Twilight Sparkle stared outside her bedroom window. Snow was falling softly, and it was a peaceful morning.
Yet she had still not received a letter from her mother.
In less than 48 hours, the Friendship Express was going to shut down. All hopes of spending Hearth's Warming Eve with her family were going to be crushed. And the weather had still not been sorted out.
Twilight knew everypony was trying their best, but the Pegasus Air Mail wasn't doing great if she still didn't have her letter. She knew her mother had written her a letter. Twilight only knew it didn't take more than a week to deliver a letter. A letter. Especially since she had received one from Princess Celestia on December 2nd, explaining why every unicorn's magic wasn't working.
She knew she wasn't being fair. Mail ponies worked hard and long to deliver letters and packages, and there were loads of them. Twilight wasn't surprised no pony else had gotten letters. And the weather was slowing them down, too.
"Hey, Twilight," Spike said, walking into Twilight's room. He had been standing in her doorway for a few minutes. "How are you?"
"Exhausted," she replied.
"Still waiting for that letter?" Spike asked.
"Of course. It's not like I'm busy these days," Twilight sighed.
Spike climbed onto her shoulders. "You seem sadder than usual," he commented.
Twilight smiled weakly. "Is it that obvious?" she asked.
"Maybe a little," Spike admitted.
Twilight continued to stare outside. Spike sighed. He wanted to cheer Twilight up, but he didn't know how. It was always the other way around, Twilight comforting Spike. But he really cared about her, so he had to at least try.
"Hey, remember when you cast Star Swirl's spell?" Spike asked.
"I don't think I could ever forget," Twilight replied. Her wings flapped a little.
"Remember how you thought you had messed up everything? All of your friends stuck in a life they didn't want?" Spike asked.
"Yeah," Twilight replied without enthusiasm.
"Even though you thought everything was over, done, I still had hope that everything was going to turn out OK. You listened to me and managed to get all your friends back. I couldn't stop believing because I had faith, like during the Changeling Invasion, that everything was going to turn out fine. You have to believe now, Twilight. Because without faith, all there's gonna be is darkness. Don't stop believing, Twilight. Everything's gonna turn out alright."
Spike climbed off and saw tears in Twilight's eyes. Whoops, he thought.
"You're right, Spike," Twilight said. "No matter what, I have to believe the letter will get here, the Friendship Express won't shut down, the weather can become tame again, and we can spend Hearth's Warming Eve back home in Canterlot, with our whole family." She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at Spike with renewed confidence. "All I have to do is believe."
Spike smiled. The two walked down the stairs when there came a knock on the door.
Opening the door, Twilight and Spike saw Derpy Hooves with her brown messenger bag. "Morning, Princess! I was instructed to bring you this letter. Hope it's worthwhile!" As soon as she came, Derpy was gone.
Twilight read the name that she had been longing to read: Twilight Velvet.
She tore open the envelope and drank every word.
Spike closed the door. "What does it say, Twilight?" he asked.
Twilight gasped as she finished reading. "Spike, my mom is a GENIUS!" she yelled. She picked Spike up and swung him around and around in circles.
Spike laughed. "There's the Twilight I know and love!" he exclaimed.
***
Twilight and Spike met up with the rest of her friends at Sugarcube Corner. Twilight had passed around her mother's letter to everypony. After she got it back, Applejack asked, "Do ya think it's possible to pull off a plan like that?"
Rainbow scoffed. "Of course, it is," she said. "We can do anything."
"But to raise money for the Friendship Express and the weather factory would be nearly impossible!" Rarity explained. "Such costs for the both would be worth a fortune! And you'd have to spend money on the event. To attract thousands of ponies to an event, and to raise thousands of bits would be an extremely difficult task."
"Not if we have help," Twilight said confidently. She looked to Pinkie Pie, who was nomming on some rock candy.
The others turned to her.
Pinkie Pie looked up. "What're you all lookin' at?" she asked cheerfully.
"Pinkie, remember when you hosted your Rockin' Ponypalooza Party?" Twilight asked.
"Ya huh," Pinkie replied, nodding.
"Are you still in contact with every artist who performed in it, and possibly even more?" Twilight asked.
"Ya huh," Pinkie replied again, nodding. "Where are you going with this?"
The ponies stared at her with newfound enthusiasm. Pinkie gasped loudly. "You don't mean------"
"Oh, yes, Pinkie," Twilight said. "We're going to host a whole new Rockin' Ponypalooza Party, Hearth's Warming Eve style to save the Friendship Express, the weather factory, and everypony's Hearth's Warming Eve!"
The Elements of Harmony all yelled and cheered.
"So, when's it gonna be?" Pinkie asked with immense enthusiasm.
"Tomorrow!" Twilight said cheerfully.
The five friends froze. "TOMORROW?"
"The Friendship Express closes in two days. We have to raise enough money to save it in time," Twilight explained. "But I know we can do this. Just like I knew that the map in the castle wants us all to work together to solve friendship problems."
The six friends looked at one another. They smiled and looked to Twilight.
"So, how's it going down?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"I'm glad you asked," Twilight said. She took out a clipboard that was overflowing with papers.