Baby, You'll Freeze Out There
Between the gaps in the trees, snow fell in relative abundance, coating the ground in thick layers of encroaching frost. Each snowflake that fell found its own home amid the fluffy mounds between trees, contributing to a chill that bit through layers of clothing. With a single gloved hand on her cheek and an elbow on the trunk of an old Camaro, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship, found herself lost in the nature surrounding her. Though it was dark, the moonlight lit up the snow just enough to see through the trees, up to the more densely populated parts of the woods. A fine contrast to the asphalt beneath her boots, the scenery around her could definitely be described as ‘beautiful’.
If the circumstances were any different, her thoughts rang, maybe I would.
Her eyes scanned the trees, searching for nothing in particular. A distraction, perhaps, or something to keep her mind occupied. With a soft exhale, Twilight’s eyes locked onto the misty fog of condensation dissipating into the air before her. She’d become lost in her thoughts enough that she hadn’t noticed the trudging steps approaching from behind, nor the frustrated grumbling of the familiar voice they’d belonged to.
“No dice. City won’t send anyone out to re-salt the roads until morning, and the towing company won’t send anyone out until visibility is better and it’s safe to drive. Meaning, of course, they also won’t come until the morning.”
Sunset Shimmer let out an exasperated exhale, pocketing her phone and kicking her boot into a small pile of snow that had accumulated near the wheel of her car. A car that was, at this moment, nearly perpendicular to the road, having barreled into a snow drift that thankfully had saved the old beast from crashing into a tree.
“Stupid city drivers. Who needs a lifted truck with headlights that bright driving in Fillydelphia?! Probably a pavement princess, too,” she grumbled, planting her face into her gloves as she sat back against the trunk of her car. “I’m so, so sorry about this, Twilight.”
“It’s fine,” came the automatic reply, accompanied by an exhale as Twilight wiped a bit of accumulated snow off her jacket. “But now what? Do we just wait here in the freezing cold until morning? There’s no way humans would just... do that to each other, would they?”
“Nah. Even government officials aren’t that heartless. We passed a motel a mile or so back, and they said they’d cover the cost for us to stay the night, since the roads weren’t properly salted in the first place. Probably just avoiding a lawsuit, but -” Sunset shrugged, standing up from her spot on the trunk “- I’m not about to say no to a warm bed for the night.”
It took several tries, but eventually, Sunset yanked open the trunk of her old car. “Hey, give me a hand, would you, Twi? I’m gonna lock the car, but I’d rather not leave our bags here overnight.”
“Oh! They’re sending someone out to take us there already?” With a small smile, Twilight reached into the trunk, relieved that there would at least be some good fortune smiling on them tonight. “That’s a relief. I wasn’t sure how long we’d have to wait!”
When she lifted her own belongings out of the car, however, the apologetic look on Sunset’s face shattered that hope before she even spoke. “Unfortunately, we’re gonna have to walk. It wasn’t that far back, thankfully, but since they wouldn’t send anyone out to salt the roads, they definitely didn’t want to send someone out to drive us a mile or two back. I’ll take your bag if you wanna take mine? It’s got wheels, so it’ll be easier,” she offered, holding out a hand to swap luggage. Wordlessly, Twilight deposited the strap of her duffel bag into Sunset’s waiting grasp, quick to take the offering of the others’ suitcase for an easier walk.
Once the car was locked up, and the two were ready to depart, Sunset took the lead. Only the sounds of crunching snow underfoot and the accompanying scratch of small, rubber wheels on the asphalt accompanied the pair as they walked. The highway they were on had mostly been a straight drive with very few curves, so they wouldn’t have to cross over the road at any point. However, it did mean it was going to be a longer trek, something that Sunset regretted after just a few minutes of walking in tense silence.
“Hey, I’m... I’m sorry again about all this, Twilight.”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not, though. I was really excited to head back to Equestria with you, and now we might not even get to actually celebrate Hearth’s Warming. And knowing our friends, they’re probably gonna worry about you - heck, they might even try to come through the mirror looking for you.”
There was another moment of silence - save for their footsteps and breathing against the cold air - before a response came. “You brought the book, didn’t you? Just in case. We can let them know we’ll be late at the hotel. Starlight should be keeping an eye on mine.”
“Motel, actually. It’s different from a hotel. They’re usually more... horizontal, I guess? And they’re usually connected to a parking lot, rather than inside one building. No fancy amenities, either, but it beats camping out in the car.”
“Mmh.”
“Ah, sorry. Yeah, it’s in my bag. We can let them know once we get there that we probably won’t be making it.”
“It should be fine then, Sunset. Will they take us back to the car, or will we have to make this walk a second time?”
“The towing company agreed to send someone to meet us at the motel in the morning, once it’s safer to drive. They’ll take us to the car. Or at least, they’ll take me to the car, and then we’ll head back to the motel with it - assuming it’s safe to drive.”
Twilight slowed to a stop, a frown on her face when Sunset turned to look behind her. “You’re gonna leave me at the motel?”
“I mean... it’ll be warmer inside, right? Also, their trucks usually only have two seats, so if that’s the case, one of us would have to stay behind anyway.” When she realized Twilight wasn’t convinced, Sunset added, “Would you rather we go back and try to push the car out of the snow again?”
“No, I... you’re right. I guess I’m just a little anxious, still being so far from home.” With a sigh, she tightened her grip on the handle of the suitcase, marching forward once again with a renewed vigor. “Let’s hurry, then. I’d like to get inside where it’s warm, and I can write to Starlight.”
“Fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen!” Sunset stopped in front of a numbered door, briefly checking the keys in her hand to reassure herself that she was at the correct room. Satisfied that the lock clicked open when she inserted and turned the key, she swung the door open. With a grand sweep of her arm, she stepped inside, turning to face Twilight. “Welcome to the finest room this cheap highway motel has to offer.”
Twilight took a step inside, sliding the suitcase in behind her and setting it against the wall before taking in the room. It wasn’t exactly fancy - two beds, a singular nightstand between them with a desk lamp, a closet, and a bathroom. However, it was vastly preferable to the alternative, and with a soft sigh, she let herself fall backwards onto the bed closest to her.
Sunset took a moment to close the door before setting down the bag she’d been carrying at the foot of that same bed. Opting to leave her suitcase against the wall for now, she sat down on the second bed, a somewhat concerned look on her face.
“You want to take a shower first, Twi? You seemed like you were pretty cold out there.”
“Yes please. I never realized how much my feathers actually insulated me during the winter.”
“I was a little worried about that. You were doing pretty well during the rest of the road trip, though, so I thought maybe I was worried over nothing. I’ll go start the water for you, give it some time to heat up.”
Twilight opted to continue laying on the bed, giving a thumbs up as she stared up at the ceiling. Shortly after, a loud squeak came from the bathroom, followed by a gentle pitter patter drumming against tile. Laying idle never suited her, however, and Sunset was greeted by Twilight pulling something out of her suitcase when she returned from the bathroom.
“Nightstand should have some pens in the drawer, unless you want to keep digging into my clothes,” Sunset remarked with a laugh, taking a seat on the edge of her mattress and leaning back. “Shower’ll take a few minutes to heat up, but you can get in there now if you want, and I can write to Starlight.”
“Oh, sorry-” Twilight flushed just a bit, placing the book she was holding to the side and flipping it open “-I didn’t mean to just dig into your things. I can take care of it, though. No need to worry yourself.”
“It’s a little late for that,” Sunset said with a chuckle. “Again, I really am sorry about all this, Twi. I never meant to keep you away from your friends for the holiday. I just wanted to show you around, show what the human world has to offer - I thought a pre-holiday road trip would be a great idea.” Exhaling softly, Sunset took her turn to fall backwards onto her bed. “Guess that was my mistake.”
“It’s fine-”
“No, it’s not, Twilight,” Sunset interjected, frustration ebbing into her words, “and I’d rather you didn’t lie to me because you think you’re sparing my feelings. I’m your friend, Twi. I want you to be able to talk to me. And before you try to say otherwise - I know you’re upset. I’d like to think that, after this long, I know you a bit better than that.”
The rushing water from the bathroom echoed in the empty air, and Twilight exhaled the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “Okay. Fine. I’m upset that I’m going to miss Hearth’s Warming with everypony. I’m upset that we’re going to be spending half the day or more driving back. I’m upset that, when I left without him, I promised Spike I’d make it back by the holiday, and now I have to break that promise.” Rolling over, she propped herself up by the elbows, folding her arms together against the bed. “Happy?”
“Of course I’m not happy about any of this happening, but I do appreciate you being honest. It’s not like I wanted to get stuck here, either. I was really looking forward to meeting your friends - to spending time together back in Equestria.”
“I thought this whole trip was to show me more of the human world, and how much you loved it?”
Furrowing her brow, Sunset gave a frustrated groan in response. “Yeah, sure, but then we would have ended it with a trip to Equestria for me. Maybe it’s a little selfish, but I wanted to see more of Ponyville than just the road from your castle to the train station, y’know? You keep telling me about how amazing your friends are, but I never really get to meet them, to see any of that. It’s always some dumb adventure that makes you have to come here, to my side of the mirror - I’ve gone back to Equestria twice, and all I ended up doing was sneak some of my friends back home, and check out an old library back in Canterlot.”
“I thought you liked studying!” With a huff, Twilight pulled herself forward, hiking her legs over the side of the mattress to stand between the two beds. “I actually enjoyed getting to read through that old archive with you, Sunset. And besides, you can come across any time you want to. Do you not feel welcome back home?”
Sunset lifted herself up in turn, choosing instead to stay seated when she responded. “It’s not - that’s not what I’m saying, Twi, come on. There’s just always something going on. You’ve got all these duties as a princess, and there’s never a moment of peace here. Frankly, between whatever monster of the week goes rampaging, dealing with college, and holding down a job, I genuinely didn’t expect to get the free time for a real vacation - and I definitely didn’t expect you to be available at the same time.”
“I made time, Sunset, because you’re my friend - probably my best friend! I always try to make time for you.”
Kicking softly at the ground, Sunset gave a sad laugh. “Well, look where that got you.”
For one single, excruciatingly long moment, there was silence between the two. Sunset’s eyes locked with the floor, unwilling to meet the gaze of her friend. Twilight stared at Sunset, unable to peel herself away.
It was only when Twilight took a seat next to Sunset that their shared stillness shattered. “Do you think this whole trip was a waste?”
“I... I don’t know,” Sunset replied with a sharp exhale. “Isn’t it? Your holiday’s gonna be ruined. Traffic will be awful during the day; we’ll be lucky to make it back by Hearth’s Warming Night.”
“I wasn’t asking about the holiday, Sunset. I meant” - Twilight gestured broadly outside with a wave - “the trip, all of this. Fillydelphia, Vanhoover, Gaitsburg. All of the places you showed me. Why would you take me on this road trip if all of it ended up being a waste?”
Pursing her lips, Sunset stared out the window, watching every snowflake float gently to the ground and out of sight. As she contemplated the question, she felt an encouraging hand gently placed atop her own. “I wanted to teach you, I guess. You know so much - and not just academically - I wanted to be the one to show you something new, to help you learn and grow. Like you did for me. Like you always do for me.
“I guess I just wanted to be the one to expand the world for you, broaden your horizons. There’s so much to the human world, Twi, things I could never have even begun to comprehend ten years ago. I never would have been able to learn about any of it if I’d never met you. And...”
“And?”
“It’s silly.”
“It’s not silly if it’s important to you. And even if it were, I like silly.” When she got a chuckle in response, Twilight gave her friend’s hand a reaffirming squeeze. “I told you, you’re my best friend. I promise, whatever you say, I’m not going to judge you.”
“Truth be told...I was just happy not to be alone during the holiday. I stopped celebrating it because I had no one to celebrate with,” Sunset admitted, finally daring to turn towards Twilight once more. Though she wore a smile, her friend’s expression turned into a frown.
“That can’t be right. I thought you and the others did everything together?”
“Now that most of us are in college, we have much less free time to spend together. Even before, though, I’ve never had anyone to spend the holiday with. Twilight - the other Twilight - usually goes to see Cadence's side of the family in another city. Rarity goes on a fancy trip out of the country every year. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy keep their holidays small, and Pinkie Pie and Applejack take turns hosting at each others’ family farms. Apparently, they’re related somehow?
“The point is, everyone’s always busy. They’ve got their families to worry about. And now, half of us are in different states during the semesters. We always try to keep up online - heck, I’ve been updating them on the road trip at all the major stops - but we spend less time together than we used to.”
“Did you ever bring this up to them? I’m certain they would have invited you if you’d asked.”
“I couldn’t force my way into spending the holidays with them, even back when we all went to the same school. Besides, I don’t want...” Sunset began, letting out a soft sigh. Shoulders slumping, she swallowed down the lump in her throat. “I don’t want them to just invite me because they feel bad for me, y’know? I wanted it to be a genuine invite, someone reaching out because they wanted me there. Is that selfish?”
“You’re allowed to be selfish, Sunset,” Twilight replied, her voice softer now, “It’s not a bad thing to have feelings. Is that why you were so excited to plan all of this?”
“You didn’t just want to go on a trip with me,” - Sunset gave a sheepish nod - “but you went out of your way to invite me to spend Hearth’s Warming with you and your friends afterwards. For the first time in a decade, I wouldn’t be alone on a major holiday. Of course I was excited.
“All things considered, I honestly wasn’t even that upset about the crash. Even if the car breaks down after this, even if we’re stuck in traffic for hours getting back to CHS. The road trip was amazing; I got to share all those experiences with you, and come morning, I’d still have you around, so I figured it couldn’t be that bad after all. But now, your holiday is ruined, and even if it wasn’t directly my fault, it still feels awful. I’m sorry, Twi.”
The two shared in a more comfortable silence this time, Twilight taking her turn to contemplate a response. Frost began to encroach on the window panes, making the falling snow outside blur together in the darkness.
“You know, I’m not just upset that I don’t get to spend Hearth’s Warming with my friends, Sunset,” Twilight began, and though she hesitated, feeling Sunset shift a bit next to her spurred her on to continue. “Sure, I love that I get to share so much of my life with all of them, and it stings a little that it’s going to be the first Hearth’s Warming in years away from them; we’re like family at this point, honestly. I’m more upset about missing the holiday together because I wanted them to meet you, properly, without some emergency bringing us together.
“I care about the human versions of them too, but I don’t think I’d consider them quite like family. Their lives, their histories, their world is so fundamentally different. If you matched us all up side by side, we’d ultimately end up being different people, and that’s partially the reason I want you to meet them, and I want them to meet you. It’s important to me that they get to know you, too, and that they like you - I meant it when I said you’re my best friend in the world, Sunset,” Twilight said, turning to face Sunset once again with a smirk. “Just don’t tell Rarity I said that, okay?”
“Thanks, Twi,” Sunset laughed, and the chuckle she earned brought warmth to Twilight’s chest, her smirk brightening as it turned into a smile. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sound of hot water pouring down in the bathroom, and the heater blowing air into the room above them. Suddenly, she felt Sunset’s hand tense up a bit below hers, and without warning, she moved closer, leaning her head against Twilight’s shoulder.
Though curiosity demanded she turn her head to look at Sunset, she didn’t want to push her friend away or scare her out of this sudden display of affection. Her breath halted, uncertainty rearing its head as the familiar claws of anxiety dug into her mind. A single thought came to front, however, and the warmth it provided gave her certainty enough to push any doubts from her mind:
Sunset needs me right now.
Impulsiveness ripped those claws from her thoughts - before she fully recognized what she was doing, Twilight responded in kind, leaning her own head to gently rest against Sunset. Neither made an attempt to move, embracing the silent comfort of each other’s company for some time. Eventually, Twilight broke the spell that had entranced them both.
“You really don’t mind being in some motel on Hearth’s Warming Eve with me?”
“Of course not, dummy. You’re the reason I even get to enjoy things like friendship and holidays now. Frankly, your company could turn any experience into a good one,” Sunset’s response came, though after a moment, she tacked on, “At the very least, you could make anything manageable.”
“Wow. That’s one heck of a compliment. I guess I am the Princess of Friendship for a reason, though.” Exhaling gently, Twilight tapped her fingers against the bed in thought. “That does make it mean something special, I think. As the Princess of Friendship - knowing that I get to be that for you, just by being your friend. Sure, I’ve got plenty of friends back in Equestria, but there’s not a single one like you, Sunset Shimmer. None of my other friendships come close to the friendship I have with you.”
“Yeah, I think I get what you mean. The other girls are great - heck, even Trixie and I keep up between her tours - but there’s something to be said about the pony who saved you from becoming the worst version of yourself. With a friend like you, who wouldn’t want to turn their life around?”
“You know, I’m starting to see a pattern in the ponies I surround myself with,” came Twilight’s reply, and Sunset’s laugh warmed her more than the cheap motel heater ever could. “I’ll ask the others if they’re okay celebrating a day or two late.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with that?” Though she didn’t separate, Sunset did turn to get a better look at Twilight. “We might still make it by nightfall.”
“I’m sure. After all, the holiday’s about who you spend it with, right?”
An elbow bumped against Twilight’s side before Sunset responded, “And you’re spending it with me, stuck in some dingy motel.”
“Well, maybe this is all we really need this year.”
“Yeah. Maybe it is.”
