S6 E7: A Hearth's Warming Tail, Part 1 (What If?) - Redo
The town of Ponyville was all aglow as winter had already come. And with its arrival came the arrival of a holiday that all of ponykind looked forward to be, be they young or old. Heck, even some non-ponies who lived in Ponyville were swept up in the holiday spirit. The spirit of the holiday that was Hearth's Warming.
This year especially promised to be a Hearth's Warming to remember, because word had gotten out that Princess Twilight Sparkle was hosting a huge party on Hearth's Warming Eve and on into Hearth's Warming Day. A party that was to take place at her castle, seeing as it had room enough to accomodate all who wanted to come.
When at last the big day (or night, rather) had come, ponies and non-ponies were flocking to the castle in droves to partake in the festivities. The crystal tree castle had been re-decorated inside and out for the occasion. And as the guests made their way to the castle for the party, many could be heard singing a merry little tune that quickly became a chorus. It was a song that went something like this:
Pony voices fill the night.
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!
Happy hearts so full and bright.
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!
Oh, what a sight.
Look at the light.
All for tonight.
'Cause Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!
Of course, it wouldn't be Hearth's Warming without snow. And the local pegasi were happy to oblige, with Rainbow Dash leading the weather team in gathering as many dark clouds full of snow as possible. All the while, all the pegasi were singing to themselves (with Rainbow leading the chorus):
Clouds arranged 'til they're just so.
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!
Gonna make some awesome snow!
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!
The chill wind blows.
Making a show!
Snowflakes aglow.
'Cause Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!
The earth ponies, particularly Pinkie Pie and Applejack, also had reasons to be especially cheerful. And they too could be heard singing as presents were brought in and food and drink aplenty was provided for all who wanted it:
A day that's filled with songs to sing,
Ding-dong, ding-dong-ding!
Cakes and pastries we shall bring.
Ding-dong, ding-dong-ding!
We're so busy making merry,
The windigos should all be wary!
And as our mighty voices carry!
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!
Even Rarity found reason to be even more cheerful than usual. And even she was singing her own part while assisting with last minute decorating for the castle interior (a task easier said than done when someponies were causing problems, albeit accidentally):
Decorations we shall make.
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!
Perfection you just cannot fake.
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!
Not one mistake.
No, don't let that break!
Oh, for goodness' sake!
As the party got underway, everypony from the youngest to the oldest all gathered 'round. And together the chorus echoed through the hallways for all to hear:
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once a—
Happy, happy Hearth's Warming Eve
Happy, happy Hearth's Warming Eve
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!
It was indeed a splendid and joyous celebration that was unfolding in the castle. And from a second floor balcony, the castle's three primary occupants: Twilight Sparkle, Spike and Starlight Glimmer were all watching the festivities. For Starlight, this was her first taste of Hearth's Warming in Ponyville and her first taste of the holiday since she couldn't remember when.
For Twilight and Spike, however, such activity and joy were nothing new to them. And they were eagerly looking forward to joining the party, celebrating well into the night. It was with this eager anticipation that Twilight turned to Starlight, innocently asking the unicorn. "So, Starlight, you ready to celebrate your first ever Hearth's Warming here in Ponyville? You'll get to celebrate it with friends and even family. After all, you're part of Spike and I's family now."
"Come on, big sis!" Spike teased! "Hearth's Warming only comes once a year! You must be excited, right? Right?!"
But to the surprise of both alicorn and dragon, Starlight slouched her shoulders, sighed and shrugged her hooves. "I don't know. I was thinking maybe I could just skip the whole thing."
Both Twilight and Spike were shocked to hear such a statement from anypony! Neither of them had ever suspected Starlight Glimmer to be a pony who didn't like the holiday of Hearth's Warming! Such ponies were rare and in the minority. What reason could somepony like Starlight have for not liking the holiday?
Well, Twilight was going to make it her goal to find out. She already had an idea in mind about how she might be able to convince her relatively new student to reconsider her view about Hearth's Warming. The young alicorn princess just had no idea whether it would be successful or not.
Spike was the first to speak up once the shock of Starlight's sudden statement had worn off. "Skip Hearth's Warming?! Are you crazy?!" He demanded of Starlight, practically getting up in her face in the process. "I mean, the holiday only comes once a year. Who in their right mind would want to skip it?"
"Well I do, apparently," Starlight willingly admitted. "I'm sorry. The holiday just doesn't do anything for me anymore, the magic's gone away. I never celebrated it back in my village. In fact, I had it outlawed. After all, isn't it mostly just a day for candy and presents?"
The little dragon still couldn't believe what he was hearing as he replied. "And why would you want to deny yourself candy and presents? Besides, isn't there more to Hearth's Warming than that?"
Twilight then spoke up. "I think what Spike is trying to say, Starlight, is that Hearth's Warming is a holiday worth celebrating. What's most important is spending Hearth's Warming Eve and Hearth's Warming Day with friends and family. That's why I hosted this big party after all," She pointed a hoof down to the foyer below as ponies of all ages and species trotted to and fro. "Look. See how many came? How many showed up for tonight?"
Starlight reluctantly did so. But what she saw only further convinced her she wasn't missing much: Ponies stuffing their faces full of treats, drinking cider and eggnog by the fire, wrapping or tossing presents or even just running about while singing songs. "Well, if you ask me, it seems like most ponies just see it as an excuse for silly songs and fun, not a day to remember things like friends and family," Then she let out a sigh as she began to turn away. "If you and Spike wanna celebrate, that's fine. I won't get in your way."
However, Twilight wasn't about to let her student just walk away and turn her back on the most important holiday of them all. She teleported in front of the unicorn mare and said to her face. "Well, maybe you just haven't heard the right Hearth's Warming Eve story yet!"
The unicorn mare scoffed as she replied. "Please, everypony knows that old story: The one about the pegasi, unicorns and earth ponies coming together to drive off the windigos, averting eternal winter. They teach it in schools, and I remember hearing it all the time as a filly."
The alicorn princess shook her head from side to side. "No, not that one, silly. I don't think you've heard this story before. But it's Sparkle family tradition to read it every Hearth's Warming Eve. It's called: A Hearth's Warming Tail! My mom used to read it to Shining Armor and I every year when we were growing up. And ever since Spike and I moved to Ponyville and I adopted him, we've read it together every Hearth's Warming Eve. This will be no exception."
Spike practically encouraged Twilight! "Ooh, can you do the voices again?! You know, like you did the first time you read me the story and like you say your mom used to do?! Pretty please?!"
"We'll see," Twilight insisted while lightly patting the baby dragon on the forehead. "After all, I want to make sure the lesson sinks in for Starlight and that she understands why the story is important," Then she proposed. "That is, if you're interested, Starlight. I have a copy in the library, away from anything related to the party."
Sensing that her mentor wasn't going to be satisfied unless she agreed, the unicorn mare with a grayish-purple coat reluctantly relented. "What the heck? I have a feeling you'd read it to me even if I said no. But I'll decide for myself just how 'important' it is, thank you."
Twilight Sparkle smiled. "Excellent!" And she took Starlight by the hoof! "Come on! Let's get everything set up! My copy's actually the same one my mom used. I did have my own copy, but it got destroyed when the Golden Oak Library was destroyed."
So it was that the ponies and dragon adjourned to the castle's library. Twilight even lighting a small fire with her magic to add to the mood. Then once everypony was sitting comfortably, she flew up to a shelf and retrieved a well worn, heavy book that she brought down with her magic. After sitting down next to Spike and making sure she had Starlight's attention, the alicorn princess carefully opened the heavy book. Clearing her throat, she began to read aloud: "This is the story of a unicorn. Not just any unicorn, but a very powerful unicorn named Snowfall Frost. It was said that she hated not just Hearth's Warming but the whole Hearth's Warming season, though no one knew the reason why."
Starlight did her best to listen with intent. But the first few sentences of the book already made her feel like she was being silently judged, even if Twilight assured her she was not.
Without looking up from the book, Twilight continued to read. But not before explaining: "It might help if you picture the characters in your mind, Starlight. Spike and I always did it, and when Shining Armor and I were growing up we'd do that too."
"And your point is?" Starlight Glimmer questioned.
Twilight pointed out with a bit of a blush. "Well, ever since I first met you, I've always pictured Snowfall Frost as looking like you: Except she had a top hat, a fine jacket and glasses," After taking a moment to compose herself, she read further. "Our story begins in Canterlot, a long time ago, on Hearth's Warming Eve. Every home in Canterlot was filled with the holiday spirit. Every home, that is... except one. That of Snowfall Frost. It was said of Snowfall that she was almost as studied as Starswirl the Bearded. Almost being the key word, since everypony knows that Starswirl was an expert at everything from transfiguration, dimensional calibration, teleportation—"
Spike interrupted as he had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "Twilight, we've been over this. Starswirl is awesome, we all know that. You admire him almost as much as you do Princess Celestia. Can we move on with the story, please?"
The young alicorn blushed anew as she admitted. "Right, right, I'm getting ahead of myself," Then she cleared her throat. "Anyway, the point is is that Snowfall was so powerful that she wanted to be perfect. And anything that got in the way of that was a waste of time. Thus, she came to despise Hearth's Warming, but especially Hearth's Warming Eve. Little did she know that on this particular Hearth's Warming, some very special guests would teach her a lesson she would not soon forget."
As Twilight continued to read on, the story slowly but surely took shape in the minds of all who were hearing it. And this is how the story unfolded:
Snowfall Frost had the same coat, mane and tail, and eye colors as Starlight Glimmer. And indeed, she wore a top hat and glasses. The coat she wore over her body to match her top hat was red with a white collar, and her glasses were also the same shade of red as her top hat and coat. With the same magical glow associated with Starlight, Snowfall was hard at work within the workspace she had created for herself within her own home. True to form, she was hard at working attempting to use her magic to turn a piece of coal into a beautiful bulb.
Unfortunately for Snowfall, the sudden ringing and jingling of bells on the street below interrupted her focus for but a moment. And that moment was enough to cause the bulb she'd created to shatter and break into tiny pieces! Groaning, she rudely remarked to herself. "Great, another batch ruined," Without taking the time to compose herself she then shouted. "Ash Hatchet!" Ash Hatchet being short for Ashley Hatchet, her assistant.
Ash Hatchet was just like Mrs. Cake: A plump earth pony mare with a frosting blue coat, and a pink mane and tail made to look like cupcake icing. She wore a pink sweater with multiple exposed pockets, and seemed to be shivering a tiny bit as she came trotting in. "Yes, Snowfall?" She asked her employer. "You called?"
The spectacled unicorn nodded, pushing her glasses into place before pointing a hoof and floating over a dustpan and broom. "I did, Ash. Get this mess cleaned up, now if you please. Those foolish ponies were ringing those blasted bells outside the window again and I lost my concentration! I swear, they do it on purpose!"
"Or maybe they just like celebrating the holiday like everypony else." Ash Hatchet grumbled to herself as she nevertheless carried out the task assigned to her. Soon, she had swept up the broken pieces and discarded them in a wastebasket.
The plump earth pony was just about to leave when Snowfall Frost noticed something sticking out of one of the sweater pockets. "Hey, what is this?" She demanded, then used her magic to pull the object out for a closer inspection. It was a lump of coal just like the one she'd been trying to transform. "Stealing my coal, huh?" She chided Ashley Hatchet. "Next I suppose you'll try to pick my pockets or something."
"Oh n-n-no, boss!" Ash shivered anew. "I-I-I wasn't s-s-stealing it! It's just so," Her teeth began to chatter. "C-c-cold in here! I just w-w-wanted a piece to keep me w-w-warm."
In an unsympathetic tone of voice Snowfall just scolded and shook a hoof. "I already gave you a piece last week. It's not my fault if you used it up already. And you know coal is expensive! I keep the heat down in here on purpose so that we don't waste it! Especially since I need the lion's share for my work," Then she added. "Now get back to work, unless you wish to find yourself unemployed."
Ash gasped in disbelief! "You wouldn't discharge me, would you, Snowfall?!" She asked with concern! "Not on Hearth's Warming Eve of all days!"
"Then you know what I expect. It's what I was taught as a child," Snowfall lectured. "Work hard, learn and use your skills to better Equestria. Don't forget, I was nice enough to take you in as a partner after my previous one disappeared under mysterious circumstances. I could very easily work alone if I wanted to. So don't waste my time lecturing me about Hearth's Warming."
Just then, however, the door to the room was suddenly swung open. In trotted a finely dressed unicorn mare with a snow white coat, and blue eyes that shone like diamonds. The ruby red winter jacket with ivory colored trim stood out even compared to the wardrobe of the other ponies in the room.
Snowfall eyed the unicorn and immediately frowned, recognizing at once who it was. "Cousin Glow," She snarled with a sneer. "My only living relative. Figures, this is the one time of the year where ponies like you choose to pay unwanted welcomes on hard working ponies like myself," Sighing a bit, she questioned. "What do you want from me?"
"Only to wish you a happy Hearth's Warming, Aunt Snowfall!" Glow happily proclaimed!
"Bah humbug!" Snowfall coldly retorted without changing the expression upon her face, one of discontent.
If Glow was at all startled or intimidated by such harsh language, she didn't show it outwardly as she replied. "Hearth's Warming a humbug?" She somewhat nervously chuckled. "Come now, Auntie. You don't mean that, I'm sure."
Snowfall rolled her eyes as she replied with a snort. "Oh, I do," In a mocking tone of voice she added. "'Happy Hearth's Warming' indeed! What reason have you to be happy? You're poor enough."
And Glow playfully retorted. "Then what reason have you to be so grumpy? After all, you're rich enough."
The glasses wearing unicorn only frowned and folded her hooves. "Humbug." She muttered.
Now it was Glow's turn to look impatient and unhappy. "Oh please, Auntie Snowfall. Don't be cross."
"Well what else can I be when I live in a world of fools like this? Out upon a happy Hearth's Warming," Snowfall bitterly remarked and retorted. "What's Hearth's Warming to you but a time for paying bills without money? A time for finding yourself a year older and not a bit richer? If I could only work my will, everypony who goes about with 'Happy Hearth's Warming' on their lips would be boiled in their own pudding! Buried with a stake of holly through their heart!"
"Auntie!" Glow sharply rapped.
And Snowfall only snapped back. "Cousin. You keep Hearth's Warming in your own way, and let me keep it in mine."
At that the finely dressed unicorn mare could only blink and complain. "'Keep it'? But you don't keep it, Auntie! You never have!"
Snowfall Frost then replied. "You're right, I don't. So let me leave it alone, then."
But rather than let that be the last word, Glow only declared with a smile. "I'm very sorry to hear that, Auntie. And here I was hoping to invite you to my big Hearth's Warming party. Come, dine with us and make merry, and all will be forgiven."
Snowfall's response was to simply say. "Let me think: Did I come last year? Or the year before that? Or the year before that?"
"W-well, no, but..." Glow began as she bit her lip.
"Then why did you think I'd be interested this year?" Snowfall snapped. "I'll be busy, I'm afraid," Then she saw fit to ask. "But tell me one thing: I hear you're getting married. But I don't understand. Why did you decide to get married?"
Glow immediately responded with a scoff. "'Why'? Well that's a silly question. Because I fell in love, that's why!"
Her eyebrows arching upward ever so slowly, Snowfall then asked her cousin. "And you regard that as enough of a reason to make such an important decision? Love?"
"Yes," Glow retorted as she stood her ground against her fellow unicorn. "And you know what else? Regardless of what you think, I believe that Hearth's Warming is a truly wonderful time of year. It's the one time of the year where it seems like everypony opens their shut up hearts freely. And even if it hasn't made me a day younger or a bit richer, I believe it has done me good and will do me good. So I say Faust bless it!" When she finished speaking, she was surprised to see Ash Hatchet clapping her hooves in approval.
But Snowfall was not amused in the slightest by this display. "Well, I let you speak your mind, Cousin Glow," And she gestured a hoof to the door. "Now get out of here and let me be!"
"Goodness, you are truly a miser, Auntie Snowfall," Glow scoffed and swished her tail. "I only hope you'll be happy spending yet another Hearth's Warming all by yourself: No family, no friends, no companions of any sort! Good day!" And with that she departed, loudly slamming the door behind her!
A short time later, however, the door swung open again as two ponies: One a pegasus mare and the other an earth pony stallion trotted in. The pegasus mare had a gray coat, a blonde mane and tail, greenish-yellow eyes and a cutie mark depicting bubbles. The earth pony stallion, meanwhile, had a light brown coat. His mane and tail were a much darker shade of brown. He had blue eyes and a cutie mark depicting an hourglass.
Snowfall Frost reluctantly turned to face the new visitors: Seeing the stallion was wearing a long, flowing, multicolored scarf and a green suit. And the pegasus wore a matching suit as well as a purple puffball hat and matching earmuffs. "May I be of assistance?" She questioned the visitors.
The wall eyed pegasus mare spoke up first. "Um, this is the residence of Snowfall Frost and Mr. D and Co., is it not?"
"It is, yes," Snowfall explained. "But you should know that Mr. D hasn't been around for many years now. In fact, it will be ten years to the day tonight when he left this realm unannounced. I would change the sign, but that costs too much money. I'll just paint over Mr. D's name when I find the time."
"O-okay, sorry about the mixup," The wall eyed pegasus apologized. "Anyway, Ms. Snowfall Frost..."
Snowfall corrected. "Just Snowfall will do, thank you."
The pegasus mare again apologized. "Right, Snowfall. A-anyway. We're uh... well we're... I mean we're..." But she suddenly found herself tongue tied in Snowfall's presence.
The earth pony stallion quickly took the lead and explained things. "What my partner is trying to tell you, Snowfall, is that we're running a charity. We're collecting donations for the poorest among us."
"Why?" Snowfall coldly questioned. "Are there no poorhouses? Are there no prisons?"
The stallion slowly replied. "Well... no... but..."
At that the unicorn appeared to breath a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. For a momet there, I was afraid something had happened to them."
The earth pony stallion just fiddled with his scarf a bit as he then said. "Well, that aside, Snowfall, we've been going door to door. We haven't gotten much yet, but we were hoping you wouldn't mind sparing some of your considerable fortune for donation," He then picked up a quill and a piece of paper and asked. "What shall we put you down for?"
Snowfall Frost immediately replied. "Nothing." And then turned her head.
"Oh, you wish to remain anonymous?" The wall eyed pegasus mare chirped. "That's okay! How much do you wish to give?"
But Snowfall coldly corrected. "I said 'Nothing'! I wish to be left alone! There's far too many poor ponies in the world as it is, why should I concern myself with their well being?!"
"But, you don't understand!" The stallion retorted. "Even the best of charities are stretched thin as it is. And some ponies are far too stubborn to accept help."
Snowfall only continued to display indifference. "Well if that's the case then what good will my money do? I don't tell you two how to do your job, do I? So why are you telling me what to do with mine? I prefer to use my bits for far more productive measures, thank you," And she pointed to the door. "Go waste your time elsewhere! Goodness knows you've wasted enough of my time already!"
"Oh, don't be like that, boss," Ash Hatchet spoke up as she trotted over to the pegasus and earth pony, forking over a single bit coin. "Here. It's not much, but every bit helps."
The earth pony stallion smiled. "Thank you for your generous donation, ma'am," Then he bowed. "You and your partner have a very happy Hearth's Warming," Motioning to his parter he then declared. "Come along, assistant. Let us be on our way. We've still lots of houses to visit and donations to obtain." And soon, the two charity ponies had also departed, leaving Snowfall and Ash alone.
Ash was worried that Snowfall might have something harsh or negative to say about giving money to other ponies, but to the plump earth pony mare's surprise her boss said nothing at all. And so, work continued without further interruption.
At last, however, the day's work was done. There was nothing left to do but to close up shop before the two partner ponies would have to part for the time being.
"Well then," Snowfall declared to Ash when all the closing up was done. "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow at seven o'clock sharp for work."
But Ashley gulped as she nervously replied. "Um, about that, boss? Tomorrow is Hearth's Warming Day, you know."
"Fine. Seven thirty, then, and not a minute later." Snowfall replied as she seemed to concede that point.
However, Ashley plucked up courage as she asked. "Well, could I have the day off? Not many other places are open for business tomorrow. And it would save a lot of expensive coal for the fire."
The glasses wearing unicorn snorted and humphed as her shoulders tensed up briefly. "It's a poor excuse to pick my pockets every year, even if I'm the only one who thinks so. But, by all means, if you want to just stay at home, ignore all of the work you have, and spend the rest of the holiday-"
"Oh, thank you, Snowfall!" Ashley Hatchet smiled as she hugged her boss. "I promise, I won't ever ask for another day off as long as I live!" And then she trotted off as fast as her hooves could carry her.
The finely dressed unicorn mare found herself at a loss for words. She thought to herself. "Did I just say yes?" Oh well, that was the least of her worries. Looking down at her hooves, she saw a discarded and broken stuffed toy that a child had carelessly discarded without a second thought. Using her magic, she picked it up and carried it inside. Perhaps it would burn better than the coal she was using.
Well, that would have to wait until tomorrow, when there was work to be done. In the meantime, Snowfall trotted back into her house and shut the front door behind her. The whole place was dark, lit only by Snowfall's horn until she was able to find a candle and a match, and the flickering flame provided a somewhat better source of illumination.
Seeing as it was still kind of early, the unicorn saw fit to fix herself a small meal. She would then pass the rest of the evening with some silent reading and book keeping, making sure that all business records were as they should be and that the balance was not negative.
Yet soon after eating, the unicorn mare could've sworn she heard a faint and distant moan. It sounded almost as if someone was crying out in agony, suffering greatly from something. But after her eyes quickly glanced around her surroundings, she could see nothing. She dismissed it out of hoof. "Must be hearing things." She muttered to herself, hoping to convince her mind of that fact.
But instead of going away, the moan only grew louder. Soon, it was a wail that could not be ignored. Accompanying the wail was what sounded like the rattling of chains and the thumping of heavy boxes. And suddenly, amidst the noise, a voice that sounded vaguely familiar began to call out. "Snowfall? Snowfall Frost?"
A cold sweat began to work its way down the unicorn's face as Snowfall called out to the distance. "Who's there?"
The voice called in reply. "Aren't you going to open the door and let me enter? I mean, not that I have a need for doors or anything."
"Whoever you are," Snowfall demanded as she tried not to let her nervousness show outwardly. "I'm not scared of you! Come out and show yourself if you're not afraid!"
Without warning, a cold wind swept into the bedroom Snowfall had been dining in. It blew out the candle on her nightstand, casting the whole room into darkness anew!
And then suddenly, a glowing, pale blue colored figure appeared, standing in the doorway as if it had just walked right through it. The figure wore a finely tailored suit and tie, complete with a top hat and a cane, but its entire body looked to be a mismatch of various creatures with not a single part matching another. For some reason, he also appeared to be surrounded by a long chain that ran down his entire body. And attached to the chain were several heavy blocks that seemed to weigh him down.
The creature took one look at Snowfall and immediately gasped! "As I figured, you'd forgotten all about me! Oh, Snowfall, I'm crushed! Really!" He pretended to faint. "How soon the high and mighty forget."
"Just who and what are you?!" Snowfall bitterly demanded! "And why do you look so familiar?!"
The creature tipped its glowing, hallow hat as it then identified itself by name. "You really don't recognize me, Snowfall? I was once your partner, Mr. D."
Yet even as she eyed the creature in all its mismatched glory, Snowfall could only scoff. "It looks like you, but I don't believe it."
"You don't believe in me?" Mr. D replied in what sounded like a heartbroken tone, only to receive a confirming nod. "Why do you doubt your senses, Snowfall?"
The unicorn was quick with the retort and counter-argument. "You should know, if you really are Mr. D, that even the smallest thing can affect them. A slight disorder of the stomach can make them cheat. You could be something I ate: A blob of mustard... or... a fragment of an undercooked potato. Dare I say it: There's more of gravy than of grave about you!"
Mr. D let out a low, painful groan. "Oh, Snowfall, you really should lay off the jokes. You were never a pony with a sense of humor, and jokes were my department," But then he composed himself before asking again. "You don't believe in me?" And when he again received a confirming nod he went on to add. "Still, you must admit that you see me."
"I do, but-" Snowfall began, only to be cut off without warning as Mr. D reared back his head and let out a roar that almost made the unicorn jump right out of her fur!
"Do you believe in me or not?!" Mr. D firmly and furiously demanded!
Whimpering and cowering in fright, the powerful unicorn reluctantly relented. "I do! I must! But... why have you come to see me, old friend? Why do you again roam this realm? Why come back to me in such a ghostly state?"
Mr. D could only reply. "I hadn't planned to leave you unannounced, Snowfall. But my time in this realm as you knew it was shorter than I thought. Now, I come back only to warn you, friend. You are headed down a dark path, one from which there is no escape. But it's not too late. Fate is on your side. You still have time to repent."
"What do you mean by that?" Snowfall all but demanded of the creature. "And what's with that wretched and horrible chain around your body?! Is that your idea of a fashion statement?"
In response, the chain seemed to tighten itself as if trying to pull Mr. D back! He groaned and moaned as he struggled against the pull, his neck tightening and his face looking like it was about to pop right off! "Oh, the chain! I was wondering when'd you ask," Gasping and struggling to catch his breath, he managed to explain. "You see, Snowfall... it is required of every creature that their inner spirit be set free upon their departure from this realm of existence: Be it voluntary or otherwise. Yet everything we say and do, everything we failed to do, is counted against us. And should our inner spirit not go forward, we're condemend to this fate: To witness that which we ourselves cannot change, yet hope to inspire a change in others."
"Are you saying you were forced to wear that chain?!" Snowfall questioned with concern as her eyes started to go wide!
"No, Snowfall," Mr. D explained. "I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link and yard by yard. I forged it of my own free will through my acts of greed and heartlessness. And now," He looked down at himself as his eyes seemed to fill up with regret. Slowly and mournfully he added. "Now I must wear it as proof of my foolishness. Why did I let myself walk through life with my eyes cast down? I spared not a day, an hour, a minute even for others. I kept to myself, wasting my days."
Snowfall sympathetically replied. "Oh come now, Mr. D. You mustn't be so hard on yourself. After all, you were always a good creature of business."
But Mr. D bitterly hissed in reply! "Business?! Snowfall, don't you get it?! Ponykind was my business! The common welfare was my business! Charity, mercy, forberence and benevolence were all my business! And I tell you, I am not the only one who has learned this lesson the hard way. You wear such a chain yourself, you just don't realize it. Can you imagine the weight and length of the strong coil you must bear?" Holding up his own chain he added in an ominous tone. "It was as long and heavy as this when I left you. You should see it now. It is a truly ponderous chain. For captive bound and double ironed!" And he began to wail and flail about in distress!
Snowfall was frightened and felt she had seen quite enough of this ghoulish, ghostly display! "Humbug!" She whimpered in fright! "Speak comfort to me, old friend!"
"Comfort?!" Mr. D replied as the chain around him seemed to tighten! "Hear me, Snowfall! And hear me well, for soon I must leave you! But I tell you: Tonight, you will be haunted by three spirits."
The glasses wearing unicorn gulped. "Haunted? I've already had enough of that!"
Mr. D simply went on to say. "Without these spirits you cannot hope to escape my fate, you will suffer what I've suffered. Expect the first ghost tonight when the bell tolls one. Expect the second ghost when the clock chimes two, and the third at the stroke of three!"
"Can't I just meet them all at once and get it over with?" Snowfall pleaded.
Mr. D only shook his head in reply. Then, as he began to retreat towards the door (almost as if he were being dragged by some invisible force) he still found time to call out. "Hope to see me nomore, Snowfall! But for your own sake, remember what I have told you! Care, grow, reform, change!" And then, just as quickly as he had arrived, he disappeared into thin air!
The lone candle that had previously been blown out flickered back to life a moment later, almost as if by magic. There seemed to be no trace of Mr. D anywhere, no sign that he had ever been there. Had he truly been just a figment of Snowfall's imagination? Had he really just been nothing more than a projection stirred up by an overactive imagination? It had felt so real, but had it really been real?
Snowfall Frost didn't know. And she had very little time to reflect on this before she could hear the sounds of children laughing and ponies singing carols on the street corner below her. The ringing of bells only added to the growing noise that assaulted her ears, reminding her of why she so despised the holiday of Hearth's Warming in the first place. "I've said once, and I'll say it a hundred times if I must," She snorted even though no one but her was around to hear her. "I HATE Hearth's Warming! I hate it all! Everypony would be much better off if we just skipped the day entirely."
And as she spoke those very words, an idea came to Snowfall. A truly awful idea. A wonderfully awful idea. A smile slowly spread across her face as she grinned. "In fact, I might be just the pony to make it happen." And then she started singing to herself:
'Happy Hearth's Warming!', they say in the street.
'Happy Hearth's Warming!', oh they think they're so sweet.
Words said so often that they lack any real meaning.
So why should I join in when I could be intervening?
Everypony loves this cursed holiday.
But would they be better off with it out of the way?
The unicorn quickly flipped open a page in a spellbook, placed a cauldron over a burning fire and poured some chemicals in to create a thick, green mist. And as the mist rose she continued to sing.
Well, okaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!
Say goodbye to the holiday.
With my magic, I'll erase it!
The greatest gift that I give today.
And everypony will have to face it!
No more little games for you to play.
After you say goodbye to the holiday!
Using her magic, Snowfall started depositing various items into the cauldron in preparation for the spell she was to cast. These included the discarded toy she had picked up earlier, a Hearth's Warming reef left above her front door and even some empty presents all wrapped up with nopony to be given to. And as she tossed them in she sang in fiendish glee:
Goodbye, Hearth's Warming. You had a good run.
Goodbye, Hearth's Warming. It's over, you're done!
Finally set free from your forced celebrations.
Now's there no need to reply to your trite invitations.
The calendar shorter by a single day.
But is my magic up to the test?
Time to see, I can't delay!
Snowfall's voice rose into a triumphant chorus as she found the page she wanted, and started mixing chemicals into the cauldron's brew. All the while she was boasting and singing:
Say goodbye to the holiday!
Prepare the spell, no hesitation!
All memory shall fade away!
See Equestria's new transformation!
And no more shall anypony say:
'Happy Hearth's Warming'... after today!
As she sang, Snowfall briefly thought she saw what looked like a horse made purely of ice and snow. But when she turned to look she couldn't see it anywhere, and so she shook it off as just another figment of her imagination.
When the singing had ended, the cauldron was bubbling fiercely. Snowfall stood over it and inspected her hard work, grinning and rubbing her hooves together with delight. "Yes! Once this spell is cast, all of Equestria will be better off, and they'll have me to thank for it! Congratulations, Snowfall Frost! You're a genius!"
"Wait a minute!" Starlight suddenly spoke up, interrupting the story to give her own thoughts on it. "So, let me get this straight: Snowfall doesn't like Hearth's Warming Eve so she decides to just cast a spell to get rid of it altogether? That seems a little extreme, even for me."
Spike only muttered to himself while enjoying some hot chocolate he'd been drinking from a mug. "Says the pony who tried to make everypony the same by replacing their cutie marks with equal signs, among other things."
But it seems the little dragon's commentary was overheard by Starlight, as she narrowed her eyes and snapped! "I heard that, you little brat! For the record, I'm just saying there's a difference between me not liking the holiday of Hearth's Warming, and Snowfall Frost hating it so much she wants to erase it from existence. Even I never went that far."
"But you did try to rewrite history just because Twilight and her friends exposed you as a fraud," Spike pointed out. "I was there, I saw it."
"Oh yeah?" Starlight retorted. "And you think you're this goody two horseshoes? Mr. Perfect? 'Cause you're not! I heard about the time you got greedy because you got a lot of presents for your birthday, and you turned into a giant monster because of it! And for the record, not everyone's lucky enough to have a family who lets them open presents early. If I'd tried to do that with my family growing up, I'd have been punished."
Twilight immediately moved to break up the argument that was brewing between the two. "That's enough, both of you! You've both done things in the past that you clearly regret, and you have no right to judge others over such things. It's Hearth's Warming Eve for Celestia's sake! There shouldn't be any fighting, especially among family!" Then after drapping a wing towards Spike to shush him, she looked to Starlight and said. "Everypony has their reasons for doing things we can't understand, even Snowfall. And if I could continue without being interrupted, we might just see what they are."
Spike and Starlight said nothing further. They just looked across to each other and seemed to briefly cast daggers at one another with their eyes when they thought Twilight wasn't looking. But they soon stopped as the story continued and they once again became immersed in it completely.
Clearing her throat, Twilight Sparkle looked to the book and started to read again from where she had left off in order to stop the dispute. "Snowfall was all set to cast her spell that would erase Hearth's Warming for all time. When a voice from the hearth suddenly caught her attention."
"So, you're really going through with this after all, huh? Even though you were warned what fate awaits you, you still wish to pursue this path of folly?" An unfamiliar, almost childlike voice called out from the blue. "Well, I don't suppose I could change your mind? Or at least, shed some light on your motivations?"
Snowfall spun around as she eyed the bubbling cauldron, ceasing in her endeavor to call out. "W-who said that?! Who is it now?!" As she spoke she suddenly heard bells in the distance. But these were not like the bells of earlier, these bells were much louder, much sharper in tone. They were the ringing of bells from a clock tower.
Immediately, Mr. D's words from earlier echoed in Snowfall's mind: "Expect the first ghost when the bell tolls one." And mere seconds later, the entire room was bathed in a blinding, brilliant light of pure white!
Slowly but surely, the light faded to reveal a young and slender looking pony with the wings of a pegasus and the horn of a unicorn. She was coated completely in white and wore a white robe that shone brightly. Atop her head was a small reef of holly that circled around her like a halo. In one hoof she held what looked like some kind of long cap, like the kind one would put on before bed.
Snowfall Frost eyed this mysterious pony before a sudden realization flashed in her mind! "Are you the spirit whose coming was foretold to me?" She asked the glowing pony.
"Indeed I am," The glowing pony responded as her voice seemed to echo in a soft, soothing and warm tone. "I am the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past."
"As in 'long past'?" Snowfall questioned. "Because I don't need a history lesson on Hearth's Warming, thank you very much. I know the story by heart, they insist on teaching it to all young ponies!"
But the spirit retorted. "No, Snowfall. Not 'long past', your past."
The unicorn only humphed. "And what business has brought you here, spirit? I didn't cast a spirit summoning spell."
The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past simply explained. "And you pride yourself on knowing everything there is to know. It's really simple, you don't think a spell like yours could get by without some powerful forces noticing. You've certainly gotten our attention, Snowfall Frost. And what brings us here tonight is your welfare."
"How is interrupting my life's work good for my welfare?!" Snowfall retorted with a roll of her eyes as she adjusted her top hat.
"Your salvation, then," The spirit pony replied as she approached Snowfall. "And in case you were wondering about the 'We' I spoke of, I refer to my relatives: The other spirits. They'll be along when the time comes, just as Mr. D explained to you earlier. Now rise, and trot with me! There is much we have to see, and very little time with which to see it!" As she spoke, the window at the other end of the room was suddenly opened. A cold gust of wind blew past, though it was not enough to snuff out the flames on the hearth.
Eyeing the window, Snowfall nervously questioned. "You want me to go with you, spirit? As in, out the window?"
"Yes." Was all the spirit had to say in reply.
The glasses wearing unicorn gulped and began to shake and shiver. "But spirit, I'm not like you! I'm just a pony! If I go out the window, I will fall!"
"Not to worry. You will not fall, Snowfall Frost. I shall personally see to it," The spirit explained as she slowly brought one of her other hooves towards the unicorn. "Bare but a touch of my hoof there, and you shall be upheld in more than this."
Hesitantly, Snowfall reached out one of her grayish-purple hooves to touch the pure white hoof of the spirit. When she did so, she felt a faint tingling sensation inside of her. And then, suddenly, without need for her horn, she began to lift off the floor! She felt weightless, a sensation she was not used to feeling! Yet she continued to clutch the spirit's hoof tightly, and together they took off, through the window and out into the cold night beyond!
Suddenly, before Snowfall Frost's very eyes, things began to change! Buildings flashed by in the blink of an eye, and it seemed as if everything was de-aging around her even as she herself remained the same.
But the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past wasn't afraid or surprised in the slightest. She just began to sing as she led Snowfall along.
As a young thing, life sure is something.
You go 'bout making choices large and small.
Always growing like a young thing.
And playing is like dreaming.
And then before you know it, big and tall.
Yet every little bitty choice you make.
Sends you down a path to who you are today.
So let's take a little trip down memory lane.
And see just what the past has to say.
When the singing stopped, Snowfall felt her bout of weightlessness end as her hooves touched down and felt the soft crunch of snow beneath them. All around her were trees, their branches bare and covered with snow. Just ahead of her was a small stone bridge. And if she squinted her eyes just right, she swore she could see a one story brick building in the distance.
"Do you know this place?" The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past questioned.
Looking ahead and concentrating deeply, Snowfall began to make out more details of the building. And then, like a snowball, it hit her hard as she gasped! "I do! But I don't believe it! It's just like when I was a filly! That must be..."
The spirit nodded. "Indeed. It is your old boarding school," Then she noticed something dripping down the side of Snowfall's face. "Say, what's that upon your cheek, Snowfall? And why do yours lips appear to be quivering?"
"It's... nothing, spirit!" Snowfall insisted as the unicorn quickly wiped away the tear that had leaked out from her left eye!
Rather than press Snowfall on her obvious denial, the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past simply pointed one of her hooves a ways down the road as she asked. "Do you know the way?"
"Yes, spirit," Snowfall agreed. "I haven't forgotten," Still, she was surprised when, in an instant, she found herself in the school yard proper. Then, to her surprise, she saw a familiar looking purplish-grey coated filly with the most innocent looking eyes of moderate persian blue, a two toned purple mane and tail with light grayish-aqua colored highlights, with the mane styled into two short pigtails. The filly wore a white ten gallon hat and matching boots, as well as a cute little light purple colored shirt with a red bow. "That's... me!" She realized.
Then, the present Snowfall watched as her past self was chased along by four other ponies: A snow white coated earth pony colt with blue eyes, a light blue coated unicorn colt also with blue eyes, a pinkish-purple coated unicorn mare with purple eyes, and a midnight blue coated pegasus mare with light blue eyes, all darted past (each dressed for the cold weather around them with matching hats, boots, and scarves). "Brian! Sam! Rebecca! Tabitha!" She called out, only to watch them run right through her as if she were nothing.
"These are but shadows of the things that have been," The spirit whispered. "They are not aware of us, even though we can see them," She then smiled. "Seems like your past self is quite happy that it's Hearth's Warming Eve," But then her tone took on a mocking voice as she began to imitate the present Snowfall Frost. "Happy Hearth's Warming indeed. What reason have you to be so happy? What good has it ever done you?"
"But... Hearth's Warming was always such a joyful time of year," The present Snowfall Frost protested. "Always merry, and bright, and cheerful and..."
But the spirit interrupted in a hushed whisper. "-Not quite. It is not all merry and cheerful. Let us go inside. There you will see that one filly is left at the school: Abandoned by her father and neglected by her friends."
As Snowfall found herself being brought inside the old schoolhouse, she swore she could hear the spirit singing:
Seeds of the past.
They grow pretty fast.
Just look at who you were back then.
These seeds, as they grow.
Look what they can show.
Reveal the truth time and time again.
Just as the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past had said, the filly Snowfall Frost was indeed all alone inside the one room school house. Judging by the clock on the wall, it was past time for all the ponies to have been dismissed and sent home. But young Snowfall Frost had not left. She seemed to be occupying herself hanging decorations and ornaments.
All of a sudden, she hung an ornament on a unicorn stallion who had a rather pronounced frown, and who seemed to have little space between his nose and his mouth. He was a greenish-grey in color, wore a dark black coat with two buttons, had eyes a disapproving black in color, and a grayish-green mane and tail that hung limp against his body. "Just what do you think you're doing, Snowfall?" He demanded in a bitter and cold tone.
The filly with her mane in pigtails innocently replied. "Decorating the classroom for Hearth's Warming Eve, Professor Flintheart."
Professor Flintheart rolled his eyes. "So it has come again, has it? And I see you've chosen to hang around instead of going home like your classmates. Haven't you spent enough time in your world of make believe? Didn't you say you wished to become a powerful unicorn like Starswirl the Bearded himself?"
Young Snowfall nodded and beamed a bright smile at the professor. "I did. I even remember what you taught me about how one becomes a powerful unicorn:" Clearing her throat, she recited from memory. "Work hard, learn and use your skills to better Equestria."
The present Snowfall Frost did her best to ignore the glare the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past was showing.
Professor Flintheart didn't smile or change his tone even as he replied. "Ah, I see you aren't big a dunderhead as the foals I usually have to teach. You are the only one who's ever payed attention to my lessons. But let me ask you this, Snowfall," He took the ornament off his horn. "How do these silly things help you learn magic?"
"Duh, I wanna be strong enough to stop windigos and help ponies!" Young Snowfall boasted.
The older unicorn just snorted. "Oh Snowfall, I'm so disappointed in you. I suppose your father never told you."
Young Snowfall gulped. "Told me what? That Santa Hooves isn't real?"
"Of course he isn't real!" The professor sharply rapped as he glared down at Snowfall! "But that's not the only thing you're too old to still be believing in! That story about the windigos? It's just that, a story we tell little ponies to make them behave. I've never met a windigo and neither has anypony else. The true history of Equestria's founding is far too complicated for a child like you to understand."
"But... but..." Young Snowfall began to whimper.
Professor Flintheart promptly shattered the ornament into a million tiny little pieces with his magic while telling the filly. "Real magic takes time to learn, it's not some fairytale. But the choice is yours, young Snowfall. Either spend your time learning to become a powerful unicorn," He then kicked the box of decorations towards her as he turned his back to her. "Or play with your toys and make nothing of yourself." And with that he departed the classroom, leaving young Snowfall alone with her broken heart.
The present Snowfall turned to the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past as she tried to defend herself. "I... I tried to tune him out, spirit! Really, I did! But..."
"-But in the absence of your own father, you latched onto him as if he were your father," The spirit coldly pointed out. "And that was what led you to turn your back on the holiday. Although, it seems that is not the only reason why you so despise it. I have gazed into your heart, and I know this is not the only time it has been broken. Let us see another Hearth's Warming memory."
As the years began to perform their terrible dance, and everything and everyone around her began to age in the blink of an eye, the present Snowfall Frost shed a single tear as she unhappily sang:
Just seeds of the past.
We grow up so fast.
But some hurts, they never go away.
The glowing winged unicorn/horned pegasus (whatever she was called) then sang:
The seeds, as they grow.
But this we can't let go.
All tied to this one holiday.
Suddenly, the scene changed! No longer was Snowfall gazing into the aging facade of a single room schoolhouse, watching her young self pass year after year with her nose in the books while ignoring everything and everyone else. Now, there was a rush of wind, and pony and spirit found themselves on a street corner that Snowfall Frost hadn't seen in years.
And nestled among the crowd of buildings in this street corner was a modest, hastily converted shack that had smokestacks sticking out of it. Night was falling as lamp lighters lit the lamps that bathed every street and street corner in a warm and friendly glow of lamplight.
"Tell me, Snowfall Frost," The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past said at last. "Do you know this place?"
As the present Snowfall pressed her snout up to the windows of the building right in front of her, she smiled anew as memories started to come flooding back to her! "Know it?! This was practically my home for years! It's where I got my first job: Bookkeeper for Furrywig's Factory," Then, she heard a door be swung open and out stepped a light brown coated earth pony stallion. He wore a powdered wig over his head that clashed horribly with his smoothly styled black tail, sported blue eyes that looked playful, joyful and full of life and had a cutie mark depicting three money bags. He was wearing a finely pressed red jacket with snow white fur for an accent. "And there's old Furrywig himself!"
"Ah," Furrywig smiled as he looked out upon the snow covered scene that greeted his eyes. "Tis dusk and the lamp lighters are hard at work once again. A picture perfect Hearth's Warmin' Eve," Then he closed the door and stepped back into the factory, clapping his hooves as he declared. "Alright, everypony, that's enough work for the evenin'! Now come on and help me decorate, the guests will be here any minute now for the party!"
The present Snowfall watched along with the spirit as the past Snowfall, who wore nothing but a worn red jacket to go along with her new glasses, was joined by several ponies and even by a creature best described as a mismash of other creatures. And all of them worked together to convert the factory floor into a banquet hall and string up decorations left and right.
Soon afterward, the scene changed to show a nervous looking Snowfall Frost of the past dancing with an earth pony stallion with a reddish coat, and a brilliant orange mane and tail styled to absolute perfection. He had moderate sap green eyes, and had on a fine red dress suit with yellow trim, and even wore a matching top hat.
The present Snowfall gasped as she looked at the stallion dancing with her younger self! "That's... Peter! This is the night I first met him!" And she watched as the young couple danced the night away, undeterred by anything or anypony else. They truly were a sight to behold.
Yet just as it seemed like the happy memories would never end, the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past tapped the present Snowfall on the shoulder and whispered to the unicorn. "My time grows short. Come. There is still one scene we must see."
"No!" Snowfall gasped as a look of horror and realization flashed in her eyes! "Please, spirit! I don't wish to see!" But her plea was ignored as she was whisked away.
Now, the past Snowfall and Peter were in a snow covered field. Peter had swapped out his dress suit and top hat for a simple black jacket and matching bowtie. The past Snowfall hadn't changed a bit, although she had now styled her mane and tail to shed the pigtails look of her youth, changing it into what she now was.
"You're delayin' our marriage for another year?!" Peter all but gasped as he sat beside his fiancee.
The past Snowfall just nodded as she replied. "Business continues to be poor, Peter. You deserve only the best I can give. And there is no greater foe than poverty."
Peter could only retort. "You seem to fear it far more than anypony else. I don't want some fancy weddin', Snowfall! I just want us to be together, to be happy!"
"And we will be, I promise!" The past Snowfall protested. "A year from now, things will be better. My business will have taken off and we'll have more bits than we know what to do with! Please, Peter, just hold off until then! I love you!"
But Peter just stood up as he looked his fiance deep in the eyes and said to her. "You did once. But now, I fear an idol has replaced me in your heart. A golden idol." He began to trot off.
The past Snowfall tried to run after him as she shouted over the sudden roar of the wind! "Wait, Peter!"
Peter only replied. "It's over, Snowfall. I release you." And soon he was out of sight, disappearing into the cold.
The present Snowfall now shed tears without bothering to hide them, and she bitterly glared at the one subjecting her to this unwanted revisitation of a memory she had tried to block. "Spirit," She sniffled. "Why do you insist on torturing me so? Haven't I suffered enough?"
The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past only shook her head and retorted. "I have told you already, Snowfall: These are but shadows of the things that have been. That they are what they are. Do not blame me," She then proposed in a sincere tone of voice. "You really think erasing the holiday of Hearth's Warming will erase all the pain and suffering you associate with it? You fashioned these memories yourself. They will always be with you."
That was enough to make the present Snowfall Frost snap as she turned to the spirit and demanded of it! "Please, spirit, show me no more! I can't bare to see any more! Leave my sight at once!"
"Very well, if that is what you wish," The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past replied. "But there are still two spirits you've yet to meet. Learn from them as you have learned from me."
Snowfall only proceeded to pick up the cap being held by the spirit and threw it over the glowing pony's head as she shouted at the top of her lungs! "Haunt me no longer, spirit!" And when she had thrown the cap over the head, there was a blinding flash and the unicorn shut her eyes!
All of a sudden, the peace and quiet of the Crystal Castle's library was disturbed by the sound of a loud crash! A crash that seemed to have originated downstairs. And a voice could be heard saying. "Oops, my bad!"
With a sigh, Twilight Sparkle paused in her reading and set the book down as she told her student. "Sorry, Starlight. Looks like the rest of the story will have to wait. I'd better go see what all the fuss is about and make sure nopony's hurt."
"Besides, I needed a break anyway," Spike declared as he stood up. "All that hot chocolate goes right through you."
But Starlight didn't want the story to end! "Wait!" She pleaded in desparation to Twilight! "What happens next?! How does the story end?! You can't just end it midway through!"
Twilight smiled, sensing that she had begun to get through to the unicorn. "Tell you what, Starlight? If I go down there and see that my help isn't needed, I'll come back and we can finish the story together. It shouldn't be long, and the night is still young. Deal?"
Reluctantly, Starlight Glimmer agreed. "Deal." And then she watched as Twilight and Spike left to carry out their tasks, leaving the unicorn all alone again. It seemed like that was how a lot of her Hearth's Warmings were as far as she could recall.
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Well, again, I appreciate the reasoning for a redo on the rewrite and the work that went into the exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up. And, yeah, expanding upon the Christmas Carol inspiration while keeping in a few of the differences DOES make sense.
And, on to the next chapter.