//------------------------------// // Chapter Two // Story: Snowed In // by malikvamp //------------------------------// Snowed In- A Humanized Appledash Fanfic- Chapter Two The crackling of a hungry fire begged to be fed, it's warm glow casting across the carpeted room. Licks of flame danced rapidly back and forth, creating a battle of light versus shadow across the faces of the two quiet girls as they stared into the wondrous light show. An earie calm had fallen upon them hours ago, and neither did anything to break it. They simply waited; warm mugs of hot chocolate in hand, listening to the same several songs repeated time and time again over the weak radio. Raising the mug to her lips, Rainbow took a small sip of the sugary substance before once again lowering it, and peaking to her left to see Applejack doing the same. They sat side by side, cross legged on the old carpeted floor. For a moment Rainbow opened her mouth, preparing to speak, but quickly decided against it and returned to her drink with a heavy sigh. "They ain't comin'," Applejack's eyes darkened as she spoke. "Are they." "Nope," Rainbow took another sip, her cup coming worryingly close to empty. "Doesn't look like it. They must have gotten stuck behind the avalanche." "Well, that's just perfect." As the current song came to a close, the oh so familiar voice of the radio man returned. "Good evening, listeners!" the two turned to the device, hearts eager to hear what it had to say. "And what a lovely evening it is. I'm here with an update on that nasty avalanche! ...and it ain't looking good, not at all." The friends exchanged worried looks, before turning back to the radio. "Looks like it'll be at least a few more days before that nasty debris is moved. I recommend any of you folks holed up and stuck in the mountains enjoy tonight, as it may be the last nice night before the storm hits, and you have no way out. Remember to stay tuned, as the situation progresses, and I wish you all the best of luck! Up next we have the sweet melodies of the one and only, Frank Sinatra!" And with that, the music began. Stretching as wide as she could, Rainbow stood, and began a slow walk back to her room without a word. "The storm?" Applejack called out to a rainbow. "What storm? What was he talkin' about? And where are you going!" Rainbow disappeared into the room, but not before shooting a quick pearly grin Applejack's way. Silence. AJ sat, no idea what was going on, as she waited for some sort of response from her rainbow-haired friend. Nothing. "Rainbow? This ain't funny!" Applejack stood. "Rainbow!" After another moment Rainbow returned, grinning even wider. She was planning something. The Tom-boy advanced towards Applejack slowly, her hands held behind her back, where the farm girl couldn't see them. As she grew closer, AJ began to back away hurriedly. "Now hold on," Applejack cautiously watched her friend's advance. "What have ya got there? This better not be some kind of prank! I swear, Rainbow, if you-" In a blur of motion Rainbow lifted one of the arms up into the air, and threw something forcibly at the panicked girl. Applejack screamed, ducking down to the carpet and raising her hands instinctually above her head. She waited for whatever Rainbow had been planning, but it never came. Instead, the soft touch of fabric landed gently against her palms. Daring to look at what it was, Applejack was surprised to find a checkered red and white bathing suit. Her bathing suit. Slowly, she rose her eyes to meet Rainbow's, the magenta orbs full of excitement, as if something amazing was about to happen. "Well?" "Well what?" Applejack pushed herself up from the carpet. "You heard him!" Rainbow smiled. "We've gotta get out there and enjoy tonight, before this storm hits!" "What are you-" "The hot tub!" "Are you crazy?" Applejack laughed at the idea. "It's the middle of the night, and if I remember correctly you were the one complainin' bout how cold it was outside." "That's why it's a 'hot' tub," Rainbow wicked. "Besides, just because the girls aren't here doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy our selves, just you and me. Let's make the best of tonight, together," Applejack's cheeks reddened at Rainbow's words, and Rainbow smirked a sly, evil grin before continuing. "I don't know what you're thinking, but I assure you I meant as friends." With a deep sigh, Applejack turned around, glancing out the set of glass walk-in doors that led from the family room to the patio, to where the large tub waited. The sky was painted a deep black, and the trees swayed peacefully in the evening breeze. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all. It could be fun, even. Rainbow was right, they did need to have fun! With a new confidence to her movements, AJ turned to give Rainbow her answer, and just in time to see her friends pants hit the ground. "Ah!" Applejack spun in place, facing against the wall. "Sorry!" Despite her best efforts to forget what she saw, and squinting her eyes closed hard, the image lingered in Applejack's thoughts. Such slender legs, lightly tanned and toned. Rainbow muffled laughs as she spoke. "For what? We've been in the same gym class forever, you've seen me get changed before." "Yeah, but... we're alone." "So?" Rainbow sighed. "You're acting strange, AJ. But whatever, I'm done." Turning once again, Applejack stared at her friend. Rainbow had the body most girls dreamed of; thin, yet somehow muscular. With only the two piece bathing suit covering her body, AJ couldn't help but find her eyes beginning to wander. And that's when a new feeling dawned upon the girl, like nothing she'd experienced before. Applejack's heart beat heavily against her chest, as if trying to escape, to be closer to Rainbow Dash. "You feeling alright?" Rainbow moved closer, placing a soft hand against Applejack's forehead. "You're looking pretty red." "Ah'm fine," AJ spoke quickly, taking a step back, despite her conscience screaming at her to step forward instead. "Just dandy!" "If you say so," Rainbow smiled, and passed by AJ to open the patio door, an icy wind sweeping in after her. "Just don't take too long, or I'll get awfully lonely." --------------------- It was a strange sensation, sitting in the bubbling water of the outdoor tub. It was as if a war was being waged, a war of hot versus cold. Above the water's surface the night's breeze was like a flurry of angry wasps, stinging into Applejack's exposed shoulders and neck, while below was a salvation of warmth. It was painful, the conflicting temperatures fighting for supremacy, and yet it was somehow simply enchanting. The farm girl didn't mind one bit. Judging by Rainbow's blissful expression, her head tilted back and eyes gazing into the bright star filled sky, AJ guessed she didn't mind it so much either. On any other occasion Applejack would have been perfectly happy, just sitting there in silence and enjoying the night. But, for some reason... "Beautiful," Applejack spoke before she realized she wanted to. "isn't it?" "Mhmm," Rainbow's eyes slid shut. Once again, silence. But Applejack wouldn't give in that easily. Some inner emotion encouraged her to keep trying. "Uhh," Applejack searched her mind for something, anything to say. "What's on your mind?" Mental face palm. "Honestly," Rainbow dash took in a deep breath of chilly air. "I just love how peaceful it is out here. I mean I know, we're stuck and stranded, and alone without rescue and all of that but... I mean... I don't really know what I mean." "Ah think I understand." "It's like all of my troubles are simply washing away." "You, troubles?" Applejack laughed out loud this time, trying to imagine the carefree Rainbow Dash actually worried about something. "Ah figured you kinda just ignored everything the world threw out you, like it was all just another big challenge!" "Everybody has their problems, AJ." "Oh yeah?" Applejack's curiosity was getting the best of her, and she scooted a little closer to the rainbow haired girl. "Like what?" Slowly, one of Rainbow's eyes slid open, spotting the farm girl as she approached. In the veil of shadow, Applejack couldn't see the evil grin spreading across Rainbow's face. "Well," Rainbow spoke in as serious tone as possible while holding back her excitement. "Sometimes I worry about how you're going to get back at me." "Get back at you? For what?" Rainbow's head lowered as she turned to her friend, eyes wide and mouth agape. "You don't know?!" "Know what!" Rainbow leaned in closer to Applejack, preparing to whisper something into her ear. Applejack's cheeks once again reddened, and she was thankful for the night's cover. Rainbow's mouth slid open, preparing to speak as her warm breath made contact with AJ's neck, sending goose bumps up the blonde's spine. "I'm worried that you'll want to get even..." Rainbow whispered. "After this." Applejack's mind began to spin. However, before she had time to jump to any foreign conclusion, a small wave of steaming hot tub water made contact with her face. "Augh!" Applejack fell back in confusion, loosing her footing and slipping beneath the water's surface. For a moment everything seemed to stop. The warmth was overwhelming, intoxicating, and for just a split second the farm girl wished it could last for ever. Before she knew it she was gasping for air and listening to the hyena like laughing of the Rainbow girl. "Not funny!" Applejack coughed and wiped her eyes, already plotting her revenge. "You are so dead!" The night air assaulted Applejack's wet skin with a new ferocity, taking advantage of her perilous condition. Turning to see where Rainbow had gotten off to, Applejack prepared to splash back. But she stopped. Before her Rainbow stood perfectly still, staring up into the sky. "Rainbow?" "Look!" The evil mastermind pointed straight up into the air, and Applejack followed with her eyes. It was snowing. It wasn't like they had never seen snow before. Every year it would snow for months atop their home town, and they never had second thoughts about it, but this was different. The tiny flakes of white drifted peacefully down from the sky, each dancing back and forth to it's own little melody in the wind. Soon, the white dots were surrounding the two friends, disappearing upon contact with the tub and peacefully touching down upon bare shoulders. The blend of falling snow and steam raising from the hot tub was bizarre... And beautiful. "Wow." "Yeah... wow." For a moment it was silent again. Applejack continued to stare awe fully into the sky, but Rainbow couldn't help glancing over to the farm girl from the corner of her eyes. She was so close. Rainbow was able feel the warmth of Applejack's neck when she had leaned forward to whisper to her. She could have leaned just a little farther... And yet instead she almost started a water fight. She was so close, yet felt so far away. "Achoo!" Rainbow's body jerked violently as she sneezed, almost stumbling back into the water herself. She had forgotten how cold it was, but a spine tingling sensation shooting through her upper torso quickly reminded her. "You know, as beautiful as it is out here, it's getting 'really' cold." "Agreed!" Applejack made her way towards the house, stepping out of the tub and onto the patio, but not before wrapping a warm towel happily around her shoulders. Rainbow followed suit. Side by side they rushed across the icy deck, into the house, and slid the glass door shut behind them. Their fire, still strong, granted immediate relief. But something was wrong. The glass door had been securely closed, and yet a an icy breeze penetrated throughout the house. "Rainbow!" Applejack squirmed beneath the icy assault. "Did you leave the bedroom window open!?" "No, I-" Rainbow cut off her speech abruptly, her eyes wide in the direction of the main entrance. Applejack felt her heart stop as she heard the raspy sound of heavy breathing behind her. She slowly turned to see what had Rainbow so frightened. Half of her expected to see the silhouette of a man with a knife, eyes full of rage, standing in the open door way. Half of her hoped it was only a wild bear. But once she saw it, part of her she wished for the bloodthirsty man. The main door had been swung open forcibly; the lock broken. The wind howled loudly as it assaulted the house, and in the dim light of the full moon Applejack could only make out a shape. The shape of a human body, shoulders rapidly raising and falling, lying face down on the blood-stained crimson carpet.