Homeward Unbound

I yawn as I get up to sit up in my bed, eyes still forcing themselves shut. However, this is the only way I'll ever get up, and my body isn't ashamed to let me know of it's dismay. As my ears start to make contact with my brain, I soon realize my alarm is still playing.

I groggily navigate myself blindly to reach my phone and slide the alarm off. I slowly realize I forgot to remove my corrective lenses the night prior, causing it to dry in my eyes, which makes opening my eyes an even more so difficult task.

I finally manage to open my eyes, but it doesn´t exactly improve my efforts. Everything is blurred, as due to my dry lenses. I hesitantly try to remove them from my eyes, preparing for the pain that comes with it. I end up having to literally rip them from my eyeballs, which quite honestly isn´t as nasty as it sounds. Still stings though.

I reach for my glasses, and toss the dry lenses in the bin. So comes the joyful routine of getting dressed. I settle with a regular setup, the usual wooly clothes to guard me from the presence of winter.

Man, it can get extremely cold up here in the winter, relentlessly even. Especially at this altitude.

Feeling satisfied with my choice of clothing, I finish dowsing myself in deodorant and glance over at the time.

Time for breakfast.

I live in a relatively tiny room in this College. Thankfully I was lucky to get one of the few single rooms, which means I don´t have to share it with a stranger, thank god. I am NOT ready for a shared environment with a complete stranger.

There are roughly 60 or so people living in this one building, which connects to the cafeteria. It´s easy to get used to, in the end everyone living there is like family since you see each other from you wake up till you go to sleep. Mostly.

The cafeteria only opens 4 times a day, 1 meal a few hours separate from each other. It´s breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a "before bed snack" meal. It´s always a mystery what they serve at dinner, so I either become really satisfied or very disappointed at dinnertime. It´s alright I suppose, although one gets very hungry when night falls, given that the last meal is at 8pm, causing me to actually have something to wake up to in the morning.

But whatever, like I said, time for breakfast.

I make my way out of my room, and lock it. I don´t trust anyone enough to leave my door unlocked just yet. I head over to the stairs to the cafeteria, already smelling the newly made bread. I gotta say, paying for College actually pays off once in a while. I mean, fresh bread every morning? Yum.

Breakfast as usual goes by without much happening at all. It´s just the same early birds as always, ready for yet another day. The days here usually aren´t bad. I love my studies and my teacher is pretty awesome to boot. He even joined us for a drink last weekend! Don´t get me wrong, he´s just 8 or so years older than myself so it isn´t THAT weird.

With us, I mean the usual gang. You know, the one everyone has at some point. Here at college we always have our separate gangs, and separate tables, which I guess is the norm for all small societies like this one. Not that we feel we are a master race or anything though, we are fairly open to most of the people in this institution, which is about 120 people total. Including the prissy bastards that live over in the apartment building, extra paid for and everything.

I head back to my room after breakfast to prepare myself for my first class. I firstly make my bed all nice, just like I always do. With nothing else to do for the next half hour, I glance around in my room, thinking about what to spend the next 30 minutes doing.

I could play some Smash Brothers on my 3DS... but I don´t really feel it at the moment. I hate feeling like I have nothing to do, and while still having lots of time to myself, something I never truly appreciated enough, I feel.

I keep glancing until I spot the picture of my little brother and sister on the top shelf of my desk, and a thought quickly reminds me.

My mom is having another baby. Meaning I get another sister or brother. Honestly when she told me I couldn´t believe it. My sister was the last child she had and that´s 6 years ago. Speaking of, my brother and my sister are 8 and 6, and I love them with all my heart. I don´t spend my time home except for vacations, but when I do, they treat me like I am their father, and it makes me so very happy. It renewed my vision on having children to one where I actually considered it.

However, I haven´t had a girlfriend in about 6 years now, and I don´t really see that changing anytime soon.

I go to study the picture closer, causing me to smile, remembering those few trips I have home to my family. I am actually coming home next week for Christmas, my favorite family bonding time. It´s bound to be great, and I can´t wait.

I am interrupted in my thoughts as I spot my over the top full trashcan, and I groan.

"I might as well." I say to myself, given that I have nothing else to do. I grab the bag surrounding my mess, and tie it up to the best of my abilities, which when this thing is as filled as it is, it proves to be quite the task. Throwing it over my shoulder, which I instantly regret, feeling a moist smudge hit my back, I head out to the College trash area.

Although with the cold snow outside, and it being below 0 degrees, I refuse to leave without my coat, scarf and hat. I just love that combination, it totally says "me". Oh well.

Heading out the main doors, I instantly feel the bite of winter. It´s still dark outside, it still being 8:10 in the morning at late December. It´s been snowing, as far as I can tell. The layer of snow that was already there has been considerately raised and flattened of any tracks of disturbance.

Just the way I like it, although the cold I will never get on good terms with. I adjust my grip on the rather nasty bag of rubbish in my hands, and head over to the trash area.

It´s a simple shed just a hundred meters away from the main entrance, and a few stair steps lead down to it. Without thinking much I casually step on to the metal stair, realizing a little to late it is completely covered with ice.

Naturally I instantly fall on my ass.

I grunt in pain as I grasp my back for support to my aching backside, and curse at the rude stairs for making my morning considerably more unpleasant.

I grab the railing of the stairs as support to push myself up, dusting the unwanted snow off myself before cautiously shuffling down the steps, which to my comfort, proves successful. I toss the bag of dirt into the cart, happy to have done something semi-productive, only taken a little sacrifice in the effort of doing so. I glance back at the stairs and give it my best glare, only realizing I´m being mad over my own uncarefulness.

As I turn to head back, something catches my eye in the corner of the shed, under some traces of snow that made it´s way into the shed. It gives of a slight sparkle, which is what caught my attention. I frown and head over to the source of this interesting... whatever it is.

I carefully crouch down to dust the snow away to reveal this mystery that is bothering me so, almost as if it drawing my attention towards it. I dust the snow away, to reveal a... a pendant? A small pendant shaped to look somewhat like a whirlpool or sorts.

Figuring someone probably lost this here, and me having a soft spot for collecting pretty objects, I shrug while picking the pendant up, stuffing it in my pocket. I stand back up and make my way up those blasted stairs again.

I don´t even get halfway to the entrance of my school before a powerful gust hits my face, completely out of the blue. I jump back in surprise at this sudden change of events and let out a weak yelp.

"Wha-" I gasp out as I collect myself, correcting my hat on my head. I look around, taking in my surroundings. Completely windstill.

"Okay..." I nervously let out as my eyes dart from every direction, to possibly try to spot where the mysterious gust had come from. I hesitantly shrug it off my mind, as my eyes find themselves focusing on the ground below me, which has for some reason started to react to... something else.

Not as much the ground, as the area around me. I see the snow around me, forming itself into circles around my feet, looking like it´s being carried by a wind I can not hear nor feel.

I feel myself getting increasingly confused and scared, and I look around me as the circle around me seems to pick up speed. A speed that I am starting to get extremely worried by.

Okay, now I´m officially fucking loosing it. I turn to every direction, trying to gather what in the world is happening as I see the snow rise above my feet, forming a sort of tornado of snow around my lower body. I feel myself unable to move my legs, despite my best efforts. I panic as the wind picks up yet again, and I feel myself getting more afraid by the second.

What the hell is going on?!

The tornado is now in full spin around my body, and my vision is blurred by snow, snow and more snow. It spins around me faster and faster as I try to figure out what´s happening to me. Why can't I move my legs?!

I scream out for help a little to late I feel, and my eyes are now invaded by the snow flowing around me, also blurring my glasses. I cover my eyes with my arm, squinting my eyes to not be blinded by these rapidly moving snowflakes. A full tornado is now violently spinning around me, and I am completely unable to do a thing about it. A million thoughts race through my mind as this traumatic experience unfolds.

Am I dying? Is this real? Is someone playing a very dumb and dangerous prank on me? Will I... Ever see my family aga-

I am interrupted from my thoughts as I feel the wind grace me up a few feet in the air, and hurls me forward into the ground. I fall face first into the thick snow in front of me as I feel the presence of the whirlwind around me completely fade from existance. I groan while my face is buried in the much deeper snow that I now lay in, not remembering how it got this deep. However, that thought was quickly extinguished as I remember what had literally just happened.

I dart up from the snow in panic of what had just happened, erasing the snow that still remains on my face and expecting some sort of closure of what had caused this unnatural thing to unfold. As I quickly find out, my answer will apparently be set on hold as a new question enters my mind.

"W-where am I?!"

Ponyville shines brightly with it's natural cozy feel and with beautiful lights and decorations, praising the holidays at this time of year, graced with a grand tree in the town square. Lights and ornaments adorn the enormous tree, making it seem almost magical.

This time of year is special for everypony, and so it is only right to make it the best of the best. Celestia's sun still lingers beyond the horizon as a few townsponies start milling the streets, preparing for the daily doings of their own businesses. Most of the market is closed at these remaining days before Hearth's Warming Eve, but some places simply need to be open every day.

Most of the town is still influenced by the peacefullness that is vacation. Ponies get to sleep in, young fillies and colts don't need to go to school for another half month, and all around, the mood is really starting to embrace the Hearth's Warming feel.

What takes up most of the attention from any eye, is the Ponyville Castle. Lights are hanging down from the walls, and a beautiful star is resting on the very top of the castle. It's also reflecting the lights hanging around it, giving it even more of a shine.

A little dragon is skidding along the pathway towards the castle with a presents in it's claws.  An excited grin on it's face as it happily makes it way towards the castle entrance. Once reaching the doors, it quickly enters to escape the cold of winter, and closes the door behind it.

"Twilight, I'm home!" The dragon shouts towards the hallway, receiving a loud echo of his own voice. As he removes his scarf, he sees a shape coming towards him.

Entering the entrance hall, is a purple Alicorn, delicately gliding over to greet the dragon. She lands gently beside him while smiling at him, leaning in to nuzzle her friend, which he happily returns with a chilly hug.

"Hello, Spike. Thank you for getting that from Rarity. We'll go put it under our tree right away." Twilight smiles as she takes the present away from Spike, causing him to sigh. Twilight looks back at Spike and quickly realizes what's bothering him.

"Sorry Spike... You know you can't open it until Hearth's Warming Eve." She tells him, lifting his chin up with her hoof.

"I know, Twilight. I just get so exited when ponies give me presents." He admits in defeat, noticing his friend grin.

"Yeah, I do. And I have the entire town to confirm that. You just have to learn to control it Spike, which has been going great so far, given that the "incident" didn't repeat itself on your last birthday." She says while walking beside him, heading toward their living room area up on the second floor. Spike scratches his back with a claw, remembering what she was talking about. Although he had no recollection of the actual happenings of that day, he was only told what had happened when he was a giant, rampaging dragon.

Coming up on the second floor, they already see the shine of the tree, lighting up the hallway outside through the open door, leading in to the living room. Spike glances over to where the table-map is, seeing through the open door that Twilight has been busy decorating the roots of the Golden Oak Library with more of the pretty lights.

Twilight fully opens the door to the living room, and trots over to the tree to place the present for her friend gently under the tree with all the other presents.

There are a load of presents under the tree already, mostly for Twilight and Spike, but some for the other guests Twilight is having over to celebrate the holiday with. All of her friends, the Apple family, (Big Mac, Granny Smith), and Apple Bloom and her crusader friends.

It'll be great getting to be together with so many of her friends.. no, her family, at such a special time. She grins to herself, returning to her book about star constellations that was left in front of the tree before she was interrupted.

Spike sits down in a comfy chair a little ways from Twilight, closer to the warm presence of the fireplace to warm himself from the cold outside. To his unfortunate miscomfort, he feels his stomach clench up the usual way it always does before-

A loud belch is heard, as Twilight instantly snaps her head around to see if that sound meant what she thought it did.

A scroll magically appeared from the trails of green flames that were so graciously being sputtered out by the poor dragon. She quickly catches it with her magic, surrounding the scroll in her purple aura, and levitates it over to her.

"A letter from the Princess?" She glances over at Spike, who has quickly recovered, and is heading over to Twilight to see what the letter says.

Twilight unfolds the ribbon keeping the scroll rolled up, revealing it's content. She studies the text along with her assistant.

Dear Twilight

I am most sorry for disturbing you on such an early hour, but i feel

I need to inform you about this as soon as I can.

I was just informed by my guards that there was a  weather "disturbance"

somewhere deep in the White Tail Woods. It was seen by a pegasus

doing her morning weather schedule, when she claims she spotted a

tornado forming up seemingly out of nothing.

Naturally we would oversee this as a fluke, but given that the pegasus

lost her control of her fight completely as she flew closer to investigate, we

believe this is... something else.

The pegasus, Light Hooves, unfortunately crashed into a tree, but she was

quickly found, thankfully that her fellow weathermares were close by. She is

now recovering here in Canterlot.

I of course turn to you, as I believe this to be something unusual.

I believe this was not a natural event, but something of magical disturbance.

Twilight, I would like to request that you, as the element of magic, investigate

this strange event. I am sure that if there was something magical about this,

you of all ponies would be the first to discover it.

Proceed with caution, and be well. You may bring your friends, as I'm sure

they would be much help to you.

Your friend,

Princess Celestia

Twilight frowns as she reads over the letter once more, trying to think of what could have caused such an event.

"Whaddaya think it was, Twi?" Spike asks as she contemplates the possible alternatives of this. She shrugs as she places the letter on her book, and trots around in thought. "I'm not sure, Spike. I can't seem to remember reading about this kind of stuff in any of my books before. There are said to be unnatural storms and twisters in the Everfree Forrest... but those rarely happen, and this took place deep within the White Tail Woods."

Spike scratches his chin with a claw. "Well, do you think we should go check it out?"

Twilight nods uncertainly. "I think it's definitely worth a look. This could be a just something as simple as some unicorn messing around with spells in the forrest... but for some reason I don't think that's what caused it." She glances over at Spike, finding him to softly sigh, while he longingly stares at where he comfortably sat in the armrest chair.

"Say, why don't you stay in today Spike, you already came back from running those errands, and I'm sure me and the girls can handle this just fine on our own. Besides, I can't really think of anything for you to do today to help prepare for Hearth's Warming Eve." She smiles in kind. "I'm sure you have a few ways to entertain yourself with while I'm gone?" At this, she sees Spike gleam as he pulls out a magazine apparently from out of nowhere.

Probably influenced by Pinkie.

"Aww yeah! You bet! I have been looking forward to a chance to read through "The Superpony" comic book." He gleams proudly as he displays the latest comic book, featuring his favorite comic book hero. Twilight smiles, glad to have that problem solved.

"Okay, Spike," She chuckles. "but first, I need you to send a letter to Celestia, so I can let her know I will be on my way." She requests as she starts heading towards the door, prepared to go meet with her friends.

"Sure thing, Twi. You can count on me!" On her way out, she nuzzles her friend goodbye, and heads out the doors leading to the hallway.