> Luna and the Present
>  by Stargazer129
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Tia's Perfect Gift
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	My eyes slowly opened, and I yawned. It was the morning again, probably the worst part of the whole day. I brushed a few loose stands of my mane away from my face and sat up. I could feel a slight draft from my window, so I got up and closed it a bit. I looked outside, my eyes going wide. 	

Outside my window, I could see that another fresh blanket of snow had fallen over the chilly Winter night. My hooves rubbed against the foggy glass, and I pulled it away. The snow was still falling, so I ran out of the castle's back door and stepped into the powder. It was cold against my hooves, but I was too busy looking at the flakes landing gently on my blue fur. As I continued to watch them fall, I heard a familiar voice from inside the castle.

"Luna! What are you doing outside? It's freezing!"

I smiled at Tia in the doorway. "I was just checking out the snowflakes." As I said that, I snowflake landed on my nose. Tia laughed, and I shook my head and watched that little flake float off. I waved goodbye to it before heading inside.

Tia started our fireplace, and we then sat on our couch in the grand room. I turned around to look out the window, and the same sights awaited me. Snow falling, the tips of houses coated with snow, and other fillies trying to build snow-ponies. I turned around again and saw our room. A big pine tree sat in the corner, along with a few boxes wrapped in paper under it's branches. Garland wrapped around our fireplace, some of it with lights that gave a soft glow. My stocking hung off the edge of the fireplace, awaiting a filling of candy and other small trinkets. I loved how our castle looked when Hearth's Warming came around. I looked towards Tia, who was also looking around.

"Hey Tia! Are you excited for Hearth's Warming? Because I know I am!" I jumped around on the couch, then to the chair, and then into our tree. I heard the sound of jingling bells on an ornament before another ornament landed on my head.

Tia laughed, then helped me get out of the tree. I was covered in pine needles now, and I smelled just like the candle on the fireplace. I quickly rolled up a newspaper near the chair and held it on my head, like a candle wick popping out of my mane.

"Look Tia!! I am a candle now!" 

"Indeed you are, but where is Luna? I was going to give her something special tomorrow for Hearth's Warming, but now I can't find her."

I instantly took the paper off of my head and jumped towards Tia, making her fall back. "Luna is here! I found her, Tia!"

She smiled. "There you are." She gave me a hug, then put me down. "Now, today you can get my Hearth's Warming gift." She wrapped a scarf around my neck. 

I looked and smiled at Tia. I was going to find her the perfect gift. I waved at her, then went outside into the snow covered land.





As I made my way into Canterlot's main squareish place, there were shops everywhere, selling everything a pony could want for Hearth's Warming. There were normal shops that sold clothes and toys, but there were others that sold candy, pets, and a new shop called quills and sofas. I continued to walk around the city, but I couldn't find anything that Tia would want. Frustrated, I sighed and sat on the ground. I moved over to a bench to think about what Tia could want. 

'Hmm, Tia is nice, kind and takes care of me. She has a sense of humor, and knows how to make me smile. She teaches me magic sometimes, and is always there to help me solve problems.' I looked around, then went back to Brainland. 'If Tia could get rid of everything but one thing, what would she save?'

As soon as I thought of that question, I already had an answer.





I arrived home, and Tia left me a note saying that she was going to get my gift. I had to get Tia's gift ready, and it had to be perfect. I went downstairs into the creepy old basement, and got a cardboard box. I placed it under the tree, and looked for wrapping paper. I found some decorated with snowflakes, and I didn't forget the gift tag. There was only one problem: I had no idea how to wrap a present.

First, I tried laying the tube over the box. That didn't work. Next, I tried beating the box with the tube. The only thing the box had now were some dents. Then, I tried laying one sheet on top. Still a failed plan. Finally, I just put crinkled, ripped paper on the sides of the box with my glue bottle. Satisfied, I hid the box in my room and waited for Tia to come back. A few minutes later, Tia came back, with a few shopping bags held in her magic.

"Hey Luna. I'm going to wrap your gifts now, so no peeking!"

I giggled and ran to my room, where the box with the wrapping paper was. The wrapping paper on the box looked like the best (and only) wrapping paper job I had ever done in my life. The box didn't have Tia's gift in it yet, but it would soon. I waited for Tia to finish wrapping the gifts by jumping on the bed, and after ten minutes of jumping, Tia called me into the grand room.

I trotted into the room, and there I saw more gifts under our tree. The snow was lighter now, and setting a perfect image for Hearth's Warming Eve. Tomorrow, I would open my gifts, but first I would have to give Tia mine. Tia left the room, and I took out my box. I slid it under the tree, and waited until later tonight. I went into my room, dove under the covers, and fell asleep.







I awoke just in time to see Tia raise the sun, and I had time to add the gift into the box. Tia was about to raise the sun, so I had to act quick. I got out of bed, ran out of my room, and near our tree. The box was still empty and bare, and that made me breath a sigh of relief. I wrote a note on the box, then I crawled into the box. I closed the flaps, and lay down in the box.

This year, I was Tia's perfect gift.

Through the slits of the box, I saw Tia's sunlight peek though the window, then her hoofsteps could be heard in the hall. I couldn't see Tia, but I knew she was close by. Then, her magic enveloped the flaps, and the next thing I saw was Tia's face.

"Surprise!" I smiled at Tia. She was stunned. "What do you think of your perfect gift this year?"

Tia was smiling. Laughing. Her face was full of joy. I smiled back, then jumped out of the box. The wrapping paper looked like it was about to fall off. But Tia was still smiling, and that made my heart soar. I jumped into Tia's hooves, and we hugged for a long while. I wrapped my hooves around Tia, and I heard Tia's soft voice talking to me.

"Happy Hearth's Warming, Luna."