Pretty Lights for a Pretty Night (Open to all)

[Lux]

Sweet Surprise ventured through the snowy fields towards the edge of the Everfree Forest. She had seen the pagent and now she was going to do another of her favorite pasttimes: seeing the Everfree Forest Light Show.

It was a pasttime for her as her parents started taking her there ever since she was a foal and able to make the journey. She loved the way the light seemed to be dancing through the trees.

"Oh wow," Sweet Surprise said as she saw the lights in the distance, "These light look even prettier that last year! I think that there is double the amount this time."

She quickened her pace towards the forest edge when suddenly she tripped over a hole and fell face first into the snow. "Ouch! Maybe I shouldn't be running in the snow."

[jacobthepegasus]

Misty Day, with her hooves in the snow, looked at the towering sizes of the trees of the Everfree Forest. Even with lights, she still could not help but feel overwhelmed.

"If only someone was with me, then I wouldn't be so scared..." she whispered to herself. She had never set foot in the Everfree in all her life, but she had heard rumors about it. She was about to go to a tent when she hear a noise.

"Oh wow," said the noise, "These lights look even prettier than last year! I think that there is double the amount this time."

"Another pony!" Misty gasped, "I don't feel so scared now!"

And she flew, gently but slightly faster than usual, into the forest. It didn't take long for Misty to find a pony in the snow, face first.

"Oh my, are you okay?" she asked the other pony as she helped her up.

[Firebolt]

Firebolt swooped in low, landing in a snowdrift outside the Everfree forest with a rush of the white powdery ice scattered everywhere by his wings. He shook himself clean of the stuff that had collected on his coat and mane, and trotted forward, taking in the majesty of the lights shining against the dark of the night. The winter chill made the air feel that much more vigorous and crisp, and the austerity of the snow made the night just perfect. He heard voices off to his right, and trotted closer, spying out two ponies among the trees.

"Greetings and blessings of health, friends! Hail and well met!"

[Lux]

Sweet Surprise pulled her head out of the snow thatnks to the other pony, revealing a white beard made of snow around her chin. "Heh, oh my," she said shaking the beard off. "Hey thanks for help me out there. I'm ok, the snow cushioned may fall. I guess I was looking at the lights instead of watching where I was going."

Sweet Surprise then heard another pony approaching her and Misty Day, offering his formal greetings. "And greetings to you too. You have an interesting welcome there. Sometimes I say a welcome like 'May you never run out of candy' because running out of candy would be a really bad thing especially during Hearth's Warming Eve. By the way, my name's Sweet Surprise. What are your names?"

[Firebolt]

Firebolt bowed respectfully, splaying his wings out far to either side, his burning red eyes closed deferentially. "I am Firebolt, son of Chillwind and Rainsong, friend Sweet." He rose with a wide smile. "My greeting is an old one, unused by Equestrians of this day and age." He trotted a bit closer, chuckling slightly. "And indeed, candy is something one wishes to always have more of."

[jacobthepegasus]

Misty could not help but giggle a little at what Firebolt had said about candy.

"I'm Misty Day," she said to the two ponies, "but you can call me Misty. The lights look very pretty. Are they like this every year?"

[Lux]

"Wow that's neat Firebolt," Sweet Surprise said to the pegasus, "It's like saying hello but from earlier on." The pony was very proper, even more proper that many of the ponies living in Canterlot. This was not the snooty proper, the I'm-better-that-you proper that she saw sometimes but a sincere gracious show of being proper. "And thankfully I won't be running out of candy anytime soon because I work at a candy shop."

She then turned to the other pony. "And hello Misty. These lights have been here for as long as I could remember. Of course it could have been longer but I wasn't here so I wouldn't know. But yeah this light display always seems to be getting bigger with each Hearth's Warming Eve. I think this year is the most amazing light filled display yet. Oh, and there is a trail that ponies can take to walk among the lights. It's not a long walk and it is safe. I was planning to go on it, and you two can join me if you want."

Sweet then caught sight of a certain vendor tent in the field. "But first, I'm going to get some hot chocolate. Do you two want some?"

[Firebolt]

Firebolt inclined his head respectfully toward Misty. "The honor is mine, Misty." He listened for a bit as Sweet talked of the celebration, and flicked his ears forward attentively.

"Aha, hot cocoa! Glorious. Mother brought the recipe with her when she became Father's Mare." He whinnied in pleasure, recalling some distant childhood memories. "Up until that day, our people had subsisted mainly on bark tea during the colder months, or traveled to the hotter lands near what is now Appaloosa. It was a pleasant change of pace. Let us enjoy some!"

[jacobthepegasus]

Misty, listening in her own quiet way, was admiring her new friends. She found these two very interesting with lots of stories to tell. Firebolt's appearance had intimidated her at first, but now she thinks he is one of the friendliest ponies around. She still admired the glow of the lights which bathed her though, & after hearing from Sweet Surprise that the path was safe, she felt better. Then she hear hot chocolate, & then she knew that she would enjoy this night.

"Yes, I would like some hot chocolate. I'll go with you if you want," she said to Sweet, who had made the offer.

[Lux]

"Alrighty then," Sweet Surprise said with a grin to her two new companions. Seeing the lights by herself was great, but seeing it with others was double the fun. "If ya want to come with to the vendor tent, that would be fine. I don't think I can carry all of the hot chocolate back, or I might end up a hot chocolate covered pony."

[jacobthepegasus]

Misty giggled. Sweet was a very funny pony!

"It wouldn't be so bad being a hot-chocolate covered pony, you'd have lots of marshmellows on you!" she said in her quiet way. She was trying to be socialble, & making jokes doesn't seem so easy. Still, she liked helping others, so she was soon at Sweet's side on their epic quest of the hot cocoa.

[Firebolt]

Firebolt whinnied in amusement. "Well, Misty, I am already the color of the cocoa bean...perhaps all I need IS sugar and marshmallows!" He fell in step with the fillies, strangely drifting to either side of them as they walked, occassionally moving around behind them. The pace of this act was so natural that it seemed he could do so in his sleep. If one looked closer, they could tell that his ears were flicking back and forth in every direction, as if listening for something, yet his entire manner was completely relaxed and jovial. "So, enlighten me. Where might you mares be from, hmmm?"

[jacobthepegasus]

Misty looked shyly at the jet black pegasus & said that she was from Garden Gait.

"It's the little village along the hills," she explained, "I've lived there for as long as I can remember, but I occasionally come to Canterlot. I have a friend who lives there, & I occasionally go see her." Thoughts of Goody Two-Shoes rushed through her mind. Maybe Sweet & Firebolt could meet her?

"Anyway, where do you two come from?" ,she asked the two ponies beside her.

[Lux]

Sweet Surprise laughed at how the other ponies seemed to follow in line with her joke. There was a certain apprehension with Sweet as she feared that no pony would laugh at her jokes or worse they would take offense to it. Yet they seemed to enjoy it.

"Well I was from Manehattan," Sweet said as she ordered three hot chocolates, "But then I moved here in Canterlot about a few months ago. I know a little about Canterlot from when my parents would take me to special events, but I'm still getting used to the place. And how about you Firebolt? Where do you call home?"

[Firebolt]

"Ah, I have flown over your Garden Gait once or twice on business. It is a quiet and safe little place." he replied to Misty, picturing the tiny town in his mind's eye. "And my, my, from Manehattan to Canterlot, Sweet. It appears you started high and only went higher." He took one of the hot chocolates gratefully and took a long draught from the cup, apparently oblivious to how hot the liquid was. It went down easily, warming his insides up pleasantly. "As for my home, I live wherever I choose and wherever my wings carry me. Unless my memory plays me false, there are few places in the world I have not been to at least once. My mother, though, was originally from Canterlot, and so I find myself there fairly often by comparison, visiting my grandparents in the compnay of the rest of my family. "