//------------------------------// // Rough Friendship Understanding // Story: Snowflakes Of Past Friendships // by Lonely Fanboy48 //------------------------------// In less than thirty minutes, Twilight and Pinkie finished baking the cupcakes after taking them out of the oven. All that’s left is to frost them once they cooled down. “I’m glad we managed to make these in such a short time frame, and before we left for the ceremony.” Twilight said, taking off her apron. “See what happens when we make something to pass the time?” Pinkie smiled. “I’m so thrilled for when the ceremony begins!” Once Twilight covered the unfrosted cupcakes with napkins, she almost forgot how Snowdrop is doing by reading the lessons from the Journal Of Friendship. “We should check on Snowdrop to see if she’s making any progress.” “I’m with ya!” The two left the kitchen as they headed back to the crystal library. When they enter inside, they notice that the Journal Of Friendship is placed back on the shelf with Snowdrop sitting at a table by herself with her face on the table. “Snowdrop?” Twilight nervously asked, heading up to her. “What happened? Was the journal too complicated or something?” “It’s not that!” Snowdrop replied, lifting her head up. “Then what’s the problem?” Pinkie wondered. “Don’t you want to meet Celestia and Luna?” Snowdrop didn’t bother to respond to Pinkie’s question. Many minutes of reading and understanding the importance of impressions, it simply wasn’t enough for her. In fact, it made her more nervous than confident. “I’m just...just…” “Just what?” Twilight replied. “I’m just not good at reunions!” She answered, causing both Twilight and Pinkie to back away. “What!?” Pinkie reacted. “Why would you say that!?” “Didn’t you say you had a reunion with your parents?” Twilight asked. “Yes, but they are the only ones I’m truly close with. Celestia and Luna aren’t as close.” Snowdrop said, getting off the chair. “Twilight, I appreciate the help you gave me but I’m sorry. I’m not the type of pony who’s into friendship even during this holiday.” She lowered her ears in shame as she left the library. “Where are you going?” “I’m leaving.” “You mean...back to your journeys outside of-” “Yes!” Snowdrop interrupts Pinkie Pie as she continues to walk, leaving the two ponies alone in disbelief. Pinkie felt depressed and disappointed while Twilight became speechless. She never had this issue from any other pony, even from ones who tend to keep to themselves. Not only was she couldn’t able to help Snowdrop’s solution, but now she won’t be able to be part of the Hearth’s Warming ceremony. “Twilight?” Pinkie lowered her ears. “Let’s just head back to the kitchen so we can frost the cupcakes.” Twilight lowered her head. “I doubt we can fix this now.” She turned around and looked at her journal Snowdrop read. To think she rejects those ideas for a proper impression is just unbelievable. She and Pinkie returned to the kitchen as Twilight used her telekinesis to lift the bag of frosting. The pink party pony didn’t even bother to help her friend after how Snowdrop just gave up. All she wanted to see during the Hearth’s Warming holiday is every single pony who’s nice, very happy with each other and with friends and family. “Pinkie.” Twilight spoke. “Standing there feeling sad isn’t going to fix anything. We shouldn’t miss the ceremony.” “And Snowdrop shouldn’t either!” Pinkie responded. “Does any creature willingly spend their time traveling during ceremonies?” “I’m sure, there are different ways to celebrate Hearth’s Warming. She’s probably heading back to her parents house before she gets back to traveling.” After frosting the first four cupcakes, Pinkie walked up to Twilight, giving her a serious and concerned look. “You saw the way she apologized to you. She just couldn’t handle it.” “Yes, I’m fully aware of it. But if she can’t handle it on her own with this amount of time, I don’t know what I can do to help her.” Once she frost the final cupcakes, she put all of them into the box. “We may have a lot of time, but we shouldn’t bother her if she decides to leave.” Pinkie lowered her head with no other option to resolve Snowdrop’s reunion with Celestia and Luna. “Do you think Celestia and Luna will be happy once they arrive?” “We didn’t tell them that Snowdrop was just here so...probably?” This caused Pinkie to place her hoof on her face. “You know it’s not going to exceed their expectations one hundred percent, right.” “They’ve been to Ponyville once in a while, they don’t expect much, unlike Canterlot.” Pinkie sighed to herself, agreeing with her best friend’s answer. “I think I’m just gonna wait in the main hallway.” As Pinkie left the kitchen, Twilight had to face the facts that not everything can work out at the end. She would try to cheer Pinkie up, however, with how she’s feeling at the moment, the ceremony might lighten up her mood. “This has to be the roughest Hearth’s Warming holiday in recent times.” She thought. The sun sets over the mountains by Ponyville with the citizens turning on their Hearth’s Warming lights before it turns pitch black. The ceremony is only an hour away from starting with a still growing crowd gathering around the town square. With families and friends arriving from Canterlot, it’s only a matter of time before the rulers of Equestria arrive. Several miles away, Snowdrop is walking on the trail, all alone with her hood up. She thought she picked the right time to return, but at the same time, she just wasn’t ready. The mindset she only has is to continue her travels to more places with large amounts of snow. However even after all that, she felt ashamed for rejecting Twilight’s offer of helping her. “What have I done?” She spoke to herself. “How is friendship such a healthy subject when I don’t get the chance to make it work?” She turned around and looked straight at the Castle Of Friendship. She also remembered there was a school located to the left. So much has happened since the last time she left Equestria and the citizens never stayed the same from back then. When she turned and looked straight back to her trail, she saw five ponies and a dragon, after sending invitations to citizens outside of Ponyville. “Are they...Twilight and Pinkie’s friends?” She commented to herself. “Well, that must be all the invitations.” Applejack smiled. “It’s only a matter of time for them to arrive in Ponyville.” “I really hope the ponies at Manehattan can enjoy our holiday ceremony.” Rarity added. “I’m sure they will, the creatures we gave them to are aware of what and where Ponyville is.” Spike smiled. “They’ve just never been to Ponyville.” “You’re right Spike.” Starlight added. “Ponyville isn’t always the place to come over for a ceremony. For outside citizens that is.” As they were about to arrive at Ponyville, they soon took notice of Snowdrop standing in the snow with the wind blowing her hood down. “Who are you?” Fluttershy walking up to Snowdrop. “We’ve never seen you before.” Rainbow Dash looked closer to the traveler, looking her straight in the eyes. “I’ve never seen a pony’s eyes so lightly coloured.” “Rainbow, darling!” Rarity retorted. “It’s true, look at her eyes!” Snowdrop didn’t move a muscle, nor say a word when she encountered Twilight’s friends for the first time. Soon Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Starlight and Spike looked her right in the eyes, making her a little uncomfortable. “You’re right Rainbow!” “I never thought ponies can have lightly coloured eyes.” Spike commented. “They almost look like a snow color.” Applejack added, which caused Snowdrop to back away. “What’s that supposed to mean!?” She reacted. “Wait, we didn’t mean to offend you.” Starlight responded, stopping the traveler. “Where are you from?” Snowdrop sighed, being honest with Twilight’s friends. “I don’t usually have a home because I travel a lot.” “So you stay at motels most of the time?” “Yes.” Snowdrop took a deep breath, while trying to stay on topic. “Are you...Twilight and Pinkie’s friends?” “You know who Twilight and Pinkie are?” Starlight asked, tilting her head. “Did you meet them?” Rarity added. “Yes and...They offered to help me meet Celestia and Luna after so many centuries of being away.”  Twilight’s friends became speechless. They’ve learned about Celestia and Luna’s relationships with the likes of Starswirl, but with a pony who mostly travels the land seems a little off. “What’s your name?” Fluttershy blinked. “I’m Snowdrop.” She responded. “I came here to think about reuniting with Celestia and Luna, thinking the time was right but...I guess I’m not ready no matter how long I wait.” She turned around to see Ponyville with more ponies appearing. Not only that, she noticed that Twilight and Pinkie are waiting outside even at a far distance. Little did she know, Twilight’s friends have a vast knowledge of friendship when they’re together. After heading to every major city and kingdom in Equestria, they have no issue helping a pony just before they head to the ceremony. “Snowdrop?” Spike spoke with the traveler’s attention. “Are you sure traveling is a good idea right now?” This caused Snowdrop to lower her head. “Not quite.” She answered. “Yeah. It seems you’ve been doing that for way too long.” Rainbow added. “Is traveling the only thing you do on a day to day basis?” Rarity wondered. “Well, not completely. I only go to mountains when it’s snowing. Winter is the season I enjoy the most.” Snowdrop confessed. This gave Starlight and the others an idea to help Snowdrop. An idea that Twilight and Pinkie hadn’t thought of yet.