The Power of Potential

Oh great, it’s the crazy pink stalker again!

She ran this way and that, down alleys and under bridges, with the sound of Pinkie’s screeching ringing in her ears. I thought a week would be long enough to make her move on to stalking some other pony.

Suddenly, she skidded to a halt in front of a brick wall. It was a dead end. She was trapped. Intense panic overtook her logic, and before she could stop herself...

Pinkie Pie covered her face as a blinding flash of light filled the alley. She squinted at the light from behind her hooves just in time to see the strange mare she had been chasing sprout an enormous pair of beautiful white wings out from underneath her travelling cloak. The pony took to the skies faster than even Rainbow Dash, while Pinkie’s mouth dropped open as she stared at the departing figure.

***

Rainbow Dash was just settling down for an afternoon siesta when a white lightning bolt with a black mane whisked past her.

“Hey! What the-? Come back here, you!”

Rainbow took off after her, and just as she was about to catch up, the white pony disappeared into a cloud bank.

“Nopony beats Rainbow Dash!” yelled Rainbow. Whipping up her wings, she blasted the cloud bank away into a hundred little puffs of cotton-like balls. “Come back here and race me properly!” But when the clouds finally dissipated, she was gone. Rainbow Dash humphed and went back to her cloud for a well-deserved nap.

***

Meanwhile, Rarity was just finishing the last of her laundry when a white unicorn with gorgeous black mane landed in her backyard with a whump.

“Oh my stars!” Rarity rushed outside to help, but the other pony was faster. She had landed in a bush, and scrambled out of it just as Rarity was approaching. Rarity saw her wince and hold her left foreleg off the ground, but before she could even offer to get some ice, the pony’s horn lit up, and she teleported, leaving Rarity staring at her ruined bush.

Concerned, Rarity looked around for a bit, but it was clear the pony was gone. She glanced back at her mangled foliage.

“Oh well, I wanted to replace that one anyway.” She was about to go back inside when she noticed a scrap of cloth swaying gently in the breeze, caught on a small branch extending from the bush.

“Hello, what’s this?” Curious, she levitated it out of the bush and went to her workroom.

***

In the library, Twilight was just settling in to her latest project, a research paper on the debate about the influence earth ponies have on inherent magic. In order to understand magic in its fullness, Celestia said she needed to understand how earth ponies affected the flow of magical energy, if at all. It wasn’t the most thrilling of topics, but it was challenging, and Twilight felt she was up to the task. However, no sooner had she organized her writing desk for an afternoon of writing, when a flash of light and magic caught her attention.

“You!” Twilight gasped. “But I thought-”

“I need your help, but there’s no time to explain,” the white earth pony - no wait, unicorn, gasped. “I need to get out of Ponyville before they all find out.” Her eyes flicked this way and that, looking for any sign that she was being followed. Then she glanced at Twilight.

“Close the windows! Lock the doors!”

Twilight did as she asked, then watched as the unicorn examined her left foreleg. It seemed twisted, and not fit to walk on.

“Do you want any help?” offered Twilight. “I know a healing spell or two-”

“No, I can do it myself. Just stand guard.”

Is this pony in trouble? And why does she suddenly have a horn? I don’t remember seeing that before. Twilight was full of questions, but one look at the mare’s face made it abundantly clear that she did not appreciate questions.

A magical glow surrounded the foreleg. The white pony started sweating from exertion and pain, and Twilight could see it was taking a great deal of effort. Then, before the procedure was complete, the weariness of all her transformations overtook her, and her horn started shrinking.

“No! Just a little more...”

It was too late. The horn was gone, and the foreleg unhealed.

Twilight’s eyes met the white pony’s. “Let me help you.”

The pony bowed her head, and Twilight performed her own healing spell. In a moment it was done, and the white pony turned to go.

“Wait! Come back! You don’t have to go. I can leave you completely alone if you want me to.” Twilight rushed to the door. “Please, don’t leave on my account. I didn’t mean to disturb you last week.”

The white pony stopped. She looked Twilight over, evaluating her.

“Perhaps, in time. I have been searching for this library for a long time. You may be of some assistance to me after all,” she said. “I will come back soon.”

“What is your name?”

The white pony didn’t answer the question. She said simply, “Until next time, Twilight Sparkle.”

And with that, she was gone.

***

That night, the dreams took on a new direction. She dreamed of the library, of Twilight Sparkle, of bright rainbow colours and strong power. She dreamt of sadness and isolation, of a loneliness only felt when one is completely lost and without a sense of direction. And then she dreamt of the moon. She had always liked the sense of comfort the moon gave her.

Luna watched all of this through her telescope and her mind’s eye. She was so intent on her watch that she didn’t hear Celestia come in until a gentle hoof on her shoulder startled her. She looked up into the warm, smiling face of her sister, and smiled back.

“Seems like you’ve found a new project,” Celestia observed.

“I have been watching this pony’s dreams for many nights, sister. Her dreams are strong and powerful, and unlike anything I have ever seen before. I believe she has great power, but is unsure of what to do with it. I also sense loneliness, which I know can turn into bitterness and resentment without the proper guidance.”

Both Luna and Celestia were silent for a while, remembering the heartache and pain of those long ago years.

Suddenly, Luna broke the silence. “I would like to mentor her, much as you have done for Twilight Sparkle. A pony with this much unfocused power needs direction and guidance. I would like to help.”

Celestia frowned in thoughtfulness. “Are you sure you are up for this? When you take on this kind of responsibility, it lasts for life. You will be responsible for everything, for her mistakes and well as her successes. You don’t even know her name or her cutie mark. Are you sure you want to do this?”

Something inside Luna clicked, and she knew the answer. “Yes, I do, sister. I feel, in some way, like I am meant to be connected with her. I don’t know how or why, but I cannot abandon her to fate.”

“Very well. Good luck, my sister.”