Lark was about as excited as he had been in a while. The next day was Winter Wrap-up! While thinking about the garden he would begin to sow, the moment all the snow magically went poof, he was happy Windy would be helping him with it. For that matter, he was helping her as well. They’d sat down, pondering and improving upon their designs. Their friends had said they wanted to help as well. It would be done lickety-split.
The last couple months had been nice. Lark never really enjoyed Hearts and Hooves Day, but with all the filly friends he’d made in 5th grade, it was more enjoyable than it may have been. Thankfully, none of them seemed to be at odds over him. Medium had been right about something: Light and Daisy did make a decent couple.
Even without prodding from the meddlesome filly, the two were sweethearts now. Lark was happy for his colt friend, but kind of missed him. He saw less of him, and just hadn’t made good friends with the other colts in school. He didn’t mind colts such as Pine, but they just didn’t mesh.
But putting that aside, Lark looked forward to the spring. He’d miss winter, perhaps for the first time in his life. To him, winter had meant moving snow, watching his sisters, and little more. This year, he’d been able to do a lot more than that.
It was a Tuesday, and unfortunately for school age ponies, they’d be stuck in school during the Wrap-up. They’d be able to see through the windows, but they’d miss watching the entire process of the weather teams and the unicorns, one of the few times they aided the Pegasi, cleaning up the mess of winter. Going in, it would look like it did as Lark walked, and it would be glorious spring when they left school.
Lark was heading off to Windy’s, as he had been doing just about every school day since he'd gotten over his concussion. He happily trotted down the sidewalk, entering the older part of town. The brick houses looked even more picturesque surrounded by snow, rising high above the snowdrifts in their height. The snow drifts in his own neighborhood sometimes reached the gutters, with their single or split-level characters.
The fiery looking stallion in the Meadows’ driveway waved to Lark when he saw him, “Good morning, Lark!”
“Mr. Meadow… why bother shoveling the snow? The unicorn patrol will be by here tomorrow.”
Mr. Meadow paused; he laughed, “Oh, right… Winter Wrap-up is tomorrow. I’ve been in the lab so much in the last week I’ve lost track of the days.”
Lark nodded, “Yeah… Mrs. Meadow says you’ve been something of a stranger.”
“Well, we’re recataloging our geode collection… Not the most exciting thing ever, but it’ll make things easier in the coming years. I’m planning to stay at the university until I give up the ghost… might as well have an easier time.”
Lark saw Windy paddle out. She took her time with the stairs.
“Careful, Windy! We have a bit of ice this morning,” Mr. Meadow called.
She called back, “Right, Daddy… Good morning, Lark!”
Windy made it down the stairs without incident, a bit of color creeping into her face as she approached the male folk. Lark supposed her parents were always sure to clean up the walk, for the sake of their daughter if nothing else.
Eying the situation, Windy giggled, “Daddy… I can understand the sidewalk, but the driveway? Winter Wrap-up is-”
“Yes, yes… Lark already called me on it. It’s a real shame the first day of spring landed in the middle of the week. Last year, it was a Saturday… But that’s how the calendar goes. You two still planning to put in the garden tomorrow?”
Lark and Windy had been growing seedlings of Windy’s favorite vegetables in Mr. Meadow’s greenhouse. They’d grown material for Lark’s as well. There was space. For all the work Lark helped Mr. Meadow with, it seemed a small favor to the colt.
Mr. Meadow himself couldn’t wait to see his lawn again. His wife’s flowers were mostly perennials and were likely staring to poke up as they spoke. He and his wife were planning to take the afternoon off the next day to enjoy the Wrap-up. Mrs. Meadow didn’t work full-time, but she took up a position at a pharmaceutical lab part-time, since Windy was in school during the day.
Lark never got tired of seeing Mrs. Meadow… She was just gorgeous, and he wasn’t the only colt in his circle to feel that way. But this morning, she was at the lab early, working with some test results.
It was also Mr. Meadow’s time to head out. Windy had locked the door on her way out, so all he had to do was fly away. He and his wife had a cart, but the only reason they had one was because Windy needed it.
He smiled at the foals, “Well, be careful on the sidewalks. Windy, your mom will be home well near the end of the day, so she might need your help with dinner. Could you come right home?”
“Will do. Have fun reorganizing.”
He shook his head, “I’ll try, dear… See you later, Lark.”
“See you, Mr. Meadow!”
The Pegasus took off in a flurry of snow, leaving the two. They began the brief schlep to school. Looking around, Windy knew she would miss the beauty of winter. There was nothing like seeing the trees frost up; it was just pretty. But she wouldn’t miss the ice on the ground. It was hard enough to walk anyway, without ice to slip around on.
But walking hadn’t been so bad, lately. Something she’d never seen before, but she wished she had, were the little crampons on her snow boots. The steel cleats gave her an edge and she hadn’t taken a tumble in a month. Lark even slipped more than she did, which she found hilarious.
She was so very glad to walk with Lark. She’d come to lean on him more than she thought. He was reliable, helping her to and from school every day. The couple times he was sick, Misty walked with her, not because Lark told her to, but because she wanted to. Her flight path went right over the neighborhood, so it was easy enough to spot Windy and land.
A warm happiness went up in her heart, just seeing him beside her. The… little peck she gave him Hearth’s Warming Eve had played out in her mind more often lately. Whether ignoring the mistletoe was bad luck, or not, she didn’t care. She’d… kind of just wanted to do it anyway.
The two of them didn’t always talk on their walks, unless one of them saw something worth mentioning or had something important to say. Lark was paddling along, a little smile on his face, probably unaware of what was going through her head. It was clear to her, after all these months, that she…
“Lark! Windy!”
Pulled from her thoughts, Windy looked up. Misty was gliding down to them. It was 7:55 a.m. This was unusually early to see her on her way to school. She could make it there in four or five minutes by air.
Lark called up, “G’morning, Misty! What has you out this early?”
“Thought I’d catch the two of you.”
Windy glowered internally. She knew it was silly… and kind of selfish, but she didn’t like when other fillies joined in on their “walk to and from school” time. Still, Misty was the least offensive in this department, except maybe Sherry, and she lived in a totally different direction.
Windy marshaled a smile, more genuine than not, “What’s up Misty?”
There had to be a reason for Misty coming to see them. She wasn’t a filly to break her routine unless she had a good reason.
Misty smiled, looking rather… elated. Lark eyed her suspiciously… this was dubious.
“Uh… Misty? What are you grinning about?”
Misty, going full scrunchy-face, “You two will not believe what I just heard!”
Lark was definitely concerned now. He’d never seen Misty behave this way. She was practically spouting joyful, nervous energy.
Windy cocked her head, “You gonna tell us… or give yourself a stroke?”
Misty squealed, “The Angels are putting on a show at the Vanhoover Stadium tomorrow afternoon to celebrate Winter Wrap-up!”
Lark pondered, “Oh, yeah… They’re…”
Misty looked scandalized, “They’re only the hottest coltband in Equestria! They’ve just announced it on the radio! They were going to put on a free show and Vanhoover was picked!”
Windy sniffed, “Big whoop. They don’t even play instruments.”
Misty rounded on her, “Windy, you’re my friend, but never speak an unkind word about The Angels. I’ve wanted to see them since 2nd grade!”
Lark was uncomfortable. Misty was practically creaming. He knew The Angels… He’d had to listen to their “angelic” droning for the last three years. He was about as interested in seeing the concert as gluing his nutsack to his forehead.
Windy didn’t have a nutsack, but she concurred in spirit. She didn’t care if those tenor-voiced simps were putting on a show, even if it was free. She wouldn’t cross the street to see them.
Misty was still raving, “I bet everypony in school will want to go!”
That caught Lark and Windy’s attention. They did the algebra in their heads: (Winter Wrap-up=Fun garden day for Lark and Windy with friends, iff some fruity pack of colts doesn’t throw a surprise concert the same day). Maybe it was geometry…
All the same, this sucked. They’d planned to all work together on the two gardens. They couldn’t blame their friends for wanting to go to the concert… no matter how lame it was, but they’d miss having the help.
Misty, despite being unaware of their calculations, “I know I said I’d help the two of you with your gardens, but… I can’t miss this!”
Lark sighed. This wouldn’t be the only one.
Misty took off, “Sorry! I gotta tell everypony else!”
Lark and Windy stood there, unhappy with this development. Rather than thinking maybe some of their friends would help them anyway, they were thinking something else.
“So, Lark… how many of our friends do you think hate The Angels enough to skip the show?”
Lark laughed, shaking his head, “Dunno.”
They continued walking to school, discussing this matter. They wanted to do the gardens the next day, but doing so without help… Neither was optimistic about it. The Vanhoover Stadium could hold 45,000 ponies. It was sure at least a majority of those seats would be filled with foals, colt and filly alike. And those were just the seats! It was an outdoor show, and the field would be standing room.
By the time they’d gotten to the school, it was clear everypony knew about the show. Misty had planted a few seeds of knowledge, but she wasn’t the only foal with a radio. Foals of every grade were ecstatic. Lark sighed, and he and Windy made their way into school.
Since they had almost 20 minutes before the bell, they looked in on Mr. Chippy. The old stallion was reading the newspaper in his room.
He looked up, “Lark, Windy… good morning.”
“G’morning,” they both answered.
“School’s sure in a hullabaloo today. The news wasn’t even early enough to make the paper…”
Windy sat with a grumble, “It’s just so stupid…”
Mr. Chippy chuckled, “Well, to you it may be… I don’t get it myself. But, things were pretty crazy when I was a foal. My parents thought our music was awful…”
Lark prodded, “Yeah, that jazz music…”
Mr. Chippy tossed a paper ball at the colt, eliciting a laugh, “I may be old, but not that old… When I was your age, maybe a few years older, rock ‘n’ roll was born. It sure was something… You two make the lecture over the weekend?”
Lark shook his head, “No… Windy had a cold. I didn’t want to go alone.”
“Well, I didn’t go either… seems every time I go, you two can’t. Then the other way… Oh, well, wife had her sister in town, anyway.”
That’s just how things were. But it looked like they’d all make it the next weekend. The next topic was the establishment of Whinnyapolis, so that would at least be interesting. Lark, until sitting through the Las Pegasus lecture, hadn’t appreciated how trade and more dubious undertakings could so form a city.
The two left Mr. Chippy and went to their own classes. They’d see if anypony wasn’t planning to go to the concert. Maybe they could still get a foal or two to help.
Not surprisingly, everypony in their circle was planning to go see The Angels. After all, it was a concert free to the public and a quarter of the city would fit in the venue. It would be huge. Lark and Windy sat during afternoon recess, watching the other students buzz about. It was the last day they’d see winter and their schoolmates were making the most of it.
“I guess… we’ll only be able to get in one of the gardens. Wanna do yours, Windy? We need more than just a few of us to move everything from your dad’s greenhouse to mine…”
Windy shrugged, “I guess that’d be fine… Don’t worry, Lark. It’ll still be fun! Mom’s agreed to help. She’s also baking a pie, so there’s that. Daddy may be a little later than expected.”
Had Lark been the little asshole some other colts were, he’d make a crack about Fair Meadow’s sweet apple pie, but he didn’t, “That sounds great… Aunt Fairy never bakes pie… it’s too much work. And as many little fillies go running through the house, cookies are easy. I never thought I’d get tired of Mom’s butterscotch cookies…”
“Oh, well. The concert’s not until tomorrow, Lark. I’m sure we’ll come across a foal or two to help us.”
They sure didn’t find one. The end of the day approached, and Lark walked Windy home.
Windy, disappointed they’d found no help, but very happy they’d get to work on her planting, “I guess we could get things organized at the greenhouse. The quicker we can set things out, the easier things’ll be.”
“Sure.”
When they got to the Meadow house, Mrs. Meadow still wasn’t home. Lark and Windy went out to the greenhouse and took stock. Everything looked good. Carrots, radishes, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers… they’d even gotten a rhubarb plant from one of Mr. Meadow’s colleagues. Windy wasn’t crazy about the stuff, but it did make a nice sweetbread.
They’d figured out where everything was going, so after roughing up the ground a little, it might not even take an hour to put everything into the ground. They could just sit and enjoy the warm afternoon, while the rest of the school was killing brain cells listening to those geldings complain about how lame they were.
Finding this idea most humorous, they parted ways. Lark found his sisters in their yard, making one last snowpony for the year. He knew how much they loved winter, but they looked forward to the promise of what spring had to offer. Too young to be interested in the concert, they’d either play with their friends or stay home. They may have been happy to help at Windy’s but Lark decided his sisters, at least Valley, would be a little too energetic for Mr. and Mrs. Meadow.
Lark would certainly let them help him. They’d helped him garden since they could walk… Well, maybe not that early. Ponies could walk when only a few hours old. They’d been helping them since they could talk… That sounded better to Lark.
Valley bounded up to Lark as she often did, managing to knock him into the snow drift in the yard. Lark hadn’t been paying attention. Copper laughed especially hard as Lark chased Valley around, unable to catch the giggling, squealing filly. Lark wasn’t really trying to catch her… he was just playing.
Horseshit! He couldn’t catch her! He hadn’t been able to for a while. She could really move. Eventually Lark tired out and sat in the snow. Valley crept up to him, trying not to get too close, but he surprised her and caught her. She giggled and cried out as he tickled her. It was something that still worked on her.
Gathering up Valley, he took her into the house with Copper close behind. It was dinner time.
After another fruitless day of recruiting ponies to help with their gardens, they’d officially settled on Windy’s with Lark’s to be determined. Medium, leading a rather large group of colts and fillies, apologized for not being able to help. It was a heartfelt, but brief confession, as the group practically ran for the stadium. It was only about six blocks away, near the edge of downtown.
Waving at their friends, Lark and Windy noticed there must have been half the school running that way. But they turned their attention to other things. The snow was gone, the grass was green, the air was… comfortably warm. Puffy clouds in the sky floated about. Birds sang. Breathing deep, they felt they had before them a perfect afternoon.
Knowing a little working the ground and pie awaited at the Meadow’s, Lark practically skipped. Windy managed to keep up, barely able to contain her own excitement.
It had been a whole year since Windy had first moved to Vanhoover. And she was now in a much better place, as she trotted alongside her best friend.