On That Snowy Night...

An MLP FanFic.

The light blue filly sat on the doorstep of her home, a large scarf wrapped tightly around her neck and her long dark blue mane dangling over one side of her face, while the rest was tied back into a small ponytail. Her seemingly oversized glassy eyes watched curiously as the first signs of snow began to appear, small crisp white flakes of ice slowly drifting down from the gloomy skies.

Filly Magnum looked up, her eyes attracted by the millions and millions of snowflakes slowly making their way down to earth, some glimmering in the dim rays of winter sunlight that leaked through the thick clouds. It was a magical sight to see- the final arrival of winter, and the end of autumn.

Still there were traces of the previous season on the streets, in the form of orange and yellow decaying leaves. The streets were beautiful- Hearth's Warming Eve was coming soon... And everypony was busy with decorating their homes, others decorating the streets with huge candy canes and red and white ribbons.

The snow finally made it to the surface, scattering the light from those dim lamps lining the streets. Magnum reached out an arm, letting a snowflake rest gently in the middle of her hoof. She brought it up to her eyes, staring at the pattern until it slowly melted away into a single drop of water.

There was a soft click behind her as the door opened slightly, the soft ringing of the automatic bell tinkling her ears. She turned around, saw who it was, and a wide grin spread across her face.

"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?" Dad said, leaning against the doorframe, a hot cup of coffee in his hooves and sending puffs of steam into the air. It was daytime, yet it felt like night.

Magnum simply nodded.

"Every now and then... It's good to change the scenery." Dad said, followed by a long slurp as he raised the mug of coffee to his lips.

Magnum nodded again, casting a gaze around the empty streets. Snow was starting to slowly gather, a gentle white sheet cast onto the dull bricks and crisp grass... Like icing on a cake. More and more began piling up, until the entire area was just different shades of white and grey, with the occasional glow of warm yellow as the street lamps flickered gently in the calm breeze.

"Let's head inside. You can watch the snow from the window... And mom's almost got dinner ready." Dad said, laying a gentle hoof on Magnum's shoulder. "Come on. It's warm and cozy inside, and the fire place is running."

Magnum cast one last gaze at the field of snow, before heading inside with Dad. As Dad said, it was warm and cozy inside- but still Magnum kept her scarf on. For some reason, this one scarf in particular; she could not let go of. Maybe it was its fluffy texture, maybe it was the softness of the fabric, and maybe it was just the pink and white stripes. Whatever it was, she always liked cuddling with it. She had an obsessive love for guns, sure; but they weren't fluffy, nor were they cuddly.

She curled up in front of the fire place, watching the flames dance and eat away at the firewood, flinching slightly with each loud crack. She ran a hoof along the carpet, feeling the fur brush against the bare skin on her arm. She crumbled the scarf into one big fluffy ball, and curled around it; pressing her face into the soft fabric. She could just fall asleep right here and now... But the crackling fire kept her from doing so. She didn't want to sleep, anyway. She just wanted to enjoy the warmth.

She felt a small weight land on her back, and opened one eye. Her little sister Rose grinned at her, nuzzling her playfully.

Magnum pushed her away gently, and she squealed; laughing. She leaped back at Magnum, and they both fell onto the soft carpeted floor, giggling uncontrollably. They're just waiting to go outside, to play in the snow.

Rose trotted over to the sofa, and with help from Magnum she clambered onto the bouncy cushions. She stood on her hind legs, front hooves on the window sill as she peered outside at the drifting and gathering snow.

Magnum joined her, her scarf dangling loosely by her side. There was already a small layer of snow gathered on the window sill outside, a white sheet that seemed to glow in the dim sunlight. Their breaths started fogging up the glass, and soon they could see nothing but their own reflections peering back at them.

Rose started drawing butterflies on the foggy glass, and Magnum followed with impressions of what her own cutie mark might look like. They giggled friendlily at each other's drawings, adding their own changes to each other's and making them look silly.

"Magnum! Rose! Dinner's ready!" mom called from the dinner table.

With one long gaze out the window and through their drawings, they hopped off the sofa to join mom and dad at the table.

*

Days pass, and before the fillies even knew it Hearth's Warming Eve was here. Magnum and Rose had just returned home from outside, their manes and scarves coated in snow. Still they laughed, giggling at the odd looking snow mare they made earlier. Zealo had joined them earlier, a stallion filly from school that was pretty much friendly to everypony. They had snow fights and made stuff out of snow, but then it got too dark for anything- so they all went home.    

Mom had made hot chocolate again, and the fireplace was crackling with flames. They all sat around the fireplace, warm and cosy while it was a blizzard outside. Steam drifted from four separate mugs of hot cocoa, snow white marshmallows gently bobbing up and down. Bliss.  

Slowly they drained their cups, enjoying mostly each other's company. They watched the flames lick at the wood, slowly burning away. Sparks flew with another loud crack, but the flames didn't die down.

So the night carried on, with the excited fillies eagerly going to bed; waiting to open those shiny presents the very next morning.

*

Magnum woke up to the chirping of birds, bright sunlight pouring in through the window. She tried opening her eyes, but for some reason she felt very tired- despite being awake for only a few seconds. She yawned, sitting up and stretching. Her face and flank hurt from being on the wooden floor of her bedroom- she must've fallen off the bed again. There was also an impression on her arm where her gun had been pressed into it... She must've knocked it off the table when she fell off the bed.

She rubbed her eyes, sleepily standing up. For some reason she wasn't excited at all about the presents- she wondered straight through the living room, ignoring those shiny packages. The fire had finally died down, now nothing but grey ashes.

She shivered. Without the fire, the house was cold- she wondered why mom and dad didn't relight it. Usually they're the first ones up. She fetched her scarf from the sofa, where she left it yesterday.

"Mom! Dad! Rose!" Magnum called out, but there was nothing but silence, and her own echoing voice. "Wake up!"

She walked towards the hallway where both Rose and mom and dad's bedroom were located. The door to Rose's bedroom was slightly ajar, and Magnum tilted her head to one side. Rose always had her door closed properly.

"Rose! Wake u-" Magnum pushed the door open, peering in- and froze.

Rose was on the floor, a hole torn through her chest and a puddle of dried up blood all around her. Her eyes stared wide and terrified at Magnum, unmoving and undoubtedly- dead.

Magnum trembled, backing out of the room and unable to get her eyes away from her dead sister.

"Mom! Dad! ROSE! ROSE! SHE'S-" she burst into mom and dad's room, huffing and puffing. "Mom... Dad..."

Her eyes adjusted, and she saw the two humps underneath the sheets and blankets of the bed. She scrambled onto the bed, frantically lifting up the sheets.

"Mom! Dad! Why aren't you tal-" she stopped dead as she saw the gaping hole in dad's head, his mane and skin around it matted with his own dried blood. His eyes stared down at the pillows, his mouth slightly ajar.

"Magnum..." a weak whisper came from the other side of the bed.

"Mom! What happened?" Magnum yelled, scrambling towards her.

But mom was almost dead- she had a hole torn in her shoulder, the sheets underneath soaked a crimson red.

"Why...." she said in that weak voice, looking at Magnum directly in the eye. The look tore through her heart- it was as if mom was blaming her for all that happened. "Why..."

"Mom! Rose! Dad! What happened to all of them!!??" Magnum cried, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

But mom didn't reply. She just stared, those usually kind glassy eyes now blaming, without a hint of caring or forgiveness.

"Mom...?" Magnum asked, her voice trembling. Mom didn't reply- she too, like dad and Rose- was gone.

Magnum whimpered, covering her eyes- but that didn't stop the streams of tears that flowed down her cheeks as she cried. How could everything go so wrong? During only one night... And she didn't even get to say goodbye. Mom, dad, Rose.... Everything, gone. Stolen right out of her hooves, right on a date to celebrate union and unity. She slumped onto ground, crying loudly into her own arm.

Somepony.... Anypony....

She cried until her eyes hurt. Then she looked up, and found a golden item on the floor. She rolled it closer to her eyes, and froze once again.

It was a bullet shell- and she recognized it to be compatible with most pistols.

Even her own.

She quickly ran out of the room, her breathing trembling as she thought about what the bullet shell could mean.

No... This can't be happening... This simply can't....

She walked through the living room, the vibrant colors of the gifts no longer appealing in the slightest. She walked into her bedroom, and grabbed the gun off the floor. The click as she removed the magazine seemed to echo on forever as she checked the bullets inside.

The clip could hold twelve bullets, and Magnum started slowly flicking each one out.

One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven... Eight... Nine... The dull clicks continued- but on the tenth one, it was a hollow clunk.

Magnum stared unbelieving at the clip of ammo, three bullets missing.

Three bullets that killed her own family.

She fell to her knees, staring wide eyed at the floor. This can't be happening... She wouldn't do that... She would never. But there was no sign of a break in, or intrusion. But still she couldn't accept the truth... She had killed her own family.

She looked out the window, her irregular breathing fogging up the glass. She watched it snow outside, the warm yellow street lights making everything look blurry and unclear. Then her eyes focused on something else as her breath fogged the glass- her own reflection. For a moment she thought it was something behind the glass, on the outside- but as she ran a hoof along her face, she knew it wasn't.

She had a blood red smudge on her face- and it wasn't her blood.

She crumbled down by the window, pressing her left cheek against the wall. She screamed, her heart burning and her stomach continuously falling. How could all this be happening...

She slammed a hoof into her own forehead. This has to be just a bad dream. It has to be. All she has to do is run... Run away, and forget about it. Tomorrow'll be Hearth's Warming, and she'll wake up with cold sweat. Yes, that was going to happen.

It has to, Magnum thought as she ran through the living room. It just has to.

There was a loud crash as she slammed her shoulder into the door, opening it. She fell out into the snow, tumbling onto the stairs. She skimmed her knee on the sharp edge of the concrete stairs, but she didn't care.

The snow was knee-deep for her, and she struggled to walk through it all. All she saw was a field of white, with only some distinct objects and shapes- but they were all shades of grey. She left a trail behind her as she took heavy steps through the snow, also leaving behind small droplets of her blood from the skimmed knee.

She was finding it highly difficult to breath now, the cold stinging her skin and slowing her down with each and every step. Puffs of steam emitted from her wide open mouth as she desperately tried to continue- to run away.

From what, though? The truth? she didn't know. She didn't want to know.

Something under the snow tripped her up, and she fell forwards, creating a small splatter of white as she hit the snow. Through her tired, half closed eyes; she watched a set of familiar hooves approach. But then all faded to darkness, a single tear dripping out of the corner of her eye and merging into the snow below.

The snow is white,

the blood red.

Turn, little filly;

for a dream it is none.

On your hooves,

stained their blood.

And as the blizzard snows...

All will be covered...

But remain unchanged.

No tide will wash away the guilt.

No event will change what you have done.

Turn, little filly;

for the truth has come.

*

Magnum woke up, slowly opening her eyes. She seemed to be indoors again, and for a second she thought she had finally woken from the nightmare. But then she noticed she wasn't in her bedroom... She had been to this room before, and she raked through her head to find out where this room was. She didn't need to though.    

"Feeling better?" Zealo asked, peering at her and barely taller than the bed.

"What... Happened....?" Magnum asked weakly- she could feel her head burning, while the rest of her body was pretty much frozen- despite the warm sheets.

"I was about to head over to yours to give you a present, but found you on the street with a fever. I went to your house to ring the door bell, but nopony answered..." Zealo smiled sheepishly. "So I brought you here."

Magnum covered her face. So it was real. Everything was real, and still is.

"You're burning up pretty bad." Zealo lifted himself up onto the bed, and sat on the edge. "I got your present though." he grinned, bringing out a bright red box with blue ribbons clumsily wrapped around it. "I left a note on the doorstep saying that you're here-"

Magnum cried out, hugging Zealo tightly. She couldn't control it anymore- it was too much. She lost everything.

Everything.

Zealo didn't know what to do, so just hugged her and gently patted her back. Magnum cried into his shoulder, and he rubbed her cold shoulders. Tears trickled down his arm as Magnum continued sobbing uncontrollably.

"What's wrong..?" he asked, peering down at her.

"Mom... Dad... Rose..." Magnum said between sniffs and sobs, barely able to get the words out. "They're all... Dead..."

Zealo froze at that last word.

"Come on, no they're not. They just didn't open the door, is all." he said, patting her on the shoulder.

"But... You didn't... See it..." Magnum cried. "And... I.. I..." she couldn't say it. She couldn't admit it. But she has to, and she knows it. There's no running or hiding from herself. "I... I was the one that killed them."

"You wouldn't..." Zealo said, giving her a short squeeze.

"But-"

"You wouldn't." Zealo repeated, nuzzling her gently on the cheek.

Magnum stopped talking, blushing. Zealo's presence did make her feel better, but every time she thought about her family she couldn't help but start crying again.

*

Zealo's mother passed away several years ago, so at least he understood some of what Magnum was going through. His dad knew something was up once Magnum's parents never called, and the police found the bodies. Zealo was quite shocked a few days later when the evidence really did point to Magnum being the killer. But still he stood by her side, giving his side of the story truthfully during court. He didn't seem scared at all, and supported Magnum in her side.

Eventually judgement was carried out, and Magnum pled guilty. She had her eyes lowered in guilt and regret, even though she didn't even know how she pulled the trigger- and she was grateful for that. Finally she was able to fully face the truth, knowing she can't run, can't hide. And she knows she'll never forgive herself- no matter how hard she tries. She doesn't expect anypony to, after all that has happened. Maybe, one day she could live over the guilt of killing mom and dad... But killing her little sister was something she would hang herself for.

Tears continued sliding down her cheeks as she was escorted out of court. The judge showed more kindness than she thought she deserved- he stated that she already had a dead family for punishment, and that her state was actually a recognized psychological disorder.

Zealo and his dad adopted her then, and she couldn't be more grateful for their kind actions.

"You know the risks... Right?" Magnum asked. She had been diagnosed with a disorder that might explain how she killed her family in her sleep.

"I do. And I don't care." Zealo said, hugging her tightly.

They sat on a wooden bench in the park, the snow gently drifting down all around them. The trees were all coated white, in fact everything was white. They watched in silence for a second, as more snow flakes fell from the sky. Then Zealo noticed Magnum was looked down at the ground, a glimmering tear sliding down her face.

"You know, it wasn't your fault." he said, looking up at the cloudy skies.

"How can it not be?" Magnum shook her head slowly, the tear drop falling and slowly freezing in the snow.

"You weren't conscious at the time." Zealo said, a puff of steam traveling high up into the air as he let out a deep breath.

"But it was still me. It was all me." Magnum whimpered, covering her eyes.

Zealo gave her a short squeeze, patting her on the back. "The judge thought you were innocent enough. You're fine, Magni."

"I have a cross hair for a cutie mark! It means I'm meant to shoot ponies! To kill them! And I killed my family without even knowing it!" Magnum yelled, mostly at herself. She let out a deep sigh, the steam rising up into the air. "Everypony thinks I'm a monster now. No- everypony knows. And I know I'm a monster too." she said, two thin icy streams trickling down her cheeks.

"I don't." Zealo said, hugging Magnum tightly and nuzzling her tears away. "And I never will."

They watched the snow for a second, all the white and grey impressions of trees and houses shone on by the warm yellow glow of the street lamps.

"You just have to look and go in the right direction, even if life does take a turn." Zealo said, gazing at the lamps. "Even in the darkest and stormiest of blizzards, there's still a right way to go."

Magnum sniffed, wiping away her tears and nodding. She knew she didn't deserve to move on, at all. She should just put a bullet through her own head, that way it'll be even with Rose.

"I should just be grateful I'm still alive at all." Magnum said. "I should be burning in hell right now."

"But you aren't." Zealo said, putting an arm around her.

"Zeal..." Magnum laid her head on his shoulder. "Please... Don't leave me alone. Promise me you'll always be here."

"Promise." Zealo said, looking up at the sky.

*

It was night again, and Magnum sat at the desk; lit only by an oil lamp. The dark night outside sent shivers down her spine, and the dim oil lamp did little to provide warmth. She looked down at her gun on the table, the shiny silver metal glimmering in the light. She picked it up, cocking the hammer back with a soft click. She tapped the muzzle against her temple, feeling her flesh freeze against the cold metal.

She should just pull the trigger- she really should. But the death of her family made her understand many things... And she intended to teach whoever would listen. Sometimes the worst of things could happen- but you have legs, you can walk. You have eyes, you can see where you're going. You have a brain, you can think. You have a life, then live it right.

She cast the gun aside, letting it down with a gentle clunk.

Thanks, Zealo. Thanks for everything.

*

Magnum moaned, bright sunlight amplified by the white snow flooding through the window. She felt the soft carpet under her hooves, and she sleepily and slowly opened her eyes. Then she froze- she was on the floor again.

Her eyes widened. She didn't look up- she didn't dare. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see a small shade of red on the soft carpet. For minutes she didn't move, her body locked in fear of what might have happened during the night. In the opposite corner of her eye, she could see a gleaming silver hunk of metal- her pistol.

Then, finally; she slowly looked up. Her heart fell to the bottom of her stomach as she spotted Zealo, the hole in his shoulder slowly causing him to bleed to death. His dad lay beside him, still as a rock with a bullet hole through his head.

Magnum could see Zealo's chest heaving, and instantly she remembered mom; almost dead when she found her.

No... Please... Not again.... Please no.... She whimpered, looking stunned at yet another murder around her- now it was the death of an innocent family that was kind enough to adopt her- all because she couldn't control herself.

"Zealo..." she whimpered, scrambling over to his side. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." she cried, tears pouring out of her eyes.

"Magnum..." Zealo pulled on a forced smile. "Glad I could see you awake... Before I.."

"No! Please, don't.... You promised...." Magnum yelled, trying desperately to wipe the water off her face.  

"Sorry, Magnum..."

"Don't give me that!" she screamed, hugging him tightly. "Please don't go... Please don't leave me on my own again... Oh, I knew I should've pulled the trigger yesterday." she sobbed.

"No..." Zealo said weakly. "And don't do it after this. Magnum... I'll never hate you for this. I just needed you to know. I'll never hate you for anything you do."

"But-"

"Ssshhh..." Zealo shushed weakly, gently kissing her on the cheek. "After this... Run, you hear? Don't let them catch you."

"To where? I've got nothing left...." Magnum cried, rubbing her cheek against his.

"Doesn't matter..." Zealo closed his eyes.

"No..." Magnum tapped him on the forehead. "Come on.. Don't close your eyes!"

"Just... Stay... Safe..." Zealo said.

Magnum waited for him to take in another breath- but he didn't, and she knows he never will again.

She slumped back, covering her face with her front hooves, and crying uncontrollably. She didn't care if anypony saw, or heard. She just wanted to be alone, to blame the world on herself.

Maybe she was a plague. Just somepony who would do harm to anypony that tried to help her. Then Zealo's words echoed in her head- stay safe.

Magnum snatched the gun off the floor, wiping away the tears. She wrapped her scarf around her neck, opening the door and walking outside. The blizzard continued, and the white glow from all the snow stung her eyes. She wiped the tears from her eyes, and narrowed them in determination.

She looked up to the sky.

"I will make sure I use my skills to good." she said, then lowered her head. "Sorry, to you all. I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to do any of that." she couldn't help but have a single tear trickle down her cheek as she walked out into the blizzard- to where she didn't know, but simply- onwards.

*

Fifteen years on, she still remembers everything clear as day. Magnum sat at the very same desk- she had gained enough money to buy what used to be Zealo's house. It was expensive, but she bought it regardless. It served as a reminder, to keep her on the right path.

Her silver pistol lay on the same wooden desk, all lit by the same old oil lamp. She looked out the window, the blizzard outside showering everything with snow. It was Hearth's Warming again, but Magnum had nopony to give or receive presents from. She picked up the pistol once again, feeling its weight in her hooves.

So many things could go wrong- and when she thought things couldn't get worse when she found her family dead, it did when Zealo left too. All because of her.

She still blamed herself for everything that happened, and she'll never forgive herself. Her disorder had been cured years ago, and she had isolated herself from the general population before so- so she wouldn't hurt anypony else. But even now that the disorder was cured, she still couldn't bring herself to face the others. Her cutie mark said it all- she was a killing machine, and she could do it in her sleep.

But a machine with a heart.

Magnum stared at the engraving on the silver gun for a moment, then noticed the reflection of something under Zealo's old bed. It was a bright red box, clumsily wrapped in blue ribbons and covered in a layer of dust. She stood up, cautiously approaching the box. She slid it out from underneath the bed, and blew the dust off the top. There was a card tied to the box, the pictures poorly drawn- clearly the work of a filly. She flipped it open, and smiled when she read it:

To Magnum, From Zealo. Happy Hearth's Warming!!

"Thanks, Zeal." She whispered, hugging the box tightly, a single grateful tear sliding down her cheek- maybe Hearth's Warming won't be too bad after all. "Thanks." she said, looking up at the ceiling. "Thanks."

The blizzard rages on,

the lamps guiding you on.

You're lost without direction,

so you follow the illumination.

To a new world you come,

to a new start you come.

Leave all that is behind where it should be,

Far behind where nopony would stay.

Turn, little filly;

For the past is gone.

The End