Equestria Noir Hearth's Warming Special "The Giver"

by Jacoboby1

Chapter 1 "Happy Birthday Princess Platinum"

Chapter 1

“Happy Birthday Princess Platinum”

The three tribes set aside their differences and created a new nation, Equestria. They worked together to build the small country into a thriving nation, but the nation itself is not the focus of this tale. Rather it’s one of its rulers: Her name is Princess Platinum.

She was the daughter of the unicorn king in the old country. She was beautiful, fair and ever so graceful in the realms of court.

“Oh do keep complimenting me darling, I do so love it.”

Rarity! The story is starting!

“Oh right.”

Anyways, on one cold winter’s day she was smiling outside her window. Tomorrow was her birthday you see. This gave her every reason to be excited, the other ponies, not so much.

A knocks was heard on her door and she sang “Come iiin!”

The door opened to reveal Sir Inquire. His grey coat matched his Robin Hoof esque hat and tunic. He was a rather poor knight with little land or wealth but his skill at uncovering mysteries had proved invaluable in the Unicorn Kingdoms. He bowed his head upon entering. “You wanted to see me milady?”

“Yes dear Inquire,” Platinum said turning back to him. “You do realize what tomorrow is?”

“Every Unicorn knows it.” Whether they liked it or not. “It’s your birthday tomorrow your highness.”

“Indeed, I called you here because I wish for you to deliver a message to the other tribes,” Platinum explained.

“What might that be exactly?” Inquire asked, a little afraid of the answer.

“That each tribe would honor me with a present; every inhabitant must give me a gift,” She said with starry eyes. “Everypony should show how much they appreciate their fair princess.”

Inquire was very worried at this point, but knowing what would happen if he didn’t give in, he sighed and simply said. “I’ll talk to Clover about arrangements.”

“Oh Inquire you are such a darling, I’ll make sure you are rewarded for your efforts,” Platinum spoke cheerfully.

Inquire bowed his head and prepared to walk out. Clover was not going to like this…

__________________________________________________________

Inquire walked the halls of the capital building. It was built shortly after the official founding of Equestria. Granted it started out as a hut but it quickly expanded as more and more ponies came round. Inquire himself had only arrived recently.

He gently opened the door to the library and there she was. Clover the Clever had changed little in the years since Ponyville’s founding. She still wore her brown hooded cloak that covered her magenta coat. Her violet eyes were scanning a tome in front of her, her horn aglow as she tried to levitate several objects at once.

Inquire couldn’t help but stare, Clover and him were friends for a long time. They met when they were kids back in the old kingdoms and were best friends ever since. Sadly circumstances drove them apart in recent years. He went on to train as a knight and she went on to become apprentice to Starswirl the Bearded. He wouldn’t admit it but she was one of the reasons he moved to Equestria.

“She’s not!”

Yes she is!

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

I’m the narrator! I’m supposed to know what I’m talking about!

“Inquire are you alright?” He heard a voice say.

He looked up and met Clover’s violet eyes, he tried not to blush too heavily as he stammered. “Um yeah, I’m alright. I wanted to see you.”

Clover raised an eyebrow at his odd behavior but simply shrugged. “Sure, what do you need?”

“Well…”

Five Minutes Later…

“She can’t be serious!” Clover said, her jaw dropping. “She honestly expects everypony to get her presents?”

“I know,” Inquire said firmly. “We can’t seriously have her ask this.”

“Normally I would agree,” Clover said nervously. “But the last time Platinum had a temper I nearly froze to dea-” She was cut off at Inquire’s guilty expression. “Inquire wait, don’t give me that look.”

“I should’ve gone with you,” Inquire said guiltily. “You shouldn’t have had to put up with Platinum all alone.”

“I thank you for your concern Inquire,” she said with a genuine smile. “But I’m not called Clover the Clever for nothing.”

“I guess that’s true, so what are we going to do about this problem?”

Clover shook her head slowly. “We’re just going to have to run it by the other leaders, if Platinum’s birthdays are like any of her other ones, we’re going to have to get their help.”

Inquire nodded as Clover walked past him, he always admired how well she could take hold of a situation. Somehow this whole mess didn’t seem so bad if it meant he could be with her.

“Keep this up and I’ll sock you!”

My story Private, you gotta go along with it.

“This is the last time I go along with one of your plans!”

Anyways…

________________________________________________________

The pair walked the halls of the capital building. Clover looked over at Inquire. “I hope that the Earth ponies don’t freak out about this. Some of them still hold grudges from the Windigo incident.”

“Just don’t get Chancellor Puddinghead talking and we’ll all be fine,” Inquire said just before he crashed into an Earth Pony.

Secretary Smart Cookie was an orange colored earth pony with a long blond mane under a pointed cap. She was carrying a bunch of posters that flew out when she crashed into Inquire. “Sorry bout that.”

“It was my fault,” Inquire apologized, helping the earth pony up. “I was distracted.”

By a certain unicorn.

“Shut up…” Inquire mumbled, not to the narrator because that would be crazy.

Clover used her magic to telekinetically fix the pile of posters. She smiled at Cookie. “Hi Secretary, it’s been a while.”

“How do ya do Clover?” Cookie said with a smile. “Sorry bout runnin’ inta yer friend ere, Puddinghead’s got me runnin’ all over the place putting these posters up.”

“She’s running for reelection?” Inquire asked while looking at one of the posters Clover missed picking up.

“Sadly Ah don’t think she’s got much of a chance,” Cookie mused. “But every time Ah tell her the polls are down she simply says:” She imitated Puddinghead’s voice. “The Earth is round Smart Cookie! There is no up and down!”

Everypony in the room rolled their eyes at Puddinghead’s antics. Inquire went on. “Since you seem to be the one in the know around here, maybe you can help us.”

“Whaddya need?” Cookie asked.

One delicately placed conversation later…

“She can’t seriously expect us tah put up with that garbage,” Cookie said in pure disbelief.

“That’s what we think,” Clover explained.

“Can’t ya tell er off or somethin?” Cookie asked frantically.

“I’m afraid nothing will stop Platinum when she’s gotten something on her mind,” Inquire said with a sigh. “If Platinum doesn’t get her way she’ll probably want to leave or do something else just as rash.”

“And we all know the what her last temper caused,” Clover said with a shake of her head.

“Ah know the feelin,” Cookie mused. “Ah’ll see bout gatherin’ the other earth ponies bout this. They don’t have to get her anything too big right?”

“I’m sure Platinum will appreciate whatever presents she gets,” Inquire said with a mild degree of hope. “If all goes well this could help relations with the unicorns.”

“Ah’ll see what Ah can do but Ah can’t promise anything.” Cookie then looked around for a minute before speaking again. “Also if ya see mah brother round, tell em I’m lookin’ fer him.”

“Your brother?” Clover asked

“He’s a sweet fella by the name of Big Gingerbread, Ah just call em Big Ginger fer short. He was supposed tah be comin’ round this week tah visit.”

“When was the last time you saw him?” Inquire asked curious .

“Not since Ah left the old lands,” Cookie said with a sigh. “All of a sudden he says he needs tah come round here in his letters and he hasn’t said why. If ya see em round here just give me a yell. He’s a big fella with a red coat, can’t miss em.”

“If we see him we’ll tell you,” Inquire said with a nod “Now we just gotta convince Commander Hurricane.”

“I’d better be careful if Ah were you,” Cookie warned. “Ah got a friend over in the pegasus wing, turns out she’s in a mighty foul mood.”

____________________________________________________

Cookie’s statement wasn’t even the half of it. For upon entering the Commander’s headquarters Inquire had to duck to avoid getting hit by a thrown chair. “The nerve of her!” Hurricane shouted. “Leaving the front lines like this! How am I supposed to run an army when she runs off like this?”

“Commander?” Clover said nervously.

The armored pegasus turned and sighed. “Oh, what dragon keep do you unicorns want us to help raid this time?”

“Nothing like that Commander,” Inquire said. “Platinum has a request…”

One very delicately spoken explanation later…

“Platinum wants us to give her gifts huh?” Commander Hurricane said to herself. “Well, if this’ll keep her from taking all the loot we find then I’m all for it. Shouldn’t be too hard to convince my men to send at least a token gift over.”

“If I may be so bold commander,” Clover spoke up. “What’s gotten you so riled up?”

“You remember Private Pansy right?” Hurricane explained. “Well a few weeks ago she just up and left. No explanation, no means of contact, nothing at all. I haven’t heard from her in weeks and that’s why I’m in a bad mood.” She bucked a nearby suit of armor in her frustration.

“I think we’d best be on our way,” Inquire said, leaving the pegasus to continue to tear her command center apart.

Clover followed shortly after, a look of apprehension on her face. “I just hope all goes well, her last couple of birthdays haven’t always been pleasant.”

“How do you put up with her?” Inquire asked. “It can’t be easy having to be Platinum’s lackey all the time.”

Clover gave a smile at Inquire that caused the knight to blush a little. “I’m fine Inquire, she’s actually not completely bad once you get past her more annoying qualities.”

“You never cease to amaze me,” Inquire mused.

A faint blush appeared on Clover’s face before she turned away. “We should get things ready.”

The pair walked off not saying anything. Despite being friends for so long, lately they’d been finding it gets harder and harder to just talk to one another.

Sweetie Belle, don’t start singing yet, I’m getting there!

_______________________________________________________

The next day the whole of the country gathered to celebrate Princess Platinum’s birthday. The party itself was handled by Chancellor Puddinghead who made herself the Secretary of Party Hardy.

After the party Platinum gazed upon her ever growing pile of presents with absolute glee. She sat in the mead hall which the party took place in and smiled at the crowd. “I thank you all for your generosity on this momentous occasion.” She then turned to the gifts. “Now, let us see what my subjects got me.”

As Platinum dug into her presents Inquire looked over at Clover with a smile. “All seems to be going well, now we just need to have her open her presents and we’ll be done.”

Clover wiped her brow and sighed with relief. “Thanks for helping me organize this Inquire, it’s nice to have you around to help once in a while.”

Inquire blushed at her praise but his grey eyes turned as the door suddenly opened. Commander Hurricane was entering along with two pegasi guards, they were carrying Private Pansy in their forelegs. She struggled a little before being tossed in front of the crowd. “This pony was found sneaking around the village today! I was lucky to find her while I was taking my morning na- I mean patrol.”

“Oh please ma’am,” Pansy said as she nervously stood up “I can explain…”

“Explain what?” Puddinghead said coming out of the crowd. “Like how Tailspin can narrate the story but also talk to the ponies involved?”

Pinkie! What have I told you?

“That breaking the fourth wall is only funny in the main story arc!”

Exactly! Now get back in character!

“I mean what do you need to explain pegasus?” Puddinghead asked now fully back in character.

Pansy stood up and spoke in a soft voice. “The reason I’ve been gone for the past couple of weeks is because…well…”

“Pansy!” A male voice called from where the doors opened. In walked in none other than Big Ginger, he tried to get at Pansy but the pegasi guards blocked his path. “Listen Ah need tah see her!”

“Big Ginger?!” Cookie called in shock. “What the hay is goin’ on here?”

“Pansy is my um…” His scarlet face turned an even deeper shade of scarlet “Mah intended.”

Everypony in the room gasped in shock. Hurricane was the first to speak up. “But Pansy is a pegasus! You’re an earth pony!”

“Ah know,” Big Ginger said firmly. “That’s why we’ve been meetin’ in secret over the past few months. Ah wanted tah tell mah sis but Ah just didn’t know how to say it.”

“Please don’t be mad at him,” Pansy begged her commander. “It was my fault! I was the one who started it!”

“Pansy, you realize this is a serious deal,” Hurricane said, her magenta eyes looking at her subordinate in worry.

“Mah brother can marry whoever the hay he pleases,” Cookie protested.

“Listen Cookie,” Hurricane said, getting within inches of the earth pony’s face. “Pansy is my soldier; I will handle this relationship in a proper military manner.”

“What the hay is that supposed tah mean?” Cookie said with a edge to her voice. “You sayin mah brother ain’t good enough fer Pansy?”

“Everypony calm down for a second!” Puddinghead was the one who spoke up, everypony turned to listen to the Chancellor. “The last time we got into an argument all those weird snow ponies showed up. Let’s settle this not with mean words but instead we’ll do it the right Equestrian way! We’ll take it to a vote between me, Platinum and Hurricane.”

Everypony was so shocked that Puddinghead was the one to come up with the plan that they all simply nodded.

“That’s certainly better then arguing,” Pansy said hopefully.

“Fine, we’ll do it your way Chancellor,” Hurricane groaned.

“Alrighty!” Puddinghead cheered. “Well my vote is for it! This means I can make a wedding party when all of this is done! Plus it’ll give a happy ending to this story!”

Pinkie!!

“Sorry…”

“Well my vote is against it,” Hurricane said, crossing her forelegs in defiance. “I can’t have a soldier just leave behind her duties for some stallion, and an earth pony no less.”

Big Ginger looked ready to outright battle the pegasi but held back when he got a look from Pansy.

“That leaves me then,” Platinum said with a smile. “I’m willing to tell my vote…on one condition.”

“And that is?” Puddinghead asked slowly.

“That dear Ginger and Pansy give me a gift.”

Clover and Inquire dropped their jaws in shock. “This is crazy!” Clover said to Inquire softly. “She’s outright forcing them to give her a gift to save their relationship!”

“Ah’m sorry yer highness,” Big Ginger said with a worried expression. “Ah sold most of mah things to get food enough to get here.”

“Well, it seems somepony just doesn’t appreciate his princess enough,” Platinum said in a rather snobby tone. “I guess I will be forced to vote against this relationship…”

“Wait!” Pansy cried. “Just give him an hour! We’ll find a gift for you!”

“Alright,” Platinum said firmly. “You have one hour to find a gift, otherwise my vote will remain nay.”

_____________________________________________________

“Princess, with all due respect,” Inquire spoke after most of the crowd had left. “Don’t you think you are asking for a bit much?”

“I’m only asking them to fulfill proper etiquette on one’s birthday,” Platinum said in her snobby tone. “He should’ve come prepared with a gift anyways.”

“Princess, he’s a peasant.” Clover said trying to get her point across. “He can barely afford to eat, let alone get you anything.”

“I will not hear these insults Clover,” Platinum complained “I gave them a task; I expect them to fulfill it.”

Suddenly the door burst open and Big Ginger came in with a large box in his hooves. He bowed low before speaking. “Princess, Ah have this for you.”

Platinum levitated the box with her magic and her eyes scanned the box. There was nothing remarkable about it, no ribbons or any wrapping on it. She slowly opened the box and her blue eyes grew wide.

There was a large diamond necklace inside, accented with sapphire and amethyst to allow the necklace to shine in the torch light. Platinum looked up at Big Ginger. “Where did you get this?”

“Ah found it in the hallway.” Big Ginger explained “It had a note on it, said I was tah give it to you as my present.”

“It’s The Giver!” A pony from the crowd called. “The Giver has blessed Big Ginger!”

“Who’s the Giver?” Platinum said looking at the necklace. “And where did he get this…?”

Comments

[Fluttermac36]

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[Subatomic Seal]

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[Fluttermac36]

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[Godslittleprincess]

I don't mean to be picky, but isn't Canterlot the capital of Equestria, not Ponyville?