Observe Obsidian Obelisk; an esteemed, though lesser known associate of the legendary Star Swirl the Bearded, considered by some to be his right-brain counterpart. Whereas Star Swirl was a gifted stallion that revolutionized spellcraft in all its forms, Obelisk was born a lowly goat with an affinity for charcoal and paint. Through observation of the natural world, Obelisk discovered and popularized the laws of perspective during a time when art was almost reviled. His charcoal sketches of the city and the countryside were breathtakingly detailed, lifelike almost to a fault. His anatomical drawings were likewise flawless, lovingly highlighting each muscle and curve of his models. Star Swirl’s protégé and one of the future founders of Equestria, Clover the Clever, encountered Obelisk on one of the latter’s excursions. As a goat, Obsidian had grown accustomed to being discriminated against by the equines, and was surprised when the colt purchased one of his paintings.
Star Swirl took an interest in Obsidian Obelisk upon seeing the painting Clover the Clever brought back, and offered to sponsor the goat’s continuing education. With Star Swirl’s substantial financial aid, Obelisk transitioned to a study of sculpture. In time, he made a name for himself with exhibitions at several prestigious galleries. At the height of his career, Obelisk could do no wrong. His most famous piece is the “Great Fall”, a massive mural done on the south wall of Muzzlechusetts center plaza. This piece was a subtle commentary on the practices of the corrupt aristocracy of the time. Shortly after completing the mural, Obelisk fell mysteriously ill. Medicine was still in its nascent stages and Obelisk wisely stopped his doctors before they literally bled him dry. These days it’s believed that his illness was either gallstones or cancer of the pancreas. Obelisk knew that his death was near; his letters to Star Swirl confirm this much. His last few paintings and sketches were hideous, depicting evil-looking beings and bizarre landscapes the likes of which had not been seen before or since. Obsidian Obelisk died alone and in terrific pain, leaving no descendants.
***
Years in the future, perhaps a millennium, perhaps longer still, an introverted young mare was reading the black goat’s biography. This mare, a unicorn with a lavender coat, was rather special; unique, in fact, in that she was the bearer of the Element of Magic. Not only that, but this particular unicorn was also the personal student to Princess Celestia who was of course, in spite of her title, the undisputed monarch of the kingdom of Equestria. (Or one of the sibling diarchs, as the case may be.) We’ll call this aforementioned unicorn Twilight Sparkle.
As usual in this time of year, we find Twilight in the large hollow tree that serves as the library of Ponyville and her home. The windows of the ‘building’ were frosted over, obscuring the view of the outside. A dreary affair by all accounts, winter. In times like these, it was easy for Twilight to forget that an outside world existed at all. What lay beyond the icy glass? Did the answer matter, really? Meanwhile, the gloom crept in, pooling in the corners. Princess Celestia raised the sun for shorter and shorter periods as the land approached that darkest of days, the winter solstice. Even the candles seemed somehow dimmer these days, and Twilight could not say why. It was during these seasons with their brief days and their freezing nights that Twilight tended to wax introspective and ponder the state of things. More often than not, they looked rather bleak when viewed in the dead of winter, beneath consistent cloud cover. She’d grown happier since she moved to Ponyville, however. Winters had gotten easier to bear.
While Twilight read on about bygone days, her dragon assistant Spike went on with his duties, dusting and re-shelving books as necessary. Spike knew better than to bother Twilight during the cold months. She was distant, often despondent and not overly talkative. But that was alright. She’d return to her old cheery self, come Hearth’s Warming Eve.
Less than an hour from now, Spike and Twilight would have an unusual sort of visitor. This may be a good time to check in with their friends.
***
A quiet, pastel yellow pegasus stood on the edge of the forest. She’d come here to reminisce. It was about a month ago that she stood at this very spot to bid farewell to the birds as they departed for warmer climates down south. The rusted leaves had long since fallen, adding a crunchy layer to the forest floor before being covered in snow. It was always difficult to say goodbye to one’s friends for any extended period. Much of the rest of the wildlife had also either left or gone into hibernation. And so, Fluttershy, (for this was the young pegasus’ name), was alone for most of the winter, save for her pet rabbit, Angel, and the chickens in the coop that she’d cold-proofed with Applejack’s help. There were a great many things that made Fluttershy worried or insecure, and being so isolated certainly didn’t help. Even so, Fluttershy wasn’t one to complain. There was no point.
Angel was asleep when Fluttershy returned to the cottage. She placed the teakettle on the stove and waited patiently until the water began to boil. She realized she’d used a few leaves too many as she sipped her tea. It was bitter, black as the sky outside and left a pungent aftertaste. She drank it anyway.
Such was life.
***
The winter was a quiet time for the Apple family. The crops from the fields were picked clean, the land lay dormant, awaiting spring. The air was cold and dry, the ground, coated in callous ice. Certainly the livestock still required tending, and the eldest daughter, Applejack, took turns with her brother to do the feeding and cleaning. Family dinners consisted of salted and pickled foods, ones duly saved for the occasion in the cellar. The farmhouse was drafty at times, but Applejack didn’t mind. It was a part of life on the farm and she wouldn’t have it any other way. On this evening, having completed her chores, Applejack decided to turn in early.
She lay in bed for a while, watching the flakes drift from the heavens through the window on the far wall. She could hear someone—likely her younger sister Apple Bloom—running around downstairs. Applejack would be the first to advocate the importance of family in ‘most any situation. That being said, it would be nice to have some quiet when in bed. Covering her ears with her pillow, Applejack did eventually manage to fall asleep.
She had a strange dream that night and awoke to find that it may not have been a dream at all.
***
Carousel Boutique was among the more successful clothing dealers in Ponyville, specializing in dresses and female outfitting. The head (indeed, only) couturier and owner of the shop was a talented unicorn named Rarity. It was during this time of year that the number of commissions began to wane. Of course, there was still the occasional order for Hearth’s Warming Eve and New Year’s, but besides those few cases, winter was rather uneventful. Rarity had no problems staying warm, but she understood that not all were so lucky. Despite her friends’ widespread perception of her as a bit of a drama queen, Rarity was a mare of action. Thus, in the winter, she utilized her surplus hours and fabric by making clothes and blankets for charity.
On this evening she had only just returned from the orphanage, having dropped off the most recent batch. She brushed off the snowflakes that had gotten caught in her mane and unwound the scarf from around her neck. Her cat—a magnificent white queen Rarity had named Opalescence—curled up in her lap as she relaxed on a large crimson sofa. She stroked behind Opal’s ears absentmindedly. On nights like this, she could almost entertain thoughts of finding a handsome stallion somewhere, sharing moments, going out. She hadn’t dated since… ah, what did it matter. She was her own woman. She’d take things at her own pace.
Outside, the wind picked up a few notches.
***
Rainbow Dash despised the winter. It was a cold, merciless season if there ever was one. As a full-time member of the weather patrol, Rainbow spent the bulk of her time flying. During the winter the chilly heights became nigh-unbearably cold. Rainbow liked her job. Weather manipulation was a challenging, rewarding task in constant need of experienced pegasi such as her. But the cold made routine flights far more arduous and danger-laden. Muscles grew stiff, all outside moisture instantly froze up. She was consistently frostbitten after each outing. Today, she was expected to take the night shift. She’d been provided with an appropriately thick coat for such occasions. It wasn’t very aerodynamic, but that was a small price to pay for maintaining one’s bodily temperature at a safe level.
Two hours before the shift was to start, she’d made some hot chocolate. Relaxing proved to be more than a little difficult, as her eyes drifted instinctively to the clock hanging over her window. One hour and fifty-six minutes. She stood up, feeling her hooves connect with the foundation of cloud on which her home was built. Clouds. The softest naturally-occurring material in Equestria, and possibly the world. Clouds were the cornerstone to weather manipulation in all its forms. After death, would one be transported to a paradise in the clouds, fluffy white vistas stretching in all directions? What did this mean for the pegasus, who already led such a life?
***
In Ponyville, around the same area where the Golden Oaks Library and Carousel Boutique are located, there is one more facility, a bakery and confectionary called Sugarcube Corner. This place is owned by the Cake family. Tonight we focus on the vivacious young assistant baker of the establishment named Pinkamena Diane Pie, though, of course—
“My friends call me Pinkie! So you can too!”
Quite right. Beg your pardon, I didn’t mean to come off as so impersonal. Pinkie Pie was not related to the Cakes by blood—
“Oh no, not at all. Though I do help out with the baking and sometimes foalsit their two lil’ ones, Pound and Pumpkin Cake!”
This, in addition to her lodging in the building, meant that the Cakes saw Pinkie as a member of the family. Pinkie was a mare of a cheery disposition, spending much of the winter planning her Hearth’s Warming Eve parties. Besides that, she enjoyed playing in the snow and visiting friends. Pinkie liked the winter just fine provided that she could spend it with other ponies. She wasn’t as reflective as some of her friends, preferring instead to take life one day at a time.
On this evening she was… well, why don’t you tell us yourself, Pinkie.
“Can I?"
Please.
"I can! I’m headed downtown to get some festive lights for the holidays! Though we already had some from last year, but they up and vanished for no reason! Funny how that works, but, y’know, stuff gets lost.”
She had her head to the sky as she walked, trying to catch snowflakes with her tongue. And so, by virtue of not looking where she was going, it was inevitable that she’d bump into something eventually.
“Oops! Sorry, mister!”
The towering figure was apparently bipedal and wrapped in an aging gray sheet. Notably, whereas anyone else would have left an opening for their face, this… this stranger was covered head to toe. A pale, four fingered hand protruded from the sheet, dragging a large black crucifix adorned with weird, almost unearthly designs. Pinkie giggled, oblivious to the air of foreboding that radiated from the stranger.
“I guess neither of us was really looking where we were going, huh?”
The stranger brushed past her, silent as the snow. Pinkie turned to watch him leave. His gait was subdued, giving the impression that he was floating. The fact that he left no tracks in the snow certainly added to that effect. This piqued Pinkie’s curiosity. She decided to follow him from a safe distance to see what he was up to and, if for nothing else, then at least to welcome him to Ponyville and maybe make friends.
***
It was eight o’clock exactly when there was a knock at the door of Twilight Sparkle. Having finished most of his chores for the day, Spike went to answer. A violent gust streaked through the tree as the door opened, snuffing the candles. Twilight blinked at the treatise she’d been reading and sighed irritably.
“Uh. Hello?” Spike inquired of the tall figure at their doorstep. “Are you here about a book?”
The stranger pushed past the young dragon, his black crucifix catching momentarily at the edges of the comparably small doorway.
“S-sure, come in; it’s pretty cold out there.”
“Who is it, Spike?” Twilight asked, as she approached the entrance to get a closer look at the newcomer.
It was then that the stranger threw off the sheet that had been covering his body. Twilight lost her grip on the burning candle she’d been holding. The creature’s body was surreal, apparently functioning under a different set of rules than she’d become accustomed to. It appeared gelatinous, pale and slick as a lungfish. It hovered inches above the wooden floor, in apparent defiance of basic physics. While it had no legs to speak of, its arms were wrapped around the black cross it carried. A single eye glared at Twilight from what was ostensibly one of the creature’s breasts. A large nail pierced the thing’s abdomen, just above a large gaping window of sorts. The air around it took on a silvery quality, dancing and forming shapes that were terrifying in their suggestiveness. In short, the creature was absurd. Impossible.
Remembering herself, Twilight stomped out the small fire that was building around the candle at her hooves. When she looked back up, Spike was gone.
“Where’s—what’d you do to Spike?!”
The creature did not speak. She wondered if it could, as it had no readily apparent mouth. How did it eat? Did it practice photosynthesis? Was that even possible for an animal this size? While it did not deign to answer Twilight’s questions, the creature did drift closer to her, and though she willed her body to move, she could not turn away. As it drew closer, the hole in its stomach grew larger, until she could feel herself falling into it, leaving this world far behind her.
***
“Hey, lookit that! He left the door open! I’m not one to judge, but that’s a little rude.”
Pinkie Pie entered the library, mindfully closing the door behind her. The creature turned to look at her.
“Hi there! You’re kinda scary-lookin’ aren’t ya. That’s okay, though! I’m sure you’re a swell guy!”
If it could hear her, the creature did not acknowledge her words. She was beginning to feel a little uneasy around her new friend. She glanced around.
“Hey, d’you know where Twilight is? Twilight! Are you in here? I guess she, um, left somewhere. Well, that’s a shame. We coulda showed you around together! ”
She had the presence of mind to back away as the creature ambled toward her, until her rump hit the door she’d closed not a minute ago. Before she could turn around, the creature had one of its hands around her neck. She struggled feebly but its fingers were stiff and unyielding.
“No… really… I gotta go…” she choked out. “I’ve got… lights to buy… we can play later…”
The creature tightened its grip. As she lost consciousness, it dawned on Pinkie that this was probably not going to be a light-hearted, slice-of-life styled narrative.
