Spirit of Winter 11: Summers Eve

>It has been over four hours since you were enslaved by three fillies who call themselves ‘The Cutie Mark Crusaders and the sun is starting to go down
>You’ve been stuck sitting around with Applejack  all while being forced to oversee any fictitious order that you have given them
>”Are these enough SNOw berries Anon?”
>All three are now in front of your each laying down baskets full of pearly white berries
Uh… yeah that- should be enough?
>”What do ya use them for?”
It’sss for a- special potion! Yeah, a potion that I’m going to use this winter.
>You look down and see a little orange Pegasus is giving you a suspicious look
I, use it to freeze the lakes... yeah
>”Is there anything else we cayn do?”
Nope that’s about it
>Simultaneously all three fillies look back at their flanks and give an immediate look of disappointment
>”Are you sure there ain’t nothing else we can do?”
>The look Applebloom is giving you would tear any mans heart into shreds
>But not you, not after all the looks they’ve been giving you all day
Hey, listen how about you three go help Rarity with her hangover.
>Their faces turn from disappointment to excitement
>Both you and Applejack slip away as the three of them begin to excitedly chatter.

---------

>Now you and Applejack are making your way back into town to go get shitfaced.
>She is anyway.
>The sun is now gone down in its horrifically fast fashion, you feel sort of sorry how no one can enjoy a good sunset around here.
>The lights in the shop windows have already gone on, and few ponies have come outside to light the street lamps outside their homes
So where’s the best bar around here
>”It’s called the Bucking Bull, we best get there before the rush”
Well you lead the way, I still don't know where anything is.
>You give Applejack a grin
>”Looks like am gonna have ta show you around some more”
>AJ gives you a jab in the ribs as she says this
>No...
>As expected your head starts to hurt which is accompanied by a loud screeching
>You start to lose your balance as you bring your hand to your head
>”You alright there partner?”
>The screeching begins to subside but you start to feel your legs buckle
Uh, AJ I- I think I’m just going to call it a night
>”What?  How come?”
>You try and give Applejack a reassuring grin
Just, a, headache, happens whenever I’m tired
>The look of disappointment she gives you rips your heart to shreds
How about- You buy a drink on me.
>You reach into your pockets and pull out a back full of fifty or so bit
>”Aw Anon you don’t have ta do that for me”
>She brings her hoof up and pushes the bag away, bushing your finger in the process
>this turn the screeching up again
 Please just- take the bits
>”Naw ah don’t think I’ll go drinking tonight if you ain’t gonna come.  We’ll jus go back an you can stay with me tonight.”
>You grit your teeth to where it feels like your jaw bone is going to crack
I’ll just- stay- with Florin.  He- uh, has a place in the Everfree.
>”We’ll Alright, good thing it’s the night before the-
>You quickly disappear before she can finish
>Just got to find some place quite
>All these headaches...
>’Boy! You drink vodka, it help head hurting’
>’Okay papa.’
>Ah drinking cheap vodka at five years of age good times...
If there was anytime I needed you papa... It's now...
>The screeching is now completely gone but your head still feels like a railroad spike is being driven through it

>Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to slip into Raritys place and maybe grab some more of the Jewel
>At that very moment your thoughts are interrupted
>You don’t feel it but you heard it
>The sound of someone screaming as it plummets to the ground
>SHIT!
>You hold your arms out to the ground creating an enormous pile of snow, hoping that it will cushion the Pegasus’s fall
>It lands with an audible poof
>Your heart is still pounding out of your chest from the anxiety of what’s going on
>You quickly melt the snow and materialize back on the ground
>Oh god It’s... That- Rainbow mare.
>You kneel down next to her to see if she’s, well... dead
>She’s still breathing which is good, you guess, but her pulse feels a little high
>”oooh buck...”
>She’s still conscious even better

>You hold out your hand to try and shake her awake
>Touching the tips of your finger to her shoulder sends a pain down your spine
>Your body turns to snow and you bones to ice
>Your spine and your ribs begin to condense, your skull starts to elongate, and the bones in your arms  crack and fuse together.
>From your skin feather and fur starts to grow and your teeth disappear and finally the pain stops
>What the?
>Looking at your hands you see instead… Talon’s?
>”Oh... buck...”
Hey you alright?
>You’re voice… did you turn into a chick?
>”Gilda...?”
>Who the is Gilda?
>"What happened?"
Yeah.. Dash, I- you were falling so I tried to catch you but you were falling too fast.
>Dash sits up slightly and rubs her head
>Poor girl looks like she’s just been hit by a train
Ya’ll right?
>”Yeah.  I think I’ll be fine”
>You breathe a sigh of relief
>For second you though you would have to cart her into the hospital
>”Hey Gilda…”
Yeah?
>”You think you can fly me home?”
>SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!!
>How the fuck do you fly?  You've always just floated in the wind.
>Dude you’re going to blow your cover if you refuse
>Why do you care about this again?
>You’re practically nobility, you need to help people
Eh, yeah…
>You awkwardly startle Rainbow Dash and wrap your limbs around her.
>Okay now just... woah...
>Immediately after you begin to flap your wings you rise slightly off the ground
>”You okay Gilda?”
Yeah...
>Now flapping your wings more quickly you get off the ground
>You climb higher and higher until the houses and shops bellow look like a little toy village
>So… how do you go forward?
>Maybe if you just… Holy shat!!
>With you winds beating vigorously you are sent shooting straight forward
>Your heart feels like it’s going to explode as the wind rushes past you coupled with the sensation of having the moisture of the clouds rush through your feathers
>You close your eyes while holding on to Rainbow Dash
>”Uhh Gilda?”
Yeeesh?
>”We just passed Cloudsdale.”
Oh!

>Making an almost 360 degree turn you head fly over the little town made of clouds
>Okay now you just need to land…. Alright then….
>With your heart still beating like mad you begin to slow down and hover a street in the middle of town
>Okay now just…
>Rainbow Dash immediately wiggles her way free from your grasp
>Stretching like a cat she lets out a long sigh
>”Thanks for the ride”
...Sure.
>”You wanna, go have some cider at-”
Don’t you think you’ve drank enough tonight?
>”Pfff, since when did you become such a kill joy?”
Whatever
>You slowly fly next to Dash as you follow her back to wherever she lives.  Strangely enough she’s quiet the whole time
Something buggin you?
>”What?  Oh naw, just thinking.”
Dash I know something’s wrong
>She shoots you a slightly irritated look but give another sigh before replying
>”It’s just… I don’t know, I’m having trouble with my friends back at Ponyville.
Yeah, like what?
>”Well… there’s this stallion… and he’s well not a pony, or a gryphon, he’s this weird… monkey thing, and… Ever since he showed up, he’s all everypony ever talks about.”
I ain’t tracking
>”I’m saying everypony is ignoring me and keeps talking about that bucking monkey creature.”
Oh?
>”Yeah…”
Like, what do you mean?
>”I mean like this”
>Rainbow Dash then starts doing over exaggerated impersinations of   everyone
>”Ya think Anon will posponee winer so ah cayn hayv a lil more taim for harvestin?  Oh he’s SIMPLY a gentlecolt of the highest esteem darling!  I think angel really likes him.  Dash I need to divide the hypotnoose of his giant head so I can estmate the size of his whatever.”
>Dash pauses
>”UGH!! It just never ends”
>You laugh half-heartedly at Dash’s impersonations but you feel your stomach drop slightly as her tone loses its energy
>”I… Just feel like, I’ve drifted so far away from them…”
>But her she goes from sad to angry like a mental patient
>”It’s all that stupid jerk Anons fault… I swear I’ll knock his bucking teeth out if I see him again…”
>Bitch please

>Dash continues on her rant about you all the way back to her place
>All the while you leave bits of ice behind you that fall to the ground likely causing a giant hazard for everyone on the ground
>Her anger has consisted of jealousy, loneliness and booze
>Finally you both reach her home
>It’s made of clouds and you don’t even want to know how she can tell the place apart
>Dash gives one exasperated sigh
>”I’m glad I still have you Gilda… I’m glad Anon hasn’t taken you… So uh… See you at the Summer Sun celebration tomorrow? “
Uh yeah…
>She turns around and begins to turn the door knob before you stop her
Hey Dash.
>”Yeah?...”
I need to give you something
>She turns around with and encouraged look on her face
>”What!?”
Cover your eyes
>Okay now to…

>With a single though your body begins to reverts back to its original state
> Bones crack, muscles stretch, feathers and fur fall from your body.
> You’re you again, except nude not to mention you can’t walk on clouds
>Instinctively you turn your feet to water vapor, binding yourself to the clouds
>You grab a few clouds and make yourself decent.
Okay Dash you can look now…
>She opens her eyes on command and is in complete shock when she sees you
>You kneel down and put your hand her shoulder, giving her a warm smile
Rainbow Dash... I’m so sorry that I made you feel so distant from your friends...  I don’t want you to feel so lonely and I know your friends don’t want you to feel alone either.  I wish we could have had more time to get to know each other.
>You pause and put your arms around her
Please, just forgive me...
>You pull back and look into her eyes
>You can see tears begin to well up in those big scarlet eyes of hers
>She takes your arms off her shoulders and opens the door to her home and softly shuts the door behind her
>You sigh
>Maybe you shouldn’t go to the summer sun celebration…wait…
>Oh god!
>The banquet is tomorrow!!
>Shit, shit shit!!  Your clothes are at Twilights house!!
>Looks like you’re going to have to face Twilight…
>No
>You fall back into the clouds and turn to ice freeing your ghost from your body
>This isn’t going to be fun

----------

>You’ve left your body in the clouds
>Now it’s just your ghost quickly floating through town, going through walls and houses
>Catching sight of the occasional pony up late doing whatever
>After this row of shops you should be there
>You swiftly pass through what looked like a flower shop.   After seeing some… things, you thought it best to just go through the ground floors
>Now in front of you is Twilights library
>All the lights are off except the faint flicker of a candle in the window beside the door.
>Okay, all you have to do is figure out a way to get your clothes out of her house without her seeing you
>Slowly you edge through the wall
>So far so good, you can see you suit folded on the end table by the couch
>You silently glide along the floor toward the end table
>You reach down to grab it
>But of course your hand goes right through the end table
>Shit,now what are you going to do
>You stand noiselessly tapping your foot trying to figure this out
>Lightbulb
>Holding your right hand out moisture in the air begins to condense around your hand
>The temperature begins to drop until the water is sufficiently frozen
>Now with a jointless frozen hand you carefully reach over and take it in your grasp
>Holding the folded suit like a tray you slowly turn to face the door
>”mmmhm…”
>Oh god
>”S-Spike?...”
>You quickly turn your head to your right and see Twilight lying on the couch
>Her eyes begin to crack open which makes you hit the ground dropping the suit on the floor
>”Hello?”
>Silence
>She can’t see you, but the sight of a floating suit would have not ended well for you
>Twilight sniffles before lying back down
>You wait several minutes before you’re sure she’s asleep
>Lucky for you your ice hand is completely intact
>Standing up you walk over to Twilight
>Her eyes look swollen and red and there are tear streaks going down her face
>Your stomach completely drops
>She’s been crying all night... Because of you...
>Gently you run the back of your hand across her cheek, pulling her tears from it
>She shivers slightly at your cold touch
>On the tip of your finger is a single frozen tear drop, which falls to the ground silently shattering
> You've gotten so many headaches today that you've, for the most part gotten used to it

>A small candle on an end table casts a warm light on her while simply passing through you
>The flickering light of the candle almost makes the shadows around her dance
>’Leave now, to Canterlot’
> You silently grab your suit but before leaving you walk over to the table where your suit once was
> From your palm vapors gently swirl into a tall crystal glass
> At the bottom of it springs a clear thorny stem and from the tips of your fingers you form petals all around the stem
>Now stepping back you glance at Twilight and then to your creation
>Vapors waft from the clear glass rose
>Without pause you form another gauntlet in your left hand
>Quickly you turn the knob and glide into the night