It was a nice day in Ponyville, a nice lazy afternoon, with ponies going about their daily business. Some were out shopping, while others enjoyed time with friends and family. Foals ran around and played, enjoying their weekend to the fullest. So one had to ask, why in all Equestria did the Cutie Mark Crusaders find themselves in a dry old antique store on such a lovely day?

It was a question Scootaloo had been wondering about for the past twenty minutes now. "I can't believe you talked us into this, Apple Bloom..." Sighed Scootaloo, sounding as bored as any of the crusaders had ever heard.

"It ain't that bad." Apple Bloom shot back, coughing as she moved a cardboard box from the table, causing a cloud of dust to spread.

"I thought you said we could find treasure here." Scootaloo said, taking a look around the old store, which was stacked with all sorts of old looking stuff. "It's just a bunch of old junk!"

Sweetie Belle trotted past a shelf with some strange looking marbles. "Scootaloo, that's not very nice to say about somepony's store!"

Scootaloo just rolled her eyes. "Relax, they aren't even here." She said, pointing towards the front desk, which was indeed abandoned by the owner. "I don't think we will get our cutie marks in finding lost treasure..."

Apple Bloom sighed. "Well, maybe not. But at least we will get some bits for helping clean the store!"

Sweetie Belle smiled a bit. "Then we can go for ice cream afterwards!"

That got a small smile to appear on Scootaloo's face, and she nodded. "Now you're speaking my language!" She grinned and got back to wiping some shelves with the soaked cloth.

The three fillies would normally be spending their time trying to get cutie marks in, well, anything. Their antics had made the girls almost infamous around Ponyville. It seemed like every week they would try several things, hoping to discover their special talent in things like, lion tamer, bungee jumping, engineering, demon hunting, tree climbing, stunt ponies, and whatever else they could think of.

Compared to their other adventures, this one here was rather low key. It had been Applejack's suggestion to Apple Bloom, and of course it was a chance for the three fillies to earn some bits. It had been all Apple Bloom needed to hear before she suggested it to her friends, and the two had eagerly agreed.

Now here they were, all spending their afternoon cleaning an old and dusty antique store. The place had been here as long as any of the fillies could remember, but thinking back, none of them thought they had actually been in here before. In fact, they were pretty sure they never had. The owner was an old mare, who seemed just as ancient and dusty like the items in here. She was polite and sweet enough, promising the three fillies a good reward for cleaning up her store.

After ten minutes the old mare had told them she needed to leave on a small errand, and left the store in their hooves. The girls had first been a little excited about this, but soon enough it became clear nopony was likely to enter, so they focused on cleaning.

Time seemed to pass slowly, and every time they cleaned something, it would seem they would find so much more they needed to do. The store was cluttered, and the air was thick. The stuff in here ranged from old furniture, old pictures, and other small knick knacks. Nothing really cool, like an old sword, a crown, or anything that seemed remotely interesting in the least.

However as Apple Bloom rounded a corner between two shelves, her eyes happened to glance to the side, and spot something hidden away on the lower shelf. She wasn't really sure why she stopped, or why she noticed it, but now that she saw it, she wanted to get a closer look.

"Hm?"

She turned towards the shelf, narrowing her eyes as she looked. Something was glinting as a beam of sunlight hit it. The item was hidden between some other junk, which Apple Bloom reached out and moved to the side, revealing the glinting surface of a glass ball.

Reaching in, she pulled the object out into the light. It was a snow globe, and an old looking one at that. The glass ball was covered in dust, but even if it was, Apple Bloom could not help but marvel at the beauty of the base. Below the glass orb was the platform on which it rested. It was made of what looked like silver, with figures of ponies of the three races seeming to be carved into it, along with patterns, and symbols.

"Wow..."

Apple Bloom smiled, running her hoof over it, removing some of the dust from the silver, letting it shine a bit. It didn't take her long before she started to move her hoof around the glass globe itself, letting her hoof become dirty, but it was easy enough to wash away as the content of the globe was revealed. The water inside was surprisingly clear, and now that the dust was being cleaned off, she spotted a miniature landscape within.

Inside was a tiny forest, with a landscape leading to the center of the globe, which held a miniature palace, which took up most of the content of the globe. Apple Bloom let her eyes wander over the castle, taking in the many details. the castle was surrounded by tall walls, and held several buildings and towers, with tall blue spires, and large windows.

As she watched, she could swear she could just make out details beyond the windows, if she could just get a better loo- "What are you doing, Apple Bloom?"

"Ah!" She let out a startled yelp as Sweetie Belle's voice suddenly sounded behind her. Turning around, she saw Sweetie Belle standing with Scootaloo, the two fillies looking at her with raised eyebrows.

"You okay there, Apple Bloom? We have been calling for you for the past minute."

"Oh, I didn't hear you." Apple Bloom said honestly, then took a step to the side, smiling rather sheepishly. "But look what I have found!"

The two fillies walked closer, Scootaloo looking rather unimpressed. "A snow globe?" She asked, looking at her friend as if to see if she was serious.

"Wow, its a castle." Sweetie Belle said in awe, seeming to notice the details like Apple Bloom had. "It's really beautiful."

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "I think we have been here for too long." She reached out and took the snow globe in her hooves as she sat down. "They sell these things at the toy store." Without really thinking, she started to shake it, which would normally make the fake snow whirl around in the water inside of the globe. However instead of fake snow, it seemed to be glitter, casting the castle in a storm.

"Hey, be careful with it." Apple Bloom admonished.

"Lighten up, Apple Bloom. They are meant to be shaken." The orange filly grinned, about to do it again. Before she had a chance to do so, Sweetie Belle took a hold of it. "Hey!"

"I think some light came on!" Sweetie exclaimed, ignoring Scootaloo's protest.

"Really?" Apple Bloom asked, sounding interested.

"Probably got some batteries." Scootaloo said, sounding mildly impressed with such a detail.

"Hey, I think something is in there!" Sweetie Belle suddenly said, making the two other crusaders jump a little.

"Maybe an insect?" Scootaloo guessed, trotting closer to have a look.

Sweetie Belle made a face. "Ew!"

Apple Bloom joined them, sitting down next to Sweetie Belle. "Wouldn't it drown?" She asked, leaning a bit closer.

"Probably no water inside of the castle." Scootaloo shrugged, leaning closer as well, sounding a bit more interested.

Despite her better judgment, Sweetie Belle looked a bit closer too. At this point the water had settled, and the glitter had vanished from the side, seeming to hide between the small model trees around the castle. Apple Bloom narrowed her eyes, then suddenly gasped, making the two other fillies tense for a brief moment.

"Look there!"

Apple Bloom said, pointing to a certain spot. Sweetie Belle turned the globe so all three could see what Apple Bloom had, but it took them a moment to figure it out. At one of the windows there was a strange orange glow, a sort of flicker. Scootaloo was just about to say it must be running out of battery power, when the little light started to move, seeming to move along the windows, as if somepony was holding a torch, and walking the halls of the castle. Of course that would be completely insane.

Still the three fillies watched on, watching as the little light made its way alongside the windows for a time. Sweetie Belle moved her hooves, rotating the globe just a little so they could follow along. The light then came to a stop, stopping in front of a small balcony. Then without warning, the light vanished once more, and for a few seconds nothing happened.

Scootaloo was just about to suggest it was just an insect, when to their utter shock, the tiny doors to the balcony opened, something stepped outside. No, not something, as the girls looked closer, their eyes widened in shock, seeing that on the balcony, looking up at them, was a tiny pony.

Without really thinking, Apple Bloom raised a hoof, and made a small wave, not really knowing what she was expecting to happen. The tiny pony raised its hoof, and waved back, which made the girls freak out. Without thinking, and without knowing she started it, they screamed, trying to back away, but somehow managing to bump into one another.

Sweetie Belle trapped between her two friends falls over, feeling the snow globe slip out of her hooves. She lets out a yelp, and stumbles into a pile with the two others just as they hear the nasty sound of glass smashing. The sound seems to snap all three's attention to the globe, which is now laid on the wooden floor, the glass globe destroyed, and the water spilled out.

For just a moment, the fillies worry about having broken something that belonged to the owner of the place, having for just a moment forgotten about what had just scared them. That memory quickly returned, as the water from the globe started to change color, and seemed to change from water, into a blue mist.

Scootaloo was just about to yell for her friends to run, when a pop sounded, and replacing the mist was a pony standing above the snow globe, looking a bit rattled. Took them a moment to realize the pony was actually a colt, and another moment for them to see he did not only have wings, but a horn too!

The colt was a few inches taller than them, sporting a dark blue mane, with some lighter blue streaks. His coat too was blue, but a bit lighter, giving him the same sort of mystical color like princess Luna had. The three fillies laid on the floor, looking up at the swaying colt, who seemed a bit confused. Then shook his head, stopped swaying, and looked around.

"What...?" He whispered, looking down at his chest. His hoof came up, poking his chest, as if he couldn't believe he was actually real. As he did so, his eyes turned to the three fillies. "You... You freed me..." He said, almost in disbelief. Then his mouth turned into a big smile, and he cheered. "YOU FREED ME!" He yelled, making all three fillies scream in shock.

In sheer panic, the three fillies got up, and started to run down between the shelves, but with another loud pop, the colt appeared right in their path, and held out his hooves. Before the fillies could stop, he managed to catch them, drawing all three into a big hug!

"Oh thank you thank you thanks you thank you!" The colt laughed, hugging them tighter and tighter, until he heard them let out uncomfortable grunts. "Oh!" He quickly let them go, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry about that..."

The three fillies all started to get up, a bit less scared, although not super comfortable yet. Looking at him, Apple Bloom ventured to talk to him first. "Who are you?"

The colt's grin widened. "Well, I am! Ehm..." His smile vanished a bit. "I am... Uhm... My name is... Uhm..." his smile vanished, as he sat down on the floor, scratching his head with his hoof. "I'm..." He kept mumbling over and over again, looking as if he was trying to recall, but just couldn't reach the memory. He kind of looked like Scootaloo when she was trying to remember some important detail.

"You don't remember?" Sweetie Belle asked.

The colt closed his eyes, looking like he was really trying hard to recall. Finally he let out a sigh, looking slightly defeated. "No..." He said, looking at them.

"Well, why were you in the snow globe?" Scootaloo then asked, stepping up beside her two friends.

"Uhm, well..." He got the same look as he had before. "I was waiting, I think..."

The fillies exchanged glances before looking at him again. "You think?" Scootaloo pressed. "I think this is something you have to know, dude."

Sweetie Belle frowned at her friend. "Scootaloo..."

The colt scratched his head. "I know I was waiting for something, but it has been so long I must have forgotten..." He said, then shrugged, his smile returning. "But you were the ones who freed me, right?" The fillies exchanged another glance, then nodded. The colt let out a happy laugh, then stood up to his full height, spreading his wings. "Then I owe you each a wish!"

The fillies looked surprised. "A wish?"

Scootaloo already seemed interested, while Apple Bloom looked more unsure. "Wait, how does that work?"

The colt smiled. "Well." His horn glowed for a moment, and the remains of the snow globe appeared in front of them, hovering over the floor. "I was trapped in here." With a pop, the snow globe was whole again. "I was waiting for somepony to call upon me, so I can grant wishes!"

Sweetie Belle looked interested, but like Apple Bloom was a bit skeptical. "So you were waiting for somepony to free you so you can grant their wishes?"

The colt nodded, looking both proud and excited. "That's right!"

"Uhm..." Apple Bloom hesitated. "So does that mean you will return to the snow globe when we have wished our wishes?"

The colt froze in place, and the fillies were almost sure they heard glass break as the colt seemed to realize this. After a moment, the colt deflated, seeming to realize he was indeed not free at all.

"Oh no... You're right..." He let out a deep sigh. "After the last wish, I am going back inside, and left on some dusty shelf..."

The three fillies looked at one another again, as the three started to think. "Well, could we not just free you with one of our wishes?" Sweetie Belle asked.

The colt looked startled. "You would do that?"

"Yeah, Sweetie Belle, would you use your wish for that?" Scootaloo agreed. Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sent Scootaloo a look, which she quickly deciphered. "Oh, sorry, that didn't come out right."

The colt smiled a little. "That's okay, I'm not really sure it would work anyway..." He said, thinking about it. "I mean, I guess I would not be tied so strictly to the snow globe, or would have to return to it when rested, but I am pretty sure I need to be in the service of somepony." He looked at the three of them. "If you keep the snow globe after you free me, then I guess it could work, perhaps."

"Wait, so you mean we can have more wishes if we let you stay with one of us?" Scootaloo asked in disbelief.

Again, the colt paused to think, but then nodded. "I think so, but I haven't actually tried it before."

Scootaloo looked excited about the prospect, looking at her two friends expectantly. Apple Bloom thought about it, scratching her head. "Well, it wouldn't be right to leave you in that thing..." She mumbled.

"And it would be pretty cool to have an alicorn as a friend." Sweetie Belle smiled.

"And we get wishes!" Scootaloo added, then paused, looking at the colt. "So if you can grant wishes, does this mean you can clean this store up for us?"

The colt let out a laugh, as if the idea of him not being able to do it was just plain stupid. "Clean this store? Easy!"

"Yes! Then I wish for-"

"Hold up!" The colt cut in, holding out his hoof to stop her. "Just a few rules." The snow globe levitated to Apple Bloom. "You have to keep this with one of you back at your home. Otherwise anypony can take it, and I would not be able to help you guys anymore." He warned. "Also, you can't tell anypony about me."

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

The colt shrugged. "I don't remember, I just know it’s the rules. I can tell more about them later, but let me make this place a bit cleaner first." He grinned, looking at Scootaloo expectantly.

Realizing what he was waiting for, Scootaloo grinned and started again. "I wish for this store to be clean!"

The colt nodded, and his horn lit up. There was a flash and another pop! When the flash faded, the three fillies were introduced to a whole new store. The whole place was sparkling clean, with every item of the store neatly sorted, and lined up for easy browsing and inspection. The thick smell of dust was gone, giving way for a fresh clear smell that made the whole place seem much less stuffy.

The windows had been polished, and the curtains cleaned and redrawn, allowing the sunlight to light the whole place up. The dead plants had sprung to life once again, and the girls could not see one cobweb, or spec of dust anywhere. The colt looked very pleased with himself, as he puffed his chest out a bit.

"There we are, easy peasy." The colt grinned. The girls all looked around amazed, about to comment on how cool it was, when the door started to open, and the owner trotted inside. The colt looked at the girls, winking. "Alright, I'll see you three later. Remember, keep the snow globe." And with another pop, he was gone.

The fillies looked stunned at the snow globe, but their attention was soon directed at the owner's startled scream. The three hurried to the front of the store and saw a stunned owner run her hoof over a table, her eyes wide in awe. "Oh my, how in Celestia did they..." She paused, spotting the three fillies standing there looking at her. "Girls, did you do all this?"

There was a moment of hesitation, more exchanged glances. Then they looked back at the mare, all three smiling. "Yup! We did this!"

Author's Note

And so my random thought for the evening was put down, and is now here for you guys to read. XD

I was pretty bored, and decided to write something that seemed kind of fun. Interestingly, it started as a Apple Bloom love letter story, lol.

Anyway, if you guys have ideas for wishes the CMC could make, let me know in the comments below.