It was a chilling winter night in Equestria. However, it was not like any other typical winter night; this night was special. It was the night before Hearth's Warming Eve. Princess Luna's favorite time of the year; when the nights are longer and the days are shorter. The night relished in its quarterly reign and its stars and constellations were shining brighter and more brilliantly than ever before. The coolness of the soft howling breeze, along with the luminous glow of all the celestial bodies, collectively provided this night with a lively and tranquil atmosphere.
Layers of snow covered most of the land, from the now vacant streets of Canterlot to all the rooftops in Ponyville, there was not a single bare spot. Snowponies were visible along many of the streets, along with various impressions of snow angels, slowly vanishing in the ongoing breeze. Most of the once colorful and brightly lit lights throughout every town and city had been put out and the once active wildlife were either sleeping or in hibernation.
The Everfree forest from the outside, seemed completely empty and lifeless. Its trees were covered from top to bottom, from all of its branches to all of its leaves, by a thin layer of frost. It was quite an unusual sight looking from afar; the Everfree forest rarely ever looked this tranquil and tamed. But on this night it was just that. Calm, peaceful, and silent. It was the complete ambiance of the winter night that made this night an astonishingly beautiful sight. The superlative quality of this nightly atmosphere, the majesty of the celestial bodies and the earth below, was enough to bring tears of joy to Luna's eyes.
In Canterlot, cool gushes of wind were flowing briskly down from the top of the mountain it was anchored on. The waterfalls and streams flowing down from the mountain through parts of Canterlot were still as vigorous and ever-flowing as usual. The relentless mountain breeze danced through the streets and alleyways of the castle, bringing the local air down to blistering cold temperatures. Some ponies could have very well said, "It was cold enough to make windigos shiver!"
On the winter solstice, Canterlot was amongst the cities most susceptible to its immense coldness. With each passing moment, the temperatures were dropping more and more drastically. On the castle's windows, small patches of frost were beginning to form as they glistened subtly in the moonlight. They reflected and dispersed much of the moonlight, making the top of the castle shine brightly over the city like the light beaming out from a lighthouse.
It was a glorious rare sight, an annual beauty almost never seen by anypony. It was for these very reasons, that Luna often felt neglected for her efforts in creating such a beautiful winter masterpiece. Most of the ponies in Equestria were sound asleep within the comfort and warmth of their homes during these late hours. Throughout every city, throughout every town, there was a complete lack of wakefulness. However, unbeknownst to the Princess of the Night, despite the seeming lack of wakeful life in Equestria there were two special souls that were still awake at this very late hour.
"We're almost there Pink! Just a few more steps!" A brownish stallion exclaimed with excitement to the pink mare walking carefully right beside him.
"I'm really excited to see the surprise Orion, but you've been having me keep my eyes closed this whole time. I just don't want to slip and fall. Plus, this trail we've been going on seems dangerously steep." The mare responded feeling a little unease.
"Don't worry Pink Mist, I won't let you fall. I promise." Orion said giving a warmhearted smile as he put a comforting hoof around her. "And trust me, the surprise you are about to see is totally worth it."
"Well, I do trust you Skies." Pink Mist replied warmly, referring to him by his last name as she returned a smile with her eyes still closed shut.
The pink mare was feeling a lot safer and more comfortable with Orion's hoof on her shoulder. He was like her guide, her guardian, and she didn't have much to fear with him in her presence. Pink Mist trusted him more than anything, and deep down inside, she knew that nothing would ever get in the way of that. Unluckily, her peaceful thoughts were then abruptly cut short, when her next blind step was one on a solid patch of ice. She suddenly almost slipped and let out a quick scream as she immediately latched on to Orion as if by muscle reflex.
"Woah! Pink! It's alright! I'm here! I got you!" The stallion tried reassuring her, a little caught off-guard and overwhelmed by the surprisingly strong grip of her hoofs. "Y-you're starting to suffocate me." Orion remarked half-jokingly and with some strain.
"Oh um, sorry... I was just testing out my strength on you! He-he." The mare awkwardly replied and giggled as she loosened her grip, before giving Orion Skies a little nuzzle.
"Well you're definitely strong." The stallion responded giving a little warm laugh. "Anyways, you can open your eyes now. We're finally here."
"Really!? Yay! I've been waiting for your surprise all day! Like, you have no idea!" Pink Mist exclaimed with utmost excitement as she opened her brilliant emerald eyes. She turned to face Orion with a great expression of eagerness and happiness. "So, where are we exactly? Is this my surprise?"
"Your surprise is not here on the mountain top Misty-pie, it's way out there." Orion explained as he turned and pointed his hoof at the beautiful scenery ahead of them. "Just look!"
Pink Mist was utterly awestruck by the full majestic beauty that was right before her eyes. The entire panoramic view from the summit the mountain comprised of; all of Equestria and beyond. Looking straight ahead, she could see Cloudsdale closer than ever before. Towards the earth below she could see all of Ponyville, the entire range of the snow-covered Everfree forest, and even caught a little glimpse of Appleloosa in the far horizon. All the places she'd already traveled to, wanted to travel to, and beyond were right there below.
"What do you think?" Orion asked, noticing that his fillyfriend was mesmerized by the glorious scenery in front of her.
The pink mare turned to face the stallion, smiling wider than ever before as subtle tears began forming in her happy eyes. "I-I don't know what to say. It all looks so b-beautiful! To be able to see the world below like this... it's ...sublime." She then pulled Orion into a great hug before giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you."
Orion equally returned the heartfelt hug. "At the end of every adventure, is an amazing reward. This marvelous view of Equestria and Luna's wondrous night-sky is our reward for making it all the way up here, and I am thankful to be sharing this reward with you."
Pink Mist gently pulled herself out of the hug and her eyes met with Orion's. "Oh Orion. This is definitely an awesome reward and I'm proud to share it with you too!"
"I just can't believe we've been together for over three months!" Orion Skies responded enthusiastically "And along with that, Hearth's Warming Eve is... well it's tomorrow!"
"Our first Hearth's Warming Eve together! Yay!" The pink mare yelled with great excitement, pulling Orion back into a tight hug.
"Now now. Don't get yourself too excited. Nah, I'm just kidding, get as excited as you want!" The stallion replied happily, gently nuzzling against her mane.
Orion Skies and Pink Mist spent the next couple of hours sitting and resting on the mountaintop, gazing endlessly at all the scenery, pointing out the constellations in the night sky, and various little towns below. They snuggled closely to keep each other warm through the blistering cold. They talked on and on about the beauty of winter, the appreciation that they shared for Princess Luna, and a little bit about their hopeful future.
However, unbeknownst to the pink mare, Orion had quite a lot on his mind; his biggest concern was on Hearth's Warming Eve. It was only just a morning away and he was still clueless as to what kind of gift he should give her. That fact alone made him feel horrible and greatly distressed, but of course, he didn't show it. He just wanted to temporarily put aside all his worries, and cherish the romantic moment he was having with her now. Though, there was one question that he thought wouldn't hurt to ask her.
"Hey, mind if I ask you something?"
"No, of course not. I don't mind at all." Pink Mist answered, giving him yet another one of her trademark cute smiles.
"What was your greatest Hearth's Warming Eve memory?" Orion asked, showing keen interest.
Pink Mist looked at him with a rather gloom expression suddenly forming on her face. "Oh... well to be honest, I've... never really had the chance to celebrate the holiday.''
Orion was greatly surprised by the unexpected response. His optimistic and ecstatic mood took a complete 180. He was beginning to feel quite regretful and terrible for bringing the touchy subject up in the first place.
"Oh... I-I'm really sorry about that. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have even asked..." Orion trailed off sadly.
Nicely done Orion Skies, you've ruined what would've been a beautiful unforgettable night. Orion thought sarcastically.
"No, Orion! You have nothing to be sorry about! It's okay." Pink Mist replied trying to reassure him. "It's just... it's just the past. It doesn't mean anything now. I mean I would've loved to celebrate Hearth's Warming Eve with my parents when I was younger...but that just never happened...I never even had a gift given to me before...I have no idea why. That was just the way things were for me. Only me..." She continued before trailing off herself..
"I can tell that it still seems to upset you." Orion replied with great sympathy.
"Well of course it does!" The pink mare suddenly and impetuously snapped at him. "You have no idea what it's like! Do you know what I've had to go throu-" Pink Mist immediately cut herself short as she realized that her emotions were getting the better of her.
Though being the typically kind, bubbly, and cheerful mare she was, she did have her fiery moments on rare distressful occasions. What really surprised her, though, was how she was blowing her steam off on Orion Skies, when his only "crime" was asking what he thought was a harmless question.
"W-what am I doing?" She asked herself before Orion pulled her into a comforting hug as she began to break down into tears.
"I'm sorry... I don't know what just came over me. I'm not usually like this. It's just the past. I-I just never really had a real Hearth's Warming Eve before. I barely even know what the holiday is like..." She managed to explain through her sobbing.
"It's alright Misty-pie. I forgive you. You didn't mean it. I'm here." Orion softly said to her in a soothing tone of voice as he gently patted and stroked her back. "Look we're both just really tired and drained from a long day."
"Y-you're right Orion. I'm hardly ever like this so it must be the lack of sleep." Pink Mist replied as she lifted up her head to face Orion, gazing deeply into his greenish eyes. "You know, I really like how we share the same eye color. When will these similarities ever end?" She remarked with a little giggle, giving a small smile as her mood was returned back to normal.
"Yeah we definitely need some rest now." Orion responded half-jokingly.
"So do we have to go all the way back to our home? That's like 20 miles away from here, not to mention, down this steep mountain! I don't know if I even have any more energy left in me to go another mile." The pink mare explained with a worried look on her face.
Orion Skies gave a little chuckle. "I hardly have any energy left in me too Misty-pie, however, we didn't hike all the way up here just to get stranded and freeze to death on the summit. I never embark on these adventures unprepared and I probably should've told you earlier about the second surprise I have in store for you." He explained giving a reassuring wink to the pink pony.
"Really? Wow. Where is it?" Pink Mist asked, beaming with excitement.
"Follow me." Orion said as he began trotting down a nearby trail. Pink Mist quickly followed, and to her relief, this trail was a lot less steep than the one they took to ascend the mountain. The trail, which led them through a thick pine forest, had a few tricky twists and turns. But with Orion not making her close her eyes this time, she was feeling much more adventurous and far less worried. As Pink Mist decided to pick up the speed and trot faster, so did Orion, and the next thing they knew, a mini-race ensued.
"Oh you're on!" The speeding stallion yelled enthusiastically.
"What's the matter Skies? Afraid of losing to a... mare!?" Pink Mist yelled back wearing a determined and mischievous grin.
The playful race continued on for another five minutes, before they finally came to a stop at the end of the trail which was at the front of a large wooden cabin. Pink Mist victoriously won the race, arriving at the trail's end a few seconds before Orion.
"Not bad. We'll have a rematch when we're fully awake though. And then we'll see who's the real champion here. Just wait." Orion winked at the winning mare.
"I'll be waiting. But I already know who's gonna win." The pink mare winked back.
"By who, we are obviously referring to me, of course."
"I wasn't referring to you. I was totally saying me." Pink Mist retorted, giving a little smirk.
"No need to get cocky now." Orion Skies laughed. "Anyways, what do you think of the second surprise?"
Pink Mist turned her attention to the large log cabin her colt-friend was referring to and gazed at it with a great feeling of awe. The entire cabin was 20 feet in width, and stood at least 15 feet above the ground. On the roof, a sturdy brick chimney was protruding out from its thin blanket of snow. At the front of the cabin was a smooth oaken door with one large window built-in to the right side of it.
"You like it?" Orion asked giving an eager smile. "I built it several months ago last time I hiked up here. Took a few weeks and many epic failures, but now looking back in retrospect, I'd say all the hard work was well worth it."
"I didn't know that you have a hoof at wood-crafting!" The pink mare said in amazement.
"I don't." The stallion laughed. "You have no idea how difficult it was for me to get it like this. But this mountain is such a beautiful and great location for a little home, that I just had to build some kind of residence here." He explained as he walked up to the cabin and opened the door before looking at her. "Come inside, it's a bit warmer in here."
As Pink Mist followed Orion to the inside of the cabin, she was further impressed by how the interior looked. It was simple but nicely arranged. Towards the center back wall was an unlit fireplace holding nothing but a pile of old ash. Nearby was a large red and rectangular carpet with an embedded aesthetic pattern. It was covered in some dust but other than that, it was in perfect condition.
"I still can't believe you put this all together Orion. It looks lovely. But we'll need some logs and a fire for the fireplace to stay warm here for the rest of the night."
"Oh yeah! Be right back!" Orion exclaimed. Before Pink Mist could say another word, the stallion took off. He galloped out the door and quickly made his way to the back of the cabin. He stopped as to his utter delight, there laid a large pile of unused pine-logs. He managed to pick up one big log with his mouth as he quickly ran back to the front before reentering the cabin.
"I kneew I haugh a pilee offf logs somware." Orion managed to say, muffled by the log in his mouth.
"You're not a dog, silly filly." The pink mare laughed as she walked over to him. "Here, let me get that for you." She happily offered as she carefully took the log out of his mouth before tossing it into the hearth of the fireplace.
"Might want to get a few more logs though. Just in case."
"Alright, I'll make sure to be quick. The sooner we can get the fire set, the sooner we can finally get some rest." Orion smiled before taking off once again. Orion was beginning to feel more exhausted than ever before. He was quite thankful that those were his last small trips for the rest of the night.
After taking two more quick trips and retrieving a few more logs for the fireplace, it was finally set and ready for a fire.
"Now we just need something to light it up." Pink Mist noted.
"Way ahead of you!" Orion Skies replied as he walked over to the nearby carpet, cleaning all the little dust off of it. He lifted it up to reveal a little stack of matches hidden underneath. He took one as he then gently lowered the rug back into place and made his way to the hearth of the fireplace. He quickly rubbed it against the mantle and ignited it before immediately throwing it into the pile of logs.
A fire slowly but surely kindled and the whole exterior of the cabin now had a bright light. It was a beautiful sight and the two ponies were glad to know that finally, they had a warm shelter to stay at.
Orion laid himself down comfortably on the carpet and Pink Mist immediately followed suit. She rested herself closely next to Orion and embraced him in a heartwarming hug as she slowly closed her eyes. They exchanged a little nuzzle before Orion gently kissed her on the forehead.
"Good night Misty Pie, I love you."
"I love you too Sky-Sky."
And in the comfort of each other's deep embrace, along with the warmth coming from the nearby fireplace, they slept peacefully through the night.
A few hours passed after they fell into slumber and a light was already beginning to penetrate the distant horizon. Celestia was at work here, slowly raising her sun as the seemingly endless night was finally coming to an end. Equestria's snow-covered land glimmered brightly as sunlight was beginning to shine upon it. A light fog permeated the cool morning air around the mountains and the only thing to be heard within a few miles of the cabin were the soft whispers of the gentle wind. Equestria still seemed quite lifeless. Not a soul was awake, with the exception of the Princess of the Sun. However, the whole land was now beginning to transition from a state of lifelessness to one blossoming with life.
It wasn't long before a rooster along the nearby outskirts of Ponyville began to crow, instigating a chain reaction for the rest of life to wake up from its nightly sleep. Minutes after the rooster's crow, a few songbirds began to flutter around a nearby cottage along the outskirts of Ponyville. They sung and whistled a beautiful morning melody that awoke more nearby woodland critters. Eventually, throughout all the towns and cities, the awakening of the pony residents followed. And so it was, the beginning of a brand new day and there was a great atmosphere of excitement and anticipation in the air. The clamorous bells began to ring, excited fillies and colts began running outside to play in the snow; Hearth's Warming Eve had finally arrived.
Light clouds were beginning to thicken and form throughout the mountainous regions around where the cabin was situated. The temperature was beginning to drop further once again and by the looks of the accumulating weather, it was going to snow hard. A calm but chilling morning gust of wind swept stealthily through the woods, gently swaying the trees, causing many of the dwelling birds to flutter away.
Inside the cabin, Orion Skies was the first to wake up as the coolness of the breeze seeped into the interior of the cabin. His body slightly shivered for the moment but immediately calmed down, feeling extra warmth as Pink Mist's sleeping body hugged him tighter in response as if by impulse. His eyes gradually opened and he let out a silent yawn as his body was beginning to regain energy. He smiled as he noticed Pink Mist was still snuggling with him like she had been doing since the other night.
As Orion's eyes continued to scan the room, he was surprised but delighted to notice that the nearby fireplace was still brightly burning. Though it was much more dim than it was when he first kindled it the other night, it still provided a light radiance of warmth. He stared at the flame for a few minutes as he began to think reflectively to himself.
He thought about last night, when he was sitting alongside Pink Mist on the mountain summit, gazing endlessly at the astonishing scenery of the land. It was a beautiful moment for the couple, and perhaps the most cherishable one yet thus far. It felt almost ethereal for Orion to not only have the grand opportunity to feast his eyes upon the magical and mysterious beauty of the night, but also to be able to share it with someone he truly loved and cared about.
However, what was really rather bothersome to him was remembering back to the moment when he asked Pink Mist that one question: "What was your greatest Hearth's Warming Eve memory?"
He remembered the pink mare's initial reaction as he asked her that question; the disappointed expression on her face; her depressing answer.
He remembered her impulsively lashing out at him and then immediately after, looking at him apologetically before crying on his shoulders as he hugged her hoping to give her comfort and compassion. He remembered how he felt; he was shocked to see her like that, and it was almost heartbreaking for him to endure. He was painfully saddened to hear the surprising revelation, that she never had a real Hearth's Warming Eve. She barely even knew about the holiday and her parents, for whatever ridiculous reason, never even gave her the chance to know what it was like. Her overall past seemed awfully rough.
Orion could easily relate. He remembered his own past as clear as if it was just yesterday. It wasn't happiness and sunshine in the very least. As sad and painful as it was for him to admit, he never really had a real childhood. He was stuck inside a ginormous library for most of his youthful life, and not once was he allowed by his parents to go outside. All of his elementary, compulsory, and secondary education was spent in a huge and mostly empty mansion in Canterlot. It was one of the finest and most luxurious places in the city, but Orion never saw it that way. It was more like a prison to him, and his parents acted like jailers. His only true gateway to the outside world was through a large window in the library that he used to stare endlessly through every passing day.
Though Orion did know a lot about Hearth's Warming Eve, the holiday and all its traditions, his parents were never present whenever that time of the year arrived. He had no choice but to celebrate it alone, within the confinement of a very empty house. As the years passed by, he grew more and more lonely and cynical. He failed to see any point in celebrating the special occasion, unless he had someone he could share and cherish the moments and memories with. But he had no one. He was a lonely child, his parents were usually away, on vacation or traveling to who knows where.
It was only until a year ago, after he ran away, when he was finally able to walk around in the beauty of the snow.
It felt amazing for him to finally be free to roam around in the winter wonderland of Equestria's alpine wilderness. He immediately fell in love with the winter season and nature as a whole; the mountains, the forest, the clouds, but what he admired most of all, was the frosty coolness of the season's ethereal nights. He quickly grew to love Princess Luna even more than ever before, as he was finally able to dwell in the fullness of her tranquil atmosphere and gaze endless at the ubiquitous stars of her nightly sky. But for some reason, he still felt a void in his heart. There was a lack of completeness in him, despite the entirety of the free land around him. He hated to admit it at the time, but he was still alone and he had no one he could share his moments, memories, or adventure with.
That was his life before meeting the very mare who changed it all.
Orion Skies finally ended his long and deep train of thoughts and took awareness of his surroundings once more. The first thing he noticed was that Pink Mist was still sound asleep beside him. He also saw the nearby fireplace was still lit, though it was much more dim than the last time he checked. Having had more energy and more time to rest than earlier, he decided that it was finally time for him to get up and walk around. Slowly and quietly freeing himself from the pink mare's grasp, he managed to avoid waking her up, much to his surprise. As Orion carefully stood up on his four hooves, trying his best not to cause any disturbance for the sleeping mare right by him, he made his way towards the back door of the cabin. He looked back at the pink sleeping beauty one last time.
Don't worry Misty Pie. I'll make sure that you have the best Hearth's Warming Eve ever! Orion thought reassuringly to himself.
He gave a warm smile and slowly closed the door behind him. With the thickening snow levels, and Hearth's Warming Eve tonight, he was running out of time. He wanted to do something special for Pink Mist, and he needed to do it quick.
And with that thought in mind, he took off like the roaring winter breeze. He galloped down through the narrow forest trail, and within just seconds the cabin behind him disappeared in the distance. He was not sure where he was going, nor was he sure what exactly he was going to do for Pink Mist; all he knew was that he was not going to find anything up here on the mountain. His long and wild mane blew back in the wind, as he turned, skidded, and galloped through and around all the crossroads, corners, bumps, and dodged whatever obstacle was in his way.
It was not long before Orion exited out the forest and was now galloping out in the open snowy terrain down the slope of the mountain. He was in a race like no other; he was racing against the rising sun; by the looks of it, it was exactly noon. Orion and Pink Mist had slept through the entire morning and upon this realization, the racing stallion decided to increase his pace even further.
In the midst of his sprinting, he took a brief moment and turned his head to glance out towards the distant land below. From where he was running, he was able to see Ponyville, quickly coming more into focus. It was a beautiful sight and it left Orion in a state of awe. Hundreds of homes below were lit brightly in a variety of colors, mainly ranging from red to green. At the very center of the town was a ginormous Hearth's Warming tree, adorned from top to bottom with numerous ornaments, bows, and various other unique embellishments. At the very top of the tree, was a large five-pointed golden star that shimmered gloriously in the light of Celestia's sun.
As Orion was approaching closer towards the land below, he was unaware of the edge of the extremely steep cliff coming up straight ahead. It was only at several feet away from the very edge that Orion suddenly realized that there was no more slope ahead. He immediately thrust his back hooves as deep into the snow as he could, but it was still to not much avail. His attempt on breaking his slide was greatly failing as the friction was not enough to slow him down, and just as he feared, he went over the edge.
The cliff's steepness was at least ten times that of the slope Orion was galloping down on just an instant ago. He slid down the immensely steep, almost vertical rock wall at an exceedingly fast rate, almost as if he was free falling, with his back just barely brushing against the wall of granite behind. He tried using his hooves to slow himself down or to grab onto any protruding ledge or crack but it was of no use to him either way. He looked straight down at where he was falling directly towards, and to his surprise, what he saw, was an overhead view of Canterlot, his hometown. He had never before seen a view of the city at such an angle and for a transitory time, his utter fear was replaced by a great feeling of surprise. It immediately ended when he saw that he was sliding down towards the head of one of Canterlot's seemingly endless waterfalls below.
He braced himself for the inevitable as he fell into the head-stream with a great splash. He immediately swam upward as he struggled to keep himself afloat above the water. He then prepared himself for the worse as just seconds ahead, was a drop down one of the tallest waterfalls in all of Equestria. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as the currents threw him off the edge of the stream and down with the falling waters. The fall felt like an eternity for Orion; for the first time in his life, he felt weightless. The feeling was nonetheless, short-lived, as it ended with him finally splashing into an artificial pond along the base of the luxurious city.
Once again and with great struggle he immediately swam upward towards the surface before finally managing to stay afloat. He looked around and was relieved when he saw the streets and buildings in the short distance away. With some difficulty and struggle, he swam and eventually made it to the end of the pond and slowly dragged his exhausted body out of the water. As he began to stand up on his hooves, he vigorously shook his head and most of his soaked body to dry himself off as best as he could. To his utter relief , he managed to dry himself off really well, almost to the point that it was as if he never got wet in the first place. He was also thankful that the fall completely left him unscathed. He noticed some of the wealthy and higher class ponies walking nearby, giving him the strangest looks and stares, though he didn't really pay too much attention to that.
He'd only left the cabin minutes ago and the sun had hardly risen any further since Orion last checked. He was immensely surprised as to how fast he'd managed to get here altogether. He may have missed Ponyville, but now within the luxurious extravagance of Canterlot, the very city he grew up in for most of his life, he began to realize just how convenient of an opportunity this was for him. He knew the place well; he knew all the stores, shops, markets, and just about any retail place where he could potentially find something of great genuineness and value. If there was any great gift he could give to Pink Mist, there was little to no doubt that he would find it here.
He quickly trotted around the streets, looking for every possible jewelry, clothing store, and marketplace he could see within his own proximity. A few more crucial minutes passed, and Orion's eagerness was beginning to get more and more aggravated. It was hard for him to focus with such limited time. For all he knew, Pink Mist could be waking up right at this very moment, wondering where her "Sky-Sky" had gone. She could be worried-sick as far as the anxious stallion knew. He tried to not think so much about it but with each passing second, it was beginning to become much more difficult for him to remain calm. Orion Skies felt more compelled than ever to find that special something for her, and he was losing precious time.
To his luck, he finally found a nearby jewelry store straight ahead, at the corner of the street he was trotting through. In the instant he noticed, he took off in a speeding gallop towards the store, quickly arriving at the front. He became much more at ease as he saw the sign on the door say "OPEN", and within moments he immediately entered inside. The interior of the store looked remarkably lavish and on all the shelves of its walls were various assortments of jewelry, ranging from rings, necklaces, earrings, tiaras, and so much more. He was utmost thrilled to see all the potential gifts right before his very eyes. He felt a great surge of hope, and he was not even sure what to get as there were a seemingly unlimited amount of items he could choose from. As his eyes scanned through all the luxurious jewelry, there was one item amongst all that quickly had Orion's eyes fully locked on it. A golden necklace with a silver heart-shaped pendant, which had the word "Angel" engraved in it. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry Orion had ever seen, and he just knew Pink Mist would love it.
He quickly snatched the necklace and held it carefully in his mouth as he then made his way to the front of the counter to meet with the store's jeweler. Orion gently placed it down in front of him and gave a small greeting smile.
"I would like to get this necklace for my special somepony please."
"Alright then. That will be, 50 bits!" The Jeweler explained.
Orion's eager and happy expression immediately faded away. He wasn't prepared to be having to pay this much money.
"Um, I have 5 bits on me.... can you by any chance accept that?" Orion shyly asked, feeling greatly unnerved.
The jeweler laughed profusely, as if Orion's question was nothing more than a joke to him. "Are you from around here?"
"Not really no."
"Well sir, I'm afraid I cannot accept just a mere 5 bits for this simplistic but beautiful piece of jewelry right here. You have great taste, I'll give you that." The jeweler explained in a calm but stern tone. "But 50 bits is the cheapest price we go for here. And if you can only pay with just 5 bits, then I'm sorry pal, but this store and really any other jewelry store here in Canterlot, is just not the place for you to buy anything good."
"But 5 bits is all I have. And it's for my special somepony... I wanted to give her something really special. Something to make her happy." Orion tried explaining, feeling greatly disappointed.
"Look pal, do you really want to give her something special? Something she'll love more than anything?"
Orion quietly nodded his head.
"You love the lass, don't you?" The jeweler asked, looking at him rather sympathetically.
"Of course I do. I love her more than anything!" Orion answered, rather surprised by the question given that he had an extremely obvious answer to.
"Then just be with her and give her love. It's completely free and it will do so much for her that no amount of wealth or bits in the world can ever suffice." The jeweler answered, giving Orion a slight smile.
Orion Skies was left speechless, for the jeweler's response to the poor stallion's agony of desperation was one that he truly didn't expect. To Orion's uttermost surprise, his answer was not only kind, but it also began to make a whole lot of sense to him. He gave himself a huge 'mental facehoof' as he realized just how much he had over-complicated everything. Looking back in retrospect at the other night he spent with Pink Mist on the top of the mountain, he remembered the beautiful, reassuring, and heartfelt words that they exchanged with each other.
"At the end of every adventure, is an amazing reward. This marvelous view of Equestria and Luna's wondrous night-sky is our reward for making it all the way up here, and I am thankful to be sharing this reward with you."
"Oh Orion. This is definitely an awesome reward and I'm proud to share it with you too!"
"Our first Hearth's Warming Eve together! Yay!"
He remembered when Pink Mist excitingly exclaimed that to him before pulling him into that heartwarming hug. Now thinking back on it, those two words in her sentence: our and together, meant a whole lot more than what Orion originally thought.
He also remembered when she was explaining her unfortunate past memories to Orion and when she said this:
"I mean I would've loved to celebrate Hearth's Warming Eve with my parents when I was younger...but that just never happened...I never even had a gift given to me before...I have no idea why. That was just the way things were for me. Only me..."
Eventually, Orion Skies finally managed to put all the pieces together and realized the full reality of what Pink Mist really wanted for Hearth's Warming Eve. He thought a fancy gift, a genuine and luxurious-looking gift would be enough to make her happy, but what she truly wished for was so much more profound. She had a lonely and rough childhood, and she had been longing for someone to share this precious time of the year with. And surprisingly, Orion knew the exact feeling. He too was an uttermost lonely child, who never had the chance to celebrate the holiday with another pony. Throughout most of his life, he always wanted someone he could share just about everything with; his stories, memories, moments, and adventures. He wanted someone to love. She wanted to be loved and she too wanted moments and memories to spend and cherish with another.
It all made perfect sense now; the greatest gift he could possibly give her, was love. It's what he'd been profusely giving her for all the months he'd known her for. But to give her all the love and company on such a special holiday like this, to offer her the experience of having someone to not only love, but to celebrate the holiday with, for the first ever time in her life, was a grand opportunity for both Orion and his fillyfriend. He didn't need any lavish jewelry to impress her and make her feel pretty, just being there with her would be enough to do all that, and so much more.
"Hey, you alright there pal?" The jeweler asked as he interrupted Orion's deep train of thought.
Orion shook his head as he regained awareness. "Oh um, yeah! Uh sorry about that, my mind tends to doze off into space sometimes." The stallion nervously laughed. "I should just get going now. Sorry about all the inconvenience."
Orion was just about to turn away from the front counter and make his way to the door, when suddenly the jeweler called out to him.
"Hey now, don't leave just yet!"
"Huh." Orion responded bemusedly as he turned back to look at him.
"Look, you may not have enough bits to afford the fancy heart necklace, but you do have a reasonable enough amount to buy this off of me." The jeweler explained as he pulled out a brilliant red wool scarf from under the counter. It was in great condition and on one of its ends was a small and embedded green Hearth's Warming tree decor.
"I-It looks beautiful! It's perfect! B-But why? Why would you want to help a poor stallion like me?" Orion asked, shocked by the jeweler's sudden display of kindness.
"While you were dozing off in your own train of thoughts, I spent a little time in thinking myself. I was actually gonna give this scarf to my wife today, but after taking your rough situation into account, I thought I'd show some generosity. Besides, I can always buy her another scarf." The jeweler explained giving a warm smile.
"Thank you so much!" Orion gratefully exclaimed. He threw his 5 bits on the countertop and happily took the scarf the jeweler had so kindly given him before trotting out the store. He was elated and he had great hopes for this Hearth's Warming Eve. He was going to make Pink Mist feel like the most special mare in all of Equestria! Not just because of the scarf he managed to get by an unexpected surge of luck, but because he now knew exactly what she truly wanted; no gifts, but rather to have him give her the love and comfort she needed for this special occasion.
However, as he looked above at the towering mountains overshadowing the city, he realized that to his utter dismay, he was a long ways from the cabin. His feelings of happiness and utter joy began to transition to feelings of utmost confusion and panic. He had not a single idea as to how he would be able to find a way back up to the cabin in time. On hoof, it could take him roughly seven hours to hike and ascend all the way back. He didn't have that kind of time; if Pink Mist were to be awake now, Orion had no doubt that she would be worried sick about him and where he went off to. For the moment, he hated himself for even leaving her alone in the first place. Immediately, he began trotting around all the streets and corners of Canterlot, asking any nearby passerby he could find for quick directions as to how he could get back up the mountain. He found no luck, and with each passing minute, his fears and distress grew.
I finally found the perfect gift for Misty Pie, and here I am stranded miles away from the cabin. How convenient! Orion thought sarcastically to himself.
Just as Orion was about to ultimately give up and lose all hope, he saw two seemingly peculiar mares walking by. One of them wore a brilliant white coat of fur and a dazzling curly purple mane; her cutie mark appeared to be three sparkly diamonds. The mare walking alongside her looked extremely peculiar in comparison. Her coat was a light hue of pink and her mane was a darker shade of pink; her mane was perhaps the most wild mane Orion had ever seen on anypony. There was a seemingly endless amount of curls in her mane, which oddly enough, appeared to defy gravity. They were engaging in some sort of conversation; though the stallion could hardly understand what they were saying, he could tell that the British-esque accent belonged to the more elegant white mare, while the high pitched and more hyper sounding voice belonged to the eccentric pink mare.
"Pinkie Pie, for the umpteenth time, we are not here to eat lollipops or cake!" The other mare explained to her in a rather frustrated tone of voice. From Orion's limited perspective it seemed like the bouncy pink pony, whose name was apparently Pinkie Pie, was annoying the elegant looking mare to no end. He gave a slight giggle as he observed the scene from afar.
"Come on Rarity! You know I have a sweet tooth, and it would be so super-duper-uper-nuper amazing if you let me stop by some nearby bakery!" Pinkie Pie yelled back, much to Rarity's annoyance.
Orion couldn't really hear much of what the two mares were arguing about, but he decided to intervene and at least try and ask if these ponies could help him out in his situation, which was becoming increasingly crucial with each passing moment.
"Hey excuse me!" The stallion called out to them. He was successful in capturing their attention as they immediately turned to face him.
"Can I help you darling?" Rarity asked looking at him with great concern.
"I'm not sure if you can be of much help, but it's worth a try... I was trying to find my special somepony a gift, and then unexpectedly, I came here to this city on accident, which turned out to be quite a convenient accident since I did end up getting a special gift for her after all, but now, I have no idea how to get back. I'm stranded here, and my special somepony is up in our cabin near the top of that mountain." Orion explained as he pointed his hoof toward where the cabin was located.
The mares were speechless, as they looked at the stallion and then back towards each other with very puzzled expressions on their faces. They took a few brief moments, trying to process all the sudden information and details the stallion had just provided them with. It was clear to Pinkie Pie and Rarity that this stallion was in a very dire situation here, and the mares, although they felt more than inclined to help out, they were not sure how they could.
"Oh my, I don't know what to say." Rarity responded, being the first one to speak. "It's really sweet that you went through all this trouble to get her a special Hearth's Warming Eve gift. Honestly, being a romantic enthusiast and all, it really touches my heart to see such selflessness, such kindness, and willingness displayed by a sweet stallion like you, to bring joy to your lover's heart. I remember when I was a little filly, I used to always dream of-"
"Um, Rarity. This stallion's running out of time. You know that, right?" Pinkie interjected, giving Rarity a little nudge on the shoulder, hoping she would end her garrulous rambling and focus on the issue at hand.
"Oh! Right! Um sorry... um... what's your name?" Rarity asked, still embarrassed about her digression.
"My name is Orion Skies, and my fillyfriend's name is Pink Mist." Orion answered rather gloomily. He let out a little sigh. "I just can't believe I let her down like this. I got myself stranded down here. There's no way I'll make it back before she wakes up. I left her alone, to spend the holiday all by herself, just like how her family had left her alone throughout all her past years..." Orion explained as he began to walk away from the mares, feeling like he had wasted enough of their time.
"Orion, wait!" Pinkie Pie called out to him, successfully making him stop and look back.
"Why? I already wasted your time. I explained my situation. There's no way I'll ever make it back for the holiday... I disappointed her and for all I know, she might as well just lea-"
Before Orion could finish his sentence, he was slapped across the face by a passionate and suddenly determined Rarity.
"Don't you dare finish that sentence! Now listen to me! I may have only known you for a few minutes, but I can easily tell that you have a genuine and selfless heart. You are going to make her the happiest mare alive when she receives not only your special gift for her, but your loving comfort and presence."
"But how?"
Rarity looked at the stallion with a very purposeful expression on her face. "We're getting you back to the cabin up there. Right Pinkie Pie?"
"Righty-o!" Pinkie Pie responded as she immediately stood erect on her two back-hooves and gave an army-like salute. It was somewhat comedic to Orion. She then relaxed back to her regular position and gave the stallion a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Orion, we're going to help you make this the best Hearth's Warming Eve ever for her!"
"Wait, what? I don't understand. How is that even possible? Orion asked, more surprised than ever by the two mares's sudden determined and willing attitude.
Rarity pondered for a minute before her eyes finally lit up. "Ideaaa! Me and Pinkie Pie did come up here from Ponyville on a hot air balloon. Perhaps, we could all hitch another ride and get you quickly back up the mountain!"
Orion was at a loss for words.
"No time to respond! Just follow us!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed with great excitement as her and Rarity immediately took off. Orion quickly followed suit.
He could barely repress the happiness and hope he was now feeling.
It was now well into the afternoon, and the ponies all across Equestria were still as vivacious as ever; most of ponies were rejoicing and celebrating the holiday and its joyous season with their families. Fillies and colts were playing in the snow out on the streets; they had their typical snowball fights; they made their usual snow angels and snowponies; the children were wild as they always were around this time of year. There was a clear ambiance of energy, life, and jovial spirit. Hearth's Warming Eve was almost halfway over. However, for some, it had only just begun.
Orion was sound asleep right beside Pink Mist within the warm comfort of the cabin. Even though the fire in the hearth of the fireplace had long since died out, the warmth it provided still lingered. Another thing that permeated the room was a special scent. It was a unique smell, and Orion was the first to notice as he slowly awoke. Within the first few seconds of opening up his eyes, he could only see a blurred perception of the surrounding room. He noticed some interesting dots of colors, primarily green and red, and uniquely shaped blobs sitting nearby. As he tried to focus his eyes a bit more, his lethargic vision began to become much more clear and lucid. And to his eventual surprise, he began to realize that the room around him, was the interior of his cabin.
He looked to his side, to his utmost and unimaginably great relief, he saw Pink Mist nearby, still deep in her slumber. Orion blushed and smiled, admiring the immense adorableness of his sleeping beauty. He couldn't believe it. He made it back in time. He was excited and more than ready to show her just how much he loved her and just how much she meant to him.
He then noticed the unique scent once again, as he looked more extensively at his surroundings, he was met with another utter surprise. The whole room was decorated. There was a large Hearth's Warming tree nearby, ornamented from top to bottom. On the mantelpiece of the fireplace, were various lights, and three beautiful candles arranged along the top.
The whole once austere interior of the cabin now had a beautiful decor. It was almost like a dream come true.
"H-How is this possible!?" Orion exclaimed to himself in great confusion and elation. The best conclusion he could think of was that he fell asleep on the hot air balloon on the way here, and while he was deeply asleep the two mares carried him over to the cabin and redid everything.
He wanted to thank them more than ever now, but before he could do anything, Pink Mist finally awoke from her seemingly endless slumber. Her beautiful emerald eyes slowly opened as she began to regain her awareness. Eventually, she too was met with utter surprise by the reality of all that was around her. She couldn't believe it. Immediately a surge of happiness, joy, and wonder began to fill her heart. It was like waking up in a whole other world for her. She stood up on her hooves, with her excitement energizing her more than anything, and then turned to face Orion, who was still greatly bemused and in a state of awe himself.
"I-Is this... all for me?" The pink mare asked, giving a huge and eager smile. She was just about ready to burst into joyful tears.
Orion very well knew the answer he needed to give her. "Yes Misty Pie! Everything here is for you. I wanted to make our first Hearth's Warming Eve special somehow."
"Oh Sky-Sky. You didn't have to do all this for me... I-I don't know what to say." Pink Mist replied, feeling almost at a loss for words. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she was just about ready to explode in utter happiness.
"Don't say anything then. Not yet. I have something special to give you."
Pink Mist tried her best in holding back her elation and uttermost bliss as Orion looked around the cabin for that gift he got for her. "Ah ha!" Orion exclaimed with utter eagerness as he found the red Hearth's Warming scarf lying near the hearth of the fireplace. He saw that there was no more fire burning so he quickly got another of his matches hidden underneath the rug as he reignited the flame. The whole exterior of the cabin was further brought to life with extra light, warmth, both coming from the fireplace and the three brightly burning candles on its top mantelpiece.
"Now close your eyes Misty Pie and relax." Orion told the anxious and excited pink mare. Despite how hard it was for her, she did as she was told. She trusted and loved the stallion so much and from all the surprises he had given her in the past, she knew that this one would be just as, if not more amazing and genuine than the rest.
Orion retrieved the scarf from by the hearth of the brilliantly glowing fireplace, and slowly made his way to where Pink Mist was now sitting. He sat down closely in front of her, and gently gave her a little kiss on the nose, to which she responded with a happy giggle, before finally wrapping the delicate Christmas scarf around her neck.
"Now you can open your eyes" Orion said, anticipating the inevitable.
The first thing Pink Mist saw was Orion's wondrous bright green eyes. She then felt something soft and cozy around her neck. She looked down and carefully picked up the ends of the beautiful scarlet scarf; she gave a deep heartfelt smile as she then noticed a little Hearth's Warming tree embedded onto one of its ends.
"So, what do you think?" Orion eagerly asked.
She then gradually lifted her head and looked deeply into the stallion's eyes; she was so close to him that their noses just barely touched. Tears of happiness began to profusely fall down her cheeks. She was struggling to find the right words to say, the right words to describe just how happy Orion was making her feel. She stared into his eyes, barely even able to see him well through her own teary eyes, and gave the most sweetest and most heartwarming smile she possibly could.
It was a moment that felt like an eternity to both the mare and the stallion. Their souls felt as though they were in complete ecstasy and it was as if all their worries and all their worst fears had left them completely.
Orion was the first to break the tranquil and romantic silence. He did so in the most gentle, simple, and sweetest way he possibly could.
"I love you Misty Pie, and your happiness is worth more than all of Equestria to me. Happy Hearth's Warming Eve." He said in a soothing tone, which made it almost sound like a calm whisper.
Pink Mist blushed deeply and still at a loss of words to describe her happiness, she decided to just show him. With their muzzles already in close contact, she quickly locked lips with the stallion. Orion was greatly surprised, and almost pulled back but immediately relaxed and cherished the moment. The scene felt magical for the both of them. Words could not describe the happiness they were both feeling in this moment. It was almost ethereal.
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From the day they first met, they had never once expected to have formed such a genuine bond. Looking back then, and looking at it now, seven months later; from being the closest of friends, to now also being lovers, it was almost like an adventure for them. They had the best kind of adventure. The adventure that never seemed to end: helping each other face the struggles, the hardships, and all the great obstacles in life, to the very end. It was an adventure that they could share. It was an adventure that they never had to go on alone, for they had the support, comfort, and most of all, the neverending love for each other.
And love, is the cheapest gift of all. It's priceless. It's completely free, but it will do so much more that no amount of wealth or bits in the world can or will ever suffice...
I just thought I share some stuff here, along with a special update.
First off, I dedicate this story to my beautiful and amazing girlfriend, Gaby. :) She was my number one inspiration here.
We have known each other for over seven months and I am proud to say that she is my bestest(should be a real word) and closest friend I have ever been so lucky to have known. She is also my very first real girlfriend. Never before in my entire life have I felt this much love, and I am deeply grateful to have her as my first true lover. And believe it or not... I met her online. To be more specific, I met her on MLP Forums in early July.
Now here we are, currently in a long distance relationship, but nevertheless, we have been going on strong for over three months now. We share so much in common, and what makes her even more amazing is that she's a brony just like me. We both love the show, and we even have the same favorite pony, Pinkie Pie! I'm really lucky to have found someone like her. :)
I asked her out on the night of 9/13/13 and looking back in retrospect, I can definitely say that I have zero regrets. There has been some struggles here and there, but our immense love for each other easily surpasses it all.
Man, it's really crazy... I've never actually dedicated any piece of writing to anyone before... so go ahead Misty Pie, feel special. :)
I hope we can last Misty Pie. Though our relationship is still quite young, these three months with you have been the best three months of my entire life. I hope our relationship can only continue to grow and maybe someday, become a reality. All I know is that with love, all things are possible.
My eyes are getting a little watery from typing all this... Gosh darn it Sanders! Keep it together! xD
So to wrap this all up: I love you Misty Pie! You mean the world to me! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!! :D
P.S. About the beautiful artwork featured towards the end of the last Chapter... that was a $30 commission I paid for. All for you. ;)
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Compared to this, my special update is rather small. But nonetheless, it is an update I thought I share.
I'll probably be making a few more stories based on our OCs in the near future. So keep an eye out for any future updates! ;) That's pretty much it. Though I didn't really get nearly as much feedback on this story as all those popular stories out there, I'm thankful for those of you who did enjoy. So thanks!
