DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own any of the ponies you recognize in this story. They belong to Hasbro. The only ponies I own are Melody and Baby ShimmerStar as well as Baby Rainbow Star. I do however own all of the Human characters in this story, along with anyone else you don't recognize.
God loves you
Enjoy!
"Oliver's Adventure Over the Rainbow"
It was a slightly breezy day in Dream Valley.
The little ponies were enjoying the aftermath of the spring festival.
While the ponies played with their Human friends or just relaxed, Molly's golden retriever, Jewel hart was chasing butterflies with the ponies little puppy, Brandy tagging along.
All that could be heard for a few feet were a bunch of barks and woofs.
As the puppies tore around the corner, Brandy accidentally ran through Posey's garden.
Unfortunately, the pink earth pony had just planted some roses.
Jewelheart ran in the other direction. She knew better than to mess with Posey's garden.
She let out a bark of warning, which Brandy totally ignored.
Making sure nobody else was close, Jewelhart ran up to her friend and pushed him out of the way of the blooming flowers..
"Hey!" He shrieked indignantly. "What'd ya do that for?"
Jewelhart glared as though it were obvious.
"You should be thanking the rainbow that I keep you out of trouble."
"ME?" Brandy asked innocently. "What trouble do I get into?"
"How much time do you have?" Jewelhart asked.
Just then, they both heard Molly call, "Jewelhart, lunchtime."
"We'll finish this conversation later." She promised as she ran off in the direction her best Human friend's voice had come from.
"Goody too shoes." Brandy muttered.
Deciding to heed his friend's warning for once, Brandy left Posey's garden alone.
Not sure what to do, he walked around the outside of the Estate until he found who he was looking for.
Making his move very carefully, he waited until Oliver seemed to be comfortable on his favorite window sill before going in for the attack.
"Boo!" He shouted.
Oliver meowed as he jumped about five feet in the air before digging his claws into the right side of the wall.
Not being able to contain himself, the brown puppy rolled on the floor laughing.
"You should have seen yourself." He said. "Julie should really enter you in that pet show they're always watching. World's Funniest Animal Videos. You would have one first grand prize for sure."
As Oliver let himself fall to the floor, he wasted no time in pouncing Brandy.
"Hey!" He shouted as the little orange kitten dug his claws into his side. "Get off!"
"You started it. " Oliver retorted. "You shouldn't have snuck up on me like that."
Brandy shrugged as best he could while pushing the feline off of him.
"I didn't have anything better to do. Besides, Danny's not here and he always plays fetch with me."
"So." Oliver replied. "What about Danny's little brother, Zakc?"
"He's always hanging out with Whizzer." Brandy told him. "You know Zack. He has the energy of five kids his age."
"Don't I know it. " Oliver agreed. "That's why I hide out in Julie's room whenever that kid comes up. He's enough to give a full grown cat a heart attack."
Brandy then got a mysterious look in his eye.
"Hey Oliver," he started. "Are you hungry?"
"Julie just fed me." Oliver told him. "And she really went all out this time. I love that little girl. Today she gave me shrimp, left over calamari and some lobster."
"Yeah, yeah. But just out of curiosity, you wouldn't be hungry for some duck soup, would you?"
"You know me." Oliver said. "I don't chase birds."
"Oh come on. Are you too lazy?"
"No. Julie taught me better. Besides, the first time I ever did it, Peachy whacked me with a broom."
"Oh. I see now. You're just a scaredy cat."
"Am not!" Oliver shot back.
"Scaredy cat, scaredy cat, Oliver is a scaredy cat!"
"I'll show you scaredy cat!" Oliver shouted and he ran after Brandy once more.
As they ran out of the Estate and crossed into the daisy field, Oliver spotted Julie and Medley hanging out.
As they went to run in the other direction, Julie spotted Oliver.
"Oliver! Here kitty, kitty. Oliver. Come here."
"Gotta go." Oliver told his friend.
As he ran into Julie's arms, Brandy scoffed.
"Favorite." He mumbled as he ran off to find something else to do.
Meanwhile in the daisy field, Julie was laying on her back with Oliver on her stomach.
The kitten purred contentedly as he prepared himself for a nap.
"It's so nice out here. Don't you think so, my sweet little hummingbird?" Medley asked as she turned her attention to her best friend of the last eight years.
"Yeah It is. It's so nice and warm. It's the perfect kind of weather for a flight. Wouldn't you say?"
Medley smiled and nodded. She could never resist taking a flight with her sweet little hummingbird, no matter how late in the day it was.
As Julie set Oliver down, she pet the kitten behind the ears and told him that she loved him. She then told him to behave and climbed on Medley's back.
As they flew through the skies a few minutes later, Julie let out a contented sigh.
"I can't believe it's almost been eight years since we met. It feels like only yesterday."
"I know what you mean." Medley agreed. "I can't believe Melody is going to be three years old next month."
"We should have a party for her." Julie suggested.
"We can talk to Megan when we get back." Medley said. She knew the eldest Hartson sister would go for it immediately.
As they continued their flight, they started talking about anything and everything.
As they flew back from Garden Valley an hour or so later, they were deep in conversation about something.
Meanwhile, Oliver had made his way back to the Estate.
He was just heading to Julie's room to take a nap, when the sound of someone calling his name made the little orange striped kitten turn around.
"Oliver! You wanna play hide and seek?" Jewelhart asked. "I really don't want to play, but Brandy won't stop bugging me."
Oliver sighed. He knew how Brandy could be sometimes when he had his mind set on something.
"Okay. But just one game." He agreed.
"Awesome!" Brandy cried from somewhere behind the other two. "You two are the best!"
"Yeah, yeah." Jewelhart said with a groan. "Let's just get on with it."
"Can I be it first?" Brandy asked hopefully. "Can I? Please? Can I? Can I?"
"Yes." Jewelhart said.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" With that, the brown puppy started counting to one hundred.
While Jewelhart left to find a hiding place, Oliver went to do the same.
He walked around until he found a basket near the front of the Estate.
Getting an idea, he jumped inside and curled up against the soft blanket.
Not realizing how tired he was, the orange kitten closed his eyes. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.
Meanwhile, Brandy had found Jewelhart and now they were looking for Oliver.
"He probably cheated and went to Julie's room to sleep!" Brandy said with a knowing laugh. He glared towards the direction of the girls' bedrooms. "Cheater!"
"Oliver doesn't cheat." Jewelhart insisted. "He just found a really good hiding place. That's all. Come on, let's keep looking." With that, the golden retriever led the way back around the side of the Estate.
While the two pets were looking for Oliver, Megan was looking for a basket of food Peachy and Cherries Jubilee had put together for the children's fundraiser over the rainbow.
Spotting the basket Oliver was in, Megan picked it up and went to find Firefly.
She noticed the basket felt light. She figured that they hadn't filled it to the brim yet.
When the teenager found Firefly, her mother offered to take her over the Rainbow immediately.
"Thanks, Mom." Megan said with a grin.
"No problem, my sweet girl." Firefly replied.
She was getting used to Megan calling her 'Mom.
She only did it once in a while, but Firefly didn't mind at all.
"Let me carry it." Firefly offered.
Megan tried to refuse her offer, but the pink Pegasus was adamant.
Finally, Megan agreed.
Just before they took of, Julie came up to them. The little girl looked worried.
"Megan, have you seen Oliver?" She asked. "I can't find him anywhere!"
Megan frowned. She knew how much Oliver meant to Julie.
Julie had gotten Oliver two weeks before her tenth birthday.
"Did you try his favorite spot under the porch?"
Julie nodded.
"I've looked in my room too and in the daisy field. I can't find him!"
"Well, after I get back, I'll help you look." She promised. "Why don't you see if Molly and Fizzy will help you. Molly's good at finding things."
Julie nodded.
Megan could tell she was upset. She reached her arms out and gave Julie a hug.
"You'll find him soon, little one." She encouraged.
"Okay." Julie said with a sniff. With that, she was gone.
"My poor jules." Firefly said as she took off for the Rainbow. "I hope Oliver shows up soon."
"Me too." Megan agreed as they soared over the Rainbow. "Me too."
Getting to the library, Megan dismounted from Firefly and flagged down someone who was carrying a box full of canned goods towards the library.
"Excuse me. " Megan called out. "Do we just leave the donations in the front hall there?"
The woman turned around and nodded.
"Yes." She said. "I can take that if you like."
"That would be great." Megan replied. With that, she handed the woman the basket and went back to where Firefly was waiting for her.
"All set?" She asked her daughter.
Megan nodded.
"Yup. Come on. Let's go back home. I hope Julie's okay." With that, they soared for the Rainbow once again.
When they returned to Ponyland, Megan found a full search party in progress.
Julie, Molly, Fizzy, the baby ponies as well as Twilight was looking for Oliver.
Medley joined them after she had put Melody down for her nap.
"You still haven't found Oliver?" Megan asked her sister sympathetically.
Julie shook her head.
She gazed at Megan, her identical green eyes full of tears.
"What if we never find him?" She asked. Then she burst into tears.
"OH Julie," Megan said. "Come here, honey."
Julie wasted no time in seeking comfort from her big sister.
"Shh, shh, it's okay." She soothed. "We'll find Oliver."
"He's just a kitten!" Julie sobbed. "Anything could happen to him out there!"
"I know, little one. I know. But you're forgetting one thing."
"What?" Julie asked. She thought Megan was going to say 'there's always another Rainbow, but her sister surprised her by what she said next.
"God will take care of Oliver." Megan reminded her. "He knows how much you love him. He'll bring Oliver home safe and sound." She then added, "and remember, there's always another Rainbow."
Julie nodded. She knew Megan spoke the truth on that point.
After the two sisters pulled away, they continued to search for a little while longer.
In the middle of searching near Posey's garden, Molly came up to Julie and gave her a hug.
"Julie, I'm sorry Oliver's lost." She said.
"Thanks." Julie said as she tried to fight back tears.
Molly nodded.
The group searched for another hour before Paradise called them in for dinner.
"I'm not hungry." Julie stated as they walked back into the Estate.
Megan sighed.
"Will you try and eat for me, my sweet little hummingbird?" Medley asked.
Julie nodded, even though she didn't feel very hungry. She would try for Medley though.
But despite everything, Julie couldn't bring herself to eat more than a few bites. She tried, but she couldn't eat knowing Oliver was missing and how hungry he might be by now.
"I'm sorry!" Julie cried as she put her fork down and gazed at Medley. "I can't eat. I'm too worried about Oliver. Where is he? I want Oliver back!" With that, Julie ran from the room in tears.
Medley flew after her while the others looked at each other with worry in their eyes.
Megan finally rose from her chair and went to see if she could help Julie feel better. She only prayed God would bring Oliver back home to them soon.
Meanwhile, over the Rainbow, the library was closing up for the night.
People were getting ready to go home.
As the last lights went off, the main door closed and all was silent.
Opening his eyes, Oliver stretched.
Realizing he was still in the basket, he smiled to himself.
Brandy hadn't been able to find him after all.
Just then, Oliver's stomach started to growl.
Hoping Julie would give him dinner early, Oliver prepared to jump out of the basket.
But as he did so, he realized he didn't recognize where he was.
He wasn't in the library of Paradise Estate that was for sure.
As he gazed around, he shuddered. Something told him he wasn't in Paradise Estate anymore.
As he took in his new surroundings, he realized e wasn't in Ponyland anymore either.
He was certainly in a library of some kind. The only question was, where was he exactly?
Pushing away his fear for the moment, Oliver decided to explore this new place.
If only he could get outside, he could find some food and maybe find his way home. He missed Julie already and all he wanted was to curl up in her arms and go back to sleep.
"Julie's probably worried sick." Oliver realized as he made his way out of the room and started walking down a hallway.
As he passed another room, he realized that one of the windows was open.
Jumping on a table, he made a mad dash for the outside world.
Taking a deep breath, Oliver jumped out of the window and landed on a ledge.
Gazing down, he sighed with relief when he realized the ledge wasn't that high.
Jumping down, he landed on his feet in a parking lot.
Taking a minute to assess the situation, he decided to go right.
As he continued to walk, he started getting whiffs of different things.
He smelled fish at another vender.
As he passed a vender selling hot corn, he thought about trying to sneak some, but he wasn't in the mood for corn.
Passing the vender by, Oliver soon came upon a street that smelled of more fish.
"Maybe I can get some food there!" He exclaimed excitedly.
But as he ran for the side of the stand I hopes to get some dropped food, a black Tom cat jumped in front of him.
"Hey!" Oliver cried in surprise. His tail bristled indignantly as he stared the older cat down. "Can't you see I'm trying to get some dinner?"
The black Tom glared right back.
"This is our turf." He stated simply. "No collar cats are allowed."
"Collar cats?" Oliver asked in confusion. "What do you mean?"
The Tom cat rolled his eyes as though it were obvious.
He pointed a paw at Oliver's blue collar.
"That thing around your neck. It's called a collar in case you didn't know."
"Yeah. So?" Oliver challenged.
"So." The Tom cat continued. "That means you have a home. So go back to it and leave the food for the strays that deserve it."
Oliver sighed.
"I would, but…" His voice trailed off.
The Tom cat suddenly laughed.
"Don't tell me! Your owners gave you the boot, didn't they?"
"What?" Olive asked.
The Tom cat sighed again.
"Threw you out. Did away with you."
"No!" Oliver shouted. "Julie would never do that! She loves me and I love her."
"Then what are you doing out here?" He asked.
Oliver blushed.
"I…I'm lost. " He admitted. "I live faraway from here and I don't know how to get back home."
The Tom cat thought about Oliver's answer for a long time.
Finally, he smiled slightly.
"What's your name, kid?" He asked.
"Oliver." Oliver replied. He figured with the way he was standing, it had been hard for the Tom cat to read his collar.
"Oliver, huh? Well with a name like that, you'll do fine in the street game."
"Street game?" Oliver asked as he followed the Tom cat down the street. "What's that?"
"That's what we call the street life out here, kitten. It's tough, but we survive. You'll learn how in time. I'll show you the tricks of the trade. Once you steal your first meal, you'll get the hang of it."
"Ste-steal?" Oliver asked uncertainly.
The tom cat nodded.
"Yeah. Steal? What's the matter? Did I stutter?"
"No." Oliver replied. "It's just that…I've never…I've never had to steal before. Stealing isn't nice!"
"Nice or not, it's the way we play the game out here." The Tom cat explained. "If you wanna eat, you'll learn how to play quickly."
Oliver nodded. He didn't' like it, but he guessed he would have to do it for now.
Sighing to himself, Oliver wondered how Julie was doing.
He was broken out of his thoughts when he almost bumped into the Tom cat.
Once they had stopped, Oliver realized they were standing in front of a vender. The guy behind it was selling some type of fish cake.
"The first meal is my treat." The Tom cat explained. "After that, I'll show you what to do and then it's up to you. Got it, kitten?"
Oliver nodded.
"I-I think so." He said.
"Good." With that, he jumped onto the side of the cart and carefully knocked over a few cups of juice.
The cups rolled into a few fish cakes sitting on plates, making them fall to the ground.
Jumping down, the Tom Cat grabbed two and ran back to Oliver.
"Wow!" Oliver said, obviously impressed. "That was great!"
"That was nothing, kitten." The Tom cat replied as he started eating his dinner. "You should see me in mini malls."
Oliver prayed he wouldn't have to.
He would steal to get food while he was out here, but he still didn't feel right about doing it.
"Eat up, kid." The Tom cat encouraged. "It might be your only meal for a while."
Oliver took his new friend's advice and bit into the fish cake.
As they were finishing up their dinner, Oliver's thoughts wandered to Julie once again.
The Tom Cat broke him out of his thoughts.
"Hey, kitten!"
"Huh?" Oliver asked, shaking his head slightly.
"Are you okay? You were off in space there for a minute."
Oliver nodded.
"Yeah. I was just thinking of…"
"Forget her, kid. That's the first rule of the streets. The sooner you forget where you came from, the better."
"No!" Oliver shouted. "I can't forget about Julie! She's my best friend. She loves me! And I'm going to find my way back home to her. You'll see."
"Think what you want, kitten." The Tom Cat said as he licked his lips for any last bite of fish. "I'm going to get some sleep. I suggest you do the same."
"Here?" Oliver asked nervously.
"Yes here." The Tom Cat replied harshly. "You don't see any four star hotels for stray cats around here do ya?"
Oliver shook his head.
He sighed, put his head on his paws and tried to sleep.
As he drifted off, he hoped Julie was doing all right without him.
Meanwhile, back in Ponyland, Julie was having trouble sleeping.
Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw Oliver scared and hungry, crying for her.
As she let the tears fall, she sent a silent prayer up to God. She knew Megan was right. If anyone could bring Oliver back to her, it was Him.
After Julie was done praying, she laid down and tried her best to fall asleep.
It was hard, but Julie eventually fell into a restless sleep somewhere around midnight.
She awoke a few hours later to the sound of meowing.
She was about to jump out of bed, when she realized it was just the ponies' cat, Twinkles.
Twinkles was a stuck up cat who didn't really like being petted too much. She mostly stuck to Peachy like glue and hissed at anyone who tried to pet her.
Frowning, Julie let the tears fall once again as she buried her face in her pillow and sobbed her heart out.
"Oh Oliver!" She sobbed quietly. "Oliver, where are you? I'm so scared! I love you so much! Where are you!" With that, Julie cried herself to sleep.
The next morning, Oliver awoke with a start. He wasn't sure what had woken him.
It was only when he opened his eyes, did everything come floating back to him.
With a frown, he remembered he wasn't in Ponyland anymore. He wasn't safe and sound in Julie's bed curled up next to his best friend.
He was on the streets of Nebraska trying to find his way home.
The sound of Tom Cat's voice roused him from his thoughts.
"Morning, kitten." He said. "Ready for breakfast?"
Oliver nodded.
"I guess."
"Well you better be ready." He replied. "Because you're getting it this time."
"I am?" He asked in surprise.
"Yup. Come on." With that, he stretched and led the way down the street.
As Oliver walked, his heart began to race. He wasn't used to stealing anything. How was he going to do it now?
Tom had made it look so easy last night, but Oliver knew he could never steal in good conscience from anyone. That's not how Julie raised him. It wasn't in his nature to steal from anyone.
The smell of hash browns and fishcakes brought Oliver out of his thoughts of uncertainty.
He gazed around before spotting a family eating at a table a few feet away.
As he went to look for someone else, Tom nudged him forward.
"Go." He said.
"But why don't we find someone else?" Oliver asked. "That's a family and I Don't think they have a lot."
"It doesn't matter!" Tom reminded him harshly. "Neither do we. This is a cat eat cat world out here, kitten. You better get used to it. Now go."
Oliver nodded.
He took a few steps forward before hesitating.
He was about to turn around and tell Tom he wasn't going to do it when the sound of a little girl's voice stopped the orange kitten in his tracks.
"Here kitty, kitty." She called softly.
Oliver obeyed his heart and went over to her.
The little girl had auburn hair and sparkling brown eyes.
"Are you lost, little kitty?" She asked.
Oliver meowed as the little girl started petting him.
The little girl then did something that surprised Oliver.
She put a pancake and a sausage down and petted him again.
"There you go." She said. "You're so cute! I wish I could take you home with me. Do you have a name?"
Oliver meowed and pushed his collar up.
"Oliver?" The little girl said. "Just like the movie! Well, if you are lost, Oliver, I hope you find your way back home soon. I'm Kathy." She said. "I need to finish my breakfast now, but be careful out there." With that, she went back to her meal.
Oliver meowed once before taking the food and heading back to where Tom was standing.
"So how did I do?" He asked half heartedly.
Tom was staring at him as though he had never seen anything like it before.
"She just gave you the food justly like that." He observed.
"So?" Oliver said as he bit into the sausage and pushed the pancake towards his friend.
Tom didn't say anything for a few minutes.
When he did, his tone was full of disbelief.
"I can't believe I thought you were street material, kitten. You're nothing but a kiss up. From now on, you're on your own." With that, he took the pancake and started walking away.
Oliver thought about calling out to him, but then refrained from doing so.
He didn't need him. He could get along just fine on his own.
It was then that he heard someone call his name.
Turning around, he saw the same little girl who had given him the food beckoning him forward.
"Oliver!"
Oliver obeyed, even though he wasn't' sure what she wanted.
"My Mommy said I could keep you until we find your owners. Isn't that great? You won't have to live on the streets anymore. Come here, sweetie." With that, Kathy bent down and picked Oliver up.
Oliver allowed her to without much protest. Her touch felt soft and gentle.
It was then that Oliver gazed around the table. He saw a young woman with brown hair and brown eyes smiling at him as she finished her breakfast.
Oliver's gaze then traveled to a little girl who looked to be about five or six. She looked adorable.
"That's my little sister, Min. " Kathy explained. "My Mommy's name is Valerie. She's really nice. We'll take you home with us and then we'll find your owner soon. Don't worry, Oliver. We'll take good care of you. You can sleep with me tonight."
Oliver purred in Kathy's arms. He couldn't help it. She was sweet and she was scratching him behind the ears, which was a favorite spot of his.
Once Oliver left with Kathy's family, they headed to the pet store to pick up some essentials for Oliver.
After that, they went back to the Burke's house.
When they got there, Kathy showed Oliver around and then took him to her bedroom.
"Here we are, Oliver. This is my room." She announced. "What do you think?"
Oliver surveyed the room as Kathy set him gently down on the bed.
The room was pink and blue with a few pictures of Ariel on the walls and an Ariel comforter.
There were also stars and fish hanging from the ceiling.
As he stood on his hind legs and tried to bat at them, Kathy giggled.
"Oliver, you silly kitty! You can't play with those."
Oliver liked the sound of Kathy's giggle and continued his attempt to make her smile.
He loved Julie's giggle best of all, but he liked Kathy's too.
Once he was done entertaining himself and Kathy, his stomach started growling.
"Let's get you something to eat now." Kathy suggested. With that, she made her way to the kitchen and Oliver followed her.
Once there, she got Oliver's new cat bowl down and filled it with cat food. She also put some leftover fish in there as a treat.
She then filled a bowl with water and watched as Oliver went over to investigate the food.
"It's okay." Kathy assured him. "It's food for you. Go on now."
Oliver did so. He was really hungry from the night before.
After he was done, he drank from the water bowl before following Kathy back to her bedroom.
As he settled down on her bed for a little catnap, his thoughts floated to Julie once again. He wondered what she was doing and how she was getting along without him.
The next morning, Megan was helping Firefly make breakfast while Fizzy was feeding Baby Shimmerstar and Molly was getting ready for school.
As for Julie, the little girl hadn't had a good morning at all.
She was still worried about Oliver and she really wasn't looking forward to school.
As she went to sit up, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in the lower part of her stomach.
Taking a deep breath, Julie tried to remain calm.
She thought maybe some water would help her.
Forcing herself to get up, she made her way to the bathroom near her bedroom.
But as she got there, she collapsed in pain against the side of the tub.
Pulling her knees up to her chest, she let the tears of pain fall and hoped someone would come to help her soon. She didn't have the strength to move or call out for help, even if she wanted to. She was in too much pain.
Upon entering the bathroom, Molly screamed in surprise and shock at what she found.
Julie was huddled against the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest. She looked like she was in pain.
"Julie! Are you okay?" Molly asked, regaining her voice.
"It hurts!" Julie replied, her voice full of pain. "Get Megan, please?"
"Okay. I'll be right back. You're gonna be okay." With that, Molly left to get their older sister.
Before she did so, she bent down to pat Julie's shoulder
and that's when she saw it. Blood covered the bathroom floor.
This worried Molly even more and she ran from the room to get Megan.
Molly found Megan in the kitchen, setting out the plates for breakfast.
"Megan! Megan, come quick! It's Julie!" Molly announced, her tone full of fear and worry.
"What's wrong, my little sunshine?" Megan asked, putting a comforting arm around Molly's shoulders.
Molly took a deep breath before answering Megan's question.
"It's Julie! She's hurt and… and she's…she's bleeding!"
"What?!" Megan shouted, and she ran for the bathroom.
When Megan entered the bathroom, she rushed to Julie's side.
When the little girl saw her sister, she burst into tears from pain and fear.
"Shh, shh, it's okay, little one. " Megan soothed as she put a hand through Julie's hair. She then asked, "Julie, what happened?"
"I don't know!" Julie sobbed. "My stomach was hurting, and I went to the bathroom, and then . . . . then I started bleeding . . . . Megan, I'm scared! I don't know what's wrong!"
"I think I do," Megan said, and she gave Julie a big hug. She put a hand on Julie's stomach and moved it down a little. "Is this where your tummy's hurting?"
Julie nodded as she let out another sob.
"Yes," Julie sniffled. "Am I going to have to go to the hospital to get a shot?"
"No," Megan said. "Everything's going to be just fine, little one. You've just gotten your first period."
"My first what?"
"Period. All girls have it when they get older. It happens every month. Even I get it every month. It usually lasts for a week. Sometimes it can be longer and sometimes, it can be shorter. It's just part of growing up."
"Really?"
"Yep. Here, I'll show you what to do." With that, Megan helped Julie with her first "girl thing."
After Julie was cleaned up and Megan had given her some Tylenol for the pain, she tucked her in and went to clean the bathroom.
After that was done, she checked on Julie. She found her staring out the window of her bedroom.
"You're worried about Oliver, aren't you?" Megan asked her knowingly.
Julie nodded and sniffed.
"Megan, what if he never comes home again?"
Megan sighed and took Julie into her arms. She held her for a little while and prayed that she would be okay.
Megan knew that Julie wouldn't be herself again until Oliver came back home.
For the next few days, Julie rested and watched a lot of movies with Molly and the baby ponies. She was getting used to having her period slowly but surely.
By Thursday of the next week, her period was going away, but Oliver hadn't come home yet.
The girls had put up signs around Ponyland as well as over the Rainbow, but nobody had called about a missing orange kitten.
That Thursday afternoon, Megan was reading a book underneath Apple Jack's apple orchard when she felt herself leave the ground.
She landed on Firefly and giggled as the pink Pegasus took off through the clouds.
"So what's on your mind, honey?" Firefly asked her eldest daughter.
Megan sighed. She knew she couldn't lie to her mother, even if she tried. Not that she would ever think of doing it, but still.
"It's Julie." Megan started, a frown crossing her face. "She's been really upset lately. First Oliver runs away or goes missing and now she got her period for the first time. I want her to feel better again. She needs some fun for a change."
Firefly nodded in agreement as she rounded a bend in the clouds.
She had been thinking the same thing over the past few hours. Her Jules wasn't herself and Firefly wanted to see her smile again.
"Now that you mention it, I have missed seeing Julie smile. Maybe a trip to see Charlotte would do it." Firefly suggested, wanting to help Megan think of
something.
Megan shook her head.
"Charlotte's away with her sister, Stacey." Megan explained. "They won't be back for two weeks."
Firefly nodded.
"Well doesn't Julie have any other Human friends?" Firefly asked, knowing it wasn't hard for Julie to make them.
Megan thought about this for a minute before her face broke into a grin. She didn't know why she hadn't thought about it before. But then again, Kathy had only just moved to Nebraska three months ago, so Megan wasn't sure how close she and Julie were.
"There is one other girl in Julie's class who she is friends with. Her name is Kathy Burke. She just moved to Nebraska with her family. Kathy has a little sister named Min as well."
Firefly grinned as they landed near Paradise Estate.
"Well, there you go." Firefly said, grinning triumphantly. "Why don't you ask Kathy and Min's mother if Julie can stay there for the weekend. I'm sure Jules would LOVE it. But first, you need to ask Julie if she wants to go."
Megan nodded. She knew Firefly spoke the truth.
"Okay. That does sound like a good idea. I'll call Valerie tonight. But I have to talk to Julie first. Thanks Firefly!" With that, Megan gave Firefly a hug before going to find Julie. She just hoped and prayed that this trip would help Julie feel better.
Megan found Julie reading in the den. She sat beside her little sister and took her into her arms.
"Hey there, little one. I had a question for you." Megan started, stroking Julie's hair before planting a kiss on her cheek.
"Okay." Julie said, laying her head against Megan's shoulder. "What is it?"
"Would you like to go to Kathy and Min's house to play?" Megan asked. "You could spend the weekend there and it would give you some time away."
Julie nodded. She understood what Megan was saying and she agreed with her. She hadn't seen Kathy for awhile and she missed spending time with her.
"Okay! That sounds like fun!" Julie said, a grin spreading across her face.
"Aw, I'm glad you think so. I'm going to call Kathy and Min's mother tonight and see if it's okay."
Julie grinned. She gave Megan a hug.
"Thanks Megan!" Julie said, sincerely. "Thanks a lot."
"Aw, you're welcome, sweetheart. I know you'll have fun." With that, Megan and Julie spent some time together before dinnertime.
Julie was still very worried about Oliver. She only hoped and prayed that her kitten was okay.
"What if Oliver comes back while I'm away?" Julie asked as she helped Megan set the table for dinner that night.
"I'll call you and let you know right away." Megan promised.
Julie nodded as she set a plate down near Molly's place.
"Okay." She said. With that, she finished setting the table.
Meanwhile, Molly and Fizzy were playing some bubble ball outside. They had decided to play a little before dinner.
"I hope Oliver comes home soon." Molly said as she caught the bubble that Fizzy had just made. "I don't like seeing Julie so sad."
"You said it." Fizzy agreed as she blew another bubble for Molly. "Me too." With that, they continued their game until Firefly called them in for dinner twenty minutes later.
Molly sat down across from Julie and next to Fizzy. She frowned when she saw her sister's expression. She wanted her to smile again.
After dinner was over, Molly went to play a game with Fizzy and Ember while Julie went to her room to pack for her weekend away and pray for Oliver some more.
Meanwhile, back at Kathy's house, Oliver was getting used to the family's routine.
Oliver found out that Kathy was eight and in third grade.
As for Min, she was in first.
Oliver also discovered during his second night staying with them that they had a cat of their own.
Her name was Snickers and she was really friendly. She and Oliver hit it off straight away.
Kathy woke up around seven o' clock on weekdays and get ready for school.
Oliver woke up with her and would eat his breakfast while the girls ate theirs.
After breakfast was over, Oliver would lounge on Kathy's bed while she got ready for school.
While Kathy was at school, Oliver would take naps or explore the house.
He enjoyed sitting with the girls' mother, Valerie, while she read or drank coffee in the sunroom.
When Kathy and Min would get home from school, Oliver would greet them both and receive pats from both of them. But it was usually Kathy who gave him the most attention.
Even though Kathy was sweet and she did take very good care of him, Oliver still missed Julie.
That Thursday night, Oliver overheard Kathy and her mother talking about something. It sounded like Kathy was going to have a friend over for the weekend.
Oliver was proven right when Kathy came into her room with a grin on her face.
"Oliver, guess what!" She cried happily. "Mommy said I could have a friend sleepover for the weekend! Her name is Julie. She's really nice. I can't wait for her to meet you."
Oliver's ears perked up at the sound of Julie's name. Could it be his Julie?
He hoped so as Kathy got things ready for the sleepover and played the piano for al title bit.
Oliver had learned that Kathy took lessons two times a week and practiced for an hour each day, even the weekends.
Oliver enjoyed watching her play. He found the music relaxing and nice to listen to.
The night before the sleepover, Kathy couldn't sleep. She was too excited about the weekend.
Oliver was having a little trouble as well. He was excited for Kathy, but he was also anxious to see if the Julie Kathy told him about was his Julie.
As Kathy fell asleep, she petted Oliver's head and he curled against her and began to purr contently.
The next morning, Julie woke up excited and in a very good mood. She bounded into the dining room and greeted everyone with a smile and a cheerful "Good morning!"
Medley greeted her sweet little hummingbird with a nuzzle and Julie hugged her best pony friend in return.
As Julie downed her breakfast, Molly gave her a curious look.
"Julie, why are you eating so fast?" She asked, eyeing her sister suspiciously.
Julie swallowed her bite of cereal before answering Molly's question.
"Because I'm going to spend the weekend with Kathy." She replied. "Megan and my pretty Medley are taking me down after lunch."
Molly nodded. She frowned at this and pushed her bowl away. She then got up and left the room, a frown on her face.
Julie frowned as she watched her sister leave. She hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. She wanted to help her, but she knew she had to finish eating first.
After Julie was done eating, she got up and went to talk to Molly.
When Julie reached Molly's room, she found her little sister crying on her bed. Jewelhart was there, snuggled next to her.
"Molly?" Julie asked, her voice
full of concern. "Can I come in?"
"Go away!" Molly replied tearfully.
"Why?" Julie asked, coming in anyway. She sat down on the bed and reached out to pat Molly's shoulder, but her little sister pushed her away. "Molly, is something wrong?"
Molly nodded, but she didn't answer at first.
"What is it?" Julie asked, wanting to help Molly feel better. "Are you mad at me?"
"You don't love me anymore!" Molly sobbed, surprising Julie.
Julie shook her head.
"No, no, no. Of course I love you. Moll, I love you so much. Why would you think I didn't?" Julie ventured, hoping Molly would give her a straight forward answer.
Molly let out a sob before answering Julie's question.
"Be-because you're leaving me to go see Kathy! I heard you talking to Megan! You said you wanted to get away from here!"
Julie's eyes widened as realization hit her.
"Molly! Molly, I'm sorry if you thought I meant I wanted to get away from you. I didn't mean you. I love you. I meant everything that's happened lately. First Oliver…then I got sick earlier last week. Megan thought it would be a good idea for me to go over a friend's house. And since Charlotte is on a trip with her sisters, I thought going over to Kathy's house would be fun."
Molly gazed up at Julie, her hazel eyes full of tears.
"So you didn't mean me?" Molly asked, her voice full of hope. "You still love me?"
Julie nodded as she held her arms out to her little sister.
"Of course I do! I love you so much, Molly Shaianne Hartson! Don't ever think differently or forget it." Julie said, opening her arms to Molly.
Molly nodded as she let Julie hug her. She clung on and let the remaining tears fall.
"I was afraid I was making you mad!" Molly admitted. "I thought you didn't want to spend time with me anymore!"
"No, no, no, Moll. Don't ever think that. I love you, I love spending time with you, I don't know what I would do without you." Julie assured her, planting a kiss on Molly's left cheek.
"I love you too, Julie." Molly replied, calming down considerably.
"I have an idea." Julie said as they pulled away.
"What?" Molly asked.
"Why don't we take Jewelhart and Scooter for a walk? They haven't been on one in a few days."
"Really?" Molly asked.
Julie nodded and grinned.
Molly grinned back and the two girls left the room.
Once they had gotten permission from Megan, the two girls found their respective doggie friends and got them ready for the walk.
Before they knew it, they were walking a familiar path of Dream Valley while talking about anything and everything. Well, almost anything.
Molly didn't want to bring up Oliver, for fear Julie would become sad again.
After awhile, the girls stopped in a field and unhooked Scooter and Jewelhart from their leashes so they could get some well deserved exercise.
Molly threw Jewelhart's purple ball for her to catch, while Julie threw Scooter's red and blue one.
After a while of playing fetch with Scooter and Jewelhart, the girls decided to rest.
Molly flopped down in a patch of grass and Julie followed her lead.
"Hey, Julie?" Molly said, gazing over at her older sister.
"Yeah?" Julie answered, petting Scooter, who had just settled into her lap.
"How did you get Scooter?" She asked, her voice full of curiosity.
Julie thought for a moment as she continued to pet the for mentioned dog's head.
"I thought you heard that story before." She said.
Molly shook her head.
"Nope. I just thought Aunt Abby bought him for you."
Julie shook her head.
"I found him at school back when I was in third grade."
"Wow! Holy macanoli!" Molly exclaimed, making Julie giggle. "I was only in kindergarten then."
Julie nodded. She smiled as she thought back to when she and Scooter had first met…
"Tag!" Julie's best friend, Charlotte Martin called as she tagged Julie before running off in the other direction. "You're it!"
Julie giggled as she ran to tag their friend, Lucy, who was near the sliding board.
The game continued for the next twenty minutes until the girls heard the bell ring, signaling the end of recess.
Julie and Charlotte ran to pick up their book bags and hurried into Miss Crystal's line.
Miss Crystal was their third grade teacher and she was very nice.
Upon reaching the line, Julie and Charlotte waved good bye to Kirsten. She was in another third grade class.
"Julie, are you okay?" Charlotte asked, noticing that Julie was holding her bag at a funny angle.
Julie nodded.
"Yeah. I'm fine. It's just my bag feels a little heavy."
"Did you bring your art kit today?" Charlotte asked. SHE knew her best friend preferred to use her own markers and art supplies, rather than the ones the school provided.
Julie shook her head. She had forgotten it that morning.
"No." She said, just as Miss Crystal approached them.
Charlotte nodded and shrugged as they followed Lucy Hartson, a girl who sat in front of them into the building.
Lucy and Julie had the same last name, but they were not related. They were however really good friends.
After Julie and Charlotte had put their lunchboxes back into their cubbies, they returned to their desks.
Before they had reading time, Miss Crystal let them have a half an hour of free time. They could go about the room as they pleased, they just couldn't get too wild.
"Do you want to read?" Julie asked, knowing reading time was coming up anyway.
Charlotte grinned.
"Sure!" She agreed. "Let's get a book and sit over by the window."
"Okay!" Julie agreed.
After the two friends had chosen their books, Julie and Charlotte headed over to a spot just underneath of the window. They sat on carpets and began to read.
As Julie turned the page in her book, she heard a strange whimpering sound coming from the coatroom. She strained her ears so she could hear better. Sure enough, there was whimpering coming from inside the coatroom.
Julie put her book down and got up from her spot.
"Julie, what are you doing?" Charlotte asked, also setting her book aside.
Julie put a finger to her lips and motioned for Charlotte to follow her.
Charlotte did so and managed to get into the coatroom without anyone noticing.
Once inside, Julie raced over to her book bag, realizing the sound was coming from inside.
She knelt on her knees and opened it up. And what she found inside, made her gasp in surprise.
"Hey little guy." Julie said, referring to the brown and white puppy that was now in her lap. "How did you get in there, huh? You sure are cute." Julie giggled as the puppy nuzzled her arm before licking it.
"So that's why your book bag was so heavy!" Charlotte guessed, smiling at the puppy.
Julie nodded as she stroked the puppy's fur.
"I guess so." She then turned her attention to the puppy in her lap. "Do you have a name little guy?"
The puppy whimpered as if to say no.
"Aw, poor little guy. Let's see. What can I name you?
Hmmm….." Julie put a finger to her chin as she thought. She wanted the name to be special and unique.
As the name came to her, she smiled. "How about Scooter! What do you think of your new name?" Julie asked, glancing down at the puppy.
The puppy, Scooter, barked and licked Julie's cheek in agreement.
"I think he likes it!" Julie announced, giggling as she hugged Scooter close. "Don't worry, Scooter. You have a home now. I'm going to take care of you now. You'll see." With that, Julie hugged Scooter close and kissed his head.
"Do you think your Aunt Abby will let you keep Scooter?" Charlotte asked.
Julie nodded.
"I'm pretty sure she will. She's really nice about things like that. I just have to ask her first."
Just then, Miss Crystal announced that free time was over and it was time for everyone to get back in their seats for reading time.
Julie didn't want to leave Scooter, but she knew she had to. She gave him a kiss and made sure he had water before leaving the room.
For the rest of the school day, Julie checked on Scooter every chance she got. She even had Kimberly, a volunteer for the library, go and get Scooter a leash from a nearby pet store. It wasn't far from the school.
At the end of the day, Aunt Abby came to pick Julie up from school. Megan wasn't able to get her that day, due to a problem that had come up in Ponyland.
After Abby had assured Julie that Megan and Molly were okay, Abby turned her attention to Julie's new friend.
"Aunt Abby, this is Scooter. I found him in my book bag before school today. Can I keep him, please? I promise I'll take care of him! Please."
Abby thought for a few minutes before nodding her head. She could see that Julie and Scooter had formed a close bond in the short amount of time they had been together and Aunt Abby didn't want to break it up. Julie had already had enough abandonment in her life.
"Sure. But we need to make sure nobody is looking for him first, okay?"
Julie nodded. She grinned from ear to ear. She had a feeling that Scooter was going to stay with her for a very long time.
Two weeks later, Julie got the good news. Scooter was definitely a stray and nobody had called in about him to the local shelter.
Julie grinned as Scooter curled up to her in bed that night.
"I love you, Scooter. I love you so much boy. You're safe now. You're going to be loved from now on. I'm going to take good care of you. I will never hurt you and I'll always love you. Good night, Scooter." With that, Julie kissed Scooter's head and petted his back before closing her eyes and falling asleep.
Before Julie fell asleep, she sent a silent prayer of thanks up to the Father, knowing He had been the one to help she and Scooter find one another.
Julie had never been more grateful to her Heavenly Father than she was at that very moment. Julie knew God loved her and that He would always protect her. He had helped Julie and her sisters be adopted by Aunt Abby after all.
Julie smiled as she fell asleep. She was glad she and her sisters were safe now. They actually had a home with someone who truly loved them. She knew Aunt Abby would NEVER hurt them and for once, Julie felt like she and her sisters belonged somewhere.
Julie was also glad that she could show Scooter what
having a true family was all about…
Molly grinned at the conclusion of Julie's story. She had enjoyed listening to it.
Julie grinned as well.
"So that's the story." She said, still petting Scooter.
"That was cool!" Molly replied before getting up from her spot.
"I'm glad you liked it." Julie then glanced down at her watch and frowned up at the sky. "We better get back. It's almost time for me to go to Kathy's."
Molly nodded. She frowned, which made Julie frown in thought.
She grinned at Molly a minute or so later.
"What?" Molly asked, truly confused.
Julie just smiled at her lovingly.
"Tell you what." Julie said, trying to cheer Molly up. "What if I ask Megan if you can come with me? That way, Min will have someone to play with. You remember Min, right?"
Molly nodded. She had played with Min a few times.
"You would do that for me?" Molly asked.
"Yup. I couldn't have fun knowing you were here upset and lonely. Although I think Fizzy's going to miss you."
Molly smiled.
"Thanks, Julie." She said, giving her sister another hug.
"You're welcome. Do you feel better now?" Julie asked, hoping she had succeeded in cheering Molly up.
Molly nodded.
"Yup."
"I'm glad." Julie said, smiling down at Molly. With that, the two sisters went back to the Estate.
Upon arriving, Julie told Megan her idea and asked if it was okay that Molly go with her.
Megan didn't have a problem with it, but they would have to ask Valerie if it was all right.
Megan called her to ask.
In a matter of ten minutes, Molly was allowed to go with Julie.
Molly thanked Megan over and over again before going to pack a bag for herself. She was really excited.
After Molly was done packing, she went to say good-bye to Fizzy. She was going to miss her, but she knew Fizzy would be waiting for her when she got back home.
"Have fun!" Fizzy said as she nuzzled Molly before the little girl climbed on Lofty for the flight over the Rainbow.
"I will." Molly replied as she hugged her best pony friend.
Once Molly had climbed on Lofty, the three pegasi were off.
Upon arriving at The Burkes' house, Megan and her sisters were greeted by Valerie, along with Kathy and Min.
Min was holding a stuffed seal and sticking close to Valerie.
"Thank you so much for doing this." Megan said, giving Valerie a smile.
"It's no problem. The girls are really excited about Julie and Molly coming."
Kathy proved her point by running up to Julie and giving her a hug.
She was really excited about having her over.
"Guess what!" She said the minute they pulled away.
"What?" Julie asked.
"I got a new kitten!" She exclaimed. She then added, "We're not keeping him forever though. Mommy said we can only keep him until we find his owners. He's really cute though . He he's orange with a few stripes on his back. He's really cute! Wait until you meet him." With that, Kathy lead Julie and Molly into the house.
Julie called good-bye over her shoulder to Megan as she followed Kathy inside.
Megan laughed at her little sister's actions. She was glad she was feeling better.
Now if only Oliver would come back home. But something told Megan that would happen very soon.
After saying good-bye to Molly and thanking Valerie one more time, Megan left with Firefly and the others. She promised to be back on Monday afternoon to pick the girls up.
Getting into the house, Kathy took Julie and Molly to the playroom so that they could put their stuff away.
They were sleeping in there since it was bigger than Kathy or Min's room.
Kathy's room was a nice size, but it couldn't fit three people in there to sleep.
Once their stuff was put away, Kathy practically dragged Julie to her room. She wanted her to meet Oliver.
"He's soo adorable!" Kathy gushed as she opened the door. "Oliver!" Kathy called. "Oliver! Here kitty-kitty."
After a few minutes of calling and waiting, Kathy turned to Julie.
"Maybe he's hiding." Kathy said. "He'll come out when he's hungry. Come on, let's play house."
Julie nodded and the two girls, plus Molly and Min began to play.
But even as Julie served her friends tea in Princess Jasmine's pretend palace, she couldn't stop thinking about Oliver.
"Julie?" Kathy asked a few minutes into their game. "Are you okay?"
"She's probably worried about Oliver." Molly said helpfully.
"Whose Oliver?" Kathy asked, a little confused.
Julie sighed and started to explain.
"Oliver's my kitten." She explained. "He ran away or got lost a week ago and I'm really worried about him."
Kathy nodded. Her heart sank for just a second. Could the kitten she found be Julie's Oliver?
She had no way of knowing until sed kitten made himself known. And that could take hours.
As the girls were finishing up their game, Valerie called them into the kitchen for a snack.
Once Kathy's room was straightened up, the three girls went to the kitchen to have something to eat.
Valerie put out raw vegetables and dip for them, along with some juice.
They thanked her and started eating their snack while talking amongst themselves.
After the snack, the girls decided to play dress up. Well, Julie Kathy and Molly did. Min was still a little unsure about it.
Molly gave Min a smile and extended her hand slowly.
"Do you wanna play with us?" She asked. She smiled at Min warmly.
Min gazed from Molly to her mother and then back to Molly again.
Valerie smiled at her youngest daughter and gave her a thumbs up.
"Go on, honey. It's okay. The girls won't play too roughly. I'll bet Kathy will even let you wear that pink sparkly dress you like." Valerie said, referring to Min's favorite dress up outfit.
Min turned to Kathy, who nodded warmly.
"Come on, Min. It'll be fun!" Kathy encouraged, hoping her sister would agree.
It took Min a few minutes, but she finally allowed Molly to lead her to the playroom. It took Min a few minutes to get used to Molly, but they were soon playing together happily.
by the time Valerie called the girls for dinner, Min was laughing and playing with Molly as though they had always been friends.
"Well, this is a nice change!" Valerie said, smiling at her daughters and their friends. With that, she served them a dinner of chicken patties, green beans and garlic noodles.
Julie ate half of her dinner before she started getting full.
Valerie didn't mind and told Julie she didn't have to eat it all if she couldn't.
Julie was grateful for this and waited until her sister and friends were done eating.
Once the dinner dishes were done, Valerie suggested that the girls watch a movie before dessert.
They agreed and were soon watching "Jungle Book 2" while hanging out in the living room.
During the first half of the movie, a kitten emerged from under the couch, but it wasn't Oliver.
It was the Burke's kitten, Snickers. She was a calico and very friendly.
Julie enjoyed her company, but she really missed Oliver.
Halfway through the movie, Valerie brought some strawberry shortcake in for the girls to eat, along with some milk.
The girls ate thanked her before digging into the snack.
Julie only ate one piece and drank half of her milk. She managed to finish the milk, but she couldn't finish the rest of the cake.
Valerie ended up putting it away for later.
As it happened, Min ended up falling asleep in Molly's lap.
Molly didn't mind at all. In fact, it made her feel like Megan or Julie when she was able to take care of someone younger than herself.
After the movie was over, Valerie tucked all of the girls in and kissed them good night.
She made them hot chocolate and told them they could talk for an hour or so, but then it was time for bed.
The older girls set up a game of Candy Land, while Molly read.
"I've never seen Min take to anyone that fast." Kathy commented, moving her piece forward.
Julie nodded.
"I know what you mean. Molly has a way with younger kids. She acts her age most of the time, but sometimes, she's wise beyond her years."
Kathy smiled. She knew what that was like. Her Mommy often said she was like that as well.
After the girls had gotten ready for bed, Kathy laid her sleeping bag next to Julie's and the two girls started talking quietly. They didn't want to wake up their younger sisters.
"What's Ponyland like?" Kathy asked, her voice full of excitement.
Julie smiled as she answered her best friend's question.
"It's great! Medley is so nice and the other little ponies are a lot of fun to be around. We love it there."
"Do you think I could visit some time?" Kathy asked, a hopeful tone to her voice.
Julie grinned.
"That would be cool!" Julie said. "I don't see why not. Megan wouldn't mind and I'm sure your Mom would let you."
"I hope so. It would be so much fun if I could visit."
"Do you think Min would want to come?" Julie asked, knowing the answer before Kathy said it.
"I don't think so." Kathy said. "It's not that Ponyland isn't fun, I'm sure it is. It's just that Min is very close to our Mommy and if Mommy isn't going, Min won't want to go."
Julie nodded. She knew how that was. She used to be that way with Megan when she was younger.
The girls talked for a few more minutes before Kathy drifted off to sleep.
Julie tried to do the same, but it was hard. She was still worried about Oliver. She wanted him there with her. She just prayed he was okay.
Finally, sometime later, Julie fell into a fitful sleep.
Julie awoke a little while later to the sound of a motor of some kind. It sounded really close and very insistent.
Figuring it was Kathy's cat, Julie reached her hand out to stroke her back before closing her eyes once again.
But as she stopped petting who she thought was Snickers, the kitten meowed before trying to climb into Julie's sleeping bag.
Julie grinned a little despite herself.
"You're cute." Julie whispered. "But you're not Oliver."
The kitten meowed as though to say, "Yes I am." Before doing something he hoped would help Julie realize it was him.
He curled up beside her and put his left paw in her right hand.
Julie had taught him how to do that a few months ago.
He meowed again before starting to purr.
As Julie felt the soft fur touch her skin, her heart ached for her Oliver.
But when she realized the kitten's paw wasn't going anywhere, her heart leapt for joy.
But could it really be him?
She was about to turn on a light, when she realized she would wake everyone up.
Realizing she had to go to the bathroom, she crawled out of her sleeping bag and made her way into the hallway.
Oliver followed her, not wanting to let Julie out of his sight.
Getting into the bathroom, Julie turned on the light so she could see where she was going.
She had just washed her hands when the door to the bathroom creaked open.
Holding her breath, Julie let it out when she saw it was only a cat.
On a whim, she turned on the overhead light to get a better look at the feline.
As the light flooded the room, Julie gasped in surprise when her eyes landed on none other than…
"Oliver!" Julie shrieked in delight. With that, she scooped him up in her arms and held him close to her as happy tears spilled from her emerald eyes.
Oliver responded by meowing before nuzzling the little girl's cheek and starting to purr.
"Oh my Oliver!" Julie cried happily. "But how did you end up over the Rainbow?" She asked nobody in particular.
As she carried Oliver back to the playroom she decided she didn't' need an answer to that question. She was just glad to have Oliver back.
"What's going on?" Molly asked sleepily as Julie entered the room. "Julie, are you okay? I thought I heard you scream a few minutes ago. Did you have a bad dream?"
Julie shook her head as she at down on her sleeping bag with a very content Oliver in her arms.
"No. I'm fine now." Julie assured her. "Look who I found!"
Molly gazed over to where Julie was sitting and gasped.
"Holy macanoli!" She exclaimed. Her shout affectively woke up both Kathy and Min.
It also brought Valerie into the room.
She gazed at the girls in concern as she stood in the doorway.
"Are you girls okay?" She asked.
"Yes!" Julie answered, grinning broadly. "We're fine. We're sorry we woke you up, Miss Burke."
"That's all right." Valerie replied. "I was awake anyway. But what happened?" She gazed down and noticed how content Oliver looked in Julie's arms.
Julie beamed down at Oliver before glancing back at Valerie.
"Well it looks like Oliver's taken with you." Valerie observed.
Julie nodded.
"That's because he's mine." She said. With that, she launched into the whole story.
Valerie was grinning by the time Julie was done.
"Well, I'm glad you two found one another again. I know the girls will be sorry to see him go. But you two can visit Oliver any time you want." She promised. She turned to Julie for the okay and Julie nodded.
"Sure you can. Also, I know who to call if I ever need a cat sitter."
"Definitely!" Kathy said with a smile.
Once the girls had settled back down, Julie snuggled beneath the blanket in her sleeping bag and smiled from ear to ear. She would have no problems getting back to sleep tonight, that was for sure.
Before she drifted off, she pet Oliver's back and kissed his head.
She then whispered, "Good-night, Oliver. I love you. I'm so glad you're safe."
Oliver purred in response and curled up against Julie before closing his eyes and drifting into dreamland…
The next morning, Julie awoke with a grin a mile wide on her face.
As the previous night's events came floating back to her, she glanced down to make sure it hadn't been a dream.
When she felt Oliver's soft fur against her arm and saw him curled up next to her, she sighed with relief.
Oliver awoke a few minutes later and meowed. He stretched, but he didn't move for a little while. He just lay there, content to be back with Julie and enjoying her attention.
"You had me really scared, you know that?" Julie semi scolded. Her tone was full of love though and Oliver heard it clear as a bell. "I love you so much, Oliver. I was so scared something had happened to you. Don't ever run away again. Do you hear me?"
Oliver responded by nuzzling Julie's cheek and licking her hand.
Julie giggled and kissed Oliver's head. She guessed that was his way of saying he would never do it again and she was glad.
For the rest of the weekend, the girls played and enjoyed each other's company. Molly managed to get Min to play with them more and more as the weekend progressed.
When Megan and Firefly, along with Medley and Lofty came to pick the girls up, Julie was in a considerably better mood than when she had left.
She was all smiles when she greeted her sister and Firefly and Medley.
"Well, this is different." Firefly said with a laugh. "I'm glad to see you smiling again, Jules. Did you have a good weekend?"
Julie nodded.
"Yup! And guess what!" She shouted excitedly.
"What?" Megan asked as she gave Julie a hug and kiss before hugging Molly.
"I'll be right back and I'll show you!" With that, Julie ran back into the house for a minute.
She returned shortly with Oliver in her arms.
Megan gasped in surprise when she saw him.
"But how did he get over the Rainbow?" She asked as she pet Oliver's head as Julie climbed on Medley.
"I'm not sure." Julie said as she kept a firm grip on Oliver while holding onto Medley's mane at the same time.
"I'll bet if he could talk, he would have quite a story to tell us." Molly said from Lofty's back.
Megan giggled as did Julie.
"You're probably right, my little sunshine." Megan said as Firefly took off for the Rainbow and Ponyland.
Before they left, Megan and Valerie made plans for Kathy to come up to Ponyland the next weekend.
When they got back to Paradise Estate, the girls thanked their pony friends for the ride and went off to do various things around the Estate.
Molly went to find Fizzy and tell her all about her weekend, while Megan stayed behind with Firefly and Julie went off to spend some time with Oliver.
She had really missed him and she was glad that he was back home safe and sound.
She said a prayer of thanks to God that night for helping her find Oliver.
A few days later, Oliver was sunbathing in his favorite spot when he heard the unmistakable sound of barking.
The barking sounded excited and happy, which meant it could only be one canine.
As the brown puppy raced into the room and prepared to jump on Oliver, the little orange kitten got an idea.
"Hey Brandy!" He said, hoping his idea would work.
Startled, the little brown puppy ceased his attack for now and glanced at his friend.
"What?" He asked. He then added, "Is it true you were lost over the Rainbow for almost two weeks?"
Oliver nodded.
"Yup. Do you wanna hear what happened?"
Brandy thought about this for a few minutes before nodding. He had just eaten lunch, so he really wasn't in the mood to chase Oliver anyway.
"Sure." He said.
"Okay. I'll tell you on one condition." Oliver said as he licked his front paws clean.
"What's that?" Brandy asked.
"You don't chase me for the rest of the day."
Brandy thought about this for a long time before finally agreeing.
"Okay." He said.
"Good." Oliver said. With that, he started to tell Brandy all about his adventure over the Rainbow.
"it all started when I hid in a basket when we were playing hide and seek. Before I knew it, I woke up in a strange place. As I gazed around, I knew I wasn't in Paradise Estate anymore. I wasn't even in Ponyland. I managed to get outside by jumping out of a window."
Brandy was captivated by the little orange kitten's tale.
"What happened then?" He asked, truly interested.
Oliver grinned.
"Well, that's when the adventure really began…"
THE END