The night was calm and still. Drops of snow, formless and insignificant, drifted lazily from the black sky. The clouds from which they dropped blotted out the moon. To anypony, a minute detail such as that could easily be overlooked but to the midnight blue pony staring into the swirling mass, it was as though the sky was missing something vital. Something beautiful and incredible. Without it, she felt empty. Almost purposeless.
She lowered her head and raised a hoof to her muzzle. With a swipe, she flicked away a single droplet. Not that it made a difference. Her coat was already drenched, her fur heavy and clinging. She took a deep breath and looked over Canterlot from her perch atop its castle.
The city was glowing and bright. Shops had yet to put up for the night, light from their windows casting warm golden shades across the streets. Lamps wavered in the distance and a few pony-like shadows dared walk the street.
A sound came from behind her. She turned her head to see a familiar face trotting precariously across the castle's roof. "Princess Luna?" Shining Armor came to stand beside her. His large, clumsy hooves quivered as he attempted to keep upright.
Luna choked back the tears that threatened at her wide navy eyes and tipped her head in respect to the head of the Canterlot Royal guard. "Shining Armor," She put on her most dignified voice, "What brings you here?"
Armor settled uneasily on the roof's peak, his body tense and shaking. "I sometimes come up to the balcony to survey Canterlot and make sure everything's alright." He leaned over, peering through the night into Luna's dark, lowered eyes. "Are you alright, Princess?"
She turned her head away and looked up. Swirling masses of black clouds loomed above them, each one letting loose a flurry of night-darkened white drops. Luna held out a hoof, letting the snow pile up around her horseshoe before letting them drift away with the brittle, slow wind. "It has been a thousand years since last I saw my dear friend," She spoke in a low whisper. Her shoulders sagged and her wings unfolded and fell beside her. Just at the edge of her vision, she could see Shining Armor's frown. "Now her last snowflake has fallen."
Shining Armor turned back to the gentle snow falling all around them. He remembered the beauty the snowflake had always held, the certain shimmer it gave off when caught in the right light. He stared at the snowflakes around him and suddenly understood. They no longer fell in beautiful, intricate designs. Each individual flake no longer held its own brilliance. The snow now fell in little clumps. Shining Armor had heard story of Snowdrop and had always marveled at the craft she had once created. His own heart wept for the lost beauty.
"I feel as though..." Luna swallowed hard and continued, "As though she is truly gone forever."
Shining Armor bowed his head. "Nopony is ever truly gone." Luna opened her mouth to speak but Shining Armor cut her off, "My Mom used to tell me this all the time when my real dad died," A faint smile touched his lips, "So long as they remain in your heart, they will live on."
Luna glanced down at what she could see of her breast. She knew that somewhere beneath her slick black coat was a beating heart. She had not realized ponies could live inside it. "So long as they are with me, they are never gone," She whispered. Her own mother had spoken similar words, thousands of years ago. She shook her head and put a smile on her face. Tonight was not supposed to be about grief; tonight was a night of celebration. "How does your sister fare?"
Shining Armor gave a start. "That's why I was looking for you!" He stood excitedly, nearly slipping. "Twily is doing well. She's requesting to speak with you."
Luna felt a small skip through her heart. She stood, her wings unfurling. This was the moment she had been waiting for. "Lead the way," She nodded for Shining Armor to go. The two walked into the castle together and started down the hall. As luck would have it, Celestia was heading toward them.
"Good evening to you, Shining Armor," She said in her beautiful, regal voice. Armor bowed in response and stepped aside so Luna could peer at her sister. "Good evening to you as well, Luna." The two touched the tip of their horns together. "Where are you off to?"
Armor spoke up, "We're heading to see Twily. The doctor told us the delivery was successful."
Celestia and Luna exchanged looks; Celestia's was a look of caution but Luna wore an excited smile. Finally, the eldest of the sisters smiled and nodded for them to head out, "Well then, let us greet this new citizen of ours."
Luna's heart soared but she forced herself to remain grounded. She was a princess and she had to behave as such. "Let us be on our way then." As they passed a tall glass mirror, she peered out to see a sliver of moonlight pierce through the clouds. It gave way to an expanse of beautiful, twinkling stars. She smiled at the starlit night. Her starlit night. Everything was panning out and she smiled into the heavens. They seemed to smile back down upon her.
Her grief was lifted by this beautiful occasion, this great celebration of new life in the castle. Not only was this new life, this was her dear friend's, the delicate Snowdrop's, very blood that was born this night.
Nothing can go wrong this night, Luna though fiercely. Snowdrop might be gone, but her legacy will live on. This was her blood, this was her gift, passed down through centuries. And surfaced this night, in Twilight Sparkle's beautiful infant's light blue face.
Twilight Sparkle shifted as the ponies entered the room. With a gentle hoof, she pulled aside the blanket that concealed the little, ice-blue face. Two round blue eyes blinked open and looked up into all the gathered faces. "Princesses," Twilight said softly, "Meet my beautiful daughter, Snow Sparkle."