It is getting colder in my Equestria dreamscape. The winter Carousel Dance http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8783474/ was behind us and every day winter's grip on the land was growing stronger. The weather schedule was starting to show the snowflake symbol with annoying irregularity. Also the overall temperature was steadily dropping. Fortunately because the ponies can regulate the weather with a fair degree of control none of the truly cold weather was scheduled until after the Hearth's Warming festival. Still even on clear days Celestia's orb hung lower in the sky and only barely cut the worse of the chill out of the crisp winter air. Even as a pegasi I was starting to notice the cold and kept my exercise flights to a minimum. With the wind chill from my airspeed factored in I found myself one frozen pony after just thirty minutes of flight. Besides even with goggles with tinted glass landing on snow covered field on a sunny day was a dazzling experience and not in a good way.

Their are two more holidays that come at the end of the Equestrian calendar. Winter Veil and Hearth's Warming. Winter Veil occurs about a week before Hearth's Warming. The Winter Veil is an event that unfolds over several nights and gets its name from the aurora borealis that appear during this time. In times of old the Winter Veil was collaboration between Celestia and Luna. Celestia would coax a series of solar flares from the sun; then Luna catch them and weave them into a brilliant tapestry across the winter sky. She apparently would twine the veil to form figures and creatures that travel across the nighttime sky telling tales of Equestria's past.

Of course for the last thousand years or more Celestia has taken on both ends of Winter Veil in her sister's absence, and while they always beautiful they did not have the same artistry that Luna's masterpiece's had possessed. For that reason many a pony had been eagerly awaiting this years Winter Veil since it would be the first collaboration between the sisters in over a thousand years. Sadly the two sisters were not in Canterlot to join their fellow ponies in the spectacle; instead this evening found Celestia and Luna in frozen north on the border with the dragon lands as they attempted to avert a potential war between Equestria and the Council of Dragons. Still Twilight said that the Princesses had every intention of making Winter Veil happening together. Even if they were far away from most of the ponies they loved.

It is customary on the first evening of Winter Veil for ponies to build bonfires in nearby fields and gather to watch the evening's performance with their neighbors. Since Petina, myself and Carousel live a bit out of town we asked some of the ponies close by if they want to join us. Most had made plans to be with family elsewhere around Ponyville but surprisingly Cogs and Grist http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6591314/ said they'd join us for our little gathering.

Supper that evening was simple meal of baked potatoes stuffed with sharp cheese, butter and herbs along with a hearty soup of mushrooms and vegetables washed down with mugs warm spiced cider. We then gathered up our blankets and went outside and lit the bonfire. The three of us had already stacked the necessary firewood for the blaze earlier in the day so all we had to do now was light it. I will note that the Happy Mare's Home Journal http://www.furaffinity.net/view/767...../#cid:53965276 includes the use of firewood for a Winter Veil's bonfire as part of their Winter Preparation Chart and Checklist. A short time later Cogs and Grist arrived carrying their blankets and couple of wicker baskets. Inside one the baskets were two warm pumpkin pies that Cogs had just baked earlier that evening. I had already raked some of burning embers into a side pit and had a pot of coffee percolating. Upon seeing the pumpkin pies Petina rushed back inside and came back out a few minutes later with a bowl containing some freshly whipped cream to put on top of slices of still warm pie. The first act neighborly diplomacy had been successful. Carousel also started popping corn in the fire for everypony.

At first the conservation was polite but a bit stiff as each side got to know the other, but as the evening progressed and everypony got to be more comfortable with each other the mood improved noticeably. Around nine in the evening we noticed the first telltale signs of the beginning Winter Veil. Soon their silent dance began to flow across the night sky. Shimmering curtains of violet, green and pink began flickering and roll across the vaults of heaven. Slowly we could see similar bonfires being lit throughout the surrounding countryside; as throughout Ponyville and Equestria ponies gathered with friends, neighbors, family and loved ones to watch this gift from the Two Sisters.

I don't know who started it, maybe Cogs, but soon we were singing, telling jokes and whooping and hollering as the Winter Veil grew in majesty and complexity. Slowly it evolved from just being shimmering curtains of color and began to morph into images of ponies, griffins, and other creatures of fantastic nature. Soon entire scenes from pony folklore and tales of old were unfolding across the night sky. As expected most of these stories were from legends long ago. However there was one exception to this that caught Petina and I by surprise. At one point the veil transformed into a gigantic black raven outlined in jade green light. It's wingspan seemed to touch from one edge of the horizon to the other. Then a bluish white glob formed in front of the raven and transformed into the likeness of Celestia and a smaller figure in the form of a unicorn stallion standing by her side. The raven threw back its head and lunged at the spectral princess and her stallion charge mouth wide open as if to devour them. Suddenly streaking across the sky there came the fiery trail of a lone meteor. The meteor seemed to hit the raven in breast and then detonated in brilliant flash that was bright enough that for just an instant it cast shadows. When darkness returned to the night sky the raven menace was gone but Celestia was still there. However her unicorn stallion companion had also vanished.

Carousel, Cogs and Grist stared up at the night sky with slack jaws for an instant before breaking into a wild cheer. Petina and I were a little more restrained in our celebration since the last part had brought back memories of events only a few months old. So much had changed for her and I in such a short time http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6889592/ http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6889618/ http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6945186/ . Also I was bit uncomfortable being added into the annals pony lore so soon. Still it was a very nice gesture on Luna's behalf.

The last flash seemed to be just the moment Grist had been waiting for. Reaching into one of the wicker baskets they had brought the old stallion produced a large stoneware jug. "I think that calls for a toast! He exclaimed.

Cogs just rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Dad why did bring that stuff? You know that stuff is just trouble."

Cogs waved a front hoof dismissively at his daughter. "Feh! Cogs, where is your sense of celebration? It's Winter Veil! It's traditional to partake of a toast with all gathered! I'm just being courteous."

"Dad, if you were being courteous you wouldn't be trying to serve that engine degreaser you've got in that jug," Countered Cogs.

Apparently Grist had lost interest in this conversation and was proceeding to pull out several tumbler size glass from the same basket as jug had come out of. "Okay, who is interested in some? How about you Sky Brush? Interested in joining another stallion in a late night drink? I make this stuff myself. Been doing it for years." I knew I'd probably regret it but I agreed to partake a drink of Grist's homemade concoction.


What to say about it. I believe the base of the drink was high proof applejack, but there were strong notes of bourbon in it with subtle undertones of nitroglycerine intermingled throughout it. To say it packed a punch would be an understatement. This was one moment when I wished I didn't have my full sense of taste in one of my Equestria dreams. Some how I succeeded in finishing my glass. Grist assumed that finishing it meant I wanted more, and before I could protest he refilled my tumbler. The old stallion had already finished his second glass and decided to join me for a third. Seeing I was already partaking a second glass of Grist's brew, Petina and Carousel asked if they could have some. If I had not been busy at that moment trying to reattach my tongue I might have warned them about it. Oh well!

The rest of the dream was something of blur and does remind of what it is like when I get plastered. Brief moments of clarity followed by periods of blurry indeterminate time passing. The one clear moment I remember was of all of us singing by the bonfire. Despite her expressed disdain for her father's home brew, Cogs had joined us in the celebrating the night and had a glass in her hoof. Some how her and I had ended up with a hoof around each other waist. Petina and Carousel were leaning on Grist as we belted some off colored tune about the wonder of Luna's full moon. One thing I do remember clearly from the evening was Grist looking at Carousel and saying that if he had met her when was younger and single she would've definitely caught his fancy. Carousel giggled at this and gave the old stallion a big old smooch on the lips.

At some point well after midnight the bonfire had died and we had said goodbye to Cogs and her dad. I awoke the next morning in our bed at the bottom of a pony pile. Both Petina and Carousel had apparently decided that I made a great hot water bottle and had their hooves wrapped around me. I definitely did not feel like going for my morning flight that day. After a visit to the bathroom and performing my responsibilities for lighting the morning fires and getting the coffee started I returned to bed and crawled back under the blankets with the two mares. I was going to need to sleep this one off. To be continued.