Short stories with various characters spending holy night in their own ways
I'm going to be honest here, I did this just for fun, without anything resembling a plot in mind (hence the random tag) and using DC Comics' Holidays Specials as a base (hence the crossover tag).
I don't expect this to be my next breakout fic or magnum opus, but I someone out there has a good time reading this, I'll know I did something good.
All of this was written in one single sit, no editors involved. Have that in mind before tearing this to shreds in the comments.
Somewhere, under a starry night: Trixie is traveling alone, not really knowing what date it is. But an unexpected call of help will give her a hint.
Peace on earth: Princess Cadance is taking her first night watch over the Crystal Empire when she encounters something really disturbing. Only her auntie Celestia can prevent disaster from happening.
It's our time now: Every well known 'villain' in Equestria has been invited to a particular mountain retreat, from simple jerks to all out 'aponylipse bringers'. Hilarity Ensues.
Under the starry veil of the night, a lone pony was traveling alone. Pulling a trailer by herself, the azure and silver unicorn know as Trixie was making the trip from Appleloosa to Las Pegasus, across the San Palomino Desert.
Alone with her thoughts, and dreams. She was thinking about regaining her place in the world. In all this time, she had lost a lot, and at the same time, she discovered too. For example, she lost her desire to be above everypony else, but also she understood she didn't need it to be happy.
But still, there were thing she still was missing. For the crowds that used to love her, she couldn't find something to take its place. It was in times like this one, when her mind drifted from reality to think about things like that. Lost in her thoughts, Trixie tried to remember how she used to live before being famous.
"I used to have a family." She told to herself, remembering the good time with her mentors in Neigh Orleans. "But now they're gone." She remembered how she tried to find them again, but none of them seemed to leave the slightest trace behind, only the good memories she had of them. "Maybe is time to start a family of my own." So deep she was in thought, that the flare illuminating the night sky surprised the heck out of her.
The white light was coming from east, leaving a barely visible trail of smoke behind it. But Trixie was an experience traveler, she recognized the S.O.S. signal. She unstrapped from her cart, cast a quick shield spell on it and went towards its source, wondering what kind of trouble she might find once there. The desert wasn't the kindest of places, even in Equestria.
When Trixie finally climbed the last dune she saw what was the problem. A couple of ponies, a stallion and a very pregnant mare, were sitting next to a small traveling cart that had its two front wheels broken. 'Wheels, had to be wheels.'
"Hello strangers." She greeted them. "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm the Great and Powerful Trixie, at your service." Letting a small group of sparks to bust behind her and taking of her hat. The astounded coupled stood still, too surprised to say anything. When she didn't hear the aplause and sheer, Trixie decided to be more direct. "Trixie can see that you need help, if you're willing to follow Trixie, she has a functional cart a couple of dunes at the west."
The stallion rose from the sand and addressed her. "Thank you miss, but my wife is already in labor, we can't move her right now."
"Oh, no need to worry, the Great and Powerful Trixie can bring her cart here." She replied. With one final bow, she went back to where she left her cart. In the way she was left alone to her thoughts.
"Why am I doing this? It's not like me to abandon a route to help others, much less allow other ponies to step in my cart." But that line of thinking was interrupted by her own memory working. "Right, pregnant mare." With nothing else in mind, Trixie raced to her cart.
When she finally made it, she strapped it as quick as she could and started to pull. But the desert's sand was a really difficult ground, even in the road. The couple was't in the road. To avoid the wheels from sinking in the sand, she had to cast a levitation spell on her cart. The double effort of lifting the cart with her magic and dragging it with her hooves was really tiring her, but something inside her heart was telling Trixie it was the right thing to do.
To tired she was, that Trixie forgot in which direction she was heading. The monotonous landscape wasn't helping, as every dune was exactly like the previous one. There was no sign or trace to follow until she glanced to the sky, where the white flare from before shone over the stars and gave her the right direction.
"Come on Trixie, you can do this." She said out loud to herself. Deciding to give everything on one effort, she put all her might in one single push of her magic and one single pull of her hooves. Like a jump, the cart floated over the sand and Trixie raced it over the last dune. After that, she found the stallion holding her wife's hoof, as the mare was sweating and heavily breathing.
"It's all right, the Great and Powerful Trixie is here." She announced herself, but both ponies were too focused to pay her any attention. "Is she okay?" Trixie asked.
"Yeah, she's just having the first contractions." The stallion answered. "But I'm afraid that we need to get her to a hospital, and the last town is at least a kilometer to the east." He said in a defeated voice. "I really thank you for your effort, but it's too much and I'll understand if you can't help." He then turned himself to attend his wife.
Trixie pondered the options, two little Trixies appearing on her shoulders.
"That's it, beat it girl." The Trixie dressed with a black and red cape said. "You are about to pass out from exhaustion from pulling the cart alone, there's no way in hell you can get them to town." Then she put a hoof over her chin. "And what is a kilometer by the way?"
Trixie looked at her other shoulder, where a white dressed Trixie was silently gazing at her.
"Well?" The red and black Trixie asked. "You have nothing to ad?"
The white Trixie only looked at her darker and edgier counterpart before saying. "Not really, Trixie is a grown mare and she knows what's right and wrong." Then looking at the real Trixie. "After all, she still wants to be a hero."
"An anti-hero." The dark Trixie added.
"Close enough." Said the white one. Both Trixies disappeared in a puff of black and white smoke, leaving the real one more confused than she was before.
Rolling her eyes, she sighed and went to the couple. "Hey, you." Not really convinced of her next words. "The Great and Powerful Trixie happens to be heading to... that town you say, so..." Her mouth and her mind really having a problem. "Jump in and I'll get you there."
"Oh my, thank you miss Trixie, we really appreciate this." He said while helping his wife to get up. The motion semed rather difficult given the mare's condition, so Trixie decided the best was to levitate her to the cart.
"Let me help you to pull the cart, miss." The stallion said, but Trixie waved her hoof against it.
"No need, the Great and Powerful Trixie is more than capable of pulling her cart. Also, your wife needs you more." The stallion thanked her again and went inside the cart to attend his wife. Trixie looked how the door closed and strapped the cart around her barrel.
"*gulp* Okay Trixie." She said as staring to pull the cart. "You can do this, this can be worse than farming rocks."
*Some minutes later.*
"This is even worse than farming rocks!" She said in frustration. If her calculations were right, she had only pulled the cart a hundred of meters. There was no way she could make it to town in time.
Too stubborn to admit defeat and quit, she kept her pulling as also trying to keep the cart steady for the couple inside. Minutes turned hours, one step at a time she was making it. Looking above, she saw in the east how the with light she confuse with a flare was in fact a star.
The shinny celestial body stood out between the other for something really peculiar. Under it, a small trace of what looked like magic dust was falling. Trixie recognized the similitude with her cutie mark, and that gave her the inner strength to keep her efforts. After what seemed like most of the night, she finally made it to the small town. Trixie almost shed a tear when she saw streets instead of sand, drastically reducing the problem of pulling the cart.
Trixie unstrapped herself and went to the cart's door to announce the couple that the were already in town. She was next to the door when a sound startled her. A baby's cry.
Trixie opened the door to find the mare resting in her bed, holding a newborn pony wrapped in Trixie's cape. "Wait, what?" She said.
"Oh miss Trixie, I'm really sorry but I couldn't find anything else." The stallion apologized. "I swear I'll buy a new one as soon as I can."
Trixie sighed, too tired to even argue. "Just keep it." She didn't even had enough energy to keep her act. "I'm glad the baby is okay." She then looked between her thinks, searching for a bottle of water. She finally found one when somepony knocked at the door.
"Who the tartarus may that be?" Trixie was tired and thirsty, not really in the mod to receive any unexpected visitors. Walking to her door, she opened and saw something that actually left her speechless.
A caravan consisting on three carts was stationed next to hers. and in front of her door, a camel, a zebra and a thestral, all dressed like a ruler would, were looking expectantly at her.
"Can Trixie help you?" But before they could answer, the couple was exiting the cart. The mare sat down, holding her child between her hooves. The three visitors put a gift each one in front of them and knelt before the newborn pony.
It took Trixie a moment to realize. The couple at the desert, the star in the east, the three visitors. When realization came to her, she hastily took a knee too, bowing in respect.
"Trixie is-- I'm sorry, I don't have a gift to offer." The mare rose and walked next to Trixie, lifting her chin with a hoof.
"No, miss Trixie, you gave us the most important one." And she was right. The value of a good action without expecting a reward shone with more strength than any gold, frankincense or myrrh.
The couple walked with their friends, entering in one of the caravans. A minute later and they were heading east again, exiting the town and disappearing in the distance. Trixie looked at the scene, smiling in pride and happiness. She knew she wasn't going to see that couple again, and would never see the child growing up.
Trixie should be feeling alone and empty, but this night is special. She fights with her desire of joining the couple. Instead of that, she went to her own place, the roads. This time tough, there wasn't that fell of loneliness. The road is open, her destiny awaits for her at the end and she has a new reason to keep going.
Princess Cadence is not really a stay-in-home kind of pony. Although she enjoys being inside with her loving husband, she prefers big open spaces where she has the opportunity to open her wings wide and take a flight high in the sky.
After various very uneventful months, she decided to take the old Equestrian custom for a Princess to take patrol duties on her dominions. It was a good way to exercise her flying as also get into her role of Crystal Princess.
Watching over the city, her heart felt warming at knowing that her subjects were as peaceful as her aunt's ones. No one fighting or even discussing over anything. A truly peaceful place to live, she thought to herself.
It was past sunset when she decided to call it a day and go back to the castle, but she suddenly heard a fuss near the south side. More tired that she thought, she flew at a rather slow pace to where she was hearing it. After being close enough, Cadence could recognize that the noises where something she already knew. They were screams.
Getting worried, the Princess of Love made an effort to get there as quick as possible, getting over a strangely illuminated part of the city.
It was nighttime, but where she was flying over was as clear as the day. Torches and other illumination systems where making the south side of the Crystal Empire an island of light under the night sky. And in the center, there was something that shocked the young alicorn.
***
Canterlot, various kilometers to the south.
Celestia just finished her daily duties, giving up the rule to Luna, and was now about fall down over her bed. Being sure that nopony was around, she gave a very undignified yawn and let gravity do her job on dragging her over the softness of a custom made bed. When head just made the tiniest contact with the pilow, she was already under the soft embrace of dreams.
"AUNTIE CELESTIA!" A voice cried in her head, making the Princess of the Sun to shock and jump out of bed, lading painfully on the floor.
"What? who? where?" Celestia walked in small circles, eyes close, for a while before her mind could get a hold on reality. Using her magical senses, she understood that it was Cadence who called for her. Doing her best to not sound tired, she answered. "What's wrong Cadence, you sound alarmed."
From the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence spoke again. "It's an emergency, please, I can't even understand what's happening I need your help."
"My good niece, why didn't you call for your aunt Luna? It's night time and she is a good help as am I."
"I tried, but she said she was already occupied with something important. Please come quick, this is really strange and I don't know what to do." Celestia could see how her niece's voice cracked on that last part. Conjuring her regal jewels and a quick brush, she cast the teleporting spell, using Cadence as a beacon and appeared on the Crystal Empire next to the pink alicorn.
"Well Cadence, what seems to be the problem." She tried to not sound annoyed, but her own tiredness betrayed her. Instead of talking, Cadence just pointed a hoof down the street they where hoovering over.
Celestia could see how the crystal ponies where fighting each other. Hoofs, kicks, even improvised weapons made with wooden batons and other instruments. Mostly adults, but also young and older ones where jumping at each other, keeping up a mini-war in the well illuminated streets of the Crystal Empire, advancing from the south to the Palace in the middle of the city.
"Oh." The Solar alicorn sighed in relief, even letting a small chuckle as lowering her head, relaxing her body while at it. "I'ts good to see that the crystal ponies have regained all of his memory."
"WHAT?!" Cadence shouted next to her, making her aunt Lune proud with her use of the Royal Canterlot voice. "How can you say that! This is a revolt! A disaster!"
"Calm down Cadence, this is not what it looks like." Celestia assured her. "I will explain it, just let us go to someplace to rest, I'm not a thousand years anymore." The alabaster alicorn kept her smile as casting a cloud under their hooves. When the small cumulus was enough for them both, she sat down and signaled Cadence to do the same. Reclutant, but not willing to disobey her aunt, Cadence did the same but keeping her glance towards the scene under them.
"Well, my good nice, I see you still have you attention upon them, so answer this. How many hurt ponies do you see?"
"A lot, there must be dozens, even hundreds of ponies fighting each other." Cadence said, calmer this time, but still breathing heavily.
"You see the fight, I can see it too." Celestia replied in a smooth tone. "But tell me, do you see any wounded?"
This time, Cadence watched more carefully, and noticed something odd. Although the scene seemed really violent, the ponies weren't giving it all as it was a real fight. A more detailed inspection and she also noticed that nopony seemed wounded or hurt. In fact, she just now noticed that, beyond the agitation, her magic couldn't sense even the lowest of aggression coming from them.
"What's going on?" She carefully asked to her aunt, who semed about to fall sleep in front of her.
"Let me tell you a story." Celestia offered. "Did you know how the Crystal Empire came to be?" Cadence shacked her head. "It was around the time when Luna and I where fillies. The Crystal Empire was know as the Crystal Colony, and it was only that, a colony under the rule of Equestria."
"When Discord started his reign of chaos, he overthrew the rulers back then." Celestia looked aside when saying it. "Because of that, the Crystal Colony decided to mount their own government since the ones ruling them were no more rulers."
"Since Discord had his attention over Equestria, he sent his armies instead. Creatures of nightmares and evil, that besieged the colony for months. The local ponies fought back. with all they could. But Discord's spawns fed on that, the aggression, the fear, the combat, it was a feast for them. That, until Luz, the Sage, discovered it."
"Commanded by Luz, the few magicians of the colony created the Crystal Hearth out of the positive emotions of the crystal ponies. That made the crystal ponies to realize that love is stronger, and so they took the final decision of leaving violence forever." Celestia took a moment to rest and for Cadence to process the information. "Since then until Sombra took over, every year, the citizens would recreate a fake war. They do that every year, to remind themselves the violence he swore to leave behind them." Cadence's eyes were wide open when she realized what was happening.
"So, with this ritual combat, they really reinforce they rejection over conflict!" She had her hoof over her mouth in surprise. "Oh my, I'm sorry aunt, I didn't want to disturb you for nothing!" Celestia just smiled back at her.
"Don't worry Cadence, I'm happy I could see this happening again. After all, how many times do you see a whole city in unity reminding themselves that peace matters?" Before Cadence could even think of an answer, Celestia was ultimately defeated by a whole day's tiredness and felt asleep in the cloud they where.
"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." An azure unicorn was telling the tale to the ponies gathered in the cabin. "Except for Trixie, with all her might. She stole the gifts, and disappeared from sight." She bowed to her audience as hooves, claws and even paws clapper her performance.
The living room was flooded with all kind of characters. All of them received a magical invitation that afternoon. A golden ticket inviting them to a party for 'bad guys'. The letter also stated that it would transport them to the cabin in the mountains if the agreed. Although all of them had their reserves, not without reasons in some cases, each one of them decided to give it a shot and take the magical invitation that seemed to break the dimensional barriers, because King Sombra, Sunset Shimmer, The Dazzlings and even the Mane-iac received their enchanted invitations.
They where all having a good time, not really minding too much about the 'bad guys' part and deciding to have fun among possible allies.
For example, near to an adorned tree, Discord and Chrysalis were talking to each other in a lighthearted way. "And this is Screwball." Discord showed her a photo of the pony in his wallet. "Just last week she pulled her first fourth wall breaking, I'm so proud." He said as shedding a tear from his eye that turned into a blue balloon floating to the roof.
"Oh, she looks lovely." The Changeling Queen said. "Here, let me show you my children." From under her wing, she pulled a thick looking wallet, that unfolded in a long line of pictures depicting an endless line of changelings.
Near the punch, Aria Blaze and Lightning Dust were having a small drink competition with Sonata and Gilda sheering for their faorite with a classical 'drink, drink, drink' chant.
Meanwhile, Rover was sharing a glass with Suri Polomare when both noticed that they were under a mistletoe. Although the diamond dog was clueless about the meaning of that, Suri decided to give up to the celebration, finishing the glass of champagne in one drink and kiss tackling the miner to a sofa.
"Lucky dog." Said one of his companions as he himself was chewing a decorating candle that he found actually tasty.
"Ah, this is a really good wine." Prince Blueblood commented.
"Well." A totally adult Diamond Tiara said. "You should know it, your majesty."
"And why is that? My dear." The blonde stallion asked her.
"Because you bought the food for the party, you jack o'cubs." Tiara answered him in mocker.
"Yeah." A definitely not underage Silver Spoon joined them. "You really know how to assemble a good get together."
Blueblood put a hoof over his chest in pride as saying. "Although my ability to arrange parties is legendary." Smugly smiling. " I'm sorry to inform you that I'm not the organizer of these festivities."
A completely legal Babs Seed heard that and decided to check on who may arranged the party. She went to the fireplace, where a reconstructed King Sombra was bringing a whole bottle of whisky and three glasses to share it with Adagio Dazzle and Sunset Shimmer, who were sitting together.
"Here ladiesss, a Cryssstal Empire'sss bottle of one thousssand yearsss old whisssky."
"I suppose I could use a coup." Sunset shrugged as the King sat next to them. "It's been a long while since I taste magical alcohol."
"Hmm." Adagio said. "I could start to like you." As she took a glass and let the shadow pony to pour some liquid into it.
"Someone knows who is the host of this?" Babs finally said out loud for everyone in the cabin to heard her.
"Discord? I thought that you." Chrysalis asked.
"Not me, this time I'm not behind anything." The draconequus replied.
"King Sombra?" Mane-iac said.
"My invitation didn't said it." The fallen monarch said.
One by one, the different members of Equestria's Rogues Gallery denied the responsibility of being the host of the party.
"Since nobody knows who invited us here." Prince Blueblood said. "I suggest that nobody drinks anymore, or eats anything." He took a combat stance and started to charge his horn. "I also suggest that you prepare yourselves to get out of here fighting, just in case."
All of them dropped they goods and drinks, and prepared to do something less civilized. But before anything ugly could happen, a thunderous voice called for them.
"I SUGGEST THAT THOU SHOULD RELAX!" A jet black alicorn with an etereal mane entered the place through the window. Her sky blue armor and draconic eyes made her very recognizable to all inside the cabin.
"Nightmare Moon!" All of them exclaimed, with varying degrees of reactions from surprise to total fear. She landed in the middle of the living room as King Sombra approached her.
"Whatever is your plan, freak, expect a fight from us." Nightmare Moon just looked weirdly at him, as not expecting such a reaction.
"Plan? Fight? Only against the worst." She said in a clarifying tone. "The worst inside all of us." The Queen of Nightmares looked down. "Look, you all know that I'm not a pony with a clear past. I have made mistakes, hurt innocents." As she said it, her fur gradually changed its color from black to navy blue. Nightmare Moon slowly transformed herself into Princess Luna.
"But I had another chance, to start over again." She warmly smiled. "And since then, I supposed that such chance should be extended to each one who may committed a mistake." She looked at Babs Seed, then at Discord and then at Sunset Shimmer. "Some of you already did that, but I thought that the rest just needed a little share of kindness, maybe some camaraderie, to think about it."
Before anyone could reply, she extended her wings and flew over the night, crying out loud. "We can all learn to live a better life!"
The villains, the jerks, the bullies and the monsters, all of them decided to simply shrug it off, and continue the celebration. From a cloud, the Princess of Dreams looked down at how Equestria's worsts took the decision to keep partying rather than start a fight. "I could have never been able to pull this of without your help."
Standing next to Luna, a dark pink earth mare was sitting with her. "Don't thank me, Pinkie did the most. But yeah, I can understand the value of a second chance." Pinkamena said.
