Blueblood - Snowfall Freeze

Thunderlane - Thunder Crash

Button Mash - Young Crash

Cheese Sandwich - Shaken Barley
Party Favor - Stirrup Barley

Sweetie Belle - The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past

Pinkie Pie - Fizzy Pop

Rarity - Crystal

Big Mac - The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present

Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Rumble - As Thunder Crash and Young Crash's Family

Midnight - The Spirit of Hearth's Warmth Yet to Come

Spike - Charles Drakkens / The Narrator

Little Discord - Little Discord / Comic Relief

Past Canterhorn, through the wintry chill, lay the friendly, warm town known as Ponyville. Winter had come thus naught could bereave everypony's cheer for Hearth's Warming Eve. Every window was flocked, every lamppost was dressed and everypony just had to sing their holiday best.

Yes, all of Ponyville looked forward to holiday fun, except for two ponies who simply thought, Ho-hum.

As noon passed, the locals of Ponyville were lined up and waiting their turn to enter the Castle of Friendship, each and every one of them excited for the performance that Prince Midnight had announced at the beginning of the holiday season.

"I'm so excited!" Twilight was at the doors, welcoming everypony in, "This pageant is going to be simply magical! Are you guys as excited as I am?"

Joining Twilight were Starlight and Sunburst though neither of them looked at all as though they were enjoying themselves, but rather going through the motions as they directed the attendees which way to go in the castle.
"Actually, Twilight, Sunburst and I were thinking we'd just skip the pageant."
"Yes, I think we'd rather focus on our studies instead of all this holiday hoo-ha."

"What?!" gasped Twilight, along with several attendees who'd overheard, Starlight and Sunburst shrinking back a bit at all their gaping looks of disbelief. Twilight lit up her horn, conjuring signs that pointed the directions to take for all the arrivals before she teleported herself and the two unicorns to the upper floor.
"You can't mean to say you're skipping Hearth's Warming Eve!"

"I just find it all a little silly," Starlight shrugged with a wave of her hoof.

"Yes, all the songs and decorating," Sunburst droned while straightening his glasses, "I think it'd be better to make more practical use of the time than get all kerbobbled over presents and candy and such."

"But Hearth's Warming Eve is about so much more than presents and candy," Twilight gently insisted, "It's a time to spend with friends and family when we celebrate a very important day in Equestria's history."

"You mean the one about earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns singing songs around a hearth to fight back an eternal winter caused by the mythical windigoes?" Sunburst smirked.
"Every colt and filly's heard that story," Starlight added.

"Not that one, my favorite holiday story," Twilight corrected, "A Hearth's Warming Tale, and it just so happens to be what the pageant is about! When I mentioned it to Midnight a month ago, he decided to make it his holiday gift to me by putting together a play about it! Which is why you two are going to watch the pageant with me."

"But we-" Sunburst tried to say, only for Twilight to hold out her hoof.

"Trust me, it'll be good for both of you," Twilight insisted before raising a brow, "Besides, consider it... something to help with your studying under me and Midnight."

Sunburst and Starlight shared a deflated look before sighing.

In the main hall, all the attendees gathered before a stage that had been painstakingly set up with devoted and careful work. Excited whispers and murmurs filled the air when lights flashed on and off for a few seconds, signalling to everyone that the show was about to start. Twilight made sure that she, Starlight, and Sunburst had gotten excellent seats to have a perfect view of tonight's performance though she wished they would be more... open-minded to the holiday spirit.

A slow and casual tune befell the audience as the lights dimmed and everypony hushed as the curtains rose... and everypony couldn't help but gasp at the sight before them!

It was as if they were looking outside, seeing an old-fashioned town from long ago, similar in ways to Ponyville but more cluttered, a tad more filthy, cobblestone streets instead of dirt roads, and the ponies dressed in old garb, such as woolen coats, top hats, knitted scarves, floofy dresses, and the passerby were going about their businesses, to and fro. A colt stole cabbages from a vegetable wagon. Merchant ponies were calling out, advertising the wares of their stands. A soused drunkard got tossed out of a pub. A teenage stallion was holding up newspapers, shouting "Extra, extra, read all about it!"

Then the focus seemed to zero in on a familiar young dragon, as well as a foal-sized draconequus as they were shouting, "Holiday apples! Get your holiday apples, right here! Three coppers a piece, while they last!"

"What?!" the dragon (Spike) was dressed in a shabby yet sharp-looking coat with a scarf around his neck and a silken top hat on his head as he looked to the draconequus foal, "They won't last long at the rate you're eating them!"

"Hey, the less we have, the more we can charge," the draconequus foal (Little Discord) chuckled as he took a big bite of one of their apples. He was dressed in a more casual looking winter coat and wore a flat cap.

The dragon shook his head with a sigh before he seemed to notice the audience and smiled, "Oh hi, everypony! Didn't see you there for a moment. Welcome to tonight's performance of 'A Hearth's Warming Tale'! I am here to narrate the story!"

"And I am here for the food," the draconequus foal laughed as he took another bite.

"My name is Charles Drakkens."

"And my name is Discord the Draconequus- Hold on!" Discord looked to Charles Drakkens (Spike), "You're not Charles Drakkens!"

"I am too!" Spike protested.

"A short purple and scaly Charles Drakkens who hangs out with the Spirit of Chaos?! No!" Little Discord shook his head in a teasing way, "Charles Drakkens was a Ninth Century novelist! A genius."

"Well thank you very much," Spike- (sorry) Charles Drakkens tipped his heart in a smarmy way.

"Okay, if you're Charles Drakkens, prove it! Tell the story," Discord challenged.

"Alright, I will," Charles Drakkens cleared his throat, "The Barleys were dead, to begin with-"

"Wait, hold on, somepony's dead?!" Discord flabbergasted.

"Well, yeah, that's how the story begins, Discord, 'The Barleys were dead, to begin with'," Charles Drakens insisted, "As dead as a doornail-"

"You call that a beginning for a holiday story?" Discord complained, "It's creepy and spooky."

"Would you please stop interrupting so we can get this story going?!" Drakkens snapped.

"Well, I apologize, Mister Drakkens," Discord snubbed before saying, "Proceed."

"Thank you..." Charles Drakkens cleared his throat again and resumed, "In life, the Barleys were the business partners and colleagues of a tightwad magic scholar by the name of... Snowfall Freeze, whom we shall meet as he comes around that corner!"
"Where?"
"There!"
"When?"
"...Now!"

All eyes turned to a corner of the street to see a tall and foreboding unicorn stallion step into view, garbed in a heavy cloak and an expensive top hat, as he started walking through the streets, passerby instantly parting to make way.

"Brrr! Is it just me or did it get even colder all of a sudden?" asked Discord as he pulled his coat closer.

"Freeze liked the cold," narrated Charles Drakkens as the audience followed the movements of the stallion, "He was hard and sharp as a flint. Secretive, self-contained, as solitary as an oyster... "

They watched as Snowfall Freeze made his way through town, not sparing a look to anyone unless it was one of snubbing dismissal. Most folks kept clear except for one poor homeless pony, who held out his hoof to Freeze as the unicorn passed him, and said, "Spare a bit for the poor, guv'nor?"

Freeze didn't so much as acknowledge the poor pony's existence and coldly ignored him.

As he approached a dreary-looking place of business, Freeze's place of business, a three-story office building where he dealt in money-lending, alchemy, and antiquities. He walked up to the door, paused, and turned to scrutinize the streets and common pony with a cold look of disdain as he muttered, "Humbug..."

As Freeze entered his building, Discord and Charles Drakkens stood to the side, the young draconequus shivering, "Not the nicest guy around, obviously."

"Mm, yes, Freeze was tighthooved, he wa-" Drakkens stopped to see how fogged and messy the window was, "Ugh, this town is just filthy!"

"Oh here, lemme take care of that," Discord snapped his fingers, a flash of light blinding everypony for a brief moment... only to see the window was now made of hard candy. Transparent but still unclear.

"Discord..." Charles Drakkens sighed.

"Sorry, I'm still hungry," Discord tried again and this time he got the window clean as a whistle and clear as crystal.

Clearing his throat, Drakkens continued as the audience's view zeroed in through the window to see what was going on inside.
"He was a tighthooved hoof at the grindstone, Freeze. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, clutching, covetous ol' sinner..."

All watched as Snowfall Freeze removed his cloak and hat... revealing an oddly handsome and statuesque stallion with a pristine coat as white as a diamond, his mane and tail the pale blue of suddenly frozen ice, and he wore a tiny pair of spectacles on the bridge of his muzzle. He wore a dapper vest of royal purple with a gold chain holding his pocket watch, white cuffs on his forehooves fastened with diamond cufflinks, and the cold flat look on his face hinted at the ugliness inside that contrasted with his appearance.

"It was said of Snowfall that he was almost as studied and practiced in the mystic arts as Starswirl the Bearded, "Drakkens went on as Snowfall measured a pound of lead while double-checking some facts in a tome of alchemy.
"Almost, since everypony knows that Starswirl was an archmage, commanding a mastery of Transfiguration, Dimensional Calibration, Teleportation-"

"We get it, Starswirl's awesome, move it along!" Discord snapped irritably.

"Uh- Yes, right," Drakkens cleared his throat yet again and continued. "The point is, Snowfall was a powerful unicorn wizard and sought perfection in everything he did, and reaped the rewards of his efforts though sometimes-"

"Sometimes?" Discord raised a skeptical brow.

"Okay, all the time," Drakkens amended with an irritated sigh, "All the time did his work come at the expense of others. Anything that got in the way of his work was a waste of time."

Snowfall focused as he levitated the lead over a cauldron simmering with an alchemic concoction, and as he began to sweat he smirked to see his efforts paying off as the lead slowly but surely began to change from an ugly black to pure and valuable gold-

*Cling-Clong-Clang*

That incessant ringing broke Snowfall's concentration and he looked out the window and growled in annoyance to see passerby ringing bells with frivolous abandon.

"Well, that batch is ruined... CRASH! Get in here!" Snowfall shouted, and in hurried a pegasus stallion.

"Thunder Crash was Snowfall's assistant, overworked and underpaid," Drakkens explained.

Thunder Crash was a dark gray pegasus with a pale silvery-blue mane, golden eyes, and wore a drab and patched up coat, "You called, Master Freeze?"

"Clean this mess up," Snowfall levitated a broom to his assistant while sneering, "Those scattergood twits outside were making such a racket, with no decent regard to others' hard work, that I lost my concentration."

"Wow, ponies actually enjoying Hearth's Warming Eve," Thunder Crash muttered as he swept, "Wherever did they get that idea...?"

"Today is nothing to celebrate, Crash," Snowfall huffed as he sat at his desk and went over his ledger, "Ponies preparing feasts and parties, wasting time and money, singing songs and being nice, thinking it solves anything? Humbug! I've spent years studying my craft and accumulating my finances to know that life isn't a happy musical where you sing a little song and suddenly all your dreams come true. Like that ridiculous legend of the three pony tribes and the windigoes... That's not how life works!"

"I... feel as though you might be missing the point, Master Freeze," Thunder Crash warily responded, only for Snowfall to teleport in front of him and glare his employee down.

"Work hard! Learn! And use your skills to better Equestria!" Snowfall declared with near-tyrannical authority in his tone. "That is a worthy goal for any pony."

Snowfall then went back to his worktable, where his spell components lay in organized chaos as he then sarcastically said, "But by all means, if you want to go home early, ignore all of the work you have and spend the-"

"YES! Thank you very much, Master Freeze, and Happy Hearth's Warming!" Thunder Crash flew out without another word, to Snowfall's groaning ire.

As Snowfall gazed out the window and looked down upon all those plebeians wasting time and spending money on useless trinkets, Drakkens and Discord watched from below as Discord shivered yet again.
"Whoo! If looks could kill!"

"Indeed, Snowfall Freeze hated the holiday season," Drakkens narrated, "for he had spent the whole of his life endeavoring to hone his mastery of magic and make his fortune through hard and dedicated work that spared nary a moment for anything Freeze deemed a waste. As his umbrage and bitterness burned up his guts, he thought more and more that perhaps Equestria would be better off if they skipped Hearth's Warming altogether.

"And the more he thought it, the more he was assured the idea had merit."

Through the window, Drakkens and Discord watched Snowfall as he worked, Discord saying, "No way, is he really gonna get rid of Hearth's Warming?!"

"His intention was clear and his resolve like a cold stone," Drakkens nodded woefully, "but Snowfall never did anything half-way, which offered perhaps a faint hope."

"Once the spell is cast, all of Equestria will be better off!" Snowfall declared, "And they'll have me to thank for it! Now all that's left to do is wait for the mixture to boil..."

Snowfall estimated he would have to wait until just before dawn for the mixture to be ready for him to cast the spell. Just in time to erase the holiday before everypony woke up to celebrate it. Knowing there was no point hanging around, Snowfall threw on his cloak and hat after setting his pocket watch to alert him when the mixture would be ready and made for home.

The scenery changed from the inside of Snowfall Freeze's office to a shadowy neighborhood where Drakkens and Discord rode upon a buggy being pulled by an earth pony.

"Freeze lived in the home that once belonged to his late business partners, Shaken and Stirrup Barley," Drakkens narrated.

"Fruitcake?" offered Discord.

"Not while I'm working," Drakkens shook his head no.

"Suit yourself," Discord fed while Drakkens continued.

"The building was a dismal heap of brick on a dark street. Now once again, I must remind you that the Barleys were dead," said Drakkens as he began to speak in whisper, "That one thing you must remember for what happens next will seem darkly wondrous..."

"Why are you whispering?" whispered Discord.

"It's for dramatic emphasis," Drakkens whispered back.

"Oh!" Discord nodded in approval as they looked down the way and saw Snowfall Freeze approach his front door and reached into his pocket to pull out his key... when he noticed something off and looked at the doorknocker, which ordinarily appeared the face of a lion with a ring in its mouth.

Only now, it bore a disturbing resemblance of a pony Snowfall once knew. A coltish face and wild mane of curly hair and narrowed eyes. It was unmistakable that Snowfall couldn't help but utter, "...Shaken Barley?"

"FREEEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZEEEEEE....!!!!!!!!!"

The earth pony reared in fright and charged forward, the sudden movement causing Drakkens and Discord to fall out of the buggy while an alarmed Snowfall leapt back. His rear hoof almost caused him to slip on some ice on the street though he managed to right himself. When his eyes returned to his door, he saw that the face of his old business partner was gone and that the doorknocker was as it always was.

As the momentary instinct of fight or flight left him, Snowfall shook his head and muttered, "Humbug..." before unlocking his door and venturing inside.

"Spike, er- I mean Mister Drakkens! Talk to me, are you okay?" Discord fretted over the little dragon lying prone in the snow... only for him to immediately sit up, no worse for wear.

"To say that Snowfall was not startled would be untrue. Soon the moment had passed and the world was as it should be."

"Wow, didn't even break his concentration," muttered Discord, Drakkens giving him a curious 'Hm?' and Discord shook his head, "Nothin'."

Standing up and brushing the snow off his coat, Drakkens narrated, "Up Snowfall went, ascending the staircase, caring not a button for the darkness. Darkness was cheap and Snowfall liked it. But the incident at the door had left Snowfall wary. Before he settled in for the night, he proceeded to search every room of his manse."

"Now wait just a minute!" griped Discord.

"What is it now?" Drakkens gave Discord the stink eye.

"How do you know what Freeze is doing when we're out here and he's up there?" Discord demanded while pointing to an upstairs window.

"Storytellers are omniscient; I know everything," shrugged Drakkens.

Scoffing, Discord, "Oh my, forgive me, mister godlike smartypants!"

Sighing, Drakkens narrated, "To conduct a proper search, Snowfall was forced to light the lamps," and as he said that he pointed to the same window, and Discord was awed to see it light up from an inner source.

"How does he do that?" Discord flabbergasted to the audience, spurring a little laughs among them.

Having just lit the hallway wall-lamp, Snowfall proceeded to finish his search in his master bedroom, candle and fireplace poker held in his magic. Entering his private chambers, he was tense for despite his earlier display after what he'd just seen, Snowfall wanted to be absolutely certain his home was empty of enemies. Finally his household search confirmed he was alone as he always was each and every night, and so Snowfall finally sighed in relief.

Undressing, Snowfall pulled on his night robe and set his smoking cap atop his head as he lit the fireplace in the parlour. As the fire burned, Snowfall made a quick trip to his pantry and came back to sit in his easy chair, whereupon he proceeded to enjoy a meal. But just as he was taking his first bite...

*Ding-a-ding-a-ding...*

Snowfall paused and looked up to the bell, one of several that hung in his house that alerted him when he had a visitor at the door. Yet Snowfall couldn't remember the last time he'd ever heard that bell ring (if it had ever rang at all after he'd moved into this house) that after a moment he dismissed it from his mind and took another bite-

*DING-A-DING-A-DING-A-DING-A-DING....*

This time the bell was louder and rang longer before ti stopped perhaps a tad too suddenly as a strange chill fell upon the parlour, so cold that the fireplace quickly died down and Snowfall realized he could see his breath. It was then he noticed the floor was covered with an ethereal mist that flowed towards the walls and when he dared to peer around his easy chair to see where the mist was coming from he saw it was from the staircase and a tight pressure made itself known in Snowfall's chest as he began to dread that he was not as alone as he had thought!

Indeed was his suspicion proven as two figures, transparent and pale, suddenly rose from the mist, their legs trailing with rattly chains as they moaned low and high and turned to laughter! They were both stallions, a tall and skinny earth pony whose face was the same that had given him a fright at his door while the other was a unicorn with a similarly curly mane but not so voluminous. Both wore suits that looked worn, ragged, and filthy yet both had a look of dark amusement as they took notice of Snowfall!

"Oh look! It's Snowfall Freeze!"
"Looking colder and nastier than ever..."
"i knew he wouldn't disappoint us!"

They laughed again and stared at Snowfall as he gave them an incredulous look yet managed to utter, "...who are you?"

"In life, we were your partners! Shaken..." said the earth pony.
"And Stirrup Barley!" added the unicorn.

"It looks like you. Even sounds like you," Snowfall admitted before he narrowed his eyes, "But I don't believe it's you!"

"Why do you doubt your senses?" asked Stirrup Barley.

"Because," Snowfall stood up imperiously, as cold and rigid as he appeared whenever he went out, "I am a pony of logic as much as I am of magic. And as a pony of logic, I don't believe in spirits because spirits do not exist! At best, you're a simply a dream I'm having after dozing off. At worst, you're a delusion resulting from stress or perhaps indigestion. The proof is in the pudding, as you can see," Snowfall stated while pointing to the pudding he had on his coffee table.

Shaken and Stirrup both laughed heartily yet there was a mocking undertone to it as Shaken echoed, "Proof is in the pudding?!"
"How long did it take you to come up with that one?" guffawed Stirrup.
"Leave comedy to the clowns, Snowfall," sniped Shaken as he and his brother approached their old partner while they continued to laugh.

"Please, Shaken! Stirrup, don't criticize me," Snowfall both pleaded and begged before growling, "You were always criticizing me!"

"We were always heckling you!" Shaken corrected.
"It's good to be heckling again," Stirrup nodded.
"It's good to be doing anything again!" Shaken cracked and both brothers laughed some more.

"Why do you come before me?" asked Snowfall.

"There was the year we evicted the entire orphanage!" brought up Shaken proudly.
"Yeah, I remember the little tykes all standing in the snowbanks," nodded Stirrup.
"With their little frostbitten teddy ursas!" Shaken agreed and they both let out another loud laugh, only to shiver, sounding regretful for but a moment.

"But my friends, you were not unfeeling towards your fellow pony," Snowfall brought up.

"Yes, there was something about ponykind we loved..." Shaken agreed with a slight sarcastic edge.
"I believe it was their riches!" snapped Stirrup as they threw their chains out to ensnare Snowfall and forced him into a face-to-face experience.

Snowfall frantically removed the chains from his person as he dreaded to ask, "Wha- What are these chains?!"

He watched in growing horror as more chains fell upon and ensnared the Barley brothers, as they groaned in woe and misery, pain and despair, burdened and tormented by these cold and heavy chains.
"The chains!"
"We forged these chains in life by our acts of greed!"
"You too will wear chains such as these!"

"Humbug! Speak comfort to me, friends!" pleaded Snowfall as his poor partners were slowly but surely dragged away.

"You will be haunted this night by three spirits!" Shaken warned.

"Haunted?! I've already had my fill of that!" Snowfall backed up against the wall, fearful of anymore eldritch encounters.

"Without their guidance you cannot hope to avoid sharing in our fate!" Stirrup added.
"Expect the first ghost to appear before the clock strikes twelve!" added Shaken.

"Can't I meet them all at once and get it over with?" hoped Snowfall.

"Before the clock strikes twelve!" Shaken repeated as he and his brother were dragged away to their damnation.

...

...

...

The fireplace returned to life with comforting warmth and light and it seemed for a moment that all was well. Yet Snowfall could not help but wonder...

"And just like that, Snowfall's former partners vanished as if they'd been nothing more than a bad dream," Drakkens narrated as he and Discord were still outside, "leaving him once again alone in his house..."

"Brr, that was scary. Uh, shouldn't we be worried about spooking the foals in the audience?" asked Discord.

"Eh, don't worry, this is culture," scoffed Drakkens with a wave of his hand. Taking a deep breath, Drakkens continued, "Retiring for the night, Snowfall pulled the curtains of his four-poster bed shut, telling himself that all he'd just seen and heard was nothing more than..."

"Humbug..." Snowfall muttered as he lay his head down into his nice, soft pillow.

"Ergh, Snowfall... slipped into the somnolent comfort of a dreamless sleep!" Drakkens grunted as he and Discord climbed a tree.
"Uh- Maybe we should have tried the backdoor," whimpered Discord as he struggled not to look down.
"You wanted to see what was going on!" Drakkens reminded him, "And couldn't you just teleport us to the top or something?!"
"Oh yeah," Discord was about to snap his fingers when Drakkens continued.

"It seemed that... the so-called warning of the Barleys was perhaps indeed a hallucination," Drakkens finally pulled himself up onto a sturdy branch and looked into the bedroom window.
"Little did he realize, the warning would prove to be no jest as the minutehand of his grandfather clock neared the hour of midnight!"

Inside, the grandfather clock's minute hand ticked with every passing second and before long, it announced the hour!

*DING, DING, DING...*

Snowfall's eyes suddenly opened. *DING, DING...*

"EXPECT THE FIRST GHOST BEFORE THE CLOCK STRIKES TWELVE!!!" Drakkens called out to the window in dramatic exclamation!

*DING, DING, DING...*

Snowfall didn't know what to do, as the stokes continued and the mysterious cry alarmed him yet he remained frozen in bed.
(DING, DING, DING...!*

Snowfall held his breath!

*DING....*

...

...

...

Silence.

Darkness.

Snowfall smirked in his bed. The so-called spirit had not arrived before the stroke of twelve as he had been warned, because there were no such things as spirits after all. So much for superstitious nonsense. So much for warnings of the deceased. Humbug, he thought as he began to shift in bed to get more comfortable...when his canopy bed curtain lit up with light!

Snowfall sat up in alarm (while Discord fell out of the tree outside, blinded from the light blaring out the window, only for Drakkens to grab the little draconequus's tail in the nick of time).

Snowfall raised the fireplace poker he'd taken to bed with him and slowly faced the curtains... before throwing them open , only to be briefly blinded by the white light! It dimmed just enough for him to see vaporous swirls of radiance collapse into a central point before they flashed intensely... and revealed a little filly floating in the air. She wore a hooded cloak and dress of heavenly white that floated around her as though she were underwater, her mane was a pale pastel color of periwinkle and powder blue, her eyes the green of spring twinkled like distant stars. Small though she was, Snowfall couldn't help but feel tiny and awed by this entity, unsure of whether he should be impressed by such a presence or afraid of it.

"...Are you the spirit whose coming was foretold to me?" he finally asked.

"I am," answered the spirit with a voice of innocent wisdom.

"...You're just a filly," Snowfall dared to utter.

"I can remember over one thousand and two hundred years. I am the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past," the spirit responded as she floated closer to Snowfall.

"What business has brought you here?" asked Snowfall.

"Your welfare," answered the spirit.

"Huh. A good night's sleep, uninterrupted, will serve my welfare just fine," Snowfall snubbed.

"Your salvation, then. Take heed. Come," the Spirit waved her hoof to the window, which opened wide, giving Drakkens and Discord a perfect view of what was going on.

"Spirit, as you can see by the horn on my head, I am a unicorn," Snowfalle hesitated.

"A touch of my hoof and you shall fly," offered the Spirit, along with her little hoof, which glowed like exquisite marble in the sunlight.

Snowfall was reluctant and yet he felt compelled to accept the Spirit's hoof while Discord conjured a rope.

"Uh, why did you ask for a rope?"

"Just wait..." Drakkens said and no sooner did the Spirit fly out the window, Snowfall along for the flight, and Drakkens quickly threw a lasso, which took hold of Snowfall's hind leg.

"Wait, don't tell me- ?!" Discord began to panic as Drakkens held him close.

"Hold on!"

Discord screamed as he and Drakkens rose into the air, trailing below as Snowfall flew by the aid of the Spirit o'er town. For a moment, Snowfall couldn't help but crack a slight smirk of thrilled awe at the view and the feeling of flying! But then ahead, peering over distant rooftops, he saw a growing brightness.

"Spirit! What is that light? It can't be dawn!"

"It is the Past," the Spirit answered as she led her charge (and two hitchhikers) onward to a time Snowfall had long left behind.

Soaring through that brilliance, Snowfall was briefly blinded and then saw a familiar sight as the Spirit began to sing.

The young Snowfall levitated in a box of decorations and began to hang some-

"Just what do you think you are doing, Snowfall?" asked a voice he recognized and saw a drabby middle-aged unicorn garbed in a dark cloak and an oily mane as he gave the decoration his student had accidentally hung onto his horn a look of disdain.

"Decorating the classroom for Hearth' Warming Eve, Professor Flintheart," replied Young Snowfall with a smile.

Snuffing, Flintheart levitated the decoration off, "You said you wanted to learn to be a powerful unicorn, did you not?"

"I do!" young Snowfall nodded.

"And what is the way that one becomes a powerful unicorn?" asked Flintheart almost as though he were drilling the colt.

Clearing his throat, Young Snowfall responded, "Work hard, learn, and use your skills to better Equestria."

Present Snowfall gave a sheepish look to the raised brow of the Spirit as Flintheart asked his student, "And how do these help you to learn magic?"

"I want to be strong enough to stop windigoes and help ponies," Young Snowfall answered.

"That is just a story we tell to little ponies. Real magic takes time to learn," Flintheart grilled as he crushed the decoration in his telekinetic aura, frightening Young Snowfall and disheartening him as Flintheart tore down the other few decorations the colt had hung earlier as the professor snubbed, "It's your choice. Spend your time learning to become a powerful unicorn, or playing with your toys and make nothing of yourself."

And with a cruel kick to the box, Flintheart took his leave, leaving Young Snowfall hurt and conflicted.

Snowfall looked upon his younger self and saw that despite the choices he made then, they'd weighed on his heart and left him to a painful loneliness throughout his foalhood.

For the first time in distant memory, Snowfall began to wonder, What if I'd just chosen to play with my cl- My friends that day?

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past placed her hoof onto Snowfall's withers, giving him a comforting warmth before she said, "Come, Snowfall, there is more to see."

As the two of them turned around, history passed them by with a flash and a blur as Drakkens and Discord climbed up a lamppost, the little dragon narrating, "A moment later, Snowfall Freeze found himself standing on a city street, looking at a building he had not seen in years!"

As they approached it, the Spirit asked, "Tell me, Snowfall, do you know this place?"

"Know it? Ha, this place was my first job!" Snowfall couldn't help but smile, this time large and bright, in a way that felt foreign yet familiar, like a longlost comfort. "This is Fizzy Pop's baked goods restaurant!"

"Once again, it was Hearth's Warming Eve. Night was falling and the lamp-lighters were plying their trade," Drakkens narrated as he lit up the lamppost he and Discord were on... except he'd lit something else by accident.

"Hey- hey! Light the lamp, not the draconequus!" Discord began to panic and cry in pain as he whipped his flaming tail, "PUT ME OUT, PUT ME OUT, PUT ME OUT...!!!"

Drakkens, frantic and alarmed, looked around for something to fix his little boo-boo... when he noticed something at the base of the lamppost.
"DISCORD!"

"WHAT?!" Discord was answered by a push off the lamppost sign down into a conveniently placed bucket of water... that was frozen at the surface. He surfaced, shivering from frigid water as he uttered, "Th-th-th-thank you!"

"You're welcome!"

"Look, there she is!" Snowfall pointed to a happy pink earth pony, garbed in a festive gown, "Fizzy Pop herself, my employer!"

"Look, everypony! The stars are coming out and the lampworkers are busy," Fizzy Pop happily declared, "It's Hearth's Warming Eve, for certain!"

"What a boss she was," Snowfall actually laughed, warmed by nostalgia, "as tough and pushy as taffy."

"Let's PART-AY!!!" Fizzy Pop cheered as she stepped back inside her restaurant.

"Oh! I remember this Hearth's Warming party!" Snowfall hurried inside, followed by Drakkens as he carried a frozen-over draconequus colt.

Seeing a hardwood table, Drakkens went over... and heaved his frozen friend onto it, causing the ice coating him to shatter, leaving him none worse for wear as he sat up and gave Drakkens a stink eye.
"I suppose I should be grateful for that."

"You're welcome!"

"Hi everypony, and welcome to the annual Fizz Pop's Hearth's Warming Eve Party!" Fizzy Pop happily announced, "As you probably remember, it's tradition for me to make a little speech!"

"And it's tradition for us to make some Zs!" came a familiar voice and Snowfall looked up.

"It's the Barley Brothers! I remember, this is where I first met them," Snowfall recalled.

"Oh don't mind those party-poopers," Fizzy Pop waved them off as she held up a piece of paper, "and now my speech! Ahem... 'Thank you all for coming, and Happy Hearth's Warming'!"

She stopped and smiled brightly... and said nothing else.

"That was it?!"
"It was dumb!"
"It was obvious!"
"It was pointless!
"It was... short!" The Barley Brothers shared a look before declaring, "I LOVED IT!!!"

As the party unfolded, Snowfall soon took notice of a very familiar stallion, the stallion he was as a young adult. He watched his younger self approach Fizzy Pop and say, "Uh- Fizzy Pop? Do you realize how much money you're spending to throw this party?"

He held out a paper, presumably of what he'd accounted but Fizzy Pop threw it away, "Oh, Snowy! It's Hearth's Warming Eve! A time to be generous, share laughter and- Ugh, you know what, no more working for you until after Hearth's Warming! Enjoy the party!"

Then Fizzy Pop suddenly GASPED, as if struck with inspiration, realization, constipation, her employee wasn't sure which, as she then insisted, "Snowy! Here's somepony you just gotta meet!"

She dragged him over towards one side of the party, leaving the young stallion momentarily flummoxed... when he noticed a mare standing before him. She was a head shorter, a unicorn like he, and her coat was the warm yet subtle white of a fluffy and sweet marshmallow, her mane was a pale yet pristine wisteria, styled well, complemented by the gorgeous dress she wore. But it was her eyes that stupefied him. Deep yet clear, like the distant blue of the sea on the horizon.

"Snowy! I'd like for you to meet my neighbor's daughter, Crystal," Fizzy Pop gave Snowfall a light elbow to the ribs while giving him a hint-hint look, "And Crystal, this is my accountant, Snowfall Freeze! You won't find a better number-cruncher anywhere else in the city!"

"A pleasure to meet you, Master Freeze," Crystal curtsied before holding out her hoof, which Snowfall gently took and kissed.

"Uh- I... The pleasure is all mine, Miss Crystal," the younger Snowfall couldn't hide his blush while his older self looked on.

"Do you remember this evening?"

"...Oh, yes. I remember," Snowfall answered the Spirit, a bittersweetness filling his mouth and his heart.

"There was, of course, another Hearth's Warming Eve you shared with this young mare," the Spirit brought up, "only a few years later."

"Oh please, Spirit...!" Snowfall tried focus on what he was seeing yet the ache in his heart tugged at that memory he'd long left behind, "Not that Hearth's Warming!"

His pleas went ignored as whiteness engulfed his vision, followed by a soft silence that was interrupted by the crunches of hooves walking through snow. When the world was again clear, Snowfall looked upon his younger self beside Crystal, who seemed sad.

"Another year before our wedding, Snowfall," Crystal pointed out.

"It can't be helped, Crystal," replied the younger Snowfall. "We can't afford decent housing, and I would not have my wife without a home to call her own. I'm afraid the investments haven't been as productive as I'd expected."

"That's what you said last year," reminded Crystal.

"The business has yet to truly take off," said the stallion in a manner that wasn't quite sympathetic, more like an authority figure giving a firm word.

"You're a partner in your own firm now," Crystal brought up, which was clearly not to her betrothed's liking, "and your research and practice has borne fruit. Surely there is another solution."

"The partnership barely clears expenses," shook the stallion's head. "As for my personal work, I am endeavoring to find a way to turn it into a profit."

"I thought the partnership was the goal," Crystal almost argued.

"This is for you, Crystal." Snowfall couldn't help but look on with disappointment and even disgust at the words of his younger self, especially when he knew what was about to transpire as the stallion he used to be spoke to the mare he had loved, "I love you."

It was subtle, but knowing how this resulted, the current Snowfall saw it easily in how Crystal's eyes lost a little sparkle, her smile, small and sad, and the pain on her face barely concealed to the pony she'd thought she would call her husband as she replied, "You did, once."

The younger Snowfall was rendered speechless as Crystal stood up and gazed out towards the snowy landscape, resplendent with sunlight.

The younger Snowfall watched as Crystal slowly walked away, pausing as she continued to sing...

...and when he tried to approach and console her, she would step away and walk away again.

Hearing the finality in Crystal's voice, along with the heartbreak, the younger Snowfall's gaze became downcast... as he respected her decision.

And walked away.

Crystal stood there, knowing she was alone, unaware that an older and suddenly-wiser Snowfall was at her side, tears welling up in his eyes.

Snowfall began to sob, as this memory he relived illustrated to him what a fool he had been. This beautiful miracle he had taken for granted, and allowed to slip away that until now he had been too blinded by greed and pride to truly see.

He watched with familiar heartbreak, far more painful than it had been when he'd first felt it, as the best thing that ever happened to him walked away and left him alone. Forever.

Discord was sniffling as he used the tufted tip of his tail to wipe his tears while Drakkens comforted his friend.

"Spirit, show me no more..." wept Snowfall as he looked on down the way his beloved Crystal took that parted them as tears trailed down his cheeks. "I cannot take this torment...!"

"Remember, Snowfall, that you fashioned these memories yourself," the Spirit said with distant sympathy as Snowfall fell to his haunches and buried his tearstained face into his hooves, unaware or perhaps uncaring that he was back in his bedroom.

"Snowfall was left alone in exhausted misery as the clock began to strike the hour," Drakkens said as he and Discord watched poor Snowfall through his window.

"What time is it?"

"One in the morning," Drakkens answered.

"Huh, way past my bedtime," Discord commented as the clock struck one.

"Snowfall knew the next spirit would appear any moment, now that the knell had rung out."

Snowfall raised his face, having wiped away the tears and regained himself somewhat, waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, he sighed and stood up to return to bed... only for a bright light behind him along with a hearty laugh, warm and jovial, froze him in his tracks. He turned to see his bedroom door wide open... and for a LARGE face and big green eyes to appear past the threshold as that laughter turned into an invitation.
"C'mon in, an' know me better, friend!"

The face pulled back yet the laughter continued, and Snowfall felt caught off guard by this apparently warm and jolly presence as he slowly ventured through into the parlor, and marveled to see it was filled with bountiful foods of all kinds! Fresh vegetables, flowers, berries, fruits, baked goodies and holiday treats, all bathed in the friendly warmth of candlelight... and in the far side of the parlor sat the BIGGEST earth pony Snowfall had ever seen!

Indeed he was truly a giant! His coat was red like the hollyberries around his ears, his mane ginger orange, his eyes so green they matched well the flowing warm robe he wore, along with a belt that carried an empty scabbard, and there was no sword in sight. The belt however seemed somewhat strained by the bulk it was holding in, for this earth pony was large in size and plump with merriment as he boomed, "C'mon in, an' know me better, friend! Uh- did Ah say that already?"

"You did," Snowfall nodded, unable to hold back a smirk at this whimsy he was seeing and feeling.

"Welp, then Ah won' be rude by not making yer acquaintance. Ah'm th' Spirit o' Hearth's Warmin' Present, an' this is th' night before th' dawn before th' day o' Hearth's Warmth! Heh-heh, did Ah tell y'all tha' Ah'm th' Spirit o' Hearth's Warmin' Present?"

"Yes, you did," Snowfall couldn't help but chuckle.

"Welp c'mon in, an' know me better, friend!" laughed the Spirit.

"You seem a bit absent-minded, Spirit," Snowfall commented.

"Nnope! Ah'm a bodacious absent-minded spirit!" laughed the Spirit, getting snowfall to crack a louder laugh and a wider smile, "Muh noggin's geared t'ward th' here an' now! An' th' here an' now is... Hearth's Warmth!"

Chuckling, a warmth spread from Snowfall's heart that washed away his recent sadness without him even noticing as he said, "I don't believe I've ever met anypony like you."

"Are ya sure? Around twelve hunderd o' muh brothers n' sisters have come before me," the Spirit replied.

"Twelve hundred? Imagine the grocery list," Snowfall actually cracked a joke and watched amazed as the laughing Spirit shrank in size until he was a only a head taller than Snowfall and yet still seemed bigger than life.

"Have you ever noticed that everything seems wonderful during Hearth's Warming?" asked the Spirit with... well, spirit!

"...If I'm to be straight with you, Spirit, no," Snowfall was crestfallen, "There's so much I've never understood about Hearth's Warming."

Snowfall found himself pulled into a one foreleg hug as the Spirit assured, "Before this day's done, ya will!"

The Spirit then went straight for the windows and threw them open (knocking Drakkens and Discord down to the ground) and breathed in the bracing chill of the air.
"Ah, we'll gitalong out t' th' world!"

Then with a whirl of magic, Snowfall found himself and the Spirit outside as the Spirit declared, "This is... Hearth's Warmin' Mornin'!"

At his words, the streets were suddenly alive with cheer and song, everypony out and about, smiling, laughing, sharing and caring, and for the first time in his life Snowfall took a good look at what was going on around him on Hearth's Warming.

Snowfall saw a choir of young boys singing with gusto and happy resolve.

Snowfall saw a mare giving free cups of hot cocoa and roasted chestnuts to passerby, even to the homeless.

Snowfall marveled at how such a large stallion as the Spirit could so gently and warmly hug a whole class of foals as they followed their teacher.

Snowfall saw an impoverished family smile and sing even though they did not have much as they exchanged even these simple gifts, as Snowfall began to understand the gifts themselves were not the point but what the gifts represented.

Snowfall saw warm and friendly good wishes and Happy Hearths' Warmings exchanged and shared even by total strangers, and began to feel that the words were not so empty as he had thought. That even the show and wishing of good will to another was a gift in its own way.

Snowfall marveled at the dancing in town square between rich and poor, young and old, coming together to celebrate.

Snowfall had never felt this way. A warmth in his heart, a pep in his step, a ticklish flitter in his belly, and a sense of wonder he never knew he had. Or perhaps had just forgotten.

As the Spirit led Snowfall through town, Snowfall soon noticed the shabby-looking neighborhood they were entering and he had to ask, "Spirit, why have we come to this... old place?"

"Well, it's Hearth's Warmin' here too!" the Spirit said as if it were the most obvious thing when he pointed to a ramshackle place, "An' this here is Thunder Crash's home."

"Perhaps it was the Spirit's own generous nature and his sympathy for all poor creatures that had led them straight to the home of Snowfall's loyal assistant," narrated Drakkens as he climbed a ladder up onto the roof with a chimney sweep and saw Discord eagerly sniffing the chimney.

"Sugarplum pudding! They're making sugarplum pudding in there!" he whined hungrily.

"Discord, move out of the way," Drakkens stuck the sweep down, to Discord's annoyance.

"Aw c'mon, Drakkens, you're blocking the smell!"

"This is Thunder Crash's house?" Snowfall asked and sure enough, he saw Thunder Crash inside.

There the pegasus was, watching his foals, a young light gray pegasus colt with a swept back black mane and a soft yellow earth pony filly with a red mane held up in a pink bow, smiling as they decorated a small Hearth's Warming tree with strung popcorn while an earth pony mare of gentle orange and a light blonde mane cooked a rather small meal. As Mrs. Crash began to set the table, the foals hurried to their seats.

"Not just yet, kids," Thunder Crash said gently, "We must wait for Young Crash."

"I'm coming, Papa," all eyes turned to the stairs to see a young brown earth pony colt, using a crutch to walk yet betrayed nos discomfort as he smiled at his family, "I'm coming!"

Thunder Crash quickly swept up his youngest son, causing the colt to laugh at the sudden rush, before he was carried to his seat at the table. But as he'd settled, Young Crash's laughter turned to a strained coughing and Thunder Crash was alarmed, "Oh! uh- Son, I'm sorry! I got you a little overexcited!"

"S'alright, sugarcube, jus' sit still a moment while yer pa an' Ah things ready," Mrs. Crash came over and gestured her husband away.

"Um... how was he today?" Thunder Crash asked his wife with concern.

"Oh, you know Young Crash, as good as gold an' better," Mrs. Crash smiled warmly yet there was a concern in her eyes as well.

From out the window, Snowfall and the Spirit focused upon Young Crash as his rough breathing began to settle and clear, Snowfall felt his heart quiver with... concern? Sympathy?

When finally the whole Crash Family was sitting together for Hearth's Warming dinner, Snowfall saw what they had on the table and said, "...a meager feast."

"An' still deeply appreciated," the Spirit confirmed, not scolding Snowfall, merely telling him.

Snowfall found that he understood, that even though the Crash Family did not have much, they had each other. And that was what made their meager feast so rich and filling. But his eyes were drawn back to Young Crash and the crutch leaning onto his chair, and Snowfall found himself asking, "Spirit... what exactly is wrong with that young colt?"

"Much Ah'm afraid..." answered the Spirit in a somewhat haggard voice and when Snowfall turned to look at his guide, he was shocked!

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present, jovial, plump, alive with merriment and red with excitement, was now thinner, his red coat grayed and dull, his ginger mane now snow white, just liek the beard that had not been on his face only moments ago, and his robes hung rather loosely. He groaned as he stood up, "Though mah realm is th' Present, Ah can't help but imagine an empty chair where Young Crash once sat, an' a crutch without an owner left forgotten in a corner, if these shadows remain unchanged..."

"You- you mean.... Young Crash will...?" Snowfall couldn't bring himself to say it as the Crash Family faded into darkness around him, leaving him with the rapidly aging Spirit in a bitter cold wind.

"Come, mah time grows short..."

The darkness faded and Snowfall found himself and the Spirit walking through a wintry village devoid of life and warmth, but the pained groans of the Spirit, along with his elderly appearance still alarmed Snowfall as the Spirit sat down on a frost-covered bench.
"Spirit! What's happening to you?!"

"Ah told ya, Ah am th' Spirit of Hearth's Warmin' Present," coughed the Spirit, "an' like all mah brothers n' sisters before me, Ah exist only in th' here an' now o' Hearth's Warmth. Mah time has come an' now it's jus' about over."

"It was then Snowfall realized the Spirit's words when a distant bell in a nearby empty chapel began to ring," Drakkens narrated as Discord rang the bell. "and there was nothing he could do to stop the marching of those terrible knells."

"Spirit! Don't leave me!" Snowfall pleaded, kneeling before his guide, even as the Spirit gave him a sad smile, not because his time was about to end but rather sympathy for the stallion kneeling before him as Snowfall teared up again, "You-you have opened my eyes, you have changed me! Surely there's something I can do!"

"There is. Listen well an' hold onto yer courage as Ah leave you... with th' Spirit o' Hearth's Warmth Yet t' Come," the Spirit requested.

"You mean... the future?" Snowfall felt his heart sink as the Spirit began to fade with dying twinkles around him, "Must I?"

"Go forth... an' know him better, friend!" the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present bade and gave one last merry laugh before he completely vanished into thin air.

Alone. Cold. Afraid. Snowfall held back a sob as he mourned the loss of his guide despite their brief time together... when an ominous fog began to roll in and Snowfall cried out in alarm as he ran. He ran through the town and quickly saw the dismal emptiness around him. Nopony had lived her for years! The buildings were frozen over, some had doors and windows boarded up, chimneys had fallen over or roofs had collapsed.

There was not a soul in this forgotten place, no one to call to for help. Not that he deserved it.

As he came to what was probably once the town square, he paused for breath, despite the chill freezing his lungs... when he sensed he was not alone after all. It was not a comforting thought.

He slowly turned... and barely held back a scream to see a tall and forbidden figure, garbed in a heavy cloak with a hood so dark he couldn't see a face apart from a horn through a brim of the hoof... and a pair of wings spreading from the figure's back. So tall was this apparition, Snowfall felt like a colt staring up at his father, and he wished it was exactly that instead.

"...Am I in the presence... of the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come?" he whispered fearfully.

"Indeed..." answered a voice low and harsh.

"Spirit... I fear you more than any specter I have yet met," gulped Snowfall as he humbled himself with a respectful bow of his head.

In the chapel doorway, Drakkens and Discord peered out and shivered as the latter whimpered, "Oh this is way too scary! I don't think I wanna see anymore!"

"Well, when you're right you're right," agreed Drakkens as he then addressed the audience, "You're on your own, folks! We'll meet you in the finale."

And just like that, the narrator and his sidekick stepped out.

"I am prepared to follow and to learn, with a grateful heart," Snowfall spoke softly and as respectfully as he could. "What does the future hold for Hearth's Warming Eves?"

"It does not..." answered the Spirit, sounding almost angry. "For there are no more Hearth's Warming Eves for me to show."

"Wh-why not?!" Snowfall was alarmed but then he realized the answer as the Spirit confirmed it.

"You will succeed in erasing the holiday," growled the Spirit as the shadow of his hood cleared to reveal the cold and bitter stallion inside as he glared reproachfully at the insignificant nothing before him.
"Just as you wished!"

Snowfall remembered what he'd left back in his workplace, and if what surrounded him gave any indication as to what was to come he dreaded to know the answer to the question he knew he had to ask, "And what happens?!"

"WINDIGOES?! They're real?! I-I thought it was just a foal's story!" Snowfall now understood! Without Hearth's Warming Even around, the day of the year when all ponies came together in the spirit of love, generosity, and good will, the warmth of their friendship and love was not around to keep these spirits of cold and hatred away.

"They are all too real, Snowfall," the Spirit stated as he gave Snowfall a look of condemnation. "And it is because of you they will return! The future of Equestria shall be consumed in a blanket of eternal snow!!!"

The Spirit raised his wings and gave a fearsome flap that sent a frigid icy wind at Snowfall, as he was engulfed in a twister of subzero cold! The windigoes encircled Snowfall as well as horror and guilt filled him to the breaking point!

"NO! This isn't what I wanted! I- I didn't understand! I know now the true importance of Hearth's Warming Eve! Please, Spirit! I haven't cast the spell yet! And I won't! Please say this future can be changed! Because I will! I'll change!!!"

The cry of the frozen winds and merciless cold tore at Snowfall Freeze before they whisked him off of his hooves and sent him hurtling through the empty darkness as he screamed, "I'LL CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNGGGGEEE!!!!!"

And the last thing he saw and felt was being dropped onto the cold, hard ground as he was buried beneath the merciless snow...

"Spirit! Let me out! Let me out, I say-" Snowfall pushed off, not snow, but the comforter of his bed. Sitting up, he realized he was on the floor beside his bed and looked around as he realized, "I... I'm back in my bedroom?"

"Yes, the bedpost was his own, the curtains his own. The room was his own!" said the voice of a certain narrating dragon.

"Hi guys, we're back!" waved Discord as he and Drakkens sat outside Snowfall's window.
"We promised we'd be back," Drakkens nodded warmly, "but what made Snowfall happiest of all was that his life yet lay before him and that it could be changed for the better."

Snowfall threw open the window (Drkkens and Discord ducking to the sides to avoid being seen) and gasped at the twilight peering over the rooftops and he knew, "It's Hearth's Warmth Morning! Hooray!"

Snowfall began to frisk and dance in his room, "I'm as light as a feather! I'm as happy as an angel! I-I feel like a schoolcolt again! There's so much to do and so little time to do it! O blessed be this day of Hearth's Warmth!"

It was then Snowfall heard something shake and vibrate, and looked to where his coat hung on the coatrack and levitated out his pocketwatch, confused a moment before he remembered, "...The spell!"

His brows furrowed as he declared, "First things first."

He threw on his coat, cloak, and hat, not caring he still had on his night robe, and hurried off. He made excellent time by running, calling out Happy Hearth's Warming to every stallion, mare, and foal he passed by, leaving several of them perplexed yet oddly warmed by the gestures. Snowfall reached his place of business, stole up the stairs, and there it was, the spell he had concocted to perform what would have been the greatest mistake of his entire life.

He concentrated the strongest Abjuration he knew and blasted that damnable draught, leaving nothing but an empty cauldron... and all the decorations and candy and toys he had taken and used as ingredients, restored and pleasant and warm, and Snowfall knew what he had to do next.

He ventured out, smiling and wishing more Happy Hearth's Warming to his fellow pony as he hung the decorations, offered treats and toys, but most of all, an invitation. He went to the nearest toy store and bought a huge sack of toys and games, then stopped by his old employer, Fizzy Pop's baked goods restaurant, and hired some catering and gave them a certain address.

As he led them towards his intended destination, he made sure to offer generous bits to any homeless folk out, and invited them along as well.

When they all reached the door of Thunder Crash's home, Snowfall quietly asked them to hide around the corner as he steeled himself before knocking on the door.

"Thunder Crash!" he called, making sure to sound cross.

The door slowly opened to reveal a nervous-looking Thunder Crash, "M-Master Freeze! Uh- I-I wasn't expecting you."

"Well, I was expecting you!" Snowfall gave a harsh frown, "I don't recall granting you time off."

"But- But-but Master Freeze, Sir! You said that I could take time off for the holiday!" Thunder Crash brought up.

"I? I, Snowfall Freeze?!" Snowfall furrowed his brows, "Would I do a thing like that?"

"No! uh- I- Yes, but-but you did-" Thunder Crash tried to say.

"Thunder Crash, I've had enough of your excuses," Snowfall said harshly, and the door flew completely open to reveal Mrs. Crash, standing by her husband with a challenging look.

"An' Ah've had enough o' you, Snowfall Freeze!" Mrs. Crash snapped, ignoring her husbands pleas to let him handle this.

"And therefore, Thunder Crash..." Snowfall said with a warning rise of his voice, ignoring the couple's squabbling, "I have no choice but to raise your salary."

"An' Ah'm gonna raise yer keister off o' mah-" Mrs. Crash nearly threatened when Snowfall's words clicked in her head as she and her husband both uttered, "Come again?"

"Yes, Thunder," Snowfall finally smiled, warmly and kindly, "I am raising your salary, I am paying your mortgage for your house... and I'm making you my partner."

"P-p-partner?!" Thunder Crash couldn't believe his ears and yet he saw no sign of dishonesty in Snowfall Freeze.
"Oh! Well in tha' case, Master Freeze, won'cha c'mon in an' get yer hooves nice n' warm?" invited Mrs. Crash.

"I would be happy to, Mrs. Crash, if..." Snowfall let the word hang a moment before giving a giddy smile, "if you and your family would care to join us for a lively feast on this fine Hearth's Warmth Morning."

The Crash family were awed and incredulous as Snowfall smiled and said, "Happy Hearth's Warming, everypony," and he stood aside to let all he'd invited in as friends and neighbors and even relatives entered the Crash household, bring all kinds of food, warm and delicious and filling, to the table, along with presents for the Crash family, decorations for their house, and even musicians entered and started a whimsical holiday tune while Drakkens and Discord watched from outside.

"And Snowfall was as good as his word," Drakkens narrated, "He did it all and infinitely more!"
"And, uh... Young Crash?" asked Discord withg a hopeful look.
"And Young Crash, who did not die..." Drakkens beamed, to Discord's joy, "To Young Crash, Snowfall became like a second father, as well as a friend, a teacher, and a good pony that was soon beloved by all the townsponies around him.

"And it was always said from then on that nopony bore the spirit of Hearth's Warming Eve so well as Snowfall Freeze, and as Young Crash observed the joy and laughter around him, he could wish only for one thing more..."

The feast and merriment suddenly paused and quieted just enough as Young Crash was lifted up onto Snowfall's back and the colt happily wished, "Faust bless us, everyone!"

The applause gave a standing ovations as the curtains fell and the lights slowly brightened up, and Twilight wiped a tear at the magical performance and was pleased to see Starlight and Sunburst applauding with everypony else, their eyes opened to the true importance of Hearth's Warming... when the curtains parted, and there stood the actors all lined up as they took a bow, earning another applause for a play well performed.

Then stepped forward Midnight Blaze, who'd played the part of the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come.

"Thank you, everypony, and thank you my friends for a truly magical performance. Needless to say, I am proud and humbled by how we all came together to give to our friends and neighbors this wonderful experience. And I hope that you will all join us for a Hearth's Warming afterparty, courtesy of our local party ponies, Pinkie Pie, Cheese Sandwich, and Party Favor, with delicious foods provided by the Cake Family and the Apple Family."

Indeed, all adjourned to the main hall, so there'd be enough room, as all sat at tables covered with holiday recipes and treats, which they washed down with hot cider or cocoa. The conversations were merry and excitable, but as the atmosphere calmed down and the hour grew late, it was almost time for everyone to go home.

But before they did, Blueblood, who had so brilliantly played the role of Snowfall Freeze, stepped in front of the lit hearth and a slow and warm melody began.

As they watched everypony go home, with cheer in their hearts and a wonderful memory to take with each and every one of them, Twilight and Midnight shared a look of deepest love as the sapphire alicorn said to his mare, "Happy Hearth's Warming, Twilight."

"Happy Hearth's Warming, Midnight," Twilight smiled back as she held up a present for him, to his surprise.