//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Winter Wonderland // Story: Winter's Howl // by 71NYL-5CR4TCH //------------------------------// Winter’s Howl Chapter 8: Winter Wonderland ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Snowstorm sighed and lowered his head as he walked. Why did this happen? He thought, Things were finally starting to look up for me…and it all came crashing down. Snowstorm closed his eyes, allowing a single tear to drop from his eyes. When he set out from the hotel, he had no idea where he was going, or what he was going to do when he got there, just that he had to leave Ponyville. There was nothing left there for him. He looked up to see Luna’s full moon starring back at him. It was his only light as he walked, allowing him to stay on the solemn, narrow dirt path that he followed. Snowstorm came to a sudden clearing from the surrounding woods and looked around. In front of him was the Ponyville Park pond, still somewhat drained from the day’s earlier events. He let out a long, exasperated breath. After all of his walking, with escape being his only goal in mind, he ended up at the place that sparked his departure. He sat on his haunches and looked into the pond. A bright reflection of Luna’s moon floated in the still waters, until the gentle ripples of teardrops in water shattered it’s image. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rainbow Dash looked to Twilight in desperation, tears already streaming down her face. “He’s gone, Twilight…He’s gone and it’s all my fault…” Twilight gave her friend a sympathetic look, “Don’t give up yet Dash, maybe…maybe he hasn’t gone far. But I have to ask…what happened?” Before rainbow could respond, Applejack interrupted, “Despite what Rainbow might say, it aint her fault. It’s mine.” “Ok, what? Applejack? How are you involved in this?” Applejack looked to Twilight, then to her sobbing friend. She sighed and lowered her head in shame as once again, she was forced to retell the story of what happened earlier that day. By the time she had finished, Rainbow’s sobs had been reduced to an occasional sniffle, while Twilight stood still, her mouth agape. “So, basically…you like Rainbow Dash? As in you like her like her?” Twilight asked, feeling rather stupid, as by this point the answer was obvious, but somehow it couldn’t sink in. “Yeah, that’s what Ah’m saying…” “And all Snowstorm saw was…” “Us kissin’” “Right.” The awkwardness of the situation hung through the air like an unwelcomed visitor, everypony trying to stay silent, in hopes it would simply get up and leave. Twilight finally decided to speak. “Well, Applejack, I can certainly understand why everypony here is upset, and why what happened, happened. But that’s in the past and we have to focus for now. Where could Snowstorm have gone? Do we even know where he moved here from?” Rainbow and Applejack sat silent. There were no clues, no facts, not even a hint within the note as to where Snowstorm had gone. Rainbow stood up shakily and spoke through sniffles. “Th-thanks guys but…I think he’s gone…m-maybe he’ll come back someday b-but right now I just need some time alone.” Rainbow trotted out the door, her head lowered, and slowly took off into the night. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Snowstorm sat still, his duffle bag by his side. All of his possessions we’re in a single bag, and he had no job, no home, and nobody he could call his. For all intents and purposes, he had no life. He looked up to Luna’s bright moon in hanging in the sky, it’s reflection shimmering against his glassy eyes. “Where did I do wrong?” Rainbow flew at a rather slow pace, she felt no energy or want to hurry anywhere. She was headed to the one place she would go when she needed to relax, to clear her mind. The Ponyville Park. Snowstorm shivered as the cold autumn air filled his lungs. He was an experienced skier, and was so used to the cold he normally found it comforting, but the chill of his loneliness brought with it a cold and bitter wind, which chilled his very soul. He let out a breath and watched it form in the air as a gentle vapor before dissipating into the infinite night. He looked up again to see clouds beginning to form in the night sky, surrounding Luna’s moon. Rainbow shivered as she flew. While she knew winter was coming, it was unseasonably cold. As the clouds began to form over her head, she wondered how they were forming so fast. A storm hadn’t been scheduled for that night, and there were no nearby fronts that could have gone off course. It kept her mind occupied as she flew and she was thankful for that. Snowstorm finally stood up, and took a long deep breath. He didn’t know where the general area of the next town was, let alone how far away it was. Plus he was exhausted in every sense of the word. He decided he would sleep on a nearby park bench, and hope he stayed warm throughout the night. Rainbow Dash finally came to the clearing in the woods she was looking for. The Ponyville Park pond was easily visible, as it provided a second moon, glistening from the ground below. She looked down to see the park in full splendor, everything still except for one pegasus walking toward a park bench. One grey pegasus. With a duffle bag over his shoulder. Snowstorm listened to the quiet that surrounded him. The air was to cold for any insects to be out, singing they’re moonlight serenade. But one sound broke what should be absolute silence. A quiet flapping of pegasus wings. One sky blue pegasus. With a windswept rainbow mane. The pair locked eyes and time hung still for a moment. Rainbow finally moved diving for Snowstorm at full speed, tackling him to the ground in a forceful hug. “I FOUND YOU!!! YESOHYESOHYES I FOUND YOU!!” Rainbow screamed with delight, a wide smile across her face. “Um…yeah…we’re you…looking for me?” Snowstorm coughed out while being tightly squeezed in Rainbow’s embrace. “Of course I was you big lummox!! Ok first off, what you saw was toootallly out of context!” She drew out the totally trying to seem casual as she released Snowstorm form her grip, but new, different tears had already began to form in her eyes “Really now?” Snowstorm raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Yeah, Applejack and I had a long talk, and I may or may not have said something which could have been…misunderstood.” Rainbow looked away form Snowstorm’s eyes and scratched the back of her neck. “So…what? She just…” “Attack kissed me basically. I was just too startled to do anything. Frozen, really. That’s when you showed up…” “So you and Applejack aren’t…you know…together?” “No! It was just...something she needed to get out of her system I think. She even tried to help me find you.” “So…you don’t want me to leave?” Snowstorm gave a cautious smile. Rainbow closed her eyes and chuckled before opening them and looking directly into Snowstorm’s. She poke in a low, sensual whisper. “Never.” Rainbow leaned in and pressed her lips against Snowstorm’s, closing her eyes and allowing her emotions to take full control. Snowstorm’s eyes shot open before slowly fluttering closed, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. He pressed his lips back, and felt the warmth of her face against his. As they kissed, a single snowflake danced through the air as it fell to earth. With a gentle tinge, it landed on their united lips, melting in the heat which emitted from their blushing faces. Soon the entire park swirled in a snow shower, the flakes glistening from the light of the moon high above. The beautiful sight danced around the two, who ignored it for a far more beautiful sight. Right in front of their eyes.