Author's Note

Happy Easter to everyone!

Winter Wrap Up

Just outside the Grand Oak Library, the crickets chirp along in the early morning. Twilight Sparkle and Spike laid fast asleep in their tiny sleeping questions. As Spike snored heavily in his basket, Twilight awoke with a gasp.

“Spike, wake up!” Twilight said excitedly. “Wake up, wake up, wake, up, it’s Winter Wrap Up Day!”

“Huh? Mommy?” Spike mumbled, opening his sleepy eyes.

“Winter Wrap Up!” Twilight repeated, in the young dragon’s face.

“You’re not mommy,” Spike replied, falling back to sleep.

“Spike, the first day of spring is tomorrow,” Twilight informed. “So every pony in Ponyville needs to clean up winter. Now help me get ready.”

Shortly after checking her calendar, noting the hand drawn tree on the date, Twilight jumps into a pair of short yellow boots and tied what appeared to be a fleece saddle, which she struggles to keep in place along her back.

“Clean up winter?” Spike asked sleepily. “Who cleans up winter? Don’t they just use magic to change the seasons like they do in Canterlot?”

“No Spike, Ponyville was started by Earth ponies,” Twilight explained. “So for hundreds of years they’ve never used magic to clean up winter. It’s traditional.”

No sooner did she say it when her saddle fell off and she sighed heavily.

“It’s ridiculous!” Spike remarked. “No magic… fuh!”

Ignoring Spike’s comments, Twilight retied her saddle back in place, grabbed her pink and white scarf, which she secured tightly around her neck, and went over a checklist.

“Okay, let’s see… scarf, check; boots, check; Spike refusing to get up and going back to sleep, check.”

Twilight Sparkle leaves a checkmark off every item recorded on her list.

“It’s a good thing I’m so organized, I’m ready. Bright and early!”

Twilight opens the door… only to find it was still dark out and no pony else was up. If one were to guess, it was approximately three or four in the morning.

“Oh… maybe a little too early,” Twilight chuckled sheepishly.

https://m.

After her slight mishap, Twilight removed her gear and returned to bed. She found it difficult to fall back asleep since she was too excited about Winter Wrap Up and decided to do some reading. So into her book, it felt like minutes passed at a rapid pace.

*KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!*

Knocks at the door draw Twilight’s attention. Putting her book down, she opened the door to find Storm Shield, standing outside and wearing just a light blue winter hat upon his head.

“Morning Twilight,” Storm greeted. “Excited for your first Winter Wrap Up?”

“I sure am!” Twilight said, looking outside. “But it’s still dark out.”

“Not for long…”

Storm leaned his head out, showing Twilight a golden light beginning to remove the darkness in the early winter sky from the horizon.

“Oh, it’s time!” Twilight observed. “Let me get Spike and we can get going.

Storm nodded, as he watched Twilight race upstairs.

“Sure you don’t want me carrying mister sleepyhead?” Storm called out.

“I’ve got him!” Twilight called back.

It isn’t long before Twilight Sparkle climbed downstairs, with the still snoozing dragon nestled on her back.

“Well come on, let’s get going!” Twilight urged.

“Oh, before we do, could we stop at the train station?” Storm asked.

“Why?”

Storm smiled brightly as he used his magic to lift a rolled-up scroll from his saddlebags. Unrolling the paper, he passed it over to Twilight, who reads it slowly.

Hey Storm,
I’ve missed you so much since you and Twilight moved to Ponyville. Honestly though, I wish I had gone with you sometimes. Life in Canterlot is so boring without you. Don’t get me wrong, I love helping mom and dad in the shop, but it gets really old after a while. Matter of fact, I’ve missed you so much that I have a little surprise for you. I’m coming to Ponyville to visit you and to see for myself how the citizens deal with this ‘Winter Wrap Up’ I keep hearing about. I should be arriving in Ponyville on the early morning train.

I can’t wait to see my big brother again.

Love always,
Rose Gold

Twilight Sparkle glanced from the scroll with a smile on her face that rivaled that of Storm’s perfectly.

“Oh… my… GOSH!!!” She squealed.

“I know right?!” Storm said excitedly. “Little Rosie’s coming to Ponyville today!”

“You think I can come to the station with you? I really want to meet the little sister you always talk about.”

“Absolutely!” Storm nodded. “If I know Rosie, she’ll want to meet you just as much.”

<>

A short while later, the two unicorns trotted along through town while little Spike snoozed lazily on Twilight’s back. Arriving at the train station, both ponies stood anxiously awaiting the arrival of Rose Gold. Eventually, the white puffs of the Ponyville Express drew closer as the train itself came into view. Coming to a screeching halt, the train doors opened up and a light rose gold Pegasus mare stepped off.

She had a bright yellow mane with a single pink streak going down the middle and a purply flower nestled perfectly over one ear. She had the same amazing teal eyes Storm had and a bouquet of assorted flowers for a cutie mark.

“ROSIE!!!” Storm yelled.

Rose Gold turned and saw her older brother running full speed toward her. A huge smile spread across her face, as she quickly galloped in his direction as well. The two siblings soon met in the middle with a huge hug.

“I’ve missed my Rosie sooooo much!” Storm said, ruffling his sister’s mane.

“I’ve missed you too big bro!” Rose giggled. “Now can you please stop messing up my hair?”

Finally, Storm let go and just stared at his sister joyfully.

“Sorry bout that,” He apologized. “I’m just so glad to see you again. How have things been going back in Canterlot? Are mom and dad doing good?”

“They’re doing about as good as they can,” Rose answered. “Business is booming and doing really well. Fancy Pants comes in every day and practically clears the shelves, buying all the flowers he can for Fleur de Lis.”

“Well that’s good. Fancy Pants is our family’s best customer.”

Then Rose looked past Storm, catching Twilight standing there and waving. She walked past her brother, approached the unicorn mare, and shook her hoof.

“And you must be Twilight Sparkle!” She greeted. “The mare my big brother always talks about!”

“Yep, that’s me!” Twilight nodded. “It’s nice to finally meet you Rose Gold. Storm’s told me so much about you!”

“He’s mentioned you quite a lot too!” Rose grinned.

Hearing this made Twilight face Storm, who blushed fiercely. She gave a humorous grin and a sly look in her eyes.

“And what kinds of things has Storm said about me?” She asked mischievously.

“Oh, just that you’re the most…”

Storm quickly ran up and placed a hoof over his sister’s mouth, laughing nervously.

“Well, this certainly has been fun and all!” He chuckled. “But we probably should get moving; we’re supposed to meet Mayor Mare in town.”

Storm proceeded to lead the mares toward town hall. Despite running all the way there, the sun was already drawing high in the sky. Dozens of other ponies were already gathering around the area surrounding the cylinder-shaped building. Twilight soon noticed most of the ponies were wearing colorful uniforms.

“Those must be the team vests Rarity designed,” Twilight pointed out. “Blue for the weather team, green for the plant team, and tan for the animal team. I wonder which team vest we’ll be wearing.”

“Good question,” Storm replied. “Truth be told I haven’t really thought about vests. I just want to help anyway I can, but if we’re lucky we’ll get to be on the same team.”

“Oh Storm, we do things together all the time. No harm in being on separate teams.”

“I guess not…” Storm nodded.

“Ah, don’t fret big brother!” Rose smiled. “Whatever vests we receive, the important thing is helping Ponyville get ready for spring.”

“I’ll take a blue vest, same color as my blanket,” Spike remarked sleepily. “Which I think I hear calling me name. ‘Spike! Spike! Come to bed!’. Ugh, it’s too early.”

Twilight, Storm, and Rose Gold chuckled to each other just as Mayor Mare appeared before all the ponies.

“Thank you every pony, for being here bright and early,” Mayor Mare said proudly. “We need every single pony’s help to wrap up winter and bring in spring.”

The ponies cheered as Twilight hopped up and down amongst the crowd of ponies.

“Now all of you have your vests and have been assigned to your teams,” Mayor Mare continued. “So let’s do better than last year and have the quickest Winter Wrap Up ever!”

The ponies cheered again.

“Oh, this is so exciting!” Twilight said.

“It sure is,” Storm agreed. “But why did Mayor Mare say every pony has their vests and assigned teams? I never received my notification or my vest for that matter.”

“Maybe it got lost in the mail,” Rose guessed.

“All right every pony, find your team leader, and lets get galloping,” Mayor Mare finished.

“I better go up and see if there’s anything I can offer to help,” Rose informed her brother. “Maybe I can find time and speak with the Mayor about getting you guys a vest.”

“Thanks sis,” Storm smiled.

He watched her take off to join the other ponies, as a sigh escaped his lips.

“Well now what do we do, Twi? I hope this isn’t like magic school where I’m stuck having captains telling each other to pick me.”

Suddenly, memories of his days on the track team popped in his mind. Memories that haunted him to this very day. Storm isn’t the only pony concerned, as Twilight was rather overwhelmed.

“Oh gosh, where should I go?” She wondered. “I’m not sure where I fit in. What exactly does every pony do?”

It was then the screen went black, and a single spotlight appeared around Rainbow Dash. It appeared to be time for another one…

And not a Pinkie Pie number… phew!

Anyways, the spotlight moved from Rainbow Dash switching to another pony for each new solo.

https://m.

Rainbow Dash (sings):
Three months of winter coolness
And awesome holidays

Pinkie Pie (sings):
We've kept our hoovsies warm at home
Time off from work to play

Applejack (sings):
But the food we've stored is runnin' out
And we can't grow in this cold

Rarity (sings):
And even though I love my boots
This Fashion's getting old

As the spotlight goes from each of the Mane Six, Twilight and Storm stroll about the town.

Twilight Sparkle (sings):
The time has to welcome spring
and all things warm and green

Storm Shield (sings):
But it's also time to say goodbye
It's winter we must clean

Twilight & Storm (sings):
How can I help? I'm new you see
What does everypony do?
How do I fit in without magic?
I haven't got a clue!

And sure enough, several ponies began to dance and join their respective teams.

Chorus (sings):
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap up!

Applejack (sings):
'Cause tomorrow spring-

Rainbow Dash (sings):
-is here!

Chorus (sings):
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!

Several Pegasi take to the air, clearing and moving the unwanted clouds from the sky. Half of which aid the birds on their return trip from the south.

Rainbow (sings):
Being home the southern birds
A Pegasus' job begins
And clearing all the gloomy skies
To let the sunshine in
We move the clouds
And we melt the white snow

Rainbow & Pinkie (sings):
When the sun comes up
It's warmth and beauty glow!

Some ponies began collecting and materials for Rarity, while others proceed with the snow removal tasks.

Chorus (sings):
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!

Work for the nests and baskets get underway with Rarity in charge of the process.

Rarity (sings):
Little critters hibernate
Under the snow and ice

Fluttershy, along with several ponies, help awaken the hibernating animals. They provide some food and even clean their sleeping spaces. Few birds encircle Twilight, Storm, and Spike shortly before flying off.

Fluttershy (sings):
We wake up all their sleepy heads
So quietly and nice

Rarity (sings):
We help them gather up their food
Fix their homes below

Fluttershy (sings):
We welcome back the southern birds

Fluttershy & Rarity (sings):
So their families can grow!

The ponies proceed to remove the snow from the trees. Twilight, Storm, and Mario get a load of snow dumped on them. They quickly look up and glare when they find out Rainbow was the one who dropped the snow on them.

Chorus (sings):
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up! ([Rarity] Winter, Winter])
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up! ([Rarity] Winter, Winter])
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up! ([Rarity] Winter, Winter])
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!

Some ponies proceed to clear the snow from the farming grounds, allowing the rest to till the land.

Applejack (sings):
No easy task to clear the ground
Plant our tiny seeds
With proper care and sunshine
Everyone it feeds
Apples, carrots, celery stalks
Colorful flowers too
We must work so very hard

Applejack, Cherry Blossom, & Golden Harvest (sings):
It’s just so much to do!

The ponies clear their rooftops of all the excess snow.

Chorus (sings):
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

Pinkie Pie (sings):
‘Cause tomorrow spring is here

Chorus (sings):
‘Cause tomorrow spring is here!

Twilight Sparkle (sings):
Now that I know what they all do
I have to find my place

Storm Shield (sings):
And help with all of my heart
Tough task ahead I face

Twilight Sparkle (sings):
Help the Earth pony way
I wanna bring so I must
Do my best today,

Twilight & Storm (sings):
Do my best today!

And the two ponies overlook a cliff as all of Ponyville are hard at work clearing winter.

Chorus (sings):
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

Twilight & Storm (sings):
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!

In three perfect seconds, each team disappeared. Until at last, only Storm and Twilight, even Spike, were left alone to decide where to go and which team to aid.

“Every pony belongs to a team,” Twilight told Spike and Storm. “What should I do? Where should I go?”

“I’m just as unsure as you Twilight,” Storm replied. “Maybe…”

*ZOOM!*

Just then, Rainbow flew by at high speed to the other Pegasi waiting for her in town. She was the captain of the weather team.

“All right team, you’re clear for takeoff!” Rainbow ordered.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight called out.

As the Pegasi took flight into the air, Twilight and the others caught up with the blue Pegasus.

“Oh hey Twilight, Storm, what’s up?” Rainbow asked.

“What are you doing?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Sending off one of my of my flight crews to retrieve the birds that flew south for the winter,” Rainbow answered.

“Oh, can I help?” Twilight asked eagerly. “How about if I help clear out the clouds?”

“Umm…”

Rainbow raised and flapped her wings, reminding Twilight about a huge flaw with her idea.

“Right…” Twilight remembered. “No wings.”

“Mmm… that’s too bad,” Storm nodded. “But luckily, I planned for that.”

“Excuse me!”

Rainbow Dash turned and spotted Rose Gold fluttering toward her.

“I heard you were sending some ponies to retrieve some birds from the south,” Rose spoke up. “I’d like to help you with that if I can.

Rainbow looked at the newcomer for a moment before facing Twilight and Storm curiously.

“Who’s this?” She asked.

“That’s my sister Rose Gold,” Storm told her. “She’s in town to visit me and watch how Winter Wrap Up works.”

Rainbow smiled, as she landed softly on the ground.

“Well it’s nice to meet ya,” She said. “My name’s Rainbow Dash. Fastest flyer in Equestria and all in all coolest pony you’ll ever meet.”

“Not to mention the biggest show off ever,” Storm whispered.

Rainbow shot a heated glare at Storm, who just turned away and whistled, faking innocence.

“Okay kid, you’re hired,” Rainbow told Rose enthusiastically. “You’ll be with Ditzy Doo’s team to lead the birds back to Ponyville. Now let’s bust some clouds!”

“I won’t let you down Dash ma’am!” Rose smiled, turning to Storm. “Wish me luck big brother!”

“You’re in good hooves Rosie!” Storm waved off.

Storm looked on as Rose flapper her wings and took off into the sky with Rainbow.

“Sorry Twilight and Storm,” Rainbow said.

She took off at high speed, with Rose flapping behind her, startling Twilight a bit as she watched Rainbow and Rose disappear. Storm turned away when he suddenly realized something.

“Oh Rose, did you ever find out—annnnnnnd, she’s gone,” Storm sighed.

“Great, now what do we do?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know about you,” Spike yawned. “But I’m gonna be nappin’.”

Spike was soon snoring, as Twilight poked his cheer with a fore hoof.

“Come on Spike,” Twilight retorted. “This is serious business. Winter needs to be wrapped up, and we’re determined to do our part. Somehow.”

Seeing Twilight looked worried, Storm strolled beside her.

“Let’s keep looking around,” He proposed. “I’m sure there’s plenty to do on the ground.”

Twilight smiled as they continued their search. Soon they found themselves before the Carousel Boutique where Rarity was busy working on a project.

“Rarity, please tell me there’s something, anythingthat we can do to help,” Twilight asked.

Twilight’s tone comes off as nearly pleading as Spike stood between the two girls and the stallion.

“Well, how would you like to help create Ponyville’s finest birds’ nests?” Rarity suggested.

“Birds’ nests?” Twilight asked puzzled.

“Why yes,” Rarity replied. “When the weather team guides the birds back north for the spring, they’ll need a place to lay their eggs.”

Rarity presented a nicely made nest made from scratch.

“Wow Rarity, that one’s really beautiful,” Twilight admired.

“It’s amazing!” Storm added.

“Oh why thank you most sincerely,” Rarity said kindly. “Would you two like to try your hoof at a nest?”

“Would I?!” Twilight exclaimed excitedly. “Yes! Where do I begin?”

“Okay. Now… uh, take some straw and hay over there,” Rarity instructed, handing Twilight the materials.

Twilight worked as she listened to Rarity’s instructions, or at least tried to.

“Now, weave them through there, yes. Uh, take some ribbon, yes, oh uh, n… not there, yes, uh, tuck it over there, uh but be careful not to… I don’t know I guess that would do… oh dear.”

“There!” Twilight said, pleased with herself. “It looks just like… yours. Oh my.”

Twilight then noticed that compared to Rarity’s work that her nest looked like something a foal might have done for a preschool project.

“That nest needs to be condemned,” Spike told Rarity.

“Oh, Spa-ha-hike!” Rarity chuckled. “It’s not so bad, ah, maybe birds can use it as a…”

Rarity did her best not to hurt Twilight’s feelings, whereas Spike…

“An outhouse?” Spike proposed.

The little dragon was not afraid to be directly honest.

“Spike!” Rarity said firmly.

Seeing Twilight looking rather upset and hurt, she did her best to cheer her up.

“It’s just fine.”

Twilight just gave an embarrassed smile.

“Yeah, Spike, it was her first try,” Storm added. “I’d like to see you do better.”

“Well, what about you?” Storm proposed. “You are the artistic one.”

“Fine!” Storm said smugly.

He studied Rarity’s example carefully and proceeded to gather some of the materials.

“Hmm… let’s see, a little of that… that goes there… and this ties to… uh-huh, uh-huh. Got it!”

Storm quickly shifted his hooves over the materials, crafting a perfect replica of Rarity’s nest in mere seconds. Then he made another, then another, and then another… till he made a good dozen perfect nests.

“It gets easier once you do it over and over again and… oh…”

Storm’s excitement soon disappeared as Twilight gave him an irritated glare.

“I’m sorry… I’ll stop for now.”

“Yours is just fine,” Rarity assured Twilight. “It’s just a little rough around the edges. Let me lend you a hoof.”

Rarity pushed Twilight aside, trying to tweak it.

“Let’s just untie this ribbon, and let me take out these sticks here, we’ll shave this…”

Rarity continued to mumble as Twilight sunk her head lower and lower in defeat.

“Hmm…” She groaned.

Soon she, Spike, and Storm were right behind Rarity as her mumbling continued.

“I think we lost her,” Spike observed.

Twilight just lowered her head and walked sadly away.

“Ah, and we need to weave the string…”

Rarity continued to mumble, not knowing the two ponies and dragon disappeared.

<>

Soon the three friends found themselves along the outskirts of Ponyville, where they discovered a familiar pink pony on some ice.

“Helloooooo, Twilight! Storm! Wheeeeeee!”

Pinkie called out from the ice as she continued to skate about gracefully. Twilight and the gang made their way down toward the lake.

“Wow Pinkie Pie, you’re quite the skater,” Twilight said. “Probably the best skater I’ve ever seen.”

“I didn’t know you were skilled in figure skating,” Storm added, rather impressed.

“Thanks Twilight and Storm,” Pinkie answered. “I’ve been doing this since I was an itty-bitty, little-whittle, Twinkie-Pinkie. Just comes natural, which is probably why they designated me the lake scorer.”

“Lake scorer?” Storm asked curiously.

“Sure! I cut lines in the lake with my skates. That way, when the rest of the weather team comes here to break the ice, it will be easy as pie.”

Pinkie continued to skate about to demonstrate her point.

“How clever!” Twilight said. “When the thick ice begins to melt, it will break along those lines.”

“Well, you sure have lots of work ahead of you,” Storm added. “There’s quite a few lakes that make up Ponyville.”

“Ha! Tell me about it,” Pinkie said wearily, then getting an idea. “Hey, Twilight and Storm, wanna help me out?”

“Would I?” Twilight replied excitedly for both of them.

“Come on, put on those skates over there,” Pinkie said. “I bet you’ll be a natural too.”

“Okay,” Twilight nodded.

She rushed over to gather Pinkie’s spare skates. Meanwhile, Storm reached into his own bag.

“Good thing I packed my old pair,” Storm replied. “A little bit rusty…”

“Ooh, you shouldn’t go skating on rusty skates,” Pinkie said. “I think I’ve got another pair…”

“Oh no, no, no! I mean my skills are rusty,” Storm corrected. “I haven’t gone skating in years.”

Storm proceeds to put on some light-blue skates along all four hooves.

“What do you know? They still fit!”

Storm worked his way onto the ice, wobbling before getting his balance. But soon the stallion was skating about as gracefully as Pinkie, as the Party Pony skated alongside him.

“My Storm, you are natural!” Pinkie said. “Come dance with me.”

Storm rolled his eyes before he got an idea.

“If we skate side by side, we can make twice as many lines while we dance,” Storm proposed.

“What a great idea!” Pinkie replied. “Let’s dance!”

Soon the two were enjoying themselves, doing steps, flips, balancing poses, and more together in sync. But poor Twilight had trouble just trying to stand up with her skates. The unicorn could barely keep her stomach from hitting the ice.

“Uh… maybe on second thought…” Twilight began.

“What are you talking about?” Spike protested. “You said you wanted to be helpful.”

“Yippie!”

“HA-HA!!!”

The chortling between Storm Shield and Pinkie Pie drew Twilight’s attention, as she watched them skate across the lake.

“Now get out there,” Spike urged.

Spike pushed Twilight forward, but unfortunately he shoved her so hard she soon skated too fast with little control over her momentum.

“Oh no! Whoa, wow…” Twilight retorted.

She tried to gain control of her momentum on the ice. Seeing their friend in trouble, Pinkie stopped skating while Storm went after her.

“Twilight, steer! Steer!” Pinkie shouted.

Storm managed to keep Twilight from sailing off the ice, but Twilight moved so frantically he was soon holding onto her with his back hooves off the ground.

“Yaaaaa!” Twilight screamed.

Storm tried getting his back hooves on the ice, but it was no use. And the two unicorns skated straight toward a certain party pony.

“Oh boy…” Pinkie said.

*WHAM!*

Twilight collided with Pinkie Pie and all three screamed. Spike was too busy laughing until they collided with him and crashed into the snow. Their collision created a snow-pony made out of three snowballs. Spike at the top, followed by Pinkie in the center, and Twilight as the bottom ball. Where was Storm? Why he was the platform beneath the snow-pony.

“Pwuh!” Spike spluttered, poking his eyes from his snowball.

Pinkie and Twilight just poked their eyes out of their snowballs.

“Mmmmmmm-mmmmmmm!” Storm muffled, beneath the snow.

Spike rolled off of Pinkie and Twilight laughing, as the two ponies scooted over so Storm could poke his head from the snow.

“Ow, my back!!!” Storm muttered.

“Ha, ha, you are a natural, Twilight!” Spike laughed. “A natural disaster.”

“Twilight, you did a great job your first time around,” Pinkie said cheerfully. “I’m sure my first time was just as wobbly and bobbly and crasheriffic as yours.”

“Really?” Twilight said hopefully.

Unfortunately, Pinkie’s usual smile went straight.

“No,” Pinkie said point blank.

Spike chuckled, while Storm gave him a death glare. Suffice to say, Twilight felt rather discouraged.

“But did I make you feel better?” Pinkie asked.

“Mm-hmm, yeah I guess,” Twilight answered, unable to hide her disappointment.

“I think you’ll be super awesome at something that keeps your hooves on the ground,” Pinkie suggested. “I know Fluttershy could probably use your help with the critters.”

“A simple job for simple ponies,” Storm declared.

“Well… I’m pretty good with little animals,” Twilight said. “Yeah, I’ll go help her.”

Twilight tried to skate away.

“Uh… it’s, ah, that a-way,” Pinkie pointed, in the opposite direction.

“Yaaaaa!” Twilight screamed, as Spike laughed.

Storm angrily dumped a pile of snow on Spike before skating off to catch Twilight. Spike popped out from the snow pile indignantly before catching up with the two ponies.

<>

Naturally finding Fluttershy was easier than they thought, since they found her near a large collection of holes in the ground. The yellow Pegasus just used her bell and was now halfway inside a nearby hole.

“Wake up, little sleepy heads,” Fluttershy said gently. “Hope you had some wonderful dreams and restful hibernation, but it’s time to get up now, spring is coming.”

Two little hedgehogs yawned, as they crawled from their holes.

“Aww, how cute,” Twilight said, as the hedgehog walked away.

“Hey there, little guys!” Storm waved to them.

They began to say something in their language to him, but Storm understood what they were saying.

“Oh okay, but just this once,” Storm said.

He then did a few spin jumps for them and rolled about in a ball. The two hedgehogs applauded him.

“Hey, it’s thanks to you guys I can do that,” Storm replied, as he waved goodbye.

“They are cute, aren’t they?” Fluttershy replied once Storm finished. “This is my favorite task the whole season when I get to see my little animal friends again.”

“Uh, what’s ‘hibernation’?” Spike asked, uttering the last word slowly.

“It’s like a long sleep,” Fluttershy answered.

“Long sleep?” Spike repeated.

“Yes,” Fluttershy said.

She proceeded to ring her bell again toward another animal hole.

“Wake up little porcupines!” Fluttershy called out, facing her friends. “Animals often hibernate through the winter to save their energy and eat less food.”

“I definitely like the idea of hibernation,” Spike replied, as two porcupine leave. “Uh, except for the ‘eat less food’ part.”

They yawned as they went to give each other a hug, but then yelped as they ended up striking each other with their quills.

“Oh, would you just look at all these warrens and dens,” Fluttershy surveyed the holes. “I’m worried that I won’t be able to wake up every animal before spring comes.”

“Well, Storm and I can help, Fluttershy,” Twilight suggested.

“You will?” Fluttershy said happily. “Oh, that would be wonderful.”

Fluttershy handed Twilight a bell. Storm pulled out a spare from his saddlebag and followed Fluttershy toward the other dens. Twilight looked around to decide which hole she wanted to try first.

“Okay, let’s start there,” Twilight said, making her choice.

She gave the bell in her mouth a light ring.

“Hello?” Twilight called, peeking inside. “Wake up little friends, wherever you are. Spring is coming.”

Twilight gave her bell another ring.

“I wonder which cute little furry creatures I’ve awoken,” Twilight said excitedly.

She soon got her answer as three creatures gave her a loud hiss.

“Waaa! Snakes! Snakes!” Twilight yelped.

The unicorn quickly backed away right past Fluttershy and Storm, who had just taken care of a couple of dens when Twilight went by and right into a large cave. Twilight raced out screaming as some bats flew out. She was so focused on running away she crashed right into a tree.

“Ugh!” Twilight grunted.

Storm and Fluttershy looked up as a nearby beehive fell from its branches and landed right onto her head. Twilight screamed again, as she raced away from the pursuing bees toward another hole.

“Ugh!” Twilight groaned.

This time she ran into a hole which belong to a couple skunks. Spike held his nose and Storm covered his own as the two skunks walked out, stink and all.

“Good morning, friends,” Fluttershy said sweetly.

Twilight just groaned from inside the cave.

“I’ll get her,” Storm said, his voice nasally.

He equipped a beehive suit with a gas mask. It didn’t help that Twilight screamed when he saw him either. But once she realized it was Storm, she let him carry her back to the library…

But not after smacking him for frightening her first.

<>

In the main library, Storm waited while rubbing his sore face. Spike was with Twilight in the pantry since the only cure for skunk stench was bathing in tomato sauce (Or paste, whichever was available). Spike busily washed Twilight as she sat in the tub groaning. Not only was she stinky, but her face was covered in bee stings.

“All this Winter Wrap Up stuff is a lot harder than it looks,” Twilight sighed. “For most of us…”

The last few words emerged bitterly, as Twilight glared outside the door where Storm stood waiting. But Spike didn’t seem to notice, the dragon himself kept a pin over his nose to keep the smell from entering his nostrils.

“Right, because there’s no magic,” Spike replied nasally. “Why don’t you just use magic, Twilight, and get it done the right way?”

“No, no, no!” Twilight retored. “I’m gonna find some other way even if it kills me.”

“I wouldn’t joke about that, Twilight,” Storm replied, outside the door.

It didn’t help since the door didn’t block out any of the conversation.

“You stay out of this!” Twilight yelled angrily.

Spike shook his head as he dumped another can of tomato sauce on her head. Storm grumbled but kept quiet all the same. At least until Twilight emerged so he could give her the cream that would heal the bee stings.

<>

Once Twilight was stink free and healed, the three friends quietly made their way towards Sweet Apple Acres.

“Keep pushin’, Caramel!” Applejack called, from a distance. “That’s it, Bumpkin! I know it’s hard work, but you guys are doing great. Yee-haw!”

“Hey Applejack!” Twilight called, as she and the boys arrived. “How’s everything going?!”

“Oh just dandy,” Applejack replied. “A little slow startin’, but peachy all the same. There’s a lot of ground to clear, ya hear? We can’t even start the plantin’ and the waterin’ until we git all this heap of snow hightailed outta here.”

“Okie-Dokie!” Storm said. “Watch this!”

Storm jumped into the air, curled into a ball, rolled himself about to dig deep into the snow, and sped away, while his trail was thinner than the other colts pushing the snowplows. Still, he was clearing the land at a much faster pace. Twilight just rolled his eyes at him before remembering why she was there.

“Well, I’d like to help,” Twilight offered.

“Well, I… I dunnoa Twilight,” Applejack said uncertainly.

“Just give me a chance,” Twilight proposed with a toothy smile.

“Well, I never turn down a hard worker, but…”

Applejack didn’t get to finish as Twilight walked over to the snowplow and climbed into it.

“Ugh… ugh!” Twilight struggled, gasping.

She tried to move the snowplow forward, but she couldn’t get it to budge. She stopped for a second and looked back. Both Spike and Applejack shook their heads. It was then Twilight remembered what Spike said:

“Think of how much quicker they could wrap up winter with your magic.”

Twilight still wasn’t sure till Storm zoomed past her at high speed. Her hesitancy seemed to disappear once she saw the colt easily clear the snow without a snowplow.

“I could use a come-to-life spell,” Twilight told herself, making her horn glow. “Here goes…”

Soon the snowplow began to move on its own at a steady pace. Twilight moved at the same speed just to avoid suspicion. The other colts thought something was off and NOT because she was a mare. Applejack, however, was no dummy either.

“Hmm… she’s awful strong for such a little pony,” She remarked suspiciously.

Spike noticed the faint glow and smiled.

“That’s my girl, following my advice,” Spike said.

“And what in tarnation does that mean?” Applejack asked, glaring at him.

Before Spike could answer, Twilight suddenly realized her snowplow was picking up its pace. Soon it was pushing her forward and she couldn’t control it anymore.

“Uh-oh,” Twilight gasped. “Slow down. Slow down!”

But it was no good, her snowplow spiraled out of control. She barely avoided the other colts and soon found herself creating a large snowball in front of her plow. She tried her hardest to regain control, but because she couldn’t see, she ended up colliding with Spike and Applejack. Spike and Applejack yelped and cried out as they went round and round inside the snowball.

“Whoa-oa-oa!” Spike yelped.

“What’s going on?” Applejack demanded, speaking each sentence when her head rolled. “Wha’d’ya do? You used magic, didn’t you?”

Before Twilight could reply, they collided into a dirt wall barrier near a nearby hill. Since the hill was loaded with snow, it caused a large avalanche. The snow covered a large portion of the land the colts spent most of the day clearing. They all gave Twilight a distant glare as the two ponies and Spike popped themselves out of the snow. Storm had just arrived to get them out.

“You girls alright?” Storm asked.

“Nuts, Twilight!” Applejack said sternly. “You used magic!”

“The nerve!” Spike added in disapproval. “Can you believe her?”

Applejack just glared, but not as heavily as Storm. He couldn’t stand seeing Spike dump all the blame on Twilight that way.

“It was your idea, genius!” Storm retorted.

Spike just chuckled sheepishly, as Applejack turned back toward Twilight.

“That’s not how we do it ‘round here, Twilight,” Applejack scolded severely. “And especially not around MY FARM!”

Poor Twilight, whether Applejack intended to or not, was on the verge of tears.

“Well, see, I just wanted to…”

Twilight couldn’t say anymore, she just released a whine before taking off as fast as she could. Storm turned toward Applejack, who soon regretted being so harsh toward Twilight.

“That was nicely handled, Applejack!” Storm spoke disapprovingly, before racing off.

“Storm…” Applejack called.

But it was too late. Storm Shield was already after Twilight, just barely able to keep up.

“Twilight! Twilight wait up!” Storm called.

Eventually, he caught up with her and raced in front of her.

“Look, it was an accident and Applejack just lost her…”

“Just leave me alone!” Twilight yelled, her voice cracking. “I don’t need you showing me you can do anything while I can’t do anything at all!”

“But I was just…”

But Twilight took off again, leaving Storm sitting in the snow as she disappeared and he in turn watched her leave.

“I was just trying to help…” Storm sighed, shedding a few tears.

<>

It was late afternoon by the time Storm Shield and Spike found Twilight. The unicorn hid herself inside a bush just outside the town hall building. While Spike tried to talk to Twilight, Storm said nothing. After his spat with Twilight, still upset over being yelled at and uncertain how he could help, he did the one thing he did know how to do. Sitting with his hind legs crossed, his front hooves extended, his eyes shut, and breathing heavily… meditating.

“Come on, Twilight,” Spike said. “Come on out.”

“I’m a winter mess up,” Twilight sighed sadly, her voice muffled by the bush.

“Well, you’re good at a lot of things,” Spike pointed out. “Just not nest-making, ice-skating, animal-waking, and snow clearing…”

“Thanks a lot for making me feel so much better,” Twilight remarked with a small whine.

“That’s what I’m here for, sister,” Spike said proudly.

Storm would’ve face-hoofed himself if he wasn’t trying so hard to focus.

“I don’t know if it’s lack of sleep or not, Spike,” He spoke sternly. “But you’re sensitivity to Twilight’s problems are really off today.”

“Like yours?” Twilight snapped. “Always acting like everything’s so easy! While you make me look like a big goof?!”

“Ease off the guy, Twilight,” Spike said. “It’s not like he’s doing that on purpose!”

“I can’t help it if these jobs come easy for me,” Storm replied. “I didn’t expect you to hate me for it.”

Twilight just released a long, heavy sigh.

“I don’t hate you, Storm,” Twilight said softly. “It’s just I…”

“NOT here… Twilight,” Storm interrupted, his back against Twilight. “Not… now.”

Twilight Sparkle peeked out the bush toward her friend, who just sat there trying to meditate and find his inner peace. Her face grew sadder, with heavy regret for lashing out at one of her closest friends and for what? Just because she was frustrated for not getting things right. Another sigh escaped her lips, wondering how this day couldn’t possibly get any worse.

“Rainbow Dash, y’all on the weather team need to melt the rest of the snow here on the ground and in the trees, pronto!” Applejack ordered, a few feet away.

Twilight peeked out from the bush, while Storm’s left eye opened out of curiosity. Apparently, something was up as Applejack, Rainbow, and Fluttershy stood outside town hall.

“Got it!” Rainbow replied.

She went to take off but was then stopped.

“Wait!” Fluttershy said. “My poor little animals’ homes will get flooded if the snow melts too fast.”

“Got it,” Rainbow said.

She went to leave but was stopped… again.

“I’m tellin’ you, Rainbow,” Applejack said, losing patience. “You gotta melt that snow now.”

“No, you simply must wait,” Fluttershy said.

“Okay,” Rainbow said.

But there was no mistaking, Rainbow Dash was unsure what to do now.

“Go!” Applejack ordered.

“Stop!” Fluttershy said after.

“Go!”

“Stop!”

“GO!”

“STOP!”

“Ugh! Make up your minds!” Rainbow snapped loudly.

Before things could heat up further, Mayor Mare arrived to investigate the dissention amongst the towns-ponies.

“Oh! What in Equestria are all you arguing about?” Mayor Mare demanded. “This sort of silliness is why we were late for spring last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.”

“Did she say late?” Twilight and Storm said in unison.

This comes as quite a surprise for the Canterlot unicorns, as Twilight completely poked her head from the bush. So apparently, this had happened before.

“I was hoping my amazingly inspirational speech would urge everyone to do better than last year,” Mayor Mare continued. “But now it looks like we’re going to be later than ever. I mean just look at this catastrophe! The ice scorers made the chunks too big to melt…”

Pinkie just shrugged her shoulders sadly, not understanding what went wrong.

“… The next designer is horrendously behind, we need several hundred, and she’s only made one… oh wait… thirteen… but still not enough…”

Poor Rarity spent so much time trying to fix Twilight’s poorly made nest that she neglected to make the rest. Rarity began sobbing loudly before planting her face into the nest.

“… And don’t get me started on all the clouds in the sky, the icicles on the trees…” Mayor Mare said worriedly. “This isn’t good, not at all.”

“And it’s gonna be to pieces disastrous if we can’t get our seeds planted,” Applejack added.

“Chillax Applejack!” Rainbow replied. “We’re bustin’ our chops as fast as we can.”

“No, not fast!” Fluttershy warned. “We have to wake animals slowly.”

It was then Big MacIntosh arrived with Caramel by his side, looking glum and nervous.

“Uh A.J.?” Big Mac spoke up.

Applejack looked at Caramel’s face, knowing what had happened.

“Oh good gravy!” Applejack retorted. “Caramel lost the grass seeds again, didn’t he?”

Caramel just gave an apologetic look.

“Eeyup!” Big Mac answered for him.

“Ditzy Doo accidentally went north to get the southern birds!” A Pegasus named Rainbowshine grunted.

“ROSIE!!!” Storm gasped.

It dawned on him that Rose Gold was assigned with Ditzy Doo to help with the birds, and realized they must’ve gone the wrong direction.

“Oh that featherbrain!” Rainbow replied, very annoyed. “Didn’t she learn her lesson last year when she went west?”

Soon pony after pony appeared, grumbling and complaining to each other. But not for long.

“Stop this at once!” Mayor Mare said sternly. “We don’t have time to argue. It’s almost sundown. Spring is going to be late again. Another year of scandal and shame. If only we could be more organized.”

“What will we do? What’ll we do?” Storm asked frantically. “What are we going to do?!?!”

It was then Twilight got a brilliant idea.

“Spike! Get my checklist and clipboard, STAT!” Twilight said.

“Eh, yes, ma’am!” Spike said.

“Storm, are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Twilight asked.

Storm turned toward Twilight’s face, taking a moment to think… then he smiled in realization.

“Let’s do this!” Storm replied confidently.

Twilight gave him a quick hug, making him blush a bit before Twilight addressed the arguing ponies.

“Stop, every pony!” She called out.

But she could not be heard amidst all the arguing.

“Stop!” Twilight tried again, as a bird chirped next to her.

All the ponies in town were still arguing when…

CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRP!!!

Twilight used her magic to enhance the bird’s chirping, making it louder and stronger. Every pony stopped arguing, turning to face her. The bird didn’t take fondly of being used as a whistle as it glared at the purple pony.

“Sorry,” Twilight said quickly to the bird.

And the bird took off as Twilight addressed the crowd.

“I know you all want to complete your jobs on time. But arguing is no way to go about it. What you need is organization, and I’m just the pony for the job.”

With a clipboard in one hand, a quill in the other, Spike was ready for action.

“So… what do I do?” Storm asked.

“Well, since you seem to be good at a ton of the jobs,” Twilight said. “I need someone who can help supervise and manage each job. Just so they get done quickly and correctly. Can I count on you to do that?”

“Is Princess Luna’s hair blue?” Storm smiled. “Piece of cake!”

<>

The first step was gathering al the materials needed to create the nests for the southern birds. With Storm’s help, Rarity and several other ponies made sure the nests were made and positioned in all their proper spots in the trees.

Then Storm and Twilight worked together to create a routine to help Pinkie and her group cut the ice into properly sized chunks. Of course, Pinkie asked Storm to skate alongside with her and for once, he willingly conceded. This got the ice cutting done in a couple of trips across the ice.

Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack began to coordinate the colts pulling the snowplows to clear the snow side by side. As the snow cleared, another group of ponies dropped the seeds into the fresh soil behind them. Storm was able to use his many clones to clear the land and plant the seeds his own way. Applejack, very satisfied with the work, shared a high hoof with Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight tasked Storm to tie together multiple bells over each underground den. This way when Fluttershy pulled the ropes, she was able to wake all her little friends at the same time. Twilight gasped as a set of familiar snakes slithered by, while Storm, Fluttershy, and Spike smiled at the reptiles. Then they noticed Twilight had disappeared until they looked up and found her trembling as she held a tree branch for dear life. She just smiled sheepishly until Storm stood on his hind legs and held out his fore-hoofs so she could jump down. Storm caught her and gave her a warm smile, while Twilight rolled her eyes trying to look annoyed. But the blush on her cheeks pretty much said it all: She liked being in his fore-legs.

With a shrilling whistle, Spike gave the signal for Rainbow to summon her team of weather ponies. By working together, they created a horizontal cyclone that sucked up all the surrounding snow off the ground, the trees, and even far away hills and mountain tops. It also helped clear away the winter clouds thereby allowing the late afternoon sun to shine brightly in the sky. Just in time since the sun was able to successfully break the ice on all the lakes as well.

Even after the sun set and nighttime fell, all the ponies were hard at work farming and tilling the land, so all the crops were planted and ready to grow. Even Mayor Mare and Twilight pitched in, bringing the additional supplies needed. Of course, Storm’s clones made transporting the needed supplies to the region faster. And it ensured that everything would be set to go by the time the sun returned to the sky.

By the next morning, the Pegasi in charge of bringing all the southern birds, including Rose Gold, arrived. The birds happily made their way towards the finished nests and settled into their new homes. All the other springtime animals like frogs, turtles, and lots of beautiful butterflies had also made their return to Ponyville. Back at Sweet Apple Acres, the ponies busily watered the grounds, so the plants had what they needed to start producing a new crop of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Twilight stood just outside the outskirts of Ponyville, as Storm walked beside her. It was a long, hard effort but at last their work was done. Mayor Mare approached the two unicorns.

“I can’t believe it,” Mayor Mare said. “Spring is here! On time! And we have you two to thank for it. If it weren’t for your organizing skills and Storm’s supervising skills, we would still be arguing.”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac agreed, as all the ponies laughed.

“It was a team effort,” Twilight replied.

“Just happy to do our part,” Storm nodded in agreement.

“And since you two helped every team, we have an official vest for each of you,” Mayor Mare said. “We give Twilight the title: ‘All-Team Organizer’ and for Storm ‘All-Team Supervisor’.”

Rarity used her magic to equip each vest on the two ponies. Twilight’s vest was blue and green with golden yellow edging around the neck and button line. Storm’s was of similar design, except in shades of blue and grey with a golden yellow edging. The two ponies smiled at their new vests.

“Gosh, I don’t even know what to say,” Twilight said surprised.

“Thank you, every pony!” Storm said, in amazement.

“And hereby I declare that winter is… wrapped up on time,” Mayor Mare said.

Every pony cheered for Twilight and Storm, among them Rose Gold applauded proudly.

“That’s my brother!!!” Rose cheered.

It was then Applejack noticed Spike disappeared, and soon she found out where he was. Apparently, the little dragon had fallen asleep… right on top a lone block of ice.

“Spike’s sure gonna be in for a hog-sized surprise when that last piece of ice melts,” Applejack chuckled.

Everyone else laughed, even Twilight Sparkle as wrong it may be. But then she stopped and turned as Storm Shield was not beside her. Looking around, she found him sitting by the table near town hall. In his forehooves Storm Shield held up one of the nests, in this case the first one he made just the other day. Twilight Sparkle slowly approached Storm Shield who keeps his eyes on his handiwork.

“My first nest when I was a colt… was the worst one I ever made,” Storm spoke absently. “I was so frustrated, nothing I did was working. Nearly gave up.”

“What stopped you?” Twilight asked curiously.

“… Rosie,” Storm answered. “She taught me how to make the nest, showed me a few tricks to make the materials hold together. Then after a little practice, doing it over and over again, eventually I was having fun with it. We did a lot together; we even went ice skating at the park when we’d visit our uncle in Baltimare… we used to go every summer.”

“And… the rolling?”

“That’s a longer story…”

Twilight nodded in understanding, before a silent sigh escaped her lips.

“Storm… I want to apologize for being such a pain yesterday,” Twilight apologized regretfully.

“You don’t have to say it…” Storm assured quietly.

“No… I’m really, really sorry! I was trying too hard to get involved and I got a little jealous that you seemed better at something than me. I embarrassed myself and I took it out on one of my best friends.”

Storm Shield eventually turned toward Twilight Sparkle, seeing the regret in her eyes as her face softened.

“Could you… teach me how to build a nest? Like your sister did?” Twilight asked hopefully. “Maybe… teach me how to ice skate?”

A small smile slowly formed on Storm’s face, as he nodded his head.

“Ask what you will of me, and I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

The two unicorns smiled toward each other, their eyes meeting, losing themselves in the moment…

*SPLASH*

“WAAAAAA!!!”

A familiar scream caused Twilight and Storm to look back, as Spike fell into the cold lake with a splash.

“SPIKE!!!”

“LITTLE BUDDY!!!”

<>

Later that day, Twilight and Storm were back at the library. Just as Applejack predicted, Spike realized his mistake, but ended up getting a cold from sleeping on the ice flow and falling into the cold water. Now he sat by Twilight’s fireplace, bundled up in a robe, as he wrote their letter to the Princess. He was also doing his best to make sure his sneezing didn’t actually burn up or send the note before he could finish.

Dear Princess Celestia,
Winter Wrap Up was one of the most special things Storm and I have ever been a part of here in Ponyville. It helped us learn that we all have hidden talents, and if we’re patient and diligent, we’re sure to find them, and as always, with good friendship and teamwork, ponies can accomplish anything.

“How’s that sound, Spike?” Twilight asked. “Spike?”

Twilight turned and found Spike had fallen asleep again, the little dragon snoring with the letter still in his hand.

“Oh Spike,” Twilight and Storm said together.

The two unicorns shared a good laugh, the letter itself could wait awhile. The important thing was that spring was finally here. All thanks to two very special ponies and their friends.