S5 E20: Hearthbreakers (What If?) (Bonus Chapter)
It was winter time in the land of Equestria, and the pegasi had pulled out all the stops to make the weather match the season. As the holiday known as "Hearth's Warming" approached, the town of Ponyville (as well as most neighboring cities and towns) was blanketed by a thick coat of fluffy white snow. Everywhere you looked, you could see decorations, and ponies rushing to and fro or playing in the snow. "Hearth's Warming" may have been a few days away, but as far as the citizens of Ponyville were concerned, the holiday cheer had already arrived.
No place was more busy during this time of year, than Sugarcube Corner. Mr. and Mrs. Cake were busy tending to customers, rushing to and from the counter to the kitchen to pull out tasty treats to deliver to paying customers. Pound and Pumpkin Cake watched their parents work, from the safety of a nearby playpen, the two foals occasionally playing with the various toys their parents had set out for them. They were looking forward to getting the chance to play in the snow later on, especially making snow angels and getting into snowball fights with their parents.
Suddenly, from up on the roof there arose a great noise, as if somepony were walking (or bouncing) along the tiled rooftop. The noise soon transitioned to the chimney, as if the figure on the rooftop had decided to travel down the brick chimney for some reason. The noise grew louder and louder, as the figure responsible for it traveled down the chimney at a speed that should've been impossible.
Deciding to investigate, Mr. Cake rushed to the kitchen, just in time to see a familiar pair of light cerulean eyes poke out from the chimney. Mr. Cake smiled, he knew who those eyes belonged to. Sure enough, a moment later, Pinkie Pie poked her way out of the chimney. Her bright coat was stained with chimney soot, but she didn't seem to mind. "Happy Hearth's Warming!" she said cheerfully, giving Mr. Cake a big hug.
"Happy Hearth's Warming to you too, Pinkie Pie," Mr. Cake replied "But next time, please use the front door."
"I was going to, but I figured the chimney would work better for this occasion," Pinkie Pie smiled "I felt just like Santa Hooves!" She then zipped out of the kitchen to wish Mrs. Cake and the twins a happy Hearth's Warming as well.
By the time Pinkie Pie had finished doing so, Applejack had showed up. "Well, ain't that just the sweetest thing?" she commented "Hearth's Warming truly is your favorite time of year, isn't it, Pinkie Pie?"
"It's not my only favorite time of the year!" Pinkie Pie announced, after she had finished wishing Pound and Pumpkin Cake a happy Hearth's Warming "But there's just something so magical about this time of year that makes me feel extra cheerful. And this Hearth's Warming is going to be one of the best ones ever, because I get to spend it with my favorite cousin!"
Applejack couldn't help but chuckle at Pinkie Pie's statement "Now, Pinkie, you know that we're only distantly related, if we're even cousins at all."
"So, a cousin is still a cousin. And family is family, no matter how distantly we might be related," Pinkie Pie replied "I can't wait for you and the rest of your family to meet my family, we are already friends Applejack, and after tomorrow night I can practically gurantee our families will be friends too!" Then Pinkie Pie gapsed "Do you know what that means? The number of Apples times the number of Pies is twenty four, minus my preexisting friendships plus one for Maud and when you take five from twenty four you get... nineteen new friendships!"
"That's assumin' we hit off right away," Applejack replied nervously "And after what happened with Maud, I think your family may take some gettin' used to. Even if their traditions are a lot like ours."
"A little nervous to be metting Mr. and Mrs. Pie aren't we?" Mrs. Cake asked kindly "Carrot and I know what that's like. I can say from experience that the Pies are certainly a bit odd, but once you get to know them they're a nice little family with a humbe little rock farm in Ponypalooza."
"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got lots of other friends I want to wish a happy Hearth's Warming to today!" Pinkie Pie declared "And there's plenty of other friends I want to write Hearth's Warming letters to, especially Cheese Sandwich!" And with that, after quickly brushing the soot off her coat, Pinkie Pie bounced out the front door of Sugarcube Corner, happily humming a little Hearth's Warming carol to herself.
"That's Pinkie Pie for you," Mr. Cake said with a smile "Not a day goes by where it seems like she doesn't have a smile on her face, and a spring in her step. But I can actually remember when that wasn't the case, isn't that right, sugar plum?"
"Indeed it is, honey bun," Mrs. Cake replied "I can remember how she was when we first met, the poor dear was so alone and so sad. I didn't know if she'd ever smiled before."
"Oh that's right," Applejack realized "Pinkie Pie moved in with the two of you shortly after she came to Ponyville, she's always said you two are like a second family to her."
"And indeed we are," Mrs. Cake said happily "But at first, she seemed afraid of that idea. She loved her first family so much, and she didn't want anypony to replace them. However, I can remember this one incident. It happened a few weeks after Pinkie Pie moved in with Carrot and I."
"Alright, Pinkie Pie," Mrs. Cake said to the brightly pink coated filly that had become a major source of joy for her and her husband "Carrot and I have a few errands to run, we'll be back in a couple of hours."
"We've already got all the baked goods ready for the customers to pick up," Mr. Cake added "You just need to take them out of the ovens and place them in the proper bags."
Pinkie Pie nodded "Okay, goodbye Mom, goodbye Dad," then a sudden silence fell over Sugarcube Corner, as the young filly realized her mistake and gasped "Wait, no! I didn't mean it like that! What I meant to say was-"
But Mr. Cake gently sushed Pinkie Pie, he knew what was going on. "It's alright, come here and hug it all out," he instructed kindly. Pinkie Pie did so without hestiation, her mane and tail falling flat and her coat becoming darker in the process "There's a good filly." Mr. Cake said sweetly, as he and his wife patted Pinkie Pie, while the filly hugged them tightly as she sobbed and tears flowed freely from her cheeks.
"I miss them so much!" Pinkie Pie said in between sobs.
"We know, Pinkie. We know," Mrs. Cake said kindly "I'm sure they miss you too. Carrot and I are aren't trying to replace them, but you don't have to call us Mom and Dad if you don't want to, Mr. and Mrs. Cake are just fine."
"But, you two feel so much like family to me," Pinkie Pie confessed "It just feels right to call you Mom and Dad, even if you aren't my Mom and Dad. This is making me feel all loco in the coco, and not in a good sort of way."
"Well, if you miss them so much, why don't you write them a letter?" Mr. Cake suggested "Let them know how much you miss them, and how you feel about us."
"Do you think they'll feel jealous of the fact that I feel like you two are my second family?" Pinkie Pie asked nervously.
"Maybe a little bit," Mrs. Cake said honestly "But I think they'll be glad to hear from you all the same. Family is family, and no matter how far away you are, you'll always share a special bond that cannot be broken."
Pinkie Pie sniffled a bit, as the water works slowly began to cease. "Thanks," she said to Mr. and Mrs. Cake "I feel a little bit better now," then she nervously asked "Could I have a few tissues, please?"
"Certainly, my little Pinkie Pie, you didn't even have to ask." Mrs. Cake smiled.
"Wow, I had no idea she was hurtin' that bad when she first came here," Applejack spoke up, once Mrs. Cake had finished telling her story "When Pinkie Pie and I first met, it looked she couldn't stop smilin' no matter what happened. In fact, she helped me get over my folks deaths more than anypony else did. She was the one who taught me to look on the bright side and enjoy the life I had, 'cause it's what Ma and Pa would want."
"Well, time has a way of easing some wounds," Mrs. Cake commented "Some pains can dull or even fade away with time, but there are some wounds that never truly go away no matter what. It all depends on the kind of wound, and how it was inflicted. A pain brought on by personal loss heals differently from a pain caused by seperation, either by choice or by accident or misunderstanding."
"Heh, Granny Smith's always fond of sayin' stuff like that." Applejack said with a slight chuckle.
"What can I say, it's just something you pick up on as you get older," Mrs. Cake replied "Beside, learning how to heal wounds and make pain go away is part of what being a mother is all about."
"Same goes for being a father." Mr. Cake added.
"So, you've known Pinkie Pie even longer than I have. By any chance, did you ever get to meet her parents?" Applejack asked "I met her folks once, before I knew Pinkie Pie and I might be related. They seemed alright, but a little on the grumpy side. Then again, they said it themselves they were upset because they were goin' to lose the rock farm."
"Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Pie are quite nice," Mrs. Cake told Applejack "I think you and your family will get along nicely with them," then she smiled and chuckled a bit "You certainly can't have a meeting more akward than the one Carrot and I had when we met Mr. and Mrs. Pie for the first time."
"When was that?" Applejack asked.
"Oh, it was years and years ago," Mr. Cake explained "At the very least, it was before Princess Twilight moved to town. It's a long story though."
"Well, I got nowhere better to be right now," Applejack told the Cakes "I was goin' to go see Twilight and Spike and see how they celebrate Hearth's Warmin', but I figure that can wait until tomorrow when Pinkie and I stop by to drop off our presents before we leave," and with that, Applejack pulled up a chair "So, assumin' ya'll ain't too busy, I'd like to hear the story."
Mrs. Cake looked anxiously at her husband, as if she were worried about something. Mr. Cake quickly replied back with an unconcerned look and said "Relax, sugar plum, I can manage just fine on my own. I'll call if I need your help."
"Thanks, honey," Mrs. Cake replied, pecking her husband on the cheek "And don't forget to check on the twins from time to time, just to make sure they're alright."
"You didn't even have to ask." Mr. Cake nodded, and with that he disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Mrs. Cake with Applejack.
"Well, I'm waitin'," Applejack said to Mrs. Cake, trying not to sound too rude "This sounds like it's goin' to be quite the story."
"Indeed it is," Mrs. Cake replied, laughing a bit "It's most certainly a Hearth's Warming Carrot and I will never forget." And this is the story that Mrs. Cake told Applejack:
It had been about a year or two since Pinkie Pie had moved in with The Cakes, and by now she felt comfortable enough to occasionally call them Mom and Dad, though never in public. She still maintained regular contact with her first family though, writing several letters to them. She especially enjoyed exchanging rock candy necklaces with her sister Maud, whenever she could visit.
Even so, Mr. and Mrs. Cake couldn't help but notice that Pinkie Pie still sometimes felt homesick. On quite a few nights, especially as Hearth's Warming drew near, she would look out at the night sky from her bedroom window. She never said a word, but it was obvious to anyone watching what was on her mind.
Then, one morning, Pinkie Pie recieved the news she'd been waiting for weeks to hear! It all began when Mr. Cake went out to fetch the mail from Derpy.
Mr. Cake trotted into Sugarcube Corner through the front door, whistling a merry little tune to himself. In his hooves, he carried a huge stack of letters, but the stallion didn't seem to mind. He quickly placed them down on the counter, and began to sort through them, placing them into piles based on their content as well as who they were addressed to.
When he reached the bottom of the stack, Mr. Cake noticed one letter that was not addressed to either him or his wife. He knew at once who it was for. "Pinkie Pie, a letter came for you!" he called up.
In the blink of an eye, Pinkie Pie appeared before Mr. Cake in a blur of pink. "Ooh! What does it say?!" she asked eagerly.
"I don't know, I haven't opened it yet," Mr. Cake told her "I thought you would like to do the honors."
Pinkie Pie could barely contain her excitement, as she carefully ripped open the envelope the letter was in, sending shards of paper flying everywhere. At last, she pulled the letter out and read it outloud:
Dear Pinkamina Diane Pie,
I hope you're enjoying life with The Cakes. Your father and I miss you very much, and so do your sisters, Marble and Limestone.
How would you like to spend Hearth's Warming at the rock farm with us? Maud will be coming home from her rock studies to spend the holiday, and she's really looking forward to seeing her favorite sister again.
Feel free to invite Mr. and Mrs. Cake, your father and I would love to get the chance to meet them. From what you've told us, they sound like nice ponies.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Your loving mother: Cloudy "Sue" Quartz
As soon as Pinkie Pie had finished reading the letter, she knew she could no longer contain her excitement. Leaping into the air, she happily shouted "This is going to be the best Hearth's Warming EVER!" at the top of her lungs, and started bouncing around like a pinball, ricocheting off the walls and ceiling.
Mr. Cake blinked and rubbed his eyes, no matter how often Pinkie Pie did things that were seemingly impossible, he never fully got used to them. It seemed like every time he had Pinkie Pie figured out, she somehow managed to surprise him with something new.
"What's all the excitement about, dearie?" Mrs. Cake asked, rubbing a sleepy eye.
Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing, and with a smile that was so big it looked like it would fall right off her face she said to Mrs. Cake "You and Mr. Cake are going to spend Hearth's Warming with my family on their rock farm! Picture the most fun-tacular thing you can think of. Now multiply that times infinity! Whoo! It's gonna be great!"
"I'm sure it will be, Pinkie," Mrs. Cake smiled back "When do we leave?"
"Hearth's Warming Eve's not for a few days still," Pinkie Pie replied "That gives me just enough time to write a reply and let my mom know we're coming! I can't wait to see everypony again, it's going to be like a great big family reunion! Pies and Cakes, together under one roof! And the best part is, we'll get to exchange Hearth's Warming traditions! I know my family's going to love your traditions, and I think you'll like their traditions as well! Ooh, just thinking about all the fun we're gonna have is making me feel even more excited than normal! I'm gonna have to come up with a new word to describe how I feel!"
And Pinkie then bounced away to retrieve a quill, a letter, an envelope to stuff in, and a stamp (Pinkie Pie had once forgotten to put a stamp on her letter, and it had not been delivered, since then she'd built up a stamp collection to ensure she would never run out of stamps, or forget to include one on her letters).
Mr. and Mrs. Cake were excited as well, though not quite as excited as Pinkie Pie. However, at the same time they couldn't help but feel nervous. Pinkie Pie clearly wanted them to get along perfectly with her parents and her sisters, but they only had Pinkie Pie's words to go on for what they were like. And there was no way to know for sure how accurate Pinkie Pie was when talking about her family, it was possible that her love for them might have caused her to overlook certain spots that others might find odd.
But Mr. and Mrs. Cake were determined to do their best to befriend the Pies, because it was obvious Pinkie Pie wanted them to get along.
The next few days passed in the blink of an eye, at least for Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Soon, Hearth's Warming Eve was upon them. Mr. and Mrs. Cake woke up early that morning, and after a quick breakfast with Pinkie Pie, they were off to the train station.
The trip to Ponypalooza passed mostly in silence, though Pinkie Pie remained as excited as she had been since recieving the letter, and constantly kept talking about wonderful her family was. Mr. and Mrs. Cake tried to calm her down a little, and hint that it might take some time for everypony get to know to each other and become friends, but Pinkie Pie was far too excited to listen to a word they said.
At last, the train ride was over. And waiting on the platform for Pinke Pie and The Cakes, was an earth pony with a coat that could best be described as persian blueish gray. Her mane and tail looked like Pinkie Pie's whenever they went flat, except this mare's mane and tail were colored a grayish blue violet, which matched her eye shadow. Her eyes were a light turquoise in color, but reflected no emotion. Her cutie mark (assuming she had one) was hidden from view by a blueish-green tunic with a dull brown stripe across the chest area.
Pinkie Pie recognized the mare at once, with a squeal she raced over and embraced the mare while happily shouting "Maud! Oh, I'm so glad you've come home for the holiday!"
"I'm so excited to see you, Pinkie Pie," Maud said in a tone that sounded flat and emotionless "And you too, Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Pinkie Pie has told me a lot about you both."
"What does she say about us?" Mr. Cake reluctantly asked.
"She just loves singing your praises," Maud replied "I think it's obvious she loves you both very much. And that's good enough for me, I'm happy to consider you honorary family." Mr. and Mrs. Cake smiled, at least one Pie family member already accepted them.
"How's school going?" Pinkie Pie asked Maud, as she and The Cakes followed Maud from the train station out into the snow covered country side.
"Let's just say, if you thought quartz was high on the Mohs hardness scale, wait 'til I tell you about corundum," Maud replied "It's a lot of work, but I'm learning so much. I can identify fault lines, even when there's no evidence on the surface. I can't wait 'til I can go away to study for my rocktorate."
"Here we are." Maud said at last, as she approached a small farm all decked out in Hearth's Warming decorations, at least on the exterior. Emerging from the house were a series of four earth ponies. One stallion, and three mares.
"Come on, everypony! Meet my super-mega-fun-derful family!" Pinkie Pie said eagerly, as she pushed The Cakes forward "Everypony, meet everypony!"
The first pony to speak, was the moderate amber coated stallion with a two tone gray mane and tail alternatively styled bushy (for the mane) and straight (for the tail), eyes the most brilliant shade of amber, a cutie mark depicting a pickax, a black stenson hat, and a gray collar with a black tie. "Greetings to you all, esteemed guests," he greeted "I am Igneous 'Clyde' Rock Pie, son of Feldspar Granite Pie."
"You will know me as Cloudy 'Sue' Quartz." said the mare who had a light cobalt bluish gray coat, eyes a peaceful light arctic blue, a grayish opal mane and tail styled like a mop, a cutie mark depicting three rocks, yellow trim glasses with similarly colored beed chains, and a black scarf with white lines and a small gold locket underneath it.
The next mare to speak up had a bluish gray coat, an opalish gray mane and tail styled similarly to Maud's, eyes the same moderate amber as Igneous', and a cutie mark depicting a lime between two rocks. "Gaze into the eyes of Limestone Pie," she declared in a growly voice "Ma and Pa may own this rock farm, but I keep it running. Cross me and you'll be sorry."
"Now, Limestone, you know that's no way to talk to honored guests," Igneous lectured, then he said to Mr. and Mrs. Cake "I apologize for my eldest daughter's outburst, she is fiercely protective of this farm. Just stay away from her mine, and you shouldn't run into any trouble with her. She's usually fairly sweet."
"Don't forget about Houlder's Boulder!" Limestone demanded.
"Aye aye, Captain Grumpy!" Pinkie Pie spoke up, and then she sighed "Everypony stay away from Holder's Boulder. There, are you happy now?"
"Yes indeed." Limestone nodded and said nothing more.
Just then, Mrs. Cake noticed the only mare who had yet to speak up trying to slip away unnoticed. Said mare had a turquoiseish gray coat that looked like it would blend in perfectly with the boulders and rocks on the farm, a dark gray mane with lighter gray streaks, grayish violet eyes (with the right eye hidden behind the mane), and a cutie mark depicting three purple marbles. "And you must be—" Mrs. Cake began.
Pinkie Pie, noticing the mare slipping away, immediately raced forward and grabbed her lightly before she could escape. "This is Marble Pie, my baby sister who's only a few minutes younger than me but she'll always be a baby to me, isn't that right?" she declared, hugging Marble tightly "She's so excited to meet everypony! Oh, and she wishes you all a happy Hearth's Warming!"
However, Marble didn't say anything. Pinkie Pie had to literally nudge her with a hoof in order to get her to say "Mm-hmm." ever so softly.
"Pinkamina's always been the one to do the talking for Marble," Cloudy told Mr. and Mrs. Cake "It takes a while for her to come out of her shell with strangers."
"We noticed." Mr. Cake replied.
"Speaking of talking, you seem to be speaking a lot differently from how Pinkie Pie said you usually do with strangers," Mrs. Cake added "What's up with that?"
"We use such old language around strangers, or when in mixed or polite company," Igneous explained "However, you are our honored guests, and practically honorary family members already. Therefore, we see no need to be so overly formal."
A second later, Pinkie Pie whistled, attracting everypony's attention. "Attention!" she shouted.
Limestone was furious when she saw where it was that Pinkie Pie was standing "Hey! What did I just say about the boulder?!" she demanded.
"I'll just be a second," Pinkie Pie replied "Everypony get settled in! We've got a lot of fun things to do this Hearth's Warming Eve!"
"Marble, please show our guests to their room," Igneous instructed "There's plenty of room for them upstairs."
"As you wish." Marble nodded softly, and led The Cakes away.
"So far, so good." The Cakes thought to themselves. Igneous and Cloudy seemed nice and welcoming, as did Marble (though that was hard to tell since she hadn't said much). Limestone seemed to be a bit on the grumpy side, but The Cakes were hopeful that would change with time.
Marble led Mr. and Mrs. Cake upstairs to a small bedroom with two sets of bunk beds, one on each side of the room. In between the two, the rays of the setting sun were reflected through a lone window.
"I hope you are comfortable with these arrangements," Marble spoke up, blowing her mane out of her right eye "If there's anything you need, feel free to ask. Dinner will be served shortly."
Mr. and Mrs. Cake were surprised to hear Marble speaking to them so comfortably when just a few minutes ago she had been hesitant to say anything.
"It normally takes a while for me to warm up to strangers, but you two seem friendly enough for me to let down my guard," Marble explained, as if though she'd sensed what they were about to say "We Pies each have our own special sixith sense that runs in the family. Mine gives me the ability to sense what others are thinking before they can say it, which is why I don't usually speak much. Actions always speak louder than words."
"Such impressive words of wisdom." Mr. Cake commented, he and his wife were impressed.
"Thank you," Marble nodded, then she added "Someday, I would like to become a farmer. Not a rock farmer like my parents, just a regular old farmer. I don't know what kind of regular farmer I want to be just yet though."
"Do you mind telling us why your oldest sister is so protective of that boulder?" Mrs. Cake asked Marble "It seems like just an ordinary boulder to me."
"Oh, it's no ordinary boulder," Marble said seriously "Our great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Holder Cobblestone – he found that boulder in a hallowed out dragon's nest, older than time itself! He built the family farm around it, even though it was just an ordinary rock. It's always brought us good luck, and it hasn't moved at all since the farm was built. Since Limestone is the oldest child of the family, it falls to her to carry on the Pie family tradition, even if she'd rather do something else with her life."
"Oh, the poor dear. That doesn't sound fun at all." Mrs. Cake commented, she and her husband now felt sorry for Limestone.
"Well, Limestone pretends not to care. And don't tell her or anypony else I told you about it," Marble cautioned "Limestone cares about our family just as much as the rest of us do, and looking after the rock farm is a big responsibility. That's why she's always so rough around the edges, she has to be tough to protect the farm, and everyone and everything on it." And with that, Marble let her mane fall back over her right eye, as she trotted down the stairs to the main floor.
Pinkie Pie came trotting happily up the stairs a few moments later. "Hope you're all settled in," she said eagerly, grinning from ear to ear "'Cause it's time for dinner! And guess who's hungry? Spoiler alert: It's me!"
Mr. and Mrs. Cake were hardly ones to question other ponies tastes when it came to food, after all lots of ponies seemed to have specific things they liked that other ponies thought were crazy.
However, being presented with what could be best described as rock soup was certainly not what The Cakes had in mind for a Hearth's Warming Eve dinner. The soup broth rested inside a series of small tins, with a single solid rock floating in the middle.
Much to the surprise of The Cakes, it seemed like all of the Pies (except for Pinkie Pie and Maud) consumed the rocks along with the soup broth. Considering the fact that they had expecting hot rolls and double-baked pot pie, the idea of eating rocks and drinking soup broth didn't exactly sound appealing to either of The Cakes, though they didn't dare say it outloud for fear of sounding inconsiderate.
"What's the matter?" Pinkie Pie asked "You two have barely touched your rock soup. Eat up, or we'll never get to our Hearth's Warming Dolls to hang over the fireplace."
"We were just... expecting something a little different, that's all," Mr. Cake said nervously "Rock soup is a bit... different from what we usually eat."
Limestone chuckled "Rock soup is a Pie family speciality, we've always had it for Hearth's Warming Eve dinner. Trust me, it's a bit of an accquired taste, but in time you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. Besides, it's good for the teeth." She emphasized this point by chomping down hard on the rock in her soup. Where one would expect her teeth to break into tiny pieces, Limestone's teeth remain completely intact and did not move, as she grounded the rock up into small chunks and ate said chunks.
"You do not have to eat the rocks if you don't want to," Cloudy offered kindly "Most guests usually just drink up the broth of the soup and leave the rocks behind. We always find good use for the uneaten rocks though."
"Like what?" Mrs. Cake asked.
"We make fine rock gardens out of the uneaten rocks," Maud explained in her deadpan voice "Some of Boulder's cousins come from said gardens."
"Go ahead and eat up, there's no hurry," Igneous told them "For Hearth's Warming Day dinner tomorrow, we would be honored to have you help us prepare a more traditional meal. Though, while I prefer not to brag, my darling Cloudy is quite skilled in the kitchen."
"Goodness knows how many new family recipes I've invented over the years." Cloudy chuckled.
Despite the ressuarance from their guests, Mr. and Mrs. Cake did not eat much of their rock soup. And they were glad when dinner was over. They were looking forward to the Hearth's Warming Dolls, those were always fun.
When dinner was over, and all the tins had been washed and put away, the Pie family lead the Cakes outside and down to a mine that stood next to an entrance to a series of crystal caves.
"Where are the Hearth's Warming Dolls?" Mrs. Cake asked.
"Our ancestors were too poor to afford the traditional crocheted dolls you pass down in your families," Limestone explained, as she tossed Mr. and Mrs. Cake a pair of pickaxes "So they carved their Hearth's Warming Dolls out of rocks. Since then, we've always carved new dolls every Hearth's Warming from the rocks on our farm. It's part of our tradition."
"Everything is so rock based here," Mr. Cake commented "It's a little unusual, even for a family of rock farmers."
Limestone chuckled "Well, how else would we do it? Now come on, those dolls aren't carve themselves!" And with that, she set to work on carving out her own Hearth's Warming Doll, as did the rest of the Pies.
But Mr. and Mrs. Cake were more than a little reluctant to start doing the same. They had already brought their own Hearth's Warming Dolls, and had even brought one they'd gotten for Pinkie Pie last Hearth's Warming. Said dolls were stored away in the trunk Mrs. Cake had brought with her and tucked away n the guest bedroom upstairs.
"Maybe we should just tell them we already have our Hearth's Warming Dolls," Mrs. Cake whispered to her husband "I'm sure they'll understand."
Mr. Cake shook his head "We are their honored guests, and I think it's important we show respect for their traditions even if we don't agree with them. If they carve their dolls out of rocks and expect us to do the same, who are we to disagree? Besides, look how happy Pinkie Pie is."
Pinkie Pie was happily chipping away at her rock at a pace unmatched by any of her sisters, or either of her parents. "Come on, slow pokes!" she called eagerly.
"We'll just carve out the dolls and hang our crocheted ones next to them on the fireplace." Mr. Cake suggested.
"Well, alright I guess," Mrs. Cake shrugged "I wish Pinkie Pie had told us sooner about this, I wouldn't have packed our crocheted dolls if I'd known about this."
Despite not being used to wielding pickaxes, The Cakes didn't have too much trouble carving out their own dolls from the rocks they were given. And they had to admit, the dolls didn't look half bad.
After the rock dolls were hung up above the fireplace as tradition dictated, it was time for the flag raising. And Pinkie Pie was all too eager to explain how her family always did it. " As everypony knows, when the three tribes united to form Equestria, the first flag was sewn by Nimble Thimble. It's tradition to raise a flag on Hearth's Warming to celebrate that famous day. Tradition dictates it goes on the highest point, but since we don't have a flagpole, we use Houlder's Bolder."
"Make sure you don't plant the flag too hard," Limestone cautioned "Houlder's Bolder is very old."
Pinkie Pie appeared to ignore Limestone's comment as she went on explaining how the flag raising tradition worked on the Pie family rock farm. "Earlier today, Limestone Pie hid an obsidian stone somewhere on the farm. Whoever finds it gets to raise the flag up Houlder's Boulder!"
"Beg pardon, but what's an obsidian stone?" Mr. Cake asked.
"It looks like something that formed when volcanic lava cooled quickly." Maud explained.
"Oh," Mr. Cake realized, then under his breath he added "I knew that."
"Now, we'll split into teams," Limestone spoke up "Pinkie Pie, do the honors."
"Aye aye, Limestone!" Pinkie Pie replied "You and Marble can team up with Mr. and Mrs. Cake for Team One, and Maud and I will team up with Mom and Dad for Team Two. On your marks, get set, go!" And before anypony could say anything, Pinkie Pie had already taken off.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake tried their best to search for the hidden obsidian stone, but since they didn't know the rock farm very well they knew the odds were against them. They didn't mind that too much, they figured they could use the opportunity to get to know Limestone better, and maybe even learn a bit more about the Pie family rock farm.
"So, what's it like growing up on a rock farm?" Mrs. Cake asked Limestone.
"It's... different," Limestone replied, a hint of regret buried in her tone of voice "I remember when I was the only sibling on the rock farm, Ma and Pa spent a lot of time fawning over me, though they also made it perfectly clear they expected me to follow in their hoofsteps. After Maud was born things started to change, I tried to interact with her but she always knew more about rocks then I did. I was actually surprised when she said she wanted to leave the rock farm and study rocks all over Equestria, Ma and Pa were surprised as well. Then came Pinkie and Marble, right from birth Pinkie was always a hoofful, never staying in one place for really long. Marble seemed to really grow attached to me for some reason, especially after Pinkie started fawning over Maud. It really pained me when I learned that both of my new sisters also had dreams that would take them beyond the rock farm."
"What exactly is your dream?" Mr. Cake asked Limestone, pretending he and his wife had no prior knowledge of Limestone's discontent with rock farm life.
"Truth be told, I've always wanted to open my very own mine," Limestone told Mr. Cake "As a filly, I loved to explore the crystal mines beneath the farm, there was always something magical about the place," she chuckled a bit "I remember the time when Pinkie thought it would be a good idea to play hide and go seek in those mines and make herself the seeker. That's when we all learned that Marble is a hide and go seek master."
"Tell them about the time we learned of the Pairing Stone!" Marble encouraged.
"The Pairing Stone?" Mr. and Mrs. Cake asked, such a thing sounded like it belonged in a fairy tale book.
"Mm-hmm." Marble nodded.
"It's a magical stone that the Pie family has used for generations to find their soulmates," Limestone explained "It's how Ma and Pa met each other. It rests deep inside the crystal mines, when the time is right you approach it and place your right hoof on it. Then you follow the electrical current that flows through your body until it stops, and that's when you know you've found the pony you're destined to be with for the rest of your life."
"What if it leads you to a non-pony?" Mr. Cake asked "What happens then?"
Limestone paused, and put a hoof to her chin "I'm... not really sure. As far as I know, that's never happened before. You'll probably have to ask Ma and Pa about that, they know more about the Pairing Stone then I do."
Just then, from inside the Crystal Mines, the familiar energetic voice of Pinkie Pie shouted out "Found it, found it, found it!" And she raced out of the mine, holding a crudely drawn picture of an obsidian stone in her mouth.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake were confused "I thought we were looking for a real stone?" Mrs. Cake spoke up.
"Usually we do, but for newcomers we always use a picture instead of the real thing," Limestone explained "Once you know your way around the rock farm, it's easier to spot the actual stone."
"Ooh! Do you know what this means?" Pinkie Pie asked "I get to raise the flag!" and she raced away to do just that.
"Boulder actually found the picture first, but he said it would be best to let Pinkie Pie have the victory instead," Maud said in a deadpan tone, as she petted her pet rock "I think he likes you both, he's heard good things about you from Pinkie Pie."
Evening soon came, and as the sun set quickly in the distance, Mr. and Mrs. Cake prepared themselves for bed.
"Pinkie certainly has an.... interesting family." Mrs. Cake commented.
"I can see why she may have left, though at the same time I can see why she missed them so much," Mr. Cake nodded in reply "Their Hearth's Warming traditions are quite different from our own. Not that there's anything wrong with that, they have their traditions and we have ours."
"True, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to get used to having only rock soup for dinner and making dolls out of rocks," Mrs. Cake said with concern "I think for all future Hearth's Warmings, if the Pies invite us we'll politely decline and let Pinkie Pie visit them on her own. In fact, if she decides she wants to move back onto the rock farm and be with her family, I think we should let her."
"You really think she misses her family so much that she'll want to stay with them for years and years to come?" Mr. Cake asked.
"She clearly missed them even after she moved in with us," Mrs. Cake commented "And I can tell that this has been the happiest day of her life for a long time."
"But what about us?" Mr. Cake asked worriedly "I know this probably sounds selfish, but I can't imagine a life without Pinkie Pie. Even if she writes to us all the time, it will never be the same. She's so much like family to us she might as well be our adopted daughter. Sugarcube Corner always feels more lively with her around."
"I know, honey bun, and I feel the same way," Mrs. Cake said, as she put a hoof around her husband "But it's wrong of us to deny Pinkie Pie her happiness just for the sake of making us happy. And think about her parents and her sisters, how would they feel if we selfishly held onto their daughter even if she didn't want to stay with us?"
Mr. Cake sighed "You're right, Cup Cake dear. If Pinkie Pie is truly happy here, then we should respect her wishes and let her stay."
Despite a tear forming in her eye, Mrs. Cake said to her husband "If that happens, Carrot Cake, we'll find a way to move on. And who knows, maybe someday we'll cross paths with Pinkie Pie again."
"We can worry more about that in the morning," Mr. Cake whispered "For now, let's try to get some sleep. It's all up to Pinkie Pie to decide who she wants to stay with." And with that, Mr. and Mrs. Cake reluctantly went unhappily to sleep. The very thought of having to part with Pinkie Pie, even if it made her happier, was something they found hard to accept. The fact that they might have to say goodbye on Hearth's Warming Day of all days only made the pain even worse, pushing out any and all dreams they may have otherwise had about the fun and excitement of the Hearth's Warming holiday.
As daylight broke over the Pie family rock farm, the inhabitants were woken up by the cheerful chants of Pinkie Pie. "Yay, it's Hearth's Warming! It's Hearth's Warming!" she cheered, bouncing here, there, and everywhere with a massive smile on her face.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake tried their best to put on a sincere smile for Pinkie Pie, even if by the day's end there was a good chance they would never see her again. That just meant they would have to make the most of the few hours they had left to spend with her.
Presents turned out to be a rather unexpected and eventful surprise when Mr. and Mrs. Cake learned that, overnight all the presents had been hidden away, and everypony had to take turns hunting for them.
Maud found her presents first, followed by Limestone, then Marble, then Pinkie Pie, then Igneous and Cloudy, and finally Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Presents were opened up in the same order.
Maud got some rock polish from Limestone, a tiny shirt for Boulder from Marble, a leash for Boulder from Pinkie Pie, Forty Two Shades of Granite from her parents, and some jelly beans from Mr. and Mrs. Cake. "Thank you all," she said in her flat voice "Boulder and I appreciate all the gifts you got us."
Limestone and Marble opened their presents without much fanfare, and Pinkie Pie allowed her parents to go ahead of her since she said she had "Something super duper special for Mr. and Mrs. Cake!" and raced off to go fetch it.
Pinkie Pie was thrilled with each of her presents, including confetti for her new party cannon she'd gotten as a gift from Maud on their last Pie Sisters Swap Day (or P.S.S.D as they often called). But it was the traditional crocheted doll from Mr. and Mrs. Cake that she loved best of all, especially when they told her it was hers to keep. "Oh thank you, thank you both so much!" she said, giving Mr. and Mrs. Cake a big hug "I'll always treasure this doll!"
Mr. and Mrs. Cake opened their presents last, and were plesently surprised at some of the gifts they recieved, including a cookbook from Igneous and Cloudy. "Feel free to try some of the recipes I highlighted," Cloudy suggested "I'm sure they'll be a big hit with your customers back in Ponyville."
"We will." Mr. and Mrs. Cake promised, and then they eyed the present Pinkie Pie had gotten for them. Whatever it was, it promised to be truly amazing if the bright wrapping paper and big red bow on the top was anything to go by. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, as Mr. and Mrs. Cake carefully ripped away the wrapping paper, and opened the box. What they saw made their mouths drop open in surprise, and their eyes widen to the size of dinner plates.
"Happy Hearth's Warming Mr. and Mrs. Cake!" Pinkie Pie shouted at the top of her lungs.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake could hardly believe their eyes, Pinkie Pie had managed to create rock like replicas of the two of them with a rock replica of Pinkie Pie standing in between them! "Did you make this all by yourself, Pinkie Pie?" Mrs. Cake asked.
Pinkie Pie nodded "It took forever to get it down to the exact details, but I just knew I had to do something extra special for the two of you! I didn't realize it until just a few weeks ago, but you guys are just as much family to me as my actual family!"
"So then, you're not going to return to your family rock farm?" Mr. Cake asked Pinkie Pie.
"Of course not," Pinkie Pie replied "I may still miss my Mom and Dad, and all my sisters, but I've come to learn that family is family no matter how far away you roam. I can always come back and visit whenever I really miss them, but you two are like a second family to me, I could never just up and leave you guys!"
Mr. and Mrs. Cake couldn't contain themselves, and they burst into tears of happiness, even the usually stotic Maud had to admit the scene was heart warming. "Oh, Pinkie Pie, that is the best Hearth's Warming present you could've ever gotten us! You really don't have to do this!" Mrs. Cake said "Carrot and I know how much you missed your family last Hearth's Warming."
"And now I've gotten the chance to see them again, and I'm going to make sure to come back and visit far more often!" Pinkie Pie insisted "But I left the rock farm for a reason, I knew in my heart that I would never be truly happy just staying on it forever. It may be my home, but my talent for making other ponies smile deserves to be spread to all of Equestria! You two are my second family, but I'll always still have my first family that I can stay in touch with and visit whenever I get really homesick."
Nothing more was said for a few minutes, as Mr. and Mrs. Cake shared a massive hug with Pinkie Pie and let their tears of happiness flow freely. This had truly been a Hearth's Warming to remember, for all the right reasons.
At last, Maud cleared her throat and announced "I would like to sing some of the Hearth's Warming carols I just wrote. The first one is about rocks. They're all about rocks," she then pulled out a piece of paper, and began to read the words written on it "Hearth's Warming is great. Like calcium silicate. What a wonderful day. As good as mica or clay."
"And ever since that Hearth's Warming, Carrot Cake and I have been good friends with the Pies," Mrs. Cake finished "In fact, just last Hearth's Warming we took Pound and Pumpkin Cake with us when we went to go see them. They had such a wonderful time, and so did everypony else."
Applejack was amazed at what she had just heard "Wow, that's quite the story you just told!" she exclaimed "I had no idea Pinkie Pie used to miss her folks so badly. She and I may be more related than I previously thought."
Mrs. Cake couldn't help but chuckle at Applejack's statement "Well, if you two are indeed fourth cousins, then that means you're connected to us as well. Pinkie Pie has always been like a daughter to us, and that hasn't changed even with Pound and Pumpkin Cake. Carrot and I were really worried that Pinkie would be jealous of the twins, but we were so glad to be proven wrong."
"Well, thanks for the story," Applejack said to Mrs. Cake "I really must be goin' now."
"Just remember to respect the Pie family's traditions when you visit them tomorrow," Mrs. Cake called "Oh, and make sure to tell Cloudy I said thanks for the cookbook."
"Will do." Applejack replied, and now that she no longer felt anxious about meeting Pinkie Pie's family for Hearth's Warming tomorrow, she set off happily to go find her potential distant cousin.
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Awesome twists with episode story
Well I'm surprised, this is actually even better than the original. The idea of having the Cakes over instead of the Apple Family made the reading much more welcoming and hearth warming to read (pardon the pun).
Hey there. Thanks very much for getting the next chapter up. I really appreciate you going to the effort. As usual, great job on the exchanges, emotional content and wrap-up in this rewrite. And, as usual, the reasons for the rewrite were good as were the execution OF said rewrites. Now, I have some more possible volume four rewrite ideas:
1. Hearts and Hooves Day: Twilight catches on to what the Crusaders want the potion book for quickly enough to deny it to them, so the Crusaders have to stick to trying the more relatively honest methods of match-making.
2. "The Cutie Re-Mark": 1. Twilight actually TRIES to reason with Starlight FIRST (but fails miserably, making it clear she will HAVE to resort to force on this one). 2. After Starlight messes up the timeline the first time, Twilight and Spike end up in an alternate timeline that they are trapped in for half of part one and MOST of part two (only one alternate timeline in this version instead of multiple alternate timelines, but your choice which alternate timeline). 3. Twilight and Spike help that timeline's natives fix things before getting back for the rematch with Starlight, with THIS one being a Curb Stomp Battle in Twilight and Spike's favor (they both took a couple of levels in Badflank over the course of their adventure in the alternate timeline). and 4. Starlight's hatred of special talents has a MUCH deeper story than simply "blaming Cutie Marks for the loss of ONE close friend." (though that is NOT revealed because the episode is running too long already)
For the comics:
Friends Forever Issue 16: 1. Prancy makes it clear that she is only working with Diamond and Silver because the money she is offering is going to her favorite charity. 2. Silver DOES opt to stay with Prancy to try to get help, much to Diamond's annoyance. and 3. Diamond is disqualified because Prancy, disgusted with how Diamond was willing to abandon her the instant she outlived her usefulness AND grateful for the Crusaders for them stopping to help without hesitation, quits her team.
FIENDship is Magic: No rewrites of canon issues, more like adding "issues" for Discord and Starlight Glimmer.
That is, of course, assuming you like the ideas enough to use them when you eventually get around to volume four. If not, I profusely apologize for wasting your time and still look forward to more of your work as soon as time and inspiration will allow.
7187473 I like some of these ideas, though I think instead I would have Twilight drag Starlight with her into the alternative timeline towards the end of part 1 and the two quickly realize their fight will have to be put off, with Starlight realizing what her revenge will lead to. Part 2 revolves around Twilight, Starlight, and Spike working to put the timeline back together (the Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon timelines would merge to where both sides are fighting a war for control of Equestria, and Zecora is leading a resistence per Princess Celestia's orders). Then after things are resolved (with some help from Starlight), Starlight reveals her in-depth back-story about why she hates cutie marks, and offers to turn herself in and destroy the time spell. Twilight, sensing that Starlight has changed for the better, decides to punish Starlight by making her learn the magic of friendship.
7187565 Yeah. I have to admit, that sounds REALLY good. And thanks again. :-D
7187669 Thank YOU for your wonderful suggestions.
7187721 You're quite welcome.