Celestia: [voice over] There's nothing in this world quite so amazing as the first winter snow. The first few flakes falling from the sky, signifying a great change. The time for the land to rest, the animals to dream. And the ponies of Equestria to relax and play, knowing another year has successfully aged to its eve. Holiday celebrations, peaceful nights of rest, brisk laughter in the day, all brought forth by a single powdery fragment. Some might scoff at the idea that something so small could hold so much power. But they are the ones who have forgotten how the snowflake came to be.
Mrs. Windith: ...The eve following the spring sunrise, the rain Pegasi will bring forth the snow-melting showers from the south. Can anypony tell me the southern nation that allows Equestria to collect their warm front cloud system? Cirrus?
Cirrus: Um... Ande... uh... Zibber...
Mrs. Windith: Camelu.
Cirrus: Oh. Yeah.
Cumulo Nimbus: Wherever it is, they need to hurry up and go get the front. It's. Freezing.
Mrs. Windith: They couldn't produce the rain yet even if they were back with the weather system. The land still needs time to rest. That's the only reason we create winter -- to help rejuvenate the soil for the Earth ponies below.
Cumulo Nimbus: Well, I'm sick of waiting.
Mrs. Windith: You won't have to wait much longer. The spring sunrise is only two days away. Then you won't have to see a speck of snow for a whole year! On that note, how is everyone coming along with their spring sunrise presentations? Is everypony and their partner ready to present their seasonal gifts to the princesses? Snowdrop?
Snowdrop: [gasps]
Mrs. Windith: How is your project coming?
Snowdrop: My... uh... my project?
Mrs. Windith: Yes. Are you and your partner ready to present?
Snowdrop: My partner...? Um...
Mrs. Windith: Do you not have a partner still? Snowdrop, this isn't just a small school project. This is the one hundredth spring sunrise under the princesses' rule. They've honored us with the opportunity to show what Cloudsdale's future can create to invigorate the seasons. Have you even begun your work?
Snowdrop: Um...
Classmate 1: Mrs. Windith is going to make somepony work with her again, isn't she?
Snowdrop: Well...
Classmate 2: It's not like she can make anything when she can't see in front of her own hooves...
Snowdrop: I...
Classmate 3: We worked with her last time, you do it!
Snowdrop: I... Of... course I've started! I've actually been working on something for a while now... by myself, because it's a... a surprise!
Cumulo Nimbus: [chuckles] A surprise?
Snowdrop: Uh-huh. A surprise. That's why I wanted to work alone. I--
[schoolbell rings]
Mrs. Windith: Alright, everypony, be careful going home. Remember to bring in your projects for a final work day. The princesses arrive in two days! [to Snowdrop] Are you sure you'll be ready? Working by yourself can't be easy. I can still place you in another group. You'll get credit.
Snowdrop: Oh, no. I have something really good planned, Mrs. Windith. You'll see! But, it has to be a surprise. It has to!
Windith: Alright then. Be careful going home. I know you know you know your way but the last blizzard of the year's always the worst.
Snowdrop: I will! [sighs] A really good surprise... Sure.
[wind blowing]
Snowdrop: [sniffles] I can't go to the spring sunrise. I just can't. A useless foal like me could never make anything for spring. The princesses would just... just... laugh at me and...
Snowdrop: You can wish on them?
Primrose: Yes. Once there was a time where you couldn't, when stars were rare. But when the princesses came, the stars began to come out every night. I bet if you listened, you could hear them twinkle.
Snowdrop: No, I couldn't...
Primrose: You listen better than anypony I know.
Snowdrop: All I hear is quiet. I'd rather see them. Do you think if I wished hard enough, they would let me see them?
Primrose: It's better to save your wishes, Snowdrop, for something you really need.
Snowdrop: Don't I really need my eyes?
Primrose: [chuckles] No, not you. You're too special for that.
Snowdrop: I am?
Primrose: Who else can discover an entire cloud's shape without denting the surface? Only one little filly's wings and hooves are careful enough to do that. And I bet if you tried again, you would hear the stars twinkling at night. You're a special filly, my Snowdrop. Don't worry. You won't need your eyes to find your place in the world.
Snowdrop: I think I hear the twinkles...
Snowdrop: Twinkles... What good are twinkles? You can't wish on twinkles... I don't know if one of you is out there tonight in all the snow... I don't think you are... But... but please, if you are... I... I... I wish, I hope, I dream, I pray. By the princesses' rule, light my way. Please, I... I just want to show I can do something for once. Everyone else says I can't do anything. But... But I just... [gasps] That wasn't snow. Snow... Snow is...
Primrose: [voice over] You listen better than anypony I know.
Snowdrop: [gasps]
Snowdrop: [voice over] Tell me more about the stars.
Primrose: [voice over] Wellm there are all sorts of stars, all different shapes and sizes. But they all have little points at their edges. When they sparkle, their shapes shift. They leave little glowing spaces, only for a moment. And the few that streak across the sky and fall down to the earth, the shooting stars, those are the ones you make your strongest wishes on because they can carry them through.
Primrose: Snowdrop! What are you doing? It's freezing! Come inside!
Snowdrop: Mother... Mother, look!
Princess Celestia: Thank you all very much your hard work. After a long winter, it is wonderful to see so many young fillies and colts bring us such wonderful ideas to make the seasons shine. Now, we can only choose one for the centennial symbol, but...
Snowdrop: Wait!
[commotion in crowd]
Classmate 1: She's here?
Classmate 2: She didn't show up to class at all yesterday.
Classmate 3: I thought Ms. Windith excused her.
Mrs. Windith: Snowdrop?
Primrose: Forgive us the interruption, your Highnesses, it's just--
Snowdrop: I've been working so hard! Please, I have a gift for the seasons too and--
Cumulo Nimbus: Doubt that.
Princess Celestia: May we see it?
Cirrus: You brought snow?
Cumulo Nimbus: And just one little dot of it!
Classmate 2: Maybe she grabbed the wrong thing on her way here?
Classmate 1: Why would you bring snow to the spring sunrise?
Snowdrop: It's not snow. I made a star.
Cirrus: [laughing] A star? You can't make stars! It doesn't even look like one!
Snowdrop: Maybe it doesn't look like one, but it's still a star! It's a star for winter! I can't see what the stars look like up there. Just like I can't see what spring looks like. But I can hear it all, and I heard the snow twinkling just like the stars do every night! So they should be able to grant wishes too, shouldn't they? Winter's been giving us a gift all this time, and we've just been ignoring it! Celebrating spring is good. But winter can't be all bad if it gives us these. It may be cold and dark, but that doesn't mean there isn't any good to it. Maybe... Maybe winter is sad that everypony doesn't like it. So maybe we need to make wishes on the winter snow just like how we wish on the night stars. Maybe then we can have a happy winter instead. We already have a happy spring and summer and fall. Can't winter be happy too? Because winter... It's important. Even if it seems useless, it can give us wonderful things, so...
Princess Luna: May we see your wishing snow?
Princess Celestia: Could you make us some more?
Snowdrop: [gasps] Mm-hmm!
Princess Celestia: [voice over] The following year's snowfall was one of the most celebrated events in Equestrian history. Winter's blessings had at last been discovered. From then on, snows were gentle, behaving the weather team's wishes. Foals could play. Ponies could see beyond the icy chill. And a new sort of star fall could bring everypony sweet dreams.
Princess Luna: Is it really the last one we have?
Princess Celestia: It has been over a thousand years, sister, and she only made so many.
Princess Luna: Can we not save it?
Princess Celestia: You know she wouldn't have wanted that.
Princess Luna: But she... I.. I never got to...
Princess Celestia: I am sorry for that. I know she was a dear friend to you.
Princess Luna: The only one who ever truly knew my night.
Princess Celestia: She still knows it, Luna. You know that.
Royal Guard: Princess, the weather captains are waiting for your signal.
Princess Luna: [voice over] Thank you, my friend, for everything you gave and every wish you never knew came true. Goodbye...