Surprise Visits

by Tabbyluna

When your family is half unicorn, and half dragon, life can be tough. Especially when visiting relatives during the holidays. Especially when it's your first time meeting them in a long while. Two part holiday story.

1. Part 1

Surprise Visits (Part 1)

'Stormee, we need to get going now!' Yelled Tempest. Her daughter, Whirlwind, stood under her wing, a bag of presents in her mouth.

'Coming dear! Just… Give me a moment!' Yelled Stormee.

'Stormee, get our here right now! We don't have all day, you know!' Barked Tempest. She didn't want to use her death voice now, but Stormee was taking forever. And that voice was a sure-fire way to get him to listen.

Sure enough, a disgruntled unicorn dragged his hooves over to his mate, with a lime-green tie slapped on at the last minute, and his blue mane barely combed. At the sight of her mate, Tempest sighed, but decided that it wasn't worth it to tell him to fix his look. They needed to get moving anyways. 'Look, I know it's not pleasant to visit our relatives, but you don't need to act so childishly.'

It was Stormee's turn to sigh. 'I know that Tempest, and I'm sorry. It's just that, I don't think it was a good idea to visit both our parents' islands for the holidays. I mean, we haven't seen them in ages, they kicked the both of us out of our clans, and we have no idea how they would react to Whirlwind.'

He looked down at his young daughter, who bounced and skipped with such joy, and his heart filled with concern. She didn't know a thing about the dragons and unicorns and how they all related to each other. She was too young for that, and if her first experience with discrimination was going to be from her own family, well, that would change her for life. It wasn't something he wanted her to face, to lose her innocence at such a young age. He hoped that she could live in happy oblivion for a little longer.

'Oh, Stormee. Don't worry so much about all these things. It's been years, relations between unicorns and dragons must have gotten better. I just know it!' She gave him a grin. 'Besides, didn't you say that it was time to move islands to someplace with more friends for Whirlwind?' Tempest smiled at him. 'Watch out for that root.'

'Thanks.' He trotted over the root with the famous unicorn grace, and resumed their conversation. 'I still don't think it's a good idea for her to be introduced to our families now. I mean, you remember last time, right?'

Tempest bit her lip. Stormee swore that he could hear the cogs up there turn as she tried to come up with a good response for that. 'Well,' She began. She bit her lip. 'They could change. Don't be so pessimistic Stormee.' She grinned at her husband, but he didn't return.

Stormee thought about the idea. He tossed it around in his head, until finally, he replied 'Deal.'

Tempest sighed. 'Look, how about this: If any of our relatives say anything mean or hurtful to Whirlwind, we'll leave. Deal?' She asked. She didn't start the day out one hundred percent confident, and her husband playing devil's advocate wasn't much help to ease her tensions.

At last, they have arrived at the edge of the island. A hot-air balloon, one with a rainbow painted onto the side, was tied on a nearby tree-stump. Upon the sight of the rainbow, Whirlwind's face lit up, and she dashed towards the balloon. Tempest decided to join her daughter, and ran alongside her, the both of them laughing along the way. Stormee, on the other hand, continued to walk over to his balloon, a small smile on his face as he watched his wife and daughter.

He sighed. Maybe Tempest was right. Maybe he needed to give his parents a second chance. It has been years, his family has probably changed. Besides, it would be good for Whirlwind to know about her family. Maybe the visits wouldn't be as bad as he thinks they would be. Maybe he does need to relax. He sighed again, and with a conscious decision, shook of his uneasy feeling.

He finally arrived at the balloon, and climbed in. With his family already inside, he brought his horn down, and sliced the rope. At last, they were off, and in between his daughter's cheers, and his wife's optimistic smile, he was beginning to feel a little excited about the trip too.

OoOoOoOoOo

Through most of the journey, Whirlwind slept with her mother's wing wrapped around her tiny body. Tempest lay on the basket floor, cuddled beside her daughter. It really was a sight that she couldn't help but chuckle at. Earlier she was so energetic and excited to meet all her grandparents and cousins, and now here she was. Sprawled on the basket floor, with both claws tucked under her head, asleep. She smiled, and nestled her daughter closer to her.

'How much longer until we reach your mother's island?' She whispered.

'Not much longer, Tempest.' He replied with a full mouth. He had been using it to steer the balloon, and once she got that response, she decided to leave her husband to steer without interruption.

She watched him navigate the cloudy blue skies with definite skill. To steer without hands was not easy, and she liked to watch Tempest steer the balloon. It intrigued her, all the different ways he got around the fact that he had no hands. Such as his usage of his horn to light the propane burner. His ingenuity always made her admire him.

For the most part, the journey to the little island was uneventful. Whirlwind napped most of the way, and there was a lack of small talk. Stormee was way to busy with steering to be bothered with that, so Tempest took to daydreaming to pass the time.

The plan was that he would first take them to his parent's place. That would be where they would spend the morning. Afterwards, they would head in over to her parent's place, where Whirlwind would see her grandparents, her aunts and uncles, and the ones that she looked forward to the most, her cousins.

Forgiveness would be important for that trip; especially with how they parted ways last time. She could never forget that day, with how her mother cried, how her father screamed, and how she walked out without a goodbye. It was the day a piece of her heart broke off, and she couldn't find that piece for the longest time.

But after she had Whirlwind, and lived with her tiny family for a few years, she finally found that piece. And once she did, she made a decision deep in her heart her heart that she should forgive them. It would be easier said than done. After all, forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting. But that didn't mean that she was going to give up.

She sighed, happy to have found her inner peace again. She clung on to the feeling, and hoped that it was enough to sustain her.

'We're here guys.' Went Stormee. He docked the balloon on a patch of dry grass, and ushered both his mate and daughter out. 'After you,' He bowed at the two of them. Whirlwind giggled at the gesture while her mother shot a smile at Stormee.

'Glad to see that you've lightened up, dear.' She said. She wrapped a warm wing around his body, and pulled him into an embrace. From under her, Whirlwind gagged and squealed at the action, but she soon stopped when her mother picked her up. The squeals turned into happier giggles at that. 'Mama, is this gramma's forest?'

Tempest smiled. 'It is dear. Are you excited?'

'Yeah!'

'Great, let's go and meet them then!' She took a few steps towards the forest, but before she could step in, she was stopped by Stormee.

'Hold on, maybe I should check and see my parents first.' He said, a hoof extended to stop them.

Tempest sighed, but his suggestion was probably for the better. Both of them did leave home under bad situations, and she knew how Stormee was about being safe than sorry. 'Go one ahead, dear.' She gave him a small smile, which Stormee returned with a determined nod.

'Don't worry dear.' He said, hoofs clicking against the dirt path. 'I'll be back soon.'

With that, he set off into the familiar woods, to once again face his parents.

The forest had not changed much since the last time he walked down the path. The trees still bore bright pink flowers and ripe round fruits. The fragrance of fresh blossoms still hung in the air, welcoming all who walked in with the tree's sweet scent. Rays of sunshine still shone from between the gaps of tree branches, casting spots of light on the emerald green grass. They all looked to be just as luscious and juicy as he remembered it. He couldn't help but smile at the familiar forest. Since the island was unaffected by the seasons, it meant that the island stayed in this state throughout the year. The constant state of beauty on the island may make some bored, but he never was. He loved that it stayed consistently beautiful all year round, and he would have been happy to stay here forever.

His nostalgia stopped at the sights and smells. Though this place gave him joys for a simpler time, it's beauty would always be tainted by his unhappiest memory. The day his entire family kicked him out of the beautiful woods. Relations between dragons and unicorns were strained. and told him that he may come back only if he left Tempest for good.

But surely they would forgive him for returning with her. After all, Tempest claimed that after a few years, dragons and unicorns have gotten along much better. Although it wasn't like he could tell. They lived like hermits in their little island, the situation between their species could be like anything. They could really be like anything.

He repeated that mantra as he walked through the forest. But with every step forward, it became harder to say. Although he tried to ward them off, his head soon became clouded with disastrous outcomes. Whenever he shook one off, another one would come and take its place.

He sighed. He wanted to stay optimistic about the situation, but his mind kept jumping back to the "what ifs".

What if they haven't changed? What if they treat Tempest worst than they treated her back then? What would they think of Whirlwind? Would they leave with their relationship repaired, or with it being more strained than ever? There were too many questions to consider, and none of them had optimistic answers.

It wasn't too late to turn back. They could live out in their tiny forest forever, in peace. Whirlwind can grow up without anyone bullying her for her heritage, and they could live happily without fear of discrimination. He couldn't let his daughter be hurt by anyone, least of all her own family.

His mind was made up, they were going home. He swerved around, and took the first few steps back to Tempest and Whirlwind. However, just as he was about to continue his walk back, a soft

came from behind him. He cocked his head around, and saw a unicorn foal, her mane a familiar shade of blue. She stood on the dirt path, her hoof positioned in between two broken pieces of a stick.

Before Stormee could do anything about the foal, she turned around, and ran deeper into the woods. 'Oh darn,' Went Stormee, 'Wait!'

His hooves pounded against the dirt path, but although he was fast, the foal was faster. 'Stop there!' He cried out, but the foal only went faster.

Stormee felt his breath grow short. Every footstep was heavier than the last, and his mouth felt dry and gummy. It had been ages since he had a run like that. Ever since he walked out of his home, he never felt the need for exercise. Although now he wished that he was more active. He slowed to a canter, and watched as the little foal galloped ahead. She disappeared into the trees, only to emerge from there in five minutes. This time, with several other unicorns of varying ages and sizes.

Including his own parents.

For a while, everyone merely stood in place, and stared at each other. Nobody moved a muscle, nobody spoke, nobody even dared to sneeze or cough.

'Stormee?' Went his mother, as she finally shattered the atmosphere. She had grown older since the last time Stormee met her. Her blue mane had silvery streaks of grey in it, her eyes had notably darker circles under them, and wrinkles had started to form all over her body.

Stormee nodded at her. 'Hello, mother. Happy holidays.' Mere seconds after that sentence was spoken, his mother came forward, and brought her neck close to his.

'My son, you returned.' she said. 'My son.'

She faced him again, eyes sparkling with joy. 'We all felt incomplete without you here. I've missed you so much.'

'I,' Began Stormee, his voice cracking before he could finish his sentence. 'I missed you all too.'

His mother nuzzled him tenderly. Stormee didn't even realize how much he missed that. 'My son…'

The reunion between mother and son tugged at the heartstrings of all family members in attendance, and there was not a dry eye among them.

'My son, you came back. I have longed that a day like this would come someday, and finally, you realized that your family was the most important!' She smiled.

Stormee tittered at the statement. 'Of course, why wouldn't I think of my family highly?'

'Well, what happened doesn't matter anymore, sweetheart. You're home now, so we can bury the past and move on.' She trotted forward with the rest of the family, and gestured to Stormee to follow them. 'Come on, son.'

Stormee lifted a hoof up to follow them, but that was the furthest he came before he stopped himself. 'Hold on mother, there's something I must show you before I come back.' He took a few steps backward, a sheepish grin on his face.

'Ooh, alright.' She sighed, a smile on her face nevertheless. 'But be quick. We've got lots of activities planned this holiday.'

Stormee nodded at his family. 'Thank you, mother.' And with that, he walked off. Back to the outside of their enchanted forest.

'I bet it's some sort of present.' Said one of the younger unicorns.

Stormee's mother nodded in agreement. 'I think so too.'

OoOoOoOoOo

'Daddy!' Called Whirlwind, and she bounded to her father. Stormee smiled at his daughter, and lowered himself to allow her to climb on. She did so with a wide grin on her face.

'So, did the first meeting go well?' Asked Tempest, as she walked forward. 'Are we going back in?'

'Well, I'm not entirely sure about how they feel about you or Whirlwind. I didn't ask.' Admitted Stormee.

'Oh,' Said Tempest. She bit her lip. 'Well, it's worth a shot, right? They didn't specifically say that we were unwelcomed, right?'

'Well, no. The didn't explicitly say it-'

'Great, then let's go!' She used a wing to scoop Whirlwind from her father's back, and began their journey on the dirt path. But they barely walked three steps when Stormee stepped in the way and blocked them.

'Hold on dear. I don't think you should be so optimistic when you meet them.' He said.

Tempest raised a brow at him, and continued her walk to the forest. 'Why not?'

'If you act too comfortable, they may not like it. They might think that you think that you're a part of the family, and they may end up thinking worst about you. They could think of you as rude or uncouth or-'

A finger was placed firmly over his mouth. Tempest chuckled at his concern, prompting a stern look from Stormee. 'Hehe, sorry Stormee, but I wouldn't be that worried. I've met your family before, and I don't think they can be that hard to handle.'

She walked ahead of him confidently before she turned around and faced him, a gentle look in her eyes. 'Besides, we can always leave if it gets too harsh. Come on now.'

Stormee was about to retort, but stopped himself before he did. This was no time for an argument, and it would be rude to leave his family like that. His original plan was to simply introduce Whirlwind to his family, and leave without another word, but now that the operation was in Tempest's hands, his plan no longer mattered.

They walked in silence for the rest of the journey. Well, mostly in silence. Whirlwind was too excited to meet her family to keep quiet. 'Mama, are we there yet?' She asked consistently.

'Not yet dear, but soon we will be.' Was always Tempest's answer.

The follow up to that was always Whirlwind's answer of 'Oh.' Only for her to repeat that question again after a few minutes.

The pattern repeated itself for several cycles before Stormee interrupted Tempest mid-sentence. 'Alright girls, we're here.'

They stood at the entrance of the family's grotto, a beautifully decorated passageway. The stone doorway was decorated heavily. With strings of pink flowers lined on the door, together they created a curtain from the forest outside. On the dirt floor, a thick carpet of pink petals covered it, and continued on into the grotto. It was like a pathway into a different world. One where the scent of fresh hay and warm churros lingered in the air, making Stormee's stomach growl. He had spent the last few years of his life eating nothing but grass and the occasional fruit. Now, those fragrances smelled especially great. The sounds of joy and laughter were heard loud and clear. They inspired hope for Tempest, comfort for Stormee, and excitement for little Whirlwind. From the outside, it sounded like a swinging party.

'Mama, can we go inside?' Asked Whirlwind, eyes wide and sparkling while she bounced on her mother's back.

'Ow, dear, first of, I need you to calm down.' Whirlwind obeyed, and stopped her bounces. She chose instead, to climb down her mother and to sit on the carpet of petals. Once she saw that her daughter had cooled down, and that she had her attention, she continued.

'Alright dear, now ask your father if it's okay for us to go in.' Said Tempest.

Whirlwind nodded, and faced her father, tail wagging side to side. 'Daddy, can we go in now?'

Stormee looked at his daughter, so earnest and innocent. She had no idea what problems awaited her when she stepped into the little room. But what could he do? He couldn't bear to disappoint her. His heart pounded as he tried to come up with an answer.

Whirlwind cocked her head to one side. Her daddy was taking such a long time to answer this question. What could be holding him up?

Whirlwind gave her father a blank stare, a sign that he needed to hurry up with his answer. Thus he decided to put the first plan that popped into his head into action.

'Well, first things first dear. I have to go in to prepare the rest of the family for you two. Once that's done, I'll cue the two of you to come in.' He smiled at his daughter, and hoped that the answer satisfied her.

'Why?' She asked. The question did not satisfy her curiosities.

'Well, because darling, your mother and you are… a surprise! Yes, your grandma and grandpa were not expecting you two to come, so that's why I need you two to hide for a while. Now come along.' He trotted towards the entrance. 'I'll cue you two soon, okay?'

'Okay, daddy!' Smiled Whirlwind, and with that, Stormee pushed his way past the curtain of flowers, and into the Unicorn's Grotto.

The minute he walked into the grotto, dozens of voices called out his name in greeting. "Stormee!' Went his family.

'Hey everyone.' He replied.

The family waited for him to say something else. Like where was that gift he promised? All eyes were on him, and Stormee felt the pressure radiate from his family's stares. He scraped a hoof on the floor, and formulated a small speech to give his family on the spot.

'Well, here we all are. Uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, nieces, and most important, mother and father.' A round of applause rose from his family, which surprised Stormee. He had forgotten how excitable his family could be, especially around the holidays.

He cleared his throat, calling the attention back to him. 'But to me, there is something missing in this room. More specifically, someone missing.'

As he said that, the cheer of the room turned into an awkward silence. Then, murmurs rose from the family. What could he mean? The entire family is here, and he was happy with them all.

Right?

'I consider you all family to me, but I also consider some others to be family too. So, without further ado,' He stepped aside, and with his mouth, pushed the curtain of flowers open. Once it was opened, it showed Tempest, with Whirlwind on her back, standing on the other side.

Stormee let go of the curtain, which freed his mouth. 'Family, I want you all to meet Tempest again. And to finally meet my daughter, Whirlwind.'

For a moment, all Stormee heard was silence. Even Whirlwind forgot her initial excitement. She could feel the power of their cold glares, and she found herself unable to move, let alone speak.

Then, out of the stillness, Stormee's mother moved first. She walked up to her son, face expressionless. The stone-like face made Stormee gulp, and his mind buzzed with uncertainty. He couldn't read her at all, and he knew that whenever that happened, it was due to major displeasure. He braced himself.

But no screams came. Not a single sound of displeasure came out of her mouth. Instead, all emotion came from her eyes. In those dark little eyes, Stormee could see a ticking time bomb, seconds from going off. A few inches down from those raging eyes was a mouth, with lips tightly sealed together. As if it were a dam, and it was preventing an onslaught of nasty language from coming out.

Stormee backed away from her slowly, and tried to break away from her gaze. But before he could fully pull away, she reached up to his ear, and whispered into it.

'Get them out of here right now. And don't you dare return until you're ready to leave them.'

Stormee's heart ached at the statement. The family continued their frosty stares, and he could practically hear their internal yells. "Come back to us. We're secure and comfortable. We were the unicorns who raised you from young, not those dragons. We have the good food and the beautiful scenery, and all the creature comforts and emotional needs you've missed. You know you want us."

But deep in his heart, he knew that those thoughts were selfish. He couldn't leave his little girl behind, nor her mother, no matter how tempted he was by churros and nuzzles. They were the most important things in his life. When he had nothing, they were there with him, while his family lived in oblivious luxury. They were invaluable to him, priceless and perfect. So, before selfish instinct could take over, he turned around, and walked out of the grotto. Sensing his emotions, Tempest promptly left with him.

OoOoOoOoOo

'We are going back home.' Said Stormee, as he opened the balloon door.

'Please Stormee, just a quick visit. I promised Whirlwind that we would go to her grandma and grandpa's place. She needs to see at least one of them.' Begged Tempest. Beside her, Whirlwind sat in a confused daze. What had happened in there?

'No, Tempest. I told you, my family wasn't supportive after all this time, what makes you think that your family will be?' Stormee stood there, his impatience growing by the minute.

Tempest felt her stomach turn. 'Dragons aren't like unicorns Stormee. The head of the family doesn't have to make all the decisions. Other dragons can actually speak their minds and defend us. We aren't all just a collective herd. Unlike-'

Tempest stopped herself before she could dig any deeper. There was no point in dipping that low. She was to set a good example to her daughter, and insulting her mate like that was not the way. She took a deep breath. 'Stormee, I'm sorry.'

The sudden calmness surprised Stormee. He had been expecting a fight to break out between them. But then he remembered, Whirlwind was watching them. 'I-I'm sorry too. I guess I got too caught up in all the drama.'

'We both did. We really shouldn't get so carried away like that.' Sighed Tempest. 'Especially with Whirlwind around.'

She looked at her daughter, humility in her eyes. 'Whirlwind, will you forgive mama and daddy for acting like big jerks?'

Whirlwind batted her large eyes. 'Um, okay. Can we see gramma and grampa now?'

'Well, I'm not really sur-'

'Of course we can, sweetheart.' Said Stormee, as he beamed at his daughter. His answer caught Tempest off guard, and made Whirlwind jump with glee again.

'Yay!' She cheered, and she happily hopped into the balloon, joyfully waiting for it to start.

'I thought that you had enough for today?' Asked Tempest, as the two stepped into the balloon.

'Anything for our daughter.' Shrugged Stormee, he gave Tempest a small wink, and he helped her into the basket.

To Be Continued

OoOoOoOoOo

Hello, last minute holiday story here. Tons of technical difficulties and hard times have come down over here, so this is the best I can hustle up before the holiday season is over. But I managed to scrap this by on time, and hopefully I'll have it all completed by boxing day.

-Tabbyluna