“Come on Apple Bloom, come out!”

“Yeah, the wrap-up is almost over!”

“Pleashe?”

No answer.

Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Twist took one final look to the bedroom closed door and sighed before heading downstairs.

“Told you she wouldn´t come. She doeshnt like Winter Wrap-up,” Twist said.

“I don´t get it. Why does se locks himself like that?” Scootaloo asked.

“Maybe we should ask...” Sweetie said and pointed at Granny Smith who was resting on her chair, wrapped in a blanket due to the chilling weather.

“It´s not that she hates the holiday...” said the elderly mare. “It´s the snow. It brings her sad memories.”

“Sad memories?” Sweetie asked.

“Of the day our family became two sizes smaller...”

Sweetie was about to ask again but she got punched by Scootaloo. Before she could complain Twist made her noticed that Granny Smith was grabbing a picture frame with an image of the Apple family, back in the days when it had two more members.

“It was the day after the Wrap-up and despite all the hard work in town, there were still a few small patches of snow on the roads...”

****

Upstairs, Apple Bloom had her head buried under the pillow.

Unable to cry anymore, she tried to force herself into sleep to no avail. Her memory instead began to wander, showing her several pictures of her past. Some were obscure, others were bright but all were covered in snow.

She remembered roaming through the snowy fields, sinking in all the time and needing to ride on her brother´s shoulders. She remembered her dad, bulky and tall, always smiling while chewing a straw of hay. He weared the yoke back in the day. She couldn´t remember his voice but she remembers the warm feeling as he playfully rubbed her mane.

She remembered her mother, trotting through the fields, the Stetson placed on her head, her bright freckles on her pale green face. Her mother looked like a taller Applejack with Granny Smith colors except for the mane, a powerful apple-red mane.

Her mother loved the Wrap-Up, Apple Bloom remembered this. She was always barking orders and doing half of the work herself. She looked harsh but she gave support to all the farmers. She was enjoying every second of it, Apple Bloom could tell because of her radiant smile.  Her mother was a hard-worker but she was also stubborn, perhaps a bit too much. She remembered small fragments of a discussion, her mother insisted on capturing a snow cloud despite the pegasi team declaring it a wasted effort. She still gave chase to the missing cloud, running after it, lasso in mouth.

Next thing she remembers, Apple Bloom was sitting on Granny Smith lap, right next to the chimney. The entire family is there, except her mother. Despite being next to the fire, the absence of her mother made the room felt cold. She finally returns, bringing with her the elusive cloud. She looks so proud, like she had just captured the entire cattle. Her father said something, his voice muffled on Apple Bloom´s memories, and her mother reaction is to furiously kick the cloud, somehow causing it to explode. The entire living room gets covered in a white blanket, all the Apples turned into small snow piles. Big Mac was the first to break in laughter soon followed by the entire family. She remembered all the laughs, all the warm.

It was a good memory.

*****

“Poor Apple Bloom...I had no idea her parents were gone... she must miss them so much,” Sweetie said, while placing her hat over her horn.

“I miss my parents too but its not like I can´t visit them. To me, its just a small trip to Fillydelphia. Her...” Scootaloo said.

Twist said nothing and just tied on her scarf.

The fillies were about to leave when they heard a voice, calling them to wait. Shortly, Apple Bloom was on the doorway, half dressed on winter clothes.

“Ah´m coming too...”

“You sure?” Sweetie asked.

Apple Bloom nodded.

“Why the sudden change?” Scootaloo asked.

“It´s not that sudden, it´s just....this is the first Wrap-Up for the three Crusaders.”

“And the Honorary Crusader!” Twist said.

Apple Bloom smiled and looked back at her friends. Sweetie and Scootaloo looked at each other and then smiled back.

“What are we waiting for then? Rainbow Dash is cleaning the skies near the library! If we hurry we can catch her!”

Scootaloo then dashed off, followed by the other three. Apple Bloom did her best to catch on, all while trying to put on her boots and jacket. It was cold outside but running with her friends, she could feel a little bit of warm returning.

Like a warm memory that never faded.