A Hearth's Warming Story; Limestone Daphne Pie Saves Hearth's Warming

by Jay Watson

The Train Kept a Rollin'

Sunburst paced the floor of the parlor room, waiting for his dad to be done with his last bit of business this morning. It was getting late and he wanted to be at the train station before his mom and sister got there. The moment of truth was nearly upon him and would either succeed or blow up in his face. He was hoping for the former but was already preparing himself for the latter.

Bosley entered the parlor room with the morning tea and biscuits, placing the tray on the coffee table.
“Anything else, Master Sunburst?” Sunburst finally stopped his pacing, consumed with the ‘what ifs’ and ‘if nots’ of his plan going wrong.

“Oh, no, Bosley. Thank you. I’ll be fine. He shouldn’t be that much longer.” Sunburst was glad to have something to nibble on while waiting. Bosley had made him a mug of his favorite tea, helping to calm his nerves.

“If there’s nothing else today, sir, I would ask you to pardon me for the day. I was planning to catch the earliest train to Balimare and I’d like to miss as much of the holiday rush as I can.”

“Of course. You have a great day off and Happy Hearth’s Warming, Bosley.” Sunburst was glad to let their help go for the day. It was time to celebrate and be with loved ones.

“Thank you, sir.” Bosley turned to leave but paused just as he was about to slide the door closed behind him. “Oh, and Master Sunburst, sir,” Sunburst looked up from his cookie.

“Yes?”

Bosley gave him a sure nod of confidence and a quick smile. “Good luck with it, sir.” He left Sunburst momentarily confused.

“Luck with…?” Sunburst did not understand what he was referring to at first but caught on that his family’s long time help was aware of the new dynamics of their home.

“Wait, how did you…?”

Bosley’s smile grew a little more at Sunburst’s surprise. “You don’t work for seventeen years with one family and not know when the employer’s son is up to something he doesn’t want his parents to know about.” He gave Sunburst a quick wink and slid the parlor door closed.

“Well, at least somepony is rooting for me. I hope this all works.” Sunburst finished off the biscuits and tea, trying to stay focused on what he was going to do. He rechecked the overnight bags stationed by the front door. On a side table near the door was what Sunspot was going to bring as an offering.

He’d simply gone out to that gourmet store located up around the block from his house and ordered the best entrée he could buy. The aroma of the delicately prepared food could not be missed.

The door to the office opened and out came his dad and another business associate, heading down the hall towards him and talking about the final details of their arrangement.

“I’ll get these in the mail on the way home. They’ll be on the client’s desk by Thursday at the latest, sir.” The younger business pony shook hooves with Sunspot, glad to get yet another development project underway with the new financing.

“Sounds good. Have yourself a good holiday.” Sunspot walked his client to the front door, clapping him on the back.

Sunburst checked the time on his wristwatch again. He had to get his dad going on their way to the train station; the train was due in only twenty minutes and he was pretty sure his mom and sister would be at the station by now.

“Son, is everything alright? You look kinda stressed this morning.” Sunspot could see the tension on his son’s face, as if anticipating some disaster or tragedy. Sunburst gave a nervous laugh.

“Oh, no, nothing like that. It’s just I’m a little nervous about being with Princess Twilight and her family in a more social situation with my family.” His dad could relate. No pony wanted to look foolish or be embarrassed by their relations.

“Trust me, my boy, I’ll make sure I don’t put you on the hot seat. You can be sure your ol’ dad will be the consummate professional,” Sunspot swore, aware of what this meant for Sunburst.

“We’d best get moving, dad. The train is going to be arriving soon and-” Sunburst was hurrying to get his coat on and his carry bags strapped on, eager to get moving.

“No need to rush, son.” Sunspot waved off his son’s jumpiness. He had the situation well in hoof. “It’s all taken care of.” Sunspot casually slipped on his best long winter coat and hat in preparation for the coming snow.

There was a honk of a horn from outside, alerting Sunspot to the arrival of their ride. “Ah, the cab is here. Now we can get going.” Sunburst paused in getting all his carry bags strapped on as a knock came from the front door. He opened it and found the cab driver standing there, waiting.

“Sunshine Cab Service. We’re there when you need us.” The cabbie recited his company’s slogan for the umpteenth time today, clearly tired from all the times of reciting it and driving so many fare takers on one of his busiest days.

“The bags are right here. We’ll be waiting in the cab.” Using his magic, Sunspot took the dinner platter he was bringing from off the table and headed out the door, confident and assured of his preparations for today. Sunburst followed after him, still carrying his own bags and putting them in the trunk of the cab.

The ride to the station was brief, with the cab driver pulling them right up to the steps of the train platform. Sunburst was first out of the cab, scanning about the station area to see where his mom and sister could be. From the crowd of ponies he picked out Starlight and her dad at the far end of the platform, waiting for the same train. He and Starlight made eye contact, nodding to one another.

“Have yourself a good holiday, sir.” The cabbie returned the change for the fare to Sunspot as he got the last bags out of the trunk.

“Keep it. Happy Hearth’s Warming to you, my good pony.” Sunspot was always extra generous around the holidays, making his driver smile at receiving a tip that was twice the cost of the fare.

“Thank you, sir!” He looked somewhat stunned by the amount.

Sunspot looked around the station area, seeing his son slowly walking towards the platform stairs and scanning the crowd of ponies who were awaiting the next train.

Sunburst kept looking about, scanning the faces in the crowd, trying to find his mom and sister in the throng. It was tough; the platform was crowded with ponies who were all shuffling about and dragging their possessions around as they sought out a place to sit and wait.

“Where’s that brother of yours? He was supposed to meet us here already. Where could he be?” Stellar Flare was losing her patience. The train was soon to arrive and they hadn’t found Sunburst yet.

“I have an idea.” Nova looked around for a good vantage point and found a porter’s cart and garbage can to stand on so as to elevate her view. She wound her way across the platform to the cart, bounding up onto the lid-covered can to scan above the heads of the crowd. Down at the end of the platform she thought she saw her brother. She started to wave to him, catching his attention. But totally unexpectedly, there was her dad walking up the steps right behind Sunburst, both of them now aware of her standing above the crowd.

“Dad?” She wasn’t expecting to see him here today. She thought he was going away for the holiday. Sunburst and her dad made their way across the platform trying to get to her.

“Nova, get down from there.” Stellar Flare tugged at Nova’s leg, not wanting to deal with her behavior right now. There was little time left and she still didn’t see Sunburst.

“I found him. He’s heading this way; dad’s with him too.” She was actually happy to see her dad was here with them, wondering if he was coming with them to the party at the castle.

“Who’s with your brother?”

Stellar Flare wasn’t sure she’d heard her daughter correctly. It sounded like Nova said her dad was here with Sunburst. This was not what she wanted to hear on this all-important day of hers.

In less than a minute, Sunburst and his dad met up with his mom and Nova, standing near the ticket booth.

“Sunspot, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to Manehattan for the holiday with some of your business friends?” Stellar Flare was cool and distant, chilly as the snow on the ground. Sunburst sighed when hearing his mom’s tone.

“Me? What are you doing here? I thought you were going to your sister’s house with Nova for Hearth’s Warming?” Sunspot was confused by this sudden meeting, having heard otherwise of Stellar Flare’s plans from his son last night. Quickly, the two parents realized what their son had been up to.

Both of them confronted him. “Was this your idea all along, son? Having your mother and I run into each other here at the station?” His dad demanded. Sunburst blushed.

“And you were never going to tell us?” Stellar Flare could not believe her son. After all the work they had done preparing the meal for the party, finding him here with Sunspot was unconscionable.

“Maybe it was. If I had told either of you that I wanted the other to come with me to the party, would you have joined me?” He then turned to face his mom.

“Would you have let Nova go with me or would you have made her stay home if dad was coming along to the party?” Stellar Flare couldn’t answer, thinking of how her daughter might have reacted to not being allowed to attend and meet the princess because her father would be there. He then looked at his dad, who had a most embarrassed expression on his face.

“How about you, dad? Would you have gone with me if I said mom and Nova were going as well or would you still have gone to Manehattan?” Sunburst could hear the train approaching. The timing he had been counting on was perfect. He would force them to choose if he had to, the train’s arrival made sure of that. Even if his parents refused to spend the time together, he would still go and take Nova along with him. He wasn’t going to let the princess down or let his sister down this holiday season if their mom and dad wanted to be a couple of stubborn old nags.

Sunburst thought it would have been obvious to his parents to why he went to such lengths to get them here at the station without them knowing. “All I wanted this year was to have my family together for this one special holiday celebration. It’s important to me to have both of you there and I really wanted to introduce you to Princess Twilight and her friends. We haven’t had a Hearth’s Warming Eve together as a family since I dropped out of magic school.”

Nova tried not to listen, even though she was silently agreeing with everything her brother was saying and really couldn’t look her parents in the face. Sunspot looked down at his daughter.

“Sweetie? Do you feel the same as your brother?” Sunspot never thought his daughter would have been this upset. She’d seemed to be so mature and holding up so well under the stress of the change.

“I hate having to spending the day in two places! Why can’t we be together anymore?” She finally blurted out what she’d been bottling up silently for the past eighteen months. It felt wrong; it felt bad to have to be apart. Why couldn’t they be a family? It hurt even more during the holiday time.

“The best gift from you both would be to put aside the bickering for one day and just try to get along so we can be together as a family for a little while. Please!” Sunburst implored, this day being what it was and where they were going and whom they were going to see.

The train was entering the station, it was down to the last few seconds. Sunburst disliked having to go to such lengths, but he knew his parents too well. Only when confronted with the decision would they make one as a couple, their attitudes being more about posturing and bellicose words between them than actual disdain for one another. The two parents looked daggers at each other.

Finally Stellar Flare gave her husband that I’m willing to try for the kids’ sake if you are too look, biting her lower lip and with a bit of desperation in her eyes. She wanted to go and make her son proud. If it meant ‘playing nice’ for a while, then it couldn’t hurt. Sunspot gave her a nervous nod of yes and a half-shrug, in that I’ll try for the kid’s sake to get along response. It meant a lot to him to be there for Sunburst and he too wanted his son to be proud of his dad.

“Alright, son. For you and your sister, we’ll do this. We promise to be on our best behavior.” Sunspot solemnly swore, making sure his son understood his seriousness.

“A consummate professional?” Sunburst added to make sure his dad meant it.

“To the last, my boy.” Sunspot did mean it. His son did not have to worry.

“I’m sorry, Nova, sweetheart,” Stellar Flare raised her daughter’s head to look at her, seeing Nova’s chin quiver slightly and tears forming in her young eyes. “We haven’t been thinking of you or your brother. We haven’t made this easy.”

“I just want everything to go back to the way it was before!” Nova pleaded. Both Stellar Flare and Sunspot felt bad that their children have to go through the holiday season like they have to choose one parent or the other and hopefully not make somepony feel bad or neglected. Here was the chance to give them that familiar sense again, even if it was for only for a little while.

“All aboard!” A conductor yelled out and the mass of ponies on the platform began filing into the cars, jostling their way down the isles to available seats.

“All set?” Sunburst collected up his bags and was about to head for the car, turning to see if his family was following after him. Sure enough, his sister was frantically getting her carry bags on and hurrying after him while his mom and dad followed after Nova. He smiled at the sight of them, thankful that this had worked out the way he wanted. Further on down the platform he spotted Starlight and her dad getting on the train a few cars ahead of them. He and Starlight had wanted to share the ride to the Ponyville station together as a group but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen. But that really didn’t matter. Sunburst knew they’d catch up at the station and then go as a group to Twilight’s castle, maybe even sharing a cab ride.

For now, he and his family would share the train ride and talk about who they might meet at the Princess’ home. Sunburst reiterated those who he knew for sure would be there with Nova filling in details about the princess and her friends from what she read in her copy of the princess’ friendship journal. The talk and excitement of anticipation brought them closer together.

“This is great! I’ve got a whole bunch of questions I want to ask Princess Twilight when I see her. I’ll never get another chance like this again.” Nova’s enthusiasm was impossible to miss. Her brother decided to set some ground rules on his sister before they got to the castle.

“Remember, sis, we’re guests of the princess. You can’t get all fangirly around her; you’ve got to act mature. Don’t embarrass me or mom and dad, alright?” Nova chafed under his edict. What gave him the right to tell her how to behave?

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be cool around her. You don’t have to worry.” She tried to wave off his concern, but that just made Sunburst more suspicious.

“I mean it, Nova. No freaking out when meeting her or her friends. Understood?” Sunburst covered all the bases, fearing she would lose it at meeting such well known ponies. Nova called for back up.

“Mom, make Sunburst stop telling me-”

“Just behave yourself, Nova. Make us proud of how well you act around your brother’s friends.” Stellar Flare cut her off, aware of her daughter’s predilections. She knew her son was right. Nova was a big fan of the princess and she could easily get overly excited with this meeting. She trusted Nova to behave herself. Stellar Flare only hoped her trust was not misplaced.