Author's Note: I'm sorry if this chapter takes a while, I'm quite busy between now and December 2nd, of course this only applies if this chapter is new as you're reading it. Anyway, here's the next chapter!

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Chapter 22: Sarcasm and Christmas Music

I woke up to the sound of the store bell beneath me ringing as somepony entered. Damn shoppers, don't they know some ponies are still sleeping? Before I could get my first morning yawn out, my bedroom door burst open and Pinkie Pie fully dressed in a winter coat and hat that made her look like she walked right out of a South Park episode.

"Mornin' Cutie Pie." I said mid yawn.

"Cuckie haven't you looked outside!?" She bounced excitedly.

"There's only two things I've looked at so far this morning, the ceiling when I woke up, and your beautiful face." I smiled. It's never too early to flirt.

"Well let me make this the third thing!" She said as she jerked my head to the window. As I looked out, I could see why she was so excited. It had snowed quite heavily overnight, about 3 feet of snow covered the ground and it was still gently falling down.

"Wow!" I said excitedly. I always share Pinkie's enthusiasm with most things, not quite to the same extent, but this time, I was extremely excited over this.

"I know! Isn't it great!? C'mon! Get your coat on!" She grabbed me excitedly. Before I could even get a drop of caffeine in my system I was outside with Pinkie.

"Isn't this fun!?" She asked. "I've been so excited to get to spend a snow day with you! What do you wanna do first?" She asked.

"Don't you mean you've been snow excited?" (Get it? Get it? Get it!?) I asked. My pun was met with a snowball to the face. "I suppose I deserved that." I said as Pinkie giggled.

"You know I love you, but that was terrible." She said.

"I know, I know, I love you too... But all the love in the world couldn't stop me from doing this!" I said as I counterattacked with a snowball. We shared a laugh as we ran through Ponyville having a one on one snowball fight.

"I'm gonna get ya!" I yelled ducking behind a fruit stand making as many snowballs as I could. I popped my head up to immediately be met with a bombardment of snowballs from Pinkie. Who laughed border lining onto maniacally as she pelted me with snow.

"Oh come on! That's snow fair!" I yelled. She didn't like that one either considering I was hit with a quite large snowball after I said that.

"Another pun and I'm leaving you!" She yelled across the street.

"Oh come on! Don't be so cold!" I called.

"Boo!" She replied hurling more snow at me.

"You loved it!" I said tossing snowballs back at her, our little snowball fight had started to annoy ponies travelling down the street. Suddenly, both of us heard a familiar voice yelling for us in the heat of out battle. We both turned our heads to see Applejack.

"What in the hay are you two doing!?" She snarled at us.

"C'mon Applejack!" Pinkie defended out little fight. "We're just having a little fun!"

"Ah can see that. But there's a time and a place for everything." She said seriously.

"I'm sorry Applejack." I spoke up.

"You didn't let me finish." She said. "There's a time and a place for everything... and that time is... NOW!" She yelled out looking up.

"What?" Pinkie and I said. Suddenly two large piles of snow fell from the sky covering us both. Through the snow I could hear the muffled laughter of Applejack and her partner in prank, Rainbow Dash. I dug myself out of the snow like and Pinkie soon emerged from her's.

"Good job A.J!" Rainbow Dash laughed. "I didn't think you could get 'em to stop!"

"Well you did good lining up those clouds!" Applejack replied as they hoof bumped.

"Good job to both of you." I nodded. "You got us good."

"You sure did!" Pinkie laughed, I couldn't help but laugh too, it was a good prank, looking past the ability to fly being a severely unfair advantage for a prank.

"What are you two lovebirds up to today?" Rainbow asked.

"We're having a snow day!" Pinkie jumped enthusiastically.

"That's right." I nodded. "How about you two?" I asked.

"Nothing much, just got word that practice is cancelled today with the Wonderbolts." Rainbow Dash said.

"And there's never much of anything to do on the farm once the snow falls." Applejack added.

"So what you two mean is: Nothing." I smirked.

"I suppose that's a way you could describe it." Rainbow nodded.

"Well, you could always hang out with us... If that's okay with you Pinkie." I turned to her.

"Of course! The more the merrier!" She smiled.

"Awesome!" Rainbow Dash said.

"As long as the next time you pull a prank you let us help with it." I said.

"Yeah!" Pinkie nodded.

"You drive a hard bargain... What say you A.J?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Fine by me." She nodded with a smile.

"Alrighty then." I said shaking their hooves. "Pleasure doing business with you." I take pranks and pranking very seriously.

---

Ponyville pond

"Looks like we've been beat to it." I said as the four of us overlooked the pond seeing many ponies already skating around. Not that company ruined anything, but that feeling of having a public area to yourself you know? It feels so good, like when you're the only one in a movie theater.

"So? Let's get down there anyway!" Rainbow Dash replied.

"Last one to the bottom is a rotten egg!" Pinkie yelled bolting down, the rest of us immediately started following, if you're wondering who was last, it was me. I am a terrible runner, snow didn't help that either. As we got down to the bottom of the hill we rented four sets of skates, which was four skates per pony, oh boy. Ever watch that old Disney cartoon where they're all ice skating and Donald decides to be an asshole and tied the skates to Mickey's dog Pluto? I had a feeling I'd look about as foolish as Pluto did in that short, if you haven't watched that however, you should definitely do it now. Or later, I don't really care. It's called "On Ice". Where was I? Kind of lost my train of thought... Oh yeah! Anyway, as we made our way onto the ice, I felt pretty awkward, I was hardly good on two skates, let alone four.

"Here we go. Focus." I said to myself. "One... Two... Three... Go!" I said as I slid half gracefully onto the ice. "Ha! Haha! There we go!" But alas, like most cautionary tales go, my confidence bit me in the ass, by how else, but me falling on it. I turned to see Applejack and Pinkie hiding their laughter, Rainbow Dash however, left nothing hidden.

"Hahahahahahahahaha!" She laughed. "Having a little difficulty?"

"Laughing at somepony's difficulties. Real nice." I sneered jokingly at her standing back up.

"Not used to using four legs huh?" Applejack asked.

"Give the mare a prize! We have a winner!" I replied.

"Let me give you a helping hoof hon." Pinkie said to me, now, the part of me that takes after my father is telling me to sigh and say I can do it on my own, and the other part of me know's saying that would be a lie.

"Thanks Cutie Pie." I said accepting her help. She took me by the hoof and helped me step by step.

"It's exactly like walking, but with a lot more balance!" She said as I crept forward.

"I'm doing it!" I said channeling my inner 5-year-old who just learned how to ride a bike. Eventually, after falling on my ass and getting back up a couple times, I managed to start skating efficiently.

"Wa-hoo! Watch me!" I said excitedly skating around like Tonya Harding, don't know who that is? Look her up, it's a fun story.

"Congrats. You can do something I could do when I was a filly." Rainbow Dash remarked, her remark was met with a dirty look from Applejack.

"Good job Chuckie." Pinkie congratulated me.

"Thank you, thank you, hold your applause thank you." I bowed sarcastically.

"So now that we've taught him how to skate," Rainbow Dash said. "can we start skating now?"

"We nothing." I said. "And there was nothing stopping you before."

"I thought it would be more fun to watch." She teased.

"What are we waiting around for? Let's get skating!" Applejack interrupted us.

"I couldn't agree more!" Pinkie nodded. And with that we began our skating. I skated around doing figure eights, Pinkie soon skated by my side.

"Morning ma'am, beautiful day isn't it?" I said is a suave kind of fashion.

"Hello good sir! Beautiful day indeed!" She played along.

"I must say I just love this time of year!" I said in my lame sophisticated voice.

"I must agree, there is just nothing like it!" She said.

"The only thing more beautiful than this time of year is the beautiful mare I'm talking to." I flirted.

"Oh stop sir..." She blushed.

"I mean it." I grinned.

"Well I must say you are one handsome devil yourself." She said to me.

"Why thank you ma'am." I bowed my head.

"Your flirting is gross!" Rainbow Dash said flying over us. I sighed a little bit.

"She's just kidding around." Pinkie said. "It wasn't gross."

"I know." I smiled.

"But seriously though, it's quite beautiful out today."

"Sure is." Pinkie nodded as we skated along.

Me: It's the most wonderful time of the year

With the foals jingle belling

And everyone telling you "Be of good cheer"

It's the most wonderful time of the year

Pinkie: It's the hap-happiest season of all

With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings

When friends come to call

It's the hap-happiest season of all!

There'll be parties for hosting

Marshmallows for toasting

And caroling out in the snow...

Me: There'll be scary ghost stories

And tales of the glories of the

Hearthswarmings long, long ago

It's the most wonderful time of the year

There'll be much mistltoeing

Pinkie and I: And hearts will be glowing

When love ones are near

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Pinkie: There'll be parties for hosting

Marshmallows for toasting

Me: And caroling out in the snow

There'll be scary ghost stories

Pinkie: And tales of the glories of the Hearthswarmings long, long ago

Pinkie and I: It's the most wonderful time of the year

There'll be much mistltoeing

And hearts will be glowing

When love ones are near

It's the most wonderful time

Yes the most wonderful time

Oh the most wonderful time

Of the year!

We laughed together as we finished our song skating along the ice.

"You've got to admit, they are a little cute together." Applejack said to Rainbow Dash as they watched us.

"They're alright." Rainbow Dash replied to which Applejack snickered at the stubbornness of her friend.

---

Ponyville streets

As the four of us walked through the street, one of the primarily noticeable things was that there was an abundance of colts and fillies around town for the time, then it dawned on me, it was one of the best days for them in the history of school days, a snow day. I remembered the good old days of waking up to hear I could stay home from school, who doesn't love that feeling?

"What an amazing feeling that is." I said to myself. Now, a lot of my memories the others can't relate to, but this on the other hand, no matter where you come from, everyone knows the feeling of a snow day.

"Ain't that the truth." Rainbow Dash nodded hearing what I said.

"Amen." Applejack nodded.

"You can say that again!" Pinkie said in agreeance.

"Hey Chuck!" I heard a voice call, and who else came prancing through the snow but yet another main character in this story, Cheese Sandwich.

"Hey Cheese, how's it going?" I asked as he approached us.

"Great! I was so excited to see the snow outside today! I couldn't wait to get outside and enjoy the day! Oh wait, can I have today off?" He asked.

"I wasn't even gonna open today. You're off the hook." I told him.

"Oh thank Celestia." He brushed his head.

"Where's your buddy at? Quibble?" I asked.

"Oh he should be along! There he is now!" He said turning his head. And then came, well, ever watch South Park? Ever see what the main characters of South Park look like? Well, along came a pony version of Kenny from South Park trotting down the street, who possibly under that giant orange parka could be Quibble.

"Quibble!?" Rainbow Dash sputtered between giggles before resorting into a full on laughter.

"Laugh it up." At least that's what I think he said, you couldn't really tell. "At least I'm staying warm."

"What was that? Couldn't hear you." Rainbow Dash said.

"I said..." He removed the hood. "Laugh it up, at least I'm saying warm."

"Oh, the hood over the mouth was for warmth, I thought you had herpes or something." To inappropriate? Oh well.

"Ha. Ha." He glared at me. "I don't need this you know." He said.

"Aw come on, you're our friend, well, my friend at least. It's playful banter between friends." I explained.

"Uh huh." Quibble said.

"Quit your whining, join us huh?" Applejack spoke up. This might be the first time that they've ever spoke.

"Alright alright, don't have much better to do." He said with his eyes fixed on Rainbow Dash. Hey, not till this arc is over pal, I use too much meta humor don't I?

"Watch it pal." I whispered to him as Cheese and him joined the group. His reply was nothing more than a dramatic nose sigh.

---

Sunny Side's Diner

Oh look at where we are! A place that conveniently brings back an original character from an earlier chapter!

"Hi Sunny!" Pinkie said as our group entered the diner.

"Pinkie! Great to see you again!" Sunny Side said. "Good to see you too Buck." She said to me.

"It's Chuck." I corrected.

"I knew that, I just wanted to do that. It's my right as her friend to bug you sometimes." She winked.

"Thank you!" Rainbow Dash blurted out. "Finally somepony gets it!"

"Big group of you today, huh?" Sunny remarked. "What can I get you all?" She asked.

"I'll have a coffee please, I don't mean a cup, I mean a pot with cream and sugar stirred into it." I said. What? I could be addicted to worse things than caffeine couldn't I?

"Alright, just know you'll be paying the same as you would for 12 cups of coffee." She told me.

"That's fine by me." I said as I sat down.

"Everypony else?" She asked.

"Chili looks good, I'll have some of that please." Rainbow Dash said.

"Club sandwich please." Quibble said. (Note: A club sandwich probably doesn't include chicken breast and bacon in this world, probably anyway.)

"Hayburger and fries please!" Pinkie said.

"Grilled cheese please!" Who do you think ordered it?

"Soup of the day for me please." Applejack said.

"Comin' right up!" Sunny Side smiled. "What brings you all here today?"

"Thought it would be fun to drop by and visit!" Pinkie said.

"Thank Celestia you did, kind of a lull today I guess, I don't know, dinner rush will probably be better." Sunny Side said as she brought us our food and my drink.

"Thank you very much." I said before gulping down about half the pot.

"You sure like your coffee don't you?" She asked.

"You don't know the half of it sister." I said wiping my lips off. I do have a pretty heavy addiction to it, I love the taste and get severe migraines without it, it works out well for me because I love coffee.

"Smart move though if I do say so, coffee gives you energy, Celestia knows you need a whole lot of it with her around." Sunny Side winked at Pinkie. "And that, I do know the half of."

"We put up with each other." I joked wrapping a leg around Pinkie.

"Oh stop..." Pinkie blushed.

"Yes. Please do." Sunny Side said dryly.

"Thank you!" Both Quibble and Rainbow Dash said at the same time.

"Mighty good soup Sunny!" Applejack spoke up, changing the subject intentionally or not.

"Thanks! Made it myself." Sunny Side said, flattered by the compliment, compliments really mean something when the element of honesty is giving you one.

"Yeah, foods great Sunny." Rainbow Dash nodded.

"Thanks Rainbow Dash." Sunny Side said. "You folks excited for Hearthswarming?"

"Of course we are! It's one of the best times of the year!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly.

"We're all excited at the Apple family too!" Applejack nodded.

"I'm definitely excited, this is my first Hearthswarming ever!" I said.

"Really?" Sunny Side asked.

"Don't you remember Sunny? I told you he fell from the sky!" Pinkie said. "Before he came here, he used to live somewhere wayyyy different!"

"Well, very different, but in many ways similar." I added. Sunny Side just looked at us with a strange look.

"If I'm gonna be honest, I though when you said he fell from the sky that is was some sort of saying I'd never heard of, I didn't think he actually did." She said.

"Nope, I actually fell from the sky, it's a miracle my rib cage broke my fall, or else something important might have gotten hurt." I said. (Stay tuned for the prequel chapter 1.5, Chuck goes to the hospital to find out the fall shattered all his ribs, coming never.)

"Huh. So what were things like where you were from?" She asked.

"Well, we had a lot of the same things here has, but different, because where I'm from, I stood on two legs, and my front legs were called arms, and I had hands, which are like movable pitchforks made of flesh." I explained.

"I didn't ask for an anatomy lesson pal, what did you do around the holidays?" She asked.

"Oh, well, there were many different holidays where I came from, it all depended on your culture, I celebrated a holiday called Christmas." I explained. Remembering that made me think back on Christmases I had spent with my family, I hadn't really missed Earth at all since I came here, but for some reason, I did feel a bit sad thinking this would be my first December without my family.

"Chuckie, you okay?" Pinkie asked seeing my face droop slightly. I quickly regained my composure.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I smiled. "Anyway, Christmas and Hearthswarming share some similarities and have their differences, but all in all I'm definitely looking forward to my first Hearthswarming." I concluded.

"Uh huh. That's real neat Chuck, wanna tell me how guys from your planet get sent here and become Stallions? Because Momma could use a stallion for herself." Sunny Side said.

"I wish I could tell you about that, but I have no idea how it happened, just my luck I guess." I shrugged.

"Damn." She said.

"But hey, there's somepony out there for everypony." I smiled.

"Like I haven't heard that before." She said with a smirk. "That'll be 10 bits for the pot of coffee."

"10 bits well spent." I said sliding over the bits and an extra for a tip.

"You know, that was originally what I was gonna call this place. '10 Bits Well Spent'." She teased.

"Alright, you've done enough of your marefriend's friend coltfriend tormenting now." I laughed.

"You know I like you Chuck." She laughed with me as the others payed their bills.

"Thanks again Sunny! See you soon!" Pinkie said as we were leaving.

"You'd better!" She called after her playfully.

---

Sugarcube Corner: That evening

"See ya!" I called out to Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Cheese, and Quibble as Pinkie and I retired for the night. The snow had picked up now and there were flurries blowing about, maybe Quibble wasn't wrong to have that giant coat on after all...

"That was a fun day, huh?" I asked Pinkie as we snuggled up together in front of the fireplace in the loft.

"Sure was." She smiled nuzzling into my neck as we relaxed.

"Any day I get to spend with you is a great day in my books." I smiled kissing her forehead.

"Oh stop." Pinkie laughed.

"I mean it." I told her.

"Well, I always love spending the day with you too Chuckie." She kissed me back. Suddenly, she looked at me more seriously. "About earlier... When you were talking about your holiday from Earth.. You seemed a little sad."

"Well, I mean, there's a lot of things about my old life I don't miss at all." I told her. "But I must admit, this is the first time I'm spending the holidays from my family..." I explained. "But, I wouldn't give spending Hearthswarming with you for a thousand Christmas mornings." I smiled.

"Mean it?" She asked.

"Of course." I smiled.

"I do understand missing your family around this time of year, just so you know." She said to me.

"Thanks. I love you Pinkie Pie." I said.

"I love you too, Chuck... Murray?"

"It's Murphy." I chuckled. I looked out the window to see the snow storm. "Weather sure got crazy."

"You can say that again." Pinkie nodded.

"You might say..." I said shifting into a song.

Me: Oh the weather outside is frightful

But the fire is so delightful

And since we've no place to go

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Pinkie: It doesn't show signs of stopping

And I've brought some corn for popping

The lights are turned way down low

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Me: When we finally kiss goodnight

How I hate going out in the storm

But if you really hold me tight

All the way home I'll be warm

"Why would you be going out? You live here." Pinkie asked.

"Just roll with it." I smiled.

Pinkie and I: The fire is slowly dying

And my dear we're still goodnight-ing

As long as you love me so

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Me: Oh, it doesn't show signs of stopping

Pinkie: And I've brought some corn for popping

Me: and the lights are turned way down low

Pinkie and I: Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

The fire is slowly dying

And my dear we're still goodbye-ing

As long you love me so

Let it snow, Let it Snow, Let it snow

We shared a nice cozy hug and a kiss before realizing we should probably get some rest for the night.

"Goodnight Cutie Pie, I love you." I said.

"I love you too Chuckie, goodnight." She smiled before we shared one more goodnight kiss and retired to our rooms.

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One more chapter is complete! Hope you enjoyed reading it! Like I stated earlier, next week is quite busy for me so an update may not happen, but we will wrap this story up in time for Hearthswarming!

Songs used

"The Most Wonderful Time of the Year". By: Eddie Pola / George Wyle

"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow". By: Jule Styne / Sammy Cahn