Dashing through the snow and chilly air: a Heart's Warming Eve story
It was the sunset before Hearth’s Warming Eve, the time of the year that everypony in all the wide world of Equestria had been looking forward to.
As every filly and foal went back to their cosy homes, before the sun had completely disappeared at the horizon, each one of them hoped with all the strength within their little hearts that Santa would bring them the gifts they wished for. Little Tula Rula in Ponyville had asked for a new doll to play with, Coconut Cream desperately wanted to get a new make-up set like the one that her mum had bought the last time she had been shopping with her friends, Pipsqueak hoped to find a new pirate costume for next year's Nightmare Night, while Rumble just wanted a Wonderbolt outfit like the one her brother got to wear everyday. As everypony got to bed, already imagining the pile of gifts they would find the following day just underneath their lovely, decorated tree, the moon rose high up in the sky, shining in its usual silvery light.
“Oh please, dear Moon, please!” Snips prayed, closing his eyes.
“Grant my wish: tomorrow let me find an giant, tasty, Heart's Warming pudding under the tree.” As soon as he said those words, Snips fell asleep with the taste of figs and sugar in his mouth.
Meanwhile in Canterlot, after the very last window had been shut and every light had been turned off, Princess Luna smiled satisfied.
“It seems that everypony is asleep now.” Thought the Princess, while scouting the many streets of the city with her observant eyes.
“It is time for us...I mean me...” Went one saying Luna, still working on avoiding using her royal we, unless it was absolutely necessary.
“...To get to work”.
After entering the palace from the balcony where she stood to she raise the moon every night, Luna quickly went downstairs, stopping only to gaze upon the slightly open door to her sister's bed chamber.
“Do not worry, dearest Celestia.” The Princess of the Night murmured to herself.
“I have not forgotten about you.” Having said these things, Luna quickly reached her own room and grabbed a package, which she had hidden underneath her bed, wrapped in lovely, coloured paper .
“I just know that Celestia is going to love the gift I made her.”
Silently as a squeaky mouse, Luna reached her sister's favourite room, where she loved spending the long winter evenings, reading a good book, while being warmed by the nice fire of her chimney. There, just a few paces away from the door, was a Heart's Warming tree with a bright star on its very top. Still trying her best not to make a noise, Luna left her present under the tree, carefully hiding it amongst the green branches.
“One package delivered, now for the rest of them.”
There was a secret wing in the Canterlot palace which nopony other than Luna knew about, not even her sister, for its entrance was well hidden: Luna had designed it herself so that only her would be able to find it. As soon as the Princess of the Night pressed the secret button, a part of the wall moved aside, revealing a dark, secret entrance.
“Mmm...” Luna thought, while walking in.
“I need to find a way to make the opening mechanism less noisy, before I get caught one time or the other.”
After proceeding through a large, underground corridor, Luna found herself in a small room, where nothing but a few complex-looking objects and a red sleigh could be seen.
“Let's check...” The pony Princess said to herself, as she picked up a very long scroll and a pair of thick reading glasses.
“It looks like the naughty list is surprisingly short this year: most of the fillies and colts have been nice. Lucky me!”
After putting the glasses back on the table where she had found them, Luna packed everything she thought could come in handy to her during the long night ahead of her, which of course included the enormous roll she had picked up just a moment before (there was no way she would remember all the names which she had written on it), then walked toward the sleigh.
“I truly hope I have not forgotten anything”. Said Luna looking at the enormous bag on her vehicle. Suddenly, the Princess of the Night gulped worried.
“That's a lot more presents than I delivered last year or the year before. I just hope I can make it in time to come back home before sunrise.” Sighing, the princess put on her shoulders the traces that enabled her to lead the sleigh: it was only then that she truly realised how heavy the burden she would need to carry that night was.
“Alight...” The Princess of the Night thought at that moment.
“It's worse than I thought, though I suppose it's...Part of the weight of my crown.”
Having given up the thought of an easy Hearth’s Warming Eve, Luna used her magic to activate another secret button, hidden somewhere in the room. Immediately a door opened itself before the Princess of the Night, revealing an exit to the fresh, open air of the outside, yet causing a noise so loud that resembled the shriek of a cockatrice.
“Definitely need to fix that mechanism.” The Princess of the Night would have certainly remained in her castle, if a freezing blow of wind would have not passed through her bones at that very second, reminding her of her duty.
“I guess I must go now." With those words, Luna pulled the red sleigh all the way to the entrance, where the cold, winter air made her body shiver, then she spread her wings and began to fly with the heavy traces still attached to her back.
“So...chilly!” Murmured to herself the Princess, as she kept flying higher in the sky.
“I know that it's supposed to be winter, yet those pegasi could make the temperature grow a bit higher at least this particular night of the year. Perhaps Santa will need to ask them personally.” As soon as she finished saying that, poor Luna sneezed violently.
“If I don't do something about this, I will catch a cold like last year or the year before. Luckily the Princess of the Night came prepared!”. With those words, Luna opened her saddle bag and grabbed a very fashionable scarf, clearly made of the purest black velvet. Without wasting time, the pony Princess wrapped the scarf around her neck.
“Mmm...” She murmured satisfied.
“Rarity was right, this scarf is both stylish and useful. I'll need to thank her the next time she comes to Canterlot. Although...”
Luna thought, smiling.
“I am pretty sure that the gift I am bringing her will make her happy enough.”
At the moment when Luna opened the door before her, a distinctive bell sound rung into her ears.
“Welcome to Canterlot Carousel!” A sweet, gentle voice said. “I'm a Sassy Saddle and I will be your shop assistant, please ask me anything you may...Princess Luna?!” The red-maned mare shrieked, as soon as she realised who the pony in front of her was.
“Yes, that would be me.” The Princess of the Night replied with a smile on her face. “I am ever so glad that my reputation precedes me.”
“I mean...” went on mumbling out the young mare. “Forgive me for my enthusiasm, your royal Highness . It's just that I did not expect to see somepony of your calibre walk into my...I mean Ms. Rarity's boutique.”
“You have nothing to apologise for, in addition I'd like to inform you that, despite being a member of royalty I, too, enjoy going out for a stroll, whenever I get the chance to do so. It's just that, as I spend most of the day sleeping, I often find myself, walking the streets of Canterlot at night, when nopony is around and I am all alone. But let us stay focused on the matter at hoof, shall we?”
“Yes, of course.” Sassy replied, even though she was curious to know why her Princess has suddenly changed the point of their discussion, as if she were trying to hide something: a sore subject perhaps?
“I am here, because I need to...”
“Princess Luna?!” A joyful voice exclaimed, when a very familiar-looking pony, with a beautiful, purple mane and eyes the colour of the sky, appeared from a corner. “Is that really you, your Highness?”
“Indeed, fair Rarity.” The Princess of the Night answered, careful not to lose her composure again.
“Why, it's such an honour to have you here. To what do we owe the...”
“As I was saying to you dear colleague, I come out of the palace for the mere pleasure of spending time with my beloved subjects, furthermore I am in need of a particular accessory and I was hoping I could find it here. I hear yours is the most successful shop in the whole city.”
“Well, I would not say the most successful, but we are glad that you think so. Isn't that right, Sassy?”
“Oh, yes, of course.” The young mare replied, having thought about how she had initially tried to make Canterlot Carousel the most famous boutique in the whole city and had instead ended up ruining poor Rarity's life.
“Very well then, your Highness.”
“We have known each other for years, fair Rarity.” Luna said, interrupting the other pony's speech. “Therefore we can put formalities aside for once. You may call me by my name, Luna.”
“Of course...As you wish.” Rarity replied, blushing in embarrassment. “So, Luna. What was the accessory you mentioned?”
“Oh, I need something to keep myself warm at night, now that the temperatures dropped down. I don't need anything special.”
“Nonsense, Luna. As a member of royalty, it is only fair for you to demand the best couture available. Which reminds me of a question I'd like to ask you, if you do not mind.”
“What is it, Rarity?”
“Although your compliments are delightful, I am not sure that my creations are as marvellous as the ones designed by your royal tailors. Why coming here then?”
“Well, Rarity. I did not not expect you to have such little self-confidence. I mean you do run three stores, don't you? One in your home town? Another here in Canterot, capital city of Equestria? And another in Manehattan, the most cosmopolitan city of all?”
“Well, I am not sure that means much to somepony as important as you are.” Rarity replied, blushing.
“Oh, it does, it certainly does.”
“Alright, I get your point.” The young mare from Ponyville replied, fluttered. “Let me show you something.” Rarity gracefully left the room to return a moment afterwards with a beautiful dark scarf, levitating thanks to her unicorn magic. “Here it is: my most fashionable creation. I used all of my most expensive velvet to make it.”
“It's beautiful, Rarity.” Luna intervened. “But it is far too much for me. I told you I do not need anything special.”
“And I told you that in my opinion you deserve the best, darling...I mean Luna.”
“I appreciate it, Rarity, I really do, but it's too much. I don't even have enough bits on me to pay for it.”
“Nonsense, it's a gift. Besides it will keep you warm at night. Isn't it what you wanted?”
“Oh yes, but...”
“Then it'll be yours. I won't take no for an answer.”
“I am not sure I deserve such a gift.”
“Trust me.” Rarity, replied. “I can't imagine anypony who deserves it more than you.”
While still remembering these things, the Princess of the Night could not help but smiling endlessly.
“I hope this will be enough to repay your generosity, dear friend.”
The journey from Canterlot to Ponyville did not take as long as Luna had expected: perhaps the cold wind helped the Princess of the Night to fly faster than usual, or maybe she was just anxious to repay her debt by giving Rarity the perfect gift she had prepared for her.
As soon as Luna arrived to the small town where Twilight and her friends lived, a bright flash of light blinded the pony Princess who for a moment risked falling on the ground along with all the gifts she still had to deliver.
“Where in Equestria does that light come from?” Luna thought, still unable to open her sore eyes.
“Oh...that explains a lot.” Giggled the Princess, after realising that the source of the luminescence that had blinded her just a second before were in fact the thousands of decorations that Princess Twilight had practically wrapped her entire castle with. Even though she knew very well that she still had many packages to deliver that night, since her curiosity had got the best of her, Luna flew toward the Castle of Friendship.
As soon as he had reached her destination, the pony Princess landed on the balcony and took a peek of what was happening inside the building through the glass window. Right there in front of her Twilight and her friends were enjoying each others' company together with a nice hot cocoa, a monstrous furry animal, which Luna knew very well to be a Winterzilla and Discord?
“Okay, I'll admit that this does not look like the kind of setting you would expect to find in a house on Hearth’s Warming Eve, but I guess that Discord's presence does explain the Winterzilla.”
After taking a closer look, the Princess of the Night noticed that Rarity, too, was among the group, so she ultimately decided that it would be best for her to deliver her present at the current time and come back to Twilight's castle later, once everypony had left and gone to bed.
After leading her heavy sleigh through the sky, Luna reached Rarity's boutique.
“Let's see now...Oh, there's the chimney.” The pony Princess exclaimed, taking along her bag, stilled filled with many gifts.
“Alright, it sounds like it reached the bottom”. Luna sighed a moment after letting her bag fall down the chimney.
“One, two, ready or not here I go!”
Having said those words the pony Princess did what nopony would expect that a member of royalty would even remotely think about: she slid silently down the black chimney to enter Rarity's house.
Immediately after reaching the bottom, the Princess started sneezing uncontrollably.
“How much time has passed since the last time Rarity had this thing cleaned?"
After trying to shake off herself as much dark powder as she could, Luna picked up her bag and turned her gaze to a soft light, coming from a near room. There she found Rarity's tree, its bright lights still turned on: clearly the house's owner wanted to please Santa. Without wasting time, the pony Princess opened her bag, searching for the right presents.
“Let's see...” the Princess of the Night said to herself. “Here it is: Rarity's gift, while this one is for little Sweetie Belle. She deserved it.”
After hiding the two packages among the branches of the decorated tree, Luna noticed a plate, just next to her: on it there were a glass of warm milk and two biscuits.
“It seems like somepony remembers the tradition after all. In fact I don't mind a quick snack.”
When she neared the plate though, the Princess of the Night found out that a small note had been left on it, too. Luna read it with great curiosity.
“Dear Santa, I hope you enjoy the food I left you. I'm sure you could use a snack, after all the things you put through in just one night. Please leave me the present I asked for. Love, your Sweetie Belle.”
“Sweet, filly!” The Princess of the Night thought to herself, as a warm smile appeared on her face. Right at that moment though Luna heard a sound, coming from behind her back.
“Who's there?” She exclaimed immediately. “Come out, wherever you are!” Immediately a white-furred filly appeared from behind the couch. “Fair Sweetie Belle!” Luna said, relieved that she had been seen by a pony she knew personally. “Why are you still awake at this hour?”
“I was waiting for Santa to show up.” The innocent-looking pony replied timidly. “But I guess you arrived first.”
“Really, now? Don't you know that Santa does not appreciate fillies staying awake too long at night, even if it is only to wait for her?”
“Yeah but...Why are you here? And why are you carrying such a huge bag with you? And why did you try to eat...” At that moment Sweetie Belle finally saw the truth, appearing before her clear as crystal.
“Don't tell me that you, Princess Luna, are Santa?”
“You caught me!” Luna replied, smiling. “Congratulations, Sweetie Belle, you're the first one to find out about my secret in a thousand years.”
“I can't believe it!” The little filly went on saying. “But if you travel all over Equestria, bringing gifts to everypony, who's in Canterlot?”
“Let's just say that I take a night off my usual activities once a year and become Santa.”
“It makes sense, but I still cannot believe it! This is incredible, you are incredible! Not only do you raise the moon and protect ponies from their nightmares, but you also bring gifts to everypony in Equestria every year?!”
“Not everypony.” Luna explained. “Only those who are good and believe in Santa. Just like you, Sweetie Belle. Speaking of which, I know you've probably noticed that already, but I've just left you a nice present under the tree. If I were you though, I would wait until tomorrow to open it.”
Having said these things, the Princess of the Night started walking toward the chimney.“Also, do not mention our encounter to anypony. We don't want to spoil the mystery of Santa's identity. Plus I'd rather not imagine what would happen if ponies were to find out.”
“Don't worry, Princess Luna.” Sweetie Belle answered. “My lips are sealed.” Hearing the filly's answer, Luna smiled pleasantly.
“Oh, Sweetie Belle” Luna added, right before disappearing into the chimney.
“Yes, Princess?”
“Do me a favour and have this thing cleaned once in while. It's full of creosote.” As she heard Luna's request, the young filly blushed embarrassed.
“I promise I will tell Rarity tomorrow.”
“Ah!” Poor Luna exclaimed yawning after the hard night she had just had.
“Another successful Heart's Warming Eve, another day for me to relax before I have to raise the moon again.”
As the sun penetrated Luna's room trough the window, the pony Princess closed the curtains and buried herself under the warm, soft blankets of her bed. Yet as soon as she had closed her sleepy eyes, the door to her room was opened by a pony whose voice the Princess of the Night knew very well.
“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Luna! Ready to open your gift?” Unluckily for her, Celestia would need to lose her heart about opening gifts with Luna, for her sister was already asleep.
“Oh, dearest sister!” The Princess of the Sun, thought to herself. “You can't keep yourself away from your royal duty even on Heart's Warming? Alright, rest for now, we'll open our presents together, once you've awaken.”
With those words Celestia gave her sister a warm kiss on her forehead, right before exiting the room, careful to close the door as silently as she could.