The Wooing of Sunset Shimmer

by Rose Quill


Chapter Eight - Hearth's Warming: A Hearth's Warming Tale

I stepped through the door, memories immediately washing over me. The smell of dinner cooking wafting through the kitchen doors, my sisters and I laughing in front of the fireplace, playing all sorts of games at night before bed. The bright memories contrasted greatly from the dusty, shrouded rooms before me. I set the bag of gifts and food down as I slowly stepped forward.

Sunshine stepped forward, looking around. “This is where you grew up?”

I stepped forward and pulled one of the shrouds off the bookshelves, revealing a host of books ranging from Daring Do to Equestrian historical texts. I sighed, the ghosts of memories also tugging at the strings of still-fading grief. We had just covered this furniture up only a few weeks ago.

“Yeah,” I whispered, looking around at the strangely bare walls. “This was my home.”

I felt her step up to me and press her shoulder into mine gently. “Sunset?”

I shook my head. “Sorry,” I said, forcing a smile. “There’s a lot of memories in here.” I looked around. “Let’s get these shrouds off the furniture.”

But somehow, despite revealing all the furniture and wading through the weight of memories, the house that I grew up in didn’t feel like home. It felt like it was missing something, and when we bedded down that night in my parent's old room, I dreamed that I was searching for whatever was missing.


“Happy Hearth’s Warming, Sunny!” Glory said as she swept inside, giving me a nuzzling and then looking around. I recognized the pang of sadness in her eyes. She set the levitating bag down and ran her hoof over the bookshelf.

Dew stepped in behind us, her more tempered smile never wavering as she came up and nuzzled both myself and Sunshine. “Happy Hearth’s Warming,” she said.

I smiled. “Happy Hearth’s Warming,” I replied, then stepping towards the living room. “We’ve got some cider and snack breads ready, and Sunshine says she’ll have some cookies ready any minute now.”

Dew took the bag where Glory had put it and levitated the bag over to the fireplace, wrapped gifts floating out and settling on the throw rug in front of it. I recognized the precise wrapping of Dew next to the more haphazard work of Glory in the gifts and smiled as memories filled my mind's eye again. The gifts Sunshine and I had purchased were already sitting on the throw.

“So, tell me, Sunny,” Dew said as we settled on the couches. “Are you planning on moving back to Canterlot anytime soon?”

The question threw me through a loop. “Why do you ask?”

My sister took a sip of her cider and settled back in the couch. “Well, this is the most you’ve visited in seven years, and you haven’t talked to a realtor.” She glanced towards the kitchen where Sunshine had disappeared to. “And this is the first time you’ve ever brought somepony along with you for the holidays. It's enough to make a pony wonder.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh sweet Celestia, you’re as bad as Glory!”

Dew smiled as Glory blushed and took a hurried sip of her cider. “You have to admit, despite her overenthusiastic and busy-body nature, she cares about you. We both do.” She tilted her head forward. “And I see the way you two look at each other. So that begs two questions: Are you moving back, and are you serious with Sunshine?”

I glanced at the kitchen, hoping she would walk in so I could avoid answering these questions.

“Don’t worry about disappointing us,” Glory said. “We actually discussed this on the way over.”

I sighed. “As far as the house goes, I don’t know yet. When I got here earlier, it just didn’t feel like home. It still doesn’t, to be honest.”

Dew nodded. “That’s because it hasn’t been your home for almost twelve years, Sunny,” she said. “The house I have didn’t feel like home until I had been there a few weeks. Home is where your heart is.”

Sunshine walked in, a tray hovering next to her. She set it down on the coffee table and sat next to me. I saw the question in my sister’s eyes but the conversation slowly shifted towards more friendly topics.

Namely, Sunshine asking all sorts of questions about Canterlot, coming off as somepony that had never been to a big city before. I felt the smile growing and leaned into the mare sitting next to me as she mined my sisters and I for as much knowledge we knew.

I lost track of time, enjoying the feel of three of the most important mares of my life laughing and chatting about all manner of things, enjoying cookies and cider.

“Well, it’s getting dark,” Glory said. “I think it's time to start.”

“Start?” Sunshine asked. “Start what?”

Dew pulled a book from the shelf without looking. It hadn’t moved in all the years, and we all could have grabbed it without looking.

“Time for us to read ‘A Heath’s Warming Tale,’” Dew said. “It's kind of a tradition.”

“A tradition?”

“A family tradition,” I said. “Though I’m pretty sure other families do it too. We just loved the tale.”

Dew opened the book and started reading the tale. As the words poured out of her mouth, the soothing tone of her voice, I smiled.

This house had started feeling like a home again.