A new door made of pale tan Japanese Maple popped up out of the wall next to the stone door, and Bronze merrily trotted out, an annoyed but slightly amused LtC Sparkle riding on his back wearing a thick parka sort of coat that hid her wings. “-And then I said, ketchup? Are you crazy?!”

“Why put ketchup in oatmeal?” Sparkle asked curiously.

“That’s why I said it was crazy!” Bronze chuckled as Nuada and Cinder halted at the Doorway, mostly because Nuada had stopped and Cinder bumped into him.

“Hey, as much as I enjoy the proximity to your butt, could we get going?” Cinder asked as she adjusted her warm winter outfit composed of wool and cotton.

“I’m going to turn back into a diamond dog, don’t you dare pet me again.” Nuada warned with a stern leer on his face.

“Aw, but you’re so cute and fluffy as a dog.” Cinder pouted.

“Mustard on steamed broccoli?!” Sparkle asked aghast.

“I know! So gross!” Bronze exclaimed.

“Look, just stallion up and let’s go, the less I have to hear your crazy friend actually get along with that purple prude the better, and the sooner this is over the sooner that ends.” Cinder grumbled.

“Yeah, fine.” Nuada sighed as he stepped through, seamlessly turning into a black and white Welsh sheepdog again, adjusting his nice silk Neighponese clothes to accommodate his extra-fluffy fur. It seemed Bronze’s universe decided to add a winter coat of his fur in his favor. “Hm, warm.”

“Whoa! What the buck?!” Cinder yelped, getting Nuada to turn around, hoping to see something more normal as a result of Bronze’s world’s Form Restriction, only to quickly jolt away from an eye-level Cinder who looked almost exactly the same, just about as big as a large horse from Saddle Arabia, and with added bat wings. “Why did I just get a makeover from the Growth Breezie?”

“It is good to see a Greater Succubus from Tartarus on vacation this time of year, usually most demons are too busy celebrating inside Tartarus to uplift the spirits of the prisoners.” Bronze commented casually with a wink, making Nuada huff in disappointment while Cinder pranced about with an excited giggle at her increased size and overall physical capability, and that her warm clothes also improved to fit her new size.

“Great, now my demon fiance can be bigger, stronger, and can fly whenever she wants. Yay….” Nuada growled, his current diamond dog body giving it a rather fierce quality.

“So this is the form restriction problem you mentioned to me.” Sparkle said looking over at Cinder and Nuada, “I must say this is impressive. I’m curious what happens to the formless like Mistress and Jeff.”

“Changelings. Specifically, Jeff gets to be a drone, but Mistress is a changeling queen. She can’t really stay too long or she’ll start laying fatherless drone eggs, though on some level I think she’d enjoy that. But she’s a Displaced, and really, with the crap she must deal with, having that many kids just has to be impossible to juggle.” Bronze considered, but shuddered. “Or, maybe, some people can juggle having tons of offspring even with crazy crap going on, I don’t know, but for some reason I feel like I’m badmouthing a lot of really cool folks if I diss the notion entirely.”

“Actually, you’d be right. Mistress is in a relationship with a Displaced she once told me is literally in her own words; ‘a stupid sexy sex god’ and already has his whole herd pregnant last she knew.” Sparkle commented. “In fact, Nuada and I even helped with a situation in his world, fighting legions of soldiers wielding an alloy that rendered all forms of magic it came in contact with completely moot, and even punctured the hull of the puddle jumper like it was normal steel. And after enough died, their leader began resurrecting them as zombies.”

Nuada began shuddering at the memories, quickly turning pale, “Can we change subjects?” Visibly shaken Nuada began clutching his chest trying to catch his breath, and slow his heart rate. Sparkle put a wing around him trying to comfort him as Cinder did the same. The two glared at each other but otherwise didn’t fight.

“Uh...magic denying and superior alloy-nerfing metal sounds like something I want no part of, or zombies, especially zombies. Especially if it’s making the Juraian have PTSD.” Bronze nervously commented as the huge mahogany double doors at the back of the cave opened up. “Oh, hey, here come my friends and family.”

Nuada drank from a glass of water that Sparkle summoned for him, and did his best to put on a calm face. Bronze and Cinder each took half a step away, though Cinder gave his butt a light flick with her tail, fluffing up his own poofy dog tail for good measure.

“Well hello! It’s good to meet another alternate version of myself.” Twilight casually stated as they approached, and she blinked. “But why are you riding on Bronze’s back?”

“He kinda ponynapped me. I figured trying to get away from an Alicorn of Space was an exercise in futility. Especially after the fourth time he just warped me right back onto his back.” Sparkle snorted with a roll of her eyes. “He’s just about as stubborn as Pinkie Pie when he get’s going.”

“Don’t I know it? I have to deal with him on a daily basis! ‘Twilight! HOLY BUCK!’ Every time he discovers something new.” Twilight giggled, and her secretly-an-alicorn double joined in.

“Well, if everyone’s all ready to go?” Bronze asked, and suddenly; Canterlot. “Hm...now we’re early. I probably should’ve taken us someplace tropical for a second. Naw, would’ve caused all the non-alicorns heat strokes or something.” Bronze considered, looking around the mostly packed streets of Canterlot, several local ponies and their belongings seemingly haphazardly tossed out of the exit area of his mass warp as they gathered themselves in confusion.

“No just a little temperature shock. Sides my place is a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit.” Nuada said off hand helping some of the group to their hooves.

“Son, please don’t do that again. How many times do we have to tell you others can’t automatically adjust to one of your little swaps?” Mary, the petite griffon hen berated her son as she helped a random stallion get his Hearth’s Warming gifts gathered back up.

“No….” Bronze whispered in terror, seeing the familiar sights. “Silver bells...shoppers, rushing home with their treasures? Ponies laughing? Ponies passing? Leaving smile after smile?!” Bronze whirled on Nuada, grabbing his shirt by the front with his hooves, shaking him. “YOU SAID IT’D TAKE A CENTURY!” He then pointed to a white-bearded stallion fully decked out in a Santa suit ringing a charity bell on the corner, rich ponies occasionally tossing a few bits in the red bucket. “It hasn’t even been a year since the mass exodus!”

“But charity is a good thing!” Nuada stated, only for Bronze to magically force him to focus on the pony ringing the bell.

“Santa. Is. NOT. Local!” Bronze exclaimed, a vein on his neck throbbing, before he let Nuada go and screamed in wordless frustration into the air, causing everyone to pause and stare in worry at the panting and angry giant alicorn, his deep blue eyes twitching as his pupils seemed to be fading into an opaque blue to match his irises as a powerful frigid wind blew through the suddenly quiet streets. His lips began twitching into a manic grin, a maddened chortle choking through grit teeth. “Let's go~...we have a show to see~.” Bronze sing-songed in an unhinged tone, twitching as he trotted through the rapidly parting crowds toward the palace, Sparkle frozen in worry on his back.

“...That is one furious alicorn.” Cinder helpfully commented.

Zecora then turned to her herd mates. “Told you I did, to leave it be. Now let’s hope there’s still a show to even see.”

[(X)]

“I’m not sure coming along was a good idea….” Nuada quietly said to himself as the large group separated with the actors going backstage, and the rest all going up to the VIP box, and he found himself stuck in a very compromising situation.

Luna was here.

Creepy thing was, she looked so different from the Luna he knew. She was easily a head taller, matching her sister, her coat was pitch black as how the Nightmare’s was described to him, but her mane and tail weren’t just a veil of stars so much as they were curtains of the cosmos, galaxies and nebulae drifting through them. She also had absolutely no sadness in her, because the moment they came in, she hadn’t left Bronze alone.

“Come now son! Hearth’s Warming is a time for family and joy!” Luna expressed gleefully as she wing-hugged her larger son, said stallion was simply sullenly slouched in his alicorn-sized seat next to her as he glared down at the stage in silent simmering rage.

Nuada tore his eyes away from the alicorn, trying to calm himself, though the arcs of energy around his fists betrayed his anger to Sparkle who saw it. Nudging Nuada she led him to the far side of the VIP box and placed herself between him and the Princess.

“So Bronze is there any special customs on this world for Hearth’s Warming?” Sparkle asked, “I’m curious how different our worlds are.”

“Well APPARENTLY my desperate gambit to save as many people from my old world dying in the nuclear armageddon resulted in my world’s cultures corrupting this world’s holidays! So hello, Christmas 2-point-Oh!” Bronze seethed, sparks of pure magic leaping off of him as gravity seemed to gather around him, Luna clicking her tongue.

“Oh son, don’t be such a...what’s the word? Grinch? I believe that’s what one of your Earth references applies to here. Your world’s cultures have only enhanced upon what was already here. Ponies already shared gifts, spent time with loved ones, and formed stronger bonds. But now with all the technology and other goods your world’s provided, ponies actually have more reason to get gifts.” Luna informed, only for Bronze to silently start foaming at the mouth, leaving her to sigh. “Were we this hopelessly mercurial sister?”

At Luna’s question, the pink-maned and lithe Celestia that was this world’s sister of Luna let out a long-suffering sigh. “More than I’d care to admit Lulu.”

“Well perhaps the handsome dog has a suggestion to distract or cheer our son. What say you proud highland dog?” Luna asked of Nuada from over Sparkle’s shocked head.

“Could always lock him in a sealed room.” Nuada muttered glaring, earning a scowl from Sparkle..

“Hm...that would be best if he starts physically lashing out, but we’re afraid we have no possible container to keep my son in one place. Tis his domain to be anywhere anytime.” Luna shrugged. “Shame, sister often locked us in a sealed chamber whenever we became too furious to logically behave.”

“Sister, punching the yak king in the snout for demanding aid in times of hardship was not the way to tell him we were having our own troubles.” Celestia reminded, making Luna blush and snort in amusement.

“Well, him insulting our fit figure wasn’t the right way to go about pleading for aid.” Luna then turned back towards Nuada, giving him a queasy feeling when she fluttered her eyes. “Unlike that one wolf, sir Sif, from the highlands.”

“Sister, please don’t poach your son’s friends. Stop being a cougar this instant.” Celestia demanded, only for Luna to wink at Nuada and turn back to the theatre as patrons began filling seats.

Nuada began to rise as multiple shovels hit him in the face rapid fire, knocking him out. “Excuse us Princesses.” Sparkle said teleporting herself and Nuada out of the VIP box. Leaving their hosts in confusion.

“Aw, well, at least he left proof of his interest in these gift shovels.” Luna grinned as she gathered the several tools together, Celestia sighing in annoyance as Sparkle and the knocked-out Nuada reappeared behind the stage.

“Twilight? What’re ya doin’ outta costume?” Sparkle perked up, her heart jumping for joy for a split second before she reminded herself it wasn’t ‘her’ AJ, and turned to smile at the Smart Cookie outfit she was wearing. “Wait...yer taller. Ya gotta be the visitin’ Twi. Sorry bout the mixup, Ah’m all sorts of nervous...and what happened to the big feller?” Applejack asked, pointing to the slowly stirring Nuada laid out on the hard wooden floor.

“It’s complicated.” Sparkle then perked at hearing ‘hear ye, hear ye’ in a deliciously deep and slightly rough voice. “Who’s that? Where’s Spike?” Sparkle just realized she didn’t see the young drake at all, and if she remembered right, it should’ve been Spike out there as the narrator.

“Oh, it is. Ah’m guessin’ yer Spike didn’t hit his growth spurt this soon?” AJ asked over the loud screams of ecstatic mares in the crowd. “Heads up; his voice kinda makes mares lose their sense.”

“It’s not bad, but that’s still my little brother you’re talking about, in a sense.” Sparkle said using her Omni-hoof’s medi-gel dispenser on Nuada again. Stopping the blood flow from his nose and reducing the bruising on his face.

“Well ain’t that some kinda fancy. Oh...that’s mah cue, gotta go!” AJ ran towards the main stage, mere moments before Nuada groaned and sat up.

“What happened, where are we?” Nuada asked looking around as stage hooves ran about and Sparkle covered her Omni-hoof with the sleeve of her parka.

“Gilgamesh’s enchantment hit you enough times to knock you out. Oddly the shovels didn’t seem to vanish like they should have.” Sparkle said curiously.

“Oh yeah, that happened last time I was here too. This world’s got weird attributes to it.” Nuada said as he stood up, and then had something big, hard, and smooth bump into him from behind the curtain as the perpetrator entered backstage from the main stage.

“Oh, sorry, what’re you doing back here anyway?” Spike asked Nuada, looking down from his impressive height at the diamond dog who shrugged. “Well whatever, just don’t get in the way of any stage hooves, last thing we need is a sandbag falling on somepony. Sup Twi.” Spike idly waved with a foreleg at Twilight before turned around and accidentally smacking Nuada down with his long tail, “My bad.” But his uncaring tone clearly said he didn’t care as he went back out on stage.

“Well, my little brother in this world certainly isn’t lacking in anything but manners.” Sparkle shook her head wryly, but her heart hurt, seeing people she knew, but didn’t know never got easier.

“Sparkle can you help me out and cast a filtering spell on me for the duration of the play?” Nuada asked rubbing his snout that still hurt.

“I take it you want me to filter out the princess?” Sparkle asked with a sigh, “Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away.”

“I know, but just for the duration of the play I’d rather not deal with shovels to the face. Just see about filtering her so that I can’t recognize her face or voice. That should help.” Nuada said running his paw through his fur on his head.

“Fine but we really need to address your problem with Luna at some point, this is getting ridiculous.” Sparkle said channeling magic and Nuada’s eyes and ears were briefly covered in a magenta glow.

“Thank you, let’s get back would be rude to leave our hosts for too long.” Nuada said standing up. Sparkle nodded and teleported them back to their seats in the VIP booth. Nuada was pleased to notice a green alicorn mare with leafy hair in Luna’s place, part of him knew it was Luna but she looked different enough no his rage was manageable.

“Quick snooki?” Cinder asked smirking at Sparkle and Nuada.

“Shush.” Several people in the box all whispered, intent on watching the play, while Bronze seemed to have calmed down some, more stern and unhappy than outright enraged.

“No, I just helped him recover from that shovel barrage.” Sparkle whispered as she helped Nuada maneuver into the seat next to the demoness and sat on his other side, both putting wings to his back to keep him calm as he tried not to focus on the different looking Luna. Sparkle had slipped the wing behind him using Cinder’s wing to hide it even more in the dark theatre.

“Oh? Are you flirting with me now Sparkle?” Cinder quietly whispered with a coy grin, getting a silent leer from Sparkle as Nuada could more or less focus more on enjoying the play than worrying about his situation.

Nuada began to shiver slightly as the play continued. Looking around he saw members of the audience cuddling with others and lips starting to turn blue. The actors on stage seemed fine as did the alicorns with him, though Cinder seemed to be feeling the chill as well.

“Actually I think these are Windigos!” Twilight said in her Clover the Clever outfit, “My master Starswirl told me all about them, they feed off of negative emotions and -”

Twilight was cut off as the windows all slammed open, snow and wind rapidly filled the theater. Quickly everypony looked up and saw a few strange ethereal looking horses running through the air. In a panic, Nuada leaped out of the booth and ran to a window where he saw close to a hundred of the ethereal horses circling Canterlot.

“Windigos! But how?” Cinder asked, as Bronze, the mane six, Spike, the princesses, and Sparkle all came over to the window.

“Hmph, figures. The first Hearth’s Warming that’s been corrupted by Christmas, and an ancient evil returns.” Bronze growled, getting Nuada, Sparkle, and Twilight to realize the cause as the Windigoes seemed to move faster, the blizzard get more intense as Bronze visibly became more spiteful.

“I Hate Christmas.”

Author's Notes:

Behold! The depths of how much Bronze (and by extension I) utterly despise Christmas.

Here comes the storm.