A trip home had told Penny that Silver was not there, and thus, she and her sister Pearl decided to go out and find him. So, they returned to the town square, so that Penny could show Pearl what had happened to the stand. Pearl jumped upon seeing the burnt table, illuminated by the street light that had turned on in the dimming daylight and blinked, imagining the fire that had taken place there.
"Yowza, no wonder he ran off," Pearl said.
Penny sighed. "I wonder if I was being too harsh on him."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Pearl said, rolling her eyes. "I mean, he obviously overreacted to you just telling him to go home. He did make Goldie sick after all, to say nothing of starting a fire."
Penny walked forward to the table. "The fire was an accident. He got emotional and kicked the stool, knocking over the tiki torch in the process."
Pearl followed her until they arrived at the table. She brushed her hoof on the charred wood and looked at the ashes that stuck to her hoof. "It's just a stand for selling hot chocolate. He didn't have to act the way he did."
"It wasn't just that, nor was it just a continuation of the family tradition..." Penny looked at the stoves surrounding the, and then gazed up at the sky. "It was his way of keeping our father close."
Pearl turned to Penny and blinked. Gazing downward, she said, "...oh."
Penny turned to her. "He really misses Pop."
Pearl nodded. "Don't we all? I know I miss playing Tooth Fairy with him. It didn't feel right taking a tooth from under Goldie's pillow last week, because he wasn't there. And polishing my tooth collection felt incomplete without him joking about it being a beautiful smile or how he wished he could get his teeth to be that white."
Penny wiped her eyes. "I miss our walks on the beach... how we'd talk about what I'd learn in school, how funny you guys are, and how I've been turning the heads of all the colts in town. I hid his special ties in my room; I plan on wearing them in the future... the lucky green one, the fancy gold one for special occasions, and the white one especially, for when I get married."
Pearl wiped her hoof on the snow. "I wonder if Silver is trying to live up to the nickname Dad gave him."
Then, a soft voice piped up, "What is that nickname?"
The girls turned to see Coco Pommel at the table, blinking at them with wide, doleful eyes. They stared at each other for a minute, the silence only permeated with their breaths and the rest of the festival-goers ignoring the corner of the square where they stood.
Finally, Penny answered, "'Champ.'"
Coco nodded. "That's a great nickname. It sounds like your dad was an amazing pony."
"Oh, he was," Pearl said. "Though you wouldn't believe our brother was his son; Silver's kind of... uh... awkward. Pop was not. Still, Pop made sure to make Silver feel like he was important to someone...like he was a winner, and that there'd always be someone for him to turn to when everyone else decided to pick on him. Silver was absolutely shattered when Pop died."
Coco nodded. "Oh. I see. So... is he at your guys' house?"
Penny shook her head. "He went elsewhere."
"Oh. Well, uh... can I help look for him? I wanna see if he's okay."
"If you wish; just let your mother know." Penny scratched her chin. "Though, I have a guess on where he is."
On the outskirts of town, there was a cemetery. Bearing gravestones of every shape and size, serving as memorials to those who have passed on, the combination of snow and moonlight made it eerily beautiful. The gradual rise of the white hill sparkled like the stars above, and there was a sense of peace in the field. Under the darkness of Nightmare Night, the graveyard would have been creepy; but the snow seemed to have made it warmer and more inviting.
"A graveyard?" Coco asked.
Pearl turned to her. "Well, we did say Pop's dead; we figured that Silver would probably visit his grave."
Penny nodded. "Now, if he's here, he can't be that hard to find."
"Unless he's hiding under the snow," Pearl deadpanned.
Penny rolled her eyes, and the three girls went out into the cemetery, the snow crunching under their hooves. They weaved between the gravestones, making their way up the rise. Coco casually glanced at each of the names and cutie marks on the gravestones, briefly wondering what their lives were like and how their families missed them. One such gravestone was a small foal that died recently, which saddened her, for they hadn't lived long enough for one last Hearth's Warming. Much like Silver's Pop.
"There's Pop's grave," Pearl said, pointing further up the hill.
Coco looked up, and she beheld a gravestone. Carved in the stone, there was an emblem, resembling a shield with a big M in the center. She knew instantly that it was the cutie mark of their father, and she couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like to meet him.
They arrived at the grave, and she read the name under the symbol: Noble Metal. She tilted her head curiously, wondering how much he fit his name. Was he really as noble as his name said?
She turned around, and saw that the hill was high enough for a view of the ocean on the other side of town. The moon provided a white streak on the dark water, while the lighthouse shone below, being a beacon in the cold night. Coco's breaths puffed out in cloudy wisps as she stared out, taking in the view.
Pearl looked around. "Well, we're at Pop's grave; where's Silver?"
Coco turned to a tree, and she saw a tuft of dark gray hair and pair of blue eyes peeking out from behind it before hiding again. She tugged on Penny's vest and pointed, saying, "I think he's right there."
From behind the tree, someone choked, "Eh, uh, n-no he's-- no, he's not."
Penny and Pearl turned to the tree, and then looked at each other. Then, Pearl said, "It's okay, you can come out from behind the tree."
"Ple... please... just leave me alone."
Penny then said, "Silver, we don't want you to catch your death out here."
"Let me catch it. I'll join Pop, and you don't have to deal with the family embarrassment anymore."
Penny sighed. "Please don't bring us any more pain. Losing Pop was bad enough... we don't want to lose our brother before we even have Hearth's Warming."
Silver sneezed. "Just let me freeze. I was such a doofus back there, and I shouldn't have argued. I'm not worth your pity."
Without skipping a beat, Coco walked to the tree where Silver sat, going around to see him behind it. She blinked at the sight of him shivering, his hat and scarf not enough to protect him from the chilly night. Without saying a word, she took off her coat, revealing a pink sweater, and then put it on his shoulders. That made Silver stop shivering, blink in surprise, and then turn to her with a confused look.
"I don't like seeing ponies shiver like that," she said. "I'll be fine without it."
Silver blinked, and then twiddled his hooves. "W-w-why are you here? Don't you--" He coughed and wiped his nose. "D-don't you have better things to do than search for some awkward idiot that you barely know?"
"I just want to see if you're okay. You looked upset and scared back there."
Silver turned away and pouted. "I'm not worth your pity either."
Penny and Pearl came around to his side of the tree, and sat down. The former then said, "Silver... don't disregard your new friend like that. She's really concerned about you."
Silver raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I thought she just liked the hot cocoa."
"Well, it is good," Coco said, blushing. "But I found it a lot of fun talking to you as I waited for you to finish stirring, and you're kind of funny. It made me sad to see how upset you were about what happened with the fire back in town square. Your sisters say you missing your dad was part of the reason it happened. Is it?"
Silver looked down at the ground for a moment, and nodded.
"Is it... okay to ask what happened?"
Silver turned to the ocean in the distance. Staring at the lighthouse, he said, "It was Nightmare Night. There was a Haunted Lighthouse activity for the foals. It went well at first, with us getting candy as prizes for being brave in each room. But... then a storm happened, and we were on lockdown, hearing the waves crashing against the building. Not only was I scared for my life and Goldie's, I had no idea where Pop was. When it was over, I learned that he had been outside. He was struck by a big wave."
Penny added, with a slight growl to her voice, "Some of my classmates who are pegasi decided to make the lighthouse more scary by adding storm clouds. They didn't quite make the connection between wind and waves until it was too late. Their actions could have killed more ponies if the lighthouse keepers weren't fast thinkers."
Pearl nodded. "At least the punks are being punished now."
Silver stood up, and walked around the tree, and straight to the grave. Putting his forehead and a hoof on the stone, he breathed heavily. Tears seeped out of his eyes and dropped onto the snow. Sniffling, he choked out, "I-it's not fair! I thought he'd be there when I finally get my cutie mark! Or when Goldie gets hers! Or see all of us grow up! Or at least be here to serve cocoa instead of stupid, lame, awkward me! But... that... stupid... storm!"
His sisters were behind him in an instant, and he turned around and threw himself at Penny, who hugged him tightly. She patted his back, and let Pearl lean in and give him a back rub as well. They were still, with only Silver's soft sobs piercing the frigid air. The group of siblings were huddled together, with little Coco Pommel watching.
Brushing her hoof on the snow, she felt that she shouldn't intrude on the family group hug, but wanted to somehow make Silver feel better. She rubbed her chin, wondering what she could do. Seeing the snow around her, an idea crept into her head. She made a snowball, and started to roll it on the ground.
Meanwhile, a still tearful Silver looked up at Penny, and said, "I'm sorry for arguing with you. I shoulda just told you the recipe."
Penny patted his back. "Don't worry about it. We all get set off from time to time; I wasn't in best form either."
Silver sighed. "It wouldn't have happened if Pop was here. He'd hate to see us fight."
Pearl then added, "He'd prefer hugs." She looked up and tilted her head curiously. "Coco, did you build that?"
Silver turned, and blinked at the sight. Right by Pop's grave, Coco had built a snowpony resembling a large stallion. Breaking out of Penny's grip, he approached the snowpony, gaping at it in awe. He leaned to the side to see its flank, where the exact emblem on the grave was etched. He glanced at Coco, who was kicking at the snow.
With a smile, Coco asked, "So... any details I missed?"
Silver stared for a moment, and then cleared his throat. "He had a mustache." Then, he took off his scarf, and then tied it around the snowpony's neck in a way that resembled a necktie. "And he wore a tie."
Coco dug through the snow, ripped some blades of grass from the ground, and then patted them on the muzzle. "Like that?"
Silver nodded. "Exactly."
He smiled at the snowman for a moment before his face fell. With a single sniff, he trotted forward and hugged the snowpony. Pressing his cheek against the cold sculpture, he whispered, "I miss you," before breaking the hug. Then, he turned to Coco, and said, "Thanks for building it."
Finally, after a few seconds more of staring at the snowpony in the moonlight, he turned to his sisters and said, "I'm ready to go home now."
Coco's mother had told Penny and Pearl that they were to bring Coco back to her cousin's home, just across the road from their house. They brought her back to the house, and Silver returned her jacket.
"You didn't have to come with us," Pearl said as Coco put the jacket back on.
"I told you, I wanted to see if he was okay," Coco replied.
"Well, he's all right," Penny said, with a small smile. "It was nice of you to lend your jacket to him."
Silver chuckled nervously. "I guess I need my own. Anyway... uh, maybe, we could, uh, go play in the park while you're still here? Unless, of course, you've got other plans..."
Coco beamed. "Sure, I'd like that. I'd like to see how you play in the snow."
The door of the house opened, and Winter Mist yelled, "Come on, Coco! You've been out for a long time! Get inside before you catch a cold!"
Coco glanced at her cousin, and then back at Silver. With a little smile, she waved. "See you later." With that, she turned and ran inside the house, and her cousin gave them a sour look before slamming the door.
Silver sighed. "She's so sweet. I think Pop would like her."
He and his sisters turned around. Prancing happily across the street, he said aloud, "Yanno, I kinda want to give her a present. A nice present, but not expensive, and something she'd like. After all, Hearth's Warming is just around the corner so I might as well give her something."
"What are you going to give her?" Pearl asked.
Silver bit his lip. "Eeeugh..." Scratching his chin, he tried to recall any of the conversations they had earlier that day. What would he give her?
Cocoa? No, wait, he already did that a few times.
Ice? Too cold.
A carriage? She was too small to pull it, and it most likely cost a lot of money.
Seaweed? Ew, no.
Finally, he got an idea that he deemed good enough. With a smile, he shouted, "Aha! I've got it!"
Before either Penny or Pearl could ask, he started to sprint toward the house. Jumping in alarm, Pearl shouted, "Wait, Silver, ice!"
Before he knew it, Silver found himself slipping across the road and straight to the front door. He screamed as he slid on forward, and then collided with the door. Pearl cringed, while Penny gave a small grimace.
Silver peeled off the door and onto the ground. With a goofy laugh, he said, "Oopsy, I slipped... on ice."
The girls looked at each other and shook their heads. Then, out of nowhere, Pearl asked, "So, uh... what are we going to do about the burnt table?"