Blueblood

Queen Haven nodded at the mention of the boat party. She'd been quite thankful that Pipp and Zipp had been invited to it, as it gave her the opportunity to do the necessary smoothing-over work with the media and ponies of Zephy Heights. She never wanted her two princesses to face the kind of vitriol that was unleashed in the wake of the... incident at Pipp's concert. Seeing all those nasty comments had been hard enough on the poor filly... She shook her head. That was in the past, and not the kind of past now being mined for happy holiday Hearthswarming... happenings? Alliteration aside, Haven was really hoping her two fillies would show up soon. "I know Pipp was quite excited about the boat party when she was telling me about it; thank you for making her feel welcome here. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at how well you host parties!" She addressed that remark to both Sugar and Sunny equally, as she might in a speech to all Earth Ponies. "Now then... what was this I was hearing about special treats?" Her ears perked up, eyes seeking out Allegro.

Ambrosia was practically vibrating with excitement, but found herself tripped up by her silly older brother being silly. Really, he was asking what The Great Gift Giver was doing downstairs? "Duh, giving gifts! Come on, let's go see! Maybe get the bell!" It was clear she would have to lead the way; the giver was going directly from the roof to the kitchen, and Zap was up here asking where to go? No, they had to go down quickly, and already little Amby's legs were doing their best to quietly convey her down the stairs...

This was it. After a full year of waiting, anticipation, pregnancy cravings, morning sickness, hopes, and dreams, the time had finally come. Sky Sailing was sitting right by his fiancee's side in the Los Pegasus Hospital, awaiting the birth of their first foal! He felt they were as ready as they could ever be. The name was agreed on, the crib built, the flat absolutely stuffed with all the baby equipment that their friends and family could supply, and waiting in the wings were two pairs of prospective grandparents, almost as eager as Sky and Windy themselves! Both their parents were in the hall outside, though; only Sky and the midwife was with Windy at the moment. "I'll be right here through the whole thing, don't worry." He gave her hoof a comforting caress, holding it ready for Wind Dancer to squeeze if need be.

(Gonna just go ahead and post the first two presents now) For Tiger, the long package took some time to unwrap, as Chipper had apparently used every scrap of used paper in his room, far more than was strictly necessary to cover the object. Which was one way to tidy up one's space, at least! But once the pile of used paper was set aside, what would be revealed was a harpoon carved from bone. What kind of bone would be hard to tell, Chipper didn't seem fit to specify. But it was carved in a way that showed some expertise with the material, with some extra rune etchings that spelled out Tiger Blood in Whitescar futhark script. ~~~ Sky smiled down at Wind Dancer, stroking her mane as she read the letter. "Sounds like this really meant something to her. Let's see what it is..." He pulled out what looked like a homemade scrapbook or photo album, pages decorated with copies of photographs and messages in markers. Each picture was of a sweet-looking unicorn filly of light burgundy color, aging gradually from infancy to school-age. On each page was a little note of the event in question, some advice on how to handle various domestic crises that an upset foal might cause, and remembrances of the little joys in life that made it all worth it. Not a fancy gift, but one straight from the heart.

Archancellor Blueblood hadn't planned to stay long in the office, just tidying up before locking the doors before the holidays from term. But, there were always more things on his desk than when he left them. Specifically, term papers sent in just before the deadline that he might as well grade now so as not to leave them for later. It was just as he was marking another spelling error that he heard the tap on the terrace glass. "Oh, good morning!" He started, getting up to open the doors. "You just caught me in the middle of some work... what is it, Honeywing?"

Thankfully, Zap didn't take too long to wake up, and Amby was cheered to see he was treating this situation with the gravity it deserved. "Of course its true, mama said so, and now he's on the roof!" Well, by the sounds of it, in the attic now. Whatever! Her little legs couldn't move near as fast as her big brother's wings, but she was giving it a go as she followed him into the hallway, listening all the time for hoofsteps. "Is he coming in? Can you reach the attic ladder?"

"Yahoo!" Chipper cheered as the snack table was presented. Not exactly as hardy a fare as one would see in a caribou longhouse, but Moonlight wasn't playing host to a party of Vikings who'd worked up an appetite on the high seas, just a bunch of school foals wanting a celebratory sugar rush. Without waiting for further permission, he dove right in, with all the table manners that could be expected with his upbringing. That is to say, none. Anypony within five feet of him would be receiving a light dusting of crumbs and sugar. Poor Remy would likely have more food than fabric coating him if he wasn't careful...

Blueblood felt himself more a host than a guest, partly due to the fact that this castle had been his living quarters for the past year. He would have to constantly check himself from time to time to keep from usurping Twilight's social position. This was a refreshing break for her, don't steal it, boy! "Well, the herd is in the process of expansion, we're expecting our first filly in a few short months. If Dunnie feels up to coming downstairs, Star will be with her." Turning now to each of the guests, he gave a smile to each over the rim of his punch glass. Only one seemed to greet him, using the proper title, at least. He raised a glass to his fellow stallion. "Happy Hearthswarming to you as well. Glad to see you in the spirit of the season." From what he'd gathered from some of Icy's letters, that had not been a typical thing for Blizzard in the past. Actually, come to think of it, he knew of most of the newly-arrived guest through Icy's letters. He supposed she had been mostly responsible for rounding them up and shooting them towards Ponyville. Speaking of which... "Ah, Myth, was it? Ice Storm wrote about meeting you in one of her letters. Mentioned you quite a bit, as a matter of fact." Looking between her and Feather, he raised a brow and smirked a little at the introduction of the pegasus as her 'marefriend.' "And based on that and what she told me as well... I take it you are a fellow herd enjoyer?" He laughed a bit, hardly one to laugh at the polyamorous himself, having pushed through a few legal reforms to have his own marriage. "Well, good luck to you all."

All around Ponyville, the warm spirit of the holiday cut through the cold. Ponies who would never otherwise meet were brought together under the auspices of Princess Twilight to exchange gifts. No better example of the varied meetings that resulted could be found than the three listed below... ~~ The first delivery might be considered impersonal, if it were not so unique as to be considered a signature style of the giver. A long package, wrapped in paper scraps and school glue, was flown by means of a flock of crows over the Friendship Castle grounds to the guard quarters, where a raucous celebration was just starting to get into gear. As if instructed, the laden flock hovered over the grounds, searching for a particular member of a particular prince's particular guard, and then, with much cawing, dropped the package in front of him. The label on the agglomeratedly wrapped... thing set out the situation simply enough: From: Chipper Demise To: Tiger Blood ~~ The next gift was similarly to be delivered by parcel rather than by pony, for rather more mundane reasons and by rather more mundane means. The giver was a mother, who could not easily travel to Los Pegasus, and the recipient was a mother-to-be, who could not easily travel from there. There was also the matter of relative difference in Celebrity between the two, but oddly enough, to Berry Punch this mattered less. Wind Dancer had visited their town last Hearts and Hooves day, together with her now-fiancee to put on a joint show. Little Ruby had loved to see them dance and sing, and therefore Berry loved them too. The gift this time had been easy to select, and whenever the hard-working mail service delivered the express package to the door of Windy's Penthouse, it would arrive with a short, but sincere letter: Dear Wind Dancer: Happy Hearthswarming from your Secret Princess! I couldn't help but hear you are going to become a mother soon! I remember when I was expecting my little filly, and all the excitement and anxiety that came with it. I hope the stress is not affecting you too much, and also that you are appropriately grateful for the pony who is sticking by your side through it all- Sorry, I let a bit of my own feelings go. As joyous as the experience of motherhood is, it is hard to not share it with another in your house. There are many things which brought me through these past years, and I've sent you one of the more... healthy outlets I've found. I hope you will find it useful, and I do wish that you will come to Ponyville again. Ruby loved seeing you and Sky, and is still singing your songs sometimes! It's so adorable seeing her dance.... Sincerely, Berry Punch ~~ Breaking the pattern somewhat, this last gift was able to be given in person, though only through a serendipitous series of coincidents. Why, had not the recipient attended the giver's wedding, the giver's private secretary would not have retained any notes upon her, and thus would not have been able to present to his employer, Prince Blueblood, that Jade Beaker had reason to visit one Berry Punch this holiday season, and thus may possibly be in town to receive his gift in person. The Prince set aside a little time before Twilight's party to carry his parcel out, and managed to run into her in the street. "Ah, hold up a minute!" He called out to the mare, waving the package in the air to get her attention.

Of course Prince Blueblood would be at this party. Having spent the past year in Ponyville, overseeing his first terms as Archancellor of the School of Friendship, he would be celebrating the holidays here with his new (and now growing) family. It was no surprise that he was one of the first to arrive, standing right at the doors as they opened. "Thank you once again for coming here to host; I've been able to give all my staff and guards the holidays off they very richly deserve." Dressed to the nines in a deep purple velvet suit and festive tie, a sprig of holly in his buttonhole, he looked every bit the Canterlotian Hearthswarmer. "Also, I'm pleased to be able to announce, that I've set aside funds for IMAGINE to now operate a scholarship fund for the School of Friendship, specifically geared to providing means for students from conflict-riven areas of the world to come and learn. I've already arranged a few for the coming term for Whitescar and, hopefully, expand into Maretonia soon. It's those places that need the lessons we have to teach the most." He certainly looked pleased as punch, heading over to bowl to sample. "Ah, good, I instructed the kitchen not to spike it this year; Dunnie should be able to drink this if she feels up to attending; she hasn't always had the energy to go out these past few weeks, for obvious reasons."

For a while, Chipper Demise had not been certain whether he would go home for the winter vacation. Not that Whitescar was all that festive for most of the winter; sure, there was the solstice festival, which was great, but the rest of the season was basically hunkering down in a longhouse, packed together to preserve body heat, and nibbling rations until the spring. Whereas, if he stayed in Equestria, he'd have a festival and more rations for the rest of the season! His adopted parents had sympathized with his feelings in the matter, and with the most recent letter from Papa Halvard, he had permission to stay down south for the whole term break! He was planning to make the most of this opportunity, too, dressing for the occasion in a more festive version of his usual clothes. While he wore the black and silver uniform of the school with pride when attending, necromancer's robes festooned with holly and mistletoe struck him as striking just the right note. Additionally, he even managed to wrangle some more colorful birds, substituting his crows from home with a cardinal and red-breasted robin, each of whom were perched on the branches tied to his color. "God jul, glad solstånd!" He called out as he entered, making an entrance with his usual bright and cheery attitude. "Let us begin the winter feast!" Moonlight would certainly find no fault in his holiday spirit, at least.

Ambrosia had, tonight, enjoyed storytime as much as she usually did, which was a lot! Orange-mama was the best storyteller, and even though her memories of her earliest years were fuzzy, little Amby knew this was the time of year she went all-out for her foals. Just one problem, though. What was all this nonsense about 'whether' or 'if' she had been a good little filly? She was the best little filly, mama said that herself! Silly Applejack! With the excitement that every little foal feels before the big holidays of their lives, Amby was sure she would never fall asleep... even though it took no more than five minutes. It was a light sleep, though, so when the thumps came from the roof above her and Zap's room, she bolted awake, eyes wide with excitement. "Zappers, Zappers!" She called out in the loudest way one possibly can while still whispering. "He's here, the gift giver's here!"

Having taken her seat with ample poise, Queen Haven gave Flick a small, controlled smile. "It was indeed quite the trip. And the story... well, it is a long one. For me, it began with having two trespassers brought to me by the guards. At the time, it wasn't legal for non-citizens to enter the city." That was a diplomatic way of saying 'pegasi-only,' but the queen didn't see any reason to use such rhetoric now. It would make the transition a bit easier if everypony just went with the idea that Zephyr Heights was just opening up to guests, rather than changing its entire way of life. "Well, the next thing I knew, Pipp was doing her concert when all Tartarus broke loose; I trust you don't need me to go into details; everypony saw what happened... and alongside that, everything that had been happening." She sighed, pausing on the point, as she knew Flick was going to ask that eventually, and it was best to confront this head-on. Don't appear evasive, nopony respects a prevaricator.

By the time Rarity returned from giving Zap his present, Ambrosia was still posing in front of the trifold mirror. Enough time had passed that she'd moved from pretending to model on the catwalk to making funny faces. Young model as she was, she was still a little filly, and some things were just universal among foals. She cut the clowning as soon as she heard Rarity behind her, though, turning around to behold- The Dress. It deserved the capital letters. It was perfect; everything a little filly could possibly want! She would look like the pretty princess she knew in heart that she was, nopony would be able to deny it! Tremble before her mighty petticoat, peasants! Her reaction was adorable, sucking in such a large breath that her lungs inflated like balloons, and her wide and shining eyes almost rivaled their size. She looked about to burst for a second, before it all came out as a huge, "Thank you Auntie Rarity!" Mama would be proud of her polite reaction, as well as the patented rib-crushing hug that all apples, whether earth pony or no, were capable of giving.

Ah, so it seemed they had a plan. Good to know that the ponies Blueblood knew knew ponies, bringing everypony in to a tight, helpful network. "Then it sounds as if we have a plan. Thank you both for coming, I know it was a bit out of your way both in terms of location and requested field, but rest assured, Niilaavin, Enbarr, and I deeply appreciate all the help you can render. I shall write for Bevel immediately, and let you both know when she is available. In the meantime, do make yourself at home if you plan to stay, I have put instructions for tea if you have time." The rest of the visit would most likely be social rather than business, if either decided to stay. Though, he suspected Niil would prefer that Rose not stay... Gritstream, meanwhile, was keeping close to Enbarr. Lowering her voice to whisper, she asked, "Do let me know when you're talking to them, alright? The big guy can't always get into buildings, so I'll keep an eye and ear out for you when he can't." The poor mare had been through too much to be taken advantage of, as far as the more grizzled maid was concerned.

Unfortunately for Valence, this class turned out to be Music, sort of. There wasn't any choral singing practice, but a guest lecture on why Equestrians would, from time to time, break into song in unison, without training or practice. Apparently, the magic of friendship was metaphysically connected to music and song; it was no coincidence that it was called 'Harmony' after all! This accounted for why Equestrians had born among them higher than average per-capita musicians, as well. The upshot of it was, though, that music was not going to be an optional elective. Learning to sing, and what's more, to sing together, would strengthen both their personal bonds and magical potential. Chipper, was uncharacteristically silent and attentive during the whole lecture, but when class broke up for discussion, he turned excitedly to Valence. "That was fascinating! I'd always wondered about the song business myself; I like singing, but I could never get that whole chorus thing going. I just needed more friends, that was all, and I can tap into that power! Nyahaha, look out Bridleway!"

Feng, even using his hindsight, really couldn't say it was obvious to him at all. Of course, Rongyu's strength was clear enough, and her explanation of insubstantiality was intuitive enough. "Huh, didn't know that was possible. I mean, there are legends of monks who managed to obtain 'astral bodies of chi' after intensive training, but I'd never heard of such things actually happening here and now. Hm, perhaps there were hebi and the like in the founding of the monasteries?" Something to ponder, for sure. Certainly he was learning a lot of new things today. The foxfire, too, was new to him, given that he'd never really seen his friend in any truly hostile situation. "Huh, that... is actually quite the skill. Besides the burning off of magic, makes a hell of a distraction. I wonder... can it also burn on the magic of enchantments and constructs?" That would certainly put paid to any magical wards, locks, and alarms if so! Speaking of distraction, Feng suddenly blinked to find himself disoriented and repositioned. "Huh- oh." He blinked a couple of times, looking around him. "That is damn impressive, if you don't mind me saying so."

Shining Armor nodded, smiling at his daughter's considerateness. "I made sure to have some relief squads in backup, don't worry." He took a closer look at the replica ornaments, rather impressed at the worksponyship. "Where did you find these? They're quite impressive!" That was about all he got to before the guests began to arrive. The first guest... Shining had to suppress a flinch. Still having a soldier's mindset, and still bearing a scar on his mind from his changeling captivity, he couldn't help but keep his senses aware for any disguised changelings. Of course, he knew the majority of the Hive had been turned to Harmony, and Chrysalis herself was no longer a threat, but... as much as he tried, there would be one part of himself that couldn't quite shut itself off. No need to be rude for that, though, and he outwardly smiled and nodded at Rose, though he kept a little closer to his daughter than he otherwise might. The next face he actually did recognize, though he decided to wait to see if Flurry recognized him too. The young colt had visited before, and Shining wanted to see if one of Flurry's more contemporary guests might turn into a friend. The next familiar face, though, he did greet in person. "Ah, Sunrise Skies, good to see you again in the Empire!" He left unmentioned any word on the incidents of her last visit. No need to bring up any more traumas this holiday...

It was a good theory. It meant he didn't die. But he wasn't correct enough to win. BWHANG! Instead, he found himself literally spanked in front of Yanhua, with sufficient force to send him flying without the use of his wings, where he then landed without use of his legs. With stinging flanks and spitting muzzle, he cleared the dirt from his tongue as he scrambled up, not yet sure if the fight was still on or if his recruit thought that sufficient demonstration of her skill and kind. "Hebi?" He asked, in the same tone Rongyyu had used on the word 'illusion.' "I'm... not familiar with the word. Not from Neighpon, you see."

Part of becoming a Watcher meant knowing when you could or could not trust your senses. Feng knew that he saw his hooves connect with Rongyu's body, and also knew that he felt nothing but ground collide with them. He also knew that he was fighting a Yokai, and that illusions were part of their repertoire. Therefore, it seemed logical to conclude that some sophisticated illusion work was at hoof. Catching her move her sword right through her sheathe was only confirmation to him. Well, what do you do if you think you're being played for a fool? Go off-script, that was what! Granted, it was probably pretty stupid to bet his life on the fact that the sword wasn't going to actually slice through him, but he'd taken risks that big in real fights before. One gets a high tolerance for such things. He stayed absolutely still as he landed, looking Rongyu in the eyes as the blade whooshed through him. He grinned, "Not bad work, but you'll have to be more convincing with your illusion work than that. Have Yanhua give you lessons!" Making another bet that such a move would catch her off-guard, Feng rushed forward, a spinning blur of limbs, aiming to seek more than strike. After all, he couldn't trust what he could see, only what he could feel...

Chipper's own school supplies were, when seen, comparatively old-fashioned. Parchment, not paper (a fact rather more disturbing the more one thought of it), and what looked to be a home-made pencil, carefully crafted from whittled wood wrapped around a stick of charcoal. "I think was either 'Defense against the Dark Hearts' class, or else music. I'd be happy either way. I like singing, and I like throwing fire at the bad guys!"

Shining would return Flurry's hug with a ruffle of her mane. "Usually, your Grandma would cook what she called a 'celebration soup,' but she has yet to give up the recipe. I think she wanted us to come up with our own, so! I asked some folks I met with to help with the kitchen. Meanwhile... for today, and today only, everypony can have as many sweets as they want." Pinkie Pie wasn't here, so surely an indulgent holiday privilege like that wouldn't end in disaster, right? Hearing that she'd invited a few friends from Ponyville, Shining was fine with that. It would probably help for Flurry to have some familiar friendly faces around, just as Twily liked to spend Heartswarming with at least some of her close Ponyville friends. "Alright, I'll let her know. And don't worry about the guards at the door, I've selected the best." Older officers, who aged more into 'jolly' than 'grumpy.' You earned the privilege of cushy posts like that after a few decades of service. "Hope the guests arrive soon, you've done a great job preparing for them!"

A jousting tournament? Sky Sailing would certainly not have expected that, but it certainly did increase his curiosity about what sort of things happened there. "I guess there's something inherently interesting about any kind of contest. Still don't know if I'd like it, but... well, it would be rude to blow something off without trying it, right?" That decided it, the stallion took his place in the line to get tickets. Looking around, he could see that the audience was mostly, but not exclusively, stallions and colts, many of the former obviously being the fathers of the latter. It seemed to be something of a family affair, which made him slightly more confident that he would enjoy himself. "So who was that fan?" He asked, as the line crept up to the ticket stall. "I would have liked to meet her, and I suspect she'll come around to this city again."