//------------------------------// // Sparkle // Story: Snow Sparkle // by Inkyarn //------------------------------// The Ever-Storm continued to wage its war against the mountain. Hardened sleet hailed against the frozen expanse. Snow dropped like stones; driving into the living creatures down below. Not that there were many in the desolate and lonely mountains. The midnight sky was grey and black and showed no signs of slowing down as the magic storm continued to rage. Despite the treacherous conditions a pony stood. She faced away from the cliff wall behind her, staring out over the barren hill around her. The ledge on which she stood had become almost a safe haven for her. From her perch she could see the faint candle light glow of her home and the distant hills of Equestria; if she looked hard enough. Now, however, the beautiful sight was lost in the blizzard. She could see the few sparse trees bending in the wind. She could feel the rushing wind whip through her blue fur. Her ears flapped wildly in the gale but not a whisper could be heard. Her heart sank. Not a twinkle; not ever a howl of wind. She was useless. She closed her eyes, willing the tears away that gathered in her clear blue eyes. Suddenly, her horn began to glow in a faint white light and she could feel her mind expand. Every living thing opened its mind to her. First one, then five, then ten little consciousness' sent to her a warm wave of welcome. She took a deep breath and then began to rhyme: A cold flame,A burn of frost Here in coldest winter In silence, songs are lost In the ever blizzard A fire burns with tongues of ice Here in winter's coldest vice Figures dance, keeping warm Here in the Ever-Storm A blazing flame of winter blue Caught in a storm that no one knew This is winter's fable Hear my song, if you're able A cold flame and burn of frost Here in coldest winter In silence, songs are lost In the ever blizzard Snow Sparkle cracked open an eye. The tears streaming down her face had frozen to her furry cheeks. She dug a hoof through the snow, surprised to find that it had not frozen stiff. Another tear slid from her eye. She was able to waver the thought; to change its force to simulate the rise and fall of a voice but... That was not singing. She longed to open her own mouth and hear her voice flow with the words. She yearned to open her voice to every pony's ears. She longed to but she could not. She was deaf and voiceless. Deaf. And yet the princess counted on her to hear a twinkle and realize her destiny. Sparkle hung her head further. "A singer's song can be voice less," Another tear escaped her, freezing instantly, "But a frozen flame is only useless" The wind carried her tear from her cheek just as it froze. She watched it float away. It danced in the wind, gliding like an elegant dancer. It slid through the air and sliced across the breeze. The storm died down just for a moment. Only long enough to let escape a single beam of moonlight. It struck the frozen drop, sending a million little rainbows in every direction. The single drop of snow shimmered brilliantly. It almost seemed to... Sparkle... Something hit Snow Sparkle. Her brow furrowed as she watched the snowflake a moment longer. She watched it twitter and dance in the wind. She watched it twirl and sparkle and... Twinkle. She turned to the cliff face above her. A kind of determination set resolutely inside her. Her ears pinned back and she tightened her scarf and set her hooves against the frozen ground. She dug through the snow, fighting against the storm. As she pulled herself out from the ledge, the sliver of moonlight disappeared. It was instantly replaced by a battering of hail that stung her eyes and pricked the tender skin beneath her fur. The cliff had kept most of the sleet and snow from her back but now she was fully exposed to the elements. Within minutes she was soaked. A chill settled over her as she reached the halfway mark of the cliff wall. She scaled it like a goat; hopping from hoofhold to hoofhold. The climb was slow. It was exceedingly dangerous. It was exciting. Thrill touched her heart, daring it to race ahead of her. Determination set her hooves and she climbed ever higher. Not the driving sleet nor the frozen bite of frost could deter her now. A touch of concern flowed into her mind. From what creature she could not place but she knew her mind was still open to them all. The realization gave her pause. She stopped, one hoof stretched out in front of her. The ledge she perched on was weak and crumbling but she stopped anyway. Without even realizing it, she began to speak again, A snow flake and gifted craft The sparkle of that flake of snow A beautiful show of art that My heart should already know This storm holds a sacred heart The burning of Luna's depart An ever burning grief and love For my ancestor, safe above And now the line repeats again And I shall soon make amends A thousand years, no mistake Without the lovely Snowdrop's flake A snow flake and gifted craft The sparkle of that flake of snow A beautiful show of art that My heart already knows. Snow Sparkle reached the tip of the mountain. She took a breath as her song came to an end. A quiver of excitement rang through her as her hooves touched knew ground. The peak was short but sturdy. It held her weight evenly as she peered over the sky. She was at the highest point of Equestria. She was at the highest point of the world. She was standing where no pony else had ever stood. None but one. Luna had stood here, a thousand years ago. Mourning the loss of her dear old friend. Sparkle's ancestor. Snowdrop. With that in mind, Sparkle turned her head to the sky. Her horn again began to glow, this time fiercer. She closed her eyes and concentrated, bracing her small form against the ground. She tipped her head back and the white light grew more intense. "Come on," She prayed, "Come on..." With a flash of silver light, the clouds parted. An endless sky of diamond was suddenly visible. Sparkle fixed her mind to keep the spell and gazed up into the glorious canopy. The black expanse was broken by a thousand shimmering lights. No, not shimmering. Sparkling. Another tear floated from Sparkle's cheek. She grasped it in her magic and brought it closer. With a loving care, she smoothed out one edge. Then sharpened another. In the center, she punctured four diamond shaped holes. Then thinned out one small edge. And another. She held a star in her hoof. A beautiful frozen star. She let the spell go but the clouds did not reform. The remained where they were, open to her and the barren expanse below. She hobbled toward her cottage, one hoof occupied keeping her star safe. Suddenly, she blinked as a familiar sensation crept over her mind. She was not alone. An audience waited only a few yards away. She looked to them, finding more tears falling from her light blue eyes. Twilight Sparkle rushed forward. She embraced the filly with a tender, motherly hug. Behind the young Princess, Luna and even Celestia stood. Luna held her own tears while Celestia looked on proudly. Sparkle gave them all a wide smile and presented her snowflake. Luna's mouth moved silently. Sparkle watched her lips curl and form but no word came to her muted ears. She closed her eyes and built her magic, spreading her consciousness toward the midnight princess. "Luna," Her mind whispered to the mare's, "I can't bring your old friend back. I can't be Snowdrop. I can't make a snowflake twinkle like the stars." She started toward Luna. Twilight opened her mouth and her mind to protest but Sparkle cut her off, "I can't be my ancestor from a thousand years ago... But I can be Snow Sparkle." She took Luna's hoof and pressed her creation into it. Luna glanced down and almost cried aloud. The snowflake was rough, unevenly formed. Its edges were wide and the creases in the center were off balance. In short, it was exactly like Snowdrop's first flake. Luna glanced up to Sparkle's beaming face. "I can't promise you a twinkle but if you will permit me. I can show you a sparkle." A sudden warm sensation crawled through Sparkle's flank. She turned slowly to find a tattoo marked deep into her fur. It displayed a breath of icy wind and one beautiful snowflake.