It was still dark out by the time my alarm woke me up. Groaning, I turned it off and got out of bed, yawning heavily. Getting up for early morning workouts was taxing enough, but this was just plain torture. However, it was necessary for me to play my own part for Winter Wrap Up, so complaining about it wasn’t going to do me any good. Resisting a mighty urge to sit back down and just rest my eyes for a few more minutes, I shuffled off to get ready.
By the time I stepped out, having put my vest on over my jacket, the sky was already beginning to lighten. I had just closed and locked my door when I heard sounds nearby. I stiffened. In the silence and darkness of the early morning, my sense of paranoia was triggered, just like when I thought I saw a figure fly away into the night after my speech. Turning around, however, I beheld Moonlight, looking a little tired, but still smiling. She, too, was wearing her new vest.
“Hi, Dave,” she said.
“Good morning, Moonlight,” I said, happy and relieved to see her. “I haven't seen you in a while. How've you been?”
“Busy,” said Moonlight. “Between longer shifts at Sugarcube Corner, to make enough refreshments for Winter Wrap Up, and my own pet project, I haven't had much time for anything else.”
“Aw, I'm sorry,” I said, sympathetically.
“No, no, it's ok,” said Moonlight. “I’m just glad to do my part. And how about you? What have you been up to?”
As we walked, I began filling her in on the more important highlights of that week. Moonlight, having seen a foal with a flyer for the amateur concert while at work, was both amused and delighted at the prospect of it, and said she couldn't wait to see it happen. She had also met Octavia when she came in for breakfast one day, and considered her a very polite, charming lady. When I came to the council meeting, Moonlight was surprised to hear about Ironmane leaving for the Crystal Empire. Granted, she knew little about him beyond what I had said, but she sympathized when I told her about my mixed feelings, going airborne to give me a gentle, reassuring hug, which I appreciated.
“And how did your diet do you?” she asked. “Did you meet your goal?”
I grinned at her.
“Yep, and even a little more. I lost 12 pounds in all.”
Moonlight gasped, then let out a happy squeal as she gripped my hands warmly.
“Congratulations! That’s wonderful!”
“Thanks,” I said. “I know it’s not much in the grand scheme of things, but I still feel a lot better.”
“Then that’s all that really matters,” said Moonlight, beaming.
Smiling, I gave her mane a friendly tousle, and we continued on towards town square. As we approached, not only was it getting brighter, but I could see more and more ponies going our way, all of them wearing vests. There were blue ones for the weather team, like mine and Moonlight’s, green for the agriculture team, and brown for the animal team. I could even see several of Ponyville’s foals, but none of them were wearing vests. I wondered what they did for Winter Wrap Up. The buzz of conversation was sometimes broken up by the occasional yawn, but everypony looked eager for what was to come.
“Dave! There you are! Hi, Moonlight!”
I turned around. Lyra was worming her way through the crowd toward us, Bon Bon right behind her. Lyra was wearing a brown vest, and Bon Bon a green one. At last, both were abreast of me, Moonlight opting to take to the air to give them room.
“Hello, Dave, Moonlight,” said Bon Bon, warmly. “How’ve you been?”
“Good,” said Moonlight.
“Pretty well,” I said, “and even better after last night. The results came in, Bon Bon: 12 pounds.”
“Oh, wonderful!” Bon Bon cried, joyfully. “Congratulations! You almost beat me, too: 13 pounds.”
“Wow, nice!” I said, impressed.
“Good work, big guy,” said Lyra, punching my arm.
“Thanks,” I said. “How did you do, Lyra?”
“She exceeded my wildest expectations,” said Bon Bon, before Lyra could answer. “A whole 15 pounds, as she wouldn’t stop bragging about when we saw the results.”
“Whoa-ho-ho!” I cried, ruffling Lyra’s messy mane. “Way to go!”
Lyra grinned broadly. “Couldn’t believe it myself,” she said.
“You were certainly far less skeptical when you were dancing around the bathroom, singing ‘in your face, Bon Buns’,” said Bon Bon, dryly.
“No idea what you’re talking about,” said Lyra, innocently.
Bon Bon scoffed, then turned to me with a smile on her face.
“You and Lyra both did so well these past couple months,” she said. “I’m so proud of you two.”
“Thanks, Bon Bon,” I said, feeling warm inside.
“I’m proud of you too, Bonnie,” said Lyra, smiling in a rather cheeky way. “You really got back in the game after your little ‘pudding belly’ hiccup.”
Bon Bon’s cheeks flushed, but she bit back whatever retort she seemed longing to hurl at Lyra. Moonlight and Lyra both giggled, and I just rolled my eyes smilingly.
“So, you two are on separate teams?” Moonlight asked.
“Yeah,” said Lyra, before adding, in a tone of exaggerated melodrama, “It’s a crime, I tell you! Separating me from my Bonnie like this! I ought to take it up with the mayor! I’ll gladly switch over to the planting team! There’s no danger of me eating the crops up, I swear!”
“Oh, shush,” said Bon Bon, dryly. “It’s only for one day, you silly filly.”
“Starting from the crack of dawn,” Lyra moaned. “Today’s gonna feel like an eternity.”
Bon Bon just rolled her eyes, but I decided to shift aside so that the two mare-friends could walk side by side, at least. Both smiled at me by way of thanks, and on we went.
At last, we joined the crowd in front of town hall. Over the heads of the ponies, I could see Mayor Mare standing behind a lectern. Beside her stood Twilight, looking bright and alert. Her vest was the only one that stood out from everypony else’s: blue on the back, green on the front, and trimmed with brown at the collar and leg holes. Standing next to her was Spike, who looked like he was fighting hard to stay awake. He was also carrying a stack of clipboards in his arms, and each had a thick stack of papers clipped inside them. It didn’t look like a fun load to carry for the poor little guy.
When everypony was assembled, in a great mingled sea of blue, green, and brown, amidst the usual assortment of pastel pony coat colors, the mayor cleared her throat, and said,
“Good morning, everypony! I'm glad to see all of you awake. The time has come, once again, to say goodbye to winter, and welcome spring!”
The crowd broke out into loud applause, myself included.
“I realize we’ve had slight problems with staying on schedule in the past, but this year, I have full confidence we’ll bring in spring on time. Early, even, if we’re lucky. And now, without further ado, I turn you over to our official All-Team Organizer, Twilight Sparkle.”
Everyone broke out into applause again, as the mayor stepped aside and Twilight stepped forward.
“Thank you, Mayor, and good morning, everypony. Today’s going to be a busy one, so let’s not waste time. Captains, I’ve arranged a checklist of assignments and tasks for everypony on each of your teams. Please come forward to receive one from Spike. Quickly, now. Every second counts.”
Ponies shifted aside to make room for Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Sparkler as they approached the lectern. All three were wearing, besides their vests, a color-coordinated armband around their hooves. One by one, they removed a clipboard from Spike’s arms. He looked immensely relieved for it.
“All right, then, everypony,” said Twilight, “let’s wrap up winter! Dismissed!”
With that, she stepped down, and the voices of the three captains rang out through the crowd from three separate corners.
“Plant team, hustle on over here!”
“Animal team, this way!”
“Weather team, right over here! Let’s move, everypony!”
The sea of ponies began to scatter, until members of each color began to converge in their own individual spots. I could see, among others, Lyra joining Fluttershy and Rarity at Sparkler’s huddle, Bon Bon, Berry Punch, Doc, and Zecora heading for Applejack, and Derpy already over by Rainbow Dash and several other pegasi. To my surprise and joy, Pinkie was part of the weather team, too, hopping up and down in excitement, as well as, to my even greater surprise, Vinyl Scratch. Both smiled broadly at the sight of Moonlight and me.
“Hey, Davie, Moonlight!” said Pinkie.
“Hi, Pinkie!” the two of us said, in unintentional unison.
Rainbow looked up to spot us.
“Hey, guys!” she said. “Glad you found yourselves a team!”
“I should’ve guessed you’d be captain of the Weather Division,” I said, genially.
“Heh, you know it,” said Rainbow.
“AJ in charge of crops is no surprise, either,” I said, “but I’m a little surprised to see Sparkler in charge of the Animal Division. I sorta figured Fluttershy would be heading it.”
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” asked Rainbow. “She just never volunteered as a leader, and between you and me, I don’t think she really wants that kind of attention.”
“Yeah, I see what you mean,” I said. “Then again, who am I to talk, when I’m the ambassador for both humans and Ponyville on the royal council?”
Some of the ponies, including Moonlight and Pinkie, giggled in token of this jab at myself.
“All righty, then,” said Rainbow, who was leafing through her clipboard’s contents. “let’s get down to business. Cloud Squad!”
Several of the pegasi stood at attention, wings snapping open. Among them were three ponies whose names I recalled as being Raindrops, Flitter, and Cloud Chaser.
“Let’s see some clear skies by the end of the day!” said Rainbow.
“Yes, ma’am!” they said in unison.
“Bird Squad!”
Another band of pegasi, including Derpy, Sassaflash, and one I think was named Blossomforth, stood at attention
“Make sure you all have your compasses with you, so that you keep south, and bring those birds safely home!”
She glanced rather sternly at Derpy when she said this, making her grin sheepishly.
“Yes, ma’am!” they chorused.
“Ice Squad!”
Pinkie and a group of other ponies sprang to attention, Pinkie even saluting. I noticed that all of them had ice skates hanging at their sides.
“You all know which lakes and ponds you’re all assigned to, so let’s see some clean-cut, easy-to-melt ice!”
“Yes, sir, ma’am, sir-ma’am!” said Pinkie.
“Snow Squad!”
Now Moonlight and I stood straight and alert, along with Vinyl.
“By the time the day’s over, I wanna see some snow-free rooftops and treetops, and not a single icicle on any tree branch!”
“Yes, ma’am!” I said, along with everypony else.
“Ok, everypony,” said Rainbow, “you all know what you gotta do, so let’s do it! Dismissed!”
With a great *whoosh* of many wings, the Cloud and Bird Squads took off. The force of so many ponies taking wing nearly knocked me off my feet.
“See you later, Davie, Moonlight!” said Pinkie, cheerily. “Let’s go, team!”
She and her fellow skaters dispersed, heading in the direction of Ponyville’s more rural areas, the ones with ponds, lakes, and other frozen bodies of water. That left me and Moonlight with Rainbow, Vinyl, and the rest of the Snow Squad.
“Got a real flair for authority there, Captain,” I said, honestly.
Rainbow grinned.
“Come a month or so, and it’s gonna be me doing all the ‘yes, ma’am’-ing,” she said. “I put in my application for the Wonderbolt Academy earlier this week, and I should hear back from them by then.”
“Oh, wow!” I said. “I’m sure you’ll get in, no problem.”
“Flatterer,” said Rainbow, punching my shoulder. “But thanks. I’ve gotta help out the Cloud Squad, so you guys get to it, all right? Vinyl, make sure these guys keep on task, got it?”
Wait, Vinyl was in charge of us?
“You got it, R.D.,” said Vinyl, saluting.
“Good luck!”
And with that, Rainbow took off to join her fellow fliers. I turned to look at Vinyl.
“You’re in charge of clearing snow, Vinyl?” I asked.
“Yep,” said Vinyl, proudly. “My Wub-Meister can clean half a rooftop in one blast. Dash saw it happen once, so she put me on the Snow Squad.”
“I see,” I said, feeling both amusement and a slight twinge of apprehension.
“Ok, squaddies,” said Vinyl, putting on an air of authority. “To your posts!”
The group dispersed, heading to where a bunch of open wagons and snow shovels were stationed. That left me with Vinyl and Moonlight. Luckily, the former didn’t seem too perturbed that I didn’t move on with the others.
“Congrats, Vinyl,” I said, smiling. “Octavia told me about the two of you sharing a home now.”
“Thanks, dude,” she said, beaming. “Believe me, I was surprised when she first brought it up to me, but I’m really looking forward to it. Once spring’s here officially, I can move out of my old place and into our new one. Gonna be nice not having any neighbors complaining. So, who’s your friend?” she added, looking at Moonlight.
“Oh!” I said, in realization. “Right, I forgot to introduce you. Vinyl, this is Moonlight, my neighbor and a very good friend. Moonlight, this is Vinyl Scratch. She’s the owner of Club Scratch.”
“Hi,” said Moonlight, smiling sweetly. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” said Vinyl. “Any friend of D-dude’s a friend of mine. Anyways, we’d better get cracking. Don’t want Twilight breathing down our necks.”
Remembering Twilight’s overzealous guidelines yet again, I agreed, and the three of us went to get our equipment without further delay.
***
Within 5 minutes, we were ready. I stood beneath a snow-covered rooftop, gripping the shafts of a large cart, while Moonlight hovered above it, a snow shovel held in her forelegs.
“Now, you're sure the cart’s directly below you?” I called up.
“Positive!” called Moonlight. “Ready?”
“Go ahead!”
There was a brief sound of scraping metal, a thump, and then the sound of something sliding down a slope. With a heavy thud that made my cart shudder, a mound of snow fell neatly into it, filling it about halfway. I looked from it up to the wide patch of clean rooftop, now free of snow.
That was it? That was all we had to do? Well, this might be easier than I thought.
Moonlight beamed down at me, and I gave her a thumb’s up before moving the cart again. Another *thump*, another *thud*, and the cart was now completely full, even rising a bit higher than the edge, and the rooftop was fully devoid of snow.
“Well, this is pretty easy,” I called up to Moonlight.
“I think so, too!” agreed Moonlight.
Then, although it was more of an effort to pull it now, I slowly wheeled the cart over to the designated snow drop-off point. This was where it was all to be collected, so that it could be melted down into water for the plants and grass. Smart and efficient, I’d say.
Just as my cart had been emptied, and I was about to join Moonlight at the next house, there was a loud, reverberating hum that made me jump. Looking around, I saw Vinyl standing at the foot of a house with a tall bass speaker standing beside her. A unicorn hitched to a cart stood below as the snow spilled into it, half the rooftop cleaned of snow, just as Vinyl had claimed. She had a big, satisfied grin on her face, but the cart pony looked very disgruntled. His ears were flattened, and his mane was windswept. Who could blame him, given his proximity to that Wub-Meister?
“I’m surprised it didn’t knock all the snow off at once,” said Moonlight, as I rejoined her. She, too, had been struck agog by what just happened.
“Me, too,” I said, “but she probably toned it down, so as not to take away any work from anypony else. Winter Wrap Up’s a community effort, after all.”
“That’s fair,” said Moonlight. “All right, then, you ready?”
“Fire away, partner.”
*scrape* *thump* *thud*
It wasn’t exactly rhythmic in itself, since each occurrence didn’t happen in quick succession, but there was a kind of satisfaction in hearing it. With each load of snow dumping into the cart, it was another step closer to bringing in spring. I still could hardly believe I was really doing this: taking part in physically ending one season to start the next. How was I ever to explain this back home? And yet, shoveling the driveway certainly seemed more arduous back home.
As the morning wore on, and my arms were beginning to grow tired from hauling the cart about, I slowly became conscious of something, although I wondered if it was really happening, or if it was just my imagination. It felt as though...but how do I even describe it? It was like a song was in the air, but no one was singing out loud. Moonlight wasn’t, at any rate. And yet, it seemed to be coming, softly but distinctly, from all around, spritely and lively. It felt as though it was part of the air itself. What could it be?
“EEE-YAII!”
I let out a yelp, as a sharp shock of coldness hit me right in the foot, from my ankle to my toes. Moonlight must have shoveled without making sure I was lined up properly, and some of the snow had spilled out and went right down into my boot. My foot was smarting from the icy chill, and my heart had nearly stopped from the suddenness.
“Oh, gosh!” said Moonlight, coming down and looking concerned. “Are you all right, Dave?”
“J-Just p-p-peachy,” I stammered, my teeth on edge. “M-My fault f-for not p-p-paying attention.”
“Oh, no,” said Moonlight, shaking her head in disagreement. “I should’ve made sure you were lined up properly. Sorry. I just got distracted. I could’ve sworn I heard something. It sounded like music.”
Huh? She heard it too? So was it really happening, or were we having a shared delusion?
“Anyways, we’d better get moving,” said Moonlight, shoveling up the snow that had spilled at my feet and tossing it into the wagon. “We don’t want Twilight to see us wasting time.”
“R-Right,” I said.
As I went to go dump off that load of snow, three thoughts battled for focus in my mind: the uncomfortable cold creeping around my foot, the fact that Moonlight thought she heard something too, and the idea of Twilight watching us from afar with laser-precise scrutiny.
***
As the day wore on, and we went further and further through Ponyville, I couldn’t help looking around at what everypony else was doing. We were getting more and more into the thick of activity, after all.
There were ponies doing something similar to what Moonlight and I were doing, except with the trees. Pegasi shook or bounced on boughs to send snow down into carts. Some were gently shaking or plucking off the icicles that hung from tree branches and under roofs, like farmers taking in their harvest. Others were up above, shifting clouds away to uncover more and more sky. I could actually feel the sun’s warmth beginning to come through.
There were ponies clearing away the snow on the ground with big, wheeled plows, while other ponies were planting seeds in the newly-uncovered soil. Among them, I noticed Caramel keeping close behind Noteworthy, sprinkling grass seeds in his wake. So that was what he’d meant when I’d talked to him earlier this week. I couldn’t even fathom how many seeds were needed to fully replant Ponyville’s greenery. Strangely, I could’ve sworn I heard, echoing over the hills from the direction of Ponyville Lake, Pinkie’s voice shouting, ‘Seventeen thousand nine hundred and thirty-...four!’”
There were ponies at the entrances to animal burrows and dens, ringing bells to awaken the animals inside, standing by with baskets of food. It warmed my heart to see Fluttershy’s smiling face as she watched her furry friends emerge into the open. I was shocked, however, at the sight of an enormous brown bear lumbering into view, but I soon observed that, with Fluttershy at least, he was as tame as a house dog. Several snakes also slithered by in the open, sending a thrill of terror through me, but thankfully, none of them noticed me. I also thought I saw Rainbow Dash come down and nuzzle a tortoise that had emerged, which must have been her pet, Tank.
There were ponies at the lakes and ponds, skimming across them on their ice skates and cutting long lines into the ice. Pinkie was easily identifiable, not just from her bright colors, but with the skill and grace with which she skated, just like when I’d first seen her at it. I was so intent on watching her that I very nearly ended up with another boot-full of snow, and I snapped back to attention before it was too late.
On the whole, everypony seemed to be working not only to their personal capacities, but with an optimism and energy that was admirable to behold. I’d only been part of a few community-wide projects back home, but I’d never experienced any with this amount of good feeling. It felt like the warmth in everypony’s hearts could’ve sufficed well enough to melt away all the snow, which, ironically enough, would’ve rendered Winter Wrap Up somewhat moot. Well, I guess it wouldn’t be the first time.
***
We’d cleared off a good number of rooftops by the time lunch rolled around, and I was more than happy to take a break. Tables had been set up in the town square, with one being devoted solely to refreshments. Everypony was sitting with friends regardless of teams or squads, and it was deafeningly noisy. Twilight was with the Mayor and Spike, and was engaged in what looked like a serious discussion with the former while the latter was stuffing his face with donuts.
Moonlight and I joined Pinkie, who was sitting with Minuette and two other ponies whom I was introduced to as her fellow Canterlot friends, Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine, all three being members of the Animal Division. Just like with Minuette, Ponyville was practically a second home for her two friends, as they were always coming back and forth to and from Canterlot to visit Lyra. I couldn’t even imagine such a constant string of commuting, though it was probably easier than I was imagining.
Lunch itself consisted of hot soup, sandwiches, fresh-baked pastries from Sugarcube Corner, and hot cocoa. So this was what Moonlight was talking about when she said they’d been busy baking for Winter Wrap Up. To prepare food for everypony working must have taken a lot of time and effort. I had to give props to her, Pinkie, and the Cakes for managing such a feat.
As Twilight had said, we were only given 20 minutes for lunch, and I was lucky to finish with all the conversation going on. When it was over, we got back to work, but I was feeling a lot better, and more energized after a good meal. Moonlight seemed to feel the same way, and the two of us went back to it with gusto. Now, more than ever, I felt like I could hear that song I’d imagined hearing earlier. It seemed stronger than before, and felt as if it were actually inside me, pulsing through my veins. I even tried humming to it as I worked, though I couldn’t exactly pin down a solid tune to it.
Some time around 3 or so, the air was full of a very different sound: the flapping of wings and the chirping and peeping of innumerable birds. I looked up to see a flock, no, a cloud, no, a positive storm of birds flying in. I’d seen flocks of crows or even wild parakeets that were pretty big, but they were nothing compared to this. I felt like I needed an umbrella, in case any of them took it into their heads to have a little, *ahem*, ‘target practice’. Eat your heart out, Alfred Hitchcock.
The pegasi Dash had sent to retrieve the southern birds, Derpy among them, were leading them like captains leading a military charge. Moonlight and I waved up, and Derpy, spying us, waved back merrily. She and the others soon began allowing the birds to disperse, and they made for the trees, each now adorned with one of the nests Rarity and her team had made. They really were something: smooth and immaculate, decorated with colorful bits of ribbon.
The afternoon was slowly creeping away into early evening as Moonlight and I made our way to our own little corner of Ponyville to clear our roofs. I was slightly worried that if when we finally made it to my and Moonlight’s neck of the woods, I’d have to troop all the way back to the snow depository, and then back again. That would’ve been more than I could’ve borne. However, to my relief, a depository was stationed over there as well, between my house and the Hooves’. I was glad Twilight wasn’t so cruel as to make us have to walk long distances in both directions. Besides, it didn’t seem right when she was such an efficiency nut.
The snow had yet to be cleared out here, so we seemed to be the first on the scene. Nevertheless, the clearing job was gradually coming our way, so we had to be quick if we didn’t want to be in anypony’s way. As we cleaned off our own rooftops, I could still hear Vinyl’s Wub-Meister reverberating even from this distance.
“You know, Moonlight,” I said, “back where I used to live, it was common to shovel our driveways and sidewalks in snowy weather. We had to, if we wanted to get anywhere. Never, in all my days, did I dream there was an actual holiday or public event based around that concept.”
“Oh, that’s right,” said Moonlight. “The weather and seasons just happen by themselves where you come from, right? That’s still a little creepy. No offense.”
“None taken. That’s not to say they don’t give us any work to do. We still mow lawns, rake leaves, shovel snow, all that stuff. Well, I mean, I never really did any of that, besides shoveling snow. I was never good with anything outdoorsy.”
“Well, look at you now, Mr. Indoorsy,” said Moonlight, giggling. “Clearing away everypony else’s snow along with your own, like a grown pony.”
I smirked up at her.
“The only reason I’m not tickling you for that is because you’re out of reach,” I quipped back, and she stuck her tongue out at me playfully.
When the last of the snow disappeared from that collection of rooftops, I took a survey of our surroundings. Not a speck of snow remained, and the plow teams would soon be here to do the same to the ground. However, as I looked back towards Ponyville, I noticed something. From where I stood, I couldn’t see one patch of white on any roof I could see, not even the town hall. I just stood there, staring.
“Moonlight, come here,” I called to my pegasus pal.
“Huh? What is it?” asked Moonlight, joining me at my side.
“Look,” I said, pointing out, “I don’t know if it’s just me, but I don’t see anymore snowy rooftops. I think our team got them all.”
“You think so? Let me see.”
Moonlight hovered higher into the air, putting her hoof over her brow and squinting her eyes. After about 10 seconds of looking, she said, amazed,
“Wow, you’re right! It looks completely clean from here! I think we actually got them all!”
“You bet your flanks we did!”
Both of us jumped and looked around. Vinyl was coming toward us, levitating a checklist beside her and beaming.
“I just made my rounds and checked off every other house in Ponyville as being ‘snow-free’, and you guys just finished off the last ones! Nice work!”
“Oh!” said Moonlight and I, together, in surprise.
“So, what happens next?” I asked.
“We report back to Rainbow Dash, then let Twilight know,” said Vinyl. “Things are starting to wind down, so captains and squad leaders will all be handing in their completed checklists.”
“Is there anything else we should do?” asked Moonlight. “Like, helping out another team or something?”
“Nah,” said Vinyl. “All that’s really left is watering the soil with the melted snow water, and there’s a team for that already. We have a big group dinner tonight, like we did for lunch, and everypony whose tasks are finished are free for the rest of the night. Lucky us, huh?”
“Heh, yeah, I guess so,” I said.
“Okey doke, then, roof squaddies,” said Vinyl, “let’s get moving.”
With that, and with my empty cart rattling behind me, the three of us started wending our way back toward the main part of Ponyville.
“By the way, Vinyl,” I said, “while you were out working, could you hear something in the air?”
“Hmm?”
“Well, not just hear, but feel, too, you know?”
“Yeah, I thought I could hear and feel it, too,” said Moonlight. “It was like the air itself was making a song.”
“Oh, that?” said Vinyl, casually. “I left my portable turntable on, and it was playing one of my new remixes. It’s got a slow start to it that eases you in before kicking into high gear.”
“Oh,” said Moonlight and I together, bemused.
That certainly hadn’t been the answer I was expecting. Upon reflection, though, I ought to have been thankful that her turntable hadn’t been plugged into her Wub-Meister when it ‘kicked into high gear’.
***
It didn’t take long to find Rainbow Dash once we got back into the hustle and bustle. She’d spent a long day up in the sky, and she was exhausted, but she was also glad to hear of our accomplishment.
“Record time, too!” she said, looking at her checklist. “At least, that’s according to Twilight and her egghead facts. Nice work, guys!”
“All in a day’s work, chief,” said Vinyl, proudly. “My Wub-Meister was aching for a proper workout, and boy, did I give it one.”
“You can say that again,” said Octavia, wearily, as she was within earshot.
The sun was very low in the sky now, and the street lamps were already lit, when we found Twilight in front of town hall, busy perusing a stack of papers, and writing something down on another sheet. Spike was sitting between her and another stack, still fighting hard to stay awake. It seemed he was starting to crash from that donut binge.
“Hey, Twi!” said Rainbow
Spike started at the loudness of her voice, but Twilight didn’t even flinch. She merely looked up.
“Yes, Rainbow?” she asked.
“The Snow Squad’s all wrapped up,” said Rainbow, handing over her clipboard and saluting. “Every rooftop and every tree are clean as whistles.”
Twilight’s eyes roved over the clipboard, flipping from page to page. She then looked about her at the snow-free roofs immediately nearby. At last, she looked back up at us, smiling.
“Excellent!” she said. “I expected no less than quick and accurate results from you and your team, Rainbow.”
“Naturally,” said Rainbow, puffing her chest out a bit, an act mirrored by Vinyl.
“And well done to both of you,” said Twilight, turning to me and Moonlight. “You two should be proud of all your hard work today, especially since it’s your first Winter Wrap Up in Ponyville. Thank you so much for your help.”
“Heh, it was nothing, Twi,” I said, modestly.
“Happy to help, Twilight!” said Moonlight, cheerily.
“Well, then, you can go pack up your equipment, then meet back here. It’ll be dinner in about 15 minutes. After that, you and the others who are all finished can head on home and get a good night’s rest. Everypony’s going to meet up again at 9 o’clock sharp tomorrow, when we all welcome the first official day of spring!”
Happy, I exchanged high-fives with Rainbow and Vinyl, and was about to give one to Moonlight, but she hugged me instead, so I reciprocated in kind. Before leaving, though, I gave Spike a pat on the shoulder.
“Hang in there, little buddy,” I said.
Spike merely heaved a huge yawn in response, and Twilight rolled her eyes.
***
Dinner passed much the same as lunch, though with a little more variety in dishes. Everypony was still gabbing away excitedly, flushed with their accomplishments, but I couldn’t help noticing that some of the energy from work was wearing off. Everypony’s speech was punctuated by yawns, and coffee had been added to the refreshments, along with the hot cocoa. It was my second cup of the day, the first being when we were clearing off Sugarcube Corner. It had taken a lot longer than most of the other houses, and the Cakes must’ve felt it an appropriate reward for getting it all cleaned up.
In a way, it was kind of enchanting, sitting outside at night with good friends, under the glow of the lamps and the darkening sky. The air was still nice and cool, but by tomorrow, it was going to warm up nicely. I was actually looking forward to not having to wear a winter coat or boots anymore. Plus, now that my diet was over, I had some long overdue visits to pay to both Sugarcube Corner and Bon Bon’s Bonbons.
When everypony started finishing up, and were sitting back in their chairs with full and contented stomachs, Mayor Mare called our attention to her and Twilight.
“Attention, everypony!” she called. “I want to thank all of you that have done your parts by now. This is one of the quickest Winter Wrap Ups I’ve seen yet, and I couldn’t be prouder! It really shows that town spirit I like to see in each and every one of you, so thank you ever so much!”
This was met with enthusiastic applause from all of us.
“Now, then,” she went on, “the nighttime teams should begin preparations, while those of you who have completed your tasks are dismissed. Get a good night’s rest, for we’ll meet up at the hill south of Ponyville at 9 AM sharp to officially declare the start of spring. Good night, and again, thank you.”
Another burst of applause from all around, and a good majority of the ponies, myself included, stood up. However, I felt awkward just leaving without doing anything else to help. The least I could do was clean up. However, before I could, I felt a tug at my elbow, and looked down to see Pinkie.
“It’s fine, Davie,” she said. “You’ve done all you had to do today. Now we leave the rest to the ponies who still have work to do. It’s how it’s always done, so don’t worry about it.”
She gave me an encouraging smile, and I felt a little less guilty now. If what she said was true, and this was how it always was, I wasn’t in any position to argue.
“All right, Pinkie,” I said. “Thanks.”
“We’ll see you tomorrow, all right?” said Moonlight, smiling.
“You bet you will!” said Pinkie, in a more eager tone. “After our spring welcoming tomorrow, I’m throwing my annual ‘Spring Has Sprung’ Party, and you’re both invited!”
“Oh, really?” I asked, intrigued. “It’s been a little while since I’ve been to one of your parties, so I’m definitely looking forward to that now.”
“Me too!” said Moonlight.
Pinkie smiled widely, hugged both me and Moonlight good night, then bounced off with the others. The two of us joined the crowd ourselves, heading back towards home. Ponies began to branch off this way and that as they came to their own houses. We waved goodbye to many of our friends as we parted, some still looking peppy, others looking like they were longing for their beds. Soon, it was just me, Moonlight, and the Hooves family. Dinky had fallen asleep on Sparkler’s back, Scootaloo on Derpy’s.
“What have they been busy with?” Moonlight asked. “Did Scootaloo go with you to find the southern birds?”
“Oh, no, no,” said Derpy. “That’s much too far for a little foal to fly, but believe me, she wanted to. It was all I could do to keep her from following me, the little scamp. No, she and Dinky both helped Sparkler wake up the animals.”
“How about Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle?” I asked.
“Sweetie Belle helped Rarity with her nest making,” said Sparkler, “and Apple Bloom was on seed duty. She’s got sharp eyes for a filly, so Applejack trusted her to make sure no seeds went to waste, and that they all got planted.”
“Oh, that’s neat,” I said. “Nice to see that even Ponyville’s foals get into the spirit of the event.”
“Every little bit of effort counts, wherever it comes from,” said Derpy, smiling.
Finally, we came within sight of our own houses. It was so odd, seeing the entire scape bare of snow after 3 months, even the ground. Moonlight and I bid the Hooves’ good night, then I turned to her.
“Good night, partner,” I said, smiling. “Thanks for your help today.”
“Thank you, partner,” she said, smiling back, “and good night.”
She gave me a warm nuzzle, and I gently tousled her mane in return. After that, we separated, making for our own houses. My muscles were sore, and I was fighting hard to keep my eyes open. All I could think about now was my warm, cozy bed, and the thought of what tomorrow was going to bring, because tomorrow, spring would be here.
Friday, March 1