The humble hamlet of Ponyville practically hummed with a very festive mood. With winter having started a week prior, much of the town was blanketed in thick snow, but that didn’t hamper the merriness that had gripped its citizens, for they had spent much of the time making ready for yet another Hearth’s Warming celebration. Stringing up the lights, decking things with holly, and all kinds of assorted holly-jollying. Yet this year’s Hearth’s Warming would be extra special, for a short while ago, the Princess of Friendship had received notice that they would be hosting a special guest for much of the season. And not just any regular guest, for it was none other than the odd musical diva with the massive locks who had visited their town twice in the months prior, much to everypony’s surprise (even the princess).
As one could imagine, excitement and expectations were running especially high among the kindly townsfolk toward the end of their initial decorating frenzy. And it was mighty fine weather to expend that energy for holiday set-up, with the sun just past its noon-time position and not a trace of clouds anywhere. The air was crisp and cool, meaning the citizens got to add extra scarves and the like to their colorful holiday fashion. As everypony worked to put up the final touches of Hearth’s Warming whilst spreading good cheer, a royal escort was making its rounds about the town.
Approaching the town square, an entourage consisting of a pink baker, an orange farmer, a shy yellow pegasus, a purple alicorn, and a slim ape-like creature decked in a faded green coat with ear muffs came to rest near the front of town hall. The building was already covered in holiday trappings, so the ladies could enjoy a reprieve from busy decorators while also discussing future event arrangements.
“Tomorrow we’ll have the stage built in front of the building,” Twilight was explaining, waving her mittened hoof over the proposed concert site. “There’ll also be curtains to block it from view. In this way the town hall can be used for a planning as well as dressing area.”
“And of course it’s gonna get all the neato Hearth’s Warming trimmings so that it’s super festive!” Pinkie Pie added, beneath her poofy winter hat.
“That all sounds perfectly fine,” the diva said. “I have no doubt it will be festive, seeing what a fine job you’ve done with everything else so far. It’s a good place for a Christmas-themed shoot, seeing how everything is practically out of a picture book.”
“Well we're glad to hear that, Ms. Miku,” Twilight said.
“Just Miku is fine, Twilight.”
“Oh, right. Heheh, sorry.”
Some time since the diva’s last visit, Twilight had worked on and perfected a universal translation spell, for use with non-Equestrian speakers, or if any other aliens happened to pop up. It certainly saved Miku the trouble of having to bring extra translators for the little equines.
“We certainly appreciate you wantin’ to come by and put on this concert for us, Miku,” Applejack said graciously, wearing her trademark Stetson along with some winter boots. “That’s right considerate even though we never asked, far as I’m aware.”
“It’s the least I can do, given how much you and this whole town had helped out with my last video shoot. Everyone here is just so friendly, and it would make a holiday concert all the more genuine.”
“We aims to please in that regard,” Applejack said with a wink. “And I take it ya’s fixin’ to have somethin’ special this time around as well?”
“Yes, though nothing as extreme as last time,” the diva answered. “Just a regular Christmas show. Or Hearth’s Warming, as you call it.” Turning her head, she scanned over the future stage site. “Decorations, lights of all kinds. Is it possible we can get some winter hares, or other white-furred animals? It would make for a nice, fluffy touch.”
“Well, most of the animals around here hibernate for the winter, and those that don't don't have white fur,” Fluttershy answered, with her adorable green scarf and hat. “We don't have any winter hares, but there's Angel Bunny! Oh but, um, maybe he wouldn't be a good fit. He isn't very… cooperative with public performances.”
“That's okay. I have something to make up for it.”
The songstress closed her eyes and brought up her arms, lightly pressing the tips of her fingers together. Taking a breath, she concentrated as a glow seemed to emanate from her body. Her hair and the edges of her coat started to shimmer, and suddenly a flash of light filled the air, temporarily blinding the four mares. When their vision returned, what they saw before them was the diva sporting an entirely different outfit, and even a different hair color! Instead of a conservative winter coat, she was donned in a stylish frost blue dress and cape, and had somehow acquired a matching steeple hat as well, giving her the look of a cutesy witch. She gave her surprised onlookers a wink and a smile, then with a spin of her frosty blue hair she became encased in a sphere of light that quickly scattered, revealing her previous green ensemble.
“Whoa, you can transform? I didn’t think ya could do magic!” Applejack gawked in wide-mouthed amazement.
“No, not magic: just some relatively simple light manipulation. That was only a preview, but it’s one of my more popular models. Judging by how you're all just as cutesy as that, it should be a hit.”
“And boy-howdy will it ever! I mean that’s a really cool trick, you could change into just about anything right, right? Like you could change into a giant rabbit, or a bear, or even better still a polar bear, or a reindeer! Ooh actually I could be dressed up like one of those, so you have a cute animal for the concert, and all kinds of snowflake confetti and streamers oh boy it’s just so exciting just like Hearth’s Warming itself I just can’t wait—”
Pinkie’s energetic ramble came to a halt with as Applejack shoved one of her signature produce into the party pony’s mouth. For the next couple of seconds it took her to munch the fruit, there was peace.
“Well I’m mighty impressed, and I’m pretty sure the rest of the town will be, too,” the farm mare neatly summarized. The diva gave a humble nod, shortly before Twilight spoke up.
“There’s a few days left before Hearth’s Warming, so if you can think of anything else that needs to be arranged, just let me know. That's still plenty of time, though, and I'm sure any additions you can think of can be handled swiftly.”
“Yeah, if I do think of anything it shouldn't be anything major. But thanks for the assurance, nevertheless.”
“Hmhm, my pleasure.”
Just then, a blur of blue and other colors zipped onto the scene, alighting on two athletic wings before landing onto a patch of crunchy snow.
“Oh, hello Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy greeted the newcomer.
“Nice of ya to show up, RD,” Applejack added. “Been wonderin’ where you were.”
“Hey AJ, guys,” the blue pegasus said with a wave. “I was out with the weather team over the Everfree. Clearing the way for the blizzard tonight, but it took a bit longer than we thought. Thunderlane and Flitter thought it’d be a good idea to have a midair snowball fight right when we were almost done.”
“Oh man, you should've told me about that; I totally would have been up for some aerial snowball action!” Pinkie Pie gushed with a bounce.
“Well sorry to burst your bubble, Pinkie, but yours truly had those two schooled before it could get further out of hoof. Can't go messing around when there's a job to do.”
“Well listen to you, soundin’ all responsible and serious like.”
“Whatever, AJ. I can handle fun and work at the same time, but not everyone can be as talented as me.”
“Especially at power-napping!”
“Yeah! Hey wait.”
This garnered a laugh from the other girls, even the diva, much to Rainbow’s chagrin. As they were coming down from their mirth, another newcomer approached, this time the rather plain but ever diligent director, still in his khakis and work shirt, along with some thick winter gloves, black jacket and economic beige scarf. He gave them a greeting wave as everyone regarded him.
“Hey everyone. Man, it’s brisk.” He took a moment to rub his arms before continuing. “I got the sound and recording equipment being relocated for the show. Is everything looking up to snuff so far, Miku?”
“It certainly is. We were discussing having the stage built here tomorrow, when the blizzard clears up.”
“That’s swell, though I dunno why we have to put up with a blizzard in the first place. It’s weird enough you ponies can physically control the frickin’ weather, so why not keep away all the bad stuff for the entire season?”
“B-because if blizzards or any kind of storm is kept away too long, eventually one will build up to be so great that nopony would be able to stop it, and that would be disastrous,” Fluttershy explained.
“Uh-huh, yeah. Of course that’s how stormfronts work in this place. Anyway, can we get inside and take a break? I’m really hankering for some coffee, or cocoa at least.”
“We need to go check on Rarity first and see how her decorating is coming along,” Twilight replied. “She should be finishing up things at the boutique by now.”
“Okay then, let’s go get her.”
As everyone nodded and began to walk off, the director gave a grunt of discomfort as he jammed a finger into an ear and gave it some twists.
“Man, all this dry air is making this translator itchy.”
“If you want, I could cast a translation spell so you won’t have to put up with it,” Twilight offered.
“Uhhh, yeah, you’re nice enough ladies and all, but I’m still not keen on the whole magic thing. So no thanks.”
The purple princess only shrugged at the rejection and went to making small talk with her friends, while the director kept close to his diva companion.
A short time earlier, the remaining Element of Harmony was, indeed, finishing up her share of decorating. The ivory-coated fashionista, being ever so generous, had volunteered to help decorate the homes and businesses of everypony else before her own for most of the preceding and current week. The upside to this delay in one’s own Hearth’s Warming preparation was that she could take extra time making sure her domicile was simply dazzling without being burdened with helping others.
After sharing breakfast with her friends that morning, Rarity had taken to covering the outside of her massive boutique first, to make use of the rising temperature to ease the strain of working outdoors in winter. In hardly two hours time the facade of her home was decked out to her complete satisfaction, and thus her focus could be turned to the interior right before lunchtime. As her friends were congregating by town hall, she was in the process of putting up the last arrangement of bows around the boutique showroom. With one eye closed and her face scrunched up in concentration, the unicorn magically leveled the tied red ribbons in the exact middle over the central showcase stage. With a few agonizing adjustments, she pinned it into place, giving a breath of satisfaction.
“Ah, absolutely perfect! Another Hearth’s Warming in the bag, Rarity my dear.” Suddenly something occurred to her. “Oops, I just remembered.” With a wave of her magic, she brought out a mistletoe to be hung right under the bow, so that it dangled between two festively dressed ponnequins. “Nearly spoke too soon, ha ha.”
The fashionista took a moment to scan the lay of her store and marvel at her work. Just about every inch of the boutique was adorned in bows, tinsel, filigree, paper snowflakes, and all other manner of ornamentation. There was even a decorated tree near one of the shop windows, ready to receive presents on the big day.
“Sweetie Belle will no doubt be impressed when she comes home back from momma and pappa’s tomorrow.” Wiping her brow with a hoof, she added, “Now to make some tea and properly enjoy this day.”
No sooner had she begun trotting to the kitchen than the tingling of the shop door bell filled the air. Immediately she had forgone thoughts of rest and switched to full-on business mode as she turned to greet the customer with a beaming smile.
“A Happy Hearth’s Warming to you, and welcome to Carousel Boutique: where we specialize in making you sleek, chic and unique. How might I be of service this fine day?”
Her holiday-themed welcome out of the way, Rarity took stock of her potential purchaser in fashion. It was a stallion of average height, with a light gray coat and a bushy dark blonde mane. He had on a pair of thick-lens glasses that hid his eyes, and in the spirit of the holidays he wore one of those red hats with the white pom-pom on the end, as well as a gray scarf. He regarded the shopkeep with a modest smile before speaking in a deep but friendly voice.
“Oh, just thought I'd drop in and browse. I hear a lot of nice things about this place.”
“Oh have you now? Well I'll certainly be delighted to point you toward anything that comes to your mind, but certainly, feel free to peruse.”
“Uh-huh.”
The stallion began to trot lazily about, idly gazing over the displays and decorations. While he did so, Rarity caught sight of his Cutie Mark: a blue capital “C” in a blue square. A unique kind of mark, she thought. Whatever could it stand for?
“It's pretty cold weather out there,” he remarked as he kept looking over things at random.
“Oh it certainly is, almost frightfully so. Definitely the kind of season to get bundled for.”
“That's for sure.” The stallion’s focus turned to the bow and mistletoe centerpiece. “This is a really nice set-up you have here. Very fancy.”
“Thank you for saying so. I do like to put my best into everything I do, whether it’s decorating, dress-making, or even cooking.”
“Yeah, these are some very nice outfits,” he remarked as he got a closer look at the center ponnequins. “And I bet you help out plenty in decorating other places.”
“As a matter of fact, I did help spruce up the town throughout the week. It's always so rewarding to help others in making everything fabulous, if I do say so myself.”
“Yeah, that's pretty nice. And no doubt your friends are grateful when you help them make things all nice-looking.”
“But of course. My own time is mere pittance when it comes to giving a helping hoof, be it to my friends or even total strangers.”
“And what swell friends you got, from what I understand.” By then the stallion had meandered over to a shelf loaded with different fabrics and scarves. “Pretty much everyone knows about the Elements. Wonderful bunch of ladies, and incredibly brave to boot.”
“Why yes, we really can be daring heroines when the need arises,” Rarity responded, bringing a hoof to her chest in acceptance of the flattery. However, the stallion looked to her with a tilted head and a raised brow. Rarity suddenly felt self-conscious as he gave a chuckle.
“Uh, sorry, but I meant that those friends of yours are brave. But you… meh.” He turned to look over the scarves, ignoring the agape look of the fashionista.
“...What do you mean?”
Instantly Rarity was surprised by the tone that went in delivering that question, but she didn’t have a moment to dwell as she got an immediate response.
“Well don’t get me wrong: you do your fair share, I guess. It’s just those other gals are very great at being heroes.”
He went back to perusing, allowing Rarity a moment to decide whether to follow up on that or let it be. She chose the former.
“Not to seem argumentative, but me and my friends work as a team. Not one of us is better than the other when it comes down to it. We have our own special talents to offer in keeping Equestria safe.”
Rarity didn’t know why she was feeling so heated. This wasn’t the first time somepony had criticized her or any of her friends for lacking in the savior department, but… something about the stranger’s attitude rubbed her the wrong way.
“Uh-huh, sure you do,” he said dismissively as he idly tapped at a pile of holiday sweaters. “But look at what the others have done and can do. Applejack and Rainbow Dash are fighters that run headlong at any challenge. That Pinkie Pie is a textbook wild card and literally laughs at danger. Even Fluttershy has faced down dragons and the Lord of Chaos, even with her timid nature. And of course, Princess Twilight is often leading the charge toward impending doom, and it’s usually her that rallies everyone when defeat is practically guaranteed. But as for you…” He leaned closer to inspect the stitch work, then turned away with a fling his the head. “You do well enough, I suppose.”
Rarity was utterly flabbergasted by such a flippant statement. This stranger, milling about her store, without even showing an inkling of wanting to make any sort of purchase, had the audacity to criticize her practically to her face. Of course she wouldn’t stand for it. She was going to set the record straight, salesmare etiquette or no. And yet, and yet…
“I-I will have you know, sir, that how I go about handling the dangers me and my friends face is of none of your business, and therefore has no need of your approval.” She was surprised by the quaver in her voice. That should’ve come out louder, she thought. “I, I am a very strong and reliable mare, who can pull her own weight around if need be.”
“I bet you could, though I’d imagine it’d take considerable effort.” The stallion walked past a flustered Rarity to get a look at some hats. “You come off as the more dainty sort of lady. I mean sure, you’re alright with dress-making and rock finding. It’s just I would expect something more from one of the great, hallowed protectors of this country.”
He turned around and went up to the central ponnequins, giving them a lookover as his condescending spiel went on.
“So many dangers in this world, so many unknowns, and a pretty thing like yourself has to have her friends around to keep her safe and tidy. But imagine: being able to face those dangers like the others, those dragons and serpents and gods of old, fearless and unhindered by pretty looks or nasty scrapes. Now that’s the kind of individual that can inspire. That can just, ‘wow’, you know?”
He looked to the unicorn, but got no answer other than a perplexed stare right through his head. Seeing the shopkeep in that state, the stallion shrugged. “But I’ve dawdled about here long enough. I might come back later for one of those sweaters.” As he trotted for the door, he kept talking. “Gonna be a nasty chill tonight, I can tell. An especially cold, dark, relentless night. Hope you get yourself prepared for what’s to come, ma’am.” He opened the door, then looked back before saying, “Happy Holidays to you.”
With a light slam and a clatter of the bell, Rarity found herself alone again, feeling slightly chilled. The unpleasant air left by the stallion’s talk steadily evaporated, however the words spoken still bumped around in her mind. She felt insulted, angry, but at the same time… a bit weak. A shiver went over her as she looked to the ground in thought.
Her chance for personal reflection was dashed once again by that noisome bell, and looking up she witnessed a veritable crowd walking into her store, made up entirely of her friends and the two alien guests, with Applejack and Pinkie Pie leading the pack.
“Howdy, Rarity!”
“Make way anypony that’s also in here!”
“Applejack? Everyone?”
“Sorry to barge in like this,” Twilight apologized just as the door closed, keeping out the cold air and allowing the director to pat himself warm. The princess looked around and gawked at the elaborate decorations everywhere. “Wow, the whole place looks amazing, Rarity. I hope we’re not interrupting.”
“O-oh, this? No no, I just finished up.”
“Guess you were right, Twi,” Rainbow Dash said, nudging the alicorn with an elbow. “You sure did up things pretty quick by your standards, Rare. I guess my awesome influence is rubbing off on you finally.”
“Oh really, Rainbow Dash. As if I would ever need influence from you when it comes to home decorating.” Rarity gave an indignant huff and a toss of her mane, to everyone’s amusement.
“We just got done going through the town inspecting holiday preparations,” Twilight resumed. “I pointed out to Miku all the different designs and decorations you helped put up.”
“They were very wonderful,” the diva complimented. “You ponies are something else, but I could tell you have a great passion for style and design. You’d definitely make the concert stage more enchanting.”
“Yes, of course I can. Bringing the best out of something through stylish finesse is what I’m all about, after all.”
“Rarity, are you alright?” Fluttershy asked.
“Hm? What makes you ask, darling?”
“Well, um, not to seem nosy, but I thought you sounded a little… out of sorts, I think. Did something happen?”
“She seems alright to me, Fluttershy,” Applejack said, bringing everyone’s attention to the demure pegasus.
“Oh uh, uh, well, I just thought she seemed different and, um, nevermind. Forget I said anything.”
“That’s alright, Fluttershy,” Rarity assured her. “I was feeling a bit exhausted, having spent much of today moving things here and there, and was just thinking of helping myself to some tea to relax.”
“You’re speaking my language, sister,” the director piped in. “Care to make me something to warm me up, too? Oh, and something for everyone else as well?”
“But of course. Please, everyone make yourselves at home. Mi casa es su casa, as the saying goes.” As she went into the kitchen she added, “But don’t go tracking snow through the showroom, and try not to knock anything over. I just had the floor swept.”
“She can be quite the matron at times, it seems,” Miku remarked, as she took off her coat.
“That’s just how Rarity is: making sure things are all clean and neat and in their place, which is totally opposite of me,” Pinkie said, followed by a giggle.
As everyone made good on Rarity’s invitation, the unicorn allowed herself that long sought moment of reflection. For some reason, her friends’ remarks about her specialty struck a chord in her. In that moment, being called a matron and tidy didn’t sit well with her. Probably the lingering effects of the stallion’s visit leaving some unpleasantness in her thoughts. Best remedied with some warm drinks and friendly conversation, she assured herself. Though the stallion was certainly odd if not just rude, she further reflected as she entered the kitchen. His manner of speech came off as very blunt, almost self-indulgent. Even weirder still, she felt a bit of a familiarity about his presence, though she couldn’t really put her hoof as to why. She may have to ask around town about him later.
But for now, she needed to play the loving hostess, and rejoin the day.
It was past eight o’clock in the evening when the blizzard arrived, right on schedule. The sun had been down for a few hours, so everypony in town was settled in their homes well before the first flakes appeared. An hour after that, the snow had picked up in force and was blowing tremendously around and against every standing structure, instantly covering up anything under three feet tall.
For the Elements of Harmony and their special guests, they chose to weather out the storm within the formidable confines of the crystalline Castle of Friendship. But even the thick walls of the structure couldn’t keep out the unrelenting cold that seemed to creep inward, leading to everyone taking refuge in the central common room. Both for its spaciousness, and for the massive fireplace that provided the majority of their warmth. Although for some, the blazing inferno that arose from it wasn’t up to par.
“Hey Twilight, mind throwing another log on the fire? I think it’s starting to die down,” the director grumbled, sitting wrapped up in a blanket at the central table.
“There’s plenty enough fire coming out of the thing, ya baby,” Rainbow pointed out from her cozy pillow-enclosed spot near the flames, watching a stick loaded with marshmallows slowly roast up.
“Easy for you to say, with all them pillows. Not to mention having fur covering your whole body.”
“Maybe if you came by the fire you’d feel much better,” Fluttershy offered from her own spot on the floor, nursing a cup of warm cocoa. “There’s plenty enough pillows to go around.”
“Can’t be getting too cozy yet; I’m worrying something’s gonna happen to the equipment out there. A shed wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when we moved it.”
“They’ll be alright,” his big-eyed musical ward assured him, looking mighty relaxed in her own seat across from him. “For now, this is a time to sit back, relax, and enjoy a cozy winter storm, kinda like a vacation.”
“And spending it with your bestest friends and coolest alien buddies makes it even more relaxing and fun!” Pinkie Pie cheered before scarfing down an entire length of roasted marshmallows, stick and all. After burping up the stick, she continued with, “So what should we do? Card games, board games, Head Games, or my personal favorite: Party Games!”
The director and pretty much everyone else in the room remained stoic before the fountain of confetti and party blowers that erupted from the mare’s poofy mane.
“Eh, I’m not all that big on party games. Kinda wish you had a TV around, or at least wi-fi.” The director rubbed his hands for warmth.
“Yes, it is something of a drawback without the kind of modern technology we’re used to being around,” Miku consented with a sigh.
“I think I have a projector in the basement. I could go down and have a look, see if we could watch some old film reels,” Twilight offered, seated in her royal-mandated easy chair.
“Nah, I’m not too keen on what passes for ‘old’ movies in this world,” the director dismissed. “You know what, I can go for cards if there’s nothing else.”
“There’s always marshmalloooooooows~!” The party mare waved a fresh package tantalizingly.
“Hmph, maybe later, Pinkie.”
Suddenly a window on a distant wall blew open, letting in a fierce gust of powdery wind. As everyone began to vocally express their dismay, Twilight was quick to the draw and used her magic to shut the window close, putting on a random wooden board for good measure.
“Seems to be getting stronger out there,” the diva noted, a hint of concern in her voice.
“I thought you and the weather team had this blizzard situated, Dasha,” Applejack spoke up from a nearby door, having finished her turn in the refreshing, magically-heated guest shower.
“We did, AJ,” Rainbow said defensively. “We moved around the necessary clouds, all based on reports from the other weather teams the next district over. If it was supposed to be this nasty, we certainly weren’t told about it.”
During all this, Rarity lounged in a chair a ways from Twilight’s seat, looking up quietly to nowhere in particular, a hoof to her chin.
“Are you alright, Rarity?”
“Huh?” Rarity looked over to the inquiring Twilight, separating chin and hoof.
“You just haven’t spoken for a while. Something on your mind?”
“Oh, no, Twilight. Just thinking about this weather and all. All gusty and cold and what have you.”
“That it certainly is. But it should be gone and cleared before the sun rises. Right, Rainbow Dash?”
“You got it! We just wait it out, but if it’s still around by the time we get up, I’ll personally go out and put that blizzard in its place.”
That wasn’t all, Rarity thought. For the past few hours, she felt a growing uncertainty, similar to what she felt just a few months ago for something very personal and concerning. And she had steadily been reaching a conclusion about the cause of such ominous feelings for this time around.
“Hey, maybe before we start breaking out the cards or whatever, how bout we get another round of warm drinks?” the director suggested. “I can do with some of that cocoa at this hour.”
“Or better yet,” Rainbow interjected. “What would be great is if we had ourselves some hot apple cider. Now that stuff would really warm us up and get us in a festive mood, if you catch my drift.”
“Shucks, RD, you’d think up just about any excuse to be layin’ your hooves on my family cider in any kind of weather.”
“I didn’t say it had to be your brand of cider, AJ. Give me some credit.”
“Cider does sound nice right about now,” Twilight affirmed. “I think I have some tucked away in one of the kitchen pantries. Since Spike isn’t awake, I guess we can cut loose and combat the cold like adults.”
“That’s our girl!” Pinkie cheered with a boisterous hop.
“Heheh, look at our little egghead looking to go wild.”
“We’ll cut loose responsibly, Rainbow,” Twilight firmly stated. “In moderation, so we don’t get noisy and wind up waking up Spike.”
“So you straight-laced horses do a bit of drinking around here?” The director started rubbing his hands in eagerness. “Now this I just have to see.”
“May I be the one to get the refreshments, then?” Rarity asked abruptly, getting up from her chair to the looks of everyone in attendance.
“Ho ho! Miss Frou-Frou High Society wants in on the action too? Do I know how to call these things or what,” Rainbow Dash said with a self-satisfied chuckle.
“Care if I come along to help you bring them up?” Twilight offered, but Rarity raised a hoof in decline.
“It’s only some cider, Twilight. I’m not too much of a lady to not know what it looks like, or even to carry it around. I’ll manage things just fine.”
“Don’t take too long,” Rainbow said. “If you’re not back in five minutes, I’ll zip on over to hurry you up.”
“I’m in no hurry though, so don’t rush too much?” Fluttershy’s words earned a groan from her blue-coated friend, which was the sound that announced Rarity’s parting. A good cover for what she had to do.
This was no ordinary blizzard blowing out there, Rarity realized. Everyone didn’t seem too bothered by its intensity, but she knew better. If it wasn’t properly investigated, there could be no telling what misfortunes it may bring. Only she knew of the potential danger, and thus only she could properly address it.
These thoughts carried her all the way to the castle foyer, and right before the double doors that marked the main entrance. She looked at the ornate entry for some seconds, then with a wisp of her magic she brought over her thick traveling shawl from the nearby clothes rack. Wrapping it snug around her neck and bringing up the hood over her head, Rarity lit up her horn to open the door, letting in the cold and the harrowing sounds of harsh winter winds.
She took a moment to look back to where her friends were lounging blissfully unawares, some doubt slipping past her resolve. Immediately casting that doubt aside, Rarity lowered her head, looked to the freezing black maw beyond, and made her departure, closing the door with nary a sound.
Author's Note
I kinda hinted at this in the last story, but here we are: the conclusion to the No-One-Asked-For-This Trilogy. A month overdue for Christmastime, but given all the record blizzards going on this seemed appropriate enough. It was a fun little diversion; a bit sparse on the Miku as before, but still something to keep my typing hand strong. I hope you all hold out well the rest of this winter, and all the best.
...Oh, what's that? There are more chapters still? Huh, look at that: there really are. Hmmm, I suppose we'll have to see where our troubled unicorn will wander into this time. Oh whatever could it be...
The winds blew fiercely with bone-chilling frost. The blizzard that had overtaken the land, whose very scope was beyond mortal comprehension, brought about a coldness that sunk past the flesh and consumed the very soul. In this forsaken storm, a lone figure dared to defy its unrelenting fury. With only a heavy shawl for protection, Rarity forced out each hoofstep into the deep, frigid snow before her. It had felt like days since she began her search for the heart of the storm, and all around her it was hard to tell whether she had gone a great distance, or had simply gone in circles. Yet she moved forward still, driven by unshakeable determination. A desire to find answers, and to bring an end to the hellish cold.
Suddenly, there was a break in the weather. The strong winds had lightened up slightly, but this reprieve was of no assurance to the unicorn. If anything, it only made her more tense. Amidst the flurry of bitter snowflakes, she felt something flit about in the darkness beyond. She wasn’t alone.
Bracing herself, and with a glow beneath her hood, the weapon strapped to her back became unsheathed at long last. The enchanted, shimmering blade drawn out to her side, Rarity looked ahead with a hardened, blue-eyed stare.
Ima, mukatte-ru yo,
Sayonara, iitakute.
Naite nanka,
Naite nanka,
Naite nanka,
Naite nanka nai no sa.
Boku wa otona ni natta nda.
[BLIZZ*ARITY]
*
Music & Lyrics: Omoi
Illustrations: Joel Dickie & Emmett Hall
Avoidance Wrangler: Shi. Yu. & はる
Vocals: 初音ミク
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Scenario: CoS
Rarity trotted forward, keeping her wits about and her weapon close. Suddenly she felt the presence move around somewhere behind, prompting her to break into a gallop and widen the distance. The flakes began to thicken as she eventually found herself in the middle of a snow-buried forest.
She stopped and turned around, bringing up her sword for whatever was coming from behind. She heard a rustling to her right and spun around to face it, only for it to relocate to somewhere overhead. Suddenly a mass of snow came loose from the canopy above, forcing Rarity to slash away while making a retreat further into the woods.
More snow fell around her from the surrounding trees, making her sidestep and maneuver around the snowfall as she fled. A tree gave out a splitting roar before crashing down, which the unicorn leapt over without losing pace. Suddenly the wind kicked up into a frenzy, whipping snow and cold air around that forced Rarity to stop.
Bracing herself against this impediment, Rarity looked around for the enemy, whose very presence whipped around with the very blizzard itself. The winds howled as the snow whirled around the cloaked unicorn, as though ensnaring her. Rarity dashed forward and shoved through the wintry entrapment, but was met by even more flurries and the deafening rustle of countless shaking trees. From the flare of white turmoil there sprang into sight a silvery blue phantom that announced itself with a heart-stopping screech of icy terror. It was a creature of ancient legend, but one Rarity instantly recognized: a windigo.
The windy beast practically blended in with its surroundings, save for the flowing edges of its ephemeral mane and the fiery eyes of dead silver in its snarling head. This creature wasn’t the misty spirit of history, but rather a feral nightmare of unrelenting horror. Rarity knew it would take more than some goodwill to smother the beast, and she made good on it by leaping forward with sword raised.
Yet the strike was for naught as the windigo rose back and whipped around its wispy back half in retaliation. Rarity was immediately tossed aside by a powerful gust, but managed to right herself and plant her hooves against a nearby tree. She sprang off it quickly as the ghostly stallion conjured an air burst to dislodge the conifer. Rarity leapt from tree to tree, trying to clear the distance and get in a hit before getting blown away with the forest behind her. Eventually she reached her mark and raised her sword up to cleave the thing’s head, but a blast of snow from below knocked her upward while sending a stinging chill over her entire underside.
A whirlwind caught her as she regained her breath and senses, leaving her to flail about her limbs without purchase. The windigo meandered its way up to her, coiling itself like a serpent ready to strike. As it opened its menacing, jagged teeth to bite into its prey, Rarity aligned her horn at it and, in a last ditch effort, set off a heat spell to ward it off. It seemed to work a little too well, as the monster flailed itself back with a screech before tossing the besieged unicorn clear out of the tumultuous forest.
A couple of rolls in a patch of snow brought Rarity to a halt on solid ground, but there was no time to rest as she willed herself back on her hooves. Shaking herself back into focus, she looked over to the forest and saw her target loping away in a hurry. The warrior maiden brought up her sword and gave chase, galloping headlong after its wispy tail. Eventually she spotted her quarry racing up the foot of a mountain, and sped up her pursuit in response.
Bounding up the steepening slope, she witnessed several large snowballs rolling down, looking to dash the unicorn to bits. Sidestepping and the occasional swing of her sword brought her through the onslaught, and she reacquired her fleeing target in no time. The windigo shot forward and vanished into the darkness of the mountaintop, but a moment later it reappeared to Rarity’s left.
Bringing up her sword to engage, Rarity was surprised to see the windy beast bounding past on her right. It dawned on her that she had been led into a trap, and that she was caught between two feral windigos that were corralling her upwards. As the slope steadily narrowed, the windigos made their move by circling around their would-be hunter.
Once more Rarity felt herself being lifted up, only now by the powerful gales of a twin windigo whirlwind. The twins circled closer, increasing the speed and frigidness of the air. It seemed they were looking to freeze the mare in midair, but in their hurry to finish their prey off, they got themselves a little too close.
Rarity slashed away with her sword, cutting the face of one of the creatures and bringing the whirlwind to a dead stop. Tumbling through diamond dust, Rarity righted herself to land on the powdery peak of the mountain, yet this gave her little room to move as the windigos came down to attack. With escape out of the question, she brought her blade close, determined to fight with all she had.
As a windigo charged at her front, she stabbed forward, then immediately spun around at its compatriot that tried to get a sneak attack on her. She hopped and flipped over the charge of the previous beast, slashing downward and cutting lengthwise across its back. Her aerial maneuver got her caught in a conjured mini-tornado, but with some balancing she used it to get a height advantage. Jumping forward she plunged her sword at one of the windigos, but it brought up a burst of frigid wind that pushed her back while also frosting the edges of her shawl. The twin spirits dived down and rushed up to catch her in their icy jaws, but Rarity was quick to bring up her sword, casting a quick spell before tossing it downward, past the beasts and right onto the mountaintop, where it erupted in a great magical blast.
Rarity found herself falling yet again, only down a steep cliff face amid a hail of earth and snow. The windigos tried to capitalize on her predicament, but Rarity rolled betwixt the debris and gave off heat spell bursts to fend them off. Eventually the debris overwhelmed the unicorn and she lost all sense of sight and direction, but in a few seconds it came back harshly as she and the avalanche crashed down on the ground below. After a moment, Rarity struggled to push through the snow and dirt and back into open air, only to discover complete stillness.
High above her was the eye of the storm: a breach in the thick overcast where the light of a full moon was allowed to alight the snowy land far below. Rarity had no time to take in the sublime beauty, as the two windigos swirled into being overhead, along with a third and a fourth, the latter being considerably bigger than the others and was undoubtedly the herd leader. They grouped together and looked down at the snow-covered intruder, snarling and whipping up more winds to freeze the unicorn. But Rarity stood her ground and faced the menaces unerringly, even as frosty air screamed around her, cutting against any exposed flesh. Further pain was manageable, when the very end was in sight.
A magical channeling to her hooves gave Rarity a powerful spring straight up at the windigos, who immediately charged and converged upon her. Amid a flurry of snow and ice Rarity twisted about, hacking at the creatures as they made an effort to overtake her and sink their ghastly maws onto pearlescent flesh. The largest windigo charged and managed to tackle Rarity right in the chest, immediately encasing her front in ice and tearing through her shawl. She wouldn’t give in, gritting her teeth and focusing her willpower straight to her horn until a brilliant flash shot out.
The ice encasing her shattered, and from behind her there appeared her sword plus three additional magical blades, which she used to levitate herself like a set of wings before sending them into a rapid spiral around her. She then launched out her weapons, each one plunging into a windigo’s chest. For good measure she threw herself at the larger windigo and pierced its neck with her own horn, funneling magical heat into its deathly cold form. The beast writhed madly, but eventually jerked to a stop as the cold flames of its malice were swiftly extinguished.
As one the windigos erupted into evaporating particles of ice, instantly dispersing the clouds all around and freeing the starry night from its stormy imprisonment. The moon shone even more brilliantly as a bedraggled Rarity hovered in place, seeing the country below finally saved from the bitter, cursed blizzard. Yet she couldn’t enjoy the moment for long, for turning upward she witnessed something strange happening on the lunar sphere above. On the moon’s surface, several thick lines popped into existence, quickly forming a familiar symbol. As the mark reached full completion, the world suddenly popped into nothingness.
A shocked Rarity found herself in a peculiar domain, which was covered in endless darkness and had a light snowfall coming from above. A few yards ahead and over her, there stood a wooden throne of gold and velvet, and sitting awkwardly upon it was the unpleasant gray stallion from the other day, minus the hat and scarf.
“You?!”
“Howdy,” he greeted with a hoof wave. “Listen, I changed my mind about getting a sweater. Sorry if I led you on before.”
“What… What are you, exactly?”
“Why, I’m the Windigo King, obviously.” He smirked and chuckled at Rarity’s confused expression. Of course, she would have none of his jests.
“What is the meaning of all of this? Are you the one behind this blizzard? For what reason would you do this to Equestria?”
“To make things exciting, of course,” he said very matter-of-factly, if a bit smugly, as he rested his cheek on a hoof. “I have to say, I’m impressed how quickly you responded. Just a few hours and you were out on a little adventure making a bad-ass hero of yourself, when last time it took several days to get a noticeable reaction. Then again, I was more direct this time around.”
“Last time?” Rarity’s eyes widened. “Wait a second. I knew there was something familiar about that voice: you’re the one who said that nopony liked me!”
“Heheh, thatta girl. Although, I do have a pretty memorable personality when you get to know me.”
“What was the purpose of you telling me that that night, or about how much better my friends are than me? What have I ever done to you to have deserved that? I don’t even know who you are!”
“As well you shouldn’t. It’s a big risk planting myself in the story; not many people are keen to that sort of thing. Though in response to your questions, it’s nothing against you personally (Heh, if ‘person’ is an applicable term here). It’s just that yours and everyone else’s existence here has brought about a certain following that irks me from time to time.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“To put it simply, dear, all of this was put together solely for my amusement, and perhaps anyone who cares to follow along. But my entertainment and self-indulgence comes first and foremost.”
“So… you torment me, and bring about devastation, just for fun? Like our lives are something you can toy with as you please, and in the most cowardly manner?”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, sweetheart. Conflict has to exist for there to be excitement in the world, whether it’s artificially produced through pen or voice, or caused by the very acts of nature itself. Now whether it’s considered ethical or particularly nice doesn’t entirely apply in this context, given what you are, and what I am.”
“I… I don’t understand.”
“And best that you don’t, otherwise that’d shatter the illusion and really make a mess of things. That said, I may have gotten a little too involved this time around. Last time it was more subtle, giving the hint of continuation rather than a guarantee. But I got too impatient after that, practically forcing all this to play out like it did. Now it’s kind of spoiled the game. You know, someone said that I was the Discorded Doctor with how I did things. As though there weren’t a million other better non-pony related things to compare me to. Still, made for a neat enough image.”
The ramble out of the way, the stallion stood up from his throne, which instantly vanished into the ether. He took a few steps before stopping to look down at the confused unicorn, his glasses flashing to reveal his piercing, faded green irises at her. Then in an instant, Rarity thought she caught a glimpse of some towering silhouette behind the earth pony, one that was slim in build and garbed completely in white. And with those same mocking eyes…
“And this is where we part ways for good. If I keep this going, it will devolve into something too inane to be enjoyable by anyone (not that anyone wanted it to begin with). But hey, at least this time made for some half-decent practice.”
“...Practice for what?”
The stallion sneered and chuckled. “We’ll see.”
With a raise of his hoof there was a snap, and everything went to black.
