Winters' Wanderings

by JediShy

Chapter 1

Comet Tail and Honey Leaf stood over their young colt with frowns that often creased their muzzles. Yet another winter had come and yet another disaster at the hooves of their son. They loved the colt but he just always managed to over do it when it came to winter. But this year took the cake. He had caused a four hour backup on on 5^th avenue in Manehatten. He had put his headphones in and was bouncing cloud to cloud to his music in too small an area.

This caused a blizzard like pile up when the weather leaders orders were only for a light dusting. Half of their colleges in the upper crust of Manehatten had been calling on them on and off all day to express their condolences at the expense this would cause them. If not in bits then to their reputation. They were two of the most respected botanist and astronomers in their fields. They had worked hard to gain this reputation and an unruly colt was unraveling it all with his inability to control his enthusiasm for winter.

“ But Mom...Dad I just lost track of where I was supposed to be. I didn't hear the call to move on.... I didn't mean for this to hap...”

“ You didn't mean to... Yes that is what you always say son.”

Comet Tail looked down at the colt sternly his voice only slightly elevated but his disappointment and disapproval fell from every word like this winters snow.

“ You didn't mean to cause three of the weather patrol to crash into you with your “practice” your first winter of training. You didn't mean for your antics to cause an ice storm instead of a light snow last winter either did you? Now, this. Son, we love you but you will not be allowed to go out with the weather patrol for the rest of this winter. You will aid in the cleanup and start your training again next spring. Is that clear?”

Honey Leaf took no joy in denying the colt something he loved dearly but they could not keep allowing such disasters to impact their reputations. Winter Bolt ran for his room slamming the door with a crack...

Sitting upright with a gasp under his wool blanket a much older looking Winter Bolt was breathing heavily. He hated that dream. He hated remembering that night. His relationship with his family had never been the same since that winter. It was the year he got his cutie mark and in his mind lost much of his family.

He had started to wander farther from home to practice that year. After he was of age he started wandering farther and coming home less often under the guise of trying to find work that called to him. He had at this point not been home in over a year and a half. He sent cards and letters but that was about it. Worse was the fact that his parents never made a big deal out of it. It was like they were glad to have him gone.

The last time he had been home it was to mourn the passing of his elderly uncle Spring Step that had given him his treasured sapphire necklace the day he got his cutie mark. Funny it had only been a few days after he was grounded from weather patrol training that he got his mark making it snow for some foals that wanted a snowball fight. It was that day that he realized he wanted to bring the joys of winter to everypony. His uncle had been the only one to understand.... so now what was the point of returning?

Sighing he got to his hooves and shook out his blanket. Repacking everything into his two well-worn saddle bags. He covers his fire-pit with water and earth before grabbing his bags and taking flight. The cool dawn air washed his troubles away as it so often did when he fled the stuff atmosphere of his parents' house.

He had roamed from Manehatten to Canterlot and almost every town in between. Everywhere he went he searched for a home that he never found as a colt. But every time he managed to mess something up. He just always overdid things trying to be helpful especially if it was with anything winter related. So he fled. Time and again he would take wing and be gone before they could tell him to leave. Or at least that is what he thought. If he had stayed reality would have told a very different tale of what other ponies thought about him.

He was always so eager to please that he was generally well received by everypony he met. Yet before they could tell him that things were ok, that they understand that it was just a mistake he would be gone. Like a snowflake on hot cobblestone he would vanish a silently as he blew into town. Most often leaving ponies missing him in the wake of his departure.

Across half of Equestria there were ponies that would speak Winter Bolt's name with an aura of sadness missing the bright young pony that had tried so hard to make friends but couldn't see that he had succeeded. So worried that people would view him as he felt is parents did he wandered from town to town and city to city afraid to give other ponies the chance he so desperately wanted from them.

The consistent travel and taking random work whenever he was low on bits had given Winter Bolt a lot of stamina and a wide set of skills. He had bucked apples in Appleloosa, trained with the weather patrol in Manehatten, and even helped as a package courier for a short time in Canterlot. But he never stayed.

If he had gained half the wisdom he should from his travels he would have seen how popular all his lending a hoof had made him. But blinded by his own fears he just flew on. The skies of Equestria were more a home to him than any city or town ever felt. They did not judge. The did not yell, well unless you count thunder created by other Pegasi. They just let him be and he respected that.

On and on he flew missing breakfast and lunch. He flew trying to escape the dream and all that it reminded him of. He honestly never felt this desperate before. But then he realized what it was. He had always had his uncle to write to before. He had always been able to head home and stay with him if he ever really needed to feel safe. But he was gone. Worse this was the first winter that he would not be able to celebrate the first snowfall with him.

The shock of this realization almost knocked the Pegasus out of the air. He tumbled and twisted trying to regain his balance but it seemed impossible. His physical spiral matched the mental turmoil he now felt and he couldn't shake it.

Tears stinging his face he managed to turn the spiral into a semi-controlled dive. He tried hard to ensure that he landed in a somewhat dignified manner but that was just not in the cards. He saw a field of apple trees ahead and it looked as good a place as any to try to land before he hurt himself.

Landing with a thump and crashing snoot first into one of the many apple trees he added insult to this injury by scattering his left saddlebags contents all around him. Grumbling he started to pick up his belongings and pulled out his map. Funny in all his travels he had never stopped here. Poneyville..