Let It Snowby TheCacophonousMuseChaptersPart I: The ConstructionPart II: The DiscoveryPart III: The GoodbyePart I: The Construction“Hey Dashie!” Rainbow Dash rolled over and tried to open her eyes. She groaned when the glare from the sun filtered through the window. “Go 'way Pinkie.” “Rainbow, it snowed!” Rainbow could feel the rhythmic pounding of Pinkie jumping up and down on the floor next to her bed. “It snowed, it snowed, it snowed!” “How are you so...” Rainbow groaned, sitting up and stretching out her wings. “... bouncy after last night?” “Oh silly, I only had four bottles of Champagne. Of course I'm not hungover.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Only you could recover from a New Years party that quickly. What time is it?” she asked with a yawn. “It's about 5:42. Now come on, it snowed!” “Wait, how are you even in my house?” “What?” Pinkie stopped bouncing and looked at her friend quizzically. “Well, my house is made of clouds, and you're, well, an earth pony.” “So?” “Pinkie, earth ponies can't stand on clouds.” “Oh right!” Pinkie slapped her forehead. “Silly me!” She then proceeded to fall directly through the floor, down to the snow below. Rainbow rolled her eyes at her friend's antics. “Come on!” Pinkie's voice filtered up through the floor. “We need to make a snowmare!” “Why is it so necessary for us to make a snowmare?” Rainbow yelled back towards the ground. “Well, duh, the warm front comes in tomorrow.” Rainbow shook her head. For a brief moment she wondered why she had ever asked Pinkie for a logical explanation. “I'll be down in a minute, Pinks,” she called back. Rainbow dragged herself slowly into the bathroom. She didn't have an extensive manecare ritual like Rarity, but she did have enough common decency to brush it. Plus, it helped keep her shape streamlined if she tied it back. On her way down to meet Pinkie, she grabbed a scarf that she was rather partial to. Not that she like the scarf because it was pretty or anything. But it was warm. You know, as scarfs go. She looped it around her neck. “What took you so long?” asked Pinkie when Rainbow landed next to her in the crisp new-fallen snow. “Oh, come on, how long did that actually take?” “A little over thirty seconds... that's pretty slow for you, Dashie!” “Well, I'm cold today. It did snow, after all.” “Hmm,” Pinkie mused. “Fair point. Now let's make the best snowmare anyone's ever seen!” * * * “Hm... now all I have to do is stitch up the lapel and this suit will be complete. Oh, I do hope he likes it, he is royalty after all...” Rarity was plying at the the suit with her sewing machine. “Now, this last stitch has to be precise. If it's not the whole thing will be absolutely ruined.” Rarity bent down close to the garment, attempting to guide the needle into the perfect place. “Hey Rarity!” a loud voice burst out from behind her, making her topple the sewing machine over. “What're you doing?” Pinkie Pie asked. “I'm trying to put the finishing touches on this suit,” she told Pinkie, hefting the sewing machine back onto the table. “Ooh, that sounds exciting.” “Yes, but it's quite hard for me to focus with other ponies poking around my shop,” she said with a pointed glance at her friend. “Okie Dokie!” Pinkie told the fashion designer. “I'll just grab this and run along then so I don't bother you!” Pinkie lifted the top hat from where it was sitting near the collar of the suit jacket. “Well, I'll be off now!” she said, bouncing out of the room. “Wait, but that's not— wait, what— no, come back!” “Without the hat, the suit is simply dreadful! Now I've got to redo the hat... and Prince Charming is coming to pick up the suit in only twenty four hours. Oh, how did I let myself get so behind schedule!” Rarity quickly located the designs for the hat again and set to work. “When I get my hooves on Pinkie Pie...” * * * A blur zoomed past Carrot Top's stall, skidding to a halt alongside her. “I'll take one of your finest carrots please... actually, make that two, I haven't had a carrot in forever,” Rainbow said, glancing over her shoulder. “But make it quick, I don't want to be seen by—” “— Ah see how it is, Rainbow.” An angry earth pony strode up behind the pegasus. “You don' like mah apples anymore. Huh? Is that it?” “Applejack, calm down. See, it's for—” “— Ah will not be told to calm down!” Applejack stamped her hoof in frustration. “Ah thought you were the element of bucking LOYALTY, Rainbow. But, no, ah guess that doesn't apply to your taste in produce, now does it. Or were you just mad at me for beating you in the running of the leaves?” “I beat you in that race. Why can't you just accept that fact and move on with it?” “Um,” Carrot Top interjected. “That'll be three bits.” “Hold your horses, Ah'm not done.” “A.J., it's just for making a snowmare!” “OBJECTION!” Applejack stamped her hoof and pointed at Rainbow. “You said 'a snowmare.'” “Yeah?” “Then why do you have two carrots?” Rainbow cringed. “Well, me and Pinkie are making snowmares...” “You always make one together. Ah don' think that's changed. An' anyway, why couldn't you use apples, huh?” “Um, what?” “Well, sure, it's a bit big... and red... but it is feather flu season.” “Wait.” Rainbow balked at her incredulously. “You want me to use an Apple for a nose?” “Ah don' see a problem with it.” Applejack said, shrugging. “Ah mean, it could be Rudolph the Red-Nosed Snowmare!” “Seriously A.J., that's a little whacked out. Even for you.” “You callin' me crazy?” Rainbow let out a nervous laugh. “Um, I should really be going now.” She quickly grabbed the bag from Carrot Top and sped away. “You come back here!” Applejack yelled after her friend. Carrot Top tapped the angry mare on the shoulder. “Your friend never paid. That'll be three bits, please.” * * * “Okay Spike, the pentagram has been drawn, and the candles are ready. We're only going to have one shot to get this spell right, and so we need to make sure to stay focused. It's your job to keep anypony from getting in here and distracting me. You've got that?” “Yeah... what does this spell do again?” “Well, in short, it summons a high level demon from the inverse realm and imbues its life energy into an object at which the spell is directed.” “That's the cat statue, right?” asked Spike, pointing to the jade statue of a cat that was sitting in a wrought iron cage in another, smaller pentagram. “Yes. Jade is particularly susceptible to exorcism, so it should be easy to reverse the spell once we finish. This piece already has inherent magic which will force the life energy imbued to mimic that of a cat; that's why I borrowed this piece from Celestia specifically for the spell. It's a relic from the far east that was found and enchanted by Star Swirl the Bearded himself. He never got to use it though, since the spell can only be cast once a year, eleven days after the winter solstice—” “You could have just said 'on the first of the year,'” Spike pointed out. “Well, technically the date is based on the alignments of the sun and moon and thus it's technically eleven days after the solstice, but for our purposes, yes, it's on the first of the year. Anyway, Star Swirl passed away that year, so this poppet was never used for its intended purpose.” “All right. So I just have to make sure nopony distracts you while you cast the spell, right?” “Yup. That's all you have to do.” “Okay.” Spike exited the room, closing the door behind him. Twilight vaguely heard him giving orders to the guards to let no one into the library until further notice. Twilight flipped open the book and began to build up her power, mumbling strange words in an ancient, demonic language. As she concentrated her power, her eyes began to glow. Magic filtered from her horn and enveloped her entire body in a spinning cocoon of energy, lifting her into the air. At the tip of her horn, a beam began to grow in size; now all she had to do was perfectly control this to hit the cat statue... “Hey Twilight, what's up?” With a shriek, Twilight released the energy towards the voice. She fell back to the floor with a dull thud. “Pinkie?” she asked the pink pony, who was for some reason holding a top hat in her mouth. “What are you doing in here?” “I was just coming in to see what you were doing. But you seem busy. So I'll go now.” “Well, no, I'm not too busy. Thanks to you, I can't cast this spell again until next year.” “Oh, then I should probably leave before you cast any more spells on this hat.” “Wait, what?” “You were glowing and stuff and I was like 'Hey Twilight' and then you were like 'IMMA FIRIN' MAH LAZAH' and you shot a huge beam of light, and it hit this hat.” Pinkie shrugged her shoulders as if to say, 'well, duh.' “You shouldn't be touching that, then! That hat is housing the life force of an incredibly powerful demon!” “Oh, Twilight. You're silly. Anyway, Rainbow and I need this hat for our snowmare!” Pinkie hopped out the window, which Twilight suddenly realized was open. “Wait, Pinkie, that could be dangerous!” Twilight shouted after her in vain. When she got no response, she shook her head and buried her face in her hooves. “Done yet?” asked Spike, poking his head through the door. Twilight glared at him. “Unfortunately, this spell will have to wait until next year.” “What happened?” Spike looked from Twilight to the still inanimate cat statue. Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Pinkie Pie.” * * * “Angel, I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I can make this salad.” The bunny looked at Fluttershy with a dour expression on its face. “Wouldn't you like a nice salad with apples on top instead?” Angel stamped angrily on the page of the book, clearly indicating his salad preference. Carrots or nothing. Fluttershy slumped her shoulders defeatedly. “Maybe I can borrow that 'Dangerous Mission' outfit from Rarity,” she joked. Angel glared back at her. “Oh, all right, I'll go buy those carrots now.” With a last sigh, Fluttershy slipped out the door. She elected to take a back route to the Ponyville marketplace, hoping to avoid being spotted. “If Applejack sees me buying a carrot, she'd be angry at me, and I wouldn't want that!” Fluttershy shuddered. “I'll just have to make sure she doesn't spot me.” Slipping out of the alley, she hastened over to Carrot Top's stall. “Can I have one of your carrots, please?” “Sorry, sold out.” “Absolutely. A Blue Pegasus with a rainbow colored mane bought the last two. I'm just packing up and heading home. So, if you'll excuse me.” “Oh, okay.” Flutteshy backed up to get out of the earth pony's way. “An' just what d'you think you're doin'?” called a voice from across the road. Fluttershy turned around. “I'm so, so sorry Applejack, but Angel needed a carrot on top of his salad, and if I don't make his salad's just like he wants them, he just won't eat, and then he'll starve to death! What would you have me do?” Tears were starting to well up in the corner of Fluttershy's eyes. “An' you don' think Angel could stand to lose a few pounds?” Applejack asked her friend with a slight smirk. “Are you calling Angel... fat?” Fluttershy looked up at Applejack with a tear-stained face. “Um,” Applejack stammered, “yeah.” Immediately Fluttershy was in her friend's face. “Angel Bunny,” she whispered in a low, growly tone, “is. Not. Fat.” With a huff she turned and walked away. Applejack narrowed her eyes at the retreating Pegasus. “Friendship is a fickle thing,” she told Carrot Top. “Especially when it comes to produce.” * * * “Okie Dokie Lokie! Let's see your haul, Dashie!” “All right, I got a carrot from Carrot Top's stand for the nose, and I gathered some sticks from the outskirts of the forest to use for arms. You?” “I got this super cool Top Hat from Rarity,” she said, placing the hat down in the snow. “Oh, right. I also paid a visit to my parents out on the rock farm for these.” Pinkie dropped two lumps of coal from her saddlebag onto the ground. “Wait, you got this at the rock farm?” “Eh, during the Equestrian power crisis they were forced to become a coal mine instead.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow. It was quickly becoming apparent that she wasn't going to get any logical answers out of Pinkie. “Well then, let's roll some snow.” For any simian readers out there, it's important to note the difference between snowmen and snowmares. Snowmares are created by rolling a large, oblong snowball and propping it up and then sculpting out “legs” so as to look like mare is sitting. Another smaller snowball is placed on top to form the head, and two smaller snowballs still are used to sculpt the ears. The tail is then easy to add at the end, as a finishing touch. Pinkie and Rainbow were of course well practiced, and set to work immediately. Rainbow was in charge of rolling the snowballs; she would get going, flying low and fast along the ground with a moderately sized snowball rolling along the ground underneath her, gathering snow. Once she had created each snowball, she handed it off to Pinkie, who quickly began the artistic aspect, carving each snowball to form a pony out of the mass of snow. Both ponies stepped back to admire their work. Rainbow picked up the coals from the ground, and placed each in the eye sockets. Pinkie adjusted the nose so that it fit perfectly on the snowmare's snout. Rainbow picked up the hat, dusting the snow off. “All right, this should be the finishing touch.” She placed it gently down on the snowmare's head. “Wow, that looks super-duper cool!” Pinkie Pie said, stepping back. “Almost as cool as a Cherrychanga! Mmmm, Speaking of which, want to come back to Sugarcube corner? I just baked a fresh batch of Hearth's Warming Cookies this morning, and we've got Hot Chocolate!” Rainbow lay in the snow beside her friend, taking in the sight. “Yeah, that sounds great, Pinks. We've also got to get our friends to come out and see this. She looks amazing!” The two sat in silence, staring at their creation for a few moments. “Race you?” asked Pinkie. Rainbow glanced over at her. “You're so on.” With that the two friends galloped over the hills and out of sight. Part II: The DiscoveryThere's something comforting in the warmth of hot chocolate. The feeling of warm liquid sliding down your throat, almost burning, and spreading the tingling heat to the tips of your ears and down to the end of your tail. There's a familiarity to the whipped cream which melts into a thin film over the top, that leaves you in a holiday cheer, even if Hearth's Warming Eve has come and gone. It feels a little bit like love, with a bit less emotional attachment. Rainbow huddled under a plush throw in Sugarcube corner, reading the latest Daring Doo novel. Pinkie had dragged her back into the kitchen, and so she was sitting by the warm oven while Pinkie whipped up another batch of muffins for the wall-eyed Pegasus at the counter. “Feeling warmer yet, Dashie?” Pinkie asked, turning to her shivering friend. “Okay, okay,” Rainbow admitted, glancing up from her book. “Maybe we shouldn't have stayed out quite so long.” Pinkie let out a giggle as she popped the next batch of cranberry-oat muffins into the oven. “Can you feel your nose yet?” Rainbow reached up to feel her snout. “Almost,” she said, grimacing. “How do you manage to stay so warm?” “Duh, I'm always bouncing. It's like shivering, but better.” Pinkie reached over to check the poppy seeds she had draining. “Almost done. Then we can go find our friends and go see our snowmare!” Dash smiled. Despite her spontaneity, you could always count on a friend like Pinkie. She'd never let you down. The bell rang over the front door, indicating the arrival of a new customer. Pinkie turned around. “Oh, hey Rarity! Care to sample a muffin?” Pinkie asked, holding one up in front of the unicorn's face. “No thanks, dear,” Rarity replied somewhat frostily. “I'm on a diet, remember?” “Okie Dokie, suit yourself!” Pinkie popped the entire muffin into her mouth and downed it without chewing. “Mmm, yummy!” “Well, speaking of suits actually, I have to ask you for that hat you, um, borrowed back. I don't have enough fabric to complete another one on such short notice.” “Oh, okay!” Pinkie seemed to miss the subtext. “Why didn't you say so!” Rarity took a step back. “Well, um, you never really gave me a chance to say anything.” “That's silly,” Pinkie said with a giggle. “I didn't even know I had Chanseys to give! If I find one I'll let you know, but they're really rare.” “What?” Rarity's eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. Pinkie took the poppy seeds off of the stove. “Well, as soon as we round up the rest of our friends, we can go see the snowmare that Dashie and I made.” “I'm not quite sure how that's relevant,” Rairty pressed. Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Are you loco in the coco? After we go to see the snowmare, then we can take the hat, and then you can get your hat back and finish Prince Charming's suit.” “Well, yes... wait, how did you know I'm repairing this suit for Prince Charming?” “Duh.” Pinkie rolled her eyes. “His name's on the hat.” “Ah.” Pinkie took another pan of muffins out of the oven. “All righty! This should be the last of them, so let's go find our friends.” * * * “Is it that much farther, Pinkie?” Twilight asked, shivering slightly. “I need to finish composing a letter to Princess Celestia explaining why I couldn't finish casting this spell today.” She finished with a glare at the bouncing pony in front of her. “This is ruining my hoofacure,” Rarity complained. “But at least it's a nice occasion to try out these boots and this scarf.” “I don't know...” Dash looked around. “Pinkie, do you remember where we built the snowmare?” “Of course! It was exactly... right... here,” she said, jumping on the spot. “Um... Pinkie?” Applejack looked at her friend. “There's, well... nothing there.” Pinkie sat down in thought. “But I was sure we built it right here.” “Um, what are these?” asked Fluttershy quietly, pointing at the ground. “There's really nothing here.” Twilight was becoming slightly irritated. Fluttershy tapped Rainbow on the shoulder. “I've never seen these tracks before!” “Yeah, maybe I should fly up and see if I can spot it,” Rainbow suggested. “These aren't any animal tracks I've ever seen,” Fluttershy said softly. “Hey!” said Spike from Twilight's back. “What are those strange tracks?” The six ponies all looked at the blocky tracks leading away from the scene. “Maybe somepony destroyed it?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow. “That seems a little harsh, A.J.” said Dash from above their heads. “I don't see anything around here either.” Twilight glanced over the scene again. “Plus if it was destroyed, there would probably be some sort of wreckage here, but the snow's nearly untouched.” She paused for a moment. “Wait, Pinkie, you said that my spell hit your hat?” “Yup! It was super-duper awesome!” “I wonder...” Twilight mused. “That spell was supposed to be an object animation spell. If it hit the hat, and Pinkie then placed the hat on the snowmare's head...” “Ooh, look, season five spoilers!” Pinkie interjected. “... then the snowmare could have become sentient.” “Sentawhatnow?” Applejack asked, her head tilted to the side. “Basically, the snowmare could be alive,” Spike translated. Twilight grimaced. “Essentially, yes. We've got to track her down before she scares anypony.” Rarity looked up from the ice that she had been checking her reflection in. “What, dear?” “Well, if ponies just saw a snowmare walking down the street, they might start to panic.” “Right...” Rarity looked around. “So, ah, when do I get my hat back?” * * * “The prints go in here,” Fluttershy told them, pointing at one of the old unused barns at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. “All right everypony, here's the plan,” said Twilight, gathering her friends together. “This snowmare has essentially just been born, so she's probably got a bit of sensory overload right now, and she's probably kind of scared. We should take it slow and remember to be quiet and reserved in our... where's Pinkie?' At the moment, Pinkie's voice issued from inside the barn. “Hey, there you are, snowmare! Well, hang on... you need a name. I'm going to call you Frosty. Frosty the Snowmare! And we are going to be the bestest of friends. I'm Pinkie Pie!” The five winced as they heard Pinkie begin to sing: I'm a pony, you're a snowmare, But we can still be friends! Sing random songs, bounce up and down Until the bitter end! Oh, Frosty come and dance with me, We'll have the grandest time! And when you finally have to go I'll have to say 'Goodbye!' Twilight facehoofed. “So much for 'slow and quiet.'” Pinkie stuck her head out of the barn. A snowy head poked out behind her. “Hey everypony! This is Frosty. She's a bit quiet, but she's really nice. Everyone say 'hi.'” The five mares stared in disbelief. “How on earth are you already best friends?” Twilight asked, gaping, as Frosty began to nuzzle Pinkie's shoulder. “Duh... I met somepony new, I introduced myself, I sang a random song out of nowhere, and then we became instant best friends. That's how these kind of things work.” “Ah... all right then,” Twilight said, raising an eyebrow. “I'll take your word for it.” “Oh Twilight,” Pinkie tousled her friend's mane. “You really need to get out more. Anyway, me and Frosty need to get back to town. We need to show her Ponyville, and she needs to meet all of my other bestest friends.” Pinkie grabbed the snowmare by the hoof and hopped off. “Does she ever make sense?” Twilight asked Applejack. “Pinkie?” Applejack gave a bemused smile. “Nope. Never.” Part III: The GoodbyeRarity turned to the bed. “And now I simply have no idea what to do.” She made motions with her hooves in the air to illustrate her points. “I can't just take the hat and take away Pinkie's new friend, but I also can't just tell a client that I lost his hat. That wouldn't do at all.” Sweetie Belle sat on the bed, petting Opal. “Maybe you could just tell him that hats aren't in style this year?” she offered, scratching Opal behind the ears. Rarity looked down at the ground. “I don't know, Sweetie...” she said, looking troubled. “It wouldn't really be right to lie to a client. Especially this client. He's royalty.” “Oh, is this that Prince Charming guy from the other day?” Sweetie asked, yawning. “He seemed a bit snobbish.” Rarity huffed. “Well, if he is a touch... proud, he has every right to be. I mean, a stallion that handsome, that suave, that majestic—” “— not to mention that rich,” Sweetie added under her breath. “— can afford to be slightly, ah, self-absorbed,” Rarity finished. Sweetie frowned. “He said your lines were acceptable. He could have at least gone for... I don't know, 'above average' or something?” “Well, I did need to get rid of some older lines.” Rarity giggled nervously. “And besides, it's important to change up one's offerings once in a while. It shows that your boutique has character.” “So that's why you threw out a bunch of stuff and designed a ton of new stuff over the weekend?” “Well, no, not exactly...” Rarity struggled to explain. “I mean, I just... I just wanted my designs to be perfect when he comes back. And I still feel like they're missing something. Something crucial.” Sweetie flipped Opal over and scratched her tummy. “Why does this Prince's opinion matter so much to you?” Rarity gave a small smile. “You'll understand when you're older Sweetie.” She glanced up at the clock. “Were you going to meet with your friends at Applebloom's place around now?” she asked Sweetie. “Well, I was sort of wondering if with this whole thing coming up, and you not being quite done and all...” Sweetie smiled nervously. “I was wondering if you might want some help.” Rarity cringed, envisioning the last time Sweetie had tried to help her with her designs. “Thanks for thinking of me, Sweetie, but I think I've got enough to be getting on with. You should go see your friends.” “All right. I think Pinkie was going to introduce us to Frosty!” “Okay, you enjoy that.” Rarity started to head down the stairs after her sister. On the second to last step she paused. “Frosty...” she muttered under her breath. “IDEA!” With this exclamation, she rushed into her studio and began to sketch. * * * “Oh come on, Twilight.” Twilight was curled up on the floor, reading a dusty, leather-bound runic tome. Spike was standing beside her, trying to get her attention. “You can't just stay in here and read all afternoon. It's New Years day.” “Okay. You go then,” Twilight muttered without looking up. “Seriously Twilight, you need to get some sunlight or something. You haven't even met Frosty yet, either.” “M'kay. All right. You let me know how that goes.” Spike rolled his eyes. “Are you even listening to me?” “Yup Mom. I'll be down in a minute.” With a sudden movement, Spike yanked on his friend's tail. “TWILIGHT!” he screamed in her ear. “Huh? What Spike?” Twilight looked around the room frantically. “I thought there was a fire or something.” “Twilight, you need to get outside,” Spike implored her. “Just because a single spell went wrong, it doesn't mean you have to study the whole rest of the day to make up for it.” “Spike, the princess is going to be expecting a letter on my findings. I know I'm not her student anymore, but I don't want to disappoint her with something like this. I've got to find a way to make this work.” Spike sighed. “Do you remember why you were sent to Ponyville in the first place?” Twilight nodded. “Of course I do. To study the magic of friendship.” “Exactly,” Spike walked over to the window and opened the shade, letting the sun into the room. “Come on, Twilight. There's a lot more to magic than just reading those dusty old books. I know you might be mad at Pinkie for distracting you, but you've got to get over that and move on.” He turned back to the princess. “I think her friendship means more to you than almost any other type of magic.” “But, I—” “You need to forgive her, Twilight.” The alicorn sunk her shoulders in defeat. “You're right Spike. I'm being a terrible friend.” Spike opened the door for her. Twilight gave him a small smile. “Thanks, Spike,” she told him, dashing out the door. Spike saluted. “That's what Dragon Assistants are for!” * * * “Ah can't wait to meet her,” Applebloom shouted up to Scootaloo. “Pinkie says she's just like a regular pony, but made of snow!” Scootaloo was pulling her in a wagon to go meet Frosty the snowmare, Pinkie's newest friend. “And the coolest part is this,” Scootaloo called back, cutting her scooter around a tight corner. “Rainbow Dash helped make Frosty, and she said we could have a snowball fight.” “Awesome! So, what're we waitin' for?” Scootaloo pulled to a stop in a clearing. Sweetie Belle was also standing there. “Well, nothing now. We're here!” Applebloom hopped out of the wagon. “Where's Pinkie?” she asked Sweetie. At that moment, Pinkie bounced out of the bushes next to Scootaloo. “Where's Dinky? I don't know. I haven't seen her in a while.” “Wait. If you're here, where's Frosty?” Scootaloo asked. “And where's Dash?” As if in response, Pinkie's tail started to twitch. “Right here, silly!” A blue blur sped by, dropping a pile of snow on Scootaloo's head. A few seconds later, Rainbow pulled up alongside Pinkie, a snowy mare on her back. “Hey Applebloom, Sweetie,” said Rainbow, nodding. “You two look dry.” Scootaloo shook herself off. “You got me,” she admitted. “You've got some stuff to learn before you're at my level, kiddo,” said Rainbow, puffing out her chest. “And this,” said Pinkie, motioning to Rainbow's back, “is Frosty!” A round of introductions was made. Rainbow came up behind the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Now, I just happened to check the ground when I was flying over, and you'll never guess who's coming this way.” Pinkie popped up next to Rainbow. “Was it Mayor Mare?” “Yes! Wait, no. Twilight's headed this way.” Rainbow raised her eyebrows. “You guys know what that means, right?” “O'Course!” Applebloom told Rainbow, a maniacal grin appearing on her face. The three Cutie Mark Crusaders huddled together. “Cutie Mark Crusaders: Snowball Assault Team!” they cheered. “So what's the plan, Dashie?” asked Pinkie. Rainbow began to draw a tactical map in the snow. “All right. Scoots and I will use the cloud cover to get some snow clouds over Twilight's head. Sweetie and Applebloom, you two are going to entrench on the left side of the path and begin stocking snowballs. Frosty and Pinkie are going to sneak around to the other side and try to get on Twilight's flank. We should be able to surround her.” The ponies instantly dispersed to their battle stations, Pinkie and Frosty heading south, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom east, and Rainbow upwards with Scootaloo on her back. “Do you really think we'll get her this time?” asked Scootaloo. Rainbow kicked a cloud into place above the path. “Without a doubt.” The two hunkered down in the cloud, just peaking over the edge. Soon Twilight came into view. “Just a little more,” Rainbow said, watching Twilight come slowly towards the trap. “Three... Two... One...” At that moment, all the chaos in Discord's unholy name broke forth. * * * “Whew,” Twilight said, wiping her brow. “That was the most fun I've had in a while.” Pinkie bounced up beside her. “You should have seen the look on your face. You were like 'Huh?' and then we were like 'YAH!' and then you were like 'FORCE FIELD!' and kicked our flanks. But it was still fun!” “What do you mean she kicked our flanks?” Rainbow asked, landing next to the two. “I thought we fought valiantly.” “Well, she didn't get hit by a single snowball and kind of had an army of a hundred bewitched snowballs pelting you.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Magic doesn't c-c-count, d-duh,” she said, shivering. “Okay, maybe we should go warm up.” “Sweet Apple Acres is just up that hill!” Applebloom volunteered. “She's not expecting ya, but I'm sure A.J. wouldn't mind if y'all wanted to come in for a glass of hot cider and to warm up.” “Cider?” Rainbow licked her lips. “Would I ever!” Rosy cheeked and tired, the seven ponies made their way up to the crest of the hill. “Pinkie?” ventured Twilight. “I wanted to let you know, well... sorry I was so snappy before about that spell.” Pinkie patted her friend on the back. “It's okie dokie lokie. Sorry I interrupted you when you were doing it.” Frosty, walking beside Pinkie, gave a small smile. “Applejack!” Applebloom called, opening the door. “We're home!” “Tell everypony to wipe their feet off!” came the response from upstairs. “I'll heat up some cider in a minute.” The six trotted out and sat around the table; Frosty had deigned to remain outside. They were just settling into some small talk when Applejack came into the room. “Here's some cider to help y'all warm up. Oh, howdy Twilight, didn't expect you!” she turned, seeing Rainbow for the first time. “An' I shoulda guessed you would come,” she said with a scowl. Rainbow let out a nervous laugh. “You know I'd never pass up a chance for cider!” Applejack raised her eyebrows. “Oh, by the way,” Pinkie interjected, letting the tension out of the moment. “Frosty was wondering if she could get some of your cider cold. Since, you know, I don't think hot cider would be good for a snowmare.” She giggled. “Sure,” said Applejack. “I'll get you some.” At that moment, there was a knock on the door. “Ah'll get it!” cried Applebloom, leaping up from her seat. Applebloom opened the door, letting in a rather frazzled Fluttershy. “Rainbow! I'm so sorry, but Carrot Top said she sold her last two carrots to you, and I need a carrot or else Angel Bunny's salad won't be just perfect and then he won't eat it and then he'll starve,” she said all in one breath. “You're out of luck,” said Applejack, coming back into the room. “Rainbow used that last carrot for Frosty's nose.” She went outside to go give Frosty her cider. Rainbow picked her cider up off of the table. “Well, actually...” she rustled through her saddlebags. “I actually picked up a second carrot, so, um, here you go Fluttershy!” Applejack stuck her head back through the door and looked up at Rainbow. “You picked up a second carrot why exactly?” Rainbow offered her a sheepish smile. “Uh... to eat?” With a flash, Rainbow was out the door with Applejack chasing behind her. Twilight sighed. Some things would never change. “Anyone want more cider?” called Applebloom from the kitchen. * * * Pinkie set up the tent next to sugarcube corner. “I brought lots of blankets and stuff, and so we should be able to spend one last night getting to know Frosty, since I don't think she'll be able to stay with us much longer with the warm front coming in.” “Wow,” Twilight looked up at the huge tent. “The last time I had a sleepover, a tree fell into my house. Do you think that will happen again?” Applejack and Rarity cringed at the memory. “I doubt it,” said Pinkie, looking up at the sky. “Yeah,” Rainbow continued. “There isn't a single cloud in sight.” “All right.” Twilight climbed into the tent. Rarity shuffled back. “As much as I'd love to join you guys, since, I, uh, love camping so much, I'm afraid I have an urgent order to fill, so I'll have to catch up with you guys in the morning.” “Absofruitly-lootly!” Pinkie dived into the tent, giggling. The five remaining ponies stuck their heads out of the tent and looked at Frosty. “So what do you think of Ponyville so far?” asked Fluttershy. “Yeah! Is it totally awesome or what?” Frosty smiled at them mutely. “Girls, she might not be able to speak!” Twilight told them. Applejack looked over at the princess. “Wait, what?” “Well, the object animation spell that I placed on her head is only intended to animate matter which already subsists, not to create it's own functional organism,” Twilight explained. “I bet Pinkie and Rainbow never carved Frosty a tongue or a voice-box, so she probably can't speak.” “She said 'she loves it so far,'” Pinkie interrupted. Twilight looked at Pinkie. “Wait, she didn't say anything!” Pinkie rolled her eyes. “You wouldn't understand, Twilight.” And so the six ponies carried on into the night. * * * The sun was rising as Twilight and Rarity, who had just arrived, used their magic to fold up the tent. Pinkie was hugging her friend as the warm front closed in rapidly. “You're sure they can't push back that warm front?” Pinkie asked Rainbow. “Weather ponies have their orders, Pinks. They can't stop summer just for you and your friend.” Pinkie hugged Frosty tighter. “I'll miss you so much.” She pulled Frosty in even tighter. “You had such a great sense of humor. We'll definitely build you next year.” A drop of water dripped out of Frosty's eye. She placed her hoof in Pinkie's as the sun rose over the horizon. The droplets began to form all over her body. Slowly her hind legs began to melt, the water dripping down into the snow below. In a few minutes, her hoof slipped from Pinkie's as her leg fell from her body, caving the whole structure in. Pinkie gave one last small, sad smile at her melted friend before turning away. “I'll never forget you, Frosty,” she whispered to the pile of snow behind her. She picked the hat up off of the top of the pile and handed it to Rarity, trying to control her breathing. As Rarity dried off the hat, she began to cry lightly. Twilight put her arm around the mare's shoulder. “Pinkie,” Twilight started, “part of friendship is... is having to say goodbye. It's hard, but it's important to let Frosty go.” Pinkie sobbed into Twilight's shoulder. “But we had almost no time together,” she sobbed. “She was only here for a day. A day, Twilight. I didn't even really get to know her.” Twilight rubbed her hoof up and down Pinkie's back. “Pinkie, part of her is still here. She's always going to remain inside you. Inside your mind, inside your memories,” she patted Pinkie's chest. “And inside your heart.” Pinkie sniffed and wiped her eyes. “And you know what?” Twilight rubbed the back of her head thoughtfully. “There's something else that I've learned about friendship.” Pinkie looked up at Twilight. “No matter how far away you get from somepony, as long as you care about them, there's always a way back.” * * * Rarity fiddled with the hat in her hooves as she waited behind the counter. The tingling of bells alerted her to the entrance of the customer she had been waiting for. “Good morning, your highness.” “Good morning, miss,” he replied. He was tall, with a pure white coat and eyes that were the dark, deep blue of the ocean. “Prince Charming, sir, would you like me to direct you to your suit?” “Ah, yes.” She walked him through her new designs on the way to the back room. With a flick of her heel, she hit the lever to open the windows. Prince Charming took a step back. “Now these designs are absolutely stunning. I take it these found some inspiration in the colors of winter?” “A good friend, actually,” Rarity replied, looking back. She looked over her designs shimmering in the sunlight. He was right; they were absolutely perfect. She reached up to her saddlebag and patted it to make sure that the hat was still there. Rarity picked her way through the racks and led the Prince through to the back room. “And, here we are.” She showed him the dark suit, expertly repaired. It looked practically new. “Fantastic,” he said with his eyebrows raised. “I wasn't expecting it to look this good.” Rarity blushed, looking askance at the floor. He started to walk towards the door. Rarity coughed. “That would be thirty-eight bits, sir.” Prince Charming turned back around, chuckling. “What, you weren't going to let me go with it for free thanks to my being ridiculously good-looking?” “Well, ah... no.” He rolled his eyes. “You really expect me to pay for this?” he asked, holding the suit up. “Why do you think I came to a second-rate boutique in backwater Ponyville? Anyway, why isn't my hat here.” Rarity bit her lip, feeling her saddlebag. The hat was still tucked inside. “I'm sorry, sir, but the hat got lost.” Prince Charming recoiled. “And you expect me to pay for that?” he gave a small 'tsch' sound, and turned on his heel. “Don't ever expect to see me around here again,” he yelled back, slamming the door. “Don't worry, I won't,” Rarity replied to nopony in particular with a small smile. She pulled the hat out of her bag. Looking it over, she tucked it on a high shelf in her cabinet. “For next year,” she whispered to herself. “For next year.” Author's Note I'm too lazy to draw right now, but I'll try to get a cover image up soon. Thanks to my wonderful prereader, Lapis-Lazuli and everyone who voted for this in the contest~!
Part I: The Construction“Hey Dashie!” Rainbow Dash rolled over and tried to open her eyes. She groaned when the glare from the sun filtered through the window. “Go 'way Pinkie.” “Rainbow, it snowed!” Rainbow could feel the rhythmic pounding of Pinkie jumping up and down on the floor next to her bed. “It snowed, it snowed, it snowed!” “How are you so...” Rainbow groaned, sitting up and stretching out her wings. “... bouncy after last night?” “Oh silly, I only had four bottles of Champagne. Of course I'm not hungover.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Only you could recover from a New Years party that quickly. What time is it?” she asked with a yawn. “It's about 5:42. Now come on, it snowed!” “Wait, how are you even in my house?” “What?” Pinkie stopped bouncing and looked at her friend quizzically. “Well, my house is made of clouds, and you're, well, an earth pony.” “So?” “Pinkie, earth ponies can't stand on clouds.” “Oh right!” Pinkie slapped her forehead. “Silly me!” She then proceeded to fall directly through the floor, down to the snow below. Rainbow rolled her eyes at her friend's antics. “Come on!” Pinkie's voice filtered up through the floor. “We need to make a snowmare!” “Why is it so necessary for us to make a snowmare?” Rainbow yelled back towards the ground. “Well, duh, the warm front comes in tomorrow.” Rainbow shook her head. For a brief moment she wondered why she had ever asked Pinkie for a logical explanation. “I'll be down in a minute, Pinks,” she called back. Rainbow dragged herself slowly into the bathroom. She didn't have an extensive manecare ritual like Rarity, but she did have enough common decency to brush it. Plus, it helped keep her shape streamlined if she tied it back. On her way down to meet Pinkie, she grabbed a scarf that she was rather partial to. Not that she like the scarf because it was pretty or anything. But it was warm. You know, as scarfs go. She looped it around her neck. “What took you so long?” asked Pinkie when Rainbow landed next to her in the crisp new-fallen snow. “Oh, come on, how long did that actually take?” “A little over thirty seconds... that's pretty slow for you, Dashie!” “Well, I'm cold today. It did snow, after all.” “Hmm,” Pinkie mused. “Fair point. Now let's make the best snowmare anyone's ever seen!” * * * “Hm... now all I have to do is stitch up the lapel and this suit will be complete. Oh, I do hope he likes it, he is royalty after all...” Rarity was plying at the the suit with her sewing machine. “Now, this last stitch has to be precise. If it's not the whole thing will be absolutely ruined.” Rarity bent down close to the garment, attempting to guide the needle into the perfect place. “Hey Rarity!” a loud voice burst out from behind her, making her topple the sewing machine over. “What're you doing?” Pinkie Pie asked. “I'm trying to put the finishing touches on this suit,” she told Pinkie, hefting the sewing machine back onto the table. “Ooh, that sounds exciting.” “Yes, but it's quite hard for me to focus with other ponies poking around my shop,” she said with a pointed glance at her friend. “Okie Dokie!” Pinkie told the fashion designer. “I'll just grab this and run along then so I don't bother you!” Pinkie lifted the top hat from where it was sitting near the collar of the suit jacket. “Well, I'll be off now!” she said, bouncing out of the room. “Wait, but that's not— wait, what— no, come back!” “Without the hat, the suit is simply dreadful! Now I've got to redo the hat... and Prince Charming is coming to pick up the suit in only twenty four hours. Oh, how did I let myself get so behind schedule!” Rarity quickly located the designs for the hat again and set to work. “When I get my hooves on Pinkie Pie...” * * * A blur zoomed past Carrot Top's stall, skidding to a halt alongside her. “I'll take one of your finest carrots please... actually, make that two, I haven't had a carrot in forever,” Rainbow said, glancing over her shoulder. “But make it quick, I don't want to be seen by—” “— Ah see how it is, Rainbow.” An angry earth pony strode up behind the pegasus. “You don' like mah apples anymore. Huh? Is that it?” “Applejack, calm down. See, it's for—” “— Ah will not be told to calm down!” Applejack stamped her hoof in frustration. “Ah thought you were the element of bucking LOYALTY, Rainbow. But, no, ah guess that doesn't apply to your taste in produce, now does it. Or were you just mad at me for beating you in the running of the leaves?” “I beat you in that race. Why can't you just accept that fact and move on with it?” “Um,” Carrot Top interjected. “That'll be three bits.” “Hold your horses, Ah'm not done.” “A.J., it's just for making a snowmare!” “OBJECTION!” Applejack stamped her hoof and pointed at Rainbow. “You said 'a snowmare.'” “Yeah?” “Then why do you have two carrots?” Rainbow cringed. “Well, me and Pinkie are making snowmares...” “You always make one together. Ah don' think that's changed. An' anyway, why couldn't you use apples, huh?” “Um, what?” “Well, sure, it's a bit big... and red... but it is feather flu season.” “Wait.” Rainbow balked at her incredulously. “You want me to use an Apple for a nose?” “Ah don' see a problem with it.” Applejack said, shrugging. “Ah mean, it could be Rudolph the Red-Nosed Snowmare!” “Seriously A.J., that's a little whacked out. Even for you.” “You callin' me crazy?” Rainbow let out a nervous laugh. “Um, I should really be going now.” She quickly grabbed the bag from Carrot Top and sped away. “You come back here!” Applejack yelled after her friend. Carrot Top tapped the angry mare on the shoulder. “Your friend never paid. That'll be three bits, please.” * * * “Okay Spike, the pentagram has been drawn, and the candles are ready. We're only going to have one shot to get this spell right, and so we need to make sure to stay focused. It's your job to keep anypony from getting in here and distracting me. You've got that?” “Yeah... what does this spell do again?” “Well, in short, it summons a high level demon from the inverse realm and imbues its life energy into an object at which the spell is directed.” “That's the cat statue, right?” asked Spike, pointing to the jade statue of a cat that was sitting in a wrought iron cage in another, smaller pentagram. “Yes. Jade is particularly susceptible to exorcism, so it should be easy to reverse the spell once we finish. This piece already has inherent magic which will force the life energy imbued to mimic that of a cat; that's why I borrowed this piece from Celestia specifically for the spell. It's a relic from the far east that was found and enchanted by Star Swirl the Bearded himself. He never got to use it though, since the spell can only be cast once a year, eleven days after the winter solstice—” “You could have just said 'on the first of the year,'” Spike pointed out. “Well, technically the date is based on the alignments of the sun and moon and thus it's technically eleven days after the solstice, but for our purposes, yes, it's on the first of the year. Anyway, Star Swirl passed away that year, so this poppet was never used for its intended purpose.” “All right. So I just have to make sure nopony distracts you while you cast the spell, right?” “Yup. That's all you have to do.” “Okay.” Spike exited the room, closing the door behind him. Twilight vaguely heard him giving orders to the guards to let no one into the library until further notice. Twilight flipped open the book and began to build up her power, mumbling strange words in an ancient, demonic language. As she concentrated her power, her eyes began to glow. Magic filtered from her horn and enveloped her entire body in a spinning cocoon of energy, lifting her into the air. At the tip of her horn, a beam began to grow in size; now all she had to do was perfectly control this to hit the cat statue... “Hey Twilight, what's up?” With a shriek, Twilight released the energy towards the voice. She fell back to the floor with a dull thud. “Pinkie?” she asked the pink pony, who was for some reason holding a top hat in her mouth. “What are you doing in here?” “I was just coming in to see what you were doing. But you seem busy. So I'll go now.” “Well, no, I'm not too busy. Thanks to you, I can't cast this spell again until next year.” “Oh, then I should probably leave before you cast any more spells on this hat.” “Wait, what?” “You were glowing and stuff and I was like 'Hey Twilight' and then you were like 'IMMA FIRIN' MAH LAZAH' and you shot a huge beam of light, and it hit this hat.” Pinkie shrugged her shoulders as if to say, 'well, duh.' “You shouldn't be touching that, then! That hat is housing the life force of an incredibly powerful demon!” “Oh, Twilight. You're silly. Anyway, Rainbow and I need this hat for our snowmare!” Pinkie hopped out the window, which Twilight suddenly realized was open. “Wait, Pinkie, that could be dangerous!” Twilight shouted after her in vain. When she got no response, she shook her head and buried her face in her hooves. “Done yet?” asked Spike, poking his head through the door. Twilight glared at him. “Unfortunately, this spell will have to wait until next year.” “What happened?” Spike looked from Twilight to the still inanimate cat statue. Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Pinkie Pie.” * * * “Angel, I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I can make this salad.” The bunny looked at Fluttershy with a dour expression on its face. “Wouldn't you like a nice salad with apples on top instead?” Angel stamped angrily on the page of the book, clearly indicating his salad preference. Carrots or nothing. Fluttershy slumped her shoulders defeatedly. “Maybe I can borrow that 'Dangerous Mission' outfit from Rarity,” she joked. Angel glared back at her. “Oh, all right, I'll go buy those carrots now.” With a last sigh, Fluttershy slipped out the door. She elected to take a back route to the Ponyville marketplace, hoping to avoid being spotted. “If Applejack sees me buying a carrot, she'd be angry at me, and I wouldn't want that!” Fluttershy shuddered. “I'll just have to make sure she doesn't spot me.” Slipping out of the alley, she hastened over to Carrot Top's stall. “Can I have one of your carrots, please?” “Sorry, sold out.” “Absolutely. A Blue Pegasus with a rainbow colored mane bought the last two. I'm just packing up and heading home. So, if you'll excuse me.” “Oh, okay.” Flutteshy backed up to get out of the earth pony's way. “An' just what d'you think you're doin'?” called a voice from across the road. Fluttershy turned around. “I'm so, so sorry Applejack, but Angel needed a carrot on top of his salad, and if I don't make his salad's just like he wants them, he just won't eat, and then he'll starve to death! What would you have me do?” Tears were starting to well up in the corner of Fluttershy's eyes. “An' you don' think Angel could stand to lose a few pounds?” Applejack asked her friend with a slight smirk. “Are you calling Angel... fat?” Fluttershy looked up at Applejack with a tear-stained face. “Um,” Applejack stammered, “yeah.” Immediately Fluttershy was in her friend's face. “Angel Bunny,” she whispered in a low, growly tone, “is. Not. Fat.” With a huff she turned and walked away. Applejack narrowed her eyes at the retreating Pegasus. “Friendship is a fickle thing,” she told Carrot Top. “Especially when it comes to produce.” * * * “Okie Dokie Lokie! Let's see your haul, Dashie!” “All right, I got a carrot from Carrot Top's stand for the nose, and I gathered some sticks from the outskirts of the forest to use for arms. You?” “I got this super cool Top Hat from Rarity,” she said, placing the hat down in the snow. “Oh, right. I also paid a visit to my parents out on the rock farm for these.” Pinkie dropped two lumps of coal from her saddlebag onto the ground. “Wait, you got this at the rock farm?” “Eh, during the Equestrian power crisis they were forced to become a coal mine instead.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow. It was quickly becoming apparent that she wasn't going to get any logical answers out of Pinkie. “Well then, let's roll some snow.” For any simian readers out there, it's important to note the difference between snowmen and snowmares. Snowmares are created by rolling a large, oblong snowball and propping it up and then sculpting out “legs” so as to look like mare is sitting. Another smaller snowball is placed on top to form the head, and two smaller snowballs still are used to sculpt the ears. The tail is then easy to add at the end, as a finishing touch. Pinkie and Rainbow were of course well practiced, and set to work immediately. Rainbow was in charge of rolling the snowballs; she would get going, flying low and fast along the ground with a moderately sized snowball rolling along the ground underneath her, gathering snow. Once she had created each snowball, she handed it off to Pinkie, who quickly began the artistic aspect, carving each snowball to form a pony out of the mass of snow. Both ponies stepped back to admire their work. Rainbow picked up the coals from the ground, and placed each in the eye sockets. Pinkie adjusted the nose so that it fit perfectly on the snowmare's snout. Rainbow picked up the hat, dusting the snow off. “All right, this should be the finishing touch.” She placed it gently down on the snowmare's head. “Wow, that looks super-duper cool!” Pinkie Pie said, stepping back. “Almost as cool as a Cherrychanga! Mmmm, Speaking of which, want to come back to Sugarcube corner? I just baked a fresh batch of Hearth's Warming Cookies this morning, and we've got Hot Chocolate!” Rainbow lay in the snow beside her friend, taking in the sight. “Yeah, that sounds great, Pinks. We've also got to get our friends to come out and see this. She looks amazing!” The two sat in silence, staring at their creation for a few moments. “Race you?” asked Pinkie. Rainbow glanced over at her. “You're so on.” With that the two friends galloped over the hills and out of sight.
Part II: The DiscoveryThere's something comforting in the warmth of hot chocolate. The feeling of warm liquid sliding down your throat, almost burning, and spreading the tingling heat to the tips of your ears and down to the end of your tail. There's a familiarity to the whipped cream which melts into a thin film over the top, that leaves you in a holiday cheer, even if Hearth's Warming Eve has come and gone. It feels a little bit like love, with a bit less emotional attachment. Rainbow huddled under a plush throw in Sugarcube corner, reading the latest Daring Doo novel. Pinkie had dragged her back into the kitchen, and so she was sitting by the warm oven while Pinkie whipped up another batch of muffins for the wall-eyed Pegasus at the counter. “Feeling warmer yet, Dashie?” Pinkie asked, turning to her shivering friend. “Okay, okay,” Rainbow admitted, glancing up from her book. “Maybe we shouldn't have stayed out quite so long.” Pinkie let out a giggle as she popped the next batch of cranberry-oat muffins into the oven. “Can you feel your nose yet?” Rainbow reached up to feel her snout. “Almost,” she said, grimacing. “How do you manage to stay so warm?” “Duh, I'm always bouncing. It's like shivering, but better.” Pinkie reached over to check the poppy seeds she had draining. “Almost done. Then we can go find our friends and go see our snowmare!” Dash smiled. Despite her spontaneity, you could always count on a friend like Pinkie. She'd never let you down. The bell rang over the front door, indicating the arrival of a new customer. Pinkie turned around. “Oh, hey Rarity! Care to sample a muffin?” Pinkie asked, holding one up in front of the unicorn's face. “No thanks, dear,” Rarity replied somewhat frostily. “I'm on a diet, remember?” “Okie Dokie, suit yourself!” Pinkie popped the entire muffin into her mouth and downed it without chewing. “Mmm, yummy!” “Well, speaking of suits actually, I have to ask you for that hat you, um, borrowed back. I don't have enough fabric to complete another one on such short notice.” “Oh, okay!” Pinkie seemed to miss the subtext. “Why didn't you say so!” Rarity took a step back. “Well, um, you never really gave me a chance to say anything.” “That's silly,” Pinkie said with a giggle. “I didn't even know I had Chanseys to give! If I find one I'll let you know, but they're really rare.” “What?” Rarity's eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. Pinkie took the poppy seeds off of the stove. “Well, as soon as we round up the rest of our friends, we can go see the snowmare that Dashie and I made.” “I'm not quite sure how that's relevant,” Rairty pressed. Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Are you loco in the coco? After we go to see the snowmare, then we can take the hat, and then you can get your hat back and finish Prince Charming's suit.” “Well, yes... wait, how did you know I'm repairing this suit for Prince Charming?” “Duh.” Pinkie rolled her eyes. “His name's on the hat.” “Ah.” Pinkie took another pan of muffins out of the oven. “All righty! This should be the last of them, so let's go find our friends.” * * * “Is it that much farther, Pinkie?” Twilight asked, shivering slightly. “I need to finish composing a letter to Princess Celestia explaining why I couldn't finish casting this spell today.” She finished with a glare at the bouncing pony in front of her. “This is ruining my hoofacure,” Rarity complained. “But at least it's a nice occasion to try out these boots and this scarf.” “I don't know...” Dash looked around. “Pinkie, do you remember where we built the snowmare?” “Of course! It was exactly... right... here,” she said, jumping on the spot. “Um... Pinkie?” Applejack looked at her friend. “There's, well... nothing there.” Pinkie sat down in thought. “But I was sure we built it right here.” “Um, what are these?” asked Fluttershy quietly, pointing at the ground. “There's really nothing here.” Twilight was becoming slightly irritated. Fluttershy tapped Rainbow on the shoulder. “I've never seen these tracks before!” “Yeah, maybe I should fly up and see if I can spot it,” Rainbow suggested. “These aren't any animal tracks I've ever seen,” Fluttershy said softly. “Hey!” said Spike from Twilight's back. “What are those strange tracks?” The six ponies all looked at the blocky tracks leading away from the scene. “Maybe somepony destroyed it?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow. “That seems a little harsh, A.J.” said Dash from above their heads. “I don't see anything around here either.” Twilight glanced over the scene again. “Plus if it was destroyed, there would probably be some sort of wreckage here, but the snow's nearly untouched.” She paused for a moment. “Wait, Pinkie, you said that my spell hit your hat?” “Yup! It was super-duper awesome!” “I wonder...” Twilight mused. “That spell was supposed to be an object animation spell. If it hit the hat, and Pinkie then placed the hat on the snowmare's head...” “Ooh, look, season five spoilers!” Pinkie interjected. “... then the snowmare could have become sentient.” “Sentawhatnow?” Applejack asked, her head tilted to the side. “Basically, the snowmare could be alive,” Spike translated. Twilight grimaced. “Essentially, yes. We've got to track her down before she scares anypony.” Rarity looked up from the ice that she had been checking her reflection in. “What, dear?” “Well, if ponies just saw a snowmare walking down the street, they might start to panic.” “Right...” Rarity looked around. “So, ah, when do I get my hat back?” * * * “The prints go in here,” Fluttershy told them, pointing at one of the old unused barns at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. “All right everypony, here's the plan,” said Twilight, gathering her friends together. “This snowmare has essentially just been born, so she's probably got a bit of sensory overload right now, and she's probably kind of scared. We should take it slow and remember to be quiet and reserved in our... where's Pinkie?' At the moment, Pinkie's voice issued from inside the barn. “Hey, there you are, snowmare! Well, hang on... you need a name. I'm going to call you Frosty. Frosty the Snowmare! And we are going to be the bestest of friends. I'm Pinkie Pie!” The five winced as they heard Pinkie begin to sing: I'm a pony, you're a snowmare, But we can still be friends! Sing random songs, bounce up and down Until the bitter end! Oh, Frosty come and dance with me, We'll have the grandest time! And when you finally have to go I'll have to say 'Goodbye!' Twilight facehoofed. “So much for 'slow and quiet.'” Pinkie stuck her head out of the barn. A snowy head poked out behind her. “Hey everypony! This is Frosty. She's a bit quiet, but she's really nice. Everyone say 'hi.'” The five mares stared in disbelief. “How on earth are you already best friends?” Twilight asked, gaping, as Frosty began to nuzzle Pinkie's shoulder. “Duh... I met somepony new, I introduced myself, I sang a random song out of nowhere, and then we became instant best friends. That's how these kind of things work.” “Ah... all right then,” Twilight said, raising an eyebrow. “I'll take your word for it.” “Oh Twilight,” Pinkie tousled her friend's mane. “You really need to get out more. Anyway, me and Frosty need to get back to town. We need to show her Ponyville, and she needs to meet all of my other bestest friends.” Pinkie grabbed the snowmare by the hoof and hopped off. “Does she ever make sense?” Twilight asked Applejack. “Pinkie?” Applejack gave a bemused smile. “Nope. Never.”
Part III: The GoodbyeRarity turned to the bed. “And now I simply have no idea what to do.” She made motions with her hooves in the air to illustrate her points. “I can't just take the hat and take away Pinkie's new friend, but I also can't just tell a client that I lost his hat. That wouldn't do at all.” Sweetie Belle sat on the bed, petting Opal. “Maybe you could just tell him that hats aren't in style this year?” she offered, scratching Opal behind the ears. Rarity looked down at the ground. “I don't know, Sweetie...” she said, looking troubled. “It wouldn't really be right to lie to a client. Especially this client. He's royalty.” “Oh, is this that Prince Charming guy from the other day?” Sweetie asked, yawning. “He seemed a bit snobbish.” Rarity huffed. “Well, if he is a touch... proud, he has every right to be. I mean, a stallion that handsome, that suave, that majestic—” “— not to mention that rich,” Sweetie added under her breath. “— can afford to be slightly, ah, self-absorbed,” Rarity finished. Sweetie frowned. “He said your lines were acceptable. He could have at least gone for... I don't know, 'above average' or something?” “Well, I did need to get rid of some older lines.” Rarity giggled nervously. “And besides, it's important to change up one's offerings once in a while. It shows that your boutique has character.” “So that's why you threw out a bunch of stuff and designed a ton of new stuff over the weekend?” “Well, no, not exactly...” Rarity struggled to explain. “I mean, I just... I just wanted my designs to be perfect when he comes back. And I still feel like they're missing something. Something crucial.” Sweetie flipped Opal over and scratched her tummy. “Why does this Prince's opinion matter so much to you?” Rarity gave a small smile. “You'll understand when you're older Sweetie.” She glanced up at the clock. “Were you going to meet with your friends at Applebloom's place around now?” she asked Sweetie. “Well, I was sort of wondering if with this whole thing coming up, and you not being quite done and all...” Sweetie smiled nervously. “I was wondering if you might want some help.” Rarity cringed, envisioning the last time Sweetie had tried to help her with her designs. “Thanks for thinking of me, Sweetie, but I think I've got enough to be getting on with. You should go see your friends.” “All right. I think Pinkie was going to introduce us to Frosty!” “Okay, you enjoy that.” Rarity started to head down the stairs after her sister. On the second to last step she paused. “Frosty...” she muttered under her breath. “IDEA!” With this exclamation, she rushed into her studio and began to sketch. * * * “Oh come on, Twilight.” Twilight was curled up on the floor, reading a dusty, leather-bound runic tome. Spike was standing beside her, trying to get her attention. “You can't just stay in here and read all afternoon. It's New Years day.” “Okay. You go then,” Twilight muttered without looking up. “Seriously Twilight, you need to get some sunlight or something. You haven't even met Frosty yet, either.” “M'kay. All right. You let me know how that goes.” Spike rolled his eyes. “Are you even listening to me?” “Yup Mom. I'll be down in a minute.” With a sudden movement, Spike yanked on his friend's tail. “TWILIGHT!” he screamed in her ear. “Huh? What Spike?” Twilight looked around the room frantically. “I thought there was a fire or something.” “Twilight, you need to get outside,” Spike implored her. “Just because a single spell went wrong, it doesn't mean you have to study the whole rest of the day to make up for it.” “Spike, the princess is going to be expecting a letter on my findings. I know I'm not her student anymore, but I don't want to disappoint her with something like this. I've got to find a way to make this work.” Spike sighed. “Do you remember why you were sent to Ponyville in the first place?” Twilight nodded. “Of course I do. To study the magic of friendship.” “Exactly,” Spike walked over to the window and opened the shade, letting the sun into the room. “Come on, Twilight. There's a lot more to magic than just reading those dusty old books. I know you might be mad at Pinkie for distracting you, but you've got to get over that and move on.” He turned back to the princess. “I think her friendship means more to you than almost any other type of magic.” “But, I—” “You need to forgive her, Twilight.” The alicorn sunk her shoulders in defeat. “You're right Spike. I'm being a terrible friend.” Spike opened the door for her. Twilight gave him a small smile. “Thanks, Spike,” she told him, dashing out the door. Spike saluted. “That's what Dragon Assistants are for!” * * * “Ah can't wait to meet her,” Applebloom shouted up to Scootaloo. “Pinkie says she's just like a regular pony, but made of snow!” Scootaloo was pulling her in a wagon to go meet Frosty the snowmare, Pinkie's newest friend. “And the coolest part is this,” Scootaloo called back, cutting her scooter around a tight corner. “Rainbow Dash helped make Frosty, and she said we could have a snowball fight.” “Awesome! So, what're we waitin' for?” Scootaloo pulled to a stop in a clearing. Sweetie Belle was also standing there. “Well, nothing now. We're here!” Applebloom hopped out of the wagon. “Where's Pinkie?” she asked Sweetie. At that moment, Pinkie bounced out of the bushes next to Scootaloo. “Where's Dinky? I don't know. I haven't seen her in a while.” “Wait. If you're here, where's Frosty?” Scootaloo asked. “And where's Dash?” As if in response, Pinkie's tail started to twitch. “Right here, silly!” A blue blur sped by, dropping a pile of snow on Scootaloo's head. A few seconds later, Rainbow pulled up alongside Pinkie, a snowy mare on her back. “Hey Applebloom, Sweetie,” said Rainbow, nodding. “You two look dry.” Scootaloo shook herself off. “You got me,” she admitted. “You've got some stuff to learn before you're at my level, kiddo,” said Rainbow, puffing out her chest. “And this,” said Pinkie, motioning to Rainbow's back, “is Frosty!” A round of introductions was made. Rainbow came up behind the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Now, I just happened to check the ground when I was flying over, and you'll never guess who's coming this way.” Pinkie popped up next to Rainbow. “Was it Mayor Mare?” “Yes! Wait, no. Twilight's headed this way.” Rainbow raised her eyebrows. “You guys know what that means, right?” “O'Course!” Applebloom told Rainbow, a maniacal grin appearing on her face. The three Cutie Mark Crusaders huddled together. “Cutie Mark Crusaders: Snowball Assault Team!” they cheered. “So what's the plan, Dashie?” asked Pinkie. Rainbow began to draw a tactical map in the snow. “All right. Scoots and I will use the cloud cover to get some snow clouds over Twilight's head. Sweetie and Applebloom, you two are going to entrench on the left side of the path and begin stocking snowballs. Frosty and Pinkie are going to sneak around to the other side and try to get on Twilight's flank. We should be able to surround her.” The ponies instantly dispersed to their battle stations, Pinkie and Frosty heading south, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom east, and Rainbow upwards with Scootaloo on her back. “Do you really think we'll get her this time?” asked Scootaloo. Rainbow kicked a cloud into place above the path. “Without a doubt.” The two hunkered down in the cloud, just peaking over the edge. Soon Twilight came into view. “Just a little more,” Rainbow said, watching Twilight come slowly towards the trap. “Three... Two... One...” At that moment, all the chaos in Discord's unholy name broke forth. * * * “Whew,” Twilight said, wiping her brow. “That was the most fun I've had in a while.” Pinkie bounced up beside her. “You should have seen the look on your face. You were like 'Huh?' and then we were like 'YAH!' and then you were like 'FORCE FIELD!' and kicked our flanks. But it was still fun!” “What do you mean she kicked our flanks?” Rainbow asked, landing next to the two. “I thought we fought valiantly.” “Well, she didn't get hit by a single snowball and kind of had an army of a hundred bewitched snowballs pelting you.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Magic doesn't c-c-count, d-duh,” she said, shivering. “Okay, maybe we should go warm up.” “Sweet Apple Acres is just up that hill!” Applebloom volunteered. “She's not expecting ya, but I'm sure A.J. wouldn't mind if y'all wanted to come in for a glass of hot cider and to warm up.” “Cider?” Rainbow licked her lips. “Would I ever!” Rosy cheeked and tired, the seven ponies made their way up to the crest of the hill. “Pinkie?” ventured Twilight. “I wanted to let you know, well... sorry I was so snappy before about that spell.” Pinkie patted her friend on the back. “It's okie dokie lokie. Sorry I interrupted you when you were doing it.” Frosty, walking beside Pinkie, gave a small smile. “Applejack!” Applebloom called, opening the door. “We're home!” “Tell everypony to wipe their feet off!” came the response from upstairs. “I'll heat up some cider in a minute.” The six trotted out and sat around the table; Frosty had deigned to remain outside. They were just settling into some small talk when Applejack came into the room. “Here's some cider to help y'all warm up. Oh, howdy Twilight, didn't expect you!” she turned, seeing Rainbow for the first time. “An' I shoulda guessed you would come,” she said with a scowl. Rainbow let out a nervous laugh. “You know I'd never pass up a chance for cider!” Applejack raised her eyebrows. “Oh, by the way,” Pinkie interjected, letting the tension out of the moment. “Frosty was wondering if she could get some of your cider cold. Since, you know, I don't think hot cider would be good for a snowmare.” She giggled. “Sure,” said Applejack. “I'll get you some.” At that moment, there was a knock on the door. “Ah'll get it!” cried Applebloom, leaping up from her seat. Applebloom opened the door, letting in a rather frazzled Fluttershy. “Rainbow! I'm so sorry, but Carrot Top said she sold her last two carrots to you, and I need a carrot or else Angel Bunny's salad won't be just perfect and then he won't eat it and then he'll starve,” she said all in one breath. “You're out of luck,” said Applejack, coming back into the room. “Rainbow used that last carrot for Frosty's nose.” She went outside to go give Frosty her cider. Rainbow picked her cider up off of the table. “Well, actually...” she rustled through her saddlebags. “I actually picked up a second carrot, so, um, here you go Fluttershy!” Applejack stuck her head back through the door and looked up at Rainbow. “You picked up a second carrot why exactly?” Rainbow offered her a sheepish smile. “Uh... to eat?” With a flash, Rainbow was out the door with Applejack chasing behind her. Twilight sighed. Some things would never change. “Anyone want more cider?” called Applebloom from the kitchen. * * * Pinkie set up the tent next to sugarcube corner. “I brought lots of blankets and stuff, and so we should be able to spend one last night getting to know Frosty, since I don't think she'll be able to stay with us much longer with the warm front coming in.” “Wow,” Twilight looked up at the huge tent. “The last time I had a sleepover, a tree fell into my house. Do you think that will happen again?” Applejack and Rarity cringed at the memory. “I doubt it,” said Pinkie, looking up at the sky. “Yeah,” Rainbow continued. “There isn't a single cloud in sight.” “All right.” Twilight climbed into the tent. Rarity shuffled back. “As much as I'd love to join you guys, since, I, uh, love camping so much, I'm afraid I have an urgent order to fill, so I'll have to catch up with you guys in the morning.” “Absofruitly-lootly!” Pinkie dived into the tent, giggling. The five remaining ponies stuck their heads out of the tent and looked at Frosty. “So what do you think of Ponyville so far?” asked Fluttershy. “Yeah! Is it totally awesome or what?” Frosty smiled at them mutely. “Girls, she might not be able to speak!” Twilight told them. Applejack looked over at the princess. “Wait, what?” “Well, the object animation spell that I placed on her head is only intended to animate matter which already subsists, not to create it's own functional organism,” Twilight explained. “I bet Pinkie and Rainbow never carved Frosty a tongue or a voice-box, so she probably can't speak.” “She said 'she loves it so far,'” Pinkie interrupted. Twilight looked at Pinkie. “Wait, she didn't say anything!” Pinkie rolled her eyes. “You wouldn't understand, Twilight.” And so the six ponies carried on into the night. * * * The sun was rising as Twilight and Rarity, who had just arrived, used their magic to fold up the tent. Pinkie was hugging her friend as the warm front closed in rapidly. “You're sure they can't push back that warm front?” Pinkie asked Rainbow. “Weather ponies have their orders, Pinks. They can't stop summer just for you and your friend.” Pinkie hugged Frosty tighter. “I'll miss you so much.” She pulled Frosty in even tighter. “You had such a great sense of humor. We'll definitely build you next year.” A drop of water dripped out of Frosty's eye. She placed her hoof in Pinkie's as the sun rose over the horizon. The droplets began to form all over her body. Slowly her hind legs began to melt, the water dripping down into the snow below. In a few minutes, her hoof slipped from Pinkie's as her leg fell from her body, caving the whole structure in. Pinkie gave one last small, sad smile at her melted friend before turning away. “I'll never forget you, Frosty,” she whispered to the pile of snow behind her. She picked the hat up off of the top of the pile and handed it to Rarity, trying to control her breathing. As Rarity dried off the hat, she began to cry lightly. Twilight put her arm around the mare's shoulder. “Pinkie,” Twilight started, “part of friendship is... is having to say goodbye. It's hard, but it's important to let Frosty go.” Pinkie sobbed into Twilight's shoulder. “But we had almost no time together,” she sobbed. “She was only here for a day. A day, Twilight. I didn't even really get to know her.” Twilight rubbed her hoof up and down Pinkie's back. “Pinkie, part of her is still here. She's always going to remain inside you. Inside your mind, inside your memories,” she patted Pinkie's chest. “And inside your heart.” Pinkie sniffed and wiped her eyes. “And you know what?” Twilight rubbed the back of her head thoughtfully. “There's something else that I've learned about friendship.” Pinkie looked up at Twilight. “No matter how far away you get from somepony, as long as you care about them, there's always a way back.” * * * Rarity fiddled with the hat in her hooves as she waited behind the counter. The tingling of bells alerted her to the entrance of the customer she had been waiting for. “Good morning, your highness.” “Good morning, miss,” he replied. He was tall, with a pure white coat and eyes that were the dark, deep blue of the ocean. “Prince Charming, sir, would you like me to direct you to your suit?” “Ah, yes.” She walked him through her new designs on the way to the back room. With a flick of her heel, she hit the lever to open the windows. Prince Charming took a step back. “Now these designs are absolutely stunning. I take it these found some inspiration in the colors of winter?” “A good friend, actually,” Rarity replied, looking back. She looked over her designs shimmering in the sunlight. He was right; they were absolutely perfect. She reached up to her saddlebag and patted it to make sure that the hat was still there. Rarity picked her way through the racks and led the Prince through to the back room. “And, here we are.” She showed him the dark suit, expertly repaired. It looked practically new. “Fantastic,” he said with his eyebrows raised. “I wasn't expecting it to look this good.” Rarity blushed, looking askance at the floor. He started to walk towards the door. Rarity coughed. “That would be thirty-eight bits, sir.” Prince Charming turned back around, chuckling. “What, you weren't going to let me go with it for free thanks to my being ridiculously good-looking?” “Well, ah... no.” He rolled his eyes. “You really expect me to pay for this?” he asked, holding the suit up. “Why do you think I came to a second-rate boutique in backwater Ponyville? Anyway, why isn't my hat here.” Rarity bit her lip, feeling her saddlebag. The hat was still tucked inside. “I'm sorry, sir, but the hat got lost.” Prince Charming recoiled. “And you expect me to pay for that?” he gave a small 'tsch' sound, and turned on his heel. “Don't ever expect to see me around here again,” he yelled back, slamming the door. “Don't worry, I won't,” Rarity replied to nopony in particular with a small smile. She pulled the hat out of her bag. Looking it over, she tucked it on a high shelf in her cabinet. “For next year,” she whispered to herself. “For next year.” Author's Note I'm too lazy to draw right now, but I'll try to get a cover image up soon. Thanks to my wonderful prereader, Lapis-Lazuli and everyone who voted for this in the contest~!
