Transcripts/A Hearth's Warming Tail

:Twilight Sparkle: Hey, Starlight! Ready to celebrate your first Hearth's Warming Eve here in Ponyville?
:Starlight Glimmer: I was thinking I might just skip it.
:Twilight Sparkle and Spike: [gasp]
:
:Spike: Skip Hearth's Warming Eve?!
:Starlight Glimmer: I just find it all a little silly. It's mostly a day dedicated to presents and candy, isn't it?
:Spike: And why would you deny yourself presents and candy? That's crazy talk!
:Twilight Sparkle: I think what Spike means to say is Hearth's Warming is about more than presents and candy. It's a time to spend with friends and family when we celebrate a very important day in Equestria's history.
:Starlight Glimmer: I think to most ponies, it's just an excuse for silly songs and fun, not a day to remember some old story.
:[magic zap]
:Twilight Sparkle: Maybe you just haven't heard the right Hearth's Warming Eve story yet!
:Starlight Glimmer: Earth ponies, Pegasi, and unicorns sing songs around a hearth to fight back an eternal winter caused by the mythical windigos? Ha! Every foal and filly knows that story.
:Twilight Sparkle: Not that one. My favorite holiday story, "A Hearth's Warming Tale"!
:Spike: Oh, I love that one!
:Twilight Sparkle: This is the story of a powerful unicorn named Snowfall Frost, who hated Hearth's Warming Eve. It all began many moons ago in Canterlot...
:Twilight Sparkle: [narrating] Every home in Canterlot was filled with holiday spirit. Every home... except one. It was said of Snowfall that she was almost as studied as Star Swirl the Bearded. Almost, since everypony knows that Star Swirl was an expert at everything from transfiguration, dimensional calibration, teleportation—
:Spike: [narrating] We get it. Star Swirl's awesome.
:Twilight Sparkle: [narrating] Right. The point is, Snowfall was also a powerful unicorn. She wanted to be perfect. Anything that got in the way of that was a waste of time.
:[bells ringing]
:: [gasp] Well, that batch is ruined. Snowdash!
:Twilight Sparkle: [narrating] Snowdash was Snowfall's loyal assistant.
:: What do you need?
:: Get this mess cleaned up. Those foolish ponies were ringing those blasted bells outside the window and I lost my concentration!
:: [under her breath] Whoa, ponies actually enjoying Hearth's Warming Eve. Where did they get that crazy idea?
:: Today is nothing to celebrate. Hearth's Warming Eve is a menace. A dangerous day for all of Equestria.
:: Dangerous?! It's awesome! It's the day we remember how unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth ponies came together in friendship to defeat the windigos!
:: That silly legend is the problem! Telling everypony that "singing songs and being nice" will solve anything? I've spent years studying magic, and that's not how it works.
:: I think you might be missing the point.
:[magic zap]
:: Work hard, learn, and use your skills to better Equestria. That's a worthy goal for any pony. [sarcastically] But, by all means, if you want to go home early, ignore all of the work you have, and spend the rest—
:: Sweet!
:: Ugh!
:[crowd chattering]
:: I hate Hearth's Warming Eve! All of Equestria would be better off if we just skipped the day altogether.
:: Once the spell is cast, all of Equestria will be better off, and they'll have me to thank for it!
:Starlight Glimmer: Wait a minute. Snowfall doesn't like Hearth's Warming Eve so she decides to cast a spell to get rid of it altogether? That seems a little extreme.
:Spike: [muttering] Says the pony who tried to make everypony the same by replacing their cutie marks with equal signs. [sips cocoa]
:Twilight Sparkle: I think what Spike is trying to say is that everypony has their reasons for doing things. Even Snowfall. And if I could continue the story, we might just find out what they are.
:Spike: Proceed.
:Twilight Sparkle: Snowfall was all set to cast her spell that would erase Hearth's Warming Eve for all time...
:Twilight Sparkle: [narrating] ...when a voice from the hearth caught her attention.
:: You sure you wanna go through with this?
:: Huh?! Who's there?!
:[bubbling]
:: The Spirit of Hearth's Warmin' Past, that's who. And you and me have got to have us a little chat.
:: A spirit?! [suspiciously] I didn't cast any spirit summoning spell. What are you doing here?
:: You don't think a spell like that would get by without some powerful forces noticin'? You've got our attention, Snowfall Frost, and we've got some pretty strong opinions on this spell of yours.
:: "We"?
:: They'll be along in a bit. For now, it's just you and me. Let's get a move on. We got a ton to see and barely any time to see it.
:: I'm not going anywhere. I've got a spell to cast, and I don't need a history lesson about Hearth's Warming Eve.
:: We aren't goin' to the past to learn about the holiday. We're goin' to learn about you.
:: [yelps] [wailing]
:Professor Flintheart: Just what do you think you're doing, Snowfall?
:Young : Decorating the classroom for Hearth's Warming Eve, Professor Flintheart!
:Professor Flintheart: You said you wanted to learn to be a powerful unicorn, did you not?
:Young : I do!
:Professor Flintheart: And what is the way that one becomes a powerful unicorn?
:Young : [clears throat] Work hard, learn, and use your skills to better Equestria.
:Professor Flintheart: And how do these help you to learn magic?
:Young : I want to be strong enough to stop windigos and help ponies!
:Professor Flintheart: That's just a story we tell little ponies. Real magic takes time to learn.
:[ornament shattering]
:Professor Flintheart: It's your choice. Spend your time learning to become a powerful unicorn or play with your toys and make nothing of yourself.
:[bubbling]
:: [gasps] Spirit? What am I supposed to—
:[sound of confetti launching]
:: [reverberating] Snowfall Frost! It is I, the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Presents!
:: Um, don't you mean "Present", like the time?
:: No! Toys, Hearth's Warming doll... Here, want a cupcake?
:: Fine, "Presents". All of the pointless things ponies waste their time on.
:: Oh, Snowfall, it's not what the gift is that matters, it's what the gift means!
:: It doesn't mean anything. It's just stuff!
:: Exactly! Sometimes a cupcake means "I love you!" Or a toy means "Hi, how're you doing?" Sometimes a book means "Your mane looks amazing!" And sometimes a scarf means... Well, a scarf usually means you look cold. That one's easy.
:: I don't understand anything you're saying.
:: Whoa! Whoa! [trembles]
:: What's happening to you?!
:: My Spirit of Hearth's Warming Presents Sense is going off! That means a song is coming on!
:Twilight Sparkle: [singsong, as Pinkie Pie] And the reason is to be with your friends! [normal] What?
:Starlight Glimmer: You know you're doing your Pinkie Pie voice, right?
:Twilight Sparkle: I was not!
:Spike: [laughing]
:Starlight Glimmer: So, what happens next?
:Twilight Sparkle: Well, the party was—
:Spike: Wait! Can we take a quick break? I need to refill my cocoa.
:Twilight Sparkle: [groans] Fine. But hurry up! We're almost to the best part!
:Spike: [blows] Okay, I'm ready.
:Twilight Sparkle: The party was in full swing.
:: Snowdash!
:: Hey, Merry.
:: Why, whatever is the matter, darling?
:: Was it the eggnog? Oh, I knew I put in too much cinnamon!
:: Oh, no, the eggnog was awesome, Flutterholly, I'm just mad at somepony who was complaining about how awful Hearth's Warming Eve is.
:: I don't suppose that pony's name starts with "Snow"?
:: And ends with "Frost"?
:: She said Hearth's Warming Eve is just an excuse to party, and we would all be better off spending time working to make Equestria a better place.
:Crowd: [booing]
:: What does Snowfall think a better Equestria looks like?
:: Ponies working hard, learning, and using their abilities for the benefit of Equestria.
: and : [giggling]
:[thunk]
:[foals laughing]
:: [muffled] It looks like we've got everything on Snowfall's list right here.
:: I think a perfect Equestria looks a lot like a Hearth's Warming Eve party.
:: Me too! Too bad it's going to be the last one ever! Ever! Ever! Ever! [echoes out]
:: Spirit? What do you mean? What's going to happen?!
:[wind blowing]
:: Who are you?
:: I am the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come.
:: Are you here to show me what future Hearth's Warming Eves are like?
:: No, for there are no more Hearth's Warming Eves for me to show.
:: Why not?
:: You will succeed in erasing the holiday, as you wished.
:: And what happens?
:: Windigos?! They aren't real! It's just a little filly's story!
:: They are all too real, Snowfall, and your actions will allow them to return. The future of Equestria shall be bathed in a blanket of eternal snow!
:: No! I never meant for this to happen! I didn't understand! I didn't see how important Hearth's Warming Eve was! Please, spirit! I haven't cast the spell yet! Is there still time?! I'm sorry! [echoing]
:[window opens]
:[bell ringing]
:: There's still time!
:[party crowd chattering]
:[knocking]
:[door opens]
:: Oh, my.
:: Snowfall Frost?
:: I was hoping I wasn't too late for the party? I brought gifts.
:[record needle scratch]
:: [spit-take] Boss?!
:: I was wrong earlier, about Hearth's Warming Eve. It's not all about singing and presents. The singing and presents are all about celebrating the ponies in our lives. The ponies we should listen to more often: our friends.
:: Wow.
:[rip]
:: Dragon toenail? Uh... thanks?
:: I was in a hurry. I'll do better next time.
:: Ha. You kidding? No one's ever given me dragon toenail before! It's awesome! Now come get some eggnog!
:Twilight Sparkle: [narrating] And from then on, it was always said of all the Hearth's Warming Eve celebrations, Snowfall's was the Hearth's Warmingest.
:Twilight Sparkle: The end.
:[book closes]
:Twilight Sparkle: Well, that's it! Thanks for letting me read you the story. Guess you can call it a night. Spike and I are heading downstairs, and if you wanted to, you'd be welcome to join us.
:[ponies laughing]
:Twilight Sparkle: Welcome to the party! Happy Hearth's Warming, Starlight.
:Starlight Glimmer: Happy Hearth's Warming, Twilight.
:[instrumental of "Pinkie's Present" plays over credits]