It's Tempest's first Hearthswarming in Ponyville, so she agrees to attend Twilight's Hearthswarming celebration.
It's Tempest's first Hearthswarming in Ponyville, so she agrees to attend Twilight's Hearthswarming celebration. She even ends up with getting both presents and a surprise letter from her past.
It's a snowy day in Ponyville when Twilight gets a knock on her castle door. She then walks over and gets it and to her surprise, Tempest is standing right in front of her. "I brought a present," says Tempest with a smile.
"Come on in," says Twilight. Tempest thanks her and comes inside. She then goes over to the tree and places her present underneath it.
"So, how does this work?" asks Tempest. "This is my first Hearthswarming in awhile, heck, it's my first one in Ponyville. I don't know how you guys do it here."
"Well, we start with a Hearthswarming play, we then enjoy a nice Hearthswarming dinner, then we do gifts, cocoa, and carols," responds Twilight with a smile.
"Sounds festive," says Tempest.
"Oh, it is! And very fun!" bursts in Pinkie Pie as she does a surprise party cannon over Twilight's head.
"That's enough Pinkie," says Twilight, "now please go finish up the Hearthswarming cookies."
"Okee dokee loki!" responds Pinkie as she bounces off to go work on the cookies.
"You should go observe Pinkie as she decorates the cookies," says Twilight as she turns to face Tempest. "It'll show you a little bit of what Hearthswarming is about to us." Tempest nods and goes over and observes Pinkie.
"What are you doing, Pinkie?" inquires Tempest.
"Decorating cookies, do you want to help? It's easy," responds Pinkie.
"Uh, sure," responds Tempest. She then picks up a bag and begins to pipe very intricate designs all over the cookies. Pinkie's jaw drops to the floor.
"That's impressive, Fizzlepop," says Pinkie as she picks her jaw up off the floor. "Where did you learn to decorate like that?"
"My mother and aunt had a bakery when I was growing up and I'd always help them with the cookies," responds Tempest, "oh how I miss them."
"Why don't you invite them here to Hearthswarming?" asks Pinkie.
"I...I don't know," responds Tempest with a stutter in her voice.
"Write them a letter, then see if they'll come," responds Pinkie. "Spike will send it off for you."
"Okay," responds Tempest. She then goes over to a table and writes a letter on a piece of stationary on the table. She then takes it to Spike who sends it off to her mother and aunt. A few hours later, she gets a response. She then opens it and reads it.
"Dear Tempest," Tempest reads, "we are glad you invited us to celebrate Hearthswarming with you and we'll gladly come. Heck, we'll even bring our world famous carrot cake and your aunt's peppermint eggnog. Sincerely, your mother." Tempest folds it up and smiles. She then turns to Pinkie. "They agreed to come."
"That's great!" responds Pinkie. "I bet you're excited to see them, huh?"
"Yes, absolutely!" responds Tempest.
A few hours later, there's a knock at the door and Tempest goes over and opens it and finds her aunt and mother standing there. She then embraces them in a great big hug. "Oh, honey! We missed you so much!" exclaim her mother and aunt as they hug her. "We missed you so very much!"
"I missed you guys too," responds Tempest. She then leads them over to the table where they set down their cake and eggnog. The three then go over to the couch where they sit down and catch up. Tempest is happy. She's so glad to see her family again after so many years away from them.
"So," says her mother, "do you enjoy Ponyville? Do you enjoy Equestria? It's a far cry from your humble beginnings my dear child."
"Yes, I enjoy it here, I have so many new friends that will appreciate me," responds Tempest with a smile.
"I'm glad you little Fizzlewizzle," responds her mother with a grin.
"Mom, don't call me that. I've always hated that nickname," responds Tempest. "It's embarrassing."
"What have you been up to since you moved to Ponyville?" asks her aunt curiously.
"Not much. This is the first big event of theirs that I've actually attended," responds Tempest, "and so far, I'm really enjoying myself."
"Well, that's good sweetie," responds her aunt with a smile. "As long as you're happy, your mother and I are happy."
"Awe, thanks, Aunt Fizzleberry," responds Tempest with a smile. "That means the world coming from you." A tear falls from her eye.
A few minutes later, they hear a chorus of ponies practicing for the Hearthswarming play. A grin appears on Tempest's face. "It looks like the play is going to be happening soon, I can't wait!"
An hour later, the play begins and Tempest and her family sit right on the front row. They then happily watch the Mane Six and the other ponies in the play with smiles on their faces. A few hours later, the play comes to an end and Tempest goes up and congratulates her friends. Her mother then unknowingly snaps a picture of all of them sharing a group hug. The group then goes together over to the dessert table and enjoy some of the cookies, a few of which Tempest decorated. They all then share a good laugh. They then go into the next event of the night, dinner. Everything is perfect, Tempest can definitely admit to that.
During the dinner, Twilight does her best to talk with Tempest's family. "So, Tempest's mom and Aunt Fizzleberry, how are you enjoying Ponyville?" Says Twilight as a drop of sweat drops down her forehead.
"We're enjoying it. It's a nice, quaint little town and those are the kinds of towns we like the best," responds Tempest's mom, "oh and hon, please call me Lianora."
"Okay," responds Twilight, "what's your favorite thing to bake? Mine is muffins."
"Oh, for sure cakes, especially carrot cakes and apple cakes," responds Lianora.
She then turns and asks Pinkie the same question. "And what is your favorite thing to bake, Miss Pie?"
"Cupcakes," responds Pinkie. "They're also my most popular treat. Also, my sugar cube frosting won the best frosting in show at the annual Ponyville Baking Fair."
"That's impressive indeed," responds Lianora with a smile. "I compete in that every year as well."
"Wow!" responds Pinkie. "I thought you looked familiar. Lianora, right?"
"Indeed," responds the unicorn mare. "It's nice to see you again, Pinkie."
"Wait! What!" squeals Tempest letting out a surprised whinny. "You two know each other!"
"Of course!" respond the two. "Practically every baker in Equestria knows each other!"
"It's true," adds Aunt Fizzleberry. "Bakers are always friendly to each other outside the competitive circuit."
"Wow," says Tempest, "the more you learn every day."
Pinkie, Lianora, and Fizzleberry then continue to talk for several more hours until it's time to open presents and do hot cocoa. They then continue to talk after they open gifts and enjoy cocoa until it's time to go caroling. Tempest is happy that her family is happy. Even so, she just thought they would pay more attention to her but they'd rather pay more attention to Pinkie. She just wishes she knew how to tell them how she feels. She walks outside to the balcony and cries. A few minutes later, Twilight approaches her. "What's wrong, Tempest?" she asks.
"I thought my mother and aunt would spend more time and pay more attention to me, but instead they are paying more attention and spending more time with Pinkie. I'm jealous, I guess," sighs Tempest.
"Well, at least they're here. Look on the bright side. At least, they actually came," responds Twilight.
"I guess so," responds Tempest. "It's just that I was gone for so long and now they don't even want to spend time with me."
"Then tell them how you feel," responds Twilight. Tempest nods and goes and tells them how she feels.
"Mom, Aunty," says Tempest, "I wish you'd pay more attention to me! I've been gone for so long and yet you don't even notice me when I'm right in front of you!" She bursts into tears. "I just want your love again! I want you to be close to me again!"
"Oh, honey," they say as they turn around and embrace her in a hug. "Why didn't you just say so? We're sorry we neglected you. We're sorry we got caught up in ourselves. Will you forgive us?"
"Yes," sniffles Tempest, "I'll forgive you. Now, why don't we head out caroling with everypony else? After all, the night is still young. We still have plenty of time to spend together as soon as the party ends."
"Agreed," reply her mother and aunt as they let go of her. The three then head out caroling along with the other ponies, Tempest now with a smile on her face. Tempest is glad she finally has her family back and glad they're now paying attention to her instead of to theirselves.
The next day, Tempest wakes up to the smell of peppermint chocolate chip pancakes from the kitchen. "Mmm," says Tempest as she licks her lips. She then comes down the stairs and enters the kitchen.
"Hello, honey," says her mother with a smile. "How many would you like?"
"Five please," responds Tempest as she sits down in her chair, which has FP carved into its back. Her mother then brings her over the plate of five pancakes and Tempest dives right into them. Her mother then grabs herself a plate and comes over and sits down beside her in a chair with L carved into it.
"So, are you ready for presents this year?" asks her mother.
"Yes," sighs Tempest, "but it won't be the same without father."
"I know, sweetie," responds her mother. "He'd want us to celebrate. You know how much Hearthswarming meant to him."
"Yeah, I know," responds Tempest, a smile sliding across her face.
A few minutes later, Tempest's aunt comes down the stairs. "Your cousins and uncle will be here soon," she says.
"I can't wait!" responds Tempest excitedly. "I haven't seen them in ages!"
A few minutes later, Tempest's uncle and cousins arrive and her aunt lets them inside. They all then proceed to share hugs and they then go and put their gifts under the tree. All the family then gathers around the tree and begins to open gifts together. Tempest is the first to open a gift. Once it's open, she stares at it wide-eyed. "It's...it's a necklace with crystalized magic on it! That's cool!"
"I thought you'd like that," says her uncle with a smile. "Your aunt and I picked it out together."
"Thanks you two," she says as she embraces them in a hug.
The next pony to open their gift is Tempest's youngest cousin, Crystal Joy. Once she opens it, she squeezes the toy that was inside. "I'm so glad you got me the Twily dolly!" says Crystal ecstatically.
"Yeah," responds Tempest, "I knew you wanted a Twily doll, so I got you that was one of a kind. My friend, Rarity sewed it."
"Well, your friend is awesome!" exclaims Crystal.
"Okay, I'll let her know," responds Tempest with a smile. "I promise."
The next pony to open their gift is Tempest's sixteen-year-old cousin, Fairy Light. She opens her present to find the Triam Wars comic she wanted along with its matching action figure of its protagonist Vilasca. She lets out the loudest squeal ever. "Thanks so much for getting this for me!" she squeals as she embraces her parents in a hug.
The next pony to open their gift is Tempest's twenty-year-old cousin, Rainy. She opens the present to find something truly special. It's a custom-made snowglobe with her and her children in it. She begins to cry as a smile crosses her face. She then lets out some surprising news. "Mom, dad, everypony, I'm pregnant!" she exclaims.
"Congratulations!" They all exclaim as they all go over and embrace her in a hug.
"That's just one more reason to celebrate!" exclaims her parents. "Best Hearthswarming surprise ever!"
Everypony then continues on to open the rest of their parents. Once all the presents are opened, they all go out to celebrate Rainy. They all enjoy a nice party with a bunch of ice cream and milkshakes. It's definitely an interesting Hearthswarming Day and honestly, they wouldn't ask for it to be any other way.
