Wishing is Magic

Rainbow Wishes yawned as she unrolled a piece of parchment that night. She held up a quill in her magical grasp.

"Dear Princess Luna," she began. As she talked, the quill wrote onto the parchment. "Thank you for sending me to Ponyville. It is very enjoyable. I have met several new and friendly ponies here." She paused, thinking about the events that had happened earlier in the day.

"However, there is trouble underhoof. I have discovered the Time Wizard Minuette is going to return from her thousand year prison on July the fourteenth. I have already noticed how her power is beginning to influence time again. How will Equestria be protected from her threat? Please let me know.

"Your assistant, Rainbow Wishes," she finished, adding an extra swirl on the final s.

As an afterthought, Rainbow Wishes added, "P.S. Is it in your power to send a shooting star around Ponyville this week? My friend Star Dash would appreciate it. Thank you." She smiled and sealed the letter. Using the spell Princess Luna had given her several days earlier, Rainbow Wishes watched the letter disappear in a flash of blue light.

A scene suddenly appeared in Rainbow Wishes's mind: the scroll falling onto Princess Luna's muzzle in the middle of a tasty dinner. Rainbow Wishes laughed out loud, imagining the princess's surprised expression.

"Goodnight, library," she said as she climbed into her bed and nestled herself among the pale purple sheets.

~

Rainbow Wishes scrunched her nose nervously. She was alone at a small, rusty playground, one from her foalhood in Canterlot. After surveying her surroundings, Rainbow Wishes took a seat on the swings and began rocking slowly back and forth. A breeze blew her mane back. It reminded Rainbow Wishes of the calm before the storm.

"You can't make anypony happy!" Jeered a filly who suddenly materialized next to Rainbow Wishes.

"That's not true!" Rainbow Wishes jumped off the swing to defend herself. "I cheer my friends up! And Princess Luna!"

"Sure you do!" Taunted the filly. "But you'll never be good at it. You're not an Element of Harmony, after all!"

"A what?" Rainbow Wishes whipped her head around as cruel laughter filled her ears. Suddenly, it was raining, and Rainbow Wishes was sprawled in a mud puddle.

"Look at her!" This time, it was a colt's voice that mocked her. "She's so out of the loop!"

"She'll never amount to anything!" The filly from before added.

"Yes, I will!" Rainbow Wishes defended herself, struggling to get back on her hooves. Every time, she slipped and fell back down. The other foals laughed again.

"Hey!" Rainbow Wishes yelled. "Stop lying!" Thunder rumbled overhead.

~

Rainbow Wishes's eyes snapped open.

"Weird dream," she muttered. In the distance, Rainbow Wishes heard the crack of thunder. When she checked the clock, it was 11:43.

"What did that filly say?" She asked herself, propping her head up on the pillow. "Elements of Something?" Rainbow Wishes pulled herself out of bed and stumbled over to a bookshelf.

"Elements, elements, elements," she murmured. "I need to alphabetize these shelves later." Rainbow Wishes squinted her eyes. She could just barely read the names on the books' spines.

"I need a light," she decided. She grabbed a match from across the room and struck it against the table. A tiny flame flickered to life. Rainbow Wishes brought it closer and transferred it onto a wax candle.

"There!" She exclaimed confidently. It was much easier to make out the names of books now.

For the most part, the books were alphabetized. There were several misplaced books, but, in Rainbow Wishes's care, didn't stay misplaced for long.

"Here we go!" Rainbow Wishes exclaimed when she found the book she was looking for. Pulling it off the shelf, she read its title. "The Elements of Harmony." Rainbow Wishes flipped through several pages.

"It isn't that interesting," she murmured. As more thunder rumbled in the distance, Rainbow Wishes stifled a yawn.

"I'll save it for tomorrow morning," she decided, gently placing the book on her nightstand. "After all, it can't be that important."

~

The next thing Rainbow Wishes knew, it was morning and somepony was knocking on her door.

"Coming!" She yelled, leaping out of bed and rushing down the stairs. She pulled the door open to reveal Sassaflash.

"Hi there, Rainbow Wishes!" Sassaflash exclaimed. "I was thinking, do you want to go to the Ponyville Day Spa? It's on me."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Rainbow Wishes replied, a smile lighting up her face. "Give me a moment to get ready, will you?" Sassaflash nodded, and Rainbow Wishes ran back upstairs to brush her mane and floss her teeth. No harm in not looking like a total slob when she showed up, right?

When the two girls left, Rainbow Wishes noticed how damp and muggy the air felt.

"Some storm last night, right?" She asked as they walked. Sassaflash nodded.

"Oh, yeah! I woke up twice during the night! I figure a spa treatment might do me so.e good after getting zero beauty sleep!" Sassaflash smiled and added, "But it's not like I'm a Fashionista or anything."

"I get it," Rainbow Wishes responded, giggling. "There's nothing wrong with a good spa treatment."

"Exactly!" Sassaflash threw her hooves in the air. "No pony believes me! They think I'm some sort of beauty obsessed fashion critique!" Rainbow Wishes laughed again. Sassaflash joined her.

"Well, here we are," she said after they had finished several seconds later. "The Ponyville Day Spa."