Cold Hearts Never Thaw

Walking from the salon, her mane freshly washed and trimmed, her tail as well, Red could actually feel like a normal mare. Walking beside a normal stallion, in a normal little town. Already, she could see the party decorations being set up, and she couldn't hold back the smile on her face as she walked. "My...you aren't holding back anything for this party are you, Double Diamond?" she asked, chuckling softly.

The stallion looked as bright as freshly fallen snow, and his mane was groomed and slicked back, and he had a goofy smile on his face. Red found him to be very attractive, all groomed and primped. Definitely a stallion work having on her foreleg for special events.

Double Diamond laughed, "Party loves to do what he is best at! Which is parties! And Sugar Belle is making the feast! and Night Glider is helping Party Favor out in more ways than one, if you know what I mean." He teased, chuckling as he glanced at her from the corned of his eye. She was beautiful. Her orange coat gleamed in the evening sun, and Double Diamond could only imagine that she was happy with her mane cut. Her braids had come undone, which had bothered her at first, but as it turned out, the longer strands of hair, compared to her shorter mane, was indeed a lovely accent. She was tall as well, he just noticed. Maybe the same size as Princess Luna, or maybe a bit smaller.

Either way, she was radiant, and he could stare at her all day. Well, if he didn't run into anypony or-

CONK! There went his train of thought, just as Double Diamond plowed headfirst into a sign, falling on his back and groaning. He opened his eyes, his vision blurry, only for it to be filled with Red's face, as she gazed down at him. She lowered her head, smirking. "You should watch where you are going.." she teased, stepping over him and continuing on. Double Diamond picked himself up, blushing furiously, and he dusted himself off, catching up to the mare.

"Yeah..I should huh?" he chuckled again, embarrassment washing over him. He felt a wing on his back, and he looked up as Red gently began to brush off the rest of the dust, smiling warmly. He stared at her, shivering at her touch, and he stopped walking, needing for some odd reason, to focus all of his attention on her.

"It would be a shame to spend more money washing that lovely coat again, so soon after already cleaning it." Red cooed, giving him a playful look, and she retracted her wing, walking again. "I don't know about you, but I am truly excited for this party..I haven't had a party in years.." she said.

"Really? Party Favor throws them all of the time, and that one pony, Pinkie Pie, does as well! I mean, parties are fun! And they are a great way of spending time with your friends!" Double Diamond said, walking beside her, minding his step now, and he smiled at Red.

Red smiled back, and she murmured, "Well, hopefully, I can make some friends here.." she said, giving Double Diamond a calm look. Double Diamond gazed back, and he felt his heart speed up in his chest. She was giving him a look that spoke of more than friends, but...it was also a look that sent chills down his spine. He gave a calm smile, and he pressed his nose against hers, before nuzzling. He had no idea why he did it, but he felt like he wanted to... like he needed to.

A surprised grunt was Red's response, before he was graced with a return nuzzle, and Double Diamond could have squealed like a schoolfilly. He pulled away, chuckling, his face tinged a deep shade of pink. "I am your friend Red..That's means you will have a friend at this party! And I can help you make more friends!" He said, beaming at her. But he wasn't ready for what happened next.

Red wrapped her wing around him, pulled him to her side, and she pressed her lips to his ear, purring and she whispered, "You are most certainly my friend, Double Diamond. I owe you..you are so kind..and..I honestly have done nothing to deserve your kindness." she paused, pausing to press her lips to that sensitive spot on his jaw, right under his ear, and he nearly went nuts. He could feel her, hear her, smell her...but he didn't dare move his head. He didn't dare try to look. He practically melted when she spoke again. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked, pulling away a small bit, her red eyes shining.

Double Diamond slowly turned his head, gazing into her eyes, and he smiled, "Tonight..after the party...we can talk more.." he said, "All I want is your friendship.." he said softly. It was technically true. But his mind was already clicking into that funny little mindset, that this mare was his. And he would make sure of it...

Red's cheeks grew a dark color, and she nodded, smiling and nuzzling into his neck. Double Diamond let her lean on him, leaning back, enjoying the feeling of her body against his. He pressed his cheek against her head, and they began to walk again, slower now, enjoying the time they were spending together.

Tonight was going to be a wonderful night...

That night, the whole town was awake, and music blasted from speakers that had been drug up from Party Favor's basement. It was mostly dub-step, or some country, rock, and pop. All of which, Red enjoyed. She was currently meandering through the crowd with Double Diamond, sticking close to him as he introduced her to each of the ponies. She was working. Taking names, and memorizing faces, storing them away while acting as thought she was having the time of her life. Which she honestly was.

It wasn't very often she actually got a chance to socialize, and being around so many friendly ponies was definitely a start to her possible settlement. Her mind wasn't made up yet. If she did decide to, she would need to be extra careful. Speaking of careful, Red suddenly noticed that she hadn't seen Starlight Glimmer all night. Her eyes narrowed the tiniest bit, and she began to grow suspicious. Time to be on guard. She doubted Starlight had left for good, and something told Red that Starlight was planning something.

But it didn't stop her from asking, "Double Diamond, my dear.." she said, stroking his side with her wing to get his attention. His response was immediate, something she liked. He was so doting, so ready to drop everything, even a conversation, for her. Once his attention was hers, she asked sweetly. "Where is your friend, Starlight? I thought she would be here as well.." she gave him a confused look, frowning some.

Double Diamond scowled, and he replied slowly. "I don't know Red. She disappeared just before we went to the salon. I haven't seen her since, nor has anypony around here." he frowned as well. "I just hope she isn't up to anything..."

Red opened her mouth to reply, before the screech of a microphone caused her to cringe, and everypony around them. Red turned her attention to the stage, her eyes wide as she spotted none other than Starlight Glimmer, holding a microphone in her magic, and she cleared her throat, before speaking in a bright, warm and friendly voice.

"Welcome! Welcome everypony! This party is such a treat for our newest guest and I couldn't resist the urge to bite the chance to have a few words in honor of our special guest." the mare said, smirking some as she looked pointedly at Red. Double Diamond pushed his way forward, his broad shoulders parting the gathered ponies with ease. Red followed calmly, her brow arched significantly as she gazed up at Starlight.

"Starlight what is the meaning of this?" Double Diamond demanded, his gaze furious. He wasn't happy about this interruption, and a discontented murmured rippled through the crowd, the ponies giving Starlight suspicious looks.

"Oh I just want to personally welcome our newest guest to our town! What is so wrong about that?" Starlight asked.

"You could do it like everypony else, instead of making a big scene out of it." Night Glider growled, stalking forward to stand beside Double Diamond.

"Because all of the best greetings come with a big show...remember when we welcomed Princess Twilight and her friends? We made a big show for them, didn't we?" she said, giggling, and Starlight stepped from the stage that had been set up, probably for speeches. Seemed like she was definitely making use of it. "But I suppose we can tone it down." she said, and she trotted over to the buffet table, filled with foods ranging from deviled eggs, to sweets and cakes, and even a large salad bowl. She looked around, smiling as she found a knife, and she walked over to the cake. "I have an idea!~ Why don't we let our new friend Red here cut the cake meant for her and her arrival?" Starlight said, eyeing Red, and giving a smile that was wide and to most, sweet.

Red would form an equally sweet smile, and she strode forth, making sure her necklace was in place, and she would coo, "Oh how thoughtful. Maybe all of those dreadful things that have been said about you aren't true.." she grinned, standing near Starlight, eyeing the knife warily. "But seeing as how you are holding the knife, why don't you cute the cake..." she offered.

Starlight's smile faltered. She had hoped Red would take the knife, and Starlight could twisted it so that it 'accidentally' cut her fetlock. Smile forming again, Starlight would chuckle, "How kind of you! I would be so delighted!" she said, and she turned, eyeing the orange mare from the corner of her eye, and she began to slowly cut into the cake.

Double Diamond came up beside Red, and he whispered, "What is she doing?" he asked. Red gave him a look, and she lifted her chin, but she didn't reply. She instead, watched Starlight closely, and she waited.

Another glance at Red, and Starlight would twist the knife, plunging the sharp edge into her skin. She recoiled, yelping as she bit her lip, "Ow! I'm bleeding!" she called out, and she looked at her leg. The blood was gushing rather rapidly, and she looked around, "Quick! Someone get me a napkin!" she said. The ponies around her looked at her in shock, none of them moving forward.

Red felt her throat clench, and she gazed at the blood, a look of anger on her face, and she narrowed her eyes, before she forced it to become concern, and she snapped. "Someone get me a gods damned medical kit! How can you let her bleed out like this?!" She snarled, and she rushed forward, snatching the cloth from the table, and she ripped a large chunk of it, spilling some of the food, and she moved over to Starlight, who was still bleeding out.

Starlight watched Red in shock, and she wobbled. She was losing more blood than she had anticipated. That knife must have gotten a minor artery... The pink unicorn fell over, the blood beginning to pool now, and she heard Red mutter a curse.

The scent of the mare's blood was nearly overwhelming. Red had been right to be suspicious, as she scowled, curling her lips to chase the sweet smell from her nostrils. But she could feel her fangs beginning to protrude, and she quickly closed her lips. She moved quickly. She grabbed Starlight's foreleg, grabbed a rock, and she wrapped the rock in the cloth, before applying the rock with pressure to the wound. She wrapped it quickly, checking to make sure that the makeshift bandage was holding the rock in place. "Where is that medical kit!" she snapped.

A pony rushed forward. Night Glider. Red turned her head, a manic look in her eye. She took note of the medical kit, and she snatched it, opening it and taking out the surgical needle, still wrapped in its disinfectant casing, and she grabbed the surgical wire, scowling. "Damn mare...why did you have to be so stupid?" she snapped at no one in particular, but she shot Starlight a dark look.

Starlight panted, her vision darkening. She saw a glint, and she almost panicked, but a weight on her torso kept her pinned. She was too weak. The bleeding mare looked up, seeing orange, and she tried to flail, "N-no! Help! Somepony help she is going to kill me!" She wailed.

"Hold her down!" Red ordered, and Night Glider once more sprinted forth, grabbing Starlight's forelegs and holding then down as Red would bark, "Somepony get me a sedative! She is going to hurt herself more if she isn't calmed!" she growled, and Sugar Belle snatched the medicine kit, sifting through it, and she eventually pulled out a small pill. She gave Red a panicked look, and she rushed forward. Night Glider released Starlight's uninjured leg to open her mouth, her head knocking sideways as Starlight's hoof swung wildly. Night Glider growled, and her head began to bleed where Starlight's hoof cut it from the swing. But she managed to hold Starlight's head still, so that Sugar Bell could shove the sedative down the struggling mare's throat.

Starlight choked, coughing, but the pill was too far down, and she was forced to swallow just so she could breathe. "Noo! Somepony help!" she screamed, but it was growing weak, as her thrashing was making the wound on her foreleg worse. The blood was soaking through the cloth, and it seemed the rock had fallen out of it as well. Night Glider quickly grabbed Starlight's hoof again, her blood dripping onto the pink mare's chest.

Red was near delirious now, but she grit her teeth, threading the needle, and she began to work, removing the cloth, disinfecting the wound, then the needle, and with delicate maneuvers, the pegasus mare began to stitch up the wound, taking deep breaths. Starlight was slowing down now, and Red wasn't sure if it was because of the blood loss, or the sedative. She hoped it was the latter. She did not wish to lose whatever trust she had raised. This was all a ploy! A scene Starlight had tried to set up so that Red would snap and start going on a blood-rampage! But unfortunately, it didn't go as planned.

"Stupid mare. You should learn to be careful..." she hissed, narrowing her eyes as she finished the stitch. She looked at Sugar Belle, who was offering her the bandages. She grabbed them, giving the unicorn a nod of appreciation, and she snipped the surgical thread with her teeth, quickly moving away and she began to bandage the wound. Starlight was limp now, but she was breathing, and Red let out a sigh of relief. She crawled off the mare, stumbling away and shaking her head. Night Glider, crawled off as well, holding her head, and Party Favor rushed forward, worry evident on his head.

"Nighty are you alright!?" the blue unicorn stallion asked, "You're hurt! Sugar Belle! We need bandages!" He said, forcing his marefriend to sit. Night Glider didn't resist, as her friends began to tend to her wounds. Double Diamond moved over, briefly checking in on his friend, before walking over to Red, and he gave her a worried look, his gaze flitting over her, "Are you okay, Red? You aren't hurt too are you?"

"No...I am just...exhausted.." Red replied tightly. It wasn't a lie. She was in fact, exhausted, and drained. "I am going home..." she whispered, "Get Starlight to her home..and give her medical attention..." she whispered again, and Red walked slowly to her home, her head lowered. It was the first time Double Diamond had seen her this way. Defeated. Tired. He was worried. Genuinely worried about the normally confident and proud mare. He watched as some of the ponies grabbed up Starlight, transporting her carefully to the medical clinic, and Night Glider went as well, given no choice by Party Favor.

Double Diamond turned his head, following after Red, and he soon caught up to her. She was silent, her head still low, and her wings drooped and the feathers trailed in the dirt. Double Diamond remained silent as well, but her brushed against her side, which sparked a small response; a twitch of her ear. It was enough. He smiled and nuzzled the ear, soon arriving with her to the house she was staying in. He opened the door, letting her walk inside first. He made to follow, but Red's voice spoke in a cold monotone.

"Leave me be. I wish to be alone..." she said, closing the door and locking it. Double Diamond couldn't keep back the hurt on his face as the mare closed the door on him. He sighed quietly, turning to leave, and he looked back, murmuring. "Sleep well Red..." he said, and without another word, the stallion began trotting to his own home, crestfallen and confused by the night's events.