>The sound of a school bell chimes through the town of P0nyville.
>Today marks the final day of the first half of the childrens' school year, and the first day of their winter break.
>It also marks six months that you've known your marefriend, and three months since you adopted a filly.
>Time really flies in this magical, colorful world of miniature talking horses.
>It's home now.
>It's where your heart is.
>Your own family, with your own house, and plenty of friends to call your own.
>As you strap a couple of tennis rackets to your shoes, a pile of letters falls through the mail slot on the front door.
>Perfect timing.
>You flip through the letters as you stand up.
>Bill, bill, junk mail, letter for Speck, letter for Sirocca, letter from the Mayor, letter from the Princesses, bill, bil-
>Letter from the Princesses?
>You flip it over and look at the seal.
>It's sealed four times.
>That's so wasteful and unnecessary.
>You toss the rest of the mail on a small table in the foyer.
>Before you get a chance to examine it more thoroughly, one very excited and very happy bat p0ny flies down the stairs.
>"Anon! We have to go get Sirocca from school, hurry up!"
>Speck floats in front of you wearing a white and blue scarf, matching boots, and a matching knit cap.
>She actually looks kind of good with that cap on.
>You slip the letter into a pocket of your wool coat before Speck notices what you're holding.
>"Come on, she's probably waiting outside in the cold!"
>A smile crosses your lips as you open the front door to a world of pristine white snow.
>Sirocca left for school this morning without her winter clothes.
>That could be blamed on you.
>You forgot to check the weather schedule for today.
>Speck tugs at you as she flies through the door.
>You shut the door behind you as you start jogging after her, the crisp snow crunching with each of your steps.
>A brisk winter wind chills your uncovered face as you pass the library.
>Sirocca wouldn't even try to fly through this.

>On arrival to the school, you find exactly what you expected to.
>One very upset little bat filly glares up at you as you step through the front doors of the building.
>She crosses her arms and huffs at you.
>You frown at her and cross your arms.
"You know this is your fault."
>Her jaw drops and she starts waving her arms and sputtering.
>"No! You're supposed to check the weather reports in the morning!"
>You shake your head and put a hand up to your chin.
"No, I think I told you to start doing that."
>Speck shoves a hoof into your hip.
>"Stop teasing her."
>Sirocca leaps into your arms as you reach out to her.
"I'm sorry I forgot to check the reports today."
>She nuzzles your cheek as you wrap her up in your coat.
>"It's okay, daddy."
>It was nice, hearing someone call you that.
>You always felt proud that you were accomplishing something that, five years ago, was just another dead dream.
>Speck climbs onto your back as you turn to leave the school.
>Double the bat, double the warmth.
>Both of them shiver as you start walking through the snow.
>A faint cloud of white forms in front of your lips as you sigh.
>You reach behind you and grab Speck by the scruff of her neck.
>She lets go of you as you stuff her inside your coat.
>They'll be warmer like that anyway.
>A cold wind bites at your back.
>Your suffering intensifies.
>Sirocca ducks her head inside your coat and buries her face into your arm.
>She nudges against you and shakes her head lightly.
"Sirocca, what're you doing?"
>"Trying to get comfortable."
>You feel her pull her head back from your arm.
>She's definitely up to something.

>"Daddy? What's this?"
>Her head pops out of your coat, her mouth holding the letter from the princesses.
>She slaps you in the face with it on accident.
>Speck grabs it between her teeth before you can reach for it.
>"Anon, what's this?"
"It's nothing."
>"It has four seals of the Princesses. It doesn't look like nothing."
"It's unimportant. They send me an envelope like that every year around this time."
>You continue walking as she continues to pry.
>"Have you ever opened them?"
"Once."
>"What was inside?"
>Sirocca's head shifts between you and Speck as you talk.
"A letter.
>"And what did the letter say?"
"Something about Hearth's Warming Eve and holiday wishes. I don't know, Speck."
>She gasps and starts trying to pry the seals away from the outter envelope.
>You take the letter away from her.
>She and Sirocca both start pouting.
>"But, daddy. What if it's an invitation to go to Canterlot to see the pageant?"
>"Or what if they're inviting us to go spend the holidays with them in some far off land?"
>Sirocca raises and eyebrow and stares at her mother.
"Speck. That's stupid, and no."
>"So what is it then?"
>You tap the letter against Speck's nose.
"We'll discuss it when we get home."
>Two bat p0nies explode from your coat as soon as you start to speak.
>You close your coat and continue waddling through town.
>Tennis rackets for shoes might have been an awful idea, now that you think about it.

>The house is filled with screams and screeches as two bat p0nies fly around holding one small, silver ticket each.
>Thank you based Princesses.
>This was exactly what your household needed.
>One average human with an increasing migraine, a fully grown bat mare that acts like a filly, and a filly that acts like her adopted mother.
>They finally settle down and bounce on the couch beside you.
>"Can we go?! Please, Anon?!"
>"Daddy! Please, we have to go!"
>"Anon!"
>"Daddy!"
>You clamp your hands down over their muzzles and stare at them.
"We'll go."
>They try to screech, but you shake their heads.
"On one condition."
>Speck starts to stick her tongue out of her mouth to lick your hand.
>Your face slowly contorts into one of disgust as her tongue meets your hand.
>But you won't let go.
>The head of the house must have willpower and strength to overcome his worst enemy:
>That which he loves.
>Sirocca sees what her mother is doing and starts trying to lick your other hand.
>The angels in the heavens must weep for you today.
>You hold fast to their muzzles, a single tear slowly trailing down your cheek.
>Hold fast, Anon.
>Sirocca sneezes into your hand.
>No, that's it.
>You can't do this.
>You let go of them and wipe your hands on Sirocca.
>"Ewww. Why-"
"This is your fault. Go take a bath."
>She harumphs and leaves the room.
>Speck nudges you with her nose.
>"What's the condition, dear?"
"Cheer up."
>She tilts her head and presses her front hooves to your chest.
>"Cheer up? Why? I don't feel sad, Anon."
>Her wings flare out as you hug her around her middle.
"No. No, maybe I'm the one that needs to cheer up then."
>Her hooves kneed your chest.
>"Anon, what's wrong?"
>A smile crosses your lips as you stroke her mane.
"I guess I just get a little sad during the holidays."
>Those soft pony lips press to your own as you stop speaking.
>"You don't have to be sad, anymore. You have me and Sirocca, and the Cakes and the Princesses."

>Her ear twiches as you scratch behind it.
"I'm not sad because I'm alone, Speck. I've just never been in much of a holiday spirit around this time."
>A soft screech sounds from upstairs before your bat p0ny gets a chance to inquire further.
>Speck sighs softly as she presses her face into your chest.
"Are you going to go tell her to stop?"
>She rubs her face from side to side on your shirt.
>"It's your turn, anyway."
>That's not even fair.
>It's the holidays, and you need to lay around and mope until the last minute, when you finally decide to leave the house and join in the festivities.
>Oh wait, you can't do that anymore.
>You have a family now.
>Which means you have to take them to do the things they want to do.
>And they want to go see the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant in...
>Where is it this year?
>You pick the letter up off of the coffee table as Speck rolls over onto the couch beside you.
>"Dear Anonymous,
>You and your family are hereby cordially invited to the annual Hearth's Warming Eve pageant in the Crystal Empire.
>We hope to see you there.
>Your friends,
>Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight."
>Typical winter holiday fare, with the tickets, and the invitation, and the location being Canterlo-
>You close your eyes tight and cringe.
>"Is something wrong Anon?"
"ThepageantisintheCrystalEmpire."
>The strain in your voice and the sharp, slow exhaling of your breath would normally alert Speck that something is, in fact, wrong.
>However, she just stares at you, snatches the letter away, reads it quickly, and starts screeching with excitement.
>Two hooves slap her face as she covers her mouth.
>"WE'RE GOING TO THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE?!"
>You nod slowly and grit your teeth.
>In an instant, she's gone up the stairs.
>Excited screeches and splashes sound from upstairs.
>A voice sounds in your head.
>[spoiler]"You could have stopped this!"[/spoiler]
>But no.
>It's already happening, and it's all too late.

>One very excited little filly giggles and splashes her hooves around in the water around her.
>A small rubber duck rocks back and forth as she guides a little tug boat toward it.
>She makes engine noises as she pushes the boat through the water, and ends with a loud explosion as she picks the boat up and slams it down on the duck.
>A wave of water splashes over you, soaking your mane and coat, along with the floor.
>You scowl briefly, before smiling and slashing water at her.
>She screeches and recoils, giggling as she slaps the water in your direction.
>The sound of knocking halts you and Sirocca.
>"Are you almost finished in there? It's getting late, and we probably need to leave tomorrow."
>You shush Sirocca and she shushes you back.
"Almost!"
>Sirocca starts to giggle and splash a little bit.
>Anon's sigh sounds through the door.
>"Whatever. Just finish up so we can go eat dinner."
"Are we going out to eat?"
>"No, I was thinking about making that mango curry you like."
>Sirocca claps her hooves together and squeals.
>That does sound really good.
"Alright, Anon. We'll be out in a minute."
>Anon's footsteps grow quiet as he walks down the hall.
>Sirocca immediately starts squealing and splashing again.
>"WE'RE GOING TO THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE!"
>You join in with her excited screeching.
>But, just as suddenly as you start, you stop.
>Sirocca looks up at you with her big, sad, blue eyes.
>"But what if Daddy doesn't let us have any fun?"
>You tap your lips with a hoof and hum.
"Then we'll ditch him and go have our own fun!"
>The little bat pony looks down at her rubber duck.
>"Why doesn't daddy like having fun?"
"I don't know Sirocca. It might just be because of the holidays, from what he's told me."
>She harumphs and crosses her forelegs as you hold a towel out.
>"But, why? The holidays are supposed to make everyone happy!"
>She climbs out of the tub and you start rubbing the towel all over her.
"We just need to cheer him up."

>Anon groans and pushes his bowl of curry across the table.
>You reach for it and pull it close to you as a freshly bathed and dried Sirocca giggles.
>The warm curry smears over your muzzle as you plunge your face into the bowl.
>"Are spoons too hard for you to use, Speck? Sirocca isn't have any trouble with it."
>A chunk of mango falls from your chin as you look up at him.
"Spoons are for p0nies who don't enjoy their food."
>You go back to loudly slurping and scarfing Anon's bowl of curry.
>Sirocca holds her bowl up to him and smiles.
>"Please, papa. Can I have some more?"
>Anon takes her bowl and walks over to the stove.
>As he fills her bowl, you quickly finish the rest of your current bowl.
>You wait patiently for him to return to his seat and give Sirocca her bowl back.
>You slowly scoot one of your bowls toward him.
>He shakes his head and glares at you.
>He squints at you as you pick the bowl up and start shaking it at him, your lips drawing back to show all of your teeth as you frown.
>Sirocca minds her own business and stares into her curry as she eats.
>You shake the bowl harder and start whining.
"Please, Anon! I'm still hungry!"
>"You're a grown mare, Speck. You can get more yourself."
>You throw your arms across the table and start screeching as the bowl slides toward him.
>It stops just short of the edge of the table.
>You sniffle a little bit.
"Anon, please."
>"Absolutely not."
"I thought you loved me!"
>"I do."
"Then why won't you get me more curry!"
>"You're more than capable of getting it yourself."
>Sirocca slowly pushes her bowl toward Anon.
>"Daddy, I'm full."
>"You didn't even eat all of it."
>"You gave me too much."
>Anon shrugs and stirs the spoon in the curry.
"Can I have it?"
>"No."
>He takes a bite of the curry and stares at you.
"Why do you hate me!"
>"I don't. You just decided to eat like a pig, and you know I can't stand that."
>He takes another bite and points the spoon at you.
>"Besides, I'm hungry and you've already eaten two bowls."

"Well then, why did you give me your bowl?"
>"You already know why."
>You shake your head and shrug.
>Sirocca quickly excuses herself from the table and runs up to her room.
>Oh.
"A-Anon."
>"What?"
>You point at Sirocca's seat.
>He looks at it, his expression changing to one of pure worry.
>"Oh."
"It's too close to Hearth's Warming Eve, dear."
>"Were we fighting?"
>You shake your head and smile at him.
"No, but you know how sensitive she gets about us. She thinks we're the best parents in the world, right?"
>He nods slowly and looks down at his curry.
>"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry Speck."
"No, I'm sorry."
>Anon sets his bowl down and pushes it away from him as he gets up and walks around the table.
>You wrap your forelegs around his neck as he hugs you.
>"Come on, we need to go talk to Sirocca."
>You nod and follow him as he walks out of the kitchen.

>The bedroom door creaks open, followed by hushed whispers.
>You sigh deeply, and pretend to snore as your parents approach your bed.
>They quietly approach your bed and sit on its edge as they continue to whisper to each other.
>"She's so cute when she's asleep."
>Anon shushes Speck as he pulls your blanket over you.
>He runs his hand over your head and combs his fingers through your mane.
>A shudder runs through your spine as he leans down to kiss you on the cheek.
>Finally, you decide to look up at him and Speck.
>"Did I wake you?"
>You shake your head and scoot close to him, cuddling against his side.
>He hugs you close as your mother rests her head against his leg.
>Your papa grumbles, picks both you and your mother up, and lays back on your bed.
>"Sorry we were fighting, Sirocca."
>Your mom's eyes meet your own.
>She looks sad, almost like she knows she hurt you.
>Anon grunts as you climb over his chest and flop onto Speck.
>She squeezes you tight and gives you a soft kiss on the forehead.
"I love you, mom."
>"I love you too, sweetheart."
>"You two go to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us, alright?"
>You and Speck squeal with excitement as Anon pulls your blanket over the three of you.