Wishing is Magic

When the train reached Ponyville, Rainbow Wishes and Star Swirl trotted off together. They had been chatting for the remainder of the ride.

"Here we are!" Star Swirl announced, spreading a hoof before them. "Ponyville!"

"It's so... quaint!" Rainbow Wishes exclaimed. "That's not a bad thing, of course." Star Swirl smiled.

"I know.

"So, where will you be staying while you're in Ponyville?" Star Swirl asked as they began to walk down the street. Rainbow Wishes cocked her head, trying to remember.

"Um, Princess Luna said something about a library? She said I could organize it to my heart's content."

"That's got to be Golden Oaks Library," Star Swirl answered confidently. "Come on, I'll show you where it is." She led Rainbow Wishes down the road to a giant tree house.

"I'm staying in a tree?" Rainbow Wishes was surprised. "Well, oakey dokey!"

"What do you- oh!" Star Swirl laughed, apparently having just caught on to Rainbow Wishes's pun.

"Hey Star Swirl! Unicorn!" A turquoise head appeared in Rainbow Wishes's line of vision.

"Eek!" She cried, jumping back. The turquoise pony, who was a Pegasus flying upside down, giggled.

"Sorry, Shooting Star," she apologized. Rainbow Wishes nodded.

"It's all good. My name isn't Shooting Star, though." The Pegasus mare shrugged.

"I was just using your Cutie Mark," she explained. Rainbow Wishes glanced at her flank. On it was a pink shooting star with a multicolored tail.

"Rainbow Wishes, this is Sassaflash," Star Swirl introduced the mare.

"Hi!" Rainbow Wishes exclaimed. Sassaflash grinned and shook her hoof. As soon as she had let go of Rainbow Wishes, she did a loop in the air to right herself.

"Awesome to meet you!" She exclaimed. Rainbow Wishes smiled. Sassaflash's mane was shaggy, colored electric lime. Her eyes were a piercing orange.

The three ponies turned to the door. Rainbow Wishes used her magic to turn the knob and open the door.

Her face went slack as she looked inside. Books were scattered, dust bunnies lay everywhere, and cobwebs were strewn about in the corners.

"On second thought, maybe I'll just call a hotel," Rainbow Wishes suggested. She began to back away.

"Not so fast!" Sassaflash exclaimed, trotting into Golden Oaks and looking around. "Hey, I'd love to help clean this place up!" Rainbow Wishes was already shaking her head at the proposition.

"No, Sassaflash. You don't have to do that-"

"But I want to help!" Sassaflash interrupted, picking up a book that lay near her hooves. "It would bee easy, and no trouble at all!" Rainbow Wishes cast a doubtful look at Star Swirl. To her surprise, Star Swirl nodded.

"Don't throw out a friend's generosity," she advised. "Sassaflash loves helping others." Rainbow Wishes looked back inside the library. Sassaflash was looking at her expectantly. She smiled.

"Alright, Sassaflash," she agreed, joining her new friend in the library. "Thanks for helping me!"

"No problem at all!" Sassaflash exclaimed, flapping her wings. Dust bunnies scattered in the breeze she created. Rainbow Wishes set her bags near the front of the door.

"Let's get to work!" She declared.

Half an hour later, Rainbow Wishes was sweeping the last of the cobwebs into the street.

"Thanks again for your help, guys," she said, gently placing the broom back into the closet.

"No problem!" Star Swirl and Sassaflash replied in unison.

Rainbow Wishes was suddenly standing right outside the closet, broom in hoof, like she had been a few seconds earlier.

"Uh, what just happened?" Star Swirl asked nervously. Rainbow Wishes smiled broadly.

"What happened?" She asked. Sassaflash and Star Swirl shared twin looks of confusion.

"It's like time reversed!" Sassaflash described, flying higher. "You didn't notice?"

I have to do some research tonight, Rainbow Wishes thought before responding, "No, I didn't." Star Swirl twirled some of her mane around her hoof.

"Well, let's get going! You want to meet some new ponies on your break, right?" Star Swirl asked. Rainbow Wishes's fake smile turned into a genuine one.

"Yeah, let's go!" She agreed. Turning to Sassaflash, she asked, "Are you coming?" Sassaflash shook her head.

"I promised Berry Punch I'd help her in her vineyard later," she explained. "Sorry."

"I understand!" Rainbow Wishes answered. "Don't worry!"

"See you around, Sassaflash," Star Swirl called as Sassaflash flew off down the street.

"Definitely!" Sassaflash responded, turning around mid flight and flying backwards.

Once Sassaflash had disappeared from view, Rainbow Wishes asked, "So, where are we headed?" Star Swirl looked around.

"How about the Ponyville Observatory?" She suggested. "I know a pony who goes there to look at shooting stars. Maybe she's there."

"Shooting stars?" Rainbow Wishes repeated, casting another glance at her Cutie Mark. "Sounds like my kinda place!" Star Swirl giggled.

"You make me laugh, Rainbow Wishes," she admitted. "Come on, let's go!"

The two mares began to canter across Ponyville, Star Swirl leading the way.

"There's the spa," she noted, pointing at a building as they passed. "Oh, and there's Sweetie Swirl's house! She makes the best ice cream!"

Very little time had passed when they arrived at the observatory. It was a little wooden building painted a silver gray color. Rainbow Wishes could see a telescope peeking out of the roof.

"Come on in," Star Swirl called.

"Oh! Right!" Rainbow Wishes realized she had stopped to stare at the building while Star Swirl had continues walking. She hastily ran to catch up with her Earth Pony friend.