My Little Pony Monthly Issue 1 (May 1,
1998)
My Little Pony Monthly
Established June 1997
This Newsletter is Child-Friendly
If you do not want to be on our mailing list, e-mail Tabby at TabbyMLP@aol.com
and you'll be removed.
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Issue 14
May 1998
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Letters to the Editor
From: invisigoth42@hotmail.com
Hi!
I really enjoyed the MLP Monthly! You do an excellent job on it. Keep up the good work!
From: RedMustngI@aol.com
Just wanna say the stories in these newsletters are
DYNAMITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All of you who write them are very talented, keep it up!
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All The Pretty Little Ponies
(A Revisionist Interpretation of the MLP Mythos)
Chapter 3
by
C. Alan Loewen
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
For Candice and Allison
Synopsis: Megan, an eleven-year old orphan who lives with her Aunt Constance, has been given
guardianship over seven magical ponies that are also known as the Seven Sisters. With the
blessing of her aunt, Megan and the seven ponies are now following a path through the magical
Wood of the Worlds which will hopefully lead them to the answers for their questions: Who are
the ponies? Why do they need protection? Why do they not have any memories of their lives
before they awoke in the magical castle where Megan found them? Unknown to them, they are
being followed by Sarah, a girl who claims the ponies are her property. Sarah, in turn, is being
followed by Aunt Constance who wants to protect her niece and the ponies from being trapped in
Sarah's magical nets. Comments and constructive criticism may be sent to cloewen@juno.com
With Firefly and Medley flying between the massive trees that made up the Wood of
the Worlds, Megan led Twilight, Bowtie, Applejack, Ember and Starlight deeper into the
mysterious forest. The path was covered by a thick carpet of dead leaves which muffled their
footsteps.
Megan looked around in vain for any signs of life. "This place is so quiet. I wonder
why I don't hear any birds?"
"There's no sign of any birds at all," came a voice from above. Medley had landed
on a tree branch wide enough for her to comfortably stand and shouted down to them. "I don't
see a nest or a squirrel or anything."
Twilight sniffed the air. "I don't smell any other wildlife. I wonder where the foxes
and the deer are?"
They walked farther without talking. Speech seemed out of place in this ancient
Wood so they traveled in silence. An hour later, they were surprised to hear the sound of running
water break the silence.
"I hear a stream," Ember cried with delight, and ignoring the cries of Megan and her
sisters, she ran ahead. The rest of the group found her drinking water from a babbling brook that
ran merrily over well-worn rocks. Bushes loaded with berries crowded the far side.
"The water's delicious!" Ember cried with delight, her muzzle already dripping with
cold water. And with that, she found her hooves slipping on the muddy bank and she promptly fell
in. The water was shallow, so the only hurt Ember suffered was the blow to her pride.
After a few minutes of laughter and giggling at Ember's expense, the other six
ponies drank their fill while Megan used a plastic cup her aunt had put in her day pack. Ember,
snorting water, tried to dry herself off by shaking like a dog.
"I think this might be a place to spend the night," Twilight said, nodding at the
deepening darkness. "The sun is setting."
Megan had crossed the brook to examine the berries and, delighted to discover they
were raspberries, picked her fill using what little sunlight remained.
Later, they all lay comfortably on the soft mould of the forest floor, Megan's head
pillowed by Twilight's warm shoulder. In turn, Megan's lap once again served as a pillow for
Ember who was already half asleep and, thankfully, had finally dried off. The brooding dark of the
Wood was held back with the soft glow from Starlight's horn.
"I wish I would have remembered to bring matches," Megan said, as she
absent-mindedly stroked Ember's mane. "It would have been nice to have a little fire."
"I don't think the Wood would have appreciated that," Twilight said gently. "I
don't know how I know that. It's just a feeling."
With that, one by one, the ponies and Megan fell asleep.
And Megan dreamed.
In her dream, she awoke to find herself in the middle of a circle of seven beautiful
girls clothed in light and their own cascading shining hair. Holding hands and laughing, they
danced around her, their feet moving in complicated steps that moved their circle around her in a
complex weave of motion. Megan could do little more than watch in awe and joy.
The girls appeared to range in age from sixteen years to the age of eight. The oldest
had somber, yet loving eyes that seemed so much like Twilight's. The youngest had dark flashing
mischievous eyes like Ember's.
Laughing, they stopped and without speaking, they broke the circle for Megan to
join them. Embarrassed and terrified they would laugh at her clumsy steps, Megan took hold of
the hands that were offered to her. Delighted, she found her feet suddenly moving to the steps as
if she had been born to the pattern. Laughing and singing in an old language she did not
recognize, Megan and the girls danced in the ancient forest for a long time.
And when she awoke, her head resting on Twilight's warm shoulder, hearing the
comforting rhythm of the little unicorn's heart, the sun had already risen.
Aunt Constance stretched, listening to her old bones creak. Though the forest floor
made an unusual bed, it didn't appear to have harmed her back. She had seen no sign of Sarah,
the child she was following through the Wood, but the path remained clear and unmistakable.
Somewhere, Sarah might already be stalking Megan and the ponies in the early morning mist that
surrounded the trunks of these gigantic trees.
Several hours later, Aunt Constance came to a brook where raspberry bushes
provided her with an impromptu brunch. In the mud alongside the brook, she made out the tracks
of ponies and two separate distinct prints of shoes. Doubling her pace, Aunt Constance fervently
hoped she would catch up to Sarah before Sarah caught up with Megan.
Megan and the ponies noticed the forest was changing. The trees were not as large
as they had been and undergrowth sprouted up among the roots. The calls of birds could be heard
and occasionally they could see small birds fluttering between the branches. Firefly and Medley
had taken to walking as the trees were becoming too close together to comfortably fly between
them.
"Wait a moment," Megan said in a hushed urgent whisper. The ponies looked at her
quizzically. "Do you smell smoke?"
The ponies sniffed at the air. "Yes, I do," Twilight said. "Wood smoke."
"Is it a forest fire?" Applejack asked nervously.
Megan shook her head in the negative. "I think it would smell a lot stronger than
that. Look! I think I see the smoke over there."
Some distance away, a small tendril of smoke rose above the trees. Megan looked
at her friends and shrugged her shoulders. "We were told to walk the Wood of the Worlds, so
let's see where it's led us."
They stumbled through the underbrush, the two winged ponies carefully trying not
to snag their pinions on a branch. Eventually, they came to a small wattle-and-daub cottage
standing alone in a clearing. Wood smoke floated up from the lone chimney stack in the thatched
roof.
The door opened and an elderly lady, her cheeks ruddy and red, came out onto the
small front porch. She was dressed in a simple frock with a snow white apron, her gray hair drawn
up in a tight bun. Immediately seeing Megan and the ponies, a broad smile broke out on her face
that made any fear and suspicion in their hearts melt away.
"Well, saints preserve me, but I've been waiting for you folk for a while now." The
woman's accent was a deep Irish brogue. She stepped aside and from the inside of the cottage,
the largest dog Megan ever saw joined the elderly woman on the stoop. Megan and the ponies
gasped at the sight of the huge animal. As large as any of the ponies, it stood looking at them, its
open panting jaws looking large enough to eat them all in a few gulps.
Again, the woman laughed. "Have no fear of Madra. He won't be hurting the likes
of you."
Timidly, the eight approached the woman. Madras simply grinned at them in the
way of all dogs.
"I've never seen a dog like that," Megan said. "Is it a wolf?"
"Nay, child," the old woman responded. "Madras is one of the dogs that served the
Irish Kings. He's an Irish Wolfhound and the noblest of his breed."
"Can I pet him?"
"Aye, that you may. I don't think he'd favor the taste of a girl-child." Gingerly,
Megan reached out a hand and stroked the dog's massive head while the seven ponies looked on
with some trepidation. Madras' breath was hot and strong and Megan knew the animal could have
pinned her to the ground in a split second if it had been so inclined. She felt grateful she wasn't a
wolf.
The old woman nodded in appreciation at Megan's bravery. "I'm Mother Ellen and
you've walked the Wood of the Worlds to reach me. Welcome to the Emerald Isle. You've
walked all the way to Ireland in the year of our Lord, 1893." Megan simply stared at her in shock,
the ponies simply accepting the marvel of walking over one hundred years backwards in time as a
normal matter of course.
"Dubricius was here just a fortnight ago, telling me to prepare for the arrival of a
young girl traveling with the Seven Sisters."
Mother Ellen leaned closer to look directly in Megan's face. "Aye, you have
Arthur's eyes and Gwen's smile. They'd be proud of you."
For the first time since meeting the ponies, Megan blinked back tears. "You have
me confused with somebody else. My parents' names were Roger and Miriam." She paused as she
swallowed back her grief. "They're dead," she said finally.
Gently, Mother Ellen touched her comfortingly on the shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear
that, child, but I wasn't talking directly about your parents."
Mother Ellen turned her attention to the seven ponies. "I'm privileged to have you
all here."
She went to Twilight who curtsied in the way of the ponies. Mother Ellen laughed
gently and stroked her muzzle. "You are Alcyone, the eldest."
"No, Mother Ellen," Twilight said respectfully. "You have me confused with
somebody else. My name is Twilight."
Mother Ellen simply smiled sadly and went from pony to pony. "Your name is
Celaeno," she said to Starlight.
"Electra," she said, stroking Bowtie's blue roan mane.
"The twins, Maia and Merope," she said, addressing Firefly and Medley.
"Asterope," she said to Applejack.
"And you are Taygeta, the baby of the family," she said smiling to Ember who had
suddenly become shy and was trying vainly to hide behind Megan's legs.
The ponies simply looked at her with puzzled expressions. "All will be clear in a
short while," Mother Ellen assured them. "Come. Let's sit under the shade. You have stories to
tell Mother Ellen and you have to go to Dubricius' Sanctuary before the night comes. Many of
your questions will be answered there."
In the brush, a pair of eyes watched them carefully. Sarah sighed and waited as the
old woman, the seven ponies and the girl seated themselves under an old oak tree. Though she
had more than enough nets to take care of them all, there was the dog. A big dog. And Sarah was
terrified of dogs and this dog was a monster. In the brush she shuddered and hoped the dog
wouldn't sniff her out. She sighed in relief as Madra finally sat itself at the feet of the old
woman.
She would wait until the dog was gone and then … then she'd have them all. All
seven of the ponies. And they would be hers forever.
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A New Friend
by Steamer
One day Sweet Stuff was bored. She liked playing with the baby ponies quite a bit,
but they were all busy doing something with their moms. Baby Ribbon was learning how to wink
better, Baby Gusty was packing to go to the State History Competition with her mom, and Baby
Lickety Split was practicing her ballet.
Sweet Stuff decided she would go to the Satin Slipper Sweet Shop and keep
Scoops company. When she walked in to the sweet shop, Scoops could tell something was up.
"You look bored, Sweet Stuff," she said.
"Oh, Scoops, I am; all the baby ponies are busy with their moms and you know how
I like to play with them."
"Yeah, I know, what you need is something to take your mind off being bored for a
bit and I think I have just the thing."
Hmmmmm, what could it be, Sweet Stuff thought. You see, Scoops never
told what she thought a pony could use. She liked to surprise the ponies with her creations.
Sweet Stuff sat at the counter and waited for Scoops to dish up her specialty for
boredom. While she was waiting, a strange pony came in. This stranger Sweet Stuff had never
seen before; the stranger had a red mane and tail almost like Moondancer's color, but it wasn't
Moondancer for this pony had feet like a Big Brother Pony would have. Sweet Stuff and the
stranger nodded hello.
When Scoops bought out Sweet Stuff's treat, which turned out to be a banana spilt
with triple whipped cream and heavy-duty candy sprinkles, she noticed the visitor.
"Ah, Dr. Sugarloaf, how are you doing today?" she asked.
"Just fine, Scoops; just fine; just came from Sterling Dream and Prince's; looks like
Sterling Dream is going to have her baby any day now."
"Ah, isn't new life wonderful?" asked Scoops.
"It sure is," replied the doctor.
A new baby; WOW! thought Sweet Stuff. Sweet Stuff thought that babies were the
most precious things in the world, especially newborns.
"Ah, excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear that Sterling Dream is going to have a
baby," Sweet Stuff said to the newcomer.
"Yes, that's correct, they even chose a name for it; it will be Baby Munchy," said
the pony. "Oh, I'm Dr. Sugarloaf; I work at Dream Valley General and have known Sterling
Dream since she was a baby herself," he continued.
"Hi, my name is Sweet Stuff," said Sweet Stuff.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Sweet Stuff; I just moved here and was hoping to
make some friends."
"Well, if you'd like, I could introduce you to some of my friends," said Sweet Stuff.
"I would like that; thank you," Dr. Sugarloaf said.
"You're welcome," said Sweet Stuff. And that was how Sweet Stuff made herself a
new friend.
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Invento Ponies
by invisigoth42@hotmail.com:
Name: Byte
Kind: Sweetheart Sister
Hair Color: metallic silver
Body Color: white
Symbol: sky blue Internet smiley- :)
by Tabby:
Name: Lemon Poppyseed
Body Color: bright yellow
Hair Color: bright yellow
Breed: Earth
Symbol: little black poppy seeds
Kind: Twice as Fancy
Name: Wild Blueberry
Body Color: deep blue
Hair Color: green
Breed: Earth
Symbol: green blueberry plants
Kind: Twice as Fancy
Name: Apple Streusel
Body Color: green
Hair Color: yellow
Breed: Earth
Symbol: red apples
Kind: Twice as Fancy
Name: Banana Nut
Body Color: creamy brown
Hair Color: cream
Breed: Earth
Symbol: yellow bananas
Kind: Twice as Fancy
Name: Nipper
Body Color: blue
Hair Color: dark blue
Breed: Earth
Symbol: pair of scissors
Kind: Newborn Twin
&
Name: Napper
Body Color: dark blue
Hair Color: blue
Breed: Earth
Symbol: pair of scissors
Kind: Newborn Twin
*E-mail your Invento Ponies to Tabby (TabbyMLP@aol.com) to have them printed in this
section.
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Did You Know...
by Tabby and Sugarberry
A new visitor center has been added to the Dark Forest National Wildlife Refuge in
honor of Earth Day! Included in the center is a wildlife observation deck, a gift and souvenir
shop, and interactive Dark Forest exhibits. To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, Bright Eyes,
Clover, Patch, Bon Bon, Sweetheart, Starlight, and Melody organized a hiking and bicycling
event following the nature trails at the refuge. Everyone was careful not to disturb migrating and
nesting birds.
The Easter egg hunt that was scheduled for April 11 was canceled due to El Nino.
Two feet of snow was dumped on Ponyland! The hunt, of course, had to be canceled and was
held the following Saturday. Fortunately, that day turned out warm and sunny!
The Bushwoolies say that they are definitely going to start another branch of their
bookstore in Friendship Gardens! Construction is scheduled to start on May 4. The name will
stay the same as the old one in Dream Valley, Bushwoolie Bargain Books. The old location will
remain open. Once the new store is opened, the Bushwoolies have decided that to save travel
time between Dream Valley and Friendship Gardens, they will have Tabby wink them back and
forth. Tabby is extremely excited to have the responsibility. Three Bushwoolies will work each
day at each location.
The Century Pony House and Village, the local Ponyland museum, is looking for
guides for the summer season. All ponies are invited to an information training session.
In the spirit of Arbor Day, Spike, along with the Bushwoolies, planted twenty-five
trees in the Ponyland park. The trees are doing very well, and Spike is very proud of their
accomplishment.
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Great Finds
lmlevy@deliverator.io.com-
Recently at a thrift store, I found a bag with four of the petite pony homes, ALL the petites,
several big accessories, all the accessories to the petite homes, and a MIP baby outfit!!! Also
inside was a Lady Lovely Locks treehouse playset. All for 8.00!
*E-mail your "Great Finds" to Tabby (TabbyMLP@aol.com) to have them printed in this
section.
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The Keep Ponyland Clean Club has decided to elect a president. Here are the candidates and
what they have to say:
Bubbles: Keeping Ponyland clean is very, very important. If you vote for me, I will do my best to
keep Ponyland's woods and rivers unpolluted.
Sugarberry: Keeping Ponyland in good condition is a very difficult job. If you vote for me, I will
devote my time to keeping Ponyland's land in good shape.
Twilight: When you think about it, Ponyland isn't that dirty and polluted. However, we must do
our best to stop what little pollution there is and keep our ground beautiful! If you elect me, I'll
do just that!
Wind Whistler: Have you ever stopped and looked at Ponyland closely? All of us live here in this
attractive place, but have we ever really looked closely? If you do, you will see there is much
room for improvement when it comes to protecting our environment.
Sweet Stuff: Ponyland is so pretty!! We must keep it that way!
Gusty: If keeping Ponyland beautiful is important, why aren't we doing it? We have to stop what
we're doing and clean up our act if we want to keep Ponyland safe for us, and more importantly,
for the other animals living here.
Question asked to the ponies: What area will you be focusing on most?
Bubbles: I will be focusing mostly on our rivers and streams. There is so much work to be done
there! Think of all the fish that are dying because we carelessly throw things into the rivers!
Sugarberry: I will mostly be looking at our farmlands. Do you see all the waste that is just flying
around everywhere? That could seriously mess up our crops!
Twilight: I will be working on installing more trash cans in Ponyland. Maybe that would help
clean it up.
Wind Whistler: There is no certain point of interest I will be focusing mainly on. Everything is
equally important.
Sweet Stuff: What?
Gusty: Though I will be working on all points of our environment, I will be mainly focusing on
our forests. There are so many animals abiding in our woods, we have to keep them clean!
As you can see, there are many great "views" here from each of these ponies. E-mail
JDKoester@aol.com with your vote!!!!!!!!! Results will be posted in the next issue!!
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Survey
What is your favorite MLP show episode?
E-mail what you think to Tabby (TabbyMLP@aol.com). Check the next issue for the
results!
Last month's-
The questions was: If the Loving Family ponies had names besides the family name, what would
they be?
TroastleL@aol.com-
I have Mommy and Daddy Bright Bouquet. Mommy Bright Bouquet was Shyla and Daddy
Bright Bouquet for me was Hearty.
GMoffyD@aol.com-
Hi,
If I could name the Loving Families they're names would be:
Mommy Apple Delight~ Apple Orchid
Daddy Apple Delight~ Orchid Valley
Baby Apple Delight~ Apple Valley
Mommy Bright Bouquet~ Loving Garden
Daddy Bright Bouqet~ Loving Heart (I know that's not very farther-like, but neither is putting
hearts on a dad either! :-P)
Baby Bright Bouquet~ Garden Hearts
Mommy Sweet Celebrations~ Balloon Sweetheart
Daddy Sweet Celebrations~ Fun Party
Baby Sweet Celebrations~ Balloon Party
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Quest for the Cure
by Gusty
Galaxy flipped through the ancient pages of the old, worn magic book. "The cure
has got to be in here somewhere. It has to be! This is our last chance."
Applejack tapped her hoof nervously. "It's in there. I know it's in there. It has got
to be in there!"
Gusty paced uneasily back and forth, raising up dirt as she did. "This is our last
resort. If the cure isn't in here, we're out of luck... we've reached the end of the line."
Tabby looked at the hieroglyphics on the wall. She blinked three times quickly.
"This is so awful and confusing!" She thought back to what had started this whole mess:
* * *
"Catch!" Steamer shouted, launching the baseball towards Night Glider.
She caught the ball easily in her mouth. Spitting it out, she said, "Nice throw."
"Not really," came a voice behind them.
Steamer and Night Glider twirled around to face a smiling Gusty. "You have to put
more into it!"
Steamer rolled his eyes. "Since when are you the baseball expert?"
"Since forever! You know very well that I'm the biggest lover of all sports in all of
Pony Land!" Gusty shot at him.
"That's true," Night Glider pointed out. She smiled. "And you're good in all those
sports, too."
"Thanks," Gusty replied. She picked up the ball in one hoof. "Here's how it's
done!" With all her strength, she flung the ball across the field. It flew through the air with great
speed and quickness. "That's how you throw a ball."
Steamer sighed. "I'll bet you don't know as much about trains as I do!"
"I bet you're right," Gusty responded, shrugging her shoulders. With that, she
trotted off.
Meanwhile, in Paradise Estate, Galaxy was showing Bubbles her new magic book
she had gotten from Fizzy. "This book is so advanced! Fizzy is a great friend." She opened up
the book to page forty-seven. "Look at this picture!"
Bubbles peered over her shoulder at the book. There was a picture of a dark
orange cloud with a pink lightning bolt streaking down from it. "Wow. What is that?"
Galaxy skimmed over the description on the other page. "This is the Slimen Cloud.
It's said that it appears once every thousand years and strikes a pony with its pink bolt."
Bubbles stared at her. "It strikes a pony?"
Galaxy nodded. "That's what this book says."
Bubbles flicked her blue tail. "What happens when it strikes them?"
Galaxy continued to read about the Slimen Cloud. Finally, she looked back up at
Bubbles. "It says that the pony is injected with a deadly type of magic when the bolt hits. Then
the pony glows a bright red and falls to the ground." She turned back to the book and read, "The
pony is not dead, but she is only unconscious. She will remain unconscious for forty-eight hours.
After this time is up, the pony will glow bright red for two minutes and then--"
"Don't say it," Bubbles pleaded. "I know what happens last."
Galaxy nodded understandingly.
"But isn't there some cure or something?" Bubbles asked, cocking her head.
Galaxy turned back to the book. "It says that there is a cure. However, there is
only one place in all of Pony Land that holds the key."
"Where?"
Galaxy read some more. Then she reread it, and reread it again. "It doesn't say."
"Does it say when it's supposed to come again?" Bubbles inquired.
"No," Galaxy replied, "but I suspect it will be soon. The last report of this was
about a thousand years ago by Dream Castle." The pink unicorn read some more. "Hmm... I
seem to see a pattern. Every single occurrence happened near Dream Castle!"
"Then we have to keep everyone away from there until this thing passes!" Bubbles
exclaimed, jumping to her feet.
Galaxy closed her book. "Right!" With that, she galloped off to Dream Castle,
followed by Night Glider.
During this time at Dream Castle, Applejack was talking with Tabby. "But Friendly
said the party was two weeks from today!" Applejack exclaimed.
Tabby sat on a gray boulder. "I still thought it was one week from today."
Applejack shook her head. "I'm positive he said two!"
Tabby shrugged. "You're probably right. I don't have a great memory."
Above the two ponies, Honeysuckle was flying in circles. "I thought Friendly said it
was three weeks from today!"
Applejack's eyes narrowed. "What?"
Honeysuckle laughed. "I'm only kidding!"
Tabby giggled.
Suddenly, the three ponies heard something hit a nearby tree. They rushed over to
see what had happened. A baseball had struck the tree and fallen quickly to the ground. Then the
ponies heard voices. They looked to their right and saw Steamer and Night Glider running
toward them.
"You threw this ball from all the way over there?" Tabby asked, astonished.
Steamer stopped in front of them. Night Glider ran up behind him. "No," Night
Glider said. "Gusty threw it."
"Indeed I did!" Gusty exclaimed, winking in beside Applejack. "Hey, applesauce
head!"
Applejack's eyes flared. "Don't call me applesauce head, maple leaf eater!"
"Applesauce head!"
"Maple leaf eater!"
"Applesauce head!"
"Maple leaf eater!"
"Applesau--"
"ENOUGH!!!!!" Steamer shouted. He sighed. "You two can never stop arguing--
and you're still best friends! I don't get it... I just don't get it."
Applejack smiled. Her freckles bunched up beside her eyes as she did. "I know!"
Just then, another unicorn winked in beside them. It was Sky Flier. Her white and
orange hair flew in the gentle breeze. "Hey, all!"
"Hi, Sky Flier," Tabby greeted.
"Everyone, get away from the castle!" a voice came.
They all turned to see the other arrivals. Galaxy and Bubbles came bounding over a
nearby hill. "Quickly! You must flee from this area!" Bubbles exclaimed.
"But why?" Honeysuckle asked.
"I'll tell you all later, just hurry, please!" Galaxy shouted, ushering them away from
the castle.
Once they were a good distance from the castle, Night Glider asked, "What's going
on here?"
Galaxy caught her breath. "The Slimen C-Cloud," she gasped.
"The what?" Steamer inquired again. He compressed his eyelids. "What are you
talking about?"
Galaxy took a deep breath. She hastily told them about the Slimen Cloud.
"Golly," Tabby said, "that's awful!"
"Yeah," Sky Flier agreed. "We'll have to issue a warning to everyone to stay away
from Dream Castle."
Gusty nodded. "I'll go tell Cupcake and Posey. Then Posey can warn the babies."
With that, Gusty galloped off.
"Wait for me!" Applejack screamed, running after her.
Sky Flier turned to Tabby. "You and I can warn all those in Paradise Estate."
Tabby nodded. They winked away.
Honeysuckle then said, "I'll tell the flutter ponies to stay away!"
"I'm coming with you," Night Glider said, throwing back her mane.
"I'll stay here," Galaxy told them. "You never know if someone might wander onto
this area."
"I'll stay here with you," Bubbles said.
Steamer stood silent. Finally he said, "I'll stay here, too."
The days passed slowly. Everyone was cautious of this harmful cloud. However,
after a month of waiting and guarding the castle, the little ponies let it slip their minds. Gusty
went on playing sports. Applejack worked in the orchards. Sky Flier continued to help the baby
ponies make kites. Tabby went on running her vet clinic. Bubbles started to clean up the streams
again. Galaxy kept studying and practicing her magic. Honeysuckle remained at Flutter Valley
talking with the other flutter ponies for longer periods of time. Night Glider worked in Paradise
Estate helping Cupcake make breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Steamer worked on his new train set
for hours on end each day.
However, the ponies were soon reminded of this dreadful thing. They had
forgotten to stay clear of Dream Castle, and before they realized it, it was too late. The Slimen
Cloud appeared suddenly above the pink castle. Unfortunately, Night Glider and Honeysuckle,
who had come back to visit Pony Land, were working on Dream Castle's landscape.
The large, glistening pink bolt of lightning struck down from the cloud. Night
Glider and Honeysuckle didn't even see it coming. They let out two blood-curdling
screams.
Gusty and Applejack, who were nearby at the time, came galloping over to see what
had happened. Night Glider and Honeysuckle were glowing a bright red. Their eyes were blank
now.
Gusty winked to Paradise Estate to get help. She returned with Galaxy and
Tabby.
"Oh my gosh!" Tabby screeched, seeing the two ponies glowing brightly.
"The Cloud!!! We forgot about it!" Galaxy ran up to them.
The two minutes had just expired, and the two ponies collapsed to the ground.
Their bodies looked lifeless. Galaxy nudged Night Glider. She bent down closer to her.
"I can hear her breathing, but it's very faint."
"What'll we do?" Applejack asked frantically.
Galaxy's mind raced. She closed her eyes when she remembered what the book had
said. "There's a cure, but it's somewhere in Pony Land."
"Where in Pony Land?" Gusty questioned.
Galaxy shook her head. "No one knows for sure. However," she said, looking at
the bodies of her two friends, "we have to find it within forty-eight hours or... you know."
Applejack and Gusty nodded. "Then what are we waiting for? We have to find
that cure!"
"We'll need help, though," Tabby said. She cocked her head. "I'll find Steamer
and Bubbles. Oh, and Sky Flier, too!"
"Hurry," Galaxy told her. Tabby winked out.
After she had located them, they decided what to do. "We have to let our hearts
guide us," Bubbles said.
"How can your heart guide you?" Tabby asked curiously.
Bubbles shrugged her shoulders. "That's how it always is."
"I think we should go this way," Galaxy told them, pointing to the left.
"Fine by me," Steamer agreed. The rest of them nodded.
"Let's get going!" Sky Flier exclaimed, rearing up on her hind legs.
"WAIT!" Gusty shouted.
The ponies froze and looked back at her. "What?" Bubbles asked.
"Someone has to stay here with them. There might be some kind of side effect or
something," Gusty pointed out.
"I'll stay," Sky Flier volunteered.
"Okay, then," Applejack said.
"Onward!" Galaxy exclaimed, running to her left. The rest of the ponies followed.
"Good luck!" Sky Flier called out to them. She turned to the two ponies on the
ground. "Hang in there. We'll save you."
It wasn't long before the ponies decided they had run too far. Galaxy stopped and
took in the surroundings. They were deep in the Dark Forest. Luckily for them, the trees during
this season were hibernating and not even a tornado would wake them.
"Where to now?" Tabby asked.
"I think we should go left," Steamer said.
Gusty shook her head. "No, we have to go right."
"Why can't we just go straight?" Bubbles asked.
"No, we should go left."
"You're wrong! We have to go right!"
"Well, my heart says to go straight!"
"Enough! We don't have time to argue!" Galaxy exclaimed, stomping her hoof.
"Let's do this in a somewhat democratic form," Bubbles suggested. "All in favor of
going straight, say ‘I'."
"I," Galaxy said.
There was a long pause. "All in favor of going right say, ‘Gusty's right, we should
go right!'" Gusty said.
"Gusty's right, we should go right!" Applejack responded.
There was another long pause. "All in favor of going left say, ‘ME'!" Steamer
exclaimed.
"Me," Tabby agreed.
"This is just perfect," Gusty muttered. "We all want to go different ways and the
score is even!"
"Then we'll split up," Galaxy said. "This is better. We can cover more ground this
way!"
Applejack nodded. "Good thinking."
Therefore, the ponies headed in their separate directions. They all hoped that they
would find the cure soon. It was getting dark and five precious hours had past. They only had
forty-three hours left to save their friends' lives.
Bubbles walked cautiously through the trees. Even though she'd never be able to
wake them, she still couldn't help but be quiet around them.
Galaxy followed closely behind her. "These woods are spooky," she whispered to
her friend.
Bubbles nodded. "I agree."
Suddenly, Galaxy tripped over a small root sticking up out of the ground. "EEK!"
she screamed, falling forward. She bumped into Bubbles who seemed quite surprised.
"YIKES!" Bubbles screeched, jumping off to the side. She bumped against a small
tree. Her blue mane got all tangled in its branches. "Ouch!"
Galaxy got off the ground, stunned. She looked at her friend, all tangled in the tree
branches. "I didn't mean to frighten you! I'm so sorry." She went over to Bubbles and helped
her untangle her hair.
"That's okay," Bubbles replied, once she was free. She shook her head. "Let's
keep moving."
Meanwhile, Tabby and Steamer had come across a small river rushing through the
forest. "How will we cross it?" Tabby asked.
Steamer cocked his head. He looked across the river. "It's too far for us to jump."
He gazed down the river. "There aren't even any rocks we can climb onto."
Tabby hung her head. "We're stuck aren't we?"
Steamer didn't know what to say. He was about to agree after a minute of
thinking, but unexpectedly his eyes grew wide. "I've got it!" he exclaimed, looking at a large,
strong tree.
Tabby looked at him. "What?"
"Come here!" he told her, running over to the tree.
Tabby trotted after him. She looked at the tree Steamer was gazing at. "Well?"
"Don't you see? Look at this tree-- or at its enormous branches, anyway!" Steamer
said.
Tabby looked at it. "It's a tree. It's no different than any other tree in this forest."
Steamer put his front hooves on the trunk. "Look closer!"
Tabby walked up to the tree so that her eyes were almost touching it. "I still don't
see anything."
"That's not what I meant, Tabby!" Steamer sighed. "Look at that branch
overhanging the river! It's about half-way across! I figure that if we can climb onto that branch,
we can jump the rest of the way across the river!"
"I get it!" Tabby exclaimed happily. "It's a good thing you came along with me, or
I would've given up right away!"
Steamer smiled to himself as he began to scramble up the tree. He had gotten but a
couple of feet off the ground when there was a steep part in the trunk, and he couldn't get his
grip. He lost his balance and fell to the ground. He landed flat on his back in a huge pile of mud.
"AH!" he shouted, as he hit the ground. "That smarts," he groaned. "How are we supposed to
get there if we can't climb the tree?"
This time it was Tabby's turn to smile. She started to giggle at the picture of
Steamer lying in the mud, his mane all brown and dirty. She quickly controlled herself. "I
know."
Streamer looked up at her. He was still on the ground, too tired to get up.
"How?"
"I can wink up there!"
"Well, what about me?"
Tabby thought for a minute. "I've got it. Before I wink up there, you can stand on
my back to jump past that steep part of the tree."
Steamer slowly got up. "Good idea." He climbed onto Tabby's back.
Tabby did her best to keep from falling over. She wasn't that strong of a pony to
hold a big brother for a long amount of time.
Steamer took a giant leap and jumped up past the steep part of the trunk onto a
twisted part. "Thanks, Tab," he said, continuing to climb upwards.
Tabby nodded and winked onto the branch. "I'm glad I'm a unicorn."
At the time, Gusty was leading Applejack through the forest at a gallop.
"Gusty, don't you think we should slow down? I'm getting tired!" Applejack
exclaimed.
Gusty turned and looked over her shoulder. "Fine, we'll stop for a second." She
skidded to a stop almost immediately.
Applejack nearly ran into her. "Whew!" she gasped, trying to catch her breath. She
leaned against a tree. "Don't you think we should be going a little slower? What if we pass up
clues or something?!"
"I guess you're right," Gusty replied. "We'll take it at a canter."
"A canter?"
"Okay, a trot."
"How about a walk?"
Gusty sighed. "Only for you." Therefore, the ponies walked on.
* * *
"We're not getting anywhere," Bubbles mumbled to Galaxy. They had been
walking for a good hour and had seen nothing but trees and bushes.
Galaxy sighed. "I know. What'll we do?" She looked at the sky. "It's almost
dark-- I hadn't thought about that."
* * *
"OOF!" Steamer exclaimed, landing on the other side of the river. "I did it!" He
had successfully jumped off the branch of the tree onto the other side of the river.
Tabby winked next to him. "I didn't have to jump!" Suddenly, her hind foot
slipped on some mud, and she lost her balance. She let out a deafening scream as she fell
backwards into the raging river. "HELP!!!!"
"Tabby!" Steamer exclaimed, watching his friend get swept away by the rushing
water. He looked to his left. Then he looked to his right. He shook his head violently. "Hang
on, Tabby! I'm coming!"
"Steamerrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!" Tabby shouted, getting farther and farther from her
companion.
With that, Steamer leaped into the river. With all his might, he swam quickly after
Tabby. "I'll save you!"
To be continued in next MLP Monthly issue!! <\____~
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Mystery Pony
This month's-
blue pegasus with light pink hair, pink whistles symbol
E-mail your answer to Tabby (TabbyMLP@aol.com). Results will be in the next issue!
Last month's-
The correct answer was Tulip, one of the Forget-Me-Not ponies (European). No entries were
received.
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Dig in the Flatland
by Sugarberry
Impatiently pacing back and forth outside the pretty little house in Friendship
Gardens, Clever Clover kept his eyes on the lane before him. Finally, his nervous wait came to an
end as he sighted Zip, the mail carrier, turn in his direction. Clever Clover pranced eagerly
towards Zip.
"Good morning, Zip!" called Clever Clover. "Any mail for me?"
"As a matter of fact," stated Zip as he reached into his mail bag, "I do have a letter
for you today. And it's Special Delivery!
"Thanks!" grinned Clever Clover. "It's from Flatland University about my
temporary job!"
"Well, good luck!" Zip warmly replied. "I'll miss seeing you around!"
With a wave of his hoof, Clever Clover galloped into the house, slammed the door
shut, and tore open the letter. He skimmed over its contents, and let out a loud "All right!" which
brought Sky Skimmer and Sundance running into the room.