As we rode into Hearth’s Warming Town I was amazed and astonished, I felt like I was in a very cold version of Canterlot, buildings stood high and tall. However one thing was out of place or I should say not in place at all “where are the elves?” asked Sweetie Belle a question that was being asked by many.

“They are gathering in the center of the city” said the conductor “there Santa will give the first gift of Hearth’s Warming.”

“Who gets the first gift of Hearth’s Warming?” asked one little colt eagerly.

The conductor smiled “he will choose one of you!”

There was a buzz across the car as each filly took in this exciting news, the moment was only broken when someone cried out “look elves!”

Sure enough on either side of the Hearth’s Warming Express hundreds of thousands of ponies only a few heads taller than the Cake twins were marching along, they each had heavy coats of red and wore a Santa hat over their long ears. Soon the conductor was guiding us off the train “in rows of two please, in rows of two” he said reminding me of Cheerilee on a field trip. “shorter in the back, taller in the back, odd number birthdays on the left, even on the right, no time to dilly dally it’s five minutes to midnight.”

“Hey what gives, it was five minutes to midnight four minutes ago” said one colt.

“Exactly” said the conductor.

“Um, excuse me” said Sweetie Belle.

“Yes little filly?” the Conductor asked.

“What about her?” Asked Sweetie Belle pointing to Dinky’s car where they grey pony was still sitting.

“No one is required to see Santa” he responded “now stay together” he said as he started leading the other fillies in the direction the elves were going.

Sweetie Belle motioned us to follow her and soon we were once again in Dinky’s car, as we climbed aboard I thought I felt my hoof hit something. “Look you have to come with us” said Sweetie Belle.

“She’s right” Applebloom agreed.

“Hearth’s Warming is just a pretty busy time for my family, it just doesn’t work out for me” said Dinky sadly.

“Look, I don’t know if Hearth’s Warming is going to work out for you or not, but it’s Hearth’s Warming Eve, don’t stay here all alone” I said.

“Yeah, come with us” said Sweetie Belle.

“We’ll go together” added Applebloom.

Dinky looked at us, for a moment it seemed she might get up, suddenly the car shifted and started moving backwards! I looked back and saw the rest of the train getting further and further away!

“Oh no” said Sweetie Belle.

“It’s going to be ok” said Applebloom, suddenly we shifted onto a row of tracks headed down a steep path “maybe not!” Applebloom screamed as the car sped through the town.

“The emergency break, where’s the emergency break?” I asked looking around the car. I’d made it to the back of the car when I heard a tapping.

“Take a break, huh kid?” asked the Hobo pony as he tapped with his mug on a wheel, suddenly we entered a low tunnel right as he took a sip of his drink, I expected to see him fall off the car but instead he vanished in a puff of snow!

It was pitch black in the tunnel and only became illuminated when sparks began to fly off the wheels as I turned the break. Meanwhile back at the front of the car Sweetie Belle cried out “look!” Up ahead was a lonely small pillar in a large, illuminated area.

“We’re gonna crash” said Applebloom we did hit the pillar but surprisingly it stayed strong against our car, suddenly the car started spinning before finally coming to a halt.

When we were sure our ride was over we went out to investigate and at least found out why the car spun around, the pillar was mounted on a rotating platform surrounded by several tunnel entrances, and the platform was over what seemed to be a bottomless pit, each tunnel looked exactly like the others making it impossible to tell which one we came from. “Now what do we do?” I asked.

“Shhhhh” said Sweetie Belle looking around “can you hear it?” she asked.

I listened but I couldn’t hear anything and it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. “Wait a minute” said Applebloom after a minute “I do hear it” she said.

“Hear what?” I asked.

“Bells” said Dinky.

“Sleigh bells” said Sweetie Belle with a smile.

“It’s coming from that one” said Applebloom pointing to a tunnel. “That’s the way we should go” she said. Applebloom started walking on the tracks into the tunnel which by the way were basically two lines of cement and metal barely big enough for us to step on and below was a drop so deep you couldn’t see the bottom. “Come on” she said gesturing us forward.

The remaining three of us began to follow her though reluctantly, walking across such a thin path was dangerous enough but with our current location being the Frozen North of course the metal was icy, so as we walked there was a constant fear of falling and the small panic attack you endured when your hoof slips for just a moment. Luckily inside the tunnel the ground was quite solid so we were able to pick up a little speed and shed a little fear inside. We followed the tunnel into the village and found ourselves in cramped alley ways designed for ponies smaller then us (which was saying something when you remember we were but fillies at the time). We followed the alleyways or I should say they followed the alleyways while I followed them, it was strange we came to many splitting paths but Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Dinky seemed to know where to turn sometimes with only a moment’s hesitation, it was as if they were being guided by some force that eluded my detection. Eventually we found ourselves at an entryway to an underground route it resembled something of what city ponies went down into to get to the subway.

“It’s getting louder” said Sweetie Belle.

“Yeah, I hear it too” said Applebloom.

“So do I” said Dinky.

“I don’t hear anything” I admitted.

“It’s down that way” said Applebloom gesturing to the entryway.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

Applebloom looked back at me glaring slightly “absolutely” she answered.

I followed the others down the path “why can’t I hear anything?” I asked.

“Shhhhh” said Sweetie Belle.

At that moment I realized I actually was hearing something; talking, scribbling, and an air pop. “Get down and be quiet” said Applebloom.

We kept walking and found ourselves in a large room with about a dozen elves taking care of last minute details. The large room was obviously built to hold more elves who’d most likely gone to watch Santa give the first gift of Hearth’s Warming and on the largest wall in the room were what looked like various unicorn projections being casted by a large map of Equestria, for a moment I watched the various projections of sleeping ponies each with a name on the bottom of the projection when suddenly one of the elves spoke.

“This one’s from the wrapping hall, just finished off the last one” the elf pony said in a squeaky voice as he held a piece of parchment.

“How’s it wrapped?” asked an elf from a raised platform whom I guessed to be the elf in charge.

“It’s wrapped in candy-stripped red with a number-seven holly-green bow” answered the squeaky elf.

“A number seven bow, when we’re this close to liftoff, what are they thinking down there, are they crazy?” asked the chief elf. “Where’s it going?” he asked.

The other elf looked back at his notes “umm, south western sector it looks like, Ponyville” he said.

The four of us looked at each other or a moment, suddenly there was an alarm, for a moment I thought we’d been detected “we’ve got a trouble maker now, just what we need” said the chief elf irritably. Suddenly a red spot on the map started glowing “what’s his twenty?” asked the chief.

“Apparently somepony from Fillydelphia stuck some taffy in his sisters hair” said another elf.

“Fillydelphia, is that the same pony that tacked his teachers chair last year?” asked the Chief.

“No sir, this pony’s name is Gravel Top” said the other elf.

Now among all the other projections Gravel Top’s was now emitting a red glow as he stated repeatedly “I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it.”

“So, what do we do now chief, alert the big pony, we talking nothing for Hearth’s Warming here?” asked one elf as he hoofed the chief a piece of paper.

The chief picked up a tube, placed the paper inside, and sealed it up, he went to a long tube as his horn began to glow and the tube began to take-in air at a fast rate, the chief looked back to Gravel Top’s projection before sighing and putting the tube and putting it on his desk with the parchment still inside. “Look, it’s almost Hearth’s Warming, we’ll let him off” he said “but put him on the check-twice list for next year” he added in a more authoritative voice. “All right colts, that’s it for this year, now come on” he said leading the other elves to an even larger tube with what looked like a golden unicorn horn with tiny seats inside.

“Hey boss are we taking the new horneumatic system?” asked one elf.

“Of course we’re taking the horneumatic, it’s the only way to get there on time” said the chief elf. The elves got into the horn, I saw the chief ignite his horn again, and they were off like a Rainbow Dash to a Wonderbolts show.

With the elves gone we ran to the next pod in the horn “ok everybody get in” said Applebloom. “Sweetie, think together you and Dinky can work this thing?” she asked as the four of us clambered in.

“I’ll bet we can” said Sweetie looking at Dinky with an encouraging smile which Dinky only half returned.

So no we were sitting in a crowded pod with Dinky and Sweetie Belle in front the closed the top, the two unicorns ignited their horns, and we were off. We were going so fast it was hard to keep from fur from falling off from the air speed, thousands of lights looked like stars as we shot past them, finally we stopped and got out. Now we were in what must’ve been the wrapping hall, a long conveyer belt faded yellow arrows marking its path, with at least two dozen long tables on its sides each with discarded wrapping paper marked the room. “I don’t hear it anymore” said Applebloom.

“Neither can I” said Sweetie Belle, she looked to Dinky “how about you Dinky?” she asked with a smile; the little unicorn shook her head.

“Let’s follow the arrows” said Applebloom. We trotted on the conveyer belt following its path which led us to a room with several different devices designed to take presents up and down onto the belt.

Suddenly the device started up and three of us took shelter on a still platform nearby while the smallest did so with the next one not too far. “Hey look a present” I said as a present wrapped in candy cane red with a big green bow on it came up from one of the machines.

Applebloom looked down at the gift and red its label “hey it’s going to Ponyville!” she said.

Sweetie Belle looked at the presents label as it went past her “Dinky!” she said excitedly “it’s for you!”

I looked down at the label and sure enough there was Dinky’s name and address. Dinky looked at the gift as it passed her eyes filled with wonder, for a moment I thought she was going to let it pass but suddenly she jumped on the conveyer belt and grabbed onto it as the belt took her into another room through a shaft.

Sweetie Belle jumped on the belt “come on” she said, and soon went through the shaft ourselves.

The shaft led us onto a long slide; we zoomed down into what seemed to be a giant cylinder, and went down a hole. Suddenly we landed with a thump, I looked around we were now on top of the largest pile of present’s I’d ever seen in my life. “Look” said Dinky showing her present to Sweetie Belle.

“It says Happy Hearth’s Warming Dinky. From Mr. H” Sweetie Belle read.

“I think I know what it is” said Dinky excitedly as she shook the present “I’ve wanted one of these my whole life” she said grabbing at the ribbon with her teeth.

“Wait, wait, wait stop and look!” Applebloom cried out she was pointing to something on the present’s side which turned out to be another label “Do not open until Hearth’s Warming!” it read.

“But I…” said Dinky sadly.

“Those are the rules” I pointed out.

Suddenly the pile of gifts started to move forward, we stopped after about half a minute over another hole in the ceiling except around this one was a big red target. Suddenly four ropes shot off through the target and the sound of a large whirling filled the air. At that moment we realized that a giant mass of red fabric was surrounding us, we were in Santa’s sack!

The ceiling started to open to reveal what seemed to be a giant version of Pinkie’s flying machine! The sack with the four of us in it was hoisted into the air, I looked out over the top of the sack and saw the entire village bellow us. “Hey look” I said pointing forward, we were approaching what must’ve been the town square as there were about a million elves gathered around a gigantic Hearth’s Warming tree.

“Look its five minutes till midnight, I think we’re going to make it!” said Sweetie Belle pointing toward a large clock tower which indeed read it was 11:55, at that moment the sack began to descend.

“Of course we are” said Applebloom.

“I don’t think we’re gonna make it” I said as we approached the giant tree which it seemed like we were going to crash into!

“Pardon me” the Conductor yelled from bellow “I may just be an old rail roader who knows nothing about flying devices but from my perspective you need more altitude!”

“More Altitude!” the elves repeated.

Suddenly a dozen elves jumped from the flying machine and for a moment it seemed they would plummet to the ground until they suddenly ascend to the air with their wings, I couldn’t help thinking “don’t try that at home.” However it still seemed we were in trouble, the sack brushed against the big heart atop the tree sending it plummeting down! Several flying elves zoomed to it, grabbing it as it just brushed the ground, and returned it to its rightful place.

A moment later the sack was dropped onto Santa’s sleigh as the elves cheered, a minute later two elves were at the rim of the sack “alright, you stowaways, party’s over” said one elf strictly.

“We fell in here by mistake” Applebloom insisted.

“Forget it, we knew you were in there the whole time, come on out you go” said the other elf helping us out of the sack. The elves instructed us to slide down the bag which we all did happily. However as I was getting ready to slide I looked back and saw one of the elves with hooves outstretched to Dinky who seemed reluctant to let go of her gift “It’s in good hooves” said the elf. Dinky was reluctant but gave her gift to the elf that placed it back in the sack. “Hey come on haven’t got all night” said the elf to me. I slid down with Dinky not far behind. With all the gifts accounted for the elves sealed up the sack.

“I’ve been looking for you four” said the conductor as he led us back to the other ponies from the train.

At that moment a band of elves blew into their flugelhorns announcing the arrival of something important. The elves cleared a path as several more elves came out of a building carrying long reins adorned with silver bells. The elves took several steps forward and then shook the reins, the elves cheered, again several steps forward, shake the reins, cheers, I saw the bells on the reins shaking but they were making absolutely no sound!

I listened carefully, no sound, I looked around and saw many other ponies from the train were cheering each time the reins were shaken Sweetie, Dinky, and Applebloom were among them. “Aren’t those bells making the most beautiful sound?” asked Sweetie Belle.

The elves continued to shake the reins as they did one bell on the reins got loose and flew off, it fell to the ground, rolled under the hooves of unknowing elves, the bell landed right at my hooves, I picked it up slowly and put it to my ear, I seemed to tune the rest of the world out at that moment as I shook the bell with all my might, I didn’t hear any bell sound but I swear I heard a voice hissing “doubter, doubter, doubter.”

“Doubter” the voice hissed again.

I looked down at the bell “okay, okay” I said, I closed my eyes I wanted every bit of concentration I had on this.

“It’s only a matter of time before the truth makes its self-clear”

“I believe” I said with all my heart.

“Only babies believe in Santa Hooves”

“I believe” I repeated.

“The truth will always become crystal clear to those with the courage to seek it”

“I believe.”

“I suppose those days are over now, they’re getting near that age”

“I believe.”

“The end of the magic”

“I believe.”

“Young mare it sounds to me like this is your crucial year.”

“I believe.”

“Seeing is believing, am I right?”

“I believe.”

“Sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.”

“I believe.”

“It’s all a bunch of humbug, a bout of indigestion, oh yeah I know what you are, you’re a doubter! A doubter, you do not believe!”

“I believe!” I stated, I shook the bell…

I heard what sounded like the world’s most beautiful jingle bell yet it was softer, it filled me with instant warmth not just physically but like my heart was glowing, like I was a little filly fresh out of diapers about to see Santa at the store, it made me think of snow fall, angel ponies, and magic, it was like every bit of magic that came from purity, friendship, love, and true beauty was inside that tiny bell and every time I shook it I felt every last bit of it.

I looked to my friends I wanted to share the bell with them, only when I turned to them they were already looking at me with open mouthed looks of amazement, I then realized they weren’t looking at me they were looking at something behind me, or perhaps somepony behind me.

“What was that you were saying little filly?” asked a voice behind me.