//------------------------------// // Chapter Four // Story: Snowed In // by malikvamp //------------------------------// Snowed In- Chapter Four The police station was eerily quiet, though one would suspect that at three in the morning it would be so. The lobby was large, and resembled a clinic more then a place of law. The buzzing, fluorescent tube lights that stretched from one end of the room to the other. The snow white walls, and tiled floor. However, one would not suspect the station's lobby to be filled with some dozens of people, impatiently waiting for so much as one comment on the current situation. The issue at large, of course, was the avalanche blocking the one and only pass into the mountains where family and friends were stranded, lost in the freak blizzard. "I-I hope they are alright..." Fluttershy spoke in a worried whisper, eyes fixed upon her clasped hands in her lap. "That storm is getting worse by the minute." Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Rarity took in the words of their worried friend, grim expressions conquering their faces. What if the radio reports had been right, and the blizzard would soon become a deadly force of nature. What if the road could not be cleared in time to send help. What if they couldn't find their friend's bodies... "Please dear," Rarity crouched before her pink-haired friend, locking eyes before continuing. "I'm sure Applejack and Rainbow Dash are fine. They are probably fast asleep, or simply resting in front of a warm and cozy fire, waiting for us to arrive." Pinkie chimed in happily, "That, or they're making out!" The three others stared wide-eyed at the party girl. If someone else had said it, then maybe they would have considered it possible. But Pinkie? Well, she was just being... Pinkie. Who knew what went on in her head. "Pinkie," Twilight giggled, "that's crazy! Those two are more likely competing over who gets the bigger bed- not sharing it!" "Could happen," Pinkie shrugged. Twilight, sighing heavily, turned back to Rarity. "Where are the police already? This is preposterous!" And then, as if on cue, the large set of double doors at the far end of the room creaked open, silencing the few idle conversations. Standing in the doorway were three officers, advancing into the waiting room. Judging by the large black circles bagging beneath their eyes, and the slouch of their backs, the officers were exhausted and surely were not getting rest any time soon. They quickly spread out into the room, calling the names off the lists each officer held. The officer closest to the group of friends spoke. "Is there a... Twilight Sparkle?" Twilight's face lit up like a heavily decorated house on Christmas Eve. "Oh, that's us- I mean, me. Have you uncovered anything?" The officer's shoulders fell, and he sighed heavily. He seemed to be the youngest of the three, and the least experienced. His short cropped blonde hair and pristine uniform screamed newbie. His nametag read Brennan. "Look." Brennan's face was full of grief. "I'm going to tell you what I've told everybody else. If your friends are really out there in that blizzard then there is virtually nothing we can do for them at the moment. Just pray that they are safe, and that they can last this blizzard out." Fluttershy's eyes began to redden, while Rarity drifted deep into thought. Pinkie... well, Pinkie was off in her own little world, leaving Twilight to continue conversation with the bearer of bad news. "That's it?" Twilight did not try to hide her disappointment. "Hope?" The officer rubbed his eyes and yawned before addressing the question. "Look, something very serious has come up. Our forces are stretched thin as it is. I promise, we are doing the best we can." "What..." Twilight said. "What kind of serious?" "It's not something you need to worry yourself over." Brennan was like a record on repeat. "Just know that we are doing-" "Everything that you can," Rarity joined the conversation, furrowing her brows at the officer. "We get that." The fashion queen moved forward, placing a hand on the cop's shoulder and switching to a look of weakness and desire. "But please, if our friends are in danger we simply must know! You understand, don't you?" Rarity battered her eye lashes several times, and a red hue developed across the officer's cheeks. Before the man spoke Rarity already knew that she had won. "I..." Brennan panicked, trying to look anywhere but at the Purple haired girl before her. But he couldn't help it. Wherever he looked, she moved into his line of view. "Well alright, but listen close!" The man lent forward to whisper, and all four friends neared in hopes of catching what he was about to say. "We think," the officer's voice trembled slightly, "there may be a dangerous man in the woods. A very dangerous man. We were trying to put together a search when the avalanche buried all of our plans. The man could be anywhere by now." Fluttershy, unable to hold back any longer, found salty tears to be rolling down her tender cheeks. "Our friends..." The cop continued. "I'm sure your friends are fine. That's a big mountain range, and he is only one man." The man paused for a moment, before continuing. "Never the less, try to keep contacting them. The more we know, the better." "Thank you," Rarity smiled. "It means a lot to us." Turning back to the crowd, and allowing his eyes to drop to his list, the officer spoke over his shoulder. "My pleasure." The friends stood for some time, unknowing what to do. As the officers made their way throughout the crowd people began to head home, while others adjusted to find a comfy spot on the chairs, determined not to leave the station until they saw the smiles of their lost loved ones. Pinkie Pie was the first to break the silence. "Soooo," the party girl rocked back and forth on her heals, hands clasped behind her back. "What now?" "Now..." Twilight sighed. "Now we wait." Pinkie, seemingly unfazed by the situation, pulled a deck of cards from her jean pockets. "Anyone up for a game of Comet Surfing Monkeys from Outer Space?" The peppy girl received only three blank stares in response. "...Fine. Go Fish it is." --------------------- Rainbow's eyes shot open as the sweet taste of apples danced across her lips. Tender, and smooth; the light touch of her best friends lips against her own. Applejack's eyes remained closed. It was as if all time had stopped, and out of shock Rainbow inhaled hard, her body becoming rigid and confused. Her best friend's lips against her own. And then it was over, as quick as it started. Applejack sat back again, and when her eyes finally opened, they focused on the dwindling fire. A red hue filled her cheeks. Rainbow Dash, mind numb and full of confusion, forgot she was still holding her hot chocolate. Her firm grip dispersed, allowing the heavenly beverage to fall, spill, and be wasted upon the cabin carpet. "Sorry!" Rainbow panicked, reaching for the cup as it emptied it's contents. By the time she managed to grab it only a few drops remained within the container. "I just- I-" A strong finger, placed upon the rainbow haired girl's lips, shut her up quickly. "Shh," Applejack smiled sweetly. "Not a problem. Ah got it." The farm girl stood without so much making eye contact, and made her way into the kitchen to grab some cleaning rags. Rainbow sat, her thoughts becoming wild spirits rushing around the inner shells of her mind. What had just happened? Had she really kissed Applejack- or rather, been kissed by her? Had she gone mad? "Uhm... Applejack?? "Mhmm?" "I... Why?" "You asked." Applejack returned to the stained carpet, spraying it down with some foreign cleaning product and working it out with a wet cloth. She still refrained from making eye contact. "And Ah didn't know what t' tell you." "But..." Rainbow's brow creased at a new thought. "You said it was a nightmare, right?" Applejack stopped dead in her tracks, hand hovering over the fresh stain. Tilting her head just enough to meet Rainbow's eyes, she spoke. "Not that part." A silence filled the room for a moment. However, despite the seriousness of the situation, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but release an enormous yawn. Applejack giggled at the girl's silly expression. "Tired?" Applejack placed the cleaning products on the floor, and reached out to wrap the fingers of her left hand delicately around Rainbow's own. Rainbow simply nodded. "Well then," Applejack pulled Rainbow to her feet, and closer then intended. "Ah s'pose Ah'm responsible for makin' sure ya get a good sleep, seeing as Ah was the one who awoke ya?" Applejack didn't give Rainbow time to answer. She didn't want to know Rainbow's opinion; not yet. She only had one chance, and would not let herself back out yet. Turning, and pulling Rainbow along behind her, Applejack moved back into the dark embrace of her bedroom. However, all was not quite right in the small cabin. As one bedroom door creaked closed, another slowly cracked open, a single eye peeking out from the darkness of his bedroom and into the living room. Despite the sharp pain in his body, the man pushed forward, emerging from his temporary clinic and into the warm embrace of the fireplace, a wicked smile plastered below his wide, excited eyes. His plan had worked. If only the two girls had stayed awake for another moment, they may have been able to retaliate. They might have caught sight of the man as he tip-toed across the carpeted floor and into the kitchen, slowly checking each drawer until he found what he wanted. A knife. A wicked instrument of death. But no, they were too busy re-enacting the opening to a certain apple farmer's nightmare. --------------------- "I've had enough of this!" Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle watched in horror as Rarity threw her cards to the ground before crossing her arms across her chest with an unsatisfied huff. They had been playing Go Fish for nearly two hours, and it was starting to grain down on all of them. Except Pinkie, of course. She would have gladly continued to play for the rest of the night. The waiting room had cleared out quite a lot since when the police made their first announcement. Now only few remained, littered around the waiting room and doing their own business. As far as thy could tell, little to no progress was being made. "So am I," Twilight quipped. "We all are, but there is nothing we can do about it. Not with that avalanche in the way. We just have to wait this one out, Rarity, and as much as it pains me to say it... we really can't do much for Rainbow and Applejack now.' Officer Brennan had the unfortunate duty of tending to those in the waiting room, and from across the room, he could just barely make out their conversation. He turned his attention to the disagreement. A sneaky smile crept around Rarity's face. "But that's where you are wrong, Twilight!" Rarity reached into her pockets, and pulled from within the key to her car. "We might just be able to make it. My car is bigger, and can take way more punishment then the vehicles the police use. It's a long shot, but it may just work." "That-" Twilight paused for a moment, her expression lightening. "That might just work. Do you really think your car can take it though? What if we get stuck out in that blizzard as well?" Pinkie Pie jumped into the conversation. "Now now Twilight, what have we ever gained from patiently waiting for the 'authorities' to help! This may be our only chance to get to the girls before that creepy murderer does! Is that really something worth waiting on?" "I..." Twilight turned to the kind girl sitting silently, spinning her thumbs in thought. "Fluttershy?" The animal loving girl looked over at the sound of her name, and took only a second to compose her answer. "We have to give this a shot, for Applejack and Rainbow! I can't imagine how horrified they must be, stuck in that storm with no way out. We simply have to go! I mean, you know... if you girls agree." "It's settled, then." Twilight's eyes sparkled with determination. "Let's go bring our friends home safe and sound!" Together the four of them turned towards the exit, making their way back out into the icy morning air. However, if one of them had taken the time to turn around, they may have noticed the police officer know as officer Brennan tailing close behind them, watching to see what they'd do next.