The Misadventures of Ponified Friends
Chapter 15: The Winter Screw-Up (Winter Wrap-Up)
(Blast's POV)
Staying up all night, with a steaming, hot cup of coffee and some chips and chocolate by my side, cramming my brains out for the exams till the break of dawn in the same day it was going to be held was one of those moments I missed back on Earth.
To make sure that I was more than a hundred percent ready for the test Celestia would be giving me tomorrow, I woke up extra early to re-read the Book of Basic Equinology and Rules of Pegasi Aerodynamics. Somewhere around 2 a.m., maybe?
For a moment, I contemplated that doing this was a mistake since today was Winter Wrap-Up. It's a tradition here in Ponyville where the citizens themselves thaw out the winter season because spring will occur exactly the day after. Like most things, this would be our first time participating in such an event, and I couldn't imagine the hard work we all must do. Thank goodness for our unique pony abilities.
Huh… it's been eight months since my visit in the royal palace. No monsters, no natural disasters, to put it shortly there were no mishaps and trouble since the Parasprite incident.
It took me a long while to get over the fact that some evil force wants us dead, even going far as to completely lay waste on Earth and made it uninhabitable for the three of us. When the time finally came for me to tell Lemuel and Hassan about it, I already felt that I would hear and see different feedback.
Ugh, where do I even begin?
The first reaction I received was a long sullen silence, their faces staring back at me as their minds tried to process what I told them. Then, from out of nowhere, Lemuel began cheering that it was so cool and awesome. He rambled on and on about like we were some sort of superheroes, where I believe he said "Chosen Ones" or something along those lines when I mentioned the 'Being' brought us here in this world. Look, I'm no comic book hero fanatic like Lemuel is, but I'm not going to let that possibility pass no matter how ridiculous that sounded.
On the other hand, Hassan continued to stare blankly into the wall, though his eyes had widened this time. A few seconds later, he passed out. It was a rough day for him that time, where he lacked sleep, got worked up and tired, got bitten all over by Parasprites and then the news about our condition. I couldn't blame him that he can't take it all in a day and I would absolutely pass out in exhaustion myself.
With that, I'm so glad that I got one good thing going for me.
The perk of having a scholarship from the Princess was that I don't have to rely on Lemuel and Hassan financially anymore somehow. The money was big enough to rent a place of our own and still have something left over for the next couple of weeks. I am not a big spender, so I decided to open up a bank account and deposit half of my allowances.
I've got to tell you, paperwork was insanely easy. With the help of Celestia, of course
Additionally, I gained access to tons of more books; maybe even triple the amount of what we had in Golden Oak. Sure, I had to get it all the way from Canterlot, but I could always hire someone to deliver it for me.
Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity to reach the goal that was the only reason I wanted to study under Celestia, but I'll save that part for later.
There was a sound of knocking in the front door. It opened and there enters Twilight, a smile on her face.
"Hey, Twilight," I greeted her. "Is the mayor done with her speech?"
"Yup! They're assigning every pony to teams for the time being." She said. "Better hurry if you don't want to be left out."
As Twilight left the library once again, I exhaled, clearing the table full of books as I levitated them to their shelves.
Today could be very tiring, at least for us Unicorns. For reasons, tradition says that we aren't permitted to use magic to help with winter cleaning. Prayers up for my weak body.
Silver had already gone out with Twilight earlier to listen to Mayor Mare's speech, and he probably already has a team at this moment. All that's left is to wake Speedy up, who decided to sleep in at such an important occasion.
"Lemuel!" I called. "Come down here already. We're going to be late!"
"Nooo~!" He yelled back, drowsiness in his voice. "Why do we have to clean up all the snow?"
"Because that's the way it should be here in Ponyville!" I sighed. "Seriously, don't you play a crucial role in this since you're a weather pony?"
I heard the door slam shut upstairs. Speedy descended down, floating with bad bed hair and eye bags.
"I really hate the weather here…" he complained. He wasn't the only one.
After some necessities checked up for later, Speedy and I left the library, and we walked towards Town Hall where all the ponies piled up. They were divided into three groups: The first batch wore Blue colored vests, marked for the Weather Team. The second group, the Plant Team, wore green. Lastly, the group of the Animal team wore tan colored vests.
I could see Silver from where we were wearing a green vest as expected. Speedy had already split up with me to join the Weather team.
When I arrived, it looks like I wasn't the only one who didn't have a team yet.
"Having trouble?" I asked.
Twilight turned around. "I didn't know it would be this hard. Where should I go? I'm not sure where I'd fit in."
I sighed out of sympathy. "Welcome to the club. You know, why don't we check them out and see what they do. Maybe that'll give us time to decide."
"What exactly does every pony do?" she wondered.
Before I had the chance to speak, the surroundings began to fade into black. I could hear a faint instrument along the background, and a spotlight shined down on Rainbow Dash meters away from us.
Wait… Don't tell me-
"Three months of winter coolness, and awesome holidays…"
"We kept our hoovsies warm at home, time off from work to play."
"But the food we stored is running out, and we can't grow in this cold."
"And even though I love my boots this fashion's getting old…"
Song time.
Twilight began trotting away as the field started to light up. I followed her, and I had the feeling it was her turn to sing.
Wait a minute, what are these words coming in my thoughts?
"The time has come to welcome spring and all things warm and green."
If I wasn't caught up in this musical number, I imagined myself shocked at what just happened. Did I just sing?
"It's also time to say goodbye, cause winter we must clean."
This is so weird I said in my thoughts. And why couldn't I stop?
"How can we help? We're new, you see. What does everypony do?
How do we fit in without our magic? I haven't got a clue!"
Twilight was singing like a natural. The ponies around us began to sing in harmony as well, starring Rarity, Fluttershy and a brown Earth Pony that goes by the name of Doctor Whooves.
"Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer!
Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up!"
"Cause tomorrow spring is here-" I vocalized, looking around everypony beginning to work.
"Cause tomorrow spring is here!" Twilight finished as we began to wander around and observe.
I've got to get used to this…
"Bringing home the southern birds, a Pegasus job begins,
And clearing all the gloomy skies to let the sunshine in."
"We move the clouds and we melt the white snow,
When the sun comes up, its warmth and beauty will glow!"
As the skies cleared, the sunlight shined down beneath, now providing warmth. Even making the surroundings sparkle. The ponies continued to sing.
"Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!
Let's finish our holiday cheer!
Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!
Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!"
Twilight and I began to head down the forest where Rarity and Fluttershy was leading the Animal Group, waking the critters from their slumber.
"Little critters hibernate under the snow and ice."
"We wake up all the sleepy heads so quietly and nice."
"We help them gather up their food, fix their homes below!"
"We welcome back the southern birds so that their families can grow~!"
A flock of birds flew happily around Twilight and I as we watched them settle in their nests. The Animal team continued to treat the critters while the Weather team helped the Plant team clear snow from tree trunks.
"Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!
Let's finish our holiday cheer!
Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!
'Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!"
That reminds me.
I pushed Twilight out of the way of the falling heap of snow just in time. I looked up and saw Rainbow Dash smiling apologetically down on us before flying away.
After that, we continued walking to the Plant team in the farming fields where the Apple family and Silver were leading the charge.
"No easy task to clear the ground, plant our tiny seeds~
With proper care and sunshine, everyone it feeds.
Apples, carrots, celery stalks, colorful flowers too.
We must work so very hard, there's just so much to do!"
At least I knew Hassan was having fun, and he had a pretty good voice. Do we automatically get good singing voices in Equestria?
"Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!
Let's finish our holiday cheer!
Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!
'Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!"
As we passed by Pinkie Pie skating in the frozen lake, cutting the ice in the process, it was time for Twilight and me to make a decision.
"Now that we know what they all do, we have to find our place
And help with all of our heart, tough tasks ahead we face."
I placed a hoof on the shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile.
"It'll be fine without our magic. We'll help, the Earth Pony way.
We've gotta belong so we must do our best today! Do our best today~!"
She gave a smile back as the song continued, reaching its end.
"Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!
Let's finish our holiday cheer!
Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!
'Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up~!
As the three teams surrounded us, Twilight began singing her heart out that took me by surprise.
"'Cause tomorrow spring is here,
'Cause tomorrow spring is here,
'Cause tomorrow spring is here~!"
The background began to fade into black, leaving a spot of light surrounding the two of us. Literally, a second had passed, and we found ourselves in the place right from the beginning where the song started.
That was exhausting.
"Everypony belongs to a team. Where should we go, Star Blast?" She asked me, completely ignoring my tired state.
A cold breeze blew by as the Weather team huddled in a location close to us. Rainbow Dash was giving instructions to three other mares.
"All right, team. You are cleared for take-off!" Rainbow said to her colleagues before they flew away as instructed.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight called, approaching her. I followed.
"Oh, Twilight and Blast. What's up?" Rainbow asked, observing a flight crew nearby.
"What are you doing?" Twilight asked out of curiosity.
"Sending off one of my flight crews to retrieve the birds that flew south for the winter. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I was wondering if maybe we can help. Like, clear out the clouds for you!" Twilight said. She seemed pretty eager.
"Already taken care of!" Speedy flashed by, dashing through clouds as he emptied the skies.
"Oh…" Twilight said in disappointment.
Speedy glided down and landed in front of us. "And uh, we might have a problem in the flying department, if you know what I'm saying?"
"Right…"
"Sorry, Twilight," Rainbow said to her before flying off to duty somewhere in Ponyville.
"Great, now what do we do?" Twilight contemplated.
"I don't know about you, but I'm gonna be nappin'." We heard Spike's voice in a nearby bush. He looked comfortable in it.
"Spike? How long have you been there?" I asked him.
"Not too long ago."
"You just ditched me just as Mayor Mare started her speech right then and there, you know." Twilight scolded.
"I just did some errands and… stuff…" Spike dozed off suddenly.
"Come on, Spike!" Twilight poked the cheek of the sleeping dragon. "This is serious business! Winter needs to be wrapped up, and we must be determined to do our part. Somehow."
Speedy whistled. "You two got it rough, huh?"
"Yeah, but this isn't uncharted territory for me," I said.
"Well, you guys can help out the Unicorns in the Animal team. Just ask Rarity." Speedy suggested
"I guess we should." I said. "Let's move forward, Twilight. Besides, weather work isn't really our thing."
"That's a great idea!" Twilight levitated Spike out of the bush before putting him on top of her back. She sped off towards the boutique shouting back, "Let's go, Star Blast!"
"Look who's excited." Speedy chuckled.
"Or desperate."
"Yikes. You know dude, it kinda sucks that you guys aren't allowed to use magic. I mean, it woulda been a lot easier if you just zap the mess out of existence."
"Bad luck that Ponyville's founders were Earth Ponies." I sighed. "I better get going now. Good luck with your work."
"See ya later, bro," Speedy said goodbye as he flew away.
Wow, Twilight was really fast.
"Rarity, please tell me there's something-anything we can help you with?" Twilight pleaded. Rarity was building a bird's nest when we arrived at the boutique, and it had got to look like out of the ordinary.
"Well, how would you like to help create Ponyville's finest bird's nests?" She offered.
"Bird's nests?"
"Why yes! When the Weather team guides the birds back north in spring, they need a place to live to lay their eggs."
Wow, even we must build their homes? Judging by the blocks of hay and twigs scattered before us, this could take a while to finish. Rarity intends to finish it alone?
"Wow, Rarity. That one looks beautiful." Twilight complimented, looking at the bow-tied nest.
"Thank you most sincerely." She said. "Would you like to try a hoof at the nests?"
"Would I!" Twilight answered energetically.
"So, where do we begin?" I asked. I'd never done this if you couldn't tell.
Rarity brought some materials for us to use in the table. Straws, hay, some twigs and a few ribbons of different colors. Just thought that the ribbons weren't necessary, though. Maybe they keep it secure?
"Okay now, uh… Take some of the straw and hay over there and a little bit of branch." Rarity began instructing. We kept working as she continued to talk. Gotta say, this was fun.
I'm doing pretty well, but Twilight, on the other hand…
"Now weave them through there- yes! Uh, take a ribbon- oh no, not there! Oh… yes, uh, tuck it in over there but be careful not to… I don't know, but I guess that will do? Oh dear…" Rarity said all that through winces.
After one final press, Twilight presented her own bird's nest. "There! It looks just like-"
She compared her work to Rarity's.
"-yours... Oh my."
"That nest needs to be condemned!" Spike said to Rarity.
"Oh, Spike~. It's not so bad! Uh, maybe the birds can use it as a-" I could tell that Rarity's trying to find the right words so that she wouldn't sound so disrespectful.
"An outhouse?" Spike said bluntly. Way to go, little reptile.
"Spike, remember what I said about this stuff?" I reminded him.
He sighed. "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all…"
Pleased, I turned to Twilight. "Don't worry. Failure's not common for beginners. We've been through that a lot, haven't we?"
"True, but yours looks better even though you're only half-way done," Twilight said.
"Well… at least you finished yours." She glared at me in my reply. I chuckled awkwardly.
"Yours is just as fine, Twilight. It's just a little rough around the edges." She gestured to Twilight to step aside. "Let's see, I'll just untie this ribbon… Take out the sticks over here… "
But Rarity's not just tweaking the nest; she was nearly disassembling it to make a new one. Twilight's head sunk lower and lower as the white unicorn mumbled through improving her work.
"I think we lost her," Spike whispered.
Twilight started walking, head down in disappointment. Spike and I looked at each other before following her, leaving a work-absorbed Rarity.
We'd been walking for the next thirty minutes or so, seeing if we could find something worthwhile. We were right next to a frozen pond, where a familiar pink pony was skating circles.
"Hey, guys~! Wheeee!" Pinkie Pie greeted from down the lake, doing a graceful spin.
"Wow, Pinkie Pie, you're quite the skater, probably the best skater I've ever seen," Twilight said as we made our way down.
"Finding out that you're good at skating, is there anything you can't do?" I asked. Seriously. I'd seen a lot these past 8 months.
"Aw~, thanks, Twilight and Star Blast. I've been doing since I was an itty-bitty, little-wittle, twinkie-pinkie! It just comes naturally." Pinkie Pie did some impressive skating tricks as she talked. "Which is why they probably designated me as the lake scorer."
"I see. So as you skate, the cuts made by the blades will make the thick ice break apart, causing it to melt faster and work becomes easier." I observed.
"Exactly!"
"Wow, that's pretty clever," Twilight commented. "You sure got a lot of work ahead of you. There are quite a few lakes in Ponyville."
"Uh, tell me about it." Pinkie said. "Hey, you two wanna help out?"
"Would I!" Twilight said in excitement again.
"Come on, put on those skates over there. I bet you'll be naturals, too!"
I instantly stepped back as Twilight fetched her skates. Twilight noticed my sudden discomfort.
"Star Blast? What's wrong?"
"I… think I'm gonna sit this one out." I nervously said. Not a fan of skating in frozen lakes.
"Why? Are you scared?" she asked.
"Something like that…" I admitted.
"Well, that's a bummer. You don't want to try even for just a little bit?" Pinkie pushed, but I made it clear.
"It's fine, really."
"Then I guess it's just you Twilight."
"Okay," Twilight rushed over Pinkie, putting on the spare skates. "I'm ready."
As Pinkie Pie continued to work, or should I say dance (?), Twilight struggled to balance herself when she finally got on the ice. She was about to fall over.
"Are you all right?" I asked her.
"Of course-" she wobbled. "But, on second thought-" she slammed face first. I winced.
"What are you talking about? You said you want to be helpful." Spike reminded as Pinkie twirled in the air. "Now get out there!"
Spike shoved Twilight as she reached the center of the lake. Twilight couldn't control her motions as she spun around recklessly in the ice. Spike loved this scene. However, I couldn't watch it. The ice may break any moment as I bit my lip in nervousness.
"Twilight! Steer! Steer!" Pinkie advised loudly.
Twilight only went faster, barreling towards Pinkie. Pinkie couldn't get out of the way as she and Twilight clashed, getting dragged along.
They were both frantic, and uh…
Holy hell-!
OOF!
My vision blacked out for a moment, and I feel a lot of weight above me. We shook off the snow enveloping us, and I found myself on the bottom of my three friends.
Spike spat the snow in his mouth and rolled down, laughing. "You are a natural, Twilight. A natural disaster!"
When will this kid learn?
"Twilight, you did a great job the first time around. I'm sure my first time was just as wobbly and bobbly and crasheriffic as yours." Pinkie cheerfully stated.
"Really?" Twilight asked.
"… No, but did I make you feel better?"
"Yeah… I guess…"
"We should stick to something we can do a lot safer," I said.
"Ooh! I think you'll be super awesome with little critters. I know Fluttershy could use a little help with them." Pinkie recommended.
"Well, I'm pretty good with little animals," Twilight said positively. "Yeah, I'll go help her."
Meanwhile, she started to skate forward.
"Uh, It's that way." Pinkie pointed.
"Woooaaahh~!"
"Um, maybe you should get out of the skates first?" I bellowed. Spike continued to snicker.
That's three down. Hopefully, critter helping would be a lot easier.
Burrows and warrens appeared before us as we walked towards Fluttershy's group. We heard a bell ring out, and it seems she was talking to a couple of hedgehogs that took shelter under a burrow.
"Aw~, how cute!" Twilight said as we watched the hedgehogs crawl away.
"Aren't they? This is my favorite task of the whole season." Fluttershy said. "When I get to see my little animal friends again."
"I bet it is," I said with a chuckle. "Makes me wonder how hibernation feels like."
"Uh, what's hibernation?" Spike asked.
"It's like, a long sleep," Fluttershy answered before checking another den.
"Long sleep?"
"Yeah, some animals can't survive the extremely cold and tough winters, and therefore, they go through this process. Basically, they sleep more and eat less to save energy." I added while Fluttershy was tending to a porcupine couple.
"I definitely like the idea of hibernation. Except for the eat less food part." Spike said.
"Oh, but just look at all these warrens and dens," said Fluttershy as she looked over the snowy hill. "I'm worried I won't be able to wake up all the animals before spring comes."
"We'll help you out, Fluttershy," Twilight said.
"You will?" We nodded. "Oh, that would be wonderful."
Fluttershy grabbed a bell from her belt and gave it to Spike. "Twilight, why don't you and Spike take care of the dens over there while I'll go get an extra bell for Star Blast."
"I'll come with you. Twilight, are you gonna be all right?" I said skeptically.
"Pffft, Of course! They're just little critters. How hard can waking them up be?"
"… Uh-huh, well, take care of yourself and Spike."
Twilight nodded as she left, searching for a random den with Spike. Fluttershy and I headed towards a tree where a bag hung from a branch.
"Um… If you don't mind me asking, Star Blast, but, where's your vest?" she asked me out of the blue.
"Oh, yeah, about that… Twilight and I are kind of an in a dilemma." I answered. "We don't really know which group we belong in."
"Oh my… Well, I'm sure that you will feel comfortable in the Animal Team. Most of the Unicorns gets to join here, in fact." Fluttershy said. She reached for the bag, searching for extra bells.
I turned around for a bit to see what Twilight was up to. I saw her poking her head inside a small hole from the other side of the hill.
"Here!" My focus went back to Fluttershy, who was now holding two bells in her mouth. I extended my hoof and grabbed one for myself.
"Now, why don't we head over the bunny warrens over there," Fluttershy said, and I followed.
"So… How do you do this usually?" I asked, looking inside the warren.
"It's easy. You ring the bell gently and persuade the little critters to wake up."
"Okay…" I cleared my throat as I slowly poked my head inside the warren.
Ringing the bell a few times, I gently said, "Excuse me, little critters, didn't mean to intrude, but it's wakey-wakey now." I rang the bell again. "Spring is tomorrow where it's warm and sunny again~."
I waited for a few seconds before I heard yawning. A family of rabbits exited their home before hopping away. As I watched, I felt soft nuzzling from my left hoof, finding a baby rabbit.
I chuckled. "Better get a move on, little guy." I spurred him to hurry along, softly pushing him towards his family.
"Wow, Star Blast. You did it perfectly!" Fluttershy
"Well, It's all thanks to you, Fluttershy," I said. "I would've probably messed up if you weren't here."
She looked surprised at what I said as she turns her head away, blushing. Still bashful as always, huh?
"Um… Star Blast?" she asked meekly.
"Yeah?"
"Are you… going to the Grand Galloping Gala?"
"Uh… yeah. I mean, the Princess invited us all last year herself, so it'd be pretty rude to not show up." I answered her. "Wait, are you thinking of not coming?"
"Oh, I am! I mean… well… I was just wondering…"
My head tilted in confusion. Fluttershy was poking her hoof on the ground, and she looks like she was struggling to ask me something.
"Were you… thinking of-"
I heard a loud scream from the distance that sounded a lot like Twilight. Fluttershy and I exchanged looks before heading over to the sound's origin.
We caught Twilight backing away from the small hole earlier before entering a bigger hole, but she was completely unaware. She ran out, screaming with bats flying out rapidly. Twilight was too busy looking back at the bats that she crashed into a tree. To make things worse, a beehive dropped down on her head, and she continued to run around, entering another den.
A pair of skunks exited out.
"Good morning, friends." Fluttershy greeted warmly.
Meanwhile, I feel so bad for Twilight right now.
"Uh… Spike… Can you get me a dozen cans of tomato juice and put them in a huge basin back home?" I said.
"Way ahead of you, Star Blast." Spike pinched his snout in disgust. "Pee-hew! You stink, Twilight!"
"Really, Spike? REALLY?"
"This Winter Wrap Up stuff is a lot harder than it looks…"
"I don't know. You were doing great out there." I said, trying to cheer her up.
"She will if she can use magic," Spike said nasally, brushing Twilight with his left claw while covering his snout with the other.
Bringing Twilight home was tough. We had to take her out of the stinky cave swarmed with bees, and it took us a while before I cast a temporary force field to protect me from the stings and the stench. Seeing Twilight, she took the full brunt of it.
I was doing well with Fluttershy and the critters, too. If Twilight had never got into this accident, I would've stayed, but she needed the company right now to make sure she's well.
Which reminds me. Fluttershy was about to ask me something about the Gala. I should check up on her sometime. I feel like it was important.
"Why don't you guys just use your magic to get it done the right way?" Spike insisted.
"No, Spike. We have to do it the traditional way." Twilight replied, her whole body covered in tomato juice inside the tub we got for her. "Ponyville has never needed magic to wrap up winter."
"But they never had you before either. Think about how quicker you can wrap up winter with magic!"
"Spike, I'm sure that they have a reason why they forbid it in Ponyville," I said. "We just gotta have to find another way to help them out."
"Right! Even if it kills us!"
"We don't have to go that far, you know."
A knock on the door caught our attention. I walked towards it and slightly opened it, and peeked to see who it was.
"Um… Hi, Star Blast."
"Oh, Fluttershy. Uh, come in and get yourself warm." I greeted. I opened the door all the way for her.
"Thank you, but I'm just here to bring Twilight this." She showed a light blue colored tube. "It's cream that helps with bee stings. She should be alright in no time if you rub this in her skin."
"Woah, this is awesome." I grabbed the tube of cream. "This is a lot of help. Thank you."
With that, Fluttershy nodded and started to walk away. I suddenly remembered the thing she was about to ask me earlier. It came to my mind to follow after her and ask her, but she was really busy with work, well, all of us are.
I guess I really had to wait.
With Twilight stink-free and her face wasn't bloated with bee stings, we continued searching for teams that could use some help. The only area that we still haven't checked was the farmlands that was dominated by the Plant Team.
"Keep pushin' Caramel! That's it, Pumpkin! I know it's hard work but you guys are doing great!" Applejack's voice of encouragement could be heard from a mile. She was the leader of the Plant Team, and maybe she could help us like the others.
"Hey, Applejack. How's everything going?" Twilight greeted.
"Oh, just dandy, Twilight. A little slow start, but peachy all the same." Applejack stated politely. "There's a lot of ground to clear, 'ya hear? We can't even start the plantin' and the waterin' until we get the heap of snow hightailed outta here."
"Well, we'd like to help!" Twilight announced. I have doubts about this one, though.
Applejack looked surprised at her declaration. "Well, I-I don't know. Star Blast maybe, but you?"
"Just give me a chance. Please?" Twilight pleaded.
Applejack looked at me, and I shrugged.
"She needs this. She's been through a lot today." I whispered to Applejack.
She sighed. "Alright, I never turned down a hard worker, but-"
Twilight was already on her way to the snow plower, cutting off Applejack. She hopped inside the contraption, her face determined that she could do it. She started to push the snowplow, but she couldn't move an inch. She stopped, catching her breath, then she started again. She struggled with it one last time before stopping, looking back at us.
Applejack shook her head.
I sighed, and I made my way over to Twilight.
"Are you okay?" I didn't know what to say to her.
"No…" Her face dropped. "This is my last chance, Star Blast. I need to do this." She paused. It looked like an idea came to her suddenly. "Maybe if I can use a come to life spell…"
"Woah, we both know that things haven't gone exactly your way, but you don't need to resort to magic," I said to her. "You said it yourself that you want to do things traditionally."
"I know, but it's the only way I can think of to do this," Twilight said desperately.
"Applejack will get suspicious, you know."
"It's my problem and not yours. Whatever happens, I will take full responsibility."
I sighed. Twilight made up her mind, and there was no way I could talk her out of it now.
"Just… Be careful."
I returned next to Applejack and Spike as Twilight readied herself for the spell.
"Well? Why ain't she leavin'?" Applejack questioned.
"Twilight said she was just warming up," I said. I looked back, and the snowplow that Twilight was using started to glow purple. Wasn't that a little obvious?
Soon, the snowplow started to move forward. Twilight began to move as well to avoid suspicion of the Earth ponies she moved alongside.
She wasn't fooling Applejack, though.
"Hmm… She's awful strong for such a little pony." I'm surprised she couldn't see the aura around Twilight.
I kept my composure. Why did I feel more nervous than Twilight?
"That's my girl! Following my advice!" Spike acknowledged loudly. I shushed him on instinct.
"And what in tarnation does that mean?" Applejack demanded with a glare.
The snowplower began to speed up its pace where even Twilight couldn't keep up as she was getting pushed forward along with it. She couldn't control the cart anymore.
Twilight tried to do everything in her power to stop it, but she couldn't. The cart rushed around the fields uncontrollably, almost running over the colts who worked around the area. Soon, it started to form a snowball, tremendously growing in size as it barreled towards… us…
"Uh, Twilight?" I called. "You mind turning the other way?"
"I can't see you!" she screamed.
I find my legs stuck in the ground. All we could do was yelp as the boulder-sized snowball rolled over and absorbed us.
We rolled around and round while our heads were exposed out on the surface of the snow boulder. Bizarrely, I only felt dizziness and not pain every time my head bumps the ground.
Woah-woah-woah-woah!
"What's goin' on?! What'd you do?! You used magic, didn't you?!" Applejack exclaimed around the snowball as we continued rolling. I felt like hurling right now.
After what it seemed like a minute, we collided with something solid, like a wall, as my eye spun around my head. To make things worse, the ground began to shake as I looked up, a huge torrent of snow made its way down.
I gulped and closed my eyes, bracing for the icy impact…
I felt someone pulling me out of the snow.
I gasped for breath as soon as I reached the surface, coughing up and teeth chattering from the cold.
"Oh, thank god! Are you alright, Rob?" Silver asked me with a concerned voice.
"I guess…" I was still breathing heavily. "Where's Applejack, Spike, and Twilight? Are they safe? Is everyone safe?"
He nodded. "Yeah, man. Spike and AJ are in the Apple family's barn warming up, but Twilight ran away crying."
"What?" I asked. "Where did she go?"
He shrugged, "I have no idea where exactly, but she went back to town. Is it true that she used magic?"
"I told her it was a bad idea, but she was just trying to help."
He sighed. "Well, she clearly did more than just the opposite."
He looked back over the fields, filled with the snow brought by the avalanche. I could see the annoyed and frustrated faces of the colts who worked. I sighed sadly.
"She must be devastated…" I said. "I need to find her fast."
"Dude, tell her it's cool, alright?"
"I will."
Then I looked everywhere: The library, the park, Sugar Cube Corner, even the Everfree Forest. When I couldn't rely on my own anymore, I started to ask questions, and thankfully, some of them said they saw her within Town Hall's vicinity. I should've had done that, to begin with.
"Twilight! Where are you?"
I circled around the area, but she was nowhere to be found. She must've left the place before I went here. I groaned in frustration.
I decided to leave, and then I heard crying in a nearby bush. I approached it slowly, and I recognized the weeping voice.
"Hey, Twilight?" I called. "Are you alright?"
"Oh, I'm fine, Star Blast." she said sarcastically.
Well, I tried. "Hmm… Okay, then. See you at the library."
"Wait, wait." She called back. "I'm sorry… I'm just so frustrated. And crabby."
"I see… what's on your mind right now?"
She sniffed, "That I'm a winter mess-up."
"That's not true, Twilight."
"Yes, it is." Her voice was muffled. "I can't make a simple bird's nest, I can't skate, I can't even wake animals up properly, and I almost endangered everyone in Sweet Apple Acres because I couldn't control my OWN magic!"
I was speechless at her sudden burst.
"Twilight, that's nothing to be upset about. Well, sure, anything that works for somebody isn't always going to work for someone else. While we're at it, you did all of those for the first time, didn't you?" I reasoned.
"I guess… but, how is that supposed to make me feel any better?"
"Look, what I'm trying to say is that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. That's a saying that is very common back in my world."
"Grass is… greener? What does it mean?" Twilight asked.
"That saying comes from the idea of looking at your neighbor's lawn, and thinking that it's way better than yours," I started to explain. "But when in reality, you're just ignoring the negative stuff about it and downplaying everything positive about your own lawn."
Twilight was silent for a while.
"But, I'm not good at anything at what they do around here," she said. "You saw it yourself."
"Well, there's definitely something you're good at to help with Winter Wrap Up."
"Star Bast!" I turned when Spike shouted my name. He was running towards me. "There you are!"
I watched him catch his breath. Poor guy must have run around town looking for me.
"Where…is Twilight…?" he said through pants.
I pointed my head to the bush.
"Twilight, what are you doing in that bush?" Spike asked in confusion.
"Isn't it obvious, Spike? I'm hiding. I can't face everypony now after what I did." Twilight said.
"Oh, come on, Twilight. Come on out." Spike persuaded. "Sure, you suck at nest-making, ice-skating, animal-waking, and snow-clearing, but you're good at lots of things!"
I face-hoofed.
"Wow, thanks for making me feel so much better." Twilight replied bitterly.
"That's what I'm here for, sister!" Spike said proudly.
I just stared at him. The nerve of this kid.
"Rainbow Dash, y'all on the weather team need to melt the rest of the snow here on the ground and the trees, pronto." Applejack was ordering the blue Pegasus not too far from us. She didn't look happy.
"Got it!" Rainbow was about to fly until Fluttershy got in her way.
"Wait! My poor little animals' homes will get flooded if the snow melts too fast." Fluttershy informed.
"Got it!" Rainbow turned back.
"I'm telling ya', Rainbow. You gotta melt that snow NOW." Applejack ordered.
"No! You simply must wait!" Fluttershy exclaimed.
"Ok!" Rainbow Dash was clearly confused.
"Go."
"Stop."
"Go!"
"Stop!"
"GO!"
"STOP!"
"Ugh! Make up your minds!" Rainbow cried out at the two.
Man, things aren't looking so good… I thought to myself
"Oh, what in Equestria are you all arguing about?" Mayor Mare arrived, not exactly happy if it wasn't obvious enough. "This sort of silliness is why we're late for spring LAST year, and the year before that, and the year before THAT!"
"Did she say 'late'?" Twilight's head popped out of the bush.
"I was hoping my amazingly inspirational speech would urge everyone to do better than last year, but now it looks like we're going to be later than ever!" Mayor Mare began to rant. "I mean, just look at this catastrophe! The ice scorers made the ice chunks too big to melt! The nest designer's horrendously behind. We need a several hundred, and she's only made ONE!" We could hear Rarity's distant dramatic cry. She was still fixing Twilight's nest? "-and don't get me started at the clouds in the sky, the icicles in the trees…This isn't good… Not good AT ALL!"
Wow, they had been doing terribly for the last three years? To think that Twilight was having trouble, turns out that the ponies in Ponyville were doing worse!
"And it's gonna be all to pieces disastrous if we can't get our seeds all planted." Applejack said in a worry.
"Chillax, Applejack. We're bustin' our chops as fast as we can." Rainbow said.
"No! Not fast. You have to wake the animals slowly." Fluttershy instructed softly.
Big Mcintosh and Hassan arrived as well, coming over to Applejack.
"Uh, AJ?" Big Mac started.
"Oh good gravy, Caramel lost the seeds again, didn't he?" she answered in annoyance.
"Eeyup."
"Like, come on! Why are we even working with that guy?!" Silver exclaimed in anger.
Speedy zoomed as he made his entrance. He looked very dishevelled.
"Bad news, RD! Derpy flew towards the north to get the southern birds!" He yelled.
"Oh, that featherbrain, didn't she learn her lesson last year when she flew west?!"
A flurry of arguments and complaints then surrounded Town Hall while the mayor tried to keep things cool, but she as well was close to giving up.
"Well, this is a disaster," Spike commented. "It's almost sundown, and spring's gonna be late in Ponyville!"
I sighed. Even I didn't know what to do. "If only they were more organized."
That's when it clicked.
Organized.
"Wait a minute! Twilight, Ponyville could really use your help now," I said to her.
She nodded. "You thinking what I'm thinking, Star Blast?"
I smiled. "Don't worry, I got your back!"
"Spike! Get my checklist and clipboard, STAT!" Twilight ordered, hopping out of the bush.
"Eh- Yes, ma'am!" Spike saluted before dashing away to the library.
"I'll get everybody's attention," I said.
There was no way that I could get their full courtesy just by shouting at them to stop. I then produced a concentrated light from my horn's tip before making it shoot into the sky, making a small explosion.
Everybody stopped rambling as they looked up, then to Twilight and I. I gestured for her to take over.
"Okay, I know you all want to complete your jobs on time, but arguing is no way to go about it. What you need is organization, and I'm just the pony for the job." She announced, with Spike by her side with his quill and Twilight's clipboard.
With no hesitation, the crowd followed Twilight's leadership, and it was all smooth sailing from there.
With my help supervising the three groups, Winter Wrap Up was a huge success.
Rarity finally had the help she needed to finish the hundreds of nests for the birds to put in the trees in Ponyville.
Twilight and I thought of a way to make the ice scorers cut the frozen lake more properly with some brainstorming, and Pinkie and the Weather team displayed it simply and beautifully well done.
Then at the farming fields, with Applejack's coordination, we made the colts plow the soil and snow side by side while the others planted the seeds as they followed behind.
Returning back to the hills, we made dozens of bells tied to a string placed outside the homes of the animals we had yet to wake up, all connected to the long strand in our hooves. With a pull, all the bells rang in chorus as the animals exited one by one. Even the snakes.
I noticed that Fluttershy and Spike were smiling, watching the scene while Twilight disappeared. I looked up when a small heap of snow landed on my head and was surprised to see Twilight holding on to the branch as if her life depended on it. I looked at her in amusement while she smiled sheepishly.
Fluttershy asked a bird to whistle loudly, signalling the Pegasi waiting over the clouds. A few seconds later, a huge tornado made its way down and flew above Ponyville, taking all the clouds and snow. The sun was finally present, melting the leftover snow and the ice chunks in the lakes.
As the sun settled, we continued working till dusk, and it still wasn't enough. We plowed the fields, planted more seeds, and the Weather Team fetched the southern birds at last to tend to their new homes. The critters joyfully wandered around the park, blooming with flowers and crystal clear water streams.
We all looked over our hard work. Ponyville has never looked so good.
"I can't believe it. Spring is here! On time!" Mayor Mare turned to Twilight. "And we have the two of you to thank for it. If it weren't for your organizing skills, we would still be arguing."
"Eeyup!" Big Mac said in an agreeing tone that made everyone laugh heartily.
"It was a team effort," Twilight said.
"All of this wouldn't be possible without everypony's help." I said. They all smiled brightly.
"And since you helped every team, we have official vests for both of you."
Rarity was carrying two vests with her. Both were shaded blue, tan, and green, the official colors of the three teams.
"We give you the title: 'All-Team Organizers'!"
The vests seem to sparkle when Rarity put them on for us. Huh, I kinda like this feeling.
"Oh, gosh, I don't even know what to say. Thank you, everypony!" Twilight said in appreciation.
"Yeah, I'm speechless," I said through flattered chuckles. It's not every day I get to help out and be appreciated by these many people-er, ponies in this case.
"And hereby I declare that winter is wrapped up on time!" We all cheered as the Mayor announced.
"Dear Princess Celestia, Winter Wrap-Up was one of the most special things I've ever been a part of here in Ponyville. It helped me learn that we all have hidden talents, and if we're patient and diligent, we're sure to find them. And as always, with good friendship and teamwork, ponies can accomplish anything." Twilight recited for Spike to write. "How's that? Spike?"
He had fallen asleep in his own rocking chair, with a coat on and right next to the fireplace. It was his fault that he slept on an ice cube when it was melting in the lake. The kid wasn't even aware.
I need to sleep myself, but I had to study one last time for my exam today.
"Oh, Spike." Twilight giggled at her reptilian companion.
"Aren't you tired, Twilight? We've been up for more than twenty-four hours." I said, sipping my coffee.
"I should say the same thing to you, and don't worry about the exams. You'll be fine." Twilight said.
"I sure hope so," I groaned, trying to stay awake. "I can't believe I have to take it this evening. I want to sleep…"
Then, I heard a small, sparky sound next to me. "A letter?"
"It's from the Princess." Twilight checked.
"Huh…" I opened the letter and read it. Do my eyes deceive me? "My exam is postponed to next week."
"Princess Celestia must've known we haven't had any rest cleaning up winter."
"All I have to say is, thank god."
I rested my head down with a blissful exhale as I closed my eyes.
"Star Blast?"
"Yeah?"
"…Thanks for always being there for me."
"Hm?" I peeked at her.
"Nothing." She said rashly, drinking on her cup of tea and looking away from me.
I pretended to ignore what she said. I knew what I heard, and I chuckled silently when I noticed the blush on her face. I didn't even care that I was falling asleep on the table. Finally... rest...
.
.
.
.
Winter wrap up, winter wrap up.
… Why is that song still stuck in my head?
Cause tomorrow spring is here.
Darn it.
Author's Note!
...I'd just like to say
...from the bottom of my heart...
...I'm sorry :| - Super Bright Brat
Also, just sharing my headcanon voices for the main trio!
Star Blast - Adam Young (a.k.a Owl City)
Speedy Glee - Ben Schwartz (a.k.a Sonic The Hedgehog)
Silver Spur - Donald Glover/Childish Gambino (based on Donald's portrayal of Troy Barnes from Community)
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT MY OCs!
