Set in a time after "Call of the Cutie" and before "Magical Mystery Cure", this story results in a departure from the Friendship is Magic timeline and leads into an Alternate Universe.

Twilight finds an orphaned foal in the Everfree Forest and adopts it as her own, but Celestia establishes that this bright young life is not long for this world. She is faced with the dilemma of what to tell her student, but even she cannot know the serious implications of her decision.

Spike wants nothing more than a perfect Hearth's Warming, but as the only dragon, he can't help but feel somewhat isolated. However, he has a plan to fix that. He buys Twilight the perfect gift, hoping it will help build his courage, so he can ask her an important question. One that will change both of their lives forever. But before he can give it to her, he accidentally ruins it.

Written for Nonpareil Fiction's Hearth's Warming contest.