DISC: I DO NOT own any of the ponies in this story. They belong to Hasbro. I do however own the Hartson girls.

Enjoy!

"A Peek into the Past"

Chapter 9

A few days later, Julie returned to school. She didn't have to worry about taking the school bus. This was because Tanya, Charlotte's mother, drove them every day.

"I'll pick you up at three o' clock, okay, sweetie?" Tanya told her daughter.

"Okay," Charlotte said. "Bye, Mommy. I love you." She gave her mother a kiss and hug and Tanya hugged Julie too. She really liked Megan's younger sister

a lot. "Come on, Julie!" Charlotte said and the two girls ran for their classroom.

Things were going smoothly for Julie at school. She no longer hated it, and she was getting good grades, especially in art class. Her art teacher, Mr. Greene, loved her pictures of flying ponies. He thought she had a great imagination. The only things that bothered Julie about school were snobby Courtney Anderson

who was always mean to her, and recess.

Recess was usually the time of day school kids just loved. Julie hated it. Most of the time, Charlotte would play with her, but sometimes, she would have

other things to do. One of those things was helping out the younger kids on the playground. Charlotte loved to do this, but sadly, whenever she got called

to help, it meant that Julie had to play alone. And that was something Juile didn't like to do.

That day at recess, however, Kathy, one of Julie's other friends asked her if she wanted to play. Julie was grateful to Kathy for this and the two spent

the hour playing house and singing their favorite songs.

After school, Megan picked Julie up from school and the two sisters walked home together. Charlotte walked along with them and she ended up coming over

to play at Julie's house.

Everythign was going fine until an older boy by the name of Timothy, tripped Julie and made her fall. Julie started crying, which caused Charlotte to run

in and get Megan.

When Megan came out, she scolded Timothy and told him to go home.

After Timothy was gone, Megan carried Julie into the house and went to get her sorted.

Julie was calmer, but she was still crying pretty hard.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, little one," Megan assuredh er little sister. "It's going to be okay. I'm going to take care of you."

Julie nodded, but she was still in tears.

"It hurts!" She cried, clinging to Megan for all it was worth.

"I know it does, sweetie," Megan said, stroking Julie's hair gently. "But it's going to be okay."

Megan gave Julie a bath and then decided to put her down for a nap. She put her pajamas on her and gave Julie a hug and kiss. She then had some cuddle time

with Julie and sung her "I'm Praying You'll Be There" which was one of Julie's favoirte songs.

Just then, Molly came into the room. She had just finisehd playing Go Fish with Aunt Abby and she wanted to know what was going on. She was worried about

Julie.

"Megan?" Molly asked, coming into the room.

"Yes, my little sunshine?" Megan asked.

"Can you read to me, please?"

"In a minute, my little sunshine. I have to help Julie right now."

Molly nodded. She looked at Julie.

"Did you get hurt?" She asked.

Julie sniffled and nodded.

"Want to hear a story with me?"

Julie shook her head. She didn't want a story. She wanted to take a nap.

Megan carried her to her room, tucked her in, sang her a song, and gave Julie Sagwa.

"Sweet dreams, little one." She said. "You'll feel better soon. I promise. I love you. I'll see you when you wake up." Megan then gave Julie a kiss and made sure she was warm enough.

Julie closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Megan took Molly's hand and led her into the other room for a story.

"Megan?" Molly asked.

"Yes, my little sunshine?" Megan asked.

"How come you call Julie little one?"

"I've always called her that. Just the same way I call you my little sunshine."

"But where did you come up with that name for Julie? And for me, too?"

Megan smiled, and took her baby sister into her lap, and began to tell her the story where she got her special names for her little sister and her baby sister.

"I got my special name for you when you were only three days old," Megan began. "It happened when you first smiled at me. It was around seven-thirty at night and I was eating dinner. You started to fuss and I put my fork down on my plate and pushed the tray away. I bent down and started to tickle you and

you stopped crying and started to giggle and gurgle. You then smiled up at me and then that's when I thought of it. I called you my little sunshine ever

since that night."

"I like it," Molly said. "I like my special name fom you."

"I'm glad," Megan said, giving Molly a kiss and hug. "And it's from. Fruh-um. From. Can you say that, my little sunshine?"

"Fr. . . . fro. . . .from." Molly repeated.

"Good girl!" Megan praised. "Aw, that's my girl."

Molly giggled as Megan started to tickle her tummy.

"What about Julie's name?" Molly asked. "How did you think of it."

"To tell you the truth," Megan said thoughtfully as she fingered the Rainbow of Light with her fore finger and thumb, I honestly don't have an answer for you there, honey. I honestly don't know how I came up with it. I remember it was on a Saturday when Julie was just fourteen months old. She was learning how to walk and she fell. She started to cry and I comforted her and then the name just came out. And I've always called her it ever since."

Molly nodded and closed her eyes. She put her thumb in her mouth and fell asleep in Megan's lap. Megan smiled as she started to sing Molly to sleep. Once Molly's steady breathing could be heard, Megan tucked her little sister in bed and gave her a kiss and hug.

"Sweet dreams, my little sunshine. I love you so much. I'll see you in the morning." With that, Megan went to get ready for bed herself. It had been a really long day.

Three weeks later, Megan was in her class when all of a sudden a migraine hit. She had felt fine a few hours ago and since Aunt Abby had gotten temporary custody of her, Molly and Julie, Megan was feeling less stressed.

As Megan put her head in her hands, she felt the pain come. She started to cry and tried to ignore it.

Just as Megan was about to summon all her strength she had left and ask to go to the bathroom, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Megan looked up to see her teacher, Mrs. Shannen, standing in back of her.

"Megan, honey, what's the matter? Do you need to go to the nurse?"

Megan nodded. She had no intention of going to the nurse, she was going to the bathroom and then leaving, via Firefly. She didn't want the nurse to take care of her. She wanted her best friend.

After MRs. Shannen gave Megan the pass, she offered to have someone walk Megan to the nurse, but Megan refused. She didn't want anyone to see Firefly. She really didn't have any friends in school anyway. They all thought she was strange because of her family history and the way she wrote in her journal about flying and talking ponies. Even though everything Megan wrote in her journal was true, the kids still made fun of her sometimes. She had one friend in her class. Her name was Kimberly, but Kim tried not to be seen with Megan during lunch or any public activity. Megan knew that Kim was just being nice,

but she really didn't appreciate her doing that if she wasn't going to be her true friend through and through.

As Megan got to the bathroom, she walked into a stall and collapsed to her knees in front of it. She started throwing up and didn't stop for five minutes.

Fortunately, Megan had someone looking out for her too. It wasn't Firefly either. It was Julie.

Julie entered the bathroom five minutes later and she wasn't' planning on going back to lunch anytime soon. She didn't like it and she didn't have anyone to sit with. Charlotte had already finished her lunch and she was outside, playing. Julie didn't want to be picked on by the kids, so she decided to hide

out in the stall.

As she crept into one, she heard someone crying. She was tiny enough to squeeze underneath the stall wall to see if she could help whoever it was. When she got on the other side, she gasped when she saw who it was.

"Megan? Megan! Megan, what's wrong? What's the matter? Are you okay?" Julie put her hand on Megan's shoulder as the older girl started throing up again.

Julie knew something was wrong then. Without thinking, she put her arm around Megan and let her older sister rest against her shoulder. As Megan laid her head against Julie's shoulder, Julie took the Rainbow of Light and opened it. the Rainbow came jetting out of it and towards Ponyland. IT knew when its keeper was in trouble.

"It's okay," Julie said gently. "It's going to be okay. Firefly's coming. The Rainbow went to get her." Then in a tiny voice Julie

added, "I hope." SHE then helped Megan, who was still feeling extremely sick to her stomach to the nurse's office.

Megan didn't object this time. She was feeling too sick. she was supposed to go to Ponyland for a sleepover that weekend, along with Molly and Julie, and now it was ruined. She was still going, but now she was sick. All Megan wanted right now was Firefly.

Once Julie and Megan got to the nurses' office, Mrs. Martin, the school nurse fussed over Megan and told Julie to leave.

Julie didn't want to, but Megan told her that she would come and get her when Firefly got there.

Julie nodded, gave Megan a kiss and left for the playground. No sooner had Julie stepped outside, but Aaron, Derek and Jeremy walked over to her. They were grinning, which meant they had something not so fun in store for Julie.

"Hey there, Baby Julie!" Aaron said, giving her a shove. "Want to play with us, baby Julie?"

Julie shook her head and almost started to cry, but didn't. she was still feeling courage deep inside from helping Megan so she used it to her advantage.

"You better leave me alone or else."

"Or else what?" Aaron asked, snickering as he pushed Julie again, making her fall on the ground, skinning her knee. "Your flying imaginary pony will come and teach us a lesson?" Aaron laughed, but then his jaw nearly hit the ground. Something pink and fast was speding straight for him as well as his friends!

Firefly had come to see what was wrong with her sweet girl, but she had decided to make a pit stop on the way. She did her double inside out loop, successfully startling the boys, who ran in fright. She then got Julie onto her back and promised her that she was taking her back to Megan.

"Hang on, Jules!" Firefly said, using her special name for Julie.

Julie did so. She was still shaken from being bullied.

As they flew towards ht schook, the little girl suddenly remembered what had happened a few minutes ago concerning her older sister.

"Something's wrong with Megan. she's in the nurse's office. She's sick. really sick."

This got Firefly worried.

"Can you tell me what happened, honey?" Firefly asked, wanting to know what was wrong with Megan as soon as possible, so that she could help her get better.

"I found Megan in the bathroom. She was crying and throwing up. she said her head hurt. She was crying pretty hard. I gave her a hug and then I opened up her necklace and hoped you would come."

Firefly nodded and nuzzled Julie.

"You did a really brave thing, you know that, Jules?"

"I did?" Julie asked, not believing it herself.

"Yup. You sure did. And you know what I think?"

Julie shook her head.

"I think you need a reward."

"What kind of reward?" Julie asked.

Firefly grinned.

"Well how about you come to Ponyland for the weekend with Megan and Molly. They are going to spend the weekend. Would you like to come too, Jules?"

Julie's face broke into a grin.

"You bet! Thanks, Firefly!"

Firefly grinned and nuzzled Julie.

"Aw, no problem, honey. You earned it."

Firefly flew into the nurses' office, just as she watched her leave to get something in another room.

Firefly landed and Julie dismounted. Firefly then rushed over to Megan who was half asleep. She nuzzled her and started to stroke her hair.

"Megan?" She asked. "Come on, my sweet igrl. It's time to go home."

Megan opened her eyes and groaned. She was feeling horrible and she just wanted to sleep.

"Fire. . . . .Firefly?" Megan asked, her voice weak and tearful.

"Uh-huh," Firefly said. "I came to take you and Julie back home."

Megan nodded and tried to sit up, but it was no use, her head was hurting too badly.

"I feel awful!" Megan whimpered, wrapping her arms around Firefly's neck and burying her face in her best friend's mane.

"Shh, shh, shh, hush now, my sweet girl. I know you do, sweetie. I know. You're going to be okay. You're going to be all right. I promise. Come on, honey. Let's get you and Jules back home. Surprise is going to bring Danny later."

Megan nodded and closed her eyes.

She pulled away from her best friend and Firefly did her famous double inside out loop and got her sweet girl onto her back.

Julie climbed on and Megan wrapped her arm around her protectively.

Julie let Megan lean her head on her shoulder while closing her eyes. She knew Megan wasn't feeling well and Julie wanted to do everything she could to help her older sister feel better.

She hated it when anyone she loved was sick. she knew Megan's migraine would go away eventually, but she

wanted to do her part to help.