//------------------------------// // Peaceful Hearth's Warming // Story: Desperation // by Peppermint N Swirl //------------------------------// December 6th, 2017 Peppermint trotted through the evening snowstorm, intent on getting home and surprising his wife by being off from the weather factory early. It was tough work, but somepony had to do it. Luckily, he had the next week off to spend time with his family. He hurried his hoofsteps against the soft ground at the thought of surprising his family with an early Hearth's Warming gift. The snow was cool, yet soft against his hooves and his muzzle, with his favorite rainbow-colored scarf snug and warm against his neck. As he made his way up the steps to his rustic two-story cabin, he could hear the faint sounds of playful laughter and the sound of hooves scrambling on the floor. He opened the cabin door. "Honey, I'm home!" Peppermint yelled. Immediately, he heard the sounds of two colts rushing to embrace him. "Daddy! Daddy! Mom's going to make us the bestest, biggest pancakes for Hearth's Warming! Isn't that cool?" One colt exclaimed as he jumped up and hugged Peppermint's neck. "Woah! Careful there. You're getting a little too old for that. And I think your mother wants us to sit down and enjoy a nice healthy meal first, then we'll get to pancakes, and maybe even open some of your presents?" Peppermint chuckled, smiling at him, before softly putting him down on the wooden floor. Both of the colts' eyes went wide as they heard the promise of presents after dinner, as they immediately darted for the dining room table. He proceeded to trot into the dining room where he saw his wife setting the table with plates and silverware, before looking up at him and smiling. "You know Pep, you really shouldn't tease them like this. They're going to get even more hyperactive than they usually are when they hear you mention pancakes and presents." She said, looking up to him before chuckling as she embraced him for a hug. "I know, I know. But I can't help it!" He replied giddily, before sighing. "These colts mean everything in the world to me, and so do you. I'm just glad I could get off for Hearth's Warming." Dash let go of the embrace, looking at him and smirking. "Since when did you get so sappy? Hehe... but you're right, these little guys mean everything to me as well, and so do you. I'm so happy to have the family all together for one of the best times of the year. I'm going to go back into the kitchen now and finish cooking everything, so just have a seat in one of the chairs and I'll bring you and the hungry colts some food, okay?" She smiled before kissing him on the cheek. He went over to one of the dining room chairs and sat down, noticing the care Dash put into each and every single detail on the table when setting everything up. He noticed that she took down the calendar and had placed it near the far end of the table, also noticing that she had highlighted the day of Hearth's Warming Eve; December 24th. I'll need to go shopping for a new calendar soon, He thought. After all, it will be 1015. I just can't believe it's been nearly eight years since we married and had a family. He noticed his children playing and running around the house. On any other day he would try to get them to stop roughhousing around, but considering what day it is, he decided to let it be for a while, and wait for dinner to be done before calling them. Looking out one of the windows, he saw the soft snowstorm outside began to pick up and get heavier by the minute, as the sky gradually began to darken with each passing minute as the sun began to set, touching the mountains and piercing some of the dark clouds with a brilliant orange glow, reminding him of an old photo he once had in his old grandmother's house growing up. He contemplated getting his camera to take a picture of the beauty outside, but he elected to just sit patiently and wait for everypony to get together for dinner before electing to snap a photo, wanting to take a picture of both the scenery outside along with his happy family in front. He then heard Dash call him into the kitchen, so he proceeded to follow and looked at the kitchen table full of food. "Wow Dash... I knew you could cook, but not all of these different foods!" He exclaimed. He saw bowls and plates filled with food such as cinnamon oatmeal, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted green beans, iceberg salads, and he even spotted a big cheese and mushroom-filled pizza with tomatoes. Glancing over, he noticed the dessert bowls, one filled with apple pie, the other with pumpkin pie. Dash gave a soft smile before telling him to help carry the main course bowls and plates to the table. "I've always enjoyed cooking for myself from time to time, especially since Wonderbolt practice builds up quite an appetite. Fast food gets boring after a while, and restaurant food adds up in expenses after some time. Everything I've made here I used to love making and eating those times... well, except for the pie." She recollected, chuckling as she placed the last of the main courses on the table. "Go ahead and get the colts, I'll get everything else set up." She stated. Peppermint nodded happily as he trotted into the living room and saw the rambunctious colts playing. "Alright kiddos! Your mother has dinner ready, so let's all go to the table and eat, alright? And no more roughhousing while you're in the dining room, we don't want you breaking anything or making a mess." He announced, watching the colts look back at him before bolting into the dining room. "And no running in the dining room either!" He added, before smiling to himself and trotting into the dining room, taking a seat next to Dash as they began to scoop some of the food prepared onto their plates, the colts quickly taking a seat on the other two chairs and following suit. Later After dinner and the desserts, Peppermint announced that he wanted to do one last thing for the family before they opened each others' presents. He quickly got up out of his chair and walked over to one of the tables holding a camera with a stand. "I want everyone to stand in front of the window, and smile!" He said, beaming as he set up the camera ready to take a delayed photograph so that he could stand next to Dash and the colts. The rest of the family quickly got into position, Dash smiling as her colts stood next to her. Behind them, the view outside was incredible. The sun was almost completely below the horizon now, a brilliant and even darker shade of orange lit up the snowy terrain in a dimly lit view. After having set up the camera completely, he proceeded to press the shutter button, while it showed on-screen a countdown for five seconds. He quickly got into position between Dash and his colts, with one of his hooves around Dash, as he felt the happiest and most complete he has ever been in his entire life. The camera quickly flashed, and printed a photo of them posing with the beautiful landscape behind them. While the rest of the family went into the living room, eager to sit by the fireplace and open their gifts under their Hearth's Warming tree, Peppermint trotted over to his camera and picked up the photo, looking at his family, and the magnificent view behind them. I am the luckiest stallion alive to have such a beautiful wife and kids, Peppermint thought, as he began to think about how lucky he felt that everything in his life was the best they had ever been. All of a sudden, he began to hear the sound of a continuous buzzing noise. Looking puzzled, he noticed that the noise would stop and start again with a pulse of a second inbetween it ending and it beginning again. He looked around the dining room to find the source of the buzzing noise, until he began to feel disoriented, and everything around the room suddenly began to fade into white. He opened his eyes, looking to his right and seeing his iPad Mini on the far side of his bed producing the buzzing noise. Grabbing it with his hand, he read the time. 5:00 AM He quickly shut it off and realized that everything that he had experienced up until that point was just a rare vivid dream. He wasn't his OC, and he wasn't a pony. Not only that, but it was a Wednesday morning and he needed to wake up and get ready for school, as his midterm exams were coming up and he needed to focus. Overcome with emotion and the realization that none of what he just experienced was real, he felt himself tear up with an immense feeling of sadness and desperation. He wanted to scream, he wanted to yell, he wanted to punch the closest objects on his bed. None of it was fair to him, it was a cruel joke. Attempting to get control of his emotions again and dampen them so that the deep pain and alienation he felt for this reality wouldn't affect his studies and what little bit of pleasant moments his life still contained, he wiped away his tears and got ready for school. He would not let his desperation control him.