Snowdrop heard the twinkling in the stars in the dead of night. A sound which none other could hope to comprehend and, in her saddest moment, a single tear froze on her cheek. Down in swirled with the snow until it clicked into her hoof... And she heard it. The faint twinkle of a star.
Snowdrop's time came and went like every other pony in Equestria, but she left behind a gift of unsurpassed beauty: the glorious and intricate snowflake. But she left behind something else as well, the ever gentle and timid Snow Sparkle. Sparkle can't hear the twinkling of the snow or the stars, but she can see more than anypony. She can see how they sparkle.
This is a sequel to SillyFillyStudio's amazing video, Snowdrop
Got questions, comments? Leave 'em with my tumblr page askinkyarn
A pony sat atop a cloud, gazing out over the city. Her long white and blue hair flowed gently in the wind, streaked with grey in the moonlight. Her eyes were half-lidded, as though unhappy with what she saw. Not that she could see the beautiful city stretched out around her. She gave a sigh, her body shrugging with the sound. Her wings reshuffled, individual feathers unclipping and drifting about her. The cloud was now littered with them. She could feel the discarded plume when she moved. They fluttered about her, either whisking away in the wind or settling against her body, warm and soft.
Energy was failing her. Soon, her wings could no longer prop themselves on her sides. They slipped away to join the lost feathers and soft curls of the cloud. Her eyes soon fell shut and her unseeing eyes entered a fuller blackness that she recognized as such. Her weary, drooping head finally dipped and rested on her outstretched hooves. Another sigh stretched her creaking torso and pushed her onto her side. It was immediately followed by a gaping yawn and her jaw popped several times, hollow, lonely sounds in the stillness of night.
She laid back against her cloud and opened her eyes once more. A sea of blackness met her but she was accustomed to that. It was the sounds that she was truly searching for. The whisper of wind across the sky, the faint sounds trickling toward her from the city below… The slight disturbance of wings across the breeze.
A pair of hooves descended against the plush cloud, rocking the old pony lying tiredly across it. Snowdrop wearily lifted her head in the direction of the shift and put on a feeble smile.
“Hello, Luna.” She inclined her head ever so slightly.
Like shifting across a bed, the cloud ruffled and bounced. Snowdrop waited patiently for the princess to settle before shifting herself. She placed her hooves beneath her and groaned, picking herself up into a more respectful position.
“How can you tell it was me?” Luna’s voice was careful and quiet, a mere breath in the night. Thankfully, Snowdrop’s ears were talented. She barely caught the words and felt her smile become a grin.
“I didn’t, I greet everypony this way. Just in case it’s you.” She reached over shakily and nudged her friend, breaking into a cracking laughter. It pulled at her body and thrust her forward into a short cough. Luna’s hooves appeared at her sides and helped her sit up. Snow’s body went rigid and jolted from each thrust, her throat clawing with each cough. The two sat there for a moment, silent and worried.
Snowdrop warded the princess away and settled back down, doing her best to reshuffle her wings. “Today is a beautiful day, isn’t it?” She cast her face up, drinking in the cool moonlight across her fur. Luna followed the gaze and found herself staring up at the white majesty before her. Full and bright, sunk low across the sky, its belly just touching the distant horizon. The two shared a smile. Snowdrop at the lovely feel and Luna at the beautiful sight.
It was not long before Snow found herself leaning against the alicorn. The realization was acknowledged and passed silently and the two passed into a comfortable moment of embrace. Luna wished with all her might that the moment could stretch on into infinity, but even good things had to pass at some moment.
“I’m leaving.” The words were short and so delicate in Drop’s tiny voice but they resonated so deeply within the alicorn. Shock nearly made her cry out. Her body stiffened and she bit her lip to keep from doing so, her midnight fur standing on end. Comprehension dawned on her and she turned to look at her friend. The wind howled again, blowing the pegasus’ mane away from her drawn, weary face. Everything about the pony was fragile, stretched, thin. Luna’s expression became complicated, and her words choked.
“Where are you going?”
Snowdrop smiled despite herself, barely holding back a soft chuckle. She shook her head, almost imperceptibly, and raised her head again to the moon. “I’m old, princess.” She sighed deeply, eyes fluttering shut. She again rested upon her friend and felt her body sag toward her. “You know I have to go.”
Luna’s breathing quickened. She desperately clawed for control but it was out of her reach. She began to pant softly and her eyes fluttered, her eyes stung. She unfurled and furled her wings quickly. “Snowdrop,” Her voice broke.
The mare in question nuzzled affectionately into her friend. “It’s alright Luna,” She cooed softly. “I won’t be gone forever. I’ll return.”
“But…”
She shushed Luna gently and snuggled into the princess’ warmth. “You’ve taught me so much, Luna. Let me teach you something now.” Her head began to droop once more and she let it, resting her chin at Luna’s hooves. “A snowflake can’t die. It’ll fall year after year, but it won’t die away. A new one will rise and fall in its place. I may have been the first to fall,” She opened her eyes and focused on Luna’s uneven breaths. The alicorn gazed back into those cloudy blue eyes, her expression contorting, her eyes crinkling as a single drop escaped them.
“Snowdrop…”
“I won’t be the last.” She reached blindly forward and found Luna’s jaw. She pressed her hoof into it, steadying her friend’s gaze and keeping it locked on her. “I won’t be the last to fall, either.” Her seriousness drifted away with the wind and her head dropped down again. Her grip was lost and her hoof hit the cloud.
Luna reached forward, her own quake in her hoof, and brushed Snow’s mane back. She sniffed silently. “You never even got to see your own snow flake. You never got to see that little sparkle.” Her other hoof came up to brush a tear from her furry cheek.
Snowdrop sighed again, a look of blissful peace spreading across her face. “A sparkle isn’t just seen, my friend. It’s felt. In the heart,” She whispered. Her muscles uncoiled, her wings dropped. Her body relaxed. “Follow your heart, Luna,” Her sweet, gentle voice was barely audible over the still wind, “And you’ll find your sparkle.”
Luna wrapped her hooves around her friend, passion filling her. She buried her midnight muzzle into the pegasus’ blue fur and wept openly.
The night was calm and still. Drops of snow, formless and insignificant, drifted lazily from the black sky. The clouds from which they dropped blotted out the moon. To anypony, a minute detail such as that could easily be overlooked but to the midnight blue pony staring into the swirling mass, it was as though the sky was missing something vital. Something beautiful and incredible. Without it, she felt empty. Almost purposeless.
She lowered her head and raised a hoof to her muzzle. With a swipe, she flicked away a single droplet. Not that it made a difference. Her coat was already drenched, her fur heavy and clinging. She took a deep breath and looked over Canterlot from her perch atop its castle.
The city was glowing and bright. Shops had yet to put up for the night, light from their windows casting warm golden shades across the streets. Lamps wavered in the distance and a few pony-like shadows dared walk the street.
A sound came from behind her. She turned her head to see a familiar face trotting precariously across the castle's roof. "Princess Luna?" Shining Armor came to stand beside her. His large, clumsy hooves quivered as he attempted to keep upright.
Luna choked back the tears that threatened at her wide navy eyes and tipped her head in respect to the head of the Canterlot Royal guard. "Shining Armor," She put on her most dignified voice, "What brings you here?"
Armor settled uneasily on the roof's peak, his body tense and shaking. "I sometimes come up to the balcony to survey Canterlot and make sure everything's alright." He leaned over, peering through the night into Luna's dark, lowered eyes. "Are you alright, Princess?"
She turned her head away and looked up. Swirling masses of black clouds loomed above them, each one letting loose a flurry of night-darkened white drops. Luna held out a hoof, letting the snow pile up around her horseshoe before letting them drift away with the brittle, slow wind. "It has been a thousand years since last I saw my dear friend," She spoke in a low whisper. Her shoulders sagged and her wings unfolded and fell beside her. Just at the edge of her vision, she could see Shining Armor's frown. "Now her last snowflake has fallen."
Shining Armor turned back to the gentle snow falling all around them. He remembered the beauty the snowflake had always held, the certain shimmer it gave off when caught in the right light. He stared at the snowflakes around him and suddenly understood. They no longer fell in beautiful, intricate designs. Each individual flake no longer held its own brilliance. The snow now fell in little clumps. Shining Armor had heard story of Snowdrop and had always marveled at the craft she had once created. His own heart wept for the lost beauty.
"I feel as though..." Luna swallowed hard and continued, "As though she is truly gone forever."
Shining Armor bowed his head. "Nopony is ever truly gone." Luna opened her mouth to speak but Shining Armor cut her off, "My Mom used to tell me this all the time when my real dad died," A faint smile touched his lips, "So long as they remain in your heart, they will live on."
Luna glanced down at what she could see of her breast. She knew that somewhere beneath her slick black coat was a beating heart. She had not realized ponies could live inside it. "So long as they are with me, they are never gone," She whispered. Her own mother had spoken similar words, thousands of years ago. She shook her head and put a smile on her face. Tonight was not supposed to be about grief; tonight was a night of celebration. "How does your sister fare?"
Shining Armor gave a start. "That's why I was looking for you!" He stood excitedly, nearly slipping. "Twily is doing well. She's requesting to speak with you."
Luna felt a small skip through her heart. She stood, her wings unfurling. This was the moment she had been waiting for. "Lead the way," She nodded for Shining Armor to go. The two walked into the castle together and started down the hall. As luck would have it, Celestia was heading toward them.
"Good evening to you, Shining Armor," She said in her beautiful, regal voice. Armor bowed in response and stepped aside so Luna could peer at her sister. "Good evening to you as well, Luna." The two touched the tip of their horns together. "Where are you off to?"
Armor spoke up, "We're heading to see Twily. The doctor told us the delivery was successful."
Celestia and Luna exchanged looks; Celestia's was a look of caution but Luna wore an excited smile. Finally, the eldest of the sisters smiled and nodded for them to head out, "Well then, let us greet this new citizen of ours."
Luna's heart soared but she forced herself to remain grounded. She was a princess and she had to behave as such. "Let us be on our way then." As they passed a tall glass mirror, she peered out to see a sliver of moonlight pierce through the clouds. It gave way to an expanse of beautiful, twinkling stars. She smiled at the starlit night. Her starlit night. Everything was panning out and she smiled into the heavens. They seemed to smile back down upon her.
Her grief was lifted by this beautiful occasion, this great celebration of new life in the castle. Not only was this new life, this was her dear friend's, the delicate Snowdrop's, very blood that was born this night.
Nothing can go wrong this night, Luna though fiercely. Snowdrop might be gone, but her legacy will live on. This was her blood, this was her gift, passed down through centuries. And surfaced this night, in Twilight Sparkle's beautiful infant's light blue face.
Twilight Sparkle shifted as the ponies entered the room. With a gentle hoof, she pulled aside the blanket that concealed the little, ice-blue face. Two round blue eyes blinked open and looked up into all the gathered faces. "Princesses," Twilight said softly, "Meet my beautiful daughter, Snow Sparkle."
Dark storm clouds swirled overhead, giving a bland look to the barren space before her. Little specks of frozen white drifted from the heavens, pelting the foolish young filly standing in its midst. Her head peered into the gloomy sky and her eyes blinked rapidly as the snow settled into them. Her shoulders heaved and a frown drew heavily upon her face. She slowly, tentatively, reached out a hoof. Immediately the clusters of white powder began collecting around her hoof. She watched it pile up before she tipped it.
A short, brittle wind ran through the leafless trees, drifting around her and ruffling her mane. Snow drifted on that wind, floating indifferently away from her. She stretched out a hoof but the snow before her remained out of reach.
The filly remembered the stories about the beautiful young Snowdrop who crafted a star onto a flake of snow. She knew the son of Snowdrop had eventually yielded a mare, who was her own father's grandmother. That made her a descendant of the beautiful and sightless Snowdrop. The mare who could hear the twinkling of the stars; the mare who heard the same twinkle in a single flake of snow.
Snow Sparkle felt her shoulders droop in despair. Her ears flicked and she leaned toward the sky, eyes closing in prayer. She wished, she hoped, she prayed that she could hear that fabled twinkling. She strained her ears. She leaned until she was up on the tips of her hooves. Silence dominated her, as always. She sat back and lifted her mournful head to the sky. She wouldn't even know what a twinkle was if she could hear it.
Something drew at the back of her mind, an awareness that she had quickly recognized as her mother's approach. She turned to see an elegant Twilight Sparkle striding toward her. She stood and bowed her head and the regal princess dipped her head in return. Twilight sat beside her daughter and stared off into the bleak, gray world. They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity.
Finally, a slight tug came at Snow Sparkle's mind and she turned to see Twilight's horn aglow. Sparkle bowed her head and closed her eyes. This was how she communicated. Sparkle found that her magic could allow her to key into another pony's thoughts. "Snow Sparkle," Twilight spoke in their connected minds, "Why are you out in the cold? You'll freeze."
Sparkle returned her gaze to the snowstorm building around them. She found that her frown was growing deeper.
Her own blue horn began to glow, and Twilight alerted to Sparkle's consciousness. "Tell me my destiny."
Twilight frowned. "I've told you this story before." Sparkle asked again, flowing her sorrow and desperation through Twilight's mind. Her mother sent back a feel of exasperation and began the story Snow Sparkle had heard since she was a foal- "Your father's oldest known ancestor is the timid and beautiful Snowdrop," Princess Twilight began, "In her time the snow was nothing more than the flecks you see now. Little clusters of white spots. Back then, the ponies resented the winter. Until one day, during the Spring Celebration in Cloudsdale, the fillies in her class were meant to make special gifts to present to the princesses Luna and Celestia. Snowdrop didn't have a gift. For she was blind. But she could hear better than anyone else; she could even hear the twinkling of the stars. And one day, just before the celebration, a single tear rolled down her cheek. It froze instantly and fell to her hooves. And there she heard it. A faint twinkle, just like the stars."
Snow Sparkle's horn began to glow and she sliced through Twilight's magical mental connection and began writing through Twilight's mind. Sparkle continued the story, "She suddenly knew what she had to do. She plucked a feather from her delicate wings and began scratching an image into the frozen tear and this is what she presented at the celebration. A star etched into a snowflake. And though she couldn't see it, she heard the snow twinkling within it just like the stars she loved to listen to. And thus became the snowflake." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, wishing desperately that she could hear the sound of the air escaping her lungs. She gave her mother a sideways glance. "Legends state that one of Snowdrop's descendants will be able to recreate that snowflake."
Twilight smiled and drew the filly closer to her, allowing them both to take a moment to pause. "And that descendant is you, Snow Sparkle."
Sparkle stamped a hoof, leaning away from Twilight. "How can that be?" Her mind shouted into Twilight's. The princess cringed as the furious words were forced through her thoughts. "Snowdrop discovered her talent when she heard the twinkling of the stars in the snow flakes she around her." Sparkle's head hung in shame. She kicked at a ball of snow collecting around her hooves. Her horn began to throb with the strain of her spell.
A warm, fuzzy feeling spread over her consciousness as Twilight tugged at her attention. "Snow Sparkle, what can you hear?"
Sparkle hung her head, glancing up at the swirling mass of clouds. Her ears pricked but nothing came to them. She strained to hear even the slightest sound. Still nothing. She turned back to her mother, profoundly upset. "Nothing. As usual."
Twilight wrapped her arm around Sparkle's shoulders and drew her in. Twilight turned her face to the drifting snow. "Now tell me, what can you see?"
Sparkle looked up. Her eyes easily sliced through the flecks of snow that whipped across her vision. She looked past them all... But she couldn't see past the heavy storm cloud. She sent Twilight her disappointment and anguish. "Grey," She responded.
Twilight laughed. Her horn glowed again but this time it wasn't for Sparkle. The young filly's attention was drawn to the sky, where the clouds were beginning to move. A single part opened in them and let loose a brilliant moon that showered the two in a silvery glow. Sparkle's jaw fell slack as the light washed across her. She glanced down at her ice colored coat to find it glowing white. Her blue hair was also becoming a milky white color. A grin slowly spread across her face and she closed her eyes, letting her body absorb the cool light.
Twilight nudged her cheek, beaming into her awestruck face. "Now what can you see?"
Sparkle could see the glittering stars in the sky surrounding the gloriously full moon. She had never seen it before; never witnessed its glory, it's beauty. Sparkle's cottage rested not in Canterlot with the princesses, from where Twilight assisted in the rule of the kingdom. Nay, Sparkle had been moved away from the princesses. Her cottage rested at the tip of the mountain on which Canterlot was built. The constant snow of the mountain peak made the ideal setting for the snowy filly. Up here the sky was always blotted out by clouds. Now, though, she could see the shimmering brilliance of the stars and feel the cold heat radiating from the moon.
"I see the stars," She transferred to Twilight, "And I see the moon." She squinted her eyes, peering directly into the silver sphere directly above her. There was something on its far away surface, something that seemed to etch an image into the moon. She couldn't quite discern it. She closed her eyes and used her magic to relay the image to her mother.
"The moon's scar," Twilight sent back, "Long ago Princess Luna was banished to the moon for the chaos she caused as Nightmare Moon." Twilight's eyes screwed shut, as though the memory caused her pain. "Celestia told me Luna became Nightmare Moon shortly after Snowdrop died. She resented the ponies who despised her night so she tried to create an eternal night time; as well as an eternal winter." Sparkle sat up straighter as those last words drifted through her mind. An eternal winter? Twilight went on, "Celestia harnessed the extraordinary powers of the Elements of Harmony and used them to defeat her sister; though it was a vicious battle. It took place on this very mountain." Twilight paused, giving the filly a moment to glance around. An epic battle between the princesses took place on this very mountain peak? "Celestia managed to stop Luna's eternal night before it consumed all of Equestria but to do this she had to seal her sister to the moon and thus became the Mare on the Moon."
Sparkle looked up again and her brow furrowed. She could almost make out the shape of a mare's head in the moon's scar.
Twilight continued, "On the thousandth year of Luna's banishment, those stars up there helped her escape." She nudged her daughter's cheek, "But by then, the grief of her dear friend's death and the jealousy and the anguish had gotten to her. She returned as Nightmare Moon. My friends and I once again discovered the Elements of Harmony and used them to defeat Nightmare Moon. We used the magic of friendship," She winked at this word, "To return Princess Luna to herself and reunite the sister princesses." A faint frown touched her lips. "But only shortly after, Snowdrop's last snowflake had to be tossed into the storm."
Sparkle hung her head. The story was mulling about in her brain. It had been interesting until the mention of Snowdrop. She wasn't sure of her destiny. How could she be when she couldn't even hear a door slam? She kicked at the snow again and let her worries flow through her mother's mind. Twilight magically transferred her humor to her daughter and drew her closer. Sparkle's lips pursed, "After one thousand years of attempts and failures, why does everyone think I can recreate Snowdrop's masterpiece?" Tears began to form in her eyes, "I can't even draw nicely!" Instantly, Sparkle's tears began freezing on her furry cheeks. They lifted off with the wind and floated softly to the ground. She watched them go with a miserable indifference.
Twilight thought a moment before her horn again let out its lavender glow. "Snowdrop didn't make the snowflake because she heard it," Her tone was gentle as she drew across Snow Sparkle's mind, "She made the snowflake because it finally hit her that despite her blindness, she wasn't any different than any other pony. She heard that snow twinkle just like the stars she loved and she knew that she could shine just like her friends." Sparkle was lost. She glanced to her mother's beautiful, compassionate smile for help. Twilight nudged her daughter affectionately and kissed her forehead, "It wasn't what she heard that made Snowdrop create her first work of art. It was what she leaned." Twilight stood and directed Sparkle's attention back to the lonesome cottage a few yards from where they stood. As they began their short trek home, Twilight brushed her flank against Snow Sparkle's. "I know you can shine, just like any other pony in this world. And once you know it too, you'll understand."
The cottage rested atop a white shrouded mountain peak. One ledge stood out from the very point of the mountain and on this Snow Sparkle's cottage laid. From her perch higher up the mountain, she could see the faint glow of the candles on the porch. Often times she had ventured from her warm, cozy home and ascended the mountain around her. The snow was deep and treacherous but nothing she couldn't handle. As she climbed into the bleak white sky she cast fervent glances over her shoulder to be sure the snow wasn't avalanching.
The faint sunlight lazily streamed from behind the masses of grey clouds. The sun had to be high in the sky by the time her weary short legs stopped. She let her head drop for a moment as she surveyed the stretch of mountain still before her. Since she was young she had taken to venturing up this mountain top and each time she had forged farther upward. Now she could almost see the fuzzy white tip of the mountain.
She turned back and glanced down the way she had come. Already the path she had made was filling once more with snow. She turned her face to the heavens and closed her eyes, wishing the snow would stop. She was tired of the bland, frozen drops. Tired of the biting cold. Tired of the colorless landscape. Tired of the bundles of coats she was forced to wear whenever she left the house. She was sick of this constant winter!
Frustration surged through her and she kicked out, sending a drift of snow fluttering in the wind. She watched it blow away, her frown deepening. She hated snow; she decided that then and there.
Her eyes screwed shut and her horn suddenly began to glow. A burst of vibrant blue magic shot through the air all around her. Snow Sparkle's magic touched upon every living thing around her, forcing its way into their consciousnesses and allowing her this single shout: "I hate snow!"
A small flock of birds hiding in a secluded corner of her vision startled and frantically took to the sky. She caught their movements and felt their panic through her mind-connection. She watched them fly away through the clouds and disappear to other corners of the earth. A part of her heart went with them as they drifted out of her range and she lost their connection. Her frustration ebbed away and was instantly replaced by a heavy sadness. She had been stuck on this mountain since before she could remember. She had never seen any other home than her simple cottage. Of course she had seen other ponies; excluding her mother. Occasionally her mother's friends came to visit. There was a colorfully maned pegasus that came to visit once. And another yellow mare, along with a bright pink pony. Then of course there were the beautiful princesses.
Sparkle sent another hoof full of snow flying down the mountain side as she started for home. All those visitors had spoken of the beautiful Equestria. One would think that she could see the whole country from her perch high above it but she couldn't. All any pony could see from her cottage was an expanse of white and grey. A bleak world, nothing more; but the way they had described Equestria! Oh she desperately wanted to see it; to know all those wonderful sights and vibrant colors. She felt her shoulders heave as she slowly let out a breath. She would never visit Equestria, she knew this. Princess Luna had ordered her here not long after her birth. Luna claimed it was to help her become familiar with her destiny but Sparkle couldn't see how. All she knew was snow, and yet her every attempt to recreate Snowdrop's beautiful masterpiece ended in failure. She couldn't comprehend any of the sharp angles or intricate patterns. She could never find a comfortable position to hold the feather she used to sculpt the snow. Everything about carving the snow seemed uncomfortable to her.
She made it back down faster than she had gone up. She shook the snow from her coat as she entered the cottage. A burst of warm air hit her as she opened the door and her expression broke into a wide smile at the feel of it. She untangled herself from her many layers until she was left with nothing more than her beautiful blue coat. She shook away the melted snow clinging to her fur and stood admiring the small cottage.
It was an unimpressive place. Merely a single floor space with only one small enclosed area for the bathroom. There was a bed sunk into the floor so she needn't have to hop up; it was placed in the very center of the room. Across the far wall was a dresser containing a few odd trinkets Sparkle dared not throw away. Next to that, staring directly at her from right before her was an impressive book shelf. It was crammed with thick encyclopedias and other informational texts. In her solitude, Sparkle had found plenty of time to read each book through. She had gone over every text on four of the five shelves. She was partway through the fifth, currently working on a piece documenting the stars and their patterns. She found it quite intriguing. Next to the shelf was a little kitchenette that she hardly ever utilized. A few miniature tables were also scattered about the room, along with a worn old desk and plenty of warmly lit candles.
On one wall was a blazing fireplace. It drew her in as she made her way through the mess of padding and clothing she had just strewn across the floor. She dropped down before the fire and closed her eyes, letting the blissful warmth soak into her fur.
Her horn began to glow and she turned to find a mirror resting atop the dresser. Using it's faithful reflection, she pulled at the ties in her mane and tail, letting loose her blue and white curls. Her mane was much longer than it appeared, and much curlier. The curls came from her father; there was no doubt about that. She almost smiled as the thought drifted through her mind.
She set the ties aside and shook out her mane, then her tail. A little of her sadness had lifted since she set foot back inside the warmth of the cabin but as she looked about the small, lonely space her frown returned. Twilight rarely spent nights here, not since Sparkle learned to care for herself. No, Twilight was a princess. She was needed for more pressing duties than dealing with the young filly secluded in the frozen wasteland of the Canterlot Peaks. Sparkle rolled her eyes in distaste and trotted forward, plopping down on her bed. The fancy water bed squished and rolled beneath her, making her laugh. The sound did not ring in her ear but she could feel the bounce of her shoulders and the quick expel of air from her lungs. She rolled over and magically snuffed out the candles. The room suddenly pitched black.
She rolled back over and found the window. With a sigh she peered out into the darkness. This must have been what Snowdrop saw every day. Blackness. An impenetrable void of inescapable blackness that consumed all. Sparkle's lips pursed in thought. She squinted her eyes trying to see something, anything. By now her eyes should have adjusted to the dark but still she could not see. Her eyes snapped up to the ceiling and again the darkness swallowed her vision. She blinked, finding an odd sensation that perhaps her eyes had remained closed. This gave her an idea.
She screwed her eyes shut, wondering if that would help. She continued to force her eyes closed until spots of light danced across her eyelids. Disoriented, she opened her eyes again but to no avail. The darkness was complete.
Her shoulders sagged and she rested her chin on her hooves. Her eyes fluttered shut and she drew in a deep breath, letting it out as slow as possible. Here in this silent darkness she felt almost at peace. Here she felt almost reassured. This was how Snowdrop saw the world and it was in this black void that she had created a visual work of art. All because of a twinkle. Sparkle rolled her eyes almost automatically. A twinkle, she thought bitterly. A sound similar to the shimmering stars. Snow Sparkle had no hope of hearing such sound. Her frown deepened and she pressed her forehead into the bed between her arms. How can everypony think I'm going to succeed Snowdrop? Her horn glowed, alighting a nearby candle. Its light flooded across her and she blinked open her eyes to find herself staring at the corner of a thick book. Her astronomy book. She pulled herself forward and opened to her current page and began skimming through the texts. I can't hear a twinkle... I can't even hear the page turn. As though to demonstrate, she threw aside the next page, her brow furrowing in anger. I've never even seen a star! Her thoughts shouted. She paused, her eyes finding the wavering candle light.
She picked up the candle plate in her teeth and carried it to the window, craning her neck to peer out into the frozen world about the cottage. The clouds were still bunched in a big grey mass above her. Her heart sank as she vainly searched for stars that weren't there.
She had seen a star... Once. When her mother had pulled back the clouds to allow her a glimpse of the stars. But it wasn't the stars Sparkle had focused on. Nay, it was the gloriously brilliant moon that she had noticed; not the boring little flecks of white that danced along that black canvas around it.
A sudden flash of guilt sped through her. She returned to her squishy bed and blew out the candle, curling up on the pillows. She should have paid a little more attention to the stars...
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.
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.
