//------------------------------//
// Day Six 
// Story: Snowed Out 
// by Rune Soldier Dan 
//------------------------------//

Maybe it was the excitement, the prospect of finally being rescued. Maybe the restful day had left her too energized to sleep the whole night.

Maybe her body was just sick of the scratchy mess of pines they called a bed.

However it happened, Applejack woke while it was still dark out. Her mind was alert, her body raring to go. There was always a good reason to wake up early on the farm, and here wasn’t much different.

She sat up, shuddering and shivering as the cold, hunger, and soreness hit her all at once.

A steel travel mug appeared before her. Applejack blinked and focused, following it up to find Rarity standing above. The fire was stoked, and now burned cheerfully in its corner.

“You’re up early,” Applejack said. She accepted and sipped the grass-tasting pine tea. Not something she would miss leaving behind.

“So are you.” Rarity shrugged. “I cheated and checked the time, it’s only five o’clock. But come, Darling, step outside with me for a moment.

Applejack strapped on her boots. Everything else – pants, hat, jacket – had stayed on all throughout the last days and nights, save for a few quick changes of the underwear. She rose and followed Rarity to the doorway.

“Look up.”

Applejack did. Knee-deep snow all around their shelter, but above them the night sky was black and clear. Dark trees in ghostly shadows stood in perfect stillness, parting the land and sky. Too close to dawn for stars but somehow… somehow the huge, empty space was queerly beautiful. Like some mystic Great Above, bringing calm darkness to renew and rest the world for the day to come.

An arm slipped around Applejack’s side. Applejack returned with her own, and the girls silently pulled into each other. It wasn’t so cold with the fire at their backs. No wind, not even clouds.

The velvet black faded slowly as they watched. First to an ugly almost-brown, then purple. Then orange, yellow, pink. A forest at the bottom of a hill was hardly a place to watch the sunrise, but the dawn – that they could do.

Applejack turned on her phone. More messages had arrived overnight. First it was Sunset venting that she couldn’t get through calling the county, and the city was a bust too. Then only a few minutes ago she talked to some morning staff. The plows had come during the night. The girls were rallying and would soon be on their way.

Applejack showed Rarity the texts, then sent back an affirmative.

“Reckon we should get by the road.”

“Indeed, Darling.”

Both were quiet, almost mute as they made their final chores. The precious, precious fire was doused with snow. They slid the tools and spare clothes into their travel bags. Nothing else worth taking. Seat cushions, chip bags, all trash. They left the last few apples in the field where they found the vegetables. Silly and superstitious to give back like that, but it felt right. Maybe the seeds would grow.

Applejack caught Rarity staring at their bed. Pine branches and looted cushions, evolving day by day to become something halfway comfortable. Well, almost halfway comfortable. But they did it by hand, every branch. Applejack kicked vaguely at the wonderful wood posts that had saved them so much trouble. Even after a few days there were still the better part of one and a half left.

She set her hand on the door-frame – good, solid construction. This place would outlive her.

“Ready?” Applejack asked.

Rarity gave a silent nod. They stomped slowly up the hill, more wading than walking through the new drifts. Applejack turned her head from the car, now an indistinct mound in the snow. Rarity did the same.

Again, the snow by the road was broken. And again, the roads were clear and her proud flag was upended into the drifts. Applejack let it be – she had handkerchiefs at home.

Nothing left but to stand in the cold. Maybe they could have stalled a little first around the fire, but no way was either of them taking any chance at all of being missed. Dawn’s light had turned to a bright and windless blue. It wasn’t so bad.

Again, an arm from each found its way around the other’s back, and they stood in silence for a while longer.

“Back to normal,” Applejack finally said. Rarity’s head leaned in and came to rest on her shoulder. 

Back to normal.

To living forty-five minutes away from each other. To college classes and band practice.

“Do you think...” Applejack shuffled, trailing off then trying again. “Do you want to… are we…?”

“I think, Darling,” Rarity said with clear confidence. “That we got through together in rather trying circumstances, and are currently riding the high of being rescued. Let’s give it a few days and see if we still feel the way we do now.”

A goofy smile sneaked onto Applejack’s face. “‘The way we do now,’ huh?”

“That’s what I said.”

Rarity’s eyes slipped over to to the road, and a coy grin followed. “I do believe that is our ride.”

Of course it was. Even from a mile out, the bright blue, red, and green of the Rainbooms’ band van was hard to mistake for anything else. They waved, and it slowed and pulled alongside them.

Applejack laughed as the door opened. “Any chance y’all got room for a hitchhiker or t–”

Pinkie tackled her. A whirlwind of love soon engulfed the girls: hugging, talking, crying, and pushing them onto the van. Applejack was buckled in before she fully knew what hit her.

Something was suddenly in her hand. Hot and soft and disgusting and delicious. She took a giant bite out of the hamburger. Rarity took smaller, faster bites of her own, making a ‘nom’ sound with each piece.

More was foisted upon them: french fries, doughnuts, and coffee. Coffee!

“Now we can give Fluttershy her apartment housewarming sleepover party for real!” Pinkie cheered.

Sunset kept her eyes on the road and shook her head. “Pinkie, they’ve been stranded for days. We’re taking them to a hospital.”

There was more food, but Applejack waved it off. No sense in getting sick. She sipped at her coffee, content to sit and digest.

Her hand rested by her seat. Another found it, gripped it tight. Applejack looked over, but Rarity was watching outside as miles and miles of snowy forest passed them by.