The Warmth of the Hearth
"Hey, get outta the way!" a gruff voice shouted. Trixie jumped out of the road as a carriage carrying a family--probably heading to Grandmother's for Christmas dinner--sped by. Had the startled mare not moved, she would have been crushed by the father stallion pulling his kin. Ponies just didn't care about what was on the road these days, did they?
Trixie pulled her cape tighter around her and shivered. It was colder tonight than it had been on any night this year, and the falling snow was unforgiving to wandering travelers. Well, this wandering traveler anyway. The other journeyers of Equestria were probably at home with their families.
But this one couldn't do that. Trixie didn't have any family. Not since Daddy had... But Trixie wouldn't think about that now. It would only make her tears turn to ice on her cheeks and add to the snowflakes already dotting them. The wind picked up and the mare kept pushing her hooves through the white blanketing the roads, the fields, and everywhere else. But the magician perked up a bit as she headed into a familiar town where she had once performed-- and then returned for a match with that Twilight Sparkle.
And personally, even though the two had made up, the Great and Powerful Trixie still had a small grudge against that unicorn for showing her up-- twice. But again, bad memories wouldn't help Trixie at all through this cold. Ponyville wasn't too far in the distance; maybe there was a house there that let unexpected guests in for the night-- even welcomed them. That at least warmed Trixie's heart a bit.
But that heart turned sad and cold again when the sapphire pony knocked on the door of the first house she saw. An orange mare opened up and scowled. "I remember you. That showoff who almost destroyed Ponyville. Cold and alone this Christmas, huh? Well it serves you right, jerk!" The door was slammed in Trixie's face, bruising her nose a little bit. The blue mare continued on to the next house, where she was also rejected, a little less rudely and without a maimed muzzle, but still turned down. This went on from house to house, and Trixie became more and more disheartened every time the door was quietly shut or forcefully slammed in front of her.
Excuses were made. "Nobody's home!" "I have company." "We've already eaten our dinner." Those were only some of the practiced lines blurted out in front of Trixie. Nopony wanted her. They must still be angry for what happened during the duel with Twilight Sparkle.
Trixie came to Sugarcube Corner, the town's bakery, and bulked up, boldly but softly knocking on the door. "H-hello?" The door immediately opened, and the mare expected the worst, but was greeted with a cheery voice.
"Oh, hi Trixie!" It was that pink Earth pony that Trixie had stolen the mouth of when she had visited Ponyville for the second time. Was she still mad about that? Was she going to be like everypony else? Trixie didn't need another bruise on her nose... But the magician's thoughts were interrupted by a hoof waving frantically before her. "Hello? Trixie?"
"Huh? W-What?" the magician returned from her short trance.
The Earth pony articulated her words very slowly. "I said, 'do, you, want, to, come, in'?"
"But," Trixie started nervously. "Aren't you mad about... about what I did to Ponyville?" She cried out as the other pony grabbed her and pulled her inside.
"Silly filly, anypony can forgive and forget!" Those words confused Trixie a little bit. Anypony could forgive? All the ponies she'd encountered in this wretched town had been cruel. But the mare followed the pony, who explained that her name was Pinkie, along with a lot of other things all in one sentence, into the bakery's kitchen, where the owners of the shop were working. "Oh Mr. and Mrs. Cake! I have a visitor!" Trixie waved shyly. Pinkie continued on. "This is Trixie as in the Great and Powerful Trixie who came to Ponyville twice though she was really mean both times but..." A deep breath was inhaled. "Can she stay for Christmas, oh pretty please she has nowhere to stay and since we have beds and dinner and everything--"
"Pinkie," Mr. Cake interrupted loudly. "We don't have extra beds, we just finished dinner..." When he saw the sad expression on Pinkie Pie's face, the yellow stallion set his hoof on her shoulder and apologized to Trixie. "I'm so sorry, Miss. We have no room for a visitor tonight."
Trixie said a quiet "thank you anyway", tears forming in her eyes, and turned to go when a new voice spoke up.
"I have room."
Trixie gasped. Was that who she thought it was?
Twilight Sparkle stepped forward through the door and repeated, "I have room. I can take Trixie." Pinkie jumped and crashed into Twilight, crying "thank you" over and over again and squeezing her tightly. Trixie shook her head. That Earth pony was a crazy one. She'd barely even known the Trixie, and yet she was still so excited that her new acquaintance wouldn't have to spend the night in the snow. Maybe ponies really did care in this town, at least some of them. Twilight turned to Trixie, "You can stay with me, that is, if you'd like."
Trixie didn't exactly like this option, spending the night with her former rival, but it was still a polite offer. "Yes, Twilight Sparkle. The Great and Powerful Trixie would like that. Th... Thank you."
Twilight smiled and tilted her head. "Then come with me. I'll show you to my house. Oh! And, can I have a dozen fresh rolls, please?" After the unicorn paid for and was given her order, she exited the shop and Trixie followed, waving back to the crazed pink pony that had offered her a room behind at Sugarcube Corner.
***
Trixie stepped inside of Twilight Sparkle's home and gasped. Books. Books. everywhere. Probably all on magic and the such. No wonder Trixie had lost to this mare. Twice! By a window perched an owl, who cooed at the blue pony when she looked at him, and built into a wall was a blazing fireplace. That brought Trixie back to her filly days when she and her father would feel their own fire's heat on the winter nights.
"Twilight!" A young dragon descended the stairs, probably leading to Twilight Sparkle's bedroom, and stopped when he saw Trixie. "Why is Trixie here?" He snorted.
"Trixie is a guest," Twilight answered. "And we are going to treat her like one." The drake silenced himself as his cheeks grew red in embarrassment. Trixie glowered at him for a moment before Sparkle led her and the dragon over to a pine tree, which was half decorated with ornaments. "We were just decorating our tree when Spike got hungry." The purple mare explained to the guest. "Spike, I got you some rolls from the Cakes. Freshly made."
"Oh boy!" Spike exclaimed as he dug in greedily. Twilight stopped him before he ate the whole box.
"Spike, that's enough. Save some for Trixie."
Save some for Trixie? That was certainly kind. But... why was Twilight being so nice to Trixie, who had been a showoff and had once taken over Ponyville? She shouldn't be nice to Trixie. Trixie was so cruel to her. Maybe this was just another plan to get back at Trixie again.
"Trixie, would you like a roll?"
"Well... yes. The Great and Powerful Trixie would like a roll." The guest still didn't want Sparkle to think she had given in on her little plan of third revenge. The unicorn received the treat and took a bite, finding the bread moist and warm-- delicious. Trixie took another. After she had finished, Twilight Sparkle gestured toward the giant Christmas tree before them. "Would you like to help us decorate it?" Trixie accepted, shrugging while Sparkle levitated a string of popcorn toward her. Nopony had to tell Trixie what to do with this. She levitated some more kernels toward the line and gently poked them through the needle at the end.
"Hey, that's awesome, Trixie!" Spike called. Trixie started to frown at the supposedly sarcastic remark, but when she saw the genuine smile on the previously unwelcoming drake's face, she nodded in thanks and set her popcorn string on the large tree, starting to hum a carol she had learned traveling around cities. Oh, Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree... That took her back to her filly days...
"Popcorn!" the little Trixie squealed in delight as her dad showed her how to put them on a string and line them on the Christmas tree they owned. It was humble, as the two didn't have too much money to buy a large one, but it would do. When they were done with stringing the tree, they would share the leftover popcorn while sitting in the heat of the fireplace, cuddling on the couch but moving to the hearth if it was very, very cold. The warmth of the hearth. That's what Trixie liked most about Christmases with her father.
When the tree had been decorated, Twilight turned to Trixie and said, "Thanks for helping us. This looks great! Just like Christmas!"
"Yes. Trixie-- I agree." Trixie wouldn't usually drop her show voice in front of somepony else-- especially Twilight Sparkle. But it suddenly felt comfortable, almost natural, to speak to Twilight in a normal way. "I agree, indeed."
After that misadventure, the three headed for bed. Twilight prepared an extra bed that she had saved for occasional guests and let Trixie sleep in it, bringing her warmest blankets and spreading them neatly on the mattress.
"Twilight Sparkle," Trixie's expression turned to confusion after she had slid into bed. "I need to know something."
"Yes, Trixie?" Twilight had a feeling she knew what was coming.
"Why... Why were you so kind to me? Twilight, all this time, I've been so cruel and heartless. I hurt you, and the town of Ponyville. And yet... you still let me in to your house and give me rest from the cold? How? How can you do that? Are you not angry, like everypony else in the village?"
Twilight smiled. "Trixie, I believe that everypony deserves mercy. Even if they did try to take over Ponyville, or even Equestria!" She sighed and began to confess. "I have to be honest with you, a few months ago, I would never have let you in, though maybe after we made up. But my friend Fluttershy taught me that even though somepony is bad, doesn't mean that they don't deserve a chance of redemption. So remembering that, I let you in. Anypony can use some kindness."
Kindness. That was something Trixie hadn't felt in the longest time. And yet, it had been shown to her by the unlikeliest of ponies. Perhaps Trixie could learn a few things from these Ponyville citizens. But right now, sleep was calling her. With a last whisper into the dark, Trixie fell soundly asleep, thankful for everything this pony had shown her.
"Merry Christmas, Twilight Sparkle."