//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Deception // Story: I wish, I hope, I dream, I pray // by TNBi //------------------------------// Another month passed, and the season of Cloudsdale shifted to autumn. Everypony at the snow factory were diligently working, for they’d prepare more than enough snowflakes to spread over all Equestria before winter came. The time of day passed minute by minute, and the sun slowly lowered towards the west; in another couple of hours, the day would end and the moon would be about to rise. Being the skillful pony she was, Snowdrop finished her daily quota quite early as usual, and she turned toward the direction of those two workmates of hers and asked, “I’ve just finished… Would you like me to help out?” “Oh yeah! Certainly — ouch!” Cirrus’s answer was interrupted, as if somepony hit him behind his head. Then Cumulo’s voice came along, “No thanks, you’d better go home. We’ll deal it by ourselves.” “But… Well, what if I prepare some more for tomorrow?” “Don’t. Our raw snow reserve is already used up because Cirrus crushed a pile of them today. Just go home, will you?” answered Cumulo emotionlessly. “No I didn’t! It was — ouch!” Cirrus protested, but it sounded like he received another punch. Snowdrop’s heart sank. Although the three of them shared the same way back home, Cumulo Nimbus had started to linger longer at the factory with Cirrus recently, leaving her alone on the way back, as if she would intentionally avoid walking with her. “Fine,” she said, and left reluctantly. The autumn weather outside was not so cold as in the low-temperature rooms of the factory, but it was not very agreeable either. She stepped into the dressing room, took off her heat-preserving suit for work, then put on her scarf, which her mother gave her to keep herself warm, before leaving the factory. “Excuse me,” Just as she went out of the factory, somepony called to her. It was a strange voice that Snowdrop wasn’t familiar with; she guessed it could be a pony from another place. “What’s the matter, sir?” she turned around. “May I know if you are a worker at this… Oh, your eyes…” She sensed the other pony was surprised to discover her blindness, and it was one common behaviour when any pony met her for the first time. “Yes, I work here, and I can make snowflakes even though I can’t see,” she answered him. Her mother and her teacher had both warned her not to speak to strange ponies, but his voice was really kind, and she let her guard down a bit. “Please allow me to introduce myself. My name’s Victor, and I’m from Manehattan. I came here to — oh, how should I say this — could I possibly ask for a piece of hoof-made snow from you, young lady?” “A piece of snow? I’m truly sorry, but it’s prohibited to bring snow out of the factory before winter…” ”I already know that,” Victor interrupted, “I’ve asked a lot of other workers and all of them turned me down for the same reason. But I have to try… because I’m doing this for my dear aged mother,” he said, starting to sob. “Last winter… I happened to pass by here and saw those beautiful snowflakes; when I returned home and told my mother about how beautiful they were, she’s been hoping to come over and see them for herself at this winter. But not long after that… she turned ill this spring, seriously ill, and now even the doctors say that her days are numbered. I had to come here on my own to beg for a little snowflake… to bring it back to her and fulfill her wish… because she is my only family.” “Your only family...” knowing this, Snowdrop’s heart moved. Ever since her father had left, her mother was the only family she had. She loved her mother deeply, and she’d surely do the same for her if she’d fell ill someday. “Please… I just want to bring her a snowflake to see. Just a little piece of snow, I beg of you… I don’t mind the cost; whatever price you offer, I’d gladly accept!” “Price? No, no, no, snowflakes are for free — they are made because they should bring happiness to all ponies. I’ll try to get a piece for you, but please keep this just between us.” “Oh, thank you so much! You’re such a kind girl,” Victor said gratefully, “and I have another question I’d like to ask — I heard snowflakes were made like the shape of stars, so can they realize a pony’s wish?” “Well, I really hope they could…” the blue filly blushed a little, embarassed of her childish thoughts, “but if you put all your heart into your wish you want to make, I believe your mother could get well soon.” “That’s what I’ve been wishing for.” “Okay, I’m going back to find some snow for you. Please wait here,” Snowdrop said and turned around to enter the factory. “Thank you again, dear little filly.” I’ll just take a piece from those I’ve made today, she thought. I can make another piece in just a moment, and make up for the one I took. Thinking of how that snowflake could cheer up another pony, her heart bloomed with so much joy. But when she was near her workshop, she heard something completely unexpected — “Oh. Are we doing that again? Snowdrop won’t be too happy if she knows about this…” It was Cirrus’s voice. Snowdrop knew better than to eavesdrop on another pony’s conversation, but knowing this concerned her, she quietly hid beside the door, and perked up her ears. “Shut up. Stop complaining and help me pour her snowflakes out.” It was Cumulo Nimbus giving the other one imperative orders again. But why does she want to do that? “But I think the ones she made looked already very good! Why modify them?” Cirrus sounded confused. — Wait, modify?? “Good?? Have you lost your mind, slacker?? Those ones she made were terrible, nopony would want to look at them, and they won’t bring happiness either! If we don’t help her refine their shapes, they could get mistaken for wasted material again!” Each word she said pricked Snowdrop’s heart like a sharp knife — she felt she was bleeding from the inside. Remembering that  she just received praises from the forepony that her crafting had improved than before, it dawned on her that it was only because her snowflakes were secretly being touched. “Watch it, it’s falling out! Go pick it… up…” A snowflake fell to the side of Snowdrop’s hoof. Cumulo Nimbus, who was ordering Cirrus to pick it up, stammered when she noticed the other filly by the door, who picked up that snowflake without saying a word. “Snowdrop…? Why are you coming back? How long have you been here? Did you see… I mean, hear everything?” asked Cirrus very nervously. “...So that’s why you want me to go home ahead of you.” “Snowdrop... l-let me explain… It was…” Cumulo said hurriedly, walking towards her. “STAY AWAY FROM ME!” Snowdrop snapped. Her reaction intimidated the other two — they had never seen her being so furious before. She usually would be vulnerable and burst into tears when she encountered a setback, but this time, she was enraged. “You’ve been lying to me all the time! I don’t need your help!! I’d rather let them trash my ugly snowflakes than let you take care of them! I HATE YOU!!” She yelled, turned around and run away. Cirrus wanted to chase her, but was blocked by Cumulo Nimbus, “Hold on.” “Cumulo Nimbus! What are you talking about?! You should tell her you didn’t mean to be that harsh! You were merely trying to…” “Didn’t you hear what she just said? She doesn’t need our help. Put them away… and let’s go home,” answered Cumulo Nimbus emotionlessly, and turned away from Cirrus to conceal her expression. “Cumulo Nimbus…” Snowdrop left the factory in a bad mood, but she still remembered to keep her snowflake inside a container made by the unicorns to keep it from thawing. Victor, who saw her coming, trotted towards her. “Any luck? Do you have it?” “Here it is,” she took out the container to him. “...What is that thing?!” The “thank you” she expected didn’t occur at all. Instead, Victor fell silent for a moment before asking her in disgust. “Huh? It’s a snowflake, isn’t it?” Snowdrop didn’t realize why he asked that. “You tell me this is a snowflake? Are you kidding me?! It doesn’t even look like the snow I saw last year!” Victor’s attitude suddenly took a sharp turn. “But-but it’s indeed a snowflake… because I made it myself,” Snowdrop said in a low voice. “Oh, I’ve been such a fool to let a blind one help me! I can’t even sell this pathetic thing!” “What?! Didn’t you say you were for your sick mother—” “My mother? Phooey! I made that up!” Victor said grumpily. Finally learning the hard truth, Snowdrop felt as if an earthquake was rocking inside her. “How can you do this to me?!” she shouted angrily. “For money of course! There are several aristocrats placing high bids over these novel snowlakes to get them before winter! I’ve tricked a bunch of foals like you to get snow for me, but you, are the worst of them all! Your awful snowflake will never realize a wish of any sort!” “Why…” She couldn’t control her tears from streaming down. “I should never have asked a useless blind foal for help — now get lost before my patience runs out! And don’t you dare tell this to anypony else!” For the second time in the same day, she was deceived, and her heart was already shattered to pieces. She flew back home, locked herself in her room and wept bitterly, before her mother had any chance to ask what had happened.