//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: Snow Sparkle // by Inkyarn //------------------------------// The land stretched out before them. Grey clouds shifted and passed to unleash a starkly different territory. Great distances of deep emerald green stretched out before the filly. Wind rustled through her fur and tossed her mane wildly behind her. Beneath her, Twilight's wings stretched out to meet the wind and carry the pair over forest and field. Snow Sparkle's eyes opened wide as brilliant shades burst before her. With each new breath of wind came a new color that dazzled her mind. So different from the bleak white mountain top, the filly's breath was stolen instantly. The sun just began to bare her belly across the horizon as they swooped down from the mountain. Little pink and tan specs popped out of the painting beneath them, houses and ponies struck up in little clusters. An elegant and glorious ivory castle jutted out from a mountain nearby. It glistened in the morning light and bewildered the unicorn filly. Snow Sparkle laughed and felt her breath whisked away by the wind. She felt the warmth spread through her throat, that odd sensation that was her only concept of sound. Though not a sound pricked her ear, it affected Twilight. The alicorn dipped down and spun through the air, her horn lighting up and flooding Sparkle with joy and laughter. The two dove down into the glimmering land stretching out beneath them. "What do you want to see, Snow Sparkle?" Twilight wrote in her daughter's mind. Snow Sparkle threw her hooves into the air, relishing the coolness of the breeze, the thrill of the air. "Everything!" The word shouted through any mind that would open itself to hers. She leaned back down and clutched at her mother's mane. The filly's smile would never be lost, not in a thousand years. Her tiny horn lit up and stretched as far as it could go. This fire burns with tongues of ice Out of winter's coldest vice Figures dance, hearts can warm Away from the Ever-Storm A blazing flame of winter blue Caught in a storm that no one knew Now free, this flame can stay Here through winter, we can play! A gentle flame and touch of frost Here in coming winter In joy, songs are brought From the Ever-Blizzard Twilight dived down toward the ground. Shades of brown and yellow came into view. Everywhere, piles of orange and red struck out against the dirt. Snow Sparkle's eyes opened to all of them and she looked up into the trees to find autumn leaves crisp and golden. The sky above was bathed in the pinks and blues of sunrise. The filly took a deep breath of warm autum air. Tears sparked her eyes and she closed them, her mind reeling from the sights and the colors. A smile spread across her face. "A voiceless song can be," She sighed to the world around her, "But a frozen flame is... Me." They lit upon the floor and Snow Sparkle took her first step into the world. The sun shone brilliantly behind them, stretching out across Equestria. From their perch, the ponies could see all of Equestria. From Canterlot to Fillydelphia and every town in between. Up above the whole of the country sat a waiting grey cloud. It hung patiently suspended in the sky, waiting for the pegasi to fill it so it could snow upon the land. And that was just what they were about to do. Princess Luna turned to her young friend. "Are you ready? Winter is about to begin." Sparkle bowed her head. She took the bag of snowflakes in her mouth. With a bit of magic, the bag began to float. From her perch on Twilight's back, the filly levateded the bag to the cloud and, like a mother giving her child a much needed medicine, began to fill it. The End