*BRRRRIIIIINNNNGGG*
>You sigh as weariness eats away at your tired mind
>Taking a drink of your now not-so-hot chocolate glance at the slowly moving stragglers as they enter the classroom
>It was a good call to wake up extra early since you got here with just enough time to spare that you didn’t need to rush
>You settle in for class as Mr. Wright closes the door behind the last sleepy student
>”Alright everyone welcome back to the land of the learning, I know you’re probably feeling a bit sluggish with it being the first day back, so I’ve got an assignment to help ease you back into school!”
>Walking towards the chalkboard he slaps a lime green hand on it with a loud *thunk*to the dismay of the few students who were already falling asleep in their seats
>In big bold letters the board says “Tell me about the break!”
>”Simply write about anything you did over the break and we’ll call it square for today.”
>Hm, that does seem pretty easy
>Looking down at your blank sheets of loose-leaf paper you start up your brain storm
>Though your brain storm’s looking a little small considering you haven’t needed it for awhile…
>Hmmm, maybe you could talk about work?
>No, that doesn’t sound very exciting…
>Um, well there was the Christmas party you had
>That was definitely something
>Your first one you’ve had since you came here too
>Though that’s not very surprising since the last three years you were still in the whole “Take over Equestria” phase
>Wow that seems like a lifetime ago…
>You shake your head to stop yourself from getting lost in thought
>Maybe you should just start writing as you think?
>Putting pencil to paper you begin writing

>This past break your friends had all decided to spend the Friday before Christmas together to exchange gifts in a secret Santa
>It started out with only 8 people, but quickly escalated as everyone wanted to invite more people
>Wasn’t long until there was a full on Christmas party’s worth of people
>Since we didn’t really have any place big enough to hold everyone Celestia and Luna offered to host the party in an old ski retreat they used to spend Christmas at
>It may have been a bit farther north into the Horseshoe mountain range over Canterlot than you liked, but braving the harsh winter winds was worth it when you finally arrived
.
.
.
>INSERT CHRISTMAS MUSIC
>Your fingers tap the door along with the merry tune as you stare out at the bright snow tipped mountains surrounding you
>It’s a perfect winter wonderland outside!
>Maybe you’ll get to try skiing tomorrow?
>As you begin to daydream about becoming a prodigy skier you spot something besides snowy treetops in the distance
>”Holly jolly Christmas mackers, that’s a big cabin!”
>Pinkie bounces in her seat enough that the poof on her Santa hat pin pongs off her head wildly as she presses her face into the window in beside you
>She manages not to fog up the glass despite her face being literally flat against it
>You’d think she was over-reacting, but as you creep ever closer to the building you find yourself thinking the same
>It’s gotta be as large, if not a bit bigger, than the ski resort you passed at the base of the mountains
>Anon lets out a long low whistle before flipping his hood back and turning to Luna in the driver’s seat
>”How the hell did you guys manage to get your hands on an actual mountain mansion?”

>You spy the smile Luna sports through the rearview mirror
>”This was a necessary staging area the others and I secured while still working full time for SIS.”
>Staging area, for what exactly?
>Anon seems equally as curious as you are, though maybe a bit more dubious
>He leans over onto his armrest with an incredulous smirk
>”Did you guys REALLY need practically an entire luxury ski resort to yourselves in order to investigate whatever was in the mountains?”
>Putting it that way does make it a bit unbelievable
>Just what could warrant that?
>Luna gives him a sidelong glance
>”Originally this was a private getaway for a friend of ours, but after they discovered something that could never happen without some sort of magic involved we moved in for their safety.”
>Her eyes wander amongst the deep snowy woods as she drives
>”There used to be many dangers well beyond what one would expect lurking these mountains.”
>Your curiosity gets the better of you as you lean forward poking your head over the center console and speak up
“Dangers like?”
>The question seems to get everyone’s attention
>The three of you keenly listening for the answer Luna gives
>Pinkie manages to pry her face off the window after a few tries and leans in close underneath you
>Even Anon glances towards Luna while pretending to look off in the distance instead of fully listening
>Luna frowns as her eyes drift downwards towards the radio before focusing back on the white road
>”I don’t rightly know exactly what we chased off these mountains as I myself never managed to get a good look at it besides its eyes and the tracks it left behind.” 
>Anon ceases pretending not to be interested and turns to her as she pauses to think

>Luna shakes her head slowly with pursed lips
>“The most we could deduct was that it was well over 7 feet tall, had the capabilities to tear deep gouges out of concrete and steel alike, and had bright shiny eyes that would pierce the night no matter how dark.”
>That certainly sounds like danger
>Pinkie pulls out from beneath you and scratches her chin
>”Do you have a little bitty bit of a guess as to what it coulda been?”
>Luna shrugs indifferently
>”Nothing that could be remotely conclusive, but if it helps Will was certain it was a wendigo.”
>A wendigo?
>Wonder if it’s similar to a Windigo?
>Maybe you should be extra careful to make sure everyone gets along, just in case
>Anon stops staring out the window and instead shakes his head with his mouth agape
>”You’ve got to be shitting me right?”
>You wish Luna was, but knowing her…
>The dark blue skinned driver stays quiet for the few moments it takes to pull to a stop before the ski lodge
>”We never saw another trace of whatever it was after we drove it from these mountains…”
>Taking the key out of the ignition she turns to smile at the three of you
>”So relax, we’re here to celebrate the season not worry about threats long dealt with.”
>She chuckles as she opens the door with one hand
>”Besides, we couldn’t be any safer with the company we keep!”
>With that she exits the car as you can hear the other cars pulling up
>Anon looks back to the two of you with a furrowed brow
>”Ever wonder if she’s just trying to fuck with us on purpose or like is it just a unfortunate talent?”
>He shakes his head chuckling wryly before getting out himself
>Pinkie pats you on the shoulder right before leaping out the car
>”Chin up Sunny, I’m sure there’s no windiggidy-dangos around for miles at least!”
>Well you certainly hope so

>Climbing out of the car yourself you feel the brisk chill of winter caress you as snowflakes gently sprinkle across the ground
>You glance up at the grey sky basking in the flood of flakes and follow them trail as they pile on the ski lodge before you
>The structure looks much bigger up close, but somehow smaller than you expected
>You thought it’d be several stories tall, but yet you only see a single row of windows spread across the façade
>Maybe it’s not actually that big?
>You can hear your friends greet each other as they exit from AJ’s truck and Celestia’s van
>As greetings are exchanged out in front of the vehicles Celestia speaks loudly enough for the rest of you to hear as she climbs out of her van
>”Now remember, there’s heavy snow due to hit here pretty soon, so let’s get all our things inside before then!”
>That’s right, you better hurry up!
>Your black boots crunch in the snow as you walk around to the back of the van where Anon is doling out the bags to Luna and Pinkie
>Luna hands something to Pinkie before she quickly skips off to the entrance with her bags in tow
>As the two of you watch your pink friend go Luna shares a smile with you
>”She never ceases to amaze me with her spirit, Christmas or otherwise.”
>Anon nods in agreement as he hands her a duffle bag
>”She’s less a girl and more a pink bundle of joy.”
>Luna accepts the duffle bag and heads off towards the lodge
>He hands you your small backpack before looking back in the van confused
>”Uh, is that all you packed?”
>You nod while shouldering on the backpack
”I learned to pack light after coming here.”
>He hums in acknowledgement before looking back over the large pile of bags still in the van with a grimace
>”Ah I was really hoping all this crap wasn’t mine…”

>Are they?
>There’s enough bags here that you think he may even have beaten Rarity for the most which is quite the achievement
>You’d be lying if you said you didn’t think it a bit odd for Anon
“Would you like me to bring in a few of them?”
>As big as he is compared to you, you think hefd appreciate some help
>However you must be wrong as he shakes his head before brushing some powdered snow off his white canvas jacket
>”Ah nah, gotta find some use for muscles. You go on ahead and check in with everyone while uh, haul this in.”
>You cock an eyebrow as he counts the bags
>”Well I could at least grab one or two. After all, it doesn’t look like you have a shortage of bags and I’m not really carrying anything.”
>He fake scoffs as he grabs a bag from the top
>”Pfft, nah, I got all this by myself don’t worry.”
>You’re about to take a bag or two regardless, but he begins to thread his arms through their handles making him look like some sort of human bag line
>Deciding it’s best not to press him you walk off while grasping the straps of your backpack
>You can’t quite place it, but you feel like Anon is being a bit, obtuse?
>Twilight shuffles over to you as you walk towards the entrance
>Her baggy green wool sweater with a smiling Rudolph lights up as she approaches
>She seems like she’s going to hug you before she stops with a frowns
>”Is there something wrong?”
>Not particularly, but…
>You shake your head with a sigh
“It’s probably nothing, I’m just over thinking some stuff.”
>Twilight adjusts her glasses as she rolls her bag behind her
>”Hm, does it perhaps have to do with Anon-kun?”
>You wince as you look away
“Yea, I’m glad to be here, but, I just, ehm…”
>You purse your lips as you struggle to find the right words
“I, haven’t really gotten the chance to talk with him outside of class since the end of November.”

>Twilight scrunches her face as the two of you reach the snow-covered steps
>”It’s the same for you as well? I was under the assumption it was an unfortunate coincidence that he was busy during the few times I invited him to “chillax.”
>You stroke your chin as your boots plop on the wood steps
“You know, I’ve heard the same thing from the others, I don’t think he’s hung out with anyone all December…”
>Twilight frowns as she lifts her bag onto each step almost catching it on her long red muffler
>”Do you think perhaps he’s been going through an ordeal of his own?”
>You hope that’s not it
>Ever since all you went through together you hoped to have expelled any doubts you were friends, but lately…
>You shake your head as you stop in front of the large wooden doorway
“That’s a possibility, but maybe we should just enjoy the fact he’s here for the party before we worry needlessly.”
>Twilight bumps open a door with her rump and stands in front of it for you
>”I suppose no matter what’s happening with him currently we can take solace in the fact he still wishes to be around us.”
>That is a bit comforting you suppose in its own way
>Though you really hope you’re just being a worry wort
>Your nerdy friend smiles as you step though the threshold into the stale smelling air
>”Why else would one willingly be confined for a night with the rest of us?”
>You smile as you stamp your boots on the ragged rug covering the hardwood floored antechamber
“Yea, you’re probably right!”
>After the two of you slip out of your footwear and leave them by several other pairs of boots you step out into a large open area
>”Quite stunning...”
>Indeed
>The room dazzles you as your eyes survey it

>The hardwood floor gives way to a soft carpet beneath your feet
>Beyond a few chairs with small tables next to them is a large dipped area that lowers the floor level by several inches compared to the carpet before it
>Inside the dip is a gigantic wooden table made out of enormous planks in the shape of an oval
>It sits out with several recliner-like chairs and couches surrounding it on all sides save for one facing a fireplace
>The fireplace itself lays smack dab in the middle of its own wall
>It seems to be made of polished stone with a brick foundation surrounding it
>Though the really surprising thing about it is just how monstrously large it is
>It’s big enough that if you were to crouch down a little you think you’d fit inside it!
>Speaking of big though, that’s probably the biggest flat screen tv you’ve ever seen in person!
>It’s bolted to the massive brick structure that stretches from the fireplace to the ceiling
>It must be the chimney, but you don’t think you’ve ever seen one that looks like it could fit a couple people in it
>As your eyes move up you notice the gargantuan paneled arch windows flanking both sides of the fireplace
>They too almost stretch to the top of the ceiling!
>The bright snow along with the accompanying tree line outside the windows almost matches the scenery outside the sliding glass doors to the right
>You only say almost as the sliding glass doors have some sort of silver sheen
>Wonder what that is?
>Besides the silverish sheen there looks to be a a nice veranda area with a view of the snow dusted forest alongside a shed of some sort
>Might be nice if it weren’t for the howling winter winds and all the snow

>An excited shout to your left draws your attention
>”Isn’t this place just giahumonggantuan!?”
>Pinkie waves excitedly from the second floor overlooking the living room somehow barely being held back from falling by a robust wooden railing
>While you wouldn’t use that word perhaps…
>Twilight smiles as she cups a hand around her mouth
>”I believe that to be an apt description!”
>For sure
>Pinkie beckons you up to the second floor with an exaggerated wave
>”Come on, you gotta grab one of the good rooms on the second floor!”
>You smile to Twilight as the two of you walk towards the stairway tucked between the front room antechamber and a door to the left
“Might as well grab a room with a view I guess.”
.
.
.
>The inside, while a bit stuffy, was absolutely something else!
>After we all got situated in our rooms the real work began
>We had a some time before the rest of the partygoers arrived so we got to decorating
>Pinkie of course brought several bags of various festive party supplies
>Which included Christmas decorations and plenty of food
>It wasn’t long before she flew into the kitchen to start making festive treats with Celestia
>While Rarity put her interior decorating skills to use with the assistance of Fluttershy
>Luna got the generator up and running in no time before coming in to help
>AJ insisted on bringing a few hand axes to have a “good ol’fashioned Chrismas tree with all the fixins”
>So she and Rainbow Dash went out on an expedition for the best tree they could find
>Finally Anon, well you found out what he was up to after all was said and done
>It seemed like everyone else settled in pretty quick so you and Twilight decided to help out where needed
>It wasn’t even a few minutes after Rainbow Dash and AJ left that you got your first arrival

*knock knock knock*
>You stop hanging a streamer and turn to the doors
”Who do you think is that?”
>Rarity's white dress glitters in the light as she daintily places a festive coaster on the central table with a smile
>”Why don’t you find out darling?”
>You climb down from the step stool while Fluttershy puts the box she’s holding down beside her
>”I can answer the door if you want.”
>You hold a hand up and stop her before she gets going
“I’m closer, I’ll get it.”
>Walking towards the large wooden doors you can see what looks like one person’s outline
>Don’t really remember anyone supposed to be coming by themselves
>You quickly close the distance and open the door with a cheery greeting
“Hello!”
>You catch, Gilda(?) off guard causing her to jump in place
>”O-oh, hey…”
>Wow, you didn’t think she’d come
>You study her for a moment as the orange-tinged snow blows behind her
>Even in this whether, she wears nothing but her usual bomber jacket, jeans, and boots combo
>Though you think you see a black turtleneck sweater poking out underneath her zipped jacket
>She averts her eyes as her grip tightens on a poorly wrapped present
>”You mind if I come in, it’s fuc-fr-freezing out here.”
>Caught herself mid-swear, really is getting better
>You step aside and wave her in
“Please do!”
>With her eyes on the floor she steps in brushing the snow off her sleeves with her thick winter gloves
>You haven’t really talked with Gilda that much since October, but you have seen her hanging out with Rainbow more
>Hopefully that’s going well
>As she leaves her boots next to the ever growing pile she stares at the rest of the girls as they decorate
>She seems pretty, meek
>Not something you’d usually label her
>Jabbing her in the arm playfully with your elbow you look off to the ceiling
“You know, you just missed Rainbow Dash and AJ going out to chop down a tree. Bet it wouldn’t be too hard to catch up with them.”

>Gilda glances at you before shifting her gaze to outside
>”I did see some fresh foot prints…”
>It doesn’t take her longer than a second before she smiles
>”I guess I should go help them out, Dash was never good at hitting hard anyways!”
>She takes a step towards the door before realizing she still has her gift
>It looks like she’s about to thrust it onto you before she abruptly stops her arms mid-throw
>”Would you uh, mind bringing this in for me?”
>You take the present without any questions and give her a nod
“Go get em!”
>She doesn’t bother thanking you as she rushes out the door and towards the woods
>You close the door behind her with a shake of your head
>Going back into the commons you place Gilda’s present next to the stack of other wrapped and bagged goods atop the large oval table
>You spot Twilight walking out the kitchen before you get back to hanging streamers
>Deciding to check in with her you stand before the dip in the floor and nod to her
“Hey, how are things in the kitchen?”
>She takes a quick sip of her mug
>”I’d say pretty good, princi-Celestia has a very delicious eggnog recipe.”
>Oh, you’ve never had that before, though you do remember hearing about it
>You’ll have to get a glass
>You lean against a beam as Twilight stares happily at everybody going about decorating
>”So did I hear someone at the door a moment ago?”
>You nod towards Gilda’s present
“Mhmm, Gilda just arrived.”
>Oh that’s right, speaking of arriving
“That reminds me, are Cadence or Shining coming?”
>She shakes her head gently as she stares into her eggnog
>”Unfortunately Shiny and Cadence weren’t be able to make it to town because of the snow storm.”
>Has it really hit already?

>You glance out onto the veranda
>The gentle downpour of snow has started to pick up turning the outside into a glimmering flurry illuminated by the dying light of the sun
>It’s not too bad, but you know it’s only due to get worse
“Hope everyone makes it through ok .”
>Twilight pats you on the shoulder
>”We’ve all faced down things that would make summer block-busters blush with how over the top they were, I’m confident everyone will safely whether the stor-“
*Knock knock*
>You both turn to the door before chuckling
“Huh, guess you were right.”
>Your purple friend gestures to the door with an open palm
>”Would you mind answering the door? I’m going to acquire everyone some drinks before assisting Pinkie Pie once more with her baking.”
>You give her a thumbs up as you head towards the door
>Before you get too close you can see what looks like the vague shape of some people through the frosted window
>It’s as you go to go to grab the handle however; the mystery disappears thanks to muffled voices
>”It was so sweet of them to invite us here, SO WE COULD FREEZE TO DEATH ON THE DOORSTEP!”
>Hm, was wondering if they’d show up
>”Calm down, we just knocked less than thirty seconds ago. You really need to work on your impatience issue, it’s not a very attractive trait.”
>You open the door quickly before they can start their usual bickering
>”Oh I’ll show you attractive yo-Hey there Sunset!”
>Barely restraining herself from pummeling Sugarcoat, Sour Sweet flashes you the pearly whites
>The two of them are both dressed like green elves, you think
>”Oh how are you doing, LET US IN!”
>You manage to side-step her as she rushes in

>Sugarcoat follows closely behind while Sunny Flare dusts off her red santa-esque dress
>”Sorry about that dearie, Sour Sweet seems to lack the proper savoir faire when she’s under any stress.”
>You close the door behind her as she steps through the threshold
“Not a problem, it’s pretty chilly out there.”
>Sour Sweet leaves her present on the table as she throws herself in front of the fire
>”Warmth!”
>Sugarcoat shakes her head with her present tucked underneath her arm as she joins the rest of your friends
>You notice a lack of two shadowbolts as you lock the door
“Hey, where are Lemon Zest and Indigo Zap?”
>Sunny Flare hangs her coat up as she knocks the snow off her boots
>”They had to gather a few, things in Indigo’s truck.”
>Ah, makes sense
>She brushes off her shiny wrapped gift with her hand
>”They shouldn’t be too long.”
>As she strolls towards the fire eyeballing the ornament box Rarity is holding you spot Twilight walking out the kitchen to your right with a tray of mugs
>You’re about to get yourself a drink but are stopped by yet another knocking at the door
*Knockknockknockknock*
>Seems like you’re destined to be the door lady tonight	
>You swirl on your socked heel and march back towards the door
>Seems like there’s three or so people waiting behind the door, so you’ve got a feeling about who it is
>You pull open the door to see, wait huh?
>”Holiday greetings from the one and only Trixie!”
>Trixie?!
>Well she’s certainly in the festive mood
>She seems to be wearing a remade version of her stage outfit
>A white fuzz hemmed red silk half-cape with a typical Santa hat
>Though it’s mostly the two people behind her that confuse you
>One tall and one small
>Can’t quite tell who they are because, unlike everyone else, these two are bundled up almost completely

>You do your best to suppress your surprise
“H-hi Trixie.”
>Nailing it
>Trixie struts in with her wide performer grin
>”Do we have hot cocoa; Trixie has a mighty thirst and is chilled to the bone!”
>Boisterous as ever
>You close the door behind the two bundled up mystery visitors and point Trixie in the direction of the kitchen
>”Thank you very much Sunset, now if you’ll excuse Trixie!”
>She runs off towards the kitchen as you turn to greet the other two
>The tall one is helping to undress the short one revealing, Jordan!
>The little changeling wearing a knit cap and tiny little snow overalls happily grins in your direction
“Well hey there Jordan, merry Christmas!”
>Jordan answers you with a chirp as it shakes off its coat
>So if that’s Jordan then that means the tall one is
“I’m glad you could join us Chrissy.”
>Chrissy takes off her goggles revealing her piercing green eyes as they glare into you
>”My only intention is to drop off Jordan since apparently you had to give an invitation.”
>Chrissy’s rubs Jordan’s head and sends the bouncing bundle of joy off towards the others near the fire
>Her gaze softens somewhat as she watches the bouncing child go
>You gotta convince her to stay somehow
>If not in the spirit of merriment, then for her own safety
>It’s getting pretty nasty out there!
>She’s never been one to be sociable though, even after October
>Maybe straightforward will work
“It’s getting pretty nasty out there though, are you sure you don’t want to stick around?”
>She practically snarls as she hangs up Jordan’s coat
>”I’ll risk it; I already had to endure the GREAT and POWERFUL Trixie’s presence for an hour. I don’t believe I can endure any longer.”
>Uhh, maybe offering food?
“We have cookies, and eggnog! It’s really good!”
>Ok that was a lie, you don’t know for sure if it’s good, but you’re pretty confident that it’s going to be good
>Hopefully

>Chrissy sighs with a fist placed on her outstretched hip
>”Alright, why do you even want me here little girl? You do realize I could still be, EVIL right?”
>Because windigos!
>Alright, that’s not the FULL reason
>You do actually want to be friends with everyone, even her
>She did come through as a good person in the end after all so you doubt she’s really bad
>Especially since she put the emphasis on the evil
>Maybe, a joke?
>You smile sheepishly
“Because we can’t have a Christmas party without Chriss-y?”
>That wasn’t even a joke!
>She blinks seemingly caught off guard by your answer
>Dragging a hand down her face she takes off her coat revealing a rather mundane red wool sweater that spills over her loose black jeans
>”I swear, if there isn’t hard alcohol for that eggnog…”
>You stare in disbelief as she walks past you into the kitchen
>That, that worked?
>Great!
>You smile brightly as you add another person to the festivities
>Maybe now you can go get yourself a mug of nog?
>Your stomach lets out a quiet grumble as you think of food
>You haven’t eaten since breakfast, so maybe you could sneak a cookie or two before dinner too!
>As you step out of the antechamber and onto the carpet you hear
*knock-knockknockknockknock-knock knock*
>Or you could answer the door again!
>Wanting to get this door open quickly you run up to the door
>You let out a preemptive greeting to everyone gathered around the door as you throw it open
“Hey, glad you all could make it!”
>After saying that though, you’re surprised by who’s there, or by the combination of people
>Standing beside two of the shadowbolts you expected are another shadowbolt and the Dazzlings!
>All of which seem to be carrying oddly shaped gifts while dressed in festive clothing

>You inspect their outfits a bit closer as they file in one by one
>Lemon Zest has on a pair of peppermint colored headphones along with a shirt that looks like a gingerbread man and brown tights
>She plays her tube-shaped gift like a guitar as she walks in
>”Rockin!”
>You riff an air guitar for a moment while she passes
>Indigo Zap grins as she crosses the threshold
>She has a pair of goggles that also look like peppermint, but instead of a gingerbread shirt she has on an entire gingerbread man onesie on with the hood up
>It looks more like a gingerbread man is eating her
>Along with that she’s carrying an extra-large duffle bag over her shoulder
>”Can’t wait to party!”
>You return the sign of the horns she makes excitedly
>Shadowing the other two shadowbolts is none other than Ms. Zecora!
>The smiling woman wears what kinda looks like a large t-shirt, a dashiki you believe she said, with multiple shades of greens and red over black leggings
>”The storm saw fit to unmake my plan, so here I am to enjoy the festivities all I can.”
>You nod understandingly
“I’m sorry to hear that, but happy you’re here!”
>She makes her way towards the kitchen as Aria shuffles in behind her
>Aria has a very, bright green outfit on
>It almost would pass for a normal pleated coat with leggings, if you weren’t sure it’s colored for the holiday season
>She only grunts as she passes you
>Sonata skips in behind wearing a pair of fuzzy brown overalls with a white shirt underneath
>She’s also wearing a very soft looking clown nose along with some fake antlers
>She holds a gift bag in each of her hands
>That however doesn’t stop her from giving you a quick hug as she enters
>”It’s so good to be here!”
>You return the hug as best you can before she steps to your side

>Finally, Adagio struts in with an outfit similar to her normal one except white and red with no leggings, and, are those Christmas lights strung through her poofy hair?
>She poses as she crosses just past the threshold
>”I know, I’m absolutely dazzling aren’t I?”
>Well, yes actually!
>You can’t help but chuckle as Aria groans beside you and Sonata before speaking in a monotone
>”Oh no Adagio, it looks like you wore the same outfit as someone else.”
>Adagio gasps as you close the door behind the three
>”Who could’ve possibly thought of the same outfit?!”
>Sonata bounces up and down swinging her bags at her sides in the process
>”Oh oh, is it Rarity!? She seems like the kind to dress up over the top like that!”
>Aria shakes her head and holds back a snicker as she jabs a thumb over her shoulder towards a hanging ornament Christmas tree
>Adagio frowns profusely as she kicks her shoes off
>”Ha ha, very funny.”
>Aria chuckles as the two of them make their way to a couch by the fire
>Lemon Zest and Indigo Zap seemed to have already made themselves comfortable there as well
>Sonata however stays behind giving you a curious look
>”Do you know where Luna or Celestia are; I have to give them this.”
>She holds up the bag in her left hand before looking at it closely and shaking her head
>She then holds up the right bag and nods confidently
>Last you saw Celestia or Luna…
>Well, you think it was in the kitchen
>Which is great since you REALLY want to go there
>Stepping out of the antechamber once more you wave for Sonata to follow
>You waltz into the kitchen and she runs in behind you
>Pinkie is the first to greet you with an ear to ear smile from the cluttered island counter waving a frosting coated hand
>”Heya Funny, Sonater!”

>Pinkie’s light adorned sweater with her face on it is caked with frosting and flour to the point it’s more white, red, and green rather than its original light pink
>Sonata jumps up a bit as she sees the array of desserts Pinkie’s working on
>”Oh wow, is that actual figgy pudding!? I haven’t had that in decades!”
>Pinkie nods so fast that you think the poof on her santa hat might whip the entire thing off her head
>”It sure is! Here, have a plate!”
>She hands a small plate with a roundish blob of brown on it to Sonata who almost drops her bags in her excitement
>You let her start devouring the odd dessert as you look for Celestia
>It doesn’t take long to spot her though as you see her swaying form sitting at the bar counter just outside the kitchen area proper
>Her long sleeved creme colored blouse seems a bit more ruffled than you remember
>Looks like she’s sitting with Chrissy, Luna, and Zecora
>Zecora seems to be mixing herself a brightly colored drink while Luna wears a small grin
>Her ponytail and dark purple drink compliment her midnight blue turtle neck
>Chrissy however, seems to be pounding back a mug full of eggnog
>You point their way and guide the still eating Sonata towards the bar counter
>Celestia smiles widely as you near
>Woah, is she coming down with something?
>Her cheeks look red!
>”Sunset, where have you been!?”
>Can’t help but get the feeling she’s not just drinking in the holiday spirit
“Oh you know, just practicing being the doorlady.”
>She giggles as Luna perks up upon seeing Sonata
>”Sonata, it’s good to see you, did you happen to…”
>Sonata nods happily presenting the gift bag in her left hand before suddenly pulling it back and replacing it with the one in her right
>”Sorry, we ran out of different gift bags.”
>Luna accepts the bag taking a peek inside before nodding
>”Not a problem, I’ll make sure this makes it to the right hands.”

>You’re tempted to ask what’s inside, but Luna runs off before you get a chance
>Sonata quickly splits afterwards heading towards the living room
>Since you’re here though
>You take Luna’s vacant seat much to Celestia's delight
>”Did you want some eggnog?”
>Oh more than anything right now!
“Please!”
>She grins devilishly
>”Adult or normal?”
>Adult?
>Oh boy…
>You feel like you can guess by how Chrissy is downing eggnog and by Celestia’s somewhat dubious condition but…
“What’s the difference?”
>She points to the bowl in front of her
>”The adult has some spiced rum among other ingredients mixed into it…”
>You figured as much
>She worryingly points to the same bowl
>”While the normal is just my homemade eggnog.”
>Oh dear
“You know you just pointed to the same bowl of eggnog twice.”
>She opens her mouth but words don’t come out as she furrows her brow
>Zecora grins from behind the counter as she shakes up something in a shaker
>”It seems that our fine principal, has engaged in what the holidays advise as remissible.”
>Chrissy, while filling her mug with more eggnog cackles
>”In other words, she’s a bit sloshed as all tend to be around this time.”
>That’s not exactly comforting
>Celestia bats at the ladle in the bowl with a hand like a cat
>”Maybe I shouldn’t have sampled my first batch so much…”
>You nod slowly while grasping her shoulders gently
>It’s been awhile since you last had alcohol, Celestia you think you were in Equestria, but you know what this Celestia should do
>Hydrate
“Do you want a drink of water?”
>She looks up to you with wide eyes as if you just said the greatest idea in history
>”You know what, that sounds like a good idea! I’m gonna go get one right now!”
>Wait
“Maybe getting up so fast isn-“

]19[

>You don’t even get to warn Celestia before she gets up with relative grace for someone you think may be a bit past drunk
>That is before she almost goes toppling down
>She barely catches herself mid-fall with an outstretched foot
>Laughing to herself she suddenly rights herself and skips towards the kitchen sink
>Leaving you alone with Chrissy, Zecora, and the adult eggnog
>You stare into the slightly cinnamon smelling brew
>”Are you going to have some?”
>You’re torn from the somewhat mesmerizing creamy liquid by Chrissy’s question
“I uh, I don’t think I should.”
>Zecora and Chrissy glance at each other before the former laughs softly
>”It is only a mixed drink; it is not toxic like you may think.”
>Well, while that’s technically not true you get what she’s going for
>Chrissy follows Zecora up by peering at you from behind her mug while grumbling
>”Exactly, you’re a big girl, just don’t be like Ms. Samples-her-own-brew over there and you’ll be fine.”
>The neon green haired mother takes a long swig of her drink before sighing and whispering more to herself than anything
>”One mug especially isn’t going to kill you, given how diluted the alcohol is in this stuff…”
>It almost seems like she’s trying to be, comforting?
>That feels, good
>But you guess they’re both right!
>You can handle one mug
>Zecora offers you a clean white mug with a decal of santa on it
>You gladly accept the mug and to your surprise Chrissy fills it for you
“Thank you.”
>She nods silently before downing the rest of her drink
>You look down into the cold liquid you hold
>Pushing your trepidation down you take a sip of the thick drink
>Huh, kinda like creamy vanilla milk with a hint of cinnamon as an after taste
>Pretty good though

>Having finally acquired a drink it’s about high-time you get to getting the only other thing you’ve been craving!
>That of course being some sort of food to tide you over until dinner
>You give a nonchalant wave to Chrissy and Zecora, hoping not to interrupt their conversation, before heading towards the kitchen area proper
>Before you can get to the coveted sweets you notice something by the sink
>That being Celestia’s backside as she hunches over the sink
>Oh my, is you alternate reality mentor drinking out of the sink like a dog?
>You feel as though something very dear inside you might break if that’s true
>However your fear is subdued as she stands up straight once more looking over her shoulder at Pinkie
>”Oh Ms. Pie! Dis martini glass seems to be broken! It won’t fill up...”
>Pinkie just starts to giggle before shaking her head and reaching into her hair
>”That’s because that’s a funnel silly, here!”
>That revelation makes you much more worried for Celestia
>Pinkie however doesn’t seem to mind as she produces a red plastic cup from her hair and offers it to Celestia
>Managing not to teeter off her feet the woman you’re now sure is intoxicated gladly accepts the cup before scooting off back to the sink
>Hoping that she won’t do anything bad you get back to selecting a delicacy to tide you over until dinner 
>As you approach the center island counter topped with sweets and treats Pinkie glances at you while getting back to mixing something in a bowl
>”Heyya Sunny, you aren’t already a bit woo-who like some people?”
>You manage to tear your eyes away from the piles of different appetizing foodstuff for a moment to respond
“N-no, I just didn’t really eat much before coming here so I thought I might have a snack to tide me over until dinner.”

>Pinkie’s eyes seem to sparkle as she smiles widely placing her mixing bowl on an empty part of the counter
>”Oh jingle jangle jingle do I have something for you!”
>Ducking under the counter for a few moments she pops up out of your peripheral with a tiny palm-sized plate
>While you didn’t jump considering how common an occurrence this is, it is hard not to flinch just a little
>You inspect the tiny Christmas themed paper plate to see…
>Is that what you think it is?
>Pinkie nods with a knowing smile
>”Yes, the Christmas tradition that no one seems to like it’s the, FRUITCAKE!”
>Hm, you haven’t seen one of those since, well your last Hearth’s Warming in Equestria
>Doing a little dance in place she presents you with the plate and a fork
>”Even though this slice is a itty bitty tinsey tiny fraction of the whole cake, it should keep you going until dinner!”
>You never really gave these things a try before, but there’s no time like the present!
>Accepting the offerings you give the small slice a bite
>Mhm, that’s surprisingly dense!
>A lot more moist than you expected, but in a good way
>As you begin to dig in Pinkie goes back to her mixing bowl
>”Oh by the way, you’ll probably want to go out into the living room once you’re done!”
>Huh, you must be hungrier than you though since you’re already done!
>Wait, what did Pinkie say?
>You give her a glance as you throw your plate into the trash beneath the counter
>Pinkie points out the window above the sink leading to…
>Oh that’s quite the tree
>Will that even fit into one of the entryways let alone the building?
“Thanks for the cake and the heads up Pinkie I’ll, be right back…”
>You start jogging towards the living room to help in what will be no doubt a difficult task

>You would have thought that with all the people you had it would’ve been relatively easy, but boy were you wrong
>Everyone seemed to have an opinion that if we’d just tilt or turn the tree this or that way it would fit
>Most everyone’s’ idea’s managed conflict with each other
>It was getting bad enough that you were beginning to wonder if there was a Windigo at foot
>Though thanks to a lucky push from AJ, Aria, Gilda, and Rainbow’s combined efforts and a little angling thanks to the shadowbolts’ teamwork you finally managed to get the colossal Christmas tree indoors
>The moral support of the others and yourself might have helped, but you don’t know 
>The tree almost took out the second floor railing coming in, but it fit
>Just in time too since the last of the sun’s rays were slowly dipping beneath the horizon
>Propping it up in the corner nearest the veranda caused the top of the tree to bend against the ceiling
>It was the tallest spot so you all resolved that the top would be droopy rather than bring it out again and chop off some of the bottom
>It was after the ordeal was done that everyone relaxed once more while staring up at the tree in silence
>That was until
.
.
.
>You breathe a sigh of relief as you all stare up at the titan of a Christmas tree
>”Well, now that that’s done, who wants to partayyyy!?”
>There’s a few chuckles from the rest of the shadowbolts as Indigo Zap looks around excitedly
>Gilda is the first one to respond with a grin
>”Hell yea, now that we got that tree I’m ready! What about you Dash!?”
>Rainbow fist pumps next to her rough friend
>”Alright, what are we doing first cause it was freezing out there!”
>Indigo Zap’s smile couldn’t get wider as she picks up her black duffel bag and unzips it
>”Oh that’s no worry, I’m about to warm you up real quick since…”
>You’re beginning to wonder what’s inside the duffel bag

>Indigo seems to almost be shaking as she dives her gingerbread arms into the bag
>With a jump she holds out her prize above her head
>”I brought the WII!”
>Oh, that was not what you were expecting
>The rest of the shadowbolts have varying reactions from a simple roll of the eyes to out-right laughing now as they each begin to do their own thing
>Indigo hugs the console tight to her chest while glaring at her friends
>”Hey, just because you girls don’t ever want to play doesn’t mean these fools won’t take me on!” 
>At this point most everyone starts doing something that isn’t playing the wii
>Though you do find yourself fascinated with the white brick
>You only played it few times at Twilight and Fluttershy’s, but it was fun 
>Rainbow shakes her head obviously a bit disappointed
>”Man, I thought you had something really AWESOME inside there, not just a wii.”
>Gilda looks incredulously at her rainbow haired friend
>”Just a wii, when did you become such a bore Dash?”
>Both you and Rainbow are taken aback by Gilda’s fervor
>Indigo looks hopefully to Gilda with wide eyes
>”So you understand?”
>Gilda steps forward with both fists clenched
>”Of course I do, the Wii is the closest I can get to bitch-slapping without leaving the house! It’s like I can punch ANYONE and no one bats an eye! Tell me you have the boxing game!”
>Indigo is practically over the moon
>”OF COURSE!”
>Wow, talk about unexpected friends
>Rainbow shrugs apparently unenthusiastic about the whole thing
>”I think I’m gonna go get something to drink instead…”
>Gilda gets a wicked grin as she slides in front of Rainbow’s path
>”What’s the matter Dash, scared you’ll lose?”
>Rainbow stops in her tracks and glances at the taller girl
>”Are you, are you calling chicken?”
>Oh no, wait
>Gilda smugly crosses her arms
>”Well I certain ain’t calling you brave you, little, girl.”
>She puts extreme emphasis on the last two words

>Why Gilda!?
>She knows that nothing gets to Rainbow quicker than height!
>Hers specifically!
>Maybe you can salvage this before Windigo’s appe-
>Rainbow clenches her hands into white knuckled fists before 180ing and waltzing up to Indigo
>She wears a defiant and somewhat manic smirk as she points to the gingerbread girl
>”ALRIGHT, what game am I destroying the two of you at first!?”
>Indigo jumps up and down for joy
>”How about boxing!?”
>The three of them scramble to set up the Wii and start figuring an entire tournament system to determine which of them is the best at the Wii
>Oh…
>Well, uh…
>You meet Twilight’s gaze and she smiles
>”Looks like friends can be made over just about anything hmm?”
>She can say that again
>With a shrug she glances towards the kitchen
>”I was about to assist Pinkie in the culinary preparations, would you like to join me?”
>You shake your head
“I think I’ll mingle a bit.”
>Twilight takes a sip of her eggnog before nodding
>”Alright, if you require any assistance.”
>She points towards the kitchen before walking off
>With a wave you look around the room before spotting AJ and Sour Sweet chatting off to the side over two mugs of egg nog
>Which reminds you!
>You take another drink of your own tasty brew as you stroll towards the two
>Before you get too close though you hear a bit of their conversation
>”Ya know, I still have my doubts about you lot sometimes, but yer not bad at all! At least you yourself are always honest.” 
>You stop mid-stride and can only manage to smile incredulously
>AJ, WHY!?!
>Didn’t everyone have a talk with her about the being too honest thing!?
>Sour Sweet flashes her pearly whites while fluttering her eyelashes
>”Well I truly appreciate that AJ, it’s especially comforting since I know you’re not lying because you couldn’t even lie to a preschooler!”
>It’s like a Windigo is already here!
>At least that’s your thought until the two of them laugh jollily
>”Ain’t that the truth!”

>AJ glances towards the kitchen
>”Say, want to help Pinkie and me whip up some grub?”
>Sour Sweet thinks for a moment before shrugging
>”Why not?”
>Ok that’s not normal!
>The two of them continue talking and walk towards the kitchen as if nothing happened 
>Might as well visit with someone else
>You spy Fluttershy sitting with Jordan and Trixie lounging on the floor beside the fireplace doing something
>You walk behind the Wii tournament going on in the middle of the common area and up to Fluttershy’s semicircle on the ground before you unceremoniously take a seat beside your yellow friend
>Jordan gives you a peppy chirp while the other two glance at each other before directing their gaze towards you
>Fluttershy places her mug down beside her before speaking
>”Is something the matter?”
>Not really…
>You sigh as you slouch a bit and set your nog beside you as well
“Ah, I’m just worrying over nothing.”
>Jordan scoots over and snuggles up beside you silently as if to comfort you
>Trixie smiles widely while leaning towards you from her pretzel-legged position
>”Well worry not, now is the time to have fun and what could be more fun than learning a few magic tricks?”
>Learn a few magic tricks?
>Well that certainly seems more interesting than worrying everyone is going to attract a Windigo
>Fluttershy nods excitedly
>”It’s actually really fun to watch, even if I’m not so good at doing them myself…”
>Jordan nods in agreeance
>Trixie shakes her head with a grin
>”Nonsense, your teacher the Great and Knowledgeable Trixie who taught you knows you can work at least one of tricks Trixie has shown you!”
>Fluttershy seems to shrink back as Trixie hands her a deck of cards
>”Come now, show Sunset your skill.”
>You are a bit curious considering Trixie seems so confident in Fluttershy’s ability, but then again…
“You don’t have to if you don’t want t-“
>Your quiet yellow friend surprises you with a vigorous shake of her head causing her hair to flick around
>”N-no, I mean I do, I-I will.”

>Trixie winks to Fluttershy as she accepts the crisp packet of cards
>Coughing into her hand she begins to awkwardly shuffle the cards
>She tries to do the dealer shuffle, but almost sends the cards flying
>Finally deciding it’s shuffled enough Fluttershy fans the cards out and holds it towards you
>”Please pick a card.”
>You can feel both Trixie and Jordan’s eye focusing on you now
>With a nod you pick the middle card from the fan
>”Please memorize it.”
>You flip it over revealing the queen of hearts
>Glancing back at the aspiring card shark you see she seems to be contemplating something before meeting your eyes with her own
>”Oh uh, actually um, put it back and maybe pick a different card…”
>Huh?
>You stare dumbfounded as she looks away embarrassed
>”I kinda needed you to pick any card besides that one…”
>Ok then
>As you put it back you do your best to comfort her
“That’s ok, I can do that.”
>Let’s see
>You hand hovers over the card fan as you decide
>How about this one?
>You go to pick the one on the very right edge when Fluttershy squeaks
>”Not that one…”
>Ok, um
>You go for the one a few in from that one
>”Or that one…”
>You furrow your brow and look to her with incredulity
>To which she shies away from your gaze
>”H-how about I just move on and…”
>She begins trying to awkwardly shuffle once more, this time halving the deck with both hands before pressing the halves together
>It’s pretty sloppy and only ends up spilling the cards all over the floor
>Jordan squeals at the display with child-like mirth
>Oh, oh no
>Fluttershy freezes up as the cards spread out between you
>Maybe, this was too much for her?
>You start rounding up the cards and trying to comfort her as she stares defeated
“It’s ok, can’t all be experts to begin with. I would’ve forgot my card anyways…”
>Picking the cards up from the floor is a bit of a pain, but you’re surprised by a sudden giggle
>”R-really, cause I’m pretty sure this is your card.”

>You look up from the mess only to see Fluttershy reaching behind your ear
>Only to pull back with the queen of hearts between her fingertips!
>Your eyes flick between the smiling Fluttershy and proud Trixie
“But how, I was watching you the whole time and you couldn’t even!”
>Trixie lets out a laugh and places a hand on your shoulder
>”The first tool in any good magician’s set is deception, or in other words misdirection.”
>She gestures to Fluttershy with an open palm 
>”And Fluttershy has the makings to be very deceptive!”
>Jordan claps its hooves together in a faux-applause
>The apparently good junior magician rocks back and forth as she beams with pride
>”Oh stop…”
>Huh, who would’ve thought?
“Wow, I wouldn’t have thought…”
>She starts picking up the remaining cards
>”I just wish I could do the shuffles Trixie can so I didn’t make such a mess afterwards.”
>She glances at the master magician with hopeful eyes
>”You wouldn’t mind showing us again, just one more time?”
>Masterful card shuffles is something you’d like to see
>Trixie looks up with a grin
>”Mind? The Great and Powerful Trixie would love to show you as many times as you want to watch.”
>Both Jordan and Fluttershy give little cheers as she hands the cards off
>You give one as well as Trixie cracks her knuckles before taking the cards
>”Hmm what to start with…”
>You take another drink as you eagerly await her card tricks
>Only to hear someone call out to you
>”Sunset darling could you lend us a hand here?”
>Glancing over your shoulder you see that Rarity is waving to you by the tree
>Looking back Trixie gives you a smile
>”Go, Trixie shall show you another time perhaps?”
>You stand up, much to Jordan’s dismay, and nod apologetically
“I’d really like that.”
>Giving a small wave to the three you go off with egg nog in hand to see what Rarity needs from you
>As you approach you see that she flanked by Adagio and Sunny Flare
>They all seem to be standing next to open boxes of decorations

>While you close in you can begin to hear a dispute between the three girls
>Rarity flicks her bangs out of her face with one smooth motion that makes her white dress flow and sparkle in the light
>”Of course I’m serious darling, the classic Christmas style had a certain chique to it that modern interpretations simply lack!”
>Adagio scrunches her face in disgust while shaking her head
>You’re surprised the Christmas lights in her hair barely react to the shaking
>”The modern interpretations exist because the classic stylings were excellent, excellently tacky maybe; things were decorated that way because we didn’t have anything better like we do now!”
>Rarity clenches her hands into fists at her sides as she shakes her head in frustration
>”Oh what do you know, it’s not like you were, ah mhm…”
>Adagio smirks smugly with both hands on her hips
>”I wasn’t around for it?”
>Rarity looks away as you feel like Adagio might start laughing manically
>However before she can Sunny Flare speaks up with her arms crossed
>”You’re both missing the spirit of the holiday itself! Why when I was a girl my family would take the time out of their busy schedules to sit down and create our decorations by hand!”
>Sounds like things are getting really heated between them
>You can’t let that happen!
>As you step in Rarity spots you and lets out a sigh of relief
>”Ah finally, can you talk some sense into these two, classic tinsel Christmas is the style we must go for.”
>Adagio scoffs before shaking her head
>”Maybe if you’re putting candles in it as well; no, lights are what make trees pop! You should’ve seen how dazzled everyone was when electric lights were first introduced!”

>Sunny Flare holds up a piece of white paper with a design of a snowflake already traced on
>”If we’re going through the trouble of having an actual tree and being in the snow mountains then I must insist we focus on making our own decorations!”
>They begin to bicker more as you attempt to stop this with the most obvious solution
“Can’t you just do all three?”
>They stop suddenly at your words and glance at each other before Adagio speaks up
>”Well, I don’t suppose we can’t, but…”
>Rarity scratches her chin
>”I guess we can make it so they don’t clash…”
>Sunny Flare shrugs
>”It’d be much easier to do so if anyone else helped.”
>You cross your arms
“Have you asked anyone to?”
>The three all look in different directions trying very hard not to look like they didn’t think of that
>Alright, this is an easy fix
>You turn to the three girls currently racing karts on the wii
“Hey rainbow dash, think you can string lights and tinsel up on the tree faster than Gilda?”
>Rainbow quickly snaps her gaze from the tv with a smirk
>”Is that even a question, why woul-“
>Gilda laughs interrupting Rainbow as she pauses the game
>”Of course she can’t, I was always a better climber, have been since our days back at camp.”
>You can see Indigo’s smile widen as Rainbow gives Gilda the most confused look
>”Hey, I only fell like once and you’re saying you’re a quicker tree climber now?”
>Gilda smirks, but before she can say anything indigo pops forward over her shoulder
>”I don’t think she’s saying that she isn’t!”
>Rainbow drops her plastic wheel onto the able unceremoniously before standing up
>”Ok, light and tinsel stringing contest right here right now.”
>Gilda places her wheel beside her before jumping up and cracking her knuckles
>”Oh I’m gonna enjoy lighting the way for you Rainbow Crash.”
>Indigo tosses her wheel aside and hops up as well
>”As if, I bet I can beat both of you!”

>With the fire of competition lit beneath the three of them they stride toward the tree
>Adagio and Rarity look as if they’re going to help coordinate their efforts while Sunny Flare sets her snowflake making supplies up on the oval table
>You decide to help her and pick up a sheet of paper
>”Oooooh, what cha doing here?”
>Sonata walks into the commons area from her room and seemingly takes notice of the snowflake making that’s about to ensue
>Fluttershy, Jordan, and Trixie all peer over at the commotion and come closer to see what’s going on
>Trixie chuckles as she spots the supplies before taking a spot on the ground in front of the fire
>”Why it looks like you’re making snowflakes, Trixie happens to be a master of papercraft!”
>Sonata jumps for joy at the realization and takes a seat on the ground beside Sunny Flare
>”That sounds like fun, can I join!?”
>Fluttershy sits beside Sonata with Jordan in her lap
>”I hope you don’t mind if we do too.”
>The prim and proper ornament maker simply hands out pieces of paper with a smile
>”It would bring me nothing but joy if you did dearie.”
>It’s nice that everyone’s just working together to decorate the tree!
>You’re about to join in the snowflake making when you realize that not everyone is here
>Well besides those cooking, and drinking…
>Wonder where they could be?
>Looking around you notice that the front door is open
>Maybe you should investigate?
“I’ll be right back.”
>Getting up from your seat you walk towards the front door
>Slipping into your boots you take a few steps out the door
>Wow, it got dark fast
>Not to mention cold
>The wind bites at you as it picks up and dies out
>Snow falls in a steady, but not too heavy flurry
>Seems like they were right, this probably will get worse at this rate
>You glance around and notice a few people off to the side sitting on the steps
>Oh there they are!

>Must be enjoying the night
>You glance up at the night sky and you can feel your breath being taken away
>It’s so vibrant even through the snow
>Each star is plainly visible like individual colors in a painting
>The sight takes you back
>The last time the sky seemed so alive was so long ago
>You really haven’t been out in nature like this for a while huh?
>The bittersweet feeling makes you smile wryly
>Tearing your gaze back down from the heavens you decide to check on the other three
>The snow crunches underfoot as you waltz over towards the trio
>Aria is the first to notice your approach and greets you in monotone
>”Hey, glad you could join us in the cold kids club.”
>Sugarcoat sighs a visible trail of breath
>”It’s like the cool kids club, but significantly colder because we’re freezing outside.”
>You take a seat next to Lemon Zest who’s currently listening to her headphones
“Why are you guys outside in the cold then?”
>Aria grins as she shoves her hands into her pockets
>”I just wanted to chill out, these two followed me.”
>Sugarcoat shrugs while adjusting her glasses
>”I just like the night sky.”
>Ah ok, that’s understandable
“Well you know everyone inside is decorating the tree right now, we’re even cutting paper snowflakes out.”
>Sugarcoat stands up with a roll of her eyes
>”Sunny always wants to do that around Christmas, and I won’t hear the end of it if I don’t help her. See ya girls.”
>With that she walks back inside leaving you with Aria who’s looking up at the sky, and Lemon Zest who’s still rocking out without a care in the world
>Aria doesn’t look down from the beautiful sky and asks
>”Sonata’s probably helping out isn’t she?”
>She glance at you from her peripheral as you nod
>Kicking a bit of snow off the steps she turns back towards the lodge
>”Guess I better help her out before she cuts it wrong and starts crying… later.”

>And then there were two
>You tap Lemon Zest on the shoulder which startles her somewhat
>She slides her headphone down around her neck and greets you with a smile
>”Heya Sunset, what’s the haps?”
>decore
>”Ah yea, I was waiting out here just in case, but I guess she couldn’t make it after all.”
>Who
>Lemon Zest gives you a grin a mile wide
>”None other than our number one time related boss, er well my boss.”
>Oh!
“I didn’t know she planned on coming.”
>Lemon Zest scratches her chin then shrugs
>”Well she didn’t really plan per say, but she was going to come up if she could.”
>Well that’s a shame; it would’ve been nice to see her again
>You lean back and stare up at the stars once more losing your gaze among them
>Your breath creates a thick cloud above you that quickly disperses
>A hand gently pats you on the shoulder
>Glancing to your left you see that Lemon Zest has stood up
>”Hey, at least I was able to get Zecora here huh. Glad Anon told her about this ahead of time.”
>He’s the one who invited her?
>You thought it was Luna or Celestia
>Actually…
>You stand up as Lemon Zest puts her hands in her pockets
“Speaking of Anon, have you seen him?”
>You remember him going into his room and then, nothing
>Lemon Zest furrows her brow and looks down at the ground
>”Huh, now that you mention it I haven’t…”
>Weird, he must still be in there
>Though you don’t know what exactly he’d be doing
“I think I’ll go find him, we’re all decorating or cooking after all.”
>The green haired rocker nods
>”Yea that’s a good idea; I think I’ll join everybody else.”
>The two of you make your way indoors as the wind begins to pick up once more and snow begins to fall in earnest
>Closing the door behind you, you quickly jump out your boots
>If you recall correctly Anon was in the room adjacent yours upstairs

>You head up the stairway tucked in away by the first floor rooms to left
>Going up the wood paneled stairs you can’t help but feel off, even with the warm fire and conversation just a few steps behind you
>Odd…
>As you get to the top of the stairs you feel, a chill?
>What’s that noise you hear too?
>Like a distant whistle
>Something’s not right
>Getting to the second floor and following the sound brings you closer to the cold, eventually leading you to Anon’s room
>While you wanted to come here, you don’t like what’s going on
>You grab the door handle and freeze as you feel its icy temperature
>What if the chill and that howl like noise are, Windigos?
>No, Luna said there may have been a Wendigo here, but she also said they chased it out 20 years ago
>Your heart begins to beat a little faster, but you push through it opening the door
>A cold wind slices through you to your core as you finish opening the door
>What happened here!?
>Anon’s room is empty except for the empty duffle bags littering the floor and bed
>Not only that, but the window seems to have been left open for some time as some snow has accumulated on the window sill
>You move in quickly shutting the window and the source of the now teeth-chattering cold
>Alright, this looks bad, but it’s not like there isn’t a ration explanation for this!
>There has to be…
>You lean on the window sill and stare into the now barely visible forest as if looking for an answer
>The snow seems indifferent as it seems intent on falling harder
>You won’t find any answers sitting here staring into the snow!
>There must be something you can do right now
>You’re about to leave the room, but the moment you stop leaning on the window sill you see something glowing in the distance
>Two somethings in fact
>Two somethings that look a lot like glowing eyes floating in the dark 
>Bright shiny eyes staring back at you from within the forest

>No
>No that can’t be
>You blink and, it’s not there anymore
>Your grip tightens on your mug so hard you think you may shatter it
>You, you…
>You need to talk with Luna!
>Instead of dropping or spilling your mug of eggnog you set it down on the bedside table before running off
>You stomp down the steps as quickly as possible before making a b line for the kitchen getting more than a few curious glances
>You slide to a stop at the kitchen’s entrance and glance around for Luna
>Looks like she’s sitting at the bar counter once more sipping eggnog with the other adults
>You speed walk as casually as you can past AJ, Pinkie, Sour Sweet and Twilight before leaning against the bar counter smiling sheepishly
“So hey, ha ah, can I ask you something in private Luna?”
>Luna raises an eyebrow and lowers her mug
>”Is something the matter?”
>Celestia, who’s still drinking from the red plastic cup Pinkie gave her, perks up and sways in place
>”Do you need a hand with something Sunset dear?”
>Chrissy seems a little less angry as she now looks at you with indifference
>”If assistance is what you need, I believe the four of us would do so indeed.”
>Glancing around you wonder if you can trust all of them
>Well, honestly it seems better to actually tell all the full adults here about it you suppose
>Leaning forward onto the counter you take a breath and lay it out on them
“So I haven’t seen Anon since we got here and I curious so I went to his room and he, he wasn’t there.”
>The four share mildly confused glances
>You continue before they can ask anything
“And not only that, but his room had empty duffel bags and the window was left open and there was snow on it and…”
>Zecora leans forward furrowing her brow and placing a hand on your shoulder
>”While that is certainly suspect, it also could be due to neglect.”
>That’s true, but…
>You decide not to leave anything out

“Maybe, I don’t know, but when I looked out the window I swore I saw bright shiny EYES outside.”
>Celestia abruptly stops swaying in place and frowns with a deathly serious intensity
>Turning to Luna she speaks hurriedly in a surprisingly sober voice
>”If that’s true we have to go out there and sea-“
>Luna cups a hand over Celestia’s mouth
>”Perhaps we should make sure he’s not SOMEWHERE ELSE in the building first dear sister?”
>You, didn’t think to do that…
>Celestia’s frown disappears almost instantly replaced with a lopsided smile and the resumption of her slight sway
>”Oh yea, that’s akshually a good idea Lulu; you’re sho smart!”
>Luna sighs with a shake of her head
>”You would’ve thought that too under normal circumstances.”
>She turns to Zecora
>”Would you mind lending assistance to our search?”
>Zecora puts down her drink and shakes her head
>”Not at all, what is a barkeep if not on call?”
>Chrissy downs the rest of her mug before slamming it down on the counter and standing up
“Are you going to help too?”
>She shrugs while brushing her neon green bangs out of her face
>”Maybe, but first I’m going to hug my spawn close and make sure no one does anything funny…”
.
.
.
>We looked all over the lodge for him, but couldn’t find any trace of Anon
>It was like he vanished; only leaving behind his empty duffle bags
>You were starting to get pretty worried, but Luna kept calm as you searched the last place he could be
>It wasn’t until you basically checked everywhere in the building did you stop in the living room
>It seems like everyone was gathered there now except Anon
>You were deciding on whether to organize a search party when…

>”Ah’m tellin ya Aria, the Spirit of Violence Past is gonna completely whoop Elbow-knee-er Scourge!”
>While some are still decorating the tree others had taken to watching the “Night of Violence” wrestling Christmas special featuring Iron Will
>You look to Luna as her gaze drills holes in the floor
“Maybe we should tell everyone tha-“
>Before you can fully speak your mind the room goes dark
>Well, except for the currently dying fire, Twilight’s Sweater, and Adagio's light-up hair
>Gilda angrily shouts
>”Hey, what happened to the power!?”
>That’s what you’re wondering, but something tells you…
>Looking around it seems that the power has gone out in the whole house
>People begin to fish out their phones in the darkness and flood the room with mini-lights as you whisper to Luna
“Do you think it may be…”
>She does a cut it out gesture with a frown before clapping her hands together to get everyone’s attention
>They quiet down as she steps forward towards the now barren center oval table
>”Sorry, I may not have fueled the generator enough; I wasn’t expecting quite so many to be joining us this evening.”
>Trixie stands from her seat next to the fire with one fist on her hip and the other dragging Fluttershy into a stand
>”Never fear, for the Great and Powerful Trixie, and her new assistant are here! We shall entertain all in the interim!”
>Most people divert their attention to her as she begins waving her arms around with a pack of playing cards and a panicked Fluttershy
>Guess having a magician around to distract people really does come in handy
>With Trixie performing for the people not browsing their phones you feel like now is a good time to figure out what you’re doing
>You’re about to ask Luna what to do next when a loud *CRSAH* pierces the relative silence and shakes the lodge

>Everyone goes silent as only the sound is of the wind gnawing and scratching against the walls of the building
>Almost as one, everyone looks towards the source of the noise
>Outside the veranda in the snowy blizzard
>Indigo Zap springs to a stand bringing a voice to what’s on everyone’s mind
>”What the world was that!?”
>Everyone quickly surrounds the veranda glass doors, yourself included
>Squinting out the glass doesn’t reveal anything as it’s too dark to see through the constant snowfall
>At least until you see a mass of snow move in front of the shed, and then another
>Fluttershy lets out a yelp before stepping away from the doors
>”D-did anyone else see two big things move in front of the shed?”
>Rarity backs away from the door as well
>”Oh, that wasn’t just moi?”
>Sunny Flare confirms with a slow and uncertain nod
>”N-no dearie, I believe not.”
>Rainbow backs away while crossing her arms
>”Alright, does anybody know what’s going on?”
>Pinkie begins to hyperventilate before whispering as she backs away from the glass door
>”It’s not just one, it’s MULTIPLE WENDIGOS!”
>You flinch at her sudden screech that lets loose a tidal wave of panic among everyone
>Though that can’t be it
>One, let alone two
>A hand on your shoulder causes you to freeze before realizing it’s Luna
>Before anyone can really start panicking she speaks calmly
>”I believe jumping to conclusions isn’t going to get us anywhere, let’s just calm do-“
*BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG*
>Several people jump as the loud thrashing on the door destroys the relative silence created by the blizzard outside
>Everyone freezes in place
>Glancing around you can see everyone seems unsure of what to do
>Sugarcoat speaks up just loud enough to be heard over the wind and dying cackles of the fire
>”Ok, so who’s going to be the one to answer the door?”

>Indigo shakes her head as she holds her hands up
>”No way am I going to be the first out there.”
>The other shadowbolt’s seem to feel the same as they look around expectedly
>Chrissy quickly scoops up Jordan and cradles the tyke into her arms
>”Whoever it is should be quick…”
>Fluttershy shakes lik a leaf behind Pinkie, who's hiding behind Rarity, who’s also hiding behind one of the supporting beams of the building
>AJ pushes Rainbow forward a step
>”Well uh, ya should be the one to check.”
>Rainbow backs up a step and whisper yells at AJ
>”ME, why should I be the one that gets fed to the Wendigo.”
>Gilda shakes her head
>”Come on dude, don’t jinx whoever’s going out there like that.”
>You don’t see where Trix-wait, she’s peeking out from behind the couch
>You glance over to Celestia, Luna, and Zecora who all seem to be having a silent conversation among themselves
>Twilight tugs on your sleeve before whispering
>”Should we…”
>You don’t know
>Sonata moves behind Adagio’s poof who stands beside a frowning Aria
>Apparently annoyed at this Aria shakes her head and steps forward
>”Oh this is stupid; I’m going to open the door now.”
>As Aria begins walking alone towards the door Sonata pokes her head out from behind Adagio 
>”Aria don’t! I’m scared…”
>Aria rolls her eyes before continuing
>“I’m just going to take a peek outside and find nothing relax.”
>Part of you hopes she’s right and she finds nothing, but…
>Aria doesn’t even hesitate, throwing the door open with reckless abandon she hollers out into the darkness as snow flows into the lodge
>”Any spooky monsters or wendigo out there better show themselves before they get my foot so far up their ass they’ll be tasting me sole for weeks!”
>Wow, you’re almost impressed by the lack of care Aria has right now
>There’s a tense few moments as Aria peeks outside and nothing happens

>Aria slams the door shut and walks back towards the commons
>All eyes are on her as if waiting to ask
>”Didn’t see anything out there.”
>Indigo crosses her arms with a frown
>”So then, was Pinkie right, are we being stalked, maybe by a Wendigo?”
>Celestia shakes her head
>”No that’s impossible, we’ve been here for so long without a single incident.”
>Gilda barges forward into the center of everyone
>”Ok it was kinda funny, but seriously, this has to be a prank right; like where’s Anon?”
>It seems everybody realizes his absence all at once as everybody does their own mental headcount
>Everyone begins speaking at once frantically
>”Ah don’t know, ah haven’t seen him in hours!”
>”He hasn’t been in the living room since I’ve been decorating the tree.”
*creak*
>Was that a noise?
>”Nor has he been in the kitchen!”
>”He wasn’t with us when we got the tree inside.
*creak*
>There it is again
>”I don’t believe I saw him when I arrived dearies.”
>”I believe I saw him in organizing things in his room a bit after we arrived.”
*creak*
>You cough as a bit of, dust(?) falls on you from above?
>You look up to the ceiling
>”He’s no longer in the house, I searched around with Sunset, the scryer, and the two sisters.”
>”He was in the basement when the Dazzlings arrived...”
*creak*
>Another cloud of dust falls from the ceiling
>Is there something on the roof?
>”He was supposed to be in the basement preparing for later tonight, but he wasn’t down there when we checked again later.”
>”We first need to get everyone dressed before establishing search parties.”
*creak*
>It’s going towards, the chimney?
“Everyone…”
>You begin inching towards the now barely smoldering fireplace
>”If I can get a map of the surrounding area I could maybe chart optimal grids for us to search.”
>”Don’t we have to worry about whatever’s out there though?”
*creak*
>It’s definitely at the chimney now

>You raise your voice to hopefully be heard over the clamor of panicked planning
“Hey, there’s something on the roof!”
>That gets everyone’s attention as they all stop pacing and talking at once
>Rainbow smirks incredulously
>”Uh, what?”
>You hold an open palm around your ear and point to the ceiling
*creak*
>Gilda is the only one to break the silence
>”Mother fu-“
*Crrrssh WHUMP*
>Something practically explodes in the fireplace sending a cloud of ash and snow(?) into the air
>You cough as the pollution surrounds you
>”John jangle jingle heimer Schmidt, what was that?!”
>You’d answer Pinkie but a loud noise cuts through your thoughts
*KRRRRRRRRRRCCCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHH*
>Followed by a ghastly screech
>”AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
>You try to retreat from the fireplace towards Trixie but the sound ends abruptly as the ground shakes
*THUMP THUMP*
>You barely manage to stay standing as even more ash explodes out the fireplace
>Coughing profusely you try to wave the ash out of your face
>A chorus of low growls emanates from with the fireplace before you
>”Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww…” 
>You attempt clearing the ash from your face as you hear Twilight yell behind you
>”No, not my complete compendium of old folk carols!”
>Something goes whizzing by your head before colliding with whatever’s in the fireplace loudly
*CLUNK*
>You almost expect something to jump out at you in retaliation, but instead
>”*COUGH ACK*AWwwww FFFFFFUUUuuuccck!”
>Wait, you recognize that pained yell!
>Seems others do as they shout too
>”ANON!?!”
>Another voice answers from within the fireplace
>”Are we ok…”
>Wait is that!?
>A combination of phone lights and several people rushing in and you manage to clear away the lingering cloud of ash to reveal Anon, an-
>”Time bossman you made it!”

>Lemon Zest offers the agitated girl her hand
>”Yea, no thanks to this guy!”
>Anon attempts to stand and defend himself before needing AJ’s help
>”Hey in my defense, this was way cooler an entrance AND less of a screw up than blasting a door clean off its hinges!”
>What?!
>Before you can ask any of the multitude of question flowing through your head Rainbow grabs something in the fireplace
>”Hey, what’s in this sack?”
>He smiles proudly
>”It’s all my secret Santa presents for like all of you!”
>What?
>You just now notice that Anon is dressed up as Santa Claus
>Well, a Santa that was dragged through a coal mine
>A torrent of questions floods out your mouth
“Where were you, what were you doing, why did you come down the chimney, what do you mean your presents, and when did she get here?!”
>He holds up his hands defensively with a blackened smirk as if to stop anyone else from flooding him with questions
>”Ok ok, maybe we should explain…”
>His soot coated companion balls her fist as she punches him
>”We!?! You poped up out of the darkness almost giving me a heart attack and then brought me to the shack to hide!”
>He takes the hit and coughs
>”*Cough* ok that’s fair, maybe I should explain then…”
.
.
.
>It turns out that pretty much the entire night was a combination of bad luck and poor decision making on Anon’s part
>After sneaking out of his room via the window and a ladder what started as needing to wrap up all the presents he got for everyone quickly became something more
>He had gone outside to, write his name in the snow, when he noticed a certain late-comer’s car approaching
>Deciding to rush up to her he asked if she wanted to join him in his surprise santa visit
>Well, asked is a bit of weak word according to her since he dragged her to help him wrap presents too
>So what started as an innocent last-minute present wrap soon escalated when the lock to the shed door froze over

>While yanking and pulling on the door he managed to throw himself back onto the generator and knock something loose
>They would've tried fixing it, but decided against it on the basis that neither of them were really qualified to repair generators
>Eventually they decided they needed to get out of there or they’d freeze
>Anon wanted to bust open the window on the door, but his helper said she could easily apply just enough magical eumph to burst open the door with minimal damage
>Needless to say, she didn’t exactly succeed in that department
>Thanks to the visibility being so poor they thought they took too long and everyone had gone to bed
>Both their phones were either inside the house or dead, and neither had the key to the place so prospects were grim
>In order to hopefully wake someone up they practically beat the door down
>With the cold biting through their relatively thin outfits Anon came up with a very very stupid idea
>Why not go through the chimney?
>It was big enough, and with the way the roof layout was it was a relatively easy climb
>He stressed that he also didn’t want to break anymore doors down
>That’s how they came to slamming down a 20 ft drop using magic to somewhat cushion the fall
>But the worst part by far…
.
.
.
>”You realize how idiotic that stunt was correct?”
>You nod in agreeance with Celestia
“You could’ve been seriously injured or worse!”
>You’re not the only one giving the black and green Santa lounging on the couch a glare
>He shrinks back a bit in his seat
>”In my defense, I’ve done way more stupid and dangerous things; not to mention that I’ve fallen from way higher thanks to Will.”
>Practically everyone groans as you all settle back down in your respective seats
>With power restored and a fire raging it seems you can get on with the festivities
>Maybe after everyone gets done with Anon

>Instead of tearing into Anon, he suggests something else as he pats the blackened red silk sack beside him
>”So, bad stuff aside, I did get everyone here a present!”
>This causes a few people to eye the damaged bag with raised eyebrows as he shoots Chrissy a finger gun
>”Yes, even you Jordan’s mom.”
>He smiles sheepishly as he fishes out a present
>”They should all be relatively unscathed; they had a much smoother ride than I did after all. So why don’t we do the gift exchange now eh?”
>You don’t want to give him any, but to his credit the gift looks surprisingly pristine
>He begins handing them out to everybody in attendance
>It takes a while, but eventually you’re sitting beside him holding a small palm-sized box wrapped in orange paper
>He leans back while placing the sack and some remaining presents on the floor
>”That’s a load off my mind; getting presents for 27 people was probably one of the longest and most expensive tasks I’ve done.”
>You look up from your gift with a cocked eyebrow
“There’s only 24 of us here including you though?"
>He nods with a smile
>”Yep, thought we’d see Shining Armor, Cadence, an last but not least Wil-“
>He’s interrupted by a loud exclamation behind you
>”This is sooo AWESOME!”
>In Rainbows hands are a very nice pair of shoes
>Anon gives her a thumbs up
>”We never did get those shoes at the mall, so I figured I’d get you them.”
>Rainbow dashes over to Anon with stars in her eyes
>"How'd you even afford these!?"
>Anon sighs
>"Lots and lots of work after school for a certain rich employer..."
>After school work?
“Were you working after school all December?”
>He stretches his arms out and jokingly grunts
>”Yep, and somehow it was the worst month I’ve had all year!”
>You don’t really buy that considering October, but…
>Well that helps relieve one concern you had
>As if spurred on by Rainbow everyone else starts tearing into their gifts

>Gilda starts off by pulling the top off her box by the ribbon
>That is before she simply tears open the box and seems taken aback
>”How did you…”
>The two of them share a glance before she covers the box and stows it beside her
>”Thanks I guess…”
>Trixie follows suit by tapping her box twice causing it to topple open
>Inside was a plastic egg
>Whatever it is she gasps in delight before grasping it tightly to her chest
>Sonata jumps for joy as she clutches a, sombrero with a taco photo taped to it?
>Aria seems somewhat unimpressed with her gift
>”While I like it, I can’t help think you’re still holding a grudge for some reason…”
>She pulls out of her box a pair of mma gloves
>Adagio glows at the sight of her gift, well more so than she already was
>”I didn’t think you could pick out the tea from one tasting…”
>Anon yawns with a wide grin
>”Kinda cheated and looked in your cupboard.”
>Indigo Zap practically tears all her wrapping paper off in one go
>With a manic grin she poses with her newly acquired wooden katana
>Lemon Zest begins laughing uncontrollably as she pulls out, a thin guitar?
>She begins strumming away at the paper-thin guitar as music blasts forth from it
>Sugarcoat gives a dry laugh as she holds a bottle of nail polish in hand
>”Ha ha, very funny gifting me myself.”
>Anon gives her a two finger salute
>”There’s also 20$ in there for ya.”
>Sugarcoat smiles contently as she examines it
>”You didn’t even really try because you don’t know me well enough to know what I want so you give me a gift that I can use however I want. Passable, considering you at least went out of your way to get a joke gift as well, I guess.”
>Sour Sweet cackles as she tears at her present
>”Ha, I can’t wait to see what shit-“
>She stops laughing as she stares at a palm sized plastic rectangle with a sticky note on top of it

>Sunny Flare smiles as dignified as she can with bursting out laughing
>You can’t see exactly what she’s holding, but you think it’s a dvd
>Zecora is already examining her gift curiously
>A yoyo?
>”Thought you might be good at it since ya know…”
>Anon winces as Zecora begins to chuckle lightly
>”What is this?”
>The ever agitated S-
>”It’s a nametag, ya know so everyone knows your real name even though we’re just going to call you something and time.”
>Anon interrupts your thoughts once more
>You stifle a giggle however as the freshly name-tagged girl rolls her eyes
>Jordan is wiggling around in his gift
>At least you assume the pot is his gift since it doesn’t look like the stuff in the kitchen
>Chrissy holds up a pair of neon green knee socks and bandaid
>He shoots Anon a confused look
>He in turn smiles
>”It came to me in a dream.”
>Pinkie removes half of her box like it isn’t even attached to itself and softly smiles
>Don’t know how Anon managed to get a cupcake in that box and have it come out in one piece after all he did
>Rarity stares fondly at her gift
>You think it’s a photo, but you can't quite tell of what
>AJ quietly admires the shimmering glass apple in her hands
>There’s an inscription on it, but you can’t read it from your seat
>Twilight excitingly examines her gift
>A rather odd looking, Rubik’s cube?
>It’s in a weird shape and has numbers on each tile instead of colors
>Fluttershy daintily reaches into her green paper bag and pulls out a small charm of some sort in the shape of a rabbit
>Whatever it is she seems to enjoy it as she attaches it to her cellphone
>Luna is, crying?
>She’s reading through what looks like a very weathered journal
>Celestia, who sits beside her crying sister, chokes back her own tears as she reads a book
>It seems to have a pretty crude drawing on the title, but you can’t make out anything else
>Deciding that maybe you should open your own gift you tear away the layer of orange
>Underneath is a velvet box
>Popping it open you see…
>It’s your cutie mark
>A glass version of it

>Anon nods to you with a happy smirk
>”Thought it would look nice as a hairpin.”
>You, you don’t know what to say
>It feels like you shouldn’t be so emotional about it, but…
>It only occurs to you now that you haven’t actually worn anything with your cutie mark on it since the Friendship Games
>It feels so, good to hold this hair pin
>Like a missing piece you didn’t know was gone is back
>You pin it to your hair with a grateful smile
“Thank you.”
>He nods in response before waving towards the gift pile on the table
>”So are you guys going to exchange presents or are we renaming it to the Anon gives everyone stuff exchange?”
>Oh, that’s right!
>As everyone snatches their respective gifts off the table you grab your gift bag, making sure dust off some of the accumulated ash, before thrusting it towards Anon
“Here!”
>He rubs his hands together with a sharp inhale
>”Oh boy oh boy, what did ya get me!?”
>He takes the tissue out first and peers into the bags insides for a moment before the smile on his face disappears
>”I, I didn’t think I’d ever see this again…”
>You’d be worried if not for the tone of his voice
>Genuine surprise
>Anon pulls out the broken remnants of that pin from so long ago
“I tried to touch it up as much as I could, but…”
>He doesn’t respond for a moment as he seems to loose himself in the slightly shined and cracked surface of the small pin
>He finds his voice as he closes his eyes
>”That’s, that’s fine, it’s great…”
>He turns to you choking back tears with a smile
>”It means a lot, having this again…”
>You put a hand on his knee and give him a firm squeeze
>You really hoped this would make him happy
>He simply smiles as he clutches your hand tightly
>”Thank you.”
.
.
.
>You adjust your hair and run your fingers over the smooth glass of your pin
>By far one of the best Friday nights you’ve had, and as far as first Christmas’s go…
>Well you may not have a lot of them under your belt, but you don’t think you’d change a thing