Unforgiven Winter

by Rambo

Bazaar

Note: If you are new, again I say, I advise you to please read the description before proceeding. Also vietnam referances are VERY low here, but very obvious to spot out, don't work yourself hard trying to find them. In the Bazaar scene, a very special character everyone is familiar with will appear. Good friend of mine. Thank You for taking time to read this.
-Rambo

"Now what market stands here are selling Silk Stride 7?" Twilight questioned herself as she meandered through the Bazaar and its fine markets. "What in Equestria does this fabric even look like"? She paced slowly due to the massive crowd in the area. Many kinds of people were there, not just ponies, but bulls, mules, goats, and even a few zebra's walked amongst each other without hostility towards one another. The winter was reaching a very chilling temperature and many walked slowly, hoping that they can all secretly warm themselves with the body heat of the other strangers around them. The stores in Ponyville were closed down due to the fact that some of the store attendants were either sick or bad weather. The stores that were open however, did not contribute to Twilights search of Rarity's fabric.

"While I am here, I should look for a present if I manage to go to Canterlot later today or tomorrow to visit everypony after all these years" she told herself quietly. The mare stopped at a large tent with a sign out front. The sign had nothing written on it but a symbol. Suddenly a stallion bumped into her from the side. "Aye! Mira por donde vas! Idiota!" (Hey! Watch where you're going! Idiot!) Yelled the stallion as he marched forward to his business. Twilight was angered but let it slip; she knew how the people on the east side of Equestria were like. These people were much like the Canterlot ponies, they have strong words but they are absolutely hopeless in combat. There was no real point to argue with a professional trash talker. Curiosity struck Twilight and she proceeded to the tent flap and went inside for a look. Many antiques of all kinds, from lamps to night stands and from bookshelves to paintings. "This small bookshelf looks perfect for my collection of the Daring Do series" Twilight said a little above a whisper. "HEY! Who's there?" Twilight let out a small shriek and looked behind herself and saw that a pony with a blind eye emerge from a room behind the counter.

"What is it that you're doing here stranger? What's your business?" the strange fearsome pony demanded. Twilight nearly dropped the bookcase and started to stutter as she spoke. After a few seconds and finally regaining her full senses again, she finally said. "Oh hello, I'm just browsing through your inventory is all, see, I saw some symbols out front and was curi-" the mare was cut off by the owner's cackling and raspy laugh.

"Oh my dear, i'm just messing with ya. If you need any help with something let me know, I got a lot of good things on sale stranger, just call me Tyco, dear" said the tent owner as he scratched at his head vigorously.

Twilight finally got a good look at the stallion behind the counter. He wore a purple scarf around the face and a black thick cloak...for the winter assumed Twilight. His species of pony was unknown, one thing for sure though, he was not a unicorn. After a few moments of thinking, Twilight finally said "Well actually there is, see, I'm going to Canterlot... I was thinking you had some items that could be interesting or nice enough to pass as a gift". Tyco sat in his rocking chair, thinking to himself while he stroked his chin slowly. "Ahhhhh, I see then, take a look at this area and tell me if something strikes your eyes, dear" He rocked forward and his hooves made movement under the counter when at last a loud *Click* was heard. Behind Twilight a secret shelf of numerous objects were revealed to her.

The switch the merchant had clicked not only introduced new lighting to the tent and the shelves around, a machine had removed a blanket from a shelf that hadn't been there before, introducing Twilight to some very fine jewelry and products of any kind. The purple unicorn scanned through many items placed on the shelf. She picked out a pair of flying goggles for Hubert and a pair of phoenix feathers, made into quills for herself and Syra. "There's nothing else here thats eye-catching or useful to the others. But these gifts are good enough" she told Tyco as she trotted towards the counter to pay for her gifts. She layed out the items on the counter in front of curious merchant, eager to see what she had selected to purchase.

"Ahhhhh, I see you have a sharp eye for products, but it won't cost you cheap, for all this, i'm charging you 15 bits, stranger" said Tyco without any emotion or even glancing at Twilights face. His body posture emitted a serious attitude. The mare was starting to question whether or not it was worth it. "I only brought 20 bits with me and I have to shop for something else... is there something I can do to have the price lowered?" Twilight asked Tyco politely. The Merchants eyes grew wide with greed and even though her wore a scarf, Twilight could tell he was grinning from ear to ear. "Well there is one thing Stranger... what are you selling?" he asked in a low and dark tone. The lilac unicorn blinked a few times at his proposal thinking if she had brought anything of value to sell.

After a few seconds of thinking, she pulled out a pair of snow boots she had placed in her saddle the previous night, thinking that she would probably need them the next day if the winter grew strong. "How much for these?" she asked demandingly. The merchant rocked forward enough on his chair to get up and examine the newly placed out boots. "Ahhhhh, I'll buy it at a high price stranger... how about we make a trade, I give you all those items plus another item of your choice from that shelf, and I get these precious boots?". After taking a few moments to think, Twilight had agreed but as she trotted over to the shelf, she reminded herself of Rarity's fabric. "Excuse me, Tyco?" the merchant looked up at the mare waiting for her to ask her question.

"Do you happen to have Silk Stride 7? It's a fabric I need for a friend and she was hopi-" again, Twilight was cut off by the merchant. "Oh yes dear I have a plentiful amount of that fabric, I'll gladly give you a yard at most in exchange instead of you having to choose a gift from the shelf, stranger" He got up from the rocking chair and walked to the back room. Twilight looked around and was confused on why a strange store such as this that sold antiques, would sell a supposed high value fabric. She convinced herself that it was best not to be rude and not to ask him. But still it was a curiosity that never exited her mind.

He came back out with a beautiful dark red silk. "Here ya are dear, take care of it. Although I may have a surplus, that does not mean it comes cheap from where I get it. Make it count." Tyco had said while commencing to sit down on his rocking chair again. The unicorn nodded to notify him that she understood the silk was precious and began to exit the tent, but as she came to the tent flap, Tyco had called out to her and said one last thing.

"Oh! Come back anytime and stranger... whatever pony it is your looking for out there, they're gone, they always have been. Don't let this unforgiving winter be your death" he calmly said with each word having no kind of expression. Twilight turned around to question the mysterious merchant, but he was gone, as well as his rocking chair. All that remained was a lit blue torch at the front desk that flickered and scattered the shadows that covered his counter.

"I must be seeing things... or he is one very fast pony" she giggled nervously to herself thinking about what he just said."There's no possible way he knows about my childhood friends from Canterlot... no way..." Twilight closed her eyes as she walked back outside into the Bazaar. "Where did that torch even come from? I haven't seen anything like it" The winter was becoming more dense and horrid every minute. Soon the streets were starting to have nobody in them. Some of the stands even closed and some of the customers faded off into the fog of winter. Twilight, although was cautious as she exited the Bazaar, content with her purchase and began to trot across a plain back to Ponyville.

"Oh Twilight! Such a pleasant surprise to see you here!". Twilight jumped and let out a yelp as she was frightened by the unexpected voice, but was eased down once she was able to make out the voice, the voice of the white and gorgeous unicorn herself. "Rarity! You startled me right there!" said Twilight catching her breath from the scare. Then a thought struck Twilight, "What the hay are you doing out here anyways Rarity? It's absolutely freezing and it's going to get worse later today!" said Twilight. Rarity wore a silver thick cloack and a scarf, that matched her mane, across her face. She giggled for a few moments and finally spoke "Spike had told me how you came all the way out here in this dreadful weather just to fetch my silly fabric, I just HAD to come to see if you were ok and to also accompany you back home" Rarity said in her regular tone. "Oh it was nothing really Rarity, I always like to help out" as the purple alicorn said this, she pointed at a dirt path that led to a system of other roads, which would take them to Ponyville. "Let's hurry on out home, its only a matter of time before this winter shows it's true power and form"

As they trotted down the road of Cassidy and up Hamburger Hill, along the path they played a few games and lectured many stories to each other of their youth and events that had happened to them before they all met. Even a joke or two were passed around.

"So Rarity... what did the Veteran chicken say to his friends at the bar when they asked him how he lost his leg?"
"Hmm... ehhhhh... I was... I'm not sure Twilight, please do tell. What did he say?"
"The veteran chicken said Lost my leg in 'NOM!"
The two unicorns howled with laughter and after some minutes of trotting and recovering their lost breath, Rarity finally said "What's Nom, dear?" Twilight didn't answer, All they did was continue their journey back home.

Neither could teleport in the strongest part of winter, the amount of power it would take to simply get a few miles would exhaust them. The white beautiful unicorn kept glancing inside of Twilight's tarnished saddle every now and then, as well as examine Twilight herself.

"So Twilight, do you need a new cloak? That one I made for you that you are wearing right now looks like it doesn't help you much with this type of winter" Rarity asked Twilight in a worried tone of voice "Oh no Rarity, this works just fine, trust me" The purple mare said and smiled at her so the lie can convince her. The white majestic alicorn nodded to indicate that she understood. "Oh and also Twilight, what is it that you have in your saddle? It looks like it's weighing you down" Twilight blinked a few times to try and remember what it is she had placed inside her saddle bag from the Bazaar to tell Rarity. Before she had opened her mouth to tell her the snow began to fall a little thicker than before.

"Well the saddle weighs more than the things I bought, I mainly wore this because I thought it could help warm me up I guess, and it does" the powerful magenta unicorn said with a smile of glee. "Also Rarity, I had some friends back in Canterlot when I was younger" Rarity leaned in closer to hear Twilights tale. The fog of winter grew even thicker with each passing second and the snow fell alot heavier than it did earlier in the day. The time of the day was unknown, but it was defiantly the afternoon. "Please go on dear, I want to hear this" said Rarity. "Well, just earlier this morning, I found my scrap book I made back in Canterlot. I saw the friends I used to have back there and planned to visit them today or tomorrow, I even had Spike send the princess a letter to ask if it was ok that I go visit. When I went to the Bazaar, I came across a strange tent and bought your silk, which, oh jeez Rarity, I completely forgot about your silk! Do you want it right no-" Twilight was cut off.

A loud and terrifying howl was barked and its echo stretched across the plain that Rarity and Twilight had been walking on. Both of the unicorns looked at each other in terror, that sound... that howl, was very familiar indeed. "Timberwolves" they both said very frightened to each other. "They must have followed us this entire time from the forest that was near Hamburger Hill! Damnit!" the lilac mare roared in an anger, yet worried tone. Both of the unicorns started pacing forward faster hoping the timberwolves hadn't spotted them. "We need to go, right now" Twilight said quietly. After trotting up the road for a few meters, again there it was again.

AWOOOOOOOO!!! Yet another howl of a timberwolf was let out and shattered the winters silence as it echoed farther than before. Rarity and Twilight started to jog down the dirt path. The fog grew so much more heavier, only a few feet can be seen in front of them. The snow now was raining down on them heavier than ever before. The fog may have been thick but they both spotted a nearby forest on the left side of the dirt road. Shifting white figures moved at lightning speed through the trees, as if winter spirits raced.

"Twilight dear, might I may a suggestion?" Rarity asked and looked more worried than ever. Her face grew pale, her eyes showed fear and nothing more. Twilight completely ignored her question and now noticed the dirt had disappeared. It was all covered with the snow and soon to be covered with their blood if they do not make it out of the plains. Twilight now going at a light sprint with Rarity, doesn't know whether she was even on the path to Ponyville at all.

Both began to draw deep breaths as their stamina was being used in both their fast trot and their fear. Soft tatters of a running animal could be heard off in the far distance of the plain, but nothing at all could be seen. "DAMNIT!" Twilight had lost complete track of the trail and also she stepped on a sharp stone. Recovering in a flash, their jog was faster now. Rarity started to look sick, her fur coat matched that of the snow but her cloak is what made her stand out the most. Few seconds later, Twilight was begining to sweat and Rarity's small sprinting was silenced. Twilight assumed her friend was merely resting but then, the white pale unicorn spoke.

"Twi?"
""What is it Rarity?"
"Run"

The magenta alicorn turned around and not only was the dust of snow being tossed into the air from the advancing timberwolves, but Rarity was now encased in ice. The frozen unicorn stood in mid-trot and her eyes were frozen in terror, the tears that formed in her eyes were frozen in place before they could run down her cheeks. Rarity was now a statue of ice in the middle of a snow covered terrain. "Rarity! RARITY!" Twilight scolded at the ice statue. "Hold on Rarity! Don't leave me, I'll get you out of there!" and as Twilight lay the slightest touch on the frozen mare, it cracked. The sculpture cracked on all limbs and shattered into several pieces right in front of Twilight. Twilight now knew what it really meant, to be afraid. She looked down the road only to see the snow that was being thrown into the air was closer to her than before. Twilight would have cried, but the tears would have frozen before they even left her eyes. "Goodbye Rarity..." the distraught unicorn whispered as she took off in a sprint to wherever it is that would keep her safe... if there was even such a haven.

Everything looked the same, nothing had changed, the snow, the dreadful snow was everywhere. Nothing at all could be seen but Twilight knew that anywhere was better than being the dinner of a pack of Timberwolves. The howls of their blood thirst grew louder and closer every few seconds. The growls of their hunger were near enough for Twilight to make out what side they were. Twilight couldn't sprint any longer; she grew fatigue of sprinting across the land only to find nothing but the end of her life. As Twilight took her final breathes in her sprint, she began to face the fact, her life comes to an end now and was ready to stop running from death. "There's no way I can outrun these predators... they'll hunt me down until I drop" and right as the doomed and exhaushted mare said that, she bumped into a heavy armored figure that stood tall above her. She fell on the ground and lost her sense of vision temporarily, after a few seconds, she rubbed her eyes and saw a Royal Guard of Princess Celestia standing before her, two of them. What luck, what a miracle it must have been for Twilight to see this with her own very eyes

"Ms. Sparkle! The Princess was informed of your late arrival back home from your companion reptile by the name of Spike. She sent us out immidiately to locate and return you back to your home" the Royal Guard said in a thunderous voice, louder than the heavy sound of the wind blasting through their eardrums. The unicorn just lay there on the ground still trying to see if this was a mirage of the winter, or if she was indeed seeing a real Royal Guard in front of her. Few moments were passed and Twilight had remembered of the oncoming Timberwolves.

"Timberwolves! There's damn timberwolves out there!" Twilight yelled and pointed in the direction of where the Timberwolves were and where her hoofprints came from. The guards stood in a battle position after hearing what the violet mare told them. Nothing came at them, nothing at all. The only thing that came from the direction of where the timberwolves were supposedly at, was a dashing gray rabbit disappearing into the fog. The twin pegasus let their guard down seeing as how there was no threat in the area. "Ms.Sparkle, I think this lethal storm is only playing mindgames with you" said the second Guard. She was speechless, upon hearing this nonsense from the guard and remembered Rarity's shattered remains. "Wait! I need to see something for myself! Theres still somepony out there! Please let me show you! We need to save her!" cried the fearful weakened Twilight.

Twilight boarded the chariot that the guards had brought with them and followed Twilights hoofprints to the location she had led them to. "There! Stop right there!" the mare shouted with desperation as she pointed towards the ground, around the area where her friend had shattered. The Guards came to a halt right on the spot where Twilight advised them to do. Before she stepped off from the chariot, she heard the guard letting out a chuckle.

"That's very cute Twilight, but this winter is freezing our wings and not to mention our flanks! Thank you for showing us this but, we need to go if we want to survive" the first guard said with yet again his thunderous voice at rocked the snow floor. I cannot believe what I am hearing right now! How can they find this "cute"? But when Twilight had stepped off from the chariot to see Rarity's remains, she instead saw a snowpony. Nothing special about it and nothing of apparel, just a plain snowpony stood there in the middle of the plain. "Ms. Sparkle, we need to go NOW" He said, this time being more serious than the last time. She started to slowly trot backward still keeping her eyes on the snowpony. "This doesn't make any sense, Rarity? RARITY!" Twilight charged at the snowpony with cold streams of tears running down her face, hoping that it was a case that held Rarity, hoping to see if she can break her away from her tomb. Before the mare could get any closer, a guard seized her by the mane and turned her around.

"Now Twilight, listen, we need to go now, or we die out here, if only we were snowponies! Right Hubert?"
"That's right, we need to go now"
Twilight stepped backwards and onto the chariot nervously hoping this was all a nightmare or to worry if this entire incident actually happened. As the chariot took off into the skies her eyes were glued onto the strange snowpony even as it blended into the snowy ground. She sat on the chariot, trying to regain the body heat she had lost during her sprint in the snowy plain while thinking to herself. Am I insane? Have I gone insane? What's happening? First the merchant and now this? What the hay is going on? As they soared past the snowpony one last time, the magenta mare looked at her hoof prints but something was wrong. Only Twilight's hoof prints were spotted, Rarity's were never spotted or found.

"Ms. Sparkle... are you ok? You look as if though you've just seen a ghost" said the great and magnificent pegasus. Twilight only nodded to show him that she was ok, but all at the same time, she questioned that to herself that same exact thing. Was Rarity ever with me? Was I running for no reason? Were there any timberwolves to begin with? The questions raced around her mind leaving her with no space to think of a possible solution. If she could, she would cry, but the tears of Twilight were all gone, as if they froze before they were even released. "I just hope that we're able to see far enough in this fog, I can barely see a damn thing" yelled the 2nd pegasus. As all three ponies blazed and cut through winter's snow, cutting a hole through the sky as they went. All Twilight did was gaze out into the woods below them as they cracked the sky, seeing hundreds of glowing red eyes look up at her.

After a few hours when Twilight had left, the snowpony still stood their only getting buried under the snow. A pack of timberwolves raced past the bystanding figure, and no other sound but of the wind was heard. A large snowflake, falling from grace, landed right on the snowpony's nose with elegance.The snow hardened suddenly and began to crack slowly but surely. After seconds, the face and body of Syra was revealed, having the same facial expression as she had in the scrap book. Fear and Sadness. The entire pack of Timberwolves howled to announce the coming of nightfall, and as their booming voices stretched across the plains, the ice form of Syra cracked and began to fall into pieces, just as Rarity had... and just

To be continued...