Frozen flurries fell past rusty-latch lanterns and bristly evergreens, where Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash trotted across the snow-blanketed streets of Ponyville. The storefront windows they passed were all twinkling with light; the shops were open late on Hearth's Warming Eve for any last-minute purchases. Fluttershy had already bought all her gifts, though still had some wrapping to do. But she would have to get to that later tonight; she would be occupied until then, after all.
“I can’t believe you’re making me do this,” Rainbow growled, picking at the hem of her dress. Rarity had made it for her, a silky, maroon gown complete with puffy shoulder plumes and frilly petticoats.
“The food better be good, at least,” Rainbow continued.
“I’m sure Pinkie won’t let us down,” Fluttershy replied, “I like the dress.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes.
“That makes one of us,” Rainbow said, “It’s warm, at least. You’re sure you don’t want me to run back to your place and grab you a jacket? You’ve got to be freezing.”
Fluttershy shivered. She had chosen one of her own dresses rather than rely on Rarity. It was a soft cotton gown that once belonged to her mother, with a green collar and ribbon that hung around the base of her neck.
“It’ll be warm inside,” Fluttershy assured, “Once we’re out of the cold, you’ll feel better.”
Rainbow grunted, hoping Fluttershy was right.
They heard the music long before they laid eyes on the dance hall, a towering, rustic structure of ornate woodwork partly hidden in the snow. Wreaths hung on every window, and a garland of holly wound its way around the front entrance, where the doors were propped open to reveal the orange and gold glow of twenty chandeliers.
There must have been a hundred ponies inside at least, Fluttershy thought, for how many voices she could hear talking over each other. She could already smell the pine and cinnamon and spilled whiskey.
There were some ponies loitering around outside as well, laughing and singing and drinking to stand the cold. Fluttershy glanced at Rainbow.
“Ready?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yeah,” Rainbow said, smiling.
Inside, Fluttershy caught a scent of pumpkin and nutmeg, and elsewhere, she could hear the jazz band in the corner much more clearly. The wooden beams up in the rafters were strung with glowing fairy lights that mimicked a collage of stars, faint, cold, and white. At the other end of the hall was the fireplace, adorned with wooly stockings, where the red flames crackled merrily, dancing in time with the music.
There were crowds surrounding the edges of the hall, swaying and chattering over creaking wooden floorboards. There was laughter and shouting and singing all around, and a glass of cider in almost every hoof. The center-floor was made of polished hardwood, where the more adventurous ponies dared to visit, dancing with partners and circling around hoof in hoof.
A camera flash snapped Fluttershy’s attention away from the scene, and once her vision returned from the glare, she caught sight of Pinkie Pie’s ear-to-ear grin.
“Fluttershy! Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie exclaimed, tossing her camera away and rushing the pair, wrapping her forelegs around them both. Fluttershy squeaked, as Pinkie’s hugs were strong enough to squeeze out all the air in her lungs.
“Oh, goodness, I was afraid you weren’t coming!” came Rarity, stepping out from the crowd to join them. Rarity’s embrace was far more gentle.
“Hey guys, sorry we’re late,” Rainbow said.
“I’m just happy to see you! You both look absolutely stunning,” Rarity said, “You wear that dress almost as well as my models do, Rainbow Dash.”
“Good to know in case the Wonderbolt thing falls through,” Rainbow smiled. Fluttershy laughed.
“Where’s Applejack? Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.
Rarity’s smile fell off her face, while Pinkie burst into laughter.
“Applejack passed out an hour ago,” Pinkie said, “She thought she could keep up with me.” Pinkie then mimicked the sound of an incorrect buzzer sound, with such bizarre accuracy that Rainbow had to laugh. Rarity’s scowl hardened.
“Positively hilarious, yes, only now we have twenty of her cousins here with nopony to keep them under control,” Rarity said, “And Twilight’s running late too, and so we’re missing a good third of our decorations. It’s rightfully not right, I say.”
“We’ll handle it!” Pinkie insisted, “There’s nothing that Ponyville’s best party planners can’t deal with!”
“I certainly hope so,” Rarity sighed, wiping her brow.
“Everypony’s having a good time,” Fluttershy said, “You should take a break and join them, Rarity.”
“Somepony has to make sure we stick to our schedule,” Rarity insisted, “Speaking of which…oh, for Luna’s sake…The carrot cake! WHERE’S THE CARROT CAKE!?”
Rarity ran off, while Rainbow and Fluttershy shared a glance. Pinkie bounced off to follow Rarity,
“Rainbow! There you are!”
The voice came from somewhere in the crowds. Fluttershy followed Rainbow’s gaze, just as a trio of ponies climbed their way out from the wall of bodies.
Fluttershy recognized all three as some of Rainbow’s Wonderbolt colleagues. Thunderlane wore a black suit, a white collar, and a bowtie, and beside him was High Winds, dressed in voluminous cerulean layers of satin and tulle that swirled gracefully with each step.
The third wore a fitted, dark blue tailcoat and velvet waistcoat, long dark blue trousers and a deep pinkish-rose cravat. He was clean-shaven, and his blue-black mane was combed somewhat, though still a bit wily, inevitably so after so many years of high-speed racing. His coat was bluish-white, brightly glowing in the chandelier light.
Soarin was lean, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a firm chest. His eyes seemed to gleam in the firelight, and Fluttershy quickly realized her eyes lingered perhaps longer than they should have.
“Oh my gosh, what are you guys doing here?” Rainbow exclaimed, hugging each of them, before glancing at Fluttershy, “You guys know my friend Fluttershy, right?”
“Of course!” came High Winds.
“You both look great,” Soarin said, smiling politely. Fluttershy felt her heart flutter in her chest. Soarin had an easy smile to him, and when he laughed, his eyes did too. Does he really remember me? She could not be sure. She bit her lip and shrunk a bit in place, and stayed close at Rainbow’s side.
“What are you doing in town?” Rainbow asked.
“Our folks are in Fillydelphia,” High Winds said, glancing at Soarin, “We thought we’d pass through and say hi on the way. Thunder wanted to tag along too.”
“I’ll go get you two some drinks,” Soarin offered, stepping aside.
While High Winds and Rainbow and Thunderlane continued talking, Fluttershy’s attention remained fixed on Soarin, even after he had waltzed back into the crowds. Ponies seemed to clear out of his way as he went. He seemed to have already made quite a few friends with the ponies of Ponyville, pointing and laughing as he marched through towards the bar. He was always smiling, always laughing, and already he seemed to be the most popular pony in the hall.
Rainbow nudged Fluttershy, who startled and turned back to join the conversation. But High Winds and Thunderlane were busy arguing with one another about something, leaving Rainbow free to eye Fluttershy up and down.
“Fluttershy…” Rainbow said, as a smirk curled onto her lips, “What’re you looking at?”
“Uh, ah, nothing?” Fluttershy said, quickly, “Nothing.”
Fluttershy was blushing beet-red, while Rainbow held a hoof to her mouth to hide her smile.
“No way,” Rainbow whispered, “No way! Soarin? You and…”
Fluttershy smiled to herself and blushed harder, glancing over her shoulder. Rainbow grinned.
“Oh my gosh this is so cute,” Rainbow said, “Dude. Ask him to dance!”
“No, I couldn’t, I…” Fluttershy began.
“C’mon! It’s Hearth’s Warming! Fluttershy, ask him!” Rainbow insisted.
Fluttershy hesitated, and before she could cough out an answer, Soarin came barreling out of the crowds with three mugs in his mouth. A small cheer came from the crowd behind him, no doubt rejoicing over him having not spilled a single drop. Rainbow and Fluttershy took the mugs from him.
“Thanks,” Fluttershy said, so softly it was practically a whisper.
“I’ve only been in Ponyville a couple hours, and I don’t want to leave!” Soarin exclaimed, “You might have a point about this place, Rainbow.”
“You should listen to me more often,” Rainbow said, “You haven’t got a dance partner, have you?”
Soarin eyed her, hesitantly.
“No…”
“Well, Fluttershy here would be perfect to practice with. She’s not just a pretty face y’know, she can dance circles around anypony I know!” Rainbow said.
Fluttershy reddened once again, and stared daggers at Rainbow, embarrassed.
“Ah, um…that sounds lovely, but I promised some ponies I’d help them with some drinks, first,” Soarin said, gently.
Rainbow’s smile fell off her face, and she sipped from her cider, defeated. Fluttershy tried her best not to look embarrassed, although she felt the sting in her heart. Soarin began to take his leave, though as he went his eyes lingered on her for a bit, and his smile grew a bit wider just before he made off.
“Thanks for trying,” Fluttershy said, glumly.
“Ah, forget about him,” Rainbow advised, “There’s tons of other ponies here. I’ll find you one, trust me.”
Find me somepony. Yeah right.
Fluttershy leaned over the edge of the railing, far enough to catch some of the windblown flurries in her braided mane. She clung onto the cold; hours below in the dance hall had nearly made her overheat.
The party had begun to wind down, though the band was still playing, and there were still half-a-hundred ponies or so lingering behind as the night grew colder and the snows picked up.
She was alone up there on the second-story balcony, where oil lamps cast a dim glow over her face. The ceiling above was low and arched, its beams wrapped in ivy and mistletoe. Miniature snow-drifts had formed at the exposed edges.
Fluttershy had come up here in search of solitude, a quiet haven where she could catch her breath and clear her head. All that cider and all that heat and all that frustration had soured her spirit a bit, and she hoped the cold would distract her.
Floorboards creaked behind her, and at first Fluttershy was grieved to have company, until she turned around.
Over her shoulder she glimpsed back and saw Soarin, who had just trudged up the last stair to the balcony, tidying his waistcoat. He seemed just as surprised to see her, and for a moment he hesitated by the stairs, before eventually deciding to walk over to join her by the railing.
“Didn’t think anypony would be up here,” Soarin said softly. Fluttershy averted his gaze as he stuck himself on the railing beside her. “...I guess you got the same idea.”
“It’s a lot of ponies,” Fluttershy said, “I just needed a break.”
“Yeah, I feel that too,” Soarin said.
Fluttershy glanced at him, skeptically.
“I have a hard time believing that,” Fluttershy said.
Soarin smiled again, hesitantly.
“Every show we put on, every race, every ceremony, it’s all like this. Kids, old folks, everypony, all of them always cheering me on, asking for an autograph, it’s great, but, a lot of the time it just doesn’t feel real. Like I’m acting in a movie or something. It’s what they think of me that they all love, not really me, you know what I mean?”
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
“Sounds awful, being rich and loved by everypony,” Fluttershy said.
“I didn’t say it was awful,” Soarin said, “It’s just…weird. And lonely. And…Ah, I shouldn’t be going on about me.”
“Why not? It seems like that’s what you’re best at,” Fluttershy muttered.
Soarin laughed, and something twinkled in his eyes then, partly amusement, partly surprise, partly embarrassment.
“Here I thought you were always sweet and simple,” Soarin remarked.
“Not sweet or simple enough for you to want to dance with apparently,” Fluttershy sighed.
Soarin’s smile faded.
“You…wait,” he began, studying her face, “...I thought that was Rainbow trying to do me a favor. I didn’t think you wanted it…You wanted it?”
“Do you a favor? She was doing me a favor…And you, you…” Fluttershy started, and her anger began to wither away, and in its stead came misery, “You wanted to?”
“I mentioned it to Rainbow once or twice, that I…You…Well,” Soarin said, rubbing his eyes, embarrassed, “This isn’t really how I wanted you to find out.”
“I never would’ve, otherwise, you mostly never seemed to notice I exist,” Fluttershy said, curtly.
“Seem to? Maybe not,” Soarin said, “But I do. I have, for a while. I just never had the guts I guess.”
Fluttershy glared at him, still unconvinced. Soarin sighed, as his smile waxed and waned.
“I’m sorry for saying no. That was rude of me,” Soarin said.
“You don’t need to pity me,” Fluttershy said.
“I’m apologizing,” Soarin said.
Fluttershy eyed him, and finally turned to face him. She sighed, and the beginnings of a smile found its way to her face. He did seem earnest, she realized, and she wondered what it would take for her to forgive him.
“It’s OK,” Fluttershy said, “I’ve just…It’s been a while for me, since…y’know. And, I don’t know. I saw you, and I thought I’d try. But every time I try it doesn’t work out.”
“The night’s not over,” Soarin said. He glanced up at the mistletoe hanging overhead, and Fluttershy followed his gaze. She blushed. Soaring glanced back at her.
When he leaned towards her, she froze up completely, and the snow flakes seemed to stop in the night, as the inches between them shrunk, as the air seemed to turn hotter, and hotter, until his lips met hers. He was hard and coarse and brittle and cold, and she was soft and warm and slick, and when they met her heart raced in her chest, and both of them shut their eyes. His hoof brushed a lock of her mane, and she tilted her head to lean into his touch. With a breath, he pressed closer, and he smiled when he heard her squeak in delight, smiling gently as she kissed him back, as they each got a taste of cinnamon and cider. Soarin reached to hold her hoof, and she squeezed back at him, as they began to push and pull on each other’s lips.
When they finally released each other, Fluttershy was staring up at his dark blue eyes, while her heart was still beating out of her chest, and she no longer felt the cold. She smiled, softly. Maybe this time it will work.
“I think I’ll have that dance now.”
