> Holiday Surprise
>  by Pony Authors
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Surprise Again!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I walk up to my door carrying bags full of presents. It’s almost Christmas, and I’ve got to shop for my family. I glance towards his door. It’s been a few days since we’ve talked, ever since his birthday to be exact. I suppose it has something to do with that thing he needed to take care of before. Yet, I think he’s trying to avoid me. He’s probably just the kind of guy who doesn’t like talking to others and always does things by himself…
I open my door and walk inside, the bags hanging from my arms and heaped over my shoulders. I drop the bags down on the couch and plop down on top of it. I sigh to myself and pick up the TV remote. “I bet everything on TV is going to be Christmas-related.”
I start to flip through the channels when I come across a show that catches my eye: a show about magical, multi-colored ponies. “What’s this?”, I ask myself, and press the guide button on the remote. I read the name and laugh.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, huh? Doesn’t Brant like this show? I’ve seen him wear T-shirts that have these characters on them. Interesting…. 
I watch as a pink pony exclaims, “I spy somepony eating a gingerbread house!”, then runs into a store and comes out in a second. She then holds up a gingerbread house and takes a gigantic bite out of it almost eating the whole thing.“...and it's me!”
All the other multicolored ponies laugh, and I can’t help but giggle at it as well. Then the screen mysteriously turns into nothing but snow. I shrug and press the off button, but the TV won’t turn off for some reason. 
Oh well, I’ll come back and turn it off later. Right now I’ve got to wrap these presents.
And with the moment of interest over, I grab my bag of presents and go to begin wrapping.



I put my families’ and friends’ presents in two stacks and nod triumphantly. I look over to my closet and stare at the pile of gifts from the surprise party we were supposed to have but never did. I sigh.
It’s too bad he had something to do that day. I really have to bring those over to him sometime. And all the cards people brought... 
I shake my head. 
I’ll get to it soon enough. For now, it’s time to wrap.
I walk out of my bedroom where I was wrapping my presents and walk down my hallway to the living room. I walk past my pet hamster’s cage and he scurries up to the cage door and scratches at the cage. 
I laugh at his antics, “Hey there, Randy! What’s up?” In response, Randy makes his cute little squeaking noise I love so much. I stick my finger through the cage door and pat his head. Remembering my original mission, I take my finger out and continue on.
I walk into my living room and hear the snow sound still coming from the TV, but also something else. 
I hear someone talking.
“Ooh I like this place! It’s fun! All colorful with lights and a giant tree in the middle of the room!” I hear a crash and something breaking.
Someone’s in my apartment! What do I do? Oh! That may serve a purpose!
I grab a nearby flower vase, pour out it’s contents and hold it up like a baseball bat in defense. “Who’s there?” I raise it higher. I walk closer to my tree and notice it swaying. Whoever is in my apartment is behind my tree. “Get out from behind there and show yourself!” I exclaim once more.
“Okie dokie lokie!” The person behind the tree says in a cheerful bouncy voice that sends a shiver down my back.
Why are they being so joyful when getting caught breaking into my house?
I drop the vase when out from behind my tree bounces a pink pony with a curly mane, light blue eyes, and a mark of three balloons on her rump. 
This pony looks exactly like the one I saw on TV earlier. But how? It’s not real.
“W-what are you?!” I exclaim pointing at the pony.
“What does it look like, silly? I’m a pony!” She smiles. “Duh!”
I shake my head. “No. Ponies are not pink!” I look down at my feet. Shards of glass from the vase that I dropped are all around the ground, and I’m surrounded by colored glass.
Please don’t tell me I cut myself. 
I step around the glass trying not to hurt myself and look down at the pink pony. “Ok… so what’s your name?”
“My name’s Pinkamena Diane Pie, but my friends all call me Pinkie Pie,” she exclaims. “You can call me Pinkie too if you wanna!”
“Ok, Pinkie Pie. What are you doing in my house?”
“Oh well my friends and I are here to help my friend, Brant--”
I cut her off. “Wait wait wait. You know Brant?” 
“Yep!” She exclaims as she jumps up and down. “We came to him on his birthday too! I tell ya, he needs to lighten up a bit and spend a little more time with other ponies--oops I mean people--or else he’s going to be all alone. And if he’s all alone, he’ll be lonely, and if he’s lonely, I’ll be sad. And if I’m sad then I can’t make Ponyville happy! And if I can’t make Ponyville happy--”
“I GET IT!” I shout, cutting her tangent short.
She tilts her head. “Oh, you do? Well okie dokie lokie then! I guess we can move on!” She then starts bouncing over to my door.
“Wait. What do you mean move on?” I run over to stop her.



I groan and wake with a jerk as I hear shouting coming from my TV. 
“All I wanna know is why the Earth ponies are hogging all the food,” Rainbow Dash shouts in my TV and onlooking pegasi shout and stamp their hooves in agreement.
“What?” I mutter and look at the TV. “I fell asleep with the TV on?”
Pinkie Pie retorts back, pointing at Rainbow Dash, “Us? We're not hogging all the food, you are! Oh wait. You're right. It's us. Well, it's only 'cause you mean old pegasusususes are making it snow like CRAY-ZAY!”
I sit up on my couch and grab my remote. I’m about to turn the TV off when something very familiar happens to me again--the screen turns to snow.
Oh no… you’ve gotta be kidding me. Again?!
I touch my bruised chest, remember the last time my ‘friends’ came to visit me, and groan. Applejack kicked me REALLY hard in the chest, but I guess it was sort’ve my fault for ticking her off. She did make up for it... 
But, why are they coming back? THEY JUST LEFT! Wait… maybe they’re time goes by quicker? Maybe it’s been months since they last saw me? Maybe--
Just as I’m thinking clearer five multi-colored ponies fly through a portal and land face first onto my floor and my question is answered. 
Are they all wearing...Christmas sweaters? 
I look down at them and say awkwardly, “Um… hi?” I reach out to them with my hand and pull the nearest pony up off the ground, who just so happens to be Rainbow Dash.
“Thanks,” she says, rubbing her forehead as the others start pulling themselves up off the floor.
I look at them, concerned. “You guys alright?”
They all nod and murmur their conditions.
“Yeah…”
“Uh-huh…”
“Ah’m fine, sugarcube...”
“Yes, dahling…”
“Maybe, well I guess, um yes…”
I sigh with relief then start to panic once more.
I didn’t hear a reply from Pinkie. Where’s Pinkie?!?
“Um…where’s Pinkie Pie?”, I ask them with concern clear in my voice. I rush around my apartment looking for her, remembering the splitting headache I got from the interdimensional travel that the others probably have right now. Knowing how Pinkie doesn’t get it, she could’ve started to roam my house right away, so I search EVERYWHERE.
“Calm down, sugarcube. Pinkie didn’t come with us to your place,” Applejack says, trying to ease my concern.
“What do you mean ‘didn’t come with us’? She’s the only one who can bring you here!” I shout.
Rainbow Dash rolls her eye at me. “Pinkie said something about needing to find someone, so this time she made two portals instead of one. She went through one we went through the other and that’s all we know.”
I groan and flop down on my couch. “Why are you here?” I press my face into the cushion of the couch.
“Um… what was that? You were kind of muffled there.” Twilight asks, confused.
I groan again and pull my head out of my pillow. “Why are you here?” I repeat, then let my face drop back into the cushion once more.
“We have no idea, dahling. Just that it involves Hearth’s Warming and…mistletoe.” Rarity replied. 
Wait…what? Hearth’s Warming? MISTLETOE?!
My head shoots straight up and I point at her. “Did you just say mistletoe!?!” 
“Why yes, yet I have no clue what Pinkie needs mistletoe for…” 
She trails off when I fall off the edge of my couch muttering, “Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. NOPE! So not happening!”
“W-what’s not happening?” Fluttershy asks quietly.
“The tradition,” I state. “of what you are supposed to do when you stand under the mistletoe!”
“What tradition is that, Brant?” Rainbow asks.
“The tradition that you have to kiss someone if they are standing next to you when under the mistletoe.” I deadpan.
Rainbow, Twilight, and Applejack snicker and fall to the floor laughing. Rarity is trying to cover her giggling with her hoof and Fluttershy looks so shocked she seems like she’s going to faint. 
I groan and roll my eyes at them and deadpan, “Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny. Yeah laugh at the guy who’s going to have to kiss some random person he doesn’t know.” 
This time Fluttershy does faint.
They laugh even more, and I growl angrily and cover my face with my hands, embarrassed.
What a very merry Christmas this is...



I look over to Pinkie Pie who’s sitting over at my kitchen table as I carry two steaming cups of hot cocoa over to the table and sit in the seat opposite from her. I set one of the steaming cups in front of her and right away she grabs it and starts chugging it down.
“Careful.” I reach out for her in concern but blink shocked when she sets down and empty cup and licks her chocolate covered lips. 
“That was deeelicious!” She exclaims. “Can I have some more?” 
I nod and give her mine. 
“But then you won’t have any!” Pinkie says as she gives my cup of hot cocoa back.
I smile. “Thanks.” 
“Anytime!” She smiles back.
I take a sip of my hot cocoa, “So… where are you from Pinkie?” I ask her.
She smiles, “Oh, I’m from Ponyville! And I gotta say it the bestest place ever! All my friends live there, like Applejack and Rarity and Twilight and Rainbow Dash and--”
“But where is this ‘Ponyville’?” I cut her off.
“Oh, well it’s right next to Canterlot--”
“What nationality?” I ask.
“Equestrian.”
“Equestrian?”
“Yeah, you know, Equestrian, like from Equestria!” She exclaims.
“And where is this Equestria?” I ask her.
“Um…in Equestria, duh!” She throws up her hooves. “How do you not know what Equestria is? It’s like the only place everypony has ever lived in. Except for you know Griffonia or maybe the Everfree, or Saddle Arabia, and other places beyond Equestria. But I mean Equestria is the biggest nation in all of the pony world! Seriously!”
“Pony…world?”
“Yes!”
“Um…ok, we don’t have those places here. Because this is the human world.” I explain. “We call our planet Earth.” I smile a half-smile and ask. “What do you call your planet?”
“That’s easy!” She smiles and pumps her hoof in the air triumphantly. “Equus!”
“So you are from another world!” I shout excitedly. 
“Well, duh! I wouldn’t be from this world, now would I?” She exclaims.
I grab her and pull her into a hug, “This is fantastic!” I shout excitedly. “So now what are we going to do?”
“Well…do you got any mistletoe?” She asks me with a mischievous tone. 
“Yeah…” I say hesitantly, “what about it?”
“May I have some?” She asks quietly.
“Um…sure,” I say scratching the back of my head. “Why?”
“Just need it!” She exclaims happily.
“OK” 
Weird…
I go to my bedroom grab my fake branch of mistletoe and walk back. I give it to Pinkie Pie, “Well here it is…but I don’t know why you need it.”
Pinkie chirps, “Well like I said, I’m here to help Brant cheer up on Hearth’s Warming--oh wait, I mean Christmas--”
“Wait,” I cut her off once more. “so you’re going to cheer him up by kissing him?” I ask.
Really weird...
“No, silly!” She giggles. “YOU’RE gonna cheer him up by kissing him.” She sticks the branch of mistletoe in her mane and bounces away. 
ME! Kiss Brant?!?
I stand there blushing. “ME?!” I shout, shocked. I run after her and shout again. “ME!?!” 
She bounces her way up to my door, turns the door handle and bolts down the hall, laughing all the way. 



It takes a few minutes to get Fluttershy to stop cringing from the idea of me kissing a total stranger.
I pace back and forth and mutter, “Seriously? Mistletoe? Mistletoe!” My muttering turns into ranting. “I HATE THIS SEASON SO MUCH! CALL ME A SCROOGE ALL YOU WANT YOU COMMERCIALIZED CHRISTMAS-SPIRITED DOLTS! AT LEAST I DON’T HAVE TO BUY EXPENSIVE GIFTS FOR PEOPLE EVERY FRIGGIN’ YEAR…” My ranting dies out, when I start to realise I’m all alone, “...for children of my own…and my wife...and grandchildren…ha…”
Twenty seven and still not married. Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing. Pinkie’s just trying to set me up for a relationship.
Fluttershy asks me, concerned, “Um, Brant? Are you OK?”
“Yeah.” I nod and say nonchalantly. “I’m alright.”
“You sure, dahling?” Rarity ask as well.
“Yep.” 
I sit down on the couch and sigh. I whip out my phone and check the calendar. I look at the day of my birthday. The electronic screen reads, ‘November 5th, 2014--My Birthday’. I think about how my family is too “far away” to come visit me on special occasions like my birthday, holidays, and…other things. But seriously can’t they send a card or a text?  
I get it that people look at me and see an unsocial, unfriendly, or shy guy. But I think that judging people because of the way they may seem is the reason I’m not ever getting the comments, ‘Happy Birthday!’, ‘Merry Christmas!’, ‘Happy New Year!’, or ‘Happy Thanksgiving’. 
Someone knocks at my door. 
I look at the ponies surrounding me and think quickly, “Quickly! All of you into my bedroom!” I exclaim in a hushed tone. 
They are hurry into my bedroom and shut the door. I put my phone back into my pocket and answer the door.
Emily’s standing there...along with Pinkie Pie. Emily’s holding a basket full of presents and cards.
“Hey,” she says. I can see just a hint of blush on her face. 
“Hey there Brant!” Pinkie exclaims as she jumps up and down. “Merry Christmas!”
I look down to Pinkie. “Yeah…merry Christmas to you too...or should I say Happy Hearth’s Warming.” 
What is going on here?
“May we come in?” Emily asks me. 
I look around confused, “Oh, yeah…right.” I clear my throat. “Sure thing.” I move out of the way to let them in. Pinkie bounces right on in like she own the place, and Emily hesitantly walks in. 
I turn around after closing the door. “So… what’s up?”
Emily puts the presents down on the couch, “Just dropping off a friend of yours.” 
I scratch the back of my head. “Oh...um Pinkie...you mean? Right?” 
Emily nods. “Of course, Brant.”
“Oh…right.” I cringe. “Sorry.”
I’m totally screwing this up.
“Hey Brant!” Pinkie exclaims. “Where’s everypony else?”
My memory finally turns on and I remember the ponies I just shoved into my bedroom. “Oh right!” I exclaim slapping my forehead. “Guys! You can come out! It’s just Pinkie...and my neighbor!” 
My bedroom door opens and a pile of multi-colored ponies comes spilling out. They all rush over to their friend and hug her. 
I smile at them. 
I turn back to Emily, “So who are the presents for exactly?”
“Oh!” She blushes. “Well you remember when I asked you to watch a movie with me?” She asks.
I cringe again.
Oh dang. I remember that! It must’ve been a date! And I turned it down! Ugh! Stupid!
“Yeah…” I say cringing.
“Well I put together a surprise party for you…so these are your presents.” She gestures to the presents. She picks one up that’s on the pile of the stack and is wrapped up in snowman wrapping paper. “This one’s a Christmas present from me, so don’t open it till Christmas Day.” 
I nod. “Got it.” 
Wait…all these presents are for me? BUT I DON’T HAVE ANY FRIENDS!
“So who exactly came to this party?”, I ask.
“Oh, lots of people from the building and your work.” She smiles. “You’ve got a lot of friends.” 
“Cool.” I smile back and stick my hands in my pockets.
I swear I’m sweating like a dog in a heat wave. 
“So…”
“Yep.”
“You like My Little Pony?”
“Yep.”
“Cool.”
We’re just standing here, saying random things that mean nothing. Now what?
I hear laughing and muttering coming from the ponies and turn my attention to them for a second. “What?” I ask them. They laugh louder. “Seriously what’s so funny.”
Then something clicks in my mind once again.
One, Two, Three, Four, Five ponies. Where the heck is Pinkie?
I look up above us and see Pinkie Pie. Hanging upside down like a bat. Defying gravity. And holding a branch of mistletoe in her mouth. 
I blush furiously.
“What’s wrong, Brant?” Emily asks until she looks up herself and her face turns as red as a tomato. “Oh…”
We look back each other. I smile sheepishly, “So now we have to...kiss?”
She blushes and nods, “It is tradition…”
I nod back.
“Well,” Pinkie chirps from above us. “What are you waiting for! Kiss already!”
I look into Emily’s eyes then draw her into a deep kiss. 
It feels like the universe collapses around us and everything melts away. We’re just floating in outer space. Together. I’ve never felt this before.
I don’t even hear the “Aw’s” encircling us. 
This is magic.
When we finally break apart the ponies are all giving us that ‘You two make the best couple’ look.
“Um guys,” I clear my throat. “Can you maybe come back later and give us some privacy?” 
Now the “Aw’s” turn from cute ones to disappointed ones. 
Pinkie chirps in. “No he’s right guys! Let’s give the two lovebirds some time alone and come back on Hearth’s Warming.” She hands Emily the mistletoe and pulls her friends through my TV back to Equestria.
“So what now?” Emily asks.
I smirk. “I was thinking, another kiss maybe?”
She smiles then jokes. “OK, but save one for the New Year tradition.”