Winter came in a hurry, leaving piles of wet leaves on the lawns of Buckingham. Everypony knew that the period between Nightmare Night and Hearth’s Warming Eve was a dreary one, with the temperature flirting with the negative figures but snow being slow to come. The best way to warm up was Bonfire Night, taking place less than a week after Nightmare Night. The school didn’t have any fireworks of its own, but all of the fillies got to pile into coaches and be taken down to Platinum Palace Park in Maneminster to watch the fireworks at the Platinum Palace transmitter. The carriages were budget but that didn’t deter anypony from making the most of a rare school outing.
“Why do you have to hold these fireworks when it’s so cold?” Rarity complained, wrapping another thick scarf around her neck. It was still a few degrees above freezing, but Rarity was particularly susceptible to the cold temperatures and always piled on the layers, ending up looking like a walking lump of fabric.
“It’s to remember the plot to imprison Princess Platinum,” Fly replied even though everypony already knew it. The same story was trotted out every year.
“Why couldn’t they have plotted to overthrow her in July,” Rarity grumbled, pulling the scarf tighter. “Do you think I need boots? Better had.”
In reality, everypony knew that the best part of Bonfire Night was the fact that they could meet some of the local colts. Fly and I had never been that interested, more more accurately, the local colts had never been that interested in us. We preferred to go on the various rides and attractions in the park. Rarity and Miri, though, loved the attention and tried to get friendly, but the dorm matrons were always on patrol and made life difficult.
As we stepped outside, a bitter wind bit at our ears and I wished I’d brought a hat. Rarity looked smug under her many layers, but I knew she’d be sweating before long. We cantered down to the carriages, anxious to get an empty one so we wouldn’t have to share. Rarity was weighed down and took ages to catch up.
“Was that third coat really necessary?” I asked, poking out my tongue as she clambered into the coach.
“Yes, it was.”
The coaches were built for six but we spread out to try and deter any opportunistic first years wanting to get a ride with the cool, older ponies.
The sun set as the carriages creaked their way to the park in a long convoy. Pinks lit up the sky, suggesting it would be another cold day tomorrow.
“I hope there are plenty of colts there,” Miri enthused, clapping her forehooves together.
Fly wasn’t impressed. “Just make sure you don’t get caught.”
“Fun police,” Miri replied, before giggling. She was always in her best spirits whenever colts were involved. “Anyway, the sevenths years always get to sneak off, so surely we can too? I heard Crystal Shores missed the carriages home because she lost track of time.” A dreamy look came over the excited pony’s face.
“You hear too much,” I warned her. “I’m not spending all evening covering for you.”
The fireworks were scheduled for seven, which gave us two hours to enjoy the rides and try not to get too old. But it was always busy with foals and their mothers at first, so we rode on the free merry-go-round over and over to pass the time, watching each other’s breath rising in the artificial lights.
Miri practically leapt from the ride when she saw a group of promising-looking colts hanging around near a hay fries stand. We followed her of course, but I wasn’t very keen on embarrassing myself in front of yet more colts.
Miri latched onto a handsome colt with a black coat and big muscles, and spent the next few minutes complimenting him and hanging onto his arm. “Do you pull carts? You look like you do.” It took them a matter of minutes to disappear off together, and Rarity rolled her eyes. I didn’t like colts who thought a few muscles were enough to get any filly they wanted, but there were plenty of ponies like Miri who would make them think just that.
“So what school do you go to?” I asked the remaining colts. Most of them just mumbled and wandered off.
“We go to Platinum Palace Colt’s School,” the nearest one say, pawing the ground with his hoof and sniffing loudly. There was an awkward pause, during which Rarity stalked off in the direction of Miri.
The moment she had gone, the colt looked up at me. “Oh wow, is she from Equestria?”
I glanced at Fly, who was having colt trouble of her own. But the two of them looked so shy that neither of them was going to say anything. I turned back to my own burden. “Yes, but she’s been here for the past two years.” I tried smiling sweetly.
“Woah, that’s so cool. I always watch the Equestria Rodeo Competitions.”
“I’m Cat.” This colt was starting to annoy me.
“People call me Rapids.” Another pause.
“So do you want to eat something?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at his total lack of talent with the fillies.
“Uh, yeah.”
We sat on the steps of a carriage and watched the festivities, eating a bag of hay fries each. Predictably, he’d made me pay for my own. Now I was cold and running out of money.
“So what is your friend called?” He asked, mouth full of food.
“Who?”
“The Equestrian.”
“Her name is Rarity.” The Equestrian indeed. That was practically an insulting way of referring to her.
“Woah, what a cool name. Where in Equestria does she live?” More sprays of half-chewed food.
I daintily put a hay fry into my mouth and chewed it before answering. “Ponyville.”
“I thought she’d be from Canterlot, ‘coz you know, she’s so sophisticated and everything.”
This was rapidly becoming tiresome, if you’ll excuse the pun. “No, definitely Ponyville.”
Rapids paused, although I suspected it was so he could shovel more hay fries into his mouth.
“So where did Rarity go?” He asked.
“I don’t know. Probably to see my other friends.”
“Oh wow, are they Equestrian too?”
“No.”
“That’s a shame. So does Rarity like the Equestrian Rodeo?”
“I think I can hear my friend over there.”
“Is it Rarity?”
“No.”
I trotted away from him, feeling a pang of guilt at just running away. But he was seriously annoying and a little bit creepy. I wanted to give him a sound smack in the chops for fawning over Rarity so obviously, but I thought that might be a little overprotective. I wandered aimlessly until I bumped into Fly, who seemed to be wandering too.
“Hi Cat,” she said quietly.
“Hi Fly. What happened to that other colt?”
“Oh um, he went away.” I knew her voice well enough to know she was blushing.
I shrugged. “If it helps, mine was no better. Obsessed with Rarity.”
“Oh, my.”
“Kept asking me about her. I mean, I know we’re really good friends, but really?”
“I see.”
“So weird, you know? It really annoys me that colts are like that.”
Fly didn’t reply and just let me fume to myself.
The annoying colt did a good job of ruining my evening, since I just ended up standing around pointlessly with Fly and calling Miri all kinds of rude names for dragging us over to those colts. Fly was very patient and just ignored me.
We tried to avoid any of the colts, and in the process managed to find Rarity standing behind one of the food tents, banging her hooves together for warmth.
“Why are you hiding here?” Fly asked, sounding confused. It was too dark to see anything more than vague outlines.
“I found Miri again but she’s gone off with that colt. Who knows what they’re up to, but I have to keep watch.” Her tone was definitely disapproving.
“We’re hiding from the other colts,” Fly said, rather more abruptly than I would have put it.
Rarity seemed to smile. “Not a good night for any of us, then. Except Miri.”
“You didn’t find any nice colts then?” I asked her, already knowing the answer.
“No. And I put on my best scarves, too.”
When the fireworks started Miri was still ‘occupied’, so we went over towards the bonfire to try and warm up a bit. She’d just have to hope all of the dorm matrons were looking at the fireworks and not at wherever she was.
The fireworks themselves were always spectacular, lighting the sky with bright colours courtesy of the genius earth ponies who were responsible. We stood as close to the bonfire as we could and warmed our hooves, eyes glued to the wonderful display. I sneaked a couple of sidelong glances at Rarity, seeing the fireworks reflected in her bright blue eyes.
Once the final fireworks had exploded (a series of loud bangs and red sparks), everypony started heading for carriages. We needed to find Miri as soon as possible, since in ten minutes the carriages would leave.
“I’ll find her. You go and secure a carriage,” Rarity told us before trotting away towards the food tents. I looked at Fly, who looked back without much expression.
We reserved a carriage by sitting in the door and not letting anyone past, shooing away occasional younger fillies who looked lost.
“Miri is such a pain,” I said, stamping my hooves on the ground to stop my legs getting cold.
“At least she keeps things interesting,” Fly replied. I couldn’t quite tell whether she was joking.
Rarity returned five minutes later and gave a murderous look to some first years who were tailing her. The dorm matrons were already rounding up stragglers.
“Where’s Miri?” I asked her, now feeling quite concerned.
“I can’t find her, or the colt,” the unicorn told us, her voice betraying a hint of concern. “What if something’s happened?”
“Fly, you stay here. Rarity, do another quick lap of the park and I’ll search the inside. Back here in three minutes,” I said quickly, before cantering away to look for my friend. Rarity nodded and did the same.
There really was no sign. I was starting to have terrible thoughts about that nasty-looking colt when I got back to the carriage and found Rarity there but no Miri.
“She’s probably just being air-headed again, right?” Rarity said, looking at the two of us for reassurance.
The dorm matron interrupted, looking at us suspiciously. “You three. That’s Toccata, Fly Leaf and Rarity. Have any of you seen Miriam? I haven’t found her yet.”
I was panicking, running through all kinds of possible answers in my head, when my problems were solved for me by the quick-thinking of Rarity.
“She’s being sick. In a bush. Don’t worry, we’ll get her before the carriages go,” Rarity said, her bad poker face invisible in the dark. “Must’ve eaten a dodgy doughnut.”
“I’ll see to her then,” the matron said, looking carefully around the nearby bushes.
“Oh, no. Once it’s out of her system she’ll be fine. The sooner she’s out of the cold, really,” Rarity lied, looking and Fly and I.
“Well, if you’re sure,” the pony said, making a tiny tick and moving on.
“But Rarity, what if she doesn’t arrive? We need to tell someone,” Fly said anxiously.
“She’s probably just wandered off. She can get a taxi back to school and sneak in, no need to drop her in it yet,” Rarity said, but she didn’t sound entirely convinced.
Fly nodded. “If she’s not back by the time we go to sleep, we tell someone.”
“Okay, that’s a good idea.”
The carriages pulled away less than a minute later, leaving the three friends pondering where Miri might have got to.
“I hope she’s okay,” Fly whispered.
I hugged her. “You know Miri. Always getting into scrapes.” I smiled as best I could, but I was worried too.
Once we were back at school, there was still no sign of her. And when the matron came around to tell us to go to bed a ten, there was still no Miri. I expected the matron to notice she wasn’t in the room and ask after her, but she merely walked away, satisfied.
“Um... Miri’s missing,” Fly suddenly said, sounding worried. “She didn’t get back into our carriage after the fireworks.”
I chewed my hooves nervously, afraid of the matron’s reaction. But she merely laughed, surprising us all.
“Don’t worry girls, we know exactly where Miri is. I expect she’ll be joining you shortly.”
Ten minutes later, a rather embarrassed looking Miri stepped into the room, her eyes ringed with redness from crying. We all jumped up and enveloped her in hugs.
“Miri!” Rarity said happily. “Where have you been? We were so worried! Whatever happened?”
Miri just grinned, the mischievous glint still in her eye. “Oh, I went off with Weight and it was sooo romantic and we went on all of the rides and did everything we could!”
“You could have told us!” Fly said, exasperated.
“I forgot... sorry. You know how it is.”
“So how come you missed the carriages home? You knew they were after the fireworks?” I asked her, wondering how she came to end up crying if she had a good time with the colt.
“Oh oh oh! Weight said he’d take me back to school in his private cart! Isn’t that romantic? He’s so thoughtful.”
“So did he? Bring you back?” Rarity asked.
“Oh, no. He left me in the park after the carriages had left.”
Despite this revelation, Miri didn’t seem put off the colt at all. “I hope I can see him again soon. Maybe for the winter dance.”
I looked at Rarity, but she just shrugged back. Miri was a lost cause, we all knew that. “So you got upset because he ditched you?” I said.
“No, I actually got a taxi back to school and tried to sneak in.” Miri laughed, but a sudden loud sniff betrayed the fact that she was still upset about something. “I got stuck in a window and the dorm matrons found me.”
I had to laugh. This was just too priceless. Miri smiled at me. “Why a window?”
“It was the only place I could get in without getting caught! It was actually nearly a success, if they’d come round a few seconds later I would have been free.”
“So what happened? They must have punished you,” Rarity said, sitting down on Miri’s bed with her.
“I had to see the Head Mare a-and...” Miri started to sob a little bit, her brave face cracking. “S-she’s confiscating my maintenance for the rest of the term, and I’m not allowed on any school outings for the rest of the year.”
With that, the red-maned pony began to cry into Rarity’s shoulder.
The punishment was very harsh and I felt sorry for my friend. We had a group hug, Miri’s hot tears splashing into my mane. She was always so excited to go on outings, and not being able to go anywhere until the summer was probably really hurting her. We let her go and get cleaned up in the bathroom. I could hear her sobs from my bed.
“Well, she did makes us really worried...” Fly said in a whisper.
Rarity nodded sadly. “But still... a whole year of being kept in is really mean. I feel so bad for her.”
The good news that came of the rest of the term was that my work in history continued to improve under Rarity’s expert tuition, until I was comfortably mid-bottom of the class. November brought mid-term mock tests so we could see how we were doing. Teachers warned us to expect poor grades, especially since everypony dropped a grade between the fifth and sixth years. Even then, I was still really concerned that I was going to embarrass myself.
History was, predictably, the worst. Rarity got a B for her test - her face betrayed disappointment. And if Rarity got a B, I would be in for a terrible shock, I was sure. And I was - my essay came back with a large red ‘D’ in the corner.
“Could be worse,” Rarity whispered to me. “We can always work more together?”
I had a sinking feeling that I was going to fail history. I wanted to tell Rarity so she didn’t have to waste her time trying to help me, but then I knew that I would really miss our sessions together. So I said nothing and just smiled a pained smile.
I did excellently in music and about average in English and French, so I was confident in passing those. It could only get better. And there were no more exams until March, where more mock tests awaited. But despite the plus points, I still felt gloomy sitting in the common room listening to excited ponies comparing their results and started to spend more time in the library reading magazines, mainly just to get away from it.
On Friday afternoon, the weekend only hours away, I was just sitting in the library with some English work open in front of me, staring at the wall. I was lost in my thoughts, mainly about how hard history was and why I was pathetic, when Fly abruptly sat down next to me, giving me a fright.
“Are you okay?” My best friend asked.
“Yes, you just scared me! Don’t sneak up on me.”
“No, I mean since you got your results. You’ve seemed a bit... distant. And you’re never at our table in the common room.” It hurt me to listen to Fly’s voice so full of concern. I wanted to wrap my hooves around her and cry.
“I’ve just had a lot of work...”
“You know you can talk to me about it? We have been getting through these things for five years, let’s not stop now.” She smiled at me and I couldn’t help but feel the ice thaw a little.
“I just feel like I can’t do well, even when I work hard...”
“Nopony is good at everything. You did really great in music, top of the class I heard.”
“That’s my special talent. That’s different,” I mumbled, trying to blink back tears.
Fly paused, still looking at me. “I feel jealous of you when it comes to school.”
This came as a shock, trust me.
“What? You’re jealous of the pony who has to work super-hard but can never be bothered? I don’t think so.”
“No, I mean about your special talent. You’re a great musician and you can lend that to a subject and be one of the best. Me - you can’t learn everything out of books. Sometimes I wonder if my special talent isn’t holding me back.”
I’d never heard Fly admit anything like this before, and when I looked at her she looked sad, even sadder than I felt. I nearly snapped and burst into floods of tears, but I held it in. Just.
“I still have to struggle through school. And you don’t,” I smiled, wanting to cheer her up.
“I can help you with some things if you like?”
“No, that’s okay. Rarity is helping me.”
Fly smiled back. “Well, it’s nearly the weekend and nopony should be sad at the weekend. I think if Miri knew that. she’d explode.”
I giggled. “Thank you.”
“Any more lessons today?” She asked, drawing little circles on the desk with her hoof.
“Just history.”
“Ah. Well, lots of chocolate and hugs afterwards?”
“I could go for that.”
“I’ll tell Rarity and Miri, I’m sure they want to see you cheered up too.”
I couldn’t help but throw my hooves around her and cry. I was so lucky to have a wonderful friend like her.
We did make a bit of a scene though, and I got us thrown out of the library for being too loud.
I felt a bit better after a large amount of chocolate biscuits in our dorm room, listening to Rarity and Miri making jokes about each other.
“You know, it’s only four weeks to Hearth’s Warming Eve,” Miri said. “You should be thinking about the dance.” The earth pony had got over her setback from Bonfire Night and was now getting excitable again, although a trace of sadness in her expression showed how sorry she was to be missing the dance.
“Of course! I’ll need to get started on dresses,” Rarity said, rubbing her chin with a hoof as she sunk deep into thought. “I should be able to do them all if I start right away.”
“I don’t need one, remember,” Miri added, looking away from us.
“Are you going to go and see Weight again?” Fly asked, not liking the slightly sad atmosphere. “I know you’re not allowed out exactly but you could probably...”
“Sneak out! I know! I’ve got an excursion planned for this coming Saturday,” Miri squeaked. “He’s so romantic... and cool... and handsome... and those muscles...”
None of us really approved of Weight, but we didn’t want to knock Miri any further than she’d already fallen.
“Okay so you two will need to give me a list of what you want from your outfit. Tomorrow preferably.” Her eyes were screwed up in thought, which was not a particularly flattering look. “I can go shopping this weekend, then that’s two weeks. We can do a dress rehearsal with manes and make-up, and then I’ll need about four hours before the actual dance for finishing touches...”
“You’re obsessed,” I teased.
“Ahem, well. We can get to that soon.” She looked a little embarrassed to have been caught rambling on like that. “We’ll be the best dressed ponies at the dance. Much better than the ponies at the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot.”
“So we’ll be spending thousands of bits on the world’s finest dresses?” I asked, and Fly giggled behind a hoof.
“No, but you’ll have the world’s greatest designer,” Rarity replied, dismissing my comment with a charming smile. “Nothing but the best. I’ll need to measure you at some point so everything fits...”
My face dropped faster than a unicorn on a cloud.
“I haven’t weighed myself since the start of term,” I whispered, my blood running cold. I jumped up and ran to the bathroom, shutting myself in and grabbing the scales.
As I waited for them to calibrate, I heard Fly’s voice through the door. “She’s probably hardly gained any weight at all, there’s no need to worry.”
“I’m getting fat!”
“Oh be quiet Miri.”
I’d gained a stone and a half since I’d got back to school. The news crushed me like a hammer as I stepped back into the room. Miri dashed past me to take her turn.
“It’s not healthy to obsess over your weight,” Fly told me in a stern tone.
“Do like I do and weigh yourself every morning. That way you can change your eating habits before you really start to slide,” Rarity said, catching a look from Fly.
Miri reappeared looking like I felt. “I’ve gained a stone.” She dashed up to me and took my hooves in hers. “Cat, promise me we’ll go on a Hearth’s Warming Diet with me. We can both slim down, please please please!”
I smiled. “Yes! I’d do anything to get rid of this horrible fat.” I poked my tummy with a hoof. “Ew.”
“Neither of you really show it... it’s well spread out,” Rarity said, sweeping a discerning eye over us.
“No biscuits or chocolate. Only meals from the food hall and no snacks.” Miri was mentally working out our new diet. “Fly, take all of my chocolate, so I won’t be tempted.”
Before the pegasus could protest, we’d dumped our entire supply on her bed.
“Well, if I measure you the week after next, that’ll give you time to make adjustments,” Rarity mused, looking at me. “So I’ll start with you, Fly. Oh, i-deeee-a! I know just what will make you look divine, darling.”
Fly blushed.
“I need to go into Maneminster next weekend. You three can come, of course-”
“-I can’t, stupid ban-”
“Okay well you two can come. But no buying. Everything will be half the price in the January sales anyway. This is strictly for me to get you stuff for your dresses,” Rarity smiled. “This is so exciting!”
“I already feel hungry,” Miri said, eyeing up the chocolate on Fly’s bed.
“No way. If I’m not giving in, neither are you,” I told her.
Fly went back to reading her book after hiding the chocolate away, leaving Miri and I to feel sorry for ourselves. Rarity was flicking through a fashion magazine.
“Oh hey, who’s getting the December issues? Miri normally would but...”
“I’ll get them,” Fly piped up. “Since you two have given me so much chocolate.”
“You know what’s interesting?” Rarity suddenly said, turning her magazine around and pointing to an article on winter coats. I’d read it weeks ago.
“What?” I asked, wondering if I’d missed an important tip.
“I noticed the models are posing in front of the Palace of Maneminster. You know, I’ve never been there?” Rarity said, going back to studying the photo.
“Never?” I asked. “Everypony’s been there.”
“I haven’t. We always just go shopping because it takes so long to sightsee.”
“Well then, on Saturday we shall go sightseeing!” I declared, smiling. “We can get up really early, since we’re not going to be dragged down by Miri.”
Miri scowled at me.
“That would be nice,” Rarity said.
“Just get a day ticket for the tube,” Fly suggested. “Then we can go wherever we like.”
Our discussion was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Bedtime girls.”
Miri ran into the bathroom first, forcing the rest of us to wait whilst she went through her complicated pre-bed routine which seemed to take forever.
“Are you going home for Hearth’s Warming Eve?” I asked Rarity, making conversation while we packed stuff away and got ready for bed.
“Oh, yes. I’m going the day after term finishes,” she said as she moved her pillows. “I’ve been trying to persuade my parents to take me to the pageant in Canterlot - the actors this year are meant to be Manehatten’s finest. But they always seem to be so busy around this time of year.” She sounded disappointed.
“I’d love to see it, but it’s a long way from here,” I said, lying back on my pillows.
“My parents are reluctant to take Sweetie Belle anywhere. She’s normally a delight, but when she gets going she can scream like nothing else.” Rarity smiled knowingly, floating a hairbrush towards her mane.
“Are you looking forward to seeing Sweetie again?” Fly asked, still reading her book.
“Yes! She’s so adorable. But not a natural at sewing, I’m afraid.”
We laughed, and I got up to bang on the bathroom door and get Miri to hurry up. I realised I was going to miss my friends over the holidays, trapped at home in the countryside.