Chapter 4: The Sweet Sounds of The Season
Meanwhile, Rarity walks across a trail in an oak forest and soon, she comes across an acorn sign as she reads the address. She went up to the door and knocked on it.
Then a tan colored farming couple named Oak Nut and Butternut opened the door and appeared.
"Uh, is this Sweet Acorn Orchard?" Rarity asked.
"It is." Butternut answered. "But we've never had no pony like you visit before."
"Rarity." Rarity introduced herself. "Uh, pleasure. I'm actually here about a package that was recently deliv-"
"Oh, that was from you?" Oak Nut asked as Rarity sighed in relief.
"So it did arrive!" Rarity said as she chuckled and the couple strangely teared up. "Uh, if I could just-"
"We don't know how to thank you!" Butternut said as she suddenly hugged Rarity.
"Thank me?" Rarity questioned with a puzzled look.
(Scene changes)
They brought Rarity inside, and offered her some tea.
"I was just sayin' Butternut I wish we knew who our Hearth's Warming miracle was." Oak Nut said.
"Oak Nut and I couldn't believe it when we opened it." Butternut said. "Pistachio said right away whoever sent it just got him."
"Says when he put it on, he could feel destiny." Oak Nut added.
"As an... acorn farmer?" Rarity asked.
"A farmer?!" A voice scoffed.
Rarity looks up and sees their son, Pistachio, who has pale tan coat and pistachio green mane and tail and eyes. His Cutie Mark had an image of a pistachio, which hints his name. He is wearing a blue hat which is the hat for Applejack.
"Filly, please!" Pistachio said. "This is a Fedora Felt original!" He got down the ladder. "Look at this bold stitching. These daring textures. It's a whole new take on western chic. There is no way I would wear it in the grove!"
He hugs the hat.
"We don't know where he got his fashion sense." Butternut said to Rarity.
"Heh. Far as we know, a hat's a hat." Oak Nut said.
"Except when it's art." Pistachio added.
"Thank you, Rarity." Butternut said, which Pistachio's eyes widen in surprise.
"Rarity? The Rarity?" He went up to her.
"Mm-hmm." Rarity nodded.
"You have to stay for lunch!" Pistachio offered. "I won't take no for an answer!"
The family of three had begging smiles, and Rarity felt that a couple hours won't hurt.
"Oh, well, I, uh... I would be delighted." Rarity said as she smiled.
(Scene changes)
Back in Twilight and Chase's castle, a group of Bunyips had come over to help out as they began to decorate the castle. It wasn't long until Twilight emerged from her library with a book and a bit of a messed up mane. But she has finally found the recipe for Puddinghead's pudding.
"The recipe for Chancellor Puddinghead's magical pudding was filed under "Magical Spells" not "Recipes"." Twilight said as she walked. "Only took 4 hours to figure that out." She then looks like the ingredients. "Let's see. Nutmeg, sugarplums, gingerbread, candy canes... "She then reads a section. "Warning - To avoid untold culinary devastation, each ingredient must be measured with exact care." She laughed triumphantly. "Book, have you met me?!"
Bagheera was among some of the Bunyips helping out with the decorations and had heard everything.
"Unfortunately, I have." Bagheera said bluntly to himself, but that didn't go unheard by Twilight.
"What was that, young man?!" Twilight asked sternly.
"Nothing!" Bagheera said quickly and innocently when there was a knock on the door.
Twilight opens the doors as Princess Cadance, Shining Armor with Flurry in a blue star jacket.
"Happy Hearth's Warming!" They said and Flurry squeals happily of seeing her aunt.
But Twilight had more of a panic surprise than happiness.
"But you're early. Your scroll said you were coming tomorrow." Twilight said in worry and fearfully.
"Uh, the scroll we sent yesterday?" Cadance questioned as Shining hugged his sister.
"Yesterday. Right." Twilight remarked with a nervous chuckle before she gestured to the hall which still has the Bunyips putting up the decorations from where she finished. "Welcome!"
Shining Armor then place his right hoof on Twilight's forehead to feel her temperature.
"Uh, what are you doing?" Twilight asked, quickly brushing her brother's hoof off.
"Decorations not up. Leaving the Bunyips to do all the work with Bagheera." Shining Armor said, knowing his sister too well as he smirked. "Frazzled mane. Determined look. Your whole family's not here. Chase unable to help out. I've seen this before." He has seen this way too many times to recognized it. "What are obsessing about this time, Twily?"
"Nothing!" Twilight replied back as she jumped with a nervous smile.
"So, decorations aren't up with Chase not helping you and you have the bunyips here because...?" Shining Armor asked again while looking at the Bunyips were doing all the work.
"Uh, I thought it would be more fun if we decorated it together and Chase would come back with the rest of our family!" Twilight said in a slight lie and very fake smile.
"Oh, that sounds wonderful." Cadance said happily as she smiled, but Twilight began to panic. "We could start decorating right aw-"
Twilight was about to cut her sister-in-law off when she felt another slight kick to her stomach as she grunted a bit, catching Shining Armor and Cadance off guard.
"Whoa, Twilight. Are you alright?" Shining Armor asked with concern.
"Is there something wrong?" Cadance asked worriedly.
"I'm okay. It's just that I've got a very special gift for Chase." Twilight said assuringly. "But before we get to the decorations, I have to do one quick errand. Just a few ingredients. Nothing to obsess about here!" She laughed nervously as Bagheera looked annoyed. "Make yourselves at home. Be right back! Promise!"
"Twilight, wait!" Bagheera said, but was too late as Twilight teleported away before he could finish. "Oh man."
"She's definitely freaking out about something." Cadance said to her husband with a smirk.
"Oh, yeah." Shining Armor said, agreeing with his wife. Then they turned to Bagheera as he was helping one of the Bunyips place some of the decorations on the doorways. "So, Bagheera. What's Twily gotten into this time?"
Bagheera sighed annoyingly as he went into a box filled with all sorts of decorations.
"Twilight found Chancellor Puddinghead's pudding recipe and I've got a very bad feeling that she's gonna get in way over her head for this." Bagheera answered as Shining Armor and Cadance nodded, getting the message clear before adding curiously. "And she's like going through something that's making her happy after she came back from the hospital. But I don't know why."
That got Shining Armor and Cadance's attention as if thinking the same thing. Then it hit Cadance as she gasped in surprise and happiness.
"You don't think she could be-?" Cadance asked excitedly.
"Uh, I don't know what it is, but she was happy for some reason." Bagheera replied back when they heard the door open as they turned to see Spike coming in while straining as he was carrying his green fire ruby.
"Hey, Spike. What's with the fire ruby?" Shining Armor asked as Spike walked past the four.
"It's my Hearth's Warming Eve gift for Ember." Spike said while he strained as Bagheera, Shining Armor, and Cadance smirked in amusement. "Not that we have anything going on!"
Spike then walked up the stairs as the three shared smirks with each other while Flurry giggled.
(Scene changes)
Meanwhile, in the far north Pinkie treks across the mountain peaks. She struggles to move through a blizzard and was flung back, and uses an anchor to keep going.
Finally, she rides a Polar Bear to a ridge and sees a house ahead. She hops off, and waves to the Polar Bear as he leaves.
Pinkie approaches the house, but just before she was about to knock on the door, an elderly blue color Reindeer appeared.
"By Blitzen's Beard, it took you long enough!" She complained.
She then hooks her hoof over Pinkie's scarf and pulls her inside, causing the pink pony to yelp in surprise. Inside there were wrapped presents everywhere.
"Are you sure you were expecting me?" Pinkie asked. "My name is-"
"Pinkie Pie." The Reindeer said. "I know. Because I know everything."
"Oh, don't be silly." Said a younger Reindeer appearing from behind a present in a sand color coat and blue hair as they turned to her. "You only know what's already happened. But you don't what she's about to ask."
"What am I about to ask?" Pinkie asked and the Reindeer said the exact same thing at the same time as Pinkie shook her head. "How did you know I was gonna say that?!"
"Will you 2 stop showing off? She doesn't have all Hearth's Warming." A pink Reindeer said as she flew down while mixing a bowl.
"Who are you Reindeer?" Pinkie asked curiously.
"Aurora." The elderly Reindeer introduced.
"Bori." The pink Reindeer introduced.
"Alice." The younger Reindeer introduced.
"The Gift Givers of the Grove!" They all said proudly and happily.
"Ooh!" Pinkie said excitedly as she clapped her hooves. "And you can help me give Twilight the best gift ever?!"
"Mm-hmm!" Bori and Alice replied back as they nodded.
"What about those matching hats?" Aurora asked. "They were so cute."
"Well, that was-"
"Before she had to get just one gift for Twilight." Bori finished. "Try to keep up, Aurora."
"I'm gonna get that box Pinkie is gonna say she likes." Alice said and flew off as Bori sets the bowl down.
"Aurora remembers gifts that have already happened." Bori explained. "Alice knows the gifts that are going to happen. I just stay in the moment and keep the two of them in line. Not in the same way Chase does to you and the others." That last comment made Aurora roll her eyes in annoyance. "Speaking of, I believe we have a request for a gift."
Bori and Aurora went off and grabbed a few things.
"The best gift is more precious then gold, but it cannot be sold." Aurora said in a riddle and grabs a roll of wrapping paper with her magical antlers.
"When it breaks, it's not ended, for quickly it's mended." Bori said as well and made a bow.
"It can never be bought yet is easily sought." Alice said and then grabs a box. "Ah! Here we go."
They soon came back, and wrapped the present up.
"Ooh! I like that box!" Pinkie said as she smiled.
"Told ya." Alice remarked with a smirk as her fellow reindeer rolled their eyes.
Pinkie opens the lid and looks inside to see that there was a bright glow.
"The perfect gift!" Pinkie said as she smiled. "Wow! I don't get it."
She sat down with a confused look on her face.
"You will." Alice replied back as she placed the lid back on the present and the present was handed to Pinkie.
(Scene changes)
Back in Rainbow Falls, Applejack and Fluttershy approached Flim and Flam.
"We said no refunds!" Flim said with a huff, not recognizing the two.
Applejack clears her throat and glared at them, causing Flim to realize who they were.
"Oh. You." Flim said as he groaned. "Where are your husbands?"
"They're with Chase and his family. As for you two, what are y'all thievin' fools doin' with these dolls and that ridiculous getup?" Applejack demanded angrily. "Don't you have a resort to run?"
"It's off-season." Flim explained as he removes the wig, glasses and mustache. "Besides, we're planning an expansion."
"And expansions cost bits." Flam said as he smugly smiled, holding out some bits.
They brought the covers down, and a scale model of their resort is shown.
"Flim and Flam's Fro-Yo Flume Ride!" The 2 brothers announced proudly.
"Well, that sounds fu-" Fluttershy was about to finish when Applejack held her back.
"It ain't no excuse for sellin' cheap dolls to ponies." Applejack said sternly.
"Were just giving ponies what they want." Flim said as he brought an arm around Fluttershy.
"Shopping for the perfect gift is stressful." Flam added as the two were trying to get in her head.
"Oh, that's true." Fluttershy said.
The 2 brothers zipped off and then came back with a crate of more Holly dolls.
"You want to get something that really stands out." Flim said.
"I do." Fluttershy said as she smiled and approached them.
Applejack groans and smacks herself.
"And when you tell your friend you got then the hottest gift in Rainbow Falls, what'll they say?" Flam asked and offered a Holly.
"Woo-hoo"?" Fluttershy guested as Applejack bluntly taps a Holly doll.
"The more you spend, the more your friend knows you love them!" It spoke and then the box tilts over as it fell to the ground.
Fluttershy then realized she had been tricked.
"Oh, right." Fluttershy said angrily before tucking away her bits. Flim and Flam glared at her irritatingly. "They really are good at selling things."
"You may not like it." Flim said as he smiled smugly.
"But technically, we're not doing anything wrong." Flam added. "Even if they are easy to fool at this time.
"Ponies are desperate for the right." Flim added as well.
"And who are you to tell them this isn't it?" Flam asked Applejack.
"If ponies get tired of Holly after a few days..." Flim said.
"...or she falls apart, who really got hurt?" Flam added.
"Nopony!" They both said.
"Don't let the curtain hit ya on the way out!" Flim mockingly said as he pushed the two girls outside and disappeared.
"Of course Rarity wouldn't want this!" Fluttershy angrily said of being tricked. "I'm so mad, I could just... kick!" She then lightly taps her hoof on a small rock. And she made a painful sound.
But Applejack is more mad at Flim and Flam's tricks.
"Convincin' to buy that doll ain't in the holiday spirit!" Applejack said as she tossed the fake doll aside.
"But Flim and Flam have a point." Fluttershy added. "We can't tell ponies what to buy."
Applejack looks around seeing other ponies getting things.
"Huh." Applejack said, having an idea as she brought Fluttershy closer to her. "But maybe we can show 'em!"
(Scene changes)
Meanwhile, Rainbow was following a small set of footprints in the snow in a forest.
And then footsteps crunching through the snow was heard as Discord walked wearing snowshoes. And then trips and fells face-plants in the snow.
"Guh. Could you make less noise?" Rainbow asked, annoyed.
Discord lifts his head having a snow Santa hat and beard and then fell off.
"Of course!" Discord said with a smile as he snapped his fingers.
Then Rainbow was in a white snow ninja suit and Discord was in a black suit.
"We'll move silently." Discord said as he threw a smoke bomb and then appeared from the trees behind Rainbow and got onto a branch.. "Blend into the Winterchilla will never hear us coming."
"Winterchilla?" Rainbow asked as she lowers her mask.
"Small, adorable, fuzzy, and fast." Discord described. "But they're so rare, there's no telling where they- Oh, there's one right there!"
On a rock close by, was a Winterchilla which looks similar to that of a Chinchilla.
"Now, if you're going to get it, I think the first move is to-" Discord was about to finish when Rainbow quickly zips off, and comes back with the Winterchilla resting on her hoof.
"Be super fast?" Rainbow asked smugly behind her mask as Discord shrugged with a smile.
(Scene changes)
Back at the Castle of Friendship, Spike managed to get the fire ruby into his room as he began to chip the rocks off the gem.
"Okay, almost done." Spike said as he chiseled the rocks off the fire ruby. "Boy, Ember is so going to like this."
(Scene changes)
Back in Manehattan, Chase, Jade, Sunray, Trini, Antonio, Nyx, Sokka, and Clay had just brought the carriage filled with the Lil' Orphan Ninjas right back to the stallion. In regards to what happened, he was more than pleased to have the toys back.
"Thank you so much, Master Chase." The stallion said gratefully with a smile.
"Just be careful that you won't be able to get into any trouble at this time of the year." Chase replied back with a smile. He turns to see Ozzy, Fang Face, and Two Ton tied up glaring at him and the rest of his group. "And you won't be able to run into those three chumps again."
"No problem at all your majesty." The stallion replied back as he hooked himself up to the carriage. "Well, I must be off now. Those fillies and foals need these toys for Hearth's Warming. Happy holidays!"
He took off running with the carriage as the Elite Ninja, Nyx, Sokka, and Clay waved goodbye to him.
"You know, guys." Chase said with a smile as his family and friends turned to face him with the same expression. "Looks like our stay wasn't a waste of time after all."
"And with our spare time, we've managed to get the kids what they needed for the holiday." Jade added in agreement.
"Couldn't have said it myself, sis." Sunray added with a smirk as the others nodded in agreement as well.
"Speaking of which, our train's right on time." Antonio said as he gestured to the short line of ponies at the train station and right on time, the Friendship Express was just five minutes away from arriving.
Chase smiled at the sight with his family and friends.
"Well, guys. Looks like we've got a train to catch. Let's get back so we can enjoy Hearth's Warming with the rest of our family and friends." Chase said as the others chuckled in reply.
"Yup. The sweet sounds of the season." Clay said in agreement with the alicorn prince as the eight ponies walked to the train station to catch the Friendship Express.
(Scene changes)
Meanwhile, Flim and Flam were still selling Holly dolls to a new crowd of ponies.
"Have a wonderful holiday." Flim said. "And remember, no refunds." He hands one to a pony. "Next!"
It was then Fluttershy and Applejack appeared next to Flam.
"What are you doing here?" Flam asked with an annoyed glare.
"Same as everybody else." Applejack said, innocently and she got to the counter as she placed some bits. "I want a Hearth's Warmer. In fact, I want three!"
"Seriously?" Flim asked confusingly, not understanding what was going on.
"After I saw my friend here with hers, I knew I had to buy some for my granny, my husband, my brother, and my little sister!" Applejack said overacted.
"Yeah, yeah, great story." Flim said arrogantly and annoyingly as he hands her a bag. "Next!"
"But, Applejack, your granny, brother, and your sister, they are all so different. How can the same doll be the right gift for all of them?" Fluttershy said as she approached, doing her part.
The other ponies murmured and Flam panicked realizing what was going on.
"But, Fluttershy, this is the must-have gift of the season." Applejack went on.
"Just because it's must-have for one pony doesn't mean it's must-have for everypony, does it?" Fluttershy went on as well.
"That's true! I guess I need to put more thought into getting the right gift for each pony." Applejack said. "Can I return these?"
"NO REFUNDS!" Flim and Flam yelled in unison angrily.
The ponies turn to Flam and his fake mustache peels off.
"Oh, uh, you want 'em?" Applejack asked as she turned to a Unicorn. "I'm gonna pick out gifts that are just as special as the ponies they're for."
"I... think I'm gonna do some more shopping, too." Minty Bubblegum said and left as the other ponies started to leave.
"Now, hang on a moment!" Flim said in panic as he ran out of the tent. "Wait! Come back!"
"We'll give you a great deal!" Flam said while grinning nervously.
"Buy one, get one free?!" The two brothers yelled out with desperate smiles and then they ran off after some ponies.
The sweet sounds of the season." Applejack said as she happily sighs while holding the gifts. She then held up another bag that had a new scarf for Clay. "And it makes up for us to get our special someponies their gifts."
Fluttershy nodded in agreement as she held up her package that had a book about an ancient unicorn tradition of healing.