My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: Hearth's Warming that Almost Wasn't
A/N: (Dede42 heads to the writers studio to do some writing since she got off work early today, and she opens the door to step inside when a party cannon goes off, spraying her with confetti!)
Dede42: Whoa!
Pinkie Pie: (pops up from behind the party cannon) Surprise! Happy 100th story! (And the gang comes out of hiding to celebrate.)
Dede42: Wow, I thought we were going to celebrate tomorrow, Pinkie.
Pinkie Pie: I know, but what I heard that you've gotten off early from work, I figured we should celebrate today instead! (And she puts a orange party hat on Dede42's head.)
Dede42: Well, it's not every day that you get 100 stories posted on a site, so let's celebrate!
Everyone: Yah! 100th story, hey! 100th story, ha! 100th story hey!
(The part is in full swing and Dede42 finds Sunrise Blossom at the buffet table.)
Dede42: Hey, here to party?
Sunrise Blossom: I sure am, but I'm also worried about Roleplayer98 because he's stressing out about the deleted scenes/bloopers for Season 1.
Dede42: Oh, well you can let him know that he doesn't have to worry about doing any of those for the Sisters' story or the "Return of Nightmare Moon." He can go forward with the other stories I've posted so far instead if he wants to.
Sunrise Blossom: Great idea! I'll let him know after the party and I'll even bring him some cake- Timon! Stop putting bugs in the punch!
Timon: But it'll taste so much better with some bugs in it.
Sunrise Blossom: No it won't!
Dede42: (shakes her head as they continue to argue while Pinkie Pie removes the tainted punch with a fresh bowl all ready.) Here we go again.
Read, review, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from My Little Pony: Magic is Friendship. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.
CHAPTER TWO: HOLIDAY BLUES
"A blizzard? Why did Cloudsdale produce a blizzard?" Spike asked when Sunrise Blossom paused to take a breath and drink some of her apple cider. "Especially on Hearth's Warming Eve?"
"We were all wondering the same thing, Spike," said Rainbow Dash. "Want me to take over, Sunny?"
Sunrise Blossom shook her head. "No, I can keep telling the story," she replied. "Rainbow's right, we all were wondering why a blizzard was produced by the Cloudsdale's weather factory, and we did get some answers when we all retreated to Town Hall…"
By the time Sunrise Blossom and her friends reached Town Hall, where an emergency meeting was being held in light of the unexpected blizzard, nearly every pony in Ponyville was gathered and demanding answers from Mayor Mare, who was looking on the frazzled side herself. The six ponies managed to make their way through the throng until they were close to the stage, joining Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, and Big Macintosh, and where the mayor was trying to get every pony to calm down.
"Please, please, settle down and I will tell you of the message that I just received from Princess Celestia," Mayor Mare requested, doing her best to sound calm and reassuring, but it was obvious that the sudden blizzard had thrown her for a loop, too.
Looking around and seeing that the gathered ponies weren't about to quiet down, Sunrise Blossom magically fired off some loud colorful sparks that startled many of the ponies and got their attention. "Please listen to the mayor," she insisted and the crowd finally quieted down.
"Thank you, Miss Blossom," said Mayor Mare gratefully to the orange unicorn and then she turned her attention to the crowd. "As I said, I have received a letter from Princess Celestia, who is investigating the situation in Cloudsdale to determine the cause of the blizzard that is currently spreading through all of Equestria." She then held up the letter and read from it aloud.
"Dear ponies of Ponyville. In light of the unscheduled blizzard that has hit our fair country, I regretfully have instructed that the train and other means of transportation should not be used until the blizzard has passed and the snow on the tracks has either melted or has been removed. I know that you all were looking forward to spending Hearth's Warming Eve with your families, and I apologize in advance for this inconvenience. Your royal servant, Princess Celestia."
"Oh no," Pinkie Pie moaned. "So much for visiting family."
"Yeah," Sunrise Blossom agreed sadly, and they both left with the other ponies, many heading back to their homes to bunker down for the duration of the blizzard, and all excitement for the holiday had vanished.
Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity watched their friends go, wondering how they were going to celebrate Hearth's Warming Eve with a blizzard, and what they could do to lift their friends' spirits.
"I don't know about you three, but I'm heading to Cloudsdale to figure out what happen," said the blue pegasus and she headed outside, only to be blown back in by a gust of wind and snow, and she crashed to the floor. "Ow!"
"I don't think flyin' in this weather is a good idea, Rainbow," Applejack pointed out, and earned an annoyed grunt from her friend. "Right now, we need to help Sunrise and Pinkie get their holiday spirits back, and the best way to do it is to do it together."
Rarity nodded. "Hear, hear, I fully agree."
"But what can we do with the weather being so bad?" Fluttershy wondered, and she was worried about how the unexpected blizzard would affect her animal friends back at her home.
"I think I have an idea," said Applejack with a smile. "Come on." And they managed to get outside to get her plan in motion.
After letting Rosemary out of her cage and putting away her luggage since she wasn't going to need it any time soon, Sunrise Blossom got out her diary and began writing in it, putting down how upset she was that she wasn't going to be able to go home and spend time with her family. Once she was done, she put her diary away and got out the book she used to communicate with Princess Celestia.
"Dear, Princess Celestia," she wrote sadly. "I hope you can figure out what caused this blizzard, and if you have a chance, please inform my family that I won't be able to join them for Hearth's Warming Eve. I wished that I could be with them, but I guess that won't happen this year. Maybe I will be able to spend the holiday with them next year. Your faithful student, Sunrise Blossom."
Signing the page, Sunrise Blossom shut the book and put it away before curling up on her bed, watching the blowing snow through the window, and she quietly cried, letting her cat join her and lick away her tears as they kept coming.
In her room above Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie was moping and writing a letter that she knew she wouldn't be able to deliver, but she felt like writing it anyway. 'I wish we had taken the train sooner,' she thought, sealing away the letter in an envelope. 'If we had, then both Sunrise and I would be with our families right now.'
Pinkie Pie stored the letter away and she flopped onto her bed, feeling dejected and nothing like her usual cheerful self. She sat up when there was a knock on her door, and she went to answer it. Pulling the door open, she was surprised to find a box wrapped in red/green paper, and there was a note lying on top of it.
Curious, she opened the letter and read it. "Hey, Pinkie! There's a clue in this box that will lead you to fun!" Intrigued, she quickly unwrapped the box and her expression brightened when she saw that it contained a sun-shaped brooch. "Ooh, I bet I know where to go to find the next clue!" And, stuffing the brooch into her bag, she put on her winter coat before heading outside into the blowing snow.
Sunrise Blossom was dozing on her bed when there was a clattering sound downstairs that woke her up, and she got up to investigate. Reaching the main floor, she checked the main room before heading into her workplace, discovering melting snow on the floor. "Huh?" Positive that she'd locked all the doors, she did a quick search of the room and found a red/green wrapped box on top of the table.
Perplexed, Sunrise Blossom was reaching for the box when the backdoor suddenly slammed open and a pink figure was blown inside by the wind, colliding with her. Crashing to the floor, the orange unicorn grunted and then used her magic to shut and lock the door. "Ow, what the-? Pinkie?" she asked, surprised to see the pink pony lying on top of her and covered with snow. "What're you doing here?"
"I got a clue in a wrapped present that lead me here!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, rolling off and shaking off the remaining snow before showing her friend the brooch. "You're the only pony in town I know who has a sun as a part of her cutie mark!"
Sunrise Blossom blinked. "Wow, who gave you that?"
"No idea, but whichever pony did give it to me, probably gave you that box right there," said Pinkie Pie, pointing to the box on the table.
Intrigued, the orange unicorn summoned the box to her and found that on top was a note lying on top. She read the note first. "Hey, Sunny! There's a clue in this box that will lead you to fun!" she read aloud. "Did you get the same note with your box, Pinkie?"
"I sure did!" the pink pony confirmed, excitedly. "Come on! Open the box!"
Chuckling, Sunrise Blossom set aside the note and unwrapped the box, opening to find two brooches, one that was shaped like Pinkie Pie's cutie mark and one that was shaped like three familiar-looking diamonds. "Ooh, it's a scavenger hunt!" she exclaimed, retrieving her coat, scarf, and boots before storing the two brooches in her pockets. "Give you three guesses where we go next, Pinkie."
"I already figured it out, so let's go!" Pinkie Pie squealed, and they both headed outside with Sunrise Blossom using a shield to protect them from the snow, wind, and cold.
Shortly after they left, the backdoor opened once again and a figure entered the Apothecary, heading toward the spot where Rosemary was sleeping on her pillow.
"Whoa, wait a minute!" Spike interrupted. "You mean after you both left the Apothecary, some pony entered and stole Rosemary?"
Sunrise Blossom and Pinkie Pie both giggled and they reassured the baby dragon that Rosemary hadn't been catnapped. "Don't worry, Spike, she's still fine and safe."
"But, then who entered the Apothecary after you both left?" he asked, still concerned despite their reassurance.
"If you'll let me continue, Spike, then you'll know for sure," said Sunrise Blossom. "Now where was I? Oh yes…"
Even with the shield spell, it took Sunrise Blossom and Pinkie Pie a bit of time to reach Carousel Boutique, and they were surprised to find the shop unlocked when they tried the front door. After falling inside and shutting the door behind them to keep the snow out, Sunrise Blossom dropped the shield so that they could look around.
"Rarity, are you here?" she called out while the pink pony went searching around the main floor for the next clue. "Hello? I wonder where she is?"
"Don't know, but I found something over here," Pinkie Pie called out from near the containers that held various kinds of gems, and she pulled out another red/green wrapped box with a note on top.
Trotting over, they read the note together. "Hey, Pinkie and Sunrise, looking good! Keep following the clues and you'll both get a neat Hearth's Warming Eve surprise!" Setting aside the note, they unwrapped the box and opened it to find two brooches that resembled the cutie marks of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
"Hmm, I don't know if we can even reach Rainbow Dash's home in this weather," said Sunrise Blossom, glancing out one of the windows at the blizzard still raging with seemingly no end in sight. 'If I hadn't seen this coming from Cloudsdale, I'd think it was the windigos from the legend.'
"Yeah, even Rainbow Dash can't fly in this kind of weather," Pinkie Pie agreed, pocketing the brooches. "Maybe she's staying with Fluttershy until the blizzard finally ends," she suggested.
"That's a good suggestion, Pinkie," the orange unicorn agreed. "Let's go to Fluttershy's place and see if we can find them or another clue."
"Ok!"
It took a few hours, but eventually Sunrise Blossom and Pinkie Pie reached the tree that was Fluttershy's home and, once again surprised to find that the door was unlocked, entered the house, making sure to shut the door behind them. They did a quick search of the house, only to find it empty with no signs of either their friends or the animals that Fluttershy cared for, and they found another wrapped box and note instead near the fireplace.
"I have a sneaking suspicion that our friends are behind all this," Sunrise Blossom said thoughtfully after they read the note that was encouraging them to keep going with the clues provided.
They unwrapped and opened the box to find a second, smaller box with a familiar apple-shaped cutie mark on it. Taking the box with them, they headed back out into the storm, hoping that they could find their way to Sweet Apple Acres without getting lost in the blizzard.
"Why didn't you just open the second box?" Twilight Sparkle inquired while her twin refilled her cup with more apple cider.
"We couldn't since it was locked and there wasn't a key with it," Sunrise Blossom replied. "And I didn't want to force it open with magic," she added. "So, Pinkie and I figured that we could find the key at our next destination…"
With the blizzard raging around them, Sunrise Blossom and Pinkie Pie weren't sure if they were heading toward the apple farm, toward Ponyville, or somewhere else altogether. Just when they were about ready to give up, the pink pony unexpectedly bounced off the shield when it collided with a section of wooden fence.
"Owie! Ooh, I think we're getting close," said Pinkie Pie, getting up, and they followed along the fence until they found the opening. "Yippe!" Exchanging hopeful grins, they followed the path up to the house, wondering what would happen next, and whether their friends would be waiting for them inside.
A/N: What sort of surprise will they find inside? R&R everyone!