"Settle down, ya'll! One pony at a time!"
"Yes, yes! The princess will see you soon. No need to push or shove the pony in front of you!"

It is Hearth's Warming Eve, and many, many ponies have gathered in front of Twilight's treehouse. Together in a line, they were waiting out in the falling snow for a chance to formally offer a gift to their local princess. In Canterlot, it has been a long-running tradition for all ponies to give a single gift to either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna on the eve before Hearth's Warming Day. It was a tradition began by the residents of the city centuries ago and was done out of love for the fair leaders of their city. Though Twilight Sparkle had only recently become an alicorn princess and hadn't done anything noteworthy of a ruler (as of yet) in Ponyville, the general populace has always been grateful to her for all the times she'd saved them from a catastrophe (like when Discord wreaked havoc on the town or when Trixie took over for a short while). And so, purely out of gratitude (and because of her new status as an alicorn), they have lined themselves up in front of her home this year, waiting to give the young princess pony a gift of their own. They started lining up early in the morning, just as the sun touched the horizon. When the line got bigger, Twilight and her pet dragon, Spike, found themselves boxed in their own home. It was only after her friends showed up that things started to get under control; Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy got in through a window and filled her in on what the ponies of Ponyville were up to. Pinkie Pie, swept up in all the excitement, donned a green vest, a fluffy green hat, and a white beard. Then she proclaimed herself as the princess's special helper pony and hopped to the front of the line. Using all of her strength, the girl managed to push the line of ponies a good distance from the door. They all toppled back on each other, overwhelmed by Pinkie's incredible pony power. She stated with a serious face that the line had to go smoothly so the princess could see them all. Applejack volunteered to help Pinkie keep the line running and Rarity (although hesitantly) soon volunteered afterward, once her little sister, Sweetie Bell, and her friends pushed her to help out.

Rarity was the only one of Twilight's friends that had not arrived with the others, as she had locked herself up in her home earlier to finish a dress she'd been working on for the holidays. Once she was done, she'd planned on visiting Happy Apple Acres to ask AJ to model the dress for her...and to see disgruntled look on the country pony's face when she had it on. But on her way to the farm, she'd seen the line and Pinkie a good distance away and tried to avoid it. Good thing the Cutie Mark Crusaders spotted the prim and proper pony before she could sneak away. After the three fillies pushed her on the scene, Applejack was more than happy to ask her to act as a bodyguard for the line, to which Rarity had no choice but to say yes. Now donned in the same clothes Pinkie wore (minus the beard), an annoyed Rarity and Applejack were at the front of the long line, making sure that one pony went in at a time into Twilight's treehouse. Rarity recently had to use her magic to shoo away a couple of stallions for harassing the other ponies in line and Applejack had bucked a few crazy mares that were dying to get in and see the princess first.

"What in the hay is wrong with these ponies," said Applejack, breaking a sweat. "They're all acting like our Twi's a celebrity or somethin!"

"I suppose that's what happens when you become an alicorn," said Rarity, wiping the sweat from her brow with a monogrammed handkerchief
(using magic also). "Everypony wants a piece of the new you. Hey, you! G-get back! Get away! Ahh! Don't point that stick at me, it's covered in mud! Ahh! Somepony help!"

"Hey," shouted Pinkie Pie as she hopped in front of Rarity. "You heard the lady! Back up! Or else! Grraaah!"
The stallion with the stick dropped it in the snow and stepped back as Pinkie put on her meanie face and slowly approached him. Seeing the line go on for miles, Applejack sighed.

"I sure hope Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are fairing better inside with the rest of this riff raff!"

Inside the treehouse, there was another line of ponies. There were ten of them in line, each pony waiting patiently with a well-wrapped present either on their head, back, or in their mouth. Twilight's most trusted assistant, Spike, was going up and down the line, making sure that everypony had a cool gift for the princess. He wore a white buttoned shirt, a black coat, and a pair of black sunglasses on his nose...yet he wore no pants. He called himself an "Official Gift Checker" and flashed his usual business card (with the word "Babysitter" crossed out and the words "Official Gift Checker Dragon" filled in under it in horrible handwriting) at every pony who questioned his authority. Then he took their gift, shook it up, and put his ear to the box. After he heard the sound of something move in the box, he'd hand it back to the pony, nod, and say "All clear."
Then he'd move on to the next pony. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were at the front of the line with Twilight. They were making sure that everypony handed their gift off, received a word of appreciation from Twilight, and were properly sent on their way so the line could keep moving. And where was Twilight? Why, sitting in a chair between RD and Fluttershy, of course! Sitting upright (in the same way a human would), Twilight sat there awkwardly among a growing pile of presents, a nervous smile on her face. She had her princess tiara on her head, a white and purple cape of royalty on her back, and a cane with the likeness of her face in her hoof (Spike had forced her to "firmly grasp it" after getting the cane from Discord). Compared to her friends, she wasn't alright with the idea of accepting gifts from the townsfolk.

"Uh, guys," she tried to say to her two besties. "Do I really have to do this?"

"Come on, Twilight," said Rainbow Dash, "these guys waited in line all morning to see you! And they're giving away free stuff...to you!
Isn't that awesome?"

"I know it is, but I..."

"Even a few animals from the forest are in line," added Fluttershy. "We can't turn away those cute, little faces and send them off.
It would break their poor hearts!"

"Yeah! We got to keep the line moving and let everypony...and uh, animal...show their gratitude!"

"But I don't deserve it," Twilight blurted out. "I haven't really done anything that important for Ponyville!"

"Sure you have," said RD. "Remember how you took down that Ursa Minor?"

"I was only cleaning up Trixie's mess when I did that."

"Oh," said Fluttershy, "and don't forget how she reminded us of our true destinies and saved the town from Rarity's cloudy storms."

"Have you forgetten how it was my fault it even happened in the first place?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Alright...not everything you did can be counted as an act of good will towards Ponyville. But it doesn't change the fact that you're a princess, and that the ponies here think you're great!"

"And we do too, Twilight," added Fluttershy, giving the alicorn a friendly nudge on her cheek. The warmth of the kind pegasi's face made Twilight smile. "You've helped us out plenty of times. And we owe it to you now to help out."

"And if you think it's too much to handle," said RD, "we can just take a few of these presents off of your hooves for ya!"

"Thanks, you guys," said Twilight, empowered by the support of her fellow ponies. "You're all such great friends to me. Sometimes, I feel like I don't deserve you. Maybe I can do this, after all." Now filled with enthusiasm, the princess pointed her Twicane at Fluttershy "Okay! I'm ready! Bring me the next pony!"

"Yes, your highness," replied the pegasi with a giggle. Then Fluttershy lead two young colts to Twilight. In a goofy way, they bowed to the alicorn respectfully. It was the short, stubby unicorn who spoke first.

"M-Miss Twilight," said Snips in a stutter. He pointed his eyes at a blue box wrapped in red ribbon resting on his head.
"We brought you this present to uh.."

"To show our thanks," continued the lanky unicorn next to him. "Me and Snips got this special present just to show how much we-"

"..appreciate all you've done for Ponyville," finished Snips.

"We hope you like it," said Snails. "It's not that great a gift for a.." Snails giggled as he observed the smile on Twilight's face. He seemed to be smitten by her beauty. "..for a pretty princess like you! It's well...uh...ok here ya go!"

"That's sweet of you to say," replied Twilight, blushing. She liked compliments. They boosted her self-esteem well. "And thank you. I shall humbly accept your gift!"

"Golly gee," said Snips with a sigh. He was smitten by the alicorn's beauty too.

"Hold everything," said Spike.

"Huh?!"

Spike the dragon had run to the front of line. He got right in between Snips and Twilight just as she had put her hooves out to receive the colts' present.

"Spike," asked Twilight. "What are you doing?"

"Saving your life, madam pony president," replied the dragon.

"Madam what?!"

"That gift hasn't been through security! It could be...a bomb! Duh-duh-duhh! Give it!"

"N-no," cried Snips as he tried to keep the gift out of the dragon's claws. "You can't have it!"

"Yeah," said Snails, backing up his friend. "That present's for the princess!"

A scuffle soon ensued between the two young unicorns and the little dragon as they had a free-for-all to determine who got the gift. It didn't last long though after Rainbow Dash got involved. She flew into the fray and snatched up the present, hovering above the three brawlers as they lay on top of each other in a pile.

"That's enough," shouted RD at the three of them. "You guys are holding up the line! Hearth's Warming Day is tomorrow, and it's already noon! We don't have all day to do this."

RD threw the blue box into the pile of presents. Then Snips and Snails pushed Spike off of them and sighed.

"We're sorry," said Snails. "We didn't mean to take up your time, Miss Twilight."
"Yeah," said Snips. "We'll just get out of your hair now."

Seeing the two colts sulk their way to the exit (and pushed there by RD) nearly broke Twilight's heart. She raised a hoof to stop RD from kicking them out and made a gesture with her hoof.

"Wait, Rainbow Dash," she called out. "Bring them back!"

"Huh," asked RD. "Why?!"

"Because! I uh...have a present to give them. For their..um..loyalty! Yes!"

The mention of a gift made Snips and Snails' ears perk up. The two quickly ran back to the alicorn and looked up at her with eager eyes.

"A gift for us," asked Snips.
"What is it, Miss Twilight," asked Snails.

Twilight tapped her horn with the cane in her hoof. What could she give these two unicorn colts?

"I got it," said the alicorn princess. "You two! Close your eyes and I'll uh..give you something nice!"

"Cool," said Snails and Snips in unison.

They did as she said and shut their eyes. Then Twilight stepped down from her chair. She looked at the cane in her hoof and frowned at its face. Then she used her magic to place it down gently at Snips and Snails' hooves.

"Alright," said Twilight after she sat back in her chair. "You can open your eyes now."

When the colts opened their eyes and saw the cane, they both gasped.

"Super whoa," exclaimed Snips. "It's the princess's golden scepter! It's...beautiful!"

"And so priceless," said Snails with a tear in his eye. "Let's go use it to bonk squirrels!"

"Okay!"

Filled with glee from their gift, the duo ran for the exit. RD opened up the door and let the two run on through. Then she called out for another pony to come in and keep the line moving. Twilight smiled. It was nice to put a smile on anypony's face. Was this the rewarding feeling of being a princess, she thought. She would have to ask Princess Celestia in a letter if it was. As the young alicorn waited to accept another gift of gratitude from the next pony, Spike was shaking up the box RD threw into the present pile.

"Tell me your secrets," muttered Spike into the box. "Tell me!"

After hearing nothing but silence from the gift, the little dragon shook it up even more.