Mr. and Mrs. Cake were scurrying around Sugarcube Corner, trying to get ready. Mr. Cake was straightening a bow tie, while Mrs. Cake was putting on lipstick.
I was all smiles as I watched them. “Oh, boy!” I said. “I bet you guys are gonna have so much fun.”
Mr. Cake turned to look at me. “Pinkie, are you sure you’re gonna be okay alone?”
“Yeparooni!” I responded.
Mrs. Cake stood next to her husband. “I don’t know… this doesn’t feel right. Maybe we should just stay home.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I mean,that’s my job!” I let out a snort. “Hearthswarming Eve is a special time to spend with your family. This is a once a year opportunity. As someone who wants to spread joy and happiness I couldn’t take away that special time from you.”
“You could always come with us, you know.”
“But I’m not a part of your family. Besides, you’re going all the way out to Fillydelphia. And there’s still plenty of stuff I can do around Ponyville. There’s still presents I can give out, and carols to sing.
“I’ll be fine. I promise.”
The two of them looked at each other for a little while, then turned back to me. “Well, alright. If you’re sure.”
I helped them haul their presents onto a cart and went with them to the train station. There was a light coating of snow covering everything, and I could see my breath in front of me as I walked.
All around me I could see happy ponies greeting us, lights, decorations, and love. At the train station I saw ponies crying in delight as loved ones got off the train, and each hug gave me a warm feeling in my chest. Other ponies, like Mr. and Mrs. Cake, were getting on the train, to have those kinds of happy reunions with families away from Ponyville.
Truly, everybody had someplace special to be on Hearthswarming. Everyone had a place they belonged with the people they loved.
I hugged the Cakes goodbye. “Have a great trip!” I said joyfully. “Make sure to eat plenty of snacks and give plenty of hugs.”
Mrs. Cake grinned warmly down at me, leaning over and kissing my forehead. “We’re truly blessed to have you in our lives, Pinkie.”
I beamed. “Same to you.”
A few minutes later they were gone. It was the right thing to do, to encourage them to leave, right? RIGHT!
As I walked around I wished everyone I saw a happy Hearthswarming, and they joyfully greeted me back, waving.
I joined a group of carolers near Ponyville Park. In the middle of the park was a beautifully decorated tree, with ornaments and lights. Foals were making snow angels or throwing snowballs at each other, laughing all the while. One colt was sledding down a small slope . The adults talked and told stories.
All around me was the spirit of the holiday. Tomorrow some of the magic would fade, but for today no one cared about past wrongs or the problems of the world. For today they were content, everyone feeling connected to one another.
Ponyville was such a magical place. I’m so happy I came here!
I returned to Sugarcube Corner, grabbing a cart and throwing the presents and treats I had prepared earlier with Mrs. Cakes help into it.
I ran into several of my friends, like Lyra, Derpy, and Bon Bon. They all loved the gifts I gave them, and scarfed down the treats I offered them.
I wandered around Ponyville for hours, just soaking in every bit of joy and delight there was to be found.
Eventually, though, it started getting dark. The tons of ponies that had been wandering around began to return home.
I was feeling pretty cold, but a part of me didn’t want to return to Sugarcube Corner. As I walked around I heard music coming out of houses. Sometimes, when I glanced in a window, I could see ponies dancing, or drinking hot cocoa, or laughing at something.
Eventually I just stopped seeing ponies outside altogether. I fought it as long as I could, but that, along with the slight numbness from the cold, finally forced me back to Sugarcube Corner.
I stood outside it, the only building around with no lights on inside whatsoever, and I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the weather.
I closed the door behind me as I walked in, fumbling around for the light switch. It was so quiet inside. There was no music playing here, no ponies waiting for me with open hooves.
I went into the kitchen, grabbing a towel to dry myself off before making some hot cocoa for one. Just one...
When it was ready I threw some marshmallows in it and went to the living room, wrappng myself up in a warm blanket as I sipped my cocoa.
I stared at the fireplace. There were no yule logs there warming up the room. One of the big house rules was that I never play with fire, so I couldn’t do anything about it even if there was a log there.
As I took another sip of my cocoa I was starting to get the feeling back in my limbs. After another fifteen minutes or so my body was feeling nice and warm, but my heart felt strangely cold.
Everyone had a place to be on Hearthswarming. There were so many other ponies enjoying time with their friends and family. I had got to experience just a little of that with every pony I saw.
I had had a lot of fun already with everyone else. I wasn’t jealous of them at all. I was glad that so many other ponies were so happy and with their families, and that I got to share in just a little of it by watching them. I was okay, right? Right…
I got up, heading towards my room. I wondered how Mr. and Mrs. Cake were doing. I didn’t know what their family looked like, but I know they cared for them. I’m sure they were having a blast in Fillydelphia.
My room was on the top floor. There wasn’t much in it at the moment. I hadn’t been there that long.
At first I avoided looking at a certain part of the room, but my eyes were slowly drawn towards my dresser. I walked toward it, pulled toward it like magic. There was an envelope sitting on top of it, along with a framed photograph.
The letter and photo had arrived a week ago, about a month after I had first moved to Ponyville.
I had read the letter so many times I had it memorized, but I still took it out of the envelope anyway and looked it over again.
It was brief. All it really said was how things were on the rock farm since I left. What really got me though was that all five of them had signed it with their own little messages.
Pinkamena, hope you’re enjoying yourself in Ponyville. Be good now-Igneous Rock
That one was from Dad.
Missing you terribly. Hope to see you soon-Cloudy Quartz
That was Mom’s.
Hey, loser! You better not show your face around here or I’ll hug you so tightly you’ll never leave us again. <3-Limestone
That Limestone. Always a kidder.
Keep on rolling, my favorite rock-Maud
Maud. Always so blunt.
There’s a Pinkamena-shaped hole in my heart, but I’m staying strong for you, sis- Marble
Marble…
I set the letter down, picking up the picture frame. Before I left we took a photo together, all six of us, to remember the time we had all discovered what smiling and joy were.
All of us looked so… happy.
As I looked at my family I knew there was something missing. I wasn’t okay. I was feeling jealous. The Cakes… my friends… all the fillies and the colts and the mares and the stallions… everybody else had a place they belonged on Hearthswarming, a place to spend time with the ponies they loved… everybody else but ME!
My mane slowly deflated as my vision grew blurry and tears fell onto the glass panel. “You guys… I miss you too.” I hugged the picture to me, unable to stop the flow of tears coming down them. There was a Dad-Mom-Lime-Maud-Marble shaped hole in my heart, but I couldn’t be strong like my sister was. The hole was just too big, and there was no one there to help fill it.
I don’t know how long I spent holding that picture, wishing it was the real thing, but I heard something hammering at the door below.
I wanted to ignore it. It was probably just some party-goer who ran out of treats or punch for their family. That flash of jealousy appeared again, and it only made me want to ignore them more out of spite, but that wasn’t me.
I had given away all the treats I had made, and it wasn’t my place to give away the Cakes products without their permission, but I should at least be respectful enough to let them down in person.
I wiped my eyes, setting the picture frame down as I went down both flights of stairs to the sound of continuous knocking. Did they have to be so loud?
I opened the door. “Sorry, we’re clos-” I stopped, blinking.
“SURPRISE!” came the happy voices of my family, each of them bearing a gift.
My mane poofed back up as tears ran down my face. “W-what are you all doing here?”
Limey grabbed me in a headlock, giving me a noogie. “What do you think, dork? You can’t escape us.”
Marble hugged me when Limey let go. “We were having a good time at home, thinking you were probably doing just fine too, but something didn’t feel right.”
Maud nodded. “A Hearthswarming without you is no Hearthswarming at all. We needed our missing piece.”
I tried to swallow, but there was a lump in my throat. “I… I…” I struggled for the words to say, to express just how much I had been missing them. “I’m just… so glad you’re all here.”
I put my hooves out to the best ponies I knew. “I need hugs.”
As the five of them surrounded me, holding me tight, I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the sensation, crying my eyes out.
Everything felt right in the world again. My Dad-Mom-Lime-Maud-Marble hole was filled with the only ponies that could possibly fit in that slot. The love of my family surrounded me, and I couldn’t get enough.
On Hearthswarming everybody has a place to be, a place to be close to the ponies they love… including ME!
Author's Note
This is the second time I've made a filly Pinkie fanfic based on a comic I enjoyed, the other being "Pinkie's first friend." Just like that one I kept the main parts of the story intact, but expanded on them, filling in the blanks.
In terms of this story, the main difference is I had Pinkie wander around Ponyville while in the comic she just stayed home. I felt that seeing so many other happy families would only make the gaping hole in her heart that much more poignant and thus the conclusion more fulfilling.
If you didn't already see the link on the main page then here it is again:
https://dilarus.deviantart.com/art/Closed-for-the-Holidays-Page-1-652549225
It's only five pages, but Pinkie's breakdown and then cheering up because of her family is very heartwrenching then heartwarming.
