//------------------------------//
// Quarterfinals: Ace Artisan vs. Evergreen - Winner: Evergreen (by Vote) 
// Story: OC SlamJam - Finals 
// by OC Slamjam 
//------------------------------//

Limits - by Ace Artisan's Author

'Aaaaand, of course, that one's choppin' wood with the wrong side of the hatchet.'

Evergreen sighed as she surveyed the campsite. "Hoof-dah." She straightened her campaign hat, which nicely complimented her red jacket and the green hues of her coat and mane. When she spotted a pudgy unicorn chewing on a pinecone, she thought to herself, 'I swear, these Canterlot groups get greener every time.'

Two dozen ponies milled about the large, rustic campsite. Nearly all of them were unicorns that looked like they'd never been outside the city. Several wore designer clothing that had unraveled on the hike in, and most of the stallions tried – and failed – to show their outdoorsponyship by starting a fire, though none had gotten past rubbing two wets stick together.

Evergreen shook her head. 'At least they'll learn something.' She didn't mind these weekend trips that Central organized. After all, they brought a lot of money into the national park system and exposed more ponies to the natural beauty of the forest. She just hated that sinking feeling in her gut, the one that told her she'd be the center of attention whenever there was an issue. At least she had three other Royal Equestrian Rangers to assist her this time around, and with a glance upward, she remembered why she loved this job.

Pine trees towered above, filling the air with sweet scents and occasionally dropping needles onto the campers below. They shielded the campsite from the oppressive sun, and a cool breeze wound around them, comforting the aching campers. Squirrels chittered on the branches, and birds called to each other, looking for friends. Even with all the activity in the campsite (most of it loud complaining), there was a serenity about the forest that made the headaches worthwhile.

'All right, enough day-dreaming. These camper's aren't going to organize themselves.' Evergreen looked over at Corporal Periwinkle. She wished he could give the big speeches, but as Sergeant, it was her duty to lead, and she would do it with a smile on her face. Taking a deep breath, she shouted to the campers, "All right, everypony! Camp's about set up, and it's time for our first hike! It's gonna be a barrel o' fun, so who's with me?"

Most of the Canterlot denizens turned their attention her way, but she found herself looking at an earth pony who was deep into a conversation with a unicorn mare.





"Really?" Ace's ears drooped. "But… we said we were going to spend the whole weekend together."

Nocturne gracefully cocked her head to the side, her bangs gently brushing against her face in that way Ace always found stunning. She spoke with a rich, velvety voice that was perfect for a second soprano like her. "I know, Hunk, but I'm exhausted, and I'd rather just rest and catch up with Minuette."

"You're sure? The guide says it's a pretty easy hike, and…" Ace kicked at the dirt. "I don't want you to feel like I'm abandoning you or… avoiding you or anything." He looked up and made eye contact, and his voice became very heavy. "Not ever again."

Nocturne's eyes softened. "Ace, you're not abandoning me." She narrowed her eyes and gave him a smirk, and her voice dropped a few tones. "It's not like you're sneaking off to go check on the hospital, right? Because I'm pretty sure the construction site's closed for the weekend."

Ace snapped to attention. "Oh, no! Of course not, Babe! No work this weekend." He reached around her neck and pulled her in for a hug. He held her there for a moment, then spoke softly into her ear. "I'm trying to get better. I promise."

She gently nuzzled his cheek with her own. Her voice was soft and smooth. "I know, Hunk. And you're doing great."

"Thanks, Babe." Ace breathed in her scent. Even after the hike, she smelled fresh and delicate and lovely, and his head swam as warmth spread through his body. "Love you so much."

"Love you, too." She rested her chin on his shoulder for a moment before pulling away. "Now go enjoy the hike, and don't worry about me. I'll have my hooves full helping with dinner."

With a cocky smirk and a raised eyebrow, Ace chuckled. "Heh-heh. Since when can you cook?"

Nocturne pouted her lips, but Ace saw a smile creeping up the sides as she half-whined, "Well, I figure there's already going to be a fire, so I can't make things much worse, right?"

Ace smiled. "Ha! All right, all right. Have fun, but let's go stargazing tonight, just the two of us. Deal?"

"Deal." She looked behind him and pointed with a hoof. "Your group's about to leave."

Ace turned his head to see a group of ten ponies gathering by a worn trail. He looked back to Nocturne. "Okay. Have a good time!"

"You, too." As Ace turned and trotted away, she shouted, "And maybe bring back something nice!"

"Sure!" Ace trotted up to the group, though his expression soured when he noticed he was the only earth pony.

Evergreen looked up at him. "Well, wouldja look here. Got ourselves a straggler, eh? So much for that earth pony endurance. Har-har!" When she saw Ace roll his eyes, she tipped her hat to him. "Oh, I'm just teasin'. I'm sure you'll be the leadin' the pack. Now, everypony, my name's Sergeant Evergreen, and I'm pleased as punch to answer any questions ya' got." She gestured to a pale blue unicorn wearing the same clothing, albeit with fewer accoutrements. "This here's Corporal Periwinkle, and he'll be takin' up the rear."

A silver unicorn with a stylishly coiffed mane and thick Canterlot accent raised a hoof. "I say, are you quite sure this excursion is completely safe?"

Evergreen chuckled. "Har-har! Well, now, I could tell ya' some horror stories, but I guarantee you'll be safe with me." She leaned in and, with a wink, pseudo-whispered, "It's Perry ya' gotta watch out for. He tends to lose a few each trip."

Several of the gathered campers gave small but sincere laughs. 

Evergreen straightened up. "Okay, then! Sounds like everypony's ready, so let's march!"





Ace slowed down. The rest of the group was falling behind again, so he stopped by a large, fallen tree to appreciate the scenery. A lush valley lie at the bottom of a crevasse, with deeply green grasses and a shallow river, and a large cliff face dominated the skyline, jutting out into the blue. It was steep but not utterly sheer – a pony could traverse it if he was careful enough – and there were plenty of small rocks and hoof-holds that looked strong enough to support a full-grown pony. In the middle of the cliff face, catching the afternoon sunlight, was a patch of green bushes with full, purple bulbs. Ace fixated on them: the color, so similar to Nocturne's, struck him, accentuated by the orange cliff walls in the afternoon sun. They swayed gently in the breeze, hypnotizing in their movements.

Ace stared at the bulbs even as the rest of the hiking party, most of them out of breath, trudged behind him.

Evergreen stopped nearby. "Scopin' the Songblooms, eh?"

Ace looked over his shoulder and cocked an eyebrow. "The what?"

"Those purple flowers o'er yonder." Evergreen pointed to them. "Quite the sight if you can manage to grow 'em."

Ace turned back to them. "They're nice."

"Oh ya! Pretty special too. See, they're called Songblooms because, supposedly, they only bloom when they hear beautiful music." She giggled. "Funny little folk tale, eh?"

Ace's eyes widened, and his brain tingled. "Is it true?"

"Well, it's hard to say. We used to sell the seeds at the interpretive center, but most ponies don't buy 'em. Hard to grow a cliff-side flower on a windowsill. Har-har!"

Ace stared at them for a long moment.

'Bring back something nice.'

He cleared his throat. "Uh… Can we pick them?"

"Well, I'm afraid you're a little limited in that department," Evergreen said, flaring out her wings. She didn't notice Ace's sudden scowl. "They're pretty inaccessible to earth ponies. Probably just better to leave 'em be." She folded her wings back down. "Now, we might wanna mosey, uh, Ace, was it?"

Ace was quiet for a moment. "Yes, it is."

"Well, Ace, the group's gettin' ahead, and I'd hate to leave somepony behind. Let's get a move on!" With a flap of her wings, Evergreen launched herself toward the front of the group.

Ace followed at a slow pace for several minutes, slow enough that Corporal Periwinkle had to encourage him to hurry. The two of them lingered at the back, hardly talking until Ace leaned in and said, "Pardon me, Corporal, but I forgot to mention: Evergreen said she had something important to tell you." 





With a sharp whisper, Evergreen sniped, "Again, Perry!?" Her eyes were narrow, and she loomed over a cowering Periwinkle.

Periwinkle's pupils constricted, and he glanced over at the huddled mass of unicorns, all with wide eyes pointed directly at him. Periwinkle gulped and turned back to Evergreen. "I-I'm sorry, Sergeant! He said you had asked for me, which seemed plausible, a-and–"

Evergreen sighed and regained her composure. "Yer lucky I can't demote you any further, Corporal. Central's gonna hear about this."

Straightening up, Evergreen flipped her expression back to a cheery smile and turned to the group of hikers, which was missing its earth pony. "Wouldn't ya' know it? We got ourselves a wandering vine shaped like a stallion! Sorry everypony, but it looks like we gotta cut the hike a little short."

The sweaty hikers let out sighs of relief as goofy grins spread across their faces.

Evergreen pointed a hoof to Periwinkle, which made him flinch. "The Corporal here'll take ya' back to base camp. Everypony find a buddy and stick together, ya' hear?"

Periwinkle organized the remaining ponies into four pairs, and Evergreen, with a terrifyingly friendly smile at Periwinkle, spread her wings and took off up through the canopy. 

Evergreen dashed through the sky, doubling back over the trail and scanning for hints of grey or dark blue. 'Ya' haven't lost one yet, Green. You'll find him.'

She recounted the Royal Equestrian Rangers' procedures for lost campers – she knew them all by heart – and mentally prepared for several different scenarios. 'If he's a poacher, fly to base for backup. If he's hurt, I've got my flare. If he's hysterical, stick 'im with a sedative and wait until help arrives. If there's timberwolf trouble…'

She smirked. 'Well, it won't be trouble for long.'

A spot of grey and dark blue caught her eye. "There!" The hint of a smile started to creep across her face until the rest of the picture filled in. "Oh, for Pete's…"

Ace was shakily climbing across the cliff face, high above the river and a bed of jagged rocks. He'd made decent progress, sticking to a narrow path that jutted from the cliff.

Evergreen stared down at the chasm below Ace, and her pulse quickened. A fall might be survivable, but she couldn't be sure. 'Hold on, Ace. Yer not gonna be the first.'

Evergreen tilted her wings and spiraled downward on a warm wind. She chewed her lip, and her mind buzzed with possible scenarios. 'Talk him down. Catch him. Use your authority. Get another Ranger. Grab him and guide him back.' She patted the small saddlebag on her back. 'Shoot a flare. Stick him with a tranquilizer. Bribe him.'

Appealing to authority seemed like a good place to start. She hovered several yards behind Ace and said loudly, "Ace, this is Sergeant Evergreen of the Royal Equestrian Rangers! I hereby order you to turn back around this instant!"

Ace looked over his shoulder at Evergreen, then back to the cliff. His hooves slowly found purchase, and Ace tested every hoof-hold before he put any weight on it. He didn't slow down.

'Direct approach doesn't seem to be working,' she thought. 'Talk him down. Catch him. Get another Ranger. Grab him and guide him back. Shoot a flare. Stick him with a tranquilizer. Bribe him.'

Evergreen dropped the harshness in her voice and tried to sound friendlier. "Ace, what're ya' doin'? You could get hurt up here, and I know a pretty little mare that would be awful upset if her coltfriend came back in pieces."

Ace sighed and turned his head. His voice was calm, like he didn't know he was rock-climbing with no equipment. "I'll be fine. I just need to do one thing, and I promise I'll head back." He continued shimmying across the rock.

At each little flinch, Evergreen's heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm. "Well, Ace, you leave me no choice, then. I'm gonna shoot a flare, and before you know it, a buncha Rangers will be on you like moss on a rock, and then you'll be in real trouble."

Ace paused. 

Evergreen relaxed. "There we go. Let's–"

"You do that." Ace moved faster than before, no longer checking his grip so carefully.

Evergreen's eyes widened, and she cursed under her breath. With a quick hoof, she retrieved a flare from her pack. 'Don't scare him.' "Ace, I'm firing in three, two, one..."

FWOOSH!

A pink flare streaked into the sky, leaving a smoking contrail behind it.

As soon as she turned around, she found that Ace had redoubled his efforts. 

'Catch him. Grab him and guide him back. Stick him with a tranquilizer. Bribe him. '

Evergreen felt a chill run up her spine.

'Grab him and guide him back.'

She moved closer to Ace and reached out a hoof. "Now, Ace, I'm going to–"

Ace kicked a hoof out, batting her away. "Stay back! I don't– GAH!" The rock beneath Ace's left hind hoof crumbled, and he scrambled to another part of the rock.

Reflexively, Evergreen swooped down to catch him, or at least slow him down. When Ace held fast, she flew up behind him again.

'Catch him. Stick him with a tranquilizer. Bribe him.'

Her options kept playing through her mind, and so did all the ways they could go wrong. 'Tranq him, and he might fall, and I don't have the strength to carry such a big guy. Talk to him, and he'll just ignore me again. That leaves…'

She looked around at the cliff-side and spotted the Songbloom bush. Her hoof met her face with a loud slap. "Ace, ya' hoser! Yer doin' this for a flower?"

Ace sighed. "Yes, and I'm almost there, so…" He looked down. "I can do this." His voice was shaky. "I-I can do this."

'Bribe him.'

"Ace, I'll get ya' yer flowers, as many as you want, okay? Just head back to the trail. Ya' gotta know yer limits."

Ace shuddered and snapped at Evergreen, "My only limit is a high-and-mighty pegasus that doesn't know when to buzz off. I'll be fine!" 

Evergreen's wings ached for a rest, and her cheeks flushed with anger, but she quickly got her emotions under control. She looked again at the Songbloom bush. 'If those flowers are the problem…'

Evergreen dashed over to the bush. They flowers were even more beautiful up close. Each bulb, plump and soft, looked like it had been hoof-painted a mix of deep purple hues, streaked with a single white line on each of the petals. They looked like plump fruit, full to bursting with life and so perfect that you wouldn't dare eat them.

She shook her head. 'Focus!' With quick hooves, she yanked a hoofful of flowers from their roots. It almost hurt to destroy something so delicate. There were nearly a hundred, yes, but if she could get them all, then–

"I-I'll jump!"

Evergreen's whole body tensed, and she dropped a few feet before her wings had stabilized her position. She cranked her head to the side to see Ace leaning away from the edge. His eyes were narrowed, but his chest heaved with heavy breaths. "D-Don't think I won't!"

Evergreen's legs went slack, and her jaw hung wide open.

'Uh…'

She drifted backwards from the cliff, letting the leaves and blossoms fall from her hooves and blow away. She kept her eyes trained on Ace and tried to think.

'Uh…'

She knew he was bluffing. Knew it. 

..But what if he wasn't?

'…'

Her throat felt dry. Her eyes refused to blink. Her brain felt like it had short-circuited, and her limbs felt heavy. The feeling in her body was foreign, wrong. She didn't like it, but she couldn't make it stop.

For the first time since she'd joined the Rangers, Evergreen didn't know what to do.





Ace looked back at the bush. His heart pounded, and sweat dripped down his brow and into his eyes. His muscles ached, but he was so, so close. He could see it: nearby, there was a small landing where he could get his balance, and then, with a leap, he could climb up to an outcrop where he could pick the flowers.

Without thinking, he looked down again, and his stomach jumped to his chest. The rocks below him seemed to spin, both close and far away at the same time. His jaw quivered, and a strong gust of wind nearly knocked him down.

He glanced toward Evergreen. His bluff had shut her up, if only for a moment. He could tell she was getting tired from the raggedness of her voice, but as soon as the other Rangers arrived, they'd be more than enough to overpower him.

His heart sank. His efforts wouldn't be enough. He was an earth pony, and that meant he was limited.

A stupid, limited earth pony.

Ace hesitated…

…until he imagined giving the flower to Nocturne, showing her how committed he was, and proving that she'd never have to doubt again. 

Ace grit his teeth and blinked away a tear. 'I'm not limited. I can be better. Nocturne deserves better.'

More dust blew into his face, and his eyes watered as he desperately tried not to sneeze. His body shook.

"Ace, please! I-I… I…" Evergreen was stammering. He hadn't heard her stammer before. "Just let me help!"

Ace took a deep breath and, tensing his forelegs, pulled himself to the nearby landing. Shaking out his limbs, he looked up. It was right there. Just one more–

He felt a sharp sting on his flank.

And then, nothing. He felt nothing in his flank, then his leg, then his tail. The nothing spread throughout his body, and he whipped his head around to see a needle jammed into him.

Though her hooves shook, Evergreen spoke calmly and evenly. "Ace, I've stuck you with a tranquilizer. You're going to get sleepy now, but i-it will be okay."

Ace tried to say something, but his lips felt funny.

"Just lie down now."

Ace turned to the flowers. He was so close. He just needed to…

"Ace!"

With the last of his strength, Ace pushed himself into the air. He shot forward and reached out a hoof. It was there. He grit his teeth harder and fought to keep his vision from failing. Just a little more. The flowers were getting closer. And closer. And closer.

And further. Ace's eyes felt heavy, and his foreleg went slack. His vision blurred, and the only feeling left was an odd tickling in his stomach. His neck twisted, forced to the side by a hard smack that be barely felt. Something white was sticking out of his hind leg, which was bent in a way that it shouldn't have been. 

And the river was getting closer. And closer. And closer.





"You know, if I find out you did this just so you could check in at work, I'm breaking your other hind leg."

Lying on his back, Ace could see the crusty light fixtures and decades-old artwork of the oldest wing of Canterlot General Hospital, an affront to the good work the ponies did there. The walls were painted a sickening yellow-orange, and the curtain on the window had a rainbow spiral design that clashed with everything.

He also saw his right hind leg propped up and in a cast. 

But even with the painkillers making things hazy, he could always pick out Nocturne. Her beauty was one in a million, and her voice was the only one like it in the world.

His head rolled to the side. "I'm sorry, Babe. I… I was…" Ace shook his head to clear the fog, but his words were still slurred. "I wanted to..."

"Shh..." Nocturne rubbed his chest with a gentle hoof. "It's okay. Evergreen told me what happened."

"I… ruined the trip." Ace frowned. "Sorry we didn't go stargazing. Or try any of your… of your food."

Nocturne chuckled. "Hm-hm! Well, we're together now, at least. And don't worry about the food. I…" Her face scrunched up, and she glanced away. "…sort of burned the soup."

Despite the heaviness in his chest, Ace managed to laugh. "Heh. How do you burn soup?"

"Ugh!" Nocturne flipped her mane and griped, "So there were all these potatoes and carrots, and somepony said they were easy, so that I could, like, leave them there for twenty minutes or something." She gestured to her chest and went wide-eyed. "I mean, how was I supposed to know you need to keep stirring so the ones at the bottom don't get burned?" She furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Did you know that?"

Ace smiled. "Yeah, I did." 

She was complaining, yes, but she was talking to him like any other day, like she always would after a rehearsal went poorly or when a concert was going to be out of town and they couldn't see each other for a week. For a moment, he felt normal.

"Well, I didn't." She sighed and looked at Ace. Her eyes were soft and sparkly. "So, yeah, don't worry about the food."

The room was still, and Ace enjoyed just listening to her breathing. As nice as it was, however, his guilt prodded at his chest. "I wanted to bring… bring you something nice. So you know I… I care."

Nocturne leaned in and hugged him. "I already know that, Hunk. You don't have to do something stupid for me like that. I love you, Ace."

Ace's foreleg felt weak, though he didn't know if it was from the painkillers or the rock-climbing. Regardless, he wrapped a leg around her. Her warmth soothed him. It chased away all the nothing in his body and left a feeling that he only got from her. "Love you, too, Nocturne."

After several moments, Nocturne pulled away. "By the way, Evergreen was super sorry."

Ace cocked his head to the side. "Why?"

"She said it was her job to keep you safe, and she felt bad that she couldn't, so she sent this with me." A field of magic surrounded Nocturne's horn, and she levitated a small gift bag with an attached letter onto Ace's bed.

Ace sat up, opened the letter, and read aloud:

--
Hey there, Ace,

Maybe it's not my place, but I'm sorry for what happened to your leg. I wish you–
--

Ace stopped reading suddenly. "Huh."

"What?"

"I… half expected her to write with that… ridiculous accent."

Nocturne threw her head back. "Ha!"

--
I wish you would have listened to reason, but I apologize for sticking you. If you're ever up by Vanhoover again, I'd be happy to take you two on a proper hike. Just no rock-climbing this time. 

Hope you don't mind, but I sent Nocturne home with a little something. You seemed to think it was important, after all.

Best wishes,

Evergreen
--

Ace let the letter slip from his hooves and opened the bag. Inside was a potted plant, one with a distinctly closed purple bulb.

Ace smiled. "Heh."

Nocturne stuck out her lower lip. "What is it?"

Ace told her. He told her all about the Songbloom and why he had tried so hard to get it for her. He told her that it was special, just like her, and that he knew her voice would be perfect for opening it up. "Because you're the best… best marefriend ever, Nocturne. I love you so much."

Nocturne wore a quivering smile, and she blinked away a few tears.

Ace nuzzled her under the chin. "So go on…"

Nocturne cleared her throat and closed her eyes. She paused for a moment, then serenaded Ace with a lullaby, the special one she only sang when he was sick. Her rich voice filled the room, and even more than that, it filled his soul. While she sang, he forgot about the pain in his leg and the fear that they wouldn't stay together. He forgot his guilt. He forgot about work. While she sang, everything else melted away until it was just the two of them. 

When she finished, Ace looked eagerly at the flower. His chest swelled with the hope that it had all been worth it, that Nocturne would finally see how special she was to him.

The bulb hadn't opened.

Ace slumped forward. He felt the weight of his stupidity pushing down on him, and he wanted to crawl someplace far away, out of anypony's sight. "I'm sorry…"

Nocturne shrugged. "Meh. Maybe next time." She levitated the flower over to a nearby table. "Really, don't worry about it. It's just a legend, and they're just flowers."

Ace blushed. "Then… flowers must not have… good taste." He looked up. Even as defeated as he felt, the radiance in Nocturne's eyes and the soft, sincere smile on her face told him that his efforts hadn't been in vain.

"Mm… No, they don't." Nocturne leaned in again and, with a warm nuzzle on his cheek, held him tightly. "But I do."







 

Cold Companionship - by Evergreen's Author

The ice palace’s interior was lit like the night sky. The high walls flickered in the light from the many lanterns; the ceiling sparkled with a thousand spots of light. Where they did not glow, they glistened with a smoothness like glass, in places mirroring the room and the crowds of ponies occupying it. And beneath the surface, enchanted lights pulsed, sending ribbons of blue, purple, green, and red across the walls like an aurora descended from on high.

“Still could use more supports,” said Ace Artisan.

The indigo mare next to him sighed. “Twelve. Twelve seconds. You're getting worse.”

“Can I help it if it's my job to notice these sorts of architectural deficiencies?”

She gave him a little nudge. “Right now, your job is to look nice and make this a nice evening. Are you really planning on fulfilling only half your contract?”

“Okay, point to Nocturne. You win.” He glanced down at the glass in his hoof. “Y’know, I could splash this wine on myself and force us to go back to the hotel.”

“Oh, blackmail, is it?” She grinned. “Well, if you do that, I can say for certain that the rest of this vacation won't be very pleasant for you.”

He shivered. “I could've told you that much.”

“You knew, right when they offered, that Vanhoover was going to be cold. You knew. Thinking otherwise was just self-deception on your part.”

Ace huffed, turning his attention away from her. In truth, it was actually lot warmer in here than one would expect, given the whole thing was made of ice. It was certainly better than outside, where a bitter breeze was blowing amid a heavy snow. Obviously they were trying to enhance the “winter” part of the Vanhoover Winterfest. Heck, he wouldn’t have put it past the organizers of this little shindig to have orchestrated some colder temperatures just to get everypony inside to gawk at the palace.

The layponies could gawk all they wanted, but to his architect’s eyes, the whole place looked hollow—and not just because it was. The way the walls rose straight up with only a column or two to break up the monotony, the way the ceiling was held in place only by a few arching ribs, the way most of the interior was nothing but empty air... all the flashing lights did was hide the fact that the structure was nothing more than a glorified igloo.

“Ace,” said Nocturne, “you’re getting that green-eyed look again.”

He sighed. “I know, I know.” 

“Don’t fret. There’s always next year. Maybe the firm will pick your design then. I mean, they can’t give it to Von… Um… Von…”

“Von Kartenhaus,” Ace finished for her.

“Right. They can’t give it to him again. You’ll have your chance to shine, just you wait. After all, you’re Build It Higher’s representative at this whole thing, so they know you deserve at least some consolation. Just take note of that and enjoy the moment.”

Ace nodded, taking a long pull from his glass. He swilled the wine around his mouth, warming his gums, before swallowing it all at once, feeling the heat all the way down. Then, with a small sigh, he said:

“It’s because he’s a unicorn.”

Nocturne brought a hoof to her face. “Oh, for the love of…”

“It's the truth. The stallion's never worked in ice before, and yet, somehow, his designs get chosen over mine.”

She arched a brow. “You've never worked in ice before, either.”

“That's beside the point.” He cast a hoof around. “I could've made this place beautiful and capable of lasting all the way into summer!”

“Ace…”

“I tried to get him to put eight support arches in here instead of six. You know what he said to me? 'Eight is less symmetrical.' What does that even mean?!”

“Ace.”

“What?” 

“Relax,” she said, putting a hoof on his shoulder. “Take all these thoughts, shove them aside, and just... cool off a bit.”

He breathed another sigh. “Okay. I’m cool. I’m cool. I’m... “ He blinked. “Wait. Was that a pun?”

She took an innocent sip of her drink, the corners of her lips curling upward. “Maybe. That's snow problem, is it?”

“Okay, you've made your point. I'll shut up.”

“Oh, no. I'm on a roll now. Nothing's going to wreck my floe.”

He gave her a bitter grin. “Remind me why I ever liked you, again?”

“Obviously it's because I've got an ice personality.”

Ace’s lament echoed off the glistening walls.





“Evening, sir. Evening ma'am. Evening, sirs. Evening. Evening. Eveni—”

Sergeant Evergreen cut off as a cough forced its way out her throat. Evidently something in the air disagreed with her. Or maybe it was simply because she'd had to repeat the same words for close to three hours now.

She sighed, sending a cloud of white up into the air. Her gaze followed it, above the milling crowds, past the myriad of ice sculptures scattered around the park, past the curtains of lit windows on the buildings surrounding the park, up to the night sky, where the city's lights cast an orange glow while blotting out the stars. A scattering of snowflakes fell down around her face, melting at the tip of her snout.

For what felt like the twelfth time today, she pondered simply taking wing and flying until she could see the stars again.

Vanhoover wasn't a bad city—goodness knows the ponies here were friendly enough—but it was still a city. Standing there on the sidewalk, with the furry collar of her winter coat pulled up around her neck and her Ranger cap nestled between her ears, she looked about as out of place as a moose at a curling match.

Still, the public needed a show of force every now and then, as her captain had said. And since Vanhoover’s population had grown by 30% because of the Winterfest, the local police needed the extra hooves. So, she did her duty, stood and waved at the crowds of tourists, gave a few words to the passing couples, posed for the odd picture or two.

Just a smiling face sandwiched between a uniform and hat.

She drew her collar a little closer, a shiver climbing up her back. The night was deepening, and the temperature was falling. Seemed like the wind was picking up, too.

That was odd. She looked up at the sky again. The city weather teams had brought in a bunch of flurries to help with the winter atmosphere, but there was a lot more snow falling than was normal for just a few snow clouds. Big, heavy flakes were raining down; she could already feel them weighing on the brim of her hat. The clouds above were turning dark.

A very different chill worked its way through her bones. “Uh oh…”

All at once, the skies opened up. Wind bellowed down from above, lashing against her face. Plumes of snow spiralled up from the ground in great curling tongues, and still more fell down on top of her like a white blanket.

Those hosers! They’d mixed too much cold air, too many clouds; they’d created a blizzard!

She leaned into the wind, pressing a hoof to her head to keep her hat from flying away. Even over the gale she could hear shouts of alarm; the ponies throughout the park were just as dismayed as she was. She spotted a group of three—a stallion, mare, and colt—stumbling through the sudden drifts. As she watched, two of them staggered and fell. 

Spreading her wings, she leapt into action, bounding across the snowy expanse. “You folks all right?” she yelled over the wind.

She received a couple of nods, a shouted affirmative as she helped them to their hooves. Whipping her head around, she saw still more ponies caught out in the open. She moved to each in turn, offering what help she could, until she had a small herd of snow-driven ponies surrounding her.

They had to get to shelter. She grit her teeth, her hoof raised to shield her face. Squinting through the blinding snow, she spied a point of color in the distance. It was a doorway—the doorway to the ice palace.

“Everypony! This way!”





For what felt like the tenth time that evening, Ace wished he were elsewhere.

He’d mingled and talked and met all sorts of passing Vanhoover elites—most of them unicorns. He’d showcased himself as the representative of Build It Higher Designs, builders of this beautiful structure. He’d cursed Von Kartenhaus for not being there to do so himself.

And of course, every waking moment he fought to keep from critiquing the structure again. Even with Nocturne by his side, it was all he could do to keep himself distracted.
So, when the entrance doors suddenly burst open and a horde of ponies rushed in, he found himself not exactly grateful, but at least responsive to the change.

“What in the world—?” Nocturne cried, her mane whipping in the sudden gale.

“It’s a blizzard!” Ace yelled back.

“Who brings in a blizzard at a time like this?!”

As if on cue, a red-coated pegasus swooped into the hall, waving her hooves to the crowd. As the mass of bodies gradually tapered away, she alighted in the doorway, and put her shoulder into closing the doors. She whirled around, visibly panting, her green eyes scanning the area.

“That’s a Ranger, isn’t it?” Nocturne asked.

“Looks like it.”

“What’s going on? Did somepony on the weather team foul up?”

“I don’t know,” he said, looking up at the ceiling. “But if there’s a big storm out there…”

“What? Ace, what is it?”

All these warm bodies sending their heat up from below, and heavy snow pressing down from above…

“I don’t think this place was designed for this.”





Chaos. 

Ponies scrambled, panicked.  She looked around, feeling the tightness in her chest. She could handle this. She just had to stand up and take the reins.

She just had to be a Ranger.

Putting a hoof to her mouth, she blew a fierce whistle. “Everypony, if I could have your attention, please.”

Dozens of eyes turned to her. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Is anypony hurt? If so, come and see me. I can help. Now, we’re going to be here a while, judging by the storm. I need everypony to stick together. If you’ve got friends or family, keep ‘em close. It’ll help keep ya warm, too.”

Murmuring broke out as the crowd shifted, pairs and trios emerging from their ranks.

“Again, we’re going to be here a while. So, all of ya need to keep calm, and stay safe. We just need to wait it out.”

They were still frightened, she could tell. A lot of the eyes looking at her were wide. But still, most of them turned away and, thankfully, kept quiet for the most part.

She took a deep, shuddering breath. Hopefully, it’d stay that way.





“Ma’am?” Ace called out as he shouldered through the crowd. “Ma’am?”

The Ranger turned at his call, and he drew to a halt at her side. “Yes, sir. Sergeant Evergreen, Royal Equestrian Rangers. How can I help?”

“Name’s Ace Artisan. I’m an architect. This structure isn’t safe.”

She looked at him evenly, then her gaze swept the crowds. “How do you know?”

“I know the designer cut stability in favor of looking nice. This place was never built to withstand all this snow.”

Her gaze went back to the crowds. “Sir, please sit back down and be quiet.”

“B-be quiet? Ma’am, do you realize what’s at stake here?”

“Sir, please. Sit back down.”

“Why should I?”

She flared her wings and fixed him with a look that would've melted the walls. “Because right now this whole place is full of ponies who are ready to panic at the drop of a snowflake, and I’m one of them. So keep quiet and sit. Down.” Her expression softened, her wings drooping slightly. “Please.”

Ace stared back at her, wide-eyed. Then, slowly, he did as asked.

With a nod, the Ranger folded her wings and moved back through the crowd. He saw her exchange a few words with some of the other ponies, a comforting gesture or two. She was wearing that reassuring smile again, in contrast to his own expression, which was a frown deep enough to pull water from.

“I like her,” said Nocturne.

He whirled to face her. He hadn’t even noticed her entrance. "What?"

She nodded at the red-clad figure. “I said, I like her.”

His jaw dropped open. “Are you messing with me again? Because now’s really not a good time, Nocturne.”

She looked him in the eye. “She reminds me of you.”

His frown returned, but this time it was more curious than angry. “You’re going to have to explain that one.”

“She’s about the only pony here who’s actually taking a stand. Despite everything else going on, she’s up there in front of everypony.” She blinked, her eyes going distant for a moment. “A lone tree amid a storm. Hmm... there might be a song there.”

“I’m not following.”

“What I’m saying is, don’t make her an enemy. You’re on the same side.”

Ace opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a noise like a tree being snapped in two. The clear ice around the doors gave way, the ceiling above crumbling down on top of them. A cloud of fine snow billowed up the hall, blocks of hard ice crashed to the floor. The ceiling kept crumbling, dumping more and more wet snow onto the floor.

The crowd surged back, fresh screams misting into the chilly air. Ace threw himself in front of Nocturne, shielding her from the rush of white. With a few final tumbling crashes, the onslaught ceased. Looking up, he saw the entrance had completely caved in, the snow piled all the way up to the ceiling.

“Is everypony all right?” Evergreen had taken to the air and was casting her gaze around the crowd. Everypony have their buddies?”

“Sergeant Evergreen,” Ace said.

She turned to face him. There was a weariness to her features. “You had something to say, Mr. Artisan?”

“Yes, I did, thank you.”

“Go ahead.”

With a slight shake in his hooves, he stepped forward in front of the crowd. “Okay. Everypony just relax. I’m an architect. I have a plan, but I need every able-bodied pony to help with it. Give me unicorns over here, pegasi over here, and earth ponies here. If there’s anypony out there skilled with masonry or carpentry, or heck, if you’ve ever used building blocks, bring your expertise up front. And if somepony can lend me a sheet of paper and a pencil, that’d be perfect.”

As the crowd began to break up and reform around Ace, Evergreen turned to Nocturne. “That your coltfriend?”

“Yes, he is.”

She smirked. “I like him. He’s a keeper.”

“I know,” she said, nodding.





        “...Now, the biggest point of stress on any of the arches is on the voussoirs just under the keystone here”—Ace tapped a hoof on the sheet of paper, indicating the blocks nearest the pinnacle of the arch—”so what we need to do is reinforce those against the weight of the snow.”

        “Gotcha,” said Evergreen, nodding. “What aboot the walls? Any worries with those?”

        “I don’t think so. The snow drifting up outside ought to act as makeshift buttresses. Good thing, too, because we couldn’t get out there to reinforce them anyway. No, the big concern is the vertical force weighing down the roof. Now, we might get some use out of simply packing snow into the existing arches to try and keep them from melting, but I’m thinking we’d be better served by reinforcing the whole roof via corbel arch.”

        Evergreen bobbed her head. “Yah, a corbel arch. Which is what, exactly?”

        He took up the pencil and started sketching again. “Basically, what we’re going to build are some additional arches along the ceiling to distribute the weight a bit more evenly. We’ll link some sheets of ice together, drive some anchors into the walls, and stack some block up to meet the ceiling.”

        Evergreen smirked, nodding toward the pile of rubble at the end of the hall. “And for that, we’ve got a bunch of blocks ready to use.”

        “Precisely.” He looked at the assembled earth ponies. “Any of you with some thick horseshoes, I need you to recover the biggest pieces of ice that you can. Unicorns”—he looked to the next group—“you’ll be doing most of the heavy lifting. Pool your telekinesis so we can stack these things high.”

        “And pegasi,” said Evergreen, “you’ll be with me. We’re going to be helping ease things into place from the air.”

        “Right.” Ace looked around at the ponies—at his work crew. “Time is critical here. Let’s make this place safe.”

Evergreen stamped a hoof. “You heard him, everypony. Let’s get to work, eh?”





They built long into the night, Ace directing the construction and Evergreen serving as his eyes in the sky. The blizzard hissed at them through the ceiling, keeping them focused. Those ponies who weren’t actively involved in the work clustered together at the far end of the palace, where Nocturne did her best to keep everyone calm with her soothing voice. 

By the end of it, they had added a whole new vault to the ceiling. Evergreen had the bright idea to use some of the stray columns, and after Ace determined that they weren’t actually load-bearing—with some more swearing directed at the palace’s poor design—they were able to build one more arch than was planned.

Looking around, Ace nodded in approval. “Ladies and gents, I believe we are now secure.”

“You heard him, everypony,” said Evergreen. “Job well done, eh?”

A huzzah sounded from the group of workers. Hoof bumps were exchanged, and gradually, the ponies filtered back toward the far end. Ace and Evergreen followed behind.

“Job well done indeed, Sergeant,” Ace said, looked at her. “Now we just see if it holds.”

“I wasn’t planning on sleeping tonight anyway. I’ll patrol the ceiling and keep an eye out for anything out of place.”

“Much appreciated. I’m not sleeping, either.”

Evergreen smirked, then turned toward the crowd. Nocturne was singing a slow, smooth lullaby. A number of ponies—especially the foals—had fallen asleep against one another.

"She's your marefriend, eh?"

He smiled. "Yeah. She certainly is. I hardly deserve her."

"Don't be selling yourself short now. Everything I've seen so far says you're a great guy."

"Thanks."

They were quiet for a moment.

"How about you?"

"Eh?"

"Is there a stallion in your life?"

For a split-second, her eyes went wide, but then she chuckled. "I'm afraid the job's already got me taken care of."

"That's a no, then?"

Her gaze broke from his, falling to the floor. “There's not much room for anypony else in my life. Ya spend a lotta time out in the woods as a Ranger.”

“So what about when you're not a Ranger? What about when you settle down?”

“I…” She paused. “I guess I haven't really thought aboot that. I don't know.”

The murmur of the surrounding crowd settled between the two of them. Ace shook his head. "Sorry. I just... well, I tend to pry into the details."

She looked back to him with a grin. "Oh, no problem. That's a good thing for an architect."

"I sure hope so." He held out a hoof. “Now, it might go without saying at this point, but have we made up for our first meeting?”

She took his hoof in hers and shook it. “It’s all sap under the tap now, yah.” She tilted her head, one ear flicking back and forth. “Huh. You hear that?”

He perked his own ears up. “No. What is it?”

“I think I hear the storm passin’.”





Dawn came clear and cold, and with it came rescue. Far above Vanhoover, Cloudsdale hovered like a great, benevolent beehive; pegasi swarmed from it, crisscrossing the heavens and clearing away the last few traces of snowy clouds. On the ground, Vanhoover police and Rangers directed ponies toward aid stations; a few had hot beverages to give to the crowd making its way out of the palace.

They'd taken a construction crane to the structure itself, which, ironically, had completely wrecked what remained of the entrance. Rather than try anything with finesse, they’d simply shoveled the debris out wholesale, leaving a jagged, gaping hole where the palace’s gleaming entrance had been. Aesthetics hardly mattered to those who had spent the howling night inside, however.

“Good to smell the clean, free air again, eh?” said Evergreen.

Ace yawned. “Good to be on our way to a safe and quiet sleep somewhere.”

“I don’t know what you two are talking about,” said Nocturne. “That was one of the most exciting nights I’ve had in a while.”

“Too exciting,” said Ace. “I am now far less envious of the foremen at our job sites.”

“And see? You learned something from all this. Win-win.”

“Any landing you walk away from…” said Evergreen.

Ace nodded. “So, Sergeant, what’s next for you?”

“Please, Mr. Artisan. Just call me Evergreen.”

“Well, Ms. Evergreen, what adventures await you now?”

“Me? I’m going to have a heck of a report to submit to my superiors aboot all a’ this. I don’t think I’ll be very kind to the Vanhoover weather team.”

“I don’t think I’ll be very kind to Mr. von Kartenhaus or his architectural work. In fact, I think I’ll write a full dissertation. ‘Effects of Body Heat and Blizzard Conditions on Under-Designed Ice Structures.’”

Nocturne coughed. “That might generate the wrong sort of attention, dear.”

“‘The Importance of Additional Overhead Supports in the Design and Construction of Ice Palaces?’”

“Try again.”

“‘Form Versus Function: a Qualified Analysis of the Utility of Ice in Large-Scale Construction?’”

She nodded. “Better.”

“Well, it sounds like you two have your own plans squared away,” said Evergreen. If you’re ever up in this neck of the woods, or better yet, in the actual woods, don’t hesitate to call on me.”

Ace shivered. “No offense, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”

Nocturne gave him a nudge. “We’d love to. Maybe next year’s Winterfest?”

Ace moaned. “Please, no.”

“Oh come on, Ace. They’ll probably erect an ice sculpture of you after all that’s happened.”

Evergreen chuckled. “It’d be Ranger endorsed, I can tell ya that.”

“Excuse me, Ma’am?”

The trio turned to the source of the voice. A lanky stallion with a long overcoat and a pencil behind his ear stood behind Evergreen. “Vanhoover Times. I’m looking for the architect. The one who saved everypony?”

Evergreen looked at Ace, smiling. He looked between her, the reporter, and Nocturne. His jaw hung open uncertainly.

Nocturne grinned and motioned with a flick of the hoof. “Well, there you go.”

With a confident smirk, Ace straightened up. “Yes,” he said, striding forward. “I’m the one you’re looking for.”

The reporter whipped out his pencil and notepad and began throwing question after question at him. He was soon joined by more reporters, all of them with notepads, cameras, and further inquiries. Ace smiled wide, answering each in turn, every now and then giving a humble shrug or two.

Evergreen chuckled. “He’s a good stallion. You really are lucky.”

Nocturne smiled. “I know.”

“I admit, I’m kinda jealous. You...” She looked away. “You two make a great couple.”

Nocturne looked at her for a moment, then gave her a warm smile. “Yes, we’re close. But that’s not the only way to be. After all, a lone tree puts down thicker roots, grows a tougher bark. The lone tree stands stronger on its own, provides a calm spot even in a storm, and that can be the first step in growing a whole forest.”

Evergreen stared at her.

Nocturne giggled. “Sorry, I tend to get wordy sometimes. It comes with being a singer.”

She grinned, shaking her head. “It’s no problem at all, Miss. It probably comes in handy.”

“It certainly lets me talk rings around Ace sometimes.” She looked toward him, where he was all but silhouetted by the camera flashes. “In fact, I’d better go and make sure he doesn’t start yelling at some impertinent question.”

Evergreen waved her on. “Don’t let me stop ya.”

With a final, friendly nod, Nocturne sauntered up to Ace. Evergreen watched as she put her hoof on his shoulder, and as they exchanged a deep look and warm smiles. Then they turned back to throng of reporters.

She watched them for a long moment—how they leaned on each other, the shared glances, the mist of their breath mingling in the air. Then her gaze left the pair and turned skyward. The sky was brightening, the pale blue shining unhindered, save for one cloud hanging in its own little corner of the heavens, a pointed triangle of white in the vast expanse.

The lone, strong tree, eh? That sounded okay to her.