GlimmerChapter One
A brisk wind and clear, turquoise sky put Raindrops in an insatiably good mood, but the freezing wind nipping around her ankles... The mare shivered, quickening her pace. Before long, she'd be able to snuggle up next to Minuette on a long train ride to Canterlot and forget about all the crunchy white powder underhoof. A wry smile crossed her muzzle. She was Raindrops, not Snowdrops! 'Still, Winter Wrap-up is only a few months away!' she thought merrily. Nothing put her in a better mood than banishing all of the fluffy white snowclouds back into the Everfree.
The rest of her weather patrol were clustered around the Town Hall, warming themselves with mugs of hot cider. "Hey, aren't you coming back out with us?" Sassaflash called. Darn that pegasus and her eyesight! Raindrops whirled around, a guilty grin flashing across her muzzle.
"C'mon Sassa, tonight's important! It's not like we need to make a blizzard or anything! I just need one little night off." Twister harrumphed, cradling her cider in her hooves as a few mutters circulated around the cluster of pegasi.
"That's the point, Raindrops!" Sassaflash sighed, looking back at her loyal flight crew. "You know the situation here! There's no coal, some small reserves of food... we've got to keep it sunny so ponies don't freeze!"
"But if we keep the skies clear, it gets even colder at night. C'mon Sassa, this is basic weather!" Raindrops rolled her eyes. Some pegasi were hopeless. "I just need one afternoon off!"
"Well... you'll owe us. Right everyone?" Her colleagues nodded grudgingly. "Go on Raindrops, try not to scare her off this time," Sassaflash replied with a weak smile. The other pegasi shrugged, already planning how they'd spend the extra shifts their friend would be obliged to cover.
"Woo! Thanks Sassaflash!" The ecstatic mare spun on the spot, dashing off before the weather team changed their minds. As she slowed to a canter on Ponyville's main thoroughfare, she took more care as foals giggled and chased each other through the soft carpet of snow. She'd been on the weather team organising the overnight flurries for the past few days, battling rogue stormclouds and the disgruntled Ponyville Frost Fayre organisers to bring the vital weather systems into their skies. "Not today!" she chirped, fluffing her flight feathers under the heavy saddlebag straps. Minuette's dental surgery was just around the corner, and with any luck she'd already be...
"Rainy!" The pegasus barely had time to turn before a petite blue mare bundled into her, knocking the surprised mare to the floor. "You finished early!"
"Looks like you did too!" Raindrops grinned, wrapping her hooves around her marefriend. A few passing-by stallions whistled, drawing filthy looks from their wives. "Maybe we should get out of the snow." She laughed, hauling the furiously blushing unicorn to her hooves. "Aw, they're just jealous!"
"Some of those stallions are my patients," Minuette groaned, helping Raindrops put her saddlebags back on.
"Well now you'll have something to talk about when they're on the table! Do you have the tickets?" Raindrops asked brightly. A quick wriggle dislodged the remaining motes of snow, sending them drifting back down to the awaiting blanket below.
"Of course, silly! I wouldn't miss this trip for the world," she affirmed, producing two gilded tickets from a pouch around her neck. Golden bits clinked merrily inside the leather pouch as the sun's weak rays reflected off the small fortune Minuette had stuffed inside. Raindrops grinned. The shy unicorn might the most adorable thing on the planet, but she was as subtle as a manticore in heat. A quick feel of her own saddlebags reassured her that her small trove of presents had remained intact. After all, Minuette was being kind enough to take her to Canterlot for a few days, so it made sense to give her something as a token of her gratitude. She wouldn't suspect a thing! The lavish gifts hidden away in her saddlebags would ensure one of Minuette's rare, beaming smiles. Her heart soared at the prospect.
"Neither would I. That's why I knocked off early, even though Sassaflash didn't want me to!"
The dentist rolled her eyes with a smile, setting off towards the train station. "That's really naughty, Rainy!"
"Oh yeah? What did you do to get away from work early?" Raindrops asked wryly, delivering a playful bump to her companion. "Toothpaste duty? Did ya pull the ol' switcharoo with work shifts? Ooh! Maybe you brushed your teeth really hard and dazzled them all with your smile!"
Minuette shook a few remaining snowflakes out of her soft, tufty mane. "I just worked really hard and finished earlier than you did." They trotted along for a few moments in companionable silence.
Raindrops waited. 'Any second now,' the mare thought slyly, looking at the uncomfortable expression on her marefriend's face. Minuette was a terrible liar.
"A-alright, maybe I explained how much tonight meant to me," she admitted with a blush, trying to hide herself behind her mane. Raindrops affectionately nuzzled her partner, revelling in her adorable embarrassment as they passed through another crowded street. The scent of a dozen winter delicacies wafted through the air as the Ponyville Fayre stands began cooking the first batch of treats for the night's celebrations.
"You don't have to be embarrassed when you say stuff like that," Raindrops explained patiently, wishing that Minuette could express her feelings without burning up from social anxiety. 'Still,' she thought, 'it's fun to tease her when she's being like this!' There was no malice behind the thought, as Raindrops knew where the line lay between playful banter and humiliation. Minuette liked to be shy, so Raindrops only nudged her towards being more independent.
She nodded happily, though her flushed cheeks remained. Gently steering Raindrops off towards her house, she tried to strike up a conversation. "So, how was work?"
Raindrops groaned. "Dash is pushing us way too far this season. Cloudsdale isn't providing weather any more so we've got to bring it in raw from the Everfree. Never thought we'd be short of weather..."
"I-is it safe out there?" she asked curiously. Raindrops mulled the question over as they trotted down a picturesque street, bordered on both sides by neat cottages frosted with snow. It was always quiet and peaceful in this part of Ponyville, Raindrops noted happily.
"Well, we only siphon off the clouds skirting the place, but sometimes it can get a bit hairy. Nothing I can't handle though!" she finished proudly, following Minuette up to her little home. A cheerful glow was radiating out of the rustic windows, bringing a smile to their faces. The quaint little cottage was only small, but Minuette had turned it into a comfortable oasis in the chaos that was beginning to grip Equestria.
The dentist quickly unlocked the heavy oak door, leaping into the warm hallway with a relieved sigh. Raindrops turned away from the delicate, frozen flowers bordering the path they'd come down. "These are really pretty for plants that die in the winter," she noted wryly, following her marefriend into the house.
"Roseluck came and planted these earlier in the year! They have some kind of earth pony magic that lets them survive harsh weather, but she wanted some magic in return. Anyway, I bet you are freezing! I'll be down in a minute with my stuff, so go and make yourself comfortable," she finished with a smile.
Raindrops watched her love dash upstairs before turning and looking around. Light and dark wood complemented each other, adding a feeling of earthy warmth to the place. Wandering into the living room, she noted a little orb of magic hovering in the cast-iron fireplace. A wry smile crossed her lips. "No coal for you either, huh?" she murmured, plonking herself down on a sofa.
Despite only being small compared to many of Ponyville's houses, the cottage embodied the very essence of Minuette. It was luxury in moderation, with valuable space given over to house her collection of expensive books and tomes. They shared a deep passion in ancient history, though they took pride in studying different aspects of it. Minuette preferred to study the world from the comfort of her little blue armchair, but Raindrops didn't believe anything she read until she met it face-to-face.
Unfortunately, there weren't many ancient ruins dotted around Ponyville. Aside from a few small artefacts she'd stumbled across during Everfree weather collection patrols, her own display was relatively empty. Empty? Raindrops giggled, brushing the thought aside. Once she'd saved enough money from her meagre wage, she planned to book an exotic trip for them both! Surely there'll be something in Gryphe that'll put Minuette's collection to shame,' she thought slyly, already imagining the fierce, friendly rivalry that would stem from such a find.
"Alright, I'm ready! Is there anything you need to check before we go?" Minuette asked, poking her head around the heavy doorframe. A cute scarf was wrapped around her neck, giving her an air of foalish innocence. Everything she wore made her look cute! Raindrops couldn't help but feel a little pang of pride. The shy unicorn didn't usually wear decorative garments, but she always made an effort when her marefriend was travelling with her.
"Nope, I'm good!" The pegasus rose to her hooves, stretching to loosen out some of the kinks in her back. The strong winds over the Everfree had made an exhausting shift. "Aw man, that's good," she moaned, feeling her spine flex back into its natural posture. After the quick stretch, she lifted the saddlebags back onto her back. They were stuffed with thing she'd need for the overnight trip, as well as her little gifts to Minuette.
Cantering out into the corridor, Minuette gave her marefriend a quick nuzzle. "Tonight's going to be amazing!"
"Yeah, you could do with a little getaway," she retorted with a giggle, giving the unicorn's ear a gentle nip. "You always get so stressed out at the clinic!"
"Well, someone has to keep everyone in check." Minuette blushed, flicking her ear. "Now come on, we've got to go or we'll miss the train!" Raindrops rolled her eyes, following her out the door. It only took them a few minutes of relaxed trotting to reach the more densely populated parts of the town, parts that Raindrops wished didn't exist. Rural life was nice, slow and comfortable enough to keep her happy!
They wandered through the wintery town centre, enjoying each other's company. Fillies were dashing around and lobbing snowballs at each other, using a combination of magic and powerful bucks to send them soaring through the sky. Ponyville's earth ponies vastly outweighed the other races, but the unicorns were just beginning to turn the tides for their respective teams. Their foalish giggles and cries cheered the two mares up, letting the stresses of the day wash away in a tide of happiness.
"Did you ever get to fight with snowballs in Canterlot?" Raindrops enquired, trotting alongside the petite dentist beside her. "Before I moved here, we used to have massive snowball fights in Cloudsdale! There are some benefits to living in a cloud," she finished, chortling as a young mare took a snowball in the face.
Minuette shook her head, reflecting back on her early life. "I... don't think so. All I remember is sitting outside with a book and mug of hot chocolate, though the younger ponies had a lot of fun making snowponies outside the assembly hall!"
"Assembly hall? Books? C'mon Minuette, you've gotta have thrown at least one snowball in your life!"
The dentist giggled, edging away from Raindrops. "I honestly don't remember! It wasn't my choice in going to a big boarding academy, so I'm sure I'd have been a little ruffian if I'd grown up with you." She poked her tongue out, laughing harder at the faux-outrage on her marefriend's face.
"Ruffian? Myself? Why, Minuette dearest, I have no inkling as to what thou art referring to!" the pegasus exclaimed grandly, waving her wings around in a flamboyant manner as she tried her hardest to imitate a Canterlothian accent. "We attended the most highly revered weather school in Cloudsdale! Admittedly, the alumni completed their studies with a vocabulary that would see Snowflake amongst the nobility, but I digres—"
She let out a strangled yelp as a crudely-formed lump of powdery snow collided with the side of her head, sending her stumbling to one side. As she blinked away the frozen snowflakes, a grinning Minuette was revealed. "You were saying, Rainy?" she asked innocently, brushing the snow from her mane with a deft application of shimmering blue magic.
"Oh, you are so getting a snowball in the face when we get to Canterlot," she grumbled, pushing her damp fringe to one side. "Well, at least you've thrown a snowball now! Next time, you won't be s—"
Thump! Minuette burst out in a fresh bout of giggles as the unimpressed pegasus looked through her droopy mane. "Are you quite finished, sweetie?" she asked, a small smile spreading across her face. Minuette chewed her lip, nodding weakly. "Alright! What time is it?"
"It's getting late, so we should head over to the train station..." Minuette paused for a moment, sniffing the air. "A-are those churros?" They'd cantered into the main plaza set aside for the festival, though many of the stands were still in the process of setting up for the night's festivities.
Raindrops inhaled deeply, licking her lips. The scent of warmed cinnamon and sugar was definitely mixed in amongst the other festival foods. "Mhm, I think so! They must be setting up for the festival."
Minuette nodded distractedly, looking around for the source of the aroma. Towering plumes of steam rose into the afternoon air as the hot-plates sizzled away, presenting a selection of warmed treats for the evening crowds. Vats of mulled wine, colourful wreathes of holly and apple-based snacks of all varieties were spread out across swathes of thick cloth illuminated by rustic-looking iron lanterns. As Frost Fayres went, Ponyville's was certainly in the upper echelons. "Maybe I can buy one before the train leaves," she murmured to herself, wandering away from Raindrops.
The pegasus laughed, chasing up behind her and nipping her on the ear. "Churros? Wow Minuette, I didn't think you'd be a pony with a sweet tooth!"
Minuette smiled weakly, scuffing a hoof against the floor. "Hey, dentists are allowed to have a little fun too! Though you are right; we do have lots of ponies coming in after the Frost Fayres complaining of too—"
"Speaking of complaining, I'd better go and snaffle you a churro before you get too hungry," Raindrops said tactfully, looking around for the elusive salespony. Minuette gave her an affectionate smile before wandering off to browse through the other vibrant displays.
After a few minutes of determined searching, Raindrops stumbled across the churro stand. A stallion stood behind the counter, baking more churros in a portable cast-iron oven. The cooked sticks were already laid out on silver platters, steam rising from the golden, sugary dough. She licked her lips instinctively and reached for her purse.
"Anything I can help you with today, ma'am?" the baker asked, using his magic to slide another freshly-cooked batch onto the plates. Beneath the suspended trays, a multitude of candles burned brightly, pumping their heat out onto the polished metal above. "We're not open for another hour yet," he said apologetically, gesturing to a sign on the table. "I'm still baking tonight's batch, and I can't sell when I know I'll run short later."
Raindrops frowned, jingling the purse in her teeth. "I can pay!" she mumbled, giving the purse another hearty shake.
The tan unicorn paused, letting out a dramatic sigh. "I guess I could sell you some for five bits each. They're worth it!" he finished, gazing intently at her.
"Fine," she grumbled, shelling out the gold. Hearth's Warming spirit was lost on some ponies, she guessed. Before long, the churros were wrapped up tightly in a twist of decorative paper. She snatched the treats away, tucking them under her wing to keep them warm.
"Minuette?" she called, wandering back through the growing crowds. Ponies were arriving at the train station, come to visit Ponyville for the same reasons they were going to Canterlot that night. Her marefriend's distinctive periwinkle-blue tail was visible in the distance, and Raindrops hurriedly noted that she was waiting around the busy station entrance. Her protective instinct awoke, sending the pegasus hurrying back across the packed plaza to reassure the shy dentist. 'Minuette doesn't like crowds,' she recalled, hoping the churros would be enough to restore their cheerful companionship.
Minuette raced over the moment she saw Raindrop's fluttering mane. "Rainy!" she said excitedly, though she was mostly masking relief. "It really is busy here this afternoon, isn't it!" Before she could respond, the mare dragged her away towards the train station.
"W-what's going on, sweetie?" Raindrops asked with confusion, not expecting this level of urgency. The platform seemed fairly quiet, at least, so they quickly pushed their way out of the busy throng. Minuette's worried backwards glance was enough to confirm her worries. "Is it too busy?"
She nodded shyly, trotting up next to Raindrops. "I went for a look around, but lots of ponies came off of that last train so I came and waited over here."
Raindrops passed over a spiced churro as they watched the crowds of ponies flow around the plaza, moving from one stall to the next. Foals were giggling and shrieking as they darted between buildings and fountains, causing chaos as ponies tried to avoid them. "Wow, where did you find these?" her companion asked, still munching away at the treat. "This is delicious!"
"I know a stallion," Raindrops replied jokingly, planting a sugary kiss on her cheek. Minuette blushed, trying to ignore the warm tingle that spread through her body. "So, wanna head up to the station?"
The train was already sat on the rail line, hissing as frosty clouds of vapour escaped the various pipes and tubes around the undercarriage. A few ponies were looking excitedly out of the iced-up windows at Ponyville, pointing at the Frost Fayre decorations. Raindrops giggled, knowing that many of the ponies were coming from Equestria's frontiers to visit Canterlot. Every county celebrated Hearth's Warming with their own festivities and customs, so the light sprinkling of snow and the olde-timey decorations were most certainly novel concepts for the ponies riding the train.
Raindrops idly tightened Minuette's scarf as they crossed over the railway tracks in front of the looming engine carriage. Her marefriend was shivering as her hooves sunk deeper into the collected snow, but Raindrops was hoping the churro would keep her warm until they found their carriage. Once they arrived in Canterlot, Raindrops would use her meagre savings to buy Minuette a jacket. It'd be much colder in Canterlot, she figured.
Canterlot's Frost Fayre was a public event for all ponies to enjoy, but the Princess' party up and around the castle was an exclusive event, to say the least. Snacks were free, wine was plentiful and the location gave a spectacular view of the night's fireworks displays and the subsequent Wonderbolts flyby. Thanks to some ingenious civil servant, the exclusive party wouldn't just be attended by Canterlot's nobility. Tickets were mailed out randomly over the months before the event and Minuette had been lucky enough to win!
Raindrops was so engrossed in her thoughts that it took several — albeit gentle — bumps from Minuette to bring her to her senses. The pegasus rubbed her shoulder ruefully, smiling as she did so. Those saddlebag clasps were pointy. "C'mon Rainy! We're in the carriage up here!" she chirped, dragging the pegasus through the ponies clustered together on the platform.
"H-hey, easy on the scarf!" she replied, looking with worry at the twinkling blue magic dragging on the tassels.
"Sorry, I'm just really excited," Minuette apologised. "This is our carriage!"
"Really? It looks kinda... full." True to her word, the carriage was almost entirely filled with gawping ponies, still staring out at the gathering crowds beyond the station.
"No, this is definitely the carriage," she affirmed, pulling the tickets from her drawstring pouch once more. "But we've got some seats!"
Raindrops hesitantly followed her up into the train, shivering as the previously fresh, cold afternoon air became a heady mix of heat, moisture and whatever was served for lunch that noon. Minuette crinkled her muzzle as the carriage's unclean atmosphere assaulted her senses. 'By Celestia, she's cute when she does that,' Raindrops thought happily, quickly looking away to avoid giving the impression that Minuette's nose was cuter than the pony behind it.
The duo pushed themselves down the cramped aisle, sliding into a pair of unoccupied seats about halfway down the carriage. "Well, this is it!"
"Uhh... at least we'll be in Canterlot soon-ish!"
"Aw, it's not that bad in here," Minuette replied, shrugging off her saddlebags. "At least they sent the nice train to collect all of the ponies for the Frost Fayre, right?"
Raindrops nodded, sinking into the cushioned bench. Minuette was in the window seat, looking cheerfully out at the ponies admiring the train. They'd rushed to get aboard before the platform got too cramped, but she could vaguely remember wintery decorations adorning the engine. "Yup! Still, when I'm with you, this train is like a palace," she murmured, pulling her scarf off and stuffing it into her saddlebags.
Minuette blushed, too embarrassed to comment on the cheesy compliment. "Not too loud," she mumbled, snuggling up next to Raindrops.
"Here," Raindrops said softly, extending a wing for the dentist to tuck herself under. Minuette wasn't usually this... cuddly. The best she'd been hoping for was to nonchalantly rest her head on Minuette's shoulder, or maybe to warm her hooves up with her own. 'Maybe she had a rough day at the clinic,' the pegasus thought idly.
Ponies outside cheered and waved as the elegant train began to pull away from the station amidst a flurry of whistles and shouts on the platform. The golden sun was just beginning to slip below the horizon outside, casting a cold, wintery light through the carriage. With the excitement of Ponyville's impromptu marketplace quickly disappearing behind them, the occupants went back to contentedly discussing their plans for the night.
A blast of freezing air suddenly blew through the compartment, provoking several surprised and irate cries from the ponies in front of them. Doors quickly slammed shut, and hushed apologies were uttered. "... don't understand, Canterlot's weather patrols are never this..."
'Huh?' With Minuette bundled up tight underneath her wing, Raindrops didn't have much room to crane her neck. The sounds of several ponies stamping gruffly down the packed aisle were entirely clear though.
"What does it matter anyway? It's not a Frost Fayre for no reason," one of the mysterious ponies muttered. Snorts of derision followed the comment. "It's always the same this time of year. Ponies go 'sick' for Hearth's Warming, weather gets left unattended, we get left to deal with the rogues."
"Rogue weather is no joke," one particularly nasal pony declared. "We just keep the line clear, but Balmy Squall's already grounded with a bad wing. It's only going to get worse," he warned. Raindrops quickly pulled her head back as the troupe brushed past. They were a miserable bunch, wearing thick, soot-stained jumpsuits and equally grubby goggles.
"Balmy flew into a tree. I'd hardly call that rogue weather!" a female pegasus retorted, followed by a chorus of laughter. Already, some of the families around them began to voice their discontent with loud, overly-melodramatic coughs. Raindrops strained her ears to hear their conversation over the general din inside the carriage.
"Maybe so, but we're already working double-shift for tonight. Doesn't that make you curious?"
"Curious? Hah! I'm surprised they managed to scrape enough coal together to run this showboat. It must've cost them a fortune." Raindrops could practically feel the smug sneer across that pegasus' face. A small smile crossed her own. Bored bitching like this wasn't just restricted to Ponyville's weather team!
"The government doesn't pay for coal, stupid. There's probably some shivering family somewh—"
"Rainy, you're really tense," Minuette whispered, her breath tickling the pegasus' chest. "Have you even breathed since we got on the train?" Raindrops let out a breath she didn't even realise she'd been holding, and Minuette smiled in satisfaction.
"Sorry, just... sounds like there's going to be bad weather tonight." Raindrops cursed silently as she heard the doors at the opposite end of the carriage slam shut. Maybe somepony else would know what they were talking about.
Minuette frowned, sitting up straight. "There's not a cloud around! Surely that's a good sign, right?" Raindrops nodded distractedly, not bothering to explain the intricacies of weather magic. What had they meant? The Canterlot weather teams were the best in Equestria, so the weather must've been constructed days in advance, at least.
"Yeah, I guess so..."
"Don't worry, you're the only weatherpony I trust!" Minuette giggled, dragging Raindrops back into the cuddle. The pegasus resisted for a second before groaning and wrapping her wing around her marefriend once more. "So, what are we going to do tonight?"
'Good question,' Raindrops thought wearily, slumping back into the padded red seat. "Well, we gotta see the fireworks, right? We could go and see what kinda events they're doing by the palace beforehoof, and maybe there'll be some stalls and stuff worth investigating!" The pegasus squeezed Minuette gently with her wing. "I'm just happy to be here with ya!"
"It looks kind of cold tonight," Minuette murmured, wrapping a hoof around Raindrops' midriff. "The hotel is booked though, which is a real relief."
"Well, we'll just have to get you a hot drink and a jacket then! You're not going to let something small like the weather get in the way of tonight, are ya?"
"Well, no, but... you said the weather was going to be bad tonight, didn't you?" A quick glance out of the window revealed nothing but a watery pink sunset. Not a cloud in sight.
'What if there's bad windchill on the mountain? There's a clear sky, and maybe the wind is going to pick up...' She spent a few seconds in thought, though there wasn't much she could consider. If the Canterlot weather teams weren't up to the job, she could hardly ditch Minuette and join in with the containment effort. "We'll just have to see what happens," she mumbled hesitantly. "Maybe we could go and get dinner in a nice restaurant if the weather gets too bad!"
"That'd be really nice, Rainy," she replied, resting her head back on the pegasus' shoulder. Raindrops couldn't help but notice the little mare's eyes droop, and a pang of sympathy resounded through her body.
"Hard day at the clinic?" she asked, remembering the busy week they'd both had on the run-up to the Fayre season. The dentist nodded sleepily, fighting to keep her eyes open.
"Yes, ponies always leave their appointments until the last minute..."
"Go on and grab some sleep, little minx. I'll wake you up when we get there," Raindrops assured her, stroking her mane with a hoof.
"I hate it when you call me that," the petite mare grumbled, tucking her hooves in close. Within a few minutes, Minuette was a snoring, fluffy pillow beside her. Her love reached across, brushing a soft strand of loose hair away from her face. A strange emotion was occupying her mind; the divide between love and loneliness. Minuette was right beside her, and yet there was still an invisible barrier in their relationship.
'Ah well,' she thought. The complicated ideas and theories running around her mind could wait a few hours. After drawing the thin curtains beside them, Raindrops wearily deferred the Canterlot alarm-clock duty to her future self and drifted off into a comfortable, albeit uneasy, sleep.
