The group continued walking along. They went for a long way, and were still unable to find a special rainbow. At least, one that Tommy liked. All the rainbows they had found so far were very pretty, but they just weren't special enough to give to Julie.
"I'm about ready to give up," Franky sighed.
"We can't give up now," Morning Glory said.
"Yeah, it ain't over 'till the fat lady stings!" Sting shouted. "We'll find a rainbow!"
"But so far, it doesn't look like we are," Shady said with a sigh.
Tommy climbed onto Shady's back, and sighed. It was going to take a miracle for her to find a special rainbow. Franky looked at him and sighed.
"You two fly on ahead," he said to Morning Glory and Sting. "I'm gonna talk to the troops."
"Okay," Morning Glory said, and she and Sting flew into the air to scout what was up ahead. Franky waited until they were out of sight.
"Okay, you two," he said. "Shades, I know you're the pessimist, but Tommy, you aren't. We can't give up on this. If you want to find a rainbow for Julie, we've got to keep at it!"
"But we've been all over Ponyland," Shady said.
"And we haven't found a rainbow special enough yet," Tommy said.
"Listen," Franky said smiling. "I'm gonna tell you guys something. We've got to look for a star."
"But we're looking for rainbows!" Tommy whined.
"What's the matter?" Franky asked. "Haven't you ever seen Pinocchio? Besides, where do you guys think that phrase lucky star came from?"
"But, there aren't any stars out," Shady said, looking into the sky. "It's still daylight!"
"Oh I know that," Franky said. "But if you look careful enough . . . . ."
Franky didn't go on. He, Tommy, and Shady looked into the sky, and saw something sparkling there. And it looked exactly like a star.
"Look!" Tommy shouted. "I think it's a star!"
"There you go!" Franky shouted with a smile. "What did I tell you?"
Shady, Tommy, and Franky continued on their way, following this star. They caught up with Morning Glory and Sting, and found themselves in an area of Ponyland that was a little on the chilly side, complete with snow, ice, and icebergs.
"I think we took a wrong turn at Albuquerque," Franky said, looking around.
The group looked around and saw a little yellow duck wearing a little red hat swimming in a small pond. A little penguin wearing a crown on his head watched him. The two of them were giggling.
"Hey!" Tommy called. The penguin and the duck looked up.
"Look, Sonny!" the penguin shouted. "It's some of the Little Ponies!"
"The ones who helped your dad and stopped him from freezing everything, Edgar?" Sonny asked.
Edgar nodded, and he and Sonny walked over to the little ponies and their friends.
"What are you doing here?" Edgar asked.
"We're looking for a rainbow for my sister," Tommy explained. "Her best friend is going away and she's really sad."
"I know how that feels," Edgar said. "I can get you a really pretty rainbow! Follow me!"
Franky, Tommy, Sting, Shady, and Morning Glory followed Edgar and Sonny to the top of the hill, where Edgar was arranging a bunch of clear and blue chunks of ice.
"Those aren't rainbow colored," Shady said. "Just clear and blue."
"Wait until the sun hits them," Sonny said. "I've seen Edgar do this before, and it's beautiful!"
The group looked at each other, and waited. Edgar and Sonny stepped out of the way, and the sun hit the ice cubes.
"Look over there!" Edgar shouted.
Everyone turned around, and saw a rainbow on an ice wall that looked a lot like the Northern Lights formation.
"Oh!" Morning Glory shouted.
"Oh how gorgeous!" Shady breathed.
"Outta site!" Franky shouted.
"You said it," Sting said.
"Wow," Tommy said. "That's really great, but I don't think it's what I'm looking for. I want to give Julie the most special rainbow in the entire world."
"Well, good luck," Edgar said. "I hope you find a special rainbow."
The group left the chilly north, and began walking down south where it was warmer. They continued on their way, but weren't making much progress. Franky was out of pep talks. Morning Glory and Sting led the way, but they weren't having much luck finding anything.
"We're getting nowhere fast," Shady said. "Maybe we should be heading back. What if it gets dark and we get lost in the woods? And what if we can't find our way back to Paradise Estate? What if . . . ."
"Shady, chill out," Franky said. "It's a long way away from being dark, and we're not gonna let lost!"
Shady didn't say anything else after that. She really wasn't too fond of being yelled at. In any case, the group continued walking, feeling a little downtrodden with every step, until Sting saw something in the sky.
"Check that out!" he shouted. Everyone looked up and saw streaks of red, green, and blue fly by. It looked like a ribbon of sorts. Better yet, it looked like sort of a rainbow.
"Let's follow it!" Tommy shouted.
The group ran off after the ribbon to see where it was going. They lost sight of the streaks in a forest and began pushing through branches and brush, trying to find their way out.
"We lost it," Franky said, looking into the sky. "I really hate to say it, but we lost it."
"That's not the only thing we lost," Shady said. "We lost ourselves!"
"We'll get out of here," Morning Glory said. "Don't worry about that, Shady!"
"Right," Franky said. "It's always darkest before the dawn. And you know it isn't even dark yet! When life deals you lemon, make applesauce."
Everyone looked at Franky as if he were nuts.
"I think you mean lemonade," Tommy said.
"Well," Franky said, shrugging.
Suddenly, the group began to hear the whistling of birds. It seemed to be coming from one direction.
"Listen!" Sting shouted.
"Come on!" Morning Glory shouted. "Let's follow it! Maybe it will lead us out of here!"
Shady was a little hesitant, but followed the others anyway. As they heard the whistling, they also heard singing, coming in the same direction. Franky was doing most of the pushing through brush and things until he saw an entire flock of little birds with long flowing tails and plumes on their heads fly towards a young woman with blond hair. A little bird landed on her finger, and she stroked it's stomach with her other finger, and started singing.
"Hey look who it is!" Shady shouted. "It's Princess Phyllis!"
Princess Phyllis was a friend of the ponies. She had been under a curse when she met them, Megan, and the little ponies helped her break it. She was sitting by a stone temple, and all the birds surrounded her. They flew off suddenly.
"Where are you going?" Phyllis asked. "It's all right. Come back!"
"Sorry about that," Franky said, as he and the others came over. "We didn't mean to scare off your friends."
"Oh they'll come back when they feel like it," Phyllis said. "It helps to have a handful of bird seed. What are you doing all the way out here?"
"Chasing rainbows," Franky said. "I sound like a broken record."
"We're looking for a rainbow for Julie," Tommy said. "Do you know where we can find one?"
"Well, not offhand," Phyllis said. "But I can make you one."
"Oh that would be wonderful!" Morning Glory shouted.
Phyllis smiled, and whistled for her little bird friends to come to her. Six of them arrived, and landed along her arms, three on her left arm, and three on her right arm. They were pale red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Their head plumes and tails were darker than their bodies.
"Okay, my little friends," Phyllis said to the birds. "Fly!"
The birds chirped and flew into the air, letting their long tail feathers fly. They created a floating rainbow, like a ribbon flying in the breeze. Everyone was breathless.
"Oh that's so pretty!" Morning Glory shouted.
"Yeah," Tommy said. And then she heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry, Phyllis, but it's not special. Well, not special enough. Julie's best friend is moving away, and she's really sad. I want to give her a really special rainbow to make her happy, but . . . . ."
"I understand," Phyllis said, with a warm smile. "Finding a special rainbow for someone takes time. You'll know it when you see it. Good luck."
"Thanks," Tommy said, and the group continued on their way.