Hearth's Warming in Klugetown

by Zenitram Nadroj

Fixing the Delight

The sun rose on Hearth's Warming day, a day to be cheery. But this year wasn't for a certain mare was all teary. At Sugar Cube Corner, Pinkie Pie cries her eyes out. Instead of celebrating up and about. A knock on the door was suddenly heard. But not expecting company was what she preferred.

“Come in.”, she says depressingly.

The door then opens and who was on the other end? It was only Twilight Sparkle and the rest of her friends.

“Hey, Pinkie. Happy Hearth's Warming.”, Twilight says uneasily.

“How are you feeling?”, Spike asks.

“Oh, I'm just doing good. I'm helping the cakes prepare the baked goods, I helped set up the decorations for the town hall and I'm planning on visiting my family at the rock farm.”, she says sarcastically. “How do you think I'm feeling?!”

The mare stopped herself, realizing what she said. She then started crying again and plops on her bed.

“Pinkie, we can't stand to see you like this.”, Fluttershy says.

“I just wanted my friend's first Hearth's Warming to be the best one ever, but everything went wrong. And now Novo will probably never let me talk to Skystar again.”

“Come on, Pinkie. I'm sure it's not that bad.”, Rarity says. “I mean sure, the stage caught fire and the buildings collapsed and some of the rubble got on the queen....I'm not helping, am I?”

“Come on, Pinkie, everypony is waiting for you at the castle. We better get over there.”, Applejack says.

With no other choice, the mare composed herself. She then got her clothes off her top shelf. They all left the bakery and hurried off to the party. But Pinkie was still sad and is no longer feeling hearty.

---

In Seaquestria, Novo was trying to relax, by having her butler make her back bones give loud cracks. Skystar felt sad, sadness to the core. And thus the hippogriff princess couldn't take it anymore.

“Mom, we have to talk.”, Skystar says.

“Skystar, can't you see I'm busy right now?”, Novo replies.

“No, Mom. I want you to go back to the surface and apologize to Pinkie.”

“Apologize? For what? She promised that she wouldn't let me down and everything went terribly wrong.”

“Mom, if you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me. It's not Pinkie's fault. It's mine. I activated my party cannon which caused her to fly off and start the fire.”

“Skystar that was just an accident. But broken promises cannot fly. We were better off with no other holidays.”

“No, Mom. You were better off with no other holidays. I actually liked something other than your birthday.”

She grabbed her shell friends and was about to head out, when she hears her mother giving a shout.

“Skystar, I'm not allowing you go to the surface without my permission again.”

“I don't care, Mom. What I do care is making my friend happy.”

“Skystar! Skystar!”

The princess left the kingdom and went up to land. The queen couldn't believe her daughter ignored her command.

---

In the airship, Celaeno was sailing the ship. With tea in her claw she then took a sip. The members of her crew were busy swabbing the deck. But she knew that something was becoming a pain in the neck. She finishes her tea and then gives a heavy sigh. When she notices something peculiar coming from the sky. She takes out a telescope to see what was ahead. It turns out to be Skystar with a face filled with dread.

“Hey, Skystar, what are you doing up there?”, Celaeno asks.

“I'm going to Equestria to find Pinkie and cheer her up.”, she answers.

“Well this is one thing for certain, you can't go alone. You don't mind if we come along, do you?”

“Not at all. The more the merrier.”

“Well, let's find the others.”

The princess and captain have just formed a troop and set off to find the rest of the group.

---

Back in Ponyville, the party was being thrown. However, one pony was emotionless like a drone. Pinkie was just there all miserable and sad. Her friends tried to cheer her up, but nothing could make her glad. The other citizens tried to help out the party mare. But whoever tried to cheer her up received a cold, icy glare. It was no use, the mare didn't even smirk. And everypony knew nothing else will work.

“Pinkie, we've tried everything that makes you happy. Isn't there anything that will get you to smile again?”, Starlight asks.

Pinkie didn't answer she just looked down and drooped. Fluttershy then gave her her favorite vegetable soup.

“You need to at least eat something.”, Fluttershy says.

“Thanks, Flutters. But it's not gonna cheer me up.”

“Pinkie!”

They then hear a familiar voice and immediately know who said that. They then ran out like they were being chased by fruit bats. They go outside and see Skystar and the others. But they notice that Skystar is not with her mother.

“What are you all doing here?”, Twilight asks.

“We all came here to try and cheer up Pinkie.”, Capper says.

“Where is she?”, Tempest asks.

“Over here.”

The party mare came out from her friends. Skystar wished her mother was here to help make amends.

“I'm sorry my mom couldn't come. But she didn't want to talk to you.”

“Skystar, I'm really sorry I let all of you down.”

“No, Pinkie. It was my fault. I tried to start my cannon, but you tried to stop me.”

“I guess, I should've told you that it was a bit unstable.”

“Well if you had just told her that, I guess I would've been a bit more understanding.”, a voice says.

They turn to the voice and who do they see? It was Queen Novo landing in front of Pinkie.

“Hello, Pinkie Pie.”

“Novo, I didn't mean to break my promise to you.”

“Pinkie, I think there's something you should know about.”

“What is it?”

“Pinkie, the truth is, we did celebrate other holidays.”

“What?”, the others say.

“You actually did have other holidays?”

“Yes, we did.”

“So why did you stop?”, Twilight asks.

“It all started back in Mt. Aries. I wasn't alone. There was a king alongside me named King Gold Wing. We used to celebrate all kinds of holidays together. That is until the Storm King took over our home. Gold Wing fought against the Storm King giving us enough time to escape. But he couldn't escape the Storm King's wrath. I was so devastated about it, that I decided we would never celebrate any holiday besides my birthday ever again. And I told my daughter to keep her beak shut about it.”

“So you decided to cancel all of your holidays just because you didn't have your king to celebrate them with anymore?”, Twilight asks.

“I'm afraid so. I know you were all just trying to help us.”

“Novo, just because you don't have your husband anymore doesn't mean you can't celebrate the holidays. I mean, you still have your daughter, right?”, Pinkie asks.

“Yes. I do.”

“And family doesn't just have to be your specific race.”, Twilight says. “Family consists of all the friends of all races you've made. That's how Equestria was founded to begin with.”

“Oh, my goodness. I had no idea.”

“It's true, Novo.”, Celestia says.

“If it wasn't for the three races, we all would have never celebrated this holiday.”, Luna says.

Novo finally saw the error of her ways and she made Pinkie turn her gaze.

“Pinkie Pie, I'm truly sorry for what I said to you and the other citizens. I've been so secluded by what happened to my husband, that I desperately needed to see what the light of day truly was. What do you say we go back, fix Klugetown and celebrate the holiday you promised us?”

Pinkie squealed and hugged the queen really tight. She was once again filled with delight. She then gathered her things and was about to head out. But Twilight stopped her making sure she wasn't having doubts.

“Pinkie, listen, I know that your first try was a disaster but are you absolutely sure that it won't go wrong this time?”

“Absolutely-tootly! Now come on, that town isn't gonna fix itself.”