A Sparkling Hearth's Warming
"You forgot, didn't you?"
Author's Note
Hey Everypony, I know I have a lot to do with my 'My Little Mages' series, but I just felt like doing this story. Yeah, yeah, the forgetting of a gift plot has been done to death, but I just wanted to throw my hat to in the ring.
If you have any questions about the ships I use please leave them in the comments.
And yes, this is a FlashLight Ship, please judge the story on its own merits.
Oh and shout out to DisneyFanatic23 for the inspiration for one of these ships, as to the ship in question, check out her most recent My Little musical series 'My Little Carrie', that's the only hint.
Well on to the show!
"You forgot, didn't you?"
The snow was gently floating down from the sky to softly blanket the city of Canterlot. For the most part, the snow itself accumulated on all the grass and other opened areas, while the streets were clear. One particular snowflake is blown towards the Canterlot Mall and as it falls lands on a tongue. The tongue in question was Pinkie Pie, who was with her friends, Applejack, Rarity, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle, after she closed her mouth to 'eat' the snowflake. "YAY!!! HEARTH'S WARMING!!!" The group happened to be on their Winter Break for their college freshmen year.
"Pinkie, Darling, Hearth's Warming is not for a few more days." Rarity said with a slight eye-roll as the seven entered the mall.
Everyone else had a slight laugh before another of the group spoke up,"Sugarcube, Pinkie is the personification of Hearth's Warming Cheer, she's not going to change until the day after Hearth's Warming. Remeber when Ah told yall about when mah family spent Hearth's Warming with hers." Applejack informed as they all took off their outmost jackets and gave them to a coat clerk, each getting their ticket to collect the jackets on their way out.
"Was the one when she basically gave Big Mac as a Hearth's Warming gift to Maud?" Rainbow asked as she tried to recall the story.
"No, Silly Dashie, that was when I set up a date for Marble with Big Mac." Pinkie said as she jumped back to Rainbow Dash, "I don't own Big Mac and I can't give him away, that would be illegal. Don't you remember the 13th Amendment?" Before Rainbow could answer, "Well starting in the 1780's various soon to be states of the United States of America, while under the Articles of Confederation as the main constitution for the thirteen former British colonies that made the first ..." As Pinkie spoke she pulled out of her hair a copy of the Constitution, a history textbook and a copy of the Articles of Confederation. Before she could continue you. All the while Rainbow Dash gave a deadpan scowl, while the others couldn't help but chuckle at her expense.
"Um, Pinkie, you do know that Starlight and Juniper are waiting for us for the movie. Maybe we can helpDashie with her history later." Fluttershy interrupted Pinkie, earning herself a scowl from Rainbow Dash, but ending most of the laughter
"Okay." Pinkie said as she put everything back into her hair, "So what is the film again?"
"The Last Jedi." the others all answered together.
"WOO-HOO!!!" Pinkie cheered as the others had a heartfelt with Pinkie's cheer.
After the movie, Pinkie, Sunset, Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity had a seat at one of the largest tables in the mall's food court, they were joined by two more girls their age, Starlight and Juniper. "THAT MOVIE WAS AWESOME!!!" Rainbow and Pinkie both shouted before they went back their respective drinks.
"I wasn't expecting that twist. Just... wow..." Starlight commented before she took a bite out of her burger.
"Well twists like that aren't unusual in Star Wars, 'The Empire Strikes Back' for example if you never saw or heard of Star Wars and only saw the first movie made then that ... 'No,' breath for dramatic tension, 'I am your father.'... classic." Juniper interjected.
"YES!!!" Twilight exclaimed as she almost jumped out of her seat, nearly knocking the table over and cause her glasses to fall off. You actually got the quote right, you have no idea how many people think Darth Vader said 'No, Luke, I am your father.'" Twilight then hugged Juniper happy that some else know the true classic quote.
"Ironically, that is one of the biggest retcons in cinematic history and in Star Wars, the Leia-Luke sibling relationship is next. Granted the later is one of the reason so many people thing Return of the Jedi is worse than The Empire Strikes Back." Sunset interjected as Twilight took her seat again.
"Enough about Star Wars, so what are everyone's plans for Hearth's Warming, aside from not going anywhere?" Rarity asked to change the topics.
"Well, the rest of Apples should all be here no later than tomorrow. And that includes the Oranges, Roseluck... and this is the first Hearth's Warming with the Pears, Apple Bloom is so excited." Applejack turned to see Pinkie give an impossible big smile. "Yes, Sugarcube, we're expectin' the Pies and wah all will be attendin' services together."
"Won't it be awkward, you know with Marble and Big Mac in the same place with Big Mac dating my old friend Sugar Belle?" Starlight asked.
Applejack and Pinkie looked at each other and both gave a slightly nervous chuckle, but it wasn't one of 'well we didn't that through' but more of a 'how do we tell them', "Well yah see..." Applejack started.
"BigMacisactuallyenagedtomarrybothMarbleandSugarBelle. Polygymyisnotillegalandthereisnothinginthescripturesthatmyfamilylivesbythatactuallygoesagainstit!" Pinkie said in one breath at light-rivaling speed and began to pant after she finished.
"What she said," Applejack said with a nodded as everyone seemed to be a little dumbfounded. As they all just steered. "Oh come on, it's not like yall are dating someone exclusively!" Applejack started to chastise, "Starlight, you're seein' both that scholar Sunburst and Trixie." Applejack called her out.
"That's different!" Starlight tried to deflect as she started to blush embarrassed about being called out.
"Not really," Fluttershy commented as it was clear that none of the others believed Starlight's comment as well. "Big Mac just happens to be one step closer to fully committing to the relationships he's in."
"Okay, this topic has lasted longer than it should. So what are your plans for the holidays, aside from the Apples hosting the Pies and the large family... Wait how big is the Apple Family?" Sunset stepped in but then turned to question Applejack about the size of the farm girl's family.
"Um, how distant do yah want to go?" Applejack asked to clarify.
Realizing the rabbit hole she was about to enter, Sunset wisely changed course, "Nevermind. So Rainbow what are you going to do over the Hearth's Warming break?"
"Try to keep as far away from Zephyr as possible for as long as possible." Rainbow groaned before she banged her head against the table and almost wept.
"My family is hosting her family," Fluttershy said as she patted Rainbow on the back in an attempt to comfort her.
"You know if you had a special someone around you could just sit on his or her lap, Zephyr might be dense, but he's not one to get into a fight," Twilight interjected.
Everyone had a laugh at the thought of Zephyr Breeze fighting, Rainbow was laughing the hardest and longest as she sat back up, "Yeah, even Micro Chips can take him in ten seco...." Rainbow then stopped as she seemed to have recalled something but she couldn't place her finger on it. Then her eyes shout open with horror as her pupils constricted to the size of a pinhead. "SWEET SNICKERDOODLES!!! I FORGOT MICRO CHIP'S HEARTH'S WARMING GIFT!" Rainbow shoot out of her chair and ran so fast her hair seemed to leave a rainbow behind her.
"Typical Rainbow, always forgetting until the last minute." Starlight said as she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes with a smirk. "I already got Sunburst covered back before Nightmare Night."
Everyone then looked at was "What about Trixie?" Sunset asked innocently.
Starlight's eyes mimicked Rainbow as she too got up and ran all the while shouting, 'She's going to kill me!' Everyone turned back to each other. "And then there were seven." Applejack commented. "So Fluttershy, you're hosting Rainbow?"
"Yes, and it's so nice to also have Micro Chips over, he could really help my father set up for his new venture out of the house," Fluttershy said with a smile.
"Sure hope Sandlewood doesn't get jealous about all the time yar pa will be spending with Micro, the guy's datin' yah it would be nice to be on the best terms possible with yar old man." Applejack commented.
"Oh its find, Sandle really has his..." Fluttershy then paused as she also seemed to recall something, "FLYING FEATHERS!!!" Fluttershy also got up, "Um, sorry for that, but um... you see..."
"Go on Sugarcube." Applejack said as the others nodded before Fluttershy left, much like Rainbow and Starlight.
"Ain't it odd that Starlight and Fluttershy both forgot to get something for their special someone?" Applejack asked.
"Rule of Three, Applejack, Rule of Three." Pinkie answered with a smirk. "I am going out on a limb and assume Starlight is going to do something with Sunburst and Trixie. So Juniper what are your plans."
"Well, Timber asked me to spend Hearth's Warming with him in his family cabin." Juniper then blushed a little.
"Woh, aren't we on the naughty list this year." Sunset teased.
"Ah can smell the chestnuts roastin' over the open fire now," Applejack added with a wink.
"Yeah, we're heading up tomorrow." Juniper then checked her watch. "Well I got to get going, he's picking me up early."
"We won't wait up!" Pinkie shouted as Juniper headed out. "Well AJ, we better get going, Party Favor and Sugar Belle could use some help with your family and mine. Dad can get a little... preachy sometime." Pinkie said as she got up and walked over to Applejack.
"No problem, Sugarcube." Applejack chuckled a little before she got up.
"So is Soarin gonna be there?" Pinkie asked as the two headed out.
"Sugarcube, he's addicted to mah homebaked pies, he's won't miss Hearth's Warmin' with mah for the world." Applejack answered still in earshot of Rarity, Sunset, and Twilight.
"Especially the one that isn't apple." Sunset joked with a wink.
"Sunset, there's no need to be so... crisp." Rarity dramatically gasped. This earned a giggle from Twilight. "Well if you wish to know my family will be doing our usual opened house dinner and cloth repair. While I am not a fan the Boxing Day cleaning up, Thunderlane has been such a sport offering to come over to help. I best get going, got to make sure everything is all set. Good afternoon." Rarity then got up and left as well, leaving Sunset and Twilight.
"Well, I got get going," Sunset said as she got up.
"Wait you don't have any plans for Hearth's Warming?" Twilight asked, "Even I have Shining, Cadance and Flurry spending Hearth's Warming with Shining and my folks and Spike."
"Ow, I have plans, but Aunt Luna, Mom and I will be so spent after helping out at the homeless shelter, we'll just want to sit down and maybe catch one showing of A Christmas Story. See you around." Sunset said as she left Twilight.
"Take care Sunset," Twilight called back as she got up and headed home.
It was nightfall as Twilight entered her home. On the living room floor was her niece, Flurry Heart and her pet dog, Spike, playing. Spike was clearly getting along well with the seat on the couch watching the two were her father, Night Light who was working on something, likely a Sudoku in the paper, and her mother Twilight Velvet, who was reading out load from one of her novels which Twilight Sparkle concluded was what Spike and Flurry were trying to act out. "I am home." Twilight Sparkle said getting everyone's attention. "Ah, who's my favorite niece?" Twilight asked as she took on a cutesy tone while she kneeled down to greet Flurry as she crawled to her. Flurry gave mostly unintelligible babbles and laughs as she was picked up by her aunt. "Why yes, Flurry, you are. You are one smart cookie. Can your B. A. E. have a kiss?" she asked as she started to plant a few kisses on the toddler all the while making Flurry laugh and giggle. Twilight finished as she rubbed Flurry's nose with own. She then turned to her parents as she took a seat, Spike at her heels wanting to sit on her lap. "Where's Shining and Cadance?" Twilight asked
"They're fre...." Night Light started to answer when
"YES!!! YES!!! SHINING!!!" came Cadance's voice in pleasure-filled screams coming from the upstairs bathroom. This cause everyone but Flurry to blush, the infant being too young to understand what just happened.
Twilight Velvet looked at the clock, "Five minutes... you should be proud of your son."
"Velvet-cake, too soon." Night commented. Night Light then turned to Twilight Sparkle, "So Sparky, how was the movie?"
Twilight groaned at the nickname, but she has to accept that while she and her mother were in the same room, she was going to be called that just make sure there was no confusion. "I liked it, the twist caught me off guard."
"Well if it was too predictable, it wouldn't be a twist, got to hide the tells." Velvet informed. She then looked at the fireplace, with dolls version of her family and then the small porcelain tree with a small mound of presents under it. "So glad all the shopping is done." That raised Night Light's, Twilight's, and Spike's eyebrow, adrenaline junkie Twilight Velvet was glad that they wouldn't be an insane dash for last minute shopping. Velvet saw the looks and gave a little laugh. Before anyone could question, there was a knock on the door. Night Light got up to answer it.
"HAPPY HEARTH'S WARMING!" came a familiar tenor voice, as a blue-haired young man Twilight's age dressed in a red suit and hat. "Special Delivery to the Sparkle family." Twilight got up and turned to see her boyfriend dressed up like Santa, bag over his shoulder and all. Velvet also got up to greet their guest. "I got a few presents for the family, you're more than welcomed to open them now if you wish." He reached in and pulled out an envelope, "Mrs. Twilight Velvet." He said as he handed the envelope to Velvet.
Velvet opened it, there was a gift card, "a year-long pass to favorite thrill spot. Oh Flash, you're so thoughtful." Velvet turned to Twilight, "If you don't marry him, I will." she teased Twilight causing the girl to blush and getting a few giggles out of Flurry at the embarrassed look of her 'best aunt ever'.
Flash coughed as he then pulled out a small box, "Mr. Night Light." he repeated handing a box to Night Light.
The older man opened it, "A miniature abacus. This will go well on my desk." He turned to his wife and daughter with a big grin on his face.
"I have this for Spike," Flash said as he placed what as clearly a cartoonish looking bone wrapped up on the floor. Spike tore off the wrapping paper and after seeing the bone started jumped up to lick Flash's face. Once he was done, the dog jumped to the floor as Flash wiped his face clean. He then reached into his bag and pulled out two more boxes. "This one is for Shining and Cadance, better wait for when Flurry goes to bed before opening it", he said as he handed the one in his right hand to Twilight Velvet. "And this one is for Flurry." He said as he held out the one in his left hand so that Flurry could grip it and begin to open it. She giggled and laughed as he pulled out of the box a stuffed white winged unicorn with a mane and tail like her hair. "I just hope Wammy doesn't get jealous." Flash joked as he reached not into his bag which was now empty, but his pants pocket as he pulled out a pencil case-like box. "And for you, Twilight." As Twilight accepted the box she couldn't help but tear up a little, having a good idea what the gift was, "You don't have to open it now if you don't want to, in fact, save it for Hearth's Warming. I'm still invited to the dinner?" Flash asked. Twilight nodded, silently, before Flash gave her a kiss on the check. "Well, I got a few more deliveries to empty, Happy Hearth's Warming." He said as he waved goodbye.
They waved back, and as Flash was getting the next bag and heading towards the next house. "What a nice young man." Velvet said.
"Um... mom, can you...." Twilight started before Velvet took Flurry into her arms so that Twilight could unwrap the gift. The gift was a puzzle box, the box seemed to be designed mostly around stars and swirls. On the box was a note, 'The real gift is inside, Flash.' "I wonder." Twilight then started working on solving the puzzle box and solved it to reshow a flash drive. "Very funny, Flash." Twilight gave a fake 'ha ha' as she went to her laptop to see what was on the drive. Twilight's shot open as her pupils dilated to the size of large plates. She ran out of the house without her jacket and tackled Flash with a hug as he was about to leave the house he was done delivering gifts. She kissed him "Thank you." and kissed him again.
As Twilight stopped to let Flash recover, "Wow... you solved the puzzle box faster than I thought."
"It must have taken you at least three months to find all those documents on Starswirl, and written by him in their original language and the all the translations, let alone manage to make digital copies of them."
"Well, unless I am mistaken when you go for your doctorate, you'll be focusing on Starswirl, so I thought I help you out..." Flash was cut short by another kiss. "Wow... and that's not even the big thing I have planned." He commented as Twilight stopped and the two got back to their feet "Listen, I got a few more stops today and then I got a few things to do until Hearth's Warming Eve, a couple of gigs..."
"I understand. Just don't forget."
Flash gave a laugh, "Trust me, every one of your friends and family already has a piece of set aside to curve off if I should." Twilight gave a weak nervous laugh at that. Before she could say anything Flash gave her one more kiss, "Let's escort the lady to her home." Flash said with a bow as he offered her his right arm.
Twilight giggled as she accepted it, "And people said chivalry is dead." before they head back to Twilight's home.
"We're a vanishing breed." Flash jested as they got to the walkway, "Well adue, adue, parting is such sweet sorrow." Flash quoted overly dramatic as Twilight went inside, earning a few laughs.
"What a thoughtful boyfriend. I sure you got him something he'll really appreciate." Night Light said offhandedly as he finally finished his Sudoku as Shining and Cadance joined the rest of the family.
"Of course she got him something, this is Twily we're talking about. She's got a plan for just about anything." Shining commented as he on the floor holding Flurry up and bringing her down to his chest, playing as if she caught him. "No... the cuteness, it got me... I am the deads... blach!" Shining then played dead, sticking his tongue out.
As Flurry started to pat on her father's chest, a little nervous, "Don't do that to Flurry, she erroneously thinks that when other people do that they are playing dead too," Cadance said as she picked Flurry off her husband and sat back down.
Night Light looked at the clock, "Well it's time to prepare dinner, Cadance, Shining could you both help?"
"Come Flurry, let's help Grandpa and Grandma make dinner," Cadance said as the four older adults went into the kitchen. Flury babbling in agreement.
Twilight, however, froze when her father brought up her gift to Flash. This was unnoticed by her family save her dog, "You remember Flash?" Spike asked. As Twilight turned to Spike and gave a nervous laugh as she went over to the gifts searching to see that she did, in fact, have something for her boyfriend. As she looked over the last gift and seeing nothing from her to Flash. "You forgot, didn't you," Spike commented.
"What do I, Spike, there are only five days until Hearth's Warming Eve?" Twilight asked in a panic.
Spike shrugged his shoulders, picked up the bone with his mouth and left Twilight as she fell to her knees and screamed.