Chilly Filly Flicks


                                            >You can't remember the last time you stepped inside a movie theater, but just standing in the lobby made you feel right at home.

                                            >Back in the day, you used to come here all the time, but as you grew older, you never had the free time to come back and relax.

                                            >Up until now, you suppose.

                                            >Besides having the sudden urge to visit this old place, you didn't know what else to do.

                                            >You heard that some of the showings had some sort of gimmick, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

                                            >It's just the plain old movie experience these days.

                                            >As you took a look around, you could clearly see that it was a slow night, with only a handful of people walking around.

                                            >Most of them are staff.

                                            >To think that there was a time where you had to make reservations here.

                                            >Despite feeling a bit bummed out over the prospect of the theater shutting down one day, you turn your attention to the available movies.

                                            >None of them caught your eye, especially since most of them were sequels to movies you haven't watched.

                                            >You guess you didn't keep up with things as much as you thought.

                                            >After a few minutes of contemplation, you decide to go with the 'rerun suite'.

                                            >It was the cheapest option, which showed older movies at random.

                                            >With soda in hand, you stroll on over to theater eight-two.


                                            >As you step inside the dimly lit room, you take a glance around.

                                            >It was simply a normal theater, but downsized quite a bit.

                                            >There was less seating, but things looked relatively normal.

                                            >Well, besides the gaudy glow-in-the-dark stars that lined the floor, it had its charm.

                                            >It was colder than you expected as well, but with how hot it's been outside, you count that as a blessing.

                                            >As you make your way to your seat, you notice that other than you, no one was in here.

                                            >You guess that means it isn't all that popular of an attraction.

                                            >You sit down with a sigh and turn your attention to the screen.

                                            >It was the start of some racing movie, but you didn't recognize the actors.

                                            >At least you get to see something new, right?

                                            >You were enthusiastic, despite it all.

                                            >Lets just relax and enj-

                                            >"Welcome gu-"

                                            "AH!"

                                            >You jolt upward.

                                            >"...est."

                                            >You turn to the noise and surprisingly see a pale blue mare with a flowing white mane in the aisle, somewhat shrunk down with widened eyes.

                                            >Even in the dark, you can see her navy blue eyes clearly.

                                            >She looked just as surprised as you.

                                            >After a brief moment of mutual staring, she straightens up and smiles awkwardly.

                                            >"H-haha uh... sorry."

                                            >Now that you get a good look at her, she looks like she just woke up.

                                            >She brushes a bit of unkempt mane out of her face and clears her throat.

                                            >"Welcome to the show! I hope you have a good time and uh..."

                                            >She trails off, the shaky excitement in her voice waning slightly.

                                            >"Um..."

                                            >She rubs the back of her neck and mumbles a little to herself.

                                            >"I... forgot the rest."

                                            >With a deep breath, she brings her attention back to you with yet another wobbly smile.

                                            >"Anyway... I-I'm Snowy, your uhm... your movie buddy."


                                            >Where did she even come from? You didn't see her until she was already speaking.

                                            >You take it that she works here, but she sounds like she wasn't expecting anyone.

                                            >You're surprised you didn't see anything advertising ponies working here, usually that's a pretty big draw.

                                            >Well it used to be, anyway.

                                            >Ponies were all over the place just a few years back, but they must have fell out of fashion.

                                            >It makes you wonder whatever happened to those gals who worked at the grocery store on main. They just up and vanished one day.

                                            >...You hope they're doing okay

                                            >"I can... I can leave if you want..."

                                            >You blink, not realizing you were reminiscing.

                                            >You look over to the mare, a downcast look on her face.

                                            "Snowy, right?"

                                            >She brings her gaze up to you again and nods quickly.

                                            >She takes another deep breath before taking a step forward.

                                            >"Snow Cone at your service!"

                                            >She blurts that out rather suddenly, and she scoots back a little and her eyes dart to the ground again.

                                            >"But uh- Snowy is- I uhm- I like it better."

                                            >She shuffles in place. "I didn't mean to yell, sorry."

                                            >She honestly wasn't that loud, if anything, she needed to speak up a little more.

                                            "No need to apologize, It's hard to speak over engines revving.

                                            >"Mmhm."

                                            >She glances at the screen and her expression changes suddenly. She almost seemed mildly annoyed. "These ones are loud, but kinda boring. I liked Sundrowned Circuit better, less noise, more action, a whole lotta lore, that sorta thing. This is Blank Cheque: Third Lap. It's similar to SC but it's budget is lacking and none of the actors are trying! It's a sequel, but a prequel, which is a bit confusing with its naming scheme. Also, the story is too similar to Gauss-Triad! It's kind of funny, since it's... It's um..."

                                            >She pauses, her ears drooping. "I... sorry, I started rambling."

                                            >She looks awfully embarrassed.

                                            "I mean, I liked it. You've got passion, Snow."

                                            >She trails a hoof on the starry ground.

                                            >"Well... T-thanks! But I'm probably distracting you from the movies..."

                                            >You shrug.

                                            "I wasn't paying attention anyway. Besides, didn't you say you were my 'movie buddy'? Seeing that no one else is around... we can ramble on about these things all we want!"

                                            >Her eyes meet yours. Her smile is smaller than before, but it's much more confident.

                                            >"Really?"

                                            >You pat the seat next to you.

                                            "Really really. Hop on over, Snowy!"

                                            >Her ears perk up and she trots on over, although she freezes up before she makes it very far.

                                            "Something the matter?"

                                            >She stays like that for a while longer before shaking her head and crawling into the seat next to you.

                                            >"Just thinking, I'm A-okay!"

                                            >The excitement in her voice is surfacing again, but she's less shaky.

                                            >She turns to you and points at the screen.

                                            >"I've seen this one a dozen times, I could tell you all the stuff I noticed! Like um... Like commentary?"

                                            >She certainly has the spark for it.

                                            "Be my guest."

                                            >She giggles a little, it's awkward, but cute.

                                            >"No, You're *my* guest!"

                                            "Heh, Touché."


                                            >The next hour or so is fun, and Snowy brings you up to speed in record time.

                                            >She had a lot to say about the movie, but it was a little hard to follow her at times, since she would start talking a little too fast, but she usually catches herself when she does, so you don't get lost for long.

                                            >It was nice just sitting around and yammering on, be it comments or jokes. It made what would have been a rather milquetoast experience incredibly entertaining.

                                            >Not only that, Snowy seems pretty happy now, which you're thankful for.

                                            >She looked a little down before.

                                            >You talk with her long enough that the movie changes, now it's a crime thriller revolving around... talking vegetables?

                                            >Now that you think about it, that other movie was pretty tame, maybe it's an all ages thing?

                                            >You definitely could see someone taking their kid here for the evening.

                                            "You know... I'm pretty sure I've seen a piece of broccoli wear a tux before, no idea where, though."

                                            >"Oh! This is 'Rhubarb Holmes and the case of The Food Pyramid Scheme'! It's actually pretty interesting if you give it a chance."

                                            >By how excited she sounds, you guess she likes this one.

                                            >"Even though it's pretty similar to The Harrowing Fruit Follies, I think this one does the concept better. Mister Rhubarb is really clever, especially when he figured out how Suger Kain stole his- Ah! Sorry, um- That's a spoiler."

                                            >She wiggles in her chair a bit. "It's good though."

                                            >You watch the Victorian produce film with her for a while and find yourself enjoying it better than that generic car movie.

                                            >She wasn't exaggerating, that's for sure.

                                            >You never thought you'd get attached to a head of lettuce with a comb over, but here you are.

                                            >You reach for your drink, and as you pick it up, you realize you forgot to get ice.

                                            >It's already room temperature.

                                            >Snow tilts her head as you look at your cup.

                                            >"Something wrong?"

                                            "Huh? Nah, it just warmed up quicker than I thought."

                                            >She stares at you a while and then suddenly starts grinning.

                                            >"Well... I can fix that!"

                                            "Uh, you don't have to get me ice, It's no big d-"

                                            >She shakes her head. "No no, I can make it cooler again!"

                                            >You blink. "What?"

                                            >She motions at your soda. "Just hand it over for a second."

                                            >You give her a mildly confused look, but oblige.

                                            >She holds your drink to her chest, not moving a muscle.

                                            "What are you-"

                                            >"Shhh... one more second annnd... Done!"

                                            >She offers it to you, and as you take it from her, you realize that it's cool again.

                                            >Actually, it's a little more than that.

                                            "How in the..."

                                            >She gives you another grin, "You know what's cooler than cool..."

                                            "...Ice cold?"

                                            >She pumps her hoof. "Yessiree! I'm super cold, that's my thing!"

                                            >Now that she mentions it, ever since she sat by you, it's been way cooler than before.

                                            "Huh, thanks Snow."

                                            >You ponder something...

                                            >You look over to Snowy, who was back to watching the movie.

                                            >You've got an idea.


                                            >You lightly set your hand atop Snow's head and her ears fold back almost immediately.

                                            >"W-wait..."

                                            >Her mane was soft and almost... fluffy, despite how straight it was.

                                            >Not only that, but it feels like you just placed your hand on a fresh pile of snow.

                                            >And it's getting colder the longer you-

                                            >"N-no! Stop!"

                                            >Snowy shakes her head rapidly, which makes you pull back your hand.

                                            "Sorry, I- I really shouldn't have done that."

                                            >She's now in a bunched up position, now holding her tail in a loose hug against her chest.

                                            >She looks like she needs some room.

                                            >You sit in silence, feeling awful. After you feel like enough time has elapsed, you turn to her.

                                            "Snowy? Hey, I... God, I didn't mean t-

                                            >She swiftly turns to you, which admittedly makes you jump a little.

                                            >"Y-you didn't do anything wrong!"

                                            >She shrinks back a little when she registers her outburst, but she scoots closer to you shortly after.

                                            >"I just... I just don't want to hurt you..."

                                            "Hurt me?"

                                            >"Didn't you see how quickly I made that drink get cold? Imagine that being your hand! Y-you could get... um..."

                                            "Frostbite?

                                            >She rubs the back of her neck again. "Y-yeah, that."

                                            >Her already droopy ears almost flatten to her head.

                                            >"And if that happened, I... I might not be here a-anymore..."

                                            >Her tone makes you think she means something more than just getting fired.

                                            >"I panicked."

                                            "...Christ."

                                            >You shift in your seat.

                                            "You're a great gal, you don't deserve anything like that."

                                            >You're stumped as to what to say to her. This came out of left field.

                                            "If... If it's any consolation, You're doing pretty good at your job."

                                            >She pets her flowing tail a little.

                                            >"I don't actually know how to do my job. If I did anything right, it was an accident. All that talk was just me spouting out my thoughts about the movies, It wasn't part of my job..."

                                            "Well, you did keep my drink cold, isn't that part of it?"

                                            >She smiles weakly.

                                            >"Heh... yeah."

                                            "And I liked your commentary! Even if it wasn't 'official'. I think it's a nice draw, you just being yourself."

                                            >Her eyes meet the starry floor once more.

                                            >"You..."

                                            >She sniffles.

                                            >"Y-you're the only person that bothered to listen to me."

                                            >She laughs nervously, it's shaky and quiet.

                                            >"I didn't even think anyone would show up this week, just like last week!"

                                            >She sighs. "I didn't know what to do when I saw you, so I just started talking and... here we are."

                                            >She squirms in her seat a bit.

                                            >"You've got patience, I'll give you that. I know that I really suck at doing this, but uhm- I really appreciate this, so...

                                            >She lifts her head up and awkwardly tries to do some sort of awfully complicated salute.

                                            >"Thanks for the memories, hoss! Y-you're a star!"

                                            >She's doing some vaguely western impression.

                                            >Snow pouts a little, if she wasn't a walking popsicle, you're sure she'd be beet red right about now.

                                            >"Bleh, I knew I'd mess that up."

                                            >She fidgets with her forehooves and gives you another one of her iconic smiles, wobbliness and all.

                                            >"S-sorry for talking your ear off... If- If you still have time, do you wanna watch another movie?"

                                            >You match her smile.

                                            "Sure thing, cowfilly."

                                            >If on cue, you notice that the current movie is some cheesy western.

                                            >"Is this... I-it is!"

                                            >She sinks back into her seat, as if nothing happened, back to her previous mirth.

                                            >"This right here is 'A man and his mare's leg'! I'm not sure how historically accurate it is, but it's *really* fun!"

                                            "You know what... I think I've seen this one too! Is this the one with the horse with a tophat?"

                                            >She nods. "Yeah, that's Whinny! She's really brave, this one time, she went and saved Bauble Blooregard from the Pecan Poacher of..."

                                            >There she goes! You're glad she bounced back.

                                            >It's been a fun night, and it's only just begun…


                                            - - - -

                                            >You've never had anyone talk to you this long, let alone stay for more than one movie.

                                            >Up until now, the most you've interacted with anyone was simple pleasantries.

                                            >But for once, you got to just... talk.

                                            >You didn't have much practice in that regard, but it felt really nice to pour out your thoughts.

                                            >Not only that, you felt... happy.

                                            >You can't recall the last time you felt truly happy.

                                            >Someone wanted to converse with you, to watch movies with you.

                                            >You've always yearned for a day like this.

                                            >It was like a dream.

                                            >You wriggle in your seat, an uneasiness welling up in your chest.

                                            >You desperately want to cling to this moment, but you knew that he'd have to leave eventually, and it was starting to eat away at you.

                                            >"Hey, Snowy."

                                            >You look up at him and try to play it cool.

                                            "Y-yeah?"

                                            >The squeak in your voice briefly betrays your facade.

                                            >"You feeling alright? You look tense."

                                            >Tense? Pfft, you're not tense! You're just... uhm...

                                            >...

                                            >Okay, maybe you're a little tense.

                                            >You weren't ready to let go just yet, so... try to keep having fun!

                                            >Chances like these don't come every day, Snowy!

                                            >Stay positive.

                                            >At least until he's gone.

                                            >You clear your throat and smile.

                                            "Just kind of zoned out a bit! I'm fine!"

                                            >You glance back up at the big screen, catching a panning shot of a wild alien landscape.

                                            >Usually, you would be pretty invested in this, but your mind was elsewhere.

                                            >After a while, you turn back to your... companion?

                                            >Could- Could you call him your friend? Is that too much?

                                            >Now that you think about it, you don't even know his name.

                                            "What do you think of this one so far?"

                                            >"Hmm... Well, it's not half bad, but I think I'm still a little drained from that last one."

                                            >You nod curtly.

                                            "It's hard to beat a high noon showdown, right? Especially with all that payoff! Like a uh- a waterfall of... of plot?"

                                            >Bleh, you can barely think straight! You guess you're getting tired too...

                                            >He shifts in his chair and chuckles. "Highlight of the evening, I'd say."

                                            "I'm partial to Rhubarb myself, but that was quite the spectacle."

                                            >You think you'll bring up this movie's weird CGI, maybe laughing at that will-

                                            >H-huh?

                                            >You stare at him as he gets up and stretches.

                                            >Already?! B-but...

                                            >It can't be over yet, you don't want it to be!

                                            >You lower your eyes to the ground, trying to compose yourself.

                                            >It was bound to happen, just... calm down and accept it.

                                            "You're... leaving?"

                                            >He turns to you with a smile. "Yeah, just about ready to. It's getting uh- later than late, heh. I probably should scram before I wind up stumbling around in the morning light like a vampire, you know?"

                                            >You can't help but snicker at the thought. It helps you feel slightly better.

                                            >You slide out of your seat and give him a smile of your own.

                                            "Well, I... I hope you have a nice night! It's been fun."

                                            >"Same to you, Snowy. Take it easy and get some sleep."

                                            "Mmhm."

                                            >As he starts to turn around, you shuffle in place.

                                            >With a deep breath, you step forward.

                                            "W-wait!"


                                            >He pauses mid turn and looks over to you. "Yeah, Snow?"

                                            >You freeze up, processing your sudden outburst.

                                            >You look at the ground, trying to collect your scattered thoughts.

                                            "I-I uhm... I don't think I caught your name..."

                                            >Another warm smile.

                                            >"Anon."

                                            "Oh! T-thank you, Anon."

                                            >"For what?"

                                            "For being my... friend."

                                            >You can't think of anything else to call him.

                                            >He faces you fully now.

                                            >"You don't got many of those, do you?"

                                            >You shake your head.

                                            "I don't really get the opportunity to make friends..."

                                            >You rub the back of your neck and avoid his gaze.

                                            "Or go outside... or anything, really."

                                            >You glance up at him briefly before lowering your eyes once more to the starry abyss below.

                                            "So I- I really appreciate this a-and I'm sorry for stalling and I hope you have a good night and uhm... Y-yeah."

                                            >Are- Are ostriches the birds that bury their heads in the sand? You wouldn't mind doing that right about now...

                                            >...Wait, what does sand feel like again?

                                            >You're not really sure.

                                            >That- That's not important!

                                            >You shake your head, trying to knock loose your anxieties.

                                            >Focus! Say your goodbyes and move on.

                                            "Anyway, I uh- I just wanted to know your name, so... Goodbye Anon and uhm... thank you for your patronage."

                                            >You bow a little too low, resulting in your mane brushing up against the floor.

                                            >You hear him laugh, which makes your ears flick.

                                            >You lift your head up, your mane now in your face.

                                            "Was that too much? S-sorry..."

                                            >His smile just enhances your embarrassment.

                                            >"A little bit."

                                            >You back away a little and clear your throat.

                                            "I uh, I'll just... go over there! Night, Anon."

                                            >He holds up a hand.

                                            >"Hold on a second, now it's *my* turn to stall!"

                                            >You blink.

                                            "Uhm... Okay."

                                            >Much to your surprise, he walks right up to you and kneels down.

                                            >"You mind if I tell you a little story?"

                                            "Not at all! I- I like stories."

                                            >"Well... I have this uncle, he's a bit on the eccentric side, but he's alright. He can make a damn fine beef stroganoff, but... that's not the point. He has this tradition that he always winds up wrapping the family up in. He's got this cabin up north, right? And he's got this lake all to himself so he had the bright idea to try something called 'ice swimming'. It uh- it seems like a really good way to get hypothermia, but apparently everyone else thinks it's refreshing, and well... I'm not one to complain."

                                            >You share a moment of silence with him before piping up.

                                            "That's the story? I... I'm sorry I don't think I understand the moral..."

                                            >He shrugs. "Well, it's less of a moral thing and more of a tolerance thing."

                                            "A tolerance thing...?"

                                            >"You know, like... Well, I'll just show you, it's easier that way."

                                            >Your confusion is incredibly brief, as your mind blanks the moment he wraps his arms around you.

                                            >It's warm.

                                            >You don't think you've ever been this warm before.

                                            >It's just as wonderful as you imagined.

                                            >A sliver of yourself wants to protest, worried for his safety, but your voice keeps catching in your throat.

                                            >You don't want to let go.


                                            >You don't register returning the hug. It's almost instinctual.

                                            >The tenderness of the moment shatters your brave face, letting your raw emotions tumble down your cheeks without resistance.

                                            >With your composure gone, you butt your head against his chest.

                                            >A dizzying flurry of latent loneliness and newfound happiness consumes you as you start to quietly sob into his shirt.

                                            >You're shaking like a leaf and your legs feel like jelly.

                                            >And if he wasn't holding you up, you probably would have flopped over by now.

                                            >Time slows to a crawl as you lose yourself in the warmth.

                                            >You feel like you could melt into a puddle at any moment, content.

                                            >You're nestled in his arms and you don't want to let go, but...

                                            >The warmth is fading.

                                            >And yet his grip doesn't falter.

                                            >Your mind slowly calms down enough for you to finally notice how cold he was getting.

                                            >You feebly grope at his arm, trying to communicate that it's okay to let go, but your voice doesn't rise above a nigh inaudible stammer.

                                            >Despite your weak attempt, he must understand, as you feel his grip loosen.

                                            >The two of you disengage from the hug and you plop down on your rump, barely able to raise your head to meet his gaze.

                                            >If you had stayed like that any longer, you probably would have fallen fast asleep.

                                            >Even though he isn't hugging you anymore, you still feel the lingering warmth.

                                            >Hold on to that, Snowy. This feels important.

                                            >Like a um- a core memory or something?

                                            >You don't exactly have many things to be happy about, so something like this is pretty groundbreaking.

                                            >"I hope I wasn't reading things wrong, but... you looked like you could use a hug."

                                            >Your head lulled and your eyelids heavy, you're barely able to bring yourself to look at him yet, but you can at least give him a wordless nod.

                                            >Not that you could see him, anyway. Your mane was pretty much all you could see at the moment.

                                            >It's probably for the better, you can feel the cold tear stains on your face and you're smiling like an idiot...

                                            >It's rather embarrassing.

                                            >You brush aside just enough mane to poke out a watery eye and see his own goofy smile.

                                            >Maybe you're not that weird after all.

                                            >You take a deep breath and pat the sides of your face, about ready to talk.

                                            "Th-th- ...Excuse me."

                                            >Another deep breath to curb your stuttering.

                                            "Okay, I'm good now."

                                            >You meet his gaze and smile.

                                            "Thank you, I really needed that."

                                            >You fidget with your forehooves.

                                            "Will you... come back? You- You don't *have* to, of course! I know this is supposed to be my job so it makes sense for me to say 'Come again' but I-I mean it! I just... It's... Nice."

                                            >You lower your gaze to the floor.

                                            "I just... I just want to know if I'll see you again..."

                                            >He stuffs his hands into his pockets and hums a little.

                                            >It sounds like the opening to 'The Spire Men', but slightly off tune.

                                            >"Hmm... I dunno..."

                                            >You anxiously stare up at him, trying to read his face.

                                            >Is he... messing with you?

                                            >With the way he suddenly bursts out laughing, you're pretty sure he is!


                                            >He leans over and ruffles your mane a bit, a gesture which doesn't concern you as much as it did before.

                                            >"I'm sure we'll see each other again real soon, don't worry."

                                            >He looks over to the big screen.

                                            >"Movies are great and all, but I didn't stick around for their sake."

                                            >He brings his gaze back to you with another warm smile.

                                            >"I stuck around for you, Snow, and you're a lot more than just some 'movie buddy'..."

                                            "B-but I..."

                                            >He kneels down once more and brushes aside your mane, letting you see him much clearer, but also revealing your teary face in the process.

                                            >"You're not some parlor trick, or gimmick, you're a person with her own thoughts and feelings and you deserve companionship just as much as anyone else does."

                                            >You stare at his, fresh tears welling up in the corners of your eyes.

                                            "Do you r-really... mean it?"

                                            >"Every word of it."

                                            >You desperately want to jump up and hug him as tight as you can, but you restrain yourself.

                                            >He still looks pretty cold after all, so something like that probably isn't very smart, Snow!

                                            >You resign yourself to simply lifting a shaky hoof and resting it against his chest.

                                            "D-do you think I'll be able to make more friends? I'm- I'm not good at it."

                                            >"I think you sell yourself short! You've got the makings of a great friend, Snowy. You just have to put yourself out there."

                                            "I guess after a while I just sort of... stopped trying. It seemed fruitless."

                                            >M-maybe you can give it another shot?

                                            >Everything feels clearer now and your head is less foggy.

                                            "Do you really think people will... like me? Besides you, I... I haven't met anyone who I felt that did... "

                                            >He rubs his chin with a hand. "Well... maybe you could try outside of work? There's a lot of good people out there, not to mention other ponies."

                                            >You squirm in place a little.

                                            "I-I've never left the theater before..."

                                            >He looks surprised. "Like... not at all?"

                                            >You nod slowly.

                                            >"So... you can't leave?"

                                            >You pause.

                                            >You never gave it much thought before...

                                            "I'm... not sure? No one said I couldn't."

                                            >"Huh... Maybe you can talk to your manager?"

                                            "Manager...?"

                                            >"You know... someone you can talk to about your hours and such."

                                            >Do you have hours?

                                            >You're pretty sure you don't even get paid.

                                            "I'll um... I'll figure it out later... For now, I'm just happy I met you."

                                            >"Likewise, Snow."

                                            "You uhm.... y-you should go home and rest! I'm fine now."

                                            >He gets up with a stretch "Try not to push yourself, okay?"

                                            >You pick yourself up, despite your wobbly legs.

                                            "I won't! But I... I'll try the best I can from now on! No more moping for Snow, no sir!"

                                            >He chuckles. "I'm glad you're a little more chippy. See you soon, Snowy."

                                            >You smile sheepishly.

                                            "Thank you again Anon, I... I'll be here."

                                            >You wave him off and once he's out of sight, you sit back down with a yawn.

                                            >Your body is just as heavy as before and you feel like you could curl up and sleep on the spot.

                                            >Today must have been the best day of your life, but that doesn't change the fact that you're plumb tired...


                                            >You shuffle up the aisle until you make it to the last row of seats.

                                            >Up here, you were out of the way of any staff who could suddenly show up, but with how late it was, you think it might be another quiet night.

                                            >Usually, you'd start feeling pretty lonely around this time, but today's different.

                                            >You made a friend!

                                            >You got to watch movies with him and have fun and get a hug…

                                            >Your emotions are really jumbled up after that last bit, but overall, you’re happy!

                                            >You honestly don’t remember the last time you were this happy.

                                            >The closest you think you ever got was that one time the nice girl who ran the concessions gave you some leftover caramel corn, but in comparison, this certainly takes the cake.

                                            >You quietly hum to yourself as you walk down the row of seats, curling up in front of the corner seat by the wall with a yawn.

                                            >It wasn't as nice as the seats themselves, but if you lay just right... It's kind of comfy.

                                            >It's hard to sleep in one of those seats, they're not made for ponies after all.

                                            >That, and you uhm... you don't want to get yelled at.

                                            >It's not like anyone *has* yet, but... it still makes you nervous!

                                            >You shift your weight a few times, trying to get comfortable, but you’re restless.

                                            >With a sigh, you roll onto your back and look up at the dark ceiling above.

                                            >You feel… weird.

                                            >You feel a sense of belonging, but there’s something else there.

                                            >Like your heart is trying to fly away.

                                            >Do you even have a heart?

                                            >You bring a hoof up to your chest and close your eyes.

                                            >...Yeah. It’s there.

                                            >And it’s um- it’s beating kinda fast.

                                            >Is that normal?

                                            >Maybe you’re still reeling from that hug.

                                            >Or maybe it’s something different?

                                            >What would that even be?

                                            >This is confusing.

                                            >Maybe you’ll figure it out.

                                            >But for now? Let's just sleep on it.

                                            >You lay with your eyes closed and soon enough, you feel yourself start to drift off.

                                            >Hehe... Snow drifting off? Hehehe…

                                            >Heh…

                                            >...

                                            >That was… lame.

                                            >Well, you’re kinda lame to begin with.

                                            >Snowy the lame-o.

                                            >But that’s okay, you’ll work on it.

                                            >And one day? One day you’ll be surrounded by friends who… who…

                                            >Who love you.

                                            >Love?

                                            >Love…

                                            >That- that’s what you felt.

                                            >You felt loved.

                                            >You *still* feel loved. It’s right here, inside your heart.

                                            >You let out a little laugh, it’s almost hysterical with how close to sleep you are.

                                            >It was such an obvious answer, and yet it didn’t cross your mind.

                                            >You’re not used to affection, be it physical or otherwise, so it… it didn’t register.

                                            >Everything is so warm and fuzzy and wonderful…

                                            >It… it almost reminds you of… of sand…

                                            >You fall asleep in the midst of fantasizing about a sunny beach, a happy smile on your face.