On a hill near Fluttershy's cottage, her and Rainbow Dash were strapping heavy sacks of toys to their backs. All of Ponyville was beneath them, and they had to get a toy to every house.

"You hanging in there okay, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy's frail body couldn't handle that much weight. Her legs crumbled underneath her and she fell on her side.

"I just don't know how Santa can handle this much cargo," said Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy, I told you that Santa isn't real. You think a fat, old guy in a jolly red suit from the North Pole with a big fat sleigh to accompany him and nine reindeer goes all over Equestria and shouts "Ho, ho, ho!", then delivers presents to all the good little boys and girls in one night?"

"Well…yes."

Rainbow Dash glared at her.

"Hey, what's that?" Fluttershy asked.

The two ponies saw a red blinking light in the distance, even though every other pegasus pony was asleep. Fluttershy got a pair of binoculars out of her toy sack, and she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Santa! HE'S HERE HE'S HERE HE'S HERE HE'S HERE HE'S HERE!"

She gently took off the toy sack and flew as fast as a jet toward Santa's sleigh.

"Hey, who does this bozo think he is?"

Rainbow Dash pursued the sleigh also. Fluttershy flew beside, then got inside and sat right next to Santa.

"Santa. Oh, I'm so sorry for intruding, but it is so great to be meeting you. I knew you were real all this time."

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "Pull over!"

Santa signaled to Rudolph, and he shot a stun laser out of his red nose right at Rainbow Dash.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGHH HH!" she screamed with a thud on the snow.

"Will she be alright?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah, she'll be fine," Santa replied. "The snow will act as a cushion."

"Santa, you don't know what an honor this is."

"It's an honor for me, too, Fluttershy, since you've made my good list every single year. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for your friend."

"W-w-what?"

"I'm afraid Rainbow Dash is on my naughty list this year because, you know what they say, when you target the boss, you get coal. Or…maybe it was something else."

"Oh, please, Santa. M-m-maybe we can work something out."

"Like what?"

"…You can give me coal instead."

"Aw, you're so noble, Fluttershy. Exactly why you're on my good list this year."

"And besides…um…Rainbow Dash has done lots of good things, like…saving us from falling to our deaths at the Wonderbolt Training Academy and…saving Rarity from falling to her death at the Best Young Flyer's Competition. So…Rainbow Dash has a big heart and cares for others, so…please, Santa. Give her another chance."

The yellow pony made big puppy dog eyes at the bearded man in the red suit.

"Okay, I guess she deserves a second chance."

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!"

She hugged Santa, and he hugged her back, his white beard and fleece jacket protecting her from the cold.

"Well, you'd best be getting home, Fluttershy. I don't come to your house unless you're asleep."

"Okay, Santa. I've gotta check on Rainbow Dash anyway."

Fluttershy spread her wings.

"Oh, before I go, Santa, how do your reindeer fly if they don't have wings?"

"They do have wings." He pointed at the tiny wings on the reindeers' sides. "See?"

"Oh…"

And with that, Fluttershy was on her way.