Rhymes, Wishes, and Magic
Granbreezie told of times that ponies also shopped at the Night Market, but it had been many years since the portal had last opened, before Swift was even born. Swift Breeze ran a little fruit stand with her granbreezie in the Night Market, and business boomed each new season as new delicacies ripened. The weather was cool and a light breeze tickled against her wings that night. The scent of the spices sold by the breezies stall next to theirs caused her to drool as she thought of dinner later that night.
Granbreezie had made her famous golden berry spiced cider and cornbread muffins. She hoofed over a thimble full of berries to another breezie, she felt the ends of her mane lift up into the air. She brushed them back down with a hoof, but they popped back up as soon as she removed her hoof. “What’s going on?” She pondered out loud.
A soft buzz or spark-like sound wavered in the air, and Swift looked around to see if any dragonflies were nearby, but no, nothing. Others around her looked , soft whispers traveled stall to stall. Her ears perked up when the word ‘ponies’ came from somewhere nearby. “Could it be? Was this something to do with the ponies?”
She couldn’t help a squeak of joy, followed by a moment of faintness -just a moment, mind you, she wasn’t one of those flower breezies that conked out at the mere sight of a fat dragonfly- when a patch of golden light cracked down the center of the sky after opening the shop.
She and her fellow breezies gathered near and watched as the crack grew. Murmurs from each of them filled the air as more and more of the light touched the wooden entrance ramp to the market and spread out from there. It grew longer and wider, enough to fit thirty breezies in a row- plus two. The light dimmed to reveal a dark forest, and -she gasped- ponies! They were real!
Swift’s wings could hardly carry her fast enough as she zipped outside the entrance and flew around the ponies, all the colors, sizes, and fluffiness of them all was amazing! They looked different than her granbreezie’s stories, but as Swift flew around them, she didn’t care. “Ponies, ponies, ponies!” she yelled and twirled around in front of an especially warm colored one, a light-amber color with aqua-green mane.
“Yes, yes, we are ponies,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m Hitch, and these are my friends.” He named each of the ponies around him to her and the other breezies gathered around.
“You can understand them?” Sunny asked Hitch.
“It’s just our pony language at a higher pitch,” he said.
Swift looked away from the one called Hitch when she heard some other breezies giggling, and watched as they flew away from the group, toward another building. “Where you go?” she asked.
“There are more Ponies this way,” Cranberry Tart said, his bright red fur almost glowing, bouncing up and down giddily. “We hear of good tea shop. Come, come!”
Swift nodded and followed. It wasn’t long before they came to an enormous tree adorned with soft red leaves. At the base of the tree two stained glass doors of a teapot and cup stood partially ajar as more ponies stepped out and trotted along the path. Nestled against the leaves was a teapot shaped sign with the words Crystal Tea Room, the spout a gray stone chimney spouting smoke.
Before the door could close behind the departed ponies, Swift and the others swooped in. The inside was cozy, with orange lanterns hanging above and stone tables with mosaic patterns scattered across the room. A few ponies sat quietly, the place nearly empty at the moment. Cranberry Tart and the other breezies headed toward the counter, but something made Swift pause before she followed them.
“Oh my gosh!” she shouted and flew toward a blue-furred unicorn with a dark purple mane. “I love your beret!” She landed atop the pony’s head and rubbed a hoof against the velvety, plum colored fabric. “Hi! My name is Swift Breeze!” She beamed down at the unicorn, who just looked at her in confusion. “Can’t you understand me? I’m speaking fluent Equish?”
“Looks like you got a new friend, Onyx,” a green unicorn said who sat on the other side of the table.
“Uh, yeah, Dapple,” Onyx said as she looked up at the excited breezie. “Are these, breezies?”
“I think so, I heard about them from my grandmare.”
“Yes, we breezies!” Swift said and fluttered her wings in excitement.
“They are indeed,” another unicorn said with a chuckle as he walked up. Swift gasped upon seeing the huge gray stallion. “It’s been a long time since they last appeared. I wonder…”
“Yes?” Onyx asked.
“Follow me everypony,” the gray furred stallion said and led the way to the door. A pink pegasus mare followed beside him.
“Yes, yes, follow!” Swift said and lifted off from Onyx’s head. “Then you understand.” Maybe if they found that stallion from before, this Onyx would understand her?
Onyx chuckled and followed, the rest of the ponies behind them.
“Woah, that is sensational.” Onyx’s eyes widened as they reached the tree. Swift landed on her beret once more and giggled.
“I knew it,” said the gray stallion. “The night market. What brought it back now?”
“I don’t know,” Swift said. “Something change? Yes, must be it. I ask my Granbreezie!”
“Woah there,” the unicorn paused in her speech. “Oh, I wish I knew what you were saying.”
“I wish too!” Swift sighed and collapsed onto the hat below her. “Where that Hitch?”
“Hey, Onyx! Looks like this one likes you.”
Swift turned to see the bright pink pony who had been with Hitch, the one with extra fluffy wings, fly over to them and drop down by Onyx. She held up an- oh my gosh what is that thing? So sparkly!- device with a brightly lit front and possibly real gold on the back.
“Here, speak into this,” the pink fluffy one said and held it up to Swift.
She lifted off the hat and fluttered around it uncertainly for a moment, tapped a hoof against it, then brightly nodded. “Hi! I’m Swift Breeze! Oh my gosh I am so excited to finally meet a pony, you have no idea how long I have waited for this!” She let out a little squee and did a triple loop-de-loop in front of the device.
Onyx let out a soft chuckle and nodded to her. “Onyx. Nice to meet you, Swift Breeze. What is this place I do see? Alphabittle called it a Night Market?”
“Oh? The Night Market? It is the best! We have everything you could ever want here! Want to check it out?” She tapped her forehooves together and grinned.
“Sure,” Onyx nodded. “I haven’t seen something like this in…” she took a deep breath and continued.”In ever, ever, ever.”
“If you’ll let me borrow your phone for a moment, Onyx, I can download the translator app for you?” The pink fluffy one- Pipp?- said. “Then you can explore with your new friend.”
“New friend?” Swift squeed again. “Oh my gosh, I have a pony friend!” She circled impatiently as the two ponies did something with the sparkly glowing boxes in their hooves, then flew up to Onyx as the Pip flew away. “You ready, new friend?”
Onyx held up her own sparkly glowing box, and nodded as it repeated Swift's words to her. “Far out! Lead the way, my friend.”
Onyx watched the little breezie swoop back and forth in front of her as they traveled along inside the night market. The place was amazing, and its villagers just as much so. She could remember Alphabittle’s stories about them from when she was a young filly, even one of the first poems she wrote had been about the little guys. Not to get stuck in the past, a soft smile graced her lips as ideas for future ones danced in her head. “So, what do you do here?” she asked. “Any of these yours?”
“Yes, yes, yes! My granbreezie and I run one over here. Come see!” Swift dove between another pair of breezies going the opposite way and Onyx had to hurry to keep up with her. “Here, here, we sell fruit.” She held out a rainbow colored berry nearly as big as herself to Onyx. “Try one.”
Onyx took the berry in the frog of one hoof and looked at it from all sides. So lush, plump, and each little section of the berry was so geometrically satisfying. She tossed it into her mouth and her eyes widened as the flavors danced on her tongue. Some kind of combination of raspberry, blackberry, and a hint of pineapple? What an odd berry, and yet, “woah, the flavor just dances like an ice skater on Winter Wishday. Each twirl a new sensation of dips and twirls around the ice.”
“Yes, it’s amazing! One of my favorites.” Swift looped around and landed on Onyx’s phone. “What this thing? How it make you able to understand us? Oh I so happy you can now.”
“It’s called a phone, Swift,” Onyx said, and started in on the details about the little device. What she knew at least, after all, the technology was still fairly new for the unicorns. She sat down beside the fruit stall as she did so, where Swift provided her with a bowl of fruit to try and a wooden mug of homemade fruit juice.
“What you do?” Swift asked as they settled down. “You make tea?”
Onyx shook her head. “Nah, Alphabittle is the brewer of tea. While I write my poetry.” She took a sip of the fruit juice and hummed as the flavors swirled along her tongue. “Like this fruit juice, let me see.” She put a hoof to her chin for a moment, then with a nod, lifted said hoof in front of her. “Ode to a delectable juice- Oh what do my taste buds feel wandering here? Fruit of the vine, a delectable cheer. Chills down my spine, at the perhaps the taste of lime, and as the golden nectar of the goddesses flows- down my throat like honey. Somepony, come try this with me, let thy spirit soar, and drink, drink, drink. Nothing quite compares to conversing with a new friend. Here’s to good times that never end.”
“Woaaah that amazing!” Swift gushed.
“Far from my best,” Onyx admitted. “But, thank you. I’ll work on it more.”
“It’s good to see Swift find a pony friend.” Onyx looked up at the voice of another breezie. This one looked much older than her friend Swift. Where Swift had lavender colored fur, this one was more a dusty purple-gray. The breezie ran a hoof through her mess of a gray-gold mane and smiled warmly at Onyx. She settled down near the bowl of fruit and folded her wings against her.
“Granbreezie!” Swift chirped and flew to hug her. “This is Onyx, she writes poetry and is very smart!”
Onyx rubbed a hoof over her reddened cheeks at the words, but waved at the older breezie. She adjusted her beret as the two breezie’s settled back down in front of her.
“I’ll have to recite some of my better poetry for you sometime. I’ll make sure to have some verses to workshop next time I see you.”
“Oh yes, that would be very nice,” Granbreezie said with a curt nod. All three turned as a crack filled the air, and looked at the entrance. The golden glimmer that surrounded the portal entrance flickered for a minute, then was still. “Night market is almost over,” she sighed softly.
“What? No!” Swift’s ears and wings drooped.
“When will it open again?” Onyx asked. How long has that even been? Surely no more than an hour.
“You never knoooow,” a passing breezie sing-songed as she looped around beside Hitch and his friends, then she and the other ponies were gone.
Swift snatched onto Onyx’s ear, huge tears dripped down her small face. “I don’t want you to go. I might not see you again.”
“You will, my dear,” Granbreezie said as she grabbed hold of the younger breezie and pulled her off Onyx’s ear. “I sense more magic in the world than has been in centuries.”
Onyx nodded to that. “Oh yeah, Sunny and her friends helped to bring it back a few months ago. Before then, I’d never even used magic. It was a curse just to mention it.”
“You come back soon as you can then?” Swift asked and rubbed a hoof against her muzzle.
“Of course,” Onyx promised. “I must read you some of my poetry after all?”
“Yes, yes,” Swift nodded. “You have perfected all by then!”
“Before you go, I have gift,” Granbreezie said and flew off. Around them, ponies and breezies were already making their way to the portal. Granbreezie arrived back, a huge key twirled below her. “This key in family for years. Said to give to pony when time is right.”
Onyx took the key in one hoof and looked at it, a beautiful purple iron with an intricate carving atop it, hung on a ribbon that matched the color of her beret and scarf. Attached to the ribbon was a scroll. “This key will take you to the place you most want to go. One time use only.” As she read the scroll, the upper key glowed bright blue briefly before fading. “The place I most want to go?”
“You will know, when time is right, where to insert the key, and see the light.” Granbreezie smiled at her, then let out a little gasp as her gaze turned back to the portal, which was now shrinking. “Now go! We will see you again soon!”
“I miss you much!” Swift sniffed and hugged Onyx’s ear again. “Take care of Granbreezie’s gift, and see you soon!”
Onyx nodded and nuzzled gently against her new friend. “Don’t worry Swift. I will return!” She slipped the key’s string around her throat and hurried for the portal, just managing to slip through as the last of the light disappeared. Onyx let out a deep sigh as she looked up at the wishing tree. Where the entrance to the night market had been, the bark was lighter than the rest of the tree now, but who knew how long that would last. “I will return,” she repeated.
As she looked back down at the key, which now had just the faintest glow around the entire edge. Now, she had only two questions. Where was the door the key would fit into, and what kind of poetry could she write from this experience? As she trotted back toward her home, her mind swirled with ideas just as the first few flakes of snow started to fall from the sky.
About a month had passed since Onyx last saw Swift, and Winter Wishday was at hoof. Ponies scrambled everywhere as they prepared. Lights had carefully been placed around the wishing tree, their sparkle filled the air with a warm holiday glow. Foals rolled snowballs around and patted them together, snowponies slowly formed beneath their hooves. Other ponies raced around from shop to shop, stall to stall, where ponies had set up their wares and hoped to entice the eyes of passersby for Winter Wishday gifts.
Onyx looked down at the ornament she had made to place on the wishing tree. It looked just like Swift, the main piece made of carved wood, mane and tail from a fine yarn, and the wings of a fine gossamer fabric she had received from Izzy. “Swift would be ecstatic about it,” she said and placed it inside her scarf. Not quite time to place it on the tree yet, but soon.
She turned back to her cup of tea and took a sip, the warmth filled her bones and soul. After she placed the cup down, she lifted her quill once more to the scroll in front of her. A meager few lines adorned the page. “Ugh, why can’t I write lately?” She scribbled out what few words she had written and placed her forehead against the table.
A little ring of a bell brought her back to the present as a swarm of ponies piled into the tea shop. Loud, raucous, noise followed them inside. Some foal shrieked in his mothers hooves as they waited in line, and no amount of said mare’s affections could get him to stop.
Onyx held a hoof to her forehead as she felt a headache start to form. When the foals scream reached an octave she didn’t think was possible, she let out a deep sigh and stood. She gulped down the rest of her tea and set the empty cup in the return bin, then hurried out of the shop.
Things had become just as noisy and chaotic outside as they were inside. A large group of foals had started a snowball fight right outside of the tea shop.
“Woah!” Onyx yelped as one nearly hit her. She hurried out of range only to bump into the crowd of ponies sequestered in the makeshift market. Izzy must have got the word out about their celebrations, as she spotted both pegasi and earth ponies scattered among the other unicorns in the crowd.
She held a hoof to her chest for a moment as she took in some deep breaths. “Chill out, Onyx,” she mumbled to herself. “Life is good. The world is calm. I am one with nature. Oof!” She winced as a particularly large snowball hit her on the side of the face.
“Sorry, Miss Onyx!” A light green colored colt called out before he raced after his friends.
“Okay, time to go home,” Onyx grumbled and slid between the crowd of ponies the best she could. As she left the crowds behind her -finally- and trotted toward the house she shared with Dapple, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Once I center my chakra, I’ll finally be able to write.”
Onyx pulled open the door to their home only to be trampled back into the snow by pairs of little hooves. “Onyx is back!” A maroon colored filly trilled and hugged the mare. A slightly smaller dark blue filly nodded and hugged Onyx as well.
“Hello Razzle, hello Dazzle,” Onyx said as she pulled herself out of the snow and shook it from her fur. So much for quiet at home.
“See? I told you we would surprise her!” Razzle beamed as the three trotted back inside. “We came to visit for Wishihoof!”
“I can see that,” Onyx looked to where Dapple stood by the fire. “Surprised as well?”
He nodded. “Yeah, sorry.” He rubbed a hoof through his mane and glanced away. “Surprise foal sitting job tonight.”
“I feel you,” Onyx sighed and gathered up her things, including an extra scarf.
“Where you going?” Dazzle asked, her emerald green eyes quivered a little as she looked up at Onyx.
“Oh, well, Dazzle,” she paused and looked away from the little filly. “You have Dapple to watch over you. I need to fill my soul with the silence of falling snow, a chill in a winter fantasy. There is a poetry reading tomorrow for Wishihooves, and I need to finish my poem.”
“Come here,” Dapple pulled Dazzle over to him and patted her head. “Onyx will be back later.” Both Razzle and Dazzle pouted a little, but nodded as Onyx headed for the door.
She shivered as the wind hit her muzzle, but pushed onward as the door closed behind her. Where else was left that might be quiet enough to get her writing done? Onyx looked down as a tingle of magic tickled against her neck, and noticed the key Swift and Granbreezie had given her was glowing.
A small smile lit her face and she raced toward the wishing tree. Her hooves thundered down the scenic route, to avoid the huge crowds, and slid to a stop on the far side of the wishing tree. “Yes!” The light from before had returned, though to a smaller scale this time, only wide enough to admit one pony. She glanced around, surprised to see nopony else had noticed, then stepped through the portal.
She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of the pleasant scents of the night market. True, it wasn’t exactly night yet, but that is what the breezies called it. Few breezies were about in the market, most of the stalls closed except for ones that seemed to deal with food. The sharp aroma of spices filled Onyx’s nose, and she followed the scent. Her hooves paused as she arrived back at Swifts and her Granbreezie’s shop. The shutters were closed, but sound could be heard on the other side.
“Swift? Granbreezie?” Onyx called. She winced and pulled out her phone, opening the app, when a shrill of glee answered her call.
“Onyx!” Swift yelled as the shutters were tossed open and the breezie flew out to greet her. “What you doing here? Not Night Market today, and is pony holiday?”
“Well, that is tomorrow, yes.” Onyx nodded. “The key has been cast aglow,” she held up the faintly glowing key. “I sped over to see, and the portal opened.”
“Ahhh yes, now is time, then?” Granbreezie said as she fluttered beside Swift. “Do you have a need? Place to go?”
Onyx nodded. “My chakra cannot flow well on the other side today. Please, is there somewhere I could relax and write?”
“We shall see,” Granbreezie said and flew back inside for a moment. She returned with a glowing lantern. “To light our way.”
“Thanks,” Onyx said and followed the two breezies. She followed them past the night market and into more woods? “Woah, it’s a forest inside a tree?”
Swift giggled. “Yes, tree is far bigger on the inside than the outside.”
“No tease, poor pony, Swift!” Granbreezie said and waved a hoof at her. “Night market not exactly in tree, just way to night market.”
“So not just a portal into the tree, but somewhere far away?” Onyx asked.
“Yes, yes, yes!” Granbreezie nodded.
“Huh, I know a pony who would love to learn more about that.” Onyx grinned. Perhaps next time she could bring Zipp along, if she wasn’t busy with princess duties.
“Would love more pony friends,” Swift trilled and landed on Onyx’s beret. “You always my best pony friend though,” she said and bent down to boop Onyx on the muzzle.
“Same to you, my friend.”
“We here,” Granbreezie called from up in front of them. Onyx trotted forward and looked around.
“Where? All I see are snow and leaves.”
Granbreezie pulled at some tangled branches of leaves near the base of one tree. One leaf broke off and with it sent the older breezie tumbling into the snow.
“Are you okay?” Onyx lifted her out of the snow with her magic and sat her down on a sturdy branch.
“Yes, okay.” She said and shook the snow from her back.
“Good. Be careful Granbreezie!” Swift dashed over to hug her. “Why pull leaf?”
“Door is behind leaves.” She hugged Swift back. “Pony clear leaves?”
“Sure, I can do that,” Onyx said and pulled at the leaves and branches with her magic. As they cleared up, her eyes widened. Beneath was a wooden door with iron wrought fastenings shaped just like the design on her key.
Onyx held up the key toward the door and it glowed softly in her hoof. “One time use only,” she recited from the scroll. “Does that mean the door will cease to exist afterwards? Or forever be locked and lost to time and memory.”
Granbreezie shook her head. “No know. Is ancient magic, older than little old Granbreezie,” she chuckled. “Could come back for somepony else?”
Onyx nodded and looked at the key once more, then at the door. “The place I most want to go is where I can work on my poetry peacefully,” she said as she placed the key in the door. /without being interrupted by screaming foals. With a turn of the key, the ground around them began to rumble and shake. Swift and Granbreezie flew up onto Onyx’s beret and held tight.
“Is working?” Swift yelled over the noise. “Yes, working! Look!” She pointed to the door, which had started to glow blue at the bottom, the blue flowed swiftly over the rest of the iron fastenings until it reached the top, and with a clank, the door opened to reveal a portal. This one swirled with light and dark blues, bright blue sparkles flowed around the edges of the entrance.
Onyx simply stared at the sight for a moment, sparkles danced in her eyes and her mouth gaped open. “Woah, I- am at a loss for words.”
“Amazing, shimmer like night market!?” Swift squeed and clopped her forehooves together.
“Heh, that works.” Onyx nodded and took a step forward. “You two coming with me?”
“Ooh, ooh, can I, Granbreezie?” Swift drooped her ears and gave her Granbreezie her best sad breezie eyes.
“If Onyx okay, then yes. Behave! No get in way.” She lifted off Onyx’s beret. “Excitement too much for Granbreezie. I wait for return.”
“Can Swift go, Onyx?” Swift hovered in front of Onyx and gave her the same sad breezy eyes. “I behave! Be quiet. Work-shop?” she paused on the odd word. “Poetry with you?”
Onyx nodded. “Sure, I could use a muse. Do you know how to play the bongos?”
“Bon-gos?” Swift shook her head. “Bop Pop Bop Pop! I learn quick!”
“Excellent, then let’s go.” Swift landed back atop Onyx’s beret as she took the first step inside. “Ah yes, this will do wonderfully,” she sighed in relief and stepped the rest of the way inside. Wishihooves, Winter Wishday, would be wonderful tomorrow indeed.
Author's Note
I hope you enjoy! Happy Hearth's Warming Hawthornbunny!
