In Another World

If anypony asked her, Princess Celestia would tell them that Hearth's Warming is her favorite holiday. She is the only living being who has experienced every Hearth's Warming celebration that has ever happened. Though the last thousand were mostly sad and painful, ever since Cadance came, it's been somewhat better, at least not lonely. And now, her sister would be here again too.

She considered this Hearth's Warming to be the best. Her faithful student and her friends played the main cast and gave everypony the same feeling they felt on that night. The fire of friendship is one of the most beautiful magical phenomena that has ever existed. Cadance asked about it when she arrived back at night, as she and the ponies around her felt it too.

Currently, the three alicorns were sitting in the dining room, enjoying their lunch that Celestia made with the help of the few kitchen staff who volunteered to stay.

"It's so good to see you both this happy!" Cadance exclaimed, looking at the other two alicorns.

"Why wouldn't I? I can finally spend this day with my sister!" Celestia said.

"It's good to be back," Luna nodded, her smile remaining joyous.

"I was so happy when you came, dear niece. This day is no longer lonely for me, and with my sister here again, it's getting even more lively." Celestia's eyes watered a little in happiness.

"And I have a feeling that next time it will be even more lively," Cadance said with a knowing smirk.

"You don't say...?" Celestia didn't finish the sentence, but the question was understandable to everypony present.

"Well, it hasn't happened yet, but I believe it will soon, and I won't wait any longer than necessary after that," Cadance stated simply.

They all laughed as they finished their lunch. Today, there were no royal duties other than emergencies, so they could spend the day together as they wished.

Pinkie Pie loved many things. It would be easier to list the things she didn't like. Living far away from her family would be on that list for sure. Even with the overnight train she took, it would be almost noon by the time she'd arrive in Rockville and go to the Pie Family Rock Farm.

What made her sadder is that she'd only be able to spend a few hours with her family before she needed to leave for another overnight train back to Ponyville. Of course, it wasn't always like this; she sometimes spent a few days here with her family, but this year she was needed back in Ponyville the next morning.

Regardless of the distance, or the rare and short opportunities to visit her family, Pinkie never regretted her decision to move to Ponyville.

Sitting at the table with her parents and sisters always brought a smile to her face, not that her expression was different generally. Her family didn't change much over the years, but for her, the Pie Family was already perfect the way it was, so it was never a problem. She liked to catch up with them, learn how the farm was doing, and hear what her sisters had been up to. She got to tell them what had happened to her as well.

And of course, let's not forget about the traditions, like the good old rock soup, the rock dolls, and the flag raising.

Like most farming families, the branches of the Pie family lived far away from each other, so cousins and siblings of ponies who were already parents sometimes didn't meet up on this day. Families like Pinkie's or Applejack's had bigger and smaller family reunions a few times each year, but the first day of Hearth's Warming wasn't usually expanded. But again, Pinkie was glad for that because it meant that this one was an extra, small family reunion.

She made sure to make the most of the little time she got to spend with her parents and sisters. For this short time, her mind didn't wander off. However, as they said their farewells and she boarded the train, she was already thinking of tomorrow. After all, there was a friend there who would need her.

Fluttershy sat at the big table with her family. They were currently at her aunt's house as she had enough space for the whole family to be comfortable. There were she, her brother, her parents, her aunt (who was the younger sister of her mother) and her husband, her two cousins, and her grandparents on her mother's side. Sadly, her grandfather on her father's side had already passed away, and her grandma wasn't healthy enough to leave the retirement home where she'd been living, but they always visited her after lunch.

She was glad that her brother could at least behave for this one day of the year, and she always got along with her cousins, who were a few years younger than her, though she didn't see them often.

As always, her mother and aunt put together a very tasty meal for lunch. Even better, they usually made way more so she could always take some leftovers and enjoy them for one or two more meals.

"And what about you, dear?" her aunt turned to her after she had just finished a conversation with her sister. "Do you still work as an animal caretaker?"

"Yes," Fluttershy answered.

"Does it pay enough?" she inquired.

"Yes, I can even put aside some for emergencies," she nodded.

"Good. I can imagine that it's not an easy job," her aunt seemed satisfied with the answer.

"But you're also a hero!" the younger cousin said as she looked at Fluttershy with starry eyes. "You are so brave and awesome!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, umm... thank you," Fluttershy blushed at the compliment, while mentally imagining how Rainbow Dash would react if she were here and heard her call Fluttershy awesome instead of Rainbow. She barely managed to contain her giggle.

"Indeed. We are all very proud of you, sweetie," Fluttershy's grandmother also praised her granddaughter.

They continued chatting for a while before they started to get up and clean the table. Fluttershy asked her aunt and mother to take a little bit more food this time, so she could share it with her friends tomorrow, even if it wouldn't be much for that many ponies and other creatures. Her family was happy to oblige.

Soon, they were on their way to the retirement home to visit her other grandma so she wouldn't have to spend this day alone either.

Rainbow Dash loved her parents but tried to avoid them as much as she could, mostly because as she grew up, what her parents did became more and more embarrassing for her. One 'deal' she made was to visit them on occasions like birthdays or the first day of Hearth's Warming.

It wasn't that bad overall, since it wasn't just her parents there, but also her uncle, his wife, and her grandparents, all four of them. And while it quickly became annoying that her parents praised her even for breathing, at least she could brag to her other family members about her accomplishments.

"Oh, I get a lot of jealous looks from the others in the club when there is some news about you," her grandma spoke, and all her grandparents laughed. "One of the youngest weather captains ever, national hero, saving Equestria and the whole world multiple times!" she continued. "None of the others can brag that much about their own grandfoals," she finished, putting a wing on her granddaughter as they sat next to each other.

"Yeah, I know, I'm awesome!" Rainbow nodded along. She loved this kind of praise.

"You could visit us more, though," her grandfather spoke. "Since you're the fastest pegasus, it shouldn't be a problem for you to make a quick trip now and then." There wasn't any negative emotion in his voice; it was mostly wishful thinking on his part.

"Don't be like that, dear," his wife said. "Rainbow must be very busy with her job, and I doubt she's given up training. I can't wait for you to announce that you've become a Wonderbolt."

"I'll be one in no time!" Rainbow said confidently.

"Oh, I can't wait for you to become one!" Windy said. "Just tell us when you get into the Academy, and we'll go and cheer for you!" she spoke with Bow Hothoof nodding along.

To Rainbow's luck, the conversation changed when her grandparents turned to her uncle to ask about when they're going to have foals.

Rarity was the only one in her group of friends who had her family coming over to her house and shop for the first day of Hearth's Warming. The main reason for this was that most of her family didn't live in Ponyville. Only her parents and grandparents on her mother's side lived there; everypony else lived in a town that was relatively close by, but since it had no train service, it was a longer journey, so they used this day as a family reunion. Her other grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins came to visit and sleep at the boutique and her parents' house.

This year wasn't different. She received a lot of praise for her designs as always. She got a lot of useful gifts related to her work, and those relatives who weren't adults usually gave her some kind of hoof-made trinket, like a decorated picture frame. Usually, these trinkets didn't really fit her home's decor, but their sentimental value overrode that, and she could always find some place for them.

Most questions directed at her were about saving the world and essentially becoming part of the 'Elite.' Rarity was happy to talk about it. Ever since meeting Fancy Pants and many nobles, she had received more and more orders from Canterlot. This meant making occasional trips to Canterlot to take measurements, but it was all worth it, as with the many orders, she would be able to open her own boutique in Canterlot sooner than she expected. Her family was even more proud of her after hearing about this.

Big earth pony families like the Apples or the Pies usually don't have big family gatherings on this day. They have their own reunion days, and only the family members who live in the same town come together for Hearth's Warming Day. So on this day, it was only the Apple siblings and their grandmother at Sweet Apple Acres, with no other Apples coming or them going somewhere else.

Ever since the death of Bright Mac and Buttercup, this celebration wasn't all that happy, but revisiting the good memories made it better. Though it did little to help them, they had already made peace with what happened.

This day was usually quiet and peaceful with minimal chores to do, so they just enjoyed themselves. The siblings played, and even Granny joined in some activities that didn't require intense physical activity. Applebloom helped her sister and grandmother in the kitchen to make some good snacks, and Big Mac could finally spend most of the day relaxing after a whole year of hard work.

For this one day, they were allowed to be a little lazy, and even if their mentality was against such things, they made an exception for today.

"Come on, Twilight! Show us some cool magic the Princess taught you!" Star Finder, her little cousin, begged, with his twin brother, Star Watcher, joining in to look at her with their puppy eyes. They were currently in Magic Kindergarten and, according to Onyx Dusk, her uncle, and his wife, Sapphire Gem, they had been constantly talking about her all the time. Not that their older sister, Diamond Star, was any different, though she had already grown out of this strategy.

Twilight, of course, couldn't say no, so she lit her horn and cast the memory-viewing spell, showing them how she managed to get the Ursa Minor out of Ponyville. It was such a spectacle that the whole family joined in and watched together.

"Woah, I don't think I can do one of those spells at that volume, and you did multiple?" Onyx asked with respect in his tone.

"I wish I could do that stuff too," Diamond said, with a hint of jealousy in her voice. She had been accepted to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns a few years ago, but she was nowhere near the level Twilight was, even when she was her age. Despite this, she too looked up to her cousin and wished to become just as strong as Twilight.

"It takes a lot of studying and practicing," Twilight said, blushing at the praise.

It was like this every time since she became the Princess' student. But she was glad that she had such a supportive family. She felt regret as she hadn't paid much attention to them, nor spent a lot of time with them ever since she became Celestia's student. Even before that, she mostly remembered her time with her brother and Princess Cadance, her foalsitter.

And now, when she realized that there is more to life than non-stop studying, she moved to Ponyville to spend time with her best friends, but that also makes it hard for her to visit her family often as she has duties as the town's librarian as well as helping out the mayor and other important ponies in governing the town, and she still has to study either what the princess sends her or finding topics herself.

Still, she was glad to have this opportunity to enjoy her time with a good portion of her family. This also made her think of her friends, who were probably also having a great time.

Except for one: the human, who was without a family here. She really wished she had pushed him more to join her. When she mentioned him earlier, her mother even said that she could have invited him, but Twilight told her that she did and he refused.

But she didn't want to bring down the mood, so she tried to send those thoughts away, concentrating on the present and promising that tomorrow she and her friends would be there for him to make up for today, no matter how impossible that is.

I stepped out of the car. We had just arrived at my grandparents' house. After we took everything out of the trunk, I closed the car and put the keys in my pocket, making a mental note to give them to Mom after getting in and putting our stuff down.

"Nice parking," Mom praised me as she looked over the car. I had only gotten my driver's license about a month ago.

I was happy that we got here first, so I could take the driveway. My uncle would need to take the grass between some trees. It had enough space, but still, a concrete ground was better.

The gate was open. It was a small town with a normal neighborhood; there was no need to close it when anyone was home. Soon we reached the entrance of the house, knocked, and entered.

"Hello!" we greeted and looked around. I immediately noticed my grandpa sitting on the couch in the living room, and judging by the voices, my grandma was in the kitchen. This was confirmed when she walked out to greet my mother and me.

We quickly put down our stuff, which were the gifts we brought, then our jackets and shoes, and greeted them.

Soon I was in the living room with my grandpa, while Mom joined Grandma in the kitchen to help her out. Grandpa took out some shot glasses and a bottle that had a small paper taped to it with the following text written on it: plum, 48%.

"While your mother's not looking," he winked and poured a little in my glass, then filled his. "Though next year, we won't have to 'hide' it," he added.

Not that she didn't know about it, but she was of the opinion that at least Grandpa wouldn't overdose me, and it's better than me going somewhere else to get alcohol. Not that I was actively looking to get drunk or anything.

We downed our drink and started talking, though soon my uncle and his family arrived.

After the greetings were done, lunch was soon ready, and we were all in the kitchen, which was rather big and had a large dining table too.

Grandma placed the big soup tureen in the middle of the table and lifted the lid. I was waiting for this. The good old fisherman's soup made by my grandma. From fish my grandpa caught, pepper and onion from their garden; the remaining ingredients came from the grocery store, but still an almost completely homemade soup, which was one of my favorites.

When everyone had their bowls filled, and some of us added some extra spice, we began to eat. I too put the first spoonful of this heavenly soup in my mouth.

However, something was wrong. The taste was off, way too different than I remembered. Why was this the case? I looked down at my bowl.

Lazlo was looking at the bowl in front of him with a frown. The thing in it wasn't fisherman's soup. It tried to be, but it was impossible without the paprika. It didn't have that healthy red color, and the taste was nowhere near what he was used to.

Deep down, he knew it would turn out this way the moment he started preparing the meal. He didn't even make the soup for lunch; he waited for dinner just to keep up the hope that he would be able to replicate his grandma's cooking. Even while cooking, he hoped that his memories would help to fake the taste, but like always, reality came and hit him.

How many times had the fact that the old things from his home were gone struck him? Things wouldn't be the same. No matter how hard he tried to replicate it. No matter how hard he focused on a memory, it didn't help; it just made the reality more painful. He would never have his grandma's cooking, not his grandpa's pálinka, nor anything else. Even the food he could replicate here, because all the ingredients were easy to come by, would taste different, and even if that taste were better, the difference would make it worse.

Lazlo wondered if he would ever get over it for real. It was like he had chains in his flesh that bound him to his old life, and even if he ripped out a chain, there was always another one, never truly letting him go. But to be honest, there was a part of him that didn't want to rip out all the chains. He felt like he'd completely lose his mind were it not for the chains that also kept humanity bound to him.

He had so many good memories, so many traditions, so many things he wanted to do. It all ended at once the moment he arrived here. But he couldn't accept that. Maybe it was a survival instinct? He wouldn't survive letting all those things go at the same time, so he ripped them out one by one, which caused a wound every time, but maybe he could live in the end. Then again, he had the feeling that he would reattach these chains after a while, even if it wasn't his intention, and the wounds would be reopened every time he ripped out the chain.

Was this his life now? Ignoring all these things as long as he could, then curling up in a place alone, inflicting these wounds on himself. Didn't sound like a life worth living...

He forced himself to stop. He didn't want to think about that. Not now. Never. Never again. No matter what, he wouldn't succumb to that. He wouldn't let himself do that! He would get over it. Time should make handling it easier in the future at the very least. That's what he hoped.

He looked at the bowl in front of him. His vision was blurred, and he saw liquid dripping on the table. He just noticed that he had started crying. His head hurt. He got up and walked to the living room, lying down on the couch. He stared out into space until he passed out.