Chapter 10

Suffice to say that walk was one of the coldest I’ve ever been on. Somehow though, being with Pinkie made up for the fact that I was freezing as the sunset behind the hills surrounding Ponyville. In the distance I could make out a Castle painted crimson and orange as the daylight faded. The turrets I saw shone like beacons and sparkled like several stars as if the day was giving its last gift to this world. Beautiful is one word to describe that sight and yet every time I looked to my right that pink mare looked equally if not more spectacular than that sunset and castle. We walked in relative silence the only sound being the crunch of hoof and foot upon snow. Not surprising considering how late and cold it was we were the only two outside at the time. Most of the houses had thatched roof tops with each road appearing to converge onto a grand central plaza with a breathtaking town hall in the center. We passed through a mostly deserted market place that looked very similar to the farmers markets I knew from earth. A lone shopkeeper was closing up his stall and glanced warily at me. He was mostly a gray earth pony with teal eyes and what appeared to be an image of a molten steel bar on his flank. I did my best to look friendly after all I towered over most of these ponies by a solid three feet. I gave a halfhearted smile knowing I needed to make a good impression. Despite it all the shopkeeper sneered and quickly put up the “closed” sign for his stand and trudged off in the opposite direction. “Oh don’t let him bother you that was just Scrap Iron, he doesn’t come to Ponyville much since he works in the metal industry in Canterlot. He mostly comes here just to sell his really cool junk and stuff.”
“Interesting…. I didn’t know there were ponies that did that.” I replied attempting to ignore the look that pony gave me.

We continued are journey to Lyra’s place which took a little longer than I expected. Along the way we past the town library built inside a tree just as the princess explained. Near the tree’s crown I noticed a certain purple alicorn preparing a telescope of sorts on her balcony. Noticing us pass by she waved excitedly and gave a cheerful smile. I found it a little odd after all we had only just met on a formal basis and yet she acknowledged me as a longtime friend. A bit encouraged by this find I waved back. It was nice having someone to wave to even for that brief moment the mere fact somepony remembered me and made an effort to be friendly nearly made tear up as we continued walking. “Heya Sammy you okay?” I had barely noticed Pinkie ease her pace to walk right beside me.
“Yeah sure, I’m good just got some snow in my eyes that’s all”. I tried to play it off casually obviously I didn’t want to show weakness in front of a pony that I cared for. She had already done so much for me I really didn’t desire to cause her anymore concern. I needed to be the one to give something back. At that moment I wasn’t quite sure what I could give to a mare that seemed so content with what she had. Of course I knew that Pinkie was probably not always this cheerful and happy but I had a hard time picturing a situation that could actually dampen the spirits of this rambunctious pony. Regardless I resolved to think of something that would truly delight her.
“Okie dokie….lokie.” She didn’t really buy my response and gave me a quizzical look but soon became distracted by other things.
“Hey, hey look at that cloud it kind of looks like a éclair, I just love eclairs they are so sweet and filled with cream that just makes my mouth water. Have you ever had an éclair??!” Pinkie’s face lit up and she stopped abruptly in the snow.

“You look like you have come up with the best idea ever.” I said amusedly as we resumed are walk. “That’s because it is the best idea ever we should totally go to sugar cube corner tomorrow. I can try out the new éclair recipe and you look like you’d be an excellent taste tester.” "Well I'd like nothing better. after all I have yet to taste anything in this world that isn't served as hospital food."

"Oh you haven't had eclairs as good as mine...well if applejack makes them they might be as good." Pinkie lifted a hoof to her chin. "It seems to me that you take Applejack to be a rival, well perhaps I should try her pastries first" I said teasing Pinkie a little. She snapped back to reality "Oh well my Eclairs have a special ingredient in the cream….it’s super special I meet with a super-secret provider!”
"oh really?”
“Yeperooni in fact whenever I meet with him he is surrounded by tough looking guard ponies…… but why would elcair crème be that important?” I couldn’t help but grin and play along “You know I bet the crème is secretly laced with some type of drug that they are using to zombiefy the whole of Ponyville…I mean it makes perfect sense who doesn’t like éclairs?” I said feigning my suspicious face.
“I KNOW and I bet the guards are there to use some magic explosive bombs in case someone catches on to there devious plans” pinkie exclaimed adamantly. Seeing her serious demeanor at the thought of something so silly I couldn’t help but burst out laughing and pinkie quickly followed suit. “This is the kind of thing I can only do with a few people in my world” I said in between giggles. I noticed Pinkie had stopped laughing and her mane if it’s even possible deflated from its normal poofy appearance. “Something the matter? I’m sorry if I said anything that upset you” I quickly stuttered fearful that I had hurt this kind mare in someway.

“No it’s not your fault….it’s just….” Pinkie’s voice was no louder than a whisper. “It’s just what?” I asked “Well I have great friends here I couldn’t ask for another five ponies plus a dragon that cared about me as me about them. But I can never really act this way around them I mean Twilight with just brush it off and me being silly or something, Rainbow Dash would cut me off and ask me to watch one of her latest tricks, Fluttershy well that goes without saying she would hide inside afraid of what I had made up, Rarity is not the type of pony that is into this kind of thing and Applejack is too busy on the farm and to serious to enjoy this happy silly moment we just had.” I wasn’t sure how to respond I had only just met this pony and well I’m not the kind of guy to butt myself into the personal matters of others. That said we had grown closer during our hospital stay and we’ll darkside had been quiet at the time. “Pinkie I’m sure if you talked to them about this they would listen although I can only speak for Twilight I don’t really know your other friends that well. I can fully understand after all it’s the kind of thing that should happen naturally.” Pinkie gave a sad smile “You’re right, it’s just talking about these kinds of things is not my strength.” “You seem to be doing alright talking with me…Hey look up ahead I see a house is that Lyra’s place” I asked somewhat eager to distract Pinkie from her sudden depressed mood. She looked toward where I had pointed her eyes lit up and her mane reflated “Yep, that’s the place now we can finally figure out how to plan a proper Human and Pony Party.” With that we quickened our pace as the last slivers of crimson gold sunlight faded behind the snow covered hills.

Lyra’s cottage or I guess mansion is the more appropriate descriptor is located just on the outskirts of Ponyville. It was more modern looking by pony standards with a dark green tiled roof. It is three stories tall with several ornate statues decorating a balcony that hung over the main entrance. Windows flanked the large mahogany door and stretched to encompass the entire front wall of the mansion. The mansion’s most striking feature however was the circular gated courtyard that surrounded the mansion. It is blanketed with scuptures of a thousand different species and interspersed with cedar, oak, and cypress trees that were blanketed in snow. The moon was just beginning to rise in the sky giving the entire property an almost ethereal glow. Suffice to say it was beautiful when I first saw it however the odd thing was no lights were on and the blinds had been closed. “Do you think she is home?” I wondered aloud. Without a word Pinkie bounced her way up through the courtyard and crunched through the snow to the massive doors which held four different handles, one obviously designed for ponies and two I couldn’t guess what creatures they were for. The last handle further up on the door was different it was noticeably taller than most ponies could reach and grooved for four fingers and a thumb. It had a silvery polished glow in the moonlight. Pinkie gave the door a firm knock “Lyra you home?!” she called out. There was no answer. “I guess she isn’t I said a bit disappointed that I wouldn’t get to meet her or rather that I was going to lose some of my toes to frostbite if I had to spend another minute in the bone chilling night. “Hmmm I guess Lyra decided to stay at Bon Bon’s tonight, I should of known those two are inseparable just like Scootaloo when she finds Rainbow Dash.” Pinkie shivered as a gale blew through the somewhat protected overhang around the door. “I th-ink that L-Lyra keeps a spare key around here we sh-should look for it b-efore we freeze into popsicles out here” Pinkie stammered her teeth chattering. “Alright let’s look around the balcony first then. With that we got to searching but it didn’t take long to realize that it was far too dark and cold to look for something as small as a key. “Pinkie Pie you keep searching in front I’ll go see if there is another way in around back”. The party pony simply nodded her coat turning a little blue. I looked down at my fingers to see they too were numb and a bit blue. Clutching my blanket close to my body I rounded the corner to see if there was a back door or something. As luck would have it there was an old metal ladder lying on the ground outside."I might be able to reach the balcony with this" I said to myself. I let go of my blanket to pick it up which was a mistake the immediate temperature chilled my body to the core and the metal was so cold it burned the flesh on my hands. I scooped up the blanket and padded my shoulder as I held the ladder against it and made my way back to the front entrance.

Upon reaching the front I didn’t see Pinkie. “Pinkie you still here?” I called out as the wind was picking up and a steady stream of snow began to fall. I heard no reply, “PINKIE WHERE ARE YOU?!” I yelled out again beginning to panic. I frantically scanned the courtyard searching for any bright pink spot hidden among the statues. It was in vain the snow was creating whiteout conditions. Without a second thought I dropped the ladder by the door and ran out calling out her name trying to make myself heard above the howl of the wind. I searched for what felt like hours desperately hoping to hear anything from the only Mare that had ever showed me genuine kindness and compassion. I was about ready to collapse in the snow right then and there when I called one last time and I didn’t hear anything rather I saw a slight movement of a pink head half buried in the snow. I bolted over to Pinkie who was stone cold and shivering in my arms as I pulled her out from the ice and snow. Her lips were blue along with the ends of her legs. I lifted her up and held her body against my chest with her head on my shoulder and began trudging my way to the mansion entrance.
My body was like ice and my legs felt like lead weights but I couldn’t allow this mare to simply freeze to death out here, it may have been a death I deserved but not her….Never her. I reached the door and laid Pinkie down gently all the while the wind was howling and the temperature dropping. I quickly went and grabbed the ladder and hoping against hope it would reach the third floor balcony. And of course it was too short. Desperation mode kicked in. I needed to get Pinkie inside I needed to get her inside! Out of the corner of my eye I spied a statue that was a few yards out from the balcony and about its height as well. Without a second thought I ran out to it with the ladder in tow. I leaned the ladder against the cold statue and began to climb. Upon reaching the top I wedged myself in between the two appendages near the summit and bent down to grab the ladder. The rungs were spaced out just far enough for me to jam the ladder around the head of the statue as I slowly lowered it to the balcony creating a makeshift bridge. Adrenalin pumping through my system I crawled along the ladder to the to the balcony. About half way through the ladder slipped from the balcony guard rail and hooked itself on to the rain gutter that ran along the balcony floor. I quickened my pace realizing that the ladder was slipping further. I wasn’t going to make it crawling the gutter creaked and groaned under the pressure and just as it looked ready to give I flung myself forward reaching out to grab the guard rail. Luck was on my side that time and I managed to wrap my hands around the railing as the ladder fell bringing the head of the statue down with it. “Oops” I muttered to myself as I pulled my body on to the balcony floor. I reached the ornate glass door and realized in my desperate plan to get up here I wasn’t even sure if this door would be unlocked. “Another half assed plan Right?” Darkside whispered. Ignoring him I tried the handle and again I was lucky the door opened. I ran inside to the stairwell nearly flinging myself down 2 flights of stairs to the front door. I brought the shivering Pinkie inside.

I laid her on the sofa in what appeared to be a living room which had a few unburned logs in a fire place. I looked around to see that a few matches were sitting on the mantle along with some newspaper. Wadding up the paper and shoving it into the fireplace and I quickly struck a match and watched as the flames roared to life. The room was definitely warmer but Pinkie was borderline hypothermic or at least that is what I feared. I scrounged around the house looking through closets and cupboards for any warm material or clothing. I came upon a linen closet and grabbed several blankets. I raced back over to her and wrapped her up in a cocoon of sorts. It seemed I had done as much as I could for this pony but she was still shivering and her lips still blue. I removed my shirt and climbed on to the sofa shimmied my way under the blankets and pressed my body against hers. She was freezing cold and as I laid there frightened out of my mind I hoped to….something….. anything that everything would be alright when we woke up.

Author's Note

Lyra's Place huh? I wonder what type of intrigue our human will find there? Anyway sorry about these late uploads so to make up for it I put these 3 chapters up on the same day. Any who if you like be sure to comment or tell me what you dislike plz and again thanks for reading.