A Hearth's Warming Carol

by Punch Line

1. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Twas the night before Hearth’s Warming, when all through the Library,
Not a creature was stirring – save for a unicorn’s continuous worry.
For she knew not what exactly Hearth’s Warming was –
And she knew not how to explain it to the Princess.

Her endless pacing, I’m afraid,
Was enough to keep even this dragon a little agitated.
For all over the Library –

“Spike, will you cut that out? I’m trying to concentrate here!”

Oh alri –

“I mean… alright, fine.”

“Thank you.”

The evening before Equestria’s annual Hearth’s Warming celebration was a restless one for Twilight Sparkle: magician extraordinaire, student of Princess Celestia, and totally clueless about the true nature of Hearth’s Warming.

“I just don’t know how it happens!” Twilight Sparkle, truly frustrated about things, gave out an almighty sigh. “Every year, it happens without fail – every pony, no matter how big their problems are, just seem to suddenly cheer up every Hearth’s Warming!”

Spike, her ever-dutiful, now-extremely-frazzled assistant, shrugged. “So you’ve been saying for the past week, Twi… Maybe this doesn’t really need a scientific explanation…?”

“But Spike, everything has to be explained by science!” Twilight exclaimed, causing Spike to shake his head.

“Twilight, not everything has to be explained by science. Sometimes, they just… happen, you know? Maybe you should just let things be.” Then, he added as an afterthought: “Or maybe you should just let me go to sleep already.”

“But there has to be at least something scientific about it! I mean, it just isn’t possible how everypony just up and forgets they ever have any problems whenever the holiday comes around! I mean, how is nopony not happy every Hearth’s Warming?”

“Don’t you want anypony to be happy on Hearth’s Warming?”

“… You think it’s something in the snow? A lot of unknown elements can be found in snow, you know.”

“Geez, Twilight, were you this depraved as a filly?”

She frowned.

Spike gulped audibly, instantly realizing his mistake. Still, he soldiered on. “The point is, you should just let this all go and forget about it. No point trying to complicate something that’s already there.”

Even before he’d finished his sentence, Twilight’s eyes had already began to… sparkle. “That’s it! Spike!”

“What’s it?”

“Forgetfulness!” she exclaimed, clearly pleased with her discovery. “Maybe there’s something in the Hearth’s Warming atmosphere that causes ponies to forget their problems! Or maybe it’s in the snow! Ohh, don’t you even get me started on the snow!”

“Look, Twilight,” said Spike, after shaking his head again for probably the hundredth time. “It’s Hearth’s Warming! Shouldn’t you be out having fun instead of doing so much work?”

“But I haven’t written to the Princess in weeks! I haven’t been writing, because I’ve been so busy with all this work for the celebrations, so I haven’t been able to look into this Hearth’s Warming Happiness Phenomenon, which I know I should have looked into, but I haven’t, because I was so busy, and I – ”

“Exactly, Twilight, which is why you should give it a rest,” Spike butted into her rant and swung an arm over her shoulders. “I don’t know about you, but you should probably give both of us a rest as well.”

She looked over at him and frowned again.

“I… I mean, if you want to rest, that is…”

Twilight glanced out her window, saw how high up the moon was, and sighed. “It’s fine, Spike. You can go ahead and rest.”

He almost leapt up at her announcement. Almost. “But what about you? You look like you need the rest too.”

“Oh, don’t mind me,” she shook her head and smiled at him. “I’ll be thinking of what to tell the Princess about Hearth’s Warming. If I’m right about the whole forgetfulness and amnesia-inducing atmosphere this season brings to make ponies forget all about their sadness… then maybe I’ll end up saving Equestria! Again!”

Spike’s head almost fell off from his shoulders. “Amnesia-inducing what now?”

Twilight paused and began to consider the possibility that she might have gone waaay off tangent with that last statement. “Never mind, Spike. Just go to sleep. I’ll be along soon.”

“Oh, alright then. If you say so.” Spike tried his best to not look happy at her announcement.

“Oh, and Spike?” Twilight called as he was on his way to his room. He turned around to face her, expecting to hear another Hearth’s Warming-related rant.

“Thanks.”

The surprise melted away from his face, but Spike wasn’t disappointed. “No problem… But for what?”

Twilight gave him a… sparkling smile. “For staying up with me tonight.”

“Oh, that,” he chuckled. “Sure, Twi, no problem. Just make sure you go to bed this time. Wouldn’t want your zero-sanity episode repeating itself.”

Twilight had to give a laugh at that one. “I promise. Good night, Spike.”

“Good night, Twilight.”

And with that, he disappeared into the bedroom, undoubtedly ready for a full night’s sleep.

Twilight sighed. She was sure the both of them would be extremely busy for tomorrow’s Hearth’s Warming celebrations, especially since they were the event organizers. Not only that, her friends and most likely the entire Ponyville would be expecting so much from her this year, no thanks to Rainbow Dash’s constant bragging of this year’s Hearth’s Warming to be. The. Best. Hearth’s Warming. Ever.

Twilight remembered that event fondly.

… /// …

“All right!” Rainbow Dash loudly proclaimed to the assembly of gathered ponies. “Now that we’re done with the Winter Wrap-Up, it’s time to rock, roll, and celebrate!”

“Ooh! A party! I love parties!” Pinkie Pie hopped up and down. “Especially Hearth’s Warming parties! Those are always the best! With Santa Horse and his team of flying reindeer! Reindeer! Aren’t you excited? Ooh, I’m excited, so excited, I feel like I could - !”

Applejack, who now had her forehoof stuck in Pinkie’s mouth, gave an unsteady grin to the cyan Pegasus and nodded.

“This year, Twilight and Spike - ”

“Amb ufh!” Pinkie exclaimed, Applejack’s hoof still stuck in her mouth.

“And us,” Rainbow continued, unaffected by the interruption. “We’ve all prepared something grand for everypony and we promise you that this’ll be a year you’ll never forget!”

Pinkie Pie made a loud noise of glee and began to jump up and down again, while Applejack was struggling to retrieve her hoof from the bouncing pony's mouth.

“This year’s Hearth’s Warming is going to be,” Rainbow now did an aerial loop-de-loop for emphasis. “The. Best. Hearth’s Warming. Ever!”

Back on the ground, Fluttershy clapped her hooves appreciatively at the display. “Oh, Rainbow, that was a beautiful speech. I’m sure everypony will be glad to hear it.”

“Well, they should be!” Rainbow Dash made an expert landing in front of the other pegasus. “After all, I am the great and purely awesome Rainbow – ”

“Dash, darling,” Rarity began, waving a hoof. “Maybe you’re forgetting that you weren’t the only pony hard at work this year?”

She motioned a hoof over to Twilight, who had been sitting quietly beside her throughout the entire exchange.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, Twilight.”

Twilight Sparkle just laughed and shook her head. “That’s no problem, Rainbow. After all, everypony here worked as hard as I did.”

“That’s right!” Pinkie Pie bounced over to them, now having freed herself from Applejack’s hoof. “Teamwork, plain and simple! All in the spirit of Hearth’s Warming!”

“There’s that phrase again,” Twilight frowned, her eyebrows beginning to meet. “’All in the spirit of Hearth’s Warming.’ I don’t get it, is Hearth’s Warming a pony with a spirit? I know of Equestria’s history with the warring clans all coming together during winter, but what I don’t understand is… what is it in this time of peace and love that makes everypony – and I do mean everypony – stop, drop all their problems, and just celebrate?”

“Now what in tarnation was that all about?!” Applejack waved her hoof in front of Pinkie’s face, not having heard majority of Twilight’s rant.

“Is there something in the cold winds that just makes everypony so happy this time of the year? Even if it is tradition and even if history says so, I still don’t understand why ponies still find the energy to just be happy every Hearth’s Warming. Equestria was attacked two times now and everypony’s still… happy!”

“Oh, Twilight, don’t you want anypony to be happy on Hearth’s Warming?” Rarity asked.

“Well, it’s not that…” Twilight began, but found that she was unable to finish her thought. “It’s just…”

“Hearth’s Warming magic!” Pinkie giggled.

Applejack stared back at her, not believing a word of it. “Ah don’t believe a word of it.”

“… Is it something in the snow?”

“But Twilight, it is Hearth’s Warming,” Rarity explained. “Maybe you should just let it be.”

“Because if it has something to do with snow, then I know just who to ask!” Twilight said, a… sparkle coming alive in her eyes. “Rainbow – where is she?”

Fluttershy pointed to the Library’s open window. “Oh, she went off flying all over Ponyville to spread the news about this year’s Hearth’s Warming.”

“The. Best. Hearth’s Warming. EVER!” Rainbow Dash’s voice was heard outside.

“An’ what’s all this hooey about flyin’ reindeer?!”

Pinkie Pie giggled, as she demonstrated the finer points of hopping on just her tail to Applejack.

“Hearth’s Warming magic, you silly filly!”

… /// …

Twilight jerked her head from the floor and shook it violently. She looked outside at the moon. It was getting late and she still had some work to do.

“Back to the lab again,” she picked herself up from where she’d fallen asleep on the floor and trotted over to her work table.

“Who?” Owlicious asked from her window sill.

“Not who, Owlicious, what,” Twilight corrected. “I’m going to get down to the business of Hearth’s Warming even if it knocks me out unconscious for days!”

Author's Note:

Thought of the general idea on the fly after seeing "The Muppet Christmas Carol" (yes, that Muppet Christmas Carol). I'll try to make this as funny as possible - but of course, anyone's free to hit me up when I stop doing that.

So, how'd I do on my first shot?

Comments

[Wolf Counsler]

So... Is Spike the narrator or not

[SpurBrony21]

I Want more!!!