Winter's Howl

by 71NYL-5CR4TCH


Chapter 7: Unable to Bear the Cold

Winter’s Howl

Chapter 7: Unable to Bear the Cold

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Snowstorm’s brain desperately tried to decipher what his eyes had just witnessed. His mind buzzed with a million quandaries, why would Rainbow kiss her? Did she even like me? Or was she just stringing me along? Was that all I was?! Some little…PLAYTHING?! Snowstorm felt his anger begin to surge, but all too quickly it was replaced by a more powerful emotion. Sadness. It washed over him, cooling his anger, but not his mind. Everything that he knew in this town…the one person he had started to trust…the one person he had started to love, had just not only abandoned him, but passionately kissed another. Obviously Rainbow felt nothing for him, what other explanation could there be? He headed for the one place he knew, and felt safe. The hotel.

Rainbow desperately searched the skies above Sweet Apple Acres for Snowstorm, but found nothing but clear blue sky. He could have been anywhere in town by now, or even worse, she feared, out of it. If that were the case, finding him would be impossible, and the one stallion she had begun to open her heart to would disappear from her life forever. Rainbow couldn’t stand still though, she had to find him, or at least try. She picked a direction toward the center of town and took off, talking to herself quietly, tears forming in her eyes. “What If he’s already gone?”

Snowstorm landed just outside the hotel and walked in. The lobby was still and empty, Ms. Warmhearth was nowhere to be seen, and even the quiet background music had been muted. He was alone with his thoughts. His thoughts made him feel even more alone. He solemnly entered his hotel room and looked around. At some point during the day, Ms. Warmhearth had cleaned and organized the room, leaving it in the same condition it was found, save a toothbrush and a duffle bag. Once again, a note laid on the nightstand.

Snowstorm,

I will be travelling out of town for the night, help yourself to anything you need! Hope your first day of work went well!
-Warmhearth

Snowstorm laid the note down and plopped on the bed. He groaned as he slid his foreleg down his face. Work. Not only had he lost the only mare he’d ever made any progress with, but also his business partner. How could he work with her ever again? It would be far to awkward, and he wouldn’t be able to get any work done, lost in dreams of what could have been. He sighed and looked toward the bathroom. On the counter lay his single unpacked possession. A toothbrush.

Rainbow frantically searched the town for any trace of Snowstorm. Asking any pony she passed if they had seen him, along with a brief description of his stature. One after another, ponies shook there heads or responded with simple “no, sorry”s. Rainbow was beginning to lose hope, how could no pony have seen him fly by? She couldn’t find him alone. She needed help. She needed her friends. Rainbow turned to see the Ponyville library, about 50 feet away. She sprinted towards it and frantically pounded her hooves on the door repeatedly. Twilight opened the door and was met with a few knocks to the forehead before Rainbow realized the door was open.

“Oops! Sorry Twilight…Listen, I need your help!”

Twilight saw her friend was frantic, and attempted to calm her down. “Whoa, whoa ok Rainbow, just calm down. What’s the matter?”

“I need your help to find Snowstorm!” Rainbow looked pleadingly.

“Is he lost? Did he go into the Everfree?!” Twilight’s panic began to rise, misunderstanding the context of the situation.

“Erm, well, no. And I doubt it. He saw something…out of context….and ran off! I don’t know where he went but I’m afraid he’ll leave town!”

“Ok….so we think he’s ok, at least?”

“I hope so, I just…I really need to talk to him, ok Twilight?”

“Just what exactly did he see?”

Rainbow froze. She wasn’t prepared for this question to come up. On one hoof, she knew that her friends would find out about her and Applejack’s little ‘incident’, but on the other, time could be running thin, and she didn’t want to waste it talking gossip.

“I can’t explain right now, but I need for you to help me with this! Please!”

“Alright, alright, sheesh.” Twilight was still confused, but decided it was better not to pry. While she was an incredibly bright pony, she was still ignorant in the ways of relationships, and didn’t understand the dire need Rainbow had to talk to Snowstorm. But one thing she prided herself in, above almost anything, was being a good friend. And that’s exactly what Rainbow sounded like she needed right then.

“Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!” Rainbow gave Twilight a massive hug before releasing her and turning suddenly serious. “We need to find him. Please, if you can find any pony who’s seen him, tell me everything they know. I’ll keep searching.”

“Ok Rainbow, don’t worry. We’ll find Snowstorm.”

Applejack sat still in a pile of hay in her barn. Her tears had long since run out, or at least dried up. She sighed, tired, both physically and mentally, but her mind was still going crazy trying to process everything that had happened. Let’s see here, ah confessed mah feelings for Rainbow, drug her into mah emotional mess, probably ruined her first relationship, practically forced mahself on her, and ta take the cake, ah probably just lost mah best friend. Again she sighed. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what she COULD do. The barn door quietly creaked open and Applejack turned to see her visitor. Big McIntosh poked his head into the barn and turned to Applejack.

“AJ? Is that you? I thought ah heard crying so I came in to make sure everything was all right.” Big mac said with a slow, calm drawl.

“No Mac, everything’s not all right.”

“What’s the matter AJ? This isn’t like you.”

Applejack sat up and turned to her brother, now only a few feet away from her. She sighed and began to retell the events of the day. Occasionally she would stop and take a few breaths, calming herself before continuing, Big McIntosh had already known of her sisters feelings for Rainbow, and had no trouble keeping it a secret from the rest of the Apple family. It wasn’t that he feared any drastic measures would be taken, but Granny Smith was a bit more traditional than most mares, and Applebloom couldn’t keep a secret that big to save her life.

Applejack finally finished her retelling of the days events, amazed that she had held back the sobs through the entire story. Big McIntosh sat still for a couple moments before turning to his sister.

“So why are ya here, AJ? Don’t ya think you should be out there, helping Rainbow find Snowstorm, or talking to her, or really anything? Ah mean, ah love ya to death, but mopin’ around feelin’ sorry for yerself aint gonna fix diddly squat.”


“Ah, ah don’t think Rainbow wants ta see me right now Mac. She told me to wait here until she cooled off.”

“Ah still think you should help her.”

“Alright then, what would you suggest ah do?”

“Go find Snowstorm, talk to him yerself and explain what happened. If Rainbow finds out you did something to patch her relationship, she’ll know that ya value her friendship more than anything.”

“You’re right Big Mac. Ah’ll go see if ah can find him.” Applejack stood up with newfound confidence and energy. She needed to set things strait with Rainbow, and this was the perfect way to do it. She knew that he was staying at the Warmhearth’s hotel, or at least, a hotel. He’d mentioned he hadn’t moved in yet when he bought his apple pie, and the hotel was the only other place he could be staying. She took off at full gallop toward the hotel.

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Twilight stopped nearly everypony in the town square before she finally found a yellow earth pony with an orange mane who claimed to have seen Snowstorm flying toward the edge of town about an hour earlier. Twilight thanked her briefly before grabbing Rainbow out of the group of ponies she was asking.

“Carrot Top said that she saw Snowstorm about an hour ago!” Twilight told rainbow in an excited manner.

“Really?! Where?!”

“She said she saw him flying toward the east edge of Ponyville, and that he looked terribly upset! I think he was going back to his hotel!”

“The hotel! How had I not thought of that!! Come on, maybe he hasn’t left yet!” Rainbow took off in a rainbow blur toward the east edge of town. Twilight followed suit in full gallop.


Applejack arrived at the hotel and frantically bucked open the hotel’s front doors. The lobby of the hotel was empty, and eerily silent, the now setting sun illuminating angled columns of light through the room. She looked around frantically for any sign of Snowstorm, her eyes resting on a piece of paper on the front desk. Cautiously, she picked it up and read it to herself.

Applejack’s hooves trembled as she finished reading the note. The front doors of the hotel burst open as Twilight and Rainbow Dash entered, clearly with the same objective in mind. Rainbow paused at seeing Applejack in the hotel, wondering briefly what she was doing there.

Solemnly, Applejack walked up to Rainbow Dash and handed her the note, whispering, “Ah’m so sorry…”

Rainbow took the note in trebling hooves and began to read, tears staining the parchment beneath her eyes.

]Ms. Warmhearth,

I can’t thank you enough for your hospitality and kind advice. Unfortunately, circumstances have led me to feel the need to leave Ponyville. I regret not being able to say my goodbyes in pony, and hope to see you again someday.
Regards,
Snowstorm