A chilly day it was on the outskirts of our nameless town by Luna Bay. An expanse of white stretched out, accentuated by snow-dusted pine trees. The branches festered needles, burdened with snow, would occasionally drop small clumps, accompanied by the periodic disruptive crackling of the frozen terrain.
Phh!
My icy blue ears jerked at the muffled scratching of said clumps hitting the top of our triangular camping tent’s fabric. The inside provided enough space for two adult-sized ponies. And with us being nearly fifteen years old, it proved to be enough space.
Inside the cerulean green-tinged tent, the half-unzipped entrance allowed the intrusion of soft white daylight from outside, escorted by the scent of iced pine. Of course, our temporary encampment would not be complete without it, so, we brought some personal snacks—a box of chocolate-covered hay straws and a bag of gummy pears.
Across from me was my temporary roomie, a brownish-orange earth pony with dark red irises, a mane and tail sporting two green tones and a dark shade of yellow. He was my best friend in the entire world, Nature Thorn—son of a hilarious husband and wife dynamic, Forest Seed and Misty Fleurs.
Nature Thorn and I were in this partially cozy tent beside a conifer tree to enjoy some quality best-bud time together. Inside, we were fully immersed in a winter season game that required the presence of a unicorn.
“Okay, I finished. You can look outside now, Thorn,” I declared, the magenta glow of my horn dissipating right below my black and grey-striped beanie.
“Alright…” He opened his eyelids and poked his head out the partially unzipped entrance.
I sneered with a boastful tone, flapping the wing of my matching scarf. “Can you guess what it is this time?”
After taking in the sight of outside, Nature Thorn mulled it over. “Hmm… Considering the detail of the shield, armor, and the plume on the helmet… I’d say it has to be a portrayal of Flash Magnus, right?”
“You’re correct! Congratulations, Thorn. You won absolutely nothing!” I proclaimed, shaping two hooves before my mouth like a megaphone while falling onto my back, which caused a displeasing clamor of the fabric beneath.
That’s right. We were playing a guessing game that could only happen in winter with the conformity of a unicorn. But luckily for us here in Luna Bay, the environment was always like this, if not a little less. I simply just use my magic to form snow sculptures of whatever I can make. Then, after granting myself the necessary time, I let Nature Thorn peer outside and offer his best guess. I officially dubbed it ‘Do you snow the answer’? Okay, I have to admit it. I had help from Thorn’s father with that one. We spent an hour pondering ideas, but that simple pun was the best we could muster.
“Your control over your magic improved. Do you plan on becoming a great magician one day?” Nature Thorn asked, bringing his head back inside and sitting back down with a grin.
I crossed my forelegs behind my head and enjoyed the wintry breeze slipping in. “Such and such, but you’ll see for yourself someday.”
“Okay… do you think you can move the sun and make it nighttime?”
“Ha, no way! I’m not an alicorn, so I’d need the same magical potency of multiple adept unicorns!”
Nature Thorn shot a daring brow at me. “You can at least try.”
“Just this once,” I conceded, poking my head out of the tent’s exposed entrance and imbuing magic in my horn. I felt the maintained warmth built up atop my head from my beanie and the warmth of the matching scarf around my neck. While staring at the winter sun, I closed my eyes and tried moving it with all my might. Of course, nothing at all happened, and I just ended up tiring myself out. “Haa…”
“Well, you tried. Some ponies could learn a thing or two from you, Whis.”
“Ready for the next detailed snowpony?”
“Sure, I’m not closing my eyes for the next fifteen minutes again, though. I’ll just keep my back toward the entrance.”
“Okay. I’ll try to be faster this time.” After fifteen minutes, I finished my next snowpony sculpture and prepared for Nature Thorn to produce another guess. “Okay, ready for another guess? This time, I attempted to make it more challenging.”
“We’ll see about that…” Peering outside once again, Nature Thorn examined the colorless figure. “That’s Songbird Serenade, isn’t it?”
“Whaaaat? You never mentioned you listen to music.”
“I don’t, but my mom and dad watched a performance on television. That enormous bow and unique hairstyle stand out, too.”
“You got lucky then.”
“Pretty much.”
A mischievous grin appeared on my face.
“What’s that look for?”
“Surprise, pounce!” And for no reason, I pounced on Nature Thorn, forcing him onto his back, standing over him, and taking rule. “Try to get up!”
“Whis, I thought you quit doing that since we were younger!” Thorn replied a tad exasperated, staring at me from the groundsheet.
“Haha! The thought suddenly popped up. I had no choice!”
“Pfft… Hehehe…!” Nature Thorn subtly chuckled.
We both laughed together at the foolish antics of our younger selves. Despite our age, it felt like the perfect time to do so. Shortly thereafter, rustles and clumps broke out from above.
Thh! Thh! Thh!
Rather than complete snow, silhouettes of pinecones fell and rolled down the sloped decline of our triangular-shaped tent. Then, with a heavy plop to the snowy ground, a familiar, brash male voice shouted. “Found you!”
“Splotch Wing?” I uttered, wondering why he was searching for us.
With his grey mane sporting a bluish tint, the white pegasus poked his head into our makeshift ventilation hole, staring at us basking in the cerulean green hue. “You thought the four of you could have some fun without the splendid Splotch Wing?!”
“Four?” Nature Thorn and I both asked, mortified at his math.
Splotch Wing elaborated. “You two, Mint Spring, and Starry Vision!”
“We didn’t come here with Mint Spring and Starry Vision…” Nature Thorn stated.
“Oh yeah? Can you explain why there’s a violet tent with a vestibule eleven meters away from this exact tree?!”
Nature Thorn cocked his head sideways. “Eh? Coincidence, I guess?”
“I’ll see to that!” Splotch Wing announced, flying away at breakneck speeds.
Knowing him, I could only expect this to go one way. “There won’t be a positive outcome from this.”
In our tranquil violet tent, an idiot intruded upon our girls’ only hang-out. “Splotch Wing! What’s the big idea here?”
“I’m sure he has a proper reason, Mint Spring,” Starry Vision softly commented.
Splotch Wing pointed a hoof at us. “I caught all four of you walking here with camping gear, trying to have fun without me!”
“Okay, that’s just a coincidence. All five of us will camp out together next week or something. Maybe we’ll bring Serene Snowfall, too. Now, can you please leave?” I asked, tensing my brow. I’m prepared to kick him in his stupid arrogant face.
“Nah. We’re going to have fun now! We’ll start by copying Ice Whistle and Nature Thorn! Haaaaa!” Splotch Wing yelled, pouncing on me?!
Fwoo! Thump! Dong!
“AAAHHHHH!!”
Splotch Wing cried and flew out of our tent. Starry Vision gasped and covered her mouth with two hooves. I shrugged off the situation, nonchalantly flicking my pale yellow mane to the side. “Deserved.”
“Those poor fillies and colts…”
“Oh, please! Who’d give birth to those demons?”
“Mint Spring…”
“Fine! We’ll give him a… an…” I could not bring myself to finish the icky sentence. The popping of joints ensued as my face contorted. Continuing to struggle, Starry Vision gave me a worried look as I attempted to force my mouth and jaw to form the words. “An ’I’m sorry’ present… Bleh. Have any soap, by chance?” I stuck my tongue out in disgust.
Starry Vision grinned and gave me applause. “See? We can still improve ourselves more within the next year and a half…”
“But he makes it sooo hard.”
Starry Vision shot me an expressionless face and whispered something I couldn’t hear. “-_- You both do.”
Upon that mumble, I tilted my head to the side. “?”
Nature Thorn and I indulged in the snacks we brought. I chewed through my bag of gummy pears, and Thorn crunched on his chocolate-covered hay straws. Then, Splotch Wing’s groans reached our ears from outside. “OOOWWW-OW-OW!”
I unzipped the tent completely, and we both stepped into the white expanse. Examining the scene before us, Splotch Wing had crash-landed into my snowpony of Flash Magnus, dipping his lower body in the pile of collapsed snow. “Told you nothing good would come from it.”
“I’m just… going to rest here for a bit…” Splotch Wing said, appearing tearful and dazed, then relieved.
After about an hour staying in the tent, Splotch Wing eventually joined us to cramp up the remaining space. We soon decided it was time to go back home. Splotch Wing had flown off ahead of us. And I started taking the tent down with my mouth and hooves, feeling the satin fabric kiss my lips rather than always depending on magic. “What are you going to do next, Thorn?”
He strode toward the winter sun beaming on the uneventful white terrain and the outline of buildings in the distance. Nature Thorn paused, his mane following in hot pursuit as he tilted his head to the side. Then his eyes, a shade of crimson, locked onto mine, crinkling with a serene expression warmer than any sun. “Maybe I’ll find and explore a hobby.”
