The first big snowfall of the season covered all of Hassenfeld County in an inches-thick white blanket. Two students in particular took the opportunity to walk through the thankfully shoveled-out paths of Crystal City Park and appreciate the beauty of their surroundings.
Not as a couple or anything, mind you. This arm-in-arm walk through the snow was purely platonic, as either one would tell anyone who asked.
"Gorgeous," said Sunny Flare.
"Yeah." Lemon Zest laughed for a bit. "Can you believe Sunset wasn't sure if this would happen?"
Sunny tilted her head. "Do you expect her to have perfect knowledge of the weather?"
"No, I mean she was legitimately worried the weather would start playing by Horseworld rules. Like, pegasus aspects would have to punch the snow out of clouds or something."
After a moment to imagine that, Sunny said, "What?"
"She did a whole vlog on..." Lemon groaned. "Ugh, what was it called? Fall Finale, I think. All the actual manual labor that goes into changing the seasons in Equestria."
"I'll have to take a look at that when I get back home."
Lemon nodded. After a moment, she hummed to herself and said, "Is it still manual labor when they don't have manos?"
"The Hands of Fate?" came Sunny's immediate response.
Lemon beamed. "And you said you'd hate Fantasy Science Theater 4000."
"If nothing else, it's a series of valuable lessons about what not to do in cinema." Sunny gave a thin grin. "Valuable, highly mockable lessons. Not my preferred dramatic medium, but still."
They continued walking for a while longer, enjoying the silence until a piercing beep ruined it. Sunny looked at one of her wrists, horrified. "No. No."
Lemon was at her side in an instant. She wasn't sure what the readout said, but there was a lot of red, and it didn't feel at all happy when she held the prosthesis. Her fingers wrapping around Sunny's just helped her get a better reading. "What's wrong?"
"That was the low battery alert on my..." Sunny just stared at her right arm. The hand was stiff and unresponsive in Lemon's grip. "I try to keep their charges alternated. The left one's should be good for more than a week. This one should have been more than fine until I charged it tonight."
"Old battery? Cold battery?"
Sunny sighed and pulled her hand out of Lemon's. "Whatever the case, we'll have to cut this short."
"Hang on. I have an idea." Lemon dug into her jacket and produced two wires, each with one end attached to a metal strip.
"How long have you had this idea?" said Sunny, crossing her arms. The right hand holding a half-splayed pose rather lessened the effect.
"A while. But hey, I've tested it, and it works!"
Sunny began tapping a foot. "What does?"
Lemon scoffed. "Um, duh? Don't you know? All you need to get an electrical current going is copper, zinc..." She held up each metal strip in turn before beaming and pointing both thumbs at herself. "... and a Lemon!"
Sunny lightly thwapped her with the depowered hand.
"I deserved that."
"Yes. You did."