"Be Careful What You Wish For"


Chapter One

It was a delightfully beautiful day in Dream Valley. The spring had begun with pleasant weather and the ponies were frolicking around the meadows in the days nearing summer. Parasol contentedly nibbled on some sweet clover while Baby Buttons and Baby Gusty galloped past her in a game of tag. She frowned as one of the baby unicorns trampled on the luscious flower she was just about to eat. Above in the skies Flutterbye, Dancing Butterflies and Floater dipped and soared in a playful display.

Moondancer, Cotton Candy, Slugger, Buttons and Twist lazily lounged in the soft blue grass by the river that snaked through the valley. Buttons rested her head on the back of Slugger while he slept, watching her foal and Baby Gusty. Twist would reach down with her nose and clip off a few tufts of grass and quietly chew on them while the others napped.

Just within sight of their eyes was Dream Castle. It's rose colored turrets were a pleasant sight to behold for the ponies. It was their castle. It was their last line of defense should anything attack their peaceful valley.

Not even thirty lengths away stood Paradise Estate. It was a modern comfort for the increasing population of Little Ponies. Other buildings dotted the landscape. The Lullaby Nursery near Paradise Estate, The Pretty Parlor, the Perm Shoppe, the Show Stable and the Poof 'N Puff Salon all rose from the magical land with their bright colors and sometimes very odd shapes.

Twist swallowed the last bit of grass she would have until dinner and sighed. "I'm bored," she said a loud to no one in particular. "Nothing ever happens here."

Moondancer opened her eyes. "Yes," she said with elder wisdom. "But be thankful for that."

The red-haired unicorn turned to her. "Why? Some excitement would be a change of pace."

"Because," the white unicorn began, "we have all this because it is so peaceful here. This is why our ancestors moved to Dream Valley centuries ago. Would you ruin this bliss for a bit of entertainment?"

Twist thought about that. "No," she said. "I just wish that something exciting would happen."

"Well, Twist, maybe this will grant your wish. I hope you're happy. Now we all have to go indoors," groaned Cotton Candy as lightning and clouds appeared in the cloudless blue sky. Baby ponies cried and ran to their parents. Snow came down in piles and all the ponies ran inside except for a single purple unicorn. Twist looked up at the clouds and saw that they were above the area where the ponies had been relaxing but nowhere else. Something moved in the bushes and then ran off into the woods.

Snow continued to fall and Twist realized she had to go indoors or be buried. Halfway to Paradise Estate the snow was up to her waist. Helplessly she struggled through the snow, occasionally tripping. At last she could stand it no longer and she brought her magic to her and winked the rest of the way.

A few hours later the ponies were eating dinner in Paradise Estates. Frightened babies were looking out the window at the snow with wide eyes. Baby Sweet Stuff started to cry. In a comforting voice Buttons said to her,"It's alright sweetie, we've had snow before."

"But Buttons it's June!" wailed Baby Fifi.

"It's almost like what Catrina did to us. Remember?" asked Powder.

"Catrina changed, she's good now. She just visited us last month," replied Posey. "And she has an orphanage. I don't think she'd try to make us her slaves again."

And then there was a knock at the door.

Posey was the first pony to venture to the door. She raised a hoof and turned down the latch handle and stood back as a snow covered Peachy walked in with Twinkles bounding in behind her.

She shook off the piles of frozen fluff and shivered at the chill. "What in the Rainbow happened? I was out gathering mint for some tea when the teperature dropped."

"Thank Twist," Gusty murmured. "She wished for excitement and oh brother, did she get it."

The purple unicorn turned to Gusty. "But I didn't ask for drifts of SNOW!"

"Getting excited will do no one any good," interrupted a familiar pale blue pegasus with bright pink hair. "This unusual weather couldn't have been triggered by Twist, her unicorn magic doesn't allow the use of weather control."

For a brief moment several ponies turned to Powder.

"It wasn't me!" the unicorn exclaimed.

"I think we should perhaps investigate this strange phenomenon," Wind Whistler continued.

"Huh?" someone asked.

"She said someone should go out and see what's making the snow." Gusty interpreted.

"That's what I said."

With a bit of debating several pegasi were chosen to fly out and see what was wrong.