Dreams and Wishes Brought to Life

by NotanImportantPony

Just a Little Filly's Story

“You will succeed in erasing the holiday, as you wished.”

“I’m sorry!”

---

Snowfall Frost slim frame violently shook under her hooves as flashes of that terrifying landscape ghosted under her eyelids. As the feeling of terror began to subside she began noticing the sounds, or rather, the lack of them. Cracking open her left eye, Snowfall was greeted by the silent visage of crackling coals in a roaring fire under a cauldron black as pitch. Opening her right eye, Snowfall could see the flames--frozen though they were--eating away at the dry cracked wood that served as fuel. Huffing lightly, Snowfall was greeted by a heady smoky scent and a rush of hot air that flew back at her. The warm comfortable airflow tickled her ears and made them twitch, but carried along that warm, comfortable stream was a voice one that summoned up dark visions from the far recesses of Snowfalls mind,

“Your actions will allow them to return.”

Snowfall coughed, throwing up a sheet of ash and dust, clouding her vision. When it cleared she found herself standing above her cauldron looking down into its murky depths. The contents roiled and boiled, bring forth strange phantasmal visions and foe urges. She saw something swimming beneath the surface of the brew and bent over to get a closer look. The warm steam bathed her face and gave off a pleasant hickory smell as she bent closer to the surface. The fumes reminded her of a far off place, a far off place, a far-

- She remembered.

She remembered shattered lands, broken visions, bent words, and barbaric actions. She wished to forget. Snorting, she banished the chemical smells from her nostrils. Taking a couple of steps back she surveyed her full shelves. Maniacally grinning, she selected the necessary potions, implements, and other necessities in order to neutralize and then destroy the vile potion she had been working on. Laughing, Snowfall gathered everything she then reached out with her magic for one last item; A purple bottle with an obscured green label:

Dragon Toenails.

“Your actions will allow them to return!”

She gasped, and the bottles that were firmly held in her teal magic jerked to a clinking stop as she felt a cold hard voice curl and flex within her mind.

“You will succeed.”

The light around Snowfalls horn winked out and the auras around the bottles vanished. They dove down, ignoring Snowfalls grasp even as she retorted,

“No! I didn’t understand before but I do now!”

Her horn re-ignited and she caught many of the bottles right before they could touch the broiling contents of the cauldron. Those that she failed to catch shattered on the floor, showering Snowfall in shards of glass and copious amounts of magical fluids. With each crash and spill, Snowfall gasped and groaned in exasperation and frustration. Pulling her muzzle away from the floor she spat out,

“I see how important Hearth’s Warming Eve is! I still have time!”

Just as Snowfall finished the roiling steam from her cauldron coalesced and shot at her, leaving fragile snowflakes in its path. The darkening mass struck her squarely on the horn driving a molten wedge of pain through it and she could only watch in absolute horror as the rest of her bottles, trailing teal wisps plummeted down around her, shattering on the soaked wooden floors, further soaking them and Snowfall. Spitting out some glowing green plasma that had splashed into her mouth Snowfall gazed around, her eyes, vacant and staring, clearly in shock. They snapped into focus when she groaned in disjointed pain as the effects of the vile magical deluge took hold of her body.

First she shivered in both pain and pleasure as phantom sensation racked her soaked frame. Her teal eyes, rapidly growing bloodshot and dilated quivered in their sockets. Snowfalls body stumbled drunkenly to one side, her now bloodied eyes splaying in two directions but slowly rolling their way into her skull. As the last of her bloody vision faded Snowfall could just barely make out the cameo of a purple bottle with an obscured green label rolling across its shelf, balancing on the edge, then tumbling into the now placid liquid below.

And her world faded to black.

---

“And what happens?”

Standing in shadow, the dark mare dispassionately watched as the pony, she of the wild blue eyes stumbled back and tripped over the shattered neck of a bottle. There was little fanfare as the filly’s waterlogged body fell heavily against the wood floor. And this shadowy figure saw, with certainty in her misty eyes, the consequences of her actions as it rose from the black cauldron. Forlornly sighing, the spirit cast her spell then dissipated with the flow of time.

“You will succeed.”

---

Air. Moving air brushed lightly against the hair follicles. From there, an electrical impulse traveled from the nerves of Snowfalls cold and soaked form, up her nerves and into her brain. From there, many things happened. Neurons fired, chemicals traveled, and impulses were felt. And that is the first thing Snowfall felt. A kiss from the wind. And she woke up.

---

Snowfall woke up with a jaw breaking, ear popping yawn. Tasting the gunk in her mouth Snowfall smacked her lips together, making a wet popping noise. Lifting her head up, Snowfall felt another brush of air against her flank. But this time it wasn’t the warm, gusty air provided by her fire instead it was a cold, brutal breeze provided by an unearthly fog that poured from her brew and seemingly walked down the cast iron sides of her black caldron leaving a smooth translucent sheet of ice bonded to the rough pitted surface. The fog hit the ground and rolled like water across the floor, towards Snowfall.

Her eyes struggled to keep themselves open, but so long as they did, Snowfall saw a low ominous cloud rolling towards her. Her eyes shot open and adrenaline flooded her system. Scrambling up to get on all four hooves Snowfall turned towards the advancing cloud, lit her horn and cast one spell after another at the encroaching wall. They did nothing but leave mesmerizing spirals in their wakes. She stopped casting, her horn sparked uselessly and her body shivered as her fur began matting together with ice. Her eyes grew heavy and achy again and she fought to keep them open. And she was rewarded.

For deep within the heart of the cold lay a single spark. Surrounded by fuel; hate and anger, the embodiment of those most holy elements roared to life and scattered its foe. Snowfalls eyelids leapt open as she became awashed in flames that heaped upon her and curled around her, protecting her as her bedroom window burst open in a shower of splintered wood and shattered glass that spread out before the ethereal form of a being long thought forgotten. A Windigo.

Snowfall leapt back and her flames trailed her leaving faint glowing hoof marks in the wood of her bedroom floor as the Windigo stepped towards her so too did Snowfall step back. This continued with each one countering the others steps, one moving forward one moving backward and ever present were the coiling flames of Snowfalls fire. After what seemed to be hours since the deadly dance began, Snowfall felt the hard knock of wood against the back of her trembling frame. Frantically she turned around and saw the unforgiving surface of her bedside.

Turning back to her hunter, Snowfall cringed as she was blinded by the enveloping flames. Blinking back tears, Snowfall felt herself retch as the cold tendrils of the Windigo reached through her flames and wound around her tail freezing strands together from its very passing. Snowfall leaned back against the hard side of her bed as the Wendigo strutted ever closer, and with its approach came the cold. Each tendril was colder and sharper than the last. Snowfall blinked back tears of agony and suddenly she was falling.

Her gut brought itself up into her throat and she fought against it. Her legs flailed but were trapped by the dying flames of her tattered defenses. She tilted her head as far back as she dared and saw nothing but darkness. She never felt the impact as she smashed into the ground.

---

She woke with a startled yelp. Her head bashing itself against the hard wood of her bedroom floor. The pain brought with it a sense of clarity. And with that clarity she could see things. Like her chamber pot and other unmentionables that haunted the dark undersides of her bed. She snorted and dust flew up in her face, obscuring her vision. Better it remained that way for there were something under there that were better left unseen by mortal eyes.

Snowfall heard more than felt the rush of air as something came into her room. Then she felt more than heard the hooves of somepony grabbing her and rescuing her from her precarious position. The blue muzzle she saw swimming into view was accompanied by a familiar husky voice,

“Woah! Snowfall you okay? You were like, screaming and yelling up a storm. What happened? Didja have a nightmare?”

Snowfall tilted her head back, bringing more of her rainbow maned companion into view and drew a breath but coughed as she tasted the frigid air. She continued coughing for a few seconds as she adjusted to the cold air flowing through her lungs. When she could speak without wincing from the cold she had a very important questions to ask,

“Spectacles. Snowdash where are my spectacles?”

Snowfall blindly flailed around with her one free hoof in a vain attempt to find her absent spectacles. She scowled as she heard Snowdash let out a little giggle. She huffed and went to give Snowdash a piece of her mind when she was interrupted by the welcoming weight of her spectacles settling in their usual place on her muzzle and a light hearted chuckle from Snowdash.

“There. You look better. No-Not that you didn’t look good anyway. But you can see right?”

Snowfalls spectacles, surrounded by a teal glow, slid up her muzzle as she brought her eyes up to squint at Snowdash in some limited merriment.

“Yes Snowdash. I can see just fine.”

Snowfall proffered her hoof to Snowdash who gripped it and pulled Snowfall free of her warm cocoon of blankets. Snowfall violently shivered as her flank was met with a wave of arctic air. Snowfall gradually stopped shivering as Snowdash placed a light blanket across her withers, making a thin but effective barrier against the cold. Nodding her head in thanks, Snowfall lit her horn and much to the amusement of Snowdash, arranged the sheets on her bed just so. Looking at Snowfall from the corner of her eyes, Snowdash slyly commented,

“Awesome work Frosty. But you know what else I see?”

Snowfall froze in her work.

“I see-”

And a voice floated throughout the room, permeating every orifice with its ghastly sound,

“-As you wished.”

Snowfall found herself laying in the cold, belittled wasteland. Snow to her left. Snow to the right. Snow in front of her. Thunder and lightning shattered the sky, tore asunder the land. And half a league beyond she saw them. Coldly they rode and well upon the black winds of the north. And from far above descended a dark armoured hoof, fit to render judgement upon those far beneath it. Further and further it descended upon the land. When it hit, it threw the world into a fury of flickering firelight. And from all distant shores were heard desperate pleas-

“-Snowfall! Hey Snowfall!”

And the curtain fell, tearing the facade down revealing the broken world beyond.

Snowfall fell back against her dresser, breast heaving and heart throbbing, Snowdash’s front hooves rested hard upon Snowfalls rolling shoulders.

“Hey! Snowfall! You okay?! What happened? You looked like you were going to die! I-I’m gonna get Flutter Holly. Just- just stay here and stay calm, okay? I’ll be back in like ten seconds flat.”

Snowdash turned from Snowfall and prepared to launch herself out of Snowfalls recently repaired window. She had to get help, she had-

“Ow!”

-a pony biting her tail on take off and window ledge in her muzzle.

Snowdash’s muzzle collided with recently repaired window ledge emitting an echoey ‘thunk’. After that, Snowdash gentley slid to the floor, a hoof working its way to her muzzle.

Rubbing her bruised muzzle and mourning her lost ego, Snowdash turned and saw a few rainbow colored strands of air hanging out of Snowfalls grimacing mouth.

“Watcha do that for Snowfall?! That hurt!”

Snowfall disregarded the outcry of her friend in order to spit out the few rainbow colored strands that clung to the roof of her mouth. Wiping the last taste of rainbow out of her mouth, Snowfall turned to Snowdash and filled her vision with her own piercingly blue eyes.

“Snowdash. What. Did. You. Say.”

Snowdash rapidly backed up and thudded against the boarded up window. She took a breath and began,

“Well you were freaking out. Your eyes were all over the place and you looked like you were like dying and-”

Snowfall lept forward, pressing their muzzles closer. Her eyes held a slightly manic light.

“No! No. Not that. What did you say before that?”

Finishing, Snowfall crept away from Snowdash and petulantly waited on an answer.

“I-I-umm,” Snowdash huffed in annoyance. “I was going to say that I saw somepony in need of some cocoa.”

She motioned with her wing to a dented pewter mug resting on the floor next to Snowfalls bedroom door. A small, steaming puddle of chocolate colored liquid had formed around it.

Snowfalls face maintained a blank expression as she followed Dash’s wing to where it was pointing, then she saw the mug and its spilled contents, her eyes lit up, her ears perked up and her lips turned up in a smile.

She lit her horn and floated the dented pewter mug over to her muzzle and took a deep gulp. As she swallowed a ripple flowed across her body leaving Snowfall relaxed and happy as she tasted the velvety chocolatey goodness that was freshly mode hot chocolate. As soon as she almost succeeded in losing herself to the creamy swirls she was rudely brought back by a name.

“-Frosty.”

Her perfect mood was ruined. And who dared to call her ‘Frosty’!

Her eyes snapped to Snowdash and lit with an inner fire.

“What did I tell you about using that name-” She growled menacingly. Taking a step forward she caused Snowdash to back away in fear.

Snowdash’s wings had spread in a natural defensive manner but the rest of her body had contorted itself to fit beneath the deep window ledge of Snowfalls repaired window. And she was afraid.

“-Crash.”

Snowdash’s shivering teeth clamped shut with a echoing snap as her eyes glazed over and she softly said,

“Snow-Snowfall. I’m sorry. But please, please let’s never do that again.”

Snowfall’s animalistic gaze softened into a wry smile. She had to apologize too. She guiltily rubbed her mane.

“Yeah. I’m sorry Dashie. I-It’s just this weather been wearing on me over the past few days. It’s horrible.”

Dash gave a hard choked laugh.

“Heh. Yeah. That’s just about what you and everypony else is saying nowadays.”

Snowfalls smile fell coyly into line and she huffed,

“Oh really!” She spouted in an offended manner. “I’m just like everypony else?” She finished with a blatant wink.

Snowdash looked taken back by Snowfalls change in attitude but as soon as she saw the wink she knew and she was game.

“Yeah! You’re as annoying and as mean as everypony else out there.” She said, gesturing to Snowfalls new window with one of of her blue feathered wings.

Snowfall snorted derisively and continued on,

“Well then, if I’m as annoying and mean as those ponies then there’s only one thing I have to say to you, Miss Dash.”

‘Miss’ Dash smirked and sauntered over to Snowfall, getting muzzle to muzzle with her glaring opponent.

“Oh yeah? Well, how about we-”

Snowfalls continence plummeted and she spewed vile, poisonous words at Dash.

“GET OUT! Get out right now! I never want to see you again! AND If I see you I’ll call the gua- No! Even better! I’ll throw you in jail myself!”

Snowfall had drastically changed, and Snowdash was giddily scared. She had thought that Snowfall had been bad when she had called her ‘Frost.’ But whatever thing Snowdash was now. It was not natural.

Snowdash rapidly retreated under Snowfalls vicious vocal rampage until she was once again shaking and huddled under the oaken window ledge. She had to get Snowfall to stop. And she tried.

“SNOWFALL,” Dash shouted, using her wings to makes herself look bigger. “Stop! You’re scaring me!”

When Dash’s outburst had stopped ringing in her own ears, she heard silence. And some weird half crying half laughing sound coming from the huddled form of Snowfall. Snowdash peered over the edge of her wing, a grim grin plastered on her face.

They’re eyes met. Snowdash winked. And Snowfall understood.

Drawing in a breath Snowdash attacked,

“FINE! I’ll get out! And I never want to see you again either!”

Dash had raised her wings and extended them to their fullest, they made her look much larger than she actually was. It worked. She could see Snowfall cowering. She thrust her wings downward, propelling herself through the twisting confines of Snowfalls pleasant little abode leaving a sparkling rainbow trail in her wake as she flew out the front door and down the street.

Snowfall sat on her bedroom floor, giggling like a little foal as she watched the rainbow colored trail dissipate from her bedroom. Rolling onto her back Snowfall released another round of mirthful giggles and squeals. She had never felt so alive. The mere act of fighting or arguing had filled her with so much glee and energy! As she came down off her high,reality sank its fangs into her throbbing skull, she choked out a sob.

Falling to the ground, Snowfall saw that she was a monster. Since when had fighting and arguing felt better than helping and fun? Since when did those antithesis feel so, so right?!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dreams and Wishes

Snowdash flew through the winding streets of Salem shedding hyperactive giggles and laughs as she sped above the snow laden eves. It had been so, so long since she had felt so alive. Not even flying had made her feel this good! She had been so dead beat since joining the new weather patrol and dealing with the weather. But as the ferocity of the weather increased, so too did the amount of work. First her schedule went from patrolling for a couple of hours at sunset, to flying around for a couple of days a week as she had to make up for other ponies quitting because of the stress. And now, now Snowdash was working five days a week with double shifts. She wasn’t even getting paid for the overtime!

Snowdash’s laughs and chuckles quickly died to a petulant silence as the thought of work wormed its way into her mind. And those few thoughts brought with them precious memories. Memories of a time gone by. Memories of a time when --instead of working-- Snowdash would be out at the pub, having a jolly good time with her many friends. They would all sit at one table or another, though oftentimes the barkeep, Tapster, would reserve a table or two for Dash and her pals. Celestia knew he could afford it.

Dash and her drinking partners would sit around telling stories, tall tales, or whatever else came to mind. Nopony judged. But there was a curious incident with a newcomer. Everypony put it off the young buck’s rambling as him having had too much to drink. But even as Dash shook her head to shake that memory out, the bucks last words still echoed through her head.

“I see days neither fun nor free”

And like a whip, Dash’s senses snapped into focus. But it was too late. Emerging from the low hanging eaves of South Street, Dash’s frantic flight came to a crashing halt as she felt the full impact of the frigid northern winds that had invaded her town. Sleet pounded on her wings and clung to her feathers, weighing her down and disrupting her flight. There was nothing she could do and even as she mightily struggled, Dash was closer to crashing to the frozen ground below. With a final ragged breath, Dash’s wings gave out and she plummeted to the frozen cobblestones that lined Salem’s Plaza.

Dash’s landing was not an easy one, despite feeling warm from her flying she was infact, frozen, the sleet and ice had accumulated along her coat and wings acting like an icey cast, preventing her from moving. So it was that Dash skidded across the omnipotent ice and she only came to a stop when she rammed into a frozen mound of snow. There wasn’t much that Dash could remember after that. Just that she was cold and sleepy. Why? Why was she so-

“-Dash? Snowdash!”

From the darkening edges of her vision came the form of a large white pegasus advancing through the slurry of ice and sleet. Dash closed her eyes, just-just for a second, they were just so heavy. And from a ways away, almost as if from a great distance, dash could hear a tinny voice.

“Lass! What’re you flyin’ out ‘ere for?”

Dash’s world rocked and shifted. She moaned and burrowed deeper into her blankets. But that voice wouldn’t leave her alone!

“Don you worry none, Snowflake’ll fix ya up.”

With that said, Snowflake the white pegasus picked up Snowdash’s lolling form and made his way along Salem’s frozen streets to his home.

As time flew by and Flake got closer to his humble abode, he had to take greater care of his charge. Despite his best efforts the young pegasus he had found curled up in a remote corner of Salem seemed dead set on making his life hard. Though it was only by the shock of the mare rainbow colored mane that Snowflake saw her. But still, her drew the mare closer to his body and she clung to him so there had to be something in her that wanted to live. No pony would be flying around on the eve of one of the biggest winter storms of the past month. But seeing as the other storms made everything worse-

-Snowflake shook his head and rid himself of such dangerous thoughts and set himself to pushing through the ever increasing winds, to his home. Several minutes of effort yielded the results he wanted; his home.

Brushing a small spot off just to the left of his doorway, Snowflake gently set the mare down in the cleared spot then bent his wings to work on twisting his front doors frozen handle. After a few seconds of straining and wincing the frozen mecanism gave way with a sharp ‘pop’ and more than a few snaps. Propping the door open with his left rear leg, Snowflake used his wings to bundle the frozen mare past the doorway. With the mare inside it seemed as if the weather unloaded everything it had. The wind kicked up, blowing frozen fractals into Snowflakes eyes, blinding him.

Stumbling backwards, Snowflake was forcibly thrown into his home by the wrath of the storm. Blinking whatever ice remained out of his eyes and flicking his ears against the silence, Snowflake tried to right himself only to find the clammy feeling of a mare underneath him. Jumping up he backed away until his rump smacked against the doorframe. Thankfully the splinter that jabbed him brought him back to his senses. With a quick shake of his head and a wry huff, Snowflake got to work.

Standing still for a couple of seconds brought further clarity. Gradually, faint shapes grew in detail as small pointed beams of light snuck through the cracks in his doorway and his eyes adjusted to the low light. His ears flickered and rotated, picking up the howling sounds of the wind racing past his home and the growing creaks and cracks coming from all around his abode. Taking a breath Snowflake turned to the still form of the blue pegasus mare.

“Don’ worry Lass. Ol’ Snowflake’ll fix you up.”

Turning, Snowflake approached a small brass lantern. Extending his left wing Flake picked up the handle of his storm lantern and turned so that the solid brass shutter was facing him. Setting it back down on the small table he drew his wing down the side of it until her got to the latch. He used the tip of his wing to open the shutters latch then promptly pushed aside the shutter revealing the glass chamber inside.

Taking a breath, Flake stepped back and brought the tips of his wings together then started to softly rub them against each other. Gathering the moisture in the air, Snowflake condensed it into a cloud. He continued to build and compress the cloud until it was rumbling and black. Lifting a wing he sent a faint puff of wind propelling his cloud into the rune etched chamber of his storm lantern the used his pegasus magic to ‘stuff’ the cloud inside, compressing it into the uniform glass cylinder. He used the tip of his right wing to close the lanterns shutter it closed with a soft ‘click’ and ‘pop’ as the physical mechanism finished locking the lantern magically sealed itself giving off a small line of light along the hinge. After a few seconds it gave off a soft ear pleasing hum and a growing aura of blue light. Within seconds, the light from the lantern had illuminated the small space of Flakes ‘home’.

Now that he could properly see, Flake moved towards the mare while carrying the lantern with his right wing. Once he was next to her, Snowflake moved her petite form until she was laying at the foot of his hearth. Setting the lantern down next to the mares rainbow colored mane, Snowflake moved over her and rubbed the tips of his wings together again and this time they sparked. Once he was satisfied, he extended the tip of his right wing into one of the glass tubes leading into his fireplace. With a light gasp he let the electricity that he had built up in his wings out and into his fireplace. With a whirr and a pop the fireplace lit up in blue flames. He was instantly bathed with a warm wind and warmth that served to ward off the unearthly chill that accompanied the new weather front coming through that night.

Stepping back from his fireplace Flake looked around his humble abode and gave off a soft huff as he saw the mess in his kitchen. Shaking his head Flake cleared his mind and sat down next to his rainbow colored mare and wrapping one of his large feathery wings around her petite blue form to keep her warm. With a soft sigh, Snowflake settled in for the coming night.

---

Snowfall Frost sat on her bare mattress, staring at the quill, paper and ink she had laid out on her desk after Snowdash left. She thought over her ‘accident.’ Did she want it to happen; was it really an accident or did she do it all on purpose. She couldn’t remember with all the details swimming in and out of her mind. However, what she did remember was the feeling of panic; the frantic search for something-anything to reverse the effects of her spell. But each attempt had been met with failure after failure and the final nail in the coffin had been the destruction of the cauldron. Snowfall had tried to mirror her original potion then add the neutralizer. It didn’t work. Instead, Snowfall’s cauldron melted and now, as her gaze shifted from her desk to her defunct fire place she saw the cold slag that marked the remains of the formerly magic cauldron.

Blinking and shaking her head Snowfall rolled off her bed and made her way to the desk. She had a letter to write and actions to explain. Lighting up her horn to pull out the chair resulted in a sharp backlash and Snowfall cringed, letting the magic energy flow out of her. Shaking her head again, Snowfall used her right hoof to pull out the chair. Her ears flicked over her head in response to the screeching sound the legs made against the wooden floor. Once she could hear again, Snowfall clambered onto the chair and sat, staring forlornly at the ink and the quill. Taking a breath, Snowfall lifted her right hoof up and looked at it, then back at the writing implements then back to her hoof, and she groaned as she picked up the quill.

“I can't even remember the last time I had to write by hoof.”

Softly grumbling to herself, Snowfall set to work penning the letter that would hopefully bring help for the town, and retribution for herself. After an hour of mumbling, crumpling up balls of paper and numerous broken quills, Snowfall had her letter. Putting down her quill for the final time she read over her work.

‘Dear Princess Celestia,

‘If you get this, send help.

‘My name is Snowfall Frost and I’m a Unicorn from the town of Salem. We need your help and we need it now. But I should explain why.

‘A month ago I tried and unfortunately succeeded in making a spell to erase Hearth's Warming Eve-

- but I never meant to complete the spell, it was an accident, I had flash backs from these visions I had and they made me mess up and instead of neutralizing the spelI, I enhanced it and it was cast and I can never pay enough for my folly.

After that night I tried to find a cure, a counter spell. But everything I used failed. I tried to recreate the spell then neutralize it but all that did was melt my cauldron and because my cauldron had trace amounts of magic in it I cannot use any other cauldron without first making a magic imprint. But with the weather throwing off everypony’s magic, I cannot make any potions, brews or spells.

So now we are trapped here in Salem. Anypony that went beyond the towns borders has never come back nor have any other ponies come to help us. Like I said, the weather’s thrown everypony’s magic off. Unicorns are the ones that are the most affected, even the most basic use of spells will cause us pain and without the use of magic I cannot determine what is causing this interference.

What’s worse is that as this month has come to a close so too have many ponies hearts and minds. Arguments and fights have broken out around town; and I must confess, I am not innocent. Earlier today I got into a fight with one of my closest friends, Snowdash. The fighting itself made me feel happy and I wanted more! Princess, there are even rumors that martial law will be implemented if the situation degrades further. Please come help us.

Your faithful subject,

-Snowfall Frost.

Looking over her letter, Snowfall gave a soft sigh of contentment. She had her letter, she had written proof of her guilt. And she was going to send it to the Princess. Hopefully the end would be quick and painless. Rolling off the stool and onto the floor, Snowfall opened the desk drawer, picked up a small unmarked clay pot and unscrewed the lid.

Green light bathed her face, giving it an evil witch like appearance. Even the shadows around the room seemed more alive. Setting the black clay pot on the wooden floor, Snowfall lifted her folded letter up, slid it into its too big envelope and licked it shut. She immediately wiped her tongue on her coat to get the chemical taste of glue out of her mouth. After she was satisfied that the rancid yet pleasant scent of her own coat had overpowered the chemical taste of glue, she held the letter above the clay pot and dipped a corner in. For the next couple of seconds, nothing happened and Snowfall’s ears drooped in despair as she forced the letter further into the jar of green fire.

Then with a ‘whoosh’ and a ‘crackle’ the entire letter and a not so insignificant portion of fur went up in flame. Snowfall dashed away from the jar with a startled yelp cradling her now hairless left foreleg. Snowfall’s eyes and ears slowly settled from their panicked state and as they did so she noticed that there were no burn marks on her foreleg nor was there a feeling of pain. She set her newly shaved foreleg down and giggled as the adrenaline drained from her system.

A knock sounded throughout the house, interrupting her musings. Snowfall quickly snapped on the top of her dragon fire jar then hastily shoved it into its drawer. Making her way out of the room, Snowfall closed her bedroom door and went to get the door. On the way down the stairs another knock echoed through her house.

“I’m coming! I’m coming. Just hold on for a few seconds.”

Getting to the bottom of the stairs Snowfall hastily opened the door to her mudroom and found herself muzzle to muzzle with the intense gaze of Flutter Holly. Jumping back with a startled gasp Snowfall covered her mouth with a shaking hoof.

“F-FLutter Holly-”

Flutter Holly took a quick step in and closed Snowfalls front door behind her, cutting them off from the blistering winds that heralded a coming storm. As soon as a remote feeling of warmth returned, it was promptly squashed by a frigid, judging word from Flutter Holly.

“-Snowfall.”

Snowfall fell down on her rump with a thump as Flutter Holly strode past her and down the hall into the breakfast nook with her nose held high. As she reached the open prench doors, Flutter Holly gave a quick dismissive look back at Snowfall.

“We need to talk. Get in here.”

Snowfall shakily stood up, obeying Flutter Holly’s command. She followed, locked in a mental stasis by the haunting vision of Flutter Holly’s eyes. Which was promptly banished by the abrupt halt brought about by Snowfall slamming her newly shaven foreleg into an askew leg of the chair that Flutter Holly had pulled out for her. With a wince and a soft moan of, “Owww.” Snowfall fell into her seat cradling her bruised forelimb. Her attention was dramatically called away by Flutter Holly’s calm and cold voice.

“Look at me.”

Snowfall looked up at her friend with her limp leg still clutched against her barrel.

“It hurts. Doesn't it?”

Snowfall nodded demurely and Flutter Holly gave a short derisive snort.

“Good. Now you know only a fraction of the pain that you caused Snowdash.”

Snowfall gave Flutter Holly a confused and hurt glance. Flutter Holly got up from her chair, its legs screeching against the worn wooden floor and huffed, advancing on Snowfall.

“That’s right. I know what you said to Snowdash. The ponies all along the row know what you said to her. I know how much that hurt her.”

Flutter Holly got muzzle to muzzle with Snowfall and stared her down.

“You- You took our friendship and betrayed us. We tried to give you space-” Flutter Holly prodded Snowfall’s chest with a hoof “-We tried to give you time-” Flutter Holly shook her head and backed off “-We thought you had changed but we were clearly wrong. You lied to us.”

Finished with her rant, Flutter Holly swiftly turned away and made her way out of the breakfast room and pranced back to the front door.

Snowfall simply sat in her seat, shaking as she had been for the entirety of the time that Flutter Holly had been in her home. After a few seconds, her sluggish mind finally processed what Flutter Holly had said and she shot off her seat and almost flew to the front door; to Flutter Holly.

Sprinting out into the front hall, Snowfall saw the outline of Flutter Holly’s body against the glaring light from the outside. With a panicked screech Snowfall came to a halt with a hoof against her friends freezing withers.

“Flutter Holly wait!”

Pulling away from Snowfalls hoof, Flutter Holly turned and spoke sadly, not looking at Snowfall.

“Snowfall look. I-I don’t want to see you okay? You hurt Dashie a-”

Snowfall blinked in confusion and spoke slowly, “-Hurt Dashie? I didn’t hurt her!” Jutting out a hoof to block Flutter Holly’s escape route Snowfall continued. “We were pretending. We were just pre -”

-And Snowfall’s hoof was thrust off the door as Flutter Holly forced her way past and onto the porch leaving them both exposed to the brutal snowy elements.

“- I know what I heard. Don’t lie to me. You two were fighting. And right now I can’t stand to be anywhere near you because you make me so, so angry.”

Flutter Holly turned and walked off Snowfalls front porch took a few steps forward then turned back and faced the broken Unicorn in the doorway.

“There’s another storm coming. Just- Just so you know.”

Turning before Snowfall could see the tears freezing to her face Flutter Holly mumbled a belated, “I’m sorry.” And took off into the swirling snow ignoring the panicked calls from Snowfall. As Snowfall faded from sight and hearing Flutter Holly relaxed and the furious beat of emotions that had flooded her mind her mind cleared. And she came to the horrible realization.

She was a monster. She was the one most likely to have thawed Snowfalls frozen heart but now, now she had done just the opposite. She had frozen both mare and heart in her own house and home. There was no ignoring it. She- no. They were monsters.

---

Snowfall sat in the open doorway, her tears frozen to her face and her mane plastered to her sides as snow built up around her. Her thoughts buzzed and beat around her head as the scenes from earlier jabbed and pricked at her mind. The cold brought her out of her small cage, the shivering brought on not just by cold, but by the feelings that coursed through her body and mind. With a flash from her horn, Snowfall slammed her door shut, shaking the house and shattering the ornate glass panels that adorned the back of her door. The tinkling sounds and bright dancing lights entranced Snowfall as she forlornly watched the glass shards fall and bury themselves in the small snowdrifts that had made their home in the mudroom.

She saw them and saw their reflections. Reflections of her past. The friends and the teacher; the past and the present; the mistake and the result. They were all lying there broken and separated. Weak and afraid. And that was not Snowfall Frost. NO! Snowfall Frost was not weak nor was she afraid! She was strong and independent. She had worked hard and learned from her few mistakes and soon, soon all of Equestria would benefit from her genius!

Stomping, Snowfall made her way up the stairs to her room. Sending another blast of magic through her horn she threw the door open and trotted to the desk. Jumping up onto the chair Snowfall lit her horn and ignited the wicks on several nearby candles then levitated fresh papers, quills, and ink pots from numerous points around the room and organized them on the desks ink stained surface.

Muttering, Snowfall jabbed her hoof at the blank paper that lay in front of her. “Help! Ha! I don’t need help.” With that, Snowfall lifted up a quill with her magic and stabbed it through the inkwell and into the desk as a spike of pain shot down her horn.

“Gah!” Snowfalls head hit the desk and she watched as ink poured out of the shattered ink pot bleeding onto her formerly fresh parchment. She lifted up her head then slammed it down again as another wave of pain flooded her head. Moaning, Snowfall threw herself off the chair and onto the floor with a solid ‘thump’ then rolled around, her hooves squeezing her head as the pressure soared past her tolerance.

Snowfall felt everything and nothing; pain and peace; cold and hot. But what she saw, she saw a kaleidoscope of colors; purples and whites, blues and blacks and- and black. She saw black and peace. Peace as if her body was floating on air, soaring through the stars. She was, in one word; Content.