with a nonchalant, “Well, if you say so. I'll see you this evening then...unless you'd like something to drink,” she offered.

Apple Bloom shook her head. “Thanks, but y'all still have breakfast ta finish; an' Ah gotta go help Big Mac collect the Hearth's Warmin' tree.”

“Okay. See you round then.” Hornette politely held the door open until Apple Bloom had passed through the gate, and then closed it again before going back to her bowl of cereal.

By now, Steamer was in the middle of cooking his own breakfast. “Hey, Hornette, what was that about?” he asked.

“Oh...nothing much,” said Hornette. “Just Apple Bloom dropping by for a quick chat.”

“Oh yeah?” remarked Steamer, interested. “What about?”

“I just thought I'd try my hoof at woodcarving. Apple Bloom's promised to help me with it...as long as it's okay with you, of course.” The young changeling paused, blushing profusely. She had been hoping to keep it to herself for fear of Locomotion finding out, but she didn't feel right lying to Steamer. “I was...kinda hoping that...well...”

“Oh, I see,” said Steamer, quickly putting two and two together. Sensing Hornette's dismay, he sidled up to her and gave her a reassuring pat on the back. “Don't worry, Hornette – your secret's safe with me, I promise. When are you planning on doing this?”

“A...a couple of hours each weekday evening, starting tonight.”

“Right – because I think we might be a bit low on decorations and such.” Steamer winked broadly. “I'm sure Loco wouldn't mind looking through a few options.”

Hornette's eyes lit up. “You mean...?”

“I most certainly do,” smiled Steamer resolutely. “If I can persuade him to come and choose a few decorations, I should be able to buy you plenty of time.”

“Aw, thank you, Mr Steamer! That'll be wonderful!” Hornette was so touched that she couldn't help herself, and Steamer was nearly knocked off balance as she all but lunged forward and hugged him tightly; but he quickly recovered, and returned the hug with a hearty chortle.

---

The days went by, and the general atmosphere around Steamer's house grew steadily jollier and more festive. Whenever he and Locomotion had time to spare, they, aided by Hornette, would busy themselves by decorating the rooms, writing cards and buying presents for their friends and family, and even preparing food for the big day. Steamer handled most of the cooking; but Locomotion also pitched in by baking a big chocolate roulade, his own signature Hearth's Warming dessert. He was especially delighted when they had chosen a tree to go in their living room – decorating the Hearth's Warming tree, he explained to Hornette, was very much a sacred ritual for him, and even when he was younger, his parents had always made sure to involve him in decorating theirs.

Hornette, for her part, could only share her coltfriend's joy as she helped him hang tinsel, baubles and multicoloured fairy lights from its branches. No wonder he loved Hearth's Warming so much, she thought – with so many bright colours around, any creature would have to have a heart of stone not to like it. Even grouchy old Cranky Doodle Donkey, she discovered one day, was all smiles as he went about his business.

“Happy Hearth's Warming indeed?” he had grunted with sarcastic dismissal, after Hornette gave him a cheery greeting. “Bah, humbug!” But no sooner had the young changeling's face fallen in dismay than he broke out into hearty laughter, genially assuring her he was joking before wishing her a happy Hearth's Warming in return. That, of course, only helped her embrace the spirit of the season still further; as did her evening woodcarving sessions with Apple Bloom. Though fiddly and tedious, Hornette found them increasingly rewarding as her block of wood gradually evolved into an adorable miniature locomotive. Locomotion was sure to love this, she thought happily...

As time went on, the weather changed dramatically. Little by little, more snow fell from the sky – until, on the night before Locomotion's excursion turn, light flurries gave way to a fearsome blizzard. The wind howled like a mad wolf as it tore across the land, whipping up the snow and carving it into deep drifts; and by morning, it was so deep that many ponies could barely make it out of their homes. When Locomotion left for work, he found himself almost knee-deep in snow, but he was too excited about the Flying Mistletoe to care.

Shortly after he booked on at the sheds, Hornette came to the station to see him off, and the two teenagers treated themselves to some cocoa and cookies in the café while they waited for the express to arrive. They chatted for some time about what sort of presents to get for whom, until eventually their conversation turned to Locomotion's train.

“Why the Flying Mistletoe, anyway?” asked Hornette curiously.

“Mistletoe is a plant that can be found in trees of all sorts,” explained Locomotion. “It's really popular as a Hearth's Warming decoration, and couples often hang boughs of it to kiss under.”

“So, like...you and me?”

“Pretty much, yeah – not that I'd advise kissing beneath a rake of coaches.” Locomotion chuckled wryly at his own feeble joke before moving on. “It's just one of a wide range of names we use for our Hearth's Warming specials,” he continued, “another being Uncle Steamer's train, the Northern Lights Limited. There's also the Sugarplum Fairy, the Polar Express, the Nutcracker, the Holly Jolly Flyer, and the Star of Rudolph, to name but a few.”

“I bet they must be really popular,” mused Hornette.

Locomotion's face lit up. “Aw, you bet they are. My family and I took one of them...I think it was the Sleigh Bells Special...to the Hearth's Warming market in Fillydelphia when I was eight, and boy, was it a trip to remember,” he observed. “The whole interior was decked with tinsel and garlands and such, they had a live band playing festive tunes...we in Equestrian National Railways always decorate our trains at this time of year, but the Hearth's Warming specials are in a class of their own.”

Just then, they were interrupted by the station announcer; “The train approaching Platform One is the Flying Mistletoe from Canterlot, leaving at 8:30 for Albaneigh, Delamare, Fort Maine, Hoofington, Maresburg, Fillydelphia and Manehattan Pennsylhaynia Station.”

“Ah – that's me!” Locomotion promptly downed the last of his cocoa, picked up his kitbag and made for the door, pausing only to wrap up his remaining cookies in a napkin and stow them in his lunch box for later. He and Hornette stepped out onto the platform just as a huge engine pulled alongside, resplendent in its spotless green paint and shining brass. Strings of fairy lights, tinsel and fir branches lined its boiler, cab, tender and footplate; and on its front buffer-beam, flanked by two headlamps, sat a bright red headboard bearing the legend “THE FLYING MISTLETOE” in white lettering.

Hornette watched heartily as cheery passengers milled around the train. “This does look festive,” she murmured to Locomotion. “I sure wish I was going with you.”

But Locomotion was barely listening. He had just caught sight of the nameplate standing proud on the engine's left-hoof smoke deflector, and was in raptures with what it read. “Well, bust my boiler!” he remarked. “I knew it'd be a 484P, but this?!”

“What's so special about it?” queried Hornette.

“That's one of the latest batch,” explained Locomotion. “They've had six of these engines built specially for working the Friendship Express, numbers 484P21 to 26 – all named after the Elements of Harmony!” and he pointed to the nameplate. Sure enough, it revealed the engine's name as “Element of Loyalty”, and the cabside also sported a red lightning bolt just above the number 484P25.

“Wow!” said Hornette, awestruck. No wonder Locomotion was so excited about this engine – to work on one of the most prestigious engines on the line (and one whose name best summed up his personality, she considered) must be the greatest honour of his career. “I bet Twilight and her friends are flattered by the gesture.”

“Oh, they're flattered alright – they personally approved the names before their construction began. They even commissioned a heraldic signwriter from Hoofington to make the cabside crests.” At that moment, Locomotion looked over his shoulder to see a familiar off-white stallion walking up to him. “Hey, John. How's it going?”

“Not bad,” smiled John Bull genially. “How about you? Been getting on alright?”

“More than alright, now that Hornette and I are an item!” laughed Locomotion, and John gave a small chuckle of his own.

After checking with the previous driver and firepony that all was well, John and Locomotion invited Hornette to join them in the warmth of the cab until it was time to leave. While they waited for the guard's whistle, they continued to make small talk.

“Been keeping well, Hornette?” asked John.

“Oh, yes, Mr Bull...” The young changeling smiled ruefully. “...well, apart from that cold I had a while back – but I'm sure looking forward to Hearth's Warming.”

“Oh, well, that's good. Must be whole a new experience for you.”

“Yeah...but a welcome change all the same,” observed Hornette. “We changelings had never had any kind of festivities since Chrysalis took the throne, and I'm sure glad to be making up for it now.”

John looked dismayed. “Sheesh, that sounds kinda sad,” he sympathised, “not being allowed to celebrate anything. Sure, all this extra traffic and all these passengers can be a bit of a burden, but I for one couldn't imagine a winter without a Hearth's Warming.”

“It's not something I wanna think about,” agreed Locomotion under his breath. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to think about it for long – within seconds, the call of “ALL ABOARD” from further down the train told them they were almost ready to leave. He and Hornette shared a quick kiss, and the young changeling left the cab just as the guard blew his whistle.

“Bye, Loco!” she called as the train pulled out of the station. “Have a safe journey!”

“See you in three days, Hornette!” answered Locomotion, and waved jovially until he was out of sight. Only when the last of the twenty-two coaches had cleared the platform did Hornette allow her own excitement to bubble to the surface; her present to Locomotion was almost complete by now, and his trip to Fort Maine was the perfect opportunity for her to sneak it back without him noticing. She took off for home, humming merrily.

---

While Locomotion was away, Hornette carried on very much as she had done over the past fortnight. Most of her time was spent shopping with friends or helping Steamer prepare food for their Hearth's Warming feast, the only exceptions being the last two woodcarving sessions needed to finish her model engine. The only thing she didn't feel too sure about was painting it, so Apple Bloom agreed to do that for her once the model was ready.

The following Sunday, Hornette awoke practically buzzing with excitement. Locomotion was due back tonight; and equally importantly, she had planned to pick up his present that very afternoon. She skipped happily down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Steamer was just cooking some hash browns. “Morning, Mr Steamer,” she trilled cheerfully.

“Hello, Hornette. Been a while, hasn't it?”

Hornette stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide with delight. Steamer had given her a friendly nod, but the answering voice wasn't his. “Why, Elli!” she gasped. “When did you get here?”

“Just last night,” smiled Firelli Brazen, who was standing off to one side. “I've been spending the night with Mum and Dad, and thought I'd pay Loco and Uncle Steamer a visit,” and she trotted over to give Hornette a hug. “How are you then?”

“Oh, I'm over the moon right now,” gushed Hornette. “I've been making the most wonderful present for Loco, and I'm gonna be bringing it home later. I can't wait to see him open it!” and she let out a small squeal of ecstasy.

“Oh yes? What sort of present?” asked Firelli, interested.

“A wooden model of a Claud Hoofington,” explained Hornette. “I wanted his first Hearth's Warming present from me to be really, really special, so I've taken woodcarving lessons from Apple Bloom so I could carve it myself.”

Firelli chuckled appreciatively. “Well, I'm sure looking forward to seeing it. Speaking of Loco, where is he?”

“Out working a special train,” interjected Steamer. “You won't get to see him until tomorrow morning, I'm afraid.”

“Oh...that's alright, Uncle Steamer.” Firelli was a little disappointed, but quietly assured herself that she would still get to see her brother later on...

---

Meanwhile, at Fort Maine Exchange Station, Locomotion and John Bull were preparing for their long journey home. The Flying Mistletoe had arrived nearly ten minutes earlier than expected, allowing the passengers plenty of extra time to explore the Hearth's Warming market here while the express took on fresh provisions and its engine went for servicing at the shed. Normally, this would include oiling all the joints and “cleaning” the fire of any clinker; but just like the rest of her classmates, “Element of Loyalty” was fitted with roller bearings throughout, and had a bigger firebox than the usual City Class engines. As such, she didn't need her fire cleaned or her motion oiled as often, so once John and Locomotion had taken on coal and water, they could head straight back to their train.

As they waited patiently for the passengers to return, Locomotion sat back and listened contentedly to the music playing over the public address speakers. He had enjoyed looking around Fort Maine over the last two days, and was looking forward to getting home with his haul from the market.

“I just hope Hornette likes what I bought for her,” he thought aloud, looking back towards the tender cupboard.

“Why, what did you get?” asked John curiously.

“Well...not much really,” said Locomotion. “Just a small trinket, let's say,” and he tapped the side of his snout.

John shrugged. “Well, I can't really give an opinion, then; but I'm sure she'll appreciate it, no matter what it is. It's the thought that counts, after all,” he observed.

Just then, the stationmaster came over. “How's it looking, John?”

“Pretty good,” reported John. “Steam heat, boiler pressure, water level, electrics – everything's fine. Should be good for a clear, fast run home.”

“I wouldn't bank on that,” warned the stationmaster gravely. “The weather chief called earlier to say they're preparing a blizzard over the Buckskin Mountains. It could choke the main line.”

Locomotion's brow furrowed as the tale of Rudolph flashed through his memory. He knew that even the strongest locomotive was no match for deep drifts without a snowplough, and worried that they too might become stranded if the storm went on for too long; but he also knew the passengers were relying on them, and he didn't wish to let them down.

And neither, for that matter, did John. “Well, I'm not gonna let some blizzard scare me,” he answered resolutely. “We'll get those passengers home safe and sound, or I'll eat my cap. Right, Loco?”

“We'll do our best, that's for sure,” put in Locomotion with cautious optimism.

The stationmaster frowned anxiously. “Well, rather you than me,” he finished. “In snow like this, you'll be lucky to make it as far as Delamare, let alone Ponyville.” With that, he strode off to supervise the loading of the luggage van.

“We'll make it yet,” muttered John under his breath. “Provided we can get past Horse Junction before the storm breaks, we've got a good, sporting chance.”

But Locomotion wasn't so sure. Even when the train finally pulled out of the station, he couldn't ignore a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that they were headed for trouble.