Chapters Misty halted on a ridge overlooking Opaline's Dark Castle. Her hooves crunched on the dense blanket of virgin snow underhoof as she spun in a circular motion several times to trample the snow and flatten a little bowl-shaped spot for her to rest. She tucked her legs beneath herself and laid in a loaf.
"It sure is cold today!" She withdrew Madame Taffytail from her saddlebag and gently stood it in the snow before herself. "There's a holiday coming up soon. From what I've gathered, everypony has a different name for it. The pegasi call it 'Wishentine', the earth ponies call it 'Wishday', and I think Izzy said the unicorns call it 'Frosty Shivers' or something. But I don't think I remember ever hearing anypony combine those two words before!" She laughed awkwardly, and her warm breath puffed out in a visible cloud in the frigid air.
She paused as if to wait for a response from the toy. Its glassy eyes regarded her emotionlessly.
"Yeah, I figured a little unicorn made of junk like yourself wouldn't know anything about that. No offense. And you've never actually been to Bridlewood. That makes two of us. Even though, y'know, we're unicorns, so... we're supposed to belong there. Isn't that right?" Her head drooped and she sighed softly.
She glanced aside to contemplate the view of the distant valley and its long, snaking river. Ice crystals formed in the water, decelerating its flow as it gradually froze. She inhaled deeply to breath the afternoon winter air, crisp atop the steep bluff, and exhaled through her nose, puffing a small, visible cloud of warm breath.
"I wonder if the unicorns living in Bridlewood ice-skate. Or the ponies from Maretime Bay, maybe. I don't think sea water can freeze, though. Can it?”
If Madame Taffytail knew the answer to Misty's query, it intentionally withheld the information and remained silent.
"So, while I was walking in Maretime Bay the other day, I heard this beautiful melody playing from a radio. I think it's an old earth pony Wishday song. It sounds like..." She paused to clear her throat.
"Hmm hmm, hmm hmm, hmm hmm, hmm hmm..."
Her initial humming was quiet and meek, but, gradually, she hummed louder and more confidently. She closed her eyes and focused intently.
"Hmm hmm hmm, hmm hmm hmm, hmm hmm hmm, hmm~"
Like the lap of waves against a shore, the waltz ebbed and flowed, rhythmically tugged and slackened.
Once she finished, Misty's eyelids fluttered open, and she beamed proudly. "Isn't it pretty? It almost sounds like a waltz, like, you know, dancing music. It reminds me of—" She cut herself off and yelped fearfully as a magenta blur swooped overhead and its shadow passed over her. Hurriedly, she scooped snow over Madame Taffytail to bury the toy.
"Ugghh!" Opaline groaned irritably as she dove to the ground. Her torso quivered as she shivered, and she kicked her legs and fluttered her wings to rid them of clinging snow. "Misty! My hoofness! Why in the name of fire are you out here?! It is so cold this morning!"
"O–Oh, hahah! Y'know! I just needed some fresh air." Misty quickly planted both of her hooves over the pile of snow that concealed her toy. She chuckled awkwardly as she attempted to devise an appropriate excuse. "It's, um, helping me think. I'm plotting my next evil plan!"
"Well, when you plot during this dreadful season, please do so indoors." Opaline ignited her horn, bowed her head, and summoned a cone of her magenta fire. The conical wave of flames passed over the blanket of snow that carpeted the ground and melted a ring around her, exposing the grass and soil concealed beneath. "Snow, how I did not miss you! Hmph. I hate winter."
“Me too,” she found herself replying automatically.
"So, I heard you talking to yourself again." Opaline drew alongside her and patted her atop the head between the ears, over her teal and cobalt mane. "It's alright. There's no need for you to feel self-conscious. Every self-respecting villain monologues—I, of course, do it all the time! Just try to resist the urge when it arises in public, hmm? You wouldn't want to accidentally reveal your true identity."
"Right, my true identity..." Misty quieted as she zoned out. Her gaze focused on the snaking river and the distant summits on the opposite end of the vast valley.
Opaline rose. She shivered and huffed a large, visible cloud of warm breath. "Well, come indoors when you've finished, Misty. I simply refuse to stay out in this weather for any longer." She unfurled her wings and took flight, then soared toward her castle.
Misty waited patiently and ensured Opaline had left before she exhumed Madame Taffytail from its shallow, premature grave.
"Sorry, Madame Taffytail!" She brushed snow from the little toy's tennis ball head. "If Opaline knew I was talking to you, then she'd... well, I have a pretty good idea of how she'd react."
Her ears flattened sadly as she examined the toy, gazing into its glassy googly eyes. "Yes, I know. If I could just talk to my new friends about it, then maybe they would be willing to answer some of my questions. But I know they're going to ask me lots of questions about who I am and where I'm from, and I don't want to open that door again! But I can't keep disappointing them..."
After waiting for a few seconds as she imagined the toy's response, she nodded sagely and adjusted its little crystal horn. "You're right. I just have to try doing something. Because if I don't, then... I'll be stuck here while everypony else is off having fun."
"Hmm hmm, hmm hmm, hmm hmm, hmm hmm..."
Misty hummed a quiet, more subdued version of the festive waltz as she exited her bedroom and crossed the grand hall to the Dark Castle's throne room. She hesitated before the magnificent doors at the end of the corridor, released a sigh of trepidation, then shoved them open partially and slipped through the narrow gap.
"Misty!" Opaline greeted. She dismounted her throne and leapt to the crystal floor below, and her polished hooves clopped raucously against the hard surface.
In the center of the chamber, floating nonsensically above the mana pool, hovered a sphere of magenta flames which illuminated and sufficiently warmed the room. Misty neared the pool and sat. She gratefully extended her forelegs to warm herself.
"Can you believe what's happening this season? Snow, it's been falling! Falling from the sky! My sky! In my domain! Without my permission! It's practically a blizzard out there! Why, weather phenomena like this hasn't happened since—" Opaline paused to think. She tapped her chin with her hoof. "Since hundreds of moons ago. It must be a symptom of the return of magic."
"I like it. It's really pretty." Misty blinked as she realized she had uttered her internal dialogue aloud. "I–I mean—"
Opaline scoffed, forcefully interrupting. "Of course it's pretty, but it's sticky, freezing, and miserable. And I must expend extra of my scarce magic to keep us warm. Well, no matter. At least we have further evidence that magic is continuing to grow. When the time is right, I can pluck the fruit from the branch when it's most ripe!" She waved her hoof dismissively. "For now, though, we have other, more pressing matters at hoof."
"Right, other matters! Umm... " Misty stood to attention. She pursed her lips and tapped her temple as she racked her brain.
"No, no, not regarding our grand plot of stealing the ponies' magic. That can wait for the time being." Opaline approached and sat before the sphere of hovering magical fire to warm herself. "That melody you were humming..."
The hair along Misty's spine rose with alarm. She straightened her posture, sitting upright, and a nervous grin broadened across her muzzle. "W–What? Humming? Me? N–No! Of course not. Hahah! I could never hum! My voice sounds terrible!"
Opaline rolled her eyes. “Be honest with me, dear. You’re many things, Misty, but a clever liar is not one of them.” She illuminated her horn and extended her levitation magic into the sphere of flame that hovered above the mana pool, then extracted a small ball of fire and levitated it before herself. “Come along. I’d like to show you something.” As she walked, she levitated the flames beside herself in order to simultaneously warm them and illuminate their path.
Misty trailed behind, trotting to compensate for the fact that her companion, taller and with longer, more graceful legs, traveled a greater distance with each step. She led them to her storage cupboard and utilized her magic to deactivate the magical seal, then opened the door and passed through. Her little sphere of fire cheerfully bobbed along through the air behind her.
“Don’t touch anything.”
“I know. You don’t have to remind me every time.”
Misty stepped through and gazed around in awe. Despite being colloquially referred to as a “cupboard”, the room was, in fact, gigantic, cluttered with shelves and countless boxes packed with items. Despite living in the Dark Castle for many moons, she was rarely permitted access to the storage cupboard, so it and its contents were always mystery. Secreted within were likely wonders from ancient Equestria of antiquity beyond imagination or value, remnants of Opaline's history as a young alicorn and, possibly, who she was before her ascension.
“I swear I shall ground you for life if you ever so much as stare at anything in here for too long. These artifacts are irreplaceable."
Misty examined the items curiously as she trotted past. She paused to lift and examine a cobalt tiara that shined with a lustrous teal sheen from one of the shelves. “Who did this belong to?”
“Nopony!" Opaline quickly snatched the tiara from Misty's hooves and delicately rested it on the shelf where it belonged. “I warned you to keep your hooves to yourself, you know!”
“It’s the same color as your leg bands. You wore it, right?”
“They’re called ‘armillas’." Opaline rolled her eyes, then glanced sidelong. She was quiet for a moment. "And, yes, I did. When I was a filly.”
Misty’s eyes widened. “Y–You—?”
“I was a filly at one point or another, yes. Is that so unbelievable?” Opaline cocked an eyebrow. She waited only briefly for a response before she turned and continued forward, levitating the source of light and precious warmth with her. Misty was forced to follow.
“Perhaps I’ll tell you the stories, sometime. Skyros truly was a magnificent city. Before… well, you can probably imagine.”
“No. What do you mean?”
“Let’s just say…” Opaline paused. She gazed into the entrancing allure of the crackling and licking magical flames. “Skyros was a city of powerful ponies. And power, well, it has a tendency to corrupt. I was a previous resident, and look at me! A queen! A fire alicorn! But what are the consequences of housing thousands of supremely powerful ponies in one place? Eventually, something goes amiss. Like I said, Skyros was. It was the magnificent capital of the ancient world, the shining beacon of civilization for all around to witness."
Opaline stopped before a round table and motioned to a device that rested atop it. The base was rectangular, and a brass horn that flared dramatically at one end protruded from it at an angle.
"Uh… looks like a trumpet.” Misty cocked her head to the side.
"No, of course it isn't! Don't be ridiculous. This is a phonograph." Opaline tapped her hoof against the phonograph's flared brass horn. "This is how ponies used to listen to music before the unfortunate advent of modern technology. As for the song you were humming, I'm not exactly sure where you initially heard it, but I recognize it from my old record." She levitated a record from its dusty case and delicately slotted it into place, then lifted the arm, inserted the stylus, and finally flipped a switch.
Layered above a quiet drone of crackles and hisses played the familiar waltz Misty had heard from the radio in Maretime Bay. The record's version was peppier, merrier, encouraging the listeners to perform a lively routine.
"And you danced to this with other ponies? You... danced?" Stupefied, Misty zoned out as she watched the record slowly revolve. She visualized a young version of Opaline dance with a mysterious, faceless partner. In a dress. Opaline... in a dress?
"Yes. And I'll have you know I was practically the star of the ballroom!" Opaline beamed proudly. "That was many moons ago, of course. When ponies referred to the holiday as 'Hearth's Warming'. When Skyros was still a prominent name on the map, inhabited by civilized ponies such as you and I. A time when I was not an all-powerful queen, even. You can likely scarcely imagine it. What a different world it was to today."
"You know what? You're right. I really can’t imagine it.” She frowned. “I’ve always had this image that comes up in my head whenever I think about you. In my mind, you're always so... tall." She examined Opaline from hoof to horn-tip. Misty's comparatively short stature necessitated her to lean her head back.
"Indeed, the world of the past was quite different than the world of the present. Better in some ways, I admit, yet far worse in others. I quite enjoy towering over ponies nowadays." Opaline considered Misty's facial expression and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? You look positively glum. Aren’t you eager to watch some movies tonight?”
“Of course, Opaline.”
She shifted the sphere of fire to the other side of her body as she rotated to face the direction they had come. Before she departed, she made sure to flip the switch to deactivate the record player. “Would you like your popcorn salted or unsalted?”
Misty trailed behind, sticking close to the levitating fire sphere for warmth. “Salted, please.”
”Hmm hmm, hmm hmm, hmm hmm, hmm hmm~”
Misty hummed quietly to herself as she stood on the stone archway near the edge of town and observed through her binoculars as ponies busily buzzed around like bees. Maretime Bay's beaches were deserted during the winter season, as ponies instead opted to crowd the streets and all cooperate to beautify the town. Posey, Dahlia, and other earth ponies worked together and used their magic to grow fresh flora, unicorns levitated string lights across lampposts, and pegasi flew garlands and wreaths high overhead to affix them to spandrels and window frames.
"Wow, those ponies are fast. Half of Maretime Bay is already ready for Winter Wishday." Misty lowered her binoculars and stuffed them into her saddlebag. She nudged Madame Taffytail to center it, ensuring it wouldn't fall off of the edge of the arch's stone railing. "I really wish I had some way to help, but without magic, well… I’d just be a burden..."
The little toy regarded her with its emotionless eyes. As pristine white snow sprinkled from the clouds and lazily drifted through the air, some snowflakes settled among the wispy hairs of its tennis ball head. Misty frowned at it.
"I know my friends are at the Brighthouse now, and I know they’re in there talking and probably playing games, and I know they’re probably waiting for me, but, you know, I just… I can't deal with all of their questions.”
“Hey! Did you craft that? Oh my hoofness!” From behind, an unidentified, disembodied voice eagerly shared their approval.
Misty yelped and jumped in surprise, quickly spinning around midair. “Izzy! Y–You—” She gulped. “You scared me!”
“Sorry.” Izzy smiled apologetically. She rested her forelegs over the arch’s railing and nodded to the little toy beside her left foreleg. “You crafted that yourself? I didn’t know you were crafty!”
“I’m definitely not crafty. I don't craft—especially not like you.” Misty chuckled self-consciously. “It’s just something I did for fun.”
“But that’s what the spirit of crafting is all about.” Izzy paused to glance upward at the evening sky, perhaps in an attempt to ascertain the time. “So, would you like to come back to the Brighthouse with me? You’re invited to the party, you know. You always were. You're free to show up whenever you like.”
"I know. But I can't. I’m sorry. I just have a lot of chores to do. I'm swamped with chores. It’s the holiday season, and, uh, ponies have… lots of… chores to do this time of year…? Especially when you’re doing it all yourself."
"Oh, so it's your turn this time? I know how that feels."
"'My turn'?” Misty paused as she considered what her friend meant. “But it's always my turn."
Izzy tsk-tsked and shook her head disappointedly. "You shouldn't let ponies push you around like that, Misty. If you’re living with other ponies, they should always do their fair share of the work.”
"I know that! I j–just meant to say it feels like it's always my turn! But i–it isn't a–actually, y'know, my turn... always. We, um, take turns all the time, she and me." She glanced aside sheepishly, and when she flicked her downcast eyes upward to check Izzy's reaction, she was met with persistent, knowing eye contact.
"I can help you talk to her, if you want."
"No! Thanks, but that's really not necessary. She's not a bully or anything."
Izzy smiled reassuringly. "I think I know where you're coming from. Fillies and colts in Bridlewood could be a little mean and assertive sometimes, even if they didn't intend to be. Then, sometimes, that assertiveness carries with you when you become an adult."
"When you were a filly?" Misty closed her eyes and pondered. She visualized a younger, more innocent version of her friend surrounded by a hostile crowd of jeering peers. Her ears folded sadly. "Every day? That sounds terrible. Is Bridlewood really that awful...?"
"No! Of course not, silly." Izzy waved her hoof dismissively. "Not everypony was like that. And, well, for those who were, I was the problem, really. Let's just say I did a lot of Jinxie things as a filly and leave it at that." When she noticed Misty frown and raise her hoof to object, she cleverly anticipated her friend's question and nodded. "Jinxie just means bad luck. There's a lot more to it than that, but that's basically all it is. Unicorns from my neck of the forest are very superstitious. But they're a big friendly bunch once you get to know them! And all of the Jinxie rules, too."
"What's it like there?"
"Why don't we talk about it at the party? Come on! Everypony's waiting for you!" Izzy waved her hooves excitedly.
Misty broke eye contact. She stepped forward several paces, reared onto her rear legs, and crossed her forelegs over the arch's stone barrier. “I can’t. Sorry. I'm super busy. I have stuff to do.”
"Hmm. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't respect your wishes?" Izzy hopped off of the stone railing. “So, you’re not a big fan of parties, are you?”
“Nope.” She hung her head, crestfallen.
“I have an idea. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, obviously, butttt… Would you like to come to Bridlewood with me?” Izzy nudged her shoulder. “Just the two of us. Two unicorns hanging out! In Bridlewood. In the evening. With the crystals to guide our way. Hiking through my side of Bridlewood. Like a mini adventure!"
Misty raised her head. “Well, I do like the idea of going on an adventure with just one other pony. Bridlewood isn’t super jam-packed with ponies like Maretime Bay, though, is it?”
“Not at this time. It’ll be just the two of us. On an itty bitty adventure,” Izzy insisted with a playful grin. “A teensie weensie little—”
“Alright, I get it!” Misty hopped off of the arch’s stone railing and resumed standing on all fours again. The lighthearted, foalish jesting encouraged a tiny smile to dance across her lips. “I’ll come, okay?”
Misty admired the wide expanse of dense shrubbery and vast, broad-trunked, gnarled trees with both trepidation and admiration. From the twilight sky above cascaded moonbeams that brightened their surroundings.
“Looks like the moon is rising already. Wow, is Bridlewood always this creepy when it gets dark?”
“Not usually!” Izzy reassured her. “This side of the forest can be a little spooky at night, but the moon and the crystals will give us plenty of light to see. Besides, you have me. I know my way around here.” Without delay, she hopped onto the trail that lead between the trees.
Misty hesitated for a moment before the entrance to the forest. Her eyes locked onto the distant Prisbeam on the horizon that emanated from the Brighthouse and dominated the sky above Maretime Bay with a gorgeous rainbow. Beyond the wide, rolling plains and over the crests of the distant hills, in that Brighthouse, she knew her friends all merrily whiled away the remainder of the evening together, having a pleasant time. Without her...
“It’s a shame you couldn’t come today. We all had a really fun day together. Really rushed, but still fun. We went to a lot of different places, and…” Izzy paused beside the thick trunk of a huge tree as she waited for her friend to catch up. “Well, maybe I'll give you the full scoop later if you wanna hear about it.”
“Maybe some other time,” Misty agreed. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come, it’s just that when duty calls, I gotta answer. That’s how it goes.” She shrugged dismissively.
They walked close together on the narrow trail. Moonlight filtered through the colorful leaves overhead, and blue and green crystals that grew from the earth subtly glowed, illuminating the path. As the branches above were so tightly woven, the ground had only been sprinkled with a light dusting of snow, despite the constant snowstorm outside.
As they traveled deeper into Bridlewood, the trail broadened and eventually joined a large primary trail that lead to the Wishing Tree. It was encircled by a vast clearing and several prominent structures.
“That’s my place ahead!” Izzy gestured to her hollow-tree house. The cyan and pink stained glass windows were dark. “I’m going to grab something from inside real quick, okay? I’ll be back in two shakes of a pony’s tail.”
“And you want me to stay out here? By myself? But it’s col—”
“Just two shakes!” Izzy insisted. She threw open her front door and dashed inside.
Misty shifted her weight awkwardly. As she waited, she rotated in a circle and examined her surroundings. Behind were her and Izzy’s hoofprints imprinted in the snow, alongside a multitude of other, less fresh hoofprints created by ponies from earlier in the day during the Wishiehoof festivities.
When her gaze returned to the tree house, she noticed lights had been illuminated inside. The yellow illumination that shined through the frosty cyan stained glass windows created a brilliant green glow that reflected subtly off of the snow.
The soft hoot of an owl disturbed the stillness. In the distance, its black form was illuminated by the radiance of a crystal below as it descended and perched onto a branch. It surveyed the clearing curiously with yellow eyes that pierced the gloom.
WHAM!
Izzy carelessly kicked her front door, causing it to swing open and slam against the tough bark outside. “Misty! Mysterious Misty!” She paused in the doorway momentarily and tapped her chin with her hoof. “Ooo, alliterative! That’s a good one.”
Misty chuckled. “So, what did you grab?”
“This!” Izzy presented what she had concealed behind her back—an amaranth and teal scarf. “It’s a traditional hoof-knit scarf! For you! The first time we met, I just knew I had to make one for you. So I did ahead of time!” She wound it loosely around her friend’s neck using her levitation magic.
“Ooohhh… ” Misty tugged the scarf a little tighter around her throat and nuzzled the plush material. “Thank you so much! It’s perfect. I love this red color. And this blue color really complements my mane."
“I’m glad you like it!” Izzy waved her hoof, beckoning. “Now, are you ready for the tour?”
“There’s a tour?” Misty looked around expectantly, though, the clearing remained as deserted as it had been when they had initially arrived.
“Well, it’s not so much a tour as it is me telling you where everything was earlier before everypony packed up for the night. There were tents over there and over there, giving out traditional Wishiehoof gifts. I usually set up my own tent this time of year, but this year was the first year I celebrated the holiday with friends.” Izzy lovingly tapped several of the large crystals protruding from the ground as she passed. “And these crystals are still glowing from the Ceremony earlier, after the ornament hanging."
Misty lifted her forelegs to examine the snow-blanketed ground beneath her, illuminated by the vibrant icy glow of the blue crystals embedded in the soil.
“That’s the Crystal Tea Room over there. Until midnight tonight, Onyx is workshopping verses on the open mic with a bongo accompaniment by Dapple. Do you want to pop in and say hello to everypony quickly? We don’t have to stay for too long.”
"Oh!" Misty racked her brain and rushed to devise an appropriate excuse. "Um, no! No, not tonight! I actually don't really like tea, and, y'know, it's getting pretty late, and I don't wanna miss out on everything you want to show me, so... maybe another time?"
"You don't like tea?!" Izzy gasped and reeled in shock. "But everypony likes tea!"
"Well, not me! Tea is gross! Haha, ha! " She laughed awkwardly in an attempt to conceal the pain of the lie.
As Izzy resumed walking, Misty trailed behind as she hesitated. She swept her gaze across the vast clearing. She considered the distant Crystal Tea Room with its cheerful illuminated icy windows and chimney that puffed white smoke and the gigantic Wishing Tree with its huge, gnarled, exposed roots.
Something about the forest, drenched in the navy gloom of dusk and dotted with the occasional iridescent glow of colorful crystals, was striking. Some quality physically forced her to halt and consider. Familiarity. Yet, it was illogical, because she knew for certain she had never been there before...
The temptation was maddening, but fog clouded her mind, and she couldn’t recall the key details she knew lingered just beneath the surface of her consciousness. Misty huffed a sigh and kicked a lump of snow in frustration.
Izzy's voice called her name from far ahead, and her ears swiveled in the direction of the sound, though, she was so engrossed in her recollection that the words didn't register at first.
"Misty?”
"Coming!" She cantered to catch up. When she drew alongside Izzy, she came to a screeching halt and gouged narrow trails in the snow with her rear legs.
"You know what I think? You just haven't tried the right types of tea. I think you've tried the wrong types of tea. That would make perfect sense! I promise the next time we go to the Brighthouse, I'll make you some of my favorite brews.
“And that’s the Wishing Tree up ahead. It’s technically too late to pin ornaments on the tree this Wishiehoof, butttt I think we can make an exception just for you.” Izzy leaned close and brought a hoof to her muzzle to conceal her lips from unseen watching eyes. “But you have to promise not to tell anypony we’re doing something Jinxie, okay? We’ll get in trouble. And I have a previous record! I'd be toast!"
“It’ll be real tempting to blab to everypony, but I think I can manage to keep my lips sealed. Just for you.” Misty smiled slightly to indicate she was joking.
Izzy gestured widely in the direction of the Wishing Tree. “The Wishing Tree is decorated with everypony’s ornaments they crafted for Wishiehoof this year. Even those all the way up there, on the Wishing Tree’s highest branches. So, are you ready to make your contribution?”
“O–Oh! Uh…” Taken aback, Misty flinched, and her eyes widened in shock. “I didn’t know I was supposed to make one ahead of time! I’m sorry.”
“But you already have one.” Izzy prodded the flap of her saddlebag with her horn.
Misty considered protesting initially, but, after some consideration, she held her tongue. She lifted the flap of her saddlebag and sifted through her knickknacks carefully. “Are you sure? All I have is my phone, and,” she withdrew a pair of ivory-framed glasses, “these Filly Four sunglasses that I, uh, actually forgot to give back, and—” She withdrew Madame Taffytail and balanced it atop one of her hooves.
“Ornaments aren’t only supposed to be festive; they’re supposed to be creative and hoof-crafted.”
“But this is just junk.”
“‘Just junk’? Haven’t you seen my crafting? That’s the spirit of unicycling!”
“Right, unicycling... Making something new—” Misty cut herself off as a revelation washed over her. “Taking something old and making something new out of it. Giving it new purpose.” She raised and inspected the unicorn toy.
She stepped beneath the shadow of the gigantic Wishing Tree and inserted the toy amid an ensemble of origami figures, finely-painted festive bulbs, and hoof-chiseled crystals nestled beneath one of the Wishing Tree’s roots.
“So, Madame Taffytail, here we are. And… you fit. You fit… really well, actually."
Madame Taffytail’s googly eyes wiggled as it was deposited onto the ground. It regarded her with its glassy expression. It seemed content as it rested among its new companions.
Suddenly, her little toy appeared to actually belong somewhere—alongside all of the other Wishiehoof ornaments.
Misty stepped back several paces to admire her handiwork from a distance. “It’s like this is where you were always meant to be, from the very beginning.” Her downcast eyes drifted to the snow-blanketed ground as she pondered.
“Frosty Shivers, Misty!”
“Hmm?” Her ears swiveled in the direction of the approaching sound of hooves crunching on snow behind her. She turned to look. “Oh! Frosty Shiv—” She cut herself off as she noticed the frown her friend sported. “What’s wrong?”
“Your horn isn't glowing.” Izzy’s head cocked to the side.
“Is it supposed to?” Misty chuckled awkwardly, unnerved. The face her friend expressed seemed to indicate she knew more than she was willing to share.
Izzy neared ever closer until they were mere inches apart. The volume of her voice lowered to a tender whisper. “Misty, I think I know why you don’t have a cutiemark.”
“Y–You do?” Her head retreated and her neck craned as she maintained a comfortable gap between their faces.
“You’re from a distant corner of Bridlewood, right? You lived cooped up inside all the time, and you never did anything fun or exciting, and you never made any friends. You never learned about the culture from my side of Bridlewood. You never even learned about Jinxie! Is that right?”
“Well, some of that is right, I guess.” Misty’s ears drooped shamefully. “Y–You ponies are m–my first real friends. That part is true.”
Izzy closed the distance between them to rest her head over her friend's shoulder in an embrace, much to Misty’s embarrassment. She protested meekly and shifted her weight slightly in an ineffectual attempt to withdraw from the hug.
“Come on, there’s one last thing I want you to see.”
Misty’s downcast eyes locked onto her friend’s hooves as she watched her trot away and produce fresh hoofprints. Izzy inevitably halted, turned, and waved invitingly, though Misty was, inevitably, unprepared. She breathed several deep, calming breaths to steel herself, then reluctantly followed.
They passed the great Wishing Tree and several cozy unicorn tree houses. Through a wall of tightly woven branches, Izzy led the way to a small, isolated glade. Private, completely sheltered from the snowfall, and illuminated by the subdued glow of several stubby orange crystals.
“There’s lots of these little nooks scattered all across the forest, but this one is special.” She gestured to a record player atop a wheeled round table. “I asked somepony for a favor and borrowed this! It’s a phonogr—”
“I know what it is,” Misty gently interrupted. “I’ve seen one before.” Her hoof tapped against its flared brass horn and produced a distinct resonating sound. “Somepony has been taking good care of this one. It’s not even dusty at all.”
“Usually Elderflower lets me unicycle her old broken records, but, this time, she let me borrow her music player!” Izzy lifted the record from the platter, raised her hoof into the air and spun it deftly on the tip of her hoof, then slotted it back into place.
“I can't imagine how her records could possibly break with somepony like you in charge." Misty smiled slightly to indicate she joked.
“See if this sounds familiar.” Izzy lowered the arm, inserted the stylus, and flipped a switch.
The cheerful music that emitted from the brass horn was peppy, merry, encouraging the listeners to perform a lively routine. The tune she had heard constantly on radios.
“I heard you humming this Wishday song, so I knew I had to show you the original version.” Izzy grinned as she noticed her friend’s embarrassed expression. “Elderflower told me, many moons ago, ponies used to dance to this song in dresses. In ballrooms! It was probably lots of fun.”
“Um, what’s a ballroom?” Misty cocked her head to the side.
“It’s a big, fancy room specifically for dancing for lots of ponies. There was enough space for a whole band in one corner. Probably like Zephyr Heights, just less modern.” Izzy gently swayed her head side-to-side in tune with the music, then her torso, then her entire body. “Come on!”
“What do you—” Misty blinked. “Oh, no! No, sorry. I don’t know how to dance. I’ve never done it before!”
“It's okay, I do! Besides, anypony can figure something out if they give it an honest try. What do you think the first ponies did when they didn’t know how to dance?” She beckoned, waving her hoof. “They tried something.”
Misty shuffled forward and gingerly extended her hoof. “I feel like I have four left hooves, thoug— Whhaa! ” She was forcefully tugged near her partner, and, after Misty failed to properly halt her momentum and balance, they both wobbled and nearly tipped over.
“Careful!” Izzy giggled.
They held hooves, and Misty felt as if it were the one thing that anchored her and prevented her from collapsing. Her legs quivered anxiously like jelly. “Um, now what?”
“Stand for a moment. You can at least do that, can’t you?”
“I can try.” Misty inhaled and exhaled deeply to quell the anxiety welling within her. Her legs straightened and her posture solidified.
Izzy retreated several paces to present her movements. “Sunny told me about this dance. It's actually not that complicated. One…” She placed her right rear leg. “Two.” She placed her right foreleg. “One…” she placed her left rear leg. “Two.” She placed her left foreleg, thereby completing the cycle.
They approached each other with newfound confidence—though Misty was notably less confident—and hesitated as they waited for the first section of the song to repeat.
“So, since I’m leading, I’ll go first, alright? And you just have to copy what I do.”
Hmm, hmm…
Rear leg. Foreleg. Misty found herself practically tripping over her own hooves as she desperately attempted to twist her legs in the way her partner did seemingly effortlessly.
Hmm, hmm…
Contorting her body like how her partner moved was even more challenging. Instead of a fish that gracefully propelled itself through water, she felt like a fish out of water flopping helplessly on the ground.
Hmm, hmm…
Then, it repeated for another routine. After the first routine, Misty had witnessed all of the movements and sloppily performed them herself, but it wasn’t adequate practice. The second routine was equally as awkward as the first.
Hmm, hmm…
As the second routine concluded, they both paused to rest, panting lightly from exertion.
“T–That was r–really difficult... I think I should have stretched before we started.” Misty released her partner’s hoof and retreated several paces to stretch. She folded her forelegs and bowed, then raised her chest and lowered her rear legs.
“You should always stretch before exercising!” Izzy kicked her legs and leaned to and fro to quickly stretch, then stood straight in a neutral pose as she waited patiently for the second movement of the song to repeat. “This is the second part. It’s one two three, one two three, one two three…” She stepped with one rear leg, then lifted the other and crossed it over the first, and then stepped with a foreleg in rapid succession.
Misty observed the daunting maneuver with wide eyes. “How are you even doing that?”
As Izzy concluded the second routine, she performed a little playful hop as she adopted a neutral pose again. “I think that’s how Sunny said it goes. I might be misremembering. Want to give it a go?”
“Errr…” Misty glanced sidelong nervously, though, lacking the necessary courage to speak up and refuse the offer, she gingerly extended her hoof and allowed Izzy to escort her into the proper position in order to be led.
Hmm hmm hmm…
Misty attempted to count in her head as she lifted and placed her hooves in tune with the music. But as soon as she lifted one rear leg over another and attempted to cross them, she tripped, lost her balance, and, still she still clutched Izzy’s hoof tightly, toppled over with her friend in spectacular fashion.
“Whhooaa! ” They collapsed onto the cold ground in a heap of tangled limbs and caused leaves and tufts of grass to hurtle in all directions.
“Sorry! O–Oh my gosh…” Misty frantically withdrew herself from the pile and scurried away to provide her friend ample room to stand.
“It’s okay! Don’t worry, sometimes you take falls like that. I know I did a lot!” Izzy rose to a sitting position.
“I, uh, think I need more practice.”
They quietly stared at each other for a moment, and as the music resumed cheerfully playing in the background as if nothing were amiss, highlighting the ridiculousness of the situation, Izzy broke into giggles, and her raucous, snorting laughter encouraged Misty to crack a broad grin and laugh along.
Izzy bucked open the doors to the Brighthouse dramatically. "We're hereeee!" she announced in a singsong tune as she trotted inside.
Misty trailed behind her. "Hi, guys." She waved, smiling awkwardly.
"Hiiii!" Pipp raised both of her forelegs high and waved them.
"Hello." Hitch waved politely from the slumped position he had assumed on the sofa. Being sufficiently comfortable, he didn't attempt to stand.
Sunny leapt off of the sofa. "You're here! Finally! That's great! We're having such a fantastic day today, I'm glad you could make it, Misty."
"So I heard. If you want to, I'm sure you ponies will gladly regale your tales of adventure over some hot chocolate or ponycorn or something. Or whatever you're having right now. You guys are having something now, right? I'm kinda hungry."
Pipp soared overhead, pivoted gracefully, and descended with a mug in her hoof, which she offered. "Tea?"
"Yes, please. Thanks." Misty grateful accepted the cup. She sipped repeatedly, then clutched it close to her chest to warm herself.
Izzy examined Misty carefully in observance for her reaction. "Do you like it? That's one of my brews." When she received a nod in reply, she smiled, then shook to rid herself of the snow that clung stubbornly to her fur and moved to the center of the room. She hopped onto a cushion beside the sofa and curled up atop it with an audible sigh of comfort and relaxation.
Misty hesitated before the lounge area. She swept her gaze around as she searched for an appropriate place to sit. She could attempt to squeeze herself onto the sofa, but that probably would have been awkward.
"Hey, there's room here. Wake up, sheriff! Stop snoozing!" Zipp leaned against Hitch and shoved him with her shoulder, unsubtly coercing him to scoot over a smidge. She patted the newly formed seat beside her and waved invitingly.
"Umm, thanks, but I'm alright!" Misty placed her mug of tea onto the floor and splayed herself over a plush armchair. Her forelegs dangled over the edge of one of the arms and her head and scarf drooped.
"You both took so long, I've already laid Sparky to sleep. And I'm almost conked out myself." Hitch's remark was accompanied by a wide yawn. His eyelids fluttered closed as he relaxed.
"We went to Bridlewood," Izzy clarified.
"So that's why you're soaking wet. You went all the way there? In this weather?" Zipp raised an eyebrow as she silently judged their decision.
"It's not that cold tonight." Misty wriggled into a position so she positioned supine, then laid over the arm of the armchair with her head upside down and her mane and scarf dangling. "But, yeah, it was a lot of trotting. My legs are sore."
"Misty hadn't hung an ornament on the Wishing Tree yet, so that's the first thing we did. And then we practiced the dance of that one waltz that's been playing on the radio in town recently! It goes like: Hmm hmm, hmm hmm..." Izzy motioned to Misty to indicate she should join in.
Unprepared and fatigued as they were, they didn't harmonize together. Sunny giggled. "I guess I've heard worse renditions of that song!"
"Thanks. I know, I'm just sooooo harmonious. I should do caroling around Maretime Bay," Izzy joked, smiling. "We were talking about how ponies might have danced to it in dresses in Canterlot many moons ago. Imagine that!"
"They're called gowns," Sunny gently corrected. "My dad had an old box of them stored away in a closet. The material was exquisite." She pointedly gestured to Hitch with a flick of her ear and smirked. "I remember Hitch tried one on when we were younger."
Hitch's eyelids flung open like drawn curtains, and he bolted upright to a sitting position. "SUNNY!" A blush surged through his face, spreading to his cheeks and the tips of his ears. "That was a secret between us!"
The girl's chortled among each other at his reaction.
"Oh. My. Gosh! What I wouldn't do to see that! " Pipp giggled.
"You? Mister 'brawny and no-nonsense' stallion?" Sitting the closest to him, Zipp leaned against him and smiled playfully. "Wow, I thought I knew you before."
"He was a cute colt." Sunny winked, much to Hitch's chagrin.
"It was a long time ago!" He attempted to defend himself, then slumped back against the sofa and concealed his face in his hooves.
"Hey, if everypony's in agreement, we can all dance together sometime," Pipp chimed in. "I might be able to ask mom for a favor so we can have one of the ballrooms all to ourselves. Plus the musicians, too, obviously. If she can manage to squeeze that into the schedule."
"Nah, I don't think so. That'd be way too much trouble." Zipp shook her head. "If we all really wanted to tour Zephyr Heights together at some point, and maybe do some dancing, too, we could just attend an event in the palace sometime. Pipp and I have already been to our fair share, so it'd just be for you guys."
"The Manesquerade Ball isn't technically a ball, sis'," her sister reminded her. "Everypony just calls it that."
"Right. If I had the choice, I wouldn't want to attend one of those 'real' fancy balls if I didn't have to. They're too stuffy and boring. And mom forces me to wear a dress." Zipp rolled her eyes and waved her hoof dismissively.
"I know what you mean," Sunny sympathized. "Plus, they can be pretty uncomfortable, especially if they don't fit perfectly. Hitch and I danced together once! But, that time, he didn't actually wear a dres—"
"Sunny!" From his reclined position on the sofa, Hitch raised his hoof and pointed at her. "I swear! Shut up about that." Though his eyes were closed, the smile on his lips revealed the amusement he secretly felt.
Sunny giggled. "Let's just say I was the only one who looked pretty that time."
Misty smiled and gladly laughed along with the others. With her eyes closed, in a comfortable position as she reclined atop the armchair's arm, it was tranquil. She heard Izzy chime in with a story of her own, entertaining everypony with an amusing tale about her past experiences in Bridlewood and the types of unicorn dances she had participated in. All was peaceful. She could listen to her friends converse forever.
"Misty?"
Her eyelids flung open. Everypony gazed at her expectantly.
"Misty?" Izzy repeated. "You're not falling asleep, are you?"
"A little," she admitted. "It's been a long day."
"Would you like to practice that dance? I brought the record!" Izzy presented it using her levitation music by spinning it in midair. "And there's a record player in the storage closet."
"Oh." Misty awkwardly glanced aside as she attempted to devise an appropriate excuse. "Once I finish my tea, then I think I should probably be heading home. I'm pretty tired after all of that walking, and it's getting really late, and I know my roommate is going to be really upset if I don't—"
"It's okay, don't worry! She can wait a little longer. It's Winter Wishday! Let's party!" Izzy reared onto her rear legs excitedly and cheered. Everypony whooped and hollered and leapt from their seats, except for Hitch, who remained seated momentarily. He exchanged a knowing glance with Misty, and, in a brief moment of eye contact, they silently communicated, acknowledging how it would be polite if they reluctantly participated with their more energetic friends.
"I'll get the record player!" Izzy dashed to the storage closet.
"Alright, in that case..." Hitch rose to his hooves and stretched and released a soft groan as he did so. "Let's partner up, then."
They moved to the wide open space adjacent to the lounge with the ornately-decorated, mosaic-patterned ring that adorned the crystal floor.
"Sis'?" Pipp circled over Zipp, landed before her, and offered her hoof.
"Nah, I'm with the sheriff, here." Zipp poked Hitch's side with the tip of her hoof. "The big oaf is sleepy, and he needs somepony to wake him up a little."
"May I have this dance, princess?" Sunny propositioned. She mock curtsied and giggled.
"I believe I can pencil you in!" Pipp reciprocated the mock formal greeting.
"Got it!" Izzy deposited the modern record player near the arm of the sofa and placed the record onto the plastic platter. "I'm with Misty!" With a surprised yelp from the levitatee, she levitated Misty from the armchair and gently deposited her onto the floor, hooves down.
"This dance isn't exactly a pegasus tradition, so you ponies will have to teach me. Sunny?" Pipp waited for her partner to lead. She carefully watched Sunny's hooves, then adopted her partner's stance. They held hooves as they assumed the starting position.
"Yeah, ditto." Zipp extended her hoof as she waited to be led. "C'mon, sleepyhead, wake up and show me that earth pony groove."
"I'm not that tired!" Hitch protested with a chuckle. He assumed Sunny's stance, and Zipp mimicked him after analyzing how he stepped.
"You know, we have the advantage," Izzy spoke quietly to her partner. "We have practice, and they don't."
"Only a little bit. And we were alone for that." Misty frowned. "I'm still unsteady on my hooves. And now there's four other ponies here, and—"
Izzy flipped the switch to activate the record player. "Hey, don't worry about them." She smiled encouragingly. "I bet once we start, they're going to be just as confused and clumsy as you. And about the hooves: it's okay. You'll be a novice for a while. But the only way to get good at something is to practice."
"I'm not worried about being bad. I just want to not look silly in front of ponies... especially ponies I care about." Misty sighed. Gingerly, she extended her hoof and widened her stance.
"You have me to help you! And I'm the best dancer in Bridlewood." Izzy winked. "Don't tell anypony I said that, okay? I know a few unicorns who would take that personally."
The music rose, the waltz commenced, and the cue sounded.
Hmm hmm, hmm hmm, hmm hmm, hmm hmm...
The first routine was surprisingly coordinated. Izzy counted aloud under her breath to aid the timing of their movements, and Misty found her legs to be unexpectedly cooperative. As the other two pairs danced in place to practice the sequence, Izzy slowly led her partner in a circle around the rim of the ring.
Hmm hmm hmm...
As the second movement began, and Misty attempted to cross her rear legs as her partner did, she, again, found it to be especially troublesome. Her knees trembled, and she wobbled unsteadily.
Hmm hmm hmm...
Izzy sensed impending danger, and her eyes bulged. "Misty, w–wait! Let go—!" But unfortunately, her cautions were for naught. Misty, still firmly clutching her partner's hoof, tripped over her own legs, stumbled, and collided forcefully into her partner, causing them both to tumble and collapse onto the hard floor in a pile with a chorus of pained grunts.
"Oof!" Misty untangled herself from her partner, and her ears laid flat from embarrassment. "Sorry."
"It's okay!" Izzy rolled onto her back and raised her hoof, pointing. "They didn't fare too well, either."
Sunny and Pipp were in a heap of tangled limps, groaning painfully.
"Uh, Hitch? Little help, please!" Zipp had tripped and found herself precariously leaning in such a way, with her legs angled beneath herself and her weight shifted to one side, that supporting herself would be impossible if she ceased using her hoof to anchor herself to her partner and keep herself balanced. Fortunately, being heavier and bulkier than his partner, Hitch acted as a sufficient counterweight. He hoisted Zipp to her hooves.
"Will we ever finish that song properly?" Misty wondered aloud, half-joking. As she stretched her legs, she realized landing onto the hard crystal floor had injured her shoulder. She winced as she messaged the tender skin.
"Ouch!" Pipp partially unfurled her aching left wing and allowed it to hang limply by her side.
"Maybe some day," Sunny suggested. "After we get some rest. I think we could all use some sleep right about now."
Pipp's muzzle scrunched with discomfort. "Agreed. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow! And I can't be seen in public walking everywhere! I need to rest my wing."
"Yeah, I think I'll retire for the night, too. Night, everypony!" Before Zipp trotted for the stairs, she flipped the switch on the side of the record player and deactivated it, bringing the cheerful music to a halt. The royal sisters split from the group and departed.
"You don't mind if I crash on your couch, do you, Sunny? Mmm..." Hitch's question was punctuated with a deep yawn. After he received polite confirmation from Sunny, he gladly slumped onto the sofa and drew a blanket over himself.
Sunny chuckled. "I think that's our cue. It's been such a fantastic day! I couldn't have asked for a better Winter Wishday! Well..." She nodded to Misty. "I would have preferred a Wishday where you joined us for the whole day, Misty, but I'm still glad you showed up! Thanks for coming. I think I speak for everypony when I say we're glad you made the decision to."
"Thanks for inviting me." Misty smiled.
"Goodnight! See you next moon." Sunny waved as she departed for the stairs.
Izzy giggled. "It's funny thinking we won't see each other for a whole moon after tonight. Even though the new moon will be fully risen in..." she attempted to consult a watch, then remembered she didn't typically wear one. "Um, just about a few hours from now, I think."
"In that case, see you next moon, then, I guess! Thanks for tonight, Izzy. You really, um, helped m—"
Izzy sprang forward, coiled her forelegs around Misty, and clutched her in a tight hug. "Thank you for spending your holiday with us!"
Misty rested her chin over her friend's shoulder and reciprocated the hug. Her lips curled into a smile, and her ears perked up happily.
"Hey, Misty?" Izzy withdrew from the hug to initiate eye contact. "Do you promise to confront that pony in your life? You don't have to do it tomorrow, or even soon, but, you know, I understand how it feels to be in the position you're in. But if you need more time, I also get it."
"I don't think it's as simple as you're making it out to be, but... well, when is anything ever simple? I'll think about it." She nodded resolutely.
"Great! That makes me feel less worried." Izzy smiled encouragingly. "I promise to keep it a secret between us until you're ready, okay?"
After quickly draining the remaining tea from her mug and politely excusing herself, Misty departed from the Brighthouse. Outside, descending the snow-blanketed hill in the dead of night beneath the subtle illumination of the moon and the accompanying stars overhead, she paused to ponder, gazing upward thoughtfully. The moon gradually rose in its course across the indigo sky, destined to soon reach the apex of its climb and punctually transition into the new moon.
She nuzzled her hoof-knitted scarf with a smile. The chilly winter air felt a bit less uncomfortable. She realized, then, that the holiday had indeed been as successful and fun as she had initially hoped for.
