//------------------------------// // A bad Christmas Memory (Updated 1/16/2023) // Story: A SciSet Christmas // by ScisetShimmerEvan //------------------------------// Ok now before this story begins I just want to mention something important in regards to when this takes place in the EQG timeline. The order goes 1. Forgotten Friendship. 2. Rollercoaster of Friendship, 3. Holiday Unwrapped, 4. Spring Breakdown And 5, Sunset’s Backstage Pass. I just wanted to mention this in case anyone is confused why, plus if the specials were in ‘proper’ order it's the order I think is best to go for. Alright, now that’s over with enjoy the story! ... It was the last day of school before Christmas break and the Main Seven had all exited the bathroom after changing into their winter wardrobe. The weather had gotten a lot colder in the last week, so they decided to be extra warm. So to get ready they changed from their normal attire to their attire. “Well ya'll, school is almost over, and once it is-” “It’s officially Christmas Break!!!!” Rainbow Dash yelled, interrupting Applejack. “Um yeah, so what do ya'll have planned for the holidays?” Asked Applejack. Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash shared they'd be spending their Christmas with their families, while Applejack was going to be out of town to spend some time with her aunt, uncles, and cousins in Appaloosa. As for Sunset and Twilight, it was obvious to say what they had planned, as Sunset would be spending her Christmas with Twilight's Family. The last few years whenever Christmas came, Sunset was spending it all alone. But since after last year, following the events of Anon-A-Miss, she spent a good portion of the holiday season with her friends. But this year, it would be mainly spent with her girlfriend Twilight and her family. “Oh, your gonna love it Sunset! My family always throws a great Christmas party every year. Your gonna love it. Nothing will go wrong at all,” said an excited Twilight. “Yep, I can’t wait. And am I glad that your parents aren’t weirded out that I have a pet owl now since Owlowiscious will be spending his first Christmas here, same with Ray,” shared Sunset. “Oh Sunset, I’ve been meaning to ask. Has Owlowiscious gotten used to our world yet, since he's no longer in Equestria?” asked Fluttershy. “Honestly, he got used to it very quickly. He’s been a big help around my apartment whenever it's nighttime. Feeding him has been a bit of a challenge with what owls eat, but I’ve been fine with that. Other than that, Owlowiscious almost doesn’t even know he ever left Equestria, to begin with. He's still acting like any owl would act. He even loves the pole I got him to sit on whenever he gets tired or wants to sit on.” “Oh, that’s great! I hope Spike doesn’t get too upset having someone else around while you're staying with Twilight and her family.” “I had a talk with Spike about that last weekend so he'd know about the company we'd be having. I told him if he did anything to Owlowiscious, he won’t be getting any belly rubs for a whole week,” explained Twilight. “Spike sure loves his belly rubs. He can be quite cranky if he doesn't get one. Or just good scratch in general,” said Sunset. Suddenly the bell rang throughout the school signaling that it was officially Winter break. The girls soon excited CHS into a winter wonderland. Snow was still falling by the time they had left before they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Twilight joined Sunset so they could stop at her apartment so she could pack her clothes, some food for Ray, and the wooden stand for Owlowiscious before heading back to Twilight’s place. Sunset had dropped her pets off at Twilight's home that morning so when school was over, she'd just need to bring over the other stuff she'd need while spending Christmas with Twilight's family. They wished they could've gotten a ride this time instead of walking, but Twilight's brother nor anyone else was available to give them a lift. After they arrived at Twilight's house, the weather was starting to take a turn for the worse. More snow and fierce winds were said to be coming, and it was easy to tell just from their walk from Sunset's apartment. Once the door was locked, they some snow that had landed on their shoulders following their walk. Owlowiscious soon flew over them from the living room, greeting both her owner Sunset and Twilight. Twilight Velvet soon came along, entering the room to greet the girl's arrival. “Good afternoon girls. This weather sure is getting worst. Glad you two made it here safe and sound.” “Yeah we did mom, I’m feeling quite chilly after being in the cold for a bit.” "Same here. I could use a mug of hot chocolate and a warm blank now,” shared Sunset. “Well, it's just your luck girls, I’m making some Hot Chocolate right this very moment,” said Velvet. “Sweet thanks, Mom!” “No problem dear, now why don’t you help Sunset unpack, while I go and finish up that Hot chocolate.” “Ok mom, we’ll be down in a bit.” Going upstairs to Twilight’s room, we find Spike sleeping on Twilight’s bed, liking having a dream involving chasing squirrels or possibly revenge against his arch-nemesis. But once he heard someone coming up the stairs and the sound of a door opening, he was instantly awake. After finding a spot to put Ray's food and Owlowiscious’s wooden stand, along with Sunset's suitcase full of clothes, the girls decided to change out of their winter attire into some warmer clothes, before going downstairs to have some hot chocolate with Twilight's mother. As Sunset entered Twilight’s room after using the bathroom to change her clothes, she got startled when she saw Twilight, who wasn't not wearing a shirt. Who was just wearing a light purple bra, along with a pair of pants and slippers? They screamed at each other, knowing that they disturbed their privatizes. Velvet heard them while she was putting the finishing touches on the Hot Chocolate. She thought about what was going on up there, figuring she should check just to make sure. But since they were just changing, she decided to let them handle it as the adults they'd be within the coming months. After the girls looked away from each other, their faces were now both red in embarrassment. “I’ve got to stop walking into a room while you're changing Twilight. I’m sorry,” said a now-upset Sunset. “No Sunset, it's fine. I’ve done it a few times myself so it's not a big deal. I should be used to this now. But somehow I haven't quite yet.” “No Twilight. It's my fault. I shouldn't let this small inconvenient moment ruin our first Christmas together. I don’t want to have another bad Christmas again like what happened last year.” “Wait, something happened to you last Christmas?” Sunset nodded back in reply as she sat down on the side of Twilight's bed. This started to concern Twilight so she thought about asking what happened. "Do you want to talk about it?" Twilight asked, to which Sunset nodded in response. She joined her at the left side of her bed and linked her hand with Sunset's. Owlowiscious came over to join in as he seemed interested in what was going on. “You see Twilight, a few months before the Friendship Games, a terrible thing happened that affected my friendship with our friends.” “What happened?” “Embarrassing photos and personal information were shared on Mystable. Many people thought that I was the one behind it, thinking I was going back to my old ways. But I wasn’t, as the ones behind it were the Crusaders. I was spending so much time with our friends, they grew jealous of me. Their sisters weren't spending time with them as they were giving me a lot of attention. I don't blame them for it. I was starting to get a hang of friendship by then. I wasn't alone anymore, all thanks to the magic of friendship. Because of this, they made the account. It was created just to humiliate me, but it ended up getting worse than expected. They apologized for what they did and everything has been normal since." "That sure does explain why no one ever wanted to tell me whenever I asked," Twilight thought to herself. "But it almost felt like a repeat when the Memory Stone incident happened earlier this year. Sometimes I just wonder what’s the point in living if you’ll be ignored and hated throughout your life, even if someone will be there for you to help,” Sunset said, as she started to tear up just thinking about it. “Sunset Shimmer look at me.” Sunset soon did so, looking into Twilight’s eyes with tears going down her face. “It wasn’t your fault. They missed spending time with their sisters and wanted to be with them for the holidays. I felt the same way when Shining Armor left for College when I was in Middle School. But he comes to visit a lot when he has time off. Don’t you see, sometimes the smallest mistakes can lead to good things. My mom told me that once, so now, you know too.” Sunset was now starting to feel better as a smile appeared on her face. “Thank you Twilight. Sniff You really know how to make me feel better.” “It’s what I do to help someone I care for,” Twilight replied as she whipped Sunset’s tears away before hugging her in the process. “So you want to get some Hot Chocolate now?” “Definitely.” The two girls rushed downstairs to see Velvet had finished the Hot Chocolate. She was pouring them into three mugs just as they entered the kitchen so they could enjoy the sweet delight of a delicious hot beverage to enjoy on a cold day like today. Night Light was out of town on work business and wasn't gonna be home until the next day. After Twilight and Sunset got their mugs of hot chocolate they went into the living room where they saw the family's Christmas set up. Its sparkling lights wrapped around it in beauty, with a few gifts already wrapped under the tree, waiting to be unwrapped once Christmas was here. There was also a fire going in the fireplace, it was sizzling nicely, knowing that they weren't gonna be cold anytime soon. They then sat down on the couch with Spike and Owlowiscious sitting nearby. Velvet soon joined them with a blanket she offered to them before sitting down in her chair and taking a huge sip of her beverage, being cautious to not burn her tongue. “So girls, how was your day?” “It was great mom. Well, except for one thing that happened before we left.” “What happened?” “We took a group photo together with our friends and dressed up as the foods you’d find in a cornucopia. And-” “It was embarrassing and we hated it,” the two girls said together. “Huh, that explains this photo I received earlier,” Velvet said as she showed the picture she had on her phone, making her giggle in reply. The two girls blushed and figured that they would expect more of this to come during the break, but knew it could've been worse if they didn't get to the gym on time. As the night went on, they watched a Christmas movie together and shared a kiss after finishing their hot chocolate. They nearly fell asleep together as the movie was just about over, as they felt happy to be spending their Christmas together. Sunset will continue to think about the Anon-A-Miss incident around this time of year, but with Twilight by her side and being with her family, Sunset knew that Christmas would never again be a reminder of bad times in her life. As it would instead be a time to remember her time with her friends and the jolly saint Nick blasts she'd have with it!