//------------------------------// // Meeting the Family // Story: A Christmas to Remember // by TwiPON3 //------------------------------// At 5:30 the next morning, Sunset woke up to the default Windows 10 Alarm music, a gentle piece, only to find Seth and Autumn finishing the Christmas presents. "Mmm, how long have you two been up?" Seth checked his watch, "An hour, give or take," he went and handed Sunset's clothes to her, "Everything's ready. We're through with the bathroom." "As nice as that is, it's creepy." "Actually, I did that," Autumn admitted. "Oh..." "I thought that would help the morning. Besides, we're going to the opposite side of Moscow." "Over the summer, we went to the DDR to see our cosmonaut-obsessed cousin," Seth said as Sunset went to the bathroom, "We may do it again, but with you this year." "That's... too nice. You probably wouldn't have done what you did the other night if you knew who I was before the Fall Formal." The cousins looked at each other, "Yeah, right," Autumn said. "Jerk or non, you were homeless first," Seth added. "I turned into a raging she-demon." "So?" "What?" "It was on YouTube's Featured page for a month," Autumn said, "The whole setup was kinda cool-looking, thinking back on it." "Not for me," Sunset said, going into the bathroom, "I really don't wanna talk about it." "Wow," Autumn said after the shower turned on, "She really needed something like this." "Most people who do hide behind a mask that people mistake for being the jerky-kind of rich person." "Are we bad people?" "I don't think so." Over the next several minutes, while Sunset was getting ready to leave, Seth and Autumn put the gifts in the car. "Should we get something on the way?" Autumn said, "Aunt Natasha is making breakfast, but she's also on the other side of Moscow." "How about we just get something from the hotel. I really shouldn't drive without coffee, and the last time you drove here in the CCCP, it almost ended terribly." "Agreed." They went back in to get Sunset, who was finished and ready, and explained the plan to get something quick from the hotel before leaving for the Christmas/Navvy God party. "Alright," Sunset said as they got down to the kitchen. They all decided on coffee and eggs, because that was quick, then left for the party. "How long are we looking at?" Seth said, starting the car. "That depends, how fast are you driving?" "What does the map say?" "About an hour and a half." "I'm going full-speed." "Forty-five minutes," Autumn turned to Sunset in the back seat, "Hold on. From what I've read, if he passes any cars, we could get rear-ended in the oncoming lane of traffic." "Oh, Celestia, help me." Seth, true to his word, drove like a madman. "What are you doing!?" "I'm right," he replied, "and everyone else is an idiot. Almost like in Brooklyn, except it's Christmas and we're in Russia." After 45 bloodcurdling minutes, they were at the house. Reality didn't catch up to Sunset for a few minutes, though. "I think you're the idiot. Not everyone else in Russia." "We're here alive, right?" "Good point, barely." "How about you go in and have breakfast," Autumn said, "and we'll unload." "Are you-" "Go ahead." The three went to the door and rang the doorbell and was greeted by a young, blond woman. "Hallo? Seth! Autumn!" the woman said with a moderate-German accent, then noticed Sunset, "Who are you?" "I'm Sunset Shimmer." "I'm Mitzi Krause, nice to meet you. "Mitzi, who is at door?" a Russian accent called from inside the house. "Es ist Seth, und Autumn, und Sunset Shimmer!" "I am in kitchen now. Can you help unpack?" "Ja!" The four had the car emptied in a matter of minutes. "Mitzi," Sunset asked, "Where are you from?" "I'm from die Deutsche Demokratische Republik, East Berlin. Mein husband Alex, und our sohn, Arnold. Aunt Natasha es in das kitchen, making breakfast." "It smells nice." "Would you like coffee? Es ist still early." "Sure," the three replied. "Oh," Autumn asked, "Where are Alex and Arnold?" "They're still sleeping. Onkle Ivan went out to get gifts for your friend." "Aunt Natasha?" Mitzi said, taking them into the kitchen. "Da?" said a middle-aged woman said. "Ich can take this über," Mitzi said to the older woman as the two swapped roles. "Spasibo." "I guess you're their Aunt Natasha that I've heard so much about?" "You must be Sunset Shimmer, da?" "Uh... I think? I'm sorry. I've never been out of Delaware before." "When words are similar," Autumn said to Sunset, "Usually they just say their word instead of the English one. It just makes the party more fun." "Oh, yeah." "Navvy God," Natasha said, taking Sunset to the Christmas/New Year's tree, then giving her an ornament in the shape of a Sun, "It for you. I have side-job of making ornaments. Navvy God," Natasha turned to Seth, "Sofia has something she want to give you when she comes later today." "From the physics lab?" "Da, I think so." "Oh, when should Uncle Ivan and Sofia get here?" "Ivan should be back in hour, Sofia in two, maybe tree. Flight from Belarus was delayed for while because of weather." "And when do you think Vladislav should get up?" Natasha checked the clock on the wall, "Not too long." "Das Frühstück!" Mitzi called from the kitchen. Sunset knew she'd enjoy the next several days more than anything since she was Princess Celestia's student.