Unforgiven Winter

by Rambo

"Canterlot Memories"

I HIGHLY advise you read the description if you haven't already to get where this story is going. Also if you want to have some mini scavenger hunt. Enjoy the story. (Yes, 1st fic and yes I was in Vietnam)

It was a silent and peaceful winter morning in the town of Ponyville. The only existing sound was that of wind passing through trees. As morning slowly arose and the dawn disappeared, the crickets of the night ceased their midnight symphonies and were then replaced with the soft chirping of birds awakening. Upon hearing the sounds of the birds, a purple scaled dragon arose from his night slumber, tired as he was, he proceeded to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for himself and the sleeping lilac mare.

After an hour or so, the peaceful unicorn awoke slowly and softly mumbled to the side of her bedside as if though somepony lay there, but as she slowly opened her eyes, she finds nothing but books from the previous night. A frown formed on her face as she let out a soft and depressing sigh of depression. The familiar and relaxing scent of Steamed Seasoned Daisies filled the air and her nose. The frown quickly disappeared and brightened up Twilights morning as she regained all of her senses in seconds. Before heading downstairs however, she stretched out her muscles and fixes up her mane.

As she made her way to the dining table, she notices Spike feasting on some Turquoise Gems that he received in the mail from Braeburn in Appleooza. A note tagged along the box saying that it was a gift from the Buffalo, to be exact, Chief Thunderhooves. The delivering of the package however could have been better. The cross eyed pegasus that delivers these packages is clumsy and always drops her mail constantly.

"Morning Twilight" said Spike cheerfully as the violet unicorn came to a halt at the dining table. "Good Morning Spike" says Twilight without any kind of emotion. Although Spike had noticed that something is obviously bothering Twilight, he figured it was best to ask her later mainly because he was chowing down on his Gems. Twilight lifted her fork using her magic and began to eat her Steamed Seasoned Daisies which had certainly brightened her mood better than she thought they would. Spike, content to his friend back to her normal self, was still a bit skeptical. "I'll ask her later on..." he mumbled to himself this time, as he finished eating the rest of the gems.

"Those Daisies were fantastic Spike!" Twilight says gladly.
"Now Hurry on upstairs and get ready because we're going out to find some sort of fabric Rarity needs to finish her new winter season Attire"

"But Twi, I need to wash the dishes and then go over to Fluttershy's to help her shop for some ingredients so she can make a new recipe for the picnic tomorrow!" Spike says as if though he was in trouble.
"Oh, so you're HER assistant now? I thought you loved Rarity, Spike" Twilight says sarcastically
"No Twilight! I promised her yesterday! I would ne-" Spike's panic was silenced as Twilight rested her hoof over his mouth so he can calm himself down.

"I know Spike, I was there with you when she asked you to help her, remember?" she said and let out a giggle. Spike wiped the sweat off from his forehead and let out a sigh of relief. Twilight was indeed right, she was there with him when Fluttershy had asked for his help. As Spike proceeded to wash the dishes, Twilight made her way to the staircase to go upstairs. As she went, she took a slow look upon her library, just admiring the hundreds upon thousands of books she had accumulated throughout the years... but then... but then she noticed a book in the depths of the library that was tattered and sat there collecting dust. Using her horn, she retrieved the book and wiped off the cobble webs that had covered it. "I'll look into this when I head upstairs" she mumbled.

As she trotted her way up, she looked behind herself as if though there were somepony there, she could even feel the essence of a figure standing right there watching her go upstairs, but instead she found nobody. She assumed it was her imagination and brushed the thought of another pony in her house off her mind. She walked to her bed and removed the saddle from under the bed so she can get ready to go outside for Rarity's fabric. Then she laid down on her bed, eager to see what this mysterious book is. the cover was dusty and you couldn't tell what was written on the cover. With a few swipes from her hoof, the title of the book was now visible.

The title read "Canterlot Memories" in an elegant, thick and gold font. With just the title alone, Twilight had remembered the hundreds of memories of herself when she was just a foal. It was at that moment that Twilight realized that it wasn't no ordinary book, it was her scrap book from Canterlot. Again, she felt that strange essence as if though she was being watched, she looked up from her scrap book and again, nothing stood there. The only thing noticeable were the sounds of dished clashing the metal sink and Spike whistling "Ride of the Valkyries". Twilight sat there... and hummed the tune herself as she remembers how Hubert, one of her old pegasus friends always claimed it as his theme song as he soared through the sky.

She lay on her back on the bed with a smile just at the thought of her finding her scrap book again. Twi took a deep sigh then at last opened the book of her childhood memories. The first page had the dedication written saying "To the two ponies that have been there for me in the darkest of times. From dawns fall to midnights rise, Syra and Kale". Upon reading these two names, she had a grin from ear to ear just overjoyed to hear those two names again. As she turned the page her eyes settled on what was there in front of her. There was Twilight as a filly with her other friends in front of Princess Celestia's Castle, celebrating how Twilight was now a somewhat assistant of the Princess of Equestria herself. Even now, Twilight could see true joy in her own eyes as a filly, not like now. Again, she lets out a sigh and gives thoughts on each pony on the picture.

She ran her hoof across the picture and named all her friends starting on the right. "Right there is Victor and his brother Charlie" she whispers softly. Indeed, there on the picture were two similar looking ponies. Victor had a blonde mane, similar to Applejacks and had a red coat similar to Big Mac's. For his cutie mark, he had a plain yellow star, nothing too fancy, just very plain. As for his brother Charlie, he looked exactly like Victor except he his colors were inverted, "Like Yin and Yang, they were really nice but their names were a bit strange..."

Moving her eyes from the right of the brothers, she saw the pegasus, Hubert, but everyone always called him Huey. He was a very fortunate son, a fortunate pony. His parents worked as royal guards for the princess and that meant that his parents had connections with the wonderbolts, too bad Hubert wasn't THAT fast, definately not fast enough to be a wonderbolt, he always mentioned how he wanted to work as a weatherpony. Always an adventurous pegasus that would take on great dangers headstrong. "If Rainbow Dash ever met him, boom! I can tell they would have fallen for each other easily" she laughed at the thought but then realized she shouldn't be the one to talk.

Last but not least, Twilight spotted Syra. The unicorn was easy to spot due to her dual colored mane, and her unique fur color. Syra was also a unicorn, a very very loyal friend who has been there with twilight in the darkest of times to the brightest, although, she was very loyal, she can get distracted so easily. Her magenta and white mane was unforgettable her coat was rare, a dark and glittery silver. Her cutie mark, a gold shield lined with silver and crossed with a pink quill. "She never liked the spring and summer weather, she would always spend her times near the mountain area's, like Kale!.. speaking of Kale..." Twilight scanned the picture again and didn't seem to find him. She turned the page and her question was answered. There was a picture of her, a year before she went to Ponyville, of Syra and Kale with her. Kale was a regular one, nothing special about him but his courage and his kindness. He truly was an example of what everypony should be like. His black mane really matched his khaki fur. "What was his cute mark again? I completely forgot..." Twilight said in her mind. "Never hurts to find out, besides, it's not like anything important is happening right now with me. Wait... how about I go over to Canterlot myself and see them all again! Oh it's been years! It'll be so great! I can see it now, me finally seeing Victor and Syra, and Charlie and Hubert and especially Ka-"

Twilight turned around and saw Spike standing there bewildered at what Twilight was talking about and also why she was bouncing on her bed as if though she were some foal. "Especially Kay? What in Celestia's name are you talking about Twilight?" asked Spike in confusion. "Oh! I was saying uhmm... ehh..Special K! You know? those delicious bars that are like what? 100 calories or so?" Twilight smiled and made a squee. Spike was weirded out by the excessive amount of sweat of Twilight. "Hey Twilight, are you alright? Your sweating like a dog in a Chinese restraunt right now..."

"Oh! I was just... it's so hot outside! This weather is really getting to me"
"Twi... it's winter... the sun isn't shining that much..."
"Oh well... agent O really got to me this year"
"Wait, what? What in Equestria are yo-"
"Spike! Aren't you late? Hurry on out!" Twilight levitated the dragon outside the door and shut it as soon as she got Spike out of the house.

"What was that all about? Sheesh... she's a nut sometimes..." Spike said as his footsteps were fainter and fainter. Finally Twilight let out a sigh of relief and started writing a note to Princess Celestia.

Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I found my old scrap book me and my friends back in Canterlot made when I used to live there. I was wondering if you knew anything about: Syra Swirlz, Kale Sherridan, Victor and Charlie Cong, and Hubert Hastings. I want to go to Canterlot to visit them but there is no point of me going if I don't know where they are. Also if you can send over a some royal guards to give me a lift because all the other services are closed due to the extremes of this cold winter. If you can do me the favor of looking into them and telling me where they are now, I would love it! Please Princess, this is all I ask of you.
Your Faithful Student,
- Twilight Sparkle

Twilight sealed the letter slowly and questioned herself as to how she will send the letter. "Spike is gone and won't be back until this afternoon and walking to the post office is going to take some time" she said in a little above a whisper. That is when the idea of asking Owlicious to deliver it to Derpy struck her mind. Twilight had to awaken Owlicious from her sleep to tell her of the unfortunate task she had to carry out. "Now listen to me here, I want you to find a cross eyed pegasus named Derpy Hooves, ok?" said the violet unicorn as if though she were in a hurry. "Who?" replied the owl. "Derpy Hooves, you can't miss her, she's the cross eyed pega... your messing with me aren't you?" "Who?" "Nevermind, here take this letter and please go find her, tell her to give this envelope to... wait, why don't i just write down the address like I should have?... ugh... I should have had Spike here to send the letter, would have been faster" Twilight continued to ramble on and on as Owlicious had a confused look.

"Ok, so to wrap this up just give this letter to Derpy ok? She'll know what to do from there" with saying that, Twilight gave the letter to Owlicious which she then grasped with her talons and soared out the window in search of cross eyes pegasus. Twilight again, lets out another sigh of releif and goes back to her bed. She takes one last look at her scrap book and before closing it, she removes the picture of herself, Syra, and Kale. "I really do miss them... but why haven't they bothered looking for me? It's not like them to forget me, I know I can never forget them... but I did... didn't I?" Twilight said sadly. Tears formed in her eyes but she refuses to let them out.

"I might as well go and find that fabric Rarity needs while I wait for Princess Celestia's letter" with that, Twilight rested her scrap book on top of her bed and looked at herself one last time in the mirror. Twilight put on a cloak Rarity had crafted for her the previous year. It was made of a black silk lined with magenta silicon. She fixed her cloak so that it covers her well from the season and then levitates her saddle and straps it on herself. Twilight walked downstairs and puts 20 Bits in her saddle bag, a To-Do list, and last but not least, the picture of herself, Kale, and Syra. The unicorn placed some food for Owlicious when she comes back and then opens the door to the outside, she took one last look at her home before leaving and closed the door with her magic as she walked out into the cold and snowy winter.

Few hours passed and still no one was home. A cold breeze blew open one of Twilight windows. The winter was unforgiving and cold. A few books were thrown on the ground and Twilights scrap book was opened. After a few minutes the cold breeze retreated back outdoors closing the window it blew open. Again, peace and quiet in the home of the lilac unicorn. Everything was back to normal except for the scrap book. It was perfectly fine, but the picture of Twilight and her friends standing in front of Canterlot castle was modified. The picture was a bit wet from the melting snow, but Syra on the picture, was no longer of flesh and bone. Syra was frozen as if though she were encased in ice. Her smile faded and all that remained on her face was nothing more than the expression of depression combined with fear.