The party lasted well into the evening hours. By the time the sun's light could be seen cresting the horizon, most of the ponies had ended up passed out on the floor, thanks in part to the "anniversary present" Applejack had brought, and then Pinkie Pie's less-than-genius idea to spike the punch bowl with it.
The mare herself mumbled sleepily from her position lying atop the DJ's turn tables. "Best. Party. Ever."
Octavia had curled up on the couch earlier than most. A pillow was now clutched tightly to her chest as tiny snores escaped her with each little breath she took. A gentle smile graced her lips.
A grey hoof reached out to brush against her own. "Tavi," Ditzy's voice whispered softly into her ear.
Octavia stirred, waking reluctantly from the pleasant dream she was having. She was surprised to find the very subject of that dream staring back at her with those brilliant mismatched eyes.
"Ditzy...?" Octavia said groggily as she lifted her head.
Ditzy placed her hoof over Octavia's mouth, whispering "Shhhhhhhh." Octavia fully awoke, her heart beat spiking as her eyes widened in surprise at the complete disregard of personal space. Her cheeks reddened from awkward embarrassment rather than indignation. She finally managed to nod in understanding, allowing Ditzy to lower her hoof.
"What's going on?" Octavia asked, lowering her voice significantly. "What time is it?"
"It's pretty early," Ditzy informed her. "I just wanted to show you something." The smile Ditzy wore as she said that almost made up for the fact that Octavia had only gotten a few hours of sleep.
She lowered her head with a quiet groan, voicing her annoyance. "Couldn't you show it to me later? My head's still pounding."
Ditzy shook her head, never losing that giant grin. "Uh-uh. It doesn't last very long. You have to get up now if you want to see it."
That got Octavia's attention. After a moment, she sighed in defeat, knowing that her curiosity would win out. Besides, she was already awake.
She felt a familiar heat rise through her as she remembered why she was wide awake in the first place. The softness of Ditzy's hoof, its warmth as it brushed against her lips--
No! Octavia mentally bucked herself as her mind began to wander down dark paths. That was her friend she was thinking about. You don't think those things about your friends.
"Hurry up and come outside," Ditzy said before turning to leave, giving Octavia a perfect view of--
No!
~ ~ ~
Octavia exited the bakery quietly, being sure to gently close the door until she heard a soft click. Ditzy was waiting for her outside, staring out towards the horizon. She turned at the sound of the door closing, beaming happily at Octavia. She found the smile infectious as began grinning herself as she trotted up to her.
"So, where is it?" Octavia asked, looking around as she tried to spot what Ditzy wanted to show her.
"Where's what?" Ditzy responded in confusion.
Octavia face-hoofed.
"Oh... oh!" Ditz exclaimed as she finally understood. "It's not something you can hold in your hoof." Now it was Octavia's turn to be confused.
Ditzy looked away from her sheepishly, the grin she wore turning into a worried frown. "U-um... uh, T-Tavi?"
Octavia had to wonder what had caused the Pegasus to become so timid all of a sudden. "What's wrong, Ditzy?"
Ditzy closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves. She opened them again, a new determination behind them. "Do--Do you... trust me?"
The question took Octavia aback. "W-what? Of course I trust you! You're the nicest, kindest, sweetest, sexiest mare I've ever met!"
Octavia had spoken quickly and from the heart in an attempt to reassure Ditzy. She didn't even realize exactly what she had said until she saw the blush on her friends cheeks, her eyes wide and completely focused on her.
"W-what?" Ditzy squeaked.
Octavia's body froze in pure terror as her mind raced to make a list of options to remedy the situation. Change your identity and flee the country was at the top of that list, making her feel exceptionally hopeless. Seeing no alternative, she decided her best course of action would be to deny that the last five seconds ever happened.
"I-I said I trust you," she said as nonchalantly as possible, avoiding Ditzy's eyes like the plague.
Ditzy said nothing. Octavia grew more and more nervous as the silence stretched on, inspecting the ground at her hoof religiously.
She nearly breathed a sigh of relief as Ditzy responded awkwardly, "That's, uh, not really the kind of trust I was talking about. I meant, would you trust me to carry you. While flying."
That... was an entirely different question. Octavia found herself hesitating to say yes. It wasn't like she didn't adore her, but when it came to trusting her life to the admittedly clumsy mare... It didn't help that heights were another item on the list of her aversions.
On the other hoof, Octavia knew that Ditzy wouldn't ask this unless she trusted herself one hundred percent. That reasoning alone caused her to have complete faith in her friend.
Octavia nodded, and was rewarded with Ditzy's happiest smile.
Ditzy held out her hoof to her friend. "Come here," she spoke softly.
There was no hesitation from Octavia this time as she stepped forward obediently. Ditzy flapped her wings and hovered over her, wrapping her arms gently around her barrel. Squeezing her to her chest, Ditzy beat her wings harder as they lifted off the ground, the steady thump-thump of her heart causing Octavia to forget her fear of heights momentarily.
That moment didn't last very long. By the time the ponies on the ground started to look like ants, Octavia was having trouble breathing. She stared upwards at the passing clouds, not daring to chance a look at the ground. She knew that the moment she did, she would lose what little nerve she still had left. Along with the contents of her stomach.
Ditzy could tell Octavia was anxious, despite her attempts to resist squirming. "It's not much further," she told her comfortingly.
"I hope so," Octavia croaked.
The sky was brightening every minute. The clouds became gilded in the brightest gold as the rising sun lit their undersides, while leaving the earth below in shadow. Ditzy began to descend into a massive, overgrown forest. Octavia didn't even realize it until the tallest branches entered her field of vision.
"Where are we?" Octavia asked curiously.
"The Everfree Forest," came her dour reply.
Octavia had heard of the wild forest, but she had never expected to see it with her own eyes. The tales she had heard spoke of monsters, darkness, and, from the tone of Ditzy's voice, they were based on some truth.
"Remind me why we're here again?" Octavia inquired ruefully.
All she said was, "You'll see."
The cryptic response was hardly enough to sate her palette, but Octavia accepted it in stubborn silence.
The sun's rays were now catching the canopy of the forest, giving each tree a golden crown. Hardly an image that inspired terror in the hearts of ponies.
A glint of light shone through the trees, catching Octavia's eye. Then another. And another. From somewhere just ahead of them, light was pouring through the forest, as though Celestia herself were waiting to greet them.
They finally flew out of the forest and into a clearing, and Octavia gasped in awe of what she saw.
Ice.
The trees, the rocks, even the ground itself were made of crystal-clear ice. The suns rays were being caught by the prism-like branches of the ice trees, showering the clearing with a rainbow of colors that bounced off of every frozen surface, creating a veritable web of light around the ponies. At the center of the clearing was another tree, but this one was different than the others. It was smaller, and the leaves cascaded downwards on vines, creating a frosty curtain of foliage. Bright red rubies twinkled from behind the curtain, telling of the berries that grew within.
Octavia was still trying to wrap her head around how this was even possible during the height of Summer as Ditzy set her down on the ground, landing next to her with a flap of her wings.
"What is this place?" Octavia asked quietly, afraid that the spell might be broken if she raised her voice.
Ditzy shrugged. "I'm not sure myself. But my mom told me a story that this is the final resting place of a Windigo."
"Those monsters that almost froze Equestria over?!" Every foal grew up hearing tales of the first Hearth's Warming Eve. To think that she might be standing on top of one of those malicious spirits caused Octavia to shiver.
Ditzy wrapped a wing around her and drew her close, ignoring Octavia's little eep at the unexpected contact. "Watch," she whispered, pointing a hoof towards the small tree in the center of the clearing.
The sun was still rising. As more and more of its light fell onto the ice sculptures, the more brilliant the colors swirling around them became. But it wasn't until the sunlight reached the tree in the center that the real show began.
The entire tree exploded with white light, momentarily blinding Octavia. She shut her eyes tight, an afterimage of it burned into her retinas. She squinted into the whiteness and saw waves of crimson emanating from the tree's berries. They seemed to absorb the light like a sponge, releasing it in pulsing waves.
"Sweet Merciful Celestia," Octavia prayed under her breath. "It's... It's alive!"
Indeed, the crimson waves of light were being released with the same rhythm as a heartbeat, two at a time. If the clearing were a living thing, the tree would have been its heart, the crimson light its blood. The same light that they were being bathed in... That thought made her shiver again despite the warm wing draped over her back.
After a few moments, the light began to get weaker. The pulsing waves began to slow and the ice started to melt.
"What's happening?" Octavia asked, a strange melancholy settling over her.
"What happens every morning," Ditzy answered sadly. "The ice always disappears when the sun comes up. That's why I couldn't show you later."
The sound of countless water droplets filled the air. The ice was gone within minutes after sunrise. Octavia and Ditzy remained, their new surroundings downright depressing after witnessing that wonderful winter wonderland.
Octavia was the first to speak. "Thank you, Ditzy. That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen."
Ditzy looked at her, wearing a bashful smile. "After everything you've done for me... This was the least I could do." Her bashful expression suddenly turned into a sly one. "But if you wanted to help me with something, I have a favor to ask."
Normally, Octavia would have jumped at the chance to help Ditzy. But when she saw the look in her friend's eyes, all she could do was gulp nervously. Oh, this should be good...