//------------------------------// // The Blizzard of Confusion // Story: A Beautiful Swallow // by Skijarama //------------------------------// To clarify why I needed glasses, the blow I received to the head from that rock did some damage to my head. The damage was superficial at its worst, but regardless, to help me see with the new found damage, we got some glasses. My friends were a little surprised to see them on my face come the following day. Honestly, though, I was rather happy. I could see clearer than ever before. So, with all of that said, I’m going to progress onto the next major event in this tale. <^><^><^><^> It had been a couple of weeks after I got my glasses. Things were finally settling down for me as the winter break started. I spent a lot of time indoors, just reading or practicing my writing. I would’ve gone for more walks, but the snow was a bit of a problem this year. However, one day, I received a letter. It was sent via one of the birds that I’d seen Fluttershy take care of. Somepony must have adopted it. Either way, with little else to do that day, I popped it open, and began to read. Stinging Nettle It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Anyway, I was wondering, if it’s OK with you and your parents to meet me somewhere? We haven’t really talked all that much in the last few weeks and I was hoping to catch up. I’d have gone to you personally, but at the time I wrote this I was a little indisposed. Anyways, I’ll be at the park where I told you about Longbow. I know you like to walk, so we can go from there, if it’s all the same to you. Try being there at about 4:00 pm, and we’ll see what happens. ~Twinkling Swallow. Setting down the letter, I smiled slightly. It was definitely true we hadn’t communicated that much since the incident with my eyes, and I saw she was more interested in catching up with me then pinning the blame on me like some other ponies our age might. I nodded once to myself and trekked out of my room to the main door. Noctis was about to head out when I approached. He glanced up at me with a neutral expression. “Going somewhere?” he asked. “Just going for a walk,” I replied, reaching for my boots and scarf. Noctis nodded silently. He was in his work uniform. “Well, we have a rather large amount of snow scheduled for later, so don’t get caught in a blizzard if you can help it,” he advised, opening the door. “I won’t” I answered, and the door closed. Getting my boots and scarf on, I stepped out into the cold air. Truthfully, I loved the cold. The only time I didn’t like being cold is when I got that slight internal chill that made me shiver. I looked about, taking in my surroundings. Even with the event of Hearths Warming being as popular and special as it is, it always surprised me just how mellow Ponyville was about it all. Sure we celebrated it, but it was always calm. I mean heck, we don’t even put up many decorations. I smiled slightly as I saw a couple of younger foals gallop past, chasing a rolling ball. The ball got caught in a pile of snow, and the two foals began trying to get it out. I found it quite comical, honestly. Either way, I went on ahead, tracing my steps back to that now very familiar park. After a couple of turns, and a few long roads, I finally came across it. And sure enough, there she was, just sitting on a bench with her own scarf on. She spotted me moments later and waved happily. Smiling in return, I quickened my pace as I approached. “Hello!” I said cheerfully. “Hi. How’s it going?” Swallow asked, hopping off of the bench. “Kind of boring, honestly,” I replied. The last couple of weeks were definitely boring. Swallow nodded in agreement. “Oh, you had a boring time, too?” “Oh yeah. Nothing’s really been going on,” she answered. We didn't even think about it, but we just started walking. It was really relaxing to me, to just walk along and talk. The sheer simplicity of it was something I deeply appreciated. To be in motion, allowing for easier thought thanks to increased blood flow to the brain, and having a close friend by your side to share your thoughts with. It was really something spectacular. We walked for quite some time, just talking. Eventually, snow began to fall, as I figured it would. “I really like it here,” Swallow mused absently as we passed a family of ponies making snow-ponies. “I don't want to go.” “You say that as though you're leaving for somewhere,” I said, snickering slightly. Much to my embarrassment, I didn't notice her stop for a second. I turned around to face her. Her expression was slightly pained. I felt that familiar sense. That bad news was just around the corner. “Hey, is something wrong?” I asked. A nod was my response. “Well, don't leave me in the dark. Come on, what's going on?” “Well... Nettle, I don't know when, exactly, but my parents want to move to Canterlot. We aren't going to be here in Ponyville forever... I'm sorry,” she muttered out the last part. Well, that wasn't as bad as I was expecting. It was by no means good news, but it could be much, much worse. “Ah. Well, what's to stop us from communicating via letter?” I asked. “Huh? Oh... Well, I don't think anything is there to stop that.” “And there you go. No problem,” I replied with a smile. Swallow smiled in response, and fell in by my side as we started to walk again. I smiled over at her as we went. Something about her presence that day made my chest warm. Maybe it was just the fact that her blue scarf, mane, and eyes seemed to go with the whites of the snow and her coat just perfectly. I caught myself staring when I realized Swallow was looking at me with a slight smirk. I looked away rapidly. “Oh, relax. I’m not mad or anything.” She said, chuckling at me. I raised an eyebrow and looked back at her. <^><^><^><^> After a quick apology, we resumed our walk. There was a long, awkward silence, but we eventually got ourselves talking again. The topics bounced all over the place. However, the wind was starting to pick up, as was the snowfall. I glanced about, remembering that I didn’t want to be out here in the blizzard, and tried to figure out exactly where I was. Then the realization hit me that I wasn’t in a part of town I was familiar with. Ponyville wasn’t a big town, but I didn’t get around very much, and having been homeschooled for so many years of my life, memorizing the whole town was something I really needed to do. “Horse apples!” I blurted as I realized that I honestly had no equestrian idea where I was. “What’s wrong?” Swallow asked, stopping at the same time I did. “I just realized I’ve never been in this part of town before,” I answered. I knew I should have paid more attention to the turns we were making. “Oh! Um… ok, I’ll lead you back, then.” I nodded, and we began the trek back. The big problem here was that the snow and winds were picking up quickly. I may love the cold, but my body still has its limits, and I had no wish to become stuck in a blizzard. As we walked, it was definitely getting into the realms of a blizzard, and rapidly getting worse. I glanced over at Swallow, and saw that she was starting to tremble violently. “Are you okay?” I asked, shifting slightly closer. “Y-yeah, j-just the cold,” Swallow said, tightening her scarf with her magic. Her body's movements were getting a little stiff, and it didn’t take a genius to find out she was going numb. I was also going numb. The blizzard was still getting worse, much to my surprise. Ponyville blizzards were never, ever this bad. I sidestepped, and pushed the side of my body against Swallows. She jumped in surprise. “I’m sharing my body heat,” I explained, and she nodded. I could barely see where I was going, and Swallow didn’t seem to be doing much better, glancing left and right rapidly, looking for any kind of landmark that could help. Sadly, none could be found. I looked to Swallow. She was trembling, even with our body heats complimenting each other, and she was moving very stiffly. Glancing over, I spotted a house right next to us. “Swallow, we need shelter,” I said, having to raise my voice over the blasting winds. “Where do we go?” she asked. “Somewhere warm,” I replied, and gestured with my head as the door of the house appeared from the mists created by the cascade of snow. “Do you know them?” Swallow asked. “No.” Without waiting for a reply, I knocked on the door. Several moments passed before the door opened, showing the face of a butter yellow colored mare. I’d seen her around town before, but never conversed with her, and at the time I didn’t know her name. She looked to be middle aged, somewhere in her thirties or forties. “Got caught in the blizzard?” she asked, suddenly getting a somewhat concerned look. “Yes. Can we take shelter here until it passes?” I asked, voice trembling from the cold that was wracking my body. The mare looked over her shoulder for a second, and I heard muffled voices from the inside. After only a couple of seconds, she turned back to us and opened the door all of the way, letting us inside the house. It felt great to be back in moderate warmth again, and I shook to get the excess snow out of my mane and off my back. Glancing back up, I spotted a couple of foals, far younger than me ‘spying’ on me from a staircase. The living room I found myself in was a very short ‘L’ shape. In the corner was a lamp, with a couch on the wall next to it. There was a door adjacent to the couch leading into another room, but I couldn’t see what was there from here. Along the entire wall on the other side of the room was the prior mentioned staircase. There were various little decorations and items of use scattered about. “Go have a seat, I’ll get you a blanket. You two must be freezing.” “Thank you very much,” Swallow said quietly, making her way to the couch. I followed after at a slow pace. I was always rather stubborn, and I always tried to be polite. Barging into someone’s home, even if it was to keep from freezing to death, seemed a bit rude to me. I guess I’m just too stubborn not to realize at the time that she agreed to let me in, I didn’t just barge in. Either way, I wasn’t complaining that I was safe. I got onto the couch and sat next to Swallow, who was still trembling from the cold. The mare had gone upstairs rather quickly. “Are you going to be okay?” I asked quietly. Swallow nodded, smiling back at me. “Yes, I think so. We’re out of the cold, so that’s got to be a plus,” she replied. “Yeah.” A minute or so passed in silence before the Mare came back down the stairs with a rather large blanket. It was dark green, really fluffy, and looked fantastically warm. She draped it over us, making sure there weren’t any gaps where air would escape from. “Thank you,” I said, laying down on my stomach. The mare nodded. “You’re very welcome. Can I get you two anything?” she asked gesturing with her head to the kitchen. “No thanks. I don’t want to be a burden while I’m here,” I answered, resting my head on my front hooves. “It’s not a problem, really,” the mare pressed, but I shook my head. “I’d feel bad if I took anything for any reason. You’re doing me enough of a kindness by allowing me and Swallow to let the storm pass,” I explained, suddenly feeling very tired. The mare nodded quietly. Swallow nudged my side, and I glanced over at her to see her smiling warmly at me. “That’s very polite of you,” Swallow said, smile persisting. I smiled in return, before looking back to the mare. She herself was smiling now, and nodded slowly. “Well, alright. You two look tired. Get some rest. If you fall asleep while you’re here, when the snow passes, is it alright if I wake you?” she asked, glancing back to the two foals, now identified as fillies to my eyes, which in turn were watching me and Swallow. “That’s fine,” I answered. Swallow had laid her own head down, and closed her eyes. I personally chose to stay awake for a while yet, taking in my surroundings. The mare went to guide who were likely her daughters upstairs. I was left alone for several minutes, unintelligible, muffled voices coming from upstairs. I paid them no mind, my eyes eventually landing on Swallow, who was now sleeping. I idly wondered just what sort of adventure she was living out now. Her dream world never ceased to amaze me, and I was now excited to hear the next chapter from her, and get caught up on the old ones. My attention was brought back up to the stairs as I heard them creaking, along with the sound of hooves on wood as the mare came down. We didn't exchange any words, just a simple nod before I returned my gaze to Swallow. I could practically sense the mare smiling. “You two seem rather relaxed so close to each other. Are you two dating, by any chance?” she asked. I turned my head and narrowed my eyes at her, as way of shooting the thought down. “No. She and I are just friends, and we did just get out of what is likely the coldest weather I've ever been in. I'm simply keeping a close proximity to keep her body heat up for the time being,” I explained, glancing straight ahead when I finished. The mare nodded, and said no more. <^><^><^><^> I hadn't realized I had fallen asleep. I was awoken by the mare to news that the snow had gotten under control. Apparently one of the pegasi managing it had overdone it a little bit, letting it get rather heavily out of control. They had managed to subdue it, and were now maintaining it at a much more pleasant fall of snow. The sort you can casually walk in when it starts and be able to think it's beautiful. I thanked the mare warmly for her hospitality, and began to make my way home. Her house was actually in a part of town I recognized, allowing me to make my way home without a problem. Swallow went her own direction. As I was walking, my mind wandered back to what the kind mare had said. She had asked if Swallow and I were dating. I was pretty concrete in my desire to never date as long as I was still in school, but for some reason I couldn’t yet fathom, the idea sounded strangely appealing. However, I decided with my better judgment as my guide that I would stick to my old set up of no dates, and no fillyfriends. It was simply not for me at this age. I soon found myself at my front door. I could hear talking inside. It had definitely been a while since I headed out. I could tell because of the now dim lighting, and the lit street lamps. Either way, I pushed the door open, and stepped inside. My parents were talking with Noctis when I walked in. Dad turned to look at me, and immediately stood up. “Nettle!” he exclaimed in what sounded like a mixture of happy and worried surprise. “Sorry about being gone so long. Turns out I’m not very good at avoiding blizzards.” I chuckled weakly at the deadpan stare I got from Noctis. Mom was up on her hooves now as well. “Nettle, are you alright?” she asked much more calmly than my dad. “Yes, I’m fine. A little cold, but fine,” I answered honestly, analyzing the various expressions of my family. Noctis just looked irritated, Dad looked more relaxed now, but mom maintained a healthy level of worry. Made sense, I guess. “A little? That blizzard went on for three hours! How are you only ‘a little’ cold?” Dad inquired, stepping towards me. “I was able to find some shelter from the snow,” I answered. My parents were not in any way keen on the idea of going into another ponies home if I didn’t know them. “Shelter?” Noctis asked, raising an eyebrow. I nodded simply. “Yup. Can I get some hot chocolate?” I requested politely, gesturing with my head in the direction of the kitchen. “I’ll get it ready for you. For now, you just stay out here and get some rest,” Mom replied, heading for the kitchen at a fairly brisk pace. I nodded slowly, and began to make my way to the couch. “So, where did you walk to?” Noctis asked as I settled into a couch cushion. “Just around,” I answered vaguely, glancing to dad, who was now following mom into the kitchen. “Just around, huh?” Noctis muttered. “Well, you just walking around worried us sick.” “Sorry, the snow built up quicker than I thought it would.” I excused. “It still took a while to build up.” He countered. “I got distracted.” Another excuse on my part. “By what?” He inquired. “Why are you so curious?” I requested. “Why are you refusing to share?” At that, I had to pause. Why was I dodging their questions? I honestly had no idea, so I simply said; “I don’t know.” Noctis nodded simply, and said no more. I said I didn’t know. And at that point in time, I really didn’t. I couldn’t see what was right in front of me. I didn’t know what was staring me in the eye from across a bridge. I had but to step across the bridge and grasp it, but I would never be able to turn back. I had no idea that this bridge was even there, and I wouldn’t find it for quite some time. It’s the reason I kept finding myself so fascinated with Swallow. But the problem is that I was blind to that reason. It was almost as if I was wearing a blindfold with something brushing against me. I know it’s there, but I have no idea what it is. The simple fact I am trying to make here is that I had no idea. This wonderful thing just across that bridge was invisible to me, as the blizzard of confusion shielded my vision. In all simple, plain honesty, I simply didn’t know.