"Aaaahhh..." Rainbow Dash sighed with her hooves over her slightly distended stomach. "Now THAT was good eatin'."
"You're telling me," Pinkie agreed, her belly also bloated as she leaned against the Pegasus' back before she gave a burp. "Oops! Scuse me!"
"Haha!" Rainbow Dash. "Good one."
"Amazing food, as always, Applejack," Fluttershy complimented.
"Much obliged," Applejack answered as she looked to the empty table...well, not completely empty, since there were dirty plates and platters all over. "Although next time, I better remember to bring more food, just in case."
"Applejack!" Apple Bloom called. "Don't you think it's time we went home, already?!"
"Yeah, I wanna get home in time for Merry Mare to bring me my presents!" exclaimed Scootaloo.
"Me, too!" Sweetie Belle added.
"I think it is about time we got going," said Rarity before she looked to Twilight. "Thank you so much for the party, Twilight."
"Of course," Twilight replied. "It was my pleasure."
"Thank you for inviting me, too," said Tempest. "I really appreciate it."
"No problem, Tempest," said Twilight.
"Come on, Crystal," said Cobalt as he approached his wife. "Time to get to station if we wanna make it home for Hearth's Warming Day tomorrow."
"Right, I'm coming," Crystal said as she got off the couch and prepared to walk out the door with everypony else.
"Have a safe trip home, everypony!" Twilight called. "Happy Hearth's Warming!"
"Happy Hearth's Warming, Twilight!" Pinkie replied.
"Happy Hearth's Warming to you, too, Moonlight!" Rarity added. "And you, too, Spike!"
"You, too, Rarity!" Spike waved.
"Happy Hearth's Warming!" Moonlight piped up.
"And you, Starlight!" Fluttershy chimed in.
"Happy Hearth's Warming, everypony!" Starlight called. However, as Rarity went to open the door...for some reason, it wouldn't budge.
"Well, that's odd," said Rarity. "The door seems to be stuck."
"Stuck?" Sweetie Belle asked, worriedly. "W-what do you mean, stuck?"
"Now simmer down," Applejack said. "Probably just needs a good kick, that's all." She then reared up on her forelegs and gave a powerful kick to the door...but it wouldn't budge. "Huh? Well, what in tarnation is goin' on?"
"How come the door won't open?!" asked Apple Bloom.
"...I think I know why," Tempest answered as she looked out the window, prompting everypony else to look outside as well...and when they did, they gasped upon seeing at least 6 feet of snow, blocking the door!
"We're snowed in?!" Rainbow Dash questioned.
"Oh, dear!" Fluttershy exclaimed, worriedly.
"Snowed in?!" Scootaloo repeated in alarm. "B-but we can't be snowed in!! I gotta get home, right now!! What if Merry Mare delivers my Hearth's Warming presents, and I'm not there to get them?!!"
"Me, too!" Apple Bloom cried. "There's no way she knows that I'm here!!"
"How are we gonna get outta here?!" asked Sweetie Belle.
"Nopony panic!" Starlight answered. "I'm sure we can find a way out of the snow!"
"But how?" Moonlight asked.
"Maybe I can melt it!" Spike suggested.
"Spike, there's way too much snow for just one little dragon to melt," said Twilight. "I mean, not that I doubt you, it's just I don't want you to exhaust your fire."
"Well, what are we gonna do?" asked Moonlight, worriedly.
"Maybe I can try and call somepony," Twilight suggested as she headed to the library.
"Don't you worry, Crystal," Cobalt said to his wife. "I'm sure Princess Twilight will find a way to get us out of here and get you home to Canterlot."
"I'm not really all that worried," Crystal assured. "I think you're the one who's worried."
"Me, worried?" asked Cobalt with a scoff. "Of course not! Not one bit worried!"
"Ahem!" Tempest cleared her throat. "Cobalt. Your legs are shaking."
The unicorn stallion glanced down at his legs, which were trembling uncontrollably.
"...Okay, maybe I'm a tiny bit nervous," he said with a sheepish chuckle, which caused Tempest and Crystal to chuckle, as well.
"I have an idea!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Let's exchange some gifts while we wait!"
"That sounds fun!" Scootaloo replied.
"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as the ponies went to get their gifts.
"Ooh!" Rarity chirped in delight as she picked up a box wrapped up in purple wrapping paper and a pretty, pinky ribbon. "What's in here, I wonder!"
"Just something from me," Fluttershy replied. "I hope you like it, Rarity."
"Oh, Fluttershy, you shouldn't have!" Rarity said as she tore off the paper and opened the box...only for a look of shock and perhaps disgust to appear on her face.
"Well?" Fluttershy asked.
"What...is this?" asked Rarity in bewilderment as she pulled out what looked like some sort of cloth with multiple sleeves and stitches missing, here and there.
"It's a sweater," Fluttershy replied. "I knitted it, myself, just for you. What do you think?"
"Umm..." Rarity muttered. "Well...for one thing, it seems to have more than two sleeves...and it doesn't have a neck hole."
"It was my first time," Fluttershy said. "Do you like it, though?"
Rarity bit her lip as she looked away.
"Well...it's nice," she said.
"So you like it, then!" Fluttershy exclaimed, excitedly. "I'm so glad you do!"
"...Yes," Rarity replied with a forced grin. "Of course I do."
Truth be told, the ivory unicorn couldn't STAND looking at this fashion abomination that Fluttershy dared to call a "sweater"...but seeing as how the yellow Pegasus worked so hard to make it and seeing how happy she was when she gave it to her...Rarity just couldn't bring herself to tell her most sensitive friend how she really felt about it. She always hated it when Fluttershy's feelings got hurt. In fact, she hated it when any of hers got their feelings hurt...especially by her.
'I hope we find some way out of this,' Rarity thought. 'Then I can go home and get rid of this hideous thing for good and tell Fluttershy I lost it! Then my conscious will be clear!'
"Tempest!" Twilight called out, suddenly, causing the handicapped unicorn to turn to her. "Can you help me, real quick?"
"Sure," Tempest answered as she followed her. "What do you need?"
"You know that spell you used to talk to...well...you-know-who?" Twilight asked, which caused Tempest to tense up, slightly.
"Well...yes," she said, shaking off her momentary unease. "Why?"
XXX
Twilight stood before a bowl filled with some sort of potion, while Tempest held a bottle of some kind, which she poured into the bowl. Not long after, there was a poof of smoke, which slightly rose into the air, and there was the sound of static following it.
"Hello?" asked Twilight. "Hello, Shining Armor? Cadence?"
"H--llo?" asked a voice amongst the static, and though it sounded garbled, Twilight instantly knew it was her brother.
"Shining Armor, it's Twilight!" Twilight called. "Can you hear me? Hello?!"
"H----o?" Shining Armor asked. "Tw-li--t? He--o?"
Unfortunately, the smoke disappeared, and Shining Armor's voice soon disappeared along with it.
"What happened?!" Twilight asked in disbelief.
"I'm afraid the spell's not perfect," Tempest said. "Plus, with the weather being the way it is, it's hard to get any reception."
"I was hoping Shining Armor or maybe Princess Celestia could help us," Twilight said in disappointment.
"Twilight, I hate to say this," Tempest began, "but...I'm afraid we'll just have to grit our teeth and bear it. We'll just have to wait it out until morning, when the snow melts enough for everypony to go home."
"...I just hope everypony else can hold out until then," said Twilight.
"...If it makes you feel better," Tempest began, "I'm glad I'm here at the castle, with you."
"You are?" Twilight asked, feeling her spirits lift.
"Of course," Tempest replied. "I mean...first off, you saved my life, and second, you helped me to reconcile with my two foalhood friends. Honestly...I can't imagine a better Hearth's Warming."
Hearing that caused Twilight to smile, warmly.
"That means a lot, Tempest," she said. "Thank you."
"Of course," Tempest nodded.
"Twilight!" Moonlight called as she walked in. "We're about to make Hearth's Warming cards! Wanna come and make some with me?"
"...I'd like that," Twilight answered as she followed her adopted little sister out, and Tempest soon went to join them. However, as she did, she looked back out the window as the snow continued to fall with a slightly worried look in her eyes.
"Why do I have this sneaking suspicion that things aren't going to as smoothly as I think?" she asked before she sighed. "Maybe it's nothing."
However, she had no idea how right she was going to be, very soon.