A Hearth’s Warming Tail - Extended Edit.

by UltraSonicRainboom

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come

Snowfall found herself alone outside in a thick blizzard, so thick you could only see a few feet in front of you. A large figure approached Snowfall Frost from the fog. “Who are you?” Asked Frost. “I am the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come” said the large figure (played by Princess Luna, speaking in her overpowering traditional royal Canterlot voice). “Spirit, please, tell me. What will happen to Tiny Kim?” Asked Snowfall Frost. “I will show you,” said the spirit. The spirit pointed her hoof in a direction and the snowy fog went away and Snowfall and the spirit were now in a different place, back outside the house of the Dash’s, but something about it was different. It was quiet. More quiet than it should be. The spirit was still pointing to the house, so Frost peaked into the window.

One of the first things that Snowfall noticed was that the small Hearth’s Warming tree that was there last time was gone. “Are we not on Hearth’s Warming anymore?” Asked Frost. “No, this is Hearth’s Warming Eve,” replied the spirit. Then the spirit whispered to herself, “at least, it was supposed to be…” Frost looked back in the window and saw Mr. Dash making dinner again and two of their daughters, Adriana and Rosetta, although this time it wasn’t the same. Last time they looked happy, but now they all looked sad. They had the same amount of food as before, yes, although maybe slightly less than before, but still roughly the same. Last time they looked happy with what they had, but now they looked upset.

The spirit said to Snowfall “you see, Hearth’s Warming is a time to be happy for what you have. But if you were to take the holiday away, then so goes the hope, and living a poor life becomes a hopeless relationship one.” “You mean…” asked Frost, “this is what will happen if I erase Hearth’s Warming Eve?” The spirit nodded and said “however, for this family, they are not only mourning for the poor state of their lives…”

Snowfall looked and noticed that there was no Tiny Kim, and Mr. Frost looked like he was on the verge of tears, as if he was trying to hold something all inside. “No, no, no! Please don’t tell me what I think happened happened?” Asked Snowfall about Tiny Kim to the point of being at the verge of tears herself. The spirit said nothing, but looked away, as if to tell Snowfall that she doesn’t have to tell her anything because she already figured out the truth.

“Dinner does smell good dad” said Adriana (Applebloom, if you forgot), trying to sound cheery. “I wonder when Mom is going to get back?” Asked Rosetta (Sweetie Belle). Adriana looked sad and said “she has been trotting slower…these last few evenings.” “Your mother loved Tiny Kim very much” said Mr. Dash. “She indeed has been taking it the hardest.” Snowdash then walked into the house and we’re greeted by her two daughters. “Hello mommy” they said, trying to sound happy. Then they came and hugged her, then Mr. Dash said “alright kids, time to set the table” then they left to get ready for dinner. “Did you find a place by the church?” Asked Mr. Dash to his wife. “Yes, I did. I found a nice little spot, on the highest part of the hill, where she can be closest to the sky to feel like…[sniff]…to feel like she’s flying.” Snowdash was talking about a spot to bury Kimmy. “Now, [clears throat] how can I help with dinner?” “You don’t have to help me, just sit home and rest” said Mr. Dash, but Snowdash insisted that she help to take care of her family. She then started to carry some cooked carrots to the table, but then her hooves slipped and she dropped a few and then she started to cry repeatedly. It was only a few carrots, nothing to cry over, but she wasn’t really crying for the lost food, but about Kimmy. Her husband and two daughters came to comfort her. They didn’t say a word, but hugged her emotionally. Snowdash then tried to get control of herself and said “it’s okay children. Life is full of greetings and partings. I know that we will never forget Tiny Kim.”

Snowfall then saw Tiny Kim’s crutch and chair was sitting by the fireplace, without an owner. “Spirit!” Said Snowfall, “must there be a Hearth’s Warming Eve like this? How can we bear it!?!” The spirit looked at Snowfall firmly and said. “You were right in saying that you ‘pay Snowdash such a little amount’, for it was because they never had enough money to pay for Kimmy’s medical expenses that she died.” Snowfall then really started to cry and said “I’m sorry! I didn’t know! I didn’t know! I never wanted this to happen!”

Snowdash’s family were then looking very very cold. “It sure has been gettin’ colder these days,” said Adriana. “Lighting coal in a furnace hardly does any good anymore” said Rosetta. The spirit looking at the house then said “unfortunately for the Dash family, even if this was Hearth’s Warming Eve, it would have been their last.” As she said those words, the snowstorm started to get thick again and covered the house, and Snowfall and the spirit were where they were before outside surrounded by snow and a blizzard. “Why?” Asked Snowfall, about what the spirit said about this Hearth’s Warming being their last, still crying a little. “You will succeed in erasing the holiday” the spirit said. Snowfall Frost then looked concerned and scared “and what happens?” She asked in almost trembling fear. The snowstorm got less thick and you could see the entire town covered in snow with only the rooftops showing. The spirit started to sing.

(Listen the song and watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3_n8ev_Ve8)

“I see a cold wind blowing through

I see days neither fun nor free

I see a future caused by you

I see a path not meant to be

The future should be filled with magic

Dreams and wishes brought to life

But the days ahead are dark and tragic

No time for hope when all is strife

Whatever might have been

All the dreams that ponies share

Because of you, Snowfall Frost

Now the future is a cold nightmare”

A few Windigos then flew from the sky past Snowfall “Windigos?!” she exclaimed, “they aren't real! It's just a little filly's story!” “They are all too real, Snowfall” replied the spirit, “and your actions will allow them to return. The future of Equestria shall be bathed in a blanket of eternal snow!” Then the spirit walked back into the fog, but Snowfall could still see her silhouette standing there so she said to the spirit. “No! I never meant for this to happen! I didn't understand! I didn't see how important Hearth's Warming Eve was! These events can be changed right?! When a pony lives one way their life is going in one course, but if they were to change, so does their future, right? Please, spirit! I haven't cast the spell yet! Is there still time?! I'm sorry!” Snowfall Frost fell down on the ground as she said those words, and had her eyes closed at the last word in lament, and when she opened her eyes, she was back in her house in her office.

Author's Note:

This chapter is a little shorter than the previous ones. I was thinking of adding the part where Scrooge hears how badly he is remembered after he dies, with the people talking about his death, and other people stealing stuff from his house, and the reveal that it was Scrooge at the graveyard. But having that, plus Tiny Tim, plus all of Equestria being covered in deep snow would have been too much. Plus, I think what the episode did was good enough. I've also been learning how to write this book while writing it. At first I was just retelling the original story with ponies, but now I've realized that I need to be okay with some things being different than the original. After all, what would be the point if this version of the Christmas Carol was exactly the same as the original, just with ponies and a different name for Christmas? That's also why I added a few things in this that weren't in the original, to make this story original and different, but still very much a retelling of A Christmas Carol.

Comments

[UltraSonicRainboom]

I should have the book finished in a few days, in time for Christmas!