Stories told on the Hearth

by Alchemystudent

Oh christmas tree

Oh Christmas tree...

“Where is she?!” A little white unicorn with a pink and purple mane asked, looking at the darkened building as she sat hoof deep in the snow.

“Aw, there now sugarcube, Ah’m sure that she’s just been busy lately,” Applejack said as she ruffled the little unicorn’s head.

Applebloom, her neck covered in a scarf and with a small hat with her traditional bow on top, “Yeah, y’all know how the gal gets when she gets into those little dress projects.”

Sweetie Belle looked down at the white snow and shook her head, “But she usually stays at home when she does those projects. And there’s more...”

“What is it?” Asked Applejack.

“Well, for the past month, she’s been waking up early and leaving me with some breakfast and doesn’t come back until at least midnight. When she does get back, her mane’s a mess and her eyes are all bloodshot,” Sweetie let out a tiny sniffle, “I’m so worried about her.”

Applejack gave a comforting smile as she looked at the crying filly and placed a hoof on her shoulder, “Don’t worry, Sweetie Bell, Ah promise you that the next time Ah see her Ah’ll get to the bottom of this.” Applejack then offered a hoof to the little filly, “Come on, Ah’ll take ya to Sugar Cube Corner for some hot chocolate, on me.”

“OK!” Sweetie Belle nodded cheerfully as she followed the two sisters. Walking side-by-side her friend, Sweetie Belle asked Applebloom, “So, where’s Scootaloo?”

“She and Rainbow Dash went off to Cloudsdale for some last minute shopping. She said that’ll she’ll definitely be back for Hearth's Warming tomorrow.”

“That’s right... Hearth's Warming is tomorrow, isn’t it?” Sweetie Belle said sadly, looking down at the passing by ground.

A soft and comforting smile came to Applebloom’s lips as she gave her friend a hug before walking into the gingerbread shaped house. As the three ponies walked in, their senses were assaulted by the smell of gingerbread in the oven, cranberries cooking, and the sight of a pink pony jumping from table to table to fulfill different orders, “ HEY GUYS!” Pinkie Squealed as she held the plate of gingerbread cookies on her head, a saddle of two hot chocolates, and a small cake on her tail, “What can I get you?”

Applejack looked at her friend with a questioning eyebrow, “Hey Pinkie, need any help?”

“Noppers! Watch,” Pinkie smiled and bounced her tail, sending the shortcake to a waiting pony couple. Without missing a beat, she gave a small flick of her head to send the cookies flying through the air and landing into an open bag next to a brown stallion with an hourglass cutie mark. To finish off her deliveries, she bounced the two steaming cups onto a table shared by a lime-green unicorn and her earth pony friend, “Tada!”

The three ponies stood in amazement and could only clap at the skill and technique of the pink pony, “That...was amazing, sugarcube. We’ll have three hot chocolates.”

“Coming right up!” Pinkie exclaimed as she raced off from her customers and then raced right back with a plate of three hot cups of chocolate on her hoof, “Here you girls are!”

Sweetie belle frowned a little as she took the cup in her hoof, “Thanks Pinkie.”

“Hey, what’s got you all down?” Pinkie asked as she looked at the sombre unicorn.

“Rarity hasn’t been home for a while now and she hasn’t been spending any time with her,” Applejack said.

“OH, she must be busy with whatever that big project she was working on that she asked Twilight for that book on,” Pinkie said.

“Rarity was asking Twilight for a book on something?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yeah, I saw her a couple of days ago talking to Twily about getting a book for a super-special-awesome-secret project of hers,” Pinkie said, taking a small bite of a gingerbread cookie herself.

Sweetie’s eyes perked up at this clue, “HEY! Maybe Twilight might know what Rarity’s been doing and why she’s been gone for so long.”

“Thanks for the drinks, Pinkie,” Applejack said as she left the bits behind and led the three foals out the door.

“NO problem!” Pinkie Pie said before running to the other customers.

---

“I’m sorry girls, but I have no idea why Rarity’s been so busy lately,” Twilight said, looking at the three mares before her, “All she came here for as a book on tree care and then left without a word. I am sorry I couldn’t be more help.”

“Thanks anyway, Sugarcube,” Applejack said as she walked away from the library and back towards the boutique.

Her head down in disappointment, Sweetie Belle walked with the Apple Sisters back home. After waving goodbye, the little unicorn walked back into the house and saw a familiar purple tail walk slowly up the stairs, “RARITY!” Cried the little filly, “There you are, what has been going on, where do you go, and why do you look so tired? Did I do something wrong?”

“Huh?” Rarity asked, turning slowly, “Oh no, darling, it isn’t you. Trust me. I’ll,” a yawn escaped her lips, “tell you about everything in the morning.”

“Ok,” Sweetie Belle sighed, looking down at the ground in sadness.

---

The next morning, Sweetie Belle awoke to find a small note attached to her blanket. Leaning in, she pulled it off with her hoof and began to read-

You are invited to see the lighting of the crystal trees, please bring your best dress and your best companions.

Signed, Rarity Belle

“The crystal... trees?” Sweetie Belle asked herself as she got off from the bed and saw a neatly folded dress waiting for her.

After taking the time to get dressed and tidied up, the little filly walked out of her home and down the street. As she did, she watched the various families and siblings talking to each other. This caused a little sigh of sadness to escape her lips, remembering just how little time she got to spend with her sister this year. Her mind went back to some of the fights that they have had over the year, of how often she felt like a forgotten piece of clothing. Even though Applejack gave her the reminder that her sister would always treasure her, sometimes it felt less true than it was.

Her mood brightened up when she looked at the station and saw, “SCOOTALOO! You made it back!”

An orange pegasus watched with wide eyes as Sweetie Belle tackle-glomped her and hugged her tight, “Of course we did! Me and Rainbow practically raced back here once we were done visiting her parents.”

“So, did y’all get letters too?” Asked a small southern filly as she came up with her big sister in tow.

“Yep! I even found a dress right on top of Gummy’s pool. Ooh, what do you think Rarity has planned?” Pinkie Pie asked as she bounced up to the platform, Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy following right behind her. On top of Twilight’s back and nustled in between her wings rode Spike, dressed in his own fancy outfit. .Each one of the the fillies and mares were decked out in dresses that had red and green themes to them.

“Wait, why would Rarity put a letter on top of water?” Sweetie asked.

“Well, maybe the letter kinda got dropped and I kinda might have been the cause.” Pinkie said.

“What is Rarity talkin’ about when she said crystal trees, anyway?” Applejack asked, looking at Twilight.

“ I don’t know,” Twilight said, putting her hoof to her chin, “I never even heard of crystal trees with maybe the exception of the Tree of Harmony. Then again I never really had a chance to see what the tree was made out of, so I have no idea. But I guess we’ll find out soon.”

Slowly the train stopped right by the platform, with a special car just for them opening slowly. Smiling, the 8 ponies and one dragon quickly walked into the train and took their seats.

---

Three hours later, the train slowly pulled into the Canterlot station where a white unicorn stallion stood, a pink alicorn at his side holding his hoof, “SHINING! CADENCE!” Twilight yelled as she stepped out of the train compartment and gave her big brother and former foal sitter a hug.

“Shining, do you have any idea what this crystal tree thing is?” Rainbow Dash asked the white stallion as Twilight and Cadence did their introduction dance.

“Your guess is as good as mine guys,” Shining said as he began to walk away from the platform, “Cadence won’t even tell me.”

“That’s because it’s a surprise,” Cadence said as she lifted up a gem cookie and gave it to Spike, who greedily ate it, “and it would spoil the fun.”

“YEAH! Don’t you know how cool Hearth's Warming surprises are supposed to work?” Pinkie Pie said, skipping alongside the royal couple.

Shining let out a chuckle, “Oh, forgive me. I am SO sorry that I forgot the sacred trust of Hearth's Warming surprises.”

“That you should!” Pinkie said as the group of ponies continued to walk past the structures of Canterlot and towards the caves just below the castle.

Sweetie Belle looked down at the snowy ground as they walked, letting out a sorrowful sigh. Her mind began to watch the three sets of siblings walking ahead of her with a small pang of jealousy. It just seemed to her that the other sets were so much better than her and sister, like they all had something that she didn’t. Twilight could connect with her brother despite of how far away they were and become an almost perfect brother and sister duo. Applejack and Applebloom were, well, like twins most of the time. When one hurt, the other hurt and when they needed each other they would always be there for one another without fail. Rainbow Dash was like a big ideal to her little sister, but would never hesitate to try and bring her little sister out of the dumps.

And what was she and Rarity? “Just a pair of sisters, nothing special.”

Within time, the team soon found themselves right outside of the cave entrance, where a white unicorn stood, dressed in a beautiful gown with bright red and green trimming, “Greetings my friends. I am so glad that you have decided to come here to see this ceremony.”

“Rarity, what is this all about?” Applejack asked.

“I’ll tell you about it after I am done,” Rarity said as she guided the group into the dark cave. Using only a little bit of her magic to light the way, the marshmallow unicorn guided the troupe through the short and winding cave path until they reached a giant room in the cave. Walking to the center, Rarity stood and closed her eyes as her horn began to shimmer with a soft magical glow. Taking a few soft breaths, the magic began to spiral up along the horn till it reached the top. Once it made it to the top, the magic glowed a bright spark and turned into a light blue star. The star then fired several different shots all around the room, hitting object after object.

As each darkened object was hit by the light of the magic, the object then glowed a bright and powerful light. The objects then revealed themselves to be bright shining trees, made of sparkling crystals of colors and sizes. The lights from these tree began to shine bright lights at the top of their own that fired beams of light onto other trees, making them shine with an almost ethereal color. Soon, the room was ablaze in shining sparkling light from the many trees inside, as if it was a rainbow inside a room, “Oh, my stars! It’s beautiful” Exclaimed Applejack as she admired the shining trees.

“Rarity, this is fantastic, when did you do all of this?” Twilight asked, flying up to some of the trees and touching one, making it shine with her coat color.

“Well, you see,” Rarity said, watching some of her friends examine some of the trees, “Around last Hearth's warming, the princesses asked me to come to the throne room. They apparently found this grove of trees lying deep within the caves of Canterlot, next to where Cadence had been captured before her wedding. They took me down here and when I saw these trees, they were in a horrid state.” Rarity explained, walking to one of the trees, “The sparkle was gone, the gems were tarnished, and I swear that some of the branches were breaking off.”

“So, they figured that since you were good with gems, that you would be perfect for the job,” Dash said, picking up Scootaloo and letting her touch the trees.

“Well, that and they knew of my hobby in taking in old relics of the past and touching them up to let their old beauty shine. I just cannot stand by and watch things of beauty lose their shine, anytype of beauty.” Rarity said, “I wanted to get it done by last Hearth's Warming, but there was just so much to do. And, as you know, we have had so many things happen this year: The coronation, that whole mirror adventure, the box, Mirage, and a few other things that I haven't had a chance to finish till now.”

“So, that was why you... haven’t been there that much?” Sweetie Belle asked, her head drooped to the ground.

Rarity looked down at her little sister with a comforting smile, “Come with me, Sweetie. There was something else I needed to show you.”

Slowly, the little filly followed close behind her big sister until they came to a small crystal tree sapling, “What is this?”

“Its a baby crystal tree, Sweetie,” Rarity said as she sat behind her little sister, pulling her close, “It wont respond to a dose of my magic just quite yet, but with a little time and a good magician working on it. I think it will become a simply beautiful tree. Now, if only I knew of a young unicorn who hasn’t learned complete control of her horn to be able to raise this little thing.”

Sweetie Belle looked at the sapling and then back at Rarity, “Its mine?”

“It’s your present, my little Sweetie. ITs made of crystal, so it won’t burn and you can practice your magic on it as much as you want without wrecking everything around you,” Rarity said smiling.

“OH! Thank you! I thought-” Sweetie Belle couldn’t finish her sentence as she held her big sister close.

Rarity rubbed a hoof through her sister’s mane, a smile on her face, “I may not be there to always lift you up like Rainbow Dash, be your twin like Applejack, and be a guardian like Shining, but you will always be precious to me. MY most special gem.”

Sweetie Belle said nothing as she just nuzzled into her sister’s chest, singing softly

It’s in the singing of a street singing choir

It’s getting warm by the fire...

Author's Note:

Little note, this chapter was meant to be done last year. I had a plan to have Rarity make a tree and do it in a similar style like here. But things happened, so what Rarity was saying was me. Yeah, I got caught up in so much that I couldn't do my art. So yeah, this was kind of self-refercinal.

Next chapter, we're gonna go back to the sappy lame stuff once again as we respond tot eh first request.