My Little Pony Monthly Issue 15 (June 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 15
June 1998
One year anniversary of MLP Monthly!
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All The Pretty Little Ponies
(A Revisionist Interpretation of the MLP Mythos)
Chapter 4
by
C. Alan Loewen
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
For Candice and Allison
And he said, "Ponies. Now, ponies, don't you worry.
I have not come to steal your fire away.
I want to ride with you across the sunrise;
Discover what begins each shining day."
From Ponies, written by John Denver
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 has now led them to Mother Ellen, a woman who lives in Ireland in
the year 1893 with Madra, one of the few remaining Irish Wolfhounds. 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 Sarah's magical
nets. Comments and constructive criticism may be sent to cloewen@juno.com
Mother Ellen listened as Twilight told the story of how the ponies one day awoke in
a castle with no memory of how they had gotten there or what had gone on before. The little
unicorn told how a girl had one day appeared at the castle and vanished mysteriously after
refusing to help them by climbing a ladder to the top of a tower; but, when Megan arrived, she
bravely opened up a mysterious door where they met Dubricius who made Megan the ponies'
guardian.
Megan then told her story about releasing the ponies from the castle, how she
discovered the identity of the first girl who had really been her Aunt Constance, and how the
Wood of the Worlds had appeared in her backyard and brought them through time and space to
Mother Ellen's
doorstep.
Mother Ellen clucked her tongue in surprise. "Ah, yes, and the Wood will take you
to even stranger places and times, but it is not my place to tell you the story of the Seven Sisters.
First, I know very little of it myself, but I will tell you this. The Seven Sisters are the true
daughters of the greatest king and queen ever to sit on the throne of Britain and, you, Megan, are
descended from that king also.
"Now, enough of talking. I have made food for you and then you will go to
Dubricius' Sanctuary and walk the labyrinth where you will discover the full story of the Seven
Sisters; plus, something else waits there that you must take with you on your journey. It has been
waiting there for many, many years and it must be returned home. And you will take Madra with
you. Once again, his bloodline must serve royalty.
"But do remember this. Not all the old stories have been told correctly."
Ignoring the impatient questions of Megan and the ponies, Mother Ellen went into
her little cottage. Going to the window where she had fresh-baked bread cooling on the sill she
frowned at the seven loaves sitting there. That morning, she had baked eight loaves. She looked
out the window to see if one had fallen outside onto the ground; but instead of a loaf of bread, she
saw a set of small footprints leading up to her window and then back into the forest.
Sarah sat hidden behind some brambles where she had a view of the girl and the dog
and the ponies where they sat under a large, old tree. All around her, only the crumbs on the
ground remained of the loaf of bread Sarah had taken from the window sill; she hoped the theft
would not
soon be discovered. Finally, she saw the old woman leave the house and give the girl a
fully-packed bag made of some roughly woven material. Sarah's heart rose when she saw the girl
embrace the old woman and lead the ponies back into the woods. Then she groaned when she saw
the dog follow them.
Trying to overcome her fear of dogs, Sarah left her hiding place and made her way
through the underbrush so she could track them as silently as possible.
Following the footsteps and hoof prints in the thick loam of the wood, the forest
once again gradually changed and Sarah knew she was once again following the ponies and the
girl through the wondrous Wood. Sarah had overheard Mother Ellen talk about some place called
Dubricius'
Sanctuary, but Sarah didn't care. She would simply follow them and catch them all when they
least expected it. Hopefully, she would be able to snag the dog in a net first.
Suddenly, with a yelp of surprise, she fell backwards on the ground as the air in
front of her glowed. A woman, dressed like a gypsy of old, appeared in the glow and Sarah could
tell she was not at all happy.
"Sarah!" the woman said menacingly. "Have you captured those ponies? Show
me!"
Sarah trembled. "I'm sorry Great-grandmother Morgan. I don't have them
yet."
"What! Do you know where they are heading? They are going to Dubricius'
Sanctuary. I want them trapped in the carousel I gave you before they reach it."
"But Great-grandmother Morgan, they have a dog with them. A big, scary
dog."
Morgan glared at the little girl in undisguised fury. "If you don't capture those
ponies before they reach Dubricius' Sanctuary, you'll have two things to be far more afraid of:
what they find there and me!"
With a pop, the woman disappeared and the Wood returned to normal. Crying in
fear and frustration, Sarah picked herself up off the ground and ran down the path as fast as her
legs could carry her.
Aunt Constance concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. Having had
no food but berries since this morning, she was overcome with a fatigue that made her legs and
arms heavy. She so wanted just to sit down for a while, but she had to catch up with Sarah before
Sarah caught up with Megan and the ponies.
The Wood had changed. Birds were singing and the trees were far smaller.
"Good day!"
Aunt Constance yelped in surprise. The speaker was an old woman dressed in a
simple frock with a snow white apron, her greeting spoken in a thick Irish brogue. She rested on
an old tree stump and Aunt Constance had almost walked by without seeing her at all.
"I'm sorry to have frightened you," Mother Ellen said, looking carefully at the
woman's strange attire. Mother Ellen had never seen a print dress before. Her clothes were almost
as strange as the ones Megan was wearing. "I'm Mother Ellen. You look tired. My home is right
through that stand of trees. Would you care for a drink of water?"
"Thank you," Aunt Constance said, "but I'm looking for a little girl. She has seven
… ah … ponies with her."
"And might you be a friend of the little girl?" Mother Ellen asked, a hint of severity
creeping into her voice.
"I'm Megan's aunt."
Mother Ellen smiled, all hint of severity gone. "Then come with me. I have food and
water for you. You look like you could use it."
Aunt Constance wrung her hands with anxiety. "But, I can't! She's being followed
by a little girl who might do her and the ponies harm."
Mother Ellen nodded her head in realization. "I thought they were being followed.
That explains the theft of my bread and the small footprints, but be at peace. They have a guardian
with them who will not allow them to come to any harm and when they reach Dubricius'
Sanctuary, they will have an even greater ally."
"Megan!"
Megan and the five earth-bound ponies looked up to see Medley swoop down
through the ancient trees. Gently, she landed and folded her wings to her side.
"Firefly and I found Dubricius' Sanctuary," she said excitedly. "It's not that far
ahead. You're almost there." With a run, she spread her wings and leaped into the air. "Keep
following the path," she yelled over her shoulder. With cries of excitement, they redoubled their
pace.
Madra had taken to following them off the path, occasionally appearing ahead of
them and waiting for them to catch up before running off through the trees once again. Megan felt
comforted by the sight of the massive dog appearing seemingly out of nowhere and laughing at
them in its doggish way before once again disappearing between the trees.
Once again, the wood subtly changed, but the trees were much younger and the
underbrush much thicker. They could see Medley and Firefly circling them far above in the sky.
"We're out of the Wood and back into some other time and place," Twilight observed.
Within minutes, they found Dubricius' Sanctuary, an old stone building that
reminded Megan of some of the old country churches she had seen; but it was very, very old. Its
small bell tower had partly crumbled and the front wooden doors stood wide open and looked like
they would fall apart at a mere touch. Most of the windows were simply gaping holes and what
few were intact had their stained glass covered over with the soot of years.
Medley and Firefly landed and looked at the building inquisitively. Madra appeared
out of nowhere and with a deep bass rumbling bark ran up the short steps and into the darkened
building. They could hear the echoing of his barking from inside.
Twilight sighed. "This is where the Wood sent us and this is where Mother Ellen
told us to go. What are we waiting for?"
The rest looked at her in silence while Madra continued his barking from inside. "I
think we'll stay outside," Medley said suddenly while Firefly nodded in agreement.
"We're not much for buildings," Firefly added. "We much prefer being
outside."
Twilight nodded her agreement and, leading the way, went through the door
followed by Megan and the other four ponies. Madra continued to bark inside.
Firefly rolled her eyes while she stretched her wings. "That silly dog will let half the
world know we're here."
Medley laughed. "It's probably echoing so loudly in there, they can't even hear
themselves think."
Firefly froze, suddenly alert. "Did you hear that?"
Medley cocked her head. "Yes! There's somebody calling for help!"
With a leap, they both took to the air and in moments saw the person they heard
calling. On the path, a little girl with blonde hair lay on the ground clutching one leg. To the
ponies' surprise, she was dressed very similar to Megan. The two flying ponies flew down in large
descending circles and landed within a few feet of her. She looked up at them with a tear-stained
face.
Sarah smiled. "I'm so glad you've come to help me." With that, she casually tossed
two tiny circular nets into the air over the ponies' heads. The nets expanded and, with no time to
react, Medley and Firefly were soon struggling in the nets, their pinions tangled in the strong
cords. Ignoring their cries of surprise and fear, Sarah reached for the toy carousel.
There were two brief flashes of light and Sarah held the tiny toy up to her eyes. The
carousel now held two miniature winged ponies frozen in the action of trying to unfurl their wings
for escape, looks of overwhelming sadness in their eyes.
She spun the carousel and a melancholy tinkling tune floated from it. "Two down
and five to go," she said outloud to herself. "Dog or no dog, I've got to make Great-grandmother
Morgan happy." She gathered her empty nets that had once again shrunk down to toy size and
continued on her way to Dubricius' Sanctuary.
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Great Finds
olivia@wardrobe.dircon.co.uk-
Last year, my pen-pal told me I could have all her MLPs, so she sent them over. The ponies
included Glow with wings (no tail, poor thing...) and Cascade, probably the rarest pony on the
face of the earth! Cascade is yellow with UK green hair (I've only seen that shade on UKs) and
splashes in two shades of blue as a symbol, in case you hadn't heard of her... She came with the
Waterfall instead of Sprinkles over here. She has got to be my greatest find ever! I've also got
another sixteen UKs that came from various places, mainly rummage sales.
*E-mail your "Great Finds" to Tabby (TabbyMLP@aol.com) to have them printed in this
section.
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Whatever it Takes
By Shining (ddonnell@iserv.net)
"Are you coming, Slow Poke?" the tall black stallion asked. Signature Required
strode over to where his mate sat.
"I'm coming, Signature," Shining said. "I've just finished wrapping my legs." The
delicate bay mare had shattered her right foreleg a year before. Now she was always careful to
wrap her legs for support.
Shining stood up and joined Signature in the big Olympic-sized arena at Glorified
Acres. Signature looked up and smiled. He knew that Shining was a miracle. She had been the
best performer in the world. She had defied death. Now, when the doctors said that she would
never walk again, she was leaping over five foot jumps.
He trotted over to her. Shining smiled shyly and Signature drew her close.
"Shining-girl, you're so beautiful," he whispered. Gently the two swayed back and forth.
Shining giggled softly. She broke away from Signature's embrace to leap into a
capriole. She tore away to the end of the arena and began to jump over the crossbars that
Signature had set up. Signature laughed and followed close behind.
As the two horses practiced, their two foals, In A Moment and On My Honor,
gamboled over to the ring along with their close friend, Baby Gusty. When Baby Gusty had been
in grade school, Shining had been her mentor. The "Baby" part of her name had been developed
because her mother's name was the same. Now the pony was full grown with a career of her
own. She had her own day-care business called "Friendship Nursery."
"Hi, Sweetie!" Shining called.
"Hi, Shining!" Baby Gusty replied. "When's your next show?"
Shining slowed and met them at the rail. "I think we're going to aim for the big
show next weekend."
Baby Gusty nodded thoughtfully. "You look ready for it."
"Mama! Guess what we did today?" Shining's foals jumped up and down
excitedly.
"What did you do today, Moment?" Shining smiled at her colt.
"We went over to Lickety-Split's Ice Cream Shoppe. I had a hot fudge sundae,"
Moment replied.
"But that's not the best part," Honor interrupted. "We got to go back into the
kitchen!"
"Wow!" Shining exclaimed.
"Mama," Moment began, "Baby Racer asked me if I wanted to sleep over in his
treefort this weekend. Can I? Puh-leeze?"
Signature had walked over to the group while Honor had described how fascinating
the Ice Cream Shoppe was. "That'd be great, Moment. We were looking for a place for you to
stay while we're away this weekend at the show."
"Yea!" Moment cheered, and then stopped abruptly. "What about Honor?"
Shining answered, "She's going with us. She wanted to watch all the competitors.
Is that okay, dear?"
Moment thought quickly. "Okay, but she better tell me all about it."
Honor bumped into her twin brother affectionately. "It's a promise!"
* * *
The show grounds were packed. Ponies from everywhere had heard that this would
be Shining's first appearance since her accident. A huge banner was strung across the show
grounds entrance. It said: WELCOME BACK, SHINING AND SIGNATURE!
As Shining walked through the gates, resounding applause rippled through the air.
Shining smiled shyly and blushed. Signature grinned and gave Shining a hug.
Honor tugged gently on Shining's tail. "Mommy," she whispered, "I hafta go to the
bathroom."
Shining laughed not unkindly and nodded.
"Signature, Honor and I are going to go get ready. We'll meet you by the warm-up
arena in ten minutes, okay?" Shining informed the stallion.
"Okay," Signature agreed, "I think I'm going to go over to the food stands. I'm
starved." Signature walked away toward the delicious aroma of the show-ground food.
Shining turned towards her daughter. "Come along, darling," Shining called.
Together, they walked through the competition grounds to the backside.
A security guard was standing at the entrance of the barn. Shining fumbled to show
him her backside pass. The guard held up a hoof. "Go right through, ma'am. Everyone knows
who you are. You don't hafta show me your pass."
Shining flashed a smile and walked on. Honor, however, stopped to introduce
herself to the kind security guard. "Thank you, sir," she said solemnly.
The guard smiled delightedly and shook the small filly's hoof. "It's my pleasure,
miss. You're sure lucky to have such a great mommy."
Honor nodded wide-eyed. "Oh, I know. She's the bestest mommy I've ever had."
The guard chuckled and winked knowingly. "Yeah, but you better go and catch up
with her. She might get lost without you."
Honor agreed, "Yeah. I'd better go. Bye!" she called cheerfully. Quickly, she
scampered off to join Shining again.
Shining asked, "Did you have a nice chat with him, Honor?"
"Yep. He was pretty nice," Honor replied.
"That's good," Shining said. "Just be careful about who you talk to. Sometimes
ponies aren't as nice as he is."
"Okay," the filly said obediently.
Shining and Honor turned the corner down a narrow hallway. "I hope that--"
Shining never finished.
Two dark figures jumped out of the shadows. One grabbed Shining and jammed a
burlap bag over her head. The other seized the terrified filly and clamped a hoof over her mouth
to prevent her from screaming.
"No sudden moves," a harsh voice whispered.
Shining tried to calm herself, for the sake of Honor. "Where are you going to take
us?" her voice shook.
"That's for me to know and you to find out," the sinister voice said.
Shining's captor dragged her along the aisle into an empty stall. She could hear him
pulling back loose board planks from the stall wall. Then Shining was dragged away through the
hole that had been created.
As she passed through, her head knocked against a sharp corner. Shining saw stars
and gasped in pain. Soon, the pain was too much to bear and she slowly drifted off into
unconsciousness.
* * *
Meanwhile, Signature waited impatiently for Shining to join him in the warm-up
arena. They were supposed to perform in five minutes. Signature sighed and went off in search
of her and Honor.
He strode toward the barn. The guard was still waiting by the door, ready to check
backside passes. "G'day, to you, Mr. Signature."
Signature nodded in return. "Have you seen Shining?" he asked.
The guard nodded. "They went past here about ten minutes ago. But they haven't
come back yet."
"Okay," Signature said, "thanks." Signature entered the barn in search of Shining.
As he walked down the hall, he noticed something strange. Stall number forty-eight had his name
on it. But he hadn't reserved a stall.
Signature walked over to the stall to investigate. The wall planks had been crudely
pulled away. Inside, a note fluttered in the breeze along with the purple ribbon Honor had braided
into her tail.
Signature gasped and rushed into the stall. He snatched up the note and read it.
SIGNATURE REQUIRED:
IF YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR FAMILY SAFE, YOU WILL FOLLOW MY
ORDERS! FIRST OF ALL, DO NOT CALL THE POLICE! CANCEL YOUR
PERFORMANCE TODAY AND GO HOME. I WILL CONTACT YOU TO GIVE YOU
FURTHER ORDERS. REMEMBER, YOUR PRECIOUS SHINING AND HONOR ARE IN
MY HANDS. I MAKE THE RULES. ONE WRONG MOVE FROM YOU, AND IT'S GAME
OVER! BEWARE!
Signature trembled visibly. The two most important females in his life were gone!
And there was nothing he could do about it.
For a while, Signature just stared at the note in his hoof, Honor's ribbon, and the
gaping hole in the stall. Then, slowly, he turned and walked out of the barn. He continued to
walk steadily out of the show grounds, feeling the stares of all the horses that had gathered to
watch him perform.
When he had left the showgrounds behind, Signature bolted. He ran away from the
show, he ran away from the terrible stall. He tried to run away from the ache in his heart, but
could not escape it. Signature gasped and dashed home, six miles away.
As he entered his own safe stall, the phone began to ring. Signature hesitated and
then cautiously picked up the receiver. "Hello?" he asked.
"Signature," a husky voice said, "you got the note?"
Signature swallowed and answered, "Yes."
"Good," the voice rasped. "Now listen carefully. You will not leave your house.
Do not contact anyone! We know that your colt is at Baby Racer's house. Call him, but tell him
nothing of this. They will remain safe if you obey. We will get in touch with you again later. Do
you understand?"
Signature squeezed his eyes shut. "Yes," he whispered, "I understand."
* * *
The pain in her head would not go away. Try as she might, Shining could not make
the hurting stop. It was incessant and it finally ached so much, that it woke her up. Shining
groaned and rubbed her head. She blinked groggily and saw a pair of dark eyes peering into
hers.
Shining gasped and jumped back. A hoof darted out and grabbed her shoulder.
Shining struggled to stifle a scream, her eyes wide in fear. She tried covering her mouth with her
hoof, but discovered that both her forelegs and her hind legs were tied.
She had never seen anything like the pony that sat before her. He had a completely
black body with a dark gray mane. But he was not handsome like Signature. A thick, angry scar
ran down the side of the pony's face. The symbol, a fierce storm cloud, marked his hindquarters.
The dark pony smiled unkindly. "Did you sleep well?" He reached over and harshly untied
Shining's legs.
"Where's Honor?" Shining asked worriedly. She rubbed her wrists where the thick
rope had rasped her skin raw.
"Oh, she's fine. She'll be joining you in a few minutes," the pony replied. He sat
back against the wall and watched Shining.
Shining looked around to try to get her bearings. She seemed to be in a small room
that once was an office. A large metal desk was shoved into a corner. File cabinets were
disorderly aligned against the far wall along with huge stacks of paper. Other documents were
strewn all over the floor. She seemed to be in the middle of the clutter. There were no windows
in the room. The only light came from a solitary bulb that hung from the ceiling.
The door opened and a tall steel gray horse walked in carrying Honor. Honor
squealed when she saw her mother and wiggled out of her possessor's grasp. "Mama!" Shining
held out her forelegs and Honor ran to the safety of them.
Shining hugged Honor tight. "It's okay, Baby," she murmured.
The gray horse strode over to Shining. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself!" he
screamed in her face.
Sensitive Shining cringed. What had she done?
The gray leaned closer to Shining. In a low whisper he growled, "My name is
Thunder's Rage. Sheza Classy Jewel is my sister. You ruined the greatest thing that could have
ever happened. You broke Classy's and Signature Required's relationship."
Shining held back a sob of fear and squeezed her eyes shut, clutching tightly to
Honor.
* * *
Signature stared at the phone with bloodshot eyes. It was one o'clock in the
morning, and he had been waiting for hours for the mysterious voice to call back. In a way, he
had been dreading it, but he had to make sure his Shining-girl was okay.
The phone rang and jerked Signature out of his trance-like state. "H-hello?" he
gasped, still recovering from the shock the phone ringing had given him.
"Are you prepared to give what I ask of you in exchange for Shining's safety?" the
voice asked.
Signature gripped the phone receiver tightly. "I'll give anything. Whatever it
takes."
The voice chuckled evilly. "You must never see Shining again. She is no longer a
part of your life. What you will do is contact Sheza Classy Jewel and become acquainted again
with her. She will replace Shining in your heart."
Signature was shocked. "But--"
"This is the only way that will ensure that Shining and your child will be safe," the
voice interrupted.
"Can I have some time to think it over?" Signature asked.
"I'll give you until sunrise." The phone clicked and the dial tone buzzed in
Signature's ear. He replaced it in a daze.
How can I let Shining go like that? Signature moaned. I love her so
much. And then to have to become Classy's mate. But what else is there to do?
Signature looked up abruptly. The glassy-eyed look no longer haunted his face. He
had plans. But he was running out of time. Quickly, he sprinted out the door and into the
night.
* * *
Thunder's Rage had tied Shining up again. But only after he had angrily shouted at
the dark pony, Scarface, for untying her in the first place. Shining's hooves had become numb
and puffy for lack of circulation. She shifted uncomfortably, triggering a chain of reactions.
Thunder's Rage jumped up and roared in her face. Shining yelped. Honor wailed.
Scarface snored loudly.
"Hey! Wake up, Scarface!" Thunder's Rage poked the napping pony.
"What, Rage?" Scarface asked sleepily.
"I called ol' Siggy back. He said that he needed some time to think about it. He
better not say no."
Shining shivered. What were they talking about? When would she ever see
Signature again?
* * *
Signature was hot on the trail. He had found tracks in the mud at the showgrounds
behind the stall. They were clear from the rain that had dusted the earth of Dream Valley. Now
Signature was following them easily.
The tracks led him to an old warehouse. An old wooden sign was on top of the
brick building. It said "Pony Pizza." Signature guessed that it must have once been a storage
building for a pizza company.
He had called his friend, Chief, who was the head of the Volunteer Rescue and
Police Force of Dream Valley. He would join him shortly.
Signature hesitated and looked at the sky. The first pale pink strands of sun were
peeking through the darkness. It was almost sunrise. He didn't have time to wait for Chief.
* * *
Rage looked at the clock on the faded walls. It was five o'clock. He smiled to
himself. Time to call his pal Siggy. Slowly he lifted up the phone and dialed the number. The
phone rang three times. He let it ring four more. "Where is he?" Rage grumbled.
Suddenly the door of the old office flew open. Everyone jumped in surprise. "I'm
right here." There stood Signature, his forelock brushed away from his handsome face, his eyes
narrowed in anger.
Scarface surveyed Signature quickly and decide that he wasn't going to fight.
Making his escape, Scarface dove under an immense pile of papers, quaking with alarm. The
pony's gray mane twitched nervously.
Shining barely breathed. He had finally come. She had been so scared. And now
here he was. The relief almost made her faint. "Signature....." she whispered.
Signature's gaze softened when he saw his love. He took a step forward. But Rage
saw the moment of weakness and took advantage of it. Quickly Rage jumped to his feet and
lunged toward Signature.
Eyes wide in surprise, Signature deftly dodged Rage's blow and leaped high into the
air, toppling the big gray over. Signature landed and steadied himself. Rage had righted himself
and was ready to attack again.
"Grraaaaaahhh!" Rage cried. He charged forward, knocking Signature solidly in
the ribs. Signature gasped and fell defenseless. He clutched his chest in pain.
Shining watched in horror. She held Honor close, but the filly squirmed out of her
grasp. "Honor--" Shining cried.
Honor had had enough of the kidnaping. Seeing her father in trouble, the fearless
foal darted into the action, much to her mother's dismay. As Rage raised his hoof to strike again,
Honor dodged between his legs. She grabbed his hind leg and bit down hard.
Rage cried out and clutched his leg. Signature had recovered enough and abruptly
got to his feet.
Thinking quickly, Signature knocked him over and sat on top of the gray. "You!
It's all your fault! My sister was going to be a star! It's ruined because of you!" Thunder's Rage
screamed.
Just then, the sirens sounded. The police had arrived. Chief entered into the chaos
and immediately took over. "Good job, Signature. I'll take it from here." Chief seized Rage's
two front hooves and handcuffed them. "You're under arrest."
Signature sighed and walked over to Shining. He gently untied her wrists and
frowned, seeing the rope burns. Deliberately, he kissed each wrist. "Better?" he asked.
"Much better," Shining whispered.
Signature lifted his head to look at Shining. She grinned with relief and flung her
arms around him. Signature hugged her back, wishing he would never have to let her go.
"You're my hero," Shining giggled.
The handsome black stallion rolled his eyes. "Honor saved us. She's the real hero.
If she hadn't chomped down on him like that, I'd still be rolling on the floor."
Shining laughed quietly. "So how'd you find us?" she asked.
"The trail was really easy to follow," Signature explained. "And I just said that I'd
find you. And I'll never let you go again. Whatever it takes."
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Brightblade Warpony
An Epic
Recorded by Clipper as Dictated by the bard Ramon
Chapter 7
The trio drew near the Dark Forest. "Khaar!" called Breeks. "The end of our quest
is near; I can sense it!"
"Not the end," said flame-maned Epona, "but a stepping stone to the next leg of our
journey."
"I wasn't talking to you."
"Could you try to get along with Epona, Breeks?" implored the Warpony. "Our
quest is too important to jeopardize over some petty…whatever your problem is."
Breeks was silent as they passed into the shadow of the wood.
"We will follow the trail only until nightfall. In the morning we will leave the trail
and go northward to a river; that will lead us to the ‘stepping stone' I mentioned. Now,
Warpony, continue your tale."
Ramon, Breeks, and I moved quickly among the rocks until Ramon called a halt. "I
don't like this; we must be nearing the land of Death and this bird directs us further west. He is
driving us to our deaths!"
"Yes, we approach the land of Death, but you will be safe as long as you do as I
say. The wolves fear death, and they fear me because I do not. Now move!"
I did not have long to consider the arguments before I heard our pursuers closing in.
Breeks took to the air. "Kraaa! Follow me, quickly!"
I galloped after Breeks, away from the howls of Kerberus' pack. The landscape
changed gradually as we neared the land of Death. To my surprise, the land seemed to grow
more fertile; brush and trees began to fill the already narrow passages between the rocks. The
growth slowed my progress, but still, we seemed to be outdistancing the wolves.
"You see," said Breeks from atop a tall rock, "they will not follow; not willingly
anyway. Kerberus inspires great fear in his followers. He may inspire them to follow us but they
will be hesitant. We must keep moving."
I struggled through the brush and soon came to a clearing bounded on three sides
by brush and on the fourth by a massive rock. "I have to rest awhile," I said.
"Very well," said Breeks. "Rest quickly."
"While we are halted, would you mind explaining why you are helping us?" asked
Ramon. "Not that your help is not appreciated."
"Krhaa!" kawed Breeks. "I am a great warrior; my name is sung by many bards in
the western lands; but to have my name sung in verse with the great Brightblade Warpony, that
would be true greatness! Aye, our legend will be sung for many years and our names will not be
forgotten!"
"So you do this only to serve your own ego?" I asked.
"Just be glad that my ego is served by the cause of Light. Are you ready to travel
yet?"
"Almost, I…"
I was cut off by a vicious growl as a large wolf entered the clearing. "Ah, the
quarry is mine," he snarled. "You will bring me great honor."
Breeks took to the air. "Kharrr! Be gone, ruffian!"
I only stared at the wolf in terror.
"I am not so superstitious as the others, bird. I will not be frightened off so easily."
The wolf advanced toward me.
"Uh, Brightblade," Ramon whispered in my ear, "I think you better do
something."
The wolf drew closer. "Move!" he commanded. "Back to the Pack Lands."
The abruptness of the wolf's command caused me to jump, freeing me from the
spell of fear. I was backed up against the rock and could hardly move. I summoned up all my
strength and courage and leapt over the wolf into the middle of the clearing. As he turned to face
me, I lashed out with my hind feet. My hooves caught the wolf in the midsection and he was
thrown against the rock.
I turned to see the wolf's still form lying at the base of the rock. I froze in terror
again as I realized what had happened. "What have I done?" I sobbed.
"Ya did what had to be done," called Breeks from high above. "Now move! Speed
is now more urgent than ever!"
I could not move, though. I could only stare at the still form of the wolf. "I didn't
mean to…"
"Come on, Brightblade," said Ramon. "We have to move on, to complete the
quest."
I walked slowly from the clearing in a daze.
As I glanced back one last time, I saw a small red rabbit hop out of the brush. I
didn't think much of it at the time, but it was the only other animal I saw in the land of
Death.
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Mystery Pony
This month's-
gray earth pony with pink hair; hearts symbol
E-mail your guess to Tabby (TabbyMLP@aol.com). Results in next issue!
Last month's-
The correct answer was Windwhistler! The winners are:
SLRURANUSZ@aol.com-
The pony of the month is Wind Whistler.
Kogler@greatlakes.net-
That's an easy one. Wind Whistler. But she actually has both blue and pink whistles for a
symbol.
MeryTreat@aol.com-
Wind-whistler!
Puffmag@aol.com-
Wind Whistler is the Mystery Pony.
BioSSoMe@aol.com-
lol Windwhistler
SLIGHTLY3@aol.com-
Wind whistler!
littleb@primenet.com-
Is this month's mystery pony Wind Whistler?
Bluflyer@juno.com-
Hey, even I know that one! That's Windwhistler!
invisigoth42@hotmail.com-
This months's mystery pony is Wind Whistler-- one of my faves! :)
Cymbryana@aol.com-
Wind Whistler!
TippyLee@aol.com-
This month's mystery pony is Windwhistler
olivia@wardrobe.dircon.co.uk-
Wind Whistler!
meredith@wardrobe.dircon.co.uk-
The answer is Wind Whistler.
I hope that I got it right!
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PONY OF THE MONTH
Buttons
(pastel green Twice As Fancy unicorn with blue hair; buttons and bows on
side)
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The Search for Le Ann
by Tabby
"Oh no!" Buttons gasped, suddenly becoming wide-awake when she realized she
had overslept. Her clock read 9:57; Toys 4 Ponies R Us opened in just three minutes!
Buttons quickly scrambled up out of her bed. "I've got to get there early; I've just
got to!"
Word had gotten out that Toys 4 Ponies R Us would be putting a new shipment of
the popular My Little People toy line on their shelves that morning. Buttons, one of the many My
Little People collectors, wanted desperately to find the extremely hard-to-find doll, Le Ann.
Getting to the store when it first opened was her only chance of getting her.
Running a comb through her curly mane and tail and quickly brushing her teeth,
Buttons grabbed her purse and then ran out into the hallway. Without even bothering to get any
breakfast, she ran all the way to Toys 4 Ponies R Us, completely forgetting her winking ability in
the thrill of the moment.
But, before she could get there, she was stopped by Bouquet.
"Hello, Buttons!" Bouquet greeted her.
"Umm, hi," Buttons mumbled. "I'm kind of in a hurry now..."
Bouquet started talking any way. "Just a few minutes ago, I walked by Toys 4
Ponies R Us; and you wouldn't believe the crowd standing around outside!"
"Ahh," Buttons said.
"And it must all be because of that new shipment of My Little People! Can you
imagine how anyone could get so caught up in stuff like that?"
Buttons could very easily imagine how anyone could get caught up in them, but
refrained from saying anything.
"Well, I should get moving along now, too," Bouquet said after what had seemed
like forever to Buttons. "Talk to you later!"
"Bye," Buttons said and again took off in the direction of Toys 4 Ponies R Us.
The store was open already when she got there, and Buttons anxiously pushed
through the doors. Glancing up at the clock on the wall, she found out it was 9:15. The shelves
would be picked clean by now!
She walked past the aisles to the My Little People section. Everyone else had
already finished, obviously, because the aisle was empty. Buttons flipped through the few
remaining My Little People on the rack. Just as she suspected, there was no Le Ann.
She was about to walk away when something caught her eye-- what looked to be a
package wedged between two of the large My Little People boxed playsets in the back. Buttons
slipped her hoof between the boxes and picked up the package. It was indeed a My Little People
doll. Holding her breath, Buttons looked on the front of the package.
"Yes!" Buttons exclaimed, hardly believing her good fortune.
It was Le Ann!
Buttons turned to go towards the checkout line when another pony walked into the
aisle.
"Hi, Baby Crumpet!" Buttons greeted the new-comer.
"Hewo," Baby Crumpet responded.
"Are you looking for some My Little People?" Buttons asked.
"Yes." Baby Crumpet busied herself looking through the racks. When she turned
around, holding no packages, she looked as if she might cry.
"No We Ann," she sniffled.
"Oh, Baby Crumpet!" Buttons comforted her. "Don't you want any of the
others?"
"Just want We Ann." A tear trickled down Baby Crumpet's face.
Buttons' heart went out to Baby Crumpet. "Here, you can take my Le Ann!"
"Rewy, Buttons?" Baby Crumpet said, a smile breaking out on her face. "You
mean it?"
"Sure!" Buttons grinned and handed Baby Crumpet her Le Ann package.
"Thank wou!" Baby Crumpet said cheerfully and skipped off to the checkouts.
Feeling happy to have cheered Baby Crumpet up, yet sad she didn't have Le Ann
now, Buttons trudged outside.
"I guess I'll have to check out all the other stores," Buttons decided.
Pony-Mart was right next to Toys 4 Ponies R Us, so she went there next.
There was no Le Ann in the Pony-Mart My Little People section either; it didn't
look like they had been re-stocked since the last time Buttons had been there, anyway.
On the way out of the store, Buttons ran into her friend, Bouncy, in the clothes
department.
"You've got to help me!" Bouncy wailed when she saw Buttons.
"Of course! But what with?" Buttons replied.
"I can't decide which of these two sun dresses looks best on me," Bouncy
explained.
Buttons looked over the two sun dresses Bouncy had selected. One was blue,
patterned with yellow flowers; the other was pink with blue trim.
"They both look good with your colors," Buttons said after thinking awhile.
"That's what makes it so hard," Bouncy sighed.
"Go with the pink and blue one," Buttons finally decided.
"Okay, thanks!" Bouncy grinned. "I hate making decisions!"
"I'm still searching for the Le Ann My Little People doll," Buttons confided in
Bouncy.
"How many stores have you been to already?" Bouncy asked.
"Just Toys 4 Ponies R Us and here," Buttons said.
"You could try the drug store next," Bouncy suggested. "Maybe they got some
in!"
"It's a possibility," Buttons said thoughtfully. "I'll try it!"
"And meet me at the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe for lunch at eleven!" Bouncy
invited.
"I'll be there!" Bouncy called as she walked away.
At Healthy Pony Drug Store, Buttons strolled over to the toy section. There was
one rack of My Little People.
Buttons anxiously flipped through them. Unfortunately, there was no Le Ann.
Buttons sighed and looked up at the clock on the wall. It was nearing eleven o'
clock; she decided to head over to the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe to meet Bouncy.
When she got there, Bouncy wasn't around yet. Buttons stood near the entrance.
As she was waiting, Tabby and Sugarberry walked in. Tabby was carrying a Toys 4 Ponies R Us
shopping bag. Buttons overheard their conversation.
"So I was the very first one who got into the store," Tabby was telling Sugarberry.
"I ran to the My Little People section, and Le Ann was sitting right out in front of the rack!
Lucky me!"
"Wow!" Sugarberry exclaimed.
"I beat everyone to the section by only seconds," Tabby went on.