"And then I said 'Pie, right?'" Pinkie was giggling as we all sat in the living room about an hour and a half later. Zecora and Scarlet were both sitting on my lap, snuggling up close to me as I sat in my custom built single person chair facing the now roaring fire. The Elements of Harmony were sitting on the couch to my left and right of me. Phlogiston, who was holding Aurora, was sitting on one of the couches while feeding the young Dragon some warm milk. Ember, Adagio, Aria and Chrysalis had clearly been feeling more and more uncomfortable throughout dinner, so after they'd finished they'd excused themselves to head back upstairs. Sonata had gone up with the other two Sirens, not wanting to leave them alone for the holidays, or so she explained to me. Spike, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were sitting on the floor leaning against the couch.
The meal itself was, without a doubt, one of the best ones I'd ever had before. Everything just seemed to explode with flavor. It surprised me that the turkey itself was as juicy and full of flavor as it was. Anytime I'd tried to make turkey before for Thanskgiving, I'd never quite gotten it right, which was why in my latter years on Earth I'd just bought some freshly made turkey from the local shopping center. I'd always had better luck with ham, for some reason.
If the food itself was phenomenal, then the desserts were all superb. I'd never quite been an apple pie fan back on Earth, or a pie fan in general except for those Marie Callender's chocolate pies. However, Applejack's apple pie was something that I couldn't get enough of, it seemed. Pinkie's own chocolate pie was just as delicious, and I could feel my arteries hardening just looking at it and the side of her neighopolitan ice cream. Zecora's Marelva Pudding was just as good as the other dessert dishes, with its apricot jam and the cream sauce and custard.
After cleaning up, we all went out to the living room where we were about to open presents, but as we were walking out, Pinkie began telling everyone about her thirteenth birthday. We were all sitting out in the living room as she continued the story. I was laughing along with most of the others as she continued. "I couldn't stop laughing! Mom and Dad were super duper confused. Mom then goes 'Nay, little one. For thine thirteenth year of birth, we shall engage in the tradition of our own family which hath been passed down from many generations past.'"
I couldn't help myself. I snorted as I said, "I completely forgot your family is like Pony Amish!"
"What's an Amish?" Pinkie asked.
"They're a group of humans who live on the eastern coast of my home country," I explained with a chuckle. "They shun all modern technology and live as if time stopped two hundred or so years ago."
"Oooooh!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Well, my family aren't Amish," she explained, "but I guess they're preeeetty similar."
"Are they Maneish?" Twilight asked.
"What are they?" I asked, curious now.
"The Manish are Ponies who tend to live like all modern conveniences don't exist, like the Amish do," Twilight explained. "Most of them are farmers."
"Apple Bloom and ah have a third cousin who's Maneish," Applejack said. "She and her husband live down south on a smaller farm."
"I don't think my parents are Maneish," Pinkie Pie said, looking thoughtful now.
"Well anyway, go on with your story," I said. "I'm curious now."
"Oh yeah! Well, I was uuuupset. I mean, it was my thirteenth birthday and they weren't gonna get me a pie? I mean, it's in my name! I love pie, and I was just about to become a mare, not a filly anymore! But Mom and Dad are super big on tradition so they said they were gonna get me a rock pound cake! A rock. Pound. Cake! I mean, I know my family loves rocks, especially Maud, but we normally only ever have rocks for a meal at Hearth's Warming."
"Rock soup, right?" I asked.
"Exactly! I was really mad! Like super ultra mad! Like hold my breath until I turned blue mad! Actually I think I did turn blue!" She giggled.
"I'd pay good money to see that!" Rainbow laughed.
"Well, I think I have some spare blue paint in the basement from when the construction company painted the main bathroom," I chuckled. "But keep going, Ponkers."
Nodding, Pinkie continued. "So anyway, I spent the whole evening in bed crying. Nopony could cheer me up. I was acting like a real stinker! Well, the next day was my birthday, so I decided I should be a big mare and just go down. And what do you think I find? A pie! An honest to Celestia pie! A massive rock candy pie!"
"Rock candy pie? How does that work?" Fluttershy asked curiously.
"Hardened and grown sugar crystals?" Twilight guessed.
"Exactarooni!" Pinkie said.
"Sounds really delicious," Spike said, licking his lips.
"I'd love to have the recipe if your parents would be willing to share," I said.
"Maybe you can ask when you see them next!" Pinkie said.
The way she said it gave me pause. I raised an eyebrow at the pink Pony. "'When I see them next?' Is there something you wanna share, Pinks?"
She gave me a sheepish grin. "Ahaha, well, I maaaay have told them about you in a letter or two…" she said, poking her hooves together nervously.
"Or two?" I repeated, crossing my arms.
"Nnng…okay, seven!" she admitted. "You know, they actually bought their very first telephone after my sixth letter so they could talk about you with me?"
"They did? But aren't they out in the middle of nowhere?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, yeah but they wanted to talk to me more often," Pinkie said. "Dad and Mom want to meet you, and so do my sisters."
"You didn't invite them to the wedding, did you?" I asked.
Pinkie quickly shook her head. "No, not at all!"
"Well, someday I'd love to meet your family," I said. "I've seen them on the show a couple of times."
"Well…maybe we can see them next year?" she suggested.
"I'll set some time aside," I promised.
"Yay! Thanks, Jethy! I know my family will love you!"
I smiled and gave a thumbs up, before turning back to the rest of the group. "So, I take it from the satisfied looks on your faces that you all really enjoyed the food tonight?" I asked.
To my surprise, Fluttershy was the first to reply. She smiled over at me and said, "It was really good."
"I must agree," Rarity said, nodding politely at the Siren. "It was by far one of the finest Hearth's Warming meals I have ever eaten. Certainly better than anything my own mother tend to make." The Unicorn fashionista shuddered.
"Yeah! She burns almost everything," Sweetie Belle said with a giggle.
Like mother, like daughter, I thought. "Well, I wanted tonight to be special for everyone here," I said.
"Ah ain't gonna complain," Applejack said. "Those dishes were really somethin' else! Especially what Zecora done made! That stew was really good! Can ah get the recipe?"
Zecora looked over at the orange mare, then a small grin formed on her face as she leaned on her hand. "Why, my dear Applejack, are you saying you like something like this better than an apple dish? There are no apples in that stew, you know?"
Scarlet put her foreleg over her forehead. "How scandalous! An Apple girl likes a stew without apples? What will the newspapers say, huh?"
Applejack just sighed. "Hey, ah can like somethin' without apples in it, yah know?" She turned to me and frowned. "Those two are leanin' too much from yah."
"What can I say, my dear friend? That's just what happens in the end," I said. "Spend enough time with these two and you'll see that you begin to act similarly, don't you agree?"
Zecora laughed and clapped her hands. Turning to me, she moved closer and said, "Now tell me, my love, was that a spontaneous rhyme, or was it something you thought of ahead of time?"
"Well, just like you've told me once before, to come up with rhymes doesn't have to be a chore," I replied, my mind working overtime. "In fact, it's quite fun once you begin, and look! It seems to have made them all grin!" I gestured to the rest of the group, who were all watching this impromptu poetry battle with grins and knowing smiles.
Zecora turned and drank in their amused expressions before she chuckled and turned back to me. Putting her hand on my chest, she cooed, "My husband to be, as impressed as I am, none can match me in poetry throughout the land."
"Au contraire, I know of one creature who could. A young Dragon lad who's really quite good. Garble is his name, and his skills are quite big. He rhymes are really quite cool, ya dig?" I snapped and pointed at her, giving her the wink and the gun.
"Okay, enough with the rhyming for now," Scarlet said, giggling.
"Garble, isn't he that one Dragon with that younger Dragon sister who came up with their mother during your speech back in Aelyssia?" Fluttershy asked.
"Yeah," I replied. "He showed up in the show. He's a beat poet."
"Can we open presents now?" Scootaloo asked.
I turned to the young Pegasus and chuckled. "You're really anxious to see everything you got, aren't you Scoots?" I asked.
She looked a bit embarrassed, but nodded. "Yeah…"
"Well, if everyone is ready for presents, I don't see why we can't start now?" I said as I stood along with Zecora and Scarlet. "Anyone else have any objections?"
"Presents time! Presents time!" Pinkie exclaimed eagerly.
Twilight lifted the folded fabric that I'd given her up to a wall with her magic. As she set it up, I asked, "I never did ask, but why did you bring that with you today?"
Twilight finished putting it up, watching as it began morphing into a door once more. When it was completely finished, she turned back to me. "That's a secret for now," she said with a sly smile.
I raised an eyebrow at her, then put my hands on my hips and sighed. "Alright then, keep your secrets you nerd," I said playfully as I ruffled her mane briefly. Turning back to the others, I said, "Well, since you all want to be so secretive, is it okay if I give you all your presents first?"
Immediately, Pinkie, Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were in front of the tree, looking around it for their presents. I'd spent the day before selecting presents for each guest I'd invited, including the ones who'd gone to bed early. In fact, once they did go upstairs to their rooms, I'd given them their presents to open whenever they felt like it. For the Sirens, I'd actually found something surprising for them in my new repertoire of belongings: letters addressed to them from their parents, written after they fled and were banished by Starswirl. I thought briefly back to their reactions:
I held out a large light blue wooden chest to the three Sirens after I walked them back to their rooms. The chest was decorated to look like the wood was actually scales. It was locked with a key that had a handle like a seashell. I set it down on the ground next to the window, then handed the key to Adagio. "I know you probably never celebrated Christmas before, but I wanted to give you something for the occasion. So here you are, and Merry Christmas."
Adagio grabbed the key from me, then looked down at the chest. Slowly, silently, she walked up to the chest and unlocked it. Opening it, the inside revealed ancient looking jewelry, a small knife, coins that were more than likely not used anywhere anymore, and three scrolls, each having a unique seal. "Hestia told me that these once belonged to the Siren Duchy," I said, stepping aside.
The three Sirens stared at the contents of the chest in stunned silence. After a while, Sonata slowly approached, reached out to one of the scrolls, lifted it up, and broke the seal. The others watched her with trepidation as she read. Tears began pouring down her cheeks. "Daddy…" was all she said as she clutched the scroll to her chest.
Hearing this, the other two looked at each other, then grabbed one of the scrolls each. Breaking the seals, they both read. Silence reigned as the two read. After a while, Aria began trembling and looking angrily at the letter. "Damn you, father," she hissed, "Don't you fucking dare get all sentimental on me with this…" However, despite her anger, I could see her holding back her own tears.
Adagio's face was blank as she read the letter. I'd found this chest after being alerted to its presence by Hestia when she was telling me about the gift potentials for the others. She just stared at it, reading it over a few times before she slowly rolled it up, put it back into the chest, then lifted the knife. She looked at it carefully. "Reed…" was all she said as she stared at the letter. Turning quickly to me, she pointed to the door shakily. "Out. Now." She hadn't yelled at me, but the cracking in her voice told me she didn't want me seeing whatever was going to happen next.
I'd quickly left the room, closing the door behind me, but not before I heard something surprising…
Adagio crying.
For Ember, I'd found her a suit of armor that would fit her perfectly. In fact, according to Hestia who had helped me pick out the gifts, they had once belonged to a former female Dragon Lord and had been enhanced magically by the Emperor at the time. Hestia told me that the armor itself would bond with the owner and enhance their natural abilities tenfold. Speed, strength, reflexes, thought processes and more would be ten times better than anydragon's natural abilities. Her reaction was a lot tamer than the Sirens. She just gave me one of the sincerest words of gratitude that I'd ever heard from her before she slowly closed the door.
For Chrysalis, it had taken me a bit longer to find her anything in my belongings, however I did find something unusual that looked like they'd been designed for her: an entire rack of clothes that fit her. Slacks, shirts, skirts, dresses, and more. There were no shoes, socks or any kind of underwear there, but the clothes were able to fit her. Chrysalis hadn't really reacted at first when I made the rack of clothes materialize, however I did see her eyes lock onto a dark green and black striped dress. She'd slowly approached it, touching it almost reverently. I'd quickly left the room then, since I figured she needed time alone.
Coming out of my brief reverie, I turned and lifted Pinkie, the Crusaders and Spike up with my magic, pulling them away and setting them down. "Hold your horses, everyone, and I'll get you all your presents."
"There's a lot of 'em under the tree, sugarcube," Applejack said as I began floating the many different presents onto the floor in front of the fire, "are yah sure yah haven't gone a mite overboard? Ah mean, yah did just give us presents already."
I chuckled. "Well, I might have gone overboard, but what's the use of having all this money and gems if I can't use it to make my friends and loved ones smile?" I asked. "But, I do have to admit, I got everyone here two gifts."
"Can I go first?! Can I? Can I?!" Pinkie begged, giving me the biggest and widest puppy dog eyes.
"Patience, Pinks," I said, before I pointed to the CMC and Spike. "Let the younger ones go first, okay?" Turning to them, I held up my hands. "Okay, you four. I'm gonna put my hands behind my back and use my fingers to pick a number between one and ten. Whoever picks the number either closest to it or picks the exact number first will get to open their presents first." I put my hands behind my back and picked a random number, which so happened to be eight. "Okay, pick a number."
"Five!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.
"Uh…seven!" Scootaloo shouted.
"Three!" Spike said.
"Eight!" Sweetie Belle declared.
I smiled, then showed them my fingers. "Sweetie Belle wins," I said.
"Yes!" Sweetie Belle said happily before she quickly began looking through the presents.
"Scootaloo, you'll be next after her, then Apple Bloom, then you, Spike," I said. "Go ahead and find your presents, but don't open them yet."
A few minutes later, Sweetie Belle had found her presents. One of them was a smaller box, while the second was one bigger than her. Sweetie immediately began tearing the paper off of the smaller box, only to stop and stare in disappointment at the three books that I'd gotten for her. She turned to me with a frown. "Books? Really?"
"Read the titles first," I said, pointing to them.
The small Unicorn filly sighed, but turned and read the title of the first book, a brown hardcover book. Her eyes widened as she read aloud, "A Unicorn Foal's Guide To Basic Magic?" She turned back to me with a now astonished look in her eyes. "Mr. Bethridge, how'd you know?"
"Let's just say I have an inside source," I grinned, glancing over at Rarity who gave me a wink. Turning back to Sweetie, I pointed to the second book. "Look at the second one." Curious now, she pushed the first book aside, looking at the second title. It, too, was a hardcover book, only with a light blue cover and the title Teach Yourself To Sing. When she turned to me in more confusion, I smiled. "I've heard you singing around town, little filly. You have an amazing talent for it. One you could nurture. Oh, open the front cover."
When she did, a small card with a cello on it fell out. She picked it up and looked at it. "Wait…isn't this Miss Melody's logo?" Sweetie asked.
I nodded. "Octavia actually sometimes tutors fillies and colts in her spare time on how to play cello or how to sing well. I've heard her sing and she's really good. I talked to her, and if you want to take some singing lessons from her, I'll gladly pay for it. It's your call, though. But you have one more book."
Sweetie Belle nodded and slowly pulled the third book up. She gaped when she saw the title: 3 in 1 Vegetarian Cookbook. She slowly opened it and looked through it, reading through some of the recipes. Rarity looked a bit nervous, but I just continued smiling as I said, "I know you've wanted to try and expand your baking chops for a while, so I found this. It's a human cookbook. Now, I just want to warn you not to try and make anything in this book without adult supervision. Is that understood, young filly?"
Sweetie Belle was still too happy with the three rapidly different books to really register what I'd said. Still, she nodded and said, "Sure thing, Mr. Bethridge! Thank you!"
I smiled once more, reached down and stroked the young filly's mane. "Merry Christmas, Sweetie Belle."
"I can't say I'm too thrilled about that choice of book, darling," Rarity said, suddenly by my side and watching as she looked over the books eagerly, "but thank you for getting her those. She looks really happy."
"Just wait until she opens her second box," I grinned.
Sweetie Belle turned to the second box and began tearing into it. When the holiday paper was scattered and shredded, she stared at a massive Barbie dollhouse along with a few Barbie dolls and a lot of the accessories for it. She looked a bit more confused as she turned to me. "What's this?"
I grinned and put my hand on the box. "This, Miss Belle, is Barbie's Dream House. Barbie is a popular toy with human girls your age. Rarity told me you like having things like this, so I decided to get you one that humans like."
"Wow…human fillies like this stuff too?" the now smiling filly asked as she stared at the massive cardboard box with the image of a couple girls playing with Barbie in the Dream House.
"They like all sorts of stuff, but yes, a lot like dollhouses and dolls," I said.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Bethridge!" Sweetie exclaimed happily.
I chuckled, then turned to Scootaloo. "Scoots, you're next. Go ahead."
With speed that probably rivaled Rainbow Dash when she was a filly, the orange Pegasus grabbed and tore open her own smaller package, only to stop and gape at the plastic covered Rainbow Dash figure with the My Little Pony logo on it. She tried to pull the plastic off of it before I knelt, took it from her and pulled it open before handing the figure to her. She looked at the prismatic toy version of her hero. "How did you get this…?" she asked in awe.
"Whoa, is that me?" Rainbow Dash was sitting next to Scootaloo, looking at the small toy between Scootaloo's hooves.
I grinned and nodded. "One of the very first toys made of her," I said.
"So…awesome…" Rainbow said as she gently touched the toy with her hooves.
"Thank you…thank you so much," Scootaloo sniffed, trying her best to hold back her tears.
"If you like that, just wait until you see what's in here," I said, pointing to the larger box.
Scootaloo gently put down the toy Rainbow Dash before she quickly took the wrapping paper off of the larger box. When she finished, she was staring at the 'latest' Razor scooter with those front shock absorbers. I'd picked out one with red hand holds and blue wheels for her. The image on the box showed a boy about twelve or so years old scooting along. She looked at the box, then back at me. "Is…that really a new…a new scooter?" she asked.
I nodded. "I've seen how your old one's not doing so well," I said, and it was true. She did plenty of neat tricks on her old one, but since it was made of wood the poor thing couldn't take as much punishment as a metal one. "So I decided to get you this one instead. It's a lot sturdier and-WHOA!"
Scootaloo jumped into my arms, hugging me tightly as her wings buzzed behind her. I could hear her sniffing back tears, happy ones of course, as she clung to my neck. I wrapped my arms and wings around her. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed happily.
I held her for a while before I put her back down. "Merry Christmas, Scoots. Just be sure to wear a helmet when you ride. This is a two wheeler, not the four wheeler you're used to, you understand?" She nodded quickly then began trying to tear off the cardboard to get at the scooter itself. I chuckled, then turned to Apple Bloom. "Your turn, Apple Bloom. And just to be clear, one of the presents for you is from both Zecora and me."
The Earth Pony filly looked at her two presents, and saw mine and Zecora's name on one of them. She quickly tore into it just like her fellow Crusaders, only to stop and stare at a book titled A Foal's Beginner's Guide To Brewing Potions. Looking up at me, she couldn't help but smile as she asked, "How did you know?"
"Well, from the show for one, and I've seen you around a few times trying to mix things up," I said.
"This gift comes with something else," Zecora added as she came and stood next to me. "Just like with Sweetie Belle's gift, I am willing to give you potion brewing lessons. If you want them, of course, and if your family approves."
"Can I, Applejack?!" Apple Bloom asked, looking over at the aforementioned orange Pony.
"Ah'll have tah talk tah Granny and Big Mac about it, Bloom," Applejack said. "and if we say yes, we're gonna set up some ground rules for yer doin' that. Understood?"
She nodded as she turned to the larger package. Quickly, she began tearing the wrapping paper off, only to pause and gasp as she saw a full on chemistry set for kids. There were two human children sitting at a table with the kit, each wearing goggles and messing with a couple beakers. Twilight was by her side looking at the writing on the box, which promised forty experiments. If Apple Bloom's eyes were wide at the sight, Twilight was practically drooling over it, eyes shining with eagerness. I rolled my eyes, lifted her up in my magic and caught her in my grasp. Booping her snout, I said, "If you want a science kit, all you got to do is ask. But this one is Apple Bloom's."
"But…science…" she muttered.
"I'll get you one too later, I promise," I said as I ruffled her mane before setting her back down and turning back to Apple Bloom. "Merry Christmas, Apple Bloom."
The young yellow filly leaped into my arms, hugging me with her bone crushing Earth Pony strength. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"Hey, where did you get these bigger presents, anyway?" Sweetie Belle asked curiously, looking over at me from where she sat next to the cardboard box which held her new Dream House.
I looked over at the others, who each had varying degrees of concern on their faces. It was Applejack who spoke first, however. "It's bound tah come out eventually, sugarcube," she said. "Might as well tell 'em."
When everyone else began slowly agreeing, I pursed my lips. I knew that they hadn't yet undergone the Gabby Gums incident, and if I had anything to say about it not only would they not go through that, but the parents and older folks would learn not to act so poorly. So I made the call. Taking a deep breath, I turned to the CMC. "Listen up, you three," I said, "This is Jethro Bethridge, Knight of Equestria talking now. What I'm about to tell you all now is something that you three need to keep secret. I want you to Pinkie Promise that you'll not tell a single soul. Understood?"
The CMC looked at each other nervously, then as one they nodded and made the signature movements while saying, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"
I grinned and nodded. "Good. First of all, did you three notice the new barn outside my house when you came here?"
"I was wonderin' 'bout that," Apple Bloom said.
"Well, here's the thing," I said, "do you three remember that human girl who took care of you at Sweet Apple Acres?"
"The one who acted and sounded like Fluttershy?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"That's the one," I said. "Well, the short version of it is that inside the barn is something I've called the Stargate. It's basically a portal to another version of my home world. Another version of Earth. That was where the five humans came from a month ago, and I went to Earth yesterday and bought the Earth presents there."
The Crusaders could only gape at me in astonishment as they soaked that information in. After a half a minute, Scootaloo spoke up. "Can…can anypony go through?"
"Right now, I'm not letting anyone other than myself and a select few number of Ponies through," I said. "Besides, if anyone here goes through, they're always turned into a human."
"Does that mean we can see that human girl again?" Sweetie Belle asked hopefully. "She was really nice."
"Maybe someday," I said. "I'll let her know you want to see her. She seemed to really like you girls."
"Well, we are pretty awesome," Scootaloo said, spreading her tiny wings and puffing out her chest.
"She picked up on that," I chuckled. "But I'm serious. Don't tell anyone about what I just told you. At least, not yet, because Applejack's right. This secret might just eventually be spread to the town, but I want to prevent that from happening if I can. So, I never thought I'd say this, but Cutie Mark Crusaders, this is an order from the Knight of Equestria: Do not reveal what I've just told you. Am I clear?"
"Yes sir!" they all said, saluting.
I nodded, then smiled and leaned down to stroke their manes gently. "I know I can trust you," I said. After a while I stood then turned to Spike. "And last, but certainly not least, Sir Spike of Aelyssia. I hope you didn't think I forgot about you." I handed him two presents, one small and one large. "Merry Christmas, son."
Spike walked up and took the small one almost reverently, and just like the fillies, tore open the present. He stared at the black leather bound volume that Hestia had actually found in my hoard. Like the books I'd given to Twilight in her pocket dimension library, the title began translating until it read: A Dragon's Guide to the Magic Within. He looked up at me with wide eyes. "…Does this mean…that Dragons have magic?"
"You're a special Dragon, Spike," I said. "I have a feeling that you have more abilities waiting to be unlocked inside you than the average Dragon. This book should help you in exploring what type of magic you most likely have. This way, you won't ever have to feel useless ever again."
He leaped into the air, wings spread as he flew over to me remarkably well as he hugged me. I hugged him back as he whispered, "Thanks, Dad."
"You're welcome, kiddo," I said, hugging him close before putting him down. "There's one more present for you, you know."
He looked excited as he opened the larger package, which was the largest of all the packages that I'd given to the other three. That was because, as everyone around the room soon found out, the present actually consisted of six smaller boxes. The smallest box contained a set of Thomas the Tank Engine trains, the type with the magnet attachments. Not only that, but there were freight and coach cars with the same magnetic attachments. The second and third had a large number of train tracks specifically designed for these trains, including a turntable and various tracks with buildings attached. The fourth box had a large number of Hot Wheels cars inside, while the fifth and sixth had a lot of custom Hot Wheels tracks, the red and blue ones with the boosters attached to certain parts. "Wow…" was all he could say as he took everything in.
"I was going to get you just some Thomas the Tank Engine toys," I said, "buuuut I thought you'd like both of them. I can show you how they work sometime, or you and Twilight can figure it out together. It's not too hard to figure out."
"I love them! Thanks Dad!" he said as he looked at the parts inside, the wheels in his head evidently turning already as he turned to Twilight. "Twilight, do you think I can play with these upstairs back home?"
Twilight, who had joined Spike and who was herself looking over the collection, turned to Spike with a warm smile and nodded. "I'm sure we can find space up in our room for all this," she said. Turning to me, I saw her with a grateful expression on her face as she said, "Thank you for this."
"Hey, this guy should have some chances to be a kid," I said, ruffling Spike's spines playfully. "I remember when I was a kid I had a ton of toy Thomas trains and train tracks. Trixie and I would make different tracks and push the trains along. Sometimes we'd pretend to crash them, sometimes we'd pretend to have them on a schedule. It was really fun, and I kind of wanted to share that joy with Spike here." Turning to him, I smiled. "Just be careful not to leave these lying around if you're not playing with them. Mom and Dad would step on them sometimes."
"I'll be careful!" he promised.
I nodded, satisfied, and was about to say something when I heard a knock at the door. I raised an eyebrow, turning to the door. "I wonder who that could be?"
"Somepony delivering last minute Hearth's Warming presents?" Pinkie surmised excitedly.
"Nobody should have to work on the holidays," I said as I stood and walked to the door. "Still, I wonder who it could be?" I grabbed the handle and opened it…
…only to come face to face with the last Ponies I ever expected to see. "I hope we're not too late for opening presents," a gentle and now amused Alicorn asked as she stood out on the porch.
"Indeed, we would so hate to miss the festivities," the second Alicorn said with an equally amused expression.
All I could do was stare at them for a while before my voice returned to me. "Celestia and Luna?!"