Winter was always my least favorite time of the year, though that could be because of me always waking up covered in snow when it started. Until now I never had a chance to relax and just watch the weather in a fire warmed room. So imagine my surprise when I wake up in the week after Nightmare Night to actual comfort on my least liked season. Looking out my bedroom window I actually take some time to appreciate the scene created by the freshly fallen snow, “Not being forced to be out in that weather is actually kind of nice for once.”
Stepping away from the window I look down at myself, “Though I guess being inside doesn’t change what usually happens to me this time of year. I wonder what the others in town will say when they see this change, bet Twilight will probably complain about it thinking it’s some prank.” I chuckle at the thought of how everypony will react to this as I prepare for the day.
I head up to the attic to put some finishing touches on the carving I had started on the floor. Using some of the information from the books in the castle, I was able to put together a design for a circle that could be used for almost anything I would need one for, with minor alterations each time. I planned to fill in everything I had carved out with silver to make it a permanent structure of the attic. Any changes I would need could be done with chalk or something similar.
After I finish carving in the last few marks, I head over to a nearby table to do a check on the gems and stones I had dug up over the past few months from the gem fields Rarity told me about. While I wasn’t that good at finding them even with my magic, though I had been getting better, I was able to gather a decent amount in enough of a variety that I was able to puzzle out what I could enchant on some of them.
On the rubies I was able to put a rudimentary barrier spell. While it would only stop one or two blows before needing to recharge I was able to keep it up longer if I manually charged it while in use. These I planned to try and supply directly to the equestrian military if I ever found a contact for that. Until then I just saved them until I needed them.
I got lucky in finding a bunch of rose quartz out there, especially as I was able to copy the heating spell on them, though it worked a bit differently than with fire agates. While the fire agates gave off a heat like being near a fire, with a rose quartz it gave off more of a calming type of warmth. It still kept away the cold of winter, but I couldn’t help but wonder about the difference.
Like with the turquoise I had before, I found that the aquamarine I had found worked well with the cooling spell. I probably wouldn’t sell many of these at this time, but when spring and summer came around again I’d have them ready.
Probably my greatest find was what I could get to work with opals. At first nothing I tried would seem to stick correctly on the stone, and I even had a few crumble into dust. Just as I was about to give up I found that it was able to hold a healing spell on it. At the time I was just throwing random things at it to try and get it to work, and I only tried the healing spell I was improving out of frustration. Depending on how well the enchanted gems work I may have found something to really keep me from worrying about needing bits again.
Setting the ones I had completed aside I turned to ponder the other stones. I hadn’t found anything that would work right with them yet, but I had plenty of time now with winter being here. Sorting them out into separate piles I looked at the emeralds, sapphires, amethysts, and the lone small diamond. “I may be able to get one of the spells I tried before to work on them, though that might be a waste if there is something different that would work on them. Though I’m not sure what I should try on the diamond, I don’t want to risk too much with it as I haven’t found many of them.”
Setting the gems back into their respective slots in the drawer I took them from, I slid them all back into place. Taking another look at the set of drawers I had built to store things in I thought back to Applebloom’s comment about my table and chairs. “I wonder if she knows anypony that could help me replace everything with better stuff sometime. Sure they work, but I still can’t help but flinch every time I look at them now.”
Setting the idea aside for later, I decided that I had wasted enough time around the house today and decided to head to town to see if I could surprise anypony. I pondered letting my mane out of its braid for this, and decided it to go with the idea. I combed it out and used a ribbon, containing my last weaker fire opal, to tie up my mane similar to how Applejack keeps hers.
I peer into the bathroom mirror to see how it looks and nod, “I really need to get a large mirror for the entryway again and in all the other bathrooms. It would be nice to not have to run up here every time I need to look at myself for something.” Putting everything away I head downstairs and out towards town.
Stepping outside I remembered one last thing I needed to do before I went into town. Heading around back I went over to my garden and levitated the cover off of the section I had prepared for the winter. Through my travels I had found that most places didn’t grow anything during the winter months, though I learned a few things that did well in the winter and in some cases had advantages. Throw in a couple of my warmth gems and a barrier tied to my hearth stone to keep out snow and that makes the conditions perfect. Not wasting any time with doing things the slower way I create a barrier to plow up the ground to plant a row of kale and sweet potatoes.
“I probably should have done this during the fall, but I really didn’t have time to spare until now. At least next year things will be easier as I’ll have things planned out better by then.” Finishing with preparing the two rows I turn to the third one that is a bit further away from the others. “These ones will definitely take more of my time to get them to grow up to a proper level. I hope to get them large enough to bear fruit around the middle of the second month.”
Sighing I begin setting up the third row, this time with a more exotic fruit I had found in my travels. “Considering where kumquats are normally grown, if I can get these to succeed here I could probably sell them to some fancy restaurant and use the bits from that to get cheaper foods.” Finishing up with the last of the quick gardening I decided that I could continue tomorrow to let the spells around the garden settle before adding more magic to the area.
Finishing up out in the garden I decided to ignore any more distractions and made my way into town. This brought up the worst part of being so far from town, “It’s going to get annoying if I have to clear a path every time they schedule some snow. Though I guess I won’t have to go out of my way to practice my spells if I do.” Forming a pair of barriers in front of me at angles, and set to only block snow, I push my way through the white powder towards town.
It takes about twice as long as it normally would, but eventually I get into town. Luckily I spot a few of the ponies I was meaning to surprise pretty quickly. I rest under a nearby tree to catch my breath as I watch Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie squaring off against the Cutie Mark Crusaders in a snowball fight. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to watch for long as one snowball thrown by Rainbow Dash hit the tree I was under, burying me in a wall of white.
How foolish of me thinking that I could get away with not being buried in snow on the first day of winter. While I was grumbling to myself under the snow I heard the sound of hooves crunching on snow as the combatants approached the snow pile. “I didn’t mean to bury the new pony in town Pinkie, honest.” “You better not have Dashie, how would I be able to throw them a party if you chase them away. Strange that my Pinkie Sense didn’t let me know a new pony was coming to town though.”
I soon feel the snow around me shifting away as they start to dig me out. Once my head is free and I can see Rainbow Dash I decide to forego the minor prank I planned. Using my magic I form four barriers around some snow before compacting them down and floating them around me in a threatening manner towards the cyan mare. “Rainbow Dash, do you really want to start something again considering what happened last time?”
All five ponies are surprised that the supposedly ‘new’ pony in town knows Rainbow Dash’s name and turn towards her wondering what I’m talking about. “Whoa, I don’t know who you are lady, though you do sound familiar, but I don’t remember doing anything-“ she breaks off as I shake off the rest of the snow around me to reveal my cute mark. “Wait, Flarenza!? What happened to you? Why are your colors backwards now?”
At her realization of who I am I now have the undivided attention of five confused ponies. At the looks on their faces I start chuckling at them before answering, “It’s nothing major, my colors just swap around during the winter time. Having grown up with it I kinda forgot that it’s not exactly a common thing.”
The five exchange glances with each other before Rainbow Dash responds again, “Flarenza, can you get any weirder? First the invisible magic, and now this?” I just let out another laugh at this, “Oh you have no idea.” This just confuses them more so I divert their attention away from the comment.
“Well since it was an accident I can forgive you this once. If it happens again then you better watch out where you take a nap.” She just tries to brush this off like she usually does before I continue, “Anyways seeing as none of you knew that this would happen to me I figured I would see how long it would take ponies to recognize me. Though I do wonder how Rarity would take it, she’s asked a few times if I wanted to get something made and this might really throw her off.”
This gets a chuckle out of them all. “I don’t think she’s ever had a customer change colors on her before. She’d most likely take this as a challenge to her skills,” mentions Sweetie Belle, who probably would know best how she’d react. After conversing with them all for a bit longer I decide to head over to the library to see how Twilight and Spike would react. After I arrive it looks like, as usual, Twilight is buried in a book while the dragon assistant is doing all the work.
Spike notices me after the door closes behind me, “Welcome to the library, just let me know if I can help you find anything.” He pauses for a second and takes a closer look at me, “Huh, do I know you from somewhere? You look familiar for some reason.” I just smile before replying, “I don’t know, do you?”
Twilight speaks up on hearing my voice, though without looking up, “Come on Spike, how could you have forgotten Flarenza already, she was just here last week.” Spike’s eyes widen in realization at this before responding to her, “Um Twilight, you might want to look up from your book.”
Twilight lets out a sigh of annoyance before doing so, and she gets a look of shock on her face as she notices me. I just burst out laughing at the look on her face until she is able to speak again, “Whuh, what happened to you? Was it Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie again? I thought you three said you were all done with the pranks, in fact you all promised and-“
I interrupt her at this point before she gets too bent out of shape, “No, nothing like that. It’s just an issue that I was born with. During winter time my colors tend to swap around on me, I guess it can get a bit confusing.” Twilight’s mouth starts moving as if she is trying to talk, though nothing is coming out. Spike on the other hand, “Flarenza, could you get any weirder?”
This snaps Twilight out of her daze long enough to shout, “Spike!? I just chuckle and respond, “Funny, Rainbow Dash asked the same thing.” At this point I have to start fending off Twilight as she want to start performing some ‘tests’ on me to find out why this happens. I probably should have expected this, but hopefully she forgets about doing them in a few days.
I quickly make my way out of there and back into town before she starts to try and drag me around magically to do her tests. Luckily Applejack arrives to stall her, though she doesn’t look overly surprised at my appearance. I quickly find out why after hearing her mutter, “Huh, I guess Rainbow Dash was telling the truth. Shoot, now I owe her ten bits.” Shaking my head at this, though I should have expected it knowing how competitive the two are, I make my way over to Rarity’s.
I am stopped a couple times on the way over by a few random ponies that I see around town often. Derpy even crashes into a snowbank as she loses control trying to gawk at my new look, she is helped out by a brown stallion with an hourglass cutie mark though so I figure she’ll be fine. Most of the ponies are just confused by the change, and a quick explanation sets them straight, though not without a few odd looks.
Arriving at the Boutique I decide to sneak in the front by using my magic to muffle the bell. Entering I find Rarity working on her latest dress with her back towards the door. I see Sweetie Belle in a corner watching her, and I make some shushing motions to her as she spots me. Rarity did feel the door’s opening though even though she didn’t hear it, “Sweetie dear, did you leave the door or a window open again? I can feel a cold breeze coming from somewhere.”
She doesn’t look up from her work, and Sweetie Belle is doing everything she can to keep from laughing at this so I step in, “She didn’t leave anything open, I just came by to see how you are doing.” Rarity doesn’t react much to this, “Ah Flarenza darling, I didn’t hear you come in, wha- ha ha HAA!” Sweetie Belle can’t contain herself anymore and bursts out laughing as her sister turns around and goes into shock at my new look.
Eventually she is able to shake off her shock and come up with a coherent response to it while flailing a hoof around, “Flarenza, what did you DO to yourself? I mean your colors were fine before so why would you do this?” I get a chuckle out of her antics and try to calm her down, “I didn’t do anything to myself Rarity. This is just a little quirk I’ve had to live with for as long as I can remember. Every winter my colors swap like this and then switch back in the spring.”
Rarity slowly calms down after I explain this to her, and eventually she starts getting into a thoughtful pose. “Hmm, well it still is strange, though now all those ideas I had for you before just won’t work with you like this. Though hmm…” She gets a thoughtful look and I notice a gleam start to show in her eyes before she shouts out, “Idea!” From there she is completely gone in her own little creative world.
“Well you lost her now. You won’t be able to get a thing out of her until she is done with what she has planned,” comes from Sweetie Belle. Agreeing with her I decide to head off having met all that I planned to see. Standing outside the shop I try to decide what else to do.
After a while of not coming up with anything, I decide to just stop by the jewelry shop with some of my latest work to see what I could get for them, and then head home for the rest of the day.