Surviving The Cold
It was silent for a while in the now dark Everfree Forest. The dying sunset sky was shown as a reflection on a serene pond, helping the fireflies give life to the solemn atmosphere. It was no use however. The sky would turn blue and leave the fireflies to light the forest alone. She knew this. She had experienced this before already. She grew tired of it.
The pony looked up at the sky. She found it a hard time to since the forests were blocking away but it was apparent anyway. It was sundown, time for the night to envelop the sky. She looked back down at the ground and walked over to the pond. A light blue coat and an even lighter shaded mane. Her purple eyes blinked once looking at he pond. A light emanated from the reflection and she smiled. She looked back up at the evening sky to find a sole star in place.
"A lonely star, just like me." She began breaking the silence with her soft voice. " Are you looking at the same star as I am, dad?" She stopped for a bit and continued on, keeping her emotions in check. "Because I'm not." She let a single tear free fall down her eyes.
That tear hit the pool of water and it rippled. With the rippling came a new figure into view. A fierce light show piercing the night. She vaguely remembered seeing one of these in action up close during her very own light shows on her roving stage wagon. She had sold it, along with her possessions for money, to get the alicorn amulet. Oh how she wished she had not sealed her own fate. Because of it she was condemned to this barren forest.
She grimaced in her past. Her thoughts shifted to the mysterious lights once more. It was a purple, pink and cyan, spinning in a circle. She traced the source to right behind her. Ponyville. A lot of things changed her life and her outlook on it in ponyville. It harbored too much memories. She had already said her apologies to Twilight Sparkle to ease her guilt but it didn't work in the long run apparently.
"Too late to turn back now." She thought for a while. "Actually, too late to turn back anywhere." Her outlook on the situation turning on a dark turn. "I risked everything to earn my place in this world." She looked at her smothered camp fire. She watched as sparks singed the darkened wood, reddening it and bringing the ashes up into the air, only to be blown by the wind.
"I've betted for a new life there in Ponyville. Just a taste of the stationary humble life would have been sufficient enough. I was willing to gamble my every being to achieve what I wanted..."
She looked down at the ground. The grass below was drenched in her tears. It was free flowing but she did not care any longer. It's not like the forest was going to mock her for it too.
She sobbed for a bit longer and her cries echoed throughout the Everfree Forest. This only served to make things worse for the unstable mare but at least she'd be able to vent out her emotions she had been keeping for days, maybe even years.
All she had left was her cape and the horn on her forehead. It had occurred to her just days before the reality of the situation. She had ran away into the forest with nothing. She had to get away and live away from them but she can't live here. Not for long. Little snow drops began dropping from the sky like tiny gifts from the heavens.
"Snow." She said after a long moment of silence. Her tears dried, she looked up. There were everywhere. "I need shelter for this kind of weather..." She collected her thought and came to a conclusion. She sighed. "No shelter, right."
Snow was pouring now, already adding a soft white to the dark green grass. She knew what she add to do. Swallowing her fear, she set hoof out of the forest with only a simple light spell to guide her way.
"Another great performance yet again, girls," Mayor Mare joined the six friends as they went off-stage and into the back. "That's a wrap for tonight. You may all rest now, and, a Happy Hearth's Warming to all!" She said her goodbyes and left the group to themselves.
"You think we did okay for the portraying, Rarity?" Twilight asked her.
"Of course dear! Why ever would you not be? You were a great Princess Platinum. I couldn't have made it better myself."
"I wish I can say the same for Commander Hurricane over here." Rainbow Dash laughed.
"W-w-ell..." Fluttershy stuttered. "The character was... hard to impersonate..."
"You know what's hard to impersonate? Private. Pansy." She said, emphasizing the two last words with a prod of her hoof to Fluttershy's side. "The girl's so unlike me!"
"Oh I can imagine..." Fluttershy retorted quietly.
Pinkie Pie and Applejack were quiet in the group. Ever since what happened to the both of them during performance. Applejack looked at Pinkie Pie. She was hopping as usual, except for the drops of chocolate that had been smeared all over her pink body. Though, it wasn't posing a problem to he party pony. Who knew that Chancellor Puddinghead's cap was actually... edible.
Once Pinkie Pie caught a whiff of the chocolate smell, she just couldn't control herself. The crowd laughed as she made all this wacky plans to get the chocolate on top of the Chancellor's hat. They must have thought it was part of the play. At least Pinkie Pie added a new dimension to Smart Cookie.
Having reversed their roles was a real tasking challenge for the group. They have heard the idea from Mayor Mare herself. She voiced her opinion when she heard they wanted to 'shake things up a little' this hearts warming eve. Turned out to be a fruitful night for all of them, they explored their friend's characters and therefore understood them a bit better afterwards.
The friends walked out of the auditorium and headed for the staff party that of course, Pinkie Pie had planned for all of them. It had the standard for Pinkie Parties. Tons of guests, plethoras of food to eat, and an over exaggerated amount of decorations. It was perfect.
The group was welcomed at the Sugarcube corner by all of their viewers tonight. Mr. And Mrs. Cake was at the counter hurriedly finishing the over-the-top multi-layer cake. They put the last bits of pink cream finishing on top of it's already creamy white surface. They stepped back to examine their work well done.
"It's... it's beautiful." Mr. Cake muttered as he scanned the masterpiece before him. His wife looked at him curiously. He caught her gaze and immediately snapped back. "Of course not as beautiful as my wife... Hehehe."
The two broke from their stalemate when they heard cheering outside. They look behind their cake to see what all the sudden commotion was about and they saw the group. But then their eyes focused on the pony who set all this up. They stared at her eyes. Her cone of vision was slowly going their way. When it did, she dropped everything and looked at the towering glory. The cake to end all cakes. Her light blue pupils grew larger.
"Dear Celestia..." She whispered.
"Dear Celestia..." The both of them repeated out of earshot.
She walked towards it, slowly at first and then her pace quickened, turning into a trot, and then to full out sprint. She jumped at an amazing arc, towards the cake, mouth wide open.
"No no no no Pinkie Pie, calm down, Pinkie Pie, slow down. Pinkie Pie? Pinkie Pie, dear? Uh oh." Mr. Cake and Mrs. Cake said in unison.
Her stomach grumbled and her chest tightened upon seeing the party unfold. She had just seen the pink one tackle the cake and munch on it. Trixie wished she was her for a day. Just a day. She would have all the food she wanted and she would come to her friends to come join as well. So was the life, she yearned, but left behind, when she ran away from home town to pursue magic.
She hid in the bushes, just outside the perimeter of the confectionary filled store. Her inner mare really really wanted to eat anything there. Her belly growled at the thought and she sank deeper into the bush she was hiding in. Her heartbeat quickened. Did they hear her? Her fear was overcoming her. She was about to back track and head back but she hit something behind her as she slowly treaded back. It was something soft. She closed her eyes and she with her front hoof, she tried to feel what she hit. She stretched it further beyond until she hit it again. This time she felt something soft. Something... alive.
"Fur..." She whispered to herself. A drop of sweat forming on her forehead. "A chest?" She slid her hoof upward. "Er. A face? Ears... Nose..."
"Are you quite done?" A deep masculine voice spoke up.
"Ah-mhm!" She muffled her scream as she jumped back inside the small bush.
"Oh. Sorry, did I scare ya?"
Trixie looked back at the pony and she was mortified. A big red earth pony stared blankly at her.
"I-uh, no." She looked around. Nopony was looking at them. Good.
"Listen, miss, I may not be the most talkative around these parts but let me tell ya something. I've seen you walk out of the Everfree. Now, I don't know what you're doing there but never come back, you here?"
Her heart sank and she drooped a little, head down. A little too early for no mercy.
"Uh, did I say something wrong?" Big Macintosh looked on at her pitiful state. "Ah'm just saying that you shouldn't go back to the everfree forest... Ah'm mighty sorry if I hurt you in anyway."
He waited for a response. "Guess I'll be heading along now, stay safe."
"Wait!"
Big Mac stopped mid-stride and turned to face the mare who was now smiling sadly.
"What can I do for ya miss?" He said, giving a small smile of his own.
"I... I am in need of a favor."
"Are ya sure that's all you need? I know I can fetch you more-"
"No... that won't be necessary but... thank you." Trixie smiled at him. A true smile in a long time. "It's been so long since I've had ponies like you come my way.
"No problem, uh miss?"
"Please, just... Trixie would be perfectly fine." She hesitated for a moment there for she may have given him any indication of who she previously was.
"I'll be going now, Miss Trixie." Big Macintosh acknowledged her and left for Sugarcube Corner.
She wondered if he will ever drop the 'miss' thing. It might just grow on her. Such genuine generosity was almost unknown to her. She may have a chance yet. A chance not for payback, but for repentance.
"Hey Big Mac, so glad you could join us tonight!" Pinkie Pie yelled at him when she sqw him walking past the entrance purposely.
"Mighty over-the-top party here, Miss Pie but-" Big Macintosh stopped as he looked on at Pinkie Pie. She wore a beard of white frosting and she didn't even bother to take it out.
The pony in question figured why he stopped talking. "Oops sorry, let me fix that!" She started licking herself clean with a quick whirl of her unusually large tongue. "Aaaah... You were saying?" She continued on as if nothing happened.
Big Macintosh blinked and started again. "It's a mighty ...nice party, Miss Pie."
"Of course it's a nice party!" Rarity intervened with a wine glass encased in her magic following her lazily. She took a sip of the pink wine and continued. "Though, why ever did you just come at this hour? We're almost done."
"Ah came to pick up some candy for a... New friend of mine."
"Oh? No stallion I know asks somepony to get candy for them, your new friend must be a mare. Hmmm." She stopped to ponder about it.
"I'll jut grab whatever I can and run off so-" But he was cut off by Rarity.
"Oh Fluuuttershy~!" She yelled to the pegasus who was sitting alone in the corner of the room.
The cream yellow mare heard her name and she walked over to them. "Y-y-yes?" She stuttered. "Why didn't you tell us you had a date?"
"A... A what?" Fluttershy's face was nothing but flushed. She would never have a date let alone the courage to seek one.
"Oh don't act like you don't know dear!" Rarity nudged Big Macintosh on the side. "You and Big Mac... Why didn't I see the potentials before! You two are just perfect!" She sipped her wine yet again.
"M-m-mmm me... a-a-an and B-Bi...Big Macintosh. Perfect... Me and... Ooh." Her mind can not harbor the thought any longer. It was as if it overheated and just froze. She wobbled unsteadily on her feet and she collapsed to the floor, face still in a brilliant red color.
"Oh my." Rarity sipped the last of her wine and she set it on a nearby table. She inspected the pegasus on the floor. "Hmmm. Maybe I teased her a bit... too much." She laughed awkwardly. "Well, I'll just pick her up and let her sleep at my boutique. I'm sure Sweetie Belle won't mind."
Rarity's horn glowed a soft indigo and the same shade outlined appeared around the unconscious mare. She was slowly lifted off the ground and was brought to Rarity's side. She was about to take her leave when she caught Big Macintosh's bemused expression. She only winked at him.
"...nope..." Big Mac mouthed. "I'll just uh, move along." Pushing what had transpired into the back of his mind. He walked to the counter where two ponies were fixing a big mess that a certain pony made.
"Mr. Cake, Mrs. Cake." He said respectably.
They looked up to the sound of their names. "Ahh," Mr. Cake hid his broom behind him. "What can I do for you, Big Mac?"
"I can't believed that worked!" She slammed her hoof to the wooden table in front of her in laughter. "You should have seen it, AJ. It. Was. Hilarious!" She emphasized each word with a poke of Applejack's shoulder.
"Yeah, Ah've seen what you've done." Applejack said flatly. "It's not even that funny anymore. You've been laughing your flank off ever since Rarity left."
"But it's-haha- it's funny!" Rainbow Dash fell to the floor and continued to laugh hysterically.
Applejack just shook her head in disapproval. She figured something was off though. She looked at the bottle Rainbow Dash had been consuming. "Huh, double hard cider." She read the cover. "Consume in moderation." She swished the bottle left and right. Nothing. "Ah knew it."
Applejack noticed her brother at the check-out counter and she walked over to them.
"Thank you very much, Mrs. Cake." Big Macintosh picked up the pink paper bag with his mouth and put it into his saddlebag. "How much would those be?"
"It's our treat, it is HeartsWarming Eve after all. Have a good night Big Mac, and to all your siblings as well." Mrs. Cake smiled.
"Thank ya kindly." Big Macintosh returned the smile. "Have a good night as well, Mrs. Cake."
He turned around and bumped into his little sister.
"Last time I checked," Applejack eyed his saddlebag curiously. "Yah didn't eat any sweets."
"Well maybe it's a good time to try it out." He said calmly.
"Who are yah giving them too? Come on, it's okay to tell me."
"I can't tell yah" He said simply.
"Ohoho" She laughed knowingly. "It's for a mare eh? Who's your special somepony, Mac?"
"It ain't a mare friend."
Applejack took a moment to assess what her big brother just said, and once she formulated a conclusion, her face changed.
"Uh, I didn't know yah swung that way, I'm real so-"
"Woah there sis, Ah do not wanna go there, and to answer whatever's going through your mind, no, Ah... do not swing that way."
Big Macintosh went passed her sister, still blank-minded in his words. He made his way to the exit and he saw a pony reading in the moonlight. "Miss Sparkle."
Twilight Sparkle looked up from the book she was reading. "Oh, hey Big Macintosh. How have you been?"
"Fine, but I have no time to chit-chat now, I'm afraid."
"All right, well good night, Big Mac." She said looking for the sentence where she stopped.
He nodded and continued on. Twilight wondered though why he was such a hurry. He wasn't always like that. Her curiosity piqued, she traced where he came from and she saw her farmer friend still frozen in place. She sighed softly, closed her book, remembering to put a bookmark on the page, and she walked over to her.
"Applejack?" She waited for an answer but none came. "Applejack, are you okay?"
Applejack heeded her words and she shook her stupor and turned to face where it came from.
"Twilight! Just the mare I needed!" Applejack rushed to her and shook her. "Yah gotta help me Twi! We need to find out happenin' with mah brother!"
"We?" Twilight questioned as she freed herself from her friend's hooves. "I'm pretty sure it's fi-"
"No it is not fine, Twi, he has never given sweets to anypony before, who knows what's going on in his head!"
"Oh I'm sure he's just trying something new." Twilight reasoned in an assuring tone. "And plus," she added thinking Applejack was not convinced yet. "Who are we interfere if he's going to be giving it to his special somepony?"
"That's the deal, Twilight!" What if... What if his special somepony is... is..."
"Is?" She arched an eyebrow.
"I don't even want to think about it." She shook her head to fight back the thoughts that had invaded her mind once more.
Obviously her soothing methods did not calm Applejack. She had to take on... a different approach.
"Okay then, who's going to take care of the... less mindful ponies while we're gone?" Twilight looked around them and pointed out the two ponies in the room which was such. "Rainbow Dash is a laughing mess on the floor and Pinkie Pie is suffering from a sugar-induced migraine- I didn't even know that was possible!"
"Correction." Pinkie Pie raised her head from a half eaten brazzo de mercedes cake. "I am just talking a timed and calculated rest to relax my eating muscles."
Twilight Sparkle looked back at Applejack, having her point proven.
"Uh." Applejack looked back. "Still! At least their heads will be okay tomorrow! Who knows what's going to happen to Big Mac?" Her worry had gotten the best of her.
"Ah... Ah'm going after him!" Applejack sprinted ahead leaving Twilight Sparkle. She sighed and let out a loud distinct whistle. After a few seconds of waiting, an owl came in through one of the windows, rested on the sill and hooted at her.
"Is Spike asleep?"
"Hoo."
"Are you doing anything for tonight?"
"Hoo..."
"Well sorry about that. Anyway, I need you to help me out."
"Hoo?"
"Yes, I just need you to watch over them for a while. They're harmless."
"Hoo..."
"Ok fine, not totally harmless but that's beside the point. Are you willing to do it?"
"Hoo!"
"That's the spirit, Owliscious! Now, I'll be on my way. Keep a watch!" She finally said before teleporting away.
Owliscious blinked in bewilderment at the spell and quickly reverted back to her collective self. She looked at the dysfunctional ponies and stared at them for a while.
"Hoo..."
Applejack hid behind a dense bush. She could hear her brother slowly walking into her proximity and stopping just behind her hiding spot.
"Hello?" His deep voice bellowed out, louder than usual.
Applejack was about to reply but another voice called out. "I'm here."
Applejack let out her breath. Thankfully the voice sounded feminine.
"Are yah sure you're not freezing your tail off in this cold?"
I assure you, I'm fine." The voice answered back.
"Ah brought what you asked for." Big Macintosh reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a pink paper bag and set it on the ground.
"Why did you bring so many when I asked for s little? Wasn't it costly?" Her voice worried.
"It's on the house the folks said. Such kind people." Big Macintosh nudged bag over to her. "Well, it's yours now, Miss Trixie."
"Trixie?" Applejack repeated in a hushed tone. And at that moment, a swirling purple light began to form next to her. Immediately after, a surge of magical energy erupted and Twilight Sparkle bursted into existence just beside her. Of course, this made quite a noise and the two ponies Applejack had been spying on looked at the purple explosion.
"Trixie?" Twilight Sparkle shook her head in disbelief. "It really is you!" She stepped out of the vegetation to greet her in which the teal unicorn was surprised.
"Where's Applejack?" Big Macintosh asked, though he already knew the answer. Her face was so readable sometimes.
"Oh, she's just-"
"Here..." Applejack surfaced from the bush and met her brother, stopping alongside him.
Trixie stood awkwardly in the midst of the new ponies here. She had only braced herself to meet an unknown pony and now he was joined by two ponies that she had made fun off in the past, let alone recently.
"I'll just leave now, hehe." She picked up the bag with her magic and she started to slowly back away.
"Trixie wait!" The voice of Twilight Sparkle stopped her dead in her tracks. "What are you doing here?"
"I know, I'll just leave and-"
"No, not that way, you're going to freeze your tail off!"
Trixie turned to Big Macintosh. "What'd Ah tell yah?" He simply said.
"I... have no home. That's why I'm here. I sold everything I had to get that amulet and now I have no where to run to, no where to hide." She said the last statement in resentment.
"Then stay at my house in Ponyville!"
"Ponyville?" She repeated. "I can't go to that place anymore, not after what I've done."
"You were corrupted, Trixie. I'm sure you-"
"I let it corrupt me, Twilight." Trixie looked away. "It's always been my fault."
Twilight Sparkle paused at what she said. She closed her eyes and she began to smile. She opened her eyes. "It's your chance to prove yourself wrong."
Her words struck her, struck her deep. A tear began to form and it slid down her cheek. "I... I no longer know about that, Twilight Sparkle."
"Then this should be the chance for you to find out as well."
Trixie did nothing to hold her tears back. She sat on her haunches and she let her tears hit the ground. "But... But how can you forgive me so easily? Why can you forgive me for what I have done? I enslaved the town, I exiled you from your friends, and I..."
"All those don't matter anymore, those are in the past now. What matters most is what you do to make up for it." She slowly walked to her.
Trixie looked up to her and Twilight Sparkle continued on. "If we keep dwelling in the past, we'll never have our wits on the present. I was teased and picked on in magic kindergarden but I never held on to that part of my memories."
Big Macintosh and Applejack watched the whole scene unfold. Big Macintosh felt something drop to his nose and he sneezed. Bringing every pony to look at him. He shivered under their collective stares. "It's getting a tad chilly."
"You're right." Twilight stood up. "It's getting late everypony. Temperatures are gonna drop. We need to head on home. Applejack, you can leave with Big Mac now, I'll make sure Trixie here get's a good night sleep.
"Okay then, Twi, good night, and uh Trixie? ...You too." Se tipped her hat and she began to leave with Big Macintosh following her. He turned and he said his goodbyes as well. The two set course to Sweet Apple Acres not too far away.
"Twilight, I-" she stood up, still wobbly from the numbness of her back legs. "I just want to thank you... so much for forgiving me. You're the first pony who's actually comforted after such a long time."
"I remember your gambit with me, when we had that duel" Twilight said slowly, not looking at her. She turned to face her with a smile.
"All you ever wanted was a home, right?"
Trixie didn't answer though it was apparent to her. She did want a home. A place away from the kermit life she was living. A place to settle down. Connect with parents and old friends. A place... just like Ponyville.
She smiled at the thought.
"Thought so." Her horn began to glow. She was getting ready for a teleportation spell.
"If it's all the same with you, Twilight, i'd much rather stick to walking, it's been a while since I tried my hoof with advanced spells. I want to take in the scenery, enjoy the night, you know, the quiet stuff."
Twilight's horn lost its luster. "Sure, I understand. Let's go. It's getting colder by the second."
Trixie picked up her bag and she followed Twilight out of the cold. On their way, Trixie recounted her tales to her new friend right after she left that faithful night. She told of stories where she had to run away from creatures in the Everfree Forest, she told her about the time where she had accidentally ate a Poison Joke flower and she was forced to cope with a bigger-than-normal horn on her forehead. And also of the time where the only thing she ate one day was pinecones. Dozens of them.
"Who knew they were so delicious?" Trixie and Twilight Sparkle shared a laugh.
"We're here. Welcome to my library and home." She opened the door with her magic to hear the soft snores of spike asleep in his own bed a floor up. Twilight Sparkle herself walked in first and then Trixie, albeit a little shyly.
"So many books." She looked around her. Everywhere, shelves upon shelves of books. There was a book case seemingly everywhere. One in the stairs, one in the dining room, one in the kitchen, even one in the bathroom.
"Welcome to my humble abode, please wait a minute." Twilight whistled the same tune as last time and the same owl flew in, sat on her writing desk and regarded everypony in the room with a "hoo."
"Were they fine?"
"Hoo."
"See? I told they'd be harmless."
"Hoo."
"Well at least you dodged it right on time, right?"
"Hoo."
"Let me see."
Owliscious turned her body and she let Twilight Sparkle see her cream coated feathers.
"Terribly sorry about that, hehe. You should go wash that before they begin to stick."
"Hoo." The owl said as it flew to the bathroom and closing the door shut.
The door slammed loud, waking spike up and seeing the commotion downstairs. "What's everypony doing so early in the- is that Trixie?" He blinked multiple times and he scratched his eyes. "It really is Trixie!" He said in horror.
The purple dragon jumped down and hugged Twilight Sparkle's front leg. "Please don't take Twilight away from me again!"
Trixie felt shame was over her again. "I'm sorry for what I have done, dragon. I am not doing that again."
"But there's so many things I haven't done with her yet like- wait what?"
"She said she's not going to do it anymore." Twilight Sparkle spoke up, levitating spike's grasp away. She put her hoof on his head and started patting him lightly. "Trixie's going to stay with us for a while.
Twilight started retelling what had happened a while ago. At points, the dragon laughed and at some points, especially the last part, he felt sorry for the poor mare.
"I'll fetch us up some hot cocoa, you girls catch up. Welcome home, Trixie, I'm Spike, nice to meet yah." He extended his paw and the ex-magician followed suit tentatively.
He disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the two mares alone.
"I have a spare bead upstairs so you can sleep there for the time being." Twilight Sparkle said, going to business. "I'll ask Mayor Mare tomorrow if there's a lot you can rent and I'll have to check in your information..."
Trixie looked around the room, looking slightly tired.
"But." Twilight Sparkle stopped.
Trixie's ears perked up and her eyes snapped back to her.
"That can wait 'till tomorrow, I can't imagine how tired and sleep-deprived you are."
Spike returned with a tray of mugs filled with delicious hot chocolate. Twilight Sparkle and Trixie each levitated one and Spike got the last.
"Say," Twilight Sparkle said smelling the sweet-smelling aroma of her beverage. "Want to celebrate Hearth's Warming with us?"
Trixie was quiet for a while. Unable to find words to describe the feeling she experienced. The feeling of pure gratitude. Her dried tears seemed to have washed away all the pain she had been bottling up for the past moons. She knew this is where she wanted to be. Where she fit in the world.
She took a sip from her mug. She let the flavor slither down her throat as she swallowed it. She smiled.
"Yes." Her eyes teary from pure happiness. "I'd love that very much."
