//------------------------------// // Out of the Cold // Story: Coming in From the Cold // by Timaeus //------------------------------// The train whistle sounded, piercing the afternoon air and sharp against the lower rumbling of the engine chugging away. The gentle, rhythmic rising and falling of the train car slowed, stirring the lone mare in one of the train’s many compartments. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and yawned, stretching as thoughts coagulating from the treacle of her mind. Metal screeched against metal, and the train came to a stop with a final, stomach-churning lurch. For a moment, everything was still. Then, as though the world jumped back to motion, the deep, basso voice of the conductor came from further down the car, “Ponyville! All departing for Ponyville, collect your bags! Next stop, Dodge Junction!” Ponyville. The mare’s ears perked. Slowly, she sat up, sinking her haunches further into the thin cushion padding her seat, and groped at her side, sighing when her hoof found the coarse fabric of her saddlebags. A glimmer of fear shone in her reflection’s eyes, nearly as bright and blue as the winter sky. She watched as a wrinkle furrowed her brow and as her ears fell back down against her two-toned pink-and-blue mane. It may have been the translucency of the reflection or the backdrop of white behind it, but her cream-coloured coat seemed a shade or two paler than usual. Though, who could blame her, really? Outside of that window and beyond her reflection lay the little town of Ponyville. As soon as she stepped outside her compartment door, she would begin the first day of the rest of her life. She would begin the life of Bon Bon, candy maker and inevitably-permanent citizen of Ponyville. Ponyvillian? Is that what they called themselves? Either way, she would be one of them. The conductor’s voice came again, this time much closer, and shook her from her thoughts. “This stop, Ponyville! All departing, please collect your bags! All remaining, next stop, Dodge Junction!” A sigh fell from the m—Bon Bon’s lips as she pushed herself off of her bench and shivered at the draft of cool air that wafted in from outside. The muffled thud-thud of hooves on the hardwood floor sounded from outside her compartment door, and the low murmur of conversation followed. Not many were departing here, which is exactly what she had hoped. Most ponies only knew Ponyville as the town on the edge of the Everfree Forest. It promised a quiet life, where she could blend into the background. It was exactly what she needed. Sliding her saddlebags over her shoulders, Bon Bon wiggled them into place before balancing on her hind legs to grab her suitcase stored overhead. A flicker of movement caught her eye as she lowered herself back to the floor. Ears twitching, she followed it out the window, and to the snowscape beyond. Snow swirled and danced across the train station platform. The few ponies in sight walked with their heads bowed, straining against the wind that mixed and mingled fresh snow from the sky with the fine powder collected on the roofs and trees. Flurries rose and fell, swirling in bouts of white that had already started to fog and frost over the edges of the window. Swallowing, she nosed into her saddlebags and pulled out her scarf between her teeth. It was a simple thing, a worn and faded red, but it would keep some of the bite of the cold at bay. She wrapped it around her neck and, with one final breath, balanced her suitcase on her back, pulled open her compartment door, and walked out of her compartment. The conductor greeted her with a smile as she approached. It had a way of wrinkling the coal-black mustache that stretched all the way to the base of his ears. “Welcome to Ponyville, Miss,” he said with a tip of his hat. “Hope you got more ‘n that scarf on you. It’s a mite nippy out there!” Bon Bon offered a flickering smile in reply. “Thank you, but I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’ll just get to a hotel right away.” The conductor shrugged as he turned to walk back down the train car. “If you’re sure, Miss. Have a good day.” With a nod and murmur of thanks, Bon Bon walked off of the train and onto the platform. The door closed behind her and another whistle pierced the winter air over the gusting wind that howled in her ears. She certainly felt it through the floorboards, though, as the train pulled out of the station, slowly gaining speed until it left Ponyville and its newest resident far behind. Snow bit through her coat and sent a chill up her spine by the time she left the station, and the wind whipped the end of her scarf over her shoulder. Rows of shingled roofs lined the streets and, with no plan, no idea where to go, and no place in which she could seek refuge, Bon Bon started to walk. Hopefully wherever she ended up would be warm. Snow fell around Bon Bon, swirling and whipped into flurried frenzies by the winter wind that howled over the rooftops and between the houses and shops that lined the street. She bowed her head, gritting her teeth as each gust bit through her scarf and caught snowflakes in her eyelashes, hazing her vision as she continued her march through town. The hour that had passed since she left the train station passed by in a grueling slog. The cobblestone streets were cold to the touch, numbing her hooves as she trudged through the snow and weaved a winding trail in her wake. The tips of her ears burned from the frigid air and she had long since lost feeling in the tip of her snout. Her suitcase dug into her shoulders more and more with each step, and the feeling of cold air against her naked teeth turned her grimace into a teeth-chattering shiver. Another gust of wind whipped her scarf over her face, squeezing something between a whine and a sigh from her chest. She was alone in the street as she paused her stride to tuck the tail end of her scarf around her neck. Steadying herself, another shiver shook her frame as she rubbed her forelegs together, a futile effort to return some semblance of warmth. The wind blew again, and Bon Bon braced herself against it and the flurry that it carried. As it died down, she caught the faint clickety-clack of wood rattling on the edge of her hearing. Ears perked and eyes opened wide, she swivelled her head left and right until her gaze landed on a sight more welcome than the merriest of Hearth’s Warming trees: a cafe on the street corner. Sanctuary at last. Snow covered the cafe’s outdoor patio, sloped by the wind against the upturned chairs. Its sign swung and rattled with each gust of wind, and the windows shone with an inviting, orange glow—one that promised shelter, comfort, and, most importantly, warmth of the like that her chilled coat and numbing hooves couldn’t ignore. Before she knew what she was doing, she was trotting across the street towards her haven. Murky silhouettes bobbed in the windows, huddled close together as they talked and drank and ate and laughed. The soft, orange light danced and flickered, promising a crackling fire that kept winter’s chill at bay. The sight tugged at Bon Bon’s chest, hollowing her core with a sense of yearning that pulled her the last few stumbling steps to the door. The door handle was freezing to the touch, but still she wrapped her hoof around it and pulled it open. A wave of heat rolled out from inside and washed over her, threatening to buckle her knees then and there as she crossed the threshold. A bell hanging over the door chimed, announcing her entrance before she kicked the door closed, not that any of the other patrons noticed. The din of a dozen conversations filled the cafe as ponies of all shapes and sizes filled the tables and booths scattered across the floor and crowded around the few sofas and plush armchairs nestled by the fire. Oh, Celestia, there was a fire. Slowly, the burning, bitter cold faded from her ears as they perked up, eager to catch every snap, crackle, and pop of the log in the hearth. The scent of woodsmoke tickled her nose, easing the beginnings of a smile over her muzzle as she closed her eyes and simply stood on the welcome matt, soaking up as much of everything as she could. She could still hear the sharp whistle of the wind through the crack in the door, prompting her tail to curl around her hind leg and inch deeper into the cafe. “Hello!” a voice chirped. Blinking open her eyes, Bon Bon glanced to the side and found one of the cafe’s waitresses greeting her with a courteous, but genuine smile. “Welcome to Cuppa Cocoa. Sorry about the mess. We’re just a little busy right now.” A tray stacked with empty plates, cups, and cutlery hovered over the waitresses’ head, wreathed in a golden aura that almost matched her brilliant golden eyes. The apron she wore was only a few shades darker than her minty green coat and matched the visor that kept the bangs of her two-toned green-and-white mane out of her face. Though Bon Bon’s teeth chattered, she tried to steady her voice. “It’s no problem. With this storm, I’m not surprised.” “Crazy, right?” Flashing a smile, the waitress’ horn sparked and the empty plates from the nearest table floated over to settle atop her tray. “We were supposed to get some ‘mild flurries’ according to today’s paper.” The mare rolled her eyes, but her smile remained, as light and jovial as her tone. “Then there was some accident at the weather factory, and now it’s like we’re all living in Yakyakistan!” Bon Bon put on a smile as feeling returned to her nose. She shifted her weight, rubbing her hooves together to spread the sensation further across her body and nodded. “Yeah, it’s brutal out there.” “Looks like it! So,” the waitress said, producing a pad of paper and a pen from within her apron, “what can I get started for you?” “Actually, I’d really like to get a table for one, please.” Licking her lips, Bon Bon glanced around the cafe room. Heads poked out of every booth, and bodies filled every seat. At the waning smile on the waitress’ face, she felt her ears pin back. “Or an empty spot in a booth, if anypony’s willing! I’ll take a footstool, anything.” The waitress winced. Her gaze dropped to the side as she tucked her pen and pad back into her apron. “Sorry, but we’re all booked up right now. Believe me, if I had any place I could seat you, I would. It’s nasty out there.” She looked back up, meeting Bon Bon with a weak and apologetic smile. “I can get you something hot to warm you up, though.” The thought of being plunged back into the winter storm, was enough for a shiver to shake Bon Bon from head to hoof. Her ears folded back, disappearing into her mane as her haunches sank to the floor. “Please, I’ll take anything. I’ll sit in the corner on the floor if I have to. Just until the storm passes.” The mare’s smile slipped away with a shake of her head. “I’m sorry, but there’s not an open seat in the house.” Bon Bon held the waitress’ gaze, blue eyes meeting gold, until the latter looked away. A sympathetic pain fell over the unicorn’s face in the drooping of her ears and the grimace that wrinkled her brow. She was sorry, Bon Bon knew, but sorry wouldn’t keep her warm. Another shiver shook her frame. Bon Bon released a breath in a heavy sigh and pushed herself to her hooves. The dusting of snow that clung to the straps of her saddlebags had melted, wetting her fur and adding to the impending chill that would sweep through to her core as soon as she stepped outside. She spared a plastic smile and nod for the waitress. “I understand. Sorry for the trouble.” And, with her head hung, Bon Bon turned, dragging her hooves with each step to the door. If the fates were kind, then a hotel would be just a street away. Just as her hoof started to push the door open, a golden aura wrapped around the door handle and pulled it back closed before it so much as jingled the bell. Eyebrow arched, she looked over her shoulder and found the waitress’ horn aglow and her bottom lip firmly bit between her teeth. “Um, yes?” Glancing from left to right, the waitress set down her tray and skittered towards her. If the other patrons noticed, they didn’t show it as they talked, ate, and drank while the other waiters and waitresses took orders and cleared away plates. “Hang on a second. Look, I’m not supposed to be doing this.” She spoke in a rushed whisper. Her gaze shifted from Bon Bon’s mane, to her tail curled around her hind leg, to her scarf, and to the suitcase balanced on her back. Bon Bon’s other brow arched in time with her ears perking up from her scalp. A flicker of hope danced in her chest as the waitress chewed her lip and glanced from side to side. “Doing what?” “It’s just—you just—you look like you’re freezing,” the mare said. Their eyes met, and she took a step forward. One of her ears folded down while the other stood rigid, complimenting the indecision written across her muzzle. Then, reaching out, she rested her hoof on Bon Bon’s shoulder. She yelped, withdrawing her hoof as if bitten by the cold. “Scratch that, you are freezing! How long have you been out there?” Rubbing the spot where the waitress touched, Bon Bon ducked her head as the slightest tinge of embarrassment warmed her cheeks. “I don’t know. An hour, maybe? I got kind of lost in the storm.” “An hour?” The mare balked, clutching her hoof to her chest. Fire sparked and danced behind her eyes, washing away the hesitancy that kept her lip bit between her teeth. She snorted, planting her hooves on the floor. “Okay, no.” “No? No what?” “Just wait here for a sec, okay?” The waitress’ tray lifted into the air, once again surrounding by her magic’s golden glow. When she met Bon Bon’s gaze, it was with a grin more lopsided and entirely more fitting. “I’ll be right back.” “Um,” Bon Bon said, blinking as the waitress waded into the depths of the cafe. “Okay?” Once she disappeared behind the kitchen doors, Bon Bon exhaled, inching away from the door and towards the fire. Even if it was only for a moment longer, the cold that seeped under her coat and numbed her hooves bade her cling to every second that she could. She let her eyes slide closed and felt a low hum build up in the back of her throat with every bit of her coat that thawed. The cafe continued on around her, drowning her in a combination of warmth, a sea of conversations, the scratching of chairs on the floor, and the occasional buzzing whirl of the bean grinder. Slowly, the more she became adrift in the ambiance cushioning her, the more her tail unwound from her leg. Another sigh, this one more relieved, blew past her lips as she revelled in the moment. It all lasted only for that moment before the cadence of hooves prancing towards her made her ear flick. Tightening the scarf around her neck, Bon Bon opened her eyes in time to see the waitress cantering back across the floor. A smile, bright and keen, stretched over her muzzle as she weaved her way through the crowd on the tips of her hooves. “Table for one, right?” “Yeah,” Bon Bon said, angling her head to the side. Not a single pony had left in the short minute she’d waited. “But I thought you said—” “Then come this way, we’ve got a table all ready for you!” Wiggling her ears, the waitress skipped over to Bon Bon’s side and, tugging the soon-to-be Ponyvillian by the foreleg, led her through the cafe. Too cold and too hopeful to argue, Bon Bon let herself be led, though she squinted at the back of the waitress’ head all the while. “I’m sorry, did a table open up?” The waitress giggled a musical little laugh. “Not exactly.” Bon Bon’s brow furrowed as she edged around a table filled with enough fresh and warm pastries to make her stomach growl. “Then where are you taking me?” “I talked to my manager,” the waitress said, grinning that bright and eager smile over her shoulder. “Turns out she shares my opinion on not kicking cold and lost looking mares out into the middle of a snowstorm, so you get to sit at the special table!” A wrinkle formed in Bon Bon’s brow and an eyebrow arched high on her forehead. “The special table?” “Well, special if you think that eating where all the staff takes their breaks is special.” The waitress wiggled her ears, drawing a step closer as they neared the kitchen door. “Just follow me and don’t make a scene. We don’t usually let customers back here.” The door was enveloped in a golden hue that matched the aura humming around the waitress’ horn. With one last reassuring smile, she pushed the door open with her magic and led Bon Bon past a row of storage cupboards. The din of conversation faded to a muffled murmur as the door swung shut behind them, but was immediately replaced by a new wave of smells, sounds, and warmth. Plates clinked and clattered between gushing bouts of water in the kitchen. The few ponies—the bakers, chef, and dishwashers—talked and read orders, sparing little more than a nod or smile as the two passed by. An oven timer dinged, and as its door opened Bon Bon couldn’t help but rubberneck at the smell of fresh muffins that wafted out, every bit as enticing and delicious as her empty stomach wanted them to be. The waitress giggled, and Bon Bon looked back to find her watching with an understanding, if impish, smile. “Hungry? We can fix that for you, too.” The two stopped at a booth tucked away into the corner of the kitchen. Letting go of Bon Bon’s foreleg, the waitress stepped to the side and gestured to the empty bench. “Here you go! Table for one. There’s not much of a view or company back here, but it’s plenty warm! The ovens are right around the corner, so you should get nice and toasty real quick.” A small shiver made the hairs on Bon Bon’s coat stand on end. She took a step towards the booth and rested her hoof on the table. “Are you sure? I’d hate to get you in any trouble.” The waitress scoffed, waving off Bon Bon’s concerns with a hoof while she lifted the earth pony mare’s suitcase off of her back in her magic. “I already cleared it with my manager, so there’s nothing to worry about except getting you warm.” “Well, if you’re sure.” Bon Bon watched her suitcase float over the table and come to rest on the bench before she slid in next to it. The wood creaked and groaned as she settled her weight on it, but the cushion underneath was warm. She sighed and let herself sink into its embrace. “Thank you.” “Don’t worry about it! Now, the next step in getting you warm is getting you something hot to drink. What’s your drink of choice? Coffee? Tea? Cocoa?” Even before Bon Bon met her gaze, she felt the waitress eyeing her up and down. “You look to me like a cocoa kind of mare.” A meek smile wobbled over Bon Bon’s lips and she bobbed her head in a nod. “Guilty.” The waitress grinned. “Knew it. We just got a pot of that brewed up. I’ll bring you a cup right away.” “Thank you,” Bon Bon said, but the words had barely left her lips as the waitress slipped around the corner and into the kitchen. Barely a minute passed and before the waitress returned with a saucer held aloft in her magic. “One hot cocoa, with extra marshmallows for the cold and frozen mare,” she said, placing the saucer down in front of Bon Bon. Steam wafted up from the cup, tickling her nose with the sugary sweetness of sugar and decadence of melted chocolate. A small mound of mini marshmallows piled up in its centre, melting into a delicious foam that lapped at the cup’s rim. Bon Bon let the steam and smells wash over her muzzle, building a content hum in her throat. She murmured another ‘thank you’ and wrapped her hooves around the cup. Warmth radiated from it, tingling up and down her forelegs to her shoulders and drawing another relieved sigh from her lips. “So,” the waitress asked, lingering at the edge of the booth, “are you new in town?” Bon Bon offered a flicker of a smile as she pulled the cup and its saucer closer. “Did the suitcase and saddlebags give it away?” The waitress giggled. Again, there was a musical, lilting tone to it, one that roused a flicker of Bon Bon’s ear. “Yeah, that and I’ve never seen you around before. I may have only gotten back to Ponyville a couple months ago, but I still know everypony who lives here.” Bon Bon nodded as the warmth started to spread across her chest. “Why do you ask?” Another giggle followed an impish smile that fluttered over the waitress’ muzzle. “Simple, because the first drink’s free for newcomers!” Blinking, Bon Bon looked from the waitress to the cocoa in her hooves. “Really?” “Maybe. Possibly.” The mare’s little grin grew, making her eyes dance and sparkle with a delighted golden light. “Okay, it’s not, but it’s on the house anyways! And don’t argue,” she said, tapping her hoof on the table right as Bon Bon scrunched up her muzzle to protest. For a moment, the waitress’ smile softened, bringing the light of her eyes to a warmth akin to the cocoa between Bon Bon’s hooves. “You looked like you needed it, and I may only be a lowly waitress, but I can get you that much.” There was something about that look that brokered no argument. Still, Bon Bon arched her brow. It was a small gesture, yet somehow enough to make the waitress crack. “Or, it might be coming out of my pay, but even if it did, whatever.” She shrugged, sidestepping to the other side of the booth. “It’s just one cocoa.” “That doesn’t seem right.” Shaking her head, Bon Bon reached into her saddlebags for her bit bag. “I may be cold and lost, but I have bits. Let me pay.” A golden glow surrounded the clasp of Bon Bon’s saddlebag and fastened it tight. “Nope,” the waitress chirped with a grin that crossed over from ‘impish’ to ‘devilish.’ “That’s not how things work in Ponyville, but if you really want to pay me, then how about you pay me with your name? Otherwise, I’m just going to call you ‘Icemare’ all day.” Despite herself, Bon Bon couldn’t help but smile as she drew the cocoa up to her lips. “It’s Sweet—um. This cocoa. And what you’re doing. It’s all very sweet of you.” Tail curling back around her hind leg, she licked her lips and flicked her gaze to meet the waitress’ eyes. “And I’m Bon Bon.” “Bon Bon, huh?” the waitress said, tilting her head from one side to the other, almost as if she were tasting the name. Then, nodding her head, she smiled a pretty little smile that made her golden eyes dance and sparkle. “Welcome to Ponyville, Bon Bon! I have to go, y’know, do my job and stuff, but I get on break in like half-an-hour. Maybe we could talk if you’re still around? Oh, right, and anything to eat? Some of the best scones and muffins in town right here, and they’re fresh out of the oven, too!” Clasping the cup of cocoa just shy of her muzzle, Bon Bon bit down on the corner of her lip. Her eyes wandered from her suitcase and saddlebags to the empty bench across from her—every bit as empty as her compartment on the train. “Maybe,” she said, letting her gaze wander over the table and back to the waitress’ smiling muzzle. Between the warmth of the cocoa, the kitchen, and the mare’s smile, she could only smile in return. “Yes, I think I’d like that. I’d much rather that than being alone. And I’d love both a muffin and a scone, please.” The waitress’ grin widened to stretch from ear to ear. “Great! I just need to go check on some tables, refill a few drinks, and then I’ll bring those right to you.” Her tail bobbed with a noticeable skip in her step as she turned and trotted back through the kitchen, pausing only once she reached the door. “Oh, right!” She looked back over her shoulder, smiling that impish smile all over again. “My name’s Lyra, by the way! Be back in a sec!” Bon Bon watched the waitress—Lyra—leave. The door swung on its hinges, granting little glimpses into the cafe proper and the frosted windows beyond. Cupping the cocoa between her hooves, she lifted it up to her lips and took a long, slow sip. Warmth poured down her throat as she swallowed and spread down to the tips of her hind hooves. She licked her lips, wiping away the lingering marshmallow foam and savouring the taste of chocolate on her tongue. Yet another sigh floated past her lips, bringing with it a smile that likewise floated over her muzzle. She took another longer sip. Lyra. Maybe Ponyville wasn’t such a bad place to start over in after all.