> Twilight's Night After Santa Hooves
>  by GWFan
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Poetic Version
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or anything to do with Christmas.


Twilight’s Night After Santa Hooves
By: GWFan (The Softcore Brony)

“Everypony is staying at Sugarcube Corner tonight!”
Pinkie Pie exclaimed after taking a bite.  
She had eaten a treat, perfectly fresh and baked.  
It tasted so good her tummy nearly ached.

Around her home, all her friends sat as she hopped.  
Five mares, three fillies, and a dragon who talked.
Smartest among them was a unicorn you see, 
Her coat quite lavender and her face full of glee.  
Her name, Twilight Sparkle, her cutie mark a star.  
A pony could pick her out from any distance afar.  
She was happy because, as she had to confess, 
It was Hearth’s Warming Eve, and their night a success.  
They had put on a play, a tradition of sorts, 
One that was seen by the Princess’s courts.  
Important it was, for it showed quite a plight.  
The founding of Equestria, their homeland.  All right!

“All complications aside, the play went pretty well,” 
Twilight admitted as her smile began to swell.  
“We really learned some things about putting our differences aside.   
It almost didn’t happen.  If it hadn’t I would have cried.”

“And now we can enjoy the rest of the eve!” Pinkie Pie said excitedly.  
Then she rolled out a cart filled with ten cups of tea.

“Not for too much longer, I think, though I thank ya for the spread.  
Some certain fillies I know need to go to bed,” 
Applejack said quite warmly, 
Her southern accent thick, as it was normally.

Her sister Apple Bloom looked at her in hope.  
She knew how to work this, she was no dope.  
“Can’t we stay up for a while instead?  
It’s way too early to go to bed.”

“That’s right,” said Scootaloo, “It’s not late yet.  
We won’t get tired, I’m willing to bet.”

“It is not about getting tired,” Rarity said quite pleasant.  
“If you don’t go to bed, Santa Hooves won’t leave any presents.”

“No presents?  Oh no!” Sweetie Belle said with a start.  
“I’ll go to bed.  I want those crayons of oh so colorful art.”

“And I want my new Scooter,” Scoot shouted with conviction.
“And my loopty-hoop,” Apple Bloom encored in poor diction.

“Then you better get going and make not a peep.
Santa won’t come if you are not asleep.”

The three fillies galloped to the room up above,
Uncharacteristically quite as a dove.
And when Rarity checked on them later that night,
The fillies slept in their blankets, all snuggled and tight.

“What about you, Spike?” Twilight asked the baby dragon.  
“You look as tired as an old retired wagon.”

“I guess.  I wouldn’t want to miss out on presents either.”
Spike yawned and blew smoke, typical of a fire breather.

“Just make sure we don’t get a repeat of your birthday.”
To that, Spike waved his claw in a dismissive display.
Then he grabbed up a pillow and went up the stair, 
To curl into a basket that may have been there.
He moved at the pace of an old dingy freighter,
For he knew the basket belonged to a baby alligator.

Twilight giggled, watching him split.
“This is so nostalgic, I must admit.
It reminds me of the excitement I would achieve, 
When turning in early on Hearth’s Warming Eve.”

“Then onward to bed we should also move,
If we want to get presents from old Santa Hooves,” 
Pinkie said, downing the remains of her tea.
Then Twilight laughed at her jokingly.

“Oh come on Pinkie Pie.  First, it was trick or treat.
And now Santa Hooves too?  You don’t miss a beat.
Believing in Santa Hooves is one thing I’m sure,
For which you are far too old and mature.”

Both Twilight and Pinkie laughed in delight.  
Eventually they slowed to a chuckle so light.
“That’s a good one, Twilight.  Too old to believe?
I almost thought you were serious.  I almost heaved.”

But Twilight just stared.  She had not been joking.
What was this new nonsense Pinkie was provoking?
“You mean you really do believe in that?”
Twilight asked, sounding quite flat.

“You mean you don’t?” Fluttershy spoke up in surprise,
Making Twilight look at her with very wide eyes.

“Fluttershy, don’t tell me you do too?”
“Of course I do, Twilight.  Why don’t you?”

“You two can’t be serious,” Twilight wanted to laugh and shout. 
But the blank stares she received just made her doubt.
Her friends didn’t know?  She had to break through.
“Nopony has ever told you?”

“Told them what?” Rarity asked askance.
“Do you know something we don’t, perchance?”

“You too?” Twilight said in amazement.  
“Santa Hooves isn’t real.  This must be a misprint.”

“What!?  That’s impossible.  Of course he’s real,” 
Rainbow Dash protested with some very strong zeal.
“He’s the only one who might be as cool as me. 
Especially delivering toys to every good pony. 
Who else do you know that can make such a zip,
To fly all over Equestria in one single trip?
Even I couldn’t do that and I’m quite awesome.
Santa’s not a slouch like an old retired possum.”

“That’s because nopony could do that in a single night.  
Equestria’s too big.  It defies science, all right?”

“That’s cause Santa is special,” Applejack said in reliance.
“He’s as old as the princesses.  He don’t need science.”

“Are you saying Santa is an alicorn then?  You must be wrong.
No other but the princesses can live that long.”

“Magic keeps him alive, Twi, as sure as can be.
That’s what the legends say.  Ya’ll can trust me.”

“And that’s all he is, a legend.  There is no such being.
Santa is nothing more than a tale.  Why aren’t you agreeing?”

“What makes you think he’s not real?”
Fluttershy asked, though it came out a squeal.

“Because I saw it myself!” Twilight said with more emotion than she meant.
She remembered it like it was yesterday, that day of lament.
She used to believe in Santa Hooves.  She remembered it well,
When she used to get excited for Santa’s charming spell.
She’d wait for him to come to bring her a present,  
Up until that one year that was ever so unpleasant.

“It was my very first Hearth’s Warming since coming to Canterlot,
The same year I became Celestia’s personal protégé as a tot.  
At that time of year, all of the students from the school,
Spend the night in the castle, which was real cool.  
I of course was one of the youngest by far,
And couldn’t wait for Santa Hooves to come from afar.
Somehow, I ended up falling asleep kind of early.  
That’s probably why I woke up in the middle of the night, almost surely.
I got up to go to the bathroom by the glow of candlelight, 
Then heard the grandfather clock in the hallway strike midnight.  
I realized that Santa Hooves must have been there, 
So I ran to the parlor way down the stair.
And who should I see by the fiery glow?  
Not Santa Hooves but somepony I didn’t know.”  

It had been one of the worst moments in Twilight’s life.  
Even now, it still filled her with horrible strife.
When she made it to the parlor, she spied a servant.
She had hidden under a table to remain observant.
But what she saw had changed her whole perspective.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes.  I thought they were being deceptive.
The servant was setting presents out for everypony.  
When he finished, I saw a present that was just for me.
What I found next, my point, this proves.
The tag on the present read, From Santa Hooves.”

Twilight’s friends all gasped in a unified fright.
They could imagine it must have been a traumatizing sight.  
Twilight didn’t know when her eyes started to wet.  
The memory it seemed, filled her heart with regret.

“I stayed up the entire rest of the night,
Praying Santa would come and make everything right.  
But in the end he never showed.”
Twilight was silent.  That was all she would unload.

“I’m so sorry such a horrible thing happened,” 
Rarity responded, feeling quite saddened.  
Then she said rather daunted,
“Did you not receive the present you wanted?”

“Well… actually…,” Twilight blushed.  
The letter she’d written to Santa was very hushed.  
She’d never told anypony what it read.
Not even Princess Celestia knew what it said.
Yet after crying in Celestia’s hooves for an hour,
And her feelings had all but gone sour,
All the while wishing Santa had come to call,
She opened her present and beheld her Smarty Pants doll. 

“I loved my dear present all the same, 
But Hearth’s Warming and Santa had lost their claim.
Never again would I have the excitement of my youth.
It has been that way since I discovered the truth.”

Then Applejack approached her, her voice very strong.
“It’s okay, Twi.  I know what went wrong.”

Twilight was astonished.  What the heck was she saying?
What went wrong?  Surely she was playing.

“Canterlot castle is a big ol’ place.  
They must set the presents out just in case.
I bet it’s almost impossible for everypony to be sleeping.
When Santa Hooves comes to call, nopony can be creeping.” 

“Wait, what?  What are you talking about?”
Twilight exclaimed, not meaning to shout.

“Don’t be silly,” Pinkie Pie said with a very loud giggle.  
“Everypony knows he won’t show if a pony tries to mingle.”

Twilight stared at her friends as they all nodded in sync.
It made perfect sense to them, especially the one in pink.

“He doesn’t show up because he’s not real.”
Twilight was mad.  What was their deal?

“No, silly.  I assure you he’s not a fake.
He didn’t show because you were awake.”

“Do you even realize the serious flaw in your logic?
That proves he’s not real.  The error is cosmic.”

“How so?” Rarity asked, with a confident air,
Sounding as sure as the curl in her hair.

“Don’t you get it?  It’s just a convenient excuse.  
It makes no sense.  Allow me to deduce.
Nopony has ever seen him because they’re not awake.  
And supposedly he does otherwise?  That is fake.
Do you understand now?”  Twilight said feeling bugged.
Her friends looked at each other and then they all shrugged.

“How exactly does that prove he doesn’t exist?
It could also mean the opposite, I must insist.”

“He knows when you’re awake.  He always does,” 
Pinkie Pie put in, her voice all abuzz.

“And how do you know that?”
Twilight said, continuing the spat.

“If he didn’t then we would have seen him by now,” 
Fluttershy said with a wrinkle of her brow.

“Well… Why doesn’t he want to be seen?  
Can you answer that?  Come clean!”

“Because he’s modest,” Applejack answered easily as that.
“And because he’s smart like a whip or a cat.
Think about it, Twi.  Everypony loves Santa.  
Ponies love him like a beach house cabana.
Remember when we dressed as Mare Do Well?  
How about Fluttershy’s modelin’ swell?  
It’s the same thing.  If everyone knew how he looked,
He’d never be left alone.  His goose would be cooked.
Santa don’t need all that crazy attention.
He don’t want it neither.  Does that calm your dissension?”

Drat.  They actually put up a good defense.  
It was hard for Twilight to keep up her dissidence.
Maybe if she refuted Santa from a different angle,
There had to be something else for her to tangle.

“You say he has magic.  It’s something you’ve sworn.
But that would make Santa a normal unicorn.  
But I am one too and well versed in magic,
And that is why your argument is quite tragic.
I’m certain there is no spell that can extend your life.  
Otherwise all unicorns would learn it and be quite rife.”

“You cannot say you know every spell in the know,” 
Rarity said as her horn started to glow.
“Santa is so old, he most know plenty of tricks,
Even some spells I’m sure you’ve never mixed.”

Twilight had to admit it was a reasonable doubt.
But she wouldn’t give up.  There were more flaws about.
“What about the reindeer?  Reindeer don’t fly.
And don’t try to tell me it’s because Santa is sly.”

“Have ya ever seen a reindeer?” Applejack asked.
“Well, not outside a book,” Twilight started, feeling abashed.
“But I don’t need to see them.  It’s all in the cards. 
No books claim they can fly.  Not a single one regards.”

“Have you ever read one that says they can’t?” Rainbow protested.
Twilight thought, feeling her knowledge of reindeer tested.
It wasn’t like she had read much on the notion,
But the few she knew did not deny the promotion.

“You don’t have an answer, therefore you can’t say.
You cannot deny our claim this day,” 
Rarity said with grace and finality.
But then Fluttershy continued very quietly.

“Besides, he probably uses his magic to make the reindeer fly. 
Even you know that’s possible.  You put Rarity in the sky.”

Of all the days they had to come up with a logical requital,
And make Twilight feel like the mule in the middle.
What ever happened to the simpler times,
When they thought Zecora evil, with wicked rhymes?
And for no more reason then how she appeared.
It was all they had needed for the zebra to be feared.

“I know you had a bad experience as a filly,
But we all know Santa is real, you silly.
We’re your friends, so why don’t you believe us?”
Pinkie Pie asked her, her voice quite grievous.

But Twilight couldn’t believe them.  It had been engrained in her brain.
She knew the truth from that day that had caused her great pain.
Santa was a fraud.  She knew it with a sting.
There was just no way there could be any such thing.

“Mrs. Cake!” Twilight called into the other room.  
Then the older mare came in after putting down her broom.
“Tell them, Mrs. Cake and don’t sugarcoat the ordeal.
Nopony ever told them that Santa Hooves isn’t real.”  
The look on Twilight’s face was really quite smug,  
Knowing her explanation would sweep them under the rug. 

“Of course Santa is real,” Mrs. Cake said quite aloof.
Twilight felt smacked by an invisible hoof.  

“Mrs. Cake, don’t baby them.  We’re all adults here.  
Tell them the truth.  Make everything clear.”

But Mrs. Cake shook her head in dismay.
It was clear that she would not allay.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Why is it that in Santa you have such doubt?”

Twilight facehoofed, feeling something was amiss.
How could Mrs. Cake treat them like this?

“Its okay, Mrs. Cake.  Twilight just needs some proof,” 
Pinkie Pie said casually as she licked tea off her hoof.  
“Come on everypony, let’s hit the hay.  
When Twilight sees the presents, she won’t be so grey.”

Twilight wanted to refute some more,
And tell Pinkie what was really in store.
But her friends all agreed and seemed without cares, 
And cleaned up the room before going upstairs.
Twilight felt in her eyes a horrible sting.
How could her friends believe in such a thing?

Later that night when the clock struck ten,
Twilight lay awake.  What a mess she was in. 
What her friends believed, Twilight just couldn’t take.
Santa Hooves was real?  It must be a mistake.

“This is ridiculous,” Twilight whispered with a huff.  
“Why do they believe in such silly old stuff?
I should be able to prove it logically.
Santa’s not real.  He’s nothing but a folly.”

Twilight thought while her friends slept.
Mrs. Cake must be lying.  Did she think she’s inept?
“I can’t just stay up because Santa won’t show.
But if I don’t, how will I ever know?
There must be a way to prove this theory of mine.
I don’t want to be seen as a crazy equine.”

Twilight stopped.  That train of thought wasn’t working.  
How could she catch Santa while he was or wasn’t lurking?
If anypony else was awake, then it would prove the opposite.
What she wanted at least, then wouldn’t be adequate.
She would have to prove it by herself.  But how?
Twilight tried to think.  She furrowed her brow.
There had to be a loophole somewhere.
There must be a hole, even as small as a hair.

“There must be a contradiction to the conventional way.”
She would just have to think of a different relay.
Oddly enough, her friends’ rebuttals made sense, 
Giving Santa a rock solid alibi and defense.  
He was modest and thus didn’t want to be seen,  
Using foresight to slip through cracks in between.  
He used unicorn magic to get down chimneys,
And also to fly his reindeer to various cities.
It was possible that Santa was not one, but many, 
But that would be admitting he existed, making Twilight a ninny.  

After all, she had witnessed the feign… 
Even though her friends had managed to explain.
They had effectively debunked her testimony,
And given good reason to why Santa was a real pony.
And all because there were too many awake on that date. 
Too many for Santa to show… but wait…

When Santa Hooves comes to call, nopony can be creeping.
That’s how Applejack explained why everyone must be sleeping.

That meant somepony in the house…
“That’s it,” Twilight said quite as a mouse.

So Twilight left Sugarcube and went to the neighbor,
Who answered the door as a holiday favor.
Twilight went up the stairs, quick as can be.
She had less than two hours left you see.
From her saddlebag, she pulled her binoculars out,
To spy on Sugarcube and see Santa about.
If Santa didn’t show if you were awake inside,
Then there was only one place for a pony to hide.
That was silly however, as of course he wouldn’t show.  
He wasn’t real.  Twilight knew that to be so.
Twilight was going to prove it by watching.
When he didn’t show, the argument she would be squashing
It was the perfect plan.  Everypony would believe her then.
Her friends would never doubt her sound judgment again.

Twilight turned when she heard a pony walk into the room.
Twas the neighbor that illuminated that upstairs gloom.
“I brought an extra blanket.  Are you sure you want to stay?
It get’s awfully cold up here I must convey.” 
The owner of the house was Carrot Golden Harvest Top,
A pony with fizzy hair like orange soda pop.

“It’s all right.  I’ll be fine.”
Twilight was kind to incline.
“Thank you again for being a mate.
I’m sorry I came to call so late.”

Carrot raised her hoof high.  “It’s no problem, all right?
It’s Hearth’s Warming Eve.  How could I say no tonight?”  
Hearth’s Warming really was the best holiday.  
Everypony always seemed so much closer and purvey.

Twilight returned to her Santa watch,
Nestling into the blanket Carrot had brought.  
After a few moments, Carrot interrupted her again.
“Are you going to go to bed soon?  It’s way after ten.”

“No, that’s fine.  I don’t plan on going to bed.
I’m going to stay up to midnight instead.”

“But if you don’t go to sleep then Santa won’t come.”
Carrot said slowly, looking rather glum.

Twilight lowered her binoculars and looked quite askew.  
“Don’t tell me you believe in Santa Hooves too?”

“You mean you don’t?”  It was the same as Fluttershy.
Carrot was still smiling, though she looked her in the eye.  
“Everypony believes in Santa.  How about you?”
This couldn’t be right.  Carrot believed the impossible too?
Was Twilight really alone in this?
The only one who was in remiss? 

Twilight packed her binoculars in sudden dismay.  
There was no reason to ruin someone else’s holiday.  

“Wait, are you going outside?”
Carrot asked as Twilight started in stride.  

“Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve and all days about,”
Twilight replied and made her way out.  
She was almost there when Carrot beat her to the door,
And set something surprising down on the floor.

“Here, take these with you, for it’s cold and addle.”  
Carrot had laid two pairs of boots, a scarf, and a warm fleece saddle. 

“But aren’t these yours?  Why give them to me?”
Twilight was shocked to see Carrot light up with glee.

“You can stay if you want.  Presents aren’t everything.  
I’ll even stay up.  We can talk or even sing.”

Twilight was speechless.  She had not expected this.
She thought everyone believed in Santa for the gifts.
Was there something she had been missing all these years?
The gesture, it seemed, nearly moved her to tears.

“It’s all right.  I don’t want to keep you from Santa’s charm.
And don’t worry about the cold.  I can stay warm.”

“If you’re not going to stay then I insist you take these.
Do not underestimate the cold winter breeze.” 

Twilight realized she wasn’t in a position to say no.  
Carrot was genuinely worried about her being in the snow.
Just like her friends might be if they knew she was in peril.  
Thanking Carrot with a hug, Twilight donned her new apparel.

It was cold outside, there was no denying.  
But Carrot’s gift helped, so she continued her spying. 
Twilight settled down into a quiet street corner, 
And raised her binoculars as snow fell around her.
No sign yet of anything, of course. 
Nothing about but a small purple horse.
Only an hour or so left to sit in the cold,
When Twilight would see… well… nothing to behold.

But somewhere along the way, her eyes began to close. 
Before she even knew it, Twilight started to doze. 
She didn’t know how long or when into sleep she delved,
But she was awakened by the city clock striking twelve.  
She rubbed her eyes, hoping she hadn’t missed a thing.  
Then she shivered a bit, realizing that the cold had a sting.
There was no way anypony would be out in such freezing weather.  
Twilight silently wished she was still with her friends, all together. 

She shook off the falling snow that had accumulated,
And wondered then just how long she had waited.
But then, something caught her eye on the roof.  
It looked like a pony!  Had her eyes began to goof?
Twilight did a double take.  Somepony was on the roof you see.  
She could just make out the shadow.  Could it be?

There was only one answer, only one logical end.
“It must be a burglar!” Twilight’s mind decided to append.
Twilight watched the figure move around to the chimney.  
He must have been taking advantage of the Santa Hooves mystery.
What nerve he had to go to homes just to rob.
Well he wasn’t going to get away, with Twilight Sparkle on the job.  

Twilight winked up there, preparing to surprise the fiend,
But it seemed he found somewhere else to convene.
What the hay happened?  Where did he go?
Then she spied some tracks in the snow.
He had headed to the chimney, of that she was sure.  
Had he tried to go down instead of using the door?
Nopony would go that far.  He could have been stuck.  
If he hadn’t then it would be just Twilight’s luck.

Twilight was just about to wink out again,
To see if the burglar would come out from within. 
But then she noticed something she hadn’t before.
A sleigh?  And still there was so much more.  
A team of reindeer?  And eight of them too?
This was far too elaborate even for a thief to pursue.
“This is beyond reason,” Thought the lavender mare.
How did he even get them all up there?

Before Twilight could even inspect the deer, 
She was startled by magic that was shaped like a sphere.
The magic grew dim and began to subside, 
And transformed to a pony with a snowy white hide.

He was dressed all in red from his mane to his hoof, 
And when he saw Twilight, he paused on the roof.
The saddlebag of toys that hung elegantly from his back, 
Were emblazoned with mistletoe like a green minty snack.  
Yet almost immediately, Twilight’s mouth hung in surprise, 
For his mane that elegantly flowed betrayed his true guise.  
Not a he, but a she, the young unicorn was quite sure, 
And as soon as she realized, she froze to her core.

“Princess Celestia?” Twilight said with a shock.  
What was she doing out so late of the clock?
Celestia looked just as surprised as Twilight felt.  
What in Equestria was going on?  Her brain was going to melt.

“Twilight Sparkle?  Everypony’s asleep in the house.  
Not a creature was stirring.  Not even a mouse.  
The spell I wove cancels out all sound.  
How did you know where I was to be found?” 

Twilight slowly recovered from her surprise and pointed.  
“Down there.  I was waiting for Santa Hooves’s appointed…,” 
Twilight stopped with her mouth quite agape.  
She had just admitted to her true goal’s shape.  

Celestia slowly smiled, she now understood.  
Twilight had wanted to see the pony in the red hood.  
“I guess I was bound to be caught eventually.  
Surprisingly, I’ve never been seen in all these centuries.  
You’re the first pony to ever see me from outside.  
You might even be the first pony who has tried.”  
Really?  But see her doing what?  
Twilight now had a strange feeling in her gut.  
“I’m so glad it was just you though.  
Had it been another, t’would be quite a blow.”

“But… I don’t understand.  What do you mean?  
Princess Celestia, what exactly have I seen?”

Once again, surprise overcame Celestia’s face.  
In her voice, sarcasm, there was not a trace.
“You mean you didn’t know?” 
She said very sad and slow.

“What happened to Santa Hooves then?” Twilight asked in confusion.  
She needed to know.  What was the conclusion?  

“I am Santa Hooves,” Celestia said calmly,
Her eyes shinning ever so warmly.
Twilight’s eyes widened.  She felt so confused.  
Sensing that she had said something odd, Celestia bemused.  
“What I mean to say is that I have been Santa since the beginning,” 
Celestia spoke calmly and smoothly while grinning.

“Wha… you… I… … … huh?”  Santa Hooves was real?  
And he was Princess Celestia?  What a huge deal!

“I’m sorry I never told you, Twilight, I thought you knew.  
Especially after that incident in Canterlot.  I felt like a shrew.”

“You actually remember that?” 
Twilight asked, feeling as if she had been a brat.

“Of course I do.  You were so upset.  
I’d assumed you figured it out, but I guess I lost that bet.”

Celestia shook her head as if she thought it was amusing.  
Twilight didn’t think so.  She had been fuming.  
All those years feeling crushed and let down.  
That Santa Hooves was real?  Now she felt like a clown.  
She had lied to herself for years in the past.  
If only she had had the courage and just asked.

“I just don’t understand Princess.  I have to ask why?  
Why Santa Hooves?  Why be so shy?”

“It’s really quite a story, actually.  
Once I tell it, then you will see.
Centuries ago when Equestria was founded, 
I wanted to thank everypony with feelings abounded.
So my sister and I thought up this scheme, 
To surprise them with gifts on the anniversary of our esteem. 
Since I needed assistance to do this chore, 
I enlisted the help of two reindeer times four.
Since it would be easier to travel by sky,
I gave them the ability to temporarily fly.  
We also built the sleigh that would act as the hauler,
And painted it red because it was my favorite color.
When the night finally came, it was frightfully cold, 
So I put on a red coat of mine that was really quite old.  
I didn’t think about anypony catching me being a concern, 
So after the deed was complete, there were stories to discern.  
All around Equestria there were rumors that spread,
All about a mysterious pony in red.
He had been seen descending from the sky,  
And leaving gifts behind, though nopony knew why.”

Celestia giggled as she finished the tale.  
“And that’s how the legend of Santa Hooves began to avail.
It was just an accident, you see,
But one that brought joy to everypony.
It was such a popular notion, and brought so much cheer,
That I decided to do the same thing every year.”
And that was why the yearly ride she did enforce,
But under the guise of Santa Hooves of course.

“So that’s it,” Twilight said slowly, 
Though strangely, she appeared rather lowly.

“My goodness, Twilight.  You look all affright.
Is something wrong?  Are you all right?”

“What about the castle?  What about everypony there?  
What happened the year I found the truth I could not bear?”

Celestia put a hoof around her faithful student,
And spoke calmly, as well as prudent.  
“The servants and guards all know, but they’re sworn not to tell.  
In fact, they make many of the gifts that I give, as well.
They want to be part of the gift giving crew,
So I let them give the presents in the castle too.  
I really am sorry you found out that way.  
Has it really hurt you as much as I dismay?”

“No.  Actually, everything is just fine.”  
Twilight wiped her tears and allowed her smile to shine.
“In the end, I wasn’t exactly wrong, but I wasn’t right neither.
And of course I can’t say that my friends were flawed either.
There is and is not a Santa Hooves.  You and he are the same.
And somehow, I’m fine with that.  You are not to blame.”

Twilight finally realized that she hadn’t stayed up to prove her theory.  
Not exactly.  Somewhere inside, she had actually been weary.
Even after all this time, since that terrible year, 
She still secretly prayed to see Santa and his awesome reindeer.  
Her whole Santa watch had been to deceive her own mind, 
In hopes that Santa was real, and would show up in kind.

“I’m glad to see that you are finally better. 
Perhaps you can tell me about it in a friendship letter.
I still wish there was a way to make up for deceiving, 
Even if it wasn’t intentional to make you stop believing.”
Then Celestia’s face lit up with a sudden thought.  
“Come with me, Twilight Sparkle.  It’s the solution I’ve sought.
I can’t think of a better way to make up for my thrall, 
Then if you were to assist me in delivering the gifts to all.

Twilight stared at her mentor.  Her?  Help Santa deliver his mess?  
There was only one answer.  “Yes, yes, yes!” 

“Then put some gifts in your saddlebag, my faithful protégé,
And we’ll be off to the other ponies’ homes.  Away, away!”

“Wait, I have one request I must address first.
Do you have a new set of boots, a scarf, and a saddle to disperse?  
I want to give them to a good friend of mine.
She gave me hers and even consigned.”

Celestia wrinkled her nose with a smile.  
“Of course.  I always come prepared for any such trial.”  
Then she waved her horn with a magical glow,
And everything Twilight had requested appeared with a bow.  
Twilight instantly winked into Carrot’s room,
Toting with her the pony’s new costume.
Carrot was sleeping, of that there was not a doubt.
Twilight grinned at her newest friend and simply winked out.

Then she and Celestia moved around to the other ponies’ houses, 
Delivering gifts and toys to all of Ponyville’s populaces.  
Through winking and magic it was simple and quick.  
They had hit the whole town in a twenty minute trip.  
Then it was back to Sugarcube Corner where the sleigh was still parked.  
There were still plenty of other places that were still to be marked.

Twilight happily leapt into the sleigh, 
Then Celestia got in and had something to say.  
“Would you like to do the honors and take up the reign?”
Twilight gleamed at Celestia as if she were a filly again.  

“Can I really?”  Twilight squealed in delight, 
And would have danced in place if she hadn’t been sitting tight.  
Then she raised the reigns and called out with conviction, 
“Now, Dasher!  Now, Dancer!  Now, Prancer, and Vixen!”

“Uh, Twilight?  It was years ago that those reindeer were hired.  
I’m afraid that those reindeer have been long since retired.”

“Oh,” Twilight said quite disappointed. 
The stories were outdated.  Point noted. 
“What are these ones called?”  She asked as Celestia whispered in her ear.  
Twilight looked at her in surprise.  This was strange to hear. 
Taking a deep breath, Twilight raised the reigns, 
Then she proceeded to call out the new reindeers’ names.
“Now, Stanley!  Now, Sandy!  Now, Bosley, and Moe!  
On, Bumper!  On, Scooter!  On, Fili, and Joe!  
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!  
Now dash away!  Dash away!  Dash away all!”

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.  
It was so exciting, Twilight wanted to whistle.
When the morn finally came, to her friends she would go,
To tell them of her adventure, minus the truth don’t you know.
For now she believed with all of her heart,
That Santa was real.  She should have known from the start.
Until then there were presents galore,
That needed to be brought to everypony’s door.    
And Twilight exclaimed as they flew out of sight, 
“Happy Holidays to all, and to all ponies a good-night!”


> The Original Story
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or anything to do with Christmas.


Twilight’s Night After Santa Hooves
By: GWFan (The Softcore Brony)

“Everypony is staying at Sugarcube Corner tonight!” Pinkie Pie practically screamed.   She had every reason to be excited of course.  What better way to spend Hearth’s Warming Eve than with friends?  After all the festivities that had gone on earlier, they had all decided to have a sleepover so they could spend the holidays together.  Even the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Spike were there.
Among them, Twilight Sparkle smiled partially in relief, her lavender coat still showing signs of perspiration from the play they had put on earlier that evening.  It had been quite an honor, since Princess Celestia herself had asked them to perform.  It was all about how the different kinds of ponies had come together to found Equestria.  Somewhat ironic too, since they had experienced it themselves, so to speak.
“All complications aside, the play went pretty well,” Twilight admitted.  “We really learned a thing or two about putting our own differences aside.  That was almost a disaster.  I’m a bit relieved that it’s over.”
“And now we can enjoy the rest of Hearth’s Warming Eve!” Pinkie Pie said in a shrill as she rolled out a cart with ten mugs of hot cocoa for everypony and Spike.
“Not for too much longer.  Some certain fillies I know need to get to bed soon,” Applejack said, glancing at the three foals.
Her sister Apple Bloom looked back at her disappointed.  “Do we have too?  It’s still so early.”
“Yeah, really,” Scootaloo said.  “I’m not even tired yet.”
“It is not about getting tired,” Rarity told her.  “If you don’t go to bed, Santa Hooves won’t leave any presents.”
“Santa Hooves!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.  “You mean he won’t bring the new crayons I asked for?”
“Or my new Scooter?” Scootaloo chimed in.
“Don’t forget my new loopty-hoop,” Apple Bloom added.  “I bet I can get a loopty-hoop cutie mark again if I have a brand new one.”
“Then you better get to bed or Santa won’t come and leave you anything,” Rarity explained.
The three fillies looked at each other, quickly drank their cocoa down and bolted for Pinkie’s bedroom where they would all be staying.  When Rarity went to check on them, they were lying under a blanket together, exhausted and asleep.
“What about you, Spike?” Twilight asked the baby dragon.  “Shouldn’t you get to bed soon?”
Spike yawned.  “I guess.  I wouldn’t want to miss out on presents either.”
“Just make sure we don’t get a repeat of your birthday this time, okay?”
“Don’t worry, I learned my lesson.  I only asked for a few gems.”  That said, Spike grabbed up a pillow and went upstairs to curl into a new basket Twilight had given him as an early gift.  It certainly beat a book.  
Twilight giggled.  “Watching them is so nostalgic.  It reminds me of how excited I used to get on Hearth’s Warming Eve.”
“We better get to bed soon too, or else none of us will get presents from Santa,” Pinkie said, downing the remains of her cocoa.
Twilight laughed.  “Oh come on Pinkie.  First, trick-or-treating on Nightmare Night and now Santa Hooves?  Believing in Santa Hooves is one thing I know you’re too old for.”
Twilight and Pinkie both laughed at that.  Eventually they slowed to a light chuckle as Pinkie Pie collected the empty mugs of the other ponies.  “That’s a good one, Twilight.  Too old to believe in Santa Hooves.  I almost thought you were serious for a minute there.”
“Huh?” Twilight nearly dropped her mug when she realized that Pinkie didn’t sound sarcastic.  “You mean you really do believe in Santa Hooves?”
“You mean you don’t?” Fluttershy spoke up, sounding genuinely surprised.
“Fluttershy, don’t tell me you do too?”
“Of course I do, Twilight.  Why wouldn’t I?”
“You two can’t be serious,” Twilight wanted to laugh but the blank stares she received in return made her think otherwise.  “Nopony has ever told you?”
“Told us what?  Do you know something about Santa Hooves that we do not?” Rarity asked.
“You too?” Twilight said in amazement.  “Girls, Santa Hooves isn’t real.”
“What!?  That’s impossible.  Of course he’s real,” Rainbow Dash protested.  “He’s the only pony that might be almost as cool as me.  Who else do you know that can fly all over Equestria in one night while delivering toys to all the good ponies?  Even I don’t know if I could pull that off.”
“That’s because nopony could do that in a single night.  Equestria’s too big.”
“That’s cause Santa is special, Twilight,” Applejack said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.  “I hear he’s almost as old as the princesses, so I’m sure he has the experience and know-how.”
“Are you saying Santa is an alicorn then?  No other ponies live that long.”
“Magic keeps him alive, Twi.  At least, that’s what the legends all say.”
“And that’s all he is, a legend.  There is no real Santa Hooves.”
“What makes you think he’s not real?”
“Because I saw it for myself!” Twilight said rather loudly.  She remembered it like it was yesterday.  She used to believe in Santa Hooves.  She remembered when she used to get excited about Santa coming down the chimney to bring her presents… but then that one year happened.  
“It was my very first Hearth’s Warming since becoming Celestia’s personal student,” Twilight continued, lowering her voice down to normal.  “At that time of year, all of the students from Celestia’s Magic School spent the night in Canterlot castle to celebrate Hearth’s Warming.  I of course was one of the youngest students and, like I had done every year before that, I couldn’t wait for Santa Hooves to come.  Somehow, I ended up falling asleep kind of early.  That’s probably why I woke up in the middle of the night after all the other students went to sleep.  I got up to go to the bathroom, and right after I had, I heard the grandfather clock in the hallway strike midnight.  I realized that Santa Hooves must have been there so I galloped down to the parlor where the fireplace was, hoping to get a glimpse of him.  But he wasn’t there.  Someone else was.”  
It had been one of the worst moments in Twilight’s life.  When she made it to the parlor, she spied some of the castle’s many servants there.  She had hidden under a table so they wouldn’t see her, but what she saw had changed her whole perspective on Santa Hooves.  “I couldn’t believe my eyes.  The servants were setting presents out.  When they finished, I ran over to the fireplace to check, and there right in the front was a present with my name on it.  But the tag on the present read, From Santa Hooves.” 
Twilight’s friends all gasped.  They could imagine how traumatizing an experience it must have been.  Heck, just hearing about it was traumatizing.  Twilight didn’t know when her eyes had started to water.  She hadn’t thought it was that difficult of a memory to dredge up.
“I stayed up the entire rest of the night hoping that it wasn’t true, and that the real Santa Hooves would come and make everything right.  But he never showed up.”
“Oh Twilight, I’m so sorry such a horrible thing happened.  No wonder you don’t believe in him,” Rarity said as she held her hooves together.  “Does that mean you didn’t even receive what you wanted?”
“Well… actually…,” Twilight blushed.  She had sent her letter to Santa Hooves, just as she had every year.  She never told anypony what it said, not even Princess Celestia.  So it was a real shock when, after crying in Celestia’s hooves, she had finally opened her present and beheld exactly what she had asked for.  A Smarty Pants doll. 
“I loved my present all the same, but Hearth’s Warming has never been quite as exciting since I found out the truth.”
“Ah, Twi, it’s okay,” Applejack comforted her, patting her on the back.  “I think I might know what went wrong.”
“Huh?”  What did she mean, ‘what went wrong?’
“Canterlot castle is a big place, so I bet it’s almost impossible for everypony there to be asleep when Santa Hooves comes.  That’s probably why they have to set out the presents themselves just so nopony feels left out.”
“Wait, what?  What are you talking about?”
“Oh, I get it,” Pinkie Pie said with a slight giggle.  “Everypony knows that Santa won’t show up if someone in the house is awake.”
“Yes, of course.  That must be it,” Rarity said, sounding relieved. 
“No wonder he didn’t visit you.  I’m glad he didn’t forget,” Fluttershy put in, holding a hoof to her chest as if she had just gone through some kind of fright.
“See Twilight?  That’s why he didn’t show up that year.  Everything is okay,” Pinkie said as if that explanation fixed everything.  But it didn’t.  
“He doesn’t show up because he’s not real,” Twilight refuted.
“No, silly.  I just told you.  He didn’t show because you were awake.”
“Do you even realize the serious flaw in your logic?  That in itself is proof that he’s not real.”
“How so?” Rarity asked.
“Don’t you get it?  It’s just a convenient excuse.  Nopony has ever seen him because he doesn’t show up if you’re awake, right?  And supposedly he does as long as you don’t see him?  Do you understand now?”  Twilight asked.  Her friends looked at each other worriedly.  Then Rarity raised an objection.
“I don’t think that necessarily proves he doesn’t exist.  In fact, by the same logic, you could also say that that is reason enough to believe he does.  Just because you didn’t see him doesn’t mean he was never there.”
“Well… I suppose…”  
“He knows when you’re awake, Twilight.  He always does,” Pinkie put in, widening her eyes in emphasis.
“And how do you know that?”
“I suppose if he didn’t then we would have seen him by now,” Fluttershy answered, shrugging.
“Well… why doesn’t he want to be seen?  Can you answer that?”
The ponies all looked at each other.  For a moment, Twilight was certain that she had won the argument and was about to push another point forward when Applejack’s face lit up.
“Because he’s modest,” she answered.  “And because he’s smart.  Think about it, Twi.  Everypony loves Santa.  Remember why we dressed up as Mare Do Well?  Remember when Fluttershy became a model?  It’s the same thing.  If everyone knew what he looked like, he’d be hounded by ponies all the time.  He don’t need all that attention and he probably don’t want it neither.  That’s why he’s such a good guy.”
Drat.  It was a sensible answer and there was little reason to argue otherwise.  Twilight was just going to have to refute Santa from a different angle.
“You say that Santa has magic, which would make him a unicorn.  But I’m a unicorn and I know more magic than any other pony, and I’m certain there is no spell that can extend your life.  Otherwise all unicorns would learn it.”
“Perhaps, but you can’t really say you know every spell there is to know,” Rarity said.  “Santa is so old, he must know plenty of spells that you don’t.”  Twilight had to admit, it was a reasonable possibility assuming he really was that old.
“What about the reindeer?  Reindeer don’t really fly.  Right Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy scrunched her mouth in thought.  “I guess I’ve never known a reindeer that could.  I tried to teach one once, but in the end, neither of us could figure out how he could without wings.”  Fluttershy added something else, but it was so quiet that none of them could make it out.  Based on her dejected appearance, it might have been admittance to the impossibility of such a feat.
“See.  Even Fluttershy agrees,” Twilight said, holding the yellow pegasus close as if to comfort her. 
“But does that really prove anything about Santa?” Rarity asked.
“Maybe not him specifically, but it does prove that he couldn’t use reindeer to fly around Equestria.”
“Are you sure about that?” Rainbow suddenly asked.
“Of course.  Fluttershy admits it and outside of children’s stories, there are no books that claim a reindeer can fly either.”
“Okay.  Have you ever read one that says they never have?” Rainbow protested.
“Well…,” Twilight thought about it.  It wasn’t like she had read a lot of books about reindeer, but the few references she knew of never actually said whether they could or not.
“Aha!  You haven’t have you?” Rainbow said, flapping into the air. 
“No, but so what?”
Rainbow crossed her forelegs and smiled.  “I figured out how they can.”
“Really?” Fluttershy said hopefully
Rainbow winked.  “I’m surprised Twilight didn’t think of it yet.”  Twilight raised an eyebrow, wondering what the cyan pegasus was getting at.  “Duh, Twilight.  Magic.”
“What?  What does that have to…,” Twilight cringed in sudden realization. 
“Of course!”  Rarity exclaimed.  “You even said that Santa must be a unicorn.”
“You did!  You did!” Pinkie chimed in.
“I did…,” Twilight groaned.  She herself had proven before that flight for a wingless creature was possible.  She had granted Rarity temporary wings that had worked perfectly… at least until they melted.
“I’ll bet he uses magic to make them fly and super fast.  Zoom!”  Rainbow made a whooshing motion with her hoof as the others congratulated her on her reasoning.  Fluttershy all but hugged her in relief that it really was possible for reindeer to fly.  Twilight on the other hoof, sulked.
Of all the days that her friends had to come up with logical arguments, why did it have to be today?  What ever happened to the days when they thought Zecora was evil, just because?
“Ah, poor Twilight.  I know you had a bad experience as a filly, but it’s okay now.  We all believe Santa is real.  Why is it so hard for you?” Pinkie Pie asked her.
Twilight had already explained it.  She didn’t believe because she knew the truth.  It had been engrained in her brain.  Santa was a fraud.  There was just no way there could be any such thing.  Obviously, there were few points she could bring up that couldn’t be explained with magic or something else that at least made sense to the others.  Still, there was one trump card Twilight could think of that would show her friends the light.
“Mrs. Cake!” Twilight called into the other room.  As requested, the older mare who co-owned Sugarcube Corner with her husband, came in from where she had been putting the last of the dishes away.  “Tell them, Mrs. Cake.  Nopony ever told them that Santa Hooves isn’t real.”  The look on Twilight’s face was quite smug.  If her friends didn’t believe her, then surely they would believe someone older.  
“Twilight, of course Santa is real,” Mrs. Cake said.  Twilight’s smug expression was smacked off her face by an invisible hoof.  How could she say that?
“Mrs. Cake, don’t baby them.  We’re all adults here.  Tell them the truth.”
However, Mrs. Cake shook her head.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Twilight.  Why don’t you believe Santa is real?”
Twilight facehoofed.  She wasn’t about to go into the explanation again.  How could Mrs. Cake treat them like this?  They weren’t babies.
“Its okay, Mrs. Cake.  I think Twilight just needs some proof,” Pinkie Pie said casually.  “Come on everypony, let’s go to bed.  Then when Twilight sees the presents we all get in the morning, she’ll believe again.”
Twilight wanted to refute some more and tell her why that didn’t prove anything, but her friends all agreed it was a good idea and cleaned up the room before hanging their stockings over the fireplace and scooting off to bed.  Fluttershy asked her if it was okay to hang up a stocking for her as well, and Twilight figured she might as well.  There was nothing wrong with following traditions even if they originated from old (and obviously false) stories.  How could all of her friends believe such an obvious illogical thing like Santa Hooves?



Everypony was asleep and it was going on ten, but Twilight was still awake.  The conversation about Santa was still eating at her.  
“This is ridiculous.  I should be able to logically prove that Santa Hooves doesn’t exist.  So why can’t I?  There must be a way.”  Twilight watched her friends sleep while she thought.  “By their logic, I can’t just stay up because he won’t show.  But if I don’t, I’m sure I’ll miss Mr. and Mrs. Cake putting out presents for us or something.  Besides, I’m sure they would check to make sure we are asleep and make up some excuse for being awake if I caught them.  After all, if they’re awake then Santa won’t show either.”  Twilight stopped.  That train of thought wasn’t working.  If anypony else was awake, then it would prove the opposite of what she wanted, at least in her friends’ eyes.  That meant she would have to prove it by herself.  But how?
Twilight tried to think through everything her friends had said.  There had to be a loophole somewhere.  “There must be a contradiction to the conventional logic… or illogic or whatever.” 
Oddly enough, her friends’ rebuttals made sense, giving Santa a pretty good alibi as to why he existed.  He was modest and thus didn’t want to be seen.  He somehow knew when ponies were awake, making it easy to go unnoticed.  He used unicorn magic to get up and down chimneys and grant his reindeer the ability to fly.  His magic also made him immortal like the princesses, and thus could easily be as old as the stories about him.  That didn’t rule out the idea that Santa was actually many different unicorns who had all posed as him over the years but that would be admitting that he existed, which Twilight knew wasn’t true.  After all, she had witnessed it… even though her friends had managed to explain why she hadn’t seen him, effectively debunking her testimony, at least for the moment.  And all because there were too many ponies in the castle for Santa to ever show…
Wait…
Everypony knows that Santa won’t show up if someone in the house is awake.
Someone in the house…
Twilight sat up and raised her hoof.  “Loophole,” She nearly shouted.



Twilight pulled out her binoculars and gazed onto the roof of Sugarcube Corner from the upstairs window of the nearest neighbor’s house.  If Santa didn’t show when someone was awake inside the house, then perhaps he would show if somepony was awake in another house.  No, that wasn’t right.  He still wouldn’t show because he wasn’t real.  Twilight was going to prove it by watching him not show up at Sugarcube Corner.  Then when the presents magically appeared anyway, Twilight would be there to say, “I told you so.”  It was the perfect plan.  Her friends would have no choice but to believe her and acknowledge how right she was.
As Twilight finished snickering to herself like a madpony, she turned around at the sound of another pony walking into the room.
“I brought an extra blanket.  Are you sure you really want to stay up here?  It get’s awfully cold,” A pony with a curly orange mane told her.
Twilight smiled.  The owner of the house was Carrot Golden Harvest Top, or just Carrot Top to her closest friends.  “It’s all right.  I’ll be fine.  Thank you again for letting me stay.  I’m sorry I came so late.”
Carrot raised her hoof dismissively.  “It’s no problem.  It is Hearth’s Warming Eve.  How could I say no tonight?”  
Hearth’s Warming really was the best holiday.  Everypony always seemed so much closer this time of year.  Twilight returned to her Santa watch and nestled into the blanket Carrot had brought.  After a few moments, Carrot interrupted her again.
“So, are you going to go to bed soon?  Should I bring a pillow?”
“No, that’s fine.  I don’t plan on going to bed tonight.”
“But if you don’t go to sleep then Santa Hooves won’t come.”
Twilight lowered her binoculars and looked at Carrot.  “You believe in Santa?”
“You mean you don’t?”  The same response she had received from Fluttershy.  Carrot was still smiling, sort of, but she looked a little worried too.  “I’m surprised, Twilight.  Everypony believes in Santa Hooves.  Why don’t you?”  Everypony?  Everypony!  Was Twilight really the only one?
Sighing, Twilight packed her binoculars and threw her saddlebag over her back.  There was no reason to ruin someone else’s Hearth’s Warming.  
“Wait, you’re not going outside are you?” Carrot asked as Twilight headed for the stairs.  
“Happy Hearth’s Warming,” Twilight replied and started her way downstairs.  Just as she got to the front door, she was surprised when Carrot came galloping down after her.  She was even more surprised to see what she set down on the floor.
“Here, take these with you.  It’s really cold outside.”  Carrot had laid two pairs of snow boots, a scarf, and a warm fleece saddle.  Twilight noticed an emblem on the corner of the saddle.  A carrot.
“But aren’t these yours?”
Carrot smiled.  “You can still stay if you want to.  Hearth’s Warming isn’t about presents.  I’ll even stay up and keep you company.”
Twilight was speechless.  She had thought everypony believed in Santa Hooves because of the presents he brought.  Was there something she had been missing all these years?  Perhaps she had spent too many Hearth’s Warming Eves with just Spike.
“It’s all right.  I don’t want to keep Santa from visiting you.  And don’t worry about the cold either.  I can stay warm.”
“If you’re not going to stay then I insist you take my boots and saddle.  I can always get another set.” 
Twilight realized she wasn’t in a position to say no.  Carrot was genuinely worried about her, just like her friends would be if they knew she was out there.  Thanking Carrot with a warm hug, Twilight donned her new apparel and stepped outside.



It was cold, there was no denying that, but Carrot’s gift helped.  Twilight settled down into a quiet street corner and raised her binoculars to the sky as snow fell all around her.  No sign of anything, of course.  Only about an hour or so left until the appointed time when Twilight would finally catch… well… nothing actually.  But that was what she was expecting.
But somewhere along the way, Twilight started to doze.  She didn’t know how long or when, but she was awakened by the city clock striking twelve.  She rubbed her eyes, hoping she hadn’t missed anything.  Then she shivered a bit, realizing it was even colder than earlier.  There was no way anypony would be out in such freezing weather.  Even Santa wouldn’t be out in weather like this. 
Twilight shook off the falling snow that had accumulated on her and stood up, feeling it was long past time to go in.  But then, something caught her eye on the roof and it looked like a pony!
Twilight did a double take.  Somepony was on the roof of Sugarcube Corner.  She could just make out the shadow moving around up there.  Could it be?
Of course it couldn’t.  Santa obviously wasn’t real, which meant only one thing.
“It must be a burglar!” Twilight watched the figure move around to the chimney.  He must have been taking advantage of the Santa Hooves myth to steal to his heart’s content.  What nerve.  Well he wasn’t going to get away with it with Twilight Sparkle on the job.  
Twilight winked up to the roof, preparing to surprise and capture the fiend.  Except he wasn’t there.  Tracks on the snow-covered roof revealed that he had indeed headed to the chimney.  He hadn’t really tried to go down had he?  Nopony would go that far.  He could have gotten stuck or something.  And how would he get back up?
Twilight was just about to wink out again to see if the burglar would come out the front door when she noticed something she hadn’t before.  A red sleigh?  But there was still more.  Reindeer?  Eight of them?  This was far too elaborate even for a thief.  How did he even get them up there?
Before Twilight could inspect the reindeer, she was startled by a puff of magic that suddenly blew out of the chimney.  When the magic wisp transformed into a pony, Twilight sat down and just stared, mouth agape, not believing who she saw.
He was dressed all in red in an actual coat that even covered his flank, obscuring his cutie mark, assuming he even had one.  The top of his head too was covered by a very tall red hat as if it hid a unicorn horn.  On his back he held a saddlebag that was clearly full of toys and other things, yet not nearly enough to cover all of Equestria.  Could it be magic as well?  But that wasn’t what really caught Twilight’s attention.  It was his mane.  It was flowing almost as if alive, and sparkled in four different colors that seemed all too familiar.  Twilight had seen it only one place before and came to a startling realization.  Santa wasn’t a he… he was a she.
“Princess Celestia?” 
Celestia looked just about as surprised as Twilight felt.  What in Equestria was going on?
“Twilight Sparkle?  But how did you…?  Everypony inside is asleep.  Not a creature was stirring.  Not even a mouse.  How did you know I was up here?” 
Twilight slowly recovered from her surprise and pointed.  “Down there.  I was waiting for Santa Hooves to come… I mean I was trying to prove…,” Twilight stopped and covered her mouth.  She had just admitted to something she had hidden from even herself.  
Celestia slowly smiled, realizing exactly what Twilight was doing.  She was just trying to sneak up and surprise her, of course.  “I guess I was bound to be caught eventually.  Surprisingly, in all the centuries I’ve been doing this, you’re the first pony to ever think to look for me from outside the house.”  Really?  That was surprising.  But what was Celestia even doing out here?  “I’m relieved that it was just you.  It might have been worse if somepony else had seen me.”
“But… I don’t understand.  What exactly do you mean?  Why are you dressed like that?”
Once again, surprise overcame Celestia’s face.  “You mean you didn’t know?”  
“Know what?  What happened to Santa Hooves?” Twilight asked in confusion.   
“Twilight, I am Santa Hooves.”  
Twilight’s eyes widened in further confusion.  Realizing that she had just said something odd, Celestia smiled.  “What I meant to say is that I have always been Santa Hooves since the very beginning.”
“Wha… you… I… huh?”  Santa Hooves was real?  And he was Princess Celestia?  What the hay?
“I’m sorry I never told you, Twilight.  I thought you knew.  Especially after that incident back when you first came to Canterlot.”
“You actually remember that?”  
“Of course I do.  You were devastated.  I thought you figured it out but I guess I was wrong.”  Celestia shook her head as if she thought it was amusing.  But Twilight didn’t think so.  All those years feeling crushed and let down, thinking Santa was fake.  And now she had found out that the pony she was closest too had been him all along.  Why had she never thought to ask her about it?
“I just don’t understand Princess.  Why?  Why Santa Hooves?  Why not just be yourself?  I’m sure it wouldn’t make any difference to anypony.”
“It’s really quite a story, actually.  You see, centuries ago after Equestria was first founded, and a little before Discord first appeared, I wanted to do something special for everypony for the anniversary of the founding.  So my sister and I thought up the idea to surprise them with presents.  Since I needed help to deliver the gifts, I decided to enlist the help of some local animals called reindeer and temporarily granted them the ability to fly.  We also built the sleigh that would carry the presents and colored it red because I happened to like that color.  When the night finally came, it was so frightfully cold that I put on an old red coat that I happened to have before taking off.  I didn’t think about anypony catching me at the time, so in the morning after the deed was complete, there were rumors all across Equestria of a pony in red that had been seen descending from the sky and leaving all the presents behind.”  Celestia giggled as she finished the tale.  “And that’s how the legend of Santa Hooves started.  It was just an accident, but made everypony so happy and was such a popular tale, that I decided to do the same thing every year.”  Then she winked.  “But under the guise of Santa Hooves of course.”
“So that’s it,” Twilight said slowly, though strangely, her eyes welled up in tears.
“What’s the matter, Twilight?  Is something wrong?”
“What about the castle?  What about everypony there?  What happened the year I found out there is no real Santa?”
Celestia put a hoof around her faithful student and spoke calmly, despite the cold.  “The servants and guards all know, but they’re sworn to secrecy.  In fact, they make many of the gifts that I give out every year.  They want to be part of the gift giving too, so I let them give out the presents in the castle.  I’m sorry you found out the way you did.  Has it really hurt you so much?”
“No.  Actually, everything is fine.”  Twilight wiped her tears away before addressing the princess again.  “In the end, I wasn’t exactly wrong, but I wasn’t right either.  There is and is not a Santa Hooves.  You and he are the same pony, and somehow, I’m fine with that.”
Twilight finally realized that she hadn’t stayed up to prove her theory.  Not exactly.  Somewhere deep down inside, she had been hoping to prove herself wrong.  Even after all this time, since that terrible year, she still secretly prayed that Santa was real.  Her whole Santa watch had been her deceiving herself, hoping that Santa would show.  And now he, or rather she, really had.
Sensing that she didn’t have much time to catch up on things with her faithful student, Celestia prepared to say a quick goodbye before returning to her yearly work.  “I’m glad to see that you accept it, though I still wish there was a way to make up for deceiving you, even if it wasn’t intentional.”  Then Celestia’s face lit up with a sudden idea.  “Come with me, Twilight Sparkle.  I can’t think of a better gift for either of us then if you were to assist me in delivering the gifts to all the ponies of Equestria.”
Twilight stared at her mentor.  Her?  Twilight?  Help Santa deliver the gifts?  There was only one answer.  “Yes!  Yes, yes, yes!” 
“Then put some gifts in your saddlebag, my faithful student, and we’ll be off to the other ponies’ houses.”
“Wait!  I have one request first.  Do you have a new set of boots, scarf, and saddle?  I want to give them to a good friend of mine who gave me hers.”
Celestia wrinkled her nose with a smile.  “Of course.  I always come prepared for any such occasion.”  Then she waved her horn and everything Twilight had requested magically appeared, and neatly wrapped in a bow no less.  Twilight instantly winked into Carrot’s room where the pony was sleeping, and quietly laid down the new clothes.  Twilight grinned at her newest friend and winked out.
Then she and Celestia went to work, delivering gifts and toys to all the other homes in Ponyville.  Through winking and magic, it was simple and quick.  They had hit the whole town in less than twenty minutes.  Then it was back to Sugarcube Corner where the sleigh was still parked.  There were still plenty of other cities and towns to visit.
As Twilight leapt into the sleigh, Celestia hit her with an unexpected question.  “Twilight, would you like to do the honors?”
Twilight gleamed at Celestia as if she were a filly again.  “Can I really?”  Celestia nodded.  Twilight squealed in delight and would have danced in place if she hadn’t already been sitting down.  Then she raised the reigns and called out, “Now, Dasher!  Now, Dancer!  Now, Prancer, and Vixen!”
“Uh, Twilight?” Celestia interrupted.  “I had those particular reindeer centuries ago.  They are long since retired.”
“Oh.  What are these ones called?”  Celestia leaned over and whispered in her ear.  Twilight looked at her in surprise.  “Really?”  Celestia nodded.  “Well, okay.”  Taking a deep breath, Twilight raised the reigns again and called out, “Now, Stanley!  Now, Sandy!  Now, Bosley, and Moe!  On, Bumper!  On, Scooter!  On, Fili, and Joe!  To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!  Now dash away!  Dash away!  Dash away all!”  She added the last part, remembering a tale from her youth.  It might not have been necessary, but the reindeer took off all the same.  What a thrill!  
Tomorrow, Twilight would tell her friends that Santa Hooves was real and that she believed, oh how she believed again.  They would sure be surprised.  Or maybe they wouldn’t.  After all, they already knew.  If only Twilight had been a good friend and believed them.  They had made great points.  But that was over now and the night was still young, at least by Santa Hooves standards.
So Twilight exclaimed as they flew out of sight, “Happy Holidays to all, and to all ponies a good-night!”


The End