Teardrops and Snowflakes

Chapter One

Deep in the Whitebark Forest, a certain lavender mare was slowly trudging along. The winter chill that permeated the forest had numbed her skin and muscles long ago, but she couldn’t stop. Her goal was too important.

Finally though, her concentration wavered and she fell, tripping over an unseen root.

The mare attempted to rise, but her muscles refused to cooperate and as her tears of helplessness began to fall, the soothing embrace of unconsciousness began to consume her mind. Her final thoughts before she faded were an image of a certain azure pony and the words that she had never said to that pony because she had been too afraid.

As Twilight Sparkle lay unmoving in the middle of Whitebark Forest, the first snowflake descended from the heavens and kissed her cheek.

Nine Days Earlier

“Aww c’mon Twilight! Just one? Please!?”

“No Spike! If I give you one now it will ruin your dinner.”

“Hmph! Fine! But I’ll remember this the next time you need your tea heated!”

Twilight Sparkle gave the dragon an apologetic glance, but the dragon simply stormed up the stairs, a mix of frustration and melancholy obvious throughout his form. To the casual observer, Twilight was unaffected by the gesture, but anyone who knew Twilight knew that she hated telling the baby dragon no after everything he did for her.

It’s for his own good though, she rationalized. She had read somewhere that too many sapphires weakened a dragon’s digestive system. Not that the fact made her feel any better. A knock at the door disturbed Twilight’s brooding and with a final glace to the top of the stairs, she answered it.

“Muffins!”

“Oh, hello Derpy! I guess I have a package?”

“Muffins!” Derpy exclaimed emphatically, bobbing her head up and down while extending a package.

Grinning at the enthusiastic mail-pony, Twilight took the package. “Thanks Derpy!”

Derpy saluted and flew off at an unusual angle, narrowly missing a lamppost. Chuckling, Twilight closed the door and studied the package.

It was a simple affair. Rather thin, and wrapped in nondescript brown paper, held together with alabaster twine. Twilight immediately knew who it was from, and tore it open with a simple burst of magic.

Inside the package two pieces of paper lay on top of each other. One was a simple scroll, much like the ones she used to record her findings on the magic of friendship and send to Celestia. The other was a much thicker piece of parchment that, at first glance, looked like a map of some kind.

Ignoring the larger parchment, Twilight carefully unrolled the letter and began devouring it with her eyes.

Miss Sparkle,

   I have done as you asked me to, and tracked the whereabouts of “The Great and Powerful Trixie.” It wasn’t easy, but then again, if it was easy you wouldn’t have paid my rather large fee. As per your request, I have kept my investigation as quiet as possible, so only you and I know what I’ve been doing. After fleeing Ponyville, Trixie apparently lived off the “land” for a while, stealing what food she needed to live. For shelter, she mostly slept in barns or porches until she was chased off by the owner. Eventually she found her way to a small town on the opposite side of the Everfree forest called St. Ponysberg and began to rebuild her reputation. Every night she would host a show and as more and more people showed up, her profits increased more and more. By the time she left, she had a new stage-cart and enough supplies to last her two weeks minimum. After that it seems like she tried to get as far away from Ponyville as possible. She traveled straight north, performing in any town she came across. After a certain point I lost her, but eventually picked her back up. Her popularity had risen and she had been performing in Detrot and Fillydelphia, attracting crowds of hundreds. At the time I write this letter, she is camped along the shores of Mares Lake and has been there for two weeks. It seems that performing nonstop finally took its toll, and she is taking a vacation. If past data is anything to go by, after this she will go back to the big cities to perform nightly. If you really want to find her, start there, then work your way out. Ask around. My job is done, but I have one final piece of advice. Forget her. I’m not sure why you wanted me to find her so badly, but going by what you’ve told me, she hasn’t changed a bit. If anything she is even more stuck-up than when you saw her. If that isn’t an option, I have enclosed a map of her movements. Do with it what you will.

Sincerely,

   Detective Hoofson

Twilight read the letter three times just to make sure she hadn’t missed anything, then turned her attention to the other parchment.

It was a map of Equestria, with a bright red line weaving over nearly the entire thing, beginning in Ponyville and ending at a lake far to the northwest.

Twilight quickly composed a thank-you letter to the detective and put it in the mailbox for Derpy to pick up later. She had known that her bits wouldn’t be wasted. He had come highly recommended.

Rereading the final part of the detective’s letter, Twilight wondered what she would do now. She hadn’t thought that far ahead when she asked Detective Hoofson to track down Trixie. She didn’t even know why she had asked him to do it in the first place. She thought back to the day she met Trixie and shuddered.

Other than Nightmare Moon, that Ursa Minor had been the most powerful thing she had fought, and if she hadn’t researched how to take it down beforehand Ponyville would have been decimated. At the time, she still hadn’t been sure if she could do it.

After Trixie ran away, Twilight had been worried. The wilds of Equestria were not friendly, and Trixie had run away with nothing, not even her hat and cloak.

Speaking of which…

Twilight made her way down to the basement of her tree home and opened a box she had magically sealed to keep out dust and mildew. Reaching inside she picked up the same hat and cloak. Both were a little dirty, and had rips and tears all over them, but even so the material was soft, and as Twilight rubbed against them, she inhaled a scent that made her heart skip a beat. She had been meaning to get Rarity to repair them, but had been too busy studying.

“Huh, well I guess I’m not doing anything today.” she mused out loud. “Plus this will give me some time to think about what I really want to do.”

Heading upstairs Twilight noticed that Spike was still in a mood. He had constructed a blanket fort using Twilight’s bed for the back wall, and multiple books for the other walls. Draped over the entire thing was Twilight’s own blanket, and outside the entrance was a small sign proclaiming “Dragons Only! Twilight Keep OUT!”

Spike had been in this kind of mood before, although the fort was new. Twilight simply sighed and headed over to her mirror to get her bits and brush her mane. She called over her shoulder. “Hey Spike, I’m going to run a few errands. Would you like to come?”

When no answer came, Twilight tried again. “Alright then, I guess I’ll just go to Rarity’s myself.”

Spike’s response was almost immediate. “What? Rarity’s? I would love to come Twilight! I guess I just didn’t hear you the first time I was uhh… cleaning! Yep that’s right. I was cleaning really loudly and I didn’t hear you!”

Finished brushing her mane, Twilight giggled. “Alright then Romeo, c’mon. I need to get something repaired.”

Forgetting his dark mood in lieu of curiosity Spike gave Twilight a confused look.

“But Twilight, you never actually wear anything. What could you possibly need repaired?”

Twilight knew that Spike wouldn’t understand why she needed to get the cloak and hat repaired; he had hated Trixie as much as any pony in Ponyville and she didn’t feel like getting quizzed the entire way to Carousel Boutique, so she simply shrugged.

“You’ll see.”

Spike shot her a suspicious look, but stayed silent.

“I’ll meet you outside in a moment Spike; just let me get my saddlebags.”

Spike nodded and headed downstairs.

As Twilight magically lifted her saddlebags onto her back and placed the items inside, she was hit again with that scent. It was the scent of jasmine and mint, but somehow it was more…energized. It was as if the aroma had an electric charge. Again, her heart skipped a beat.

Looking in the mirror, Twilight noticed she was blushing. She stopped a moment, wondering why she would blush at a scent, but quickly dismissed it as a random phenomenon. She trotted downstairs and out the door, stopping only long enough to give Spike a chance to climb on her back.

The journey to Carousel Boutique was uneventful, Twilight being wrapped up in her thoughts about what she wanted to do, and Spike daydreaming about Rarity. Reaching the extravagant building, Twilight was about to knock when a massive crash resounded from inside.

“Sweetie bell! What have I told you about playing on my ponyquins?! Scootaloo! No scooters in my boutique! Applebloom! That is delicate fabric, not a lasso!”

Twilight giggled then frowned. Rarity must have had to pony-sit the Cutie Mark Crusaders today. If she wanted the repairs done, she would have to get rid of them.

Opening the door to the Boutique, Twilight found that the destruction was far worse than she feared. Ponyquins were lying on the ground everywhere, and at least half of them had homemade “lassos” around their necks. The lush carpet of the Boutique had semi-deep indentions all around it, probably from a scooter.

In the center of this chaos, Rarity stood over a large piece of fabric that had its corners magically turned in to create a sack that was frantically struggling. Finishing the knot, Rarity looked up and spotted the duo.

“Twilight! Spike! What a delight to see you! I must apologize for the mess but a certain group of ruffians,” Here she glared at the struggling sack. “decided that today would be a good day to try out ‘redecorating.’”

From the sack a muffled cry of “Cutie Mark Crusaders Master Redecorators!” was heard.

Twilight thought for a moment before shooting Spike a mischievous look. “Hey Spike, how would you like to really help out Rarity?”

Spike hopped off Twilight and saluted. “I would love to! I’ll do anything to help out Rarity!”

Twilight’s eyes glinted. “Great! Then you can take the Crusaders and play with them somewhere far away from here!”

Spike’s expression immediately fell. “Wh… what? I don’t think I can…”

Rarity caught on to the ruse and put on her most imploring expression. “Pleeeaase Spike? It would me oh so much to me.”

The look would have been more than enough.

“Of course Rarity! Anything for you!”

Twilight acted immediately, magically levitating the bundle of Crusaders outside and pushing Spike out with her head. “Great! Alright then I’ll come and find you when I’m done here. Have fun!”

Magically slamming the door shut, Twilight sighed in relief and sank down to her haunches. Rarity did the same.

“Oh darling thank you sooo much! Those three are absolutely monstrous when they get in that mood.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “I know exactly what you mean. I still find books in odd places from the last time I pony-sat them. I feel kind of bad for dumping them on Spike like that, but I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Rarity looked around the room in anguish. “My shop!” She exclaimed, teary-eyed. “I’ll never get this cleaned up in time to finish my dresses!”

Twilight had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at the melodramatic behavior of her friend. “Rarity you know that I’ll help you clean up. It’ll be done in no time. What dresses are you working on though?”

Rarity beamed at Twilight, her despair seemingly forgotten in her desire to show off her latest creations. “Oh darling it’s simply fabulous! I’ve been commissioned by almost every mare in Ponyville to create dresses for the Ponyville Ball!”

Rarity trotted over to a large cabinet in a corner of the shop and pulled out one of the most beautiful dresses Twilight had ever seen. It was a semi-transparent white dress with topaz gems lining the bottom edge. Around the neckline topaz-colored thread was embroidered in an intricate pattern.

Rarity gazed at Twilight with an almost worried look etched on her features. “This one was commissioned by Lyra. What do you think?”

Twilight was almost at a loss for words. “I…It’s beautiful Rarity! Lyra’s going to love it! But…”

Rarity quickly interrupted her, her gaze morphing from worried to frantic. “But what?! Ohh is the stitching off in the…”

“Rarity.”

“…neck? Or are the gems at the bottom too much? Or….”

“Rarity!”

“…do you think it’s the wrong color? It’s the wrong color isn’t it?”

“RARITY!”

Startled out of her depressed reverie, Rarity gave Twilight a sheepish glance. “Sorry darling….I get a little worked up when it comes to the Ball eheheh….”

Again, Twilight resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It seemed to be more difficult this time. “It’s fine. I was actually going to ask about the Ponyville Ball. What is it?

To Twilight, it looked like Rarity’s mind went blank for a moment before she recovered.

“Oh. That’s right. You haven’t been in Ponyville long enough to attend one have you? The Ponyville Ball is hosted every three years during the winter solstice and is meant to allow couples to reaffirm their love for each other and allow single ponies to find the mare or stallion of their dreams.”

Twilight thought about this for a moment. “Why is it only hosted every three years?”

Rarity shrugged. “To be completely honest, I’m not really sure darling. All I know is that it’s the most romantic night of the year. Anyway, I’m sure you didn’t come here simply to chat. What do you need?”

Twilight snapped back to reality, remembering why she came to the Boutique in the first place. “That’s right! I need something repaired, but you have to promise to not tell anypony.”

At once, Rarity became conspiratorial. “Darling you have my word, but why would you need to keep a repair secret?” Rarity stepped alongside Twilight, a sly grin finding its way onto her face. “Is it for somepony you like?”

The red on Twilight’s face reminded Rarity of Big Mac’s coat. “I... I... I… No… er… I mean… maybe… but…” Twilight finally sighed in defeat. “I don’t know.”

Rarity regretted putting Twilight on the spot like that. “Oh darling it’s okay. I shouldn’t have pried. Um, who is it? That is if you don’t mind me asking.”

For an answer, Twilight magically pulled out the hat and cloak and handed them to Rarity, the blush on her face only growing stronger.

Twilight would later look back on this moment and giggle at the way Rarity behaved. At first, Rarity simply stared at the items, not understanding their significance. Then, recognizing the items, her mouth fell open a little and her eyes widened, whether in shock or horror Twilight didn’t know. Then Rarity spoke.

“Oh… my… Celestia. Twilight Sparkle! You have a crush on Trixie!?”

Twilight looked down in embarrassment and shuffled her hooves a little. “Like I said, I don’t know. All I know is that I haven’t gone a day without thinking about her and I kinda… hired a private detective to find her.”

By this time Rarity had regained her composure and gave Twilight a look of sympathy mixed with incredulity. “What was that last part darling? You’re beginning to act like Fluttershy.”

Twilight’s neck became the same color as her face and she rubbed the back of it with a hoof. “I… kinda hired a private detective to find Trixie.”

When no response came Twilight glanced up. Rarity was staring at her, seemingly calm except for a slight twitch in her right eye. “Twilight…sweetie… you do realize that kind of behavior borders on stalking….right?”

Twilight shot Rarity a resentful look. “It wasn’t stalking! I… I was just worried about her! I mean… she left Ponyville without any food or shelter and… and…” Twilight trailed off, tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes.

Rarity instantly softened. Regardless of how she felt about Trixie, it was obvious that Twilight had feelings for her, and it wasn’t Rarity’s place to judge. She hugged Twilight and led her to a nearby couch that had escaped the Crusaders’ wrath. “Hush… shhhh… you just rest here and I’ll fix up these, alright? Everything will work out darling. I promise.”

Twilight nodded and hugged Rarity, her tears finally beginning to fall.

As Rarity trotted into her work room, Twilight lost all of her restraint, and silent sobs racked her body. She didn’t understand why she was crying, but she couldn’t stop. After a few minutes the sobs stopped, and after a little longer the tears did as well.

Twilight was exhausted. Not physically, but emotionally. As she lay on Rarity’s couch, that exhaustion finally caught up with her, and she fell into a deep sleep; her dreams filled with visions of a certain blue mare and the scent of jasmine and mint.

As consciousness returned to Twilight, the first thing she noticed was a bright, blinding light. The second thing she noticed was a gentle, if somewhat uncomfortable heat on her face. Rising, she gently rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked for the source of the light and heat. Her eyes were drawn to the window of the boutique.

She noticed that Celestia’s sun was beginning to fall below the horizon and sighed. She hated letting the day escape her, but there was nothing for it now. Glancing around, she noticed that she seemed to be on the edge of a disaster zone; ponyquins and fabric lay in a haphazard manner everywhere.

The boutique flashed with a brilliant purple light, and a few moments later everything was neat and organized, not a single ponyquins out of place. Nodding in satisfaction at her work, Twilight tried to remember why she was at Rarity’s boutique in the first place. She remembered arguing with Spike about sapphires, then she got a package….

Twilight’s eyes widened suddenly, memories hitting her like Rainbow Dash crashing into her home. “Rarity? Are you there?”

A few moments passed before she received a reply, but the relief Rarity’s voice brought her was worth it. “I’m in here sweetie! Just finishing the final touches on your… project.”

Walking into the white unicorn’s workroom, Twilight immediately knew that Rarity was “in the zone, as it were.” She was bent over her sewing machine, rhythmically moving her hooves up and down as she finished a stitch. Twilight knew that conversing with Rarity when she was like this was pointless, so she simply began stretching out her muscles and waking her mind up.

“Aaaaaand finished! What do you think darling? Is it everything you wanted?”

Twilight glanced up to see Rarity flourishing a beautiful midnight purple cloak. Embroidered into the fabric were dozens of tiny sparkling silver and cobalt stars and the clasp where the neck would be was a stunning sapphire the size of Twilight’s hoof. The effect was completed by the light of the setting sun reflecting off each individual star, giving the cloak an almost ethereal look. Behind Rarity, on the sewing machine, sat a hat made out of the same material.

Twilight was stunned and speechless, but after a moment she noticed Rarity’s fragile expression and knew she had to do something. So she walked up and hugged her, whispering in her ear. “Thank you Rarity. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. You outdid yourself.”

As Twilight pulled back, she noticed Rarity staring at her. “What? Is my mane messed up or something?”

Twilight expected at least a small giggle or something, but Rarity looked somber…melancholy even.  “Twilight…sweetie, you know I would never judge you based on who you like or love, but… well… I’m worried. What will you do now? Unless you go looking for Trixie or something, then these will simply be reminders of her and, trust me on this, most of the time being reminded of someone you’ve lost is more painful than forgetting them.”

For the first time that day, Twilight knew exactly what she had to do. “Then… I guess I’ll have to go and look for her then, won’t I? I’ll never be happy if I don’t put this behind me.”

Rarity’s face displayed nothing but sympathy. “You do know there is a chance she won’t return those feelings….right?”

That thought pained Twilight greatly, but her expression betrayed nothing. “I know, but even if that happens, at least I’ll know for sure instead of having to wonder every day and night.”

Twilight’s mind began working fast. She knew that Rarity was about to argue against her going, and she would need every scrap of information she could think of to convince her.

“Alright Twilight, I understand. When will you leave?”

At first Twilight was stunned, but then she remembered that underneath all of the glamour and refinement, Rarity was one of the kindest and most understanding ponies she knew. “I might as well leave tomorrow. No time like the present….right?”

Rarity shot Twilight a brilliant smile and nodded. “I figured you would say that. Come over here, if you’re going to leave tomorrow, you’ll need some clothes to keep you warm. And some food for the journey. And….”

Twilight just followed and nodded. Tomorrow she would set out to find the mare of her dreams and regardless of whether it worked out or not, she knew that her friends would stand beside her and support her.