Tears of Melted Snow
It was a warm winter's day. The type of day when young ponies would frolic around in the streets and jump in slush puddles in an attempt to soak their schoolmates. Young couples would pass by on the street at a slow careful pace, a mare's head leaning into a budding stallion's neck, all as their eyes caught the avid glow of Celestia's sun playing amongst the dripping icicles of Ponyville's roofs. Winter Wrap Up wasn't too far off now.
But a number of the leaders of that particular event were far off. That is to say, that the famed bearers of 'The Elements of Harmony' were not in the town. They had all decided to go for a vacation together in order to blow off some steam before the rigors of wrapping up winter had to be faced once again.
And their short trip left Ponyville in something of a relaxed state; a state that most of the residents were quite happy to embrace. From one end of the town to the other, the ponies were enjoying the great weather that promised an balmy lead up to spring. This was especially true for a particularly loud trio of fillies: The Cutie Mark Crusaders.
The group of overly-energetic youths were engaged in a particularly cliché, if entirely enjoyable, pass-time for any pony of their age. They were having a snowball fight. At least that's what it seemed like from the eyes of a passing adult, but for the Cutie Mark Crusaders, this was no mere 'snowball fight', this was a 'Snow War'.
They had spent the last few hours preparing for this final showdown. Constructing their castles in the most tactical of terrain they could find while fashioning their weapons and braced themselves should the worst come to pass.
Only the greatest of the three renowned crusaders could lead their army to ultimate victory. The opposing forces had come to discuss terms of peace, but such agreements fell short, for in each of the leader's eyes they could only see their self as the one true crusader. Surely whoever won this war, they would prove themselves worthy of obtaining the greatest prize known to ponykind. The Cutie Mark! The battle would commence immediately.
Thus the Cutie Mark Crusader Warlords were going at it. Sweetie Belle weathered through another barrage from Apple Bloom, and was currently hiding behind her fort of snow: a haphazardly assembled mound of snow that granted her enough cover if she crouched down to her belly. She peeked over the ridge preparing to attack should an opening afford itself. With plenty of ammunition already prepared, so she wasn't too worried about missing her targets. But she was a little intimidated when she looked over at Apple Bloom's fort.
How the earth pony had managed to build it in merely two hours, Sweetie couldn't fathom. Apple Bloom's snow fort looked pristine, as if sculpted from a giant block of snow. It was easily three times her own height, and upon closer inspection, it even looked to have a pattern of brickwork. Sweetie Belle felt a sense of both embarrassment and awe as she gazed upon the work of art, and compared it to her respective anthill of a snow fort.
She double-checked to make certain that she maintained full cover with her meager work of engineering as she turned her gaze to Scootaloo's base. It was quite simply a big pile of snow. She had seen the orange pegasus digging a hole in the top, much like a volcano, and since then Sweetie hadn't seen hide nor feather of her friend.
Sweetie frowned at the situation she found herself in. If she moved more than a foot in any direction she would become target practice for Apple Bloom. But if the unicorn stayed in one place, there was no way she could win the war. She had to do something otherwise she wouldn't win, and she wouldn't get her cutie mark.
So the unicorn tensed up as she prepared herself to raid Apple Bloom's snow fortress. Though, much like the previously mentioned peace agreements, this plan also fell short. For just as Sweetie lifted herself from her prone position a certain other crusader's voice sounded from not even five feet behind her.
“Hah, I got you Sweetie Belle!”
The surprised unicorn turned her head just in time to have her forehead greet a hard-packed, high-velocity snowball issued from the hoof of a maniacally grinning, purple-haired crusader. She didn't even have time to fully process the scene before she was struck.
But if there was ever a lesson to be learned about snowballs it was this: Not all snowballs are soft. In fact on winter days as warm as these, snowballs often become something akin to balls of ice.
A surge of pain flared up and flooded the unicorn's mind. Flushing out all thought as the pain rushed in to take it's place. Tears welled up in her eyes, and broke free in the next moment.
“Oh come on, it's just a snowball, it couldn't have hurt that much.” Scootaloo said with a smirk falling into place quite readily.
The pain, it physically hurt her, more than any other injury she ever remembered. But even more than that, the grin that had spread across her friend's face was devastating. How can you smile when you just hit me in the face?“How could you Scootaloo!?” Sweetie shouted, storming off as quickly as her young legs would carry her.
“Whoa, what's her problem? Scootaloo asked under her breath as she saw her friend run off in the distance.
Meanwhile Apple Bloom sneaked by unnoticed a few feet behind the orange pegasus, and threw a snowball. It hit Scootaloo in the back of her head in unison with Apple Bloom's victory cheer. “Looks like ah won the war.”
“Ouch, that hurt! Hey, wait. That's not fair, I was distracted.”
“And ah won.” Apple Bloom gloated, but her smile quickly shifted to a frown as she quickly surveyed the surrounding area. “But games 'side, where'd Sweetie run off ta?
“I don't know,” Scootaloo responded, rubbing a hoof along the back of her head, “I think I might have hurt her. But it was just snow.”
“Well then you should say sorry to 'er. C'mon let's go find her.”
“I don't know, maybe we should just wait for her to come back to the clubhouse. Besides, I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I apologize?”
“As mah sister says 'that's stinkin' thinkin''. C'mon, no pony should be alone on a day like t'day, we still have some more cutie marks to try an' get.”
Scootaloo sighed. “I guess your right. Let's track down Sweetie Belle.”
“Maybe we'll get a path findin' cutie mark.” Apple Bloom remarked as they followed Sweetie Belle's tracks through the wet snow.
* * *
She could have at least said she was sorry. Sweetie thought to herself for the umpteenth time. She tried to catch her breath while resting under one of the many tangled trees of the Everfree Forest. The sharp pain on her forehead had since reduced itself to a dull throb that pulsed in time with her rapidly beating heart, though the red mark of dried blood stained her forehead. She couldn't remember the last time that she had run for that long. Or, for that matter, ever being in the Everfree while it was winter.
Sweetie was headed towards Zecora's hut to see if the zebra couldn't help her with the cut on her forehead. The unicorn was quite troubled by thought of having to face Rarity with a scar marking her forehead. Her sister would be devastated when she got back from her vacation. So she was determined to fix up the cut as soon as possible, and if the zebra was known for anything, it was for her large assortment of cures and solutions for an equally wide variety of injuries. A simple cut probably posed no problem for her.
Suddenly a thought occurred to Sweetie Belle. Wait a second, the forest sure looks like an entirely different world. How am I supposed to find Zecora's hut when I don't know where I am? So she nervously began scouring the forest for hints or clues of where to go.
The Crusaders' crusading had often lead to the trio to making their way into the purportedly dangerous woods. But they had discovered, so long as they never went in at night, it seemed most of the local fauna deemed it necessary to avoid the trio. After a few adventures to Zecora's hut the three were quite confident in their ability to find their way back. And during those adventures Sweetie had discovered that there was a certain wild beauty that offset the normally spooky atmosphere of the woods.
In winter, however, Sweetie didn't even need to search for the beauty to be struck by it. A sullen atmosphere had replaced the spooky one; the whole woods became breathtaking. Individual crystals of snow shone from the boughs of trees as they caught a rare glimpse of the now overcast sun and a light breath of southern wind crept amongst the trees.
It was soothing and cooled her mind as the sudden panic quickly dissipated and was replaced by awe as Sweetie noticed the beginning of a light snowfall.
Quietly she began to sing to herself.
“Such beautiful crystals that fall with such grace
Floating gently give a cool kiss to my face
I never noticed how the world seems to glow
When walking through this freshly fallen snow
“It's winter in the Everfree
A sight I never thought to see
Trees of frost glow icily
The breeze blowing so wildly
Now I know, without a doubt
Why it's called Everfree
The southern wind speaks the name of spring
And critters call out while hidden birds sing
I'm caught in this snare without a single care
Such beauty brought out by winter so fair
It's winter in the Everfree
Where I would never think to be
Surrounded by such scenery
Blessed with winter finery
Now I know, the Everfree
Was always host to such beauty
“What is this sweet song I hear, filled with such sublime winter cheer?
The sudden sound shocked Sweetie Belle out of her reverie as she noticed Zecora had found her way beside the young filly.
“Zecora, you scared me.” Sweetie stated accusingly as she turned to face the rhymer. “When did you get here? Did you-” she gulped at the realization, “hear me sing the whole song?”
“Why yes child, that is quite right.
For I was just collecting herbs in the afternoon light,
And about to head home, when what should I hear?
But for a song sung beautifully, pristine and clear.
So a thought puzzled me, young Sweetie Belle.
Why would you be in these woods? I couldn't tell.
And so I guessed away while listening along,
Concluding to ask you after the song.
But now I see, just looking at your face,
Perhaps one reason for you to seek my place.
So tell me Sweetie of your injury, if you will.
And follow me to my home, out of this chill.
For the snow falls heavier with every moment,
If we stay out any longer, we may face entombment.”
“Thanks Zecora, though I'm surprised you knew I was looking for you.” Sweetie responded, following the zebra.
“Oh young Sweetie, it's really quite easy to know
When someone has a purpose or somewhere to go
You were not running scared in these trees
As so many other lost or traveling ponies
You my dear are among the first sightseers
Who can interpret beauty where others cower in fear
So I knew there was some other purpose you had in mind
A cure for a problem that you had to find
For now, come in to my humble domain
While I fix you up a mixture that will numb the pain”
Zecora opened the door to her small hut and ushered the young filly into the exotic abode.
“Numb the pain?” Sweetie asked. “But it doesn't hurt that much anymore.”
“Dear child please understand, that potions are not my only form of treatment.
Although having some on-hand can be quite convenient,
There are often simple ways to find a solution
Without the risk of alchemical pollution.
So I must prescribe, for the cut to heal it's best,
A quick stitching and a little bit of rest.
And for the stitching to be done, I would suggest
That a small painkiller would perform best."
Zecora traversed the entirety of her hut a few times as she gather up some necessities for the upcoming procedure. Sweetie watched the Zebra and the materials she was collecting. The unicorn had never seen over half the items in the hut; and the other half she had seen, but knew not their names.
Curiosity bubbled up inside her. Sweetie wanted to know what some of the things the Zebra was putting together and was just about to spout off a few questions when she noticed something about the way Zecora was moving about her hut. It was reminiscent of her sister Rarity. This consequently led to a barrage of other memories relating to pestering her sister as she worked. So Sweetie Belle decided her best course of action was to keep quiet and find a corner to sit down in while she let the Zebra work in peace.
A few minutes passed and the Zebra had finally finished preparing. She approached Sweetie carrying her supplies.
“Here young child, you should drink this tonic of numbing effect.
So that it won't hurt as I mend that which is wrecked.
Alas, as we proceed, I humbly request for you to regale
The origination of your wound. Please tell me your tale.”
“Well,” Sweetie began, taking a gulp of the dubious mixture, “I guess I should tell you how it happened. It's actually kinda dumb. We were just spending a warm afternoon playing, like everypony else, when suddenly Scootaloo came up with a great idea. She said we should try to get our cutie marks in a snowball fight. But it couldn't be any plain snowball fight; it was going to be a snowball war. We built our own castles and everything...”
Once any of the crusaders began talking it was hard to get a word in edgewise. So the Zebra took it in stride, smiling a knowing smile at the unicorn's enthusiastic retelling of the days events, as she got to work on stitching up the unicorn's forehead.
* * *
Amongst the gnarled and dangerous limbs of the Everfree, the duo slipped through, as silently as they could. Apple Bloom kept her eyes turned to the forest floor and the trail they were following, while Scootaloo kept a vigilant eye out for the possible dangers and monsters. Only once had the Cutie Mark Crusaders actually come across a dangerous creature in the woods, and that had been one petrifying incident involving a cockatrice.
Scootaloo still remembered how terrifying the whole ordeal had been. All of them had nearly turned to stone, if it hadn't been for Fluttershy, they would have. But this wasn't the time to be scared. At least she had Apple Bloom with her; she wasn't alone. Besides it was late afternoon, the forest was hardly as frightening as it had been in the nighttime. That's right, in the daytime, it was just a forest like any other. Even if it seemed as though a different animal would shout it's call out from the cover of the surrounding brush with every step that the duo took. It wasn't scary... just unnerving to the young filly. After all, Scootaloo wasn't a chicken.
“Apple Bloom we have to hurry up and find Sweetie Belle. She could be attacked by a monster at any time in this forest. She's all alone, she must be scared.”
“Ah know, Ah know. But this here snow is a lot thinner than it was outside.” Apple Bloom rebuked. “If ya didn' hit her in th' face with yer snowball, we wouldn' be chasin' her these woods worried 'bout monsters eatin' her.”
Scootaloo's only response was to scowl. But she knew it was true. It was all her fault. If only she had said she was sorry, she could have stopped this whole thing from happening. This whole day couldn't have been worse.
“Ah, ponyfeathers, it's snowin'!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.
“We have to hurry up. Quick Apple Bloom, which way are her tracks headed?” Scootaloo asked as with nervous vigor.
“Ah think the tracks are headed this way.” Apple Bloom motioned, though uncertainty pervaded her words.
“Alright, come on, lets go!” Scootaloo shouted, not even waiting to see if her companion followed her. She had to find Sweetie Belle. It was her fault and she was going to fix it.
“Scootaloo! Wait, we shouldn't run off aimlessly!” The earth pony called as she chased after her friend. “Scootaloo! Darn it, why does she have t' be so stubborn?”
* * *
The two fillies were out of breath. No sign of Sweetie Belle. Worse, the snowfall had developed into something fierce. And perhaps worst of all, the two had no idea where they were or where they came from.
“Ah told ya not t' run off like that. Ah told ya!” Apple Bloom stated once again at the irate pegasus. “But no! You just had t' run off didn't ya? Now were lost. No pony knows where we are. A blizzard is raging around us. It's getting' dark. And were gonna freeze to-”
“ENOUGH!” Scootaloo shouted, interrupting her friend indignantly. “You didn't have any better ideas. Besides you were the one that decided we should go into the Everfree looking for Sweetie Belle, and look at how that turned out.”
Tears began to form in Apple Blooms eyes as she shouted back at her friend. “We only ended up here 'cause you ran off without thinkin'. You were the one who hurt Sweetie Belle!”
“That wasn't my fault, that was an accident. I would never hurt her intentionally, she's my friend!” The pegasus cried.
“Not saying 'sorry' is hardly 'n accident and makin' light of 'er injury is hardly an accident. After all that ya still call 'er your friend? You should be ashamed o' yerself.”
“You take that back!”
“Make me!”
In moments the two were going at each other. Shouts and screams of frustration and anger were pulled away into the seemingly endless vortex of wind and snow that surrounded the two.
* * *
The feeling of a numbness was strange to say the least, but it wasn't a bad sensation. She had felt Zecora's work as the zebra had sewn the stitches, but the sensation was more akin to the feeling of having her mane brushed or her tail tugged. Slightly strange, but not painful in the slightest. Not to mention, she still maintained enough feeling in her body to be able to perform basic movements, though she was feeling slightly drowsy. In fact she had just decided that her next course of action would be to curl up on one of Zecora's finely woven warm mats.
Sweetie Belle was settling down and drifting off to sleep, listening to the soft sparking of Zecora's fire in contrast to the low moan of the sudden blizzard. A good time to be indoors. A smile of contentment formed on her lips as she let out a quiet sigh and closed her eyes.
Only to open them in the next moment in alarm. “I hate you!” Sweetie thought she heard Scootaloo's voice outside over the howling of the storm.
Maybe she had just dreamed it up. She was feeling rather lethargic. So she decided to listen for her voice again. And eventually it came. “It's all yer fault!” Only, this time it sounded like Apple Bloom's voice, she was certain of it.
“Zecora!” Sweetie exclaimed. “I just heard Apple Bloom and Scootaloo shouting outside. They must be caught in the blizzard. It sounded like they were arguing.”
“What is this dear, that you have truly heard?
Your friends are outside, caught in this blizzard?
If so then we must act most expedient.
For the cause of this storm is quite inconvenient;
The windigos are playing upon this evening's disaster.
We must get to action and move faster.
For these creature feed upon ponies' hate and anger,
Turn them against each other in a display of danger.
Thus finding your friends is most essential,
To avoid an ending of such potential.
Follow me Sweetie Belle. To your friends we go.
They shall be saved tonight and live to see tomorrow.
* * *
“It's all yer fault!”
“I know.” Scootaloo admitted, collapsing into the snow. Tears poured from her eyes as she gave up the fight she'd been putting up since Sweetie Belle ran off. “It is all my fault. I got us into this. I made Sweetie run away. I thought that I could fix things if I tried hard enough, but look where it got us. Freezing in this blizzard. I'm scared Apple Bloom, terrified. What if we never make it back to Ponyville? What if I can never tell Sweetie that I'm sorry? What if this is the end?”
Apple Bloom was quite taken aback by her friend's sudden acknowledgment and display of weakness. She had never seen the pegasus cry before. She was always the toughest of the crusaders, never willing to back down, and never willing to shed a tear where anypony could see. To see her reduced to such a state, and by her words, no less, it caused Apple Bloom's heart to ache.
“Oh hay. Look ah'm sorry Scootaloo. Ah didn't realize how insensitive ah was bein'. Ah shouldn't be blaming you, it was both are faults. If we only worked toget'er.
“I'm sorry.” Scootaloo cried softly. “It's never enough to feel sorry, act sorry or even say sorry, is it? Because at some point it's just too late. The ones you need to say it to just ignore you, or are out of reach. Why is it so hard to apologize? Am I not saying loud enough? I'M SORRY SWEETIE BELLE, IT'S ALL MY FAULT! I'm so sorry.” Her voice fell to a soft rasp at the end of her shout as pathos overtook her.
Apple Bloom draped a foreleg over the pegasus in an attempt to comfort her as well as keep her warm. It was getting colder with every passing moment, and the blizzard showed no signs of stopping. Soon the two began to shiver uncontrollably.
“I'M SORRY SCOOTALOO! I'M SORRY APPLE BLOOM!” Sweetie Belles voice echoed through the storm. “AND I FORGIVE YOU.”
As if that last line were the final chant of an incantation, the wind ceased it's howling and the windigoes departed with haunting cries from their unseen heights.
The duo looked up in surprise at their suddenly visible surroundings. Twenty feet away were Sweetie Belle, with a bandaged forehead, and Zecora wearing a worried look. And just behind them stood Zecora's hut, though it looked more like a quinzee at this point.
Sweetie ran up to her half-buried friends. “I'm so sorry! I didn't think you would follow me out here.”
“Of course we would, wer yer friends. We were worried 'bout ya. And wer glad yer safe.” Apple Bloom responded, leaping out of the pile of snow the two occupied.
“I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.” Scootaloo managed to choke out, tears still in her eyes as she wrapped Sweetie in a hug.
“It's okay Scootaloo. I'm just glad you're okay. No hard feelings?”
Scootaloo's only response was a nod of her head as more tears fell from her eyes. Tears of relief.
“Now my dears, come along inside where it's warm, and enjoy a hot drink after that frightful storm.” The Zebra beckoned to them and lead them back into her abode.
* * *
A day had passed and Zecora had lead the trio safely back to Ponyville. It was there in a quiet library that Spike found his attention suddenly occupied by the three Crusaders. Though this time it wasn't their normal antics that brought them to his domain. The three fillies had asked him to write a letter to the princess.
He was a little skeptical at first, but shortly complied. Just because they wanted him to write the letter didn't mean that he had to send it. It would give him a chance to act as a form of quality-control should the letter fall short of acceptable.
“Dear Princess Celestia,”
“This is a letter from yer three loyalest subjects, the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”
“We are writing to you to tell you about a lesson we learned about friendship.”
“We learned that sometimes even the best of friends can end up hurting one another without expecting to.”
“And when this happens to ya, ya might feel like yer friends don't care 'bout you. But that's just not true.”
“Because seeing a friend get hurt is just as painful for you as it is for the friend, even if it's hard to admit it.”
“But just because it's hard doesn't mean you shouldn't work the problem out together.”
“Friends have a way of fixin' things that woulda stayed broken otherwise.”
“You just have to be willing to give them your apologies, and accept theirs in turn.”
“Your most loyalest subjects,”
“The Cutie Mark Crusaders” The trio finished in unison.
Spike looked down at the letter before him, pleasantly surprised. It didn't turn out as poorly as he had figured. So he rolled it up and let out a gout of green flames, watching as it transformed into a wisp of silvery smoke and made it's way through the library window. On it's way, the smoke passed by the three fillies who were once again planning their next attempt at getting their cutie marks. It was a warm winter's day and soon the crusaders were frolicking around as young ponies are wont to do. Their worries and anxieties from their previous adventure already forgotten in the wake of the day's endless possibilities.
The End