Nueva-Delhi and the Snow Catastrophe

by oranzinispegasas

1.Friend's gift

The wheels clattered as the train moved along. Outside, a snowy landscape slowly passed by. Single snowflakes twirled in the sky, rhythmically descending onto the white fields. Trees swayed in the light wind, occasionally brushing the window with their bare, crooked branches.

Nueva-Delhi gazed out the window, resting her head against her hoof. A cup of morning coffee sat on the table beside her. Next to the cup lay a half-eaten cookie. Nueva-Delhi glanced at it, sighed, and then turned her gaze back to the window.

Across from her sat an elderly horse with dark gray fur and a long white beard. He stubbornly held onto his favorite cane with a golden star-shaped knob at the end of it. Occasionally, out of boredom, he would tap it on the floor, causing Nueva-Delhi slight irritation, though she tried not to show it.

The compartment neighbor watched the young mare attentively, his eyes fixed on her for minutes without wavering. Nueva-Delhi thought he might want to ask something — she couldn't think of any other reason for such a look. She turned to him.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

The old horse cleared his throat.

"Are you also heading to Frosty?" he inquired.

Nueva-Delhi turned to face him fully and looked at him closely.

"Yes," she replied. "Exactly there."

The old horse smiled.

"How fortunate," he said. "All because of the bicentennial of the famous Snowflake factory?"

Nueva-Delhi smiled back and glanced away.

"No," she said. "I wasn't aware of this significant date."

"How is that possible?" the old horse exclaimed in surprise. "To travel to the city and not know exactly when you're going?"

In reality, Nueva-Delhi had no plans to go anywhere at all. But just before New Year's, her friend Meladonia gave her tickets for a tour of the "Snowflake" winter factory. More precisely, Meladonia paid for the entire trip. You might wonder why Meladonia didn't go herself?

In fact, according to Meladonia herself, she received the voucher from an acquaintance living in Frosty. But the thing is, Meladonia couldn't go on the tour. She had already made plans with her family for the holiday. Besides, Meladonia wasn't one of those mares who enjoyed trips. So the tickets became a gift for Nueva-Delhi, who had no objections to traveling during the holidays. She had no plans of her own.

"I..." Nueva-Delhi hesitated. "I received the tickets as a gift, and my friend didn't bother to explain anything to me. So what? Is it true that this factory is already two hundred years old?"

"Yes," nodded the old horse. "A round anniversary," he drew a circle with his hoof in the air.

Nueva-Delhi chuckled.

"To be honest, I know nothing about this factory," she admitted.

"No big deal," the old horse waved off. "Many people don't know about the existence of this factory. I just have a granddaughter working there. That's why I'm going to visit her. I can't miss such a day."

"Absolutely," nodded Nueva-Delhi with a smile.

"In fact, it's a very interesting place," observed the old horse. "It has a special atmosphere, and there's even some mystery about it," he looked up at the ceiling for a few seconds, then shook his head. "But I won't spoil it for you. You'll see everything for yourselves."

"Oh, you won't tell us anything at all?" Nueva-Delhi said disappointedly.

The old horse smirked cunningly.

"The first impression is the most important," he remarked. "And everything else is just... an addition. By the way, who are you?"

"Oh, right," Nueva-Delhi slapped her forehead. "We haven't even introduced ourselves. I'm Nueva-Delhi Wallen-Delamot."

"You can just call me Frankl," the old horse replied. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," said Nueva-Delhi.

Frankl looked into Nueva-Delhi's eyes intently. She glanced around nervously. His suspicious gaze unsettled her.

"For some reason, your name seems familiar to me," he observed. "Are we perhaps acquainted with your father?"

Nueva-Delhi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"It's quite possible you've heard of him," she said. "He's one of the famous detectives."

"Ah," exclaimed Frankl. "Of course! Gustav Wallen-Delamot! Of course, I've heard of him! But it just completely slipped my mind. I'm getting old."

"Yes, he's my father," Nueva-Delhi smiled.

"I first heard about him from 'The Case at the Cargo Pier,'" said Frankl. "A very grand case! And your father — a genius. An incredible horse."

"Yes," nodded Nueva-Delhi.

Frankl remained silent for a while, then suddenly said:

"But why are we still talking about your father? We wanted to talk about you."

"What is there to say about me?" Nueva-Delhi remarked. "I haven't done anything in my life that would be worth your attention. I'm just a student."

"Don't be like that," Frankl objected. "To be an interesting horse, you don't have to accomplish some grand event. Although I believe you'll prove yourself."

Nueva-Delhi blushed slightly.

"Thank you," she replied.

The train gradually slowed down. The wheels creaked. Frankl and Nueva-Delhi both glanced out the window simultaneously.

"Here we are," Frankl said with a satisfied smile and tapped the floor again with his cane.

***

Nueva-Delhi wasn't alone. She arrived in the city with three other tourists. There was the cheerful pink horse, Mila, the cold and indifferent cat, Rita, and the tall, strong, but somewhat dull-witted black horse, Alen. They all received the same vouchers as Nueva-Delhi. Their mutual acquaintance expressed a desire for them not to separate so they wouldn't lose each other.

Now they stood on the platform, waiting for the horse who had given them all the vouchers.

After a few minutes, she finally appeared.

"Sorry," she exclaimed, putting a hoof to her chest. She needed a moment to catch her breath after the quick run. The horse's coat was dark blue, and her mane was white. She was short and quite plump. She wore a ridiculous, tasteless woolen scarf around her neck.

"Sorry," she repeated. "If Richard hadn't delayed me, I would have been on time. So..." She looked over those present. "Mila, Rita, and Alen. And you," she pointed a hoof at Nueva-Delhi, "must be Meladonia's friend?"

"I'm Nueva-Delhi," the horse introduced herself.

"I'm Jessica," the conductor replied with a smile. "Nice to meet you. Let's go, standing around here doesn't help anyone."

She headed towards a large building with transparent walls made entirely of windows. The others followed her.

***

They walked through the huge train station building and emerged outside. A small town awaited them. Tiny low houses with white snow caps dotted the landscape. Garlands and various decorations hung everywhere. In the center of town stood a large stage with a huge banner overhead reading, "Our 'Snowflake' turns two hundred!"

They strolled leisurely along the street. The locals greeted them warmly and waved their hooves. Nueva-Delhi smiled back at them. Frankl was right. There was indeed a wonderful atmosphere here.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Does this story have anything to do with Rainbow Dash and her attempt to stop winter from coming?

[oranzinispegasas]

11847770
Sadly, no