>Be Limited Edition Exclusive Winter Playfriend Anon 
>Tis’ the season
>No not the one with the chalk tasting hearts
>Or the one with the costumes and free candy
>Look, it's nearly Hearth's Warming Eve, okay? 
>Right now you’re walking around the market with your green winter coat on along with purple smarts and her assistant
>She’s currently explaining the origins and customs of the holiday to you
>Of course, you know all of this already
>You’ve been living here for at least two years now
>But you and Spike knew that Twilight got joy from showcasing her knowledge and playing the part of a teacher 
>” [...] thus after the tribes united, one of the most cherished traditions in all of Equestria started! Of course I should mention that the tradition was only really popularized about thirty seven years after [...]”
>You’ve done this same song and dance numerous times already, and so has spike, as the two of you alternate giving out platitudes of “wow” and “interesting” towards the bookish unicorn
>The cold wind starts to pick up as it nips your nose
>You reach inside your jacket and pull out a small silver flask 
>You unscrew the top of it and take a swig of “Grown Up Juice” as the ponies like to call it
>The burning sensation goes down your throat easily enough and you feel warmth spreading out into your limbs
>You stow the flask back into your coat as your hand pushes a door open, the bell over the entrance performing its work admirably and with such gusto 
>The warm air of the sweet shop envelopes the three of you and it smells strongly of chocolate and honey 
>” [...] not only that, but the Tenenbaum Theatre Production Company also holds the record for longest holiday related theatre performance, clocking in at five hours and-” 
“Wow, Twilight, that sure is some interesting facts you know with that smart noodle of yours!”
>Your words have the same tone as a grade school teacher praising the book report of a pupil  
>Your hand starts to pat the top of her head
>She gives you small whinnies as she raises her head up in a effort to go further into your grasp, eagerly accepting the praise and pats
>A quick glance at Spike shows you that he’s  risen one of his claws in a semblance of a thumbs up display while grinning, silently thanking you for stopping one of Twilight’s lectures
>Bon-Bon, the matron of the candy shop, only rolls her eyes at the display as she stands behind the counter
>She clears her throat and speaks with nary a bit of enthusiasm in her voice
>”Welcome to Sweetie Drops, where each nibble of a candy drizzle will make your mouth whistle” 
>Spike, Twilight, and yourself stare at the cream colored pony with the blue and pink mane for several moments in slight shock 
>The mare at the center of attention narrows her eyes at you three as she sports an annoyed look
>”It was Lyra’s idea to make a slogan” 

>You suspect that it was also Lyra’s idea to dress the shop up a bit this year as well
>Above you are large lines of what seems to be construction paper taped together to form loose strings that hang off of beams that crisscross the ceiling.
>A multitude of colored candy canes hang off of them by their necks 
>Dotted around the shop are snowflakes that were also made out of construction paper, their designs symmetrical >Images of Lyra using her magic to carefully cut up folded pieces of paper, with safety scissors, to create these snowflakes as she then unfolds them flashes in your mind
>Cute
>Finally, the centerpiece of all this grade school splendor sits at the counter beside Bon-Bon
>A simple pine cone was painted green and the fat end placed on the surface of the counter to make it look like a tree
>Dots of red and yellow were painted around it to act as ornaments
>Acting as the topper of the pine cone tree was a bead in the shape of a star, glued to the spot
>You can’t take it anymore
>All of these earnest decorations are assaulting you with the force of a thousand toddler hugs 
“These are some great decorations this year, Bon-Bon!”
>A scowl meets your eyes as you turn your attention away from the pine cone to the mare
>Your eyes narrow back at her 
>The two of you hardly knew each other, at most she was a friend of a friend to you through Lyra 
>Still, you knew her reputation as a bit of a “Grumpy Hooves” around Hearth’s Warming 
>Most ponies called her that during this time
>And occasionally Lyra, but you promised that you’d never tell Bon-Bon that
>That promise was made over snacktime and sealed with the sacred exchange of pudding cups after all
“What’s wrong, someone missed their nap time today?” 
>”My nap time was fine, like it always is. Now what do you all want?”
>Her annoyed frown does not go away 
>With Twilight currently indisposed with pats on her head and you not taking the cream mare’s attitude too kindly, Spike is the one to act as diplomat 
>”We were kinda hoping to make a pretty big order for a party that we’re throwing back at the library. We thought that your candy would go great with this year’s spread”
>For her part, Bon-Bon takes up a disinterested look but follows along with Spike’s words 
>”Alright, fine. Let me grab some paper and crayon to write down the order”
>She trots a few paces away from the counter and uses her mouth to grab a sheet of paper away from a stack of them
>After placing the paper on the counter, she pulls open a drawer to take a green crayon into her mouth and looks towards the paper, ready to write 
>It takes several moments for the Purple Princess to realize that you stopped patting her head
>It happens when she continued to rise on her rear hooves in an attempt to lean further into your absent hand, nearly falling over on her muzzle 
>Luckily you prevent the spill by placing your forearm in front of her neck as she started to tip forward 
>The falling sensation is enough to snap her out of her stupor and notice Bon-Bon holding the crayon in her mouth
>”Oh let my magic help you with that Bon-Bon. I can just write down everything that we’ll need for the celebration” 
>Bon-Bon takes her attention away from the paper and addresses Twilight as the wax writing instrument continues to occupy her mouth, muffling her response somewhat 
>The surly tone is still unmistakable however, as are her laden eyebrows 
>”No”
>You briefly consider offering your own assistance with your superior homosapien hands 
>But if she don’t want it then she don’t want it
>Let Grumpy Hooves be grumpy, it ain’t your job to make her happy
>Your job is to kiss boo-boos at the Ponyville General Hospital 
>AND you're tenured as well! 
>Twilight and Spike get the message that this friendly business meeting would emphasis the business aspect rather than the friendly part and start to recite their order 
>Your silver flask once again manages to find your pie hole to pour down the drug addled liquid down your throat 
>That’s the stuff
>...
>...
>...
>What were you doing here again?
>Oh yeah
>The order for the party
>Spike and his Sister-Mother figure wanted to go sledding but needed adult supervision
>Occasionally you wonder who else in Ponyville can give out the fabled boon of Adult Supervision 
>But before the fun could begin, they mentioned some errands had to be ran
>You return back to reality once again to Twilight speaking
> [...] as well as thirty-five mint truffles, three pounds of candy oranges, ten everlasting gobstoppers, and five of your lollipop variety packs!” 
>The candy mare diligently  continues writing down the order with crayon before Spike turns towards Twilight
>”Oh hey Twi, maybe we should grab some candy to leave out for Santa this year?”

>The scratching of crayon on paper suddenly stops but Purple Horse as well as Purple and Green Dragon don’t notice it
>After a few seconds, the crayon continues its work
>”I think that’d be a great idea, Spike! Cookies are great and all but I’m sure candy would add some nice variety for him”
>She puts her good up to her muzzle in thought as she hums
>”I wonder what sort of candy Santa might like. Any ideas?”
>You shrug
“Can’t say I’ve ever met the guy. But I’m sure that he’s not too picky with candy. After all, he has to stomach cookies from all around the world”
>A small smile graces your face 
>So this was what it was like to be a parent and tell the great lie of Santa to your kids 
>You weren’t always a skeptic however
>In a land of magic and talking animals, Santa seemed like a natural fit
>Course that was before you noticed that, just as it was like back on Earth, parents purchasing gifts and hiding them for the month, away from the curious hooves of colts and fillies 
>You weren’t entirely sure when ponies were suppose to outgrow the idea of a being dropping down chimneys and delivering gifts to all the good little ponies 
>But everypony else kept the facade up so you just played along as well
>”Course no one has ever met him, he’s Santa after all!” Spike interjects. Next up for dialogue is Twilight
>”I don’t know about that Spike, maybe the Princesses meet with him!”
>”You ever see him in Canterlot?” the dragon asks with hope in his eyes
>At this point you notice that Bon-Bon’s scribbling has become more intense
>You ignore it
>It’s hard to continuously write with your mouth after all
>Twilight still doesn’t notice anything amiss 
>”Well no, but Celestia and Luna have to know every single creature that’s in Equestria” 
>”That’s the thing though! He’s in Equestria for only a single night delivering gifts all around the world. And he knows when somepony is sleeping so he totally just waits for the Princess to sleep too!” 
“Maybe they meet with him at other times in the year. His schedule is probably full around Hearth’s Warming Eve”
>Spike nods his head
>”That’s a good point” 
>Twilight agrees with her draconic adopted Son-Brother before turning her attention to the owner of the store
>”You’re the expert here, Bon-Bon,  what kind of candy do you think Santa likes?”
>You hear a muffled voice from Bon-Bon
>“Euggh bee aeh wauste ah tiumme”
>Twilight tilts her head 
>”What was that?”
>Bon-Bon speaks once again with more force in her voice, which only serves to make her words more vague
>”EH sauid, eigh beh ayy weasusste a tiume
>Spike and you try to cup your ears to hear her better
>At long last the candy mare has had enough
>She spits out the crayon onto the desk 
>”I said, it’d be a waste of time!”
>Her words come out in a gust of frustration and anger
>Twilight and Spike are too stunned by this sudden outburst to speak
>You take the lead in attempt to disarm the situation
>You never did like seeing these cute little ponies carry around negative emotions
>Even if you’re not really friends with her
>Time for some information gathering
“What do you mean by that?”
>Bon-Bon’s tone becomes clinical 
>”There’s no point in leaving candy out for Santa”
>If looks could kill, then you’d be perfectly fine since there’s no real malice in her eyes
>You’d get maybe a scratch or bruise at worst
>Though given how serious boo-boos are treated here…
“Milk and cookies must get pretty boring for him, though. I’m sure he’d like some of your candy”
>”There’s no point in leaving milk and cookies either” 
>This time Twilight is the one to speak up in defense of the holiday offerings
>”Well that’s just rude. Santa and his reindeer work hard to deliver presents to everyone. He probably doesn’t even stop for naptime on Hearth’s Warming Eve! The least we can do is leave snacks”
>”There’s no point because Santa doesn’t exist”
>An air of silence descends upon the shop

>You look towards Twilight and Spike, their mouths left open as they process what Bon-Bon said
>Well, everyone had to learn the truth eventually 
>Still, it was nice when the magic of belief lasted and you could pretend with them
>Spike finds his wits once again and speaks
>”B-b-but who delivers the presents then?”
>”Your parents probably. After all, how would he go around the planet and deliver presents in one night? ” 
>”Magic?” Spike replies 
>Bon-Bon turns her attention towards Twilight 
>”You’re the expert now. Do you know any spells that could make this happen?” 
>Twilight visibly tenses up, flashbacks of test and quiz anxiety rearing its head once again 
>”Uhh, maybe? There could be a combination of different spells, maybe a chronmantic lock along with some displacement tunnels…”
>”Uh Huh. Have you ever seen Luna do magic like that?”
>”Well, no but-”
>”How about Celestia?”
>“Not yet anyways, but she could probably do some-”
>”Do any of the stories of Starswirl have him do magic like that?” 
>”...no” 
>”And how about all the toys and other gifts he gives away? Where does he get all the things to make them out of?” 
>”...magic?”
>Twilight is unsure in her own response 
>Spike sees that even the ever knowledgeable Twilight is stumped
>So this is what it feels like to be a parent and your children find out Santa isn’t real

>Deciding it’s time to let Grumpy Hooves be grumpy by herself, you start moving towards the exit as you grab Spike and nudge Twilight along 
“Well it’s been a nice visit, Bon-Bon. Just put the order on Twilight’s tab and I’m sure she’ll be back to pick it up before Hearth’s Warming Eve”
>You don’t bother to turn your head to the counter as you hear a grunt in reply from the mare
>Twilight walks out of the shop and into the snow covered landscape
>You place Spike in her back
“Tell Lyra I’m still looking forward to snack time with her on Tuesday! Well, you have a good day now!” 
>Your words still echo around the shop as you shut the door behind you 
>That’s finally over with
>You nearly reach for your flask again before a shaky voice interrupts you
>Your eyes look down towards the source
>Twilight looks back at you with a sad pleading look in her eyes 
>Tears form at the corner of her eyes
>”A-anon, S-S-Santa is real, r-right?”
>A small lump is visible in her throat as she fights back sniffles
>You sigh
>Why did Bon-Bon have to throw this on you?
>You make a mental note to ask Lyra what the candy mare’s problem was 
>For now though, you have an immediate issue to take care of
“I don’t know, Twilight”
>Your voice is blunt without any real emotion to back it
>This isn’t what Twilight wants to hear right now
>But you’ll speak only the truth 
“In my old world Santa doesn’t exist. He’s a story that parents like to tell their kids to make them behave for the rest of the year”
>Spike avoids your eyes, focusing his attention on Twilight’s mane as if it would hold all the answers to the world’s woes
>His downcast expression matches Twilight’s
>You need to recover the mood and quick 
>Seeing sad ponies and dragons trudging in the snow isn’t something you want right now
“But…”
>You start to grin
“I’ve seen so many things in this world that I would never see back home. Impossible things big and small” 
>You use your fingers to brush through Twilight’s mane
“I’ve seen unicorns show off just how intelligent and powerful they are with magic”
>Twilight starts to recover from her near breakdown as she giggles at your words and the sensation of your fingers 
“I made friends with a neat dragon that breathes fire and sleeps in a basket”
>You raise a clenched hand up to Spike 
>Spike smirks at you
>“Only neat, huh?”
“Alright don’t tell him I said this, otherwise it’ll go to his head, but I think he’s pretty cool”
>Finally he takes his own claws and bumps your hand with his own
“I see at least five, no, maybe six! Impossible things by noon everyday here!”
>You raise a finger in a dramatic fashion, electing laughs from your audience of two
“So I don’t know if there is a Santa for sure. But if there’s anywhere that Santa and a bit of holiday magic exist, then it’s right here and now”
>The pony and dragon give small cheers at your words 
>You mock a series of bows towards them 
“Now who’s ready to go sledding?”
>This raises more cheers from all of you as you can’t help but also join them in their excitement 
>The three of you march through the snow once again, cutting away from the path to take a shortcut to a large hill near Fluttershy’s Cottage

>Before you leave the market however, you take one last curious look at Sweetie Drops
>At the window stands Bon-Bon as she peers out
>She is alone, clearly outlined by the paper decorations around her 
>You wonder how long she must have been standing at the window 
>Maybe she only wanted to stretch her legs
>However you notice her gaze is quite fixed at something
>She is staring at the three of you walking
>Ponies were pretty obvious about their emotions
>If they didn’t tell you straight up how they were feeling, then their physical cues were just as well
>In the years you’ve lived here, you like to think that you can read a pony pretty well now
>She shrinks off to the distance, still isolated in her little window 
>But those eyes tell you all you need to know
>Bon-Bon isn’t annoyed anymore
>Or frustrated
>Sad?
>Happy?
>No.
>All you see in those eyes are emptiness

>The Day After

>Be Special Edition Doctor Anon with Boo-Boo kissing action!
>Your shift today at the Ponyville General Hospital emergency room has been hectic 
>No matter how many signs they put up, ponies will be ponies and still run through the streets
>Even when there’s ice 
>ESPECIALLY when there’s ice 
>The thrill of sliding around was normally interrupted when they crashed into a wall or just fell flat on their stomachs
>There’s been a steady stream of the colorful inhabitants coming in with boo-boos, ouchies, and owies
>Luckily for them, you were at the forefront of Equestrian medical advances
>You’ve never lost a patient 
>But some cases were worse than others 
>One particularly unfortunate stallion had to be carried in by stretcher 
>Ponies around him shuddered as they saw the emergency pones wheel him to your operating table as they yelled their sirens of “Whee Ooh Whee Ooh Whee Ooh”
>A few patients walking the halls nearly fainted at the sight of his injury
>Thunderlane, the brave colt, sported a small scrape that was visible through his fur 
>The operation took hours of head patting, reassuring words, and at least 1cc (Cuddly Comfortable) blanket before Thunderlane stopped sniffling from his injury 
>Another difficult case was right in front of you, laying on her stomach on your examination table 
>”The Great and Powerful Trixie cares not for cherry and instead demands watermelon!”
>The magician had come in complaining about a hurt foreleg
>Though you had some suspicions...
>Like last week when she was able to run through the hallway to talk about a badly stubbed hoof
>And the week before that when she yelled at you that she was losing her voice 
>”Cherry is truly a trash flavor!”
>With a final grunt of disdain, she takes the lollipop held in her magical grasp and flings it at you
>It bounces off harmlessly from your torso unto the ground
>You gave out an irritated sigh
>Not wanting to make her visit last any longer than it needed to be, you opted to simply hand her the large jar of lollipops you kept 
>Trixie used her magic to levitate the jar as well as unscrew it
>She laid the jar on its side, the opening facing her 
>Then her hoof started to rummage through it as she stuck her tongue up in concentration
>”Release your watermelon treasure to me, jar!” 
>Bundles of lollipops would come out with her hoof as she spent a brief second to recognize the flavors, only to put them next to the jar in a pile to continue her hunt
>You knew of course that she wouldn’t find her bounty
>After all, you took out all the watermelon lollipops for yourself 
>Trixie may be a bit brash
>And loud
>And arrogant
>And a lier
>But the mare had good taste 
>A steady knock on your door vibrates through the air as you hear the voice of a familiar mint colored unicorn 
>“Anony, are you in there?”
>The shifts were about to change and thus you weren’t obligated to see anyone for the rest of the day 
“Sorry Lyra, I’m with another pati-“
>You turn your head towards the splayed blue mare as she still fruitlessly roots through the jar, some of the treats spilling off the examination table 
“On second thought, come right in”
>The door opens up and slowly Lyra waddles in on her widdle hooves
>She seemed to be in great pain as every step seemed to take more effort
>At first you think that perhaps she had a massive fall until you find the damning evidence on her face
>Splotches of caramel, pretzel, and peanut butter are spread around her muzzle, mostly concentrated around her mouth
>You spot a pretzel hanging off of her horn
“How many times have I told you, Ms. Heartstrings, that you need to take it easy with Bon-Bon’s goods?” 
>Lyra pouts and speaks with a whine in her voice
>”But Anonyyyy, it’s almost Hearth's Warming Eevveeee! I can’t help it if Bonnie keeps making so many good things to snack on!”
“This isn’t snacking...”
>You take a paper towel and lick it before wiping the candy from Lyra’s face
>The mare struggles from your grip as she tries to turn her head away from the moistens towel 
“This is gorging yourself until you nearly explode”
>”I won’t explode. I’m made out of magic and cuddles. My mommy and daddy said so”
>You finish up cleaning Lyra and take the uneaten pretzel off of her horn.
>With a shrug, you throw it in your mouth and chew
>The bit of salt from the pretzel mixed with the sweetness of caramel formed a succulent pairing 
>Bon-Bon may be a bit of a grumpy hooves around this time of year
>And Abrasive
>And Rude
>But the Mare had great taste
>You turn your attention back to Lyra as she gives you her signature puppy dog eyes
>The one with a single tear nearly falling down
>”My tummy really hurts now and is growling at me”
>With a hearty sigh you lift the pony up and set her down on your desk 
>You start to administer your normal dosage for tummy aches
>10 minutes of belly rubs that will be followed by four head pats 
>The mint pony closes her eyes and enjoys your ministration 
>To pass the time, you start making small talk to the silly filly
“So what are your plans for Hearth’s Warming? You two throwing a party?”
>For a split second, the sound of a hoof rustling through a candy filled jar stops before returning once again
>Maybe you forgot to take out a single watermelon pop?
>You also notice that Lyra has her eyes open, yet is actively avoiding your own gaze
>”Nah, Bonnie doesn’t really like to celebrate it”
>It’s obvious that this is a sore spot for her
>But still, she was a friend and you were worried about the sudden shift in mood
>You also remember the incident yesterday back in the Candy Shop
“And why’s that?”
>”I don’t know. It’s just sorta been like that ever since we met. The most I’ve ever gotten from her is that she didn’t get what she wanted one year”
”...that’s it? Santa Claws didn’t get her something?”
>”Yeah, and Bonnies’ been pretty bummed about it since...well, forever. And forever is a very long time. Even longer than the time outs for not saying sorry”  
>From what you knew about the Cream  Mare, she seemed pretty mature
>Mature relatively in this candyland of pastel ponies anyways 
>It seems strange that she wouldn’t have gotten over not getting a toy or something for years 
>Must have been a real sentimental toy
“She ever tell you what she wanted?”
>”She did mention she wanted a grappling hook since she was a foal”
“A...grappling hook?”
>”Yeah, like the ones they use in those cool spy books! Bonnie wanted to be a super duper secret agent in Equestria. She even named her shop after the code name she came up!” 
>A bit of weightlessness overcomes your heart as your fingers continue to rub her belly and listen to her reminiscing 
>There was something about Lyra that made her happiness contagious, maybe it was her unabashed optimism or her simple views of a simple world 
“Maybe you could get her the grappling hook. I’m sure it’d be extra special if it came from you, Strings” 
>Lyra shakes her head before glum enters her tone 
>”Nah, like I said, she just kinda doesn’t like Hearth’s Warming. Or at least the gift giving part anyways. So we just don’t really do that” 
>You notice a frown overcome her
>For a friend, you’re more than willing to put on the counselor hat again 
>With a look of concern you remove your hand from the belly and focus your attention on what to say
“How do you feel about that?”
>”I’m alright with not giving or getting presents, really, I am! I..I just…”
“What is it?”
>”I just wish Santa didn’t forget to get something for Bon-Bon. Maybe then she wouldn’t be such a Grumpy Hooves during winter” 
“She is her own pony. How she wants to be during Hearth’s Warming Eve is her own business, Lyra”
>”I know that, but…”
>She takes her eyes to look into a corner, contemplating how to put her thoughts into words
>“Anony, you can kiss away the boo-boos and rub tummy aches away. And you’re really good at it!”
>You nod
>”I think Bonnie is hurt. She’s hurt and no amount of special kisses and tummy rubs is going to fix her. I’m her friend. I’m suppose to make her feel better” 
>She gives you a look similar to the puppy dog eyes
>You recognize it from a few days back
>It is the same look Twilight have you after asking if Santa was real
>A plea for answers in a world turned upside down
>”I’ve tried everything to make her better but nothing works. Bonnie is hurt and there’s nothing I can do about it” 
>This is outside your comfort zone of emotional support
>Most ponies that came to you would normally be all smiles again after assuring them that they were good ponies and a few lollipops 
>But this…
>This required a more mindful approach
>Something you just weren’t my equipped to do right now
>Silence drags on for seconds as you try to look away from the mint colored pony, scanning your eyes around the examination room for any ideas
>Finally your eyes rest on a piece of decoration that adorns the door
>It is a picture, framed by green holly 
>It shows a dark scene lit only by a warm fireplace in a living room
>A decorated tree stands tall with a presumably ever growing collection of wrapped presents below it
>The one adding to the gift count is a lone figure, dressed in all red with a fur suit and hat, along with white beard to complete the look
>He’s also a minotaur
>In other words, a biped
>Same as you
>And that’s all you need
>How hard could it be to fashion a red fur suit?
>You turn your attention back to Lyra 
“Say, how about I write a letter to Santa himself? I uhh, haven’t sent mine yet so maybe I could…”
>Ms. Heartstrings perks up and looks into your eyes with a spark of hope developing in them
“Maybe ask him if he could get Bon-Bon that grappling hook…?”
>Lura jumps off your desk and slams straight into your chest for a hug
>It is like a wave crashing into a dam
>”Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou Anony! I’m sure Santa will listen to you since you’re the only monkey man in Equestria after all!”
>After getting air back into your lungs once again, you pat the back of the pony as she continues to grip you
>You force a smile
“No problem, Strings. I’ll be sure to get on it as soon as I can” 
>Lyra nuzzles your cheek with her own before bouncing out of the room in elation
>You were about to remind her to take it easy with a belly full of candy when you felt the force of two hundred lollipops ricochet harmlessly off your side
>Oh right
>Trixie was still here
>”Trixie has been deceived! The promised watermelon was merely a lie!”
>You turn your head to the showmare
“I’m sorry, Trixie, but I have some bigger issues right now than restocking my candy jar”
>”And just what could be more important than satisfying the great and powerful Trixie?” 
>Your eyes narrow at the annoying pony before you 
“Like helping one of my friends feel better”
>”Oh yes, of course, the mint one. And how, exactly, are you going to send to a letter to a being that does not exist? Trixie doubts that a bout of green fire will send it to the Northern Tundra”
“Wait, you don’t believe in Santa? Why?
>”Simple. Trixie never got presents growing up”
>You ignore a small ping in your heart
“Alright, then you know what kind of problems I’m facing are. Like where I’m going to get a grappling hook”
>”Trixie knows where you can get a grappling hook”
>For what feels like the third time today, you give Trixie a blank stare
“You know where I can get a grappling hook?”
>”Stop parroting the illustrious words of Trixie! Yes, Trixie owns a grappling hook for sale” 
“Why do you have it?”
>”The performances of Trixie come in a great multitude of acts! Trixie thought it would be a good instrument to have around if needed for shows”
“...can I have it?” 
>”No. You must bargain with Trixie for ownership”
“I’ll give you eight watermelon lollipops for it”
>Her eyes widen briefly before shutting in slants as she yells at you in outrage
>”Betrayer! Deceiver! LIER LIER PANTS ON FIRE! The trust between Trixie and the monkey has been broken and made irreparable!” 
>Your hand goes into your doctor’s coat and pulls out the silver flask
>You don’t normally drink on the job, but this is a special occasion 
“How about fifteen lollipops?”
>From anger to indifference, her face changes in an instant
>”Trixie accepts the deal and would like to note that the monkey man is awful at negotiations. Trixie would have settled for twelve”
>You check a grappling hook off of your mental to-do list 
“There’s also more lollipops in it for you if you don’t have plans for Hearth’s Warming Eve” 
>You swear that you see the spark of hope, that you saw earlier in Lyra, within Trixie’s eyes before it’s extinguished in a smoldering pile of contempt 
>”Trixie of course must attend many important functions as the guest of honor, but Trixie may just take pity upon the monkey known as Anonymous and grace him with her presence. And if the watermelon treats promised is high enough indeed”
>You give a simple nod to her as you think about the red curtains hanging at your home
>It wouldn’t be too much of a hassle as well to ask Twilight if she still had that Starswirl beard she wore for Nightmare Night
“Good, because I’m going to need help breaking and entering” 

>Rarity knows how to sew
>Rarity knows how to take measurements
>Rarity knows how to stitch the fabric of your red curtains together to form a suit
>Unfortunately, you’re not Rarity 
>You’re Doctor Anonymous, local human and Aspiring Santa
>Neither is Trixie Rarity, no matter how much you wish that were true
>For your ploy to work, you’d only let Trixie know about your soon to be reverse robbery 
>After your shift at the Horsepital ended, you swung by Golden Oaks library on a mission
>Trixie decided to wait impatiently outside in the snow while you went about your business 
>After a quick chat with Spike, which mainly concerned about what he should give Rarity for a present this year, you had him show you the self-help section 
>It contained about five books
>The library was in desperate need of public funding
>Or just an actual full time librarian 
>Maybe both issues are interconnected with each other 
>As luck would have it, they did have a book on sewing 
>After checking out the book with Spike, you asked the little dragon if he knew where Twilight’s beard from her Starswirl costume was
>It took a Pinkie Promise of bringing it back and several seconds of tickling his belly, but you convinced him to let you borrow it 
>Now with a book and a fuzzy white costume piece stuffed inside your jacket, you walk to your own home as the winter landscape is crunches below your boots and the blue mare’s hooves
>”Trixie still does not understand why the monkey man does not simply give the grappling hook to the Cream One” 
“Bon-Bon and I aren’t friends per say. It’d be weird for a friend of a friend to just give a gift out of the blue” 
>”Why go through all this trouble if she is not a friend?”
“Because she’s a friend of Lyra and Lyra is a friend of mine. Lyra is only going to be happy if Bon-Bon is happy. Or at least not so grumpy” 
>The sun slowly dips down the horizon as the sky is filled with orange and purple hues, a stark contrast to the gentle blanket of white that covers the landscape 
>Lantern lighters perform their work as they either use long poles, wings, or just plain old magic to light the poles that dot along Ponyville for illumination
>The soft yellow glow of the poles are soon joined by the windows of the peaceful inhabitants as they light their homes
>The temperature is cold, yet you feel a heat within your cheeks develop as light and snow dance around each other
>”Then why not have the Mint One present the gift? This plan is needlessly complicated. And dumb!” 
“I have a feeling that Bon-Anon doesn’t like Hearth’s Warming only because of her problem with Santa. If Santa gives her a gift then maybe everything will be fixed and she can go on believing in Santa just like every other pony” 
>”Every pony except, the Great and Powerful Trixie!”
“Yes, expect you, the Blustering and Smug Trixie” 
>Trixie gives you a harumph and annoyed glare
>”For your sake, Trixie will ignore your attempt at  jealous squabbling”
>With her retort delivered, she continues looking forward as the two of you walk side by side through the windswept snowy streets
>The only sound you hear is of families enjoying dinner together in their warm homes 
>Eventually the two of you reach your own home
>You open the front door with only a push, comfortable knowing that burglary was unheard of in this village 
>Trixie walks in and shakes some snow off her mane as you start the fireplace with four logs 
>The sparks from the flint finally catch the logs as the living room is enveloped in a glowing aura, the heat chasing away winter’s chill
>After putting her trademark cloak and hat upon one of your couches, Trixie approaches the fireplace and lays down near it
>You head to your kitchen to find some food for both of you
>The mare was going to help you break into your friend’s home, the least you could do was feed her for tonight while you two discussed details
“I wasn’t expecting any guests tonight. You alright with some cake for dinner?”
>”While Trixie would much rather have a fine chopped sunflower salad with a side of fava beans, cake is acceptable. Will there be a refreshment?”
“I could heat up some cocoa”
>”Trixie will have three marshmallows with it, no more, no less”
>You return back to the living room with an iron pot of cocoa you mixed yesterday from your icebox and two slices of carrot cake with plates and forks 
>Using a spit over your fireplace, you place the iron pot above it so that the flames can do their work
>Trixie uses her magic to levitate her plate of cake along with her utensil to start digging into the cake
>After a brief internal debate, you elect to simply sit next to Trixie by the fireplace on the floor instead of sitting in a chair, to make discussing things easier
“I figured that if we’re going to pretend to be Santa, I should probably know more about who the guy is. You know, in case Lyra or Bon-Bon play twenty questions” 
>The magician turns her head towards you in between bites of cake before narrowing her eyes 
>”Nopony has ever seen nor met Santa Claws. How would anypony be able to confirm any so-called facts to detect falsehoods?”
“Alright, well humor me. I have to at least be what they think Santa would be like” 
>”Very well then. Is the monkey educated enough in the basic history of Equestria to know what Windigos are?” 
>While the amount of sass Trixie has delivered to you has earned her more than enough to be called a bad pony, you control your frustration 
>It can wait until after the heist 
“Yeah, I’ve seen the plays”
>”A lot of years ago, many more than any pony can count in fifteen minutes, there was an enormous blizzard that covered the world. Snacks became scarce and nopony could go outside to play or even make snowponies” 
>As Trixie gives her exposition, you take the now steaming pot of cocoa with you to the kitchen as you insist she continue in with the story 
>”Every species of the world argued with each other on who should get the rest of the snacks and the most warm blankets. Sometimes even harsh and mean words were used! Herds of Windigos stalked the land openly, feeding off of arguments and discord. Their mere presence made the Eternal Winter last longer too. Also they attacked innocent beings, but Trixie is confident that she could fight them off of it came to that” 
>You return back to Trixie with two mugs of hot chocolate 
>Before she asks which is her cup, she notices the one with tres marshmallows and levitates it before her 
“Sounds like some bad news at the time. So how did the wint-“
>”Do not interrupt Trixie’s storytelling!” All around the world, beings fell into despair. Nopony knew how to fight against the Windigos spreading the cold. But eventually a Kindly minotaur known as Lord Santa of the Claw Isles came up with a plan to bring joy to the world. He used his own hooves to create toys in his workshop for every good little colt and filly” 
“And let me guess, he used eight magic reindeer to help him deliver all the presents?
>”What did Trixie just say about interrupting her? But yes, eight reindeer pull his sleigh through the air, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton”
>You let her words sink in before taking a large gulp from your mug
>She did say not to interrupt, after all
>”Lord Santa’s plan worked, ponies, gryphons, dragons, diamond dogs, and every other manner of life became happier and more willing to cooperate with one another. The world gradually became warmer as the Windigos went away, no longer finding naughty things to feed them. And so Santa Claws still delivers presents to all, bringing merriment around the world and staving off the return of the Windigos” 
“So does the legend mention how he became immortal or how he could create so many toys?” 
>”Don’t be ridiculous. It is a little filly’s tale told by mommies and daddies to their foals so that they’ll behave”
>After letting her drink cool down, Trixie takes a few test sips before taking a marshmallow and stuffing it into her mouth
>She lets out a satisfied sigh 
“Alright, so from what I gathered I’ll have to dress up like a minotaur and you’ll have to be my reindeer. Which means we’ll need to make our own costumes” 
>”You mean disguises?”
“Don’t say it like that. It makes it seem a lot more wrong” 
>”Trixie and her not so lovely assistant will be entering the home of other ponies without an invitation. Trixie will call it whatever she likes”
>You shrug at her assertion 
>It’s not like you were going to steal anything
>Just change entirely the world view of a cream mare and her outlook on life with a gift that could be bought for twenty bits in a Canterlot catalogue 
“I’m not forcing you to do this, you know. Spend the holiday however you like. I’ll just swing by your wagon and we can make the trade” 
>”There is no guarantee that you will not accidentally hurt yourself or other ponies while making your brazen burglary. It is Trixie’s responsibility to supervise you” 
>The last of Trixie’s hot chocolate goes down her throat as she stares wistfully into the mug
>You hear her mumble something at barely a whisper
>”And it’s still better than being alone for Hearth’s Warming Eve...” 
>The sound of crackling firewood and a ticking grandfather clock is all that fills the air as you give a side a side at glance to Trixie
>You barely knew Bon-Bon, but you knew even less about the showmare
>Still, lonely souls aren’t too different from one another
“Thanks for doing this for me, Trixie. You’re a good pony” 
>You turn to face her with a small smile as your hand raises up to scratch behind her ear
>Trixie flinches always before realizing what you were about to do
>She hesitantly allows your hand to approach before it settles in and your nails start their work 
>You feel the tension that Trixie had fade away quickly as her muscles relax
>”Trixie is best pony” 
“Trixie is best pony” 
>For about an hour, the two of you discuss details on how the costumes would be created, out of some household materials and a few trips to the hardware store
>Many cups of hot cocoa are shared before the steaming pot runs empty
>The entire time you notice that Trixie has avoided calling you derogatory names 
>She was still rude in other ways, especially when talking about your mint friend and Bon-Bon
>Progress is still progress
>And you wouldn’t have to spend any more time with her after the holiday anyways 
>Eventually the plans are finalized and you both agree to come to your home every other day leading up to the fateful date to create the disguises 
>You turn your attention to the clock as it strikes eleven and the chimes ring throughout your home in harmony 
“It’s about time I turned in for bed. I’m sure that you have plenty of things to do tomorrow too” 
>”Trixie has many performances to perform as well as naps to nap of course”
“Great. Would you like me to walk you back home?”
>You look out the window and see the wind howling as the snow picks up again
>You notice Trixie following your gaze at the window and a small anxious expression overcomes her 
>What kind of heating did Trixie’s wagon have anyways? 
“...or maybe you could spend the night here”
>She turns her eyes back towards you and you see a hint of annoyance
>”And why does the human give this offer? Is it because he thinks Trixie does not like being out in the cold? Trixie does not ask nor want his pity” 
>Time to play her game 
“No, consider this a part of my payment to you. We made a deal for the grappling hook but not for you actually pretending to be a reindeer. Watermelon lollipops aren’t enough to do that”
>Like others of her kind, her emotion flickers just as rapidly as the flames in the fireplace 
>From annoyance to nervousness 
>“Very well then! Trixie then demands that Anonymous also gives her room and board every time that she visits during the term of this charade!” 
>She puffs up her lips and looks at you with newfound determination
>”And provide more cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows. And he will continue to give ear scratches and head pats like he does to Twilight Sparkle! A-and that he will read her a bedtime story each night!”
“You’re a shrewd negotiator Ms. Lulamoon, but you got yourself a deal”
>You chuckle lightly to yourself 
>“Good, though Trixie honestly believes that you are getting the better part of this bargain. After all you will be graced with Trixie’s presence” 
>After having her finish her last cup of cocoa, she chooses to lay down on your couch as you grab a plush blanket from your a closet
>You tuck her in and recount the story of “The Three little Pigs and the Big Bad Timberwolf”
>By the end of the fairy tale, you see Trixie visibly trying to stay awake before shutting her eyes as the last few words leave your lips
>The fire is starting to die out as the charred logs crumble, the light in the room dimming further and further
>You start walking down the hallway before you hear Trixie speak from the couch
>Your ears have to strain to hear her from where you are but it’s clear she’s trying to talk to you 
>”Trixie would like to thank you for allowing her access to your food and home. It has been a...pleasant evening” 
>You pause before your open bedroom door as you gaze at the couch, the fires finally fading away and enveloping the room in a comforting darkness  
“No problem, Trixie. What else are friends for?” 
>You know she can’t see you, but you smile all the same at her

>As you lay in bed waiting for Luna’s embrace to take you, you ponder why you were doing all of this
>No, not the Santa Scheme
>Wait, don’t call it that, it makes it sound so much worse
>You were doing the Santa Plan so that Bon-Bon would feel better so that in turn your friend Lyra would feel better
>Why were you putting so much effort in making Trixie happy? 
>Was her accusation right, is it out of pity?
>Despite her confidence personality and boisterous performances, you never saw her hang out with her friends
>Did she have friends? You just called her a friend, but did you really mean it? 
>You certainly know what it felt to be lonely
>Was that it? Did you see a kindred soul in her?
>Finally your eyes shut close as sleep overtakes you, but your tired mind thinks about one last question before drifting off like dancing snow in the wind
>Does Santa ever feel lonely? 

>Some Time Later

>You’re cold
>Actually, you’re Santa
>Wait no, you’re a human walking through the snow wearing a poorly stitched suit made out of drapery along with a pony that’s wearing plumbing supplies upon her head and a brown blanket over herself 
>You’re Anonymous, Santa Claws for a Day
>Sewing the curtains with a needle wasn’t too bad
>What was awful was attempting to make measurements around your body
>Trixie’s magic with a tape measure was much more forceful than Rarity’s
>More than a few times it wrapped itself around you like a constricting snake
>There was even a time when she went a bit too overboard the ruler caused your feet to trip over one another
>You both laughed lightly at that
>In fact, you and Trixie have been laughing together a lot recently 
>As agreed upon the contract, she would visit every other day to discuss plans and spend the night
>You found yourself enjoying those nights, sharing dinner with somebody else, sipping cocoa around a warm fire, telling a bedtime story as she nuzzled herself against the blanket
>Trixie was still annoying in many of her mannerisms but the jabs you two pointed at each other evolved more into playful banter
>She still wasn’t a friend though
>Not yet anyways 
>Right now there’s other concerns though
>Like how you’re going to survive this snow trek
>Your costume had no fur whatsoever, your hand stitched curtains up the bulk of it
>Any white fur trim was actually just glued together cotton balls that you “borrowed” from work 
>The only black boots you had were rubber gardening boots 
>The beard you were using was also sized for a pony and so covers only about half of your lower face
>Cutting fabric was also an imprecise science, your sleeves are uneven, one pants leg hugs your thigh tighter than the other one, and you have to constantly readjust your hat as it continues to slide down over your eyes
>Speaking of your hat, horns were hard to come by until you remembered that time Pinkie performed an impromptu opera 
>Asking for the horned Valkyrie hat was easy
>What wasn’t easy was asking why she had one in human size
>Carrying around a sack, the size of which was your own torso, full of empty cardboard boxes also isn’t the easiest thing to do
>”You should have heeded Trixie’s well made advice and worn a coat underneath your disguise” 
“Like I said, it wouldn’t have fit underneath my COSTUME and not look noticeable” 
>Trixie for her part tied some white U-Pipes that you got at the plumbing store to her head with some twine 
>Around the pipes were wrapped a rainbow of Christmas lights that were powered by her magic
>Or at least you think that’s how they work
>Best not to question it too much
>Covering her entire body, not unlike a Halloween bedsheet ghost, was a brown blanket with white dots painted where her back was
>Eyes holes were cut out along with slots for the horn pipes to stick through 
>On top of her head also rested a Santa hat to hide her horn
>All and all, you two are a bunch of holiday clowns going to pay a visit to a lucky household 
>At first you were afraid that this charade wouldn’t pass muster
>But then you remembered just how easily ponies got confused by Nightmare Night costumes
>You still bare the bite mark that Cherry Berry gave you when you wore your banana costume
>You also still question why she would bite an unpeeled banana 
>But damn are you cold right now
>You take one of your hands that was holding the sack over your shoulder to reach for your silver flask 
>After a quick twist and a quick sip of your grown up juice, you already feel slightly warmer 
>Trixie looks up at you with her blanket covered face and while you can’t see it, you’re sure her mouth is in a grimace
>”You brought that horrible concoction with you?”
“Never leave home without it. Some ponies need cupcakes and donuts to function, I need my nectar” 
>”And what of that dingy container? It is rather beaten up and reminds Trixie of a shovel” 
“It was cheap and does the work it needs to do. Just never needed a new one”
>”Trixie acknowledges your words” 
>Her eyes through the peep holes relax as she once again faces the path onward
>The Christmas lights on her “horns” giving a comforting glow in the darkness
>Mercifully, the journey finally ends as Santa and his sole reindeer reach the front door of Lyra and Bon-Anon
>Faint light underneath Trixie’s hat glows as she works her magic, the locks of the door being undone with clicks and tumbles
>You may have left your door unlocked, but every other pony locked them
>After all, Celestia says to always lock your doors and not to stare into the sun! 
>With a gentle push from a hoof, the door creaks open 
>You both walk into the darkened foyer and make your way to the living room 
>Time to set the mood
>Their fireplace is much smaller than your own, but that just meant the logs to be placed in it were of an even smaller size
>Some strikes from flint and soon you have a fire going on to warm up the room and create some lighting 
>You place the sack that you were holding by the fire 
>Reaching into your pocket, you pull out a set of sleigh bells attached to a thick cord and start ringing them, the sounds reverberating throughout the household
>You hope that it’ll wake up your snoozing friend
>No response
>Again you ring the bells, this time with a bit more force
>No response
>Once again you shake the bel-
>”Wake up already lazy flanks! We have many fillies and colts to deliver presents to you and you both are taking up our precious time!” 
>With a facepalm you look at Trixie yelling her words before you hear a sudden thud from upstairs
>Sounds like someone just fell out of bed
>Trixie taps one of her hooves in impatience as you both look towards the living room entrance
>Slowly you hear a door open and the click of hooves going downstairs 
>You don’t see her quite yet, but you can hear Lyra’s voice approaching
>”I-if there’s somepony there, please leave. I’m warning you, I have a pillow and I have no idea how to use it!” 
>Up to the entrance walks in Lyra with a pillow floating next to her in her magic 
>Her face is twisted into an expression of fitful fear, but when your eyes meet her own, they change instantly
>First bewilderment
>Then wonder
>And finally ecstatic joy
>”SANTA!” 
>The pillow drops down to the ground as her mouth opens wide, her excitement shouting out as she eeps at the sight before her 
>”It’s you! It’s really you! And one of your reindeer!”
>”Yes it is I, Clinton, the greatest and most prestigious reindeer!” 
>Trixie takes a dramatic pose
>Or rather it would be dramatic if anyone could actually see her form underneath the blanket
>You clear your throat to deepen your voice quite a bit
“Hello there, Lyra. I’m sorry that we woke you up”
>”You don’t have to be sorry, Santa! How do you know my name?! Wait, you’re Santa, of course you know everyponie’s name!” 
“I also know that a certain mare has been very good this year”
>”Is it me?!”
>You choose not to reply to her as you reach into the sack to pull out a long box wrapped in green paper with red ribbons 
>Attached to the box is a tag with two simple lines
>To Lyra
>From Santa Claws (And Clinton)
>You reach out with the box towards Lyra
>Her pace is slow as she walks up to the box, staring at the gift in awe the entire time
>You hand the box to her as she uses her magic to shred the wrapping paper into pieces
>The box inside is opened and reveals a large red object that is nearly flat in an odd shape
>The only inscription on it is the phrase “#1”
>She lifts the light object with her magic and glee envelops her voice along with a smile
>”Oh my Celestia, I love it! It’s wonderful, and great, and just what I wanted!”
>She turns her attention towards you with that same gleeful smile
>”What is it?” 
“It’s a foam finger. You can place your hoof inside the slot there and pretend you have a hand. You can also point at things” 
>The mint pony does as you say and her excitement is palpable as she raises her hoof up in victory, pointing at the ceiling with an index finger 
>”Thank you Santa! And Clinton! Where are the rest of your reindeer anyways?” 
>She looks around the living room, as if expecting seven more deer to jump out from behind the couch
“Oh, they’re uhh...taking a donut broke right now. We had to fly a long way”
>She uses her new gift to facepalm 
>”Oh duh, I bet you two must also be hungry. I’m sorry that we didn’t leave any milk or cookies out. Bonnie doesn’t like doing that kind of...wait, are you here to also see Bonnie? Did...did you get Anony’s letter?”
>You give the pony a tender grin
“Yes, I got his letter. Not exactly the best handwriting I’ve seen but his message was clear to me”
>You kneel before Lyra and run your fingers through her mane
“He told me that you were a very good friend of his and that he was worried that you didn’t seem very happy” 
>Out of the corner of your vision, you see Trixie roll her own eyes
>Similar to when you do your procedures at work, Lyra closes her eyes and rolls her barrel into your fingers
>”I think Anony is a good friend too. He’s fun to be around and makes the ouchies go away”
>Daww
>Another set of hooves go down the stairs as you hear the voice of a cream mare speak 
>”Lyra? What’s going on, I heard shouting” 
>In walks Bon-Bon, her face still adjusting to the light
>Lyra puts the foam finger down back into the box and walks up to her side
>”Bonnie, you have to see this! It’s Santa! He’s here!”
>You rise up to your feet and place your hands on your hip
>Again Clinton tries to pose underneath her sheet
>BB rubs her eyes with one of her hoods and yawns as she turns towards Lyra and then finally you
>It’s hard to read her expression
>Flabbergasted might be the right word 
>Perturbed?
>Your eyes are in pinpricks with one brow raised, her mouth sneering 
>Whatever her feelings are,, the candy mare isn’t saying anything as she stares at you and Trixie
>This wasn’t the reaction you expected nor wanted
“Hohoho, a merry Hearth’s Warming Eve to you, Bon-Bon!I I came especially for you this year. To give you a special gift and to also apologize for forgetting to give it to you when you were a little filly!”
>”Clinton too has come so that you may bask in his holiday cheer!” 
>Bon-Bon does not change her emotion as she continues to stare
>Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all
>Well, too late to back out now
>Reaching into your sack, you fish out another present, this one a large square wrapped in red paper and gold ribbon
>Slowly and cautiously BB approaches you and takes the present in her hooves
>Lyra looks like she could faint from happiness 
>Bon-Bon looks at you, then the gift, to you, and back to the gift again before laying it down on the floor and using her mouth to tear the paper
>Before long, the box is opened and the Epona Hook Shot V3 is revealed before all eyes
>Trixie makes a satisfied grunt
>Lyra sqees at the sight
>You remain silent
>As does Bon-Bon
>Her gaze is fixed at the grappling hook for a long while
>She whispers something that no one else can quite hear
>You get a sinking feeling in your gut 
>Lyra notices the lack of cheer from her friend
>”What was that, Bonnie? I don’t think Santa could hear you” 
>Again Bon-Bon whispers something but no one can hear it as she stares at the device
>Trixie raises a brow and turns her ear towards her to try and understand her words
>That sinking feeling from earlier spreads from your gut to your limbs
>You want to move, but like a deer in headlights you can see in the incoming disaster yet can do nothing but stare at it 
>Finally, Bon-Bon speaks again at a higher volume
>”This isn’t what I wanted” 
>Lyra’s elation vanished and shifts into a quizzical look
>The candymare turns her eyes from the gift up you now, rage seething out of them along with a growing scowl 
>Her voice is nearly shouting at you
>”This isn’t what I wanted!” 
>One of her hooves kicks the box with the present in it against the wall as the impact punctuates her statement
>Lyra flinches from her friend as Trixie backs away a few steps 
>”THIS ISN’T WHAT I WANTED!” 
>Creamy lays down on the floor and pounds her hooves onto the ground 
>A tantrum, now of all times when a mystical being found only in folklore was in front of you?
>You stop yourself from rolling your eyes
>Sometimes you thought that these ponies were a bit spoiled
>Might as well see how you can rectify this
“I’m sorry little mare, I must have mixed up your gift with another ponies. What did you want? Maybe I can get it for you soon, through the polar mail” 
>Bon-Bon stops pounding her hoofs
>She suddenly snaps her head towards you
>There are tears there
>Many of them
>Her words spill out to you
>Flooding you in a mixture of their rage and sorrow
>”I just wanted GranGran to feel better” 

>You feel a chill run down your spine  
>This was an awful plan
>Bon-Bon’s words continue to assault you, this time anger overcome sadness as her accusations come out
>”You don’t remember, do you?! Why would you?! You didn’t care back then and you still don’t care now” 
>Lyra has taken to standing by her friends side and rubbing her hoof to her back in an effort to comfort her
>”It’s going to be okay Bonnie. I’m uhh, sure Santa is going to make everything better” 
>Lyra gives a halfhearted smile to her friend
>Trixie has fully retreated to your side as she looks up to you with wide eyes, looking for any input of a plan you might have
>You have nothing
>Only a cold sensation 
>”No he isn’t, Lyra! GranGran used to play all of my favorite games with me even though she was a grown up. She lived with us and we went outside for picnics together every month. We used to make candy together and she was so happy when I made my first piece of candy all by myself and she called me a big mare! And she would listen to everything that I said and not ignore me like other grown ups did. She always hugged me when I was feeling bad and clapped when I tried to show her something cool”
>There is no happy tone in her words
>Only painful nostalgia
>And a sniffling noise holding back tears
>”But then she got more sleepy. Mommy and Daddy said she couldn’t play as much anymore because she was so tired. We couldn’t play tag or hide and go seek or Sexret Agent anymore but that was okay. I just wanted to be with GranGran when she was awake. I tried to give her my candy but she wasn’t as hungry anymore. I kept asking mommy when GranGran would feel better but she said she didn’t know. Daddy told me to stop asking mommy that because it made her feel sad” 
>While Bon-Bon fights to hold back her tears, Lyra and Trixie allow their own to fall freely
>You feel a slight dampness around your eyes
>”Eventually she had to go to the horsepital to play with the doctors and machines there. They told her that she was sick and had to get ready for her forever nap. I asked her to stay and play with me and that I didn’t mind that she slept for most of the day, but she told me that she had to visit some of her friends up in the sky even though she wasn’t a pegasus”
>Her voice cracks at various points, her vocal cords straining under the pressure to express so much pain that has been unspoken for years
>All that pain turns into anger directed towards you 
>”That was when I wrote my letter to you! I did everything everypony said you had to do, I wrote your name and address on it and threw it at the wind during a snowstorm. I told you that if you made GranGran feel better that I would always be a good filly and that you would never ever have to give me another gift” 
>Lyra has nothing to say to her
>Nor do you 
>Best to let this floodgate drain itself 
>And draining they are as Bon-Anon rasp her words 
>”T-they put her in the bye-bye box on Hearth’s Warming Day because that was her favorite holiday. I put some candy inside it so that she wouldn’t get hungry. They put the bye-bye box in a hole and I was worried that she’d get cold, but mommy said that she’d have all of her friends to hug and play with to stay warm. We had a party for her, every pony dressed up and my whole family was there, but everyone was quiet so that granny wouldn’t wake up. My mommy cried a lot. I didn’t cry though because I was a big mare, granny said so!”
>Her gaze shifts from the floor to your own eyes
>You feel a mixture of emotions
>There is sadness for sure
>Guilt for bringing these memories back to her
>Apprehension for what is going to happen next
>You drop your fake voice and start to speak normally
“Bon-Bon, I didn’t mean to-“
>”I made sure to be extra good that year! I said please and thank you to everypony, I shared all of my snacks, I did all of my chores without being asked to! Why didn’t you make granny better?!”
>That cold sensation continues to run through your veins
>But something is off this time
>That sensation is real
>You can feel your body getting colder despite the fire behind you
>Bon-Bon either does not notice or does not care that the temperature is dropping 
>Her rage is free now, directed at the being that did nothing all those years ago
>”I thought you weren’t real. That I was just being a silly filly by sending a letter for help to somepony that doesn’t exist” 
>A large parlor window that looks out to the street shows that the wind is picking up quickly, and soon snow starts up just as fast
>The weather team didn’t schedule a blizzard in the middle of the night, did they? 
>Frost develops on the window at an unnatural speed, obscuring the outside world
>Your eyes are pointed towards the window as you idly listen to Bon-Bon’s tirade
>Trixie follows your gaze as her eyes grow concerned at the sight
>Lyra still continues to try and comfort her friend
>”But now...now I know you didn’t care!”
>You swear that you see a pair of glowing blue orbs pass by the window as swift as a dart
>”Why didn’t you make GranGran feel better?! I hate you!” 
>Bon-Anon once again stands up on her hooves and glares at you
>”I hate you! I hate you! IHATEYOUIHATEYOUIHATEYOU!”
>Her shouting is nearly enough to break your heart
>If it wasn’t broken already 
“Well...you see Bon-Bon, I’m actually…”
>Your words stumble
>This isn’t a wound that can be solved with a head pat or tummy rub 
>You make a move to yank off your beard before an unearthly neigh fills the air
>It is unlike anything you have ever heard
>While the neighs of these little ponies were delightful and high pitched
>This sound is like the echo of a deep dark cave
>It fills you with dread 
>Everypony looks around for the source before Lyra realizes it must have come from outside
>Even Bon-Bon’s curiosity is peaked, but the scowl on her face will not go away 
>Lyra walks up to the frosted window and tries to peak out
>There is nothing but a landscape of pure darkness and howling snowy winds
>She focuses her eyes and lights up her horn to see better
>Only to reveal three pairs of azure spectral eyes staring right back at her



>You are Anon, a man on the streets and a fool wrapped in a red sheet
>You are also standing in a room with three terrified mares as six eyes stare at you all 
>With the light from Lyra’s horn you can see the “bodies” of the beings that own the eyes
>Their forms seem to be made out of the very gusts themselves and take the shape of actual horses, nearly triple the size of a pony
>An aura surrounds them and lights the air in a faint sickly blue atmosphere 
>Their manes flow freely, yet do not blow in the direction of the wind
>You cannot see Lyra’s face, but you have a good guess to her feelings right now
>She whispers something 
>”W-w-w…”
>One of the eerie horses outside slowly raises a hoof to the window
>The frost around where the hoof is placed intensifies further, flash freezing the glass immediately around it
>”Wi-wi-Win-w…”
>You can see the hoof pushing out steadily towards you all as the glass and ice starts to crack from the pressure 
>”WINDIGOS!”
>Trixie is the first to act as she rushes towards the window and by Lyra’s side 
>”CLINTON SAYS TO STAY BEHIND HER!”
>The showmare pushes the musician towards you and Bon-Bon as she readies her horn
>The spectral hoof finally shatters the window as gale force winds blast the bits and pieces into the room 
>Trixie uses her magic to create a shimmering pink barrier large enough to cover the window as the pieces of wood and glass bounce back outside
>The Windigos are unaffected by it all as the debris passes through them with nary a thought 
>The barrier is not enough to block the freezing temperature from coming inside however
>The fire behind you emits only a faint promise of heat
>All of your breaths become clouds of vapor that disappear in a few seconds
>Just like your sense of safety 
>The Windigos for their part are as serene as they first appeared, their eyes leering at you all behind the shield 
>The same cannot be said for your companions
>Bon-Bon is the first to speak, panic evident in her tone
>”What are they doing here?!” 
>You regain your composure after the initial shock 
>There is still apprehension in your heart, but you’re the adult in the situation, it’s your responsibility to keep these ponies safe
“Windigos feed off of negative emotions. I…think you made it an all you can eat buffet for them right now” 
>”What? How is this my fault! You’re the one that broke into our home!”
>”It’s Santa Bonnie, it’s his job to break into homes and leave behind gifts”
>Lyra turns towards you, her mouth open in fear as the intruders approach the magical barrier that Trixie is casting with at a snail's pace
>Again Lyra places her hope in you
>”Santa, you’re an expert at chasing off Windigos, how do we make them go away?” 
>The only knowledge you have about the ghostly horses come from watching Hearth’s Warming Eve plays
>The climax was always the same, a unicorn shot out a Fire of Friendship spell to dispel the spirits of winter away
“Lyra, I need you to cast the Fire of Friendship”
>Lyra nods with determination in her eyes
>”No problem, Santa!”
>She turns and faces the broken window in a hop
>After a second she tilts her head towards you with a questioning look
>”...how do I do that?”
>You stare at her in disbelief before you realize that of course nopony would know how to cast it
>When was the last time there was enough negative emotions in all of Equestria to summon Celestia forsaken spirits of woe? 
>Speaking of which, the horses have started to push on the shield that Trixie erected, her horn glowing the brightest you have ever seen as she tries to push them back
>Supernatural ice starts to slowly spread from the opening, encasing all that it touches 
>It is only a few feet away from touching Trixie’s hooves
>Your teeth grit 
“Think about the friendship you and Bon-Anon share, the connection you two have had for years now. And then make fire, I think?”
>Lyra closes her eyes 
>Her horn starts to glow
>You feel your heart rising
>Hope builds up 
>But then just as soon as the glow appeared, it dissipates into nothing and the comforting light is gone 
>”I-I can’t. All I can think about is how sad and angry Bonnie is”
>Bon-Bon looks horrified but quickly tries to rectify the situation
>”It’s okay, Lyra! I forgive Santa for everything, see!”
>The Candymare takes her hooves and hugs your torso as she forces a strained smile towards Lyra
>Lyra of course sees through it
>The wound is too deep for it to heal this quickly 
>Her mind cannot shut out the despair that flowed through her friend just moments ago 
>Suddenly you hear a shout from the front of the room
>”A little help here, my not so lovely assistant!” 
>You turn your attention back to Trixie
>Even in this enveloping darkness, you can see just how much shaking she is doing underneath her blanket as she tries to keep her wall of magic up against the pushing Windingos
>It is a battle of wills that she will lose
>You have to help her and now
>If the Fire of Friendship was impossible, then good old regular flames would have to do 
>You take the sack of cardboard boxes and lift it above the fireplace behind you
>The mint pony looks at you in shock as you try to rotate the bag around for the fire to spread quicker 
>”Mister Claws, what are you doing?!”
“Delivering their presents”
>The highly flammable bag combust and soon you are holding a sack of fire  
>You shout towards Trixie
“Move out of the way!”
>Trixie jumps backwards towards you all as her barrier fades away
>Right when her wall of pink shimmering disappears, you toss the sack towards the invaders
>The flames dance as they rush past the air
>...only to pass harmlessly through the trio 
>Your weapon goes out the window and the embers extinguish in the snow 
“Poop”
>Trixie struggles to stand as the magical ice has overtaken about half the room now
>She collapses on her legs
>You move to help her as the wind and snow from the storm rushes in
>All four of you are shivering from a combination of chill and fear 
>Why isn’t anyone in town helping?!
>Is the blizzard that bad that nopony knows what’s going on right outside their neighbor’s home?
>You notice that the Windigos have now crawled through the window and are in the home proper now
>They are also focusing their gazes at the two unicorns in the room
>They know who the real threats to them are
>With another unearthly neigh, they rise up on their hind legs before stomping the ground in unison with their forelegs
>The ice was creeping uniformly before, but now two surges rush forward towards your magically inclined companions 
>The first one caught is Lyra
>Her hooves are frozen to the ground
>Bon-Bon rushes over to her and tries to pull her from the spot
>But the mint pony is stuck firm to the ground as the ice continues to crawl up her
>This does not dissuade Bon-Bon from trying to save her friend however
>”Lyra, come on, we have to get out of here!”
>The only grunts you hear are from the cream one as she uses all of her strength to try and pull Lyra back 
>Lyra for her part...is calm
>Her barrel is nearly encased, but she turns her head to her best friend 
>”It’s going to be okay, Bonnie”
>”H-how do you know that? This isn’t one of your games, Lyra! What if we never have snack time ever again o-or go into a forever nap like GranGran?”
>Lyra smiles gently at Bon-Bon 
>”Because Santa is here. Don’t worry, Bonnie, he's going to save us all. I know it” 
>As she utters her last words, the ice shuts around her
>She is like a statue, frozen in a moment of calm hope sealed with a grin
>Bon-Bon screams out in anguish
>Her tears nearly ran out earlier, and any that drop down her eyes are frozen 
>She lost a best friend long ago
>And now she has lost another 
>The tendrils of frost are too quick for you to move Trixie out of the way
>One of her hooves is caught
>You would tear her from the spot if you weren’t afraid that doing so would rip off the entire leg 
>You kneel next to her
>The wind blows the blanket away, exposing her and you can see just how worn out she is from keeping the Windigos away
>Sweat stains have formed all around her fur
>Her chest rises up and down in great gasps of air
>Her pupils have trouble keeping focus as their lids fight to keep open 
>Desperation fills your voice
“Trixie...Trixie!  You have to stay with us, you’re our only hope against them”
>Absent is her bravado, replaced by a tired mare that just wants to rest
>To nap
>And never wake up again 
“Come on, you’re the Great and Powerful Trixie, you can do magnificent displays of magic! You told me yourself that you can take on Windigos!” 
>She looks up at you, struggling to crane her barrel
>”Trixie just wanted to impress Anonymous. Trixie wanted to be best pony”
“You’re the best pony, Trixie, and now is your chance to prove it! I’ll give you all of the lollipops you could ever want, you just have to stay with us!” 
>She shakes her head as she turns her attention to the ground, the ice now overtaking her torso
>”No, Twilight Sparkle is best pony. Her magic is more powerful. She would have gotten rid of the Windigos already”
>She once again looks into your eyes
>“Trixie saw how much you play with Twilight and how many head pats you give her. Trixie thought that if she could make you believe she was your friend, then Trixie could get even more head pats and belly rubs than her” 
>This was why she agreed to all of this, just so that she would have finally had a leg up Twilight over something?
>You don’t believe it one bit 
”None of that is true, Trixie and you know it”
>The blue mare looks at you curiously 
“If you wanted more head pats then you would have just asked for them for payments along with lollipops. If you just wanted a warm home to stay in then we would never have talked and laughed together well into the evenings''
>The ice starts to form at the base of her neck
“You’re lonely Trixie. And I’m lonely too. I hang around Twilight and her friends so that I can be around some ponies and pretend for a few hours that I’m not lonely”
>The ice is about halfway up her barrel at this point
“But I’ve never thought of them as my friends. These last few days have been the most fun I’ve had in a longtime. It was nice having someone to trade taunts and tease with. Somepony that wasn’t afraid to call me out on things. That first night you slept on my couch I called you a friend. And I meant it” 
>These may be your last moments
>And you will spend them comforting a mare you once found beyond irritating 
>Trixie smiles as wide as she can in her tired state 
>She closes her eyes
>The ice is about to reach her head
>She pays it no attention however as her voice once again finds her showmanship, confidence oozing out of her as she shouts
>”And for Trixie’s last trick of the night…”
>Her breathing is calm as she focuses her magic on her horn, a glow once again shining in the darkness
“...she will save her friend!” 
>A swirl of brilliant magical flame shoots out of her horn as it curls together to form a brilliant magenta heart, the flames licking out around it 
>The advancing ice slows as the Windigos roar out, backing away from the spectacle
>”Trixie is best pony”
“Trixie is best pony”
>The ice forming around her head stops 
>You can feel warmth again, numb appendages regaining their feeling again
>But then something peculiar happens
>The Fire of Friendship shrinks 
>The ice around Trixie once again continues onward
>Your limbs feel numb again 
>Why was the heart going away?
>Then you notice it as you look down at the blue mare
>Trixie fainted from exhaustion
>Her unconscious form now encased in a glass stillness
>The flame is fading with nothing to fuel it anymore, no source of magic to give it life
>And fade away it is doing, quickly 
>Once it filled up almost half the room, now in the span of ten seconds it is half the size it was originally 
>You get up and run towards Bon-Bon
>She saw everything, including when Trixie’s disguise was blown away
>“Tr-Trixie?! What is she doing here?!” 
“Giving us time!”
>You scoop up Bon-Bon in your arms as you make a mad dash towards the stairs
>Trixie’s last bit of magic is nearly gone as the light flickers away from where you once were 
>You shove open one of the bedroom doors and shut it behind you as you try to barricade it with wardrobes, the bed, and some nightstands
>BB stands in a far corner of the room eyeing you with suspicion 
>”If that was Trixie, then who are you?”
>With your hasty barricade complete, you walk over to the creamed one 
>It doesn't matter who you are
>What matters is that you have no plan
>The blizzard is shutting the outside world away
>You’re trapped in a room with only one entrance
>You and Bon-Bon have no magic to cast
>There is only one thing to do
>Make peace with yourself 
>You rip off your starswirl beard and hat
>She shouts
>”ANONYMOUS?!” 
”I’m sorry, Bon-Bon. This wasn’t how it was supposed to turn out”
>You can hear dull thuds walk up the staircase, the air around you already getting super chilled
>Her anger from earlier comes back, understandably
>”This is all your fault! None of this would have happened if you didn’t visit!”
>Calmly you kneel before Bon-Bon to look her in the eyes 
“...you’re right, it is all my fault. You and Lyra would be sleeping right now, Trixie would be in her wagon, and I’d be at my own home if I didn’t come up with this plan” 
>Her rage continues unabated
>”Why? Why did you do all of this?! Did you want to make me feel bad for that day in the shop with Twilight? Prove me wrong about Santa?!” 
 “No. I did it for Lyra”
>Her teeth stop snarling at you as her eyes plead at you for answers 
>”Lyra?”
>There is banging at the closed door, increasing in intensity as time goes by 
“She was feeling sad because she thought you were hurt. That maybe it was because Santa didn’t give you something. She was right, just not about what you were missing. I’m sorry that all of this happened”
>You turn your eyes away from her
>You don’t dare look at the mare you doomed 
“You don’t have to forgive me. I just...can you do me a favor?”
>You don’t feel Bon-Bon make any movement 
>She is listening to you
>That is all you can ask for at this point
”I don’t know if I’ll go to the same place you ponies go to when you take forever naps. I’m not from here, so I have no idea what’s going to happen to me”
>Ice forms underneath the door frame as cracks in the door itself start to form from the impacts hitting it 
”When...if you go on your forever nap, Bon-Bon, c-can you tell Lyra how much of a good pony she is? How she was so friendly when everyone else thought I was a monster?”
>The air is not yet chilled enough for your tears to freeze, a cold solace now that they drop down from your eyes
”And please tell Trixie that I wish we could have spent more time together. That I hope she’s getting all the watermelon lollipops and head pats she wants where she is now” 
>The door flies open as the furniture holding it closed is tossed aside
>In walks your three pursuers as they trot in slowly
>You don’t give them any attention however
>They deserve none of it
>Who deserves all your attention is the candy mare
>Soft fur surrounds your neck and a mane nuzzles your cheek
>Bon-Bon has taken you into a hug 
>You cannot see her face, but her words bring comfort to you
>”It’s going to be okay, Anonymous” 
“How do you know?”
>”Because Lyra said so” 
>You lift her up as you go back to standing
>None too soon either, as you can feel the ice creeping up your gardening boots
>The Windigos do as they always were doing, waiting and watching as their glacial freeze takes hold over their victims
>You and Bon-Bon are still in an embrace, sharing the last bit of warmth you two have
“One last thing, Bon-Bon”
>You reach your arms out to pull her away and see her face 
“Please, tell your grandma that I’m sorry too. That I sent you to her so early. She sounds like a lovely mare. I wish I could have met her” 
>By now the winds have made your fingers numb as you still hold the mare
>”I wish you could have met her too, I still wish she was here”
“She is, Bon-Bon. She’s always with you”
>”She’s in the ground now, in the bye-bye box”
“You remember her. Those memories are always going to be with you. She never left you, just like how you never left her”
>You don’t have much time left
>Soon you will be nothing more than an tall icicle 
“She loves you no matter what. Just because you haven’t seen her in a long time doesn’t mean you two stopped being friends”
>Your torso is now encased in the supernatural chill 
>With the last of your strength you lift your arms up and hold Bon-Bon above your head so that the ice will have to crawl up your entire length to reach her 
>If this is the end, you will at least give her time to have happy thoughts 
>”What are you doing?!”
“Close your eyes and think of your grandma, Bon-Bon. I promise that when you open them again, she’ll be right in front of you” 
>You take comfort in the fact that the freezing process does not hurt
>There isn’t even a numbing feeling
>As the ice sneaks up your neck, you go through a train of feelings and thoughts one after the after
>Anger at the Windingos in front of you
>Praying to whatever will listen to let you go to pony heaven
>Disbelief that something like this could happen in this world of colorful ponies
>Sadness that it’s all over
>Acceptance that this is the end 
>And finally…
>You feel nothing 



>Your name is Bon-Bon
>Bonnie to your best friend
>Sweetie Drops to your circle of imaginary secret agent contacts 
>And right now your eyes are closed 
>You also put your hooves in front of them for good measure, like you were playing hide and seek
>Maybe if you can’t see the Windigos, they can’t see you and they’ll just go away 
>...
>It’s cold
>Anonymous stopped talking a few moments ago
>You think you know why…
>The human said he didn’t need you to forgive him
>But he did all of this for Lyra 
>You understood that
>Other ponies made fun of her sometimes because of the things she did, so you did a lot of different things to make her happy
>You made treats she liked
>You read books together on picnics
>You chased away the monsters in her closet sometimes like a super cool secret agent 
>So you forgive him 
>And after all, he promised that you’d get to see GranGran again
>You hope that Anonymous will get to see her too
>You’ll all fly through the sky together just like pegasus do
>Is it hard to fly without wings?
>Oh well, GranGran will teach you how to do it
>Just like how she taught you how to make candy!
>Grandma…
>Your thoughts start focusing on her
>Anonymous said that she’s always with you, that she never stopped being your friend
>The truth was that you didn’t think about her too much anymore
>It hurt when you did
>It made your heart ache because all of your good memories were mixed with the bad ones, when she had to go away 
>But Anonymous said that you had to think about her
>And you will, because he’s a grown up and wants you to be happy
>It’s hazy at first as you try to visualize the moment, like imagining a picture from one of those books filled with only words
>But soon things come into clarity
>It is the memory you keep closest to your heart 
>A memory that you haven't visited since the parting 
>You feel yourself in a younger body
>You can hear a gentle knock on a door in front of you as you continue to have your eyes closed
>Both the door and your eyes now open 
>And there she is 

>She’s just like how you remember her 
>Before she had to sleep so much
>Before she had to go to the horsepital
>Before she had to say goodbye
>You remember asking her once why she had so many wrinkles on her face
>She said it was because you made her smile so much
>And smile she does
>“Why are you up in your room alone so early, Agent Sweetie Drops? You should be playing with your friends and making snow ponies”
>You speak, but your voice is much higher than it is normally
>Did you always squeak this much when you were a little filly?
“Mommy and Daddy says that I’m grounded”
>You punctuate your statement with a harumph
>You don’t remember why you were grounded that day, probably refusing to take a nap or not doing your homework
>”Grounded on Hearth’s Warming Eve? Well that doesn’t sound right” 
>It has been so long since you have heard her voice
>Your body still feels cold, your real body it is
>But her soothing tone is like a blanket keeping you warm inside 
>GranGran opens the door wider and looks down at you with her compassionate eyes
>”Come with me, dearie, and we’ll have some fun making candy for Santa”
>You mouth is agape
”But they said I have to stay in my room!” 
>”Don’t worry, grandparents have special magic to stop parents from being angry with their foals” 
>She waves a hoof to encourage you forward and you eagerly trot with her to the kitchen with your small strides
“I wonder what sort of candy Santa might like”
>You feel a slight bit of nervousness
>What if he doesn’t like the candy you’ll make? Will he take away your presents?
>”If you’re the one making it, then I’m sure he’ll enjoy it, Sweetie Drops”
>You nod in response as the two of you get started with the preparations
>An assortment of mixing bowls, whisk, spoons, and candy molds are brought out from the cupboard
>She even let you choose your favorite mold to use, the lyre shaped ones! 
>In the present, you remember that you lost that set of molds a long time ago in a move 
>Shame, Lyra would have gotten a kick out of them
>As grandma pulls out the sugar and cocoa, an idea forms in your head
>It’s time to impress GranGran!
“Granny, can I make the candy all by myself this time?”
>You put on your best pleading eyes 
>She laughs gently as all the ingredients are laid out 
>”Of course, Sweetie Drops. How about I turn on the stove to be safe and you can measure and mix everything together”
>You squeal in excitement as you hurriedly grab the measuring cups and a chair to get level with the stove
>By the end of it all, you are a mess of a filly with various powders covering your coat and the kitchen
>But she isn’t angry at all 
>Instead, she takes a small bit of cocoa on the kitchen counter and boops your nose with her hoof
>”Missed a spot there”
>You giggle as your snout scrunches up 
>After stirring the pot of ingredients together and licking the whisk clean, you carefully take your small hooves to pour the mixture into the chocolate molds one at a time
>GranGran places the molds into the icebox for them to harden 
>After cleaning up the kitchen and spending a few hours playing hide and seek and Secret Agent, the two of you wander back to the kitchen as the sun starts to go down
“I hope there’s enough time to leave them out for Santa!” 
>”I’ll just have to tell him to wait next year to try some of your tasty candy if it isn’t done yet”
>She carefully takes the molds from the icebo and flips them over to break them out of it
>A few of the chocolate instruments fall out perfectly with the first impact on the tray 
>”Perfect. Just like you”
>GranGran takes one and reaches out for you to take it
>You shake your head
“I want you to try it first, GranGran! My friends say that the first bite is always extra yummy” 
>She gives you that same welcoming grin that she always did...no, the grin that she still does 
>The confectionery goes into her mouth with a single bit and chew
>Her eyes go dreamy while she savors the taste
>She lifts up your little form in an embrace and spins you around the room
>”Oh it is simply wonderful, little one”
“Really?!”
>”The best piece of chocolate I’ve ever had. What did you do to make it so special?” 
“I wanted to make it extra special for you! Mommy says her food tastes so good because she puts extra love in it. I didn’t know how to do that so I tried my best” 
>She puts you down and looks at you
>You can see a single tear run down her cheek
>Oh no, did you make her sad somehow? 
>Suddenly, you feel a slightly tingling
>It’s like sitting on a warm cushion and it’s coming from where your body would meet a cushion as well 
>You and GranGran look back at your flank
>Your eyes go wide and you gasp
>Appearing in a small shimmer of light, over your formally blank flank, is three images flourishing 
>It is of  three pieces of wrapped candy in a nice pattern of blue and yellow 
>You cannot contain your excitement as you trot in place with all of your hooves in place and squee once again 
“Grandma, grandma, look, I got my very own Cutie Mark!” 
>She says nothing as once again she hugs you gently
>Her mane brushes into your face but you don’t mind, it’s nice and soft
>The hooves wrapped around you feel warm and bring you a sense of belonging
>”That’s right Sweetie Drops, you’re a big mare now”

>You let it all go
>There is no pain anymore
>No more wishing that things were different
>No more guilt for not thinking about her more often
>You wrap your little hooves around her
”I love you”
>”I love you too, Sweetie Drops”
>She backs away from the hug to look at your face but does not break contact with her hooves on your shoulders 
>”You’ll always be my little big mare”
>”Her smile does not break as she says her next words
>”And that’s why you have to go back” 
>...
>...
>That wasn’t part of your memory 
“W-w-what do you mean?”
>”It isn’t your time to take a forever nap yet, dearie”
>”But...but I want to stay here with you. I miss you. I miss you so much, GranGran!” 
>Now you are crying, but not with your eyes of youth but your eyes as they are
>Your voice is also back to normal
>And now you stand taller than your grandma
>She seemed so much taller when you were a filly
>Yet always approachable 
>She whispers in an understanding tone
>”There are so many wonderful things that you’ll do and fantastic beings that you’ll meet, little one. I know it because Grandmas know everything”
>You shake your head as you fail to contain your feelings
“I don’t care about any of that. Why can’t I just be with you? Don’t you want to be with me…?” 
>“Of course I do, Sweetie Drops. But I know that you’re a big mare and that you still have a lot of big adventures to go on. And your friends need you”
>You open your eyes to your grandmother and look deep into her loving pupils and comforting smirk 
>”Did I ever tell you why Hearth’s Warming is my favorite holiday?”
>You rack your brain for answers before shaking your head glumly 
>”It’s because it’s the time of year when ponies offer a hoof of friendship to others they hardly know. They trot down the street and smile and wish each other a merry Hearth’s Warming to ponies that they would ignore any other month of the year”
“But it’s just something ponies are suppose to do around Hearth’s Warming”
>”Oh sure, A lot of these merry wishes are forgotten and most ponies go back to what they were like after the holidays, but sometimes you can make all sorts of new friends by being festive with each other. Like a big thing in a suit and a lonely magician”
>You slowly nod your head 
>”Lyra, Anonymous, Trixie, they all need you. They need you to save them” 
>Your voice takes a pleading tone as you look for answers
“But how am I supposed to do that? I don’t have unicorn magic. I can’t summon the Fire of Friendship to scare the Windigos away”
>”Windigos feed off of negative feelings and emotions. But there are also things that use positive emotions like love, courage, and happiness to help others”
>She brushes your mane with one of her delicate wrinkled hooves 
>”There is one that is trying to help you right now. One that knows how to chase away the spirits. But he is lost in the blizzard. It has been so long that the Windigos have been able to feed off of ponies that they are putting everything they have in this. Even now I can see him fighting so hard to keep flight and search for all of you” 
“So what do I do then?”
>”You have to be like a candle in a dark room, a lighthouse in the middle of a storm. Think happy thoughts and you will guide him to you” 
“I’m scared”
>”Your human friend was right, I’m always with you. Anytime you feel frightened or sad, just think of me and everything we did together”
>You toss your head onto her shoulder and close your eyes
“I’m still going to miss you”
>”I’ll be waiting for you, dearie. But right now, there’s so many places for you to go. And I’m excited to hear about all the things you did and the friends you made when it really is your time to come back” 
“I love you, GranGran”
>”I love you too, Sweetie Drops”



>You open your eyes again 
>No longer are you in the kitchen of your old home, but your own room in your own home 
>Three Windigos face you as you are still laying in the arms of Anonymous 
>The ice is still creeping up from his arms and is about to reach your body
>But you give it no time
>You hop out of the human’s hands and land in front of his frozen body 
>The ice on the floor starts to creep up on your hooves 
>But this is no time for fear
>It is a time for bravery
>And you are a Big Mare
>Your grandma said so 
>You stare down the three Windigos as they look at you in apathy 
“I’m not afraid of any of you anymore” 
>You see one narrow their eye slightly towards you
“I used to be so angry at something that never existed. I thought you all didn’t exist either” 
>There is no cold to the ice around you
>You can feel your own heart pounding in your chest as your teeth clench
“Now I know I wasn’t really angry, I was just sad. Sad that I would never get to see GranGran again” 
>By now all three of the spirits have lowered their head towards you, their metaphysical breaths blasting an air of frost at your face
>This show of intimidation is not working
“But she told me that she’s always going to be with me, that she would never disappear. And now I’m doing the same for my friends. No matter what you all do, you can never take away the memories I have of her!” 
>If the Windingos feel threatened, they do not show it
>But you do notice that one of them has shifted their attention elsewhere to some unseen force
>Ice nearly covers your entire barrel 
>GranGran asked you to be a candle in a room 
>You’ll do more than that
>You’ll impress her again by being the brightest star in Luna’s night sky
>You focus your thoughts on every good memory you can think of
>Of cooking with your grandma
>Of meeting Lyre for the first time
>Of the first time you saw Trixie’s show
>Of Anon trying to comfort you in his last moments
>There is no flash of flame that shoots out, no ghosts of Hearth's Warming past, present, and future that charges forward, not even a flicker of light emitting from your body 
>But you don’t feel cold anymore
>All you feel is the warm and fuzziness from being hugged moments ago by someone you loved and loved you back
>And that’s all that matters
>You smile 

>Then you hear it
>Bells in the air
>It is faint at first and even gives the Windingos pause from looking at you as they try to locate the sound
>It is getting closer and closer 
>Suddenly, reindeer burst through one of the wooden walls of your room to your side as pieces of wood fly out 
>Luckily, you are unharmed
>The Windigos scatter in a panic, the first time you see them display any emotion
>The reindeer are majestic, as tall as the spirits are and their rack of horns well trimmed 
>Being pulled by the reindeer is a red sleigh the size of three of your beds
>There is a figure riding this sleigh, he stands upright with horns on his head and in his claws are the reigns of the reindeer
>In a flash, he drops the reigns and leaps out of his ride and lands between you and the spirits 
>The ice where he lands shatters easily from the impact and you feel the ice that surrounds you break apart as well
>Both parties stare each other down
>You can only stare at amazement as he easily towers over even Anonymous by at least four heads 
>His frame is also nearly double that of the human as well, covered entire by a red fur suit 
>He is posed to strike as you can see his muscles tense
>The horns he sports glow...no, they start to burn
>Fire surrounds the curved tusks and you can feel a cozyness develop inside you
>The flames dance further out along the hrns
>If he is hurt at all by the fire, he does not show it 
>You can see one of the Windingos take a step back towards the door
>Your guest takes a sharp intake of air into his lungs
>And then he lets it all out as he shouts: 
>”JOY TO THE WORLD!” 
>With a final a burst, the flames combust outwards and transform into an all encompassing light that envelops the room
>You would be blinded if it were not for the figure blocking it out for you
>The Windigos are not so lucky
>One stands their ground while the other two try to run away
>All three are overtaken by the light and whinny out in desperation before they evaporate like smoke in the wind 
>The storm outside the hole in your room now calms down
>The ice that was growing around stops 
>It is over 
>The figure now turns around, his heavy boots making your floors strain under his immense weight 
>You can see him clearly now
>He is a minotaur with fur as white as fresh snow and a beard that looks like an avalanche 
>His horns have deep carvings in them  
>Some you know are phrases and symbols in ponyish that mean peace, goodwill, and love 
>Other symbols you recognize but don’t understand are from other cultures around the world 
>He now speaks to you
>His voice is one the deepest you have ever heard with a bass that nearly makes your own lungs vibrate
>It is not the least bit threatening though 
>It is reassuring, like a tough guardsmare talking to a kitten 
>”It is good to finally meet you, Bon-Bon. Your grandmother has told me so many things about you”
>You faint from a mixture of shock that the actual Santa is speaking to you and an overjoyed feeling that you did indeed save everyone 

>You wake up in your bed
>It’s night and the calendar by your bed tells you that it is Hearth’s Warming Eve
>You feel your body for any oddities 
>Nope, you are still the cream mare known as Bon-Bon
>Warm at that 
>You check around your room 
>There is no tossed furniture, no hole in your wall from a crash landing, no statue of a frozen human
>Was it...was it all just a dream?
>Then you hear it
>Faint music that sounds like it is coming from a music box 
>The door to your room is cracked open and light streams from outside, along with the music
>You get out of bed on your hooves and start to walk out the door and to your stairs
>The music grows louder as you head down the stairs and you can now it hear clearly 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8VYhlh3JNI
>The sight that greets you as you stand at the portal to the living room is something out of a postcard
>The lit fireplace crackles as four stockings you have never seen before hang on it 
>Each have a design and color scheme that is unique to all of them, three are very reminiscent of three certain mares and a deep green stocking is also on display
>A healthy tree tickles the ceiling takes up one corner of the room and it is decorated with all manner of ornaments and tinsel 
>Underneath it are many gifts addressed to you, Lyre, Trixie, and Anonymous 
>Large wreaths decorate the walls with their own ornaments attached to them 
>Rows of garland with lights in them hang off the walls as well and surround frames 
>Huge silver and gold bells hang off of the ceiling and light dances around them as they sway gently in the air
>The source of the music seems to be a large music box tower that has a huge disc with holes in the middle of it spinning, like a record player with only chimes 
“I don’t recognize that song…”
>”That’s because it is not from this world”
>You nearly jump at the deep voice before turning your attention to the source
>You can’t believe you didn’t notice him at first
>You had mistaken him as part of the tree at first
>”Come in and know me better, mare” 
>You do as he says and approach him
>He is kneeling and taking out even more wrapped boxes from a large sack to place them under the tree
>He does not turn his attention to you but still speaks
>”This song is from the human world. I liked it. I learned a great many things when Anonymous there came to our reality” 
>He nudges his head towards the couch and there you see them
>Anonymous himself is still in his red suit but is sleeping calmly on the couch itself 
>The plumber pipes on Trixie have been taken off and now the blanket she was using as a costume is wrapped around her lower body properly
>Both Trixie and Lyra are sleeping on top of Anon’s chest, moving up and down as he breaths
>All three are snoring gently in this safe haven
>You smile at the sight 
>Your attention goes back to Santa
“Thanks Santa Claws, for saving us all”
>”No Bon-Bon, you saved your friends. You did what your grandmother said you would. Without your guidance, Ponyville would be a snow bank right now”
”S-so you really do know GranGran?”
>”Of course, Grandmothers know everything. She also wanted you to have this”
>The red minotaur reaches into his bag to pull out one last gift before standing his full height again
>He reaches it out for you 
>You take it into his hooves before he speaks again
>”Do not open it until I leave soon. It is a gift best taken alone” 
>You nod before leaving the present beside you
“So you are real”
>”Real as the music that flows through the air and the fire that warms you up right now. Real as the repairs I and my reindeer performed while you were napping” 
“Where are your reindeer now?”
>”Taking a donuts break” 
”Oh” 
>You blink a few times before your curiosity overtakes you
“How do you know magic? I thought minotaurs didn’t know magic” 
>”Minotaurs do not know magic. Minotaurs do not live for thousands of years.  I once was a minotaur that wanted to make the world happier. And so I did. Beings around the world started believing I was magical. And so I became magical. Now I am no longer a minotaur” 
“What are you then?”
>”Santa Claws”
>You see a small mischievous grin overtake his face
>A small giggle escapes you
>”It has been a longtime since I’ve been in Equestria. Tell me, does that little silly filly Celestia still make ponies send her wish lists every year?”
“I don’t think so?” 
>”Good. I remember when she was younger and she wanted my job. Didn’t give her a present one year since she teased her little sister a bit too much and was sneaking in cakes between meals. Nice to see she has matured over the centuries. Perhaps I should pay her a visit while I am here”” 
“I think she just makes her students send friendship reports now”
>”Old habits are hard to break, I suppose” 
>Santa uses an iron rod to poke at the fire and move around a log
>Once again your curiosity is too strong to contain
“Why...why don’t you show up in front of everypony if you’re real?”
>He continues to poke the fires before putting the rod away and looks down at you
>”There are some things even I can’t do, Bon-Bon. You know that now better than anypony else. I read your letter, long, long ago”
>A certain amount of guilt for putting so much on him now lingers in you
>”I am sorry that I could do nothing about it. If she had a choice, you know that she would have stayed of course, but you saw how happy she is now as well. Another thing I cannot do is be everywhere at once” 
>Santa walks over to the couch and gently take his claws to reach into Anonymous pocket 
>He pulls out a silver flask and unscrews the top to drink out of it before letting out a content sigh
>”It’s been a long time since I’ve had good coffee. But to answer your question, I can’t do all the work to stave Windigos away. My magic is fueled by all of you, and one the strongest fuels is wonderment. You’re not the only pony to doubt my existence, Bon-Bon. Mystery is needed for that doubt to take hold, to debate with yourself and consider that maybe not everything needs to be explained to be enjoyed. Trixie would know this best. Imagine if she showed her audience the trap door after every performance” 
>After taking another large gulp of Anon’s Grown-up juice, Santa puts it back inside the human’s pocket before walking back to the tree and lifting up his sack over one of his shoulders 
“So now what?”
>”Now you will celebrate Hearth’s Warming Eve with Lyra and your new friends in the morning. Anonymous has no change of clothing to go home to and wouldn’t want to see the rest of the village see him like this. So I think he will likely stay for the day. I doubt Trixie will want to leave his side anytime soon after what the two went through”
>He takes his large sack and puts it over one of his shoulders
>”When you all wake up you will tell them what conspired, Anonymous will reveal the truth to Lyra and he’ll of course apologize profusely. In turn, she’ll simply get excited that he cared enough to do all of that. Trixie will have her confidence boost in the fact she fended off Windigos for so long. And then you will all play games, open presents, and eat together as friends all day long. At one point Trixie will leave and Anonymous will worry that she is retreating to her wagon, but she will return with a gift for him. A VIP pass to all of her shows written in crayon by her personally, if memory serves me right”
>You speak with a genuine tone
“That sounds fun”
>He bellows out a laugh louder enough for you to hear but quiet enough not to disturb the trio on the couch
>”It will be more than fun, it will be another memory that you will keep forever with you. Just like the thoughts of your grandmother”
“I know that she said she’s always going to be with me but…”
>You look away from him, ashamed that you would find some doubt about her words
>Santa finishes your thought for you 
>”But you are still going to miss her. There is nothing wrong with that. I’ll let you in on a little secret. Sometimes even I get lonely. It is always winter somewhere in the world so there is no time for too much rest for me. I think back to the friends I once had before all of this, before I became Santa Claws. I miss them, and the millenniums have not changed that. It is not as painful as it used to be, but I can still feel my heartstrings tug. It is only a reminder of them, to remember who they were and the time we got to share together. I would be more worried if this feeling ever went away” 
>With newfound strength you stand up straight and look to him
“Would you like to visit us next year Santa? We could all maybe play games and give you gifts”
>He laughs heartily once again
>”Gifts for Santa? Who would have thought! Your grandma did well in describing you as the sweetest thing to walk on four legs. Very well, Bon-Bon, I look forward to it” 
>He walks over with his large sack to your front door and opens it as he starts to step out 
>”Happy Hearth’s Warming Eve to you, Bon-Bon” 
“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Santa!” 
>”Oh, and please wish Anonymous a Merry Christmas for me”
“What’s that?”
>”He’ll know what it means” 
>With that last remark the red suited bovine walks into the snow and closes your door

>You can’t contain your excitement as you eye the present Santa gave you earlier
>No, the present that Grandma is giving you 
>You take your teeth and rip into the paper
>You gasp
>Laying inside an opened box is a very familiar piece of candy equipment
>It is the Lyre shaped chocolate molds from your memory 
>You hug the molds as if you were hugging GranGran herself
>You know she is trying to send you a message
>A message that you fully receive
>She wants you to have this now
>She wants you to make another special batch
>But this time, this batch isn’t meant for her 
>As your friends sleep on the couch, you walk into the kitchen and start pulling out the ingredients you’ll need
>Powdered Sugar
>Cocoa Powder
>Coconut Oil
>Honey
>And Extra Love

FIN