Chapter 3: Snowdrop's Snowdrops
Luna began to cry tears of joy as galloped forward, barreling right into Snowdrop with a tremendous hug. "Snowdrop, we thought you to be dead!"
"Dead," Snowdrop questioned, "Why would I be dead? I've only been in here...actually, I don't have any idea how long I've been in here. Pretty long, I'd think."
Luna nodded through her sobs. "Yes, yes you have."
Seeing Luna's joy at seeing this filly, Crystal let out a happy sigh before becoming fairly serious. "Snowdrop, one thousand years ago, part of Cloudsdale collapsed. The part that collapsed was where your house was."
"What," asked Snowdrop, shocked. "Did anypony get hurt? Is everypony alright?!"
"Sadly, no," said Crystal, "A few ponies did get hurt, and a few died. Those few included you, but a body was never found, obviously because you were never dead to begin with."
Snowdrop nodded. "After Luna visited, I decided to explore a little. I don't know, but something drew me to this cave, like a friend calling out to me."
Crystal pondered this for a moment. "You must share a connection with the snow, so the magical snows in this cave called you here."
Snowdrop and Luna looked frazzled, so Crystal explained. "Magical entities connected to certain element are drwn to vast quantities of said magic. Well, that's show Winter explained it, at least."
Luna nodded, the answer giving much more clarity to what Crystal had first said.
"Now then, shall we collect the Prince's snow and go," asked Luna.
Crystal thought for a moment before walking up to Snowdrop. She lit her horn and touch Snowdrop's forehead, but gasped and quickly backed away, panting.
"What is it? Is there something wrong," asked Snowdrop.
Crystal took a moment to recover her composure before she spoke again, but the news she delivered was anything but good. "This cavern has prevented Snowdrop from aging for the last thousand years. If she leaves, she will instantly age one thousand years."
"Doth thou mean," Luna began, but could not bring herself to finish.
"I do," Crystal said solemly, "If Snowdrop leaves this place, she will certainly die."
Snowdrop and Luna lowered their heads in sorrow while Crystal went into a state of deep thought.
"Unless..."
"Unless what," asked Luna eagerly.
"Well, it is risky, and there is a chance it might not work," said Crystal, "But I could make her an alicorn."
Luna was astonished. "Thou can do that?"
"Well, I did learn from the best," said Crystal, "Prince Winter, I mean. He taught me a spell to ascend other ponies into alicorns, but told me only to use it in dire circumstances."
"We think this is certainly a dire circumstance," Luna said, almosy pleadingly.
Crystal considered for but a moment. "Very well, but only if Snowdrop agrees."
Snowdrop applied instantly. "Are you kidding? I'd LOVE to be an Alicorn! Luna's may favorite Princess, and I've always wanted to be a little bit more like her!"
Crystal was warmed by the filly's enthusiasm. "Okay, then. Just remember, this is permanent."
Snowdrop nodded as the tip of Crystal's horn lit with a cyan glow the color of the Crystal Heart itself. She slowly lowered the tip to Snowdrop's forehead. In the moment Crystal's hron made contact, the room filled with a blinding blue light, but only for a second. When it faded, there were not two, but three alicorns standing in the room.
"Rise, Snowdrop of Cloudsdale, newest of the Alicorns," said Crystal in a regal tone.
Snowdrop opened her eyes. She didn't feel any different, but at the same time, she did feel different. She quickly ran to a nearby wall of reflective ice. Sure enough, a horn now protruded from her forehead. She spread her wings to find they were slightly larger, and looked far more regal.
"Holy Celestia," Snowdrop said as she began jumping up and down. "I'm an Alicorn! I'm an Alicorn! I'm an Alicorn!"
Luna and Crystal both smiled, Crystal because of how happy she'd made the little filly, and Luna because she finally hsd her best friend back.
Some Time Later...
"Is that all of it," asked Crystal.
"Pretty sure," Luna replied as she put a small satchel of the snow over Snowdrop's back.
They'd spent the last half hour packing up the snow Winter had come to collect, and there had been a lot of it. Thankfully, they were able to pack it all up easily with Snowdrop's help.
Crystal walked through the barrier, leaving Luna and Snowdrop alone in the Ice Palace. That was when Snowdrop noticed Luna was sad for some reason.
"Luna, what's wrong," Snowdrop asked.
"The snowflake you made," Luna said sadly, "It's gone."
Snowdrop smiled and produced a small flask fro under her wing. In it was the snowflake Luna had kept for so many years. "You mean this?"
Luna was speechless, and would've hugged Snowdrop if not for the satchel full of snow she was wearing. "How?"
"Well, it just appeared in the cahmber where you found me one day," said Snowdrop. "Here, I made it for you, so I want you to have it back."
Luna's eyes were moist as he took the flask in her magic and put it under her wing. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Snowdrop said before the two proceeded through the barrier to behold a sight nopony had ever in their wildest dreams expected to ever see.
Before them stood Crystal, shock being the only thing visible on her face. The focus of her gaze was a figure slumped against the wall. He wore a blue cloak, had white hair, and a black bodysuit. He did not breath, and a thin layer of frost already covered him.
John Winter, Prince of Solstice, an immortal, and last God to grace the face of Equus, was dead.