Snow Day (cancelled)

   Sunset blew another flurry of snow off of her mouth and nose, giving a little grunt of frustration at the continuous downfall of the offending flakes. Each step shot another cold gust of air across her bare legs, making her sorely regret her choice of a skirt today of all days. All around her snow blanketed the dead winter grass, and turned the black shingles of the neighborhood houses all around her to a bright white. Even the sidewalk's dull gray underneath her boots had long since given way to the gentle falling of the snow around her.

    "Ugh, really?" she said, shaking another layer of the cold flakes out of her flowing red and gold streaks.

    She brushed a hand through her hair, careful not to let the books in her other hand fall. She sighed as she looked out ahead of her; it was going to be a long walk to the school and she was already freezing. She was already further from her home than she was to the school, so she figured she might as well tough it out. Sunset could feel the uncomfortable breeze all along her legs above her boots, making goosebumps spread across her thighs. Her mouth let out another foggy breath into the cold air. Only another few minutes, then she could enjoy the warmth of the school's heater at least.

    "Yo, Sunset!" she heard Rainbow's voice call out from across the street. She looked over to see her, Applejack, and Rarity all standing on Rainbow's porch. She raised an eyebrow at them, wondering why they weren't already at school.

    "Where you headed, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

    Sunset quickly looked for any oncoming cars before jogging over to the other side. "I was just headed to school. What are you guys doing?"

    "School's been cancelled, darling. The buses can't run in all this," Rarity said, motioning to the white ground.

    Rainbow smiled at the word cancelled. "And that means we get the whole day off to do whatever we want! So who's ready for a snowball fight?" Rainbow Dash said as she leaned down and scooped up some snow off of the lawn, packing it tightly between her bare hands.

    "Oh please, Rainbow Dash. The last thing we need to be doing is spending our day off doing something so crude. We should be spending it inside, sipping hot cocoa and enjoying each other's company. Wouldn't you say, Sunset?" Rarity said.

    Sunset opened her mouth to say something, but Rainbow started first. "Lame! A whole day off and you want to spend it sitting around gossiping? It snows here like three times a year if we're lucky. There's no way I'm spending today inside talking about boys and dresses with you, Rarity."

    Rarity scoffed. "I did not say we were going to do nothing but talk about boys and dresses, Rainbow Dash, but throwing snow at each other is a bit childish, don't you think?"

    Rainbow rolled her eyes and stepped off the porch and into the yard.

    "Besides, you didn't even bother to ask what the rest of us wanted to do, dear. Is there anything you two would like to do?" Rarity said, looking between Applejack and Sunset.

    "I should really get home," Sunset said. "I've got three tests next week I should really be studying for them any chance I get."

    "You been cooped up in that apartment o' yours for the past two weeks, Sunset. You should probably take a break 'fore too long."

    "Applejack's right, dear. We've hardly spent any time with you recently. You should really give yourself a break."

    Sunset looked away and rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm sorry, girls, but you know finals are coming up. I really should--"

    The sharp sting of balled up snow hit Sunset in the back of the head, exploding all over her hair and shooting freezing snow down Sunset's jacket and onto her bare skin. Sunset went rigid and her eyes shot open. Her books clattered down into the frozen grass as she winced at the horrible feeling of the ice-cold snow melting against her.

    "Rainbow Dash!" Rarity said in her usual scolding tone. "How dare you throw--" before Rarity could finish another snowball smacked her right in the mouth, covering her entire face in white. Applejack covered her mouth as she giggled at the display.

    Rarity wiped the snow off her face, putting on her most offended face. She looked over at Applejack with a grimace as she wiped the last of it off. "I'm glad you find this so humorous, Applejack." Despite Sunset's own suffering, she couldn't help but let out a little giggle at Rarity.

    "Hey, it ain't often that I get to--" Finally Applejack caught her own snowball on the shoulder, causing a massive spray of snow all over her face, flipping her hat right off of her head and making her spit up all the flakes that flew into her mouth.

    "Not so funny now, is it?" Rarity said, putting her hands on her hips.

    Sunset turned around to see Rainbow Dash throwing up a snowball in one hand, with the other perched triumphantly on her hip. A little pile of snowballs was stacked up beside her boots, and a cocky smile was plastered across her face. "Who's ready for a snowball fight now?" Rainbow asked in her usual arrogant tone.

    Rarity and Applejack looked between each other and nodded, then looked to Sunset to finally seal the alliance pact. They all turned to Rainbow Dash as the leaned down to scoop up their own handfuls of snow. Rainbow's cocky grin faltered as she saw the other three girls facing towards her with snow in hand.

    "W-wait, let's make teams or someth--Ah!" Rainbow ducked as the first ball zipped over her head like a bullet. Applejack had quite the arm on her, and Sunset could see the fear in Rainbow's eyes at the thought of getting by her.

    As the three girls charged, Rainbow didn't have any place to run. The snowballs pelted her as she tried to fight back, pathetically throwing off of her stack between hits, but with the constant barrage she was nowhere near as accurate. Rarity's and Sunset's strikes only covered her clothes in a thin layer of snow, but Applejack's throws hit Rainbow like a wrecking ball, with her tight grip packing the snow like a rock that barely even broke apart on a hit. Rainbow let out a little yelp every time one hit her. Applejack was at least merciful enough to not aim for the face, but that was the extent of her pity for her foe.

    After a particularly hard hit in the gut from one of Applejack's snowballs, Rainbow tripped over her own pile into the snowy grass, bringing her hand up above her face to try and block some of the oncoming shots.

    "Okay! Okay! I give!" Rainbow said as the girls reached down into her own pile, ready to use her own ammo against her.

    "Givin' up already? I expected more out'a you, Rainbow," Applejack said, adopting Rainbow's old cocky smile as she tossed a snowball in the air with one hand and caught it again.

    "Kinda hard to keep going when you're pelting me with those," Rainbow said, motioning to the still-packed balls of snow laying on the ground around them.

    The three of them looked around their feet to see them littering the ground, unlike Sunset and Rarity's snowballs, which were covering Rainbow's jacket in a thin layer of white. "You could be a little gentler with all this, don't you think, Applejack?" Rarity said.

    "Yeah, I suppose so."

    Rainbow got up off the ground and dusted herself off. "So now we can actually make teams. I call Sunset!"

    "What? Woah!" Rainbow jerked Sunset by the wrist behind her as she picked up a snowball off the ground and tossed it towards Applejack and Rarity. As they ran behind the cover of Rainbow's house, Rarity and Applejack started forming their own snowballs and forming their own battleplan.

    Rainbow knelt down to ball up her own pile of snow, motioning for Sunset to do the same. "Okay, on the count of three you run out first and draw their fire and I'll swoop in and nail them both."

    "Wait, why do I have to be the bait?" Sunset asked.

    "Because I'm tired of getting hit by Applejack."

    Sunset glared at Rainbow. "Really?"

    Rainbow gave her a joking smile. "Hey, you'll be alright. I'll cover you, promise."

    Sunset wasn't so sure, but some sacrifices had to be made for the sake of the war. She balled up as much snow as she could, holding it in her arm as she readied for the fight. "Alright, so when should we--"

    "Three!" Rainbow shouted, shoving Sunset out from behind the bricks and into the line of fire.

    "Rainbow!" Sunset said as she dodged around Applejack and Rarity's torrent of snowballs. Rainbow ran out from behind her and threw as many snowballs as fast as she could at the pair.

    "Element of surprise!" Rainbow yelled a she tried to flank Applejack, getting a few good hits into her before she took her attention off of Sunset.

    The battle had begun. Sunset winced at the few hits that caught her arms and legs from Applejack. Even trying to hold back her snowballs still felt like getting hit with a slower baseball. She still tried to fight back, lobbing her own clumps at the pair and dodging around their fire. Rainbow ran around them ferociously, trying her hardest to get back at Applejack for earlier.

    That just left Rarity and Sunset. The two lobbed snow at each other playfully, a stark contrast from the death battle that Rainbow and Applejack were locked into. Rarity threw one ball and hit Sunset right in the face, covering her skin in a thin layer of snow and disorienting her enough to make her fall backwards.

    Once she wiped it off, she saw Rarity walking up to her with a concerned look across her face. "Darling, are you alri--" she tried to get out before being pelted across the cheek by a shot from Rainbow.

    "No help from the enemy!" she shouted. Sunset rolled her eyes and let out a laugh as Rarity glared at her.

    Rainbow ran right in front of Sunset, trading shots with Applejack. One shot just barely grazed Rainbow and nailed Sunset right in below the ribs as she tried to get up, the force of the blow driving the wind out of her lungs. Susnet immediately fell back into the snow, prompting Rarity to run up to her and tell Applejack to stop.

    "I'm fine," Sunset let out in a strained voice. Sunset tried to catch her breath, but that hit was making it quite difficult.

    Applejack came up next, grabbing Sunset's other hand and hoisting her up to her feet. "Heh, sorry, sugarcube. Guess I don't know my own strength."

    Sunset coughed. "You're telling me."

    "How about you two do something a bit more productive than pelting each other with snow."

    Rainbow slowed to a stop, her arm in the middle of another swing at the group. "Awh, come on, you guys are done already? I was just getting started."

    "What, you really want to get beat any worse?" Applejack said with a smile.

    Rainbow narrowed her eyes at her friend, grabbing another snowball and getting ready to strike. Rarity sighed at the display. Her eyes turned up in thought for a moment before an idea seemed to spring to her head.

    "Oh, Rainbow darling. I'm willing to bet that you can't make a snowman better than that one down there." Rarity motioned down to a neighbors house, where a simple snowman with a few rocks and sticks for features stood on the lawn.

    "Are you kidding? My snowman will be two hundred times cooler than that lame thing. Just you watch." Rainbow quickly got down to gather up a much bigger clump of snow for the base, bringing a satisfied smile to Rarity's face.

    "There, that ought to keep her busy for a while."

    Sunset raised her eyebrow at Rarity. "Really?" she asked.

    "What? It's just a little harmless manipulation."

    Sunset just raised her eyebrow higher and crossed her arms over her chest. Applejack just laughed at the display.

    "Huh?" Rainbow asked, sitting up from her increasingly large clump of snow.

    "Oh, nothing, dear. We were just talking about the accessories we might put on the snowman," Rarity said. Rainbow just rolled her eyes and went back to gathering snow on the other side of the yard.

    "You're awful, Rarity," Sunset said with a tiny smile as she walked across the yard and picked up her books. She brushed off the snow from the covers and rested them back against her chest as she held them with both hands.

    "Where do ya think you're goin'?" Applejack asked.

    "Oh, I was just going to walk back to my apartment. Still have to study and--"

    Applejack pulled Sunset's books out of her arms and held them by her side. "Hey! What are you doing?" Sunset asked.

    "Sorry, sugarcube, but I think you need a break. Y'all've been avoidin' us ever since we got back from Thanksgivin'."

    Rarity stepped in, her expression a little less stern than Applejack's. "I'm going to have to agree with her, darling. We've seen that dingy, old apartment of yours; that's no way to spend your winter."

    Sunset looked away, an hint of uncertainty passing through her expression. Rarity put both of her hands on Sunset's shoulders and tried her best to give her a heartfelt smile. "I know last year's Christmas was rough on you, Sunset. You know how sorry we all are for blaming you for that Anon-a-miss nonsense. We just want to spend our day enjoying ourselves, with you included. You have the whole weekned; don't you think it could wait?"

    Sunset looked away from Rarity, her hands fidgeting with each other. "I... I don't know."

    "Sunset, we both know you only have to spend like an hour reading over this stuff to get the best score in the class," Applejack said, looking down at the books in her hand. "I think you can afford to take a little time off, and after last winter, I reckon you could use some good ol' r and r."

    "Girls, I just--ah!" Rarity stepped behind Sunset and placed her hands on her friends back. With a determined expression, she slowly pushed Sunset towards Rainbow's front door.

    "Not another word, dear. We're going to make you enjoy today whether you like it or not."

    "Hey, easy!" Sunset said as she slipped on the snow, falling forward for a second but quickly catching herself. Rarity kept pushing however, landing both girls face first in the snow. The crash got a giggle out of Applejack, and a curios glance out of Rainbow Dash.

    "What, are we making snow angels now?" Rainbow shouted.

    That got an even bigger laugh out of Applejack. "Hehe, not quite, sugarcube."

    Rarity pawed at the little bits of snow clinging to her hair. As if the snowball fight hadn't already caused enough damage. "Oh, if this water melts it's just going to ruin my hair."

    Sunset raised her eyebrow from her position under her, completely covered in snow herself. Rarity gave her a sheepish smile once she realized the misplacement of her focus. "Sorry, Sunset," she said as she scooted off of her.

    "It's alright," Sunset said, pawing the snow out of her own hair. "If you girls really want me to stay that badly, I guess it's okay just for today."

    Rarity immediately perked up at Sunset's words, grabbing her by the wrist and yanking her up to her feet. "Wonderful! Let's go make hot chocolate and put on a movie! Oh! Rainbow has a fire place. We could sit by that and talk about Saphire Shore's new album, or maybe some of the newest fashion trends. Darling I just have to show you this--"

    "Rarity," Applejack cut in. "Don't you think we should spend a little bit of the day actually enjoyin' the snow? You know you can do those things on any other day this winter."

    Rarity blinks a few times. "Well, I suppose you're right, but now that I'm covered in snow I could do for a bit of hot chocolate, couldn't you, Sunset?"

    "Um, sure. Just don't shove me into the snow again, alright?" Sunset said with a playful smile.

    "I really am sorry, darling. Now, let's get inside and get you some hot chocolate!" Rarity said with an excited smile. She grabbed Sunset by the wrist this time, pulling her so hard that most of the snow jerked off of her.

    Once they were inside, Rarity dragged her into the kitchen and grabbed a few packets of hot chocolate and a few mugs out of Rainbow's cupboard.

    Sunset's eyes drifted around the familiar sight of Rainbow's house, with all the sports decorations everywhere and the occasional piece of exercise equipment or dirty laundry laying around. With just Dash and her dad living there, Sunset imagined things might get a little dirty.

    "Let me help you with the rest of that snow, darling," Rarity said, moving her hands around Sunset and patting off all the extra flakes. "Now, I need to talk to you about something."

    "Boys, fashion, or gossip?" Sunset said with a joking smile.

    Rarity didn't return it however, her face was serious with a hint of concern. "None of that, Sunset. Why have you been avoiding us?"

    Sunset blinked a few times, confused at the question. "W-what? I'm not avoiding you guys."

    "You can drop the act, dear. You were nowhere near this busy last year. Does it have something to do with...?"

    Sunset brought her hands up and gave Rarity a put on a reassuring smile. "No, no... it doesn't have anything to do with that."

    "Are you sure? I just want you to know that every one of us is still sorry for not trusting you. If you really want we can tell Pinkie you want that apology party after all."

    Sunset giggled at the thought. "No, it's okay, really. I told you I forgive you guys. I'm just glad we're all still friends."

    Rarity crossed her arms over her chest. "Then what's the matter? You know we want to spend time with you. Cooping yourself up in the dirty, old apartment is only going to sour your mood, dear."

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