Freezing Alone
“So, Pinkie Pie,darling, what are you going to die for Hearth Warming’s eve?” Rarity asked curiously. They were in Sugarcube corner. Pinkie Pie’s pink mane shifted slightly as she turned to face her friend.
“Well I was going to throw a party, but everyone I invited didn’t want to go, or couldn’t go...” Her voice drifted of as she adopted a strange glazed look over her eyes. Before Rarity could do or say anything Pinkie’s eyes cleared and she asked, “do you want to go?” A curious tone underscoring her voice.
“Um, well darling, the holiday season is very busy for me...” Rarity said but stopped as she saw Pinkie’s eyes glance downwards at the floor. A uncharacteristic frown appearing on her face. A small blow of wind shifted Pinkie’s mane again as Rarity sighed. “Fine, I guess I’ll be there,” Rarity said.
Instantly pinkie’s face lit up and she smiled brightly. “This will be super duper funtacular!” Pinkie Pie shouted into Rarity’s face causing her to cringe slightly at the increase in volume.
“I’m sure it will be,” Rarity said slightly hesitant.
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“My heavens,” Rarity said to herself. A loud clacking coming from her mouth as her teeth chattered. It was freezing outside and snow was falling lightly. Finally losing her calm Rarity began to run towards Sugarcube corner. It was to cold just to walk, and she and decided not to die today.
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“Holy cow, it’s cold out there!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she opened the door to allow Rarity in.
“Yes, it is,” Rarity confirmed as she looked around the empty shop.
“Ya, the cakes are out of town, I think they said Manehatten, I wasn’t paying attention.” Pinkie Pie explained”
“Ahh,” Rarity said as her pulse jumped for no apparent reason at the news.
‘It must be my body trying to warm me, I guess...’ Rarity thought convincingly.
“Well, don’t just stand there, let’s get this party started!” Pinkie Pie shouted at her friend before walking over to a black machine. With a delicate touch of her hoof, music started loudly out of the speakers.
‘This is going to be akward,’ Rarity thought about the party of two ponies.
“Oh yeah and by the way, Applejack made it to!” Pinkie shouted over the music.
From around the corner the working earth pony emerged and blushed slightly at Pinkie Pie mentioning her name For no justifiable reason, Rarity’s heart began to pound loudly again, only this time in rage.
Rarity walked up to Applejack and kindly smiled saying, “It’s nice that we won’t be alone then is it not?”
Applejack nodded lazily, lost in some distant thought before answering, “huh? Oh, ya.”
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Hours began to pass quickly and mostly Applejack and Rarity stayed out of each others way, but every so and then they would but heads for Pinkie’s attention. Yet neither of them had a clue why they wanted her attention so badly. Whenever they tried to explain it to her all that came out was a deep sigh. They couldn’t put their feelings into words.
Slowly the party began to wind down before finally it was time to depart.
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“Oh, I had so much fun darling, we should do this again sometime!” Rarity said, a bright smile on her face before she opened the door.
The door swung inwards loudly causing Rarity to jump back in surprise as a wall of white met her. The previously calm snowflurry had turned into a wall of rapidly falling snow. So strongly blowing that it blew into the house before Rarity regained her concentration and shut the door.
The door had only been open for about three seconds, but the floor was already covered in slippery wet snow.
“Um, Pinkie can I stay the night?” Rarity asked hopefully.
“Of course silly! you to Applejack!” she said kindly.
“Thank you,” Applejack and Rarity said in unity before looking each other in the eyes. Applejack gestured with her head indicating to Rarity to follow.
The two ponies walked until they were upstairs as Pinkie Pie went into the kitchen. “Ok, I want to know, what are you doing?” Applejack asked angrily.
“I was invited to a party and I’m staying the, “Rarity began but she was cut off by Applejack.
“No, I meant why are you trying to get her attention so much?” the tough earth pony explained.
“Well, same reason as you I guess,” Rarity said. “I know this may sound crazy but, I think I like Pinkie.”
“Well of course you like Pinkie, everyone does!” Applejack said laughing slightly.
“No I mean like her, as in... never mind, you wouldn’t understand,” Rarity said exasperated from trying to explain her feelings.
“I do know what you mean, and I think, I might feel the same way about you,” she said as Rarity looked at her. A desperate look in her eyes as she hoped Rarity would accept her.
Rarity stayed silent for a long time before saying, “I’m sorry darling, I... I’m confused, I, I’m going to go have some food...” Rarity said quickly making up an excuse and leaving the devestated earth pony behind her.
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After a quick dinner Pinkie had made Pinkie Pie asked, “Hey, where’s Applejack?”
“Um,” Rarity stuttered, she couldn’t tell Pinkie what happened, “she’s upstairs I think, probably sleeping.”
“Huh, I didn’t think Applejack ever got tired,” Pinkie said amused.
“Ya,” Rarity agreed as she laughed slightly, her mind to preoccupied with Applejacks hurt face to actually respond.
‘That pain, no one should ever have to go through that, but how can I fix it, when I don’t feel the same?’ Rarity thought to herself.
“Hey, you miss me?” Applejack asked Pinkie Pie as she walked down the stairs.
“Tons!” Pinkie Pie said still laughing as she usually did.
Applejack’s face had a kind smile and looked fun, but Rarity saw beneath it. She was in pain, unimaginable pain. She had to fix it now. Rarity walked up to Applejack and whispered, “I’m sorry, I don’t feel the same, don’t worry you won’t see me again.”
Rarity began walking slowly towards the front door only to feel a hoof land on her shoulder. The hoof was strong and spun her around to face Applejack only two hoof-steps away. She waited there not willing to really do anything but hoping Rarity might.
Pinkie Pie looked curiously at the two ponies and asked concerned, “is everything okey-dokey?”
There was a strange silence that pervaded the air before finally Rarity looked at Pinkie pie and said, “No, I hurt Applejack, but I won’t hurt her anymore.”
Rarity looked at Applejack and leaned inwards. Lightning shot through Applejacks body as Rarity kissed her kindly. Their lips touched for a second before Rarity backed off.
“But, I thought you didn’t like me that way...” Applejack stuttered as Pinkie Pie looked on in shock.
“I don’t, that was a goodbye,” Rarity said before she turned her back on the two shocked ponies.
Her horn glowed slightly as the door swung inwards easily, Her horn continued to glow as a small bubble of air formed around her, allowing her into the daunting wall of snow. The door slammed shut behind her and she began to run through the blizzard.
“Never again will I hurt anypony that way again,” Rarity shouted into the blistering cold, and gusting wind. But soon the adrenaline began to run out as did her magic.
With a shock Rarity knew she had made a terrible mistake and quickly turned around, but her trail was gone. The snow already covering it and shifting around her, all she could see was white.
A large gust blew against her air bubble and finally causing it to disappear. She had no clue how strong the wind was before as it blew her to the ground, the snow shifting underneath her like sand.
Rarity struggled to get onto her hooves as she yelled out into the violent storm for anypony’s help. But it was useless, a particularly violent gust blew her into something hard and everything went black.
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Rarity’s eyes fluttered slightly as she woke up.
‘Where am I?’ she thought panicked. Her eyes quickly adjusted to an unfamiliar scene, a large forest completely covered in snow. As the truth crashed down on her she jumped up; she was lost, in a blizzard, and her friend probably hated her.
‘Why did I do that?’ Rarity asked herself as she reviewed the events over the past 24 hours. ‘I hurt Pinkie, even if I don’t love her, is that any excuse?’
Rarity put the issue out of her mind for the moment as she struggled to her hooves against the wind. Her first priority was survival. She looked around but everything was completely white, no indication of which way was which. So she decided to go with the wind down a winding path.
Her hooves were slowly freezing, her coat covered in ice as the snow melted and then refroze into ice. If it wasn’t for the life threatening conditions she struggled against, Rarity would have stopped and looked at the magnificent shine coming of her coat. But for now she would have to keep pushing forward.
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Pinkie and Applejack’s hooves struck the snow quickly as they ran towards the forest. They saw what happened to Rarity and knew something had dragged her into the forest, no wind was strong enough to do that on its own.
A few minutes ago Pinkie and Applejack had stood in silence as one of their best friends disappeared out the door and fell unconscious before their eyes. A quick glance at each other told them they were thinking the same thing, they needed to find Rarity.
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Applejack’s flashback was interrupted as Pinkie shouted over the blizzard, “What was that about anyways?”
Applejack would have blushed if it was not for the freezing winds and snow buffeting her body. She replied loudly, “I said some things that I shouldn’t have!” Luckily Pinkie let it rest for the moment as they finally came into the Everfree forest.
They had expected some relief from the cold and wind once they entered the forest but they found it only picked up. “How is that even possible!” Applejack shouted to the whited out sky.
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Rarity stopped walking as she heard a sound in the distance, it sounded like Applejack. “Over here help me please!” Rarity shouted over the wind, forgetting about her usual fancy self.
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Luckily Applejack heard the cry and ran towards the source. Pinkie Pie followed close behind. The snow and wind only grew stronger, almost as if trying to keep them apart.
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Not knowing how close her friends were Rarity sat down on the freezing cold, snow covered grass. The air stung as she took a deep breath in, and released it slowly. A small amount of fog floated in front of her before disappearing.
‘Why did I have to do that? Why did I ruin my life like I did, but not only mine, but Applejacks too... All of my friends must be worried sick, and they might never see me again. All because I couldn’t accept a good friends feelings. But why couldn’t I is the question, why was I so selfish. It’s not like she asked me to marry her, she just wanted a bit of affection.’ Rarity continued to ponder as her friends got closer and closer.
“In fact, it might have not been so bad, I should never have just shot her down like that.” Rarity said, not noticing the change from her thoughts to her words.
“Why didn’t you try then?” a voice rang out over the storm.
Rarity’s heart almost skipped a beat as she turned around only to be face to face with Applejack. All of the previous awkwardness had disappeared, she was just so happy to see her friend. But before Rarity could say anything Applejack closed the small distance left in between them and kissed Rarity straight on the lips. Quickly Rarity began to blush as she drew back from the sudden intimacy, only to see Pinkie Pie behind Applejack.
The snow gave way under Rarity’s hooves as she sidestepped Applejack and walked over to Pinkie Pie. “I’m not sure how to say this... but I think I love you.” Rarity said, her cheeks resembling oranges.
Pinkie kept smiling as she said, “I’m sorry, but I really don’t feel the same.”
A knife dug itself into Rarity’s heart, twisting and burning its way deeper. A tear came to her eye, as it struck the snow it was joined by another. But this second tear wasn’t hers, it was Applejacks tear.
She had never seen Applejack cry before, not a single time. “I’m sorry Applejack,” Rarity whispered as their heads touched, both crying. “You’re right, I should have given it a chance, and if you want, I will give you a chance.”
Applejack looked up, tears continuing to flow. Her lips quivered slightly as she searched for the right words, none came forward. After a few seconds Applejack smiled slightly and embraced Rarity.
Rarity had expected this and thought it would be awkward embracing one of her best friends like that, but it felt good. It wasn’t awkward, it was simply wonderful and natural. Almost as if they were made for each other.
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They had finally arrived back at Sugarcube Corner, and were out of the blizzard. Once they had released each other from the hug the blizzard quickly disappeared, leaving them a clear way out of the forest.
“Well, now that the snow is gone why don’t we all go home?” Applejack asked sincerely.
“If it’s okay with you darling, I would rather walk home with you,” Rarity said smiling slightly.
“Sure,” Applejack said before another tear came to her eye. It was a tear of happiness.
The two ponies began to walk down the path towards Sweet-Apple Acre’s, their heads touching softly.